Diamond in the Roughby WhellerChaptersChapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 1Chronology notes: Stop! You are reading the ninth story in the Bonds of Eternity Series. The first story in the series is Family found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1307/ The second story in the series is Nihil Novi Sub Sole found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1444/ The third story in the series is Friends in High Places found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1716/ The fourth story in the series is Trust found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1973/ The fifth story in the series is Domino Effect found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2151/ The sixth story in the series is To Whom It May Concern found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2465/ The seventh story in the series is Bridge Over River Rijn found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2726/ The eighth story in the series is The Way of the Maneaanite found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2931/ Diamond in the Rough Chapter 1 Trixie needed a drink. Trixie rubbed her head as she sat up in bed, waking up to the early morning sunshine in her face. She threw the covers off her and hopped out of bed and trotted down the stairs of the Ponyville Public Library. Trixie needed a drink. Trixie sat down at the kitchen table and looked up, Twilight Sparkle’s assistant... the baby dragon whose name Trixie could never remember... was currently in the process of making breakfast. ‘Trixie is hungry, hurry up’, Trixie said with annoyance. The baby dragon whose name she could not remember rolled his eyes at her, but said nothing and continued his task. Trixie needed a drink. Ordinarily, Trixie would just make her own, she possessed the knowledge to do so, she could whip up a batch of her favourite whiskey in less than a day. However, unlike the nephites of Ashville, where she had been allowed the materials to make it, The ponies of Ponyville had known better, and had insured that what she needed in order to make it were kept out of her hooves. Trixie had been two weeks sober. Trixie needed a drink. It wasn’t like she could just make one appear with magic, all though sometimes she wished that she could. That little titbit of information was something that earth ponies and pegasi didn’t understand. Magic was magic, and magic could do amazing things, but it cannot create something from nothing. The laws of nature still applied with magic. You can’t get something from nothing. Of this, the First Law of Thermodynamics was clear. Trixie needed a drink. Unfortunately for Trixie, there really wasn’t anywhere she could get any. It’s not like there were any liquor stores in town. There was simply no ways in hell that the local government was going to let that happen. She’d have to go to Canterlot to find any. That wasn’t happening either, Doctor Nightly’s orders. Trixie wasn’t going out of town without somepony going with her to make sure that she wasn’t going to buy any more alcohol. Trixie needed a drink. The baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember placed a plate of food in front of her, she levitated a fork up and took a bite of her breakfast. ‘This is terrible’, Trixie said. ‘I know, why do you think I gave it to you?’ The baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember said. The two of them did not get along well. Trixie ate the rest of her breakfast quietly out of spite. Trixie finished her breakfast, purposely making as big of a mess as she could for the baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember to clean up. He scowled at her angrily but Trixie ignored it, and exited the Library into the town of Ponyville. Trixie needed a drink. Trixie had started drinking not long after her public humiliation after the Ursa Minor incident. She had seen those two colts that brought the stupid creature into town a few times, but they gave her a wide berth. Good thing too, if they came anywhere near her, she’d hit them with a repeating stunner spell. Trixie scanned the streets and discovered exactly who she was looking for. Berry Punch was the town drunk, it was widely known, and never talked about, Trixie had caught a break, Berry Punch was alone and she trotted up to the earth pony mare, smiling warmly at her, anyone with enough sense would have known right there and then to run as far and as fast as possible, unfortunately for Berry Punch, she did not know Trixie very well. ‘Hello’, Trixie said sweetly smiling at Berry Punch. ‘Oh... uh... hi’, Berry Punch said nervously. ‘Can... can I help you?’ ‘A beautiful mare like yourself, Trixie certainly hopes so’, Trixie said with a wink, causing Berry Punch to blush, though it was difficult to tell through her plum colour coat. Trixie ran a hoof through Berry Punch’s mulberry mane and leaned in close to whisper into her ear. ‘Trixie knows what you have in your cellar’. Berry Punch began to panic, she’d been caught in Trixie’s honey trap and now there was no way out. ‘You... you can’t tell! Please! You can’t tell!’ ‘Oh, don’t worry, Trixie isn’t going to tell’, Trixie says sweetly. ‘Trixie just wants a looksee’. Berry Punch nodded and nervously led the way to her home, glancing around to see if anyone was watching. They went around back and Berry Punch opened up the cellar door. Trixie forced Berry Punch to go down first to make sure that she wouldn’t run off and then followed behind. Trixie then used her magic to pull the doors shut behind them latching the lock. Berry Punch couldn’t help but look incredibly nervous; she sat down in the corner and began rocking back in forth. Her secret was discovered. For in the cellar were rows upon rows of various bottles of alcohol, wine, whiskey, scotch, vodka, you name it, you’d find it in here. Trixie levitated a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and popped the top off and took a nice long swig. It burned her throat slightly as the liquid trickled down her oesophagus, but it was a good feeling, she eyed Berry Punch, who continued to rock back and forth. ‘Trixie wonders why you have so much down here’, she said. ‘I... I don’t drink any more’, Berry Punch said. ‘... but sometimes, late at night, I like to come down here and look at it, please you can’t tell’. Trixie sneered playfully at the pony before her. ‘Trixie won’t tell... if you meet Trixie’s conditions’. ‘Anything! I’ll do whatever you want!’ Berry Punch cried out. Trixie approached Berry Punch and laid down on her stomach next to her, smiling warmly, yet disconcertingly. ‘First... whenever Trixie wants some, you will give it to her, understand?’ Berry Punch nodded in affirmation. ‘Second... open your mouth’, Trixie said, levitating the bottle of whiskey closer to them. Berry Punch through her hooves over her mouth. ‘No! Please! You can’t! I’ve been clean for sixty days!’ ‘What did Trixie say!?’ Trixie called out angrily, she latched on Berry Punch with her magic, holding her down and forced her mouth to open. ‘No! No! Please No!’ Berry Punch cried out, Trixie grabbed her mouth with her hooves and forced it open, and then proceeded to pour the whiskey into Berry Punch’s mouth. She tried to spit it out, but to no avail, she had to swallow it. Berry Punch began to cry. She had worked so hard. Trixie released her and sat back leaning against the wall, Berry Punch took the whiskey bottle from her and promptly drank the rest of it. Trixie cracked open another bottle and it wasn’t long before both mares were completely wasted. ... Carrot Top trotted through her garden, tending to her plants before she headed over to Sweet Apple Acres to help with the day’s work. Big McIntosh had asked her to help keep an eye on things at the farm while he had gone away, and she had agreed. Big McIntosh had offered to pay her for it, but she had turned it down point blankly, twenty pounds was far too much, and besides. They were neighbours, neighbours helped each other out. She finished up with her plants and trotted down the road. She looked up and discovered that Caramel had already arrived and that he was looking around worriedly like he had forgotten something... and likely had, given his reputation. Big McIntosh and Caramel were sort of friends, though Carrot Top had noted that their friendship wasn’t like most. The two hardly ever spoke to each other, they hardly ever saw each other... then again, Carrot Top never really saw Caramel around town much either, who knew what he was doing on a regular basis... but Carrot Top had noticed that the two of them had an understanding. ‘Hello Caramel’, Carrot Top said with a smile. ‘Everything all right?’ Caramel did not reply, he was clearly wrapped up in whatever he was doing, though Carrot Top couldn’t exactly tell what that was. ‘Caramel?’ Carrot Top asked. No reply. ‘CARAMEL!’ Carrot top had resorted to practically screaming at him, but it got his attention. He snapped up and whipped around, looking incredibly embarrassed. ‘Oh... uh, hello Carrot Top’, Caramel said uneasily. He was nervous, she could tell. ‘What did you lose this time?’ Carrot Top asked ‘Uh... my saddlebag’, Caramel said. ‘With all the money I made from selling Apples for the entire week...’ ‘Caramel...’ Carrot Top asked as a look of worry on forming on her face. ‘How much money was in your saddlebag?’ Caramel swallowed hard. ‘Uh... ten pounds?’ Carrot Top’s jaw dropped. ‘CARAMEL!’ ‘I’m sorry! It was right there a minute ago! Please, you have to help me find it!’ Caramel pleaded. Carrot Top sighed. ‘Okay! Okay... don’t panic, we just need to retrace your steps... now where did you last...’ ‘Oh there it is!’ Caramel said, as he pointed over towards the barn, sure enough, there it was, sitting on the ground just inside. Caramel trotted over to it and picked it up, placing it over his back and looking inside. ‘Yep! All ten pounds no problem!’ Carrot Top facehoofed. Today was going to be a long day, she could tell already. Chapter 2Chapter 2 Berry Punch had taken to sitting in the corner of the room. Trixie huddled up next to her and laid her head down upon her shoulder, hoping the stabilisation would make the room stop spinning. Berry Punch’s head leaned band and began to rest upon Trixie’s. Ordinarily, Trixie would have objected, but was far too drunk to care. That was when Berry Punch was crying. Now it was annoying Trixie to no end, it was giving her a headache. ‘Stop that’, Trixie commanded, but Berry Punch would not stop crying. ‘Trixie orders you to stop! Or else’. Berry Punch froze, she tried to force herself to stop crying, knowing full well that Trixie would carry though on her threats. ‘I can’t’, Berry Punch sobbed. ‘Trixie will tell if you do not stop crying!’ Trixie snapped. Berry Punch let out a sniffle, but turned and looked at her. Tears were streaming down Berry Punch’s face, she looked right into Trixie’s eyes and let out a small squeak, and then she spoke. ‘Then Trixie will tell’. Berry Punch pushed Trixie off of her, causing the mare to fall backwards onto the stone floor of the cellar; Berry Punch rose to her hooves and staggered over to the steps, nearly falling over several times, though she soon enough found her balance. Berry Punch had become very good at walking while drunk. She staggered up the stairs and forced the lock on the door, opening up the cellar and trotting out into the sunny March evening air. It had been early morning when they had gone in. Trixie felt strange. There was this feeling that didn’t quite make sense to her. It was like... she felt bad about what she had done. Trixie shook the thought off and went back to the Library; she had a nice warm bed waiting for her. ... Berry Punch stumbled through the streets, she didn’t know where she was going, and she didn’t care. She felt nothing but shame now, she may not have had a choice to have taken the first sip, but she did have a choice at the second bottle. She had a choice at the third bottle. She had a choice at the fourth bottle. She had a choice at the fifth bottle, and the sixth, and the seventh, and the eighth, and the ninth, and the tenth, and the eleventh, and the twelfth. She had had a choice, and she had made the wrong one, she had failed, she had failed herself, and she had failed... ‘Berry Punch! There you are!’ called out a voice from across the high street, Berry Punch knew who it was instantly, it was her best friend, her only real friend. Colgate. ‘I’ve been looking for you all day! Where have you...’ Colgate had approached her friend, but stopped cold in her tracks. Colgate could smell the alcohol on her. ‘Berry? Have you been drinking?’ Berry Punch’s eyes began to water she collapsed at Colgate’s hooves, she began to sob heavily. The sun was about to set, but there still quite a few town ponies out and they all stopped and began to stare. Colgate got down to Berry’s level and wrapped her hooves around her friend and pulled her close. ‘Hey... Berry. It’s okay... it’s okay! Shh... shh...’ ‘I tried... I tried so hard...’ Berry Punch sobbed. Colgate frowned and helped the pony to her hooves and began to walk her back to her house. There was simply no way she was leaving her alone tonight. ... Carrot Top and Caramel finished up the day’s work slightly behind schedule... well, more than a little behind schedule. Okay, so maybe Carrot Top was sugar coating it, they didn’t finish the day’s work until three hours after they were supposed to be done. It had been Carrot Top’s turn to sell apples today, and against her better judgement, she had left Caramel alone at Sweet Apple Acres to take care of the farm side operation. By Celestia! That pony was so spacey that Carrot Top had no idea how he hadn’t died of oxygen deprivation by now. ‘Caramel...’ Carrot Top began as he approached him. Caramel looked at her and she could see a look of guilt forming on his face. He knew what was coming. ‘Caramel... you really need to pay more attention to what you’re doing! Big McIntosh is counting on us to do a good job while he’s away’. ‘I know... I know! I’m sorry’, Caramel said, his deep voice cutting through the quiet air. ‘It’s hard not to get distracted... It’s a problem, I know it is...’ Caramel glanced towards the ground shyly, there was something on his mind, but Carrot Top could tell that he wasn’t going to say anything without encouragement. ‘Something up, Caramel?’ She asked. ‘Uh... it’s uh... well... I... uh’, Caramel said. Carrot Top looked blankly at him; she would not be putting up with any of this crap. ‘Out, now, otherwise I’m going to hit you’. ‘I... uh, was wondering if maybe... you’d like to go to dinner with me?’ Caramel asked nervously. It took a moment for Carrot Top to register that Caramel had just asked her out, and she frankly didn’t know how exactly to respond. It hit her that Caramel had a crush on her, and now it was blatantly obvious. ‘Uh...’ Carrot Top said. Caramel looked extremely uneasy, like he was about to be sick. ‘Sorry forget I said anything bye!’ He said quickly and took off back towards town. Carrot Top’s ears began to droop; this was going to be incredibly awkward. ... Trixie had taken to spooning her pillow, hugging it tightly and resting her head upon it like it was her lover. After she had climbed into bed, she had quickly nodded off to sleep, she’d been asleep for a while, dreaming of far off days gone by, where the name ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ still meant something. She was awake now, it was three o’clock in the morning, and she had no idea why. Trixie found that she was unable to stop thinking about Berry Punch. Trixie had forced her into drinking again... and she felt bad about it. When did she start caring about other ponies? Other ponies had never cared about her before. So why should she care? Trixie didn’t have an answer to any of these questions, and maybe that was the problem. Trixie drank because she had been ruined in the eyes of her peers, and she drank because she was so, very, alone. Maybe that was the problem. Trixie wanted a drink. That thought brought her right back to Berry Punch, she had looked so sad, Trixie felt bad again, and then she thought about why she cared. Other ponies had never cared about her, why should she care about them? Trixie had no answers to this question, and maybe that was the problem. Trixie wanted a drink. This cycle of thoughts continued to occupy the magical mare’s mind for the entire night. Eventually she fell asleep, and the thoughts continued to run through her mind. She decided that, when she awoke, she would seek Berry Punch out. Things needed to be set straight. ... Colgate had set Berry Punch down on the sofa, and took up a place next to her. Berry Punch just lay still, sobbing quietly, tears streaming down her face and onto the sofa. This was a common sight to be held at Colgate’s home. Ever since she first came to Ponyville what felt like ages ago. Berry Punch was Colgate’s first and, really her only friend. Colgate had something of a temper, and most of the ponies in town gave her a wide birth, except for Berry Punch. Berry Punch and Colgate, the drunk and the pony who could benefit anger management. Weren’t they just made for each other? Colgate thought back to when she had first come to Ponyville. It seemed like it had been an eternity ago, Colgate had arrived in town from a place that none of the town ponies had ever even heard of before, and never would, because it was gone now. Now she worked in Doctor Nightly’s clinic as the receptionist and Berry Punch being her only friend. She glanced down to the hourglass cutie mark on her flank. It was the only thing she had of the place that she had come from before, and no one, not even Berry Punch knew what it meant. And she could never tell. Colgate lay down next to Berry Punch, wrapping her forelegs around her best friend and holding her close. Berry Punch had fallen asleep by this point, still crying in her sleep. Colgate huddled close to her friend and closed her eyes. ‘Don’t worry... everything will be okay, I promise’, Colgate whispered, knowing that Berry Punch couldn’t even hear her. Soon enough, Colgate drifted off to sleep. ... It was the dead of night, Princess Luna looked out upon Canterlot, despite being late at night; the town below was still full of life. As such was normal in the big city. Princess Luna looked out to the horizon; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her ears began to twitch; she heard the rapid flutter of wings. She opened her eyes to discover that what she had been waiting for had finally arrived. ‘I was wondering if you were going to show up at all’, Princess Luna said with a smile. ‘Please, come inside, tell me everything’. Chapter 3Chapter 3 Trixie awoke to discover that the sun was shining in her face. She raised a hoof over her face, attempting to shield her eyes from the light. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes and yawning loudly. Her head pounded and she felt nauseous. She needed a drink, of water. Trixie had long since discovered that hair of the dog didn’t work when it came to hangovers. She trotted down the stairs into the kitchen and used her magic to fetch a glass of water, downing the entire thing in less than ten seconds. Trixie looked around to discover that the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember was not in the kitchen making breakfast as he usually did. ‘Baby Dragon!?’ Trixie called out. ‘Trixie wonders where you are!’ ‘I have a name, you know!’ the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember called out, though from where Trixie could not tell. ‘And Trixie does not remember it’, Trixie said. She wasn’t about to ask, and the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember wasn’t going to tell, both of them acting out of their mutual spite for each other. Wait. Maybe that was it? Spite? Was that the name of the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember? It sounded sort of familiar, though Trixie eventually dismissed it. Why would Twilight Sparkle name the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember Spite? That was silly. ‘I’m not making breakfast for you until you remember my name!’ the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember called out from wherever he was. ‘Fine!’ Trixie called back. ‘Trixie thinks you are a terrible cook anyway’. The baby dragon of which the name that Trixie could never remember offered no reply, Trixie however did not wait for one; instead, she trotted down out of the library towards that obnoxious looking bakery with the obnoxious name that Trixie refused to acknowledge, hoping that she would actually be able to find a decent breakfast there for once. Trixie pushed open the door of the obnoxious looking building that resembled a gingerbread house and looked around. It was still somewhat early in the morning, but there were a few ponies inside. A crème coloured pony with three pieces of candy for a cutie mark was speaking to the owner, the yellow coated lanky stallion with the over enlarged jaw. Both of whom had names that were so obvious that it was comical. Trixie knew them, but she didn’t acknowledge them for the same reason. Trixie walked up to the counter and began to look around at what was on display. The other owner, the mare that looked more like a blueberry than a pony trotted up to her. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked. ‘Trixie would like a cinnamon muffin’, Trixie said simply, though rather haughtily, expressing her disdain for the establishment and its silliness though her tone. The blueberry shaped pony retrieved one from her. ‘Two pounds one shilling’, the blueberry mare said. ‘What?’ Trixie asked, that was an outrage! She took a closer look at the price sign. ‘The sign says sixpence!’ The blueberry mare took a look at the sign, picking it up and examining it closely. ‘Ah, yes it does’, she said simply, she picked up a pencil in her teeth and scribbled out the ‘6d’ and replaced it with ‘£2 1s’. Trixie looked blankly at her as she replaced the price sign and watched as the Blueberry mare smiled at her. ‘Two pounds one shilling please’, the blueberry mare said with a smile. Trixie scowled at the owner, however she was hungry, so she dug through her saddlebag and dug out the necessary bits and plunked them down on the counter. ‘Thank you! Come again!’ the Blueberry mare said, handing the muffin over. Trixie enveloped it in her magic and began to eat. Well, it was good; at least she could say that. As she left, Trixie noticed out of the corner of her eye that the blueberry mare had taken the price sign out again, and had scribbled out ‘£2 1s’ and had replaced it again with ‘6d’. Trixie glanced behind her again, she had thought she’d heard something, a faint noise that sounded like the fluttering of wings; she looked out in front of her to see the town’s mailmare. The pale yellow pegasus with the blue mane, a cutie mark of several droplets of water was making her rounds. Trixie attributed the noise to her and continued about on her way. ... Carrot Top was not looking forward to work this morning. She had just finished watering her carrots and had stepped onto the road for the short walk down to Sweet Apple Acres. She and the Apple family were literally next door neighbours, though technically, the Apples owned everything in the surrounding vicinity except for the five hundred square metres of land that her home sat on. Which was fine, Carrot Top didn’t need much more than that, she grew carrots and various other vegetable crops, though, if she needed more space to grow, the Apples were certainly more than willing to let her it spill over onto what was technically theirs. They were good ponies, and that was why Carrot Top had been glad to help out. Though after what had happened with Caramel yesterday? Carrot Top was more than a little nervous. It was going to be awkward. It was his turn to sell today, so he’d be gone most of the day... but still. Carrot Top didn’t know how she felt about it, to be perfectly honest, Caramel was a nice enough colt. He tried hard; even though he was a little spacey... well, more than a little spacey. Carrot top was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that she had walked into him until several seconds, sending her face beet red. Though for some odd reason, Caramel too was blushing hard. ‘H-hi Carrot Top’, Caramel said nervously. ‘Oh... uh, hey Caramel’, Carrot Top was just as nervous, why was she nervous? It was only Caramel, they’d been working together for the last fortnight or so, why was she nervous now? She’d never been nervous around Caramel before. ‘Uh... I guess... we should get started, huh?’ Caramel asked. ‘Uh... yeah, I guess so...’ Carrot Top said. Her face was burning red with embarrassment. Behind her Carrot Top heard and odd noise, she looked around and found that there was nothing behind her. It was so strange, it sounded like a bird or something, the fluttering of wings. ‘Carrot Top?’ Caramel asked. ‘I’m fine’, Carrot top said. ‘Let’s get to work’. Today was going to be a long day. ... Colgate had not slept at all that night, she lie awake, holding Berry Punch close to her, stroking the mare gently, trying to comfort her, trying to let her know that she wasn’t alone. Berry Punch had fallen asleep long ago; she probably couldn’t even feel Colgate’s touch. Berry Punch’s eyes slowly opened and she sat up and looked around. She then glanced back towards Colgate, who smiled at her. ‘Hey Berry’, Colgate said quietly. ‘You okay?’ Berry Punch made a small sniffle noise and shook her head. ‘I hurt all over’, Berry Punch said, tears began to flow down her face as she looked down at her friend. ‘Please help me Colgate... I need a drink! I want the pain to go away!’ Colgate’s chest felt heavy at Berry Punch’s words. It was heart breaking to see her friend in so much pain. Berry Punch had laid herself down on the floor and was beginning to shake. Withdrawal was a terrible, terrible thing. When Berry Punch had been sober for ten days, she had come to her, pulled her aside and made Colgate sware to her, that no matter how much she begged, no matter how much she pleaded for Colgate to let her have a drink, that she would not let her. Colgate had promised to Berry Punch that she would never let her drink again. Now here she was, looking at her best friend as she lay on the floor in so much pain. Colgate had let Berry Punch down, but she could only imagine how much worse it was for her. Berry Punch had let herself down. Berry Punch had had a child once, several years ago; she had gotten pregnant after a drunken romp with a stallion from out of town. She’d given birth to a daughter. Several months ago, social services had taken her daughter away from her. She had a sister, much younger than her, but after her drinking problem became public, her parents kept the two of them apart. Berry Punch was alone. Because of her problem, she had no friends in town with the exception of Colgate. She was so incredibly alone. Colgate had problems of her own; it was hard for her to be the caring, nurturing, loving force that Berry Punch needed in her life. Colgate desperately wanted to be that for Berry Punch, she cared about her very much and she knew that Berry Punch cared about her. Colgate was carrying a lot of emotion from her old life, she had a lot of anger about what had happened to her, but she couldn’t share it. She had to keep it bottled up because no one would understand even if she told them about it. Colgate got down on the floor and huddled next to Berry Punch, holding her closely. This wasn’t enough, but it would have to do. Her ears twitched, Colgate began to hear something that sounded like the fluttering of wings, but when she looked around her home, she found that nothing was there. Nothing at all. Chapter 4Chapter 4 Colgate had taken Berry Punch out. The mare needed something to keep her mind off the pain, a nice, pleasant walk through Whitetail Wood sounded like it would be just the thing she needed. Colgate watched Berry Punch as she walked; she still shivered slightly with each step. Berry glanced around the street, looking at nothing in particular, then, however, her eyes feel upon something that made her panic. Berry Punch’s eyes widened and she started to back away. ‘Berry?’ Colgate asked. Berry Punch did not reply, however she did not take her eyes off whatever had frightened her. Colgate turned her head to look, it was still early in the morning, so there weren’t any... scratch that, there was one pony out besides them. An azure coated unicorn. The ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie, Berry Punch was clearly afraid of Trixie. Colgate started putting the pieces back together, and she did not like the conclusion that she had come to. Colgate’s eyes flared with rage, she had jumped to the conclusion that Trixie had something to do with Berry Punch’s relapse; she let out a shout of anger and charged down the unicorn. Trixie was taken by surprise and before she knew what was going on, Colgate was on top of her. ‘What did you do?’ Colgate asked dangerously. ‘I... I...’ Trixie sputtered. ‘Trixie does not know what...’ she didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence before Colgate started beating on her. She drove her hoof into Trixie’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Trixie gasped for breath, but found it difficult to bring one in. ‘Having fun?’ Colgate asked through gritted teeth, her voice seething with anger. ‘I know I am! I can do this all day! Can you?’ Trixie did not have a chance to reply, as Colgate drove her hoof into her stomach again. Trixie looked over and discovered Berry Punch had backed up against a building, a look of terror on her face. She understood what was going on instantly. ‘Stop... please... Trixie... has... something... she wants...’ Colgate hit her again, causing Trixie to gasp again. ‘To say... for herself’. Colgate raised an eyebrow, against her better judgement, she got off of Trixie and watched as the azure mare rose to her hooves and limped over in the direction of Berry Punch. Colgate kept close, making sure that she was going to behave herself. Trixie struggled to get her breath. She looked at Berry Punch, who was absolutely terrified about the situation she was in. This had done it; Trixie’s guilt over what she had done had fleshed itself out. Trixie was... sorry. Now she only hoped she could catch enough breath to actually say it. ‘Trixie... wants... to say... that Trixie... is sorry...’ Trixie said, gasping for breath. Berry Punch’s demeanour began to calm, she looked Trixie in the eyes, and she could tell that Trixie really meant it, and that she wasn’t just saying it to get Colgate to stop beating on her. Berry Punch’s eyes began to water, and she gave Trixie a hug. ‘I forgive you’, she said with a sniffle. Trixie returned the hug, tears were forming in her eyes, and that was when she realised that she didn’t have to be alone. ‘Trixie thinks... that there is something... we need to do’, Trixie said. Berry Punch looked at her with confusion for a moment, but then the idea dawned upon her, and she nodded her head in agreement. Berry Punch released Trixie and the three of them made their way over to Berry Punch’s home, heading around back to the cellar doors. Colgate was more than a little confused when the two mares opened the doors up and trotted down the stairs, she followed them, only to find that her mouth falling open in shock. Colgate looked at the rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves of alcohol that Berry Punch had been keeping in her home. She looked at Berry Punch for an explanation; however, she was already more than a little busy. Trixie and Berry Punch had both taken a bottle of alcohol in their hooves. They looked each other in the eye and nodded, and simultaneously smashed their respective bottles against the stone floor. They each picked up another and did the same, and then another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and then, soon enough, there were no more bottles left anywhere in Berry Punch’s cellar, just empty rows and shelves, and an almost endless coating of glass upon the floor. The two mares trotted carefully around the glass, making sure not to cut themselves as they made their way back to where Colgate was standing. Colgate was smiling at them. She knew at that moment that both of them had made a new friend, and that they could both kick their habits. Colgate’s ears began to twitch, the sound, the flutter of wings, she heard it again. She turned around, but once again, she saw nothing. She turned around to ask Trixie or Berry Punch if they had heard it, but they were far too preoccupied to have noticed. Colgate shrugged as the three of them walked out of the cellar. It probably wasn’t anything important anyway. ... Carrot Top found herself distracted. She joked to herself that she was getting as bad as Caramel. Then it happened again, Carrot Top found that she was blushing at the mere thought of Caramel, and she thought that she had figured out why. Caramel liked her, she knew that for sure. She thought back about her life, when she’d been in her adolescent years, she’d had a few coltfriends, sure... but now, it was like Carrot Top was just another face in the crowd, she did things, she had a good time with her life and her friends, but it was like... nopony was really paying attention to her. And then here comes Caramel, asking her out like that. He wasn’t a bad looking colt, she admitted. Actually she thought he was kind of cute, and then she had the thought, why not? Why not go out with Caramel? It wouldn’t hurt. In fact she might be surprised and have fun with him. She opened her saddlebag and pulled on the chain of the pocket watch inside it, taking it out and examining the time. She’d been working for several hours going over the trees, making sure that they all looked healthy, and then tending to the maize that the Apples grew for their pigs. It was almost time to break for lunch. Carrot Top had made her decision, she was going into town and she and Caramel would go somewhere for lunch, and they would both have a good time. She finished up the task that she had been doing, and looked back at the pocket watch, two ticks to one. Carrot Top placed the watch back into her bag and trotted off to town, within a few minutes, she was trotting onto the High Street. She smiled at Berry Punch, Colgate and... Trixie? Carrot Top did a double take at the sight. Trixie was not only interacting with ponies, but she was actually being friendly with them? Oh the calamity! Carrot Top quietly joked to herself that it was a good thing that Lily wasn’t around or she’d be crying some nonsense that Trixie had enchanted them or something. Carrot Top couldn’t help but snicker, even though she thought that it wasn’t exactly the nicest thought. Lily had anxiety issues, and it wasn’t polite to laugh at other ponies problems. Carrot Top could tell she was nearing the apple cart when she looked around to discover that there were many ponies eating them. Carrot Top spotted a pair of ponies, both of them were eating an apple, and they had the distinction of both being clad in beige greatcoats. ‘I’m telling you Banana Crème, It is totally worth the walk to Ponyville just for a Sweet Apple Acres apple’, said a blue coated pony with a jet black mane speaking to his friend. ‘Whatever you say Lucky’, the yellow coated unicorn identified as Banana Crème said, rolling her eyes slightly. ‘Oi! That’s going to be DS Lucky to you with that tone!’ the one identified as Lucky said with a chuckle. He looked towards Carrot Top and gave her a smile. ‘Miss’, he said nodding his head. Carrot Top smiled back and went about her way, she approached the apple cart, just as Caramel was closing up to go to lunch. ‘Caramel!’ Carrot Top called out to him. Caramel looked up in surprise as Carrot Top trotted up to him. ‘Oh... uh, hey Carrot Top, uh... what’s going on?’ Carrot Top smiled at him. ‘Well, it’s lunch time, I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch? My treat’. Caramel blinked slowly for a few seconds before making a response, but upon realising that she was serious, he smiled at her. ‘Well sure! But no, I insist on it being my treat, and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise’. ‘Well, I guess if I can’t persuade you otherwise, I accept’, Carrot Top chuckled. The two of them began walking down the street, Carrot Top found that her ears were twitching; she looked around, thinking that she had heard something, the flutter of wings. She looked up and saw several members of the Ponyville weather team above her. It must be them. Carrot Top turned back around and looked forward, nearly running into another pony as a result, Cloud Kicker, the purple coated, blonde mare with a cutie mark of a sun and a cloud. ‘Oh! Sorry Carrot Top!’ Cloud Kicker said. ‘I’ve been really busy and not paying enough attention to where I’m going’. ‘Everything okay Cloud Kicker?’ Carrot Top asked. ‘Oh, yeah, super’, Cloud Kicker said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the question. ‘Rainbow Dash is on holiday, and Whirlwind hasn’t shown up for work in like, four months, we’re short staffed and we’re always running behind! Worst of all, Rainbow Dash refuses to fire his useless butt and hire someone else... sorry, I’m ranting, I need to get back to work anyway, bye Carrot Top! Bye Caramel’. Cloud Kicker leapt into the air and went about her business. Carrot Top shrugged and looked back to Caramel, he shrugged as well, and the two earth ponies continued on about their way towards a delicious lunch. Chapter 5Chapter 5 Bon Bon’s eyes flew open and she quickly sat up in bed, breathing heavily, she looked to her left, and discovered a still sleeping Lyra lying next to her, Bon Bon smiled. That pony could sleep through a cyclone. Bon Bon lay back down and snuggled up next to her, wrapping her forelegs around her tightly, almost as if she was afraid that if she let her go, she’d lose her forever. As she once almost had. That had been a dark time for Bon Bon, when Lyra’s magical accident split her lover in two, creating the hippocampus, Syra, in the process. Lyra had almost died as a result of the separation, but a quick reacting Bon Bon and the work of the highly skilled Doctor Nightly had saved her... at a cost. For Lyra to have lived, Syra had needed to die. A prospect that the sea pony had not been willing to undergo, Syra had attacked her and tried to escape, Bon Bon had not let that come to pass. Bon Bon had never once regretted the choice that she had made... but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard to live with. Every time Bon Bon closed her eyes, the image of what had happened was still there. ‘No! Please! Stop!’ Syra called out, she had broken down into tears at this point, she was begging for her life. Bon Bon was not fazed; she turned to Nightly and gave him an affirming nod. ‘Do it’, she said simply. Doctor Nightly nodded, his horn began to glow and he concentrated on casting the rejoining spell that he had discovered. Syra continued to scream loudly as two beams of lightning arced out of Nightly’s horn and into both mares. Syra’s screams continued to echo throughout the room, even as the sea pony mare winked out of existence, forever. Bon Bon squeezed Lyra tightly, accidentally waking the seafoam green unicorn mare, who rolled over and looked at her. ‘Everything okay Bon Bon?’ Lyra asked. ‘Me? Oh… yeah! Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you’, Bon Bon said, she nuzzled her lover, pulling her even closer into a tight hug. ‘I love you Lyra’. ‘I love you too Bon Bon’, Lyra said. ‘Are you sure everything is okay? You’re being a lot more affectionate than usual’. ‘Oh, yeah, sorry. Just had a nightmare, that’s all’, Bon Bon said. Well, that was not exactly a lie, was it? ‘Well, don’t you worry none, I’m right here for you’, Lyra said with a smile, and then rolled over and went back to sleep. Bon Bon smiled back at her, and loosened her grip upon the mare. Lyra could never know the truth about what it had taken to save her. Bon Bon frowned and gently slipped out of bed and made her way out of the bedroom as quietly as she could. She gently pushed open the door to their home and stepped out into the cool March’s night air. Late night walks had become regular for Bon Bon. She trotted along the high street at an easy pace, taking a look around her, all of the buildings were dark, the streets were deserted, and there was no one around. Bon Bon’s ears began to twitch, and she heard a noise, a faint fluttering of wings. ‘Don’t be alarmed, and don’t turn around’, a voice from behind her commanded. It was a strange voice, it was a mare’s voice, but it sounded... odd, unnatural. Like somepony was speaking through a tin can telephone with wire mesh over it. ‘Okay... I won’t turn around’, Bon Bon said nervously. ‘Who are you?’ ‘That isn’t important. What is important is that you listen very closely to what I have to say’, the strange voice said. ‘You made the right choice’. Bon Bon raised an eyebrow, and was tempted to look behind her, but she kept her eyes forward. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked. ‘You know exactly what I’m referring to’, the voice said. ‘You’ve yet to realise it, Bon Bon, but you and Lyra? You’re special. Syra would not have been fit for what’s coming’. ‘What’s coming?’ Bon Bon asked. She got no reply; Bon Bon turned around and discovered that there was nothing behind her. ... Trixie had wandered into the Library late in the evening after spending the day talking with her new friends, Berry Punch and Colgate, much to Trixie’s surprise, not all ponies in town were the indifferent philistines that she had taken them to be on her last visit. Trixie’s outlook on life had changed dramatically in the last few hours. She had been shown friendship, and she would give it back. ‘I was wondering if you were going to show back up here at all. Can’t wait all night for you to get back so I can lock the door’, said the baby dragon that the name of whom, that in the past, Trixie had struggled to remember. Trixie shut the door behind her and went up to the dragon and surprised him with a hug. His eyes widened in shock. ‘Trixie would like to apologise to you, Spike’, Trixie said with a small smile. ‘Trixie has not been fair to you in the past, and Trixie wishes to make amends’. Spike rubbed his eyes, making sure that he wasn’t seeing things and looked again. Here was Trixie, making an apology, to him. She even remembered his name. ‘Who are you and what have you done to Trixie?’ Spike asked. ‘An old Trixie walked out that door this afternoon, and this evening a new Trixie walked in’, Trixie said simply. Spike shrugged, but then gave a smile. ‘Well, I’m sorry for not treating you very well either; I think it would be best if we started over. Hi, my name is Spike’, he said, offering his clawed hand for a shake. ‘Trixie... I, rather, accept. My name is Trixie, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Spike’. Maybe it wasn’t much, but for Trixie? It was a start. ... ‘... and then I said, “show me on the doll where the bad mare touched you”’, Vinyl Scratch said with a grin. ‘That isn’t funny, Vinyl Scratch’, Rainbow Dash said with a huff. ‘Oh you only say that because it happened to you!’ Vinyl said with a grin. Vinyl Scratch, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Surprise were walking up the south eastern road into town, having taken the long way around in order to bypass the southern tip of the Everfree forest. All of them were giggling at the incident that Rainbow Dash had gotten into on their last day in Trotterdam, but they would speak no more of it, under threats of pain from Rainbow Dash herself. ‘It was nice to get away for a while’, Twilight said. ‘We all had fun, but it’s really nice to finally be getting back home’. ‘Darlings, we will simply have to go back sometime!’ Rarity proclaimed. ‘I know you would like that... wouldn’t you Fluttershy?’ Fluttershy turned a bright red, and then mumbled something incomprehensible as they entered Ponyville proper. Vinyl Scratch stopped dead in her tracks and turned around behind her. She heard something, an odd, slow ticking noise, followed by something that sounded like a flutter of wings. ‘Something’s following us’, Vinyl said. Everypony turned to look behind them. ‘Darling... there is simply nothing there!’ Rarity proclaimed. ‘Unless it’s...’ Pinkie Pie said, glancing around and then whispering hoarsely to the rest of the group. ‘A ghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooosssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttt! Ohhhhooohhh!’ Rarity tensed up for a moment, but then looked at Pinkie Pie and gave a nervous chuckle. ‘Pinkie Pie, that’s ridiculous, there is no such thing as ghosts!’ ‘Boo’, Fluttershy said quietly into Rarity’s ear. Rarity jumped in surprise ‘WHAAAAAAAA!’ She screamed, causing everypony to giggle slightly. ‘That is NOT FUNNY!’ The giggling died down and Vinyl Scratch looked at Rarity and gave her a grin. ‘Take it easy there Stay Puft; I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!’ Vinyl Scratch whipped her revolver out of her saddlebag and opened up the break, and began to slide several 11mm rounds into it. ‘I thought you were out of ammunition?’ Rainbow Dash asked. ‘I was’, Vinyl said, offering no other useful information with that statement. ‘Vinyl Scratch!’ Twilight proclaimed. ‘Please, do not tell me you stole that from the HMSIS Dash!’ Vinyl gave Twilight a look of shock. ‘Twilight! Please! This is me your talking about here... besides, I left like... five pounds on the Leftenant Commander’s desk for it, if anything, he was the one who stole from me!’ a small grin forming on the unicorn’s face. ‘You’re... you’re not going to hurt it are you?’ Fluttershy asked quietly. ‘Of course not ‘Shy. I’m just going to scare it, that’s all’, Vinyl said with a grin and snapped the break shut. ‘Cover your ears!’ Everyone complied, and with that, Vinyl pulled the trigger. Blam! ... KLANG! ‘Klang?’ Vinyl Scratch asked. ‘Did you say Klang?’ The fluttering of wings became erratic, and then stopped completely, followed by a loud crash onto the ground, whatever had been following them had been right above them, Vinyl had, with a stroke of luck, hit it when she fired into the air. Whatever it had been, it had been metal. Vinyl raised the goggles off her eyes to get a better look, and discovered the object lying on the ground nought two metres from her. She trotted over it and got a better look. Everyone else did the same and they all began to crowd around. ‘Is that...’ Twilight began. ‘A giant metal Parasprite?’ Pinkie Pie finished for her. Vinyl Scratch nodded in affirmation. ‘I’ve seen one of these things before’, she turned to Pinkie Pie and gave her a serious look. ‘Pinkie Pie, we’re going to need some dynamite’. ... The sun began to shine in through Carrot Top’s window, it was early morning, and she sat up in bed and stretched her forelegs out. Yawning loudly, she looked to her right to discover Caramel asleep next to her. As one could surmise, their date had gone well. The lunch date had lead to a dinner date, and the dinner date had lead... well, to here. Carrot Top smiled to herself, and was glad that the Apples weren’t at home; it had been rather loud in Carrot Top’s home last night. She would have hated to have disturbed them. Carrot Top began to prod Caramel with one of her hooves. ‘Come on, time to get up!’ she said, whispering into his ear. ‘Do I have too?’ Caramel asked, drowsily. ‘Yes...’ Carrot Top said prodding him harder. ‘We’ve got work that needs to get done before... play’. Caramel sat up quickly and hopped out of bed. ‘I’m up’. Carrot Top chuckled to herself, mum always did say that she knew how to motivate. Chapter 6Chapter 6 Laundry day, Carrot Top despised the laundry. Where she a unicorn, she could just pull every bit of linen from her home at once, and wash it all with next to no effort, but no, she would be spending her entire day cleaning. Towels, her bed sheets, clothes, oh how nice it must be to be a unicorn. Though when she really did think about it, Carrot Top was plenty happy to be who she was, there was nothing wrong with being an earth pony, in actuality, it had saved her a lot of time and money from when she had been in university. Unicorn students at the University of Canterlot are required to study for a year extra, taking magic related courses in order to be the best that they can be. Of course, more time at university means paying them more money, and Carrot Top still had plenty of debt from that time. Carrot Top had just pulled the sheets of her bed when she noticed something fall out of it. She took a look at it and blushed instantly upon realising that it was a condom wrapper from the night prior. Carrot Top didn’t know why she was blushing, it’s not like there was anyone around to see it. Furthermore, she and Caramel were both adults, there was nothing to be embarrassed about, and at least they’d been smart about it. The last thing Carrot Top needed was to get pregnant. Not to say she didn’t eventually want foals of her own. She did, she couldn’t imagine anything better than bringing new life into the world. She just didn’t want any right now. Carrot Top sat down on her bed and lie back for a moment. To be honest with herself, she really didn’t know where things were going to go with Caramel; she’d enjoyed being with him last night. He was hardly the best she’d ever had, but certainly wasn’t the worst. No, the best that she’d ever had had been with a unicorn stallion that had put all his magic into pleasuring her. No, that wasn’t going to get topped any time soon, and she was getting excited just thinking about it. No. Now was not the time for this. She had a lot of work that needed to get done today; she couldn’t let herself get distracted. There was a knock at the door. Carrot Top leapt up and went over to answer it. She opened the door to discover that Raindrops, the town’s new mailmare was on her stoop; seeming to have accidentally dumped out her mailbag as she was picking them all up and stuffing them all back into her bag. ‘Running a little late today, Raindrops?’ Carrot Top asked. ‘The strap keeps coming loose! This is the fourth time I’ve dropped my bag today!’ Raindrops proclaimed frantically. Carrot Top tried not to roll her eyes. RainDROPS, well, at least her name was accurate. Eventually, Raindrops found the letters that belonged to Carrot Top and went about her way. She got about ten metres before dropping her mailbag again. Carrot Top sighed loudly as she closed the door. Even with her faults, at least Derpy had never been THAT clumsy. Raindrops might as well head down to city hall and change her name to Butter hooves. Carrot Top smirked, that shouldn’t be funny, but it was. She took a look through the post and discovered that Big McIntosh had telegraphed. As of this morning, he was ‘in El Paso Fino STOP Applejack with me STOP be home this evening STOP’ Applejack was coming home. Well, that was good, she supposed. Carrot Top didn’t really interact too much with Applejack. The two of them had a sort of friendly rivalry when it came to plants. Applejack’s apples versus Carrot Top’s carrots, though Applejack took it more seriously than Carrot Top did. Apple bucking was a business. Carrot Top grew carrots as a hobby. There was one important thing about life in Ponyville. When it came to food production, you do not try to compete with the Apple family, because you will lose, every time. There were a few other growers in town, most of them lived on the town’s northern outskirts where there was more room to grow. Potatoes, maize, aubergine, courgette, even carrots, there were some beans, but nopony really paid much attention to those crops. Sure, they ate them, but if Ponyville was known for anything, it was a Sweet Apple Acres apple. ‘Okay Carrot Top, enough stalling, get back to work’, she said to herself as she picked herself up out of her line of thoughts and went back into the bedroom to finish pulling the sheets off. She picked up the condom wrapper in her teeth and trotted over and placed it in the rubbish bin. She was grinning to herself as she thought back to the previous night with Caramel. He hadn’t been bad, but Carrot Top was pretty sure he’d been a virgin. If so, he was taking it rather well, and he wasn’t being too clingy. He’d elected to take her turn selling apples so that she could get her housecleaning done. Caramel was a true gentlecolt, if her mother were here right now; she’d probably be saying that he’s a keeper. Carrot Top didn’t know. It was all out in the open, time would reveal where things went with CaramelTop. Carrot Top facehoofed, she could not believe that she’d just thought that. ... Colgate sat at her desk, leaning back while she used her magic to type out a letter on the typewriter before her. Typewriters were few and far between in Ponyville. Most of them didn’t see the point, considering that they were large, bulky pieces of equipment, with one key being about the size of a pony’s hoof. Colgate’s type writer took up three fourths of her desk. She didn’t care, she liked the sound of the tapping keys, plus she had never quite mastered the art of writing with magic. Her horn writing looked like somepony had eaten a bowl of alphabet soup, but left all the letters behind. Trixie and Berry Punch were back visiting with Doctor Nightly, who were both being examined to make sure that their recent episode of binge drinking wasn’t going to have any harmful effects. Doctor Nightly had proclaimed loudly that he hadn’t the faintest idea how Trixie’s liver even still worked. ‘Colgate, dear, you’re letting your mind wander’, Nurse Redheart said as she looked over Colgate’s shoulder. Colgate looked up at the type writer, and discovered that she had just written: ‘I hope Berry Punch will be okay’. Colgate sighed slightly, and thanked Nurse Redheart, and whipped out a bottle of correction fluid and backed up a few spaces. She’d wait for the fluid to dry and then continue. Berry Punch had taken to accepting Trixie. Colgate would be friendly with her, but other than that, she really didn’t know how to really feel about the azure unicorn. She hoped that her friend wasn’t making a mistake. Berry Punch had trouble making good life choices. Trixie seemed sincere enough, but Colgate couldn’t be too sure. In another life, Colgate had been more of a free spirit, laid back and care free. Look where it had gotten her. Now Colgate was angry and suspicious all the time. She had trouble making friends, and in the general sense, most of the town ponies didn’t even want to be around her. Berry Punch being the only exception. As could be expected, Colgate was often alone, with only her innermost thoughts and her memories for comfort and companionship. Companionship, she’d had that once, a long time ago, she used to travel. She travelled far and wide, to places the town ponies and never seen or heard from. It had been wonderful, but then responsibility called to her, and she, like everyone else, had to step up and take it. Then one day, it all went away, Colgate found herself here, and now this was her life. Doctor Nightly came out of the examination room, Berry Punch and Trixie behind him, the unicorn stallion’s amber eyes glowing brightly. ‘Colgate? Could you schedule an hour’s appointment same time next week?’ Doctor Nightly asked. ‘Of course doctor’, Colgate said with a nod. Doctor, Colgate had known a doctor once, though, a doctor of what she had never quite figured out. Certainly not a doctor of medicine, though the more she thought about it, he was more likely a doctor of everything, and a doctor of nothing at the exact same time. He’d been a traveller, and it had once been Colgate’s job to keep him out of trouble, as one could probably guess, it didn’t work quite as well as it had been hoped. Colgate had not seen him in a very long time, and it had probably been a good thing too, for his sake. If Colgate did see him again, he would be getting a backhoof to his face. There was an old saying, well okay not exactly an old saying because Colgate had just made it up, never underestimate the backhoof of a mare of whose mane mildly resembles toothpaste. She smiled slightly at that line of thought, and after taking the note down that Doctor Nightly had asked for, she went back to work, ticking away at her typewriter.
Chapter 1Chronology notes: Stop! You are reading the ninth story in the Bonds of Eternity Series. The first story in the series is Family found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1307/ The second story in the series is Nihil Novi Sub Sole found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1444/ The third story in the series is Friends in High Places found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1716/ The fourth story in the series is Trust found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/1973/ The fifth story in the series is Domino Effect found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2151/ The sixth story in the series is To Whom It May Concern found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2465/ The seventh story in the series is Bridge Over River Rijn found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2726/ The eighth story in the series is The Way of the Maneaanite found here: http://www.fimfiction.net/story/2931/ Diamond in the Rough Chapter 1 Trixie needed a drink. Trixie rubbed her head as she sat up in bed, waking up to the early morning sunshine in her face. She threw the covers off her and hopped out of bed and trotted down the stairs of the Ponyville Public Library. Trixie needed a drink. Trixie sat down at the kitchen table and looked up, Twilight Sparkle’s assistant... the baby dragon whose name Trixie could never remember... was currently in the process of making breakfast. ‘Trixie is hungry, hurry up’, Trixie said with annoyance. The baby dragon whose name she could not remember rolled his eyes at her, but said nothing and continued his task. Trixie needed a drink. Ordinarily, Trixie would just make her own, she possessed the knowledge to do so, she could whip up a batch of her favourite whiskey in less than a day. However, unlike the nephites of Ashville, where she had been allowed the materials to make it, The ponies of Ponyville had known better, and had insured that what she needed in order to make it were kept out of her hooves. Trixie had been two weeks sober. Trixie needed a drink. It wasn’t like she could just make one appear with magic, all though sometimes she wished that she could. That little titbit of information was something that earth ponies and pegasi didn’t understand. Magic was magic, and magic could do amazing things, but it cannot create something from nothing. The laws of nature still applied with magic. You can’t get something from nothing. Of this, the First Law of Thermodynamics was clear. Trixie needed a drink. Unfortunately for Trixie, there really wasn’t anywhere she could get any. It’s not like there were any liquor stores in town. There was simply no ways in hell that the local government was going to let that happen. She’d have to go to Canterlot to find any. That wasn’t happening either, Doctor Nightly’s orders. Trixie wasn’t going out of town without somepony going with her to make sure that she wasn’t going to buy any more alcohol. Trixie needed a drink. The baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember placed a plate of food in front of her, she levitated a fork up and took a bite of her breakfast. ‘This is terrible’, Trixie said. ‘I know, why do you think I gave it to you?’ The baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember said. The two of them did not get along well. Trixie ate the rest of her breakfast quietly out of spite. Trixie finished her breakfast, purposely making as big of a mess as she could for the baby dragon whose name that Trixie could never remember to clean up. He scowled at her angrily but Trixie ignored it, and exited the Library into the town of Ponyville. Trixie needed a drink. Trixie had started drinking not long after her public humiliation after the Ursa Minor incident. She had seen those two colts that brought the stupid creature into town a few times, but they gave her a wide berth. Good thing too, if they came anywhere near her, she’d hit them with a repeating stunner spell. Trixie scanned the streets and discovered exactly who she was looking for. Berry Punch was the town drunk, it was widely known, and never talked about, Trixie had caught a break, Berry Punch was alone and she trotted up to the earth pony mare, smiling warmly at her, anyone with enough sense would have known right there and then to run as far and as fast as possible, unfortunately for Berry Punch, she did not know Trixie very well. ‘Hello’, Trixie said sweetly smiling at Berry Punch. ‘Oh... uh... hi’, Berry Punch said nervously. ‘Can... can I help you?’ ‘A beautiful mare like yourself, Trixie certainly hopes so’, Trixie said with a wink, causing Berry Punch to blush, though it was difficult to tell through her plum colour coat. Trixie ran a hoof through Berry Punch’s mulberry mane and leaned in close to whisper into her ear. ‘Trixie knows what you have in your cellar’. Berry Punch began to panic, she’d been caught in Trixie’s honey trap and now there was no way out. ‘You... you can’t tell! Please! You can’t tell!’ ‘Oh, don’t worry, Trixie isn’t going to tell’, Trixie says sweetly. ‘Trixie just wants a looksee’. Berry Punch nodded and nervously led the way to her home, glancing around to see if anyone was watching. They went around back and Berry Punch opened up the cellar door. Trixie forced Berry Punch to go down first to make sure that she wouldn’t run off and then followed behind. Trixie then used her magic to pull the doors shut behind them latching the lock. Berry Punch couldn’t help but look incredibly nervous; she sat down in the corner and began rocking back in forth. Her secret was discovered. For in the cellar were rows upon rows of various bottles of alcohol, wine, whiskey, scotch, vodka, you name it, you’d find it in here. Trixie levitated a bottle of whiskey off the shelf and popped the top off and took a nice long swig. It burned her throat slightly as the liquid trickled down her oesophagus, but it was a good feeling, she eyed Berry Punch, who continued to rock back and forth. ‘Trixie wonders why you have so much down here’, she said. ‘I... I don’t drink any more’, Berry Punch said. ‘... but sometimes, late at night, I like to come down here and look at it, please you can’t tell’. Trixie sneered playfully at the pony before her. ‘Trixie won’t tell... if you meet Trixie’s conditions’. ‘Anything! I’ll do whatever you want!’ Berry Punch cried out. Trixie approached Berry Punch and laid down on her stomach next to her, smiling warmly, yet disconcertingly. ‘First... whenever Trixie wants some, you will give it to her, understand?’ Berry Punch nodded in affirmation. ‘Second... open your mouth’, Trixie said, levitating the bottle of whiskey closer to them. Berry Punch through her hooves over her mouth. ‘No! Please! You can’t! I’ve been clean for sixty days!’ ‘What did Trixie say!?’ Trixie called out angrily, she latched on Berry Punch with her magic, holding her down and forced her mouth to open. ‘No! No! Please No!’ Berry Punch cried out, Trixie grabbed her mouth with her hooves and forced it open, and then proceeded to pour the whiskey into Berry Punch’s mouth. She tried to spit it out, but to no avail, she had to swallow it. Berry Punch began to cry. She had worked so hard. Trixie released her and sat back leaning against the wall, Berry Punch took the whiskey bottle from her and promptly drank the rest of it. Trixie cracked open another bottle and it wasn’t long before both mares were completely wasted. ... Carrot Top trotted through her garden, tending to her plants before she headed over to Sweet Apple Acres to help with the day’s work. Big McIntosh had asked her to help keep an eye on things at the farm while he had gone away, and she had agreed. Big McIntosh had offered to pay her for it, but she had turned it down point blankly, twenty pounds was far too much, and besides. They were neighbours, neighbours helped each other out. She finished up with her plants and trotted down the road. She looked up and discovered that Caramel had already arrived and that he was looking around worriedly like he had forgotten something... and likely had, given his reputation. Big McIntosh and Caramel were sort of friends, though Carrot Top had noted that their friendship wasn’t like most. The two hardly ever spoke to each other, they hardly ever saw each other... then again, Carrot Top never really saw Caramel around town much either, who knew what he was doing on a regular basis... but Carrot Top had noticed that the two of them had an understanding. ‘Hello Caramel’, Carrot Top said with a smile. ‘Everything all right?’ Caramel did not reply, he was clearly wrapped up in whatever he was doing, though Carrot Top couldn’t exactly tell what that was. ‘Caramel?’ Carrot Top asked. No reply. ‘CARAMEL!’ Carrot top had resorted to practically screaming at him, but it got his attention. He snapped up and whipped around, looking incredibly embarrassed. ‘Oh... uh, hello Carrot Top’, Caramel said uneasily. He was nervous, she could tell. ‘What did you lose this time?’ Carrot Top asked ‘Uh... my saddlebag’, Caramel said. ‘With all the money I made from selling Apples for the entire week...’ ‘Caramel...’ Carrot Top asked as a look of worry on forming on her face. ‘How much money was in your saddlebag?’ Caramel swallowed hard. ‘Uh... ten pounds?’ Carrot Top’s jaw dropped. ‘CARAMEL!’ ‘I’m sorry! It was right there a minute ago! Please, you have to help me find it!’ Caramel pleaded. Carrot Top sighed. ‘Okay! Okay... don’t panic, we just need to retrace your steps... now where did you last...’ ‘Oh there it is!’ Caramel said, as he pointed over towards the barn, sure enough, there it was, sitting on the ground just inside. Caramel trotted over to it and picked it up, placing it over his back and looking inside. ‘Yep! All ten pounds no problem!’ Carrot Top facehoofed. Today was going to be a long day, she could tell already.
Chapter 2Chapter 2 Berry Punch had taken to sitting in the corner of the room. Trixie huddled up next to her and laid her head down upon her shoulder, hoping the stabilisation would make the room stop spinning. Berry Punch’s head leaned band and began to rest upon Trixie’s. Ordinarily, Trixie would have objected, but was far too drunk to care. That was when Berry Punch was crying. Now it was annoying Trixie to no end, it was giving her a headache. ‘Stop that’, Trixie commanded, but Berry Punch would not stop crying. ‘Trixie orders you to stop! Or else’. Berry Punch froze, she tried to force herself to stop crying, knowing full well that Trixie would carry though on her threats. ‘I can’t’, Berry Punch sobbed. ‘Trixie will tell if you do not stop crying!’ Trixie snapped. Berry Punch let out a sniffle, but turned and looked at her. Tears were streaming down Berry Punch’s face, she looked right into Trixie’s eyes and let out a small squeak, and then she spoke. ‘Then Trixie will tell’. Berry Punch pushed Trixie off of her, causing the mare to fall backwards onto the stone floor of the cellar; Berry Punch rose to her hooves and staggered over to the steps, nearly falling over several times, though she soon enough found her balance. Berry Punch had become very good at walking while drunk. She staggered up the stairs and forced the lock on the door, opening up the cellar and trotting out into the sunny March evening air. It had been early morning when they had gone in. Trixie felt strange. There was this feeling that didn’t quite make sense to her. It was like... she felt bad about what she had done. Trixie shook the thought off and went back to the Library; she had a nice warm bed waiting for her. ... Berry Punch stumbled through the streets, she didn’t know where she was going, and she didn’t care. She felt nothing but shame now, she may not have had a choice to have taken the first sip, but she did have a choice at the second bottle. She had a choice at the third bottle. She had a choice at the fourth bottle. She had a choice at the fifth bottle, and the sixth, and the seventh, and the eighth, and the ninth, and the tenth, and the eleventh, and the twelfth. She had had a choice, and she had made the wrong one, she had failed, she had failed herself, and she had failed... ‘Berry Punch! There you are!’ called out a voice from across the high street, Berry Punch knew who it was instantly, it was her best friend, her only real friend. Colgate. ‘I’ve been looking for you all day! Where have you...’ Colgate had approached her friend, but stopped cold in her tracks. Colgate could smell the alcohol on her. ‘Berry? Have you been drinking?’ Berry Punch’s eyes began to water she collapsed at Colgate’s hooves, she began to sob heavily. The sun was about to set, but there still quite a few town ponies out and they all stopped and began to stare. Colgate got down to Berry’s level and wrapped her hooves around her friend and pulled her close. ‘Hey... Berry. It’s okay... it’s okay! Shh... shh...’ ‘I tried... I tried so hard...’ Berry Punch sobbed. Colgate frowned and helped the pony to her hooves and began to walk her back to her house. There was simply no way she was leaving her alone tonight. ... Carrot Top and Caramel finished up the day’s work slightly behind schedule... well, more than a little behind schedule. Okay, so maybe Carrot Top was sugar coating it, they didn’t finish the day’s work until three hours after they were supposed to be done. It had been Carrot Top’s turn to sell apples today, and against her better judgement, she had left Caramel alone at Sweet Apple Acres to take care of the farm side operation. By Celestia! That pony was so spacey that Carrot Top had no idea how he hadn’t died of oxygen deprivation by now. ‘Caramel...’ Carrot Top began as he approached him. Caramel looked at her and she could see a look of guilt forming on his face. He knew what was coming. ‘Caramel... you really need to pay more attention to what you’re doing! Big McIntosh is counting on us to do a good job while he’s away’. ‘I know... I know! I’m sorry’, Caramel said, his deep voice cutting through the quiet air. ‘It’s hard not to get distracted... It’s a problem, I know it is...’ Caramel glanced towards the ground shyly, there was something on his mind, but Carrot Top could tell that he wasn’t going to say anything without encouragement. ‘Something up, Caramel?’ She asked. ‘Uh... it’s uh... well... I... uh’, Caramel said. Carrot Top looked blankly at him; she would not be putting up with any of this crap. ‘Out, now, otherwise I’m going to hit you’. ‘I... uh, was wondering if maybe... you’d like to go to dinner with me?’ Caramel asked nervously. It took a moment for Carrot Top to register that Caramel had just asked her out, and she frankly didn’t know how exactly to respond. It hit her that Caramel had a crush on her, and now it was blatantly obvious. ‘Uh...’ Carrot Top said. Caramel looked extremely uneasy, like he was about to be sick. ‘Sorry forget I said anything bye!’ He said quickly and took off back towards town. Carrot Top’s ears began to droop; this was going to be incredibly awkward. ... Trixie had taken to spooning her pillow, hugging it tightly and resting her head upon it like it was her lover. After she had climbed into bed, she had quickly nodded off to sleep, she’d been asleep for a while, dreaming of far off days gone by, where the name ‘The Great and Powerful Trixie’ still meant something. She was awake now, it was three o’clock in the morning, and she had no idea why. Trixie found that she was unable to stop thinking about Berry Punch. Trixie had forced her into drinking again... and she felt bad about it. When did she start caring about other ponies? Other ponies had never cared about her before. So why should she care? Trixie didn’t have an answer to any of these questions, and maybe that was the problem. Trixie drank because she had been ruined in the eyes of her peers, and she drank because she was so, very, alone. Maybe that was the problem. Trixie wanted a drink. That thought brought her right back to Berry Punch, she had looked so sad, Trixie felt bad again, and then she thought about why she cared. Other ponies had never cared about her, why should she care about them? Trixie had no answers to this question, and maybe that was the problem. Trixie wanted a drink. This cycle of thoughts continued to occupy the magical mare’s mind for the entire night. Eventually she fell asleep, and the thoughts continued to run through her mind. She decided that, when she awoke, she would seek Berry Punch out. Things needed to be set straight. ... Colgate had set Berry Punch down on the sofa, and took up a place next to her. Berry Punch just lay still, sobbing quietly, tears streaming down her face and onto the sofa. This was a common sight to be held at Colgate’s home. Ever since she first came to Ponyville what felt like ages ago. Berry Punch was Colgate’s first and, really her only friend. Colgate had something of a temper, and most of the ponies in town gave her a wide birth, except for Berry Punch. Berry Punch and Colgate, the drunk and the pony who could benefit anger management. Weren’t they just made for each other? Colgate thought back to when she had first come to Ponyville. It seemed like it had been an eternity ago, Colgate had arrived in town from a place that none of the town ponies had ever even heard of before, and never would, because it was gone now. Now she worked in Doctor Nightly’s clinic as the receptionist and Berry Punch being her only friend. She glanced down to the hourglass cutie mark on her flank. It was the only thing she had of the place that she had come from before, and no one, not even Berry Punch knew what it meant. And she could never tell. Colgate lay down next to Berry Punch, wrapping her forelegs around her best friend and holding her close. Berry Punch had fallen asleep by this point, still crying in her sleep. Colgate huddled close to her friend and closed her eyes. ‘Don’t worry... everything will be okay, I promise’, Colgate whispered, knowing that Berry Punch couldn’t even hear her. Soon enough, Colgate drifted off to sleep. ... It was the dead of night, Princess Luna looked out upon Canterlot, despite being late at night; the town below was still full of life. As such was normal in the big city. Princess Luna looked out to the horizon; she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her ears began to twitch; she heard the rapid flutter of wings. She opened her eyes to discover that what she had been waiting for had finally arrived. ‘I was wondering if you were going to show up at all’, Princess Luna said with a smile. ‘Please, come inside, tell me everything’.
Chapter 3Chapter 3 Trixie awoke to discover that the sun was shining in her face. She raised a hoof over her face, attempting to shield her eyes from the light. She sat up in bed, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes and yawning loudly. Her head pounded and she felt nauseous. She needed a drink, of water. Trixie had long since discovered that hair of the dog didn’t work when it came to hangovers. She trotted down the stairs into the kitchen and used her magic to fetch a glass of water, downing the entire thing in less than ten seconds. Trixie looked around to discover that the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember was not in the kitchen making breakfast as he usually did. ‘Baby Dragon!?’ Trixie called out. ‘Trixie wonders where you are!’ ‘I have a name, you know!’ the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember called out, though from where Trixie could not tell. ‘And Trixie does not remember it’, Trixie said. She wasn’t about to ask, and the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember wasn’t going to tell, both of them acting out of their mutual spite for each other. Wait. Maybe that was it? Spite? Was that the name of the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember? It sounded sort of familiar, though Trixie eventually dismissed it. Why would Twilight Sparkle name the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember Spite? That was silly. ‘I’m not making breakfast for you until you remember my name!’ the baby dragon of whom the name that Trixie could never remember called out from wherever he was. ‘Fine!’ Trixie called back. ‘Trixie thinks you are a terrible cook anyway’. The baby dragon of which the name that Trixie could never remember offered no reply, Trixie however did not wait for one; instead, she trotted down out of the library towards that obnoxious looking bakery with the obnoxious name that Trixie refused to acknowledge, hoping that she would actually be able to find a decent breakfast there for once. Trixie pushed open the door of the obnoxious looking building that resembled a gingerbread house and looked around. It was still somewhat early in the morning, but there were a few ponies inside. A crème coloured pony with three pieces of candy for a cutie mark was speaking to the owner, the yellow coated lanky stallion with the over enlarged jaw. Both of whom had names that were so obvious that it was comical. Trixie knew them, but she didn’t acknowledge them for the same reason. Trixie walked up to the counter and began to look around at what was on display. The other owner, the mare that looked more like a blueberry than a pony trotted up to her. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked. ‘Trixie would like a cinnamon muffin’, Trixie said simply, though rather haughtily, expressing her disdain for the establishment and its silliness though her tone. The blueberry shaped pony retrieved one from her. ‘Two pounds one shilling’, the blueberry mare said. ‘What?’ Trixie asked, that was an outrage! She took a closer look at the price sign. ‘The sign says sixpence!’ The blueberry mare took a look at the sign, picking it up and examining it closely. ‘Ah, yes it does’, she said simply, she picked up a pencil in her teeth and scribbled out the ‘6d’ and replaced it with ‘£2 1s’. Trixie looked blankly at her as she replaced the price sign and watched as the Blueberry mare smiled at her. ‘Two pounds one shilling please’, the blueberry mare said with a smile. Trixie scowled at the owner, however she was hungry, so she dug through her saddlebag and dug out the necessary bits and plunked them down on the counter. ‘Thank you! Come again!’ the Blueberry mare said, handing the muffin over. Trixie enveloped it in her magic and began to eat. Well, it was good; at least she could say that. As she left, Trixie noticed out of the corner of her eye that the blueberry mare had taken the price sign out again, and had scribbled out ‘£2 1s’ and had replaced it again with ‘6d’. Trixie glanced behind her again, she had thought she’d heard something, a faint noise that sounded like the fluttering of wings; she looked out in front of her to see the town’s mailmare. The pale yellow pegasus with the blue mane, a cutie mark of several droplets of water was making her rounds. Trixie attributed the noise to her and continued about on her way. ... Carrot Top was not looking forward to work this morning. She had just finished watering her carrots and had stepped onto the road for the short walk down to Sweet Apple Acres. She and the Apple family were literally next door neighbours, though technically, the Apples owned everything in the surrounding vicinity except for the five hundred square metres of land that her home sat on. Which was fine, Carrot Top didn’t need much more than that, she grew carrots and various other vegetable crops, though, if she needed more space to grow, the Apples were certainly more than willing to let her it spill over onto what was technically theirs. They were good ponies, and that was why Carrot Top had been glad to help out. Though after what had happened with Caramel yesterday? Carrot Top was more than a little nervous. It was going to be awkward. It was his turn to sell today, so he’d be gone most of the day... but still. Carrot Top didn’t know how she felt about it, to be perfectly honest, Caramel was a nice enough colt. He tried hard; even though he was a little spacey... well, more than a little spacey. Carrot top was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn’t noticed that she had walked into him until several seconds, sending her face beet red. Though for some odd reason, Caramel too was blushing hard. ‘H-hi Carrot Top’, Caramel said nervously. ‘Oh... uh, hey Caramel’, Carrot Top was just as nervous, why was she nervous? It was only Caramel, they’d been working together for the last fortnight or so, why was she nervous now? She’d never been nervous around Caramel before. ‘Uh... I guess... we should get started, huh?’ Caramel asked. ‘Uh... yeah, I guess so...’ Carrot Top said. Her face was burning red with embarrassment. Behind her Carrot Top heard and odd noise, she looked around and found that there was nothing behind her. It was so strange, it sounded like a bird or something, the fluttering of wings. ‘Carrot Top?’ Caramel asked. ‘I’m fine’, Carrot top said. ‘Let’s get to work’. Today was going to be a long day. ... Colgate had not slept at all that night, she lie awake, holding Berry Punch close to her, stroking the mare gently, trying to comfort her, trying to let her know that she wasn’t alone. Berry Punch had fallen asleep long ago; she probably couldn’t even feel Colgate’s touch. Berry Punch’s eyes slowly opened and she sat up and looked around. She then glanced back towards Colgate, who smiled at her. ‘Hey Berry’, Colgate said quietly. ‘You okay?’ Berry Punch made a small sniffle noise and shook her head. ‘I hurt all over’, Berry Punch said, tears began to flow down her face as she looked down at her friend. ‘Please help me Colgate... I need a drink! I want the pain to go away!’ Colgate’s chest felt heavy at Berry Punch’s words. It was heart breaking to see her friend in so much pain. Berry Punch had laid herself down on the floor and was beginning to shake. Withdrawal was a terrible, terrible thing. When Berry Punch had been sober for ten days, she had come to her, pulled her aside and made Colgate sware to her, that no matter how much she begged, no matter how much she pleaded for Colgate to let her have a drink, that she would not let her. Colgate had promised to Berry Punch that she would never let her drink again. Now here she was, looking at her best friend as she lay on the floor in so much pain. Colgate had let Berry Punch down, but she could only imagine how much worse it was for her. Berry Punch had let herself down. Berry Punch had had a child once, several years ago; she had gotten pregnant after a drunken romp with a stallion from out of town. She’d given birth to a daughter. Several months ago, social services had taken her daughter away from her. She had a sister, much younger than her, but after her drinking problem became public, her parents kept the two of them apart. Berry Punch was alone. Because of her problem, she had no friends in town with the exception of Colgate. She was so incredibly alone. Colgate had problems of her own; it was hard for her to be the caring, nurturing, loving force that Berry Punch needed in her life. Colgate desperately wanted to be that for Berry Punch, she cared about her very much and she knew that Berry Punch cared about her. Colgate was carrying a lot of emotion from her old life, she had a lot of anger about what had happened to her, but she couldn’t share it. She had to keep it bottled up because no one would understand even if she told them about it. Colgate got down on the floor and huddled next to Berry Punch, holding her closely. This wasn’t enough, but it would have to do. Her ears twitched, Colgate began to hear something that sounded like the fluttering of wings, but when she looked around her home, she found that nothing was there. Nothing at all.
Chapter 4Chapter 4 Colgate had taken Berry Punch out. The mare needed something to keep her mind off the pain, a nice, pleasant walk through Whitetail Wood sounded like it would be just the thing she needed. Colgate watched Berry Punch as she walked; she still shivered slightly with each step. Berry glanced around the street, looking at nothing in particular, then, however, her eyes feel upon something that made her panic. Berry Punch’s eyes widened and she started to back away. ‘Berry?’ Colgate asked. Berry Punch did not reply, however she did not take her eyes off whatever had frightened her. Colgate turned her head to look, it was still early in the morning, so there weren’t any... scratch that, there was one pony out besides them. An azure coated unicorn. The ‘Great and Powerful’ Trixie, Berry Punch was clearly afraid of Trixie. Colgate started putting the pieces back together, and she did not like the conclusion that she had come to. Colgate’s eyes flared with rage, she had jumped to the conclusion that Trixie had something to do with Berry Punch’s relapse; she let out a shout of anger and charged down the unicorn. Trixie was taken by surprise and before she knew what was going on, Colgate was on top of her. ‘What did you do?’ Colgate asked dangerously. ‘I... I...’ Trixie sputtered. ‘Trixie does not know what...’ she didn’t get a chance to finish that sentence before Colgate started beating on her. She drove her hoof into Trixie’s stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Trixie gasped for breath, but found it difficult to bring one in. ‘Having fun?’ Colgate asked through gritted teeth, her voice seething with anger. ‘I know I am! I can do this all day! Can you?’ Trixie did not have a chance to reply, as Colgate drove her hoof into her stomach again. Trixie looked over and discovered Berry Punch had backed up against a building, a look of terror on her face. She understood what was going on instantly. ‘Stop... please... Trixie... has... something... she wants...’ Colgate hit her again, causing Trixie to gasp again. ‘To say... for herself’. Colgate raised an eyebrow, against her better judgement, she got off of Trixie and watched as the azure mare rose to her hooves and limped over in the direction of Berry Punch. Colgate kept close, making sure that she was going to behave herself. Trixie struggled to get her breath. She looked at Berry Punch, who was absolutely terrified about the situation she was in. This had done it; Trixie’s guilt over what she had done had fleshed itself out. Trixie was... sorry. Now she only hoped she could catch enough breath to actually say it. ‘Trixie... wants... to say... that Trixie... is sorry...’ Trixie said, gasping for breath. Berry Punch’s demeanour began to calm, she looked Trixie in the eyes, and she could tell that Trixie really meant it, and that she wasn’t just saying it to get Colgate to stop beating on her. Berry Punch’s eyes began to water, and she gave Trixie a hug. ‘I forgive you’, she said with a sniffle. Trixie returned the hug, tears were forming in her eyes, and that was when she realised that she didn’t have to be alone. ‘Trixie thinks... that there is something... we need to do’, Trixie said. Berry Punch looked at her with confusion for a moment, but then the idea dawned upon her, and she nodded her head in agreement. Berry Punch released Trixie and the three of them made their way over to Berry Punch’s home, heading around back to the cellar doors. Colgate was more than a little confused when the two mares opened the doors up and trotted down the stairs, she followed them, only to find that her mouth falling open in shock. Colgate looked at the rows upon rows, shelves upon shelves of alcohol that Berry Punch had been keeping in her home. She looked at Berry Punch for an explanation; however, she was already more than a little busy. Trixie and Berry Punch had both taken a bottle of alcohol in their hooves. They looked each other in the eye and nodded, and simultaneously smashed their respective bottles against the stone floor. They each picked up another and did the same, and then another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and another, and then, soon enough, there were no more bottles left anywhere in Berry Punch’s cellar, just empty rows and shelves, and an almost endless coating of glass upon the floor. The two mares trotted carefully around the glass, making sure not to cut themselves as they made their way back to where Colgate was standing. Colgate was smiling at them. She knew at that moment that both of them had made a new friend, and that they could both kick their habits. Colgate’s ears began to twitch, the sound, the flutter of wings, she heard it again. She turned around, but once again, she saw nothing. She turned around to ask Trixie or Berry Punch if they had heard it, but they were far too preoccupied to have noticed. Colgate shrugged as the three of them walked out of the cellar. It probably wasn’t anything important anyway. ... Carrot Top found herself distracted. She joked to herself that she was getting as bad as Caramel. Then it happened again, Carrot Top found that she was blushing at the mere thought of Caramel, and she thought that she had figured out why. Caramel liked her, she knew that for sure. She thought back about her life, when she’d been in her adolescent years, she’d had a few coltfriends, sure... but now, it was like Carrot Top was just another face in the crowd, she did things, she had a good time with her life and her friends, but it was like... nopony was really paying attention to her. And then here comes Caramel, asking her out like that. He wasn’t a bad looking colt, she admitted. Actually she thought he was kind of cute, and then she had the thought, why not? Why not go out with Caramel? It wouldn’t hurt. In fact she might be surprised and have fun with him. She opened her saddlebag and pulled on the chain of the pocket watch inside it, taking it out and examining the time. She’d been working for several hours going over the trees, making sure that they all looked healthy, and then tending to the maize that the Apples grew for their pigs. It was almost time to break for lunch. Carrot Top had made her decision, she was going into town and she and Caramel would go somewhere for lunch, and they would both have a good time. She finished up the task that she had been doing, and looked back at the pocket watch, two ticks to one. Carrot Top placed the watch back into her bag and trotted off to town, within a few minutes, she was trotting onto the High Street. She smiled at Berry Punch, Colgate and... Trixie? Carrot Top did a double take at the sight. Trixie was not only interacting with ponies, but she was actually being friendly with them? Oh the calamity! Carrot Top quietly joked to herself that it was a good thing that Lily wasn’t around or she’d be crying some nonsense that Trixie had enchanted them or something. Carrot Top couldn’t help but snicker, even though she thought that it wasn’t exactly the nicest thought. Lily had anxiety issues, and it wasn’t polite to laugh at other ponies problems. Carrot Top could tell she was nearing the apple cart when she looked around to discover that there were many ponies eating them. Carrot Top spotted a pair of ponies, both of them were eating an apple, and they had the distinction of both being clad in beige greatcoats. ‘I’m telling you Banana Crème, It is totally worth the walk to Ponyville just for a Sweet Apple Acres apple’, said a blue coated pony with a jet black mane speaking to his friend. ‘Whatever you say Lucky’, the yellow coated unicorn identified as Banana Crème said, rolling her eyes slightly. ‘Oi! That’s going to be DS Lucky to you with that tone!’ the one identified as Lucky said with a chuckle. He looked towards Carrot Top and gave her a smile. ‘Miss’, he said nodding his head. Carrot Top smiled back and went about her way, she approached the apple cart, just as Caramel was closing up to go to lunch. ‘Caramel!’ Carrot Top called out to him. Caramel looked up in surprise as Carrot Top trotted up to him. ‘Oh... uh, hey Carrot Top, uh... what’s going on?’ Carrot Top smiled at him. ‘Well, it’s lunch time, I was wondering if you wanted to get lunch? My treat’. Caramel blinked slowly for a few seconds before making a response, but upon realising that she was serious, he smiled at her. ‘Well sure! But no, I insist on it being my treat, and there’s nothing you can say to convince me otherwise’. ‘Well, I guess if I can’t persuade you otherwise, I accept’, Carrot Top chuckled. The two of them began walking down the street, Carrot Top found that her ears were twitching; she looked around, thinking that she had heard something, the flutter of wings. She looked up and saw several members of the Ponyville weather team above her. It must be them. Carrot Top turned back around and looked forward, nearly running into another pony as a result, Cloud Kicker, the purple coated, blonde mare with a cutie mark of a sun and a cloud. ‘Oh! Sorry Carrot Top!’ Cloud Kicker said. ‘I’ve been really busy and not paying enough attention to where I’m going’. ‘Everything okay Cloud Kicker?’ Carrot Top asked. ‘Oh, yeah, super’, Cloud Kicker said sarcastically, rolling her eyes at the question. ‘Rainbow Dash is on holiday, and Whirlwind hasn’t shown up for work in like, four months, we’re short staffed and we’re always running behind! Worst of all, Rainbow Dash refuses to fire his useless butt and hire someone else... sorry, I’m ranting, I need to get back to work anyway, bye Carrot Top! Bye Caramel’. Cloud Kicker leapt into the air and went about her business. Carrot Top shrugged and looked back to Caramel, he shrugged as well, and the two earth ponies continued on about their way towards a delicious lunch.
Chapter 5Chapter 5 Bon Bon’s eyes flew open and she quickly sat up in bed, breathing heavily, she looked to her left, and discovered a still sleeping Lyra lying next to her, Bon Bon smiled. That pony could sleep through a cyclone. Bon Bon lay back down and snuggled up next to her, wrapping her forelegs around her tightly, almost as if she was afraid that if she let her go, she’d lose her forever. As she once almost had. That had been a dark time for Bon Bon, when Lyra’s magical accident split her lover in two, creating the hippocampus, Syra, in the process. Lyra had almost died as a result of the separation, but a quick reacting Bon Bon and the work of the highly skilled Doctor Nightly had saved her... at a cost. For Lyra to have lived, Syra had needed to die. A prospect that the sea pony had not been willing to undergo, Syra had attacked her and tried to escape, Bon Bon had not let that come to pass. Bon Bon had never once regretted the choice that she had made... but that didn’t mean it wasn’t hard to live with. Every time Bon Bon closed her eyes, the image of what had happened was still there. ‘No! Please! Stop!’ Syra called out, she had broken down into tears at this point, she was begging for her life. Bon Bon was not fazed; she turned to Nightly and gave him an affirming nod. ‘Do it’, she said simply. Doctor Nightly nodded, his horn began to glow and he concentrated on casting the rejoining spell that he had discovered. Syra continued to scream loudly as two beams of lightning arced out of Nightly’s horn and into both mares. Syra’s screams continued to echo throughout the room, even as the sea pony mare winked out of existence, forever. Bon Bon squeezed Lyra tightly, accidentally waking the seafoam green unicorn mare, who rolled over and looked at her. ‘Everything okay Bon Bon?’ Lyra asked. ‘Me? Oh… yeah! Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you’, Bon Bon said, she nuzzled her lover, pulling her even closer into a tight hug. ‘I love you Lyra’. ‘I love you too Bon Bon’, Lyra said. ‘Are you sure everything is okay? You’re being a lot more affectionate than usual’. ‘Oh, yeah, sorry. Just had a nightmare, that’s all’, Bon Bon said. Well, that was not exactly a lie, was it? ‘Well, don’t you worry none, I’m right here for you’, Lyra said with a smile, and then rolled over and went back to sleep. Bon Bon smiled back at her, and loosened her grip upon the mare. Lyra could never know the truth about what it had taken to save her. Bon Bon frowned and gently slipped out of bed and made her way out of the bedroom as quietly as she could. She gently pushed open the door to their home and stepped out into the cool March’s night air. Late night walks had become regular for Bon Bon. She trotted along the high street at an easy pace, taking a look around her, all of the buildings were dark, the streets were deserted, and there was no one around. Bon Bon’s ears began to twitch, and she heard a noise, a faint fluttering of wings. ‘Don’t be alarmed, and don’t turn around’, a voice from behind her commanded. It was a strange voice, it was a mare’s voice, but it sounded... odd, unnatural. Like somepony was speaking through a tin can telephone with wire mesh over it. ‘Okay... I won’t turn around’, Bon Bon said nervously. ‘Who are you?’ ‘That isn’t important. What is important is that you listen very closely to what I have to say’, the strange voice said. ‘You made the right choice’. Bon Bon raised an eyebrow, and was tempted to look behind her, but she kept her eyes forward. ‘What do you mean?’ she asked. ‘You know exactly what I’m referring to’, the voice said. ‘You’ve yet to realise it, Bon Bon, but you and Lyra? You’re special. Syra would not have been fit for what’s coming’. ‘What’s coming?’ Bon Bon asked. She got no reply; Bon Bon turned around and discovered that there was nothing behind her. ... Trixie had wandered into the Library late in the evening after spending the day talking with her new friends, Berry Punch and Colgate, much to Trixie’s surprise, not all ponies in town were the indifferent philistines that she had taken them to be on her last visit. Trixie’s outlook on life had changed dramatically in the last few hours. She had been shown friendship, and she would give it back. ‘I was wondering if you were going to show back up here at all. Can’t wait all night for you to get back so I can lock the door’, said the baby dragon that the name of whom, that in the past, Trixie had struggled to remember. Trixie shut the door behind her and went up to the dragon and surprised him with a hug. His eyes widened in shock. ‘Trixie would like to apologise to you, Spike’, Trixie said with a small smile. ‘Trixie has not been fair to you in the past, and Trixie wishes to make amends’. Spike rubbed his eyes, making sure that he wasn’t seeing things and looked again. Here was Trixie, making an apology, to him. She even remembered his name. ‘Who are you and what have you done to Trixie?’ Spike asked. ‘An old Trixie walked out that door this afternoon, and this evening a new Trixie walked in’, Trixie said simply. Spike shrugged, but then gave a smile. ‘Well, I’m sorry for not treating you very well either; I think it would be best if we started over. Hi, my name is Spike’, he said, offering his clawed hand for a shake. ‘Trixie... I, rather, accept. My name is Trixie, and I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Spike’. Maybe it wasn’t much, but for Trixie? It was a start. ... ‘... and then I said, “show me on the doll where the bad mare touched you”’, Vinyl Scratch said with a grin. ‘That isn’t funny, Vinyl Scratch’, Rainbow Dash said with a huff. ‘Oh you only say that because it happened to you!’ Vinyl said with a grin. Vinyl Scratch, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Surprise were walking up the south eastern road into town, having taken the long way around in order to bypass the southern tip of the Everfree forest. All of them were giggling at the incident that Rainbow Dash had gotten into on their last day in Trotterdam, but they would speak no more of it, under threats of pain from Rainbow Dash herself. ‘It was nice to get away for a while’, Twilight said. ‘We all had fun, but it’s really nice to finally be getting back home’. ‘Darlings, we will simply have to go back sometime!’ Rarity proclaimed. ‘I know you would like that... wouldn’t you Fluttershy?’ Fluttershy turned a bright red, and then mumbled something incomprehensible as they entered Ponyville proper. Vinyl Scratch stopped dead in her tracks and turned around behind her. She heard something, an odd, slow ticking noise, followed by something that sounded like a flutter of wings. ‘Something’s following us’, Vinyl said. Everypony turned to look behind them. ‘Darling... there is simply nothing there!’ Rarity proclaimed. ‘Unless it’s...’ Pinkie Pie said, glancing around and then whispering hoarsely to the rest of the group. ‘A ghhhhhhhhhoooooooooooosssssssssssssssstttttttttttttttttttttt! Ohhhhooohhh!’ Rarity tensed up for a moment, but then looked at Pinkie Pie and gave a nervous chuckle. ‘Pinkie Pie, that’s ridiculous, there is no such thing as ghosts!’ ‘Boo’, Fluttershy said quietly into Rarity’s ear. Rarity jumped in surprise ‘WHAAAAAAAA!’ She screamed, causing everypony to giggle slightly. ‘That is NOT FUNNY!’ The giggling died down and Vinyl Scratch looked at Rarity and gave her a grin. ‘Take it easy there Stay Puft; I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!’ Vinyl Scratch whipped her revolver out of her saddlebag and opened up the break, and began to slide several 11mm rounds into it. ‘I thought you were out of ammunition?’ Rainbow Dash asked. ‘I was’, Vinyl said, offering no other useful information with that statement. ‘Vinyl Scratch!’ Twilight proclaimed. ‘Please, do not tell me you stole that from the HMSIS Dash!’ Vinyl gave Twilight a look of shock. ‘Twilight! Please! This is me your talking about here... besides, I left like... five pounds on the Leftenant Commander’s desk for it, if anything, he was the one who stole from me!’ a small grin forming on the unicorn’s face. ‘You’re... you’re not going to hurt it are you?’ Fluttershy asked quietly. ‘Of course not ‘Shy. I’m just going to scare it, that’s all’, Vinyl said with a grin and snapped the break shut. ‘Cover your ears!’ Everyone complied, and with that, Vinyl pulled the trigger. Blam! ... KLANG! ‘Klang?’ Vinyl Scratch asked. ‘Did you say Klang?’ The fluttering of wings became erratic, and then stopped completely, followed by a loud crash onto the ground, whatever had been following them had been right above them, Vinyl had, with a stroke of luck, hit it when she fired into the air. Whatever it had been, it had been metal. Vinyl raised the goggles off her eyes to get a better look, and discovered the object lying on the ground nought two metres from her. She trotted over it and got a better look. Everyone else did the same and they all began to crowd around. ‘Is that...’ Twilight began. ‘A giant metal Parasprite?’ Pinkie Pie finished for her. Vinyl Scratch nodded in affirmation. ‘I’ve seen one of these things before’, she turned to Pinkie Pie and gave her a serious look. ‘Pinkie Pie, we’re going to need some dynamite’. ... The sun began to shine in through Carrot Top’s window, it was early morning, and she sat up in bed and stretched her forelegs out. Yawning loudly, she looked to her right to discover Caramel asleep next to her. As one could surmise, their date had gone well. The lunch date had lead to a dinner date, and the dinner date had lead... well, to here. Carrot Top smiled to herself, and was glad that the Apples weren’t at home; it had been rather loud in Carrot Top’s home last night. She would have hated to have disturbed them. Carrot Top began to prod Caramel with one of her hooves. ‘Come on, time to get up!’ she said, whispering into his ear. ‘Do I have too?’ Caramel asked, drowsily. ‘Yes...’ Carrot Top said prodding him harder. ‘We’ve got work that needs to get done before... play’. Caramel sat up quickly and hopped out of bed. ‘I’m up’. Carrot Top chuckled to herself, mum always did say that she knew how to motivate.
Chapter 6Chapter 6 Laundry day, Carrot Top despised the laundry. Where she a unicorn, she could just pull every bit of linen from her home at once, and wash it all with next to no effort, but no, she would be spending her entire day cleaning. Towels, her bed sheets, clothes, oh how nice it must be to be a unicorn. Though when she really did think about it, Carrot Top was plenty happy to be who she was, there was nothing wrong with being an earth pony, in actuality, it had saved her a lot of time and money from when she had been in university. Unicorn students at the University of Canterlot are required to study for a year extra, taking magic related courses in order to be the best that they can be. Of course, more time at university means paying them more money, and Carrot Top still had plenty of debt from that time. Carrot Top had just pulled the sheets of her bed when she noticed something fall out of it. She took a look at it and blushed instantly upon realising that it was a condom wrapper from the night prior. Carrot Top didn’t know why she was blushing, it’s not like there was anyone around to see it. Furthermore, she and Caramel were both adults, there was nothing to be embarrassed about, and at least they’d been smart about it. The last thing Carrot Top needed was to get pregnant. Not to say she didn’t eventually want foals of her own. She did, she couldn’t imagine anything better than bringing new life into the world. She just didn’t want any right now. Carrot Top sat down on her bed and lie back for a moment. To be honest with herself, she really didn’t know where things were going to go with Caramel; she’d enjoyed being with him last night. He was hardly the best she’d ever had, but certainly wasn’t the worst. No, the best that she’d ever had had been with a unicorn stallion that had put all his magic into pleasuring her. No, that wasn’t going to get topped any time soon, and she was getting excited just thinking about it. No. Now was not the time for this. She had a lot of work that needed to get done today; she couldn’t let herself get distracted. There was a knock at the door. Carrot Top leapt up and went over to answer it. She opened the door to discover that Raindrops, the town’s new mailmare was on her stoop; seeming to have accidentally dumped out her mailbag as she was picking them all up and stuffing them all back into her bag. ‘Running a little late today, Raindrops?’ Carrot Top asked. ‘The strap keeps coming loose! This is the fourth time I’ve dropped my bag today!’ Raindrops proclaimed frantically. Carrot Top tried not to roll her eyes. RainDROPS, well, at least her name was accurate. Eventually, Raindrops found the letters that belonged to Carrot Top and went about her way. She got about ten metres before dropping her mailbag again. Carrot Top sighed loudly as she closed the door. Even with her faults, at least Derpy had never been THAT clumsy. Raindrops might as well head down to city hall and change her name to Butter hooves. Carrot Top smirked, that shouldn’t be funny, but it was. She took a look through the post and discovered that Big McIntosh had telegraphed. As of this morning, he was ‘in El Paso Fino STOP Applejack with me STOP be home this evening STOP’ Applejack was coming home. Well, that was good, she supposed. Carrot Top didn’t really interact too much with Applejack. The two of them had a sort of friendly rivalry when it came to plants. Applejack’s apples versus Carrot Top’s carrots, though Applejack took it more seriously than Carrot Top did. Apple bucking was a business. Carrot Top grew carrots as a hobby. There was one important thing about life in Ponyville. When it came to food production, you do not try to compete with the Apple family, because you will lose, every time. There were a few other growers in town, most of them lived on the town’s northern outskirts where there was more room to grow. Potatoes, maize, aubergine, courgette, even carrots, there were some beans, but nopony really paid much attention to those crops. Sure, they ate them, but if Ponyville was known for anything, it was a Sweet Apple Acres apple. ‘Okay Carrot Top, enough stalling, get back to work’, she said to herself as she picked herself up out of her line of thoughts and went back into the bedroom to finish pulling the sheets off. She picked up the condom wrapper in her teeth and trotted over and placed it in the rubbish bin. She was grinning to herself as she thought back to the previous night with Caramel. He hadn’t been bad, but Carrot Top was pretty sure he’d been a virgin. If so, he was taking it rather well, and he wasn’t being too clingy. He’d elected to take her turn selling apples so that she could get her housecleaning done. Caramel was a true gentlecolt, if her mother were here right now; she’d probably be saying that he’s a keeper. Carrot Top didn’t know. It was all out in the open, time would reveal where things went with CaramelTop. Carrot Top facehoofed, she could not believe that she’d just thought that. ... Colgate sat at her desk, leaning back while she used her magic to type out a letter on the typewriter before her. Typewriters were few and far between in Ponyville. Most of them didn’t see the point, considering that they were large, bulky pieces of equipment, with one key being about the size of a pony’s hoof. Colgate’s type writer took up three fourths of her desk. She didn’t care, she liked the sound of the tapping keys, plus she had never quite mastered the art of writing with magic. Her horn writing looked like somepony had eaten a bowl of alphabet soup, but left all the letters behind. Trixie and Berry Punch were back visiting with Doctor Nightly, who were both being examined to make sure that their recent episode of binge drinking wasn’t going to have any harmful effects. Doctor Nightly had proclaimed loudly that he hadn’t the faintest idea how Trixie’s liver even still worked. ‘Colgate, dear, you’re letting your mind wander’, Nurse Redheart said as she looked over Colgate’s shoulder. Colgate looked up at the type writer, and discovered that she had just written: ‘I hope Berry Punch will be okay’. Colgate sighed slightly, and thanked Nurse Redheart, and whipped out a bottle of correction fluid and backed up a few spaces. She’d wait for the fluid to dry and then continue. Berry Punch had taken to accepting Trixie. Colgate would be friendly with her, but other than that, she really didn’t know how to really feel about the azure unicorn. She hoped that her friend wasn’t making a mistake. Berry Punch had trouble making good life choices. Trixie seemed sincere enough, but Colgate couldn’t be too sure. In another life, Colgate had been more of a free spirit, laid back and care free. Look where it had gotten her. Now Colgate was angry and suspicious all the time. She had trouble making friends, and in the general sense, most of the town ponies didn’t even want to be around her. Berry Punch being the only exception. As could be expected, Colgate was often alone, with only her innermost thoughts and her memories for comfort and companionship. Companionship, she’d had that once, a long time ago, she used to travel. She travelled far and wide, to places the town ponies and never seen or heard from. It had been wonderful, but then responsibility called to her, and she, like everyone else, had to step up and take it. Then one day, it all went away, Colgate found herself here, and now this was her life. Doctor Nightly came out of the examination room, Berry Punch and Trixie behind him, the unicorn stallion’s amber eyes glowing brightly. ‘Colgate? Could you schedule an hour’s appointment same time next week?’ Doctor Nightly asked. ‘Of course doctor’, Colgate said with a nod. Doctor, Colgate had known a doctor once, though, a doctor of what she had never quite figured out. Certainly not a doctor of medicine, though the more she thought about it, he was more likely a doctor of everything, and a doctor of nothing at the exact same time. He’d been a traveller, and it had once been Colgate’s job to keep him out of trouble, as one could probably guess, it didn’t work quite as well as it had been hoped. Colgate had not seen him in a very long time, and it had probably been a good thing too, for his sake. If Colgate did see him again, he would be getting a backhoof to his face. There was an old saying, well okay not exactly an old saying because Colgate had just made it up, never underestimate the backhoof of a mare of whose mane mildly resembles toothpaste. She smiled slightly at that line of thought, and after taking the note down that Doctor Nightly had asked for, she went back to work, ticking away at her typewriter.
