//------------------------------//
// Party Time 
// Story: Earning Freedom 
// by Daxisle 
//------------------------------//

 


Party Time



Mac and his siblings walked in an awkward silence. The streets were far more scarce than they usually were, but it wasn't hard to guess where everypony was. 

He wasn't sure what the other two were thinking, or what they knew, but his mind was a cluster of shame, fear, and for some strange reason; disappointment. But not regret. Should he feel regret though? Was what he did bad?

Granny wanted him gone, that much was clear. He could see where the elder was coming from, leaving his place and work unattended an all, and with her sterness and stubborn personality, it was next to impossible to make her see his point of view. Perhaps it's for the best he does move out of the farm. That was the exact reason he'd left in the first place. Not being listened to.

"So..." Applejack droned. "Sure is a nice day."

"Lot better than yesterday, nearly froze my plot off." Applebloom agreed.

"Eyup."

'Oh for the love of- are you really back to that again Mac?' That little voice called again. Strange, he hadn't heard it in a long time, why was it back now? 'C'mon, one day back and you're already limiting yourself to what you used to be?

"Say Mac?" He looked over to the elder sister. "Wha' sactly were ya n' granny talkin' bout?" Her words were inquisitive, but the look in the blond pony's eyes betrayed her fear to the answer. Yet again, how much did she know?

"Nothin' much." he lied. What was he suppose to tell her? The truth? That she'd brought up their parents? It was an unspoken rule in the house to speak well, if rarly, of them. And she mentions them in a way to hurt him? Buck that! 

"Uh huh." She said skeptically. Her reaction wasn't surprising. She wasn't good at math, but he'd be damned if AJ couldn't read a pony like a book if she wanted to. Especially him.

The rest of the walk was in silence until they reached the gingerbread decorated destination. Just in time to see Spike and Fluttershy arrive no less.

The two groups exchanged greetings, and they both went inside.

"SURPRISE!" The town yelled upon entry. Mac put on his most convincing face and took a step back. Gotta be nice to Pinkie, especially since she went through all of the trouble to set this up.

Everypony was present. Twilight, Rarity, Lyra, Bon Bon, Berry Punch, Cheerilee, Octavia. Wow, she was here? Didn't know she cared. The bakery was decorated the usual Pinkie Pie way: Multicolor bolloons, streemers, a spread of sweets the works. What struck him as odd were the names on the "welcome back" banner. He and Spike were present as expected, but the third name made him quirk a brow. 

The party mare seemed to have the same reaction due to the third pony's absense. "Where's Sin?" She asked over the now booming music. Courtisy of one Vynal Scratch.

Mac and Spike looked to each other with blank stares before looking back and shrugging. Did she really expect him to come this?' The confused and saddened look on her face seemed to suggest it.

"He didn't come?" Her confused look turned to one of hurt, "But he said he would..."

"Don't worry about it Pinkie." Spike gave a toothy smirk, "Sin's a party pooper anyway. C'mon, let's have some fun!"

Soon, all the ponies were on the scene again. Eating cake, dancing, sipping punch, or just talking with friends and family. The few whom the returning two hadn't seen yet were waiting with both giddy and excited faces, some even bashful. 

Thirty minutes in, Mac tiredly collapsed on a couch in an "off limits" room in the bakery. A sign on the door read as much, but he didn't care. The welcoming smiles and kind words of his return were alright enough, but the questions. He cringed at the thought, it may only have been a short time but it was like he was being interigated. He never wanted to talk about his six months on the road ever again.

Still, he did always like when he told a story of the canyon. Always got a reaction out of his purple scaled associate.

Unfortunatly, the red pony's reprieve didn't last as he heard the door open and a voice call out.

"Pinkie, darling are you- Oh my apologize." Said Rarity. Mac looked up, it wasn't alarming, but surprising to see it was her. "I'm sorry Macintosh, but have you seen Pinkie Pie? I can't find her anywhere."

Mac furrowed his brow, Pinkie not at her own party? That was unusual, but for all his thought, he couldn't remember seeing her past the time he'd entered. He shrugged the thought off, she'll turn up, she's probably baking something er... something.

"Ah'm sorry Miss Rarity, Ah can't say Ah've seen 'er."

The alabaster unicorn pouted. "All well, thank you for your help Big Macintosh. By the way, what are you doing hiding away in here?"

"Honestly, tired of answerin' questions." He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony. Though, the mare's reaction wasn't something he was expecting.

"Oh come now darling. You've been gone away for so long, it's only natural that everypony would miss you." She took a seat on the opposite end of the couch. "Is that really the only reason you're in here?"

Of course it was, why wouldn't it be?

"Not trying to avoid anyone, or anything?" Mac gave the fashonista a stare. "Well, I was speaking with Applejack and she told me you may have been on bad terms with your grandmother."

... So, she really did know more than he thought. "'N wha' s'actly did she tell ya?" He asked bluntly.

"OH! Oh nothing personal." Rarity waved her hooves in front of her to dispel and misunderstandings. "Just that the two of you had a bit of tension between you. Nothing more."

Macintosh gave the mare a skeptical look before giving a sigh and taking a faux interest in the the pink triple decker cake photo across from him. "Alrigh'." 

Rarity gave a sigh of relief. "Well is it anything you'd like to talk about?" She asked in concern.

"No' really." Mac shrugged. "Fact is, Granny's jes' upse' Ah left. Nothin' more to it."

The seamstress quirked a brow and pressed the issue farther. The stallion never much paid attention to her before, what with his work ethic and practical love of the earth and soil and her disdain for anything unclean and hard labor related, they were as different as night and day. So why was she talking to him now? And more importantly, why was she sitting on a couch with him trying to get him to open up about his kin problems?

The more she tried to pry, the more Mac clamped up. He'd always been an enigma in his own right, but he'd never been so out of discomfort for another before. Perhaps Sin and Spike had been wearing off on him more than he'd originally thought.

Luckily, the unicorn decided to change the subject; unluckily, it was still pertaining to him. "I see that you've had quite the courtship since you've come back."

'Wait what?'

"Oh don't look so surprised darling." She teased. "It's only natural that a stallion of your fine caliber and build would be of interest." 

That look she was giving him, he couldn't explain it, but the way she had spoken of him and her eyes made his heart beat a little quicker than it should. It was a feeling that felt vaguely nostalgic.

"Ah guess." He shrugged again. There was a pregnant silence now, what was he doing here now? What did she want? Best to probably change the subject. "So, how's ol' fancy pants doin'?"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "Oh he's been absolutely dreadful as of late." She stood from the couch, easing the tension a bit. "Apparently there was some kind of unionist pony rally against his Bank and trying to get everypony that has an account with him to switch to a smaller one!"

This could be interesting. "Really? Why was tha?"

"Oh something about him supporting the corporatist elites or some other nonsensical drivel." She waved he hoof dismissively before her eyes shot wide. "You know, I've just realized this is the first time I've ever really spoken with you. And here I am complaining about a friend's troubles."

"Oh no, please go on."  Mac really didn't mind. This was the kind of thing he enjoyed talking to Sin about, and it was perfect for getting his mind off of his current plight. 

It was then that he'd realized why the mare was referred to as the gossip of the town. A conspiratorial grin perched ear to ear and she looked around as if there was some one that could possibly over hear them. Then she leaned down and whispered into his ear: "Well, you didn't hear it from me, but apparently there's-"

"Hey Mac Carrot Top said you came in here an-"

Mac's eyes shot wide and Rarity froze mid sentence. There at the now open door was Spike with his mouth a gape. The stallion looked between he and Rarity, who'd for some reason didn't move away from him at this point.

Silence, even the music from the party was drowned out right now from the pure tension of it all. Mac wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting, but it was clear Rarity was to shocked to move. "Spike." he pushed the mare away from him and sat properly. "What's going on?"

"Oh- Uh yes Spike." Oh now she decides that she can move and talk. "I'm sorry, to um... yes if you two will excuse me. Twilight needs me to do," she paused. "Things and... stuff." She quickly pushed past the still dumb struck drake and ventured into the lively group of party goers.

"Ah know it looks bad." Mac started, knowing that the drake had feelings for Rarity. "But it's not wha' it looked like."

Deafening silence reigned again. But Spikes facial features dropped from one of surprise to expressionless. Mac waited, he waited for the lecture, the rant, what ever the dragon was going to say to vent his emotion about what he saw. But nothing came, perhaps he understood? Perhaps he knew that it was just Rarity telling secrets in her usual way?

Spike blinked a couple of times before sighing and shaking his head a few times. He gave Mac one last disapproving look before calmly closing the door behind him.

Or perhaps not.





"I'm telling you, once you find Discord like I have, your freedom will be complete too."

"No Shade, Discord is not the god of Chaos, he's just a chaotic being of great power." Sin stated while tying another knot around a tree branch. 

"Pft, whatever. You're just jealous because Discord's got swag."

THWAK!

"OW! What the buck Sin?" The insane pony whined, favoring his struck cheek.

The mentioned lifted an angry hoof and flared his nostrils. "I don't know what that word means, but you deserved that. By Tapio's beard, I swear you deserved that."

Leaving the night pony confused, Sin pulled the branch back with all his might before carefully looping it around an extended root and tying the other end to a sturdy stick and placing said stick on another root just so. He took a step back and admired the height of the trip wire from the ground and the branches trajectory. "Yea, that should work."

"Keep this up and you'll deter anypony who comes to visit you know."

"That's the point."

Shade gave a childish pout. "But what if they have news of Discord?"

Sin sighed, "If you're so worried about him, why not just go see him? Not like anyone can stop you."

The bat pony scoffed. "On doesn't just waltz up to the god of Chaos Sin. There are rules for that kind of thing you know."

Raising a hoof, the liberty pony readied his reply but stopped before the first word could leave his mouth. "Never mind, that's just too easy."

A sudden rustle to his left caused both ponies to jump back from the brush, Sin equipping his crossbow and quick loading it. How could something have gotten past his his alerting perimeter with out setting off an alarm? He took a step back as the rustling became louder and the leaves closer. He took a breath expecting a timber wolf to pounce out at him, but all that exited were a pair of solemn blue eyes attached to a fluffy pink mare.

"Oh great" Sin exhaled. Well at least now it made sense. "What is it?"

"You forgot to come to your party, silly." She bounced. Well, that moment of quite lasted long. 

"Party?" Sin searched his memory. "Oh right, yea, sorry. Something important came up."

"And what would that be?"

"I remembered that I'm not the party type." He deadpanned.

Shade, for his part, only looked on with mild disinterest. Which was rather surprising considering he was never shy about voicing his opinion about something he disliked.

"Not the party type?" Pinkie asked in confusion.

"No."

Pinkie quirked a skeptical brow. "So, you don't like parties?"

"No."

"Than why did you say you'd come when you didn't like them?" The party mare walked closer. "Ponies don't just suddenly remember they don't like something. Especially parties."

Sin had to keep his jaw from dropping, was she really that dim witted? No, no. She's far more intelligent than this, he knew that in his gut. Why was she playing dumb, she had sarcastic friends, Spike being one of them. Surly she could understand it.

That's when it hit him. Of course, she's just trying to play to his guilt! How foolish of him to consider this genuine. "Fair enough." He cracked his neck. "You're right, I should have been more clear. So, I don't like parties and I have no intention on attending any."

"Have you given one a chance?"

"Yes." No, no he hadn't. But just the concept alone was enough to make him grit his teeth. 

"Well, you've never come to a Pinkie Pie party." Pinkie beamed again. 'Talk about mood swings.' "If you come now, I promise you'll have a great time!"

"Yea, no thanks." Sin said before trotting back to his camp, Shade in tow. He didn't make it long before the mare, some how, popped out from behind a tree that was in front of him. "The fuck?!"

"Please come." She said, her eyes going overly puppy like.

"No, thank you for the invitation though." He pushed past. However, Pinkie was a tenacious being, one that he considered to rival Shade if their loves for Discord and Parties were parodied in passion. If this were the case, he would probably lose out of his own lack of tolerance for repetitive gibberish. Perhaps he would just skip that and head straight for his trump card.

"Look." Sin turned and took a breath. "I said I do not wish to attend, why do you insist on trying to make me do something I don't want to do?"

"Because it'll be fun!"

"I suppose you think you know what's better for me than I do?" There it was, only an egotistical maniac would dare answer-

"Yes." She chirped.

...

...

Well, that's a first. "You're always so serious and angry." Was she trying to impersonate him? "You need to let loose and be happy! And Parties are the best way to do just that."

"Yea, I don't think so." 

"Please..." And now back to square one. Sin had to think, Pinkie wasn't really aggressing him, so physical force wasn't an appropriate response. Sarcasm got him into this mess in the first place and she didn't take it as a hint to get lost. Blunt rudeness was probably not the way to go, but not off the table. Perhaps-

"In case you're still thinking on it, I'm not taking no for an answer."

 'Damn, well, I guess I have no choice.'

Thankfully, Sin was wrong, for the brush to his left began to rustle again. While he and Shade tensed up and stood ready. Pinkie was still standing patently for his inevitable acquiescence. 

"I have a feeling." Shade growled, his eyes narrowing to slits. "A feeling that I know what's coming, and that I'm soon going to be in excruciating pain."

That can only mean one thing...

"Sin art thou here?"

"The beast has come."

Out from the same brush, Princess Luna ventured out while trying to get the branches of the shrub out of her hair. "Curse this infernal- ah there you are." She smiled, I was sent her to-"

TWACK! The tree branch he'd just spent ten minutes booby trapping activated, slamming into the lunar ponies chest and throwing her back into the brush. Strange thing was, she was a good ten feet from the trip wire...