Returning home and back to square one (open to all)

Shala had her eyes shut tight, rubbing the side of her head and mumbling to herself, sounding like she was repeating numbers. She wanted to lay down on her side, her pregnancy trying to pull her down. She was shaking a little and using her free hoof to lightly paw away anypony that was getting overly concerned and close.

"I...I'm f-fine...I'm fine!" She said more strongly and opened her eyes. Oh how much she hated what that did to her. If only she could drink something...

Determined to brush it off, she leaned forward to try to get back on her front hooves, but failed in her weakened state and heavy belly. Instead she ended up laying on her belly and began to push herself up, mumbling and swearing to herself the whole way.

Weiss quickly sprung into action, offering a hoof to the fallen pregnant mare, and working to help her up. "Let me help you Miss Shala, hate to see you struggle with this alone..." Weiss spoke with a voice of concern, as she used magic to try and gently help the mare to her feet, with gently precision and making sure it wasn't painful in anyway she could.

She is determined to say the least, that is to be certain..

She was worried about this mother to be, and voiced her concerns. "Does everything feel okay, do we need to stop on the way at a doctors?" She was worried about the mother and her child, she was prepared to do basic healing magic if she had too, "Fonzimo help me get her up!" She struggled to lift her even with magic.

Fonzemi continued to chuckle to himself, and waved a hoof. "Sure. Sure. Yeh I'll help." He was struck by how ridiculous this scene must be, a bookish school teacher and a zebra helping a foul-mouthed soon-to-be-mother. All falling over themselves. He was so struck by it that he failed to notice the blatant butchering of his name.

Maybe he didn't understand the potential gravity of the situation (or he didn't understand yet), but he wasn't worried about Shala. She appeared like the sort that wouldn't let even a bullet get in her way. Sure, Shala was rude, crass, and violent, and this Weiss pony seemed to have a stick up her plot, but they seemed alright company, all things considered.

He came about to the side of Shala and set himself in, allowing her to balance herself on him. "I thank... Naw I dunno bout you two, but ah can go for some grub." He said, an edge of weariness creeping into his voice. He hated to admit it, but Fonz was tired.

Shala initially batted away anypony that got close to her to help her, all the while trying to get up on her own. She knew she wasn't that heavy enough yet to have this trouble, but her little episode has especially tired her out.

"I'm f-fine!" She struggled until finally the two ponies, er, zebra and pony, managed to get her to her feet. She frowned at them both and looked away, hiding mixed feelings toward the two for the unwanted help.

"I don't need no doctor! I just...fell. And don't you go asking about the time or..." It just occured to Shala that since she had been away from Ponyville for so long that clock sightings might be an occurrence. The locals and her favorite places probably have stopped hiding them. "...Or noticing any clocks..." She grumbled. She really needed a drink. Reaching into her mane, she pulled out a drinking flask and popped off the lid expertly before chugging.

Food didn't sound bad.

"Wai-" Weiss nearly interjected but stopped when she realized that the flask did not contain alcohol as no scent of it emanated in the air of it, it took her a moment though to discern it was grape juice. "Grape juice, a clever substitute to alcohol."

She certainly had a psychological issue pertaining to clocks and time possibly doing with her spot on accuracy with the time...

Weiss decided to lead them towards food, despite having just ate she was still fairly hungry herself, "Feel free to pick a place or we can eat at my home if you'd like but we'd have to stop for chocolate honestly." Weiss realized she might have to go in first and move her clocks, to make sure Shala was comfortable.

"Fonzemi, anything in particular you're hungry for? Or you Miss Shala, I'm honestly not picky." She really couldn't give a damn right now and was a bit exhausted after that event herself so eating might distract her from it she figured.

"I don't need no doctor! I just...fell. And don't you go asking about the time or..."

Fonzemi snorted. "Yeh, you don't need a doctah like ah don' need twenty thousand bits..." He said quietly, but loud enough for Shala to hear. Fonzemi didn't know very much, but he did know that anything that had to do with bile, blood, and babies, you went to the doctor. Or somebody. He thought he got why she was so against help, and even then couldn't help but having a terrible feeling about this mare's stubborn nature. No one can tell off a pregnancy, or bad mouth a disease.

Reaching into her mane, she pulled out a drinking flask and popped off the lid expertly before chugging.


Fonzemi, who was not close enough to smell the flask, focused on the flask. He couldn't hear whatever Weiss had muttered. His gaze was very cold and very blank. There was only one thing you put into a drinking flask. Drink.

"Fonzemi, anything in particular you're hungry for? Or you Miss Shala, I'm honestly not picky."

"Thankew fo' axin but ah aint so hungry." His cool gaze never left the flask. "Ah could dew fo' a drank. Whatcha got there, Shala? If ya don' mand me axin?" he motioned to the flask.

Shala ignored Weiss for the most part, not answering her until she had her fair share of drinking. Once finished, she let out a huge exhale and looked at the flask with disatisfaction.

"...It's no Bacardi 151, but grape juice is the best I got. Lucky guess, Clementine." She said to Weiss. "Better hope we get some chocolate. And food. I will take the most filling cheap stuff there is. I don't have a lot to spend. Unless its a chocolate boulder. I could totally- ah!"

Shala jumped a little, blushing to herself. She had felt a little kick in her belly. It always seemed to tickle her at the worst of times. "A-anywhere is good!"

"Well we certainly don't have to get sub par chocolate." She paused a moment and gave a light smile, "You felt a kick I'm assuming I'm no medical professional though, I do have a fair understanding of it." She gave a soft chuckle, "Anyhow, Fonzemi we can get you something to drink if you like but why don't we just get some food, perhaps a sandwich at that restaurant near here I also know there's a bakery or we can just pick up chocolate at a local grocery."

Was a bit insulted that Fonzemi had doubted her in this observation, or had ignored it all together.

"Anyhow whenever the two of you are ready we can be off I suppose." Weiss was a bit tired of standing in the square and felt they should be getting off to find something to eat.

"...It's no Bacardi 151, but grape juice is the best I got. Lucky guess, Clementine." She said to Weiss. "Better hope we get some chocolate. And food. I will take the most filling cheap stuff there is. I don't have a lot to spend. Unless its a chocolate boulder. I could totally- ah!"

Fonzemi gave a barely perceptible sigh of relief. Well, this mare was certainly impulsive, rude, crass, and pretty selfish, but she certainly wasn't an idiot. Fonzemi counted his blessings. "A chocolate bouldah sounds 'bout alright." He flinched at her jump, but didn't do anything else.

"Well we certainly don't have to get sub par chocolate." She paused a moment and gave a light smile, "You felt a kick I'm assuming I'm no medical professional though, I do have a fair understanding of it." She gave a soft chuckle, "Anyhow, Fonzemi we can get you something to drink if you like but why don't we just get some food, perhaps a sandwich at that restaurant near here I also know there's a bakery or we can just pick up chocolate at a local grocery."


"I'm cool, dawg. That sounds fine. I'm ready t' go." He nodded. He decided to listen for a while. He was quite good at listening, one of the reasons why he found it easy to be really tolerant of a great deal of ponies. Everypony wants to be listened to.

Shala grumbled as Weiss, once again, stated, with near perfect perception, another detail about Shala.

Maybe this pony is being too smart for her own good. Shala thought. She rubbed her belly briefly. The foal inside had only started to become active a few weeks ago. Feeling something inside her moving around freaked her out quite a bit, as well as tickled like the dickens.

"Let's just go someplace already! I haven't been here in years. Is the Tavern still around? Or did someone pull a stupid and name it? I used to work that joint and I'll be damned if the old coot isn't there."

A pregnant mare going to a bar may not be the best idea-

Oh screw you! You know EXACTLY what was going to happen. I am NOT skipping out on the bar!

...And so Shala hobbled her way in the direction of the Tavern, still a bit wobbly from earlier.

Weiss shrugged, "Well if you feel most comfortable with the Tavern, then very well then just be cautious I suppose I'd feel bad drinking around you I may back off from it today, let's stop over at the market for some chocolate first at least..." Weiss was a bit concerned she had been a bit stressed lately and a drink was sounding rather good right about now, though she tended to drink a lot when she got started.

I probably don't come of as such a heavy drinker, but I need to try and keep my head clear.

"Hmmm, a moment please, I'm going to grab the chocolate quickly an assortment will likely do..."
While Shala hobbled, Weiss stopped quickly running into the grocers and grabbing a bag full of assorted chocolates, barking inaudible but precise directions and paying for them swiftly coming quickly back beside the two, "Sorry about that I gathered a good assortment chocolate though, I'll hold onto it till we get to the Tavern."

Might want to place a bit of cooling magic on it in the meanwhile to keep it from melting.

Her horn shimmered with magic, sparking and the bag gave off a faint blue glow as she had chilled the chocolate this made her stumble a little bit but she managed to keep her balance. "I think the chocolate will be alright with that..." She shook her head a little, and motioned for Fonzemi to follow them. "Alright I think Shala has her mind set on the Tavern."

Fonzemi took a very deep breath. "A'ight. Les go t' the tavern..." He followed after the two. He eyed both of his company, assessing, re-assessing, and thrice assessing them. Something about Strange Bedfellows came to mind.

Although he didn't mind a good pub setting, the idea of Shala drinking made him real queasy... She wouldn't really... no. That would be too stupid. Even for a reckless Manehattanite like Shala that would be too far. Right? Right. Just ridiculous. Stop thinking about things, you silly striped skeptic.

"A'ight..." Fonzemi repeated to himself. Maybe he would just get a cider or something light. He was feeling mighty thirsty after all.

"A'ight." He repeated a third time.

Shala surprisingly was the first to get to the tavern despite her being rather handicapped. She chose to not say anything to Fonz and his mutterings and threw the door open to let herself in. It was quite abrupt and a number of the patrons inside drew their attention to her rather quickly. Shala didn't really care and trotted in like she owned the place.

"Barely! You still working here?" She said aloud before even getting fully to the bar counter, the few ponies that were nearby gave her space. The place was never really ever that busy. But it was the only 'real' tavern in the whole town. Not many ponies drank in a quaint town such at this.

Shala seemed upset when she didn't get a response right away. That didn't sit too well with her. Her face fell and her angry zeal seemed to drop off a bit, looking down at the floor. "...He couldn't be gone. He promised he would never put any clock up while he was still here...." She noted that there was indeed a lack of clocks here.

A pony behind the bar, rather young looking, approached her a bit nervously. "Uh...Can I help ya miss?"

Shala was silent, sighing to herself with her head hung low, seeming to be a bit upset that even her former boss wasn't to be found. Maybe he wasn't working today....

Weiss walked in behind her not really paying much attention to the silence as she was merely focusing on the food aspect at this point but she could tell Shala had made an entrance but gave it no heed. "Right then, we're here to eat bartender, get them whatever they like." She placed a rather decent pile of bits on the counter, "I'm assuming the food here is fairly good based on her desire to come, so I'll take whatever she has I'm not terribly picky honestly." She paused looking toward the Zebra, "Fonzemi help yourself to whatever, my treat I suppose." She yawned, shifting her glasses up her face with her hoof.

Might need a drink, but it might offend Shala...

She decided against her thoughts, and decided to order, "I'll have a glass of gin please." She quickly downed it shaking a little and wincing, giving a bit of a relaxed sigh as she did. "Not bad, top it off please." She about let him fill the glass, then stopped him. "On second thought just water now." She motioned toward the tap and let him fill it with water relaxing. "Something on your mind Shala?" She said with a genuine concern as she looked down. "You seem a fair bit disappointed."

Fonzemi followed into the Tavern. He didn't really see the archaic flair of the place, Fonz though that the whole thing was rather passe, they did make a killer Long Island Iced tea when he wanted to skip the next 12 hours and wake up in a questionable setting, usually surrounded by ponies he didn't now, and sometimes with a few good bruises, and feeling like he was hit by a train.

In the day? Nah.

"Barely! You still working here?"

Fonz watched Shala carefully. Looking for a friend, then.

"...He couldn't be gone. He promised he would never put any clock up while he was still here...."

Curious, Fonz peeked about, noticing a distinct lack in clocks. Whoever it as, they must have been close. Somepony who was that accommodating to Shala's 'talent' (disregarding her other personality traits) must have been quite the generous pony. Fonz wanted to meet this stallion. Never the less, Fonzemi was thirsty.

"Got any local ciders?" He took in the scenery. "I'll have soma that." He watched Weiss take her shot with bemusement as he recieved his beverage. "Never liked takin anythin hard during the day. S'not like getting drunk and havin' a ball at night. Ah jus feel dumb and numb, Ya know?" He took a sip from his pint and savored the golden liquid.

He turned his attention back on the crestfallen Shala.

Shala sighed and let her head fall to the bar counter with a loud thud. She almost didn't care about the fact that Weiss was drinking. Something she always took as a challenge when another pony ordered something rather hard.

The bartender shrugged at Shala's reaction, though he was about to speak when another older stocky pony put a hoof on his shoulder and beckoned him to do some behind the counter duties.

"Well I'll be....I heard you were dead." He spoke with a bit of a highlands accent.

Shala's head shot right up and she beamed with a smile. One with fine enough ears could hear a very quiet squee...

"Barely! You're still here!....You numbskull! I thought you might have gone and sold the place!" She instantly began accusing him. The older pony let out a hearty chuckle.

"And I thought you were dead...What happen girl? You must have a hell of a story to tell." He pointed at her belly. It seemed apparent that these two knew eachother rather well. Barely hardly minded her rough attitude.

Shala grumbled and vainly put a hoof over her belly like it would hide it. ".....Yeah well....I kinda beat the crap out of my ex and put him in a coma....They had a lot of money and a huuuge bitch of a sister wanted me dead. The Princesses had some mercy program or something and I got out, but new name and these weird drugs they gave me that screw with my head....Ugh...I can't stand it...."

He raised an eyebrow, nodding softly. It was big news to him, but he kept his face cryptic. "Hmmm...You survived a pretty bad situation...And got a lot more on your hooves it seems....I assume you don't...." He motioned behind him to the wall of liquor. Shala shook her head in reply. "Ah..Good on ya girl....." He reached under the counter, opening a refrigerated compartment. "Hmm...I think I remember it was grape juice that you said you would drink, right? Hehehe."

Shala grumbled and nodded like she was being told that she had to eat her greens or be grounded.

"Well. This one would be on the house, but....Is this your husband then? Hehe. You sure are a lucky...eh...zebra...Didn't know you liked them Shala." He sized up Fonz before looking to Wella. "You're new crew Shala?"

"I've been here before but haven't seen you about I have to say." Weiss remarked having quickly taken mental note of everything that had been said, "I'm Weiss, and this is Fonz who I also assumed at first glance was her husband but is just a fellow she has met same as she came across me." Weiss was becoming irritable, and looked into her glass, the water was seeming less appetizing she really wanted a drink now, and it was obvious she was thinking about it, but decided to keep a clear mind for the moment. "Everything these two or I order is on me, Barely was it?" She hadn't made a point of being social when she had gotten a drink here mostly due to the fact she generally avoided the bar and often sat by herself.

These two seem friendly, in the very least and beat her ex into a coma hmm? That doesn't sound good for my health to get on her bad side pregnant or not.

"I don't generally eat much here, but I'm open to options Barely, also if you don't mind I brought Chocolate for Shala, since she seemed to be having a craving." *She placed a bag of bits, and a high grade collection of chocolates on the counter, "I wasn't sure exactly what to get you, so I figured a sampler of what they felt was there best would be good enough."

Fonzemi watched the old fellows converse. It was such a little thing, but seeing Shala find her friend made Fonz happy. And he certainly heard a faint squee. He took another sip of his cider...

".....Yeah well....I kinda beat the crap out of my ex and put him in a coma....They had a lot of money and a huuuge bitch of a sister wanted me dead. The Princesses had some mercy program or something and I got out, but new name and these weird drugs they gave me that screw with my head....Ugh...I can't stand it...."

...And promptly it went down the wrong pipe. Fonzemi spat and sputtered all over the table. "Ah... *cough* aw sorry bout that..." He sounded particularly strained as he tried to clear his throat, reaching over for a napkin to clean up the mess he made. "Sorry. Aw man ahm sorry." He sniffed and thumped his chest as he wiped the counter.

Shala grumbled and nodded like she was being told that she had to eat her greens or be grounded.

"Well. This one would be on the house, but....Is this your husband then? Hehe. You sure are a lucky...eh...zebra...Didn't know you liked them Shala." He sized up Fonz before looking to Wella. "You're new crew Shala?"

"Aw... no... we ain't-"

"I'm Weiss, and this is Fonz who I also assumed at first glance was her husband but is just a fellow she has met same as she came across me."

"Whut she sed."

"Everything these two or I order is on me, Barely was it?"

"Naw." Fonzemi finally fully recovered his breath and his wits. "Naw. I'm seperate." He managed finally. "But... uh... dayum!" He managed a impressed grin at Shala. "A coma, huh? Thas somethin." He supressed a chuckle. "And rich as all hell too. Dayum girl. Who the hell's you're ex? Prince Blueblood? Ah'd hate to be him!" the brief thought of what would have to happen to become an ex flitted through his mind.

Whoever this 'ex' was, he was no doubt from one of the rich crime families that ruled Manehattan. Typical, Fonzemi thought.

Shala looked to Weiss. She was so thorough and detailed with her words and actions. She would probably be a huge pain in the ass for her. Though the chocolates sure did alleviate those feelings a bit. Taking the chocolate without much more a word, she tore them open and took one, chewing slow and sensually. Her mind melting with exquisite joy at the release of wonderful flavor. Her face reflected nothing more than bliss.

Barley chuckled at Shala's reaction to the chocolate. She glared back at him but he only laughed more. "You always had a terrible poker face when you're happy. Eat up kid."

He turned his attention to Weiss. "I have been a lot slower lately, been hiring more help and....well, other things keeping me away from work." Barley spoke smoothly, though there might be something more to his story perhaps.

Shala finished her first piece of chocolate and pointed a hoof at Fonz. "Nah, just some nerd in Canterlot. Built a few famous things. Stupid stuff like that. That sucker set me on fire once. Magic fire! Doesn't burn you like normal fire but hurts like hell! Don't remember it though cause I time zipped to before hand. Then I pushed him into the fire. Was the most hilarious time we had together. You should have seen the look on.....Pfeh...." She stopped and looked down at her chocolates, taking one and instantly occupying her mouth with it, keeping that frown as minimal as possible.

Barely nodded to Shala. "You don't got any good poker faces left, eh Shala?"

"...Grape juice, Barley."

He chuckled delightfully and began to make her another drink, though slowly, as if age had really began to catch up to him.

The orange mare was a bit irked with her own cravings for alcohol as she was starting to feel a bit stressed, but she took note of the fact this mare had apparently managed a time altering spell, when even basic teleportation exhausted her.  "So magic fire, and you time skipped backwards, and that's just something that happens randomly to you?" She gave a look of disbelief, and tried to figure how she had done it.

To time travel in any degree is no simple magical feat, and yet she did it in such casual way it seems...
Something I couldn't even begin to handle....

Weiss sighed, this only depressed and stressed her further she wanted to drink right now, her head was beginning to hurt and she slowly stopped collecting information and just retreated into her own head. "Barley would you mind if I got something to eat, and water possibly..." She looked at her own glass and drank the contents of it. "More I mean..." She sighed, the self reflection she was hearing was striking her more so in a way that she generally didn't come out as she often remained stoic about her past. "I had an ex once, I became very close with, it turned out he was part of a cult and was simply going to kill me once  he managed to understand my developments with dark magic that my family had been studying and I had managed to improve upon..." She growled as she lay against the bar, "He took me for a walk implying romance one evening, and suddenly I was surrounded by two cloaked cultists who demanded more information, and that if I didn't comply they'd kill me and when I turned to him he was with them..." She sighed, at the hated memory, hating more what she had to do in such a situation. "So when he tried to kill me I struck first along with his comrades and I ran for a long while..."

I'd been such a fool, to be so trusting when somepony had finally been kind to me for once...

She shook herself and gave an honest as she could smile at Shala who was absorbed in her chocolate it seemed. "How's the chocolate Shala?" She was still feeling rather crappy, she tapped the bar lightly and looked over at Fonzemi "You're a builder, then you certainly seem worldly I suppose..."

Fonz listened to the story with rapt curiousity, his mouth slightly open in wonderment as he gaped at her stunning dark green eyes.

"...Don't remember it though cause I time zipped to before hand. Then I pushed him into the fire. Was the most hilarious time we had together. You should have seen the look on.....Pfeh...."

Fonz suppressed a laugh, which turned into a stuttering hiss. "Crazy ass unicorn magic... What can't y'all do..." He took another swig iof his cider.

"You don't got any good poker faces left, eh Shala?"

"...Grape juice, Barley."

Fonz let his glass hover over his lips, and for the moment, all he wanted was to punch the snot out of Mr. Likes-to-set-Mares-on-Fire.

"I had an ex once, I became very close with, it turned out he was part of a cult and was simply going to kill me once he managed to understand my developments with dark magic that my family had been studying and I had managed to improve upon..." She growled as she lay against the bar, "He took me for a walk implying romance one evening, and suddenly I was surrounded by two cloaked cultists who demanded more information, and that if I didn't comply they'd kill me and when I turned to him he was with them..." She sighed, at the hated memory, hating more what she had to do in such a situation. "So when he tried to kill me I struck first along with his comrades and I ran for a long while..."

"Sheet dawg. You two got bout as much luck with stallions as a wino in Las Pegasus." He smiled, but this wasn't the kind of story you laughed about.

"You're a builder, then you certainly seem worldly I suppose."

Fonz sniffed and set his drink down, welcoming the change of subject. "I'm a taxi driver, mostly. But I... eh... try to get work as it comes t'me."

Fonzemi's eyes narrowed as his balled hoof slammed into his opponent's face, dislocating the mare's jaw. The crowd cried for more.

"Yah know." He shrugged, Watching the golden liquid swirl around his glass. "What evah pays the bills."