The Shala train does its rounds

Shala stared off into the distance. That was a huge question to ask her. How long had it been since she really smiled? Memories fluttered to her previous relationship. It stung her mind and she went back to the most enlightening memory she had. Her mother.

Her head began to hurt again and she mumbled a few more numbers as she stubled over to the bottle Shadow had opened. Taking it with her magic, she drank a few chugs before tossing it back to her.

"....Well, there is this rich mare that totally pisses me off that I would love to just bring to her knees."

Shadow drinks some more and sits up, staring at Time and laughing.

"Hmm... what do you have in mind?"

Shala laughed half heatedly and threw herself on the couch. "Nothing that wouldn't get me landed in jail and probably killed with help from her finances." She sighed and kicked an empty bottle away abruptly. 

"You're the strange pony in my home. Talk. Tell me stuff."

Shadow chugs the rest of the bottle and lean back slowly. She blinks and burst out laughing.  

"I am a strange pony ain't I? Well my name is shadowfax and I live up over by the castle with my little sis and take care of her. I love mares, drinking, and having fun. I ran out of things to say, I think.. "

She grins at Time and leta out a girly hiccup.

Shala laughed after her. "Well, at least you can keep it simple." She used her magic to tug the bottle away from her and drink some alcohol on her own. "You got a sister? I don't think I have any. Been too long."

She began tinker with her mane before reaching for a book that was left out on the counter. Using her magic, she put it away on a shelf. The cover looked to read about magic theory.

Shadow tried to hold onto the bottle but it was pulled from her grasp and pulled her down with it. She slowly slide from her sitting position to laying, with her head in Shala's lap.

"Yup! She's a cutie pie."

She hiccups again and frowns, then looks up at Shala.

"You read a lot?"

Shala raised an eyebrow at Shadow for putting her head in her lap, but it became a smirk soon enough. She is awfully bold. She thought.

"Read? Eh...A little. I'm not a big reader. Just....curious." She looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

Shadow reaches onto the table and grabs another bottle and drinking it before sighing. She looks up at Shala and raises an eyebrow.

"I read sometimes, some romance but most are epics and adventures."

Shala sat there for a time, unsure what to say. She figured she may regret it, but had to bring it up again. 

"So...tell me how you got out of the Manehattan slums.?"

Shadowfax's smile faded, she looked away and sighed.

"I don't want to talk about that place, it upsets you... But if you really want to know. I ran. Without a penny to my name."

Shala sighed. Memories began to come up, but they were not as distressing as before. "Running away?....Sounds familiar. I came to Ponyville with about a thousand bits. Not my money exactly...." She stared at the wall on the other side of the room, face unreadable.

Shadowfax stared up at her, not saying anything for a while. She set her bottle aside and grabbed Time's hoof.

"Time you don't have to talk about it.. Just be happy and enjoy this moment."

Shadow really didn't want to talk about her time after leaving. She roamed around, living off of others and working small time jobs. She finally got a job in the Guard after some persuasion.

She sighed and looked down at Shadow's hoof on her own. She didn't feel deserving of that and gently pulled it away.

"....My name isn't Time Table....I have a few names....Last it was Shala Woods....I dunno if you heard it or not."

Shadow blinks and sits up, looking Shala in the face.

"I uhh... no.. why would I know your name?"

She tilts her head confused.

She sighed and ground her hoof into the floor below her like she was scrubbing something out. "...It...Doesn't matter. That pony is gone. Its stupid to bring it up." She surrendered the conversation. 

Why should I bring that up? I hate it. I hate it. And its only bad.

Shadow leaned back on couch and grabbed her bottle again. She took a few sips and then stared at the bottle, unsure what to say exactly. She sighed and looked over at shala.

"Look.. everypony screws up... so what do you want me to call you?.. what's.. you first name..?"

Shala sighed and shook her head. "I only told one pony that name. He is in a coma.....I suppose some friends heard it too, but they all abandon me or moved away. They all think I'm dead now. I really wouldn't care to say." She tossed and turned on the couch, moving to bury her head on the inside of the couch, hiding her face. Her breathing was sounding a little rough and ragged, almost like a whimper.

Shadow frowned and watched her. She rubbed a hoof up and down her back to comfort her, but had no idea what to say. She knew so little about this mare, and the only things she would share were unhappy memories. She had some happy ones, though they seem to be from her foal hood, and her time with her mother. After a bit shadow opened her mouth and searched for something to say.

"You moved here to get a new start, just like me. If you ever want to move on, you need to put those memories aside. Don't forget about them, use them as reminder of who you used to be and use them to make better choices... I want to be your friend, if you'll have me."

Shala wanted to hit her. She didn't need anypony telling her this. She couldn't have some stranger telling her how to live her life and how things worked. But she couldn't do it. Instead she graped into the couch pillow more firmly and rubbed her face into it.

"I..I don't know h-....I don't want to...." She said, starting off softly and then getting firm with her words.  This visit was turning on her very quickly.

Shadow sighed and stood, stretching her legs and walking about the room. Shala didn't want her help, and she couldn't force it on her.

"You're never going to get better until you help yourself, its a fact of life. You told me you have no one to pick you up when you fall, and you refuse to make friends. You expect life to be terrible and it is, because you don't try."

Shala looked up at Shadow sharply. Her eyes were wet and narrowed with anger. "I don't need a lecture from you! You don't know what I have to deal with! And some ponies already took it on themselves to start my life over for me!" She turned around and put her back to her. Why did she even try to put up with a pony like this? She could just as well ask her to leave

...And yet she couldn't ask her to go. Not yet. She needed an outlet. She needed someone. A friend at least. She just couldn't bring herself to do that so easily. Part of her resisted. Most of her did.

Shadow stopped and looked at her.

"Then take control! You're a strong mare, I can see that. Friends can help you, but only if you make friends."

She went back to pacing around the room.

Now she was feeling like she was being insulted. She shouldn't have to put up with this. Why would she want to let a pony tell her these things?

"I AM in control. I can ask you to get out whenever I want." She reached around for a drink and began to guzzle alcohol. It would help soothe the growing headache she was having and the sound of ticking in her head that was building up.

Shadow rolled her eyes and looked at shala again.

"That's not what I meant and you should know this, you have an alcohol problem. You drown your problems and worries in liquor. I'm not telling you this to be an ass, I'm trying to help you."

She stands, waiting for a response.

Shala glared at Shadow sharply. She knew she was right, but she didn't know why. "I'll drink as much as I want! You have no idea. I would rather drink and drink than....than even think about any of those...things!" She turned away again, but hunched over and began to wipe at her eyes.