AN: This is the second part of the prologue, and I'd like to apologize for dividing it up like this, but I felt that it was better this way. Anyway, please read and review, to tell me if you liked the story, disliked, etc.
Prologue, part 2: Have a Ticket, Will Travel.
As Sweetie Belle thought about how the unknown stallion could help her get to the city of her dreams, the stallion in question spoke again.
"Are you okay?" he queried, his voice sounding soft and concerned, but Sweetie Belle figured that it only did so because she was just a small filly crying her eyes out. Anypony else, and he probably wouldn't have paid attention.
The tears had stopped flowing from her green eyes, and she looked up to see who was addressing her.
The stallion standing before her was, indeed, completely unknown to her. He was an earth pony, lacking the wings and horns that pegasi and unicorns had. She had never seen him in Ponyville before, and she doubted that he resided in the town. He looked like he was just passing through, moving on from one town to the next on a flitting whim, or maybe business. Judging by his appearance, it could well be business. His pelt was a grayish white in hue, and his short, dark blue mane was slicked back in a style that reminded Sweetie Belle of some of the other ponies that passed through town on business. His eyes were a vivid forest green, standing out from the rest of his color palette. Around his neck, there was a crisp, white collar, with a matching slim, grey and red tie. Sweetie Belle couldn't see his cutie mark, but she could see the small business case that stood next to him. A small part of her wondered what could reside within the case, but another small part told her it wasn't her business.
She looked up at the taller stallion, and she spoke in a soft, almost nervous voice;
"I-I'm fine sir. Thank you for asking. I'm okay, really."
"You just didn't seem okay. What's wrong? Are you lost?"
"Oh, no sir!" she said, becoming more confident with each passing moment, "I'm just waiting for a train but…" she trailed off, hoping that the stallion would continue asking questions. And, sure enough, he did.
"But what? He asked, sounding curious at why such a young filly would be catching a train.
"Well…I don't have a ticket…" small tears began to form at the edges of her eyes as she said this. The stallion just looked at her, slightly confused.
"But hasn't your mother or family got you one? I mean, surly they would have got you one for the journey, wouldn't they?"
Sweetie Belle thought fast, and came up with an excuse that she hoped would work.
"Well…My family are sending me off to Manehattan, to make something of myself, but they must have forgotten to get me a ticket…" she lied. The stallion looked at her sympathetically, and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Well, you could just go back and get them to buy you a ticket." He seemed pleased with the solution that he had come up with, until Sweetie Belle began talking again.
"But they couldn't sir. I mean, they're very poor, and they gave all the money they have to me, just to ensure my future in the city. But what little I do have isn't enough for a simple ticket to Manehattan." She cried, soft sobs mixing with the lies that fell from her innocent mouth. While she sobbed softly, the stallion closed his eyes in thought. Suddenly, a solution came to mind.
"Why don't I buy you your ticket?" he said, as he opened his business case, and rummaged inside for the Bits needed. Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up, and the sobs stop, although tears still ran down her face.
"You would do that? For me?" she was exited now. Her dream would finally come true.
"Of course. I'm always one to help a pony in need." He said, a small smile etched on his grey face, as he closed the small case. He paused for a moment, and then said;
"Here's your gem." And with that, he gently kicked it towards her. She stopped it with her front hooves, and smiled as she gazed upon her multiple reflections in its shiny, polished surface. As she properly looked at the beautiful jewel for the first time, she became enraptured by it. She could see why Rarity loved them so much. She would have stayed like that for a while, just looking at the gem, but the stallion broke her gaze at the gem by saying;
"You don't want to go to Manehattan."
"What…?" Sweetie Belle replied, not understanding what he had said.
"You really don't want to go to Manehattan." The stallion state, rather bluntly, as he began to walk slowly towards the ticket booth. Sweetie Belle followed, unsure at what he meant.
"But sir! I need to go to Manehattan! If I don't go then how will I make something of myself?" She asked, although at points it sounded more like she was pleading.
"You won't make anything of yourself in Manehattan. You wouldn't even survive." He stated, glancing at the filly out of the corner of his eye.
"Yes I will!" Sweetie Belle said, defiantly. "It's the city that dreams are built on! The city where the streets are paved with gold and-"the stallion cut her off abruptly.
"The streets are lined with lead. It'll poison you and cripple you until you just can't walk again, and then the other desperate treading the same path will finish you off just to give themselves a few more pitiful days trying to score big on Bridleway, or in the Bit market or whatever. It ain't all sunshine and smilin' business ponies in that place." He said, stopping to look at Sweetie Belle, who just looked at him, tears forcing their way back into her eyes. She was silent, and the stallion continued;
"You can't make anythin' of yourself out there. If you're lucky, then it'll be the Hooferville urchin camp for you. But you, being young and naive and a unicorn, will be unlucky. You'll end up some in some place down in Little Unicorne, being presided over by some old member of the Equus crime family that rules down there, forced to steal and have nothing belong to you, not even that precious white pelt on your back. The horrors that reside in that city make livin' in the Everfree Forest look like a simple cakewalk," he finished, looking into the gobsmacked face of Sweetie Belle. She had never considered the dangers of the big city, just her dreams and aspirations. Now she was questioning if she wanted to go, as well as questioning what a 'cakewalk' was. Feeling a small lump rise in her throat, Sweetie belle asked;
"B-But then what will I do? Where will I go?" he voice was shaky, but she was determined to remain confident.
"Come with me. To Baltimare."
"Baltimare?" she had heard of the place, but she knew nothing about it. Nobody she knew had ever been to the city, and she hadn't heard anyone in Ponyville mention it in passing conversation.
"Yes, Baltimare. It may not be as large, or as famous as Manehattan, but it is safer for someone like you. And, there is more opportunity…" he smiled, trailing off, before he began to move towards the ticket station once more. Sweetie Belle followed him in earnest, hoping to learn more about the mysterious city.
"What sort of opportunity?" she asked, wondering what Baltimare could offer that Manehattan couldn't. Apart from being a street filly, that is. The stallion just looked at her, and smiled, before placing a hoof on the front desk of the Ponyville train ticket booth.
"I'll tell you in just a second." He said, before turning his attention to the stallion that was sat behind the glass that separated him from the customers.
The stallion was amber in colour, although it was tinted with a light shade of grey, while his mane was dark amber. His eyes, light cobalt blue, were observing the writing on the paper in front of him. No clothing graced his slender form, apart from a name tag which, in big bold letters read: "Hello, my name is Dr. Hooves, ticket booth operator." The stallion continued to stare down at the paper, seemingly ignoring his two customers. After about a minute though, he realised that he did have customers, and he lifted his head from the paper.
"Terribly sorry to keep you waiting! I was just so involved with this story here…" He said, his face bearing an apologetic smile. Sweetie Belle was sure that she recognized him, possibly from around town or such. Dr. Hooves continued;
"So, what tickets do you want?" he asked, sounding polite and keeping his eyes fixed on the stallion opposite him. The stallion began to speak.
"Well, Paul," he started, blatantly ignoring the name tag, and earning him an unnoticed scowl from Dr. Hooves, "could you give me two of your finest tickets to Baltimare, if you would be so kind?" he asked, placing enough Bits for the tickets down on the wooden counter, before pushing them towards the Doctor. Dr. Hooves looked at the stallion, then the Bits, before replacing his scowl with a smile, and producing two golden coloured tickets, with "Baltimare" inscribed on the front in large, fancy red letters.
As the stallion began to walk away, and as Sweetie Belle began to do likewise, Dr. Hooves called out to them;
"It'll just be another ten minutes before it arrives, so you know!"
The stallion called back in thanks, and walked to the edge of the platform, waiting for the train. Sweetie Belle rested beside him, eagerly waiting the train to arrive. She realised that she had never actually been on a train, and that made her even more excited. She looked up at the stallion, whose eyes were focusing on something in the distance. She gazed at him, a stallion of mysteries, and decided that this was the craziest thing that she had ever done. Going on a train, to a city further that she had ever been, with a stallion that she didn't even know the name of.
She followed his line of sight with her own eyes, but after a while she decided that he wasn't looking at anything, so she decided to look around the platform.
Empty. The whole platform was empty, save for the stallion and herself, and Dr. Hooves, who was once again preoccupied with his paper. Sweetie Belle sighed, bored, and looked back at the tracks, when she heard for the first time the unmistakable sound of the train. She looked at it excitedly, its form seeming like it was sent straight from Princess Celestia to carry herself off for greater things. She almost couldn't hold back the tears of excitement, as she looked upon the bright red and gold carriages, some holding ponies, others completely empty. She smiled, her face lighting up.
The stallion smiled a little, and watched as the train came to a halt before them. He began to walk towards the open carriage door, passing the conductor who had jumped off to make sure everything was fine on this end of the line. Sweetie Belle eagerly followed him like a little adorable puppy, as he stepped up and into the open door of the train. However, before the small white unicorn could get on the train, the stallion turned to her, and stopped her.
"Are you really sure that you want to do this? To come to Baltimare is a big gamble on your behalf. If you want to turn back, I wouldn't mind." He said, a sad smile gracing his face. Sweetie Belle looked at him, then at the floor in thought, before replying;
"I'm sure, sir."
"That's settles it then, and he began to walk further into the train, before Sweetie Belle stopped him with a question.
"Excuse me sir, but…What's your name? Mine's Sweetie Belle!" she said, jumping onto the train and moving so that she was right beside the stallion
"Sweetie Belle? Nice name. You can call me Tre." And with that, he continued to walk down the corridor of the train.
"Alright, Mr. Tre!" Sweetie Belle said, before trotting happily behind him.