Twilight's Escort

***One Day Ago***

Twilight packed her bags the next morning. She didn't have the heart to do it the night before. Luna had planned to join her in bed, but since she didn't show, Twilight figured she and Celestia were having a colorful conversation. Now, it was dawn. Twilight watches the sun rise. The shining light filled her with a mess of emotions. Love, loss, confusion, hatred, disgust, self doubt, and much more, feelings she though she would never feel. Twilight's heart felt burdened, it felt hard. Grabbing what bags she could carry, Twilight storms out of her room. A palace  servant followed close behind with the rest of her bags. Twilight's vacation in Canterlot was over.

"Where would you like your luggage, your highness?" The servant asks.

Twilight reaches into her saddle bags with her magic and pulls out a small pouch of bits. She then gives it to the servant.

"Would you send them ahead to the castle in Ponyville?"

The servant eyes widen at the sight of the royal tip.

"Of course, your highness!" He says eagerly. "I will have them bound for Ponyville immediately."

The servant begins his journey down the palace stairs. Twilight watches him until he is out of site. Then, she turns around and takes in one last look at the palace. Neither Luna or Celestia was there to say 'fair well'.

*Good riddance...* Twilight thinks to herself. *I have had enough of the both of them...*

With a defiant 'snort', Twilight begins her own journey out of the palace and into Canterlot. She needed a drink, and she knew where to get one. Twilight, with her head lowered, trots quickly down the streets of Canterlot. Ponies pointed excitedly at the sight of the princess from Ponyville. Twilight ignored them all as she zeroed in on her target, the Maiden Tavern. Twilight looks back at the palace again. The shining, white towers loomed over her. She knew Celestia and Luna were up there, looking down at her. Twilight quickly shakes her head of any thoughts of the princesses and ducks inside the tavern. Twilight had never been inside of a bar before. She wasn't exactly a drinker. Though, she did have celebratory alcohol with her friends, like on the day her brother and Cadence announced they were going to have a foal. Such an occasion deserved drinks to be shared. Twilight smiles as she recalls the happy memories. That's where she wanted to be, with her friends and family. That's where she belonged.

"Well, good day to you, your majesty." The bartender says cheerfully as Twilight sits at the bar. "What is a beautiful mare of your caliber doing here?"

Twilight blushes slightly as she sets her saddle bags down.

"I need a drink..." She admits. "Or two... Maybe three..."

The bartender frowns a little.

"Are you looking for a good time?" He asks.

"I'm trying to forget." Twilight says flatly.

The bartender nods as he turns around to prepare her first drink. Twilight figured he must hear that a lot. Alcoholic drinks did have a way of making you forget all of the bad things in life, for a little while, anyway. That was all Twilight wanted. She wanted to forget everything for a little while.

*I guess this is the day I learn what my tolerance for alcohol is... Then, I'll break it.*

Twilight eyes the bartender's every move. After a few minutes of silence, he turns back around with a clear liquid in the cloud of his magic. Twilight was confused. It looked just like regular water. The bartender notices her confused look.

"Give it a try before you say 'no'." He says with a chuckle. "It might be a bit stronger than you think."

Twilight carefully sniffs the rim of the glass. Her nose burned intensely.

"What is this?" Twilight asks.

Before the bartender could answer, a hoof hits the bar counter to Twilight's right,

"That, your highness, is a sissy's drink. You don't want that. You need something harder. Get this mare a Baron." A familiar voice says.

*No... It can't be...*

Twilight turns and looks up at the new arrival.

*Sweet Ceasar's ghost, it is...*

"Storm Rider?" Twilight gasps. "W-What are you doing here?"

The off-duty guard shrugs as she takes a seat next to Twilight.

"Your highness, I think the question you should be asking is: What am I NOT doing here? This is a tavern, is it not? I'm here for the same reason you are here. I'm here to drink."

*You don't know my reasons for being here...*

Twilight sits in silence as the bartender brings them tall glasses filled with a dark, red liquid. It was the color of fresh blood. Storm Rider lifts her glass and takes a deep swig.

"Ahhhh... That stuff really packs a punch... So, are you just gonna sit there and look at it, or are you gonna drink it?"

Twilight thought of everything that had happened in the past six days, everything she wanted to forget. She quickly lifts the glass bottom up and downs the entire beverage. Storm's jaw drops.

"Wow, princess. I guess I was wrong about you. You've got more guts that I gave you credit for."

Twilight's 'guts' felt like lava. She felt like she could breath fire like a full grown dragon. Every feather on her wings twitched furiously. However, did the drink work? Did it do its job? No, it didn't. Twilight sill remembered everything. She remembered it all with a sharp clarity she wanted numbed forever.

"Another..." Twilight groans in a raspy voice.

"Yeah! That's my girl!" Storm cheers. "You should hang out with the guards sometime. How much longer are you planning on sticking around?"

Another Red Baron was in front of Twilight within moments. Forget magic. Twilight balances the glass inbetween her hooves and lifts it to her lips. Again, she downs the entire dink. Her vision was starting to get fuzzy, but she could still remember.

*It's no use...*

"I'm leaving..." Twilight groans at last. "As soon as I'm done here, I'm going back to Ponyville..."

The guard frowns.

"O-Oh... I guess we could hang out another time then?"

Twilight pushes the empty glass back towards the bartender.

"I'm never coming back..." She whispers. "I... I can't..."

Storm Rider lowers her head so it is level with Twilight's.

"What's eatin' you, princess? Do you wanna talk about it"

Twilight shakes her head.

"No... I shouldn't bother you with my problems... In fact, I should be going... I havn't seen Spike or my friends in a while..."

As Twilight gets up to leave, she feels a hoof on her back. It was Storm Rider.

"Uh, your highness, you're leaving your bags..." The guard says as she gives Twilight her saddle bags.

A weak smile forms across Twilight's lips. She then wraps a hoof around the Storm. The guard returns the hug.

"Take care, miss priss." Storm Rider says as she pulls away. "It was fun drinking with you."

"Thank you..." Twilight mutters. "Maybe... we can meet again, somehow..."

*Wait, do I really want that?*

Storm Rider gives her a very sexy look.

"Any time, princess..."

*Oh, yeah... I really want that...*

Twilight straps her saddle bags on and takes her first steps towards the exit. At the door, she looks back at the guard. Storm had returned to the bar, and she was chatting up a group of laughing ponies. Twilight smiles again. Then, she realized something. She WAS smiling. Why was she happy when she was heartbroken moments before?

*Friendship... Of course...* Twilight thinks to herself, chuckling. *I really can't wait to see that mare again.*

But the further she got from the tavern, the heavier her heart grew. Even if she could somehow forget what happened, that would never change the fact that it actually happened. What Twilight did would be burned inside her mind forever, and there was nothing she could do about that.

***To Be Continued***