Please consider supporting my Patreon.

Today started like any other day. At least for a Sunday. Things were quiet with Scootaloo sleeping in like she does on weekends. I guess that little sparkplug wears herself out during the weekdays. The new year had just started, so we are still in the dead of winter. As beautiful as our surroundings are out here in Fluttershy's cottage, it does tend to make one a bit stir crazy. Thankfully, the construction crews tend to liven things up a bit whenever they are working on the new add-on to the house. It is just about done, to be honest. Once the new room is sealed off from the outside, they will tear down a hole in the wall to install a new door.

My mind was on something else at the breakfast table. A little while ago, I had received an invitation in the mail. From Shining Armor, of all people. It was an invitation to a party at his house, exclusively for men. Or stallions, as the card stated. It sounded like he had sent the invitation out to a number of other guys as well. Probably just a little fun time away from their wives, if they have any.

"Still thinking about the party, honey?" Fluttershy asked me from across the table.

She read me like a book. I paused between bites of my omelet and said, "Yep. I've never even been to their house, but I never turn down an invitation to any of these kinds of parties. Sounds like it'll be a good time."

Fluttershy giggled a bit and replied, "Well, I hope you boys have fun. Maybe next time, Cadence will invite me and my friends for ladies night."

While we dined, I wondered about what I could expect. With Shining Armor being the host, I came to the realization that in spite of the two of us being on very good terms, I never really had the chance to get to know the guy. He certainly is likeable and his demeanor is very pleasant. "Hey, honey... Do you know Shining Armor particularly well? Because I don't."

She was not expecting that question, I could see that much. "Him? Um... Not really. He is really close to Twilight and he's captain of the royal guard, but that's all I really know about him."

"Huh... Guess I'll find out when I get there." I really did not have much to go on in the end. I do not even know where the guy lives. The invitation does have directions to the place leading from the train station. And the party starts at 2 PM. Still plenty of time to prepare.

Breakfast really was uneventful. With most of Fluttershy's little animal friends having gone into hibernation, things were quiet. It also did not help that the aforementioned construction crew do not stop by on Sundays. Once breakfast was over, I plopped myself down on the living room sofa after turning on the nearby phonograph. The record in play was Fluttershy's new album she had received on Hearth's Warming Day. She has really good taste in music. Just listening to that music puts me in the mood for a nap and that chilly freezing weather was not helping.

In fact, it did not take long for me to nod off entirely. I fell completely asleep on that sofa and even felt someone drape a quilt over me before I could completely drift into dreamland. I do not remember much, but I do recall being at some sort of bustling upper-class party. Probably in Canterlot. Celestia was there and we shared a dance together. When I finally awoke, I did so to find Fluttershy standing right in front of me with a warm smile on her face. "Oh, did I wake Daddy?"

I smiled drowsily and reached out to share a brief kiss with my beloved. "Nah. Daddy just needed a little extra rest. And there's no day better for that than a Sunday."

Fluttershy stepped forward and gently rested her head upon my chest. My hand tenderly stroked her pretty head and lovely flowing mane. I then quietly asked, "How's Angela and Angel? They doing well in winter?"

I do not see our pets all that often in winter. Rabbits and doves do not hibernate, but there is not much for them to do either. So I guess they do just relax around the house a lot. I almost envy them for how easily they can just fall asleep. I heard Fluttershy whisper in response, "Oh, they tend to get really lazy around this time of year. There just isn't much for them to do, you know. But it does leave me with lots of free time. I'll be going out to do some shopping with Rarity today. I think Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle will be tagging along too."

My eyes soon glanced at the clock set above the fireplace. 11 AM. I would have to head out in roughly an hour to insure I would make it on time to the party. "You know, I think I should head out soon. I want to make sure I've got enough time to get to the train station. I'm not even entirely sure of what the train schedule is."

Sensing my urgency, Fluttershy lifted herself away from me and gave me another quick kiss on the cheek. "Then I better not keep you. It sounds like this'll be a lot of fun for you and everypony who shows up. Have fun, dear."

"Thanks for being understanding, honey. I'll try to bring some goodies home." I replied quietly before placing a kiss on her nose. Not wanting to be distracted any longer, I promptly bundled up and set out for the train station.

Or at least that is what I would have done if I did not feel a little thirsty. Just before reaching for my outdoor winter attire hanging by the fireplace, I decided to head back into the kitchen and wet my whistle before heading out. But when I did, I found Fluttershy with her back to me as she leaned over the kitchen sink and cleaned the dishes while humming a tune all the while.

While I watched, my eyes settled upon her backside. And then to her hips. Her body had been undergoing some subtle changes as her pregnancy progressed. Now roughly halfway through it, her swelling belly could be seen just past her hips when viewed from behind. Furthermore, her rump... I could barely notice it, but... It had become curvier. Meatier as if preparing her for the birth of our daughter. And there was something about the way she walked at the time. Along with her hips bobbing up and down as she walks, they now slightly sway from side to side. Quite frankly, she looks more beautiful than ever now and I was becoming...enthralled as I looked at her.

A slight smirk spread across my lips. I did not want to leave yet. At least not until I gave my future wife some tender loving. I quietly approached the phonograph in the corner of the living room and flipped it over so it could start over with the second half of the album. I wanted some proper atmosphere for what was about to happen next. I quietly snuck up on Fluttershy while feeling especially glad that Scootaloo was out of the house for a while. Once behind her, I gently reached out and placed my hands on her shoulders. This prompted a startled gasp, but Fluttershy quickly calmed herself when she looked over her shoulder at me as her hooves hung over the side of the sink. "Oh! Hello. Did you forget something, honey?"

"Oh, I just needed a quick drink. But I also forgot to give you a little something." I replied quietly before leaning forward to kiss her on the lips. Fluttershy responded with a warm smile before closing her eyes and pressing into the kiss. However, she let out a muffled gasp that turned into a moan as I soon kissed her more deeply with our tongues soon touching. When my hand slid down over her back towards the tip of her spine, I felt her immediately lift her tail. She was already eager for the touch of her stallion.

Fluttershy's muffled voice moaned repeatedly as we kissed, humming deep in her throat. My hand traced over the nub of her tail before sliding over the side of her curvy rump. My other hand left her cheek and slid down her back before it began to caress her rump, sliding over her cutie mark and dragging my fingertips over them. She would shudder and moan loudly in our kiss with every touch I placed along those six butterfly markings. And soon, she made it clear what she wanted with a touch of her hoof to the growing bulge at the front of my pants.

We reluctantly parted from the kiss, our tastes still lingering on our tongues. And Fluttershy only had to say one thing as her usual look of relaxed meekness faded away to reveal a gaze of lustful want. "Mama's hungry."

Well, I am sure you can guess where that went next. However, I would rather get this all written in just one night, so I would like to hurry this along. I did get home quite late, after all.

As usual, Ponyville was fairly quiet with it being Sunday and all. Even more so being in the dead of winter. At least the streets were lightly powdered with snow thanks to a diligent snow plow service. The snow that lined the rooftops did a fine job of absorbing most of any sound that filled the air. It was mystifyingly quiet, yet so relaxing all the way to the station.

I was surprised by how lucky I was when I arrived to find a train already set to pull out of the station. And its destination was Canterlot. As a precaution for future visits, I approached the ticket counter and requested a train schedule. Once that was stashed in my coat pocket, I approached the train car and flashed the conductor my lifetime pass. That was all I needed to show before I was allowed in. Mere minutes after taking a seat, the train let out a whistle just before it began to pull out of the station. Canterlot would not be long now.

The view from the mountainside on the train during winter is just beautiful. That ocean of white with little specks of green. It is almost blinding to look at it when the sun hits it just right. Still, aside from just watching the scenery going by, I really did not have much to do aside from eavesdrop on the other passengers' conversations. There were maybe half a dozen other ponies in the car, probably because not many want to travel during the dead of winter.

That ride was almost boring, so I was more than just a bit relieved when the train finally pulled into the station roughly an hour later. As much as I do not care that much for Canterlot, I must say it is gorgeous in winter. All of those Hearth's Warming Eve decorations were still out in full force and would probably not get taken down for another month. I waited a few minutes on the train platform to see if anyone was there to pick me up or escort me to my destination. After maybe five minutes, I assumed no one was coming for me and headed on my way while occasionally peeking at the leaflet I had received in the mail a little while ago.

I zigged and zagged through the streets, not paying any mind to the locals and especially not the Canterlot elite. The leaflet had all the instructions I needed to find the address and even meticulously mentioned when and where to turn. I was expecting to find myself in the residential part of the city reserved for the real bigwigs in town. Much to my surprise, when I got down to the last few lines of the instructions, I found myself in a delightful middleclass suburb. Of course, being Canterlot, the houses all looked fairly fancy on the outside, so you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

I felt comfortable in that neighborhood, most of the ponies passing me by looking like quite sociable folk. And once I got to the last line of the instructions, I found myself standing before quite a large house. Although it would probably have to be large for such a house party. The place certainly had the feel of a mansion, being large with a pair of rooms in the back branching off to almost look like castle towers with their own steeple roofs. The exterior was a light shade of purple and had a blue tiled slanted roof that seemed way too similar to Shining Armor's mane in terms of color. "Well... I guess this is the right address... I think."

With some apprehension, I walked up the steps and knocked on the wooden double doors. After thirty seconds went by, I assumed that the occupants had not heard me. I then gave the doorbell a ring and waited. I did not have to wait long for an answer. The doors became coated with an icy light blue magic aura before they suddenly opened inward. Turns out I got the address right since a delighted Cadence was standing before me. "Hel... Oh, James! You're early!"

All too happy to see a good friend, I reached out to her for a hug that she all too willingly returned. "Heya, Cadence. I take it I'm at the right place?"

"You most certainly are! Come in, Shining Armor's in the back." She replied before grasping my hand in her magical focus and leading me inside. Although she was cautious enough to give me enough time to duck through the doorway. I definitely did not need to revisit that incident. Even though these bigger houses have larger doorways, they tend to still be a bit too short for the average human.

Cadence wasted no time in helping me remove my heavy winter attire and hanging them all up on a row of coat racks set up next to the wall. They must have been expecting quite a few guests. Ever sociable, she immediately tried to hit me up for a conversation while her magic did all the work. "Did you have a good ride up the mountain? What about the view to the west?"

"Oh, you mean that ocean of white? Yeah, that's beautiful. I never got to see that where I came from." I replied while helping get my arms out of my coat sleeves.

"Mmhm! You should see it when the sun is starting to set in the afternoon. You almost need sunglasses with how it shines!" Cadence retorted with a big smile. She really was happy to be helping someone feel right at home. While she went on a little longer, I took the time to glance around. The interior was not entirely alien to me. It felt akin to the homes of some of my parents' richer friends in quiet suburban neighborhoods. Plenty of wooden interior designs with a staircase leading to the second floor. For as grand as the exterior looked, the interior felt down-to-earth enough that it felt like the house was expensive without feeling like a mansion. Shining Armor and Twilight Sparkle do come from a middle class family, so it makes sense that they would prefer a more modest home to live in.

After getting a good look around the entryway, I turned to Cadence again. "Just checking, but what kind of party is this again?"

Cadence replied while she started to lead me towards the kitchen in the back, "Oh, Armor does this every once in a while. Especially during hoofball season. He calls up every stallion he knows, even if just slightly, and they have a good time here. He always was such a dork."

That last term got a snicker out of me. And I could see that giggling grin on her face as she said it. Those two really do adore everything about each other and I could tell even calling her husband a dork was done entirely without any malice. It was more of a compliment, really. "Sounds fun. And just the guys, right? What about you? Are you sticking around?"

Cadence rolled her eyes and said, "No, I'm afraid this is a stallion party, so I can't really stay. But that's fine! I'm going to have a night out on the town with my aunts and even Twilight's coming along. She should be dropping off Spike right when we're supposed to leave."

I was not expecting Spike to show up, but it does make sense. He is a boy and he has probably known Shining Armor for a long time. "Princesses only, huh? And anyone with special connections? Sounds classy."

"Well, I'm just excited to spend more time with Twilight. We don't get to see each other that often anymore. She really is my favorite sister-in-law." Cadence said with a cheerful smile. It was then that we entered the kitchen that bordered the entertainment lounge. Or rather, one of them. Shining Armor was already keeping a close eye on a few pots on the stove while also looking in the oven. "Armor, somepony's here!"

"Just a second, honey!" I heard him reply before he lifted his head above the table island between us with his horn coated in his rose-hued magic aura along with a large casserole dish coated in the same aura. The instant he set it down, he looked my way and immediately ran around the island to get to me. "James, you made it! And you're early too! The party's not starting for at least another hour."

"Yeah, well... You know. Just wanted to make sure I had enough time to find the place. I don't visit Canterlot too often. Too much hot air blowing around." I replied in an attempt to pass off my early arrival as humorously as possible.

"Yeah, I know the feeling. You have no idea how annoyed my men get with the majority of complaints and reports filed by the elites up here." He replied with a bit of a roll in his eyes. Cadence took the time to approach the stove and kept an eye on a few egg timers. Looked like there was pasta boiling. The casserole Shining Armor had just removed appeared to be a decadent recipe of mac & cheese loaded down with extra melted cheese over the noodles and was even packed with broccoli. Yum.

"Anyway, feel free to make yourself at home! We've still gotta mind the kitchen a bit longer. Too many things cooking, you know?" Shining Armor added before trotting back over to the stove to help Cadence with something else in the oven. Understanding that they had quite a bit of stuff to deal with, I decided to leave them alone to make certain I would not get in the way.

I took the time to get acquainted with my surroundings. I found a pair of entertainment lounges, one of which even had a television with a VCR set up under it while the other seemed to have a karaoke machine ready. The dining room was left fairly bare, probably to be used by anyone who just wanted a table to sit at for eating. I located the bathroom just fine before finally making my way upstairs. I almost felt envious of those two despite knowing I would never care for living in such a house for an extended period of time. It just makes you wonder how someone amasses the funds necessary for such a home. On my own, I would probably never get enough funds in my lifetime to afford such a dwelling.

The second floor was covered by a soft cream-colored carpet with the walls painted white. I found what was likely the master bedroom along with a pair of guest rooms. A pair of bathrooms were scattered about, but what caught my eye the most was what I can only describe as some sort of hobby room. "Hello, what have we here?"

The vibrant colors in the room drew me in. It felt like I had just stepped into a child's playroom with a strong sense of wonder and nostalgia coming over me. A table lined with action figures was set up past the doorway. I was drawn to it right away as I recognized some of them. They were clearly the Power Ponies in varying poses. There was even two figurines of Saddle Rager in both of her forms. Most of them bore a significant resemblance to my six friends when they were in that comic book world a few months ago, but I cannot recall all the details off the top of my head. Hum Drum still looked the way I remember him though, being an adorable little colt like in the comic book Spike showed me.

To top it off, there were figurines of the Power Pony villains too. The Mane-iac took center stage, the figure balancing on a few of its own overgrown tendrils of hair. There was also Pharaoh Phetlock bordered by a few mummy minions, High Heel was flashing a seductive smirk, Long-Face seemed to be in a stance that suggested he was flying with a vial of his sorrow gas in each hoof, Shadowmane's cape was aloft as if she had just suddenly spun around, and...

"Huh... What's this?" I muttered to myself while beholding something that was surely another villain. What was that other name Spike mentioned to me once? I just cannot recall... It seemed to be a larger equine entity consisting of hues of red and black, but... What was it? A liquid entity, a gaseous being, or maybe even some sort of arcane miasma taking on a vague pony shape? Whatever it was, it felt like really bad news. Almost made me glad we never encountered it on Nightmare Night or when we all got sucked into the Project H pilot issue.

However, I was not given time to ponder it. With such soft carpeting, I did not hear the hoofsteps of who was approaching the room. I jumped when I heard a voice shriek, "Hey! Back away from the goods!"

Immediately, I glanced towards the doorway and found a panicked Shining Armor glaring at me. I must have done something really messed up for him to be looking like he just found someone trying to make off with something precious. Still, I did as I was commanded and raised my hands before slowly stepping away from the figurine table. "Easy, captain. I didn't do anything."

Shining Armor then rushed to the tableside and began to very closely examine the various figurines on display. It was only after that did he let out a big sigh of relief. "Phew... They're all good."

I looked on in silence while waiting for what he would do next. Maybe order me to leave or possibly demand what I was doing wandering around his house. However, what I did get was far more pleasant as Shining Armor turned around while grinning in embarrassment. "Uh... Sorry if I gave you a scare right there. It's just that these babies are all vintage. First generation models. I'd hate to see them get messed up in any way."

A playful smirk spread across my lips while I proceeded to cross my arms. "Oh, you don't have to worry about that with me, Armor. I always take good care of my stuff and I wouldn't dream of damaging these things either. You've got a cool setup here. Some sort of vault for a collection you've got going?"

Clearly delighted to find someone who can appreciate such interests, Shining Armor motioned his arm towards the display table I had just been examining. "Cool! And yeah, I guess you could say that. I've got his room dedicated to all of my private interests. Namely all the stuff I find fun. I mean honestly, who doesn't find the Power Ponies and comic books in general cool?"

"Certainly can't complain there. And those figurines are nicely made." I replied before starting to really examine the room around me. Posters lined the walls, bookshelves were packed with comic books contained within protective plastic sleeves, and figurines stood everywhere atop the bookcases and desk. It truly felt like a comic book geek's paradise. "Man... This is cool. And Cadence doesn't mind it?"

"You kidding? She thinks it's adorable. Or is it that she thinks I look adorable whenever I'm hanging out in here..." He replied before quietly muttering in contemplation. For all of his standing in the royal guard, Shining Armor is still just a big kid at heart. Not that I find anything wrong with that. Quite frankly, I think it is awesome when someone can still hold onto some of their childhood interests. I was even starting to wonder which of us was older than the other.

"Heh, she's probably right whichever it is... Hellooooo, what's that?" I then said before my eyes fell upon some truly impressive figurines atop one of the bookcases. I approached it while feeling a big smile creep across my face. "Oh my god, they're already making figurines of this series? And they're so big and detailed!"

The figurine I was looking right at was none other than Project H himself. Or has he officially been named Hunter? Regardless, he was posed with his legs bent and leaning to the side with the H-Buster pointed out. Even his folding rocket thrusters on the back were extended with translucent electric blue flat pieces of plastic wedged in to replicate the exhaust! "Sweet lord, this looks awesome!"

Shining Armor was showing quite a bit of enthusiasm as well when he trotted up beside me. "Isn't it?! Project H is one of the most awesome comic book series I've ever seen! Did you even read the pilot? Man, that got intense! And Hunter here... A little naive and new to the world, but just such an awesome guy, especially when the action starts!"

Well, that confirmed what I had heard. Seems the Project H protagonist really has been named Hunter. Did Spike already tell me that? Regardless, I was enthralled with the detail of the figurine with some of the detailing going right down to the rivets. "This really brings back memories. He reminds me too much of an old video game hero I adored growing up and the figurines that were released of him... Man, I'm getting such a nostalgia rush right now."

"Really? Well, maybe somepony will make a video game adaptation of the series. I know I'd buy it! Oh, and look at these." Shining Armor exclaimed before making me look a bit to my right. Standing beside the Hunter figurine was a robotic alicorn robot with translucent fiery orange plastic extending out of the hindquarters and along the length of the back of its neck.

"They made Alpha too?! Sweet!" I was drawn to the villainous figure like a moth to a flame. The figurines seemed to have been made to scale with him being roughly as tall as Hunter when standing straight up. Even his wings were taken into account with the slender strips having rectangular fiery orange plastic strips sticking out of them to represent each individual thruster lining the undersides. And right next to that... "Oh lord, is this what I think it is?"

Standing to the right of Alpha's figurine was a hulking bulky bipedal mech suit that I recognized all too quickly. "Sweet Jesus, they released the Devil Gigas?!"

"That's not the half of it." Shining Armor replied before his horn and the Alpha figurine were coated in that rosy pink magic aura of his. The plastic rocket thruster exhaust things were plucked from the undersides of the wing frames before the wings themselves were neatly folded against his sides. I was then surprised to see the Devil Gigas' chassis open up to reveal a shockingly detailed depiction of its interior. Alpha's body was then snugly fit into the open cavity with his legs fitting into slots inside the ride armor's arms and legs. Once the figurine was in place, the chassis closed up to reveal only the head was exposed. Just like in the comic. "Ha ha! Behold, the Devil Gigas! You had your chance, Project H! Now, how would you like to be destroyed?"

Memories of that battle too vivid in my mind, I went along with it and grabbed the Project H... I mean Hunter figurine and turned it towards the towering mech before adjusting the position of his arm cannon. "The only one getting scrapped tonight is you, maverick! Tornado Fang!"

I lightly flicked the bottom of arm cannon to make it jump upward a bit to simulate the recoil of it firing a shot. Shining Armor then laughed like a stereotypical megalomaniac of a villain, even though Alpha is certainly more complex than that, and said, "Foolish! Your primitive weapons won't even scratch this marvel of mobile battle armor! Face your fate!"

"Oh yeah?! Well, how about some Fire Wa..." I started to reply before catching something move out of the corner of my eye. Shining Armor must have noticed it too since we both looked towards the doorway and froze in terror as we found Cadence watching us with a smug smirk.

"Are you boys having fun?" She asked while very clearly trying to not laugh.

That was too much for me. My body went rigid, my face burning with blood as I turned red with searing embarrassment. I covered my face and grumbled loudly from being caught getting way too into what could only be described as children playing with toys. Finally, I mustered the composure to suddenly point at Shining Armor and shouted, "Armor, I blame you!"

"Me?! You were having just as much as fun! Don't blame me for that!" He loudly complained even as Cadence burst into laughter.

"Boys, it's OK! I'm just saying it was cute! You dorks." She said loudly while also flashing us a wink. She must have found us to be utterly adorable or something. "Anyway, I just came up here to let you know that everything's done cooking. If there's any adjustments around the house that need to be made, now's a good time to make them."

"Uh... Sure! Just let us clean things up in here and we'll be right down." Shining Armor replied with a grin. Cadence seemed satisfied and left us alone to our devices. I then watched as he went back over to the figurines and removed the Alpha figurine from the Devil Gigas and began putting it back the way it was.

Before Shining Armor could finish, a thought crossed my mind while taking note of how the room looked like a child's play room. "Say, Armor... You two planning on having kids someday?"

That prompted the guy to stop what he was doing and giving me a surprisingly smug smirk. "Cadence has been foalsitting for years, James. What do you think?"

Well, that was a direct answer. And it told me all I needed to know. "Wow. She's that into it, huh?"

"Yep! Cadence loves kids. Always has. The only issue is that when it comes to having kids, timing is everything. So we're just waiting for the right time to try." Shining Armor explained while smiling the entire time.

Having personally witnessed and been dragged into problems involving a couple having a child years before they were ready, I understood all too well their willingness to wait before having children. But before I could say anything, Armor spoke up again quite abruptly. "Hey! You and Fluttershy are having your first foal next year, right? How's about letting us foalsit the little guy now and then? We could use the practice."

That got a bit of a smirk out of me. "It's not a guy, Armor. It's a filly and she'll be named Gladesong. And sure, if I can't find anyone else. I'm certain Cadence would do a fine job. Not so sure about you though."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Shining Armor retorted with an annoyed glare. He probably knew I was just messing with him. All things considered, he would probably make for a really fun dad. With a faux angry huff, he went back to rearranging his figurine collection back to how it was when I first showed up.

While I watched, I crossed my arms and cracked a smirk. "Hey, Armor. Do you think that Cadence's definition of 'dork' is a guy who knows how to have fun even if it means in ways that usually only kids would find fun?"

"You know, you just might be onto something there." He retorted with a bit of a snicker. A moment later, he had everything back to the way they were when I first entered the room. "There we go! And... Come to think of it, we could still get the tables set up. Wanna help with that, James?"

"No problem. Just show me what I need to do." I said before following him back downstairs.

For the next twenty minutes or so, I helped out around the house. Setting tablecloths, placing out the silverware at the buffet table, and lining up the beverages. Everything looked ready. Almost like the various holiday gatherings I would annually attend with family. All that was left to do was wait for the guests to arrive.

While I wandered through the closest entertainment lounge, I noticed Cadence take a seat on the sofa before using her magic to bring out a thick picture book from under the adjacent end table. She then motioned for me to approach her even as Shining Armor sat beside her. "What's up? Photo album?"

"That's exactly what it is. Since we still have some time before the guests arrive, how about we show you a few things?" Cadence happily replied. They were certainly going out of their way to be hospitable. Almost as if they were regarding me as extended family. It made me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside.

I took a seat beside Cadence while the book flipped open. The first two pages showed a significantly younger Cadence and Shining Armor. Judging by the lockers around them, it seemed to be their high school days. Cadence had her mane dressed up in an adorable ponytail while Armor looked hardly any different than how he does at this time of writing. Although that pouch he was lugging around seemed to have a...tabletop game manual sticking out. My eyes then glanced over to another photo that showed Armor looking slightly younger with a very disheveled mane while wearing a blue necktie. He looked extremely annoyed, as if he hated having to stand still to get his picture taken. Glancing back and forth at those two, I then gave Shining Armor the smuggest smirk I could while feeling tempted to laugh. He noticed right away and waved his hoof at me while also trying to not laugh. "Go ahead, James. Everypony always has something to say when they see the first couple of pages."

Cadence also looked at me with great excitement, almost as if she was expecting to hear something funny. I then said what I wanted to say. "OK then... Shining Armor, you really were a massive dork!"

"Guilty as charged!" He replied while both he and Cadence burst into raucous laughter. No shame at all. Not that there was anything to be ashamed of.

It was then that Cadence tried to catch her breath. "Don't go pointing hooves, James. You're a dork too! And an adorable one!"

"Hey, I've only got a mild case of dorkitis! Shining Armor here has a cripplingly severe case of it!" I retorted in an effort to keep the humor rolling. It worked all too well with the happily married couple trying to not fall off the sofa in laughter.

Trying not to laugh, I analyzed the photo of the two of them together a bit more. "Hey, you two knew... Hey, guys! Come on, it's not that funny! Anyway, you knew each other from your school days?"

My words got them to slowly compose themselves. Shining Armor was the first to regain his composure and said, "Oh, yeah... Yeah, we've known each other for a long time now. She was the most popular girl in school and I was just one of the outcast nerds who were really into tabletop roleplaying games. But wouldn't you know it? She found guys like me adorable."

Cadence let out a giggle and added, "Believe it or not, it was thanks to Twilight that we really got to meet each other. With her being Celestia's private student, I was asked to foalsit her from time to time. And that's how I met this adorable little dork here."

"Twilight, huh? And Celestia adopted you... Huh! Small world, isn't it?" I got a bit of a laugh out of that. Just one big domino effect that all resulted in Cadence and Shining Armor coming together.

Before we could even turn the page, we all froze as the jingle of the doorbell filled the house. Cadence was the first to rush to the door while saying, "I think I know who that is!"

Shining Armor and I hurried along after them and reached the house's entryway the instant Cadence opened the door. And sure enough, there they were. Twilight Sparkle and Spike. And sure enough, Twilight and Cadence greeted each other in a way only they do as they basically began to dance a very familiar dance. "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake! Clap your hooves and do a little shake!"

"I never get tired of watching that." I muttered quietly while watching the two friends embrace each other in delighted giggling. That little tradition of theirs never gets old, I swear.

"Hey, Twily! Glad you could make it!" Shining Armor exclaimed while he stepped forward to give his sister a hug. He then turned his attention to Spike and rubbed the little guy's head. "And hey there, Spike! Ready for a fun time?"

"You bet! And guess what I brought." Spike replied before he soon displayed a smug smirk. It was then I noticed that he seemed to be holding a box of sorts behind his back.

Armor was about to speak, but paused when he noticed the edges of the box sticking out from behind Spike. I swear, the guy looked like he was about to have a nervous meltdown with how excited he suddenly became. While shaking and rapidly tapping his four hooves in rapid succession, he frantically asked, "Oh my god... Spike, did you bring it?!"

Without a word, Spike held out the box for all to see. Before I could even really get a good look at the cover, Shining Armor jumped straight up and shrieked in delight. "YEEESSS!!! Ogres and Oubliettes! Spike, you rock!"

Cadence and Twilight sounded like they were about to burst out in laughter while observing Armor completely lose himself over what was clearly another tabletop game he utterly adores. I could only cross my arms and shake my head. "Yup. A total dork indeed... Wait... You play this stuff too, Spike?"

Shining Armor was the first to reply. "Oh, you bet! Although we haven't played together in a long time. He always liked playing as a paladin. Or as he said it, the powadon."

That little tidbit of information seemed to annoy Spike for some reason. "Hey, I never called it that! Um... Did I?"

Twilight snickered a bit before she revealed exactly why Spike would mispronounce the word so badly. "Spike, I think that was because you were two years old at the time." That got quite a laugh out of all of us. I almost forgot that Spike must have known Shining Armor just about as much as he had known Twilight herself.

"Anyway, we better not keep you girls. The princesses are expecting you, right?" Shining Armor then asked while he used the levitation spell to take the game box out of Spike's hands.

Twilight nodded before giving Spike a gentle nuzzle. "Mmhm, we better not keep them waiting. Mom and Dad are coming too. You have a good time, Spike." However, she then gave Shining Armor a bit of a harsh glare. "And make sure we don't have a repeat of last time."

"Hey, how was I supposed to know Spike couldn't read yet? He was the only person there who couldn't read the tabs labeling the hard cider." He replied with a nervous grin. Spike getting into some of the hard liquor? That must have been scary.

Cadence then reached out and placed a kiss on her husband's nose. "Oh, they'll be fine, Twilight. And Spike is a responsible gentleman in his own right... Unless..." Cadence then gave Spike a very sincere smile that was somehow menacing at the same time as she spoke in a calm yet threatening tone of voice. "He does decide to partake in the consumption of hard drink and I come home to find my house burned to the ground. But that won't happen, will it?"

I let out a loud suppressed snicker as Cadence went well out of her way to intimidate Spike. I know she is too much of a sweetheart to hurt anyone, but it was working. Spike began to sweat profusely and promptly saluted her. "No, ma'am! I'll stay sober! I promise!"

"Oh, I know you will." Cadence then said with a completely friendly smile while also lightly patting Spike on the head. "Anyway, we should be going now. Have a good time, boys!"

"See you later, James! Have a good time, Armor! And be good, Spike!" Twilight then added before the two mares trotted down the steps toward the street and down the lane. It amazes me how resistant to cold ponies must be to go anywhere with such light attire or none at all.

"Well then... Let's get that baby set up!" Shining Armor exclaimed before pulling us back inside and rushing to the dining room. He then used the levitation spell to snatch the centerpiece and fling it in the corner while making sure it landed safely. He then snatched up the game box and practically tossed all of the contents into the air before letting them all set down neatly in order. There was dice, the game map coating most of the table, little pony play pieces, and a whole bunch of other stuff that I knew nothing about. Seriously, I have never been into those kinds of games, so I have no idea where to start in describing them. "All set! Now we just gotta wait for everypony."

Still, I found it rather farfetched that anyone who showed up would be interested in playing one of the geekiest kind of games in history. "Uh... Armor? Are you sure the guests will want to play this with you and Spike?"

It was Spike who surprised me. "You bet! Big Macintosh loves this game! Every now and then, we meet up for a game night."

"Wait... Big Macintosh?! Color me surprised, I never thought he'd be into this." Honestly, who would ever guess that guy would be into this stuff? I then turned to Shining Armor while we headed back into the kitchen. "Come to think of it... Who exactly did you invite?"

"Well, Applejack's brother was one of them. I bet he doesn't have a whole lot to do on the farm at this time of year, so he'll probably be showing up. As for the rest... Um... There was the owner of Sugarcube Corner... Estoc should be showing up... Dang it, don't remember the rest." Shining Armor replied with a bit of a nervous chuckle. How long ago did he even send out those invitation?

For the next few minutes, Spike inspected the variety of food and drink that was available while Shining Armor went to the entertainment lounge to set the karaoke machine to play some house music for the time being. Did a good job of setting some relaxing vibes through the place. I sat myself down on the sofa in the other entertainment lounge and used the remote to flip on the TV. It was already set to display a hoofball game. I do not know a single thing about the sports of Equestria, so I just watched to keep myself occupied. Man, it really has been a long time since I last lounged around watching TV. I really outgrew that, huh?

Before long, the doorbell rang. Since I was closest to the front door, I got up to answer it. "I got it."

Upon opening the door, I was given quite a surprise. Big Macintosh himself was standing before me. I was so surprised to see him of all people in Canterlot that I briefly hesitated to greet him due to being at a loss for words. Instead, he beat me to it. "Howdy."

That helped compose me enough to vocalize a response. "Heya, Big Mac! Come on in, you're one of the first to show up."

I led the strong silent stallion in while he looked all around with a very interested expression. He probably never gets to see such houses on the inside with him spending so much time on the farm. And I swear, he never goes anywhere without that yoke around his neck. Shining Armor and Spike peeked around the corner to see who had just walked in. They then stepped out of the game room and approached us. Shining Armor, being the man of the house, was the first to offer Big Macintosh a hearty welcome and hoof shake. "Hey there, Mac! Haven't seen you since that party in Ponyville. Hope you haven't given anypony bear hugs lately."

I nearly cringed as those words brought up that memory. Big Macintosh, on the other hand, just let out a quiet laugh while he bowed his head. However, Spike then stepped forward and said, "Good news, Big Mac! We've got O&O set up. Wanna play?"

Big Macintosh's eyes opened quite wide. He totally knew what Spike was talking about. Even so, he still managed to hold onto his brevity when he loudly replied, "Eeyup!"

All I could do was watch as the three nerds rushed into the game room and started spouting all sorts of tabletop game lingo I really was not paying much attention to. It was enough to make me snicker like a fool as a big grin crept across my face. However, I barely had ten seconds before I heard a knock at the door right behind me. "Wow, they're showing up in droves!"

However, I got quite a surprise when I did open the door. The guest responded first with a chipper greeting. "Good af... Ah, Master James! So good to see you here!"

"Fancy Pants! It's good to see you! And...you're wearing pants again!" I replied, quite pleased to see such a friendly fellow of the upper class. Unfortunately, he seemed to have attracted a chattering gaggle of the Canterlot elite on his way towards Shining Armor's residence. "Uh... I'm pretty sure they were not invited."

"Yes, quite. Let's be quick about this." Fancy Pants retorted with a roll of his eyes before rushing past the doorway and slamming the door behind them. "Much better."

"I take it they bore you quite a bit." I asked while taking a peek through the door's peephole, seeing the crowd starting to disperse.

Fancy Pants let out quite a sigh at that remark. "Just hanger-ons vying for the same prestige as the cream of the crop by lingering in the shadow. I truly pity them. So obsessed with standing out among the elite that they sacrifice their own sense of individuality."

"Tch... Pitiful. It would probably take a real catastrophe for them to really open their eyes. Not sure how I feel about imagining that happening." I dismissively replied, not entirely certain how to picture said catastrophe in my mind. Perhaps a volcanic eruption? The mountain surely is not a dormant volcano, right?

My regal friend was quick to take my mind off of it. "Now, now, we do not want to wish misfortune upon anypony. They may be ignorant, but they're not truly vile. Let us focus on the festivities today. Now where may I find... Ah, that sounds like him."

I was quick to notice Shining Armor's voice speaking up from the next room. Something about setting his stats on something. Now, wait. I think he was saying something about rolling snake eyes for charisma. I guess the game had not yet started or they were in the process of setting up their characters and stats. At least I think that is how it goes? I decided to get his attention since he had a new guest. "Hey, Armor! You got another guest here!"

"Already?! That was quick!" He replied before jumping into view. "Hey, Fancy Pants! Glad you could make... Uh... What's with that look?"

Indeed. Fancy Pants was giving Shining Armor a bit of an odd stare. And so was I. Shining Armor was wrapped up in a hooded robe or something. Fancy Pants broke the silence and asked, "Um... Not to sound daft, but... Whatever is with the attire you are wearing? It has a very strong pre-classical era feel to it."

"Oh, this?" He retorted without getting why we were so perturbed by what he was wearing. "I just needed something to go with starting the game as a mage. What, doesn't look right on me?"

"Well, it certainly was not expected. I'm quite certain I did not notice anything mentioning a costume party in the invitation." Fancy Pants sounded like he was trying to not laugh. Not that I can blame him. It was a very sudden change and barely a minute had passed since I last saw the guy.

"Uh... Yeah. Let's just say I've got a big weakness for Ogres & Oubliettes. Anyway, now that we've got a few guests here... Let's start eating! Help yourself to the buffet. I think we can get that started now." Shining Armor then said while extending his arm towards the kitchen. However, he then hurried back into the game room. "Hey, guys? Forget the mage. I'll try for paladin this time."

We all then lined up in the kitchen and started going through the buffet. Man, it was just all so good. I knew I would be coming back for seconds. And there was quite a bit to go around, so any guests that showed up afterward would not be missing out. In fact, the instant I started to head to the lounge to sit down and enjoy my meal, the doorbell rang. Feeling charitable, I set my stuff down in a hurry and made my way to the door. "I got it!"

Upon opening the door, I was greeted by an unexpected sight. Two unrelated guests had shown up at the same time. Namely Mr. Cake and Soarin. I almost never see my boss without his hat, come to think of it. "Hey there, gentlemen. Good to see you here."

"And a pleasure to see you too, James. Is Shining Armor home?" Mr. Cake asked while I stepped back to allow them in.

Soarin then interrupted by holding out his wing for a shake after using his hind leg to kick the door shut. "Heya, James! The captain sends her regards."

I took him up on his offer and grabbed his wing for a quick shake. "Tell her I said hi too. And let her know that Rainbow Dash loves her new goggles."

"Will do. Anyway, Shining Armor's over there with Big Macintosh and Spike. The buffet's open now and we've got the game on in the other room. And we'll probably have karaoke going later!" I then said while leading the guests inside. I almost felt like I had been given the task of being the doorman for the day.

Mr. Cake's ears perked up upon me mentioning the karaoke machine. "Karaoke?! Oh, it's a shame the Mrs. couldn't come. I would've love to sing her favorite song for her."

"That doesn't mean I can't! I wonder if they have that one on the playlist..." Soarin added while sounding like he was rather excited about it. Although... Well, please do not take this the wrong way, but Soarin's voice... At least to me, it does not feel very singing worthy. I mean it is unique and recognizable, but... Imagining him singing kind of makes me cringe a bit.

The two of them made their way to the buffet line in the kitchen, looking really impressed with the food while I made my way back to my seat and started enjoying my meal while Fancy Pants had his attention directed to the television. "Baltimare and Vanhoover are truly neck and neck. It could go either way at this rate."

"They keep covering the field so fast... Even the fastest soccer players aren't that quick back home." I muttered to myself while seeing the players zip along the field from long distance as they chased the ball. Since all their legs were occupied running, the players seemed to use their heads to move and pass the ball and only turned to use their hind legs to try to score a winning shot. A bit of a high risk move since it would mean they would have to stop moving and let the opposing players close in, but that ball would rocket off towards the net if a kick connected.

The music playing through the house all but drowned out the commentators that spoke over the game even as the camera panned left and right to keep an eye on the players. I was just watching the game for the sheer spectacle with no real preference on who won. But man, the food was delicious. But right as I was about to get up for a second helping, I heard another knock at the door. I waited a moment longer just to make sure I had not misheard it over the noise, but there it was again. I set my empty plate on the footrest and made my way to the door. On the other side of the door was a black and white unicorn stallion I felt I had seen before, but could not put my finger on it. Even so, he surely recognized me. "Ah, good afternoon, James! Am I on time?"

His white tail was cropped short while his mane was styled in a manner similar to Big Macintosh's, but with fewer banes parted. And his cutie mark consisted of a rapier. The sight of a sword specifically designed for thrust attacks was what made me recognize him. "Oh, Estoc! Sorry, never really seen you out of uniform before."

It was then that Shining Armor came up alongside me to greet the guest. I guess he really must have been looking forward to seeing his right-hand man show up. "Hey there, Estoc! Glad you could make... OK, what's with that look?"

Estoc's expression immediately changed to one of bewilderment. As did mine when I looked down at Shining Armor. The guy was decked out in his own personal suit of armor for his job as captain of the guard. Estoc then asked, "Uh... Captain? Why are you in uniform?"

Shining Armor's expression immediately went blank as he froze in place. "Um... Because it's...the only thing I had that...looks like a fitting outfit for...a paladin."

Tempted to laugh, I held my face in my hand. "Good god, Armor. You're hardcore when it comes to these games."

"Count me out, captain! But thanks for having me over anyway." Estoc said with a snickering smile before trotting in. I crossed my arms while glancing at the two stallions together. I felt like there was something I should bring up to Shining Armor but just could not quite...

Ah, crap! Now I remember! I wanted to mention that shared dream we had where I saw Estoc lounging in a hot tub with half a dozen hot mares! That would have been funny to bring up. But I am not getting on the last train to Canterlot at almost midnight just to wake him up and tell him that. Oh well, maybe next time.

Before I could even take five steps away from the door before I heard a very loud series of knocks. "Jeez, you don't have to pound on it." I said to myself without caring if the person on the other side heard me. Shining Armor stayed close to me to greet the arrival. But when I opened the door, I froze in horror as three words quietly slipped from my lips. "What the crap...?"

"Bulk! Glad you could make it! Ready for a good time?" Shining Armor loudly greeted the stallion before us.

There was only one response the absurdly bulky pegasus before us provided. A very loud and macho, "YEEEAAAHHH!!!"

I did not say a word and got the hell out of the way as the hulking mass of muscle trotted past me. I had seen that guy before, but only once in a while and from a great distance. I stood completely still and watched in silent fear as the big guy made his way to the buffet table. Shining Armor noticed my unsettled expression and asked while tapping me on the side, "Uh... James? You OK up there?"

I rigidly lifted my hand and pointed at the pegasus who had just come in. "That guy scares me."

"What? Bulk Biceps? Naaah, he's cool." Shining Armor retorted without a shred of discomfort. My eyes scanned the absurdly bulky body of... Actually, that guy has the most fitting name of anypony I have seen so far. In spite of being a pegasus, his entire body was frightfully bulky and muscular with a very large and thick head. Coat as white as snow and with a short blond mane and tail, his cutie mark consisted of a single barbell. Combined with wings far too tiny to possibly lift him into the air, his very appearance was outright bizarre. He would probably break Big Macintosh's wrist if they tried to hoof wrestle.

"If you say so, man..." I muttered while watching Bulk Bicep until he went into the lounge with a tray lined with food. Shining Armor then quickly returned to the game room right as I heard another knock at the door behind me. "Jeez, I hope we don't get too many more."

I then turned around and opened the door. And I was quite surprised by who was on the other side. "Wha... Hey, Doc! Been a while!"

I cannot quite remember what to call that guy. I think Derpy Hooves kept calling him The Doctor, but I could swear I have heard others call him Doctor Hooves. Or is that Doctor Whooves? I will probably never know. But the dapper stallion still greeted me with a familiar smile. "Well, fancy seeing you here, James! Oh, excuse me. Please, let me out of the cold first! I don't know how all these ponies stand the cold so much."

I stepped back to let the Doctor in while he hung up a striped scarf he had been wearing. Looked good on him, to be honest. "Yeah, it's cold out there. Winter and all that. How's Derpy? Things OK with her?"

"Oh, she's still the same. Can't complain. Although it's always good to get out of the house for some occasional festivities." He replied while making certain his scarf was not hanging too low to the floor.

I watched while the doc went over to the buffet in the kitchen and followed. "That aroma... My word, the captain certainly knows how to cook."

"I think that's mostly Cadence's handiwork. Although Shining Armor might be pretty good at using a stove too. Maybe." I retorted even as Soarin and Big Macintosh walked away from it with loaded trays in their mouths. And where did Mac get that horned helmet? Maybe Shining Armor is pretty good at cooking, but I certainly do not get that feeling from him.

The Doctor browsed the food quite intently. "Mmm... Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese... Roasted brussel sprouts... A fair selection of pies... Hello, what have we here? James, do you know what this pastry is?"

I had overlooked that one. It was a pan cake of sorts, though not a typical cake in property. Still, if you have seen it, you know what it is. "That? It's gooey butter cake. Really good stuff."

"Gooey...butter...?" The doc asked as his expression became one of enthrallment while his mouth watered. He then stared rather...dreamily at the pastry. "Where have you been all my life?"

"Oooooookay... I'll leave you with your dinner partner then... Just make sure you slip into the bathroom if you want to get to know each other better." I replied while slowly backing away from the guy. What was it about the mention of butter that caused him to go gaga over the stuff? Granted, gooey butter cake is good stuff, especially when served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, but to act like it was an old flame... Best not think about that guy too hard. The doc is not your average pony.

Things quickly got settled in now that everyone who had been invited had shown up. Everyone was either chatting, watching the game and letting out excited shouts when the team they were rooting for scored a goal, and even Bulk Biceps letting out a macho roar when said cheers happened, and just having fun in the game room. Lord knows I cannot recall any of that tabletop game lingo they were throwing back and forth. And Big Macintosh was being quite vocal too. Almost never hear him talk that much. At least everyone was having fun. But before long, Soarin came back for seconds before stopping by me to hit up a conversation. "Hey there, James! Fun party, huh?"

"Yeah, it's pretty good. It's nice to have a get-together like this now and then." I replied while sipping from a glass of cola. I was just doing my own thing for the time, basking in the pleasant atmosphere and listening to the friendly banter over the music playing through the house. I then glanced at Soarin while he took a seat near me and munched on a slice of peach pie. "How's Spitfire? The captain doing OK?"

"Yep!" The famished pegasus said between crunches between bites. Once he swallowed, he gave me his undivided attention. "Spitfire's the same as always. We tend to get a lot of free time in winter since nopony wants to get out in this cold. That means no performances. But we do have to practice sometimes just in case we get called in for an emergency. Winter weather can be unpredictable, even for places where the weather is maintained by weather teams."

Something about the mention of emergencies caught my ear. "Emergencies? What, isn't the Wonderbolts a team of aerial performers?"

"Well, that's what we do a lot more than anything. But no, we're more than that." Soarin said with a bit of an unsurprised grin. "We're also a quick response organization that deals in providing assistance and aid during natural disasters. Airlifting trapped citizens, delivering supplies, and even stopping runaway tornados, the Wonderbolts are always the first on the scene when lives are put in danger by weather that's gone awry. Or subterranean activity that triggers earthquakes that requires airlifting, although those are pretty rare."

"Whoa... Never would've guessed that. So... Along with being performers, you guys are also everyday heroes. Man, no wonder Rainbow Dash wants in on that." I retorted with a bit of awe. That was indeed quite a revelation that I did not expect.

The mention of Rainbow Dash caught Soarin's attention. "Yeah, I hear you. Believe me, Spitfire's got some high hopes for her too. She says Rainbow's not really qualified for the tryouts at the academy yet, but she's got promise." However, it was then that Soarin's expression became one of momentary contemplation before he inched closer to me. "Hey, uh... Just checking. You meet up with the princesses sometimes, right?"

"Uh... Yeah. I'm on very good terms with all three of them. Why?" I asked in return, finding this shift in tone to be unexpected especially now that he was practically whispering to me.

"Oh, cool. Well..." Soarin said briefly before pausing for a moment. "Do you know if something's going on? Something...weird? I heard Nightmare Moon contacted us for a private assignment and I got the job. Something about aerial surveillance of an area several miles outside Manehatten. Know anything about that?"

That again. I had best keep this entry separated and hidden from the rest until further notice. Remembering a talk I had with Nightmare Moon recently, I decided to keep my voice down. "Yeah. Something about multiple missing person cases coinciding with the fact that the missing individuals all disappeared in roughly the same area. Did you find anything?"

"Whoa... Multiple disappearances, huh?" Soarin muttered with a look of minor shock in his eyes. "That's pretty big news. As for me... Well, I did see something way down there in an isolated area. It looked like two rows of houses parallel to each other with one set up at the end. Brought to mind a pair of tweezers. I snapped a few photos of it, thinking it was just some sort of outpost, and brought them back to HQ. They were passed on to the royal guard and that's the last I ever heard of it."

Did not sound like much of a development. Just two rows of houses lined up beside each other? That does not even sound like a hamlet or village. Outpost is definitely a fitting term. But did it hold the clues over the missing people? I am sure Nightmare Moon has been collaborating closely with the royal guard over this. "Huh... Well, I'm sure Nightmare Moon will let me know if something new is found. Just keep this info to yourself. It's kind of classified right now. The only reason I know about it is because Nightmare Moon and I are really close."

"Gotcha. My lips are sealed." Soarin whispered while flashing me a quick salute. Good man, that stallion.

Trying to steer the conversation away from a sensitive topic, I tried bringing up something new. "So, uh... You and Spitfire known each other long?"

That got a smile out of him. "Us? Oh, we go way back. I've been in the Wonderbolts a little longer than her, to be honest. But when she joined up, she went straight to captain!"

"That good, huh? Sounds like she's always been pretty awesome." I retorted with a laidback smile. While Spitfire and I might not know each other all quite that well, the number of encounters we have had have always been good. She always has such an aura of warmth and professionalism that sets her apart from her teammates.

We were about to speak a bit more, but then the lounge over yonder burst into cheers as another goal was scored. Soarin then hopped out of his chair and grabbed his platter. "You know what, I'm gonna go catch up on the game. It's in the finals!"

Heh, sports buffs. I never really got into that field of entertainment. But while I was left alone with my goodies, I noticed Shining Armor trot by me and over to the karaoke machine. "Heya, Armor. How goes the...game?"

"It's going good! I just got knocked out of the fight and the rest are holding off a maraudering band of orcs while I wait for them to roll a six so I can heal up." He replied while I took close note of the condition of his armor. It had a number of dents and chips in it.

"I'm not even going to ask what the deal is with your armor's condition... And Orsimer, huh? Wait, I think I'm thinking about the wrong game..." I muttered while trying not to imagine just how seriously those guys were taking themselves in the game room. I could hear Spike shouting orders at Big Macintosh almost out of panic. But I am sure they were just fine. "Anyway, you getting that thing fired up?"

"Yep! And I can't wait to try my hoof at the mic again!" Shining Armor certainly sounded excited about singing. Maybe even a bit nostalgic too. "What about you? Got anything you wanna sing?"

"I dunno... I've never been one for getting up in front of an audience." I retorted while feeling my gut sink just a bit. Sociable as I am, I am still too shy for that.

"Oh, come on! You're missing out!" Armor said before trotting over to me with a booklet floating by him He then opened it for me to a page in the middle and pointed at it. "Check this song out. I sang this for Cadence way back when and she just went gaga over me. I was afraid we were gonna have to wheel her out on a stretcher."

"What, this one? Uh... Pretty...Pink Mares... By..." I muttered to myself while unsure if to feel unimpressed or amused since the title and lyrics seemed all too familiar to me. "By... Oingy Boingy..."

"Yeah, they've made some really quirky stuff." Shining Armor tried to not laugh. He must have some really good memories. But that only got me thinking and pondering more and more about that song.

"You know what, Armor?" I then said while a smirk spread across my lips. I then pressed my fingertip against the title and said, "I'm gonna sing this one."

Shining Armor then laughed for a brief moment, but then looked at me in surprise. "Wait, really?!"

I crossed my arms, trying to look as confident as I could. "Yup. But on the condition that I'm allowed to sing it MY way. OK?"

"Dang... You're serious. I gotta go find a camcorder! Cadence is gonna wanna see this one!" He then went to the front of the house and started rooting around in a desk for something before trotting back over to me with a VHS camcorder floating next to him. "OK, I'm ready for this!"

"Hey, can I see that for a second?" I asked while taking an immediate interest in the device. Shining Armor allowed me to take it in hand. Being someone who is always nostalgic for stuff I grew up with an anything that generally was everywhere when I was a kid, I was momentarily enthralled with the pristine camcorder. "Man, I haven't seen one of these in ages. Where I come from, you'd be amazed how hard it is finding a VCR that still works."

"Wait, seriously? Kids don't constantly try to use them as mailboxes, do they?" Shining Armor asked in surprise, apparently being all too aware of that little vice toddlers seem to possess for the first few years.

"Well... Some do, I guess. Anyway..." I then started to look around while handing the camcorder back to him. "Got anything strong? I'm gonna need to get liquored up if I'm gonna get up on stage."

He then pointed towards the kitchen and said, "Need some liquid courage, huh? We've got a liquor table over there. Help yourself!"

"Thanks, Armor. Just give me a while to make sure it all sinks in." I replied before getting up and going to browse the selection. There were a number of liquor bottles lined up with wine and rocks glasses set up in rows or piles along with a container of sliced fruits for martinis. There was even an ice bucket on the end along with a cooler on the floor loaded with bottles of chilled beer and ale. But it was while browsing the bottles of scotch and vodka that I found what I was looking for. "Equestrian Honey... That's what I need."

I took a large rocks glass and dropped a few ice cubes in it and topped it off with a good double shot of my favorite whisky. Then I squirted some lemon over it and stirred it all in. While waiting for the ice to melt and cool the drink down, I turned my gaze back towards the entertainment lounge. Shining Armor snatched up the mic and spoke through it to get his voice broadcast throughout the house. "Good afternoon, gentlecolts. This is your host saying that the karaoke lounge is open and ready for auditions. Just head on over and pick a song."

I am guessing that the session of Ogres & Oubliettes was put on hold since Spike and Big Macintosh came out after that announcement. They even left their cosplay outfits behind. A few of the other guests even came out of the other entertainment lounge during a break in the game. And the first stallion to rise to the occasion was none other than Soarin. "Hey! Maybe they've got... Aw yeah, that's my jam! Let's hit it!"

Not even a minute later, the karaoke machine was starting to pump out a rock beat that definitely had an 80s feel to it. In all honesty, I should have known what was coming as Soarin's uncanny voice started blaring over the house's sound system. "Revving up your wings! Listen to them howl and roar! Turning up the tension! Begging you to touch and go!"

I could only facepalm in suppressed laughter as I immediately recognized the similarities. That song... That might as well be the Wonderbolts anthem! "Skyway to the supercell! Right into the supercell!"

For those of you who do not know, a supercell is a powerful thunderstorm that are known for producing tornados. So it was quite fitting that a senior member of the Wonderbolts was singing that song. Even so, his voice was not suited for singing and was honestly hard not to laugh at the sound of it yelling out the lyrics as he started to get way too into it. Just... Oh my lord, I need to stop writing for a minute. Just remembering that performance is making me chuckle like an idiot.

OK, back to this... Anyway, towards the end of the song, I started to sip at the whiskey in my glass. The first bite of alcohol was strong and made me quiver. But overall, the warmth that lined my throat combined with the noticeable taste of honey in it mixed with lemon made it more bearable. I started gulping it down as quickly as I could to hurry myself along and to increase the effectiveness of the alcohol. I almost gagged, but it was worth it. Right as the song finished and the few stallions in the lounge applauded, everyone hurried back into the other lounge to resume watching the game for a bit now that it was back on.

I took the time to snack on a few pretzels while waiting for the whisky to start doing its job. It did not take long. Before I knew it, my balance became unsteady, my head started to sway without my input, and I found myself smiling. I am such a happy drunk, although I was still quite a ways from being actually drunk. Still, it was time to make my move. I shambled over to the stairs and clambered up it to a bathroom with a pamphlet of the songs available in hand so I could do a bit of practicing. I was going to need it in order to control my breathing to not run out of breath on that last part.

A few minutes later, I staggered back downstairs now that I was ready. Everypony was starting to move back into the karaoke lounge now that another break had occurred. And I proceeded to make my way to the karaoke mic. "Hey, Armor! You ready for this?"

Shining Armor looked my way, finally having removed his dented armor, and snatched up the camcorder. "You bet I am! Hey, guys! James is gonna put on a show!"

Everyone in the house started gathering in the entertainment lounge while I went browsing through the songs to find what I wanted to play. "Pretty pink mares... Pretty pink mares... Little gi... Oops, wrong song. OK, here it is!"

Once I selected that to play, a rather jazzy piece of 80s style synthesizer started playing over the house's sound system. I even started gyrating a bit to get me into the groove and to loosen myself up further. Spike was giving me such a weird stare, probably because he almost never sees me loosen up this much. I think the last time was when I did that skit with the toaster...

The lyrics started to preemptively come up on the little screen beside me for me to sing along to. But, as I said earlier, I was going to sing the song my way. And so, I ignored the most iconic part of the lyrics and began to sing in probably the most exaggerated goofy tone of voice I have ever used.

"I, I, I love little girls, they make me feel so good! I love little girls, they make me feel so bad! Wheeen they're around, they make me feel like I'm the only guy in town! I love little girls they make me feel so good!" My god, the reactions I was getting from the audience. Some were laughing, some did not know what the hell to make of me, some were genuinely entertained, and Shining Armor... Good grief, that guy was howling like a hyena even as he managed to keep the camcorder set on me.

Still, I was having fun. And so I continued. "They don't care about my one-way mirror! They're not frightened by my cold exterior! They don't...ask me questions. They don't...want to scold me. They don't...look for answers. They just...want to hold me."

And then, just to add the icing on the top, I gave them all my best deranged grin. "Isn't this fun?! Isn't this life's all about?! Isn't this a dream come true?! Isn't this a nightmare toooooooo aaah oh!"

"I, I, I, love little girls, they make me feel so good! I love...little girls, they make me feel so...BAD! Wheeen they're around, they make me feel like I'm the only guy in town! I love...little girls, they make me feel so...GOOD!" By that point, everyone in the house were starting to wander into the karaoke lounge just to see who the tipsy nutjob was who was blurting out deranged lyrics through the house's sound system.

"They don't care about my inclinations! They're not frightened by my revelations!" I had quite the audience! And man, they were laughing it up, especially now that I leaned back and forth as if to listen to the whispering echoing lyrics following my own in the soundtrack. "Uh oh... Take a second take! Uh oh... It's a mistake. Uh oh... I'm in trouble! Uh oh... The little girl was just too little, too little, too little, too little, TOO LITTAAAAAAAL!!!"

My god, I had to use all of my restraint to prevent myself from busting out laughing as Bulk Biceps took a spit-take while chugging a bottle of beer. He really must not have seen that howl coming. "Isn't this what life's all about?! Isn't this a dream come true?! Isn't this a nightmare tooooo?! Aaaah, oh!"

I can go on and on about the rest of the lyrics, but I do not think I should throw an entire song into this. Still, I do not know how I did that last stretch of chanting 'too little' nine times without dropping the ball. But I must have done a good job judging by how the audience just cringed or burst into awkward laughter as I shrieked out that last bit. Still, good god, that was fun. I took a bow as the song came to a close and stepped off the stage. "Thank you, I'll be here all night... Hey, Armor! Where'd you go?"

Much to my semi drunken amusement, I found that Shining Armor had fallen on his side somewhere behind the sofa with Mr. Cake and Doctor Whooves looking over the back at him. He finally clambered up while somehow keeping that camcorder held aloft in the air. He wheezed and gasped, tears streaming down his face. "Oh...my god... Cadence is gonna love this!"

In the laughter and cheering, I almost did not notice the gust of cold wind that came from the front door opening for a moment. And then a voice I did not recognize. "Phew! Looks like we made it early!"

There was another voice. Lower in pitch and even sounding either goofy or just lazy. "Sure did. But where is everybody?"

I did not pay the two voices any mind as I plopped myself down on another sofa that Soarin was chilling on. He was about to speak to me, but then froze as his gaze became directed to the karaoke machine and its little stage. "Oh boy, they've even got karaoke! I've been waiting for a chance to do this!"

Noticing that the voice was coming from right ahead, I directed my gaze towards the owner. And... At first, I had no idea what I was looking at. My only response was to rub my eyes and say, "I must be drunk..."

The owner of the lazier deeper voice then asked, "You sure the right song's on there, bro? I'm pretty sure you haven't officially published it let."

"Quiet, Sans! I'm still checking. There's a big gap between P and B, you know." The owner of the higher pitched jovial and even slightly pompous voice replied.

Everyone else in the lounge was just staring at the two guests up on stage. Almost convinced I was hallucinating, I shouted over at our host. "Armor, what did you spike that whisky with?!"

He looked back at me and held up his hooves. "Don't look at me! I'm seeing this too! And I haven't had a drop to drink so far!"

How do I even describe what I was seeing... They were... Skeletons. Just a pair of human...skeletons. Or...were they human? I know what human skeletons look like and they...looked incredibly off in terms of proportions. The taller skeleton had one heck of a jaw and stood taller than myself. The other skeleton, the lazier sounding one, was quite stout with a skull that was much flatter than the other. He must have been no taller than the average pony. Their clothing contrasted as well, the tall skeleton wearing a pair of red gloves and boots along with a red scarf and something I could only describe as mock white body armor covering his upper torso. He looked and sounded quite confident, that soft padded attire looking like it might provide some modest protection. The stout skeleton was... Actually, lazy sounds about right judging by his mismatched attire. He was wearing a fleeced blue hoodie with the hood hanging back, a pair of black shorts, and a pair of house slippers. Nothing short of a fashion faux pas. Rarity would have thrown a fit if she saw him. Weirdly, his jaw did not move when he spoke... Wait, did he even have two separate jaws or was his whole skull just one piece of bone? Still, the only thing that came to mind were three words I was very tempted to say in a goofy tone of voice. Spooky scary skeletons. Although they were far from spooky, all things considered.

Anyway, my train of thought was disrupted when the taller skeleton spoke out in glee. "Yes! They've got my song! Let's hit it!"

Right as he said that, the skeleton snatched up the mic while the stout skeleton stood beside him. Something that sounded like an amped up chiptune music began to play through the sound system. "Ready for this, Sans?"

The lazier skeleton responded with a bit of humorous caution. "I don't think anyone could be ready for this one."

For some reason, the taller skeleton took offense to this. "Shut up, Sans! You just don't appreciate perfection!"

We had no idea what the hell to make of this bizarre double act literally having dragged itself in out of the snow. But then... Well, I wish I could have recorded this guy singing, but you will just have to imagine how he sounded. "Attention monsters! My name is Papyrus! I'm a skeleton made with magic bones and lots of cool! If you need proof, then look at my biceps! Because they're wearing sunglasses and it clearly means I rule! My cooking skill's unrivaled when it comes to spaghetti with sauce and pasta noodles extra long. And not a single creature has survived a dish..."

But then the little stout skeleton, who I assume was named Sans, spoke up over him. "But they'll just walk right past it."

And then, in a hilarious fashion that got quite a few of us laughing, the singer kept the rhyme going. "Sans, don't interrupt my song!"

It was at that point that Soarin leaned towards me and whispered, "Hey, these guys almost look human... Almost. These friends of yours, James?"

I threw up my hands and replied, "Never seen them before in my life."

Regardless, the song continued. "It takes a special kind of perfection just to match what I have been without ever having tried! And that's why Undyne wants me in the royal guard..."

Cue interruption by little Sans. "But aren't you still in training?"

And so the singer shrieked in rhyme, "Hey, that doesn't mean I lied!"

What was it about those two that was making us snicker? Still, the song sounded like it was coming to a close, short as it was. "So if you think that we can be pals, then you had better be prepared for immense amounts of fun! Unless you're human, then I'm afraid you'll be captured..."

And once again, Sans stole the spotlight. "But you kinda made friends with one."

It was then that the big guy... Papyrus, was it? Anyway, he finally snapped at Sans while his eye sockets...somehow narrowed to show an irritated glare even as that big toothy grin remained constant. And all the while, the music started over with a bit more toned down version. "Sans! Stop plaguing my mixtape with incidental lyrics!"

Sans dismissively replied, "Well, I thought it sounded pretty good."

Papyrus did not like that, though I am not sure if his response was either funny or really arrogant. "Well, I think it sounded like not Papyrus! Which is the worst kind of sound to be."

That seemed to get Sans' spirits down a bit since he then apologetically muttered, "Oh... Well...sorry then."

Much to my surprise, Papyrus' eye sockets returned to their natural round look as he happily replied, "It's all right, Sans! I already forgive you."

He then turned and stuck out his long lanky leg to make a great stride off the stage even as the music continued to play without him. "Come on! Let's go get..."

The instant he said that, the big guy glanced my way and froze as a very loud and sudden vinyl scratch filled the house while the song suddenly stopped. All the while, a pair of googly eyes suddenly popped out of Papyrus' eye sockets and stared at me with an intense gaze. Right at me. No one else was in his line of sight. A full ten seconds went by without anyone budging an inch before he quickly returned to his spot on stage and pointed at me. "Oh my god! Sans! Is that a human?!"

No one knew what to say. I did not know what to say. We just kept watching to see what in the world would happen next. Sans' two little white dots in his eye sockets looked my way, but he then provided a very snarky response that got a lot of chuckles out of the audience. "Nah, looks like a really nice sofa to me."

"Oh..." Papyrus said disappointingly, making me snicker loudly. What was his deal?! Could he really not see through that?

However, Sans then asked, "But what about that thing sitting on it?"

Papyrus then let out an excited gasp as he put both hands on the sides of his face. "I see it! Oh my god! Is that a human?!"

Sans remained silent for about five seconds before giving us another unexpected response. I swear that guy must be a part-time comedian somewhere. "Nope. That's just a little pony with wings."

Soarin got a really good laugh out of that one. I could only struggle to stay silent while rolling my eyes as I smirked in amusement. And then Sans asked the disappointed Papyrus, "But what about that guy next to the pony?"

Papyrus then stared intently at me. "Oh...my...god! Human! I've spotted a human! Finally, a human to capture of my very own! I'll finally have all the admirers I've always deserved! A true suit of armor awaiting me in the royal guard! And then... Then... Uh..."

I just crossed my arms, not taking the goofy skeletons seriously in the slightest. But as Papyrus turned his gaze to his surroundings, I think he started to notice something. "Wait a minute... Where's the bar? And the jukebox? And...Grillby?"

Sans suddenly twitched while his constant grin shifted just slightly to a much more nervous one. Fancy Pants then broke the silence and asked while adjusting his monocle, "Are you certain you two are at the right party?"

The more Sans looked back and forth at all of us, the more nervous he became while he started to let out a wheezing groan of anxiety. Somehow, sweat started to ooze from his skull. It was Papyrus who finally broke the awkward silence while glaring down at him. "Saaans! Where did your shortcut take us this time?!"

"Oh, snap..." Clearly realizing that they had shown up at the wrong place, Sans started to push Papyrus off the stage while looking at us and speaking very quickly. "Uh... Looks like I made a wrong turn at that last bit of binary! Sorry to drop in unannounced! Almost thought you guys were Aaron's cousins or something. Couldn't tell the difference at first. Not too big on your neighnatomy and all that..."

For some reason, Papyrus planted his foot down as he cringed in order to stop his sliding feet even as those googly eyes popped out of his eye sockets again. "Oh my god, Sans! That one was especially forced!"

Sans then hurried past Papyrus and grabbed his hand to lead him along. "Hey, horse jokes are always cheesy, bro. Better than oats, anyway. Always loved me some cheese on a pretzel."

We could only watch in amusement while the two boneheads approached a door before Sans opened it. However, Papyrus then said, "Sans, I think this is a..."

But Sans just proceeded to cut his buddy off while shoving him past the doorway and looking back to give us a winking smile. "Sorry to bug you guys! Still, glad to give ya some laughs! Later!"

He then loudly closed the door after following Papyrus. But it was then that Shining Armor revealed the punchline. "Are you kid... THAT'S A CLOSET!!!"

For whatever reason, that got everyone in the lounge to burst into laughter while Shining Armor trotted over to the closet to let them out. Spike then called out, "Wow, I never knew you were the kinda guy who has skeletons in the closet!"

Right as Spike said that, we heard the front door open and... A trombone played three deepening notes before the door closed again. The same three notes that Pinkie Pie played on that trumpet when Maud stopped by the spa... Did Pinkie Pie have something to do with those guys?! And how did they get outside from the closet?! Strangely enough, I heard Papyrus speak up somewhere right outside the door as they probably started to walk away from the house. "Did you really stuff us both in a closet just to set up that punchline?"

Sans replied with a smug tone. "Would I be me if I didn't?"

"I suppose not." Papyrus responded in what sounded like defeat or just relief that he was out of there and on his way to their real destination.

Shining Armor looked dryly in the direction of his front door for a moment before opening the closet door. After a quick peek inside, he quietly closed it and said, "Let's just pretend that never happened and get back to what we're all here for."

"Why? What other skeletons you got in your closet?" I asked while smirking smugly. It was just the whisky talking. "Maybe you play knockoff clones of Ogres & Oubliettes and hide the game pieces in there?"

That got a shockingly loud gasp from the rest of the partygoers. But instead of Shining Armor flustering, he instead responded with quite a show of pride. "Oh, don't even go there with me! Ogres & Oubliettes is top tier in the tabletop role-playing game community! The depth, the variety, the class system. It is and has never been surpassed! It's still king among gamers everywhere and I will NEVER settle for some cheap imitation! Got it?"

The room became silent while I felt pressured into a corner. He sure does take his dorkiness seriously. "Sheesh, Armor. Sorry I asked."

"Gentlemen? Just a quick reminder that the game is back on." I heard the doc say from the edge of the lounge before just about everyone rushed back into the other lounge to watch the game. Shining Armor joined them while I just stayed there on the couch reeling from everything I had just seen and heard, not entirely sure if I believed it. I decided to hold off on anymore strong drink until just before I would leave for home.

I went back to the buffet again to line my tray with dessert now that I was starting to feel quite full. I went straight for the chocolate and banana cream pies, but paused when I noticed that roughly a quarter of the gooey butter cake was all that remained of it. Did the doc really eat all that? Maybe I should ask Derpy what his deal with butter is next time we bump into each other.

While I just sat in the karaoke lounge as it stood empty for a bit, I heard the other entertainment lounge burst into cheers and roars. Seemed like the game had ended and... Actually, I do not know which team won. Maybe I will find out tomorrow when I stop by the newspaper stand. Still, good stuff.

With the game over, everypony started to make their way out of the TV lounge. Shining Armor, Big Macintosh, and Spike returned to the game room to resume their campaign against the ogres while everyone else returned to the buffet line and karaoke lounge. Mr. Cake seemed to be up next and was probably choosing a cheesy love song that he probably sang to his wife once.

Full for now, I set my tray aside and went to the TV lounge. Soarin was the only one there and... He seemed quite tipsy. He looked up at me with a bit of a blush to his cheeks and asked, "Heeey, James. Good game, right?"

I raised an eyebrow upon looking down at him. He had a glass in hoof that was filled with a green fluid that had a rather sweet pungent scent to it. "Sheesh, and I thought I had too much to drink. What're you on?"

Estoc happened to be passing by with a dessert plate floating next to him before he glanced at Soarin's glass. "Looks like he got into the absinthe."

His voice starting to slur, Soarin chugged the last bit of his drink before setting the glass down on an end table next to the sofa he was on. Rather loudly, at that. And...was that stuff not diluted?! "Hey, I'm bored! Game's over, so what now?"

"Yeah, you're not getting back up onto the singing stage like that. Uh... Hey, what's that?" I replied before noticing something tucked under the TV in a wooden cupboard with the VCR by it. It seemed to be a type of game console with a few game cartridges lined up by it. "Didn't know they played video games. Let's see what's on."

I reached under and pushed the switch up, the overall design reminding me of the SNES back home. Even the two controllers brought it to mind. Soarin took his controller in hoof while I turned the TV back on and adjusted the input to detect the console. I then sat down by him as the title screen came up. "What is this? Wheel of Fortune?"

Seemed to be a type of game show sort of thing. Weird genre for a 16-bit game. Graphics were still pretty clear and crisp. Before long, we just stopped caring abut what the game was about and found ourselves engaged in half-drunken banter while goofing around. Well, maybe half for Soarin. I was more of a quarter by that point.

"Heh, nice spin." I muttered snidely while the game wheel spun on the screen.

"Yeah, just what I... OH, COME ON!!!" Soarin said smugly before shrieking in irritation as the arrow landed on the LOSE A TURN panel. That shriek was so sudden and exaggerated that I burst into laughter. "We're three minutes into this thing and I've done nothing but lose two turns!"

"Hey, it's cool, dude. You can always catch up." I calmly reminded him while taking my turn. I got a 100 bits bonus that time. Then it was Soarin's turn.

"Please... Please just gimme one good..." The tipsy pegasus groaned as he took his turn with the wheel spinning. During that break, he took a small bowl party mix in hoof and snacked on a bit of it. But as the wheel came to a stop... "No... NO!!! COME ON!!!"

I almost busted a gut. He flung the bowl skyward and even had it slam into the ceiling before the snacks scattered every which way. Shining Armor was not going to be happy about that. He then leaned back into his seat and just loudly groaned as I laughed until my cheeks hurt. And was he crying? "Ooohhh man, this is like torture! I am SO angry right now!"

Finally, I spun the wheel only for Soarin to get right up against my face. "Please lose a turn."

"Uh... Nope." I replied while trying to ignore him. Almost felt like he was trying to shag me or something.

"Lose a turn." He drunkenly commanded.

With Soarin literally bressing his face up against mine, I was starting to get mildly annoyed. "Get outta my face, du... WHAT?!"

"YEEEAAAHHH!!!!" Soarin cheered while raising his arms high. As it turned out, I did indeed lose a turn. But rather than get mad, I burst into raucous laughter with him. Why were we having so much fun with such a simple game?! "Is this thing rigged?!"

"Wait, here we go. Are you ready?!" Soarin got my attention as I started having a coughing fit while struggling to stop laughing. He had taken his turn and the wheel was spinning. He then grabbed onto me in an unwitting hug. "Here it comes... Here it comes... Here it comes... Here it comes... HERE IT COMES!!!"

And then... Bankrupt.

"GAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!" I swear, that yell shook the whole house. I could not stop laughing even as Mr. Cake shouted over the mic for Soarin to shut up. Me? I was laughing myself silly. As for Soarin, he just straight up rage quit. "That's it! I'm done! Screw this game!"

I crawled from the sofa and over to the game console and shut the thing off. That was enough laughter for one night. "Hoooo man... So, what now?"

Still quite tipsy, Soarin looked around from the sofa. He then pointed to the corner. "How about we watch something instead?"

I went to take a closer look at the cardboard box that was sitting there. It was filled with VHS tapes, most of them unlabeled. But they clearly had not gone unused. "Ooh, a grab bag of videos, huh? I can roll with that."

I chose a fully rewound tape at random and went back over to the VHS and set the TV back to the right input. "Uh... Hold on a second, Soarin. It's been literally a decade since I last used a VCR, so I'm a bit rusty."

Regardless of my lack of recent use of such a device, I managed to get it working and took a seat back on the sofa as the VCR let out a few clicks before it began to whir. However, I was in for a bit of a surprise. Indeed, the tape had clearly been used to record something from a camcorder. And the location... Was that one of the bedrooms I saw upstairs? And... That mare on screen as the camera swayed... Soarin then asked, "Hey... Is that...Shining Armor's wife?"

My eyes slowly started to widen as Cadence spoke up on screen. "Is the camera on, honey?"

"Uh... Yeah, it's rolling." I heard Shining Armor speak from somewhere off from behind the camera.

"Is this...what I think it is?" I asked while starting to notice that the doc and Mr. Cake had wandered over to see what was happening on the screen.

The camera started to pan down to reveal that Cadence was wearing some...impressive black lingerie while lying on her back, wings spread wide. And that look she was giving the camera... "How scandalous..."

"I am at your command, your highness." I heard Shining Armor mutter in a flirtatious tone I could never imagine him using. At least not until that moment. Soarin remained completely silent, but he had quite the wingboner by then.

"I hereby command you to...assist your princess with some personal matters." I then heard Cadence say sweetly while winking to camera. The view then started to pan down until it settled on her...covered posterior. By that point, everyone in the house aside from the guys in the game room were watching from behind the sofa.

"Oh crap... Crap... Crap...!" I muttered loudly as I snatched up the nearby remote control and started desperately tapping the stop button before I could see something I was never meant to lay eyes on. "Turn it off turn it off turn it off!"

I was on the verge of panic when I saw Shining Armor's hoof reaching for Cadence's lower half of the lingerie. But just before he could tug down, I heard a panicked shriek before the real Shining Armor dashed into the room and stood up with his arms spread wide in front of the TV. The look of utter embarrassment on his face said enough. "Sorry, guys! Nothing to see here!"

While I was relieved, the rest of the guests started to boo loudly and ordered the poor guy to get out of the way. It certainly did not help that the sensual mind-piercing moans of his wife was still coming from the TV's speakers as the action unfolded behind him. Good lord, he was sweating buckets. Poor guy. I could not help laughing.

Thankfully, that did not go on for much longer. Suddenly, the TV shut off even while the VCR continued to play. We all looked off to the sides while most of the guests let out a loud disappointed moan and saw Estoc standing with the TV's unplugged cord hanging from his hoof. He smirked at Shining Armor and said, "You owe me a drink, captain. And not that cheap stuff in the cooler."

"Thanks, Estoc!" Shining Armor said with a sigh of relief. Seeing that the show was over, the stallions around me began to scatter. Thank the lord that Spike did not come in. Once the lounge was all but empty, Armor dropped back down onto all fours. "I knew I should've sorted those before the party..."

I then stepped forward and hit the eject button to remove the tape from the VCR and placed it back in its paper sleeve. I held it aloft and asked, "You recorded your own home videos?"

"Eeehhhhh... Yeah. Uh... I'll just take that and..." He nervously mumbled before snatching the tape out of my hand with his magic and placing it back in the box. He then lifted the whole box into the air and made his way to the stairs. "I'm just gonna...put these away now so... You know, make sure nopony sees something that's...not for their eyes."

I watched with some amusement while Shining Armor nervously scampered upstairs with that box full of videos. I almost cringed as I imagined that almost every last one of those just might have been homemade sex videos of those two. "If all of those... Wow... Those two have a really healthy sex life."

To be completely honest, not a whole lot else worth mentioning happened from that point onward. Shining Armor, Big Macintosh, and Spike finally concluded their game before chilling out in the TV lounge and even playing on the game console there while the rest of us chatted, partook in food and drink, and the occasional karaoke session. Fancy Pants in particular was very easy on the ears. And then, one by one, everypony started to depart.

In the end, Spike and I helped out in cleaning up around the place. Shining Armor was pretty annoyed when he found the remnants of that snack bowl strewn about the TV lounge. It almost felt sad, finding the place so deserted after a fun party. I suppose there is always next time though. Once all of the tray and dishes had been loaded into the dishwasher, Shining Armor let out a yawn before turning to me and Spike. "So... Good time, right?"

"You bet! Can't wait for the next time!" Spike replied while helping himself to an entire leftover bowl of party mix.

I then replied while pouring myself another double shot of whisky on the rocks, "A total pleasure, Armor. I'm looking forward to the next time."

Shining Armor then started to give the place the once over to make sure we did not miss anything. He then spoke while setting aside some leftovers for me to take home to Fluttershy and Scootaloo. "And it was a pleasure having you guys over. If you're ever in the neighborhood, don't be a stranger. Unless... Unless I happen to be on duty. Then you'll have to ask the guards where you can find me."

Barely a minute later, the doorbell rang. Suspecting it was Twilight and Cadence, I chugged the rest of my drink and made my way over to the front door with Spike and Shining Armor. And sure enough, there they were on the other side. Twilight spoke first with a happy, if not somewhat tired, smile. "Hey, guys! Had a good time?"

"You bet! There was singing and pie and video games... It was all good!" Spike retorted before jumping forward and giving Twilight a hug.

"How were things for you ladies?" I asked while feeling the whisky starting to kick in even harder on the back of the linger two shots I had a few hours earlier. The moon had risen in the sky and a light flurry of snow had started to fall. It was quite beautiful to behold.

Cadence began to step in out of the cold so we could shut the door as she explained, "Oh, I couldn't eat another bite. We all went to the theater, spoke over tea, and went out to dinner. It was so good catching up on lost time." She then glanced at me and winked. "And Nightmare Moon asked quite a bit about you, James. She really misses you when you're not around."

"Heh... Sorry I don't come up here more often. Canterlot isn't exactly my kind of place." I retorted while closing the door behind them.

Everyone just started to chat in the foyer while I started to pull my heavy winter clothing on. Twilight then looked my way and watched while I probably swayed a bit too much from being liquored up. She then asked once I started to get my scarf around my face, "Uh... You feeling all right, James?"

"Four shots of whisky will do that to you, Twi. I'm OK though. Can still walk in a straight line." I explained while tucking my scarf into my coat and pulling the zipper up. "You ready to head home?"

Twilight was probably going to suggest that we stay a bit longer, but another yawn interrupted her. "Um... Yeah, we probably should. We've all had a long day."

Spike then came running back over with that Ogres & Oubliettes game box in his hands. "What're you talking about?! I'm... Ugh... OK, guess I'm feeling tired too."

Not able to defy our exhaustion, Twilight, Spike, and I stepped outside while Shining Armor and Cadence stood in the doorway. Cadence then said, "Well, it was wonderful seeing you all today. I really hope the next house party can be for all of us. You all have a safe ride home, all right?"

"You bet!" I replied, but then the whisky started to get to me. I glanced at Shining Armor out of the corner of my eye as a devious thought came to mind. I then pointed at Cadence and said, "And because it needs to be said... I gotta say, Cadence. You looked really hot in that black lingerie."

That face she made... Just... It was the kind of face where what you heard was so unexpected and you were so unprepared for it that you just have no idea how to respond for the first minute. Shining Armor, on the other hand, suddenly looked like he was on the verge of panic. And Twilight... She suddenly put her hooves on the sides of Spike's head. At least until she started sliding them around as if to try and find something. "Uh... Where are your ears anyway?"

Spike, clearly not getting what I was going on about, retorted snidely, "What, you haven't read up on dragon anatomy?" That just got an annoyed look from Twilight. "OK, they're right behind my head fins... There you go!"

Cadence then shakily asked, "Wha... What about my lingerie? How do you even know what I have in my... Did you go snooping through my wardrobe?"

Shining Armor rapidly flicked his hoof back and forth across his throat in a silent attempt to tell me to cease and desist. Teeth clenched, he was sweating buckets. But I was having too much fun to stop. "Lord, no. Let's just say there was a good show on TV tonight and..."

I paused when I saw Cadence give Shining Armor a very annoyed glare out of the corner of her eye. "You didn't sort and put away that box of tapes, did you?"

Caught red-hoofed, Shining Armor meekly muttered, "Maybe?"

While the couple bickered for a bit, Twilight then asked while keeping Spike's ears covered, "Wow, James... What's gotten into you?"

I smirked from behind my scarf and said, "Four shots of Equestrian Honey in one night, Twilight. I ain't gotta explain squat."

Finally, Cadence looked back at us with a bit of a forced smile. "Well, I know who's sleeping on the couch tonight. Anyway, I still say we should get together again soon. You all have a nice ride home."

For the icing on the cake, I then added, "Thanks. Oh, and I think your husband has a new video to show you. I did karaoke tonight and... Let's just say I heard you really like that song."

Cadence let out a gasp before looking at Shining Armor. He proudly nodded with a smirk on his face. "Oh...my goodness... I just HAVE to see this! James, you take care!"

I almost laughed while Cadence rushed back inside to find the tape Armor recorded even while he snickered under his breath. He then waved goodbye and said, "Anyway... Love ya, Twili! See ya, James! Be good, Spike!"

With that, Shining Armor slammed the door closed in a hurry and left us out in the cold. We just stood there while Twilight took her hooves off of Spike's head. She then looked up at me and asked with a very dry stare and tone of voice, "Pretty Pink Mares, right?"

"With my own little twist on it." I replied with a smug smirk, feeling rather proud of myself at the moment.

"Oh my god, you dork..." Twilight groaned while clearly trying to not laugh. Spike just groaned while sticking his finger towards his mouth while sticking his tongue out. Chances are they have seen Shining Armor actually sing that song before with Spike clearly not liking it.

The ride home was pretty uneventful and poor Spike even fell asleep on the way down the mountain. I will say that the view was utterly beautiful. Snow blanketing the horizon as the moon's light made it all glitter. Tipsy as I was, I was almost tempted to fall asleep along with Spike. The trek through Ponyville was equally relaxing while I shambled through town without a care in the world. Spike and Twilight made it home jut fine, although Twilight had to carry the little guy along with his game box.

The alcohol had worn off just a bit by the time I reached home. There was a light coming from the kitchen windows. Fluttershy was probably still up. I quietly slipped into the house to avoid waking Scootaloo and proceeded to remove my heavy winter clothing that was still coated in a thin layer of melting snow. I did not even get to go into the kitchen before looking down and seeing Fluttershy looking up at me with a patient smile. "Welcome home, honey. Did you have fun?"

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe." I replied before dropping to a knee and embracing my lover. "And yeah, I had a fair bit to drink. Sorry if I'm swaying a bit."

Fluttershy just giggled at my mild intoxication. She knows I am a happy drunk and I always make her laugh when I end up like that. Still, I was being careful to compose myself to prevent waking Scootaloo at the other end of the house. However, Fluttershy then put a hoof over my lips and whispered, "Shhh... I have something to show you. A late Hearth's Warming Eve gift."

"Oh?" I retorted before standing up and following Fluttershy through the kitchen and into the laundry room. Everything seemed to be normal until I saw a new desk in the corner with a chair made just for me. And sitting on the desk was a light gray device with many keys lining it that had one of every letter of the alphabet on them. "A typewriter! You got that for me?"

Fluttershy seemed really happy with my response and smiled proudly. "Mmhm. Applejack put together the desk and chair while I went and picked that up for you. I know it takes a long time to write out your journals and it's got to be hard on your wrist. With this, you can write them even faster."

"Yeah, and I won't keep you up at night in bed... Man, that's awesome." I said in delight before walking over to the typewriter and looking it over. "Man, I forget how retro these things are. Even this model is rarely seen where I come from anymore except maybe in office buildings that have been around for a long time. This will really come in handy... And I think I'll get started right away."

"Just one thing, James." Fluttershy added before I turned to look at her extending her hoof to the door. "Could you please keep the door closed when you type? The clicking might wake us up."

I nodded and approached my lover before giving her a kiss on the nose. "Got it, honey... Man, you're the best, baby."

And now I am getting some use out of this new typewriter while everyone else in the house sleeps. If you have been wondering why my handwriting is looking a lot neater than in my earlier entries, that is because of the typewriter's set font. The only light in the room is coming from the lantern resting by the windowsill and the dryer is filling the room with steamy warmth and a gently whir. Figuring out how this archaic device even works took a few wasted sheets of paper, but I think I have it down pat now. I still cannot believe Fluttershy and Applejack banded together to get me something this practical. It certainly is easier on my wrist, I will say that. Now I just have to wonder what will happen the next time I sit down and write. Winter is not quite close to being over yet. And did I have an appointment planned for something in a few weeks? I am sure it will come to me eventually. Anyway, time to wrap this up and put the stack of paper away until further notice since that classified operation Nightmare Moon wanted me to keep under wraps was mentioned today. Good night, everypony.