New Pony in Town

Lucky casually walked down the road of his new home with his packs full of food, water, and a few things he brought from home. He was looking for a place called Sweet Apple Acres, the place where he's supposed to stay and work. In his excitement he forgot to pack the map. He made some wrong turns here and there and was now three days late for his new job. "I'll be in so much trouble now... I should have been there ages ago..."

As he went strolling along, he felt as if his bag was getting a bit lighter. He turned to see why. His bag had been ripped! His belongings were trailing him. Books, papers, bottles, they were all on the ground! He picked up his things and put them on the other pack. A few fillies saw him and helped picking up his things.

"Thank you girls." he said after everything was in his pack again and the little fillies ran along. "Wait! Do you know how to get to... Aaaaaand their gone... This is just great." He continued walking through the town until he heard a piece of parchment fall. He was glad to see that it was the map he thought he had forgotten. He opened the map and looked around to see any landmarks that could help him find out where he is.

A door opened near Lucky and a mare nearly fell out the door, narrowly missing Lucky. She lazily caught herself and kicked at the ground.

"Damn...*hic* ground...." She looked around for several moments, eyes half open and hazy. She noticed Lucky and fumbled over to him. Once a bit too close in his personal space, she just stood there, teetering back and forth a bit. Several awkward moments of silence passed.

".....Do you know where...*hic* my house is?"

If Lucky were to look, she had just left the town tavern.

Another Stallion popped out of a random vendor stand that was just a couple of steps away. Like the mare in the area he was also drunk, and was awkwardly close to Lucky as well.

His appearance was an odd one though. He wore a top hat, and two monocles. Yet he had the stench of booze, and puke. His stance was pretty shaky as well. It seemed like he was about to collapse, but he still managed to stand awkwardly. Ten seconds later he smiled and began to spoke. "Hey man.... *hic* wanna..... buy...... an *hic*........" A bit of drool, and other liquids fell out of his mouth.

Silver soon lost his train of thought, and noticed that there was another pony nearby. She seemed recognizable to him but he didn't know why. "Hey... Aren't.... you? *Hic*" Silver had stopped for a moment to think about who this was. "Aha! You... are.... the hearts..... and.... *hic* day.... behemoth! Goodah.... of.... you.... to eat..... all the foals on that day." After he finished speaking he raised his hoof towards the mare, and began to stand even wobblier.

Lucky noticed a mare almost falling to the ground. Behind her looked to be a tavern. "Tavern... tavern... Ah-ha!" He mumbled as he continued reading the map. He looked again to see the same mare teetering back and forth. She strongly smelled of cider and a mixture of other drinks. Lucky, not knowing what to say just stared until she asked where her house was.

Before he could say anything though, a stallion popped out, also smelling like alcohol and vomit. The effects of alcohol was like a sore hoof on this one. He looked worse than the mare. These ponies have had way too much cider this morning. He thought to himself. "Umm... Hi. I'm new here, and well... I'm hoping you could point me to Sweet Apple Acres..." ... If you could even remember where we are... He added in his mind.

Shala blinked and looked over at the map he was looking at, leaning in even more than before. She could hardly read it with all its fuzzy blurry lines.

"Uh...*hic* I think....You got the wrong one....This has....scribbles on it...Did you say your getting cider? I'll come...."

"As will I. *hic*" Exclaimed Silver as soon as heard there was a potential cider trip. He moved closer Shala, but was still awkwardly close to Lucky as well. Once again he almost fell, but he managed to come out fine. Or at least as fine as a drunk could actually get. "You know *hic* I always knew..... hearts..... n'.... hooves day behemoth knew how to live. Let's get to *hic* duh tavern."

Silver then turned to Lucky having realized he was still here. It seemed that Silver was oblivious to Lucky's questions because all he had to say to him was "Hey... *hic* Scooter. You know where...... duh...... tavern is? We all are..... going on a adventure. *hic* Ya know."

Lucky drove his hoof to his face. They've completely mistook my question. I'll get nowhere if they're like this... But how do I lose them without being rude? Like a wish come true, the stallion asked where the tavern was. He pointed to the building where the mare came from. He put the map in his pack and slowly walked backwards, putting on a false smile. "Well, thanks for your time, but I really have to get going now, hehe, hope to see you around."

He broke into a short dash and slowed down once he rounded the corner. He felt the need to vomit after being around the nauseating smells of alcohol mixed with fresh vomit.

Shala blinked and smiled. She loved to mess with ponies. Yes, she was drunk at the moment, but she overplayed her intoxication quite intentionally. She knew her drinks and how to have a good time far too well to let herself get too terrible. Those were only for the real bad days.

She looked to the other pony, not having seen him before, and very suprised to find a pony she did not know that was so drunk. This town may have hope yet.

"Hey...Want to get something to drink?" She smiled to Silver. A few more couldn't hurt too much.

"Sure... Fing budday. *hic*" Silver was always ready to get new drinking buddies, and other drunks were all the better. He was about to enter into the tavern, but had already forgot where it was. "Hey... Budday? Where is the *hic* tavern again? Scooter never did tell us where it *hic* was. Stallions these *hic* days."

A large gray pegasus appeared around the side of the tavern and appeared to be trying to drag something out onto the street.
After several failed attempts, he sat down on his haunches and huffed.
How in blue blazes was he gonna get this stinking trunk into the tavern in the first place? All the Bar tender had told him was that he wanted it in tavern.

Flitter Gray was contemplating his predicament when he heard Shala and Silver talking. He looked over his shoulder and saw them heading toward the tavern door.
"Hey! Could yall help a pony out?!" he called.

(Sorry, guys, I can't resist.)

They always said there was no smoke without fire. If that was the case, the tavern was in grave danger. It was only wisps at first, but by the time great masses of grey started pouring out the window, panicked ponies started pouring out the door. The last one out was Intel, coughing and spluttering.

"You maniacs," he shouted, or at least tried to, "You blew it up!" To be fair, it came as more of a wheeze, followed by violent coughing.

The tavern responded by blowing out one of its windows with an explosion, showering the street with glass. Thankfully, nopony was harmed, though a pink one fainted at the sight of the scene.

Flitter Gray took action immediately. He Dashed over and pulled Intel and several other ponies further away from the fire before running to the well, grabbing a water filled bucket, and started trying to put the fire out. He was alone before other ponies try to help him out.

Several minutes later the fire was out and everypony was checking on each other. Flitter Gray walked up to Intel and asked "You okay?"

Shala came out soon enough, coughing up a storm as her magic towed several bottles of liquor behind her. Her evening was now ruined. Her beloved tavern was burning down and only a few bottles could be saved. To say she was upset would be an understatement.

"What? Who...WHO BURNED MY TAVERN DOWN!?!?" Shala screamed in anguish, falling to her knees and shaking her hooves at the sky. Her eyes quickly scanned for a pony that could be responsible.

Flitter Gray was trying to pull the trunk out into the street again, but to no avail.
The tavern was slouched sideways and was litteraly sitting on the trunk.
Flitter Gray pushed, bucked, nudged, pounded, and slammed against the beams sitting on it. Finally, he sighed in defeat and sat in front of the tavern. The walls were scortched, the roof was gone, the tables, chairs, and bar were completely gone. Nothing remained unburnt.

"Some complete idiot tried to make Dragon Coffee," Intel muttered, "Yeah, sure its alcohol is beyond compare, but it pratically combusts with air and anypony who tries to drink the stuff has a one-in-fifty chance of exploding. That's why it was banned." He coughed and wiped the soot from his glasses, and realised that the pony who had asked if he was alright had already left on his own devices without even waiting for a response.

(Tip: It is best to wait your turn before you post so that other ponies have a chance to reply. If a week has passed without any action, then you can skip to the next pony.)

Intel looked over to the despairing Shala. "Hey, Shala! Over here!" He trotted over. "You didn't tell anypony about the dragon brews, right?"

Shala turned around quickly to face Intel, her moment of rage melting into depression.

"Intel! They...They destroyed it! My tavern. My favorite drinks. I don't even have anything stocked up at home." She fell unto her rump and leaned her head against Intel. Alcohol was clearly on her breath.

"....The dragon brew...Oh that IDIOT! He fricken had some didn't he! I knew I couldn't trust that pony! Now there will be alcohol famine!"

"Scuse me miss, but I did manage to save some sort of trunk from the cellar. some pony asked me to retrieve it. Its sittin just over there." said Flitter Gray pointing to the heavy trunk he had dragged into the street out of the smoldering wood and beams. He didn't know if this would help her or not but he hoped so.

"Sorry for leavin you sir," said Flitter Gray, addressing Intel, "I just wanted to get that trunk out of the fire and such. Next time, I'll make sure to keep an eye on ya after I pull you from the fire." he said this with a rather saddened expression as he pawed at the ground.

"That's -ack- okay," Intel said, trying to smile at the pegasus, "Now..."

He turned to Shala. "Who the hell is-" he erupted in a coughing fit, "'That pony'?"

To tell the truth, he was rather disappointed in Shala and it showed in his expression. He trusted her not to off and talk about the dragon brews. His gaze turned to the trunk. While he was curious, it would be impolite to-

"Let's see what's inside, then!"

Shala winced a little under Intel's gaze. There were few ponies she was bothered about getting looks from, and Intel was one of them. Even in her drunken state, she could feel his stare. All she could offer back was a crooked smile.

That quickly changed though when the trunk came to her attention. Her hooves were already on it before Intel finished his sentence. "A trunk from the cellar! The last of the alcohol! What do you want for it? How much?...What was your name again?" She said peering at Flitter with a huge smile.

Flitter Gray smiled widely. "I'm Flitter Gray. You don't own me anything for it. I pulled it out of your cellar. I don't know the name of the pony that told me to pull it out, and he doesn't seem to be around here anymore," said Flitter Gray, looking around, ", but that there is yours an you can have it." finished Flitter Gray. He smiled at them both and then looked at the tavern. There was no way to salvage the building. It would have to be completely rebuilt.

"Wait a sec," Intel backpedaled, "That isn't ours nor are we owners of the tavern. If she owned the place she would have died from liver poisoning from going through the entire stock. I was only curious about what in there, but if it's just more booze, then don't bother. Shala should try to be sober for an extended period of time, anyway, and actually deal with her time trauma for once."

He gave said pony a pointed look, knowing full well that she would protest.

Shala was upset about Intel's reveal on the actual ownership of the trunk, but she was GREATLY upset about what Intel had to say about her habits. Shala felt very wounded by Intel.

She winced and grinded her teeth as a hoof went to her head. The mere thought of the subject began to make her head hurt.

"Its...not about the time itself i drink for you lousy heartless dolt! You don't know..." She gritted her teeth, thinking to say more, but refrained and turned away from Intel. "Whatever. I don't need your permission."

Shala then unbuckled the trunk and opened it up to see what was inside.

They all peered inside. The trunk seemed to be filled with several different things. A small chest sat in the corner, heavily pad locked. Many bottles labeled "Getties Best! Year 1203" sat in another corner. There were several letters of business addressed to somepony or another but nothing of interest. A small pouch of what looked to be diamonds and baby blue sapphires sat next to the chest and a huge bag of bits, with very old dates on them, was jammed up against the back of the trunk.
"Dear sweet Celestia...." said Flitter Gray, trailing off, his mouth wide open and his eyes bugging out. He looked in astonishment at the other two ponies.

Intel stared at the riches inside. Unlike Gray, who looked amazed at its contents, Intel's expression turned from one of curiousity to one of...

Intel violently slammed the trunk shut with both hooves, then closed and cast a spell on the buckles.

"Okay, then!" he said with attempted cheerfulness, "We are definitely returning this to its owner."

The contents of the trunk looked far too valuable to do otherwise. Its rightful owners would almost definitely value it highly, and would miss it if were to be misplaced. Besides, Intel was no thief and he didn't intend to start now. The possibility of Shala objecting and wanting the contents for herself was regrettably high, thus the magical seals on the buckles. The only clues was this mysterious pegasi and the fact he'd been asked to take it to the tavern.

"So, Grey, who told you to bring this trunk here again?"

Flitter Gray thought hard. "I can't remember. I think it was a stallion. He had a grayish coat but he was wearing a cloak....hm." Flitter Gray scratched his head, trying to remember.

The truth of the matter was that Flitter Gray did not know who owned the tavern and didn't even know the pony who had asked him to retrieve the trunk. He'd been an idiot. He had assumed that the pony that had asked him to retrieve the trunk had owned the tavern.

"I think who ever told me to pull the trunk out of the tavern knew what was inside. Who does own this here tavern?" asked Flitter Gray