The experience with Rarity wasn't actually that bad, a little strange she'd emphasize on the whole generosity bit but overall nice. I went out the door and heard the familiar ring of the bell above the door as I made my exit but I gave it no real notice.
Now that I have a supporter for today I'm gonna need more to cover my alibi for any possible... incidents that could occur, and honestly making one ally was enough for me, besides it's been a while since I got a drink to cool my nerves. So that was my next mission, seek a bar around to drink some good liquor, I won't lie. The thought of good alcohol always brought a smile to my face, I walked around the town to find a liquor store but all I could find were stands selling stuff from Apples to strawberries.
They both actually seemed to dislike the other but hey, if there wasn't any liquor to it then I wasn't going to care. It took a while and a bit off the town to find what I wanted. "Berry's Punch Bar" I spoke aloud re-digesting what I read, it sounded corny as hell but nothing a good drink couldn't fix. And in my experience drinking from small villages gave the best kind of liquor.
There was a double western front door just short of covering the entrance and I came through with no hesitation. I surveyed the area, a nice cozy wood-coated tavern, stools of metal with brown cushions, and tables moved to the side to make room for the path to the two bathrooms. I was delighted to see that from the number of ponies sober, that the party hasn't started yet.
I moved to one of the stools and hopped on to get my hooves on the smoothed-out wooden surface. My side however was more at the end of the rectangular table spanning a couple of ponies long while meeting both the sides of the space of the bartender, he looked fairly young, maybe 18 or 19. "So Bartender, what's your town's number 1 drink around here?"
The bartender was speaking to some ponies across from me at the edge, three ponies nearly huddled around the bartender, probably old friends. The bartender, quick on the draw, turned towards me with a smile that was probably from the conversation. "Well I'd say that's the apple cider-" when he saw me fully he was completely shocked, "-e-extra bubbly..."
Everypony soon followed with his reaction as they all tried to see what got him so stiff.
While back when I was fairly new to the whole shock and gawking I would've created a problem but now that I'm so numb to it I just kept the conversation going.
"Apple cider huh? I think I've heard of that," I tapped one hoof onto the counter and the other on my chin, "Is it local or outsourced?"
He looked terrified of me but I kept a smile on my face with no Ill intent, "L-lo-local" he seemed to swallow heavily after that as if he was staring death in the face. He would be half right, but he was scared shitless, I tried to keep a calm composure. "That sounds wonderful! How much for a mug?" I gave him the most welcoming smile I could muster, he wasn't a bad colt, seemed fresh to the job with quite the experience on him.
He was a little less tense after my effort. But an earth stallion didn't take my meeting so well if the one pony steam engine that was heading my direction indicated anything.
That steam engine had a white coat with light green hair, mint really, more like actually.
"I think we all thinking the same thing, freak" he stared me down as if there was nothing more important in the world than seeing me leave.
But I didn't pay him much attention, I instead spoke to the bartender, "So what's the price?"
The brick head beside me didn't seem to take the ignoring too well, "I'm talking to you thestic" I actually flinched at that, haven't heard that slur in a while.
I turned to the idiot signing the death certificate if he took this any further, "listen, I'm sure you want to punch me inside out but can't we just have a drink?"
"With a freak like you? You waiting till we let our guard down just to suck our blood?"
Okay now I was pissed, "that's fruit bats, you fucking moron."
"Look who's talking thestic"
"Bartender, I'm gonna step outside the bar to deal with this arrogant piece of shit, could you make me some of that apple cider in the meantime?" I put down a bag of bits to pay for the drinks.
"Deal with?" He looked like I just made the dumbest mistake of my life. "You're fucking asking for it." I sneered at him,
"You talk a big game for an earth pony about to be 6ft under."
"We'll see, you long-eared mutation."
I moved out pushing the double door entrance and moving around the back where they kept the dumpster.
I heard the idiot walk on the dirt path behind me, "You really set yourself for this."
He walked closer to me but I just popped my neck from right to left before taking a second to take the air in, it was getting dark and I had to deal with this soon if I didn't want to hurt anypony.
"Yeah yeah," I spoke nonchalantly, this guy was just some sober stallion with his racism in the hoof.
"Hey, before we get started, can you just let me know one thing" I turned my head to make eye contact with him.
He seemed completely surprised with the change of tone with what was about to happen. "What?"
"How does the dirt taste?"
I sprung backward using my hooves off the ground, maneuvering my body to a spiral out with hoof out to act as the central point of my attack, putting my acceleration, weight, and strength just to fucking hit him in the gut. He was too slow to react and went out cold. I however didn't plan out how to stick my landing so I just face-planted onto the floor.
It hurt a bit but I got up quite fine, I was kinda expecting a bit more from this guy, he seemed the type to give me a bit more than 3 seconds of a fight. "Oh well,"
I trotted back to the entrance and was welcomed with complete silence, odd looks, stares, and even some shocked faces. I went towards my stool and hopped back on to find three apple ciders, or rather I think so, I mean I did ask for them specifically. I picked up one of the wooden mugs about to relish my full reward.
But then I was interrupted, "Wow" I was about to chug it all down but my ear twitched to the direction and found the bartender seemingly completely surprised.
"You actually beat him down huh? I don't think I've seen a Thestral beat down a pony or a Thestral at all!"
I raised an eyebrow at the sudden interest in me, I never once had someone interested in me after I beat down one drunk stallion or sober. I slowly put the mug down to humor the now chatty bartender.
"M-my name is Trickshot" he held out his hoof for a welcoming gesture, I was skeptical at first and it seemed like he caught on, he began to shy away from his hoof, "I-I'm sorry-" I pulled out a hoof to shake his.
"It's fine, my name is Shining Flare," I couldn't help but smile at the nervousness of Trick, he just seemed so flabbergasted to see a Thestral around.
"So uh, why are you here? If you don't mind me asking?"
"I'm just searching for a place to stay, nothing much to it." Half a truth and half a lie but better than a full lie.
"Huh, so if you don't mind me asking, why come here?"
"Hm, seems like a quiet place, small and welcoming... most of the time" I drank my other mug.
"Quiet? Hah! You're kidding me right?" He laughed at that.
"What do you mean?" Now I was confused, the whole scenery was small with lively ponies as residents so far from what I've seen, I started to drink my last mug.
"Oh boy, you don't know? It hasn't been quiet ever since princess Twilight has been here!"
I spit the last of the cider of my last mug, "PRINCESS?!" I was completely caught off guard.
"Yeah," he put his ears to the side of his head but that wasn't important right now!
"WH-when was this?" I nervously questioned, this could be bad! I left Canterlot TO AVOID DANGER!
"Uh, I think maybe like a year ago and a half?"
"WHAT?!" HOW COULD I HAVE NOT KNOWN THIS?!
"You okay? You're freaking out like me when I heard about the Canterlot incident." I went wide-eyed, FUCK! NO NO NO NO, I JUST FLED THE CRIME SCENE TO A SMALLER TOWN THAT COULD NARROW ME DOWN EVEN FURTHER AS THE CULPRIT!
I slowly came back to the real world and found Trick waving his hoof side to side in front of me. "You good?" I blinked before I fully process everything that was coming down, I shook my head.
"Yeah, yeah, just thinking I should move pretty soon, I mean that's pretty close right?"
"Yeah I thought the same thing, but Celestia issued a ban on trains for a while," he moved closer to me to whisper, "between you and me, I've heard they are doing this because they think the stallion is here in Ponyville." He looked a little worried, "They even think the incident is related to three others over at Baltimore, Appleoosa, and Manehatten."
I completely shut down, this was not good AT ALL! They are tracking me down! IT WASN'T MY FAULT!
I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead, "I think I've had enough for today, thanks Trick." I hopped off the stool, grabbed my bag, and put it in my satchel. I was already moving out the door and heard Trick say something in the distance but I couldn't make out what.
Today was going horrible and I needed to find a way out of this town, then I realized something, the time- I looked up to the sky to see the sun slowly descend. SHIT!
I didn't plan ahead for the time going by, I have an apartment set up but it's too far away now! Fuck, fuck, fuck!
I immediately sprinted to the edge of town, I had to make it to the forest! There were no ifs or buts I HAD TO!
After a few minutes of running, I found a forest, it was completely wild and just by looking at it you could be lost for hours but I had to be lost, I couldn't hurt anypony that way!
I ran straight into the forest, vines, branches, and eyes watching me as I rush by like a blur to them, in the middle of all the running I tripped over a root sticking out. My face planted hard, I felt pain, but not from my face, but from my body, everywhere aching and feeling like I was growing in every which direction with no clear goal as to why or where, just growing. I stood on all fours to find my forelegs had wooden claws instead of the hooves I came with, it was starting.
My amulet's magic to mask my mark was starting to fail and slowly fade in my curse of a cutie mark, I ran even faster with being more agile and faster with all my legs becoming more and more like a timber wolf with claws and wood covering over my limbs as a built-in shield. I couldn't handle constantly running like this, there has to be a cure!
I kept running but I felt my body from my legs to my chest becoming more and more wood-based and feral instincts slowly coming in. I just wanted this nightmare to end! Why me! I tripped again onto the ground, stupid roots! I felt my transformation nearly complete, all I saw before I felt the oncoming inevitable was the moon and the beautiful stars laid above.