4. The Contest
Ovrik was surprised at how easily the ponies of Ponyville had adjusted to his presence. If a talking, brightly-colored pony walked into Koganusan, the dwarves there probably would have killed it. Ovrik was not proud of that thought.
On the bright side though, the ponies of Ponyville were incredibly friendly. Over the last few days he had spoken with a number of the townsfolk, all of whom seemed perfectly fine with the bearded creature that walked on two legs. One of them (Carrot Top, her name was) had even gone so far as to say that Ovrik wasn't even on the list of top-weird-things-to-happen-to-Ponyville. Still, it was nice to have ended up in a friendly place rather than one of the nine hells.
Today Ovrik was enjoying a nice walk through Ponyville and enjoying the afternoon weather. The sky was a dull gray, contrasting the changing leaves of the trees. Autumn was approaching fast. On at least three occasions the dwarf had overheard snippets of conversation about something called the Running of the Leaves. Ovrik wondered if it was anything like the Running of the Goblins, a sport involving a straight tunnel, a horde of goblins, heavy betting, a boulder, and a downward slope. Good times, really.
Up ahead, a familiar pink mare was hopping towards Ovrik. "Hey, Pinkie. What ye' up to today?" Ovrik waved cheerfully at the mare.
"Hi!" Pinkie greeted Ovrik with her trademark grin. The dwarf wondered if she ever stopped smiling. "I'm headed over to Applejack's. We have a tradition we like to do to celebrate the start of cider season."
"Aye? What's that then?"
The mare leaned close, looking around to see if anypony was listening in. "AJ and me like to use the first barrel of the hard stuff for a drinking contest." The mare's grin had turned mischievous. "I haven't lost yet!"
Ovrik let out a laugh that originated in his belly. "Aye? Ye' haven't ever gone against a dwarf, though, lass!" In his own world, knowledge of dwarves and their drink was common; so much so that it was a stereotype. This wasn't common knowledge in the lands of Equestria, though.
"Really? I guess that makes sense though. You seem like you'd live in forests and stuff. You know, cuz of the axe."
Ovrik was in tears, he was laughing so hard. He had to take a moment to compose himself, wiping away the moisture in his eyes. "Ye've got a lot to learn 'bout dwarves, missy. Ain't a dwarf alive that don't take a moment every day to appreciate his drink."
"Ooh! I know! You should come with me and join us! I'm sure Applejack won't mind, and you two can get to know each other! We can make it a three way!"
Ovrik put a hand over his mouth to contain the snorts of laughter. "I think ye' should watch how ye' phrase things. Other folks might get the wrong impression." Ovrik said with a chuckle.
"Okie Dokie Lokie! Come on, Sweet Apple Acres is this way!" Pinkie bounced off, with Ovrik following the overly energetic mare.
***
Sweet Apple Acres lived up to it's name. Apple orchards filled with healthy trees stretched out across the massive farm as far as the eye could see. Ovrik let out a whistle of appreciation at the sight. Dwarves didn't do much farming, so Ovrik had never seen fields as large as the ones that lay before him.
At the center of the property was a large red barn, and beyond it was the Apple house (as described by Pinkie). Off to one side, Ovrik could make out chicken coops (proving that not all animals could speak here, something that Ovrik had wondered during his stay.). In the barn, Ovrik could just barely make out an orange pony and a larger red one setting up some barrels next to a table and chairs.
"Howdy, Pinkie. Who's yer new friend?" The orange pony, a mare with a blonde mane and tail, walked out of the barn to greet them as they walked up.
"This is Ovrik. He's a dwarf from another world!"
"Pleasure ta make yer acquaintance, Ovrik. Name's Applejack, and this here's mah brother, Big Mac." Applejack tipped the Stetson hat she wore as she introduced herself and her brother.
"Aye. Glad to meet ye' both."
"Ovrik was telling me about how he has hard cider where he's from, and I that it was a fantabulous idea to bring him along so that he could join us and get to know one of my bestest friends so that you guys could be friends too!" Pinkie Pie spewed her explanation without pausing for breath, finally inhaling deeply when she was finished and flashing a huge grin.
"Well, I ain't one to turn down competition. You sure you can keep up, Ovrik?" Applejack smirked at the dwarf.
"Do elves whine about trees?" Ovrik guffawed.
All three ponies gave Ovrik a strange look before Pinkie piped up. "Do they?"
The dwarf sighed and covered his eyes in frustration, having forgotten that elves were probably something that didn't exist here. "Aye. They do." The dwarf explained before trailing off and mumbling something to himself.
"Well, if'n we're all ready, Big Mac an' I just finished settin' up for the contest." Applejack said.
"Eeyup." Big Mac chimed in.
"Rules are the same as last year, Pinkie, but I'll explain for our new friend here. We go drink for drink, 'til somepony calls it quits. I guess in this case, it's last one standin'. We got some hay piled up in case we need to sleep things off like last year. Got a few buckets too, for when things... can't stay down." Applejack blushed at the last part, clearly remembering a past incident.
"And I'm lockin' the doors. Apple Bloom don't need no repeats of last year, either. She says her sheets still smell." Big Mac added to the rules.
"Now that's just ridiculous. We washed them sheets twice the day it happened." Applejack retorted with a defensive tone.
"Eeyup. I'm still lockin' the house up. Better safe than sorry."
"You're right, I suppose." Applejack kicked a hoof in defeat. Her tone quickly changed as she smirked at Ovrik and Pinkie Pie. "Let's get this started."
"Whee!" Pinkie Pie's high-pitched exclamation was confirmation that she was ready, which nearly drowned out Ovrik's laugh. Big Mac simply trotted out of the barn as the trio took their seats at the table. Outside the barn the sky was darkening as the sun lowered below the horizon.
Applejack passed mugs of cider to her opponents. Pinkie took her mug in both hooves while Ovrik wrapped a hand around his. Applejack lifted her mug high, both hooves clasping it the same way Pinkie did.
"Tah new friends and friendly competition!" Applejack toasted, to which Ovrik and Pinkie clinked the mugs they held against Applejack's. The three of them immediately downed the drinks they held, only to refill them as soon as everyone had finished their first drink of the contest.
And so the competion went. The three spent their time laughing, telling jokes, and getting to know one another through the bonding process unique to alcohol. The drink counter (also known as the chalk kept nearby) marked each round on the table, so that the contestants would know in the morning why they were so dreadfully hungover.
Four drinks in and everyone was laughing and telling jokes. Seven drinks in and Ovrik was telling the tale of the first time he got drunk (an interesting tale involving riding a giant rat naked through Koganusan. Unfortunately, that's a story for a different day.). At the twelve drink marker, Applejack let out an obnoxious belch and unintentionally started a belching contest. Pinkie won that bit.
After hitting the fifteenth tally on the table, Applejack pushed herself back from the table. "I can't go on y'all. I'm just gonna... gonna... um..." She stumbled towards a large pile of hay further back in the barn. "Sleep! That's the word." The orange mare flopped unceremoniously into the hay and fell fast asleep.
"Jus' you an' me, Pinks." Ovrik said to the three pink mares that swam across his vision. "Ain't no dwarf that's lost a drinkin' contets. 'cept against his one kin!" The dwarf had begun to slur his speech.
"Just because you-you have boozahol where your from doesn't... doesn't mean I'm going down!" Pinkie pointed a hoof at Ovrik while her other front hoof held her steady against the table. "Pour anoth-" She let out a loud hiccup, "another!"
Ovrik did just that, passing Pinkie's mug to her and hoisting his own for another toast. "For mah new friends! I'm havin' a blast!" Pinkie let out a drunken giggle before slamming her mug into Ovrik's (and spilling some of that delicious, delicious cider in the process. What a waste.) and chugging her latest drink. Ovrik did the same, wiping foam from his beard as he set down the empty mug.
"Ooh! My hoof! I feel something in my hoof! Its gone numb!" Pinkie Pie exclamed, clearly feeling the effects of way too much drink.
"Bah! Ye just- Ye can't hold yer cider!" Ovrik exclaimed with a laugh before he could bear the spinning barn no longer. His eyes rolled back in his head and he fell backwards out of his chair, snoring softly before he even hit the ground.
Pinkie Pie let out a small giggle and another hiccup. "Looks like I win again." She giggled to herself again before her head swiftly fell forward to meet the table. Pinkie Pie's loud snores were muffled by the table as she slept face-down, dreaming of fantastical things most ponies could never comprehend.
If remember correctly cider season is coming up. I wouldn't be adverse to seeing a three way drinking contest between Pinkie, Applejack and Orvik.
The hard cider.
This chapter's comment inspiration brought to you by TheTownCrier
I enjoyed writing this one entirely too much. These three are going to hate tomorrow morning. 
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A Dwarf passed out from Hard Cider? I´m this close to calling Heresy but I am still laughing my ass of over the mental image of a young Ovrik, riding a giant rodent nude as the day he was born. XD XD XD
6563342
I'm agreeing with you about knocking out on hard cider, if anything you would think dwarves would have a huge tolerance and make the worlds strongest ale that can kill 5 non-dwarven men per bottle
still funny though
now all 3 will regret that in the morning!
6563390 They do, you just underestimate pinkie's skill
The dwarven race met its match at the hoof a pink horse
But Ovrick made a mighty stand, and though he lost the day
No dwarf can say that they could out do
The mighty pony of the hot pink hue
Excellent job! But it's only half told. The hangover cure. Everyone has one all are different. What differences are there between ponies and dwarves?
6563460
I'll probably include something about it at the start of the next chapter.
we must see the aftermath, Ovrik should wake up without a hangover, it will be glorious.
I'm just curious what Ovrik is going to do about meat. A dwarf without meat just isn't a dwarf at all.
Normally I'd call shenanigans on a dwarf being bested by a not-dwarf, in a drinking contest.
However Pinkie seems to be some kind of cuddly, adorable, eldritch abomination, who can only be weakened by bad muffins, so I'll let it slide.
Drinking a beer while reading this...
I'm just sitting here laughing.
First off, nice reference to An Unexpected Journey. Second, I would pay to see that.
Came hear just expecting to read one chapter. Left hear after reading three. Excellent story Darvish. Upvote it again if we could.
A Dwarf passed out from Hard Cider?
not possesses because they drunk near 100% alcohol.
if her hard cider was 40% it take near 3X as much as alcohol to knock out a dwarf.
by time a pony get near that much alcohol they be dead!
7691947 agreed this story needs an immediate rewrite to fix this unspeakable crime, no dwarf has ever lost a drinking contest to one of non kin. Seriously no, bad author pinkie may drink like no tomorrow but she will never outmatch a dwarf.
7794054
I agree, after all I should know since I’m pretty much a Dwarf anyway!
8936636
It’s also the only race that I will play as in video games if I’m able to. Example(s): Dragon Age;(Origins and Inquisition), World of Warcraft, and Skyrim Special Edition;(Dwemer Mod). And for RP.
8936648
FYI for those who don’t know , Dwemer are dwarves in Skyrim, also known as ‘Deep Elves’.