Second Chances: Between the Lines
By Hero541
The Night Out, Part 3

“Uh, Josh.” said Pinkie, her head cocked in confusion as she looked at Twilight draped across his neck, “Why is Twilight on your neck?”

“Well, ya see…” Josh trailed off, gently setting Twilight back on the ground.

“She’s real dizzy.” said Rainbow, “We just came back from…”

“The school playground.” finished Josh.

“You guys were at the playground?” said Pinkie, watching Twilight stumble over to a nearby bush, “Why were you at the playground with Twilight?”

“Rarity wanted me to take Sweetie Belle out for a day, and Twi wanted to come along.” answered Josh, unaware of what the drunken unicorn was up to, “She spun around the merry-go-round so much. She’s really dizzy from that.”

As he finished his sentence, Twilight vomited violently into the bush. Josh and Rainbow both avoided looking at her, not wanting to see what had happened. Soon, they heard snoring from the bush, Twilight having finally passed out. Pinkie kept peering around them to see her friend lying on the ground.

“Wow.” said the party pony simply, “She must have had a lot of fun! I wish I could’ve come along! You guys’ll have to invite me next time you go. We can have a party at the playground and invite everypony!”

“Can do, Pinkie.” said Josh, watching as Rainbow headed back to check on Twilight’s unconscious form, “Now, we’ve gotta get going. Gotta get Twi back home.”

“Okay. Have a great night, you guys!”

Pinkie bounced away, humming to herself as Josh rushed back towards Twilight.

“Don’t tell me she passed out in her own fucking puke.” he said, fuming at the thought of having to pick her back up again.

“Surprisingly, no. Actually, she’s pretty clean.”

“Thank God. Let’s go before somebody else shows up to chat.”

Rainbow nodded and helped Josh lift Twilight back up on his shoulders. They trudged along the road, neither one saying much as they went along. After awhile of walking, Twilight woke up and began sputtering nonsense about whatever came to her mind.

“I just wish I c-could be as p-pretty as Rarity.” she slurred as they reached the outskirts of town, “Do you think I’m p-pretty, Joshie?”

“Yes, Twilight. For the millionth fucking time, I think you’re pretty.”

“You’re just saying that.”

Josh had to resist the urge to yell at his inebriated friend. His annoyance with her had been steadily growing as they’d made their way out of town and to Fluttershy’s cottage. If he had to tell Twilight she was pretty one more time or explain to her where they were going, he was going to lose his mind. Am I this fucking obnoxious when I’m drunk?

“There it is. Just over there.” said Rainbow, pointing to the little cottage with her hoof.

In no time, they were standing on the doorstep to the little earthen home. Rainbow knocked on the door as Twilight continued to babble incoherently. Soon, hoofsteps sounded from inside as Fluttershy made her way to the door.

“Fluttershy’s really pretty too.” said Twilight as the yellow pegasus opened the door.

“Oh. Hello, Josh. And Rainbow. And… is that Twilight on your back?”

“Yes it is. And she’s fucking wasted.” said Josh, looking down at Fluttershy, “Can you help us?”

“I don’t know what you need.”

“We need her sober. And fast.” said Rainbow.

“How much has she even had to drink anyway?” asked Fluttershy, walking around Josh to examine her drunken friend.

“Enough to do this.” replied the human.

“So can you help us Shy?”

“I think so.” said Fluttershy, walking back around to face her friends, “Bring her inside and set her on the couch. I’ll be right back.”

With that, Fluttershy disappeared around the corner into her kitchen as Josh and Rainbow made their way into the living room. Josh lay the inebriated pony on the couch, watching as she struggled to get back up.

“Aww.” she moaned, “I was liking being on your back, Joshie. That was fun!”

“I hope I don’t ever have to do this for her again.” he said, glaring at Twilight, “Why didn’t you try to talk me out of bringing her along?”

“I did!” retorted Rainbow, flying up and getting in Josh’s face, “You’re the one who had to be all friendly and stuff to her!”

“Well, you should know I have a pretty weak will.” he said, pushing the pegasus away, “It’s not hard to talk me out of shit. You must suck at it.”

Rainbow was about to scream back at Josh when Fluttershy came back into the room, a bowl filled with some kind of green liquid in her teeth.

“No need to fight, you two.” she said, placing the bowl down on a nearby table, “We’re all friends here.”

“What’s that?” asked Josh, looking at the green liquid.

“It’s a natural remedy I learned to make from Zecora.” she said, picking it back up with her wing and walking over to Twilight, “It’s used to sober up somepony whose drank too much.”

“How’s it work exactly?” asked Rainbow, watching as Fluttershy prepared to feed Twilight the liquid.

“You’ll see in a minute here.”

Turning to Twilight, Fluttershy began to coax the unicorn into drinking the green liquid.

“Okay, Twilight. It’s time to take your medicine.”

“Don’t wanna.”

“Just be a good girl and take your medicine and I’ll give you something real nice, okay?”

“Another pretty flower?”

Fluttershy looked to Josh and Rainbow, both of whom smiled sheepishly at her gaze.

“…Yes. I’ll give you another pretty flower.”

“Can I p-put it in my mane and b-be as pretty as Rarity?”

Fluttershy raised her eyebrows at that, looking once more to Josh and Rainbow.

“We’ll explain later.” said Josh, “She said a lot of stupid shit on the way here.”

The shy pegasus turned back to her inebriated friend, her bowl still clutched in her wing.

“I’ll let you put as many flowers as you want in your mane. Just drink up and we’ll get started.”

Without hesitation, Twilight grabbed the bowl from Fluttershy’s wing and swallowed down its contents, spilling much of it down her chest as her hooves fumbled the bowl in her drunken state. In only a few seconds, she downed the entire thing.

“Now, where’s those…”

She trailed off as the remedy took effect. Her eyes shot open and returned to their normal state. Her mane, which had become unkempt and tangled, straightened almost immediately, and her drunken smile vanished. Josh and Rainbow watched in awe as Twilight returned to the way she had been before she’d started drinking.

“How do ya feel, Twi?” asked Rainbow, inching towards her friend.

Twilight didn’t respond as one might think. She very quickly jumped up and looked around the room.

“Where’s a bathroom?!” she yelled, running around frantically, “I’ve gotta pee like no other!”

“Upstairs, to the right.” said Fluttershy, pointing up the stairs with a smile on her face.

In a flash of purple and indigo, Twilight shot up the stairs, slamming the door hard as she entered the lavatory.

“The remedy works by clearing all the alcohol out of somepony’s system.” said Fluttershy, answering the soon to come torrent of questions from her friends, “The only way for all of it to escape is out of the urinary system. Thus, Twilight’ll probably be in there awhile.”

Josh and Rainbow breathed a sigh of relief. At least this whole mess was finally over. They waited till Twilight was done in the bathroom (about a half-hour later) and thanked Fluttershy for her help. All three made their way out of the small cottage, Rainbow saying good night to Josh and Twilight and taking off for home. As Josh and Twilight made their way back to Ponyville, Josh explained to Twilight what had happened after she’d gotten drunk.

“I wondered why I had a crushed rose in my mane.” she said, chuckling a little at the thought, “And why my nose hurt so much.”

“You faceplanted like a champ.” said Josh, laughing a little at remembering Twilight smash her face into the ground.

As they reached the library, Twilight turned back to Josh, her ears flat against her skull.

“Thanks for walking me home, Josh. I hope I didn’t give you and Rainbow too much trouble tonight.”

Josh knelt down and patted Twilight on the head, a smile on his face.

“You’re not nearly as bad as some people I’ve had to deal with when they’re drunk. Don’t worry. It’s what friends do for each other.”

Twilight smiled at him and his gesture and words. After awhile, she reached out and hugged the human, who returned her embrace in full measure.

“There’s just one thing I’m wondering now.” said Twilight as she broke away from Josh.

“What’s that?”

“Did you remember to grab my book from the bar?”

Josh thought for a minute. Book? What…

“Mother fucker!”

Author's Note

Thanks once again to 254Ddubman for giving me the idea to do this segment. Check out his story, "Equestria, What a Place"!