Sweetie's Manehattan Birthdayby Czar_YoshiChaptersArrivalPresentsLaughterMissedArrival"Look, Sis, there she is!" Sweetie Belle stood on two hooves, pressing her face against the train window as it pulled into the Manehattan station. Rarity sat across from her, pretending to be interested in the newspaper she was using to cover her smile. "Oh, Sweetie, it's just the city. I'm sure I've seen it a thousand times before." Sweetie Belle jumped across the seats, landing on the paper and flattening it. "No. It's Coco Pommel! And I bet you told her to be here!" Rarity giggled and fluffed Sweetie’s mane. "Perhaps! I did tell you that today was going to be full of surprises, did I not?" "Well, let's go meet her!" Sweetie stared into her sister’s face. "In due time, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as she began to gather up her luggage. "One of the rules of being a lady is not to hurry. It ruins your complexion!" Sweetie huffed and waddled over to the door, waiting for her sister. Without Spike along to act as a porter, the elder unicorn had been forced to pack light- for her. She still had three suitcases, and was in the process of dragging one out from under her seat. "Yeah, well, it also isn't very ladylike to keep your sister waiting. Especially on her birthday!" "You made that up." Rarity’s voice was muffled, as she had her head stuck under the seat. Sweetie paused. "If keeping your ladylike complexion is so important, then why are you crawling around on the ground like that? Just use your magic to drag it out! Or... Here, I'll get it!" She began to march to back to the seat, only to be pushed back by a light blue field of telekinesis. "Buh?" Rarity poked her head back out, stared straight at Sweetie Belle, and loudly whispered, "No spoilers!" A look of confusion flashed across Sweetie Belle’s face, followed by one of comprehension. "Oh? Right! Presents. I get it!" The filly giggled, and turned back toward the door. "While you do that, I'm gonna go find Miss Pommel and tell her that you’re busy being a lady. She's probably wondering why we haven't gotten off yet." With that, Sweetie Belle darted out of the car, Rarity's voice trailing behind her. "Sweetie, wait! Please don't phrase it quite like that!" The crowd around the train had already began to disperse, so it didn't take long for Sweetie Belle to spot the cream-colored figure of Coco Pommel. The mare was seated on the ground, eyes scanning the pages of a book with a black city on the cover. Sweetie paused, considering the most polite way to gain Coco's attention, not wanting to be rude so soon after running off without permission. Gotta play it cool, Sweetie Belle. You might have ticked Rarity off juuust a little by running away. Better be on your best behavior, just in case. Now, for a calm, professional, ladylike introduction... Eventually... "Ahem!" Coco’s ears twitched, and she lowered her book to see a green-eyed filly staring cutely up at her. "Hiya! I'm Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie began. "I really like your mane!" "Hi, Sweetie Belle," Coco replied. "Rarity's here too, right?" "Yep! She's right behind me. She just has some business to take care of first. You know, lady stuff." "Oh..." Coco blushed. "It's called 'unloading one's baggage', Sweetie Belle!" said an irate voice from the direction of the train. "I didn't very well bring all this so I could leave it on the train, did I?" Rarity stood there, a frown on her face and a trolley with three large bags on at her side. However, her expression softened as she laid eyes on Coco Pommel. "Coco!" Rarity pranced over to embrace her friend. "It feels like it's been absolutely forever, darling. Please, how have you been?" "I'm fine, Rarity. And it really hasn't been that long," Coco giggled, folding her book and placing it into her saddlebag. "You're in town to check up on the new boutique pretty often." "Hmmm," Rarity sighed. "I still think it's far too long. I love your new hat, by the way. Shall we get going? Come along, Sweetie Belle! And bring my bags!" Sweetie Belle, who was presently several meters away, poking at a stone on the ground, looked up and narrowed her eyebrows. "Seriously? On my birthday?" For a moment, Rarity looked as though she was about to object, before a guilty look flashed across her face, and she smiled and waved over a porter. Coco laughed, and Sweetie relaxed and came over to join the other two. Soon enough, the three mares were seated outside, in line for a taxi. Sweetie Belle had given up asking where they were headed; Rarity wanted to keep it a secret and Coco didn't know. Before they had waited too long, however, a sleek blue carriage pulled up alongside them, bypassing the line. A well-groomed stallion leaned out. "Rarity!" he shouted. "Good to see you. I was afraid we had given you far too short notice, but you made it anyway! Don't worry, we'll be strongly compensating you for the effort." "Buh?" said Sweetie and Coco Pommel. Rarity looked concerned. "You're Sapphire Shores' manager, correct? I can't say I've heard that she wanted to see me. The only reason I'm in Manehattan today is to celebrate my sister's" – she patted Sweetie’s head – "birthday. This outing is for pleasure, not business." Now it was the stallion's turn to look concerned. "That is... unfortunate. I don't suppose you can come in today anyway? We're in a very big bind, here." "What kind of bind?" "The short of it is that Sapphire Shores and her team were hired to perform at a fundraiser tonight. The ponies who hired them were somewhat specific about what the costumes needed to do, but didn't give us exact specifications or details. So, we brought in our in-house designer to draw up something that would hopefully work. "Unfortunately, when we ran the new costumes past PR, it turns out that they resemble... I-I don't really know, but it's considered offensive to a certain cultural group of ponies. So we went back to the designer and asked them to redo it so that this wasn't an issue, but they said they couldn't do it and still meet the original specifications without compromising their 'artistic integrity'. "Sapphire Shores thinks that's a load of... something I can't say in front of a kid. There's nothing wrong with the original request, mind you. Basically, we need somepony who can fix this and either modify the current costumes so they're not offensive, or come up with some new ones that work on their own. By tonight, of course." Rarity stared with pinprick pupils. Then her ears folded back. Then she whined. Coco spoke up. "You really want Rarity to cut off a family vacation, with zero notice, to make an entire line of dresses in one day? I know a thing or two about bad bosses, but that seems sort of extreme." "Err... no!" the stallion waved his forelegs. "We have all the resources to make the costumes, all we need is a designer. And they're not full dresses, so it shouldn’t be as much work. All we really need is a design for Sapphire and one for her backups." Rarity was still frozen, twitching slightly. "How did this even become an issue in the first place?" Coco asked. "Sapphire Shores has a very large audience. Shouldn't somepony have caught this before it got this far, if it's really that big of a deal?" "Look, miss, bureaucracies are complicated, and these things happen. The fact that she has a large audience is exactly why fixing this is so important!" He turned back to Rarity. "Rarity, if you can't, we'll... we'll understand. We can find somepony else." Rarity sighed a long, long sigh, during which her eyes were closed. Eventually, she looked up. "I'll do it." "What!?" Sweetie yelped. "But what about me?" "I know," Rarity began, "It's not fair. And I shall do my best to make sure it never happens again. However, it's not fair to Sapphire Shores either. And I can't stand the idea of leaving one of my friends- who trust me to come through for them when they need it- hanging without so much as lifting a hoof to help." "I thought I was your friend!" Rarity sighed again. "You’re more than my friend, Sweetie Belle. And I promise this won’t take all day. Besides, it's not like the whole trip is ruined! You and Coco will have plenty of fun without me, and when I'm done, we can all meet for dinner at... at... the Tasty Treat! How does that sound, hmm?" "Fine." Sweetie scowled, then folded her ears back, eyes pleading. "But you better keep your word!" Rarity said nothing, simply giving her a hug before looking back to the very relieved stallion in the coach. He nodded, and opened the door, allowing her to hop in, along with her luggage. "I'll see you two at the Tasty Treat, no later than five o'clock. And that's a promise!" she shouted back as the carriage sped away. As Rarity's ride vanished around a corner, the sounds of the city seemed to grow much louder. Coco Pommel gazed around, taking in a rush of pedestrians crossing the street, a doorway seeping loud music, and the endless cawing of nearby seagulls. "Mrmmmff." Sweetie planted her face on the ground like a fuzzy white ostrich, snapping Coco back to reality. She glanced around, then put a foreleg on Sweetie's shoulder, prompting the filly to look up. "So... what should we do?" Coco stepped back, then hoofed at the ground. "I was just going to come along with whatever Rarity wanted. You're her sister, I figured she would know best." "And now she ditched us," Sweetie Belle complained as a Pegasus soared overhead. "She didn't tell you what her plans were, did she?" "Aside from the Tasty Treat?" Coco shook her head. "I'm not sure I've even heard of that. And no, Rarity really didn't tell me what she had in mind. I do have a few places I like to go to hang out, but I doubt any of them would be very interesting for a birthday party." "Well, that's just fantastic," Sweetie said with drooping ears. "We're all alone, with nothing to do." She glanced to the side. "And I'm hungry, too. I bet Rarity was going to take us to lunch. Do you know any good restaurants here? That don't serve nothing but air?" In the distance, a shout rang out from an absent-minded stallion who had collided with something. Neither one spared it a glance. "Actually, I don't have much money on me," Coco admitted. "I was figuring Rarity would cover everything, since it was her invitation. I've got plenty of food at my apartment, though, if you want to go there? It's on the other side of the city, so it'll be quite a walk." "Hmm." Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her chin as a panicked mare galloped past. "Well, it's not like we've got anything better to do. Let's go!" She began trotting off, so Coco joined her, swiftly taking the lead and pointing in a general direction. Soon, they too vanished amid a swirling sea of carts, equines, and flashing signs. PresentsThe wheel of a passing carriage cut through a puddle, sending a spray of dark water across the empty sidewalk. A yellow light in a nearby window flickered on. Across the street, Sweetie Belle and Coco Pommel walked in relative silence. A break for an alley between two complexes allowed a long ray of sunshine to touch the road, and the pair passed through it. The abrupt change in lighting made Sweetie Belle blink, shaking her head. She opened her mouth. "Are we there yet?" "Almost," Coco replied. "It's the building after this next one." Sweetie sighed. "The ponies who built this place really liked bricks, huh?" "Oh, this part of Manehattan was built back when the mafia still had a large presence in the city. Believe it or not, the cement industry in those days was mainly controlled by them. So using lots of bricks in construction was an easy way to get in good standing with them- and by that I mean be able to build anything at all. It's a very interesting story, if you ask me." "Really?" Sweetie Belle raised both eyebrows. "I don't know!" Coco laughed. "I'm not a history major. I never even got my diploma. It sounds nice, though, right?" Sweetie stuck out her pink tongue. Coco shook her head. "Well, I liked it." Then they continued on in silence again. Scarcely a minute later, Coco Pommel stepped into a shadowed alcove in a building. It turned out to be a door, opened by an old-fashioned key, leading immediately to a flight of stairs. "I hope you're fine with a climb. I live on the fifth floor, and there's no elevator." "I'm still hungryyy," Sweetie Belle responded. But she began lugging herself up the first flight nonetheless, trailing behind Coco Pommel. The cream-coated mare took the stairs as if they were nothing, not even pausing for breath. Finally, they reached a flat hallway, and soon enough Coco was unlocking another door. Sweetie Belle collapsed through it, panting. "We're here!" Coco chimed. She hung her saddlebags on a rack by the door, took off her hat, and watched as Sweetie Belle looked around. Coco's apartment was a small affair, with two rooms- a foyer, with a couch and table and kitchenette, and a back room where Coco's bed and sewing supplies were presently kept. Sweetie Belle looked over the place. "You really like the color purple, huh?" She pointed a hoof at the couch, drapes and carpet. Coco looked away. "Well, it fits with the rest of the building... Anyway, let me see what I've got to eat." She padded over to her minifridge, rummaged around for a bit, and looked over her shoulder. "Would an apple be fine?" Sweetie Belle wasn't there. Coco started and looked around, ears swiveling. "Sweetie?" She began walking back toward the door. Munch, munch, munch. Coco spun back around to see the filly crouching half-inside the fridge, in the process of devouring a large yam. Sweetie Belle gulped and looked up with large eyes. "I'm down here. This is really good, by the way!" She then plunged her face into the yam's deflating husk. "Hey!" Coco yelped. "Sweetie, I... That's my..." Munch, munch, munch. Coco Pommel sighed and turned away. It's fine, she thought to herself. Rarity can pay me back later. And she was pretty hungry... She looked back at the slurping filly, and smirked. This isn't over... Later, a thoroughly contented Sweetie Belle finished her slightly uninvited feast. Licking her lips, she stifled a belch, closed the fridge, and looked around for her tolerant host, who had disappeared. "Uh... hello?" "In here," came a voice from the back room. Sweetie trotted over to investigate. The moment she walked through the door, Coco plopped a hat over her head. "Happy birthday, Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie stumbled backwards, righting herself and glancing over to a nearby mirror. The hat was fairly simple, a pale lavender fedora with no plume and a white band around the top. "You made this for me?" "That is what I'm supposed to do, right?" Coco asked, looking slightly concerned. "Make it yourself? Well, Rarity makes all her gifts herself, but lots of ponies just buy theirs. I know I do," Sweetie said, drawing a hoof across her brow. "No, giving you the gift," Coco elaborated. "Where I come from, the tradition is that on your birthday, you give everyone else gifts. But apparently here it's backwards, and I sometimes get mixed up." "Not getting presents on your birthday?" Sweetie frowned. "What kind of tradition is that?" "It's meant to remind all your friends of what they appreciate about you. Friendship and love aren't really universal commodities," Coco explained, eyes lowered. A look of confusion washed across Sweetie Belle's face, causing her hat to sag forward slightly. Coco reached over and tipped it back up. "Here! Maybe I can show you!" "What? But it's my birthday, not yours!" "No!" Coco giggled. "I'll help you make a gift, and you can give it to someone else today, and see what it's like. How about for Rarity?" "But all Rarity likes are dresses." Sweetie seated herself on the floor, staring at Coco. "Hee! Good thing that's what my apartment is fitted to make!" "You don't get it," Sweetie cried. "I try to help Rarity make dresses all the time, but I'm terrible at it!" "How so?" Coco looked concerned. "I get in the way and make messes, and that's only with fetching materials. I also... might have made a dress for a play once that had five legs." Sweetie blushed. "Well, the last one's easy," Coco smiled, pointing a hoof at a bare ponyquin in the corner. "All you need is one of those! And I can do all the work myself, if you want. We're not in a hurry." "Hmmm..." Sweetie Belle held a hoof to her chin, narrowing her eyes. Coco smirked. "Of course, I can always tell Rarity how impressed I was with your table manners earlier..." Sweetie beamed briefly, before her green eyes widened in shock. "Heh heh... Oops..." "I don't know... You did just trash my fridge and devour my large yam." Coco spun her hooves while narrowing her eyes and looking to the side. "Maybe I should compose a long letter to her with all the grisly details. Oh, I'd spare no dropped scrap! Nor the crumb that's still clinging to your face! I'd tell her all about how you put your hooves-" "Eh heh heh heh heh heh!" Sweetie Belle wiped her face with a hoof, pranced right up to Coco's face, and grinned up at her. "I'd really like to make a dress for Rarity now!" Coco's smile instantly returned to normal. She giggled, straightened Sweetie's hat again, and trotted over to a rack of fabrics. "All right! So, what color should we start with?" Sweetie peered up at the rack. "Cinnamon!" Coco hoofed the swatch down, and dragged the ponyquin to the center of the room. As she began to unfurl a sheet, a final dubious look crossed Sweetie Belle's face. "Just don't blame me if we end up making a big mess. Because I did warn you..." An hour later... Sweetie Belle stood on Coco Pommel's desk, holding a sketchpad in her grasp, pacing proudly as the elder mare ran a folded piece of fabric through a sewing machine, constructing a frill. The main body of the dress was sitting on the ponyquin, a loose mockup held together by clips so as not to be permanent. Coco had agreed that once they had the shape and colors down, she would make it for real, and soon they would be getting to that point. "So the train," Sweetie rambled, eyes closed and hoof in the air, "should be pretty long- maybe a foot trailing along the floor. And it should have two colors, one on either side! One side green, the other red." Coco looked up from her frill. "Green and red? Hmm... what shades? That could look a little strange from behind, or anywhere you might see them together." Sweetie opened her eyes and picked up two appropriately colored scraps, rubbing them together while mumbling. "You could also put a stripe between them. Chocolate, maybe. Or save the green for the very bottom, and run it all the way around?" "Hmm... Put the green on the cuffs. I want to see how that looks." Coco set the frill aside and grabbed several more scraps, clipping them into place. "How's this?" "Yep!" Sweetie grinned. "So, a stripe for the train? Or trim on the end... Hmm..." "It doesn't have to be the very end," Coco broke in. "You can do the entire part that touches the floor, if you like." Sweetie Belle thumped down from the desk and waddled around behind the ponyquin, where she yanked out several colored sheets and arranged them with her magic. "Like this?" "It's your design. You tell me!" Coco laughed. Sweetie squinted, frowned, and tilted her head sideways. She opened her mouth, blinked, and closed it again, then gave the dress a sniff. Eventually, she pulled the sheets back off, rearranging. "No, no... Maybe if we make the whole train green? And give it a darker green stripe?" Coco paced over. "That sounds nice. Would you make the end red, still?" "Yeah, probably," said Sweetie Belle, who was attempting to climb back onto the desk. "What else do we need to do?" Coco rubbed her chin. "Well... it could probably use something around the back of the neck. Actually, the collar in general could use some work. And you'll have to decide if you want to leave an opening so Rarity's Cutie Mark is visible. But it's getting close!" Sweetie Belle, having managed to scale the desk, peered out like a vulture. "The collar, huh? Hey, we could make it kind of pointy-foldy like a business suit! I bet Rarity would love that!" "Yes, I can do that. It'll be hard to do on this loose version, though," Coco nodded. "Shall I just include that when I make it for real?" Sweetie shrugged. "Sure, I guess." "Is there anything else?" "I... don't think so?" "Well, then," Coco smiled, "I'd say we did it!" She reared up on two hooves to give Sweetie Belle a hoof-bump. "Yeah!" Sweetie hopped around. "We did do it! Thanks, Miss Pommel." Coco blushed. "You, uh... Just 'Coco' is fine, thanks." "Okay, Coco!" Sweetie beamed. Her expression then softened, ears folding. "Hey, uh, Coco? This was actually really fun. I know the point is to give Rarity a gift, but I really... I learned I like doing something I thought I was bad at. Thanks to you. So, uh, thanks." She glanced up, eyes wide, smiling tentatively. Coco patted her on the head. "I enjoyed it too, Sweetie Belle. Now..." she glanced at a clock. "We spent quite a while on that. I should get to sewing so it's done in time to meet Rarity. We still need to find that restaurant, by the way." Sweetie glanced around. "I think maaaybe I'll stay out of the way this time. Just because it worked once doesn't mean I should push my luck." She tapped her forehooves together and flashed Coco an angelic smile, causing the older mare to grin a bit too. "Sure. I've got some books in the other room if you want to read while I work. And my fridge is already trashed, so I guess it wouldn't hurt if you had another snack. Just don't ruin your appetite for dinner!" "Yep yep yep!" As Coco Pommel turned back to the ponyquin with Sweetie's dress prototype, Sweetie waddled over to the couch, hopped on and curled up, levitating a random book over with a sigh and a smile. LaughterTime passed. Minutes became hours, to the soft sounds of Sweetie Belle turning pages and Coco Pommel shuffling fabric, humming as she worked. At around half past three, Coco finished her work, and stepped back to gaze at the ponyquin with pride. Sweetie's dress hung there, a rusty-colored coat with matching sleeves and professional neckline, with a bright green train and cuffs. The train had a darker stripe running down the middle, with a bright red sash trailing along the ground behind it. All in all, Coco felt the filly had done a very good job, even if she wasn't quite sure it was Rarity's style. Coco opened her mouth to summon the filly, but suddenly stopped, an idea beginning to form in her head. A wonderful idea. Quietly, she teetered to the door, peeking out. Sweetie Belle was there, laying on the couch with one foreleg dangling and her muzzle flat on a cushion. A book was propped just inches from her face, magically turning a page. She didn't notice Coco. Coco Pommel retreated from view, grinning maniacally. She crouched low to the ground, before hurriedly slinking around behind Sweetie's couch, tail swishing. The filly remained oblivious, engrossed in her book. Coco braced herself, coiled up, and erupted over the top, landing squarely on Sweetie Belle's book, thundering as she did so: "Sweeetie Belle, I am the spirit of the large yam you devoured, here to haunt you from beyond the very grave!" "YAAA-HAA-HAUGH!" Sweetie caterwauled, toppling over backwards and rolling onto the floor. She opened her eyes, looking up to see Coco's face staring down at her from the couch, its owner in hysterics. "Uhm... Hi?" the filly blushed. "Vengeance... has been... served!" Coco gasped, slapping a hoof against the couch. "Oh. Uhh... I guess I probably deserved that?" Sweetie asked, a sheepish look on her face. Coco wiped a hoof across her eyes, slowly regaining her composure. "Hehehe... sorry... yes, you did." She sat up. "But the dress is done! Would you like to see it before I box it up?" "Sure!" Sweetie Belle rocked back and forth, rolling onto her hooves and getting up. She followed Coco back into the sewing room, making sure to straighten out the dropped book on her way. "Well? What do you think? Does it look good?" Coco asked. "Hmm..." Sweetie hmm'd, facing not the dress but a mirror. "Yeah, I do think I look pretty good. It's not nice to call ponies its, by the way." Coco picked up Sweetie's hat from a chair where it lay and bonked her with it. The filly grinned back cheekily. "For real, though, I really do like the dress." Sweetie said, looking it up and down, circling. "You should try it on!" "I can't," Coco stated. "It's not my size. It won't fit right." "Really?" Sweetie raised an eyebrow. "Rarity says most ponies are one-size-fits-all. And you look pretty normal to me." "I'm not actually fully grown," Coco shrugged. "It doesn't look like it would make a difference, but it does. The coat of the dress is designed to come as close to the hind legs as possible without touching them. For me, high-collar dresses like this are loose around the chest, which makes them sag backwards and touch my legs, which chafes when I walk." Sweetie Belle's mouth hung open. "Although..." she put a hoof to her chin. "I guess if we don't go anywhere, I can put it on for a while." Coco moved to begin taking the dress off the ponyquin. Sweetie closed her mouth. "Huh. So how old are you, then?" "Oh?" Coco began, not looking away from what she was doing. "I'm seventeen. I left home two years ago to get an apprenticeship on Bridleway." Sweetie's face scrunched. "Isn't that really early?" "I guess it would be, compared to Ponyville," Coco answered. "Here in Manehattan, it's pretty normal." "Wow," Sweetie said. "I guess you never had a big sister telling you to slow down and not worry about when your Cutie Mark would appear, huh?" "Oh, I had plenty of big sisters," Coco replied, still fussing with the partially-suited ponyquin. "My mother was a pegasus, so I had a large family. You're right about my Cutie Mark, though. It's very important that you get yours as soon as possible here." "Now that I think about it..." Sweetie began, "Me and my friends- the Crusaders- were mostly just in a hurry to get our Marks because we really wanted them. Well, that and because we were bullied for it. But it's not like they really did that much when we got them. Why does everypony here care that you get them fast?" "So you can get a job and start supporting your family," Coco shrugged. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. "You mean you didn't get your Cutie Mark until you were fifteen!?" "Oh, no," Coco said. "No, I got mine a year or two before I left to become a professional. It still was later than most ponies from the country get theirs, though. That's also a city thing. It's another reason why we're hurried to find our special talents." Sweetie scowled. "Sounds to me like everyone's talents are appearing later because they're being pushed so much." "Maybe. But it's not so bad!" Coco finished removing the dress, and it slumped over her back. "I... guess I did get apprenticed to a horrible boss. Maybe that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been in such a hurry to make something of myself. I'm fine now, though! I have a good job, some good connections, a stable home..." "Good food, too." Sweetie licked her lips. Coco stared at her. Sweetie giggled. "Ahem! But but but," Sweetie continued, "You can do what you want now, right?" "Mostly," Coco said, trying to fit one of her forelegs into a sleeve in the dress without wrinkling or damaging it. "I have a job, but I'm not rich. And I am underage." She glared at the dress, where her hoof was caught on a cuff. "Also, putting on clothes without a horn is hard. Most aristocrats you see are unicorns for a reason. The others know that standing out just... isn't... worth it!" Her hoof popped out of the end of the sleeve. Sweetie giggled again. "Well... hey! I guess you have been going fast for your whole life, but me and the Crusaders did that on our own, and we had a ton of fun. So don't convince yourself it's bad to have fun, okay?" Now it was Coco's turn to giggle. "Having fun? Like when I pounced on you earlier?" "Err..." "Anyway!" Coco cut her off, left foreleg flailing unsuccessfully to find its sleeve. "I'm not getting anywhere with this. Do you mind just looking from the side I've got on? Trying to put this on is getting embarrassing." "Eh, it's okay," Sweetie said with a wave of her hoof. "You can box it up." Coco let the dress slide off, catching it so it wouldn't wrinkle. She carried it over to a box sitting on a counter, placed her forehooves on the box, and let out a sigh of relief. Sweetie Belle paced up behind her. "Part of the reason you did this with me was because you wanted to thank my sis, wasn't it?" "Yes," Coco replied. "It was. Though I very much enjoyed making it with you, and I wasn't lying about it being a tradition. I just... Rarity's done so much for me. Saving the theater revival... getting me away from Suri... setting me up for a job, then hiring me herself... So yes, this is partly a thank-you from me to her as well. It's mainly thanks to her example that I feel like I've become a well-adjusted mare." "Sounds like you like her!" called Sweetie Belle, causing Coco to sputter. The filly, who had briefly left the room, was now standing in the doorway, holding the book she had been reading earlier. "So..." she continued, "I don't suppose I could borrow this? It's really good." Coco took the book, and read the cover. "Shadows of Fillydelphia: a noir tail?" "Nothing wrong with being well-adjusted!" Sweetie giggled. Coco blushed. "Hmm..." "Think of it as a present!" Sweetie chirped. "I did your tradition! You should do mine." "I already gave you a hat." Coco pointed to the article, which was still on Sweetie Belle's fuzzy head. "And you did devour my large yam earlier." "Aww, come on!" Sweetie cried. "I thought we were even now!" Coco rubbed her chin deviously. "Well... I suppose you could borrow it... But only if you say 'please book' twenty-seven times first." Sweetie Belle wasted no time in complying. "Please book?" Her eyes were round. Coco clapped her hooves together, smiling. "Exactly! More!" "Please book? Please book? Please book?" Sweetie's tail was straight, and her ears pointed perfectly forward. "Please book?" This continued for some time, until Sweetie Belle broke off. "Please book? There! I said it. Now can I have the book?" Coco waved it away. "Nope! That was twenty-eight times!" "Aww! C'mon!" Sweetie pouted louder, lower lip stuck out. "Sorry!" Coco replied, smirking. "You'll have to say it again, from scratch." Sweetie looked around, eyes settling on something in the background. "Please clock?" "Buh?" Coco looked around, eyeing the nearest timepiece. "Duahh! We're supposed to meet Rarity in ten minutes, and I still don't know where to go! Never mind how long it takes to walk across town! Keep the book, Sweetie. We need to go, we're late!" Panicked, Coco placed the dress into its box- still taking care not to get it wrinkled or messy- and raced the box out to the foyer, where she slung it into her saddlebag and that onto her back. Sweetie Belle tromped along behind her, stuffing the book under her hat for safekeeping as Coco opened the door. Together, they exited Coco's apartment, climbing down the stairs and re-entering the flow of rush-hour traffic below. MissedThirty minutes later, Sweetie Belle and Coco Pommel found themselves standing in front of an information kiosk, back near the train station. Miraculously, there had been no line, but it was nearly half past five and Coco's attendant was presently shuffling through a directory, trying to locate the Tasty Treat. Sweetie Belle, having recovered her breath from the swift trip across town, was presently holding her new book, rambling excitedly. "So Detective Oatshoe went to the old warehouse, right? Turns out the informant wasn't there yet, so he had to wait for them without looking suspicious! You know what he did? He found these cops who were playing cards on the job and slacking off. And he went, 'I bet I can out-gamble any of you!' and they let him play with them, but one of them was cheating, and Detective Oatshoe was a detective so he noticed! But then, while he was trying to figure out how to bust the guy so he could get in good with the cops-" Coco cut her off with a tap on the shoulder, pointing to the stallion who was putting down his directory. "I've read the book, Sweetie," she whispered with a small smile. The stallion performed something between a sigh and clearing his throat, stretching. "I'm sorry, miss, but Manehattan doesn't seem to have a 'Tasty Treat'. There is, however, such an establishment in Canterlot, located here." He slipped a piece of paper with an address written on to Coco, then cleared his throat again. "Next!" The duo stepped away from the kiosk, which was beginning to form a line. Coco looked at the paper, and whined. "It's that bad, huh?" Sweetie asked, tilting her head. "No," Coco replied, "I can get us there. It'll just be a train ride, and that takes time, and we're already late... and I'm not even sure if it's the best thing to do. What if Rarity made a mistake? What if she's still at Sapphire Shores' studio, or came looking for us at my apartment, or went back to Ponyville?" She buried her head in her hooves. "Hmm..." Sweetie put a hoof to her chin. "Rarity always used to say that if I get lost when I'm with her, I should just stay put. And she'll have to pass through the train station to get anywhere, right? So we should just wait here!" "But we're late," Coco pointed out. "Wherever Rarity went, she went there already..." Sweetie Belle scuffed at the ground. "Unless she's late too." "Well, let's go to the studio. Even if she's left already, someone there will know where she went, right?" Coco got to her hooves and turned back towards the street. Sweetie looked up, keeping her head low. "That sounds like more walking. And I'm tired. And hungry again." Coco stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and briefly gritting her teeth. "All right! All right. Food. Don't want that happening again." She exhaled. "Then let's take the train to Canterlot. I've got the directions to the restaurant. You won't have to walk. Even if Rarity's not there, we can eat. We'll only be... doing what she told us to." "Yay!" Coco opened her eyes and spun around, pacing back into the train station. Sweetie Belle followed, beaming angelically. They didn't have to wait long for a train. As it turned out, one bound for Canterlot was already idling in the station, so Coco Pommel paid their fares, and they boarded. Sweetie Belle hopped up on a seat near the end of the car, and half-curled up, keeping her head high enough that she could still see out the window. The view of the station wasn't very exciting, however, as the train had yet to embark. Soon, Sweetie Belle slumped down, curling all the way. Another minute, and she was snoozing. Head in the crook of one foreleg, her fur swished and swayed as her breath drifted past it. Coco, having stowed her saddlebags under her seat, gazed at the slumbering filly and smiled. "I guess you weren't kidding about being tired, huh?" Sweetie didn't answer. Coco slowly blinked, keeping her smile. Then, having nothing better to do, bent precariously off her seat, trying to undo the latch on her bag and fish out Sweetie's borrowed book. It was an old favorite of hers, and one more read-through wouldn't hurt. Eventually, it became clear that doing so with one hoof was proving to be fruitless, so she dedicated a second limb to the endeavor. Then the train started, lurching forward. "Yarrgh!" Coco flailed briefly, before tipping over and face-planting on the floor with an immodest crash. Sweetie Belle opened one eye, and giggled. The elder mare lay in a heap on the floor, tail sticking into the air and limbs splayed in every direction. Coco Pommel got to her hooves, blushing furiously. She flicked her mane to shake out dust, straightened her collar, arched her back and leisurely climbed back onto her seat, book in hoof. Some time into the ride, after the sea had vanished from sight but before the train had begun ascending the Canterlot Mountains, a refreshment cart rolled around. Sweetie Belle instantly sprang awake from her nap, bouncing over to Coco. "There's food hereee," she hummed, lowering her face between Coco's and the book. "We're going to a restaurant," Coco replied, trying not to make eye contact, despite the fact that Sweetie Belle was in her way. "Aww! Can't I at least get a hoofsicle?" Thudd! "What was that!?" Both mares looked about, along with the conductor pushing the cart. In a window behind them was a prismatic pegasus, bracing herself against the frame with five limbs and rapping on the window with the sixth. Sweetie Belle jumped over and opened the window, and a thoroughly windswept Rainbow Dash vaulted in, landing on all fours with a swish of her mane. "Hi girls!" "Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie asked, cocking her head. "You, uh... You're gonna need a ticket, miss..." the conductor began. Rainbow waved him off. "It's cool, I'm not here to stay. Hey, scamp!" She turned to Sweetie Belle. Coco sat to the side, thoroughly befuddled. Sweetie straightened up, having a better idea of what was going on. "...Rarity asked you to come find me? Really?" "Yup!" The pegasus thumped Sweetie on the shoulder, causing her to buckle. "She got back to Ponyville earlier, and was pretty worked up. Something about accidentally telling you to meet her somewhere really far away? Anyway, I wasn't doing anything other than having fun going fast, so I offered to come find you!" Rainbow's eyes were shining. "Wow. You, uh... You really didn't have to do that," Sweetie replied, mouth ajar. "I know!" Rainbow did an aerial backflip. "But Rarity's my friend! I'm not about to leave her hanging. She, uh... was really worried about you." Coco interrupted: "So, you're one of Rarity's friends from Ponyville?" "I sure am! The name's Dash." She brushed her mane back. "Rainbow Dash. The fastest pegasus in Equestria, at your service!" "We, uh..." Sweetie began, "We were going to get dinner anyway, even if Rarity didn't show up. Now that you're here, want to join us? Or do you need to go back and tell Rarity where we are?" "Oh, I already ate!" Rainbow proclaimed, holding a hoof to her chest. "By the way, uh... Coco Pommel?" "Yes?" Coco beamed. "The lock on the back window in your apartment is broken." Coco's eyes crossed. "Wait... How...?" "You didn't think I just camped trains until I found one with you two in it, did you?" Rainbow smirked. "I went and checked the studio first. When you weren't there, I got directions to your place!" "You broke into my house?" Coco's eyes shadowed with worry. "Hey, don't worry!" Rainbow crowed. "I just had to see whether you were there or not. It's not like I went inside, or anything!" She looked away. "And if I had, I definitely wouldn't have raided your fridge." She stifled a burp. Coco shot Rainbow a dirty look. "Yeesh." Rainbow cupped a hoof toward Sweetie Belle and whispered, while pointing over her shoulder at Coco Pommel. "She's a tough customer. I'm doing this mission for free, y'know." Sweetie blushed. "Her fridge is having a bad day. I might have done the same thing earlier..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had it in you, scamp!" Coco continued to glare at the noisy pegasus, trying to keep a straight face. Rainbow didn't pick up on it. "Oookay, then!" Rainbow put both forelegs in the air. "I guess that didn't work out how I planned. Most ponies find the idea of me sneaking around with a huge grin on my face stuffing loot into a sack hilarious. I was totally kidding about eating your food, all I did was left a note on it saying 'Dashie was here.' Your lock really is broken, though." She floated over to give Coco a hug. "Sorry about that, Miss Pommel." Sweetie raised a hoof. "I thought it was funny." Rainbow silenced her with a glare. Coco couldn't take it any longer, and broke down in a fit of laughter. Rainbow recoiled slightly, realizing she had been played. "So... you're not mad, then? We're good?" "I got Sweetie Belle back earlier," Coco gasped, wiping her eyes. "It's just a large yam. But I will get you too, Rainbow Dash! It's so on!" Rainbow smirked. "Bring it!" Before anyone could respond, the conductor marched back into the car. Seeing Rainbow Dash, he narrowed his eyes. "Wwwwwhoopsie!" Rainbow backed up. "I think I need to make myself scarce. Ready, scamp?" "Buh?" "Well, I was planning on carrying you back to Ponyville..." Rainbow shrugged. "Oh!" Sweetie perked up. "That sounds pretty cool. I'll just get my things..." Coco reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the unmarked box containing Rarity's dress, and handed it to the filly, who was presently putting her book back under her hat. "All set!" Sweetie chirped. "Awesome, let's go!" Rainbow grabbed her, threw open the window, and blasted out. The conductor huffed, then turned back to his patrol. Coco sighed out the window, watching as the two swiftly disappeared into the distance. "I had fun today, Sweetie Belle..." Rainbow Dash soared across the sky, high enough that the sun was still visible, though the land below was coated in shadow. The lights of Ponyville gleamed in the distance, and she settled into an appropriate descending glide, aiming for the distinctive spire of Carousel Botique. "I'm cold," came a little voice from below her, where Sweetie Belle dangled from her hooves. Rainbow's ears perked. "Shoulda' said something sooner!" She flipped upside-down, continuing her glide, and Sweetie landed on her fuzzy blue belly. Rainbow pointed to her own saddlebags, which were mostly empty. "Climb in here. These'll protect you from the wind for sure, they're postal-grade." Sweetie Belle looked dubiously at the offered bag, clinging to her ride. "Are you sure? Those look kind of small..." "Eh, they'll stretch. It's cozy. You can put your stuff in the other one. Come on!" So she did, handing Rainbow Dash her hat and her book and her box and wiggling headfirst into the right-hoof bag, eventually managing to pull in her tail and turn around, peeking out. "Huh! I guess it is kind of nice in here! Thanks, Rainbow." Her voice was muffled by the fabric. "Told ya!" Rainbow grinned with her eyes closed. "All right, let's get this sorted out..." She semi-carefully stuffed Sweetie's stuff into the other side. Ensuring she was balanced, she flipped back right-side up, holding the saddlebags so as not to overturn them and dump the filly inside. Once they were in place, she narrowed her wings, doubling their speed now that her cargo was safer. Rarity sat at her table, wrapped in a fluffy bath robe and staring out a window of Carousel Boutique as she studied the sky, cuddling a cup of warm tea. Night had completely fallen, the sky colored a pleasing, gentle purple. Never taking her eyes off the heavens, she raised her cup to her muzzle, slowly stirring the remaining brew with her breath. She set it down, got up, and rearranged the folds of her robe, giving a wistful glance towards her luxurious couch a room over. But she sighed, returned to her stool, and resumed her windowside vigil. Across the room, the oven gently hummed, keeping warm a meal intended to be eaten an hour ago. Far in the distance, a prismatic trail blazed across the sky, luminous of its own accord even without the light of the sun. Rarity couldn't make out the pegasus at its end, but from the inbound direction, she knew it meant Rainbow Dash was returning to Ponyville. Rarity smiled softly in appreciation of her friend. Equestria really needs some method of instant communication, she mused. Like Spike, only for everypony, to everywhere. She had tried asking him if he could send a letter to Sweetie Belle the moment she returned, with no luck. Now she was still gazing out the window, watching as Rainbow drew closer. Quite a bit closer, in fact. Rarity slipped off her stool once again and trotted to the front door, which remained unbolted. Rainbow Dash pulled up, coming into a spiral around the tower of Carousel Boutique. She poked Sweetie as the porch came into view, a well-bundled Rarity standing out, eyes shining. The pegasus swooped to a stop, pulling into a hover right in front of her, presenting a bulging saddlebag. "The friendliest, awesomest, most loyal personal air ride from halfway up the Canterlot Mountains to Ponyville is... here!" she proclaimed, popping the strap off the bag with a flourish. Green eyes and a white horn popped out, followed by all of Sweetie Belle's head and forelimbs. "Hiya, Sis!" Rarity bounded forward, hauling the filly out with telekinesis and pulling her into a tight, fluffy hug. "Sweetie Belle! I'm so sorry about this morning, oh, I was just so flustered, and... and I completely lost track of where we were, and I gave you a poor meeting place, and..." Sweetie buried her face in Rarity's robe, snuggling. "It wasn't so bad, I had fun. Err, not for me, at least. Miss Pommel's the one who had to deal with it. You, uh... might owe her a bunch of stuff next time you see her." She looked up, blushing. Rainbow Dash wobbled, her balance thrown off by one saddlebag suddenly becoming empty and the other still heavily laden. "Uh... Hate to interrupt, girls, but you've got some luggage to take, and this ride needs to go catch some shut-eye." She reached in and grabbed Sweetie's stuff, pulling it out where it could be seen. "Thanks, Rainbow!" Sweetie hopped over and plopped her hat (and book) back on her head, and balanced the dress's box on her back. "G'night!" The pegasus silently saluted, before blasting away in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity, who motioned inside, stepping over the threshold. Sweetie collapsed in the living room, splaying out on a large cushion. She yawned. "Big day, I take it?" Rarity draped a quilt over the filly. "Oh yeah," Sweetie said, eyes half-closed and a delirious grin on her face. "Nyup nyup... I spent most of it hanging out with Miss Pommel. And walking across town, and riding trains. Here!" She levitated the box over to Rarity, who took it in her own telekinesis and looked it over curiously. "What's this, dear?" "A birthday present." Sweetie held her expression, not blinking. "Then..." Rarity tilted it back at Sweetie Belle. "Wouldn't it be for you?" "Nope! I made it for you! Well, me and Miss Pommel did." Sweetie drew a hoof to her mouth, and added, "I think she likes you!" Rarity rolled her eyes at the last bit. "Well, if you insist..." She slipped open the seal on the box, and folded it away, Sweetie's dress floating out. "You... made this, Sweetie Belle? For me?" The filly's eyes were shimmering. "Yep!" Rarity still held the dress, repeating herself. "You made this?" "Uh huh!" Sweetie bobbed her head. "You made this?" "Yes! Now try it on!" Sweetie stomped a hoof. Rarity expertly unfolded the dress, sliding over a mirror and casting off her robe as she tied ties and laced laces with precision and speed born from a lifetime of experience. Soon, she was fully suited, and it fit to a tee. "Well? Do you like it?" Sweetie bounced. "I... Gah..." Rarity's mouth hung open. Sweetie tilted her head, ears flopping. "This is... this is lovely, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cooed. "I didn't know you had this kind of talent in you!" "Well, Miss Pommel was the one who made it. I sorta just helped with the design..." Sweetie scuffed at the carpet. "I love it anyway." Rarity began untying the dress. "I do owe you a birthday outing, Sweetie Belle. Perhaps we can do that tomorrow, and I'll wear this? And whatever Coco did to help you make this, I'd very much appreciate if you could show me. Just think of all the fun we could have, creating fashion and high culture together!" Sweetie Belle, simultaneously glowing with praise and bashfully shirking, was interrupted by her stomach growling. "Um... I kinda missed dinner. And had an early lunch. Can I have some food?" "Of course, dear!" Rarity set the dress on a nearby rack, and began prancing over to the kitchen. "I actually have dinner all ready for us. I was saving it for when you got back! Although, I was hoping that would be earlier..." She glanced out at the dark night sky. "Well, good, because I'm starving!" Sweetie Belle hauled herself up to the table. "What did you make?" "Oh, I decided to get creative, try a little something new, you know." Rarity brushed her mane back. "It is your birthday, after all. Eat up!" She swept open the oven, and produced a platter containing a crispy-roasted, finely seasoned and delicately garnished large yam. Unquenchable giggling and the words "What's so funny?" drifted out the lit window of Carousel Boutique, off into the night.
Arrival"Look, Sis, there she is!" Sweetie Belle stood on two hooves, pressing her face against the train window as it pulled into the Manehattan station. Rarity sat across from her, pretending to be interested in the newspaper she was using to cover her smile. "Oh, Sweetie, it's just the city. I'm sure I've seen it a thousand times before." Sweetie Belle jumped across the seats, landing on the paper and flattening it. "No. It's Coco Pommel! And I bet you told her to be here!" Rarity giggled and fluffed Sweetie’s mane. "Perhaps! I did tell you that today was going to be full of surprises, did I not?" "Well, let's go meet her!" Sweetie stared into her sister’s face. "In due time, Sweetie Belle," Rarity said as she began to gather up her luggage. "One of the rules of being a lady is not to hurry. It ruins your complexion!" Sweetie huffed and waddled over to the door, waiting for her sister. Without Spike along to act as a porter, the elder unicorn had been forced to pack light- for her. She still had three suitcases, and was in the process of dragging one out from under her seat. "Yeah, well, it also isn't very ladylike to keep your sister waiting. Especially on her birthday!" "You made that up." Rarity’s voice was muffled, as she had her head stuck under the seat. Sweetie paused. "If keeping your ladylike complexion is so important, then why are you crawling around on the ground like that? Just use your magic to drag it out! Or... Here, I'll get it!" She began to march to back to the seat, only to be pushed back by a light blue field of telekinesis. "Buh?" Rarity poked her head back out, stared straight at Sweetie Belle, and loudly whispered, "No spoilers!" A look of confusion flashed across Sweetie Belle’s face, followed by one of comprehension. "Oh? Right! Presents. I get it!" The filly giggled, and turned back toward the door. "While you do that, I'm gonna go find Miss Pommel and tell her that you’re busy being a lady. She's probably wondering why we haven't gotten off yet." With that, Sweetie Belle darted out of the car, Rarity's voice trailing behind her. "Sweetie, wait! Please don't phrase it quite like that!" The crowd around the train had already began to disperse, so it didn't take long for Sweetie Belle to spot the cream-colored figure of Coco Pommel. The mare was seated on the ground, eyes scanning the pages of a book with a black city on the cover. Sweetie paused, considering the most polite way to gain Coco's attention, not wanting to be rude so soon after running off without permission. Gotta play it cool, Sweetie Belle. You might have ticked Rarity off juuust a little by running away. Better be on your best behavior, just in case. Now, for a calm, professional, ladylike introduction... Eventually... "Ahem!" Coco’s ears twitched, and she lowered her book to see a green-eyed filly staring cutely up at her. "Hiya! I'm Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie began. "I really like your mane!" "Hi, Sweetie Belle," Coco replied. "Rarity's here too, right?" "Yep! She's right behind me. She just has some business to take care of first. You know, lady stuff." "Oh..." Coco blushed. "It's called 'unloading one's baggage', Sweetie Belle!" said an irate voice from the direction of the train. "I didn't very well bring all this so I could leave it on the train, did I?" Rarity stood there, a frown on her face and a trolley with three large bags on at her side. However, her expression softened as she laid eyes on Coco Pommel. "Coco!" Rarity pranced over to embrace her friend. "It feels like it's been absolutely forever, darling. Please, how have you been?" "I'm fine, Rarity. And it really hasn't been that long," Coco giggled, folding her book and placing it into her saddlebag. "You're in town to check up on the new boutique pretty often." "Hmmm," Rarity sighed. "I still think it's far too long. I love your new hat, by the way. Shall we get going? Come along, Sweetie Belle! And bring my bags!" Sweetie Belle, who was presently several meters away, poking at a stone on the ground, looked up and narrowed her eyebrows. "Seriously? On my birthday?" For a moment, Rarity looked as though she was about to object, before a guilty look flashed across her face, and she smiled and waved over a porter. Coco laughed, and Sweetie relaxed and came over to join the other two. Soon enough, the three mares were seated outside, in line for a taxi. Sweetie Belle had given up asking where they were headed; Rarity wanted to keep it a secret and Coco didn't know. Before they had waited too long, however, a sleek blue carriage pulled up alongside them, bypassing the line. A well-groomed stallion leaned out. "Rarity!" he shouted. "Good to see you. I was afraid we had given you far too short notice, but you made it anyway! Don't worry, we'll be strongly compensating you for the effort." "Buh?" said Sweetie and Coco Pommel. Rarity looked concerned. "You're Sapphire Shores' manager, correct? I can't say I've heard that she wanted to see me. The only reason I'm in Manehattan today is to celebrate my sister's" – she patted Sweetie’s head – "birthday. This outing is for pleasure, not business." Now it was the stallion's turn to look concerned. "That is... unfortunate. I don't suppose you can come in today anyway? We're in a very big bind, here." "What kind of bind?" "The short of it is that Sapphire Shores and her team were hired to perform at a fundraiser tonight. The ponies who hired them were somewhat specific about what the costumes needed to do, but didn't give us exact specifications or details. So, we brought in our in-house designer to draw up something that would hopefully work. "Unfortunately, when we ran the new costumes past PR, it turns out that they resemble... I-I don't really know, but it's considered offensive to a certain cultural group of ponies. So we went back to the designer and asked them to redo it so that this wasn't an issue, but they said they couldn't do it and still meet the original specifications without compromising their 'artistic integrity'. "Sapphire Shores thinks that's a load of... something I can't say in front of a kid. There's nothing wrong with the original request, mind you. Basically, we need somepony who can fix this and either modify the current costumes so they're not offensive, or come up with some new ones that work on their own. By tonight, of course." Rarity stared with pinprick pupils. Then her ears folded back. Then she whined. Coco spoke up. "You really want Rarity to cut off a family vacation, with zero notice, to make an entire line of dresses in one day? I know a thing or two about bad bosses, but that seems sort of extreme." "Err... no!" the stallion waved his forelegs. "We have all the resources to make the costumes, all we need is a designer. And they're not full dresses, so it shouldn’t be as much work. All we really need is a design for Sapphire and one for her backups." Rarity was still frozen, twitching slightly. "How did this even become an issue in the first place?" Coco asked. "Sapphire Shores has a very large audience. Shouldn't somepony have caught this before it got this far, if it's really that big of a deal?" "Look, miss, bureaucracies are complicated, and these things happen. The fact that she has a large audience is exactly why fixing this is so important!" He turned back to Rarity. "Rarity, if you can't, we'll... we'll understand. We can find somepony else." Rarity sighed a long, long sigh, during which her eyes were closed. Eventually, she looked up. "I'll do it." "What!?" Sweetie yelped. "But what about me?" "I know," Rarity began, "It's not fair. And I shall do my best to make sure it never happens again. However, it's not fair to Sapphire Shores either. And I can't stand the idea of leaving one of my friends- who trust me to come through for them when they need it- hanging without so much as lifting a hoof to help." "I thought I was your friend!" Rarity sighed again. "You’re more than my friend, Sweetie Belle. And I promise this won’t take all day. Besides, it's not like the whole trip is ruined! You and Coco will have plenty of fun without me, and when I'm done, we can all meet for dinner at... at... the Tasty Treat! How does that sound, hmm?" "Fine." Sweetie scowled, then folded her ears back, eyes pleading. "But you better keep your word!" Rarity said nothing, simply giving her a hug before looking back to the very relieved stallion in the coach. He nodded, and opened the door, allowing her to hop in, along with her luggage. "I'll see you two at the Tasty Treat, no later than five o'clock. And that's a promise!" she shouted back as the carriage sped away. As Rarity's ride vanished around a corner, the sounds of the city seemed to grow much louder. Coco Pommel gazed around, taking in a rush of pedestrians crossing the street, a doorway seeping loud music, and the endless cawing of nearby seagulls. "Mrmmmff." Sweetie planted her face on the ground like a fuzzy white ostrich, snapping Coco back to reality. She glanced around, then put a foreleg on Sweetie's shoulder, prompting the filly to look up. "So... what should we do?" Coco stepped back, then hoofed at the ground. "I was just going to come along with whatever Rarity wanted. You're her sister, I figured she would know best." "And now she ditched us," Sweetie Belle complained as a Pegasus soared overhead. "She didn't tell you what her plans were, did she?" "Aside from the Tasty Treat?" Coco shook her head. "I'm not sure I've even heard of that. And no, Rarity really didn't tell me what she had in mind. I do have a few places I like to go to hang out, but I doubt any of them would be very interesting for a birthday party." "Well, that's just fantastic," Sweetie said with drooping ears. "We're all alone, with nothing to do." She glanced to the side. "And I'm hungry, too. I bet Rarity was going to take us to lunch. Do you know any good restaurants here? That don't serve nothing but air?" In the distance, a shout rang out from an absent-minded stallion who had collided with something. Neither one spared it a glance. "Actually, I don't have much money on me," Coco admitted. "I was figuring Rarity would cover everything, since it was her invitation. I've got plenty of food at my apartment, though, if you want to go there? It's on the other side of the city, so it'll be quite a walk." "Hmm." Sweetie Belle put a hoof to her chin as a panicked mare galloped past. "Well, it's not like we've got anything better to do. Let's go!" She began trotting off, so Coco joined her, swiftly taking the lead and pointing in a general direction. Soon, they too vanished amid a swirling sea of carts, equines, and flashing signs.
PresentsThe wheel of a passing carriage cut through a puddle, sending a spray of dark water across the empty sidewalk. A yellow light in a nearby window flickered on. Across the street, Sweetie Belle and Coco Pommel walked in relative silence. A break for an alley between two complexes allowed a long ray of sunshine to touch the road, and the pair passed through it. The abrupt change in lighting made Sweetie Belle blink, shaking her head. She opened her mouth. "Are we there yet?" "Almost," Coco replied. "It's the building after this next one." Sweetie sighed. "The ponies who built this place really liked bricks, huh?" "Oh, this part of Manehattan was built back when the mafia still had a large presence in the city. Believe it or not, the cement industry in those days was mainly controlled by them. So using lots of bricks in construction was an easy way to get in good standing with them- and by that I mean be able to build anything at all. It's a very interesting story, if you ask me." "Really?" Sweetie Belle raised both eyebrows. "I don't know!" Coco laughed. "I'm not a history major. I never even got my diploma. It sounds nice, though, right?" Sweetie stuck out her pink tongue. Coco shook her head. "Well, I liked it." Then they continued on in silence again. Scarcely a minute later, Coco Pommel stepped into a shadowed alcove in a building. It turned out to be a door, opened by an old-fashioned key, leading immediately to a flight of stairs. "I hope you're fine with a climb. I live on the fifth floor, and there's no elevator." "I'm still hungryyy," Sweetie Belle responded. But she began lugging herself up the first flight nonetheless, trailing behind Coco Pommel. The cream-coated mare took the stairs as if they were nothing, not even pausing for breath. Finally, they reached a flat hallway, and soon enough Coco was unlocking another door. Sweetie Belle collapsed through it, panting. "We're here!" Coco chimed. She hung her saddlebags on a rack by the door, took off her hat, and watched as Sweetie Belle looked around. Coco's apartment was a small affair, with two rooms- a foyer, with a couch and table and kitchenette, and a back room where Coco's bed and sewing supplies were presently kept. Sweetie Belle looked over the place. "You really like the color purple, huh?" She pointed a hoof at the couch, drapes and carpet. Coco looked away. "Well, it fits with the rest of the building... Anyway, let me see what I've got to eat." She padded over to her minifridge, rummaged around for a bit, and looked over her shoulder. "Would an apple be fine?" Sweetie Belle wasn't there. Coco started and looked around, ears swiveling. "Sweetie?" She began walking back toward the door. Munch, munch, munch. Coco spun back around to see the filly crouching half-inside the fridge, in the process of devouring a large yam. Sweetie Belle gulped and looked up with large eyes. "I'm down here. This is really good, by the way!" She then plunged her face into the yam's deflating husk. "Hey!" Coco yelped. "Sweetie, I... That's my..." Munch, munch, munch. Coco Pommel sighed and turned away. It's fine, she thought to herself. Rarity can pay me back later. And she was pretty hungry... She looked back at the slurping filly, and smirked. This isn't over... Later, a thoroughly contented Sweetie Belle finished her slightly uninvited feast. Licking her lips, she stifled a belch, closed the fridge, and looked around for her tolerant host, who had disappeared. "Uh... hello?" "In here," came a voice from the back room. Sweetie trotted over to investigate. The moment she walked through the door, Coco plopped a hat over her head. "Happy birthday, Sweetie Belle!" Sweetie stumbled backwards, righting herself and glancing over to a nearby mirror. The hat was fairly simple, a pale lavender fedora with no plume and a white band around the top. "You made this for me?" "That is what I'm supposed to do, right?" Coco asked, looking slightly concerned. "Make it yourself? Well, Rarity makes all her gifts herself, but lots of ponies just buy theirs. I know I do," Sweetie said, drawing a hoof across her brow. "No, giving you the gift," Coco elaborated. "Where I come from, the tradition is that on your birthday, you give everyone else gifts. But apparently here it's backwards, and I sometimes get mixed up." "Not getting presents on your birthday?" Sweetie frowned. "What kind of tradition is that?" "It's meant to remind all your friends of what they appreciate about you. Friendship and love aren't really universal commodities," Coco explained, eyes lowered. A look of confusion washed across Sweetie Belle's face, causing her hat to sag forward slightly. Coco reached over and tipped it back up. "Here! Maybe I can show you!" "What? But it's my birthday, not yours!" "No!" Coco giggled. "I'll help you make a gift, and you can give it to someone else today, and see what it's like. How about for Rarity?" "But all Rarity likes are dresses." Sweetie seated herself on the floor, staring at Coco. "Hee! Good thing that's what my apartment is fitted to make!" "You don't get it," Sweetie cried. "I try to help Rarity make dresses all the time, but I'm terrible at it!" "How so?" Coco looked concerned. "I get in the way and make messes, and that's only with fetching materials. I also... might have made a dress for a play once that had five legs." Sweetie blushed. "Well, the last one's easy," Coco smiled, pointing a hoof at a bare ponyquin in the corner. "All you need is one of those! And I can do all the work myself, if you want. We're not in a hurry." "Hmmm..." Sweetie Belle held a hoof to her chin, narrowing her eyes. Coco smirked. "Of course, I can always tell Rarity how impressed I was with your table manners earlier..." Sweetie beamed briefly, before her green eyes widened in shock. "Heh heh... Oops..." "I don't know... You did just trash my fridge and devour my large yam." Coco spun her hooves while narrowing her eyes and looking to the side. "Maybe I should compose a long letter to her with all the grisly details. Oh, I'd spare no dropped scrap! Nor the crumb that's still clinging to your face! I'd tell her all about how you put your hooves-" "Eh heh heh heh heh heh!" Sweetie Belle wiped her face with a hoof, pranced right up to Coco's face, and grinned up at her. "I'd really like to make a dress for Rarity now!" Coco's smile instantly returned to normal. She giggled, straightened Sweetie's hat again, and trotted over to a rack of fabrics. "All right! So, what color should we start with?" Sweetie peered up at the rack. "Cinnamon!" Coco hoofed the swatch down, and dragged the ponyquin to the center of the room. As she began to unfurl a sheet, a final dubious look crossed Sweetie Belle's face. "Just don't blame me if we end up making a big mess. Because I did warn you..." An hour later... Sweetie Belle stood on Coco Pommel's desk, holding a sketchpad in her grasp, pacing proudly as the elder mare ran a folded piece of fabric through a sewing machine, constructing a frill. The main body of the dress was sitting on the ponyquin, a loose mockup held together by clips so as not to be permanent. Coco had agreed that once they had the shape and colors down, she would make it for real, and soon they would be getting to that point. "So the train," Sweetie rambled, eyes closed and hoof in the air, "should be pretty long- maybe a foot trailing along the floor. And it should have two colors, one on either side! One side green, the other red." Coco looked up from her frill. "Green and red? Hmm... what shades? That could look a little strange from behind, or anywhere you might see them together." Sweetie opened her eyes and picked up two appropriately colored scraps, rubbing them together while mumbling. "You could also put a stripe between them. Chocolate, maybe. Or save the green for the very bottom, and run it all the way around?" "Hmm... Put the green on the cuffs. I want to see how that looks." Coco set the frill aside and grabbed several more scraps, clipping them into place. "How's this?" "Yep!" Sweetie grinned. "So, a stripe for the train? Or trim on the end... Hmm..." "It doesn't have to be the very end," Coco broke in. "You can do the entire part that touches the floor, if you like." Sweetie Belle thumped down from the desk and waddled around behind the ponyquin, where she yanked out several colored sheets and arranged them with her magic. "Like this?" "It's your design. You tell me!" Coco laughed. Sweetie squinted, frowned, and tilted her head sideways. She opened her mouth, blinked, and closed it again, then gave the dress a sniff. Eventually, she pulled the sheets back off, rearranging. "No, no... Maybe if we make the whole train green? And give it a darker green stripe?" Coco paced over. "That sounds nice. Would you make the end red, still?" "Yeah, probably," said Sweetie Belle, who was attempting to climb back onto the desk. "What else do we need to do?" Coco rubbed her chin. "Well... it could probably use something around the back of the neck. Actually, the collar in general could use some work. And you'll have to decide if you want to leave an opening so Rarity's Cutie Mark is visible. But it's getting close!" Sweetie Belle, having managed to scale the desk, peered out like a vulture. "The collar, huh? Hey, we could make it kind of pointy-foldy like a business suit! I bet Rarity would love that!" "Yes, I can do that. It'll be hard to do on this loose version, though," Coco nodded. "Shall I just include that when I make it for real?" Sweetie shrugged. "Sure, I guess." "Is there anything else?" "I... don't think so?" "Well, then," Coco smiled, "I'd say we did it!" She reared up on two hooves to give Sweetie Belle a hoof-bump. "Yeah!" Sweetie hopped around. "We did do it! Thanks, Miss Pommel." Coco blushed. "You, uh... Just 'Coco' is fine, thanks." "Okay, Coco!" Sweetie beamed. Her expression then softened, ears folding. "Hey, uh, Coco? This was actually really fun. I know the point is to give Rarity a gift, but I really... I learned I like doing something I thought I was bad at. Thanks to you. So, uh, thanks." She glanced up, eyes wide, smiling tentatively. Coco patted her on the head. "I enjoyed it too, Sweetie Belle. Now..." she glanced at a clock. "We spent quite a while on that. I should get to sewing so it's done in time to meet Rarity. We still need to find that restaurant, by the way." Sweetie glanced around. "I think maaaybe I'll stay out of the way this time. Just because it worked once doesn't mean I should push my luck." She tapped her forehooves together and flashed Coco an angelic smile, causing the older mare to grin a bit too. "Sure. I've got some books in the other room if you want to read while I work. And my fridge is already trashed, so I guess it wouldn't hurt if you had another snack. Just don't ruin your appetite for dinner!" "Yep yep yep!" As Coco Pommel turned back to the ponyquin with Sweetie's dress prototype, Sweetie waddled over to the couch, hopped on and curled up, levitating a random book over with a sigh and a smile.
LaughterTime passed. Minutes became hours, to the soft sounds of Sweetie Belle turning pages and Coco Pommel shuffling fabric, humming as she worked. At around half past three, Coco finished her work, and stepped back to gaze at the ponyquin with pride. Sweetie's dress hung there, a rusty-colored coat with matching sleeves and professional neckline, with a bright green train and cuffs. The train had a darker stripe running down the middle, with a bright red sash trailing along the ground behind it. All in all, Coco felt the filly had done a very good job, even if she wasn't quite sure it was Rarity's style. Coco opened her mouth to summon the filly, but suddenly stopped, an idea beginning to form in her head. A wonderful idea. Quietly, she teetered to the door, peeking out. Sweetie Belle was there, laying on the couch with one foreleg dangling and her muzzle flat on a cushion. A book was propped just inches from her face, magically turning a page. She didn't notice Coco. Coco Pommel retreated from view, grinning maniacally. She crouched low to the ground, before hurriedly slinking around behind Sweetie's couch, tail swishing. The filly remained oblivious, engrossed in her book. Coco braced herself, coiled up, and erupted over the top, landing squarely on Sweetie Belle's book, thundering as she did so: "Sweeetie Belle, I am the spirit of the large yam you devoured, here to haunt you from beyond the very grave!" "YAAA-HAA-HAUGH!" Sweetie caterwauled, toppling over backwards and rolling onto the floor. She opened her eyes, looking up to see Coco's face staring down at her from the couch, its owner in hysterics. "Uhm... Hi?" the filly blushed. "Vengeance... has been... served!" Coco gasped, slapping a hoof against the couch. "Oh. Uhh... I guess I probably deserved that?" Sweetie asked, a sheepish look on her face. Coco wiped a hoof across her eyes, slowly regaining her composure. "Hehehe... sorry... yes, you did." She sat up. "But the dress is done! Would you like to see it before I box it up?" "Sure!" Sweetie Belle rocked back and forth, rolling onto her hooves and getting up. She followed Coco back into the sewing room, making sure to straighten out the dropped book on her way. "Well? What do you think? Does it look good?" Coco asked. "Hmm..." Sweetie hmm'd, facing not the dress but a mirror. "Yeah, I do think I look pretty good. It's not nice to call ponies its, by the way." Coco picked up Sweetie's hat from a chair where it lay and bonked her with it. The filly grinned back cheekily. "For real, though, I really do like the dress." Sweetie said, looking it up and down, circling. "You should try it on!" "I can't," Coco stated. "It's not my size. It won't fit right." "Really?" Sweetie raised an eyebrow. "Rarity says most ponies are one-size-fits-all. And you look pretty normal to me." "I'm not actually fully grown," Coco shrugged. "It doesn't look like it would make a difference, but it does. The coat of the dress is designed to come as close to the hind legs as possible without touching them. For me, high-collar dresses like this are loose around the chest, which makes them sag backwards and touch my legs, which chafes when I walk." Sweetie Belle's mouth hung open. "Although..." she put a hoof to her chin. "I guess if we don't go anywhere, I can put it on for a while." Coco moved to begin taking the dress off the ponyquin. Sweetie closed her mouth. "Huh. So how old are you, then?" "Oh?" Coco began, not looking away from what she was doing. "I'm seventeen. I left home two years ago to get an apprenticeship on Bridleway." Sweetie's face scrunched. "Isn't that really early?" "I guess it would be, compared to Ponyville," Coco answered. "Here in Manehattan, it's pretty normal." "Wow," Sweetie said. "I guess you never had a big sister telling you to slow down and not worry about when your Cutie Mark would appear, huh?" "Oh, I had plenty of big sisters," Coco replied, still fussing with the partially-suited ponyquin. "My mother was a pegasus, so I had a large family. You're right about my Cutie Mark, though. It's very important that you get yours as soon as possible here." "Now that I think about it..." Sweetie began, "Me and my friends- the Crusaders- were mostly just in a hurry to get our Marks because we really wanted them. Well, that and because we were bullied for it. But it's not like they really did that much when we got them. Why does everypony here care that you get them fast?" "So you can get a job and start supporting your family," Coco shrugged. Sweetie Belle's eyes widened. "You mean you didn't get your Cutie Mark until you were fifteen!?" "Oh, no," Coco said. "No, I got mine a year or two before I left to become a professional. It still was later than most ponies from the country get theirs, though. That's also a city thing. It's another reason why we're hurried to find our special talents." Sweetie scowled. "Sounds to me like everyone's talents are appearing later because they're being pushed so much." "Maybe. But it's not so bad!" Coco finished removing the dress, and it slumped over her back. "I... guess I did get apprenticed to a horrible boss. Maybe that wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been in such a hurry to make something of myself. I'm fine now, though! I have a good job, some good connections, a stable home..." "Good food, too." Sweetie licked her lips. Coco stared at her. Sweetie giggled. "Ahem! But but but," Sweetie continued, "You can do what you want now, right?" "Mostly," Coco said, trying to fit one of her forelegs into a sleeve in the dress without wrinkling or damaging it. "I have a job, but I'm not rich. And I am underage." She glared at the dress, where her hoof was caught on a cuff. "Also, putting on clothes without a horn is hard. Most aristocrats you see are unicorns for a reason. The others know that standing out just... isn't... worth it!" Her hoof popped out of the end of the sleeve. Sweetie giggled again. "Well... hey! I guess you have been going fast for your whole life, but me and the Crusaders did that on our own, and we had a ton of fun. So don't convince yourself it's bad to have fun, okay?" Now it was Coco's turn to giggle. "Having fun? Like when I pounced on you earlier?" "Err..." "Anyway!" Coco cut her off, left foreleg flailing unsuccessfully to find its sleeve. "I'm not getting anywhere with this. Do you mind just looking from the side I've got on? Trying to put this on is getting embarrassing." "Eh, it's okay," Sweetie said with a wave of her hoof. "You can box it up." Coco let the dress slide off, catching it so it wouldn't wrinkle. She carried it over to a box sitting on a counter, placed her forehooves on the box, and let out a sigh of relief. Sweetie Belle paced up behind her. "Part of the reason you did this with me was because you wanted to thank my sis, wasn't it?" "Yes," Coco replied. "It was. Though I very much enjoyed making it with you, and I wasn't lying about it being a tradition. I just... Rarity's done so much for me. Saving the theater revival... getting me away from Suri... setting me up for a job, then hiring me herself... So yes, this is partly a thank-you from me to her as well. It's mainly thanks to her example that I feel like I've become a well-adjusted mare." "Sounds like you like her!" called Sweetie Belle, causing Coco to sputter. The filly, who had briefly left the room, was now standing in the doorway, holding the book she had been reading earlier. "So..." she continued, "I don't suppose I could borrow this? It's really good." Coco took the book, and read the cover. "Shadows of Fillydelphia: a noir tail?" "Nothing wrong with being well-adjusted!" Sweetie giggled. Coco blushed. "Hmm..." "Think of it as a present!" Sweetie chirped. "I did your tradition! You should do mine." "I already gave you a hat." Coco pointed to the article, which was still on Sweetie Belle's fuzzy head. "And you did devour my large yam earlier." "Aww, come on!" Sweetie cried. "I thought we were even now!" Coco rubbed her chin deviously. "Well... I suppose you could borrow it... But only if you say 'please book' twenty-seven times first." Sweetie Belle wasted no time in complying. "Please book?" Her eyes were round. Coco clapped her hooves together, smiling. "Exactly! More!" "Please book? Please book? Please book?" Sweetie's tail was straight, and her ears pointed perfectly forward. "Please book?" This continued for some time, until Sweetie Belle broke off. "Please book? There! I said it. Now can I have the book?" Coco waved it away. "Nope! That was twenty-eight times!" "Aww! C'mon!" Sweetie pouted louder, lower lip stuck out. "Sorry!" Coco replied, smirking. "You'll have to say it again, from scratch." Sweetie looked around, eyes settling on something in the background. "Please clock?" "Buh?" Coco looked around, eyeing the nearest timepiece. "Duahh! We're supposed to meet Rarity in ten minutes, and I still don't know where to go! Never mind how long it takes to walk across town! Keep the book, Sweetie. We need to go, we're late!" Panicked, Coco placed the dress into its box- still taking care not to get it wrinkled or messy- and raced the box out to the foyer, where she slung it into her saddlebag and that onto her back. Sweetie Belle tromped along behind her, stuffing the book under her hat for safekeeping as Coco opened the door. Together, they exited Coco's apartment, climbing down the stairs and re-entering the flow of rush-hour traffic below.
MissedThirty minutes later, Sweetie Belle and Coco Pommel found themselves standing in front of an information kiosk, back near the train station. Miraculously, there had been no line, but it was nearly half past five and Coco's attendant was presently shuffling through a directory, trying to locate the Tasty Treat. Sweetie Belle, having recovered her breath from the swift trip across town, was presently holding her new book, rambling excitedly. "So Detective Oatshoe went to the old warehouse, right? Turns out the informant wasn't there yet, so he had to wait for them without looking suspicious! You know what he did? He found these cops who were playing cards on the job and slacking off. And he went, 'I bet I can out-gamble any of you!' and they let him play with them, but one of them was cheating, and Detective Oatshoe was a detective so he noticed! But then, while he was trying to figure out how to bust the guy so he could get in good with the cops-" Coco cut her off with a tap on the shoulder, pointing to the stallion who was putting down his directory. "I've read the book, Sweetie," she whispered with a small smile. The stallion performed something between a sigh and clearing his throat, stretching. "I'm sorry, miss, but Manehattan doesn't seem to have a 'Tasty Treat'. There is, however, such an establishment in Canterlot, located here." He slipped a piece of paper with an address written on to Coco, then cleared his throat again. "Next!" The duo stepped away from the kiosk, which was beginning to form a line. Coco looked at the paper, and whined. "It's that bad, huh?" Sweetie asked, tilting her head. "No," Coco replied, "I can get us there. It'll just be a train ride, and that takes time, and we're already late... and I'm not even sure if it's the best thing to do. What if Rarity made a mistake? What if she's still at Sapphire Shores' studio, or came looking for us at my apartment, or went back to Ponyville?" She buried her head in her hooves. "Hmm..." Sweetie put a hoof to her chin. "Rarity always used to say that if I get lost when I'm with her, I should just stay put. And she'll have to pass through the train station to get anywhere, right? So we should just wait here!" "But we're late," Coco pointed out. "Wherever Rarity went, she went there already..." Sweetie Belle scuffed at the ground. "Unless she's late too." "Well, let's go to the studio. Even if she's left already, someone there will know where she went, right?" Coco got to her hooves and turned back towards the street. Sweetie looked up, keeping her head low. "That sounds like more walking. And I'm tired. And hungry again." Coco stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes and briefly gritting her teeth. "All right! All right. Food. Don't want that happening again." She exhaled. "Then let's take the train to Canterlot. I've got the directions to the restaurant. You won't have to walk. Even if Rarity's not there, we can eat. We'll only be... doing what she told us to." "Yay!" Coco opened her eyes and spun around, pacing back into the train station. Sweetie Belle followed, beaming angelically. They didn't have to wait long for a train. As it turned out, one bound for Canterlot was already idling in the station, so Coco Pommel paid their fares, and they boarded. Sweetie Belle hopped up on a seat near the end of the car, and half-curled up, keeping her head high enough that she could still see out the window. The view of the station wasn't very exciting, however, as the train had yet to embark. Soon, Sweetie Belle slumped down, curling all the way. Another minute, and she was snoozing. Head in the crook of one foreleg, her fur swished and swayed as her breath drifted past it. Coco, having stowed her saddlebags under her seat, gazed at the slumbering filly and smiled. "I guess you weren't kidding about being tired, huh?" Sweetie didn't answer. Coco slowly blinked, keeping her smile. Then, having nothing better to do, bent precariously off her seat, trying to undo the latch on her bag and fish out Sweetie's borrowed book. It was an old favorite of hers, and one more read-through wouldn't hurt. Eventually, it became clear that doing so with one hoof was proving to be fruitless, so she dedicated a second limb to the endeavor. Then the train started, lurching forward. "Yarrgh!" Coco flailed briefly, before tipping over and face-planting on the floor with an immodest crash. Sweetie Belle opened one eye, and giggled. The elder mare lay in a heap on the floor, tail sticking into the air and limbs splayed in every direction. Coco Pommel got to her hooves, blushing furiously. She flicked her mane to shake out dust, straightened her collar, arched her back and leisurely climbed back onto her seat, book in hoof. Some time into the ride, after the sea had vanished from sight but before the train had begun ascending the Canterlot Mountains, a refreshment cart rolled around. Sweetie Belle instantly sprang awake from her nap, bouncing over to Coco. "There's food hereee," she hummed, lowering her face between Coco's and the book. "We're going to a restaurant," Coco replied, trying not to make eye contact, despite the fact that Sweetie Belle was in her way. "Aww! Can't I at least get a hoofsicle?" Thudd! "What was that!?" Both mares looked about, along with the conductor pushing the cart. In a window behind them was a prismatic pegasus, bracing herself against the frame with five limbs and rapping on the window with the sixth. Sweetie Belle jumped over and opened the window, and a thoroughly windswept Rainbow Dash vaulted in, landing on all fours with a swish of her mane. "Hi girls!" "Rainbow Dash?" Sweetie asked, cocking her head. "You, uh... You're gonna need a ticket, miss..." the conductor began. Rainbow waved him off. "It's cool, I'm not here to stay. Hey, scamp!" She turned to Sweetie Belle. Coco sat to the side, thoroughly befuddled. Sweetie straightened up, having a better idea of what was going on. "...Rarity asked you to come find me? Really?" "Yup!" The pegasus thumped Sweetie on the shoulder, causing her to buckle. "She got back to Ponyville earlier, and was pretty worked up. Something about accidentally telling you to meet her somewhere really far away? Anyway, I wasn't doing anything other than having fun going fast, so I offered to come find you!" Rainbow's eyes were shining. "Wow. You, uh... You really didn't have to do that," Sweetie replied, mouth ajar. "I know!" Rainbow did an aerial backflip. "But Rarity's my friend! I'm not about to leave her hanging. She, uh... was really worried about you." Coco interrupted: "So, you're one of Rarity's friends from Ponyville?" "I sure am! The name's Dash." She brushed her mane back. "Rainbow Dash. The fastest pegasus in Equestria, at your service!" "We, uh..." Sweetie began, "We were going to get dinner anyway, even if Rarity didn't show up. Now that you're here, want to join us? Or do you need to go back and tell Rarity where we are?" "Oh, I already ate!" Rainbow proclaimed, holding a hoof to her chest. "By the way, uh... Coco Pommel?" "Yes?" Coco beamed. "The lock on the back window in your apartment is broken." Coco's eyes crossed. "Wait... How...?" "You didn't think I just camped trains until I found one with you two in it, did you?" Rainbow smirked. "I went and checked the studio first. When you weren't there, I got directions to your place!" "You broke into my house?" Coco's eyes shadowed with worry. "Hey, don't worry!" Rainbow crowed. "I just had to see whether you were there or not. It's not like I went inside, or anything!" She looked away. "And if I had, I definitely wouldn't have raided your fridge." She stifled a burp. Coco shot Rainbow a dirty look. "Yeesh." Rainbow cupped a hoof toward Sweetie Belle and whispered, while pointing over her shoulder at Coco Pommel. "She's a tough customer. I'm doing this mission for free, y'know." Sweetie blushed. "Her fridge is having a bad day. I might have done the same thing earlier..." Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had it in you, scamp!" Coco continued to glare at the noisy pegasus, trying to keep a straight face. Rainbow didn't pick up on it. "Oookay, then!" Rainbow put both forelegs in the air. "I guess that didn't work out how I planned. Most ponies find the idea of me sneaking around with a huge grin on my face stuffing loot into a sack hilarious. I was totally kidding about eating your food, all I did was left a note on it saying 'Dashie was here.' Your lock really is broken, though." She floated over to give Coco a hug. "Sorry about that, Miss Pommel." Sweetie raised a hoof. "I thought it was funny." Rainbow silenced her with a glare. Coco couldn't take it any longer, and broke down in a fit of laughter. Rainbow recoiled slightly, realizing she had been played. "So... you're not mad, then? We're good?" "I got Sweetie Belle back earlier," Coco gasped, wiping her eyes. "It's just a large yam. But I will get you too, Rainbow Dash! It's so on!" Rainbow smirked. "Bring it!" Before anyone could respond, the conductor marched back into the car. Seeing Rainbow Dash, he narrowed his eyes. "Wwwwwhoopsie!" Rainbow backed up. "I think I need to make myself scarce. Ready, scamp?" "Buh?" "Well, I was planning on carrying you back to Ponyville..." Rainbow shrugged. "Oh!" Sweetie perked up. "That sounds pretty cool. I'll just get my things..." Coco reached into her saddlebag and pulled out the unmarked box containing Rarity's dress, and handed it to the filly, who was presently putting her book back under her hat. "All set!" Sweetie chirped. "Awesome, let's go!" Rainbow grabbed her, threw open the window, and blasted out. The conductor huffed, then turned back to his patrol. Coco sighed out the window, watching as the two swiftly disappeared into the distance. "I had fun today, Sweetie Belle..." Rainbow Dash soared across the sky, high enough that the sun was still visible, though the land below was coated in shadow. The lights of Ponyville gleamed in the distance, and she settled into an appropriate descending glide, aiming for the distinctive spire of Carousel Botique. "I'm cold," came a little voice from below her, where Sweetie Belle dangled from her hooves. Rainbow's ears perked. "Shoulda' said something sooner!" She flipped upside-down, continuing her glide, and Sweetie landed on her fuzzy blue belly. Rainbow pointed to her own saddlebags, which were mostly empty. "Climb in here. These'll protect you from the wind for sure, they're postal-grade." Sweetie Belle looked dubiously at the offered bag, clinging to her ride. "Are you sure? Those look kind of small..." "Eh, they'll stretch. It's cozy. You can put your stuff in the other one. Come on!" So she did, handing Rainbow Dash her hat and her book and her box and wiggling headfirst into the right-hoof bag, eventually managing to pull in her tail and turn around, peeking out. "Huh! I guess it is kind of nice in here! Thanks, Rainbow." Her voice was muffled by the fabric. "Told ya!" Rainbow grinned with her eyes closed. "All right, let's get this sorted out..." She semi-carefully stuffed Sweetie's stuff into the other side. Ensuring she was balanced, she flipped back right-side up, holding the saddlebags so as not to overturn them and dump the filly inside. Once they were in place, she narrowed her wings, doubling their speed now that her cargo was safer. Rarity sat at her table, wrapped in a fluffy bath robe and staring out a window of Carousel Boutique as she studied the sky, cuddling a cup of warm tea. Night had completely fallen, the sky colored a pleasing, gentle purple. Never taking her eyes off the heavens, she raised her cup to her muzzle, slowly stirring the remaining brew with her breath. She set it down, got up, and rearranged the folds of her robe, giving a wistful glance towards her luxurious couch a room over. But she sighed, returned to her stool, and resumed her windowside vigil. Across the room, the oven gently hummed, keeping warm a meal intended to be eaten an hour ago. Far in the distance, a prismatic trail blazed across the sky, luminous of its own accord even without the light of the sun. Rarity couldn't make out the pegasus at its end, but from the inbound direction, she knew it meant Rainbow Dash was returning to Ponyville. Rarity smiled softly in appreciation of her friend. Equestria really needs some method of instant communication, she mused. Like Spike, only for everypony, to everywhere. She had tried asking him if he could send a letter to Sweetie Belle the moment she returned, with no luck. Now she was still gazing out the window, watching as Rainbow drew closer. Quite a bit closer, in fact. Rarity slipped off her stool once again and trotted to the front door, which remained unbolted. Rainbow Dash pulled up, coming into a spiral around the tower of Carousel Boutique. She poked Sweetie as the porch came into view, a well-bundled Rarity standing out, eyes shining. The pegasus swooped to a stop, pulling into a hover right in front of her, presenting a bulging saddlebag. "The friendliest, awesomest, most loyal personal air ride from halfway up the Canterlot Mountains to Ponyville is... here!" she proclaimed, popping the strap off the bag with a flourish. Green eyes and a white horn popped out, followed by all of Sweetie Belle's head and forelimbs. "Hiya, Sis!" Rarity bounded forward, hauling the filly out with telekinesis and pulling her into a tight, fluffy hug. "Sweetie Belle! I'm so sorry about this morning, oh, I was just so flustered, and... and I completely lost track of where we were, and I gave you a poor meeting place, and..." Sweetie buried her face in Rarity's robe, snuggling. "It wasn't so bad, I had fun. Err, not for me, at least. Miss Pommel's the one who had to deal with it. You, uh... might owe her a bunch of stuff next time you see her." She looked up, blushing. Rainbow Dash wobbled, her balance thrown off by one saddlebag suddenly becoming empty and the other still heavily laden. "Uh... Hate to interrupt, girls, but you've got some luggage to take, and this ride needs to go catch some shut-eye." She reached in and grabbed Sweetie's stuff, pulling it out where it could be seen. "Thanks, Rainbow!" Sweetie hopped over and plopped her hat (and book) back on her head, and balanced the dress's box on her back. "G'night!" The pegasus silently saluted, before blasting away in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. Sweetie Belle turned to Rarity, who motioned inside, stepping over the threshold. Sweetie collapsed in the living room, splaying out on a large cushion. She yawned. "Big day, I take it?" Rarity draped a quilt over the filly. "Oh yeah," Sweetie said, eyes half-closed and a delirious grin on her face. "Nyup nyup... I spent most of it hanging out with Miss Pommel. And walking across town, and riding trains. Here!" She levitated the box over to Rarity, who took it in her own telekinesis and looked it over curiously. "What's this, dear?" "A birthday present." Sweetie held her expression, not blinking. "Then..." Rarity tilted it back at Sweetie Belle. "Wouldn't it be for you?" "Nope! I made it for you! Well, me and Miss Pommel did." Sweetie drew a hoof to her mouth, and added, "I think she likes you!" Rarity rolled her eyes at the last bit. "Well, if you insist..." She slipped open the seal on the box, and folded it away, Sweetie's dress floating out. "You... made this, Sweetie Belle? For me?" The filly's eyes were shimmering. "Yep!" Rarity still held the dress, repeating herself. "You made this?" "Uh huh!" Sweetie bobbed her head. "You made this?" "Yes! Now try it on!" Sweetie stomped a hoof. Rarity expertly unfolded the dress, sliding over a mirror and casting off her robe as she tied ties and laced laces with precision and speed born from a lifetime of experience. Soon, she was fully suited, and it fit to a tee. "Well? Do you like it?" Sweetie bounced. "I... Gah..." Rarity's mouth hung open. Sweetie tilted her head, ears flopping. "This is... this is lovely, Sweetie Belle!" Rarity cooed. "I didn't know you had this kind of talent in you!" "Well, Miss Pommel was the one who made it. I sorta just helped with the design..." Sweetie scuffed at the carpet. "I love it anyway." Rarity began untying the dress. "I do owe you a birthday outing, Sweetie Belle. Perhaps we can do that tomorrow, and I'll wear this? And whatever Coco did to help you make this, I'd very much appreciate if you could show me. Just think of all the fun we could have, creating fashion and high culture together!" Sweetie Belle, simultaneously glowing with praise and bashfully shirking, was interrupted by her stomach growling. "Um... I kinda missed dinner. And had an early lunch. Can I have some food?" "Of course, dear!" Rarity set the dress on a nearby rack, and began prancing over to the kitchen. "I actually have dinner all ready for us. I was saving it for when you got back! Although, I was hoping that would be earlier..." She glanced out at the dark night sky. "Well, good, because I'm starving!" Sweetie Belle hauled herself up to the table. "What did you make?" "Oh, I decided to get creative, try a little something new, you know." Rarity brushed her mane back. "It is your birthday, after all. Eat up!" She swept open the oven, and produced a platter containing a crispy-roasted, finely seasoned and delicately garnished large yam. Unquenchable giggling and the words "What's so funny?" drifted out the lit window of Carousel Boutique, off into the night.
