Beauty of the Beast

Chapter 4: Doused

Cardinal rays illuminated the cozy town of Ponyville as the afternoon sun shifted ever closer towards the horizon. Fluffy clouds swirled through the dimming sky and slowly meshed together, just as the weather team had predicted for the planned rainfall that night.

Because of the coming rain, the streets of Ponyville were much livelier than usual in that time of day. In their hurry to avoid the inevitable downpour, shopkeepers and vendors hastily tended to their last customers to get a head start at packing their goods and locking their stores. Ponies rushed around, praying that they would be able to get home before the dousing began, and there was the rare sight of traffic congesting the wide streets around the town square.

Big Macintosh, however, was not affected by the bustle around him.

The burly farm pony trotted at a leisurely pace through the area, a large, empty cart behind him and a bulging bag full of bits slung over his shoulder. A piece of hay hung out of his mouth, the taste of food keeping his hunger at bay while he did his rounds. But the meager stalk was nearing its end and he could feel his stomach beginning to growl, begging for some sort of nourishment to combat his exhaustion with. After the long day of seemingly endless apple deliveries, he was eager to get home and unload his burden. All that was on the tired stallion’s mind was the supper waiting for him and the promise of rest within the compounds of the acres just beyond the street.

“Heya, Big Mac.”

Home could wait. Big Mac’s ears flicked as the familiar, silky voice sang its way over to him. He recognized it immediately as his long-time friend and hired hand, Spike, but wasn’t that dragon boy supposed to be at the slumber party Applejack had mentioned the other day? Digging his hooves into the dirt and fighting against the weight on his back, Big Mac slowly turned around until he could see his friend, and the sight he was welcomed with caused his impassive, blank face to bend into something akin to a dopey smile.

Spike the dragon was walking directly in front of the setting sun, his shimmering silhouette easily identifiable by his scales’ contrast to the backdrop of velvet skies and rosy clouds. He skipped towards Big Mac with a basket full of groceries and a smile, and that small, friendly gesture was enough to make the stallion feel as though all of the excruciatingly hard work he put in that day was worth it, so long as he got to see that giddy face.

Lookin’ perdy as usual, Big Mac mused, but he stopped himself before delving any further into it. Ever since one of his workers, Caramel, had mentioned it, Big Mac had been paying more and more attention to the dragon's beauty and how he had blossomed over the years. But he couldn’t think of Spike like that; it just wouldn’t be fair to the naïve boy to see him in such a way. Hay, Spike wasn't even a mare, let alone a pony!

Shaking his silly thoughts aside, Big Mac trudged his cargo forward a bit to come face to face with his friend.

And all silly thoughts came flooding back at full force as Spike came closer. Now that the young dragon was out of the blinding sunlight and into Big Mac’s unhindered view, something caught the stallion’s eyes. It was the thing in between Spike’s legs; a sort of dark, silky piece of cloth that only thinly veiled the young drake's nether regions so that a teasing blur of purple could still be seen through.

The piece of hay that Big Mac had been chewing on fell to the ground as he gawked at Spike. The silent farmer's trademark stoicism was replaced by a face torn between fascination and fear, and his eyes twitched upon realizing that he wasn’t the only pony who noticed Spike’s ensemble, or lack of one.

Behind him, a street filled with curious passersby watched in interest, some giggling at the boldness of Spike, and others shocked by the lewdness of it all. They looked between the sexy dragon and the hunk of stallion with imaginative eyes, wondering what sort of business that two of Ponyville’s most eligible bachelors had with each other at such an hour... while one was wearing a thong.

Big Mac was not too fazed by the attention. Mares often gave him stares as he passed by, so he was used to the constant looks, but what he was taken aback by was the new light he saw Spike in. He had noticed on occasion while working with him that Spike had a very feminine build, but accentuating it with such a gamy undergarment made Big Mac realize just how ladylike his friend really was. And that smile that shone with such genuine happiness, it filled the stallion with a foreign sense of pining.

Spike was close now, still walking towards Big Mac with that alluring smile of his. With a startled jerk, the stallion ripped his eyes away and steadied his mind, cleansing it of any unsavory thoughts of his attractive friend. Spike ain’t a mare. Spike ain’t a mare. Spike ain’t a mare, he repeated to himself like an incantation. But did it really matter if he was a mare or not? In the modern age and society, homosexuality was a norm, after all. Hay, did it even have to be a special somepony? Trans-species love was almost as common as trans-gender love, so a special somebody wouldn’t be out of the question.

Spike ain’t a mare. But that didn’t really matter.

“What? Of course I’m not a mare.” Spike looked at the panicky Apple with confusion and amusement in his smiling eyes.

Big Mac mentally bucked himself on the head for not realizing that he’d spoken his thoughts. “E-Eeyup,” he croaked, hoping that the brief and vague answer was enough to satisfy Spike.

“Um… Okay then. What’s up, Big Mac?” Spike peered around the burly stallion to better see his empty cargo. “Heading home after your rounds?”

“Eeyup,” was all Big Mac could say as he fought against his fatigue and tried desperately to get his mind to start working again.

Spike nodded. “I see. So, did you and AJ get my schedule for next week sorted out yet? I forgot to ask her at the slumber party, since we were all busy having fun and stuff.”

“Eeyup…” Spike was only a few hooves away. The way he was standing with his arms behind his back while rocking on his feet was reminiscent to a restless filly, and Big Mac couldn’t help but think about how cute the dragon looked right then—what with his big, curious eyes, and his long, perdy legs, and his shiny scales, and… and why the hay was he wet?!

“Oh, good.” Spike kicked at the dirt. “So… is everything okay, Big Mac? You seem quiet. Well, quieter than usual.”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac muttered. He tried to meet the dragon’s large, jade eyes, but then his attention began to drift below Spike’s waist and he looked away shamefully.

Spike frowned, perturbed by his friend’s seemingly cold behavior. “Alright, something is definitely wrong,” he said, sidling up next to the stallion and giving him a nudge with his hip. “Come on, big guy, you can tell me anything. What’s going on?”

Big Mac’s mind numbed when he felt the dragon’s warm scales rub against him. “S-Spike, your. Um… undies. Eeyup,” he mumbled.

Spike snorted. “Pfft, haha, what? That was almost as random as something Pinkie Pie would say. You crack me up, Big Mac.”

The nervous stallion blew a long, shaky sigh. He thought for a moment about how he would break it to Spike without embarrassing him too much, and nodded when he found the solution. “Spike,” he started. “That’s a mighty fine piece of lingerie you’re wearin’.” It sounded less weird in his mind.

“Eh?” Spike said dumbly as he lowered his gaze and stared down at his barely covered loins. His disbelief was apparent in his furrowed brows as he glared right at the thong, but then a glint of humor sparked in his eyes and he looked back up with a sheepish smile.

“Oh, gosh… well this is embarrassing,” he said casually, then shrugged. “Is this why you’ve been acting so weird, Mac? Because you’re embarrassed for me?”

Big Mac nodded slowly, thanking his ancestors for the red coat camouflage to hide his blush in. “It’s just weird seein’ you in that kind of clothes,” the stallion said, glad to finally find sensible words coming out of his mouth. “Hay, it’s weird seein’ you in any clothes at all.” He chuckled.

“It’s not weird,” Spike defended in mock offence. “For your information, this is a designer piece of lingerie. High quality stuff, my friend.”

“Hoho, is it now?” Big Mac played along. “And where’d you get a thing like that?”

“From Rarity, if you couldn’t already tell by the logo,” Spike said, pointing at his crotch to a barely visible embroidering of the silhouette of a coiffured unicorn’s head. “It’s the newest additions to her lingerie line, not even released yet.” He swayed his hips, proudly displaying the fruit of his friend’s labor.

Big Mac gulped as he watched the dragon’s supple posterior dance rhythmically from side to side. “Huh. That’s, uh… somethin’. Eeyup,” he mumbled, his mind reverted back to apple sauce by Spike’s sexy antics.

Then Spike abruptly stopped and put a hand to his chin in serious pondering. “But I wonder why ponies would wear something like this,” he said, scrutinizing the thong. “It’s not like it really provides any warmth. Maybe it’s a fashion thing.”

He struck a pose, resting his knuckles on the curve of his hip while stroking his spines with a claw. “What do you think, Big Mac?” he cooed, trying to make his voice sound smooth and comically overdone, but unaware of how seductive it was coming out. “Do I look more handsome in this?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac responded from behind his wagon.

Spike looked at him queerly. “Um, why are you ducking back there?” he asked, stepping cautiously towards the stallion.

To hide my shame, Big Mac thought about confessing, but decided that that would be ludicrous. Just because Applejack was honest to a fault didn’t mean he had to be. “Because… there’s a bug on you,” he lied, wincing as the dragon froze mid-step. “And, uh, the way it’s lookin’ at me is givin’ me the spooks.”

"There's a... a bug on me?"

"Eeyup. And, um. And it's really big."

“Well then get it off me!” Spike cried as he frantically hopped over the wagon.

“I can’t!” Big Mac yelled, racing Spike to the other side of the cart. “I’m afraid of bugs!”

“What?! I see you handle bugs all the time at the acres! Come on, just help me out, will you?” With a desperate leap, he grabbed a hold of Big Mac’s tail and anchored his feet to the ground.

“Never mind, I lied!” Big Mac confessed, dragging Spike along as he ran laps around the wagon. His breathing became labored and a sharp pain grew in his chest, but he heaved on.

“Wha—why would you lie about something like that?!” Spike yelled from behind. “That’s not funny, Mac. You scared me! Now stop so I can give you a payback punch.”

The dragon began pulling himself up. He was just about to re-grip further along the tail when a familiar twinkling sound echoed its way to his ear, distracting him long enough for Big Mac to tug himself loose.

Then suddenly, a loud crack of thunder followed by purple lightning shattered what normality was left that day in Ponyville square. Spike forgot about Big Mac’s tail and used his hands to shield his eyes from the fluctuating light as it grew in brightness and intensity. Space tore around the dragon, showing him glimpses of places both near and far, and in a blinding flash later, a lavender unicorn popped out of the portal and materialized next to him. Then as soon as the teleportation spell was complete, the mare pounced onto Spike and covered the lower half of his body with her own.

“Spike, wait!” she shrieked while dangling off the dragon’s waist. “You’re still wearing Rarity’s thong!”

Spike looked down and met her frantic eyes. “Hey, Twi,” he said, offering a lopsided smile. “And yeah, I realized that not too long ago.”

“O-Oh, good.” She tried to nod but her muzzle hit Spike’s stomach. “Well then, did you get the grocer—whoa!” Twilight’s grip slipped and she began sliding down Spike’s legs, dragging the sinful, black lingerie down with her at an agonizingly slow speed. When her rump hit the floor, her face stopped on the dragon’s crotch and an awkward silence hung over them as neither sibling dared move, both overcome by the weirdness of the situation.

Then with much vigor and swiftness, Twilight threw herself off of Spike. “Argh, my face!” she spat while stomping around the cobbles in a wild tantrum. Eventually her outburst led to her bumping into a wagon precariously parked in the middle of the street.

“Ouch!” she yipped, rubbing her side. “What kind of pony would just leave their... wait, isn’t this the Apples’ cart?” Her eyes scanned the offending wagon’s apple logo. “What’s it doing out here?"

Slowly, the head of a red coated stallion poked out from behind the wagon. “Hi, Twilight,” Big Mac greeted. He stopped his ascension when his eyes were just above the frame.

Twilight backed away, startled by his eerie behavior. “O-Oh, hello there, Big Macintosh,” she said. “Um, what are you doing back there?”

“Just standin’ around,” he replied. “You here to pick up Spike?”

“Yeah,” Twilight drew the word out, backing up until she was side by side with the dragon. “I’m… just going to take Spike back home now. I would be much appreciative if you never brought this up. Never ever… ever.”

With a hesitant nod from the farmer, Twilight perked up and pivoted on her hooves to face her brother. “Alright, let’s go home then, Spike. Don’t forget Rarity’s dare.”

“Yep, right here in my hand,” Spike said, twirling the thong on his finger.

“Quit spinning it like that,” Twilight scolded. “It might fly off and poke somepony in the eye, and then I’ll be responsible for whatever infection they get.”

Spike sniffed. “Infection? What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked crossly.

“Ugh, whatever! Just grab the groceries so we can get back to the party already.”

Spike blinked. “Oh yeah, the groceries.” He bent over to pick up the forgotten basket on the side of the road, giving Big Mac a brief view of his uncovered rear. “Kay, I’m ready.”

“Good, then here we go.” Charging her horn up, Twilight launched herself at Spike and encased them in a magical aura. Spike gave the stallion a quick wave before he was tackled off his feet, and a second and a blink later the two of them were gone, a blackened ground and an acrid smell where they once stood.

Big Mac frowned deeply as he stared at the seared cobbles. His shame had receded the moment that Twilight had interrupted his and Spike’s chase, but the embarrassment remained. Passing townsponies continued to stare at the stallion, giggling behind his back and no doubt spreading rumors about the recent happenings. But his awkward situation was soon washed away as the first drops of that night’s rain began to fall.

It started as a light sprinkle barely moistening the stallion’s coat, but soon the rain drops became larger in size and frequency, and the whole of the town square was dripping in just a matter of seconds. Ignoring the startled murmurings of the passersby as they ran past him for cover, Big Mac pulled his cart forward and trudged home in silence. He tried his hardest to forget about Spike and his thong, instead paying attention to the gentle pitter patter of the rain and the splashing of his hooves as they tread through puddles.

With the acres just around the corner and his home a brisk trot away, Big Mac picked up his pace. It would have been easy to just sprint home if he hadn't used up the remainder of his energy on Spike, but after about half a mile of nonstop jogging, it was getting hard to keep it up as the bitter coldness of the rain sapped the life out of him and stiffened his joints. It didn’t help that the wheels of his wagon were constantly getting stuck in muddy trenches and loosed branches along the way, but after almost an hour of battling against the forces of nature, the weathered workhorse was nearing his destination.

To distract himself from any trivialities for the final push of his journey, he let his mind drift into his imagination. As he turned a corner and caught a glimpse of the barn, he fantasized about coming home to see Spike waiting in his doorway, wearing nothing but an apron and his lingerie underneath. In his claws was a nice, steaming apple pie, and on his face was a pleasant smile that shone with more brightness than Celestia’s sun. Big Mac walked past the fences and into the premises, and every step he took towards the dragon thawed his freezing limbs and soothed his aching body. His mind clouded and he started to feel dizzy, as if his progress towards home brought him ever closer to his dream world.

Finally he stopped in front of Spike. The dragon looked at him through those magnificent emeralds, and he met his gaze. Then Spike closed his eyes and leaned forward for a welcome home greeting, and Big Macintosh melted.

“Is… Is he dead?”

“No he ain’t dead! Now go inside and fetch me a blanket.”

Granny Smith watched as her youngest granddaughter gave a quick nod and hurried into the house. Once the young mare was out of sight, she turned her attention back to the heaving stallion on her doorsteps.

“Tsk tsk. Dumb boy never knows when to take a break. Him and his sister are too alike.”

“Hey, I ain’t as dumb as Big Mac!” The young mare returned quickly with a folded blanket atop her head. “I gots me a four point o’ GPA, for cryin’ out loud.”

“Not you.” Granny Smith shot a peeved look behind her shoulder, but her expression softened when she heard a low groan from below.

The old matriarch of the Apple family watched her grandson breath unsteadily for a while. Then with a sigh, she took the blanket from Applebloom and wrapped it around the stallion’s frame. Once he was nice and tucked in, she moved forward and squeezed her muzzle under him, lifting the burly pony onto her back with unnatural ease.

“Shut the door, would ya?” she said as she trotted through the doorway.

Applebloom watched worriedly as her big brother was hauled upstairs. Then with an exasperated groan, she followed them, bucking the door closed behind her.