Changing Seasons

"Chivalry and Rivalry on the Road"
Part 1, Chapter 3

Screechy-crack! Screechy-crack! Screechy-crack!

The warm country air whipped around Sweetie Belle's head. For such a slow, plodding stallion, Big Mac was really able to get a cart moving. Though the occasional bump hurt her stomach, for the most part it was a pretty smooth ride. She sat up, again admiring the view... but not for the reason she would have a few days before. This close, Sweetie could really appreciate the fine-looking muscles of Big Mac's flank, back, and rump in ways she couldn't from a distance. The stallion didn't look back, notice nor pay it much mind, as Sweetie Belle examined his powerful body at work.

"I'm really going home?" she asked, as Ponyville appeared in the distance.

"Ee-yup!" replied the stallion.

She sighed. This was no dream, but for some reason she wanted to keep Big Mac talking today. She knew he wasn't a stallion of many words, and because of that... that made her want to have him talk to her even more. It felt kind of fun.

"Big Mac? Can I ask you something?"

"Ee-yup!"

The filly thought for a moment, putting a hoof to her chin.

"What's your favorite color?"

The stallion didn't answer her right away. He was wide-eyed, taken aback from being asked questions about himself. It was an innocent question, but he knew from his time spent with other ponies that were in her state that sometimes innocent questions don't always come from same place they normally would.

"Red," he finally said, going back to his normal, leisurely expression.

"Oh...," he heard the filly giggle. "Mine's pink! Did you know they're related?"

"Ee-yup!" replied the farm pony as he plotted along. Ponyville was getting close and closer... part of him would be happy to drop off the first half of his delivery, but there was nothing wrong with entertaining a few questions in the mean time.

"Did you always want to be an apple farmer?" Sweetie Belle asked in a loud voice over the squeaking.

"Somethin' we Apples are good at," replied the stallion. "Never thought about it much."

"I think you're neat," Sweetie Belle said, blushing. "You must be really strong!"

"Ee-yup." replied Big Mac. "Strength ain't enough to make a pony neat, though."

Big Mac shook his head when he realized he was getting drawn into conversation with Sweetie Belle.

Juss drop her off. Everything'll be fine... ain't like it's urgent or nothin' yet.

Big Mac did his best to humor Sweetie Belle as he took her home:

"Is bad weather usually enough to make you stay inside during a harvest?"

"Ee-nope. 'less it's a twister."

"How long have you been harvesting apples for?"

"Longer than Ah can remember."

"Is it fun?"

"Can be."

"Can it be stressful?"

"Ee-yup!"

"Is it hard?"

"Depends on whether there's a deadline."

"I mean to buck apples!"

"Ee-nope! But between you an' me... Ah do get sore every now-n-then."

Big Mac was surprised when he realized this had gone from feeling like a chore to being fun.

"What's your favorite apple?"

"Too many to decide from... 'tween Applejack, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom?"

Sweetie giggled.

"I mean of those you harvest, silly!"

Big Mac looked back to see the little filly leaning on the edge of the cart, a very relaxed yet focused look in her eye as she looked down on him, biting her lip.

"Oh!" he said, laughing. "Ah like red delicious very much. You?"

"I like red delicious too," replied the little filly, looking at the farm pony. "Very much."

Big Mac turned back to the approaching town and smiled.

"What'd ya do when you're not bucking apples or making deliveries?" asked Sweetie Belle. "You know... for fun!"

"Ya know Ah sing for the Ponytones," Big Mac said, chuckling. "Also occasionally dabble in dad's old study. It's full of maps of Equestria and all this technical stuff 'bout apples and sales. He was a smart one when it came to business, now."

"Did you know him?"

Big Mac shook his head, glancing back again.

"Hardly remember him."

Sweetie Belle got silent for a moment, realizing even in her state, that their conversation had grown awkward.

"I'm sure he was really nice!"

"Ee-yup."

"When I grow up, I wanna be a Ponytone, too."

"Keep at it," replied the stallion. "You've got an awful pretty voice."

"Aww," Sweetie Belle blushed. "Thank you!"

"Ee-yup."

* * *

They'd finally made it into town. Sweetie Belle was dreading knowing that her ride was almost over.

"Hey Sweetie Belle!" a familiar, gravely voice bellowed. "What're ya doing in that cart?"

Sweetie knew who it was the moment she heard the voice.

"Button!" she turned to the side he was on, again feeling a slight ache in her gut as she stood up. There he was, unusually handsome today in his beanie. "I'm going home. Not feeling very well."

Big Mac smiled hearing that. At least she was no longer as moody about it as she had been back on the farm.

"Oh," the orange-maned colt sniffed the air and smiled as he plodded along next to the cart. "You were really excited about that sleep over! Almost as excited as I was when Joyboy released that patch making it so I could play my brother's old games on my new system!"

"I know...," Sweetie clicked her hooves together nervously. "I don't want to go... they're kind of making me."

"We're havin' another sleepover in two weeks ta make up for it," added Big Mac sharply. "Don't forget ta add that!"

"Oh," again, Button sniffed the air. "That's not too bad, I guess... say, something smells really nice in there! It smells kind of pretty, too. Like fresh, succulent fruit. Are there pies in there?"

"Ee-yup." replied Big Mac. "In insulated containers along with some dumplin's! Makin' a delivery."

"Oh. Neat."

Sweetie smiled down at her colt friend as she noticed two other colts -- Snips and Snails -- sauntering up behind him at a slower pace. They seemed to be looking at the cart.

"Those apples smell really good today, Big Mac!" said Snips, as Button Mash blocked the two from getting much closer.

"Hey, this is my conversation!" Button snapped, suddenly becoming unusually defensive, even for him. "Back off, you lowly cretins!"

Sweetie Belle adored what she was seeing, not that she could say exactly why.

"That's not nice, Button," the filly said, waving a hoof at her coltfriend. "They just want to find out what Big Mac has in his cart. Right guys?"

"Right!" the two voices said simultaneously.

"Pies and Dumplin's!" repeated Big Mac, rolling his eyes in exasperation.

"They smell good!" Snails said, redundantly. "Really good today."

Big Mac just kept his eyes forward and picked up the pace a tiny bit... not long, not long.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Button Mash asked his fillyfriend in a concerned tone. "Did you puke your guts up earlier this morning?"

"No!" Replied Sweetie Belle, gagging slightly at the thought. "I have a tummy ache and I'm all hot, so I'm going home."

"Wish it were that easy to get out of school," Snails said, making googly-eyes at Sweetie Belle. "I'd to it all the time!"

Not that any of the colts there were about to admit it, but they wanted to make googly-eyes at her too.

"I know what you mean."

"Ain't nice to play sick," said Big Mac. "There'll come a day where no one'll take ya serious if you do that too much!"

"He's right," said Button Mash, making sure Snips and Snails were still only behind him. "My mom won't let me stay home anymore if I feel sick, only if I am sick! She caught me playing games too many times."

"Serves you right," said Big Mac.

Sweetie Belle smiled down at Button Mash. He almost melted seeing that... he had been selected for her focus now and only him.

"Since I'm going home, that means I can't go anywhere. Big Mac and Applejack said nothing about having other ponies over, though... especially colts I love to play video games with. You wanna come over?"

"Sure!" Button Mash replied without hesitation.

Big Mac looked back at Sweetie Belle and the crowd following him. Another two colts, one orange with a blue mane, the other with a dark curly mane, were now following the cart as well. The farm pony began to speed it up again, hoping to tire the little ponies out... knowing what was probably fueling them, that would be easier said than done.

Surprisingly, Button managed to keep at the front of the now galloping group. Sweetie Belle had to sit back now due to the bumps hurting her stomach, but she was still able to focus on all the cool-looking colts following her.

"T'ain't a good idea, Sweetie Belle," Big Mac said, now sweating and panting. "Yer goin' home for a reason and it ain't to have a party at your place."

"But I want to have him over...," Sweetie Belle protested as Big Mac sped up even more. She turned in the stallion's direction again. "I- I really like him!"

"Can't always get whatcha want," Big Mac replied, now galloping.

Sweetie Belle looked back to see her friends disappearing over the hill. She knew they'd still be following her, all five of them... maybe even more. They'd find her. She felt special enough right now for that to happen.