The clock read ten. She sighed as she turned back to organize the shelves for tomorrow. Carefully packed bottles went out of the crate and on to the shelf. Sometimes they clinked together while she worked.

Berry Punch was still stuck on what had happened a couple weeks ago. Not only had Roseluck returned the next morning, but she didn’t seem bothered by it. Somethings not adding up. Who would help somepony for no reason? Her time in Canterlot had taught her that. Something itched in the back of her mind, but she tried to ignore the thought. She can’t be just kind.

The thought somepony would help her without any motives was unnerving. Unnatural. She was so distracted by her own thoughts she didn’t notice one of the bottles slipped from it’s carrier. It landed with a thud on the ground.

She grumbled in irritation as she picked it up and placed the bottle back on the shelf. Her reflection stared back at her through the brown glass. She imagined it was Roseluck.

“Why were you so nice?”

The reflection didn’t respond.

“I mean, you know I’m not a good pony right?” She spat on the ground. “Just a worthless, know-nothing drunk.”

“Couldn’t even follow my own mark.” She stared at her flank. “Just had to be ‘special’ and follow my heart.” She rolled her eyes.

“What’s the point of doing that if it gets shattered in the process?” She laid back against the shelf. “Not that it got me anywhere. Passed college, for what? To sit here and serve drinks all day. Just a lovely waste of time, Berry Punch.”

She reached up and grabbed the bottle again. The liquid inside sloshed around as she idly examined the bottle.

“Cherry Twine Whiskey, huh.”

She turned the bottle to the price tag. Twelve bits. She dug around her work saddlebag and pulled out her tips for the day. Fifty-six bits. She counted out twelve and tucked them away in the day’s earnings portion of her saddlebag.

With the alcohol ‘paid for’, she popped open the cork and took a swig. Sweet with some spice. She perked up. This is really good.

Before she knew it half the bottle was gone. She felt a little buzzed, but not tipsy. That’s for later.

“Hey, am I going to get another drink or what?” A grating voice called out from the front. Her mood instantly soured. Bucking Copper Tail.

She re-corked the bottle and slipped it into her saddlebags before making her way out there.

The bar had a rustic atmosphere to it, something closer to Appleloosia than Ponyville. The radio music kept to the theme. Considering Sour’s from there, it makes sense. Guess he wanted to bring some of home here.

She walked up to the stallion lounging on the bar. Copper Tail. Yellow coated stallion with a copper mane and tail. Berry Punch had to refrain from wrinkling her nose at him. You could at least shower once or twice a year. She supposed she was only slightly better, considering the state of her house, but at least she made an attempt some days. Copper Tail never seemed to try.

“Hey, you finally returned. Why don’t you mix me another drink, filly?”

Berry didn’t give him a response and wordlessly started to create his drink. She rotely put the drink together like a robot on an assembly line. Not once sparing him a glance. Berry Punch knew if she opened her mouth to respond, she wouldn’t stop until she said something nasty. He deserves it, but I want my job more. I’ll be home soon. I’ll be home soon.

She roughly pushed the drink over to him.

He idly traced the rim of the glass.

Please don’t talk.

“So, I haven’t seen you around with anypony, ‘sides that Rose-what-you-call-her mare.” The stallion leered at her. “You wanna come with me after you’re off the clock?” Internally Berry Punch shuddered at the thought. Like I would even if I was into stallions.

Berry Punch wondered what rotten luck she had to have this idiot here while Sour was gone. Sour had a no flirting policy with employees and patrons. When he was here he enforced it mercilessly. So typically Copper wouldn’t even venture to try. Now Sour was sick today, and took the night off early.

Berry Punch took a breath. Try to stay clam and not strangle him.

“You’re not my type.” Berry Punch tried hard to keep her voice neutral. I really need this job. Can’t lose it over this idiot. Before said idiot could say anything, Berry Punch tried to preempt him. “Will that be all? You’ve had enough drinks I think.”

The stallion huffed and rolled his eyes, before flashing what probably thought was a dashing smile. Why tonight? “Come on, not even up to set a date sometime? Not like you have anypony else lining up.”

Berry Punch ground her teeth together. Job be damned. She prepared to give a particularly scalding response before a voice spoke up.

“Copper Tail, why are you bothering her?”

Both ponies looked over.

A light blue unicorn mare had entered the bar. She had a periwinkle and dark blue split mane and tail. An hourglass shaped cutie mark was on her flank.

“Not bothering anypony.”

The mare looked over at Berry Punch.

“She looks bothered by you being here.”

Copper Tail snorted. “Whatever, Minuette. You always this nosy?”

Minuette shrugged. “When some stallion doesn’t take a hint, sure.”

He huffed and pushed bits over the counter. “Here. For the drinks.” He sneered. “No tip.”

With that Copper Tail walked out of the bar.

Berry Punch counted out the bits as Minuette walked up. Exact change. She didn’t care, him leaving was the point. Thank Celestia he’s out of my mane tonight. She looked up at Minuette expectantly.

“Oh, I don’t drink.”

“Then why are you here? Besides to get Copper Tail to leave.” Berry Punch started to clean up the bar while she talked. It’s weird she walked in at the right time.

“Besides the Copper Tail thing, it was to meet you. He’s a creep.” She made a disgusted expression before letting it fall. “That’s how I felt when I heard him talk to you. Just ick. Then I noticed you didn’t have anypony with you. I thought, ‘that’s not right’ and stepped inside.” She smiled. Her cherry demeanor put off Berry Punch. The only other pony she met similar to that was Pinkie Pie, and she didn’t want to think about her.

“Well, thanks. If there’s not anything else I have to wrap up here.”

“Oh, yeah, ‘course.”

Berry Punch cleaned off the counter then organized the stuff under the counter. When she popped back up Minuette was still standing there. Now she was starting to feel unnerved.

“Why are you still here?” Roseluck? Is this somepony she knows? “Are you friends with Roseluck?”

“Yeah! We’ve been friends a long time. She told me about you a couple days ago. She said you were reserved and not to ‘bother you too much’. I told her, ‘It’s fine I know how my limits’. So I, um…” she bit her lip “…just decided to meet you here. All naturally, you know? Then I got distracted tweaking a clock mechanism. It kept drifting every couple days. It’s really fascinating actually! But that’s for another time. Then what do you know four turned to late nine and now I’m here and Copper Tail’s gone. I probably should’ve waited until tomorrow, but I act before my mind catches up sometimes.” She sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Berry Punch’s ear twitched. Minuette’s winding story gave her a headache, but she got the details.

“So, Roseluck didn’t send you here?”

Minuette shook her head in confusion. “She doesn’t send me anywhere. Why did you ask?”

“Nothing.” Minuette went out of her way to meet me. Doesn’t make any sense, if she is being genuine that is. “Thank you, again, for Copper Tail.”

Minuette didn’t notice the change in subject. “Not a problem! Friends make everything better.”

“Friends?”

“Yeah, friends. Unless you don’t want to be friends.” She deflated. “That’s fine too.”

Berry Punch bit her lip. First Roseluck, now Minuette. Only a couple weeks apart. Her mind was throwing up alarm bells. Things don’t fit together so easily like this. Am I just being paranoid? She can’t be here, right? I made sure She couldn’t find me. She scrutinized Minuette. Her body language, the look in her eyes, and how she spoke this whole time. Accepting another friendship was a risk. Things could happen out of her control. She gathered all the positives and negatives and made her decision.

Berry Punch stuck her hoof out.

“We can be… friends.”

Minuette perked up immediately.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Minuette shook her hoof vigorously.

“Oh! I just thought I can stay here to help you with Copper most nights. If you need it.”

Berry Punch mulled over the offer.

“Sour, my boss, is here to deal with him most of the time. But the days he isn’t here I’ll consider asking you.”

Minuette smiled. “I’ll do my best.”

Berry Punch managed a smile back.

After Berry Punch closed and locked up the shop Minuette followed along the way home.

“Soooo,” Minuette dragged out the word. “What do you do for fun? Outside of work, I mean.”

“Work isn’t fun.”

“I know tonight was bad, but—”

“No, I mean it’s never fun.”

“Isn’t it your mark?”

“Sure, I guess.”

Minuette quieted down for a moment.

“I think Roseluck told me about that. Sorry, didn’t mean to bring it up.”

“It’s fine.” Berry Punch looked over. “Is there anything Roseluck doesn’t tell you?”

“Not really, besides one thing, but that’s personal.” Minuette smiled. “We’re really good friends. I’ve helped her, and she’s helped me. She’s honestly like a sister to me.” Her smile dimmed. “Which is also why I wanted to meet you. I wasn’t really honest.” She sheepishly looked away. “I mean I trust her judgment, but no pony around here knows you that well. I was a little worried that you might be… not friendly.”

Well that explains the awkward feeling I was having. Can’t blame her for making sure her friend was fine. Berry Punch thought. Guess some ponies around town probably think the same way.

“I mean you’re prickly, and curt, but I don’t think you're a bad pony,” Minuette continued. She’s closer than Roseluck on that. I am a bad pony though. You’ll see it eventually. “You’re just misunderstood. I think if other ponies got to know you, they’d treat you better.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, Minuette.” I doubt it. If anything the opposite is true. The more they know, the less they’d like me. “What do you do for work?”

“Clocks! Fixing and tinkering with them. I can usually tell when something’s wrong with one. Then its an interesting puzzle to figure what the issue is. I know one’s fixed when everything feels right. Sure enough, bam! Clocks ticking again.”

Berry Punch felt more comfortable with the attention shifted off of her. “Do you ever make your own?”

“Sure do! Wooden ones mostly, since I’m still figuring out the metal ones.” She looked up at her horn. “Metal’s harder to mold into gears, but I’ll get the hang of it. It’s a handy little shape spell. Make a blueprint, then focus on the blueprint and your block of material, then cast. Material shapes itself.” She yawned. “Gets a little tiring though.”

Minuette looked over at Berry Punch. “I know I asked earlier, but what do you do for fun? I know it’s not your job now.” Spotlight’s back on me. [Great.

“Something,” Berry Punch replied.

“Ah, a mystery! Could you just tell me up front? I’m not great at those.” Minuette tilted her head.

Berry Punch stared back at her flatly. Are you fishing for something?

“I mean you don’t have to. I know I can be pushy sometimes. I like knowing what my friends do for hobbies. I get to know you better, and as a bonus it makes birthdays a lot easier.”

She dragged out her mental scale and weighed on whether to tell her anything. On one hoof Minuette had been understanding and nice. On the other all this could be an act to tease this detail out of her to make fun of her. Berry Punch could see her house approaching. She didn’t have to say anything. Just dodge the question, avoid it, or lie. Indecision locked up her thought process. Her parents, and her professor were the only ones who didn’t care about the mismatch between her mark and what she wanted to do. Others made fun of or lectured her. She bit her lip. Don’t use this against me.

“I paint.” Berry Punch mentally put up her defenses, waiting for any hint of mockery.

“That’s cool! So, you’re an artist?” The unexpected response threw her thought process out the window.

“What?”

“You didn’t hear me? That’s weird. Anyway, I said—”

“No I heard you. I… you don’t mind?” Berry Punch said the last part quieter.

“Why would I? I couldn’t draw my way to a stick figure. If anything I’m a little jealous.” Minuette gasped. “You know what, you could help with my clocks! I can make them, you could paint them!” Minuette’s bubbly attitude increased as she spoke. “My clocks would look so much better than the basic colors I’ve been using! We could collaborate on designs—oh!—and Roseluck could help with her flowers. It’d be like an artistic collaboration! What’d you think?”

Berry Punch had barely followed what was being said. The first sentence was all she could think about, ‘Why would I?’. This is too good to be true. First Roseluck than this. I need to get back to normal quickly. She felt like a caged animal. The situation was too abnormal to her.

“Look, sounds great, but we're at my house. I’m tired.”

Minuette nodded. “I’m a little sleepy myself. I’ll see you around!” Minuette waved before heading back the way they came.

She entered her home and took off her work outfit and tossed it on the dirty pile by the door. She dug into her saddle bag and pulled out the bottle of whiskey. She popped off the cork, tossed into a random pile, before she started to drinkl. She pushed off random papers from her couch before she took a seat. She leaned back into the couch cushions. The sweet and spicy taste of the whiskey settled her right back into her normal.

She let her worries and fear swirl away into the amber liquid. Once the bottle was gone, she pulled out another from nearby. Plain whiskey. Not as good as the cherry stuff, but the aftertaste’s nice and warm.

While she lingered in her numb buzz, her eyes glanced over at a door by the stairs to her room. Paint cans and bottles were haphazardly stacked in front of it. Not that I want to go in there anyway. Some part of her knew it was a lie. Her ear twitched. I could try… She turned back to the bottle and didn’t look back.

The lie was easier to live with.

Author's Note

Sorry for the double notification (if you got one)! There was something wrong with the chapter post date. This won't be happen again going forwards.

A shorter chapter to set up more for later. The next chapter should come out soon-ish as well, but I'm not sure exactly. If you catch any miss-spellings, or grammar mistakes please point them out! Thank you for reading!