//------------------------------// // Loyalty // Story: Nocturnality // by Kotushk Fier //------------------------------// "Say, how would you like a pair of shades for your eyes? I honestly wouldn't want to hide them, but I know how folks around here can be." "Well, Mi- err, Vinyl, that would be appreciated. I already had one pony run away from me today." "Really? Do you know who it was?" "Well, she was pink, very vibrantly... pink. She took one look at me and my partner, and dashed off without a word." "Oh, you must be talking about Pinkie Pie. I wouldn't worry about her so much. She has this thing with new ponies in town. She absolutely has to throw them a party." Oh great. A party. A social event likely involving members of this society I haven't met yet. "Wait a minute. I've seen your name before. You're on a plaque in Canterlot's Castle. I probably would have said so earlier, but my mind is busy making sure things go well for the Princess." "Oh yea, I was interviewed one day. Busybody bugger too, wouldn't let me just chill out and make my music, he had to keep asking questions." "Well, it's an honor to meet you in person. But I must excuse myself now, as I still have other preparations to check on." Vinyl nodded as she led me back to the front of her home, stopping only once to levitate a pair of sunglasses from a table in the hallway. She presented them to me, and I placed them over my eyes. Instantly the world darkened considerably, and I was amazed she could find her way around without tripping. I left her home with another farewell and a thanks for her time, making sure to not accidentally call her 'Miss' again. I checked my map again, searching for the next closest name, which happened to be a mare named Berry Punch, in charge of party refreshments. I turned towards her dot, following it slowly until I was almost on top of it, before looking up for her. I saw a small group of ponies gesturing and laughing, pointing at a slightly dark pink mare with a rose colored mane and tail, who was clearly tipsy. I checked my map again, and sure enough, the drunken mare was my target. Perfect... Sighing, I made my way over to Miss Punch, tapping her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. She blearily raised her head and looked at me, before letting out a drunken laugh. "Whatsh dish? Do you thinksh that jusht cuz I'm drunk I'm an easy target for a young colt shuch as yourshelf?" "What? No! Miss Punch, may I escort you home? You aren't fit for public right now." "Ha! Public or private, you aren't getting any of thish." "Huh? No, wait. That's not what I meant. Look, my name is Novalis, I'm here in town overseeing preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration tomorrow. You're in charge of the beverages, correct?" At the mention of the impending celebration, she seemed to sober up at a speed I've never heard of. She straightened up, her coordination returned, and her speech improved drastically. "My apologies for the state I was in. Yes, my name is Berry Punch, and I was asked to provide drinks for the party some time ago." Huh? What just happened? She sobered up quicker than... I don't really know what to compare it to. "Umm, yes, well about that. Could you make sure not to put anything alcoholic out, at least not until the little colts and fillies are away?" "But of course! What type of mare do you think I am? I have a little filly of my own, after all." Huh, that's a surprise. "She's currently at a friend's house for the night." Oh, that's why she was drinking. "OK then, Miss Punch, I thank you for your time then. I'll let you be on your way then." "Wait! Why don't you come with me, and sample some of the drinks I already have on my list? None of them are alcoholic, so you can be assured you will be capable of continuing." "That's actually a good idea. Although, I'm assuming that from your name and Cutie Mark, you deal primarily in berry related drinks?" "That's correct. Is there a problem with that?" "Well, I'm allergic to rogberries. I am not able to judge anything with them in it." "Rogberries? You must have important connections to have been able to drink anything using them. They're rare, you know. Unfortunately, I'm afraid you'll have to settle for lower closs beverages today and tomorrow." Oh yeah. Duh. Princess Luna did mention how hard they were to come by. But I couldn't take the risk, either. I nodded my head and followed as Berry Punch led me to her home. She led me through Ponyville, ignoring the looks of distaste from some of the citizens. I could tell that today wasn't the first day she walked through town hammered. The looks of dislike even passed over me, and I felt increasingly uneasy until we finally arrived at her home. She lived in a small, two story home, red brick with light orange trim. Her garden and home were impeccably clean, which went against my first impressions of her. She was obviously a good mother, as nothing was in reach for a filly that ought not to be. She was humming to herself as I followed her into her cellar, which was about twice the size of her home. She had various wines in all shapes and sizes, locked inside safety glass cases. In the center of the room was a long oak table, which already had a few drinks on it, along with notes about consistency, taste, and alcohol content. Impressive. She proceeded to mix different concoctions of drinks, some sweet, some sour, some bitter, but they all had one thing in common. Perfection. These had to be some of the best drinks made from the basest ingredients I had ever tasted. I gave due compliments, bringing a slight blush to her cheeks. She told me to stop over exaggerating, to which I told her I was merely telling the truth. I discussed some of the more obscure combinations she had thought about, and found out that any new drink she thought of she tested on herself first. Thanks to her self testing process, however, new alcoholic drinks would often get her drunk, and so she suffered in silence when she needed new ingredients. After going through a large quantity of these beverages, it was only natural when I needed to relieve myself. I excused myself and went upstairs, making my way into the bathroom at the end of the hall. Her bathroom was light pink with pale yellow accentuating it, a very light and comfortable room. After I was done, I made sure to clean up and left, almost bumping into Berry on my way out. Looking at her, I noticed she was exhibiting very nervous signs, with her eyes looking left and right, and shuffling her hooves. "Miss Punch, is something bothering you?" "Umm. Well. My husband left awhile back, and Pinch, my daughter, doesn't have a father. You've been very sweet, and didn't try to hurt me today. I was wondering if you were in a herd, or a pony interested in single commitments?" A herd? I knew of them, small groups of mares with one or two stallions. I had even been invited to one in school. But I didn't have interest in them right now. In my heart, there was only one mare. "I'm sorry, Miss Punch, but I'm afraid I currently only have one mare in my heart." "I understand. She's very lucky to have you." "Oh dear, no. I haven't made my intentions clear. And besides, it would be me lucky to have her, not the other way around." "Why not confess? I'm sure you would make a great couple." Yeah, right. Me with all my imperfections, with the Princess? Most certainly not a match made for the history books. I shook my head lightly, smiling at her. I excused myself again, as I still had a couple more ponies to check on. I gave my sincerest thanks and lavished more praise on her drinks before making my way away from her home. I was almost on the road again when she called out to me. "Well, thank you for your time, Novalis. And come on back anytime, I'm more than happy to have a friend like you around." Celestia damnit! Another friend? I think avoiding friends in this town is harder than it should be. I sighed, turning around and waving a hoof at her, with a large smile on my face. Then again, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. I could use some friends, if they're true.