2
"Mister Apple! Mister Apple, wait!" Mac stopped halfway down the steps of the courthouse as a free pony, waiting to see who had his name stuck in their mouth.
Cinnamon... he thought. He knew better than to help ponies anymore, yet he continued to do it. "What is it, Ms. Cinnamon?"
"Mr. Apple, please, a mare must be allowed to repay a debt owed. Let me put you up for the night, I have a room at the finest inn across the—" Mac held up his hoof, silencing her.
"Ma'am, Ah appreciate the thought, but I'll be gone by tomorrow. I have no need for a roof of any sort," he insisted, turning to leave.
"Wait!" she called again. Mac was too kind for his own good.
He turned. "Yes?"
"At least allow me to buy you something to eat," she pled. The look in her eyes tugged at his heart in a way only Apple Bloom's could. He cursed his soft spot for mares and gathered himself to refuse once more.
"As Ah've said before, you ain't gotta—" Before he could finish his sentence, his stomach decided to accept her generous offer. He sighed, his shoulders slumped. "Ah suppose one meal wouldn't hurt..."
"Wonderful!" Cinnamon sang. "Come with me, we simply must wash that dreadful soot from your coat!"
"I didn't say nothin' about a bath!" But by then he already found himself being nearly dragged through the street and toward one of the few inns in town. Before long, he found himself in a rather small room with frilly drapes and various other feminine touches on display.
"Home sweet home!" Cinnamon said sweetly as she trotted in, loosening her corset. Mac quickly shielded his eyes, though his modesty only brought on giggles. "Come now, it's only a corset!"
"My apologies ma'am, but it ain't right for a married stallion ta—" Mac stopped himself, wishing he could take back his last few words.
A sly smile crept across Cinnamon's lips. "A married stallion, eh? No reason to fret, I've had married clients before..." she added seductively as she sauntered over towards Mac, flicking her tail back and forth.
"Miss, I don't mean ta waste your time, but Ah'm not here for pleasures like what you're offerin'." Cinnamon held her bedroom stare for a few more seconds before breaking away.
"That's very noble of you, Mr. Apple," she admitted, taking a seat on her bed. "There aren't many stallions like you out there anymore."
Mac felt his blush break as he finally allowed himself to breathe. "Thank ya kindly."
"Not many stallions would have stood up for a call mare like you did." Though she had dropped her act, parts of her still called to Mac like they would to any stallion. Especially one that had been out on the road for nearly a month. "I know you're married, and I respect that," she whispered. Without even realizing it, Mac found himself seated beside her on the bed, her hoof tracing the buttons on his chest. "But you're a brave stallion. And brave stallions deserve rewards..." She licked her lips and drew her hoof down his chest to his navel, and even farther south. His instincts were screaming at him, but only his heart held them at bay. Every inch of him wanted to take out all his frustrations and anger and lust on this mare, just as she was practically begging him to.
As he thought about giving in, a brief flash of memory came into his head. His son, playing in the empty applecart as he pulled it back from town with his wife hovering overhead, making silly faces at him. As quickly as it had come, it was gone, but it had left Mac all the strength he needed to keep his mind on his mission.
"You're a beautiful mare. Cinnamon, but you and Ah just ain't meant to be," he whispered back to her, taking her hoof in both of his.
For a moment, she looked hurt. But she managed to swallow it as she stood up from her bed. "Loyal to the end. It's a rare quality in this world," she said, looking at herself in the mirror as she used her magic to take the bobby pins out of her mane.
"It is, but Ah learned from the best."
After Cinnamon had readied herself for dinner, she gave Macintosh use of the bathroom. "Take your time, dinner bell's not for another hour."
"Thank ya," he said, stepping inside the small, tiled room.
"Don't worry, I'll try not to peek," Cinnamon smiled, closing the door behind him. Mac returned a grin as he heard the handle click in place. He turned to the mirror, dimly lit by the candles beside it. His mane had grown a bit shaggy since he began his journey. His tail was no longer the short, cropped affair it had been. His chin fur had grown out considerably as well. He set his sister's dusty stetson on the counter, and removed his duster. Along his chest, there were scratches and cuts, as well as a sizable scar across his shoulder, coming around it and ending in the middle of his chest. Each one told a story, each one marked a hardship he endured with a single goal in mind. He hardly recognized himself in the mirror. Something about his eyes had grown a bit more tired every time he stopped to look at his reflection. He folded his duster and set it on the counter next to his hat. Cinnamon had already drawn him a bath. Ordinarily, baths weren't his style, but beggars can't be choosers, as they say.
Before setting hoof in the warm water, he reached into his folded coat and pulled out a locket.
Illegitimi non carborundum he read to himself as he opened it. Inside were a picture of a handsome pegasus stallion and his wife, and opposite them were Rainbow Dash, himself, and their son, Zap. Nothing brought him more joy and relief than the item resting in his hooves. It was both his motivation and his willpower, his strength and his courage.
Mac set it on top of his coat before turning back to the bath. Slowly, he allowed himself to sink into the tub. It was honestly the first time he'd let himself relax in as far back as he could recall. As he lay there, time seemed to melt away like the dirt from his coat. Soon, he was stirred from his trance by a knock at the door.
"Mr. Apple? It's nearly supper time! Everything alright in there?"
"Er... yes, Everythin's fine," he mumbled, half asleep.
"Need any extra hooves?" she asked from beyond the door hopefully. If nothing else, he admired her persistence.
"No, thank ya." Mac quickly dried himself off and got dressed. While he was in the bathroom, Cinnamon had changed into an entirely different outfit, much more formal than before.
"Well, I'm sure the rest of the boarders will be ever so jealous of the handsome young stallion on my arm for dinner this evening."
Mac smiled cautiously. "Ah suppose it's the least I could do." He lead her out of the room and down a long hallway full of dusty portraits. At the bottom of the stairs waited the finest meal Macintosh had seen in ages. Punching that drunk in the mouth was one of his better decisions, it seemed.
After dinner, the plates had been cleared, and Mac sat beside Cinnamon as he contemplated the chilly night he'd spend beneath the stars.
"Mr. Apple, I simply cannot allow you to stay in the elements with such a chill in the air."
Mac knew what she was getting at, though the air of seduction in her voice had long since evaporated. Now she spoke with a more motherly tone. Truth of the matter was, he was certainly having trouble saying no to a bed and blankets.
"Alright Miss Cinnamon, I'll stay one night."
Her eyes lit up like the lanterns themselves. "Lovely! Come now Mr. Apple, it is well past this young mare's bedtime."
She hurried up the stairs and beckoned him to follow. Before long, they found themselves back in Cinnamon's room. Mac found her couch and began to settle in.
"And just what do you think you're doing over there?"
Mac blushed, straightening up before addressing her. "C'mon now miss, it wouldn't be decent for me ta—"
"Hush now," she insisted. "I give you my word that my loins will remain chaste. Even call mare's have their honor, Mr Apple."
Mac hesitated for a moment, though the memory of how soft her mattress had been was making it difficult to refuse.
"Okay, But we keep a pillow between us. Sound fair?"
Cinnamon smiled. "But of course."
Mac climbed beneath the sheets after disrobing and felt the bed shift as Cinnamon followed suit. Strangely enough, he was not as tired as he thought he'd be.
"Tired, Mr. Apple?" Apparently, neither was she.
"Not as much as Ah'd hoped."
A brief silence covered the room like the blankets they hid beneath.
"I know, we can play a game I used to play with my sisters when we couldn't sleep!" A lump of concern rose in Mac's throat. "We called it; 'questions'. We simply take turns asking each other questions until the other falls asleep!"
It sounded like a pretty dull game to him, but he was nothing if not courteous to his host.
"Alright then, who goes first?" he asked.
"The guest. By all means, Mr Apple."
Mac thought for a moment.
"What's your favorite color?" he asked.
"Blue," she replied. "My turn!" she said with filly-like excitement.
"Okay, go ahead."
Almost instantly, she asked him one of the hardest questions possible.
"What happened to the mare you're looking for?"
Seconds ticked by slowly as Mac tried to pick the best way to answer. For a moment, the silence soaked into their very souls.
"Someone took her. I aim to get her back."