Author's Note

I'll switch this to the bottom of the page later.

EDIT as of 3/13/20 (Still haven't really edited this chapter. If you see anything off please let me know. I'm focused on updating other stories at the moment.)

So I thought I'd have another hour before work. Nope getting called in early. Which means I wasn't able to sit down and properly edit this chapter like I wanted. However at the same time I REALLY don't want to publish this today, and leave it as only the first chapter. There just isn't enough story there.

Sadly as I will not get home till late tonight, there is no way I can publish this any other time. So here we go.

At the very least, hopefully it's interesting enough for those of you reading it. ^^;

Sorry I couldn't do better. :/

The Mare inside the Story (Mostly unedited)

Big Mac had just enough time to hear Caramel scream for him to run, when the ground drifted away from him. Before he could get a grasp of what was happening, he felt himself being pulled toward the book, looking up just in time to see it swallow Caramel. Ironically he tried to run his legs flailing uselessly in the air before there was a bright flash and everything went dark.

The steady vibrations of ground below slowly shook him awake. What was going on? How was the ground moving? Oh he was in a train cart. That was odd, how did he end up there? Last thing he remembered, he was talking with Caramel when-

The book! Jolting his head up, he immediately realized something was off, well besides surroundings changing. Looking around there was nothing wrong with the room he was in itself. It appeared to be your standard private room, except...

His head turned toward the window where he got a nice view of some rolling hills covered in snow. Okay now that certainly shouldn’t be right. It was the middle of summer! Unless all the pegasus ponies had decided to prank this part of Equestria, he’d say he was in the same situation his sister once told him about. He vaguely remembered her tale about getting stuck in a comic book thanks to Spike. However, that wasn’t really what was he found off. Instead it was the fact he was getting a clear view of what was outside, the top of the window being a good foot or so above him.

Big Mac was a large pony. Some would say that he grew into his name nicely. In time he had gotten use to towering over most others,(The Princesses were always an exception) and having to duck to get into buildings. One of the things that was consistent with that size was that while on any train, his head was usually level with the top of the window, causing him to dip down a bit to see outside.

Here he was standing straight up and his height didn’t come anywhere close to doing that. What’s more, he just realized his prized yolk, which he had gotten use to wearing wherever he went, was most certainly not on his neck at the moment. In fact the only thing he seemed to have with him was a purple and blue quilt, neatly folded and resting upon his back.

Wait… was that his flank? His eyes traveled from the quilt to his rear, alarm bells beginning to ring in his head. His tail was the right color, but it looked… softer? There seemed to be less hair and more shine to it somehow. He waved it back and forth a bit shivering at the odd sensation it gave him. Something was very different, but he couldn’t put a hoof on it just yet.

The color of his coat was still the same, same cutie mark too. Except it seemed smaller? How was that even possible? Looking down, even his hooves were different. Slimmer somehow. What was it his sister had told him about being stuck in that comic book? That she had been changed slightly by the story to have the superpowers of one of the characters? So what, did that mean he had been changed by the book to fit a role? What role? That of a teenager? It’d certainly explain his new size. Had this happened to Caramel?

Wait Caramel! He got sucked in before he did! That meant he should be around here somewhere! Running toward the door, he pulled down on the handle, only to find he couldn’t move it. Again he tried to pull it down, but it wouldn't even budge. It wasn’t even like it was jiggling as a normal handle would, but more like it had been carved out of stone into the wall!

“What the hay?” He exclaimed before shutting his mouth. That… that wasn’t his voice. That didn’t sound anywhere near to what his voice should sound like. Being trapped in this room momentarily forgotten he placed a hoof upon his throat, giving it a little rub. It felt smoother than it was suppose to. Something was missing. Some many things seemed to be missing or off.

“W-what’s going on here?” He asked walking back toward the window. What had the story done to him? He stared out at the hills as they began to be littered with jagged rocks, inching closer to the train as it transitioned from small grassy lumps to a mighty mountain range. As this progressed they passed by a rather large one which caused the light from outside to dim, allowing him a nice view of his reflection.

A very pretty and smaller mare stared back at him.

“EEP!” She squeaked, taking a step backward. The size difference, the feeling of something off, something missing. How much slimmer she looked? How had she not realized this sooner!

“W-why am I a mare? What’s going on!? Caramel! CARAMEL!” She screamed trying the door again. It still wouldn’t budge for her. Had she lost strength due to becoming female? She flexed her muscles, no that didn’t seem to be it. Besides, his sister was just as strong as he was, if not stronger. Being a female shouldn’t affect that at all. Especially not for an apple, which she clearly still was due to her cutie mark remaining the same.

Her whole body began to shiver. What was she suppose to do? She was trapped in this room in a body she wasn’t use to. Could she get out? Maybe breaking the window? That seemed rather risky and jumping from such a fast moving train couldn’t be a good idea. She’d keep it in mind, but hopefully it wouldn’t come to that. Shaking her head she tried to calm herself down. She had to stop shivering, it wasn’t helping. Wait, that wasn’t just her nerves. It was freezing in here!

Well she didn’t know why she had it, but thank Celestia for this quilt. Wrapping it around her, she held it close trying to warm up, a vague memory of Applejack complaining about the cold on some mornings when they went to work bucking apple trees. Of course, mares had a thinner coat than stallions, so the cold got to them more. Guess she inherited that with her new body. Lucky her.

“Okay Big Mac, what do I do now?” She asked herself out loud. Trying hard to ignore the feel of the fabric against her now more sensitive flank, she took another look at the room. There wasn’t much to it. Just a seat in the wall and a compartment for items on the other side of it. A quick search of that showed it was empty. Great, well no help there. Guess she could just lay on the seat for now. Hang on, was that a handle? Pulling it with her mouth, the seat began to shift in form. It had a bed in it! Perfect! That’d be much more comfortable than the pitiful padding of the bench.

As she pulled it all the way out, it clicked in place, being perfectly made up with pillows and a blanket all in place. Curious she trotted over and lifted a pillow. Nope it wasn’t glued down or anything, how had they managed to get it to stay in place when folded up into the wall?

“Well it is a book you’re in Big Macintosh,” she sighed to herself, “I reckon not everything will be all real life a like.” It wasn’t that important anyway, what was important was if the bed provided better warmth then the floor. Crawling into it’s center, she let herself sink into the fluffy mattress. Wow! Was this what it felt like to sleep on a cloud like Rainbow was always doing? No wonder that mare liked to sleep.

“Mmmm, that’s nice.” She cooed to herself before a stray thought struck her. She was talking to herself wasn’t she? Why was she doing that? She never really spoke out loud anymore.

“Hmm, could this be one of those things that changed with me?” It certainly seemed possible. After all the last time she had spoken without restraint like this was when she was pretending to be… Orchard Blossom. She shook her head at the memory. It brought back… bad feelings.

“D-damn it what’s wrong with me?” She muttered while trying to bundle the quilt around her still shivering body. Why did she have to be here like this? Why was she trapped in this room? Why was she feeling so vulnerable? She’d lived around mares all her life, they weren’t like this! Why couldn’t Caramel be here with her for support!?

“I beg your pardon ma’am but I…” She heard somepony say as the immovable door slid open without a hitch. Shocked, she looked up to see the very stallion she was just thinking about walking into the room, a yellow scarf wrapped around his neck. She sat there regarding him for a few seconds, not believing her eyes when finally:

“C-Caramel!?” She nearly whispered as her body inched toward him. Could it really be? Oh please tell me it’s not some trick of the book!

“W-what? You know me?” He replied, a look of concern and confusion passing over his face. That was certainly how Caramel would act if in such a situation! It must be him!

“It is you! Oh thank Celestia!” She shouted with joy, lunging forward to give him a big hug. She wasn’t alone in here! Her best friend had gotten stuck here as well! Hopefully he knew what they should do to get out, but even so, it was just nice to have someone she knew with her.

A few moments later she realized what she was doing and quickly backed off giving an apology. She vaguely noticed him blushing as she began to prattle off about how she had ended up here, speaking far more than she had in the last month. Why was he blushing though? Had he seen something embarrassing in the hall? No, it had to be something else… She knew she should know this. So lost was she with this thought that she nearly missed Caramel asking her about being from the real world.

“Yes! Yes! I got sucked in too! I was right behind you after all!” She could almost see the gears turning in his head.

“B-Big Mac?” He screamed at her while taking a step back.

“Eeyup.” She replied, feeling a blush on her cheeks. It was embarrassing enough to be in front of her friend in such a form, but something about his change in expression at her, kinda bugged her. It wasn’t a bad expression of course, but it was different than the one he had held just a few seconds ago. It made her feel almost… disappointed? What was going on with her today?

“And why can’t I stop thinking of myself as a she?” She asked out loud with annoyance. She wasn’t suppose to be a mare! Nothing about this situation was right!

“W-what did you say?” Caramel asked with concern again as he stepped closer to her. So much that he walked into the room, letting the door slide closed behind him.

“No wait!” She cried rushing up to the door and pulling with all her might at the handle. Once more it felt like trying to rip a part of a mountain off its stony surface. It wasn’t budging. They were both trapped in here now.

“No no no!” She cried pounding at the door. “Let me out! You stupid story! Why am I stuck in here!? Why am I supposed to do!? Why am I a mare!?” She continued to scream at the door before feeling Caramel’s hoof on her back.

“B-Big Mac? T-that’s really you?” His voice was shaking, and not just from the cold. He was concerned for her. Frightened about her well being. For some reason that realization filled her with a strange warmth.

“Y-Yeah it’s me.” She replied slumping to the ground. “I-Caramel what’s going on? Why is any of this happening? I don’t understand! I-I mean I know we’re in the book but...”

“Y-Yeah, the book…” Caramel echoed feeling another shiver run up his spine. He still couldn't believe this gorgeous mare before him was suppose to be his friend Big Macintosh. Especially with the height difference. She was still big for a mare, but only slightly larger than Applejack. The fact she was so talkative was throwing him off as well, yet given how the spell likely worked, he didn’t doubt her story. There was no reason it’d make her up. No it seemed that for whatever reason, the book had decided on Big Mac playing the role of Radiant Dream, his… Okay definitely not thinking about that! Big Mac was freaked out enough. However, that presented a… problem.

“Your um, sister talked about when she got sucked into that comic book right?”

Slowly Big Mac looked at him and nodded. Geez, she looked cute. Damn it! He couldn’t think about that!

“She said her and her friends had to defeat the bad guy before they could leave the comic. Um, that mean we have to beat up some villain to leave?”

“P-Probably not…” Caramel said trying to ignore how cold it was getting. “You see, I think the idea is that you have to follow the story to it’s um, conclusion before it lets you out.”

“But, we’re in a romance novel…”

“Y-Yeah…”

“O-Oh…” Big Mac said softly. “So um… what we have to k-kiss or something?”

“M-Maybe? That’s not exactly how the story goes.”

“That’s right you said your sister read this right? That mean you know how it goes?” She began to shiver a lot more noticeably. “O-Or why it’s so cold? Doesn’t this train have heat!?”

“Y-Yeah, um well you see…” Oh how was he suppose to say this? “The story starts with them meeting on a cold train ride to Canterlot and um… to stay warm she actually well… that is…”

“... they cuddled under the blanket didn’t they?”

Caramel nodded. “Eeyup.”

“...fine.”

Caramel almost fell over. “W-what?”

“I said fine.” Big Mac replied with a huff, getting back on the bed. She tried to focus on the mattress itself as she laid there. “L-Look, we’d have probably done this anyway in the real world. S-so let’s just do it. I’m freezing!”

He didn't’ want to admit it but part of Caramel really liked the idea of being pressed up against this cute mare, despite knowing she was his friend Big Mac not one hour ago. She just looked and acted so differently then that large quiet stallion he’d come to know. He could almost imagine her standing there next to Applejack and Applebloom. Not looking one bit out of place.

“C-Caramel just get up here already!” She cried, shivering like crazy. Was she really that cold? It was certainly a lot chillier in here then it should, but it wasn’t that bad was it? Did… did she really just want him next to her?

“Big Mac are you okay?”

“No I’m not okay! I’m far from okay!” Her gaze could have melted a hole through stone. “I’m stuck in a book as a mare, who’s freezing and the stallion who is suppose to be helping me stay warm, is too afraid of mares to even bother!”

“Hey! I’m not afraid of mares!”

“Oh? Then why can’t you muster up the courage to ask my sister out already?”

Caramel blinked the small bit of anger he had felt rising wash away. “Y-You knew I liked her?”

Big Mac rolled her eyes. “Of course I knew! You’re one of my best friends! You know I would have supported it right? You don’t really think I distrust you of all ponies?”

“B-but I’m always messing up. I lose the grass seeds almost every winter wrap up and-”

“Stop it!” She shouted, her voice like iron. Caramel was so stunned by this that whatever he had to say simply vanished.

“You need to stop putting yourself down Caramel. Yes you’ve lost the grass seeds a few times, yes you tripped and broke the gate to the pig stye that one time. So what? I bucked a tree so hard once, that I knocked it and the one next to it out of the ground! Do you have any idea how mad Granny was at me?”

“Er… pretty mad?”

“You’re darn right she was mad! But you know what? She forgave me, I tried again and I got it right…. Just like you always do…”

“M-Me?” Caramel was still pretty stunned that this mare who was suppose to be Big Mac was speaking to him like this. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard Big Mac Speak at length before, but never usually for this long and often. “What am I doing again?”

“You keep trying Caramel. You helped fix the gate, y-you keep coming back to help out on the farm when I ask, even though you tell me you’re afraid to mess up again. Y-You were looking for a new marefriend even after Sassaflash. I envy you.”

“Wait, you envy me!?” Caramel exclaimed dumbfounded. “The most sought after stallion in all of Ponyville envies me?”

“Yes!” Big Mac replied back indignantly. “So what?”

“So what? So what!?” Caramel repeated in awe. “So you can literally walk up to any single mare in town and get a date just by asking. I’m pretty sure even Rarity would say yes, and she’s got stallions from Canterlot and beyond vying for her attention! You’ve been with more mares then I could ever possibly hope to have! I’m the one who’s envious!”

“Trust me if I could give em to you I would of. Now will you please get in bed with me!? Or do you not want to spend some time with a pretty mare?”

“You’re only a mare because of the book!” Caramel countered, though despite the protest, he jumped up on the bed, laying about a foot from her.

“Darn it all Caramel, that’s too far!” She huffed, shuffling up against him. The moment their bodies pressed together, she felt a strange tingle run through her. That wasn’t what she thought it was right?

Caramel wasn’t fairing much better, while her body had been almost like ice when she first pressed against him, it was quickly heating up. ‘She wasn’t kidding about being cold. Poor thing really must have been freezing.’

“T-that’s better.” She mumbled, throwing the quilt around them. Caramel was still resisting being close to her, but she supposed that was understandable. Still, why did this make her so upset? That hadn’t even really been an argument or anything, so why did she feel so irritated?

“B-Big Mac?”

“Yeah?”

“What do you mean you’d give them to me if you could?” He turned to face her, trying his best to see her as his friend and not the beautiful mare she currently was. “Don’t you like being popular with the ladies?”

“Honestly Sugercube? Not at all.”

“Really? But you can have your pick of any mare at all!”

Big Mac sighed. “It ain’t as fun as you think it is Mel. Yeah I can probably score a date with any mare I meet, but that’s sort of the problem.”

“I don’t understand.”

Again she sighed. “Look Caramel, when mares want you like that, a lot of them just see me as this big strong stallion. The fact that I’m quiet, well usually, doesn’t help matters. They think I’m this perfect gentlecolt who will take them on the greatest night out ever and then, well I’m certain the rumor about my package gives them a few ideas about how the night will end.”

“I-I don’t really see how that’s so bad.” Caramel said slowly, trying to piece it together. “I mean I get the part about high expectations. You’ve probably had more than a few mares realize that you can’t read their mind and give them the perfect date, but I’d feel with the mares around our town, you’d get more who’d be understanding. I mean you went out with Cheerilee didn’t you? I’m sure she treated you with the proper respect.”

“Oh she did. To her credit it was one of the more fun dates I’ve been on.”

“I feel there should be a ‘but’ in there.”

She nodded. “Yeah there is.”

They sat there for a few minutes in silence before he couldn’t take it anymore.

“And that is?”

“I...I don’t know if I can say…”

“I...see.” That only made him want to know more. However seeing her like this. Even if she hadn’t been a mare, and instead was in her real body he couldn’t force it. This was something big. Something he’d have to let her share only if she wanted it. Kinda funny that even with Big Mac as a mare, he was still able to tell what she was thinking most of the time.

“Very well then.” He said, catching her off guard. “If you don’t feel like talking about it that’s fine. Instead we can focus on getting out of here.”

“I… thank you Mel for understanding.” Without thinking about it she leaned over to nuzzle his neck. It felt so nice, and he was so warm and cute.

Her head shot up straight a mere millisecond later. W-what had she just thought? Had that been the book messing with her mind or had… did she really…

“B-Big Mac?” Caramel asked, looking just as flustered. “Are you sure you’re okay? I mean besides the obvious.”

“Y-Yeah um… so about getting out of here. Did you um… hear how it went from you sister?”

Caramel froze. Damn it, there was no way he was going to be able to keep this up. He was going to have to come clean.

“Well uh, actually I never heard my sister read this outloud. She did buy the book but I uh, ended up with it.”

Big Mac cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

“I… I read it okay. I was curious and I read the book and um… I really liked it.”

“Is that all?” She said with a slight giggle. “What’s wrong with that? As Twilight would say, a book is a book. If you enjoy it, then it’s serving it’s purpose. Who cares what age or gender it was intended for?”

“T-that’s just the thing… if it was a normal romance novel I might not be so… embarrassed.”

Those warning bells began to sound in her head again. “What do you mean it’s not a ‘normal’ romance book?”

“What I mean,” Caramel began wishing to Celestia that he wasn’t stuck here in this book, cuddled for warmth against a sexy mare who just happened to be his best male friend in real life. “Is that the book isn’t technically classified in the romance genre.”

Unable to meet her eyes he looked away, staring blankly at the passing scenery.

“It’s Erotica.”

Big Mac really wished she didn’t feel her body heat up at the sound of those words.

“O-oh…”