Author's Note

And we’re back to Twilight and Spike in the main world of the story.

Talking with Mac

They were back on the train again, seeing the alternate of Ponville was...an interesting experience. From the look of things, it would take a while to get to their destination. On the plus side, Twilight had managed to see a new library but said library was just barely more up to date than the archives. At least Spike seemed to be taking the updating the archives idea seriously now. Also, she had nearly lost it when she found the place Fluttershy was supposed to be.

Twenty minutes or so on the train later they got off at a station that Twilight was unfamiliar with, a short hike away was what looked like an apple farm that was made up of two or three acres. Twilight didn’t see any sign of pears among the grove, so it looked like Mac was leaning hard into the Apple side of his family. That all said, she was worried about what this Macintosh would be like.

Of course, all her musings came to a screeching halt when she heard the cries of a mare having sex with someone. When she and Spike finally came up on the modest three-story wooden house, which had near identical aspects to the Apple homestead; they were greeted to the sight of Big Macintosh, who was clearly in the buff but thankfully had his lower half obscured by the waist-high red brick wall surrounding the structure, and the mare he was having intercourse with, who happened to be this reality’s version of Starlight Glimmer.

Before Twilight could say anything Spike said, “As amusing as this is, you two need to stop right now,” the two stopped in their sexual interaction, with Mac likely mostly inside Starlight. “Starlight,” Spike continued with disapproval, you did not clear an extended stay in this area with me, come here, now!” A completely nude Starlight Glimmer extracted herself from Mac and rushed over to stand before Spike, “I’m usually okay with this sort of thing, but as one of the Magi, you are required to inform me of where you are every few weeks when there isn’t a coliseum event going on. I was very disappointed to hear you had been in Dragon Reach a few weeks ago but did not report as such. I’m fine with your current relationship, but you still need to be punished for this minor infraction. And considering you are the second best of the Magi, this will not be a simple slap on the wrist, like you got when you first started partaking in the games.”

Starlight gulped, Twilight took the time to compare this Starlight with the one she knew. From what Twilight could tell, both Starlights had a nearly identical figure; their bust sizes were practically identical standard D-Cup sized breasts. They both also seemed to have kind of shapely legs. However, the Starlight she was looking at now appeared to have a slightly more substantial plot; something Twilight tried to actively not stare at whenever possible. That all said, she wondered what Spike’s punishment for Starlight would be. Also, her mark seemed to be a sword crossed with a spear that had a green mystic ribbon rising out between the two; this was the first time Twilight had seen a completely different mark from a pony she knew.

It seemed Spike was going through his options while she had been examining the Starlight before them. “Starlight, you are restricted the use of all magic for a week and are not permitted to participate or facilitate in pleasurable actions for the next nine days.” The silver ring on Starlight’s horn flashed at the same time as her collar. Also, be thankful the time is so brief.”

“Of course, my lord,” said Starlight with a bow, “of what service can I be with you during your time here?”

“Go and see that things Twilight and myself are not disturbed during our visit with Macintosh,” said Spike. Starlight gave a bow and departed for the structure.

“Well, that was unexpected,” said Twilight as she and Spike watched Starlight head back to the house.

“Yeah, I’m a big old softy,” said Spike completely missing what Twilight had been referring to, “I would have made it longer but we’ll need her for the entry parade for the match.” With that he and Twilight headed for the house, thankfully Mac was wearing pants when they got to the point she could make out the upper section of his lower portion.

“Of course, I never doubted your benevolence,” said Twilight, as they neared Big Macintosh. She then turned her attention to Macintosh, he had steel band on his arm and what looked like a copper shield with the symbol she was familiar with on it like a crest. “Macintosh, lord Spike has something to discuss with you.” Mac just nodded, in his apple green pants, Twilight hadn’t realized just how buff he was under all the attire she was used to and gestured for them to enter his abode.

When they entered Twilight spotted Sugar Belle, to her mild surprise, in the kitchen wearing nothing but an unadorned apron, Twilight did kept herself from looking at the mare’s flank, taking note of cutie marks and how they were different from what she was familiar with was likely to drive her up a wall or two. By the stairs she also spotted Starlight and Vinyl Scratch for some reason, Vinyl was wearing her trademark shades, looked like some things didn’t change all that much; but Twilight couldn’t make out what her mark in this reality was though.

“Make et quick,” said Macintosh, “Ah ‘ave things to do now that mah plan fer tha day were ruined.” As he was motioning to a rustic couch near the door, before going over to a chair that was facing the couch, Twilight and Spike took seats on the surprisingly comfortable couch that Macintosh had motioned towards.

“We need to put in an appearance in a few months,” said Spike, “you won’t be participating, just being part of the entourage for the actual combatant. I am also prepared to grant you any reward within my power, including actual breeding rights for a full year if need be.”

“A generous offer, milord,” said Mac, “but I’m out of the gladiator game, you even blessed my departure yourself.”

“And you won’t be playing gladiator,” said Twilight, “just putting on the uniform for one last appearance, you won’t be doing any fighting. The event in question is a special event where one selected warrior of lord Spike will be taking on several opponents at once of another dragon’s choice. Spike has already made his decision, but he wants to keep that choice as under wraps as possible. Neither side will know the selection of combatants until the day of the event, all you have to do is play the part of entourage and smokescreen. That’s all, and Spike is willing to give you considerable compensation for this. And of course, this offer is extended to Starlight since she is part of one of Spike’s three elite gladiator cores. He decided to choose one of his elites because this is an event he has to take seriously."

“How serious,” inquired Mac with a firm stare.

“My position,” said Spike, “Garble’s at it again, I had him put stronger wagers up this time.”

“Let mae guess,” said Mac, “you get his gladiators and he has to back off on his challenges.”

“For a full two hundred years,” said Spike, “and if he makes a move early, I get all his territory, holdings, and possessions, minus the attire he’s wearing at the time.”

“You didn’t mention that last part earlier,” said Twilight. “Also, why did you thank Mrs. Cake for her honesty?”

“Back before Mac was born, when she was just newly wed she lied to me about finding a vein of gemstones near Dragon Reach,” Mac winced, but how he did so suggested he had heard the story before, “even though it was her first infraction, something I usually let slide, I decided she needed to be punished.”

“He restricted her from physical contact of any kind fer a whole month,” said Mac, “and band her from any kitchen fer a week an’ a half.”

Twilight gulped, “The closest thing to any punishment he’s given me is that I’m literally not allowed to wear anything but robes.”

“Consider it justice for all the tardiness you show when summoned,” said Spike with a smirk.

Twilight held back a pout, that wouldn’t do her any favors. “Ah’ll ‘ave a talk with Starlight about this,” said Mac as he got up to go converse with the mare.

After Mac left to talk with Starlight Twilight asked Spike, “Do they need to sign any forms to be an official herd?”

“Maybe,” said Spike, “I usually waive that all and officially declare a group of ponies a herd. But since Starlight and Mac both failed to report their current living conditions,” he looked over the other two mares for a moment, “I’ll probably have them spend time filling out all the documentation and let it sit for a few weeks after having it get sent straight to me for approval. I don’t like residents of my territories withholding information from me. I guess that’s why your constant badgering me to update the archives means I’m finally going to do it, out of date info is almost as bad as deliberately false info.”

After their little chat, Mac was back and returned to his seat and said, “she’s in, a little sore over punishment but she is still very much in on the plan, says she has a few ideas she needs to mull over now. As fer mae, Ah’m in on tha plan too. Ah just want ya ta not come callin’ mae fer something like this again.”

“Rest assured,” said Spike, “you can enjoy your time as a retired gladiator after all this.”

“Ah’ll hold ya to et,” said Mac. With that Spike and Twilight thanked him for his time and began their departure.

Once they were out the door and a few feet from the house Twilight said, “Our return would probably be more expedient if I could teleport us.”

“Be that as it may,” said Spike, “calibrating your ring for that could possibly be a bit more problematic than I originally anticipated. For now, we will just have to do things like this. I did a little looking into ring calibrations the other day, suffice to say, they have mechanisms in place that are designed to specifically keep ponies from traveling instantaneously from one point to another, which is basically what teleportation is.”

“Oh,” said Twilight, “how about we drop back in on Dragon Reach for a bit, I saw a pony I want to discuss something with. Also, does Garble have any pony gladiators we need to be on the lookout for?”

“No, Garble has a twisted sense of things, most dragons are willing to let their gladiators fall as much as possible due how it usually keeps the crowd sated. But Garble is different, if his gladiators fall more than nine times he has them executed and turns them into various meals,” Twilight made no efforts to show her state of being visibly ill, even going as far as to regurgitate some of her stomach's contents directly in front of her. “Yeah, I feel the same way,” said Spike, “that’s the main reason I don’t like dealing with him.”

“Can’t you just command him to cease challenging you,” inquired Twilight after she regained her composure and sidestepped the puddle of former stomach contents.

“I suppose, but for dragons challenging each other is a right our culture holds sacred. I can’t infringe on that, no matter how much I wish I could at times. If I do that to one challenger what’s stop me from doing it to all challengers? No, as much as I want to command Garble to cease his challenges on me, I can’t without incurring serious repercussions.”

“I see,” said Twilight, she gave a deep breath as they came up on the station platform, which had no operator for some reason, “but maybe you could restrict his challenges.”

“Go on,” said Spike, “I’m listening.”

“Since he’s challenging you every few decades, or more from sounds of it, maybe you could issue a command that he is only permitted to challenge you once or twice a century. That way you're not infringing on his right to challenge you, you’re just limiting the number of times he can do it over a set amount of time. You’re the Dragonlord; you can’t focus on your duties if you are constantly challenged so frequently by the same challenger.”

“I think that might work,” said Spike, “as far as I know, no Dragonlord has issued a restriction on the number of times they can be challenged. But no Dragonlord has issued such intense changes in such a short amount of time; I suppose your suggestion might just be for the best.”