A World Without Princesses

by PonyTom

Chapter 18 - The Fearful Scholar

"Oh come on! I swear, you're cheating or something!"

"I'm not cheatin'! You jus' got a bad poker face!"

"No way! You're the one with the bad poker face! I can never tell what you're thinking!"

Scootaloo glared a promise of a painful death at her hoof of cards. Truth be told, she had absolutely no idea how to play cards, but it seemed that was just as well as a lot of it seemed to be up to chance anyway. Still, if she knew more it would be slightly less so, because then at least she could tell when she had to check, fold, raise, and whatever else this crazy stupid game asked of her, all to her advantage. Meanwhile, Apple Bloom was like a pro, helping her any time she was getting things wrong, and even telling her when they worked to her advantage (rare as it seemed to be). A crimson hot rage filled her heart, the kind of rage that would only be undone by the spilling of blood.

But cards were made of cardboard. They had no blood to spill.

Maybe if she ever got some money, she'd buy them from Apple Bloom, for the sole purpose of destroying them?

"You two playin' nice?"

Both fillies' attention was turned to Big Macintosh as he entered the house, wiping sweat from his brow after another long day of work. Apple Bloom smiled and nodded. "Eyup! Scootaloo can't play to save 'er life though!"

"Hey," shouted Scootaloo, glaring at the cards, "it's not my fault these cards hate me! I can't even tell what the hell is going on half the time!"

"Ah!" Both fillies jumped, looking to Big Mac, who glared daggers at Scootaloo. "Language." Scootaloo grimaced and grumbled a bit under her breath, which did not escape Big Mac's notice. "Repeat that?"

Scootaloo sighed, not making eye contact. "Sorry..." It was not really a sincere apology, but that was fillies for you. Big Mac smiled and stepped up to the couch, patting the little filly on the head.

"Atta girl."

Once Big Mac left the room, Scootaloo looked towards Apple Bloom. "I don't get it. Why can adults swear but we can't?" Apple Bloom simply looked at her like she was crazy. "What?"

"Big Mac n' Braeburn never swear," said Apple Bloom, "'least not in the house!"

Scootaloo smirked. "I've heard Braeburn swear a few times."

"Yeah," pointed Apple Bloom, "but Big Mac always hits 'em when 'e does, especially if there's fillies about!"

Scootaloo quirked a brow. "Wait... but what about Big Mac if he swears?"

"Then Granny hits him," Apple Bloom held up a hoof as if to emphasize her point, "not that it ever happens!"

"And what if Granny swears?"

Apple Bloom simply stared into space. Scootaloo looked at her for a few minutes, before the yellow filly responded. "If Granny Smith swears, we didn't hear it, an' it never happened. It's just a figment of our imaginations, and we should go on about our lives."

"That bad?"

Apple Bloom nodded. "She knows words that even make Braeburn embarrassed to be seen with 'er."

Outside of the house, Big Mac took a moment to take in the orchard air. It was a rather beautiful day today, the weather feeling just right, a slight breeze, cool and refreshing. If he hadn't just recently finished doing work, it would have encouraged him to do so. 'Such a lovely day', he thought. It was almost a shame that little Scootaloo was injured; those two would likely have a lot of fun on a day like this in this orchard. 'Just like Applejack an' I used to.'

He smiled and sighed, remembering his younger years. Him and his kid sister roaming the farm, playing hide and seek, climbing trees. Memories like that always made him smile. But that smile faded slightly when he remembered the day she left. The house had always felt somewhat emptier without her presence, even all these years later. That only made him smile a bit more; when they went to Manehattan, he'd visit his sister in her own place. If home was where the heart was, then it didn't matter if they were on the farm or in a fancy apartment in Manehattan, right? Gonna have to bring Granny an' Applebloom on that trip, he thought to himself, Maybe ask Fluttershy to watch Scootaloo while we're gone.

Macintosh made his way towards his favorite chair, where he would often sit and just stare out into the fields with his thoughts. He turned, ready to sit, but stopped. As he stared out at the fields before him, he found his eyes down the path, looking towards the town. Maybe it was all the adventure as of late. Maybe it was something he ate. But today he felt an odd desire.

Why sit down? It's a good day. I think I'll just mosey into town for a bit.

Big Mac stepped down from the porch, and began to make his way down the path. It was far from the first time Big Mac had ever decided to take a stroll through town. Indeed, he would do so regularly, be it while doing errands or because his cousin dragged him along. But today he felt something of a wanderlust overcome him. Just the need to walk around, and so, he trod the dirt path leading from the Acres into Ponyville proper.

As his legs wandered, so did his thoughts. The past while had been so unusual for him. Visiting ancient castles, taking ancient books, running away from cursed statues... they were not the things that normally happened. These were things from story books one read to foals, not things that actually happened, right? And yet he had seen those very impossible things with his own eyes. It left him to wonder how much he had done in such a short amount of time that so many will not do in the course of their entire lives?

"Oh! Big Mac!"

Big Mac turned around to the voice calling him, to see Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie approaching him, with Pinkie wearing saddlebags. "Howdy girls," he said with a nod, "how are ya?"

"Just peachy," said Pinkie with a flare. "We just got back from Twilight's place from a sleepover!" She grinned wide. "I've been begging her to have one forever, and she always said 'no', but lately she's been hosting them a lot! There's lots to do in her house!"

Fluttershy, however, seemed to frown. "She often seems so nervous though. I caught her looking at windows a lot..."

Big Mac frowned a bit and looked to Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy. "Wait... does she ever say why she's holding these sleepovers?"

"Nope," said Pinkie with a shake of her head. "Why?"

Big Mac's eyes settled on Pinkie a moment, confused at the seeming lack of understanding the mare offered. "Pinkie, a while back you babysat Spike at a sort of 'last minute' deal for Twilight, right?"

"Yeparooni," said Pinkie with a nod, "Twilight said she had to do some research and she wanted to be sure Spike wasn't alone that night!"

Big Mac stared at the mares quietly a moment. They both seemed equal parts confused, though Fluttershy almost seemed concerned. They don't know, he thought to himself. That itself wasn't too surprising, but what did bother him is that it meant Twilight was still scared, not that he could blame her of course. She lived in a big house all alone on a mountain; any number of terrible things could happen, and nopony would be around to help her.

If he was the only one who knew, then that meant he might very well be the only one she can talk to at the moment. Big Mac looked between the two mares, smiled and nodded. "Well, sounds like you girls had fun. I hate to run, but I got somethin' I need to take care of."

"Okie dokie lokie," said Pinkie Pie with a nod, grabbing Fluttershy, "let's go to the tavern! They don't mind serving pegasi, and with how cute you are, I'm sure you'll get lotsa nice compliments and attention!"

"W-wait," shouted Fluttershy, her eyes shrinking to pinpricks, "I-I-I don't want attention!" If Pinkie heard her, she didn't acknowledge it, and the two ponies were off in a flash. Big Mac smirked, shaking his head as the two ponies hurried off into the distance (one less willingly than the other). Turning, he looked upwards, over the tiled roofs of the houses and towards the mountain that stood just north of Ponyville.

---

Macintosh stepped past the gate to the manor and into the garden proper. The old manor seemed as it always had; as if nopony had lived her in a very long time, and yet it somehow managed to maintain a strong vigil over the land. It had a sort of charm about it that one could not deny, and every time he came here he felt a similar feeling to being in that old castle in the Everfree. That castle that's now inhabited by a horrible blob-monster. Pushing one terrifying thought out of his mind for the time being, Big Mac made his way up the cobblestone path towards the house, up to the door.

Big Mac gave the door a gentle rapping, then he paused for a few moments to wait for a response. Nothing, so he knocked again. "Who's there?" responded Twilight's muffled voice from the other side of the wooden door.

"Big Mac," he said simply.

For a few seconds it was quiet, but then he heard the sounds of various bolts and locks being undone; probably more than was needed, really. The door pulled open, just slightly, with a single purple eye peaking outside. "Oh, hello Macintosh. I wasn't expecting you," came Twilight's voice, a little uncertain.

"Nope," said Big Mac with a shrug, leaning his head to the side as if trying to see into the house. "May I come in?"

"Hn? Oh, sure!" Twilight opened the door a bit more, though not by much. "Just get in as quickly as you can please?" Big Mac nodded and wasted no time getting past the little mare into the house, with Twilight shutting the door behind him and locking it up once more faster than he expected she would. "Sorry for the caution," said Twilight with a sigh as she checked each lock to make sure it was in place, "can never be too careful."

Big Mac turned to face Twilight, and before he could say anything, he was surprised by the way she looked. She seemed very ragged and worn; her mane was askew with several hairs sticking out of place, there were dark spots under her slightly pinked eyes, and she seemed incredibly tense to boot. The stallion frowned a bit, looking down at the disheveled mare. "Kinda... why I'm here.... everything okay, Twilight?"

"Okay? Why wouldn't I be?" Twilight waved a hoof at him, as if he were talking silliness, though he responded only with a concerned look in her direction. The mare seemed to wilt a bit, looking off to the side somewhat. "Uh, well, I admit things could be better, but... you know."

"No, I don't," said Big Mac, shaking his head and stepping closer, leaning down and trying to meet her eyes. "Wanna talk about it?" Twilight shied away from his gaze a bit, a grimace plainly etched onto her face. Macintosh stepped back a bit, deciding not to push too hard; he wanted her to talk to him, but he couldn't force her.

"There's nothing to talk about," she said simply. Big Mac pouted his lips at that, and Twilight turned to face him again, smiling, though it was not a happy smile. "I'm fine, really."

"Ya sure? Pinkie and Fluttershy worried enough to send me up here." Once more, Twilight seemed to try to look anywhere but Big Mac's direction. He smiled sympathetically at the mare, tilting his head once more to try to meet her gaze. "You worried those thieves'll come back?"

"No," said Twilight quietly, though she shook her head a bit, "I mean, yes, but no... maybe...?"

Macintosh frowned a bit. "Twi, have you been sleeping well?"

The lavender mare chuckled mirthlessly, shaking her head. "Is it that obvious?" Big Mac didn't respond, not knowing if she actually wanted him to respond to that. She seemed to pick up on this and sighed, shaking her head and putting a hoof on the bridge of her nose. "It's... complicated, okay?"

Big Mac's frown deepened. He wanted to help her if he could, but it would be difficult if she wasn't going to be more open with him. "Well, maybe you can help me understand?"

Twilight seemed to consider his words a moment, then put a hoof on her hat, adjusting it a bit. "Remember the.... the statue?"

At the mention of it, Big Mac shuddered. Of course he remembered that statue. The very few words it had said to him felt wrong, perverse, and yet struck his curiosity from time to time on what it was going to say. "... Eeyup..."

Twilight remained quiet for a few seconds, seeming to ponder over her head on her next words. "Have you... do you ever...." She paused for a moment, and groaned, sitting on her haunches and rubbing her temples with her hooves. "Big Mac... do you trust me?"

Macintosh raised a brow at the question. It seemed so silly, and at the same time it certainly had a depth he wasn't anticipating. "... Of course I do."

"You hesitated," said Twilight quickly, her eyes worried, "why did you hesitate?"

"It caught me off guard is all," said Big Mac, his voice beginning to crack a bit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his flask, twisting the top off. Twilight certainly couldn't have missed it.

"Now you're drinking," she said, clearly becoming anxious. "Why are you drinking? Are you lying?"

"Nope," said Big Mac, furrowing his brow a bit, getting somewhat concerned at her tone, though his voice was cracking the more he talked, "Twi, what's wrong with you?"

Twilight grabbed Big Mac by the shoulders and shook him, causing him to drop his flask, spilling its precious contents on the floor. "What's wrong with me is that I don't know who my friends are!" Macintosh's eyes fell on the flask and the wet spots near it. He quickly snatched it up and held it over his mouth, but only got a single drop for his efforts. This seemed to make Twilight angry.

"What is wrong with you!? I'm having a panic attack, and you're just... just trying to get drunk!?"

"It's not..." Macintosh gasped a bit, the tension of the situation drying his already parched throat. He put a hoof over his throat and rubbed it, wide-eyed and biting his lip as he realized he had been doing a lot more talking than he was used to lately, ".... not...."

"Not what!? Huh!?"

Big Mac frowned, continuing to stroke his throat under his bandanna. Twilight was in a frenzy, and he didn't know what he could say or do. He looked up to her, uncertainty in his eyes, and did all he could think to do.

'Water.'

He could not say the words; only move his mouth in the hopes she could read his lips. Twilight seemed confused a moment, looking at him like he had grown a second head. "Water? What does water...?" She paused, taking notice of him stroking his throat. She sighed a bit, shaking her head. "Lose your voice?" Big Mac looked off to the side somewhat and nodded. It wasn't happy, but she was no longer furious, just annoyed, so it was a victory. "Follow me."

The two ponies walked through the manor into the kitchen. Twilight opened the door to the ice box and began rooting around. "Well, I'm afraid that I don't have any water unless you want to go out and use that old well, but I do have some cider. If you want something harder than that I have a stocked wine cellar."

Macintosh raised a brow at that, which Twilight caught in looking back towards him. "What? I can appreciate a good drink." Macintosh merely shrugged. The mare withdrew a glass from her cupboard and poured some cider into it, passing the glass to him, which he took and drank down, slowly, trying not to choke on it and let it work it's wonders. When he drank enough, he sighed in relief and smiled to Twilight.

"Thanks for that."

"No problem," said the mare halfheartedly, shaking her head before looking off to the side with a sigh. "I'm... also sorry if I overreacted."

"Sokay," said Big Mac, smiling a bit in assurance. She didn't respond, however, and just seemed as tired and defeated as before. Macintosh held his glass between his hooves and swirled it about a bit, watching the contents spin. "Also, I hesitated because I felt like the question was silly."

Twilight seemed confused, looking towards Macintosh as if he were crazy once more. "Question?"

Big Mac chuckled, shaking his head at the mare. 'She really does need a good night's rest, doesn't she?' "You asked me if I trusted you, and I hesitated, because I felt it was a silly question."

"Oh." Twilight nodded a bit, though she seemed to stare off into space for a moment before giving him a half-confused glare. "Wait, what's so silly about that? It's an important question!"

"I know," said Big Mac nodding, his smile not wavering in the least, "but I figured you should already know I trust ya." This seemed to catch the mare off guard for a moment, as if she didn't expect that answer. Macintosh pondered if he should be insulted or not, but decided to leave such a question for another time, as Twilight seemed to relax just a bit.

"Oh..." Twilight's head hung just a bit, all the tension in her slowly ebbing away as if that little answer made a world of difference. She then chuckled a bit, shaking her head, looking down at her hooves. "The worst part is... I don't even remember why I asked you."

Macintosh frowned a bit, furrowing his brow at the mare. "You need a good night's sleep."

"I know," said Twilight with a slight groan, shaking her head again and looking towards him. Her expression suddenly seemed somber on top of the pre-existing exhaustion, and it made her seem all the more world weary. "Macintosh... have you ever... had a strange experience that you can't really place...?" Macintosh's response was a simple deadpan look, to which Twilight almost laughed. "Besides... you know, the... castle and the statue and... yeah..."

The stallion seemed to stare off into his own little world, pondering that question. "Can't say I have. Why?"

Twilight bit her lip a moment, looking at her hooves. She still remembered the dream. Seeing a destroyed Equestria, the others dead and scattered. Then the statue, whispering poisoned words into her ears...

'You realize that they only trust you because they don't know what you are, right?'

Twilight squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and let out a breath. She shook her head, looking towards Big Mac and forcing a smile onto her face. "It's nothing," she said uncertainly, her eyes drifting off to the side as she said it, "I guess I'm still a little shaken at the whole..." her forced smile drifted away, "... almost... getting murdered bit..."

Macintosh nodded a bit, frowning, looking off to the side. "Well, why not occupy yourself with work?" Twilight snorted at that and laughed a bit, causing Big Mac to raise a confused brow. "What?"

---

Books everywhere.

It was hard to believe that anypony could even skim that many books, but there they were. They littered the floors, some haphazardly strewn about, though still in a manner of care; the only ones that remained opened were on Twilight's desk, with various sheets of paper and scrolls. Macintosh almost felt dizzy at the sight of all the books.

"That's... a lot..."

"Yeah," said Twilight with a nod and a sigh, shaking her head. Spike lay in a nearby basket, fast asleep. "The first few nights I invited the girls over, I at least pretended I wanted their company, but it didn't take long for me to start occupying myself with this room even when they were here."

Big Mac's eyes continued to trace all the books, and he took a few steps forward, looking over their covers. Many of them had strange names, like The Equestrian Bestiary, Clover the Clever's Encyclopedia of Magical Constructs, and Potion Making for Complete Buffoons, and a few of them were written in letters he recognized as Old Equestrian. He shook his head, his mind trying to process what he was seeing before him. "H... how much of this have you read?"

"Well," said Twilight with a sigh and rubbing a hoof over the bridge of her nose, "I've been mostly researching, so I haven't completely read any of them, but I've probably looked over half of the books in this room at least once since yesterday."

"I see..." Macintosh shook his head, in complete awe of the idea. He was by no means a stupid pony; he had to know enough to run the farm, and learning a thing or two about history was Apple tradition, but it looked as if Twilight had potentially poured over half a library's worth of books. Given it would be a small library like back in Ponyville, it still seemed to awe him. As his eyes wandered, he noticed a book with a title that caught his eye. Macintosh approached it, wondering if he was seeing things, and lifted the book up, squinting as he read the title.

'Unicorns: the Lost Tribe.'

"What? Oh, give me that!" Almost as fast as he could blink, Twilight threw herself towards Big Mac and snatched the book away from him, confusing the stallion as she held the tome protectively against her breast, eyes wide as if he had assaulted the book. "Don't you know better than to snoop around another pony's belongings!?"

"I'm sorry, Twilight," said Big Mac with a polite nod, "I didn't mean to offend."

Twilight stared at him a moment, still a bit tense, but she sighed and shook her head, looking down at the book. "Sorry, I-I guess... I overreacted. I didn't mean to, I just..."

"It's alright," said Big Mac with a nod and a smile, "I was bein' nosy." This seemed to make Twilight smile a bit, though she hugged the book tighter still, her eyes seeming somber. Macintosh frowned a bit, looking down at the book she cradled in her hooves and back up to her. She giggled a bit, shaking her head, situating the book on a nearby pile of... well, books.

"It's... a rare find," she said with a sigh, looking at the book. "It was a study done by a stallion named Golden Quill, who gained a deep fascination in Unicorn legend and myth and decided to dedicate his life to researching them." Twilight placed a hoof on the book, smiling at it. "They say he spent his whole life searching for 'the Lost Tribe', Unicorns, in the hopes of one day finding out where they had gone." She looked to Big Mac, a soft smile on her face, though there was a somberness to her eyes. "... He researched unicorns his entire life. Met ponies who claimed to encounter them." Her muzzle scrunched up a bit, as if she were annoyed. "Many of them were... questionable, seeming more like deceit to cover up murders, crimes, and dishonest wives... but..." She lifted the book once more, holding it against her chest and smiling. "... It also tells of... softer tales. Things of adventure. Of romance. Of mystery."

Twilight opened the book, reading over a few notes. "... But no matter how hard he looked, he never found a unicorn. Only rumors. During his final days, he stated his only regret in life was never having the chance to meet those elusive ponies." Big Mac frowned a bit at that. He couldn't imagine what it must be like to spend one's whole life searching for something, only to never find it. He looked towards Twilight, who seemed to have similar thoughts in her mind.

'It would be like dying without ever tasting an apple.' The mere thought made him shudder.

"Eventually, his grandson found his notes," said Twilight, stroking the book like a beloved pet. "He continued his grandfather's research, compiling everything into this one-of-a-kind journal." She looked at the book lovingly, smiling fondly at it. "He disappeared one day. Simply left without saying goodbye, and nopony ever heard from him again. All they found the day he disappeared was his journal, which detailed his and his grandfather's research into unicorn legends, rumors, and history."

Twilight looked to Big Mac, noticing the stallion seemed to be paying the utmost attention to her tale. In a moment that was almost too rare to miss, Twilight seemed to blush a bit. "So," said Big Mac, nodding his head, "did he get anything concrete in that book?"

The lavender mare chuckled, looking down at the tome again before setting it neatly on her nightstand. "That's up for debate, I suppose." She stepped away from the book, towards another pile of books, taking them one by one and stacking them into smaller piles. "Many ponies looked at this book as the works of a madpony, more like a parody of the scientific method rather than actual research." She sighed and shook her head, looking back at the book sadly. "They said his research was entirely based on wild dreaming and misinterpretation of historic facts. They say he was insane, who likely one day went so mad he wandered into the wilderness and died."

Macintosh was quiet a moment. Twilight looked towards him to notice he was staring down at the ground intently, as if deep in thought. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and sighed. "Fairy tales. Right."

The tone of his voice almost seemed... disappointed? Twilight leaned over a bit, trying to to get a better look at his face. "Something wrong, Macintosh...?" Big Mac simply looked up towards her. He gave her a reassuring smile, shaking his head, though she didn't seem to buy it.

"So," he said, trying to change the subject, "What about you? You hopin' to find a unicorn someday?" Twilight paused a moment and bit her lip. She brought a hoof up to the back of her mane, brushing it gingerly. Macintosh smirked. He had caught her red-hoofed on that one. "Salright to admit it. Nothin' to be ashamed of." Twilight merely giggled nervously in response, unwilling to meet his eyes. Big Mac frowned a bit, seeing that she wasn't convinced and worrying that he may have made her nervous. "Hey, it's not a bad dream."

Twilight shook her head. "You have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Yes I do," said Big Mac. He turned to look around, as if making sure nopony would hear him, even if the only other things here were a sleeping Spike. He gestured for Twilight to come closer, which she did, and he leaned forward and whispered into her ear. "Several generations of the Apple Family have made it their life goals to find the World's Biggest Tree."

Twilight seemed to stare at him a moment, confused, as if what he said were the silliest thing she had ever heard. "The... world's biggest tree?"

"Eeyup," said Big Mac with a proud nod. "Every generation has hooffulls of Apples who want to find that tree, and at least one who tries to."

Twilight seemed authentically curious, raising a brow. "Do they?"

Big Mac, however, shrugged. "Well, if they do they either lie or don't return to tell the tale." He waved his hoof about. "Either way, they never come back in the same condition they left in. Always either completely broke, crippled, insane, or in one freak occurrence, start a family, but otherwise they usually disappear and are considered dead or lost."

The little lavender mare pondered on this a moment. Seemed like an odd tradition to carry on if it usually ended with misfortune. "And you share this insane goal?"

"Well," said Big Mac, holding a hoof up and waving it around, "Kinda. It's on my bucket list to at least look for it, but I don't figure I'll ever find it." Twilight raised a brow for a moment, staring at him. Big Mac stared back, glancing off to the side a moment, then back to her. "Somethin' wrong?"

"No," said Twilight, shaking her head and smirking, "it's just that I don't think I've ever heard you talk about yourself in such detail." Indeed, it was something Big Mac didn't do often. He hadn't considered it, but despite their many conversations, he didn't talked much of himself. Really, neither did she. The two had known each other for nearly two months now and they barely knew one another. The thought almost made him chuckle.

"Not much to say," he said with a shrug, though he frowned a bit at a thought. A hoof brushed against his throat for a moment. Now that he was thinking on it, he had been talking more these past few months than he normally did. Enough that sometimes he forgot about his injury, and by the time he remembered it his voice was already fading. Even now his voice was becoming more strained and, with his mind unclouded by conversation, he realized just how much he had been taxing himself verbally.

"... It hurts to talk, doesn't it?"

Big Mac didn't say anything right away. He didn't know if he could. It was really not one of his favorite subjects, and it was something he tried his best to not talk about. He gave Twilight a sideways glance; she seemed cautious and concerned, as well as curious. The stallion let loose a sigh, continuing to rub his throat.

"Sometimes," he said, quieter than normal.

Twilight didn't say anything in response. The room became very quiet, and both ponies found themselves strained to say anything more. Twilight had questions, he could tell, but she wasn't saying anything. 'How much does she know?' Macintosh realized that as an associate of Rich's, she might know at least enough about the situation. He was uncertain if this knowledge should comfort him or upset him.

"I could use another drink," he said with a raspy voice. Twilight responded with a nod, and the two ponies made their way back out of the tower. When they reached the kitchen once more, Twilight grabbed a bottle of cider and held a hoof out.

"Give me your flask. I'll fill it up for you."

Not one to reject a kind offer, Big Mac held his flask forward, and Twilight carefully filled it with the sweet nectar; he could tell the smell of Sweet Apple Acres apples anywhere, any form. He took a drink from his flask, feeling the coolness run over his sore throat. Twilight stepped past him, towards a door, opening it and stepping inside. When she stepped back out, she was carrying another bottle, though this one bore a different look, it was still familiar.

"Is that Whiskey?"

"Yes," said Twilight, opening one of her cabinets and pulling out a mug, pouring some of the liquid into it, closing it, and setting it aside, taking a drink of it, making a sour face, and shaking her head. She sighed a bit, looking to Big Mac and frowning. "Hope you don't mind."

"No," he said, shaking his head, "just didn't peg you fer an alcoholic."

Twilight rolled her eyes. "I'm not an alcoholic, I seldom have a drink, I just could really use one right now." She looked at the glass, shaking her head as she took another drink as the room descended into silence. Big Mac looked off to the side, taking another sip from his flask. 'Well, she is kinda stressed. Guess I can't blame her.'

Big Mac hummed, tapping a hoof to his chin. "Mind if I have a mug?"

"Sure," said Twilight, pulling another glass from the cabinet and filling it, she passed it to Big Mac. He took the container and looked at the contents inside. Shrugging, he took a drink of it and felt the warmth crawl down his throat. There was a bit of spice to it, but nothing he hadn't drank before.

"Not bad," he said with a smack of his lips.

"Filthy Rich gave me this for my birthday," she said with a shrug, taking another drink from her own mug. "Pinkie insisted on him helping do something for me because he said I spend too much time reading books and doing research."

Macintosh didn't know how to respond. He wasn't sure he had noticed it himself, although to be fair his interactions with Twilight up until now had mostly been limited to when they were going out on an adventure or when she was distraught. "You do seem the bookish type."

Twilight snorted, rolling her eyes. "That's what Rich said. 'Twilight, you're so diligent, and a dear friend, try to have fun once in a while.' Ha!" Twilight sighed, taking another drink. "I don't have to do what others call 'fun' in order to be happy. As long as I enjoy myself, isn't that all that matters?"

Certainly a sentiment Macintosh could agree with, though he found himself wondering something. An odd question in his mind. "Do you enjoy your life?"

Twilight didn't respond. She was quiet, staring at her drink, as if thinking. "With Rich's resources, I have no shortage of books to read, as well as my own personal collection, and my research into ancient lore could one day change the world."

"Maybe," said Big Mac, nodding, "but is that all you wanna do in life?"

Once more, Twilight was quiet. Her eyes seemed to focus on nothing and everything, as if searching her mind for an answer. The sour look on her face told him that she either didn't know or didn't like the answer. She poured a second helping of the whiskey into her mug and drank from it. Macintosh looked down at his own drink, pursing his lips together.

"I can kinda understand ya," he said with a nod. Twilight raised a brow, looking towards him, and when he noticed he chuckled a bit. "Not 'bout the book stuff. I'm no dummy but most of what I know revolves around the farm. But that's it." He took a drink of his whiskey and smirked. "Braeburn says I'm a workaholic."

"So you like to work?"

"Guess so," said Big Mac, shrugging.

"Seems to me to be a good trait to have."

"Yeah," said Big Mac with a sigh, looking up at the ceiling, "but everypony else agrees with 'em, and sometimes I wonder myself." He looked back down at his drink, seeing his reflection in the liquid. "Didn't used to, but after nearly fallin' to my death, I had a lotta time to myself an' more than once I kept thinkin' 'I wish I could pull a plow'."

Twilight seemed confused by this. She stared at Big Mac as if he was a strange thing from a story of strange things. "You mean you wanted to do physical labor?"

"Eeyup," said Big Mac with a shrug. This only made Twilight more confused. 'I guess she's not a very physical pony though.' "The routine and rhythm is easy to follow. I think better when I'm workin'." 'Or maybe it's less?'

The lavender mare shook her head, taking another drink. "Maybe that's a good thing. A pony with a fondness for physical work is definitely better suited for this little adventure of ours than a pony who would rather spend his days in a pub."

Big mac laughed at that. "Oh, Braeburn'll still go on adventures, but he'll be starin' at your backside the whole way."

Twilight groaned. "Don't remind me. I've caught him staring at mine, at Fluttershy's..." She paused a moment, tilting her head a bit. "Though never Pinkie's. In fact, he seems to go out of his way to avoid looking at her..."

Big Mac sighed, rolling his hoof around a bit. "We're fuzzy on details, but Pinkie may be a cousin." Twilight stared at him, wide-eyed. He frowned. "Yeah, we found some records... one of her relatives mighta been an Apple."

"Wait," said Twilight, holding up a hoof, "how far back does this possible blood relation go? How closely are you related?" Big Mac was now confused, but Twilight seemed to be in one of her moments of intellectual revelation. "Because if she's like your second or third cousin, I could understand, but if you can be uncertain about it and Pinkie herself isn't adopted, and both of you are pretty in touch with your cousins and other relatives, then theoretically wouldn't her blood relation to you be so thin that it might even be negligible, possibly a non-issue?"

Macintosh was quiet, staring into the ether. They weren't sure how closely related they were to Pinkie - if at all. It did make sense though; after all, if the Pies had been separated from the Apples long enough to be unsure of if they were related or not, would it not be plausible that their blood relation to Pinkie Pie was pretty much non-existent. He laughed a bit, shaking his head.

"Do me a favor?"

"Yes?"

"Don't tell Braeburn this," he said with another chuckle, taking another drink of his whiskey. "It may give him ideas."

---

He wasn't sure if it was the alcohol or the conversation or what, but after half an hour of talking and drinking, Twilight had become noticeably exhausted. He lead her to her tower, noting that she was a bit wobbly so certainly at least a little drunk, and once she was in bed he left her alone. Fortunately, she had allowed him the use of one of her keys to lock the door behind him on his way out, so her safety was not a major concern.

As he closed the large door back behind him and locked it, Big Mac turned around to find a strange sight; a cyan pegasus mare wearing a black jacket that seemed to fit her form firmly, wearing a mask that hid her face but had holes for her eyes, muzzle, mane and ears, flapping her wings to gingerly drift downward before landing before him. Her cutie mark seemed to be hidden by the jacket. "Hey, is the bookworm home?"

Macintosh raised a brow. "Maybe. Who's askin'?"

"A friend," said the mare, waving a hoof. "That's all you need to know."

Despite her claim, Macintosh felt his fur bristle at the sight of the mare; something didn't feel right, and he couldn't tell what. "Funny, I don't think Twilight ever mentioned you before."

"Yeah? She's never mentioned you before either." She seemed calm and collected... or was it arrogant?

"Well," said Big Mac, squinting his eyes, "certainly if you're her friend you'd know--"

"Look," said the mare, holding a hoof up to gesture him to stop, "I'm going to make both of our lives a little easier. I've got a message for the egghead, and it's a doozy." The mare reached a hoof into a satchel on her other side that Macintosh hadn't noticed until now, withdrawing an envelope with nothing written on it. "Give this to her. It's time sensitive, so try to make sure she sees it as soon as possible."

The mare hoofed Big Mac the envelope, before turning around and spreading her wings, shooting into the sky like a bullet. The stunned stallion turned his attention to the paper he now carried, looking it over, wondering if there were any clues as to who sent it, but no such luck; the only way he could think to find out what it said would be to open it up and read it himself, but would that be right? After all, it could be extremely personal.

Relenting to his good nature, Macintosh stepped back into the house. He would leave it on her nightstand in her room, and come back first thing in the morning.

Something wasn't right. He could feel it in his core, and somehow he knew something big was going to happen soon.

Comments

[PhycoKrusk]

And so, Mac continues to not select option 3: Put it in.

[TimeKeeper112]

It is a nice build up but when are we reaching the top of the mountain?
Is Zecora even in this story anymore?
But that was an interesting question Twilight brought up

[howard035]

I like this slice-of-lifey, moderately humorous chapter. Scootaloo has wormed her way into the Apples' hearts, even if they haven't realized it yet. Golden Quill is a sad story, I hope his grandson found a pretty unicorn mare and it turns out he's Twilight's ancestor.

I kind of feel like Big Mac should really do Braeburn a solid and finally pick a mare, because Braeburn is a lot more likely to get a gal to settle for him once Big Mac is off the market. Also, Twilight should move into town, just keep her curtains down and people won't find her secret horn.

[Skydrake]

This was a pretty neat chapter, in a Calm Between The Storms kind of way. Adventure is always good - and it feels like we are about to embark on another one - but at times it's just nice to take a step back and have a slower chapter with characters simply interacting about anything and everything that comes to mind. Best get to know your traveling companions more before you plunge into another mess.

As for Twilight, whoo boy - I have a feeling that she should really talk to Mac about her horn related things, and soon - with the stress Discord's words are placing on her, on top of her being afraid of mercs and everything else, something's going to snap if she doesn't get to take at least one of these worries off her shoulders. And considering that Mac hasn't ran away and in fact still comes to seek her out because of worry, despite all the otherworldly crap he seems to get pulled in when around her, should be a decent indicator that he will likely take the news with some grace.

Would probably do wonders for her stress levels both in disproving Discord's words, and let her loosen up her guard around him in general, because she'd have to keep less on her hooves when it comes to guarding her secret. And Twilight seriously needs all the peace of mind she can get right about now.

And now I'm looking towards what that letter holds ... probably nothing good.

[SFaccountant]

OH, WOULD YOU JUST WHIP IT OUT, ALREADY?!?!

... Twilight, I mean.

...... As in, like, her horn.

........ What?

[ferret]

'Twilight, you're so diligent, and a dear friend, try to have fun once in a while.' Ha!"

in before this ends with saving the world from Nightmare Moon, only to have the sun beam down and in comes princess Filthy who has missed his long lost sister so much

[StaticSmile42]

Omg Guys . Don't know what it is...
But some tells me that Twilight Sparkle is
Unicycle

[Johndye]

3 months later...

[Black Hoof]

6173028
What about 2 years and 10 months later?

[Johndye]

6218516