Flying

"What's it like?"

Rainbow Dash blinked, giving the red stallion a questioning look. He wasn't looking at her, his eyes locked ahead of him as he slowly dragged a plow through the dirt, just as he had been doing since she showed up. She had come over to hang out with Applejack, but she had to run out to pick Apple Bloom up from school after one of her most recent cutie mark activities had apparently left more than a few fillies glued to the ceiling. Instead of just returning later or waiting inside the Apple family's house, she had chosen to hover about Big Mac so she could have someone to talk to, or at least have listen to her, as Big Mac usually wasn't much for interrupting somepony.

"What was that?" Rainbow Dash asked, smoothing out the tight, dark blue tank-top with rainbow stripes down the side she had worn that day, and pretty much every other day, along with her matching athletic shorts. She wasn't sure if she had heard Big Mac right, or at all. Getting the large earth pony to say anything other than 'Eeyup' or 'Nnnope' was like winning the lottery, and she hadn't even tried to make him talk, so she was half-sure she was just imagining it. It was a rather hot day after all, which is why Big Mac had foregone any form of shirt.

Sure enough, Big Mac repeated himself without even glancing in her direction, asking "What's it like?"

Scratching one of her ears, Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side and countered "What's it like to what?"

This time, Big Mac allowed his green eyes to drift over to Rainbow Dash, focusing on her wings in particular. "To fly."

Blinking a couple more times, Rainbow Dash put on her usual smile that radiated confidence. Motioning to them with her thumb, she replied "It's super awesome! I mean, sure, it's complicated for a lot of ponies. You don't just have forward and backward". To illustrate her point, Rainbow Dash flew forward, then hovered backwards. "Left and right." Once more, she flew to her left, then to her right. "But also up and down." And yet again, Rainbow Dash flew up higher, then dropped back down to her previous position. "And that's all in combination, so you really got to know what you're doing." she concluded, finishing it off by doing a few loops and other impressive maneuvers in air.

Big Mac only watched from his peripheral, still focused on the farm work at hand, but managed an "Eeyup."

Either uncaring or ignorant of Big Mac's lackluster response to her display, Rainbow Dash continued. "It's pretty much the ultimate form of freedom too. It's like having a key that unlocks every door. It's like every moment is that exact moment you get out of school. There's nothing restraining you, nothing keeping you from doing whatever it is you want to do."

Once more, the simple earth pony mustered an "Eeyup." Rainbow Dash's nose scrunched a little, showing some slight notice of the simple reply, but she didn't press him about it. Instead, she started to slowly circle Big Mac as he came to the end of the field, unhooking the yoke around his neck from the plow, an almost microscopic smile appearing on his lips for a moment before his face returned to its usual flat expression.

As Big Mac made his way back to the barn, Rainbow Dash continued circling him, not really looking at him either, but keeping track of where he was going. "It's more than just being able to fly. I can fly above the clouds and feel the sun on an otherwise rainy day. I know I'm not the only one who can do that, but I see so many ponies who can't and I feel... proud of my wings. Ignore the fact that I'm, like, the best and fastest flyer in all of Equestria for a second. Just being able to fly makes me know I'm able to do something not everypony is capable of doing. I may not be alone up in those skies, and I'm glad I'm not, but I feel like so much more when I can be up there." the blue pegasus muttered, still explaining it to Big Mac, but finding herself sort of lost in the thought of why she loved flying so much.

"Eeyup."

Scowling, Rainbow Dash turned to look at Big Mac once more, still focused on the path before him. Snorting, she did a her name suggested and dashed before him, blocking his path with her arms folds over her chest, stopping him in his tracks. "What's your problem?" Rainbow Dash spat, glaring at him as she tapped a finger against her bicep. It was toned, but thin, lacking any sort of intimidation, if such was even possible before a stallion like Big Mac, whose muscled seemed to ripple under his red coat with every motion, but Rainbow Dash wasn't one to back down for stuff like that.

"Pardon?" he asked, lifting a brow, but making no move to get around her.

"You go ahead and ask me a vague question about flying, then when I go ahead and explain how awesome it is, all you do is say 'Eeyup'. Am I boring you? Is my description too prissy or something?" Rainbow Dash grilled, her brows furrowed as her voice rose with each passing word. She had truly taken offense to it. She wasn't a pony that was big on words... well, she liked to talk. But she wasn't a pony that liked to get detailed like that. She was truly letting her heart open up to the magic of flying that she was sharing with somepony, and they just seemed to nod their head like they were being told boring stuff.

Lazily blinking in such a manner that Rainbow Dash thought he may be ready to just lie down right in front of her and take a nap, Big Mac opened his mouth. "Ah reckon Ah ain't gotta say much else. Ya said everythin' so clearly, Ah can't really ask fer anythin' else ta paint a picture on it."

A sheepish, apologetic smile replaced the glare as Rainbow Dash looked to the dirt. "O-Oh, right. Guess I'm so used to ponies swooning over every word I say when explaining stuff like this, I wouldn't exactly take one word answers as acknowledgment of how awesome I am." she apologized, hovering to the side and averting her gaze from Big Mac's face for a moment, just until she shook off the embarrassment of having so aggressively addressed him over it.

"Eeyup." was all she got from Big Mac once more as he passed her. Unimpeded, he entered into the cool shade of the barn, muscles relaxing a bit.

Following Big Mac into the barn, Rainbow Dash counted the seconds until she thought it would be okay for her to talk again and not make a fool of herself. Given she wasn't sure what she would talk about now. She could just play everything off and go back into her usual rant about how awesome she is for one reason or another. She'd already said everything she needed to about what it was like to fly anyways.

"... why did you want to know?"

Rainbow Dash was a little surprised with herself, unsure she had even asked the question. She wasn't sure why she wanted to know really. Sure, usually when somepony asks a question, they have a reason for it, but Big Mac was so... Big Mac. It was hard to describe, but he was just the sort of pony who you didn't question their reasons. Given she had just questioned him for his simple answers, but that was more about her pride than his simplicity. It was hard to fathom why the farm pony had a sudden interest in flying. He always seemed so involved in his work that the idea he had any interest in anything but farming was practically ludicrous.

Unlike Rainbow Dash, Big Mac was certain that his companion for the afternoon had issued a question. Looking over his shoulder, Rainbow Dash caught the slightest of frowns before he turned away from her once more. Removing his yoke, he threw it aside in a rather unceremonious manner, making Rainbow Dash jump as the heavy instrument hit the ground with a loud thud.

"Ah gotta go take a shower." he muttered, spitting out the sprig of wheat that had been hanging from his lips and marched back out the barn.

Watching him head for the house faster than she was used to seeing the otherwise slow pony move, Rainbow Dash motioned to address him once more, but paused as she saw a familiar pony with orange fur heading toward the barn, dragging along a less-than-happy filly.

"Hey Rainbow Dash, sorry 'bout the wait. Ah woulda liked ta have been back here sooner, but Apple Bloom had ta go ahead and touch just 'bout everythin' on the way here., which ain't a problem unless ya got glue on ya hands" Applejack quickly apologized, giving a slight bow of her head before shooting Apple Bloom a look.

"Ah said Ah was sorry! Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, an' mahself thought we could get our cutie marks in practical jokes an' sorta got outta hand with the glue." Apple Bloom protested, holding her hands up in defense, which gave Rainbow Dash a good view of what looked to be some sort of cloth stuck to her palms.

"Ya ain't gettin' off easy this time! Ya do a lot of foolin' around but ya were just askin' fer trouble this time!" Applejack scolded, shaking her head with a sigh before focusing on Rainbow Dash. "Let's go inside, I'll give ya some cider while I deal with Apple Bloom."

Rainbow Dash could only chuckle and follow the Apple sisters into the house, her thoughts taken away from her odd little interaction with Big Mac for the time being. It seemed so small and insignificant for the time being. Besides, her friend was finally here, so now she was free to have some fun.

"Applejack, what's glue made of?"

"I'll tell ya when ya're older."

Author's Note

A short little opening to the story, it'll be a couple of chapters before any of the truly mature stuff happens, so for those of you who are here for that, have a little patience.