From Serenity, Big Mac looked down on the planet of Ponyville. He felt a rush of emotion and nostalgia as he was reminded of his time on the planet. Growing up on Sweet Apple Acres, learning how to buck the tree from pa, ma teaching him how to be a gentlepony, playing with Applejack, Applebloom being born, and ma and pa dying…. It was always strange, coming back to visit Ponyville. The place of so many memories, both good and bad, that had affected him his whole life. And the home of so many ponies that helped shape him into the stallion he had become today. It would be good them again.
As he was pondering returning to his foalhood home, Big Mac received a call over the intercom. “Um, Mac”, Fluttershy’s soft voice resounded, “could you come to the engine room? That is, if you’re not busy. I just really need to talk to you. But, whenever you can is fine. … Um, thanks!” The last part was practically squeaked out. Chuckling to himself, Big Mac disengaged himself from pondering Ponyville and headed to the engine room.
Upon entering the engine room, Fluttershy asked, “Um, is that you Mac?”
“Eeyup”, he responded. He never could figure out how she could hear over all that blasted machinery. “Must be on account of her workin’ with it all the time”, Big Mac thought to himself, “just like I used ‘ta hear a pony approaching the orchard a mile away.”
Fluttershy turned to look at him. Her face was covered in dirt and grease, and her eyes hinted at some source of frustration. “Oh, I’m so glad you could come here right away! Not that I would have been disappointed if you hadn’t come right away. Although, I am really glad that you did. Not that I, um, wanted to distract you from your, er, captainly duties. But, this really was important…”
“Huh. Something must really frustratin’ ya, for you to be stammerin’ over yer words and such. ‘Ya haven’t done that ‘round me in quite some time. C’mon, Fluttershy- tell me what’s the problem.”
Said pony looked at Big Mac, and sighed. “Well Mac, it’s just that… well, um, the engine’s not doing so well. I’ve tried everything I can to keep her going, but my poor baby Serenity is simply too run down for me to keep performing these small patches.” At the words ‘poor baby’, a small rabbit appeared and gave Fluttershy a rather angry glare. Said rabbit had several bandages applied to him.
“Oh, Angel”, Fluttershy exclaimed, “I am not saying that you aren’t my poor baby. And to think, you got hurt because I asked you to help me. You’re such a good rabbit; I’ll see if I can get you some carrots when we get back to Ponyville. How does that sound Angel?” Giving what seemed to be some sort of satisfied look, Angel vanished back to where he came from.
“Thanks again, Mac, for having Applejack start the engines up earlier. I would have, but Angel got hurt because he was helping me try and do some repairs and….”
“S’quite all right, Fluttershy”, Big Mac replied. “I understand that you needed to take care of Angel, and that you needed to without delay. ‘Sides, Applejack was mighty happy to have helped ‘ya out. Now then, can ‘ya tell me what exactly we’re gonna be needin’ to do ‘bout the engine?”
Blushing, Fluttershy exclaimed, “Oh! Yes. That. Well, simply put, we just need some new parts. We can’t make do with what we have for much longer. If we try and push it, I’m afraid Serenity simply will not be able to fly like she is supposed to. And, to top it off, we need….”
“I think I understand what yer sayin’”, Big Mac said. “But see here, Fluttershy, I trust you. You can make Serenity fly like no one else can. No better mechanic that I know of. Now, I need ya to make her fly just a lil’ longer. Just ‘til we get down into Ponyville. We’ll deal with them parts then. Okay?”
“Um, okay Mac”, Fluttershy spoke, barely above a whisper.
Smiling, Big Mac cantered over and gave her a small kiss. “I believe in ya, Flutters. I believe in you. You can take care of them critters, and you sure as hell can take care of my ship. Keep Serenity flyin’, Flutters. Keep us flyin’ free.”
Blushing fiercely, Fluttershy responded, “Yes, my captain.”
Seeing that everything was taken care in the engine room, Big Mac headed up to the bridge. On the way, he encountered Rainbow Dash.
“Heya Big Mac, sorry about earlier”, she started off. “I was just worried and whatnot, and more than a little frustrated at the situation. ‘Ya know how I can get.”
“Your ‘pology is accepted, Rainbow,” Big Mac replied. “Ya just get ahead of yer’self sometimes, and that gets you into barrels of trouble. Especially”, Big Mac grinned, “when it comes ‘round to certain claims of bein’ a better captain.”
“Such your damn mouth, Big Mac”, Rainbow Dash said, grinning back at him. “You know that someday I’m going to get you good, and then this ship’ll be mine! That’ll be the day!”
Snorting, Big Mac continued his trek to the bridge. “That’ll be the day indeed”, he muttered to himself.
Upon reaching the bridge, he questioned his pilot. “Pinkie, we ready to land?” Said pink pony pilot swiveled around in her seat to look at him. The look she gave him was a knowing one.
“You know we aren’t ready to land, Captain”, she exclaimed. “We’re still one crew member short, silly! Rarity just sent me a message that she going to dock her shuttle before we land, and that she’ll be in any minute!”
“Right”, Big Mac replied, “Rarity. I, er, thought that she was goin’ to dock after we landed.” As soon as he spoke, an elegant voice can over the intercom.
“This is Rarity speaking. Requesting permission to dock to Serenity.”
“Permission granted, Rarity”, Pinkie Pie said happily, pressing several buttons frantically. Getting on the intercom Pinkie announced, “ALRIGHT EVERYPONY, LISTEN ON UP! OUR FAVORITE HIGH-SOCIETY LADY HAS RETURNED, AND WE SHOULD GRACIOUSLY RECEIVE HER PRESENCE AND WELCOME HER HOME!” Grinning to Big Mac, she started heading out of the bridge. “C’mon now, Captain”, she said, “Time to welcome back Serenity’s Queen.” Giggling, she trotted off.
“Dammit, Pinkie Pie”, Mac shouted after her, “I keep tellin’ ya- there ain’t no queen on ‘ma ship!”
Shortly after everypony had gathered in the loading dock, the pony of the hour appeared. Beautiful and elegant as ever, Rarity gracefully made her way down the staircase towards the rest of her comrades. Looking at them all, she spoke.
“Why, it is simply wonderful to see you all again! It simply has been much too long! How are all you darlings doing?”
Before anyone could reply, however, Fluttershy flew up to meet Rarity, and embraced her in a tight hug. “Oh Rarity”, Fluttershy said, “It is so good to see you again!” Breaking the hug, Fluttershy looked at the white unicorn with a sly and slightly embarrassed look. “So, Rarity, how many stallions fell madly in love with you this time?”
Without missing a beat, the mare replied, “Why, all of them of course! Poor things.” They both collapsed into a fit of giggles.
“Why, I’m mighty happy to see your pretty face again, Rarity”, Applejack said, smiling all the while. “It’s good to have another gal back on ‘tha ship. Macintosh was gettin’ something rather unbearable, to be honest. We need someone to keep’em on his hooves.”
“Thank you, Applejack”, Rarity replied, wearing a slight smirk. “I can only imagine what the lack of my presence has done to this ship, especially the Captain. However, you have nothing to worry yourself about. Now that I have returned, things will surely regain their equilibrium.” Grinning at this comment, Applejack tipped her hat in response.
“Good to see you again, Rarity! I would have made you a welcome back cake and thrown you a party and it would have been so much fun but you know how it is on the ship and I figured thatwecouldjustdoitwhenwegetbacktoPonyvilleand….” Pinkie Pie at this point was talking so fast that it was getting hard to understand her.
“Pinkie Pie, dear, no need to string your words together like that”, Rarity said. “As much as I appreciate the sentiment, and I do, you were right on not choosing to do it here. We will simply have to wait until we arrive in Ponyville for any proper celebrations to occur. Besides, I’m sure that the townsponies will want to throw us a gala in any case, for our return.”
At this comment, Pinkie Pie seemed to explode with energy. “OH MY GOSH THAT IS SUCH A GOOD IDEA I SHOULD THROW A PARTY FOR REUNITING WITH THEM AND THEY COULD THROW US A WELCOME BACK PARTY ANDTHENITWOULDBEANAWESOMETWOFORONEPARTY OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
There was a silence as they all looked at Pinkie, who was breathing heavily after her verbal cacophony of words. Rainbow Dash coughed. “Yeah, er, well then… good to see you too, Rarity. I take it you racked in some good bits, then?”
Rarity looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Dear, you want to hear of my work? Why Rainbow, that is simply something I cannot do. Excluding certain extenuating circumstances, it is simply not something that I am allowed to divulge.”
“You better darn well not talk about such things on my ship”, Big Mac finally spoke up. “We don’t need to hear ‘bout your profitable trysts. Well, at least I don’t, anyways. Now then, since we’ve all gone and had ourselves a happy reunion with our bejeweled unicorn, can we please get ready to land? I would rather like to see my Granny Smith if y’all don’t mind, thank you very much.”
As he began to walk away, he heard Rainbow Dash say, “Yeah, because if he doesn’t see her, it’ll be the last thing the Mighty Macintosh does!” Rolling his eyes, he continued onward to the bridge.
It would be good to finally return home.