Chapters Chapter 1: Unforgiving Beginnings
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.
Chapter 2: Hearts Ache, and Hearts Break
"Oh yeah... I remember now, I took that Rainbow Drink didn't I?" Trebass finally remembered how he had come to be unconscious.
The pub door creaked as a black pegasus with a black and red mane entered. Trebass recognized the pegasus as Alexander, one of his few friends. The white unicorn placed his cup down and waved to his pegasus friend. Alexander returned the gesture and sat down beside Trebass.
"Finally got away from the paparazzi. It's not easy being a celebrity don't you know?" Alexander attempted to make conversation with Trebass, but the unicorn simply sighed and took another sip of his apple cider.
"Whats got you down pal?" Alexander asked once again.
Trebass explained his predicament to his friend. The money, the blond mare and the apartment were all gone.
Alexander sympathized with him as they both ordered a drink together. Thirty minutes passed as the glasses stacked up on each other. Suddenly, Trebass' ears perked up as the the tan earth pony asked the bartender for a rainbow drink.
"Are you sure about that hun? These rainbow drinks are pretty strong, they're supposed to knock you out in 10 seconds flat." Berry asked worringly.
The tan pony nodded, "I want to see if they're as good as the drinks in Las Haygas." She spoke with a tender voice.
Trebass and Alex watched the tan pony while they both sipped their drinks.
The blue pegasus spoke up, "Just be careful okay? Those rainbow drinks can knock even me out you know?"
The tan pony blushed and giggled as she leaned on the blue pegasus' wing.
Trebass bit into his cup with so much rage that the cider began to leak from the hole he had made.
Alexander turned to Trebass and chuckled, "Easy there tiger, I'm sure they're just friends."
The angry unicorn gripped his cup tightly, "They don't look like friends to me." He sneered sarcastically.
Alexander could easily read Trebass' emotions, and Trebass didn't like it. The tan pony began to take a small sip, but she stopped as her eye drifted towards Trebass. Their eyes met again, and like before, it felt like time had stopped. But she started to giggle again. Alexander nudged Trebass and told him to look down. The white unicorn jumped, as he noticed that the cider had spilt onto his vest. Embarrassed, he rushed to the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Alexander entered the bathroom, only to find Trebass trying to dry his vest with a paper towel.
"Damn it! Why am I so stupid?!" Trebass shouted at himself.
Alexander simply stood there, still drinking his cider. Minutes passed, but the cider-stained vest was dried. The two colts exited the bathroom. Neither of them had expected the scene outside. The tan pony was on the floor, unconcious. Berry Punch was on the phone, and the blue pegasus was cradling the unconcious pony in his hooves.
Trebass was both worried and enraged at the same time, his mixed emotions did not stop him from rushing over to the two ponies on the floor.
"What happened? Is she okay?" Trebass pestered the blue pegasus with questions.
The blue pegasus explained that the tan pony took too much of the rainbow drink and fell unconcious, and that Berry Punch was already calling an ambulence. Trebass sighed in relief to know that she was alright.
The blue pegasus introduced himself as Shock Bolt, a weather pony that lived in Cloudsdale but moved to Ponyville.
"I'm Alexander, you may know me from the Canterlot Symphony." The black pegasus explained.
Trebass remained silent, not wanting to reveal himself just yet. Everypony went quiet, but the silence was finally broken by the sound of sirens outside the pub.
Chapter 4: Bar Fights and Street Lights
Just as Trebass was about to begin explaining his behavior to Alexander, somepony had landed a punch straight to Trebass' face. Trebass fell to the floor, with blood dripping from his mouth. Shock Bolt stood over the bloody unicorn, nostrils flaring and teeth grinding.
"You... You monster!" Shock Bolt screamed at his victim, still laying on the floor.
Trebass began to breathe heavily, as he attempted to regain his balance. With a quick jolt, the unicorn's hoof met with the pegasus' face. Shock Bolt tumbled backwards into a stool, knocking it over. The attention of other ponies directed towards the bar fight. Trebass and Shock Bolt exchanged punches repeatedly. The fight stopped when Trebass smashed a glass into his rival's head. The blue pegasus and the white unicorn fell to the floor, their bodies covered bruises and blood.
"You dare... To speak to... A lady... Like that..." Shock Bolt attempted to speak, but was too tired to complete his sentence. The furious pegasus attempted to land a final blow to Trebass.
"Stop!"
Shock Bolt stopped in his tracks when he heard the familiar voice. The voice was beautiful, but at the same time vicious.
Royal Flush stood in doorway, leaning on the door with her hoof.
"You call yourself a knight?! You can't even control your temper enough to avoid a bar fight!" Royal Flush yelled at Shock Bolt and then limped through the pub door angrily. Shock Bolt tried to run after the mare, but fell to his face in pain. The glass shards in his ankle, prevented any movement. Trebass saw his opportunity, he ran past Shock Bolt and through the door.
Trebass stumbled outside the pub. The moon lit up the streets that the street lights couldn't. The moonlight revealed a certain tan colored mare, sitting on a park bench. Trebass was so distracted by her beauty that he tripped over a trash can, which caused a large crash to echo throughout the area. Royal Flush, startled, rushed towards the noise to inspect it. She found Trebass on his hooves and knees, his head facing down and panting.
"Are you okay?" She asked, not recognizing him as the colt she had run into earlier that day.
The tired unicorn replied with a simple, "Yes, thank you."
Royal Flush sighed in relief, as she helped her new friend regain his balance.
"Oh! You're that colt I bumped into earlier today, I'm so sorry about that!" The mare nervously attempted to apologize.
"It's alright, I'm actually glad I bumped into you today." Trebass said jokingly.
"Oh? And why is that?" The mare tilted her head sideways and asked, confused.
Trebass began to express his feelings, but quickly realized he had started a hoof fight with somepony that could possibly be her coltfriend. He didn't expect her to have the same feelings for him after what he had done.
"Um... No reason, so shouldn't you be getting home? The night brings out the strangest ponies you know?" Trebass changed the subject quickly, to avoid anymore awkward conversations.
The nodded, "You're right, I should get back to my friends house. But..." She paused and blushed slightly.
"I'm new in Ponyville you see? I don't quite know my way around yet..." She explained her predicament, embarrassed.
Trebass saw another opportunity to make an impression on her, and decided to help the mare in distress.
"Do you have you're friend's address? I'd be happy to escort you, I mean... If you want..." Trebass spoke as nervously as Royal Flush did.
The tan mare pulled out a piece of paper with an address was written on it. Trebass eyes widened in shock, he knew the address very well. It was Sugar Cube Corner, the usual place where he would go for a cup of tea or a muffin.
Trebass led Royal Flush to Sugar Cube Corner, it took them about fifteen minutes to arrive at their destination. Lights could be seen in the top floor window, but the shop itself was closed. A flight of stairs led up to what looked like living quarters on the top floor.
"Well, we're here. Enjoy your stay in Ponyville." Trebass spoke quickly, then attempted to walk away. But he was stopped, by a hoof grabbing his arm.
Royal Flush kissed him softly on the cheek, "Thanks for the escort. See you later okay?" She said quickly as she trotted into Sugar Cube Corner. Trebass put his hoof to his cheek, and walked over to a nearby bench.
"Looks like I won't need this anymore..." He spoke to himself. He pulled a revolver from his jacket's inside pocket, walked over to an adjacent trashcan and tossed the firearm inside.
Trebass' vision was blurred, as he attempted to open his eyes. He stood up from his bed and looked outside the window. The sun was just rising, and the birds chirped a merry tune that livened his spirits. The calender read, "June 15", The day after he had met Royal Flush, and the day he had gotten in a fight with Shock Bolt. He looked around the room. Cardboard boxes were littered over the floor, his hat was hanging from a bedside lamp, and his guitar case stood in the dark corner. Trebass walked out the back door which revealed the sun shining on his brow. A cool breeze sailed through his mane, and the sound of fillies playing could be heard.
Even though Trebass had already graduated college, he felt as if school had ended for him; and summer had begun. A small grin crept onto his face as ran inside, grabbed his hat and sunglasses, and charged out the door again. He stopped midway through the door and glanced at his guitar case. It looked lonely for a strange reason, so he grabbed the handle and ran outside into the sun. He walked down the busy streets of Ponyville. The chattering and laughing of ponies seemed to brighten up Trebass' day even more. For once in his life, he felt so happy that he could jump for joy.
Trebass made his way to Sugar Cube Corner, but he was stopped by familiar voice coming from the room Royal Flush was staying.
"Ugh! I told you I don't want to talk to you right now. Just leave me alone for a while okay?" The voice sounded peaceful, yet violent at the same time.
"It must be her." Trebass chuckled to himself.
The sound of a door slamming echoed through the street. Shock Bolt walked down the outside staircase, his head hanging low.
Trebass took cover behind a food cart, not wanting the pegasus to see him. After all, it would not be wise to speak with somepony that you had just humiliated a night before. Trebass waited for Shock Bolt to pass, then he trotted up to where Royal Flush was staying. He knocked on the door three times before somepony answered.
A pink mare popped from the crack in the door, "Go away! She said she didn't want to ta-" The pony cut herself off.
"May I speak with Royal Flush?" Trebass asked politely, regardless of the fact that he had been mistaken and scolded.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were... Um never mind. I'll let her know you're here. I'm Pinkie Pie the way! Nice to meet you!" The pink mare's persona changed mid-sentence as she introduced herself. She trotted back inside to notify Royal Flush of Trebass' presence.
"She's as perky as always..." Trebass muttered to himself. He assumed that Pinkie Pie was the "friend" Royal Flush referred to the night before.
"Hello?" A peaceful beautiful voice paralyzed Trebass. Royal Flush popped her head through door, as her eyes met with Trebass. "Oh! You're that unicorn who helped me last night! I didn't catch your name." She asked for his name.
"I'm Trebass, one hit wonder, at your service." Trebass introduced himself jokingly. "You must be Royal Flush correct?"
"Um... Yes, but I don't remember giving you my name. How do you know who I am?" She asked, puzzled.
"Oh, Shock Bolt told me." Trebass replied.
Royal Flush suddenly became silent. A frown had crept onto her face as she let out a deep sigh.
Trebass had quickly realized his mistake. Royal Flush had gotten mad at Shock Bolt the night before, and minutes before Trebass had arrived at her door. He immediately changed the subject.
"Would you like a tour of Ponyville? You just arrived yesterday right?" Trebass offered.
Royal Flush accepted with an, "Okay!" her perky voice raised the mood of the conversation. As they walked down the staircase together, the day seemed even brighter to Trebass. He knew, this was the start of a great friendship. And perhaps even more.
Chapter 6: A Sloppy Robbery
Trebass led Royal Flush around Ponyville for the entire afternoon. They visited restaurants, shops and even Sweet Apple Acres. The two stopped by a cafe for a break, Trebass ordered a cup of tea while Royal Flush ordered a coffee. Royal Flush shared her stories of Las Haygas, how she was a regular gambler back in the city. Trebass enjoyed hearing about all the casinos she had worked and played at.
The time passed quickly, and before they knew it, the sun had begun to set. They passed a night cafe on their way back to Sugar Cube Corner. One of the signs in the window said "Open Mic Night".
"Hey, maybe you could play me a song up there?" Royal Flush asked her new unicorn friend.
Trebass wondered if that was the greatest idea or not. His guitar was hanging on his back, it seemed like it was beckoning him to play it.
He decided that he would give it a shot. They both walked in and sat down at a table. Trebass set his guitar on the adjacent seat next to him. He sat across from Royal Flush so they could both have a clear view of the stage.
"I'll be right back, I need to go freshen up." Royal Flush politely excused herself as she trotted over to the little filly's room.
Out of the corner of his eye, Trebass thought he saw a familiar face leaning on a wall across the room. But a crowd of ponies blocked his vision.
Ponies drifted on and off the stage. Singers, Comedians and ponies with other talents amazed Trebass. Royal Flush returned from washroom and sat down next to Trebass. The unicorn was about to go on stage, but a large crash stopped him in his tracks.
The crash was followed by a gunshot. The noise echoed from the outside into the cafe. Ponies gasped, screamed, and panicked. The entrance door swung open, and a stallion with a black ski mask walked in. The colt had a black mane and grayish skin.
"EVERYONE, HOOVES ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" The stranger commanded.
All the ponies in the cafe obeyed the strange pony. All but one, Trebass remained standing.
"I said, HOOVES ABOVE YOUR HEAD!" The stranger commanded again, while pointing the gun at Trebass.
"What are you doing?!" Royal Flush whispered loudly, she hid under a table.
Trebass ignored the warnings and vaulted over the table then rushed towards the stranger.
A loud bang echoed through the room, as the stranger fell on his knees.
Trebass had a gun pointed at the already dead colt.
Chapter 7: An Incident With an Instrument
The sound of sirens began to gradually get louder and louder, until they came to a sudden halt. Police officers drifted in one by one. They instructed the civilians to remain still as they began to clear the rooms. It didn't take long for things calm down, as the police officers drifted out. The cafe acted like nothing had happened, regardless of the fact that a colt was killed about twenty minutes ago.
"I guess nows a good time for that song huh?" Royal Flush asked jokingly.
Trebass' only caught part of what she had said, since he had been traumatized of the fact that he practically killed another pony with his own hooves. He had never shot a gun before, he only kept his revolver around for defence. Since Ponyville was a safe area, it was the first time he had ever used his firearm.
"Hellooo?" Royal Flush poked Trebass' chest repeatedly.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, the song..." Trebass snapped out of his trance, and took his guitar to the stage. He sat on the stool, and adjusted the microphone, "This song is for that special mare out there" He spoke into the microphone. He could see Royal Flush smiling and blushing, while staring at the ground. This gave him confidence, enough to sing to all of Ponyville.
He began to strum on his guitar. But the moment his hooves touched it, the strings broke. The audience whispers could be heard throughout the cafe. Giggles echoed through Trebass' ears. He fell from the stool onto his hooves and knees. His breathing began to intensify, sweat traveled down his neck, and his eyes were wide open.
"Shut up...." He whispered to himself quietly. The crowd kept giggling, and laughing.
"Shut... Up..." He whispered to himself again, except this time slightly louder. The crowd couldn't hear his quiet, yet violent, voice.
He stood up with fury in his eyes. "JUST SHUT UP!" He screamed at the top of his lungs and pulled his revolver from his vest.
The crowd screamed as everypony dropped to the floor. The screams turned into quiet whimpering and crying. Royal Flush was the only pony who seemed to hold back her tears. The silence was broken by an insane laughter coming from the stage. Royal Flush peeked from behind her chair to see a horrific sight. Trebass had his revolver pointed at his own head, his eyes bloodshot, and a mad smile on his face.
"Haha.. It's all over! Who's laughing now?! Haha.. haha.." Trebass sounded mental, crazed and sick in the head; all at once.
"STOP!" Royal Flush cried out. She tried to move towards him, but Trebass' revolver snapped towards her.
"DON'T MOVE! You never liked him, you never cared about him. Your just using him! Haha! That's it, isn't it?!" Trebass sounded like a lunatic.
Royal Flush didn't know whether Trebass was referring to himself, or somepony else when he said "Him"
Suddenly, a blue blur appeared from the corner of the room and tackled Trebass off of the stage. The sudden burst of movement was followed by a loud bang. Which was also followed by a loud crash from above. In all the confusion, Trebass had accidentally shot the ceiling lamp; which had shattered into many shards of glass which luckily missed the ponies standing under it. Trebass' assaulter was in clear sight now, but his face was hidden by a helmet. The helmet was golden plated and attached to the two pieces of armour wrapped around the wings of his foe. The masked pegasus began to punch Trebass repeatedly, until a sudden outburst stopped the fight.
"ENOUGH!" Royal Flush grabbed the mysterious pony by the wings and tore him from the half-unconscious Trebass.
"I can't believe you two!" She glared at both of them. Trebass lay on the floor, with blood dripping from his nose. And the other colt, stood as straight as a ruler with his armour on.
"And take off that stupid mask Shock Bolt!" She yelled at the masked colt, revealing his identity.
The blue pegasus removed his mask and his wing armour, to reveal that it was indeed Shock Bolt behind facade.
"What's your problem?!" Trebass yelled at Shock Bolt.
"You attacked a lady! That's why!" Shock Bolt returned the shout with vigor.
"Ugh! I can't take this anymore!" Royal Flush stormed out of the cafe, furious.
Trebass reached out to Royal, but he felt a blunt object smashing on the back of his head. He fell chin first into the wooden floor. A blue figure, which was likely Shock, began to chase the furious mare. Trebass' vision began to blur, then eventually turned to black.
Trebass awoke to the sounds of the birds chirping outside, and the nearby radio that was playing music. A pony in a white outfit held a clipboard beside the bed that he lay on. The ceiling, walls, and floor tiles were all white. He assumed that he was in a hospital of some sort, but he could not remember the events of last night clearly. He attempted to get up from the bed, but a large pain in his head knocked him back down. He put his hoof to his head and noticed a piece of cloth wrapped around it.
"Easy there. Try not to move okay?" The nurse said, patting him on the shoulder.
Trebass looked up, and caught a glimpse of the nurse. She had Royal's face! But the moment she turned away he noticed that it wasn't her, she had a surgical needle for a cutie mark and her mane was black. He began to see Royal's face everywhere he looked. The ceiling fan, the swinging doors, even other ponies around him seemed to have her face. Soon, the mirages began to fade away as Trebass was blinded by a bright light shined right in his eye. The light moved away to reveal a pony in a white lab coat and glasses. The words that the pony was speaking were muffled, but it sounded like he was asking him something. The pony in the white coat spoke to the nurse behind him and took a needle from the nearby table. Trebass panicked, he didn't agree with needles at all.
He glanced over to table beside him, a tray with food lay there. He quickly grabbed the tray and threw it in the air. The food on the tray went in all directions and created quite a distraction. Trebass leaped out of his bed and rushed towards the door. He rammed through the door and down the hallway. Occasionally, he stumbled trying to run away but eventually reached a flight of stairs. He ran down to the first floor, a pony stood in his way.
The stranger wore a black mask, he had black and red wings that blocked Trebass' path down the stairs.
"Quick! This way!" The stranger shouted.
Trebass nodded, and followed him. The stranger led him to a large door that opened into a blinding sun. Trebass shielded his eyes from the bright light. He looked back, and realized that he was in a hospital the entire time. Trebass had stirred up quite a commotion, the shouts and yells of ponies could be heard from inside. The stranger and Trebass fled the scene into a nearby alley.
The two arrived at a suburban house. The two walked up to the door, and the stranger took a key from his jacket and unlocked it.
Trebass wasn't quite sure why he was following the stranger, but he had no choice. He had no other place to go, as the area he was in was unfamiliar to him. They both entered the house. It looked like any ordinary house. They sat down in a dining area, the stranger took off his mask.
"I can't leave you alone for five minutes can I?" The stranger revealed his face. His face was black, and his mane was black and red. It was Alexander.
"I had a feeling it was you." Trebass said.
Alexander stood up and walked over to the kitchen counter behind him and began to pour some coffee into two mugs. He placed both mugs on the table.
"You have some explaining to do. And make it quick, you're not exactly out of the woods just yet." Alexander said as he sipped his coffee.
"What do you mean?" Trebass asked.
"You pulled a gun out in public Trebass, do you think the police won't get involved?" Alexander explained.
Trebass sighed, "There's something I need to tell you, but you can't tell anypony. Understand?"
Alexander nodded.
Trebass put his coffee down, "I'm.... Different, from other ponies."
Alexander spoke up, "We're all different Trebass, but we're all ponies aren't we?"
Trebass shook his head, "There's.... Somepony else... Living in me."
Alexander's eyes widened, but allowed Trebass to continue explaining.
"He... doesn't have a physical form of his own, so he uses mine."
Alexander thought to himself, "This sounds so far fetched. But I've heard and seen stranger things in my time..."
Trebass continued, "He's a mental persona that takes over my body when my emotions become unstable."
"Unstable?" Alexander raised his eyebrow.
"I don't know how he's doing it, or where he came from. But I can somehow nullify his actions with alcohol." Trebass explained.
Alexander sipped his coffee again before speaking again, "That explains why you're always at the bar whenever I see you."
Trebass didn't share Alexander's humour. "I just wish I could get rid of him somehow, he's been causing too much pain around me..."
Alexander stood up from his chair and walked over to a display cabinet.
He placed his hoof on a photo of a frame, then twisted it to the right. A loud rumbling echoed through the house. Then, out of nowhere, a passageway appeared in the wall.
"I think I have a solution to your problem , and it's just beyond here." Alexander tilted his head towards the passageway.
Trebass knew Alexander long enough to trust him. He always noticed Alexander doing strange things, but never thought anything of it. The two walked down a long dimly lit corridor. The ceiling, walls, and floor were made of metal; which caused their hoof steps to echo back and forth. Trebass walked quietly with his friend, until suddenly.
"Oof!" Trebass exclaimed, falling backwards.
He had walked straight into a vault door. Embarrassed, he stood up in front of it. Alexander placed his hoof on a glowing pad next to the door. A light blue line trailed down the pad and down his hoof. Trebass was confused, he had never seen anything like this before.
The line of light faded away, and the vault door began to vibrate. OSmoke began to emerge from the door as it opened slowly. A loud scraping could be heard from the door's metal surface. The smoke cleared, and the inside of a large room could be seen. Trebass didn't believe his eyes, the room was like nothing he had ever imagined. A large computer stood in the middle of the room. Pipes stretched across room from wall to wall. And a strange velvet chair stood in a glass box that sat next to the computer.
"What is this place? Trebass asked with his jaw hanging open.
"This, is my laboratory. I do most of my work and research here." Alexander replied.
"What's that glass box over there?" Trebass asked, pointing towards the box.
"That, my friend, is the EyeGlass . It's my own invention that I've been trying to test out. And you'll be my first pony subject. Let's hope it helps us figure out the origins of... Um..." Alexander attempted to find a word to describe Trebass' other persona.
"Bable, that's the name I gave him when he first started appearing when I was younger." Trebass explained.
"Ah, well then... This machine allows us to travel to any point in time and any point in space." Alexander continued.
"But how is it supposed to help me with Bable ?" Trebass asked.
"If we can travel to any point in space, then we should be able to travel into your mental subconscious. Presumably." Alexander replied, sounding unsure of himself.
The two walked over to the computer, and Alexander began to type something into the keyboard that was connected to the computer screen. He asked Trebass to sit down in the velvet chair. Trebass was skeptical at first, but agreed eventually. The glass box had a small door on the side that opened up automatically. Trebass was fascinated by the advanced technology that lined the walls in this strange room. Alexander entered the glass box, holding what looked like a metal bowl. The metal bowl had strange antennae jutting out of it with glowing lights on the end of them. He put them on Trebass' head, the unicorn had been friends with Alexander long enough to trust him. Alexander left the glass box and closed the door behind him.
"So how's this going to work?" Trebass asked, with the metal bowl on his head.
"Well, the EyeGlass is going to disappear from this room. Then well... After that I'm not too sure. The only thing I know for sure is that wherever the Eyeglass reappears, it's sure to return to this room after a certain amount of time. So be sure to be on it when it leaves. Oh! I forgot to give you this." Alexander entered the Eyeglass again and handed Trebass what looked like a watch.
"This is the M.A.S.T. , it stands for Micro Analyzer of Space and Time. This little gadget will tell you when the Eyeglass is about to leave, where you are in time or space, and it also includes some helpful applications that might assist you if things go wrong." Alexander left the glass box and returned to computer outside.
Trebass started to doubt this entire endeavour, but he was desperate. Bable had ruined his life in a single night. Trebass wanted him out. Immediately.
Alexander placed a pair of goggles around his eyes.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
Trebass simply nodded, as he wrapped the M.A.S.T. around his hoof.
Alexander typed something into the computer, Trebass didn't understand what any of it meant.
The black and red pegasus reached for a lever near the computer, took one last glance at Trebass, then pulled it down.
Sparks flew from the Eyeglass rapidly, Trebass clenched his teeth and snapped his eyes shut, and then... The Eyeglass was gone. It had vanished from the room entirely. Alexander removed his goggles and sat down on a wooden chair that was placed near the computer. He reached over to a night stand nearby and took a cup of tea from it's plate.
He slowly sipped his tea, awaiting the return of his best friend.
**To Be Continued**
A tall doctor walked through the pub door and two nurse ponies followed him, both were wheeling a stretcher behind them. The pony trotted over to Royal Flush, who was still unconscious. He pushed Trebass to the side and began to inspect Royal Flush. It was clear that this pony was the doctor that Berry Punch had called. He wore a white lab coat, a pair of glasses, a cane and unamused look on his face.
Trebass frowned, but the doctor didn't seem to notice. The doctor, after thoroughly inspecting Royal Flush, stood up and asked one of the nurses to return the stretcher back into the ambulance. He then looked to Berry Punch, and then back to Royal Flush.
"It seems like one of your special drinks has sent this mare into a coma. I suggest she gets some rest and plenty of liquids in her body. It's nothing serious, she should be awake in about an hour or two. But when she does wake up, I suggest she avoid your drinks for a while." The doctor instructed the ponies, then walked out without another word.
"It's my fault she's like this... I should have stopped her." Shock Bolt blamed only himself for this tragedy.
Alex and Trebass looked at each other, confused and puzzled. But they eventually sat down at the counter to order drinks.
Shock Bolt turned around with a furious look printed on his face.
"How can you just walk away from her like that?! She is a lady, and should be treated like one!" The blue Pegasus barked at the two colts at the counter.
Trebass placed his mug down, "You heard the doc, she'll be fine. At least until she wakes up." he said sarcastically while waving his hoof in the air.
Alexander's eyes widened, as did Berry Bunch and Shock Bolt's.
"How could you say something like that?! Such rudeness towards a la-" Shock Bolt was cut off by Trebass.
"A Lady?! Who gives a flying feather about the lady?! She's playing you like a lyre you idiot!" Trebass shouted at the enraged Shock Bolt.
The entire pub went silent as everypony paused to stare at the white unicorn. Berry Punch continued to clean glasses, still unfazed. Alexander looked around at the staring crowd. The sound of teeth grinding could be heard from Shock Bolt's mouth. Raindrops dripped and dropped onto the window, while thunder occasionally struck outside. The pegasus stood up and carried Royal Flush to the back room, where Trebass had stored his possessions.
Trebass turned his head to his drink, and resumed drinking.
"Are you alright?" Alexander asked worryingly. He tried to place a hoof on Trebass' shoulder, but the unicorn shrugged it off.
Trebass glared at his friend, then stared back at his drink. Everypony had stopped staring at them and continued with their business.
Trebass sighed, and spoke in soft tone, "There's.... Something I should tell you..."
