Princess Celestia had barely risen the sun to begin the day when Applejack awoke. She made extra careful not to wake her lil sis while getting herself together for the trip to Manehattan. Waking Apple Bloom would do more harm than good. A few more hours in the day for her to do dangerous things trying to earn that darn cutie mark. Applejack wished her lil sis would earn it already just so she could stop trying so dang hard. Plus, if Apple Bloom was up and able, she would no doubt try to accom-pony her to Manehattan.
Applejack might not have minded it. Going to Manehattan brought back some bad memories, and they had affected her while she slept. She remembered feeling alone, frightened, and, worst of all, unwelcome. Having her lil sis there would do a great deal to make her feel more comfortable. But, then again, Apple Bloom would probably try sidewalk art and whatnot while in the big city, and having to keep her in line while attempting to close this deal was too much for her mind to bear right now.
The cart was still full from yesterday. No pesky critters had come by in the night to ruin her crop. The Northeast fields' apples. What Pinkie Pie decided was the absolute best. These would be the ones that Crepe Suzette would try and, hopefully, decide were satisfactory enough to use in her cooking.
She hitched herself up to the cart, loaded up a satchel with her usual supplies for just in case, and departed Sweet Apple Acres for Manehattan as the sun was rising. The trail brought back those memories form when she was a filly, trying as desperately to find herself then as Apple Bloom was trying now. She held her head high as she carried on, knowing that she had conquered her past, and wouldn't have the same experiences this time round. It took a good deal of walking, gingerly thanks to the cart and its overflowing contents, over the next couple of hours to finally reach her destination.
Manehattan.
She wished her relative's directions were a bit better by the end of her journey. Her uncle's use of city terms, or as he would describe it, 'vernacular,' befuddled her to the point of getting on wrong streets on a number of occasions. By the time she found the address, no thanks to the city ponies who treated her like a child and even less thanks to the ones who scoffed at her and her cart of apples like she was beneath them, it was 5 minutes to noon. At least she could make a good impression by still being early.
The address was conspicuous enough. It had a large banner on the front of it under the name of the building that stated 'Coming Soon.' The name itself was done up in large golden letters, with images of a beautiful eye and a pony's mouth about to eat an apple adorning the ends of the sign, in the same golden style. Fancy. On the right side of the building was an optometrist's that specialized in bifocals, which according to a window display were all the rage with the pony elite this season. To the building's left was a rather large, all colt flight school that also taught courses on flight mechanics. She never thought flying was a big a deal to have courses taught at some large school in order to do it correctly. Maybe that's how Rainbow Dash is so good at flying, she thought. And to think that she picks on Twilight so much for studying when there's courses taught on how to do what should come natural to her.
She made a note to herself to tell Rainbow Dash how ridiculous she thought it was.
Applejack went around the back and knocked at the door that she assumed was for deliveries. She was apparently correct, as a blue waiter pony with a fancy twirled mustache and fu-fu hair-do answered her.
"Ahh, you must be the pony who's here for the apple contract." There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Grab a few and come on in."
A few? What in the hay did she bring a whole cart full for? Crepe Suzette better just be asking to taste a few first before asking for the rest later.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bleu. Gordon Bleu. I am the maitre'd of The Apple of My Eye."
"Oh, Ah could've sworn by yer fancy do-dads that you was a waiter of some kind."
"Madame, I am the head waiter, if you wish to call it that. Such a crude name if you ask me." First the sarcasm, now the condescending speech. Applejack felt just like a filly again as he showed her into the main dining area, which was mighty bland. And empty. And not all that put together if you asked her.
"As you can see, we are currently finishing up with the construction of the dining area." Applejack imagined this is what Twilight must be going through now as he walked her over to the kitchen door to bring her in. "Crepe Suzette is through these doors and is in the process of finishing her recipes. All she needs now is a steady supply of apples, which I take it you are in charge of providing her."
"Bringing her the apples, that's me."
"Yes, quaint." Gordon Bleu was noticeably annoyed at Applejack's common ways. It's nothing Applejack can do about it. It twas the way she'd been raised all her life. She might be a simple country pony to these city types, but she worked hard to be the pony she is today and wasn't gonna let some blue maned pony make her feel otherwise.
"Crepe Suzette, the, uh, apple pony has arrived."
Applejack was a little overwhelmed by what she saw. In Ponyville, Sugarcube Corner was about the most advanced kitchen she'd encountered. Here, it was like stepping into a science fiction novel as far as she was concerned. Shiny things everywhere. So many buttons and dials and switches and do-dads and other smaller buttons and larger dials. Kitchen tools that looked like they could eat all the kitchen tools that Pinkie Pie usually uses. Foods that she never even knew existed, and could only guess was food, considering their location in a kitchen. The only thing she really recognized was the frying pans. And, according to the poster on the wall behind said pans, they were some sort of miracle pans, where foods didn't stick and they cooked faster.
It was scary. She didn't know how any pony could live like this.
Crepe Suzette was even more intimidating. If Applejack didn't see her acknowledge Gordon Bleu, she would've assumed she was some sort of model. Her mane was tidier than Rarity's, as well as her tail. Her hooves didn't show the slightest sign of wear from cooking, whereas Pinkie Pie scorched at least 10 packs of socks using her hooves in the kitchen. Her coat was also impeccably clean. Her coat was an orange crème color and her mane was lightish green with a vanilla swirl. At least that's what it looked like to her. These were colors she didn't have in her Hayola 8 crayon box as a filly.
"Good day. I am Crepe Suzette, owner and head chef. Your aunt and uncle spoke well of you Miss Applejack. Do not disappoint."
Gulp.
"Now, may I partake of your wares."
"My wha?"
"Apples, dear. You did bring the apples, did you not?" Her voice showed a little irritation. She figured Applejack was one of 'those' ponies.
"Oh, yep. Here ya go. The finest Sweet Apple Acres has to offer." Suzette gave her a look as she pulled out some of the Northeast fields apples from her satchel. 'Yep' was not readily in her vocabulary, nor did she condone using such language in her new restaurant. This was to be four and a half star minimum in her eyes, and lumping herself in with common carnival fair was no way to get the respect she'd been trying to earn.
Crepe Suzette picked up the apples using her horn so she could continue mixing ingredients to make a light base for the recipes she would make in full later, now that she had the main ingredient to make her entrées. Seeing how Applejack looked, the way her body language gave off an impression, and her crude verbiage, she had low expectations for these apples she provided. Mr. and Mrs. Orange had put in a good word, one that she trusted, so they couldn't be steering her wrong.
It was quite impressive. She decided upon her first few bites, that using these apples in her recipe, she could already achieve a three star rating. A little below expectations, she admitted. Three and a half was what she was aiming for. But these apples put some other, so called 'gourmet' apples to shame. She wasn't sure if, with opening night coming up in nine nights, she could procure anything of greater substance. These would do, and she'd make it worth that lowly earth pony's while.
"Acceptable! If you, Miss Applejack, could supply me a cart full of apples on a weekly, and at times, bi-weekly basis, I can offer you the sum of 68,400 bits for the year." She had 80,000 bits allotted for the apples she would need. The 68,000, she thought, would entice her enough to consider the offer, with her having to make trips over a long distance so frequently. The 400 was for her to buy a decent outfit. This was a high class establishment.
"Wah, wah, wah…" Applejack was stunned by the news. She had thought 25,000. Maybe 40,000 if they were the best apples of the bunch. But that much. Either they were knock your socks off incredible or this pony was dumber than she looked and threw bits around like they was horseshoes. Both seemed possible.
"Don't stammer, it's unbecoming." Sounds like something Rarity would say. "I need a decision, Miss Applejack."
"Crepe Suzette, you got yerself a deal. Put it there partner." Here handshake and 'yer-' again got the worst response from Suzette."
"Dear, if you want to do business here in Manehattan, you are going to have to take some elocution lessons."
"Beg yer pardon, but, uh, can't y'all just hire an electrician to do that." This was beginning to push Suzette over the edge.
"Is that the way all the country ponies speak? I must say, it's awfully crude and, dare I say it, low class." Applejack couldn't take it when Rarity spoke this way, and she darn sure couldn't take it now.
"Well, aren't y'all such a high and mighty. The last time I checked, you ain't some hoity-toity fashion pony or a royal. I hate to break it to ya, sugarcube, but, uh, you're a cook."
That did it.
"A COOK! A COOK! Is that all that you think I am, you good for nothing backwoods pony. I, am a gourmet, and an ARTIST! This to you may look like the most upscale kitchen you and you're dirty hooves have ever walked into but to me this is an art studio, where I make masterpieces that other high class ponies such as myself can enjoy my labors of love!"
As she concluded, she slammed her hooves down, sending her confection sailing across the room. She had worked for two days getting the icing just right, and another two getting the patterns on it just so. Four days of hard work, because this dreadful pony had riled her up.
Applejack, without thinking, whipped her lasso out from her satchel, fastened it and launched towards the pompous cake. She fetched it right before it hit the ground where Gordon had stretched out to catch it. She saved Suzette's precious little pastry. That should put her back in the good graces.
Not really.
"YOU DISRESPECTFUL COWGIRL! It's dirty now. Gordon was about to catch it. Now it's got your filthy rope around it. The deal's off! Take your rotten fruit and leave! LEAVE!" She never had this problem in Ponyville. They at least said thank you when you helped them out.
Applejack, fuming as much as Suzette was screaming, went around back where her apple cart was and bucked it as hard as ever bucked before. All the apples tipped out, into the alley behind the restaurant. It was Crepe Suzette's problem now. She hitched her cart and stormed back to Ponyville.
Rainbow Dash, having the luxury of wings, was able to sleep in. It had been a few hours since Princess Celestia rose the sun and she was still in the comforts of her bed. She had already gotten the day off from the weather team to allow herself all the time she needed to prepare and have the meeting. She spent that time getting her beauty sleep. There was no reason for her to look disheveled when she went to Manehattan.
Manehattan was a big city, where the ponies conducted themselves in a different manner. They kept up their appearances. At least that's what she gathered from all the times Rarity talked about her dreams of hitting the big city and becoming a star. While Manehattan wasn't Canterlot or Trottingham, it was certainly a step above Ponyville.
She calculated that it would take her about 12 minutes to fly at a comfortable pace to get to Manehattan. A comfortable pace for her was a decent workload for most other pegasi. Rainbow Dash, however, enjoyed speed, and had gotten her normal flying speed up to how fast others would go when they were in a hurry. That meant, getting herself ready through her usual morning routine, stretch, breakfast, brush, comb, she could wake up at 11:30 and still get there with a few minutes to spare.
Arriving a few minutes early would be polite. No need to keep them waiting.
She touched down in Manehattan at 11:57. Just as she had predicted. She wasn't always so interested in math, but when it came to something she really wanted to do, she'd buckle down and figure it out.
The Manehattan Aeronautics Academy was rather large and prestigious looking. The building took up a large chunk of the street it was housed on. As she approached the double doors that made up the entrance to her future, she looked at the buildings that neigh-bored it. On the left of the academy was a bird sanctuary. Fluttershy would get a kick out of this. The window mentioned that it was currently exhibiting toucans from far away, and would be available for viewing for a limited engagement. Weird bird for a short time was all it had to say, she thought. No need to make it overly-sophisticated. On the right was a building that had a big banner on the front that mentioned it was coming soon. But it's already there, she thought. The tables inside led her to believe it was a restaurant of some kind.
The Apple of My Eye? Who names a restaurant that?
She entered the building and stood in the foyer. It was grand. Up above, there were bronze statues of pegasi that contributed to aeronautics hung by strong but nearly transparent support wires, giving the impression that they still flew among them. Pillars of marble extended towards the heavens, a mural painted on the domed ceiling to show where they spent their days. The walls were covered with posts about guest lecturers, meetings to discuss classes or advances in the fields. Papers on pressure drops above the wing and decreasing drag over bodies of water that were stamped with accolades were on display behind a case. The middle of the foyer had another statue of Leonardo Hay Vinci, who developed several of the philosophies that they still taught and the reason schools like this exist.
Egghead would enjoy this, for sure. But seeing all these major accolades, expansive curriculum and extensive history, this was a bigger deal than she imagined.
There was a sign overhead that pointed towards the athletic wing of the school. As she ventured down that hallway and saw the trophies, saying to herself that there were a lot more where that came from now that she's here, some students reacted to her. Two of the colts were mouth agape, while the other colt snickered. The ones that were shocked she could understand; her presence was one that garnered and deserved adoration. The one that snickered she couldn't figure out. Whatever, she thought.
She entered the office of the talent scout that matched the name on the card Twilight gave her. Bryan Ace. It was noon, exactly the time she was supposed to show up. The class bells rang as the clock struck to signal the changing of classes. As Rainbow Dash went in, Bryan looked up from his work tabulating times for other colts he scouted to meet his star that would guide their team to championships and him to comped meals.
"Can I help you, miss?"
"Rainbow Dash, at your service sir."
He could see his career crumbling before his eyes.
"So, how many championships are we gonna win. I'm planning on winning about 6 or 7, maybe a couple of MVPs here and there, but, you know, that might all change if…" Rainbow Dash was gonna mention flaking to join the Wonderbolts if they come calling but was interrupted.
"So you're this Rainbow Dash, huh?"
"Uh, yeah, weren't you paying attention. You are the one that scouted me."
"Ooooh. So you're that pony that flew through the session yesterday? Leaving that rainbow trail and whoosh sound in your wake?"
"Yep, that was me. Sorry about that if I ruined the thing you set up. But hey, me running through it got me here, so I guess everything worked out." She didn't want to tell him that she flew through because she was freaked out her friend might have foreshadowed her demise of cutting her up and baking her. Maybe in her first, no, second championship speech she would mention it.
"Huh, great! If I knew you was a mare I never would've bothered with you." That certainly caught Rainbow Dash by surprise. What would her being a mare have to do with anything? "Now I gotta reset my lines for next season and hope this doesn't get out."
Bryan tried to remember how to pay for a meal. He was gonna need it.
"Wait, why wouldn't you have bothered with me? I don't follow."
"This is an all-colts school Rainbow Dash. We don't take any mares as students, and that includes athletic competitors."
"All-colts? So, this is an all boys school?"
"That's what all-colts means." Now Rainbow understood the expressions by the three colts she saw outside the office. They were surprised by her, all right. Not because of her reputation. Just because there was a hen in the rooster house.
"Wait a minutes. Why can't I join? You got something against mares, do ya?" Rainbow Dash got intimidating with the scout. So what if she was a mare? She was still the best flyer she knew. Why should she be excluded because of her gender.
"It's just tradition." This caught Rainbow Dash off guard. She assumed, from the all-colts comment, that he didn't think mares could compete in athletics. That colts were better. But tradition? What did that have to do with anything.
"Rainbow Dash, we've been an all-colts school for as long as the school has been open. We compete in a league that is all-colts. It's just the way this league of academies was founded. You've heard of the Colt Scouts and Mare Scouts, yes?" She had. "If you were a mare, you wouldn't join the Colt Scouts, would you?" She wouldn't. "I know you're a great flyer, that's why I recruited you. But it's just a tradition that this school has always done. There are all Mare schools I can get in touch with if you want."
Rainbow Dash felt terrible. Her chance to join a premier flying league and compete against other pegasi was dashed for now. She went from being on a team without having to try out, intentionally, to having to go through the real process for a different school. At least she wasn't merely excluded because of her gender.
"Uh, okay. That would be good, too."
"Just stay in touch and I'll keep you posted. Now, you probably don't know this, but I've got quite a reputation around here as an excellent scout that's delivered top talent here for years. Now, word has got out about a Rainbow Dash coming here to join the team, and this little development could damage my career. So, I'll tell the athletic department that you turned us down, not wanting to compete at this time in your life, and I'll tell other all-mare schools about a fantastic prospect. If you just walk out now and pretend this never happened. Okay?" It was an alright deal, not that great, but she came all the way to Manehattan, she was leaving with something of value.
"Uh, yeah, sure. Thanks anyway." As she turned to walk away, her business done, she was overcome with a question that would bother her if she didn't ask.
"Bryan, I gotta ask. If this is an all-colts school, why even invite me down her?"
"To be honest with you, Rainbow Dash, I could've sworn you were a colt."
A colt? Rainbow Dash?
"WHAT? You thought I was a colt?" The shock of it was greater than she experienced in some time.
"Well, you know you were not one of the prospects yesterday, so I didn't have you on record. You flew by so fast, I didn't get that good a look at you. But, the speed, the brashness and attitude in the movements, the way the other colts there seemed in awe, I just naturally assumed you were a colt. I've just never seen any other mares fly with the same attitude as you. You just came across as a colt, that's all."
She had been called a tomboy before, even rough around the edges as far as girly goes. And she would agree. But to be outright called, and confused with, a colt? That really rustled her feathers. Any embarrassment and dashed feelings she suffered during the meeting were immediately overtaken by anger as his statement concluded. She couldn't even bring herself to respond to Bryan as she stormed out of the office, past the colts who were changing classes and exchanging looks about her, out the door and back to Ponyville.
It was quite a site. Two ponies, one of rainbow mane, the other with her hat, both coming out of their respective appointments at the same time, mad as you'd ever seen a pony. The rainbow one went towards the bird sanctuary, the cowgirl, the optometrist's, not even noticing the other one was there. You'd hardly suspect they were best friends. And yet, the day was not yet over for each of them, as they would each, unbeknownst to the other, embark on a similar path. It was quarter past noon, and it would be a full twenty four hours until they would next see each other eye to eye.
They hadn't recognized each other on that Manehattan street just then.
They wouldn't recognize each other the next time they stood eye to eye.
