The Bartender

by UnoriginalUsername

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Sad, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Romance
Length: 8373

A slice of life about a famous bartender devoted to his job.

There are two types of places where people go to heal when injured. A hospital to heal physical wounds, and a bar to heal wounds on the soul.
-Citrus Blues

Published 2013-07-06 02:10:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-07-07 00:18:09 UTC

The Kind Roost

Speech-Talking
Speech-Thinking
"Speech"-Talking
Speech-Yelling

Author's note- This story has some terms that might not be familiar to some so I'll describe it here.

Grasshopper- type of cocktail

Sidecar- type of cocktail

Mizuwari- basically watered down whiskey. While it is technically a cocktail, most people don't accept it as

one.

This might have some cannon characters, I don't know yet.

Most ponies who lived in canterlot could agree on the fact that it had two faces. An unspoken curfew if one could say. In the day, everything was all fine and dandy, with ponies of all types and colors doing different activities from sightseeing to selling, but after seven, when all the good, hardworking ponies went home, was the signal for canterlot's night life to begin.

While an outsider would see nothing but a quiet city with everyone asleep in their comfy beds, Canterlot in fact had quite the amount of nighttime activity that were available for anyone willing to look for them. Bars for the weary after a hard day of work or just for ponies that want to forget themselves for awhile and gambling dens for the rich who feel like wasting some bits.

It's at one of these bars that we see a light brown earth pony standing outside. "So the store's not here anymore....." The earth pony gave a sigh and looked up at the bar sign with a wry smile. "The Wine Bowel eh?" He chuckled under his breath at the name as he entered the bar.

If a pony visits a bar for the first time, the first thing they notice will be the extremely sudden change in atmosphere. A bar will look rather menacing for one when looking from the outside, with its small, plain door and lack of windows. In fact, you could easily mistake it to be abandoned. Many bars are never full due to the pure fact the most customers are scared away. When one walks in however, they will notice the atmosphere change instantly from the dark aura on the outside into a much more friendly tone. A feeling meant to give comfort, like a friend that you could rely on.

At the counter of The Wine Bowel sat a frazzled, pink female Pegasus, various different magazines about bars sticking out of her purse. If you looked closely, you would be able to see the small dark rims that lined her eyes.

"This one's also a no...."

She sighed as she crossed out something on a notepad she was writing on. And took another swig of her cocktail.

"This tastes horrible!"

She yelled out to the disgruntled bartender as she slammed the glass on the table. She got a small glare as the black unicorn made his way towards her.

"Seriously! That's enough! Of course it tastes bad!"

"What do you mean of course it tastes bad?! You're a terrible bartender!"

The pair started to argue, causing many eyebrows to be raised in their direction. Right before it got too serious, an amused voice interrupted the two.

"It's not his fault you know"

The two looked over to see the same smiling earth pony from outside the bar.

"Why don't you try mine? Though it's the same drink"

The pony held out his own cocktail to the Pegasus. She eyed him with a curious look as she took the drink. Her eyes widened as she gulped it down.

"Wow! How's this the same drink? It's good!"

The stranger gave a laugh.

"A short cocktail such as this Gin Fizz is meant to be drank within three gulps, and many iced drinks should be consumed within ten minuets. Bartenders usually get uneasy when ponies leave their drinks sitting like that"

She glanced over to the black unicorn who nodded his head.

"The ice melts and dilutes it"

Noting her mistake, the Pegasus looked down in embarrassment.

"S-sorry, I was thinking about some-"

Her apology got cut short as a picture in the newspaper caught her eye. It depicted the very same earth pony sitting next to her holding a trophy.

-Citrus Blues, 26 years old. Winner of Canterlot's cocktail contest-
-Youngest pony to serve drinks to VIPs visiting the castle-
-Currently works at Canterlot Castle but is also a freelance bartender-
-Referred to as Celestia's bartender due to him being the only one to receive a personal award from Celestia-

Celestia's....Bartender

The Pegasus sneaked a peak at the earth pony, who was currently making small talk with the bartender.

"Um... y-your Citrus Blues aren't you?"

At this the Earth Pony smiled as he looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Why yes. Are you one of my customers?"

I don't have anymore time! I'll just have to trust that he's good enough!

As if possessed by a ghost, the Pegasus suddenly latched on to him.

"Please! I'm begging you! I need someone to taste you cocktail!"

And at that note, she dragged the poor pony out the bar, ignoring the gaping jaws of the surrounding ponies due to both the Liquid Chef being there and the fact that the Pegasus literally kicked a hole through the wall.

----------Two days later at Canterlot Hotel----------

Of the many tourist attractions located in Canterlot, the Canterlot Hotel is one of the most popular, only second to the Royal Gardens. The hotel stands at a majestic 300 meters with 83 floors and a glass roof. One night here would usually cost more than what most ponies make in a month. It was on the top floor that we spot Citrus and the Pegasus from before. In front of her were three bartenders. Two unicorns and one earth pony.

"And now, Mr.Fleethoof, our director of the liquor department will be inspecting your cocktails"

Next to the Pegasus stood a stoic dark blue earth pony in a suit, who stated at the three before him with a piercing gaze.

"Let me be clear with this"

The inspector started to glare, causing the trio to shrink back slightly.

"I absolutely have no expectations from any of you"

Ignoring the glare the Pegasus sent him, he continued.

"I've directed perfect marketing for this hotel to succeed, you bartenders will follow all my orders and-"
"Woah! Look how tall this place is! I can see the Castle from up here!"

A visible tick mark appeared on fleethoof's head as everyone sweat dropped over Citrus' childish antics that suspiciously looked like he was humping the glass.

"But..."

Citrus turned around and smiled softly.

"Acrophobic ponies probably won't like this bar"

Fleethoof growled a bit a that, glaring, if possible, even harder than before.

"Mist Chaser, you're the one that brought all these bartenders here, along with the idiot over there right?"

The Pegasus now known as Mist Chaser nodded.

"Yes. Though he is the youngest of all four, I have reasons to believe that he is the most experienced. I forced him to come here when I saw his achievements in the paper"

Fleethoof sighed in frustration.

"Very well. Line up so I can begin inspection"

All four bartenders stood beside a table as Fleethoof went towards the first server, a unicorn.

"I will be tasting your best cocktail. Lets start with you"

The unicorn gave a confident smile as he levitated various drinks.

"I will be making a martini"

Liquor and cups flew into a frenzied blur as the unicorn worked, showing of some juggling here and there in a small attempt to impress.

"Done"

A martini was gently levitated onto the table. Fleethoof took a sip and looked directly at the unicorn.

"This is a strong drink. Will you serve it after I finished my meal or before I eat?"

The unicorn looked stumped as he stared at the inspector stupidly.

"W-what?"

Fleethoof sighed as he placed the drink back on the table. A martini is a strong drink. You must be stupid to serve it not knowing if the customer is full or not. Leaving the unicorn to stare at the glass in frustration, he moved on to the next pony, also a unicorn, who bowed.

"I'll be making a grasshopper"

Fleethoof gave a bored looked.

"I want it Pousse-Cafe style"

The unicorn stared at him confused.

"You do know what that is right?"

Snapped out of his daze the unicorn started gathering drinks shakily.

"Y-yeah, it's a way of mixing that causes drinks of different densities to float on top of each other"

The unicorn's movements were unsteady, causing the resulting drink to be mixed a bit to much. The unicorn noticed and started to murmur apologies.

"T-The order was so sudden that-"

"Customers can be cruel. If you can't adjust to orders, don't be a professional bartender"

Fleethoof moved to next table, ignoring the glare that Mist sent his way, as he moved on to the third contestant.

"And you?"

He earth pony smiled politely at him.

"I will be making a sidecar"

As the pony was making the drink, Fleethoof was gestured to by Citrus.

"Excuse me, I will be back in ten minuets"

He rushed of before giving Fleethoof a chance to reply.

"So he's running away huh? Amateur"

Fleethoof smirked as he took a sip of the sidecar the earth pony had just finished making. It wasn't very good, but it was the best of the three.

Guess this is the best I'll get...

Fleethoof sighed in annoyance as he dismissed the three and settled in to wait for Citrus, though he didn't believe that he would show up.

----------Ten Minuets Later----------

"So you didn't run away eh?"

Fleethoof glared at Citrus as he made his cocktail.

"Of course not, all a bartender has to do is mix the recipes of the cocktail the customer ordered.

"So you get paid for something like this, what an easy job"

A few minuets passed and Fleethoof began to get impatient.

"Hey, I don't care what it is, just hurry up"

Citrus smiled at him.

"Why don't we start with a simple quiz?

"What did you just say?!"

Fleethoof almost yelled, barely managing to keep his already small temper in check.

"In this world there are two jobs that require the worker to never betray the customer. Do you know what they are?"

Fleethoof continued to glare.

"What are you saying?!"

"The first job is a doctor. And the other, a bartender"

Forgetting his anger, he Fleethoof stared at Citrus in confusion.

"Both provide things that can be either medical or poisonous"

Citrus twirled the mixing spoon in the drink and finally add ice.

"Here is my cocktail"

Citrus produced a small cup which he placed on the table.

"W-wha?"

Fleethoof stared at the cocktail in growing anger.

DON'T SCREW WITH ME! I DON'T HAVE TIME TO MESS AROUND WITH BARTENDERS LIKE YOU! GET OUT!

At this, Fleethoof literally grabbed citrus and threw him into the elevator. He then turned to a disgruntled Mist Cloud.

AND YOU! HOW COULD YOU THINK SOMEONE LIKE HIM COULD BE A PROFESSIONAL BARTENDER?! I'LL HAVE YOU HANDING OUT ADVERTISEMENTS FOR THE REST OF YOUR CAREER!

After kicking out Mist Cloud as well, he huffed angrily.

"What was he thinking serving a Mizuwari?! To think there are still bartenders that think something like this counts as a cocktail!"

He grabbed it and drank it in one gulp...
Only to drop the glass in surprise.

"T-This is a Mizuwari?"

He stared at the broken glass in amazement.

"W-What is this? The sharpness of the Whisky is gone, leaving a sweet taste, but its not watery at all!"

He stood there for a moment, and promptly went of in search of the bartender.

"Amazing, to think that a Mizuwari this good actually existed!"

----------Club Left Bank----------

Out of the many bars open an night in Canterlot, each have their own style of drinks, as every bartender does something different with his or her drinks. Club Left Bank was one of these, located at the western edge of Canterlot leading into Cloudsdale. It wasn't a popular bar, no it was far from it, but it was able to stay alive due to most customers being regulars to the bar. At the edge of the bar sat Citrus, downing beers. The bartender stood next to him, talking with friendly banter.

"Wow Citrus, you just got back from Las Pegasus and you've already got that much on your plate? Sounds rough"

Citrus downed his fourth glass and help out for a refill.

"Seriously, she pretty much forced me to go! And getting yelled at by a jerk like that..."

The two continued talking and didn't notice the twitching blue pony who was quickly making his way to the counter.

"A jerk like that.... could you possibly be talking about me?"

He sat dawn with a huff, causing citrus to choke on his beer. The two sat in relatively awkward silence with Citrus stealing glances at Fleetfoot. He secretly cursed the bartender for leaving the two of them alone.
....
"In my 20 years of drinking, I've never had a Mizuwari that good before."

Fleetfoot turned his chair and faced Citrus with a determined face.

"Please tell me.... your Mizuwari.... what was different about it?"

Citrus blushed at the compliment and smiled as he set his glass down.

"There is a tired customer. He hasn't gone home for days due to a busy weak at the hotel"

Fleetfoot stared in shock.

"W-How did you?!"
"Your sleeves are dirty, which is rare for a hotel manager, epically for a perfectionist like you, and the hotel has been busy this week due to the bar opening up and summer starting. You most likely have tons of tourists."

Fleetfoot slumped back, noting that Citrus was completely right.

"You probably had many arguments with the staff due to the stressful week, so your stomach acted up, causing you to drink. With your damaged taste buds, I figured that the normal Mizuwari recipe of 2:1 water to whiskey was to strong for you, so I lowered it even more 3:1"

Fleetfoot sputtered in disbelief.

"B-But how?! Normal Mizuwari already tastes very dull, yet yours, that was even more watered down, didn't taste bad at all!"

Citrus smirked.

"It's all in the ice."

Citrus grabbed the ice from his glass and threw it to Fleetfoot.

"An ice that won't melt even though the alcohol level is dropped. A hard ice, to keep the balance"

"I-Ice? So then you left when I was inspecting to get.....ice?"

Realization dawned on Fleetfoot's face as he looked down in acceptance.

"To go to such length.... even for an unlikeable customer like me...."

Both ponies stared at the table in now comfortable silence before Citrus spoke.

"Do you know what bartender means?"

"What it means?"

"Bar means roost, while tender means kind, thus bartender means kind roost. If the roost we're leaning on right now is a bar, then it would just be a place where people came to drink. But because there is a bartender, tender, which is also kindness, is born into the bar"

Fleetfoot examined the bar table and smiled.

"So a person who takes the term literally isn't even a customer eh?"

"Nope, but even then, whoever stands in front of a bar, a bartender will never betray them... But didn't I already tell you that?"

Citrus smiled as he got two more beers for the both of them.

"Cheers!"

Fleetfoot finally looked up, and this time he had a look of respectfulness to him.

"So how about it? Wanna work for us?"

"Nah, I wanna look around and see what kind of bars there are here"

Fleetfoot smiled in acceptance and downed his glass.

"So how did you find such hard ice in the hotel anyway?"

Citrus gave a wry smirk.

"That..... is a bartender's secret"

----------Canterlot Hotel Kitchens----------

WHO BROKE THE ICE SCULPTURE OF CELESTIA?! I SWEAR IF THOSE IDIOTS TOOK IT FOR THE BAR!!!!

Old Pal

There are many nighttime activities that occur in Canterlot, but overall, bars alone outnumber all the rest combined. At the mid-eastern area of Canterlot right outside of the rich districts lie a street completely lined with various bars. Each one with its own styles. This street is called Quail Trek and is where we find Mist Cloud.

"This is the place"

Mist sighed in irritation

"I have to at least check out the place he works at..."

She glared at the bar in front of her as she felt her wings give out from constant flying.

"Damn him! He could have worked for us but instead he decides to go to a shack like this!"

She got a pen and looked at the sign on the door.

"Owl's Nest huh?"

The Pegasus wrote down the name, noting to drop by sometime when she wasn't so busy.

----------Inside Owl's Nest----------

The one reason that the bars on Quail Trek don't go out of business from completion is that all the bars have a sort of unspoken truce. Bars all make their cocktails with different items, producing milder or more intense favors.

Owl's nest is one of the bars here on the street valued for having foreign cocktails and is where Citrus currently works. The bar was in preparation to open at 7-o-clock and the three bartenders were either cleaning or unloading drinks. The two other bartenders regarded citrus with friendly curiosity. Eventually, one of the bartenders, a dark green Pegasus made his way to him.

"Yo, new guy"

Citrus looked up and smiled at the pony.

"You told me at the interview that you were experienced, so why'd you come to work here?"

"I wanted to see the bars around Canterlot"

The Pegasus raised an eyebrow.

"Look at the new bars eh?"

The pony went back to his duties and left citrus alone. The bar was about to be opened before-

"Oh Buck! Today's the 22nd!"

The green Pegasus stared at the speaker, a bright yellow unicorn, with a panicked look. Drinks were hurriedly taken out and placed at the table as the two scurried to finish up duties, leaving Citrus standing there in confusion.

----------Owl's Nest, five seconds before 7-o-clock----------

The three bartenders stood in silence as the yellow unicorn from before looked at his watch.

"Five, four, three, two, one"

Exactly then when the clock reached 7, an old, light brown, male earth pony stepped into the bar. When the three bartenders saw him, they all smiled.

"Welcome!"

The green Pegasus from before leaned into Citrus and whispered.

"I'll leave this one for you"

Citrus nodded and stood readily as the customer was seated. He looked over Citrus with an amused smirk.

"A new guy eh? What can you make?"

"Name anything sir"

At this the pony's smile widened.

"In that case, make me the cocktail I'm think about wanting to drink"

Damn, he's a tough customer, he could of at least told me his preferences

Citrus' irritated thoughts never showed on his face, hidden with a kind smile.

"Sure"

He grabbed various drinks from the shelves and started to mix them, eventually setting the finished glass down.

"Here's a highball. It's getting hot so I thought that adding a little lemon would taste better"

The pony gave the glass a blank stare and took a small sip.

"...It's no good!"

He slammed the glass back on the table

"Was it not to your liking?"

"Not one bit!"

Hmmm... maybe he didn't like the whiskey base...

Citrus took the glass back and began preparing another glass, missing the sighs of the other two bartenders in the corner.

"Well then...."

Citrus finished the drink he was making and slid it to the pony.

"A Daiquiri for you"

The pony took a sip and slammed it down again,

"No good either"

A tick mark formed on Citrus' head.

Challenging me eh?

----------1 hour later----------

Over the course of an hour, Citrus served a variety of drinks to the old pony, each one getting the same treatment of the pony saying "disgusting!"

"Manhattan"

"Disgusting!"

"Alexander"

"Disgusting!"

The pony finally stopped and leaned back, smirking.

"Every single one of these is no good!"

The already large tick mark threatened to cover the entire back of Citrus' head.

Whats with this pony?

The earth pony stood up and sighed as he leaned on his cane.

"I've had enough. Your not honestly expecting I'm going to pay for drinks like these right?"

"U-Ummm..."

The pony threw his wallet on the table.

"I'm not going to pay until I get one I like! But don't worry, I'll leave my wallet here so that so you know I won't run.

Before he could turn to leave, Citrus threw the wallet back to him.

"No, that won't be necessary"

The pony raised an eyebrow and the two stared at each other before he turned around, an intrigued laugh coming from his mouth.

"I like you boy, instead of waiting another month, I'll stop by tomorrow"

And on that note, the pony turned and left, leaving Citrus to stare at the door..

----------Owl's Nest closing time----------

Citrus worked in relative silence as he cleaned tables.

"The old man that came first, what kind of customer was he"

The yellow unicorn shrugged.

"Beats me, I think he's been coming here every month since we opened"

"No, he was a regular of the deceased master of this bar, and that was only when the master was training in Vanhoover 30 years ago"

Both turned to the green Pegasus who looked rather annoyed.

"Since the master died, he's been coming once a month, but every time we make something, he says its no good. Celestia be dammed if the master wasn't his friend, we would have kicked him out a long time ago"

The Pegasus then went back to washing dishes, leaving Citrus in deep thought.

'So he's a customer of old times hm?'

He chuckled as he finished cleaning the last of the tables.

'I think I know what to serve him now..."

He packed up and said goodbye to his coworkers who introduced themselves to him before leaving. The pegasus was called Rain Zephyr and the unicorn Charming.

----------next day----------

"I've been waiting for you sir"

The old pony raised an eyebrow as he sat down.

"Humph. So what are you making today?"

"A Martini, to be orthodox"

The pony raised the drink only to recoil in surprise when the smell hit his nose.

"Hm? It's got a particular smell

Citrus smiled and help up a large bottle.

"Yes, it's from the Netherlands"

The pony stared at the glass, intrigued.

"Nowadays, Martinis are made with distilled London Gin. This Netherlands gin however, is made much stronger and aged for 15 years"

Citrus was going to continue but was interrupted by the pony yawning.

"I don't need your lecture on this. You made me something old just because of my age? You have the thought process of a first grader. Besides, this stuff is best when chilled and drank straight out the bottle"

The pony looked away, an obvious expression of disappointment on his face.

"The master would never allow something like this to be served"

Citrus flinched, feeling the piercing gaze of the pony as he tried not to meet his gaze.

"All well, I will commend you on your knowledge though. And besides, there's something specific I want today"

At this, Citrus lunged over the bar with an eager face.

"What is it?! I'll make anything!"

The pony smirked and held out some bits.

"There's a vending machine down the street the sells Japonese Sake. Get me some"

A large sweat drop formed on Citrus' head, causing him to lean slightly. With a sigh he took the bill.

"Yes sir..."

----------Club Left Bank: Midnight----------

Citrus sat at the bar with a highball cocktail in his hoof.

"Seriously! If he doesn't like it why does he even come?"

Citrus took a swig of his drink a sighed.

"No good... a no good drink huh?"

Citrus' thoughts were interrupted by the glaring bartender.

"We'll excuse me if it's not good!"

Citrus looked at the bartender in surprise.

"If you don't like it then leave! I'll have you know that customers find this 32 bit highball delicious!"

Citrus sweat dropped at the misunderstanding and tried to defuse the situation

"W-What? N-No! This Highball is delicious!"

The bartender looked away in a huff.

"Hmph, I bet you think your cocktails are great don't you? Heh, they call you Celestia's Bartender just because you won some stupid contest!"

"U-Um... C-Can I have a refill?"

Citrus smiled meekly, trying not to anger the bartender further.

"Tch, here's your no good highball!"

The bartender moved away, leaving Citrus to star at his glass.

No good....

----------FLASHBACK----------

If the master was still alive, he would never make something like this!

----------FLASHBACK END----------

Wait a minuet

Citrus' eyes widened as he stared at the bartender.

I got it!

"If you died, I would never be able to drink this highball again!"

The bartender spun around with a panicked expression from the sudden outburst.

"W-What?! Are you tryin to kill be or something?!"

Citrus smiled in satisfaction as he stared at the highball.

"This taste is only acquirable at this bar! Because its your cocktail! Your version of the highball!"

Citrus quickly paid his bill and left, leaving behind a rather paranoid bartender.

----------Owl's Nest: the next day----------

Much against his fellow bartenders' wishes. Citrus decided to find where the old pony lived and invited him to visit again the next day right before closing, thus the two were at the bar counter chatting as Citrus mixed a cocktail.

"Would you like to listen to the old story of this cocktail?"

The old pony had an interested look.

"Oh? How old is it?"

"Way back when the Lunar Rebellion had just ended, at Baltimare"

Citrus finished pouring and began mixing the drink,

"Did you know that the first bar was created at the beach over there? Before bars, ponies often didn't drink cocktails and many of the popular ones today were only known by no more than ten ponies back then. The first time the bar opened, customers thought the drinks were spectacular due to their complex flavor and ability to glimmer in the light."

Citrus placed a small dark red cocktail on the table.

"This is called old pal, one of the many drinks invented at that bar"

The pony looked at the glass in thought.

"Old pal... that means old friends huh?"

Citrus pulled an old photograph out from the shelf that showed the master of Owl's Den.

"The reason you come here on the 22nd of every month is because that's when the master died isn't it?"

Citrus smiled as he put the photo next to the pony.

"You come here to visit the dead master don't you?"

"Tch! What about it?! You think a youngster like you can wrap me up in words?!"

The pony grabbed the glass with a huff.

"The only reason I drink his cocktails are because everyone else's are bad"

He took a small sip from the glass and almost choked.

"Wha... T-This spicy and tropical taste... I've had it so many times, yet it's so different!"

He looked at the glass in amazement, which gradually turned into joy.

"T-This is it! This is the master's cocktails!"

"If someone of this generation were to drink that, they would say it was warm and that it doesn't taste good"

The pony looked at Citrus with wide eyes.

"W-Warm?! N-Not good?!"

"Back then, when refrigerators and even ice were rare, without being able to chill the glass, drinks were much warmer than they are today. But that was a time when air conditioning didn't even exist, so even though drinks weren't ice cold, customers still enjoyed it."

Citrus smiled and took the finished glass away.

"I'm guessing that the master made this drink without ice for you, and only you, to give you this special taste. For an old pal"

Realization dawned on the pony's face.

So that's what he's been doing all this time?

The old pony stared at the picture, showing him with a male, blue unicorn bartender.

"A good drink isn't just derived from its taste, but also who made it, and who they drank it with. That is where ponies remember ones important to them, and no matter how much time passes by, the taste of the drink is never forgotten"

The pony looked at Citrus, sighing at his words.

"I never drank anywhere else after he died, as a way to pay my respect. I never thought the drinks were good, but in reality, I was probably looking for someone like you"

He stood up and placed a card on the table.

"From now on, your my new pal. Feel free to visit me whenever you need anything"

The pony looked back as he opened the door and smirked.

"Celestia's Bartender eh? You certainly lives up to that name"

Citrus bowed as the pony left. After cleaning up, he looked at the card.

-Rough Hooves, CEO of Canterlot Hotel

-1384 Lysander St.

C-CEO OF CANTERLOT HOTEL?!

----------Outside of Owl's Nest----------

Two figures walked away from Owl's Nest

"So how did it go?"

"He was absolutely amazing. His cocktail reminded me of the old days when I was young..."

The two figures stayed quiet for a small moment.

"Mist Cloud!"

"Yes?"

"I want you to get him to work for the hotel no matter what! Got it?!"

"Yes sir!"

Revival Drink

It was a rainy morning in Canterlot. The recent outbreak of the chills broke out in the weather department, rendering ponies unable to drive away the storm. Here and there, one could see many ponies dashing around, trying to get out of the rain as fast of possible. It's here in one of these streets that we find Mist Cloud.

Mist Cloud, compared to the average pony, was in fact rather wealthy. She definitely wasn't like the high class, no, but her house was respectable enough. It was a bit bigger than your average household and had three floors. Mist was currently snoring away one the coffee table in her living room, computer in front of her.

"Zzzzz-hm?"

Mist opened her eyes and looked around, confused at how badly her back was aching. She took one look and the clock and memories rushed back to her.

"Oh buck! I fell asleep!"

She ran into the bathroom to give herself a quick shower. But stopped dead when she looked into the mirror.

"Dang... I look horrible..."

There were dark rims under her eyes and her mane was extremely frazzled. She sighed in acceptance as she stepped into her shower, trying to get ready for the day.

----------1 hour later----------

After managing to get herself into a decently manageable state, she returned to her living room to resume work but was interrupted by a letter arriving on her porch. Sighing, she went over to see who it was from.

Morning Mist! How did you sleep last night? Anyway, you should probably get dressed, its almost time for your shift. I'll arrive in 30 minuets in a carriage to pick you up.

-Rough Hooves

Mist threw the paper in the trash, a little irritated that she had to ride a carriage to work.

If only he knew just how little I sleep from work, he'd probably just get worried and tell me to quit

She chuckled quietly as she changed into her hotel suit.

----------Carriage----------

Mist sat with her step-grandfather as they rode to work, attracting various stares as they passed.

"Hey, doesn't it seem weird that a hotel pony like me rides a royal carriage to work?"

Rough Hooves stared back at Mist strictly.

"Nonsense! It's much to dangerous for someone like my adopted daughter to go out in the streets alone!"

The old pony settled down comfortably on the soft cushions of the seat.

"Besides, only our driver knows that your my step-daughter anyway"

"T-That's not what I meant! I want to live life as an ordinary pony! You know? Go shopping, parties, and stuff"

Mist grumbled as she looked out the carriage.

"This is exactly why I didn't want to work for your company..."

At this, Rough Hooves suddenly stood up on the carriage, swaying back and forth comically and crying anime tears as he cried to the driver of the carriage

"Did you hear that Cloud Chaser?! I've been raising her since her parents died and she still calls me the worst grandpa on Equestria! WHYYYY?!"

Mist sweat dropped heavily, seeing the old pony somehow climbing to the front of the carriage to cry on the purple Pegasus driver.

"Sheesh! That's enough grandpa! Our arguments always end up like this! Mr.Chaser, can you just drop me right now? I'm sure I can just fly there!"

The purple Pegasus known as Cloud Chaser chuckled as he gently nudged Rough Hooves back into the carriage.

"Now that's enough out of you two, what would other members say if they saw the CEO acting like that? Besides only-"

Cloud's eyes suddenly widened as he tried to violently turn the carriage. If front of it was a white stallion that was staring at the carriage with a shocked expression.

LOOK OUT!!!!

CRASH!!

With a mighty turn, Cloud Chaser barely managed to turn it as the carriage skidded to a halt, only pushing the Pegasus down instead of running him straight over. As soon as it stopped, Mist flew down to check on the pony, now identified as a Pegasus, who was laying there shocked with various books scattered on the floor. Looking closely, you could see that his black mane was frazzled, like if he just got out of bed and that his raincoat had various holes in it.

"A-Are you alright?!"

Mist helped the Pegasus up, who started to silently pick up his books, ignoring her.

"Are you hurt anywhere?"

Once again ignoring her, the stallion gave a remorseful look to the now ruined book drenched in water and glared at her. He spit on the carriage and flew off. Surprised by this, it took Mist a few moments to process what had just happened.

"H-Hey! What the buck is your problem?! It was you who got in the way!"

She stared at the disappearing form with a huff as she returned to a very shaky Cloud Chaser.

"W-Woah, that was rather intense.... M-Mist I think y-you should take the d-day of while we sort this out"

Mist Cloud thanked the driver before stepping out of the carriage and watching it drive of. Both ponies were either oblivious or ignoring the fact that Rough Hooves fell asleep during the crash... somehow.

Mist sighed as she wondered what to do with her free time. She checked her bag to see how much money she had to spend and saw the small piece of paper containing the address she wrote down for Owl's Nest.

Well I certainly need a good drink right now

----------Owl's Nest----------

Outside of Owl's Nest stood the same Pegasus stallion who spit on the carriage. He gazed at the door to Owl's Nest, just standing there, not giving any reaction to go in, causing ponies to star at him as they passed.

----------Inside Owl's Nest----------

Today was a usual business day, with some random ponies chatting in different areas of the bar. At the counter sat Mist as she nurtured her glass. She was about to sit up before an unpleasant headache hit her, causing her head to slump even further.

"Agh... I think I've got a cold..."

Citrus gave her a concerned smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that. If your sick, it would be best to go home and not drink anymore alcohol"

Mist sighed as she downed the rest of her drink.

"Yeah well..."

Everyday it's work, work, work....

"I still need a break sometimes ya know?"

Citrus remained silent as he gave her another glass. The door Creaked open and citrus turned to the newcomer.

"Welcome!"

"C-Can I sit here?"

Mist's head shot up in surprise, recognizing the voice.

"Yes! Of course! May I take your jacket?"

Mist turned her head and saw the same Pegasus from the morning who got ran over.

It's him! That jerk!

The Pegasus took a seat next to her as Citrus hanged the soggy, hole filled jacket on the rack. He then went back to the counter and handed the stallion a towel.

"Were you suggested here by anypony?"

"Nah, i saw your glowing sign and wanted to come in"

Spotting the small bag of nuts next to Mist Cloud, he looked up.

"That small bag of nuts, how much is it?"

"That'll be 80 bits sir"

The Pegasus scoffed.

"80 bits for just some nuts. Tch, that's way to expensive"

Mist ate the nuts angrily as she tried to ignore him.

It's not about the price, it's to shove sketchy ponies like you out of here!

The Pegasus looked over the menu of drinks for a minuet before laying day with a sigh.

"Do you guys serve plain beer, or is it all just this fancy stuff?"

Citrus smiled as he pulled out a glass of beer and gave it to the Pegasus.

"Of course"

The Pegasus gave an amused laugh as he looked at the fancy glass before him.

"All this just for a beer eh?"

He brought the glass to his lips, chugging it in one go.

"Phew! That's good stuff"

He laid it down, a small red tint raising to his cheeks.

"It's still beer though, nothing special"

The Pegasus sat there in relative silence as he stared at the empty glass.

"I'll take another one, but I think I'll try something else, maybe a whiskey? But nothing to expensive though..."

Citrus put another glass on the table.

"How about a Single Malt?"

The Pegasus drank the shot of whiskey and laughed a little.

"You know what? Shops like these are small and dirty, but I kinda like it here!"

"Is this your first time in a bar sir?"

"Yeah, I always wanted to go to one, but the door.... it's almost as if it was telling me to not come in. I've never had the courage to push through one until now"

Citrus put down his glass and winked at him.

"That's because bars are gang hideouts!"

"Hideout?"

"Because it's a bar, its door is heavy and the sign is small, almost as if it was trying to avoid the ponies that pass it, but when you enter one, you realize that bars are places that ponies visit to forget the outside world"

The Pegasus looked at Citrus with a raised eyebrow.

"Forget the world?"

"Yeah. Your job, your age, maybe even find you true self"

The Pegasus thought about what Citrus had said before his happy expression dropped into sorrow.

"I.... I came today to celebrate my last day in Canterlot, because I've always seen this place when walking past the theatre. I'm going back to Cloudsdale tomorrow... I was an actor for three years, but I wasn't very popular, plus the contract was only three years anyway..."

The Pegasus sat in silence for a bit before chuckling a bit to himself.

"Pathetic aren't I? After this, I'm probably going to work for some small time company and live with my annoying parents for the rest of my career! My life's over!"

Unnoticed to the Pegasus, Mist Cloud was currently next to him shaking in barely contained fury. Before the pony could continue his rant, she slammed the glass on the table.

"Get me two straight shots of Lagavulin!"

Citrus, distracted by the order, turned around and frowned at her in concern.

"Are you sure? Lagavulin is a very strong-"

"I already know! Just give me the stupid drink!"

While Citrus worked on the drinks for Mist, the stallion looked at the counter in a bit of relief. Sure, his rant gut interrupted by the pink Pegasus, but it felt good to at least let something out. He sighed as he pulled out a wallet.

Ah well... I should be going home now so I might as well pay my tab

The Pegasus reached into his wallet as he searched for bits.

'Huh?'

His eyes widened as he felt the hole protruding from his wallet. His 400 bits he carried with him had most likely dropped out of the hole. He sunk down a little, leaning forward in his chair as he tried to be as small as possible. This action didn't go unnoticed by Citrus as Charming, one of the other bartenders walked towards the pony.

"Um... excuse me sir, but weren't you going to leave?"

"Uh..."

The Pegasus looked around desperately as he stared at Charming with pleading eyes.

"I-I remember that I had over 400 bits in my wallet..."

Noticing Charming's raised eyebrow, the Pegasus became even more desperate.

"I-It's true! I swear!"

Mist scoffed as she heard the pony.

"Keh! What are you tryin, to get by without paying?"

The Pegasus looked at her, an outraged expression on his face.

"W-What?! No! I told you I-"

"You think an excuse like that will get you by?!"

Seeing the pony pause, she glared at him.

"Your life's over? Your pathetic because your going to live with your parents for the rest of your life? Don't be an idiot!"

At this, Mist had a small regretful expression on her face as she stared at her empty shot glass.

"Everypony has sad experiences that they keep from others, but we still manage to live on, working hard as we can... You probably just slacked of and didn't even try!"

"Wha? What do you know?!"

"I'm pretty sure I know that only brats like you try to steal from a bar!"

"I told you I-"

The Pegasus suddenly stopped as he took in his surroundings. The two bartenders, Charming and Zephyr were looking at him suspiciously, Citrus was washing a glass with his eyes closed, and most ponies in the bar were looking at him with disdain while others just smirked.

"W-What to buck... W-Why the hell are all of you looking at me like that?"

The Pegasus started to feel anger start to boil in him and reached down, taking his whiskey glass.

YOU FLANKHOLES! WHY THE BUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME THAT WAY?!

He stood up, getting ready to chuck the glass at the offending ponies, but felt a hoof on his back. Turning around, he was faced with the smiling face of Citrus.

"Please stay seated"

The Pegasus paused for a second, realizing what he almost did could have landed him in the slammer. He stood, frozen for a few seconds before slowly sitting down, an expression of weariness on his face,

Citrus, seeing that the situation has defused, told the Pegasus to stay there. Once the bar was about to close , he ushered out all other customers, including a disgruntled Mist Cloud out after having them pay their bills, leaving the Pegasus slumped against the bar.

"So what are we gonna do with him?"

Citrus smiled at his two fellow coworkers.

"Don't worry, I'll handle him"

After waving goodbye to Rain Zephyr and Charming he returned to the table and stood in front of the slumped Pegasus. After a small moment of silence, the Pegasus spoke.

"So... what'll happen now?"

"Hm... how about another drink? This one's on me!"

The Pegasus bolted up, staring at Citrus in surprise.

"Huh?"

Citrus grabbed some bottles and a glass.

"This cocktail is very simple. It doesn't need ice or a shaker"

Citrus smiled as he mixed the drink.

"But because the Cocktail is so simple, it has to be made perfectly. The easier a drink is, the harder it is to please a customer"

Citrus placed the finished cocktail on the table.

"Please"

The Pegasus stared at him cautiously before slowly reaching for the drink.

"This is black beer isn't it?"

He took a sip of the drink and looked down in surprise.

"N-No! It's carbonated and feels like beer, but its got a sense of sweetness in it! The taste is completely different!"

He quickly gulped it down, smiling as he finished.

"It's different, but.... it's the first time I've had something so good. It's... soothing"

The Pegasus stood up and grabbed his jacket, giving Citrus a worried look.

"Um... I-I'll definitely be back to pay the bill..."

Citrus smiled kindly at him.

"I'll be waiting for you tomorrow!"

The pony left the bar, leaving Citrus to clean up. Once everything was done, he turned and left the building.

"You know, brats like that shouldn't go to bars"

Citrus turned around in surprise and saw Mist Cloud leaning against the wall of the bar. Citrus smirked at her in amusement.

"There were never any grown-ups here to begin with"

"What?!"

Citrus smiled as he placed a hoof on the bar door.

"Everyone grows up a bit ever time they push open this door.... don't you think?"

----------Next Day: Canterlot Hotel----------

Mist sat atop her desk, biting a pencil as she stared blankly at her computer screen.

'Everyone grows up a bit whenever they enter a bar huh?'

She sighed under her breath as she leaned back on her chair.

'Perhaps I was a little too childish..."

MIST CLOUD GET BACK TO WORK!

SMACK

"Owww! Okay, okay! You don't have to hit me!"

----------Owl's Nest: 3 Days Later----------

The door to Owl's Nest was thrown open as Mist stomped into, siting down tiredly.

"Welcome, you look very tired"

Mist groaned as she set her bag on the table.

"Don't start on me Citrus... That stupid Fleetfoot made me work all week! That jerk!"

Mist grumbled as she looked over the menu.

"So, any word from the thief?"

A tick mark formed on Citrus' head.

"Mist, this rule doesn't just apply to bars. Your not supposed to bring up customers as a topic of discussion. If you do, other customers will lose trust as they will be scared of being talked about"

Mist scoffed at him.

"What happens in a bar stays in a bar but don't call a thief a customer!"

Citrus smiled wryly at her, an amused chuckle escaping him.

"Nah, he looked genuine to me when he left"

Mist huffed angrily as she ordered a Martini.

"Humph, well I guess you know everything. After all, how could Celestia's bartender go wrong?"

Citrus placed the drink in front of Mist.

"That's not it... it's just that I can emphasize with him"

Mist raised an eyebrow as she looked at him.

"So you were a thief as well?"

Citrus' face looked appalled at the idea.

"What?! No! It's just that I also forgot my cash when drinking"

Citrus smiled fondly, as if he was reminiscing of the past.

"When I become a bartender, I want to meet the master from before, that's what I used as motivation when I thought of giving up. I still haven't paid him back yet..."

"So did he pay it back?"

Citrus smirked at her.

"Why don't you ask?"

He gestured to the customer sitting next to her. She turned her head and almost fell of her seat. Next to her was the pony from four days ago looking rather annoyed.

"Of course I paid! I'm not just some dirty thief you know?"

Citrus continued to stare at him, shocked. The pony's mane was now slicked back with gel. He also had a suit on and was sitting very formally compared to his hunched position from back then.

"Wha? What happened to you?!"

The pony put his hoof on his head, lowering it in embarrassment.

"Um... I've decided to give myself a fresh start... even if its a small company, I think I'll try my hardest to succeed"

The Pegasus smiled as he bowed to Citrus.

"I've never got the chance to thank you, but what you told me four days ago, that it's the easiest things that are the hardest, I think that helped me come to my senses..."

The pony then turned around towards Mist.

"A-Also, it helped that this old lady yelled at me! I was being a brat before so thank you!"

He bowed at Mist, not noticing the tick mark on her head.

Who're you calling old lady? We're the same age!

Citrus smiled at both ponies.

"You know, he's been flying here all the way from Cloudsdale everyday just to visit this bar"

Mist looked at the Pegasus with wide eyes.

Flying? All the way from Cloudsdale?!

"So what will you have today?"

The Pegasus jumped up, an eager look on his face.

"I'll have the drink you gave me four days ago!"

Mist looked at Citrus in interest.

"I'll have that to. I want to know, what exactly did you serve to him that night for him to change so much?"

Citrus smiled as he reached under the stool.

"It's simple really, I just gave him a modified black beer. All I did was add this"

He came back out holding a tomato in his hoof.

"I squeezed in a tomato"

Mist stared at the tomato in thought.

'Beer and tomato juice?'

Her eyes widened as she realized what the drink was.

"You served him a red eye!"

Citrus nodes in confirmation as he mixed the two glasses.

"Black beer isn't usually used but I wanted to add some bitterness to it"

He smiled at the two as he placed the drinks in front of them.

"These kind of drinks are called Revival drinks, meant to cheer a person up. Revive them in a way. Eye Opener, Corpse Reviver, and the Red Eye... their all drinks ment to be served first to cheer up a customer, but in a bar, every drink is a revival drink. When your lost in life, or tired from working, when you push open that door, you begin to feel better. After all, this is what bars are for..."

The door to Owl's Den opened and Citrus turned to the new arrival.

"Welcome!"