Breaking the Wall

Chapters

Prologue: Bittersweet Dreams
Chapter 1: For the Eyes
Chapter 2: Bonds
Chapter 3: To Gift a Princess
Chapter 4: Helping a Friend
Chapter 5: Life Redux
Chapter 6: Shadows Under the Sun

Prologue: Bittersweet Dreams

The warm summer’s night held the land in its comforting embrace, holding the lush earth and air in the grasp of a lover. The symphony of evening played its number, each animal doing its part, and each adding to the familiar atmosphere.

Small dancing lights flashed in a passionate waltz around each other, while the clear sky gave way to the full moon overhead. It was a perfect night...a beautiful night. The chorus of life played its lullaby to the sleeping inhabitants of the small town of Ponyville, lulling them into quiet slumber as the lunar guardian watched over them from the sky.

A lone fenced path near the outskirts of the town guided two souls home through the night, towards their large plot of land that held Ponyville’s Sweet Apple Acres. It was the pride and joy of the Apple family, who worked the land diligently to provide themselves and the town with valuable produce, as well as a historical landmark that added character to the whole town.

Thick work boots stepped across the earth quietly as the pair made their way to the home that awaited them in the distance. Though the gait of the strong legs was long, it was heavy, and trudging. The gait itself spoke of heartache, and pain that plagued he that made it. The dark blue denim pants that covered the legs stretched a bit with every step of the powerful legs, and the red shirt that covered the torso was torn in a few places as blood stained the marred patches.

The man sighed sadly as he chewed on a sprig of hay within his mouth, the small tuft of dried vegetation seeming to be the only thing that grounded him at the time...for at the moment, his mind and heart was assaulted by the sound of quiet sobs of pain...both physically and of the heart.

“Ah...Ah don’ know why th-they gotta hate ‘er s-so much!” a woman sobbed, her cries twisting the gut of the man she clung to as he carried her back home. “Th-they’re jus’ doin’ it ‘cause she can’ d’fend herself!”

Again he sighed, and continued down the dirt path, trying to keep his own tears from falling. Instead, he focused on what he could do to better the situation. He was a man of few words, opting to say only what he meant, and never any more...so he thought hard and chose his words carefully before speaking.

After a moment, he tightened his grip under his passenger’s knees, and whispered, “Ah miss her too, AJ.”

Those five simple words spoke all that the woman needed to hear, conveying every emotion she had been truly feeling, and reassuring her that she was not alone.

She tightened her hold across his chest and cried harder, while he continued down the dirt path, the bright moon guiding the way.

The front door to the rustic farmhouse offered not even a squeak of resistance as the pair entered, as if it sensed the seriousness within the air. Tears still fell in the wake of the duo, but thankfully for the blonde mass of heartbreak, there was no others awake to witness it.

“C’mon AJ...up ta bed.” the man spoke softly, slipping off his boots next to the door before hauling himself and his charge up the short flight of stairs.

Upon arriving at the top, he promptly turned right and continued walking, before stopping in front of a door with three red apples decorating it. He pushed the door open with his knee and walked inside, hearing faint snores from behind him.

The tall, orange-haired man sat down on the bed in the room, releasing the woman’s legs and gently prying her arms apart before standing again and moving her so that her head was nestled comfortably on the pillow. He then gently removed the worn boots she wore, along with the beloved hat hung around her neck, placing them in their places beside the bed itself.

As he again stood beside the bed, he frowned at the sleeping figure, noting the troubled lines on her face. He leaned down to the bed and kissed the forehead of the woman, rubbing the spot lightly with his thumb as he stood.

“Ah love ya, sis...and Ah’ll never leave ya by yerself. Ah swear.” he whispered lovingly as he stood again.

Just as he pulled away, a grip of fingers on his wrist stopped him, and he looked to see two emerald eyes pleading with him silently.

He only nodded, concluding the silent conversation they had before leaving the room.

The large-framed man quickly washed the dirt and blood off of his body, as well as the sweat of the day, paying special attention to the large scrape upon his forearm, which was mottled with dirt and gravel.

A rather large grunt of pain escaped his lips as he brushed the abrasion with a rag, removing the particles that were embedded within it before dousing it in alcohol. He hissed in pain as the disinfectant did its work, and once the burn subsided, he went about wrapping a roll of gauze around the cleaned wound.

After thoroughly tending to himself, he looked into the mirror, analyzing his rough, scarred skin. The life of one who works a farm was a difficult one, but also one he took pride in. Every scar was a memory, some good, some bad...yet every one taught another lesson he remembered to this day. He then looked to the newly bandaged wounds that would heal into new scars, and thought for a moment about the lesson they had taught.

‘AJ’s not as strong as she acts.’

As much as he hated to admit it to himself, it was a truth that became all the more apparent today. Even with all the hardship they had been through as a family, he never coddled or “babied” the elder of his two younger sisters. It was her pride in the strength of her body and heart that kept him from doing so, as well as her self-made image she had constructed as a hardworking, honest, no-nonsense girl.

‘Guess the dam’s finally startin’ to crack.’

It was no secret among his immediate family that he was the heart and soul of them. Quiet, stoic, and often misunderstood in public, he was in fact deeply loving, wise, and understanding. Only his family knew who he truly was on the inside, and he aimed to keep it that way. Today had been a reminder that most of the rest of the world didn’t care at all, and that they only had each other to rely upon. Family became all the more important because of incidents like these, and it reminded him that when it came right down to it, it truly was them against the world.

He sighed once more before turning off the light and heading to his room.

Dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top, he again made his way the room that was marked with a trio of red apples, and softly knocked on the door before entering.

“AJ?” he whispered.

“Ah’m here...” came a sniffling, subdued answer.

He opened the door and stepped into the dark room, closing the door behind him. The moonlight from the window cast a beam of ivory light onto the lone bed against the wall, which harbored a cleaned and dressed-down blonde woman, her emerald eyes shining with tears in the soft light. Her knees were pulled to her chest as her arms stay wrapped around them, and she simply stared out of the single window of the room.

“Mac...” she whispered, her tone nearly overflowing with emotion.

Wordlessly, the man made his way to the bed and sat down against the wall it bordered, and wrapped his strong arms around his sister as she climbed into his lap. Again, she began dripping silent tears of agony, and he allowed his eyes to wander over the many bandages she herself had because of today. The anger within him flared, but he fought it down...vengeance never solved anything. Not only that, but Applejack was still young enough to be impressed upon, and he didn’t want to set such a bad example for her.

The girl shifted in his grasp, laying her face against his chest as she sniffled a few times. “Mac...Ah don’t know if Ah can keep doin’ this to mahself.” Again she sniffled before adding, “It’s been a long time, an’ it ain’t changed nothin’.”

He set his chin atop her head as he rocked her slowly back and forth, whispering, “Y’all can’t give up now, sis. She’s gonna need ya more than ever when she wakes up...”

“If she wakes up...” she shot back bitterly.

He sighed and rubbed his hand on her back. “No sis, when. Ya can’t give up on her...she wouldn’t give up on you.”

She let out a shuddering sigh as he felt her head nod against him. “Ah know...Ah’m sorry, yer right.”

He was silent for a long few moments before asking, “Ya still love her...dontcha?”

Without hesitation, she nodded. “Always...more than anything.”

Attempting to lighten the mood, the man grinned down at her and replied, “More than yer big brother?”

His tactic worked, and she let a small smile cross her face. “Ah said anything, not anyone. Mah fam’ly always comes first...she knew that when she met me.” The smile vanished for a moment as she asked, “Ya really think she’s gonna be alright?”

The strongest Apple, Big Macintosh nodded. “Eeyup. She’s always been too darn stubborn ta go out like this. Doctors say she’s always gettin’ stronger, so don’t you fret none. Ah reckon next phone call we get will be them tellin’ us she’s some kinda medical miracle or somethin’.”

She nodded, but didn’t respond otherwise as she began to shift, laying down on the bed. He followed her, never once releasing his grasp from his sister.

Applejack reveled in his embrace. She had remembered that when she was just a little girl, she could always be sure her brother would be there if she had nightmares or a bad day, and just like tonight, he would hold her tightly...grounding her and reminding her that she was loved, and was far from alone in the world. Just like her brother, it was a truth she had learned...the world was cruel, many times without reason or provocation. However, no matter what, she knew she could rest assured that her family would always be there to keep her safe, especially her brother. It was an odd bond she shared with him, somewhere between a sibling and a father, though like neither one. Truthfully, she didn’t care to think about it...it didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was him, and the love and safety he provided to her.

She felt her eyes begin to droop finally as her tears dried, and she whispered, “Ah love ya, Mac.”

She felt his arms tighten slightly around her as he muttered, “Ah love ya too, sis. Get some sleep.”

As the darkness of sleep closed in, she didn’t feel fear or hesitation. She knew without a doubt that together, they could fight off whatever shadows came after them. With that last thought in mind, she finally surrendered to her exhaustion, falling asleep moments later.

Big Mac gazed lovingly at his sister before planting a soft kiss upon her head. “G’night sis...Ah hope ya have good dreams tonight.” He then sighed and closed his eyes, following her into the realm of dreams soon after.

Author's Note

I will advise all readers of this right away that this is not an AJxMac pairing. That is all.

Chapter 1: For the Eyes

The sun crested the horizon, warmly greeting the land and those that lived upon it as an old friend. Its rays of life-giving light and warmth breathed energy and life into the morning world, and it welcomed the early-morning people who were heading to work, giving them a bright day to look forward to.

Well...most people.

In the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple family were tending to their morning chores. Young Applebloom fed the chickens, cows, and pigs while she watched her two older siblings till the land and attend to their crops. As her eyes wandered to her older sister, a worrying expression on her face. Though young, she was observant enough to know that something had been deeply troubling her sister for the past few weeks. She believed that maybe it had something to do with the vacation her sister’s friend had gone on...maybe she missed her. Regardless, she could tell that Applejack didn’t want to talk about it at the moment, so she let it be.

Big Macintosh, by his token, was also worried for AJ, though he knew exactly what bothered her. Even if he hadn’t been keenly observant of how the girl felt, the two told each other everything. Over the years of growing up, this had led to quite a few awkward conversations, and more than once, he’d had to ask Granny Smith for information or read a book, but even with all that being the case, he wouldn’t change it. It allowed the two of them to be closer than most people thought possible, and the trust they shared was boundless. With that being the case, he knew exactly what his sister felt like, as well as the constant worries that ran through her head.

The eldest Apple sibling watched his two sisters as he inspected the beloved apple trees for damage, also spraying a homemade organic pesticide over the pride and joy of the Apple family. Though Applejack seemed to work just as she always did, pruning the extra branches off of the apple trees, he could tell she was still stressed.

‘Then again, who wouldn’t be?’ he thought gravely.

“Mail’s here!” shouted Applebloom as she ran up to him, her baggy overalls nearly coming off of her as she did so.

He chuckled at the sight and nodded with a smile, taking the small stack of envelopes from her. “Thanks, ‘Bloom. Now git back ta work. If ya finish early, y’all can play with yer friends b’fore supper.” The young girl flashed him a bright, warming smile before sprinting off to the barn again.

Big Mac just shook his head with a smile as he looked over the handful he held, and began going through it. Most of it was pretty standard: a few bills, a letter from his cousin in Appleloosa, and a few advertisement papers from local businesses...but a shiny golden envelope caught his eye. What was stranger was that the letter was addressed to him. It wasn’t until he flipped the shiny envelope over that he noticed a wax seal that held it closed...one he knew well by now.

‘The royal seal.’

He frowned as he placed the other mail in his pants pocket, and silently wondered to himself what the princess would need of him specifically. Being an Element of Harmony, his sister received letters at least once a month from one of the diarchs, normally Celestia, but he’d never seen one actually for him. The thought of what it could be about made him nervous. Without waiting for his trepidation to increase, he fished out his knife and cut the seal, then opened the letter and began reading.

“Dear Big Macintosh Apple,

As you well know, Tia’s birthday is quickly approaching, and though she would never admit it, she rather enjoys celebrating it. I wish to make it a momentous occasion, though personal and only between friends and family members...as I believe we both know she could use the caring company. With your family becoming so close to us during the past five years, it would please me greatly if you could find the time to join us in Canterlot for the celebration. I understand that dear Applejack would not wish to leave at the moment, but I do hope that you would feel differently about this. The celebration is set for the eighth day of June, at the seventeenth hour.

Please respond with haste so that I may plan accordingly.

With love,

Crowned Princess Luna Duskwing, L.S.E.”

Big Mac smiled as he tucked the letter away, pleased that his ruler thought so highly of him. Ten years ago, he would never even consider the possibility that he’d be speaking so informally with his princesses, but he supposed dating the personal protégé of the sun princess herself for a length of time probably had a lot to do with it. It was no secret that the student and mentor were as close as family, so he assumed that being close with her meant that her “parents” would wish to know him candidly as well.

He had been right, of course.

It was an odd feeling for him at first...one so humble as he having such a close personal relationship with the royal family. Still, he found it rather refreshing to realize that though rulers, the royal family was just like any other person. He often found it a little disrespectful the way others treated the princesses...namely their lack of eye contact. He was raised old-fashioned by his parents, and his father had always told him to look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them, as it shows respect and it also shows interest in what they have to say. Most of the people that spoke to the princesses, however, almost seemed to cower in their presence...and he found this more than a little annoying to watch. Lack of respect for someone who deserves it was one of the few things in life that truly annoyed him, so he often tried not to think about it.

With all that in mind, he still found it pretty nice that the princess had wanted him to attend such an event, and she was right...the solar princess could use friends right now.

He stretched out his back a bit before getting back to work, resolving to write a return letter at his next opportunity.

The morning chores had been finished hours ago, leaving Big Macintosh heading in to work the fruit stand in the town. It was true that he enjoyed selling the produce his family worked so hard to grow, but today he was doing it because his sister had other things to take care of...though he believed he knew what things. All the same, he was always ready to help AJ out in her time of need, so with a bit of a spring in his step, he finished setting up the cart and unloaded his haul, even polishing a few of the crisp apples to make them all the more delectable.

As he took his place behind the stand, he took notice of his first customer of the day, and a rather regular one at that. She was one of the younger women around town and was known as Ditzy Doo (though some of the meaner citizens referred to her as “Derpy”). She was a tall, muscled girl with bright blonde hair and golden eyes, and as with the rest of her race (known as the Alatum), she sported a pair of large feathery wings, both powerful and beautiful. The only thing that marred her nearly flawless form was a lazy eye, for which she was constantly taunted and teased for. Big Mac had once found her crying behind the post office she worked at after a particularly unpleasant day of teasing. In honesty, he understood exactly why she was teased so incessantly. His father had once told him that the strongest of them were always under constant scrutiny by envious eyes, all waiting for a chance to attempt to drag him or her down to their level.

It seemed that in Ditzy’s case, it was quite true.

Even with the hardship she endured, the girl was very kind and friendly, and she and the Apple quickly befriended each other.

“Hiya, Big Mac!” the woman chimed happily as she approached the stand.

He grinned and waved at her. “Howdy, Miss Doo. How’re ya doin’ today?”

The blond-haired woman smiled wide at her friend’s greeting. “Oh, great! Work’s a little intense, but nothing I can’t handle. Just thought I’d stop by and see a friend while I grab some lunch.”

The tanned farmer nodded with a grin before grabbing six apples ‒ one of each kind ‒ and placing them in a brown paper bag. He then passed the bag to the mailwoman with a grin. “There ya go, ma’am. That’ll be four bits.” She handed him the money, which he put away before glancing at her again. “So how have y’all been lately? Ah ain’t seen you or yer sister in awhile.”

The girl opened the bag and fished out an apple before taking a large bite and chewing thoughtfully. “Well, we’ve been really busy with moving to Ponyville and all, so...”

His eyebrows raised a bit as he asked, “Y’all moved ta Ponyville finally?”

The good gold eye of the woman in front of him focused on his face as she swallowed another juicy bit of apple. “Yep! Mom and dad finally got sick of the treatment Dinky was getting for being an inferiorem raised by alatum. I guess she might not get to go to the really nice Canterlot schools for people like her, but we didn’t want her to be sad all the time either.”

“Better for her though.” Big Mac answered. “It ain’t no good fer a girl ta get picked on like that just fer tha sake of a school. ‘sides, we got a lotta infies ‘round here ta help her out.”

She nodded as she looked off into the distance, presumably towards home. “Yeah...she loves it here. It was a great idea, and I got a job here,” she then leaned a bit closer and patted his shoulder, “and I made a great friend.”

He grinned at the touch and nodded. “It’s an honor, darlin’.”

The girl smiled before tossing the apple core in the bin he kept next to the stand. “Well, I’ve got a few more duties to do before I’m done, so I’ll catch you later, Mac. Seeya!”

He waved goodbye to her as she left, happy to have made Ditzy’s day just a little better. The young woman was very sweet, if a little bit of a doormat. Still, she was very kind and intelligent, which meant that the gruff Big Macintosh was more than pleased to have her as a friend.

As he again took stock of what he brought with him, he thought about the past decade of his life, and what it had meant for him. He was on the precipice of being thirty, and had seen more than his share of miracles and disasters alike. His family business was in its prime, and with the demand for his produce only going up, things could only get better. He had dated quite a bit as well, garnering the attention of some of the most desirable women around, while still being humble about it.

Okay...maybe he was a little prideful.

“Hey Mac!” shouted his next customer, and he didn’t even have to turn his head to know who it was.

A gust of wind announced her arrival, and her unique voice was something he would always remember.

He looked up fondly at the rainbow-haired woman and smiled. “Howdy, Miss Rainbow Dash.”

She rolled her magenta eyes at him and smiled. “For Celestia’s sake Mac, you’ve seen me naked...multiple times. I think you can drop the ‘Miss’ thing now.”

He chuckled a bit at the memories and nodded. “Yeah, s’pose yer right. Still gotta be respectful to tha women though, ya know.”

Her cyan wings fluttered a bit as she grinned and nodded, letting out her own light chuckle. “Yep, and that’s why you’re awesome, Mac.”

“Glad Ah got tha ‘Rainbow Dash Seal of Approval’ then.” he joked.

She let loose one of her rare girlish giggles for a few moments before sighing with a smile. Slowly the smile faded and she asked, “How’s AJ?”

Big Mac’s smile faded as well, and he gazed out over the marketplace, which was just starting to become active. “Not so good, Dash. She got in a fight last night, and Ah had ta pull her offa some guy she was tryin’ ta beat tha daylights outta.”

The normally optimistic flier’s face dropped a little more as she noticed the few visible bandages on his body. She ran her fingers softly over his arm, pausing at the large bandage that covered the abrasion on his inner forearm. “It was about Twilight again, wasn’t it?”

For a few moments he was silent, but then nodded. “Yeah. Y’all know how hot-headed she can get, an’ them fools talkin’ bad about Twi jus’ makes her blood boil.”

Rainbow Dash’s hands moved to take his own in hers, and she didn’t bother hiding it. After everything that had happened, the Apple family had become closer with the other Element bearers, as well as the town in general. Most of the town was very friendly...some, like Rainbow Dash, were considered kin. The way that Big Mac saw it, she was as much a family member as he was, as she’d seen them all at their worst, and still stuck around in the thick of it. After all, a smart man doesn’t turn away from a helping hand when it’s offered and he’s in dire need...and the needs lately had been dire indeed.

“What’s the latest news?” she asked suddenly.

Whenever someone referred to “news” around him, he knew exactly what they were asking for. “Better, but not anythin’ really helpful ta AJ. Ya know how she is...she won’ hope until she’s got solid good news from tha doctors.”

She nodded and sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, you’re right. AJ’s not really one for hopes and dreams.”

“Because she makes ‘em happen.” Big Mac replied as he gently squeezed the hand of his close friend. “AJ don’t jus’ hope fer stuff...she makes it happen.”

“But she can’t make this happen.” the stunt flier replied sadly as she softly stroked the palm of the farmer with her fingers.

He nodded with a rather sad frown on his face. “Yeah...Ah know...and she knows. Ah reckon tha’s why she feels so helpless...she can’ really do nothin, and that’s new for ‘er.”

“It’s hard for all of us, you know...” the fair-skinned woman replied as she met his emerald eyes with her own.

He nodded. “Yeah, but AJ’s tha one she’s closest to, next to tha princesses, Ah mean.”

Thankfully, much to Big Mac’s pleasure, Rainbow Dash always had a way of lightening the mood with a joke.

“First she dates you, then she dates AJ. You think Applebloom’s gonna be next?” she inquired as she released his hand and fixed her flight jacket.

He shrugged with a smirk. “Ah don’ know, maybe she’ll want a crack at Granny Smith. Y’all know she’s a might bit more lively than mosta tha old folks.”

His comment had the desired effect as she sputtered and her face twisted up in disgust. “Ah, dude! Bad images! C’mon, man!”

He let a deep, resounding chuckle vibrate throughout him as he shook his head. “Wanna dish it out, but can’t take it.”

The prismatic woman then grinned and leaned against the stand, passing him a single bit and grabbing a rather large, red apple. “I guess if anyone’s working their way around though, it’d be you.” She took a bite of the juicy apple, and just barely contained a moan of contentment at the mere taste of it. Once she chewed and swallowed, she smiled. “I mean, you’ve worked your way through three of the Elements, and six other girls around town. How can you work the fields and still have time for that?”

He shrugged as he tossed the bit into the cash box and smiled. “Practice, an’ patience. Ah mean, y’all were happy, weren’tcha?”

She nodded as she swallowed another bite of the sweet fruit. “Yeah, I was. Being away on maneuvers for almost a year probably didn’t help though. I hope you don’t hold it against me, because I don’t hold it against you.”

He shrugged as he leaned against the counter. “Nah, Ah don’t. Distance can ruin a good thing, no matter how much ya fight it. Ah figured it’d be better ta break it off nicely b’fore we started fightin’ b’cause of tha frustration an’ such.”

“At least one of us was thinking for the future.” she replied wistfully. “I would’ve just let it go until we exploded...I’m not too good at planning ahead.”

“So Ah noticed.” he replied with a grin.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “So when are you gonna settle down with just one girl? Or, have you already got one in mind?”

He thought seriously for a moment before shrugging. “Ain’t sure. Ah guess Ah ain’t met tha right one yet. As far as mah personal habits, can’t find what ya don’t go out an’ look for.”

Her rainbow hair shifted a bit as she tilted her head, splaying across her eyes as she thought. After a few moments she pursed her lips and nodded. “You know, that’s pretty deep, actually. I like that.”

“Ah do have mah moments.” he replied with a chuckle.

The woman then looked to the skies, her magenta eyes twinkling in the noonday sun. “Anyway, I gotta get back to work, Mac. It was great seein’ ya. You take care!”

He waved at her as she flew off with a powerful burst of strength from her wings, proving as always that she was poetry in motion when she took to the skies. He smiled warmly before turning back to the market, noticing that people were beginning to gather around him for the normal midday rush.

The sun had begun to set as the tired work man rolled the apple stand into the shed and locked the small storage place up, hauling a rather large box full of bits to his house. Today had been a great day for work, and as he took a look at the fields, he found that Applejack and Applebloom had a rather productive day as well. He smiled as he entered the home, pleased that life went on.

Upon walking inside, his nose was attacked by the delightful smell of a home-cooked meal, and already his mouth was watering at the smell of the salted pork and apple stuffing that was cooking on the stove, along with what he assumed was an apple pie in the oven.

He gently kicked off his workboots at the door before heading to the washbin and washing his hands, and was pleased to find that even his grandmother was up helping prepare the meal...which meant that he could expect an extra-tasty dinner.

“Hiya, Big Mac!” his youngest sister exclaimed happily as he entered the dining room.

He smiled warmly at his younger sibling and nodded. “Evenin’ ‘Bloom. Did ya have fun with yer friends?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Ah helped Scootaloo repair her scooter, and then we all went out to tha market.”

“Y’all didn’t cause no trouble?” he asked warily.

She shook her head with a smile. “Nope. We jus’ looked around at some of tha stuff b’fore gettin’ bored and hangin’ out by tha park.”

He smiled with a nod. “Good. Long as Ah don’ have ta come pick ya up from tha guard station again, Ah don’ mind what ya do. Long as yer safe and havin’ fun.”

The young red-haired girl nodded before her eyes widened. “Oh, guess what?”

The elder sibling chuckled and shook his head. “Ah can’t guess, AB.”

She rolled her eyes, but her excitement did not abate. “Th’ mayor said she’d give me a job keepin’ tha clock tower workin’ good fer as long as Ah need it. Ain’t that great?”

He thought about it for a second. On the one hand, Applebloom wasn’t the best worker on the farm, as her talent was more geared towards repairing and maintaining machines and tools, which meant that even at the worst of times, she only had a few things to do here and there. That meant that it would be good for her to get her own job and have some income of her own coming in, so that she could have some spending cash to use when around her friends, or for whatever she wished, really. Still, Big Mac was a little resistant to let her leave so freely and not help out when they needed it. After all, Sweet Apple Acres was a family business...and it needed all of them to work right.

“Well,” he began, thinking carefully, “would ya still be able ta fix things around here when we need it?”

The adolescent girl smiled and nodded. “Yep! Ah ain’t gonna abandon mah fam’ly jus’ cause ah got a job. Y’all know that.”

He had been pretty sure before, but now he was at peace with it. He nodded and replied, “Then Ah’m happy for ya, ‘Bloom. Good job.”

“Soup’s on!” announced the elder of the home as she brought a few steaming plates upon her arms, passing them to Big Mac and his youngest sister before she went back for more.

Applejack moved slowly and methodically around the kitchen, clearly trying to settle her mind about something, and Big Mac knew well enough what. All the same, he knew she wouldn’t want to talk about it in front of Applebloom, so he let her be for now.

Supper was decent, all things considered. As had become normal recently, Applejack didn’t speak much, but Big Mac had expected that. Contrary to what the other people thought of her, she was quite the thinker. A farmer though she may be, she was by no means unintelligent. During times like this though, it worked against her, as her mind would drift to thoughts of things she couldn’t help...couldn’t change.

As he sat the table to write his letter to the night princess, he made sure to put everything that had happened in there. After all, though she might be a royal, she was also a close friend, and would want to know how her friends were doing, and by extension, their families. He wrote everything he could think of, from how his business was going, how Ponyville as a whole was faring, as well as how he and his own family were doing. He knew that the princess sometimes grew bored at night with so little to do, and enjoyed reading his letters, so he made sure it was nice and long for her. At the end, he explained that he would love to attend the birthday celebration of her sister, and that he would make time available for the next few days after the celebration. He then sealed the envelope, addressed it directly to the special address the princesses had given him for direct mail to them, and placed it next to the front door to take out with him in the morning.

He rubbed his eyes once before locking the doors and turning off the lights, then headed upstairs to bed.

He checked each of the rooms of the other family members, being sure that each of them were in bed and resting peacefully before taking a quick shower and making his way to his own room.

For the first time in a long time, however, he found himself unable to fall asleep immediately. For the longest time, his sister Applejack had made fun of him for being able to fall asleep so easily, sometimes even referring to him as “Baby Mac”. Tonight though, his thoughts buzzed in his head, as if a beehive had replaced his brain. The thought that ran through his mind the most, of course, was that of his troubled sister. It went without a doubt that she was stressed to the breaking point, if the night before had been any indication. Still, he knew better than to offer help when she didn’t ask. She took it as a jab at her pride, and it went without saying that she could get rather...defensive. Besides, the two of them were close enough that he knew if she actually reached that point again, she’d seek him out...and he’d be there for her.

The second most important thought was that of the princesses. He considered Luna another sister, as Applejack was one of the first friends she made and had been a great boon to her in reassimilating herself into society. After all, the farmgirl knew nearly everyone in town, and her business connections reached far and wide across the planet, so she was a great friend to have when trying to meet and become allies with the many people that now lived on the world.

A thousand years was quite a long time to be away by anyone’s measure.

The night princess had quickly taken a liking to him after meeting them all, rather enjoying his calm, composed attitude, as well as his willingness to make eye contact with her...which was one of the things she found so hard to garner from her other subjects. For the longest time Big Mac had believed that perhaps his parents’ old-fashioned values were pretty obsolete in the age they now lived in...

His mind was changed when the princesses both took an interest in him, however.

Celestia on the other hand was hard to figure out. She was very kind and loving of the many that she governed, and yet was very firm when she needed to be. In truth, that was not the difficult part to figure out, as Big Mac took the same stance with raising his youngest sister. No...it was the fact that she always had a smile on her face. Even after everything she’d seen in her life and after everything that had happened recently with her prized pupil, she still found the ability to put on a genuine smile...

Or at least what seemed like a genuine smile.

Big Mac had a bit of a talent for reading people, so much so that he often could figure out what another person was thinking without even asking them. When it came to faking happiness when someone really felt bad on the inside, he noticed that almost everyone had a certain “tell” that tipped him off every time.

Celestia was different though.

Before he’d gotten close with the royal family, he’d seen how the solar princess and her student had acted together. There was no doubt in his mind that they deeply cared for and trusted each other...but that was also why he found the princess so confusing. Even in the wake of what had happened to Twilight Sparkle, the princess still gave a generous smile no matter what. He supposed it had something to do with how long she’d lived, but he didn’t see how. If he’d been in the same position and it was Applejack or Applebloom that were hurt, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm at all.

So how and why was it so simple for her?

After a few hours of thinking this over, he pushed it to the back of his mind and closed his eyes. Perhaps some time during his stay in Canterlot, he could ask her this question, and hoped it wouldn’t be too forward of him to do so. After all, his father always told him to learn from the best if you don’t know something, and the princesses were the best at many things. With that in mind he yawned once before turning onto his side and setting his alarm clock, then quickly faded off into the rest that would prepare him for the next day.

Chapter 2: Bonds

As always, Big Macintosh’s day began with washing up, getting a hearty breakfast with his family, and then heading out to the fields to continue upkeep of the famous apple trees his family grew, known far and wide to be the juiciest, most nutritious, and healthiest fruit of its kind anywhere in the area. He remembered that his father had once instilled within him the moral value that a man should only take pride in that which he has worked hard for...everything else is a gift. Well, it was for that reason alone that the current head of Sweet Apple Acres allowed himself a proud smile as he looked over the vast orchards that held the beloved fruit-bearing trees he and his sister worked so hard to grow and nurture.

The only thing that somewhat dampened his mood was the thought of what importance today had for he and Applejack.

It had been nearly a week since the brawl in town, and luckily with the prestige his family commanded throughout the town that his great-grandparents had founded held strong, allowing he and his sister to get off with a modest fine and little more than a slap on the wrists. Though that day was on his mind, it was merely used as a measure of time for him...for he knew that today he would have to brave a storm that was hovering close by, at Ponyville General.

He had to go with AJ to visit Twilight.

He always found it strange that magically-talented people like Twilight Sparkle were known as the Inferiorem; he believed that a term with the base “inferior” in it didn’t do the people justice. Born under often mysterious circumstances and almost exclusively from others of their kind, the Inferiorem were known as the “bells and whistles” of their society. The strange, enigmatic energy known as magic was the basis for their entire world. Appliances ran off of it, medical work was done with it, and somehow, the Two Sisters controlled the passing of days with it.

To put it simply, the Inferiorem were very important people. Oftentimes they were politicians or some sort of societal leaders, using their inborn abilities to bring peace and goodwill to the masses...most of the time. No one was perfect, after all, and sometimes the pride they often held for these abilities could go to their head, but overall it was for the greater good.

Twilight, however, was an exception.

Save for the two princesses that ruled over them, all knew that the young woman was unequivocally the most powerful of her kind. She was very humble, taking great care to never boast about her abilities, but was more than ready to lend her aid when it was needed. It was unknown whether her place as the Element of Magic contributed to her vast power, but none could deny she was the best representation of the Element she held. This was proven by her act of single-handedly decimating a swarm of invading changelings by using previously unheard-of magic to open a portal to the Nether itself, saving her home and friends.

It was not without cost, however.

Magical feedback from the Nether itself retaliated, sending her into a deep coma. Studies done by some of the foremost magical practitioners in the world revealed that she had extended her power too far, abusing her connection with the arcane energies she had taken for granted. The experts had come to the conclusion that such a grievous error had cost her greatly, and just like a wild animal that has been encroached upon, it “bit” her.

What they referred to as a “bite” however, was more like a “make-nearly-dead”.

For the first week of Twilight’s slumber, her pulse never rose above 30bpm. The doctors didn’t understand it, stating that she should be dead. Applejack and the young woman’s other friends weren’t complaining of course. As time passed, slowly but surely, she became stronger. Her vast stores of magic actively worked to heal and strengthen her body, actually making her stronger than before. It had been almost four months since the first day, and yet unlike all other coma patients, Twilight did not weaken. It was that very thing that kept hope alive in the hearts of her friends and family.

The princesses were common visitors to the hospital of the quaint town, or at least as common as could be for two busy rulers. Nonetheless, the arrival of either princess no longer caused the entire staff to drop what they were doing and fawn over them, as was common in the city of Canterlot. As time rolled on, the nurses and medical practitioners settled for giving little more than a slight, standing bow or a nod of the head to their rulers, the solar princess herself having made it clear that such formalities were not necessary every time. And so it became commonplace for the princesses to visit the slumbering young woman, oftentimes with no announcement. After all, all the planning in the world could not account for free time, and so the princesses simply visited whenever they had the time.

It was by the token that Big Macintosh came to know his rulers as more than princesses.

Big Macintosh had been intimate with Twilight in the past, and he had loved her romantically. While that degree of love was no longer burning bright, he still cared for her a great deal. At least once a week, he would spend time in the hospital, watching over the comatose girl as he held her hand softly, or even talking to her. He had heard once that even the comatose patients could hear to some degree in their unwanted rest, so he made it a point to speak of things both past and present.

It was during one of the Apple’s visits that he was graced with the company of the princess of the night herself, Luna Duskwing. It had been after the rulers made it clear they wished for everyone to stop bowing to them, so he had done no such thing, merely nodding in acknowledgement of his better.

Flashback: 22 April 6442, 21:08

The night princess stepped into the room, her shorter and lithe form seemingly going unnoticed by the farmhand. His years of fieldwork, however, had sharpened his perception, and he knew she had entered the room as soon as he heard the door close. The poise of a goddess was unmistakable, even to him. Graceful, yet commanding. Gentle, yet unfathomably powerful.

“Evenin’, princess.” he greeted, respectfully but casually. He then raised his eyes to meet the blue-haired, pale-skinned goddess with a smile. “Ah’m sure Twi’s happy ya came.”

The steward of the night nodded with a kind smile. “It is kind of you to say so...Large Macintosh Apple, if We art correct?”

He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle as he corrected, “That’s Big Macintosh, yer majesty...but close enough.”

A faint dusting of an embarrassed pink dusted her cheeks, but she smiled nonetheless. “Apologies.”

The ocher-haired man shook his head with a soft wave of his hand. “No problem, princess.”

The elegant goddess made her way to the bedside opposite him, her obsidian sandals making nearly no sound. Upon arriving at the side of the resting Twilight, she frowned ever so slightly. “How is she?”

Big Macintosh closed the book he was reading and stood as well, noting that he was nearly a foot taller than his princess. He looked over the sleeping form of his former lover, and sighed. “She’s alright Ah guess. Doctors say they don’ know why she ain’t dead from what she did.” He then shook his head with a soft smile as he caressed her cheek fondly. “Ah ain’t never known ‘a her ta quit anythin’ though. Ah reckon she’s gonna be just fine.” He then sighed as his mood dropped a bit. “Ain’t no way ta know how long it’s gonna take though.”

“Thou loves her.” the princess observed.

“Ah did, some time ago.” he replied in a sombre tone. “Ah still care for her though...jus’ not in a courtin’ kinda way.”

“We...We do not understand. We sense a great deal of love from thee.” she mused softly.

He chuckled as he kept his gaze locked on the woman in the bed. “There’s a lotta different kinds ‘a love, princess. People nowadays would say ‘Ah love her, but Ah’m not in love with her’.”

He had never understood the saying of referring to someone’s voice as “music to the ears”, but when the princess giggled, he understood. It was a repressed laugh, but to him it was still one of the most beautiful things he’d ever heard. Her soft, gentle titters tickled his ear drums and warmed his heart, and it was at that moment that he knew more than anything that everything would be alright.

After a few moments of chortles from the night princess, she finally composed herself and nodded. “Yes, We have heard that adage before. We fear it is even older than We are. It is rather entertaining to know it has made such a comeback.”

Big Macintosh scratched his chin, noting absentmindedly that he needed to shave. “Well, guess Ah learned somethin’ new today.”

The princess smiled warmly and nodded. “Indeed.” She then daintily extended her hand towards him. “Apologies...We have forgotten to properly introduce Ourself. We are Luna Duskwing, crowned princess of the night, moon, and the stars.”

He smiled and firmly took it in his own, taking care not to crush her smaller hand in his grip. “Well Ah’m Big Macintosh...folks ‘round here jus’ call me Big Mac.”

The princess released his hand and shuffled a little nervously. “Again, We must apologize...We have not been completely honest with you.” She looked up to meet his shining emerald eyes as she sighed and closed her eyes, unable to look at him anymore. “We know exactly who you are, Big Macintosh Apple. Twilight has spoken at great length about you, both romantically and otherwise. You mean a great deal to her.”

I raised his eyebrow as he asked, “Ah ain’t mad, but why all tha trickin’?”

The stoic farmhand noticed as a faint pink coloring showed upon the goddess’ cheeks. “W-well, We wished to spark a conversation with you, and this seemed easiest to do if We pretended not to know who you are.”

“Y’all wanna get to know me?” he spoke in an unconvinced tone. The princess nodded shyly, and he sighed. “If tha’s what y’all wanted, ya don’ need ta fret none. Ah ain’t gonna bite. One thing though...”

She opened her eyes and caught his again, which seemed to be glowing in the fluorescent light of the room. “Yes?”

“Ya don’ need ta talk all proper-like with me.” he replied with a small smile. “Twi told me ya only do that when yer nervous...well, ya don’ need ta be nervous ‘round me.”

The moon goddess looked at her friend in the bed, taking in the soft features of the slumbering woman. “She speaks of me?”

He smiled when he noticed she’d dropped the whole “We” thing. “Eeyup. She considers y’all a big sister...ya mean tha world ta that girl.”

The magical cyan eyes of the princess locked onto the farmer’s, and she smiled warmly. “It is kind of you to say so.”

He shrugged. “It’s tha truth. Only person she talks about more than you is yer sister.”

The smile on her face brightened just a bit as a single chuckle escaped her lips. “Yes. I remember a few years ago, a rumor erupted throughout Canterlot, claiming Tia and dear Twilight were...involved.”

Not worrying about the girl in the bed waking, Big Macintosh let out a deep, resounding chuckle at this, reminiscing about that specific incident. It was made even more entertaining by the fact that he and Twilight had been an item at the time, and even more so by how the young infie had taken it. It went without saying that she had reacted rather explosively upon hearing that she was rumored to be intimate with the solar princess, someone she considered her mother.

Flashback End

Twilight never knew who her real parents were, and from a young age she had been passed from orphanage to orphanage...until the princess of the Crystal Empire, Mi Amore Cadenza (more commonly known simply as “Cadence”), took an interest in her. Being the heralded “Princess of Love”, she took it upon herself to raise the young child within the confines of the Celestial Palace. Her close friend, Shining Armor, also took a liking to the child, and before long, he and the child considered each other siblings.

Over time, Celestia, steward of the sun and the day, began to take notice of the unknown girl often found beside her niece, Cadence. Her niece’s pink, violet, and cream-colored hair was a stark contrast to the young girl’s dark indigo, but that was not what made the unknown young female stand out the most. No...what caught the eye of the solar goddess was the girl’s sharp eyes, which analyzed everything around her, all of the time. She constantly asked questions about anything and everything, her thirst for knowledge truly having no bounds.

But what caused Celestia to take a personal interest was a fateful day at her school for the gifted.

Contrary to popular belief, Celestia’s School for the Gifted was not a school exclusive to the Inferiorem. Instead, it was a school meant to be for any exemplary students, though because the magically-gifted people usually spent more time working their minds than others, they tended to be the majority. However, the largely-snooty inferiorem people of Canterlot gained a massive ego boost when Twilight Sparkle was frightened into accidentally releasing her power during her entrance exam. Her fluctuation of power summoned a being from myth and legend ‒ a draconic familiar. Such a feat was beyond the power of most who lived in the world, with the exception of the princesses themselves.

It was this event that brought the solar princess’ attention to her.

The princess was vastly impressed by the raw power of one so young, and personally took the girl under her wing to train and teach. What simply began as grooming a powerful young woman quickly became something else though.

As far as Celestia knew, there were no others of her kind, save for her sister. Not even the two goddesses knew where they came from, or how they came to be. What was clear, however, was that they were the fusion of all three races, taking the strength of the humans, the flight capabilities of the alatum, and the magic of the inferiorem. One thing both of the princesses realized early on was that they never aged past a certain point. It could not be said if they were truly immortal, but it had begun to seem that way.

Though she would never admit it, Celestia held envy for her subjects on a few accounts...one of which was procreation. Though anatomically similar to the subjects she ruled over, she could not bear children normally. And so, when she found the young Twilight Sparkle in need of guidance, she immediately stepped in.

A daughter of her own...perhaps not in title, but in her heart.

It was because of this deep bond that Big Mac had come to know his rulers as more than their title. To him, they were no longer mere princesses to him...they were friends. From that first day meeting with Luna, he began to see more and more of both her and her sister as he patiently waited with the rest of those concerned for Twilight to awaken. True that perhaps it was a friendship sprouted from pain and heartache, but it was a strong one nonetheless. The bond he shared with his princesses was forged in the fires of mutual care and understanding for Twilight, and it had given them all the strength to continue on with their heads held high.

Thankfully for the humble farmer, his legs had taken him to his destination, even though he had been deep in thought...Ponyville General. Every time he saw the name of the town or the hospital, he couldn’t help but have an offhanded thought that “Ponyville” was a rather strange name for a town of humans.

Curious.

He shook the thought away though, realizing that it was a rather unimportant mystery.

“Y’all alright Mac?” his blonde-haired sister asked worriedly.

He turned his eyes to look fondly at her and nodded. “Ah’m good. Jus’ rememberin’ things.”

She eyed him curiously for a moment before shrugging and turning back to the building that was now looming in front of them. Without breaking stride, she sighed and questioned, “Ya ready?”

He knew well enough that she was saying that more for her than for him. Big Mac tended to have more faith and hope than his sister did, while she would rarely believe anything that didn’t have concrete evidence of truth. Many people thought it was because she was chosen to be the Element of Honesty, but Big Mac knew differently.

She’d been like that long before she became an Element bearer.

Of course, he knew her pride prevented her from ever admitting it was she that was nervous about the visit, and he also knew that it would be fruitless to try and convince her that she was the one that was nervous. So, as he always did, he simply nodded and muttered, “Eeyup.”

The cowboy hat-wearing farmgirl nodded with a faint smile. “Alright then...le’s go.”

Having been in this specific hospital innumerable times, he knew his way around as if he lived there. As Big Mac walked through the halls with his sister, he recognized the different landmarks: the nurses’ station that had several familiar nurses milling about in it, the defibrillator cart that saved lives, and even the lonely old EKG machine that...

Wait...where was the EKG machine?

Suddenly, the entire hospital jolted, as if the ground itself had shifted.

“Coming through!” shouted a loud female voice from behind the pair, and both jumped away from each other as a pink-haired woman with a nurse’s cap on rushed past...with the familiar machine that had been missing.

Both siblings looked worriedly at each other before quickening their pace towards Twilight’s room.

As the two of them rounded the last corner that led to the wing that held their friend’s room, another jolt to the hospital hit, this one strong enough to nearly knock the two Apple siblings off their feet, and when they rested their eyes on the room ahead of them, they saw not only a plethora of hospital staff gathered, but also both of the princesses.

Something had to be wrong.

“Princess Luna!” called Big Mac, immediately garnering the attention of the lunar goddess.

The younger princess’ large indigo wings flared in surprise, but as she turned around to meet the voice, she smiled softly as she saw who was approaching. “Ah. Mac, it is so good to see you again.” Another small shudder of the building caused her to drop the smile though. “However, I believe now is not the best time for pleasantries.”

For the sake of the other people nearby, Applejack offered a short bow before asking, “What’s goin’ on? Why’s tha building shakin’?”

Worry became very clear in the face of the night princess, and though she said nothing, it was clear the elder, Celestia, was worried as well.

“Twilight’s magic has awakened.” the solar princess answered, flicking her multicolored cyan, teal, lavender, and magenta hair out of her eyes. “She, however, has not. Without her control to reign it in, her power is threatening to tear the world asunder. It appears she is much more powerful than any of us believed.”

“Well, why aren’t ya helpin’ then?” AJ asked curiously, her worry making her completely ignore the scathing tone to her question. “Can’t y’all do somethin’ ta stop it?”

Thankfully, the bond that the two humans held with the princess allowed her to overlook the concerned question, and instead she sighed in defeat. “We cannot help. Our magic can do many things, but it cannot lock her own magic without killing her.”

“So what do we do?” Big Mac asked simply.

Both princesses looked them over, and Celestia answered, “We do nothing...” She then pointed a finger at the freckle-faced girl with a sigh.

It took a moment for it to hit the farmgirl.

She gasped and placed her hand over her chest. “W-what?! Me? What am Ah supposed ta do? Ah don’t know nothin’ about magic!”

“Perhaps,” Luna replied with a frown, “but our inability to help her is not because of her power. It is because of the Element of Magic ‒ it is protecting her...dangerously. Only the resonance frequency of another Element of Harmony can calm her own Element, and allow us a way to work. We will follow you in, and you must initiate physical contact with her with as much as your body as possible. The more of you touching her, the better.” The night princess’ face then lit up with a faint blush as well. “And...it must be skin-to-skin contact...”

The entire group of people fell silent at this, all feeling somewhat awkward.

“You three go in,” the elder Apple brother spoke firmly, pointing to the princesses and his sister, “and tha rest of us’ll wait out here.” He then made his way to stand in front of his sister, and he looked at her with determination. “Take good care of her, AJ...she needs ya right now.”

The younger Apple sibling nodded before looking to the princesses. Without another word, the door was opened, and the three disappeared inside...ready to brave the danger of Twilight’s magic to save her.

Big Mac was nervous.

It was a rare emotion for him, as he was usually so sure of what would happen in his life, but at this point, he was just worried. Worried for Twilight, for his sister, for the princesses...he was just overall worried.

Since Applejack had entered the room with the princesses, the building did not heave again, though at the moment, he was unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. After spending so much time around not only Twilight, but the princesses as well, he could sense magic when it was around him...and though its effects no longer threatened to tear the hospital apart, he could still feel its charge in the air. It was accompanied by a gentle humming that most people would ignore, convinced they were hearing things or that it was simply a trick of their ears...white noise. He knew otherwise, of course. He knew it was a spell being cast, and he hoped with all of his being that it would end this event in the favor of safety and serenity for all the people in the building, as well as his own sister, the princesses, and him.

“Big Mac?” spoke a soft voice from in front of him.

He turned his eyes up to see the pink-haired nurse from earlier, accompanied by her twin, which had vivid blue hair and wore a uniform with blue accents instead of red.

He smiled and nodded, grateful to have something to take his mind off things. “Howdy, girls. How are ya?”

The twin nurses giggled and sat down beside him. The red-accented woman smiled warmly and stated, “Blue Cross and I were just wondering how you were doing...you know, with all of this.”

He ran his hand through his orange hair and sighed. “Jus’ as well as Ah can, Red. Ah’m worried fer mah sis, but Ah also know tha princesses’ll look after her.” He then raised his eyebrow with a smirk as he looked to the blue-haired woman. “Don’t y’all normally work tha mornin’s, Trippy?”

Blue Cross rolled her eyes at the childhood name, but smiled. “When I heard that my sister was having such trouble handling things here, I knew she could use my help.” Her smile then transformed into a sultry grin as she added, “Besides, I don’t need a reason to come see you, now do I?”

He shrugged with a grin matching her own. “Ah guess not.”

“So,” Nurse Redheart began, a mischievous glint in her eye, “what’s going on with you and the princesses?”

A faint blush lit up the farmhand’s face as he averted his eyes, a little embarrassed by the implication. “N-nothin, Red. We’re jus’ good friends is all.” It was the truth of course, but he could admit to himself that a “lowly” human like him consorting with princesses could send the wrong message.

Luckily for him, the doctor and nurse beside him were old friends, and understood.

“Friends with a princess, hmm? I envy you.” Redheart commented with a smile.

He shrugged. “Ah know people don’t think so, but they’re jus’ normal people, really...they jus’ happen ta rule tha kingdom is all.”

From time to time, Big Mac found it strange that he thought about his rulers ‒ whom many actually worshiped ‒ as regular people. He supposed that it was because of the fact that many did not truly know them. While he still respected and revered them for their wisdom, power, and gentle, benevolent rule, he also knew them as people, not just princesses. He knew that Luna, for example, was dangerous to turn your back on. She was witty, cunning, and devious...with pranks. Celestia, on the other hand, tended to try and see the good in everyone...even what it wasn’t there. It went without saying that it had led to quite a few heartbreaks for the sun princess over the years, though she never loved her subjects any less. The only thing that the princesses had kept tight-lipped about were romances...which Big Mac knew nothing about.

Whatever...not his business.

“So what do you think they’re doing in there?” Blue Cross asked curiously.

All three looked down the hallway that led to the wing Twilight’s room was in, and all three gained worried expressions.

“Ah don’ know,” the normally-sure man spoke softly, “but Ah trust mah sister, and Ah trust mah princesses.”

He was unsure if he was trying to convince them or himself.

The room that housed the sleeping Element of Magic was quiet, save for the subtle hum and crackling of the magic in the air, thankfully settled by the combined efforts of both princesses.

The room was serene now, and safe. Twilight’s magic had been successfully contained until she woke, and even though the strange ritual to do so was finished, a nearly-naked Applejack still clung to her lover, seemingly realizing just how much she missed Twilight.

“This is so not doing favors for my labido.” Luna commented dryly, her voice a mere whisper into her sister’s ear.

The elder Celestia rolled her eyes with a smile. “With this much skin showing, I am surprised your own garments still remain on.”

Luna replied with a gasp of mock surprise, hissing out, “I am still a virgin, thank you!”

“Not by choice.” the solar princess remarked with a smirk, still not meeting her sister’s eyes.

For a moment, it looked as if the lunar princess’ face might twist up and break in indignation, but eventually her features softened and she grinned happily, lacing her fingers into that of her sister’s. A soft glow accompanied their contact, and wisps of loose energy sprang forth from their grasp, fluttering around the room unfettered.

“You did good, Luna...I’m proud of you.” Celestia spoke gently.

A smile creased the younger sister’s face as she looked to meet her elder sibling’s bright magenta eyes. “Thank you, Cel. That means so much to me.” She then turned her gaze to the slumbering pair in the bed, and frowned. “How long do you think we must wait until Twilight awakens?”

“She is far from ‘normal’, and I believe that much is clear by now,” the pastel-haired woman stated, “but normally, an inferiorem’s magic would awaken at the same time their consciousness did. I cannot pretend to know if she will respond the same way, but I do hope so. It has been too long without her.”

“I agree.” Luna spoke softly before smirking at her sister. “No offense, but I never considered you to take such an interest in a single subject of ours.”

Celestia did not turn her eyes away from the two sleeping women, but sighed and nodded. “I cannot pretend that my interest in her is not personal. She is special...unique. She is the closest thing to a daughter I can hope to have without binding another to me, and I cannot trust anyone else that much.”

Luna gave a light squeeze to her sister’s hand as she asked, “Why must you torment yourself so, Tia? You know as well as I do that there are exemplary people in the world...not all of them are out to use you for their own means. They’re not all like...him...”

The elder sister flinched at the mention of one who hadn’t been named, but both knew who it was.

“Just promise me that you will keep your heart open, sister.” Luna pleaded gently. “It is not fair we should live so long without the love of another.”

Reflexively, Celestia brought her free hand up to clasp a matching necklace both she and her sister wore, which displayed a circlet of the moon and sun. It was the only bit of selfish magic either of them had ever used thus far, and it held a very special meaning to them both. Within each pendant was held the power of eternity...the power to share their eternal life with another. Long ago when they were young, both princesses had created the necklaces as part of a promise to each other, that they would find the man or woman meant for them, and be eternally happy.

‘My, how naive we were.’ Celestia thought bitterly.

Both princesses, with time, had come to know just how carefully they would need to choose such a thing, and as time went on, both came to realize that their “one” may never come. It was a sad truth both had come to learn of the millennia: that they were forever different from those they ruled over. Celestia learned this by the betrayal of one she had hoped would share her life...while Luna learned from observation.

‘Luna always was the wiser one.’ the solar princess mused to herself.

After a long while, Celestia sighed and closed her eyes softly. “I cannot actively hope for such a thing, Luna. To do so is to invite constant heartbreak, and I am not strong enough to continue pining for a love that may never come. Four-thousand years is long enough for that, I think.”

Luna extended her indigo wing to cover the wings and back of her sister, and smiled sadly. “I do wish you had more faith than you do, dear sister.”

The sun princess opened her eyes again and gazed at her sister with pain in her eyes. “I spread light throughout the world...I find it much easier to notice the darkness.”

“Perhaps,” Luna replied, feeling worried for her sister, “but that does not mean you do not also notice the light as well. Do not let the shadows of the past and present cloud your vision. It can blind you, even if you do not notice it.” She then looked out the window and frowned, noticing dusk was approaching. “Come...we must return. Twilight will be fine now.”

Celestia nodded mutely and followed her sister out of the room, shutting the door quietly as she did so.

Hours later, as night had fallen and the day’s chores had been taken care of, Big Mac once again lay in his bed, thinking about the day itself. He had been both worried and relieved about the situation at the hospital, and yet, he chose to stay positive. He trusted the princesses had done everything they could, and they would not have left Applejack alone in the room had they not deemed it safe enough.

His protective instinct still nagged at him that he should still worry.

Deciding to put these thoughts to rest, he instead thought of what was to come: the get-together with Celestia. Truth be told, he knew Luna much better than her sister, but offered no less friendship or respect to Celestia. After all, she was still his princess, and deserved no less kindness from him. She had ruled the land he lived in for longer than his family had existed, and though a few wars had popped up now and then, for the most part, it had been a happy and peaceful existence for all those who lived in her kingdom.

After all, no one was perfect.

He still had to think of something to get the princess, however. After all, one could not just show up to the birthday celebration of an everlasting being without a gift of some sort, now could they?

With that in mind, he let loose a loud yawn before turning onto his stomach, sliding his arm under the pillow, and closing his eyes to sleep. He’d worry about the gift tomorrow...for now, he had work in the morning.

Big Mac sent a silent wish of safety and goodwill for Twilight to whatever being handled those, and fell away into slumber.

Chapter 3: To Gift a Princess

The rest of the month had gone swimmingly for the Apple family, and Ponyville in general. Life had gotten back to normal (whatever that was) and talk of what happened at the hospital had died down, as well as who was involved. The princesses had requested that the identity of the woman that helped (Applejack) was kept confidential, so thankfully Big Mac hadn’t needed to deal with cameras and reporters showing up at the farm.

While three weeks had passed since that exciting day at the hospital, Applejack had not lost hope. Instead, her belief that Twilight would come out of this was gaining more and more steam as time went on, so much so that she was smiling more often than not...a welcome change to the middle child of Sweet Apple Acres.

With it being the middle of summer, however, that meant one thing for the Apple family: blooming season.

Many of the apple trees would sprout flowers and begin blooming for pollination within the next month or so, with the red delicious and mcintosh apples being the first to do so. The problem with this was that Applejack had developed allergies from repeated exposure to the pollen in the air. Twilight knew a spell that could handle the symptoms without making her drowsy, but unfortunately it was one of the very few spells she had created that she had not written down...meaning she was the only one of her kind that knew how to cast it. This in turn meant that either Applejack would help out and be miserable, or Big Mac would force her to do work in the town instead in an effort to alleviate her allergies somewhat.

More often than not, the latter was what happened.

Big Mac took a deep breath as he sipped his coffee out on the front porch of the farmhouse, relishing the familiar scent of the plantation during the summer months. He knew that without Applejack to help, it was going to be pretty quiet around the farm, but luckily there wasn’t much work to be done other than check over the trees for pests or disease, a job he could easily handle on his own.

‘And I still got my dau-...other sister.’

The mental slip up caused a little guilt to shoot through him, like it always did, but he shoved it away. For the sake of the youngest Apple and himself, he couldn’t afford to think about it...lest it drive him crazy.

Still, in the early morning, when there was nothing to do, his mind tended to wander. It sometimes took him to dark places, and other times to dreams of what might be, or what could have been. In the situation he currently found his mind in, he wondered what it would have been like to be a father, had he the choice again. The dark side of his mind wondered what it would have been like had he never made the mistake he had when he was younger.

But, as he looked in the front window of the house to see Applebloom prancing about happily, waiting for breakfast, he couldn’t help but smile.

‘Maybe there ain’t no right choice...but I did the best I could and proved myself to be the man my pa thought I would be.’

He knew in his heart that he couldn’t have let Applebloom go, even given the chance again...especially given the chance again. He knew that accidents rarely turned into something good, but when they did, it could be some of the best things in life. Maybe he’d tell Applebloom the truth one day, and try to explain why things turned out the way they had, but at ten years old, he knew she wasn’t ready.

For now however, it was time for breakfast with his family, so he downed the rest of his coffee before stepping back inside the farmhouse.

Hours later Big Mac found himself in the market district of the town. Princess Celestia’s birthday get-together was tomorrow, so like any decent guest he decided he should attempt to get her a gift or two. Since she was many times older than him and had likely seen and done quite a bit more, it was unlikely he was going to surprise her with a gift.

But he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to try.

Princess Celestia had been rather down lately. Among those close to her, it was no secret she drew great joy from the regular letters she received from Twilight, even if they were simply to say “hi” and tell what had been going on in life. Big Mac knew that it was difficult for the princesses to connect with regular people, so it made sense that when they did, they held onto that bond like a liferaft in the chaotic ocean called life. He knew that the princesses saw the world a different way than normal people did. They had to, as Big Mac knew that if he had to watch so much time pass and so many people die while he just stuck around, he’d probably have an emotional breakdown...or two. Still, he knew even the princesses had their limits, and this assumption was confirmed by the look of clear worry that he had seen on both of their faces every time they visited Twilight in the hospital.

He wasn’t so arrogant as to think that his presence and presents were going to be enough to bring the solar princess out of her funk, but he also knew that he had to try. Princess Celestia was a friend to him, and though he wasn’t as...enthusiastic about it as the young woman known as Pinkie Pie, he didn’t like seeing his friends unhappy. So even though he wasn’t confident he could do the impossible by brightening up the day of an ageless princess, he was confident that he could do everything within his power to do so.

Big Mac’s sister was known for her skill at creating apple-themed dishes ranging from pies to dumplings, but the one thing Sugarcube Corner sorely outclassed her in was cakes. The people that ran the shop were named Carrot- and Cup Cake, so it made sense they knew what they were doing. Then of course there was Ponyville’s resident Premier Party Princess, Pinkie Pie, who was magic in the kitchen. So the first place he decided to stop at was a staple for any birthday party, whether for a princess or a regular person: Sugarcube Corner.

As he entered the bakery, a legion of smells attacked his nose, all of them sweet in some way. He’d never really had a taste for candy, cake, or pies (besides his family’s apple pies, of course), but he did have a weakness for blueberry muffins, and for some reason there was always a batch of fresh-baked muffins whenever he’d arrive...as if they knew he was coming.

A small brass bell rang as he came through the door to the bakery, announcing his arrival. Sure enough, Pinkie Pie’s curly pink mess of hair popped out of the back room at the sound, and she smiled when she saw Big Mac walking in.

She jogged over to him and embraced him tightly. “Hi Mackie! What a coinkydink, a fresh batch of muffins just finished baking! You want one?”

He chuckled as he gently pushed the excitable woman off of him, and nodded. “Sure thing, Pink. Sounds good.”

“Okay! You wait right here and I’ll be back in a jiffer! Or is it jiffy? Juicy?” the woman answered, mumbling to herself as she began to walk back to the counter. Big Mac followed her and waited as she fished one of the fresh, moist muffins out from the glass display, wrapping it in a napkin and handing it to him. She then typed a few things into the cash register before looking up to meet his eyes, sapphire meeting emerald. “Okie dokie! That’ll be two bits, please.” Big Mac reached into his wallet and pulled out the two coins, placing them in her hand as he took the baked treat. He then watched as she took the money from him and put it in the register before looking back up at him. “So hey, I get a break in about ten minutes. Do you wanna stick around?”

He nodded with a grin as he answered, “Sounds like a plan. Ah’ll be in tha window nook.”

Big Mac took his muffin and went to sit at a small table in the window nook, where the golden rays of the sun projected a warm glow to the area. He took out his snack and began eating it as he watched the bubbly young woman literally bounce her way around the bakery as she cleaned and organized things, her vivid pink hair bouncing as much as her other “assets”. Many of the men around town had tried to court her, some making the excuse that they wanted to find out if pink was her true color, but she was very picky. This in turn had started gentle rumors about her that she was a prude.

Big Mac sighed to himself...he knew otherwise.

The truth was he was possibly the only one who knew her personally outside of the other Elements. Because of her youthful personality and delightfully curvy body, she was the envy of many women in town, and the target of many men seeking a girlfriend. The problem with this was that hardly anyone truly took the time to know her, as her easily-excitable personality could grate on people’s nerves at times...but Big Mac had seen more than that. He saw a person that loved to make others smile or laugh in joy, no matter how much work it took. What he hadn’t known at first was the deep-seated depression she battled with every day. It was a part of the reason she chose to spread joy everywhere she went, but the other part was because if she wasn’t making others smile, she’d have to stop and think about just how much she’d lost in life.

Like him, Pinkie Pie had lost both of her parents from a young age, and she grew up on a rock farm with a foster family that didn’t really pay attention to her. From sunup to sundown, she was made to work with the other younger members of the household out in the fields, breaking up stone. She learned the value of hard work, responsibility, and self-sufficiency...but she also learned to distrust all others.

Her distrust of strangers was why she acted as she did in public. It was an act that made it easy to do her job at the bakery or as a party organizer by making it fun for customers, while still distancing herself from them. With her friends, she was very touchy-feely, always wanting to be hugged or hold hands, or be touching them in some way. Some of them didn’t understand why exactly and simply attributed it to “Pinkie being Pinkie”, but Big Mac knew from being told by the bubbly girl herself that she wanted proof that her friends weren’t just her imagination.

It was rather sad when it came right down to it, that one of the people who deserved happiness the most had to fight tooth and nail just to get it.

Big Mac looked down at the napkin on the table to notice that during his thoughts, he had apparently eaten the muffin, so he balled up the napkin and slipped it into the wastebin by the front door before taking his seat again. As he waited, he watched how the three bakers went about their work, efficient as always. Rarely had he seen three people working so well together, as if they were mentally connected. It was what had allowed Sugarcube Corner to become so successful, being known for great treats, fair prices, and a joyful, relaxed atmosphere.

He continued to take in the decor or the establishment, marveling at its simplicity. This was a human town after all, and across all the races, humans weren’t known for being the most lavish when it came to fashion or decorations. Still, it had a warm, “homey” feel to it that was inviting without being intimidating. Many of the regular patrons were on a first-name basis with the proprietors that ran the bakery, which only added to its allure. The most enjoyable part of the bakery was Pinkie Pie though, as her smiles and silly antics always put grins on faces and joy in hearts.

He had met her many years ago, when he was no older than ten. He had found her, wandering the streets and starving, when he was doing market work with his father when he was still alive. In truth he had almost thought of just turning the other way and continuing to work, but something stopped him. That something was what he thanked every day for choosing to sneak her in the barn to give her shelter. It wasn’t much of course, but it was all he could think of at the time...after all, the house wasn’t his. His father was observant though, and noticed his less-than-subtle son spending an awful lot of time in the barn with seemingly no explanation why. He found the two young people of course, Big Mac keeping her company and occasionally sitting in silence while she cried softly. Even though Thunderbolt Apple was known for his strict parenting as much as his decidedly odd name, he was not the type of man to throw out a young girl who was clearly in need of help. So instead of leaving his son to try and hide her, he made his presence known to them, assured them both he was not angry, and invited her to stay with them.

This had made the young man ecstatic of course, for not only did he have a new friend, but he could actually do true good in someone’s life.

Much to Thunderbolt and Big Mac’s relief, the girl actually wanted to help earn her keep. She was quiet and meek, but worked every bit as hard as they did, even though her body was severely malnourished and it was clear she had a lot on her mind. Though it was true that she was too young and weak to do much besides “kid’s work”, she did it diligently, determined to pay back the family that offered her room and board, simply because it was the right thing to do.

As could be expected, Applejack and Big Mac soon became close friends with her.

Seeing as how Big Mac was five years older than his sister, he entered puberty before her and became interested in girls...as any young man would.

It had been a little over two years since the bubbly pink-haired girl began living with them, and he began noticing different things about her. Beyond her personality, he began noticing how soft her skin looked, and that he wanted to touch it. He began to notice the soft little lumps of flesh under her shirt every time she would hug him (which was often). Most of all though, he realized that he rather enjoyed seeing her in a swimsuit, like when she and Applejack would take a dip in the river.

These new thoughts confused him, and after receiving a rather awkward talk about “growing up” from his father, he realized that to act on such thoughts could get him in a lot of trouble. He promised himself that he wouldn’t do so, because even though his new thoughts were telling him to touch her and do something, he valued her friendship much more than that...so with no small amount of willpower, he fought those feelings down, and locked them away.

Time, it seemed, had a way of complicating things.

Merely four months after Big Mac’s fourteenth birthday, he received the worst news he ever had up to that point: his parents had been killed.

His mother and father personally made deliveries across the whole nation, and they had gotten caught in an avalanche after a heavy snow in the mountains of Cryomere, in the Frozen North. After being gone for nearly a week, he received a letter from the local coroner, stating that his parents may have been found, and he and Granny Smith needed to identify the bodies.

He said nothing as he went, and only opted to tell Applejack and Pinkie when he returned.

It went without saying that when he and the older woman returned, they had to explain to Applejack that their mother and father were not coming home this time. Both she and Pinkie Pie began weeping immediately, Applejack confused and angry, but Pinkie understanding what happened. The pink-haired girl was his age after all, and had lost her own parents at a very young age. Applejack wouldn’t listen however, and took her father’s hat off of the coathook and began to bury herself in work, hoping that if she worked hard enough, maybe the pain would stop.

Granny Smith took over as caretaker for the three young ones, though that didn’t make the funeral any easier.

It went without saying that Applejack took things particularly hard, with how close she was to her father. She had to be physically dragged away from the caskets so they could lower them into the ground, and Big Mac found it one of the most heartbreaking times of his life.

Pinkie Pie also did her share of mourning, as the Apple family had been the one place where she’d felt safe, secure, and loved. They were her family, and now two strong members of that family were gone forever.

Big Mac, by his token, was strangely quiet. He remembered getting up on the podium and saying a few words about his folks, but then left without shedding more than a few tears silently. Part of it was because he was honestly in shock of what had happened, while another part wouldn’t allow himself to break down in public, where his younger sister could see him.

The day itself was bright and sunny, when it least needed to be, but life went on and so did the day.

The night of the funeral changed Big Mac’s life.

He was alone, finally letting the grief overcome him in the privacy of his own room. For what felt like hours, he let the pain and sadness drip out of him in tiny drops of water, but no matter how much time passed it didn’t seem to be getting better.

A soft knock on his door caused him to go silent, and it was followed by a soft, “Big Mac?”

He wiped his eyes and cleared his throat, recognizing Pinkie’s voice. “Um, yes?”

“Are you alright in there?” she asked with concern. He was silent, not knowing how to answer, and she followed with, “Can I come in?”

He took a couple deep breaths and wiped his face again. “Yeah, y’all can come in.”

The door opened just a bit and she slipped into the dark room, her motions silent. After closing the door, she turned around to look at Big Mac as he sat on his bed.

He took in the sight of her in the soft moonlight, her fluffy pink curls of hair draping over her neck, shoulders, and back. Though a year younger than him, she was already beginning to grow into the beautiful woman she would become. She was no longer the skinny, malnourished girl he had found so long ago...instead, she was a beautiful young woman with a smile warmer than Celestia’s sun. Her pink “ice cream” pajamas complimented her personality perfectly, and her blue eyes were bright and sparkling in the lunar light.

As she walked over and sat on his bed beside him, she offered no promises that “everything will be alright”. By experience, she knew it would be a lie...but she also knew that he didn’t need to handle it alone. He had spent the entire day being strong for everyone else, so she knew he needed time to be weak and vulnerable...to truly grieve.

And so, she hugged him tightly...and the dam burst.

Big Mac couldn’t stop himself as the tears began to fall. What he wanted at that moment was for someone to tell him ‒ to lie to him ‒ that everything was going to be alright. He knew Pinkie better than that though...he knew she would never lie to him about anything. He knew that she knew he didn’t need lies to make him feel better, even if he wanted them. What he wanted right then was his father and mother to show up, telling all of them that it was a mistake and they were really okay. He wanted everything to go back to normal and for the world to make sense again.

He received none of that...instead he received a soft, affectionate kiss on the cheek.

He slowly opened his eyes and turned his face to meet her gaze, and was awestruck at the sight before him. Many times when he was working he’d thought of Pinkie as “hot” or cute, but only that night, for the first time, could he honestly say she was beautiful. For the first time he saw her as more than just his friend, or the cute girl that lived with them. Instead, for that night, he was in pain, and she was his guardian angel.

As much as everyone thought otherwise, the two had never actually been together in any sexual way. It was true that he and Pinkie had dated a bit on and off for awhile, but had always drifted apart for one reason or another. At first, it was because Big Mac had gone to college (much as the people of Ponyville didn’t think so). When he had graduated, he had picked up with Pinkie right where they left off...but they were broken apart again when she chose to move out of Sweet Apple Acres, and into what was to become Sugarcube Corner bakery.

She never offered him a real explanation, at least by his count. She simply told him, “It’s time for me to go now, Mackie. You don’t need me anymore.”

From there, they never really hit it off again. Both knew that they cared about each other, but they just never saw the reason to actually “be together” again. That’s not to say that the two weren’t physically affectionate with each other when both were single, but they never crossed the barrier into a relationship again. Neither felt the need, as what they had was already perfect. Both knew they would never end up together, but it was always nice to have someone that would loyally stay by your side no matter what.

A soft touch on the shoulder brought Big Mac out of his thoughts, and he turned his head to the right to see Pinkie Pie sitting down beside him.

“You know, if you were thinking any harder, I think smoke might start coming out of your ears.” she commented with a grin.

He smiled at her and nodded. “Ah guess so. Ah was just thinkin’ about tha past is all.”

She tilted her head cutely, her soft pink hair bouncing as she did so. “What about?”

He sighed as he caught her cyan eyes with his own. “How we met...and all that stuff.”

“Ooh, were you remembering Nightmare Night when we helped Luna fit in?” she asked excitedly.

The memory of that night made Big Mac blush...not so much because of the rather revealing outfit she had been wearing, but more so because of the fact that Princess Luna had caught him and Pinkie making out in front of the Nightmare Moon statue. It went without saying that the rather sheltered princess had been mortified, and he had spent the next few days praying that the night princess wouldn’t arrest him for what she deemed “public indecency”. She didn’t of course, but it hadn’t stopped him from worrying.

Big Mac shook the vision from his head before turning back to the woman in front of him. “Naw, that ain’t it.” He then cleared his throat and took a serious expression with her. “Anyway Pink, Ah need yer help. Ah got invited ta Princess Celestia’s birthday and Ah need ta get her a cake.”

Pinkie squinted a bit as she pursed her lips and gazed at the open air. “Hmm...a cake for the princess.” She thought for a few minutes before her eyes widened and she let loose a bright smile. “I got just the thing, Mackie! I came up with a new design for a cake a month or two ago, but it’s too big for a normal party...but for a princess...”

He smiled, glad that his friend had come through again. “Sounds good, but Ah need yer help with somethin’ else too.” Pinkie Pie was broken from her thoughts and looked at him as he continued. “Well, Ah need ideas fer a gift for tha princess.”

She gasped and then frowned, slapping him on his shoulder. “The birthday is tomorrow, and you haven’t gotten a gift yet?”

“Ah haven’t had time!” he defended as he rubbed his shoulder, which from the sheer force of her blow he knew was going to bruise.

Thankfully for him she was well aware of how busy work around the Acres could be, so she dropped her look of scorn and settled for one of intense thought. “Hmm...so you leave tomorrow morning and you need a gift or two.”

He nodded. “Eeyup. Ah was hopin’ ta get somethin’ unique that she’d really like, but Ah can’t think ‘a nothin’. Ah mean she’s got a good couple thousand years on me, so Ah’m thinkin’ it ain’t gonna be possible ta surprise her.”

She pursed her lips again as her brow furrowed. “Hmm...that is a toughie.” She thought for a few more seconds before looking back at him questioningly. “Have you thought of anything yet? I mean you’re her friend, so I think you might have a better idea than you think.”

He shrugged. “Ah mean Ah got a few ideas, but nothin’ Ah could do without some help from tha princess herself.”

Pinkie tilted her head curiously to one side and asked, “Well what did you have in mind?”

He shrugged. “Well, Ah know Princess Celestia has a soft spot fer iceberries from tha north, but Ah don’t know no one that can get ‘em.”

Pinkie giggled and swatted his shoulder playfully. “Oh Mackie, I can get those!”

“Wait, really?” he asked in disbelief.

She giggled and nodded. “Yeah! You don’t make as many people smile as I do without making some very valuable allies and friends. One of those friends happens to be a travelling merchant who specializes in hard-to-find things, like iceberries. If we take my car, we can meet him when he makes his stop in Manehattan and be back before the sun goes down.”

Hardly anyone in Ponyville or Canterlot actually drove full-sized cars, since most places could be reached on foot fairly quickly, but Pinkie was one of the few that owned one. In honesty the way she drove scared him, but if anyone could get him to Manehattan to meet this merchant in time, it would be her.

He nodded nervously. “Okay...sounds good, but Ah still wanna get her somethin’ else.” He thought for a few moments before stating, “Ah know she loves cider, so Ah guess Ah could bring her a barrel of it, but Ah still feel like it ain’t good enough.”

Pinkie thought for a few seconds before smiling. “Well what about you?”

He raised his eyebrow at her. “Ah don’t know what ya heard Pink, but Ah ain’t that kinda guy.”

She giggled and shook her head. “No silly, I mean just you showing up to see her...spending time with her. The best gift for a princess like her is something she can’t get anywhere else...you. No matter how long she’s lived and will live, there’s only one of you, and there will only be one.”

He brought his hand up and rubbed his chin, absentmindedly noticing he needed to shave again, before nodding. “That’s actually a pretty good idea, Pink.”

Again she giggled as she nodded. “I have my moments.”

He brought his hand up and ran it through her hair, massaging her scalp in the way that he knew always made her happy. She hummed happily as she leaned against him, and he smiled. “Ah’m glad Ah got ya as a friend.”

“And you always will, Mackie.” she whispered affectionately. She then pulled away and said, “You go tell your family that you’ll be gone today, and I’ll finish up here and meet you at the farm in an hour, okay?”

He nodded with a grin as he stood up from the table. “Sounds good. Ah’ll be ready.”

Chapter 4: Helping a Friend

Big Mac was an easygoing man with simple tastes in life. The love of a good woman, the pride of knowing he had done an honest day’s work, the reminder that he was one of the only people in history to befriend the princesses of Equestria...they were all things he enjoyed about his life. Now though, he found something else that he was quite happy with:

Pinkie was a phenomenal driver.

He knew this not because she used her turn signals religiously, kept both hands on the wheel at all times, or that she followed every traffic law to the letter. Quite the opposite, in fact. No, he knew she was such a good driver because with how fast they were flying down the motorway, she’d have to be just for them not to get killed. Her car, the aptly-named Hellcat, was a monster of a vehicle, and the roar of its twin-magis engine was enough to send shivers down Big Mac’s spine. Currently though, the sheer power of the motor itself was what had him reeling, as the acceleration had him pressed back against his seat as he silently prayed to whatever gods or goddesses there may be. This wasn’t helped by the fact that Pinkie blared power metal the entire time, but he was more focused on surviving, so he ignored it.

When the two of them arrived in the urban city of Manehattan, Big Mac restrained himself from jumping out of the hot pink sports car and kissing the ground, because to do so would be unbecoming of an Apple. Still, he couldn’t help but stumble a bit as his feet found purchase on the ground after the crazy drive, and he subtly leaned against the car itself with a sigh of relief as he looked over the bustling metropolis. His sister had told him of her visit to their aunt and uncle Orange when she was just a young child, but words couldn’t quite describe the sheer size of everything. True that it was nothing compared to Canterlot, but one expected the royal city to be huge. Manehattan, on the other hand, had begun as a simple port town. Its accessibility to the sea, however, allowed it to grow extremely quickly, and within only its first few years as an official city, it became a trading hub for the entire kingdom. It was known as the “city that never sleeps”, and it was likely this was the truth.

Big Mac found it surprising that he wasn’t concerned Pinkie knew people from Manehattan.
Pinkie’s livelihood depended on the positive relationships she held with other people, after all, and the more she knew, the better. She had often commented that she literally knew everyone in Ponyville, and the more Big Mac thought about it, the more he realized she might very well be telling the truth.

“So Pinks,” Big Macintosh began slowly, “where to?”

The young woman made her way to her companion and looped her arm in his before gently ushering him away. “We can walk from here. The guy I’m talking about is just a few blocks away, so after we see him we’ll still have time to get a little lunch before we leave. There’s this really good burger joint I want to take you to. You’ll love it.”

Big Mac was never one to turn down a free meal from Pinkie, so he simply nodded and walked with her as she led them through the bustling city streets. Here, Big Mac could see that nearly everyone owned a car, though he thought there must be more people living here than cars, as she still saw dozens upon dozens walking the sidewalks with him and Pinkie.

“This place is a lot bigger ‘n Ah thought.” he mused aloud to himself, barely able to hear his own voice above the noise of the city.

“Of course it is, Mackie! You’ve never been here before!” Pinkie jovially replied.

He shrugged, realizing she was right. There was only so much words could do to describe something. Seeing such a wondrous city with his own eyes was...well, eye-opening. The bright neon signs and sidewalk barkers were urging him to go to this place or buy that thing, and had it not been for Pinkie gently leading him, he might have obliged.

Suddenly, they turned a corner onto a smaller road that held what looked like a more customary market ‒ the kind he was used to. Pinkie waved happily to the different shopkeepers as they passed, and Big Macintosh realized she must know them, as they waved back.

A moment later, Pinkie stopped in front of a rather unremarkable shop. “We’re here!”

He eyed the dull shop with skepticism, but followed his friend inside as she skipped through the door.

Inside, Big Mac was reminded of an antique store. Scattered about the shop itself was a myriad of different knick-knacks and odd things, only half of which he could even guess the uses of. Not wishing to become lost in the maze of curiosities, he followed his bubbly friend to a short counter, at which sat a rather aged man of stocky physique, who had large round glasses perched on the brim of his nose.

“Hiya, Trailblazer!” Pinkie greeted happily.

The old shopkeeper raised his eyes from the book he was leafing through and smiled when he saw the young woman. “Well now, this is a treat. How nice to see you again, Miss Pie. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

Pinkie offered one of her famous bright megawatt smiles and replied, “I need some help for my friend here.”

Trailblazer’s gaze shifted to Big Macintosh. “Oh? And how may I help the both of you?”

“Well,” Pinkie began, chewing on her lip a bit, “Mackie here was invited to Princess Celestia’s birthday, but the problem is that what he wants to get her is pretty rare in Equestria...which is why we’re here.”

The shopkeeper seemed to brighten a bit more at her words. “Well now, I am pleased you thought of me when looking for the rarities of our world. How can I help you?”

“We were looking for some iceberries, Trailblazer.” she explained with the same bright smile.

The old man’s face scrunched up slightly at the words, and he nodded. “I see. Well, you’re in luck. I just came from the northern continents just a week ago. If you’ll give me a few moments, I’ll find them for you.” At this, Trailblazer disappeared behind a door, apparently to look for the rare treat.

Big Macintosh was already smiling though. Once again, his giddy pink-haired friend had come through for him. “Pinks, Ah don’ know what Ah’d do without ya.”

Pinkie’s face softened a few levels as she gently stroked his cheek with her palm. “Don’t worry, Mackie. You won’t ever have to find out.”

Having lost his parents at a young age, the fear of losing those close to him was always a great fear of Big Mac’s. This in turn made it so nice to hear such a thing from one of his oldest friends.

He reached up and grasped her hand in his own, dwarfing it. “Thanks.”

The two released each other before moving over to the shop counter itself, leaning against it as they waited. Or at least they tried to, but it groaned under Big Macintosh’s weight, so he opted to lean against the wall instead. Luckily for them both, the man returned a few moments later with a small wooden chest with a large padlock on the front.

“Now,” the shopkeeper began as he set the chest down, “to a normal customer I would simply sell my wares and that would be the end of it.” He then looked to Pinkie Pie and smiled. “However for you, Miss Pie, I have something special in mind.” The man produced an old iron key and stuck it in the lock, which clicked before opening. He then opened the chest, revealing its shiny contents to his customers. “These are seeds of the iceberry tree. They’re a gift from me to the princess, seeing as how she enjoys the berries so much.”

Pinkie gasped as she looked at the box that was filled with what looked like diamonds, but promptly placed her hand on top of the lid and closed it. “Trailblazer, we can’t accept this. Iceberries are one of your most valuable commodities. I can’t just take this as a gift. This is too much!”

The wizened old man shook his head with a smile and pushed the small chest into Pinkie’s hands. “For the princess, Miss Pie. I insist. That way, she can grow my berries herself during the cold season. She once saved my life and my livelihood, did you know that?” Both Big Mac and Pinkie shook their heads, causing the shopkeeper to smile broadly. “Well, this is my way of showing my gratitude to her.” Not taking no for an answer, he pushed the box firmly into Pinkie’s hands before grabbing another small chest. “Now unfortunately, they take a season to germinate, and I assume she would like to taste some now, yes? So, we still have business to do.” He opened the other box, and both Big Mac and Pinkie were hit by a wave of cold. “This box is enchanted to keep them fresh, and I think this will be more than enough for our lovely princess.”

Inside was nearly two-dozen of the glittering blood-red berries, which was more than most keepers of the berries ever had on hand.

“Now,” Trailblazer began, “with this being a simple business transaction, I must make a profit, so unfortunately I can’t let this go for less than two-hundred bits, and the box is included to preserve them. It’s enchanted to keep them cold, so they will stay fresh as long as you keep it closed.” With that explanation, he closed the box itself and grinned at Big Macintosh. “So, do we have a deal?”

Normally Big Macintosh would have been stuck, as he had barely enough bits to pay for such a thing. Thankfully, he had something else to offer that one couldn’t get anywhere else but Ponyville and Canterlot.

He opened the satchel at his side and dug around for a moment before fishing out a jar that contained rainbow-patterned jam. “How about a trade, sir?”

The old man’s eyes widened at the jar as he stammered, “I-is that Sweet Apple A-Acres Zap Apple Jam!?”

Big Mac smirked and nodded. “Yep. Ah’m Big Macintosh, and mah fam’ly owns that farm. Ain’t nowhere else in tha world yer gonna get Zap Apple Jam, ‘cept from Filthy Rich. Problem is, zap apple season ain’t for another two years, but lucky for you, mah fam’ly keeps a supply fer ourselves while we wait.” He tapped the lid of the jar as he added, “What most people don’ know about this here jam is that it’s got a kick like a pot of coffee, has all tha vitamins yer body needs, and it never goes bad. It’s tha perfect survival food, iffin’ ya find yerself in dire straits.” He pointed to the jar itself. “And that there is enough ta last ya a month if ya needed it to.”

The blue eyes of the shopkeeper seemed to brighten and glitter as he looked at the jar of jam. He weighed his options before realizing the sheer value of what was offered to him. He then looked curiously at Big Mac as he asked, “Are you sure? If what you say is true, you’re offering me quite a bit more than you’re receiving.”

Big Mac nodded with a smile. “Ah’m sure.”

The old man smiled before trading the chest of iceberries for the Zap Apple Jam. “Well, I believe our business in concluded. And thank you, sir.”

Big Mac grabbed the chest and gently placed it within his satchel. “Naw, Ah think Ah should thank you. Princess Celestia’s gonna love these.”

The elder shopkeeper cradled the jar of jam as if it were made of diamonds, and smiled back at the duo. “Well, you better make sure she gets them then. You both have a wonderful day now.”

Pinkie and Big Mac offered a friendly nod and smile each to Trailblazer before leaving the shop, their precious cargo with them as they began to walk towards the main street again.

“Well, that went better than Ah could’a hoped.” Big Macintosh commented with a grin.

Pinkie giggled and nodded as she carefully cradled her own chest. “I told ya, Mackie!” She darted her eyes around as they crested the border into the main street again, and inclined her head to a tall building in front of them. “We’ll eat there before we go. C’mon!”

Big Macintosh jogged to keep up with the girl as she crossed the street and entered the establishment. Immediately, his nose was assaulted with a large variety of smells. Several different types of meat could be picked out, along with the smell of mushrooms, several different types of cheese, fresh vegetables and tomatoes, and the unmistakable scent of frying potato wedges.

“Welcome to heaven, Mackie!” Pinkie gleefully announced as she pulled him to stand in line with her.

A bit dazed from the smells and rustic ‒ and thus, comfortable ‒ décor, it took him a moment to respond. After shaking his head to clear it a bit, Big Mac asked, “Where are we?”

Pinkie giggled and pointed to a large sign that hung in the window. “The Steppenhoof! It’s one of the best place to stop in for a quick bite to eat, and has the most amazing fries you could imagine!”

Just from the scent alone, he was inclined to agree. Even with the loud and hurried atmosphere, Big Macintosh found himself more than willing to wait for the line to move.

It took nearly ten minutes of waiting in line, but finally he and Pinkie were sitting in her car with their meals as they ate and chatted. Much to Big Mac’s delight, his “Meat Mound of Monstrous Mayhem” was a burger to end all burgers. It was juicy, perfectly seasoned, and oh-so flavorful. Never before had he expected any meat to be described as melting in his mouth, but he was glad to be mistaken.

“So, what’s the verdict?” Pinkie asked with an implied grin.

Big Macintosh just barely restrained himself from moaning in pleasure as his taste buds were given a flavorful massage followed by a soak in the amazing meaty juices, but composed himself enough to offer a wink and a nod to his friend.

She giggled as she finished off her own sandwich and stuffed the trash in the grease-stained paper bag. “I knew you would like it.” Pinkie then turned in her seat to look at the tall farmer and asked, “So what are you gonna do when you see the princess?”

Big Mac finished off his own meal and threw the trash away, then turned to his friend. “Ah don’ know. Say hi, Ah guess.”

Pinkie slapped the back of his head and scowled. “You can’t just say ‘hey’ to the princess! You gotta woo her! Show her a good time and dance with her! Then, at the end of the night, maybe she’ll invite you to her bedroom and you-”

“PINKIE!” Big Macintosh shouted as he fought down a very un-manly blush that was threatening to make itself known. “Ah’m not datin’ tha princess!”

She pouted and huffed to herself. “Well not now you aren’t…”

Big Macintosh calmed himself a bit before saying, “Pinks, she’s a splendorem ‒ tha fusion of all three races ‘a people. She’s damn-near a goddess, so I don’ know what makes ya think her ‘n I would ever be together.”

Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes as she retorted, “Well not with that attitude you won’t.”

He sighed and shook his head. “Ah appreciate it, really Ah do, but it ain’t gonna happen. Le’s just go home, Pinks.”

She stared at him for a few moments before slumping her shoulders in defeat and turning the key in the ignition, causing the car to roar to life. Once again she eyed him in her peripheral vision before shaking her head and hitting the gas. She would admit to anyone who asked that she loved Big Mac dearly, but she could also admit that sometimes he could be a little bull-headed.

Okay...a lot bull-headed.

Still, even Pinkie knew what battles to fight, and which to leave for another day. So regretfully, she kept her mouth shut and began the long drive home.

Chapter 5: Life Redux

The ride home was much more calm for Big Mac, though he was oddly unnerved at just how quiet Pinkie was being. While usually he enjoyed quiet, he didn’t like seeing his friend so unlike herself. Still, he was glad that he had found gifts for the princess, and had come to realize that Pinkie had been onto something when she recommended he just spend time with Princess Celestia. After all, it was her birthday, and he knew that with her favorite student still out of action, she needed someone to distract her and raise her spirits; Luna could only do so much after all, being only one person.

After arriving back in town, he and Pinkie parted ways with a hug, leaving him to wile away the remaining two hours of daylight as he mentally planned for tomorrow. It was going to be interesting no doubt, as a princess’ birthday celebration was likely to be as stiff as it was gaudy, which meant Big Mac would likely just keep silent to avoid talking to any nobles that were sure to be there. Every time so far that he had met one of the Canterlot elite, they had instantly branded him a commoner, and downright sneered at him when he spoke. Big Mac wasn’t the type to actively look for trouble, but he refused to be talked down to by anyone, let alone someone who was unlikely to have done an honest day’s work in their entire life.

He shook the latter thought away, grumbling to himself. Hatred was an emotion he kept clear from, as it was like a sickness that could poison the mind and destroy lives. Still, he remained a mortal man and had bouts of the unfortunate emotions, just as everyone else did. Big Mac wouldn’t allow it to rule his life though, nor would he let it ruin what was to be a birthday celebration for one of the kindest people he had ever met.

With his musings, Big Mac held the chest and enchanted box up to eye level to look at them; without a doubt the princess would love them, but he found himself focusing on what Pinkie had said before they parted ways:

“These are just the appetizers, Mackie. The real gift is something only you can give.”

His mind swam with the possibilities of what she had meant, and shamefully, about half of the ideas were sexual in nature. If Big Mac was honest with himself, he had secretly fantasized about what it would be like ‒ being with a princess. He knew that such thoughts were far from uncommon for the despairingly low male population of the kingdom, but since he knew both princesses personally, it made him loathe himself a little. Sure, Celestia and Luna were beautiful in a timeless way ‒ and he would be lying if he claimed to not have snuck a few dirty magazines into the washroom with him as a teenager ‒ but fantasies somehow felt disrespectful when he knew the person, not just the idea of them.

After entertaining the slightly shameful ideas for a moment longer, he turned his thoughts to more tame possibilities, and one in particular he realized was quite a bit more likely: maybe Princess Celestia had just gotten very lonely, and wanted a real friend.

It was no secret that as a splendorem the world seemed so far away, even though they ruled it. Most didn’t think about it, but having both princesses as close friends had given him unique insight into how they saw the world, and what they thought. He knew that the life of an immortal princess was lonely, as many saw only the crown, not the person, and out of misguided respect, did not seek to offer them the same friendship that all sapient beings desired.

“I guess I’m the one then.” Big Mac thought to himself. “If the rest of the people can’t see them for who they are, then I guess it’ll have to be me.”

Responsibility was a part of who Big Mac was, but even he knew that this particular responsibility might be a little bigger than he imagined.

Applejack had taken care of things once she returned home, which meant it was up to Big Mac to fix himself a dinner of leftover apple-stuffing pork chops and mashed potatoes. With the sun just getting ready to set, the house was quiet save for the idle tapping of his fingers on the countertop.

“Another day done, pa.” he spoke aloud, just audible enough to hear himself. “Ah’m goin’ ta see tha princesses t’morra, and Ah’m gonna make sure Princess Celestia has tha best birthday possible.” He cleared his throat as he leaned against the wall next to the oven. “AJ’s strugglin’, but Ah think she’ll be alright.” Finally, after a long few minutes of silence, a tear trailed down his cheek as he said, “Ah miss ya, pa...and ma. ‘bloom shoulda’ got a chance ta meet her grandparents, but Ah’ll tell ‘er all about ya when tha time is right. I’ll see ya both again one day.”

His daily duties now completely finished, he slumped against the wall behind him.

“Mac?” called a concerned voice from the dining room to his right.

He took a breath before turning his head and smiling at his sister. “Hey AJ. How was work in town?”

She let her concern go for the moment, walking over and leaning against the wall next to him. “It was good. Dash dropped by askin’ about ya,” she then scowled, “as did just about ev’ry other girl in town.”

Taking the bait and smiling with a hammy wiggle of his eyebrows he replied, “Jealous sis? We can’t all be tha ‘Big Apple’ of Sweet Apple Acres.”

“Careful Mac,” she warned, walking to the sink and filling a nearby glass with water, “we don’ need two little kids runnin’ around here.”

He rolled his eyes. “Ah learned mah lesson, sis; much as Ah love her, Ah ain’t ready fer another little one.” Further thoughts on the matter were interrupted by a frantic knock at the door, causing both siblings to look at each other in confusion before making their way to the front door.

As Big Mac pulled the door opened, it revealed a panting Rainbow Dash, who yanked the two Apples through the door as she exclaimed, “Twilight’s awake!”

Big Mac nearly locked up in shock, but retained enough of his mental faculties to grab Applejack by the arm as she attempted to run away. “AJ, get some pants on!” His younger sister looked down at her happy-face graphic underpants before blushing and smiling sheepishly, rushing into the house.

Rainbow Dash stood completely still for a few moments before commenting, “You should have just let her go like that. I wonder how long it would have taken her to realize she was about to run to the hospital in only a tee shirt and a pair of boxers.”

“Ah have ta live with her, Dash.” he replied, crossing his legs and leaning back against the railing of the porch. “Ah’d never hear the end of it if Ah let ‘er make a fool of ‘erself.”

Rainbow Dash smirked. “You didn’t stop me from flying through the town butt-naked when we cracked open your special cider.”

He chuckled at the memory. “First, it was nighttime. Second, Ah don’t have ta live with ya.”

Mere seconds after his sentence, Big Mac and Rainbow Dash were privy to a (now-clothed) blur nearly breaking down the front door and sprinting into the fields, heading toward the gate to town. The two looked at each other and smiled before chasing the retreating girl.

Big Mac’s longer strides and Rainbow Dash’s wings made it easy to catch up with Applejack, and they all arrived at the hospital together and rushed into the waiting room.

As soon as they stepped inside Big Mac flagged down Blue Cross, causing her to smile and motion them over. “You’re here to see Twilight, right?” The three of them nodded, so she began walking down the hallway with them in tow. “Follow me and I’ll take you to her.” With their course set the three followed the doctor, gasping for breath as they did so. This caused the young doctor to glance back at them and ask, “Did you three sprint all the way here or something?”

Big Mac gulped down another breath of air before replying, “Y-yeah.”

Blue Cross stopped and stared at them for a moment before shrugging and continuing to walk. “I suppose if someone that important to me was waking up after months in a coma, I would probably bend heaven and earth to get to them.” With another glance over her shoulder she added, “So don’t get put into a coma, Macintosh.”

As they continued to walk Rainbow Dash whispered, “Seriously dude, how do you do it?”

Big Mac shrugged his shoulders with a grin. “Secret to a good life: be yerself. Ah don’t do nothin’ special, Dash; you know that.”

She shrugged, her breathing now calm due to her extremely athletic nature. “I do, but it still worked somehow. You seem to be working your way through just about every girl in town.”

He shrugged again. “It ain’t like that though, Dash. Ah’m waitin’ fer ‘tha one’ b’fore Ah settle down. Ah ain’t found ‘er yet, but ta find anything, ya gotta look.” Big Mac reached up to scratch the stubble of his chin. “An’ Ah’m so popular b’cause Ah don’t break on bad terms. If it ain’t workin’, it ain’t workin’; ain’t no reason ta fight about it.”

“Or,” Blue Cross began with a toss of her cobalt hair, “it could be the fact that you have a silver tongue.” She chuckled good-naturedly. “When you broke it off with me, not only did you convince me that it was a good idea, but you somehow made me think it was my idea. It was only months later that I realized what had happened, but I couldn’t even be mad at you because we are better off.”

“He’s a regular ladykiller is what he is.” Rainbow Dash quipped with a grin.

Big Mac shrugged. “Ah don’t get how, but Ah ain’t complainin’.”

“Seven-to-one male to female ratio will do that, I guess.” Rainbow Dash commented.

Blue Cross nodded. “It’s been that way ever since ‘The Purge’ a few thousand years ago, or so the stories say.”

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “That name makes it sound so ominous.” She snorted, raising her fingers in quotations. “‘The Purge’. More like a curse is what it is. Granted that nowadays like half the population of women has eased into same-sex-ness just fine, but for girls like me who need a guy, it sucks.”

“The Purge” referred to a story that every man woman and child knew by their fifth year on the world, as it explained the frightfully uneven ratio of men to women. Big Mac remembered his father telling the story to him as a young boy, saying that Princesses Celestia and Luna fought a great evil in ages past that got the last laugh by killing every male on the planet, and then making boys being born naturally quite the rarity. While it was unknown whether the story was completely accurate or not, Big Mac couldn’t help but admit it would be a great way to slowly kill off one’s enemies, though the “great evil” hadn’t counted on just how much the two young princesses were willing to do to ensure the survival of those they ruled.

The answer was inelegant and simple: a royal mandate for any and all men of age to donate their “male essence” four times a year to royal facilities that would work with women looking to conceive, putting that donated genetic material to use. It was without a doubt strange at first, and before the act was fully implemented, there was the very real threat of the next generation never happening. However, the two princesses persevered, and personally ensured that their people would continue to thrive.

Idly, Big Mac wondered how many children he had indirectly fathered to date.

“Oh, speaking of that,” Blue Cross spoke, turning to glance at the farmer, “your appointment is coming up in two months, Macintosh. Make sure you don’t miss it;” she then smiled warmly, “we could use a few more like you in the world.”

Rainbow Dash then slapped Big Mac on the shoulder while wearing a smoldering grin. “Yeah, spread that baby batter around, man!” When he rolled his eyes and shoved her away, the alatum chuckled and shoved him back playfully.

Big Mac’s smile faded and he looked over at his sister, who had been completely silent the entire time, and noticed her eyes had not once left the path in front of them. In her irises burned a determination and hope that he’d never seen there before, but he knew just how much she was looking forward to when they arrived at the room to Twilight...and to her emotional salvation.

“Alright,” Blue Cross announced, pointing to a room in front of them, “she’s right in here, in the recovery ward.” She pushed the door open and led them to a long hallway of doors, all leading to patients on the mend; in one of them was their destination, and happiness.

After an agonizing few minutes of walking, she stopped at a door and turned the handle, peering in for a moment before opening the door fully and ushering the three people inside.

The one thing that Big Mac knew for sure at that moment was that he’d never seen a larger smile on Applejack’s face.

“T-Twilight…” Applejack whispered, an uncontrollable choke of a sob escaping from her throat.

The young raven-haired girl looked over to the farm girl, and smiled just as large. “Applejack, you came.”

Big Mac watched as his sister nearly tripped over herself to make her way to her love’s side, while he and Rainbow Dash stood a bit away, letting the two lovers have their reunion after so long.

Applejack had streams of happy tears running down her cheeks, and she just barely restrained herself from wrapping the inferiorem in a crushing embrace, for fear of hurting her just after waking. Besides that, a part of her was still expecting this event to be a happy dream; Twilight being unable to respond or move had become a regular part of her life ‒ so regular, in fact, that even though it was a good thing she was now awake, it seemed strange somehow.

After a few moments of simply smiling at each other, the farm girl stopped resisting and laid herself across Twilight, hugging her tightly as she sobbed in happiness.

Rainbow Dash took Big Mac’s hand in her own and gently pulled him away while whispering, “I think we should give them a few minutes before saying hi.” He nodded in agreement and allowed himself to be led back out into the hallway.

It took quite a bit longer than a few minutes until the two heard the muffled sobs stop from behind the door, allowing three other young women to arrive ‒ the remaining Element-bearers. While Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were dressed in clothing that was simple and functional, Rarity was dressed in an elegant white dress befitting someone expecting to be in the company of someone very important, which if Big Mac knew the princesses like he thought he did, might very well be the case. Even if that wasn’t the case though, the other four knew better than to comment on the fashionista’s choice in clothing, as unneeded as it seemed.

Finally, after what felt like over an hour, a familiar voice from within the room called, “Big Mac? Are you out there?”

He smiled and pushed the door open, allowing the four women next to him in before also stepping inside. He smiled at Twilight and nodded to her. “Right here Twi, and so are tha rest of tha girls.”

Twilight’s face lit up as she saw all of her friends in the room, and she held open her arms wide as the other four girls scrambled to embrace her, all of them overjoyed that their special group of six was whole once again. Giggles came from the huddle, along with a few murmured words of joy.

Though Big Mac wanted more than anything to join in the fray, he knew it wasn’t his place; close though he and his past flame might have been, he didn’t share the same bond with her as she did with the other Element-bearers. Brought together by destiny itself, they shared a bond that few could fathom ‒ a bond that Big Mac knew he didn’t have any right to intrude upon.

The group finally broke apart after a short while, and Twilight’s hand reached through the group of her friends toward Big Mac. “Mac...come here.”

Big Mac strode over, his tall form towering over everyone else in the room, and reached out to take the offered hand as Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash moved aside to make room for him. Without preamble, he leaned in close as the others moved away and wrapped his arms around Twilight’s form, holding her firmly against him as she wrapped her own arms around his body. For a silent minute, the two simply held onto each other, the world seeming to blur into distant fuzziness in the background. Reluctantly the two separated, but both still smiled at each other as they did so. For a scant few seconds, the two privately remembered why they had fallen in love with each other, but then also remembered why they had fallen apart. The spark of true love just hadn’t been there for either, but they could still admit to themselves that they had been good together.

The silence was broken by Applejack clearing her throat with a raised eyebrow, causing Big Mac to rub the back of his neck sheepishly and back away. He knew that his sister knew there was nothing between he and Twilight anymore, but he also knew that Applejack had a jealous streak a mile long, and was more than a little protective of those she cared about. Deciding it wouldn’t be worth indulging his desire for closeness with someone he cared about, he allowed himself to retreat to stand by the door…

Just as it was nearly torn from its hinges by someone shoving it open...right into his face.

With a groan of pain Big Mac cracked open one of his eyes to see the slightly manic expression on Princess Celestia’s face, who had quite obviously been the one to inadvertently assault him. However, with such an important thing happening to her adoptive daughter, he ignored the blow to his forehead. Next through the door was the younger princess of the night, who stopped to lend aid to Big Mac as the door closed behind her.

Princess Luna gazed up at him with concern as she pleaded, “Please forgive my sister. It is quite obvious to any who knows anything about her that this is a very important day for her, so she is not thinking clearly and-”

Big Mac shook his head as he placed two fingers on the princess’ lips, causing her to cease speaking and blush. “Luna, it’s alright. Ah know how much Twi means to yer sister, so Ah can look past it.” He then looked to the fawning solar princess and sighed. “Guess she won’t need too much cheerin’ up t’morra.”

“I still want you to come, Big Mac.” Princess Luna replied softly. “Tia would love to have you, even if she is being rather ‘focused’ right now.” The princess then smiled. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be telling you this, but when I told her of you coming to her celebration tomorrow, she was in a wonderful mood for the rest of the day.” She then leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Perhaps your reputation precedes you.”

Big Mac chuckled and shook his head again. “Ah don’t think some farmer seducin’ one of tha rulers of tha kingdom would go over too well. Ah happen ta like not bein’ in the dungeons. ‘sides, Ah don’t work that way.”

Princess Luna patted him on the chest playfully. “It was a jest, Big Mac. I know there is far more to you than that, as does Tia. No...she was excited because one of the only people of her kingdom that treats her as an equal is coming to visit her on her birthday, which is quite the treat, even for a princess.”

“Is it really that import’nt to y’all?” he asked curiously, glad the headache from his recent run-in with the door was fading quickly.

Princess Luna nodded firmly. “It is; imagine if everyone you live around ‒ everyone in the town of Ponyville ‒ refused to ever look directly at you, even when speaking to you. Imagine that you received gifts and praises you didn’t feel you deserved, and everyone would rather tell you what they think you wish to hear instead of the truth.”

After a moment of imagining the scenario, Big Mac grimaced. “Ah reckon Ah’d be mighty uncomfortable. Ponyville jus’ wouldn’t feel like home no more.”

Princess Luna nodded with a frown. “And that is how it feels for Tia and I, though so few know or even care.” Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she reached up and caressed his cheek with her delicate hand, smiling. “Our home is not our castle, nor is is even Equestria; our home is with those who care about us as people, not princesses. Wherever those people are, that is where our home is. So you see,” she started, gently jerking her head toward the bed where Twilight was being reunited with the only mother she’d ever known, “our home is not a place, it is you, Twilight, and any others who will look upon us as imperfect people, instead of perfect princesses.” She reached to his side and took his hand in her own as she turned them to look at the scene playing out before them. “Respect is due when we are looked upon as the experienced rulers we are, but beyond basic respect as another living being, we don’t wish for more than that with the few who would see past the crowns. In the realm of friendship and love, we are all equal; no one is greater than the other, and we all deserve to be loved fairly, regardless of our political standing.”

Slowly and gently, Big Mac’s hand closed around Princess Luna’s, and he smiled. “Ah understand, princess. Thanks fer trustin’ me enough ta tell me that.”

“With time, you will find that while we are seen as being more powerful than any others, we are still vulnerable in many ways…” she whispered smiling sadly as she glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, “some more than others. It is because of this that we trust so few with our inner thoughts and feelings, because they are the weak points in the armor we wear every day.” She then squeezed the larger hand she held a little tighter. “I don’t believe our trust has been misplaced though...not this time. I sense uniqueness in you Big Macintosh, some of which I do not think you fully realize yet. And yet, I also sense honesty and kindness the likes of which few can match.”

Big Mac raised his eyebrow while pointing a finger at two of the gathered women. “Fluttershy’s tha Element of Kindness, and mah sister’s tha Element of Honesty; Ah’m pretty sure they got me beat.”

Princess Luna grinned softly, her eyes twinkling. “Tell me Big Mac, what do you believe true kindness is?”

He thought for a moment before replying, “Ah think it’s doin’ what’s best fer someone, even if sometimes they don’t like it. Gotta be cruel ta be kind, sometimes. More ‘n that, Ah think it’s doin’ tha right thing, even if it hurts ta do it.”

“Because you know that doing so will bring about the best in someone, correct?” the princess asked knowingly.

Big Mac nodded. “Yeah. Ain’t always tha most popular choice, as Ah’m sure Applebloom could tell ya, but it’s worked well enough so far, and me ‘n mah kin have done pretty good b’cause of it.”

The princess gazed at him with triumph clear in her grin. “You see, you understand that being kind is not simply making sure someone is as comfortable and happy as possible, but rather being sure that the best is being done for them, keeping them happy and healthy, even if at times it is painful for them. Fluttershy is still learning that lesson, even though her potential for kindness is nearly limitless.”

“Ah really think yer puttin’ a bit more importance on me than ya need to.” he suggested, blushing a bit in embarrassment. “At tha end of tha day, Ah’m just a farm boy that’s made mistakes in life and learned from ‘em, and there ain’t nothin’ particularly special ‘bout that.”

Princess Luna smiled at him again, this time leaning her head on his shoulder as they turned their eyes back to the group of seven chatting women. “I think you place far too little importance on yourself. To your family, you are the world; why can it not be something similar for anyone else?” Not waiting for a response, she added, “Eons of experience tend to alter the way one sees the world, and the people within it. Perhaps with time, you will come to understand how we see life.”

As Big Mac stood next to the night princess, holding her hand and watching the happiness of friends and family reunited, he found he quite liked the way a princess’ hand felt against his own.

Author's Note

Was listening to this on repeat the whole time I was writing this chapter. Put it on for a little ambiance if you want.

Chapter 6: Shadows Under the Sun

“Now ya make sure ya mind yer manners, boy!” the elder Granny Smith warned her grandson, waving her cane at him threateningly. “This ain’t some regular get-t’gether with yer friends; this is a celebration fer Princess Celestia! And stop messin’ with that bowtie!”

Big Mac snatched his hands away from the red-and-blue plaid bowtie his grandmother had forced him to wear for the occasion, along with a proper suit and dress slacks. The outfit had only left Big Mac’s closet when he was attending an important function, and even though he didn’t particularly have any problem with dressing up, Big Mac found the suit a bit...outdated. Still, much to his chagrin, it was the only truly presentable dress clothes he owned at the moment, which meant he had been forced to wear it under penalty of a raving grandmother and her killer glare, neither of which he was keen on experiencing at the moment or in the near future.

“All right all right, Ah got it.” he grumbled, forcing his hands to his side as he waited patiently for the train to arrive.

“Don’t worry,” whispered a cheerful voice from his side, “Princess Celestia isn’t one for ceremony unless it’s strictly necessary. Once the public party has ended -- which if I know her, will be early -- we’ll likely retire somewhere private for a more informal and relaxed celebration for her family and friends.”

Big Mac glanced to Twilight, who looked far too well off for someone who had spent such a long time in a coma. “Ah don’t mind gettin’ fancy, but Ah just wish Ah had somethin’ that isn’t so…”

“Tacky?” Applejack offered with a smirk.

Big Mac prepared to glare at his sister before looking to his decidedly weathered antique suit, instead releasing a sigh of defeat. “Took tha words right outta mah mouth, sis.”

A slap to the back of Big Mac’s head silenced him, followed by, “That was yer pa’s suit he wore for his weddin’, sonny! Show some respect!”

“Ma and Pa’s weddin’ was almost thirty years ago, granny.” Big Mac groaned, rubbing the back of his head. “Fashion’s moved on since then!” The matriarch of the Apples simply fixed him with a glare that said he wasn’t winning the argument, at which point he decided it was better to be quiet.

“This was why I stayed here instead of going to Canterlot last night.” Twilight commented wryly. “Both princesses know I’m all right now, so I decided to remain where I’m needed most. I knew without fail one of you would need me here to keep things under control.” She gestured to the town behind them. “Pinkie wanted to throw a party to end all parties, Dash wanted to host a ‘radical epic-storm’ in my honor, and Fluttershy...well actually, I’m not worried about Fluttershy, nor Rarity for that matter. I needed to keep most of the town from panicking since I accidentally caused an earthquake a short while ago, and I knew both you and AJ would need me to keep you two calm and collected.” She nudged her girlfriend with a smile. “Mostly AJ though.”

Applejack huffed and turned her head away, though she tightened her grip on Twilight’s hand within her own. “It’s been a long time since Ah got ta talk with ya. Gimme a break.” She sighed and looked to her partner lovingly, with a tear in her eye. “Ah was prepared ta take care of ya while you recovered, but whatever’s goin’ on with ya killed that idea. Not ta say that Ah’m not glad yer good as new and all, but…”

Twilight flexed her free hand, marveling at the way the tendons and muscles moved in her toned arm as she did so. “Believe me, I’m just as happy to be on my own feet as you are. I don’t think I’d have been able to live with myself knowing you were having to change my bedpan and such until I could walk again.”

“Doctors said yer a magic miracle or somethin’.” Big Mac commented off-handedly.

Twilight nodded, motioning to the approaching train. “That’s what they tell me, but I’m sure the princesses can probably explain more thoroughly later. Now c’mon, we can’t make the train late.”

Applejack rolled her eyes, but complied and grabbed her suitcase from beside them. “We can’t make ‘em late? ‘scuse me sugar, but we ain’t tha ones haulin’ twenty-somethin’ books with us to a place that’s got the kingdom’s largest library in it.”

Twilight glared at the two Apple siblings. “I’m behind on my studying because of my coma, and if I don’t catch up soon, I’ll fall even further behind and then-”

“You’ll figure somethin’ out, Twi.” Big Mac ensured. “Thinkin’ on yer toes is somethin’ ya do well, so you’ll think ‘a somethin’.”

Twilight glanced to her girlfriend for a moment before realizing she would be receiving no help on the matter, so she closed her eyes for a moment and focused before causing six of her cases of luggage to disappear, leaving only one left. “There, happy now?”

“Very.” Applejack answered with a grin, slinging her arm firmly around Twilight’s waist as they entered the train car, Big Mac in tow.

The ride to Canterlot was uneventful for the trio, and took far less time on the Canterlot Express rail line, which only rode to Canterlot and Ponyville. Such luxuries were part of the deal Twilight had made by staying in Ponyville instead of being taken directly to Canterlot in the morning. While a few of the hospital staff wanted to make the choice out to be more than it was, Twilight and the princesses assured everyone that it was simply a friend and citizen of Ponyville tending to her most urgent needs first, which included her friends and home.

Twilight was not the “subject who denied royalty”, she was just a devoted friend and lover, and knew who needed her the most.

Big Mac played a background role, as he usually did. He was more than happy to let Twilight and his sister take all the attention while he kept things moving from behind the scenes, making sure the town and his family were being taken care of, and that no particularly outlandish rumors got started…

Well, no more than were already floating around in a town that housed Equestria’s greatest heroes of the age, but that wasn’t Big Mac’s fault.

“Y’all right over there, Mac?” Applejack asked in concern, bringing the elder sibling out of his musings. “You’ve been mighty quiet. Well, quieter.”

He raised his head and nodded to the two women seated across from him in the cabin. “Ah’m jus’ fine, AJ. Just preparin’ mahself for all tha fancy folk that’re gonna be there ‘sall.”

Twilight’s deceptively delicate hand took his as she smiled at him. “Oh, it won’t be that bad. Applejack and I will be there to back you up, and I’m quite positive the princesses will make sure the nobility behaves themselves. It wouldn’t do well for any of their reputations to be thrown out of the event because they insulted guests of the princess.”

Big Mac shook his head with a sigh. “Ah ain’t got a problem with fancy types in principle; hell, Filthy Rich and Fancy Pants are a couple’a nice fellas, and their fam’lies are respectful for tha most part.”

“But there’s a reason why the nobility stays in Canterlot.” Twilight said, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t make it a point to play into prejudice, but I’ve been around the nobility enough in my life to know that people like Fancy Pants and Fleur de Lis are exceptions, not the norm.” She then nearly snarled as she added, “I’ve seen many of the noble families in court when I would attend with Princess Celestia, and more often than not, they are out only for personal gain, usually at the expense of someone else. The few that show otherwise are usually the few that I count among my friends.” Twilight then locked her gaze with Big Mac’s. “Which reminds me: avoid Jet Set and his wife, Diamond Dust. They in particular seem to have it out for common folk, and likely will try and start something in an effort to discredit or otherwise negatively impact you. Just don’t respond to his taunts, and stay near me or the princesses; we’ll make sure nothing bad happens.”

Big Mac sighed and shook his head ruefully. “Why is it soundin’ more and more like Ah’m walkin’ into a den’a lions?”

“Because ya are.” Applejack retorted with a smirk. “Ah’d face down a timberwolf b’fore Ah went toe-to-toe with them snooty folk, and it’s likely they’re gonna have their sights set on you, Mac.” She motioned to the inferiorem beside her. “Twi and I are heroines ‘n such, so they ain’t gonna mess with us. No, they’re gonna go fer what they think is an easy target, which is you.”

Big Mac shrugged. “Well Ah can play nice fer a bit while the princesses do their thing. Shouldn’t be too hard.” He then chuckled, patting the sealed case at his side that held the princess’ gifts. “Ah’m really just lookin’ forward to what Princess Celestia’s face is gonna look like when she sees what Ah brought ‘er.”

“Everyone thinks Princess Celestia is in love with cake.” Twilight commented, shaking her head. “I’m not entirely sure where that rumor came from, but she’s actually quite partial to avocados and crystal ice berries; not necessarily in that order, of course.”

Big Mac simply nodded before turning his gaze back to the window, watching the countryside pass them by as the journey continued to the capital.

The train chugged its way into the station in Canterlot, pulling to a stop before the loudspeakers blared an alert that it had arrived. As the doors opened people came pouring out of the train, most returning home after a quick jaunt to the humble town of Ponyville, but a few were visiting the beautiful city for one reason or another.

Three in particular were the last to leave the train -- two women and a tall, steel tower of a man -- each taking a moment to gather their things before beginning the short trek to the massive castle that was Equestria’s most beloved national monument to human architecture. The giant, sprawling structure had been built entirely without magic or flight from the ground up as a gift to the princess that had saved and watched over them for so many years.

Twilight sighed as she looked upon the palace that had been her home for the first few years of her tutelage under Princess Celestia. “Wow...it feels like forever since I’ve been back here.” With a deep breath, she steadied herself before grasping the hands of the two beside her and pulling them along. “C’mon, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna will want to meet with us before the party starts, and they’ll likely want to speak with me for a bit beforehand.”

Big Mac nodded absently as he allowed himself to be led by the smaller woman. He’d seen the castle before of course, but this would be the first time he had been allowed inside, and it was definitely the first time both princesses were expecting to see him.

As the three of them made their way along the brick road that circled the castle, Big Mac became aware of the many eyes that found him intriguing. He would never consider himself a shy man, but he could admit to himself that being stared at made him nervous. He supposed he should be used to it, being as tall as he was, but in a city where he knew no one, he found the eyes upon him to be uncomfortable.

Twilight glanced back at Big Mac as she felt his hand tighten its grip on hers. “Are you all right back there?”

Big Mac realized his giant hand was on the verge of crushing Twilight’s, and relaxed his grip while nodding. “Yeah, Ah’m all right. Just don’ rightly like bein’ stared at by a buncha strangers, is all.”

Twilight nodded in understanding, motioning to the large steel gate a few dozen paces away. “Well we’re almost there, Mac. Just a bit further and we’ll be inside and away from prying eyes.”

“Y’all don’ usually get all skittish, Mac.” Applejack commented with equal parts confusion and concern. “Y’all right?”

He nodded, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Yeah, Ah’m fine. Jus’ a lil’ nervous ‘bout all this; ain’t never been to a princess’ birthday b’fore. What if Ah make a fool ‘a mahself?”

Applejack chuckled and shook her head. “Tell ya what, Mac: when we get in there, just be yerself. Tha princesses like ya for who ya are, so just be that guy ‘n you’ll be fine.”

“Contrary to what many people believe, the princesses are very simple women.” Twilight added with a smile. “If they befriended you, it’s because they saw something they liked. Just be yourself and act the way you normally would around them or any other friend, and all will be well.”

Nothing more was said as they approached two armed guards standing at the gate in shimmering golden armor. The taller of the two held up a hand and queried, “Names and reason for your visit, please.”

“Twilight Sparkle, Applejack of the Apple clan, and Macintosh of the Apple clan. We’re here for the birthday celebration of Princess Celestia.” Twilight answered formally.

The guard had pulled out a scroll as Twilight spoke, and his sharp blue eyes traced the parchment for a moment before nodding firmly and stepping aside. “Very well, you may enter. You are to meet with Night Guard Captain Whispering Winds in the atrium, and she will escort the three of you to Princess Luna’s study, where the two princesses have requested you to be brought upon your arrival.” With two firm taps of the spear butt against the ground, the gate swung open. “Enjoy your visit to Canterlot Castle. Welcome back, Miss Sparkle.”

Twilight nodded with a grateful smile to the two guards before leading the way into the castle courtyard, which was beautiful in its own right. The building itself and much of the stonework of the grounds was carved out of white marble, with massive stone pillars and doorways that seemed to have been built with dragons in mind instead of human beings. Big Mac was a practical man that didn’t see the use for such opulent things, but as Celestia had reminded him time and time again, the palace was a gift, and it would have been considered rude to turn it down.

Still...fifteen-foot doorways; why?

“I remember running around this place when I was just a little girl.” Twilight mused aloud, gleefully whipping her head around to take in the grounds. She suddenly pointed to a large peach tree with a gasp and a manic smile. “Princess Celestia used to play tag with me around that tree; I can’t believe it’s still here!” A chuckle from Applejack caused the young woman to blush madly in embarrassment, but she continued her strides toward the main atrium nonetheless. “S-sorry, it’s just that there’s so many memories here for me. I spent almost five years of my childhood here, and…” she sighed with a wistful smile, “before I came to Ponyville, it’s the only place I’ve ever felt like I had a family. Princess Celestia was busy seeing as how she was the only ruling princess around, but she always made time for me.”

“She’s yer mama, Twi.” Applejack murmured lovingly, throwing a warm smile her girlfriend’s way as they locked eyes. “She might not ‘a birthed ya, but that’s yer ma, and anyone that knows tha two of ya can see it.”

Twilight’s smile widened to comical levels as she nodded manically. “Oh, tonight’s going to be so much fun!”

Big Mac couldn’t help but smile at the childlike joy of Twilight, who was often so serious and composed. He supposed nostalgia was a powerful feeling, and he himself felt it often seeing as how he lived in the same town his whole life. Idly, he found himself wondering if the princesses felt nostalgia often.

The three finally entered the wide atrium, which was well-lit with natural sunlight filtering through many windows and skylights. A large fountain dominated the center of the chamber, with a beautiful arrangement of flowering plants bordering the edge of the walkway.

“Twilight Sparkle.” called the strong voice of a female from off to the side, causing all three to glance to the heavily-armed guard in black and violet armor approaching. The guard stopped a few paces away and bowed quickly and shallowly. “I am Captain Whispering Winds of the Royal Night Guards; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She then darted her sharp ruby eyes to Macintosh and Applejack. “And the two of you are certainly the eldest siblings of the Apple clan of Ponyville.” She seemed to size the two humans up for a moment while biting her lip. “I must admit, I pictured the two of you to be much taller.”

Without missing a beat Applejack retorted, “It’s our character ‘n our deeds that make us giants, captain. On the outside, we ain’t nothin’ but common-folk.”

The night guard removed her decorative dragon’s-head helmet, revealing soft features and silky brunette hair. To Macintosh at least, she didn’t look the part of a guard, but he had learned never to judge a person by their appearances -- Twilight had taught him that. With that in mind he met her eyes respectfully as she looked them over, still appraising them.

After a few more moments she smiled slightly and nodded. “I suppose that makes sense, and I can respect that. Come, the princesses await.”

The three followed the guard through the winding halls before coming to an ornate wooden door, which, save for the carvings on it, was rather mundane in comparison to the rest of the castle. Though princesses, Big Mac was rather familiar with just how simplistic the desires of the two were, and somehow felt more comfortable around the less-opulent area -- somehow, it felt more real. He didn’t feel like he was meeting with two possibly-immortal god-princesses, but instead just meeting two kind and loving women who just happened to rule a country.

It sounded a lot less intimidating when he thought of it like that, in any case.

“Hold a moment,” the guard captain ordered, gesturing for them to wait with a hand, “I’ll announce your arrival.” She then stuck her head in the cracked-open door briefly before pulling it open and waving them inside. “The princesses will see you now.”

Macintosh, Twilight and Applejack shuffled into the room, and the two Apple siblings found themselves taken by awe.

“Homey” was the first term that came to mind for Macintosh, since even though the room was obviously quite the investment, it had been decorated and maintained in such a way that it felt warm, and relaxing. The floor was a deep, red oak, with a large intricately woven rug leading to well-worked wooden walls and furniture. Pictures lined many of the shelves and even the mantle of the hearth in one corner, and in every picture was Celestia with another person. As he continuously looked over the many photographs, Big Macintosh came to notice a trend rather quickly: each one was a younger boy or girl, and they all had the same starry-eyed wonder that Twilight did. It was easy enough to deduce who they might be.

“These’re all yer students.” Macintosh voiced aloud, taken by the sheer number of different people in the pictures. In the back of his mind, he knew that both princesses were ancient, but only now did he truly realize just how many years they had seen pass in their long lives.

The solar princess shifted in her seat slightly, her silky white dress whispering against her form. Though she didn’t say it, she was impressed by just how mentally sharp the farmer was. “Yes indeed. I have taken special individuals under my wing since the beginning, doing my best to teach and mold them to be able to handle the rigors of leadership when they one day matured enough to lead people of their own. While not every one of them had the opportunity to use said skills, I take it upon myself to always pass my wisdom onto at least one other per generation, in case something should happen to the country as we know it. It is inevitable that at some point, Luna and I will not be enough to lead Equestria, and on that day, I plan to be ready.” She stood from the plush chair at her desk, walking past Luna and moving to more closely admire some of the photographs (or painted portraits, depending on the time when the memory was saved on a medium), running her fingers reverently over a few of them. “Each one of these talented individuals were chosen because of their potential, but also because they needed someone to guide and love them. I will admit it was a somewhat selfish endeavor at times, but I do not regret mentoring the leaders of generations.” She then turned to look at the three other occupants in the room, focusing directly on Twilight. “Especially you, dear Twilight.”

“Especially me?” Twilight echoed, confused at the special emphasis placed on her.

Celestia nodded, walking over to lay a hand gently on the smaller woman’s head. “Yes, especially you. You have proven worthy enough to lead the Elements of Harmony, brought my sister back to me alive, and even defeated both Discord and Sombra. I have no doubt we will see much from you in the coming years; I only hope I will be there to see it firsthand.”

Twilight shrank a bit, suddenly self-conscious. “I don’t do anything all that special, princess. I just try my best to help people, and hope that’s enough.”

Celestia nodded with a small, proud smile as she lovingly ran her hand through Twilight’s hair. “And just like any true hero of the age, humble, almost to a fault.” She then sank to a knee, making her a head shorter than Twilight as she continued to smile at the young woman. “One day, the person you are and the person you are meant to be will meet. When that day comes, I pray you finally understand just how important you are to Equestria...and to me.”

Twilight’s face screwed up briefly as she tried to hold tears in before she lost the battle, and threw her arms around the princess of the sun. Faint sniffles could be heard as the two women held each other tightly while the other three occupants in the room looked on. Even though no one in the room said it out loud, they all thought the same thing at the sight of Celestia and Twilight together like that:

Mother. Daughter.

And then, much to the surprise of Twilight, Celestia gave her a gentle, loving kiss on the forehead as she stood once again. Gazing down at her student and one of the most important people in her life, Celestia could only offer a small, teary smile to the young woman. “Never doubt that you are important Twilight, for when the sun rises each day, it rises for you first.”

The two women released one another before Celestia turned to the two other visitors, smiling. “Well, I am glad the two of you could make it. I was hoping my invitations would be heeded, and it appears my worries to the contrary were unfounded.”

“Wouldn’ta missed it for tha world, Princess.” Big Mac replied immediately, smiling gently.

“Granny kickin’ yer rear int’a gear helped too-ow!” Applejack yelped, rubbing her upper arm as she glared at her older sibling. He just returned the glare with a look that promised retribution should she continue embarrassing him. The princesses could only watch the exchange in amusement, both quite familiar with the dynamic between two siblings so close in age, and that it often included copious amounts of teasing.

“Anyway,” Twilight began, rolling her eyes at the two farmers, “we’re all quite happy to be here, Princess Celestia. We hope to help make this birthday a memorable one.”

The elder princess nodded, a serene smile crossing her lips. “It already is, I assure you. Nonetheless, I believe we should all get ready for the party. Twilight, if I might have a moment of your time…?”

Luna stepped forward to the two Apples and nodded to each, reaching down and grabbing Twilight’s heavy bag as easily as one would a bag of feathers. “I will show you to your rooms, unless you would prefer to share.”

“Ah think Ah’ll give Twi and mah sis some privacy, Princess.” Big Mac answered, grinning sharkishly. “If y’all could soundproof tha room too, that’d be appreciated. They tend ta make a racket in bed, even though neither of ‘em snore…” Big Mac quite enjoyed the way his sister looked like she was about to faint from embarrassment.

It took all of two seconds before Princess Luna started snickering, and though he knew revenge would be coming his way at some point, it was worth it to make the princess laugh. Besides, he owed his sister quite a bit of payback over the years, and though they both know he’d never break even with her, he was well within his rights to needle and tease her, and they both knew it. Regardless, their sibling rivalry could wait, so they silently followed the night princess through the hallways of the palace.

The door to the guest room swung open, and in strode Big Mac and Princess Luna. The taller man made his way to the bed and set his bag down to the side, looking over the large room and trying not to feel too uncomfortable about the overbearing opulence. Needless to say, a simple farmer was used to simple housing, so the luxuriant floors, a four-post bed, and full-length windows were far more than he needed. Still, he would endure, for the sake of the princesses.

Having dropped his younger sister and Twilight’s bags at another room, Big Mac was now alone with the princess in what would be his quarters for the next two or three days. While it was true that he was far from a novice when it came to dealing with the fairer sex, he still wasn’t entirely sure how to act around the princesses. Sure, they were females, and yes, he was no stranger to relations with women, but they were also splendorem, and royalty to boot. He often found himself caught between trying to treat them as he would any other female friend of his, and treating them like the veritable goddesses they were. The gold-armored guard silently glaring at him from the open doorway didn’t help things, either. The princess, however, seemed to be well aware of his plight, since she treated him kindly, but professionally, so as to avoid any issues with the guard or palace staff.

“Are these quarters satisfactory?” the princess questioned aloud, stopping a few paces away from the Apple as he continued to inspect the room itself.

Her voice seemed to bring him back to reality, and he turned to face Princess Luna with a polite smile, trying his best not to glance at the guard at the door. “Yes princess, these’ll do fine. Thanks for yer hospitality.” Knowing that he was being watched, he crossed one palm over his heart and offered a shallow bow of his head, a traditional gesture of respect for those of a higher station.

Taking the words and gesture in stride, the princess nodded and fixed a polite smile on her face. “Wonderful. The celebration will begin in one hour’s time. I will fetch you fifteen minutes beforehand and we will walk to the grand hall together.” This time, she bowed her head. “Thank you for coming, Big Mac. My sister and I appreciate your presence.” With that, she backed out of the room and left, leaving him to his own devices.

Or, at least, that was likely the plan.

Once the clicks of her heeled shoes could no longer be heard, the guard from the doorway entered the room. Another guard took his place as the door closed, and the first guard approached Big Mac with tense steps. The armored man stopped in front of the comparatively larger and stronger farmer, and stared back with the same stern glare as before.

A moment or two of silence passed between them before the guard opened his mouth and spoke, his words sharp and precise, like the sword he wore at his hip. “You don’t belong here farmer, so listen close:” Big Mac immediately frowned, but kept silent, “this is the birthday celebration of Princess Celestia, and as such, it is a very important function. This is not one of your podunk hoedowns in that dirt pit you call a town, and I will not tolerate behavior that casts a bad light upon the royal family. You will speak only when spoken to, and you will not engage in any unsavory activities within these walls -- that means no fights, no drinking games, and no incestuous behavior. Is that understood?”

By this point, Big Mac’s right hand was clenched into a fist so tight that his knuckles popped, but he was unfortunately quite familiar with when someone was trying to goad him to do something stupid, so he kept his silence and only glared back at the shorter man in front of him. Of course, while one part of him was reminding him that he was a guest of the princesses -- a personal one, at that -- and that he needed to be on his best behavior, a darker part of him whispered how devastatingly easy it would be to make a deadly crater in this man’s skull, helmet be damned.

Seemingly unaware of just how big of a bear he was poking, the guard stepped even closer, having to tilt his head up to look the taller man in the eyes. “I asked you a question, farmboy.”

Big Mac met the man’s eyes with his own, and at that moment, thought of something Pinkie Pie had taught him. “Wanna know the best way to make a meanie squirm without punching? Smile wide, and show utter kindness.”

And so, Big Mac slowly pulled back his lips into a wide grin, nodding almost excitedly to the man. “Of course, sir! I won’t let the princesses down! Anything I can do to help, you just let me know!” The almost manic grin and nodding, coupled with a complete lack of accent, completed the look Macintosh was going for. He had to channel Pinkie for it to work, but the reaction was definitely worth it.

Completely caught off guard by the response, the guard actually flinched back, then cursed under his breath. He had lost the little mental battle with the farmer, and they both knew it, as he had figured him to be some dumb farmhand and nothing more. Though he couldn’t say he liked the farmer, he now had a small smidgen of respect for him, though he would never say it aloud. He knew there was nothing he could say or do to save face, so he decided to cut his losses as he turned on his heel and walked out of the room, opening and then closing the door behind him.

Macintosh was now left on his own, and as soon as the door clicked shut, he allowed himself a more natural grin, shaking his head at what had just happened. It seemed that even in Canterlot, there were people that had to test themselves against “the Ponyville giant”, and while he was never one to look for trouble, Macintosh could say he enjoyed proving assumptions about him and his family wrong. With a stretch and a sigh, he took a seat on the bed and pulled up his luggage, deciding unpacking would be a good way to pass the time.

Until the princess had knocked on the door, Macintosh had been sitting on the bed, quite literally twiddling his thumbs as he waited. To say he was happy to have something to do was an understatement, and he nearly leaped off of the bed at the sound, only pausing to grab the two gifts he brought. The angelic voice of Princess Luna asking for entry prompted him to open the door for her, and he smiled at the sight of the dark princess.

The princess looked stunned for a moment before smirking at Macintosh and replying in a sultry, teasing tone, “If I did not know better, I would say you were anxiously awaiting my return.”

One of the things Macintosh enjoyed about his personal friendship with the princesses was he came to know very different people than who the rest of the world knew. Luna in particular was often seen as stern, commanding, and even intimidating, but Macintosh had come to find out that was just a front. In truth, she was playful, mischievous, and, dare he say it, a big dork. She had to hide her true self when presenting herself to the public, but when in private or around privileged company, she was a lot more fun than most could ever imagine.

Big Mac knew all this, and knew he could get away with sending her teasing back at her. He leaned with crossed arms against the doorframe, subtly glancing to be sure no one else was around before firing back with, “Well, Ah might’ve been. Ah’d invite ya in, but we got places ta be, so…”

Gasping theatrically, the princess brought her hand to her chest in mock shock. “Propositioning a princess, Macintosh? Shame on you, sir. What unbecoming behavior for a guest of the crown.”

Unable to come up with anything particularly witty to say, Macintosh gave a simple, “You started it.”

Not even trying to hide it, Princess Luna giggled girlishly, enjoying how nice and fun it was to just talk with someone without so much pomp and circumstance wrapped up in every word. They both enjoyed it from each other, of course, but since it was far more rare for the princess than the farmer, she tended to place a much greater value on it. Macintosh, on the other hand, simply enjoyed the fact that he could bring some small portion of joy to the rulers of the land, and that they were just people underneath the crowns.

“Well,” Princess Luna began, stepping beside the large man and looping her arm in his, “I believe we should get going. It would not do for the birthday girl’s sister to be absent for too long. Come, let us make our way to the party.”

Big Mac fell into step beside the princess, but raised an eyebrow. “Party’s already started?”

Princess Luna shrugged gently. “You have only missed the introduction of all the guests. Nothing too terribly important, I promise.”

The words didn’t do much to settle Big Mac’s growing sense of unease. “Won’t it look like yer playin’ favorites, bringin’ me in after all tha rest?”

Nodding to a guard as they passed, Princess Luna just shrugged again. “It was the lesser of two evils. If we had simply elected to have you wait in the room, and be there when the other guests arrive, they would have assumed you were a palace servant. Twilight and fair Applejack will be announced with you, and in doing this, it will be made clear that you are guests of the crown. While it is true that this will draw attention to you, it will also prevent the more troublesome guests from causing you undue problems should you or the other two be seen speaking to my sister or I. You may have to fend off a few social climbers, however, and for that, I am sorry.”

Big Mac settled finally, and relaxed his gait as he continued walking with his royal escort. “Ah ain’t that bothered, now that Ah know what’s goin’ on. Much as Ah’m sure we all wish otherwise, politics is a part of yer life; even a birthday celebration is public.”

Princess Luna nodded with a resigned sigh. “Very true, Macintosh. In many ways, Celestia and I are seen as the very personifications of Equestria itself, and so to keep the peace, we must be readily accessible to the public. It became easier as the centuries passed, but I will admit that we have become likened to dragons from the way we hoard what little privacy we have.” She shook her head, causing her sparkling blue locks to fall over one eye before she used her hand to secure them behind one ear. “I will admit that I have never completely gotten used to it, and I find myself losing my patience quicker than my sister.”

Reaching over with his free hand, Big Mac patted the hand holding onto his arm, smiling at the shorter woman at his side. “Ya can’t compare yerself ta Celestia all tha time, Princess. She’s had a thousand more years ta get used to tha life y’all lead, so ‘fcourse she’s gonna be better at it. Give it another thousan’ though, and Ah’m sure you’ll be a master.” The princess let out a restrained snort and bumped her shoulder into the larger man, but otherwise silently continued walking with him toward the massive doors that led to the grand hall. Twilight and Applejack were already waiting nearby, garbed in dresses that would be downright gaudy anywhere else besides Canterlot; other than a nod to each other, the two groups silently converged and headed toward the doors together. The four guards in front of the doors acknowledged their presence with a nod before opening the doors, the one closest to the open doorway stepping through with the princess and her guests.

Saying the grand hall was crowded would be like saying an ocean was a bit damp, and it was all the more noticeable by the deafening silence that settled over the mass of people as nearly every eye turned to the doors as they opened to reveal the three new arrivals.

The lead guard that entered with them stepped forward and cleared his throat. “Announcing Her Royal Majesty, Watcher of the Night, Princess Luna, Royal Protege Twilight Sparkle, and Applejack and Macintosh Apple of the Ponyville Apple Clan.” With that said, the guard stepped back and exited, closing the doors behind him, presumably to resume his post.

Princess Luna, powerful and mysterious, drew attention no matter where she went, but even so, more eyes were on her guests than focused on her. While efforts had been taken to protect their anonymity, everyone in Equestria knew who the Elements of Harmony were by now, so to see two of them in one place was intriguing.

For most, however, the third guest was far more interesting. He was an unknown -- most present didn’t even know who he was -- but it was clear from the way he was introduced that he was somehow connected to the royal family. Macintosh, while not necessarily shy, couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of unease at the hundreds of eyes now trained firmly on him -- watching, judging. But then, as if a switch had been flipped, all those present went back to the festivities. Much as he would regret the minor show of weakness later, he unconsciously tightened his grip on Princess Luna’s hand, feeling much like a rabbit being stalked by a timberwolf.

“Calm, Macintosh. Calm yourself.” Princess Luna’s whispered words flowed into his ear. “Let us pull away from the crowd to greet sister and present your gifts.” The man in question took a steadying breath and nodded, allowing himself to be led to the part of the room where Princess Celestia was chatting with a few of the more prominent members of the nobility.

As they walked, the giant of a man was forced to greet a few of the more curious guests, but other than a cursory and polite acknowledgement, the group moved quickly and with purpose to where the elder princess waited next to a wall adorned with beautiful stained-glass windows. It was only as they approached closer that he noticed the windows displayed some of Twilight’s more prominent adventures, which only served to remind him of who he had once been involved with. As goofy, dorky, and down-to-earth as she was, it was easy to forget that Twilight was a hero of the age, as was his sister.

Finally arriving, Big Mac waited patiently as Princess Luna made her way to Princess Celestia, leaning in to whisper into her ear. The solar princess immediately perked up, looking away from her seneschal to smile at her gathered guests. She beckoned them over happily, standing from her plush armchair to greet the entourage properly.

The silky white dress the elder princess was wearing perfectly matched Princess Celestia’s minimalist tastes, being simple in design but gorgeous in execution; from the flawless dress to her flowing locks of glittering, multicolored hair, Princess Celestia had a visage that had inspired poems and songs for generations. Before he could stop himself, Macintosh found his eyes admiring the solar princess’ form like he would any other woman, and nearly physically slapped himself once he realized his actions. Still, he knew he was undoubtedly not the only one that found himself transfixed by such a perfect female form.

“...and Macintosh, I am quite pleased that you made it.”

Oh, she was talking now. Focus!

“Uh…” Macintosh did slap himself this time, doing his best to pick up the pieces of his dignity as he extended the gift bag to her, “Ah got ya a li’l somethin’. Pinkie helped.” The complete inelegance of his words and actions caused the farmer to cringe inwardly. ‘Stupid, stupid!’

However, his predicament wasn't exactly subtle, so the princess stepped forward and grabbed him by the shoulders, causing the taller man to look down at the ruler. Her gentle magenta eyes bored into his, and immediately, he felt calm; in her gaze was no judgement or disappointment, only concern and acceptance. Slowly, his tense muscles began to relax, and he let out a steady breath.

Princess Celestia smiled up at her taller guest. “Better?”

Taking another breath, he nodded. “Yeah. Ah’m sorry Princess, but this here fancy party’s got me feelin’ like a timberwolf at a bonfire.”

Smiling understandingly, Princess Celestia nodded. “I know, and I apologize. Power through it for an hour, for me, and the five of us will retreat to a private celebration. This,” she gestured to the gathered upper-classes, “unfortunately, is a necessary evil, but we will not spend much time here.” Looking down at the bag he had offered her, Princess Celestia took the gift and pulled the small box out of the bag. Her eyebrows lifted at the noticeable enchantment upon it, but upon opening it, her jaw dropped. “A-are these…?”

The look of stark awe on the face of the supposedly-unflappable princess brought a grin to Macintosh’s face. “Sure is. Some ‘t enjoy now, ‘n some ta grow f’r later. Ah figured this’d be somethin’ nice that y’all can’t usually get, and they’re jus’ f’r you.”

Princess Celestia reached into the box and pulled out one of the crystalline, blood-red berries, about the size of her thumb. She closed the enchanted box immediately afterward, then looked the berry over with a discerning eye before popping it into her mouth and crunching into it. The crystal-like outer layer broke under her pristine teeth, causing a veritable flood of delicately complex, sweet juice to crash over her taste buds, taking her senses for a flavorful ride that she had not experienced in a very long time.

After a few moments of closed-eyed bliss, the princess opened her eyes and looked to her farmer friend, smiling brightly at him. “I won’t ask how you came across these, but know that I definitely approve. Thank you for the gift, Macintosh.”

Returning her smile, Macintosh dipped his head briefly. “Glad ya like it. Truth be told, Ah wasn’t sure what ta get ya, but Twi and tha girls helped with that.” He didn’t mention the other thing Pinkie mentioned, afraid it might cause a misunderstanding.

Ever the picture of decorum (when in public, at least), Princess Celestia only nodded with a grateful smile. “Well, when you see her again, tell her I appreciate it. The berries do not grow without the power of the crystal heart, so I went without this taste for nearly a thousand years.” She gave a refined laugh from behind her gloved hand. “While I am quite happy my niece had her lands restored, I confess I was also quite excited to know that things such as this,” she held the enchanted box up, “are once again available. Already, this is turning out to be quite a nice birthday celebration.” Looking off to the side, the princess sighed heavily through her nose. “Unfortunately, it seems the duties of a princess are never done.”

Only a moment later, Macintosh was witness to a shorter man and woman practically forcing him out of the way to stand before the princess (though, to be fair, even the princesses were shorter than him). The couple was dressed extravagantly in the most current fashion fads available, complete with a cologne or perfume that reminded Macintosh of poor-quality moonshine and old fruit. The man, who had an overly-rosy hue to his face, stood before the princess as if he were Faust’s gift to the world, and spoke with a tone that made Macintosh want to smack the handlebar mustache off of his face.

“Princess Celestia, steward of the day and the most gracious of hosts, we require a few moments of your time,” the man began, and Macintosh almost snorted a laugh at how thick the man was laying on the pomp. Before he spoke further, however, the man slowly turned his head to look at the farmers and Twilight, practically snarling. “You are excused. These matters do not concern you.”

Before his sister could strangle the uppity guy, Macintosh grabbed Applejack’s hand and nodded to the rude man. “I’ll be leavin’, then.” However, just to give the man something to think about, he looked to the princesses and nodded with a friendly grin. “When y’all are finished with business, Ah’ll be with Twi and AJ over by tha food. Don’t take too long now, princesses.” He gave a wink to them both, and by the stuttered gasp he heard, he was sure the unwelcome company was about to have a conniption.

Macintosh pulled his sister and Twilight away, toward the snack table. On the way, Applejack jerked her hand away angrily, huffing loudly as she grumbled, “Why’d you just walk away like that? That guy needed some act-right, and Ah was ready t’ give it!”

“Yeah, b’cause throttlin’ a guest in the castle would’ve been tha right choice, AJ.” Macintosh sarcastically answered. He was well aware that his sister had a temper, especially when it came to others insulting her family or friends.

Thankfully, Twilight remedied the situation once again by lacing her fingers with those of her girlfriend, and gave the fuming farmer a comforting smile. “It helps to imagine them as being mentally handicapped. That way, you can imagine they don’t know any better, and lack the mental capacity to learn it; it’s more true than I wish, unfortunately, though due more to pride and prejudice than an actual mental affliction.” Placing her hand on her chin, she thought aloud. “Although, I suppose pride to that degree can be a form of mental handicap when it causes you to behave like an arrogant teenager.”

Applejack snorted a laugh, shaking her head as she followed her lover and brother. “Darn it Twi, Ah was tryin’ ta stay indignant, ‘n then you make it sound like the guy is a few apples short of a bushel.” Composing herself as they moved through the crowd, she shrugged helplessly. “Awright, Ah ain’t gonna hit ‘im. Ah can’t promise nothin’ if these ‘ere sticks in the mud keep talkin’ down t’ us, though.”

Twilight glanced back at the other woman, smiling enigmatically. “Just let me handle them. No one talks down to my Apples and gets away with it.”

And suddenly, Macintosh was worried for the aggressors.

Luckily, they arrived at the snack tables a moment later, and they passed the time by drinking some punch or eating from the assorted snacks. A few of the more respectful guests that recognized the three paid a visit to give their kind regards to Twilight for her recovery, but for the most part, the three were left to their own devices as the celebration continued.

Finally, after everyone was well-settled, Princess Luna took a microphone and tapped it to get everyone’s attention. She applied a spell that had her floating a few feet into the air on a nimbus of cyan magic so that everyone could see her, and she smiled to the crowd as she greeted them. “Greetings, and thank you for coming to Our sister’s celebration of her birth. We do hope you all are enjoying yourselves tonight.” Reserved claps were her response, since it would apparently be impolite to cheer, so the princess continued after only a moment. “As you all know, Our sister and I do all that we can to be sure the people of the land are happy and healthy, but We must admit, Our elder sister has given far more than we ever could. Through wars, she led us to victory. Through famine, she sacrificed her own health to lessen the suffering. For peace, she gives all that she can and more.” Looking to her sister with profound affection, Princess Luna gave a smile so full of love, it brought tears to the eyes of most within the ballroom. Princess Celestia was completely focused on her sister at this point, as if the two of them were the only ones in the room. When Princess Luna spoke again, it was with complete sincerity. “I hope that one day I can be as great a woman as my sister. Please, let us celebrate the continuing life of one of the greatest people that have ever lived; to Princess Celestia!” This time, a more exuberant round of cheers came around, with shouts of exaltation and praise that seemed out of character for a room full of seemingly stuffy people. Nonetheless, the speech had the intended effect, and all gathered were looking to the solar princess with smiles as they gave praise and adoration to their princess.

Princess Luna floated down off of the cloud of magic, crossing the room to embrace her sister with a few whispered words just between the two of them. After the short conversation finished, Princess Celestia took the microphone from her sister and smiled. “My beloved people, I thank you for your love and support. As always, I am happy to lead us all into a prosperous future, and I am grateful for attending this event. Please, eat, drink, and be merry. Thank you all for coming.” The princesses then looked to their special guests and beckoned them back over to the corner of the room, so Macintosh, Applejack, and Twilight crossed the room to approach the princesses once more.

“Y’know,” Big Mac began, a grin teasing his lips, “folks back home’d call that blowin’ smoke, but Ah know ya mean it.” He gestured to the many gifts still sitting upon the table off to the side. “Ya gonna open any ‘a them other gifts?”

Looking toward the table, Princess Celestia shrugged. “For security purposes, I am not allowed to touch them until they’ve been properly inspected.” She pointed a single finger to the ceiling, and it was only then that the three guests noticed a decent sized company of Princess Luna’s night guard set up in the darkened rafters of the room, above all the light sources. Along with that were the fifty or so guards stationed on the ground floor of the ballroom itself. As Macintosh looked back to the princess, she only smirked. “You don’t honestly think I’d be so foolish to not have a significant guard presence on duty, do you? I have not survived this long due to ignorance and stupidity.”

The farm man could only shake his head. “N-naw, Ah don’t think y’all ‘re stupid, but ya accepted mah gift without a fuss, and Ah just didn’t think there’d be this much security at a party with people ya trust.”

“What do you think Whispering Winds was doing?” she answered with a smirk. “The good captain was not there just to receive you, but also to scan your goods to be sure there was nothing dangerous within. I trust you, my friend, but rules are rules. However,” she shifted her eyes to the rest of the guests, “I don’t trust them.” At Macintosh’s disbelieving stare, she pressed his shoulder to turn him around, and she hugged her body against his back as she leaned to his ear and whispered, “Look at the young man over there by the buffet table, the one with the curled orange hair and red bowtie.”

While a more primal part of the man was focused on the warm body pressing against his back, Macintosh focused and located the man she was talking about. “Yeah, what about 'im?”

“He’s tried to have me assassinated twice, or, at least, his family has.” Princess Celestia explained, forcing a jolt through the farmer in shock and concern. She rubbed her hand against his shoulder. “Think of it like a complicated tabletop game.” Macintosh’s wince at his supposedly-secret hobby was quite noticeable, but she continued nonetheless. “In order to better learn from and overcome my enemies, I must have them close. What better way than to invite them into my home, and provide them with food and alcohol? If I convince them I think they’re my friends, they’re likely to do or say something that compromises them, or at the very least, reveals their intentions and/or those of their compatriots. It is a risk, of course, but that is why I have my guards close at hand, and I would rather risk my wellbeing than be ignorant of those that would wish me and my sister harm.”

It was times like this that Big Mac was reminded that, even with how close he was with the princesses, they lived in a world completely different from his. He lowered his head in disappointment, mostly at himself. “Ah thought yer people loved ya. Guess Ah was just bein’ a ‘dumb commoner’ just like they say.”

“Don’t.” Princess Celestia’s voice cut through the air, sharp as a razor, immediately drawing his attention. Her eyes were narrowed as she bored her gaze into his own eyes, and she spoke slowly, calmly, yet with purpose. “Do not tarnish the vision of the man I have come to know and care about by claiming that you are in any way unintelligent. Ignorance is not the same as being stupid, Macintosh, as I’m sure you can agree.” She gestured with her hand to the room around them. “I make it a point to spare all of you from this life, because its complexity wears on the mind and soul. You do not deserve those burdens, and so I keep them from you.” After a moment of intense staring, her features softened, and a pleasant smile drew across her lips. “I don’t want another courtier or brown-nosing noble; I want a common person, unburdened by the unending game of political chess that everyone in my court plays. I want common friends, who are not so jaded by the common injustice in the large cities that they lose their compassion for their fellow man or woman.” The smile seemed to grow tangibly warmer as she continued, and that warmth seemed to spread to Big Mac’s core. “Most of all, I want people -- even if it’s just a handful -- that can see me as just a simple woman, instead of the princess of the greatest and most prosperous nation in the world. I want someone who is reluctant to bow -- not because of disrespect, but because they know I want to be seen as an equal by my friends; I want friends that can separate me from this when we spend time together.” She tapped her crown with a finger, glaring almost balefully up at the intricate headwear.

While Macintosh understood, he still felt the need to point out a very important point: “Ain’t much time y’all ain’t ‘princess’n’ though. B’sides that, Ah think these uppity types’d have a stroke if Ah invited ya to a hoedown in Ponyville. Us ‘common-folk’ ain’t exactly allowed t’ do that.”

“Perhaps not,” she pondered aloud, “but, if a princess was to visit one of the towns she rules, especially the one that houses national heroines, there isn’t much the nobility and gentry can say or do about it. There are ways to surmount every obstacle, if a friend is but willing to stand beside me.”

Understanding what she was getting at, Macintosh felt a happy smile grow. “You lemme know a time, ‘n Ah’ll make sure we c’n receive ya. Would be nice ta see y’all more’n national disasters, or yer girl here wakin’ up from a coma.” He jerked his head toward Twilight, who was busying herself with her own conversation between her, Princess Luna, and Applejack.

A cleared throat off to the right brought Macintosh’s attention to Captain Whispering Winds, who was concealed in a shadowy corner. “The two of you may want to be careful of all that physical contact; you’re drawing a lot of attention your way.”

The words caused both the princess and farmer to become aware of the fact that, yes, a sizeable amount of the guests were focused intently on the two of them. Some were sneaking glances here and there, while a few were outright staring, but the blatant impropriety was serious enough to draw eyes toward the two of them.

Macintosh tried not to miss the pleasant warmth of the princess against him when she pulled away. Contrary to her actions, though, she seemed just as put-off as he was. “Unfortunately, the good captain is right. That was improper, and I apologize for that, Macintosh Apple. Can you forgive me?”

“You can put yer hands on me anytime,” was what he thought, but he instead answered, “Apology accepted, Princess Celestia.” He turned fully to face her, bowing at the waist at a 45-degree angle. “Ah hope Ah didn’t overstep any bounds.”

As he stood tall again, he noticed the princess’ face twitch sourly, though she apparently knew they had to appear “proper” in public, regardless of any personal bonds they might hold. “All is forgiven, Macintosh Apple. Please, enjoy the party to its fullest.”

Reminding himself that these were the parts they had to play in the public eye, Big Mac nodded to her respectfully. “Thank you, Princess.” Unfortunately, at that moment, a certain biological impulse hit him, and he found himself shyly asking, “Um...y’all wouldn’t happen to be able to tell me where tha washroom is, would ya?”

Unable to fully stop herself, the princess snorted with a grin. “Captain Whispering Winds will have one of her guards escort you.”

The named captain snapped her fingers loudly, and one of the hidden guards jumped down from the rafters, landing with barely a sound next to her. She inclined her head toward the farmer. “Silent Night, show Mr. Apple where the lavatory is. Make sure he gets there and back safely.”

With a silent nod, the night guard looked to Macintosh without a word, his glittering golden eyes the only thing visible through the visor of his helmet. He took the lead, gesturing with a hand for Macintosh to follow, so the two made their way out of the ballroom to the quiet corridor, the large doors closing out nearly all of the sound from within.

Luckily, the washroom was only a dozen or so paces away from the ballroom, so the guard silently stopped next to the door, jerking his head to it as he posted up outside of it. Taking this as permission, Macintosh entered the washroom, greeted immediately by a soft glow coming from magical lighting along the walls. The washroom was opulent, as was to be expected, with metallic, gilden fixtures and intricately woven mirrors along the wall above the sink. There was a comfy looking chair in the corner (for some reason) next to a deep oak, marble-topped end-table, and at the other corner of the room, a partition wall that closed off the immaculate porcelain toilet. All in all, this looked like a washroom that cost more than Macintosh’s house back home, and he wanted to be quick about doing what he needed to, lest he become ridiculously unlucky, and break something.

Macintosh quickly and efficiently did his business, emptying his bladder and flushing, being sure not to leave any splatter or anything to mar the pristine washroom. He strode to the marble-topped sink next, quickly washing his hands before drying them on a cotton hand towel hanging from a gilded loop on the wall.

“I thought I told you to behave yourself, farmboy.”

Whipping his head around, Macintosh found himself staring at the guard that had given him a talking-to in his room. The guard was still fully armored, his face hidden except for his striking blue eyes, and his hand was on the pommel of the sword at his hip. The guard was standing next to the door, the only exit, and it was clear he wasn’t going to be letting Macintosh leave anytime soon.

“Showing disrespect in front of courtiers, forgetting the place of a commoner in the presence of royalty, and disregarding the rules of propriety in public,” he named each “offense” as if he were reading crimes to a convicted criminal. The unnamed guard tisked mockingly, shaking his head. “This is exactly what I meant when I said you don’t belong here. I tried to tell the princess that allowing commoners here was a mistake, but she wouldn’t listen. You have no place here, and your behavior out there proved that. I’ll not allow the likes of you to sully the royal family any longer.”

“Ah haven’t done anything wrong.” Macintosh answered, his hand balling into a tight fist as he held himself back from punching the smug guard in his armored face. “Ain’t no law Ah’ve broken, and tha princesses would’a told me if Ah was doin’ somethin’ wrong.”

Bobbing his helmeted head from side to side, the guard almost seemed to be contemplating his answer. “It’s true, you’ve done nothing illegal, but that in no way absolves you of the wrongs you’ve done. For months, you have enjoyed having the ear and attention of the princesses -- attention you do not deserve, being from such common stock -- and it has brought unwelcome attention to the royal family. In the interest of what’s best for Canterlot, I will not allow this to go on any longer.” Grabbing a gem from a holster on his hip, he tapped it, causing the clear gem to glow green. “Snapshot for Stalwart.”

-This is Stalwart. Go ahead-

“Snapshot” glared at the farmer, his hand tightening on the hilt of his sword. “I’m 10-23 at assault on a guard. Perp is currently detained.”

-10-4 Snapshot. What’s your 20?-

“Public lavatories, north of the ballroom.” he answered, never taking his eyes off of Macintosh.

-Description?-

Looking over Macintosh, the guard began describing him in basic detail. “Height about 6’7” to 6’8", fair complexion, orange hair, with green eyes, freckles, and a strong build.”

-10-4, I’m 10-17 to your position.-

The gem was tapped once again, and the glow dwindled to nothing, leaving a clear gem behind. The guard fitted the gem on his belt once again, and he just stayed silent from then on. Macintosh, however, couldn’t help but imagine a rather smug grin on his face, underneath the helmet.

Macintosh, for his part, was seething now, as he wasn’t so ignorant as to not know what was going on. “Ah ain’t assaulted nobody.”

“The unconscious night guard outside says differently.” the detaining guard answered smugly. “I told you to watch yourself, and this is the price for your behavior. You could have avoided all of this by just staying home, where you belonged.”

Clenching his fist tighter, Macintosh absently felt his nails biting into the skin of his palm. “There ain’t no way this is gonna stand. Ah ain’t done nothin’, ‘n Ah got tha right to a fair trial. Once it comes out that ya made all this up, ‘n beat up one’a yer own t’ do it, what d’ya think’s gonna happen? Tha princesses-”

“The princesses don’t run this city, farmboy, the nobles do. The princesses might wear the crowns, but nothing happens without the say-so of the noble houses. The princesses can’t do anything without them.” Snapshot answered, his tone dripping arrogance. “Assault on a royal guard carries an automatic five-year prison sentence, along with a 50,000 bit fine. With no witnesses and no evidence, it’s your word against mine, and a dumb farmhand yelling ‘I din’t do it’ isn’t going to work in your favor. You’ve made a lot of enemies due to your connection with the royal family; you really only have yourself to blame for this.”

“So, some jealous noble is behind this; Ah knew it.” Macintosh couldn’t hide a growl at the thought, but he knew at this point, there wasn’t anything he was able to do. His best choice would be to bide his time until he could speak with a lawyer, and hope that without any incriminating evidence, there would be nothing he could be charged with. The “wait-and-see” approach didn’t really play to Macintosh’s strengths, but it was the best play he had, at the moment.

The door opened once again, and the previously unseen night guard fell through the doorway, completely unconscious. An entire side of the helmet was crushed, likely against a wall or something similar, and another guard stepped into the room with armor similar to Snapshot’s. He held a pair of chained shackles in his hand, which jangled ominously in the air.

With a resigned sigh and a heavy heart, Macintosh held out his hands and closed his eyes in defeat.