That evening Mac and Fluttershy joined the others for dinner coming down the stairs hand in hand not caring what the family would think.
As they entered the Dining Room...
"MAC!" a voice cried.
Looking up, they saw a very smart looking man with his hair combed back and a blue mustache fiddling with a monocle. On his arm a beautiful looking woman with long pink hair in a simple but equally beautiful dress.
"Fancy Pants?" Mac asked smiling squeezing Fluttershy's hand a little telling her it was alright. "What are you doing here?"
"Can't a *blood-brother* visit his sibling now and then?" Fancy asked getting up to give Mac a brotherly hug. "We also came down to make sure you were doing alright." he added pulling away obviously talking about the ribs.
"I'm fine Fancy." Mac said smiling and pulling Fluttershy out a bit. "Fancy, Fleur, this is Fluttershy. Fluttershy this is my opposite Fancy Pants and his wife Fleur de Lis."
"Pleased to meet you." Fluttershy said smiling giving a slight curtsey.
"And to you dear." Fleur said back to holding onto Fancy's arm. "Congrats by the way. Oh and hope you get better soon Mac."
"Thank you." Mac and Fluttershy said together.
"Time for dinner I'd say." Granny Smith said. "Would you two like to stay?" she asked Fleur and Fancy. "It may not be as good as Canterlot food but its steamed vegetables, and chicken completing with a Apple apple pie for dessert."
"Why thank you Granny Smith," Fancy said pulling out a chair for Fleur and going to help Granny bring the food to the table.
"There ain't no need for that son," Granny said happily "I can manage. Go sit down."
Following orders Fancy Pants said. "It's been... Quite a while since I was last here. Ahh the memories." he said thinking.
"Like what?" Apple Bloom asked speaking up wanting to learn about Fancy some more.
"You don't want to hear it Bloom." Mac said a bit too quickly.
"Sure I do." she said "Yours is the only opposite I don't know anything about." then turning back to Fancy asked "What memories?"
"Well there was the time Mac and I challenged each other to see who could climb the apple trees higher."
"I remember that." Applejack said. "Didn't you both get stuck up there and Pa had to get the fire department to get you down or something?"
"Yes AJ..." Mac said sighing trying to block out the giggling from Apple Bloom and Fluttershy.
"Another was when we got stuck on top of the barn's roof, Mac had his leg stuck though it and the ladder had fallen down. Then we got lost in the woods while trying to find your parents secret grotto to find out why they liked it so much. Then there was the time when we were playing matador with filly Seed and Anna wasn't very happy about that."
"Didn't Pa have to push you two out of the way and take some bucks to the chest to stop you two from getting run over?"
"Yes AJ..."
"And wasn't there some point when you tumbleweeds went swimming right after you had lunch and both got cramps as soon as you started a race across the pond or something?"
"Yes! Yes AJ we did a lot of stupid things, we were young stupid idiots that like competitions can we stop with the memories now and just have dinner!" Mac asked stuffing his face with his meal.
"So like Applejack and Rainbow Dash and their Iron Princess competitions?" Apple Bloom asked cocking her head.
"Sounds like it Apple Bloom," Fluttershy said remembering Applejack's and Rainbow's first Iron Princess competition, ending with the annual Running of the Leaves race where because they both wanted first place, they tied for last.
"There was a time when one of you competitions saved the farm youngin." Granny Smith said trying to cheer Mac up a bit.
"There was?" everyone asked curious.
"There was." Granny said nodding "It was when you two challenged each other to who could get up the highest hay stack the quickest."
"I remember Granny." Mac said a bit more happy "We both got to the top and could see smoke coming out of the kitchen window. So we dropped the competition and jumped back down and went to find Pa in the field to tell him what was happening."
"I don't remember that day?" Applejack said trying to remember.
"You and Honey-Crisp were in the town looking for things for Baby-Bloom that day, child." Granny Smith said.
"So what caused the fire, was it put out, was that when you two became friends, was..." Apple Bloom asked rapidly
"Whoa slow down Bloom." Mac said putting his drink down.
"The fire was caused by some cookies that were in the oven too long, yes it was put out and the house was saved, and yes that was when we became friends."
"And we agreed our friendship by becoming Blood-Brothers." Fancy Pants finished smiling.
"But you said you became friends that day with the bullies at school." Apple Bloom said remembering the story she heard when asked about Apple Opposites before.
"Well that helped bind us Bloom." Mac said getting up to clear the table.
"Humph, I guess competition is a Apple tradition as well then Granny." Fluttershy asked helping with the plates and bringing out the pie.
"Well I'm not sure about 'tradition' sweetie," Granny Smith said cutting up the pie. "But it has definitely meant something to those two tumbleweeds your sitting next to."
At this Mac's ears turned slightly pink while Applejack looked away in shame.
"My mum use to say there's no harm in competition as long as its fun for everyone." Fluttershy said linking her arms through her friends' arms smiling.
"Quite right dear," Granny said agreeing handing Fluttershy the first slice of pie.
*
After they had all finished, Apple Bloom invited Fancy Pants and Fleur to meet the horses and show them Honey-Crisp.
"Not so little anymore are you Seed?" was the first thing Fancy Pants said as he saw Appleseed as they all entered the barn. "Remember me senor?" he said with a smile reaching out his hand slowly.
"You're really good with animals Fancy Pants." Fluttershy noted.
"Thank you," Fancy said now stroking Appleseed's nose. "In fact I actually spent some years with a travelling circus, helping to look after the animals."
"Was that the one you went to Fluttershy?" Apple Bloom spoke up hugging Honey to stand up properly.
"I don't know," Fluttershy said thinking "But there can't be that many can there. The ring master was called Jumbo, and the magician was called Discord. I didn't meet anyone else. Unless you count Tia and her cubs I helped her with." she said looking at her ring smiling.
"Then it was the same one my dear." Fancy said going over to introduce himself to Nutmeg. "Were you there when the names for the cubs were said?" he asked.
"No, I had to leave the next morning, I was only there for one night."
"Well one of the girls was named after you. I always wondered where it came from."
Suddenly Apple Bloom let out a yawn rubbing her eyes.
"I think it's time y'all went to bed my dear." Granny Smith said.
"But I'm not sleepy Granny." Apple Bloom said in a tired voice eyelids drooping.
"You need to be up early so Applejack can take you to the doctors so they can see if your legs mending right." Granny said trying to get Apple Bloom to go to bed with this bribe. "The earlier you go to bed the earlier you'll wake up."
"Why can't I stay in here like last time."
"Mac's note said you were in here to watch over Honey because of her bite deary." Granny said smiling at how determined Apple Bloom was to stay with Honey-Crisp. "And she's all better now if you'd ask me."
"Alright..." Apple Bloom said goodbye to everyone then left the barn with Granny Smith to go to bed.
"Well we should be going too," Fancy said as everyone else left after saying goodnight to the horses. "Thank you again for having us."
"Do you have a place to stay for the night Fancy?" Mac asked holding Fluttershy's hand. "You could stay here if you don't. I'm sure Granny wont mind. Will she AJ?"
"She's always happy to open the house up to anyone." Applejack said smiling. "Ain't that how Bloom found Diamond Tiara."
"If I remember sis you invited them over first." Mac said.
"Did you say 'Diamond Tiara'?" Fleur asked.
"Yeah, why? Do you know her?" Applejack said curious.
"She's my niece." she said "Her mother was my sister."
"I didn't know that." Applejack said. "She... She doesn't normally talk about her ma."
"So you guys going to stay or what?" Mac said stopping the two before it carried on further.
With that the five of them went back into the house Fancy Pants and Fleur spending the night in Appleseed's and Honey-Crisp's old room, Fluttershy sleeping with Applejack.