Twilight Sparkle eased into the bath, and moaned. Oh, this felt gooood, and she was grateful that she didn’t have to keep sparking magic to get Big Macintosh to follow. Aloe and Lotus had magical bath oils, soaps, and shampoos that were able to get Big Macintosh’s addiction to a tolerable level for him, not to mention scrub the stink out of him. Twilight couldn’t help but feel guilty by indulging herself as well, but she so needed this. She was in eyesight of Big Macintosh’s spa therapy as it was, and he was melting beneath the masseuse’s hooves, the magical oils doing their thing. This was going to be expensive, she knew that, but Twlight had caused this problem, and she was going to help him get over it!
“Now, remember, he doesn’t leave without me,” she instructed them, “He’s a danger to himself and possibly others if he goes off by his lonesome. I’ve got to start him on a therapy, and this is a great start.”
“Y-y-y-ou ca-a-a-n-n s-s-s-a-a-a-y-y-y th-a-a-a-t a-a-g-i-i-i-n-n-n,” Big Macintosh agreed from across the room, quite enjoying himself.
“I am glad you brought him when you did,” Aloe said.
“If you hadn’t, he could have developed some serious hoof and skin problems,” Lotus explained.
“Possibly permenantly!” they chimed together. Twilight found herself wishing Spike was here so she could give him instructions, but she couldn’t leave Big Macintosh alone…
“…So I told her, ‘Pants, with that saddle? Are you trying to discredit me?’” Twilight heard Rarity’s voice.
“Oh my!” Fluttershy replied. Oh no, it must be their weekly spa treatment! Wait! Rarity was a unicorn!
Twilight leaped out of the bath, and trotted over.
“Oh, hello, Twilight! If I had known you were going to be here I would have come over sooner!” Rarity said when she spotted Twilight.
“Well, it was sort of a spur of the moment kind of thing,” Twilight said sheepishly, “Anyway, while you’re here, I have a lot of preparations to make back at the library, and I can’t risk leaving him alone. While you’re here, would you please look after Big Macintosh?”
“I’m sorry?” Rarity didn’t seem to comprehend.
“I think he’s got a Magic Addiction. If he starts showing signs again, just start charging your horn, and he’ll start following you around. I’ll take him off your hooves as soon as I get the library ready. Please, this is a bit of an emergency, he could be seriously hurt.”
“Yes, of course! We’ve got this covered. You do what you need to do.”
“Thank you SO much, Rarity. Make sure they don’t take him off the magical treatments, otherwise he’ll start getting needy. Other than that, just talk to him. He hasn’t had anypony to speak with for days.”
“We’ve got this handled,” Fluttershy assured her, “Go!”
“Thank you SO much!” Twilight said, and she trotted off. She entered the library.
“Oh, hi, Twilight!” Spike called out, “Did you get everything done?”
“Not even close. In fact we’ve got even more to do. Spike, I need you to pull out the other mattress. Clear the study of everything.”
“Everything?”
“ABSOLUTELY everything. How’s the fridge?”
“Uh, we need to go shopping…”
“Good, because we’re going to have somepony living here for a while until I can get him cured.”
“Huh?”
“Big Macintosh has a Magical Addiction, BIG time. I’m not leaving him alone until he’s beaten this. Now, I’d like to get a bookshelf for him to use. I don’t want him smuggling anything dangerous for him to snuggle with. Anything magical we’re going to need to keep an eye on. That means my chemistry sets, all of my artifacts and catalysts…Your gemstones…”
“You and me,” Spike pointed out.
“I think Big Macintosh will be able to resist snuggling with you in your sleep,” Twilight deadpanned.
“Well, it’s not me I’m worried about,” he shot back, and Twilight rolled her eyes. She looked around, and took a couple of pillows, and enchanted them.
“There. Now he’ll have a constant source, until I can think of something better.”
“I’m confused, aren’t we supposed to be getting him off of magic?”
“No, we want his body to get used to having magic being put into his system, so it can learn what to do with it, and that it isn’t a need. He’ll build up a natural tolerance, and then his body will know what to do when exposed to magic. There are other therapies I can apply, but exposure to lots of magic over time is the best thing for him. Otherwise, his body might start to decay if he doesn’t get any, or become cancerous if he gets only a little.”
“So…We’re going to bombard him with magical energy, the thing that caused his addiction in the first place?”
“Spike, when he gets enough, he’s fine. It’s like being hungry. All you can think about is eating until it’s gone. Then you’re all right. Only his body doesn’t know it doesn’t need to consume magic, and won’t know until it’s built a resistance.”
“Oh…I still don’t get it.”
“It’s all right, we’re just going to have more chores than usual, it all,” she told him.
“As if we aren’t busy as it is…” he complained, and Twilight gave him a glare.
“Get to work,” she ordered, and Spike scampered off. She looked at everything she needed to do, and thought, Spike can’t do all of this himself. And so long as he’s getting the right exposure to magic, he’s his normal self. We can get Big Macintosh to help us with this, and take him off of Rarity and Fluttershy’s hooves sooner than I thought we could!
“All right, Spike, keep working, I’m going to go get Big Macintosh,” she instructed without hearing Spike’s complaints. She trotted back to the spa, where Big Macintosh had been locked in a room with Rarity and Fluttershy as magical smoke filled the room. Twilight was carrying the enchanted pillow.
“Thank you SO much, girls, I really do appreciate this. Big Macintosh, how are you feeling?”
“Much better, thank ye very much, Twahlahght,” he said, the first normal thing he’s spoken since this ordeal had started.
“Well, I’m going to take you back to the library. We’ll get you over this, Big Macintosh, I promise.”
“Do Ah have to go? Ah kinda like it in here…”
“Well, with all these mares giving you all this attention, I’m not surprised,” Rarity teased, and Mac just smiled. Twilight rolled her eyes, and then bucked the pillow into the air a bit so he could see it.
“Doesn’t pillow look comfortable, Big Macintosh?’
“Ay-uh, uh, ayup.”
“Well, if you follow me, I’ll let you rest on it.”
“Real comfortable pillow…”
“Soft in all the right places, firm where it matters.”
“Nestle ‘n cuddle…”
Twilight shook the pillow, coaxing him out of the aroma room.
“And there’s more where this came from. If you follow me, I’ll show you everything,” she told him, and he started to follow her. She realized that everypony was looking at them, and without context…
“I-um…He really likes his pillows,” she explained with a smile, and with all eyes still upon her, she crept out of the spa, followed by the entranced Big Macintosh, and she was sure she was glowing red as proportionate to as embarrassed as she felt. She had to keep a few steps ahead of Big Macintosh to prevent him from trying to grab the pillow. She could only imagine what this scene looked like to everypony else, as she kept Big Macintosh’s attention as he followed, nipping at her flank as they went to the library where she lived…
Oh, Celestia, help me…
Twilight was as red as Mac with her blushing when they finally arrived at her home, and she tossed Big Macintosh the pillow once they were inside. He immediately took to it, and put it on his back, seemingly relieved in having it on his body.
“Now, Big Macintosh…Do you understand what’s happening to you? You’ve got a Magic Addiction. Your body needs to be exposed to a lot of magic. It’s going to take time, but eventually you’re going to build up a resistance, and the need will go away.”
Big Macintosh nodded, taking a look around the library.
“So until then, I can’t let you leave here unsupervised. In fact, I can’t let you stay here unsupervised either. Not until I’m sure you’ve beaten his, okay?”
Big Macintosh’s jaw tightened, and he nodded. He looked to the pillow, and winced.
“Ah can’t even be mahself…”
“It’s okay, Big Macintosh. We’re going to get through this. Keep the pillow where it is, and we have some work to do. I have a room for you set up. You’ll get all the magic you need while you’re here, and the work should keep your mind off of things. I can enchant your harness, too, so you can go back to working on the farm, as well. Applejack REALLY needs help. We’ll get you settled in, and you’ll be feeling better in no time at all.”
Big Macintosh just nodded, and went to work. Twilight started writing up a grocery list. It was an awful lot to ask of Spike to handle the amount of groceries they would need, but hopefully somepony would help him out. Twilight started working on a spell that would, when she cast it later tonight, essentially lock Big Macintosh in his room, which had an attached bathroom. It would also give off magic, which she was sure he would enjoy.
“Spike, why don’t you give Big Macintosh the chance to customize his room, and start on the shopping,” she instructed, handing him the list and some money, “Now, you don’t have to do it all at once, but if you can get somepony to help you, that would go a long way. I would give you the rest of the day off after that, but I have the feeling that we’ve got even more work to do after that. I promise I’ll make it up to you, Spike.”
“I’ve got it,” he insisted, taking the list, “We’re going to have a full pantry and fridge, don’t you worry. Need Owlicious?”
“No, I can manage if you need him.”
“Thanks, Twilight! Owlicious, c’mon, let’s go shopping!” Spike called out, and the two fleeted out of the library. This gave Twilight the chance to start thinking. Bon Bon was starting to show symptoms, as well, if Pinkie Pie’s rumor was correct, so…Some enchanted chocolates might do just the trick! And that would work for Big Macintosh, as well. Though, she didn’t exactly want to be getting into this without knowing exactly what she was doing, so she took a look at the book, and who wrote it. Hopefully she would be able to find some names of somepony that would be able to help her, and she could consult with on Big Macintosh’s progress.
“How’s this?” he asked while she was taking notes. She trotted over, and was very impressed. It looked like a proper bedroom. He’d even set up the bookshelf.
“It looks fantastic, Big Macintosh! I think you’ll be very comfortable here. Well, insofar as it will make things easier on you. I just wanted to say how sorry I am about this…I didn’t even think of what kind of effects my spell might have had on others, not to mention casting it in the first place for ALL the wrong reasons…I did this to you, and I’m going to make sure you get over it.”
“Applejack was right,” Big Macintosh said. He looked to her and smiled, “Y’are a good friend. I do appreciate ye doin’ this for me, an’ thinkin’ about th’ farm an’ all. That’s mighty nice of ye.”
“Well, like I said, I caused this, so I’m going to make sure that you get through it. Now, I’m going to consult a professional and look up all the legal stuff, but, like I said, I can’t let you leave or stay without a unicorn present, okay? You’re going to be all right, Big Macintosh. I promise.”