For The One You Love

by bahatumay

Epilogue

Earth ponies love weddings. Perhaps it is a cultural thing, where weddings meant that two ponies had become one and soon there would be little foals running around. There might have also been an aspect of growth and new beginnings. Both of these concepts were culturally important to the historically farming class of earth ponies. Whatever the reason, if a pony had many earth pony friends, they could expect no end of gifts and congratulations.

So it was no surprise that when Macintosh and Fluttershy went to the market, all the earth ponies were stumbling over themselves to offer congratulations—and discounts and gifts. Currently, they were in front of a flower stand, and the three flower ponies were jockeying for position and offering their wares when a new voice made the newlyweds freeze.

“Good morning, Warbringer. Macintosh.”

“Skyblaze,” Mac rumbled, not deigning to look at him.

Skyblaze began to walk around the two, circling like they were prey. “I don't think I ever extended my congratulations on your marriage.”

“Thanks,” Mac said tightly.

Skyblaze's eyes narrowed as he continued circling. “Oh, yes, I was also meaning to ask you… how did you like your sloppy seconds?”

Mac frowned.

A cold smile crossed Skyblaze's face. “Yep. That's right. That first night was mine. I was the one who had Warbringer first. Not you.”

Macintosh looked over at his wife. Fluttershy blushed brighter red than the roses on the table. She squeaked something that was probably meant to be an apology, and she shamefully sank down and hid herself behind her wings.

Mac's eye twitched ever so slightly, and the flower ponies instinctively took the tiniest step back. It is a well-known earth pony proverb to beware the wrath of a patient pony, and none were more patient than Big Macintosh.

And then Mac closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and smiled. “Well, now that you mention it, yeah. Ah did notice that the first two inches felt a bit looser; but since the next ten felt brand new, Ah didn't think nothin' of it.”

The flower ponies burst out laughing. Mac had managed to insult Skyblaze and compliment himself in one single sentence.

Skyblaze angrily opened his mouth to retort. “It's more than two inches, you groundpounding twit! And there's no way you're-”

Mac took a step back. “Well, Ah don't wanna see yours, and Ah ain't showin' you mine. What's wrong with you?”

Roseluck was now laughing so hard she had to support herself on Lily, who was laughing so hard she had to lean on the table. Daisy, with nopony to lean on, had fallen to the ground and was rolling around in peals of laughter.

Skyblaze flushed red and opened his mouth again, only to find that he had nothing else to say.

Mac patted him on the head like a dog. “Eeyup,” he said. “Better luck next time.” He turned back to Fluttershy, who cowered slightly. Seeing his wife so fearful made Mac's heart ache, and he gently tucked a hoof under her chin and lifted her face up, giving her a gentle smile and kiss on the forehead, wordlessly letting her know that what happened in the past was in the past, and he loved her no matter what Skyblaze had done to her. Fluttershy giggled in relief and got up. Skyblaze could only watch in fury as she kissed Mac on the cheek and then trotted off with him.

“This isn't over, Macintosh of House Apple,” Skyblaze seethed as he dug a hoof into the ground. “This is not over.”

Author's Note:

He's right, you know. Click here!

Comments

[L0rd0f7hund3r]

Skyblaze gets ♪pwned!♫ That was such a huge burn on Biggie's part. And what's this, a sequel? ♫Boom-de-yah-da!♪

[SFaccountant]

I gotta say that I didn't really care for this. It was a decent enough story, and well written, but Fluttershy's role in it was... lacking, to be gentle about it. Despite being arguably the most important character in the story conflict, during the whole of the story she contributed nothing and made barely any decisions. The actions she did presumably take, such as building a close bond with a lover while keeping her engagement a secret, were explicitly selfish ones. The other most prominent decision she made was deciding to leave Big Mac hanging rather than explaining herself to him.
Her role in the story was as an object. She was barely even mentioned in chapter 5, at her own wedding. She didn't say anything when Big Mac intervened, nothing when he was getting beaten up, it was up to Rainbow Dash to warn him that he was about to get stabbed, and Fluttershy didn't even have anything to say, apparently, when he won. If you didn't include a few lines about her giggling and blushing, I would have seriously concluded that she wasn't even there. And then afterward they just continued the wedding like nothing was wrong with a different groom, because Mac won and he earned his prize.
Even if you were going for an 18th-century kind of romance, I still feel like we could have used a lot more emotional perspective from Fluttershy. Her feelings didn't seem to count for anything, and it was only thanks to Big Mac's stubbornness and RD's support that things worked out as she wanted. I was really expecting a scene after the wedding where she apologized to Macintosh about basically lying about her marital status the entire time they were together (unless it somehow just never came up, which would be really strange and worth an explanation all its own). Or maybe talk about how awful it was that she had almost been put into marital slavery. Nope, they just got home and banged. Well, okay then.
Again, not a bad story, but seriously underwhelming in the intimacy, which made the romance seem shallow. And I've rarely seen such an unflattering portrayal of Fluttershy.

On the other hand, the way you wrote Rainbow Dash was GOLD. Made me wish this was a MacDash fic

[bahatumay]

4840447
I… can't really argue many of your points. I first wrote this story over a year and a half ago to try my hand at straight shipping. I'd like to think I've gotten better at writing Fluttershy, but at that point she was kindof just Yellow Quiet.
At the arena I thought I'd pointed out that they were high up and too far away to really interfere, but I can clarify that.
Now that you say that, it really does need a scene like that… give me some time, I'll see what I can do.
You also got me on the intimate part. That part was rushed to finish, and it shows. Ah well. There's always next story. I'll get it right eventually.
But I'm glad you liked Rainbow Dash! She's one of my favorites to write.
and I do kindof like MacDash as well

[SFaccountant]

4842814
At the arena, whether or not Fluttershy could have interfered with the debacle going on, I still feel that we need some inkling as what's going on in her head as events proceed. Her jilted boyfriend, who she assumed was hooking up with her friends after she left him, appeared and crashed her wedding specifically to take the groom's place. That's some hot drama and simply demands a reaction, and when there wasn't one presented, I literally thought, "Wow, they're doing this with the bride in absentia, huh? He probably has her chained up in the kitchen or something. Man, what a jerk... no, wait, there she is. She laughed at a joke... Huh."

[bahatumay]

4843048
Gah. You're totally right there, too.

[bahatumay]

4843048
Ok, I made a couple minor fixes. It's probably more handwaving than anything, but I think it's an improvement.

[Super-Brony12]

Skyblaze's eyes narrowed as he continued circling. “Oh, yes, I was also meaning to ask you… how did you like your sloppy seconds?”

Mac frowned.

A cold smile crossed Skyblaze's face. “Yep. That's right. That first night was mine. I was the one who had Warbringer first. Not you.”

Macintosh looked over at his wife. Fluttershy blushed brighter red than the roses on the table. She squeaked something that was probably meant to be an apology, and she shamefully sank down and hid herself behind her wings.

Mac's eye twitched ever so slightly, and the flower ponies instinctively took the tiniest step back. It is a well-known earth pony proverb to beware the wrath of a patient pony, and none were more patient than Big Macintosh.

And then Mac closed his eyes, breathed deeply, and smiled. “Well, now that you mention it, yeah. Ah did notice that the first two inches felt a bit looser; but since the next ten felt brand new, Ah didn't think nothin' of it.”

The flower ponies burst out laughing. Mac had managed to insult Skyblaze and compliment himself in one single sentence.

Skyblaze angrily opened his mouth to retort. “It's more than two inches, you groundpounding twit! And there's no way you're-”

Mac took a step back. “Well, Ah don't wanna see yours, and Ah ain't showin' you mine. What's wrong with you?”

Skyblaze, you just got owned...TWICE! Go back to Cloudsdale and stay there you stupid pony with a stick up his ass. Nice epilogue by the way.

~ Super-Brony12

[Darth Redbeard]

4927417 never know

[Sunset_Shimmer83]

I wonder did fluttershy ever go to apologize to aloe and lotus?

[Akataja]

Usual I really lover fluttermac... but all this non canon stuff about shy, her family and pegasus society? Was too much for me.

[bahatumay]

8622244
This story is three years old.