Big Macintosh heads out the barn door, determined to finally get the southern fields plowed and ready for planting. He could feel somepony watching him, and glances back, seeing Apple Bloom watching him from the doorway.
“Everythin’ alright, Bloom?” Big Mac pauses, wondering what’s on her mind.
“Oh, yeah! I was jus’ wonderin’ if you were gonna be plowin’ fields all day. I thought maybe field plowin’ might be my special talent!” She gives a large grin, a hopeful gleam in her eyes.
“Eeyup. I’m workin’ the south fields t’day. But, you can tag along if you want.”
Apple Bloom lowers her head, stepping back. “Oh, it’s fine. I’ll try some other time, when the work’s easier, or when I’m bigger!” She waves at him, smiling nervously. “Have fun out there!”
Big Mac looks at her for a moment, then shrugs and continues walking. “Eeyup. See ya later, sis.”
Apple Bloom continues to wave, until a pair of orange hooves grabs her and pulls her inside. “Real smooth, sis. He didn’t suspect a thing, but ya coulda been a bit more subtle with yer questions.” Applejack lightly cuffs Apple Bloom upside the head, giving her younger sister a playful smile. “Now c’mon. We got a lotta work to do to get the barn ready fer tonight.”
Apple Bloom rubs her head indignantly, but follows behind her sister obediently. “Sorry, AJ. But why do we gotta do all the hard stuff?” Applejack chuckles, tousling Bloom’s hair. “We’re just cleanin’ an’ tidyin’ up before Rarity an’ Sweetie Belle get here ta decorate. Now grab a broom an’ get sweepin’!”
****
Rarity rushes around her shop, working on several items at once. Her horn glows brightly, her glasses are slightly askew, and a few hairs are out of place on her mane. “Oh, Sweetie! How will we ever get everything finished before tonight? There’s still so much left to do!”
Sweetie Belle stands in the middle of the room, trying to balance several large rolls of cloth on her back. “But, Rarity! You just need to put the finishing touches on everything! And it’s not that hard. They’re just a banner and some ribbons.”
Rarity laughs condescendingly at her sister. “Oh, Sweetie Belle. So young, so naïve. It’s a very special day, and we can’t just put anything up. No no no, only the very best will do. Well, the very best of the basic things. After all, this will be taking place in a barn, and Applejack says that ‘fancy’ things would be too much.” She sighs, giving Sweetie Belle a hug as she fixes her frazzled mane. “Thank you, darling. You always know how to calm me down.”
“Any time, Rarity! Your life is too stressful, if you ask me.” Sweetie beams at the praise, happy to have helped.
“Yes, but I’m only too happy to be of assistance. After all, the Apple family is one of our closest friends! Now, let’s get everything finished and over to Applejack’s. Come along, dear!”
Rarity heads out, leaving Sweetie Belle to carry the decorations herself. “I wonder if anypony else is having problems today…” She grumbles as she balances her load with her magic.
****
Pinkie Pie hums happily as she bounces around the kitchen, checking on ovens or adding ingredients to bowls. She grabs a bowl, already filled with various ingredients, and adds a cup of flour to the mix. She adds some applesauce, followed by cinnamon and brown sugar. “A teaspoon of vanilla, and these babies are ready to pour! Toss me that cupcake pan, would ya?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a muffin pan, Pinkie.” Derpy frowns in confusion as she tosses the pan, keeping one eye on the bowl of dough she was mixing.
Pinkie catches the pan in her teeth, her head snapping back from the strength of Derpy’s toss. She sets it down on the counter, giggling as she begins pouring the cupcake batter into the individual cups. “Eh, I’ve heard it both ways. How’re your muffins coming along?”
Derpy’s eyes light up, a large grin spreading across her face. “Just great, Pinkie! I’ve already made the master batter, and now I’m making all kinds of muffins! We’ll have apple cinnamon muffins, banana muffins, blueberry muffins, carrot muffins, chocolate chip muffins…”
Pinkie nods as Derpy lists off each flavor she’ll be making, sliding a tray of cookies out of an oven. “That’s awesome, Derpy! And I’ll be bringing cookies and cupcakes and pies and a big ol’ red velvet cake! Plus, I’ve got my super special awesome ultra-secret project I’ve been working on! Just gotta find the fondant. Have you seen my green fondant anywhere?”
Derpy blinks in confusion, her right eye looking around the kitchen while her left stays on Pinkie. “Uh… what’s fondant?”
“Oh, it’s a dough-like material made from agar and glycerin, used for icing cakes when you want a smooth consistency without any bubbles or large piles of icing. You know, for wedding cakes or decorative cakes.”
Derpy’s ears had perked up at the word “bubbles”, and she spots a long tube of green dough-like stuff sitting in the sink. “You mean this stuff?”
Pinkie gasps, grabbing the fondant excitedly. “Yes! Thanks, Derpy! You’re a great help! Hey, can you keep an eye on my cupcakes while I go put the finishing touches on my super special awesome ultra-secret project? Thanks, you’re the best!” She dashes off, leaving Derpy to handle the rest of the baking.
“Sure!” She salutes, accidentally smacking herself in the nose. “Derp!” She shakes her head, then grins, giggling. She goes back to making muffins, thinking about that “fondant” stuff. “What’s wrong with bubbles in your cake?”
****
Big Macintosh reaches the end of the line, wiping the sweat from his brow. He looks back at the field, freshly plowed and ready for planting. He nods in satisfaction, feeling the cool breeze on his face. “Eeyup. A good day’s work.” He glances up at the sun, tracking it’s position to tell the time. “Almost one in the afternoon. I’ll give them a half hour or so ‘fore I head back. Don’t wanna spoil their little surprise.” He chuckles, heading toward the water tank to cool off and get a drink.
****
Fluttershy peeks out the barn’s top window, spotting Big Mac headed towards them. She ducks back inside, floating above everypony gathered below. “Um, excuse me, everypony. But, um, he’s coming. He just walked over the hill!”
The ponies below had immediately stopped talking, trying to hear what Fluttershy was saying. “He’s here?” Rainbow Dash asked, slightly concerned. “You heard her! Probably… Places, everypony!”
They all find various places to hide, Rarity taking a second to make sure her decorations are all in order before stepping behind a large hay bale. Big Mac approaches the barn door, his face clear of emotion as usual, but inside, he’s grinning like a school colt. He opens the barn door, his eyes shut, and steps inside.
“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BIG MACINTOSH!” The ponies all leap out of hiding, shouting and tossing confetti. Rarity’s banner dramatically unfurls itself, hanging from the rafters above the large food table.
Big Mac feigns surprise, but can’t hide his grin. “Aw, shucks, guys! Y’all threw this party fer me?” He walks inside, instinctively ducking to catch Apple Bloom in a hug as she tackles him.
“Yep! We worked all day to get things set up jus’ right!” Big Mac tousles her hair, and she scampers off as Applejack steps up, wearing a party hat on top of her Stetson. Big Mac lowers his head as she picks one up for him, placing it on his head. She lightly punches his shoulder, grinning. “Y’all knew about this, didn’t ya?”
“Eeyup. But thanks all the same.” Big Mac gives her a hug, before heading into the room to mingle.
~~~~
“You should try the blueberry muffins, they’re my favorite! Ooh! Or the apple cinnamon muffins, I know how much you love apples! Or the chocolate chip muffins, they’re great, and have just a hint of sweetness in the chocolate…” Derpy hovers overhead, pointing out her muffins with pride. Big Mac just smiles, looking at the large platter, which is missing roughly half of the muffins already. He idly brushes a crumb off the corner of Derpy’s mouth, causing her to giggle, blush, and fly off, crashing into a hay bale. She keeps giggling, and Big Mac lets out a chuckle as well.
~~~~
Gummy sits on a hay bale in the corner, staring at nothing. Rainbow Dash stares into his eyes, trying to figure out what he’s doing. “What’re you up to, pal?” She pokes his stomach, causing Gummy to open his mouth. An odd sound comes from within.
tick tock tick tock tick tock
“What in the name of Neverland is that? Gummy, I think Pinkie Pie’s starting to rub off on you. You are so random!” She laughs, patting the alligator’s head as she heads back to the dance floor, where Big Mac is dancing next to Twilight, who is completely cutting loose, as usual.
~~~~
Big Mac calmly opens a box, after spending five minutes removing the wrapping. Rarity had let out a pained squeak at every minor tear in the paper, so he had tried to use utmost care with her gift. Inside is a yoke, much like his own, but the wood was ebony instead of oak, with silver pegs instead of iron. Big Mac looks at it in awe, wowed by the fancy accessory. “Why, thank ya kindly, Miss Rarity. It looks great!”
Rarity smiles, tossing her hair as she receives praise. “Why thank you, darling. I wanted to make you something nice to wear, but you just don’t look right without that large collar of yours.” She flutters her eyelashes at him, smiling sweetly.
Big Mac chuckles as he sets it in the pile with his other gifts. “They were all fine gifts, and I’d like ta thank y’all again.”
A loud ringing sound cuts through the air, and all eyes turn to it’s source, Gummy. The little alligator is vibrating, with his mouth wide open. He spits out an alarm clock, which shuts off when it impacts the floor. Rainbow picks up the clock while Fluttershy goes to cradle Gummy, worrying about his eating a clock. Rainbow Dash looks at the clock, reading the attached note. “It’s 5:30 PM, come outside for your super special awesome gift. Love, Pinkie Pie.”
Big Mac shrugs, smiling. "C’mon, everypony. Let’s go see what Pinkie has in store for us.” They all head outside, Big Mac stopping when he sees the gift. A large five-tier cake sits on a box outside. It is covered in red fondant, with small patches of green in the shape of Mac’s cutie mark ringed around each layer. On the bottom layer, a plastic Twilight and Rarity toy stand, with a Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy toy on the second layer. The third layer holds a toy Applejack and Apple Bloom, with a toy Big Macintosh on the fourth layer. The final layer has three balloons, two blue and one yellow, anchored to it with an eye hook.
They all stare in wonder at the massive cake, while Big Mac looks back inside, seeing a few pieces of red velvet cake left. “That’s funny. I already had a cake.” He approaches the large cake, when the top suddenly lifts off, revealing Pinkie Pie inside. She slowly rises, wearing the black corset from her Appleoosa stage number. She smiles coyly, and begins singing.
Happy Birthday, Big Macintosh,
Happy Birthday, Big Macintosh.
Happy Birthday, Big Mac,
Happy Birthday to you!
She steps down form the cake, wearing a large bow around her hindquarters. She seductively slides up to Big Mac, who can only stare in shock. “So, big birthday boy… Wanna open your present?”
Big Macintosh simply stares, then begins smiling. His smile turns into a grin, then a chuckle. Soon, he’s laughing loudly, causing the others to start chuckling as well. Big Mac collapses in a fit of laughter, everypony behind him laughing as well. Pinkie stands there in confusion. “What?”
Big Mac eventually recovers, clapping a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, making her knees buckle. He turns back to the others, wiping a tear from his eye. “I’d like to thank y’all for coming. It was nice to see my friends,” Caramel, Derpy, and Carrot Top all nod as he points to them. “And my sister’s friends,” he gestures to Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity, who all smile and nod. “And my little sister’s friends, too.” Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo beam as the metaphorical spotlight is turned on them. Big Mac turns to his sisters, smiling. “Thanks, AJ, fer settin’ all this up. And thanks, Bloom, fer gettin’ the day right, and not throwin’ the party four months early again.” Applejack grins as Apple Bloom smiles sheepishly.
Big Mac turns to Pinkie, holding her hoof up high. “And thanks to Pinkie, fer endin’ our little shindig with such a great joke!” Everypony cheers, while Pinkie smiles nervously.
“Joke. Ha-ha. Right…”
Big Mac chuckles. “Now, thanks fer comin’. But I had plans tonight, and I’ll be headin’ off now. Great seein’ y’all!” He turns and walks away, heading down the road into town. The others murmur and talk amongst themselves, but laugh and decide to head home themselves. Derpy walks over to Pinkie, who still looks nervous. “So, that was your ‘super special awesome ultra-secret project’? You inside a cake?”
“Yeah. Pretty funny, right?” Pinkie smiles at Derpy.
Derpy smiles coyly, playing with the ribbon around Pinkie backside. “You know, my birthday’s coming up soon. Wanna make me a cake like that?”
Pinkie stares in shock, then busts out laughing, falling over and clutching her stomach. Derpy scrunches up her face as her eyes go wall-eyed. She then starts laughing herself, helping Pinkie up.
“I’m serious.”
****
“So Pinkie popped out of a cake, wearing a corset and bow?”
“Eeyup.”
“Oh, that Pinkie. Such a silly filly.”
“Eeyup. Her heart’s in the right place, though. It sure was funny. I’m sure it won’t happen again.”
“Well, I’ll give her this: she’s creative.”
“Eeyup. Maybe I’ll ask her fer tips when your birthday comes around.”
“Oh-ho, I can’t wait. Happy Birthday, Big Mac.”
“Thank ya kindly, Cheerilee.” Big Mac nuzzles her affectionately, and they clink their glasses together before downing the drinks inside.
The End
