“I hate today…”

“Eeyup…”

“It just keeps getting more complicated and annoying…”

“Eeyup…”

“I should’ve just stayed in bed with Applejack…”

“…”

The sudden lack of reply from Big Macintosh made you turn away from the scene playing out in front of you and look at him instead. His face conveyed a bit of unease at the image your comment had most likely summoned.

“Hey, as far as I’m concerned, you’ve more than given me your blessing… Bro.”

The groan that left him only added to your mirth at the sudden opportunity you had for getting back at him for more than a few prior jabs at your expense.

“We were all nice and toasty under those blankets. Getting comfortable, while she smiled and basked in the sensation of me running my hand across her-OH GODDESSES MY SIDE!”

The pained voice that echoed through the small enclosure, helped you realize, from your new position on the floor lightly rolling as you clutched at your injured side, that you may have taken the joke a bit far. Honestly though, it wasn’t like you were about to go into full detail. That’s perhaps a story for another time.

“Ow… stop doing that you ass!”

“Now now, don’t be an idjet. Yah know ah ain’t ah mule. Besides, it’s just a small scratch.”

It was now Big Macintosh’s turn to smirk at you, right before he turned to look away and settled his gaze back at what you two had originally been looking at. After a few seconds of you laying prone on the ground, you eventually managed to stand back up and joined him in looking at the ponies in front of you.

Caramel sat on the other side of the cave, looking sadly at the creature that lay in front of him, wrapped in your jacket. He was as stiff as a statue, and, although he looked sad, it was still kind of hard to fully read his expression. However, if you had to venture a guess, you’d have said it looked like he was struggling with a mixture of worry and sadness that every now and then traded places with a deep doubt and an urge to flee. Caramel had been like that since you and Big Macintosh came back in from your little chat, carrying an unconscious Changeling.

More precisely, the one with the pink eyes. The one that had helped you.

While you and Big Macintosh had been talking outside, she had made her way through the snow storm, somehow stumbling upon the two of you. You supposed that a big red object like Big Macintosh, standing outside in a field of white snow was something easy enough to see.

You’d have to wait to find that out later however.

As soon as Big Macintosh noticed her making her way towards you, she collapsed and let out a barely audible plea for help. Both of you had not really stopped to think about the possibilities of it being a trap, and ran towards her as fast as you both could through the snow. Big Macintosh reached her first, and had stopped dead in his tracks, looking at her. You immediately understood why he had once you reached her too.

What you saw told you it wasn’t a trap.

“Sh-she found ou-out… sh-she wasn’t happy…” She had managed to let out in a whimper, right before she fell unconscious.

You had seen bugs that had been stepped on, repeatedly, that looked a lot better than she did.

Even through the snow that had gathered on her, you could see cracks all over the chitin that covered the Changeling. Some parts on her even had chips or pieces missing entirely. But, what had shocked you the most about how she looked was that these, along with some of the nastier looking cracks, gave off a sort of glowing green dust that rose into the air a few inches before fading away. When you and Big Macintosh examined these closer, you could faintly see a sort of gray, fuzzy looking skin through the rising green dust and missing pieces of her carapace.

Understandably, you had been hesitant to touch her. But, when you passed your hand through the glowing green dust, that hesitation vanished.

Warmth and a deep longing immediately filled you. It swept up through your arm and spread to every extremity of your being. You had to stop there and then to try and catch your breath as a different kind of warm sensation ran down your cheek before growing cold in the wind, and a single thought overtook your mind and blocked everything else.

Applejack.

As quick as that warmth and sense of longing had come, it had vanished. Swept away by the sound of Big Macintosh’s voice piercing your ears. His hoof had also come into contact with the green dust and, as you both blinked at one another, both realizing the other had felt the exact same thing.

Love.

Neither of you two wasted any more time in bringing the Changeling inside and pushed the matter far back into your minds.

The dust had no other effect on you when you touched it again. And it would be something to discuss at a later time.

Once inside, a bout of panic streaked through the ponies gathered around the campfire. That however, came to an abrupt stop with the echoing sound of Big Macintosh’s voice. A space was made by the fire and with Lyra’s help, you gently removed the Changeling off of Big Macintosh’s back, and wrapped her in your jacket.

She was still giving off the green smoke, and when Lyra’s hoof came into contact with it, you observed a similar reaction as you had experienced. She had not been able to take her eyes off you as a tear broke free of her golden eyes. You had wanted to say something then, to talk to her about what had happened earlier. But your attention had been wrenched away once you paid closer attention to the Changeling.

Much to your surprise, some of the smaller cracks and holes looked slightly smaller than before. But, in the small amount of time that it took you and Big Macintosh to make it back inside, she appeared to have begun struggling to breath.

That was when Caramel quietly approached and stood watching over her, much as he did now. Not saying a single word.

Almost an hour had gone by since then. And now, you were certain that your guess back in that old house, that there was something going on between Caramel and the Changeling was dead on. And by the looks of it, he was having a very hard time dealing with it even now.

Not much different from your current predicament, it seemed.

“She-she really hasn’t moved much since you dudes brought her in. Think she’s alright?” Thunderlane suddenly asked, snapping you out of your thoughts and recollections. Lyra had asked you the same thing only a few minutes ago. So, you gave the only response you felt was adequate given how repetitive that particular question had become.

“Dammit Jim! I’m a repairman! Not a doctor! Plus, I’m wearing a red shirt…”

The collective silence from everypony present reminded you why you had stopped doing that in the first place. Still, you supposed that an inside joke, even if you were the only one laughing on the inside, was good for the soul every now and then.

“Whut?” Thunderlane asked as he flew up into the small space and hovered in front of you.

“It means I’m not a doctor, a pony doctor, or a bug-pony doctor… and that my only function is to fix things and to boldly go where no man-err, pony has gone before and not return to the ship because I fell victim to something unexpected… Like a peanut allergy or something.”

The silence that permeated the cave again was palatable. At least that was the case until Lyra suddenly began to giggle.

She was the only one you had ever bothered to explain to some of the more, perhaps ‘quirky’, aspects of human culture. It had been after all, for her book she was writing. She had even made the comment once of wanting to try and put together a ‘comic-con’ of sorts.

“Lyra! What gives? You seriously broke him with that stunt back there!” Thunderlane suddenly interrupted Lyra’s giggling fit as he turned and pointed an accusatory hoof at her. To Lyra’s merit though, that only made her giggle a little more.

“I did no such thing! He was already broken when I found him!”

“Hey!” You protested, suddenly wanting to take that merit back.

“Eeyup, sounds about right.” Big Macintosh decided to chime in, and earned a reproachful stare from you, which of course only seemed to heighten his enjoyment of the conversation.

“See? Even Big Mac agrees! Poor guy even thinks my name is ‘Jim’ or something!”

“Well, you sure act like him.” You interrupted, and raised your hands in front of you to signal him to stop before his mouth opened up again.

“Remind me again why your mouth was glued shut with that green goop?”

“Huh? What?” Thunderlane stopped to look at everpony in confusion, knowing Caramel had explained this to everypony while you were all still captives in that old abandoned house. “It was-it was because I hit on that one Changeling. The mean one, the one with the um… the um… nice curvy plot.”

To his credit, he at least blushed a bit.

“Right, and that’s why you’re Captain Jim Kirk… To boldly hit on anything that remotely looks female and has a pretty smile, no matter how crazy she is.”

There were only a few second of silence before the cave fell victim to the laughter that erupted from both Lyra and Big Macintosh. You didn’t waste any time in joining in as well. And, after a few seconds of stunned silence, even Thunderlane joined in too.

It was honestly something everypony needed right there and then. A bit of laughter.

“Well –heh- you know what dude? I at least got game! –haha- No mare, pony or bug, is immune to my charms!”

“Ha! He’s got, uh, game, Thunderlane!” Lyra suddenly chimed in as her laughter died down a bit. “All the mares in Pony wanted a piece of him… and he’s so weird looking!” She finished as she nuzzled your thigh, as to prove her point.

“Geez, thanks Lyra for calling me weird…” You responded through a bit of chuckling as you placed your hand atop her head and began to pet her and scratch behind her ears.

Lyra visibly froze for a fraction of a second at your touch, and a deep blush overtook her just as quickly. She began to relish the sensation, and pushed further into your hand, her eyes closed in blissful satisfaction. You didn’t pull you hand away, enjoying the feel of her fur and the welcome warmth that filled your chest as you looked down at her. Her eyes slowly opened, revealing an emotion you had seen countless times before, from another mare, and her eyes slowly met yours. You held her gaze and her blush only deepened as that warmth in your chest grew and grew, and a series of stray thoughts coursed through your mind.

Applejack loves me, and I love her beyond anything, and that will never change. She loves me for who I am, no matter what. But Lyra… I’m glad she gets my dumb jokes every now and then, even jokes that only a human might get. She’s such a curious little thing. She asks so many questions about me and “what” I am… about where I was. It’s hard to feel truly homesick around her. Around Applejack and her. Lyra’s so cute when she blushes, and she does have a very sexy plot.

Your eyes suddenly bulged wide open and your hand stopped moving, Lyra seemingly content to just continue rubbing against it. The sensation of sweat rolling down your forehead was immediate, your mind having suddenly changed gears as new thoughts shot through it at breakneck speeds.

What the heck was that!? What was I just thinking of!? Sweet Celestia and Luna! Applejack’s never going to want to see me again if I don’t reign this in and-

“She’s waking up!”

You pulled your hand away and abruptly stepped forward, nearly causing Lyra to fall to the side. You didn’t stop to check if she had or not as you continued to look at the source of the voice, Caramel, right before your gaze dropped down to look at the stirring form wrapped in your jacket. You were barely able to make out a shallow groan from her, right before the Changeling’s head rose up, and her eyes fell on Caramel, who towered over her.

“Cara-Caramel?...”

Caramel looked away, visibly chewing on his lower lip, and the Changeling’s gaze lingered for a bit before it too looked away as a tear fell onto your jacket, sparkling for a second in the fire’s light.

“Ah think its best w’all go outside and give’em sum privacy.” Big Macintosh quickly said as he began to make his way out towards the cave entrance. Your mouth opened to protest, but it quickly closed and you turned to look back at Lyra.

She was still looking at you intently, that blush still evident. Her breathing looked and sounded heavier than it should have, and her tail was hiked up slightly.

You needed to clear your head.

Cool it down.

It was cold outside.

That would work.

You immediately did a full about-face turn, and walked quickly towards the outside of the cave, again. You overtook Big Macintosh, your pace only getting faster as the sound of hooves on stone quickly filled in behind you.

You were barely able to make out Caramel’s shallow voice as it echoed from within the cavern.

“Wh-why did you do it, Morning Mist?”

“We both seem to be asking something similar, aren’t we, Caramel?” You quietly told yourself as the cold coming from the outside grew.

“Why did I do that?”

“Uh, what are you doing?”

“Mum huming do wool mah head…”

“… Whut?”

You pulled your head out from the snow, and shivered like crazy as you ran back towards the cave entrance where you found a spot just beyond it where the cold and wind could not reach you.

It was mildly above freezing.

“I said that I was trying to cool my head.” You replied again and hugged your arms around yourself, and dropped to the ground. You were trying to shrink yourself into a small, warm, ball. You had left you jacket behind, the sole witness to whatever conversation Caramel and the Changeling, whom you assumed was called Morning Mist, were currently having.

The sweater you had on honestly did little to hold back the cold. But at least, it helped keep your mind lukewarm as you focused on not freezing, and allowed a little chant to play out in your head.

I am not attracted to Lyra… I am not attracted to Lyra… I am not attracted to Lyra…

That’s not true…

Shut up brain!

Come on, be honest with yourself…

Okay, fine! Will you shut up if I admit she’s cute?!

Perhaps I will… That is the truth after all.

Well tough luck! I’m not going further than that cause I love Applejack, okay?!

That is also true…

…

“Why am I arguing with myself?!”

“Arguing about what?” Big Macintosh’s voice suddenly filled your ears along with a welcome warmth that nestled next to you. You had to do everything possible not to scream like you usually did, and instead, settled for coughing as you nearly swallowed your tongue.

“Whoa there now.” Big Macintosh’s voice sounded next to you once more as his hoof patted your back. “Can’t have yah chocking till after we sort that Changeling out n’make sure Applejack and Fluttershy are okay.”

“Um, yeah, about that…”

Your attention turned toward Thunderlane.

“So, what’s the deal with you and Applejack? Are you-”

As if on cue, a new warmth filled your other side, and you turned to watch as Lyra laid next to you and contently pushed her head underneath your arm.

“Uh, are you all…” Thunderlane tapped his forehooves together, trying to imply something that you quite didn’t understand. “You know, together?”

You blinked at him, a bit of confusion clearly etched along your face.

“For, uh, a while now, yeah. Since the heat season ended.”

“Really? Wow, congrats dude! How was the heat this year? You didn’t get too banged up, did you?”

You blinked again at him, the confusion from before only having grown. They had said they’d been held captives for a while, but…

“Thunderland, how long were you there for?”

“Huh? What? Why?”

“Well, last time I saw you, it was when you escaped those mares and flew towards the flock of male Pegasus-”

“WHAT?!” The evident shock in Thunderlane’s outburst sent him flying into the air right before he pushed forward and began to hover an inch or two from your nose.

“He did what?!”

“Uh… He?”

“That Changeling! The one with the blue eyes!”

“Uh… you mean to say that wasn’t you?”

“NO! Oh horseapples! They’re going to ban me for good this time!”

“They? Who’s they? Wait, this time?”

“The Flock! We have protocols! Rules to survive the heat!”

“Uh, okay, like?”

Thunderlane stopped in his half crazed rambling and looked nervously at Lyra. She was obviously too content with nuzzling into you to care, but that didn’t seem to be enough for the panicked Pegasus.

“I… We don’t talk about it.”

“What? Why? Is this like, Fight Club??”

“Wh-what? No! Dude, we’re not fighting! You and I are cool, dude!”

“No, I meant… nevermind. So you mean to tell me that wasn’t you up there?”

“No!”

“You mean to tell me you’ve been held captive this whole time?”

“Yes!”

“And what about Caramel? When he get kidnapped?” Big Macintosh asked, having taken a sudden interest in the conversation.

“At the same time as I was. He wanted to introduce me to his marefri-” He paused and his gaze shifted toward the cave entrance, and remained there for a bit before he began biting his lip and turned back around. “I-I guess what he thought was his marefriend at the time…”

No pony said anything else after that, perhaps visualizing or wondering just what kind of conversation was taking place back down in the cave. You blinked a few times before you realized that like everypony else, you had inadvertently turned your head to look behind you. You felt a sense of sadness for the poor guy. Admittedly, he was a bit of screw-up at times, but still, he was a nice guy all around.

To get played like that was just…

“Wait…” You spoke softly and shook your head to clear your thoughts. “That seems… You mean to say that all that time you were both held captive, they never talked it out? I mean he must have been furious. At least, yell it out?”

“Well, for a good part of that time, it was just the one with the blue eyes that watched us. Guess she was ordered to stay in Ponyville to keep tabs on you and Applejack. Caramel was convinced she had been kidnapped too. At least, that was until…” Thunderlane paused, and in a rare moment, at least in the little time you had known him, he brought up his hoof to his chin and appeared to be in deep thought. You swore you heard a few seconds from an invisible clock tick on by from somewhere in the cavern.

“At least, that was until a few days ago when they all got together to plan your capture. She showed up looking like a Changeling. We didn’t know it was her until… until the big mean one ordered here to change into her disguise. She refused at first, and, well, you saw how the mean one is towards her. She didn’t want to, but in the end… Caramel, poor guy, he took it hard.”

Again, no pony said anything for a while, the only sound being that of a dying wind. The snow storm was finally starting to die off. Or so it seemed. It was hard to tell, but you would have wagered you had all been outside for close to an hour or more.

She didn’t want him to know she had betrayed him... and by the looks of it, she really did fall for him.

A sigh escaped you as a now noticeable tiredness overtook you. If the snow storm was finally dying down, you’d be able to move out soon. You had been through worst. A little lack of rest and cold weather wasn’t going to stop you.

“Maybe I should go check to see if they’re done talking.” You commented while you moved to stand up, but stopped when you felt Thunderlane’s wingtip brush past you as he flew on ahead.

“Nah, I got this dude. I’m as worried about him as you guys are, so I’ll go make sure he’s okay.”

You smiled and settled back down to wait. Because honestly, what else was there to do until the snowstorm fully died off?

All you could do was get comfortable and allow for your mind to wonder a bit. And, almost immediately, many new and old thoughts ran through your mind, trying to make the best use of the time you had. At some point after a few minutes had gone by, you had begun to absently run your fingers through Lyra’s mane. It sounded like she had fallen asleep, and had done so being content that she was nowhere else, but where she was now, with you.

“Looks like yah still be need’n to figure out what yah gonna do, huh?” Big Macintosh asked you while his eyes remained closed, apparently having pretended to be asleep while you mulled over your thoughts. You couldn’t help but let out an exasperated sigh as you too closed your eyes, and followed his lead.

“One thing at a time, Big Mac. Besides, I’m still trying to figure out some old things, and new things that just sprang up.”

“Oh? Like?”

You paused while you mauled the question over, and tried to figure out a way to word what was on your mind. Years of watching movies of varying genres back on Earth, had given you a basic idea of how evil should behave, at least in movies that is.

“It just that…” Eventually, you figured out that straight to the point was the best choice, as opposed to trying to explain a lifetimes worth of movie plot knowledge.

“The heat was months ago, and they kept those two hostage for all that time… and none of us knew it till it was too late.” Your head hung a bit low as you began to accept just how serious a foe you were up against, how organized they were, or rather, had been.

And just how outmatched you were.

“How do we stop them? I mean, you’re right… they aren’t going to pull their punches. And if Applejack is in the crossfire, I don’t know how I’ll keep her out of danger.”

Your gaze slowly fell on Lyra, and there was no hesitation in what came out from your mouth next.

“How can I keep them both out of harm’s way?”

“Ah honestly… don’t quite know.”

Your head turned to look at him, the disappointment in his words clearly etched on your face. That was not the reply you had come to expect from Big Macintosh, especially if his sister was involved.

He always had a suggestion. Some idea, some cryptic comment that held some of that seemingly sage-like knowledge he could tap into from time to time. And now, when you needed it most, as the snowstorm died, right before you lunged head first into danger… he had nothing to give you.

For a fraction of a second, it felt as if the rug had been pulled from underneath your feet.

“But what ah do know…” He continued as he turned to look out into the storm. “Is that it shouldn’t ah take this here long for Thunderlane to go check on Caramel’n that changeling.”

“Ahhh!”

As if on cue, you heard the echo of a scream from within the cave and bolted upright before immediately dashing off to see what was going on. Lyra only lagged a bit behind, her sudden rude awakening slowing her down bit before she caught up with the two of you.

“AHHH!”

“Ha! See? I’m not the only one that screams like a filly, Big Mac! Thunderlane does it too!” You commented through a couple of hard breaths, the scream echoing out louder as you got closer. Whatever was causing Thunderlane to scream out like that, was not letting up as you heard it again, and then again, in rapid successions. You could only imagined what had happened to poor Caramel. Had he been the first victim of the Changeling’s trap? Deep down, you felt a pang of guilty for having brought here in from the cold, to where your friends were. But you also felt a deep well of sadness, for her not having been an ally in all this.

“Ahh… ahhh… AHHH!”

Big Macintosh suddenly slowed down in front of you, nearly causing you to bowl right over him. You managed to dodge him at the last minute, and quickly passed him as you turned back to give him a confused glare.

“Big Mac?! What the hay?! We’re almost there, right around this-“ No sooner did the words leave your mouth, that you suddenly found yourself colliding with something. Both you and it tumbled into the ground in a wreck of limbs, and one or two obscenities, before finally coming to stop with whatever you had hit resting on top you. It took you a moment to clear your spinning head, only to have your injured side flare up in pain as Thunderlane suddenly tried to push off you and pressed down on it with his hoof, one of his rear legs pushing into your stomach.

“What the buck Thunderlane?! What’s wro-“

“SHHH!” He hushed you and placed his hoof over your mouth as he looked at everypony that had gathered, signaling for them to keep quiet as well.

“I don’t understand, what’s going on Thunderlane? Why are you hush-”

“AHHH-mmm, Yess!”

Everpony present turned to look at the little hole in the wall you had all been using as shelter within the cavern. What you heard coming from within it was no scream for help, but instead…

“AHHHHH!”

“Oh my…” Lyra let out in a shocked whisper as she finished her sentence, and another moan echoed out into the cave, quickly followed by what could faintly be distinguished as a very low slapping sound.

“Thunderlane… are they-“

“They seem to have made up…” He interrupted your question as he swallowed hard and looked at the source of where the noise was coming from, not bothering to get off of you.

“Mmmm-yes… just like that Caramel!”

“Eeyup, sure does sound like it.”

Nopony else said anything, perhaps not really sure what to say in the first place. Everypony had rushed to what they believed was the sound of Thunderlane in need of help, and had instead come upon a scene that, given all that was happening, was perhaps not the most beneficial to the group.

“Oh Goddesses… Mist, I’m close!”

Aside from Caramel that is, who sounded to be in much better spirits than before.

“Wait a second Thunderlane… How long have they been, “making up” for?”

Thunderlane suddenly began to shift his gaze to look at everything else without making direct eye contact with any pony, or human, present. Your eyes quickly fell on his wings. They were extended.

“Uh, well, you see, thing is… uh…”

“Where you down here spying on them?!” Lyra suddenly asked him in a silent, yet accusatory hiss as she approached him, eyes wide in shock and a light blush across her muzzle.

“What?! No! I wasn’t spying on them! Uh, well… that is… not long!”

“Now that there ain’t right Thunderlane… Spying on mah cousin like that.”

“No! Big Macintosh! It wasn’t like that, hones-“ Thunderlane didn’t get to finish his sentence as he turned his body towards Big Macintosh, and stopped when the same thing from before poke and dug gently into your stomach. Even from your position on the ground, you could see his eyes grow wide.

“Thunderlane…” You spoke quietly, not wanting to look at what you really hoped was not what you thought was poking you in your stomach. “That better not be what I think it is…”

Thunderlane didn’t reply, but instead slowly removed himself off of you and walked shamefully, and rather awkwardly, off to a corner. You didn’t say anything as you sat up, and rubbed the bridge of your nose, which proved rather pointless in quelling your ever growing headache.

“Celestia, Luna… I just want this day to end on a happy note, please.” You let out in an exasperated whisper, as you tried not to think about why there was a cool wet spot on your shirt now.

“Caramel! I love you-AHH!”
“Oh Mist, I’m cu-“

Everypony present suddenly found the floor beneath their hooves to be the most interesting thing in the world as the crescendo of echoes coming from within the cavern suddenly came to a standstill. And, after a few seconds of silence, you all assumed the awkward moment you had all been forced to listen to had passed.

“Heh, uh, guess Caramel had his day end on a happy note.” Lyra commented as she came to stand next to you, and rubbed her foreleg over the other one, the blush from before still quite evident.

“Uh huh…” Was all you were able to force out in response, your fingers still doing their best to rub away the headache.

“Say, uh, weren’t she using your jacket as ah blanket before w’all stepped out?”

“…”

Sometimes it was hard to tell when Big Macintosh was trying to be helpful or just relishing in your discomfort.

Author's Note

It's been a while, hasn't it? But worry not, I won't bore you with the details. Just know that I intend to finish this story.

Disclaimer - All characters presented in this work of fiction are owned by their respective creators and owners. In short, all the wubs go to Hasbro.