Sweetie Belle faltered at the entrance to the club unsure if she wanted to enter. Two months ago she had caught Babs Seed cheating on her with some filly she had seen hang around the block. She had caught them together in the apartment they had started their lives together the year before. In their bed where they...
"Look here filly, either pay to get in or buck off! You can't stand stand here, other ponies want to get in too.", the bouncer said gruffly.
"I got us covered.", Scootaloo said, "Still ten bits a head?" The bouncer nods, Scootaloo hands him the bits and he stamps their hoof.
As they walk past Scootaloo intentionally bumps her rump into bouncer, noting he was a mountain of a pony, all rippling muscles are tough gristle. "I know what I wanna do later.", she says in a coy tone, turning her head slightly directing it towards the bouncer.
Apple Bloom shoves her slightly. "We ain't here for you troll for stallions! We're here to give moral support to Sweetie Belle.", Apple Bloom trotted up next to Sweetie Belle and threw a hoof over her shoulder, "You said when she contacted you that she wanted to just talk and that you were willing to hear her out."
Scootaloo walked up next to her, "I was just having a little fun.", she threw a wing across Sweetie Belle's back, "We'll be sitting at the bar, if she tries anything we'll step in."
As they entered into the club proper A Flock of Pegasi were playing their big hit, I galloped(so far away). "Yeesh!", Sweetie said looking at the stage, "They did not age well." Sweetie Belle scanned the club and saw Babs sitting in a booth, she leaned to her two friends, "Okay, I see her over there. I'm gonna go hear her out." Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded as they made their way to the bar.
Sweetie Belle walked up to the booth were Babs Seed was sitting. She was looking down at the table, a mug of hard cider by one of her hooves, tears sliding down her cheeks and dripping softly on the onto it. "I wonder how much she's had to drink?", she thought.
Sweetie sat down across from her and Babs looked up at her. "So what's good to drink tonight?", Sweetie Belle asked.
"Here!", Babs said in her thick Manehattan accent, sliding the mug to her, "I bought this to try and get my courage, but every time I think about drinking it, I feel sick to my stomach."
"Then let's go out on the prance floor,", Sweetie said, "it always makes you feel better. And you love this song."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
Babs held up her hooves and looked Sweetie in the eyes, "I don't have the rhythm any more."
At that statement Sweetie was taken aback. Babs had never been a great dancer, but she was always willing go out on the prance floor and pump her hoof like a champ. Sweetie had been the one to hold another close and just sway to the music.
"I ditched that mare that same night you caught us,", Babs said, "I became disgusted with myself because I ruined something beautiful, the life we had built together."
"Babs, we can start over fresh, like it never happened."
"No, Sweetie. No we can't."
"We'll why not? I've had time to think this over and though we cannot undo what has been done, I forgive you."
Babs took Sweetie Belle's face in her hooves, "Oh Sweetie Belle, never lose that kind and generous heart. So willing to forgive any slight someone does against you."
In the background the band finished their song, thanking the crowd for several minutes before heading backstage. Ponies cleared off the prance floor to order drinks or grab a smoke or get autographs from the band while stage ponies gathered up the instruments and amps.
Babs reached down with both her hooves and took Sweetie's in hers, "Sweetie Belle, I didn't ask you here to ask for your forgiveness or explain my actions or beg for you to come back, it's too late for that. I asked you here to apologize, so just let me speak.", she hung her head and whispered to herself, "It's too late for anything else."
On the stage a three piece band consisting of a unicorn on bass, a pagasi on percussion and an earth pony on saxophone began playing a lilting, bluesy piece.
Babs began speaking, "Time can never mend the hurt I've done to a good friend. To my heart and mind, ignorance would be too kind. But deep I know pain is all I'll find.", she turns her head fighting back the urge to cry.
She turned back to Sweetie Belle, sniffled and swallowed hard, "So I'm never prance again, my guilty hooves have lost all rhythm. I know it's easy to pretend, but you're not a fool. I knew better than to cheat a friend, but I've gone and wasted the chance I was given.", she looked down and sobbed quietly.
Babs stood and caressed Sweetie's face with her hoof, "We coulda been so good together. We coulda made it last forever. But I went and threw it all away.", she turned and walked away with tears in her eyes.
Sweetie Belle reached out with her hoof, tears in her eyes, "Don't go! Don't go. And leave me all alone.", she laid her head on the table and started to weep.
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo rushed to Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo glared at Babs as she passed. Babs didn't bother to return her glare.
As Babs reached the door to the alley, she paused giving one last look, seeing Sweetie Belle crying her eyes out while her friends were trying to comfort her. She whispered, "And now you're gone. And now you're gone. And I've thrown you away." Babs opened the door, propped herself against the wall weeping, "And I'll never prance again, my guilty hooves have lost all rhythm, so I'll never prance again the way I pranced with you."
She righted herself and sadly walked down the alleyway fading into the shadows of night like a character on the silver screen, the sound of the lilting saxophone slowly died.
The door to the club opened and Apple Bloom walked out. She looked up and down the alley, "Babs?"
Author's Note
As stated before I was inspired by the song Careless Whisper by George Michael.
I chose to leave the story with a sad, ambiguous ending.
I will attempt to take all criticism as constructive.
I neither claim nor imply ownership of the song Careless Whisper.
