//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Promises Broken and Beautiful Surprises // by n_neptune //------------------------------// The first thing Rainbow Dash was aware of the next morning was just how comfortable and right it felt being snuggled up to her Coltfriend once again. After over a month of sleeping alone, she wasn’t about to not stay over at Sweet Apple Acres. Giving a yawn and stretching languidly, Dash opened her eyes and saw that Big Mac was awake as well and staring at her in amusement. “How you feeling?” Rainbow Dash asked, climbing out of the bed and continuing her morning wing stretches on solid ground. “Better,” Big Mac answered, getting out of the bed as well. “Finally got some sleep.” “Of course you feel better, I helped take care of you,” Rainbow Dash boasted jokingly. She knew that her forgiving Mac for everything was a big part of why he was feeling better though, so I wasn’t like it was a lie. That and the fact that she had spent all yesterday afternoon making sure he was as comfortable as possible and not awoken by anyone. “Can you do something for me?” Mac interjected, looking slightly nervous. “For you? Name it,” Dash said with a winning smile. “Come to Twilight’s castle tonight in Rarity’s dress,” He said, looking down at the ground. “I want to have the party we were supposed to.” Mac said. Rainbow Dash beamed, giving Big Mac a kiss on the cheek. “Of course I will. We’re going to have the best belated first anniversary ever!” Dash gave him a hug. “But I’m late for work, and if I’m not there to give out the weather assignment, Thunderlane will mess things up and I’ll never hear the end of it.” “Eeyup, I got work too,” Big Mac responded, watching as Rainbow Dash flew right out of the bedroom window. Turning to the hallway, he called out “You can come out now, you sneaks. I know y’all were waiting for her to leave.” Sure enough, AppleJack, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith came into the room. “So did Uncle Apple Jem and Aunt Perfect Cut help you out?” Applejack asked with a larger-than-life-grin. “They’re in the saddlebags,” Mac confirmed. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Hours later, Dash had once again made herself somewhat presentable. She’d brushed her hair, preened her wings, and threw on a dress. The fact that she was even willing to do that said more than she knew to her friends. “To Big Mac and Rainbow Dash, may they have many more happy years together!” Twilight shouted, lifting a glass of cider with her magic. All around the room, friends and family did the same. Everyone who loved and cared about the couple was there. The elements of harmony, spike, the apple family, the former cutie mark crusaders, the cakes, and a couple of other close friends. “I’d like to speak,” Big Mac said, drawing the attention from Twilight’s toast back to him. Rainbow Dash was slightly confused. She knew that Big Mac didn’t like to speak around anyone but his close family and her. Looking around the room though, she saw he had everyone’s attention, and they all looked…excited? Twilight gave her a push and she moved to stand next to Big Mac. That seemed to make everyone more excited. ‘Has pinkie spiked the punch again?’ Dash thought, but decided to focus on her Coltfriend. Big Mac turned to Rainbow Dash. “Dash, we’ve been together a little over a year. I’ve seen pretty much every side of you, good and bad. You’ve seen my good and bad sides too. I work too much, I’m not the most handsome around, and I’m stubborn as anything,” He chuckled, knowing that it was a flaw they both shared. “We’ve seen each other at our worst, yet we’ve made it through. And I know that I don’t want to spend my life with anyone but you by my side.” Dash’s eyes widened, as it final occurred to her what he was about to do. He withdrew from his coat pocket a small velvet box, and placed it on the floor of the room. The box was designed to be easily opened by earth pony hooves, and he opened it to reveal two beautiful earrings. One with a green apple inlaid on a red background, with a braid of sandy hair hanging from it. The other had a tri-colored lightning bolt with a cloud on top, inlaid on a cyan background. It had both a rainbow-colored braid and a cyan feather handing from it. “Rainbow Dash, will you marry me? Mac asked, lowering one foreleg.” “YES!!! OHMYGOSH! Dash exclaimed, rushing forward and hugging him tightly, nearly knocking the earrings out of the way. She then proceeded to give him a kiss, ignoring all of the other cheering ponies in the room. The only one that truly mattered to her at the moment had her full attention, and that was what counted. “Finally!” Pinkie Pie shouted, looking like she was ready to burst. “Wait, you knew?” Rainbow Dash accused, finally stopping kissing her new fiancé. “We all knew, dearie,” Rarity stepped in. “Why do you think he asked me to make you a dress and him such a stunning suit?” She pointed out. “I simply had to know what the outfits were for, so I could make them suit the occasion.” “And good luck trying to hide an upcoming ENGAGEMENT from my pinkie sense. That one was a whopper, let me tell you!” Pinkie laughed at the memory of it. “And the rest of you?” Dash asked, looking around the room. “I had to cast the cloud-walking spell so he could go to Cloudsdale and ask your father for your hoof in marriage, as well as your first molted feather and lock of hair,” Twilight answered with a smile. “Not to mention, he wanted to throw the party at my house.” “And I was the only one who knew where they lived,” Fluttershy continued the tale. “We’re his family. Like the big lug can keep a secret from us,” AppleJack laughed, gesturing to herself, Granny Smith, and Apple Bloom. “I still say he worked too hard for those damn things,” Granny Smith frowned. “Not that I don’t like you being engaged, Dearie” Granny Smith said at Rainbow’s slightly hurt look. “But that boy’s been working himself to the bone for the past who knows how long, and he came back with nothing left!” Granny Smith announced. “That’s why you went to Appleoosa?” Dash asked, looking at Mac in a whole new light. “Eeyup,” Big Mac responded, falling back to old speech patterns in his embarrasement. Dash kissed him again to show her appreciation. “How do you think they paid him? Apple GEM and PERFECT CUT run the most exclusive engagement earring business in Equestria,” AppleJack answered for her flustered and embarrassed brother, as he didn’t seem too keen on speaking at the moment. “APPLE JEM AND PERFECT CUT!?!?!” Rarity exclaimed, grabbing the earring that Twilight had placed back near the couple and examining them with awe. “Are they really that good?” Twilight asked. “The best,” AppleJack confirmed, knocking Rarity on the head and grabbing the box from her and handing it to Big Mac, who put it back in his suit pocket. “Wait, everypony!” Pinkie Pie shouted, causing everyone to look over at her. “What is it pinkie?” Fluttershy asked. “Is something wrong?” “YES! The decorations! They’re for an ANNIVERSARY party, not an ENGAGEMENT party!” Pinkie answered, then grinned. “Luckily I came prepared.” And with that, she used her party-pony skills to seamlessly change the decorations to fit. It wasn’t the anniversary party Dash had originally planned, and it wasn’t even on the right day. As she and Mac put their earrings in, she realized It was so much better than she could have ever hoped.