The music in the center of town rose to a distorted level as Vinyl Scratch pumped up the volume. Before Chris could properly reorientate himself to the rejuvenated celebration, some pony had wrapped their forelegs around his waist.

"Chris!" Starlight cheered as she squeezed him. "That was incredible! You and Derpy totally stole the show."

She loosened her grip, leaning back, and rolled her eyes.

"I mean, yeah, sure. Everypony wanted to watch Sniff and Lumberman dance-off. But you two! Oh! Did you both practice together when we were picking your dance partners?"

The question hit him out of his daze. Instantly he thought about how nervous and so focused he was on not fucking up and tripping over his own feet that he couldn't even remember the others dancing.

"I... no. Sniff and Becky helped Derpy. I was with Lumberman and Kelly. I did a little practice with Oven Fresh. Sniff asked her to help."

Starlight dropped down to all fours and giggled.

"Well, you could have fooled me. But come on! The dance floor is open! Cut loose with me!"

Chris followed her out to the center of the mass of writhing bodies where the other six were doing their thing and swapping dance partners left and right. Each pony only getting a few seconds before a human would dance out of their way or another pony would cut in. It was like a game of musical chairs of which pony could snag a dance before getting shoved out, and another seat was taken away.

"Yo! Chris!" Sniff hollered over the music as he leaned in closer. "You killed it out there!"

Chris leaned in, cupping his hand to Sniff's ear.

"You think so? How did your dance go?"

"Hell yeah, man. And mine could have been better." Sniff leaned away to trade a few shakes with another mare and shot her a wink before leaning back over to Chris. "She was a really good dancer, but the bitch wouldn't let me lead... Totally threw my groove off. But you two,"

Sniff shook his head with a guilty grin.

"—that shit was hot, bro."

"Fuck off, man," Chris jested, not wanting the jab to get to him.

"Dude," Sniff said, pulling Chris back to his side to straighten things out. "Hey. I know I came off sounding like a dick—"

He turned and gestured a new pony to give him a moment so he could stop dancing and focus on Chris.

"—but things are a little different now. I'm not saying take 'em to bed or nothing like that, but it took me a while to figure out that shit isn't gonna happen here. These ponies are fucking clueless about debauchery. They just wanna have fun. Roll with it... I am."

After that statement, Chris watched Sniff step back into the dance where Minuette had found her way to him. She was doing what looked like Derpy had done when she danced. As Sniff approached, she leaned back, letting him lead her deeper into the dancing ponies. The last Chris saw of the two was Sniff picking her up under her forelegs and dropper her down on his lap, essentially dry-humping her farther into the pony rave, fist-pumping with every thrust.

"What did Sniff say?" Starlight shouted over the noise before rising up to her hind legs and letting her back lean against Chris's side as she danced against him.

Chris wasn't drunk enough for this new lease on temptation and thought better of himself.

"He said I need to cut loose," He said with a confused smile.

"Then come on!" Starlight shouted again. "These girls won't shut up about you!"

A magic band wrapped around Chris's wrist that pulled him along with Starlight to a group of mares, all of whom he recognized. Miss Cheerilee being the most familiar.

"Ladies," Starlight cheerfully greeted the mares. "Let me introduce you to my friend, Chris."

A collision of hellos and other greetings drowned each other out, but their faces all said the same thing.

Starlight moved closer to give a clear message to the waiting ladies.

"I think Derpy had to leave, so Chris needs a new dance partner! Any takers?"

Miss Cheerilee took the first step forward, her mouth open to ask for the first dance, only to be nudged out of the way by Prim Posy.

As Cheerilee stumbled to her side, falling into Berry Punch, she scowled as her now rival mare had taken Chris by the hand and pulled his head down to whisper in his ear. Whatever she told him brought an excited smile to his face, and he nodded agreeably before being dragged away back to the center of the dance floor.

"Ladies!" Cheerilee called out to the other mares. "It's open season for a new foal sitter."

"Right," the others all sounded off.

"Who are our primary targets?" Berry Punch asked.

"Just Chris for now," Cherrilee barked. "That Cerberus fella would be a great choice—"

She directed the mare's attention to Cerb, dancing with a small crowd of ponies with Fluttershy and Rarity dancing alongside him.

Another mare approached from behind them, and Rarity hunkered down low, baring her teeth. The small herd of mares could practically hear Rarity's growling that scared off the frightened pony.

"I'm not brave enough to cross two elements."

"What about Lumberman?" Daisy asked, directing everyponies attention to him dancing with Kelly, Applejack, and Big Mac.

Cheerilee rolled her eyes.

"Ladies, if you want to fight your way through two of the Apples, one of which supposedly put three royal guards in the hospital, best of luck to you."

Daisy cocked her head slightly as she sized up Applejack.

"I think they make a cute couple, actually."

Berry Punch took a look herself, not sure of what Daisy was seeing.

"You think so?"

"Come on," Daisy answered in a sly voice. "You don't need to see the hearts in her eyes to know she's got a thing for that human. And didn't you see the way he was flirting with her for the pre-game thing with the drinks? That can't be more than just a thing between friends."

"What do you think, Cheerilee?" Daisy asked, still sizing up the couple. "Cheerilee?"

Daisy and Berry Punch looked back to see their friend was gone. They quickly scanned the area, finally locating her, bouncing up and down and swiping her tail side to side with the music. She had joined forces with Prim Posy next to Chris, both on either side, sandwiching and trapping the poor blind fool.

Over with Kelly, a stallion familiar to Big Mac had joined them. Toe-Tapper was an Earth pony that stood taller than most others, albeit with a much thinner frame and dim sky-blue coat. He didn't do much dancing, as it was more of him bobbing to the music.

"Hey, Big Mac," He did his best to speak over the music. "This music is really something. I can see why Pinkie Pie didn't request The Pony Tones to perform."

"Euyup."

"The Pony Tones?" Kelly asked, looking between the two. "Who's that?"

"Mac didn't tell you?" Toe-Tapper asked with a geeky smile. "Big Mac and I are in a quartet. We sing together."

Kelly winced and slowly came to a stop.

"No!"

Toe-Tapper reared back.

"He's actually a really good singer."

Big Mac raised his foreleg to Kelly's back.

"You okay, darling?"

Lumberman noticed Kelly had stopped dancing and was holding her left hand to her side and her right to her leg. He quickly tapped Applejack on her flank, which made her rear up and spin around.

"Let's get Kelly outta here."

The three motioned Toe-Tapper out of the way and helped Kelly onto Big Mac's back again. Once seated and upright, they ushered her off to rest somewhere where the music wouldn't be such a distraction.

As they were leaving, Nurse Red Heart was pushing her way through the crowd, having seen the events unfold as they did.

The five others, as well as the rest of the ponies who had taken responsibility for them, noticed the hasty departure, but Lumberman waived them off and shot them a thumbs-up. No need for them to be concerned.

A short trot later and a good distance away from the music, they found themselves back at their outdoor lounging area. Big Mac slowly laid down in the grass and let Kelly dismount with Lumberman's help.

"Is everything okay?" Nurse Red Heart asked, much to all of their surprise.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Kelly was quick to answer. "Just still a little sore.... Just need a moment to rest and maybe a gin and tonic."

Lumberman snickered.

"Since when have you ever asked for a gin and tonic?"

"Never," Kelly said with a huff of a laugh. "But it sounds funnier than Gentlemen Jack on the rocks." She scoffed through her smile. "Kind of a mouth full."

Nurse Red Heart shook her head.

"What you need is to not be dancing. I don't know why you're not at home getting some much-needed bed rest."

"And miss the party?" Kelly joked.

"Stubborn," Nurse Red Heart rolled her eyes. "Just like the company you keep. You're new friends, as good as they are at helping others, are probably some of my worst patients. I hope all of your friends are not the same. Celestia forbid they ever need my care."

"No promises," Lumberman answered with a straight face, earning him a stern look from the nurse. "Just being honest."

"We'll cross that bridge if we ever get there," Nurse Red Heart turned her attention back to her patient. "Please lift your shirt and let me take a look. Since you haven't been in for a follow-up, now is just as good ah time as any."

A quick checkup revealed a clean bill of health and a promising recovery. Not that it made the nurse smile, though it did give her some relief.

"You're healing surprisingly well, and the bruising is fading, which is a good sign. I still recommend staying off your legs as much as you can and no heavy lifting or strenuous activities."

"I'll only do a few more dances tonight," Kelly replied apologetically.

Nurse Red Heart opened her mouth to scold her patient but instead groaned and rubbed her temple.

"Just be careful. And if not tomorrow, as soon as you can, please come down for a proper follow-up. And if you can, please bring your friend, Becky. There are some things the doctor and I would like to discuss with both of you. But that's something that can wait until you're not busy entertaining the town."

"It's nothing bad, is it?" Big Mac asked, worried what bad news would need to be discussed.

"No," Nurse Redheart shook her head. "The doctor and I have shared Becky's books with our medical staff, and we have so many questions about the contents of the books. We're hoping Becky could help explain them better, and if Kelly is willing, allow for another examination. There's a wealth of knowledge that could vastly improve our medical and healing capabilities. Actually, we'd like to examine all of your friends if they're willing."

"Why all of us?" Lumberman asked.

"When the doctor and I examined Kelly that night, we had no idea what we were walking into. And we were just as clueless as to what to look for. If something were to happen to any of you, we would have no notes to compare your healthy stats to ones that you might have if you're sick or sustained a serious injury."

"Alright, that sounds like a good idea, actually," Lumberman agreed.

"Well," Nurse Red Heart said with a stretch. "I think that covers everything. And if you don't mind me, this is my night off."

She started trotting back to the music but stopped and looked back to them over her shoulder.

"If you could do me a favor and arrange a dance for me with one of your stud friends, I'd rather appreciate it."

Lumberman laughed.

"Girl, for all the help you've given, we got you."

Nurse Red Heart finally smiled for once, and without another word, she trotted back to the dance.

"I don't like'er," Applejack growled.

"Psh," Lumberman grinned. "Jealous, much?"

Big Mac laughed at his suddenly flustered sister.

"Can you guys give us a minute?" Kelly asked.

Applejack gave an embarrassed smile.

"Uh, yeah. Not a problem, Sugar Cube. Come on, Woody."

"No," Kelly corrected herself. "I mean, just the guys give you and me a minute, Applejack."

"Hey... Mac," Lumberman made a hand gesture pointing to the castle. "How about I show you how Kelly likes her drinks made while we grab a beer."

"Eyup," He nervously answered, rising back to all fours.

As he got up, he turned to Kelly, who gave him a particular look and raised an eyebrow.

"I mean, I'd be glad to join ya, buddy," Big Mac corrected himself.

A cold silence surrounded the two girls as Lumberman led Big Mac away. Only the faded thumps and distorted notes of music ebbed their way in, though it didn’t seem to fit the mood.

“How you holding up, Applejack?” Kelly finally asked.

“Me?” She asked like a child caught in a lie. “Oh, I’m good. I might be a little tipsy at the moment. That tequila is a real—”

“Jesus,” Kelly angrily huffed. “Y’all can’t hide a lie for shit.“

She pinched the bridge of her nose.

Becky, Cerb, and Chris found themselves entertaining a majority of the fillies and colts that were still allowed to join the party. It was an adorable sight to behold. Becky was constantly bent over, holding the hooves and prancing around with one foal or another. Swinging her arms with their forelegs and playfully twirling them around. Chris would pick one up and start a waltz with, despite it not being a dance that matched the music, though the fillies seemed to laugh and giggle far too much to be concerned. Then Cerb really outdid himself. An Earth pony foal was attached to each leg, three pegasus fillies had managed to interlock their legs with each other around his back and waist, two unicorns perched on his shoulders, plus another unicorn and Earth pony that clung to each forearm.

The current song started to slow down, building up to the drop, and Cerb suddenly took a dynamic stance toward Sniff.

“Pony Dance Party Battle Armor activate!“

He could feel each of the foals shift and look to him for clarification.

“Pony Power Boots, online!“

He felt the grips around his legs tighten, and he moved on to the next.

“Divine Pegasus Wings of Protection, extend!“

The fillies looked at each other for a moment until their eyes lit up, and they extended their wings.

“Unicorn Magic Assault Cannons! Power up!“

The unicorn's on his shoulders lit up their horns, basking him in a mix of red and violet light, but he could hear the drop getting closer and had to hurry.

“Earth Pony Shield and Alicorn Sword of Justice! Engage!”

The Earth pony filly gripped tightly around his arm, but the unicorn colt looked up with a confused smile.

“I’m a unicorn, not an alicorn.”

Cerb shot the colt a quick glance with a grin.

“Just roll with it and wait for my word.”

The music hushed as the beat was about to drop, and Cerb smiled with a look of pending stupidity and shenanigans.

“Defeat the Princess Poacher!”

“You Son-of-a—” Sniff stuttered as the bass dropped and Cerb lumbered toward him, arms stretched out, his body covered in gleefully screaming foals. Each unicorn sprayed harmless bolts of light and inert sparks.

”Knock it off! Stop!“ Sniff panicked for a moment until he noticed the magic hitting him equated to being pelted with marshmallows and quickly turned to play his part. “The Princess Poacher is so close to victory. I’ll get you for this Lever Action!”

Playing up his roll and cowering back, his legs bumped into something soft and low to the ground. He tripped and fell backward, landing with a thud.

Before any of the mares could swarm to help him, he looked up to see Rainbow Dash lying at his feet with a smirk.

“Rainbow? What are you doing?”

“Sorry, Tiger,” Rainbow Dash mocked an apology. “This is the best I could do without a Nerf Gun. Have fun!”

“What?” Was all he could get out before Rainbow Dash jumped up and darted to the sky, revealing a small herd of foals with anxious smiles barreling down on him.

“Save the Princess!”

“Get the Poacher!”

“Hit him in the Ding-Ding!”

“Tickle submission!”

Like a swarm of locus, tiny hooves and wings and an occasional bolt of light or neon sparks assaulted him from all sides, tickling at whatever opening they could find.

After about half a minute of tickling and playful jabs, Sniff was ready to call it quits and picked up the first foal he could get his hands on. He lifted the tiny colt up as far as his arms could stretch.

“Ahh! I’m defeated! Good ponies win! The Princess is safe!”

The foals cheered; a well-deserved victory achieved. Then, just as quickly as they had overtaken him, they rushed back out to the dance floor, searching for a now absent Cerb or other friends to plot with. With their departure, Sniff moved to get back to his feet, only to be greeted with a lite lavender hoof extended to him. He followed the hoof to the foreleg it was attached to, finding a cute pegasus mare with blond hair decorated with a flower.

“A great dancer and good with foals? You humans never stop impressing us,” The mare spoke as a greeting. “My name is Prim Posy. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, too,” Sniff accepted her help and was brought back to his feet. ”Thanks.“

He quickly surveyed his surroundings, seeing that Cerb and others had moved to the side of the dance floor where Starlight and Chris looked to be preparing a large batch of drinks. And by the looks of the ingredients, he could gather what they were making.

“You ever had a Mijito?”

“What’s that?” Another mare’s voice asked.

Sniff turned around to see a collection of mares that had gathered around him. Each one eyeing him with intrigue.

Over where the drinks were being prepared, a dark figure approached.

“We thank thee, noble warrior, for defeating the troublesome Poacher of the Princesses,” Luna said with a low chuckle. “Lever… Action, was it?”

The humans chuckled lightly while Pinkie eyed Cerb up and down, earning her a swat on her muzzle from Fluttershy.

“Pony Dance Party Battle Armor?” Sniff called out, leading a herd of mares and a few stray stallions.”So many questions, bro.”

Cerb chuckled.

“I was getting tired carrying around all the little runts. Needed to give’em a new plaything. You didn’t look too busy at the time.”

“He was plenty busy,” One of the mares chimed in, starting a giggle fit amongst Sniff’s entourage.

Starlight nudged Luna before whispering something in her ear, to which she smiled and nodded.

“Everypony!” Luna erupted in a much tamer Royal Equestrian voice. “The humans wish to say that this round is on them! Minty drinks for everypony!”

Benny poked her shoulder cautiously and whispered something in her ear.

Luna nodded and addressed the crowd again.

“Unless you’re a foal!”

More introductions were had, drinks shared, and the occasional invite to a group dance was accepted. Even Kelly returned with the other three in tow, sparking a debate on whether or not she should, or even how she could dance. Kelly argued that the choice was hers, ending the debate, which only resulted in the royals stepping away and holding their own conversation.

Finally, the time had come, and another announcement was made from a feisty party pony.

"The votes are in!" Pinkie announced. "The ponies with the most nominations with each human are as followed."

Pinkie reached into her nonexisting pocket and pulled out an envelope. She opened it, and her face burst to life with shock.
"Holy donuts with sprinkles! Every vote in Ponyville was for me and my BenBen! I win!"

Pinkie lept from the stage into a crowd of boos and jeers, only to be lifted up in a pink aura and slowly carried out of sight.

"The system is rigged! Cheaters! Cheaters! Not fair! BenBen! Don't listen to their lies!"

Cadence took the stage, her horn still glowing.

"Well, that was certainly a surprise."

"Meanie!"

"Sorry about that, everypony," Cadence apologized. "Should have known something was up when she ran to the stage without reading the results. But anyway, since I haven't used my crown to demand more drinks than I was allowed to have—"

Luna stood on wavering legs, supported on either side by Twilight and Shining. She raised a glass to the air, sloshing some of it onto Twilight.

"The Rum! Shall last! Forever!"

Before she could pour the drink down her gullet, Rainbow Dash flew overhead with a straw and quickly sucked down the remainder of the Mojito.

"Nope. All gone," Rainbow Dash boasted before cackling off over the crowd."

"Rainbow-painted thief!" Luan barked. "Thy dreams shall be only of cleaning thy hooves over a Mojito pool of which you shall never taste!"

Rainbow Dash's voice hollered back, just barely loud enough to hear.

"We have more drinks in the castle! I'll get you something better after the dance!"

A drunken smile washed over Luna's face.

"All is forgiven!"

Cadence did her best to stay focused.

"Right. I'm sure you're all excited to have another dance, so I'll make this quick." She pulled up the official results. "Thunderlane and Kelly. Cream Heart with Chris. Roseluck with Benny."

"Noooooooooooo!" Pinkie Pie whined loudly from her out-of-sight magic holdings.

Cadence rolled her eyes and snickered. "Sniff with... Oh! Lyra Heartstrings."

"Noooooooooooo!" Lyra whined from the sidelines of the crowd, drawing a lot of unwanted attention.

All eyes were on her, just in time to see her rubbing her ribs alongside BonBon. She grinned, trying to hide her high levels of embarrassment.

"Heh... I mean... Yaaaay."

"Lyra Heartstrings!" Luna belted out. "You did not have your share of the happy dancing drinks! By royal decree! You may have two!"

Cadence grimaced before returning to the list. "Nurse Redheart, you lucky thing you. Looks like Ponyville wants you to dance with Cerb tonight."

This dance pare was the first to have a chance to let the audience cheer. Had they not cheered, it was likely the growls of the Mane Six would have been heard. Even Pinkie Pie was angry by proxy somehow. So focused was their discontent that they failed to notice Lumberman giving Cadence a wink.

"And finally, Becky—" Cadence paused, rereading the last two names at least five times before turning to her husband with a cute smile. "Uh. Shining, dear... You didn't, by any chance, um—"

Her smile turned to a harsh glare.

"Bribe some ponies to get you nominated, did you?"

At the accusation, Shining choked on his Jones Hard Soda, coughing it up in a foamy mess. After a few spats and trying to catch his breath, he addressed his wife.

"What? What are you talking about? Wait... Did I win?"

Before Cadence could continue interrogating him publicly, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were already up to the stage.

"Cadence, wait!" Applebloom shouted.

Sweetie Belle came to Shining's defense as well.

"He didn't bribe any of those ponies out there. We asked them to vote for Shining."

Rarity, somewhere deep inside her silent stance, wanted to scream after hearing that the CMCs had interfered with the humans. But no. She would save her rage for Nurse Red Heart. If that nurse were to put the wrong moves on Cerb, then it would just be her good fortune that she happened to know all of the best doctors in town. As for the CMCs, at least they put their attention on a different human. Although, as she sighed, she had to wonder what would possess them to involve themselves with a Prince? A married Prince. A Prince who she had a lucrative contract with in the past and the promise of future dealings?

She sipped her drink and started to plot.

"Yeah," Scootaloo spoke up. "They were out having all sorts of fun today, but then Becky inhaled all that smoke, and they lost over half the day together."

"She even missed out on spending time with Flurry Heart," Sweetie Belle added. "The whole town enjoyed seeing them all have fun together. Ask Rainbow Dash. She was there."

Cadence turned her attention to Rainbow Dash, hovering over another pony's untouched Mojito with a straw inching closer.

"What?" She ditched the staw and hovered upright. "What? Don't ask me! I'm a totally biased source!"

"Shining! Shining! Shining! Shining! Shining! Shining!" The crowd started to cheer, and Cadence began to believe that he was telling the truth. Then again, why would he even have tried to rig the dance in the first place? And with a human he barely knew? He couldn't have had any connection to her like she had to... Perhaps this was guilt-ridden jealousy.

"Okay, just kidding!" She feigned the illusion that it was all a joke. "Who doesn't want to see Shining on the dance floor?"

The crowd cheered again, celebrating the Prince's arrival on the dance floor as he escorted Becky out.

With that travesty barely avoided, Cadence jumped down from the stage away from the center, watching Shining walk out with Becky... and his horn glowing?

The faintest spark of a blue light flashed off in front of the stage. Any dimmer, and she would have missed it. When she looked where the flash had come from, it was empty. But running away from that spot was the CMCs and a coin bag they didn't have just a moment ago.

Pinkie Pie's voice jumped over Rainbow Dash's. "As well as ponies voted on by you! The ponies of Ponyville!"

Shining Armor's ears perked, to which Flurry Heart started to tug on them. His mind rushed back and forth to waltzing with Becky, both of them dressed in their ballroom's best, then back to the sight of her pulling Flurry Heart close to her chest. She was trying to protect his daughter from the wall of smoke that overtook them.

He remembered how he had scrunched up his face, but at the same time thought how funny it was that so much smoke could come from such a small bulb. Only, he lost the smile as soon as he saw the fear Becky expressed through her tightly clenched eyes. Then, as the smoke drifted and the smell of smoke and sulfur faded, that beautiful scent of sunflowers and honey was exposed. He had noticed earlier, but now it seemed to be enhanced by whatever curious perfume she must have been wearing. It had that tangy, yet bittersweet, aroma. It was inviting and heartwarming. It reminded him so much of Cadence somehow, even drawing out similar emotions of—

"You gonna play the ring toss game, Shining?" Applebloom's voice chirped. "It's real easy to play. And we'll even let Flurry Heart have a few tosses, but she can be a lot closer.

Shining followed the sound of the voice speaking to him back to its source.

"Pinkie asked us to help with the setup and get the word out to everypony when the humans all got to the castle. We had to make sure everypony got here in time," Applebloom continued to explain. "She said if we did that and helped run some of the booth games, we could run our own booth to help raise bits for our clubhouse."

The gears in Shining's mind started to turn, but he'd have to make this deal quietly and quickly. "I'll give you three twenty bits if you can convince enough ponies to vote for me to dance with Becky."

Scootaloo's eyes shot open wide. "Wow! Really! Wait? Why not just ask—"

"Offer going once." Shining started to put the pressure on as the human friends finally noticed that he had fallen back from their group.

"Now hold on there, Shining," Applebloom wanted a little more information.

"Offer going twice."

"It would take us all day to talk to enough ponies to make sure you win. And we wouldn't have the time to help Pinkie like we said would or earn enough bits. Plus, can't we just ask Cade—"

"A hundred and fifty bits plus exclusive rights to help Flurry Heart earn her cutie mark. No questions asked. Offer going—"

"Sold!" Sweetie Belle leaped forward with dollar signs in her eyes and took Shinings hoof in hers, shaking it vigorously.

Cadence's eyes narrowed, her eyebrows scrunched tightly together in a scowl, and her hair started to stand on end. She was ready to erupt until a smile gave way as a new solution came to mind.

Jealousy, meet Petty.

Vinyl Scratch took over and called out to the crowd, telling the dancers to get ready. Meanwhile, off to the side of the stage, Cadence asked a small favor of Fluttershy and Rarity before returning behind the stage with Twilight and Luna. Rainbow Dash joined them only a moment later.

On the dance floor, the dancers gave a quick greeting to their partners before the music, and Chris recognized his new partner.

“Hey… You’re Button's mom.”

“Right you are, cutie,” She replied with a hungry grin the likes Chris did not know how to interpret or feel about.

Vinyl turned up the power to the speakers, generating a subtle hum.

“Alright! Let’s get ready to—”

“Oww!” Rainbow Dash’s voice cried out from behind the stage. “That’s the big one I said not to pull out!”

Mass confusion swept over the crowd, but not seeing any signs of duress, Vinyl shrugged it off.“

Sniff, however, at that moment could see the distress in Lyra's expression and leaned down to console her in the sudden break.

"Hey, I'm guessing you're worried about your friend getting jealous by the way she acted. Don't worry about it. Just relax and have fun. We're just here to have a good time tonight. But if you wanna dip out, just pull one of your friends in to take over for you. You shouldn't have to be out here if you don't want to be."

The sudden display of misplaced sympathy, but genuine empathy, relaxed Lyra. She then took a new look at the human and wondered silently, "Maybe these humans aren't a danger to us after all? Nothing about their kindness seems fake. Why would—" Her thoughts were interrupted by the show being brought back on track.

"Those ponies are weird," Vinyl announced to the crowd. "But they throw the best parties! Now let's pump out the jams!" She moved her hooves over her machines and switched her magic from Chris's phone to Lumberman's. "Another dance track from the human world! This track is gonna make sure you Can't Stop The Feeling!"

Dual disco balls levitated over the dancers, and neon lights painted the floor. The humans knew the track, and almost instantly, the ponies could sense the beat and fell into the groove. As soon as the lyrics started, you'd swear the ponies had choreographed their dance moves together for how poppy and smooth.

As expected, Sniff and Lumberman were stealing the show for the guys, but Kelly and Becky were neck and neck with the eyes they captured. In fact, it almost seemed like it was a competition between the two with Thunderlane and Shining, who could get closer or lower with their partner. Becky easily won the lower award, but Shining gave no resistance to helping Kelly win the closer award. Not that she seemed to mind, but that wasn’t what she was going for, and his efforts were enough to even make her blush. She looked back to Cadence with an apologetic smile. Cadence only smiled back, giving her a knowing nod and apologizing on his behalf.

Cerb was a sight to see, swaying with his blocky dance moves while Chris and Benny were just goofing off and having fun.

Then, when about a minute into the song, after it slowed down and picked up again, the ponies hopped up and took control of their partners. Now up on their hind legs, they took their partner's hands into their hoofs and guided them along the dance floor. At least Sniff allowed Lyra to lead him without protest after finally coming around. She had one of the cutest smiles he'd seen so far.

Another thirty seconds in, and the ponies let go, letting the humans do their own thing around them. Even the ponies watching were getting into the song. Stomping their hooves or clapping along to the beat.

The music picked up, and they all moved in again. The guys took the visual cues, following the mare's lead and backing off, and even were quick enough to follow their moves to be twirled. The girls had a little trouble, being so much taller than the stallions, but improvised by spinning as the stallion's hooves moved to turn them.

For a third time, the music slowed down, and the ponies circled their partners, herding them into a single file line. On cue, they jumped in the line themselves, standing up on their hind legs and continuing their in-sync movements. Lots of flare, but simple enough that only Chris messed up the moves the first time through before catching onto the foot placement.

The song ended with JT talking to a group and the instrumentals coming to a halt. The ponies moved out of sync finally and gave their dance partners a quick hug before releasing them back to the crowd, save for Lyra. She blushed and tried to look away, to which Sniff took as a hint not to get too close or move in for a hug.

"Hey," Sniff smiled and took a half-step back, giving her some space. "I'm glad you decided to stay. That was pretty slick what y'all did," he ended the compliment with a wink.

As the track finally ended, Vinyl let the next track autoplay. Burno Mars - Finesse (Remix) (feat. Cardi B), bringing all the other ponies back to the dance floor.

Big Mac was quick to rush back out to Kelly, looking forward to getting a few dance steps in with her, only to see her holding her leg again. A mournful smile already telling him that she needed to sit down for a while.

As much as he would have liked to dance, even sitting down with her and listening to the music was a welcoming thought and he happily escorted her out. Many of the stallions didn't seem to share the sentiment, though. Understandable, considering how many of them didn't know the details.

"How are you feeling, darling?" Rarity asked Cerb, forcing herself between him and other would-be challengers.

"Could use a drink," he answered with a grin. "How's the Princess doing?"

"Which one?" Fluttershy asked, looking over to Twilight with Pinkie Pie and Luna struggling to hold possession of a half-empty glass of... who knows what the Princess of the Night must have mixed in there.

"Hey, you know what," Cerb looked down between the two. "She lived in space for a thousand years, right? They should let her live a little."

The next few songs went rather smoothly, aside from some sad looks the humans had to endure watching their pony sponsors having to give up some dance time to the next mare or stallion who wanted to cut in. Not to mention the sad looks from whichever collection of ponies had to watch their next human dance partner leave the floor to rest or grab a drink. All of that seemed to be forgotten when V.I.C's Wobble song came on, and nearly the entire town joined in and danced along with the moves they all quickly learned.

There was also the strange three-song gap where Kelly, Becky, and the three princesses were suddenly missing, only to emerge in a fit of giggles with Rarity and Fluttershy now with them. They dispersed around the dance floor or off to the side where the drinks were still being handed out, albeit more stringently now that Luna had proven herself untrustworthy to be left close to their supply.

Starlight, unfortunately, drew the short straw with Rarity for being the only two ponies capable of protecting the rest from their lack of self-control from the others. Otherwise, it was Kelly and Big Mac who held the watch and let the others get some time in with their dance partners. It also gave Kelly time to discuss something with Big Mac that he seemed uneasy about but didn't seem to hold that expression for very long. Even eventually laughing along with her.

Nearing the end of the night, an original Vinyl mix was coming to an end, making way for the last scheduled event of the night.

Mayor Mare took the stage with the aid of Pinkie Pie's karaoke megaphone contraption.

"Fillies and GentleColts. For the last event of the night, I would like to invite our guests up to the stage, as we will be holding the auction for the last official dance of the night." She continued to explain as the humans marched into a line behind her with their respective counterparts. "All auction donations will be pooled together in the Town Hall slush funds account to be distributed for the various charitable events and emergency funds Ponyville uses throughout the year. To place a bid, simply shout to confirm the offered price or provide your own bid of a higher amount. Three chances will be given to match a bid. If there are no takers, the auction will be won by the last bidder."

A quick look over the crowd showed that it was nearly entirely the adults remaining. What few fillies and colts remained sat along the edges waiting to watch the last dance or had fallen asleep from the long day of another amazing Pinkie Pie party and dancing.

Mayor Mare addressed her audience again.

"We will start the bidding with one of the human stallions who has quickly grown rather popular with us tonight. For those who may not have had the pleasure of meeting face-to-face with Chris. He is—"

"Forty bits!"

"Forty-five bits!"

"Sixty!"

"Sixty-five!"

"Ladies," Mayor Mare tried to calm the mares down. "I haven't even properly introduced-"

"Eighty-bits!"

She couldn't reason with the mob, so might as well try to profit from them. "Eighty-bits! Do I hear ninety?

"Ninety!"

"A hundred and five bits!"

"One hundred and twenty!"

"Three hundred and forty-eight bits!" Four voices called out together, silencing the rest of the crowd.

Miss Cheerilee, Prim Posy, Berry Punch, and Daisy stepped to the front of the stage.

Miss Cheerielle gloated over her shoulder to the crowd. "And we have more if any-mare else thinks they can outbid us together!"

"Three hundred and forty-eight bits! Going once! Twice!... Sold!" Mayor Mare announced. "I hope you ladies can share - " She turned and ushered Chris down before giving him a few words of encouragement - "And I hope you have the stamina, sonny."

Mayor Mare readdressed the crowd. "Well, since introductions are no longer needed, Mr. Lumberman. Would you be so kind as to—"

"Eighty bits!"

"One hundred and eighty bits!"

Mayor Mare had to shake her head at the sudden jump in bits. "Ugh, excuse me miss. While we appreciate the generous offer, you don't need to jump in price so fast."

"I'm sorry! I just don't want to wait!" The voice called out.

Fluttershy's ear twitched. "Wait... is that?"

Pinkie Pie giggled.

"Yep. That's Shoeshine, alright. Just as impatient as always."

"Okay," Mayor Mare shrugged. "One hundred eighty. Going once! Twice... Sold! Mr. Lumberman, if you would be so kind as to join Shoeshine, the Earth pony mare with the light blue coat and mane."

Benny stepped forward.

"Oh," Mayor Mare wasn't going to call him next, yet here he was. "Well, then. Starting bids for Benny?"

"Sixty bits!"

A loud wub erupted from the speakers.

"Oops! Sorry! Meant to turn on the microphone." Vinyl's voice came over her speakers. "Don't worry, everypony. I got this... Two-hundred bits, Mayor Mare. Final offer... Unless someone outbids me... That's how this works, right?"

"Vinal can't make a bid!" An unseen mare complained. "Who is going to play the music?"

Octavia stepped up alongside Vinyl and took the mic.

"Don't fret. I've spent enough time around Vinyl's equipment to know how to push a play button."

"Boo-ya, mother buckers!" Vinyl shouted into the mic, punching her right hoof into the air.

"Very well," Mayor Mare could see no harm in letting her join. "Two-hundred. Going once!"

"Two twenty!"

Vinyl took the mic back. "Uh? Can I just say I bid twenty bits more than anypony who tries to outbid me?"

"No. You must call out your bid or motion to accept a higher bid," The mayor instructed.

"Oh, okay," Vinyl nodded. "Sorry, kinda new to this. But I'll just wub once to signal that I raise the house twenty bits."

"The house?" Mayor Mare tried to figure out what she was implying, only to realize that Vinyl was mixing up raising a bid with raising a bet in a poker game. "This isn't Las Pegasus! We—"

She shook her head, deciding to move on before these ponies drove her mad. "Fine. Wub as much as you like."

Wub

"Two forty!"

Wub

"Two—"

Wub

"Two—"

Wub

"Vinyl!" The Mayor shouted. "You have to let them say their bid before you can raise it."

Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub

Octavia slapped Vinyl up the backside of her head.

"Ow! What the hey was that for!" Vinyl yelped.

"You're spending too much and being rude, Vinyl!" Octavia lectured.

"Oh, come on! I have, like, a million bits and zero dance time with a stallion this year. And you said he was a good dancer with magic hooves!" Vinyl ignored Octavia's blush and the mass of eyes that danced back and forth between the bickering mares and Benny. "You had your fun! Let me have mine, for buck's sake!"

Mayor Mare stomped her hoof to get everyponies attention.

"If you two are quite finished! We need to have a nu-"

Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub Wub

"Vinyl!" Octavia screamed.

"Fine! A thousand bits!" Vinyl shrieked, causing the crowd to gasp. "What... Did somepony already bid higher than that? Wait! Did I lose!"

"One thousand bits! Going once!"

Wub

"Ow!" Vinyl rubbed her hoof. "Stop that! I'm not losing my pony!"

"Human, Vinyl. Not a pony!" Octavia continued to lecture her roommate. "And you just raised your own bid!"

Vinyl blinked behind her shades.

"Oh... I can do that?"

Mayor Mare continued to call the bids through her gritting teeth, "One-thousand and twenty bits."

"Ow! I wasn't going to press it that time!"

Mayor Mare's grumbling voice deepened, "Going once! Twice!... Sold!"

Wub

"Oww! My hoof slipped! Alright! Geez!"

Mayor Mare was ready to get off the stage at this point.

"Vinyl Scratch! You won! Please meet your partner on the dance—"

Wub Wub Wub Wub

"Vinyl!" Mayor Mare barked.

Vinyl finally scampered away from her DJ booth, laughing like an idiot.

"Those last eighty bits don't count!"

Mayor Mare readjusted her glasses and poised herself.

"For our next—"

Wub

"Sorry! Sorry!" Octavia's voice called out over the speakers. "I thought I was turning the microphone off."

An unseen mare in the crowd shouted up to Octavia.

"It's the one that doesn't look like a play button!"

"Peter!" The mayor shouted, tired of being distracted and already angered more by the sudden cheers from the mares. "Our next dancer will be one I certainly won't be able to afford. Sniff, if you could—"

"Two-hundred!"

"Three-hundred!"

"Three-fifty!"

"Four!"

"Seeks-hundred bits!" Two voices called out in a thick accent.

"Awe, buck! Really!" A faceless mare's voice called out.

Aloe and Lotus made their way to the front, knowing no other pony could outbid them now that Vinyl had already removed herself.

"Six-hundred bits! Going once! Going twice! ... Sold!"

"Evening, ladies," Sniff greeted his new dance partners. "Aren't you both just a lovely pair."

They both giggled.

"I hope this donation didn't set you back too far," Sniff said with a grin.

"Naught et all, Peter," Lotus answered with a smile.

"Yes, we run the Ponyville spa," Aloe added. "We are not concerned about the price."

"Spa?" Sniff asked, sounding confused. "Had I known there was a spa here, I would have seen you ladies much sooner."

"Ve can schedule you in any time you vould like," Aloe took his hand into her hoof and led him to the dance floor. "—but virst, vee dance."

"Let's change things up a bit," Mayor Mare announced. "Four of our male dancers down. Let's bring out one of the ladies. Miss Becky."

"A hundred!"

"One-fifty!"

"Eight hundred!" A stallion's voice shouted up with an out-of-place southern accent.

"Oh, dear," Mayor Mare hushed away from the microphone. "Eight hundred bits, from Mr. Filthy Rich..."

Off to the side, Cerb was taking an interest in who this new stallion was. "Who's that?"

"Filthy Rich," Applejack grumbled.

"Going once!"

"Not a nice guy I take it?" Cerb asked.

"Going twice!" Mayor Mare called out.

Applejack's face soured.

"He's what you fellas would call an asshole."

"Sold!" Mayor Mare announced to the great disappointment of the crowd before she turned to Becky. "I hope you can enjoy your dance. Hopefully, he won't be too talkative."

"I think we'll be fine," Becky said with a confident smile.

Mayor Mare prepared herself to address the townsfolk again.

"Well, then. We are down to only two of our dancers for tonight. Which one shall we—"

"One thousand bits for the honor to dance with Mr. Cerberus tonight!" Cadence flew over and dropped down in front of the stage.

"Oh, come on!" Another disappointed mare shouted from the masses.

"Cadence!?" Shining shouted from the side of the dance floor.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Cadence apologized with an oblivious smile. "You had so much fun dancing with Becky, and I haven't had as much of a chance to dance with them as you... Besides, it's for a good cause."

Cadence turned to face the many faces of the local ponies.

"Good citizens of Ponyville, would you do this kind mares heart the honor of letting her have but only one dance?"

Silence befell the masses.

Cadence rolled her eyes, ready to fall back on Plan B.

"It comes with another round of Mojito's!"

"Cadence! Cadence! Cadence! Cadence! Cadence!" The crowd cheered, won over by the power of alcohol.

"Going once... Twice!... Sold!" Mayor Mare gave Cerb a happy nod before returning to the crowd. "Now for—"

"Huzzah! One thousand bits for the last dancer!" Luna called out as she sauntered up to the stage.

"Oh, my," Mayor Mare turned to Kelly and then to back to the possibly still drunken Princess. "You want to dance with Kelly?"

"We care not of whom we dance with," Luna explained with a dismissive wave of her hoof. "The many Mojitos, the fine citizens of Ponyville have shared with us, hath given us much courage-No!.. Complete and utter disregard of that which should concern us... Yes! Kelly, would thou accept thy request to, cut a rug, as the fillies like to say?"

"Hell, yeah!" Kelly looked overly excited for the chance and turned to the crowd for their approval. "Hey, studs! You wanna see me bump and grind with a Princess?"

A great many of stallions cheered together.

"Going Once! Twice! Sold!" Mayor Mare announced with the roar of the stallions drowning her out.

Rainbow Dash trotted next to Kelly as she stepped down and pulled something out from under her wing. She whispered something in Kelly's ear before she offered a small vial of blue liquid, gave a wink, and then flew off.

Without a second thought, Kelly uncorked a small vile with a blue liquid and downed it. She scrunched her face for a moment, relaxed with a full exhale of her breath, and then walked gingerly to the dance floor.

Octavia placed on Vinyl's trademark headphones and pressed the play button. The Black Eyed Peas - Rock That Body, might be a track, not every pony was ready for. Then again... Perhaps it was just the males who weren't ready. Because as soon as the music started, it was all too late that they realized that they were on one side, and all the ladies were lined up facing them.

Kelly turned and pulled Luna back while Becky and the other mares advanced. Something had been coordinated, and it almost felt like a trap, but it was unclear who the target was. Not that Sniff cared. He marched forward, headstrong, ready to show these mares a good time.

Filthy Rich was quickly caught and paralyzed by the moves Becky was putting on him. These were so much more exotic and... he didn't know, but pony dance moves they were not. At least they wouldn't have been if Cadence hadn't been putting those same moves on Cerb.

Lumberman wasn't having a problem with Shoeshine, as she was doing the traditional dancing he had encountered earlier that night. The same could be said for Chris, only he was surrounded by four mares dancing on him and every so often trying to recreate the same moves they saw Kelly, Becky, or Cadence doing.

Benny might have had it easier, as Vinyl was up close, but clearly hoping he would take the lead and show her some new moves.

Rocking her body, just as the song instructed, is precisely what Becky was doing. Then, in a daring move, she dipped her fingers to the floor with her palms out. She leaned forward, placing her palms on Filthy Rich's chest, drawing her fingers up, which he followed along with until he was on his hind legs. As soon as he was upright, she stepped in, forcing his forehooves on her hips and pulling him close. She let their bodies crash against each other, and she could feel his excited panic. Her pervasively erotic dancing was overwhelming him, and she thought of the best way to end this dance early.

She drove him back, their bodies still tight, and stopped him to draw her right leg up his side. His eyes went wide, and his pupils narrowed to pinpricks. She didn't let up and ran her fingers through his mane, then gripped it and pulled his face to hers. The side of his muzzle slid over her cheek, and she huffed her hot breath against his jawline. He was frozen solid under her heat.

His heart was racing. He was overly excited and didn't even know why. But then he could feel her smooth skin pulling away from his face. She centered herself in front of him, locking her wanting eyes to his. That look. That entrancing look stole his breath, and she slowly began to close the inches between their lips. Almost close enough to kiss, she exhaled into his gaping mouth.

Something was wrong, yet perfectly right, and he lost consciousness. His eyes rolled back into his head and his body went limp. He fell from Becky's grip like a wax mannequin that had been left out in the sun.

"Pussy," Becky smirked before abandoning him to Nurse Red Heart and joining an already overwhelmed Princess Luna.

While Becky had been overloading Filthy Rich's senses, Cadence had been working her own angle on Cerb. She made her first equally pervasive moves on all fours, nimbly rubbing her sides around him, working her way back to his front and grinding her back up his chest as she came up on her rear legs.

Now cheek to cheek, she tilted her head up and whispered to him.

"Becky said you would help me, and Fluttershy and Rarity agreed you should."

"What?"

Cadence spun and brought her chest tight against his and straddled his left leg between hers. She continued to explain as she rocked her hips and drove him lower to the floor.

"Shining bribed the CMCs to rig the vote to win a dance with Becky."

"And?"

"He never asked me to rig it for him."

"Oh, shit."

"And he hasn't danced with me all night."

"Revenge?"

"Yes."

"Is he watching us?"

"...yes."

"Will he hold a grudge?"

"No?"

"Hold on, then."

No longer concerned with how things must have looked or what her intentions were, Cerb moved in concert with her gyrations and matched her intensity.

Maybe it was part of the fact that he didn't know Shining all that well yet. It also could have been that Cadence was willing to help with his issues and asked for anything in return. It also didn't hurt that this setup had already been worked out with Becky... Actually, that last one might be subject to review after what happened with Chris.

On second thought, it was probably the fact that he drank half a bottle of Jack Danielle's Honey, had multiple shots, a handful of mixed drinks, and... yeah. Being half in the bag was the prime suspect for why he was dirty dancing and grinding on a world leader in front of her husband. Throw in the fact that said world leader also happened to be a magical talking, flying horse, and it was obvious this wasn't a sober decision.

Becky and Kelly were giving Luna the full treatment for the crowd to watch. It wasn't the same knock-out treatment Filthy Rich received. But certainly was fun for the three to have an excuse to live in the moment and enjoy themselves. Unlike Filthy Rich, who was dragged away from the dance floor by his irate wife. They could almost hear the scathing lecture that belittled him through the music.

Checking back in on Chris, Becky could see that he was quadruply overwhelmed. Not that he couldn't handle it, but for trying as hard as they were, he wasn't likely enjoying it all that much either.

Benny and Vinyl seemed to have found their groove together and were having a good time. Shoeshine, despite all of her eagerness, seemed to prefer what came off as dancing for Lumberman as opposed to dancing with him.

Back to Cerb and Cadence, they continued their dangerous dance. Cerb, while still having fun helping her get even, had a limited supply of moves to work with. When not being led or danced on by Cadence, he would take an opportunity here and there to show off in the only way he knew he could. His strength.

Cadence moved on Cerb again, getting in close and hooking her right leg around the back of his left.

"I hope I'm doing this right. Your friends only had a few minutes to show me how to dance like this."

"No. You're good," Cerb reassured her. "Now, hold on. Big sexy finish."

"Big wha—"

Cerb grabbed her under her shoulders, raised her off the floor, and stepped between the gap in her legs. A little shocked by the sudden jerk and a show of strength she wouldn’t have guessed possible, she was lowered down with the back of her legs resting on his thighs. He was still rocking his hips slightly to the music, but it seemed a bit awkward as he had to lean back. She would have slipped off his legs had he not been holding onto her with his hands on her hips. They both had to find their balance to keep from falling. But what an impressive show to put on.

"Woo! Cerb! Cerb! Cerb!" Becky cheered him on.

"Get it, girl!" Kelly encouraged the Princess.

Luna had never seen such provocative dancing before.

"We must trade dance partners next time! Or perhaps a private dance party. What say thee, ladies? Ooo!"

Kelly answered by grabbing Luna by the flanks and sliding up against her to swing along from behind. She rocked back and forth a few times before turning and giving the royal rump a bump with her hip.

"Dip," Cerb instructed the Princess, hoping she would know what to do as she relaxed his hold on her and let her fall back.

Cadence heard the warning and hoped he was strong enough to hold her. She let herself fall back as Cerb's hold on her relaxed. Just after getting her back parallel to the floor, Cerb's arms flexed and held her before swinging her over to her left and pulling her back up. She gave him a smile that told him she was impressed and leaned back to do it again.

As the Princess in his hands leaned back, he repeated the same move, only going in the opposite direction. This time, when she sat up, he used the extra momentum to buck her off of his hips and set her rear legs back down to the floor.

The timing couldn't have been better, and the song was over just moments after Cadence was back on her own legs. The ponies, despite some of them feeling cheated out of the auction, still couldn't help but applaud the last show. Sniff had done a fantastic job with his two partners and wowed the crowd as usual. But watching Cerb with Cadence and Becky and Kelly dancing on Luna was worth losing out to the high bids.

Cadence stood next to Cerb while the wrap-up to the show was getting pulled together. She wore a grateful smile and a slight blush. Her eyes would wander back to Shining off and on, who looked to be both entertained yet flustered or embarrassed.

"Thank you."

Cerb smiled and nodded back. "Don't mention it... How's ya boy doing?"

A relaxed huff was exhaled through Cadence's smile.

"I think he's more upset about enjoying the show than anything else. And I'm sure he doesn't want to call me out for dancing like we just did after he did the same thing." She giggled slightly. "I'll be sure to talk to him and let him know what's going on, and he should be fine before we leave for Twilight's."

"Well, we ain't done just yet," Cerb said with a wink just as Pinkie Pie took the stage with Sniff.

"Did you all have fun?!" Pinkie asked the audience, having them cheer and stomp their approval. "Are you happy to meet our new friends?!"

Sniff took the mic and waited for the cheers to settle down.

"Alright, Ponyville. We're glad you all had fun with us tonight. We had some good times, a lot of laughs; some of us might of had too many of the free drinks." He let the audience get their laughs out at Luna's expense, which she thankfully seemed to enjoy and was a good sport about."And I'm not sure, but I think we might be slightly responsible for that Filthy Rich guy getting the paddle tonight?"

He laughed along with the crowd as a few of the heads nodded, knowing how spoiled and angry his wife must have been after that display on the dance floor and wasting all those bits.

"Or whatever they're into, I dunno."

Sniff laid a hand down on Pinkie's shoulder and gave her a few taps.

"But we need to give some credit where credit is due. Give it up for the best party pony ever!"

He took a step back and let Pinkie receive her praise before continuing.

"And if I could get all of our lovely ladies and new pony brother Mac up here, they all deserve a round of applause for the good work they've done. Come on."

As the many ponies took their bows, Sniff moved up and readdressed the crowd with a question.

"But don't you all think it's a little strange that after putting on this party and coordinating this whole dance-off... We didn't give them the same attention?"

Confused looks and whispered comments were hushed and traded through the crowd.

"Sure, three of your royal counterparts were able to get a private dance in," Sniff pointed to Luna and then Cadence and Shining, who were then stopped in mid-semi-intense conversation.

They forced large smiles and waved to the crowd under a spotlight Octavia maneuvered to them.

Sniff restrained his laughing and continued on.

"But these ladies made the selfless call to make sure we got as much time with all of you. And I think they've been itching to get a chance to show off. And we all wanted to show our appreciation with one last dance with our sponsors."

Sniff pointed to Vinyl, who had retaken over her booth, starting up Alex Gaudino feat. Crystal Waters - Destination Calabria

"Ladies! Come on! This song doesn't last forever!"

The ponies left the stage, with only Twilight and Big Mac needing to be dragged off, but all quickly found their dance partners.

This dance wasn't as exciting or extreme as the dance before, but it was clear they all were enjoying themselves. Well, at least it started out that way. It started with Kelly taking advantage of the potion she was given and dancing closely enough to Big Mac that her body protected his modesty. Rainbow Dash pointed with a laugh at how embarrassed he suddenly got, which only caused Becky to react by giving her the same experience.

Sniff eyed the other two and pulled Twilight in close.

"Heh, no," Twilight pushed back but stopped short of pushing away. "... maybe a little."

"Hey!" Pinkie saw how the dancing had changed for some of her friends and pointed to them for Benny to see. "BenBen! Let's dance like that, too!"

Too excited to know what the dance moves were supposed to look like, or even if Benny was into it, Pinkie jumped and latched onto his Chest. She had her forelegs around the back of his neck and her hindlegs over his hips and interlocked behind his back.

"Destination Ponyville dance floor! Woo!"

Benny just rolled with it and did his best to make the dance work without collapsing under her weight that swayed aggressively and was throwing him off balance.

Fluttershy and Rarity eyed the growing intensity of the new dances and shared an expression of "Do we ask" and "What if he says yes."

As it turned out, their unasked questions were heard loud and clear and Cerb was just intoxicated enough to see how they would appreciate getting the royal treatment. He scooped them up in his arms and quickly moved them to either hip and held them where the back of their thighs meet their flanks.

"You fixing ta get all touchy-feely and such there, Woody?" Applejack asked with a grin.

"Not this dance, Apples," Lumberman winked back.

Chris was the last one to have his partner take notice. He motioned to the others with a nod of his head, Starlight shrugged at first but then did her best to meet him halfway, rising to her back legs and letting herself get closer. Not dirty dancing close, but close enough that it somehow felt familiar. Not the motions or dips. Something about his hand on her lower back while being this close to his face. No... she would have to be closer for that feeling to be right. She'd have to be closer to him and maybe even—

"Yeah!" Pinkie shouted, still hanging off of Benny. "Best! Dance! Ever!"

The shout from Pinkie pulled Starlight away from both her thoughts and her dance partner.

“Oh… Well, I’m glad we finally had a chance to do that.”

“Me, too,” Chris chuckled. “You didn’t try and smother me like the last group did. So, thanks for that.”

All too soon, the song was over, and Spike waddled over to Sniff with the mic, and Sniff had to wonder how long the little guy had been there. Regardless, at least he was pulling his weight and handed over the mic.

“Alright. I’d like to ask everyone to quiet down and clear the dance floor for one last thing.“ Sniff started to wait for the floor to empty and spoke only to enact the next stage of this plan. “Not you, Applejack. You wait right there.”

Applejack froze, not knowing why she had been called out.

“What ya need me for?” She asked before noticing that Lumberman hadn’t left either.

Sniff figured things were good to get started at that point.

“Okay, so… Not all of you may know this. But my friends and I owe our well-being to our pony friends here, but one of us owes their life to them. Mac, Kelly, and the rest of us owe you a debt I don’t think we’ll ever be able to repay. And the rest of you as well, but… that’s not why you’re here, Apples… Well… Sort of.”

Sniff started to walk toward the townsfolk as he continued.

“We did that last dance to show our appreciation for all the kindness and help we’ve been shown since arriving here. But Lumberman was hell-bent on one song, with one pony, for one reason.”

Sniff shot a wink to Vinyl, giving her the go-ahead to get the last song of the night ready before handing the mic off to Lumberman.

“Thanks, man,“ Lumberman cleared his throat, ready to make an ass of himself if need be, but still dead set on going through with it. “The Apple family has been a tremendous help to us. They’ve welcomed us with what we would say ‘open arms,’ but I don’t know how y’all would say it. Regardless, I wanted to take this moment to show her, and everypony else, that we are willing and dedicated to returning the favor. That we are here for them, too… Also, I need to make up for embarrassing her this morning when I danced off in front of her.“

He chuckled for a moment, along with the many ponies that remembered how he pranked her, but his expression quickly turned back to something more serious and sentimental.

“Vinyl. If you would please.”

The neon lights that lit the dance floor dimmed and only the disco ball lights shined and set the mood as Andy Griggs - You Won't Ever Be Lonely started to play.

Lumberman tossed the mic back to Sniff and turned to Applejack, extending his hand.

“I owe you a proper dance, little lady.”

Applejack didn’t know what to expect. This song was slow and sounded a lot like the country music he had played for her earlier. But she couldn’t turn him down in front of this crowd.

They took each other into a close and intimate embrace as they started their slow dance.

The lyrics started off mushy, but at the thirty-five-second mark, the words hit her like a ton of bricks. Instantly her own words came to mind the first night she had to sleep alone.

“Oh, Woody,” She uttered under her breath as she nuzzled in tightly to his chest and held him tighter.

“Heh,” Lumberman couldn’t believe how cute she was, getting worked up like she was. “I got you, Apple Hat. Whatever you need, no matter what happens, I’m here for you. All of us are.”

“You’re just trying to win our bet, you big jerk,” Applejack choked out through a painful smile and tears in her eyes.

“Ha. I’ll give this win to ya. You got me acting all sappy and shit without even trying.”

“That don’t count.” She huffed through a laugh.

“You could always just kiss me again?” He joked.

“I just might.”

“Heh… So long as you’re happy, darling. But if you’re gonna do that—”

Lumberman pulled Applejack up, letting her forelegs hang off from around his neck. He held her up with his left hand holding against her back and his right holding her up from under her thighs.

He smiled warmly.

”You can’t pull that off all the way down there.”

The move came just in time for the song to mention there was a shoulder for her to cry on, to which she did.

“I don’t think a kiss is gonna be enough to outdo this… but thank you.”

“Awe, come on, Apple Hat. Don’t be going soft on me.“

He brought her back down to the floor, holding her hoof in his hand, and gave her a twirl, catching a brief glimpse of Cerb trading dance partners from Rarity to Fluttershy, and Kelly slow dancing with Big Mac behind the crowds. He pulled her back in for the last words to be repeated in the song, finishing off the dance properly, much to the grand applause of the audience.

She pulled him down and hugged him tightly, happy tears still welling up.

“Call it a tie?”

“Deal”

Only one pony was noticeably displeased by the display, carrying a look of worry while she clopped her hooves together.

“So much for not getting too attached,” Twilight muttered.

“Oh, lighten up, Twilight,” Pinkie Pie chirped. “Look at how adorable they are together. How can that not bring a smile to your face?”

“Celestia warned us—“ Twilight had to lower her volume as she realized Sniff or one of the others might be close enough to overhear - “not to get too close since we still need to send them home.”

Rarity stepped into the conversation, having let Fluttershy finish the dance with Cerb.

“I don’t think we can really stop that from happening, dear. They’re all too charismatic for us not to want to enjoy their company. And it appears the rest of Ponyville share that mentality.”

“Besides,” Rainbow Dash chimed in as she fluttered in from behind. “I saw how much you enjoyed your dance with old Sniffy.”

Twilight recoiled with a blush.

“I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about how that dance alone should let you know how bad you’re going to lose that bet," Rainbow Dash said, getting another dig on Twilight.

Sniff’s voice came over the speaker again.

“That does it for us tonight! Thank you so much, Ponyville! We love you all and can’t wait to do this again! Good night and get home safe! Stranded Seven, out!”

Benny walked up and gave Twilight a tap on the shoulder.

“Hey. After-party at your place, right?”

Pinkie Pie jumped in to answer for her.

“Oh, yeah! After party at Twilight’s! Everypony grab your human, and let’s go!”

With no time to react, Benny had his hand taken by Pinkie and was promptly led back to the castle.

“Twilight,” Luna gave her a playful nudge with her flank, raising another Mojito. “We hope our new friends are still here for Nightmare Night. We simply must have them around to make it the best Nightmare Night ever. But for now, thy after-party calls to us.”

It didn’t take long for all the humans and their pony counterparts to make it to the map room where they started their after-party. Extra chairs were brought in to accommodate all the added bodies. And much to Luna’s relief, Rainbow Dash made true to her word and swapped out her Mojito for a new drink. Cherry Moonshine and cola, to be exact. That was the new drink to be shared for the time being.

Pinkie sipped loudly through her straw before she managed to suck a whole cherry through it and pulled her lips off with a loud pop.

”Mmm. Those cherries taste funny with the alcohol, but they're still good. But what card game are we gonna play?”

Benny was splitting up cards from a second deck.

“Well, back home, we like to play a little game called Kings.”

Starlight’s ears perked up. Somehow, she remembered the name of that game.

“The game is easy,” Benny continued. “We separate the cards, nines through Aces, shuffle them up, and lay’em face down. We go around the table, clockwise, and each one of us flips a card. Pull a nine, the person or pony to your left takes a drink. Pull a ten, the person or pony on your right takes a drink. Jack, you jack yourself. That just means you take a drink. Queens are socials, so everyone takes a drink. Kings are rule cards. You can add a rule, replace a rule, or abolish rules. If you break a rule that’s still in effect, you take a drink. Aces are topics. After a topic is picked, you take a drink if you can’t think of an answer, say something that doesn’t apply to the topic, repeat an answer, or take more than five seconds to give a right answer.”

After that quick explanation, Benny sat the first separated deck and started to shuffle them in with a second deck he separated earlier.

“Normally, we just use one deck of cards. But since there’s at least twenty of us, we’re gonna have to use two decks to keep a game going. Same rules apply, though.”

“What are the rules for the kings?” Luna asked

Benny started to explain while laying the cards down.

“The rules can be pretty much anything you want. Hand rules are pretty common. One we do a lot is if the person that pulled the king puts their hand on top of their head or the edge of the table, the last one to put their hand on their head or the table, or hooves for all of you, takes a drink.”

“Partners is a good rule,” Cerb added in.

“Partners,” Fluttershy asked.

“Yeah,” Cerb spoke up as he raised his glass. “Make a rule that whenever someone has to drink, they pick a partner to drink with them.”

“Because friends don’t let friends drink alone, right?” Starlight asked, getting a few laughs from those who knew the story of Chris and her getting trashed together.

Kelly cracked open another can of cola and started to pour herself another drink.

“The only rules we enforce are that you can’t make rules or topics that would make someone uncomfortable or are made to just to piss them off.“ She thought about that last phrase and how it probably wouldn’t work with the current audience she held. “And when I say piss them off, I mean it would be something you know would make them angry or try to hurt them. Like… making a rule or a topic where people would have to admit who their secret crush is when they know who that crush is and there in the same room... Things that are embarrassing or bringing up bad memories.”

“Well, that’s a nice rule,” Pinkie added, tossing another Moonshine cherry into her mouth.

“Yep,” Kelly continued. “The other is no rules that are made to get others drunk too fast. This game is only fun if you’re sober and coherent enough to follow the rules and answer the topics.”

“Alright,” Benny sat down, now that the cards were all placed on the table. ”Everyone ready?”

“I have a question,” Cadence spoke up. “Can we make a rule that whenever a card is flipped, ponies that bribe fillies to rig a vote for dancing so he can cheer up a human who was hurt in his care has to drink?”

Shining jumped in before anyone could answer.

“What about a rule for ponies that bribe a whole town with free drinks to dance with a human to try and make her husband, who has since apologized, jealous?”

“No,” Lumberman answered clearly. “That would be petty and mean-spirited, and that’s not how we play this game... Are you two gonna be okay to play, or should we just pull your chairs out right now.”

The table went silent. No one could believe that Lumberman would talk down to not just one but two royals, like he just did.

“No,” Cadence answered sheepishly.

“No,” Shining answered just as quietly.

“Come on, you two,” Kelly chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. “We all had fun, and we can look back on this and laugh at it. Although, Shining, you probably should have waited to bribe the town like Cadence did and save Becky from dancing with that ass-hat, Filthy Rich.”

Everyone laughed, remembering what happened on the dance floor.

“Okay, two questions,” Cerb spoke up. “One… what the hell did you do to that guy, Becky? And two, Kelly, what the hell was the blue drink you had before dancing? You didn’t look sore at all after you drank that.”

“Well,” Becky started to answer the first question. “I know how cartoon logic works and knew how full of himself Filthy was, and I could see how not ready for me he was. So, I just pushed him to the point of excitement where I figured he would comically pass out.”

“You almost stuck your tongue down his throat,” Benny joked.

“Ugh, please,” Becky turned a sour face back to Benny. “There isn’t enough money in the world to drop my standards that low.”

Another bout of laughter took over the room, and Kelly leaned in to answer the second question.

“Well, as for the drink. Twilight saw how hard it was for me to keep the weight on my leg and offered a potion to make me lighter.”

“A featherweight potion, to be exact,” Twilight added. “We made using one of Rainbow Dash’s feathers.”

“Is that why we heard her scream behind the stage?” Chris asked.

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash extended a wing and started to point at it. “They were supposed to take one of the little ones, but they pulled one of my primary feathers instead. I can’t lose many of those, or else I can’t fly properly.”

“Sorry about that, again,” Twilight forced a smile.

“Also, they really hurt.”

“Really sorry.”

“Eh,” Rainbow Dash shrugged. “It was for a good cause. No reason to make Kelly struggle and suffer the whole night.”

“So, how lite are you now?” Cerb asked.

“Well, I won’t be floating off any time soon, but you tell me.” Kelly stood up and walked over to Cerb, clasping her hands together for him to try and lift her up. “One-handed. See how heavy I am.”

Cerb didn’t give it much thought and placed his palm up against hers. With not much effort, he was able to lift her off the ground.

“Jesus… you can’t weigh more than forty pounds.”

“Yeah,” Kelly pushed off from Cerb’s hand and walked back to her seat. “The potion tasted kinda weird. A little creamy, but kinda metallic at the same time. Makes ya feel a little numb and fuzzy. But I’m not complaining.”

“The potion was supposed to make her weightless,” Twilight added. “I had another spell I was going to use to make her clothes heavier to keep her floating off, but I guess it doesn't work the same way on humans as it would Equestrians.”

“Okay, I think we’re ready,” Cadence piped up.

“Yeah, no hard feelings or anything,” Shining added before turning to Cerb. “Especially to you, bud. I’m glad she was able to have fun tonight. Even if I was acting like a bonehead and never thought to have her help me out in setting up a dance like you did for that nurse.”

A series of glares came down on Lumberman from the other mares. He sunk in his seat, hoping they wouldn’t make a fuss over it.

“Or you could have just asked me, ya doofus,” Becky said with a laugh.

“It’s not like I was turning any pony down for a dance.”

“Right. Good. Fine.” Cerb leaned back in his chair and placed his arms around Fluttershy and Rarity, who were sitting on either side of him. “Benny, you dealt, you lead.”

Benny sat down his drink and looked over the cards.

“Aight, and the first card is...”

Okay, so this finishes up a back-to-back upload for me as means to make up for having to hold out for so long. I really wanted Part 2 to be submitted with the Picture.

However, here they are. The dance party has been concluded, drinks were shared, new connections were made, and even a little underhoofed shenanigans were had. Not only did Prince Shining armor rig the votes, Princess Cadance totally cheated with that high bid. I'll give Princess Luna a pass, since she was more than a little drunk when she threw her bid in. And who was gonna stop her, anyway?

As for my favorite parts, I'm stucck between Pon3's WUBS and the final dance with Applejack and Lumberman. Not that there weren't plenty of good spots in between.

Also, the next chapter "After-Party: A Game of Kings" includes the game of kings, and all the Tomfoolery one would expect. And if you can legally drink, it's an increadibly fun game to play with a group of four or more friends. You and REALLY get to know your friends with the rules and topics, or just have fun BS'ing with it all.

Also, to keep things interesting, I actually dealt two hands of the cards needed and flipped them at random to see who all got what cards (with only one or two exceptions), just to keep things interesting. And Goddamn Shining's luck and abuse of power with the rule cards.

Let me know what you think of this little section of their adventure so far. Questions, comments, and all input is always welcomed.

Also, be sure to check out the artist who has done so much amazing work for me:

Lastly, I'm going to try and start using my Discord more often now. I've had it up for a while, but haven't found the right way, or time, to share it.

MLP WERA (Writers, Editors, Readers, & Artist) is a place I wanted to create for members of the fandom to come together and share their ideas and passions while finding others who can help them share and improve their works. Or if you're an editor, help others.