//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 - Moon Cloud's Mystery Dinner 
// Story: Bucky's New Year 
// by Yosh-E-O 
//------------------------------//

*** 5 ***

“So where are all the presents?” asked one of the children.  “I can’t wait to see what you got, Bucky!”
“My mom and uncle tuck them away in my room,” he replied.  “They say, ‘Since all my toys get all over the floor, I might as well open my gifts in there.’.”
“So we’re going to open presents up in your room?” asked another guest.  “That’s new.”
“It’s great!” exclaimed a younger party-goer.  “We can see all of Bucky’s cool Backyard Brawlers stuff!”
The yellow-colored, birthday boy beamed.
“That’s right!” he proclaimed.  “You’ll all get to see where the master prepares himself for backyard brawling.”

***

Fall was speechless as everything Pint’s dad, Blissy, had put on her plate was better than anything she had since Pint’s birthday party.
“Well…?” asked Blissy with anticipation while hovering over Fall with a tray of seasoned hay fries.  “I see you gobbled up all my hay fries and thought you may like some more?”
“Yes, please,” replied Fall while gazing her sky-blue eyes up towards Blissy.
“You are just such a cutie!” he cooed while gently placing a hoof full of fries onto Fall’s plate.
“Can I have more, too!” another filly asked while holding out her plate.
“Me, too!” yet another asked.

Patches, Pint’s mom, nudged Touchdown, Pint’s uncle.
“Look at him eating this all up?” she asked.  “I’ll be hearing about this for weeks.”
“He has every reason to,” stated the dark-blue stallion.  “He ‘is’ the best cook in town.”
“That’s why I keep telling him to open his own restaurant,” stated Patches.  “He just keeps telling me he prefers cooking for friends than worrying about managing an operation like some sort of boss pony.”
“What if you were his ‘Boss Pony’?” asked Touchdown.
“Hmm,” thought the white-spotted, black Earth Pony.  “I’ll have to think about that.”

***

“Blissy?” asked Moon Cloud as the Pinto Unicorn entered into the kitchen.  “May I ask you something?”
“Sure,” he replied while straightening out the frilly apron he was wearing.  “If you’re wondering about the cake, I can ensure you it is beyond delicious.”
“No,” said Moon.  “Has Pint ever told you where he met Fall?  Where she lives?”
“This again,” sighed Blissy.  “You’re such a party pooper.”
“Just humor me,” persisted the Pegasus.
“Like I said before,” replied Blissy while preparing the cake to be served.  “Pint met Fall at the park.  She lives near the outskirts of town with her family who both work opposite shifts as Weather Pegasi.”
“That’s what Bucky and his family told me, too,” stated Moon Cloud.
“So…,” sighed Blissy while using his magic to carve the cake.  “I’m waiting for that ‘But…’ I know is coming.”
Moon Cloud scraped his hoof upon the floor.
“I just don’t understand what sort of parents would let their daughter just play with other children without ever taking any initiative to get to know either the kids she is playing with, or the parents of said children,” he stated.  “As they should have tonight off, being Weather Pegasi, I can’t help but wonder if they’re off being irresponsible while their foal is entrusted to, for all they know, complete strangers.”
“Pint’s never given me, nor Patches, any reason to think anything is wrong with Fall,” stated Blissy while levitating the cake in preparation to take it out for the Happy Birthday portion of the evening.  “My Pint is a good boy and a good judge of character.  If he isn’t worried, I’m not worried.”
“Maybe…,” said Moon under his breath while Blissy got every pony ready for cake and ice cream.  “But this doesn’t mean I can’t start doing some hard investigating myself.”