After a very late lunch at one of the fancy Canterlot restaurants, we’d decided to go out for a few drinks at one of the less fancy, but still fun, Canterlot bars. I’m not much of a drinker, neither is Dashie, and I don’t think Spitfire is either, but we all had fun regardless. Especially Soarin’, he’s quite the funny drunk, Spitfire is more of a classy drinker and stuck to wine. Dashie had gotten some cider and I’d gotten what I think is the pony equivalent to beer. I hadn’t relaxed in a while, it felt really good to just lay back and chill out. At some point in the night Soarin’ had passed out right in the middle of the dance floor.

To avoid him getting trampled, I brought him over to a table where he could regain himself. He said something amidst his drunk paradise, I couldn’t understand any of it. It sounded like a garbled ‘Thanks‘, but it came out as a groan. I took my seat across the table from the half comatose Wonderbolt, sipping my drink. Spitfire glanced at Soarin’, then back at me, and let out a snicker as she walked away back to the dance floor. She walked over to the DJ, and whispered something into her ear. The DJ nodded as she slowed the track, eventually bringing it to a stop. There was a tap on a microphone, grabbing everypony’s attention.

“Hello everypony. I would just like to take a minute of your time to toast to the newest, and clearly most awesome, addition to the Wonderbolts squadron: Rainbow Dash!” Everypony cheered, the floor shook under the stomping of hooves. “She has faced certain death in saving my own life, and for that I would like to congratulate her bravery and heroism.” The entire club cheered, even the bartender. Attempting to be modest, Dashie simply blushed and smiled as the ponies began to crowd around her. Questions, comments, complements. Lots and lots of complements. All of them directed towards her, she could barely get a word, let alone answers, in edgewise.

Spitfire saw the situation, she quickly tried to disperse the ponies. “Now now, everypony, there is plenty of times for questions in the future. We all simply want to relax tonight and celebrate Rainbow Dash’s victory. Please, do enjoy yourselves.” Soarin’s eyes shot open with the announcement finished. He stood up, accidentally knocked his chair down. He pushed a crowd of ponies out of the way to get to the bathroom, he looked green in the face as he half galloped, half flew to the restroom. The music resumed as the ponies around us began to go back to drinking and dancing, all of them generally having a good time.

Dashie had been dancing with Spitfire, and a few of the other Wonderbolts whom had joined the party when I wasn’t looking. I made my way to the bar stools in front of the bartender, I had just finished my drink. I told the bartender I wanted another, slid a few bits down the counter top towards him and he slid me back a glass of whatever it was that I was drinking. As I took the glass, somepony sitting on one of the stools gave me a glare. I gave one back to him, he looked back to his glass and took a sip.

“Got a problem buddy?“ I asked, he simply grinned.

“Matter of fact, I do.“ he said. “How about ya’ take a seat right here.“ He tapped the stool next to him. ‘What’s the worst that could happen…’ I thought. I took the seat next to him, he beckoned for the bartender to come over. He ordered two shots, he took one and slid me over the other. “Drink up.” he said. ‘Free drinks? Sure.’ I downed it, feeling the burning and tingling down my throat as it warmed my entire body, slithering it's way down.

“So…What’s up?” He rested his arm behind my neck as he rocked from side to side humming a tune that sounded like ‘Winter Wrap-up‘.

“mmm…Nothin’, just wanted a drinkin’ buddy, somepony to talk to. ‘Sup with you?”

“Nothin’ much, just celebrating.” He leaned into me, I backed away. His breath wreaked of alcohol, he was clearly drunk out of his right mind.

“Whatchu cellebratin’?”

“A race victory, my daughters.” He looked down the row of stools, no mares. He looked to the tables, all of which were empty. He then looked to the dance floor as he squinted his eyes.

“Who’s yer daughter?” he asked, stumbling over his own words.

“Rainbow Dash.” I pointed to Dashie amidst the crowd of dancing Wonderbolts and partying ponies. He seemed to instantly sober up as his eyes shot open.

“The Rainbow Dash?” I nodded. “My daughter and I are both huge fans!” He produced a wallet and pulled out a picture of a little filly, she couldn’t have been a day over seven. She was the same filly that asked for Dashie’s autograph earlier today at the track. “She and I went to see her first race earlier today, she’s with her mother right now.” He said with a slight pang of sadness in his voice as his head sunk down slightly.

“Something wrong?” I asked, leaning on him like he did to me.

He sighed deeply. “Nah, just going through a bit of marital problems at the moment. We got separated recently, we thought it would be best for us both to just take a break.” He took another sip.

“What about your daughter?”

“Joint custody…” He sighed again and took a gulp from his mug. I hugged against his back, giving him what comfort I could to this pony whom I had just met no more than five minutes before. I glanced towards the bathroom door, Soarin’ still hadn’t come out.

“I’ll be right back, gotta go check on a friend.” He nodded, as I walked away I saw him order another shot. The bartender gladly took his bits, however it seemed as if he knew that the pony shouldn’t be drinking much more than he already had.

As I walked towards the bathroom I started to get a bit worried about Soarin‘, he was gone for an awful long time. He may be a bit absent minded, and cocky, but he seems like a real down to Earth, and dependable guy. I took one last glance at the dance floor, Dashie was still having fun with her friends. I walked down the short hallway and took a turn into the bathroom, only to hear the gagging and hacking of a sick pony. I opened the door ajar, just enough to scream into it.

“You okay, Soarin’?” I got a cough and groan as an answer. “So no?”

“Bwuh…huh.” He hacked some more. “I‘m fine…“ he choked out through gasps for air. “Go away.” There was a thud against the floor. I braced myself, took a deep breath and exhaled, preparing myself for the worst. I opened the door all the way and walked in. There in front of me was Soarin’, passed out in the middle of the tiled floor. I sighed and grabbed some of the roll of toilet paper from the toilet, which was covered in vomit. I tossed Soarin’ the roll, it landed on his face. His light snoring ceased, he pulled himself up with the help of toilet handle, thus flushing it. He looked at the roll intently, I helped him stand up, having to nearly drag him over to the mirror. At the sight of his own face he cleaned himself up.

“Gah…Thanks…” He managed to speak out in a quiet and groggy voice before he nodded off again. I smirked as I picked him up and tossed him over my shoulder, hoping he wouldn’t puke on me. “Ahh Lurve ya man. Nevur Frrget dat.” My smile only grew as I walked to the booth and helped him back to the table where he collapsed into sleep. Spitfire and Dashie both glanced over to Soarin’ and I, they could only laugh at his dismay. I glanced over to the bar stools, the pony was still there. I adjusted Soarin’s head to made sure that he wouldn’t choke on his vomit, if he did puke, before making my way back to the stools.

“Sorry about that.” I said, wiping off the drool from my shoulder. The pony nodded. I took my seat back next to him. “Maybe you should just sit down and talk with her about it.” I said “It could just be a misunderstanding.” He nodded.

“We’re becoming fast friends. What’s your name anyways?”

"Brian. What's your's?"

"That's a peculiar name for somepony. Well, you ain't a pony." he nodded off, having still not answered my question. We drunk in silence for a few minutes, the music being the only audible sound. “Wanna play a game?”

“Does it involve drinking?”

He took a few moments to respond. “…Yes.”

“Then no, you’ve had way too many, and I‘m nearing my limit. How about a later time.” I glanced over to the clock that adorned the wall, it was getting very late into Luna’s night and the bar would close within the hour. I turned back to finish my drink, when I did there was a tapping on my shoulder, I turned around to see Dashie and Spitfire holding up Soarin’, still unconscious, murmuring in his sleep. I sighed as I lifted him up, his snoring deafening one of my ears.

“Well, I’ve gotta go. I’ll see ya later…uh…didn’t quite catch your name.”

He told me his name, I shook his hoof, still struggling to balance the sleeping stallion on my shoulder. “Hopefully we can see each other in the future, when I’m not drowning myself in booze.”

“And when I don’t have to lug home a sleeping pony…” He chuckled.

“Take care.” He shouted as I turned to leave the bar. I turned back around and made sure to roll some bits over to him. More than what his and my own drinks were worth, he thanked me as he went back to finishing his drink.

“Best of luck with your marriage, I hope it works out.” I shouted back. He thanked me and waved as I left.

-----

We all ended up staying the night in one of the hotels, we couldn’t fly home with Soarin’. I couldn't sleep, I was just too excited. Excited for the fact that Dashie won her race. Still, I felt as if my life was complete, as if I could die happy. Having my daughter's dreams come true is nothing I can put into words, it simply felt amazing. I felt like life was perfect, and that nothing could go wrong. I felt the same way when I found Dashie in that cardboard box all those years ago, I felt the same way when I was whisked into Equestria too, both times. For a while life was like that: perfect. Dashie would sometimes have a race or an acrobatics performance, the Wonderbolts, as well as Twilight's other friends, would party or just hang out, and I would go along sometimes too.

I would constantly be taking pictures, adding them to my aging photo album. Sometimes taking time to graze over the past. Remembering most of it brought tears to my eyes.