Oh Sassy Saddles,
don't you just love my new
Femme Mystique Chic line of gowns?
Sequins and sashes,
Rarity, they're exquisite!
Where in Equestria did
you find the inspiration?
Oh, I modeled them after
the adventures of Shadow Spade.
Her stories are always
full of mystery, suspense,
and best of all,
fabulous costumes!
They're perfect!
What are you doing?
Oh, ah, just making
some minor adjustments.
Shadow Spade believes it all
comes down to attention to detail.
And so do I.
There!
Now it's perfect.
Hey guys, how's it-
My bad.
Sorry I messed up
your dress thingie.
Nothing we can't fix in a stitch.
What are you doing in Canterlot?
I'm here for Princess Celestia's
Royal Garden opening tomorrow.
Oh, yes! Rumor has it the gardens
are especially lush this season.
I heard that the Wonderbolts
will be kicking
things off with an aerial display.
You heard right. And Rainbow Dash
is here to fly with them.
So exciting!
Well, kind of exciting.
Technically, I'm not flying.
I'm just the lucky Reserve
who was called in to be
the backup flyer in case
a Wonderbolt can't perform.
Oh, don't be so modest.
Out of all the reserves,
you were the one chosen.
It is pretty sweet. And I do
get to stay in the castle,
hang out with the Wonderbolts,
and eat awesome food
at the dinner tonight.
Speaking of the dinner,
you're still coming, right?
Heavens, yes!
A chance to dress up,
be charming and show off
my newest femme mystique couture?
I wouldn't miss it
for all of Equestria.
Great! See ya tonight!
Oh, the rhinestones I ordered!
Oh my, oh, there's
been a mistake...
I ordered thread uncut stones,
and these are hoof-polished.
I'm sorry, but I've got a full
load of deliveries today,
I'm not sure I have time
to re-do your order.
Of course you don't.
Your job is so difficult, honestly,
I don't know how you keep
all of those orders straight.
Aheh, it is pretty tough, what
with all of the boxes all being...
box-shaped.
Oh, y- oh yes, and I
very much appreciate it,
but if there was any way you could
squeeze in one more little delivery
I would be eternally grateful.
Well, for you, Rarity,
I'll see what I can do.
Rarity, you could sweet-talk
a filly out of candy!
Oh, it was nothing.
Nopony minds a compliment.
Now, you simply must help me
pick out an outfit for tonight!
Something from the new
collection, of course!
Let's grab some grub!
Mm, is that Juniper Phoenix
I smell?
No, it's broccoli!
Yeah, Juniper Phoenix is one
of my favorite stallion colognes.
Oh, mine as well,
it's masculine and then-
Sorry, with the fairest hint
of floral notes, and-
Rarity! Don't you know
who this is?!
A gentlepony with fabulous
taste in colognes and scarves?
It's Wind Rider!
Oh! So nice to meet you!
You didn't let me finish!
He's a living legend.
He holds the Wonderbolts
record in the Mustang Marathon!
Ah, that was a long time ago.
Honestly, I can't believe
I still hold the record.
Wind Rider, I see you
met Rainbow Dash!
She's one of our most
promising reserves.
She just might b*at your record!
Really now?
Oh, I'm nowhere near
as good as you.
I mean, I'm fast,
but I don't have the endurance
to go long distances.
Ah, don't be modest.
A little practice and you'll be
b*ating records in no time.
Heheh. Well, it's nice
to meet you fillies.
Not as nice as it is
to meet you, sir.
I can't believe I just
met Wind Rider!
Yeah, he's coming out of retirement
to take the spot of honor
in the centre of our aerial
flower formation tomorrow.
Really? That's incredible!
Guess I'll just watch Wind Rider
being awesome from the sidelines...
Practice tomorrow
is gonna be so boring.
I don't suppose I could
keep you company?
You could! They always let friends
and family come watch practices!
Mm- ooh!
Oops, heh, sorry about that.
Lemme help you clean that up.
No no, it's almost impossible
to get stains out of silk.
But not to worry.
I've come prepared!
That dinner was absolutely divine.
Thanks for inviting me!
Ooh, staying in the east tower?
Those rooms have
the best view of Canterlot!
How lucky are we? Oh well,
we better get some shut-eye
before practice.
See you tomorrow, Rarity!
Good night!
Thanks for keeping me
company, Rarity.
If you weren't here, well,
I don't know who I'd be
talking to right now.
Eh, you'd be talkin' to me.
Rainbow Dash, Spitfire's mom
sent a message saying she was sick,
she had to leave
to take care of her.
Oh no! I hope her mom's okay!
Me too. In the meantime,
we need you to fly in her place.
W-wait, you mean
the actual show?
Unless Spitfire comes back, yes.
I won't let you down, Soarin'!
This is the best thing ever!
Ohmygoshohmygosh
ohmygoshohmygosh!
I'm gonna get to fly with Wind Rider
and the Wonderbolts,
cuz I'm the greatest, and I'm
awesome, and they know it-
Uh... Rainbow Dash?
Shh! Let her have this, darling.
Hello there! Friend or family?
Family. My daughter's a Wonderbolt,
but I don't see her up there...
Do you know Spitfire?
Ooh, you're Spitfire's mum...?
But I thought you were sick?
What?
Well, Spitfire got a note from you
saying you weren't feeling well,
and she went home
to take care of you.
I didn't send a note.
That's so strange.
Stormy Flare? Aren't you
supposed to be sick?
Kay, what's happening?
I don't know! But I do know I didn't
send my daughter a note.
Could somepony have
sent Spitfire a fake note?
Who would do such a thing?
Somepony who wanted her
out of the show I suppose.
Why would anypony want that?
Maybe so they could
take her spot.
Me?! I would never
do that to Spitfire!
Why would you think it was me?
I did see you and Spitfire
leave the dinner together.
We were room neighbors
in the castle!
And you did say you'd do
anything to fly with Wind Rider.
Yeah, but I didn't mean anything.
Spitfire came by my room
and told me
she had to go see her mom
at around midnight.
Where were you then?
I was asleep at midnight...
having this totally amazing dream.
There I was, at the arena,
flying with Wind Rider
and the Wonderbolts,
like I've always wanted to-
-ah, eh, nevermind. Not helping.
Rainbow Dash, if you can
prove somepony else
is behind Spitfire's disappearance
before the start of the show,
then you can still fly with us.
In the meantime, Misty Fly, Blaze,
head over to Stormy Flare's house,
try to find Spitfire
and bring her back.
I have to warn you, if you sent
that letter, the by-laws are clear.
I'd have no choice but to ban you
from the Wonderbolts forever.
Understand?
I understand.
But how am I gonna prove
I didn't send a letter
that I didn't send?!
With me!
Detective Rarity
is on the case,
and we are going to
get to the bottom
of this faster than
my costume change!
...Yeah, what's with the getup?
Obviously, I am channeling
Shadow Spade
through these gorgeous garments,
and she would say that
the best way to prove
you didn't send the letter
is to find out whoever did.
First up, the scene of the crime!
We had a long road ahead
of us, Rainbow Dash and I.
Well, not too long because
we didn't have much time,
but the point is I was up
for the challenge.
There I was, surveying
the crime scene,
and looking très chic
while doing it.
This must be the envelope
for the letter Spitfire got!
Hm, these look like hairs
from a rainbow mane!
That's not good.
Rainbow Dash was getting antsy,
but I had faith I could clear
her name and find the real culprit.
What are you doing?
Uh, just thinking thoughts.
Rainbow Dash was right.
In order to solve the mystery,
we had to be focused.
Driven.
One hundred percent in the- Ooh!
The damas pattern on
these curtains is exquisite!
Oh, and this velvet rope-holder,
oh, it's just-
We don't have time to
look at the décor!
They're gonna kick me out of
the Wonderbolts unless we solve this thing!
I know, Rainbow, and I'm on this case
like a charm on a bracelet!
Here's what I'm thinking:
Somepony had to bring
Spitfire that letter,
which means somepony
must have seen them!
I just have a few
questions for you,
and I'm sure once we get
some things cleared up, we'll-
Come on, Rarity,
we don't have all day!
Where were you on the night
of last night at midnight?!
We were here, guarding the hallway
entrance like we were supposed to.
A likely story.
I'm telling you,
we were there all night,
and no-one went in
or out of that hallway.
Except for you.
What are you tryin' to say?!
Just that there are only two rooms
in the north-west wing,
yours and Spitfire's,
so the only other pony who had
access to that wing was you.
The waters were getting choppy.
Rainbow Dash's tactics
were, well, horrid.
It was time for another approach.
Perhaps I should
take it from here!
You castle guards have
such a difficult job.
I'm guessing at times
it can be rather...
boring.
It is. I've counted all three hundred
and forty five bolts
in the ceiling tiles two hundred
and ninety three times!
And of course being a castle guard
can be thankless work.
I'm not saying you did,
but if you took a break,
you more than deserved it.
You're right, we don't get a lot
of recognition for what we do.
Except for last night,
when somepony was nice enough
to leave a cake for us.
So we did take one little break
when we ate that cake.
What kind of cake was it?
Cherry with a custard filling.
Was the frosting vanilla
or chocolate?
Chocolate.
Was the base of the cake decorated
with buttercream rosettes?
It was.
Ugh, who cares how
it was decorated?!
Rainbow Dash was questioning
my methods.
But I knew what I was doing.
Do you?
Oh, oh, oh, did I say
that one out loud...?
I mean, even I think
I'm guilty at this point!
I really did want to fly
in that show!
What if I wrote that note
while I was asleep?!
Do you know what
I do when I sleep?
Because I sure don't!
Oh calm down, Rainbow Dash.
We'll get to the bottom of this.
There's only one bakery
in Canterlot that makes
a chocolate cherry cake
with custard filling
and buttercream frosting
rosettes and that's...
...Cinnamon Chai's Tea
and Cake Shop!
Hello, how can I help you?
I've heard you have the best
chocolate cherry custard cake
with buttercream frosting
rosettes in town!
Ah, you travel in
the right circles!
We have the only chocolate
cherry custard cake
with buttercream frosting
rosettes in town!
Oh no, but somepony's
already bought it!
Who was the lucky pony?
I can't even say!
Why? Because it was
somepony famous?
No, because it was hard to tell!
She was wearing a trench coat,
sunglasses and a scarf
around her head that covered
most of her face.
But I do remember she had
a really deep, raspy voice.
What do you mean, raspy?
Well, kinda like yours.
If there's anything else
you can remember, dish.
Well, have I got a story for you!
The pony who bought it
threw a big fit
when she accidentally got
chocolate ganache on her scarf!
That's terrible! What color
was the scarf?
White! No, maybe kind of ivory...
You don't say!
I can't believe you're talking
fashion at a time like this!
Rainbow, don't panic.
I need you to trust me.
Trust you?! You've spent more
time changing clothes
than trying to help me!
I'm doomed!
No, you're not! Come on!
Rainbow Dash was obviously upset,
but I had all my ducks in a row.
Except one.
She was not going to like it,
but there was only
one way to find out
if my suspicions were correct.
We looked everywhere, but Spitfire
wasn't at her mom's house!
Where could she be?
I have found the culprit!
Somepony sent Spitfire away
and framed Rainbow Dash for it.
And that pony was
none other than...
Wind Rider!
Rarity, I can't believe you would
accuse Wind Rider of framing me!
He's a living legend,
for pony's sake!
All the evidence points to him!
Peh, what evidence
could you possibly have?
All you did was ask
about cake, admire décor,
and change outfits
a gazillion times!
Let me explain. I never believed
you would send Spitfire away.
When we found the rainbow hairs
in Spitfire's room,
I could tell they didn't fall out,
they were cut!
Nopony loses hair in a chunk,
and look at the ends,
it's a straight line!
They were clearly cut with shears,
which means somepony planted it!
Then when we were
examining Spitfire's room,
I smelled something
on the envelope.
Juniper Phoenix, Wind Rider's
cologne of choice!
Then, in the castle hallway,
I noticed some of
the damas curtains
fell out of their
velvet rope-holder,
indicating that somepony
had been hiding behind them!
Perhaps after they dropped
off the fake letter?
Juniper Phoenix is a very
popular fragrance,
and anypony could have
moved those curtains.
Precisely why I questioned
the castle guards!
They were at their post at the
entrance to the hallway all night,
except for a small window of time
when somepony brought them cake,
a cake that was ordered by
a girl pony with a raspy voice!
Whoever ordered the cake got
a chocolate stain on her ivory scarf,
and I couldn't help but notice
that Wind Rider's scarf
is tied in a tight
Windsor knot,
instead of its usual
loose-slip knot!
And why is that?
Is it to hide
the chocolate stain?!
Ah, this is preposterous.
Wonderbolts, you don't believe
a word of this, right?
Just admit it – you're as guilty
of framing Rainbow Dash
as you are of ruining
that ivory scarf!
Fffine, you caught me!
I did it!
But why, Wind Rider?!
Was it because I took
the last broccoli
at the dinner and you really,
really wanted it?
No. It was because he was afraid
that you would break his
long-distance Wonderbolt record!
I heard him when Spitfire said
you were close to
breaking his record.
He said, and I quote, 'Heheh'.
That's the polite yet disingenuous
laugh you make
when you want to seem
happy but really you're not.
I thought if I could get
Rainbow Dash kicked out
of the Wonderbolts forever,
my record could be preserved.
Really? That is so not cool,
and I thought you were
the coolest Wonderbolt ever.
Until now.
I did what I had to do
to protect my record!
Sometimes you gotta
play dirty to be the best!
That's not what being
a Wonderbolt is all about.
She's right! Wonderbolts
look after each other,
which reminds me,
where is Spitfire?
I sent her the letter pretending
to be Stormy Flare.
I told her I had pegasitis,
and the only cure is the ice iris
in the Crystal Mountains.
No wonder she's been gone so long.
Ice irises are almost
impossible to find in spring!
The Crystal Mountains
are too far for anypony
to make it there and back
before the royal garden opening!
Rainbow Dash, we need you
to fly in Spitfire's place!
But Spitfire shouldn't
have to miss this!
I'm gonna get her!
But you'll never make it in time!
Then there's no time to lose!
Rainbow Dash is still gone!
Oh don't panic.
If I know Rainbow Dash,
she'll come through.
Spitfire, you're back!
I can't believe you made it!
I wouldn't have, if Rainbow
hadn't found me so fast!
Gave me enough time to fly back!
Rare, I couldn't have
done it without you.
And I'm sorry I doubted you,
but why didn't you tell me
what you were doing?
Well I didn't want to get
your hopes up until I was sure,
and I couldn't be sure until
I saw that chocolate stain.
Thank you for believing in me,
even when I was doubting you.
I'm some friend, huh?
Actually you're quite
a good friend.
You went to get Spitfire,
even though it meant
you couldn't fly today.
I'll get my chance one day.
Or today. How'd you like
Wind Rider's spot in the show?
Uh, w-w-what? Y-you can't
do this to me!
I'm one of the greatest
Wonderbolts there ever was!
Not any more. For attempting
to frame Rainbow Dash,
I hereby strip you of
your Wonderbolts status!
So, would you like to fly with us?
Would I?!
Woohoo!
Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah,
uh, uh-huh, yeah, aww yeah...
Uh, Rainbow Dash?
Coming!
So my friend got her moment
in the sun.
Or the centre of an aerial flower,
as the case may be.
And as for me?
I got a chance to show off my
Femme Mystique Chic collection!
That's nice, dear.
Oh, did I say that out loud?