//------------------------------// // Neighbour to the Rescue // Story: Gangs of Manehattan // by LoadingPleaseWait //------------------------------// Chapter 3: Neighbour to the Rescue: The trot back to my apartment was uneventful to say the least. Well, as uneventful as trotting home gets when you’re drunk of your tits, screaming out Ponies Gone AWOL’s greatest hits to the displeasure of sober Ponies going to work early, or to the pleasure of equally drunk Ponies who sing it along with you as they stumble about just as much as you do. And now here I stand, leaning against my apartment door searching for a key I know I don’t have but have lost back at the Rose Deluxe. Just another night out in Manehattan. I sigh. Time for the walk of shame. I trot up to my next-door neighbor’s door. By trot, I mean get up to about a foot away from the door before falling face-first into it and waking up the entire street with the pursuing bang. I gingerly touch my nose. It’s not broken. Thank Celestia. I hear movement from the other side and before I can move and stop myself from leaning up against the door, it swings open and I fall straight into my neighbor, her ensuing scream waking up the entire neighborhood. Sometimes, I surprise even myself. We lay there. Not moving. Before I hear an extremely tired sigh. “For a Mare who claims to have no money, you seem to be pretty drunk again, Rainbow Dash.” My neighbor says with a tired tone. “Sorry, Twilight.” I slurred. “And I’m not drunk.” I lied. “But… I’ve lost my key at the bar so I need to crash at yours for tonight.” Twilight sighed once again. “Why can’t you just go wake the landlord and ask her for the master-key?” “Wake the landlord!?” I shake my head. “You’re crazy, Twilight. That bitch will kill me!” Waking the landlord? Fat chance of that happening, without the fear of an ear full for losing another key and an hour-long lecture. If Twilight sighs one more time, she’ll sound like a broken record. “This is the third time you’ve had to crash at mine because you’ve lost your key, why can’t you just stop losing it?” Third time? Was she really that bad? “I’m sorry…” I slurred again. “I know you are. You always say that.” Twilight taps my shoulder. “Now come on, get up, unless you want to sleep out here all night?” She joked. Oh, ye… I reluctantly get up as Twilight soon follows, dusting herself off before doing the same to me, as I sway on the spot. This hangover is gonna suck. I follow her inside her small, single-sized bedroom not meant for two adult ponies (Heck, Twilight’s bed took up half the room!), as the soft orange glow coming of Twilight lamp cast the room in a comforting aura. Twilight pulled out a small blow-up bed from underneath her bed and began pumping it up. It was comedic really, watching a fully grown Unicorn blow up an air bed for her drunken friend inside her own apartment, but I’ve crashed here enough times that Twilight thought it necessary to buy one for me, drunk or not. I smiled. That didn’t last long though. “The bucket is in the corner over there.” Twilight said in-between breaths as I ran over and proceed to empty my guts out into the bin. I heard Twilight chuckle behind me. That witch. “I don’t know why you do it to yourself.” “I met an old friend and decided to have a few drinks with her.” I said as I spit inside the bucket, the awful taste still present in my mouth. Twilight cocked an eyebrow. “What’s her name?” “I shouldn’t say, but her name’s Lightning Dust. I knew her back in Wonderbolt training, she’s that Mare I told you about that always used to get in fights.” I shouldn’t tell Twilight this, but Twilight damn near knows my whole background now. She was the first face I saw and the first friend I made when I came back here and got this shitty apartment. She’s stopped me from going insane, by just being someone to talk to. “Ah.” Twilight nodded. “The legendary Lightning Dust. I wonder if she knows how many stories you’ve told me about her. One would think she’s your idol or something.” I chuckled. “I’d rather she didn’t.” I shook my head. “She’s changed, that’s for sure. Well… I don’t know, maybe it is genuine, maybe it isn’t. I don’t know yet.” Fuck, this headache kills. My ears flinched as I heard movement outside the still open door and I turned around to see who was there, as did Twilight. “Applejack!” Twilight called out in surprise. Fuck… It’s Applejack. She looked like shit. I could see her eyes had bags under them and her hooves shook when she walked from pure exhaustion. She works down at the local Flim Flam factory and works ungodly hours, and from what I know when talking to Twilight, is treated like shit by the owner and the staff. “Hi’ya, Twilight.” She said in a tired tone before she looked over to me. “Rainbow.” She said with a nod. “Looking like shit and drunk? Why am I not surprised.” She said as she walked on. “Ye, fuck you too, Applejack.” I said as turned around back to my bucket. Fuck, this is embarrassing. “Rainbow met an old friend today, thought they’d have a few drinks.” Twilight told Applejack, as she continued to blow up my bed that now damn near took up half the room. “Rainbow met someone from her ‘glory days’?” Applejack said from down the hall as the sound of keys rattling together could be heard. “I thought they didn’t exist, besides hearing Rainbow tell a story about them damn near every week.” I faked laughed. Very funny. I heard Applejack close her door. “Bitch.” I whispered into my bucket. “Hey! Watch that potty mouth, you may not like her but I do.” Twilight said as she levitated her book and hit me over the head with it. “Ow!” It didn’t hurt, but making Twilight think it did would stop another from ha- WACK! “Ow! That hurts you know!” Why she do it again?! I heard that witch giggle behind me. “I know that didn’t hurt you, so just making sure you get my message.” She giggled as she continued pumping up my bed. I look over at the (admittedly) cute sight and saw the book she’s reading. “Daring Doo?” Unbelievable. “Isn’t that a kid’s book?” She stopped mid blow and looked at me like I had just struck a Filly. “Daring Doo is NOT a ‘kids’ book! It’s a high intense adventure novel suitable for all ages, I’ll have you know.” She went back to blowing up my bed. 3… 2… 1… “You should try it sometime.” There it is. “I knew you were gonna say that!” Every damn time I come here she tries to make me read books! I don’t read books! No chance. “What! Come on, you’ll love it, just give it a try, please.” She whined. I quickly turned around back to my bucket. Don’t look behind me. I know what she’s doing. I can feel the puppy eyes she’s giving me, but I won’t be beaten that easy. I moved on quickly. “I thought you just read history books anyway. Or them ‘magic’ books.” What were they called again? “Magic books? Oh, you mean Arcane Theory or Arcane Enchantments or Arcane Wa-“ “Yes, yes, Arcane chibber-chabber, whatever it’s called.” “Arcane books are very important to Unicorns as it’s what makes us unique, and knowing more of what you can do at a moment’s notice can be really helpful.” Ye, she’s right about that, I don’t know how many times aerial maneuvers have helped me escape the cops. I look over at Twilight to see her completely hidden behind a stupidly large blow-up bed. She doesn’t need to know about what I do, she thinks that’s all behind me and that I’m on track to being a packer for the rest of my life. Fat chance of that happening. “Move.” She said after a moment’s pause. “I need to put this down.” Begrudgingly, I crawl up the side of Twilights bed, bucket in wing, and watch as she closes the door and places my bed onto her floor, which is now completely covered. This blowup bed is a godsend, but when somebody needs to use the now blocked door? What a pain in the ass it is to move... I sit there, thinking. Lightning Dust may be an old friend, but to trust her? Foolish. But I don’t have many options, it’s either this or risk my luck finding a better job while being stuck in this broken apartment barely making any money, but with a criminal record? No chance. Even if I do get kicked out, I don’t doubt Twilight would offer her floor to me until I find one, but I know for a fact that bitch of a landlord will double the rent, and Twilight can’t afford that. I feel the bed shift to my side and see Twilight sit next to me, book in magic. This has happened more times then I care to admit (both drunk and sober), but still to this day I can’t stop the blood rushing to my cheeks. Fuck sake. “Lost in thought, are we?” She said as she opened her book. I chuckle. “Just weighing up my options… and I’ve made my decision.” “Oh?” She raised an eyebrow. “May I ask what it is?” The cheek on this mare! I raise a wing and flick it lightly against her nose and chuckle in devilish delight as she squeaks in surprise. “Hey!” I laugh loudly as I crawl into my bed. “That’s not funny!” “Then why are you smiling?” I said with a knowing smirk. “Shouldn’t you be asleep already? You have work in the morning.” An angry hiss before shoving the book back into her face but even then, she still can’t hide that blush from me. Celestia be damned I’ve still got it. “Oh?” I fake being hurt. “Trying to get rid of me already, are we? And I thought we were friends!” I risk a side glance at her reaction as I slid onto my bed, but I see nothing as the book now covers her face. I shake my head at the short but fun bit off teasing. I guess sleep would be the wise choice. Fuck, getting up’s gonna suck massive Celestia sized balls. I place my bucket on top of her single draw at her bed's feet, next to her lamp. “Guess you’re right, sleep would be the right idea.” “It’s good to know you’re listening to some sense. I’ll be sure to wake you in a few hours, so don’t worry about missing work.” Twilight places her book down before sliding under her covers and with a flick of her magic, her lamp turns off, casting the room into darkness, save for the slight sliver of light that creeps around her blinds. “Cheers, Twilight. Celestia knows what I would’ve done without you, waking up the landlord is like walking into Tartarus with a sign dangling from your neck, reading ‘Free Meat!’” The thing is, I’m not lying. I hear a light chuckle from above me. “I can’t exactly disagree with you there.” A pause. “But I swear to Celestia Rainbow, if I hear you snoring again tonight, I’ll drag you to her room myself.” “Yes, ma’am! No snoring from me tonight.” I saluted the air while making my best impression of Spitfire’s gravelly voice, which is quite easy for a mare with a gravelly voice also. “I mean it Rainbow, I have Uni tomorrow and I don’t want to be half-asleep because of your earthquake causing snores.” Touchy touchy “Yeye, I get ya. Goodnight, Twi.” A pause. “Goodnight, Rainbow. Get some sleep, okay? You’ll need it for the morning you’re about to have.” Please don’t remind me, ugh… As I hear the clock tick, I sat there, thinking. Lightning Dust offers me everything I’ve ever known, but there’s just something about this that I can’t put my hoof on. I’m gonna have to be careful with my every move, but if there’s one thing I know I’m good at, it’s crime. Fuck, my head hurts like a mother bucker. I just can’t seem to get comfy, this sucks. Hoof under head? No. Hooves sprawled out? No. Hooves crossed? No. Nothing’s wor- Before I could realize what was happening, I felt something warm be placed over me. “You’re so drunk you forgot to put on your blanket.” A pause. “Here’s your pillow, too.” Oh. “Thank you, Twi.” I hear her rustle beneath her bedsheets. “It’s okay, Dash. Just get some sleep.” I swear, that Unicorn… I smile a small smile before snuggling into the blanket, and sleep seemed a lot easier then it was before. . . . “Rainbow! You’re snoring!” Shit. “Sorry!”