Songs of Sorrows

At 9 O’clock in the evening a white unicorn lay on the floor of a pub, passed out. He attempted to open his eyes, but all he could see were blurry figures around him. He groaned, and then attempted to stand up. He covered his eyes with his hoof as the light intensified. His vision was becoming clearer, and he could see a pair of sunglasses on the bar counter. He assumed they were his, so he put them on. His vision was completely cleared, but he did not like what he saw. A pale tan colored mare sat on a stool next to a pegasus with blue skin and a brown mane. He sat down at the counter, leaving at 3 stools of space between him and the other ponies.

“Ugh… How long was I out?” He asked the bartender.

“About half an hour mate, you should lay off those drinks for a while.” The bartender replied.

The unicorn began to recover his memory of what had happened earlier. He had taken several shots of alcohol, attempting to forget his problems. He was kicked out of his apartment, he had lost his job, and the mare of his dreams was stolen from him. He remembered his name, Trebass, a musician; and a good one at that. But the gigs stopped, and so did the money. Trebass looked to the stool adjacent to his right. There was his acoustic guitar, still in good shape but at the same time a little worn down.

He glanced at the two ponies again. They were chatting loud enough for him to eavesdrop.

“So how are you enjoying Ponyville?” The blue Pegasus asked.

“It’s much more peaceful here than where I’m from. I’m visiting from Las Haygas you see, and I’m just visiting an old friend I used to go to school with.” The tan earth pony replied.

Trebass sighed, as he turned his head to his guitar. He wondered how he got in this mess.

Three days earlier, Trebass was walking down the street worrying about his overdue rent.

“Man, where am I gonna find enough bits to pay my rent? I’m already broke as it is!” Trebass muttered to himself.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a tan colored mare came running at him.

“I’m late! I’m late!” She repeated to herself worryingly.

Trebass’ head was looking at the stony roads, still moping about his predicament. He didn’t see the mare running towards him, which lead to a collision.

“Oof! Hey, watch where you-“ Trebass paused mid sentence; he was stunned by the beauty of the mare that was staring him dead straight in the eyes. She had a blond mane with a red highlight running down the middle of it. A club, a spade, a heart and a diamond were marked on her flank. Her green eyes met with Trebass’ green ones, and for a moment it seemed like time had stopped. But the silence was soon broken by a loud outburst.

“I’m so sorry! But I’m late and I really need to get to my friends’ house! See you later!” The tan pony jumped to her hooves and rushed off in a hurry, leaving the white unicorn in a cloud of dust.

Trebass coughed and stood up on his four hooves. He picked up his green beret which had fallen off his head when he collided with the eager mare. He sighed as he trotted off towards his apartment.

It took Trebass about 20 minutes to get to his apartment. He had taken the longest route he could find, in hopes that the landlord would have left by the time he had arrived. Taking a deep breath, the unicorn began to scale the flight of stairs up to his floor. His heart stopped, as he saw the landlord standing in front of his unit.

“I’d like your rent now Trebass, you’re long overdue as it is.” The landlord spoke in deep serious tone that felt like a punch in the face.

“I… I don’t have it. Sorry.” Trebass quietly admitted.

The landlord’s straight face turned into a frown as he sighed.

“Pack your things Trebass. I’m afraid you have to leave.” The landlord spoke in heart crushing voice.

Trebass nodded, and unlocked the door. Inside the unit were clothes strewn across the floor. In the corner was a black guitar case. On the bed was pair of sunglasses and few guitar picks.

The unicorn sighed, and began to stack his clothes up on the bed.

It took him nearly 3 hours to pack all of his possessions, but he finally finished. He realized one thing; he had no way of moving his things. But even if he had a means of transportation, where would he go? Suddenly, Trebass’ eyes lit up with excitement.

“I’ve got it!” Trebass exclaimed.

He rushed downstairs to the ground floor and burst out the door. He trotted over to an empty horse drawn carriage, with nopony to drive it. Trebass’ horn began to glow and, with a flash, dozens of cardboard boxes filled with his possessions appeared on the back of the carriage. The unicorn began to pull the carriage with no difficulty.

The pale white moon glowed in the sky, and the street lamps illuminated the dark roads of Ponyville. Trebass and the carriage pulled up to a pub. A dim light was shining through the windows. The vague sound of music was heard from inside. Trebass pushed open the door and called out to the bartender.

“Hey Berry! Do you mind if I store my stuff in the backroom?” Trebass asked, poking his head through the door.

A purple pony turned around from behind the counter.

“Sure, let me unlock the back door for you.” She replied while placing a glass down on the counter.

Trebass nodded and returned to the carriage.

After Trebass had moved his things into the back room, he sat down on a stool for a drink. He explained everything to Berry Punch while sipping his apple cider.

“Ah, I see. Well if you want to work here, I’m sure I could find an opening for you.” Berry replied, trying to comfort him.

“Thanks, but I don’t know anything about bar-tending. The only thing I can do in a pub is drink.” Trebass said jokingly.

Soft smooth jazz played in the background as he sipped his cider again. The chatter and laughter of ponies drifted through the air around Trebass. He glanced up at the menu, noticing a new item he had never seen before.

“What’s the Rainbow Drink?” He asked curiously.

Berry turned around, cleaning a glass. She reached under the counter and pulled out multiple bottles filled with strange liquids.

“It’s an extremely strong drink that is supposed to knock you out in ten seconds flat.” The purple bartender replied.

She began to mix the liquids together in the glass she had just cleaned. All the colors of the rainbow began to form within the glass. A sweet and tangy aroma began to emanate from the cup, both at the same time.

“Bottoms up pal. Drink it slowly alright?” She said, handing him the finished mixture.

Trebass took the rainbow colored drink; he took a deep breath and took a large gulp. A number of flavors filled his mouth, ranging from sour to sweet. A feeling of both hot and cold rushed down his throat as he swallowed the colorful drink.

“I don’t get it… Is something suppose-“ Trebass was cut off as the cup fell from his hoof. The glass shattered on the floor of the pub as he lost his balance and fell from the stool. The back of his head hit the floor, knocking him unconscious.