Tap. Tap. Tap.
"Tem? Are you all right?"
Silence.
Firefall Strider sighed and leaned against the wall. I didn't mean to upset her...but still...
The door opened and Tempora poked her head out. "What?" she asked in a dull voice.
Firefall straightened himself up. "Tempora, can we talk?"
"Are you going to insist that you're right and I'm wrong?"
Firefall paused, which he quickly discovered was an unwise move.
"Yeah, you are," Tempora concluded, moving to close the door again.
"Tempora, will you listen to me?!" Firefall half-shouted, his patience wearing thin.
"Well, you won't listen to me, so why should I listen to you?" shot back Tempora angrily. She sighed and rubbed her head. "Oh, forget it. I need a bucking drink. I'm going to the pub."
"Wh-what? To the pub?" Firefall stepped into the middle of the hallway, trying to block his sister's path. "Wait. Not so fast. Listen."
Tempora growled and teleported to just behind him. Without looking back, she trotted down the stairs.
Firefall sighed and followed. "If you're going to go get drunk, I'm going with you."
"You are not."
"Yes, I am. Somepony needs to keep an eye on you."
"Fine, whatever. Just don't get in my way, got it?"
Without waiting for an answer, she opened the front door, stepped outside, and slammed it behind her.
Firefall face hoofed and let his hoof trail down his face. Oh Celestia...
Well, at least that tasted all right.
Walker sat, resting his head on a table, right next to a couple of dirty plates. His eyes traveled around the half-empty pub, eventually resting on the bar, where a couple of ponies were sitting.
Eh. Should I go there, or just back to my empty, empty apartment...?
The waitress arrived at his table and he paid for his meal, which had been something called a "hayburger". Cheaper than I thought it'd be, he thought as he stood, swinging his saddlebag onto his back. His eyes flicked back and forth between the exit and the bar, and he sighed, heading to the exit.
He was about a couple of meters from the door before, at the last second, he swung around and took a seat on a stool at the very end of the bar. Eh. I really don't have anything better to do right now...
The bartender--a unicorn mare with a brownish-gold coat--caught his eye and stepped over. "What can I get you?"
"Uh..." Walker frowned in thought. "Do you have any recommendations?"
The bartender blinked at his vague request, but answered anyway. "Well, I dunno...one of my personal favorites is the hard cider, but that's just my opinion."
Walker shrugged and let his saddlebag settle on the floor. "Sure, okay, that works."
"Coming right up," said the bartender, flashing a quick smile and moving to prepare the beverage.
As she moved away, Walker leaned onto the bar, his eyes defocusing. Okay then...going to enjoy the wonders of alcohol...yippie yay.
The front door suddenly glowed orange and opened. A slightly disgruntled-looking unicorn mare wearing a black wizard hat strode inside, letting the door swing shut, only to be pushed open again by a unicorn stallion wearing another black wizard hat. The stallion scowled slightly and moved to a table in the back, and the mare looked indifferent to his annoyance.
Walker watched, eyebrow raised, as the mare strode to his seat in the bar. She looked at him and said dully, "You're in my seat."
He blinked. "Uh, what? I was already sitting here. I don't see your name on it."
The mare sighed. "Oh, never mind." She climbed up on the stool next to him. "It's not important, anyway; I just sit there every time I come here."
"Okay." Walker frowned, looking at her closely. "Hey, weren't you the one who was at the library all day today?"
The mare blinked and looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. "Oh, yeah, that's right!" She stuck out a hoof. "I'm Tempora Strider, but Tempora's good enough."
Walker found himself grinning slightly as he held out his own hoof and they bumped hooves. "I'm Storm Walker, but Walker's good enough...sir."
Tempora gave a snort of laughter. "Oh, you're hilarious," she said dryly, but while smirking.
"I try." Walker grinned, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the bartender set a full glass of golden cider on the bar in front of him. "Oh, thanks," he said to her.
"You're welcome," said the bartender, before turning to Tempora. "What would you like?"
Tempora stared for a second at Walker's glass, then asked, "Is that cider?" At the bartender's nod, she said, "Then I'll have one too, please."
As the bartender nodded, going off to prepare the beverage, Walker turned to his cider and tentatively picked it up with a hoof. "Like cider?" he said casually, taking a small sip. Oh, this is good.
"If you don't think it's good," Tempora said, leaning onto the bar, "there's prob'ly something wrong with ya." She glanced at Walker's wings. "Never seen you before today. Where are you from?"
"Apparently, I'm from Cloudsdale," Walker muttered. "That's what my birth certificate says, anyway."
Tempora raised an eyebrow. "So what brings ya to Canterlot? Why'd you move here?"
"Oh, I don't know," Walker shrugged. "I just...well, I guess maybe I might've decided it'd be a good place to live...why do you ask?"
"Well, seeing a pegasus in Canterlot is pretty rare," Tempora explained as the bartender levitated her cider over. "Thanks. Well, Canterlot's made up of almost all unicorns, so pegasi and especially earth ponies are really rare unless they're tourists. The ones who live here are usually in the Royal Guard." She took a sip of cider. "Oh, Celestia, that tastes good," she sighed.
"Oh." Walker sighed and stared at his glass. "No wonder..."
"No wonder what?"
"Oh, nothing." Walker, with a jerky motion, took a swig of cider.
Tempora watched as he licked his muzzle and she grinned. "Guess I'm not the only one who likes this cider."
Walker clapped his hooves to his cheeks and gasped in mock surprise. "No! How'd you figure that one out?"
"Think you're such a smart aleck, don't ya?" Tempora said, lightly slugging him in the shoulder.
"Is that sarcasm I hear? Is it possible that there's more who use sarcasm than just me?"
Tempora paused, struggling for a witty reply. Eventually, she settled on, "You're crazy!"
"Maybe I'm sane," Walker retorted, "and you're the crazy one!" In one swift motion, he emptied the contents of his glass into his mouth and smacked the glass back onto the counter. "You know, I feel great right now! Uh, ma'am--" he waved at the bartender-- "can I get another cider, please?"
"Good idea! I'll take one too!" said Tempora loudly, rattling her glass against the bar.
"You're not even done with that one!" pointed out Walker, jabbing a hoof at the half-filled glass.
"No, but I will be," grinned Tempora, right before she downed the cider in a few gulps. "Woo! Okay, that was pretty good!"
"Eager, are we?" Walker smirked. "You an alcoholic or something?"
"Nah." Tempora waved a hoof dismissively as the bartender returned with more drinks. "I don't usually go out for drinks. I've had a long day and I gotta unwind. Oh, and thanks," she added to the bartender.
"Yeah, thanks," said Walker. "Me too..."
Firefall sat at a table across the pub, far from the bar, but close enough that he could see and hear his sister perfectly. And by extension, the pegasus stallion--named Walker--that she was with.
Who exactly is this guy? he thought as he narrowed his eyes at them
"...an' that's how I got my cutie mark," Tempora was saying to Walker, leaning on the bar. She suddenly made a hoof-pump. "Savin' the world!"
Walker burst out into laughter. "Sounds like you jus' saved your house...an' yer brother..."
She's talking about that?! Firefall thought indignantly, moving to stand, but he paused and sat down again. No...it's not so terrible I need to create a scene...
"Yeah, exactly! He's my world!" Tempora cheered. "He's awesome! Even if he's real annoying today..." She leaned in toward Walker. "What about you, friend? Your cutie mark?"
"Th' hell's a cutie mark?" Walker slurred. "Sounds ssstupid..."
"It's that picture on your butt when you find out what you're good at, numbskull!" Tempora said, pointing to hers. "You got one too! I can see it on you!"
"Wha?" Walker blinked and looked at Tempora's cutie mark, which was a pocket watch with the chain looping around the outside. "Holy shit, you got a tramp stamp!" He looked at his own cutie mark. "Holy shit, I got a tramp stamp!" He froze and took a closer look at it. "Don't remember getting this...was I drunk at some point?"
"You're drunk now, weirdo!"
"Not as much as you!..."
"You pegasi are known for bein' lightweights, and we've had the same amount!"
"Per'aps I'm weird for a pegasus! I've been a bit weird before then..."
Okay. I think that's enough, Firefall thought. She's had enough...and I guess that pegasus has had enough, too.
He stood up and strode over to the two of them in seconds. "Hey. Tempora. It's time to go," he said, prodding his sister hard in the side.
Tempora looked down, adjusting her hat. "What? No it isn't," she contradicted surprisingly clearly, though Firefall could still smell the alcohol on her breath. "This guy here...this guy right here..." she continued as she lightly punched Walker on the shoulder, "is actually a cool stal'yon! I mean, you're cool, but you're my brother!"
"Oh, yer crazy!" retorted Walker. "I'm not cool, just fucking boring! I think I'm smart or something...that's what those guys told me, anyway..."
"You're sellin' yourself short! You're funny...funnier than anyone I know!"
"'Cause I'm drunk!"
Firefall rubbed his head, annoyed. "Look, Tempora, it's getting rather late, and you've had enough. It's time to go. Now."
"I'm better at magic than you!"
"Only slightly, and I'm sober. I don't want to drag you home, but I will if I have to."
"But I'm good at my magic! My magical magic that's full of magic! Magically..."
"I can do magic, too!" announced Walker, grabbing his mug. "Watch in awe...as I make the contents of the mug...disappear!"
And in a few swift gulps, he drank the lot as Tempora laughed. He put the mug down once finished, looked at Firefall, and leaned toward him. "Hey, wait a second..." he said slowly. "You look familiar...I think..."
Firefall drew back instinctively. "Excuse me? I don't believe we've met."
"It was in the castle...I was reading and shit, I think. There were headaches..."
Firefall sighed. "I think you're thinking of somepony else. Here, I'll bring you home. Where do you live?"
"You're taking him home?" Tempora interjected.
"'Kay, I'll tell you where I live...lean in, it's secret," said Walker, ignoring Tempora--or possibly just not hearing her. When Firefall leaned in a bit, Walker continued suddenly. "It's Sixteen Hundred Pennsylvania Avenue, Northwest, Washington DC. Did ya get it? Sixteen hundred Pennsy--"
Firefall recoiled at the sudden loud noise as Walker started giggling like a child. "Yeah, stay down, I'm the motherfucking president!" he said.
"President of what?" Tempora asked, leaning in.
"Of your face!"
Both drunk ponies started giggling incessantly. Firefall, though, was having none of that. "Walker, seriously. Where do you live?"
"Okay, fine, if ya don't like presidents...I live at Ten Downing Street, Westminster, London--"
"I've heard enough," Firefall interrupted brusquely. "Tempora, we're going home. Walker, we'll go around Canterlot as long as we have to."
"But I'm the prime minister, fool!"
"What's that mean?" chimed in Tempora.
"It means Parliament better listen to me! Or something..."
Firefall rolled his eyes, put a small pile of bits on the counter to pay for the two's drinks, and grabbed the two in his telekinesis, bringing them outside into the night.
"Fire, what the hay?" protested Tempora weakly. "We were gonna have a drinking contest!"
"We were?" Walker asked, floating on his back, staring up at the sky. "Oh hey! It's Orion!"
"What, isn't that a mess o' stars?" Tempora mumbled as Firefall set them both down. "So?"
"Y'know how he's got a sword coming down from his belt?"
"Does he?"
"Yeah, he's s'posed to be the hunter..." Walker mumbled, "but swords go on the side and this is coming right down the middle..."
"Okay, look, you two, it's time to get moving," Firefall said impatiently.
"So what're ya sayin'?" Tempora asked, ignoring her brother completely.
"I'm saying Orion doesn't have a sword, he has a p--"
"It's time to go!" Firefall practically yelled, picking the two up in his magic again and moving. "Walker, where do you live?"
"I dunno..." Walker admitted. "I just moved in this morning...it had something to do with dark, maybe?"
"I'll let you think about it," Firefall sighed. "Tempora, looks like you're in luck; we're stopping at home first."
"What does Orion have?" whined Tempora. "I wanna know now!"
"It's a fucking d--"
"We don't need to know about that!" interrupted Firefall again. "Maybe later!"
"But I'll forget because I'm drunk or something!" said Walker.
"Yer not drunk or something, yer just drunk!" said Tempora, jabbing a hoof toward Walker. "I was there!"
"Oh, whatever, ya perfect Percy..."
"What does that mean...?"
Firefall sighed and tried to block out their voices as he continued to his and Tempora's house. Fortunately, the house was about seven minutes away on hoof, and they were there quickly.
It didn't make the walk any less embarrassing, though; there were still a fair number of ponies outside at this hour. At least they came across no nobles. Thank Celestia for that, Firefall thought gratefully.
"...so he was saying 'why won't you go out with me?' and I was saying 'it's 'cause you're a total plot-hole, an' I'm starting to get peeved!'" Tempora was saying as the three of them were approaching the house.
"He was like an incon...incon...inconsistency in a book?" Walker said uncomprehendingly.
"No, a plot-hole! Like a butthole!" Tempora clarified. "So after that, he was saying 'but I can show you a good time!' but then I was saying 'not even in yer dreams! I can alter the...the passage of time!'"
"Sounds like he's a grade-A dick!" Walker said as Firefall opened the door. "Maybe even a dick among dicks, one might say!"
"Pretty much!"
Firefall maneuvered Tempora in through the doorway and unceremoniously dropped her on the floor. Ignoring the grunt of annoyance, he turned to the floating pegasus. "Okay, Walker, do you remember where you live?"
Walker's face screwed up in concentration for a few moments. "God, I don't remember...dark something?"
"Can you please try to remember?"
"I've been trying! You think I'm a...what was it...a savant or something?"
"Idea!" yelled Tempora from inside. "Stay here!"
"What?!" yelled the drunken Walker and the sober Firefall simultaneously.
"This is your place, I can't stay here!" protested Walker.
"Tempora, you barely know this stallion!"
"Yeh, but it's not like we're gonna do unspeakable things!" said Tempora, still lying on the floor. "He can sleep on the couch or something!"
"The couch...good for me! Better than what I've got!" chimed in Walker.
"All right, fine," huffed Firefall, growing tired. "Walker, you can sleep on the couch here for tonight."
"Yeah, thanks!" said Walker as he was levitated inside and toward the living room. As he floated past Tempora, who was still on the floor, he said, "Good night, you crazed pony!"
"Good night, and you're the crazy one!" called Tempora, quickly losing sight of him. "Wow, I'm tired. Never noticed how comfortable this floor was..."
As she noted the comfort of a wooden floor with a very thin rug, Firefall set Walker down on the couch in the living room just off the kitchen, resting his head on a pillow and throwing a couple of blankets on him. "You're a pegasus, so I doubt you'll need more than that," Firefall said, "but the rest are in the closet here."
"Thanks. So you're Tempora's brother?" Walker mumbled surprisingly clearly.
"...Yes."
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna mess with her. Promise."
"...Great..."
But Walker was, for all intents and purposes, already fast asleep. Firefall sighed and headed back to the foyer.
"Bro," mumbled Tempora as Firefall came across her again. "This is one plot-kickingly-comfy floor."
"Well, it's nothing compared to your bed, which is a good thing as you're going up there," said Firefall as he levitated his sister. "Let's not fool around, all right?"
"Yeah, whatever," she muttered as he climbed the stairs with her floating just before him. "What's Orion got?"
"We're discussing this later," said Firefall as they entered Tempora's bedroom.
"Fiiiine. G'night, ya crazy animal," sighed Tempora as she landed on the bed. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow.
"Night," said Firefall quietly, closing the door. With that done, he moved to his own bedroom and sat down on his bed, already deep in thought.
Who is that stallion, he thought, and what is up with him?
In any other circumstance, it would be safe to conclude that drunkenness was all that was wrong with Walker that night. But then he mentioned...oh, what was it...Pennsylvania? Westminster? What are those?
Firefall lay back on the bed and set his hat on his bedside table. It would probably be a good idea to ask him when he's sober again...
But still--who is he?