//------------------------------// // Chapter 8 // Story: A Scratched Orchard // by BaronVonStallion //------------------------------// Chapter 8 “Ugh, this sucks!” Vinyl said to Cheerilee, shoving her spade into a thick chunk of snow. “Why do you guys even bother using this way? In Canterlot, we just use snow plows.” “Well, it’s tradition!” chuckled her bubbly friend. “Also, we only have a few plows, so they have to take care of the main streets during Winter Wrap Up.” Vinyl grumbled, tossing her patch of snow over her shoulder. This is ridiculous.... At least we get the day off of school. Vinyl looked up from her work, watching her classmates do the same monotonous work she was. Apparently, in Ponyville, everyone stopped doing there usual jobs on the first day of spring, and took up shovels to clear out all the remaining snow. Which didn’t make any sense to Vinyl, seeing that the sun would melt it eventually. She, along with most of the other students, were assigned to work at the school itself, which sort of countered the fact that they had school off today. Because manual labor is more important than learning, she thought. The shovel dug in hard, with Vinyl balancing the handle against her waist. With a grunt and thrust, she pushed the snow forward in a steady line until it collided with the bank ahead. “Whew. Okay,” Vinyl sighed, wiping her forehead against the sleeve of her thick, white hoodie. “Only two hours to go.” Her shoulders slumped at the thought. “There oughta be a law against this...” Cheerilee chuckled, tossing her arm around Vinyl’s shoulders. “Hey, look at it this way. At least you’ll be tired tonight~.” “That doesn’t help at all...” groaned the amateur DJ. “Well...” Cheerilee smirked, leaning into Vinyl’s ear. “You can parley that into gettin’ it on with Mac.” Scratch genuinely smiled at that. “...Good point.” Vinyl sprang up, throwing her shovel over her shoulder. “I suppose I should get to work then!!” “That’a girl!” Cheerilee laughed. “Although, I’m surprised you two haven’t “burned the midnight oil” already.” Vinyl shot Cheerilee back a confused look. “Whadda mean?” Cheerilee shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s just... well, it’s obvious you both like each other. And it’s easy to see how much you wanna fuc-” “Woah, woah, -okay!” Vinyl shouted, chuckling nervously. “You, umm.... you could tell?” “C’mon” Cheerilee deadpanned. “It’s as plain as the bitch on Flitter’s face.” Vinyl visibly flinched after hearing the name-that-should-not-be-spoken. “Sorry” her friend apologized. “Sore subject. But seriously, I think you should go for it.” “It’s not like we haven’t ...“done stuff”, ya know? The big grand slam’s just... a large jump, that’s all.” Cheerilee and Vinyl walked over to another pile of snow, and began to work. “That’s true. But, well, I mean you’ve been dating for a few months now, right?” “Well, yeah” responded Vinyl. “But...” “But what?” “Well, I’m not sure if we’ve had a proper date yet.” Cheerilee gasped, smacking Vinyl on the shoulder. “What!? He hasn’t taken you on a date yet!?” “No, no, nothing like that! Shit man, chill” Vinyl said, rubbing her left shoulder. “We’ve been out to eat, and movies, and plenty of stuff. But, a lot of the time...” “What?! A lot of the time what?” “What did I just say?” Vinyl laughed. “Chill, dude. It’s always fun, but a lot of the time, it feels the same as when we were just friends. I don’t think that’s bad or anything.” She looked away from her friend. “This is still new, after all.” Cheerilee let out a relaxed sigh. “Oh, that’s all? Jeez, Vinyl, don’t give me a heart attack!” She scooped a bit of snow from behind Vinyl, chucking it to her left. “...That would’ve been self-induced...” Vinyl muttered under her breath. “All you have to do is make the next date special!” Vinyl chuckled, turning away from the girl to move some more snow. “And how would I do that?” Cheerilee began giggling a bit too creepily for Vinyl’s taste. “Oh, just leave that to me!” “Wait, what do you mean-” Vinyl stood and spun around, only to find that her friend had vanished. Vinyl rubbed her eyes under her glasses. “I’ve got a bad feeling about this...” “Alright, we only got one more strip left here, an’ then we can get the south field!” AJ called from inside a large, red tractor. An old, rusted plow was attached to the front, which was making the chore of winter wrap-up seem more like a small inconvenience. “Don’ worry about that one!” Mac called from the ground, a shovel in one hand and salt in the other. “Ah gotta give Caramel somethin’ to do, anyways.” “Well that’s just fine with me” laughed Applejack, shutting the machine down and hopping out. “Ya’ll almost done with the sidewalk?” “Eeyup” smiled Mac. Wiping his hands against the wet grass, he stood up and grinned. “...First day of spring.” “Yep. Soon, apples’ll start spourtin‘ out, an‘ it’s back to work.” Macintosh mumbled his agreement. The return of summer meant he’d be working on the farm all day, every day for a while. And even though he didn’t have a problem with that, Mac wasn’t sure if Vinyl would stand for it. Not only that, but this was senior year. Most kids went on to college, or found a job. But he’d be here. On the same farm his father worked, and his father before him, and so on. Mac frowned a little. He was certainly proud of his family, and their accomplishments, but lately Mac had begun to wonder. It ain’t that Ah don‘ like farmin’; It one of the only things Ah really know how to do. But... He looked out across the orchard, watching it’s snowless barren lands stretch out for miles upon miles. Is this really what Ah wanna do for the rest of mah life?” A nudge from Applejack caught his attention. “Y’all ‘right, Mac?” his sister asked. “You were staring off fer a bit.” The big farmer smiled, though not sincerely. “Yeah... Ah’m fine.” “And... finished!” Vinyl sighed happily, slumping against the outside wall of Ponyville High’s gym. The parking lot was cleared of snow, as well as most of the grounds. A few stragglers were still working, but Scratch didn’t care much about that. She was finished, which for her, meant... I can go see Mac now. She smiled giddily, walking over to the side entrance of the school. She returned her borrowed shovel to the school and left, begging the long walk from Ponyville High towards the town’s most famous orchard. It was a bit cold for a spring day, Vinyl noticed as she strolled just out of sight of the educational institution. Warm enough to melt snow, though. She rolled her eyes for her own sake, still a bit frustrated that the Ponyville tradition of Winter Wrap-Up didn’t account for weather or temperature patterns. They certainly didn’t need every student Vinyl thought, realizing the severe lack of classmates she saw today. Speaking of which, where did- “Hi Vinyl!” “Christ!” Scratch jumped forward, a sudden weight latched onto her back. "Cheers, what are you doing!?” “Getting your attention” her friend replied, dropping to her feet to walk alongside her. “Well, where the hell did you go? You up and disappeared at school.” Cheerilee smirked, twiddling her thumbs. “I had to get some things ready for a friend, but now, it’s your turn.” Vinyl lowered her glasses, warily looking at her bubbly friend. “My turn for what, exactly?” Cheerilee’s smirk deepened to an almost creepy level. She lowered her backpack to the ground and reached in, withdrawing a long, black dress protected by a sheath of plastic. “I’ve always wondered what you'd look in black...” A few hours earlier... A knock at the garage door startled Macintosh, making him shut off the radio and put down his tools. He wiped his hands off on a semi-clean oil rag and walked to the door. His bike hadn’t been used since winter started, and so with spring arriving, it needed a little maintenance. Ah wasn’t expecting anyone this early today. School’s still goin‘ on, ain’t it? Macintosh opened the door to find a short woman hopping excitedly in front of him, her frazzled pink hair bouncing up and down. “Well hey there, Cheerilee” He smiled, welcoming her inside. “What can Ah do for ya?” She briskly walked inside, still quite peppy. “Actually, I’m gotta do something for you!” “Um, okay?” Mac stuttered, a little unsure of where Cheerilee was going. She was a good friend, sure. But sometimes her excitability made Macintosh a bit... nervous. He waited for Cheerilee to say something, but she just stood there. Waiting for something. “So, are you gonna tell me what ya’ll got?” he asked. “Our do Ah hafta guess?” The corner of Cheerilee’s lips curled up as she shook her head. “Oh, all in due time, Mac. But first, you need to follow me.” She grabbed Mac’s arm and pulled him outside, tossing him into her pink and purple hatchback. “Wait a sec, Cheers!” Mac argued. “I was kinda in the middle of something!” “But we’re already here!” Mac looked outside, noticing they were not only already in Ponyville, but Cheerilee had stopped them in front of some sort of store. The fact that this was scientifically impossible was not lost on him, but Macintosh learned a while ago that when it came to Cheerilee, it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. The building was designed in a gaudy fashion, in Mac’s opinion. It was round, with flashy purples and yellows streaming down the sides. Through the windows, he could see a set of extravagant-looking furniture and what looked like designer dresses Above the door, a sign read “Carousel Boutique” in elegant cursive. “Nope.” “Aw, c’mon Mac” moaned Cheerilee. “It’ll be fun!” “Nope.” “But you have even been inside-” “Nope.” “Fine” Cheerilee huffed. “Guess I’ll tell Vinyl it’s off.” Mac spun around, raising his brow. “What’re ya talking about? What’s off?” “Oh, just a little something I had planned.” “And what, pray-tell, could that have to do with a frilly, showy, ridiculous-lookin’ place like this?” “C’mon, Mac!” Cheerilee giggled, dragging the man forward. “You just gotta have a little faith!” Before Macintosh could argue, the two had already entered the Boutique. As Mac guessed earlier, the exterior of the building was but a small preview of the inside. Golden picture frames hung from the walls, containing the works of artists Mac knew he couldn’t possibly understand, much less recognize. Linens of all sizes and colors and textures accompanied the various workstations, with half completed orders lying carefully beside their respective machines. A tall, slender woman stood over one of the station. She wore a snugly fitting black skirt and white blouse, her long silver hair complimenting her air of experience. She looked up from her work, a somewhat skeptical look in her eye. “Ah, so this my 1:30, eh?” she chuckled, her voice seeming deeper than it it should. “Yep-a-rooni!” Cheerilee led them further into the building, stopping just before the silver-haired woman. “I know suits are an unusual order from the Boutique...” “Please, Ms. Cheerilee” the older woman scoffed, “they may not be my specialty, but any seamstress worth her salt can create a suit!” She stood, sauntering around the desk to size up the man in front of her. My my... what do we have here~?” she purred. She circled Mac like a hawk, one of her hands running the length of his shoulders. “Hmm. This one’s rather large, isn’t he... not to mention the deadline...” Mac fidgeted slightly under her touch. He wasn’t expecting much of anything today, much less a sudden physical interrogation. To be scrutinized is one thing, but so directly, like he wasn’t even there... Clap! “Well, I am always up for a good challenge!” She exclaimed, her hands together with a smile. She suddenly turned her head, scanning the room from left to right. “Oh, where is that girl? I swear, it’s so hard to find good help... Rarity!!” Macintosh stood in the lobby of Ponyville’s finest restaurant. It was of french design, and he didn’t even wager on how to pronounce the name. The building had dark-stained wooden doors, with ebony marble pillars lining the entrance. “Cheerilee, what am Ah doing here?” he asked, now adorned in his new tuxedo. It was standard fare for one of Rarity’s designs, but he thought it looked rather good on him. It was just black pants and a black jacket, with a white shirt underneath. The only dash of color in his outfit was a blood red bow-tie. After being dragged around all day, the only thing that really kept his frustration at bay was the restaurant’s polite setting. “Oh, just wait a sec!” Cheerilee giggled. “She’s almost here...” “Who’s almost-?” The words caught in Mac’s throat, his eye catching on a blue-haired woman walking through the door. Vinyl looked nothing like she normally did this night. Her hair was styled the same way it normally was, but it was brushed and smoothed to perfection. Her trademark glasses were missing, red eyes outlined by light purple eyeshadow and mascara. Vinyl wore a skinny black dress, her left leg exposed slightly. Vinyl slowly walked up to Mac, smiling through a furious blush. “H-Hey Mac.” “Hehe, umm... w-wow.” Mac breathed, barely able to get even those words out. Vinyl slipped her arm around Mac’s, though not entirely without issue. She stumbled a bit, not used to wearing heels. “Sorry” she chuckled nervously. “I don’t really wear shoes like this often.” “D-Don’t worry ‘bout it” Mac said, still dumbstruck by his girlfriend’s radical appearance. “So.... Ah guess we should prolly get seated.” “And I know just the spot!” exclaimed Cheerilee, starting the two of them. Their friend walked up the host, whispering something in his ear. The host looked towards the couple, furrowing his brow. Cheerilee leaned in, saying something else to the man. His eyes opened wide, nodding his head with a less than easy smile draped over his lips. “If you’ll follow me...” said the host, holding out his hand. “Cheerilee, how did you-?” Mac muttered. “Don’t worry about a thing! Let’s just say I know a guy” Cheerilee smiled. “Make sure to enjoy yourselves!” she said, skipping past them and out the door. “And make sure to be out by 10 o’clock!” Vinyl and Mac both smiled, following the host into the restaurant. The couple was shocked at the how pricey the place looked. Marble statues lined the walls of the restaurant, red velvet curtains trimmed at their backs. The blackened oak floors held a waltzing section, and cozy, selective tables designed for easy conversation. Every patron they saw seemed to upstage the previous in fashion choice. They were led to a table towards the back, an intimate square thing lightly decorated with a vase of yellow flowers and a stark white tablecloth with gold trim. The edge of Ponyville Lake sat just outside a window next to them, which was lit ever slightly by the setting sun. “Madame Cheerilee has taken your meal onto her tab” the host informed Macintosh. “Would you like our wine list... sir?” Mac stared blankly at the world around him, not quite sure what to think of it all. “Sir?” Macintosh broke out of the trace to catch the host’s unimpressed glare. “Um, yeah. Ah suppose you just bring us the house red.” “Very good.” The host strolled away, leaving the pair alone. “Can you believe this place?” muttered Mac. “Yeah” chuckled Vinyl. “Quite the, uh... fancy joint.” She fiddled with her dress, not exactly happy with the get-up Cheerilee stuck her in. This is so embarrassing. But the look on Mac’s face... Scratch’s face lit up, and she locked eyes with Macintosh. “I never knew this was your kinda scene.” Mac let out a deep, throaty chuckle that sends shivers down Vinyl’s spine. “Ya kidding me!? Ah didn’t even know this place existed.” The man scratched the back of his neck, looking down. “This was all Cheerilee’s idea. Ah’m sorry Ah didn’t-” Mac felt a hand placed atop his own. “Hey” Vinyl smiled. “This is fun, and we’re here together. That’s all we need.” Macintosh chuckled. “You’re right. Now...” he said, flipping open the menu. “Can y’all read any o‘ this?” “...Not a word.” Vinyl stared at her place, perplexed. She chose something, that was certain. When she’d picked it out, the waiter shot her a look, but she hadn’t thought twice about it then. The... thing in front of her was sitting on what looked like a moldy gray cracker, covered in some sort of crumbly cheese. The green lumpy thing that sat on the cracker had a slimy-looking texture to it, and was similar in shape to a slug. “Well then...” she groaned, looking at Mac’s plate to find nothing better. “Bon appetit...” Neither person moved to take a bite. “Well?” “Well what?” Mac grunted. “One of us has gotta try it.” “...Ah guess so. If Ah don’t survive, tell mah family, “Hello”.” Macintosh slowly reached for his fork, taking the time to caress the fine silverware. He lifted his hand, rotating the utensil downward until it just barely hovered over the “meal”. He shot a tentative look at his date, and sighed. “Here we go.” Mac jammed the fork downward. Splork!! ................... A thin trail of green stuff leaked out of his “food” in front of him. Cautiously, Mac looked up. “Hey, uh, Vinyl?” “Yes, Macintosh?” “....Yah got sumthin‘ on yer face.” Just between her eyes, a thick green liquid sat on Vinyl’s face. The table was silent as a morgue and twice as eerie. “Snrk!” Vinyl began to giggle, which turned into an uproarious laughter, in which Mac joined. “HAHAHAHA! “Yeah, s-sorry ‘bout that.” “O-Oh, you’re not getting out of this that easy!” Vinyl quickly jammed her fork into the slug-like food, launching her counter-attack and hitting Mac just above the eye. He blinked as the yellow-white ooze dripped off his face, unable to keep his grin away. That may have ruined the handsome, and not to mention expensive suit he was wearing, but in Mac’s opinion, the moment was much more valuable. Their giggling echoed in the restaurant. The couple sat on a cozy wooden bench after finishing their six-course meal. The dinner had improved drastically since the “appetizer”, with a delectable assortment of pastries, french cheeses, and beef. Now, Mac’s arm hung loosely around Vinyl’s shoulders. The girl had removed her shoes, leaning into the man’s side with a warm smile on her face. “So, do ya know what we’re waiting for?” “Sorry, darlin’. But Cheerilee said ta be out here by ten, and it’s...” Mac checked his watch, “9:58.” He slowly ran his fingers in a circular motion along Vinyl’s shoulders, getting a low hum out of her. “After today, Ah wouldn’t be surprised if she pulled up in a-” Mac’s voice left his throat as a elegant and long black car slowly pulled up in front of them. The windows were tinted dark, with a fine silver trim running along the skirt of the vehicle. “-Limo.” “Limo for Apple~!” Cheerilee sang, hanging out of the driver’s side window wearing a black blazer and driver’s cap. “C’mon, slowpokes!” “Cheerilee, where did you get that?” “My Grandpa owns a Limo company, duh. His driver’s come here all the time. How do ya think I got ya inside that place?” “Well, okay that makes sense” Vinyl chuckled. “You know how to drive that thing, right?” “Sure I do, silly!” Cheerilee said, waving her arms. The pair stole a glance at each other, then stood and fell into the car. The seats were lined in a soft black leather, and were surprisingly warm. A dark purple upholstery ran the length and width of the limo’s ceiling and walls, giving off a royal experience. Small, dim white lights were placed along the mini-bar, which contained a bottle of champagne. “Wow” muttered Vinyl. “Swanky.” “Yeah” echoed Macintosh. Cheerilee spun around to peer through the port window to the back cabin. “You lovebirds really to take off?” “All set!” The pair spoke. Cheerilee turned the car on, letting the engine turn over and heat up. “Cheer, Ah had no idea ya moonlighted with yer Grandad’s company. Come ta think of it, Ah had no idea what he even did up til tonight.” Cheerilee turned around, looking confused. “Moonlighting? What’re you talkin’ about, Macky?” “Ah thought you said ya knew how to drive this thing?” Cheerilee giggled, putting both Vinyl and Mac a bit on edge. “Oh, I do! I’ve seen the other drivers do it all the time!” The limousine lurched forward, tires screeching as it launched into the night. A duo of screams rang out in the night, trailed by a bubbly laugh. Macintosh laid on his back, his tuxedo hanging neatly off his closet door. He groaned happily, allowing his form to sink to the mattress and, for the most part, form around him. His room, shaded blue by the moon, was a bit toasty for his liking. Applejack must’ve kicked on the heat.At least a window was cracked, or else-wise he’d be stewing in sweat. “Mac, pull the covers up a bit...” Vinyl mumbled, her legs tangled in his like a pair of headphones in someone’s pocket. The heat would have to do. He didn’t want the other room’s occupant to get chilly, after all. He slid the cover up around Vinyl’s shoulders, tucking the woman into his chest. “How’s that?” Scratch mumbled an incoherent thought, squeezing her hands under Mac’s armpits. “Ah’ll take that as a yes...” Lying together, Macintosh couldn’t have wished for a better day. Ah really need to find a way to pay Cheer back. Thinking, he ran his hand along Vinyl’s neck and through her hair, lightly massaging the back of her scalp with his fingertips. The girl sighed, running her foot up and down Mac’s calf, her hips slowly rocking along his. “Hey~” she spoke quietly. “....I want to thank you, Mac.” “Don’t thank me” he chuckled. “Cheerilee’s mostly responsible--” “No...” Vinyl cut him off. “I don’t mean just tonight, although it was a ton of fun.” The girl lifted herself up, straddling her boyfriend’s waist with hands on his chest. “I mean... for being with me. For being there. We didn’t have to do anything tonight, and I’d feel the same way.” She leaned down, planting a long, slow kiss of Mac’s lips, which her returned happily. “Guess I just love the perks of dating your best friend.” “Vinyl... Ain’t no where else Ah’d rather be.” He cupped her cheeks in his hands, smiling softly. “And as fer tonight, hell, I’ll do anything ya feel like doin’, long as we do it together.” Scratch’s face flushed. Well, that’s gonna be the biggest chance I’m gonna get. Better make it count. She pushed her hips down, and began to rotate her pelvis slowly. “Well, this is one thing I feel like doing~” Macintosh flinched, groaning involuntarily, and his face lit instantly. “O-O-Oh, ummm... wow, o-okay. Are... A-Are ya sure?” Vinyl nodded, leaning forward for a quick peck. “I want to share this with you, and only you” she grinned softly. Mac smirked nervously, his hands reaching lower. “A-Ah want this, too. Ah just... Ah never done this before. Me an’... “her” never went all the way.” “Hey, hey. It’s okay.” Vinyl twinkled shyly. “I-It’s my first, too. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we’ll figure it out.” Mac nodded, his hands resting on her hips, thumbs hooked under her panties. “Today was a pretty good day, huh?” whispered Mac. Vinyl smiled, her eyes slowly dropping into a seductive glance. “Hell yeah it was” she whispered back “And let’s make our night even better~.” She slid her pants down, taking a quick peek under the sheets. Her eyes shot open. “...Sometimes, I think I’m the luckiest girl in the world.” 1hour, 30 minutes later.... The couple grinned gleefully, lying on their backs and both sufficiently out of breath. “God, I’m gonna be sore tomorrow” Vinyl groaned. “My knees feel like a slushie.” “....Sorry, darlin’.” “Oh, don’t ever feel sorry for that. EVER.” Sharing a giggle, the two took their regular sleeping position; Macintosh wrapped his arms around Vinyl from behind, while she sank her head into his surprisingly soft shoulder and stuck her feet between his. “...Only a few months left til graduation...” “Yeah.” “You have any ideas for what’s next?” “Not really. You?” “....Eenope.” Vinyl smiled, tucking her hands around her lover’s arms. “Well, at least we can look forward to spring.” “.........” Macintosh grew quiet, a sudden chill running down his spine. Subconsciously, he tightened his grip around Vinyl. “Babe? What’s wrong?” Macintosh sighed. "Spring, that's all. Tons of work to do, all that..." "Damn" Vinyl chuckled. "Work enough to scare you? Must be some sort of crazy, huh?" Macintosh shuddered, an internal conflict brewing inside him. He brought a thumb to Vinyl's cheek and rubbed, more just to calm his nerves. “V-Vinly, Ah’m gonna tell ya something. Something real personal, and Ah’d really ‘ppreciate it if ya keep it to yerself.” “Sure, Mac.” Vinyl spun around to face him. “I just want to help, If you wanna talk.” "It's about mah Pa." Vinyl's breath hitched. She knew this was a hard thing for him; Mac spoke fairly easily about his mother, her quirks and little habits were subject of plenty good stories, but Mac rarely, if ever even mentioned his father. Vinyl spun around to face Macintosh, hands tucked in close. "If you wanna talk about it, I'm here." Mac nodded, closing his eyes while he ran a hand down Vinyl's back. "Yeah, Ah want to. Ah was thinkin' of asking you to visit his grave... ya know, on the anniversary. Just..." "Having trouble bringing it up?" Macintosh smiled, lightly kissing the joint just below Scratch's ear, a spot he just recently discovered. "Ya got me nailed better 'en a circus flyer on a telephone pole." "You better believe it, buster." Vinyl hummed, enjoying the feeling of Mac's hands as they made their way up past her neck and ran through her silky hair. "I'll be there, Mac. It's a promise." She fidgeted a little bit, the question of Mac's nervousness eating at her. "So... In and out, Macintosh. That's all you need to do. "Yeah... Yeah, okay, A-Ah'm ready." Macintosh continued to glide his fingers through Vinyl's hair. "Sorry... this helps." "Whatever helps, then. How about this?" Vinyl returned the gesture, earning herself a light blush and subtle moan from her partner. "Keep doin' that" Macintosh mumbled. A brief silence cascaded between the two, only the subtle moans from Macintosh, and the outdoor noise that peeked in through the crack in the window. “...Mah dad died in spring, the date’s should be comin’ round in a month or so. ...I-I killed him.” Vinyl’s eyes shot open, her pupils dilating. “W-What?” “Ah mean... it was mah fault.” “Oh." Vinyl breathed heavily, relaxing her tensed shoulders. "Damn it Mac!” Vinyl hit him playfully on the arm. "Don't scare me like that!" "S-Sorry" he muttered. "...Just not used to takin' about it." The Apple took a deep breath, shaking a bit when he breathed out. "Don't stop with the hair thing. Ah, kinda like it." Vinyl giggled a bit, but resumed her ministrations on Mac's head. "Yeah, again, sorry 'bout that." “Ah was 13, and we’d just got a new herd o’ cows. My Pa and Ah were goin’ to brand ‘em, just like any year we get large livestock.” It was rainy... Ah was a bit too excited. It was my first time, and Pa was gonna let me do the new bull. Ah hopped over the corral, instead of waitin‘ fer Dad to tied ‘im up.” Mac took Vinyl’s hand and placed it over the circular scar on his chest. “Ah slipped and jabbed the bull too hard, got him riled up. The bull got me back pretty good. The doctors told me later that had that horn been a couple inches to the left, would’ve punctured a lung.” Mac took another deep breath, looking Vinyl in the eye. “Ah don’t remember too much after that, but Ah remember seein’ Pa jumpin‘ in front of the bull. He saved me that night, but...” “Mac” Vinyl cut him off. “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want.” Macintosh shook his head. “Ya’ll deserve to know the full story. Ah- ... A-Ah want ya to know. Ah woke up outside the bullpen. Dad’s body was about ten feet from the bull. It head-butted him, broke his neck instantly. Ah guess that’s better than suffering. ....Ah was bleed pretty fast, so...” “Mac, w-what did you-” “Ah took the brand to the hole in mah chest. Passed out after that. The cauterizing ended up savin’ and screwin‘ me. Keep the blood in, but since Ah passed out in the rain, Ah got sick as well as needin‘ real surgery to close it.” The room rang silent as Macintosh finished up. Vinyl mind ran blank, each pitiful consolation feeling more meaningless than the last. She knew she’d need to say something, but every possible outcome felt wrong coming from her. Vinyl took a breath, snuggling close to Macintosh, and decided on the truth. “Mac...” she said sympathetically, “...I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you. I can’t imagine the pain, your heartache, the responsibility you had to take on after.” She craned her neck upward, placing a kiss on Mac’s forehead. “Gee, thanks honey” Mac chuckled. "Shaddup, I'm not done" She chuckled. “But, I can be here for you now, and in the future. Always. You don’t have to carry that pain alone.” Mac smiled, returning a smooch of his own. “Ya know, you were wrong earlier. Ah think Ah’m the lucky one here.” Outside Macintosh Apple’s room, a figure slipped away from its hiding place in the bush outside his window. The figure snaked its way through the adjacent orchard, making sure not to disturb away animals on its way out, lest they wake the inhabitants of the farmhouse. The figure quickly leaping up into of the apple tree, avoiding a roaming Winona. The dog sniffed the ground for a few seconds, circling the tree a few times. She looked up, the figure silently cursing its luck. Winona quickly squatted, relieving herself, and then pranced away, suddenly disinterested in the tree. Sighing with relief, the figure reached into its long coat, fiddling in one of the inner pockets. Finding the wanted item, the figure fishing it out and held the rectangular device to its face. It slice the lock open, select a speed-dial, and waited. “Hello?” a feminine voice answered. “Who is this?” “I’ve retrieved something interesting, just as you asked.” “Ah, it’s you. Well, spill it already.” The voice was young and impatient. “Not here. I’ve visit you tomorrow. You’re gonna want to here this in person.”