//------------------------------//
// Chapter Six: Flim and Flam's mech Attack! 
// Story: The Many Dreams of Princess Macintosh 
// by Foal Star 
//------------------------------//

Big Mac slowly woke up, still feeling rather tired, dark with bags under his eyes, and after staying up patrolling nearly all night with Luna. The stallion groaned as he rubbed a hoof over his forehead; he barely got any sleep, as it's been almost a month since he got his powers. Big Mac's head was pounding from a headache as his alarm continued to ring, and he slammed a hoof on it. The stallion took a second to rub a hoof over his forehead with a hoof as he was somewhat groggy and tired still after the long night of patrolling Maretropolis the night before. Things have gotten rather exciting with being a hero taking down bad guys, and learning how to fly and use magic. However, it was also rather exhausting and challenging to do while trying to maintain his day job.

"Good morning, Metropolis! We have news for you! The Maniac broke out of her asylum again last night and tried to take over the city. Luckily for us, Moon Knight and the new hero Orchard Blossom have been taking the city by storm. We still know little about this mysterious hero, but many folks in the stress enjoy seeing a new face to save the day. Again we don't know the identity of this new hero who came to patrol the streets and keep us safe. We shall see what she can do, so stay tuned in! As I Spike will keep a close eye on the events that unfold!

Big Mac just chuckled as he thought about his superhero name Orchard Blossom. He wasn't exactly sure why he chose the name, but it fit his new persona well. He then squeaked out surprise upon seeing the clock above and rushed off to eat breakfast. He got ready in the bathroom, took a shower, brushed his teeth, and threw on a suit over himself. Big Mac was about to run out of his apartment, but as he was leaving, the stallion slammed a hoof into his face and shouted, "Buck!"

Big Mac then rushed back into the apartment, retrieved his amulet, and placed it within the folds of his suit jacket. He gave the enchanted jewelry a few pats before he ran out of his apartment and headed toward his place of work. 







A few hours later, Big Mac was clacking away at his typewriter on his desk. He was deeply involved in his work, trying to forget about being a superhero and focusing on writing an article. The stallion then looked over at Luna, working away. It wasn't long until he thought about talking to her about his secret identity. How the stallion really wanted to confront her about being a hero. Big Mac just stood there with an unsure look on his face. Luna then looked over at him and asked, "um…Big Mac, do you need something?"

The stallion squeaked as he stumbled about with some files they spilled all over the place. Luna squeaked in surprise as she went to help him pick up the files as they finished. The mare chuckled then asked, "so…Big Mac, was there something you want to tell me?"

"Well, I…um…do…do you want to go out with me again?" The red-coated stallion asked with a sheepish grin. 

Luna then snickered beneath a hoof then said, "of course! It only took you a month. Let's just put these files away, then get out of here. I'm starving."

She then went to help Big Mac sort them out and placed them in alphabetical order. Meanwhile, Big Mac seemed to look over at Luna and could not tear his gaze from her. The stallion was still unsure how to talk about it, knowing she was really Moon Knight. But he shut his mouth and slowly trotted out of the office as they went to their favorite sandwich shop. 







About an hour later, Big Mac and Luna went out to lunch, and as they sat across from each other, they sat down, ate sandwiches, and drank tea together. The two just chatted about their work day with Luna snickering under her breath, "so it seems you took a night job too?"

"Eyup," Big Mac replied with a loud yawn as he was somewhat exhausted from the night before, and sleep was finally catching up with him.

Luna got up, kissed him on the cheek, and then took a long look at him. She eyed his features for quite some time and asked, "hey…do you work the same night job as me?"

Big Mac gulped, seeing Luna was on the verge of discovering he was a superhero and had been working with her for a month. But his train of thought was broken when he saw a giant mech starting to stomp toward them. It was unlike anything he's seen before. The machine was bipedal with two massive legs and a body with two giant arms with Gatling guns attached to both of them. Although the Mech's all-encompassing powerful look, it looked like a DIY project made of wood with plates of metal attached to its frame. The most exciting detail with this Mech was that the entire machine had tubes connecting throughout its limbs and ligaments. The tubes ran some dark orange liquid throughout the Mech as it had two massive barrels on its back, pumping the fluid throughout its mechanical body. The Mech then slowly started to smash through the city, being able to raise its massive arms that had two Gatling guns attached to them, and started mowing the town down. In contrast, it began to shoot missiles from its back, blasting buildings to rubble.

Crowds of ponies were screaming and running for their lives as the Mech was wrecking the city and leaving nothing but destruction in its wake. Luna and Big Mac suddenly got up from the table and shouted in unison, "I have to go!"

Luna blinked, being instead surprised, then asked. "Wait, you have to go somewhere too?"

"I…um…eyup!" Big Mac exclaimed sheepishly, seeing he also had to change into his superhero form. 

The two then rushed off together and ran down the same alley. As the two both suddenly realized they were there together. Luna and Big Mac blinked at each other as the mare's cheeks flushed red, and asked, "so… you're really a superhero, huh?"

"Eyup," was all Big Mac could say with a groan seeing he just exposed the fact he was the hero helping her for the past month and that he had just revealed the truth that he knew her identity for the past month.

Luna sighed as she threw a hoof over her mane. "Let's talk about this later; for now, we have a rampaging robot to stop."

Big Mac threw a hoof over his mane and sighed, "Eyup."

He then grabbed an amulet around his neck, transforming it into his alicorn princess form. His body started to become lankier, with a long flowing mane and tail, long eyelashes, and a cute blouse and skirt growing over his body. Big Mac then struck a pose and flashed his pretty eyelashes. The stallion couldn't believe how cute he looked and enjoyed it. But then he heard snickering and turned to see Luna standing by, watching with a smile on her face. 

"Um…what!?"

"That was adorable," the alicorn snickered behind a hoof as she slipped on her costume. Now Orchard Blossom and Moon Knight flew off towards the Mech. They tag-teamed with each other, shooting beams of energy at it. Still, nothing seemed to be working from stopping or making even a dent into the machine's armor plating. The Mech then turned its attention to the two heroes as it tried to take them down, shooting them with missiles. Orchard Blossom squeaked, flying upward, avoiding them, seeing they were tracking his movements and doing his best to maintain his distance. He passed around a building and let the missiles hit the side of the building, with a loud explosion following afterward. Moon Knight flew next to him, seeing he just dodged a bunch of rockets, and was somewhat exhausted as he gasped, "ok, let's try to come at it again, come on!"

"Ok," Orchard Blossom replied, throwing his long mane back; he then lit his mane back as Luna flew out together towards the Mech to bombard the machine with beams of magic, trying to damage it with everything they had. But their attack didn't do anything again as the machine started shooting at the two with its Gatling guns, then rose into the air as far as possible. Luna turned to Orchard Blossom and said, "we need a new plan; this thing seems unbeatable."

The stallion would almost agree, seeing the main frame of the Mech was undamaged from their attacks, and it turned its attention from the city towards them. The Mech then raised the two giant packs of missiles with their Gatling guns and aimed at them. The two alicorns threw out their wings, prepared themselves for a fight, and flew off in opposite directions to divert Mech's attention. 

Orchard Blossom then got close to the Mech and could smell the liquid was indeed apple cider, recognizing it almost immediately. He then saw that the apple cider was the fuel keeping the Mech moving with it, using the orange liquid being the power that gives the entire mechanical body its energy to make it run. With this in mind, he turned towards Luna and said, "We need to disconnect the tubing so that it won't be able to move anymore."

Luna was initially confused, but she seemed to catch on as she slammed a hoof into her face and growled, "It's so bucking, so obvious; ok, let's do this."

The two alicorns then coordinated their assault on the Mech, using their combined magic to blast the tubes, disconnecting them from the giant barrels on the back. Meanwhile, the machine turned its top half to face them, continuing its assault, shooting dozens of missiles at them. Despite stopping the Mech from moving, it could still fire its weapons. Big Mac then saw that the giant cider barrels must keep the cider under intense pressure. The image reminded him, for some reason, of a sweltering summer when he saw a bunch of cider barrels explode inside a barn. Then he heard sompony shout.

"Orchard Blossom, you're thinking what I'm thinking!?" Moon Knight shouted. 

Big Mac gave a nod and gave a hearty, "eyup!"

They focused their assault on the Mech's back, sending waves of energy to heat the cider within the barrels on its back. They then worked together, using their magic to overheat the liquid bubbling and steaming, making the cider explode and combust from the Mech's back, showering the streets below in a torrent of cider. The Mech then started to collapse onto its knees, unable to move anymore. Now with the Mech's defenseless, Luna tucked her wings to her sides and aimed her horn at the machine. She then flew towards the Mech like a bullet while shooting out a beam of energy through the pilot seat and through the back of the Mech with two lanky unicorns dressed in lab coats encased in her magic.

Big Mac saw two lanky unicorns in lab coats, and it wasn't long until he saw they were professors Flim and Flam. She then took the two using her magic. She took them to an ally there; she and the stallion planted the two of them into a rope and stood over them with a smirk, "so, was there a reason you were attacking Metropolis with a mech running on Apple Cider?"

Flim threw his hooves over his chest and scoffed, "we're not telling you two a thing?"

"Yeah, why would we!? What are you going to do to us? You're not cops," Flam responded with a smirk but squeaked as Luna then pointed her horn right at them with the tip of it glowing as she snapped, "I could do so many things to you, and it would be painful."

"O…ok!" The stallions cried out in unison.

Big Mac trotted over, eyeing the two asked rather threateningly. "So you two ready to talk?"

Flim looked downward and grumbled under his breath, "ok fine, we were paid to do it, ok? We were told to cause some havoc, then leave."

Flam nodded and said, "yes, we were careful not to hurt anypony, I swear. All the bullets and missiles were just full of cider."

Moon Knight lowered her gaze, glared at them, and asked, "So, who hired you?"

The twins seemed to be nervous and seemed to be too scared. Moon Knight lowered her gaze aiming her horn at them as Orchard Blossom smiled at them and said, "my partner is running out of patience. I suggest you give us the answer rather soon."

Flim and Flam looked at each other with worried looks, and the brothers both sighed and said at once, "The mayor." 







Later that night, the two alicorns were now sitting on a building and looking over the city, enveloping it with a blanket of the night with the moon and stars shining overhead. She sighed deeply and asked, "well, we know the truth now, huh?"

Big Mac gazed upward, seeing that it was time to let everything out he's been holding this entire time, and gave a relaxed sigh and an "Eyyup!"

Luna then turned towards him and asked, "so, you were Big Mac this whole time?"

The stallion scratched the back of his head with a hoof, then exclaimed, "Eyyup!"

The alicorn mare smirked and asked, "And you knew I was Luna?"

The stallion lowered his gaze and sighed, "Eyup."

The dark alicorn chuckled and asked, "Why didn't you tell me? I felt you were the hero, but I wasn't sure."

Big Mac turned away with a blush as he was going to expose his deepest secret. Still, it was time to finally say something and say, "well, the truth is I always had a crush on you and didn't want to ruin my chances by exposing your secret."

The embarrassed stallion then threw his hooves over his eyes and felt stupid for asking such a question. Still, then he heard Luna whisper, "You know, I… I've been thinking about you a lot too."

Big Mac's cheeks flushed pink as he looked up at Luna, gazing at him with her beautiful teal eyes, and asked, "so…you…you wanna make this official."

Luna turned away with her cheeks flushing pink as she didn't answer directly, then said, "come on, fly with me."

The alicorn then threw out her enormous, beautiful blue feathery wings then flew out into the night sky as Big Mac followed her up into the air, and they nuzzled into each other. They just took the time to fly together through the rather lovely night. Despite enduring a significant battle, it didn't affect how Luna and Big Mac felt. They were relatively relaxed as they went on their peaceful flight. They then fluttered back into the stallion's apartment. Luna then kissed him as they held each other in their embrace. They then threw their wings over each other and touched their muzzles together. Big Mac could feel Luna trembling, and it seemed she was much more scared than he realized. He held her close, and it wasn't until he was next to her that he felt himself shaking out of fear. So much happened today, with them taking on a giant mech and risking their lives. It was like they didn't think about how much danger they had put themselves in until now. But eventually, the two relaxed as Luna kissed him on the cheek and then said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow," She then threw out her wings and flew out the window as Big Mac stood there, hoping this wasn't just a dream.