//------------------------------// // The Hangover Part 3: Between a Rock and A Hard Place // Story: Anima Mea Tenebre // by Nixus //------------------------------// There were a multitude of choice words swirling throughout Moe’s mind as he was forced against the bathroom door. It was also at that same moment, while he was pinned under a white unicorn who was rather busy shoving her tongue down his throat, that each and every memory of the night before decided to finally become clear. Mainly in regards to the intimate moments shared with the DJ last night. Did I seriously... and with, Vinyl Scratch? “What’s wrong, baby?" the DJ asked, looking at him seductively as she stopped kissing him only to give his cheek a teasing lick. “Still tuckered out from all the fun last night? I know I am.” She gave a little wiggle of her flank with the statement as though to add to Moe’s despair. “I can still feel the burn too~” I think I’m going to throw up...” He thought while his stomach churned. It wasn’t helping that Vinyl’s wiggling rear was pressing right against it, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to not upchuck what little was left in his stomach as Vinyl decided to assault his mouth one last time. Panicking, he gave a cursory glance to the door and then reached for it quickly. Grasping it, he managed to wrench it to the side and felt the wooden door at his back give way. Without any support, he fell back and the weight of the mare vanished as she fell over him onto the floor of the bedroom. Vinyl gave let out a huff of indignation as she rolled onto her stomach just in time to see Moe scramble out of the room. A playful grin formed on her face as she got to her hooves and followed him out the door. “Oh, so you want to play hard to get?” If there was something Vinyl loved more than her job, it was this. There was just something about the thrill of playful revenge that just rubbed her in all the right ways. It was her thing, her one guilty pleasure besides the obscene amounts of partying she did on a daily basis. It made her heart beat faster, her breathing quicken and just opened up a more primal side of her that she loved. She was going to catch him and pay him back in full for all the teasing he had put her through the night before. She caught sight of him again as she entered the hallway and her horn flared to life. A reddish aura surrounded Moe’s foot and she pulled it out from under him. He fell hard and rolled onto his back before he tried to crawl away from her. Her eyes seemed to glow slightly in the dark hallway as she gave him an amused stare and kept him in place with her magic. “Got you,” she said teasingly as she ran a hoof along his chest. “I am going to have so much fun getting you back for everything last night.” He tried his best to resist, but found himself unable to move as Vinyl used her body weight and magic to subdue him. His breathing quickened as the combination of her hooves touching his bare skin, as well as her playful nips to his ears and neck, set his nerves alight with a pleasurable fire. He shut his eyes and a moan escaped his lips as his body reacted to her ministrations. The feeling was electric, but very unwelcome, considering that Coppa was standing right next to them, staring in shock with his mouth open in disbelief. “Help... me...” Moe shuddered as Vinyl kept nipping at his neck. He turned towards Coppa who appeared to be frozen by the scene in front of him. Moe looked at him, eyes pleading for some form of assistance, but his friend never moved. Instead, Coppa gave Moe a thumbs-up while he continued to watch with glee. Usually, Coppa wouldn’t hesitate to aid him with any problem, but it seemed he was just enjoying Moe’s torment. If he would have been able to do so, Moe would have shouted at him to stop dicking around, but Vinyl’s tenacity was making it extremely hard for him. Though that was not the only thing that was hard at the moment. Knowing that Coppa wasn’t going to be any help and that he was undoubtedly going to be further molested by Vinyl, Moe began to get desperate. He struggled against the magic that held his body down and felt it give way slightly. He looked up to see the aura surrounding Vinyl’s horn flickering as she continued her work. Without any other viable options, he shot his hand out at it. Vinyl gasped and her back arched as Moe’s hand wrapped around her horn. Every nerve throughout her body danced with electricity when his fingers grazed the ridges of the protrusion. Her eyes rolled backwards into her head and every hair on her body stood straight. With what sounded like a cry of ecstasy, she fell unconscious, but managed to pull Moe overtop of her in the process of falling. With the problem of the white mare now solved, Moe let out a sigh of relief. His shaking hands managed to pry the mare’s legs off him, thus freeing his lower body and allowing him to stand up. He turned towards Coppa, ready to give the dwarf the verbal thrashing that was brewing in his mind. Yet, what came from his mouth was more of a strangled yelp as a second –and rather angry by what he could tell- figure stood in the doorway. “Oh good, I see you’ve been enjoying yourself.” Rarity’s voice dripped with enough poison and malice that Moe was certain he could feel himself growing smaller. Even Coppa shrunk back as Rarity took a few mindful steps forward. “Then again, I doubt this compares to last night’s fun?” “R-Rarity, look, I can explain...” Moe stammered, backing away from her. If looks could kill, he was certain that he would be six feet in the ground faster than Coppa could say his own name. However, it seemed that neither of them were going to get that small mercy as the debris around Rarity began to quake. “Oh you don’t need to explain anything, Mozart,” Rarity said while Moe cringed at disdain in her voice. “I know exactly what happened.” Smoke seemingly began rise from Rarity’s ears, causing him to quake with fear. Her eyes were practically coals, boring through him with such intensity that he nearly soiled himself right then. The same choice words from earlier revolved throughout his head, mixing in with every possible thought and prayer he could come up with. This was not any normal rage Moe was about to be subject to. This was the anger that poets could only hope to personify; the rage that one might find on the battlefield or when two nemeses meet; a fury was sweeping through the unicorn, shaking her to her very core. In short, Rarity seemed to be pretty pissed. “Listen, Rarity. This isn’t what it looks like. It’s all just a big misunderstanding...” The fear in his voice was becoming more and more apparent as he continued to back away from Rarity. His skin had grown extremely pale, serving as a way to make his already wide eyes even larger. Even his heartbeat could be heard audibly as it hammered like a steady drum in his chest. “Oh I think this is exactly what it looks like,” Rarity snapped, pressing her hoof against Moe’s chest. He felt his back press against the stained wall. “In fact, I know exactly what happened. If you recall, I was there.” “Rarity, please let me explain,” Moe pleaded. His chest began to ache from the pressure Rarity was placing on it. If he didn’t manage to move her hoof within the next five seconds, he was pretty sure at least one of his ribs would break. “Look, this is all just a big misunderstanding.” Rarity seemingly ignored his words as she removed her hoof and let Moe sink to the ground. “There isn’t anything to misunderstand,” she replied with a sneer. “I know your type all too well and I am not going to allow myself to be another tally on your list. I thought you might have been different, but you’ve shown me that you’re just another playcolt trying to worm his way into a new mare's bed each night. I'm sick of being the mare that all males see as a trophy. I didn't come here to get my heart broken, and I certainly did not come here just watch you leave me in the dirt! I don’t ever want to see your face again! I don’t even want to breathe the same air as you! So take your sweet little words, your false promises, and get out of my life!” Those words burned Moe more than he would have liked to admit. Each syllable she uttered stung like a pin driven into his skin. In the back of his mind he wished she would have just slapped him and had been done with it there. Yet it seemed she was all too ready to comply with his unspoken wish as her hoof came down and he felt the sharp sting as it connected with his cheek. He held his hand to his face, the pain beginning to set in. Through the blur in his vision, he could see Rarity look at him with misty eyes as she spoke. “Goodbye, Moe. I hope we never meet again...” ***** “Holy crap, they serve meat at this place?” Coppa said as he looked over the menu in his hands. Moe gave a small grunt of annoyance in response while holding his head in his hands. His cheek still stung despite it being nearly an hour since Rarity struck him. It wasn’t so much a physical pain as it was more the emotional toll that was sucking the life out of him. The entire encounter had left him drained and all he wanted was to find some gutter or hole in the ground in which he could lay down and die. However, it wouldn’t have been a far cry to say that the diner they sat in wasn’t a terrible substitute. Moe could probably name over a few hundred reasons why he didn’t want to be there, minus the factor of his current mood and Rarity’s words. It was the little issues that bugged him, such as the smell of burnt toast or the overly cheerful, albeit hurried attitude of the server who stood there, waiting for them to place their orders. Yet, Moe had to give her his respects. It wasn’t often he met another who was able to put up with his friend's indecisiveness. “Of course we do,” the mare’s voice piped up as she took Moe’s menu, taking the hint that he wasn’t going to have anything. “With the amount of griffon’s coming and going through here, we try our best to cater to their tastes. We’d be turning away business if we didn’t!” “I think I have a new favourite food stop,” Coppa said, putting the menu down. “I’ll take a number eight then.” “Uh, Sugah?” the waitress said uncertainly as she glanced at the both of them. “That’s a group platter... It’s meant for at least six griffons.” “He knows,” Moe said after taking a sip of the black coffee set out in front of him. Coppa looked at the mare expectantly. Moe gave a weak smile at his friend’s enthusiasm. “You should also stick around when he gets it. It’ll probably only take him two minutes to finish it.” The waitress nodded as she took Coppa’s menu with her teeth. “I’ll be back with that in a minute.” Coppa gave her a toothy grin that, rather than letting the mare know her efforts were appreciated, seemed only to scare the mare into moving faster. Coppa gave a low chuckle while he watched her practically shoot off back towards the kitchen. Now alone, he turned back to Moe who still had his head in his hands and was looking even more depressed than ever. Coppa gave a small grunt before taking the mug of coffee from in front of him and began draining it. “Come on, man, it’s not that bad,” he said as he placed the cup on the table and gave it a spin. Moe watched the cup rotate a few times before ultimately ending up on its side. He didn’t hardly move save for a subtle twitch of his eye as his gaze traveled upwards. The muscles in his jaw tensed as his head left the palms of his hands, allowing him to stare Coppa straight in the eye. The dwarf pinched his nose and let out a sigh at the sad state of his friend. “Dude, you’re even making me depressed about this. You pissed off one mare; so what? There are literally thousands more out there. You gotta start looking at the silver linings. I mean the gender ratio is pretty much entirely in your favour!” “You don’t get it, do you?” Moe shot back, setting the cup back on the table. “You honestly have no idea what my problem is right now.” “You’re pissed that Rarity basically told you to drop dead and die? I’d think that would be kind of apparent,” Coppa replied with hardly anything but a bored tone to his voice. Moe knew that Coppa was one for being blunt, but he was in no mood for this right now. He was only a second away from snapping back at him until a voice from behind froze him in place. “So is that what happened after I passed out?” Moe scowled as Vinyl sat down next to Coppa. The white DJ had her glasses perched on her nose and a small smirk that was aimed at him. Her seemingly cool demeanour in the aftermath of this situation only served to further infuriate him. But he did his best to ignore her presence while Vinyl seemed insistent on talking to him. “Oh come on dude, you gotta cheer up. Not like it’s the end of the world,” she said as she placed a hoof on his hand. Moe grunted at the gesture and pushed her hoof away. Vinyl’s smirk was replaced by a confused frown and her hoof retracted. “Jeez, who took a dump in your cereal?” “Do you really have to ask?” Moe asked. “How can you be so calm about this? Last I checked, you and Octavia were together. Shouldn’t you be worrying about the fact you cheated on your marefriend?” “Nope,” she replied with an amused smirk. “I don’t think she’ll have a problem with this.” Moe and Coppa both shot her a look of confusion as they watched her shiver giddily. Something was definitely off with the situation but Moe had no inclination at the moment to find out what it was exactly. “I can’t believe this,” he groaned as he placed his head back in his hands. “Why is it that I’m always at the centre of these things?” “Way to sound like an angsty girl,” Coppa commented with a grin. “Perhaps you just make it too easy? You fall for terrible women and you always see the shitty parts of these situations. I mean come on, what kind of dude complains about a drunken hook-up?” “Especially one involving a famous DJ, such as myself,” Vinyl added with a laugh. “Face it; you just don’t want to admit that you had an awesome time last night.” She leaned over the table, just close enough so that her words would only reach him. “The seven hundred bit noise complaint we got because of it certainly stands as evidence.” Moe almost wanted to scream at the two to shut up. He was almost at the breaking point and he was seriously contemplating punching Coppa in the mouth. At that same moment, the waitress returned with Coppa’s platter, effectively cancelling that plan, and Moe watched him dig in to the sliced meats like a rabid animal. Hundreds of thoughts filled his head as he watched his friend stuff his face. Who were they to assume he actually enjoyed the previous night? They, as well as him, were partially to blame for this situation. They took him to that club, they pushed him into drinking too much, and it was Vinyl who managed to take advantage of him. “Neither of you understand,” Moe said as he glowered at the both of them. “You don’t realise why I’m pissed off.” Coppa took a few seconds to finish chewing before he swallowed the cold cuts in his mouth. “I think I’ve already stated it once. Rarity dumped your ass and told you off.” Vinyl nodded in agreement to the statement, but Moe could tell that she was beginning to feel some form of regret. Her posture had become a little less relaxed and now she was beginning to look at him with a sort of empathy. Coppa wasn’t as perceptive and didn’t take into account how his words were beginning to affect his friend. “She’s just some mare, dude. It’s not like you can’t find another in the meantime.” That was it. “She isn’t just some mare, Coppa!” Moe shouted and stood up, drawing the attention of every living creature in the diner. Both Coppa and Vinyl froze, surprise and fear in their eyes as they watched Moe shake angrily. “She was more than just some mare to me. She was the first to actually treat me like a person. She cared for me not just because I was her friend, but because she actually liked me for who I am. And guess what? Now I’ve lost that one chance at a normal relationship because of the both of you!” Moe breathed for a second as he grabbed Coppa’s shirt and leaned in close. He could visibly see the dwarf’s fur shift each time he exhaled. A cold sweat that had even begun to form and was dampening Coppa’s brow as he sat still, frozen in shock. “This was the first time I could even be around a female and actually manage to maintain eye contact for more than a minute. She didn’t frighten me like all the other women you’ve tried to set me up with, and you know why? I’ll tell you why! It was because she actually gave me the chance to be myself.” He let go of Coppa’s shirt and watched as he swallowed nervously. “She never ever judged me and she has never made me feel inadequate while I lived with her. She never played with my emotions, she never forced me to do anything she wanted, she didn’t treat me like some toy that she could abuse. Best of all, she didn’t decide to MUTILATE ME!” The entire room was silent as Moe finished. He stood there, panting as if he had just run the entire length of a football field four times. His heart hammered in his chest as his teeth ground together. His chest hurt, but next to the deep physical pain from the scar, there was something else that burned within him. He wasn’t sure what it was, but he felt a twinge of regret well up as his words registered in his mind. “Wait, is that where that scar came from?” Vinyl asked as she snapped out of her shock. Moe bit his lip as Coppa glanced at the both of them. “What scar?” he asked, his head shooting between Moe and Vinyl. “It’s nothing,” Moe repsonded, attempting to divert Coppa’s attention. If there was one thing he didn’t want, it was Coppa finding out about that. “Like hell it isn’t,” Coppa said grabbing Moe’s shirt and forcefully pulling him in close. “Tell me what happened. Now.” “Coppa, it’s none of your business,” Moe replied as he tried to wrestle Coppa’s hand away from him. The meaty fist never budged as Coppa remained firm with his grip. Moe felt his friend’s other hand unfasten a few of the buttons on his shirt before he exposed the right side of Moe’s chest. He could hear the dwarf’s growl of frustration upon examining the burned skin. The red dragon still appeared inflamed and angry and Moe shut his eyes as a small ache passed through him. Then, Coppa let go of him and allowed him to sit back down. Silence continued to reign over the diner as neither of the two even looked at each other or said a word. That silence only lasted a short minute before Coppa uttered a few words that Moe did not want to hear. “Was it her?” Moe bit his lip again as he stared at the table in front of him. He kept silent while Coppa repeated himself. “Moe, did she do that to you?” “Yes...” The sound of crackling wood and breaking dishes filled the air as Coppa’s fist slammed straight through the table, splitting it in two. Vinyl yelped and Moe sat back as they avoided splinters of wood and flying cutlery. The remains of the party platter catapulted through the air, finding a nice and cosy spot on the side of the wall and on the ceiling. Coppa stood on top of the wreckage, blood oozing from the splinters that were embedded in his hand.“That goddamn bitch...” he cursed under his breath. “Umm, not wanting to sound rude,” Vinyl started as she regained her composure and fixed her glasses, “but does anyone want to fill me in on what’s going on?” “An old flame of his; a real life psycho,” Coppa replied, picking the splinters from his knuckles. He cast them to the side before turning his head to Vinyl. “That’s all we’re gonna say about her.” “Right,” Vinyl said, unsure of whether or not she wanted to press the subject. Glancing at the downcast expression that Moe had, she decided that it would be best not to broach the subject. She might have been an assertive mare, but even she knew where to draw the line. “Should I leave you two alone? I get the feeling that this is something you guys need to talk about in private.” “That’s probably a good idea,” Moe said, prompting the mare to step back and leave without a word. She merely looked back before exiting the diner, leaving the two of them to them shelves. As Moe buttoned up his shirt, Coppa gestured for their frightened waitress to come over. The mare cautiously approached the two and the air became incredibly awkward as she stood off to the side. Moe did his best to try to appear non-threatening, but Coppa’s actions had made that impossible. “Can we get the bill please?” he said before looking at the remains on the table. “...and maybe the repair bill as well.” ***** The walk towards Fancy’s mansion was quiet as the two walked side by side. Neither of them were willing to break the silence that had followed them since they had left the diner. Moe could feel the anger seeping from Coppa and out of the corner of his eye, he could see him grating his teeth. Guilt and regret gnawed at his belly like a hungry parasite and he felt almost compelled to break the awkward atmosphere. “Why did you not tell me?” Moe sighed as he stopped and turned to see the dwarf rubbing his bandaged hand. There was anger and hurt in Coppa’s brown eyes. His ears had dropped from their normal upright position and it seemed that the entire situation was beginning to weigh heavily on his mind. Moe could hardly look at his disappointed face, but did his best to try to meet Coppa’s eyes. “There wasn’t anything you could have done,” Moe reassured him. “It happened just before she disappeared. Plus, you know that she would have ground you into a paste. You were also afraid of her,” he added with a smirk. “Why is it you have a thing for women that are not only strong, but are completely psychotic?” Coppa asked, a joking smile replacing the frown on his face. “Do you not like normal girls?” “Last I checked, Rarity was normal.” “She’s also a pony, so that doesn’t really count. Not to mention, she nearly stabbed you with a pair of scissors the first night we got here.” “Touche, but she’s the closest I’ve ever had to someone who likes me for who I am. I was nothing but a trophy for my first girlfriend; my second wanted me to change my entire outlook; there was the few who decided to cheat and lie; the last just-” “Turned out to be an utter freak?” Coppa interjected with a grin. Moe nodded and cleaned up against the front of one shop. Coppa gave a small huff of annoyance while scratching his head. “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” “I don’t know...” Moe murmured quietly. What was Rarity too him? There was obviously the physical attraction he felt to her; as strange as that sounded since she was a pony after all. He had never really been one to judge on the topic of appearances, but he couldn’t help but admit she was beautiful. Then there was her personality. A month spent with the mare had opened his eyes to almost everything about her character. She was completely devoted to her art and willing to put everything she had into her work, though she was also prone to taking simple mishaps and over exaggerating their consequences. He couldn’t recall how many times she had used her fainting couch for something as small as tarnished silverware. Despite her other flaws like her thirst to ascend the steps of society, Moe didn’t really mind them. In all actuality, he actually liked her character flaws as well. Sighing, he shook his head before speaking. “It’s hard to describe, you know?” “And the fact that she’s a pony doesn’t offset anything at all?” Coppa asked, keeping up with the tone of the conversation. “It doesn’t have any bearing. I still think I’d have feelings for her regardless of her species.” “Well I guess it’s settled then,” Coppa said, striding past Moe. “I’ll help fix this mess, and you can have your girlfriend. Consider it repayment for helping me out with Applejack.” “Thanks, Coppa,” Moe replied. He smiled, knowing that while Coppa may have been the root cause for the majority of his problems, he could always count on him to help pick up the pieces. The dwarf gave him a nod in return before let out a hearty chuckle. “Something funny?” “Just it seems that we’re all screwed up in one way or another,” Coppa explained with a shrug. “It’s funny in a really weird way. Sam was all broken up since he couldn’t use magic and that he failed everyone; my dad died and I had a few issues concerning that; now we find out your last girlfriend decided to implant her initials into your chest. Seems like each of us is broken in one way or the other and it’s like that’s one of the main things that is becoming common here. Really, I’m surprised we haven’t turned out to be a bunch of angsty guys who moan about everything.” "That’s not a bad point," Moe confided. It took him a moment to think about his words. Coppa did make a good case. Each of them had some form of traumatic experience that defined them. But it seemed a strange occurrence to him that these sole facts were a major common factor. But it still left one question in Moe's mind. "What do you think Dante might have wrong with him? We don’t know what he’s gone through. I don't expect him to be the odd man out." Coppa shivered much to his surprise. It wasn't often he showed any hesitance to a particular subject. "I don't think we really want to find out. I can't imagine what it would take to mess with that guy's head." "You're probably right," Moe agreed. It was probably for the best that they not approach the subject; for both side's sakes. Then, as his mind wandered and contemplated, a thought struck him. He half turned towards Coppa. "If we're all broken in a way, then what do you think might be the problem with the next student to join our team?" Coppa took a second to think. He scratched his chin in contemplation before he began to grin. "I'm kinda debating between a cripple or a pair of twins who don’t know they’re twins. It’s cliche, I know, but I’m not sure there’s much else that would fit in with us." Moe shrugged in response before turning forward. At the same time, his eyes caught sight of two ponies running full tilt towards them. Upon closer inspection, he saw that the two were actually Fleur and Octavia. As they came closer, his instincts made it apparent that they both had a strange air around them. Both wore worried expressions and it seemed neither had taken the time to properly groom themselves from his point of view. “Is something wrong? You two look like you’ve been all over the city.” “That’s exactly … what we … have been doing!” Octavia panted as she struggled to fix her bowtie. Moe turned his head to Fleur who seemed to be having difficulty regaining her breath. Given their appearances, there wasn’t much doubt in his mind about Octavia’s statement. The one thing that puzzled him was why they were running around. Fleur was a model in all aspects; there weren’t exactly many reasons for her to be sprinting around. “What happened?” he asked while giving them a moment to catch their breaths. The two mares sucked in as much air as their lungs could handle while they waited. Moe regretted not being able to help more, but there wasn’t exactly much else he could do at that point. It wasn’t as though he could simply read their minds to discern the problem. He might have dabbled slightly in Psychic magic to assist his bowshots, but mind reading was way above his skill level. “It’s Fancy. He never returned home last night,” Fleur said as she sucked in one final mouthful of air. “We have no idea where he could be.” Moe shivered and had to restrain himself from screaming the loudest ‘I told you so' to the sky. Instead, he chewed the inside of his mouth to set it back until his regular calm manifested itself once more. “Do you have any leads?” He breathed in relief when the mares both nodded. At least they had somewhere to start. “Then let’s start there.”