Not so far away, in another street, Mane kept walking trying to avoid distractions from his objective.
Nothing so far helped him in his task of finding any evidence, besides looking around and checking how much things add changed around town.

He decided to stop by a shop in a corner. He entered and a old grey bearded colt greeted him. The place was like a cellar, built in old red bricks, cozy looking. And in shelves and crates, drinks from around Equestria, and some exported ones from Griffinstone.

"Welcome, young colt..." Said the shop keeper in a raspy voice.

"Thank you." Mane answered politely. "I would like to buy a bottle."

"Do you have an ID?"

"Why..?"

"I need to check your age."

"I didn't know of that..."

"Our policies changed years ago, since the death of King Som- *gasp*" - He stopped talking, shutting his mouth with his wrinkled hand.

"Something wrong?"

"It's a tradition we created in the Crystal Empire... we can't say 'his' name..."

"Who..?" Mane dared to ask, even thought he already knew the name very well.

"Visit the tourist post or the city library! You're bugging me! Now show me your ID."

"Listen, do I look like a stupid teenager trying to be a wannabe badass?" Said Mane in a intimidating way.

"My apologies, you don't look like one, kind sir... What is the drink?"

"Do you have...Crystal Vodka?"

"Ohhh... that... many don't buy It because of It's strength. May I ask why?"

"It's... for a friend! It's his bachelor party next night."

"Oh oh! Party hard, I see..." Giggled the old colt.

He pulled a key in his necklace from inside his suit, and opened a safe under the counter.

"Why is It inside a safe?"

A small explosion was heard in the distance, making Mane move his ears trying to get the source of the sound.

"What was that..?"

"What? My hearing is not the same like before..."

"I heard an explosion from far away."

"Ah. There's a construction site nearby. Maybe something fell. A board, a hammer..."

The owner rested the bottle in the counter, as if It was made out of the most fragile material in existence.
Mane's eyes glimmered when the bottle's label met with them.

"Five thousand bits." The old colt stated.

"No wonder It was in a damn safe!" Mane thought. "I don't have that much!" He said in shock.

"No money, no bottle." Said the owner while caressing his beard.

"Oh come on! You can't... er... ruin the party!"

"Not my problem."

Mane was about to leave... when an idea came to his mind and he showed a nasty grin.

"I have a proposal then."

"What is It..?" Asked the shop keeper, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you have one of these open?"

"Yes, in my personal bar..."

"Let's drink a glass of this. The one who resists, stays with the bottle!"

"AH! You dare to challenge me, the drink expert? When I was your age, I used to do these drinking challenges. I CAN resist to a glass of Crystal Vodka!"

"Just serve It..." Mane said with an impatient look.

The old colt headed to the back of the shop is his office, and moments later, returned with with two glasses of Crystal Vodka in ice.
Both grabbed the glasses and swallowed in one shot the entire drink. And then... they stared at each other...
The shop keeper's eyes were fixed on Mane's eyes, with a smile, while Mane kept a cold emotionless expression.

Soon, the old colt started to sweat, pulling the bow in his neck. Then taking his hands and letting out gasps of the drink burning his mouth and throat. Mane on the other hand, stood still with one hand in the cup and the other in the counter.

His opponent collapsed in the floor behind the counter, with his hands around the neck, blowing the alcoholic taste out of his mouth.

"T-t-take It! You won! I-I'm impressed y-you resisted..." He said in some difficulty. "My-my throat... I n-need water!"

"Not my problem..." Mane mimicked.

He grabbed the bottle and started walking away to the exit.

"H-hey!" Shouted the old colt while standing up trembling and heading to his office. "T-tell your friends, a-about the "Club Clover"! H-hot chick-ks in there..!"

"Er... no worries... I will!" - Said Mane hiding a blush. - "Pervert old geezer... - He thought.

He left the store, opened the bottle and started drinking, enjoying the taste that was not made for the weak.

"I once went to one of these clubs... just to kill the fucking owner and storm the place. The pig was a narcotic dealer and a pimp... making girls work for him."

While walking down the street and drinking, thinking what to do next, running steps could be heard behind him, and turning around, he almost got trampled by a squad of guards, which passing by him, all of them apologized.
Something ringed a bell in his head and he chased the patrol, leading him to a town square where guards were containing groups of citizens, while others were near a store.

"What happened?" He asked to a guard.

"Crime scene. Keep walking." The guard ordered.

"Not so different from the rest of Equestria... sad to know..."

While leaving the crowd, another guard approached him, taking him away from the rest of the public.

"Sir, can I ask you a few questions?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Have you seen a pink mare, with pink razor straight hair, young looking?"

The description made Mane Shaker almost made him feel totally weak.

"Er- no." He replied trying to keep a fake look, pretending he didn't know anything.

"She was dressing a medium short black skirt with pink stripes. With matching upper body clothes, also black and pink."´

"Sorry sir, I don't know her or seen her... I'm not from here."

"Alright, thank you. Sorry this disturbed your visit to our wonderful city."

The guard walked away, and Mane noticed a shady character hiding It's face with a hat and a trench coat, staring and studying Mane up and down in the distance. The grey unicorn started walking away, and the mysterious character followed him in the distance.
Mane looked by his shoulder and noticed. He hurried his walking, and the follower did the same.

Shaker started running through the streets avoiding bumping into other ponies. The chaser did the same, trying to catch up with Mane, always keeping It's eyes in the target. Taking turns and curves trying to lose the character.
Mane dived in a crowd, shoving ponies with difficulty.

The mysterious character did the same, trying to keep up the pace. In a second, Mane was out out of sight. Walking out the crowd, It stopped and scanned the street from an end to another. No sight of It's target. And It headed to an alleyway between buildings.

In the distance, Mane stood up from a bench and took the blue cap out, letting his messy mohawk like red hair pop out in the air.´

"Thanks kid." He said while retrieving the hat to the young foal eating an ice-cream next to him, and giving him three coins. "Get yourself another ice-cream."

"You're welcome sir!" Said the kid in his young squeaky voice.

Walking down the road, Mane's mind was taken by storm. Hurrying in his way to the hotel.

"Diane! We need to talk!"