//------------------------------// // Chapter 9, Part 1 // Story: The 6 Million Bit Pony // by BaronVonStallion //------------------------------// Chapter 9, Part 1 “Left bank!” Swoosh. “Now right!” Swoosh. “Good! Okay, now...barrel roll!” “....Eenope.” Mac tried as hard as he could, but he just couldn’t find the right adjustments. A barrel roll was certainly not very difficult. For a pegasus. After his debacle with his artificial wings and the dock netting, Big Mac decided he needed some wing training. And who better to train him than Best Young Flier, the only pegasus to perform a Sonic Rainboom, Rainbow Dash. The fact she was his special somepony only added to the benefits. The two were standing outside the family barn, Rainbow Dash on a stack of hay to get a better look at Mac’s form. He wasn’t doing too bad, but he lacked a lot of finesse needed for consistent flying. “C’mon dude, it’s not hard” Dash sighed. “All ya gotta do is...” “Tuck left wing at a 45, flare right wingtips, Ah know, Ah know...” Mac grumbled. “Ah jus’ don’t have the dexterity fer that.” “Keep practicing, you’ll get it.” She said, smiling down on him. Mac grunted. “Ah dunno, Dash. These...” he pointed to his mechanical pinions, “ are a lot heavier than yers. Plus, Ah can’t really feel ‘em that well.” He shuffled on his hooves, his long, sleek wings reaching as long as one of the princesses. It was a very strange feeling; his wings were so long, yet they didn’t throw off his balance as much as he’d excepted. Rainbow hummed, thinking over various ways to help her coltfriend. “I think I have an idea...” Rainbow unfurled her wings, pushed off the bale and hovered her down atop of Big Mac. “Here, try this.” Rainbow placed her forehooves on Mac’s shoulder blades. She slowly pressed and moved her hooves into his back, which made Mac involuntarily adjust his wings. “Looks like it works on you, too” Rainbow chuckled. “Whadda ya talkin’ about?” “Well, it’s normally a pegasus thing, but there’s a special bundle of nerves right here...” As Dash explained, she continued to prod around Mac’s shoulders, making his wings twitch and swing according to her ministrations. “It’s used for controlling your wings, helps them to loosen up. My mom used it on me when I was just learning to fly.” “Oh, m’kay.” Mac stood still and allowed his trainer and marefriend to work her magic. With nothing physical to do for the next few minutes, he started to let his mind wander. “Ya never mentioned yer parents before” Big Mac blurted out after a particularly long silence. “Yeah” responded Rainbow cooly. “Would ya like to?” “...No.” Rainbow continued her work, albeit a bit harsher than normal. Okay, then. Don’t bring up parents, thought Macintosh. Although he was quite curious about Dash’s poor reaction, he knew better than to push her on something she wasn’t wiling to talk about. “Ya know, we should prolly head inta town today.” “Oh yeah?” Rainbow ground her hoof lightly on Mac’s back, making his wings twitch involuntarily. “Mmm, ya. Figured we could get this whole “Twilight” situation squared away.” “...I don’t know if today’s the best day to do that” Rainbow said hesitantly. “Isn’t it kinda soon?” Big Mac huffed. “It’s been a week since Ah got outta that hospital. Ah don’t wanna put it off any longer.” “I know but... Do you think she’ll be mad?” Rainbow knew Twilight had a tendency to overreact about small things. And this didn’t feel like a “the icing’s not symmetrical on this cupcake” sort of situation. “I just, worry, ya know? Twilight can be kinda...” “High strung?” Mac asked, eyebrows raised. “Yeah.” “Dash, Ah know how important yer friends are to ya, but Ah don’t think this’ll be a problem. Twi’s rational; We’ll explain what’s going on, an‘ she’ll understand.” Rainbow frowned. “I don’t think you know how Twilight tends to take things. She’s not that rational when emotions and expectations are in the mix.” “Trust me; ya’ll girls and Twi got a strong bond. Some old stallion ain’t gonna break that up.” That didn’t put Rainbow’s mind at ease. It’s not gonna be that easy. She trusted me, she thought we were just training. I... I betrayed her. Rainbow knew that Twilight knew Mac didn’t consider their relationship real, but it still felt like Dash had stolen Big Mac. The feeling hit her right in the gut. I’m supposed to be loyal. What kinda friend swoops in and takes their special somepony? “Ya’ll okay up there?” Mac’s question drove Rainbow out of her thoughts. “Ya looked kinda dazed, an‘ my “wings” are going a bit crazy.” Rainbow looked down. Mac’s mechanical aviators had flipped upside down, and one was jutting straight up. “Yeah” she responded. “Just thinkin’.” Soarin sat on the edge of the main barn’s roof, watching the sunrise. It wasn’t often that he got much time to himself; between the farm, Applejack, and workouts, he barely had time to sleep. Luckily, today was one of the few days on Sweet Apple Acres he got off. Normally, Soarin would’ve chosen to sleep in, but the habits of working on a farm had worn onto him awhile ago. “What’cha doin’ up here, sugarcube?” Soarin heard a southern voice flow by his ears. He immediately knew who he was talking with, and patted the space to his right. “Just watching the sunrise.” Applejack took the seat next to him, leaning against him gently. “Ya have anything planned today?” “Nope, not really. Why?” Applejack shrugged. “Me either. Was thinkin‘ about having a picnic.” “Sounds like a plan to me” Soarin smiled. He leaned back, lying down onto the roof to stare into the morning sky. AJ followed him, removing her hat and placing it on her chest. “How long ya been up here?” Soarin’ shrugged. “I dunno. Couple hours, maybe? It’s funny,” he chuckled, “I’m usually not a morning pony. I used to love sleeping in; even Spitfire had trouble gettin’ me up this early.” He nudged Applejack with his hoof. “Guess somepony changed that.” Applejack giggled, rolling into Soarin’s side. “Ah suppose so.” He muzzle sat just above his shoulder, her warm breath gliding over his body and sending a tingle up his spine. “Hey Soarin’...” AJ started. “Yeah?” “Ah was just wonderin’, have ya’ll talked to the Wonderbolts since yer accident? Ah mean, it’s kinda yer job, ain’t it?” The question struck Soarin‘ like the lightning bolt. Oh shit... With all the crazy missions and hospital bills, He’d barely given his real job a second thought. He hoped his teammates were okay, that they weren’t worried about him. “I... I haven’t, actually” Soarin‘ admitted. “I know I should, but its been a long time. They’re not gonna be happy with me.” “Well hay, if they ain’t happy, Ah’ll give ‘em a talkin‘ to” Applejack joked. “Ya’ll should talk to the Princesses, too. They might’ve taken care of it” she added. “That they might have.” Soarin‘ scooted closer to Applejack. The morning was still brisk, and Soarin’ was grateful for her body heat. “...Sun’s nearly up.” “Yep. We gotta head into town at sum point” AJ said softly. Soarin’ slid an arm under his new marefriend, pulling her even tighter to his side. “Heh, I guess. But not now. I like where I’m at.” Twilight paced around her bedroom, trying to collect her thoughts. Today’s the day, she thought. I’ll tell Macintosh today. She smiled at the thought of embracing the hulk of a stallion, his deep emerald eyes sparkling with delight. Twilight quelled those dreams quickly, not wanting to get ahead of herself. Tidying up her room, she grabbed a few random books that lay around. Regardless of the answer, I just have to say it. I’ve got to tell him, and hope for the best. A knock on the door got Twilight’s attention. Who could that be? I wasn’t expecting any visitors?, she wondered as she trotted to the door. “Hello?” Twilight asked, opening the door. A tall unicorn stallion stood in the doorway, his brown coat covered by a tattered white lab-coat. He had a small, metallic device around his front left leg, which covered most, if not all, of his hoof. It quietly hummed, a bright green light glowed from the side facing inward. “Can I help you?” she asked. The stallion smiled. “Why yes, miss...?” “Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.” “Miss Twilight,” he said, the tips of his lips curling upward at a disturbing angle, “Yes, I do believe you can.” “Are you sure about this?” Rainbow asked her coltfriend, trotting at his side through town. The two got a few strange glances, which was a bit worrying for Dash. She couldn’t care about what ponies thought of her, but Mac’s reputation was a different story. And Twilight’s reaction to all this was mostly likely going to be unpredictable. “O‘ course, Dash” chimed Big Mac. “Ya’ll are better friends with her than me, plus... Ah don’t exactly know what ta say.” He smiled sheepishly at Rainbow Dash. “Ah was kinda hopin’ you could do some o’ the talkin’.” Dash shot him an unimpressed glance. “You serious?” “Hey, Ah kin hope.” The two continued through downtown Ponyville, weathering the strange looks from unfamiliar ponies. They eventually ran into the library. Big Macintosh hesitantly knocked on the door, which creaked open slowly form the contact. The library was dark and cluttered, a stark contrast from its usual form. Papers were scattered randomly across the room. Twilight’s coffee table was snapped in two, and one of the table legs was ripped off. The house was quiet, it was a library. Though this quiet was disconcerting, unlike the usual silent comfort of Twilight’s library. Big Mac entered cautiously, followed by Rainbow Dash. “Twilight?” she called out, hoping to hear her friend. “You in here?” The two trotted inside slowly, stepping around tattered papers and other nick-nacks that had found their way to the floor. “What the hay happened here?” Rainbow thought aloud. “It’s not like Twilight to be... well, messy.” “Yeah” commented Mac. “This is jus‘ weird.” “Hey Twi, you in here?” Rainbow asked aloud. She hovered around the room, peering into the tornado path that was Twilight’s library. This is so unlike her, Rainbow wondered. Something’s not right. Even when she’s having one of those panic attacks of hers, the library doesn’t look like this... Rainbow started to get nervous. “Mac, I’m going check upstairs. You okay down here?” “Eeyup.” Rainbow flew upstairs, bursting through Twilight’s bedroom door. Her personal quarters were just as ruined at the main room. Her bedsheets were frayed and ripped, old letters to Celestia strewn across the floor. Candle wax was dripping down the side of Twilight’s dresser, the candle not having been put out. A large gash was missing from the librarian’s bedpost. Again, books littered the bedroom floor. Though, normally they would be stack alphabetically, chronologically, and by color, knowing Twilight. Rainbow landed and began her search. “Gotta be somethin‘ around here...” Dash poked her nose under Twilight’s bed, and felt something wet on her muzzle. Something wet and warm. She touched her nose, and pulled her hoof away. Blood. Rainbow recoiled, tensing up and flaring her wings. “Mac...” she whispered, being to hyperventilate. “MAC!” A loud crash downstairs raised the hair on Rainbow’s neck. She turned, grounding her hooves into the ground and launching out the door. She sped downstair, sliding to a halt in front of her coltfriend and took a defensive stance. “Mac, you okay? I heard a noise...” she turned to look at him. “ Ah’m okay, jus‘... Ah found someone.” Big Mac pointed to the couch in main room. In a small cleared off space sat a light purple dragon, holding his knees tightly to his chest, crying. Applejack trotted through town, a light bounce in her step. Her saddlebags were near to bursting with flour, celery, and even oranges, though AJ detested them. Hmm, Ah got nearly everythin’. I jus‘ need bread, an’... “Hi, Applejack! What can I get you?” “Howdy, Carrot Top. Gimme a bushel o‘ carrots, and half a dozen radishes.” AJ pulled out a small pouch of bits, and handed it to Carrot Top. “This should be enough.” “Thanks, AJ” Carrot said smiling, taking the moneybag and stowing it away behind the counter. “So... I hear you and that Wonderbolt are gettin’ pretty familiar?” Applejack coughed, surprised by the question. “Ah- Where’d ya hear that?” “Oh, you know this town. It’s always bubbling with gossip.” Carrot said with a giggle. “So, is it true?” “Ah, well..ya see...” AJ stumbled. She wasn’t quite comfortable talking about her relationship in public, a combination of inexperience, anxiety, and the fear of causing widespread jealously. Rationally, AJ knew she had nothing to worry about. But in a deep corner of her mind, Applejack envisioned herself being trampled, while the female populace of Ponyville dog-piled Soarin, not unlike a certain situation involving her brother and one very old Smarty Pants doll. “Oh! It is, isn’t it?” Carrot Top gasped. “Good for you, girl!” “Um, thanks.” Carrot tutted. “Mmmm, if I had a stallion like that.... the things I’d do...” On the other side of the market, Soarin was looking over a particularly shiny booth. The stallion behind it was rather old, a grey mane and coat, with wrinkled bags under his eyes. His booth was littered with trinkets; gold hoof-bands, simple gemstones and jewels, beautifully embroidered tiaras and chest pieces, and necklaces of all kinds. I wonder i Applejack’s a jewelry type of girl. Probably not, but... Soarin looked through the gallery, seeing nothing that really caught his interest. Everything seemed too flashy, too extravagant. From what Applejack and Big Mac said of AJ’s friends, this place would be more suited to Rarity’s tastes. “Sumthin’ catch yer eye, kid?” the gruff, old stallion asked, grabbing Soarin’s attention. “Ehh, well... no offense, but all this stuff seems too...?” “Ostentatious?” The booth owner chuckled. “I was gonna say gaudy, but sure. I need something kinda, simple. And green, if ya have it.” The old pony shifted, lifting his hoof to his chin in thought. He ducked under the booth, rooting around for a minute or so. “How about this?” the pony said, holding a necklace in his hoof. It was silver; small, smooth lengths of the metal, wound around each other like rope. at the bottom hung a well cut emerald. It wasn’t terribly big, and the parts that were silver weren’t awfully showy. The jewelry piece was simple, but also refined. Elegant, but unassuming. The small emerald, with the graceful silver rope chain just felt... Honest. The word ran through Soarin’s mind. It seems honest. No tricks, no bull, just... “Hey! There ya are!” Applejack trotted up towards the booth, causing Soarin to quickly hide the trinket. Applejack. “Oh, ah... hey there” he stuttered. “Did you find everything?” “Almost, but not without goin’ through the ringer...” Applejack sighed. “Remind me never to leave you alone in a room with Carrot Top.” “Uhhhh...” was all Soarin could say. “What’re ya doing at a jewelry booth?” AJ asked. “Oh, you know us celebrities. Gotta get all decked out and fancy” the pegasus said, lying through his teeth. AJ shrugged, turning and lightly booping Soarin on the nose with her tail. “Whatever. Ah’m almost done, so jus’ meet me by the fountain when yer done.” Soarin watched the cowpony leave, a slight sway in her hips as she trotted away. That can’t be by accident. “Got yourself quite the filly” commented the old stallion. “Yeah” breathed Soarin. “So about that necklace...?” Soarin turned back to the booth, spying left and right to make sure nopony was eavesdropping. “How much?” BIg Mac and Rainbow sat on either side of Spike. He had calmed down a little, but the dragon was still shaking. “Spike, are ya ok?” Mac asking quietly. He nodded, but did say anything. “Spike... Do you know what went on here?” “I... I’m n-not sure...” Spike looked up at Mac, eyes red. Twilight was organizing the natural history section, and... and then s-some...” Spike began to tear up again. Rainbow wrapped her wing around him. “Go on, Spike.” Spike wiped his nose, taking a deep, gurgling breath. “Somepony knocked at the door. He... he took T-Twilight. I tried to get a letter to Celestia, but...” He began to shiver again, so Mac placed his large fore hoof on Spike’s shoulder. “Did the pony hear ya’ll?” Mac asked softly. Spike nodded his head. “I-I took cover in that pile of books behind us, until I was sure the pony was gone.” Although he didn’t smile, Spike gave a heartless chuckle. “I was alway good at “hide and seek”. To be honest, when Big Mac found me, I thought it was whoever took Twilight.” “That pony better be glad, you nearly sent mah tail to the princess.” He was able to get a real laugh out of Spike, disabling a little of the tension. “Spike, did ya see which way they went?” “...No. I’m sorry, I-” “That’s ok, buddy.” Rainbow pulled him into a tight hug. “You did good.” Spike gripped her forelegs tightly. “Mac,” said Dash with a steely-eyed look, “go get the other four. Now.” “Rainbow, Ah’m not leavin‘ ya alone on-” “Mac...” Rainbow’s voice was quiet, but deafening in its intent. “I can handle myself. Get our friends, right now. Time is of the essence.” Mac frowned, but stood from the couch. “If ya need anything...” “I’ll get you.” Macintosh hesitantly trotted away from his marefriend, weaving around the wreckage of Twilight’s library. Walking through the door, he quickly made his way towards the market. Most ponies should still out an‘ about; Ah kin find where everyone is. Thankfully, Ponyville’s market district was near the center of town, so Big Mac easily arrived within a few minutes. He caught sight of a blue pegasus stallion standing by the outskirts. “Hey Soarin!” Macintosh ran to him, his eyes darting through the crowd. “Where’s AJ?” “Um, getting some carrots, I think? Why, what’s up?” “Get her to the library, and do the same fer Fluttershy. Somethin’s not right...” Mac started pacing around his flying friend. “Ah’m gonna get the others.” “Mac, what’s going on?” “Ah don’t know, but Ah ain’t waitin‘ ta find out.” Big Mac ran off into town, looking for the remainder of his friends. Soarin’ watched Big Mac trudge through town and disappear in the crowd. This can’t be good, he thought to himself. Something in his voice.... where’s Applejack? Soarin’ ran to the center to the market, sliding to a halt in front of the trademark water fountain. He frantically whipped his head around, looking through the sea of ponies for a familiar brown hat or golden mane. He didn’t find either of those. Damn it, where is she?! “Hey there” a female voice whispered into his ear. “SWEET CELESTIA!” Soarin’ jumped into the air, legs locked in shock. He landed and promptly tumbled to the ground, flailing uselessly. He staggered back to his hooves and tried to catch his breath. “Geez, AJ...” A warm chuckle rolled out of Applejack. “Sorry, sugarcube. Didn’t know ya’ll were so jumpy today.” “It’s not that.” Soarin’ turned to meet her eyes, displaying none of the mirth he had earlier. “Something’s wrong.” “Whadda ya mean? What’s wrong?” “I don’t know, AJ. Mac just told me to make sure you get to the library. I need to find Fluttershy.” “Now hold on!” AJ stomped her hoof. “If somethin’s up, Ah sure ain’t gonna just sit around. Ah’m comin’!” “What?! No!” Soarin’ protested. “This could be dangerous. This could be like... like...” “Like vanishing an evil Alicorn who was trapped on the moon fer a thousand years?” Applejack smirked. “Sugar, Ah kin handle myself just fine.” “Ah...” Soarin’ meant to protest, but he quickly realized his argument fell flat. “You may have a point. Lead the way, AJ.” Big Mac galloped through town, bolting towards Sugarcube Corner. The market district was pretty packed this day, which left Mac open to two options. Either he could: A) use his superior strength and barrel through ponies, or B) yell. “Git movin’!” Macintosh bellowed, the heavy clip-clop of his hooves shaking the crowded town street. “Look out!” He leapt over a small stack of boxes, mares and stallions alike forming an alley for the red mass of fur and muscle to careen through. He landed surprisingly soft and kept running. Can’t lose any time. Faster. The words stayed in his mind, running like a ticket-tape. Every second he was away from the library, away from whatever had happened, Big Mac grew more and more anxious. A pit was growing in his stomach, and he didn’t like the feeling. He sped around the (in his opinion) oddly named sofa store and caught the bright pink roof of Sugarcube Corner in his eye. “Pinkie!” he cried as he burst through the front door. “Ya in here? “Hey Mackie! What’cha doin’?” Pinkie Pie popped up from behind the counter, smiling wider than the day is long. “Pinkie, you need to get to the library, right now.” “Ohh, is there a new pony in town?! Should I get the cannon?” Macintosh just shook his head. “No, Pinkie, sumthin’s wrong.” The party pony looked down, confused. “Wrong? But... my pinkie sense would’ve kicked in if something was...” All of a sudden, Pinkie seized up, jolting and jittering around the muffin bar her was behind. Her eyes rolled back into her skull, ears straight up like a diamond dog, and her hooves began to vibrate. During her entire episode, Big Mac watched, horrified. “Pinkie! What’re you- Stop!” Her head bashed against the wall a few times, and she collapsed on the floor. He’d never seen Pinkie have such an attack. Her ESP was known to everyone in Ponyville, but those were just little twitches. Nothing like this. Her rushed to her side, helping her back onto her hooves. “Thanks, Mac” she said, rubbing the back of her skull. “Are ya’ll alright? Ya wanged yer head a might hard...” Pinkie smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I’m ok.” Her eyes grew wide, realizing what a “doozy” she just had. “Mac...” The jovial mare that was just before him disappeared. Pinkie’s mane hadn’t deflated (luckily for Big Mac), but the terror in her heart was clearly readable on her face. “Get Rarity.” Big Mac wanted to question her, maybe ask who or what was at Carousel Boutique. But Pinkie’s face left no room for argument. “Ah- Ah’ll get right there. Do ya’ll think you can make it to Twilight’s place ok?” “Yeah, I think so...” Pinkie mumbled. “Ah’ll find Rarity, you just git over there as fast as ya can.” Mac led Pinkie outside and watched her begin to make her way to the library. Once she was out of view, he turned and dug his hooves into the ground, jumping into a gallop as he went after Rarity. “Soarin! Ya see anything from up there?” Soarin’ snapped his vision down to his marefriend, who was running along a dirt path about fifty feet below him. The trail ran along the edge of Everfree forest, creating a barrier between the magical, tangled mess that is the dangerous forest and the clean, pristine feeling of Ponyville. The trail also ran conveniently close to Fluttershy’s home. Soarin‘ never did fully wrap his head around the idea of Everfree forest. It seemed to him that something as possibly dangerous as that forest would be a poor neighbor for a town. All those monsters just hangin‘ around... seems like poor planning to me. “Nothin‘ yet. Everything seems fine.” He said to the orange mare. “I don’t know what your brother’s all freaked out about.” “If Mac’s worried, it’s probably important.” Applejack kept her head down, eyes ahead as she charged down the path. “We just gotta get to Fluttershy, and then to Twilight’s. We can figure everything out-” BANG! An deep, rumbling explosion from the left threw Applejack off-balance. She snapped her head in the direction of the boom and saw a trail of smoke rising from somewhere in Ponyville. In all honesty, the sight wasn’t all that new for the farm girl. The amount of accidents, mishaps, and catastrophes that occurred in Ponyville were staggering, so as strange as it seemed, smoke didn’t always raise cause for alarm. This was not one of those situations. “Soarin! What’s happening?” The blue pegasus swooped down, landing next to Applejack, with a hard thud. “I’m... I’m not sure...” Soarin‘ trotted in place nervously, looking to his partner for an answer. “We better kick it into overtime though...” Applejack only nodded, barreling down the dirt path with Soarin in tow. Big Mac stood in front of Carousel Boutique, slightly nervous despite the situation. Oh, he certainly wasn’t going to leave Rarity hanging. He was a gentlecolt, after all. But the stigma of his last few visits with the alabaster unicorn continued to stick with him. Whew. Deep breaths... Big Mac knocked on the door, hoping that Pinkie’s warning hadn’t come too late. After a few minutes of anxious waiting, the door to the fashionista’s sop opened. “Oh! I wasn’t expecting you, Macintosh... Is everything alright?” Rarity allowed Mac inside, sitting him down in one of her lounge sofas. “Thank Celestia” Big Macintosh breathed, graciously taking the seat. “Are ya’ll okay?” “Well, of course I am” Rarity chuckled. “Why wouldn’t I be?” “Somethin’s happened to Twilight” the stallion explained. “ Ah need ya to go over to the library as soon as ya can.” “Oh my” Rarity flinched, shocked. “Of- of course. Let me just gather some things...” “There ain’t no time for that, Rar-” “Please, Macintosh darling, It will only take a minute.” Rarity gave Big Mac no time to response, promptly trotting up the stair and into another room. Mac sighed deeply. Ain’t no use arguing with that mare... He looked around the Boutique, not having been in there much himself, he never remembered what it looked like. “Never thought it’d be this messy” he mumbled to himself. Rolls of fabric lay strewn across the floor, and designs for what he assumed were new dresses hung haphazardly along the walls. The sewing machines even looked dirty. Big Mac knew enough about the unicorn to know that the this wasn’t the normal state of Rarity’s home. “Big sale comin‘ up?” Mac called. “Oh yes! Big, big sale... I’ve been quite busy recently.” “Uh-huh. Speakin’ of that, where’s Sweetie Belle? Figured she’d be ‘round here.” “Oh, you know those girls...” Rarity mumbled. “Always out and about...” That didn’t sit right with Mac. However reckless the trio fillies might be, he knew how much his sister and Rarity tended to fret over them. Rarity wouldn’t just let them run around without... “Okay, Macintosh! All set” Rarity chirped, breaking the stallion out of his inner thoughts. “Good, now let’s...” Macintosh turned to go, only to stop in his tracks. Slowly, he turned back to Rarity, whose smile faded slightly. He slowly widened his stance and lowered his head. “Since when are yer eyes orange?” “...Damn. Thought I’d have more time.” The silk-like, fancy accent of Rarity was gone, now replaced by a thick, gravely stallion’s voice. “Yer quick fer a country pumpkin.” “Well Granny didn’t raise no fool.” The guise of a fashionista now gone, the Rarity impostor dropped his act, a flash of green flame quickly enveloping him. Now a unicorn stallion, the pony before Big Mac was large. Larger than Macintosh, actually. He had a steel gray coat and black mane, with angry orange eyes. Mac noticed a peculiar amulet that sat in the center of his collarbone. It was a round, silver thing, with a black stone in the center. The stone had a green, smoky texture to it. The farmer and the impostor began to circle each other, each hunched over and ready to strike. “So” the impostor said, “What gave me away, besides the eyes?” “Well, ya didn’t hit on me. That’s kinda tipped me off. And this place was a mess,” Mac chuckled. “Ya didn’t do a very good job of disguisin’ yerself.” “Guess I’ll have ta fix that next time.” Big Mac snorted. “There ain’t gonna be a next time.” “We’ll see about that...” The grey stallion lunged forward, Mac narrowly dodging his hoof. The grey pony landed behind him, launching his back hooves out in a second attack. His right back hoof caught Big Mac in the gut, pushing him into a wall with a grunt. Mac recovered quickly, regaining his defensive position and facing the imposture. “If’n ya don’t mind mah askin’, how the hay did ya turn inta Rarity?” Mac darted forward, aiming a bite at the impostor’s neck, which missed by a hair. Damn, he’s fast fer how big he is. “Well, impressions were quite the hobby for me” the grey stallion sneered, couching into a low, predatory stance. “And the doctor’s quite the tech whiz. Throw in a little knowledge of changeling magic and...” The impostor flashed a slimy grin, quickly tapping the stone on his necklace. The green flash Mac saw before returned, starting at the base of his hooves. His hooves morphed from the grey sheen they originally had, to cream colored. The green flame travelled up, burning away his grey fur and replacing it with crimson hair. Next his shoulders, his mane, even his face changed, his horn retracting into his head. Last, the impostor’s eyes faded from orange to green. Big Macintosh watched as the formerly grey pony in front of him turned into... Big Macintosh. “...Viola” the impostor said with a thick southern accent. The two thrashed together, a cloud of red fur crashing along the floor of Carousel Boutique. Big Mac stomped and pawed, aiming for anything he thought wasn’t him. He caught the impostor in the chest, though the strike was promptly returned. The impostor chomped onto Big Mac’s left ear, wrapping his forelegs around the barrel of the Apple stallion. Mac groaned, twisting under his attacker. He heard a quick pop, and then a sharp, violent pain. Mac ripped his head back, then head-butted forward, crushing the bridge of his attackers muzzle. With the impostor stunned, Big Mac rolled, catching the imposture onto his back and bucking him into the nearest wall. The stallion hit the wall with a crack!, slumping onto his shoulders and neck. Mac took the opportunity and pounced, pinning the stallion on the floor. “NOW LISTEN HERE!” he bellowed. “Ah got NO IDEA what yer talkin’ ‘bout. Hay, I don’t even no what a “Changeling” is. But that don’t matter.” Mac leaned in close, firmly pressing his hoof against his attacker’s larynx. “Where’s Rarity?” “Gahhhh... uppppsuu...” The stallion choked, eyes twitching. “KA-...Upsssstaaairs” Macintosh raised his hoof quickly from the impostor’s throat, darting it back down onto his right eye. With a loud smack, the stallion formerly known as Rarity was incapacitated. The impostor’s facade faded, his red fur drifting back to it’s neutral grey form, along with the rest of his body. “Thanks” the real Macintosh grumbled. Big Mac pawed at his ear, bringing his hoof back to find a large deposit of blood. Great, he thought. Just buckin‘ perfect. He looked down, the impostor still unconscious from Mac’s punch. Hehe, at least he’s going nowhere... Big Mac left the stallion there, though not without using from of the fabric lying on the ground to tie up his would be doppleganger. Ain’t nothing strong, but it should do fer now. Satisfied, he turned and climbed up the stairs to where the fake Rarity had been. The room upstairs fared no better than the downstairs. Rarity’s room was clustered and dirty; design sketches, fabric tests, and similar papers clung to the ground or sat crumpled up in the corner. Her bed sheets were torn and ragged, haphazardly sitting on the floor. The most worrying part were the multiple scorch marks around the room. Hell of a fight... Mac mused to himself. “Rarity?! Ya in here?!” “Mmmmmmphf!” The muffled sound came from somewhere around the bed area of Rarity’s room. Trotting to it’s left side, Big Mac found what he was looking for. Rarity was tied up, gagged, and in her own words, was having quite the bad mane day. Big Mac had never seen the high-class mare so... well, rugged before. The stallion quickly untied her, helping her into a sitting position on the bed. “Oh, thank you Macintosh...” Rarity breathed, her hooves shaking. “If you hadn’t come along...” She placed her hoof on his foreleg, genuinely smiling. “Let’s be glad Ah did” he chuckled. “How are ya feelin’?” “Better now, though I do feel a bit woozy” Rarity mused. “Who... who was that stallion?” Mac shook his head. “Ah don’t know, but Ah ain’t stickin’ around to find out.” As Big Mac led Rarity out of her room, he smelled something... funny. Something that wasn’t there before. Mac peered over the loft railing, causing him to noticed a second, more important problem. “Where’s the shape-shifter?!” he said aloud. “Where’d he go?!” “Wait, he gone!?” Rarity’s left eye began to twitch, her dazed expression morphing into a scowl. Oh, that little... he thinks he he can come in here, ruin my shop...” Hmm, Ah know I knocked him out pretty good Mac hummed in thought, allowing Rarity her tangent. He can’t have woken up already. “...Not to mention, I had a whole day planned!” Big Mac trotted downstairs, investigating the getaway scene of the strange, shap-shifting stallion. The fabric handcuffs Mac had given him lay in a heap near where he’d passed out. Looking around, he noticed that none of the windows in the main room were broken, and the front door hadn’t moved since Mac went upstairs. Although, that strange smell he detected upstairs was stronger down here. “Hey, miss Rarity?” “Yes?” “Can ya’ll come down here a bit?” Rarity wobbled down, steading herself on the railing until she met the ground. “Oh my... such a mess...” she muttered, shaking her head. “Yes, what is it darling?” “Do yo smell that?” “Whatever are you talk- ...? Oh, Macintosh! My word! Is this really the time for such foalish things?” “It weren’t me...” Big Mac said with a disapproving glare. “Ah’m assuming this ain’t normal?” “Certainly no!” Rarity scoffed, scrunching her nose away in offense. “What is that odor?” Big Mac shrugged, putting his nose to the ground and sniffing. Hmm, Ah feel like Ah know that smell. Slowly, Macintosh padded forward, following the trail of the odd odor. It led him out of the main corridor, and into the hallway. “Macintosh? Where are you going?” Rarity huffed. “Big Mac!?” She ventured into the hallway, her eye just catching Mac’s rear turn into the kitchen. The stallion erratically weaved around the kitchen, looking for the source of whatever he was smelling. Eventually, the trail brought him to a large, steel contraption with a window in the center, most commonly known as an oven. “What the...” A sound behind him made Mac snap his head around. The door to Carousel Boutique’s backyard had been flung open, it knocking against the wall from a slight breeze. That smell, it’s... “Gas” Big Mac muttered. “It’s gas.” His eyes shot open. If the pony had messed with the gas line, it could only mean one thing. “Oh no. No, NOT AGAIN!” Mac turned around, bolting from the room frantically. “Macintosh, what’re you shouting about?” Rarity asked, just as she trotted into the room. “GET DOWN!” Mac shouted, though his voice was lost in an eruption of white light. The large farmer felt his body lurch forward involuntarily. He felt his back crack, and a sudden sting wave over his entire form. Mac tried to look for Rarity, but he could see was white. He tried to scream, but heard nothing. He felt... something slide around his mid-section, but all too soon, the white void Big Mac saw turned black. Rarity wasn’t there. He wasn’t there. The ground, the ceiling... Nothing was there. Macintosh didn’t even feel the flames.