Big Macintosh was visibly frustrated. He felt that he had been asking the same question for several minutes now.

"I understand that. What I don't understand, Granny, is why is he stayin' here?"

"He mentioned that he'd have ta stay in town a while, and I figgur'd that he could have tha spare room," the old green mare said. "You two seemed ta be fairly chummy last night. I din't think that you'd have a problem with it. Land sakes, Boy! Ya said that you two were brothers!"

"Wha-" Big Mac shook his head in consternation. "Seriously? Brothers?"

"Yup," Applebloom said, nodding. She scrunched her face up, trying to remember what he had said.

"Somethin' like 'brothers on the battlefield of love,' or somethin'."

Macintosh facehooved, and started to swear to never drink again, before all of what his sister had said registered in his brain.

"Oh fer.... Did you say 'love?'"

"Yup."

At this, Macintosh dashed out of the kitchen, looking like he'd just seen a ghost.

Turning to Granny Smith, Applebloom asked, "What's up with Mac?"

"Oh him? He's just the same as always," she replied, shaking her head. "He's just usually better at hidin' it."

~*~

Cloque Worque had decided to go for a short walk around the farm, to get to know the area. He had been entranced by the seemingly endless rows of apple trees. Watching as the trees seemed to march forward, as if they were soldiers, calmed him. He was able to just lose himself in his thoughts, in ways that he hadn't had a chance to in quite a while.

This was all shattered when Big Mac came out of nowhere, and tackled him to the ground.

"What d'you remember about last night?!" the stallion all but screamed at him.

"Uff," Cloque Worque said, as he pushed Mac off of him. "We've got to stop meeting this way. Mostly nothing. It's all hazy."

He sat up, dusting himself off, and looked over at Macintosh grumpily. He had been in a coma, this time yesterday. He'd been in an accident before that. He had drunk WAY too much last night. And while the painkillers given by the Apple family had helped, they hadn't helped much. Needless to say, he was already a very sore dragon. Having the large workhorse run into him again didn't help that.

Big Mac let out a sigh of relief.

Feeling a large weight lift, from his shoulders, Mac said, "well, that's a blessin' ah guess."

"Yeah," CW said. "It would've been really embarrassing if I remembered that you are head over hooves in love with that purple unicorn. SO much so, that her presence reduced you to a mumbling foal."

Macintosh looked at Cloque Worque with murder in his eyes.

Cloque Worque just shot him a predatory smile.

"Oh, yes. She was rather pretty. Oh, just what was her name again? Ah. I believe it was-"

"Fluttershy," Mac said, cutting him off.

Cloque Worque shut his mouth immediately. It was his turn to glare at his comrade.

Mac wore the exact same smile that CW had. Which is impressive, since his teeth were significantly less sharp.

Exchanging glares for a moment, Cloque Worque finally broke the silence with: "Fine. We both know something about the other. Something that we would never want to get out. Now. We're at a fork in the road. One path we could take leads us to a long battle of blackmail, denials, and other trickery. The other, we both take what we know to the grave, and head our own ways."

"Or," Big Mac countered, "we could use the knowledge of our similar plights to strengthen our friendship."

Cloque Worque looked skeptical.

Sensing his hesitation, Macintosh held out his hoof.

CW raised an eyebrow at this. He seemed to retreat into his head, for a second, to consider how this would work.

Hesitantly, he held out his claw. "It's been quite a while since I've had an actual friend," he said.

Seeing that Cloque Worque was still unsure, Mac moved his hoof closer. CW backed off a little, but settled himself. He made a fist with his claw, and bumped it against Macintosh's hoof, smirking.

"There, see?" Macintosh said. "Easy as pie."

Cloque Worque just raised his eyebrow again.

Macintosh realized what he had said, and facehoofed. "Ah din't mean...It's just a phrase...Ah..Ah.. Ugh."

CW gave off a low chuckle. "I know what you meant. I just wanted to mess with you."

"Clever."

"Thank you. I thought that it was."

Big Mac sighed. "Well, if you're goin' to be stayin in town for a while, might as well introduce you to the townsponies."

"I don't remember much," Cloque Worque started, "but didn't we do that last night?"

"Naw," Mac said. "I'm talkin' a proper introduction. Don't worry. The ponies here are good, quality folk."

"Alright then. Lead the way."

~*~

Macintosh took Cloque Worque throughout the entire town. Taking him into shops, and up to vendors in the marketplace, all so that he had a chance to talk with them. He found that Mac was telling the truth about the townsponies. Even though most of them had some apprehension when talking to him, it all had disappeared by the time he left them. Ponies here were genuinely friendly. He felt that he knew many of them, even though he had spoken to them for only five minutes or so. During their tour of the town, Big Mac took CW to a small cafe for lunch. As they were leaving, he told Cloque Worque his plan for the rest of the day.

"Ah figure that it's about time for you to meet them," Macintosh said.

"Them?" Cloque Worque asked, confused by the vagueness. "Who's them?"

"Those six mares you met last night." Mac sighed. "They're kind of celebrities around here."

Cloque Worque slammed on the brakes. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't you think that I met them enough last night? I mean, I met your sister and Twilight already. Anyway, I don't think that they'd even want to meet some random dragon. They're probably very busy if they're celebrities."

Macintosh just kept walking. "Look, ah know where you're comin' from. Ah'm in the exact same boat. This ain't no picnic for me either. How's about this: we visit Fluttershy last? That sound good?"

Cloque Worque sighed.

"Admittedly not as good as 'Let's just skip her altogether,' but I'll take what I can get."

"Good. Now buckle up. This'll likely get interestin'."

~*~

"Are you sure that this place is structurally secure," Cloque Worque asked. "Cuz' I'm fairly certain that icing is not a good building material."

Ignoring the other's jokes, Macintosh just kept walking.

"Shut up, and come on. Best to get this one done with first."

"What? Why is- YAHH!!!" Cloque Worque screamed as a pink pony burst out of mailbox that he was walking past.

Sighing, Mac just gave a pleasant "Hello, Pinkie."

"Hiya Big Mac! How have you been? It feels like it's been forEVER since we talked, but we saw each other just last night. Isn't that weird?! But, enough about us, what are you doing in my neck of the metaphorical woods?"

"Cloque Worque here is gonna be in town for a while, and ah figured that ah should take'm around, so that he could get a feel for the town, and meet all the townsponies."

CW, having settled his heart rate, decided that he should probably join in the conversation. "Yeah, he showed me around last night, but, if I'm honest, I don't remember a lot of that." Holding his hat, in one claw, he added, "anyway, it is good to see you again, Miss Pie."

"Psh," Pinkie said. "Miss Pie was my mom. Or some other mare who has my name, but isn't as fun as I am."

Thrown for a bit of a loop, Cloque Worque only manages to get out "I...I guess that's right."

"Yup. If you're staying, though, it's good that I already threw you a 'Welcome To Town' party."

"Seriously?" asked Cloque Worque. "Did I really get so tanked, that I forgot a whole party?"

"No, silly. I threw the party about a week ago. You should know," she said, as if it made all the sense in the world. "You were there."

Leaning towards the large stallion, CW asked, under his breath, "hey, I didn't wake up for a bit, did I?"

Macintosh just shook his head.

Trying to wrap his head around the concept, Cloque Worque asked again, just to make sure, "So you threw a party a week ago?"

"Yep," Pinkie said simply.

"In my hospital room?"

"Yep."

"While I was in a coma?"

"Yep."

"I..I don't know what to say."

"Don't worry about it. Parties are my thing. Speaking of which, I need to plan your 'Woke Up From A Coma' party. So I need to go. It was good talking to you, again!"

She then disappeared back into the mailbox.

Cloque Worque just stared at the mailbox for a minute. He massaged the bridge of his nose, and said, "I think I need another drink."

"Eyup."

~*~

The pair walked out of Berry's tavern, with only a slight stagger to their step.

Cloque Worque breathed a contented sigh, and looked to his companion.

"Where to next? Somewhere less insanity-inducing, I hope."

After some thought, Mac started walking, calling over his shoulder, "Less random, sure. However, unless you are calmed by manic mood swings, ah don' think that things will get more sane."

"Have I mentioned how good of a guide you are?"

"Shut up."

"Just wanted to make it known."

"Noted."

~*~

"Rraagh," Cloque Worque groaned. "First a cupcake, now a carousel? Why are these places so different than ninety percent of the town?! It's like they're marketing something."

Big Mac just eyed the dragon, and kept walking.

This time, they got inside before they were greeted.

The elegant looking white mare, from the night before, was hovering around a mannequin draped in fabrics, using her magic to levitate enough cloth, pins, and thread to make several more dresses. She wore a pair of glasses, perched upon her nose.

Looking up, almost absent-mindedly, she took stock of her two visitors, for the first time, a smile coming to her face.

"Oh, Macintosh, Darling! It is oh so good to see you? You don't seem to get off the farm very often, and, well, I wouldn't want to dirty my hooves, and so we just live out our little lives. Tragic, truly tragic. You've caught me in the middle of working out the design for a commissioned dress. The lady who ordered it gave me artistic license, to do as I please. All she asked was that 'it wasn't 'frumpy.'" As if I would ever make anything that was..." a shudder of disgust shook her frame, "Frumpy! But enough about me. Have you finally come to let me use you as a model for a stallion's line? Although, I would have to scale the size up a bit, I suppose."

Letting a small breath out, the large work horse put on a smile, and said, with a tone that implied he had said it many times before, "Ah appreciate the offer, Miss Rarity, but ah just don' have that much time, in ma schedule."

The fashionista sighed, and replied, "that's truly a shame. C'est la vie. One of these days, though. Anyway, where are my manners? I've completely ignored my other guest! Terribly sorry, Mister... Cloque Worque, was it?"

Taking off his hat, CW replied, smiling easily, "Yes, Miss. A pleasure to see you again."

"Oh, my. A gentlecolt. What a rare sight, these days."

"I'm far from a gentlecolt, Miss," Cloque Worque said. "I've just picked up some manners during my travels."

"Don' believe it for a second, Miss Rarity," Mac said, a smile breaking out, across his face. "He's irascible, and a cad, at that!"

Cloque Worque, wearing a smile, as well, jumped back, feigning insult.

"Balderdash! I shan't have you slandering my name, any longer! Swords at dawn, you overdeveloped, scarlet cur!"

The unicorn's laughter brought the pair's production to an end, smiles all around.

"Thank you both, for that," she said. "It was quite entertaining. You two seem to have gotten quite close, since last I saw you. Now, I hate to be rude, but I really need to finish this dress."

The duo bent into over-exaggerated bows, each offering words of encouragement, as well as their good-byes.

They were still chuckling, when the got to the main street.

CW wiped at his eyes, saying, "irascible cad. Heh."

"Heh heh. Scarlet cur."

"Artless clod."

"Bawdy ragamuffin."

"Tottering ninny!"

"Wheat-witted buffoon!"

"Craven, rough-hewn dewberry!"

"Impertinent, tickle-brained flap-dragon!"

Growling, Cloque Worque tackled Macintosh off the path.

~*~

Scuffed up and sore, but sporting huge grins, the two walked on.

"So," Cloque Worque noted. "We've met three, including your sister. We're almost to the end!"

The smiles left their faces immediately.

CW sighed. "Alright, who's next?"

"Ah figured Rainbow Dash," Mac drawled. "She's usually napping on a cloud, right about now."

The dragon cast a look at the cloudy sky.

"Well, that makes this easy. Maybe if we call her name. RAINBOW DA-"

The sky blue pegasus appeared in a rainbow blur.

"You called?" she asked.

Cloque Worque looked at his crimson companion, and muttered, "I didn't think that would actually work."

Big Mac just grunted.

"Hey," Dash said, recognition spreading across her face. "You're that dragon, from last night. You come back for an autograph?"

The dragon gasped, and asked, in an awed voice, "you'd do that for me?!"

Mac raised a hoof to help in hiding his snickers.

"Heh. Sure. Gotta stay in touch with the fans. Oh, hey. I don't have any parchment, though."

In the same tone, Cloque Worque said, "that's ok. Just talking to you is more than enough."

Macintosh was suddenly taken by a coughing fit.

"Yeah, well, you got good taste. I gotta fly. It's almost time for my nap. Good seein' you, Mac."

Between coughs, Big Mac managed to get a "likewise" out.

She was gone in another technicolor blur.

The two were left, rolling on the ground, in laughter.

~*~

Macintosh looked nervous.

"Y-you know, Cloque Worque, it's getting kinda late. Maybe we should j-just head back to the f-f-farm."

Very nervous.

"C'mon, Big Guy, we're almost done," Cloque Worque said. "We've come this far, we can't give up now. Wan't me to take point, on the next one?"

The large stallion sighed. "Yes."

"Alright," the dragon said, looking around. "Where're we headed?"

"The library."

"Please, tell me it's not-"

"It is."

Cloque Worque put his head in his claws.

"Why is it a TREE?! WHY-Y-Y?"

~*~

Author's Note

So, originally, I was going to have them meet the entire Mane Six, in one chapter. However, due to the fact that there was a significant delay between writing sessions, I got to look over some of the things that I had written, with a different light. I'm not really happy with how I wrote the two of them interacting with their respective love interests. So I'm moving that to an entirely new chapter. And since it's almost eight in the morning, I'm going to get some sleep, before doing rewrites and revisions. Now, since I want to get at least two more chapters out, before 2014, I'm going to ask that you guys, if chapter six isn't out in the next five days, pm me, telling me to get my act together.

Alright. I'm gonna go sleep. Hope this was a good chapter.

(Seriously. Just yell at me. It'll help.)

Demos