“...and then I was like, ‘Blech, green? Green is soooo ugly...’ And she was all like, ‘Okay then, how about brown?’ Brown! I mean, seriously! I was all like, ‘Do you even know fashion?’ Because brown and green are, like, hideous!”
“Mm-hm.”
“And so she was just like, she was like, ‘Maybe you should leave.’ And I was all like, ‘Maybe I should!’”
“Mm-hm.”
“And then she was just li--”
“We are now arriving in Canterlot!” The conductor trotted out of a neighboring car, his thunderous voice cutting off Diamond Tiara’s. The mare grinned, sliding out of her seat. “Ready to see Canterlot?”
Apple Bloom stood, stretching, as a yawn overtook her for a moment. “Eeyup.” Diamond Tiara squealed, earning the angered glances of the ponies surrounding her, but she payed no mind. The pink mare trotted forward, Apple Bloom on her heels, joining the flow of ponies exiting the train.
Apple Bloom stifled a groan as Diamond Tiara continued to chatter excitedly. Ah should’a left her at the train station… As her hooves touched pavement, however, she glanced upwards, her eyes widening as she took in the sight before her.
Gleaming buildings rose from the ground, elegantly sculpted into shimmering shapes. Ponies trotted about, most of them wearing long, flowing gowns. Everything about the city screamed eloquence and grace; from the spotless roads to the shining towers to the elegant manner of the citizens, Canterlot was by far the classiest city she had ever seen.
And Apple Bloom knew class.
The shocked mare was suddenly broken out of her stupor when Diamond Tiara nudged her. She glanced at the earth pony at her side, her eyes wide.
“Say, AB,” Diamond Tiara murmured casually. “Where’s this friend of yours? I was hoping we could check out the city before we check into a hotel.”
“Are ya crazy?” Apple Bloom shot the mare a glare. “The hotels here are much pricier than Ah can afford! Ah plan on bein’ outta here ‘fore evenin’.” Then Ah can move onto Manehatten and ditch Diamond Tiara.
“Oh, come on, AB!” The mare stuck out her lower lip, eyes sparkling. “We’ll just find your friend, take some time around the city, and conk out in a hotel here. I’ll cover the expenses. Daddy gave me some money!” She unzipped her purple suitcase, digging around until she found an enormous sparkly pink purse. Unfastening the golden clasp, she proudly flashed the contents to Apple Bloom.
Apple Bloom’s eyes widened. The enormous purse was practically bulging with bits! The pile of golden coins was enough to make even a Canterlot pony drool, and she felt a twinge of envy. Even after a whole cider season, mah family can barely save up that much…
“And this is just the beginning,” the pink pony boasted. “I have more in my bag, so don’t worry!” The mare giggled, trotting forward. “So, what’s your friends name again?”
Apple Bloom frowned. “Um...Ah think...Ah think Ah can find her mahself.” She winced as she recalled how cruel Diamond Tiara had been to her best friends. Just because she and Diamond Tiara were friends in the future didn’t mean that Sweetie Belle and her saw eye-to-eye.
“Aw, please?” Diamond Tiara stuck out her bottom lip, her eyes sparkling.
Apple Bloom kicked the ground. She didn’t want to annoying mare to tag along, but at the same time, a tiny part of her would feel bad if she ditched her. Heaving a deep sigh, she muttered, “Fine. Ah’m lookin’ fer Sweetie Belle.”
Diamond Tiara’s smile froze, and her ears flattened against her head. Her grin melted into an ugly expression, her jaw dropping.
“Sweetie Belle?!” she exclaimed. “Why in Equestria would you want to find her?” She scowled. “I thought you ditched that loser a long time ago.”
Apple Bloom glared at Diamond Tiara. “Well, Ah’m goin’ t’make amends! If ya don’t like that, then ya can just catch the next train back t’Ponyville.”
Diamond Tiara’s eyes nearly popped out of her head, and she crept backwards. Obviously unused to outbursts by ponies beside herself, a grimace crossed her expression briefly.
After a moment, the pink mare sighed. “Look, AB. I don’t get why the hay you want to track down a friend you lost years ago. But we’re best friends, and if you want to find her then I’ll do what I can to help.”
Wow, she really has changed. Apple Bloom found herself beaming at the pony facing her. She was amazed that the pink pony had managed to mature so much, and though she was bossy and annoying, she could be a big help in tracking down her Sweetie Belle.
“Well...then…” Apple Bloom nodded. “Thanks!”
Diamond Tiara flashed her friend a small smile. “No problem.” Her voice was thin and shaky, as if she was taken aback by Apple Bloom’s decision. “Um...where is she anyways?”
“Sweetie Belle? Ah think she works fer some magazine called...oh, what was it...somethin’ ‘bout a mane...Marvelous? Miraculous?”
Diamond Tiara squealed, her eyes lighting up. “Modish Mane? I love Modish Mane! It’s only, like, the classiest magazine ever!” Unzipping her suitcase, she fished out a rolled-up magazine and tossed it to Apple Bloom.
The glossy cover depicted a model pony whose expression was drawn into a pout. Two perfect blue eyes were framed by two sets of impossibly long eyelashes, and the pony’s lips pale pink. The pony’s silver coat gleamed and sparkled, and her deep purple mane was perfectly styled in a complicated twist, one strand falling over one eye. The title was scrawled across the top in white, the font a loopy, flowing form of cursive.
Apple Bloom gaped at the impossibly flawless pony. Everything about her screamed beauty, from the shape of her muzzle to the size of her neck to the dark, curled lashes. Glancing up at her own ruffled, dust-coated mane and fur, she winced.
Diamond Tiara sighed dreamily. “What I’d give for a mane like that! In fact, I got this style from the previous edition.” She pawed at her own intricate twist lovingly.
“Mm.” Apple Bloom grunted a half-hearted reply as she scanned the cover. Address, address...where’s that darn address?
Flipping the magazine open, she skimmed the pages, flipping through them quickly. Finally, at the very end, she came across the words she had been pursuing.
Send us a letter if you have questions!
147 Sapphire Street
Canterlot, Equestria
“Aha!” Apple Bloom jabbed the page with one hoof. “147 Sapphire Street! That’s where we need t’go!”
“Great!” Diamond Tiara smiled. “Well, what are we waiting for? C’mon!”
* * *
Apple Bloom gaped at the sight before her.
Her golden eyes scanned the address on the magazine as well as the number displayed beside the building in shining silver letters.
The building itself was enormous! It was made of a smooth white material, the same material that most Canterlot buildings were composed of. The front, however, was covered in hundreds of shining windows. At the top, a giant billboard depicted the same pony that the cover of the magazine displayed, and the words Modish Mane were written across in the same curly font. Apple Bloom gulped as she trotted forward, the double doors rising up in front of her.
“Well...Ah guess we should go in.”
Diamond Tiara’s eyes shone as she stared at the building. “Wow,” she breathed. Shaking her head, she smiled at Apple Bloom, slightly embarrassed. “Um, yeah. Let’s go.”
The two trotted towards the doors, pushing through, and found themselves in a large lobby. The floors were made of a shining green marble, and cherry-red chair formed a small ring to the right, surrounding a glass coffee table and sitting beside a lime green sofa.
To the left was a wide white desk. Four ponies sat behind it, typing away on typewriters, jotting notes down with quills, and answering phones. The whole lobby was bustling with activity and noise, and Apple Bloom backed up, overwhelmed from the activity. Overhead, a crystal chandelier illuminated the room. Diamond Tiara nudged her friend forward, and Apple Bloom reluctantly trotted forward, weaving around the ponies manically dashing around the room.
“Ah...um...’scuse me...pardon...lemme just…” Apple Bloom groaned as she slowly made her way through the crowd. Ponies of all shapes and sizes were rushing through the room, all with perfectly cut manes and shimmering coats.
The ponies eventually reached the desk, stopping in front of one of the secretaries. Her eyelids were half-shut in a glazed, sleepy look, and she had heavily applied mascara and pale blue eye shadow. Her pale cinnamon coat was short and smooth, and her chocolate brown mane was twisted over her shoulder, much like Diamond Tiara’s. A pair of glasses was perched on her muzzle as she muttered into the phone.
“Uh, hello there! We’re lookin’ fer--”
Apple Bloom abruptly stopped as the mare shot her a venomous glare. She murmured a few more things into the phone before slamming it down and staring up at Apple Bloom and Diamond Tiara. As she eyed Apple Bloom’s scruffy, dust-stained mane, the secretary sneered.
“May I help you?” she asked, a haughty Canterlot accent in her voice.
“Uh, yeah. We’re lookin’ fer Sweetie Belle.” Apple Bloom awkwardly shuffled her hooves as she glanced around the room at the perfectly groomed ponies, then down at her less-than-perfect coat.
“Miss Belle? Do you have an appointment?”
“A what?” Apple Bloom frowned. “Um...well...no, but Ah’m her friend! She’ll let me in!”
The secretary raised one eyebrow incredulously. “Sweetie Belle sees no visitors unless they have an appointment.”
“But...but…” Apple Bloom sighed. “Fine. Can we make an appointment?”
“Of course.” The secretary quickly typed something on her typewriter. “The next appointment available is…let’s see...four months from now.”
“Four months?!” Apple Bloom eyes widened. “But...we need t’see her right away! Isn’t there any way we can get in sooner? Ah’m her friend!”
The secretary chuckled haughtily.”The editor of Modish Mane has no time for friends. Unless you have an appointment, you’re not seeing her. Good day!”
Diamond Tiara leaped up to the counter just as Apple Bloom was beginning to back away. She smiled, twisting one lock of her mane around one hoof. “No worries,” she said nonchalantly, much to Apple Bloom’s confusion. “She’s with me.”
The secretary raised an eyebrow once more. “And you are…?”
“Diamond Tiara, co-president of Barnyard Bargains,” she informed the secretary, winking.
The secretary snickered. “Barnyard Bargains?” She thrust her nose into the air. “Do you have an appointment?”
“...No…”
“Then good day!”
Apple Bloom sighed. She hung her head as she turned away, her shoulders slumped, and started towards the door, Diamond Tiara by her side.
A sudden sound made her whip around, ears pricked. The secretary who she had been talking to had suddenly picked up the phone, her eyes wide. “M-miss Belle,” she stammered. Curious, Apple Bloom turned back, straightening up.
“Coffee? Yes, yes...um…” The secretary whipped out a notepad and a quill, scribbling something down. “Tall mocha...non-fat...half skim milk, half two percent…” Her voice was muffled by the quill as she scribbled it down.
Apple Bloom exchanged a look with Diamond Tiara. The pink mare’s eyes suddenly lit up, and she trotted forward, whispering something into Apple Bloom’s ear. Apple Bloom frowned, turning to the mare. “Ya really think it’ll work?”
“Trust me, AB. I got this.”
Apple Bloom sighed. Ah guess it’s worth a shot…
* * *
“Ah’m not so sure ‘bout this…” Apple Bloom winced, glancing out the window beside her. She could see almost the entire city below her, bustling with life. As she wheeled the cart along the carpeted hallway, Diamond Tiara grinned, trotting alongside her.
“What’s the problem?” she asked casually. “The two ponies who were supposed to deliver the coffee get a break while we get to bust in and see...your friend.” Her smile vanished, and she looked away.
Apple Bloom frowned. “Yeah, but...it feels wrong.”
“You wanted to see Sweetie Belle, didn’t you?”
“Yeah…”
“Then do it.”
“Okay…” Apple Bloom looked over to see Diamond Tiara staring angrily at her hooves. She nudged the mare gently, and Diamond Tiara looked up, eyes softening. “Sorry,” Apple Bloom mumbled. “If this makes ya uncomfortable, ya don’t have t’come…”
“No, it’s fine. You two deserve each other. If you’re happy, I’m happy.” Diamond Tiara plastered a strained smile onto her face. “What’s the room number again?”
“One thousand on the nose,” Apple Bloom responded. “There’s an awful lotta rooms here!”
“Yeah. They need, like, a lot of space to create such an amazing magazine,” Diamond Tiara gushed. Her eyes sparkled as she continued to trot down the hallway. “Everything is, like, so classy!”
Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Here we are,” she chirped, stopping in front of a white door. A gold plate was attached to the front, Sweetie Belle’s named carved into it. Apple Bloom gulped, raising a hoof. “Here goes,” she said quietly before rapping on the door three times.
“Come in.” The voice behind the door would have been silky and sweet if not for the grouchy tone it was muttered in. Apple Bloom exchanged a glance with Diamond Tiara before opening the door and trotting in.