The Shala train does its rounds

Rusty had gotten the hang of running the bar or club sort of place by himself. As he made his way back to the kitchen, he began to form an idea- a childish idea of payback- but still an idea.

He made his way into the kitchen and got refills for Time, Shadow, and Rpzen. However, he did something different for Time's.
"I have had paint thinner that tasted better....Really."

O rly? Well, she was gonna find out. Rusty opened a can of paint thinner and was about to pour it in a glass when- (Well, I don't want her to ACTUALLY drink it. I'll just give her this can here the way it is and a spoon.)

He went to the table and did just that, along with serving normal drinks to the other ponies.

"I hear the paint thinner here is very good. I thought you'd like it, so I got out a whole can for you!"

Rusty gave her a spoon, then went back into the kitchen to actually make her a 151 drink.

Shadowfax was getting close to full drunkness. She was drinking hard liquor and not holding back. Her vision was blurring and her words starting to slur a bit. She downed her drink and turned to Rozen.

"Appleloosa? There's nopony in Appleloosa! You should move closer and set up, heck I guarantee ill be one of your first customers, , followed by Time here. Speaking of which-"

She turns towards Time and smiles.

"You don't look the type to be from the slums but then again I've been wrong before. I was one of the lucky ones, if you want to call it that, that managed not to get sucked into the life of crime. As for the others, well I can't judge them, its a bad life in the slums and ponies get desperate. Everyone comes to that choice to do something bad to help yourself or sit by and suffer...... I'm glad I made the choice I did, or I would've never gotten out of there."


Shadow's face was serious as she grabbed another drink and went into deep thinking. She blinked and shook her head before giving time a smile.

Shala frowned as a can of paint thinner was put before her. She gave the bartender the most unimpressed and unnerving stare she could muster. One might even think she was about to do something drastic.

The moment of tension was broken by an eruption of laughter. Shala's hearty laugh was surprising even to her. It had been a while since anypony gave her a good laugh. "You actually keep paint thinner around? Remind me to never ask for swill from you ever. Hah!" She took a fair chug of her drink and smiled. Her mood was lifted from that for sure.

Shala was hardly at her limit in alcohol, but she was just at her halfway point. When Shadow was sharing her experience in the slums though, Shala began to look more grim. If anything, she felt some envy for Shadow managing to get out 'unscathed'. But she had a feeling there was more to it than that. One does not simply live in the slums and keep their hooves clean. Shadow couldn't have, could she? Shala felt conflicting emotions, but the alcohol kept her from trying to understand them further.

"Different times, different pony." Shala said dismissively. One could almost take that literally now considering her new identity.

Rozencratz laughed. "Well, when I built it wanted to be in a small secluded place. But maybe if I get big enough, I'll franchise it and open a bar in Canterlot, and you'll get all your drinks on the house." He said, drinking again.

He then sat back and let the two mares catch up and talk about their shared past. He drank silently and eyed up each of them.

Rusty finished the 151 drink and put it next to Time. She seemed to be engrossed in a conversation.

As Rusty turned around, he was pelted with tomatoes and flaming chihuahuas, for he had neglected the other tables for a time.

(How do I get roped into these things?)

Shadowfax grins and laughs, nodding her head at Rozen.

"I'll take that as a promise and keep you to it."

She looks over at Time and notices her happier mood dieing down. She frowns and leans in closer to Time.

"You looked so pretty when you're smiling. I hope I didn't stir up any bad memories, talking about the slums stirs up a lot of mine. I think we can both agree those weren't good times."

Shala was feeling conflicted about what to say. Normally she just shrugged it off and would drink more. But This pony actually had been where she grew up. Should she risk opening up? She had before and only been hurt. Every time. So in her mind she decided to not open up at a-

"Plenty of bad memories there."

And in good drunken Shala fashion, she told her anyway.

"Things that don't ever go away."

Rozen finished his drink. Realizing that he struck out with both mares, and that they were more interested in each other than him, he decided to leave. He placed down his bits, said his goodbyes quietly and left.

Shadowfax waved goodbye to Rozen and gave his body one last look before turning back to Time. It felt weird meeting someone from her home who made it out and wasn't a complete thug. Had they seen each other when they were foals? Or gone to the same school? Questions fill Shadow's mind and she thinks. It takes her a few seconds for her drunk self to realize she was staring at Shala and looks away blushing. She was a very cute mare, and a shame she was so unhappy. Shadow clears her throat and stares into her drink.

"I uh.. I don't know how rough you had it... but for me.. I don't know, I wish I could change somethings. The only friend I had became a whore and started selling herself as soon as she hit high school.. Almost everypony I knew is now in a gang, in poverty or in jail.. I'm sure some made it out alright but not everypony."

Shala sighed. Shadow's words hit her at home. What she said was not far from the truth about her life. It was rare that another pony knew where she was coming from. Grumbling in frustration at how her feelings were beginning to surface, she quickly finished her whole drink and slammed it down.

She found her second to last sentence terribly ironic. Shala fit all three at one time.

"Bunch of horseapples!" She grumbled and rubbed her head. Her stomach was giving her pain too, but the ticking in her head was what was really bothering her. "The whole place is horseapples! I don't care for it! I just don't! RRgggh!" She threw her drink at a surprisingly fast speed across the room, impacting a wall far away. Ponies around the crash looked around for the culprit. The ticking in her head began to pick up as she rested it on her hooves, muttering what sounded like numbers under her breath.

Shadowfax pauses in mid drink to watch the drink fly. She blinked at Time and scooted closer, gently putting a hoof on her shoulder and tried to get her attention. she moved her face a few inches from Time's and softly spoke to her.

"Time? It's okay. You made it out, you don't live there anymore. You can't change the past, it'll be with you forever. But you can make your future and put the past behind you, I know you can, it's what I've been doing."

Shala didn't resist her as she put a hoof around her and got close. It was soothing, to have a pony be there like that. It had been....too long since she had that. Still, the pain persisted. It was a wonder she kept her composure so well. Years of practice had hardened her.

"I...I could have done something about it! I tried everything! I....." She groaned to herself and clutched her head and mumbled more loudly. "Ten forty seven and seventeen seconds....four minutes and twenty two seconds from first drink. Nineteen seconds from the last...." She reached for a drink, any drink she could and downed it with little care for the owner before letting it fall to the side. If only the medication she was on didn't make drinking so ineffective.

"I...Don't care. It doesn't matter. I'm leaving." She pushed away from her seat and stumbled before getting her bearings. Unsure where to go, she looked for the door with difficulty and stumbled toward what she hoped was the exit.

Shadow's mouth opened in confusion and her face scrunched up with worry.

"Time..?" 

She had seen her cutie mark but didn't ask about it, her focus had been on Time herself, though her eyes did wander down to her curvy flanks. Shadow figured that her talent was telling time, and by her reaction she hated it. She dropped some bits on the counter and started walking after Time, stumbling past some ponies as she saw her head towards the exit.

"Ti- er Table! Come back, I need to say something!"

Shala hardly slowed down that much. She knew she was making a friend but most her friends ended in the same way. Would she set herself up for the same results again? She figured Shadow would catch up and opened the door she found, only to see a mop and bucket behind it.

The janitors closet....Great. Maybe I should just pass out in here.


She heard Shadow catch up to her and want to talk t her. Looking like she ignored her, she pointed into the closet. "This...is not my door." In her mind she had a much better worded version of what she really meant, but emotions and alcohol does funny things.

Shadow caught up and stood behind her, she raised an eyebrow and look around before pushing on Time's flank inside the closet and stepped in with her. She closed the door and flicked on the light, it was tight so they were sitting face to face with shadow blocking the door.

"Listen table, you're hurt. I don't know what happened but I have a feeling it involves what's on your flank.. that or Im piss drunk. Now I'm not asking for you to tell me what happened, but I'm all ears if you want. What I really want is for you to not be .. er hurt... well and your number."

Shadow smiled sweetly and blushed.

Shala narrowed her eyes at her. She was feeling tense from her emotional outburst earlier and now was confined to a small space. Usually this meant Shala was going to a jail cell for a night. Parole wasn't going to like that.

Standing tall, she nearly pushed her forehead into hers with authority. "...If....you know what's good for you, you better move." Her eyes were fierce, but they had a small glaze to them. A growing dam that would later burst.

Shadowfax glares back and does press her forehead against Time's, along with her nose.

"Time table.. I'm not here to hurt you."

She soften and presses her lips against Time's, her drunkenness making her lose her good judgement and she did what felt right. She blushed and looked into her eyes, talking softly.

"I-I want to help. We both went through that.. and I know what it's like trying to make a new name for yourself when coming from a place with such bad rep.."

Shala trembled as she touched her. The contact sent all sorts of opposing feelings through her. She wanted to be mad. She was mad. But this darned pony kept making it all difficult and confusing for her.

"S-stop that!" She backed her head away. "I have had enough of the whole emotional mess of friends and that magic mess that comes with it. I ain't talking about that damned place with a pony I just met!"

She whined and held her head, mumbling numbers again.

Shadowfax tilted her head and studied Time. She was drunk and having trouble thinking of what to say. She frowns sadly and clears her throat.

"Do you have a place to stay tonight?"

Shala let out a held breath of air. A very alcoholic breath but a breath nonetheless. The change in topic seemed to end the discussion. 

Good. I don't want to get into anymore trouble or tell a pony secrets in a frigging closet.


"I got an apartment not far from here. Its a lot better than this closet." She said bluntly.

Shadowfax grins, smelling her breath and giggling.

"I think we got off to a bad start. You are really attractive Table, would you like to get some bottles and head over to your place? I won't ask any questions, just us hanging out."

Shala looked at her suspiciously. She gave up on the questions quick. Maybe it was just some curiosity. But still...She was a stranger that upset her....But the alcohol sealed the deal for her.

"Eh, why not. This place feels crowded anyhow." She knocked on the side walls with a hoof.

Shadow grins and gives her a wink. She opens the door and steps out stumbling. She frowns and stops a bartender and gets a few bottles of whatever he's carrying. Placing them on her back she stumbles back over to time with them balanced somehow.

"Alright cutie lets get going, you lead."

Shala grunted at her compliments. She did her best to keep a steady stance as she lead the way to her home located near some run down streets. Run down to Canterlot standards that is.

Climbing the first flight of stairs was probably the hardest part. She got used to it though after repeat drunken travels. Reaching her apartment showed that it was a simple two bedroom with a single bathroom and kitchen area with a lounge. A few empty bottles were poking out of the trash but otherwise it looked like it hardly have any use around the place. Save the messy kitchen prep area.

"Welcome to my cave."

Shadowfax drunkardly follows, having trouble at some parts but finally makes it. She sets the bottle down and falls on the couch grinning. She grabs one of the bottle and opens it, taking a long drink before looking at Time and winking.

"What would it take to make you smile?