She walked, with no particular steps, to the table. She took a seat at the stool, and only ordered a small glass of water. As she was waiting, she looked around.

In a bar such as this, there were not many things to grab your attention. There wasn't much lighting, only a few stray and flickering lightbulbs, enough to help you not bump into someone. The few tables around were of a bland brown, and some of them had been chipped away, likely by fights that had broken out. The seats were uncomfortable. They had already had their cushioning worn away, leaving only hard plastic substitutes that were usually cold. A TV blared in the background, but judging from the announcer she knew it wasn’t worth her time to watch.

The bar was a small bar. It didn't have many things to grab your attention. The ponies though, they would.

She glanced over to the one table that she knew well. 6 stallions stared back at her, with glares so harsh, she would have died several times over if looks could kill. She knew what they wanted, yet the simple wait for closing time was hell for them. For her, she was just amused at her rule of waiting.

The door clinged, and her eyes, along with everypony else’s eyes, darted to the sound. She was a regular here, and the door clinging at this time meant this pony was new here.

She studied the pony closely. It was a unicorn mare, barely into adulthood, and she wore black glasses, but with an innocent smile.

Too innocent, she thought.

The mare wore a white button down shirt that was a bit stained with green, and she guessed the mare did gardening, or something to do with plants. She had a lavender coat, with purple hair that had pink streaks flowing down in short bangs. There was a blue name tag hanging to the right of where the mare’s heart would be.

In short, this mare was not meant to be here.

“Can anyone help me?” the mare asked. “I’m with a group of field researchers. We’re going to Canterlot mountain to inspect some caves, and I was told a mister… tor-rend was in this town?”

“Doctor Torend?” the barkeep said. He was an old, gruff stallion, like any other barkeep in any other town, except this one curiously had a red rose perked up on his right ear. Everyone knew what it meant to the stallion, and those who didn’t were also outed as newcomers.

Newcomers were never usually welcomed.

“The griffon would be in his house, several blocks down Cane Lane. Go outside, go right, go past the block, and go left at the second street.
You’ll recognize his house,” the barkeep replied.

“Thank you! Here, take this as appreciation!” the mare walked up to the bar and dropped a small bag. The way it jingled as it hit the table, she would have bet 15 bits that it was 30 more.

“Quite a lot of bits you’re putting down for just directions,” she stated.

“Oh, it’s nothing much. It was supposed to be lunch money, but I met a stallion who offered me some free food. Such a nice town you have
here!” the mare walked away, pushing the doors of the bar as she trotted out.

“Three bits saying she met Thunderhoof,” the barkeep said.

“Five on Soarin’, Thunderhoof doesn’t go for any mare with a blue nametag like that, considering his history.”

“Oh? Since when did you know of Thunderhoof’s past?”

“I get close with my clients. It helps to act like you care to get returning customers.”

“That did not sound innocent, if you think about what you said,” the barkeep laughed.

“Oh, you wish, perv. What would your wife say?”

“She say something about getting this blasted flower off my ear!”

“Nah. She’d think it would look cute!”

“Everypony thinks it’s cute…” Both ponies looked at each other before laughing.

“Hehehe, ah… so… you still owe the two hundred, Swirl.”

“I know, and like I’ve told you, you’ll get your business once I get mine settled. By the end of the month the report should come in. I’ll even pay out my own pocket.”

“You sure you just don’t wanna take the other deal and let me use this place as my base, and you get to keep your money?”

“No. I’d rather like to say this business is run by me and owned by me. No one else. Speaking of business… Hey! This place closes in two minutes, Time Turner!”

“I wouldn’t suggest closing now, Swirl. Berry is out tonight. Saw her out by the tavern bar, even Cherrilee was done with her.” A brown earth pony rose up from a table nearby the other group of stallions. He was previously reading the newspaper while sipping on the red glass of wine that still wasn’t completely finished. The mare supposed it wasn’t too much of a rough day for the clock pony.

“Ah geez, you serious? I’m already about done with this mare’s fickle business,”

“Hey!”

“…and I can’t have Berry now running her ‘drinking ideals’ at my shop. Cleaned out my shelves without paying that night, took me weeks to get her to pay back, and she still owes me. Can you be a good stallion and take the girl back to her house? Consider your tab payed for the night here and tomorrow.”

“Oh… Fine. That at least helps me to save up the money for Rainbow here. 60 bits tomorrow night, ya’ hear?”

“I hear. Just how will you hear when Ditzy finds out you took a poor and defenseless mare back to her house and laid her in bed…” Rainbow sighed longingly.

Time Turner blushed. “Now I don’t mean to do anything of the sort!”

“Dash, don’t be so harsh on the poor stallion…You don’t know if Ditzy would want to join in!” Both ponies at the bar laughed as the brown stallion blushed even harder, a deep shade of crimson detailing on his cheeks.

“Well, good day to you two, anyhow. Let your wife know I said hi, Swirl…” Time Turner quickly trotted out of the building, leaving only the group of stallions and two laughing ponies at the bar.

“Well. We’re closed now, Rainbow Dash. I suppose those ponies would like to have a chat?” Swirl hardened his face from smiling to a colder neutral complexion.

Rainbow Dash looked down, her own smile now leaving her. “Yeah, I guess it’s time to face the music. Lock the doors, will ya?”

“If things go worse,” Swirl leaned in to Rainbow’s ear, “Twenty-seven, fourteen, eleven.”

Rainbow nodded, thanking in her mind whatever gods there were that she still had some ponies willing to be loyal to her. She stood up off her seat and started to walk, hesitantly, towards the stallions.

Author's Note

Thank you VampDash for editing this chapter.