The Great Whiskey Adventure

by Universal Librarian

Chapter 5 - Bruichladdich

Gilda twisted and turned as she galloped through the alleyway, dodging trash cans and crates of produce. Hoofsteps echoed through the air as the League's cronies chased after her. At least one of them was a unicorn, as the yellow bolts pinging wildly off the walls proved. Thankfully, their aim was terrible, as none of the bolts even came close to hitting her.

Still, Gilda was glad that no pegasi had made their appearance, yet. That would make things tricky.

Almost as soon as she thought it, Gilda heard strong flapping from above. Reacting on instinct, she ducked her head and jerked aside, snapping her wings tightly to help her shift course on a dime. Gilda's quick thinking was rewarded as a League pegasus crashed roughly into the pavement where she had been only a second earlier. "Ha! Nice try!"

The pegasus tried to clamber back to his hooves, only to be flattened as the League unicorns tripped over him. The whole lot of them collapsed into a groaning and swearing pile on the floor, blocking the alleyway.

Silently grateful for both her good luck and the idiocy of her pursuers, Gilda hightailed it out of there before any of the ponies chasing her could get back to their hooves. She charged around corners, taking as winding and random a course as possible to throw off the League.

Just as Gilda finally burst out the alleyways and back into the streets, something slammed into her side and pitched her off her feet. "We have you now, now tell us where Berry Twist is!"

Gilda looked up at her assailant. A League pegasus was standing over her, his features obscured by his hood. Dozens of random ponies were looking over and muttering about the commotion.

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Gilda spat, deciding to play dumb. "I was just coming off the train, minding my own business, when you and your buddies tried to jump me! Is this how you ponies treat griffon tourists?!"

"Don't lie!" The pegasus snapped. "We received word that Berry Twist was travelling with a griffon, now where is she?"

Gilda felt a moment of savage glee. Bingo. "So some pony is strutting around with a griffon and you just assumed it was me? Does the griffon even look like me? Is it a guy or a girl, or do you think we all just look the same?!"

"Wha- o-of course I don't!" The pegasus spluttered.

"Yeah, right! I know what ponies like you think of griffons!" More bystanders were stopping and staring now, glaring at the pegasus and muttering under their breath. A few were even beginning to approach.

The pegasus quickly clambered off Gilda as he realized his predicament. "Er, s-sorry, er, ma'am. I'll just, er-"

"What exactly is occurring here?" Gilda looked up to see a sparklingly white unicorn with an expertly coiffed blue mane, wearing an exquisite jacket and a pretty little monocle, glaring at the League pegasus.

"Fancy Pants!" The pegasus practically squeaked. "W-what are y-you doing here?!"

Fancy Pants raised an eyebrow. "Apparently witnessing an unprovoked assault. Has the League of Cerberus truly sunk so low?" The pegasus dithered, clearly trying and failing to come up with some defence for his behaviour, but Fancy Pants was having none of it. "I suggest you leave this poor griffon alone and depart. Immediately."

The pegasus babbled something that may have been an agreement and launched himself into the air, rocketing away as if a dragon was on his tail.

"And good riddance," Fancy Pants muttered, before turning to help Gilda up. "Are you quite alright, miss?"

Gilda accepted his hoof and allowed the unicorn to pull her to her feet. "I'm fine. Thanks."

"You're quite welcome." Fancy Pants smiled and adjusted his monocle. "I see Miss Twist has accepted help this year. Excellent."

"W-what?" Gilda took a step back in surprise, but the unicorn just chuckled.

"Don't worry, I have absolutely no intention of 'selling you out' as it were," Fancy said brightly. "The League of Cerberus has caused far too many upsets among the populace for me to find aiding them conscionable."

"Right." Gilda brushed dust off her feathers. "How did you figure out that I was with Berry?"

Fancy chuckled. "Simple, really. The members of the League of Cerberus are many things, but racist is not one of them. Such prejudice would limit the range of food they are able to sample, after all. Secondly, while many of them possess a dearth of intellect, their ability to sniff out exquisite delicacies, and the creatures associated with it, is second to none. Combine the facts, and the answer is clear. I assure you, there is absolutely no chance that a League pony would be chasing you unless you were connected with a rare edible."

"Somegriff ought to tell them that," Gilda said with a smirk.

"Yes, well, they do have some concern about their reputation, though never enough to stop causing problems," Fancy replied. "Should I assume that you are planning on meeting up with Berry at some point today?"

Gilda just nodded slowly, deciding that she may as well trust this unicorn. "Yeah. I've got to a warehouse on Moonlight Promenade."

"Ah, yes, I know the one." Fancy pointed down the street with a hoof. "Take the first left down there. Keep following that street until you see an archway on the right decorated with a moon. That would be Moonlight Promenade. There is only one warehouse on the Promenade, but I will advise you to take the back entrance into there."

"Whoa, okay, thanks," Gilda replied. "Why the back entrance, though?"

"Just in case," Fancy Pants replied cryptically. "Anyhow, I should let you get back to the task at hand. Good luck, young miss. Come along, Chestnut."

"Coming! See you later, miss!"

Gilda watched as Fancy Pants strolled away accompanied by, of all things, a young bat-pony mare that she somehow hadn't noticed before. Shaking her head, Gilda turned and hurried towards the street that Fancy had indicated.

Comments

[Yoshifan30]

Wow it's really cool to see the story again so apparently Gilda is running from those crazy ponies who are running after Berry Punch for the drinks but Gilda got herself caught but she has an old trick of a sleeve she even told those ponies they only got information that a griffin is with Berry but the problem is they don't even know which one they think they look all the same but shortly fancy pants help out the situation as well after those ponies left Fancy Pants told the information where Berry punches location is or at least the location so with that she's on her way to meet up with her I wonder what's going to happen next I guess we'll find out next time

[Moonlight Tome]

Haven't read this yet, but I have to say: as someone who is an enjoyer of single malt whisky, this looks like a real fun time.

Also, yes, it is spelled whiskyand not whiskey. I'm pretty sure whiskey is the American spelling. Not speaking to the author specifically.