The Train Kept Rolling
Mac didn't come to town much. He didn't hate coming to town, no. There were ponies he liked to chat with and stores he liked to visit. But the energy of the town, the buzzing of ponies zooming here and there, even as slow as Ponyville actually was, made his head ache like a visit from Pinkie Pie.
And he never could get used to the feel of cobbles under hoof as opposed to the way his hooves sank into the soft earth of nature. All in all, he preferred being in the country.
But today he was on business and that meant he was in the noisy city, waiting for the loudest sound of all.
He perked his ears to the whistle of the train coming before it appeared. The steady 'chunka-chunka' of the wheels on the track sent vibrations through the platform that shook apples out of some of the baskets as it got closer.
The stallion pulling the engine, if you could call it that as the engine was more the stallion himself, slowed far off and walked the train in, gently rolling to stop at the exact mark. Something he could only do with the years of practice he'd had.
He took his conductor's hat off and wiped his brow, taking deep breaths that hefted his chest even as it was tightly bound by the harness.
“Promontory.”
The train stallion looked over, nodding at the mostly quiet farmer. They'd known each other quite a while, though they weren't close. Mostly just business and the occasional chit chat.
“Hey Mac. Got another shipment?”
“Eeyup.”
Mac hopped off the platform, helping unsnap the harness Promontory seemed to be having trouble with as he kept missing the button. It fell away, deep marks left on the muscular train pony where it had held fast to him. Sweat dripped out of his mane and into the dust, sending Mac to search through his saddle bag.
“Thanks. Whew, it's been rough lately. Celestia, my hooves are burning.”
And Mac found the pick me up, the little gift he liked to give to the farm's business partners. He placed it at Promontory's hooves, the brown stallion breaking into a big smile when he saw the jug of Sweet Apple's Best Cider. Not a second was wasted before he was chugging it down with all the grace of a pig at a trough. Not that Mac minded. It was a form of appreciation.
“Feelin' better? Ah've got another bottle.”
Promontory shook his head, stretching out his suddenly cramping hooves.
“Not right now, though if you want to leave it...?”
The sentence hadn't finished before Mac had the other bottle in the train stallion's hooves and it was put away in a small satchel at his side.
Mac glanced back at the empty harnesses, wondering how the brown stallion stayed in business with new magic powered trains taking over the tracks and being a few hooves short of a full team.
The look didn't go unnoticed as they jumped up on the platform to get the apples loaded.
“Some of the gang had to quit on me. More frequent money in cart delivery nowadays and train pulling is going out of fashion what with the cheap cost of using ether furnaces.”
“Sorry t' hear that. We had a little trouble a while back with some magical brothers too.”
“Hmm. The world is a-changin'.”
They worked quietly after that, getting the apples put back in one of the cars. Traveling ponies slowly filled the passenger cars and the whistle blew shrilly over the station.
Promontory nodded at the red farmer, patting his satchel.
“Thanks for the drink. No matter where I go, I'm never treated as well as when I'm in Ponyville. Say hello to Applejack for me, yeah?”
“'Course. You take care uh yourself.”
A quick salute was his send off to Mac and the dark train stallion took a step forward, the mammoth train groaning after him as it followed its master. And he was gone, set to come back again like clockwork. That was a train stallion.
Mac stood on the platform, an order of apples beside him several stacks high. It had long since passed the noon arrival time, 1:38 by the time of the station clock. Passengers paced impatiently, all in a hurry, complaining to the station office but there weren't any answers.
But what could it be? Promontory, as long as Mac had known him, had never been late or missed a station. Even the time during the Buffalo uprising in Appleoosa, that stallion had even arrived early!
No, there was something wrong.
The slight tremor of the earth announced something coming, the tip of the engine car just barely visible in the distance. Ponies growled in irritation but Mac jumped from the platform and galloped as fast as he could, watching Promontory get bigger. And he saw the limp, the grit teeth of the stallion. And even the pained tears spilling over his lips as he dragged the train closer.
“Promontory!”
The stallions expression didn't change as he kept barely dragging the train.
“Mac. Help me get this thing...to Ponyville.”
His strained voice left no room for questions as Mac grasped the harness in his teeth and pulled, his head bumping against Promontory's thigh as the train picked up some speed and finally reached it's destination. Mac called over the swarming crowd,
“Hey, somepony get a doctor!”
The anger of the passengers turned to alarm as Mac pulled the harness off the train stallion and hauled him up on to the platform, Promontory's leg trembling with every little movement and bump.
“Rrrrgh...”
His breath came in pants and growls but Mac got him onto a bench, Nurse Redheart the first to show up.
Minutes passed as she inspected the stallion, curious onlookers gathered around since their ride didn't appear to be moving from that spot.
“How is it Doc?”
“Nurse.”
Besides the correction, she was silent, thoroughly examining the leg before making any sort of diagnosis. She pulled her bag close, pulling out a strange monocle device that she put on and gazed intently at the leg with.
The excited talking of the passengers reached their ears, the story coming out of how this horrible situation came about.
“...Timber Wolves!
“Never been so scared...”
“If he hadn't kept on...”
Mac looked down at the pained stallion, immense respect swelling in his heart as Redheart finally spoke.
“You've got an incomplete fracture sir. I hope you aren't planning on pulling that train again today or even any time soon.”
The expected growl or even a scowl didn't come, nor even a sound or a face. Promontory's eyes merely fell, staring intently at the busted leg.
“Promontory...”
Mac reached out, putting a hoof to the train stallions good shoulder.
He shook his head, hissing when it hurt as the nurse wound the leg up and adjusted the sling.
“I guess...that's it...”
Mac could feel him tense, like he was trying to keep control of some raw emotion.
“Just like my grandpa was forced to quit when he was injured, and the stage coaches moved in. Just like my dad was forced to quit after an injury. Coal trains took over the rails. And now it's me and ether trains...”
Redheart didn't say a word as she worked and Mac wracked his brain for something comforting to say. He was a big brother, used to comforting the sisters he loved. But, unfortunately, there was just the one way he knew.
He wrapped a hoof around the train stallion's neck and pulled him close, Promotory's head to his chest.
“M-mac?”
His heart sped up, holding a partial stranger like this. But it wasn't in Mac to not try to help someone somehow.
“Sorry. It's the best I could do. I live in a house full of mares so...”
Promontory didn't pull away, something warm and wet hitting the farm pony's coat as he stayed, letting Mac stroke his hair.
“Just until I stop. I don't...I don't want anyone to see.”
Redheart finished quickly, glaring at anyone that tried to get close to ask about any of the now ruined travel plans. An understanding soul knew to protect a stallion's weakness, though seeing the two buff males hugging was a new one by her.
“Mr. Promontory, come by the hospital when you can so we can look you over again. You'll need check ups.”
He took a slow breath, pulling away from Mac and wiping his face quickly.
“Yes ma'am. I guess I will. Thank you.”
She and her medical bag disappeared, the wall of inconvenienced passengers now descending on him.
“What're you gonna do about my delivery?!”
“...time sensitive...”
“This is why ether trains are better...”
The complaints heaped on him, so much that he didn't know who to speak to first, what face to look at. He grit his teeth, snapping back.
“There's nothing I can do!”
“...for about an hour. That's when the next one leaves. I'll be taking over.”
Every eye was on the red farmer, the whole platform now silent as even the normally composed Promontory gawked at him.
Relieved sighs changed places with the agitated, selfish anger as everyone settled on waiting the hour for the next ride. Mac got his fair share of pats on the back and Promontory accepted the grateful thanks for escaping from the Timber Wolves until everything was as calm as if nothing were wrong.
“So, you're gonna pull my train? You do know it's...not to be insulting, but it takes more strength than just bucking trees. A lot more strength.”
Mac nodded, going over in his mind what he'd tell AJ. She'd understand of course. There were some things that needed doing and it wasn't wholly altruistic. Sweet Apple apples needed to be shipped out.
“No offense taken. But I'm just about the only stallion in town that might do it. That okay with you? Or do you want the angry passengers back?”
His mouth opened, his eyes swishing back and forth in thought. What could he say? Why not?
“Well...alright. Let me show you how this works then.”
Promontory paced back and forth, a slight hobble with every step. His eyes scanned the horizon for his train, Applejack right beside him waiting for her brother to show up.
A week had gone by, a week Promontory had very kindly been allowed to spend with the Apple family while he recuperated. It had, in fact, been one of the nicest weeks he'd ever spent. Normally he'd have spent any time off by his lonesome since there wasn't much left of the train family so the opportunity to spend time in such a lovely home with fresh country air and some of the most delicious food he'd ever had was something he'd never even dreamed about.
The only thing that might have made it better would have been being able to walk.
“Where is that stallion?! You're never this late Promontory.”
He gave a slight smile and turned his head to the orange mare.
“Well, I've had a lot of time to get used to pulling that kind of tonnage. If he shows up within thirty minutes of schedule, I'm happy. I already owe him my business, as worthless as it is, just for him taking over my transport.”
Applejack cocked her head, hat tilting to the side.
“Worthless...?”
She would have inquired further but the steady rumble of the train crept up on them and the red stallion came barreling into town, the train sliding to a screeching halt far off the usual mark.
The two waiting ponies hopped off the platform and gathered around the gasping Macintosh, his tongue hanging out of his head as he tried to raise his eyes.
This time Promontory put down a bottle of the Sweet Apple cider that AJ had brought and the temporary train puller hoisted it in his mouth and gulped it down, dropping the bottle to the dirt and sucking in several deep breaths.
“A-...AJ...let's change the...the family motto...to never help anypony...that carries twenty tons of steel...for hours at...a time...”
Promontory jabbed the red stallion in the side with an elbow.
“You sayin' train pulling is harder than bucking apples all day?”
“N-nope...it's just so easy that I keep almost fallin' asleep...on the track.”
Promontory just smiled smugly as AJ undid the harness. They hopped up on the platform, Mac's limp matching Promontory's as the strain of the new job and his exhaustion made it hard to walk.
“Ah admit Mac, ah ain't never seen y' so tired. Yer off fer the rest of the day, right?”
They turned to Promontory who nodded.
“Yep, my schedule is starting to lighten up after this week. But don't you worry about anything, I got some replacements lined up to take over. You're free. Hey, and here's what you earned.”
He snatched a sack of bits from the saddle bag he wore, offering it to the red stallion.
“If it had been anything else, Ah would have refused a reward but Ah'll gladly take it.”
He took the bag into his mouth, feeling the hefty weight and jingle of hard earned pay inside. AJ looked around her brother, remembering the train stallion's schedule.
“Didn't ya have another appointment with a doctor today?”
He nodded, veering away from the little group.
“Yup. So I'll see you a little later.”
They waved after him.
“Well, let's get home. Got a little welcome back dinner for ya and everything Mr. Train Pony.”
Mac shook his head, hating how that sounded but with a smile.
The sky had long since darkened outside and Mac had stuffed himself full of the best food he'd ever eaten. There was nothing like being away from home to make you wish desperately for the things you had and good cooking was the very thing he'd yearned for the most.
As Promontory had taken up in Mac's room he decided to sleep on the sofa but wobbled up stairs to find his pillow, overjoyed to see his old room.
The second thing he'd yearned for.
He briefly patted Smarty Pants and let his eyes roam over his things, just being grateful.
He snagged his pillow in his mouth, the one with the big apple pattern and turned to leave when it knocked a saddlebag off the bed, presumably Promontory's.
He growled, annoyed at having to bend over as tired as he was.
He shuffled them back into the black bag, when one written in a rather blocky, large style stood out to him.
“Sorry Promontory, can't make it. Got freight jobs of my own to worry with. Come up this way and I can get you in if you like.”
He pushed it into the fallen bag and another happened to get read.
“No can do buddy. Sorry to hear that but I really can't help. I've got a family to think about.”
And every one passed that, from friends and co-workers, giving constant excuses for why they couldn't help, all dated within the last week. The one on bottom was more formal, typed up and signed with Promontory's own blocky signature.
“Glad to finally be making this deal with you Promontory. Just sign the enclosed forms and we'll take the train off your hands and pick up your old customers. Good luck boy, you did a lot of great work but it's time to make way for progress.”
The rest consisted of page after page of names and clients that the train stallion had worked for throughout the years, all folks that would soon be relying on Ether Engines from now on.
“I'm gonna pretend you were grabbing your pillow and just knocked my bag off the bed.”
Mac turned, Promontory in the door staring at him with a little smile.
“That's just what happened.”
Promontory sighed, scraping the rest of the papers into the bag lifting it in his mouth, putting it back on the bed.
“Wish I had it in me to yell at you so you'd kick me out for being an ungrateful son of a diamond dog. Then I could run my train without you worrying about me.”
Mac sighed.
“But Ah saw what Ah did. Yer business is pretty much over, right? Yer gonna be in awful deep trouble if you don't get the last few deliveries through. You'll need the money while you recuperate and look fer another job.”
Promontory shook his head, a sad smile hanging off his lips. He nodded Macintosh after him and they ended up outside, bright stars and the cool wind blowing off the orchard.
“It's not the money Mac. I don't give a damn about the money, I've got savings.”
“Your reputation?”
Promontory shook his head.
“Truthfully, I couldn't care less about most of my contracts. You and some of the other farmers were good to me but the big contracts, with Filthy Rich and all those other types didn't mean a thing to me. It's out there.”
He nodded out into the orchard in lieu of raising a hoof.
“Mac, I like the outdoors. Pulling that weight through the wilderness, sleeping way out in the middle of nowhere. I love the raw, unspoiled nature I get to see in between the big cities.”
Mac nodded. If anyone ever took the farm from him he'd be right cross too. His whole world was in this soil his family had worked for years.
“But can't y' just go out there now? You've got all the time in the world, no business tying you down any more.”
Promontory clicked his tongue, his mane ruffling in the breeze.
“How can I? Gotta get a job, get tied down like the rest of society. I'm not Daring Do and there aren't any ancient tombs out there for me to make a living off of raiding. I'm not an emotional stallion Mac but...it's all being taken from me.”
He stared out at the trees and Mac drew closer, realizing how much he had with just the large farm that he cared about so much.
“Well...y' need another hug?”
Mac still wasn't any good at being comforting and his repertoire was still limited to that one item. He almost felt like it would be more for him, as he felt the pain of losing everything more acutely than Promontory may have intended. It burned through his chest.
He didn't wait for the response, his hoof wrapping over the taut muscles of the brown pony. Promontory pushed out a small sigh and that sad little smile he wore lately stayed on his face. He leaned into the embrace, the kind he was always denied by long hours of hard work and exhaustion. No family to show affection to. No special mare. Someone who cared was a rare and precious jewel to Promontory.
He leaned his head into the red stallion, careful not to nuzzle but still happy to feel a strong embrace.
“You know Ah'm gonna force mah help on ya, right?”
“I figured you would. You know I'm gonna try to stop you, right? You've got a lot of work to do here.”
Mac nodded, immediately countering in his soft spoken way.
“And if it weren't such an emergency, Ah wouldn't think of askin' one of mah sisters friends to use her levitatin' magic to help out. That take care of all the arguments you can put up against me?”
Promontory nodded, head grazing the red stallion's shoulder in what could easily have been called a nuzzle.
“I think so.”
“Good. Then we'd better get some rest, right?”
Promontory pulled his head away, and they headed back into the house. He'd be damned if he'd spend his last days on the tracks asleep.
Twilight had been more than happy to help out the Apples, even at the early hour Macintosh asked her.
But, he had to admit, there was a certain charm to the wind rushing through his mane as he galloped full speed across the country. Promontory sat up in the engine, his mane blowing back as he stared off into the approaching country.
“That's it Mac! Full gallop, feel the wind and the earth rushing past. YEAH!”
He screamed into the wind, reveling one last time in the joy it brought him. Mac pushed himself further, feeling more energized than he ever had before. Several days had passed since they'd left Ponyville behind and this...was the last one where the train would be at his back, the last chance to show these passengers the power of the pony driven engine.
Promontory climbed out on the tip of the engine, mane blowing back, chest out as he stood into the air that whipped past.
Mac grit his teeth. He could never meet the sheer speed that could be brought forth by the power train stallion, honed by years of strength training. But he would give him the best send off his body could manage.
Legs dug in and he burst forward, racing to the end even though it would bring it all down once they arrived.
The dream was over.
The two walked side by side through the country, the singing of birds filling the errant quiet that followed them through the wide open country.
Promontory hadn't been able to say a word since hoofing the deed to his business over to the new owner. He didn't seem bitter...just quiet.
Mac, being naturally quiet himself just walked alongside enjoying the world that he was finally slowed down enough to gander at as they walked.
Even when Promontory left the tracks for the wilderness off the beaten path, he silently followed.
“You don't mind if we take some detours, do you Mac? There was only so much I ever saw from the track.”
“Nope. Lead on.”
And he did. Mac knew that there was so much the stallion had to sort out that a few detours would hardly matter. In a way he admired the stallion. To lose everything and stay so composed even when Mac knew he was hurting inside. He stayed close by and they walked through untrod woods and over streams, even ducking into a cave that they happened by that they found to be caved in against any further exploration.
To Promontory, the world had just opened up. As they walked he could see that what he'd gained in losing his long time job was a vast and amazing world, despite what he'd said about having to be tied down.
It was evident in his walk that he'd come to a conclusion. His steps, even with the broken hoof, took on a new confidence and Mac smiled at this body language.
“Sort yerself out?”
“Was it that obvious?”
“It's what Ah'd have done.”
The trickle of a waterfall drew them closer to a small oasis. It splashed down into a pool from the higher rocks of the mountain they now skirted, an ideal stopping place as the sunk sank lower in the sky.
“We're about 20 miles from Ponyville.”
“Really? How can you tell?”
Promontory dropped the pack he'd carried, provisions spilling out of the loosely tied top.
“I'm good with distances. Canterlot is on the other side of this mountain.”
Mac built a fire pit, striking up some bright glow against the coming night. The tent took a lot longer as Promontory kept losing the frame without a second hoof to hold it.
“Mac...I won't be going the rest of the way with you.”
He grabbed one of the poles and helped the train stallion fit the tent around it.
“Didn't expect that. Ah was gonna ask ya t' stay with us until you were all better.”
He shook his head at the offer, having imagined that it might come knowing how the Apples were.
“No, I'm gonna strike out tomorrow. Forget what I said about being tied down, I think I know what I'm gonna do. I do have a lot of savings and there's a lot of world out there. I've got a lot of options. That's what I've decided.”
The tent fell into place with the two of them working on it and they settled in front of the fire, the gentle lap of the pond pleasant in the quiet evening.
“The only thing I regret is that it's gonna be a lonely road. Heh, I didn't even take the time between train pulling and this new job to meet a mare or a stallion.”
Mac grinned to himself. He'd known of course. There were little things, private signals that only he might have seen. As little as he spoke, Mac knew body language better than most.
Promontory, big, strong Promontory blushed in the firelight.
“Hey...I didn't mean anything by that y'know.”
“No, Ah know ya didn't. But ifn you'll permit me...”
He turned to the powerful stallion, eyes meeting, lips grazing one another. The first kiss went on and on, followed by another, renewing the spark of contact as the two leaned closer to one another.
Mac broke the contact, rubbing his head to the stallion's neck.
“Ah like ya Promontory. Ah ain't never met another pony that Ah liked half as much cept mah sisters. Yer a hard worker...strong...handsome...mah family likes ya. Those're the only qualities Ah hope fer in anypony but they ain't easy to find.”
He kissed the big brown neck, blowing warm breath across the coat.
“Since Ah ain't gonna be seein' ya fer a long time, an if yer willin', Ah'll spend yer last night around here with ya.”
Promontory let go of a deep breath, at a loss for words. He merely nodded, smiling as Macintosh kissed up his neck, Promontory biting his lip as he concentrated on every little brush of those red lips on his body.
His hooves pawed at the earth, digging little grooves as Mac teased him. And the warmth in his body grew, his member sliding from his sheath, light gasps filling the air. Mac's hoof reached down, stroking the enormous black cock and drawing it out to it's obscene length and girth.
“M-Mac. With my hoof like this...I don't think I can, y'know, be in certain positions. What do you wanna do?”
Their lips brushed again and Promontory glanced down at Mac's own member, long and pink, large in it's own right but for once smaller next to the train stallion.
“Leave that to me.”
He gently pushed the stallion on his side, the bad leg to the air as he scooted back a bit. His head dipped, tongue flicking across the head of the already throbbing cock. Mac extended his tongue fully from his mouth, rubbing it back and forth along the length, saliva collection on the dark length. Promontory's eyes shut tight at this attention, the feel of Mac barely working his lips over the tip providing an almost unbearable tightening in his mouth.
His hips bucked without his meaning to, pushing to the back of Mac's throat and forcing a gag. Mac rubbing a hoof along the train stallion's belly, the other stroking the full balls that hung under.
Mac worked his tongue over the tip, pulling it free of his mouth and diving back again, pre gathering and spilling from the tip as Mac sucked and licked, Promontory gasping and shuddering at the warmth of such a feeling.
Promontory panted in short bursts as Mac wiped the strings of saliva and pre from his lips, a smile on his face. His lips puckered together as Mac dribbled the collected goo along the thick length, rubbing it in and along the full member, coating it.
Mac stood, looking back and swishing his tail back and forth, revealing the darker red little treasure he'd never let anyone have.
There was no mistaking what he had in mind as he pressed his head to the earth, flank high in the air and tail to the side.
“And that's how you make lube. I figured you'd want to be on top.”
Promontory smiled, hobbling over on his good leg and rubbing his face along the stallion's flank, the mixture dripping off into the dirt.
He rose, muscles rippling over his incredible body as his weight fell on Mac's powerful back. He pushed, stroking his cock into the tail hole Mac had offered, prodding and trying to be easy. Mac shut his eyes tight as it eased in, opening him, thrusting deeper, slowly sliding in.
Mac gasped in shock at how much bigger it felt than he'd guessed. His hooves dug into the earth and he moaned, body pressing back against his lover's body. Pre dripped from Mac's cock, his own cock throbbing at receiving none of the attention it ached for.
Promontory picked up the pace, rolling hips into Mac that had been honed in the most grueling work known to pony kind.
His whole body radiated power as his pace quickened, gathering steam and propelling him faster and faster like the trains he had worked with all his life.
Mac's voice rose higher and higher, animal moans that drove Promontory wild, his breath warm and driven in Mac's mane as he realized that like the last ride of his career he might not see Mac again for a long, long time.
Mac's hoof stroked Promontory's and he called his name, louder, louder.
“Promontory!”
“Mac!”
“Pr-Promontory!”
His muscles squeezed tight, the hardened legs he'd built from years on the farm that clamped down insanely tight as Mac gasped out with orgasm, cum spilling into the dirt, spattering into the earth and forcing Promontory to do the same, gushing pent up seed into his red lover, feeling the red hips contract and tighten, over and over again, milking him of everything he'd had inside him.
They stayed like that, gasps and growls as each felt their body go on and on, spilling their seed and exhaustion driven into bare consciousness from such an extreme release.
Nothing could be said. Neither could muster the energy to think much less speak as they stayed together. It was all they could do just to pull away from one another, hard breaths and blushing faces turning calmer as they bedded down, Mac leaning into the train stallion who had so stolen his heart as they drifted off to sleep.
It was early, early morning when shuffling awoke Mac from warm dreams. An eye opened on Promontory watching the hint of red stain the sky as the sun thought of rising, hooves fidgeting over one another.
He slowly rose, stretching out and yawning as he shook the sleep out of his body. Promontory startled slightly as he sat beside him.
“Morning.”
“Morning.”
The silence should have been plenty awkward, might have been to many others. But silence was Mac's domain, and they'd expressed themselves and everything they meant to each other with their bodies.
“You'll come back once you've found what you're looking for, right?”
There was a breeze through the trees and Promontory stood, picking up his pack of supplies. And nodded.
“My favorite stops are always in Ponyville. Good drinks, good ponies.”
His pack settled on his flank and he pushed his head to Mac's in a last nuzzle as the sun broke over the horizon.
“A good friend. Might as well be my last one then. Best for last, right?”
The contact lingered and finally broke and Promontory set out into his new life. Mac watched, waited, and knew this would be a new start for him too.
He headed home to live and wait.
Author's Note
This story is based on a certain Promontory x Macintosh picture by Iopichio. Just in case anyone is interested.