Changing Seasons

"Safe 'n Sound?"
Part 1, Chapter 4

The Sugarcube Corner and Library whipped by in a blur. Big Mac didn't look back anymore.... he had a destination in mind. All he could hear was the breeze, and Sweetie Belle's occasional request that he slow down a tiny bit. That wasn't happening.

Finally the two had arrived at their destination. Big Mac stopped and dismounted from his harness, quickly turning around, going to the back of the wagon and grabbing Sweetie Belle.

"Hey!" the little filly yipped as he grabbed her tightly around the waist. "Gently!"

Though she hit him on the shoulder he chose to ignore it, gently throwing her on his back. He turned towards the boutique and trudged right inside unannounced, with dirty hooves and no respect for the place's atmosphere.

"Welcome to the Carousel Boutique," said the mare behind the counter, briefly glancing up from behind her red reading glasses while she sorted beads. "My name is-- Big Mac? Why ever did you bring Sweetie Belle here?" She got up and approached the two as Big Mac panted. "Not that I mind having my little sister back, but... she's not in trouble, is she?" Big Mac shook his head. Rarity looked into the eyes of her little sister. "She's not... sick, I hope?" Rarity put a hoof to the back of Sweetie Belle's neck. She felt very warm. Big Mac still shook his head. "Well... then what is it?"

Big Macintosh stretched, allowing the little unicorn to gently slip to the floor. She landed on all hooves, but immediately laid down on the carpet, looking up at the two as they looked back at her, her hooves held in the front of her body. Rarity immediately recognized the posture and thin smile on her little sister's lips, as well as her slightly swollen lower gut and opened legs. Big Mac and Rarity looked at each other. The mare raised an eyebrow at the stallion.

"Ee-yup," he said

"Oh, no, no, no, no," Rarity replied, in a cheerful tone. "She's much too young for that. For Celestia's sake, she's barely nine! I was thirteen when it happened to me."

"Well, the group 'a her coltfriends Ah had to deal with made me think otherwise, Miss Rarity," replied Big Mac, as he turned towards the door. "See y'all 'round town."

"Good bye then," Rarity said, distantly as she looked down at her sister. She examined her closely... it certainly did look like her first estrus, as much as Rarity didn't want to admit it. "Sweetie Belle... oh, what am I going to do with you?"

Sweetie Belle just looked up at Rarity, smiling and hugging herself again.

* * *

Outside Big Mac approached his cart and looked around. No signs of the colts. He approached the harness slowly, preparing to put it back on, and let out a sigh.

"Where's Sweetie Belle?" asked the familiar, gravely yet high-pitched voice from right behind the stallion.

Big Mac turned around and looked up to discover all five of the colts heads peeking out from the cart.

"Y'all know where she is. She ain't feelin' well," he said, matter-of-factly. "Now Ah need you outta there so Ah can go on with ma delivery. Shoo... go on, get."

The five colts stayed where they were.

"Can we at least get a pie?" asked the curly haired colt, continuing to smell the air. "They smell so good!"

Big Mac gritted his teeth, about ready to lose his patience.

"If'n Ah give you one pie on me, will you leave Sweetie Belle alone and not follow me around?"

The colts nodded in perfect sync. Big Mac grinned.

"They must smell pretty darn good to you then. You're lucky Ah got extra."

"No, you're lucky," replied Snails, giggling like an idiot.

Biting his tongue hard enough to break a bit, Big Mac watched the colts spill out of the wagon one-by-one, then once the last one was out, the one in the beanie he knew as Button, he leapt up high through the air and landed inside. True to his word, rather than taking off, he opened the extra box, the Just-in-case Case... one more to have, in case something went wrong, such as being stalked by a herd of colts.

"Here," he said, pulling out one of the still warm pies. He gave it to the beanie-wearing Button before closing the container, leaping back onto the ground and putting on the harness.

Before the colts could even thank him, not that they would, Big Mac took off like a shot. The six stared at the pie.

"Hey! This don't smell like what I was smelling," said Snails, taking a whiff.

"No, they don't," agreed the orange colt.

"Certainly they taste like it?" suggested the curly haired one.

Button Mash, who had on him a small screwdriver to repair his Joy Boy, used it like a knife and divided the pie into fifths... no longer interested in competing for it for some reason. When each colt had a piece spread around, together they took a bite... half excited as they had been but still holding out hope.

"Oh," said the curly-haired colt. "It just tastes like pie."

The others nodded and frowned. Why didn't it taste like they were expecting it to?

* * *

"Rarity, I'm fine, really!" Sweetie Belle protested as Rarity led her upstairs. "I don't need to go to bed! Just take my temperature... you'll see!"

Feeling that she was causing her younger sister stress, Rarity stopped and sighed.

"It's not that I don't believe you, Sweetie Belle. For goodness sakes, I don't believe you even have a temperature! It's just... I'm noticing your voice has gotten deeper and-"

"Why are you making me go to bed?" the filly whined. "And what does my voice have to do with anything?"

"Sweetie," Rarity sighed. "Come upstairs with me and I'll explain everything."

"Why can't you just explain here?"

"Please, Sweetie?" Rarity looked out her window to the faces of a few very intrigued-looking colts peering in. "We are closed!" she bellowed, before turning back to her sister. "The longer we wait here, the worse it's going to be for me... trust me. Darling, have I ever led you astray?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Come along then, Sweetie! Double time it for me!"

The little filly did exactly as she was told, heading up the stairs. Rarity was right behind her, ready to push if she needed to. Surprisingly, her sister was compliant.

Oh, why isn't she always like this? the older unicorn thought to herself.

Once Sweetie Belle was up the stairs, Rarity began to shut the door.

"Just give me two minutes, Sweetie. I'll be right up... promise."

"Okay," Sweetie Belle replied, as Rarity shut the door between the two.

The unicorn quickly darted down the stairs, seeing the colts still staring through her window. There was clearly a scuffle going on outside. She heard the sound of colts shouting, saying very nasty words too unladylike to even think of right in front of her shop. The door opened and in stepped Button Mash, removing his beanie. Rarity smiled warmly, despite the fact that she did not want him there at the time.

"Is Sweetie Belle home?" Button Mash asked, in a very bashful voice. "I- I'd really like to see her if she is. Okay?"

"My, my, Button," Rarity replied softly, holding her foreleg out in perpetration to push Button Mash along. "Where's your confidence gone? You remind me of Fluttershy! We are closed and she is in no state to see anypony right now. Please come back in a couple of days. Ta-ta!"

"Can I see her just for a little bit then?" the colt asked, putting his hooves into the carpet and scowling. "Please?"

Rarity rolled her eyes.

"Please go off and play somewhere else, Button," she said more firmly. "She is in no state to see you right now."

"She looked fine to me," Button grumbled out loud, still standing his ground. "I-if anything, she looked better than she normally does!"

Looking out at the hungry colts gathered outside, Rarity bit her lip.

"You have to go, Button," she said plainly. "Same goes for all your friends."

"But, I-"

"Please leave my shop Button Mash!" Rarity finally snapped, opening the door with her magic and firmly pushing the colt out. He landed on his rump, his beanie having flown from his hoof and still inside. Rarity locked the door with her aura before she noticed his lucky hat. She looked at the colt through the port. He looked dejected, as did all the rest. She opened the small port with her magic, then threw the beanie through it... latching it and the surrounding windows tightly. Button Mash was thwarted like the rest, but at least happy to have his hat back.

She used her aura one more time to adjust the sign from open to closed, and that was that... the business was really closed. For now, at least.