Sunrise Miku wasn't an average pony. She wasn't even an Equestria pony. A fellow student of East Manehattan, she sees one of the Gold Sisters every weekday. Each time she was at her locker, she'd see Bright Snow trot past with someone else. When Sunrise and her parents first moved her a few years ago to start a restaurant business, Magenta Streak was all the rage and just became popular. So much so it drove her a little mad, and made her high red ponytails go weird and out of place. Her orange coat had to be groomed constantly. Magenta and Sunrise actually lived on the same block in the past apparently. Her mother said that she's witnessed her mother leave a house on the corner with their father. Technically they were on the same street too. Either way, she's inspired her to make music.
Sunrise wasn't the best, but she has released a few tracks through a few indie platforms. YouHoof being one of them. Like before, not many results if any at all. She, just like any artist out here strived to be like Magenta Streak. To do shows, make music, be recognized, and of course all the bits. Bright wears fashionable clothing. Colr Arch, Golden Diamond Crown, Mahlooho. All extremely expensive. And she has more than twenty outfits of Colr Arch. Sunrise has been counting. Over eight million bits spent. Total.
She's only seen Bright in person. Magenta was impossible to get to. Sunrise would be extremely lucky if she could see her from three yards away. And would be insanely lucky if she got to talk to her. Many of the students here wished the same thing. With that thought in mind Sunrise opened up her locker and stuffed her books inside to mix with the mess of stickers, report cards, and a mirror.
She reached up and fixed one of her pigtails. Then sighed and closed it back. "Hey!" A high pitched voice greeted.
"Gah!" Sunrise jumped out of fright and held a hoof over her chest. When she closed her locker, Bright was leaning against the one next to her on the other side with her hooves crossed. Watching her. Or the steel door.
Bright smirked and asked, "Are you okay?"
Sunrise rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times. Then looked around. Was Bright Snow talking to her? The Bright Snow?! Bright could see where this was going. She nodded her head and answered her unasked question. "Yes, I'm talking to you. I need to speak with you for a bit before we get out of here."
Sunrise pointed to herself and asked, "You need to speak... With me? A-Am I in trouble?"
Bright shook her head and answered, "Far from it. Just come and walk with me." Sunrise shut her locker and grabbed her bags from the floor. Then proceeded to follow her down the hall. Bright had to have just come from Cheer practice since she was still wearing her cheer outfit. Sunrise was over the moon. She was walking with Bright Snow! Bright Snow! Oh wait until mom hears about this.
They walked into the main lobby and out the front doors into the air of East Manehattan. Looking around, Bright said, "You make some good music, Pony."
Wait, what?! Sunrise gasped then swiveled to face Bright. She whispered, "You know I make music? And listen to it?"
Bright nodded and answered, "Yes, I do. Please don't freak out, it's unnerving." Sunrise settled for biting her lips with wide eyes. Bright could tell she was about to start screaming. "I like how you use another language that isn't Ponish in your tracks. It's unique. And from what I know about the industry, nopony else does that. At all. Let alone makes good music with it unless I'm missing something."
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, Bright Snow is talking to me about my music! Sunrise barely contained a simple nod. This was something she would never expect. Or even expected!
"S-S-So, what do you want?" She stuttered.
Bright sat down and looked around her surroundings. Then whispered, "Magenta and I are in the midst of a... Transitional period, if you catch my drift. Magenta hasn't heard of your music. So I'll introduce her to it and see what she says later on tonight. You obviously have some talent and I would like to see it go further. How old are you?"
"Sixteen," she whispered.
Bright nodded and responded, "Yeah, it should be no problem. I'll have Maggy look at your YouHoof channel tonight and see what she thinks. And if she likes it, we'll do some more explaining. I'll have her look at what I think is your best track. And if we like it, we'll send you a letter. Keep it up, kid." Bright stood up and made her way down the steps, leaving Sunrise with a more than excited look on her face. Once Bright was out of view, she quickly shimmered off down the steps and high tailed it to her house. She had to tell mom, she had to tell mom!
While Bright was on her mission in Manehattan, Magenta had her own mission that required a saddlebag-suitcase, her phone, and a business suit. The best one she had actually. The one that was black, white, and had a Magenta-colored tie. As well as Colr Arch shades with the golden front. After grabbing the suit from her closet back at her penthouse, Magenta also grabbed a black stetson that was hanging inside that she never remembered getting. But she barely remembers getting any of the two hundred outfits in here. This hat was no different. She donned it on her head and adjusted her saddlebags. Then closed the door in her room and made her way for the elevator. Where she was going, no one would notice her. As long as nopony knew about it actually being her. In Manehattan, she was Magenta Streak. But everywhere else, she was Purple Diamond.
The train ride was uneventful. Nopony questioned the most elegant pony getting on the train wearing an expensive suit and sitting in the back in the corner all by herself looking out the window. The afternoon sun cast shadows on her face each time they passed a tree while her eyes behind the golden shades were squinted with intensity. And not because these glasses were partially hurting her eyes. But because of the fact that she had a big mission up ahead: Getting recruits. She's been waiting for this day. She's been waiting for this day less than a week. Ever since Covered Scenes blew her up. She wanted to blow her up. But luckily, YouHoof got to her first. She was a lucky mare. A little slap on the wrist from the ponies that give her bits. But to Magenta Streak, that wasn't enough.
Either way, nothing could be done. At least right now. Her thoughts were on the mission: Recruitment. She had to get more artists, platforms, and promos. Believe it or not, every city had different styles. Magenta's just one of them that plays all of those styles. Hardcore was something from the Underground Manehattan scene. Where Ravers move in and take the dance floor, swinging their hips from side to side and singing along to her sounds. The scene that made her go sky high, sitting on bits back at her Manehattan Elite mansion. Upper Manehattan was the House Scene. North Manehattan was the Nightcore scene. The Happy Hardcore. Another scene that helped. The techno scene was Las Pegasus. Those were the main scenes. But there were some different ones out there too. Genres from ponies who are hoping to be noticed. And she knew a mare who knew ponies that knew where to find them.
It wouldn't take much to actually do it. She had ponies in every single city. So many she could do it herself. But if they were like her when they started off, they weren't going to just come out and say, "I make music too." Doing that for some dumb bucking reason gets you teased. If you were on YouHoof, and had more than a million subscribers, you knew Magenta Streak. If you were popular and had bits, you knew Magenta Streak. And if you were an Elite of some sort, you knew Magenta Streak. Or she knew you.
Far too soon, the train screeched to a stop in the station of Canterlot. Magenta Streak picked up her saddlebag-suitcase and adjusted her suit, then trotted out of her seat and soon out the car's doors. Once she was outside she stopped and breathed in the air with a sigh. Then continued on with her movements. The streets of Canterlot were busy with high end horses. Not as high and mighty as Manehattan. But still a little on their high horses. Only dreamers wish they could live in East Manehattan Unique. These were the dreamers. Canterlot.
"Purple Diamond" Moved with a status. Hooves carefully clopped across the street for a subtle but apparently busy couture shop. A very fancy one that more than likely went through modifications within the last few weeks. Magenta wasn't surprised. A word from her escalates your life. Or plunders it. With the hoof bearing the golden flashy diamond drenched watch, Magenta grabbed the handle and pulled the door open.
Yeah, it was busy. Canterlot Elite browsing through dresses, pants, and dress suits. Sports jackets, belts, all of that. Are these new workers walking around? She's heard of Sassy Saddles, the General Manager working the Canterlot Boutique office. But there were some new faces too. "Whoo, I upped her business," Magenta murmured. Then made her way through the store towards the counter. Rarity must be making a lot of bits if she can afford Sassy Saddles' paycheck, and provide her with a fixed budget to keep three new mares behind the counter rolling and two more out on the floor keeping it nice and tidy. Then Magenta remembered Rarity had a Manehattan branch too. That's more than likely where a majority of her income was coming from.
A pink colored mare with a low class but still fashionable jacket smiled at her from behind and greeted, "Hello, miss! Welcome to Canterlot Boutique! How can I help you?"
Magenta leaned against the counter and stared at her nonchalantly behind her completely golden shades. "I need to see Ms. Rarity, please. Is she around? I have a feeling she is."
The pony in front of her fidgeted a little. Then stammered, "Er, well... She's in the back at the moment discussing with a business partner."
Magenta hummed and murmured, "...business partner..." She wasn't so sure about that. Magenta knew for a fact there were no business partners in Canterlot. The only Business partners she's heard of were the Pear and Apple family years ago, Flim and Flam, and Bright Snow and herself. Not to mention every single affiliate with Starfire. In Canterlot, there were no business partners. There were only heads. Heads of the business. The pony in the back room handling the bits and taking four fifths for himself, and leaving one fifths for the pony actually doing all the work.
Rarity was currently speaking terms with the pony who possibly owned this entire block.
Magenta cleared her throat and nodded after a few seconds. "Right... Right, so I'll just go and grab her myself then." Magenta dropped back onto the floor and made her way around the counter before the mare could protest. Then walked down the hallway that led into the back. It was dark. creaky and wooden. But not scary. A great contrast to the front though.
Her left ear twitched to the muffled voices up ahead. "With all due respect, three-eighths is entirely unfair." Rarity. Definitely Rarity. No pony else has that voice but her.
A deep chuckle. A deep pony. Just like Magenta thought. A "business partner" in the midst of possibly a blackmail. "Oh, Ms. Rarity. Bits don't just come in. They come in through promotional efforts. My promotional efforts brought you these sales. Charts never lie."
Magenta rolled her eyes and calmly walked in the room. She knew this trick. And his type. Possibly somepony with the Canterlot Elite riding off the business of the Manehattan Elite. There were three big burly stallions standing in the corners with narrowed eyes trained on Rarity while another had his hooves propped up on the edge of the desk she was behind, smoking a cigar of some sort with his back to the door. He was brown and had a long black mane with one half shaved off, leaving the other half to drape over his eye right. She's heard of this one.
Consort Steel. The heir to a ring of Restaurants in Equestria. His family owns a bunch of businesses here in Canterlot, and are Canterlot Elite who are actually at war with another family in the Manehattan Elite. Magenta receives information through a newsletter every saturday about how much power they have just by having Magenta Streak around, along with the news of developments through other members. But the Canterlot Elite believe they bluff and still move their "slaves", even those under the Manehattan Elite's protection. As a consequence, some were called out and lost their wealth in a few months. Worst case, days. They never learn their lessons. In the newsletters, The Manehattan Elite believed they could cause them to lose their wealth in hours with Magenta as backup.
She usually declines with the excuse that even though she held power over everypony, she didn't want any bad karma with anypony in the future. But now she was starting her own business. She didn't want to own anypony, just needed them for information on anypony in case another tried to ruin her.
She already had them. A few of those ponies were music lawyers, CEOs of labels, and owners of music stores in Canterlot, Las Pegasus, East Manehattan, West Manehattan, North Manehattan, Ponyville, Cloudsdale, and the Crystal Empire. They would continue to keep her updated as long as her music continued appearing on their shelves, and her promise of future collaborations continued. Even appearances with their artists.
She had sixteen ponies here in Canterlot that keep tabs on this guy. And his cronies who locked eyes with her the second she walked in and reached in her jacket to pull out a sliver of paper. Not to mention way more in Manehattan. "That's true. Charts never lie," she repeated.
She presented the paper to the stallions rushing to her who slid to a stop and just stared at it. Who knew a neighborhood logo could have these ponies slowly back away. The real big boss was here.
Consort Steel looked over his shoulder and grumbled. Then stood up and stomped his way over to the mare with gold on her face, thinking she was Ms. Big Shot. Taking slow and threatening steps her way. "I don't know who you think you are, pony..." He growled. Then stopped and stared down to her. He was a tall stallion, with big muscles and more muscle as backup. He took a breath through his cigar and blew it into Magenta's face. Then sneered, "But this is my client. That means get out." The single lamp light on Rarity's desk cast him in a shadow. But these gold shades were still pretty good.
While he was taking another drag, Magenta glanced to Rarity who was looking between the two. Probably didn't want her shop trashed. It wouldn't be. Magenta sighed and shook her head with a smile. "Oh pony, you have it all wrong. Especially when it comes down to those charts sitting over there. No. No, you see..." Magenta reached up and took off her hat. Then her sunglasses. Even Rarity stopped breathing. "You have no power here. The only one who does is Rarity. And she's not even my client. I did her a favor. And am so proud of her success. But I really don't like it when the Canterlot Elite come in and... Try to ride off the M.E's kindness for their own gain. It sort of irks me and nopony likes an irked Magenta Streak."
Magenta reached up and took the cigarette out of his mouth. Then hoofed it over to one of his cronies, who took it with a shaking hoof. She focused back on Consort with a smile and calmly patted his face. "It's rude to smoke in the presence of a lady. I'm sure the girl you met at a club waiting for you beside Donut Joe's right now told you that. Every thursday—the second busiest day of the week, four in the evening, right? Three hours before you're 'done with the nightly meeting with your boss?'"
Rarity focused on the silent stallion just like the three with him. His mean eyes took on a slow careful stare, glancing around with apprehension. Magenta gasped and added, "Or, even better, your three month pregnant wife nopony knows about. I'm sure she's told you that. Right?" She leaned up to his ear and repeated slowly, "Right?"
She didn't wait for an answer. Magenta calmly walked around him for the chair he was just sitting in in front of Rarity. "You know... I'm sure neither of these mares would mind if I told them how exactly you get your bits. Along with some... Extra information."
He snapped out of his daze and took in a deep breath. Then turned and bellowed, "I thought you weren't with the Manehattan Elite!"
After taking a seat and getting comfy facing her friend, Magenta deadpanned, "I'm not. But because of who I am, and because of what I do, I don't even need to be part of the Manehattan Elite to have you do what I want. Rarity, do you have a mint?"
Rarity nodded and reached in her desk. She prides herself for being ready for meetings. Magenta pointed to a specific spot for it to be placed. Then nodded and requested, "Okay. Now the famed bags of bits you owe this pony, can you place them next to it?"
Rarity just stared at her. Why did she need those? But did slowly reach down and grab one bag to place next to the mint. Then a second. Third. Fourth. Fifth. Magenta slid her chair to the corner of the desk to present them to those behind her.
Shr whistled teasingly and stated, "Wow! Are you sure you made this happen, Consort Steel? I'd take you for a liar if these charts weren't legit. It's a good thing I stopped by today, I'm learning something new. And I love to learn." She picked up the charts on the desk and looked them over. "Because I could've sworn your status in the Canterlot Elite is lower than even Blueblood. And that is saying something. There's no way you could have made this happen, I mean seriously! Really!! I didn't even see any ads from your family-owned company save for my face on YouHoof talking about Rarity's business. I didn't even know you had a campaign running like you claim you do."
She placed them back down next to the bits and kicked her hooves up on the desk. Then reached in her suit and pulled out her phone. "Let's make the right choice, Consort Steel. Do the right thing, and I don't have a few friends spread some 'little rumors' about how you're stuffing another mare while your wife is already pregnant with your foal. Package complete and shipped with photos on July ninth last year with you two behind the Las Pegasus Sweet Suites. Another in the same week at a Club that I was performing at, and another boldly the next morning on a Saturday located in the same home you live in with your pregnant wife between the hours of eight AM and eleven AM. Walking in, and walking out. Thing is... This mare doesn't even know you're married. What would your mother say, or do? Probably hoof all those bits to your much smarter younger brother, right? Attending college for a Master's?"
Consort Snow gulped and glanced between the mint and the bits with the charts. Just to urge him on, Magenta leaned down and sniffed the mint. "Mmmm... Good smelling breath would make any mare melt. It's a custom so many cheating stallions don't use. Isn't that right, Rarity? No mare like us would want a stallion with foul smelling cheater breath. This mint would definitely hide that from both mares. Your wife, and your 'backup'."
Consort Snow sighed and walked forward. He didn't have much of a choice. His wife was a menace when angry. He reached out to drag the mint off the desk and into his hooves. Then slowly backed away. Magenta nodded and whispered, "Good stallion. You're going to make that mare happy tonight. Go on now. It's rude to keep a lady waiting." He blew hot air out of his nose and made way for the door. He snatched the cigar out of the hoof of one of his compadres to relieve his stress.
"Oh, and one more thing, Consort." He stopped and looked over his shoulder.
Magenta placed her hat back on her head with the glasses, then shot him with a gleaming grin. "Tell your friends pretending to be customers out front that.... Purple Diamond is always watching. You and them stay off this property. You wouldn't want to know what happens if you come back. Have a good night."