"I will bet you a thousand bits that Twilight would do that, Luna."
"Tis no way in Tartarus, as the foals are saying these days. While Nicholas's theory is technically true, she is practical enough to know such an idea is preposterous. Besides, if THOU suggested it, she would be more likely to do as such, because she idolizes thee."
"Ten thousand, and we make Nick do it so there's no bias."
"Deal."
And so, Nick was sent off to the construction site in Manehattan to help Twilight on her latest friendship problem. It seems that a certain wealthy buisnesspony had chosen to build a house, and wanted the most possible interior space. Unfortunately, as Twilight's letter detailed, he was unsatisfied with any of the blueprints that she had drawn up despite all her architectural knowledge.
"Nick, welcome to Manehattan! It's great to see you. Here, I've taken the liberty of preparing a small, 50-page guide to the area we'll be working in, a series of detailed maps to the city including hotspots for optimal relaxation without any specist comments, ten books on modern architectural styles, zoning permits, and" Nick tuned the purple chatterbox out and turned to her scaly companion hovering next to her.
"Hey, Spike. How are you doing? Seems Sparky put a whole week's worth of effort into my arrival."
"The little dragon shrugged his shoulders. "Actually she put all that together last night. But I've been great, this place has a lot of comic shops and other cool places to hang out. Most of what Twilight is doing goes over my head, anyway. Unless you wanna explain what a flying buttress is?"
Nick patted the small lizard on the head. "I remember those from a course I took at college, but it's not important. Celly and Luna sent me to pull a fast one on your picky little noble friend, so we are going to have a little fun out here. Hey, Sparky!"
Twilight perked her ears up, snapping out of lecture mode. "Nick? Oh, what? Did you need something?"
"What if I told you we could make a house with the most possible inside space for less than thirty thousand bits?"
"That's... not possible! Our budget is over two million. How in the world would we... that much would barely cover the cost of the front wall!"
"You're thinking about this too one dimensionally, Sparks. Sometimes if you just change the way you see things, everything falls into place. Let me explain..."
"Who or what is this... THING, and why is it on my property?" An exasperated rich-looking pony glared daggers at the human as he surveyed the empty city block of land that was to hold the new mansion. "I do not want filthy animals on my property!"
Nick turned to greet the irate equine as he stormed over. "Ah, so you are the owner of this fine land! The name's Nick Lloyd Wright, architect extraordinaire! I was called in from a far-off land by our dear friend miss Sparkle, to help build you the ultimate dream home! Forgive me, I was merely surveying the land for the moment. A fine locale, if I may say so."
The rich, as it quickly became apparent, respected important-sounding titles. "Ou, really? My apologies, then. Has she already explained my desires?" After receiving a nod, he continued. "Excellent. Then I hope you will not disappoint."
"Oh, believe me, sir, I will do no such thing. In fact, the house is already built and up to code! I'm simply waiting for it to be delivered."
"D-delivered?" The stallion asked, bewildered. "How does one deliver a mansion?"
"Like this!" Came a call from the street. Twilight marched in, a small shed being carried in her magic. It was no larger than a one-car garage, and it even came equipped with wheels. It looked quaint, complete with windows and a tiny porch big enough to fit a single standing pony, and Ywilight wasted no time in parking it in the middle of the empty lot and attaching the water and electrical equipment to the correct locations.
The wealthy pony stared in shock, mouth hanging open. "WHAT IN THE WORLD IS THAT?! I asked for an impressive mansion, not a pathetic little shack!"
"Ah, but good sir!" Nick countered. "I have delivered exactly to your whims. At a mere 180 square feet, this little wonder will never again leave you rushing to the front door, nor scouring rooms in search of lost paperwork. And with a spacious interior full of fresh air to boot!"
"What intetior!? I specifically requested the largest possible interior space, you imbicile!"
"And we did, didn't we, Sparkle?"
"Yes, because due to a loophole in the laws of land ownership, according to the paperwork..." she opened the door and stepped through, enclosed by the small walls. She poked her head through a window and finished. "This is actually the outside, and you're inside! And think of how impressed everypony will be when you can say your garden is inside your house. It's great! Plus it only cost us twenty-eight thousand bits for all the building and paperwork. We can spend another twenty-five thousand on a landscaper to do some 'interior decorating' and pretty up the grounds, and still have two million left over from your budget!"
The wealthy pony turned back to face Nick. "Um... do you want bits, or a check?"
Dear princess Celestia,
Manehattan is great! There are so many attractions to visit, and I will be coming back home next week a million bits richer. There seems to be a sudden demand for tiny, almost minuscule houses now with big yards, though.
It has thrown the housing market for a loop and many ponies questioning their own living choices. On a side-note, please tell Lulu we told her so, and that she owes you ten thousand bits.
Your friend,
Nicholas Abernathy