It all started with a post on the jobs thread of the bank I work for. It just so happened that I was online when it appeared and in simply curiosity I clicked to view it. That curiosity blossomed when I read the description. While most positions had a time window of three weeks to a few months, this one was due to close within the week.

The location was also both strangely familiar and unrecognizable. It was in a city called "Neighagara Falls" in a place called "Equestria."

Now if it weren't for the past few years of news I'd have thought someone managed to hack the site. But no, against all previous notions of common sense, the listing on the post was entirely correct.

From the constant 24/7 news reports, opinions and interviews of scientists and other "experts", celebrities, diplomats, and politicians playing on television, to the barrage of speculation online in forums and the blogosphere, and the social networking sites, the emergence of a landmass out of the Pacific Ocean sure raised a few hackles.

Hardcover, paperback and even e-books have already surfaced about our first contact with "Aliens." A torrent of questions, both calmly and anxiously asked, about the island and the equines that emerged from a portal on the island. At some point someone or some group decided to name the island "Neo Equineox."

Today a literal flotilla of navy ships patrol the waters around the island. Along with squadrons of pegasi. Every country that could afford it rushed to be represented in the international effort to keep the island a neutral zone. While legally under the control of the United Nations, even the most average-informed person (like yours truly) knew full well which country in particular was calling the shots. But there were always news reports about the tensions that held strong between the two Pacific superpowers, but anything more detailed than the general goings-on is beyond both my understanding and my interest. While trivia was always a neat thing to keep on hand for parties or meeting new people, particularly girls, things like history and politics just aren't my idea of a pleasant dinnertime conversation topic.

Whether I was interested or not, politics played a huge role over the human reaction to the ponies when they visited New York to officially reveal themselves at a UN conference. It was there that two winged unicorns, one named Princess Celestia and the other Princess Luna made their intentions known to open diplomatic channels and their borders to humans all over the world.

Since then trade has begun, cross-dimensional tourism has skyrocketed and international efforts have been even more hard pressed to find measured ways of addressing the prospects of agricultural and scientific advancements as a result of the new-found relations with Ponies, Gryphons, and other sentient non-human creatures.

As for me, well...I found myself with a new job far, far away from home.

Chapter 1.

Despite all of HR's warnings, nothing could have prepared me for the three and a half hours of my life that I'll never get back.

The actual trip through the portal that now linked Earth to Equestria was simple enough. Well ok, it actually sucked. Hard. I apparently passed out during the transition between the two worlds so I can't really say what the inter-dimensional medium is like. A major factor for that low point in my life was because of the hellish processing and security checks to board the plane to Hawaii and then a smaller one to Guam, then to take a chartered boat to Neo Equineox where I was subjected to more checks until I walked through the portal and eventually awoke at a fort on the Equestrian side.

Heck, once I disembarked from the boat that brought me to the island, everyone was subjected to a weapons check then an identification clearance (which was redundant since I had to go through that rigamarole before I even got onto the boat when I left from Guam in the first place.) I never imagined how much more ridiculous the TSA could get but to my surprise, they found a way.

Good ol' American ingenuity, that.

After being medically cleared (and almost being sent back until I persuaded the doctor and pony nurses that I was ok to continue), I was given a seat in a pony-drawn chariot (a flying one, oh boy!) and taken to Neighagara Falls, all of which simply drained me. Normally all flights led to another pun-ificent city named "Manehattan" but since Neighagara Falls was close enough there were limited flights sent to there as well.

There is a smoother, more expedited experience for frequent travelers. Of course the physical experience will be the same (the person in line ahead of me said that "you'll get used to it." But I don't really believe him after what I went through.) But for first timers like me, well...there was almost no stone unturned as to who I was, the purpose of my trip and how long I planned to stay in Equestria.

However I could readily believe that it could somehow have been an even worse experience. To some extent the majority of the background check had already been done during the job application process. Yeah, imagine that. The online form that I filled up the night I clicked on that link was more than a dozen pages long and in-between were the usual multiple-choice questions that you're subjected to. Things like "Choosing the number that displays how much you agree with a statement, How organized are you?" and "I enjoy working with others. True or False" while a couple of questions later you're asked "I find it difficult to work with others. True or False."

It was almost as if I was planning on applying for the CIA with how in-depth I had to be, as well. Putting in names of family members, close friends, neighbors, teachers as far back as elementary school! I guess in some way it makes sense given how big a draw this job was. I mean, the number of benefits and incentives (for an entry-level position, at least) was pretty ridiculous. Travel to Equestria and lodgings are provided at the bank's expense and in addition there is a "cost of living" bonus in to supplement the annual salary.

So upon arriving in Neighagara Falls, I had managed to catch some sleep but excitement at the sights and sounds all around me shot me up with an adrenaline high. I had thought I was used to seeing talking colored ponies while at the base but being surrounded by them in their own environment...no, it's not like I'm at a petting zoo, or anything. That isn't right. You went through the "Cultural Sensitivity" seminar before leaving and all that, Matt. Come on.

Um...looking around the open air station platform I saw how ponies and humans mingled together. There were construction crews beginning to build highrises and apartments where there was an utter lack of any buildings taller than three stories. The streets were narrow but freshly paved, and the distinctive smell of asphalt floated in into my nostrils alongside the scent of pastries, pizza, smoke, and hay.

There were all sorts of things placed into the bundle for employees and humans in general that were Equestria-bound. At least those people who decided to splurge on the sucker. If given a choice I wouldn't spend a penny toward the $85 packet. There were all sorts of touristy things included, amongst which was a traveler's guide that had a list of places to visit in each town and city around the country. Funny how people from Zagat and Michelin had already made their critiques on several Equestrian restaurants and I remember watching a few specials on the Food Network that explored the different sorts of cuisine before I left. Ugh. I'm simply starving, not having had anything to eat since I left Guam.

In any case I searched around for anyone from the bank or hired by them that's supposed to be waiting for me. As my luggage will be delivered straight to the company apartments, all I had on me was a rucksack a carry-on luggage and my travel bag. Electricity is still somewhat hard to come by even in the cities (not to mention that there's a different voltage from Equestria-produced power) so I doubt I'll have much use of my laptop unless the promised solar charger available at the apartments wasn't just an imaginative stretch of advertising.

With the poise and grace of an elephant on a tightrope I carried my things and headed down the platform, seeing newspaper kiosks and other familiar sights being staffed by pony and human alike, when I happened upon a scraggly, unkempt-looking stallion holding a sign with my full name in his hooves.

Matthew Maslow

This guy was the pure opposite of the happy and joy I've seen everywhere else so far. With a perma-frown on his face, this pony didn't look like he's slept in a month. He didn't just have a two o'clock shadow, his stubble had stubble. He had bags under his eyes big enough to go on a trip.

"You the guy?" His gravely voiced sounded out.

"Uh, yeah." I'm caught off guard by the tone of his question but answer nonetheless. "I'm Matthew Maslow."

"You're late."

Feeling the travel fatigue threaten to make me snap out an answer, I took a deep calming breath before replying. "Sorry. Not my fault. Held up by check-in, and all that."

"Sure. Why not." The stallion curtly replied, sounding not too pleased by what I had said while making a rolling glance of his eyes away from me. "Anyways, let's go."

Taking my carry-on luggage bag into his mouth he threw it onto his back then began walking...right across the street from the station and the spot where he was waiting for me to the apartment complex. The travel packet never said anything about the apartment being right behind the chariot station, but then again the numerous typos and accidental calling of ponies, "people" at least twice should really have tipped me off. At about two stories and comprising of three to four "buildings" it looked more like a motel than anything else. We walked up the exposed staircase, careful not to let any of my luggage fall down. Well, at least I was.

Turning around the corner once reaching the top of the stairs we stopped at the first door, 310B. Not that this was the third floor, but we were just at the third building, tenth door. And all of the doors on this floor were designated B while downstairs the rooms were A. There was some sense in that system, though not much. Taking out a set of jangly keys the pony opened the door, took the key out of his ring and gave it to me after leading me inside a few steps. That's all it took to end up in the center of the entire apartment room.

"This is your place." He announced with the most enthusiasm yet since we met ten minutes ago. He pointed at the foot of the bed with his hoof, toward a chest of some kind. "That's your ice box. For keeping things like food cold."

An ice box? As in...what people used to preserve food before refrigerators?

"Your closet's over there." He said and pointed to a rectangular space cut into the wall where there was a metal bar. "Next to the door that leads to your toilet and sink.

"Awesome." I said politely. The room was small. And by room, I mean a room. There's a set of closed drapes above the bed. I then glanced to my immediate left and see the drapes drawn closed beside the front door...to a window that doesn't exist. Leaning my head outside my dread is confirmed when I see only wall. "This is quite the place, alright." I profess with the same level of excitement as the pony next to me.

"Heh. I like your gumption." The stallion's gravely voice replied in a flat tone. "There's community facilities downstairs. Showers, kitchens, rec area, solar charging station. The works."

Well, given that this is all bank-owned and constructed, I should be thanking my lucky stars that I didn't just end up in some preexisting hovel without any amenities that was simply bought or rented.

"Dinner will be ready around six o'clock. Doesn't cost you anything extra, but be sure to tip if you decide to come by."

"Sure thing." I say with a nod and with that the pony leaves me, closing the door behind him. Light actually managed to seep in through the drapes above my bed.

Letting out a yawn I hopped onto the firm mattress and stared at the ceiling, slowly letting the jet lag and travel fatigue catch up to me until my eye lids grew too heavy and they shut until morning the next day.

As it was meant to be a way to expedite loans for upcoming businesses coming to Equestria, the Neighagara-branch of the Atlantic Investment & Commercial Bank, or Neighagara First Bank, had seen quite a surge in solicitation as soon as its doors opened.

Companies were sure to invest as quickly as possible in all of the ventures that were envisioned when the ponies welcomed human trade. The Gryphons were not too far behind, but talks were still being made. As the portal on Neo Equineox was situated on an island, transportation of materials was difficult and expensive. The construction and materials industry thus boomed in Equestria (heavily regulated of course, by the Equestrian government) and financing and investment was necessary to fund projects. In addition to catering to commercial needs, the banks that were able to set up in Equestria began to supplement their very flush profit margins with individual accounts. The fact that banking was not a very active industry made it all the more a feeding frenzy when it came to getting ponies to do business with one bank over another.

While the exchange rate between bits and dollars (and other major circulated currencies like the renminbi, euro and pound sterling) was still under debate, overall spending had remained steady rather than exploded. Demand, as it seemed, was not something that could be hoisted onto the pony population, but surely there were quite a number of human exports that were seeing a positive trend, not to mention certain services that had begun between humans and ponies.

Billboard advertisements lined the street as I headed to the bank to go through a short orientation and begin my first day. Wearing my suit and tie I entered the building that had its name written in seafoam green lettering, in both English and Equestrian. Opening and stepping through the two sets of heavy glass front doors I found that there were a good number of ponies and people in line waiting to be helped. And it was still before noon, too.

I had a decent-enough breakfast of pancakes with fruits and honey, a glass of milk and eggs whites topped with spinach and now felt right as rain. I walked across the green limestone tiles and approached the closest teller booth available and found myself coming upon a very darling-looking brunette. It was oddly comforting to speak to another human after only barely a day had gone by since I arrived, even with my heart pounding even harder from the sight of her hazel eyes locking onto mine. There definitely wasn't anybody around when I had gone to the shared breakfast area to eat this morning. Her pink lipsticked lips upturned into a large smile, revealing pure pearly white teeth. "Good morning, sir. Welcome to Neighagara First Bank. How may I help you?"

Her bright greeting was infectious and I found myself smiling as my throat felt dryer than a sandbox in the summer. "Hi. I'm Maslo...I-I mean I'm, um...Matthew Maslow. It's my first day today so I think the branch manager is expecting me?"

"Hey, you must be the new guy. I'm Rebecca." With a soft giggle she pointed at the dainty-looking lapel pin with her name on it that rested on her black business jacket, then outstretched her olive-toned hand to me and I felt my face turn even goofier as I shook her hand in mine. Another giggle alerted me to the fact that I forgot to let go of her hand after a few seconds.

"S-sorry."

"Nah. S'all good, Matthew." Rebecca waved the whole matter off then continued to work on breaking a roll of coins to another teller for a customer to give him an exchange from the bits he handed her. "Mrs. Plumcake is in the back." She said, turning back to me. "Normally she'd come out to meet you but she's taking a call right now. She told me to tell you that when you came."

"Oh so it isn't just coincidence that I came to talk to you, then?"

She put on a sly smile and scratched her chin a bit when I said that. "Maybe. Anyways you can just go to the back and I'll buzz you in."

"Thanks." I nodded and smiled, then headed around the counter toward the Employees Only door. After being buzzed in by Rebecca I walked through the back corridor and arrived at the bank manager's office where the words "Mrs. Plumcake" appeared on a nameplate.

Pony names always had a unique rhythm to them. I noticed that from the first reports of the ponies that appeared on Earth about five years ago and especially when the princesses decided to appear at the United Nations. The pony that gave the "Cultural Sensitivity" training was a stallion by the name of "Clip Clop" and last I heard there was a pony that was being transferred to the branch I just left named "Sunny Day" or some such.

I knocked on the door and after a solid five minutes of waiting it opened, and a reddish pony with a darker red mane wearing a dressy woman's tie and business coat appeared. "Ah, you must be Matthew. Good to see you arrived safe and sound in Equestria. Come in, come in, have a seat. How was the trip?" She had a stout body that was a tad lower to the ground than the average pony I've seen, making it necessary for me to look down a bit more. I followed her into the quaint office that was probably half the size of my apartment. It's white walls were bare of any decorations or pictures but atop the dark brown table that she hopped onto a chair behind was a set of photographs of herself, a stallion and a child pony...kid...amongst other paperwork, in-and-out baskets and a fancy-looking calculator with oversize keys to accommodate hooves.

You'd be surprised how dextrous the ponies can be, though. Clip Clop in fact used a stylus to manipulate his smart phone when his seminar was finished not with his mouth but his hooves. Talk about culture shock.

"It was an experience." I replied diplomatically. The mare seemed to take kindly to the vague-ish answer as she nodded her head and smiled.

"Good, good. Well as you know, and probably already seen, this is Neighagara First Bank, a branch of Atlantic Investment & Commercial Bank and a proud new member of its family..." I nodded at the happy bank-friendly spiel that she continued to spout. Smiling and chuckling and basically reciting the professional performance I gave when I first applied to work for the bank back at home. "It's wonderful to have you here, Matthew. Now, I'll just let Toby, our Human Resources director here, bring you through the orientation. Have you sign the forms and all that, alright?" She said with a friendly wink.

"That sounds fantastic!"

"Fantastic!" she repeated the word, only with more sugary cheer to it than I was willing to force. "I'll see you in a little while, Matthew."

"I'll...see you, Mrs Plumcake."

She smiled then cantered out of the room as a bald man wearing a white blouse and black pants walked in. "Hey there, Matthew. How are you doing?"

The two hour orientation was strangely like every other orientation for an hourly job that I've ever had. In fact, the introduction and "training" videos that I was subjected to was made from a few years prior, completely void of any and all references or mentions of ponies, Equestria or the existence of magic. I could only thank my lucky stars that I didn't have to watch the "Company Culture & You!" movie that I saw when I first started working for the bank. Papers and forms were signed, a reiteration of my benefits and perks including the bank-provided "residence" and living-wage supplement to my pay, health insurance, dental, 401k, vacation time, yadda yadda yadda.

"So Matthew, any comments, questions, concerns so far?"

My stomach rumbled, but the HR guy didn't seem to notice. Besides my obvious peckish state, I hoped that he didn't realize that I forgot his name already. "No, that's alright." I said in a polite manner with as professional a smile I could pull off while I was in a ravenous state, and then off we went to the front to do a supervised run of my duties.

It was nothing wholly different from what I did back home. I'd help customers who wanted to deposit or withdraw money or even make a new account; pay bills; pay loans. The only real differences was that the diversity in the customer base went beyond species, and the frequent exchanging of bits and Earth currencies. It was very, very helpful that Neighagara First was one of the few businesses that had a computer database and system set up. A very cost-heavy investment given the lack of overall infrastructure, but then again AICB was one of those banks that loved being at the "forefront of customer service."

There were a few tellers that I was introduced to. Both human, named Jayson and Lauren. At this point in the day there was a lull in customers so I decided to organize the state of my booth when I spotted Rebecca, walking alongside two ponies, approach.

"Hey Matthew, how's things?"

"Busy and hot. The lack of air conditioning reminds me of my work back home." Thankfully she laughed at my joke, even if only obviously to seem polite.

"Well, I want you to meet my partner in crime." Rebecca said, pointing out the orange-maned blue pony next to her on her left. "Giselle."

"Nice to meet you, new guy." The pony said in greeting, waving her hoof.

"She and I started here around the same time, so if you need any help just ask either of us." Rebecca explained. "Jayson and Lauren are good too," she continued and leaned in with her hand raised to whisper, "but they started here after us so we know a bit more." Adding a wink Rebecca stood straight and waved energetically when the other two tellers looked over and greeted her. "And this cutie here is Raven."

I raised an eyebrow at Rebecca's emphasis but paid no mind. The blacked-haired pony meanwhile gave a quick look at Rebecca before whirling her attention back my way. "H-hi. I'm Raven." The bespectacled mare on Rebecca's right introduced herself. "I actually don't work here, I'm just visiting Giselle."

Giselle nodded to confirm this, the back curls of her mane bouncing from the movement.

"Me and Giselle are off the clock right now, so we're just gonna get a bite to eat since Raven's here." Hearing the word "eat" my stomach decided to rumble, to which the three girls most definitely seemed to hear it but tried their best not to openly laugh.

"Uh...haven't eaten in a while." I stated the obvious while trying to swallow down my embarrassment. I was only scheduled for total of five and a half hours and it had only been three hours since the orientation, meaning that I didn't qualify for a lunch break. And of course like the smart person I am, I had decided to use my fifteen for a nap rather than replenishing myself with carbs at the nearby vending machine.

"I see." Rebecca smirked and began to leave with the two ponies, sending me a dainty wave. "Oh, before I forget." Rebecca said, and she stopped and turned to face me again. "We're having a branch outing tonight, Matthew. Though kind of hush-hush." She said and gestured with her eyes toward the other two tellers. "But I'd love for you to come with." She said, adding a wink.

My eyes widened at that and I gulped again. "Y-yeah. Uh, sure. Definitely. Where at?"

"A place called 'Crash' not too far from here. Just a couple of blocks. Even with all of the clubs and bars in town...it's pretty hard to miss. Anyway, hope to see you." After making another dainty wave she caught up with the two mares and they began to laugh, though Raven less so, the sound of which continued until the door shut.

In a blur half an hour passed and I clocked out of my first day. The stars seemed to align since according to my first week's schedule I had tomorrow off and had the 8:50am - 5:00pm shift the day after. That day happened to be Friday, and according to the brochure Neighagara Falls had a very burgeoning nightlife.

That afternoon, after stopping by my apartment room I did some quick shopping at the nearby market then joined a few of my neighbors for a late lunch/early dinner. As it turned out not everyone who lived at the apartments worked at the bank, but obviously they then had to pay for their own rent and the accompanying services. Kerri, Saul and Gabriel all worked in nearby Manehatten but found it easier to live here and just commute.

Neighagara Falls was definitely not a quiet town to live in, despite the quaint countryside all around. With so many tourists that come by to see the falls, there was always a decent nightlife to be had. When us humans started coming over to Equestria a cottage industry of night clubs and dance bars sprung up all over, Neighagara being no exception.

Like an increasing number of buildings being constructed the club was built with an Earth aesthetic. The design looked no different than a New York or an L.A. club, with tubes of bright neon pinks, greens, blues and reds to spell out the word "Crash" and illustrate an image of a tidal wave along the front facade. However rather than using electricity to superheat gas to make the lights shine bright enough to turn this portion of the night into day, what was coursing through the tubes of glass was magic.

A long line of humans and ponies had formed, curling around the corner out of sight from where I stood across the street. Both men and women were dressed in their finest eye-catching designs. The ponies too, while not fully clothed, were wearing accessories or pieces of clothing here or there to accentuate their already bright colored coats and manes, which they styled in a number of ways from faux-hawks, mohawks, pompadours, buzz cut or what have you. Not wanting to let the line get any longer while standing there I hurried to find my place to get in.

About fifteen minutes later and I was presenting my I.D. to the two bouncers, a thick necked man in a black tee that said "security" in white letters with arms the size of my head, and a gruff-looking dark blue stallion that stood up to my chin. That's not counting his bright green mane that would then bring his height to my nose. In any case they were definitely an imposing-looking pair, a bit larger than the average for obvious reasons. After checking my age the man spoke into the radio he had on hand and waved me through. It became apparent why both needed to be present when the stallion stopped the pair of mares that were going to go in after me.

"Sorry girls, too young." I heard the earth pony's surprisingly level pitched voice said before the music swamped my ear drums when the bouncer standing inside held the door open. Looking back over my shoulder the pair of ponies didn't protest and stepped out of line as a woman and a suavely dressed green stallion stepped up. There sure wasn't any way I'd have been able to tell that the mares weren't "legal." Heck, I don't even know what that even means for ponies.

A deep voice boomed in front of me, "You comin' in, or what?" and with an awk-weird smile I mutely apologized and scurried in to appease the scowling bouncer. Down the hall another set of doors greeted me from where the music felt almost pressurized and ready to flow toward me. The lights were a dim purple then blue then green, changing along with the beat of the quick tempo. Pushing the swinging doors open, the full brunt of the music cascaded over me, along with the heat of the dozens of bodies endlessly moving in the darkened expanse of the club's interior. Strobes and spotlights cut through the dark and flashed in an ongoing pulse that almost changed the speed of how I saw things move.

I walked forward, spotting groups and pairs of people and ponies smiling and dancing and drinking. The open area became more cluttered with furniture towards the walls and near the bar area on the far opposite side of the entrance, where a crowd of club goers had enmeshed into a glut of bodies.

Through the loud music I heard a voice call out to me from my right and spotted Rebecca waving at me, wearing a sheer black top and a silky red knee length skirt. "Hey, Matthew! Over here!" I headed over to where she was, at the couches along the wall where several people and ponies were talking and laughing with one another.

"Hey!" I called back and the others eyed me with distracted interest when I arrived.

With a bright beaming smile, Rebecca gave me a light hug. "Glad you could make it."

The affection helped me return a smile as I instinctively wrapped my arms around the back of her waist, feeling her skin exposed by the backless top she was wearing. "Yeah, me too." Not knowing if I lingered for too long or not we broke the embrace and Rebecca pulled me closer over to the couches.

Speaking loudly in order to be heard over the ongoing music, Rebecca began with a wry smile, "Let's get to introductions, shall we?"

"Sure." I nodded and noticed two familiar ponies from this morning. The mares also noticed my and Rebecca's approach and turned to face us.

"You already know Giselle and Raven." Rebecca chimed cheerfully to the blue and light gray ponies, respectively.

"Hey." I said in greeting, continuing my trend of monosyllabic responses.

Giselle replied in kind with a "Hi" before taking a sip of the drink tucked on her foreleg using a straw.

"Hey...again..."

With another tug Rebecca pulled me to the other part of the couch where the larger group sat in expectation. Their conversations largely stopped as Rebecca extended her arm to begin pointing each of them out. "You didn't see them today but this is the rest of the day-shift team: Pete, the daytime manager. Don't worry, he's cool." She gestured to a tall and muscular red haired man with a curly light brown beard who raised his glass before taking a drink, "Jef," she moved my attention to a dark skinned man with a longish face and dark hair, "...is actually a friend of ours. He doesn't work at the bank. You're messing up my groove here, Jef!"

The man smiled and laughed and with a shrug said, "Ay! It's what I do!"

After they both playfully shook their clenched fists at one another in a pretend show of anger, Rebecca started again with the introductions. "Here's Sam," a guy with light skin and a shaven head nodded and stood up to shake my hand to which I reciprocated, "Sunbeam," an orange pegasus pony whose shoulders Sam placed his arm around when he sat back down on the couch, "Daisy," a blue unicorn with a dark mane the color that I couldn't distinguish in the current lightning, though I also noticed a circlet placed on her head that sat just around her horn, "Daisey with an 'E'," a short-haired red head girl with very high stiletto heels, "and Lucky Strike." I noted the mint green stallion with hairy hooves guzzling down a mug before slamming it onto the low table in front of him.

Letting out a loud belch, he looked back at me with his amber eyes and seemed to inspect me before saying, "Hey, how you doin', guy?"

"Um. Good." I said with confusion inherent in my voice. 'Was that a...New England accent?'

Bringing herself close to me Rebecca spoke in a loud but hushed voice into my ear. "Don't mind him too much. We brought him to Boston for St. Patrick's Day last year and he's just been obsessed with finding his apparent Irish roots ever since, haha."

"Go Redsox!" The stallion suddenly hollered, earning a few cheers from people nearby while his fellow ponies looked at him in confusion.

"Hey Beckems, listen to this..." The girl named Daisey leaned over to Becky and showed her something on her cell phone.

"Oh. Be right back, Matthew. Have some fun and mingle!"

Even as I nodded and remained standing where I was, looking around the sea of ponies and people writhing along to the music on the dance floor. With a sigh I sort of stood around like a schlub as the others continued to talk amongst themselves. But after a moment I decided to head to the bar - one of the smaller bars on the side that served bottled beer and only a few selections of liquor, not the main one that had the full compliment of alcohol as well as several imports on tap, and returned to the couches about ten or so minutes later after pushing through the crowd of sweaty dancers.

Taking a sip of my overpriced beer I happened to glance over at Rebecca when she downed a shot one of the other girls handed her. Our eyes met and she said something that was covered up by the loud music. She tried again, making me shrug and cup my hand to my ear.

"You do any yet?" Her voice finally reached me when I took a step forward and she practically screamed, waving the small glass in her hand for me to see.

Not wanting to yell too loud I stepped closer until I was close enough to be pulled down onto the couch. Making sure I was properly seated, brushing my leg against hers for a moment I said into her ear, "No, haven't. Why, any recommendations?" I turned my ear toward her and she thankfully didn't scream too loud.

"Do I ever!" She showed a vial of yellow liquid that she produced from her handbag.

"What is it?"

"It's an energy drink. Equestrian-made. Like, super potent stuff. If you've ever had vodka and red bull, this is like that but times sideways eight."

Hearing that made me raise an eyebrow. "Sideways eight?"

"Infinity, duh!" Rebecca then proceeded to twirl her finger in the air to paint an image of the symbol before suddenly slapping my arm and laughing from the look of my concerned expression. "Come on, it's not like I put roofies in them. Or did I?" I did my best to ignore that comment and just chuckled when she waggled her eyebrows while lightly elbowing my side.

I raised my bottle and pointed to it, and after taking a drink said, "I'm good with this for now, thanks, Rebecca."

She remained persistent, going so far as to pout cutely and touch my arm a bit more. "Aww, come on. Don't you know that you're supposed to give in to peer pressure and try to be cool?"

My pause prompted her to go into a full pout mode.

"...fine, alright." I said, finally relenting.

"Whoo!" She pumped her fist into the air and did a little dance while still seated. "Alright guys, Matthew's in!" She called out to the others.

"Cool."

"Alright."

Were a few of the responses I managed to hear over the music. Feeling like I was back in high school being accepted by the cool kids I smiled and took another swig of my beer. "Matt."

"Hmm?" Rebecca turned to me when Daisy and Daisey continued the conversation they were having.

"Call me 'Matt.'"

She smiled, hearing that. "Fine. Call me Becky, then."

"Sure thing." I returned the smile until she stood up and started talking with the others again.

"See? Even the new guy is doing it, Sunbeam!" Looking over to my right at the other end of the sectional couch, I saw Sam sitting next to Sunbeam. Quite closely, might I add.

The pony rolled her eyes and sighed. Through the music I managed to hear her say, "Fine, Sam. Fine, I'll do one, too. But you're covering my shift tomorrow. You know how hungover I get after drinking Booster Bombs."

"Sure thing, sweetie." Sam said with a half-lidded smile. Leaning in they touched their noses together and did a little Eskimo kiss. Then jumping to his feet like a linebacker called from the bench, Sam flashed a wide toothy grin. "Alright, I'm gonna tell the bartender to make some more! Help me out with bringing 'em over, Lucky."

"Right on!" The stallion practically howled as he cantered over.

"You go do that." Sunbeam said while blowing Sam a kiss with a touch of her wingtip to her lips as he and the stallion disappeared into the crowd.

"I think Sam loves drinking too much!" Daisey commented when she sauntered over with a tall glass with some sort of Long Island Iced Tea and gave a bit of a laugh, prompting Sunbeam to do so as well, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I know. But he's just so cute when he gets excited!"

Breaking away my stare I looked around, and saw that no one seemed to be weirded out by the whole thing like I was. I took another few swigs of my beer until it was empty and left it on the low table where a bar girl wearing a skimpy black top and jeans came by to clean up our glassware.

After half an hour and three mixed drinks later, I got to know a bit more about the bank from Pete (who apparently ended his enlistment in the Army just a few months before Neo Equinox sprouted out of the ocean). At that point Sam and the pony named...Lucky Strike, I think? came back with the shot glasses and mugs.

All of us who were taking these shots, seven of us in all, got to our feet and stood around a few tables with our glasses and mugs spread about with me being made to stand with Becky on my left and Raven on my right. Each of us had a large mug of what looked like Sprite or something, a shot glass of what smelled like jagermeister and one of tequila. Becky at my table and Jef at the other each gave out one vial of the "energy drink" per person/pony. Once Sam and Lucky finished giving out glasses to the others in a few minutes, everything seemed to be ready.

"Alright, this is how it's gonna go down." Sam started to explain and after quickly putting together the glasses for himself, he stood behind Sunbeam who was on her hind legs with her hooves resting on the tabletop. "You got your mug and your shots. First, set your shot glasses like so." As he said that he proceeded to fit the shot glasses into the mouth of the mug and then picked up the vial of golden-yellow liquid. "At the 'go', you drop the Booster into the jager. You take the shot of tequila so the jager falls in, like pulling the pin on a grenade. Then you chug the mug, jager, Booster and all. Any questions?"

"Can you try not to get all gay on me like you did the last time you did Booster Bombs?" Pete called out from the side, not taking part in the shots since he explained to me earlier that he was doing the morning shift tomorrow.

Everyone laughed and Sam puckered his lips toward Pete, making him cringe and laugh. "Anyone else?" Sam asked, turning back to the rest of us. I shook my head when his gaze went to me and he nodded. "Sounds like we're ready!"

Lucky, like Daisy and Sunbeam did, held his hoof within the arm of the mug and tucked the jager shot glass within his wrist...or ankle...whatever it is that ponies have with the other on the table and the vial next to it. The stallion brought his shot glass over his mug and shouted out, "Time for a drink, bitches! Whooo!"

A number of us in the group called out, "Cheers!" and people outside of the group raised their glasses and while watching us with a smile while a few others decided to scream out various other languages. "Salut!", "kanpai!", and "Ba'sal'a'ma'ti!" were the few that I managed to catch.

Getting into the spirit I yelled out, "Prost!" much to everyone's approval and dropped my glass vial into the jager shot before taking hold of the "tequila pin."

Sam dropped the vial into the jager for Sunbeam, then took the tequila shot glass and pressed it against her muzzle. Tilting her head up she took the shot then promptly brought the mug up herself and drank it steadily with Sam touching his hand at the bottom of it to help her.

After downing the tequila, Lucky slammed on the table with his hoof and bounced his jager shot and vial into the air, then managed to catch them both in his mug before chugging it all down.

Just barely edging out Daisy I finished my "mug and all" second-last, much to everyone's enjoyment and cheers. I high fived and hollered from the burning in my gullet from that crazy concoction. And then I froze.

Whatever the energy drink did hit me hard and fast.

The last few days of fatigue melted away and I felt even better than I did on my best of days.

My arms and legs twitched, as though ready to run an obstacle course right then and there. Everything around me began to both blur and sharpen simultaneously, like a digital camera adjusting its lenses before taking a shot.

My heart began to pound and my di- "C'mon." Becky grabbed my wrist and pulled me toward the dance floor, much to the hollering approvals and catcalls of the others.

I glanced over my shoulder to yell back at them when, I caught Sam and Sunbeam kissing heavily on the couch, her wings untucked from her sides and wrapped around Sam to pull him closer. "H-holy shit." I ended up saying but then I bumped into Becky in front of me and she nearly fell over. Luckily I caught her with faster than expected reflexes and she let out a loud laugh as I pulled her back to her feet. "S-sorry!"

"No biggie." She said barely audibly. Becky looked deep into my eyes and smiled. Not a wide, toothy one, but an intense sort of smile. One that seemed to pull me closer to her. Make me want to feel her back with my hand again.

The bass of the music thumped and roared all around me. Rapid beeps synched with beams of light from strobes that shot across the ceiling. The ringing and synthesized rhythms called me to move.

Becky leaned against me, turning so her body was pressing against my groin and moved from side to side in a standing sashay. I wrapped my arms around her waist, letting my hand roam up and down her sides to feel the stark differences between her sweaty skin and her clothing. The alcohol really started to kick in, making it hard to track movement. I managed to keep to my feet just fine, but this was one of those times I wished I ate a larger meal beforehand.

Rookie mistake. A freshman move. The alcohol would be going straight into my bloodstream without being absorbed by carbs and fats. Wasn't this what I learned from all of those frat and house parties I used to go to? I shake my head slowly, deciding I really need to fix this I mutter out, "I'm...gonna get some water." Or at least, I hope that's what I said. My mind is feeling sluggish and everything around me seems so much more hectic. And the throbbing need to release was going to kill me if I kept grinding into Becky like that.

As I walked through the crowd, I think Becky caught up to me and asked me something, and I turned and responded...but I don't remember what it was I said. I just need to get some water. Becky keeps asking me questions, I think she looks concerned because she's keeping her hand on my shoulder.

I blink. I'm at the bar asking the bartender for a water. I blink.

I'm still waiting for that water. Where's that water?

I blink. The cool sensation quenches my thirst I throw away the plastic cup after crunching on an ice cube or two.

I blink. Her arms draped over my shoulders, pulling our bodies close. We're in the middle of the dancing crowd, moving together to the thunderous beat of the music pumping out from speakers placed all over the club. Next thing I know, her tongue started darting into my mouth, catching between my upper lips and teeth at first, before dipping farther in, almost reaching my molars before drawing back.

I chased after that delicious feeling, surprising her and myself with how quickly I pressed our lips together again for a second taste. Then a third. She then breaks the kiss. "Let's get out of here." She says in a husky voice, her gray-brown eyes full of wanting.

"Sure." I pant out and after a few moments of stumbling, tripping along the sidewalk and going up the stairs, my brain registers me falling back onto a mattress. My mattress. I think.

I vaguely recall that we had a quick talk about where we were going to go in-between making out in public when we left the club.

A few of the passersby seemed to appreciate the show we put on by cat calling and hooting. I think we decided on going to my apartment. Whatever. That doesn't matter now as my tongue darts into her mouth again and I smile at the taste of her succulent saliva going down my throat.

"Lemme see that package, new guy." Her voice took on a husky manner and I more than wanted to oblige her.

I fully unbutton my pants and pull them off, enjoying the sound of her impressed cooing and heavy breathing. Next I pull off my briefs, letting out a soft groan as I free myself from the restricting material after being so hard for so long over the course of the night.

Remembering that my last sexual experience had been quite a few years ago now, I reached my hands out to eagerly caress her body. To feel more of her body's warmth. I get a pleased moan as my fingers dance over her svelte form, moving up and down those full hips. Bringing my hands farther up a twinge of excitement rushes through me as I prepare to grab hold and knead the fuck of those beautiful breasts of hers but I'm sadly mistaken to find no breasts there. Not even nipples. That's weird. My fingers and thumbs lightly scratch along her torso.

"Ah!" She exclaims and shivers at my sudden forceful grasping.

"Just like that...ooooh, just. Like. That. AHHHHH!"

The encouragement keeps me going and I smile in a goofy manner and her lips smush against mine once more.

Her leg began to rub me, up and down and side to side, making against my dick and it feels like velour against the shaft. Without a word she straddles me and gives a throaty, sexy giggle.

We kiss and nip at each others' lips, practically wrestling over who will dominate the next kissing session. To win this match she began to move her hips, rubbing her wet lower lips up and down my shaft.

Fuck.

"Fuck." I moan out. She's won and continues dragging herself over me again and again, gripping and tugging on the bottom side of my dick, brushing against the sensitive underside of my dick head, making my stomach quiver as she lets out louder and louder moans, a tension obviously building inside of herself. Wetter and wetter her movements coax me ever closer to cumming

The slick gyrations of her rubbing against me finally become unbearable to hold back against and I begin to spurt shot after shot of my semen onto my stomach, which mixed onto her body, as well.

"It's not enough." She whispers into my ear, leaning fully onto me and pressing my cum all over us. "I want it in me. All of it. Until there's nothing left." Without waiting for my consent, taking what she had already won, she pressed me in-between her tight folds, tight and pulsating and trying to milk me just as she said she would.

Her movements are wild and fast, then tortuously slow. She kisses me and I hold us tight, putting strength into my legs to pump faster and faster into her until I let out another load. Then another.

I shouldn't be able to but I let out a final gush of semen, and when I finally pull out of her I feel glob after glob pour out onto my softening penis and into the sheets.

She then settled on top of me, resting her head onto her chest and let out a content sigh.

The feel of her body draped over me like a blanket was the last thing I remember, before blacking out.

With head throbbing, joints creaking, mouth tasting like cigarettes, cough syrup and ass, and my arms and legs numbed in exhaustion, I awoke feeling as though I did a marathon through a coal factory while on stilts. The only good part about being conscious at the moment was the feel of the sun above poring through the windowpane and bringing a comforting warmth onto my skin. Annoyingly however, there was something hard nudging at my temple.

"Whazzat?" I managed to groan out with my vision spinning as I looked over to see a pony lying in bed with me, resting her head on my shoulder with her muzzle facing my way. Her foreleg was draped on my chest so her hoof jutted against me every so often. A look of utter contentment made her lips curl upward as her front hooves then moved to wrap around my arm, making her close enough to hold our bodies even close together. She looked awfully familiar with that black mane of hers and...finally the implications of seeing Raven here hits me. I sigh and close my eyes as blurry and broken images of last night flutter about inside my mind like a parrot with a bag over its head.

I start to tremble, as a throbbing migraine wracks at my skull and I gulp. Managing somehow to remain quiet, I can only whisper out, "...fuck."