Chapter 1: Bonds Not Meant to Be Forged
Normally, I did not drink.
I never saw the point in it, to be honest. I've been raised believing that all drinking did, was bring a temporary relief for a long term misery. This wasn't to say I haven't drank before; I simply hadn’t ever gotten drunk before.
In fact, I tried to stay as far away from bars as possible. To me, they were sources of drunkenness, fights and alcoholics. I've heard about them before, I just haven't ever gone to one. On a normal night, I'd probably just sit down and tinker with some stuff at home; I’d rather do that than go and socialize.
However, I wasn’t in the mood to just sit at home tonight. Work at the office had been getting extremely aggravating recently. With a new pony called Memo trying to steal all the attention around the workplace. Just this morning, he’d tried to lie to the boss that I’d been forging documents to try and get my position. On the way out of work, he’d said some very choice words to me.
So tonight was not a normal night. I trotted to the only bar I knew of for miles: the Top Flight. It was a small little building across the street from the bowling alley, sporting a typical Ponyville design. Yet the building looked almost out of place among the large establishments around it.
I opened the door and walked inside, instantly breathing in the stench of alcohol invade my nostrils. The smells of sweat and beer were heavy in the air. Strangely, I didn't mind and walked up to the bar. I sat down on one of the few stools it sported.
I rapped my hoof on the table, trying to get the attention of the bartender. I didn’t exactly know how bars worked.
The bartender, a teal blue unicorn pony with a glass for a cutie mark, trotted over to me and gave me an inquisitive look, "Hmphm, haven't seen you around here before. What's your name?"
I sighed and said nonchalantly, "Refrain." I didn't bother to mention my last name: Escpa. It took too long to explain what the word meant, and even longer to tell why it was I was given the name.
I turned and ran a hand down my back, ruffling my aqua-marine coat. I was a unicorn, with an average horn and sporting green eyes, which matched the color of my aura. I brushed my dark gray mane from my face, then I looked back at the bartender, who was tapping the table impatiently.
"What'cha want?" The stallion asked, picking up a glass with magic from a rather tipsy looking mare. He deposited it into a tub full of water behind him.
I looked up and saw a tiny menu scribbled onto a chalkboard behind him. I squinted to read it, "Eh...Just some cider."
He nodded and left to get my drink. I pulled out a sheet of paper from my pocket and wrote down the price, even though I knew that he’d obviously keep a tab. I was worried about overspending; I’d only brought so many bits.
The stallion came back and sat the mug down in front of me. "Rough night I guess?"
I took the mug and chugged half it down in an instant. The fizz burned the back of my throat, but brought a searing heat to my face. I shuddered before setting it down, blinking a few times to clear the sensation from my head.
"I guess." I looked down, eyeing my hooves.
The bartender gazed around and asked, "Well what's somepony like you doing here? I mean, it's kinda a..." He waved a hoof around the place.
The booths were filled with single sex couples galore. Many of them were either kissing of looking like they were about to hump each other until they passed out. Normally, I'd be disgusted. Tonight, I thought about it and decided I didn’t care.
I hadn’t planned on coming to a gay bar, yet I still came here anyway. I decided not to question my random choice.
"I'm bisexual." I lied so as not to look like I was a total freak in this place. After all, being straight in a gay bar would be strange. I coughed a tad bit from the fizz that lingered in my mouth. "I'll manage."
The pony shrugged. "Suit yourself," Before he made his way behind two swinging doors, presumably to get more mugs.
Actually, I was straight as an arrow could be. I hadn’t noticed this was a gay bar until he pointed it out to me.
I slumped down on the bar and dribbled some cider into my lips awkwardly. A few ponies looked at me, but didn't say anything. I was glad for the silence. I wasn’t much of a talker anyways. I left hat up to the ponies who actually enjoyed talking.
Unfortunately, it didn't last long. I was setting the mug from my magical grip down when I felt a hoof slap what was my lower back. I assumed whoever it was had been trying to hit my butt.
I turned, but didn't see anypony right away. I looked up and the bartender, who promptly walked up. Silently, he filled back up my mug and wrote something down, on what I guessed was my tab. I didn’t fully understand why.
A warm breath stirred in my ear, "Hey there~"
I turned to see a pink mare with a teal mane held back by a white headband looking at me. I rubbed my eyes just to make sure I wasn't already tipsy from the alcohol. I didn’t know that much about what it would do to me.
The pony smiled and she leaned in towards me until we were mere inches apart, "Hey there, how are you?"
I registered she wasn't so drunk she couldn’t talk. That was good, at least in my book. It meant I didn’t have to fight the buzzing hornets in my mind to try and understand her.
"I'm fine." I replied, again downing my mug of cider. I was a bit of a lightweight, or so I’d been told. I was already feeling a little dizzy at only my second mug. The apples sure made it strong.
"What's your name?" She said, a bit drunkenly. It sounded a little more like, Whaz yur name?
I sighed once more. “Refrain.” Why did saying my name make me sigh? I guess tonight just wasn’t my night.
"Haven't seen you here before," the mare yawned, "I'm Aloe. You can call me Aly."
I recognized the name from somewhere, yet I was too busy downing my third mug to care. My head was starting to really buzz with the feeling of warm liquid inside my gut. I guess I'd be getting home late tonight, as I’d certainly not be trying to teleport home.
"What'cha doing here?" She asked. Since that was the second time tonight I’d been asked, it kinda set me off.
"What, I can't j’st show up at a bucking bar and just get myself a drink?" As I said it, I realized it was more the alcohol talking than me. Yet I didn’t care to correct myself.
She laughed, "Well, ya’ certainly picked a real interestin’ bar to show up at."
With my mind not fully functioning and tipsy, I wasn't able to make a comeback. I growled, "Go buck yourself."
Again, Aloe laughed, "I'd do that, but it's a little hard to do alone."
I groaned as I realized the mare wasn't going away anytime soon. I looked at her and squinted. “Aren’t you j’st the witty one tonight?"
Aloe gave a grin and ordered another cider, laughing a little as she said, "Put this guy on my tab, Tap."
I blinked and gave a blank stare, surprised at her action. I didn't have a clear enough mind to really question it, so I just laid my head back down on the counter and tried to ignore her.
"Why are you so mute tonight, buddy?" Aloe bumped my shoulder, almost sending me out of my stool in my dizzy state.
"How the buck DO I know you?" I was really losing my mouth tonight. Normally I didn’t cuss so much.
The pony brushed back her slick mane and adjusted her headband, "Well, I'll show you." She flashed her eyes at me before saying in a familiar tone, "Hello Mr. Escpa, I’m here to help loosen those muscles~"
A bit of the clouds in my mind cleared up. “OH, you're my spa pony?"
Aloe beamed and nodded. "Yeah, I am."
I smiled at her, then ordered another yet another mug. This had to be at least five. I’d lost count by this point. At least she wasn't a total stranger though.
"But I really do wanna know, what'cha doing here?" She said again, turning to see a light aqua mare walk up to her.
The two looked almost identical, both sporting the same mane and coat styling. The only difference were the differences in hair: Aloe was pink and had a blue mane, while this pony was blue and had a pink mane. If their coats weren’t different, I’d probably call them twins.
Aloe threw a hoof over the mare as she stumbled up and fell on the counter. She looked up drunkenly and said in a slightly girlier tone, “Heya there!”
“Refrain, Lotus. Lotus, Refrain.” Aloe beamed before setting what I presumed was her sister next to her.
The words she said barely registered as her previous statement was ringing in my head. The third time being asked why I was here was the charm that caused me to knock my mug into my coat, spilling the precious liquid and soaking my fur. I growled, "Why the buck do you care?! Buck off you asshole!"
The two of us stared each other down for a few seconds. She was taller than me, but I had the advantage of speed if it came to that. I clutched the stool for support as we attempted to stare each other down.
Aloe snorted, and a few bubbles of foam dribbled down her mouth. Suddenly, she snorted, and a little bubble came out her nose. It floated up into the air a few inches before bursting. I couldn't help but chuckle at the funny sight.
Then we both started laughing our asses off. I sat my mug down, clutching my chest as if that was the most hilarious thing I'd ever seen. Good old booze had lightened my mind for tonight.
The two of us laughed for several minutes before finally I composed myself enough to order yet another cider. By this point, the bartender was giving me looks, debating whether or not he should give me anymore.
"Well, I guess we just became friends," I said, slurring some words now that the alcohol was kicking in. Aloe laughed again and the two of us clinked mugs before chugging them both down. Lotus was too hammered to join us.
It was at that moment that a stallion stumbled up to our little trio. He was blue, sporting a soft magenta mane and a cutie mark of what looked liked some sort of boat. I squinted at it, but the way he was moving made it difficult to make out.
I rubbed my eyes, realizing I hadn’t seen what my new friend's cutie marks looked like. I twisted around and saw they both looked like two little flowers, of what I assumed were lotus blossoms. They obviously worked together, since they sported the same mark.
Mine was a little pencil crossed with a pen. So much for originality.
The blue stallion sauntered up and sat beside me, taking a mug for himself and looking into my eyes. He looked completely hammered. Probably so much so he hardly knew what he was doing, but I was one to judge that.
"Whaz up, sexy?" His eyes blinked multiple times, as if he’d gotten something in them, "that's a cute butt ya' got there."
I blushed hard and Aloe covered her face with a hoof. I guessed she was chuckling. That comment was unexpected, to say the least. Strange, out of place, and unexpected all at the same time.
"W-well thank you," I stammered, still red and turning to look away from the stallion. I tried to look at Lotus, who was currently trying to sip at a glass of water.
The stallion laughed again and he laid a hoof on top of mine, "Imma Sparklin' Waters."
"Refrain," I said for probably the fourth time that night. Or was it three? Just like how many ciders I’d drunken, I lost count by this point.
"Mhm, like from poems?" I'm surprised he even managed to remember that. I could hardly remember my own name.
"Yeah," I sigh once more before yawning and leaning back in the stool. Aloe looked ready to explode in laughter.
Sparkling leaned in and laid a hoof on my ass, "Then...why don't you say we go and have some fun? I heard there are some rooms in the back~"
I yelp and jumped back, scooting away a few feet until I bumped into Aloe, "W-what the buck are you doing?!"
Sparkling looked at me with an expression of hurt. His entire body slumped down and he looked away, awkwardly standing up and leaving the counter. I actually felt sorry for him.
Shaking a little bit, I shivered and actually felt really guilty inside. I looked up at Aloe and she blinked, shrugging a little bit. I felt kinda like an ass for doing that to him.
"Well.. .uh... that didn't turn out like I hoped." I coughed, ruffling my mane a little bit.
"You really hurt him," Aloe said seriously, "That's Sparkling. He's not really into one night bangs. He actually kinda wants to get into a relationship. He's just a little drunk."
"But uh... well... don't you see that... I hardly know him!" I groaned, my mind still tipsy from the drinks I'd had.
Aloe sighed, "Well...that poor stallion probably won't be drinking anymore tonight."
I felt like a complete ass. I sighed and stood up, then sat right down out of fear. I coughed a little and called over the bartender again.
The bartender was ready, already giving me some water with something in it that was brown. It’d probably help with my headache I was starting to get.
"Hey... send a round of cider to that stallion ober there!" I coughed, "It's on me." I laid a few sparse bits on the bar before laying my head down, wishing the pounding that he drink had given me to go away.
Aloe laughed and laid a hoof on my right shoulder, "Well then, what are we gonna do?"
I moaned, not sure what to do anymore. It was all kinda confusing to say the least.
My new friend laughed, then gathered up Lotus in her hooves. I admired the fact she could carry a full grown pony without magic. Then again, I hardly knew much about earth ponies, having been a unicorn all my life.
Aloe laid Lotus horizontally across her back before standing up in front of me. She looked up at the wall and realized it’d already been about twenty minutes. I guess I’d arrived later than I expected, since it was already past midnight.
"Well, I gotta get back to the spa. See ya next week!" She hicupped. "Maybe you’ll come by and see us sometime this week."
I patted her shoulder and stood up, watching her lay something to pay the tab that had arose between us. The bartender nodded and arched his back, stretching as he dropped the bits into a cash register.
Aloe waved to me as she walked out of the bar, pushing the doors open with her head. They swung back and hit a smashed Lotus, who barely seemed to notice. That was the last I saw of them that night before they disappeared from my sight.
I looked around, realizing now that’d I’d just made two friends and successfully gotten drunk. I viewed that as a plus, seeing as I hadn't meant to make any friends.
Just as I got ready to leave, I felt something warm and sticky get placed on my hoof. I turned to see Sparkling leaving, winking subtlety at me. When I shook my hoof, I felt there was a little number scribbled awkwardly on a napkin. I guessed the stickiness came from the fact he’d licked it so it would stick to me.
I looked up before pulling it off. I was kinda grossed out, but I was too drunk to care about dropping it. I looked down at it, but I wasn't sure what to do with it. I pushed it into my little coat pocket before stumbling out, forgetting about it instantly.
The bartender looked at me, "You gonna be alright?"
I coughed before nodding my head. I wasn't going to be teleporting anytime tonight. I guess I’d just have to take the long way home: walking.
I drunkenly stumbled out of the bar. This night certainly wasn't what I had expected. I’d been hit on by a stallion, befriended two mares, and gotten drunk for the first time in my life.
Little would I know that night would spark a series of events to change all of our lives forever.
