Fluttershy swallowed nervously as she trotted through the fair’s backstreets, glancing left and right between the tents and booths as she went. ‘Oh dear, oh my, I hope she doesn’t find me...’
All of a sudden, a voice piped up from behind her. “Fluttershy?”
“EEP!” The pegasus jumped in fear, dashing beneath one of the tents in an attempt to escape. “G-g-go away, Dash! I already told you I d-don’t want to be a part of the tournament!” She whimpered.
“Um, Fluttershy? What are you talking about?”
The pegasus hesitantly hesitantly peeked under the canvas. Her mind blanked with joy when the first thing she saw was pink. “Pinkie Pie!” She gushed quickly zipping up to the Earth Pony and hugging her tightly. “Oh thank goodness! I thought that you were Rainbow Dash!”
“Uh... really? Why is that?” The party pony asked in an uncharacteristically hesitant manner.
Fluttershy blinked in shock. “Uh, she wants me to participate in a jousting tournament, but... Pinkie Pie, are you okay?” She leaned back a bit and took a look at her friend before gasping in shock from what she saw and whipping her hooves to her mouth. “O-oh my goodness!”
Pinkie Pie’s mane was limp and flat, and she gave off an aura of haunted sadness. ‘Just like the birthday incident...’ Fluttershy recalled in horror. “P-pinkie Pie... what’s wrong?”
Pinkie Pie bowed her head, hiding her face behind her mane. “...I made a mistake... and I really hurt a super-duper friend of mine...”
Fluttershy paled dramatically before engulfing her friend in a hug. “Oh Pinkie Pie... tell your Aunt Fluttershy what happened...”
Pinkie Pie hiccuped as she laughed humorlessly. “T-that’s my schtick.” Nonetheless, she told Fluttershy what had happened.
-Five minutes earlier-
Rainbow Dash was lost in her thoughts as she stood behind the counter to one of the stalls, her body moving on autopilot as she reanalyzed events events she had tried her best to forget.
“What!? C-come on Dash, you’re joshing me!”
Betrayal, fear, world falling away beneath her paws.
Dash shivered violently as she shook her head, trying to dispel the memory. Trying her best to send the thoughts away, she picked up one of the instruments arrayed on the counter and held it up for all to see. “Who wants a flugelhorn?” She called out.
“I want a flugelhorn!”
Rainbow Dash nearly jumped out of her skin as she looked to her left and was met with the sight of a grinning Pinkie in a jester outfit.
The blue pegasus felt cold sweat trail down the back of her neck as more memories came rushing back.
“N-no way... It was P-Pinkie Pie! She se-set up this party to t-t-trip me up! T-To make a fool of me!”
Desperation, pleading, begging to be right, for her worst nightmares to be untrue.
Rainbow Dash snapped her eyes back towards the crowd, trying to drown out the pain. “WHO ELSE WANTS A FLUGELHORN!?” She pleaded desperately.
Pinkie Pie scowled, rearing up on her hind hooves as she tried to regain Dash’s attention. “I WANT A FLUGELHORN!” She shrieked.
Dash’s pupils dilated as the high-pitched voice dislodged the worst memories of all.
“RRGH! OH YEAH!? WELL YOU, YOU-!”
Outrage, fury, more betrayal.
Rainbow Dash’s breath shuddered through her, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
“YOU ARE SUCH A, A FLIP-FLOP! COOL ONE MINUTE AND LAME THE NEXT!”
Accusation, blame.
‘Please...’ Rainbow Dash thought numbly.
“When you decide not to be lame anymore...”
Resignation, regret, despair.
‘Please, no more...’
“Gimme a call.”
Tears sparkling in the sunlight as she flies away.
As for the first time ever, she runs.
Rainbow Dash’s mind blanked as she tried to escape. “WHO ELSE WANTS-!”
“RAINBOW DASH!”
“WHAT!?” She shrieked, wheeling around to face Pinkie Pie. What she saw halted her in her tracks.
Gone was the perky smile and gone was the goofy hat. All that was left was a concerned friend.
“Rainbow Dash,” Pinkie whispered. “What’s wrong?”
Rainbow Dash opened her mouth to rebuke her, to give reassure her that she was fine and that nothing was wrong. She opened her mouth to display her usual air of strength and bravado.
She then let out a choked sob and threw herself at Pinkie Pie, clinging to her as everything that had happened and every realization as to her absolute idiocy poured out of her, broken only by Rainbow’s bawling and gasps for breath.
Pinkie just stood there, holding her friend as she wept miserably.
-Present-
“Oh my...” Fluttershy whispered once Pinkie Pie had finished speaking. “I suppose that would explain why she was so distracted and didn’t listen to me saying I didn’t want to help her with the jousting...”
“Mm-hmm...” Pinkie mumbled in agreement. Slowly, she began walking aimlessly amongst the tents, Fluttershy scrambling to follow along her. For a minute, she was silent. Then...
“She was right...” Pinkie muttered, prompting Fluttershy to give her a confused look. “Gilda... she might have been mean, but she did care about Rainbow Dash. I should have just left them alone. I mean, maybe if I had just given Gilda some time to cool off... if I’d just listened to you...” the party mare’s voice began to choke with tears.
“Enough!” Fluttershy cut her off, whipping her hoof around her neck and hugging her close. “Look, Pinkie, you made a mistake! Maybe you could have made some better decisions, maybe you could have told Rainbow Dash to hold back on the pranks, but the fact is that’s all they are: maybes! The past is the past! We can’t change it, all we can do is live with it. It’s a lesson that’s been becoming rather apparent lately...” They walked on for a second before Fluttershy’s pupils dilated and she gave out a sudden whimper. “EEP! Er, I mean, that is to say, oh dear...”
Pinkie was silent as she was pressed against Fluttershy’s barrel. Then, she pulled away and shook her head. “But it doesn’t change the results either... Rainbow Dash is miserable... and it’s all because of me...”
Fluttershy stared at her for a second before groaning and pressing her hoof to her forehead. “Oh dear, I’m not getting through to you... I guess there’s only one answer...”
The earth pony gave her a morose look. “What, find Gilda and apologize?”
“Well, I suppose that would work, but I was thinking something more... immediate.”
Pinkie Pie sighed tiredly as she hung her head.“Meaning?”
“Cold hard liquor.”
That made an impact on Pinkie, causing her to stumble and nearly faceplant. She wheeled around and gaped at the quiet mare. “Come again!?”
Fluttershy nodded decisively. “You heard me: alcohol. It’s a good way to loosen up and relax. Sure the hangovers might make loud noises a bit painful, but the immediate effect makes it well worth it.”
Pinkie Pie blinked in shock for a second before a thought hit her and she eyed Fluttershy with suspicion. “Wait, Fluttershy, how do you know that?”
Fluttershy panicked for a second before hastily producing a calm face and beginning to push Pinkie ahead, cold sweat trailing down her pelt. “U-u-um, t-that’s not important. N-n-now come on, I know a- I think there’s a booth serving alcohol this way!”
Pinkie Pie wasn’t fooled, her thoughts racing a mile a minute before a sudden realization hit her. “Fluttershy, are you always so quiet because you’re-!?”
“Pinkie Pie.”
The party mare froze and slowly turned to stare at Fluttershy.
She wasn’t angry. She wasn’t sad or scared. The cream-colored pegasus was smiling pleasantly, calmly. And it was scaring the piss out of Pinkie.
“Pinkie,” Fluttershy continued quietly. “You do not want to continue that line of thought. Or repeat it. To anyone. Ever,” she tilted her head slowly, her smile widening a few inches. “Am I clear?”
Pinkie Pie nodded hastily.
Fluttershy straightened up again, her smile once anew becoming truly perfect. “Great! Now come on, let’s get going!” She trotted on ahead, Pinkie Pie following hesitantly behind her.
After a few minutes, they came to a large tent whose flaps were closed. Fluttershy nodded happily. “Here we are! This place has some great vintages, I’m sure you’ll like it!” She walked in, ignoring Pinkie’s hesitant looks.
The inside of the tent was lit by a single lamp hanging from the rafters. Tables were strewn about here and there, and set up in the back was a bar with several bottles and casks behind it. Standing behind the bar and cleaning a glass was a dark green unicorn stallion with a light brown mane. The aura encapsulating the glass was a rich purple. His cutie mark was a bottle of champagne with foam bubbling out.
Catching sight of Fluttershy, the unicorn smiled enthusiastically. “Miss Shy! Glad to see you again! Back for another round?”
The mare returned his smile, walking up to the bar and placing her hooves on it.. “Thank you, Crystal Carafe! And sure. But first, this is my friend Pinkie Pie. She really needs to have some too.”
“Oh?” Carafe looked the uncharacteristically reticent mare over. “What’ll you be having?”
“Balkan 176, on the rocks,” Fluttershy responded without hesitation.
Carafe whistled appreciatively. “Balkan? Yeesh, are you trying to help her or kill her?”
Fluttershy shrugged indifferently. “She needs to forget, I’m just trying to help. Either way, it’s personal and not really your business. Sorry.”
Carafe sighed dramatically as he went about shuffling with the various bottles available to him. “Of course. Seems to be the norm nowadays. I might not remember much, but I do remember that people used to actually talk to the person serving the drinks. Ah well,” he suddenly stopped searching and frowned. “Blast! Sorry miss Fluttershy, looks like I left it back at the shop. Didn’t think anyone would need that kind of mental trauma, mind if I run out and get it?”
Fluttershy waved her hoof. “No no, take your time. It’s refreshing to be the one in charge for once.”
Carafe trotted out from around the bar and out the tent entrance.
Pinkie was silent, gaping at Fluttershy. “F-fluttershy, how long... how do I put this...”
“How long have I been a professional alcoholic?” She didn’t flinch at Pinkie’s shocked look. “What? Liquor is great at dulling one’s sense of shame.”
“Right. Again, how long?”
“Weeeell...” Fluttershy tapped her chin in thought. “Do you know Berry Punch?”
“The mare who runs Vintage Vintages? Yeah, she supplies me whenever I make a flambe or pineapple upside-down rum cakes. Why?” Pinkie asked hesitantly.
“Well, you see, she was one of the first ponies I met when I came to Ponyville. She saw that I was so scared of everything and decided to help me out. She suggested I try some ‘liquid courage’ and I agreed,” Fluttershy brought her hoof to her mouth as she giggled at the memory. “Three bottles of some nicely aged Grand Palomino and I knew there was no going back.”
“I guess...” Pinkie trailed off. “Look, Fluttershy-”
“Before you start, I do not have a problem!” Fluttershy interrupted hastily. “ See, this is why I didn’t tell you all! Listen, I drink casually, in a professional manner. Why do you think I stay on the ground, or in my house so often? I know better than to fly under the influence, I keep my alcohol levels where I can control myself whenever I have to go out and I always stay inside whenever I decide to go over the edge! Besides, I need it! You try dealing with twenty plus species, some of whom are meat-eaters, and Angel Bunny!”
Fluttershy growled as she kneaded her forehead in frustration. “I swear to you, that rabbit has no idea how many times the bottle has kept me from wringing his scrawny neck and FEEDING HIM TO THE-!” The pegasus cut off as she reached over the bar, withdrew a bottle and chugged it in ten seconds flat. She panted as she slammed it on the counter. “Sorry, but he seriously grates on my nerves.”
Pinkie made to reply, but was interrupted by a familiar voice.
“Well what do you know? There’s actually some spine in you. I thought you were just rainbows and butterfly crap.”
Pinkie Pie paled significantly and whipped around to stare at the memorable Rune Keeper standing above her.
Fluttershy was unmoved, staring at him in a decidedly unimpressed manner. “Hello Scholar.”
Pinkie Pie was shivering in fear as she watched him. “W-w-what are you doing here?”
Scholar scoffed as he sat down at the bar. “What do you think I’m doing in a bar?” He asked venomously. He punctuated his point by slamming a clear glass mug on the counter.
Fluttershy leaned over and sniffed it in a contemplative manner. “”Hmm... Bacardi 151, light and dark rum, apricot brandy, orange, pineapple and lime juice, sugar, champagne and...” Her eyes widened in shock. “Absinthe!? What did you do, mix together a Zombie Cocktail and a Death in the Afternoon!?”
Scholar gave her a shocked look. “Alright, I’ve heard everything you’ve said, and even I’m starting to get disturbed.”
The pegasus was unimpeded. “What are you trying to do, kill yourself!?”
The human’s mood soured as he looked back over the bar. “Forgive me for trying to go out on my own terms.”
Fluttershy gave him a contemplative look before shaking her head. “No, you’re lying.”
CRASH!
Pinkie cowered behind her pegasus friend as the thick glass shattered in Scholar’s grip. Black lightning danced over his arms’ crystal sheath as he slowly turned to stare at her, his glasses flashing furiously. “What.”
Fluttershy was unmoved, merely staring at the impotent researcher morosely. “Scholar, please, don’t patronize me. I just had a bottle of Chateau Prance 1347 that does not taste like vinegar. I still owe Berry Punch a black eye for that, but anyways. You don’t scare me, I’ve faced down a manticore on less. Now then, that combo could be used to cause liver failure unless it has a lemon twist in it, which it does. After that, all it can do is drown your sorrows.”
Scholar stared at her for a second before groaning and slamming his head on the counter. “You remember how I’ve been constantly griping about Vitrum being different?”
“Why do you think I tried to find an alcohol shop?”
“By this point I’d imagine it would be second nature for you. Anyways, I’m not just pissed because I used to live in this place. It’s not just because everything has changed.” He sighed as he clenched his eyes shut. “It’s because I helped build this place from the ground up... and... I miss the friends who helped me do it.”
Fluttershy gave him a shocked look before softening her eyes and reaching over to rub his shoulder. “Tell me about them.”
Scholar was quiet for a moment before sighing tiredly.
~~~
Scholar muttered vehemently as he poured over the plans arrayed in front of him. “This goes here, that goes there- wha!? Are you kidding me!? Who the hell put- DAMN IT!” He roared furiously as he snapped his grimoire open and promptly blasted the table with a rather volatile Array.
“Now what did those poor blueprints ever do to you?”
Scholar scowled as he breathed heavily, reaching under his glasses as he rubbed his eyes. “What are you doing here Daemos?”
A deep chuckling behind him prompted Scholar to turn around and glare at the source.
He was a dragon, mighty and powerful. He was about sixty feet long, ten composing his head, fifteen his tail, and the remaining thirtyfive making up his trunk. His body resembled a mobile volcano, dark red cracks spider-webbing across his stony hide. His vast grey and red wings were folded at his side but were nonetheless majestic. His lips, jagged spikes that formed a facsimile of a second set of teeth over his natural dentures, was set in a wry, lax grin. His crimson eyes held vast stores of knowledge and a kind of lazy kindness.
He laid down with a resounding THUMP!, his head resting upon his crossed arms. “What?” He drawled, smoke floating languidly from his jaws and nostrils. “Is it a crime for me to visit my friend as he works on one of our world’s greatest undertakings?”
Scholar growled under his breath as he looked over the debris with disdain. “Try folly. This plan is insane! I mean, all the individual portions and pieces are great, but fitting them together is... inconceivable! If so much as a single rune or array is out of place, once we hook this ‘Vitrum’ up to the lines, it’ll take a generous chunk out of the planet! I’m telling you, Daemos, this endeavour is in vain!”
The draconic elder hummed contemplatively before snorting out a stream of smoke. “In my opinion, your ire lies less with the endeavor, more with it’s progenitor. Am I correct?”
The Rune Keeper was silent for a moment before snorting in contempt. “He betrayed his own kind.”
Daemos hummed in agreement. “True enough. And a good thing too. Had he not given us his aid, his species would have leveled the world with their rage.”
Scholar scoffed, turning his head away.
The dragon continued nonetheless. “And lest you forget, I too let my race meet its end.”
The human wheeled around instantly, his eyes wide. “Woah woah woah, there’s a big difference! Your kind went to war on their own, you tried to warn them off, they were just too arrogant to listen!”
Daemos shrugged indifferently. “Mayhaps. But the basis remains the same. One cannot blame the individual for the mistakes of a species.”
Scholar was silent for a second before he nodded in grudging acceptance. “I’ll acknowledge that, fine...” He scowled at the drake. “But still... he helps us destroy his own species and in return we help him achieve immortality? That can’t be right.”
Daemos sighed as he slowly shook his head. “Me thinks thou dost protest too much... and that you are acting narrow-minded.”
“What!? I-!”
“Be quiet and listen,” the dragon admonished. “You focus so steadfastly on his faults that you fail to see the similarities you two share. Ask yourself, why does he require immortality?”
Scholar frowned as he mulled the question over. “He fears death, obviously.”
“Oh? Then why did he charge so resolutely and so assuredly into battle against his kind?”
“Well what’s your explanation, stone-scales!?”
Daemos groaned and blew a cloud of smoke. “Impatient. His motivation is fear, true, but not of death. What he fears is ignorance.”
Scholar gave him a shocked look before waving his hand for him to continue.
“When I look into his eyes, I see the same spark I see within you. A love, an addiction to knowledge. What he fears is the idea that when he dies, he will still have some questions, any questions left. Should that occur, all of heaven’s pleasures would be left lacking, and all of hell’s torments would pale in comparison. There is too much curiosity in his mind and not enough time in his natural life. Should he desire to one day leave this world in peace, then he requires liberty from the shackles of mortality. It’s as simple as that.”
The Rune Keeper stared at him in shock for a second before sighing tiredly. “You’re... right. Damn it, I forgot my core dogma: intelligence and talent above all else. I’ve been a fool,” he gave Daemos a grateful look. “Thank you, old friend.”
The massive reptile laughed heavily. “Not a problem! We all need to be drawn to earth on occasion. Glad I could be of assistance.”
Scholar chuckled in response before frowning as a thought struck him.
Noticing the look, Daemos cocked an eyebrow. “What’s with that contemplative look?”
“It’s just...” Scholar cupped his chin in thought. “I’m starting to realize that I’ve never seen you angry before.”
The dragon blinked in surprise. “Hmm? What are you talking about? I’ve been angry plenty of times. Remember that slaver’s ring we disbanded a month back?”
The Rune Keeper shook his head in the negative. “Wrong kind of angry. Sure, you were mad, but that was cold fury. What I’m talking about is rage, pure undiluted roaring rage. Seriously, in all the time I’ve known you I’ve never heard you roar!”
Daemos tilted his head in confusion. “Well why would I? Sure, I can be rather angry at times, but by no means do those situations require me to act like a barbarian.”
Scholar whistled appreciatively. “Geeze, I knew it was true before, but you really are the most pacifistic dragon alive, aren’t you?”
Daemos shrugged. “And if I am?”
Scholar waved his hands hastily. “I’m not saying that’s a problem, of course not! But...” He tilted his head and grinned mischievously. “I can’t help but be curious! Come on, roar! Just this once, so that I know what it’s like! Pleeeeease!”
The dragon blinked tiredly as he looked his friend over. “Are you sure?”
Scholar’s smile was face-splitting as he nodded.
Daemos sighed and shrugged indifferently. “Very well...” He slowly raised himself to his claws, his joints creaking and popping. “So be it...”
Slowly, he inhaled, rubble around the room inching towards him as large amounts of air proceeded to inflate his lungs. For the longest time he held it in.
And then, finally, he exhaled it all...
...in a tremendous yawn, a wispy cloud of smoke billowing out and engulfing Scholar, forcing him into a coughing fit.
Daemos made a smacking sound as he laid back down, his eyelids at half-mast. “Nope, can’t do it. I’m not properly motivated.”
Scholar hacked and weezed as he tried to clear his lungs. “Egg... smashing... tail... humping...!”
“Nope, not going to work,” the dragon admonished. “It needs to be something truly fantastic. Something that will induce a truly horrific rage in even the calmest of beings.”
“So, what...” Scholar grumbled as he patted his robes out. “Somebody skipping out on the check or something?”
Daemos responded with a flat look. “I meant sane beings, not stingy jackasses like Solum.”
“Point taken,” Scholar sighed dejectedly. “Ah well, looks like I won’t hear your roar any time soon.”
“Indeed.”
Scholar sighed and began walking towards the door. “Eh, too bad. So be it! Come on, want to go grab a bite to eat?”
“Actually...” Daemos narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Scholar. “There’s a slight problem with that.”
Scholar froze mid-step, his body twitching slightly. “O-oh?” He stammered hesitantly. “W-w-what’s that?”
“The reason I came here... was to pick up the latest blueprints for the tertiary defense array.”
Scholar’s twitching increased. “Y-y-yeah?”
“And unless I’m mistaken, those would be the plans you just destroyed, correct?”
“Uhhhh...”
“You realize you’re going to have to start again from scratch, correct?”
“...”
SLAM!
“GET BACK HERE, MONGREL!”
“MAKE ME, WORM!”
~~~
Fluttershy was silent as she consoled the sad human, Pinkie Pie shaking slightly as she watched from behind her mane.
Scholar closed his eyes as he continued. “They were my first friends. And the best. Sure, they were loud, crazy, violent, and at times we even hated each other’s guts... but when you got right down to it, we were willing to die for each other at the drop of a hat. And that is the basis for true friendship.”
“Wow...” Fluttershy whispered in awe. “That’s incredible...”
The human smiled lightly and nodded. Then he frowned and opened his eyes seriously. “And it’s why I need to bring Vitrum back to the way it was,” he got to his feet, his head bowed as he stared at the bar. “When Celestia sent you here, she told you all that Virum was a beacon of hope...”
He turned and affixed the two ponies with his confident gaze. “But it is also so much more than that! Vitrum... it’s not a beacon, it’s... it’s a fact! For as long as Concordia has existed, Vitrum has been a fact, an immutable truth! It was one known to all existence, one that all acknowledged. Vitrum...”
He sighed wistfully. “It spoke to people. It spoke differently to all,” he spread his arms wide. “To the weak and poor and needy, it said ‘Come to me! Come and see what I have to offer! I will give you peace, and I will give you prosperity’,” he then tilted his head back and rested his hand directly below his chin. “To our enemies, it said ‘This far! This far and no more! Never again!’”
His smile became truly ecstatic, his eyes gleaming with memories. “And to the intellectuals... it said ‘Come and see! I hold so many secret! So many mysteries! So many have tried to unravel them, but there is always more! Find your place, and engrave yourself in the annals of history!’”
Scholar was truly lost in his memories, runes wafting about him as he stared millennia into the past. “Vitrum... it was not simply the capital of Concordia, it was Concordia! So long as it stood, Concordia stood! So long as it existed, we could sleep easily, knowing that tomorrow was secure!”
Slowly, his mood began to sour, his robes turning dark as he bowed his head anew. “And when it fell... Concordia fell. All hope was lost, and all who were left didn’t fight to win, they fought to simply hurt in any way possible, no matter the cost.”
He looked up and met the mares gaze, flooring them with the determination in his eyes. “And that’s how I plan to fight as well. No matter the cost, I will free Vitrum. And in the process, I will take the first step to freeing Concordia, and my friends. Tell it to whoever you will, but know it as a fact: I will not be deterred. Not now, or ever.”
For several minutes, silence reigned in the tent as the two species stared at each other. Until finally...
“HEY, TWILIGHT! WAIT UP!”
Scholar, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie whipped their heads towards the mouth of the tent.
“That sounded like Spike...” Pinkie Pie muttered.
“Hmmm...” Scholar hummed in curiosity. “Sounds like something is going down.” Before either mare could react, he dashed out off the tent, nearly barreling over Crystal Carafe as he reentered.
The emerald unicorn stared after him in shock before turning and scowling at Fluttershy and Pinkie. “Please tell me you two didn’t run him off, he was a good customer!”
Fluttershy squeaked a bit and hid behind her mane. “Oh my no! I would never do anything like that! He left on his own!”
Carafe stared at her for a second before sighing and shaking his head. “Ah well... too bad, he could really hold his liquor...” His grin returned full force as he trotted towards the bar, pulling out and displaying a bottle of clear liquid he was carrying with his magic. “At least you’re still here! Here’s the Balkan 176!” He hopped over the bar and whipped two crystal glasses full of ice onto the bar in front of Pinkie and Fluttershy. “Still sure you want it?”
Fluttershy nodded resolutely, not turning as she reached out with her wing and stopped Pinkie from moving. “We’re sure. Go ahead and pour it.”
Carafe gave Pinkie a hesitant look before shrugging and nodding. “So be it. It’s on your head.” And with that, he filled the two glasses to the brim.
Pinkie leaned down and eyed the water-like liquid warily.
Fluttershy gained her attention by tapping her on the shoulder. “Best to drink it all at once, like medicine.”
“Umm... okay...”
As one, the two mares picked up the glasses in their hooves.
“Now then,” Fluttershy said with a smile. “On three. One... two... three!” The friends knocked back the glasses together, swallowing the alcoholic beverage.
Pinkie sat stock still for a moment... before blinking in surprise. “Huh, that’s weird...” She mused. “I thought that would do... I don’t know, something.”
Fluttershy, on the other hand, had her eyes closed in concentration. “Three... two... one... and...”
POOF!
Pinkie’s mane burst into a frizzy mess, her eyes nearly popping out of her sockets. Her entire body stood ramrod straight in reaction to the alcohol hitting her system.
Fluttershy merely let a shiver run the length of her body. “Ahhh...” She sighed contentedly. “How nice, kind of like taking a hammer to the frontal lobe, huh?”
Pinkie didn’t respond, simply leaning backwards until she collapsed on the ground.
Crystal Carafe leaned over his bar and stared worriedly at the mare’s prone form. “Is she alright?”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s fine.”
Pinkie’s legs all shot up towards the ceiling, a sound not unlike a cash register ringing out.
“See?”
“I think she might need a medic... And a kidney transplant.”
“Maybe later. For now, I’ve got a feeling that things are about to get really complicated, so I want to be nice and ready. As they say in Las Pegasus, hit me!”