19:30:00
1st-Day
Bon Bon’s Tavern
The twins entered the tavern after a long day of being motivational speakers. Brandon had simply talked to the various members of the Ponyville team for encouragement while Brianna performed quick exercises with them. Brianna had also given an encore performance of her squat contest with Vinyl, proving she can keep up with her in front of a crowd.
As the training session started to wind down, Vinyl offered the twins a guest room at their house since they didn’t have a place to stay, nor did they know where they would be going. A quick glare from his sister made Brandon quickly drop the modesty he would’ve put forward to the offer. After they agreed upon the room they’d stay in for now (and potentially a few more days just in case), the Apple sisters brought the two to a tavern in the middle of Ponyville, run by their friend Bonnie, aka Bonbon.
The twins took a seat at a small table across from each other as a young lady with mint-green hair walked over to them. “How’s it going? New here, aren’t you?” She asked.
The twins had immediately recognized her, but knew better than to blurt out her name. “Do you have a menu?” Brandon asked.
The young woman pointed at the tiny stand at the end of the table, listing the available drinks.
“Uh…wait a minute, we’re-“ Brandon got out, noticing that all of them were alcoholic.
“Ooh, apple cider. Fresh from Sweet Apple Acres, I take it?” Brianna asked.
“It sure is! It’s quite the popular drink here. I’d recommend that to start, but that’s just me. By the way, the name’s Lyra Heartstrings.” Lyra introduced herself.
“Brianna Sky, along with my brother, Brandon.” Brianna replied. “Why don’t you try some cider, too, bro? We both know how awesome those apple recipes are.”
“Uh…s-sure, I-“
“I’ll be right back then!” Lyra said, walking away before Brandon could finish.
Brandon shot a dagger-filled glare at his sister. “In case you forgot, we’re 18!”
“I don’t see us being in America right now, so what’s one drink gonna hurt? Besides, I don’t even think it has THAT much content in it.” Brianna said, leaving Brandon with a mouth hanging open.
“You…I…wow. You’re gonna be an alcoholic when you hit 21.” Brandon facepalmed.
“Oh, Vinyl!” Brianna waved her over for a quick second. “What’s the drinking age in Equestria?”
“18, why?” Vinyl asked. “I’m sure you could pass off as that if you’re-“
“No, we’re actually 18. Thanks!” Brianna smiled.
“Why, is it different back home?” Vinyl asked, to which Brianna simply replied “21.” Vinyl grinned at the answer. “Well, someone’s getting an early sample, then.”
“Didja HAVE to encourage her?” Brandon asked.
“Don’t worry, if she does something stupid, AJ and I will help you out.” Vinyl replied. “Just lighten up a little. Come on, you can’t tell me no one let you take sips when you were younger?”
“Well…yeah, our dad did. He still would’ve if we didn’t move out of our old home.” Brandon chuckled. “He made sure it was just a tiny sip, though. He didn’t drink much anyway.”
“See? Now there’s a responsible parent.” Vinyl said back.
“Remind me to bring you to a bar back home when we’re legal there.” Brianna said to Brandon.
“Well, look who will be quite the party animal.” Brandon commented with a smirk.
“Believe me, I know party animals. And with her attitude…” Vinyl trailed off, shrugging. “Yeah, she’d rank up there.”
“Compared to Pinkie Pie? Hell no, not even WITH alcohol.” Brianna said back. “…Remind me to meet her someday, by the way.”
“Duly noted.” Vinyl nodded, walking away to the bar stools.
There was a short silence from Brandon until he sighed. “Okay, fine. I’ll try it. Just this once, though.”
“Just one drink, I promise!” Brianna said.
“Do you-“
“-not taking the Pinkie one, just in case.” Brianna cut him off.
“Man, you ARE going to be an alcoholic…” Brandon groaned.
Lyra came back with a couple apple ciders for each of them, walking off to serve someone else.
“I bet you somewhere, the original Lyra is incredibly jealous of us right now.” Brianna told Brandon.
“The original Lyra would want to STUDY us.” Brandon replied.
“Touché.” Brianna conceded.
The two clanked their cups and took a sip.
‘After this, we need to find some way to get back home. Not immediately, but I’m afraid that time might be passing in our world…Celestia help us if it is.’ Brandon thought as he put down the cup after one long drink.
‘Hot damn, this is pretty good. Of course, it’s from Sweet Apple Acres, so it makes sense. I'll have to thank AJ and Vinyl later. Brianna thought, putting her cup down after a third of the drink was gone.
Brandon picked his cup back up to sip some more. ‘Still, why do I feel the need to put off worrying about this? It’s almost like I feel…used to this place already. Maybe it’s because everyone’s human, so we don’t have to waste time getting this town used to seeing two humans appear from nowhere?’
Brianna took up her drink at the same time. ‘Something’s kinda familiar about this…and it’s not the fact that this is just a different Equestria. There’s something about this bar that makes me think of…’ She thought, putting her cup down and noticing it was two-thirds empty. ‘I wonder…after one more, will…’
The twins both finished off the last third of their drinks in one sip, slamming them down at the same time with a relieving breath. A strange, almost soothing sound seemingly came out of nowhere when they had finished.
“I know this may be sudden, but here is some trivia about apple cider, now that you’ve finished your glasses.” A deep, calming voice communicated to them. Brandon had looked around for the non-existent source while Brianna sat and grinned.
“Did you know that the actual definition of apple cider describes is as a NON-alcoholic beverage? This drink was actually ‘hard cider,’ the alcoholic original. Some places, particularly different states in the United States, have varying definitions on what is and isn’t apple cider, the most obvious difference being if apple cider is or isn’t hard cider. It might be easier to remember to just ask if it is alcoholic rather than trying to memorize which states have ‘alcoholic’ apple cider and which don’t.” The voice explained. “And that was the apple cider trivia for tonight.” He finished.
Brandon blinked at Brianna, who grinned back at him.
“I’m not even gonna ask.” Brandon simply said.
“Very well then. Hey, Lyra!” Brianna waved the minty Titanian over.
“One more drink for you two? Oh, and if you’re wondering about payment, Vinyl’s got you covered. Something about paying one of you back for a contest.” Lyra told the two.
“Wow, awesome! Hmm, I wonder…you have more than what’s on this menu right? I mean, other than apple cider, it’s a bit…ordinary.” Brianna glanced over at the menu while speaking.
“I’ll check whatever you want me to get for you, so just order away.” Lyra replied.
Brianna pondered what to have next. She then had a light bulb go off in her head and got Brandon’s attention. “Bro, you know you’ve always wanted to try a certain drink.”
“What do you…?” Brandon stopped himself when he got what she meant. “Well…wait, you only said ONE drink!”
“Bro, did you feel that much from that cider anyway? Come on, just this once, say it.” Brianna said back, still playing it cool with the alcohol content.
Brandon sighed, knowing trying to argue a second time was fruitless. “Alright, alright…”
“So, what’ll it be?” Lyra asked Brandon.
Brandon cleared his throat before giving his answer. “I’ll have a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred.” He said in his best Pierce Brosnan impression, failing to resist the blush appearing on his face after saying that out loud.
“I’ll take it, too. I’ve always wanted to try one, though I’m no good at the voice.” Brianna giggled. “And hey, that wasn’t half bad, bro!”
“For a Canterlot-like impression, that was pretty good. So, two specially-made martinis it is!” Lyra said, leaving the two alone.
Brandon had tried to bring up the subject of brainstorming how to return home from this different Equestria, but Brianna replied that he shouldn’t start worrying about it during a time where they won’t be able to get anything done anyway, no matter what they planned. She concluded that since they hadn’t appeared next to anyone, they might not have been directly summoned, and that whatever did bring them there won’t be easy to find.
“Bro, before you argue with me on this, let me tell you something.” Brianna went on, her serious tone in utter contrast to her chipper attitude. “It’s not like I don’t care if we’re ever able to go back, so don’t you think that for a second. I’m worried about Jordan, too and if time is still going on there, I’m worried about her reaction to us going missing. What I DON’T want is us going Lesson Zero levels of crazy trying to find a way back. We’ll find a solution, I promise you. Until we’re able to start looking, I want you to calm down and try to enjoy this place as much as possible. I know it’s like you to be careful, but it’s not like you to panic. So, please…cheer up a little, alright? For both our sakes, at least?”
Brandon gave another sigh before he looked at her again with a small smile. “I’ll try.”
“Uh uh, do or do not, Brandon.” Brianna corrected him.
“Okay, fine, Yoda.” Brandon laughed.
Brianna got up from her seat and sat back down next to Brandon, giving him a one-arm hug. “Besides, don’t you say ‘Vinyl is Best Background Pony?’ She’s AJ’s SISTER now, for Celestia’s sake! Who knows what else is different? That could be an adventure in itself!” She said, making sure not to say that tidbit too loudly.
“Yeah…and we did just get to hang out with her.” Brandon replied.
“AND we just got offered a chance to temporarily live with her until we find the solution to our problem! Which, by the way, we’re not gonna totally rush and end up wearing ourselves out over.” Brianna reminded him.
“Yeah, yeah, I-“
“AND we might be able to get a gaming fix in if we find Button Mash!” Brianna said to him.
“Uh, sis?”
“AND maybe we can find the rest of the Mane 6 to boot!”
“Sis?”
“AND we-“
“Can y’all keep it down over there? Yer mighty loud, Brianna.” Applejack chastised, shaking her head.
“Oh, er…my bad.” Brianna replied with a slight blush. “Sorry, AJ!” She apologized as Vinyl was stifling her laughter.
“I think we made the right decision letting these two stay over for a little while.” Vinyl told Applejack, able to quell her laughing.
“That girl can talk loud enough to raise the dead, ah swear…” Applejack sighed, returning to her seat next to Vinyl.
Lyra returned with the twins’ drinks soon afterwards. “Here you are!” She said, dropping off the glasses. “If you need anything else, just say so!”
The twins both picked up their glasses.
“Second verse, same as the first?” Brandon asked.
“You know it.” Brianna said as they started drinking a third of their beverage each sip.
After the third and final sip, the two expected the “narrator” of sorts to return.
And return he did.
“I can tell you’re expecting it, so let me give you some cocktail trivia, now that you’ve emptied your glasses.” The deep-voiced narrator began. “Naturally, given the success of James Bond books, movies, games and such, many people who actually order his drink of choice have it shaken, not stirred. But, for those who are merely curious or maybe too afraid of mixing up the phrase on purpose in the public eye, what would be the difference if you have it served stirred, not shaken? The answer is simple. The drink will appear less cloudy and its texture is maintained more efficiently. In all honesty, it’s down to personal preference and if you mind how your drink looks when served. For the Bond movie aficionados, notice the actual drink he receives in the next film you watch and determine for yourself if his drink actually looks shaken based on the cloudiness of it. And that was the cocktail trivia for tonight.”
“Come to think of it, that drink WAS cloudy.” Brianna noted.
“Brianna!” Cloud Kicker said as she walked by. “Remember, sword fight tomorrow!” She merely reminded her and walked away.
The two sat in silence for a few seconds.
“Speaking of cloudy…” Brandon said, making Brianna bust out laughing.