//------------------------------// // 19. Cracking the Whip // Story: Breaking Barriers // by chief maximus //------------------------------// Chapter 19- Cracking the Whip Rainbow fell into a fitful sleep for only a few hours. After her brief cry, her mood swung to the opposite end of the spectrum yet again. She had one thing on her mind, and one thing only. Mac. She had to find Mac, and find him now. It was already ten thirty at night, but she would not be denied. Simply flying through the floor of her home, she nearly created a sonic rainboom on her way to their farm. She knew better than to use the front door, opting to fly to Mac's window. Without hesitation, she knocked on it, already feeling her wings beginning to lose their flexibility. "Rainbow? What are you doin' out here, sugarcube?" The color drained from Dash's face. "Oh! Uhm... sorry. I was looking for Mac's window," she admitted. The color returned to her cheeks a furious red. Applejack sighed. She knew exactly why she was here, though she hated thinking about it. "Next window over. Keep it down, ya hear?" "Thanks!" Rainbow moved over and practically flung the window open, startling Mac out of a dead sleep. He sat up in bed as he focused on the pegasus hovering just above him. "Rainbow? What're you do—" He didn't have time to complete his sentence before she landed on his lap and kissed him, pushing him onto his back. "No more talking," she whispered heavily. There weren't many things Mac would willingly wake up out of a dead sleep to do. Dash was one of those things. Mac held Rainbow close as his panting matched her own. Though he certainly wasn't upset, he was curious as to what led to this midnight ride. "So... any particular reason... you decided ta bust in here like you own the place?" he asked, his breathing beginning to return to its normal pace. "Like... I need... a reason..." she gasped, lifting herself onto her elbows as she relaxed on Mac's broad chest. She kissed the end of his nose and laid her head over his heart, finding comfort in its steady beat. "Where ya been all day? The doctor said he was gonna let you out today, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of ya 'till now." Rainbow slid off Mac's chest to his side, keeping his foreleg securely around her. "I had to talk to Spitfire. She found out I was pregnant." Mac raised an eyebrow. "How'd she figure that out? You're still a few months from showin'." "The doctor must have told her," she sighed. Mac snickered. "So much for doctor-patient confidentiality, huh?" "Yeah, but it's no big deal. She'd have found out eventually." "Ah suppose she didn't fire ya then?" he asked. "Nope," she replied, raising her head to meet Mac's lips. "Ah told ya she wouldn't." "Enjoy being right while it lasts," she countered. After a few seconds of silence, Mac spoke. "You got practice tomorrow?" "Every day this week," she moaned, digging her cheek into the soft fur of his chest. "I have to coach Firefly as punishment to take my spot once I can't fly." Mac's ears perked up at the mention of the mare who'd caused his fillyfriend so much trouble. "She still givin' ya a hard time?" Rainbow chuckled. "Actually, we talked it out in the hospital. Turns out she's had a pretty rough life." "S'that right?" "Yeah, it's a long story, but we're cool now." As Dash lay in the comfort of Mac's embrace, she remembered how much better Firefly felt after talking to somepony about her brother—something she was sure she'd probably never done to anypony outside her family. She turned her head towards him, idly rubbing his belly with a hoof before speaking. "So, what were your parents like?" "Hm?" Mac replied wearily. "Your folks. What were they like?" Mac was genuinely surprised to hear her ask, though if she wanted to know, he'd be more than happy to tell her about them. "Well, Maw died givin' birth ta Apple Bloom. Paw was heartbroken after that. He kept on with his daily routine, but Ah could tell he was lost without her. Ah tried to be the best son Ah could for him, but in the end, it didn't matter." Mac sighed, casting a glance outside to the orchards bathed in the silver light of the moon. "He was out in the fields durin' a storm one night, came in soaked and chilled to the bone. He caught pneumonia out there. The doctors did what they could for him, but his will ta live just wasn't there anymore." Rainbow was speechless. She could feel water welling in her eyes, even though Mac was just as calm as ever in his recollection. "Mac... I'm so sorry..." He raised her head to face him with a hoof. "Hey now, ain't no reason for you to cry. Ah made peace with their passin' a long time ago." "It's not that... it's just not fair that you and Applejack and Apple Bloom had to grow up without your Mom and Dad." Mac nodded. "Ah S'pose it's not, but Ah wouldn't be the stallion you know and love if that hadn't happened." He smiled at her. "Who knows, Ah might be some learned professor in Canterlot if Ah hadn't had to work the farm!" he joked, though Rainbow simply stared at him blankly. "Okay, well, I asked what they were like, not how they died," she reminded him, sniffling and wiping away the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I didn't come here to get depressed," she teased. "Alright, well... Maw was always cookin' somethin'. She loved seein' her family well fed. My Paw and Granny had been through hard times before we were born, so they appreciated it like nothin' else," he began, a smile tugging at his lips as he recalled what none besides Granny and possibly Applejack could remember. "Paw was always out in the fields, workin' hard day in and day out. Once Ah was old enough to help buck apples, Ah was out there with him." Rainbow giggled. "Sounds like fun." "Oh, it was. Helpin' Paw was all Ah ever wanted to do. Ah wanted to be just like him when Ah grew up. He told me Ah would be, 'cause Ah had natural earth pony strength. Ah guess he was right." Rainbow shifted, bringing her wings beneath the blanket as an early winter chill began to set in. Although the Apple family home was sturdy, there were a few drafts that managed to sneak in every now and then. "What brought that up?" Mac asked. "Well, you never talk about them, and I've never really felt comfortable asking Applejack about them," she explained. "Okay then, Ah want to know about your Paw." Rainbow lifted her head from his chest. "I can't tell you much about my Paw," she mocked, imitating Mac's drawl. "But I guess I could tell you a bit about my Dad." "Alright then, what was he like?" Rainbow snuggled against him, closing her eyes as she tried to recall her early memories. "Well, other than being awesome, he was always the good guy. I guess that wasn't really fair to my Mom, but that was just the way he was. He never yelled at me, and only got mad when I did something really stupid," she paused. "Whenever my Mom would punish me, or make me go to bed without dessert, he'd wait 'till she went to sleep and bring me a small piece of cake or a little bit of ice cream." "No wonder you turned out the way you did," Mac laughed, earning a playful bite from Rainbow. "Shut up. Anyway, he took me to my first Wonderbolts show." "So Ah guess it's his fault you became a millionaire and landed your dream job?" Mac teased. "I guess you could say that." Another silence entered the room before it became Mac's turn to rouse Rainbow from almost falling asleep. "Oh, Ah been meanin' ta ask how your first checkup went." Rainbow threw a foreleg across Mac's chest and sighed. She was ready to go to sleep ten minutes ago. "It was fine. Doc said the foal was coming along, or whatever." Mac stroked her mane idly as he tried to stave off the guilt of missing the mother of his foal's first doctor visit. "Did you get one of them... what're they called..." he mumbled, scratching his mane with his free hoof. "Magic ultrasounds?" Rainbow smiled, turning to look into the green eyes she hoped her foal would inherit. "Yeah, I saw it. Sucks you couldn't be there, but he kinda just did it." Mac nodded absent-mindedly. "Ah guess there'll be others..." he sighed. "I've already got another one scheduled for the first of next month," she said, giving him a quick, reassuring peck on the lips before laying back down. "Did ya see it?" he asked softly. "See what? The foal?" "Yeah, ain't that what ultrasounds are for?" Rainbow yawned. "Yeah, it was just a blurry, black and white blob with a heartbeat." Mac pulled her closer. "But it's our blurry blob," he reminded her. "Did he say whether it was a boy or a girl?" "Too soon to tell," she replied, her yawns growing more frequent. "Ya think maybe... Ah could pick the name for the foal if it's a girl?" he asked quietly. Rainbow grinned. Even with his reputation as the strongest pony in town, he was still just as soft-spoken and gentle with her as if he'd been born with bones as frail as Granny Smith's. "Yeah, I guess that would be okay. What did you have in mind?" "Ah was thinkin' Gala." "After your Mom—oh, I mean Maw?" She chuckled. "Yeah." "Sounds good to me. Can I go to bed now?" she moaned. Mac kissed her forehead and pulled the blankets over the two of them. "Ah guess. G'night Rainbow." As Rainbow drifted off, Mac knew she wasn't the only one with a big day planned tomorrow. Rainbow arrived at the Cloudesium in time to see Firefly warming up with the rest of the squad. She was by no means late, but she was under Spitfire's orders to take it easy. Not that she was going to listen, but she felt the need to at least humor her captain for a little while. "How'd you sleep, kid?" Dash asked, beginning her own stretches. "Fine." Firefly smiled. "Better once I got off that lumpy hospital mattress." "I bet. I got your routine here," Rainbow said, producing a few pieces of paper from her saddlebag. "Before today is over, you're gonna blow Spitfire away." Firefly rose from her stretches and slid her goggles over her eyes. "Ready when you are, chief." Mac had just finished breakfast after completing his morning chores. With winter setting in, there wasn't much farm work to do until the pumpkin harvest in a week or two. Granny Smith sat in her rocker, knitting socks for Apple Bloom as she usually did. Nothing warmed the hooves like the sweaters and leg warmers she knitted herself. Ordinarily, he wouldn't dare interrupt, but today he had a special request. One that Granny had been waiting for since the day she'd heard Mac's cries echo from the upstairs bedroom after he was born. "Granny, Ah think it's time you gave me Maw's ring." The elderly mare set her needles down on her lap and looked up at her first born grandson. "Ah always knew this day'd come," she said softly, her worn features beaming with pride. "C'mon now child, help me hunt fer it." Granny set her needles on the coffee table and made her way upstairs as Mac followed closely behind her. In no time at all, they stood by Granny Smith's dresser. An ornate jewelry box sat atop it, along with old photographs of friends and family long since departed. With a shaking hoof, she opened the lid, revealing a few pieces of real jewelry intermixed with costume gems. Beneath it all was a small box, which Granny carefully removed. She looked at it one more time before giving it to Mac. "Your father saved up a year's worth of sales ta buy this for your mother." Mac opened it, revealing a diamond earring with a ruby apple the size of an acorn, adorned with an emerald leaf. It was the ring his father had used to propose to his mother, and now he would do the same for his future wife. Granny closed the box with a hoof, looking into her grandson's eyes. "Make sure she knows how much this means to ya." "Yes ma'am," he answered. Now that he had the ring, he needed to plan the perfect proposal. For this, he could think of no other demigod to aid him than the Princesses themselves. However, he was sure they were quite busy in Canterlot, doing the sorts of things princesses must do to keep a country running smoothly. This assumption had brought him to the door of the Golden Oak library. He knocked on the door, expecting Spike, but finding Twilight. "Hello, Big Mac," she said cordially, inviting him inside. "Need a book, or did Rainbow send you to bug me about the next Daring Do release?" she chuckled. "Nope, Ah'm actually wondering if Spike was around. Ah gotta send a letter to the Princess," he explained, stepping inside as Twilight shut the door. "Really?" she asked, her curiosity piqued. "What about? If you don't mind my asking," she added quickly, a blush coming over her cheeks. Mac checked her windows, making sure a certain pegasus wasn't eavesdropping, as she had been known to do on occasion. "Well, Ah'm gonna propose ta Rainbow with this," he said, retrieving the small box from beneath his yoke. Holding it in one hoof, he opened it with the other. The gems shone brightly, even in the modest light of the library. Twilight gasped. "Oh, Macintosh... it's beautiful!" He closed the box, stowing it back beneath his yoke. "It was my mother's. My Paw used it ta ask her ta marry him. Ah'm gonna do the same." Twilight smiled gently. "That's so sweet, Mac." Mac blushed slightly, though nopony but himself knew it. "Thank ya kindly. Now, about Spike?" "Oh, right! He's upstairs," she replied sheepishly, trotting up the steps to fetch her assistant. "Hey, Big Mac!" Spike said, sliding down the bannister much to Twilight's annoyance. "Need a letter sent? I'm your dragon." "Yeah, Ah know she'll be at the opening Wonderbolts show, so Ah wanted ta ask a favor of her," he replied. "Okay then," Spike said, grabbing a quill and scroll. "Ready when you are." "Good practice today, Fly," Rainbow panted, having kept up with her student every inch of the way. "You weren't so bad yourself... for an old mare..." Firefly teased. "Watch yourself, kid. I'll be back in my spot soon enough." Dash gave a playful punch to her shoulder as they regrouped by the water cooler. "Alright, gather round ladies," Spitfire commanded as the squad took a knee in front of her. "The show is in one week, and, as you know, our opener sets the tone for the rest of the season. Based on pre-order ticket sales, this'll be the biggest we've ever had. All three princesses will be there, as well as about half the kingdom, and that's not counting tickets bought the day of." The team gasped and murmured before she settled them. "That means we all stand to make bank off this show, but everything has to be perfect. I don't want to see a single feather out of place. Get me?" "Yes, Ma'am," they replied in unison. "Good. Rainbow Dash, I want to see you for a second. The rest of you, go home and study your routine, then get some rest for tomorrow." Rainbow hoof-bumped Firefly and stood to meet Spitfire. "You wanted to see me?" "Yeah, here's your routine for the opener," Spitfire said, handing her a single sheet of paper. "That's... that's it?" Dash asked. "I already told you I'm not taking any risks with you and your little passenger. You should be thanking Celestia I even let you have that," she growled. Rainbow regained herself and saluted. "Yes, ma'am! Thank you, ma'am." "That's what I thought. You're dismissed." "And, off it goes!" Spike said, just as his last bit of fire enveloped the scroll he'd just completed for Mac. "Ah appreciate it, Spike." "No problem, Big Mac. I bet Rainbow will flip when the time comes!" he said excitedly. "Ah hope so." "Well, now that all that's taken care off, are you two hungry? It's just about lunch time." Twilight called from the kitchen, boiling a pot of water for Spike to come and make his famous daisy soup. "Ah'll have ta take a raincheck, Twilight. Ah gotta see a mare about a filly at school. Thanks again for sendin' my letter, Spike," Mac replied, walking toward the door as Twilight opened it for him. Mac took a deep breath, ready to take on the full day ahead of him.