Pinkie Pie perkily pronks under the pleasant afternoon sun, producing party preparations from her packs. Pockets of ponies pause to perceive the proceedings, a perfect pastime to pass the - what else? - time.

It wouldn’t be her largest double herding celebration, at least this year. She promised that particular accolade to Spoiled Rich - well, Spoiled Milk at the time - and she could be a bit of a spoilsport about what the ‘biggest of the year’ meant. And she’s not risking her Pinkie Pie Party Promise on a technicality like that!

What was a year, really? Three hundred and sixty days, sure, but from when? Is it just from the start of one calendar year to the next? If she threw her largest party ever, but she did it at the end of December, would it only be the ‘largest party of the year’ for a day? That hardly seems fair!

It’s like asking what a ‘day’ is. Sunup to sundown? High moon to high moon? The mailponies promise (thank Celestia it’s not a Pinkie Promise or she’d be really busy) to get letters delivered ‘in a day’, but did they really mean it would take twenty four hours?

Speaking (thinking?) of mail, she hopes everypony got their invitations and can make it, but she has a sinking suspicion Rainbow Dash forsook sending a certain set of special someponies theirs. She sighs; alas, it’s not her place to force ponies to stay in touch. Persuade, prod, perhaps pointedly prompt, but never force. Now, if she can somehow construe Rainbow Dash admitting that she forgot to invite her parents instead of intentionally not inviting them to a party…

Pinkie Pie can feel her mane sag at the thought, but keeps her carefree smile going. It wouldn’t do to spoil anypony’s day by looking glum! She looks around the western side of Ponyville, between Sweet Apple Acres and the schoolhouse. Her mane poofs back up as she sees the ponies (and human) of the hour arriving on the scene. The way they disperse - Applejack and Rarity diving into the thick of the ponies waiting for them, while Rainbow Dash hangs back with Doug near the Sweet Apple Acres side of things - leaves a little to be desired.

Actually, so does the number of ponies who stick around! Pinkie Pie frowns; she expected way more ponies to celebrate Applejack finding a stallion! Well, Rarity was a bit of a surprise. And Rainbow Dash she can also see; none of the pegasi were happy about her ignominious return to Ponyville.

Okay, maybe it wasn’t that bad, and she resolves to see her friend before the party is done. Not like she would have avoided her or anything!

“Hi, Applejack!” Pinkie Pie greets as the farmpony draws close. The beads of sweat still laced through the blond mane gives the party pony a pause, but she shakes it off. Applejack is just busy these days! “Working hard?”

“Hardly workin’,” comes the quippy reply, Applejack winking at the energetic mare. “Ah bet it’s the same for ya, plannin’ all these parties.” She shakes her head, fanning herself with her Stetson before setting it right back. “Ah was sure plum tuckered after the reunion last year!”

“Maybe I can help next time!” Pinkie Pie offers as she pronks closer, offering a cupcake from a convenient nearby tray piled high with cakes. She motions to the dozens of banners and other decorations she’s set up, each offering congratulations to the new herdmates. The sheer amount does make the number of ponies who have shown up seem a little sparse.

“Heh, Ah’ll be sure to consider that,” Applejack replies gamely. She pops the cupcake in her mouth, savoring the delicious treat.

“I mean, it’d be way better than actually working on the farm,” Pinkie Pie says with a good-natured wink. She glances at Doug, who has chosen to sit down under one of the many trees and wait for other ponies to approach him, reading during the meantime. Rainbow Dash lays ponyloaf next to him on a bed of grass, propping her own textbook on his legs. She lays her head on her forelegs and appears to promptly fall asleep. “I don’t know how you keep up with everything!”

“Heh, Ah could say the same about you,” Applejack retorts, a friendly bump to Pinkie Pie’s shoulder with her own. “To each their own, Ah guess.”

Pinkie Pie grins, though it fades slightly as she sees a dour Cookie Crumbles and a reluctant Hondo Flanks approaching Rarity. Something seems off, and it isn’t Applejack’s scent. “Speaking of ‘to each their own’, I wonder what got Rarity’s parents so sour?” She inspects her tray of cakes. “I hope I didn’t use sour instead of flour!”

“Now, who’d go an’ make a mistake like that?” Applejack says, her brow narrowing as she watches.

Rarity doesn’t look happy to see the expression on her dam’s face, either. Their earlier conversation, if it could be called that, with her dam didn’t go exactly as planned. It was as they crossed paths - the schoolteacher to the school while Rarity returned with Applejack to her shop - and could be summed up by Rarity mentioning it to her, Cookie Crumbles staring at her, briefly nodding like she already knew, and then continuing on without another word. Rarity had just stood there, staring at the retreating backside in shock, until Applejack had nudged her.

“Hello,” Rarity greets neutrally, offering her dam a smile. She hopes they can get past whatever is bothering her dam, but has a sinking feeling about the whole ordeal. She turns to her sire, her smile widening and a bit more genuine. She’s glad he was able to come back from Canterlot on such short notice! “Hi, Daddy!”

“Hello,” Cookie Crumbles returns, stone faced. She barely flicks her mane to Hondo Flanks. He returns Rarity a subdued smile, but says nothing. “Your sire and I would like to talk to you.” She glances up at the party decorations. “In private.”

Rarity gulps, looking around the scene. Not many other ponies are close, but nothing would exactly stop them from coming into earshot. “Very well,” she says curtly, turning and walking the short distance to the schoolhouse. Classes are done for the day, and the grounds are relatively deserted.

Rarity turns, calmly regarding her dam. “What is it?” she asks, trying to stay polite. She can’t fathom what would bring her dam to do this, but her stomach seems busy twisting itself in knots, and she hasn’t even tried any of Pinkie Pie’s more exotic desserts.

“Nothing?” Cookie Crumbles demands, rearing up. She’s half a hoof taller than Rarity, not counting her much larger manestyle. “No pleasantries, straight to the chase?”

“You asked me here,” says Rarity. She motions to the rest of the party. Many of the other guests are giving them wary looks, but none come any closer. Even Doug is resting his book on his legs, watching her curiously. “And I would like to return to the party.”

“You wish to return to him?” Cookie Crumbles takes a deep breath, a flash of anger crossing her face. “After what he did to you?”

“He did nothing to me I did not ask for,” Rarity retorts, her head rising in retaliation of her dam’s high stance. “And he has done the right thing, as has Applejack, as soon as he learned of the outcome.”

Cookie Crumbles snorts, avoiding looking at the human. “Or Applejack forced his hoof.”

“Hand,” Rarity corrects, “and believe what you will.”

Cookie Crumbles’ rumble in her throat deepens. “You barely know him!”

“I know him better than you,” spits out Rarity, growling. “You’ve met him, what, once?”

“Fine,” Cookie Crumbles concedes, glancing towards Sweet Apple Acres. “How do you know he loves you? Will take care of you? Won’t hold you back from your dreams?” Cookie Crumbles motions towards Ponyville. “What of your Boutique? Will you put your profits towards that failing farm?”

“If you’re going to be like this, I’m not going to talk to you,” Rarity says forcefully, doing her best to keep her temper in check. “I know you focus on the negatives, but now is not the time or place.”

Cookie Crumbles huffs. “Then when is? After you’ve born his foal?” Her head lowers to stare into Rarity’s eyes. “Is it even a foal?”

Rarity pointedly turns her head to her sire. She can’t stand that he’s remained quiet this entire time. “Et tu, Daddy?”

Hondo Flanks takes a deep breath. “We’re worried about you, sport.”

Rarity bites her tongue, and Cookie Crumbles stays silent, hoping her stallion can talk some sense into their filly.

“We don’t see you around as much,” Hondo Flanks continues, “and it’s just gotten worse in the last few weeks. You barely told us about how you got hurt.” He motions to her forehoof.

Rarity lifts her hoof with a bit of trepidation. She weakly says, “I didn’t want you worried.”

“But we did.” Hondo Flanks sighs. “You’ve grown up, and you need to make your own decisions.”

“My own mistakes,” Rarity finishes for him, noting the slight nod of his head. She frowns at the admission. “You think I’m making a mistake.”

Hondo Flanks' muzzle purses tight. “It’s a hail ‘Tia when you’re in the first quarter. Maybe it’ll work out, but…”

Rarity forces a smile and a nod. She turns back to her dam, slightly cocking her head to the side.

“You’ve seen what happens when a pony strays.” Cookie Crumbles stamps a hoof on the ground, fuming. “There is still time. We can fix this, withdraw you from the herd, and-”

“Fix this?!” Rarity spits out venomously. She waves a hoof at her belly. “There will be no fixing of this.” She turns to the side, not quite turning her back to her parents. “You should leave.”

“That’s it?” Cookie Crumbles demands.

“That’s it,” Rarity says neutrally, her voice carefully controlled. “I want you out, of my life if I have to, if you are going to be like that. I won’t subject my filly to hate like that.”

“...”

Cookie Crumbles spins on a hoof, marching away.

Rarity glances to Hondo Flanks. He gives her an apologetic look, then races after his mare.

Rarity gallops towards Doug, the confused human clumsily dropping his book to embrace her.

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