Tabitha was just checking in a new resident with a smile. They were a nice and normal pony, and remained as such after being given their keys, a fact that she was grateful for.

The mare gasped in surprise, but didn't flee, and Tabitha sent her off to her new room.

"Changelings these days..." muttered the mare as she went.

Tabitha left her office just as the door opened and Coco Pomell entered, looking down and guilty. "Hey, Coco, what has you down?" She had yet to see a pony looking that out of sorts.

Coco glanced up at her biped landlord as her ears spun back. "N-nothing, I'm just being stupid. This... is how you make it in the fashion business."

Tabitha only became more curious. "Does this involve that bossy horse from before?"

"You can call me a horse if you like, but using it like that is a little... offensive, and she isn't here to defend herself."

She looked like Tabitha had just said a naughty word, so Tabitha shook her head. "I didn't mean anything by it, sorry. For real though, want to talk about it?"

Coco glanced around the lobby. "Not... here." She led the way to the elevator, then to her room after it arrived. She was silent as she walked, fretfully glancing at her landlord but not saying a thing. It was only when they were inside her apartment and the door was closed and locked that she let out her breath. "Alright, so, you know Suri Polomare, right?"

"We met once," said Tabitha as she rolled a hand. "I can't say she charmed me at the time. What about her?"

"She's my 'in' to the fashion scene. She got us both into a contest, and she won today."

"So, that's good news, right?" Tabitha didn't understand what the problem was, but she wanted her first pony friend to not be so obviously broken and torn.

"It would be..." She sighed. "We didn't win entirely based on skill. The fabric she brought in for me to use came from another designer in that same contest who didn't know we'd make entire outfits out of it." Coco sank to the floor, head resting on a hoof. "I feel awful. The look on her face..."

It became much clearer. "Oh." It wasn't an open and shut case. "So, how important is this contest?"

"Extremely." Coco looked up towards the ceiling. "It could make or break us."

Tabitha looked over Coco, taking in her distraught face. "I may be being presumptuous, but it looks like you're being broken, contest won or not."

Coco flinched as if struck and flopped. "You're not wrong..." She pulled free a little trophy and set it on the ground. "I won't... I've not been completely honest."

"Oh?"

"The other designer. She didn't technically lose. She was just told she did, and she left without claiming her prize, so we could take it instead of second place." Coco sank miserably as if she could melt through the floor. "I'm a terrible pony."

Tabitha stood in the awkward silence a moment before she fixed on that abandoned trophy. "It's not too late."

"Hmm?"

"You have the trophy. Go find this other designer and do what you pretty obviously feel is right."

Coco sat up, blinking her puffy eyes. "You... You're right. She gave us that fabric out of the generosity of her heart. The least I can do is tell her the truth and give her what she rightfully earned." She rose to her hooves and plucked up the statue with her magic, tucking it away. "T-thank you. We've barely become friends and here you are... I owe you." She flashed a smile, then ran right out the door, leaving it open.

Tabitha had done well, but she felt like she just tipped a boulder over an edge. She got the idea that Coco would have come down even if she wasn't there, but she still smiled for taking part in that situation. She left Coco's apartment and locked the door behind her. It wouldn't do to leave it flapping in the breeze.

Another pony came soaring in that didn't mind flapping in a breeze. Razz flashed a huge smile. "Are ya ready for tonight? We're gonna blow the roof off!"

She had forgotten his tickets, but his presence was reminder enough. "Is there a dress code?"

He blinked at her. "Dress how you want to dress. A lot of ponies don't wear anything, but those that do often go with tie die." His eyes went from her feet to her head. "If you don't have tie die, nothing's just as good."

She felt a flush of anger before realizing that nudity was pretty normal among the ponies. Maybe he meant nothing by it. Either way... "I have something that'll work." It wasn't a bad time to set things straight though. "One thing, asking a human to show up anywhere naked isn't a good idea. We're very protective of that. Unless we're taking a bath or something, expect clothes."

He used a wing to pull at the sack that hung around his neck. "I don't get it, but I didn't mean anything, sorry. I mean, how do y--" He had the sense to abort that question. "Meet you in the lobby at six?"

"At six," she confirmed even as she headed for her own room to get ready. She got dressed in a shirt that read 'Rocking Hard' and some colorful armbands that she figured would fit in well with the ponies. Would they even see her clothes, or just the pegasus she was supposed to be?

Perhaps that pegasus would be wearing her outfit and she smiled at the idea of a pegasus with her choice in fashion. It was adorable in her eyes. "I almost wish I could see what they see." Not that she needed to be a pegasus. Being a human was grand, but it was like... "It's like wearing a hat you can't see but everyone else can." Speaking of hats, she put on a black cap and adjusted it a little before she grabbed her purse and slung it into place.

She descended to the lobby and emerged to find Razz Berry sitting there waiting for her. "How long have you been here?" He turned colors. Had he been there the entire time? "You said six."

"Yeah, but I was already ready." He turned for the exit. "Come on. Nice shirt. It's not as colorful as some, but you'll fit in just fine." He marched at a light trot out in the evening street and hung a right. "Have you ever been to a concert before? The Grateful Mares are very popular. I've been to one of their shows before, and I even have two of their records if you want to listen to them later." He didn't allow a moment silence between them, talking regularly as they wove through the sea of pony bodies.

"I think you'll like them. They're really cool, play well, and sing great songs."

Tabitha shook her head as she went ahead. One advantage of being something else to others was that there was always a little room around her for the pony she wasn't. It kept the crowd back. "So, are they all mares?"

"The name gave it away, huh?" He smiled as he crossed the street.

Another pony, a filly with a big smile, pressed in close to Tabitha. "Are you headed to the concert too?! This is my first and I'm so excited!"

"Once you go mare, none can compare," spoke Razz with a sage nod, but he kept moving.

Tabitha chuckled softly. "I've never seen this band before, but I've been to a concert before." She examined the young-looking pony. "So, what's your name?"

"Sugar Pop," reported the earth pony filly with a big smile that wouldn't die. "Nice to meet you, Miss...?"

"Tabitha."

"Tabitha." The filly nodded then looked ahead to Razz. "Hey, you see them before?"

"Yeah. You're in for a show." They arrived at the venue, a large thing that looked like Madison Square Garden. There was a line, but they were on the shorter of the two they could see. Sugar settled in just behind them.

Tabitha became curious. "Already got your ticket, I guess?"

"Yep!" She produced her ticket from whatever space ponies held things and waved it excitedly before a passing pony grabbed it in their mouth and walked right along, stealing the filly's ticket without a pause. "Hey! Hey!" She tried to follow her thief, but she couldn't make much headway through the crowd.

Tabitha felt a rising fury. It was bad enough stealing anything from anybody, but a little kid? That was seriously wrong. She shoved forward and ponies squeaked and complained even when she didn't touch them. She was pushing close enough that the pony she 'should' have been was running them over and they were reacting.

Complaints or not, she was making good time and she drew out some mace from her purse as she closed in on the thief. "Give that back right now..." She was pretty sure it was a stallion, but she couldn't be sure. It was a thick crowd, and her knowledge of ponies was still growing. She hopped forward and landed on one pony's back. They squeaked and turned red even as she slid down the other side and rushed for the thief. "Stop!"

The pony looked over... her... shoulder at Tabitha, eyes went wide, then narrowed. She tried to go faster, and it became an all-out chase.

The thief ducked into an alley and Tabitha charged after without thinking about it, at least until she was slammed into a brick wall. The mare she had been following snarled at her as she pressed Tabitha tight to the wall, but her stance was wrong. Tabitha was being pushed at the belly instead of neck, perhaps due to the illusion.

Even as the thief said something about making a mistake, Tabitha raised the pepper spray and depressed the trigger. With a hiss of an angry snake, she sprayed the big pony eyes in front of her.

The assailant reeled back as her eyes went red almost instantly and she wailed in pain. "What'd you do?! What is this!?" She collapsed, hooving at her face and incapacitated. Tabitha crouched down and quickly retrieving the fallen ticket.

"Don't steal, especially from kids, god." She turned and left the thief writhing in pain, and wondering how goats got involved in the affair.

Tabitha pushed back through the crowd. She wasn't in a specific rush that time and swam through it more sedately until she found the little filly next to Razz. She was sniffling and crying and Razz was trying to comfort her, but that all went away when Tabitha emerged with the girl's ticket.

"My ticket!" She rushed up and grabbed it, then hugged Tabitha tightly. "You're a hero!"

Razz smiled at the exchange. "I was worried about you. When did you become a vigilante? You coulda been hurt, but I'm glad it worked out."

Tabitha gently stroked the filly's mane before they parted. "I'm alright. That wasn't the smartest thing I ever did, but I couldn't just stand there and let them get away with that. The nerve..."

Razz nodded at that. "You're very brave."

"She sure is." They all turned to see a somewhat scraggly mare standing there. Despite her rough appearance, everyone around seemed to recognize her and stared with wide eyes. "Security told me what was going on. Seems we got a hero among us."

Razz raised a shaking hoof at Tabitha. "She stopped the thief and got the ticket back."

The mare looked over Tabitha's pegasus form, missing much of her human outline. "Righteous. Can I see your ticket?"

Razz quickly produced the two tickets for himself and Tabitha. She took it and the little filly's, then tore them right in half. Even as they fell, she produced a new set. "You had the wrong tickets, dudes and dudettes. Enjoy the show, and keep it real." She rose a hoof like she was giving a peace sign, then wandered off.

Tabitha watched the pony wander off and looked to Sugar and Razz, both shaking and giggling with excitement. She could guess what just happened. "Was that one of the Grateful Mares?"

Razz giggled a moment before he cleared his throat. "You, I mean, I guess you wouldn't. Yes! Yes! Look!" He presented the VIP tickets with backstage access. "The best tickets in the house!" He jumped forward and glomped her, and the girl was moments behind.

Tabitha smiled awkwardly. She'd never been a hero before, or been rewarded like that, or... been hugged by two people that still rated close to strangers. She couldn't really be angry at the little girl, but it pushed on just a bit too far for her to accept from Razz and she pushed both back. "Let's enjoy the show, front and back."

Author's Notes:

This chapter ran on longer than I planned, but I like it. Was that a typo, or did you like it too?

To get in the proper mood, I had a playlist full of Grateful Dead music going.