Passion's Return

Big Macintosh sat at the kitchen table, mind deep in thought as he considered how the harvest was going and how much of it they could turn into cider and still have regular apples to last them through the winter. His hardworking, kind, beautiful, and if he was being unkind, stodgy, sister was talking to one of her best friends. He had mostly tuned out the conversation as it had little to do with him other than seeing if he wanted to go to the adults only party that was being held at her new home.

"So that's some of the food taken care of thanks to you, Applejack. Now, I just have to figure out where I'm going to get my decorations from. I'd tap Pinkie Pie, but she's already going to be decorating three different Nightmare Night parties. I wouldn't feel right other than consulting my plans with her."

Applejack shrugged. "Ain't nothin, Sugarcube. Already makin plenty of treats for Nightmare Night anyway, so a few dozen more of each ain't nothin t'all. As for decorations, I'm sure you'll figure something out."

The bit about decorations brought Big Mac out of his calculation-based stupor. "If you need a decoration, got a pumpkin statue in the barn. Bought it cheap a while ago." He held his hands out to roughly guesstimate the size of the cursed decoration.

Twilight Sparkle smiled at taciturn stallion. "I can't guarantee that I'll use it, but thank you Big Mac." She turned back to her friend and started to go back over all of what she'd planned so far, double and triple checking as was her normal habit.

Pinkie danced around the crystal tree-house, happily examining each and every piece of decoration that Twilight had put together. "Everything looks great, Twilight! Everything should be perfect for your Nightmare Night party! The perfect thing to bring families and ponies together! Now then, I'm not going to be able to make that night, sorry! Have to make sure that the older fillies and colts don't sneak off and make their parents into grandparents; that's what your party is for!"

Twilight's face turned a deep red. "Pinkie! While there will be couples here, there's also going to be even more family members around. Not the place where that will happen."

Pinkie Pie grinned at her ignorant friend. "Okie-dokie-lokie, Twilight! If you say so!" She gave Twilight a quick hug and then prepared to run off to finish up preparations for the three parties she was responsible for. "Have fun, be safe, and be sure to party until the sun comes up!"

Twilight gave her friend's retreating back a questioning look, then smiled, shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. One last inspection of the decorations showed jack-o-lanterns, black candles, jewel corn, orange and purple streamers, spiderwebs, black crepe paper, hay-bales, and in a place of prominence in the dining room, an old jack-o-lantern statuette. With a covert yellow glow in its eyes, the occupant waited with glee for the show to come.