//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 
// Story: Paying the Tab 
// by NoteSoup 
//------------------------------//

       Two weeks had passed since Sound Ray had ended up with Berry Punch. To be honest, not much really happened past introductions with the townsfolk. For the most part, they were all very accepting to him and only the few who weren't from around town were scared or didn't like him. It made sense for the most part, small towns in Equestria were well known for accepting new people.

Despite their record of doing it twice on their first full day as a couple, they came to the conclusion that they should probably slow down. After all, they weren't gonna be wanting a foal for a long time, if ever.

He didn't find much to do around town other than play saxophone at the local venues or at a party at the local sweet-shop, Sugarcube Corner. It was actually kind of funny; the teenage, pink filly who apprenticed and worked the parties there was the most accepting of all the townsfolk. She acted surprised, but then proceeded to play with his bat wings, which in turn gave Berry the idea to annoy him in that way. His life probably wouldn't go on without that constantly happening from the two. 

Being a musician that didn't travel and didn't play full time didn't bring that many bits, but he had a pretty well stocked savings account. The four years he spent as a horn man in the royal guard band and Canterlot Royal Orchestra had only added to his bank account. During the time he spent as a guard he took advantage of the free housing and food so that he would have plenty of money to travel with by the time he was done.

It had all turned out nicely, and he would have to spend a great amount of money before he would need to make it up again. All would be nice to just live that way, but he didn't want that to happen; he enjoyed working and wanted to enjoy retirement at a much later point in life. There fore, he decided to help Berry re-invest in her own talents.

That  afternoon Berry and Ray were sitting in the kitchen and looking through a catalog.

"Honestly Ray, we probably should wait before you get me back to brewing." Berry was explaining to him. "After all, I'd prefer to wait 'till I'm off the sauce myself."

Sound Ray on the other hand didn't see it as she did though. "Berry, you know that I'm perfectly okay with you drinking. I mean, it is part of making liquor and spirits, right?"

"Well yes, but maybe it could wait a while. I've been drinking way too much for the past few months and I need to both give this some time so as to regain my tastes." Berry offered in explanation. "And what would happen if I got sick or something and had to lay off it for a while anyway?" Berry implied, "then I'd be even more sick."

Sound Ray saw were she was coming from with this. It was personal experience that made him take her home and was also that same experience that made him recall exactly why it wouldn't be easy to quit this.

"Well, that makes sense. I know from experience that this wont be easy for you and having all that alcohol around will probably tempt you alot." Sound Ray offered to her with a knowing look.

"Thanks honey, and I get that I should be working, so I'll probably see if ol' Mugs will let me wait tables or do something at the bar." Berry explained and immediately saw a hole in her logic. "Or if I get too tempted by the booze then I'll find something else."

Sound Ray now had a very pleased smile. "Well I'd definitely love to see you back to work after all you've been through, but you should take your time. I still have enough savings to last us for plenty of time." Sound Ray explained before feeling like she needed more reassurance. "Not to mention I can always take up more time to being a musician. Maybe even compose some more."

"Thanks for understanding honey." Berry leaned in to Ray for a quick kiss before heading in to the living room.

Alone now, Sound Ray felt himself now felt more relaxed. Only, he still felt his memories of dealing with this same kind of situation before resurface back to him. He sighed. Hopefully Berry wouldn't be like his mother. He sure new how she took to the stress of all her troubles; and it didn't really end well for him.


~~~


There was a knock at the front of Berry and Sound Ray's house. That's odd, I wasn't expecting anypony today. Berry arose from her place at the couch and headed for the door. Since Sound Ray was off playing at a gig and (even then he wasn't exactly too keen to open the door when it was knocked at) she would get the door.

Even if she knew in her heart that the door was friendly, she had adopted a tradition to answer with the door closed when she was on her drunken stints. Often she wouldn't know if it was an angered lover or a bar tender that wanted her to pay her for a particularly bad evening. However, when Sound Ray came around, she had many of her problems resolved by him. Therefore allowing her to restart opening the door and knowing it was safe. Only, it still was a surprise to see the pony at the door.

"Well hello there sister." Cherilee was at the door with her ever present smug smile on her face.

"And hello to you too Cherilee, I see you're still as smug to me as ever." Berry Punch was now showing her annoyance with her sister very openly, "Come to gloat about your teaching success I supose."

Berry and Cherilee had grown up as very competitive sisters when they were young. Most of this was due to the residual effects of their upbringing. Even when they grew up they still tried to one-up each other with the amount they earned with work, or the size of their houses and so-on. It all lasted for a long time, untill Berry had her nervous breakdown at  her small brewery.

It had all started as a small expense here and there and led to her not being able to cope with the debt untill she eventually had to sell the brewery. After that the rest is history. Except for her sister coming around once a month to gloat and brag about her ability to successfully teach and make a living from it. However, since Berry was finally not hungover or dunk on this visit, she saw some humor to it.

"You know what, now that I can think clearly, I wonder if you only do this because you're on your time of the month." Berry figured this would infuriate and hopefully get her sister to leave quicker.

Cherilee would have gotten angry but she had better things to think about than her sister making fun of her, "haha, you're so very funny." Cherilee finished her sarcasm and moved on to her rebuttal, "no, I'm actually pretty happy today, I just came by to tell you how Mrs. Bright Days just retired, and I just got her job as head teacher."

"And also, I heard that you found yourself a stallion, I figured that when you finally lose everything that you are allowed to stay with me, but not your coltfriend." Cherilee laid out her offer to hopefully finally get her sister to go over the edge.

"Listen, as much as I would just 'love' to be in your company, I don't think I could stoop to such a level as to accept an offer from my horribly vain sister." Berry could stand at that porch all day, but if she mentioned Sound Ray one more time...

"Figures you wouldn't like me anymore, but dad certainly won't like you anymore when he finds out you're living with a monster." Cherilee really felt she would finally get her sister to do as she always did; which of course would be to shut the door in her face and leave her with a sense of satisfaction.

Berry on the other hoof felt a different approach was needed. One that happened to be her hoof connecting with her sister's cheek forcefully with Cherilee's cheek. "Now listen here you egotistical bitch, I may not mind if you come around and make fun of me, but when you bring my Ray into this, I will make you lose your job for having such a beaten face that it scares the kids!!!"

Cherilee was now pinned against the wall beside Berry's porch, a shocked look on her face, Berry taking a brief pause in order to continue her rant. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching these kids to be upright citizens, unlike yourself." Berry took a quick breath, "And also, shouldn't you be teaching them to be accepting of people like my Sound Ray!"

Cherilee finally understood that she had gone too far. "But..." Cherilee's cry was quickly rebutted from Berry.

"But nothing! There is no excuse for being such an intolerant bitch just because of somepony's wings or eyes." Berry wasn't going to hear any sort of argument from her sister. 

Berry was furious at how her sister could be so intolerant of different ponies. Her argument caused her to think many bad and/or violent thoughts of how she should teach her sister to be more open minded. Berry moved in closer to her sister in order to gain more ability to deliver a beat-down at the first signs of provocation. Only then was her attention diverted by a gentle and yet firm hoof put between them.

"Now I know personally that familial issues are some of the worst ordeals to overcome..." Sound Ray took a disappointed look at the two mares he was now separating "But that is no excuse for solid reasoning." 

Berry, recognizing Sound Ray immediately began to back down. She wasn't about to upset her lover any further. However, she knew that it probably wasn't going to be her that was going to need to explain herself.

"OK, now does somepony want to fill me in on the details of this like a sensible adult mare." He paused to let either one begin, but when neither spoke after a few seconds he began again. "Well then, I guess that I'll just start by asking both of you why I trotted up to Berry's house to find you two fighting like teenage fillies over gossip?"

Cherilee decided that she had been there long enough and she would try to make her escape, "Well I'm sorry for offending you but I have some uh, paperwork. Yeah so, I really need to get on that." Cherilee tried to evade and began to duck from Sound Ray's hoof on her chest.

"I think that your 'paperwork' can wait until we're done here." Ray was now at the end of his patience, "and if I were you, I wouldn't exactly be too keen on offending a *cough cough* Vampony!" Sound Ray pulled both mares into him with his fore legs.

Sound Ray now felt his rage climb to a peak. He had just gotten done with getting turned down by ponies most of the day to come home and find Berry and her sister fighting on their front porch. Both mares now saw the anger flash through his eyes. Obviously Cherilee's evasion hadn't done much to calm him from his now peaked bad mood.

"Now we're going to go inside and you two are going to sort this out now!" He pulled both mares even closer to his chest. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I heard the entirety of your little conversation. So if you want to have that all cleared up, then I would come inside and talk with me." Ray growled the last part of the sentence under his breath before leaving the mares and trotting inside.

Both Berry Punch and Cherilee looked into the house with wide eyes. Berry had never seen him get angry, let alone act like a father who was at the end of his rope with his kids. It made her feel ashamed. "I'm waiting." Now Berry felt really ashamed when she heard Sound Ray call from the living room. She sighed, this now really felt like one of her old fights with her sister.


~~~


Berry Punch and Cherilee entered the living room of Berry's house to find Sound Ray siting in the lounge chair across from the couch. Even if he appeared to be fuming with anger a minute ago, now he had somehow calmed down, looking as if he were a father about to discipline his kids. Berry sat down on the couch, meanwhile Cherilee decided to sit down in the chair on the other side of the couch.

"I'd prefer if you both sat on the couch." Ray told them in a very calm demeanor although there was still a trace of firmness in his voice.

Cherilee obliged and sat next to Berry and even if it was awkward, the tension between them decided to remain ingrown.

Sound Ray now looked at them with a more pleased expression. "I'm sorry that I was a little firm out there, but you must understand that ever since my childhood I've had a much smaller tolerance for those kinds of things."

Berry felt like adding to the statement, but words seemed to hold fast in her throat.

"From what I can gather Cherilee, I believe that you owe the first apology to Berry. I already know that this isn't the first time you've been here and your behavior has been completely uncalled for." Ray implied the statement, but then he saw another issue that he wanted to address, "Even if it was uncalled for, I want you to tell me what provokes you to do this to Berry?"


Cherilee was at a loss for words. She wanted to explain herself, but something inside of her was holding her tongue. When she finally felt the words come to her, she decided not to hold herself back, "I guess alot of this is to due with our very competitive childhood. Our father used to constantly be urging us not to disappoint him and, well... I guess it led to us being more competitive with each other to make ourselves feel like less of a disappointment to him."

Cherilee had finished her explanation, now she knew what she needed to do. "And for not growing out of that, I came to rub it in Berry's face. I should have helped you Berry but..." Cherilee put her head down between her legs. "I'm truly very sorry for what I've done to you Berry. I let my jealousy and my hate for the way dad raised us get to my head."

Cherilee let a few tears fall. She now knew just what she had been doing wrong all of this time. It made her feel empty, knowing that she could've helped her sister, but instead she found jealousy in her work and had let her stay in her drunken state. Berry Punch could see how her sister truly felt sorry. The revelation that she had made had also occurred to Berry as well; they would eventually have to tell their father about that. However, as of right now, they needed each other.

"Cheerie don't cry, I see what happened. We both are guilty of letting jealousy drive us to doing crazy horrible things towards each other." Berry Punch wrapped her forelegs around Cherilee and pulled her into a loving embrace. "I think that we both have let dad's influence on us go a little too far."

Cherilee looked up at her older sister and saw what the half year of drunkenness had done to her. It not only made her almost lose everything, but had made her understand so much more in life. Only, she would never had been saved from all of this had it not been for a certain stallion who helped her home that one night.

"Sound Ray... I am terribly sorry for the way I both acted towards my sister and insulting you." Cherilee gazed up from her sister's grasp, "You are really to thank for all of this. Had it not been for you then my sister would probably be on the streets and we would never have made up today."

Sound Ray gave her a pleased smile from his chair across the room. "I was only doing what was right, not to mention I could never let a drunken mare just get abandoned in the street like that."

Ray got up from his chair and calmly walked up to the couch and took a seat beside the two mares. He began to rub Berry's back as she held Cherilee in her fore legs. Eventually Berry and Cherilee broke off their embrace and turned to acknowledge the stallion behind the two of them.

"I guess you really got yourself a nice stallion this time Berry." Cherilee inquired, hoping to break the silence they had created during their time on the couch.

Berry saw this as a better opening for another joke, "I sure did, he came with an extended warranty and with few defects."

Cherilee chuckled lightly, but she didn't think the joke was as funny as Berry had implied. "I think you shouldn't treat him like an object Berry, he is another sentient pony after all." Berry didn't like how her sister had blatantly ruined her joke, but she wasn't going to end their good streak after only a few minutes.

Cherilee was still hoping to make some effort at conversation however. "I wish I could find a stallion like him though, I can't seem to get very far in the romance department."

"I'm sure you'll find somepony Cherilee, you've just got to look in the right place." Berry offered her sister and hoped it would liven the mood and decided to add another fact to her previous statement. "You know how love can be though, when you don't look, you find."

Cherilee felt a little comfort in her sister's statement. She hoped someday to find somepony of her own too, but Celestia knows how long that would take. In the meantime though, she had more pressing matters at hand. Like teaching...

"I'm sorry I have to say this, but I've got to go. There's still paperwork that I have to fill out before I can become head teacher." Cherilee left the couch and gave her sister a hug goodbye before turning towards the door.

As Cherilee left Sound Ray and Berry Punch found themselves alone again in their living room. For a while they just held each other in their arms and were perfectly content with that feeling. Sound Ray had a thought in his head however that he was going to need to discuss with her soon though. Finally breaking the embrace he turned to her.

"Listen, Berry..." Sound Ray began but his words seemed to fall short in his throat. "I have something important that I'm going to need to discuss with you if we're going to be together." He paused again to decide his next words carefully. "You think that we can have a good conversation about these things sometime this week."

Berry looked into Sound Ray's eyes. She could clearly see how he was nervous about something and it left her with a weird and unsettling feeling in her gut. "Of course honey."

Immediately Sound Ray had his pleased look on his face again. This will no doubt be a very weird conversation we're gonna have, thought Berry.