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Break Up1,225 words
Prancing Pony Pub1,381 words

Prancing Pony Pub

The Prancing Pony Pub, also known as the Triple P, was Hayshire’s place to get oneself hammered. Heartache didn’t visit it often, but it seemed like the easiest way to deal with his strong emotions.

The tavern was beginning to fill up with ponies from the daytime shift. It wasn’t a huge tavern, but it had enough seats for a few dozen ponies on a busy night. Several ponies sat scattered about, enjoying their drinks and chatting with friends. Past the bar section was a wooden dance floor, where two ponies danced to the music of a jukebox. Not only was the Prancing Pony Pub the best place to drink in town, it was also the best place to dance.

Possibly the most notable feature about the pub was the front half of a wooden horse extending from ceiling, hanging a lantern from its mouth. Directly behind it was the bar. Heartache shuffled towards it.

“What’ll you have?” said the bartender, as Heartache approached. The dark gray pony was wiping down the bar with a small rag.

“Just give me something strong, Whiskeyjack. I don’t really care what.”

“Whiskey it is, then!”

Whiskeyjack poured some whiskey into a glass and added a little yellow umbrella before he handed it to Heartache. “Why the long face? Girlfriend problems again, I take it?”

Heartache nodded solemnly and stared into his glass for a moment before he gulped down the liquor. “Aaaaugh, I hate my life,” he wheezed.

“Sorry to hear that, Heartache,” said Whiskeyjack, refilling the glass. “Here, this one’s on the house.”

“Thanks…”

Heartache was about to take a swig of his second drink when another pony sat down right beside him.

“Wellll, if it ain’t Heartache, cryin’ his li’l heart out,” said the stallion, resting a hoof on Heartache’s shoulder. His black mane was fashioned into a pompadour, and his baby blue eyes nearly matched his azure coat.

“I’m trying to wallow in my self-pity, do you mind,” Heartache mumbled, glaring at his drink.

Whiskeyjack shot the blue pony a stern look. “Don’t be bothering the patrons now, Smooth Moves.”

Smooth Moves lifted his hooves in defense. “Hey, I didn’t mean nothin’. Just sayin’ hello to Heartache here. He looks like he could use a li’l cheerin’ up, ya know?”

“I’m not in the mood for cheering up,” sighed Heartache. “I just want to get tanked.”

“Nothin’ wrong with gettin’ wasted and havin’ some fun at the same time!” Smooth Moves wrapped an arm around the petite unicorn. “Besides, you ain’t gonna last long, bein’ such a lightweight!”

Heartache groaned.

“Will you just leave him alone?” Another pony—a red pegasus wearing aerial goggles—sat down on the other side of Heartache. “Can’t you see he’s obviously heartbroken?”

Smooth Moves snorted and rolled his eyes, turning his attention to the barkeep. “Whateva. Yo, how ‘bouta dry martini over here.”

“Sorry, we’re all out of gin.”

“Are you buckin’ serious? Ugh, fine, make it a Manehatten den.”

“Anyway…” began the pegasus, trying his best to ignore Smooth Moves, “I’m sorry about what happened. I’m Bravewing, by the way.”

Heartache wiped away a tear. “I’m Heartache… but how did you know what happened?”

“I don’t. But I could feel those heartbroken vibes of yours from across the room. Obviously something bad happened and I don’t think you’re crying because of how strong the booze is.”

Heartache gave the pegasus a skeptical look for a moment, then back at his drink. The whiskey was already starting to cloud his mind and he didn’t care to figure out Bravewing.

“Oh, sorry,” Bravewing chuckled. “I tend to pick up emotions like a radar. It’s just how I am. And you’ve got some pretty strong emotions, my friend.”

The orange unicorn blushed. It was true; he was a very emotional pony. It was because of his emotions that caused him to fall so easily in love and cause his terrible heartaches. It probably wasn’t difficult for anypony to read him like a book.

“Ooh, what’s that you’re drinking?” A mare who approached the bar was now chatting it up with Smooth Moves. It was a little hard to ignore them at this point.

“It’s a Manehattan,” said Smooth Moves, giving the mare a seductive look.

“Isn’t that where you’re from?”

“Sure is, sweetheart. How ‘bout I show YOU a li’l Manehattan.” The stallion waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making the mare giggle with delight.

Bravewing groaned with disgust. “Ugh, seriously…”

Smooth Moves’s ears perked up at the jukebox’s song change. “Aww yeah, Elvis Horsely! I gotta dance to dis!” He downed the rest of his cocktail and took off with the mare to join the dance floor.

“Sheesh, it’s about time,” said Bravewing. “What an insensitive jerk.”

Heartache sighed wistfully. Seeing that Heartache’s mood hadn’t changed any, Bravewing put a wing around the unicorn to comfort him.

“Hey, if you need somepony to talk to, I’m here for you. Let’s be friends, okay?”

Heartache nodded. “Thanks… I just… I just don’t know what to do with myself.” He looked sheepishly at Bravewing. “Can… can I have a hug?”

Bravewing smiled warmly. “Of course. What are friends for?” He held out his arms to embrace his new companion. Heartache then suddenly threw his arms around Bravewing and began to bawl.

“I’M SO PATHETIC,” Heartache wailed, catching the attention of nearly every pony at the bar. Bravewing was a little taken aback at his friend’s sudden outburst and gingerly patted the pony on the back with a hoof.

“There, there… Umm, maybe we should get a table. I can bring you drinks.”

With a big sniffle, Heartache nodded and followed Bravewing to a more comfortable place to sit. There were ponies still staring at him but he didn’t care. From the outburst he let out and the buzz of the whiskey, he was already starting to feel a little better.

“What would you like to drink?”

Pondering for a moment, Heartache decided, “I guess I’ll have a strawberry daiquiri.”

“Alrighty. Wait here and I’ll get one for you.”

Bravewing trotted back to the bar. He was only gone for a minute before Smooth Moves was back from impressing ponies on the dance floor. The mare with Smooth Moves gave him a kiss on the nose and trotted away, giggling. He then took a seat at the table across from Heartache.

Heartache looked at Smooth Moves expectedly. “Well? Aren’t you gonna say something facetious? Make fun of me?”

“Nah. I got nothin’,” said Smooth Moves, nonchalantly chewing on a toothpick.

A moment later, Bravewing returned with Heartache’s drink and a beer for himself. He gave Smooth Moves a sly look.

“Finally behaving yourself?”

“If you call gettin’ a li’l action with the dames behavin’, den sure,” said Smooth Moves, wagging his eyebrows.

“Careful with those eyebrows, they might break a hole through the roof.”

Heartache couldn't help but crack a smile.

“I see you’re already starting to feel a little better.” Bravewing winked and handed the strawberry daiquiri to Heartache.

A couple hours, several drinks, and a stomach evacuation later, the three ponies were drunk and friendlier than ever.

Heartache lost his liquor once during his drinking binge, discovering that alcoholic drinks do not mix.

“Yous gotta shtick to one drink, man, else yer ssshtomach’s gonna… *hic* end da pahty early.”

A mare walking by caught Smooth Moves’s attention. He attempted to hit on her but instead was greeted with a buck to the face.

“Owww… can’t win ‘em all I guessh…” said Smooth Moves from the floor. He stumbled to his feet and sat back down at the table.

Heartache and Bravewing laughed, leaning on each other in their drunken stupor to keep their balance. In a long while, this was the first time Heartache was really enjoying himself, and with other ponies no less. He was having so much fun he didn’t even seem to notice that Bravewing was making goo-goo eyes at him.

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