Merger Station

At the great gates it was already apparent that this station had considerably more wealth than Latent. The guards were tacked up in bullet resistant barding and armed with newly made weaponry. Getting in was easy enough. Double Barrel paid a 'fee' to be allowed entry and paid another actual fee for his goods to be looked after. He pulled his cart up onto a loading platform that was then loaded up and stored above the rails.

The interior was very different from Latent. Lots of ponies milled around the rails, some were well dressed traders, well armed soldiers, or poor ponies looking for a handout from travelers. Loud noises poured in from deeper within the station, primarily from merchants hawking their wares and haggling with customers, but the greatest noise producers were from the loading cranes on the rails.

"I don't know about you two, but I've walked enough today, let's get to the bar and relax, eh?"

Shala was more than happy to. This station was a welcome change for her. And going to a bar was even more pleasing to her. The bar at Latent was getting rather predictable for her tastes.

Brown, on the other hand, was not so relaxed. He just went from one moment of being on the edge to the next. Ever since he heard that first gunshot inside Latent, he had been on the run. From worrying about his mothers death, seeing friends dead, to wondering why they were even running, to being attacked by flaming diamond dogs and now here in a totally strange station, Brown was rather tense. Going to a bar to relax was not the first thing he thought necessary.

"Mother, could we not just sit down some place quiet and explain to me what is going on? Let go and find a-"

"Library?" Shala finished for him. Brown stared at his mother sharply. Shala smirked back at him. "Don't give me that look. You know who wins in that game."

Brown groaned and rolled his eyes. "Can you please just tell me? Did you kill somepony or something? Rob a rich Royal Line politician? I wouldn't care if it was that. I think that would be awesome!"

Shala silenced him with a whisk of her tail to his cheek. "I'll tell you after a few drinks....And you're coming too. It's about time you learned your drinks."

Brown groaned. "Aaagh...Here we go again."

"Where did you say the bar was in this joint now?" Shala said, addressing Double Barrel after that brief moment of banter between her and her son. "I think I would love to have a drink with you."

Brown groaned again and shook his head at his mother. "Were you always this much a pain for father?" He said to himself.

He turned and called out to them from the din of the loading area "The bar's just up here!" He brushed past the dockworkers and lingering merchants and their guards and around the corner where he shoved a homeless foal into a sleeping stallion. "No, you're not getting any money from me, tunnel trash, now scram!" And ascended up the wooden steps toward the bar. It was a common practice for beggars to hang around outside bars and beg. After all everypony had to come here to exchange money.

That so called 'bum' was actually just playing his part to gather information. If he had laerned thing living in the Metro for the last 20 years it was the homeless had nothing better to do then listen and talk. He felt the closed letter at his chest every few moments just to make sure it was there. It was the last then he had of the world before everything was like this. In many ways it was his anchor. It both weighted on him and made him strong to carry it's burden.

The tip of his horn lit teal for a moment. Seihai when he was young was foolish to give up his sound based magic to create normal spells, thought it help him create 'that' spell that had defined his career before the world became a magical fallout. He laid outside the bar with his 'Elephant ear spell' which made him hear even whispers seem like they were falling into his eye.

He felt ping of shame that he was so rude to listen into talks not meant for his ears. When he was younger he wouldn't of ever forgave himself, but he had to do it. Without the information he wouldn't be able to find who was behind that 'accident'. He knows whoever was was here. They all had know this would of been the only safe place in Equestria when that hellfire came raining down.

He would get justice for all this. His grandcolt would say vengeance isn't a way to lives one's life. He wouldn't lie the angry drove him, but he had made a name for himself here. He had with his knowledge of magic been trying to dis-spell the nasty magic built up in tunnels and tried to cure magic sickness, though he wasn't very good at healing magic so most times he couldn't do much.

He was often payed well for making place livable and it made him many friends, but do to his side project he had made a few enemies yet to reveal themselves. Sometimes he missed a when he was young where the only thing he had to worry about were grades and avoiding that mare who whenever they met would argue. How he found him so many times was actually kinda weird. Canrterlot was big city... how did she keep finding him back in that day?

Shala hardly payed much attention to anypony save Double Barrel. All she wanted was to sit down and drink.

Brown, on the other hoof, had his eyes everywhere else. He scanned about the different sights and ponies. He had never been in another station since home. So many ponies he did not know. It was rather intimidating. He was tempted to stop and offer the 'bum' some shots, but he looked back to Shala and Double Barrel, afraid of losing them.

The bar was very crowded, it consisted of six tightly packed tables, most of which were occupied and lit by candles, and a bar in the back all on a raised wooden platform. Behind the bartender sat several bottles of liquor in all denominations as well as a barrel of beer on a tap. On the bar itself sat a hookah.

Double barrel pulled out a flask and skillfully poured out three shots of 'shine into an open mouthed container. "Three shots of vodka for myself and my two friends here!" The bartender wordlessly lined out three glasses on the bar, pouring three shots each of the strong drink.

All Seihai wanted was to just go home and accept his fate. He had a good life waiting for him. They also needed a good unicorn.

If Brown had a good eye he would notice the 'bum' wore strange colthes, clearly made of nice materiel. The waitress rounded the bar setting down drinks at tables as Seihai stood up.

The bar was mess of bodies, most ponies had gotten off work around this time. It was so loud in there you could hardly hear anything, but what was going on at your own able. A few ponies were the setting the sweet favors packs to start a round of smoke.

Seihai heard in the tones of the colts voices distressed Seihai. He hoped they didn't plan to 'cut this connection'. That colt is his only lead. He clutched the light orange letter in his coat. He couldn't fail again.

He walked into the bar to order a drink.

Shala took her shot, relaxing in her seat and letting her eyes unfocus, completely in relaxation mode.

"To better times to come." She said, raising her shot glass up.

Brown peered at his glass, not really sure what to expect. Sighing, he lifted up his glass reluctantly with his mother. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the 'bum' pony come in. Curiosity kept his eyes on the pony a bit longer than he should have.

He grinned and raised his glass as well. "To better times!" He looks over at Brown who has his glass raised, but hasn't given his toast. He nudges him with a hoof. "Do you not drink at home or something, son? Or are you an alcoholic, come on, join in."

The two colts left the bar as Seihai passed by. A ruffle of coats reveals his strange clothing under his dirty coat. The colt that bumped into him didn't notice.. he thinks.

He orders two drinks at the bar then sits at the table with the back of his head facing your table. The colt at the tables eyes widen with a little fear as Seihai slid him the glass.

Brown found himself paying too much attention to everything around him and was startled by Double Barrel.

Shala snickered. "He hasn't 'really' drank before. Go on son."

Brown sighed. "Better times, and betterment of ourselves." he said before watching his mother down her shot. Brown followed soon after, eyes going wide at the burning the followed.

Coughing and clutching his neck, he hunched over. "I *cough* think there is something *cough* wrong! I drank acid!"

Double laughed heartily at Brown's reaction to the drink. "Now you know why we use this shit as money! 'Shroom vodka will knock you on your ass!" Once he had settled he downed his shot and fished out a flask from his bag and placed it in front of Brown. "Here, take this and give it to the barkeep, tell him to give you some cider instead."

Oh how these many years takes a toll on the mind. Though I suppose this is some sort of method to the madness as he entered the bar. His face seemed to have the sort of looked like he had just gotten out of bed. A few hairs of his goatee stuck right in the wrong direction and everything just seems sort of.. Out of harmony.

His once bright orange coat was now pale complexion as he ordered a drink. He sipped it like it was water as he blinked far to often. He stepped over to the the table that seem to be the most 'interesting.'

"Excuse me. Would you mind if I joined you?" His grin spread wider then a ponies mouth should, or would want to at least. His eyes had this sort of twinkle like he had knew you and was recognizing an old friend, though you were complete strangers.

Shala waved a hoof at Double Barrel's offer. "No no. He needs to get acquainted a bit more. One more shot Brown. Then you can have something lighter."

Brown looked at his mother in disbelief as she poured him another shot. "Mother...that stuff is pois-" She gave him a look that silenced him. Sighing, he picked up the glass, hesitating before forcing it down.

Just as Brown had his second coughing and wheezing fit, another pony took a seat at their table. There was a short moment of consideration before Shala smiled and gave him a pat on the back.

"Why well not? We are all here to enjoy a drink afterall, riiiight?" She looked to Brown, whom seemed to be having some trouble trying to focus his eyes.

He kept the flask on the table. "Go on, boy. Get yourself something lighter, something with flavor, I insist."

He looked up at the new pony and skooched to the side to make room for him. "Not at all, not at all, come sit down old timer."

"Your kindness is an oddity in a place like this." He seem to be constantly fighting a smile from forming on his face. His eyes drank detail like a elephant would consume a pond in four gulps. Hi drink smelled heavy, almost too much. The smell was so piercing that must've been filled with a dozen or so different forms of alcohol.

He got half of it with a single gulp as he closed his eyes. "The pain..much worthy the reward soon to come." He drank more with a disturbed look on his face. He seemed like he was being forced to drink by how he punished himself to drink it.

"My name is Stormy, it will be a pleasure to meet you." He said it like your true introduction was not this one as he grinned.

Shala recognised this behavior from Stormy. She knew it all too well. It reminded her of herself. She knew there had to be something bothering this pony. The mention of his name rang a distant bell. A bell from long ago.

"....Have i met you before?" She said, starting to recall the memories of the traveling pony.

Brown looked between them both, his eyes moving a bit slowly. "...I think...i should get a lighter drink." He said, getting up and falling onto the ground as the blood rushed from his head.

Now that he had a good whiff of him, DB hated himself for inviting such a drunk to the table, though he gave no indication of it. The older ponies were far more prone to abuse the drink and always spoke of things out of a foal's tale that he himself didn't really understand due to having grown up in the tunnels. He prolonged having to speak to the earthpony again by taking his offered flask and pushed it into Brown's mouth. "Don't forget this."

Stormy's eyes seem distant as he stared at the filly. "Indeed once upon a time Shala." Stormy had a good memory when it came to faces for he never burned a bridge unless he himself was on it, granted that was other ponies doing that to him.

His smile creeps on his face at times as blurred thoughts came to his mind. The room had made the ponies seem like slap on stickers to the setting. Too bright for a world so dark. He was really feeling it now. He was able to think clearly. He kept the though very silly thoughts at bay, only leaving stupid one's.

"Hrm. Maybe-" He stopped talking as he leaned his head forward, lightly swiveling as he tried not to fall over.

Shala peered at him carefully. She was in caution mode now. This was all to reminiscent of her own dark times back before things went to hell.

"Stormy...Its been a while. Last i remembered from you was when I let you borrow my spare bed. You left those bits on the counter that I didn't want and...you gave me that music box." She frowned, feeling slightly guilty at the last part.

Brown took the flask in his mouth, instinctively drinking from it. It was a mistake as he dropped it in a huge coughing fit.

Double Barrel watched as Brown raised his head and began to drink from the flask. In a split second his eyes widened as he watched it fall from his mouth to spill on the floor in the midst of the coughing fit. He quickly snatched the flask back up off the floor and proceeded to scold him. "Hey I said give it to the bartender, not your stomach! That rotgut didn't rot away your mind, did it, boy? You still understand what money is, right?"

Stormy stared at Shala like he wanted to cry for a moment, but merely stood there creeping on a limbo place. His face unsure to hid his sadness with a grin or frown. "Achelois Music box.... I remember when I found that. It had such a lovely magical sound. I found it in a old temple where they used it to heal ponies hearts and bodies."

Stormy remembered as he long ago walked down into Metro. Knowing of the coming fire and even with all his knowledge there was nothing he could do. The painful memory of ponies in disharmony in the beginning and the results of those who tried to go outside. He felt a rush of the drinks affect hit him as it numbed his thoughts to focus on a spoon on the table.

"Money is important." He said as touched his saddle bag to make sure it was still there as he grew a grin for he had almost fallen out of the chair.

Shala watched Stormy closely. Something was wrong with him. This was not him at all. So much had changed with everypony since that day.

"Stormy....What happen?"

Brown strumbled and in a moment of uncorrupted logic, managed to realize that he should sit down. "Imma...fleehh...can't stand..." He fell back onto his rump in the spilled whisky, nearly keeling over in the process.

DB shook his head at the pathetic Brown. "Your boy's nearly passed out from two shots of vodka! How embarrassaing is that?"

Stormy stared at the table with a small smile like he was thinking of a funny joke as he sawyed slightly. Something was very wrong with him. If we compare a normal heart to a house that is empty it is sad and each room it has is merely another layer of devastation. Stormy's being so abnormally lrage was like a mansion, which even with furniture and people it still felt empty, but now there was only one who sat by the fire and stared his his half finished glass as he stared at the little trinkets he had compared to what he truly wanted.

"A earth pony is bound to the earth, where we are connected to all who walk upon it's soft surface. We cannot fly away or reverse what we do. We can only how it will grow back, but what do you do when you know the land is salted. You grow hard as stone." He looked at his hoof as a he blinked a few to many times for the obvious reasons of fighting back the few tears. "I spent everyday and year of my life trying to make the..." Stormy closed his mouth as he felt light headed and took some water to his lips, which spilled a little on his chest. "I haven't laughed at a joke in so long. Would you tell me one? I need to have myself feel lighter. This book is so heavy."

Stormy looked down at the light weight colt with distant expression, as he lifted a book from his pack and set it on the table. "When I was young I always forgot ponies names, but never there faces, so I got a book to record things for me. Names, stories and all that jazz. Now I can't forget any of them. Tins, he was cart sellscolt who helped me... I spent Hearth Warming at his house that year. We had a pasta. I thought it was a strange thing to eat of Hearth Warming. Teardrop .. she was the first pony I ever spoke to when I left New Saddle, her kindness inspired me to be a better colt." He closed his eyes as the light reflected water on the edge of his eyes.