//------------------------------//
// The Morning After, Part II 
// Story: Starlight's New Drinking Buddy 
// by Heartland Picker 
//------------------------------//

Ben was still rigid as a beam, as Rarity's words could have meant anything that he'd rather keep under wraps. Jesus Christ, I know I'm a bit of a silly drunk, but what kind of hell-raising did I get into last night!? Rarity, since this is coming from you, it's just as likely that I took the walk of shame anyway.
Starlight was just as worried, as she had plenty of skeletons in the closet that could make an impromptu one-night stand with an alien look just as tame as anything else. Her only thought was, I've never blacked-out drunk before, so I have no IDEA what these two could mean.
Twilight, however, would admit that the tension was highly palpable, so she spoke up. "May I interject for a second? We wouldn't be telling you this here and now if it wasn't acceptable for foals' ears."
Spike then started chortling. "Hehe- I can vouch for Twilight. I couldn't breathe to save my life after she explained it to me! We needed a sleep spell just to get ourselves to stop laughing! Hehe- HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!"
This broke the tension that the two hung over folks were dealing with, but Ben still wasn't fully appeased. He inquired specifically to Rarity, "okay, there wasn't any 'hanky panky', so what did happen, little miss gossip?"
Rarity just made that mischievous smirk again. "Oh-ho-ho darling, trust me, this was one for the ages of Ponyville….."



Back to the night before, after the challenge.....
Starlight had an evil smile so smug, Discord felt his spine tingle at the disturbance in the chaos again. She proceeded with her request. "So, you have to do anything that I ask? Well then, what to do, what to do...…" She contemplated the situation for a minute, but then had an idea for maximum humiliation. "Let's see, your profession revolves around music, right?"
Ben was starting to tremble a bit. He was hoping against hope that she was bluffing and not getting at the fact that he had a second gift that he liked to keep quiet about. Please, not here! My life is fine the way it is!
Starlight then came out with it. "Well then. It would stand to reason that perfect pitch is ingrained in your head. Plus, I haven't heard a good tune in years. So, my request is this..." She then went to his ear and made a deathly-sensual whisper: "I want to hear you. I would like a good serenade, here and now, for everyone in the tavern."
Rarity, whose own hearing was adept to the tone of seduction, almost did a spit-take at what Starlight just requested. Unlike Starlight and the rest of Equestria, she and Twilight knew damn well what Ben was hiding from the universe.
When he first showed up in Equestria, Twilight had taken it upon herself to give him a place to stay until he was able to prove his worth as a luthier, thus making a gainful living. In short, Ben had lost himself in the midst of a shower and was singing just to ease his mind. Coincidentally, it was by luck that Rarity was also in the castle at the time, thus resulting in him being pestered until he played a few tunes from back home that might tickle their fancy. It took all the begging he could muster just to get them to keep quiet about his secret.
However, with what seemed like no way out for Ben, not only was Rarity starry-eyed at the chance to hear him sing again, but Twilight (who had a spell going to hear any talking between the two) was watching the two intently, hoping he would at least quit being such a baby about the whole thing and just go for it.
However, Ben threw them a curveball. "I don't see a jukebox or a karaoke machine nearby, and A capella is weird as a solo act. Thus, I cannot acquiesce your request for a serenade."
Starlight (and Rarity for that matter) were about to tear into him for trying to duck his way out on a technicality. However, Twilight had anticipated this kind of bullshit out of the young curmudgeon. Thus, she intervened for everyone's sake, and gave Ben a stern glare.
"You hold that thought, mister! I'll be right back!" With that, she teleported in a flash of magenta. After about five seconds, she was back with something particularly large in her telekinetic grasp, and shoved it into Ben's hands. He took a look at it, only to realize that it was the one thing that was on him when he got pulled away from Earth: the 1958 Martin D-18 flattop guitar that his grandfather left to him when he was 14, ready to go. "There, now you don't have an excuse to, as you would put it, 'bitch out' of this one! Now get up there or I'm cutting off your hunting permit!"
Ben, drunk or not, knew at this point that both of the magical prodigies had him hung by his nuts. Without his permit, not only would he have to go vegetarian (a bad enough prospect), but he would also lose access to a key natural resource for his business. He needed those cragadile bones!
Rarity looked on at the display in absolute pride, happy that Twilight had finally grown a spine. Oh Twilight! I couldn't have done that any better myself! EEEEEE!!!! At this point the fashionista couldn't care less who was looking at her at the moment. She was so giddy that her large grin almost threatened to split her face in two.
Thus, he gave in to Starlight's request. "Okay Starlight, I'm a man of my word. However, you'll have to tip the janitor double for the mess you'll be making when you melt. So don't say I didn't warn you."
Starlight wasn't impressed by those lines at first as he walked up to the small stage in the back corner opposite of the bar. Twilight then approached her pupil with a knowing smile. "Starlight, I'm quite happy that you came to that conclusion about his career. Believe me, you're in for a real treat."
Starlight, still smirking, cocked her eyebrow at this, but was unsuccessful as the effect of the beer had fortified itself before she made her request. "Aresh you's suuuurreeeee, Twilightsh?"
The alicorn simply smiled, "hey if you don't believe me, Rarity can vouch. Now pay attention: this is going to be amazing!"
Ben had made it to the stage and got everyone's attention. There was a nervous smile on his face. "Uhhh, hi everyone. I'm Ben, some of you may know me from around the market, others might not. I, uh, well, I came down here to have some fun with a friend, but, uh, well...… I-I've been requested tonight to, uh, to grace you guys with, uh, with some music, so...."
Starlight just decided to get on his case for stalling. Oh for the love of Celestia. "Just get on with it!"
Rarity followed up with an excited shriek: "YES, GET ON WITH IT!!!!"
Ben then just bit the bullet and called out, "Okay, how about some music from Earth!" At this, he received some polite hoof-stomps. Thus, he began.
"🎶You know I can be found, sittin' all alone!..." Ponies immediately took to the beat, liking what they were hearing. After a couple of bars, Sugar Belle practically yanked Big Mac out to the dance floor. Davenport, while sour earlier, had started to lighten up a bit and began wiggling in his barstool, and Rarity was starting to blush in the midst of the tune. Ben, however, didn't notice much of this, since he was too busy boogying to the song the whole time, lost to the moment.
"Well don't be cruel.....to a heart that's true!"
At this point, Starlight was at a loss for words. Ben was just too pleasant to ignore even while inebriated: between his buttery-deep voice and the articulation in his hands, she was just perplexed. She then turned to Twilight, who was just smiling from ear to ear. "Well, what did I tell you. He's good."
At this point, Berry Punch had cantered by. "You don't have to tell me that! Most of the house ordered another round for this!" she said gleefully. Anyone who knew anything about running a bar knew that good music usually means more liquor sold, and Berry wasn't going to pass this up. She continued past the two mages and up towards the stage to get his attention. "HEY BEN! Here's another round on the house! Ya got any more tunes!?"
Ben, who was never one to turn down a 'free' drink, felt that he must oblige. "Okay, okay! So here's one to good times and booze!" He switched over to an accompaniment that was a bit more....twangy. "Country music singers, have always been a real close fa-mily…."

About a couple hours later.....
Needless to say, it got pretty wild at the tavern. Ben had played a sampler of everything he could think of between Elvis, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Randy Travis, Waylon Jennings, and any other country legend that he knew from Earth.  Berry Punch had to close up early due to the liquor running dry earlier than usual. She usually didn't stockpile liquor until festival season, but half the town showed up during the third song, thus she was drafting beer left and right, resulting in several bar patrons walking home with a strong buzz. Ben and Starlight were no exception to this. Had Twilight and Rarity not been present for the evening, the two drunks would have been lost for the rest of the night trying to find the castle. At some point in his performance, Ben had ripped his plaid shirt off and tossed it into the crowd. Rarity, knowing the sentimental value of the guitar, felt the need to carry it for the time being.
As the trio of ponies and the drunk human approached the castle, Ben had spoken up. "Wooooowsh, talksh about a wild niiiiiiight!" he called out, nearly tripping over his own feet. He turned to Starlight with a lopsided grin. "So, did I complete your challenge, sweeeetheartsh?"
Starlight bowed her head in mild embarrassment, relenting in her decision. "Yesh, Ben. You tugged my heartshtringsh tonight. At least, I would be tempted to spend the night withsh youuuuuuu."
This was his queue to call her out, flailing his arms a bit. "Noooo way, you shtinkin' beaver! I will aaaaalwaysh……….. shleep alooooone! I am kahmpleetely fine withsh myyy life...…….assh it ish! Beshides, what you're shaying right now....that'sh the booze messing with yer hhead!"
Starlight retaliated, "Oh, yeah, well you're jusht a mockingbirdsh, and I'll keep you lockedsh up all for myshelf! Hahahaha!"
After passing through the foyer, the two more sober mares decided to split them up, just in case somepony might try something if their rooms were too close. Rarity went ahead and tucked Starlight in since she had only passed out when they walked through the bedroom door. After leaving the room, Rarity had an impish smirk plastered on her face that just screamed 'mischief'. Oh-ho-ho, that may not last long, you darling Mr. Murdoch. You put on a good show for all to witness, you delightful songbird, you!
Twilight took Ben to one of the guest rooms that had a bathroom nearby just in case things went south in his drunken stupor.
"Good grief Ben. Now do you see why I followed you two in the first place? I figured something might happen, but wasn't really expecting you would be the one to risk summoning Discord." She continued to run him over to the bed and tuck him in.
"Twi, don't yooouuuuu give me aaaaannnyy sheyyyyat over this! You know whysh I didst thish! Thish was kinda" - at this point he passed out, happily snoring his inebriation away for the time being.




The following morning....

Ben had a bemused look on his face. "So, I took a dare, got carried away, and basically was put to bed." He proceeded to finish his plate and continued. "Now, about my guitar...."
Twilight perked up at this. "Oh, I took the liberty of cleaning it for you. It's back in its humidity-controlled case, just like you left it."
He relaxed at that tidbit of information. Then he looked pointedly to Rarity. "You know I hate it when you rile us up like that. It's not that funny. There's plenty of things that I've done that I'm not particularly proud of. You had me worried."
Rarity giggled at this and said, "oh, but the look on your face was worth it! Even a lady needs to make her own entertainment time and again!"
Ben just decided to let it drop, then turned to Starlight. "So, you have the experience of being on a drunken bender. How do you feel now, Glimmer?"
Starlight just smiled at him. "You know what, this headache might be bad, but certainly not stressed out anymore. This was exactly what I needed to cool off." She then proceeded to use a small spell to bring him closer, and just hugged him.
Ben reciprocated with a light pat on her whithers. "Hey, that's what good friends are for. Keep each other from losing their minds, or at least join in doing so. At least we didn't get thrown in jail." He was thus released from the hug, Starlight looked at him with that same grateful smile. He then decided to pose the question. "So, same thing next week?"
Starlight responded, "Maybe. Trixie and Sunburst are supposed to be in town then, maybe I can get them to jump in?"
Ben chuckled. "Hehe, maybe not to the same extreme as last night, but I don't see a problem." At that point, the Ponyville clocktower struck 11. "Oh, man. I'm getting a bit behind on my work orders hanging around here. Stop in over the week and let know if they'll make it. Ciao!" With that, he sprinted out the door.
At this, Twilight decided to speak up. "Uhm, for a guy who likes to stay modest, he didn't seem all that bothered about not having a shirt on."
Spike piped up, "yeah, and Rarity, you would normally offer to make a new one for him. Why stop now?"
Rarity, who had remained quiet after telling the story, now started to chuckle maliciously. "Heeheehee, oh Spike, you weren't there to see the whole thing. You see, when he threw his shirt into the crowd, most of the single mares were fighting to catch it. As luck would have it, the shirt ended up being captured by Rose."
She paused for a minute to get a few more giggles out. "If I had to guess, she'll be more than eager to at least return it to him when he gets home! If I were a gambling mare, I'd wager that she'll be waiting on his doorstep with a dozen roses just for the occasion!"
Starlight, Spike, and Twilight all looked at Rarity for a moment. Then all four of them ended up on the floor dying from laughter.