Bury My Heart Next to Yours.by ShrapmoChaptersI will hold on.With all of my might.The Perilous Road.I will hold on.Darkness. The inky embrace of nothingness enveloped her like a cold, heavy blanket. Rainbow Dash floated alone in this abyss, and yet she did not feel any fear or loneliness. This black reality almost felt comforting, like being in her mother’s loving hold. She began to feel acceptance for this place, like she truly belonged here. Off in the distance was a tiny speck of light, and Rainbow calmly turned her head to inspect it. The light seemed to speak to her, as if to beckon her to come closer. The mare spread her wings and lazily glided on the waft of an unfelt breeze, traveling in the direction of this new distraction. Tiny sparks of electricity seemed to follow alongside her as she drifted in the void, tickling her hooves and making her hairs stand on end. Rainbow felt so at ease that the first pinch of pain came as a shock. She shook her head, her mane flailing wildly with the unpleasant sensation. Another jolt of pain struck her body and the sparks which surrounded her slowly became angry red streaks. She tried to flap her wings to escape the horrible sensations but the more she moved the more she hurt. Looking towards what once was the tiny speck of light, she now saw a blinding blaze of fury which stung her eyes and skin. This once peaceful haven was now a prison of agony. Struggling in midair, Rainbow attempted to turn away from her destination yet the light seemed to pull her ever closer against her will. Faster and faster she traveled towards the horrible light, each second bringing more pain than the last. The mare attempted to scream yet no sound escaped her lungs, she only wished that this would end. As she came upon the light, an ear piercing scream began to ring in her ears. The brightness of the light and the deafening wale increased with each second as her mind seemed to go blank, and she was engulfed in white. ________________________________________________________________________________ “Ahhhhhhhh!” Rainbow Dash jolted upright to be met with nothing but a raging blizzard. Panting heavily she looked around her, but could see nothing past the blinding snow. Squinting her eyes, she tried to regain her bearings, but the confusion of her reality was overwhelming “Where, wha…” she attempted to stand but immediately collapsed. “Ahhhh, my leg!” Looking down, she realized her right front leg had been broken midway up. Tears stung at her eyes as she looked up again, and in an instant, the memories of her predicament came flooding back. She had been riding the train… to go on a trip? Yes! She was going on a trip! By herself though? No, that didn’t sound right. The trip was to celebrate something… what though? Rainbow’s eyes burst open and tears streamed down both of her cheeks. Her wedding! She had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon! They had boarded the train this morning, the train was headed through the mountains. She remembered being so excited, they were going to stay at a fancy hotel in Manehatten. They... THEY! Where was her husband? “Mac!” Rainbow’s raspy voice called out into the cold. Looking around, she searched desperately for a sign of him, hoping to spot his bright red coat in the white. “Big Macintosh!” The mare got up again, cringing against the horrible pain in her limb. “Macintosh Apple, can you hear me?” She called out again into the gloom. Limping delicately, the pegasus made her way forward towards the wreckage of the train. “Mac!” She peered inside the passenger car that had been torn asunder by the crash. Carefully stepping up onto the splintered wood she began to search each compartment. “Mac!” His name was becoming a chant, but as desperation and fear began to consume her, she continuously called out to her husband. Looking into a compartment overtaken by snow, she saw him. Trapped under broken wood and twisted metal lay Big Macintosh. Fresh tears fell freely from her eyes as she hobbled over to the fallen stallion. “Big Mac!” Rainbow knelt down and nudged his muzzle with hers. Groaning, Mac’s head shifted and ever so slowly, his eyes opened. “Rainbow?” Dash let out of choked sob as she nuzzled him repeatedly. Big Mac weakly returned the show of affection as he began to regain full consciousness. “What happened? Did we make it to Manehatten?” He looked at her dazedly, and she shook her head, letting out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. “No Mac, the train crashed for some reason.” Rainbow whispered. He looked at her with utter shock, then looked down at his trapped body. “A train crash,” the stallion mumbled to himself, the severity of the situation had yet to fully set in. Big Mac began to remove the rubble from on top of him as his memory began to put the pieces together. “A train crash…” he mumbled again, then stopped his work as his head shot in the direction of his wife. “Are ya hurt at all darlin? How bad was the accident? Where are we?” Mac asked questions at a rapid rate, his heart giving way to panic. Rainbow cringed, “The crash looks pretty bad… we must have flown off the tracks. I don’t see any other cars around except for this one… I’m pretty sure we’re somewhere deep in the mountains.” Mac continued to stare at her, his eyes pleading. “Don’t worry Mac, I’m fine! Just a couple of bumps and bruises.” Big Mac moved his gaze from her face down to her body, his keen eyes scanning his wife for any injuries. Her broken leg stood out like a sore hoof. “That leg don’t look so good sugarcube, can ya stand on it?” The stallion looked back at his mare’s face, Rainbow shook her head and looked down, she could never lie to those green orbs she loved so much. “No Mac, I think it’s broken… but that doesn't matter right now! We need to get that junk off of you.” Dash hobbled closer and began pushing off the remainder of Big Mac’s captivity. The stallion watched, dazed, as Rainbow worked to free him. His eyes scanned her body for any other injuries, noting a couple cuts and bruises, but nothing major. He then looked at her wings, which besides from being very ruffled, appeared right as rain. Mac sighed, all in all it appeared that she was safe at the very least. A sharp gasp from Rainbow interrupted his analysis, and he turned to see her with a hoof covering her mouth. Craning his neck further he discovered what had caused such a reaction, one very large splinter of wood had impaled his left flank, exiting out the inner part of his thigh. “Oh horse apples,” Mac shut his eyes in dismay, he wouldn't be able to use that leg until the splinter was removed. The stallion suddenly felt a warmth envelope his neck and face, the ever comforting smell of rain and fresh air invading his nostrils. Breathing deep he allowed the presence of his wife to calm his rattled nerves. “Don’t worry Mac, I’m going to get you out of this you understand? I’m going to get us both out of this, no matter what!” Rainbow rasped into Big Mac’s ear. Pulling back she gave him a determined look, searching his eyes. Whether it was to convince Mac or herself of her claim, she did not know. Closing the distance between them she connected their lips in an emotion filled kiss, drawing it out for several minutes, wanting to convey her warmth and devotion to this large earth pony. When she pulled back, she gave him a meaningful look. Big Mac looked at his leg briefly, then back at her, giving a slight nod. Rainbow nodded in return, knowing what he needed her to do. Picking up a smaller piece of wood she placed it in his mouth, the stallion bit now on the stick as his wife limped towards his injury. Clamping down on the large splinter with her teeth, she gently placed her hooves on his flank. Once again their eyes connected, and after a few seconds Mac nodded, biting down harder and closing his eyes. Rainbow took a deep breath, and yanked with all her might. ________________________________________________________________________________ The couple made their way through the forest. Mac trudging through the snow, which reached up to his barrel, while Rainbow hovered alongside him. After a short search they were able to find the baggage compartment, and with it supplies. Mac was able to splint his wife’s leg and fashion a sling for her out of a torn coat. Likewise, Rainbow was able to patch up his wounded leg. Although, as she looked in his direction, she noticed that blood was once again soaking through his bandage. She would have to convince him that it needed changing later on, he could be such a baby when it came to injuries. Chuckling softly she landed at his side and leaned into him, resting her head on his thick neck. He had insisted on carrying her, the concern for her broken limb his entire focus. She had insisted that she was a fully capable mare that could still fly and walk on three limbs if need be. Besides, his back leg was causing him more trouble than he let on. Rainbow felt the stallion release a shaky sigh and looked up at his deceptively calm face. He hadn't said a word since they had left the destroyed train… not since he had found what happened to the remaining passengers… After they had patched themselves up and put on warm clothes, Mac went off to search the other cabins while Rainbow looked for any food in the dining car. Finding some canned vegetables and bottled water, she went back to join her husband in his search. She found him, staring off into space as if he was trying to see something miles away. She startled him out of his dazed state by asking him if he had found anypony. He quickly shook his head giving his trademark ‘nope’ and using his massive body to block her view of the cabins. As stubborn as Mac was, he could not deter Rainbow when she was curious and she eventually got past him… wishing wholeheartedly that she had just let it go. The horror she saw behind him could never be unseen, and she thanked Celestia that she was blessed enough not to find Mac in the same state. Back in the present, Rainbow pressed further into her husband and turned her face into his chest. “I love you, have I told you that recently?” Rainbow mumbled into his coat. Mac looked down at his wife’s face, which was obscured by her colorful mane. Smiling softly he leaned in closer, “Ya sure have darlin.” Letting out a heavy breath Rainbow spoke in a raspy voice, “well I love you.” Halting in his march, Mac enveloped her in his powerful forelegs. “I know ya do, and I love you too, mare than anythin’ in Equestria.” Rubbing circles on her back with his hoof, Mac felt her body tremble and knew she was crying, but refused to let him see. She never did like to be seen as weak, in any situation. After several minutes of simply holding one another, Rainbow gently pulled away so she could look Mac in the eyes. The mare focused on his green pools, letting the life that filled them reassure her that he was still very alive, and not one of the ghastly figures she had seen on the train. “I’m sorry if I was weirding you out at all, I was just remembering the other ponies we found in the wreck… and then I wondered what it would have been like if I found you like that…” Rainbow hiccuped and looked away. “I couldn't take that Mac! I wouldn't know what to do!” She clamped her eyes shut, holding the dam up that desperately wanted to burst. They abruptly opened when she felt a hoof lift her chin and warm lips envelope her own. Big Mac’s kiss was tender and warm, calming the mare and warming her at the same time. Closing her eyes for the umpteenth time, she encircled her legs around his neck and pulled him closer. In all her life, she would never grow tired of his kisses. After several minutes, Mac finally broke away from Dash’s warm lips, bringing his next to her ear. “No matter where Ah go, and no matter what Ah do, Ah will always wait for you. That’s a promise.” Rainbow Dash knew what her husband meant, and her limbs tightened around his neck in response, not wanting to think about the deeper meaning of his statement. Letting go, Dash looked up to see the Sun hanging low in the sky. “We better find some shelter soon. Wouldn't want my new husband to freeze to death right?” Giving Mac a sly grin, Rainbow turned and brushed her tail playfully over his face as she began to walk forward, deciding that her wings could use a good rest. Grinning himself, Mac caught up with her before responding. “Nope, I recon ya wouldn't.” Author's Note Thank you for reading. With all of my might.“Mac! The storm is getting worse.” Rainbow Dash yelled as she came to a landing a few feet away from a small cave. They had stumbled upon it after several hours of wandering the wilderness. The inside was damp, but it would provide shelter from the elements. Looking in, she saw her husband diligently working at getting a fire started. Big Mac’s face showed total concentration as he methodically rubbed the tip of a short stick against a piece of dry timber. Rainbow noticed a trickle of blood seeping from his teeth that tightly clenched the branch. She sighed, the poor pony had been at it for hours now. “No luck with the fire yet?” Rainbow asked with a wry smile. Hearing his wife’s question, Mac stopped his work, dropping the stick and falling onto his haunches. His jaw was sour and his mind was numb. He had been hoping to have the fire started by the time Rainbow had returned, his male pride taking over completely. Turning his head in shame, he remained silent. “Do you want any help? I was a Filly Scout after all.” The mare came closer and reached for the stick. Mac quickly picked it up before she could reach it. “Nope!” Clenching the wood between his teeth tighter, he set to work at a furious pace. Rainbow was taken aback by Big Mac’s response, the stallion was usually ecstatic when she offered to help around the farm. With a tired smile she draped a wing around his withers. “Mac you’re tired, let me give it a try,” Rainbow urged gently. The stallion said nothing, and continued to work ever harder on the would-be fire. Dash’s brows furrowed at the lack of response. “What if we trade off when one of us gets tired? Or maybe we could work together at the same time? We might be able to get it done faster.” The mare tried to look into the farmer’s eyes but was shaken when he suddenly stopped his work. Looking up, Mac gave a firm shake of his head, “Nope.” Shrugging the wing off of his back the stallion stubbornly continued his task, leaving his wife shocked. Rainbow bristled at being so easily brushed off, she was only trying to help after all! Stamping her hoof she shoved her face into his. “What’s the big idea Mac? You’re tired and I want to help!” Rainbow snorted in frustration and glared hard into his eyes. “I’ma big stallion, I don’t need a mare doin a job that I was supposed to do!” Big Mac stood his ground out of frustration. The exhaustion and his wounded leg getting to him more than he let on. “You’re gettin in the way, now let me do what Ah gotta do!” Rainbow’s eyes widened at his dismissive comments and backed up abruptly. “Fine! If that is all you think of me, you can just work on that stupid fire until you drop dead for all I care!” Turning quickly, the pegasus stomped to the far side of the cave and sat down with a huff. Mac panted as he watched her walk away, he had been speaking without thinking. ‘Why’d Ah say that ta her? Why’d Ah even think such a thing?’ Mac stared at Rainbows back as she slumped down next to the cave wall and curled into a ball on the damp floor. Mac shut his eyes tight, regretting his stubborn Apple nature, regretting his male pride, and most of all regretting his harsh words towards his wife. “Rainbow, Ah…” Mac started, but was immediately interrupted. “Shut up! Just go back to making your precious fire and leave me alone!” The mare shouted with tears in her voice. Tears that he had caused. Looking down at his hooves, Mac kicked the stick to the side. He would need to let her settle down before he could apologize. Meanwhile, the sullen mare stared at the dank cave wall, stewing over her husband’s thoughtless remarks. ‘He can be so stubborn at times! I wish he would just look past his pride for once and let me help when things get the better of him!’ Rainbow huffed and closed her eyes. “That stupid, silly, stubborn stallion.” She mumbled to herself. He was always making sacrifices for everypony, even if he ended up hurting himself in the process. Although, it was for that very reason that she first took notice of him… ________________________________________________________________________________ It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Rainbow Dash was on her way to Sweet Apple Acres. It was a couple days after the whole Flim Flam Brothers debacle and Pinkie had insisted that a party be thrown in honor of the Apple’s victory (despite the celebration that had been held immediately following the incident). Rainbow was particularly looking forward to this party. Not that she didn’t enjoy Pinkie’s usual parties, but this one was going to have the Apple Family’s special reserve cider, on tap, ALL NIGHT! The pegasus practically squealed with delight. “Best, Party, Ever!” Rainbow landed next to the barn, which if the noise coming from inside was any indication, was already full of partying ponies. Opening the large door, the mare’s senses were assaulted by the celebration within. Streamers and balloons were spread along the ceiling, and dancing ponies stomped across the floor. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow could smell the glorious aromas of fresh baked goods. Applejack and Granny Smith had gone all out it appeared, everything from apple pies to apple fritters, even candied apples littered the tops of every table in the room. “Pretty good spread, but I’m here for the real prize.” The mare sauntered over to the large kegs on the far side of the barn, where Applejack’s brother Big Macintosh was pouring fresh mugs of cider for all the party guests. “Hey, big guy! How about you pour a mug for the fastest flying in Equestria?” Rainbow gave the large farmer a firm slap on the back. Said stallion turned and gave a genuine smile. “Sure thing Miss Rainbow.” Pouring a full mug, he handed it over to the eager pegasus who greedily downed it all in one fell swoop. “Ahh, now that’s what I call cider.” Spreading her wings and stretching her legs, Rainbow let the sweet, tangy flavor spread through her. There was nothing like Apple Family cider. Raising her mug, the mare gave it a little shake. “How bout a refill big guy?” Big Mac gave a little smirk and nodded, filling Rainbow’s mug to the brim. Deciding to enjoy this one, she sat down next to Mac (she didn’t suspect she would be leaving this spot for the rest of the party). “So, you were pretty awesome the other day. I didn’t know you could run that fast.” Rainbow looked over at Mac as she sipped her drink. The farmer’s eyes went wide as he turned his head to conceal the growing red on his cheeks. “Aww, Ah ain’t nothin special, was just doin what I had to for my family. Besides, you did a lot of the work yerself.” Mac scratched at the back of his neck nervously, not being used to compliments. “Haha, don’t be shy Mac, that was really impressive!” Rainbow slapped him on the back again, “I bet you could give AJ a run for her money in the Running of the Leaves if you wanted!” The mare took a hardy swig from her mug and gave a satisfied sigh. The stallion chuckled, gathering the courage to look over at Rainbow. “Nope, Ah ain’t the type to go around competin with nopony. Ah think my sisters are better at that kinda thing anyway.” Big Mac grabbed his own mug and held it up towards Dash. “To teamwork, and runnin those no good Flim Flam brothers outta town!” “Yeah! To kicking those stupid, crafty unicorns right in their flanks!” Rainbow cheered as she knocked her mug with his, both ponies downing their drinks in one huge gulp. Mac filled their mugs as Rainbow looked over the crowded barn. “You know Mac, you and I never really get to talk much. If you ever want to hang out and…” “There ya are! Ah’ve been lookin all over fer you!” Applejack interrupted. The farm pony promptly walked up and put her leg around Rainbow’s neck. “We’re fixin to have ourselves a little dance competition, and it just ain’t a competition without the fastest flyer in Equestria competin!” “Wait, dance? I think I’ll pass, I just wanted to drink some…” Rainbow was again interrupted. “You sayin you’re chicken Dash? Afraid you’ll get beat by little ol me? I can’t blame ya, you wouldn’t stand a chance.” Applejack leveled her with a smug stare. “What? No WAY you could beat me! Fine I’m in!” Downing the rest of her drink, Rainbow slammed her mug on the nearby table and stomped over to Applejack. “Alright y’all, everypony clear the dance floor! We got a little friendly competition!” Applejack shouted, causing the music and dancing to stop. All ears were pointed in her direction. “Here’s the rules, one pony at a time gets the entire dance floor to themselves for one minute! When they’re done dancin, everypony else will judge um by way of stomping. Whoever gets the best response wins!” Applejack took her hat and threw it over her shoulder, where it landed neatly on a nail protruding from the wall. “Whoever wants to join in, come stand next ta me!” Applejack smiled as several excited mares and a couple shy stallions trotted over to her. All the while Rainbow kept a neutral expression, not sure what to think as of yet. “Let the games begin!” Applejack cued the music, and one by one each pony tried their best at impressing the crowd. Some did fantastic, others not so much. Yet, with each passing competitor, Rainbow grew more and more nervous. ‘I don’t know the first thing about dancing, I didn’t know the whole barn was going to be watching me either!’ The mare thought as she looked around. ‘What if they all laugh at me? I’ll never be able to live it down! Everypony will call me Two Left Hooves Dash from now on!’ Rainbow began to panic as Applejack’s turn drew to a close and the crowd went wild. “Top that Dashy!” The farmpony smirked and retrieved her hat. The pegasus slowly inched towards the dance floor, beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow. All eyes were on her as she stepped out and the music began to play once again. Looking around, she began to clumsily move her hooves back and forth, completely out of rhythm. Rainbow could her whispering in the crowd, followed by laughter. After a while she could her somepony start to chant “choke” with others soon joining, “choke, choke, choke.” The mares face lit up with a bright blush, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. ‘There is no way this is happening! This was supposed to be the best party ever, and now I’m going to be humiliated!’ Just as she was about to fly out of the barn, something amazing happened. “Hey everypony! Ya wanna see some dancin?” All eyes turned toward the far side of the barn where Big Mac stood, in a very large bunny costume. Rainbow could only stare in shock. “Ah’ll show ya some dancing!” The large earth pony bounded onto the dance floor and immediately began to buck and kick about. Neighing and rearing up, making sure nopony was looking at Dash. After the initial shock of seeing the most stoic stallion in all of Ponyville dancing in a bunny costume, a loud roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. Everypony began chatting at once, not believing what was happening before them. Applejack stared, wide-eyed as her brother made a fool of himself. Her stupor didn’t last long and soon enough she was marching up to bucking bunny. “You outta your mind Big Mac? Ain’t nobody upstages me in my own competition!” The farm pony proceeded to buck about next to her brother, laughing and shouting. “Come on everypony, let’s dance with the bunny!” The crowd cheered and galloped onto the dance floor, dancing as good or as bad as they wanted. Big Mac stopped to take a break and walked off towards his spot next to the kegs. Wiping sweat from his brow he removed the hood of his costume and took a long swig of cider. “Last time Ah do somethin that crazy.” Sighing he plopped down onto his haunches. “Hey.” Mac turned his head to see Rainbow Dash walking up to him, her eyes pointed towards the floor. “Thanks for doing that, you really saved my flank back there.” “Anytime sugarcube.” Mac again handed her a full mug, which Rainbow gladly accepted. “Ah don’t go inta town often, so Ah ain’t too worried about nopony gossiping about me bein silly.” Rainbow sat down and scooted closer to Mac. “So, about hanging out later…” ________________________________________________________________________________ As the memory faded, Rainbow wiped at her wet eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Mac standing only a couple feet away, his head pointed towards his hooves. “I’m sorry,” the large stallion mumbled. Rainbow looked away and pretended to ignore him, it wasn’t that easy to get back on the proud mares good side. Taking a deep breath Big Mac looked up at his wife’s back. “All those things Ah said, Ah didn’t mean none of it, Ah just get so caught up in things, things that Ah think Ah need ta do.” Rainbow continued to give him the silent treatment, but slightly turned her head so she could see him out the corner of her left eye. Mac took this as a good sign. Standing up, the farmer inched closer and continued his apology. “You do know Ah’ve never met a mare stronger, faster and more capable than you right?” He kept his pace slow and steady as he closed in on the mare. “You’re also the fastest, sharpest and most loyal pony Ah’ve ever had the pleasure to know.” Rainbow hid her muzzle behind a wing to prevent her husband from seeing the smile his complements were creating. Finally, he stood directly behind her, his warmth cutting through the cold and causing the mare to shiver with delight. Placing his muzzle directly by her ear he whispered, “and I’ve never met a mare more beautiful in all of my life.” Rainbow’s cheeks flushed red as she put her wing down and looked into Mac’s warm eyes. Seeing that he had her complete, undivided attention he seized the moment, capturing her lips with his own in a searing kiss. Rainbow enveloped Mac in her wings as he in turn wrapped her in a comforting embrace, content to stay there until the snow stopped. As the kiss ended, Mac nuzzled his wife and again brought his mouth close to her ear. “I think I need some help with the fire,” he softly spoke with only a slight hint of embarrassment. Smiling, Rainbow let her wings fall back to their folded position. Looking up at her stallion, seeing the look on his adorable face, she couldn’t help but tease him. “I think I can use my awesome powers to help my husband complete his duty, just this once though.” Rainbow picked up the discarded stick and tossed it to Mac, who took up his position at the fire pit and waited for the pegasus to direct him. “Alright, you continue what you were doing before, except this time you’ll have me to fan the flame!” Mac smiled through the branch, and counted himself lucky he had found such a clever mare to be his wife. With teamwork the couple had started the fire within minutes, and were huddled up next to it, a can of beans slowly simmering in front of them. After their bellies were full and their fire still blazing, the couple decided it was time to get some rest, with Mac taking to first watch. The last thing he wanted was to get snuck up on while they slumbered. Rainbow snuggled tightly to Mac’s chest and pressed her head into his large neck. Breathing deeply of his scent, she let the exhaustion of the cold, the trudging through the snow, and their argument evaporate into the night air. As her eyes slowly closed she mumbled to her husband turned pillow, “We sure make a great team Mac.” Said stallion pulled her in closer as he mumbled his response. “Eeyup.” Author's Note Thank you for reading. The Perilous Road."Where shall we shelter... where shall we sleep?" -Davner The Perilous Road Big Macintosh stared at the smoldering embers of the once roaring fire. His mind would not let him sleep a wink, the thoughts of their seemingly hopeless situation filled him with worry and dread. He raised his head from the fire and peered out the cave entrance, the oppressive darkness of the night only served to increase his worry tenfold. The fire was dying, and he had stoked it only an a few hours ago with their last log… he would need to venture out into the night if they were to stay warm. As if she could hear his thoughts, Rainbow tightened her grip on her husband’s neck, holding him firmly against her. Mac chuckled to himself. ‘For such a little filly, she sure is strong.’ He considered carefully removing himself from her iron grasp so he could fetch the much needed wood, but their argument from earlier flashed through his mind. He may be as stubborn as a mule, but he wasn’t as dumb as an ox. The last thing he wanted to do was incur the wrath of Rainbow Dash… twice in a row for the exact same reason. Nudging her gently with his muzzle, he let it linger next to her ear, “Hey sugarcube, we need firewood.” His soft murmuring caused her to stir and further bury he face into his chest, but nothing more. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he took his large hoof and gave her a firm shake, which only gave him the same result. Waking up his wife could be a chore at times. He remembered the morning after their first night together. After an hour of trying multiple methods, he had ended up having to leave her alone in his bed, less he be late for work. It wasn’t until noon that she had actually joined the land of the living! “I bet she would wake up for a nice cup of apple cider,” the stallion said with a shake of his head. To his utter shock, the rainbow hued pegasus immediately shot up out of his embrace. “Cider? Where? Please tell me they’re not sold out already!” Rainbow looked around frantically until her sleep induced haze subsided and her memory brought her back to the present. “Oh yeah, we’re stuck in a cave.” The mare visibly sagged and turned around to see a flabbergasted Big Macintosh. “What?” She asked as she spotted her husband’s wide eyes. Mac shook his head as he mumbled a hushed “notathing,” under his breath. ‘Ah’ll have to remember that fer the future, if Ah knew it was that easy to wake her up, Ah could have avoided a ton of pain in the past.’ Mac silently mused as he stood up to join his wife. “The fire is dyin down, we need ta go get some wood before it’s gone.” Rainbow rubbed her weary eyes with a hoof as she looked down at the hot coals. “Alright,” Rainbow said with a yawn as she stretched. Realizing something, she looked over at Mac with a smirk, “You learn quick, I thought it would take many a beating to knock the stubborn out of that big head of yours.” Big Mac sighed and shook his head. “Nope, Ah may be stubborn but an idiot I ain’t.” The earth pony walked with his wife out of the cave entrance and into the harsh cold of the night. “Besides,” Mac said as he scooted closer to Rainbow, “nothing beats having the company of a beautiful mare while ya work.” Said mare bumped him with her flank, a light blush staining her cheeks. “Don’t get too full of yourself… but it never hurts to pour on the flattery.” After walking for a good twenty minutes, and gathering enough small branches to fill Mac’s back, the couple turned back toward the cave. Mac had the idea to mark the trees as they traversed the forest, so finding their way was no more a hassle than walking through Sweet Apple Acres. “Some honeymoon, huh?” Big Mac gave a nod in response to his wife’s question. “It sure would be nice to be sitting in a hot tub right about now, sipping champagne, me bothering you with how bored I am.” Rainbow mused, causing the stallion to smile at the image, knowing that would be exactly the case if they had made it to their destination. Rainbow had wanted to go to a theme park, but her friend Rarity had insisted they go somewhere more romantic. At first the pegasus was reluctant, but her friend had easily changed Rainbow’s mind by loaning her a book that contained suggestions for many ‘private’ acts her and Mac could indulge in at the spa. “Well, that’s one perk to ending up out here, it sure ain’t borin.” Mac smiled as Rainbow smacked him with her tail. “What’s wrong? Ya can’t tell me that you’re bored right…” Mac stopped and sharply turned his head. Rainbow soon followed as she realized the stallion was no longer beside her and back tracked to where he stood frozen in place. “What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked in a hushed tone. “I heard somethin just now, sounded like a twig snappin.” Mac did not turn to look at her as he responded, his attention completely on the trees behind them. Rainbow peered into the trees, looking for any signs of a threat. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a shape move. “Mac, did you see that?” She whispered to the stoic stallion. “Eeyup,” he whispered just as quietly. “What should we do? I can’t tell what it is, should we try and fight it?” Rainbow’s wings started to flare as the threat of a confrontation loomed ever closer. “Nope, not yet. Not unless it attacks us first.” Mac sidled up next to his wife. “Just move slowly, and don’t take your eyes off of it.” Mac directed as the pair began to edge backwards. They came to a halt as another shadow moved to the right of the original, followed by a shadow moving to the left. “There’s more than one Mac! They’re trying to flank us!” Rainbow rasped as she took a fighting stance, nowhere near ready to go down without a fight. “Eeyup,” was all Mac had to say. His keen eyes following the multiple shadows that surrounded them. He turned just in time to see the first one leap out of the brush and lunge toward his flank. Quickly lifting his hind leg, Mac sent an earth shattering kick to the beast’s jaw, sending it flying from whence it came. The second lunged at Rainbow, thinking it could easily overpower her based on size alone. What the beast didn’t expect was for the mare to slap it in the face with her wing, followed by a quick succession of kicks to the head. The battered foe turned around to retreat, but fell to the ground unconscious before he could make one step. The couple quickly turned in the direction of the third beast, but were caught off guard as its jaws clamped down onto Mac’s neck. The stallion began to swing his head wildly in a desperate attempt to throw the beast off. Meanwhile, a fourth attacker made a desperate leap for Rainbow’s wing, but was met with the brunt of the mare’s noggin as she bashed it square into her foe’s face. Confused and in pain, the bloodied beast ran off into the forest. “That’s right, run home to your mama!” Dash roared in fury as the beast left a warm trail of blood in its wake. Rainbow turned just in time to see Mac run straight at a tree, repeatedly bashing his opponent’s head into the hard trunk. After several seconds of repeated abuse, the beast could no longer hold on and fell to the ground. The large workhorse was taking no chances though and reared up onto his hind legs, bringing them down with enough force to crack stone. With a sickening crunch he connected his massive hoof with the beast’s head. After several seconds of thrashing its body finally lay still. Mac turned away from the former threat and turned to see his wife slowly limping his way. The large stallion collapsed to the frozen earth, his neck in searing pain. Rainbow sped to his side as Mac’s vision began to spin, and his neck could no longer hold up the weight of his head. Kneeling next to him, she checked his injuries. His neck was pretty torn up but was not bleeding half as bad as she thought it would be. Sighing in relief she nudged his face gently. “Can you stand up?” The mare gently probed, to which Mac slowly opened his eye to peer at her face. “Eeyup, just worn out from havin a wild animal chewin on my throat.” Mac slowly lifted his head so he was eye level with Rainbow, to which he gave a weak smile. “Do ya think we got um all?” The injured stallion asked as he looked around them as far as his neck would allow. “Yeah, we taught them a lesson or two.” Rainbow smiled as she tore off a large piece of her sling and proceeded to wrap it around her husband’s torn neck. “What do you think they were? I’ve never seen anything like them.” Concern was evident in her voice. “Can’t say Ah know, they looked like timber wolves ta me, cept with fur.” Mac groaned slightly as his wife tightened the wrap, and tied it into a firm knot. “Ah wouldn’t be surprised if they were related somehow though.” Mac sighed in relief as Rainbow finally finished patching him up. Rainbow nodded in agreement. Leaning in close, she whispered into his ear. “Anyway, seeing you buck the crap out of those things was a real turn on.” The stallion couldn’t help but blush at his wife’s comment. “You’ll have to be sure to buck me just as hard when we get out of this mess.” Mac’s eyes went wide as his wife gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Mac weakly chuckled at his wife’s comment, it seemed that not even a dire situation could deter her one track mind. With a little help from Rainbow, Mac was able to stand. After finding his balance he reached for the discarded wood that was so rudely thrown off of his back during the confrontation. “Nu-uh! What do you think you’re doing mister?” Rainbow promptly walked up and snatched to wood from Mac’s grasp, holding it between her forelegs as she lightly hovered next to him. “You’re hurt even worse now! I’m not letting you do anymore hard work for the night.” Mac made to protest but shut his mouth as his wife gave him a death stare. “Plus, you haven’t even gotten to rest yet! The minute we get back to the cave you’re going straight to bed, got it?” Rainbow’s words left for little argument, and Mac lightly nodded his head in consent, feeling much like a disobedient foal being lectured by their mother. “Yes ma’am.” Mac said with his ears folded tightly atop his head. “Good, now let’s get out of here before those things come back.” Rainbow narrowed her eyes as they started back towards the cave. She wasn’t naïve, she knew how pack animals worked. There would probably be more of them, they might even be watching them right now, waiting for the opportunity to strike when they were at their weakest. With Mac injured in multiple places, it would be up to her to protect them tonight. She would have to form a plan, come up with a defense. If she let her guard down or left Mac unwatched they would probably ambush him. ‘There is no way I’m letting that happen!’ Rainbow’s brow furrowed in anger just at the thought of Mac being killed. ‘If they show up tonight, I’ll break every single one of those filthy beast’s backs!’ Author's Note Thank you for reading.
I will hold on.Darkness. The inky embrace of nothingness enveloped her like a cold, heavy blanket. Rainbow Dash floated alone in this abyss, and yet she did not feel any fear or loneliness. This black reality almost felt comforting, like being in her mother’s loving hold. She began to feel acceptance for this place, like she truly belonged here. Off in the distance was a tiny speck of light, and Rainbow calmly turned her head to inspect it. The light seemed to speak to her, as if to beckon her to come closer. The mare spread her wings and lazily glided on the waft of an unfelt breeze, traveling in the direction of this new distraction. Tiny sparks of electricity seemed to follow alongside her as she drifted in the void, tickling her hooves and making her hairs stand on end. Rainbow felt so at ease that the first pinch of pain came as a shock. She shook her head, her mane flailing wildly with the unpleasant sensation. Another jolt of pain struck her body and the sparks which surrounded her slowly became angry red streaks. She tried to flap her wings to escape the horrible sensations but the more she moved the more she hurt. Looking towards what once was the tiny speck of light, she now saw a blinding blaze of fury which stung her eyes and skin. This once peaceful haven was now a prison of agony. Struggling in midair, Rainbow attempted to turn away from her destination yet the light seemed to pull her ever closer against her will. Faster and faster she traveled towards the horrible light, each second bringing more pain than the last. The mare attempted to scream yet no sound escaped her lungs, she only wished that this would end. As she came upon the light, an ear piercing scream began to ring in her ears. The brightness of the light and the deafening wale increased with each second as her mind seemed to go blank, and she was engulfed in white. ________________________________________________________________________________ “Ahhhhhhhh!” Rainbow Dash jolted upright to be met with nothing but a raging blizzard. Panting heavily she looked around her, but could see nothing past the blinding snow. Squinting her eyes, she tried to regain her bearings, but the confusion of her reality was overwhelming “Where, wha…” she attempted to stand but immediately collapsed. “Ahhhh, my leg!” Looking down, she realized her right front leg had been broken midway up. Tears stung at her eyes as she looked up again, and in an instant, the memories of her predicament came flooding back. She had been riding the train… to go on a trip? Yes! She was going on a trip! By herself though? No, that didn’t sound right. The trip was to celebrate something… what though? Rainbow’s eyes burst open and tears streamed down both of her cheeks. Her wedding! She had just gotten married and was on her honeymoon! They had boarded the train this morning, the train was headed through the mountains. She remembered being so excited, they were going to stay at a fancy hotel in Manehatten. They... THEY! Where was her husband? “Mac!” Rainbow’s raspy voice called out into the cold. Looking around, she searched desperately for a sign of him, hoping to spot his bright red coat in the white. “Big Macintosh!” The mare got up again, cringing against the horrible pain in her limb. “Macintosh Apple, can you hear me?” She called out again into the gloom. Limping delicately, the pegasus made her way forward towards the wreckage of the train. “Mac!” She peered inside the passenger car that had been torn asunder by the crash. Carefully stepping up onto the splintered wood she began to search each compartment. “Mac!” His name was becoming a chant, but as desperation and fear began to consume her, she continuously called out to her husband. Looking into a compartment overtaken by snow, she saw him. Trapped under broken wood and twisted metal lay Big Macintosh. Fresh tears fell freely from her eyes as she hobbled over to the fallen stallion. “Big Mac!” Rainbow knelt down and nudged his muzzle with hers. Groaning, Mac’s head shifted and ever so slowly, his eyes opened. “Rainbow?” Dash let out of choked sob as she nuzzled him repeatedly. Big Mac weakly returned the show of affection as he began to regain full consciousness. “What happened? Did we make it to Manehatten?” He looked at her dazedly, and she shook her head, letting out a sound that was a cross between a laugh and a sob. “No Mac, the train crashed for some reason.” Rainbow whispered. He looked at her with utter shock, then looked down at his trapped body. “A train crash,” the stallion mumbled to himself, the severity of the situation had yet to fully set in. Big Mac began to remove the rubble from on top of him as his memory began to put the pieces together. “A train crash…” he mumbled again, then stopped his work as his head shot in the direction of his wife. “Are ya hurt at all darlin? How bad was the accident? Where are we?” Mac asked questions at a rapid rate, his heart giving way to panic. Rainbow cringed, “The crash looks pretty bad… we must have flown off the tracks. I don’t see any other cars around except for this one… I’m pretty sure we’re somewhere deep in the mountains.” Mac continued to stare at her, his eyes pleading. “Don’t worry Mac, I’m fine! Just a couple of bumps and bruises.” Big Mac moved his gaze from her face down to her body, his keen eyes scanning his wife for any injuries. Her broken leg stood out like a sore hoof. “That leg don’t look so good sugarcube, can ya stand on it?” The stallion looked back at his mare’s face, Rainbow shook her head and looked down, she could never lie to those green orbs she loved so much. “No Mac, I think it’s broken… but that doesn't matter right now! We need to get that junk off of you.” Dash hobbled closer and began pushing off the remainder of Big Mac’s captivity. The stallion watched, dazed, as Rainbow worked to free him. His eyes scanned her body for any other injuries, noting a couple cuts and bruises, but nothing major. He then looked at her wings, which besides from being very ruffled, appeared right as rain. Mac sighed, all in all it appeared that she was safe at the very least. A sharp gasp from Rainbow interrupted his analysis, and he turned to see her with a hoof covering her mouth. Craning his neck further he discovered what had caused such a reaction, one very large splinter of wood had impaled his left flank, exiting out the inner part of his thigh. “Oh horse apples,” Mac shut his eyes in dismay, he wouldn't be able to use that leg until the splinter was removed. The stallion suddenly felt a warmth envelope his neck and face, the ever comforting smell of rain and fresh air invading his nostrils. Breathing deep he allowed the presence of his wife to calm his rattled nerves. “Don’t worry Mac, I’m going to get you out of this you understand? I’m going to get us both out of this, no matter what!” Rainbow rasped into Big Mac’s ear. Pulling back she gave him a determined look, searching his eyes. Whether it was to convince Mac or herself of her claim, she did not know. Closing the distance between them she connected their lips in an emotion filled kiss, drawing it out for several minutes, wanting to convey her warmth and devotion to this large earth pony. When she pulled back, she gave him a meaningful look. Big Mac looked at his leg briefly, then back at her, giving a slight nod. Rainbow nodded in return, knowing what he needed her to do. Picking up a smaller piece of wood she placed it in his mouth, the stallion bit now on the stick as his wife limped towards his injury. Clamping down on the large splinter with her teeth, she gently placed her hooves on his flank. Once again their eyes connected, and after a few seconds Mac nodded, biting down harder and closing his eyes. Rainbow took a deep breath, and yanked with all her might. ________________________________________________________________________________ The couple made their way through the forest. Mac trudging through the snow, which reached up to his barrel, while Rainbow hovered alongside him. After a short search they were able to find the baggage compartment, and with it supplies. Mac was able to splint his wife’s leg and fashion a sling for her out of a torn coat. Likewise, Rainbow was able to patch up his wounded leg. Although, as she looked in his direction, she noticed that blood was once again soaking through his bandage. She would have to convince him that it needed changing later on, he could be such a baby when it came to injuries. Chuckling softly she landed at his side and leaned into him, resting her head on his thick neck. He had insisted on carrying her, the concern for her broken limb his entire focus. She had insisted that she was a fully capable mare that could still fly and walk on three limbs if need be. Besides, his back leg was causing him more trouble than he let on. Rainbow felt the stallion release a shaky sigh and looked up at his deceptively calm face. He hadn't said a word since they had left the destroyed train… not since he had found what happened to the remaining passengers… After they had patched themselves up and put on warm clothes, Mac went off to search the other cabins while Rainbow looked for any food in the dining car. Finding some canned vegetables and bottled water, she went back to join her husband in his search. She found him, staring off into space as if he was trying to see something miles away. She startled him out of his dazed state by asking him if he had found anypony. He quickly shook his head giving his trademark ‘nope’ and using his massive body to block her view of the cabins. As stubborn as Mac was, he could not deter Rainbow when she was curious and she eventually got past him… wishing wholeheartedly that she had just let it go. The horror she saw behind him could never be unseen, and she thanked Celestia that she was blessed enough not to find Mac in the same state. Back in the present, Rainbow pressed further into her husband and turned her face into his chest. “I love you, have I told you that recently?” Rainbow mumbled into his coat. Mac looked down at his wife’s face, which was obscured by her colorful mane. Smiling softly he leaned in closer, “Ya sure have darlin.” Letting out a heavy breath Rainbow spoke in a raspy voice, “well I love you.” Halting in his march, Mac enveloped her in his powerful forelegs. “I know ya do, and I love you too, mare than anythin’ in Equestria.” Rubbing circles on her back with his hoof, Mac felt her body tremble and knew she was crying, but refused to let him see. She never did like to be seen as weak, in any situation. After several minutes of simply holding one another, Rainbow gently pulled away so she could look Mac in the eyes. The mare focused on his green pools, letting the life that filled them reassure her that he was still very alive, and not one of the ghastly figures she had seen on the train. “I’m sorry if I was weirding you out at all, I was just remembering the other ponies we found in the wreck… and then I wondered what it would have been like if I found you like that…” Rainbow hiccuped and looked away. “I couldn't take that Mac! I wouldn't know what to do!” She clamped her eyes shut, holding the dam up that desperately wanted to burst. They abruptly opened when she felt a hoof lift her chin and warm lips envelope her own. Big Mac’s kiss was tender and warm, calming the mare and warming her at the same time. Closing her eyes for the umpteenth time, she encircled her legs around his neck and pulled him closer. In all her life, she would never grow tired of his kisses. After several minutes, Mac finally broke away from Dash’s warm lips, bringing his next to her ear. “No matter where Ah go, and no matter what Ah do, Ah will always wait for you. That’s a promise.” Rainbow Dash knew what her husband meant, and her limbs tightened around his neck in response, not wanting to think about the deeper meaning of his statement. Letting go, Dash looked up to see the Sun hanging low in the sky. “We better find some shelter soon. Wouldn't want my new husband to freeze to death right?” Giving Mac a sly grin, Rainbow turned and brushed her tail playfully over his face as she began to walk forward, deciding that her wings could use a good rest. Grinning himself, Mac caught up with her before responding. “Nope, I recon ya wouldn't.” Author's Note Thank you for reading.
With all of my might.“Mac! The storm is getting worse.” Rainbow Dash yelled as she came to a landing a few feet away from a small cave. They had stumbled upon it after several hours of wandering the wilderness. The inside was damp, but it would provide shelter from the elements. Looking in, she saw her husband diligently working at getting a fire started. Big Mac’s face showed total concentration as he methodically rubbed the tip of a short stick against a piece of dry timber. Rainbow noticed a trickle of blood seeping from his teeth that tightly clenched the branch. She sighed, the poor pony had been at it for hours now. “No luck with the fire yet?” Rainbow asked with a wry smile. Hearing his wife’s question, Mac stopped his work, dropping the stick and falling onto his haunches. His jaw was sour and his mind was numb. He had been hoping to have the fire started by the time Rainbow had returned, his male pride taking over completely. Turning his head in shame, he remained silent. “Do you want any help? I was a Filly Scout after all.” The mare came closer and reached for the stick. Mac quickly picked it up before she could reach it. “Nope!” Clenching the wood between his teeth tighter, he set to work at a furious pace. Rainbow was taken aback by Big Mac’s response, the stallion was usually ecstatic when she offered to help around the farm. With a tired smile she draped a wing around his withers. “Mac you’re tired, let me give it a try,” Rainbow urged gently. The stallion said nothing, and continued to work ever harder on the would-be fire. Dash’s brows furrowed at the lack of response. “What if we trade off when one of us gets tired? Or maybe we could work together at the same time? We might be able to get it done faster.” The mare tried to look into the farmer’s eyes but was shaken when he suddenly stopped his work. Looking up, Mac gave a firm shake of his head, “Nope.” Shrugging the wing off of his back the stallion stubbornly continued his task, leaving his wife shocked. Rainbow bristled at being so easily brushed off, she was only trying to help after all! Stamping her hoof she shoved her face into his. “What’s the big idea Mac? You’re tired and I want to help!” Rainbow snorted in frustration and glared hard into his eyes. “I’ma big stallion, I don’t need a mare doin a job that I was supposed to do!” Big Mac stood his ground out of frustration. The exhaustion and his wounded leg getting to him more than he let on. “You’re gettin in the way, now let me do what Ah gotta do!” Rainbow’s eyes widened at his dismissive comments and backed up abruptly. “Fine! If that is all you think of me, you can just work on that stupid fire until you drop dead for all I care!” Turning quickly, the pegasus stomped to the far side of the cave and sat down with a huff. Mac panted as he watched her walk away, he had been speaking without thinking. ‘Why’d Ah say that ta her? Why’d Ah even think such a thing?’ Mac stared at Rainbows back as she slumped down next to the cave wall and curled into a ball on the damp floor. Mac shut his eyes tight, regretting his stubborn Apple nature, regretting his male pride, and most of all regretting his harsh words towards his wife. “Rainbow, Ah…” Mac started, but was immediately interrupted. “Shut up! Just go back to making your precious fire and leave me alone!” The mare shouted with tears in her voice. Tears that he had caused. Looking down at his hooves, Mac kicked the stick to the side. He would need to let her settle down before he could apologize. Meanwhile, the sullen mare stared at the dank cave wall, stewing over her husband’s thoughtless remarks. ‘He can be so stubborn at times! I wish he would just look past his pride for once and let me help when things get the better of him!’ Rainbow huffed and closed her eyes. “That stupid, silly, stubborn stallion.” She mumbled to herself. He was always making sacrifices for everypony, even if he ended up hurting himself in the process. Although, it was for that very reason that she first took notice of him… ________________________________________________________________________________ It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and Rainbow Dash was on her way to Sweet Apple Acres. It was a couple days after the whole Flim Flam Brothers debacle and Pinkie had insisted that a party be thrown in honor of the Apple’s victory (despite the celebration that had been held immediately following the incident). Rainbow was particularly looking forward to this party. Not that she didn’t enjoy Pinkie’s usual parties, but this one was going to have the Apple Family’s special reserve cider, on tap, ALL NIGHT! The pegasus practically squealed with delight. “Best, Party, Ever!” Rainbow landed next to the barn, which if the noise coming from inside was any indication, was already full of partying ponies. Opening the large door, the mare’s senses were assaulted by the celebration within. Streamers and balloons were spread along the ceiling, and dancing ponies stomped across the floor. Taking a deep breath, Rainbow could smell the glorious aromas of fresh baked goods. Applejack and Granny Smith had gone all out it appeared, everything from apple pies to apple fritters, even candied apples littered the tops of every table in the room. “Pretty good spread, but I’m here for the real prize.” The mare sauntered over to the large kegs on the far side of the barn, where Applejack’s brother Big Macintosh was pouring fresh mugs of cider for all the party guests. “Hey, big guy! How about you pour a mug for the fastest flying in Equestria?” Rainbow gave the large farmer a firm slap on the back. Said stallion turned and gave a genuine smile. “Sure thing Miss Rainbow.” Pouring a full mug, he handed it over to the eager pegasus who greedily downed it all in one fell swoop. “Ahh, now that’s what I call cider.” Spreading her wings and stretching her legs, Rainbow let the sweet, tangy flavor spread through her. There was nothing like Apple Family cider. Raising her mug, the mare gave it a little shake. “How bout a refill big guy?” Big Mac gave a little smirk and nodded, filling Rainbow’s mug to the brim. Deciding to enjoy this one, she sat down next to Mac (she didn’t suspect she would be leaving this spot for the rest of the party). “So, you were pretty awesome the other day. I didn’t know you could run that fast.” Rainbow looked over at Mac as she sipped her drink. The farmer’s eyes went wide as he turned his head to conceal the growing red on his cheeks. “Aww, Ah ain’t nothin special, was just doin what I had to for my family. Besides, you did a lot of the work yerself.” Mac scratched at the back of his neck nervously, not being used to compliments. “Haha, don’t be shy Mac, that was really impressive!” Rainbow slapped him on the back again, “I bet you could give AJ a run for her money in the Running of the Leaves if you wanted!” The mare took a hardy swig from her mug and gave a satisfied sigh. The stallion chuckled, gathering the courage to look over at Rainbow. “Nope, Ah ain’t the type to go around competin with nopony. Ah think my sisters are better at that kinda thing anyway.” Big Mac grabbed his own mug and held it up towards Dash. “To teamwork, and runnin those no good Flim Flam brothers outta town!” “Yeah! To kicking those stupid, crafty unicorns right in their flanks!” Rainbow cheered as she knocked her mug with his, both ponies downing their drinks in one huge gulp. Mac filled their mugs as Rainbow looked over the crowded barn. “You know Mac, you and I never really get to talk much. If you ever want to hang out and…” “There ya are! Ah’ve been lookin all over fer you!” Applejack interrupted. The farm pony promptly walked up and put her leg around Rainbow’s neck. “We’re fixin to have ourselves a little dance competition, and it just ain’t a competition without the fastest flyer in Equestria competin!” “Wait, dance? I think I’ll pass, I just wanted to drink some…” Rainbow was again interrupted. “You sayin you’re chicken Dash? Afraid you’ll get beat by little ol me? I can’t blame ya, you wouldn’t stand a chance.” Applejack leveled her with a smug stare. “What? No WAY you could beat me! Fine I’m in!” Downing the rest of her drink, Rainbow slammed her mug on the nearby table and stomped over to Applejack. “Alright y’all, everypony clear the dance floor! We got a little friendly competition!” Applejack shouted, causing the music and dancing to stop. All ears were pointed in her direction. “Here’s the rules, one pony at a time gets the entire dance floor to themselves for one minute! When they’re done dancin, everypony else will judge um by way of stomping. Whoever gets the best response wins!” Applejack took her hat and threw it over her shoulder, where it landed neatly on a nail protruding from the wall. “Whoever wants to join in, come stand next ta me!” Applejack smiled as several excited mares and a couple shy stallions trotted over to her. All the while Rainbow kept a neutral expression, not sure what to think as of yet. “Let the games begin!” Applejack cued the music, and one by one each pony tried their best at impressing the crowd. Some did fantastic, others not so much. Yet, with each passing competitor, Rainbow grew more and more nervous. ‘I don’t know the first thing about dancing, I didn’t know the whole barn was going to be watching me either!’ The mare thought as she looked around. ‘What if they all laugh at me? I’ll never be able to live it down! Everypony will call me Two Left Hooves Dash from now on!’ Rainbow began to panic as Applejack’s turn drew to a close and the crowd went wild. “Top that Dashy!” The farmpony smirked and retrieved her hat. The pegasus slowly inched towards the dance floor, beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow. All eyes were on her as she stepped out and the music began to play once again. Looking around, she began to clumsily move her hooves back and forth, completely out of rhythm. Rainbow could her whispering in the crowd, followed by laughter. After a while she could her somepony start to chant “choke” with others soon joining, “choke, choke, choke.” The mares face lit up with a bright blush, and she could feel tears welling up in her eyes. ‘There is no way this is happening! This was supposed to be the best party ever, and now I’m going to be humiliated!’ Just as she was about to fly out of the barn, something amazing happened. “Hey everypony! Ya wanna see some dancin?” All eyes turned toward the far side of the barn where Big Mac stood, in a very large bunny costume. Rainbow could only stare in shock. “Ah’ll show ya some dancing!” The large earth pony bounded onto the dance floor and immediately began to buck and kick about. Neighing and rearing up, making sure nopony was looking at Dash. After the initial shock of seeing the most stoic stallion in all of Ponyville dancing in a bunny costume, a loud roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. Everypony began chatting at once, not believing what was happening before them. Applejack stared, wide-eyed as her brother made a fool of himself. Her stupor didn’t last long and soon enough she was marching up to bucking bunny. “You outta your mind Big Mac? Ain’t nobody upstages me in my own competition!” The farm pony proceeded to buck about next to her brother, laughing and shouting. “Come on everypony, let’s dance with the bunny!” The crowd cheered and galloped onto the dance floor, dancing as good or as bad as they wanted. Big Mac stopped to take a break and walked off towards his spot next to the kegs. Wiping sweat from his brow he removed the hood of his costume and took a long swig of cider. “Last time Ah do somethin that crazy.” Sighing he plopped down onto his haunches. “Hey.” Mac turned his head to see Rainbow Dash walking up to him, her eyes pointed towards the floor. “Thanks for doing that, you really saved my flank back there.” “Anytime sugarcube.” Mac again handed her a full mug, which Rainbow gladly accepted. “Ah don’t go inta town often, so Ah ain’t too worried about nopony gossiping about me bein silly.” Rainbow sat down and scooted closer to Mac. “So, about hanging out later…” ________________________________________________________________________________ As the memory faded, Rainbow wiped at her wet eyes and looked over her shoulder to see Mac standing only a couple feet away, his head pointed towards his hooves. “I’m sorry,” the large stallion mumbled. Rainbow looked away and pretended to ignore him, it wasn’t that easy to get back on the proud mares good side. Taking a deep breath Big Mac looked up at his wife’s back. “All those things Ah said, Ah didn’t mean none of it, Ah just get so caught up in things, things that Ah think Ah need ta do.” Rainbow continued to give him the silent treatment, but slightly turned her head so she could see him out the corner of her left eye. Mac took this as a good sign. Standing up, the farmer inched closer and continued his apology. “You do know Ah’ve never met a mare stronger, faster and more capable than you right?” He kept his pace slow and steady as he closed in on the mare. “You’re also the fastest, sharpest and most loyal pony Ah’ve ever had the pleasure to know.” Rainbow hid her muzzle behind a wing to prevent her husband from seeing the smile his complements were creating. Finally, he stood directly behind her, his warmth cutting through the cold and causing the mare to shiver with delight. Placing his muzzle directly by her ear he whispered, “and I’ve never met a mare more beautiful in all of my life.” Rainbow’s cheeks flushed red as she put her wing down and looked into Mac’s warm eyes. Seeing that he had her complete, undivided attention he seized the moment, capturing her lips with his own in a searing kiss. Rainbow enveloped Mac in her wings as he in turn wrapped her in a comforting embrace, content to stay there until the snow stopped. As the kiss ended, Mac nuzzled his wife and again brought his mouth close to her ear. “I think I need some help with the fire,” he softly spoke with only a slight hint of embarrassment. Smiling, Rainbow let her wings fall back to their folded position. Looking up at her stallion, seeing the look on his adorable face, she couldn’t help but tease him. “I think I can use my awesome powers to help my husband complete his duty, just this once though.” Rainbow picked up the discarded stick and tossed it to Mac, who took up his position at the fire pit and waited for the pegasus to direct him. “Alright, you continue what you were doing before, except this time you’ll have me to fan the flame!” Mac smiled through the branch, and counted himself lucky he had found such a clever mare to be his wife. With teamwork the couple had started the fire within minutes, and were huddled up next to it, a can of beans slowly simmering in front of them. After their bellies were full and their fire still blazing, the couple decided it was time to get some rest, with Mac taking to first watch. The last thing he wanted was to get snuck up on while they slumbered. Rainbow snuggled tightly to Mac’s chest and pressed her head into his large neck. Breathing deeply of his scent, she let the exhaustion of the cold, the trudging through the snow, and their argument evaporate into the night air. As her eyes slowly closed she mumbled to her husband turned pillow, “We sure make a great team Mac.” Said stallion pulled her in closer as he mumbled his response. “Eeyup.” Author's Note Thank you for reading.
The Perilous Road."Where shall we shelter... where shall we sleep?" -Davner The Perilous Road Big Macintosh stared at the smoldering embers of the once roaring fire. His mind would not let him sleep a wink, the thoughts of their seemingly hopeless situation filled him with worry and dread. He raised his head from the fire and peered out the cave entrance, the oppressive darkness of the night only served to increase his worry tenfold. The fire was dying, and he had stoked it only an a few hours ago with their last log… he would need to venture out into the night if they were to stay warm. As if she could hear his thoughts, Rainbow tightened her grip on her husband’s neck, holding him firmly against her. Mac chuckled to himself. ‘For such a little filly, she sure is strong.’ He considered carefully removing himself from her iron grasp so he could fetch the much needed wood, but their argument from earlier flashed through his mind. He may be as stubborn as a mule, but he wasn’t as dumb as an ox. The last thing he wanted to do was incur the wrath of Rainbow Dash… twice in a row for the exact same reason. Nudging her gently with his muzzle, he let it linger next to her ear, “Hey sugarcube, we need firewood.” His soft murmuring caused her to stir and further bury he face into his chest, but nothing more. Letting out an exasperated sigh, he took his large hoof and gave her a firm shake, which only gave him the same result. Waking up his wife could be a chore at times. He remembered the morning after their first night together. After an hour of trying multiple methods, he had ended up having to leave her alone in his bed, less he be late for work. It wasn’t until noon that she had actually joined the land of the living! “I bet she would wake up for a nice cup of apple cider,” the stallion said with a shake of his head. To his utter shock, the rainbow hued pegasus immediately shot up out of his embrace. “Cider? Where? Please tell me they’re not sold out already!” Rainbow looked around frantically until her sleep induced haze subsided and her memory brought her back to the present. “Oh yeah, we’re stuck in a cave.” The mare visibly sagged and turned around to see a flabbergasted Big Macintosh. “What?” She asked as she spotted her husband’s wide eyes. Mac shook his head as he mumbled a hushed “notathing,” under his breath. ‘Ah’ll have to remember that fer the future, if Ah knew it was that easy to wake her up, Ah could have avoided a ton of pain in the past.’ Mac silently mused as he stood up to join his wife. “The fire is dyin down, we need ta go get some wood before it’s gone.” Rainbow rubbed her weary eyes with a hoof as she looked down at the hot coals. “Alright,” Rainbow said with a yawn as she stretched. Realizing something, she looked over at Mac with a smirk, “You learn quick, I thought it would take many a beating to knock the stubborn out of that big head of yours.” Big Mac sighed and shook his head. “Nope, Ah may be stubborn but an idiot I ain’t.” The earth pony walked with his wife out of the cave entrance and into the harsh cold of the night. “Besides,” Mac said as he scooted closer to Rainbow, “nothing beats having the company of a beautiful mare while ya work.” Said mare bumped him with her flank, a light blush staining her cheeks. “Don’t get too full of yourself… but it never hurts to pour on the flattery.” After walking for a good twenty minutes, and gathering enough small branches to fill Mac’s back, the couple turned back toward the cave. Mac had the idea to mark the trees as they traversed the forest, so finding their way was no more a hassle than walking through Sweet Apple Acres. “Some honeymoon, huh?” Big Mac gave a nod in response to his wife’s question. “It sure would be nice to be sitting in a hot tub right about now, sipping champagne, me bothering you with how bored I am.” Rainbow mused, causing the stallion to smile at the image, knowing that would be exactly the case if they had made it to their destination. Rainbow had wanted to go to a theme park, but her friend Rarity had insisted they go somewhere more romantic. At first the pegasus was reluctant, but her friend had easily changed Rainbow’s mind by loaning her a book that contained suggestions for many ‘private’ acts her and Mac could indulge in at the spa. “Well, that’s one perk to ending up out here, it sure ain’t borin.” Mac smiled as Rainbow smacked him with her tail. “What’s wrong? Ya can’t tell me that you’re bored right…” Mac stopped and sharply turned his head. Rainbow soon followed as she realized the stallion was no longer beside her and back tracked to where he stood frozen in place. “What’s wrong?” Rainbow asked in a hushed tone. “I heard somethin just now, sounded like a twig snappin.” Mac did not turn to look at her as he responded, his attention completely on the trees behind them. Rainbow peered into the trees, looking for any signs of a threat. Just as she was about to give up, she saw a shape move. “Mac, did you see that?” She whispered to the stoic stallion. “Eeyup,” he whispered just as quietly. “What should we do? I can’t tell what it is, should we try and fight it?” Rainbow’s wings started to flare as the threat of a confrontation loomed ever closer. “Nope, not yet. Not unless it attacks us first.” Mac sidled up next to his wife. “Just move slowly, and don’t take your eyes off of it.” Mac directed as the pair began to edge backwards. They came to a halt as another shadow moved to the right of the original, followed by a shadow moving to the left. “There’s more than one Mac! They’re trying to flank us!” Rainbow rasped as she took a fighting stance, nowhere near ready to go down without a fight. “Eeyup,” was all Mac had to say. His keen eyes following the multiple shadows that surrounded them. He turned just in time to see the first one leap out of the brush and lunge toward his flank. Quickly lifting his hind leg, Mac sent an earth shattering kick to the beast’s jaw, sending it flying from whence it came. The second lunged at Rainbow, thinking it could easily overpower her based on size alone. What the beast didn’t expect was for the mare to slap it in the face with her wing, followed by a quick succession of kicks to the head. The battered foe turned around to retreat, but fell to the ground unconscious before he could make one step. The couple quickly turned in the direction of the third beast, but were caught off guard as its jaws clamped down onto Mac’s neck. The stallion began to swing his head wildly in a desperate attempt to throw the beast off. Meanwhile, a fourth attacker made a desperate leap for Rainbow’s wing, but was met with the brunt of the mare’s noggin as she bashed it square into her foe’s face. Confused and in pain, the bloodied beast ran off into the forest. “That’s right, run home to your mama!” Dash roared in fury as the beast left a warm trail of blood in its wake. Rainbow turned just in time to see Mac run straight at a tree, repeatedly bashing his opponent’s head into the hard trunk. After several seconds of repeated abuse, the beast could no longer hold on and fell to the ground. The large workhorse was taking no chances though and reared up onto his hind legs, bringing them down with enough force to crack stone. With a sickening crunch he connected his massive hoof with the beast’s head. After several seconds of thrashing its body finally lay still. Mac turned away from the former threat and turned to see his wife slowly limping his way. The large stallion collapsed to the frozen earth, his neck in searing pain. Rainbow sped to his side as Mac’s vision began to spin, and his neck could no longer hold up the weight of his head. Kneeling next to him, she checked his injuries. His neck was pretty torn up but was not bleeding half as bad as she thought it would be. Sighing in relief she nudged his face gently. “Can you stand up?” The mare gently probed, to which Mac slowly opened his eye to peer at her face. “Eeyup, just worn out from havin a wild animal chewin on my throat.” Mac slowly lifted his head so he was eye level with Rainbow, to which he gave a weak smile. “Do ya think we got um all?” The injured stallion asked as he looked around them as far as his neck would allow. “Yeah, we taught them a lesson or two.” Rainbow smiled as she tore off a large piece of her sling and proceeded to wrap it around her husband’s torn neck. “What do you think they were? I’ve never seen anything like them.” Concern was evident in her voice. “Can’t say Ah know, they looked like timber wolves ta me, cept with fur.” Mac groaned slightly as his wife tightened the wrap, and tied it into a firm knot. “Ah wouldn’t be surprised if they were related somehow though.” Mac sighed in relief as Rainbow finally finished patching him up. Rainbow nodded in agreement. Leaning in close, she whispered into his ear. “Anyway, seeing you buck the crap out of those things was a real turn on.” The stallion couldn’t help but blush at his wife’s comment. “You’ll have to be sure to buck me just as hard when we get out of this mess.” Mac’s eyes went wide as his wife gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Mac weakly chuckled at his wife’s comment, it seemed that not even a dire situation could deter her one track mind. With a little help from Rainbow, Mac was able to stand. After finding his balance he reached for the discarded wood that was so rudely thrown off of his back during the confrontation. “Nu-uh! What do you think you’re doing mister?” Rainbow promptly walked up and snatched to wood from Mac’s grasp, holding it between her forelegs as she lightly hovered next to him. “You’re hurt even worse now! I’m not letting you do anymore hard work for the night.” Mac made to protest but shut his mouth as his wife gave him a death stare. “Plus, you haven’t even gotten to rest yet! The minute we get back to the cave you’re going straight to bed, got it?” Rainbow’s words left for little argument, and Mac lightly nodded his head in consent, feeling much like a disobedient foal being lectured by their mother. “Yes ma’am.” Mac said with his ears folded tightly atop his head. “Good, now let’s get out of here before those things come back.” Rainbow narrowed her eyes as they started back towards the cave. She wasn’t naïve, she knew how pack animals worked. There would probably be more of them, they might even be watching them right now, waiting for the opportunity to strike when they were at their weakest. With Mac injured in multiple places, it would be up to her to protect them tonight. She would have to form a plan, come up with a defense. If she let her guard down or left Mac unwatched they would probably ambush him. ‘There is no way I’m letting that happen!’ Rainbow’s brow furrowed in anger just at the thought of Mac being killed. ‘If they show up tonight, I’ll break every single one of those filthy beast’s backs!’ Author's Note Thank you for reading.
