The Pub of Chaos

I sat on one of the bar stools and watched my work done with a mixture of relief and pride. Finally, I had finished decorating the pub, and was ready to open it to the public.

But maybe you’re asking yourself, who the hell am I and why am I here? Well, the first question is simple: My name is Bourbon Maverick, I'm a psychologist and I'm twenty eight years old.

Maybe you're wondering: But didn't you say you just opened a pub? What kind of psychologist are you? Exactly, the truth is that, although I’m in fact a psychologist, I don't like to practice psychology in a conventional way. I've always thought that it is in pubs, taverns and bars, where people usually open more to tell their experiences and their sorrows. These are places that many people consider a second home, a place where they can be themselves without anyone demanding anything in change except paying their drinks and don’t brawling.

Ok, I must admit that I also feel more comfortable in an environment where I can drink a pint of beer or a glass of whiskey if I feel overwhelmed. The truth is that the consultations have always seemed cold places to me, where you don't get to empathize with the patient or really know him.

In the end, we all win with this investment. Long as I get regular customers, and they help me pay my bills with their drinks.

Another cool stuff is live music. I started to look proudly at the stage that I had set up in the hope that over time the customers could enjoy bands of different styles.

I think that answers the questions, although, if I'm honest, I could answer the second one a little more concretely. The truth is that if I'm here, in my empty pub doing nothing, it's because I'm waiting for a girl. No, it's not a date, it's a girl who answered the "Waitress Needed" ad that I put not long ago. A young woman with a lovely voice answered and she seemed kind enough to give her a chance. Now, she just needed to be punctual...

Suddenly someone knocked on the door three times, I went to see who it was, and I came across a young girl, she probably was my age, with red and yellow hair and turquoise eyes.

"Hi, I came for the waitress job," she told me with a smile.

"Sure, come in..." I moved aside from the door and let her pass. I didn’t know why, but that girl sounded pretty familiar to me...

I led her to a seat at one of the tables near the bar and offered her something to drink. She rejected it kindly, good sign, if she refuses to drink under these circumstances, she is less likely to serve herself drinks regularly at work.

I sat in front of her and started interviewing her...

"Well, what's your name miss?"

"My name is Sunset Shimmer." That was when the memories came back to me like a bucket of cold water. That girl was the biggest meanie of Canterlot High School, a girl who stood out for two things mainly: she was hot as Hell and she had the whole school eating from the palm of her hand, but the funny thing is that due to her attitude she was hated and feared at the same time.

I studied in the Canterlot High until one day I had to leave for personal reasons. I finished high school in the land of my grandparents, Lyreland, and I finished my studies of psychology in Manehattan. When I left college I returned to Canterlot. I could not believe that the girl who made everyone's lifes impossible was here asking for a job.

"And what kind of experience do you have in the world of hostelry?" I asked, I wanted to continue the interview to see what happens.

"Well, I worked in a sushi restaurant, and I also worked in a cafeteria to pay for my physics studies." Wow, she studied physics... which somehow it didn’t surprise me. What I knew about Sunset Shimmer was that she was certainly a very intelligent girl. In those days she had been able to manipulate the principal and the vice principal with her silver tongue, so I’ve always imagined her in the world of politics. Thou, with an awake and calculating mind like hers, a science career really fits on her.

"Interesting... do you mind if we do a test?" Yes, I wanted to see her in action, but I would be lying if I did not want to take her to my field. Once at the bar I told her to stand behind it while I sat on one of the stools. "Well, could you give me a Lyrish Car Bomb?"

"Yes, right away." Her enthusiasm surprised me, ordering that drink was not very common. I indicated her where the stout tap was, and she took out a pint glass and filled it halfway. The technique wasn't very good, but being fair, serving stout was not quite easy. After letting it rest, she rummaged through my things and took out a shot glass and a bottle of Lyrish Cream and Whiskey and poured the contents into the cup and put the glass in the beer. "There you got." She poured me the beer with a gentle smile and I answered the same way. Was she really the same bully from Canterlot High?

"It's not bad," I said after taking a sip. "Not many people know this recipe."

"I know, it turns out that an old friend of mine knows it well." She answered, and if my memory did not fail me, I think I could tell who that friend was.

"By any chance, is she Lyra Heartstrings?" I asked openly, and she looked at me rather surprised.

"Yes, do you know Lyra?" She asked me.

"Well, yes, and actually, I know you too." I said after having another sip of my beer, Sunset's expression changed, as if she had suddenly seen a ghost. "If I tell you the truth, I'm not surprised you don’t remember me."

"Uh... who are you?" Her tone of voice was defensive, maybe she wasn’t scared, but certainly she was very surprised.

"My name is Bourbon Maverick, I used to go to Canterlot High like you until I left; ten years later and here I am, back to this city. Anyway, it's normal that you don’t remember me, I lost contact with most of my friends when I left. I don't know if they even remember me either." Sad but true, deep inside I hoped for they remembered me but I wasn't very sure about that...

"Tell me one thing, you left before what happened at the fall formal, right?" She asked to me, I couldn't understand what the Fall Formal has to do with all these, but I just nodded. "You see... that night, something happened, and some people showed me all the bad things I did and that there were most important things in life, but mostly, that I was alone, friendless... I know that for many years I was the worst person who stepped on Canterlot High, and even today, there’s no day that I don’t regret for the evil that I caused, but I can assure you that I'm not the same as before. My past no longer conditions me."

"You know? People tend to judge someone by their past actions, if you cause suffering to an entire high school for years, people won't easily forget it." I explained.

"Yes, but people have already forgiven me for my actions. In those days I let myself be dominated by excessive ambition and I did not realize that there were more important things. And thanks to six girls that I have the luck to call my best friends, now I can say that I am a better person." In that story I could distinguish one clear thing, and that was loneliness. Lonely people who lack empathy for human beings, end up developing a Napoleon Complex that leads them to think that they deserve more than what they already have. If Sunset Shimmer managed to overcome that complex thanks to some good friends, I take my hat off before them. "I'm sorry that you haven't been there to see that change, but if I caused you pain in high school, I only want to tell you that I'm sorry, I'd better go now."

Sunset left the bar and headed towards the door. In another time I would have let her go, but I couldn't help but see sincerity in her words. That manipulative and false Sunset I knew from high school was clearly not this kind and gentle girl who was clearly repented for her past actions. "Wait, Sunset..." I finished the beer in one gulp and she looked at me waiting for an answer. "I'm sorry I've assaulted you in this way, I just wanted to get to know you a little better and find out why you didn’t look like that bully girl I remembered. The work is yours if you want it."

She smiled at me tenderly. "Thank you Bourbon, listen, I will compensate you for any bad memory of the past; trust me, and I will make this pub the most popular place in Canterlot City."

I laughed at the occurrence of Sunset, I did not know if it was because of her enthusiasm or because there was real conviction in his words. Maybe I should add to her profile too enthusiastic. "Ok, if you get it, believe me there will be nothing from the past that I could reproache you..."

Boy, I surely underestimated Sunset, and I couldn’t be happier about it. The activity in social networks and word of mouth worked wonders. At the inauguration I had a pub full of people, and best of all, I met with my old classmates whom I hadn’t seen for at least ten years.

Lyra was the first to greet me, she started to embrace me very happy and turns out that she lives in the same building as me. She was sharing an apartment with Bon Bon, another girl from high school. They where very close friends, too close if you ask me, but hey! I don't like to get involve in other's lifes, unless they pay me for it. I was very happy to see them and I even invited them for a couple of beers. There was also Flash Sentry, who was a good fella, and, as far as I remember, he was Sunset's boyfriend back then. On the other way there was that self-centered girl who played guitar and did magic tricks and always spoke in third person, Trixie Lulamoon.

But those who I was more excited to see again were Big Mac and his sister Applejack. Some time ago, while still living in this city, I used to spend time with Big Mac and even helped him and his sisters with the chores on them farm. That kind of thing united us a lot, at least until I had to leave...

Both, Applejack and her friends, turned out to be also Sunset's best friends. There they were: Pinkie Pie, the greatest party girl on High School and responsible for almost all the festive events; Rainbow Dash, the best athlete we could have had at Canterlot High; Rarity, one of the most gorgeous and popular girls back then, so much that a lot of guys simply considered her unattainable; Fluttershy, the shiest girl I’ve ever seen, but she was truly a beauty and she had a heart that didn't fit in her chest. The one I didn't recognize was that girl with purple hair and glasses, Sunset introduced her to me as Twilight Sparkle and told me that she had been moved from Crystal Prep. If she came from that hoity toity high school obsessed with competition and being superior in everything, she couldn’t be squeaky clean; but once again I was wrong, and that is not a phrase I say very often; that Twilight was not only kind and easygoing but also extremely intelligent, she had studied physics, chemistry and engineering. Boy! She was a nerd!

While I opened a bottle of beer to celebrate the triumph, I saw someone approaching the bar. It was Big Mac.

"Hey Partner! This night is a success." He said as he raised his longneck to toast with me, to which I accepted smiling.

"I owe it to Sunset Shimmer. Geez, if they tell me in high school that my business would depend on the hands of the biggest meanie, I would laugh in their faces."

"Eeyup." Big Mac replied as laconically as always. "But you have to keep in mind that you've spent many years out, and Sunset Shimmer has changed a lot, and for the best."

I turned my head to the right and watched my new waitress chatting happily with her friends. I smiled slightly, thinking to myself how glad I was of being wrong at first with that girl. I stopped thinking about it and I kept talking with Big Mac.

"Well Mac, and what do you do now?"

"Ah opened a store to sell products made in Sweet Apple Acres."

"That's great, and do you have the store in the city?"

"Eeyup."

"So, you live here?"

"Nope."

I looked at Big Mac, surprised by his response.

"Are you still living on the farm?"

"Eeyup." Big Macintosh tone was a little bit concerned.

"Have you thought about moving to the town? You know, just for comfort." I asked my friend who put on a thoughtful expression.

"Yup, Ah once thought 'bout it, but it is difficult to find a rental that is in good and reliable conditions." He commented in a frustrated tone.

"Mac, don't look any further, I have a spare room in my apartment, it's right in the next building. Between us there is confidence and I'm not going to spend renting you either. What do you say? Do you see yourself capable of putting up with me as a roommate and landlord? "

Big Mac's face lit up and he answered me with a loud "Eeeeyup" to immediately we high five to seal the deal.

The rest of the night could be said to have gone by without any noticeable novelty. People drank, danced, chatted, flirted... you know, those things that people usually do in bars.

When it was time to close, Sunset and I stayed cleaning up a bit. After today, real work would come.

"Well, have I kept my promise or what?" The girl with flaming hair asked me with a sarcastic tone.

"Yes, you did what you promised indeed. I would say that with this I forgive you for all the shit in the past, but I would be lying to you." As I said this, the girl's expression changed, she seemed more sad than scared. “Actually, I forgave you the moment I hired you, but I appreciate that you could filling the pub."

After starting to laugh she laughed with me and poked me in the shoulder. "I have the feeling that you're going to be a bit of a bastard boss."

"Only sometimes." I replied with a smile.

In short, my first night with the open pub had been a success, I had hired a great waitress and already had a roommate. I was sure, everything was going to be fucking awesome from now on...

Fortunately, I was wrong...