I sling drink

"Come on man...open early tonight!" yelled a young blustery guard, "It's only a few minutes!" A round of "Yeahs" arising from the growing crowd.

"Open eight pm to six-thirty am, no exception." I said pulling the door closed again. It was seven forty-five. They would just have to wait. I went around the counter, checking the bottles that lined the wall. Everything was ready. I wasted the last few minutes sorting the cash-drawer.

"Is time...." My helper came from the back office, "You want me to open the door? She was a fresh out of school mare...barely old enough to drink, but sure enough old enough to serve.

I gave a long drawn out sigh, "....yes....go and open it....Wait!Watch the door; they flood in like wild animals,"

"I know! I'm used to it,"

"Used to having swarms of men roll over you...." I gave a silent chuckle to myself.

"That's not funny..." She pushed the door open and stood to the side as a torrent of ponies rushed in. Almost instantly reaching the counter and shouting out orders.

"SHUT UP! ONE AT A TIME!" Eventually the ponies calmed down and I was able to send out drinks, "Vodka mango!" I passed the drink over the counter, "MOSCOW MULE!" Another drink out.

A perky mare with a guard helmet tilted on her head came up to the counter, "Hey..." Her voice was saccharin and bubbly.

"Hello,"

"Sooo...how are you,"

"Do you need drink?"

"Maybe..." She traced her hoof along the countertop, "What would you recommend,"

"Vodka..." I said as dryly as possible.

".....is that all?" She looked confused, like I told her to order the vaguest object in the room.

"Most ask for fruit or mix...."

"....honey?" I cocked an eyebrow, "....please?"

Why honey, "One moment," I quickly threw together something with honey, pear, and lemon. Personally I hate mixed drinks....but it's all they ever drank, "Try this," I poured some of the concoction in a shot glass and slid it to her.

"What's in it," She took the glass in hoof.

"Fruit, honey, and vodka," She took her turn to give me a strange look.

"Ok then..." she hesitantly took the quick drink, her eyes lighting up as she finished, "More!"

"Twelve bits," She quickly threw out the coins which were swiftly swept into the register, "enjoy drink," I slid her the rest of the drink.

"Thanks~" she bounced off, bleeding into the faceless throng. More ponies came and went; they ordered their drinks and moved on. Nice and simple. But slowly but surely as the night drove on into the higher hours the day dwelling ponies started shifting out.

"Ivan..." My assistant popped up next to me, "I think the night guard are getting off," I started looking around the room, sure enough a few batponies started showing up.

"Snap...get the sour fruits..." She scurried off to find as many mixers and fruit as possible. A young looking batpony stallion was the first patron from the guard.

"Vodka,"

"...just vodka?"

"Just vodka."

"Horosho," I quickly pour the drink and slid it over the counter, "Six bits." He threw the bit on the counter and sauntered off. The night guard were always more somber before they got their drinks.

"Ohhh, looksh like the blood shuckers are coming out," A guardpony shouted at the passing batpony, "Celestia's rejects...." The batpony just ignored it, "Waash wrong...I thought you batsh could hear all good and shtuff!"

The nightguard stopped and set his drink on a nearby table, "Is there a problem," He asked walking over to the ornery guardsmen

"I jush thought they kept you people locked up until night." He jumped to his feet, "You ponies don't deserve to be allowed outside,"

"You wanna fight-"

"EH MUDAK, YOU WANT TO START SHIT GET THE FUCK OUT!" I yelled to them both, "YOU, WITH THE BLUE MANE, GET OUT!" I yelled at the guard.

He looked shocked, like I just turned his entire world upside down, "Why me? You should be worried about these freaks," He stuck a hoof out, poking the batpony in the chest.

"You don't stop tha-" The batpony said throwing the guard off.

"OUT!" I yelled, "GET THE FUCK OUT!" The bar was silent, everyone transfixed by the scene.

"Hey I paid for my-" I reached down under the bar and grabbed my protection, a Beretta shotgun, "- drinks like everybody else" He started walking to the counter, "-I think you like these freaks..." yet again pointing to the nightguard, who had sense taken his drink to a seat, "So....do you like these weirdos?" He tried pawing at me from over the counter, "Yoou a freak lover?"

I quickly brought the gun level with his jaw and racked it, sending a shell to the ground "Get out....." His eyes shot wide when he realized what was at stake, "Do not come back," He slowly backed out the main door, his small entourage following quickly, ".....what?!" I yelled to the rest of the room, all eyes focused on me, "Is my bar, I do not tolerate stupidity...go! Drink, calm nerves," I waved my hands to emphasis my point. Eventually things picked back up.

"Hey..." The nightguard came back to the counter, "I just...thanks," He left a few bits behind before running off.

".....I put on tab," I said quietly, trying to memorize his face and mark. It didn't feel right to just take his money.

Things were quite for a while after that, "Vlad," My assistant popped up next to me again, "Don't you think that was a little....heavy handed?"

"Ginger....Is my bar, is my choice,"

"But-"

"Hail," A nightguard mare still in full dress popped over to the counter, "The mistress of the night approaches."

"Oh?" I said in a quizzical tone, "I can not imagine what would bring her here,"

"I told you, you shouldn't have done that," Snap said trotting off to the the back room. Another nightguard poking his head through the door.

"What do you need," I asked the nightguard mare, "I have business to run,"

"Just wait here," She trotted outside, a short hushed conversation could be heard outside before she and another guard entered holding the door open. The local deity quickly followed, causing everyone in the bar to bow, "What?" I said indignantly to the approaching royal.

"Greetings, I have been informed of an altercation that occurred here recently," She said reaching the bar, "An incident between guard shifts,"

"Guard decided to harass client, I throw him out, is all." I said kicking the ejected shell behind some cabinets, "...Did you need drink?"

"Nay, and I am completely aware of what happened, I have merely come to thank you,"

"Oh? .....are you sure?"

"Indeed, it is rare that one of my subjects finds acceptance, let alone one to defend them,"

"...he bought drink, is customer, I care not who I serve, but should they present problem....then,"

A pony snuck past the royal, "Uh....can I," she slid a glass over the counter, "....Just..." The royal quickly stared down at the intruding mare.

I looked over to the royal, "One moment," I quickly grabbed a drink off the rack and poured it, "Seven bits," She threw the coins, grabbed her drink and slunk off, "Did you still need something?"

"...What was that?"

"What, her," I pointed to the mare, her head slumping down even further as she scurried off.

"Nay, this," She pointed to bottle on counter, "What is this," She tapped the bottle.

"...Is vodka, popular with nightguard,"

"Hmmm,"

"Did you want drink?"

"Perhaps," She stamped her hoof three times, the two guards taking her flank, "Orion, partake of a drink,"

A gruff looking nightguard threw a small bag of bits on the counter, "Bitter or sour," I asked pulling a small amount of bits from the bag.

"...Bitter,"

"Black Russian," I quickly found the mix and poured it into three separate glasses, "Enjoy,"

He inspected the glass before grabbing it with both hooves and pounding it, "....." His face was hard to read; he looked up at the royal and gave a deep nod. The Royal quickly levitated one of the glasses, staring at it intently before slowly downing the shot.

She seemed to like it, going as far as licking her lips as she set the glass down, "Excellent!" Her voice had changed, no longer authorization, more...cheerful, "May I?" She levitated the other glass up.

"Is paid for..." I shrugged, moving to clean some glasses and mugs. She quickly downed the drink.

Her face lit up, "Most assuredly excellent!"

"...yes, I make good drink," I took the glasses and began scrubbing the inside. The royal still looming overhead, "Did you still need something?"

"Oh...my apologies, I was lost in thought," She turned and pranced out, "Gemini let it be know..." She proclaimed before leaving earshot.

"What happened?" Ginger asked returning to the counter, "Where's Lady Luna?"

"She thanked me for standing up for batguard, then ordered drink,"

"You're kidding right?" She looked at me with a crooked eyebrow.

"No...anyways is late, help me clean," I left her with a rag on the counter while I took the discarded glasses from the abandoned tables. Everyone having either been to drunk, or inconsiderate to bring them to the counter. Eventually everything was cleaned and the bar was locked up, "You never did tell me," I said walking down the street with Ginger, "Did you get in trouble when you got mark," Her mark was a fizzing bottle.

"...I told them it was soda...they didn't believe me,"

"heh heh....is funny," We kept walking into the rising sun, the normal people were just waking, while we of night are to sleep soon.