There was a soft knock at the door just as Twilight was coming to the end of a chapter. She placed a hoof where she had been reading before looking towards the door and yelling, “Just a minute!” Quickly scanning what was left, she marked her place, closed the book, and rose to trot towards the door. A quiet burst of magic pulled the barrier open, and revealed who was calling at her step.
A cool burst of autumn air rushed into the house, bringing with it a few colored leaves and one large stallion.
“Howdy, Twi,” Big Macintosh said, bending down to give her a small peck on the lips.
“Afternoon, hun,” the lavender mare replied. “How are you feeling?” She shut the door, but upon realizing how wonderful it felt outside, telekinetically opened several windows around the library. A light cross-breeze kicked in, rustling a few papers Twilight had out on her table.
“Ah’m fine. Had a bit of a headache earlier, but Ah’m over it. Face kinda hurts, but Ah’m sure Fuji is worse. He had an icepack on when Ah left.”
It had only been one day since the brawl between Big Mac and Fuji, and Twilight could only guess that Mac had just woken up a few hours before. He was mightily smashed the day before, and even for his size, she didn’t see how one pony could handle so much alcohol that quickly. That morning, she had sent Spike over to Sweet Apple Acres with a message for the red stallion to join her at the library at his leisure, and that she needed to speak with him. The prior evening had been a tad unsettling for her, and she wanted to bring up with her coltfriend before it was too late.
“How are ya?” Macintosh asked, as he sat on one of the cushions Twilight had out before the hearth, which contained a small fire crackling merrily.
“I’m fine, just finishing up some studying. It’s been almost three days since I’ve done any major research into magical theory; I feel so out of the loop!”
Mac chuckled a bit, finding his marefriend’s hardcore study habits difficult for anypony to mimic. “Well, that’s good. So what’d ya wanna talk to me about? Spike said it was pretty important.”
“You could say that,” Twilight said, taking a seat on a cushion next to him. She leaned against his bulky shoulder, feeling the raw muscle underneath quivering slightly from natural vibrations. The two lovers shared in each other’s company for a moment, both staring into the images that the fire was bringing up. Finally, Twilight answered his question. “I wanted to talk to you about something Devine said to me last night. About the rest of your family.”
“What about ‘em?” Mac inquired, raising a brow.
“Apparently, it’s part of some apple family tradition for new members of the family to meet everypony? She said she had to do it. Is that true?”
Silence permeated the room, save for the crackling hearth. Leaning against his bulk, Twilight could hear Mac’s breath catch. She felt the quickening of his heart through the muscle tissue, and knew his breaths were shallower than before. After a moment, he replied, slowly.
“Eeyup,” her stallion whispered. “It’s only for the males bringin’ in females, though. Whenever Applejack finds somepony, she won’t have ta do it. Ah will, though.” The next part came even quieter than the prior. “Why d’ya ask, Twi?”
Now it was Twilight’s turn to stop breathing momentarily. This was where she felt the “make it or break it” moment could come. Depending on what she said here, she could either chase Big Macintosh away forever, or bring him home forever. Either option scared the hay out of her, and she wasn’t even sure if there was a gray area.
“I—we—I’m…” she trailed off. How to put it? “Could you—and if you don’t want to answer this, it’s okay—but could you, Big Macintosh, see us going through that ritual? And be honest. If you can’t see that, I want to know.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but was instantly shut down by Twilight holding up her hoof.
“And I realize this is very early in our relationship to be asking questions like this. I realize it’s barely been two-and-a-half months. I get that, Mac, I do. But at the same time, I don’t want to waste time. I want to make sure that, if your family has all of these crazy traditions, then the time I’m spending with you is worth it. If it isn’t, I want to know. I don’t want to continue a relationship that’s doomed to fail, you know? I want to—“
She was cut off by a kiss from her stallion, one that was deep and longing, as he pushed her over on to her back. She squeaked in surprise at his force, seeing his eyes shut in pure concentration. Twilight relaxed into the kiss, wrapping her hooves around his bare neck, which was a rare feeling for her.
After a moment of passionate making out, Big Macintosh pulled back and stared down into his marefriend’s eyes hard. “Don’t ya ever think that this ain’t worth it,” he said. “Ah’ll make sure it is, and if ya had let me finish earlier, I’da told ya that yes, Ah can see us goin’ through that ritual. Ah saw us goin’ through it the moment ya first kissed me, ‘fore ya ran away thinkin’ tha world was endin’. Ah wouldn’ta gotten mahself into this mess if Ah didn’t think it was worth it. So don’tcha ever, and Ah mean ever, think it ain’t worth it, Twi, because Ah love ya more than Ah could ever tell ya in words.”
She had no words for what she had just heard. In just a few sentences, Macintosh had effectively dispelled all doubt within her mind, made her feel completely comfortable and confident in him, and given her the greatest gift she could ask for. She could feel his undying love for her, and it was a flame that burned hotter than the fire in her hearth. Smiling, and with a few tears leaking out of her eyes, she pulled him back down into their kiss. They soon rolled over, and she was lying in his arms, sprawled out on the cushions in front of the merry fire.
“I love you so much, Big Mac.” She whispered into his soft coat.
“Ah love you too, Twi. Ah know it hasn’t been that long, but I know Ah love you. And Ah’ll always love you.”
“R—really?” Twilight asked, starry-eyed.
“Absolutely,” he replied.
The two lovers sat in golden silence, listening to the breaths of the other, and the pops from the fireplace. Twilight nuzzled Big Mac’s chest, kissing it a few times as she stroked his hoof. He kissed the top of her head, rubbing her back while basking in her presence. After a moment, he asked her a question.
“Is that all ya wanted ta talk about?”
“Well—well, yes, really. Kind of.”
“Kind of?” Mac asked, brow furrowing.
“Yeah. There’s something else, now that you’ve put to rest some of my…doubts.”
The farmpony’s mind rushed. What now? he thought, trying to come up with an answer. He wanted to know what she was going to ask before she asked it. She don’t wanna go that fast, does she? But Ah did just say Ah’d love her forever…
“If this relationship is going the way I think it is, Big Macintosh,” Twilight let on, “then I think there’s something we need to go ahead and do.”
Oh sweet Celestia, thought the stallion, not that. Please, not that. Ah promised Granny Smith not ‘afore Ah was married. Ah don’t think Ah can keep that promise if Twilight asks. “Um—uh, sure, Twi. What’cha thinkin?” His voice wavered ever so slightly, but fortunately, the detail-oriented unicorn didn’t pick it up.
Twilight gave him a devilish smile, one that would reduce most any stallion to his knees, begging. Fortunately, Big Macintosh wasn’t “any stallion.”
“Uh, no. If it’s what Ah think yer sayin’, no. Ah can’t.”
Twilight pouted. “What? Why? You just said it was tradition.”
Macintosh screwed his face up in confusion, trying to put two and two together. “What? What’s tradition?”
“Meeting all the Apple family members! You just said you’d love me forever, and I’ll love you forever, so why don’t we go ahead and get started?”
Mac’s mouth hung open as he stared down at those beautiful magenta eyes, trying to process what he had just heard. No, she didn’t want to have sex with him, which was good in his book. However, she wanted to go ahead and get started on a tradition that was normally saved for a sure thing. As in, post-proposal type sure thing.
Twilight continued talking. “I’m sure it’s obviously a tradition that’s saved for later in the relationship, but if these relatives are going to be tough about a horn-head joining the family, don’t you think we could use all the time we could get?”
“Ah—ah s’pose so, but Twilight,” Mac stuttered. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, doing a pretty good impression of a screen door on loose hinges.
“Yes?” she asked, after a few seconds of this.
He took a deep breath, before reciting something his pappy had once told him. “The Apple family tradition is somethin’ that a stallion goes through when he’s good an’ ready ta settle down. After everythin’s been decided, an’ he knows what he wants outta life, an’ the mare he’s with is a part’a that life. He goes around tellin’ everypony about what he’s doin’, and who’s gonna be at his side for tha rest of his life.”
Silence once more hung in the air as Twilight absorbed the full meaning of his words. Once it finally hit her, she looked away, face as red as a beet, and shuffled her hooves. “I wasn’t aware of the implications,” she said.
“Eeyup. It’s pretty heavy stuff.”
Trying to dispel her embarrassment, Twilight made a joke. “As heavy as your yoke?” she asked, playfully punching Mac’s chest.
His deep chuckle rumbled through his body as he pecked Twilight on the cheek. “A bit heavier than that, Ah’m afraid.”
The librarian giggled with her coltfriend, thinking to herself how silly she was for asking such a question. Of course it would be that important. She was crazy if she thought otherwise. But then, her large red coltfriend asked her something she had to play back a few times to make sure she heard correctly.
“How badly do ya wanna meet ‘em, though?” Big Macintosh asked, with an inquisitive look.
“W—what do you mean?”
“Ah guess a better question would be why do ya wanna meet ‘em?”
“Well, for one, so I know who’s in your family. And two, so I can go ahead and get past all the bigotry, and try to be accepted by them. We’ve already done it with Fuji, and—wait, we have done it with Fuji, right? I haven’t talked to you about it since you…passed out drunk.”
Mac chuckled at his own expense. “Eeyup, Fuji’s alright. We fought, Ah won, an’ he’s ready ta talk to ya colt-ta-mare pretty soon to apologize an’ get ta know ya.”
Twilight’s ears folded back as she let out a proud smile towards her lover. “Thank you,” she said, kissing his cheek. “You’re the best.”
“Aw, shucks. Thanks fer lettin’ me whup his flank.”
Twilight giggled again. “Anyways, like I was saying, I’d like to go ahead and get a head start. Get it done, you could say.”
Big Macintosh contemplated her words. Thinking of only one good question, he asked it, albeit hesitantly. “Well, Twi, Ah gotta ask ya…”
“What?” she said, leaning towards him slightly.
“…What if we go on this journey, but we end up…ya know, not workin’ out? What then?”
Twilight was silent as she thought this over. It was a good question, one that warranted worry. Multiple times, though, only one thing came to mind. She tried to think up something else, tried to think around it. But one thought permeated all others, and she knew it was the answer she had to give. “It’s going to work out, Mac. I love you, and I’m not going to stop loving you. Ever. I don’t see how this could not work out, and I’ll do everything it takes to make it that way.”
Mac didn’t know what to say. The sincerity in her voice, the sincerity in her eyes…it was just too much. He still had to ask, though. “But what if something happ—mmph!”
Twilight pushed into him, rolling him onto his back and pressing him against the floor with the force of her kiss. She pulled away and stared into his eyes, and with the most sincere voice she could, said, “It’s going to work out. Trust me. I love you.”
“Ah love you too,” Mac whispered back, before being cut off by another kiss. After they finished, and were laying back on their sides, Mac came to a solemn conclusion. “Guess Ah better tell Applejack what we’re doin’,” he said. “She won’t be too happy.”
Twilight looked back in confusion. “Why not?”
“It ain’t traditional for a couple to go on this thing without sealin’ the deal. Just ain’t how it’s usually done.”
“Oh.”
“Eeyup. Well, darlin’, Ah love ya, but Ah need ta get back and talk to AJ ‘bout all this while it’s still daylight. Wanna come out fer dinner?”
“Sure!” Twilight exclaimed, ears perking up.
“Good.” Big Macintosh rose from his position, stretching his limbs as he did so. “Well, Ah’m gonna head out and smooth this over a’fore it gets wrinkled. Come on out ‘round evenin’, Ah’m sure Granny’ll have somethin’ cooked up.”
Twilight rose with him, and walked towards the door. “Ok, Mac. I’ll be there. And, Mac?”
“Eeyup?”
“Thank you. I love you.” Twilight leaned in and gave him a peck, which he gratefully returned.
“Ah love ya, too, Twilight.”
She smiled as he left the library, and as she shut the door, the cross-breeze caught her mane in a small vortex of wind. She went back to the table where her books and papers lay, but found herself completely unmotivated to do any more studying. Only one thing was on her mind, now, and it was a question that she didn’t have the answer for. Deciding to write a letter to the Princess about it, she retired to her balcony with a quill, inkwell, and some paper, ready to ask her mentor one of the hardest questions she didn’t know the answer to.
Of course, the last letter she received from Celestia, not but a few days before, pertained specifically to this subject, and therefore no backstory explanation was required. Priming her pen, and levitating the parchment over, she wrote her normal salutation, and one question.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Am I ready for this?
Your faithful student,
Twilight Sparkle
Satisfied with her penmanship, she rose from her relaxed position and trotted into her bedroom, where a certain number one assistant was sound asleep in his basket. Twilight gently nudge Spike awake from his midafternoon nap, and he was none too happy about it.
“Ugh, what, Twilight? It’s still daylight out, I’m tired!” the young dragon exclaimed, rubbing his eyes of sleep.
“Spike, could you send this letter for me real quick?” she asked, putting on her best puppy dog face.
“Yeah, sure, Twilight. Can I go to sleep afterwards?”
“You can do whatever you want afterwards!” she said, ruffling his scales. “You’re my number one assistant, and don’t you forget it!”
“Heh, I am pretty awesome,” Spike said, swelling at her praise. He quickly blew a stream of flame, sending the letter on its way. “There you go! Need anything else sent before I’m out cold again?”
The Ponyville librarian beamed at her dragon friend, before turning back towards the cool air of her balcony. “Nope! You’re free for the rest of the day. Thank you!”
“Sure thing,” he said, settling back down into his basket.
As Twilight lounged out on the balcony, observing her small town as it went about its business, she thought about her life over the last two months or so. She thought about how vastly her life had improved since Big Macintosh had come into the picture. It was almost the same percentage of improvement as making her first friends in Ponyville, who were now the best friends she could ever ask for. As she thought, she imagined a future that included that red stallion of hers.
Is it really so scary a thought? she asked herself. I could definitely see myself with him in the future. It’s not intimidating, it’s not weird. It just seems…normal. As Twilight thought over this and many other aspects of her life and relationship, all while observing the small town below her, she heard a belch from inside. Soon after, her ears flicked towards the sound of claws clacking on hardwood floor, and before long, Spike’s weary form was standing next to her with a letter.
“Guess whatever you told Princess Celestia was super interesting this time,” he said, nonchalantly.
“Oh, Spike,” Twilight giggled, “You have no idea.”
“Whatever. I’m going back to bed,” he said. “You don’t need to send anything else, right? Too many of those things makes my throat hurt.”
“No, Spike. This should be the last one for a while.”
The purple dragon grunted in approval, then spun on his heel and walked back towards his glorious basket.
Twilight closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Whatever Celestia said was probably going to decide it for her. She had never once doubted her mentor’s wisdom, and she didn’t see how she possibly could now. After all, Celestia had never steered her wrong before.
The lavender mare carefully removed the seal of Celestia’s cutie mark, and unrolled the sacred parchment. Taking one more deep breath, she read the extremely short note of the Princess of Equestria.
Dear Twilight Sparkle,
As long as you think you are, my faithful student, then you are. If it’s my own personal opinion you’re after, though, then I only have one thing to say.
Yes.
Yours,
Celestia