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// Ch. 4 A Night Like This 
// Story: Prolonging The Magic 
// by Closer-To-The-Sun 
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Chapter 4: A Night Like This

Twilight was scampering back and forth throughout her library, constantly changing her direction as if she had no idea of where she was going. She would go to one area of the library take a few books of the shelves, look through them quickly and drop them with her magic before rushing to another part of the room. She had done this multiple times already, and the books were beginning to quickly pile up. "There's got to be something in these books about this, there has just got to!" she told herself as she was looking through the books she had just pulled off the shelf, which were quickly abandoned as she continued to search for anything that might help her.

During Twilight's crazy endeavor, her dragon assistant Spike had returned from playing with Applebloom at Sweet Apple Acres. Puzzled, he called out to the purple mare, "Hey Twilight, is there something wrong?" He closed the door behind him and then promptly got out of the dashing pony's path.

"Can't talk!" Twilight shouted zooming past Spike to another part of the room, "I'm in the middle of looking for something! I need to find a book about this subject and quickly! I don't know what to do!" Twilight's voice was filled with stress as she dropped more books onto the ever-growing pile.

"I hope you know that I am not going to be happy about cleaning this up," Spike remarked as the pony rushed past him. The pony didn't respond, instead she continued her panicked running. It was then that Twilight's pet owl, Owlicious, flew down and rested on his stand, next to Spike. Spike noticed his arrival and then asked to the bird, "Do you have any idea what's going on with her, Owlicious?"

"Who?" the bird replied

"Twilight Sparkle. I mean look at her, she's acting all crazy."

"Who?"

Spike paused and glared at Owlicious, "There are times I really don't like you."

**********

Back at Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac had arrived back from his lesson at Twilight's. He was a bit flustered from having told her how he felt, but he did feel a bit relieved that he had finally said something. The sun was slowly setting as he walked up to the porch where Applejack was sitting, quietly observing the farmland.

"Welcome back, Big Mac," Applejack said, smiling to her brother.

"Evenin', Applejack," he replied with a nod and a small smile.

"You seem t' be in a good mood."

"Eeyup."

"Well then, take a seat and tell me all about it. The sunset is mighty nice today," Applejack smiled looking at Celestia's sun setting over the family's apple trees.

Big Mac plopped down next to his sister and looked at the setting sun, "Yer right about that, the sun looks very beautiful this time of day."

Applejack looked to her brother and smiled, "So tell me, Big Mac, what's got you in a such mood?"

Big Mac closed his eyes, enjoying the last warmth of the sun on his face.  Smiling to himself, he replied, "Well, ah guess you can say that ah'm doing well since ah was able to say somethin' to somepony."

Applejack's ear's perked up, "Really now? Ya sayin' that mah big brother has got a crush on somepony?"

Blushing, and a bit flutstered, Big Mac paused before he replied, "E-Eeyup."

"Well, cover me in frosting and call me an apple cupcake, ah never thought ah'd see the day that my older sibling would be fond of another pony!" Applejack said excitedly, giving her brother a quick hug. "Ya gotta tell me, Big Mac, how did ya tell her?"

Big Mac started, "Well, ah told her as ah left her house t'day."

Applejack stared at her brother, "That it?"

"Eeyup."

There was a brief pause as Applejack pieced the puzzle together. "Wait, is this pony Twilight Sparkle?"

"Eeyup."

"Big Mac!" Applejack shouted in shock, "Why did ya do that t' Twi? She's a real fragile gal! Just tellin' her that ya like her and leavin' right after that will cause her to panic like a fish out of water!"

Big Mac's expression dropped as he realized what he had done.  "Uh-oh," he said simply.

"Ah reckon you should go see that poor mare right now, Mac!" Applejack urged.

"Ah don't know…" Big Mac trailed off.

"Ya gotta, Big Mac!" a familiar filly's voice called out.

"Applebloom?" the orange mare called out, looking toward where the voice came from.

Applebloom popped her head from around the corner of the house. "Here ah am!"

"How long have you been there?" Big Mac asked as his youngest sister join them on the porch.

"Since before ya got back. But ya gotta go see Miss Twilight now! Spike tells me that she does panic easily, so you jus' gotta!" Applebloom pleaded with Big Mac.

"Applebloom is right, Big Mac! Go to Twi and just be honest with her." Applejack agreed with her sister, which was something that rarely occurred around the farm.

"Alright, alright, ah'll go see Miss Sparkle right now." Big Mac stood up and headed off to her library with a bit of a gallop in his step.

As she watched the red coated stallion hurry off, Applejack then turned to Applebloom, "Ya think he has it in him to tell her?" she asked.

Smiling, the filly replied, "If Caramel had the courage to tell ya how he felt about you t'day, I think Big Mac has it in him to tell Miss Twilight!"

"Ya know 'bout that?" Applejack asked, stunned.

"Yup yup! Spike an' ah even saw you two kissin' t'day as well!" Applebloom laughed as she hopped off the porch and started to run off to the barn.

"Why you lil' squirt! Get back here! Ah'll teach you to spy on me!" Applejack jumped off the porch and started to purse her sister.

"Why are ya so mad? We were just trying to get mah cutie mark!" the little yellow filly laughed as her sister angrily chased her across the yard.

***********************

Big Mac's pace went from a steady gallop to that of a racing sprint on his way back to Twilight Sparkle's library. He didn't know what he would say to her when he got there and he sure didn't know what she would say to him returning so late. If he knew anything, it was that he felt something special for that pony. He could not place his hoof on it at that moment, but he was not going to let it stop him from going to see her. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry over something he had caused. As he drew near the library, he saw the lights on in the downstairs room. Finding strength that had been previously unknown to the tired stallion, he galloped ever faster to the front of the library. He stopped at the front door and raised his hoof to knock. Big Mac hesitated briefly before he finally tapped at the door. There was no answer.

Big Mac worriedly knocked again and called out anxiously. "Miss Twilight?"

After a while, Twilight finally opened the door, her mane and tail disheveled and unkempt as if Pinkie Pie had come by to style them, "Oh…Big Mac!" she managed to say, trying her best to suppress her worry, "I'm actually glad you came, can you please come in?"

The red stallion nodded, "Of course, Miss Twilight." He entered cautiously, knowing that she was frazzled and stressed. He could tell just by looking at how disorganized the library had become since he'd left

Twilight offered Big Mac a cushion for him to sit on as she sat on one across from him, "I apologize for my bizarre and weird look with my mane and tail."

"It's quite alright, Miss Twilight."

With a sigh, Twilight started talking, "Well, if you don't mind, I would like to say something about earlier today. I guess I'm just really baffled from what you said. I mean, you are the first pony to ever say anything like that to me. From the moment you left until about an hour ago, I was rummaging through the library here to find something on the subject of, well, the subject of love," Twilight's face turned a bit red as she said love. "I really do like you Big Mac, you are truly a remarkable gentlecolt, and any girl would be lucky just to know you. I'm quite lucky to know you, and I really have enjoyed the past two weeks together. But I honestly don't know what to do, you know? I've never had any type of relationship other than just with my family, Spike, and of course the Princess, but nothing of a romantic nature. So, I'm not really sure what to do." Twilight paused and then gave a nervous laugh, "I'm sorry, I really do ramble a lot. You came to visit me, so you should be able to speak as well."

Big Mac gave Twilight gentle smile. "It's completely fine, Miss Twilight. Ah do understand where you are comin' from. Ah really do like you quite a lot. You are a very clever pony and there are just many things that ah like about you. You got yerself a beautiful coat and a very lovely mane, no matter how it looks. Yer the smartest pony ah know. Yer very caring and loyal to yer friends. Ah guess you can say that there is some magic about ya, Miss Twilight. Every time we were together, ah guess ah just wanted to keep that magic happenin', ya know?"

Twilight smiled, Big Mac's words bringing a few small tears of joy to her eyes. She was completely speechless from her emotions welling up inside her. Regaining her ability to speak again, Twilight stated, "But I really don't know anything about being in a relationship."

"Ah don't know anything about that either, Miss Twilight," Big Mac admitted with a shy smile, "But ah'd still be honored if you'd allow me to go out with ya sometime."

Twilight nodded, still smiling with tears of joy in her eyes, "I would love to, but may we take it slowly? I mean, this is new for both us."

Big Mac nodded, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Miss Twilight."

Twilight stood up from her seat and gave Big Mac a hug. "Come with me," she managed to say. Her voice was still a bit distorted from her emotions getting the best of her. Big Mac stood up and followed her. Twilight led the stallion out to the second floor balcony. She sat down and looked up at the clear night sky. Big Mac sat down next to her and looked up as well.

"The night sky is mighty clear, ain't it Miss Twilight?" Big Mac said, taking a deep breath of the night air.

Twilight smiled and leaned against Big Mac, "Yes, I do love stargazing on a night like this, and you being here makes it even better," Twilight blushed as she spoke and felt the warmth from Big Mac.

Big Mac blushed and smiled happily, "Ah'm glad that ah can make it better for ya, Miss Twilight." After a silence between of the two of them leaning against each other, Big Mac asked, "Miss Twilight? Could you possibly show me the stars of O-ryan and Can-nus Major? And possibly some others as well?"

Twilight's face beamed with happiness at the red stallion, "It would be my honor to, Big Mac."

The two ponies spent the entire night gazing up at the Ponyville sky. In the morning,  Spike found the two sleeping in the warmth of Celestia's morning sun, both smiling happily as they slept in each other's embrace.

END