Author's Note

After banging out chapter after chapter of Fiery Hair, Aqua Eyes, I got burnt out - extremely burnt out. As a creative reprieve, this was birthed. As you can see, the story isn't finished, but obviously, because it's more of a side project, it won't take precedent over my other story, nor will it be anywhere near as long.

As always, feedback is appreciated.

Hope you enjoy.

Whiskey

I swirled my cup, watching auburn-colored drink slosh around. In its reflection, my burgundy skin looked sickly: night after night without meaningful sleep took its toll, resulting in paler skin and dark circles under what had once been bright green eyes. While the whiskey in my system worked warmth throughout my body, the light flush of the skin did little to improve my appearance.

In this sense, this bar and I shared a lot of characteristics. The dimly lit establishment consisted of the bar counter, a single pool table, and a couple booths and tables dispersed around the room. A single, small TV silently displayed sports highlights, giving me the rare opportunity to see what my rainbow-haired acquaintance was up to nowadays. Sometimes, that one famous animal rescue organization commercial would play, and it'd include the scene of Fluttershy brushing a shivering terrier.

It was certainly better than checking the counter for any new cracks in the wood.

I sighed, downing the rest of my drink. Tipping the glass back, the liquid slid down my throat, leaving two ice cubes in the cup as I put it back down.

Like many drinks, snacks, and meals before, nothing. Not a hint of flavor, only the dryness in my mouth that always came after.

I knew what that entailed, but frankly, I didn't care.

"Oh my gosh, Professor Chaser?"

Rotating ever so slightly in my stool, I tilted my head over to the voice. Two young girls stood excitedly, lighting up when they realized they had correctly guessed my identity. They looked incredibly young, almost deserving a second I.D. check, but considering they knew who I was, they were likely at least college students. Still, the drinks in their hands contrasted immensely with their schoolgirl costumes.

I cleared my throat. "Yes, how can I help you two?"

"Oh, wow, it really is you!" She turned to her friend then back to me. "We're huge fans of your work."

"Thank you, though there's a lot of it out there, so you might wanna be more specific." We chuckled, and I waved over to the bartender. "Another whiskey, Shaken."

The second woman chimed in. "Banana daiquiri."

"Put it on my tab."

She cocked an eyebrow, but I stared back blankly, waving a dismissive hand.

"Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome." I turned to the other girl quizzically, but she politely waved my offer down. Instead, I gestured to the seats to my left, and they accepted my offer, pulling the rickety stools back and plopping onto them.

Spinning in my direction, the first one spoke. "If you don't mind me asking, what brings you around here?"

"Old people drink, too."

They giggled, though my deadpan also masked a certain level of sadness.

"I'm talking about this place. What brings you here in particular?"

I jerked a thumb back to the man mixing drinks. "Me 'n' Shaken Glass go back." Hearing his name, he glanced up, nodding in agreement once the words processed. Coming over to us, he slid another cup to me and a cocktail glass to the girl beside me.

"Too far back," he joked, smiling over at us.

I didn't feel compelled to return it, as was the norm.

"Actually, I don't believe I got your names."

"Oh!" The first one blushed. "My name's Petunia. Petunia Paleo."

"Apple Flora. Again, pleased to meet you," the second one said.

Nodding, I turned to my drink, taking a small sip. I knew that I wouldn't remember their names by the time I got home. That's how it went for everyone nowadays, but pretending to care had proven to be a valuable social habit.

"The pleasure's all mine," I lied. "I'm flattered that you two appreciate my work... though I hope it's not 'cause you plagiarized it."

Again, they giggled.

"No, seriously," the first one grinned, "I did a project on examining archeological evidence of magical organisms. The idea would've never even been considered if it wasn't for your paper proving all organisms are capable of some form of magic."

Raising an eyebrow, I gave the conversation more attention. "Oh, that paper? I wasn't even a major contributor."

"Really? You were one of the first names listed."

I winced. "Oh, right." Grabbing my cup again, I shrugged. "That was published years ago, so forgive my memory." Sipping again, I slipped into a bittersweet memory.

"Twilight, do you need anything?" Pulling the door handle and slowly pushing the door open, I peeked inside the office. Aside from the bookshelves lining every inch of the walls, two desks sat in the center of the room. In one, the purple girl typed away on her computer, word after word, paragraph after paragraph flowing from her fingers onto the screen. Then, with a huff, line after line was highlighted and disappeared before my eyes. Looking at the operator, I met her eyes. Behind those cute black glasses, though, exhaustion seeped out of those violet irises.

Sighing, she rubbed her neck. "More time."

I gave her a sad chuckle. Stepping into the room and plopping into the chair next to her. My arm went over her neck, and I pulled her closer to me. Closing my eyes, we relaxed in each other's presence, hoping this brief reprieve would provide her the energy to continue working.

"All I can offer is tea, coffee, or a snack," I joked.

Beside me, I heard a giggle. "I'll take tea, then." Lips pressed against my cheek. "Actually, define 'snack.'"

It was my turn to laugh. Opening my eyes, I returned her kiss, beaming at her. "We have all those pastries from when Pinkie visited the other day. Other than that," I played dumb, "I think we still have some tangerines."

"Never mind," she pouted.

"All in due time, Princess." Hearing her groan, I laughed, but I changed to a more serious topic. "Actually, though, how are you holding up?"

A sigh. "Not good. I've spent the past hour trying to condense all of the data on the magical capabilities of human, but I just can't find a good way to explain it. There's also the fact that Comet Tail wants to add another paper from Dr. Whooves, but we're already discussing so many other sources." She glanced over at me. "Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't been feeling weighed down like me."

I shrugged. "Maybe you just need to take a day or two off to recharge."

"I can't!" she protested. "We're supposed to submit the paper by next Friday, so I need to keep working. Otherwise, we might not make it by the deadline!" I felt a ragged breath come from her, so leaning back into my own chair, I looked at her.

"Just calm down, and take a breather."

Twilight stared back blankly.

"I'm serious, Twi. In and out. That's an order."

Rolling her eyes, she inhaled deeply, letting the air quietly leave her.

"How do you feel now?"

"Like I have a marginally higher level of oxygen in my bloodstream."

"Well, at least you aren't on the floor having a panic attack, so I'll take that." I stood up from my chair, beckoning her to follow me.

Wordlessly, I took her hand, pulling her into the bedroom. Stopping by the bed, I pulled the covers as Twilight watched silently. Suddenly, I yanked her hand to me, wrapping my arms around her. She squeaked in surprise but eventually settled into the embrace. However, after a moment, I pushed her off me, letting her land on the mattress with a yelp. Grabbing the unkempt layers of blankets and comforter, I threw them over the woman, carefully landing on top to keep her from escaping.

"Hey!" She gave a few futile attempts to shimmy out. "What gives?"

"Intervention," I smiled, playfully tapping her nose. I peeked over at the clock by the door. "You have to stay here for at least... two hours?"

"And if I don't?"

I feigned a sad smile, exhaling sharply. "I guess I'll have to sleep on the couch." Playing up the act, I hugged myself shyly, lip quivering. "After all, it'll be just as lonely as when you stay up working anyway." Eyes flickering up to her, I saw past the poker face, noting the flash of concern that briefly seeped through. While I always felt guilty using this threat, dangling the risk of sleeping separately worked without fail.

"Fine," she groaned. "Two hours. That's it."

Smiling, I got off the bed, delicately tucking her in. "Good. That's all I ask." Leaning over, I kissed her on the forehead, eliciting a giggle. Walking out the door, I closed it behind me, letting out a sigh of relief once it clicked shut. I rubbed my forehead, feeling the creases as I frowned. While the upcoming deadline seemed to stress Twilight beyond reason, it was true that I was mostly indifferent. Sure, it may because I had a couple research projects on my belt, but this dynamic existed all the way back in high school.

We were both immaculate students, the only reason I won valedictorian over her being the fact that she transferred in while I was a student at Canterlot High for all four years. Collaborating on schoolwork and extracurricular projects were how we bonded in the first place, yet some of the most prominent memories of those times were of her staying up night after night, pulling her hair out and texting me questions at two in the morning. Granted, I was also awake to answer said questions, but it was usually because of some recreational activity, like playing video games with friends or even just stargazing on my roof. Maybe relaxation wasn't a part of her DNA. Maybe mental health wasn't a priority of hers.

Regardless, it worried the heck out of me.

I suppose Lady Luck was on my side when we both ended up at the same prestigious college in Manehattan because it meant I could still be there to look out for the girl. Actually, I could guarantee that Lady Luck was on my side based on the fact that the girl on the other side of this wall shared the same bed as me.

Another deep breath. Pushing myself off the door, I made my way back to the office, hoping to wring out a few more paragraphs for my part of the paper.