“Loushy, shtup-hic…”

How could they be closed tonight of all nights? It was new-years, for Celestia’s sake!

Berry Punch sat on the corner near her favorite store, the sign on its locked door reading, “Closed for the holidays.” Across the street, a lone lamp burned brightly to illuminate the cold cobblestones which were covered in a shallow layer of powdered fluff. Icy winds blew through the desolate streets, sending snow dancing through the air like confectioners sugar.

She should have remembered to get here before tonight. But, unintentionally of course, she’d burned through most of her stock the evening previous. A bunch of friends had shown up for the holidays, on their way to visit family, and she’d insisted on showing them a good time before leaving Ponyville. 

By the end, she’d barely had enough to make it through today. But, how could she have expected such a short notice event? And how could she have expected a place like this to be closed on what should have been the busiest night of the year for them? Now here she was, miles away from home with nothing to show for it, and the next train back home wasn’t leaving until tomorrow morning. 

After she was finished with her garbled tirade against the injustice of it all, Berry stood up on her hooves. Then she sat back down, deciding to wait until the streets stopped heaving quite so dramatically.

Okay, maybe she’d hit it a bit too hard today. She had admittedly attracted more than a few disapproving looks on her way here, and not many ponies had wanted to sit near her on the train. It hadn’t gotten much better in Canterlot, as even less ponies had wanted to talk with her and the one who had had been in a decided rush to get her away from him.

Berry Punch shook her head, lips flapping, until the cobwebs were banished to a less used portion of her head. She was going to feel this one tomorrow, she just knew it. 

When she stopped, finding that while it had banished the cobwebs the streets were spinning even worse now, Berry Punch decided that she’d better get going. She needed to find someplace to spend the night and wait it out. Freezing on the streets wasn’t going to do her much good; she needed someplace warm to brood and bemoan her fate. 

She stood up, desperately fought the desire to lie down and cradle her aching head, and stepped off the sidewalk. A cart whistled past her nose, the strong gust of the near hit sending her crashing to the hard, cold cobblestones. Eyes spinning, Berry heard the steady clop of hooves approaching her, and a large, black shape filled her vision.

“I’m f-hic-fine,” she groaned, struggling to stand up. The ensuing headache put her back down to the cobblestones, moaning in pain.

Berry felt a hoof rest on her back. “Come on,” the figure sighed. “Let’s get you inside.”

She really needed to stop drinking this much. It almost sounded like the mare was talking underwater. Still, Berry didn’t complain as she was helped her to her hooves and pulled along. Though she did note her sense of depth wasn’t much better than her hearing. Even standing, her new friend looked to be almost a foot taller than she was, maybe even a few dozen pounds heavier too.

Down some darkened streets and through a more-than-a-bit-worrisome amount of darkened alleys they trotted. Berry might have felt nervous, but she really didn’t think too much of it. If this was some sort of set-up, she didn’t have much of value on her right now. Her tabs usually covered things until she could pay later, so she rarely had any reason to carry much cash on her at any given time.
 
Soon, they were far from where anypony with a lick of sense would dare to wander. Berry tried to work past the haze clouding her eyes, trying to read the street signs when they left the alleys for short forays into the lights, but the constant pulling of her new buddy made focusing very difficult. Plus, while her newfound friend seemed to be going at a mere stroll, Berry had to run to keep up with her brisk pace, further churning an already unsettled stomach.

Years passed, Berry trying to both keep up and slow down so she could catch her breath. But the mare pulling her along was merciless. She had no pity in her heart, not caring to listen to Berry’s mumbled protests, and often increasing their pace when Berry had the audacity to question it. So she quickly learned to keep her mouth shut. It helped keep her friend at a gentler pace, and it also helped her not throw-up, which was a good bonus.

Finally, they appeared to have reached their destination: a brick wall, standing in about the five hundredth alleyway they’d gone into tonight.
 
“You won’t tell anyone about this place, will you?” asked the blur. Berry tried to keep it together, but even as close to losing consciousness as she was, she still managed a frown.
 
“I guess not,” she grumbled, turning to find someplace with a few less crazies in it. “You’re a riot.”
 
A hoof fell on Berry’s shoulder, and, to her shock, she couldn’t budge. It was like being chained to an anchor; had she been standing on something less firm than concrete, she might have sunk up to her knees under the pressure.
 
There was a sigh. “I know this looks odd, but humor me a while,” gurgled the blur.
 
Berry turned her head a little too quickly, wanting to yell at this lunatic for both wasting her time and possibly getting her lost, and fell to the ground under the waves of dizziness. 

The blur sighed again and a hoof went under her chest, lifting her off the ground and back to her hooves in another shocking display of strength. When Berry could keep on her hooves again, her associate turned to the blank wall. 

“Very funny,” she grumbled. “But we both know you know who it is. Open up. Or I’m coming in my way.”
 
With a malicious hiss, a patch of bricks dissolved away, revealing a massive door of blackened wood, a brassy doorknob glinting by the spare light from a faraway streetlamp. 

Berry’s eyes went wide. The blur opened the door without touching, she must have been a unicorn or something, and a firm shove sent Berry stumbling inside. The noise in here was incredible. Blurs of motion swept throughout the room, voices argued and laughed in equal measure, and Berry smelt an all too familiar aroma.
 
Oh, sweet mercy.
 
She staggered to a long, stationary blur, and was rewarded when she could see it was lined in stools. She hopped up on one, tapping a hoof on the counter to catch the attention of the more mobile blur at the far end.
 
“Got anything to drink?” she asked cheerily, tapping a little louder.
 
It turned around from a conversation it was having with a large, blackish-blue blur at the end of the counter and walked towards her.
 
Colors of every hue screamed into her eyes: red, blue, green, orange, and most any others she could think of bombarded her in dizzying array. 

Berry set her head on the counter, closing her eyes so she wouldn’t lose her lunch. They really should have chosen a more muted outfit. That much chaotic color was playing havoc with her headache, which wasn’t helped by all the noise.
 
“Why yes, we do,” he said, voice sounding as though he could barely keep in the laughter. “And what will we have?”

“Water,” interjected Black Blur, seeming to almost materialize next to her. 

Berry scowled, until she felt that hoof resting on her shoulders once again, the weight of the touch sending a very clear message. Black Blur wasn’t going to hear any arguments.

She scowled at her friend and grumbled, “Yeah, some water would probably be good.”

When she turned back, a glass had been set before her. She grasped the rim firmly in her lips, tilting it back to allow the admittedly lovely tasting water to slide into her mouth as Black Blur nodded approvingly before leaving her alone to wander amongst the other guests.

Then something changed. First, the cold water was running over her teeth in refreshing rivers and quenching her thirst. Then, it suddenly tasted like grapes and then something else, something much better.

Berry’s eyes widened, and the bartender leaned in close, the wild colors of whatever mask he was wearing forcing her to close her eyes against a splitting headache.

“I won’t tell if you won’t,” he whispered in her ear with a snicker.

Berry nodded, guzzling down her drink in a flash. It was as delicious as she’d imagined it would be. She set it down on the counter immediately after she was finished; however, before she could let go of the glass to demand more, her nose suddenly felt wet, and a delicious smell once again assaulted her nostrils.

The bartender chuckled and Berry smiled, lifting the glass again to take a deep draft. Now that was service. Never even having to let go of the glass once, Berry reveled in the sounds of the bar, keeping her eyes closed as she enjoyed her drink.

Some group of revelers was having a very good time by the sound of it, three high-pitched voices howling some very bad karaoke. But, they sang with gusto, and it appeared nopony minded their squeaky, raspy voices, so Berry wasn’t going to be the one who ruined the party. 

She did open one of her eyes to take a quick glance around, though. A nearby pair of bluish blurs seemed to be enjoying their conversation with each other, though they both had some very weird forms of address. Little Blue had this very long title she always used, as did Big Blue. His voice roared in laughter with the might of an ox whenever Little Blue said something. Strangely enough, Berry also swore she could hear Big Blue let out a few bleats as they talked, though that might have been the little white smudge near what must have been Big Blue’s legs.

Shrugging, Berry closed her eyes again so she could focus on what she really wanted to explore more thoroughly. Maybe everything would make sense after a few more sips. Someone sat on the stool next to her, but Berry didn’t open her eyes, still too busy enjoying herself. Then she sensed whoever it was lean in close.

His voice was like a nails on a chalkboard, and his breath smelled worse than the grave. “Hey, sssssweetheart,” he hissed in her ear. “You come here often?” 

She dutifully ignored him, instead focusing even more on her drink.

Apparently, he didn’t like being ignored. “No need to be rude, ssssssweetie. I don’t bite.” There was a chuckle, and a hoof wrapped about her shoulders, pulling her closer to the offensive stench of his breath. “Often.”

That was enough. Berry set down her drink, and glared cross-eyed at the black-and-red blur sitting next to her. “Buzsh off, bushter,” she slurred.

He was a stubborn jerk; she had to give him credit for that. The strange pony just pulled her closer, laughing. “Loossssen up. We’re all jussst here for a good time.”

She was going to yell at him to let go, but the blackish-blue blur at the end of the bar stormed towards them. 

Her voice thundered with the authority of a goddess. “She said no,” Black-Blue snarled. “Now leave her be or I’m going to get cross.”

Dead silence screeched throughout the bar. Berry could feel the hoof about her shoulders flinch and pull away as quickly as possible. 

“H-hey, take it eassssy,” said Black-Red. “I don’t want any trouble.”

Her savior leaned closer to him. “Then you better find someone else to bother. But just know I’m keeping an especially close eye on you from now on.”

Berry’s guest quickly made tracks, hissing a short apology as he slid of the stool. Her new friend sat next to her as Berry lifted her glass to take another drink, and both conversation and laughter were soon roaring once more. 

Black-Blue snorted as she sat down next to her. “He gets worse every time,” she grumbled. “They just don’t come with class anymore.”

Not letting go of her glass, Berry gave a shallow nod. However, a hoof was suddenly shoving her head towards the counter. Her eyes snapped open, and she felt the glass mushing against her face as it was unrelentingly pushed into the glass and the hard, unforgiving countertop. 

The liquid burned as it shot up her nose, and Berry coughed and gagged as the second blur that night displayed strength no pony should be able to possess.

“Let go of the glass,” demanded her newest attacker. 

Berry snapped open her lips immediately, and the pressure holding her head down eased, letting her snap her head up and try to sneeze the offending fluids from her aching snout, coughing and hacking. As she tried to recuperate, her first buddy, Black Blur, walked over towards them, leaving a small group of variously colored blurs to play with some form of fireworks, each spouting great flames as they laughed raucously. Kind of dangerous in such a small space, but no-one seemed to make much of a stink about it.

“And you wonder why ponies don’t like you much,” sighed Black Blur. “Can’t you ever play nice?”

Berry glared at her. “This psycho tried to drown me!” she shouted.

“Even fish would tell you to slow down, you ungrateful imbecile,” retorted Berry’s assailant.

She swung a hoof in the jerk’s direction, but hit the floor instead of Black-Blue. As Berry tried to peel her face from the linoleum, she heard she heard Black-Blue give a superior snort.

“She doesn’t belong here. Why made you think this was a good idea?”

Berry wanted to take another swing, but it seemed an earthquake was ripping through the establishment right now. So, she decided to stay on the floor until it passed. 

Black Blur sighed. “You’re always complaining about how no-one but us want to talk to you. So, I thought a new face would cheer you up for once.”

“I’m perfectly fine by myself,” countered Black-Blue. “I don’t need new faces, just someone with a hint of intelligence to talk with.”

Another sigh, and then Black Blur leaned in close to help Berry back onto her stool. Berry thanked her as she set her head on the counter, trying to counter the waves of dizziness threatening to send her back to the floor by remaining perfectly still. 

Maybe smelling her breath, Black Blur snapped up straight. “I thought I told you to just give her water,” she growled.

Berry heard the bartender chuckle. “I did give her water.”

“You know what I meant.”

“She didn’t have to drink it.”

“I don’t care. Give her water.” A loud banging noise split Berry’s head open as she heard Black Blur growl again. “And make sure it stays water this time. Maybe give her something hot if you must insist, but nothing stronger than tea.” Another loud bang. “No more tricks.”

The bartender sighed. “Oh pooh, you’re no fun at all, my dear.”

Black Blur gave a snort and Berry heard the steady clop of hooves moving away from the counter. Her previous glass was replaced by a large mug, steam rising plentifully from the top. Berry took a cautious taste, stretching her tongue into the mug. 

Hot chocolate.

When Berry tried to lift it so she could drink, she felt a hoof tap the back of her head. Black-Blue was still sitting next-door. Berry put it back down, and the bartender put a long, crazily looped straw in the glass. Berry sipped at the drink, the thin straw meaning she never got more than about one mouthful at a time. 

Berry brooded on the unfairness of it all. Black-Blue and Black Blur were both apparently determined to keep her from enjoying this place anymore. 

However, the headache once pounding in her brain was soon replaced by a remarkably pleasant sensation.  Maybe it didn’t taste as good as her previous drink, but Berry had to admit this stuff did hit the spot. It took the edge off her stomach, and while her head still felt full of cotton, at least now it also felt warm and fuzzy too. 

She was kind of starting to like this place. Some of the guests weren’t very pleasant, but the bartender really knew how to make some good stuff. Maybe she’d come here more often when she had time.  A delicious drowsiness forced Berry’s head on the counter for what must have been the hundredth time that night. 

To her surprise, the others in here were growing remarkably quiet.

“It’s almost time,” announced the bartender. “Everybody ready?”

Berry heard various murmurs of agreement, and then, in one voice, the whole place entered the countdown. She settled her head against the counter, finding it more than comfortable enough to close her eyes and try to catch a few winks before it was time to leave. 

“10!” they began. 

Black-Blue snorted next to her. “Oh hip-hooray,” she grumbled. “How the tension kills me.”

Berry ignored the party-poop.

“5! 4! 3! 2! 1!”

A massive cheer ripped through the bar, roars and squeals and yips and barks and bleats melding into a wild rumpus. Berry just smiled.

“Happy New Years everybody,” she muttered to herself, before drifting into delicious blackness.

[hr]

Berry moaned. Yep, she was regretting it: a splitting headache and a deep-seated sense of nausea. She opened her eyes, trying to mumble for somepony to get her something to wash the terrible flavor out of her mouth. Chocolate didn’t taste very good in the morning, especially combined with all the other, less pleasant things competing for space on her tongue.

However, the sight of two massive green, slitted eyes staring down at her nearly made her heart stop. The creature looking at her smiled, exposing a pair of very sharp fangs as it waved a hoof which looked like it had been mauled by a rampaging drill. 

“Finally awake, hmm?” it giggled.

Berry fell out of her stool, but was dashing for the door not a second after hitting the floor. When she reached for the knob though, all she got was one long fang stabbing her in the hoof. She withdrew it sharply, yelping in pain, and wheeled to find the bartender smiling at her, a brassy knob jutting from his lips.

“Looking for something?” he asked, rubbing his snake-like tongue against the newest addition to his already mismatched body. He held a rag in one set of talons, wiping a familiar glass which he held in the other paw. A long draconic tail curled about another glass, wiping the inside with the tuft on the end.

Another snort made Berry shoot a look to the end of the counter, where a black and blue alicorn sat at her stool, her mane and tail resembling the most gorgeous starry sky captured into a flowing veil which floated about her body. 

A few seats further down, looking quite thoroughly dejected, sat a black and red unicorn with a curving horn and dressed in strange armor. He grumbled softly, head cupped in his crossed forelegs as he hissed darkly to himself.

“Just let her out,” said Nightmare Moon, not looking away from the counter.

Discord smiled at her, giving a little snicker. “Not until you two kiss and make-up.” He shrugged. “Or you disintegrate her where she stands, makes no difference to me.”

Berry could feel her stomach threaten mutiny. Nightmare Moon grumbled and glared at Discord. “No. Besides, Chrysalis has to get home to the kids, so just put the knob back before we have an issue, you mismatched moron.”

Berry tried to firm her knocking knees, gulping against the lump in her throat. “H-how do I know you w-won’t follow me out and j-just... y-you know... ”

Nightmare Moon snorted again and put her head on the counter with a tired groan. “Just get out of here before disintegration sounds like it might be fun.”

A hoof on Berry’s shoulder caused her to yelp and spin to find Chrysalis keeping her from leaping into the air. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” said the changeling with that fanged smile again. “Moony’s not often in a good mood after New Years.”

Nightmare Moon sat up straight, murder in her eyes. “I told you not to call me that!” she shrieked, horn sheathed in red magic as her eyes glowed white.

The door opened, and Berry found herself shoved through it to land unceremoniously in a deep snow drift. She heard the door slam, cutting off a loud scream of fury, and a dull thump thudded through the snow Berry was buried in. However, after a brief moment of violent shaking, there was silence.

“Poor Moony. I really need to stop teasing her like that one of these days,” snickered Chrysalis, and Berry felt a hoof heave her out of her frigid prison. 

They were in the middle of the woods, ancient maples, prickly pines, and old oaks surrounding them in stately splendor. Berry shook the snow from her body, glancing about quickly to see if Nightmare Moon had followed them. To her horror, planted firmly in the side of a nearby oak was the door, smoke pouring from the seams between the black, mahogany planks. 

Bolting away from the thing, Berry found herself running in place barely three steps away. When she looked back, Chrysalis’ crooked horn was glowing and that smirk played on her lips.

“Let go of me!” wailed Berry, her legs churning pointlessly. “We’ve got to get out of here! That door isn’t going to hold forever!”

Chrysalis shook her head. “We’re fine. She isn’t coming after us; that would break the rules.”

The tendrils holding Berry in place only dissolved when she finally stopped trying to run. “The rules?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Her captor looked back at the door, which suddenly shattered into a billion pieces. As each piece struck the ground, it shattered into a billion more pieces, and kept doing so until nothing remained but an unmarked tree.

“The Broken Promise is one of many strange creations of magic, older than even myself,” muttered Chrysalis. “Those with true darkness in their hearts, and who then find themselves unable to fulfill it, find themselves caught forever within its walls until something should bring them back to this plane so that they can accomplish their goals.”

“B-but, that means... ”

“Poor Sombre can never leave, short of a miracle or a plan he hasn’t told us about yet,” continued Chrysalis, almost as though Berry wasn’t even there. “Hasn’t quite gotten used to the way things work, but Moony will keep him in line.” She giggled. “At least he didn’t try hitting on her again, though I think that was the most fun I’ve ever had at a Hearth’s Warming Eve party.” A hoof came up to her chin, as though she might be thinking deeply on something. “Discord might be able to get out again, but that depends on a few factors he has very little say in.” A frown crossed her lips. “And poor Moony’s just given up even trying. I hate seeing her like that; she was such a great legend for me to have grown up with.”

Chrysalis sighed, the hoof on her chin moving to the back of her head, which she rolled on her shoulders. The vertebrae crackled loudly, and she glanced at Berry with that little smirk again adorning her fanged maw. Berry found her heart sinking. She knew too much, there was no way Chrysalis could let her go now.  

Yet, as the changeling walked towards her, Berry couldn’t even summon the will to run. There’d be no point. She’d be a smudge within two steps.

Now Chrysalis was standing before her. She reached out a hoof, and Berry flinched. But it just rested on her head, rubbing playfully and messing up her mane a bit, before Chrysalis strolled right past her. 

Berry froze, gawping after her, and Chrysalis smiled as she approached the edge of the wood. Maybe, just maybe, she could survive this.

“The Broken Promise only happens a few times a year,” said Chrysalis. “It’s the one place where we all can get together and share some good stories. And it’s where I get to meet my greatest role model and talk with her like I had never even hoped I could do when I was growing up as a filly.”

Then Chrysalis’ face changed, a deep scowl replacing the once smug smile, and Berry’s heart sank again. Maybe not.

“So, imagine what will happen if you tell anyone else about it. The last thing we need is for some meddlesome do-gooders wrecking our favorite spot. You caught me in a really generous mood last night, and I thought it might be fun to bring someone new for Moony to visit.” Another smile, this one causing Berry’s stomach to turn cartwheels. “Don’t make me regret that, or you’ll live to do so as well. My children are very hungry lately, and while love is delicious, we can make do with other emotions too, ones much slower and less pleasant to extract.”

With a dramatic flash, the changeling was gone, and Berry was alone. She staggered, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree and struggling to keep herself from vacating last night’s drinks all over the place. 

It couldn’t have been real. It had to be something she’d had last night. That was it. This had just been a really, really weird dream. She must have drank something a bit past-its-prime and then wandered around before passing out. 

Speaking of which, where was she anyways?

Thankfully, the edge of the forest wasn’t too far from where she must have stumbled in, but the snow was much deeper out here than in Canterlot, so it took Berry a great deal of time to make it out of the woods. When she passed the final tree, her breath caught. 

She’d been in the Everfree. Not more than a few miles from Ponyville. 

Berry glanced back into the woods, but no vengeful alicorn tried to blast her into dust. No changeling queen smiled at her either, and no mismatched monster tried to pursue her. 
With a shiver, she set for home. Okay, that was it. This had to stop. She desperately needed some help, and she couldn’t lie about it to herself anymore. Maybe Twilight could give her some advice, help her start getting her life back on straight. That sounded good. She could do this. She was going to break this habit. 

And that was a promise.