//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Drinking and Changing // Story: One's Past is Another's Future // by Masked_Frenchman //------------------------------// Neon looked across the street in disbelief as Vinyl Scratch, the love of his life, stand before him, waving and smiling at him. He took off to her and almost tackled her in a tight embrace. "I can't believe it, Vinyl, it's you!! You followed us in here didn't you?! I can't believe it!! I can not tell you how happy I am to see you!!" Neon yelled out happily. Vinyl just pushed him off of her and had a really confused look on her face. "Wow, dude, what's up with this sort of meeting?" Vinyl asked annoyed and confused. Neon looked at her confused and hurt. "Come on, don't play around this time. It's me! Neon!" he tried to explain. She looked at him as if he was crazy. "Sorry man, I don't know a Neon. I don't think I've ever seen you around here before as is. I think you may have me confused with someone else" she stared at him. Neon backed away from her sadly. "Oh, I am sorry, I could have sworn that you were. . . . . ." he started but he choked on his words. "I'm sorry man, I really am, but I do not think I am that pony you are looking for. Good luck finding her thou, she must mean something to you." Vinyl said in a cheery way. She patted Neon on the back and continued her walk down the street. Neon looked down to the ground in despair, dragging his wings on the ground. He kept walking until he found a pound near a large forest. Neon walked up to the edge of the pond and sat down on it's edge, staring at his reflection. "Why me? What have I done to loose my thrown? I was at the very top, now I have lost everything." he said mad. He raised his hoof and punched the water, making it ripple until he couldn't see his reflection anymore. staring away from his own reflection, he looked at his wings and his hooves. "I am an animal now, a. . . . pony! What could I have done to deserve this?" he continued complaining in anger as tears started building up. He looked back at his reflection and saw himself again, but instead of just him, he saw a dark looking pony looking at him through the pond as well. He spun around and fell to the ground to see it was Princess Luna. "Oh my god, you scared me to death. She looked at him confused. "I'm sure that you are alive, and please, I am no god." Luna said humbly, slightly blushing thinking it was a compliment. Neon shook his head. "No, it is an expression. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Neon asked confused and slightly annoyed. Luna looked into his eyes with a stern look. "It would be wise to address me more politely if you wish to remain in Equestria." she demanded hinting a threat in her words. Neon raised his hooves up. "Alright, alright. Your just the same as before. But still, why are you here?" Neon asked more respectfully. Luna nodded with a smile. "Better, thank you. Now, I am the watcher of the night. The night is my domain. Normally, every pony is asleep at this time. So when I see a pony in distress, I will come to assist. So please, tell me what is wrong." Luna asked kindly and affectionately. Neon looked across the pond for a moment before looking up to the moon. "I don't belong here. I had a home, up in the real world. My world. I had dozens of friends, a strong and proud reputation, a promising future, someone in my heart, and a friend better than anyone. Now, I have lost almost everything! My future, my love, my life. All I have now is Random. My life could not get any worse." Neon continued. Luna listened intently and carefully before speaking. "But as a matter of fact it could get worse. You may have been brought here against your will, but there is one thing that you will always have no matter what is thrown at you in life, you will always have your friend." Luna explained. Neon looked back up to her and she looked back at him smiling. "Even in the darkest of times, you must remember to look for the light." she finished. Neon stared into her eyes and smiled. "Thank you, I am not sure why but that really helped out, thank you so much." thanked Neon gratefully. He hugged Luna and ran off back home. Luna smiled as she watched him sneak back into Twilight's house. As Neon disappeared into her house, Luna looked at him with focus and something popped into her head. "I knew they looked familiar!" Luna exclaimed as she took off for the castle. Neon woke up one morning but was on the ground outside. As he looked around he noticed that he was in a line with the sun starting to rise over the horizon. "Where am I?" Neon asked himself. He looked behind him and saw Twilight and Random standing next to him. "Hey Neon, about time you woke up." Random said calmly. Neon scratched his head and stared at his in a haze. "What happened? Where are we?" Neon asked confused. "We are in line for this really big event called 'Cider Season'. It is a whole month event that everyone here get's really psyched about and they sell special cider, it's really good I guess. They changed the day for it so not everyone heard of it and we got good placements for this. We made it just in time for it." Random explained with a wide smile across his face that reached ear to ear. Neon could tell that he wanted to jump up and down with all of the excitement that was storming up inside of him. Neon smiled back and got up, stretching his hide legs. "Well how did I get here? I remember in my bed back at the house." Neon asked, slowly waking up. "Well, we didn't want to wake you up, so I levitated you here so that we could get a chance to get a good spot with out waking you. I hope you don't mind, but I think you will find this worth it." explained Twilight excitedly. Neon looked at all the other ponies around, it looked like some have been camping over night, maybe even longer. "Is this really that big of an event?" asked Neon in disbelief as he looked at all of the ponies that have been here for sometime. "Yup, normally there are more ponies around but since the day was moved to today, not everyone heard about it at once, so we got a better spot today." Twilight explained again. As the sun was completely up, she noticed her friend's sister, Applebloom walking up to her stand to ring the bell. "Alright ya'll, cider season has now officially started!" Applebloom cried out in excitement. All of the other ponies in line got out of their tents and cried out in joy. AS people started to get more lively, the line started moving to get a taste of this apple cider. "Wait a second, we don't have any money. How are me and Random supposed to take part in this?" asked Neon concerned. Twilight and Random laughed to themselves. "While we were bringing you, Princess Celestia brought over some money for us to get settled in with and to feel welcomed since we are freshly starting off here. She gave us 300 gold pieces." Explained Random happy as can be. Neon rubbed his eyes and saw a small pouch at Random's side he didn't notice before. Twilight smiled and turned to Random. "They are called bits. This is our currency here in Equestria. I know it is different here but stick with me and I will show you how to use bits, alright?" Twilight explained and asked Random to make sure he is listening which he wasn't. "Uhuh, sure." was all he said while humming a cheerful tune, waiting to taste the apple cider up ahead of him. As the line got close enough, Random got a look at the sign and read it. "Hey Twilight, what is hard cider?" he asked innocently and started jumping up and down for joy seeing he was up next "I am not completely sure. "I know all the adult ponies drink it and it makes them act weird. But I avoid it just to be sure." Twilight explained as the line moved up one with a jumping and excited Random was next. "I'll take 5 apple cider's please!" Random asked with a big ecstatic smile. Applejack was now at the booth and smiled and friendly smile right back at him. "Well aren't you as energetic as a young filly running through a field of wild flowers. Nice to see some pony as excited as you to try our apple cider. That will be 15 bits." said Applejack cheerfully. Random pulled out 15 bits and placed it on the counter. "I am also gonna pay for my friend alittle up ahead, is it ok for me to stand here till he passes?" random asked as she prepared for his apple cider. "Sure there sugar cube, go right ahead. Here ya go there, 5 pints of apple cider straight from Sweet Apple Acres." she answered as she handed Random his cider. Random stepped aside and let Twilight have her turn. "Hey there Twi, how's the baby sitting going?" Applejack asked playfully, giggling to herself. "Very good actually. They don't really cause any problems, fairly polite and mannered. I will be teaching them the ways around ponyville after this. I wanted to show them the Apple Cider Season. I'll take 2 apple ciders please. So how are things going here?" Twilight asked while requesting some apple cider. Applejack shrugged her shoulders while glancing at the line. "Busy, like always, but we make some pretty good business during this season, so it's needed. Here ya go sugar cube." Applejack said while handing Twilight her drinks. "Thanks Applejack." said Twilight as she walked past and waited for Neon, which he was next. " Well howdy, another new face. What can I get ya there partner?" she asked with a friendly addittude as always. Neon was still alittle tired and still confused. 'Ummm, I would like, uhh, 3 apple ciders, and. . . hmmm, give me a hard apple cider, I want to try that, please." he asked almost forgetting the please at the end. Applejack chuckled to herself. "You want to try our hard apple cider huh? Alrighty then." Applejack added with a slight warning tone in her voice, but Neon didn't pick it up. She poured him a cup and he took a swig of it. "So, how is it?" she asked, curios of the answer. "Wow, this has a bite to it, not sure what this is, but I will take 10 of these and just one apple cider." Neon asked as he downed his drink. Applejack watched him and kept chuckling to herself. "Alrighty, 10 hard ciders and one apple cider coming right up, that will be 53 bits please." Applejack said. 'Oh boy, this aughty be a hoot' she thought to herself while getting his order ready. Neon looked over to Random as he placed in the chest 53 bits. Random smiled and tried to give a thumbs up, but forgot that he didn't have any thumbs so he put his hoof down and smiled like he was trying to play it off cool. "Here ya go sugar cube, enjoy." Applejack said handing Neon the hard cider and apple cider, one in a big circular container and a smaller one so he could carry it. Neon smiled as he took the large contain and went to a near by tree. Random finished his drink and went over to Neon. "What does it taste like?" Random asked, trying to see the contains of the container. Neon smiled to him as he knew Random wanted to try some. "It has a kick to it. A small bite, but it taste really good, just like apple cider, but not like anything back home. It's awesome." explained Neon as he took a big old swig of it and shook his head putting it back down. "The bite is sorta like that vodka at that one party by the police station, but taste like 100 times better, to be honest." he added. "No way, let me try some then." Random said, finally going at it. He took it from Neon and took a couple big mouth fulls before Neon grabbed it back laughing. "Hey, this is mine. Get your own." Neon joked as he started chugging it, holding Random back. "Well I paid for it, so let me have a taste you greedy troll." Random protested jokingly, trying to get some more. "You already had some, the rest is mine loser, get lost!" Neon playfully shouted out as the 2 wrestled for the hard cider. After a few minutes of that, Random started to mellow down and sat next to Neon. Neon finished his drinks and just sat under the tree with Random. Twilight went over to talk to Applejack as she was cleaning up from her business. "Well, those Stallions over there sure are a hoot." Applejack called out as Twilight approached. Twilight kinda blushed about the comment. "Well, they sure made a scene, but I find something so odd thou." Twilight said as she stopped to look at them. "What's that sugar cube?" Applejack asked, looking over at her and the 2 ponies resting under the apple tree. "They argue and fight over things alot, and even say some mean things to one another at times. But even with all of that, I am not sure that I have ever seen friendship that strong. I have never seen anything like it. I want to ask Princess Celestia about it to see what she wants me to do." Twilight said thinking out loud. Applejack put her hoof around Twilight's shoulder. "Listen there sugar cube, They are nothing to be worrying about. Although they may be spittin' out jokes ah don't see why they are funny, but seeing those 2 laughing around like that, why ah recon they are closer than 2 peas in a pod." Applejack explained while looking over to Neon and Random, who were now staring up at the clouds. "Hey. . . hey dude, look there. . . it looks like a dog" Neon said pointing up at the passing clouds, drunk from the hard cider. "No way man. . . . . . that's totally a, uhhhhh. . . . . . a ummmm, fish, yea! A fish." Random said cheerfully. He leaned over to poke Neon but accidentally smacked him in the face. Neon jumped by the sudden hit and tackled Random as they rolled on the ground, playfully hitting each other and wrestling around. Twilight smiled and turned to Applejack. "Maybe your right, maybe this is just how they behave where they come from, anyway, have a good night. I have to bring those 2 idiots back home." Twilight said walking over to Neon and Random. Applejack tipped her hat and waved at Twilight before heading back in herself. Twilight stood in front of the 2 so they would stop and look up, which they did. "Alright you 2, get up and lets head back home, shall we?" she said, adding a demanding tone. Neon and Random looked at each other and then back to Twilight. "But he started it!" said Neon, pointing his hoof at Random. "But he started it!" said Random, pointing his hoof at Neon. They both looked at each other and started laughing. After a few hours later they finally arrived home. (Mostly cuss they kept tripping over stuff along the way back) After a quick wrestling match, Random and Neon went downstairs to their beds in the basement. Twilight looked down to them and noticed the temperature was alittle too cold and they only had one blanket. Before she could go look for another one she saw Neon giving Random the blanket as he shook in his bed, huddling to get warm. Random looked at the blanket and placed it back on Neon while coming under with him so they could keep themselves warm. "What the-" Twilight said watching this and felt her heart melt alittle at the sight, they huddled closely and saw safety and comfort from their faces as they fell asleep quickly. She sighed as she partially closed the door and walked over to her paper and quill. She cleared her throat and started her letter. "Dear Princess Celestia, I do not fully understand Neon Rave and Random Guy that you have put under my wing. Whe they look like they hate each other in one minute, they are best friends the next. They insult each other but laugh it off and wrestle around. They seem like they are brothers from the way they act sometimes, but in other times they look like they are enemies. I will have to sit down with them some time soon and try to learn from them. But why I write this letter is becuase I am not sure how to proceed. Should I let them behave like they do, or do I stop them in case it get's out of hand? I trust that you have your reasons for putting them here, and I promise I will not let you down. Your faithful student Twilight Sparkle She finished her letter and went up to her room. As she looked up outside, she watched the moon on the partly clouded night sky. "I hope I can get some time in to see what they know and try to figure out what is going on in those thick skulled heads of their's. All in due time I suppose." Twilight said as she stared up at the moon. She blew out her candle by her bed side and glanced at her sleeping partner as he laid there partially on his little bed and partially off of it. "Good night Spike, and good work so far." she added before placing her head onto her pillow and falling asleep. The next morning Twilight awoken to the sound of something slamming into the wall. As she ran down the stairs she noticed Random's hair standing straight up and his stare towards Neon was that of enraged. "What happened?" Twilight asked scared, readying her magic as her horn started glowing. Neon looked towards her and shook his head. "He is fine, this is just one of his moods, the not so cheerful mood. Once in awhile he flips out like this. All he needs is some coffee and he will be fine." Neon explained. "Coffee?" Twilight asked confused. Random charged at Neon and hit him square in the chest then grabbing him with his hooves and throwing him across the room. "Yea, coffee, do you have any?" Neon asked rushed. Random turned to Neon and stared him down, his red eye almost seemed like it was glowing with hatred, or maybe just glowing. Twilight noticed his eye too as it was actually glowing. "What is happening?" Twilight asked as she watched Random. Neon turned to her and shrugged his shoulders. "I have no clue, he glares at me with that eye, but it never glowed in that way before." Neon explained. Random's body started to glow red as the magical energy swirled around him. He raised from the ground and his face of rage slowly turned into confusion as he started to notice what was happening around him. "Hey Twilight. . . . are you doing this?" Neon asked nervously. Twilight watched the scene with her jaw open in shock and surprise. "No, this isn't me Neon. I don't know what's happening here." Twilight tried to explain. Random was surrounded by the red magically energy till he was hidden by it. After a flash of light, he was finally placed gently back onto the ground. "Are you ok there Random?" Neon asked as he rushed to his side. Random guy shook his head and smiled. "Yea, I am ok, sorry about that Neon." Random apologized. Twilight looked at Random in amazement as she stared at the top of his head. Neon and Random caught her staring, looked at each other confused , and turned back to her. "What's wrong Twilight?" Random asked her, looking at her oddly. "Yea, you look like your frozen or something." Neon added in. Twilight closed her mouth and managed to say "Random. . . . you turned. . . . . into. . . . a unicorn." She managed to say. Neon looked at Random to see a new horn placed upon it. "What the hell? How?!" Neon asked shocked and confused.