Big, red, and scary. That's what most of the ponies in line thought of the giant Stallion standing guard at the top of the stairs that led down to Vinyl's Cage Corral. He was a tall, red hunk of a pony, his muscles very prominent through his tight, black bouncer gear. A black beanie rested on his head, a pair of black sunglasses over his eyes which shone with green brilliance. The black coat which he wore only partially concealed his cutie-mark: A single half of a lime green apple. The stallion rolled the piece of hay in his mouth over and flicked his eyes to the right, staring towards the line. He had to admit, this was the easiest job in all of Equestria! Getting paid to stand around, look tough, let ponies in when the small earpiece he wore beeped three times, and -
'BANG!' "Macintosh, we got a brawl!" Shake shouted from below, the iron door swinging wide open. The stallion, famously known as 'Big' Macintosh, sighed and spit out his strand of hay, turning towards the door and nodding, rushing down and flying into the club. A large portion of the crowd had parted on the right hand side of the dance floor, revealing two colts throwing punches and rolling around on the ground, each trying to get the upper hoof on the other. Macintosh shoved himself through the crowd and towards the two colts, shoving his side into one and sending him sprawling over onto the ground. However, the other colt had already smashed a cider bottle on the ground and was rushing the stallion, sticking him in the side and making Bic Macintosh yelp in pain. He swung his right hoof over, clobbering the attacking colt right the face and flinging him over to the far wall on the right.
It took all of about three minutes for Macintosh to haul both colts, dazed and beaten, up the stairs and to throw them out in the street. He glared at them as they scrambled up onto their hooves and galloped away, wincing as he limped back downwards towards the club to asses the damage. He limped back through the iron door, watching as the crowd resumed it's club-like business and looked over towards Shake who was waving him over. He limped on over towards Shake, wincing with each step. Shake took one look at his side and shouted "Macintosh you're bleeding!" The Stallion look down his side and sighed, seeing at least two shards of glass stuck in his skin and leaking lines of blood down his body.
He turned back towards Shake and nodded solemnly, breathing out his signature one-liner that he was most famous for:
"Eeyup..."
~~~
"Honestly Mac', do you ever even bother to take care of yourself? Scars are sexy and all but seriously, you're worth more to us breathing and big then you are dead and broken." Vinyl scolded, using her magic to wrap bandages around his freshly cleaned side. Him, Shake, and Vinyl were all situated in the spare room on the second floor, the club officially closed for the day. He winced as Vinyl tightened the bandages and gave him a firm poke in his side. He grimaced and twitched as Vinyl nodded and said "Alright, you're all patched up! Now, onto business." She pulled up a chair for her and Shake and they sat down, Vinyl clearing her throat and stating "Alright, well we know Hearth's Warming is coming up, so I think now's a good time to close the Club until New Years."
Shake nodded and held his hoof up "Yeah, I think Hearth's Warming should be more about quality family time. Besides, Octavia seems sexually unsatisfied, so I think it's best that Vinyl ge-" He was cut off as Vinyl smacked him across the back of his head, getting a laugh out of the colt as he said "Just saying!"
Vinyl, a wild blush on her face, shouted "That's no reason to go shouting about my love life! Celestia's sake Shake...and besides, Octavia isn't unsatisfied! She receives plenty of attention from me, like that one time she suggested I use my horn to-"
She herself was cut off from Shake pushing a hoof against her mouth and grimacing, muttering as Vinyl glared at him "Just because I tease you about it doesn't mean I need you to explain it!" Macintosh simply blinked, looking back and forth between Vinyl and Shake and sighing.
Vinyl, pushing Shake's hoof away from her mouth, spoke "Anyway...personal and professional reasons aside, if the Club shuts down for the winter, that means no pay for a few weeks. Are you guys stable enough to go without a few bits?" Shake simply nodded, smiling as he thought about what he was going to buy for his marefriend.
Macintosh nodded as well, letting out a guttural "Eeyup" and gently shifting his weight on the couch, getting into a more comfortable position.
Vinyl nodded and held up a hoof, exclaiming "Alright! We are now, officially, CLOSED! See you guys around New Years!"
~~~
Macintosh shivered as he made his way home, the cold wind of December swirling around his body and making his bandages itch. The sun had reached its midday point, the town bustling with activity as ponies moved too and fro, some carrying gifts while others simply played in the snow that had settled in overnight. Macintosh hadn't really liked the idea of 'Clubbin' durin' Day' that Vinyl had put into effect, saying that the Club would run during the day and not night, because it was simply too cold for anypony to venture out when the sun went down. Because of this, Macintosh was forced to move his work schedule for the farm to right after his Bouncer schedule. It was a miracle Macintosh was still conscious , with an overloaded schedule like that. He sighed, heading down the path and finally spotting the big red barn in the distance. He smiled at the endless fields of Apple Trees that covered most of the land, Sweet Apple Acres greeting him with a beautiful sea of emerald green, the apples already picked for the season.
As he made his way up to the gate, a voice called out to him from the house "Macintosh, yer back!" Applejack trotted over towards the gate as Macintosh nodded.
"Eeyup..." he said as Applejack stopped, growing wide-eyed at his bandages and pointing a hoof at him.
She shouted "The hay is that from?!", causing Macintosh to look down at his side and shrug.
He looked up, muttering "Fight..." Applejack sighed and face-hoofed, opening the gate for him and letting him inside the yard.
She walked with him towards the barn, speaking to him in a scolding tone "Macintosh yer lucky Applebuck Season is over, otherwise we'd be in a heap o' trouble! How am ah supposed to help out round' the farm when yer off getting smashed, beat up, and all that nonsense!"
Macintosh sighed, moving into the barn and dropping off his saddlebags in his small cubicle near the front, letting out a soft "Eeyup..." and resting in a chair in front of his desk. A wide assortment of items was strewn out across the wooden surface, including a picture of him and Applejack smiling and standing in front of a GIGANTIC apple pinned with a blue ribbon. Other items included a few papers concerning shipping and distribution of their apple loads that included payment notices.
Applejack growled "Are you even listenin' to me?"
Macintosh nodded, grouping the papers together and sliding them into a small black tray, muttering "Eeyup..." He hopped out of the chair and out of the barn, Applejack close behind.
She smiled as they moved out into the yard, exclaiming "Well good, as long ah got through to that big skull o' yores...now cheer up! Hearth's Warming is uh comin' up and we've got guests comin' along too! Ah can't have a mopey brother lazing round' here when we got family to entertain!"
Macintosh started to mutter "Eey-" when he stopped, his eyes growing wide as he turned his head towards Applejack and muttered "Um...what about family?"
Applejack smiled and leaned to her side, smiling as she whispered "Oh I think you know who's comin'...yer two favoritest cousins in the whole wide world!"
Big Macintosh grimaced and looked up towards the gate, sighing with aggravation and muttering "....Horseapples...it had to be this year..."
It was in the moment that Big Macintosh actually jumped with fright, which most had considered an impossible feat. A loud hollering from behind him made Applejack laugh so hard her sides hurt.
"Now come on Cousin!!! That ain't no way to greet yer family that just got in all the way from AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPPLEOOSA!!!"
A second voice spoke quietly after the loud shouting, making Macintosh turn his head with a tight frown "Oh, um...howdy Cousin...I guess Applejack didn't tell you that we had come in earlier today...sorry.
Macintosh groaned, face-hoofing and letting out a very weak and defeated "Ee...eeyup...." Braeburn and Caramel...with those two here and together, Macintosh knew that he was in for a massive world of pain, more mental then physical.