One Last Bottle (One-Shot)
At The Bottom
Mineral Stomp watched from his serving bar at the last customer of the day drinking glass after glass of the strongest liquor bar had to offer. He watched at the clock behind him and saw it was almost one in the morning.
“Another bottle, please.”
His last customer, a purple dragon with green crest and two leathery wings on his back, called raising his eleventh bottle of the night.
With a sigh, the pale green coated unicorn with two shaded gray mane and tail used his magic to grab yet another bottle for the dragon.
Come on Mineral, this guy has to go and you have to get home. I hope this guy doesn’t get violent when I tell him, the tall and lanky unicorn thought arriving at the table where the lonely dragon sat.
“Thanks.” The dragon opened the bottle and served himself another glass. Mineral watched how the dragon drank it all in one single gulp. “You’re the owner of this bar, right?”
“That I am. The Stinky Sinkhole has been mine for twenty years now.”
“Good place. Nice decoration, pleasant service, the bathrooms are clean and smell fresh, the beverage is top quality. I think I’ll come back here real soon.” The dragon served himself another glass.
“Thank you, sir. I do my best to keep my bar in top conditions.” Mineral said beaming with pride at the meaningful compliments.
“Care to take a seat and join me? I see you’re ready to close, and once I finish this bottle I’ll pay and go.”
Mineral looked at his two remaining employees dusting the tables and putting away the chairs before replying. “Glad to serve you company, sir.”
“The name is Spike, by the way.” Spike said serving the stallion a glass for him.
“Wait. You’re that Spike? As in the hero of the Crystal Empire? The Ambassador of Equestria? The Guardian of the Elements of Harmony?”
“Yup.” Spike said pulling a pendant with the insignia of his mother’s cutie mark. “No need make a fuss about it. I’m just another customer now.”
“I-I see.” Marble cleared his throat. “Sir Spike-”
“Just Spike is fine, Mineral, was it? I recall one of the waitresses calling you by that name.”
“Uhhh, yes, Si-...Spike. My name is Mineral Stomp.”
“Pleased to meet you.” Spike said offering a fangy smile. He then drank his glass.
Mineral, on the other hoof, couldn’t help but stare at the dragon that was a couple of inches taller than him. He then looked at the bottles and then to Spike again.
“Spike, if you don’t mind me saying this, but I think you’ve had enough. I don’t know how you’re still conscious, in fact. Anypony would be hospitalized after drinking that much.”
Spike chuckled. “No need to worry about me, Mineral. I’m a dragon, my metabolism makes me practically immune to alcohol and drugs in general.”
Mineral did a double take. “You mean to tell me you can drink as much as you want and not get drunk?” Spike nodded. “Damn son, wish I had dragon endurance!” Mineral laughed before drinking half of his glass.
“I’ll drink to that.” Spike said serving himself another glass. After he drank it he put the glass to the side.
Mineral eyed him for several moments as Spike looked at the bottle intently before drinking straight from it.
“Mare problems, huh?” Mineral asked nonchalantly before drinking the rest of his glass.
“That obvious?” Spike asked putting the bottle down.
“Sonny boy, in this bar of mine I have seen everything and have heard every story and listened to every reason why somepony tries to find an answer and consolation at the bottom of a bottle that is empty at the end. And let me tell you, by the way you look and how much you’ve drank there are only three possible reasons for it. Bits, job, and mares; there’s no way around it.”
“The first one I ruled out once since you told me who you are, and I doubt the second is the reason. So that only leaves the third cause. Mare problems.”
“Bingo.” Spike said taking a quick sip out of the bottle.
“Hey, I may not look like it, and I sure am no doctor or anything, but I can hear you out if you want. I’ve learned in this here bar of mine that many are just looking for somepony to listen to them, to get an answer or at least an advice.”
Spike frowned staring at the bottle for several silent seconds before he took a long sip out of it. Once he was done, he let out a loud sigh and turned his attention to Mineral.
“I’m in love with a mare, yes. She’s the most gorgeous, awestrucking, beautiful mare in all of Equis. Not just on the outside, but inside as well. Her soul and her spirit are the most precious gems in my life. We’ve known each other for years and we trust each other with our lives.” Spike stopped to twirl the bottle with his claws. “But we have a...difficult relationship.”
Mineral sat patiently for the dragon to continue. Here he was hoping to hear the same tale many told about a crush, or worse, an obsession, but here was a dragon that described something that was real and mutual. Something that he had heard or seen so rarely before.
“We’ve shared the warmth of our bodies multiple times. Each time I gaze into her blue sapphire eyes I can feel the world around us come to a halt. Each time I kiss her lips I can feel my heart soar through the heavens. Hearing her angelic voice when we talk makes me relax. And when I hold her close, be it with a hug or just holding her hoof, I can feel our very souls touching.”
“I love her with all my heart, and I know she knows how I feel. I know she feels the same way about me, and she knows I know how she feels.” Spike looked at the bottle for a second or two before looking at Mineral again. “We want to be together, but...but we can’t…” Spike said taking a long gulp from the bottle. “If we were then...then the consequences would be terrible.”
“That’s bull manure right there.” Mineral said ending with an angry neigh. “If you two are worried about what everypony else might think about you being from different species, then you don’t deserve each other. I’ve seen plenty of ponies marrying nowadays to griffons, donkeys, zebras, diamond dogs, and changelings. Hay, I think there are two that married dragons right here in Manehattan. So that ain’t an excuse, sonny boy.”
Spike smiled. “I couldn’t give a parasprite about that, Mineral. Neither would she. But the ramifications would still be pretty,” he looked at the window. “Steep.”
“Let me guess, her family is the problem?” Mineral crossed his forelegs.
“Her dad and I like to go fishing together. I often assist her mom when she goes shopping. And her little sister and I are also good friends. I think they would be happy for us.”
“Then your family perhaps?” Mineral asked raising an eyebrow.
“I like to think they would be happy for us.” Spike said with a sad smile. “But under current circumstances I doubt they would.
“...” Mineral stared at the purple dragon for several moments, unable to come up with anything relative or helpful to say. “I don’t get it, the way you describe things it sounds like you two have a pretty nice thing going on. What’s the problem then? Bits?”
“Bits are not the problem. I can easily provide for her and more, but her career would be forever stained and potentially ruined. That’s not something I want her to go through.” He took a sip out of the bottle.
“Ah right, forgot who I was speaking to for a moment there.” Mineral sighed rubbing the back of his head. “Well hay sonny boy, this is the first time somepony has told me something like that. I have no idea what to say, he he. Guess I ain’t old enough to be a know-it-all guru!”
“You’re doing a fine job if you ask me, Mineral.”
“Well then, if bits, species, society, and family ain’t the problem, then what is? If you don’t mind me asking.”
Spike closed his eyes for a moment taking in a deep breath. He exhaled from his mouth before re-opening his eyes half-way.
“I know for a fact, that right this moment, in this very city, she’s in bed with another stallion.”
A creeping silence fell between them. Mineral was stunned while Spike drank the last of his bottle.
“H-How can you be so calm then? This mare, whoever she is, can’t be worth the pain she’s causing you. Especially with the way you feel for her.” Mineral whispered looking at the table.
Spike let out a mirthless chuckle. “Pain? No. There’s no pain.”
Mineral looked at his face trying to face any trace of anger but didn’t found any. “You ain’t planning on doing something you might regret now, do you Spike?”
“I plan to head back to my suite and eat ice-cream until I pass out. Future Spike will regret it, not me.” He said with a playful smirk. “Then I plan to invite her for brunch. I haven’t seen her in almost an entire month.” Spike got up, and after a quick stretch he turned to see Mineral looking at him with pity. “How much do I owe you?”
“Seven hundred bits.” Mineral said automatically. He then watched how Spike breathed fire on his palm. A few seconds later the fire was gone and on his palm now rested a pouch of bits.
“Keep the change, for your time.” Spike placed the pouch on the table before turning to leave.
“Spike, wait.” Mineral called causing said dragon to halt. “I don’t know you, or your dream mare. But if she goes around sleeping with other stallions behind your back, I think she ain’t worth the love you give her.”
Spike closed his eyes and smiled. “She only sleeps with that other stallion she is with right now.”
“But she still does it behind your back. She’s betraying your trust and your love! That means you aren’t as special as you think you are to her if she so openly runs off with that stallion.” Mineral lamented having nothing better to say or do for the poor dragon.
“Mineral. That other stallion?” Spike opened his eyes. “Is her husband.”
Once more, Mineral was stunned by the words of Spike.
“I don’t drink because I feel pain. I drink because I feel happy to see her again.” Spike opened the main door of the bar before looking back at the frozen Mineral, and the two other ponies that had heard their entire conversation in a similar state. “Have a good night.”
The door was closed and the bell chimed.
“I think I need a drink.” Mineral said while his two remaining employees agreed.
End.
Author's Note
Special thanks to everyone that read this!
If anyone whishes to help me edit it, please PM me.
This idea was suggested by a good friend of mine and I couldn't get it out of my head. So, here it is. Enjoy it pal.
