Manehattan Mysteries

Manehattan Mysteries is the eighth story arc of IDW Comics' comic series, spanning issues #21-22. In the story, Trixie is accused of stealing a rare diamond, and Applejack, Apple Bloom, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Babs Seed set out to clear her name and catch the real thief, Rough Diamond.
==Summary==
===Issue #21===
In Manehattan, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Apple Bloom, and Babs Seed—all dressed in formal attire—go to Carneighie Hall to catch a magic show. When Fluttershy asks Rarity about the necklace she planned on wearing, Rarity mentions a recent string of jewel thefts happening in the city. As the five ponies take their seats, the performing magician appears from behind the curtains: Trixie.
Trixie impresses her audience with a series of tricks and sleight of hand. Her (rather elaborate) finishing act involves making the famous Ostlerheimer Diamond disappear. When the trick is finished, the crowd goes into an uproar. Trixie tells the audience that the diamond was under her hat the whole time. But when she takes her hat off, the diamond is nowhere to be seen, puzzling everyone present.
Suddenly, Manehattan police officers burst into the auditorium. Applejack and her friends, noticeably confused, ask Trixie what's going on. Trixie is revealed to be a cooperator with Manehattan police to apprehend a notorious thief named Rough Diamond, who was behind the city's jewel thefts. Trixie's magic act was a trap, and the diamond she used in the act was a fake with a magical tracking chip. With her magic, Trixie tracks the fake diamond... to Applejack's hat!
Before Applejack is arrested under suspicion of theft, other officers alert the ponies and chief of police about a break-in in the theater director's office—where the real Ostlerheimer Diamond was hidden. When they open the director's safe, a smoke bomb is set off, and the real diamond is discovered missing. Luckily, the police chief had placed a tracking chip on the real diamond too, and one of his officers tracks it... to Trixie's hat!
Trixie says the diamond was planted on her, but the police chief doesn't believe her, having heard about her past attempt to take over Ponyville. He places Trixie, as well as Applejack and the others as accomplices, under arrest. Before Applejack and her friends can plead their case, Trixie sets off a smoke bomb and escapes, dragging Applejack and company along with her.
The ponies start pointing hooves at Trixie, but Trixie swears that she's innocent (though she'd inadvertently taken the Ostlerheimer Diamond with her during her escape). Applejack believes her and decides they need to catch the real thief. They leave the diamond in a trashcan for the police to find and head toward the subway. After boarding the train bound for Babs' home, the ponies come up with a plan to catch Rough Diamond. They also try to figure out who she is, reasoning that almost anyone who was in the theater is a suspect.
At that moment, Babs notices something stuck in Trixie's mane: a piece of a map that Rough Diamond must've left while slipping the Ostlerheimer Diamond under Trixie's hat. Babs realizes that it's part of the map for the Manehattan Museum of Art, where Rough Diamond's next target must be.
===Issue #22===
The next day, Trixie and the ponies' status as fugitives is front page on the Equestria Daily newspaper. Fluttershy and Apple Bloom make their way to the Manehattan Museum of Art in disguise. Once there, they check the jewelry wing and find something called the Forehoof Pendant; its name matches letters on the piece of the museum map they found in the previous issue, and Fluttershy and Apple Bloom deduce that it's Rough Diamond's next target.
Meanwhile, Applejack, Rarity, Trixie, and Babs check a number of pawn shops to see if Rough Diamond's sold any of the jewels she's stolen. While they check out the seventh store in a row, Babs notices Trixie acting depressed and asks Applejack what her story is. Applejack tells Babs about Trixie's selfish actions in the past and truly believes she's trying to turn her life around. When Babs talks to Trixie and tells her she knows what she's going through, Trixie is touched and hugs Babs.
During their emotional moment, Rarity finds a group of gems that were stolen from a pony one month prior. The ponies ask the shopkeeper about who sold him the gems; the shopkeeper states that the seller came in wearing a cloak and all he remembers about her is her diamond cutie mark. Applejack and Rarity conclude it must have been Rough Diamond.
Later, at Babs' apartment, the ponies make a plan to catch Rough Diamond in the act while also trying to figure out who she is. Trixie says the only ponies who knew the real diamond was hidden away were the police chief, the officers, the theater director, and herself—none of whom have a diamond cutie mark. Nonetheless, they resolve to apprehend her that evening.
That night, the ponies sneak into the museum, past the guards and security systems, and stakeout the jewelry wing. Later, when Rough Diamond appears and attempts to steal the Forehoof Pendant, the ponies catch her. Unfortunately, with a well-placed smoke bomb, Rough Diamond gives them the slip. Apple Bloom accidentally trips the security system during the commotion, and Manehattan police quickly closes in on them. Like before, Chief Stablemaker doesn't believe Trixie's pleas and places them all under arrest.
Just before the officers put them in cuffs, Babs notices something strange and speaks out, saying Trixie is indeed the thief. Her friends are in disbelief, but Babs winks at Trixie, indicating she has a plan. Officer Fluffles is about to take Trixie in when Babs jumps on her. While the officer is incapacitated, Trixie binds her hooves in rope. Babs reveals that Officer Fluffles is the real Rough Diamond.
Babs explains that, because she was a police officer, Fluffles could have snuck in early and sabotaged Trixie's show, and later, while everyone was distracted, she could have slipped the fake diamond under Applejack's hat. When Chief Stablemaker asks how she cracked the director's safe to get the real diamond, Babs says she did not have to crack it—the director gave the police the combination. As soon as the safe was opened, Fluffles set off a smoke bomb and snatched the diamond. Stablemaker asks how Babs figured all this out, and Babs points to Officer Fluffles's cutie mark; it appears smudged. Babs rubs the paint away, revealing a diamond cutie mark underneath.
The case is officially closed, and Rough Diamond is taken away by Manehattan police. Chief Stablemaker apologizes to Trixie for wrongfully suspecting her, and Trixie thanks Babs for believing in her. With that, Trixie is able to finish her magic show as intended.
==Quotes==
:Applejack: Whoo-ee! This'll get you some culture, Apple Bloom!
:Apple Bloom: Culture, schmulture! I'm just happy to hang out with Babs again!
:Babs Seed: Yeah! Welcome to Manehattan, cousins!
:Trixie: Ah ha ha ha ha ha! Trixie's cunning plan has succeeded!
:Trixie: Everypony thinks I'm bad, but... I'm trying so hard to be good.
:Rarity: There are plenty of jewels in Manehattan she could go after.
:Apple Bloom: Well, what's the shiniest?
:Rarity: Most of them are shiny, Apple Bloom.
:Applejack: I believe she's turned around. I really do. But most ponies don't want to give her a second look.
:Babs Seed: Just because you've done bad things... ...doesn't mean you're bad forever.
:Trixie: Watch and learn, young Babs! A magician has many tricks up her sleeve!
:Chief Stablemaker: Well, well... The Great and Felonious Trixie.
:Rough Diamond: You darned do-gooders! I'll get you for this! I swear! Rough Diamond will return!
:Trixie: You reminded me that we don't have to be bad forever. Everypony deserves a second chance.
:Babs Seed: Yeah! Us former baddies hafta stick together!
==References==
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