Drunk Love

As Cheerilee walked home from the schoolhouse, she couldn't help but let her mind wander over to the thoughts that she had tried so hard long ago to destroy. The ones about Berry Punch. Her mind began to sync to her footsteps. Berry Punch is my sister. I loved Berry Punch. So what happened? DRIP. Suddenly, Cheerilee was forcefully jerked back to reality with a cold raindrop on the tip of her nose. "Oh no..." she muttered. The little drop began to rapidly multiply into hundreds. "Buck..." Cheerilee growled as she pulled her saddlebags over her head and ran.

Berry Punch scratched her ear, finally turned off the documentary, and got off of her couch. The weird, sudden stream of foalhood memories puzzled her a lot. Berry didn't do much thinking anymore, ever since her spiraling descent into darkness. She tried to hold back those memories all her life - but for some odd reason they were all coming back to her. She frowned and walked over to her refrigerator. Maybe another drink will get rid of those bad memories, she thought. Pulling out a bottle of whiskey, she plopped down at her little mini-bar next to the kitchen. This was the eighth drink she had had tonight. "Maybe this... w-washn't shuch a... gud... idea." she managed to get out before passing out on the floor.

"Ugh. Finally I'm home." Cheerilee said after slamming her door in the face of the storm. She placed her saddlebags on her dining table and tiredly slumped down on her white sofa. "What a night!" she sighed. Another storm. Sometimes Cheerilee wondered if Ponyville even knew what the sun was. She hurriedly made a bowl of cucumbers and daisies before shoving the contents into her mouth. As Cheerilee ate her dinner, her mind began wandering again. She had lived alone for a while, not unhappily. She was okay with the position she was in. So why did her subconscious begin to long the companionship of her sister? She began to delve deeper into her thoughts:

"Berry. Can I come in? Cheerilee called tentatively outside of the bedroom door.

"No. Leave me alone."

"I'm coming in anyway." Cheerilee said as she shoved on the door. It fell open, revealing a pony that was no longer truly herself.

Cheerilee cringed at the fading memory as she remembered the things that had unfolded that night. No. I'm not doing this tonight, Cheerilee told herself firmly. Shaking her head vigorously, as if that would get rid of the memory, she shoved the remnants of her dinner aside and started off to her bedroom. She was still in a sort of daze as she climbed into her bed with her novel. Cheerilee just couldn't shake the strange feeling inside of her. "Maybe I'll just go to sleep tonight." She said to herself, dropping the book on the floor and turning out the light. But that night, Cheerilee had the worst sleep of her life. She drifted into a dream, falling deeper and deeper into the clutches of sleep.

Berry Punch was hunched on the floor, her back to her bed. She had her legs folded, with one forehoof encircling them, and the other halfheartedly grasping an unmarked bottle. All around her, the floor was littered with pieces of paper, random labels, and bottles, bottles, bottles. Cheerilee's eyes took in the room and her sister. Her gaze froze on Berry. Not a thing was physically out of place on the pony, her mane and fur looking groomed, and perhaps a little flushed in the cheeks, but she appeared perfectly fine. However, the true change lay in her eyes. The gleam in them that Cheerilee well remembered had disappeared. She scanned Berry's face urgently, trying to find just a hint of that familiar sparkle.

"Berry...?"

"I said, leave me alone, Cheerilee." Berry Punch growled as she unsuccessfully tried to push Cheerilee out of the room.

"What are you doing in here?"

"What does it look like I'm doing, writing foals' books? I'm trying to stop Dad's business from being a colossal failure. Stop me from being a colossal failure." She said sadly, the bottle in her hand drooping.

"Berry, maybe you should take... a break?" Cheerilee said, unable to find a solution.

"A break? A break? Of course, Cheerilee Cheerful, always the optimist, and never practical. Ever. I would love to take a break," She spat, dragging the words out sarcastically. "But if you haven't noticed, I'm trying to keep this family from crashing and burning! The Punch Winery hasn't had a good wine in months now! No one's buying anything from us! And since Dad..." She trailed off, depression blurring her features. "Since Dad... isn't here anymore, Mom's in no state to work, so I have to do everything around here. What are you doing, Cheerilee? Wasting time on your stupid foalhood dream of becoming a teacher?" She said in disgust. "There's no money there. You're just a selfish little brat who only cares about herself and not her family. If you actually cared about any of us, you would suck it up and get a job that pays." Berry finished, swinging the bottle in Cheerilee's direction.

The older pony stood, shaking with a mix of rage and heartbreak. "I'm the selfish one? I'm trying to find a legitimate job that I can keep and really enjoy, and you just sit here all day, claiming to work but really just drinking your health into destruction!"

"I'm testing flavors!" Berry screamed, scattering some of the bottles around her.

"Sure, you're testing flavors." Cheerilee mocked. "I can't believe you have the nerve to say I'm the selfish one while you're creating a monster that's tearing our entire family apart. Don't act like you're the only one affected by Dad's death. Grow up, Berry. Get yourself together."

"You know what?" Berry Punch said, standing up. "I've always hated you, Cheerilee." She choked out the words in her anger. Pointing an accusatory hoof at her sister's face, she stared her dead in the eyes. "I hate you. Get out. Now."

Cheerilee's world came crashing down around her as she slowly comprehended the hateful words and hateful eyes in front of her were truly her sister's. Tears dripping from her eyes, she galloped out of the room, slamming the door behind her and let her sobs of anguish pierce her heart, flooding with sorrow at her sister's words.

Berry Punch lay on the floor, still passed out from earlier. She lay motionless, the drugs inside of her body silencing her thoughts, actions, and feelings.