//------------------------------// // The Girdle. Episode : Ticket Master // Story: Randoms in between shows // by Jewel_Eater_Dragon //------------------------------// Applejack runs into the house and makes a bee line for the kitchen. Arriving, she skids to a halt, grabbing the flour off the rack and tossing it onto the table. It lands with a heavy thump, a cloud of flour rising up and coating the snout of Big Mac who was trying to enjoy a cool drink of apple juice. “Cough cough, ha… CHOO!” sneezed Big Mac. “What in tarnation has gotten into you?” Big Mac asked, wiping the flour off his nose. “Twilight’s got an extra ticket to the Grand Galloping Gala, and Ah’ was hoping she would invite me to join her in attending!” Applejack answered as she dashed around the room grabbing several sticks of butter, bags of sugar, four cartons of eggs and a very wide assortment of spices as well. “Well…” Big Mac said, pondering over the vast quantities of ingredients, “that still doesn’t explain all this.” He said as he slowly waved his hoof over the table. “You plan to set up a stall somewhere?” “Nnnope…” Applejack imitated her brother’s catchphrase as she looked at him; a sly grin appeared on her face. “Ah’ plan to treat my good friend there Twilight to a barrage of good eats later, hah!” she said as she began pounding on the dough she was preparing. “Applejack!” Big Mac suddenly said, a little louder than he expected. “Are you saying that you are gonna bribe her into giving you that extra ticket?” he glared at her. “Oh course not.” Applejack replied, looking insulted. “Why Ah’ think my friend Twilight would enjoy a tasty treat of Apple Fritters, Apple Pie and maybe some Apple Crumble. And if she was feeling mighty gracious and invited me along to the Gala, well, Ah’ fer one won’t say no now would I?” “Nnnope. But I still think that’s its wrong to bribe her fer that ticket. No matter how well you try to sugarcoat it.” Big Mac said, rather disapprovingly as he turned and walked towards the door. “Oh, Big Mac,” Applejack stopped him before he could leave. Big Mac simply turned and looked back at Applejack. “Just in case you thought ah fergot about it,” Applejack began, “Ah won tha’ bet. All the Golden Delicious apples are in the barn.Hur hur, I win big bro.” Applejack ended with a smirk on her face. “Ah’mh gonna go check it first.” Big Mac said as he left the kitchen. “Why, this is your sister Applejack talking here! There is no way that ah be fibbing about something like that.” She yelled out, all the while skillfully pressing in the base for her apple pie. But big Mac had already disappeared out of the kitchen. As he closed in on the barn, he wondered if there was a way to wiggle out of this. He really didn’t want to wear Granny Smith’s girdle let alone walk down Stirrup Street in one. He made his way over to the barn and stood there. Just stood there for a good five minutes. He was wondering if he should go in. Applejack was never one to lie about the results of a bet, even if she did lose. Sighing, he pushed the barn door open anyway. Sure enough, the apples were all there. Big Mac looked across the fields and noted that all the Golden Delicious apple trees were bare of apples. He slowly made his way into the barn, determined to find a small sliver of hope that Applejack did not win the bet. About two hours later, and with a sigh of defeat, he slowly made his way back to the house. As he approached the house, he noticed Granny Smith rocking slowly back and forth on her rocking chair. She smiled as Big Mac approached her. “Why hello there Big Mac. Lemme guess…” she started, “checking the barn to see if you had won or lost the bet?” a grin on her face. “Eeyup… Hey!” Big Mac suddenly realized, “Granny, how didja know about the bet?” Big Mac looked at her, an obvious mix of confusion and embarrassment on his face. “Hee hee, sonny, granny hears things, and things like these ah don’t easily forget, just like when it comes to Zap Apple season!” her grin widening just a little. “So how bout you wear the black one with the laces? Or, or maybe the frilly white one instead?” an almost enthusiastic zing in her voice. “Granny…” Big Mac almost whined, “I’ll go pick something out mah’self” he said, his face a little redder than usual. “Yup, you go on ahead and look for something you’d like… in yer granny’s underwear drawer that is! Eeehee hee hee hee hee!” the old mare cackled as Big Mac slowly made his way to her bedroom. Big Mac decided, before entering the room, that he’d just get the plainest looking one that was there. Several moments later, he picked out a simple black girdle. And then it struck him. How was he going to wear something that was that tight? He’d stretch it out pretty wide. Sighing again, he walked out to Granny Smith. He was not looking forward to her laughing at him again. “Granny,” he began “If I were to wear this, it might get so stretched out that it’ll no longer be usable.” He told her. “Big Mac, I dun need a girdle anymore. So you go on ahead and stretch it out.” She said with a wink. Suddenly, it began to pour. Big Mac decided that the rain, heavy it was, now matched his mood. Big Mac tossed the girdle over his back and walked to the kitchen. The time he took to confirm the apples in the barn, add to the time he took to find a suitable girdle, meant that Applejack had just about to leave, the kitchen table laden with apple based goodies, ready for the wagon. If only it wasn’t raining. He walked up to her. “All right Applejack. You win. I’ll walk down Stirrup Street with this thing on. Just help me get it on…” he said, blushing so bad that it was visible even on his already red face. “Ah never wore one of these before” Applejack tried to hold back a giggle. “Just slide yer hide legs in, and then pull it over yer flank. Ah’ll help tie it then.” She told her big brother. It was a bit of a struggle; however, eventually Big Mac was able to wear it. It was uncomfortably tight, even without tying it to place. “We’ll leave once the rain stops.” Applejack said as she begun loading the small wagon by the door. And as fast quickly as the rain had started, it stopped. Out came the sun, and the freshness a sudden cloudburst filled the air. “Well, let’s go brother.” Applejack giggled, giggling at Big Mac's embaressment. The walk down the street was almost torture for Big Mac, who was walking in front of the wagon. The girdle was tight, it chafed his inner thigh, almost restricted blood to his legs, not to mention, as they passed the ponies in town, they all gave him weird looks. Some giggles, some pointed with their hooves and some simply shook their head, disapprovingly. Thankfully the rain kept a majority of the villagers indoors. Big Mac was blushing so fiercely, his face was a brighter red than the rest of his body. “Just a little more Big Mac,” Applejack said as they were about to react the end of Stirrup Street, “Then you’re free to go.” She said as she chuckled loudly. “Eeyup…” Big Mac muttered to himself, always keeping an eye on the end of the street. “Another 15 steps …. 10 steps ….. 5 steps …..” Big Mac mentally counted as the end of this ordeal was coming to a close. “4 … 3 … 2 … 1. That’s it!” he yelled in triumph. “Applejack, the bet’s done and the task is complete. I’m heading back to the barn.” He said rather quickly and in one breath. And before Applejack could reply, there was only a dust cloud where once stood Big Mac. She turned around and old caught a glimpse of his tail as he galloped straight for Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack chuckled to herself once more. A bet worth the effort, she thought to herself. Now the next thing was to look for Twilight. “Excuse me ma’am,” she asked a random pony, “Have you by chance seen Twilight Sparkle lately?” “Oh, I think I saw her heading towards the Carousel Boutique.” Came a reply. “Thank ya kindly.” Applejack replied as she made her way to her next destination, pulling the wagon full of treats behind her.