• Published 6th Jun 2015
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The Little Pony Legend: A Kingdom of Friendship - MaggiesHeartLove



Join Team Avatar as they travel to new places spreading The Magic of Friendship wherever they go!

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Made in Manehattan

*(~)*

2 Timothy 2:1-2~
"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

*(~)*

Made in Manehattan

Twilight Sparkle's violet eyes read a few words from the page for two seconds before closing the book again, "Ehh…" she said before blowing a raspberry in annoyance and disinterest. She picked another book and also read a few words, quickly loosing interest in this one as well. She sighed and groaned as she placed it back on the pile.

The Avatar was sitting upside-down on a sofa, her head to the floor and her legs upwards, her long hair spread out across the floor. Her hands on her stomach while her forehead star glowed brightly, levitating a book. Just like Twilight, she read a few words, closed it and proceeded to open the next one. She read a bit, closed it and tossed it aside, not caring where it landed. She groaned in exasperation while placing her arm over her eyes. Both princesses released a heavy sigh.

"I'm bored." said Twilight.

"I'm dead inside." said Korra.

Spike looked up from his comic, eyeing them curiously, "But you're reading." he said, finding it odd that twilight would be bored of reading books and Korra, who was especially found of the magical history books and 'diverse creatures and cultures' books.

"We've read all these books already." Korra said, spreading her arms wide to showcase the gigantic line of shelves and shelves of books within the library, "Even the boring ones."

"Then why don't you do something else?" Spike asked, "Like work out at the gym?"

"We already did that." Twilight said.

"Well that explains the singed punching bag." the little dragon showed them the burned remains of the said punching bag before tossing it aside. "How about going to the park?"

"Been there." Korra said, not moving from her position.

"The movers?"

"I've seen enough of Nuktuk to last a lifetime." said Twilight, rather annoyed. As much as she loved Bolin, his movers left a lot to be desired.

"Boat ride?"

"Done it." both girls said in unison.

"Leaping off buildings like ninjas to see if there's any trouble?"

"Done it." said Korra, "Crime's been slow this week."

"Give Naga her bath?"

"Last weekend."

"Well, I give up." he sat back down to continue reading.

Twilight spread open her wings and slammed her hoof onto the table, "Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. I wanna do something. Things have been so slow around here and I d—"

"Twilight! Korra!"

The two princesses and dragon were startled when the sound of one of their friends' voices called out to them. Not wasting a second, the two spread open their wings and flew out towards Twilight's throne room, where the voice was coming from. Spike quickly followed. The doors bursted open and the three saw their friend Rarity beside the magical map. She was not alone, for Asami was with her as well.

Rarity sighed in relief, "Ooh, Twilight, Korra, oh, thank goodness! It seems that my—"

The sound of galloping hooves was heard from behind and the friends saw Applejack, along with Mako, Bolin, Pabu and Flash Sentry who were behind her. Applejack panted once she came to a stop, "Whew! Got here as fast I c—" she was interrupted when Twilight gasped at what she saw before her. Applejack's cutie mark was glowing!

Rarity walked closer, revealing that her cutie mark was glowing as well. This was what the girls needed. The map was calling for them once again.

"Yes! Finally!" Korra pounded her fists in the air in victory.

"We've been summoned!" Twilight said happily, "I wonder where the map wants us to—"

"Uh, Twilight…" Flash tapped on her shoulder and pointed to her cutie mark…which wasn't glowing like the others.

Korra slowly started to panic before addressing to her boyfriend, "Please tell me my cheek is glowing. Please tell me my cheek is glowing!"

Mako sadly shook his head, "Sorry, Korra."

As it seemed, Applejack and Rarity were the only ones who the map had called for this time around. It was just like the moment Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were summoned to Griffonstone, and now it was their turn.

As happy as the girls were for them they couldn't help but feel disappointed over the outcome. They groaned in exasperation and face palmed on the table.

"You're really bored, aren't you?" Flash asked, "I get ya."

Mako continued, "We just finished the last of our paperwork and there's nothing going on around the city."

"I know." Korra said, raising her head up, "After years of street gangs, anti-bending revolutions, civil wars, evil spirits and magic stealing centaurs now is when chaos in this city take a day off?!" she palmed her face onto the table again. "I hate irony." she said, her voice muffled.

The two ponies continued looking at their glowing markings and before anyone could ask why, manifestations of the cutie marks emerged upwards and spiraled around one another before shrinking down to size and hover over a particular location that had Rarity squealing with excitement.

"Manehattan! We've been called to Manehattan! Oh, I've simply been dying to go back for a visit! And now, I return...with a purpose!"

"Wait," Bolin voiced out, "The last time this happen didn't the map also summon Mako?"

"And didn't Korra say she could reveal which human gets to go?" Asami asked, "If they do get to go?"

This reminder woke up Korra's enthusiasm, "That's right!" she stood up and hovered her hand over the glowing cutie marks, "Okay, let's see who's the lucky Team Avatar member it's…wow."

Mako looked over her shoulder and nearly dropped his jaw, "Wow..."

Hovering beside Rarity and Applejack's cutie marks was not one…but two symbols! One was green with the earth kingdom symbol on it and the other was colored purple with the symbol of a gear and a flower in the center of it. Asami recognized it as the new emblem she wore on her skirt and Bolin recognized the symbol as the emblem of his native heritage.

"The map's calling me and Bolin?" the heiress asked in disbelief. Bolin, on the other hand, was just as giddy as Rarity.

"Oh, ooooooohhh! I can't believe it! The map choose me?! I get to help with a friendship problem?!" he jumped in place, fanning himself while trying to contain his enthusiasm, "This--this is such an honor! I--I--I don't know what to say!"

Twilight examined the glowing symbols closer, "Hmmm. It looks like you've been summoned to this particular neighborhood here."

Rarity was so excited she hugged Applejack so tightly she nearly couldn't breath, "We're off to solve a friendship problem in one of the busiest and most vibrant cities in all of Equestria! Isn't this exciting?!" she squealed.

"Seems a hair odd, though, don't it?" Applejack asked, "Map callin' me to a big city like Manehattan? I can understand it callin' for Rarity, even Bolin and Asami since they're more city folk, but why me?"

"You may be more of a country pony at heart, Applejack," Twilight explained, "but the map picked you because you're the best ponies, and humans, to tackle this particular mission."

"The same way the map knew Mako was the right person to go to Griffonstone with Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash." Korra said, making her boyfriend blush at the memory.

"But how will we even know what our mission's supposed to be?" Asami asked, "The place is basically a pony version of our city so there's twice as many ponies as all of Ponyville."

"Pff. Kch. Ts!" Rarity blew a beat-box raspberry, "More like three times! Why, it's not only home to the Haypacking District, it's also home to the Fashion District!" the unicorn slightly frowned once she noticed the frowns on Korra and Twilight's faces, "Hmm, shame you weren't called as well, though, darlings. You did end up quite a fan of the hustle and bustle of Manehattan on our last visit."

Twilight gazed dreamily at the location on the map, resting her head on her hoof, "It's such an exciting city, and there's still so much I'd like to do there." her wings opened up, flapping while she hovered up higher and higher while mentioning all of the wonderful things the city has to offer, "So many museums and historical landmarks to visit. Not to mention all the libraries!"

Korra's eyes sparkled alongside the alicorn pony as she too pictured all the things she loved about the city, "The bright lights during the evening, the extreme sports, music playing around every corner!"

The boys couldn't help but find their respected girlfriend's sparkling eyes and dreamy attitudes adorable and precious.

"But this is your mission." Korra reminded them, making poor little Twilight lower down in disappointment.

"Right, heh heh." the pony chuckled nervously, "Don't worry about us. We've got plenty of…" she levitated Spike's comic book from his claws, "books… to keep us... busy."

Spike scoffed while leaning against his throne, "Heh!"

"And it's not like I've never been to one of the most incredible cites in Equestria." Flash said, his ears lowering more and more with each word. "Not…even…once."

Mako felt he was being watched. His eyes darted to his side, seeing both his brother and ex-girlfriend smiling at him as if waiting for him to say something.

"Uh…yes?"

Bolin spoke first, "Just wondering, since you've been down this creak before, could you maybe give us some pointers on how to solve a friendship problem?"

"And how we can know what that said problem is, exactly?" Asami smiled, batting her eyelashes innocently.

Mako smiled and gently shook his head, "That's not how the map works, you guys. But speaking from my own experience, know this; Thinking you've found the answer is only the first step because the real problem might require a second look."

The two blinked at his response, staring at him blankly. "What are you, a fortune cookie?" Bolin asked, "He's a fortune cookie, Asami."

Mako narrowed his eyes in annoyance, "Good luck to ya." he patted their backs, a lot harder than they expected. No doubt payback for not taking him seriously.

Rarity then gasped in shock, "I just remembered something! The Sisterhooves Social!"

"We'll have to miss it." Applejack said sadly, "No tellin' how long we'll be in Manehattan. I sure hope Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle aren't too upset. We better get movin' if we're gonna catch the next train there."

"Manehattan, here we come!" Bolin was already out the door, excited for the trip. Asami, Applejack and Rarity followed close behind, waving at their friends.

"Okay, we'll just…be here." Korra's shoulders dropped once she, Mako, Flash, Twilight and Spike were left by themselves. The boredom already consuming them.

Spike's ears then perked up when he remembered something, "Say, Korra didn't you once mention something about dark caves up on the mountains when you went to get some fruit?"

Next thing he knew, the four of them were zooming out the door like the place was on fire.

"Well, guess now I can take the time for one of my bubble baths."

(~)

"Hello Manehattan!"

Bolin spread his arms wide, taking in the familiar city air, "Ahhh, just like I remember it."

The four friends exited the ran train station of the city and Rarity leaped forward, spinning around a lamp post, flipping her mane back, feeling a great wave of bliss and joy at being back in this beautiful metropolis.

"Oh, Manehattan, what you do to me!"

Applejack simply rolled her eyes while she carried the unicorn's big chest on her back. Even though she was already used to being around a city that didn't mean she had to be in love with it. She enjoyed hanging out with her friends at Republic City, but she always much rather preferred the silence of the country side. Still, if the map called her here for a reason then she needed to make the sacrifice.

Asami and Bolin only carried a a couple of backpacks and Pabu tagged along as well. This was the couple's first 'friendship' mission, and needless to say they were both pretty nervous. Well, Asami was. She was often the one getting advice when it came to friendships, she was still learning how to actually give it. Mako was even batter at that than she was at this point, and Korra was the Princess of Friendship so naturally she would know this stuff. Besides, why would the map ask her of all people? She would understand Bolin, his charm, charisma, youthful innocence and kind heart made him a perfect candidate. So, why her?

As she and Applejack both looked ahead they were bombarded by ponies, pulling taxi carts to take passengers to wherever they needed to go. They were all going as fast as satomobiles. Applejack was never a big fan of highways, even back in the human world, hence why she'd much rather be at Air Temple Island or hanging with her friends around the nice little cafes and malls instead, but the streets were always a hazard to deal with.

While the country pony was more anxious about the speeding ponies, Asami was more so anxious about her role on this mission. She was so scared of failing, what would happen if she did?

Bolin, who was still so happy to be here, wrapped an arm round his girlfriend while placing a hand on A.J's head. "Isn't this place great! It feels just like home! I can't wait to see what problem we have to solve. The others will be so proud!" The two girls gulped and their knees began to buckle. Both Bolin and Asmai noticed this. "Babe, are you okay?"

"Darlings, you look frazzled." Rarity said compassionately to the two.

Applejack shook her head rapidly to snap herself out of it, lowering her ears back, "Ponies move so fast here. Not at all like back home."

"But you've been to a city before." Rarity reminded her.

"Yeah, but the roads still give me the willies."

Asami could barely get her feet to move. They haven't even been here an hour and she could barely get her feet to move. Bolin took notice of this and gently shook her shoulders. "I'm okay!" she replied, rather loudly, having a hard time hiding her nervousness.

"Asami, you don't have to be so nervous."

"I'm not even sure what I'm suppose to do. So far, I've been the one receiving friendship advice, not giving it."

"You're gonna be fine. You're the smartest, kindest, most amazingly amazing girl ever!"

Leave it to Bolin to always make Asami smile and blush. "Thanks." she took in a deep breath and prepared herself, "Okay. I can do this. I hope."

"Just keep your eyes peeled and ears open for anybody with a friendship problem."

"Right. Okay." he led her towards the edge of the sidewalk where Rarity and Applejack waited as well. The heiress took in a deep breath while they awaited for their opportunity to cross. "Eyes peeled, ears open. Eyes peeled, ears open." Asami chanted to herself. She practically flinched when a police stallion blew on his whistle, giving the ponies on the sidewalks free privilege to cross.

But once they tried the other ponies beside them walked over faster than even they could have expected and the ponies from the opposite side also moved with the same amount of speed. They were even faster moving than the people back in Republic City.

"Wow." Bolin blinked, "Guess it's easier to move fast when your on four legs."

"How we suppose to pass?" Applejack asked, rather nervously.

Seeing their struggle, Rarity lended her assistance, "Remember, Applejack, you're in the big city now. No moseying. You've gotta walk with speed and confidence!"

"Again, easier on four legs." Bolin stated.

"Just watch me." Rarity crossed the street, easily and fluidly bypassing the incoming ponies like a fish perfectly swimming along the ocean. She made it easily across the other side.

Bolin took his step and did as she instructed, moving fast and with confidence. He managed to do so easily.

"Come on, guys!" he called out to Asami and Applejack.

Applejack snorted like a bull and trotted her hooves, ready to cross. Asami followed and did a slightly better job, encountering only one of just two of the incoming ponies.

"Sorry. Pardon me."

She made it to the other side a lot faster and she sighed in relief, but Applejack was having a bit moor struggle as she kept on bumping into various city ponies. It was clear they had a real issue with manners.

"Move it!" one pony shouted.

"Sorry 'bout that." she apologized before continuing, only to bump into another pony.

"Ah, git outta my way!"

"Sorry."

"Watch it!" Two more monies shouted before rudely allowing her to pass.

"Heh… oh dear." at last, Applejack managed to make it to the other side, "Butter my biscuits, I can barely cross the street in this town. How am I supposed to help solve a—"

Rarity's gasp stopped her on her tracks and Bolin and Asami quickly took their fighting stance.

"What is it?" Bolin asked, "Somebody in trouble?"

"There!" Rarity pointed her hoof towards a young female pony purchasing a hat from a stand, owned by a rather plump make pony. The female pony placed a flappy green hat on her head, nearly covering her lovely eyes.

"Yes, I think this is the one."

"No! No." Rarity quickly slapped the bit from the pony's hoof, preventing her from making a terrible mistake. At least to her it was a mistake.

"Excuse me?"

"That hat clashes with your mane, not to mention it's far too large and will undoubtedly obstruct your vision."

Rarity kindly removed the horrid hat from the dear pony's head and began searching for a much better one from the stand but could find none of which would suite this pony better.

"Oh, dear, none of these will do." she pondered on what to do until she saw he fellow pony friend with her large chest, "Oh, Applejack! What good timing!"

Opening the chest, and accidentally hitting the back of Applejack's head at the same time, she hummed and searched for the perfect hat to give. She levitated a designer hat, colored in lilac and blue colors, with a lid that rose up like a wave and complimented the pony's mane and eyes flawlessly.

"Here. This will do splendidly." the unicorn levitated a mirror to the pony's face, and she smiled at the lovely gift. It was more beautiful than anything she could have imagined.

"Oh, it's lovely! Uh, how much would you like for it?"

"Oh, no no, please, please, keep it. I can always make another."

"Thank you!"

The pony galloped along, thankful for her new hat and the kindness that came with it. Rarity smiled in satisfaction. Yet another happy costumer. She turned to her friends, smiling proudly, "And you thought we wouldn't discover our purpose here! Pff. Kch. Ts!"

Applejack, Bolin and Asami on the other hand, weren't convinced. "Yeah, I may be new to this but I'm pretty sure that wasn't it." Asami said with her arms crossed.

"What? I just saved that poor pony from committing a terrible crime of fashion." but the arched eyebrows she got from her friends indicated they weren't buying it, "Well, she could've been meeting a friend who would've laughed at her new hat and then their friendship could've been ruined forever! And... mmm... it's possible."

"Did your cutie mark glow signifyin' a job well done?" Applejack asked dryly.

Rarity looked at her flank and shook her head, "Ye— No. I suppose it didn't. Still, a disaster was averted!"

"Averted? You just lost me a paying customer!" the male pony Street Merchant said, angrily gaining up on the teenaged ponies. If there was one thing Manehattan business ponies hatted most it was loosing a good sale to make a living.

"Oh, my! Oh, I-I-I-I-I'm s-so sorry. I never meant to—"

"Beat it!" he shouted, waving his hoof in anger while Asami and Bolin dragged Rarity away and Applejack smiled an apologetic smile.

"Uh, please accept my sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding, and, might I add, what a lovely establishment you have here!" Rarity shouted while being dragged away.

Once they were a good distance away, Asami removed a stray strand of her hair from her face, "Okay, here's some advice; Avoid anymore street merchants."

"Yeah, those guys are no joke." Bolin said.

Rarity cleared her throat, "You guys are right. The search continues."

(~)

The group arrived at the town where the map asked them to go. It was a somewhat older looking neighborhood with retro-styled buildings, complete with wooden doors and curtain liners. On the corner of the street, Asami and Applejack attempted to speak to the ponies walking by, in hopes of finding out the friendship problem they needed to solve. But it seemed nopony was interested, or even paying attention, or maybe didn't need any problemt o solve.

"Uh, 'scuse me, I was just wondering'…uh, friendship problem, anypony?" Applejack lowered her ears once her first attempts fell short of successful.

Asami tried next to try and get someone's attention, "You see, we were sent here to…"

"A-A map summoned us and, uh…"

"If you could just take a moment to…yeah, okay."

"Friendship advice! Anypony looking for friendship advice!" Rarity had build her own little stand with a poster of pony friends on the top, calling out to anypony who needed help. Boin had Pabu do a dancing jig on the stage to get an audience, but the ponies just walked right past them, not even acknowledging the cute little creature. Rarity sighed and covered her face with her hooves, "Good grief! This isn't working!"

"I thought for sure Pabu's tricks would work." Bolin said, "Maybe you need a new act, buddy. Ever thought about ventriloquism?" his only response was the ferret hissing at him, "I promise, I won't make you wear the hat!"

Applejack and Asami both sighed as they approached the stand, "I'm not sure what we're supposed to do." said Applejack, "To be honest, I'm still not even sure what the map called me here for."

"Oh, try not to worry, Applejack." Rarity said kindly, "The map picked us for a reason."

"Yeah but, how we're supposed to uncover that reason I still don't have a clue." Asami said, "We can't just walk up to every single pony in town until we find out what we're meant to d-ooh!…" The heiress was interrupted once a flyer landed on her face, being carried by the wind. "Okay, that happened." she said, with the flyer still on her face.

Rarity levitated the paper and started reading the words out loud, "Please help us restore our long-lost but beloved tradition, the Midsummer Theater Revival. There's a guest performance by a local theater troupe, the Method Mares, as well as games, food, and much, much more. This event promises to bring our broken neighbors together and restore our sense of community but there's so much to do and we need your help."

After reading the flying, Rarity gasped with glee as she demonstrated the image to her friends, "Darlings, this is it! The contact on the flyer is Coco Pommel!"

Applejack remembered that name, "Oh, right! She's the one you got a job makin' costumes for that designer friend o' yours."

"And she was that no good-two faced Suri's assistant." Bolin said right before gasping, "So, this must be be why the map called up here! We're suppose to help Coco with this Theater Revival thingy!"

"Oh, and you two were so worried!" Rarity said with a smile to Applejack and Asami.

This did make sense in a way, helping out an old friend did appear to qualify as a friendship problem in Asami's eyes. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad or difficult after all.

"Well, I suppose it's at least worth lookin' into…" said Applejack, "that is, if we ever get off this street corner."

Bolin stood up and adjusted his collar, "Leave that to me, ladies." he stepped forward, inhaled a huge amount of hair before shouting, "Hey! Somepony's giving away free stuff near the parking lot!!"

Before long, a large number of ponies galled like a stamped to get their free stuff, nearly clearing the way for the friends to walk right on pass.

"One of the perks about living in the big city."

(~)

The group followed the address on the paper and met up with Coco Pommel at her apartment home. She had a lovely balcony room on the third floor and the place was not only neat and homey, but also with various design supplies, such as a sowing machine, several fabrics, sketches of designs on the walls and various pins and measuring taps. The kind pony happily made her guests some tea and delicious sandwiches for them to munch on. She gave Pabu a bowl of veggies.

Coco sat one one of her pillowed chairs and her guests sat on the couch, the pony ones to be precise. Asami and Bolin sat comfortably on the floor, leaning against the sofa.

"I can't believe you found my flyer." said the earth pony, "Quite a coincidence, don't you think?"

"The four of us were specifically summoned here to be of service, and you, my dear friend, are in need of help." Rarity explained before taking a sip of her tea, "It's no coincidence, darling. It's fate!"

Applejack took a bite from one of the sandwiches before asking a question to Coco, "This Midsummer Theatre Revival – what is it, exactly?"

"An outdoor play held at the community park."

Coco opened up a photo album which rested beside her on her chair. The pictures depicted a lovely park, filled with healthy green grass and beautiful flowers all around a lovely yet simple looking stage for ponies to perform. The images looked very different from how they all looked now. Since this was before Harmonic Convergence, the world of Equestria still looked as it once did, more like a stunning image on a painting than it did now. None the less, the nostalgia the images carried were still there.

Coco demonstrated images of an elderly earth pony with several little fillies putting on some costumes behind a stage. They even saw pictures of a much younger Coco with the elderly female pony. It was pretty clear that these two had a very close connection, similar to that of a grandmother and a grandchild. They could tell, by the look in their eyes, that they deeply loved one another.

"Many moons ago, local theatre troupes would perform, and ponies in the neighborhood would help make the costumes, and design setpieces, prepare food to share during the performance."

"You all look like you're enjoying each others' company." said Asami,

"They sure do." Applejack agreed, "Kinda of reminds me of Ponyville."

"It sounds lovely, darling." Rarity said kindly.

But Coco's once happy smile faded, "It was, up until several moons ago."

"What happened?" Bolin asked right before taking another bite out of his sandwich.

Coco pointed to the image of the elderly pony, "That's Charity Kindheart. She was a well-known costume designer on Bridleway. She started the Midsummer Theatre Revival as a way to share her passion for theatre with the neighborhood. No matter how busy she was, she always made time for the Revival."

The group smiled and their hearts filled with joy when they saw a picture of Charity giving Coco the lovely orange and purple flower she always wore on her mane. She always carried a piece of that wonderful pony's love with her.

Once she closed the album, Coco walked towards her balcony, looking down upon the city she called home. "But when she moved away to be closer to her grandfillies, the neighborhood lost the special tradition she had started, and worse, the sense of community it fostered."

Coco was not wrong, it seemed that kindness and hospitality were rare occurrences for a city like Manehattan. Ponies were rude, nobody apologized for anything, they didn't care about anybody but themselves. It was truly sad to see.

Asami and Bolin could emphasize with the pony. "We know what that's like." Bolin said, "Before magic came into our world, Republic City was just one big mess. Aside from the Equalist stuff, almost everybody was involved in their own worlds."

"I was one of those people." Asami gazed at her reflection in the ripples of the tea in her cup. "I didn't realize it then, but I was so wrapped up in my perfect world that once it was gone I had such a reluctance to let it go. That foolishness nearly caused me to loose everything I now have."

Bolin caressed her cheek with his hand, smiling at her with loving eyes, which reminded her that even though she had to give up one life, she had gained another in which she was happier now than she ever was before.

"Nopony else stepped up to take over for Charity?" Applejack asked Coco.

"I've been trying to, but I've just gotten a last-minute request to alter costumes for the cast of My Fair Filly, and I'm afraid I haven't made much progress. Oh, there's just so much to do to bring back the Midsummer Revival, and my flyers haven't attracted a single volunteer!"

Rarity flipped her mane with confidence, "Say no more! You finish up your work, and by this time tomorrow, you'll be up to your mane in ponies who want to lend a hoof. Applejack, Bolin, Asami and I will make sure of it!"

"You will?" Coco asked with a wide smile, her blue eye sparkling.

"You bet your boots we will!" Applejack said.

"Oh, I don't wear boots. I find they chafe my calves when I walk."

"It's just an expression, sweetie." Asami said, making the little pony blush.

(~)

The following day, the two groups got to work on finding ponies to help with the revival. There wasn't much time to waste, Coco was counting on them and they were determined not to disappoint their friend. The four stood in front of a newsstand, where a stallion was stacking papers, and Rarity addressed the issue to him.

"So you see, the Method Mares are only available on this one day, and we need all the help we can get with preparation!"

Bolin showed the pony a couple of the flyers, "So, what'ya say? Help out to bring this old tradition back?"

The Newspaper Pony only shook his head, "Yeah, not a good time right now. Heh. What am I saying? It's never a good time!" he said right after a pony purchased his newspaper.

The friends stroked out this time, but Bolin was determined not to give up.

(~)

Wearing his fake mustache and speaking through a blowhard while standing on a wooden stand, Bolin addressed to the crowd, speaking in his ringmaster's tone to get their excitement going.

"Hello, mares and gentlecolts of Manehattan! Come one come all and witness the most spellbinding theater performance you have ever seen!" amazingly, a large portion of ponies gathered to hear him, "For one night only, you can get the chance to see the Method Mares perform at this year's Grand Midsummer Theater Revival! However, we are short on hooves at the moment, but I have good news, you lucky ponies have the opportunity to be a part of this most memorable event! If you know how to sow, paint, build or have a knack for snacks, then come on by to the park and help us bring this once lost tradition back into the Light where it belongs!"

For a moment, all was silent. The girls hoped that this was just a pause for dramatic effect and soon a hoard of ponies would be running to help…but they did not.

Bolin lowered his arms in disappointment as the crowd dispersed and disappeared, minding their own business. "I don't get it. That usually works."

"It a good effort, honey." Asami said sympathetically, "But maybe we should try the old fashion way instead."

(~)

The two groups divided into two teams in order to cover more ground. Rarity and Applejack would search the east side while Asami and Bolin searched the west side.

The human couple first encountered a pony in a stand selling popcorn. The two smiled eager to await her reply once they explained the whole purpose of the revival.

"Well? What do you think?" Bolin asked hopefully.

"Look kid, I got my own problems. You think I've got hours to dedicate to somepony else's?"

Asami rummaged through her shoulder bag and pulled out a few yuans. If hospitality didn't work, maybe she should try a different language.

"What if we payed you?"

"Sorry, Manehattan doesn't take human money. Try Ponyville, two legs."

Asami dropped her jaw and placed the money back in her purse. Even her riches weren't going to be of much use here.

"We're in trouble, aren't we?" Bolin asked with fear in his eyes.

"Big time."

(~)

Applejack and Rarity encountered a very rich looking pony at the park and explained to him their situation.

"Ah yes, Charity's Midsummer Theatre Revival, such wonderful memories." he said while twirling his mustache.

"So you'll help us?" Applejack asked, only to be disappointed when the business pony laughed.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous! I run a very important oat and hay import/export business. I can't spare even a moment for such things!"

The pony laid down on a floating mattress and simply floated away on the lake without a care, leaving the two ponies to worry about the revival.

Nopony wanted to help with the revival.

(~)

Back at Coco's apartment, Bolin tried his hardest to remain optimistic, "It's not so bad." he said unsurely, but even he himself wouldn't believe it with the undeniable silence that surrounded the room, not to mention the depressed expressions. The boy sighed in defeat,

"This is a nightmare." Coco said sadly.

"Oh, not at all, darling! It's quite lovely!" Rarity said while admiring a hat Coco had recently made.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "I think she was talkin' about the Midsummer Theatre Revival?"

Poor Coco Pommel was at the end of her rope now. "I finished the alterations for My Fair Filly, but I've barely started the costumes for the Revival, and the Method Mares are coming to the park tomorrow for a costume fitting and rehearsal!"

"Well, I could help you with the costumes." Rarity said.

"But what are we going to do about the rest? The park is in desperate need of repairs, and the sets still need to be built!"

That was when Bolin jumped up, "Don't you worry about that!" he got up, only to accidentally hit his head with the ceiling. "Ow! Me and Applejack can fix the park in no time with our earthbending!"

"But we also need snacks and food for the guests, and we haven't even decided what we're going to serve. Asami, could you maybe--"

"NO!"

The four friends quickly reacted to the pony's question. They all knew what a disaster the Sato girl was in the kitchen. After nearly blowing up Bolin and Mako's apartment, they couldn't take any chances.

"Why don't me and Applejack work on the park and Bolin can pick out the food? We're pretty good with building stuff you know."

"It's kinda, well, our thing." said Applejack, "Could be the reason the map called us here!"

Rarity smiled at her fellow fashion designer, "You see, dear? We went out looking for volunteers when all the help you need is right here!"

"That's right!" Bolin said with a smile, "The map wouldn't have chosen just the four of us if it was more than we could handle! Everything is going to be just fine!"

(~)

"Maybe I spoke too soon…"

Bolin's eyes widened at the sight before him. The park was even worse than they thought. In the years that the place had been unused the plants had grown larger in size, enwrapping around the benches and statues, all of which were rusted, worn and old. The benches looked as if they would break and there were weeds as far as the eye could see. Even the old theater looked like it had seen better days. The roof was nearly crumbling with trash all around the stage. The park was remarkably large for a great number of ponies, but even with two earthbenders this would take a very long time to get done.

"Oh dear, you're right!" Coco said in despair.

Asami took in a deep breath, "Okay, okay nobody panic. I know this looks bad…really bad, but me and Applejack can handle it. Right, A.J?"

Applejack bit her bottom lip, "Well, there's a lot to do... but Rarity's right. The map wouldn't have called us here if we weren't up for the challenge! Ya'll go on and take care of the costumes and get the food. I'll see you at the dress rehearsal."

"You sure you don't need me?" Bolin asked, "With three people we can get the park better in no time."

"But we still need the refreshments." Coco said.

Asami placed a hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, babe. We've got this covered. I can design a new line of satomobiles in my sleep, this'll be a breeze."

Though still uncertain, Rarity, Coco and Bolin allowed the two to start working. Applejack gulped in worry and Asami placed a hand on her head, "It's okay, we can do this."

And so, the two got straight to work. A.J. pushed a wheel barrel and took her position. Rising up her hooves, she managed to pull the weeds, roots and all, and place them onto the barrel. So far, she had managed to successfully remove a large portion of the weeds…but there were still a million to go.

Asami did her part by mowing the lawns, because even though Applejack removed the weeds, the park still needed to be arranged, and the couldn't let holes be seen. Applejack continued bending the weeds off of the ground and levitate them onto the barrel, which began to get much too heavy from the heavy load, causing it to tumble and allow all the weeds to fall off.

Asami continued moving the lawns, only to accidentally get her hair tangled in one of the branches. She attempted to break the branch so she could get the thing off of her tangled hair, but once she succeeded in pulling it off she fell down on her back and the branch landed on her, nearly knocking the wind right out of her. And worse, leaves from the tree landed onto the ground, making an even bigger mess. The heiress groaned in frustration. Applejack could only bend the earth, not the plants.

Applejack tried to yank another pesky weed from the ground, but it was far too stubborn. She pulled on it with her teeth but it snapped off, causing her to tumble backwards into one of the statues. She quickly rolled out of the way before it fell on her, crushing her hat in the process.

After several more hours, all the weeds were gone, and Asami finally managed to clean up the remains. She now wore her hair in a loose over the shoulder braid, and her long side bang swiped upwards so it wouldn't get in her eyes. Her face was sticky from all the swear and she wore her jacket around her waist. She took a seat on one of the benches to catch her breath, only to have it crumble underneath her due to it being incredibly old and worn.

After several more hours, the park was nearly perfected. It still needed a bit more work but it looked far better than before. However, because the two had to work remarkably hard to improve the park and remove the pesky weeds and vines and such, they had yet to prepare the stage and the benches, which were already broken anyway.

Applejack got to painting while Asami got to working on the stage with her hammer. Bolin, Rarity and Coco arrived with the food and dresses. Bolin had prepared some delicious vegetarian options such as tomatoes, oranges and a few potato salads to serve to the guests and a few finger sandwiches. He had really outdone himself. Rarity and Coco worked all day in making the costumes, and they looked absolutely gorgeous. Once they arrived at the park they saw that thing swear better but the stage still wasn't ready.

Applejack dropped the paintbrush from her mouth once she saw them, "I know it looks bad, but we're movin' as fast as we can." she said…right before getting her hoof stuck in the pain bucket.

"Don't worry, we've still got plenty of time." Rarity said, "Everything's going to be-"

"Ehm, excuse me?"

The group of friends noticed four ponies approach them. They were the Method Mares actors and actresses that Coco had asked to perform at the revival. They consisted of two girls and two boys, one was much older looking than the others, undoubtedly the leader.

"Is this where the Midsummer Theatre Revival is supposed to be, perchance?" the stallion asked, adjusting his dark shades.

"We're here for the dress rehearsal?" said the female pink colored pony wearing a french hat.

"Oh, yes!" Coco said, "We've just put the finishing touches on the costumes."

The younger male Method Mare whispered to his female companion, "At least those look professional."

"We'll do a dry run of the play first, and then the fitting." said the pink pony as she approached the stage. The stage Asami was still working on.

"No, wait! I haven't finished-"

Once the pony stood on the stage, the roof above her began to crumble. Asami quickly rushed over and pushed the pony out of the way, shielding her from the collapse. Dust covered the area and once it cleared the stage was in complete shambles. The roof was gone, the whole group gasped at seeing the whole thing completely destroyed.

"…reinforcing the stage yet."

Coco could feel her heart breaking. After all the hard work they did, this was what it had come to. The Midsummer Theater Revival couldn't go on without a stage. Now the costumes, the food, the spark, it would all go to waste.

(~)

Back at the apartment, Coco watched from her balcony the ruined stage and the only somewhat improved park. She sighed sadly, "I just wanted to live up to Charity's example, to bring my neighborhood together again! But the park is still a mess, and we don't have a stage for the Method Mares to perform on! Now our costumes, refreshments, all our hard work…it's hopeless… just hopeless!"

Rarity, Asami, Bolin and Applejack were feeling just as glum. They didn't know what else to do, even if they did improve the park better than it already was their stage was ruined and it would take hours just to build a new one.

"I don't understand." Rarity said in a hushed tone, "The map summoned us here to solve a friendship problem, we've clearly found it, but why did it send the four of us? Why not Twilight or Korra? I'm sure they could have used their magic to transform this park in an instant!"

"Or Mako!" Bolin said, "He's gotten better at this friendship stuff why didn't it called him like the last time? Or somebody like Jinora, or heck, even Opal? They could have gotten people's attention."

"I've been thinkin' the same thing." said Applejack, wearing her now damaged hat, "I mean, I can at least see why you're here, Rarity. Coco's your friend, and you have an eye for costumes and all – but me? I was never gonna be able to finish a project this big, even with help!"

"And some help I was." Bolin said in disappear, "I couldn't get even one pony to get involved."

Rarity fell back, letting Bolin to catch her while she placed a hoof on her forehead dramatically, "We'll return to Ponyville as failures! Why must this be, Bolin? Why? Why? Wh-" Rarity suddenly stopped when Asami placed her hand over her mouth.

"Enough. I know things look bad right now, but I doubt Applejack's suggesting we go back home."

"Then what are you suggesting-" Rarity said muffled with the human's hand still on her mouth before removing it, "Ptoo! Then what are you suggesting?"

"Remember what Mako said before we left? That once we thought we found the answer it was only the first step, because the real problem might require a second look. Maybe we've been going about this the wrong way."

"I think I know what you're sayin', Asami." said Applejack, "Maybe we should stop worryin' about what we can't do, and start doing what we can!"

"But even if we work all night we'll never be able to make something big enough to get folks to show." said Bolin.

"Who said it needed to be big?" his girlfriend asked.

"Asami, we're from the city. The saying there is, 'go big or go home'."

"Well maybe it's time for that to change. Bolin, when Korra first came to the city, what did you do?"

"Show her around the arena and flirt?"

"The second thing you did." she narrowed her eyes and spoke with a bit of annoyance in her voice.

"I was nice and offered her my friendship."

"Exactly! Girls, what did you give Korra when you first met?"

"Our friendship, of course." Rarity responded.

"And what did it take for all of us to convince the city that benders and non benders can be friends? It wasn't just the song but the meaning and intensions behind it. You guys were right, this place is a lot like Republic City. I see that now, and while defeating rebellion leaders and dark monsters might have gotten people's attention it wasn't the one thing that really changed them. I have an idea what we can do. It won't be anything fancy, but it'll be something."

Applejack nodded her head and placed a hoof on Coco's shoulder, "And somethin's gotta be better than nothin', right?"

"I suppose so…" the pony responded sadly.

"That's the spirit! Sorta…"

(~)

Applejack hammered the last nail in place. She and Asami had used various pieces of the old stage in order to build a brand new stage. It wasn't anything big or spectacular and was far more modest in design, but it would most certainly get ponies' attention. It was positioned at the entrance of the park with two lanterns hanging from its side for light.

"Alright y'all, it's ready!" Applejack said right after she placed the hammer on her tool belt.

"And Pabu and I got the food!" Bolin showcased his table beside the stage, which was filled with a humble looking buffet of delicious foods, nothing too great and the table wasn't anything special but the food itself looked delicious enough to make ponies' mouths water.

"It's not much but enough for a crowd." he said.

Coco's eyes sparkled, everything looked exactly as it did when Charity was still around. Oh, how proud she would be to see this.

Once Applejack and Asami got off the stage, the Method Mare's leader poked his head out from behind the curtain. "Should we go ahead and start?" he asked.

Coco nodded her head and Asami pulled the curtain open to start the show. The set designs weren't anything too ran either, the background were painted on cardboard but they were done with impressive detail. The Method Mare's leader played the role of a business pony behind his desk, while the the oldest of the female Method Mares approached, playing the role of Charity Kindheart.

This play was meant to showcase how the Midsummer Theater Revival came to be. The actress had her hair styled exactly like Charity and wore makeup to make herself look younger.

"Excuse me?" she said in an elderly voice, "I'm Charity Kindheart, I'm here about the open design position! I brought some samples of my work. I'm sorry I'm late. I had the hardest time finding my way here!"

As the play went on, Coco was amazed when a pony walking by had took a moment to notice the play and sat down to enjoy it. Seeing this, Bolin kindly offered her some of their refreshments, primarily the little sandwiches. The pony kindly took one, much to his joy. His food didn't go to waste after all.

An earth pony mouthed and her pegasus son were walking by when the little filly tugged on his mother's tail. "What is that?" he asked.

"I dunno, sugar, looks like some kinda play." the mother replied, speaking in a thick Manehattan accent.

"Well, can we stay and watch it please? Please, can we, can we?"

"Oh alright, I suppose we could stay for a minute." the mother walked over towards the stage with her son in tow and approached Bolin's table, "Excuse me hon, is it okay if me and my boy sit here."

"Of course. There's room for everypony. If you'd like some snacks we've got plenty. I even made cookies for the fillies." the earthbender handed a small plate of five cookies for the kid to eat and handed a glass of punch for the mother and they sat down together to watch the rest of the play, and Charity Kindheart's story unfurl.

"I'm sorry, but based on these samples, I just don't think this is the place for you." the Method Mare actor said, making the Charity actress gasp dramatically. "Don't get me wrong, these clothes are all exquisite, and well-made, but more theatrical than avant-garde. Have you considered costume design? I have a contact on Bridleway! If you're interested, I can put you in touch with him. And scene."

The curtain closed and the three ponies gave a small applause. Eventually, more and more ponies took notice of the play and smiles immediately appeared other faces. Most of them had grown up with the Midsummer Theater Revival plays, and now it was like reliving their happy childhoods. More and more ponies gathered and Bolin and Asami happily handed out refreshments, both smiling happily at the sight. Their simple little play was enough to get ponies' attention. Even the pony who sold popcorn came, sharing her stand with them to help with refreshments.

The play carried on, showcasing the story of how Charity came up with the idea for the Midsummer Revival.

"Charity, dear, is that you?" an actress asked, dressed as an elderly mare.

"Hello, Mrs. Pearblossom!"

"Are these the costumes you've been working on?"

"Yes, I was supposed to be finished by now, but there's just so much to do, and I still have a few last-minute alterations to make before opening night! I'm sorry I couldn't get enough tickets for everypony in the neighborhood. I hope Mr. Pearblossom wasn't too disappointed. I know Trotter on the Roof is one of his favorites."

"Oh, my dear filly, don't worry about that. We're so proud of you! We shall be with you in spirit!"

"Thank you! You've all made me feel so welcome here, and have become like family to me! I just wish I could share this experience with you and the others!"

Charity's story was truly a heartfelt and inspirational one, it most certainly reached the hardened hearts of many residents of the town. A construction worker pony walked by, curious as to what was going on.

"Eh, what's goin' on?" he asked a lovely looking pony beside him.

"It's the Midsummer Theatre Revival." she replied with a bright smile, "The Method Mares are performing!"

"The Revival. Mhm, yeah, my pop used to bring me." the worker pony removed his hat and sat down beside the female pony to watch one of his most beloved childhood memories.

"Asami, can you believe this?" Bolin said in awe, "So many ponies came to see the play. I guess bigger isn't always better."

Asami giggled and ruffled his hair before kissing his cheek. "Took you long enough to figure it out."

(~)

The sun soon set upon the city and the stars began to make their presence known. Somehow, they appeared to be shinning brighter tonight than any other night. By this point, a large group of ponies had witnessed the play, even the ponies who declined the offer to assist, now realizing they could have done more to help. This simple gesture was enough to bring an entire town together unlike anything they had seen in years.

The actress playing Charity Kindheart and the actress playing her elderly friend played out the final scene of the story and how Charity had found a way to bring so many ponies together.

"So nice of you to put on this play for the neighborhood." said the actress playing the elderly pony.

"I couldn't have done it without everypony's help!" said the Charity actress, "I know it's not Bridleway, but-"

"Oh, pish-tosh! It's perfect, dear!"

Coco couldn't wipe the smile off her face, she had never been surrounded by so many happy faces. Charity would be so proud to see everybody together again. Bolin had nearly run out of food to give, thankfully the popcorn selling pony had plenty to share, even a few ponies who sold cotton candy helped out.

An elderly pony in the audience tried to find a good spot and a male pony kindly moves aside, allowing her to take her spot. She smiled at his gesture, "Oh, you're such a dear, thank you! This is so nice. Haven't seen the neighborhood this friendly since Charity moved away!"

Coco blushed upon hearing this. She still couldn't believe she did it. She accomplished her goal in bringing back the spirit of family and community that Charity had started long ago. Rarity and Applejack smiled proudly at their friend, congratulating her on a job well done and the two ponies hoof pumped each other.

Once the play ended, the audience clapped and cheered. The Method Mares bowed before the audience and their leader spoke up, "Thank you, fillies and gentlecolts. Please give a warm welcome to the one who made this entire event possible, our neighbor, Coco Pommel!"

The pony couldn't stop the blush from creeping up her cheeks once the audience listed her up and lifted her towards the stage. She stood before them, smiling with such happiness.

"Thank you all so much for coming. The Midsummer Theatre Revival was always something that meant so much to me, and it seems it means quite a lot to all of you as well. I really can't take all the credit, though. My dear friends Rarity, Applejack, Asami Sato and Bolin helped me ever so much."

The four friends waved at the audience who clapped loudly for them. Rarity and Bolin felt very comfortable while Asami and Applejack blushed shyly. While Applejack's shyness was rather more of just the feeling of an audience, Asami's was more on the lines of she couldn't believe she was here. She had helped make this possible, something so small yet so important.

"Oh darling, please, it was just a few costumes." Rarity said humbly.

Applejack scratched the back of her neck, "Aw shucks, I just happen to be good with a hammer, is all."

"All I did was serve some mash potatoes." Bolin said humbly, "It was Asami's idea to put the stage here for all to see."

The woman's blush grew even more and she addressed to the audience, "To be honest, we had much bigger plans to start. When those fell through, we decided to simplify. This was the result."

"Oh, don't be so modest." Rarity said, "Coco and I were lost."

"You bet your boots we were!" the cyan haired pony winked with a smile, which was returned by Applejack.

Bolin wrapped his arm around the woman he loved, "Your quick thinking helped save the show!" he kissed her cheek, making her feel all the more bashful. Only Bolin would be happy enough to show his effecting in public like this. Not that she ever minded, of course.

(~)

After the play was over, the Method Mares and various other ponies happily chatted with one another, sharing stories, making new friends and sharing how much they loved the play itself. The worker pony even got a date with the lovely female pony he met.

Rarity, Applejack, Bolin and Asami couldn't even begin to describe the happiness they felt at seeing everypony getting along. It was just like when Republic City changed for the better. Back then, it was more so Korra and the Mane Six who ignited the chain of events that would latter change their own hearts as well. And now, they were sharing that very blessing with others.

The business pony who declined the offer to assist, as well as the pony whom Rarity gave her hat to when they arrived, approached the group.

"We just wanted to say how much we enjoyed the Midsummer Theatre Revival, and how much it inspired us!" said the female pony.

The Business Pony: removed his hat, "I used to think that to help my community I had to do something big, heh heh. And let's face it, in this day and age, who has the time for such a commitment? But here, you did something as simple as building a stage and putting on a play, and, heh, look at how it's brought everypony together."

"I saw Coco's flyers for volunteers but didn't think anything I'd have time to do would be that useful." said the female pony, "Now I wish I'd offered to help, even if it was just pulling a few weeds, or planting a few flowers."

Applejack smiled as she extended her hoof, showing them the park and the stage, "Not sure if you noticed, but the park is far from bein' fixed up. I imagine if you look around, you'll find there's lots of little ways for you to get involved in changin' this place for the better."

"And I will!" said the female pony, smiling with glee.

"And I don't think we'll be alone!" said the business pony before placing his hat back on and the two went back to speaking with their new friends.

Asami suddenly gasped once she saw something glowing. "Girls, look!"

Rarity and Applejack felt a tingle and heard a ringing sound. Looking at their flanks they witnessed their cutie marks glowing brightly. A sure sign that they had accomplished what they needed to do all along.

"Yee-hoo! We did it!" Applejack cheered before hugging Rarity, who returned the gesture. Asami and Bolin squatted down and joined in the embrace, happy to see that they had accomplished their mission with flying colors.

Bolin stood up, almost spontaneously, and gasped, "Wait, I think I understand now!"

Rarity gasped as well, "Me too! It all makes perfect sense!"

"Huh?" Applejack and Asami looked at one another in confusion as Rarity galloped ahead and purchased a hat from a nearby stand. One identical to her old previous hat, which was now ruined.

"We know why the map called you two here!"

"You do?" Applejack asked as Rarity replaced her old hat with a new and improved one.

"If Korra and Twilight had used their magic to fix the park, it wouldn't have fixed the real problem, which is that these Manehattan ponies didn't think they had time to do something for their community! But by building that stage and making sure the play went on, you showed them that just by doing something small, you can make a big difference!"

"And you remembered that it wasn't the big stuff that reached folks back home, but the simple things." Bolin said to his girlfriend, "Like six colorful ponies offering a lonely Avatar their friendship."

"Or an Avatar offering a helpin' hand to two brothers." Applejack winked.

"Or an heiress offering her riches to help said brothers." Rarity said with a smile.

Asami smiled as well as she turned to her boyfriend, "Or a persistent earthbender who wouldn't give up on anybody. Even a girl still hung up on the past."

Bolin's heart was all a flutter. Even he believed that doing things in a big way was the way to attract people. But, as it turned out, it just wasn't so. It was always the simple gestures that really reached people. Even back before he and Asami realized they were meant for each other, him offering her friendship was that little seed that would eventually grow into what they have now, even if he didn't know it at the time. Asami, through all of her adventures, learned about humility, and her humility was what helped everybody realize what they needed to do to help these ponies.

The two shared a loving embrace and Rarity placed a hoof on Applejack's shoulder, "Seems you have more in common with the Manehattan ponies than you thought!"

Applejack laughed, "Heheh. But, all the same, I'd sure like to head back to Ponyville on the next train. I want to check in with Apple Bloom and find out how the Sisterhooves Social turned out."

"Oh, absolutely, my dear." Rarity suddenly gasped when she spotted something just across the street, "Just as soon as I stop that pony in the shop over there from purchasing that dreadfully hideous scarf!"

Rarity galloped as fast as her hooves could carry her as she crossed the street.

"Stop! You're making a terrible mistake!"

The three friends only laughed as their friend went off to prevent yet another fashion disaster. Some things really don't change.

*(~)*

2 Timothy 2:1-2~

"You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

*(~)*