REMASTERED - Chapter 2 - The After Party
Twilight walks in the front door of the library with Spike at her heels. Carefully unlatching her saddlebags she lifts them off of her back with her magic as Spike watches nearby.
“That’s… a lot of cider.”
Twilight nods happily “I suppose it is. But this is more efficient. One trip instead of many.”
Spike sighs and shrugs. “Yeah well… do you want me to help you put this stuff in the pantry?”
Twilight shakes her head. “I’ll take care of it myself, Spike. But first we need to pay for all of this.”
“That would be the responsible thing to do, I guess.”
Walking upstairs, Twilight returns a short time later levitating a small brown sack of bits. Giving it to Spike she smiles at him.
“That should cover it. You got that okay, Spike?”
Grunting, Spike nods. “Y-yeah. I’ll head back now.”
Twilight nods as she holds the door open for him. “Thanks. But take your time getting back. After all, it’s such a lovely day and I don’t really need any help right now. You should enjoy it if you can.”
“Okay. You sure you're okay though?"
"Completely. Don't worry about me. I can hold my cider."
Spike sighs. "Fine. See you later, Twilight.”
Leaving the library Spike heads back toward Sweet Apple Acres. Twilight closes the door behind him and turns back to her saddlebags. Picking them up with her magic she looks around for a moment.
“Let’s see… where to put these…”
Booping her forehead, she rolls her eyes.
“Silly me. The basement! Then they’ll stay cool and out of the way.”
Walking downstairs, Twilight finds a nice spot for the bottles in her large storage closet. Closing the door to it, she heads back to her workbench and picks up her clipboard.
“Back to work.”
As she looks at the sample under her microscope, Twilight muses to herself.
“That cider really was tasty. The Apple family must’ve really put their hearts into it this year.”
She goes back to work for a few more moments before stopping and turning in her stool to look at the now closed closet door.
“Was I wrong to put off my work to go to the orchard? No… no, I don’t think so. After all, Princess Celestia DID tell me that I needed to take time off occasionally to see my friends.”
Twilight taps her hoof on the table as she thinks to herself.
“It did do the trick too. I feel pretty good right now.”
Giggling, Twilight ‘fans’ herself with a hoof absentmindedly.
“Is it warm in here? No… no the temperature is naturally stable down here. Ah, the alcohol in me! Now I just plain feel silly.”
Attempting to go back to work, Twilight finds herself thinking more and more about the cider in the closet. Groaning, she tosses her clipboard aside and stands up. Walking to the closet she picks up a bottle and brings it back to her workbench. Opening it, she tosses her head back and takes a large swig. Swallowing the contents of the bottle she sets it down and makes an audible gasp of contentment.
“That hit the spot. Just as good as the stuff from the kegs earlier.”
Looking at the bottle, Twilight frowns.
“Strange. Did they only fill this one up part way? I mean, there’s no way I drank THAT much of it already.”
Shrugging, Twilight upends the bottle and polishes off the rest. Setting it down, she heads back to the closet.
“Let’s see here…”
Picking up another bottle, Twilight looks it over carefully.
“This one’s completely full. I’ll have to mention that last one to Applejack. She wouldn’t knowingly sell half empty bottles, I’m sure.”
Returning to the workbench Twilight opens the bottle, takes another swig, and goes back to her studies. Taking sips as she works, the young mare finishes the second bottle shortly thereafter. Smiling, she sets it aside.
“A fun assignment along with a bottle of cider. This makes my job a lot more fun.”
Hopping off the stool, she heads back to the closet. This time Twilight returns with two bottles which she opens and sets aside.
“Can’t keep going back to the closet. Have to be more efficient with my time, after all. I’m sure the princess would approve.”
Sometime later the basement door opens and Spike walks downstairs with a piece of paper in his claw.
“I’m back, Twilight. Applejack wanted me to give you this…”
He stops talking as he spies Twilight lying face down on her workbench. Eight empty bottles of cider sit around her as a ninth lays on its side with its contents spilling out over the table. Groaning, Spike hurries over to Twilight’s side and gently nudges her.
“Twilight? Wake up! It’s too early to be going to sleep!”
Slowly opening her eyes, she looks around groggily.
“Wuz… wuz going on?”
Spike shakes his head. “Twilight, did you REALLY drink all of those ciders?”
Twilight looks around slowly. “N-no way! Somepony… somepony else must’ve… must’ve done that! I was just… sitting her taking little… small sips while I worked.”
She looks at him angrily before continuing.
“Wuz it you, Spike?!”
“What?! NO! I just got back, remember?!”
“From… where?!”
“Sweet Apple Acres! Don’t you remember sending me there to pay for all this cider?!”
Twilight scoffs. “I think I would remember something like THAT! You were out wasting time again, weren’t you?”
Spike rolls his eyes. “Yes, Twilight. I was wasting time.”
“Good on you for admitting it.”
“Twilight?”
“Yes, Spike?”
“Your drunk.”
Twilight frowns. “I am… am not!”
She hops off the stool but miscalculates and falls to the floor. Raising her head, she puts a hoof to her forehead.
“What happened?”
Spike frowns. “You can’t even walk right now!”
“I can! My hooves are just slippery from the cider I spilled!”
Twilight attempts to stand again but meets with the same problem. Spike shakes his head as he heads back upstairs.
“I’ll go brew you some strong coffee.”
“Two creams, one sugar.”
“Be right back with your black coffee, Twilight.”
“But…!”
She attempts to protest further but finds that Spike has already reached the main level. Frowning, Twilight pulls herself back up onto the stool to sit there unsteadily. Pouting, she muses to herself silently.
“Spike… know it all dragon. Thinks he knows me better than I know myself. But I’ll show him that I’m not drunk!”
Turning to her clipboard, she fumbles to pick it up for a few moments before giving up and looking at her hooves.
“Must still have cider on them. Wish it would dry up already.”
Laying her head on the table, Twilight’s gaze eventually falls on the large mirror next to her. She grins and sits up.
“The Crystal Mirror! I don’t need my hooves to work THAT!”
Standing, she again falls to the floor. Dragging herself over to the mirror, Twilight looks at it with a crooked smile.
“Now then, all I have to do is pull another sample through to prove to Spike that I’m clearly not drunk.”
Thinking, Twilight taps her forehead absentmindedly before having her light bulb moment.
“I know! I’ll won’t just pull any old plant through! This time I’ll go for an entire TREE! Well… a small one anyways.”
Concentrating, Twilight focuses her magic. Reaching through the Crystal Mirror with her magic she latches onto something. Laughing triumphantly, she grins.
“Got something!”
She begins tugging with her magic but to no avail.
“Must have deep roots.”
Twilight continues her attempt. A few minutes later Spike descends the stairs with a cup of black coffee in his claws.
“Here you are, Twilight. Just don’t try to chug this one, as it hasn’t had time to cool…”
He stops dead in his tracks at the foot of the stairs. The crackling of magical energy rings out all around him. Running over to Twilight, he drops the cup on the floor part way to her but does not slow down.
“Twilight?! What are you…?!”
“I’m pulling something though!”
“NOW?!”
Twilight nods slyly. “What better time!”
She strains as the magical energies continue to flow all around them. Spike looks around nervously as beakers begin vibrating violently on nearby shelves.
“Maybe you should let it go, Twilight! Whatever it is must be very happy where it’s planted to not be pulled through!”
Twilight shakes her head. “Not a chance! I’ve almost got it!”
Taking on the face of a fisherman whom is reeling in a large catch, Twilight plants her hooves firmly and looks into the portal’s energies along with Spike as a shadow forms. Twilight grins with pride.
“It’s almost here!”
Spike shudders. “That plant is HUGE though!”
“Bigger is better!”
As something pokes through the mirror’s surface Spike turns and dives at Twilight.
“LOOK OUT!!!”
He pushes her away as a strange looking creature suddenly flies through. It lands on the floor next to them in a heap. For a long moment neither of them speaks. Eventually, Spike finds his voice.
“Twilight? Wha-what IS that thing?!”
“I… don’t really know!”
Spike eyes it closely. “Weirdest looking thing I ever saw.”
He pokes it gently with a claw. A slight moan rings out as he does so. Twilight frowns as she speaks.
“Did that thing just… make a sound?”
“I think so.”
They watch as it slowly begins moving around groggily. Spike turns back to Twilight, clearly frightened.
“Twilight! That thing’s ALIVE!”
“Definitely not a tree! Spike, RUN!”
The creature raises its head and watches them curiously as the pair scramble to get away. However, in her inebriated state Twilight accidentally slips on the coffee Spike dropped earlier, knocking both herself and Spike down. Skidding across the floor, they knock over a stand on a nearby lab table spilling several chemicals which mix upon hitting the floor next to them. Rubbing her head, Twilight attempts to stand again.
“Ow! What the…?”
Spike looks over to Twilight as a strange gas emanates from the mixture
“Twilight! Get out of there!”
Twilight stumbles in an attempt to get away as Spike rushes toward her to help her up.
“No, Spike! Save... your...self...”
The pair collapse to the floor quickly losing consciousness. With nearly supernatural speed the creature grabs the pair and heads for the stairs. Running up them as fast as possible, he bursts through the door at the top, drops the pair on the floor, and turns to slam it shut. 
Breathing heavily he looks around for a few moments before spotting the stairs leading to the second floor. Picking up Twilight and Spike he carries them upstairs and over to the bed. Laying them down, the pair begin to stir slightly. Not knowing what else to do, he dives under the bed and lays there motionless. Twilight opens her eyes and rubs her forehead as she looks up at the ceiling for a few moments.
“Ugh… what the…? Was that just a dream?”
Sitting up, Twilight looks to Spike’s basket.
“Spike?”
Spike also sits up and yawns. “Twilight? I just had the craziest dream! You brought... some strange creature though the Crystal Mirror and knocked over some test tubes. Then there was a strange gas. Things got kinda hazy after that.”
Twilight looks over at Spike, wide-eyed. “I had the exact same dream, Spike! At least I assumed it was a dream...”
As Spike gets out of his basket he stands up and frowns. “One way to find out!”
Twilight unsteadily stands up as well. The alcohol appearing to have somewhat worked its way through her system.
“Alright, let's go check the lab. I'll run the emergency exhaust fan first though, just in case that gas was real.”
She hits a switch next to the basement door and the sound of large industrial fans immediately fills the air. A few minutes later she switches them off and the two descend the stairs warily. Spike points to several broken vials on the floor
“Looks like those chemicals got mixed together.”
Twilight walks over to the mess and examines the shards of glass. “Hmm... those chemicals when mixed could indeed knock a pony out. But I wonder… just how did we got to our beds?”
“Twilight, look!”
Spike points to some large muddy footprints. They are roughly three times the size of a pony's hoof print. He turns to Twilight, clearly frightened.
“What in Celestia's name would have such large feet?!”
“Spike, you don’t suppose…?”
Twilight’s gaze follows the footprints to the door.
“They lead upstairs!”
“How did we miss THAT?!”
“I don’t know! But come on, Spike! Let’s follow them!”
The pair follow the footprints to the main level and then toward the second floor’s stairs. As they walk slowly into Twilight’s bedroom they look to one another.
“It looks like this... thing... may have just saved us, Spike. It even though well enough to put us to bed.”
“Where do you think it went?!”
“I don't know. It seems to have walked around quite a bit. But I didn't see any prints leading out the front door.”
“So that means…”
Twilight and Spike’s gaze meet as their eyes grow wide.
“Right, Spike! It must still be here!”
Now knowing what else to do, the creature slowly emerges from under the bed. As he does so Spike dives into his basket and hides under the blanket. The creature does his best not to make any sudden movements as he gets to a crouching position. Twilight stares at the beast with her mouth agape in a mixture of awe, wonder, fear, and horror. As meekly as he can the creature stands to his full height. Suddenly Twilight screams.
“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”
Out of fear, she fires a magical blast at the creature, hitting him in the chest and throwing him out the window behind her bed. Fortunately for him there are some bushes to at least partially break his fall. Spike peeks out from under his blanket.
“Twilight?! What was that for?! It looked defenseless to me.”
“I don’t know, Spike! I guess I just panicked!”
The pair walk over to the broken window together. Twilight looks at Spike as she pokes her head outside.
“You think it’s… dead?!”
Spike shrugs. “Maybe. After all anypony whom fell from this high up would at least have severe injuries.
“But it fell in the shrubs.”
“Oh…right. Then it might be just fine.”
Twilight turns and hurries down the stairs. Let’s go find…!”
Still a bit wobbly, she tumbles down the stairs as Spike hurries down after her.
“You okay, Twilight?”
Groaning, Twilight lies on the floor. “Just great.”
“Ready to admit you had too much to drink?”
“Maybe a bit. But let’s go.”
Getting to her hooves, Twilight and Spike hurry out the front door and over to the bushes. They look down at the creature before them for a few moments. Eventually Twilight speaks.
“Um… hi?”
Spike narrows his eyes and frowns as he turns to her. “Hi?”
Twilight grimaces. “I couldn’t think of what else to say.”
“Think he understands us?”
“Probably not.”
Spike points a claw behind him. “Want me to get Fluttershy? Maybe she could communicate with it.”
The creature frowns. Twilight steps back with Spike.
“I think it understood that, Twilight.”
“Right.”
“So it’s at least somewhat intelligent.”
“Now that just leaves the matter of what to do with it.”
Twilight sighs. “Let me try something.”
Looking down at the creature, she speaks slowly and deliberately. “Creature! You… follow… me… inside.”
Slowly standing, the creature turns to her as she backs up and motions with a hoof.
“That’s… right. This… way.”
Entering the library in reverse, Twilight motions for Spike to close the door behind them as she positions herself behind a table. Spike hurries to her side as she turns to him.
“What should I say?”
Spike rolls his eyes. “Well, how about you start by apologizing?”
“Apologizing?”
“For tossing it out that window.”
Twilight sighs. “I guess so.”
She turns back to the creature before continuing.
“Sorry… for…”
Spike facepalms. “And try just talking normally.”
Twilight nods and begins to speak.
“Hi… um… sorry about earlier. Especially after what you did for us. My name is Twilight Sparkle and my dragon friend here is Spike. What's your name?”
The creature just stands there and stares at them. His mouth slightly open in shock. Spike turns to Twilight.
“You think he can’t talk?”
“Maybe. But it looks like he understands us.”
They motion for the creature to follow and lead him back down to the basement. Twilight looks up at him apologetically.
“Don't worry. I'll open the Crystal Mirror for you so you can get back to your world.”
They enter the lab and walk over to the mirror. Twilight powers it up and looks over at the creature with an apologetic look on her face.
“Sorry about the trouble. I wish you well in your world… whatever you are.”
The mirror comes to life as Twilight’s magic hits it.
“Go ahead and step through and you should be back… wherever it is you came from.”
The creature walks toward the portal but stops as he touches its surface as if walking into a wall. He tries pushing harder but a stronger rebuff is his only reward. Spike looks up at Twilight with a confused look on his face.
“Uh, Twilight? What’s going on?”
Twilight stops channeling her magic, clearly confused. “I don't know. While I never tried sending any of my plant samples back through, I just assumed it worked both ways.”
She looks back at the creature, clearly unsure on what to do next.
“Not sure how else to say this, but… it looks like you’re stuck here for a while. But don't worry! I'll keep working on a way to get you home. Although I do ask that you please stay inside the library, as I’m worried your sudden appearance would cause quite the panic in Ponyville.”
The creature nods his head, either out of impulse or not wanting to be attacked again. A moment later there is quite the commotion from outside the library.
Twilight looks over her shoulder clearly worried at the panicked cries from outside.
“Uh oh, sounds like trouble in town. Let's go check it out Spike.”
She looks back at the creature.
“Sorry, but would you please stay here. We will be back as soon as we can.”
The two of them run out the front door leaving him alone in the library. He walks over to a nearby window as he muses to himself.
“Well, I suppose I can at least watch.”
He climbs the stairs to look through Twilight's broken bedroom window. The scene outside is like something out of a science fiction movie. Strange creatures that can only described as monsters appear to be attacking the town. Twilight motions for the townsponies to follow her.
“Everypony, head for the Town Hall!”
The human steps away from the window and shakes his head. “I… I have to help them! But I need a weapon of some kind!”
He looks around Twilight's home for anything that could be useful. In the back of the closet he finds a decorative spear that looks like it was made more for display than actual combat. The creature picks it up and sighs.
“It will have to do… well here goes nothing…”
He bursts through Twilight's front door and charges toward the Town Hall brandishing the spear. Twilight and her friends stop and look at him as he approaches. Applejack is the first to speak.
“Wha… what in Tarnation IS that thing?!”
Rainbow Dash shrugs. “I don’t know. Reinforcements?
The creature runs in front of the six brave defenders and turns to face the monsters. Swinging the spear with all his might he screams at the invaders.
“GET AWAY FROM THEM!”
Twilight looks at him, amazed. “You… you CAN talk?!”
The creature does not turn to face her. “Fight now, talk later!”
At his advance most of the creatures turn tail and flee from before his weapon. Suddenly the Rainbow Dash yells out a warning.
“Incoming Ursa Minor!”
Twilight turns to look at the beast lumbering toward them. “No! Why now?!”
The creature looks at the beast and without a second thought charges right at it.
“ARGH!!! Leave them alone! Pick on someone more your size... LIKE ME!!!
Sadly he miscalculates and takes a pawfull of claws to the torso. The man staggers back, clearly in pain. Twilight looks over at him as he falls to the ground.
“NO!”
The man’s injury only seems to inspire the six to new heights of combat readiness. Twilight steps toward the Ursa Minor bravely as she calls out to her friends.
“Fluttershy, protect our brave friend here! Rainbow Dash, hit him high! Applejack, aim for the legs! Rarity, aim for the eyes! Pinkie Pie keep it away from me while I prepare! We only have one shot at this!”
The ponies engage the Ursa Minor following Twilight's instructions while she stands and appears to ‘charge up’. The human tries to rise but Fluttershy puts a hoof on his shoulder and pushes him back down as she does her best to bandage his wounds.
“Please! Let us handle it from here.”
The air practically crackles with magical energy as everyone carries out Twilight’s instructions. A couple minutes later she calls out.
“Okay… EVERYPONY, SCATTER!!!”
The ponies retreat in all directions as pure magic shoots forth from Twilight's horn. The blast hits the Ursa Minor and sends it flying head over heels back toward the forest. Rainbow Dash zips around happily.
“WE DID IT!”
Applejack tosses her hat in the air and hoof bumps Rainbow Dash. “I knew we could do it, partner!”
“Was there ever any doubt?!”
Rarity rushes over to Fluttershy’s side. “How is he doing?!”
Pinkie gasps. “Wowie! He looks awful!”
Fluttershy looks up fearfully as she applies more pressure to the creature’s wounds.
“I can't stop the bleeding! We need to get him medical attention, now!”
As she rushes over to help, Rainbow Dash picks up the human’s legs. “Give me a hoof over here, AJ!”
Applejack positions herself under his chest. “Okay! Let’s go!”
Rainbow Dash and Applejack carry the stranger to Ponyville Hospital together, as neither has to the strength to do so alone.
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I don't know why but that made me laugh real hard.
And we thought 'Rainbow Dash' had a problem when it comes to Cider. Twilight must've gotten the really 'strong' kind if she thought all that was going to help her relax. Typically I'm usually a one bottle a day kind of person, a light drinker and not as big as what we see here. But apparently it seems what she's about to do is ultimately going to lead to the major arc we're about to see unfold.
10218038
Yes. Most chapters have a lesson to be learned just like the show. The lesson of that chapter was... "Don't drink too much, or you might do something that you really shouldn't.."
I'm not sure image matches the chapter... at all. Yes, Twi is drunk, but it looks like party went in her laboratory or she's an alcoholic and drank all that on her own. Alone.
10492134
And I don't think I want to pay to have another picture drawn for this chapter. 
I told my artist to put those bottles there to help illustrate just how much she had drank. Probably not the most imaginative, but it was the first volume of my first ever story.
I think that was supposed to say loses
10639225
Thanks. I've fixed it.
Here's another one I can testify. This lesson is more of the fact that if you are gonna go out and drink a whole of booze-or cider in this case-make sure you don't overdo it if you want to have a life. And if you do overdo it, have a glass of water to counter the after affects.
10754239
That or 'don't try to work when you need to rest'.
Famous last words do not tempt murphy
10970051
Indeed. The wife liked that bit.
10218271
" ?
Wouldn't it be better to state it as "Don't Drink And Thaum
Yeah, definitely a read-later story. Seems like it definitely has promise, but I can't get past the play style at the moment.
Well I take it back I have not indeed read this in the past but I swear I've seen the title art before. Well I guess you have a new reader on your hands if a little on the slow side.
Morial of this chapter is alcohol is bad and don't leave light weights alone with it because even a genus can be turned into an idiot!
11265279
You may have read some of my story in the past, yes. The first two volumes were completely rewritten a while back to bring them up to the quality of the later volumes.
Hope you like where this is heading, because we're going to be taking a road trip!
damn lady that's a lot of alcohol
11578815
I bit of an indiscretion there on her part. Even someone as smart as Twilight has her moments of foolishness.
Is this lesson don't fight bears.
11603537
More along the lines of 'think before acting'.
Much of what happens in this chapter is due to not thinking things through. Twilight drinking too much, deciding to perform inter-dimensional portaling while intoxicated, magic blasting an unknown creature whom means you no harm, and Arc running out to help with little more than a stick and courage.
Kinda confused why he'd want to help the creature that just shot him in the chest not even 5 minutes ago. Everything feels so rushed. Hopefully it gets better as time goes on...
11676393
It's just part of his personality. As the story goes on you'll see more and more examples of him doing his best to help others, often at the detriment of himself, no less.
Spike sighs and shrugs. “Yeah well… do you want me to help you put this stuff in the panty??”
IDK if panties wuld hold tham
*pantry
11713697
Thanks. Fixed.
I found this a bit strange, the first reaction was to grab a horse and a large large, then hide under the bed, not having much of a reaction to receiving a magical shot in the chest and falling from the second floor, not having a reaction to the fact that a horse talking and throwing yourself into direct danger above all, like that was the most unrealistic thing possible, but that could be because it's the beginning, the beginning of a story is always difficult, but it was still a very difficult beginning to swallow, and will it be explaining why he didn't become a pony? That was one of the mirror's magics, will he turn into a pony later? that would be cool
11777331
It's because Arc is a very selfless person (not always a good property to his character, granted). He does explain in a later volume why he is the way he is though, as Arc's life wasn't exactly easy.
Arc does not turn into a pony at any point in the story, no. I wanted to keep him in human form and see where it went. But there are certain transformations that he and others go through at various points throughout the story.
Hello. How complete is this story? It would be sad to start reading such a grand in scope epic only to find out that it won't have an ending for the foreseeable future.
11802387
At the moment I'm waiting for a couple more illustrations before releasing the rest of the current volume. And I'm about 250 pages into the volume that comes next. However, the next volume won't be translated and released until around early May though, due to my wife and I saving that volume to read on a vacation we're planning at the end of April.