Chapter 56 (Rarity Takes Manehattan)
Twilight and I finished organizing the library when we heard a rapid knock on the door.
“I’m coming!” Twilight called out.
She hurried to open the front door. Rarity appeared looking like she just won the lottery.
“Twilight! Spike!” Rarity exclaimed. “I have wonderful news to share with you!”
“You discovered a new sewing technique?” I asked.
“Oh, I wish, darling, but no. I’ve been invited to participate in Fashion Week in Manehattan!”
“That is good news!” Twilight said. “Do you want us to come with you for support?”
“That would be delightful.”
It was then I realized that this was when the events of “Rarity Takes Manehattan” took place. In the show, somepony named Suri Polomare steals Rarity’s idea after she gives her some fabric to use. This results in Rarity forcing all of her friends to make new dresses in such a short time. It was later she saw how ungenerous she was, so she apologizes and makes up for their troubles.
There was just one problem: I didn’t know how I should change this episode. Since it was an episode where one of the girls would get their key, I couldn’t interfere too much, but I didn’t want Suri to get away scot-free sans losing her cute assistant, Coco Pommel. Suri needed to learn that even in a big city, stealing doesn’t pay off.
Maybe I could try to get Suri in trouble after all the crazy events Rarity goes through. I think I know how.
A couple of days later, I helped Rarity finish off the rest of her dresses. I had to admit they looked rather stylish. It was no wonder Suri played the copycat card. I brung an instant camera with me so I could take some pictures of the dresses.
“And that should do it,” said Rarity. “Thank you so much for helping me out, Spikey-Wikey.”
“It was my pleasure,” I replied as I picked up the camera. “Hey, do you mind if I take a picture of you and your dresses?”
“Not at all, darling.”
Rarity arranged the mannequins and sat in front of them. I positioned myself so that the camera could see all the dresses and the fashionista herself.
“Okay, smile,” I said.
Rarity gave a small grin as I pressed the button. A bright flash and the click of the shudder soon followed. A few seconds later, the photo was printed out. I placed it on a nearby table to let it develop.
“So tell me, Spike,” said Rarity. “How are things with you and Fluttershy?”
“Pretty good,” I replied. “Why do you ask?”
“I was just curious and wanted to make sure that you’re truly happy with her.”
“You’re not jealous of our relationship, are you?”
“Of course not, Spike. It’s just that...sometimes I see you two together, and it looks like you’re just going out as friends. Very seldomly do I see you two holding hooves or kissing. I’m just worried that you two aren’t hitting it off.”
“We’re taking things slow for now. Fluttershy is a very gentle pony, and we just started this relationship last spring. Kissing and doing so much romantic stuff like in those novels can get too overwhelming for her. We’re not some crazy lovebirds who would rub their interspecies affection in everypony’s faces. We do hold hooves and hug, but that happens rarely so it would be enjoyable for both of us.”
“I suppose that would make sense. Everything is good when done with the appropriate amount of moderation.”
After a while, the photo finished developing. I picked it up and checked to see if it got everything. Sure enough, the photo captured the dresses and Rarity. I also noticed a date at the bottom right corner, which I bet was going to come in handy later on.
“And that should do it,” I said. “At least if something happens to your dresses, you can always show the photo to the judges.”
“I doubt they would judge outfits based on photos alone, darling,” said Rarity.
The day we left for Manehattan arrived in a flash. I helped Rarity with her luggage. With so many bags and suitcases, I wondered if she was bringing the entire Carousel Boutique with her.
“An entire week in the fabulous city of Manehattan!” Rarity exclaimed. “Plus, all of my very best friends there with me!”
“Of course we'd all come along to support you during Fashion Week, Rarity,” said Twilight.
“Not that you'll need it,” said Fluttershy. “We're sure you'll win.”
“I can't begin to tell you how excited I am that you'll all be there with me!” Rarity squealed. “However...perhaps I can show you…”
Rarity opened one of her bags and pulled out seven tickets. They were all for an upcoming show called Hinny of the Hills, which was a famous musical on Bridleway. The girls cheered with delight, since the show had been sold out for months.
We hopped on the train and headed for Manehattan. I stared out the window and watched Ponyville disappearing into the horizon.
“Can you believe it, Spike?” Twilight asked. “We’re finally going to Manehattan!”
“Y-yeah,” I replied. “I can’t wait.”
But the truth was I was feeling pretty neutral about visiting. My father visited New York City once, and he said while his experience wasn’t bad, the people there pretty much keep to themselves most of the time. He said that basically, if you wanted to talk to someone, you’d have to get to the point immediately or else they’ll ignore you and move on. Given how Manehattan is just a ponified New York City, there’s no doubt in my mind that some of the ponies there will behave the same way.
It wasn’t long before we arrived at the station. The grand size of the place and the sheer number of ponies around surprised me. There were practically more ponies here alone than in Ponyville altogether.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised considering this is a pony version of the Big Apple.
“Come along, ponies and dragon,” Rarity said as she exited the station. “I found us a place to stay only a block from the train station in the very heart of this glorious metropolis.”
The girls and I took in the scenery around us. Despite me carrying Rarity’s bags, I was still able to see the gigantic structures above me. Even the buildings in my old hometown didn’t look so tall, and I lived in an apartment.
“Hey, look!” Applejack pointed to a theater. “That's the theater where Hinny of the Hills is playin'!”
I noticed an extremely long line at the theater’s entrance. It was so long that it stretched to the end of the block and turned at the corner. And the ponies weren’t even social distancing.
“Wow, Rarity! How'd you manage to get us seats for tomorrow night?” Twilight asked.
“Oh, I gave some designs to the costume designer, so he pulled a few strings,” Rarity replied. “That is what makes Manehattan so splendid and amazing. You do something nice for somepony, and then you never know when they'll do something nice for you!”
You’ll never know when they’ll take advantage of your kindness either. Not being pessimistic, just realistic.
“So then you can do something nice for us!” Applejack declared.
“Like get us in to see Hinny of the Hills!” Fluttershy added.
“Which is only the best musical in all of Equestria!” Rainbow Dash concluded.
“It must be good if Rainbow Dash is impressed,” said Applejack. “Normally she doesn't even like musicals.”
“I know. Ponies just bursting into song in random places at the drop of a hat? Who does that?”
“Uh...we do?” I asked.
Rainbow shrugged. “Yeah, but we usually have a build-up to the song, like somepony saying...”
“Oh, I feel a song coming on!” Rarity exclaimed.
“...that.”
Rarity sang “Generosity” as we dropped off our luggage in the hotel and toured the city. We helped out different sorts of ponies with her, such as a bellhop, a taxi driver, and a pony with a grumpy cat as a cutie mark. I was able to hear the background music this time, and I didn’t get my carrot dog stolen from the bird.
Once Rarity finished her song, she observed some of the dresses at a nearby dress shop.
“To think my dresses could soon be displayed on the most glamorous shopping thoroughfare of the most glamorous city in Equestria!” Rarity exclaimed. “Oh, it would be my dream come true!”
Oh, it would and it will.
“Is there anything left to do we can help you with?” asked Twilight.
“Nothing I can think of. The dresses are all completely finished, all made from a fabulous new fabric I've been developing for months. Stretchy, but not clingy. Shimmery, but not showy. There's nothing left for me to do but check in at the runway with my dresses by two this afternoon.”
“Oh, that's funny.” Pinkie pointed at a clock on a skyscraper. “Because that clock over there makes it seem like that's only ten minutes from now!”
Rarity widened her eyes at the fact she was going to be late. It didn’t help that it started to rain. The girls and I tried to find an available taxi, but just like in the show, there was a big line just to get into one. To make matters worse, none of the Manhattan ponies would allow Rarity to cut in, even when Twilight explained her situation.
“You guys do realize that Twilight’s the Princess of Friendship, right?” I asked the crowd.
Before anypony could respond, the taxi driver who we helped during Rarity’s song appeared and offered her a ride.
“Fashion runway plaza in seven minutes,” said Rarity as she hopped in. “Can you make it?”
“Hang on!” shouted the driver.
He then took off carrying Rarity close behind. The girls were relieved, except…
“Wait! The dresses!” I shouted. “We left them at the hotel!”
The girls gasped. We galloped back to the Manefair Hotel. Once we entered the lobby, one of the bellhops recognized us. It happened to be the same one that Rarity helped earlier.
“Oh, hey,” greeted the bellhop. “You’re friends with that white unicorn. Good to see you again.”
“Excuse me, but where did you put the dresses?!” Twilight asked. “My friend needs them for Fashion Week!”
“I was just about to send them up to your room.” The bellhop pointed to a rack that had a bunch of dresses covered in a plastic tarp. “I can bring them to your friend for you. I’m pretty fast, and I know where the plaza is.”
“You’d do that for us?”
“Anything for that nice mare.” The bellhop patted his shirt pocket. The pink gem was just peeking out of the miniscule pouch.
“Oh, thank you!”
The bellhop grabbed the rack and pushed it out of the hotel.
“I was planning on doing that,” said Rainbow Dash. “I’m pretty fast myself. I just needed to know where the plaza was. Oh well.”
“I hope he brings them to her on time,” Fluttershy said. “I can’t imagine Rarity’s reaction if she doesn’t get her dresses.”
Twilight sighed. “For now, let’s head into our hotel room and hope for the best.”
We checked in with the receptionist, and he gave us the keys for our rooms. They were both up on the sixth floor. We took the elevator and went down the hall.
“It was nice of Rarity to get us some rooms here,” said Applejack.
“I agree,” said Twilight. “I just hope you all are okay with sharing beds.”
“As long as I don’t have to share it with anypony who sleeps in uncomfortable pajamas,” said Rainbow Dash.
The girls and I approached our suite doors. Twilight, Fluttershy, and I got the first room, and the rest got the other. Twilight pulled her key out and unlocked the door. The three of us entered our room and instantly admired the luxury around us. The room had a couple of beds, a bathroom, and other normal hotel stuff, but its design looked like something out of a Canterlot magazine.
“Wow, this place is great,” I complimented. “I’m surprised Rarity could afford us a day here let alone a week.”
We unpacked some of our bags and got comfortable. I found a menu in one of the nightstand drawers. I wanted to ring up room service and see what they offered, but one look at the prices made me lose interest completely.
Suddenly, one of the doors in the room knocked loudly. Fluttershy jumped like a cat seeing a cucumber!
“Somepony’s in our closet!” Fluttershy cried, pointing to the door across from the beds.
“The closet’s right here,” said Twilight as she stood near an open door right next to the bathroom.
“Th-then what’s that door?”
The door knocked again. Fluttershy hopped onto one of the beds and hid under the covers.
“Who is it?” Twilight asked.
“It’s me, Applejack,” Applejack’s voice said. “That you, Twilight?”
Twilight hurried to unlock the door. Fluttershy peeked out from under the blankets. Twilight opened the door to reveal the other girls: Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack.
“Wait, I thought we had separate rooms.” Rainbow scratched her head.
“We do,” said Twilight. “They must be one of those interconnected rooms for when there’s more than two ponies.”
“Heh, that’s convenient,” I said.
About a few hours later, Rarity showed up. She explained to us that while she did show up early and got her dresses in time, she was going to be the last pony to show her designs.
“Prim Hemline was a very strict pony,” said Rarity as we left to get something to eat. “She wants everypony to come half an hour early tomorrow for a run-through appointment.”
“Ponies from Manehattan can be pretty stuffy, and I’m speakin’ from experience,” Applejack said.
“Yes, quite. Oh, I forgot to mention. I met an old acquaintance of mine from the Ponyville Knitters League: Suri Polomare. She’s going to participate in Fashion Week as well. I offered here some of my special fabric to use as accents for some of her dresses.”
Shouldn’t have done that Rares.
We left the hotel. It stopped raining a while ago, but the sidewalks were still wet like sponges. It didn’t help that the sun was setting and already disappearing behind the tall skyscrapers.
“Any idea where we should eat?” Twilight asked.
“I’m down for whatever,” said Rainbow Dash.
“Don’t worry. I know just the place,” said Rarity. “There’s a cafe not too far from here.”
I just hope it’s not as expensive as the hotel. I could buy a dozen donuts from Pony Joe with the price of one of the hotel’s branded water bottles.
After a quick meal at one of the cafes, the girls and I returned to our rooms and tucked in for the night.
The next morning, we all helped ourselves to the hotel breakfast buffet. Afterwards, we went to the swimming pool. The sheer size of the pool could rival a royal’s bathtub, and the hot tub was practically bigger than the one at the Ponyville Spa. Rarity, Fluttershy and I relaxed in the giant jacuzzi while the other girls swam in the pool.
“I do wish I could join you girls and Spike as you tour Manehattan once more,” said Rarity. “Alas, I need to prepare myself for Fashion Week.”
“That’s okay,” I said. “We can get you a souvenir when we get the chance. Do you prefer snowglobes or keychains?”
After we dried up and returned to our rooms, Rarity departed for the plaza. The rest of us went out to explore what Manehattan had to offer.
Our first stop was the Manehattan State Building, the tallest building in Manehattan. We all witnessed the view from the top floor. From where we were standing, the entire city looked like a toy model.
“Boy, howdy, we’re pretty high up!” exclaimed Applejack. “I reckon if Cloudsale was nearby, we could hop right onto it from here.”
“How high up are we exactly?” I asked as I looked through a viewfinder.
“About 1,250 feet, or 381 meters,” replied Twilight. “Which isn’t far from the lowest point in Cloudsdale now that I think about it.”
After we examined the entire city from the top, we took the elevator all the way back down. It was a long and slow ride. Not even the elevator music made it interesting. Once we hit the ground floor, we exited the building and continued our tour.
Our next stop was the local museum. The exhibit talked about the founding of Manehattan. Manehattan was the second city to be created in Equestria after Canterlot. Back then, Manehattan started as a giant camping spot for frontier ponies, but later it evolved to a small town, and then grew larger and larger until it became the city we knew today. I’ve noticed how the city experienced certain issues over the years, such as sanitation, homelessness, and economic problems, and what they did to solve them.
I guess even in a world of talking magical ponies, they still face issues that are no different from the human world.
We left the museum and had lunch, which was just a bunch of carrot dogs from a nearby stand. Afterwards, we explored the streets near our hotel. Just like in the show, the girls spotted a nearby salon and applied for an appointment there. Then they noticed the Far-Afield Tavern. We quickly entered to make a reservation.
“I’d like to make a reservation for six ponies and a dragon, please,” Twilight said to the greeter.
“Name and time?” the greeter asked.
“Twilight Sparkle and company at six p.m.”
The greeter jotted that down. “We look forward to seeing you.”
I noticed a bin in front of the greeter’s stand that had a bunch of paper inside. A closer look revealed they were menus.
“Excuse me, but is it okay if I take one of the menus?” I asked.
“Go ahead,” the greeter replied. “We have them for those who want to view our options before they get seated. You’re welcome to keep one.”
“Thank you.”
I grabbed one of the menus and looked through it. The pictures of the food looked very interesting, and the prices were a lot cheaper than the hotel’s food. The girls made the right choice by picking this restaurant to eat.
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing various activities, such as listening to street musicians, browsing stores, buying souvenirs, and even going bowling. I started to see why Mr. Bellic liked the last part so much.
After our fun little adventure, we returned to the hotel to drop off some of our stuff. I put the menu into my backpack.
“Oh, my gosh, what a great afternoon!” Twilight exclaimed. “That was almost too much fun!”
“Better pace yourself, 'cause the rest of the day is jam-packed!” Rainbow adjusted her new “I Heart Manehattan” cap.
Applejack said, “First there's the salon appointment to get our manes done...”
“...then our fancy dinner at the Far-Afield Tavern!” Pinkie added.
“Then after that...” Fluttershy said.
“Hinny of the Hills!” we all shouted in unison.
That’s when Rarity came in looking like she just got mugged. Knowing Suri, she probably was.
“Rarity, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“You got the dresses the bellhop brought you and everything, right?” Pinkie asked.
Rarity slumped on one of the beds and cried her eyes out. As it turns out, Suri stole Rarity’s designs and passed them off as her own. That’s when I remembered I put the photo in my backpack. I wanted to butt in and have Rarity present Prim the photo to prove that she made them first, but that would mean preventing Rarity from getting her “key.” I needed to wait until that happened before changing things.
“Now, Rarity, whatever went wrong, we're all here to help you get through it, no matter what it takes,” said Twilight.
The girls agreed on that.
“Come on, Rarity, buck up!” said Applejack. “All we need is some fabric and you'll be back in business!”
Rarity wiped her tears as she observed the hotel room around her. That’s when she had an idea.
“This new line is going to be marvelous!” Rarity shouted. “Perhaps even better than the last! It's daring, it's bold! Perhaps I still have a chance after all!”
While I admit it was rather convenient for Rarity to pack a spinning wheel and a couple of sewing machines, it didn’t help the fact that she ended up turning one of the hotel rooms into a sweatshop. The girls and I were working our tails off just to help Rarity make her dresses.
“Can’t believe we gave up our salon appointment for this,” Applejack said as she folded some pieces of cloth. “I know we agreed to help her, but this ain’t what I had in mind.”
“I know, but there’s no other choice,” I said. “We can’t let Rarity down after all.”
I looked up at the clock and noticed it was half past five.
“We might have to miss our dinner reservation as well,” I said.
“Don't worry about that!” Rarity yelled. “I’ll order a meal for you girls while you work!”
“No, wait! I have a better idea!” I pulled out the menu from my backpack and grabbed a pen. “Girls, circle what you want, and I’ll run down to the restaurant and order for you.”
Each mare examined the menu, circled their desired meal, and passed it onto the next mare. Once everypony was done, Twilight gave me her coin pouch. I grabbed it and the menu, and I headed out of the hotel.
It didn’t take me long to find the Far-Afield Tavern. I quickly headed inside. The place looked busy, but there wasn’t a big crowd or anything up at front. I approached the greeter and cleared my throat.
“How may I help you?” the greeter asked.
“I'd like to order some meals to go.”
“Whatever for?”
“I was with a group of ponies, and they booked a reservation here. One of them was named Twilight Sparkle.”
The greeter read through the reservation book. “Ah, yes. Miss Sparkle and her six friends are supposed to arrive here tonight.”
“Well, something came up, and we can’t make it. We already wrote down what we wanted.” I pulled out the menu and handed it to the greeter.
He read through the menu.
“Alright. We’ll get to it as soon as possible. Sit tight now.”
I sat patiently at one of the chairs in the waiting booth. About twenty minutes later, a waiter came to the front with a big bag.
“Take out for Miss Sparkle and friends?” the waiter asked.
“That’s me.” I raised my hand.
“The total cost is 105 bits.”
I took out the coin pouch and handed him 121 bits. “Here. Tip is included.”
“Thank you.”
The waiter handed me the food bag. I quickly took it and ran back to the hotel. I hurried up the stairs and back into the room where the girls were.
“Alright, I got your meals!” I announced.
“Thank goodness,” said Twilight.
“You girls better not spill a single crumb on these fabrics or else!” shouted Rarity.
After sacrificing our salon appointment, restaurant reservation, musical showing, and sleep, we completed every single dress by next morning. Rarity snatched all the dresses and galloped out of the room.
“You’re welcome!” Twilight shouted. She then rubbed her eyes.
“I can’t believe we missed everything!” complained Rainbow Dash. “All because somepony plagerized Rarity’s dresses!”
“Why don’t we just take a quick nap?” I asked. “We can go to the plaza and talk to Rarity afterwards.”
The girls agreed. We slipped onto the beds and closed our eyes. By the time we opened them, the sun was high up in the sky.
“Oh, no! How long did we sleep?” Twilight asked. “What time is it now?”
Applejack looked at the clock. “Half past eleven! We’re missing the fashion show!”
As everyone went out of the room, I quickly dashed to my backpack and pulled out the photo of Rarity and her original dresses.
I just need to show Prim this and hopefully give Suri her just desserts.
“Spike! Hurry up!” Twilight called out.
I joined the girls as we hurried out of the hotel. Twilight tipped the staff extra for replacing the stuff Rarity used for her dresses. Ignoring the use of a taxi, we dashed straight for the plaza. Once we got there, we saw Suri and Coco near the entrance.
“Oh, hey, you’re some of Rarity’s friends,” said Suri.
“Is Rarity inside?” Twilight asked. “We’ve come to look for her.”
“We just saw her come in...but I don’t think she’s in a good mood right now. You see, she just lost the fashion show.”
“You’re kidding!” Rainbow said in an exasperated tone.
“I wish I was, okay? The judges thought her dresses looked like they were made out of cheap hotel toiletries, and that was after Rarity left early for some unknown reason. Either way, Prim Hemline was not happy and had to give her a terrible score.” She and Coco then entered the building.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t comfort Rarity!” Applejack declared. “Come on!”
We all entered the lobby to see Rarity at the front desk. She turned around and noticed us.
“There you all are!” Rarity cried. “I can't believe it, I thought you went back home!”
As Rarity apologized to the other girls, I checked to see if Suri and Coco were looking away. After confirming they were, I quickly snuck away and headed backstage.
Different staff ponies were packing up and moving stuff around. I tried to find Prim Hemline. Sure enough, I spotted the dark grey mare chatting with one of the staff ponies.
“I really admired Miss Rarity’s designs,” said Prim. “I recognized the materials from the Manefair Hotel, but the fact she could pull off such clever designs with them astounds me. If only she was here, I could congratulate her for winning the contest. I guess I would have to...”
“Excuse me, Ms. Prim Hemline?” I asked.
“Huh?” Prim turned towards me. “Sorry, child. The Colts and Fillies Fashion Show doesn’t happen today.”
“That’s not why I’m here. I’m friends with one of the contenstants of Fashion Week.” I pulled out my photo. “Take a look.”
Prim took the photo and examined it. “This is Miss Rarity with Suri’s dresses.”
“Nope. Those are Rarity’s dresses. The ones that she was supposed to submit for Fashion Week had it not been for Suri. If you don’t believe me, check when the photo was taken.”
Prim took a closer look and widened her eyes. “This was taken about a week ago!”
“That’s right. Rarity and I were still in Ponyville at that time. She made that fabric all by herself, and she never released it to the general public. So there was no way Suri could’ve designed the same exact dresses with the exact same fabric before Rarity. The latter gave her only part of the fabric to use for accents, not for the entire dresses.”
“I had an intuition something was off when I noticed Suri’s dresses looked like they were made in less than a day, like Miss Rarity's ‘Hotel Chic.’ Thank you for informing me, young one.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you later.”
I allowed Prim to keep the photo and headed back to the front desk. Suddenly, the double doors opened. I quickly dove behind one of the crates as two sets of hoofbeats went past.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Hemline,” Suri’s voice said. “But Rarity wanted to forfeit the contest. What a shame. Though, given what she used to make her dresses, I wouldn’t blame her.”
“Miss Suri, just when exactly did you make your dresses?” Prim asked.
“Oh, a couple nights back, why?”
“And I would assume the same goes for the fabric?”
“More or less.”
“Well, it just so happens that I received proof that you plagiarized. This photo was taken a week prior, showing Miss Rarity and her dresses made with a fabric that she kept secret. The same exact one used on your most recent line.”
“Now, wait a minute, okay? She gave me the fabric willingly to use for my dresses. Plain and simple.”
“I was informed that she gave it to you for accents only. I don’t know if that’s true, but seeing this photo proves that you’ve copied somepony else’s designs without their permission, and we have zero tolerance policies for that when it comes to fashion shows like these. Don’t blame your assistant for this one, Suri Polomare.”
I wanted to hear more about how it was going to go down, but I was missing a musical. I snuck back out and hurried to find the girls. Luckily I found them just a couple of blocks away. I quickly caught up with them.
“Say, anypony seen Spike?” Rarity asked.
“Right behind you!” I called out. Fluttershy almost jumped.
“Where did you go, Spike?” Twilight asked.
“Bathroom,” I lied as I made my way to the front. “And before you asked, I already forgive Rarity for her actions. Given how much stress she was under, I don’t blame her.”
Eventually, we made our way to the theater. Twilight told me that Rarity was willing to make up for her behavior with an exclusive performance of Hinny of the Hills. I was delighted to hear that.
To say Hinny of the Hills was enjoyable would be an understatement. The songs were catchy, the costumes were extravagant, and the story was impressive. The play was about how a mare fell in love with the leader of a thieves guild, much to the other thieves’ dismay. She was later taken by a corrupted general who offered her freedom if she gave away the guild leader, but the mare turned down the offer. Meanwhile, the guild leader disguised himself as a general from another town and tried to infiltrate to save the mare. However, he fell in love with the corrupted general’s daughter, and the mare, witnessing the affair, gave away the leader’s disguise and had him thrown in prison. It was later that she regretted doing so. So she headed to the prison and convinced the warden to release the leader. The leader apologized for his actions, saying that his love for the general’s daughter was nothing but an infatuation, and the mare apologized for betraying him due to her jealousy. The warden released the leader, and the play ended with the leader and mare escaping together. I didn’t know what the whole play was a reference to, but it must have been an old play that happened before I was born.
We all applauded once the curtains fell. Even Rainbow Dash thought the musical was spectacular.
“How did you ever get them to agree to do an extra performance just for us?” Twilight asked Rarity.
“Remember my costume designer friend who got me the tickets? Well, I offered to make all the costumes for his next show!” Rarity replied.
“Um, here in Manehattan?” Fluttershy asked.
Rarity was hesitant with her answer. “Y-yes...it will keep me away from Ponyville for a while.”
The rest of the girls were disappointed, but I knew what was going to happen next. At least, I hoped it would happen unless something changed since I left the plaza.
“But I so wanted you to see this show!” Rarity exclaimed. “And working for this designer is such a great opportunity!”
“We know,” said Applejack. “We're happy for you, Rarity. We're just sad for us.”
That’s when the double doors behind us opened. We turned to see Coco Pommel at the doorway.
“Mind if I join you?” Coco asked.
“Sure. Come on down,” said Rarity.
Coco calmly approached Rarity. She then pulled out a trophy from her saddle bags. Rarity read the label and realized that the trophy was for her.
“But I thought I lost,” said Rarity.
“You didn't. You won. Suri was hoping that if you didn't claim your prize, the judges would consider it a forfeit and first place would go to her. So she lied to make you and your friends go away, and, well, I lied too. I've worked for Suri for so long, I started to believe that it really is everypony for herself in this town. Until I saw how generous you were with your friends and how generous they were with you. It made me start believing there was something better for me out there. So, I...I quit. My job as Suri’s assistant would’ve ended anyway given her current legal problems. I brought you something to say thank you.” Coco pulled out a small gift and handed it to Rarity.
“I suppose you'll need a job now that you're no longer with Suri,” said Rarity. “How would you like to work for my friend making all the costumes for his next show?”
Coco’s face lit up like a light bulb. It was enough to say she agreed.
Later that night, we had dinner at a local pizzeria. The thin-crusted pizza was amazing. Twilight and I would order pizza back in Ponyville, but it was nothing compared to what we ate.
Those mutant turtles picked the right city sewer to live in.
For the rest of the week, we continued exploring the city. Applejack took some time to visit some of her relatives, like her Aunt and Uncle Orange and Babs Seed. Pinkie ate some of the street confections. Rarity taught Coco a few tricks about fashion. Fluttershy chatted with some of the pigeons. Rainbow Dash checked out some of the billboards. Twilight and I looked through a few bookstores.
“Wow, almost every book here is a Manehattan’s best seller,” Twilight commented.
I didn’t know what happened to Suri. Last time I saw her, she was handcuffed by a police officer. Whether she was going to face jail time or not didn’t matter to me. As long as Suri had faced the consequences of stealing other ponies’ designs, I was happy.
By the time we finished our trip, we had a little more luggage than before we came to the city. This was probably because souvenir shops in Manhattan had much cheaper prices than in other cities. We hopped back on the train back to Ponyville.
“Hoo-wee, that was quite the adventure!” Applejack said. “The city sure changed a lot last time I was there.”
“I couldn’t believe how big the buildings were,” said Pinkie Pie. “It makes Ponyville’s town hall look like a tiny garden shed.”
“By the way, Twilight,” Rarity said. “There was something I wanted to ask you about.”
“Go ahead,” replied Twilight.
When I was at the fashion show, and I saw the group of empty seats, for a brief moment I saw a rainbow.”
“Maybe it was a refraction from some of the jewelry?”
“No, not a small rainbow. It was like my entire vision was briefly nothing but a rainbow. As if someone rubbed a rainbow-colored flag across my face. It was then I realized I wasn’t representing my Element of Generosity very well. Do you believe there’s a correlation?”
Twilight scratched her chin. “Not likely. Perhaps it was just a coincidence. That rainbow you saw could’ve been a brief hallucination due to sleep depravity.”
“I don’t know, Twilight,” I said. “Maybe there was something to it. Sure, hallucinations are a common side effect to being tired, but the rest of us didn’t experience any and we were just as tired as Rarity. What if...what if it had something to do with the Tree of Harmony? It could’ve been one of those tests I theorized about.”
“Either way, it was a pretty unusual experience,” said Rarity.
“Tell you what. If you experience seeing a rainbow out of nowhere again, come see me as soon as you can,” said Twilight. “Maybe then we can figure out what’s really going on.”
Later on the train, stopped at Ponyville and we hopped off. Rarity requested our friendship journal so she could write her entry. After she received it, I followed Rarity back to the Carousel Boutique and helped her unpack as she filled out one of the blank pages.
“‘...Nothing feels worse than taking advantage of the giving nature of your friends,’” Rarity concluded. “Alright, I have finished writing down my lesson.”
“Same with me doing all this unpacking,” I said as I brushed myself off. “Say, did you open that present you got from Coco?”
“As a matter of fact, I was just about to do that.” Rarity took out the small present and undid the ribbon. The box unfolded itself to reveal a spool with rainbow thread. “Oh, how quaint. Coco has excellent taste in colors. I know a few ideas that could—”
Suddenly, the spool shined a rainbow color. Rarity jumped back.
“It happened again!” Rarity gasped. “I saw a rainbow vision again!”
“So did I,” I said. “And it wasn’t just the thread. I saw the spool shine as well.”
“Wait, you saw the rainbow, too?”
“Yep. Maybe the spool and thread are really important somehow. You should store them in a safe place. They might come in handy later on.”
“I suppose so. I have never seen a spool do that before. Had it been the thread only, I would’ve assumed it was made of something metallic.” Rarity put the spool in a glass case and placed it on the touch shelf. She then placed a “Do not touch” note in front of it. “I would have to inform Sweetie Belle about this. If it’s so important like you say, I don’t want anything to happen to it. Thank you for your help, darling.”
“Don’t mention it.” I quickly picked up the journal.
As I left the boutique, I felt a little proud of my actions in Manehattan. Even though most of the events of the episode happened the same way, I was able to get Suri in legal trouble. Not only that, I actually enjoyed visiting Manehattan. Perhaps it was because I could experience it with all my friends. I hoped we could return there someday.
If I can make it there, I'll make it practically anywhere. It's up to you, Manehattan, Manehattan!
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I am liking this one so far
Great chapter. That's how I really liked the episode would be and end. Great job dude.
Wooow, you did it, i though it wasnt possible to change this episode because that could ruin the season finale but you did it and with no mistakes, you should be proud of yourself, thank you for still updating this fic
I love it so much. And finally, Suri ended up being arrested. That's what you get for taking something that doesn't belong to you.
10775245
As the song said, "You Get What You Give". And since Suri Polomare didn't give anything, she deserves what she got.
Me: So this... is what the dream feels like? This is the victory we longed for?
Man this might be the successor of the journey beyond sanity story, and also I’m thinking will there be the human or spike in the dream realm because soon the episode where the tantabus comes it might reveal him, but if he is quick enough he can probably hide himself
Thanks for reminding me how excited I am to play the upcoming retro-style video game starring those mutant turtles.
Yeah, its a shame that the ponies werent social distancing. That gave me a good laugh though.
10775476
I think he tried to head that episode off pretty early on, so who knows how it'll change if discord is to be believed. He'll probably manage to pull some crazy stunt to rip and tear a tantabus.
10775476
Hey, I read "A Journey Beyond Sanity" too! I agree that both of these stories have some similarities, though this story is more focused on the "fix-it" aspect while AJBS throws in some character work and relationship building into the mix. Not saying one's better than the other, just some differences.
Also, I agree, the Dream episode will likely pose a problem. We know from Discord that the other shoe is going to drop eventually from Spike's meddling. The problem is where it'll happen.
Good thing Equestria's photo has time stamp technology. Nowadays I have to check the source image if I want to see the taken time since it is not automatically print on a printer.
10775519
This is before the pandemic happened irl, plus social distancing is anathema to pony culture.
I have nothing to add, I love the smell of justice in the morning :D
Yes, one of the 2 jerks who got what they deserved at the end, well done!!!
If you make it till S8 then I hope the *other one* gets his just desserts as well!
Is it wrong that I'm STILL a Suri Polomare supporter anyways, regardless of her thieving ways? ^^'
10775756
Its a joke referencing a line in the story. When they first came across the theatre that was playing Hinny of the Hills, Spike notices that the ponies arent social distancing.
At the very least the legal costs should hurt her just fine
Interesting twist. We know Suri Polomare used to live in Ponyville, she may still have family there. Perhaps if Spike has permanently destroyed her career in Manehatten, she'll have to move back to Ponyville.
I like how Spike clued Rarity in to the importance of the gift. That will certainly affect the finale and upcoming episodes.
Just to be clear, I did like this chapter. However, that doesn't mean I'm not about to nitpick about plot holes.
Cheating and plagiarizing at a fashion show is scummy, but hardly illegal, especially considering it's implied that Rarity hadn't patented the fabric yet. In fact, there's nothing stopping Suri from patenting the fabric herself to prevent Rarity from using it. Hopefully, she's not savvy enough to think of that, at least not until after Rarity gets that patent.
Furthermore, there's a big plot hole in the episode itself that wasn't addressed here, either. That issue is that the materials Rarity used for her last-minute designs are the property of the hotel. Thus, unless she paid for them, she has committed theft, possibly even grand larceny if the materials are particularly expensive. Additionally, if the judge knew they were from the hotel, then Rarity would also be disqualified and likely reported for the crime. Thus, it is Rarity who technically should be arrested, not Suri, despite Suri being more deserving.
Oh well. We should probably just assume she did pay for the damages before she left for the show. Despite the plot holes, I did enjoy reading this chapter.
10777460
And maybe change the events of Season 9 overall? X3
10777141
And probably redeem herself? :3
10778004
We'll see
10778274
Okie =3
Cause after all... well... you know how much I dislike the whole Season 9 arc. :/
10775901
Sludge?
10778788
Bingo!
Please update, this story is really good
Oh wow this chapter was so good it might be your best yet! Such an amazing amount of quality detail you fit into the gaps of the episode and the trip! And now I'm craving some pizza pie!
🍕 (but it's nighttime now, so maybe tomorrow) 
(Btw I recall the mutant turtles ordering their pizza from Domino's, not a local business.)
I'm surprised that Spike's journey plans didn't kick off in this episode like I thought! He didn't even mention them! But now that it's past, I have no idea what he's got planned or what's going to happen in those regards. It's a mystery now! Mystery Drake!
10777757
Primline did recognize the materials used in Rarity's line, complimenting the creative designs and noting the signs of them being made in less than a day, and I ran through the chapter a few times to find the part I thought was there that the materials were in fact paid back for (Twilight tipped the staff for replacements), so while it was skimmed over a bit and nopony had issues with it, at least those gaps were covered.
10780786
I must have missed the part about Twilight paying. Sometimes I read too quickly.
This might sound selfish of me, but a BIG missed opportunity for Dave-as-Spike to wonder if Manehatten had its own versions of the many franchises that took place in New York.
10783061
Well there are a few future episodes that take place in Manehattan, such as one in Season 5 (aka Made in Manehattan) and two in Season 6 (aka.... The Gift of the Maud Pie and The Saddle Row Review even though the latter was mainly through flashback. ^^'), and of course..... Season 8's Fake It 'Till you Make It.
So hey.... maybe that will be brought up next time.
I like how David Spike still decides to carry all that luggage.
, but on the other claw, it's good exercise 
One one claw, that scene was part of the Spike-abuse issue
I'm confused, how exactly is Suri in legal trouble? I didn't think ripping off another competitor's design was against the law?
10791837
Perhaps Rarity might have placed a patent on the material which Suri legally violated by claiming that it was of her own make or maybe Coco revealed that her boss was ignoring her worker's rights since the opportune situation presented itself.
Mane 6 + Spike vs Suri:
Niko, it's your cousin Roman. Let's go bowling.
Slowly put your Sword Behind Inappropriate Prepositions back out the sheath, please.
Got to love Spike putting Criminals in their place.
There is a great Cross over for MLP & Phoenix Wright ace attorneys about something similar.
her
Dave-Spike is doing a magnificent job helping everyone
👍