Frostpony: Good Night Mr. Drill Bit

Classical music played from a nearby gramophone, contrasted by the low groans of piping and mumbling tavern goers. At this hour, streetlamps were spilling more light through the pub’s windows then the setting sun ever could. While it was relatively quiet within the building, signs from the prior night’s performance were still scattered all around, bits of litter and grime the janitor had yet to attend to.

All things considered, it was a slow night.

Scootaloo sat with her head slumped over an arm at the bar counter, surrounded by empty glasses with heavy bags under her eyes. Berryshine wasn’t far off cleaning a few cups alongside her new hire, Soda Stream.

Pulling a cleaning cloth off her artificial hoof, she’d turn to the tired engineer. “Anything else sugarplum? Or just more sparkling water?”

“Thanks Berry, but I need something that’ll wake me up, not give me a headache.” She softly replied.

Berry crackled a smile and reached below the counter. She withdrew a bottle with a hoofdrawn symbol Scootaloo didn’t recognise, made with a finely used calligraphy brush in yellow ink rather than the usual stamped press or labels the other bottles had. Though Ponish text spelled out the mild alcohol content below.

“Beer isn’t gonna wake me up Berry, I can’t go to work with a hangover.”

“No,” She replied, pouring her a glass. “But the heat will.”

That raised Scootaloo’s eye and she sat up. The liquid was an amber yellow and she couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the eye, but she could swear the bubbling rivers looked more akin to flowing lava or plumes of flame.

She took the glass and gave a curious sniff, her nose immediately turning at the sweet smell that burned her nostrils. Akin to the vapour of freshly cut onions, they even singed her eyes slightly.

Berry again chuckled. “Best if you drink that one with your eyes closed, these drinks can pack a punch.”

Figuring she had little to lose and traking a deep breath, Scootaloo did as recommended and took a gulp.

The glass slammed back onto the counter so hard it was a miracle neither were damaged. Her mouth burned with sweet, bitter liquor and a soft plume of smoke mixed with her breath as she coughed.

“Agh, what is this stuff?”

“This sugarplum,” Berry gestured to the bottle, “Is what happens when Kirins brew moonshine, it’s pretty mild…” She grinned. “For them.”

Scootaloo collected herself, sure enough her weary veil had been lifted but it was far from a pleasant wake up call. “Thanks, I think I’ll stick to soda though.” She let off a few more coughs as her throat continued to burn some what.

On cue, Soda Stream poked her head out from over the counter at the mention, a drink shaker clutched in her hooves. “Hm?”

Berry giggled and waved her away before turning back to Scootaloo, already taking some of her discarded cups to be cleaned. “Had a hard day I take it?”

“Yep, fourteen hours will do that to ya.”

The bartender’s cheery smile waned and she adjusted the strings on her prosthetic’s leather casing. “I’m…sorry to hear, but if that’s the case, shouldn’t you be resting at home?”

“Nah! Mail duty tomorrow, physical exhaustion got nothing to me. But spending all day fiddling with numbers?” She laughed. “Way less awesome.”

Despite her prior struggle with the spiced drink, Scootaloo did find herself eyeing the glass again, which Berry noticed not long after. But just as she reached for the glass Scoots swiped it away and Berry looked at her confused.

“Thought you said you’d stick to soda.” She questioned.

But the young engineer forced a smile and held the cup. “Nah, I can handle it!” And with a sudden change of heart the mare kicked back the glass, swallowing its contents in one swoop.

Both Berry and Soda stared wide eyed and judging by Scoot’s own expression, she wasn’t handling it well either.

A moment later she threw the cup back on the counter and a plume of blue flame spat from her mouth, steam whistled out her nostrils and her tiny wings vigorously flapped. The resulting dragon’s breath prompted both barkeeps to duck lest their manes be singed.

“See?” She squeaked, trying to hold back tears of pain. “No problem!”

Gradually, they rose from cover and Berry took the empty glass without breaking eye contact with the daring mare.

“You know, I’ve never seen what happens when somepony chugs the whole glass.” Soda commented. “Now I do. Might be a fun trick for celebrations.”

Berry then stared at the bottle with the Kirin symbol on it with newfound nervousness, likely contemplating if the contents were actually hazardous, especially considering all the very flammable alcohol in the building.

Scootaloo meanwhile was still waving a hoof over her mouth trying to cool down her mouth. Whether or not the burning sensation was simple spice or a magically induced burn, she’d likely find out later if her tongue was sore.

A fresh glass of plain water was slid over to her courtesy of Soda Stream, who gave a sheepish smile and backed away. She eagerly drank and breathed a sigh of relief as the heat died down. It was still present, but blunted and more bearable.

In any case, it was shaping up to a nice, quiet evening with some drinks and maybe some bar games.

Or at least it was, until a pair of familiar faces then emerged from a staff door.

She recognised both of them immediately, her two childhood friends Applebloom and Sweetie Belle. While the three were bonded by their cutie marks, nigh inseparable in fact, the intervening years had seen them grown into very different ponies.

Scootaloo was still the shortest of them all, a fact that made her a little envious of Applebloom’s size. The farmer was the largest and visibly strongest of them all which was to be expected. But while her padded overalls portrayed her as down to earth, Sweetie Belle was all flash.

Much like her older sister, she was more elegant in how she conducted herself. Her posture, the way she walked, all the way down to the subtle expressions in her face. All of it dialled up to ten by her makeup and clothing.

Purple eyeshadow, a large purple gown complementing her colours, bright lipstick and eyelash curling, a fluffy fur collar, there was even a fancy hairpin in the same style of their cutie marks.

It looked so ridiculous Scootaloo had to fight back a chuckle.

The two chatted as they approached the bar, weaving around several tables. Unlike Applebloom, it seemed Sweetie Belle was making an effort to avoid stepping on the dirt patches and grimey wooden boards.

Yet another trait she picked up from her sister.

“And then the poor colt somehow snapped the string, thankfully I’d learned Mending so we still had our violinist. Still, the show was surprisingly close to being cancelled.”

“Ha! Sounds like the ya’ll were practising a lil’ too hard for ya own good.”

“Some more than others, the band are all great ponies but they can be a little…over zealous.”

Rolling an eye, Scoots whistled, drawing the two’s attention. Both smiled but it was Sweetie who by far was the most joyful.

“Scootaloo!” She cried, before jumping forward and taking her into a warm hug.

“Hey girls, miss me?”

Applebloom grinned as she took a seat. “Like you wouldn’t believe, what have the eggheads got cookin in that workshop you can’t spare an afternoon with ya friends?”

“Yeah Scoots,” Sweetie added, pulling away. “I didn’t see you at the show!”

“Agh sorry! I’d tell you if I could but the Captain’s got our lips shut.” Scoots tried to explain.

“Then why don’t ya quit? Workin two jobs is clearly takin a toll on ya.”

“Applebloom, if I worked there full time I’d never get to see the light of day. I can’t have that! It’d tear me apart!”

“Ugh no!” She shook her head. “Ah meant your engineerin’ job! Celestia knows you’d shrivel without the sun.”

Scootaloo sighed and her expression dropped. A sign not lost on Sweetie who turned back to Bloom. “I don’t think it's as easy as that dear.”

The farmer stood for a moment looking between the two, before taking a deep breath and moving to sit beside Scootaloo. Effectively sandwiching her.

“Darn it, I’m sorry Scoots I-...” She trailed off. “Things got a lil’ heated at work today.”

Scootaloo turned to her and forced a smile. “It's alright Bloom, I just like having a room big enough I can stretch my legs, and tinker with my scooter, okay?”

“Right, forgot about all that, living space stuff.” Applebloom rubbed one leg against the other, before then patting her friend’s shoulder. “Got a lil’ too used to it ah guess.”

“I don’t blame you,” Sweetie added. “I still forget how small my song writer’s bedroom is.”

“You got somepony ta write your songs?”

“Not quite, it's a joint effort. She’s a great idea factory but she’s sure chatty, so I more try to clean things up.”

“Heh, got ya own personal tailor too?” Applebloom teased, eying the elaborate dress she was wearing.

“Yeah I gotta say, you’ve become a real socialite.”

“Blame Rarity.” Sweetie smiled. A quick nod towards Berry and the mare poured a fresh glass of sparkling water, which she’d take a slow sip from. “If it wasn’t for her I’d probably be stuck in some mine somewhere.”

“Speakin o’ which, heard from her?”

Sweetie would pause just shy of another sip and dart her eyes away. A quiet depression took hold as she sighed. “Nothing…” She’d finally answer.

Both mares looked stunned at the answer.

“Seriously? Of everypony in town I thought you’d be the one to hear something!” Scootaloo cried.

“I thought so too! You’d think the Captain would invest interest into finding out what happened to Ponyville, but apparently not!” Sweetie leaned back and took a frustrated gulp from her glass. Keeping her mouth from getting dry between words.

“Ponyville has its own Generator. I know that much, and there’s no way Princess Twilight would just let everypony freeze, especially my sister.” She added, turning back to her glass. “Still, not knowing is just as bad.”

“Yeah, ah wanna believe my family’s still out there…somewhere.” Applebloom shrugged. “But ah think the Equestrian mail service was probably one o’ the first ta go when things got ugly. Ah sent so many letters ah lost track after five, but not one reply, that ain’t like ma sister or the rest of ma family.”

“Rainbow Dash was in Cloudsdale when the Great Storm hit…”

Both mares suddenly turned to stare at Scootaloo with a horrified eye. Their mouths agape and ice running through their veins. Scoots meanwhile just stared at the empty bar counter with weighty bags under her eyes.

Sweetie tried placing a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Scoots…I-”

“No no! She’s fine!” She turned to her. “She’s Rainbow Danger Dash! Best flyer in Equestria, if anycreature could make their way through all of that it’d be her!” She nervously declared, yet they could tell it was false bravado.

“Right?”

Both solemnly looked at her, remembering the raw force of nature that’d nearly swept them up that night. An overwhelming power like no other. One that could tear airships out the sky and snap wings like twigs. Even the royal sisters couldn’t stop the one that threatened the Crystal Empire all those years ago when the Crystal Heart had been damaged, and that one was only present in the Frozen North.

It was a quiet kind of dread that collectively gripped all three of them, a reality they hadn’t considered until Scootaloo spoke.

Cloudsdale was gone.

Just.

Gone.

Along with everypony that had resided there when the Storm hit.

The three mares quietly turned their heads towards the bar and at once sighed. Their shoulders slumping in unified depression as Berry watched on.

Whether out of sympathy or motherly concern, she also sighed and put away the glass she was cleaning.

“Hey girls.” She spoke, moving towards the front of them on her side of the counter. “Listen, I know it can be hard but…” She paused, stewing on her words. “Try to be happy. Remember that saying? Live not in sadness they’re no more, but live in happiness they were?”

“Somethin’ like that.” Bloom answered, though with very little pep, simply staring at her mug.

“Well, as much as I want to always be there for my little Ruby, I know at some point she’ll have to go off on her own. By the vine my body is already starting to fail on me.”

As if to emphasise her point, Berry raised her mechanical leg for the trio to see. Loosening the leather covers and exposing the vast array of cogs, gears and pistons underneath. She then unfolded a set of brass windup keys alike one would see from a toy, and began to turn them with her mouth.

A series of mechanical clicks and small, sudden movements were involuntarily made by the prosthetic, until Berry stopped and closed the covers back up. Her leg suddenly moved much more responsively and she looked back to them plainly.

“A little advice girls, when you get older, don’t turn to the bottle for help. Learned that lesson a little too late.”

“W-What happened Miss Punch?” Sweetie asked, half guilty for even speaking.

“What happened was I got left at the altar with Ruby on the way. The buck blew his load, hit the road, and took his half of our savings with him.”

All three mares froze in place, staring at her unblinking with pinprick pupils as Berry spoke with a somber tone. The air so quite one could hear the rumbling pipes above.

Berry however wasn’t dissuaded. The shock gradually passed and she softened her tone.

“Ruby grew up with a few complications because of me, and I still worry for her health every day. But seeing her now, all grown up working at the Hothouses all by herself. It made me realise just how quickly I was able to turn myself around and just…be a good mom.”

Pausing, she poured herself a glass of water to wet her mouth, similar to Sweetie. Leaving the air open for the girls to reply but they seemed more intent on listening to her. Their attention fixated on her words.

It was cute in a way. Even after all these years and a layer of maturity, they were still the three mischief makers of Ponyville.

And here they were listening to an adult.

“Letting them go and seeing how they do. It's the ultimate test of your parental skills, either they’ll fall flat and you’ll have to pick them up again, or they’ll soar. Hopefully as high as you did if not higher. Look at you three!” She began pointing to each of them, one by one.

“Sweetie, you’ve become a household name around town, making wonderful music that’ll probably long outlive you.”

A sheepish smile crept across Sweetie’s face and the mare turned her head away in embarrassment.

“Scootaloo, you might still be a learner but you're shooting high, and you have a long life ahead. Give it enough time and you’ll do great things.”

Waves of hope and wonder washed over the young engineer, with a quiet smile and beady eyes.

“And Applebloom, here you are providing food at a time of crisis, without any help from your family. I’m sure if they could see you now they’d be proud.”

Bloom nervously rubbed her leg with the other and giggled slightly. Basking in pride from an old sisterly rivalry.

“You should all be proud, of your sisters and of yourselves too!”

“Y-Yeah!” Scootaloo raised a hoof. “Come on girls! They wouldn’t have wanted us to worry about all day, we should celebrate!”

“Sure, I could use something stronger.” Sweetie replied, fiddling with her cup.

“Well shoot, got anything fer us Berry?”

“I know just the thing!”

With a smirk she turned around and began moving bottles away, before pulling open a panel in the bar wall behind her, revealing a hidden safe.

All eyes were on her as she pulled out an expensive looking bottle. Tinted orange glass, black paper cover and golden accents with honeycomb patterns.

“Appleoosan Honeypot, I’ve always kept a case for special occasions. Might as well be liquid gold nowadays.” She explained, pulling out several glasses.

“Berry…I-” Applebloom hesitated, musing on her words. “I don’t know, shouldn’t ya save that for somepony else?”

“Sugerplum, I have safes everywhere. There’s one under the floorboards you're sitting on.”

“Wait there is?!” Applebloom twisted her neck to look down, as if said safe would magically materialise under her.

“Nope! Just playing!” Berry smirked, playfully sticking her tongue out in jest.

Sweetie and Scootaloo began laughing whilst Applebloom rolled her eyes and returned to her. Trying (and failing) to conceal her own playful grin. “Never too old ta have fun, huh?”

“Never once Sugarplum.” Berry picked the bottle up and poured their drinks. True to her word a waterfall of golden liquid flooded the glass cups, the smell of which was strong enough to burn Scootaloo’s nose.

Yet the crowd remained undeterred as they picked up their glasses, raising them at once and speaking as one.

“Cutie Mark Crusaders forever!”

Before all taking big gulps of their drinks, eliciting very different reactions to Berry’s amusement.

Sweetie Belle cringed and fought to keep a straight face, Scootaloo gagged and nearly coughed up the drink.

But Applebloom was doing just fine.

“Oh come on girls, don’t tell me ya’ll can’t handle a lil’ whiskey!”

As they sat there drinking, pain soon turned to pleasure and loathing to laughter. Exchanging remarks, little stories and the occasional joke.

The Frost had taken many things away from the Crusaders, and furthermore the ponies of New Canterlot. Their lands, their families, the hopes and changed their lives in ways they’d never know even within their lifetimes. It was a scar that would hang over each of them till the day they died and they knew that.

And yet, it was the little moments of hope that kept them going and made life worth living.

Because without joy, without pain and without hope, what was life?

And life….is beautiful.

The end.