//------------------------------// // Word Travels Fast // Story: Bigger Than Mac // by DraconequusMaximus //------------------------------// Big Macintosh was sorting through the apples that were to be taken to market later in the day. Thanks to over a century of earth pony magic seeping into the land there were very few that didn't meet his strict standards, but it never hurt to be sure. The few rejects were headed to the compost pile. He had done these tasks so many times over the years that he didn't even need to think about them. As he continued on his chores he was planning out details for the barn. It was a little known fact that Mac was in charge of the financial side of things at the farm, he kept the books and did the heavy lifting while AJ used her nearly unbelievable stamina in taking care of most of the smaller jobs. Apple bucking was divided evenly between the three siblings, Apple Bloom would most likely take on more responsibilities as she grew older. Mac was broken from his internal number crunching by the sound of heavy footsteps. Sure enough, when he looked for the source he found Spike walking toward him with the C.M.C. using him as transportation. Spike donned a smile upon seeing Mac and stopped to let the girls off. "Ladies, I believe this is your stop. Thank you for choosing me for your Sweet Apple Acres transportation needs. It is now safe to exit the dragon." Spike said adopting a cheery but official tone. He moved his wing down at a slant allowing the girls to slide down one at a time. Mac smiled as he witnessed his drakefriend getting along with his sister and her friends. He didn't really think that they'd suddenly not like each other after the unexpected growth spurt, but it was nice to be reassured. The teenage fillies and the much larger dragon looked to him with smiles. "Sorry I took so long Mac, I was shooting the breeze with Golden Harvest and then I picked up some hitch hikers." Spike said apologetically. "Ain't no harm done. Ah was just gettin' ready t' take these apples t' market, y'all didn't miss nothin." Mac said as he finished inspecting the last few apples. "So Mac, Spike tells us you two are an item now?" Babs said giving her cousin a sly grin. Mac gained an embarrassed smile as soon as the words left her mouth. "Eeyup." He said going back to his default response. "Nice job landing a prince, not to mention a dragon that could probably bench a half ton." She said playfully punching Spike's arm. "Took ya long enough." Apple Bloom added with a smirk. "Congratulations you two." Sweetie added happily. "Yeah, probably gonna break every single mare in Ponyville's heart though." Scootaloo said seriously. "They can have him over my dead body, and I think I can take the lot of em'." Spike said protectively, followed by a brief snort of smoke "Eeyup." Mac said with a firm nod of agreement. After a little more chatter and several single word responses the girls headed off to crusade, hopefully without destroying anything. It was approaching market hours, so Spike helped Mac load the fold-up stall into the cart alongside several crates of apples and various apple related food stuffs. Spike's strength was a great help, and thankfully his maneuverability wasn't impaired due to the open space of the acres. After everything was loaded Mac went to get the harness to pull it, but was stopped by Spike. "I can get it today Mac, we'll take turns. Don't wanna take all your work from you." Spike said grabbing the hitch with his tail so he could pull it behind himself. Mac nodded, he enjoyed his work, but it would be nice to have somepony else do the heavy lifting and such from time to time. With that the pair walked down the dirt road that lead to Ponyville. Spike may have been born in Canterlot, but he had always felt more at home in the country. Things just seemed more vivid and beautiful without the noise and overcrowding of the city. He could even admire the stars far easier here. He would never tell his mother, but since his aunt's return the night sky was more beautiful than hers had ever been. Mac had always been a country colt, and wouldn't ever leave it. His family was an indelible part of this town's history and he was proud of it. As they drew nearer to the town there seemed to be a great deal of activity going on. When they reached the market there were several stalls already set up and selling their wares. What caught the pair's attention was that the normal produce stands had been joined by others selling all manner of memorabilia that looked an awful lot like them. There were plushies that looked like purple dragons, figurines that looked like red stallions in yokes, and hats emblazoned with cheesy dragon puns and pictures of Mac's cutie mark. "What the hay is going on?" Spike asked as he looked around the marketplace finding more and more ponies wearing cheap looking products based around himself and Big Macintosh. "Look! There they are!" A random mare Spike didn't recognize shouted as she pointed at the couple. Within seconds they were mobbed by what seemed to be the majority of the population of Ponyville. Spike had no room to maneuver and Mac was unsure of what to do. He wasn't a stranger to crowds, being an award winning turkey calling champion, and a member of the Pony Tones. But he hadn't known he was going to be accosted by ponies on this particular occasion. The mass of equines was taking up the entirety of the marketplace making escape a further impossibility. Spike did the only thing he could think of and extended his neck as far upward as possible and let loose a rather impressive torrent of emerald fire, silencing the crowd instantly. "Now, who'd like to tell me what the hay this is all about?" Spike bellowed loud enough for the entire crowd to hear. As soon as he said the words, a pony he recognized as the new town mayor stepped forward. He was instantly recognizable to anypony that had lived there very long, Filthy Rich. "Greetings your majesty, I'm sorry we didn't inform you about all this, but everything got out of hoof once everypony heard the news that there was a new celebrity couple living here." Filthy said as he bowed to Spike. Spike put a claw over his face and groaned at the news. "How'd you even find out about this? Nopony is supposed to know about it except close friends and family." Spike said angrily looking the crowd over. He even saw there was a sign on the hardware store telling ponies that The prince eats here! "Well, that is... um." Filthy said stumbling over his words now that he was being stared down by an angry dragon. He was visibly sweating bullets, so he did what most politicians would do. He threw someone less important than himself under the metaphorical bus. He reached behind him and grabbed a familiar mare and placed her in front of the displeased dragon. "Carrot Top? I don't recall telling you anything other than that me and Mac were together." Spike said with thin whisps of black smoke escaping his mouth every time he spoke. "W-well, I may have wanted the whole story so I could gossip with the girls. I sort of... eavesdropped on your conversation with the crusaders." Golden looked up at him with an uneasy smile and ears folded down. Spike saw how afraid the mare was and calmed himself. "Everpony except Carrot Top, go back to your normal business." Spike said to the crowd, which dispersed gradually. Spike shooed off the last few stragglers and looked back to the yellow mare in front of him. "W-what are you gonna do to me?" Golden said nervously. Spike looked at her for a minute before whispering to Big Mac for a second. Spike and Macintosh broke apart and nodded to each other. "First, you're gonna keep letting me call you Carrot Top. Then, you're going to go buy us one of every piece of the unofficial merchandise, and write down who sold it so we can have a talk with the vendors." Spike said pointing to the stalls ahead of them. Golden's apprehension lessened considerably. "R-really? That's it?" She asked in disbelief. "Eeyup." Macintosh said with a curt nod. "Yes sirs!" The mare said before running off to purchase the overpriced junk. Spike helped Macintosh set up the stall and then excused himself to go try and calm the town down. He wondered how the merchandise had been made in a matter of hours until he saw three familiar unicorns that had a knack for causing trouble. Two yellow stallions that were nearly identical and a blue mare in a purple hat and cape. Trixie was manning the front while Flim and Flam where weaving plushies, T-shirts, hats, and other items together with magic. It seemed they were making the majority of the unlicensed products, and everypony else had jumped on the bandwagon. Spike face-clawed himself at the sight of the notorious trouble makers. He walked up to the counter of the impromptu stall and rung the bell for service, as Trixie wasn't paying any attention. "Welcome to Lulamoon and Flim Flam's fine crafts, how may Trixie help... you?" The mare said turning back to the front and finding herself staring at the very dragon they were making money off of. "Hello Trixie, don't suppose you'd mind telling me how you got permission to use my, and my coltfriend's likenesses, would you?" Spike said with a smile that you'd expect a predator to have before striking it's prey. "T-Trixie was just um... that is to say... It was the Flim Flam Brothers idea?" She said attempting to give her humblest smile. "You know, my day was going great until I came into town. First I have my secret spilled by my new neighbor, and now the mare that once treated me like a basketball and the con artists who keep harassing my coltfriend's family start making toys of me without my permission. I am not a happy dragon right now." Spike said as he flipped the sign on the counter from open to closed. For good measure he tossed the service bell into the air and caught it with his mouth and chewed it to a pulp before swallowing. "Trixie is very sorry Prince Spike, but Trixie and her new business partners were just passing through and we heard about the new royal couple and couldn't help ourselves." Trixie said bowing down to the angry giant. Spike sighed deeply, he needed to have Mac remind him to tone down the anger. He was getting too good at scaring ponies for his liking. That was something he didn't want on his conscience, especially now that there was a direct link to him and the royal family. Spike took a deep breath and took a moment to calm himself. He decided the best course of action was to let them go with a warning. The products were actually half decent this time around, and nopony was getting hurt after all. "Here's what you're gonna do, you and the Flim Flam brothers are gonna take all your bits and scram while you're ahead. Also, just call me Spike, and stop bowing to me. If you come through again, make sure it's just a social visit, no more get rich quick schemes or magic duels okay?" Spike said taking a step back from the ramshackle stall. "Trixie promises, but... you don't need to tell Sparkle about this right?" She said giving the dragon her best puppy-dog eyes. An idea formed the second Trixie mentioned Twilight. "No, but you should come see her. I think she likes you. You two would probably hit it off if you met under good circumstances. Just remember, her little brother is a lot bigger than he used to be." Spike said with a wink. Trixie blushed and nodded before whistling with her hoof to her mouth, signaling to the brothers that it was time to flee. Spike was unsure how anyone could do that without fingers, but didn't question it. The brothers looked up from their work and saw Spike and rushed back into their magic powered wagon and were off with astonishing speed, Trixie barely managed to get on in time. Maybe I should have mom look into magic powered carts? Spike thought to himself. After a short walk back to the Apple stall he saw an incredible line of ponies waiting for apple products. Apparently, his relationship with Macintosh had amounted to a royal endorsement for Apple family apples and treats. Spike could barely see Macintosh through the crowd, he had to stretch his neck to the limit to see over the ponies. Macintosh had apparently raised the price per apple to match the demand according to the scratched out number on the sign replaced by a much higher one. It didn't seem to bother the crowd at all, the apple supply was quickly depleting. Spike decided he needed to help and poked his head in through the doorway of Sofas and Quills, Ponyville's second strangest store. The first was of course Sugarcube Corner, because of Pinkie Pie. His shoulders were now too broad to allow him full entry. He looked to the counter and saw a surprised Davenport, the earth pony stallion that owned the business. "Excuse me, but could I get you to write a letter for me?" Spike asked the confused store owner. Davenport nodded and took out a piece of parchment and quill. "What would you like it to say your majesty?" He asked before putting the quill in his mouth. "Dear Applejack, Trouble in town, bring more apples for market. Love, Spike." He said, dictating the letter to the stallion. As soon as it was finished he rolled it with a ribbon and placed it before Spike. "Thanks Davenport, feel free to just call me Spike by the way." Spike said before withdrawing his head. It was soon replaced by his arm which took the scroll. As soon as he was away from anything flammable he burned the letter away with his magical breath and watched the enchanted ash fly away to Sweet Apple Acres. He looked back to the apple stall and found that he was right to call in backup. Big Mac had just sold the last apple fritter to Lotus, one of the spa twins. As she walked off munching on her fritter Spike arrived at the stall again. "I sent a message to Applejack, she's gonna bring more apples." Spike said taking a seat next to the stall. "Good, ain't ever made this many bits in a day before." Mac said lifting the bag they collected payment in for Spike to see. It was practically bursting at the seams. "Wow, I was pretty peeved at Carrot Top earlier, but now I'm finding it harder to stay mad. You think we should at least reimburse her for all the junk we're making her get?" Spike asked looking from the bag to Mac. "Eenope." Mac replied smugly. "Me either, but I thought it'd be good to make sure." Spike said wearing a big smile.