Sweetie Belle and the rest of the cutie mark crusaders lay on the deck of the club house, sighing.
"I'm boooored! Scootaloo groaned. They had tried all their ideas to get or at least find a sign of their cutie marks. Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom looked at her and back at the ceiling. They all sighed together. Scootaloo, followed by the rest of the cutie mark crusaders, sat up.
"I wish we could get out of Ponyville today. Maybe our super special talent is waiting outside of here." Scootaloo suggested hopefully. She turned to the two other ponies since they could easily get out of town on one of their sister's business trips.
"But Rarity doesn't have any out-of-Ponyville orders pending, or I would have begged her to take us with her!" Sweetie Belle assured the two other fillies.
Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle looked at Apple Bloom at the same time.
"What about you, Apple Bloom? Any ideas?" Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shrugged and asked. Apple Bloom began to shake her head but then stopped.
"Wait..." She tapped her head and tried to remember something.
"Waaaiiiit...." She repeated slowly, her disappointed frown faded into a smile. Her ears perked up and she gasped and grinned.
"That's right! Apple Jack and Ah're going to Manehatten!" Apple Bloom said cheerfully. Scootaloo and Sweetie both gasped and smiled. They all exchanged glances and babbled and debated about whether or not Apple Jack would take them with her.
"Ah doubt she'd mind!" Apple Bloom nodded approvingly. Sweetie Belle hopped up and whooped excitedly. Olive green magic squirted out of her pearly white horn in a tiny spurt. Apple Bloom got up and walked over to the elated little unicorn filly. She rested a tan hoof on her friend's shoulder to calm her down a bit.
"We should go ask Apple Jack." Scootaloo said hastily and trotted over to the door. Sweetie Belle scampered over to her and pushed it open.
"Lets go, lets go! Come on!" Sweetie Belle once again began to resemble an overly excited dog as she bounced down the ladder, tripping a couple of times and around the apple trees that surrounded the club house.
"Apple Jack!" Apple Bloom called to her sister as soon as they entered the barn and opened the barn door.
"Right her, little sis." Apple Jack casually strolled over to them from behind. The cutie mark crusaders turned around in a flash and Apple Bloom spoke.
"Could um... Could Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo come with us to Manehatten?" Apple Bloom said bashfully. Apple Jack opened her mouth to speak but was suddenly caught off guard by the fillies' plead.
"Puh-LEESE!!!!" They all begged at the same time. Apple Jack smiled warmly and chuckled as she rubbed a hoof on the top of Apple Bloom's head.
"Sure thing, lil' sis." She said and turned away to buck the apples off of the remainder of the apple trees in the orchard.
The cutie mark crusaders cheered and hoof-bumped. They galloped back to their clubhouse.
"This is great! Apple Jack is going to take us all with her to Manehatten!" Scootaloo squealed dreamily and fell back wards onto a bean-bag chair, squeezing a pillow tightly.
"I bet were gonna get our cutie marks! I mean, Apple Jack got her cutie mark in Manehatten!" Sweetie Belle hopped up and down.
Apple Bloom had fallen asleep on the desk, she was dreaming about the cutie mark crusaders all getting their cutie marks. Babs Seed had one, Sweetie, Scootaloo, and... she had one too! Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle giggled. Apple Bloom began to stir as her own drool started to reach her hoof. She frowned and mumbled, then turned over and snored. Sweetie Belle bounced over to Apple Bloom and poked her back with her hoof. She slowly awoke, her eyes blinked wearily as she grumbled drowsily. Sweetie Belle giggled and reminded her about Apple Jack bringing them to Manehatten.
Apple Bloom's weariness evaporated instantly and the cutie mark crusaders galloped out the door. Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom all ran over to the train station after asking Rarity for permission. Rarity was usually busy and appreciated Sweetie Belle out of her mane for a bit. Sweetie Belle was actually surprised that Rarity would approve on such short notice. By the time they went from Rarity and Sweetie's house to Scootaloo's house and back to Sweet Apple Acres, an hour or two had passed.
"Alright, young fillies," Apple Jack said."Time to get to the train station." The cutie mark crusaders exchanged a bro hoof or two and chanted at the same time, "Cutie mark crusaders Manehatten visit, YEAH!"
The three fillies, along with Apple Jack, chatted continuously on the train.
"I bet we would all get our cutie marks in Manehatten! Imagine us in the big city!" Scootaloo clasped her hooves and sighed.
"What would we even accomplish in Manehatten again?" Sweetie Belle said flatly.
"Whut er ya talkin' 'bout, Sweetie Belle?! The possibilities in a big city er endless!" Apple Bloom objected.
"I know, I know. It's just that Manehatten is still just a city! If we can accomplish something there why can't we do it here?" Sweetie said shyly. She was used to going places with her family. This was the first time she had gone farther than a few cities without her parents or Rarity.
"Hey, look!" Scootaloo said excitedly. She pointed a hoof out the window as colossal skyscrapers emerged through the sheet of fog blanketing the distance. The buildings seemed to shoot up and flourish all over the landscape. The ponies sighed and gazed out the glass pane as the city came clearer into view. The city stampeded towards them as the train accelerated and rumbled steadily over the tracks. The train station could be seen as well now. The train screeched to a halt and jerked back wards, sending a rough whiplash towards the ends of the carts.
"Yay! We're here! Come on, come on!" Sweetie Belle squealed and hopped off the train and onto the platform. The other three ponies followed and hey walked off towards the bustling city. They turned the corner around the train station. Babs Seed was waiting on the other side of the turn.
"Babs, Babs!" The cutie mark crusaders called. The filly blew her mane out of her face and swiveled her head in their direction at the sound of her name being called. She smiled and ran over towards them.
"There ya are! I was waitin' here forever!" She smiled at Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo. "You brought Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo with you!"
The ponies were soon walking out into the hustling city. It was loud and their were the sounds of shouting and hooves beating the rocky cement pavement. Sweetie looked around in dazzled awe. There was a different feeling than there was in Ponyville. Ponyville was cozy and familiar. Manehatten was... bigger... it seemed that everything that went on there was important, life changing.
Sweetie Belle was amazed at the intensity of Manehatten. The neon lights flashed in her mind as she could just scarcely imagine this place at night. She doubted that it would have the same sleepy silence like in Ponyville. This city seemed so domesticated... yet wild.
Sweetie Belle was busy admiring the wonders of the city that she didn't notice the rest of the ponies turn the corner.
Wow! This city is amazing! Sweetie belle thought fondly and twisted her head to the sky. I have to stretch my head aaaalll the way back to even glimpse the top of these sky scrapers! Sweetie Belle had forgotten all about the other ponies. She was entirely absorbed in the wonderful city Manehatten. She used to only prefer the coziness of Ponyville. Now she understood why Rarity loved the big cities so much. Sweetie Belle continued to wander the cities, her mind empty of any danger.
She began to feel the all-to-familiar pang in her stomach. She was absolutely starving. She noticed a restaurant to her left. She walked right in. The bell on the door jingled as she pushed it open.
A light-brown pegasus mare with white patches on her eyes, mouth, legs and torso was working at the counter. Her cutie mark was a piece of pie with a dab of whipped cream on top.
"Well hello there! How can I help you?" She asked pleasantly. Sweetie belle skimmed over the menu.
"I'd like a taco... please." Sweetie said hesitantly. The mare smiled and nodded.
"Hey, newbie! Can you get this order?" The mare called and a brown unicorn came out wearing a fry-cook apron.
"I've got it." He said in an extremely familiar. Sweetie Belle shuddered as she thought of Discord.
The mare also seemed to shudder, as if she did not care for this new employee.
"That will be three bits, sweet heart." The mare said to Sweetie Belle. Sweetie belle took three bits out of her saddle bag.
The mare took the money and thanked her. She began to go back to fiddling with the cash register.
"Order is ready!" The brown stallion sang and levitated a taco to Sweetie Belle. Her mouth watered and her stomach growled in angry hunger. She gladly accepted the taco and bit into it.
"Enjoy the taco, Sweetie." The unicorn said. Sweetie Belle's ear twitched. Did he know her name? No. He must have just called her Sweetie... not Sweetie Belle.
Sweetie belle soon finished the taco in a few hungry chomps.
"Ahh." She sighed in satisfaction. She coughed. Her stomach began to squeeze in a sharp pain. Sweetie moaned in pain and asked shakily.
"What.... was in... that taco?!" She squeaked to the mare. She mare looked horrified at the sick little filly. She turned angrily towards the unicorn stallion and stamped a hoof on the ground.
"What did you put in the taco, newbie?!" She accused.
"Who, me? Nothing!" He grinned in mock innocence. The mare turned quickly back to Sweetie as a painful squeal escaped her mouth.
"That's it you're fired!" The mare yelled out at the unicorn. She turned around the counter and ducked down to hold up Sweetie Belle's drooping head on the floor.
Sweetie groaned and her horn sparked bright olive green. Her eyes glowed white and she began to levitate. She squeaked and peat-green magic exploded all around. The entire city flashed green and all the sky scrapers were ripped up from the ground. There was a terrible cracking noise as the buildings were crushed and folded. Ponies screamed and ran around in terror. Sweetie Belle let out another anguished squeak and all the buildings were glued neatly back in place, and the city was restored, as if nothing happened.
Manehatten flashed green again. The light was almost blinding and a low rumbling noise escaped into the air. The mare uncovered her eyes and her jaw dropped, her breathing quick and heavy.
Sweetie Belle was lied splayed over the floor. Her horn was black and burnt. The mare rushed over to her. Sweetie lifted her head and opened her eyes weakly. Apple Jack and the cutie mark crusaders came galloping through the door.
"Sweetie Belle!!!" They cried. She looked at the unicorn stallion and gasped. he had changed. She had seen it coming somehow.
He was Discord!
Back at Ponyville, the ponies were gathered around Discord.
"I'm sorry... just needed something... less boring to do." Discord apologized solemnly to the mane six, the cutie mark crusaders, and also the mare.
"Next time, I won't forgive so easily!" Fluttershy said ominously. They all turned to Sweetie Belle.
"Are you ok, darling?" Rarity fretted.
"Yep." She said simply. She smiled and said, "Now I know..." She trailed off.
All the ponies leaned in intently.
"Now I know..." They all waited in silence.
"TACOS ARE AWESOME!" Sweetie leaped into the air and a spark escaped her horn. Every pony laughed and then stopped. She was serious. Oh Celestia...
