Star Bright and Joy where outside towards the back of the mansion, heading to the bar Joy mentioned. They walked through the field and around hedges and flower bed until they where almost of the mansion ground that's, when Star Bright could see a small building just a few meters from them.
The building had a humble look to it like any other bar Star Bright's been to. Plain looking wooden walls and stairs and plain clear window, the light of the bar shining out.
"Well here we are, The La Nora." Joy proclaimed pointing at the bar.
"La Nora?" Star said with a raised brow, "Who named it that?"
"Gus did, he asked Mrs. Breeze to build this bar years ago for the ponies who work and live here at the mansion. He said the name was somepony he knew from where he use to live back in the griffon kingdom." she explained.
"Okay then lets go in, after the days I've been having lately I'm ready to lay back."
The two walked up the stairs then opening the door they entered the establishment. Star Bright looked around the room filled with other ponies who worked at the mansion, then his attention was taken back to Joy who motioned him to follow and lead him to the back of the bar to the concession stand where he could see Gus handing out drinks.
"Hi Gus how are you tonight?" Joy greeted the griffon bartender, taking a seat on one of the stools by the counter.
Gus looked at Joy and smiled, "I fine thank you Joy and I see you brought somepony with you." he said as he watched Star Bright sit next to Joy.
"Hey there you got anything good to drink back there?" Star asked cockily.
"Depends what do you want?"
"I'll have a beer."
"Give me a martini please."
Gus went over to the wall of drinks behind him and when he came back put there drinks on the counter in front of them. They thanked him then started drinking.
"So are you two dating or something." Gus said.
Star Bright almost spitted out his beer and looked at him surprised, "W-What nononono where not on a date."
Joy was just as surprised, "Yeah where just here as friends." she retorted.
Gus chuckled, "Alright, alright I was just asking. So Star Bright how was your first day of hard labor?"
Star Bright leaned on the table drink in hoof, "It was ruff Bird Guy..."
"Bird Guy?"
"....Trotworth's working me like a slave, cleaning from one hall or room to the next and he hardly gives me a break."
"Well that's old Trot for ya he wants everything to be nice and clean for milady."
As they talked Cotton palm and Shell walked into the bar, walking up to the stand they sat down next to Joy and Star Bright. Cotton looked next to him at Star Bright and smiled.
"Hello Star Bright I didn't think we'd catch you here."
Star Bright looked up at the minotaur, "Oh hey there Big Cow when did you get here?" he said taking another sip of his beer.
"Me and Shell here just got back from yours and Cloud Mist old place with all your stuff. Your things our now neatly in your room." Cotton said.
"Uh thanks but you know didn't have to do that right? I'm not going to be staying here forever." Star retorted.
"Don't be to sure about that," said Shell over on the other side of cotton, "Mrs. Breeze says you have to stay and she ment it and you better know Trotworth's gonna keep it that way for her."
Star Bright scuffed, "That old bastard cant stop me and as for Mrs. Breeze I think I can convince her to change her mind."
"Oh, how do you plan that."
"...That's none of your business. So why do you work her at the mansion Shell don't changelings live with hives or something and follow a queen?" Star asked changing the conversation.
"Yes but I decided to leave the old hive to do my own thing, collecting love and feeding myself you know. I found the mansion and they allowed me to work her, I didn't have anything better to do so I took the job and now I got a nice place to stay some friends here and there and..." Shell paused to turn around in his seat to look at a group of mares sitting at a table, he grinned devilishly, "The mares aren't bad either."
"You don't really expect those mares to even talk to you with the face you have do you?" Star Bright joked.
Shell looked at him with a smug grin, "Wanna bet?"
Star Bright smiled, "Alright then go over there and ask one of them out."
"Gladly." She said before getting up from his seat and walking over to the mares table.
Star Bright, along with the others watched as Shell walked up to the table and getting one of the mares attention him and the mare where talking about something. The mares expression started to turn sour and she scowled at the bug before quickly standing up from her chair and slapping Shell across the face.
"Ha I knew he couldn't pull it of-"
Star Bright cut off when suddenly he watched the mare grab Shell by the cheeks and started kissing him lovingly like a French lover. Star watched wide eyed, as the two kissed for what felt like five minutes before the mare let him go and he came back and sat at his chair. Shell looked at Star Bright's shocked face and smirked.
"So you where saying?"
"How in Equestria, did you do that?"
"You got to know mare to know you know."
"...Teach me everything you know."
Cotton chuckled, "Well that's Shell for you he can pull in almost any mare even with his mug."
The group kept talking through the night for a very long time, most of the ponies in the place left for the night leaving the place almost empty with them and other few remaining. As the group talked soon though a particular topic finally came to mind that's been bothering Star Bright for a while.
"Hey guys where's Mrs. Breeze husband?"
Everyone at the counter looked at him with the most depressed expressions he's ever seen. "Wait...you don't know?" Joy said her voice sounding more sadder then Star ever heard it before.
"Uh know what?" Star Bright asked.
They looked back and forth at each other their expressions still in a deep frown in silence as if waiting for some thing to happen.
"Come on, know what?"
"Mrs. Breeze...husband is dead, Star Bright." Gus said bowing his head along with the others.
Star Bright's mouth instantly went shut from total shock, "What...how?"
"It was on the day Breeze baby got terribly sick her and Mr. Cumulous went to every doctor they could find to cure there baby, but the doctors said there was no way of saving the child but then one of the doctors said that there was a surgery that could possibly work but there had to be a donor with the same blood and they would have to replace the damaged organs. There was only a 50/50 percent chance the donor would survive."
Star Bright looked at Gus his attention completely on him.
"Cumulous didn't hesitate to offer himself as the donor to save his son, Breeze tried to convince him to let her do it but he protested saying he couldn't live with himself if something happened to her. He insured Breeze that everything would be alright and the operation started," Gus took a deep breath before continuing, "after a few hours everything was going fine...but something went terribly wrong and we lost him."
"Oh my goddess...what about the baby?"
"Even though he sacrificed himself to save him the doctors where to late and they couldn't save him in time and he died."
The room went silent again for what felt like eternity it was so quiet you could have heard the clock tick on the wall. "I-I'm sorry I didn't know."
"It's okay lad you would have found out eventually, well its getting late I think we can all use a rest right now."
Everypony nodded and standing up from there seats they all got up and went out the door. They walked quietly till Cotton decided to speak.
"So Star Bright does Cloud play the violin?" the minotaur asked out the blue.
Star Bright looked at him, "No why you ask?"
"I brought a violin with us from your old place and I thought it was his and sense he's to little to play I but it in the musical hall." he said.
"Wait that was my violin!" Star screamed.
Shell raised a brow, "Really you play the violin?"
"Yeah! Where did you put it!"
"It's in the musical room back in the mansion."
Star Bright turned around and heading towards the mansion without another word. Joy bid the two goodbye and headed after Star Bright and walked up next to him.
"Hey Star Bright where are you going?" Joy asked.
"To get me violin." he said in a serious tone.
Joy raised a brow, "Well it sounds like this things important to you, can you tell me why?"
"It's kinda personal."
Joy was starting to worry, "Can you tell me about it?"
Star Bright stopped and looked at Joy and her worried expression and sighed, "Okay I'll tell you but for you to understand I would have to tell you how I became a Pyromaniac."
****
I was tightly hugging my mother I couldn't even remember the last time I had done this. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I looked up at her smiling face and her deep blue eyes.
"Mom, I cant believe it's you I've missed you so much." I said hugging her tighter.
She returned the hug just as tight, "I missed you to Cloud Mist, how have you've been doing while I was gone?" she asked.
I wiped away my tears, "*Sniff* Fine Mom, I'm fine I'm so glad your here though I really need to talk to you."
"I need something to baby can you do me a favor?"
I wiped the rest of the tears from my face and smiled, "Sure mom what do you need?"
"Cloud...I want you to stay with Breeze."