Carousel Boutique
The three mares were sleeping peacefully after a restless night. It was already afternoon and it seemed like they would last longer. But then Trixie, the azure unicorn, woke up and she lifted slowly from the bed with her eyes barely opened.
“What just happened?” she wondered “where am I and why does my head hurt?” she rubbed her eyes and looked at her left. Surprise was the only feeling she had. She screamed and accidentally fell to the floor, awakening the other two ponies.
Rarity, the white fancy unicorn, opened her eyes and quickly looked around scared. She quickly noticed the other two mares and gasped in surprise. “What the hay are you doing here?” she asked.
“Shhh” Berry Punch, the purple earth pony replied “don’t be so loud. I hate it during a hangover”
“Wait” Trixie interrupted “why are we all here anyway? Trixie should not be in Ponyville right now. Trixie should be travelling to the closest town”
“Oh, shut your mouth” Berry Punch said “it was your entire fault after all”
“Trixie’s fault? How dare you...”
“Enough you two” Rarity said “okay...” she looked around “was it just a weird dream or you all also remember a strange drunk, smelly creature?”
“Nikolai?” the azure unicorn said sarcastically “the one who got us all into drinking games?”
“That one” the fancy unicorn felt dizzy for a brief moment “Ugh, can you please tell me how did we get here?”
“I don’t really want to know” Berry Punch replied blushed “my mouth tastes like vodka... I don’t wanna know why or how”
“Ew” Trixie mumbled. She lifted her head to take a deep breath when suddenly her eyes widened “what in the?” she pointed at the elegant candelabrum that was hanging over them “is that what I think it is?”
The other two ponies looked up. While Rarity contained herself to not to throw up; Berry Punch gasped in surprise.
“Well” the purple earth pony said “how did his pants managed to get there anyway?”
“And his underwear” the fancy unicorn said before putting her hoof on her mouth again.
“Oh please don’t say Trixie just had...” she felt angry “...and with a weird creature; a weird drunk creature”
Berry Punch shrugged “we were drunk. He was drunk. It was predictable” she lifted an eyebrow “why didn’t I see this coming?”
“You say this like if you were an expert” the Azure unicorn replied while she turned at her with a weird glimpse.
“Not really. I used to be a party animal during my youth. Then I stopped drinking alcohol when I got pregnant” she smiled “being a mother is much better than being drunk”
Before the azure unicorn could reply, Rarity interrupted them. “Oh my, if somepony knows this, our reputation will be ruined”
“Then we must get Nikolai and force him to not to talk” Trixie said upset.
“Where’s him anyway?” Berry Punch said worried “he may be anywhere now. He may even have talked now”
“Do not worry, Berry. He must be drinking with his companions at this moment” she sighed “and maybe telling them about his “adventure””
“It isn’t looking good” Trixie replied “we must not lose time and find him”
“Any ideas?” the fancy unicorn said while she was looking at them.
“Split up maybe?” Berry Punch answered with hesitation, she then turned to Trixie “did he tell you anything about his whereabouts or at least any clue on where he will be?”
“Why you keep asking Trixie?” she said upset “and not exactly. He mentioned the word “motherland” several times, but Trixie doesn’t know about that place”
The purple pony sighed “I’m not going to lose more time arguing here” she turned to Rarity “you go look for him in every place with food and drinks... mostly drinks” she then turned to Trixie “you go look for him on the town limits: the apple farms, Everfree Forest, anywhere. I have a hunch that they’re close to those places”
“And what about you?” Rarity asked.
“I’ll go check the Sugarcube Corner and find out what the hay happened last night”
“What for?” the azure unicorn asked confused.
“Maybe somepony knows more about him than we do. That’d do the task easier.” The other two mares looked at her confused “what?”
“You seem to be experienced in those concerns” Rarity said.
“You sure you were only a party animal?” Trixie complemented.
“I don’t want to talk about my past. It’s not of your concern anyway” she replied upset and then she walked to the door “now, shall we proceed?”
The trio left the room and walked down the stairs. They were reaching the entrance door when they heard a familiar voice behind them.
“May I ask where you three are going?” Princess Luna, the dark blue winged unicorn asked serious “mares of perdition?”
The three ponies turned to the Princess and, instinctively, bowed before her. They were trembling and they felt fear as they remembered their encounter with the royal Princess last night.
“Oh Princess” Rarity said with almost an unbearable voice “we promise we will not...”
“You will not what?” Luna interrupted with a loud voice. Although it wasn’t the royal Canterlot voice, it was loud enough to shake the place. “You three, along with the human creature, disappointed us deeply” she approached to the scared ponies and stomped her hoof in front of them “you have one chance to tell me why should I forgive you” she looked to Rarity “especially you”
The white unicorn gulped and she stood up slowly. Her legs were shaking, she was sweating and her face showed fear. It took her a few moments to recover and say her first words, hoping that she would convince the royal Princess.
“Your highness” she said with a shaking voice “I know I did many actions that I regret during the party. I know I should not have drunk alcohol, I know I should not have yelled to my poor little sister”
“And?”
“And I should not have interrupted you when you were scolding Nikolai” the Princess made her a sign to stop talking and go to the kitchen. Rarity looked back at the other two mares worried and then she walked away.
“Now you” the dark blue winged unicorn turned to Trixie “tell me, why should I forgive your unpleasant actions?”
“Princess” she said while she tried to keep herself calmed “he dared to challenge Trixie. He said he was better than Trixie. It’s his fault, not Trixie’s”
“And you think it is enough reason to justify the fact you drank with him?”
“Well” she evaded her sight “no, but he...”
“It is not about him!” Luna interrupted “the human already got punished. It is time for you to assume the consequences of your own actions and stop blaming others”
“But...” she tried to defend herself one more time, but the Princess was already upset at her.
“Enough. I heard enough from you” she pointed at the kitchen “wait there. I am done with you”
The azure unicorn held a tear and contained her frustration as she walked to the kitchen. Princess Luna sighed and then she turned to the third mare.
“What do you have to say in your defense?” she asked. The purple earth pony took a deep breath.
“It’s my entire fault” she only said “I knew the punch had alcohol, but I said nothing”
“May I ask why?”
“It’s just” she hesitated “It’s been a long time since I drank an alcoholic drink” she looked at the Princess “I kept myself sober for years just for my little daughter. I honestly thought all that could happen was fun, games and then an epic hangover” she sighed “I was wrong”
“Consider yourself lucky no major damage happened” Luna replied, this time with a lower tone “This is why we allow alcohol only during holidays or mayor events. We provide security in order to avoid those kinds of consequences” she pointed at the kitchen “now, wait for me there. I shall tell you if you were forgiven or what punishment you will receive”
The purple mare walked towards the room where the other two mares were waiting nervously. She looked at them and said nothing. She just sat on the table.
“What did she tell you?” Rarity asked.
Berry Punch looked at her and noticed she was worried “nothing. She said she will decide what she will do with us”
“Guess Trixie will get the worst punishment” the azure unicorn said upset “It’s just unfair. The princess didn’t let her to explain and she just got angry at Trixie”
“All we did was to drink some alcohol, is it worse than committing a crime?” the white fancy unicorn said “come on Trixie. Don’t be so worried”
“You might be right” she replied “Trixie just wanted to rise and shine again. And just because of that “human”, now she will be the laughing stock of the travelling magicians”
“Girls, don’t forget our plan” Berry Punch said “we still must find him and make him keep all this in secret”
“You are right” Rarity looked at the kitchen’s door “I mean, if we can still go after this”
Only a few moments passed before Princess Luna entered the kitchen. The three mares stood in front of her nervously and waited for her words. She looked at Rarity and said
“Rarity, the holder of the element of generosity” she said calmed “you proved you’re generous when you thought about the human and tried to defend him, even if that meant to stand between him and the royalty. However, I see you must enforce the lessons you learned”
“What do you mean your highness?”
“I want you to apologize with your sister and never drink again”
“Yes, Princess” the unicorn said relieved. The Princess then turned to Trixie.
“Trixie” she said with a slightly louder tone “also known as the Great and Powerful Trixie if I am right. It is true that the human, Nikolai, challenged you, but you could have just denied the challenge and walk away. I understand you want to be the best in every subject and you would accept any challenge to prove yourself. I also understand you want to avoid the consequences of your mistakes” she took a step closer to the Azure unicorn “Since you are a traveler magician and your magical skills are almost as developed as the holder of the element of magic, and then it’s up to you to decide”
“Decide?” she asked confused. The dark blue mare nodded her head.
“Either I personally become your mentor for a whole year or I take your magic back from you. Both ways will teach you to face the consequences of your actions and also help you be a better mare”
“I...” she looked at the other ponies “I want to keep my magic. I choose to be your.. erm..”
“Student” Rarity said, helping her partner.
“That one”
“Very well, we shall go to Canterlot before the day ends”
“Thank you, your highness” the azure unicorn said relieved. The winged unicorn nodded her head and then turned to the purple earth pony.
“Berry Punch” she said with a calmed tone “Unless the others, you knew what would happen if everypony drank. You wanted to remember your past when you had no important duties and you could do anything without worry. Be grateful your daughter doesn’t know about it and she won’t. I know your specialty is to create and taste every kind of fruit beverages, alcoholic or not. Anyway, I want you to avoid alcoholic drinks until your daughter grows up and becomes an independent mare”
“Okay Princess” she said and sighed.
“Is there something bothering you?”
“Actually, yes; we don’t want him to tell the others about what happened between him and us”
“And what happened exactly?” The Princess asked and the three mares blushed “Oh, I see. You may leave now, my little ponies”
The three mares bowed down again in sign of farewell and then they walked towards the main room, opened it and each one trotted in a different direction, looking for Nikolai. The dark blue winged unicorn looked at them go and smiled.
“It’s good to see these ponies are not into perdition. My sister has done a great job on keeping them in good behaviors” she then walked out the boutique and unfolded her wings “my job here is done for now. I shall return later to see if those humans are gone” she thought before she lifted herself up and flew away.