“What do you mean, he’s gone?!” Rainbow shouted as she glared at AppleJack.
AppleJack sighed, finally putting down the hammer she’d been using to fix one of the fences on the farm. “I don’t see how I could be any clearer, Dash,” AppleJack answered. “He left for Appleoosa last night after a letter came from cousin Braeburn. I know that you two are together now and have been for a while, but he’s a grown stallion and can make his own decisions,” AppleJack continued. “Why is this such a big deal?” The farm pony asked.
“It’s…” Rainbow Dash paused, not really sure how to explain the situation to her friend. She and her best friend’s older brother, Big Macintosh, had been dating for almost a year, but had only been ‘public’ for about eight months. Rainbow Dash had wanted to keep their relationship a secret for the first few months. Partly because she didn’t want to get in a fight with AppleJack, and partly because before she’d started dating Big Mac, none of her relationships had lasted beyond 6 months. “It’s our one year anniversary in two weeks, and it’s kind of a big deal for him to be here,” Dash finally admitted.
“That so?” AppleJack said, raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t realize you guys had been going for that long. ‘splains a lot, actually...” She trailed off, but Rainbow didn’t notice.
“Yeah, we have…do you know how long will he be gone?” Dash asked, trying to sound casual and failing miserably.
“He didn’t say, but knowing Braeburn it can be anything lasting from one week to a month or two,” Applejack explained, then smiled. “Trust me Rainbow when I say if he misses your anniversary, he’ll have a pretty darn good reason.” She chuckled, and Rainbow Dash finally noticed that something was off with the way she was acting.
“What do you know that I don’t?” Rainbow narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
“Something for me to know and you to find out,” Applejack laughed fully. “Rainbow, I know it’s too far for you to fly, but if you want there’s a train leaving for Appleoosa in about an hour. You can talk to him yourself.” Applejack offered.
“Don’t think I won’t,” Rainbow Dash challenged, then took off for the train station.
“Oooh she’s gonna be happier than Apple Bloom on Hearth’s Warming,” Applejack smiled, picking her hammer back up and continuing work on the fence.
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“NEXT STOP APPLEOOSA!” The train conductor called out, snapping Dash out of her impromptu nap. Dash readied herself to exit the train quickly, having not brought anything with her as she wasn’t planning on staying more than an hour or two anyway. Just long enough to talk to Big Mac and then take the train after back to Ponyville, hopefully with her boyfriend in tow.
As the train stopped, Rainbow was the first one off. Not even bothering to touch the ground, she took to the air and kept her eyes focused downward, keeping a sharp eye out for Big Mac. After a few minutes of searching, she spotted him near what looked like a construction site. There were lots of machines and the start of a large hole being dug into the ground.
“Mac!” She shouted, descending rapidly and landing with a flourish in front of a very large, very tired, and very startled Big Macintosh.
“Rainbow?” Big Mac asked, surprised and the sudden appearance of his nearly year-long girlfriend. Before he could say anything else, Dash put a hoof on his chest and gave him a glare that would stop anyone cold.
“What’s the big deal heading out of town for who knows how long TWO WEEKS before our anniversary? And you’re building a house?! Not cool!” Rainbow started out quiet, growing angrier as she continued and gesturing to the construction site around her. “Building houses isn’t exactly quick work, Big Mac! Were you even planning on being back in Ponyville on time?” She finished, then backed up a few steps and took a few deep breaths like Twilight taught her to do. “Explain,” She finally said, fixing Big Mac with an intense stare.
“Over here,” Mac eventually said after a long pause, leading Rainbow to a place out of the way of all the machinery and the other earth ponies who were starting to stare at them.
“Well?” Rainbow asked.
“My uncle, Apple Gem and my aunt, Perfect Cut are moving here,” Big Mac explained, looking around nervously. Rainbow knew he hated confrontation, and so she softened her expression slightly. This appeared to give him the courage to go on. “Braeburn needed help, and said they’d pay me. I really needed the bits,” Mac finished, shifting the dirt on the ground with one of his front hooves nervously.
“Why couldn’t you just tell me before you left?” Rainbow asked, still angry but now giving him the benefit of the doubt. He was helping his family, after all. That kind of loyalty was something that Dash not only understood, but appreciated in him. “I would have…something,” Dash tried to say ‘I would have been fine with it,’ but realized that she probably wouldn’t have.
Mac smiled and, taking a risk, pulled Rainbow Dash into a kiss. It was warm, intense, and managed to convey everything he felt for her without any words. As he deepened the kiss, they both believed that words were overrated anyway.
Dash, breaking off the kiss, finally asked. “Do you have any idea when will you be back?”.
“When my aunt and uncle get here, no idea when,” Mac responded.
Dash gave an irritated sigh, then backed away from Big Mac. “At least try to be back, all right big guy?” She smiled, “Maybe get the day off or something?” She offered as a possible solution.
“I’ll try,” Mac agreed.
“I promise you’ll really like my present for you, it completely rocks!” Dash gave him a wink.
“I guarantee you’ll like mine for you more,” Mac laughed.
“Oh it’s so on!” Dash joined in the laughter, taking into the air and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before zipping off to the train station.
As she waited for her train, Rainbow Dash couldn’t help but feel disappointed that Mac had chosen to stay. If he’d needed bit for the farm, she could have very easily lent him some from her salary as head of the Ponyville’s weather team and as a Wonderbolt reserve.
It never occurred to her that he might have needed the bits for something other than the farm, or that he might be getting paid in something other than bits.