"The truth is simple, I tell ya!" Lyra's voice cracked over the bar table. "The music industry is tanking!"
Vinyl Scratch chuckled, shaking her head as she scribbled across a music sheet. "The music industry is not tanking."
"It sure as Tartarus is!" Lyra frowned, levitating a half-empty glass of cider. "How is a self-respecting musician supposed to make money in a world where any random pony can break into entertaining song at the drop of a hat!"
"I'd pay to see that," Caramel said with a bashful smile.
"But you don't have to, girl!" Lyra exclaimed. "Which is the whole point! Just a take a walk down Ponyville's Main Street! Boom! You're gonna get serenaded eventually!"
"Could you give us an example, Lyra?" Bon Bon asked. "Because I have no unearthly clue what you're talking about."
"Don't you? Really?" Lyra squinted in the red light from the bar sign through the window. "Just wait around Sugarcube Corner. It'll happen eventually."
"Yes, well..." Bon Bon giggled. "That's Pinkie Pie, though."
"She's an earth pony!" Lyra growled. "She has no business being extra friggin' magical!"
Caramel giggled, nearly dropping the cider glass from his grip.
Vinyl rolled her eyes beneath her shades and glanced Rainbow Dash's way. "Rainbow, you know Pinkie the best out of all of us. Is Lyra full of it or what?"
Rainbow sat, cradling a mostly-empty glass of water. She stared dead ahead of her with a vacant expression.
Vinyl arched an eyebrow. "Well, if that wasn't a convincing argument, I don't know what was."
"You okay, Rainbow Dash?" Bon Bon asked, looking concerned. "You seem... distant."
"... ... ..." Rainbow Dash eventually looked up. "Hmmm?" She blinked. "Hmmmfff... oh, I'm good. Don't mind me."
"You... uhm..." Caramel squinted at the mare's glass. "You're not interested in cider tonight?"
Rainbow winced for the first time in hours. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm just here to... uhhh... t-to enjoy your girls' company."
Silence.
"Riiiiight..." Lyra nodded. "You know, Rainbow, a lot of ponies drink to depression. You're the first mare I've seen undrink to depression."
"Look, I'm just not in the mood for cider right now," Rainbow Dash said. "Not for a while, at least."
"Is everything okay, Rainbow?" Caramel asked. "You... you were gone for over a week." He gulped. "I... uh... I heard some rumors about what went down in Fillyda."
"Whoah, wait..." Vinyl looked over. "You were near to Mareami and you didn't tell me?"
"No, nothing like that," Rainbow said in a dull tone. "Look, is it so weird that maybe I wanna hang out and chillax without drinking?"
More silence.
"Wanna sing about it?" Lyra said, smirking. Bon Bon and Vinyl hissed at her.
Rainbow let out a long sigh. She dropped a few coins on the table and stood up.
"Really?" Lyra blinked. "That's water you're paying for."
"Add it to you guys' tab," Rainbow muttered. "This... this was a bad idea. Sorry, everypony. I'll... uh..." She sauntered off. "I'll be awesomer next time. I promise."
"But... but just having you around is awesome enough..." Caramel gazed after her. "...Rainbow." As soon as the pegasus had cleared the bar's front door, he winced, slicking his mane back and looking demurely at the others.
Lyra folded her forelimbs. "Hrmmmf." She smirked. "She's gonna sing to the moonlight. I just know it." Bon Bon smacked her upside the head. "Owch!"