To Equestria And Beyond (Rewrite In Progress)

by NightFurySpeedey8156

Chapter 43: Baby Steps

As exciting as his adventures up north were, Night Fury could not wait to finally lay on his own bed. It was a little cool in Snow Henge and he wanted to get back to the warmth of Ponyville. He slept in for a long time, longer than usual. But he was soon brought back to the reality of the world around him when he smelled the familiar scent of scrambled eggs and heard the sound of pouring orange juice.

He sniffed the air to catch the scent of the fresh food and decided to take a peek at what the deal was. Getting up and out of bed, he went downstairs into the kitchen to see Pyro making breakfast for the both of them. The orange Speed Shifter seemed none the wiser of his position, so Night Fury decided to make himself known.

"Pyro?" He said sluggishly, still recovering from sleep. "You made all this?"

On the table sat a decent stack of pancakes, scrambled eggs, two glasses of orange juice, and even jelly toast.

The orange Speed Shifter turned around to face him with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Fury. Yes, I did. And it's all for you." She said finishing up with preparations. "Come here, let me seat you."

Fury, somewhat confused, was dragged by the fire shifter to his seat. She also gave him a fork and knife and a handkerchief. It was the type of treatment one would give a chieftain or princess.

"Pyro, you didn't have to do all of this! You're too sweet." Fury said sweetly, getting a chuckle from Pyro.

"This is the least I could do for you after you showed me mercy yesterday. I am truly grateful. Now, bon appetit."

Fury was more than happy to comply. He bit right into the pancakes and was surprised by the taste. Perfectly cooked and fluffy, just enough syrup. It was almost like what his mother used to make.

"Mmmm, these pancakes are amazing! It's almost as good as my mom's recipe. Did you get some tips from her?" Fury prodded, pointing his fork in her direction. Pyro blushed as she took a sip of orange juice.

"I… may have gotten a few lessons from Black Ice to please you. It was for sure something new to learn. I didn't have much experience cooking food that actually tasted great. I guess there is no one more experienced at food than a mother." Pyro said as she served him some more syrup.

"Well, mom always took pride in cooking for everyone around her. She would be one of the main cooks for our food festival back home. Her lifelong dream was to open a restaurant of her own to share her creativity and passion. But that was all before her and my dad were… forcefully removed from our home."

The older Speed Shifter felt pity for Fury. Having his own family taken away from him not knowing what happened to them because of the tribe she once aligned with.

"I could not feel any more sorry for you than I do now, Fury. I can't imagine how devastating it was to have to watch your own parents dragged away from you, not to mention all of the ridicule you received for that failed attack."

"It was a hard time for me, I'll say that. But like I told you, I turned my trauma into something productive. By using my persuasion to make sure no other creature is unfairly judged just for past experiences. And it seems to be going well." Fury said, taking a bite of the scrambled eggs.

"Now, while we have our time together, I'll go over some errands I want you to run." Fury said, pulling out a scroll with everything he planned for her.

"Okay, here we go: Applejack has a few crates of cider for me, so it would be absolutely crucial to have those picked up. Fluttershy has some fresh fish she collected to keep the supply stocked up while Mayor Mare organizes trading with Celestia on getting more meat into the markets now that there are four of us in town now. A pony named Octavia has a cello here that got accidentally diverted in delivery, so make sure she gets that. And lastly, just a grocery run to the market for some more berries, fruits, alcoholic beverages, ice, a few mason jars, a shaker and a new pitcher. I plan on making some drinks for a few friends coming over today."

"It looks like I'll have my paws full today." Pyro said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, you'll get it done with no issue. And it's not just you who'll be doing all of this. I've sent messages ahead saying to expect you." Fury said. Then he took a sip of orange juice, got serious, and looked Pyro in the eyes.

"And before you go out, just remember. You're still in the early stages of gaining trust from ponies, there's only so much defending I can do for you so that you don't get targeted in somepony's under hoofed narrative to set you straight the way they deem right. So if someone tries to get under your fur for what you did, just take a breath and leave it be. Don't swing at it, just let them be that way. Trust me, from personal experience, it'll save you a lot of trouble and even your life." Fury explained.

Pyro figured he had a point. It would be somewhat hard considering she was always used to bossing others around or flattering her superiors for influence.

"Well, I'll try my best. I'll just take your advice. And hope for the best." Pyro said.

"Sounds good. But don't worry too much, it'll just get you stressed out. I explained to the ponies you'll be encountering that you mean no harm. Though I would say it might be good not to talk to anyone other than the Mane Six or the ponies on my list, that would basically just restrict you from progressing in your efforts to make peace. Now go, I'll handle the dishes. Applejack will be waiting for you on that pickup at Sweet Apple Acres." Fury said while handing her a map of Ponyville.

"Thank you, Fury. I'll do everything on this list. See you later.."

"See you… auntie." He said with a smirk.

He won't let that go will he? She thought, a bit unamused.

But either way she was ready to accomplish her errands. And finally figure out what Fury sees in this village.

-

Out in Ponyville…

Pyro strode through the small town calmly but with a bit of haste in her step. Looking left and right, she saw the many shops and vendors lining the streets as she made her way to Sweet Apple Acres. Although the town's sights were a big part of what she saw, the thing that she was most focused on were the ponies. While most have her welcoming but forced smiles to seem nice, others made their disapproval clear as day.

Vendors got protective over their produce, some ponies hid in their houses out of fear, mothers brought their children closer to them, and bystanders just looked at her with grimaces of disgust, anxiety, and pure hatred.

I guess they still don't trust me. Understandable, of course. I wish I could take back what I had done. But I have to prove my trustworthiness to them. And I will.

Luckily for her, the way to Sweet Apple Acres wasn't far. And before she knew it, she was already coming close to the main barn on the property.

She noticed the miles of apple trees as she approached the house. She could see they took pride in their produce. As she got closer, she also noticed a large red stallion plowing a field. And the complete opposite was a young yellow earth pony filly giving him water as he worked. Were they Applejack's tenants?

Before long, she got to the barn where she saw Applejack shining the cider bottles she could only assume that would be in the cases she would be picking up.

"Excuse me. You are Applejack, correct?"

Applejack stopped what she was doing and turned to give the shifter a welcoming smile, the first sincere one today. "Well howdy, sugarcube, yes I am! Welcome to our humble farm! It's a nice place, ain't it?"

"Yes, it sure is." Pyro said. "I see it's quite big. You must be very successful. What with you having those tenants, I bet you and your family are rich and maybe even have influence in your town's politics!" Pyro said, trying to compliment her based on how successful she was.

"Tenants? What're you gettin' at?" The apple farmer asked. Pryo gestured to the two ponies she saw working the fields.

"Those two! They seem very hard working pulling that dirt. You must have paid well to have them."

Applejack laughed at her assumption. "Paid? Not on my left hind leg! Those two are my big brother, Big Mac, and my little sister, AppleBloom!"

Pyro cringed at herself. She already messed up. "Oh I see. Sorry. It's just most of the time, I'm not used to seeing the owner of a farm work with their own paws. Or, I guess hooves. I assumed you had others do that, considering how much land you have."

"Sugarcube, this family runs on hard work and good harvests! We wake up at the crack of dawn to get to workin' the orchard, buckin' trees and collecting apples. It may seem a might strange to see me and my family doing all of this ourselves, but we follow a code of conduct. Ya ain't done it good enough yet if ya haven't broken a sweat." Applejack said with a bit of pride. "And honestly, about politics… we ain't interested in all that mess. Family is already its own puzzle."

"I see. Well, it may seem strange to me, but I can respect your ethics. Now, I assume you have the cases of cider Fury sent me for?" Pyro asked. Applejack lit up at the mention of cider.

"Why yes we do! As a matter of fact, the last of the bottles should be coming off the presses right now!" Applejack said excitedly, waving Pyro inside the barn.

As she went further into the barn, Pyro could smell the cider, truly a strange smell for a shifter, but she found it strangely enticing. Coming inside the structure, she was treated to the sight of the strangest machinery she had ever seen.

"What in the name of the emperor's frosty footpads is this contraption!?" Pyro said in surprise.

"This here is our hoof built cider squeezer! Come on, I'll show you where it all starts." Applejack said, moving over to the beginning of the machine where Pyro saw an elderly green mare checking the apples as they rode down a watery river up to a water wheel.

"Mmmm… Yessiree, these here apples are gonna make some fine cider this season." The elderly mare said.

"I'm assuming she's your grandmother right?" Pyro asked, a nod coming in return.

"You bet your tail! Pyro, I'd like you to meet Granny Smith! Granny, meet Pyro!"

…

"Uh Granny? Granny? Granny!"

"Huh? Oh it's you Applejack! I didn't see you there." Granny Smith responded.

"You'll have to give her some patience, she ain't exactly a spring chicken anymore." Applejack whispered, a silent nod coming from Pyro.

"Hello there, ma'am, I'm Pyro Flare and I'm here for the cider. I see you have quite a device at your disposal." The orange Shifter complimented.

Granny Smith was pleased at this compliment. "Ah, so ya noticed! Right here the pride of the apple family gets turned into something we can sell for heaps of money! First, the apples get dumped into this river and get washed. I sit here and pick out the fresh apples from the troublemakers. Speaking of which…"

Granny Smith picked up a less shiny apple and was met with a green worm popping out of the top.

"Aha, gotcha, ya little rascal! You and your squirming buddies ain't spoilin' our harvest." Granny said with resentment, tossing the apple off to the side. "Now that I've weeded out the bad from the good, they get carried on to this water wheel here."

The orange Speed Shifter moved along to the large water wheel that was carrying apples up to a metal bucket above her.

"These fresh apples get carried on up from the river to the crusher. This big lump of metal grinds the apples up finer than a batch of pepper flakes. Crushed apples give more juice, and that's how we get more yield per batch. Watch and learn."

Granny Smith then turned a switch which activated the large press. A large wooden plate came down on a screw and pushed in on the crushed apples, squeezing the juice out and dropping its contents into a mixing vat.

"While we use the cider for sales, we haul off the rest of the mush for pig feed. Speaking of… Big Mac!?"

"Eeyup?" The red stallion replied, sticking his head in.

"We got another load for ya! Take this out for the pigs so we can clear out!" Applejack called to him.

"Eeyup!" Big Mac replied as he took the crushed apple bits out.

"And now we have here in our vat, the pressed cider. But the process doesn't stop here, we've gotta give it that punch that'll rock ya harder than a sea captain in a storm!" Applejack said.

"In the vat, we mix in yeast and sugar to give it that hit that'll make you forget how to walk if ya have too much. We mix it slowly, just enough speed to let every bit of the dry stuff get dissolved into the wet until it comes out fresh and ready to be bottled."

Pyro took a quick sniff and was immediately hit with the smell of the cider. It was intense, it smelled like one of their magical potions, it was so pungent.

"If ya think the smell is intense, wait till ya taste it!" Granny Smith said excitedly. "Here, let your tongue be serenaded by the fruits of our labor. Just don't get into it too much, or you'll end up like Night Fury after the Equestria Games tryouts."

"Wait, what happened to him?"

Applejack restrained from laughing. "Let's just say he um… tried to test his limits with his first real chug of real hard cider. Needless to say, he was stumbling around more than a dizzy peacock. At least we learned a valuable lesson in moderation from him."

Pyro allowed herself a snicker at the thought of a drunken Night Fury. While she was curious about what sort of shenanigans went on with his major power difference from ponies, she had to put her thoughts of amusement aside. She mentally prepared herself for the taste of Ponyville's very own apple cider.

The mixing vat finally squeezed the last of the pulp into a recognizable liquid, filling the glass bottles and capping them before dropping the last one needed to go into the crates and producing one more for Pyro to taste test.

"Well, Pyro, here ya go. Just a little warning, it's a bit strong."

Pyro took the bottle of cider, opened the lid and drank a bit of it. Her eyes opened up wide.

"This really is…from apples?" Pyro said in amazement.

"Straight from the orchard! We work our tails from day in till day out to give Ponyville and cities farther out a taste of the best cider we can offer! It takes a beating on ya, but the hard work pays off well enough to keep ya goin'!" Applejack said.

"Well, I must say I'm impressed. For all I know, this would have been a factory where I come from. But the meticulous attention to detail and hard work makes me appreciate the little things. Well, I must be off. I have to pick up the fish Night Fury sent me to collect from Fluttershy."

"No problem, sugarcube. We'll get ya hooked up to a wagon and on your way in no time!" Applejack then proceeded to help Pyro load up a wagon so she could get going with the cases of cider. While she felt a bit conflicted on letting herself be an errand girl for another Speed Shifter, she got a sort of gratification from being useful. It was like she had been restored from a rusty pile of scrap and turned into something beautiful.

And besides she did have a bit of juicy information about Night Fury, she would be sure to bother the youngster about it.

Before long, she was off and away, waving back to that Apple family as she hauled her load towards Fluttershy's cottage. Being at work made her wonder what Fury was doing, surely he wasn't just sitting around waiting for her. He seemed like the type to be proactive and get things done. Either way, whatever he was doing at the time, she knew that he was making the most out of what he was given.

–

Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire…

Despite not feeling so ecstatic about going back up north after spending three days in the snow, Night Fury knew that he had a mission. And that mission was to grab the best alcoholic beverages and ingredients for the trip back for whoever showed up to his villa.

I know being back here wasn't exactly on my bucket list after how long I was here, but this is the only place I know that gets the best syrups, tequilas, bourbons, and other things that anyone could ask for when making drinks.

As he strode down the crystal roads of the city, he made his way to a liquor store that Shining Armor told him about. Boozy Brilliance's Liquor Tavern.

Entering the doors, he was greeted with shelves stocked to the brim with all types of things to make drinks and drinks in general. He was surprised that creatures that had the most kind and loving society would ever have the need to sell alcoholic beverages. But, with his knowledge of the different types of ponies he's met, he wasn't surprised that some would need the best of the best to get them through the day. Especially for those in charge of keeping the Crystal Empire safe and warm.

Going around the isles, he picked up a few bottles of bourbon, tequila and whiskey, one catching his eye in particular.

Buck Daniels… I heard Shining used to sip on this as a stress reliever before he moved to the Crystal Empire. Told me it was a pretty solid bourbon, so I'll take it.

Moving along to the refrigerated section, he searched around for something called Triple Sec. A type of tequila that he heard was popular. On his way to grab a bottle, he was met with a pink hoof going for the same bottle. He was startled but quickly regained control.

"Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

He saw a pony with a gray hoodie and sweatpants paired with a set of sunglasses, clearly somepony not wanting to be seen. But once the pony spoke, Fury had a change of attitude.

"Hmmm, oh! Um… it's quite alright, sir. It is such a lovely day out after all. I'm sure Princess Cadence is happily seeing her own tower! Yes sir!" Said the pony next to him. Fury's anxiety immediately melted away and he began to snicker before speaking.

"Cadence… if you were an actor, you'd be the most garbage movie star ever." He whispered. As he suspected, the sunglasses on the pony's face lit up in a light blue aura and he was soon met with the face of a familiar pink princess with a noticeable blush.

"Awww, rats. How did you even know it was me? I thought I was nailing it." She asked.

"Okay, for one, that mock voice was the most egregious thing I've ever heard. Two, your hair isn't exactly all that well hidden in that bun tied up in that hoodie of yours. And three, no random pegasus or earth pony wears golden slippers when shopping unless they actually want to be noticed." Fury explained, pointing out the obvious gold slippers on Cadence's hooves.

The pink alicorn blushed harder as she was ripped into, but she had to admit he was right. This disguise was basically a grab and go thing, nothing to elaborate.

"Okay, you've got me. I guess my drama teacher was just being nice. But, how did you know that I didn't want to be noticed?" Cadence pressed further.

"Well, the middle aged mother type get up was a dead giveaway. But I've been a high member of society for long enough to know the very delicate operation that is hiding your identity when doing something questionable. Like a princess buying alcohol." Cadence was surprised that he knew what she was up to, but she was even more taken aback by the fact he wasn't in the same situation.

"Well, why aren't you disguised like I am? You're just as much at risk as I am." She asked him, wondering why he would be so bold as to let his image be ruined.

"For one thing, I don't believe in public shaming. Anyone who has a problem with me buying a few drinks can kiss my plump rump. And secondly, nopony really cares if they see me in a place like this. I've basically been solidified as the most casual dignitary in Equestrian history." Fury admitted.

"Hmmm, I have to admire your commitment to be yourself. I guess being a princess has made me eager to look proper in all things. Especially to set a good example." Cadence said.

Fury laughed. "You already are one! But as much as I want to tell you to let go and be chill, I understand that this is something that can't be explained away. And knowing you, you wouldn't be too good at doing that."

Cadence went deadpan before letting out a huff of laughter. "You always have something to say, don't you? What are you doing here anyway?"

"Just picking up some drinks and ingredients so I can make some good stuff back home. Ya know, you're welcome to stop by and have a sip if you want. Don't worry, the blinds will be shut tight." Fury winked in her general direction.

"Well I do appreciate the chance to try out exotic new treats. Whatever you are having, I'm sure me and my husband will appreciate it. Consider both of us in."

"Great! My villa, 7 o'clock this evening. I'll be showing the world what Speed Shifters can do in the world of exotic drinks. See ya there." Fury said, grabbing his Triple Sec and heading for the register. Cadence waves to him as he left, re-engaging her disguise and going back to her shopping.

–

Back in Ponyville…

Pyro was walking a long way out of Ponyville. The pony Pyro was looking for, Fluttershy, lived farther from civilization than the other ponies. Considering how sheepish and quiet she was, it was no surprise that she would be the type to be away from the hustle and bustle of the town below.

Rolling her wagon up the hill towards the cottage, Pyro saw a myriad of animals around her. From snakes and birds to bears and scorpions, it seemed clear that Fluttershy has her own set of friends to keep her company.

"And I thought our Cursed Forest was full of animals." Pyro mused. She wondered what kind of pony would be able to tame these animals. Pyro eventually came up to the front door and gave a light knock.

"Coming!" Said a soft but noticeable voice from inside. A few seconds later, Pyro was greeted with the face of the yellow pegasus with a small white bunny on her shoulder.

"Oh, hello Miss Pyro Flare. I've been expecting you. Please come inside."

Pyro uncoupled herself from the wagon and went inside the cottage. Within the walls of the small house, bird houses and perches were hung around the roof for birds. Mouse holes were laid around the bottom of the walls as well. If Pyro was back in her hometown, she would have seen these being plugged within the hour.

"Do these animals just roam around your property and your house freely?" Pyro asked with curiosity.

"Within reason, yes. I love taking care of animals, it's my passion."

"I see. But would they not cause trouble? Such as those bears?"

"Oh, you don't have to worry about them. They know the rules. And if any try to make things difficult, I can speak to them and get them back in line." This caught Pyro off guard. Speaking to animals? She had heard that All Powerfuls such as Night Fury had the ability to understand other creatures if they transformed into them, and she herself could transform as well, but a pony doing it as if it was a second language?

"Truly you have quite an ability. Ponies definitely have more abilities than I thought before."

"Well… it's not really what ponies can do. And honestly for most of my kind, pegasi, most of us don't have that ability." Fluttershy said.

"It's truly impressive though. You must have been considered quite talented amongst your kind." Pyro said, complimenting Fluttershy's abilities.

But this statement only got Fluttershy embarrassed. "Well, maybe with my current friends. But in my childhood, it wasn't received the same way. I used to live in a city called Cloudsdale, a floating city in the sky. I was signed up for the Junior Fliers Academy by my parents to strengthen my wings and help me fly better. But, with my meek attitude and social anxiety, my popularity and flight capabilities sank."

"Although, I found a light in all of that darkness. A love for animals. And so, I followed my passion to take care of other creatures, got my Cutie Mark, and moved to Ponyville in an effort to find my place. It took me a while to get used to the fact that animals eat other animals to survive, but I eventually found my comfort amongst it all. Especially with Night Fury and his rather large appetite." The yellow pegasus giggled.

Pyro felt some comfort from her. While she was a tad shy and didn't have the extroverted attitude of most of her friends, she managed to find her way to feel accepted.

"It's good you have friends who accept you even if you don't always fit in. I always felt like growing up I had to mold myself into someone I was not." Pyro said.

Fluttershy's expression was now not of meekness but of determination.

"For a while, I wanted to be accepted by the other pegasi. I felt like a freak who couldn't fly as fast or smoothly as the others in my class, but I found acceptance from those who didn't expect me to fit a mold. I'm sure after hearing Night Fury's story, you've heard the same thing. But from my experience, you don't just wait for acceptance, you seek it. Say hello to a few ponies, give a compliment once or twice. You may not get it instantly, but you'll surely accelerate your chances of getting approved by everypony else in town."

"You really think so?"

"Yep. Especially if you are determined to do so." Fluttershy said.

"Thank you." Pyro felt more comfortable with her chances of getting approved by the masses. She might just start greeting ponies on her way to the market.

Fluttershy then remembered and her expression changed to worry.

"Oh my apologies! You probably want the meat right now. I've been keeping you for too long!" She squeaked, feeling worried that she dragged on for too long.

"Oh it's nothing-"

"Here, follow me!" Fluttershy said, dragging the speed shifter to another room.

She's surprisingly strong when she feels like it!

Fluttershy took her to a large room with refrigerators. She also noticed on the wall were grocery lists, inventory and what to feed each animal.

"Normally I would save this food for the crocodiles or bears," Fluttershy said. "But the food they eat is similar to what you Shifters eat. And before you worry, they are very fresh. I feed these animals better than myself frankly." Fluttershy said with a chuckle.

"Well, let's see them then. I have been walking for a while after all." Pyro said with curiosity. Fluttershy pulled open one of the refrigerators and revealed loads of fish waiting to be used. Salmon, Trout, Sardines, Big Mouth Bass. There might as well have been enough fish for a feast.

"Are you pleased with them?" Fluttershy asked. No response. "Um, Pyro?"

Pyro was salivating at the sight of all the fish. It was like she was in another world. Fluttershy tapped the floor next to her and she snapped out of her stupor.

"H-huh? What are we doing?" She stammered. Fluttershy giggled at her embarrassing little moment.

"Oh my, you seem to have just as much of an appetite as Night Fury does with how distracted you were."

"Um, I was just admiring the food. And visualizing how I will have dinner in a few hours. Night Fury has me going to the market to grab fruit to make drinks tonight." Pyro said, trying to save face.

"Oh I'm sure you were. So let's make that possible. Here." Fluttershy handed Pyro a few bags to take with her.

"Wow, this is entirely different from what I had as a teen. Back home, I would be eating Filet Mignon."

"I'm sorry, but what's Filet Mignon?" Fluttershy asked. Pyro blushed at her saying something about the food she was accustomed to.

"Oh, I couldn't tell you. You would be horrified."

"Miss Pyro, please. I've seen Night Fury rip apart Cockatrices and eat them in front of me multiple times. Whatever meat based food you used to eat is of no effect to me." Fluttershy reassured her.

Pyro was amazed that she of all ponies was so tolerant of her eating meat. So Pyro explained how the meat would be taken out of the tenderloin of a bull.

"I see. And this is one of your 'High Society' foods?"

"Correct. Filet Mignon is a staple of Speed Shifter high society, mostly stemming from our early kings and queens in our species' early days. If a servant got caught eating filet mignon, well let's just say, they would regret it. Other than that, we have more casual foods such as Bacon and Burgers that are basically what your hayburgers and fried hay bacon is, but with meat." Pyro explained.

"I see." Fluttershy said, writing down the details for future inventory. "Well, in Ponyville, whether high society or not, everyone gets access to good food equally. No status barriers exist in our land."

"Well, it's good to see that we have some similarities between the both of us. Now, I must be off to the market. Night Fury is heading to Canterlot for the finest glasses, mason jars, and a pitcher while I grab the fruits here." Pyro said. Fluttershy nodded in understanding.

"Of course, you have a schedule to keep and I won't delay you any further. It was a pleasure meeting you." Fluttershy said.

"You too." Pyro said. "I'm glad you can be open to even someone like me."

Fluttershy smiled. "Well, you're making progress. And for me that's what matters. Besides between my younger brother and Discord, you are an angel in comparison."

"Thanks. Farewell." Pyro said as she went her way. She could not wait to taste the fish. But she didn't want to stuff herself yet until her job was finished.

–

Somewhere in Canterlot…

Fury was zipping around the shopping district of the city in search of his new pitcher and glasses. Looking around, he saw dress shops, horseshoe polishing stores and many other establishments. But only one caught his attention.

"Sharp Edge's Glass and Jar Emporium, bingo!" He entered the shop and noticed all of the glasses and jars. Each jar had a variety of patterns on them, with scenery from Canterlot history to animals found in the gardens. He knew that glass took a long time to make and even longer to shape into the desired item, so he took his time. Luckily, the jars and glasses came in cases of 16, so he wouldn't have to buy them individually.

"Wow, this place has got the works. Look at all of these beautiful designs." He said, admiring the large catalog of glass at his disposal. But then, a new problem arose.

"Aw scrap heaps, how am I gonna carry all of this back home? I can't run it all the way because I'd be bumping all over the place, a train ride is out of the question for the same reason, I can't fly them back because I've never flown with a load before. And worst of all, those bits I used for the drinks were all I could carry with me. How am I gonna get what I need for tonight?" Fury frantically looked at the shelves around him, his mind imagining them closing in and pressuring him into a state of panic.

But then, a strange feeling blew over him. Additionally, a pair of wings covered his eyes, but they weren't the same. One was smaller and blue while the other was much larger and white.

"Greetings stranger. We shall restore your sight, if you may guess who we are. You have only one chance or you shall suffer our wrath."

Fury smiled at this. "Yeah, yeah, I know who you are. Tia and Moonpie. Don't think your deeper voices will trick me."

Once Fury made his guess, the wings covering his eyes were removed and he got a kiss from the one on his left.

"Hello Lightning Bug, it's nice to see you again." Luna said sweetly.

"Of course it is. And don't think I forgot about you, Tia. It's always good to see you close by." Celesia giggled at the words of the feline ambassador and hugged him.

"Well, it's nice to see you too. Now, might I ask what your predicament is with these fine works of craftsponyship?" Celesia asked.

"Well, I just caught a train back from the Crystal Empire after grabbing some stuff to make drinks tonight and I need to pick up some mason jars, glasses and a pitcher for everyone who's coming. My problem is I don't have a way to get them back home without risking cracks and I used all the bits I was able to carry with me on the drinks. Boy, Equestrian alcoholic drinks are high hitters." Fury said, opening his saddlebags to give the two sisters a better view of what he got.

"Buck Daniels, Coconut Rum, Peach Schnapps, Sweet and Sour, Blue Caraçao… you got some of the best out here. Some of these go as far back as when our mother raised us." Luna said, her elder sister nodding in agreement.

"Preparing for a special occasion, are we?" Celestia asked.

"You bet, got some guests I invited coming over to experience some of my culture's drinks. Whether tropical or high society, they're gonna get what I can give. But again, the bits I used for the drinks drained my pockets like a bathtub."

"Oh, why don't you reach into the supplement fund we gave you?" Luna asked him. All she was met with was a quirked eyebrow and a flopped ear.

"The supplement what, now?" Fury responded, confused at this fund he was never made aware of.

"You really don't know? Every month, in mine and Celestia's names, we give you monthly supplements of money to pay for some important medicines, potions, basic necessities, bills and other things. Has there not been a letter given to you informing you of such a fund?" The lunar princess continued.

"I didn't even know it existed until now, let alone how much I'm getting. I haven't even been to a bank at all from the time I got here!"

The two princesses were dumbfounded at this revelation.

"Don't you remember the message we sent you about this? This was three weeks ago!" Celesia asked with both worry and frustration.

"What message? Trust me, I would have known if such a thing was delivered to me. Especially if Derpy was handling it, she would have made it obvious with another dent in my mailbox! Bless her innocent soul." Fury sighed, wishing the cross-eyed pegasus well.

"Well, we cannot just let this go unmended!" Luna said. "We gave you access to this account months ago so you might be prepared for future threats to yourself! This must be the folly of a lousy accountant."

"I agree, sister. We must rectify this issue with haste." Celesia added, turning to the black feline. "Come, Night Fury. We can settle this dispute at Canterlot Central Bank, they have access to all accounts made by ponies in the city. Especially supplement funds signed by royalty."

"Right behind ya. And Luna, please try and not make a scene. We don't need the papers getting wind and making blasphemous rumors about our relationship." Fury warned.

The blue alicorn blushed at the idea of others being involved in what she considered private. "Good point. We will do it professionally and not with passion."

–

Soon, at Canterlot Central Bank…

It was an average day at the bank. For such a mundane structure, it was surely marvelous to behold with its columns, sculptures of the bankers' who owned it and stained glass windows. But it was not enough to remove the fact it was a run of the mill day of business.

"Here is your check, ma'am. Next!" said a banker.

The banker's eyes were surprised at the sight of the Royal Sisters themselves. What were they here for? For a reward perhaps? For severe punishment? He tried to be as suave as possible.

"Your Royal Highnesses, you have graced me with your presence. How may I be of service?" The banker asked, sounding as professional as ever.

"Greetings subject, we have come to address an issue with one of our allied dignitaries and a fund we made in our names." Luna stated.

"Oh? Who would this fine figure of society be?" The two sisters split from each other and the ambassador walked up from between them.

"That would be me." Fury said with a slight look of annoyance.

"Oh… I see." The banker said with less professionalism than with the previous two. "So, what do you need, sir?"

"Well, the thing is, I apparently have some sort of account for monthly supplements made in their majesty's names that I was supposed to be made aware of weeks ago. A letter was supposed to be delivered to my address notifying me of my access to this account and how much I am given each month, but such a document has yet to arrive at my doorstep." Fury said, adorning his poker face and strong tone.

"Hmmm? Are you sure you're not mistaken? I think our bank would know if a problem was made. We do have standards. Kings relied on us. Have you not considered you are the one to make a mistake? Now if you excuse me, we have better things to do. Thank you."

"Well, it seems those so-called 'Standards' are slipping through the cracks." Fury said, then getting closer to the banker. "Now, I'm going to make this clear and concise. I may not be royalty like the two next to me, but I do have the power to make your life more painful than the depths of Tartarus itself. You think I didn't notice that change of tone you had upon seeing me? Yeah, I know you think I'm lower than them and not to mention all the other customers aren't posh and elite, but that's not important. What should be important is that you should be considering yourself lucky that I'm not making a scene."

"So, whether you see me as lower than your beloved princesses, not worthy of an ambassador, or even just some lowlife street cat… know this. I have just as much authority to drag your career through the mud as these two. So, shall we get to solving the current issue or are we going to have to make another one that would be much… more… painful?"

"Eeeeee!" He gave an unstallionlike squeal. "W-w-well, um…" He looked to both princesses for some sign of relief.

"I suggest you keep your eyes on the one who has addressed you, we have no value in this conversation." Luna said, taking on a much similar attitude to the ambassador.

"Well… I c-can have you s-s-speak with the accountant responsible f-for the maintaining of this f-fund." He stammered.

"Good. Now all you have to do is give us the office number." Fury said in a snarling whisper. The banker hastily wrote it down for Night Fury and passed it over, shrinking just that little bit more behind his desk.

"Well done, you managed to keep yourself alive. Now, in my professional opinion, I suggest you take the rest of the day off. And don't come back… or else I might consider an early dinner." Fury growled.

"But, but, but! I've been an employee for 20 years! I've served clients with due diligence-"

"Did I ask for your life story, peasant? No? That's what I thought. Now make yourself scarce before I plate you, curl your tail and stuff an apple in your muzzle."

"Okay okay I'm going n-now! It was a pleasure meeting you all! Bye! Ahhhhhh!!!" He said running out the beautiful building as fast as possible with all the other clients looking on. Fury then let out a much needed breath, releasing a built up charge he didn't know he had stocked up.

It was a bit of an awkward silence. But then. The crowd applauded and even cheered.

"Yeah! You showed him!" said one old stallion.

"He would not give me money when I was wounded from factory work!"

"That grump was a pain in our flanks for months! You have done us a service, ambassador!" Chirped a young mare.

Fury felt a tinge of satisfaction. Nothing more satisfying than putting down unfair ponies who think they can get away with anything they want.

"Thank you! Thank you! Remember, no matter how great and cool they are, just know that you don't have to take their trash. You have your own self worth to maintain." Fury said to them, turning back to the royalty next to him.

"Okay, office number 28. Now let's hurry before I have to start signing autographs." Fury chuckled.

"Indeed." Luna said gleefully as they kept walking. "Although I hope you don't mind me finding your challenge to him… appealing."

"Not in the slightest, sweetheart. For you, I can do that any day." The three of them walked down the hall towards the office they were looking for, the door being marked in bold golden font.

Office 28: Solid Bond

"Huh, Solid Bond must be who's in charge of the fund." Fury hypothesized, giving a light knock to signify their arrival.

"Hold on, hold on, I'm coming!"

The door opened revealing a middle aged, slightly plump earth pony stallion with a tie. He looked quite tired like he just woke up from sleep.

"Ah hello, Ambassador, it looks like you need something from me right? Well, what can I do for you?" Solid Bond greeted.

"Ah finally, somepony with respect." Fury sighed, straightening himself up. "Well, I've come to settle an error. I was meant to be made aware of the supplement fund these two made in their name with a letter. But, that letter has yet to arrive after three weeks." Night Fury explained, gesturing to the royal sisters behind him.

Solid Bond nodded. "I see! I see! Well, sorry that happened. Come inside and we'll get this whole mess sorted out."

They went to a table and with a new document authorizing the royal fund for supplements. The banker told him where to sign. The princesses also signed and stamped their signet horseshoes to confirm the deal.

"Well, there we go! You are all clear to have money sent to you as per the deal the princesses agreed upon." Solid Bond said.

"Nice. Now, how about a withdrawal from that fund, shall we?"

Solid Bond proceeded to give him a card. It stated in any part of Equestria, he would be able to make purchases on items and the charges would be made to the account in his name. Night Fury felt satisfied with his new card and gave Solid Bond a firm hoofshake before leaving with the princesses.

"Alright, I've got access to the fund and this beautiful card to boot. Now comes the next problem, how in Equestria am I getting all of these glasses back home?" Fury asked aloud.

"Can you not just run them home?" Luna asked.

"Too bumpy, would most likely lead to cracks."

"A train ride would be safer, perhaps buying a ticket would suffice?" Celesia proposed.

"Same thing. To be honest, I don't exactly trust the Equestrian rail system just yet. I know for a fact how bumpy it can get."

"Flying?" Both sisters offered.

"Never flown with a load before. And besides, I'm still trying to work on my wing strength as is." Fury said. As they walked back to the glass shop, they all thought hard about what would be a sufficient way to return the merchandise safely to his home.

They pondered on for a little while. But Celestia's eyes brightened. Perhaps through the princesses' help will he be able to travel.

"How about we try teleportation? With me and Luna's powers combined we can send you back to Ponyville." Celestia proposed.

"Can you two really do that from that long of a way?" Fury asked.

"We are alicorns, Lightning Bug. Our power can do just about anything we command it to. A simple teleportation spell is magic kindergarten levels of easy." Luna said confidently.

"Well, if that's the case, why don't the two of you stick around for the drinks? I promise you, it'll be great." The two sisters looked at each other and gave a smile before speaking.

"There is nothing quite like a good drink to celebrate a victory. So why not?" Celestia concurred.

"Agreed. After a long day, I could use one." Luna agreed.

And with that, Night Fury and the princesses bought the glasses and pitcher required, closed their eyes and focused their energies. Since it was a far distance they had to use a bit more magic than usual. But combined, they all finally managed to warp out of Canterlot and into their destination, Ponyville.

-

As of now, Pyro felt more comfortable walking through Ponyville. She didn't feel as alien as before. She had a pep in her step as she walked from the market to her next target. She had even taken Fluttershy's advice and said hello to a couple of ponies. She was surprised to see how many actually responded with positive feedback.

"Okay, next stop is an earth pony violinist named Octavia Melody. Night Fury said she would need her cello back, so I might as well make a pitstop to drop off everything I've gotten so far while I'm there handling that."

When Pyro finally reached the villa, she was starting to get a bit worn out. Ponyville was larger than she had expected. Certainly larger and more developed than the camp she used to live in. She was looking forward to finally finding out what Fury had in store.

But she had no time to think of those things. She had to be ready for her musical guest to come over. Moving the cart close to the front door, she uncoupled from it and opened the tailgate. While she wasn't as strong as Night Fury, she could still carry a little for her size. Taking the cases of cider first, she hauled them inside on her back and placed them in the double door refrigerator that had plenty of space for them.

Once she returned for the fish and fruit, a mix of blue and yellow light flashed in front of her. Holding her paw up for a moment, she protected her vision before seeing the royal sisters and Night Fury with a load of glasses and a new pitcher/glass serving tub with a spigot on one side.

"Pyro, you're back! You get what I asked?" Fury asked, walking up to her.

"Just about. I decided to make a pitstop to drop off what I had before Octavia arrived." Pyro said. She then took notice of the crates of mason jars and glasses along with the saddle bag full of drinks.

"I see you've got your end of the deal?" Pyro asked.

"Sure did. It took me a bit of effort to get it all done, but we eventually got it done. C'mon, I'll help you get everything inside." Fury offered, grabbing some of the fish.

"Thanks."

They slowly took the delicate decorated glassware and the fish inside, placing everything here it should be. Night Fury took it upon himself to quickly and carefully sort out the mason jars and glasses on the counter behind him while placing the pitcher on the marble island in the middle.

"Aaaaand there! Now we've got glasses galore. Okay, now all we need is the fruits, berries and the ice." Fury said, taking off his saddlebags and giving his back a loud crack.

"Oh my! You have to be careful with that!" Celestia said. "We do not want this precious load to go to waste."

"I'll have to agree. It sounds like your back is crying out for help." Luna added.

"Yeah I guess being a carrier of all this stuff did not please my back!" Fury said, rubbing his spine.

They placed various fruits on the marble counter that were already in the fridge, some from the jungle like papayas and dragonfruit and others around Ponyville like apples, strawberries and pineapples.

"Finally, we finished off with that! We can make our drinks now!" Fury said with excitement. But his spine gave him something else to deal with as it popped.

"Oooookay, maybe something else has to take priority first." Fury moaned, his tail kinking at the feeling of his back cracking.

His three companions slowly laid him on the ground. They could feel his back all tensed up.

"Maybe you should take a break." Pyro suggested. "Maybe just lie on the couch until then."

"What? No no, it's probably just a bit of weight letting up. All I have to do is streeeeetch it-" As he tried to stretch out what he thought was his back just readjusting from the weight, another deafening crackle sounded off and his muscles froze up.

"Oh boy." Fury deadpanned at his frozen body. "Aaaaand my body just seized up. Great."

Pyro felt bad for the Speed Shifter. He was doing all of this work, even going to the Crystal Empire to prepare. The reports she had of him when she was still a Shadow Shifter was that he was laid back and a little immature. But she now saw he was also hard working for the things that mattered to him. She really wanted to help this young shifter.

"Now listen, young one, you go relax this instant. I will take care of all the other preparations for this party. Once I get done with Octavia, the ice and more fruit supplies, then I'll make sure the feast is set up. Does that sound good?" Pyro asked.

"Ugh, fine. Just get me to the couch and- Ack! Ohhh sweet mothers of Equestria and the Emperor." He moaned.

"Easy, Night Fury, just let us handle getting this handled and while you let your back rework itself." Celestia said.

"Okay… Well you know where to find Octavia right?" Fury asked.

"Yep. And I'm going there now." Then Pyro turned to the two princesses. "Are you two coming with me?"

"I will remain to care for my love and allow entry to the guests as they arrive, my sister shall accompany you to the violinist's home. Otherwise, I shall treat my poor baby to a massage." Luna said, stroking his cheek.

Pyro giggled at this. Even a fierce warrior like him had a soft side to him.

"Well, we shall leave you to your private time. Come Pyro, let us rectify this misplaced cello." Celesia said, floating the musical instrument up as they both gave their farewells and went to give the cello to its owner.

–

A few minutes later…

"Ack! Oh boy! A little bit to the- Oof, there it is!" Fury was now being treated to the best massage Luna could offer. Her hooves trailed up and down his tense body as she knocked the muscles loose and gave him some movement back little by little.

"I hope this doesn't make things more complicated than before, my love. I may have some experience with romantic gestures, but a masseuse I am not." Luna said, grabbing some of the oil she had procured on the table and going to work.

"Don't worry, sweetie. You're doing great! It wouldn't be a massage if you didn't get a little rough around the tighter spaces." Fury said, his face contorting as she pushed and dislocated any aches. Then came a knock at the door.

"I shall go answer it. Do not move." Luna said, rising from her spot behind Fury's seating.

"It's not like I can do much anyway." Luna giggled at that. She soon came to the door and opened it, revealing her niece and her husband.

"Oh, Auntie Luna. I didn't expect you to be here." Cadence said, a bit surprised.

"Oh, I'm just helping out. Please, come in." The crystal couple entered Fury's villa. Making their way through the hall and into the main living room, they saw Fury's motionless but conscious body lying there on the couch.

"Oh, hey you two. Glad to see you could make it! Aww, sweet mother nature." Fury groaned, his face contorting as his back reminded him of his condition.

"Uh… what happened to him?" Shining Armor asked.

"The poor thing put his back under too much stress and now his body has locked up. I have taken it upon myself to restore his motor function." Luna explained.

Shining Armor shuddered. "Ugh. I know how that feels. Just like I first had to carry a large package during training. It was miserable. At least you got to see Luna. I wasn't allowed to see anyone except for a few days off."

"Oh trust me, I am suffering through something all right. Maybe carrying all of those drinks was a bad idea, but I had to get it done. Boy, my back is seriously being a pain in my tail! Ahahawwww…" Fury whimpered, looking less like his confident self and more like a wounded puppy.

Luna caressed him softly. "Shhhhhh, be calm my love. Let all your pain fade away, it doesn't matter…"

"How can it not matter? I feel like a gorilla used me as its throne."

"Simple, by this." Luna held his aching back muscles.

"Hey, what are you… Oooooooohhhhhh!" Luna squeezed tightly with all the might of an earth pony farmer.

He felt pain at first but then came the feeling of relief. He felt at ease and even purred.

"Ohhh, that's doing it. Just one more knot right in the center, give it the best kick you've got." Fury said calmly.

Luna smiled at this. "Very well, I shall give it the force of all my power invested in me!"

She struck his knot with as much force she could without breaking anything. A single loud pop was heard in the room before Fury stretched out and sighed with contentment.

"Ahhhh, that's more like it! Limber and loose. Whew, so much better." Fury said, stretching his limbs. "And yet, I still feel like I need something more. Not massages but something else."

Fury thought about it for a little, looking around, and his eyes gazed upon the mason jar.

"Okay Luna, I think I'm in good enough shape to get started. I've got something in mind for a beginner." Fury said, tilting his head over to the mason jars.

"Oh? And what can the brilliant mind of my Lightning Bug have in store for us?" Luna cooed.

"It's called Blue Destruction. Found this one out from my mom when she came back home a liiiittle tipsy. If you would follow me…"

Fury got out a lemon and quickly sliced it into wheels with his claws, simultaneously using his tail to snatch up some of the drinks he was keeping in the fridge.

"Okay, this one is made up of four drinks. Simple, right? But heads up, if you plan on sharing this drink, make sure it's with the friends who know their limits because this is not for lightweights. I learned that the hard way with my friend Jade." Fury warned the two princesses and the unicorn stallion, all giving understanding nods.

"Okay, so first I'll fill up these jars with a bit of the ice I had in the fridge and some lemon wheels." He proceeded to fill up four mason jars with the listed items for each of them.

"Next, I put in 4 oz of plain vodka…" Grabbing the bottle of clear liquid, he poured the right amount into each jar.

"Next, I put in 4 oz of tequila, what the ancient sages called 'The nectar of the Gods'…" He grabbed a slightly smaller bottle and poured that in. "Trust me when I say, this drink will hit harder than Mike Trotson because it'll definitely take you to dreamland."

He took a step back and went under the island to grab a bottle of blue curaçao. "Then, in goes 2 oz of Blue Curaçao. This'll 1: Give the drink its color. And 2: dye down the taste of the vodka and tequila so it doesn't taste like you're drinking rubbing alcohol. Yuck!" He said in disgust.

Then, he pulled out four metal straws and brought out a familiar yellow drink. "Lastly, you top all of it off with some lemonade, add the straws, give it a good stir…"

He snapped his claws and a line of electricity mixed the drinks for him, spinning the straws with it.

"Garnish with some lemon wheels and badda bing badda boom, you've got yourself four servings of Blue Destruction! Cheers, my friends."

All of them looked in amazement. What was this mysterious concoction? Shining Armor tried to play it cool though.

"Okay, me and my stallions have quite a bit of drinks after training. Quite intense I'll admit. Can yours challenge those drinks and knock our socks off?"

Fury liked the sound of this and laughed. "Oh you shall see, Shining. You shall see. Heh heh. Drink on and see if you can withstand it." He said, sliding the glasses to each of his guests. They all took their respective jars and took a hearty sip. Cadence and Luna's eyes popped open in surprise while Shining Armor gave him a raised eyebrow and a satisfied nod of approval.

"Ha ha you see, ye of little faith? Now you know true taste! The taste of our people's drink!"

Cadence nodded in approval. "Not me. I knew it would be good. Shining just likes to be competitive."

"Hey, I was just trying to test the drink! It's a big deal to our military spirit!" Shining defended himself. "In moderation, of course." He swiftly added for disclaimer.

"Oh please, nephew, you are just being stubborn." Luna said. "I believe Night Fury has done a terrific job at serving his people's pride and joy."

Fury smiled as the praise from all around. He was glad he could do his kind a service by showing them his culture. He was about to repay their kindness when a yellow flash popped in behind them.

"We're back!" Pyro exclaimed, both her and Celestia carrying a few bags. "By the way, Octavia and her roommate will be joining us tonight. We also retrieved the extra ice, fruits and that shaker you requested."

"Perfect, just set them up on the counter behind me…"

Knock knock knock…

"While I go and welcome our first round of guests." Pyro and Celestia nodded as Fury took to the front door to allow them inside. Opening the door, he saw not only Octavia and Vinyl, but a familiar cream colored alicorn.

"Octavia, DJ Pon3, glad you could make it! And… Lauren!? You're here too? How'd you know?" Fury asked, a bit confused.

"Cadence told me about how a certain someone was ready to have a fun time with games and many foods and drinks. I'm always curious for more fun times from you. It gives me inspiration for my own stories." Faust said with a smirk.

"No surprise there. Cadence always came off as a bit of a blabbermouth."

"Hey, I heard that!" The pink alicorn shouted from inside, getting a chuckle from Fury.

"Anyway, you came to the right villa. Come on in, the couch is free if you so choose."

Faust, Octavia and DJ Pon3 walked right in. Closing the door, Fury went back into the kitchen where he made another three Blue Destructions for them before getting called to the front door once more and meeting the face of the unicorn fashionista of Ponyville.

"Wow, didn't expect you to show up, Rarity. I honestly thought you would have skipped out on such a 'Uncouth' and 'Uncivilized' party of ridiculous drinking." Fury snickered.

"I'm not always that way. Besides, my presence can help mellow out the mood. And of course, to admire the decorations." Rarity said.

"Of course you would." Fury sighed, chuckling. "Anyway, step into the kitchen. I'll see if I can whip something up for ya that gives you that very dignified satisfaction." The snow white unicorn rolled her eyes with a smile and walked inside. Greeting the royalty and guests already there, she stepped up to the island where Fury had set up.

"So Rarity, what kind of drink do you fancy tonight?" He asked.

"Hmmm, perhaps some wine!"

"Would fit you." Fury deadpanned.

"Hmph, very funny!" Rarity rebuffed. "Um… maybe some champagne, or tequila, or-"

"Yawn!" Fury said. "None of that normal boring stuff in my house. In this place, we got this!"

Fury pulled out a curved pitcher, a golden bottle with a pink ring around the neck, a bottle of Pinot Grigio, a lemon and a cup.

Rarity's jaw dropped. It looked simply divine.

"How fabulous! I could almost faint!"

"Well don't just do that just yet, I'll give you a real drink first. Pink Lemonade Sangria!" Fury announced. "First, I'll slice this lemon for some lemon wheels."

He chopped the lemon up into wheels right before her eyes and placed some into the pitcher with some ice. Then, he pulled out a filled measuring cup.

"After that, I put in a full cup of lemon juice." He let the yellow liquid flow into the pitcher with ease before rinsing it out and going under the island to pour in something else.

"Next, I pour in a full cup of Simple Syrup. And when I mean simple, I mean it. It's literally just a complex mix of sugar and water." The clear liquid was added into the pitcher, splashing against the lemon juice inside before setting. He then popped open the golden bottle and poured out a pink liquid.

"Then, I add a full bottle of pink lemonade vodka. Got this one from a friend back home. Says this stuff is like the liquid gold of high society for my village, so I hope it does something."

"High society?" Rarity smiled. "You really are speaking my language today, darling. By Celestia, I must drink that!"

"Go on ahead. It's not too strong, especially for a newcomer like you." Fury said, trying to resist a smirk. "And lastly, a full bottle of Pinot Grigio. This one should really add to the kick of this drink."

Once he was done, he stirred the drink and poured it into the cup with some added ice and a lemon wheel for garnish. "And there you go, Pink Lemonade Sangria. Have a sip."

"Don't mind if I do." Rarity said. "Cheers."

Rarity expected a nice drink. Contrary to what Fury thought she could handle alcohol, she wasn't the lightweight he thought she was. So she drank a sip of it elegantly with her eyes closed. Then her eyes opened.

"Whoa!" Rarity said a bit inelegantly. "You did not tell me it was going to be this strong! My goodness!"

"We Speed Shifters have a bit stronger palettes, so we add a bit stronger drinks to our menus. Regardless, we have our ways. Welcome to the Speed Shifter world."

"I see. I see. It is for sure quite a treat!" Rarity said. "Though you could have told me its strength first." She said pouting.

"Nah, your reactions are too hilarious. You amuse me." Fury said.

"So much for Cadence making you into a gentlecolt." Rarity muttered.

"Oh come on, you know as well as I do that if I truly was converted to be more proper and have some etiquette, you wouldn't like me as much. It would basically be like looking in a mirror and seeing a version of you that just seems off, don't you think?"

Rarity had to concur, especially considering her other friends like Rainbow Dash. "Fair enough. Fair enough. I guess that just adds to the excitement."

"There ya go, now you're seeing it." Fury said. Then there was another knock at the door. He went to see who had arrived and was met with the rest of the Mane Six.

"Twilight, girls, good to see ya! Wait… Fluttershy, you do know we're drinking here, right?" Fury asked cautiously.

"Yes, I do. I don't mind a good beverage."

"No sweetheart, I mean we're 'drinking' drinking." Fury repeated.

"Yes, I know what that type of drinking is. I thought otherwise at first, but I did want to spend more time with Pyro and friends. Besides, I may be a bit meek, but I don't mind a bit of drinking. Especially with familiar friends." Fluttershy said.

Night Fury was a bit thrown off by Fluttershy's very casual demeanor towards alcohol, but he let it slide. He's seen weirder after all.

"Okay, no problem. After all, as they say, the more the merrier! Come on in guys, I'll get something going for ya." Inviting his close friends inside, he directed them to the kitchen. But before he closed the door, he saw two more familiar faces rolling in.

"Mom, Dad, is that you?"

"No, it's your old neighbors." Obsidian said.

"Ha ha. Okay, whatever you say. What brings you two here? Is it the new exotic goods or something?" Fury wondered.

"Word of my personal favorite drinks being served have been going around town for a while. You wouldn't happen to know of such a thing, do you, sweetie?" Black Ice asked.

"I guess word really does pick up quickly around here. Yep! I have made your very special drinks in my house. Introducing the pony newbies to our special drinks. You should have seen their faces!" Fury said.

"I can only assume how amusing that looked to you." Black Ice rolled her eyes at her son's humor.

"Nope! Not me! Just making a neutral serious observation!" He said with a big smile. "Anyway, you guys definitely didn't show up for nothing. Come on in, I'm just about to make the next one."

They walked inside and Fury invited them into his drink making domain.

"What will it be?" Obsidian asked

"Why none other than the legend itself. The Blue Dream Jungle Juice!" Fury said.

Obsidian was shocked while Black Ice simply scratched her ear.

"That recipe? Oh that is a good one. But can you really make that, boy? There's no shame in going for something more beginner friendly."

"Nope! I am Night Fury! My challenges are not just in warfare but in party fare too. I am ready for the challenge."

"We will see, my son." Black Ice said. "Let's see if you can back up your words to make my drink to my high standards."

"Oh don't worry, I will. Especially now that I bought this pitcher to hold it all. It's even got a tap for serving multiple cups! I've been planning this out for hours."

Then Fury got all the ingredients needed for this next venture. First was the fruit

"So we add in some pineapple. Hold on."

He threw the pineapple in the air, diced it into cubes and swiftly threw them into the jar.

"But that's just the beginning!" He said as he got out two bottles of vodka. One of whipped cream and the other of blue raspberry.

"Whipped Cream Vodka? Didn't know that was a thing." Obsidian said. "Ponies sure have strange stuff."

"Me neither, but we're using the whole thing!" Fury then cracked open the bottle, pulled out a small piece of plastic, and dumped the contents.

"Next, you see we have this plastic flow regulator. Or as I've heard Cadence call it, The Fun Stopper." Fury said, shooting a glance at the pink princess with her aunts and great aunt.

Cadence looked at him and what he was doing. "Yep, makes sure all my guests don't go all out."

"Well, guess what? No stopping the fun today. By the way, this isn't for lightweights. So be ready to start a buddy system if you plan on making it home tonight." He said, pulling out the fun stoppers.

"You better have a really good buddy for this one. If you don't want another traintalk incident" Cadence said.

"No doubt about that. By the way, Twilight, I have no idea what I was talking about with that leprechaun talk. I must have been wasted!"

"Oh trust me, you were out of it alright." Twilight said, feeling a bit of pain spark up in her head. Fury blushed and went back to making the drink, dumping the Blue Raspberry Vodka in as well.

"Alright, next step! I had to prepare overnight for this one! Fresh pressed pineapple juice!" He poured said item into the mix.

"A cup of lovely Blue Curaçao to give it the signature color, because I'd look stupid if I was making Blue Dream and it was yellow. I haven't flunked school that bad."

"That's all- Oh wait, a bit of pop to finish it off!" Fury said, pulling out a two liter bottle of clear soda. But it was a little different from what he usually had.

"Sugar free?" Obsidian said, surprised. "That doesn't sound like you, kid."

"Twilight said I had to cut down on the sugar. She was pretty persistent in that. She wouldn't help me with the party otherwise." He said looking at Twilight who blackmailed him.

"You were very smart for using moderation." She said with a smirk.

"Oh stuff it, egghead. As if your hayburger binges have been that much of a secret, ya hypocrite."

"Oof, burn." Shining said with Cadence nodding.

"Touché. You win this round." Twilight said, a bit embarrassed.

Fury then proceeded with his final touches. "And now with all this, we stir it all up." He said mixing the contents ultra fast. He then got some mason jars and went to the fridge to get some ice.

"Then all that's left is to grab something to keep it cool! Pour it up…" He turned the handle on the tap and filled the jars up.

"Garnish with some pineapple cubes and voila! Blue Dream Jungle Juice! Have at it, guys!"

"Whoa, that looks…" Cadence trailed off.

"Utterly divine!" Rarity finished.

They all took the cups.

"Wait! I shall see for myself if my son has succeeded in carrying out my culinary teachings. Are you prepared for my judgment?" Fury's mother asked.

"Fair judgment? Probably not. Blasphemous critiques and biased input from a life of stuck up, snooty ancestors? Yes." Fury said. "But whatever the case, I am fairly confident that I will please your tongue. If not, I'll let you stay in my house for a whole week and organize it how you want!"

"Fair deal! I can finally put all my favorite magazines in your room and put those tacky posters of book and comic heroes in the trash. Better influence I say."

"Son, are you mad?!" Obsidian asked. "Do you know what you're getting yourself into?!"

"Not just mad… I'm crazy!" Fury called out with crossed eyes and a laugh. Then he looked to his mother as he grabbed his drink. "Well mom, bottoms up."

"Very well. Cheers!"

She and everyone else clinked drinks before taking a hardy sip of Night Fury's making. Slowly but surely.

Fury had a confident look although he did have a part of him that was scared that his fussy mother would tell him it was not worthy. He did not want his mom's interior design.

Please think it's good. Please think it's good.

His mother finally finished her drink. Black Ice took a moment to take in the flavor, licking her lips and developing her response carefully. With a final sigh, she spoke.

"I have to admit… I didn't think someone could do something like this."

Oh great, I'm doomed. Bye bye Daring Do posters.

…

"This drink… is one of the most fun and exciting things I've ever had the fortune of sipping on!" Black Ice said in a voice resembling Pinkie's excitement.

"It's all over for me- Wait?! Really? You love it that much?"

"Son, I never thought I would have someone who could make these concoctions like me. I lost hope thinking I would pass away with no one to carry it on." She said. "But then I drank this. And now I'm a believer. Congratulations."

Fury then turned from surprise to glee. "Awww yeah! Fury's got it! So much for underestimating me, huh?"

"Perhaps, but I still reserve my excitement in your efforts to make me lose my composure." Black Ice said, brushing off her previous joyful outburst.

"Oh don't be so snooty, you know you have a thing for tropical drinks." Fury said. Then his doorbell rang.

"How many ponies are coming to check this out?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"That isn't another set of guests, RD. That's the pizza I ordered! Hey Cadence, you remember that vendor we endorsed back in Canterlot? Well, that little stunt got him some major funding and gave him the ability to go delivery!"

Cadence smiled. "Nice. Good deeds give good rewards, after all."

"You bet it!" Fury said, racing to the door to welcome the pizza.

"Peppino! Good to see you got an upgrade from the festival."

"Yep, you-a betcha! You and her-a highness' taste test gave me the means to start up some-a stores. I call it 'Peppino's Pizza Planet'." The chef said, showing off the logo on the pizza boxes.

"That's very good." Celestia said. "Canterlot is far happier with your disc of pleasure."

"And like-a my brand says-a, pizza shall spread not just in Canterlot but the whole planet-a!" Peppino said with glee. "But enough about-a the future. Time for the present!"

He opened the box to unleash a whole smell of goodness.

"Whoa!" Everyone looked on at the disc filled with cheese, mushrooms, olives, peppers and tomato sauce.

"Peppino, I've got a feeling you're gonna have a business to last a lifetime." Fury said, sniffing at the pizza. "Hoo, that's good. C'mon guys, let's grab these pizzas and chow down!"

They all took the pizzas and partook in eating them. Some in a civilized manner like Black Ice and Rarity and others very messy like Rainbow and Fury. But above all others, Cadence ate three slices of pizza of rapid succession. It was like a warzone of feasting there.

"Heh, Celestia was right. You and I aren't so different when it comes to our appetites, Cady." Fury chuckled, tearing into a slice with his fangs.

"Well… I think it's the cheese. I love cheese! I once went to a dairy farm to help out a love problem and I ended up falling in love with cheese. And now I have a whole bunch of it with mushrooms too!" She said as she got another bite.

"Eh, for me, it's the tomato sauce. It feels rich and smooth… like the blood of my enemies." Fury snarled, getting a worried look from the pink alicorn who was mid munch.

"Kidding! Sheesh, you ponies are jumpy." He chuckled, Cadence rolling her eyes.

"Got room for one more?" Fury looked over and saw Pyro walking in.

"Grab a seat, Pyro. You've earned it, bring all the stuff here!" Fury smiled, inviting her into an open spot next to him on the couch.

"Thank you." Pyro said. "That is some nice red sauce." She said, licking her lips.

"And you have good taste too!"

"It reminds me of blood…" She said darkly. There was another bit of an awkward silence. Fury cringed. She was still not used to living with ponies.

"Awwww good one, Pyro!" He said, getting her out of this situation. "But I also like the shape of it and how there is so much of it!"

"I agree, the amount of variety is amazing! You're telling me that you and Princess Cadence made this popular?" She asked, grabbing a slice for herself.

"Oh yeah, totally! Just a simple taste test can go a long way!" Fury replied, sipping on an extra Blue Dream he made for himself.

The group of Mane Six, Princesses, Speed Shifters and other guests made this a delightful party.

For Pyro, it was a little awkward at first adapting to pony etiquette, but she found them pleasant. And Rainbow Dash proved how not all ponies were the soft cute ponies she thought they were.

For Fury, he was quite happy for the feast. Although he did have a close call with overdrinking but luckily, his buddy for the moment was Cadence. And she was much more adept at keeping him in line. He was also happy that Pyro was starting to adjust to her new life, making friends and generally becoming more accustomed to living in Equestria.

With all of this in mind, Fury thought to himself what would come next. Would Pyro get to live her own life sooner than expected? Would he have to deal with more trouble soon, especially from the Shadow Shifters? Was he in the clear for the moment? What about his trip back home to make peace? Whatever he was thinking, it was all at the end of the tracks for now as he decided to focus on the present. A present that was better than anything he could have asked for in a million years.