Chapters Instructions Not Included
Sugarplum took the last bite of her fried fish, and sighed contently. She placed her plate on the picnic blanket, and leaned on Big Mac. He silently offered her a mug of cider. When she took it, she noticed an amused look in his eyes.
“What?” she asked before taking a drink.
“Nuthin,” he answered. “Just kinda funny watching you eat fried pet food.” He put an arm around her and held her close.
“For my kind its perfectly normal food.” She poked him in the belly, making him grunt. “And I really don't want to have another fainting spell from not eating right.”
“Reckon so.” He took a swig of his own cider and looked up at the sky. The clouds were arranged like a chessboard, breaking up the summer sunlight to keep it bearable. The sun was hitting an open patch, and he watched the light slide down their hill and along the trees.
“Mac, thanks for taking me out today.” She leaned her head on him.
“Welcome. Seemed like ya needed it.” He looked at her out the corner of his eye.
She smiled ruefully. “Did it show?”
“A bit.” He gave her a gentle squeeze. “Anything else I can do for it?”
Sugarplum shook her head. “Its just my parents, you know?” She sighed and pressed herself closer to him. “I don't know if I'll ever see them again. And...” She paused to anxiously rub her knee. “And they must be terrified for me. I wish I could tell them I'm okay.” She looked up at his soft, concerned face. “Just that. 'I'm okay.' If they could somehow know that, I could bear the rest.” She sniffled and buried her face in his fuzzy chest.
“Here.” Mac lightly pushed her with his muzzle until she laid down on her side. He joined her, facing the same way, pulling her close with one arm. She rubbed his forelock and closed her eyes. His breath tickled her ear, her neck. She felt his muzzle gently touch her skin, then her hair as he brushed it behind her ear.
“Just let it out.” he whispered. After a moment, Sugarplum quietly wept. While the tears trailed down onto her sleeve, Mac kissed her on her neck, her cheek, her temple. When she had cried all she could, she wiped her eyes and turned her head up towards his.
“Twilight's been working on helping you,” he told her. “She'll find some way, I reckon. I believe that.”
She smiled. “Thanks, Mac.” She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. Sugarplum intended a brief kiss, but Mac had slid his hoof around to support her. He held her and kissed her deeper, and she traced her fingertips along his neck. She felt his broad tongue flick hers before he pulled back.
Warmth flushed her face. She laid her head back down, and Mac continued to nuzzle and reassure her. She felt very aware of his touch and the warm pressure of his chest against her back.
“Mac? Can we go out again tomorrow? For supper?” She turned onto her back to look at him. He leaned his face close to her, and she saw a languid twinkle in his eyes.
“Reckon we could.” He gave her another kiss. “Where ya want to go? Hay Burgers?”
She quirked her mouth. “Mac, I can't eat-”
“Right. Forgot.”
She twirled a lock of his mane on her finger. “How about The Spud Hut?”
He gave an amused grin. “Really?”
“Hey. I like their potatoes.”
“Spud Hut it is, then.”
They laid there together for a time. Any time she felt her pain welling up, she'd make some small talk and he'd respond in his simple, friendly way. Eventually, little things began to mar the warm, pleasant feeling he gave her. Her back was sweating against his belly, her side ached from laying on it so long, and looking at the sky showed that their date would soon end.
She sighed. “Guess we should start packing up, huh?”
“Reckon so,” he said in an equally regretful tone.
She got up and stretched, then helped him pack up the picnic basket. When she bent to pick it up, Mac stopped her with a hoof.
“Why don't ya take the rest of the day off, Sugarplum? Get a proper rest.” He paused thoughtfully. “Unless it helps ya to stay busy.”
“Actually, my mind wanders a lot when I'm working.” She smiled in thanks to him. “I think I'll take that offer. There's something I want to do in town.”
“What's that?” he asked before setting the basket on his back.
“Oh, just girl stuff.” She tousled his mane. “Don't suppose you can come with me.”
“Nope. Got to get back and help Applejack. You know her, she'll work herself ragged if I let her.” His smile was apologetic.
You're so loyal to your family, Big Mac . “Yeah, she would. I'll see you tomorrow, then.”
She leaned to kiss him one more time. His lips lingered on hers, and she wondered if he would use his tongue again. But he finally pulled back and sighed.
“Well, got to go.” He picked up the basket with his teeth and set it on his back.
“Sure you don't want me to carry that?”
Mac shook his head. “It'll be easier to tell Sis you're gone for the day if you're not actually there.”
She played with his mane and they parted. Sugarplum paused to watch his strong form walk down the hill. The electric tingle from their last kiss still lingered in her when she headed for town.
Once in Ponyville she sought out Twilight at the library, but found only Spike. He explained as he sorted books that Twilight was over in Canterlot on some obscure business. Sugarplum thanked him and quickly left before he could draw her into a conversation about his hobbies.
Back on the street (such as they were in Ponyville), she wandered and thought to herself. Drat, I need someone to talk to. Applejack is my best friend, but it'd be hard to talk to her, because its her brother. She grinned to herself. And Twilight would probably pull out a bunch of books or something. But I haven't made many friends outside the Apples.
She sighed and walked through the town, waving back to the friendly ponies who greeted her. Off to the side, she spotted Sugar Cube Corner. The warmth of the sun had made her clothes sticky with sweat, and the thought of a nice cold beverage was suddenly very appealing. She headed into the cool interior; it was rather slow since the schoolfoals hadn't gotten out yet. She bought a bottle of strawberry soda from Mrs. Cake, and sat down to drink and think.
She glanced over at Mrs. Cake, who was having friendly banter with her husband. You know, I really do need to make more friends. I bet she'd be great to talk to, like a wise older woman. Really helpful. But I spend most of my time with the Apples or Twilight. She frowned and tried to get comfortable on the pony-sized stool.
Suddenly a pink blur rushed up to her. “Uh oh, frowny-face alert! Wooo wooo wooo!” Pinkie Pie plopped down next to her. “What's wrong, Sugarplum?”
“Well,” she replied while getting over being startled, “I just need someone to talk to.”
“I know how to talk!”
Sugarplum couldn't help but smile. “Well, its about me and Big Mac...” She wondered if Pinkie was really the best pony to talk to about such things. But, I have always been meaning to be friends with her. I guess I could try.
“Oh no, is something wrong with the ship?”
Sugarplum thought about the little toy ship that was currently sitting on her dresser. “What? No, the ship is fine. But back to me and Mac. Thing is, its going pretty good between Mac and me.” She nervously scratched at the tabletop. “And uh, I'm thinking maybe its time to take things farther.”
Pinkie tilted her head. “Farther?”
“Yeah. Farther. You know.” She took a swig of soda. Hmmm, does she know? She does seem like an innocent-
“Oooooooooh, you want him to sail the beef boat into Tuna Harbor?”
Her head shot forward and she clamped her lips shut to keep soda from spraying all over the table. “HMMMMMMM!” A nearby patron looked over with amusement.
Pinkie giggled. “You should really just let the spit-take happen.”
Sugarplum swallowed, coughed and tried to collect herself. Pinkie gently patted her back. She took another sip, wiped her mouth on a napkin, and nodded to Pinkie.
“Ahem. Yes, that's basically what I mean.” She cleared her throat and dank again.
“Well, that should make you smiley, not frowny, right? You both like each other lots!”
“Well, sure,” she admitted. “I'm just a little nervous, though.” She fidgeted with her soda bottle. “I mean, I've never...”
Pinkie gasped. “Its your first time?”
She blinked. “What? No, I meant its my first time with a stallion.”
Pinkie gasped again. “You used to date mares?”
She slammed down her bottle in exasperation. “I've never slept with anyone outside of my species, Pinkie!” She suddenly raised a hand to her mouth and looked around. The few other patrons were pointedly not looking in her direction. A purple-ish mare nursing a mug of punch was biting her forelock, trying not to laugh.
“Everything okay, Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake asked from behind the counter.
“Well Sugarplum hasn't mmpphhphhpmmphh!” Her mouth had been muffled by Sugarplum's firm hand.
“We're fine, Mrs. Cake. Just girl talk. You know.” She looked Pinkie in the eye and slowly removed her hand.
“So why are you nervous?” Pinkie asked as soon as she could.
“Well, I just said. He's a pony, I'm a human. What if its awkward or difficult or just not good because we're different?” She raised her bottle to her lips. “What if he doesn't like it?”
“Awww, don't worry! He'll like being with you because its you.” She leaned closer. “I'm sure he's thought about it. I've seen how he looks at you during your dates.”
“You have?”
“Uh huh! Sometimes I follow and watch.”
Sugarplum paused long enough to blink twice. “Okay. Anyway, I just don't want either of us to be disappointed.”
“But you do want to, though?”
Warmth filled her cheeks. She nodded.
“Well, if he wants to, then see how it goes. At least then you'll know.”
She exhaled noisily and nodded. “I guess I got to confront it eventually. Maybe on our next date.” She poked Pinkie in the side. “Don't follow us.”
The next evening, Sugarplum and Big Mac stepped out of The Spud Hut and into the warm twilight. It had been a good meal with good company, and she sighed contently. As usual, she had done most of the talking, telling him of her plans to ask Twilight and Pinkie to help her make some more friends. Mac had encouraged her in his gentle, easy way, commenting that his own life would be pretty dull without his friends to break up his family and work routine.
“Mmm, those green chilies and cheese twice-baked potatoes were great.” she commented.
“Must've been, the way you ate 'em up.” He glanced at her as he walked her home. “Ya sure you didn't want to go some place fancy?”
She shook her head. “You know, I've been to fancy restaurants, and they just don't do it for me. I mean, they look nice, but...”
Mac said nothing, but simply grinned at her. His eyes lingered on her. She felt her head turn towards him, as though invisible hands were moving it, until she was returning his gaze. Again she felt that tingle, which had hit her every time their eyes met over dinner. She looked away, smiling, feeling jittery.
Soon they were at her house. Sugarplum stood awkwardly at her door. She tried to say something, but her tongue simply refused to work. Mac looked at her expectantly, then scratched his head. He turned to leave.
“Well, see ya to-”
“Mango juice!”
He paused and blinked. “Huh?”
“Mango juice. I have mango juice.” She opened her door and took a step inside. “Do you want to come in and have some?” Another awkward pause. "Its imported."
“Mango juice,” he said with a smile. He stepped close to her and reared up, bracing a hoof on the door. He leaned in and kissed her, then walked inside.
She put a hand on her chest, breathed deeply, then shut the door.
Mac settled himself on her couch, while she lit up a single lamp and poured them some drinks. She sat next to him and handed him a mug. He took a sip and in the dim light she saw his amused grin.
“Mango juice.” He put a limb around her and held her close. She smelled of the Spud Hut's baked potatoes, sweat, and the odd musk that he assumed was normal human scent. Sugarplum would look in his eyes, then away, then back at him again, as if it were difficult. He regarded her fondly and thoughtfully, then made a silent wish that he wasn't about to stab himself in the hoof.
“It doesn't have to be tonight, if you're still working up the nerve.”
She shook her head; her face was close enough for her braid to bat his shoulder. “I'm ready to climb the walls as it is.” She turned pink at that, and Mac felt some warmth himself. “I'm just not sure how this'll work out. I mean, biped, quadruped...”
“Well, how about we take it slow like, and if we need to stop to figure out what we're doing, we will.” He gave her a light kiss. “That sound fine?”
Sugarplum took his mug, set it down along with hers, then wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Eeyup.” She closed her eyes as Mac leaned in to kiss her again.
“So ya had some mango juice and ya fell asleep?” asked Apple Bloom.
“Eeyup!” Big Mac gave the tree a good buck, knocking almost all the apples into the waiting barrel.
Apple Bloom gathered up the few apples that missed the barrel to put them in. She noted his smile, which hadn't left his face since he showed up for the day's chores. “I guess you and Sugarplum had a nice date last night.”
“Eeyup!” He grabbed an empty barrel and placed it under the next tree.
Apple Bloom followed. “Did ya have breakfast yet?”
“Eeyup! Hash browns and pancakes.” His smile grew wider. “And more mango juice.”
Sugarplum sat cross-legged in front of the wall of the barn. Steadily, she nailed new boards into the wall, replacing a few that had taken rot. A can of paint waited nearby. She heard the firm step of Applejack's hooves as she walked up.
“Looking good there, Sugarplum!” The human smiled and gave her thanks. Applejack expression changed to sisterly concern. “Hey uh, ya feelin' alright today?”
Sugarplum looked back with friendly amusement. “Actually I feel pretty good, AJ.”
“Oh, good. You were walking kinda funny this morning...”
The hammer completely missed the nail and put a dent in the fresh wood.
“...And I was worried you had pulled... a... muscle... or... something...” She faltered as she observed Sugarplum's expression. The human stared at the wall with wide eyes, her face steadily turning deeper shades of red.
Applejack smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of her head. “Never mind!” She turned and walked off to let her friend recover.
Sugarplum's head fell forward until it clunked against the wall, knocking her hat off. She laughed in helpless embarrassment, then picked up her hat, put it on and went back to pounding nails.
Later, Sugarplum and Mac were sitting in the shade of a tree, relaxing after a good dinner (as the farm ponies called lunch) before they went back to their chores. They glanced at each other and smiled, as though sharing a secret. She leaned against him and closed her eyes. She was almost dozing when she heard Mac speak.
“Twilight's here.”
She opened her eyes and saw her friend walking up the road. When Twilight saw them sitting under the tree, she headed in their direction.
“Wonder what brings her by,” asked Sugarplum. As Twilight got closer, she could see she was carrying something by her magic, and her head was tilted up to show a satisfied smile.
“Good morning Sugarplum, Big Macintosh.” She drifted the item closer to her human friend. “This is for you.”
Sugarplum examined it after it fell into her hands. It was a simple white envelope, though filled so tightly with pages it was almost bursting. She turned it over to look at the writing on the front, and froze.
It was a name. Her human name: Carrie-Ann. Even more shocking was the handwriting. It looked like it had been written by an epileptic chicken after downing a bottle of NyQuil. Sugarplum was, in fact, one of the few people who could read it. She looked up at Twilight's beaming face, her mouth open.
“What is it, Sugarplum?” asked Mac. She turned to him.
“This is my mom's handwriting.”
Sugarplum looked over the pages of letters arranged on her desk. Most were covered in her mother's chicken-scratch, while the others had her father's simple, straight handwriting Every week, Twilight had sent letters back and forth between her and her parents. The desk was almost covered by several months of correspondence She picked up one at random, and read about how her brother was doing in school. She picked up another, and read her mother saying how happy she was to know she was alive. She ran her finger along a few spots where the page had been damaged by drops of liquid. She looked at, but didn't touch, one that was half-burned three months ago when Twilight made a slight miscalculation in her spell. Twilight had been so upset at her error that Sugarplum hugged her tightly and whispered reassurances to her.
She heard the front door open and Mac's voice greeting Twilight in the living room. His heavy hoofsteps were muffled by her carpet as he walked into her study.
“Almost time, eh?” he asked, before giving her a quick kiss.
She nodded. “Thanks for coming, Mac. I really need someone there with me.” She returned to looking over the letters. “It'll be our first time seeing each other. I mean, seeing my parents after so long...” She took a deep breath. “I need someone there to hold me up.”
“I reckon it'll be hard, not being able to touch them.” Mac's tone was gentle. He nuzzled her shoulder.
She reached up to stroke his cheek. “Yeah. But Twilight has gotten this far; I'm sure she'll figure out a way.”
A softer set of hoofsteps walked up to the doorway, and Twilight poked her head in.
Sugarplum smiled. “Speak of the Devil.”
“Well, I've double-checked my calculations, and I've double-checked the doublechedoublecheck,” said Twilight. “Then I triple-checked. I think we're as ready as we'll ever be.”
Sugarplum nodded. “We'll be there in a moment, Twilight.” After her friend went back into the living room, she looked her coltfriend in the eye. “Hey Mac? I got to tell you something.”
“Eh?”
“I uh, haven't told my folks about you. I mean, I've told them about you, just not about us ...”
“Ah,” was all he said.
“I just couldn't figure out the best way to tell them.” She smiled sheepishly. “I will eventually, though. I think today wouldn't be very good, though. I mean, we'll all be taking in a lot as it is. I can't just say 'By the way, Mac is my boyfriend.' Can I?”
He kissed her cheek. “Do what ya think best. But ya will have to tell them one day.”
“Yeah.” She stood up. “Well, let's do it.”
They followed Twilight into the living room, where a gold-framed mirror was set up in front of the couch. It was shaped like an oval set on its side, and wide enough that two humans could stand comfortably side-by-side in front of it. Crystals of various size and color were embedded in the frame. Mac and Sugarplum sat on the couch that faced the mirror.
Twilight took her place off to their left. “Remember, I'll only be able to keep this open about an hour. Ready when you are.”
Sugarplum gave Mac's fetlock a squeeze before folding her hands in her lap. A quick look at the clock showed the time to be quarter after one. She looked to Twilight and nodded.
“Here goes.” Twilight's horn started to glow brightly, its normal purple tint fading into white. Her eyes squinted in concentration as sparks snapped from the tip. Finally, she reared her head back and slung it forward, shooting her spell into the glass.
The mirror's surface took on a flame-like glow, obscuring the reflection. The yellow haze retreated to the frame, where it held steady. The mirror now showed a scene that was somewhat similar. Two figures were seated on a couch in a living room, but the new room's décor was wood paneling and the couch was a red floral design, as opposed to Sugarplum's yellow walls and orange couch. The first figure was a slim, fit man with thinning brown hair, and the other a sandy-blond, worn-looking woman.
Tears blurred Sugarplum's vision as she finally laid eyes on her parents. Despite Twilight having told them they'd be unable to breach the mirror, both she and her parents rushed up from their seats to press hands and faces against it, in some hope of contact. The next several minutes were a bit fuzzy for them, as they poured out their love and relief to each other. When finally they were spent, they simply looked at each other, hands pressed together against the glass.
Mac came forward and gently nudged her back to the couch. She was surprised by how drained she was, and leaned on his neck for support as she sat heavily on the couch. She looked up and saw that her father had lead her mother back to their couch.
After they collected themselves, her mother spoke first. “Its so good to see you, honey.”
Sugarplum could say nothing; that she felt the same way went without saying. She simply nodded and wiped her eye.
Her father nodded at her. “You definitely look like you've been doing farm work.”
She smiled. “Yeah, its tiring, but strangely satisfying.” She told them about the chores she did yesterday: helping Applejack gather up apples, peeling them for baking with Granny, washing the cows' bedding. This lead to her talking about her life at the farm, and her mother would break in at times to talk about what the rest of the family was doing. Her father added that they both hoped to one day be able to tell the whole family that Carrie-Ann was alive and well. Even though they had all covered most of what was said in their letters, hearing it said in each other's voices, seeing their expressions and mannerisms, made it all fresh and new.
Soon Sugarplum found herself caught up in their conversation, laughing, talking as though it were any normal get-together. “...And poor Mac stumbles out of the barn, make-up all sloppily drawn on his face. I didn't let the Crusaders near him for like a week!”
“Eeyup. They didn't even get the right color for my eyes.” Mac added this with a grin.
Sugarplum laughed, then gave him a quick kiss and put her arm around him. She looked over at her parents to see them sharing in the humor, only to find their mouths open in surprise. She realized what she had done, and gently cleared her throat.
“By the way, Mac is my boyfriend.”
“Oh,” said her mother.
After a pause, Sugarplum spoke again. “So Chris has a new job at the airport?”
“Yes. Yes, that's right.” The change of subject shifted them back to normal conversation, and they went back to talking and enjoying each other. But Sugarplum's admission hung in the background like the fading gong of a church bell.
In a pause that came after her father told her about Great Aunt Norma moving to Kentucky, Twilight spoke up. “I'm really sorry, but we're almost out of time.”
Sugarplum looked over at her; she had completely forgotten about Twilight standing off to the side. The mare's eyes were squinted in strain. Drops of sweat were running down her face. The glow of her horn was flickering and pale.
Sugarplum got up and walked to the mirror, while her parents did the same. “I'm so glad we got to do this.”
Her mother pressed a hand to the glass. “Hope we can do it again, dear. And I'll keep writing.”
Sugarplum put her hand up to her mother's. “And I hope you can tell the family soon. Its got to be hard keeping this from them.”
They said their goodbyes, and Twilight released the spell. The image in the mirror faded and returned to normal. Gasping in relief, the mare sat heavily on the floor.
Sugarplum looked at her, and noticed the clock showing that it was almost three. “Oh, Twilight !” She knelt by her and squeezed her into a hug.
“You looked so happy,” Twilight explained. “I just couldn't bring myself to make you stop.”
Sugarplum kissed the side of her head and hugged her even tighter. “Thank you, Twilight. Please never do that to yourself again.”
Back on Earth, Sugarplum's parents sat on the couch and looked at the wall where the image of their daughter had been. He took her hand and squeezed it.
“She's alive. Its all real, all true.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“She looks good. Healthy.”
“Farm living can do that. That and a good diet.”
There was a long pause. Finally, she addressed the elephant in the room. “She even has a boyfriend over there.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“He um, seems polite.”
“Yeah.”
“From Carrie's letters, I get that he's a quiet, decent type.”
“Yeah.”
“Probably has good, solid, old-fashioned values.”
“Yeah.”
There was another long pause. “He's a horse, isn't he.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
She opened the drawer of the end table and pulled out a metal flask. She opened it and poured some into her almost-empty glass of tea.
Her husband held out his own glass. “Pour some for me too, will you dear?”
Sugarplum leaned back in her chair and slowly looked around the dining room. Cabinets with wine glasses and fancy plates took up space along the walls, while a veneer'd oval table sat in the middle. Four cushioned chairs were arranged around it, with two more pushed into a corner, Sugarplum was sitting in one of the latter.
“Your folks have a nice house,” Applejack whispered from the other chair. “Bit fancy for me.”
Sugarplum smiled. “Thanks AJ,” she whispered back. “If you weren't here, I'd start wondering if Ponyville was a dream.”
“Don'cha fret, we won't disappear.” Applejack patted her knee.
Sugarplum went back to soaking in the dining room, and thought about how she'd finally reached this point. Twilight had worked another four months, with help from some Canterlot scholars, after helping Sugarplum see her parents again. First, Twilight was able to teleport a chair back and forth to either side of the mirror. Later, she and Sugarplum's father were able to pass the chair though the mirror. Finally, it came to try sending a live being through. There was an argument about who should take the risk (the half-burned letter on Sugarplum's desk may have been a factor). Twilight insisted the task should be hers, Mac calmly said he was the most expendable out of all present, and Sugarplum claimed the risk was hers because all this effort was for her benefit. Sugarplum's dad settled the argument by boldly stepping through to Equestria.
After that it was hugs and a fresh round of tears and happiness. Sugarplum showed her parents her little home, and the next day she went across finally returned to the house she grew up in. She remembered wandering around the house, sight blurry, seeing things that she had worried she'd never see again. Her room was left exactly as she left it, minus the dirty dishes and laundry. She had laid on her bed, then immediately gotten back up; she was afraid that if she slept there, she'd wake up to find out that Ponyville and Mac were just a dream. She'd looked at her rock collection, her mystery books and old science texts and wondered why it felt so odd to be back among things that were familiar to her. That was three days and several more visits ago, and now Sugarplum and Applejack waited in the dining room to bring another person into their secret.
Sugarplum heard the front door open and the voice of her brother announce his arrival. Sugarplum shut her eyes and pulled Applejack into a hug. She listened to her parents greet him, her brother asking why dad was home early, her mother getting him to sit down and then small talk about his day.
“Well, the reason your father is home,” Sugarplum's mother explained, “is because we have a surprise. Your sister finally found a way home and she's here. Carrie-Ann?”
Applejack gave her an encouraging squeeze, then Sugarplum stood and stepped into the living room. Her brother was up and embracing her before she could even blink. She hugged him back, whispering to him. “Glad to see you too, Kevin.” She blinked and held out at arms length. Where once he had been a full head shorter, her lead was down to only a couple inches. Wow, have I really been gone that long? “Wow, you got tall.”
Kevin looked her up and down. “You got tanned.”
She examined him some more. The short brown hair was the same, but the shoulders were broader and the acne was almost gone. She remembered the times she jokingly poked at his face while saying “Pop pop pop pop pop”.
“So do I finally get to hear the whole story?” Kevin looked from her to their parents and back. “How'd you end up stuck in another country? Why do we have to keep it a secret?”
“Better sit back down for this,” said their dad.
“Well, saying I was in another country is kind of understating the case.” Sugarplum sat him in a chair as she explained. “The best way to explain is just to show you.” She turned towards the dining room. “Applejack?”
Her friend stepped out into the living room and tipped her hat to Kevin. “Howdy, partner!”
He blinked. “Whwhwhwh wha fuw fwuk the huh?”
Sugarplum put her arm around him. “Ok, its like this...” She told him the whole story of her landing in Ponyville, her life there, and finally being able to get back. Applejack offered an explanation of things in Equestria where needed. The farm-mare was in the middle of explaining zap apples, when the mirror-portal flashed into existance on the living room wall. Everyone jumped at its sudden appearance. Twilight stood on the other side, waving.
“Hey Twilight!” called Sugarplum. “Meet my brother, Kevin!” Kevin smiled weakly and waved.
“Hi Kevin, hello everyone!”
Applejack got up from sitting on the floor. “Well, that's my ride.” She went over and hugged Sugarplum. “I best be skedaddlin'.”
“You can't stay for dinner?” asked Sugarplum's mother.
“Maybe next time. In fact, why don't both our families have supper together sometime?”
She nodded. “We'd like that.”
Applejack stepped across the portal and looked back. “Seeya in few days. Don't forget to come back now! We'd miss ya.”
Sugarplum smiled. “Of course I'm coming back. I've got something very important back there.”
The ponies waved and the portal closed.
Kevin exhaled and settled back in his chair.
“So... Do you have any questions, dear?” his mother asked.
He slowly at each of them in turn, his face unreadable. He finally turned back to his mother. “What's for dinner?”
Sugarplum paced restlessly around the farm. Her practiced eye found things waiting to be done: sorting apples with Granny there, a barrel to be mended here, gathering up stray apples with Apple Bloom way over there. But as soon as she considered taking on a task, the thoughts that occupied her mind would overwhelm her, and she would go right back to her aimless walking. She was in fact so preoccupied that she didn't notice Applejack and Big Mac until she had passed them.
“Hey there, Sugarplum!” Applejack called out. “You look tense enough to bite through a nail!” Sugarplum turned and saw the two ponies; each were pulling a cart-full of apples and looking at her with a bemused grin.
“I guess I am a bit,” she admitted.
“Worried about your parents meeting the Princess?” asked Big Mac.
“No. Well, yes. But no.” Seeing a pair of blank stares, she tried to explain. “I mean, I'm not worried about them meeting the Princess specifically. They can handle it. Dad was a Marine, and Mom, well... She has her own way of dealing with stress.”
“...Fortunately, I'll be handling most of the 'media', as you call them,” Celestia was saying. She gave Sugarplum's dad a reassuring smile across the coffee table. Sugarplum's mom came into the living room with a tray of tea. Celestia's horn glowed as she took her ice tea. “Thank you. And I wanted to mention, you have a beautiful home.” She took a healthy drink, being a bit parched. Her eyes blinked, then watered. She raised a hoof to her mouth and surpressed a cough. “What's in this? Tequila?”
“Oh! I'm sorry, Princess,” the mother said, smoothly switching glasses with her. “That one is mine.”
Back in Equestria, Applejack asked “Then what is it?”
Sugarplum took off her hat and ran fingers through her hair. “Its this whole 'First Contact' thing.” She paced back and forth. “Revealing yourselves to my world. Nothing like this has happened to my kind before. I mean, how are we gonna handle it? Will people panic? Can they accept magic, talking ponies and dragons and everything being real? Are those scientists right, and we have some kind of instinct to destroy anything that could compete with us? If so, can we overcome that?”
“Sugarplum?” said Applejack.
“Will all the gold and gems you guys have crash our economy if we trade? Will a human country try to attack you for your wealth? Can pegasi help with climate change? What happens if Celestia decides to take in human refugees? How are humans going to handle magic? How are ponies going to handle our technology? Farm equipment alone could put a huge number of earth ponies out of work. And what are the furries going to make of you? Some of those guys are just creepy.”
Applejack tried again. “Sugarplum.”
“Can Equestria join the U.N. if you're from another world? What if its the poines who freak out? I mean, human society isn't exactly rosy. I know Equestria has some dark chapters in its past, but those are all hundreds of years ago. You guys have had peace and prosperity so long, can you handle seeing war and poverty? Does the Princess still know how to handle slick politicians and fast-talking businessmen? What if they want to open a McDonald's in Ponyville? What would they serve? And how is-”
“Carrie-Ann! ” Big Mac's use of her human name jarred her out of her rant. He stepped closer to her. “T'ain't for us to worry about.”
“Its not?” Her brow furrowed and she made a confused smile. “Mac, this could change everything. Everything .”
“Sure could,” he agreed. “But its out of the hooves of folks like you and me. No use fretting about it.”
“Plenty enough to worry about here on the farm,” Applejack said. “Got trees to buck, apples to sort, tools to patch up, pies to bake...”
“So your answer is to just carry on like normal?” Sugarplum looked from one to the other, her arms hanging at her sides.
Applejack smiled and tilted her head in a pony-shrug. “What else can we do?”
Sugarplum paused thoughtfully, then gave a shrug of her own. “Nothing, I guess. I'll go see if Granny needs a hand.” She gave Mac a kiss on the forehead and walked away.
Applejack looked at her brother. “Reckon its natural to be nervous about all this.”
“Eeyup.”
“Its harder when you can't reckon what's to come, and you don't know what to do.”
“Eeyup.”
Applejack nodded. “Eeyup.” She looked at the sky a moment, as though trying to read something from it. “Well, back to work.”
Sugarplum stepped through the portal into the familiarly round and book-lined library of Ponyville. Without pausing she stepped over to Twlight and hugged her around the neck with her free arm (the other busy holding a book bag).
“Glad to see you too!” Twilight said with a smile and return hug. “I always worry you'll get quarantined again when you go over there.”
Sugarplum stood back up, her mouth pulled to the side. “Longest month of my life. And that includes my first month here. Anyway,” she unzipped the book bag and laid the contents on the table. “Here's your electronics textbooks, and I burned some DVDs of those documentaries you wanted. And NASA sent some more stuff.” She added a pair of flash drives to the books and discs.
“Great!” Twilight said as she magically drew a book to her. “I think I'm making progress on making a magical charger for my laptop.”
Sugarplum looked over at a desk that was pushed off to the side. The top had been sanded and painted to hide the large scorch mark it had recently gained. “Well, now that you know the difference between AC and DC, the rest should be easier.”
It was Twilight's turn to smile wryly. She sat down with her textbook and put bookmarks in the parts she wanted to study. Before she got far in her reading, she noticed Sugarplum looking over a letter in her hands. The human's brow was furrowed thoughtfully. “What's that, Sugarplum?”
She looked over. “A letter from my college. I can go back next semester.”
“That's great!” Twilight said. Then she noticed her friend's lack of excitement. “Isn't it?”
“No no, it is.” She sat down next to Twilight. “These past several months have just been so unreal, you know?”
“You don't say.” Twilight grinned.
Sugarplum smiled in spite of herself. “Its just... I had my plan, you know? Get my degree, get a job, get married. Then I ended up here, and I had to rethink everything. And just when it looks like I got things figured out here, things change again. I do want to finish my degree, but I'm just not sure where to go beyond that now.”
“Are you still going into-” Twilight rolled her eyes up thoughtfully as she tried to remember. “Climate science?”
Sugarplum nodded. “Its still what I want.”
“Well, if you want to find a job over here, I'll help.”
Sugarplum reached over to give Twilight another hug. “Thanks, I might take you up on that.” She looked at the letter again, and tapped it with her finger. “I'm going to have to be away from Mac a lot, you know? Probably only going to be back on weekends. Maybe less, depending on the portal schedule.”
Twilight smiled sympathetically. “It won't be forever. And it'll be hard for him, too.”
“Yeah.” Sugarplum glanced at her friend. Hmmm, should I ask her for advice about Mac? Well... No, not yet. I like Twilight, but I should ask someone more experienced first. She stood up. “Well, I better get back to the farm. You're not the only one who worries when I'm gone.”
They said their goodbyes, along with more hugs which by now were becoming gratuitous, and Sugarplum headed off for the Apple's farm. She waved to the ponies as they went about their business. Soon she was at the farm. The sight of it gave her a warm reassurance. Everything was changing so much she couldn't even hold it all in her mind, but the farm was still the same. Here she could pretend it was still just her and the Apples, with no doctors taking blood samples in hazmat suits or people calling her “horse-slut” on the internet.
She looked around for Big Mac, finding him loading up a cart with apples. Without pause, she walked up, hugged him around the neck and buried her face in his mane. He put an arm around her, and she wondered if he hesitated or if she just imagined it.
“Guess ya missed me,” he said.
She kissed him on the forehead. “Of course I missed you, Mac. I always miss you.”
“Well,” he began then just smiled awkwardly. “So uh, you find out about your college yet?”
“Yup, I start again in the fall.”
“That's good.” He cleared his throat. “Well, I gotta go with Applejack to sell these apples at market, so...” He went to hitch himself to the cart.
“Wait Big Mac.” She laid a hand on his shoulder. “You've been kinda distant lately; is something wrong?”
He looked at her shyly, like he did when she first arrived in Ponyville. “Nnnope, not really.”
“Then what?”
He looked away. “Heck Sugarplum, I understand. I mean, you were stuck here, couldn't get no stallions of your own kind. Now ya can.” He gave her a worn, kind smile.
She felt a cold tingle on the back of her neck. “But Mac, I-”
“C'mon Mac, we're burnin' daylight!” Applejack shouted from outside the barn.
Mac shrugged and smiled apologetically. “I better go.” He quickly trotted out of the barn to join his sister.
“Mac!” she yelled. When he didn't come back, she sighed and went to the house to find Granny. The old mare was in the kitchen, peeling and coring apples. “Granny, I need some advice.”
Granny patted the floor next to her. “Well, help me a spell and we'll talk.”
Sugarplum sat down and grabbed a paring knife and an apple. “Its Mac. He thinks I'm going to leave him for one of my kind.”
“And ya don't want to?”
Sugarplum paused, knife held poised above the fruit. “Of course not! I-” She broke out into a smile. “I love Big Mac. I don't want to end it.”
Granny smiled in turn. “I know ya do. Well, don't be angry with him. He's just thinking about what's best for you, that's all.”
“Best for me?” She smoothly cut away the peel and put the apple in the water pot. “I think I should decide that.” She looked sideways at Granny. “Besides, what's wrong with me choosing Mac? None of you ever said anything against it.”
“Well, speaking only for me, I figured it was good for ya both, seeing as both of you were kinda lonely.” She paused to work the apple corer with her teeth. “Its just cross-couples like yourselves have a bit harder time of it.”
Sugarplum shrugged. “Well, sure, I understand that. But if two people really love each other, they can overcome any obstacle, right?”
“Heck no.” Seeing Sugarplum's startled look, she smiled reassuringly. “Hold on now, I don't mean to say it so harsh.” As she spoke, she continued working on the apples, as though her hooves knew what to do without her input. “Love is a great thing, and you need it to make a life with somepony. But love ain't enough all by itself. I done seen plenty of couples who loved each other just fine, but it didn't work because they wanted different from life, or each other, or they had strong differences. Plenty of couples manage to compromise, but these's some things nopony wants to give up, even for love. You understand what I mean?”
Sugarplum nodded reluctantly. “I think so. But-”
“Now whether you and Big McIntosh can work things out, that's for both of y'all to decide. But if you want to try, reckon I'll support y'all.”
“Thanks Granny.” She quietly continued peeling apples, thinking and waiting for Mac to come back.
A few hours later, Mac returned to refill his cart. Sugarplum met him out in the orchard, her hands fidgeting. “Mac, can we talk? Its important.”
He nodded. “Eeyup.” He took a seat on the grass.
Sugarplum sat down beside him. “Mac, do you still want to be with me? Please don't worry if it would be best for me or not, just be honest,”
A smile slowly crept on his face. “Well, sure I wanna be with ya, Sugarplum. I like ya. You're a sweet, wonderful mare.”
She put a hand on his shoulder. “Then let's stay together, ok?”
He puffed up his cheeks in the pony-equivelent to blushing. “Well uh, where is this going, Sugarplum? Are ya stating your intentions?”
She felt her face heating up. “To get married?”
“Eeyup.”
“Well Mac, I...” She looked him in the eyes. “I keep picturing all the different ways my life can go after I get my degree. I try to picture you not being a part of my life, and I just can't do it. I- I love you Big Mac, and I want to marry you.” She put her hands in her lap to hide their shaking.
“I love you too, Carrie-Ann,” he said quietly. “Would you be happy with me, though? I mean, what about all those plans you had about being a scientist? What about foals?”
“Well, we could adopt. Or I could get artificially inseminated.”
“Arti-what?”
“Human technology. We can freeze sperm, and women can buy it to get themselves pregnant.”
“Huh. But y'all humans don't got a way for us to have 'em the usual way?”
“I looked into it, and there is a way. Its just super-dooper illegal.”
“Ah.” He gave an admiring grunt for human science. “Well, ya know my life is the farm. Sure ya want to be stuck with a farm pony when you could be doing science in your world, or Canterlot, or somewhere like that?”
“Hey! Anybody would be happy to be stuck with a good, honest supportive farm pony like you!” She poked him in the shoulder. “And I don't think that would be a problem. Really, from what Twilight has been telling me, I think I could get a decent job right here in Ponyville. Celestia wants to keep an eye on the impact any technology she imports. I could make sure the farms around here don't accidentally poison the water, or help the weather ponies work more effectively. Worst case is I'd have to commute to Earth or Canterlot; neither of those would be that hard. If Twilight doesn't mind making portals.”
“All that, huh? Sounds like you've given this some thought.” He leaned a little closer to her.
“I have, Mac. Everything seems uncertain right now. Except you.” She leaned towards him until their faces almost touched. “You're the one thing I'm sure of. Can we keep it that way?”
“Eeyup.” He kissed her, slowly and gently. He pulled his head back just enough to speak. “So we'll marry?”
“Eeyup.” She wiped a tear and kissed him again.
Author's Note
I'm going to go ahead and call this complete. More stuff, more life happens for our couple, but I think this is a good place to leave their story. Maybe one day I'll make an epilogue or something.
I kinda debated putting in more conflict or drama, but I think its fine how it is. I'm just writing a simple romance with Big Mac; I'm not trying to make the next [insert most popular human x pony romance here]. It is what it is, and I feel it does what its supposed to. I hope you found it acceptable.
-Iggy
