HeartBeat

by DemonBrightSpirit

All I Want - Part Two

After serving everypony a few drinks, and only getting a couple wrong, most of the ponies found their way to the dance floor. Of course, they did still keep coming back to the bar to grab a new drink. Princess Twilight left for the dance floor the instant Vinyl started blaring her music, and Pinkie wasn’t far behind. Then, after a bit of coaxing, Dash dragged Fluttershy away. Even Rarity trotted off, though she spent her time at the DJ booth talking with Vinyl.

I didn’t like it.

I hardly heard a thing Berry Punch and Applejack were talking about, and not just because of the deafening music. Watching intently, I could only imagine what Rarity was telling Vinyl. Was she trying to cajole her into dumping me? Rarity seemed pretty intent on breaking us up just a bit ago.

A prodding hoof tore my attention from that conniving mare and back toward Berry Punch. Giving me a lopsided grin, Berry held up her empty glass and gave it a shake. I leaned in, and just as I did, the music died down. The music changed to a more subtle, slow beat at a lower volume.

“Bartender’s choice,” Berry barked, her lips sloppily pulled into a lopsided smile. Doing my best to hide a sigh, I turned to the bartending book and turned it to a random page. Berry had explained to me earlier that a bartender might be asked to select a drink for the customer, and even prattled off a short list of “safe” drinks that few ponies would balk at. Still, I didn’t think Berry wanted anything off of that list, and I was also confident that she wouldn’t turn down anything I put in front of her, either.

Referring back to the big book, I just fixed whatever I found on the pages. My attention was still held captive by Rarity, her jaw moving and her hoof gestures a mockery of my insecurity. If only I could hear what she was saying. And I knew Vinyl was communicating back with her, too. My eyes flitted there every time that spark of blue magic appeared.

The glass barely touched the bar before Berry swiped it and brought it to her lips. “All right, Blondie,” she said after a long swig, “time for another lesson.” With a big grin, she held up her drink. “How many have I had?”

“I… don’t know?” I replied, having barely heard her in the first place.

“I’ve had, uh…” Berry scratched her head as she stared at the glass. “Clearly not enough.” Tipping the glass up, she downed all that remained before slamming it back down on the bar. “The point is, it’s just as important to know when to not serve ponies. Knowing when to cut somepony off can make the difference between a pony waking up at home or waking up in a gutter.”

After not-so-subtly sliding the glass toward me, she turned and pointed at Applejack. “Now, some ponies know when to stop. Take Applejack for instance. That’s only her third drink, and she’s been nursing it for some time now.”

“A mite too long, I’d say,” Applejack said, tossing back nearly half a glass in a single swallow. She got up, tipping her hat. “I’m mighty grateful to yah, but there’s a whole heap of chores to get done and they ain’t gonna do themselves.”

“A strong sense of responsibility. That’s a bartender’s best friend,” Berry said as Applejack stopped by to say goodbye to her friends. Again Berry Punch toyed with the empty glass, just begging me to refill it.

I turned back to the book and flipped to another random page before getting to work on a new drink. “Okay, so when do I cut you off?” I asked as I refilled the glass.

Chuckling, Berry stole the glass the instant it was full. A huge grin filled her face as she held up the glass. “I’m the exception to the rule, don’t you know? Even if I pass out, face-down on the bar, just stick another drink in my hoof.”

I couldn’t judge if she was just joking or completely serious. Though, I couldn’t help but to wonder where the line was for her. She’d already had just about as many as everypony else combined. That couldn’t possibly be healthy.

Taking a sip, Berry turned back to point at the ponies on the dance floor. “Basically, you’ll see three types of drinkers. Like Applejack, you’re not going to have to worry about Pinkie. She’s all about everypony having a good time, and nothing ruins that faster than just one drink too many. In fact, so long as she’s in the bar, she’ll keep you from overserving just about everypony.”

Then, there’s the typical pony, like Twilight or Fluttershy. They’ll lose their better judgement slowly over the evening, stopping by the bar a little more often as time goes by. But it’s pretty easy to gauge when they’ve started to have too much, and they shouldn’t fuss too much if you turn them away gently.”

I nodded, trying to remember all the things Berry was telling me. In all the studying with Twilight and all the words in the book, it was never mentioned at all that I needed to make sure ponies didn’t have too much to drink. But it made sense that I should.

“Then you have troublemakers,” Berry continued, “like Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Dash hates the taste of alcohol, and so she doesn’t realize just how much she’s had with all her fruity drinks. Worse, she’ll hate it if you tell her she’s had too much. A pony like her only rises to challenges, so when you tell her ‘no’ she just tries to prove you wrong. It’s best to try to trick a pony like her into thinking that going home and sobering up is their idea.”

After Berry pointed to Rarity, still standing by the DJ booth, I nearly forgot everything she’d been teaching me. Even if all she was doing was sipping her drink there in front of Vinyl, it still made me mad. I didn’t understand why seeing her made me feel that way, but I felt it nonetheless.

“Now, Rarity is pretty good at maintaining all those airs she puts on. She’ll hold up that facade right up until she’s had one too many, then it all comes crashing down,” Berry explained. “Sure, she likes to pretend she’s a Canterlot socialite; hay, she could pass for one any day of the week. But in the end, she’s still just a small town filly. And when she gets drunk, she can get pretty mean.”

“She can be pretty mean sober,” I blathered out before I could think to stop myself.

Berry took my anger in stride, just chuckling a bit as she turned back to face me. “She means well, you know. She hasn’t had that much to drink.”

“I don’t see how she means well,” I replied, sending another glance toward the DJ booth. “Rarity pretty much told me that I shouldn’t be with Vinyl.”

Berry swirled her glass, watching the green liquid inside churn. “In her own way, Rarity is just trying to spare your feelings. It’s pretty clear that she doesn’t trust Vinyl to change her ways at the drop of a hat. But, hay, I don’t think anypony at all could even imagine her going months without a nice beverage or twelve.” Berry lifted her glass, taking a swig. She smacked her lips before frowning. “This one’s a little off, Derpy. You can do better.”

“S-sorry,” I apologized, “I guess I wasn’t paying enough attention.”

Pulling a bowl of snack nuts near herself, she plopped a hoofful in her mouth. “Don’t let her get to you,” she said as she crunched away. “Rarity doesn’t think your skin is as thick as it is.”

Lifting a hoof to my head, I gave it a scratch. “What do you mean by that?”

After giving her glass a swirl, Berry brought it to her lips for a long sip. “Rarity,” she said, dragging a hoof across her muzzle, “she thinks your heart will shatter if things between you two go south.”

I couldn’t stop myself from frowning. “But why does she seem so sure things won’t work between us?”

“I hate to tell you this,” Berry said as she pointed at me with her half-empty glass, “but nopony in Ponyville knows Vinyl better than Rarity. Those two’ve been friends since before they got their cutie marks. How they’re still friends after all that’s happened, I’ll never know.” Sighing, Berry looked over toward the DJ booth where Twilight had joined Rarity and Vinyl. “Rarity doesn’t have faith in Vinyl to change her ways”—turning back to me, Berry gave a wink—“but maybe Vinyl just needed somepony worth changing for.”

I couldn’t fight the heat rising from my chest through my face. “W-well, I don’t know about all that.”

Berry pulled her glass closer to her as Twilight and the rest walked up to the bar, interrupting our conversation. I pulled up a couple of clean glasses, but instead of ordering, Twilight held up a hoof and shook her head. “Thank you so much for treating us, but we’ve decided that it might be best if we call it quits before we get too carried away.” A sweep of purple magic swept across the bar. In one, smooth motion, all the drinks lifted up and floated to their rightful places on the shelf. “I’m also glad to see you’ve made a lot of progress. You’ll make a great bartender.”

Most of the rest muttered their own thanks as they muddled their way toward the door. All except Rarity, who hung back near the bar. She just waited for me to catch those cold, blue eyes with a lingering glance. “You really did perform quite admirably, for your first foray into such a situation,” she said, her eyes flitting over to Vinyl at the end of her statement. “You should take care not to throw yourself into it completely. It simply wouldn’t do for such a kind mare to find herself in over her head.”

Even I caught her double-words. I struggled to reply, and when one didn’t come right away, Rarity turned and left. She never even said goodbye. I bit my tongue until after the door closed behind the irksome Unicorn. “Oooh!” I growled, stamping my hooves. “Who does she think she is!”

Berry just chuckled. “Tell you what, Blondie: make me another drink, and I’ll give you just a bit more advice.”

A glance back at the perfectly-aligned bottles, and I just grabbed the tap for cider. Not even bothering to grab a fresh mug, I filled Berry’s empty glass. A flick of my hoof, and I closed the enormous bartending book with a resounding thud.

“Last one, eh?” She took a long sip before licking the foam from her lips. “That’s fine. I’m sure they’re forming search parties as we speak over at my usual haunt.” Setting the glass down, she gave me a smug grin. “Anyway, back to the matter at hoof…”

“You said you had more advice for me?”

“Right, right,” Berry said, nodding. “You know, I couldn’t help but noticing how much you’re letting Rarity get under your skin. You didn’t even know her name before tonight.”

I rubbed my foreleg with a hoof. “Well, she keeps saying how I shouldn’t trust Vinyl.”

“And why would anypony care what some stranger says?” Berry asked in turn. I opened my mouth to reply, but Berry cut me off, “Unless… unless what they’re saying is echoing your own insecurities. I think the real issue is: do you trust Vinyl? I think we both know the answer to that question.” Without another word, Berry raised her glass and proceeded to down her drink.

“I-I do trust Vinyl,” I replied.

Berry just chuckled as she stood up. “Who are you trying to convince? Me, or yourself?” Stumbling just a bit, she headed toward the door. Without looking back, she waved a hoof. “Oh, and if you ever need a sympathetic ear, just stop by the pub and buy me a drink.”

Her accusation haunted me. I did trust Vinyl, didn’t I? Never once had she ever given me a reason to doubt her. Not even a hint.

But still, this heavy dread weighs on my heart. Why do I feel insecure about my burgeoning relationship with Vinyl? My mind began to race with doubt. Are they right? Should I be wary? Will she abandon me at the first chance of being with somepony better?

Just as it began to feel like my doubts would crush me, I felt a warm, gentle hoof on my cheek. I turned to find Vinyl staring at me with those big, cerise eyes. The blue glow of her horn was only able to tear my eyes away after my burning lungs reminded me to breathe. Panting a bit, I blurted out an apology as my gaze found its way to the bar and the swirling letters there.

ARE YOU OKAY?
YOU LOOKED
REALLY SAD
JUST NOW

It didn’t take much effort to force a smile. “I-I’m fine,” I lied. “It’s nothing.”

Vinyl frowned as she raised an eyebrow inquisitively. Did she know I was lying? Why did I even lie in the first place?

“It’s okay, really.” I forced myself not to fidget. “Um, I really appreciate you setting this up for me to practice. I learned a lot.”

Vinyl’s frown lessened and her horn began to glow.

DONT SWEAT IT
IM SURE YOULL
DO JUST FINE

My fake smile melted into a real one. I couldn’t help but to feel a twinge of guilt at the relief of Vinyl not discovering my lie. My doubt.

That’s when it dawned on me. The reason why I lied. It was so simple, yet still devastating.

I didn’t trust her.

Comments

[Murkglow]

Sigh... Derpy, what are you doing to yourself?

[Bubbler]

7522580 It's lore years in the making, dude.

[Aurora Dimmet]

7612855

She hasn't known Vinyl long enough, or well enough, to trust her. You can't trust someone completely unless they've done something so enormous that you'd put it all in their hands without a second thought, or you know their ins and outs so intimately that them letting you down or betraying you would be so unrealistic it'd only happen in fantasy or nightmare.

Rarity -does- know Vinyl better than Derpy, and has known her a lot longer, and believes Vinyl can't change, likely because she's given Vinyl many, many chances to get better and each time she's broken that trust Rarity put in her without fail.

I still think Rarity was written as coming off too strong for her characterization, but the reason is at least acceptable.

[tuntematon]

The truth has to come out sooner or later it all depends who tells it.

[Murkglow]

7612909
Of course you can't trust someone completely when you very first meet them. That said you don't need to doubt them for no reason right away either, especially since Derpy has had nothing but good experiences with Vinyl. Vinyl was there when she was stood up, they had a nice date (outside of Derpy getting embarrassed and knocking a table over), Vinyl got her a job, Derpy trusted Vinyl enough to leave her with her child, and not only did she take care of Dinky, she got Dinky's endorsement, to a degree anyhow, which is unusual apparently.

After all of that, a stranger (who might or might not know Vinyl better, after all Derpy doesn't know Berry Punch or Rarity like we do, why should she trust their words?) comes up to her and is an outright jerk to her about her new relationship and that supposed to immediately lead to distrust? I mean I get that Derpy has had many bad experiences but this story has actually painted her as being continually optimistic in spite of that, not doubting and distrustful without reason...

Anyhow, I'm not saying the author is doing it wrong or something, but at the same time I don't find it especially reasonable that this is the logical direction this situation would go in either. It could go this way but by no means is it a given, which is why I'm asking Derpy why she is doing this to herself.

[Aurora Dimmet]

7613028

It's not about direction. Derpy didn't end up trusting Rarity all of a sudden. What Derpy did was a bit of introspection, and realized the reason she was so angry at Rarity is because she herself didn't fully trust Vinyl, again due to not knowing her as well as she could, having only recently met and sussed out feelings for one another. She was angry because Rarity's words were hitting a truth in Derpy that Derpy did not want to admit. When she looked for why they were making her mad she found out why, and now she's going to be conflicted over it.

I approve of this, in most shipping stories everyone involved was already so intimate with one another they could trust each other with their lives, or some big... THING happens that gives them a nearly unbreakable trust in one another. Here we're seeing a more realistic take on two strangers becoming more. Realizing you don't know your paramour well enough to trust that they won't do something bad they've been doing their entire life is a thing that happens.

[Texus]

I feel like the problem isn't really if Derpy is trusting Vinyl, or Rarity who is pretty much ruining Vinyls or Derpys chance of a good relationship, even if she means it in a good.

I think the problem may be that Derpy herself has no good experience with her previous relationships and her eyes could made her feel a bit insecure, then add everything else and you have the problem. I mean adding what they always say about Vinyl and stuff like that.

I feel like she could have at least said, that half of the others told her that their relationship was doomed, this would be only half a lie I guess, and she probably wouldn't need to fear anything.

Well I'm happy to get a new chapter, and I'm already waiting for the next one.

[Murkglow]

7613456
Again, it's something that could happen, not something that logically must or should happen. Which, again, is why I asked Derpy why she is doing this to herself.

I'm actually somewhat surprised you mention it as unusual/rare given that forced conflict/drama, often centering around unfounded trust issues, in romance is as cliche as it gets. I certainly wouldn't commend it as an overly "realistic" depiction either (in as much as it would also be "realistic" for her to not have trust issues over this as well).

Still this is getting a bit carried away and I really don't want to get into a debate about what constitutes "realistic" romance stories. I was simply expressing my (mild) frustration with her. I still hope that Derpy will realize her mistake at the end of this chapter and take the mature action of talking to Vinyl about this.

[Dustchu]

Awww... this is getting sad man, dang it!
But awesome job dude!