“That building is quite large.” Rarity told her friends as they nodded in agreement. They all looked at the building that had begun being built only a few days ago, and was almost ready.

“This here building looks like three of my barns put together!” Applejack said, as the others nodded in agreement again. “What do ya’ll suppose it is?”

“Maybe it’s going to be the new city hall.” Twilight guessed, the others nodding in agreement. She honestly didn’t know what the building was for. There were never buildings this large except for places near the Canterlot Castle. Even then those buildings weren’t used for much other than large ballrooms. Maybe it was going to be a ballroom?

“Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.” Rainbow Dash said, the others nodding in agreement.

***

Twilight walked out of the library, heading over to where the large building was almost complete. Her and her friends had agreed to meet over at the entrance, because it was the grand opening of… Well…whatever it was.

“Twilight!” Pinkie rang out as she signaled her to come join them in the crowd of ponies that were all crowded around the entrance.

She approached her friends and stood next to them as they all waited impatiently for the unveiling of the sign for the building.

“Mares and Gentlecolts” A colt on a microphone spoke out to the crowd. He walked up onto a small stage that was on the left side of the door. He had one a mini-mic set, which looked quite fancy. “We are proud to unveil our newest location of…” He paused for dramatic effect as the veil on the sign was dropped. “Mane-Mart!” The sign that now appeared had large, red letters that read MANE*MART

The crowd cheered as the doors were opened. Everypony rushed inside, as did Twilight and her friends. Twilight had no idea was a ‘mart’ was, and she didn’t exactly like the idea of it anyways. Her friends were all excited, however, so that made her feel better about it.

They walked down the pathway that led to the entrances of isles. They looked to their left and saw multiple cash registers with uniformed ponies working them. On their right they saw isles of food.

“What do you suppose this place is?” Rainbow Dash asked her friends.

“I think this here is called a ‘Food Library’.” Applejack made an educated guess. “Seeing as all of that food there is shelved up all perfect-like.”

“Fooood library.” Pinkie pie repeated.

“Fooo-Fooood Libbrrraarryyy”

“Foooooooddddd Lllllibbrrraaaarrryyy.”

“Food-Food-Food library.”

Twilight looked at her friends as they looked around the ‘Food Library’, saying its name in any fashion they could.

“It’s called a Grocery Store.” Twilight shook her head, walking up the path. Her friends followed. “The only thing is, I’ve only seen a grocery store in one place. It was when I visited Manehatten last year. I had Princess Celestia with me, and I had to ask her what it was. She told me that it was a place to get anything and everything.”

“I bet they don’t sell me!” Rainbow Dash stood up on her hind legs and put her hooves to her hips in awesomeness.

“Mommy, Mommy! Look at my new Rainbow Dash doll!” A filly rang out to her mommy. The girls looked at each other and ran to the isle that it came from.

Every single pony in Ponyville. Dolls. Everypony was a doll. Plushie dolls, regular dolls, and even dolls that you can brush their mane.

“Do I really look like this?” Twilight picked up a doll of herself with her magic. There was only one in stock. There was twenty of Rainbow Dash, however.

Rainbow Dash grinned. “I like this Food Library. It not only has food, but it also has me!”

“Applejack, the Lovable Farm Pony.” Applejack read a box that contained her. “Well. Ah don’t know whether to be scared or to be flattered.”

“I do love how they did this dress.” Rarity played with hers. Everyone played with their respective dolls or plushies, all except Fluttershy.

“I…I don’t know. This all seems…strange.” Fluttershy decided to let the others play with their dolls. She walked around the store by herself, passing by other ponies that pushed around carts of food and other things. Fluttershy looked down the aisles until she saw one named ‘Pet Food.’

Fluttershy smiled as she walked down the aisle. Everything she needed for all of her animal friends in one place.

***

“That will be fifty-two bits!” The cashier excitedly told Fluttershy as she paid for all of the food. “Would you like help getting those things home with you, mam?” The cashier pony asked. She shook her head.

“The cart will be fine, thank you.” She gave five more bits for the cart rental service. She had completely forgotten about her friends, as she was so happy that she could now get what she needed in one place.

***

“What in the hay is this?” Applejack looked at a large tub of apples, all of which ponies were loading into their carts. Each apple taken was lost business for Applejack.

“Look at all of the cakes!” Pinkie rang out as she looked at the cakes that were being sold at the small bistro area.

“Pinkie,” Applejack shook her head. “You live in a place with cakes.” She continued to watch as her business was being taken away from her. Pinkie came to this realization.

“Wait…” Pinkie’s face went to despair. “Then that means if all of these ponies are shopping here and can get multiple items, then they have no reason to go to Sugarcube Corner. Not only that, the supply here is very large which means that the amount of demand makes the prices incredibly low, which in return makes ponies want to buy them. This is a contrast to the Cakes business which only two ponies make sweets, while I’m sure a large abundance of bakers work here. With this, Mane-Mart will have better business with cakes and other pastries than Sugarcube Corner will. The location is in the middle of Ponyville and is in a nice walking distance, and not only that, ponies can get multiple things. They won’t need to go to Sweet Apple Acres or Sugarcube corner and waste all of that time going to multiple places when they can just come here for everything they need. Prices here are two times less than ours, and are easier to reach. We are no competition for the large corporation that has breached out little town!”

“What?”

To Be Continued