Lero and his wives were quite the tour guides for Galen. They each had favorite places that they enjoyed, places to eat, spots to relax, places where one could go for public music performances and even places where spontaneous games broke out. The town sprawled quite a bit despite its moderately narrow feeling streets and lanes, each block holding a surprising number of houses of all shapes and sizes. They led him from the outskirts, slowly spiraling inward for about four hours until Galen noticed the feeling of being watched and casually glanced over his shoulder but saw nothing in the street behind him, pony or otherwise. He dismissed the sensation for the time being and focused his attention on what his guides were saying.

Halfway down the block they were on, almost to the market square when Galen suddenly had a sense of creeping dread and spun around while moving his hand to his large knife. The street was still empty, though that feeling of dread was still heavy around him.

“Galen?” Lero asked worriedly as he stopped and looked to him. “Is everything alright?”

“Somethin's stalkin' us,” he replied as he scanned the area for anything that would give a clue as to who or what it was.

“What are you talking about? There's nothing there,” Rainbow said with a small scoff.

“An' tha's what's wrong,” he replied. “There should be ponies out an' about, righ'?”

“Well, it is a little strange,” Lero conceded. “But it is almost supper time.”

“Ah would agree with ya there, Leera,” Galen said as she stood back up but kept his hand on the hilt of his blade, his eyes never stopping their restless scanning of the immediate area. “But there's somethin' missin'.”

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, her expression getting slightly worried.

“Tha sounds o' tha town,” Galen replied, the silence he spoke of encroached upon the small group. When they were finally aware of it, they realized just how much noise their home normally had and now it's comforting presence was missing. They began huddling around Lero, facing outwards as their instincts urging to protect their man from danger kicked in. “Jus' follow mah directions an' we'll make it out o' here in one piece.”

“You sure?” Lero asked as he looked nervously around.

“Ah've been hunted by wolves before, Leera. If Ah can deal with a determined pack o' wolves, there ain't too much Ah won' get out of,” he replied grimly. “Tha only thing is tha' Ah don' know all tha rules here, yet. Ah won' know if there might be a surprise 'r two, so jus' stay close an' follow mah directions.”

“We trust you, Galen,” he replied, the mares looking up at him with determined expressions and nodded in agreement.

Galen nodded back and drew his blade in a reversed grip. He leaned forward slightly and began walking in a way that made it impossible for Lero and the mares to hear his tread, though it was effortless and almost second nature to him. He motioned for them to follow him with a wave of his hand and ducked between two houses, scanning through the windows, the edge of the roofs and for any sign that there may be something waiting at the end of the alley. He glanced back over his shoulder at irregular intervals as well to both ensure that the others were following him and that nothing was behind them. They made it to the back yard without incident, Galen stopping one step outside of cover while he held a hand back to keep the others in hiding.

He quickly scanned the area and took a few steps forward, motioning for the others to follow. He glanced back and saw them follow, but something down the path they just came through was casting a dark shadow and Galen felt his heart rate ramp up as adrenaline pumped into his bloodstream.

“Hurry!” he urgently whispered as he waved them off to the side. “Somethin's comin'!”

Their expressions changed immediately into a mix of fear and determination as they bolted down the way Galen pointed with Galen covering their retreat. He called out hushed directions as they darted from one place to another in their attempt to loose whatever it was that was trailing them. Galen would split off and attempt to circle around behind the thing as he sent them ahead, but never found any trace of it. To say that it was making him progressively more worried was an understatement.

Then, almost suddenly, they were at the edge of the village, a wide stretch of open ground stood between them and the White Tail Woods. Galen looked over to his companions and released a tense breath. “Alrigh',” he said softly, “We gotta cross this stretch an' we can find a place ta bunker down. Once yer settled, Ah'll swing 'round ta Jack's an' check up on 'em.”

“Alright,” Lero replied. “Lead the way, Galen.”

He nodded and scanned the immediate area once again before motioning them to make a sprint for the edge of the woods. He gave them a five second head start and readied himself to intercept anything that pursued, but nothing did. That worried Galen more than he could explain. He sprinted after them and maintained his distance. Just over a minute later, they arrived at the edge of the woods and continued walking at a sedate pace as Galen led them deeper. Even if he were in a different world, the same rules of the wood should apply here as on earth, so he went about looking for a suitable place to lay low. He found it about a half mile into the woods, in a fairly deep gully. For the most part, it looked like a pile of random tree limbs, roots and other debris interlocked in a tightly woven shell, but knew it for what it was. Shelter.

He led them down and looked the structure over before looking for the easiest entryway. “What is this?” Lero asked, his curiosity getting the better of his anxiety.

“They don' really 'ave a name,” Galen replied. “They show up when it floods an' all kinds o' stuff gets washed inta a gully an' settles when tha water recedes. If we're lucky, we won' 'ave ta hollow it out too much.”

“Need any help?” he asked as Galen crouched down low and twisted his torso to the side as he reached in to see if the way was obstructed.

“Jus' keep an eye out,” he replied. “These things can be a bit tricky.” Lero nodded and they did as told. Sheathing his knife, Galen slid himself into the opening and made his way by touch as the tightly woven structure screened out any light. He soon found himself in a wider opening that only had a few small limbs littering the ground. Feeling around, he thought it would suit their purposes for the time being, if it ended up being a bit cramped. Satisfied, he made his way back out and froze when he sensed that he was alone. Lero and his wives were gone.

Galen felt his skin prickle slightly. He drew his knife again as he slowly exited the structure and looked around for tracks. He saw those of the others head back up the slope. Once his head rose enough to see around, he scanned the woods and saw nothing that would indicate anything was amiss. Their tracks stopping a few paces from where he stood. Something was wrong... Very wrong. He had no idea what could empty an entire village, but it must have strange powers he could not even hope to comprehend. If nothing else, he owed it to Applejack and her family, to Lero and his wives to see them back safe if he could. He didn't worry about Riley because his dog knew enough to flee when something dangerous was about when Galen was gone. He had probably hid himself under Lero's bed or the like.

Galen took a slow breath and felt grim resolve within him as he strode forward purposefully, completely in the open, inviting whatever it was to come for him as he followed the trail leading him on. He soon left the edge of the woods and saw a bounding shape just over a hill to the west, heading in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres. With a slight growl, he lurched forward and broke into a ground eating lope. He slowly picked up his pace and was rounding the village a few minutes later as he vaulted the boarder fence of the Apples' property, barely breaking his pace. He slowed down a bit as he entered the orchard, keeping his eyes open for whatever it was. His vigilance was rewarded by the sight of the shadowy form loping in the direction of the farmhouse. He broke into a full sprint, his burning legs' and lungs' complaints ignored in his desire to see the others safe.

It seemed to taunt him, keeping its distance despite his best turn of speed. Yew'll not get 'way wit' this, he thought darkly as he urged his body to go faster and faster. Suddenly, he broke into the yard of the farm and was absolutely floored by a massive wall of noise as soon as he broke free of the trees.

“SURPRISE!!!!!!”

He tripped and tumbled hard, dropping his knife lest he stab himself by accident and came to a skidding halt a few feet from the front line of the assembled town, Lero, his mares, Applejack and her family in the front, but all laughing and grinning at his expression of pure shock. He didn't say a word. He couldn't. It was beyond his imagination that from the time of their frantic flight until now had been nothing but an elaborate and perfectly executed surprise party. Riley came running over and bowled him over happily, licking his face and wagging his tail that hit like a switch as Galen pushed him away with a laugh.

He couldn't believe it. All this for him.

A bright pink mare with a darker pink mane and tail trotted over from his side, her bright blue eyes shining as brightly as her smile, “Welcome to Ponyville and Equestria!” she said happily. “Did you enjoy our game of cat and mouse?”

“Tha' wha' yew call it?” he replied weakly as he flopped on his back weakly, his body choosing that moment to finally give out from his exertions. “If yer mice 're as scary as all tha', then Ah don' think Ah wanna meet a cat.”

She just giggled and moved around him, nudging him to a sitting position. “Everything's fine, so just relax and enjoy yourself. This party's just for you, after all,” she said, mirth silvering her words.

“Thanks,” he replied with a laugh as he twisted around to look at her. “Ah seem ta be at a disadvantage 'ere. Yew seems ta know mah name, but Ah don' seem ta know yers.”

“Oh! I'm Pinkie Pie,” she answered with a smile.

“Pleasure ta meet ya,” he replied as he slowly got up. He went back to pick up his knife and sheathed it before turning back around. “So, Ah take it yew were tha one ta kidnap an entire town an' set up this little shindig?”

“Of course!” she replied as she bounced in place slightly. “It's not everyday that we just happen to have someone from another world just show up, so we gotta welcome you right!”

“Don't question it, Galen,” Rainbow said as she walked over. “This is Pinkie Pie we're talking about. She's the best caterer in Ponyville, it's her talent after all.”

“Besides, her parties can get pretty legendary,” Lero added with a grin. “She pulled some strings and hired a small army of foal sitters for when the party goes into the night.”

“Yeah!” Pinkie said happily. “I got a huge bag of bits this morning and a letter from Anonymous saying to make Galen feel as welcome as possible, so I went all out! I've been baking since this morning and put in orders with all the other restaurants in town for food.”

Galen shook his head, a grin splitting his face. Of all the things, he was not expecting to have a welcoming party. Maybe just a small get together with his friends once he got established. He thought he could have just slipped into life without making too much of a splash. It looks like this mare decided to blow up the pond.

“Thank ya, Pinkie,” he said as he walked over to her, crouched down and gave her a quick hug before holding her at arms length. “But ya din't even know me before now. Why go through all this jus' ta welcome me ta Ponyville?”

“Hey, it's what I do,” she replied with a grin before raising her voice and half turned to the amassed crowd. “Now, are we ready to get this party started?!”

The answering roar of approval drove the resting birds in the orchard from their spots in a quick bout of panic. They easily parted for Galen and his small entourage as Pinkie led them to the center one out of a trio large pavilions set up along the northern edge of the yard, surrounded by enough tables that half the town could easily be seated. The middle pavilion seemed to be for Galen while the two that flanked the central one held several long trestle tables, every square inch filled with platters of food. The yard enclosed by the barn, out buildings and house had been designated as a dance floor of sorts and a small bandstand had been put up to provide music. The barn had been closed up and a sign put up that said “Open After Dark.” Galen grinned as he knew that it likely held the more adult refreshments and was pleased to know that these ponies were the responsible sort.

After weaving their way through the tables and benches until they stood at the entrance to the pavilion, Pinkie looked to Galen and motioned for him to look behind him. He did so and found the crowd looking at him expectantly. He sighed with a smirk. They really did things the old way here and they wouldn't really start until he gave them some words. Well, he could entertain them, he supposed.

He turned to face the mostly silent crowd and took a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

“Even though Ah've only been 'ere fer about a day, but Ah mus' say tha' Ah'm overwhelmed,” he began. “When Ah first showed up, Ah was shocked, confused an' worried 'bout what would become o' me and Riley. Yesterday, Jack an' 'er fam'ly took us in when Ah was down, feeding and housing us fer tha night without askin' fer a thing in return. Today, Leera an' 'is wives taught me a lot 'bout where Ah am an' 'bout how is in yer town. Though Ah've found maself far from home, an' from what they say, likely never able ta get back, Ah think Ah lucked out in coming here. Seeing yew all out 'ere jus' ta welcome me jus' drives tha' point home. So, thank yew all fer comin' an' le's not waste any o' our mysterious donors money! Le's party!”

The crowd cheered wildly and stamped their hooves to the ground in approval as they surged forward to officially introduce their selves to Galen and get the party started. Pinkie, being the excellent party mare she was, steered Galen and the others to his table of honor in the pavilion, the Apples sitting to his right while Lero and the others to his left. A line quickly formed up and the introductions started coming. Off in the distance, music was starting up as the ponies cleared away from the dancing area while others made their way to the food and started to help their selves. Galen was able to hold his own for quite a while as the ponies came one after another, from shop owners to musicians to scribes to fillies and colts, excited to meet the new human. Apparently Lero made it around town enough that each of the villagers had passed on some of the good will that he had spread back on to Galen. After almost an hour, Galen's stomach finally decided to noisily protest its lack of attention, so with a final greeting, he broke away for a while to get himself some food.

As he made his way to the pavilion on his left, he spotted Lero piling up a plate with what looked like seafood. Galen also noticed a rather large pot as well, simmering gently as Lero took up a bowl and ladled it full with what looked like a very rich gumbo. Grinning, Galen hurried over and caught his attention as he grabbed a plate and looked at the spread.

“Sneakin' off an' leavin' me ta starve?” he asked with a tone of mock hurt.

Lero snorted with a grin, “Hey, I can't help it if you're the toast of the town right now.”

“So, kinda surprised ta see seafood,” Galen said with a wave at the spread.

“This is all stuff from Crispy's,” Lero answered. “Pegasi eat seafood fairly often, and their cooking is top notch.”

“Ah'll take yer word fer it,” Galen replied with a grin as he started heaping his plate high with grilled fish, toasted and golden in its breading, sauteed shrimp in garlic butter, and other things he couldn't name but looked delicious anyway. With the plate filled to the brink of its capacity, he took a pair of bowls and filled them to the brim with the gumbo that Lero had just helped himself to. Lero stood by, watching with raised eyebrows at Galen's serving size and laughed when he was asked to help carry back Galen's plate so he could get another one filled up. With Lero holding the heavy plate and his own bowl, Galen quickly retrieved another plate and loaded it with the other courses that he didn't have room for on his first pass. With a second plate similarly filled to capacity, Galen took both bowls, one in each hand and cradled his plate delicately on his wrists as he started heading back to their table.

As they returned, Lero was given an odd look by Rainbow that quickly turned to a bit of surprise when she saw that the plate was for Galen. “I almost thought you had suddenly grown a second stomach,” she said laughing at Lero. “Holy crap, Galen,” Dash continued as she saw what he had brought over. “Didn't you eat enough today?”

“Sorry,” he apologized with a weak smile. “Lunch was more of a snack than anythin'.”

“Galen's got an appetite ta match me an' Big Mac after a long day of work,” Applejack cut in with a grin. “We didn't have hardly any leftovers last night.”

“Din't hurt tha' tha cookin' was top notch either,” Galen replied once he had set his plate and bowls on the table as well.

She just shook her head with a rueful smile and sat back to watch him dig in and see for herself his appetite in action. Galen sat down, scooted close to the table and arranged everything just so before picking up a fork from the table and began to eat. It didn't take much more than twenty minutes before everypony and Lero to stop their conversation as Galen ate every bite of food on his plates and the contents of his bowls, not even leaving anything more than a paltry few drops of moisture in them. For Galen, it was a treat to have such well cooked seafood, rarely getting the chance to eat much back in his village nor in such variety.

“Whew...” he said as he slid the last bowl away and sighed happily. “Tha' should set me righ' fer a while.”

“A while?” Rainbow dash said incredulously. “That would feed me for days!”

The others laughed at that and shook their heads at Galen's gastronomic capacity. “So, wha's there ta drink?”

Pinkie suddenly appeared on Galen's left, startling him enough that he almost tipped himself over. “Well, there's fizzy cherry soda, apple cider, punch, pretty much any juice you could think of and water if you like that sorta thing.” Galen paused for a moment to process the rapid list she told him, pondered it for a moment and decided on a mug of apple cider. Pinkie just grinned and seemed to blink out of existence as she ran off to get him his drink. It took little more than a moment before she reappeared on his other side with a mug of foaming cider balanced perfectly on top of her head, this time only causing his heart rate to jump up uncomfortably. “Here ya go!” she said happily.

“Thank ya very much, Pinkie,” he replied with a slowly growing smile at the mares eccentric behavior. “Why don't ya pull up a seat an' relax fer a bit. Yew certainly deserve it since it was yew who pulled this whole shindig tagether.”

“I couldn't,” she demurred, placing her hoof to her chest. “I still have a lot of things I have to do to make sure this turns out to be the best welcome party for someone from another world.”

“Well, Ah think yew've done more than enough, Pinkie,” Galen replied with a warm smile.

“But...” she tried to say but Galen cut her off.

“Seriously,” he said as he swept his hand across the view in front of them, the ponies of the entire town milling about and having a fantastic time with good food and friends. “Yew brought literally the entire town out just fer me. Every one of them seems ta be havin' a good time. Why don't yew jus' relax a bit an' enjoy all yer hard work? 'Ave yew even eaten yet?”

“I guess I could...” she conceded with only a mildly put off expression, “and I always sample the food that's served, so I've eaten plenty.”

“Well, tha's good ta know,” he replied warmly. “Wouldn't do fer tha party planner ta not enjoy 'er own plannin'. 'Sides, yew can always check in a bit later ta make sure ev'rythin's goin' smoothly.”

Pinkie smiled and giggled at that, “That makes sense.” With that, she trotted off to find herself a chair while Galen and Applejack scooted apart a bit to make room for Pinkie when she returned a moment later with a chair balanced on her back. She bucked slightly, sending the chair sailing over her head to land perfectly between the two and hopped over the back of it, landing squarely on her rump.

“So, how are you liking everything so far?” she asked Galen once she situated herself a little more comfortably on her seat.

“Ta be honest, Ah don' quite know yet,” Galen replied. Pinkie cocked her head to the side in confusion and Galen snorted a bit at that. “Ah guess Ah mean tha' Ah was completely broadsided with yer plans an' Ah know tha' Ah'll have a good time, but it won' really sink in fer a while. Sorta like a festival, ya know? Yew know yer gonna 'ave fun, but yer so excited an' distracted tha' yew don' know yew 'ad a good time 'till yer exhausted an' 'bout ready ta pass out.”

“I never really thought of it like that before,” Pinkie replied. “Did any of you girls feel that way when we had parties?”

“Sometimes,” Applejack replied with a rueful smirk. “It's like your parties are so good that we get all caught up in the moment and it only sinks in on the way home.”

“Exactly,” Twilight chimed with a wide smile in as she leaned forward to look at Pinkie.

“Huh...” she said with a hoof under her chin in a ponderous pose. “I guess that makes sense.”

The assembled group just chuckled a bit at that before Pinkie suddenly gasped before waving her hooves dangerously close to her neighbors heads and yelling, “Rarity! Rarity!!! OVER HERE!!!”

They all flinched away slightly from the volume of her voice near the end but they noticed a white unicorn mare with a painstakingly groomed violet mane and tail trotting between ponies and tables to them. She smiled winsomely with a slight toss of her mane and locked eyes with Galen, “You must be Galen, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Rarity, owner of the Carousel Boutique and I must say that when you have a moment of spare time, please drop by so that I can take your measurements so that I can make you some clothes.”

Galen smiled back at Rarity, “Business first before play, huh?”

“Of course,” she replied smoothly. “Best to get it over and done with so that one may enjoy the festivities.”

Galen nodded at that, “Thank ya fer yer offer. Ah'll be sure ta drop by when Ah have tha chance.”

“Please do,” she continued. “From what I hear, you've yet to even get settled, so please feel free to ask for any attire you might want or need. I'll give you a wonderful deal and you won't have to worry about paying me back all at once until you've found work.”

Galen smiled warmly before replying, “Thank yew, Rarity. Yer generosity warms mah heart.”

“Think nothing of it,” she responded, her smile growing wide.

“So, have yew 'ad a chance ta eat yet?” he asked as he motioned to the pavilions flanking his. “There seems ta be plenty fer everyone an' it would be a waste not ta enjoy yerself.”

“Not yet, but rest assured that I will have a wonderful time,” she replied. Galen smiled and waved as she turned and went off to get herself a plate of food.

“She seems nice enough,” he said to no one in particular.

“She's normally not so formal, but she can't help it when she's in the middle of a large party,” Lero supplied. “You should have seen her at our Hearth's Warming party last year. She got a little deep into the cherry brandy and tried to dance with my coat rack.”

Galen choked slightly as he tried to restrain his laughter while the others just laughed about the memory out loud. They sat there for a little while meeting and greeting the seemingly endless stream of villagers, each of them going to get something to eat once or twice before they eventually meandered out into the mass of ponies. The party had been going at a steady clip for the past two hours, but the sun was beginning to set, so the fillies and colts were being herded together to the waiting group of foal sitters who greeted their charges with bright smiles and nuzzles for all. Galen was pretty surprised to see how excited the little ones were to be sent home with their caretakers.

Pinkie, sensing that the time was almost upon them, slipped from the table with a few muttered instructions for Lero, his wives and the oldest Apple siblings. Galen was just about to get up for another pass at the food tables for some dessert but found himself flanked on both sides by his companions once he got up. He looked curiously at them but remembered suddenly that there was a barn to be opened once all the little fillies and colts had been sent off. Well, they were on their way back to town now, so it was time for the adults to kick things up a notch.

“Time ta open tha barn?” he asked the obvious question with a grin.

“Time to open the barn,” Lero confirmed, his own grin matching Galen's.

With that, they proceeded to make their way between the tables, the various ponies looking up at the group being headed by Galen and grinned as they either moved to join them or ran off to gather their friends for the second half of the festivities. It wasn't long until Galen found himself standing in front of the barn and turned to Pinkie.

“So, should Ah jus' open it up? Or should Ah wait a bit?”

She looked around and spotted a few stallions bringing logs around from behind the barn, unloaded by a pair of unicorns and getting stacked in the makings of a trio of bonfires. “Just give it a bit,” she replied with a slow nod of her head and a smirk. “Gotta wait for the logs to get stacked before we kick things up a notch.”

“Ah got ya,” he said as he moved to the front of the barn and leaned his back against the doors. “So, this sorta party common 'round here?”

“We have two or three like this every year,” Rainbow answered. “I hope you have a good constitution, Galen, because we're gonna drink you under the table.”

His smile left his face at that. “Tha' so, little mare?” he replied with a wicked grin.

Rainbow bristled at that while Applejack guffawed. “Darn straight, big man. Ain't no pony, no man that can out drink the Rainbow Dash.”

Galen's smile just widened a bit at that as he watched her puff herself up proudly. Lero just moaned piteously as he wiped his hand down his face. “We're not going home tonight, are we?” he asked to no one in particular.

Twilight giggled, a grin of her own splitting her face, “We'll have to see if Applejack has a room we can borrow for the night.”

“You guys know we got one for ya,” Applejack supplied. “Jus' don't mess it up as much as last time.”

Dash blushed a bit at that remark but said nothing. Lyra snickered, Twilight laughed delightedly and Lero just smiled. Galen snorted a laugh and craned his neck to see that the towers of wood were close to completion. “Looks like tha show's 'bout ta start. Yew guys ready ta open tha big box an' get this party started?”

“Hell yeah!” came as the collective reply from the group and mass of ponies behind them, so Galen pushed himself off the wall with a twist so that he was facing it when he came to a rest. He lifted the heavy piece of timber from its rests and let it tumble to the side as he grasped the handles, pulling the doors open with a dramatic flourish. The inside was immediately lit up by the light of the setting sun and it was glorious. Fifty large barrels of hard cider acted as the roost for more than three times their number in smaller casks of brandy and colored glass bottles of harder liquors. Galen felt his heart thump once in excitement. He hadn't had a night like this in front of him since the last Beltane.

We turned back to the ponies looking on with glee plastered across their faces, “Then what're we waitin' fer?”

He was almost bowled over as the laughing ponies rushed forward to remove the barns store of treasured alcohol. The band stand was converted into a makeshift bar as barrels were set up on their sides and taps hammered in. Mugs were distributed and filled with surprising efficiency and Galen found himself with one in his right and a blazing torch in the other without knowing how it had happened. Looked like he was to start this part off as well. Well, he would start it right. Walking into the center of the three towers of wood and waited for most of the ponies to get served their first mugs of hard cider. They encircled the small space set aside for the fires and looked on eagerly. Galen lifter his mug to them and walked to his right, trailing the torch along the base of the logs, lamp oil flaring to life in a flash of heat and smoke. He walked on to the next and did the same thing but stopped at the third, raising his mug to the crowd. “Ah'd like ta propose a toast ta tha Appah's fer their kindness an' 'ospitality, Leera an' 'is wives fer their patience an' understandin'. But, Ah gotta say tha' Pinkie deserves a toast most of all, 'cause without 'er workin' 'er flank off, we wouldn't be 'ere tanight ta enjoy tha boon of our mysterious benefactor. Hear, hear!” he finished, tilting his mug back and downing the drink in ten seconds flat.

“Hear, hear!!!” the crowd shouted back enthusiastically. Galen waited for them to finish with their drinks, or as much as they could before he took the torch and jammed it down the hole in the top, the puddle of oil springing to life in a large puff of smoke that billowed up in a ring. As the crowd cheered, he rejoined his friends a moment later, grinning hard enough to hurt.

“A bit dramatic, don't you think?” Lero asked with a half smile.

“A bit,” Galen replied. “But tha's what these things're all about. Gotta follow protocol an' give a good show ta start things off righ'.”

“That was a good toast though,” Rainbow said with a grin and a chuckle. “You even got Pinkie to blush from that.”

“Speaking of which, where is she?” Applejack asked, looking around.

“She ran off somewhere to cool down,” Twilight answered with a giggle. “I don't think she's used to getting acknowledged for her parties like that.”

“She's a party planner, ain't she?” Galen asked.

“Yeah, but she works for the Cakes at Sugar Cube Corner,” Rainbow answered. “She plans and sets up the parties but the Cakes get most of the credit since they're the caterers and she works for them. She's used to working from the background, just as long as everypony has a good time.”

“Well, she deserves more credit than tha',” Galen replied with a smile. “She brought out tha entire town jus' fer me. Ah jus' thought Ah was gonna slip inta town without much fuss, but thanks ta her, we all got ta 'ave an' amazin' day.”

“No kidding,” Lero said with a laugh. “She really is an amazing mare and a fantastic friend.”

“Ah'll second tha',” Galen said. “So, Ah was wonderin'... how'd yew guys get 'ere? Ah saw yer tracks disappear a little way from tha shelter.”

“Oh, Pinkie Pie got our attention and told Twilight to teleport us over here for a surprise party,” Lero answered. “Everything immediately clicked once she told us that and we showed up in the middle of that massive crowd that greeted you.”

“Tha' magic o' yers is mighty handy,” Galen said to Twilight and Lyra with a rueful shake of his head. “Yew'll 'ave ta show me some o' what yew can' do sometime.”

“Okay, okay,” Rainbow cut in as she headbutted Galen in the side of his hip. “Enough talk, let's get to drinking. You started it, but I'm gonna finish it metal man.”

“Yew get our table, Ah'll get tha drinks,” Galen replied as Lero rolled his eyes, laughter dancing in them as he watched his wife picking a fight of cups and mugs.

“I'll be waiting,” she said as she grabbed Lero's hand in her mouth and dragged him off with her.

“You sure you'll be alright by the end?” Applejack asked with a smirk. “Ah've gone hoof ta hoof with 'er before and she ain't no lightweight.”

“Ah'll be fine,” he replied. “This ain't mah first dance.”

Galen smirked in response to her grin at seeing his casual confidence before heading over to the makeshift bar and grabbed a few mugs of cider along with five medium sized bottles and four shot glasses. He meandered into the crowd and soon spotted Lero waving him over. He put the mugs on the table before setting the bottles down and sliding one of the glasses over to Dash.

“I didn't think you'd start with some cider,” she said with a smile.

“Jus' one fer each o' us with a slight modification,” he answered. “Which o' these is tha hardest?”

“That one,” Dash replied, her hoof tapping the bottle with a violet wax seal. “Berry Punch color codes her waxes.”

“Neat,” Galen replied as he drew his knife and sliced the seal off easily. Once he sniffed the mouth of the bottle, taking a quick sip of vanilla and cinnamon flavored liqueur, he filled two shot glasses before dropping each one in a separate mug of cider. “'Tain't beer, but it'll do fer a decent opening,” he finished as he sat down across from Rainbow Dash.

“Oh man,” Lero said with a grin. “I never thought about trying a hard cider boiler maker. I'm gonna be right back.” He got up with a chuckle and practically skipped into the crowd to get a shot glass and another mug of cider for himself. Once he had left, Applejack and Big Mac showed up with Pinkie Pie in tow.

“Bottom's up,” Galen said as he grabbed the handle of his mug and downed the contents in a few moments. Rainbow followed suit, drinking hers at a distinctly faster clip and slammed her mug on the table.

“Alright, Galen,” she said with a glance to the other bottles. “Enough kiddie games. Let's get serious.”

“Hoo boy,” Applejack muttered quietly as she pulled up a seat. “It's gonna be one of those parties, ain't it?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered before sipping his own cider.

With the addition of the Apple siblings, other ponies came over to see what was going on and yelled to others that Rainbow was already having a drinking contest with the new human. That got everypony excited in a hurry and they were soon jockeying for a good position to the show. Lero managed to find his way back just in time with Twilight and Lyra as well as another bottle of hard liqueur and a trio of shot glasses. As they took their seats, Galen filled each of their dry glasses with a healthy sloshing of the cinnamon liqueur. He set the bottle back down and raised the glass to his lips before tossing it back with a flick of his wrist, Rainbow downing hers a few seconds later. The drink smoldered on its way down, sweet and spicy with the spark of alcohol wafting back up to set fire to the smoldering heat. In moments, their previous mugs of drink suddenly decided to make their contributions known as a gossamer web of warm comfort that they welcomed gladly.

They continued in this manner for some time, the crowds excitement becoming more and more tense as bets were made, lost and won time and again with ever increasing stakes as Galen showed himself to be a worthy competitor. Eventually, they ran out of the first bottle and moved onto the next one. Galen's first shot tasted like smokey cherries and nuts, the flavors of late autumn and warmed him as it would without the fire that accompanied the first bottle. Things were getting fuzzy around the edges as the alcohol coursed through their bodies in ever increasing amounts. The ponies and man around their table had been steadily imbibing as well, simply getting their mugs replaced and bottles of preferred brandies or liqueurs brought to them by eager acquaintances.

Galen wasn't sure when they started in on their third bottle, or their fourth since everything began blurring together by that point. He looked down when he noticed a sleight weight at some point resting on his lap and found Pinkie Pie looking back up, her face flushed with alcohol, laughter sounding from those around him as though at some great prank. He grinned down at her and ruffled her mane as he downed his next shot and saw that Rainbow was laughing at him as well. Lero cut in half a bottle later and decided to call it a draw to their indifference, Rainbow Dash grinning sloppily as she surged across the tabletop yelling something about still winning and tackled the modestly inebriated Lero to the ground. Galen laughed and cheered with the rest of the ponies and stood up with Pinkie Pie who squeaked slightly as she was cradled easily in one of his arms and strode into the crowd, on to the next event.

That's all he knew at that point before the alcohol took him completely.

Galen woke up the next morning with a disgruntled snort and a slimy feeling mouth as golden sunlight streamed in from somewhere. He just lay where he was and waited for the headache of the hangover to start, smacking his lips and working his tongue in his mouth to at least clear it of the feeling. It never came, so he just relaxed and fell back asleep, turning over and basking in the warmth he was in, his arm wrapping around something soft and warm.

He woke up some time later, slightly groggy from sleeping too much though he didn't have much of a headache which surprised him. His bladder was complaining rather forcefully of it's need to be relieved, so he moved to get up and noticed that he was sleeping in the middle of a pile of straw. At least he knew he hadn't wandered too far in his black out drunken state and should at least still be on the farm. He began brushing the layer of straw off and found himself in the buff, his clothes nowhere in sight. He sighed and shook his head before giving up and just leaving quickly with a carefully placed hand in front of his groin to take care of urgent matters. As he made his way through the barn, he heard the distinct sound of dozens of ponies snoring in other similar piles of straw and picked up his pace. Once outside, he rushed out into the orchard to deal with matters since he didn't want to wake any of the Apples if they were still sleeping, especially if they found him like this. The sun showed that it was somewhere between eight and nine in the morning and after a night like that, he wasn't sure if he wanted to stumble across a half drunk Applejack and have to explain himself. Once he was out of sight of the house, he found a bush to use and finished as quickly as possible, thankfully not being disturbed during his entire ordeal.

He quickly rushed back to the barn and the pile he woke up in and tossed himself back first onto it with a casual sigh, piling a layer of straw over himself to preserve his modesty for the most part. He brought his hands up and behind his head, lacing his fingers together as he relaxed and tried to recall the night after Rainbow Dash had apparently began a drunken make out session with Lero. He kinda remembered a rather tall, dark pony showing up at some point, yelling forsooths and huzzahs, but he was pretty hazy on the details. There was something about Pinkie Pie and a few other mares trying to dance with him, but that was about it. To say the least, he hadn't gotten that drunk in a few years and hadn't felt this good after a night of hard drinking either. He felt his stomach rumbling with hunger and wondered if there was any food left over from yesterday outside.

With a quick yawn, Galen returned himself to a sitting position and was about to stand up when a stirring to his side drew his attention to it. He glanced over and saw a portion of his hay mound rise up and fall away to reveal a bright pink coated mare with a slightly darker mane and tail with her back to him. She looked around owlishly before turning around enough to see that Galen was occupying the same mound as she was. Her eyes widened slightly and a furious blush rushed from the base of her neck to her hairline as she let out embarrassed little squeaks. Deciding to take the initiative, Galen did the only thing a man could do in a severely compromising position such as this after a night of hazy debauchery and finding a woman in his bed, or in this case, mound of straw. “Mornin',” he said in a low voice so as not to wake up any of the other sleeping ponies. “Some night last night, huh?”

Author's Notes:

Ain't no party like a Pinkie Pie party