“Oh, you are back…” Grace muttered, her gave square on Party Favor’s brow. The stallion lowered his head, still weighed down by her previous insults. Grace took notice of Moon Dancer’s angry stare directed at her. “And what is your deal?”
Moon Dancer stood her ground, unshaken by the pegasus slightly taller than her. “My friend here has told me you said some unkind things to him. So, here I am, giving him aid.”
“Aid to what?” Grace grinned. “Your friend was a lousy comedian and was trying to hit on my sister with his stupid skit.” Out of view, Party Favor flushed, worried the theme of his skit would be revealed to the mares. “To think he could bring another pony and try to act tough for him.”
While the rest of her party has been great, Humble was displeased with how her sister was behaving. “Well, I thought his skit about mare’s accessories was quite humorous,” Humble defended. She winked at Party Favor, the stallion glad for the compliment, but shivered as the skit was about to bloom into view.
“How did the skit go?” Moon Dancer asked, her sentence vague to whom she was speaking to.
Memories tried to remind Humble Bundle the exact working, and only was able to summerize, “Party Favor’s humorous skit was him asking why when mares apply a simple accessory, such as my scarf, it increases attractiveness tenfold.” Humble couldn’t help but laugh, “And I wondered if I bought more accessories that would make me even more attractive.” A yellow hoof pointed at Moon Dancer, “Like your jacket and your glasses. You do look like the cute bookworm type with what you are wearing.”
Moon Dancer flushed, “I wasn’t expecting to be complimented by my lousy attire from a mare, but thank you.” Party Favor was glad his act was enjoyed to say the least and held a wider smile.
Of course, Grace was not entertained in the slightest, “I still think Party Favor is lousy at what he did and was trying to get more out of my sister than a simple payment.”
“I only addressed Humble’s scarf as a cute accessory,” Party Favor defended himself.
The orange mare stomped forward, her assertion heavy with intimidation. “I know how you stallions work, always trying to have your ways with other mares!” Humble tried to argue with her sister, but the birthday mare was not heard. “You just want to try and swoo mares with your words just so you can have them as a possession!” Grace gestured to the two ponies Party Favor brought along. “Case and point, here you brought two mares along with you. How low are you?”
Moon Dancer could no longer stand by and allow Party Favor to be heckled but the heckler. The cream mare stepped in front of the blue stallion, a bastion ready to hold ground. “And how would you know that?” Ammunition at the ready, Moon Dancer fired back an insult of her own. “Perhaps you are jealous you can’t get a stallion to compliment your wicked attitude.”
“Don’t think you can come here to my sister’s home and insult me!” Grace shouted.
Humble knew her sister’s temper and tried to be reasonable with the other angered mare, “Now now, ladies, there is no need to fling insults at one another.” Moon Dancer realised she stepped over a line that might result in a scuffle and readjusted herself. But Grace kept her tall posture and looked down at the cream mare.
“If Party Favor is no longer wanted or needed here,” Moon Dancer said, “then can he at least have his pay?”
“Of cor-”
“No,” Grace said. “Give him nothing.” Everypony jolted at the statement.
“But, why?” Humble asked. “Party Favor did a wonderful-”
“Be quiet!” Grace ordered.
The outburst only upset the birthday mare and she started to tear up. “Why must you always be like this?” Humble squeaked. “You act like I cannot stand on my own.” Moon Dancer, Party Favor, and Minuette couldn’t help but feel sorry for Humble Bundle as her sister was being resistant to her. Humble sniffed and tried to muster up a smile, “I’ll go and get your payment.”
Not allowing her sister to do what she was set out to do, Grace blocked Humble from proceeding further into the house, “You will not be giving him anything!”
Moon Dancer could no longer hold herself still and she stomped over to the aggressive mare. “Hey, leave your sister to pay Party Favor!” It never dawned unto her that she would be standing up for two ponies at the same time, but that didn’t matter to her. What mattered was to stop Grace from being such a mule to everypony.
Party Favor placed a hoof on Moon Dancer’s shoulder to try and gently pull her out of the doorframe. “It’s okay, Moon Dancer. Maybe we can come back tomorrow and get the bits.”
“No, we are getting them today and now,” Moon Dancer argued. The last thing Moon Dancer wanted to do was argue with her friend. She wanted to get what she came for finished before anything gets out of hoof. Too bad Moon Dancer couldn’t predict the hot tempered mare.
A sharp sting swatted across Moon Dancer’s face; Grace had slapped Moon Dancer. Minuette and Humble Bundle screamed at the rash act while Party Favor stood with wide eyes. The stallion looked back to see Minuette now on the approach, ready to butt heads with the aggressor. As for Moon Dancer, she remained frozen, her glasses dangling by her chest thanks to the chain. She kept still, head locked in the direction it was forced to look. But Moon Dancer did not show any sign of pain, her face a stoic expression.
Humble yelled at her sister as she shook her sibling, “Why did you do that!”
Party Favor used what strength he could muster to prevent Minuette from approaching Grace. Minuette didn’t care if her camera would be damaged in the process of a possible rough and tumble. All she wanted to do was return the favor. Grace stood at the door, a bastion ready to fire back with a mighty force. “What are you going to do,” Grace said back.
“I’ll tell you what I am going to do…” Moon Dancer spoke. Everypony looked to the cream mare, in preparation of her next move. Moon Dancer craned her neck back to the mare who struck her. She reapplied her glasses, the spectacles undamaged. Moon Dancer showed no sign of anger in her eyes and no expression was found on her desert sand face. “I am going to report this do the authorities, press charges for your physical assault, sue you for refusing to pay my friend, file a restraining order against you, and tell the press of Canterlot your behavior.” Grace and Moon Dancer looked at one another, neither of them moving. However, Grace looked afraid, the threat before her more real. “I may not be as fierce as you are in terms of physical strength,” said Moon Dancer, “but I know how to ruin a pony’s name if given the reason. And you know this as much as I do, status here in Canterlot is more valuable than wealth. If you have status, those with wealth seek investment. If you have no status, or worse, a negative one, well, work will be more difficult for you to find.” Moon Dancer looked to Humble Bundle and said, “You can go get Party Favor’s pay. But if Grace refuses to let you, then I will be forced to allow what I had just stated to happen to your sister.”
Humble Bundle moved a little to see if Grace would make any attempt to stop her, but the sibling didn’t move. Humble Bundle left her sister in the doorway and into the house. From where Party Favor was standing, he could see eyes from other ponies stare at him from within the home. They looked too afraid to approach Grace and her tall demeanor. Minuette was still up against him, the stallion not allowing her to be far from him in case she leaps at Moon Dancer’s aggressor.
A small coin purse jingled, calling to their true owner as Humble Bundle made for the door. She hooved the purse over to Party Favor and gave a small smile, “Here you are.”
“Thank you,” he nodded and accepted the payment, but still held onto Minuette. Party Favor almost looked at Grace, but thought against it. Better to not try to irritate her any further.
Moon Dancer turned her head and finally looked to Party Favor. “I think we can go now.” Her cheek had swollen a bit from the blow, a red spot showing where she was hit. Party Favor and Minuette nodded and the stallion removed his hold. Moon Dancer took the lead and began to walk away from the birthday mare’s home, her friends following in suit. Party Favor was still in shock, his adrenalyn located in his knees.
Minuette went at Moon Dancer’s side and grinned, “You showed her who to not mess with.” But Moon Dancer did not gloat about her victory and kept quiet. Minuette looked to Party Favor for assistance, but he shrugged, unsure of what to do. The three rounded a corner and the street they entered was no street, but an alley.
Party Favor looked around and asked, “Moon Dancer, why have we left the street? I mean, I may get lost from time to time, but I know an alley is an easy way to disorient yourself.”
“I just wanted to get out of the public eye,” Moon Dancer said. Her expression suddenly warped into a painful clench, the mare bringing a hoof to her cheek. Tears rolled down her face as she complained, “My cheek hurts really really bad!”
At once, Minuette and Party Favor were at the aid of their hurt friend. “Here,” Party Favor spoke, his hooves making something from his balloons, “let me make you an ice pack.”
Minuette squinted her eyes at Party Favor and asked, “Where are your bits?”
“In my pockets,” he answered, his eyes still on his craft. Minuette tried to find Party Favor’s “pockets,” but couldn’t seem to find them. With his balloon ice pack finished, Party Favor hooved it over to his friend. Moon Dancer accepted it and placed it against her face. A thousand needles of pain shot from Moon Dancer’s wound, her eyes clenching tightly from the tender bruise. “You didn’t have to do this all for me, Moon Dancer…” Party Favor felt guilty for letting his friend get injured because of his inability to be assertive. He hugged his friend with gentle care and Minuette went to Moon Dancer’s other side and hugged her as well.
A shadow flew over the trio of ponies before the caster landed in front of them. Twilight Sparkle brought a hoof to her mouth and asked, "Did I... miss a friendship issue?"