The four of them found a table and sat down, Trixie sizing up their marks while Butterfly was looking down. She scanned them — Doctor Nebulous Wind, a cyan unicorn with an orange mane and Principal Starshine Song, a pink unicorn with a purple mane wearing a pair of horn-rimmed glasses.Trixie breathed in, then out.
“So I guess you know why you’re both here today,” she said.
“Yes, the Desoxyn,” Nebulous Wind said. Starshine adjusted her glasses.
“It’s nice to see you doing something with your life that doesn’t involve explosives, Trixie,” Starshine said. Trixie blushed.
“Well, you know, follow the market and all that,” she said as she pulled out two pamphlets and floated them over to the two unicorns, who grasped them in their magic, examining them with great care.
“So, tell me, Great and Powerful Trixie,” Starshine Song said with a hint of disdain, “why should I recommend that our students should take your magic drug?”
“Yes, I was wondering that myself…” Nebulous Wind said.
Trixie gulped. “Well, ah, you see—”
“We’re waiting, Trixie,” Starshine Song said. Trixie furrowed her brow, at a loss for words, when to her surprise, Butterfly spoke up.
“Well, you see, Mrs. Song, wouldn’t you want your students to perform at their peak?”
Starshine Song looked up. “I’m interested.” Butterfly nodded.
“Well, Mrs. Song, this drug inhibits reuptake of dopamine, causing those under its effects to have an endless drive to succeed and exceed. Why, I wouldn’t be surprised if your entire class got top marks while taking this medication!” Starshine Song nodded. Butterfly then turned to Nebulous Wind.
“And Dr. Wind, haven’t you ever had a patient that couldn’t get those extra pounds off, no matter how hard they tried? Well, Desoxyn is also an anorexiant, limiting the desire to eat. It’d be a much better and much less invasive option than liposuction, don’t you think?”
Nebulous Wind nodded. “Yes, very much so. I have a question, though.” Butterfly nodded.
“Yes, Mr. Wind?”
“Would it be covered by insurance?”
“Yes, Mr. Wind!” Trixie said, “obesity is an on-label use for the drug!”
“And what about my students?” Starshine asked, “I rather think performance enhancement is off-label?”
Trixie nodded. “Just tell the parents they have ADHD. They’ll eat it up.” Starshine nodded.
“I see. Deceptive as ever, Trixie. At least you’re using it to help your alma mater as opposed to burning it to the ground,” Starshine said, adjusting her glasses. A server trotted up to the table.
“Hello, ladies and gentlecolt, and welcome to the Greenlight Lounge. What will you be having to drink?”
“Tequilla Sunrise for me, thank you,” Nebulous Wind said.
“An appletini,” Starshine Song said.
“Screwdriver for me,” Trixie said.
“A little glass of water, please,” Butterfly ordered, strangely enough. The server nodded and trotted away. Trixie then saw a white unicorn with a striped cyan and azure mane sneak up behind Butterfly. She grasped a knife in her magic and hid it under the table. The white unicorn then tapped Butterfly on the shoulder.
“Eep!” Butterfly squeaked as she turned around, “Wh-who are you?” The white unicorn had a stupid smile on her face as she scratched the back of her neck.
“Are you...the Element of Kindness?” she asked. Butterfly nodded, at which the white unicorn squealed.
“Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh! I’m such a fan of you! Can I get your autograph?” Butterfly stared weirdly at her, then nodded uneasily. The white unicorn hastily floated a quill already dipped along with a piece of paper. Butterfly grabbed the quill in her mouth and signed the paper, the white unicorn grasping the quill back in her magic, squealing again as she trotted off. Trixie stared at Butterfly in bemusement.
“So it seems you have your fans, Butterfly—”
“—Fluttershy—”
“—whatever.” Butterfly nodded.
“It...kind of comes with the territory.” Trixie mused at that.
“I wonder why I don’t have any fans,” Trixie said.
Starshine Song sighed. “Explosions don’t get fans.” Trixie glared at Starshine, then shied away at the death glare that Starshine was returning. The server came with their drinks, nodded, then trotted away. Trixie sighed and took a great swig of her drink as the unicorns slowly sipped on theirs. “Slow down, Trixie, it’s not like it’s going to run away,”
“Shut up,” Trixie said as she guzzled the last of the drink. “I’ll drink as quickly as I damn well want to. Another screwdriver, waiter!” A server quickly rushed away to the kitchen, then trotted back a minute later with the screwdriver, which Trixie greedily grasped in her magic and guzzled down. Butterfly, looking down, stood up.
“I think I’m going to powder my muzzle,” Butterfly said as she trotted away. Trixie arched an eyebrow in her direction.
“What do you think’s gotten into her?” she asked as she took another swig out of the glass. Starshine Song and Nebulous Wind shrugged.
----
Inside the bathroom, Fluttershy splashed her face with water. She felt bad about abruptly leaving like that, but it pained her to see Trixie drink so much. She sighed, then softened her features. She’d simply go back out there and apologize for leaving so rudely, then talk to Trixie about her drinking later in the hotel room. She turned towards the door when she saw the white unicorn from before, slyly grinning at her.
“Hey, Fluttershy,” she said. Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably.
“Hey...Vinyl, was it?” Vinyl nodded.
“Oh, you know my name! That should make this easy, then,” Vinyl said as she trotted resolutely towards Fluttershy, Fluttershy trotting backwards.
“Wh-what are you doing?” Fluttershy asked as she was backed towards the wall, standing up on her hind hooves. Vinyl got up on her hind hooves as well and put her forehooves on the wall behind Fluttershy. She then leaned into Fluttershy.
“Taking what I want,” she whispered into Fluttershy’s ear, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand up on end, “and I always get what I want.” Vinyl then licked Fluttershy’s neck, causing Fluttershy to cringe.
“And I wanna see you smile,” Vinyl whispered. Fluttershy gulped.
“I need an adult,” she managed to squeak out.