//------------------------------// // Prologue: Cotillion's Dusk // Story: Honest Folk & Alabaster Electronica // by A. Tuesday //------------------------------// A pearl white hoof rested on the polished ledge, the blood pumping through it faster than the butterflies could race around her stomach. She needed to be quick about this. It may not’ve been exactly clean, but it was, in all honesty, better than the alternative. In all honesty… no, don’t think about that. That’s exactly what she was running away from. What she needed to, no matter how much the rest of her disagreed. “May I help you miss?” The voice behind the glass was slightly nasal, and held all the tranquility and boredom that the unicorn in front of him lacked. Vinyl Scratch, at this moment in time, had more adrenaline rushing through her than all the citizens in Canterlot did combined. She needed to be quick about this. “O-o-one ticket to – for the next train to Canterlot,” she stammered out quickly. She could feel her hoof start to sweat. Vinyl knew she’d be here any moment now, as they’d all notice her absence at the dance. No, she could write a letter when she got to Canterlot. Maybe a telegram or something, too. But she could not – could not – do this face-to-face. It would break her lover’s heart so much if she did it the way she was planning to, but it would tear Vinyl up even more than it already had. The stallion behind the counter nodded. “Certainly, miss. Is the Cotillion getting too loud for you?” He let out a chuckle, looking at the unicorn for a giggle or a smile or something to tell him the joke was okay. She didn’t. The stallion huffed. None of his jokes were ever funny. None of ‘em. At this point, Vinyl had pushed off of the counter and had begun to trot in place, ready to dash off at a moment’s notice. But… to where? Oh, Celestia, it’s just like when she arrived! Nowhere to go! “Uh, miss?” The stallion raised an eyebrow, ticket in his teeth, looking at the weird unicorn trotting in place with sunglasses on in the late evening. “Is everything alright?” “Huh? Wha? Who?” The DJ spun every which way, trying to find the source of the voice. When she did, she let out the most miniscule sigh of relief. “No, no, it’s – look, I just really need to get there, alright? And, soon. How much?” “Three bits,” the cashier said, sliding the ticket under the small arched opening at the bottom of the window. “But, I’m afraid you aren’t going to get there at light speed, you know. Next train doesn’t leave for another ten minutes, so you’re going to have to sit tight until it arrives.” Vinyl’s mind screamed. It pounded on the floor and threw things and began howling like a wolf, but all the outside of the unicorn revealed was a slight grimace. “Th-th-that’s fine.” Coins traded place for the ticket in her field of telekinesis. Dammit, dammit, dammit! What was she going to do? What was she going to do? The stallion bade her goodnight in the form of a nod, which Vinyl hastily returned. The trotting she had done earlier resumed, but this time at double speed. “No, no, no,” she murmured to herself, “I can’t wait ten minutes. I can barely wait ten seconds. Oh, she’s gonna be here! I need to get away, get away!” She looked all around the train station, her hooves constantly pounding the wooden platform. She didn’t have the best concept of time, so she couldn’t really “leave” the train station, per se. But, she couldn’t stay out here in the open. Applejack would find Vinyl. If this was another town, at another time, she might be able to get away with hiding in a large crowd of ponies. But, today, at this late hour, there was almost nopony here. Only a dozing old stallion, on the seat closest to the restrooms- The restrooms! The idea sounded ridiculous, but Vinyl just might've be able to hide in the mares’ room. With a wicked and delirious grin on her face, she approached the room. This was how she was getting out of it. She just had to hope that by the time the train was here, that orange wouldn’t have- “Vinyl?” No. The unicorn stopped in mid-step, a front hoof dangling in the air. Eyes clenched shut and gritting her teeth, Vinyl froze in place. She didn’t want to look. She didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to be here. She wanted to shrivel up and die. “Vinyl, hey, where ya goin’?” The sound of hooves walking towards her became prominent. The sound was just close to her ears when the voice – that sweet, sweet voice that the DJ was doing everything in her power to rid herself of – resounded right next to her. “Hey, Vinyl – Vinyl, look at me.” The voice, instead of being filled with anger or outright sadness, was filled with a soft concern she hadn’t heard used by that pony. Reluctantly, Vinyl opened her eyes and looked at her lover. Applejack was just as stunning as when she had left her. That luscious blond hair all glimmering but still in a ponytail, white pearls the color of Vinyl’s coat around her neck, flawless tangerine coat, a semi-tight, black dress that just made AJ look so damn sexy – if it weren’t for her lovely face. White freckles and those dimples and that accent made her seem like the most fragile creature in the world, a statement miles from the truth. Vinyl had to take her earlier statement back. She wasn't "sexy"; Applejack was gorgeous. And, the pièce de résistance, the emerald eyes that had once looked at Vinyl with laughter, passion, and love at its purest form – the emerald eyes now looked at her with worry. Vinyl could only blink. No words would leave her throat. “Hey, Vinyl,” Applejack said worriedly. “Speak to me, come on now. What’s going on?” At that moment in time, the unicorn was kind of glad she had forgotten to take off her shades in her haste. There was no way she’d want Applejack to see her eyes, which were already starting to water up. “It’s…” Vinyl tried to say, “It’s – well, um…” “What’s that right there? In yer saddlebag?” It was just going from bad to worse. Vinyl hung her head low to the ground as Applejack pulled the ticket from her lover’s saddlebags and placed it on the ground in front of her. Her expression went from concentrating, to a terrible, terrible confusion. Fear danced behind the earth pony’s eyes. “Canterlot?” Applejack asked, looking at the unicorn with concern dripping off of her face. “Ya have a ticket to Canterlot in yer saddlebag, Vinyl.” Surprisingly, she gave a small chuckle. “Did that music get ta yer head or somethin’? Come on, darlin’, we got a Cotillion to go to, ‘member?” Vinyl sighed. “I’m… it didn’t get to my head, Applejack.” She absolutely hated to crush that cheer on her lover’s face. To swallow that innocence, the laughter. But, she had to, now. It was for the best, really. “I bought a ticket for a train to Canterlot.” AJ stifled one more laugh, then cleared her throat and leaned her head forwards, tentatively. “B-but, whatever for?” The unicorn closed her eyes beneath her violet shades, and when they opened, her sight was shimmering. “I’m going back to Canterlot.” “Now?” Applejack reeled back a bit. “B-but, Cotillion’s going on right now! This can’t wait ‘til mornin’? And, what the hay are ya goin’ all the way ta Canterlot for?” Vinyl Scratch swallowed the lump forming in her throat, only for it to come back with even more force. She looked into the face of the earth pony, and telekinetically removed her glasses, looking at the pony with crimson eyes that were now fighting a war just to keep a deluge of tears from streaming down the unicorn’s face. “Applejack,” she said softly, “I - I cannot expect you to understand nor do I hope you do." On any normal occasion, this would’ve been the point where AJ would’ve given her a terrible glare and asked her to stop speaking “that high-and-uppity Canterlot speak”. However, sensing the oncoming severity, it appeared that Applejack only tilted her head to the side a bit. Any more would’ve been too much, and the farmpony knew it. “I love you, AJ,” Vinyl continued, “And I am nowhere near your level of decency or morality. I will never be; to this day, I am just as good of a pony as I was when I came into this town, and that wasn’t a very good pony at all.” Applejack put a hoof on her marefriend’s shoulder. “Vinyl, why don’t ya just tell me why ya have a ticket to Canterlot in the middle of what’s s’pposed to be a special night fer the both of us? Heck, fer the whole town. Yer speakin’ in riddles, and I just want ya ta be straight with me. Is – is there somethin’ wrong?” Be straight with me. This was, undoubtedly, the worst moment of her life. Cutting all ties. Ending it. Crushing this lovely pony’s heart. But, Vinyl had to do it. Here went nothing. * * * Just when had it come to this? When had it come to the end of such a beautiful relationship? Vinyl knew she’d never forgive herself for what she was about to do. She could also never forget them. All of their passionate moments. All of their heartfelt talks. All of their work together. All of their love. But - more importantly – she’d never forget how they met…