MLP: The Portal

Chapter 31: Ice Cream

"Wow, so this is Manehattan, huh?" Alex looked around in astonishment. Rarity smiled and nodded.

"Yes, it's quite extravagant, isn't it?" Rarity asked.

"It looks a lot like New York. Actually, it sounds a lot like New York too." Alex said with an ironic chuckle.

"Is that a city on your planet?" Twilight asked curiously.

"It is."

"Isn't it funny how there are things in Equestria that serve as counterparts to places and things on Earth?" Rarity observed curiously.

"Maybe Earth and Equestria are alternate dimensions instead of different planets." Twilight said with a giggle.

"Do you have alternate dimensions?" Alex asked.

"We do, actually." Twilight nodded.

"What? You serious? You're not just messing with me, right?" Alex asked again.

"No, we do have alternate dimensions." Twilight repeated her affirmative.

"No way!" Alex said, his pitch rising.

"Haha, we'll put it on the list." Twilight said.

The three of them approached Rarity's shop. She opened it up and they entered. Alex looked around curiously, noticing all the differences and similarities between the Ponyville branch and the Manehattan branch. He nodded with approval.

"I kinda like the look of this one." Alex said with a chuckle.

"Thank you, it certainly has more of a city feel for these city folk, heheh. Come come, let me introduce you to my manager! Where is she?" Rarity wondered aloud, looking around. She left Twilight and Alex alone for the moment.

"Does she always get this excited?" Alex asked with a chuckle.

"When it comes to showing off her fashion? Always." Twilight answered with a smile.

"Nice. It's nice to have that kind of passion."

"Rarity tells me you have an eye for fashion as well. She mentioned touring your closet at one point?" Twilight asked curiously.

"Oh, it sounds so awkward when you say it like that. I just showed her some of my stuff." Alex said with a chuckle.

"I understand. Well, a fashion compliment from Rarity is a pretty big deal, so whatever you showed her, you might wanna hold on to that." Twilight advised.

"Ooh, gotcha. You know, I was kind of wondering, how is there a fashion industry here when most of the time we don't even really wear clothes?" Alex asked.

"Ok! Alex, this is my manager, Sassy Saddles. Sassy Saddles, this is our good friend Alex. It's his first time visiting Manehattan." She introduced the two. They shook hooves.

"Hey there, Sassy. Nice to meet ya." Alex said with a chuckle, finding her name amusing.

"Nice to meet you too. I hear from Rarity that you have terrific taste for clothing." She said with a chuckle.

"I mean, I do alright, not as well as you guys. It looks like you run a tight ship around here." Alex observed the orderliness of the store.

"I do my best." Sassy said modestly. Alex nodded in approval.

"Mind if I take a look around? What can you interest me in?" Alex joked. Sassy chuckled.

"Come this way. We got a larger section for stallions here." She said, leading him off. Twilight and Rarity joined together now.

"It's not every day you find somepony to share a passion for fashion with." Rarity said.

"Mhmm. Hey, wasn't Rainbow Dash supposed to come with us?" Twilight asked curiously. Rarity nodded, her expression growing more solemn.

"She was, however, I'm afraid she's been wishing to distance herself from Alex lately." Rarity said.

"Really? What happened? Did they get into a fight?"

"No. You see, darling, Rainbow Dash…well, feels a certain sort of way for Alex here that he apparently doesn't reciprocate, or, at the very least, he rejected her…" Rarity said, looking for a word to finish her sentence but then realizing that summarized the situation well enough.

"Really? How do you know about that?" Twilight asked.

"Well, because she told me, dear. She was very upset. I told her she could take a rain check on our trip today. I hope to try and talk to him today, see if I can find any reason behind it." Rarity said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea…?" Twilight asked.

"Talking about what's wrong is never a bad idea, Twilight. Besides, that's what friends are there for. You know that." Rarity said with a smile.

"Alright," Twilight nodded. "I'll let you handle that then. I don't really know anything about romance." Twilight said.

"I'm no expert either," Rarity giggled before changing the subject. "Oh, and don't tell Alex, but I'm preparing something for him; a small token of thanks, if you will." She said excitedly.

"Really, what are you making? Something fashion related, I assume?" Twilight presumed with a chuckle.

"Yes! I actually have something very specific in mind, and if my measurements are right, he'll be able to wear it whether he's here or on his world."

"That sounds really nice!" Twilight said.

"What sounds really nice?" Sassy Saddles asked as she and Alex came back. Alex had on a green scarf wrapped around his neck so its ends weren't visible, and it didn't really drape down.

"Oh, umm… We were thinking about…getting some ice cream! Would you like to come?" Twilight was able to come up with something.

"I'd like to, but I do have a lot of work to attend to in the back room. Perhaps next time?" Sassy Saddles asked. The girls nodded.

"Sure." Twilight agreed.

"Green really suits you, Alex. You should keep that." Rarity advised, now seeing that green was a color that matched Alex's color scheme as a pony.

"Would you like me to ring that up?" Sassy Saddles asked.

"Nonsense, it's on the house, as they say." Rarity giggled and grinned.

"Hey, thanks Rarity. In that case, I think I will keep it." Alex decided.

"Thank you very much, Sassy, for showing Alex around. I'll be around again next week. In the meantime, don't overwork yourself."

"I'll try not to." Sassy Saddles replied with a chuckle.

"So, how about that ice cream?" Alex asked.

"Haha, let's go get some." Twilight giggled.

"So, Alex, I had something I wanted to ask you about." Rarity brought up to Alex.

"What's up?"

"Oh, look at the time, I, uh…gotta use the little filly's room, hehehhhh…" Twilight quickly excused herself. Alex raised an eyebrow at this, but turned her attention back to Rarity.

"What's that about?" He asked her.

"Because she knows what I wish to ask you, darling." Rarity said with a sigh.

"Ah…" Alex nodded, already knowing what she was gonna say.

"Yes… Rainbow Dash didn't want me to bring it up so soon, but I'm just concerned. What's the matter?" Rarity asked.

"You're concerned…?" Alex asked in surprise. This clearly wasn't what he expected her to say.

"Of course. She said you seemed troubled, and while I think you and Rainbow Dash would work well together, if there's something bothering you so much that you feel it best to not, you can at least tell me, your friend." Rarity said.

"I see…" Alex said, leaning back a bit, looking strangely suspicious but also trusting. Rarity nodded.

"Alex?"

"Yeah, uh… I just wasn't sure if I was ready to jump into a relationship again." Alex admitted slowly and awkwardly.

"Why's that?"

"Well, you see… I've been cheated on three times. Pretty much all of my relationships have ended that way, so I just…stopped. I determined to just keep to myself rather than go through that again." Alex explained slowly, often pausing to find the right words, but finally he got it all out.

"Alex…why didn't you just say that to her?" Rarity asked, concerned but fully understanding his feelings.

"I don't know, I couldn't really get it out. Soon as I said no and saw her reaction, I knew she wasn't gonna hear anything else I said." Alex defended. Rarity nodded.

"Yes, Rainbow Dash tends to be that way from time to time. One thing though: do you like Rainbow Dash?" Rarity asked straight out.

"I do. I care about her too, which is why I wish she hadn't asked, because I know it hurt her when I said no." Alex said, shaking his head.

"You do realize that this can only be resolved if you tell her everything you just told me." Rarity said.

"I know… I'll give some thought to how." Alex said, finally taking another bite of his ice cream.

"Okay." Rarity nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.

"…thanks, Rarity."

"You're welcome, darling."

"Yeah… I honestly thought you were just gonna confront me about it, maybe say something to make me feel bad." Alex admitted, his undertone suggesting what he expected to happen would not have been pleasant.

"Of course not, Alex. What happens between the two of you is your business alone, but you're my friend too. I wouldn't do that."

"Well, there's another first then." Alex said. Twilight came back.

"So…this ice cream, huh? Really great." She said awkwardly.

"We're all good, no worries, Twilight." Alex said.

"Okay good, because it was getting kind of boring just waiting around." Twilight said with an awkward chuckle…