Pint's Birthday Party - Finale

by Yosh-E-O

Chapter 14 - The Present that Isn't

“Mine’s the best!” argued an Earth Pony.

“No!” proclaimed another Earth Pony. “Mine is the best!”

“I don’t know what you are arguing about,” stated Bucky to the two colts. “Especially when you know my present will be the best.”

Fall watched as children argued over who brought Pint the best birthday present.

“I told you boys were silly,” giggled Candy Cloud while playing with her pig tails. “Every gift is good on your birthday. There is no ‘best’.”

Fall thought for a moment on what she had given as a present. She wondered if it would be enough. What if there was something else she didn’t know about birthdays that would make her appear like a bad friend for not giving Pint something wrapped in a pretty box?

“Are you okay, Fall?” asked Candy. “You haven’t seemed as happy as you usually do.”

“I’m okay,” sighed Fall as she scanned the room for an opportunity to remove her picture from the gift table.

“Maybe you need a nap?” the pink Pegasus suggested. “I’d normally need a nap, but my mom and dad say sugar makes me hyper and not sleepy and, well, we did just have cake and ice cream.”

Fall didn’t respond. She was too fixated on getting that picture back before she messed everything up. So, when the opportunity allowed, the brown Pegasus dashed for it, carefully folded it up, and tucked it under her head band.

“What was all that about?” asked Candy. “You were like one of those ‘Ninja Ponies’ the boys keep talking about in school.”

“Uh…,” gasped Fall. “I, uh, need to make some changes to my, uh, present?”

“Really?” asked Candy. “Like you want to draw a picture on your gift card like I did?”

“Uh…,” thought Fall. “Yeah. That’s it. I want to add a picture to my card gift.
“Ooh!” cooed the pink Pegasus as she snuggled into Fall. “You and I even think alike! I wish we were sisters!”

This was now the second time in a single day Fall had been told that some pony wished she was their sister. This made her smile until she recalled how she had been cooped up in an awful orphanage for as long as she could remember with nobody ever showing any interest in her when they came through looking for a pony to adopt.

***

Fall watched as Pint opened all his presents. Each one making him smile real wide as he showered the pony who got it for him with ‘Thank yous’.

When all the gifts were opened, all the kids swarmed on Pint with the hopes of him playing with certain ones first. There were also some kids who asked if they could play with the toys he got, or trade him something for a particular gift.

***

A little bit more time passed before all the guests gradually began to say their goodbyes and head home with their parents.

“I can’t wait for you to start school, Fall!” cheered Candy as she was being walked out by her mom and dad. “Don’t forget to have your parents bring you by my place so our parents can meet each other and we can play together while they do ‘grown-up talk’!”

Fall looked at the scribbled series of numbers and letters that her friend had given her written down on a napkin for her and sighed, “You bet!”

***

Eventually, the party had pretty much come to a complete end. It was at this time that Pint consulted Bucky on how they needed to get Fall out of there before anyone started to ask questions.

“We’ll be right back!” called out Pint as he walked alongside Fall in what was an obviously oversized jacket that had the words ‘Backyard Brawlers Master Brawler’ written on the back. “We promised to walk Fall halfway home!”

“Okay, sweetie!” called out his father with a wave. “Don’t be out too long!”

“Oh!” announced Bucky. “I’ll meet you guys back at home! I got a room to clean, after all!”

“I bet,” stated his mom, Bright Skies, to those parents who were still there. “Since when does your child ever want to actually hurry home to clean their room?”

“That’s a good question,” replied his Uncle, Touchdown. “But you never know.”