Crossing Over the Arcane Hiatus

Chapter 8: Party Hard

”SURPRISE!!”

Even though I knew it was coming I was never truly prepared. Pinkie Pie abruptly jumped down from the ceiling nearly giving me a heart attack. I fell off my crutch and would have landed on my back had Twilight not been there to catch my fall.

“Heh, sorry about that. Didn’t mean to scare ya!” Pinkie Pie jumped up and threw her face into mine, making me fall down again. This time Twilight wasn't there to catch me.

“Welcome to Equestria!” The pink mare shouted almost deafening me before bouncing away.

“Quite the welcoming party,” I smiled standing back up.

Looking around the room it was awfully quiet and all eyes were drawn to me. I could make out the Mane Six from the enormous crowd amongst a few others. There must be at least forty ponies crammed in barn. Straw was thrown out across the floor and hay bales were used like tables. Balloons and streamers hang everywhere and an enormous banner hung from the ceiling with the words WELCOME TO EQUESTRIA, CHRIS written in big bold letters.

Oh god… that banner. I tried to hold back a blush.

At the back of the barn stood two momentous speakers and a turntable sat in between them. I could make out a white unicorn with blue fire-like hair. DJ-PoN3, or Vinyl Scratch, sat at her electronic throne wearing those signature purple glasses. She took a second to look at me, smiled, and then broke the silence.

“Let’s get this party started!” The DJ screamed, turning up the bass.

Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, regardless of the odd new creature that stood awkwardly to the side who this whole gathering was dedicated for. The party looked like it was going pretty well. I’d never been to one before, so for my first couple of minutes I stood underneath one of the barn trusses drinking some fruit punch. It seemed that being able to pick up the ladle without your mouth or magic was some sort of miracle, or that's the response I got from the small crowd that watched me intently. Most ponies were either having side conversations or in the middle dancing. Although the walk to the farm suggested there’d be more ponies here, the crowd was surprisingly small. Maybe the town had a smaller population then I thought? But there were tons of buildings; at least twice as many as the ponies here. Looking at the clock on the wall it read it was just before ten, so maybe not everyone was here yet? I kept my ground near the punch bowl until Pinkie Pie ran over.

“Hey you, what’re you doing over here? Come on, there’s more outside!” Pinkie wrapped a foreleg around my arm and led me towards the door. I stumbled, fell off my crutch, and was able to grab on to it as Pinkie Pie dragged me outside.

So that’s where everyone else is.

Outback behind the barn stood several food and game stalls, a corn maze, and an obstacle course. It seemed the rest of the town was out here if they weren’t dancing inside, as evident by the hundred or so ponies.

“Pinkie Pie, this looks more like a festival. You didn’t have to go all out.”

“Nonsense! Come on, let’s go to maze!” She sang and bounded down the hill to the towering stalks of corn. She eagerly jumped in place waiting for me to catch up. The maze was enormous to say the least. There was no line, and some ponies excitingly ran headlong into it while others stopped in front of the intimidating stalks before turning away. Pinkie Pie led me down into the entryway and we made a couple yards inward before the path forked.

“Which way you want to go?” I asked her.

“Last one to exit is a wet sack of hay!” And she bolted down the left side in a cloud of dust.

"Gee, thanks for abandoning me."

I glanced back towards the entrance and thought about leaving, but decided against it. Pinkie Pie shot off like a rocket down the left side, so I figured I'd head right.

Just keep your hand on the wall and keep turning right. You’ll eventually make your way out.

A YouTube video taught me that. I never thought I’d have to put it into practice though. Maybe five minutes of walking passed, and I encountered a few ponies that stopped to ask me questions, but mostly about things like how tall I am or how I can walk on two legs instead of four. After several more minutes of this, they were finally satisfied and left down a corridor. Continuing my strategy, I made my way to a dead end and turned back around but stopped when a scream echoed through the maze.

Or more of a squeak. Fluttershy was in the same alley I was in and turned the corner behind me, quickly backing away and hiding her face under her mane.

“Hi Fluttershy. I didn’t expect you to be in the maze.”

*Squeak*

Daww… I almost blurted out.

“Fluttershy? Are you still afraid of me?”

She hesitated at first but nodded, maintaining eye contact with a speck of dirt on the ground.

“Well you have nothing to be scared of. I’m just trying to be friendly.”

Fluttershy brought her head up, moonlight reflecting off her blue eyes. “Um… o-okay…”

“It’s alright. Are you lost in here too?”

“Um… yes…” She sunk back deeper behind her mane.

“Well, you can even follow me if you want. I’m getting out of here one way or another.”

Either she was easing up to me, or the thought of being left alone scared her. I started walking away and after a few feet looked back to see she was following me, albeit at a distance. The pegasus had wings, so she could fly out of here at any instant. I’m not sure why she was even in the maze anyway. Fluttershy softly spoke up.

“S-Sorry about being so… afraid of you. I’ve never m-met a human before… and I thought you wanted to… hurt me back in the forest. I… I’m sorry about how I reacted.”

“I forgive you. It must have been scary for you to stumble across me the way I was. I wouldn’t hurt anything for the fun of it.”

“Fluttershy! There ya are!” Applejack came running up from behind and joined our group.

“I see ya found Chris. Sorry fo’ losin' ya back there. Won’t happen again!”

“Oh, it’s alright Applejack. I’m not mad at you.”

“Good to hear. So Chris, how ya likin’ the welcomin’ party so far?”

“It’s great. Pinkie Pie lured me into this maze and darted off. I guess we’re trying to see who can get to the end first.”

“Well, this is mah corn field, so ya’ll have better luck if ah’m with ya.” Applejack took the lead with Fluttershy following close behind us. After a few minutes and several more dead ends we came to a fork that led off in three directions.

“Hmph. Ya’ll wanna split up?” Applejack asked

“No!” Fluttershy cried out. “Or, i-if that’s okay… besides, the one on the right is a dead end.”

“And I came in from that one on the left, so I guess we’ll take the center one.”

“Sounds like a plan.” And the three of us went down the path.

“Hey look! There’s the exit!” Applejack ran off to the end, but Fluttershy kept by my side until I got out. “Haha! And it looks like we beat Pinkie Pie! Yeehaw!”

“No ya didn’t!” Pinkie Pie appeared out of nowhere, again. “Chris is a wet sack of hay!” She cheerfully gloated and then bounded off back towards the barn. The vibrant colors of light that seeped out of every crack in the building made it all-too-convincing that there could be a rainbow factory tucked away in there. The only thing to denounce that thought was the party music that played so loud it visibly shook the structure.

“Sigh… that’s Pinkie Pie for ya. So what ya’ll want to do now?” Applejack craned her neck to Fluttershy and I for ideas.

“I don’t know. I was thinking of trying some of the games," I answered

“Okay, well ah'm goin’ to try out the obstacle course!” Applejack started to turn but was cut off by Fluttershy.

“But...” she nervously stopped her friend, “Are you sure? It looks so dangerous…”

“Aw, nonsense sugarcube. Come, ah’ll show ya!” Applejack grabbed Fluttershy by the tail with her teeth. “Enjoy ya'self, Chris!” She said, dragging Fluttershy away.

“No, wait! Applejack! Nooo…!”

Poor thing.

“Oh she’ll be alright. It won’t kill her.”

That voice startled me and I almost lost my balance. Rainbow Dash was standing behind me.

“When did you get there?”

“A few seconds ago, don’t be such a foal. You want to go play some games?”

“Sure. I was just on my way over there.”

“Yes! Try and beat that one!” Rainbow Dash boasted. We were throwing horseshoes and hers landed a few inches from the post, but mine kept going off to the right. “Last one. Think you can hit it?” She flung the horseshoe up to me.

“Well, I might.”

My last two throws went off in the same direction, so I turned my entire body slightly to the left to compensate and went to throw it as closely as I could to mimic before. I thought I overshot as the horseshow went high, but it came back down and landed perfectly around the post with a thud.

“Yes!” I excitingly cheered. A few of the ponies that gathered around did so too before wandering off.

“What? I... lost?”

“Don’t be such a sore loser, Dashie," I taunted, getting a punch to the abdomen as a prize.

“Oh shut up. You had an unfair advantage! Your… fingers! They helped you!”

“Well I can’t exactly throw with anything else…” I wheezed.

“Whatever. What else can I beat you at?”

Rainbow Dash started running in and around the stalls and other games that were set up. It wasn’t long before something appealed her interests and she ran back over to me.

“You’re going to love this one. Have you ever played ‘pin the tail’?”

“No I haven’t, but I can’t imagine it being all that hard.”

“We’ll see…” she said with a devilish grin leading me off into the crowds.

Rainbow Dash lifted her blindfold and inspected the poster in front of her.

“Ha! Try and beat THAT.” We’re playing pin-the-tail-on-the-pony (which if you ask me just seems wrong) and Rainbow Dash stuck the tail maybe a foot from where it belongs. There was another crowd that formed around us as Dash gave me the tail, slid a blindfold over my eyes and spun me around in circles. I get dizzy real easily so I hunched over my crutch for a second trying not to lose my lunch, but some pony shoved me off in what I assume is right direction. I lost my balance and tripped; arms outstretched trying to grab something to break my fall. However despite my futile attempt I still landed face-first into the ground. I did catch something though, and I lifted up my blindfold to see what.

I accidently stabbed a pink unicorn in the thigh with the tail, who promptly shrieked and ran off.

“Sorry!” I called out to her as she scrambled away. A few ponies hurried after her to console their friend while the rest stood about laughing. Rainbow Dash came up and wrapped her teeth around my collar, sitting me up right.

“Ha! I win that one!” She boasted in an intimidating tone.

“Hey, technically I pinned the tail on a pony. I should have won.”

“That wasn’t the target, egghead!” She playfully smacked me on the head with a hoof. “Get up, let’s go do something else!” And she ran off again. A bystander helped me get back up and another handed me my crutch.

Everyone sure is nice in this town. Then again, it wouldn’t be the show if they weren’t.

“Hey kid, you okay?” I turned around to see a brown stallion help me get back on my feet.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Thank you for the help.”

“No problem. Just being neighborly.” He smiled before wandering off into the crowd, and Rainbow Dash appeared again with a giant lollipop shoved in her mouth.

“Hatiy! Ahve hadth enough gams. Ah’mth goings backth inside.” She drooled, taking to the air and flying up to the colorful spasm of noise that was the barn.

Third time left alone, I sighed. The crowd dispersed at this time, and I didn't hear the pony who approached me from behind until she bumped into me.

“Hey, why the glum face?”

I turned around to see Derpy happily floating upside down.

“Come on! Smile!” One of her golden eyes stared intently at me while the other lazily drifted off into the night. Derpy momentarily forgot how to falp her wings or something and she fell like a stone. The gray pegasus’ yellow mane was now covered in dirt, and she laid on her back contemplating what just happened. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Ha ha! I got you to laugh!” She excitingly praised. Derpy quickly got back up and flew away over to, or into, one of the stalls, almost knocking it and a bystander over.

Oh Derpy… I smiled at her as the bystander started chewing her out but Derpy stood her ground smiling wide, handed him a muffin, and disappeared into the crowd.

“Oh Chris! What are you doing outside? You’ll get cold!” Rarity jabbed her horn into my side. “Come! Back inside with you.”

“Rarity, it’s a summer night. It’s still pretty warm out.”

“I don’t want to hear it. As far as I know your body is completely hairless. You are much more likely to get ill in the cold than anypony else.”

"That's what these clothes are for; they keep me warm and-"

"Nope! I will not be taking 'no' for an answer. I would feel dreadful if you got sick and there was something I could have done to stop it!"

Back inside the barn music was still playing louder than ever. The giant speakers shook the air the point you could barely see dust dancing on the floor.

“See? Isn’t it much warmer in here?” Rarity led me off to a vacant area and motioned for me to sit down. I leaned up against the wall and slid down to the floor.

“Wait here. Let me go get you a drink.” Rarity left to go to a punch bowl and poured two glasses, but only after pushing a magenta pony out of the way. The two scolded each other for a good thirty seconds. Rarity clearly had the advantage as the other slowly retreated, nodding to everything she was saying. After that the mare split off back into the massive group on the dance floor, and Rarity with her head up high trotted back towards me.

“Sorry about that. That mare seems to think it’s okay to drink straight from the bowl!” Rarity sat next to me and looked at the floor in disgust. Her mood quickly changed and she floated me a glass. It wasn’t the same color of the punch I drank before.

“Thank you for being so generous. What is this?”

“Hard Apple Cider. The farm is well known for the stuff.” She said taking a sip of hers.

“Is there alcohol in it?”

“Well of course. That’s why it’s called Hard Apple Cider.”

“But I can’t drink alcohol, I’m underage.”

“Come on, this whole party is for you. A tiny bit won’t hurt.”

“Rarity, don’t make him drink if he doesn’t want to.” Twilight appeared with her horn glowing and a floating cupcake in tow. “So how do you two the party?”

“It’s great, I guess." Rarity and I both spoke in unison causing us to both nerovusly smile.

"I've never been to a party before," I continued, "so I don’t really know what to do.”

“WHAT!?” Pinkie Pie jumped in between me and Rarity, almost knocking her over. “YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A PARTY BEFORE!?”

“Pinkie Pie, calm down.” Rarity shoved her out of the way. “Maybe you should show him how to have fun at a party.”

“Yeah! Hey Chris, can you dance?”

“Nope. Can’t dance to save my life.”

“Neither can Rainbow Dash,” Twilight snickered. Above the middle of the dance floor the cyan pegasus was flying around so chaotically she could have been having a seizure. She accidently misjudged her routine and flew into the ceiling, crashing down in front of us.

“Nice going, Rainbow Crash.” Pinkie Pie teased, making the group laugh and I hesitantly grinned. I noticed Rainbow Dash was gritting her teeth and still had the lollipop in her mouth, or at least what was left of it. She opened up her mouth and its shattered remains fell out and onto the floor.

“Dang it!” Rainbow Dash quickly picked up the stick and sucked on whatever flavor remained. “That was a good one too.”

“You’re dancing wasn’t though.” Twilight said and the four of us started laughing again as Rainbow Dash sat up blushing.

“So dancing isn’t my forte, whatever. I’m trying.” She irked, grabbing the glass of cider out of my hand and drank it before charging back into the crowd of dancers.

“Oh my, she drank all of that didn’t she?” Rarity looked into the crowd concerned.

“Why? Is that a problem?” Twilight asked her.

“Twilight, Rainbow Dash gets tipsy very easily.”

“Well it might improve her dancing.” I mumbled. Pinkie Pie was the only one to hear and fell to the floor laughing. Twilight and Rarity had no idea what was going on and looked to their friend who was rolling across the floor.

“Hee… sorry…” Pinkie Pie wiped a tear off her face, taking a deep breath. “Oh Celestia...”

“Did ah miss somethin’?” Applejack walked in smacking dust off her hat. Fluttershy was behind her, hyperventilating as she tried to get dirt out of her mane.

“Do NOT make me do that again!”

“Sorry sugarcube, ah thought you might’ve enjoyed somethin’ new.” The two mares joined the small circle.

“So Chris, have ya tried the Cider? Stuff’s real good.”

“No he has not. He’s too afraid of a little alcohol.” Rarity scoffed taking another sip from her glass.

“Rarity! You can’t make somepony do something they don’t want to do!” Twilight yelled to her friend but the message didn't appear to get through. Fluttershy shot an annoyed look to Applejack who didn’t take notice.

“Aw come ‘on. At least TRY some. This cider is some of the best in all of Equestria!” Applejack went and grabbed a bottle bringing it back to me.

Ah, peer pressure. It’s always there.

“Alright, I’ll try some.” Applejack handed— or mouthed, I guess— the bottle to me. I took a small swig and set the bottle down.

“It’s okay…”

“See? What’d I tell ya?” Applejack punched my shoulder. “It’s not goin’ to kill ya."

“It will if he drinks too much it will.” Fluttershy suddenly spoke up. “Alcohol isn’t a game you know.”

“Speaking of games, that reminds me.” Twilight shifted her attention to me. “Hey Chris, that other rectangle-thing you have, the white one, does that play games too?”

“You mean the iPod? No, that just plays music. It only has a couple thousand songs on it though.”

Twilight’s jaw opened up again like I’ve seen it do several times before. After Fluttershy shook her, she snapped out of her shock and shook her head in disbelief.

“I’m probably not the only one here who doesn’t know, so I'll say it. What is an ‘aye-pod’?” Rarity asked to no one in particular.

“It’s about the size of… that phone I showed you. Remember?” Twilight looked to her friends who all nodded their heads.

“How many ponies did you show my phone too?”

“Just a couple… dozen. But still, there are a thousand individual songs stored inside that? And you can play them at any time?”

“At least two thousand songs, actually. And yes, you can play any one of them at any time, as long as you have headphones or speakers plugged into it.”

Twilight, Rarity, and Fluttershy were the only ones to have understood what was being said, as evident by their stunned expressions. Applejack just looked confused and Pinkie Pie was busy playing with a balloon. She squeezed up against her chest and it popped, her iconic curly mane deflating. She rolled over onto her stomach and jumped back to its familiar zany look.

“Heh, you’d better show that to Vinyl Scratch some time. I’m sure even mentioning what it does would make her your new best friend.” She happily announced before running off onto the dance floor.

I didn’t know Pinkie Pie was listening to that whole bit, and I looked down to the bottle of cider I still held in my hand. Applejack took notice and playfully punched me again, prompting me to take another drink. Fluttershy came up and sat on the other side of me against the wall, obviously tired. Rainbow Dash appeared again above the crowd and flew over to us.

“Hey guys!” she slurred her words, shakily flying into the wall and falling on top of Twilight.

“Hey, get off of me!” Twilight kicked out from underneath Rainbow Dash. “Geez, Rarity wasn’t kidding about you.”

“W-What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash tried to get up but fell over.

“That’s what she means.” Rarity shook her head in disappointment. I realized now that when I sat down beside them, a pony was about a head taller than me. I don’t know why, but this revelation got me to take another drink from the bottle.

“Whoa there cowboy.” Applejack was getting worried. “Ah’m honored, but ya don’t wanna go drinkin’ too much of that. Trust me.”

Confound these ponies, they drive me to drink. Kinda always wanted to say that.