Wrath of the Bar Mare
Part 2
By: Blobskin

Contains: mlp, micro, drunk antics, smoking, breath denial, butt crush, justified cruelty, no gore/death
Version: 1

~~~

"Your strawberry punch, ma'am," Mute Mic stated simply, sliding a short broad glass in front of her.

"Thank you," Candice replied quickly before he strode off to another section of the bar. Then she lifted the drink to her lips with her magic and took a generous sip. She moaned at the sweet taste that exploded on her tongue. On a hot dry summer night like this, punch of any kind was the best choice. Especially one mixed with a touch of alcohol.

Next she slumped against the bar and let her ears wander. Flicking to-and-fro without any real purpose. The meaningless drone of a few hushed conversations, combined with some slow song she didn't even know the name of, created the perfect background ambiance.

Yup. Candice [i]loved[/i] Mute Mic's Bar...

"Um, excuse me? Could you move for a second?"

"Hm?" she jolted slightly, then glanced to her right. A trio of micros were standing on the walkway, nervously kicking their legs because they were unable to go any further with her furry barrel blocking the path like a landslide. "Oh sure," she replied casually, sitting up and leaning away.

"T-thanks," the apparent leader of the three blurted as the group then rushed past her.

Once they were gone Candice shrugged and took another swig from her drink. Then she was back to laying on the counter, eyes lidded, ears aimlessly darting about on top of her head, and occasionally taking tiny sips from her punch. Soon her mind was empty and she was at peace...



About an hour later the crimson unicorn ordered a refill for her strawberry punch. Funnily enough however, when the bartender came he ended up giving her a new drink instead. Then he stood there awkwardly for a second, staring at the two glasses, as though mentally debating how to recover from his small mental blunder. Why did he get her a new one when he could have just refilled the first like she'd asked for? Though Candice did discretely snort with amusement, she didn't let him dwell on it. She thanked him as usual and took the second drink without a fuss, lazily scooting the previous one aside so its ice cubes could finish melting alone. That was apparently enough for the always solemn Mic. He quickly offered her his trademark silent nod and waddled off. Once more, she savored that initial gulp, but with the addition of a private smirk.

Then karma chose that moment to overreact.

As she was lowering the glass back to the bar-top and preparing to sigh with pleasure, a golden blur suddenly whizzed by!

Candice yipped with surprise and nearly dropped her drink as she flinched. Then the mare started coughing as her lungs protested the change of plans. The brief commotion earned the newcomer the bartender's attention. And a reprimand.

"Hey!" came a rare bark from Mic. "Do [b]not[/b] disturb my customers. And no flying in my bar either," he ordered in a deep threatening voice.

While Candice struggled to catch her breath, she spied the culprit of her displeasure in the corner of her eye. He was a micro pegasus -- no surprise there -- but his golden fur shone like a little beacon while a crop of mint green hair sat untamed on his head. Worst of all, he was gliding down toward the spot next to her. And his voice... oh his voice sounded [i]so[/i] smug...

"Sorry 'bout that," he replied arrogantly.

Mute Mic marched over to stand in front of the troublemaker and grunted. "Fine, but you [b]will[/b] follow the rules from now on. Am I clear?"

"As crystal, sir!" the tiny pegasus replied with an overly cheerful grin and a mocking salute.

Mic snorted dismissively. Then wordlessly produced the miniature platform with its scaled table and chair. With a thunk, he placed it down in front of the pegasus and beside Candice. With another motion he added the alcohol dispenser to the tray as well. Finally, he asked the question. "Will that be all or would you like something to eat too?"

By then, the mare's choking fit had come to an end and she was fixing her violet mane. Next she shook off the last of the discomfort by chugging a mouthful of her strawberry punch. Which she followed with a sigh of relief. [i]Stupid little pegasus,[/i] the unicorn thought with frustration. He wasn't the first [i]bug[/i] to spread his wings in here and, unfortunately, he certainly wouldn't be the last.

"So... how are you tonight?" he drawled at her while munching on a lettuce leaf that had been left on his mini table.

Candice groaned aloud. Then gulped down another swish from her drink. "I [i]was[/i] having a nice night until [i]somepony[/i] came racing through here like it was the Equestria Games," she sassed back.

"Oh, I'm no athlete," the stallion scoffed. "I'm a weather manager," he bragged while patting his chest.

"So are you celebrating or mourning?" she mumbled.

"What?" the micro honked stupidly, her question having successfully knocked him out of whatever dumb fantasy he was probably indulging in.

"An important pony like you, in a bar like this? Either you're celebrating or something bad happened and you are here to drown yourself in booze," Candice explained her reasoning in a playfully childish tone.

Again he scoffed. "Celebrating!" he cheered loudly, raising his glass and taking a drink.

The mare quirked a brow in his direction, but then shrugged. She didn't need a queue from him to enjoy her punch. So she silently joined him. It was then Candice noticed her second drink was already half gone. And she'd [i]barely[/i] ordered it two minutes ago...

The mare frowned.

"Ah!" the micro gasped with exaggerated drama. "Cloudsdale just finished a major weather reorganization. A couple of old pegasi retired and so a bunch of ponies got promotions. Including me! The best stallion for the job!" he declared, pouring and promptly downing yet another shot.

Candice blinked. At his story [i]and[/i] his current alcohol progress. If he kept up that pace, he was going to be wasted in near record time. Unless he was drinking something weak, like herself. She honestly couldn't tell what he was drinking though. Also, he was on the weather team? They let micros help with the weather? How did that work?

Then the mare shook her head, confused by her own thoughts. Like she cared about the world of tiny ponies. She quickly gulped down a mouthful of punch to bury her curiosity. The desire to go home was growing.

"But enough about me," he laughed. "What about you? What is a fine mare like you doing here all alone?"

Candice rolled her eyes. [i]Real smooth[/i], she thought with a mental snort. "I simply like the ambiance. Especially when it's [i]quiet[/i]," she stated slowly.

"Really?" he mumbled, briefly scanning the room. "This place looks kind of dead to me. This must be the laziest bar I've ever seen."

"That's the point," she tried to explain. "It's... peaceful."

"Now that you point it out," he droned, "this feels like the kind of place old ponies would go." Then he looked at her. "We're too young for a place like this. We should go to the Screaming Goat. It's a little ways away, but there's always a party there."

Again Candice raised an eyebrow. "'We'?" she grunted. "[i]We[/i] don't even know each other," she emphasized sharply before finishing off her punch. She then set the glass down with a thunk and turned towards her bags to begin fishing for her cigarettes.

"Oh right," the pegasus stuttered. "My name is Flawless Breeze."

As the mare returned to the bar-top, a box of cigs in her magic grip, she snickered with amusement. [i]Flawless[/i], she thought, [i]his parents must have wanted him to get bullied in school.[/i] "I'm Boiling Candice," she replied neutrally.

"Well, Miss Candice, what do you say I take you to a [i]real[/i] bar?" Breeze proposed confidently.

The mare gave him a glancing scowl. How many lines could a stallion cross in one sentence? He'd insulted her favorite bar and simply assumed she'd be interested in him just because he was now a "weather manager" or whatever. For a second she continued to glare in his direction while silently pulling a cancer stick from the box and putting it in the corner of her mouth.

"No."

The micro's mouth flapped soundlessly while Candice proceeded with her smoking ritual. She tapped the bar twice and Mute Mic came over to place an ashtray in front of her and light her cigarette. Then she puffed once and sighed, breath laced with a faint gray smoke. The anger, which had flared up so quickly, began to settle down just as fast. For a few precious seconds, while the little stallion floundered, she managed to relax...

"B-but why not?!" he hollered.

She turned a dead-eye look on him. "Because I'm not interested in micros. Now leave me alone."

"T-that doesn't matter! We could still have some fun. Somewhere that isn't a dump like this!" Breeze asserted.

Candice grit her teeth and growled. "If you don't like it... [i]leave[/i]."

"I came here to have a good time!" he whined aggressively.

"Then get drunk, eat your lettuce, and [i]shut up[/i]," she barked back.

The little pegasus said something else, but Candice had pinned her ears and was too busy taking a drag from her cig to pay attention. Suddenly, there was a golden shape hovering in her face, pointing a hoof at her. "Hey! Don't ignore me!"

The unicorn couldn't resist. She pursed her lips and released her smoke-laced breath on the nuisance. However, Flawless Breeze knew exactly what to do. Though he flinched at first, he quickly began to beat his wings and diverted the majority of the cloud away and around himself. Candice was mildly impressed actually. While she'd entertained the possibility he had simply lied about his job, his performance made her reconsider that theory.

Not that his position made him any more appealing to her. He was still a micro. A little [i]bug[/i] currently [i]way[/i] too deep in her personal space.

"Careful now. Mic told you not to fly in here," the mare taunted.

The pegasus glared back at her, but said nothing. Slowly, he hovered down to the bar-top and landed.

"You're not supposed to be on the bar either," Candice taunted him again playfully.

"We're having a conversation right now," Breeze defended.

"We are?"

"Yes! Why are you so... boring?" he blurted rudely.

Candice blinked. "If I'm boring, ignore me."

"No no no," Breeze rambled drunkenly. "You ain't gettin' out of this that easy."

By now, the mare was simply over this. She just wanted to finish her cig and go home. But how to get some peace and quiet in the meantime? While the pegasus kept blabbing about her and Mic's bar, her wandering eyes fell on the two glasses that had once been full of red punch. Though she nearly dismissed the idea that came to her. Last time she'd been dealing with a unicorn. This time she was dealing with a pegasus. This guy could easily fly out if she tried the same trick on him.

Unless she turned the glass over.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?"

"No."

Smirking to herself, the mare's horn began to glow and the glass with a shallow pool of melt water rose. Candice quickly dumped its remnants in the second glass, then hovered it over the pegasus.

"Huh?" he gawked upward cluelessly, having somehow missed her magic at work behind him.

Finally, with a clack, the glass fell around him like a cage.

Candice set her elbow on the counter and leaned a cheek into her hoof while taking another drag from her cigarette. There was a moment of blissful silence as the pegasus danced around, his alcohol riddled mind no doubt struggling to understand what had happened. Then he started yelling at her. Though his already small voice was muffled significantly by the clear barrier.

"What's wrong with you?! What are you doing?!"

"Teaching you the simple joys of quiet time," she sassed back. "Now sit down, shut up, and relax." With that she closed her eyes and basked in the indecipherable hum that always filled the air of Mute Mic's.

"You can't do this to me!" he screamed, rage soaking his words. Then there was a small clink sound.

Opening an eye, Candice found mister Breeze flying around the glass. Zipping about, crashing against the walls over and over. Like a big fly blindly smacking into a window.

Tink. Tink. Tink.

The sound was tiny, like the pegasus, but the visual made a shiver of disgust run up the unicorn's spine. She buried the feeling for a moment however as she tried negotiating one last time.

"Relax. I'll let you out when I'm done with my cig," she assured him somberly. But that wasn't soon enough for him.

"When I get out of here I'm going to show you how much [i]fun[/i] I can be!" he bellowed, plowing into the glass cage again with a sad plink.

[i]He must be an angry drunk,[/i] Candice thought dismissively. He had definitely gotten more threatening and aggressive as soon as the alcohol had kicked in. But she wasn't about to let him off easy just because he was stupid. Flawless Breeze wasn't accepting his punishment. She had to step it up, but how?

The mare took a drag from her cigarette while she meditated and watched the micro continue to bounce off the walls. As she exhaled, she could swear the pegasus had even started a little tornado inside the overturned glass. He certainly had a lot of energy for such a tiny thing. Yet she couldn't wait for him to tire out, because then he wouldn't learn a lesson. But what could she do to him that would rob him of that energy?

It was when she next went to take a puff from her cig that she paused. Her eyes locked on the white stick, gently smoldering away in her grip, then her gaze flicked to the pegasus. "That's cruel... but it could work," she mumbled aloud to herself.

Candice quickly stuffed the cigarette in her mouth and sucked. Holding it, she leaned down and lifted the edge of the glass, confusing the pegasus for a second. Then she blew underneath the raised lip. A faint gray cloud flooded the cage.

"Hey! What are you--" he started to yell, but a coughing fit cut him off as he was engulfed in the swirling smoke.

And with a clack, she closed the cage again, sealing him in with the cloud. Then she eased back and watched. Idly glancing at her cig and estimating how many drags she had left. Which was two, maybe three if she kept the puffs small. Her plan remained sound. Candice still had every intention of letting him out as soon as her cigarette was finished. She didn't want to kill him after all...

Meanwhile, the micro was putting on quite a show.

The pegasus beat his wings fiercely and with obvious skill. In moments he had shaped the smoke into a tornado, a fully visible one at that, which cleared the center of the glass so he had some fresh air to breathe. Once more, the mare found herself marginally impressed. However, even she could tell this battle wouldn't last long. Breeze was working hard to keep the rotation flowing and he'd gone from choking on smoke directly to this hard physical exercise. And before this he'd been all out ramming the glass for a minute or two. If he wasn't feeling tired yet, he was going to soon.

Candice took a leisurely pull from her cig. Then she sighed. Long and slow. Her eyes lidded. Her body was nearly limp as she relaxed against the bar-top.

But inside the overturned glass a brutal war waged. The micro spun and twirled. He beat his wings hard to keep the vortex going and the middle of the glass free of smoke. Yet every breath felt like a tax. A drain on a limited resource.

Candice was transfixed. Observing every little action he took. A minute ticked by. Then another. And another. The fight continued, but the pegasus had slowed ever so slightly. The tornado shrank. The eye of the storm grew tighter. The mare eyed her cigarette again. A drag and a half remained. That would do.

She puffed on her cig once. Quick and easy.

Flawless Breeze beat his wings.

Eventually, the smooth flow of the cloud began to lag and break up. Wisps invaded the clear zone more and more. Then the pegasus disappeared in the collapsing mist, only leaving a faint shadow that hinted at his location. Which soon fell to the ground.

Candice finished her cigarette and smothered it in the ashtray. Then she lifted the glass and the pocket of smoke immediately dissipated to reveal a queasy looking micro. Head bobbing weakly as though he were about to hurl. He was beyond coughing at this point, but he was alive.

It occurred to the unicorn that now would be a good time to deliver a humiliating one-liner. To really cement the lesson she'd intended to teach. But in that moment her mind went blank. She had nothing.

So there was only silence as they glared at each other.

Finally, she snorted, snatched up her bags, paid for her drinks, and marched off.

Candice felt conflicted though. On one hoof, she'd sure ruined that rude little micro's day. On the other, she was disappointed in herself. That was such a good opportunity for a snappy one-liner and she'd missed it.

Maybe next time...

~~~

"Your cocktail, ma'am," Mute Mic announced simply, placing a tall glass with a cone shaped top in front of her.

"Thank you," Candice replied before he could waddle away.

Scooting the drink under her muzzle, the unicorn then lit her horn and levitated the lone cherry up to her face and studied it for a moment. Should she eat it now or wait until she'd finished off the cocktail? When did she want to tickle her tongue with that taste?

After a brief mental debate with herself, she plucked off the stem and tossed the red fruit in her mouth. Some brisk chewing later she raised the odd glass to her lips and took a sip. The combination of flavors was nice. Unfortunately, each serving only included one cherry. Candice could have asked for another one or two, she supposed, but cocktails were traditionally served with only one. And she was a sucker for tradition.

So she relaxed at the bar, taking occasional nips of her drink while she basked in the calming buzz. Without the cherry though, the rest of the alcohol had only a bland taste to offer, but that was okay. Candice was feeling rather [i]bland[/i] tonight. She didn't plan to stick around long. In fact, she was already eyeing her bags, trying to decide if she should just start smoking now.

"Heya miss!" a little voice called to her. "Could you scoot aside for a sec'?"

Glancing down and to the right, the mare wasn't surprised to find a micro on the walkway. Though he was fairly big for his kind. He was a muscular earth pony with a square head, a short military styled mane, and tan fur.

"Sure," Candice replied easily, leaning back.

"Thank you," he said gruffly in return.

The unicorn then watched as the stallion casually marched by, but a needle of dread pierced her when he stopped to call the bartender in front of the next seat over. In a flash, the micro platform and alcohol dispenser were setup and he was relaxing much like herself. She took the opportunity to order another cocktail.

While she ignored the cherry and downed half the drink in one gulp, the stallion commented. "Slow down girl, sheesh. It's not going anywhere."

Candice gasped, setting the glass down with a clink that made even her ears pin. "Sure it is. It's going down my throat," she countered with sass.

The micro barked a laugh. "It sure is. But do you really want it all to go there right [i]now[/i]? The night is still young."

She eyed him suspiciously, but ultimately decided to humor him. "Oh yeah? So what's your plan for the [i]night[/i] then?"

He grinned. "I just want to rest and enjoy the scenery," he explained while vaguely gesturing around himself.

Candice blinked at that. Her drink was nearly forgotten, her desire to smoke faded, and her dread... began to recede. The overwhelming majority of her interactions with micros fell into one of two broad camps: quick and indifferent or long and aggravating. Could this be the ever elusive [i]third[/i] type? Had she found a fellow peace lover? It was honestly hard to keep her hopes in check.

"Me too," she nearly whispered.

"Really huh? Hard day at work?"

Candice snorted. "Nope. It's more like I'm just feeling lazy."

The stallion copied her and snorted. "And here I was working with metal all day," he grunted and downed a shot of something.

"A micro working metal?" she queried, actually trying to keep the conversation going.

"Yeah," he groaned, rubbing his neck while somehow managing to make his little voice sound deep. "I work in a jewelry forge. Pour and shape molten metal for rings and chains and stuff."

"Explains the short mane," she noted aloud.

He chuckled. "Less there is to catch fire, the better. Wouldn't want to burn this handsome face."

Candice actually smirked at that joke, but sadly couldn't think of anything to add. So she simply raised her cocktail and took a sip. He did the same, though he was doing shots. After that there was a period of silence. But it wasn't awkward. At least not to the unicorn. It was a serene calm that lasted several minutes. Enough time that she finished her second drink and then started entertaining herself by playing with the empty glass. Gently running her hoof along the rim, but failing to produce any melody.

The stallion broke the silence. "What's your name?"

"Boiling Candice," she replied after a moment. "Yours?"

"Solid Ingot," he answered gruffly.

The mare snickered lightly. "That's a pretty tough name for a tiny thing like you."

The micro grumbled. "Everypony laughs about that, but I think I've done pretty well. Look at these muscles!" he declared while flexing his forelegs.

Candice perked a brow in his direction, mildly amused by his attempts at showing off. She leaned on the bar and cradled a cheek in a hoof. "That's impressive," she teased. "You might just be the biggest micro I ever saw."

It wasn't clear if he understood that was a joke or not, he simply grinned. Then Ingot seized a shot glass and threw his head back. "Ah, that's the stuff," he sighed. "Why aren't you going all out?" he then slurred as the alcohol started to take effect.

The mare shook her head. "I don't want to get drunk. Only pleasantly buzzed," she explained.

"Aw, and here I was hoping you'd be my drinking buddy tonight. Will you at least carry me home after I'm done?"

Candice felt her mood sour a bit. That hadn't been very funny. To her. "Sorry little man," she mumbled. "I am not going to carry you."

"I promise I don't weigh much," Ingot pleaded.

Was he joking or was he also trying to hit on her? The unicorn knew his intoxication was nudging his personality, but towards what? Maybe he was just being overly friendly. Did she dare play along or try to shut him down? Both options came with risks. As always, she tried to be diplomatic first.

"No," Candice began firmly. "You're a nice drinking partner, but that's my limit. I'm not taking you with me anywhere."

The stallion thought for a bit, himself trying to decide how to respond. Eventually he settled on a frustrated growl. "Darn," he snorted, turning to his drinks. "And I... liked you."

Candice... blushed. She shouldn't have. She should have been disgusted. Constantly being hit-on was annoying and, often, gross. He'd probably been the closest to... well, not earning her interest, but something. She didn't hate him at least. It was more like she was disappointed. Which was a surprise for the mare.

She called the bartender and asked for another cocktail.

This time the silence [i]was[/i] awkward.

"You look good," Ingot stated suddenly.

"Thank you," was her curt reply.

"Is there... a stallion here you like?"

"No. I don't come here to meet ponies. I'm only here for the peace and quiet."

"To look at," he rephrased.

"Hm?" Candice hummed questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Like..." Ingot's voice faded as he thought. "Is there a stallion here you think is hot?"

Instinctively, the mare glanced around the bar. At the various loners, couples, and groups. An instant later she caught herself and returned her attention to her drink. She almost replied with a dismissive "no", but she didn't want to purposefully drive this discussion into the ground. So she was honest.

"There are a few stallions here that I think look good," Candice admitted quietly.

"Like me?" he tried hopefully.

"No," the mare answered immediately. "You're a micro."

"You'd never even... [i]consider[/i] a micro?" Ingot pressed, his voice sounding a bit dejected.

She eyed him. "No."

There was a pause. "Are you sure?"

Candice raised a brow. "I'm a selfish mare. What could you do for me?"

The stallion seemed to take her words as a challenge rather than dismissal. He beat his chest with a hoof and proudly raised his head. "I may be a micro, but I [i]know[/i] I could make you feel good."

She rolled her eyes. He was quickly falling out of her good graces now. "I doubt it."

Ingot scoffed in return. "Haven't you ever considered where these hooves could reach?" he emphasized by waving his front legs around. The action, however, made him teeter in his seat for a second. Though when he quickly regained his balance he didn't seem to care and continued. "I could go [i]deep[/i] and make you feel things you've never dared to imagine!" he asserted confidently.

A long angry lecture threatened to spill out of her, but Candice couldn't be bothered to rant. Too many words might go right past the drunk's impaired mind. She knew it was best to keep it simple. So she merely asserted her position. "No."

Shockingly, the stallion actually seemed to back down at that. Though he did grumble about it. "And I was getting my hopes up..."

That exchange felt like the end. What else was there to discuss after that? So the mare decided it was about time she headed home. She turned away from the entitled little earth pony and began rummaging through her bags for her cigarettes. Moments later she had a box in her magic grip and was pulling one out.

"You've got such a nice ass though," Ingot commented suddenly.

Candice dropped the package of smokes and cast a wide-eyed stare in the micro's direction. "W-what's wrong with you?" she squeaked in disbelief.

"What?" he droned, throwing his hooves up in a shrug. "I'm just saying you're sexy. I bet you could have any stallion you wanted, but... you're like a prude or something. Who comes to a bar and doesn't want some?" he mumbled to himself.

The mare fumed. Who was he to judge her? "I could have sworn you said you just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere. Like me."

"Yeah," he grunted. "I came here to see the [i]view[/i]. You know, check out some tail, maybe go home with a mare. You alone made the visit worth it," he rambled casually.

Disgust wrinkled her brow as she huffed. Then she snatched up her cigs again and stuffed the box back in her bags. The free stick she popped into her mouth, but before she could tap the bar to call for an ashtray, she noticed Ingot looking in her direction. Or rather, at her [i]seat[/i].

Her eyes narrowed angrily. The bug was blatantly staring now. It made Candice sick. A knot formed in her stomach. Once more she felt the need to punish.

Yet part of her mind argued that there was another way. While she played with the cigarette between her lips, she considered using the official alternative. She eyed her hoof for a second. Then gazed across the bar to where Mute Mic was relaxing.

She could always report the micro for sexual harassment and insist he be banned from the bar.

That felt... wimpy though. She'd asked Mic in the past to throw micros out who'd done worse, but he was notorious for letting ponies off with warnings. Which wouldn't solve her problem. However, she was nervous about acting on her own [i]again[/i]. There would definitely be consequences for her if she ever went too far.

But Candice wasn't about to surrender her favorite bar. She wasn't going to simply let micros continue to treat her like a piece of meat. And she was going to get some respect.

However... there was [i]something[/i] she had to get first.

The unicorn tapped the bar twice. Mute Mic's ears perked. Then he was shuffling over. But after placing the ashtray in front of the mare he started to turn away, assuming that's all she wanted. Yet she stopped him.

"Can I have another cocktail please?" she asked sweetly.

He nodded silently and started to mix her drink right there.

"Mic," Candice began neutrally, "this micro has been harassing me."

Both stallions blanched. Ingot tried to argue. "Hey, what are you--"

"What did he say to you?" Mic cut the little earth pony off.

The mare growled. "The usual. Wants to have sex with me and doesn't like my answer."

"H-hey!" Ingot protested, voice trembling with embarrassment.

"Sir, that--" the bartender started to scold the micro, but was then surprised when Candice cut [i]him[/i] off.

"Actually Mic, I'd like to deal with this myself," she explained heavily.

The gray unicorn blinked silently at her for several seconds, brows creased, clearly deep in thought, struggling to decipher the intended meaning. Because it was obvious what she said didn't make sense on the surface. Why report it if she wanted to "deal with it herself"? Meanwhile, Ingot sat with his mouth hanging open in dumbfounded confusion. Being partially drunk surely destroyed any chance the tiny pony had to figure out the secret message.

Mic's eyes widened. Then his gaze flicked between the two of them for several moments. From the crimson unicorn, probably his most consistent regular, to the one-off micro he might never see again. Mic bit his lip. Then he returned his attention to the drink he was mixing. He said nothing until the cocktail was finished and a cherry was gently floating in the cloudy alcohol blend. Finally, the stallion pushed the iconic glass forward and locked eyes with Candice.

Neither spoke. Though frowning as he did so, the bartender nodded the tiniest bit. Her eyes widened. Then narrowed. She turned and tilted her head slightly. His frown deepened, but his second near imperceptible nod was punctuated with a grunt. She smiled gratefully.

Mute Mic straightened and coughed once politely. "Just... be careful," was all he said before he made a show of turning and walking to the other end of the bar.

"What was that about?" Solid Ingot mumbled dumbly. Then he glared at her. "And what are you up to?"

"Just getting permission," Candice replied cheekily.

"To do what?"

The mare hesitated. "I don't know," she eventually admitted.

The little stallion shook his head. "I can't believe you tried to get me kicked out over a couple compliments."

"Compliment away," she grumbled. "But when I ask you to stop and shut up, maybe you should listen."

"I was just saying you had an ass I wish I could feel," Ingot scoffed.

Candice felt her jaw tighten and her anger flared. Yup, she was going to hurt him. And she knew the [i]best[/i] way to do it now.

The mare stood and stretched. The stallion watched curiously. "You're leaving already?"

"Nope," she huffed. "I was going to, but I recently changed my mind. I plan on staying late tonight," she explained mischievously.

"Changed your mind huh?" Ingot chuckled and slouched in his seat.

Then the unicorn lit her horn and, without warning, lifted the grinning micro from his place. Which immediately sent him into a fit of furious squirms. "Hey! Put me down! What are you doing?!"

Candice quickly levitated him over to her now vacant chair and dropped him on the cushion. The little pony bounced twice before ending up on his belly. It took him a moment after that to stagger back to his hooves and to survey his surroundings. But judging by his expression he failed to understand where she dropped him.

"Comfy?" she asked sharply.

Ingot's head snapped towards her. "What'd you do that for?"

She glared hard at him, willing him to see her anger. "I thought you [i]wanted[/i] to touch my ass," she taunted darkly.

"Huh?" he honked cluelessly.

Then the mare turned around and hiked her tail.

Yeah, she was flaunting her rear. Yeah, he was ogling her sex right now. Yeah, he was probably even enjoying this. But what she was going to do next he was [i]definitely[/i] not going to like.

"Whoa girl, shake it for me!" Ingot cheered drunkenly behind her.

Candice was disgusted by the pervert, though she considered it might add to his coming humiliation. So she gave him what he wanted. She wiggled her hips.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" he laughed while falling over clumsily.

Then the mare sat down and crushed the micro under her left cheek.

The feeling was... weird. A living [i]thing[/i] was squirming against her butt. Struggling to move her. Candice couldn't help freezing for a bit as she sorted out her emotions. It was like sitting on a big juicy beetle. Was this fun or did it make her nauseous?

But then Solid Ingot's various rude comments flashed in her mind.

The unicorn hardened her resolve, but decided to quickly check on him. Micros were supposed to be tough, and he might just be the toughest she'd ever seen, but he was far from indestructible. So she leaned aside and looked down at the stallion.

Her fatty cheek had driven the earth pony into the plush padding. But now that it was free of her tremendous weight the soft surface beneath him began to rise again. As for him, the tiny stallion was quick to fill his lungs with fresh air and his limbs were already flopping about as he fought to sit up. Soon his wandering gaze met hers. And he decided to glare defiantly past the furry ass still hovering threateningly over him.

"A-are you crazy!" he barked breathlessly.

She simply snorted and settled back down. His quick cry of protest being cut short was a pleasant tingle in her ears. Enough she almost giggled. Forget that disgusted feeling. This [i]was[/i] kind of fun.

Candice spun in her seat to return to her former place at the bar and felt a tickle under her butt as the micro was roughly ground by the careless motion. Again she grinned. Then she plucked up the cherry from her fresh cocktail and devoured it with glee. Followed by a generous gulp of the alcohol. It was impossible, but it tasted even better while an obnoxious micro struggled against her ass.

She finally lit her cig and took a generous puff. Then she leaned forward, deliberately rolling her cheek off the micro. Her ear flicked as she listened to his gasps for breath. However, it was barely a few seconds before Ingot started making demands.

Which she promptly silenced by easing back on-top of him.

Candice hummed happily, her peace restored. No longer was there an annoying voice assaulting her with lewd suggestions or hints. It was just her, the simple ambiance of a quiet bar at night, a smoldering cigarette, and her cocktail. Plus the delightful tingle coming from underneath her rear.

A calm that she intended to keep going.

With the casual pace of a much older mare, Candice took her time. She alternated between sipping her drink and sucking on her cig. Back and forth. Making sure to always pay attention to the ongoing squirming against her ass. Because whenever Ingot started to slow or stopped moving, she immediately eased off him for a moment. Both to make sure he didn't suffocate and to reignite his attempts at escape. Which amused her.

Because he fought for a [i]while[/i].



Eventually the crimson unicorn finished off her cocktail and twisted the burnt end of her cig in the ashtray. Then Candice leaned again, letting the micro get some air before smothering him once more. Next she sighed and brushed her violet bangs out of her eyes as she peeked at the clock discretely hanging on the back wall. She clicked her tongue. It hadn't been long enough.

The mare examined her glass as a question ran through her mind. Would four be too much? She never liked getting truly drunk. Buzzed was fine, but any more than that made her uncomfortable.

Compromise.

Candice tapped the bar and Mute Mic slid over to her. "Another cocktail please. And can I get some water too?"

The bartender nodded. Then eyed the empty platter where the micro had been. He frowned at her, asking the question with his gaze alone.

"He's fine," she assured with a wave of a hoof.

Mic didn't say anything to that. He simply mixed her drink, plopped a cherry on-top, and placed a second tall glass of water next to it. Her order complete, the gray stallion then left like nothing was wrong.

Candice snickered as she scooted her fourth and final cocktail towards herself. Yet, before she could indulge, she made sure to take note of Solid Ingot. His struggles had grown weak again so she rolled her cheek off him for a moment. But [i]only[/i] a moment. As soon as it sounded like his lungs had caught up with demand, she abruptly dropped on him again and took a large gulp from her drink. And as she played with the cherry between her teeth, she couldn't help grinning. Tonight had started off good, gotten pretty rocky in the middle, but was now on track for a fantastic ending.



The mare sighed as she set the glass down with a clunk. Her cocktails were all gone, her cigarette burned out, and even her water was finished. An alcohol induced warmth had flooded her body and she was certain her balance was going to be off. But she was happy. Mostly because of the futile squirms that had been progressively fading for the last half-hour despite her minor attempts to stoke them.

Yet... it was finally time to go home.

Candice turned in her seat, grinding the rude micro under her butt one last time, then stood up. An instant later she spun around and was levitating the minuscule stallion back to his little setup which Mute Mic had left on the bar-top. Without much care she dropped him on the tray with a tiny "oof" and only then allowed herself to study his condition.

Solid Ingot looked roughed up. He was limp as he lied there, chest visibly rising and falling with each breath he took. So she hadn't killed him. However, his fur was a frazzled mess and the only thing that saved his mane from looking truly horrible was how short it was. Even then, what little hair he had was wild.

Their eyes met.

There was still a glint of defiance in his, but it was much fainter now. He also didn't say anything.

"Hope you got enough [i]ass[/i] to satisfy you for a while," Candice mocked darkly.

Then she left. With her head held high and a hint of extra sway to her hips. Proud of the punishment she'd dished out and the one-liner she'd punctuated it with.

~~~
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~~~

[i]Author's Note:

The hardest part about this chapter was balancing the awful behavior of the stallions. Too nasty and they seemed unbelievable or "cartoony", but if they weren't bad enough then Candice would come across as overreacting. You know, that dreaded stereotypical woman who thinks ANY interest from a man should be viciously punished. Yuck! I wanted to portray her as an ACTUAL victim of something that deserved retaliation. That way we could really sympathize with her when she does.

Second problem was length. I ALWAYS seem to hugely underestimate the length of chapters/stories. I really thought I was going to fit THREE stallions in one chapter? What was I, stupid?! Oh well. Come back later for the epic conclusion.[/i]