Fluff Piece

When social media starts buzzing about a real-life pegasus in town, Fiona and Fluff aren't so sure. Their investigation leads them to Toni Squawke, who read it in an old book, and Lady Agatha, who saw it with her own looking glass. The truth, it turns out, is sitting on top of City Hall.

A strange sleepiness is sweeping the town, even hitting The Happy Herald's 'Trusty Editor'. The trail leads from local artist Jean Ongo to Charles, the Chancellor of Clean, to a suspiciously popular new beverage called Blue Drink, whose slogan promises "It's healthy!". The ingredients on the label tell a different story.

The town is in a tizzy because the books at the library are moving and whispering on their own! The Deputy Mayor begs Fiona and Fluff to write that there's no ghost crime. It's bad for poll numbers. Bookmaster Shush is genuinely spooked. But the truth? It's blowing in on a draft.

Stevie the Plumber is panicking. Colorful puddles are showing up around town, and she has two equally tragic theories: a rainbow has melted, or the town's water supply is contaminated. Either way, it's "unnatural", and it's bad. Fiona and Fluff urge her to slow down. The trail leads through Jean Ongo, a missing chalk supply, and a Holi festival the town just held.

A toot rang out at the new clock tower's ribbon-cutting, and the rumor mill says it was the Mayor. The Deputy Mayor wants the story buried before it tanks the polls. Fiona and Fluff follow a chain of "whoever smelled it dealt it" accusations to the actual culprit, who's proud to claim it.

Toni Squawke is bummed: the veggies from the community garden came out mushy this season, and she's convinced they'll be mushy forever. Fiona and Fluff investigate, follow the clue of a broken metal contraption to Stevie the Plumber, and prove that one bad batch doesn't mean the good times are gone for good.

The playground slide has vanished, and the town is on edge. Lady Agatha says it's gone, Stevie the Plumber is bracing for hysteria, and the loose bolts left behind hold the answer. Fiona and Fluff piece it together: the slide wasn't stolen at all. It was simply being replaced with a brand-new one.

Stevie the Plumber is sounding the alarm: there's a powerful smell coming from an old factory, and in her experience, strong smells always mean trouble. Fiona and Fluff investigate the scene, check in with the Deputy Mayor, and discover that not every strong smell is a bad one. Some are downright delicious.

Achilles, an AI-powered chat dog, has been spoiling endings at the library and upsetting every reader within earshot. Fiona and Fluff investigate, listen to him, and help him understand that the answer isn't the point. The slow joy of figuring it out yourself is what makes a story worth reading at all.

A strange tent has popped up in town, and everyone has a theory: vagabonds, red tape, treasure, something otherworldly. Fiona sings about why we tell ourselves stories, then bravely opens the tent. Inside: vagabond kittens. Everyone helps find them homes.