A Dragon's Heart

Chapter 1

New arrival (Berry Punch)

"And stay out!!!" A stallion yelled as he threw a mare out of his establishment. It was a earth pony with a plum colored coat, a purple mane and matching purple eyes. On her flank was her cutie mark which was a bunch of grapes. She seemed rather tipsy as she wobbled to get back up from where she landed.

"He- *hic* hey.....whash za big idea, huh?" The mare said in a drunken daze.

"You drank far too many bottles in my bar and didn't pay a single bit, caused major property damage and scared away most of my customers!" The stallion yelled. Onlookers from the streets of Ponyville began to stop and listen to the argument that was taking place between the two. The bar that the mare was thrown out of was just across from the market and the bakery known as Sugarcube Corner.

"Oh shtop *hic* shtop worrying so much. They're fi- *hic* -ine." The mare stammered.

"You sexually assaulted them!" The barkeep quipped. The mare stood there, looking at him as she wobbled to and fro, clearly too drunk to even attempt to hold the argument

" *hic* Um......what were we talking about?" She asked. The barkeeper sighed and saw another mare beginning to approach them. With her purple coat and flower-shaped cutie mark catching his attention, the barkeeper let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out from the bar.

"Thank Celestia. You finally came, Cheerilee. Can you escort Berry off the premises? She's causing another incident." He explained. Cheerilee sighed, looking over at her sister who had collapsed on the ground outcold and began to snore.

"What happened this time?" She asked.

"Drinking most of my stock without paying, property damage and sexual assault on my male customers."

"Oh dear me. How many?"

"Four."

"Four?! For Faust's sake, Berry. This is the third time this month that you've caused a commotion like this! Thank you for calling for me, Moonshine. I wouldn't have known what was going on if you didn't." Cheerilee said, smiling at the barkeeper.

"Not at all. But you really should do something about her. This just ain't natural. She drinks more than she should and I feel there's a reason. She might have an addiction." Moonshine informed her before he went back into the bar. Cheerilee looked down at Berry Punch and with a sigh, helped the passed out mare onto her back and began walking back to her home. The ponies who were watching the incident went about their business and decided to forget what had happened. it was none of their business, but they felt sorry for the poor mare.

The day passed until the morning bloomed as Berry Punch awoke from her slumber, finding herself resting on her bed, her breath still reeking of alcohol and her head wracked with pain from her worst hangover yet.

"Ow...." She groaned. She rubbed her hooves against her temples as the throbbing pain coursed through her. "What happened?"

"I see you're finally awake, Berry." Cheerilee called from the doorway. Berry looked up and smiled at her sister, but it quickly turned into a nervous one when she saw the venomous gaze she was being given. "Oh no....how much trouble did I get into this time?"

"Honestly, Berry. You really need to control your drinking habits. It's not good for you and you know this!" Cheerilee said. Berry winced as Cheerilee's voice picked up in volume and she held her head in pain.

"Ow...could you not be so loud? You know how bad my hangovers get." Berry cried.

"Exactly!! You always go out to the bar, drink to your heart's content, come home reeking of the stuff and wake up with a hangover! Don't you know that your drinking isn't just hurting you but it's hurting those around you?" Cheerilee exclaimed. Her words seemed to reach Berry as the mare lifted her head and taking that as her starting to pay attention, she continued. "You're my sister. I love you and care about you deeply. You know this. It hurts me to see you like this, but it's not me that you should mainly be concerned about who your drinking affects." Cheerilee looked outside and Berry followed her eyes and noticed exactly what she was talking about.

Outside was a little unicorn filly, no more than six with a light red coat, a striped rose colored mane and green eyes. She was outside playing with a few other ponies who were about her age. She was laughing and smiling while Berry was frowning and nearly in tears.

"Pinchy comes to me all the time, Berry. She's worried about you." Cheerilee said, Berry looking back at her. "She's always asking about her mother. Wondering why you looked so sad, why you come home smelling funny and why she hears you crying sometimes. Your daughter needs you, sis. And you need to stop drinking and be the mother she needs."

".....Don't you think I tried?" Berry hissed in anger. "I've tried plenty of times to quit! I've been wanting to quit for months now!!! Maybe even years!! I don't know why I keep doing it, but I just do! But I don't want to!!"

"Then keep trying to stop!!" Cheerilee yelled back.

"I can't!!"

"Why not?!?!"

"Because!!" Berry shouted.

"Because why?! Because you're addicted?! Because you like being a shameless drunk?!?! Because you like hurting your family?!?!?!?!?!"

"It's because I don't want Berry to see me cry again!!!!!" Berry screamed at the top of her lungs, earning the attention of the little filly in question from outside. Cheerilee stopped in her tracks, staring at her sister in shock as Berry herself began bursting into tears.

"You still haven't gotten over THAT.....have you?" Cheerilee asked. Berry only nodded her head, choking back her tears so she could talk.

"During my moments of sobriety, Pinchy comes to me sometimes. Sometimes to ask me simple questions like what she should be when she grows up or what I think her cutie mark will be. But there's always the one question. One question that she asks that I can never bring myself to answer her truthfully......."

"Mommy? When's daddy coming home?"

"Do you know how hard it is for me to sit there and lie to my child? Lie to her about her father? To lie to her for years?! I can never live it down! Whenever she asks that, i feel the pain of that day rushing through me like a wild stampede of buffalo and it's only worse because I have to lie to her every time. 'Daddy's not going to be back for awhile, sweetie.' 'Daddy got called away for some serious business.' 'Daddy's on vacation. But he said he'll send more letters and try to come home soon. He really wants to see us.' My stomach churns...and my heart aches every. single. time that she asks that question! And I don't hate her for it. Why would I? What's wrong with a child wanting to hear something about their father? Nothing. But it's the fact that I have to lie to her to keep her happy and smiling, even knowing that it brings me pain." Berry explained. Cheerilee could see the anguish on her face and placed a friendly hoof on her shoulder.

"You're just protecting her, Berry. You're doing what a mother should for her child." She said. Her face suddenly turned into a stern one. "But you have to understand that you need to let go of the past. What happened to Artemis wasn't your fault and you know it."

"How can I let go of the past?!?! He was the only pony that understood me and loved me for who I am. We always talked, we always went out, we drank, we laughed and we spent time together as a family. And you're telling me to let it go?!?! To forget him?!" Berry screamed.

"I'm not telling you to forget him. Just--"

"Just shut up, Cheerilee. You've done enough already....." Berry said. Her eyes were red as tears poured down her cheeks. Without another word exchanged between them, Berry went past Cheerilee and ran into town. Berry Pinch called out to her mother, but Berry just looked back at her daughter and cried harder as she ran off. Berry Pinch lowered her head and frowned. Seeing her mother crying was a painful experience.

Berry's crying ceased as she came into the vicinity of the Everfree Forest. She had heard rumors of this place. That weird things existed here. Hydras, timberwolves, poisonous plants and much more. But she didn't care. She just wanted to get away. She wanted to forget. She just wanted that horribly memory to go away. And most importantly, she wanted a drink.

"I drink to forget, Cheery.....that's why I do it. I don't like it, but it's the only way to ease my pain...." She muttered to herself. She continued to walk deeper into the forest, not sure where she was going but hoping that it was far away from anypony else.

She stopped walking, the feeling of her hangover having vanished since the argument when she came across something. It was some old, beaten ruins with some broken stone pillars centered around what looked like a stone dais. She stepped forward to get a closer look and noticed something. There was a magical symbol carved on its surface that looked like one from Ancient Equestrian text. Artemis talked about these kind of things with her in the past.

"Oh Celestia.....what was it he said this one meant? Um......t....tele........teleportation?"  She said. As she said that, the stone dais began to glow and she stepped away from it. A great blue light began to shine from the relic and pierced the clouds above. Berry covered her eyes as the glaring light shined for several moments.

The light faded and a loud "Oof" came to Berry's ears. She opened her eyes and noticed that the dais had stopped glowing and the carving now looked worn away. But what Berry saw by her feet astonished her. It was a grey dragon, no taller than her, resting by her hooves. It looked young, but it was clearly young adult male. The dragon groaned as he began to open his eyes. His vision was blurred, but he could make out some trees and pillars around him. When he looked forward, he saw two pairs of purple legs in front of him.

"Huh?" He muttered. His eyes began to travel up to the source when he eyes locked onto Berry's. She was staring back at him, mouth open wide as they continued to gaze at one another. The dragon opened his mouth as well, audible noises emitting from both of their lips when they both suddenly screamed in fright.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!"