//------------------------------// // “Did we really need first class for a two-hour train ride?” // Story: Predicaments in Ponyville // by The Princess Rarity //------------------------------// EVENT TWO: Boarding the Train After being practically dragged out of the flat, Coco found herself waiting on a train platform, eating a packet of generic brand uncooked toaster pastries for breakfast. Grace was talking about nonsense, and the station was relatively calm for seven o’clock on a work day. Coco snapped out of her trance when she heard her friend say something surprising. “Wait, what?” she asked. “I know, right?” Grace said, with a scoff. “I can’t believe we got first-class tickets. I owe Monty one big time this around.” She took one of the toaster pastries out of the aluminium foil without asking and bit into it. “You think I should, like, take him out for dinner or something as a thank you? I mean, I did buy him coffee yesterday, so there’s that.” “How in the world did Baymont get you train tickets? Most importantly, why?” Coco inquired. Grace shrugged. “We were chatting it up after lunch break on Wednesday, and I told him about how I needed a vacation. Apparently, his uncle’s cousin’s half-sister works for the train company so he hooked me up with the best seats,” she explained. Coco raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh,” she said slowly. “But think of it this way,” She took the last bite of her toaster pastry. “Did we really need first class for a two-hour train ride?” Grace bestowed her famous smirk. “Hey, never look a gift horse in the mouth,” she retorted. Coco rolled her eyes. “More like,” She cleared her throat and tried to mimic her friend’s raspy, dry tone of voice. “If it’s free, I’ll take it!” “I do not sound like that!” Grace argued, as she struggled not to laugh at how ridiculous her friend had sounded. “That sounds like somepony who smokes three packs a day or somethin’!” She shook her head playfully. “But, look! You’re already having fun! I toldja, ditching work was the best thing we’ve done in a while.” “I hate admitting when you’re right,” Coco teased, with a sweet giggle. She reverted back to her regular voice, and patted down her mane as the wind blew it. “So, the Tribal festival?” “Like I said, I was bored,” Grace said. “We got the brochure in the mail and I thought why not. I used to go there every year when I was a kid. It was pretty awesome seeing all of the dragons and griffons and stuff. I even met a batpony from Neigh Jersey once. He was pretty cute.” She pursed her lips and thought for a moment. “You know, not to brag or anythin’, but I ended up making out with him and his sister in the photo booth.” Coco’s eyes went wide. “Too much information,” she muttered. Grace chuckled softly. “What can I say?” she declared as she pushed her glasses further up her muzzle. “I was crazy when I was a teenager.” Coco huffed. “You’re still crazy,” she pointed out. “Guilty as charged,” Grace admitted. The sound of the train arriving was on the horizon, and ponies began to file out onto the platform, making things much more crowded. All sorts of characters and jokesters appeared, all rushing around, reading their tickets. However, Coco was surprised when Grace immediately pulled them to the front of the platform, and pulled two slips of paper out from her saddlebags. “Oh, I’ve got a golden ticket~” she sang softly to herself, with a smirk. “All aboard!” the conductor yelled. “Two first-class seats, good sir,” Grace declared as she held out the tickets. The conductor raised an eyebrow, and took the papers. He looked at them, and adjusted his glasses, squinting at the hoofwriting. “Are you Golden Manuscript?” he said skeptically. Grace nodded. “Call me Goldie,” she replied. “And this is my friend, Chapeau Plume. She’s Prench.” Coco was about to open her mouth to say something, when the conductor suddenly spoke up. “Can I see some ID?” he inquired. “Uh,” Grace stammered. “We left it at home.” Aside from what she said only moments ago, this was actually the truth. “But we can still get on the train, right? And have our first-class seats?” She batted her eyes, and gave a small smile. “Please?” The conductor scoffed. “You’re assigned to seats 25B and 26A. Down the hall,” he said. Before Coco could protest, Grace dragged her friend into the train car and found their seats. “First class gets free food?” she mused, as she noticed a package of cookies on each of their chairs. She broke out into a grin. “Nice!” She winced when Coco hit her on the foreleg. “Gee, marshmellow, when did you learn how to punch like that? I thought you were all fluff.” “You didn’t tell me we had fake names!” Coco hissed. “Well, yeah,” Grace said nonchalantly. “Monty’s uncle’s cousin’s half-sister is the CEO of this company. You think she would let two average mares like us get first-class? These seats cost about five hundred bits a piece.” Coco’s expression went deadpan. “And what was wrong with coach?” she muttered. Suddenly, the sound of foals crying and ponies arguing was heard in the next car over. Grace smiled victoriously, and pointed in the direction of the sound. “That’s what’s wrong with it,” she said. “Still,” Coco grumbled. “This feels unfair.” “Stick with me, kid,” Grace retorted. “And you’re going places. That place will probably be in the back of a police carriage or in an alleyway hiding from a crazy pony, but it’s a place.” She hesitated, and shook her head. “Don’t ask how I’ve been in both of those situations on the same day.” Coco let out a sigh -- not bothering to pester her friend for teasing her about their five year age difference. Instead, she got comfortable in her seat as the train began moving. “So, how long do you suppose it will take to get from here to Ponyville?” she inquired. Grace shrugged. “Dunno, two or three hours? The festival starts at noon, so we got a while anyway,” she replied. She looked up, and noticed buttons, levers and strings, all to call attendants for requests of who knows what. Instantly, her expression lit up with her typical mischievous grin. Grace sat up, and pressed a random button with one hoof and pulled a lever with the other, softly laughing to herself. “What am I going to do with you?” Coco murmured, trying not to smirk.