//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Femme of the Theater // by Rarity Belle //------------------------------// “To a bright future,” spoke Rarity up before she rose her glass of wine in the air. A smile stood on her face while she looked over to her five best of friends on the whole world. Each of the mares returned the smile before they clanged their glasses against hers, but also with each other as they repeated the spoken words. They all took a sip from their wine before the glasses were set back on the table. “Ah can’t believe it, yar going to move outta town because of yar career?” Applejack spoke up just after she turned her gaze back to the unicorn and placed one of her hands on her thigh while the other fixed her hat. Her eyes still had a look of disbelief within them. A look that was rightfully there. “I am, my dearest Applejack, of course has Ponyville always been an amazing place to be for me. But I felt that it limited my capabilities of what I could actually do with my life. You see, being a designer in a rustic little town as Ponyville has its advantages for I am the only one. However, it takes away the competition you get in cities like Manehatten or Los Pegasus,” explained Rarity to her. Once she was done, she took another sip of her wine with a smile on her face. Life had been good for the tailor, her business was booming like never before and her designs only became greater the more she worked on them. It all began when Rarity looked over the administration of the boutique and took note of the profits she had made in the last three months alone. The numbers didn't lie. “Will you return every now and then?” Fluttershy spoke with a set of worrying eyes. “Of course I will return to the town because I was raised and were all of my friends reside. Even though I will be moving away, I will never forget who my true friends are. There are things bits can’t buy, no?” the unicorn answered under a gentle giggle. The answer seemed to have satisfied Fluttershy more than enough and Rainbow downed herself in yet another glass of wine. “Tis ish good stuff Rares,” managed Rainbow to bring out after a couple hiccups. The daredevil pegasus had been drinking herself in the liquors of the unicorn ever since she had arrived at the boutique. There were only a couple times a year that she would just let herself be drunk as a skunk. And the event around the mare was one of them. “Only the best of the best enters my home, my dear Dash. Though I suggest you are not going to fly tonight given your, well…” said Rarity before she placed her hand at her chin and stroked it gently as a thoughtful moan left her. “I’ll take care of her, Rarity,” Twilight replied with a smile on her face as she finished up her glass of wine. The other unicorn set the glass back on the table before released a deep yet pleasant sounding sigh. Just out of safety precautions she wrapped an arm around the drunk, cyan coated pegasus to have some form of control over her. “So, this is it then? I mean, tomorrow you are gone. How about, one last group hug before you separate yourself from us?” Twilight said while she looked to Rarity at first. But then turned her gaze to the rest of her friends as well. “It is true, tomorrow at noon I will be leaving this all behind… But yes, I would love that to the honest. Come here you lovely mares!” said Rarity before she opened her arms. All five of the mares left their seating and walked up to the unicorn. There they gave her a tight and warm hug of pure friendship. Even the drunk Rainbow gave off a warm and pleasant aura to all of them. The white unicorn wasn't able to hold herself and as she closed her eyes to go deeper into the embrace, a single tear left her right eye and a bright smile formed itself on her face. But time never stood still for any soul and the future came closer with every passing second. A future that wasn't all too bright sadly. For the unicorn had been gone for nearly two months and there wasn't a single pony that had ever heard from her again. Though the strangest of rumors took their turn through the gossip world. Some spoke about the mare being caught by changelings and being dragged off to work as a slave for their queen. Others spoke about a horrible disease that caught her and eventually send her to the afterlife. Rumors often stand far from the truth. And in the case of the unicorian mare it was all so true. ---   For that what truly happened to her was a story to be told by the progression of time itself. But also a story that had to be discovered by one pony.