Sweetie's Manehatten Adventure

WARNING: Contains a dirty joke.

"But sis," Sweetie Belle whined, "when I said I wanted to come with you to Manehatten, I didn't think I'd have to hang out in a boring hotel room!"

"Sweeite Belle, you knew full well that this was a business trip and you begged to come along anyway," Rarity responded briskly.  Seeing tiny tears well up in the little unicorn's eyes forced a sigh from her.  "How about this?  Once my business is concluded, I'll take you around town all evening."

Sweetie hopped into the air, her smile beaming.  "You really mean it?"

Rarity couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm.  "Of course I mean it.  But in the meantime, you need to stay here.  I don't want you going any farther than the little shop at the end of the block."  She took a step closer to her little sister and tilted her head back as she scowled in an exaggerated fashion.  "I mean it now, if you wander off, I'll have Celestia banish you to the moon for ten thousand years!"

Sweetie gulped.  "I promise sis, no wandering off."

Rarity smiled immediately, "Good!  Now I'm leaving you a couple bits in case you need anything."  Rarity dropped the coins on the bed side table as she headed towards the door.  "I'll see you in a couple of hours."  With that, Rarity disappeared into the hall, shutting the door behind her.

Time ticked by slowly for little Sweetie.  She tried to read the Big Book of Celestia that one could find in every hotel throughout Equestria, but it proved too dull for her young mind.  She eventually resorted to simply pony watching from the window, her eyes being drawn to large billboard across the street.  It was a large and colourful add that showed a pony, not much older than her and with the biggest smile on their face, reaching for a blue glass bottle.  The billboard read, "Try some refreshing Sarsaparilla, it's JUST the thing to quench your thirst."

Sweetie Belle's throat felt dry just from reading the add.  The little pony grabbed up the coins left for her, dropped them in her neck purse, and marched out the door.  She walked quickly through the hotel lobby and smiled a thank you at the pony who opened the main door for her.  She tried to keep her eyes focused on the store at the corner, afraid that if she let her eyes wander to the rest of the city, the rest of her would follow.

Sweetie's eyes went wide when the doors of the convenience store opened automatically.  She giggled as she hopped back and forth causing the doors to slide open and closed.  The game lost its charm after a few dozen times and she headed toward the counter and called out, "Excuse me, my good pony, but I'd like to try some refreshing Sarsaparilla.  It's JUST the thing to quench my thirst."  Sweetie looked up at the clerk and quickly let out a gasp.  The lady griffon behind the counter eyed her quizzically.

"I'm sorry," Sweetie said blushing, "I didn't even know they let griffons work stores."  She threw a hoof over her mouth and quickly added, "I'm not saying griffons can't work in shops or that they shouldn't it's just-"

Sweetie was cut off as the griffon flared out her wings and let out a series of chirps, growls, and meows.  Following the vocal display, the griffon stared at the open mouth Sweetie expectantly.

After almost a solid minute, an idea finally dawned on Sweetie.  "Oh, I get it," she shouted excitedly.  "You can't speak pony!"  Sweetie held out her forelegs, "CAW CAW!  ROAR!  MEOW!"  Sweetie held her legs out in front of her and tipped her head back making gulping noises.

The griffon stood there blinking for several seconds before turning around and grabbing through the buyable goods behind her.  "Oh good," Sweetie Belle said as she wiped her forehead.  "For a second there, I thought you wouldn't be able to understand my accent."

The griffon turned back around with a smile and dropped a magazine on the counter.  Sweetie let out a frustrated sigh and dropped a pair of bits on the counter, "Oh whatever, at least it's something to do!"

Hours later, Rarity came back into the hotel room, bursting with pride at a deal well carried out.  "I'm back Sweetie, I hope you weren't too bored."

Sweetie didn't look up as she turned a page in her magazine.  "No, I've been good, I bought a comic from the corner store."

Rarity *tsk*ed as she walked up behind her.  "It's not another of those silly super hero stories like you're always borrowing from Scootaloo, is it?"

Sweetie flipped the book shut, "No, it's more like a romance thing.  It's nothing but kissing and stuff and there's hardly any words.  Some of the ponies in it are really pretty though!"  She held up the magazine in her mouth so her sister could see.

"Oh, let me take a lo-," Rarity's mouth fell open and Sweetie would later swear that all the colour even drained from her mane as Rarity saw the cover.  It was two mares, their faces in ecstasy as they ground their back ends together under the banner, "Mares Driven To Mate".

Back at the corner store, Gilda had not stopped laughing for hours.