Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut

by Hooves Like Jagger

X: Alternator

Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut
Author: HoovesLikeJagger
Chapter X

__________________

"Did Lugnut run off again?" Applejack looked up at Big Macintosh, dutifully hauling his cart of empty watering cans back towards the barn.

"Eeyup."

"Horse apples!" Applejack spat, "Jus' when I think he's back to normal, he's off on his own as soon as his chores 'er done! What's gotten into that pony?" It has been around a month since the Gibson and Fluttershy incident. The day after, Applejack noticed a dramatic turn in Big Lugnut's behavior. He rose at the crack of dawn, did his chores, then disappeared until the next morning. Applejack didn't know exactly what was wrong with him, but she had a nagging suspicion.

She only remembered part of the night right after the Macintosh and Fluttershy incident. She drank too much and Big Lugnut obviously had taken her home. The frame of time between the bar and waking up in the morning with a splitting headache was gone from her memory. She must have said something to him. She didn't know what, but it was causing Big Lugnut a good deal of stress.

She tried to ask him, but he refused to talk about it. It was actually more accurate to say he simply refused to talk at all. He'd talk about two things and two things only: work and sleep. Applejack hated the thought of it, but she kept saying the same thing.

"He's actin' like a machine!" she complained. Big Macintosh just sighed. Yesterday was a pretty special day; the zap apple harvest began. Big Lugnut's curiosity snapped him out of whatever he was in for the entire day. Big Macintosh was darned glad he did too. Big Lugnut and Applejack acted completely normal for once, enjoyed themselves, and enjoyed each other. What Macintosh had hoped would help the two out turned out to just deepen he wound. Applejack was more riled up than usual and he'd bet any amount of bits that Lugnut was off brooding in his newest stomping grounds.

Applejack didn't know, but Big Macintosh knew exactly where Big Lugnut ran off to everyday. He'd heard it from Fluttershy, who had heard it from Rainbow Dash, who had heard it from Arrow Dash, who had heard it from Gibson. Big Lugnut went out to the Everfree Forest and just hung around. To Big Macintosh's knowledge, the only ponies who he ever talked to normally these days were Gibson and Sweetie Belle. The pair apparently had many a jam session in the forest. Beyond those two ponies though, Big Lugnut had cut off all his other ties.

He wished he could tell Applejack, but he knew exactly what she'd do if he did: she'd storm out there and bring him back. If he couldn't sulk in the Everfree Forest where at least somepony could keep tabs on him, he'd run off somewhere he could be completely alone. Big Macintosh wasn't the sharpest hunk of cheese, but he knew better than to compromise Big Lugnut's last remaining ties to the community. On top of that, he didn't want to explain why Fluttershy had divulged that information to him in confidence. Unbeknownst to him, Applejack was just feigning ignorance to their secret relationship. He hadn't known the sombreroed ponies were ponies he knew. He'd only shushed that one pony because she was interrupting a private moment.

Applejack was left to try and riddle out what she may have said while intoxicated. She couldn't think of anything she could say to make Big Lugnut act so odd. Applejack did have an idea on how to find out. Big Lugnut wasn't going to spill the beans, but an intoxicated Applejack might repeat herself. Based on this theory, she'd invited her good friends to go drinking. Pinkie Pie had declined on account of the fact she doesn't drink. Rainbow Dash said she had some important business concerning her pregnant mother to attend to. The three remaining ponies had all accepted, leaving Applejack with an acceptably sized party. Now she just needed to get hammered and have a more sober pony report back what she said. It wasn't exactly a good idea, but it was the only one she had. Besides, she felt like drinking.

__________________

Gibson finished the song with a flourish. Sweetie Belle applauded as he did a mock bow. Lugnut sat a ways off, staring deeper into the forest. Gibson had been enjoying himself much, much more since his date with Fluttershy. He mostly just hung around Zecora's hut, got briefed by Arrow, and hung out with Sweetie Belle when she showed up, but every once and a while he'd don the sombrero and poncho she'd given him and venture into Ponyville. He'd usually just go see Rarity, who'd been much more pleasant the past few weeks, and then go get food with Sweetie Belle and her friends. The little fillies Applebloom and Scootaloo didn't know Gibson's true identity, they just thought he was Don Guillermo.

They were glad for his company, since they'd recently been unable to spend time with Big Lugnut. Gibson was impressed that Sweetie Belle hadn't revealed his location to them, but she seemed to sense his brooding aura. Being the only pony with a voice who stuck around Big Lugnut, she was currently the only pony who really had any shot at pulling him out of his stupor.

"Lugnut! Is there a song you want Gibson to play?" she called to him. Big Lugnut turned his head backwards for a moment, but quickly turned back.

"I don't care... something... anything," he mumbled. Gibson shrugged.

"Like a melody that is impossible to play, I wait. In my memory there's a part of you that's gone away, yeah."

Sweetie Belle trotted up to Big Lugnut and sat down next to him. He didn't say anything. Neither did she, at least not for a few seconds.

"Applebloom and Scootaloo are always wondering where you are."

"Tell them not to worry about me," Big Lugnut grunted.

"You always say that," Sweetie Belle grumbled. Big Lugnut knew he did, but he wanted her to keep telling them that. He wanted her to get the hint and stop worrying herself.

Big Lugnut and Sweetie Belle sat in silence until the end of the song. When it ended, there was a brief lull. Eventually, Sweetie Belle got up and walked past Gibson.

"Let's go get some cupcakes or something." That was it for the jam session. Gibson slung his guitar around his back, following Sweetie Belle. It always ended like this. Gibson found himself strangely frustrated. He stopped. Sweetie Belle turned and noticed him walking up to Lugnut. Without even taking out his guitar, he sang a dismal tune:

"Never look her in the eyes... never tell the truth. If she knows you're paper, you know she'll have to burn you."

To Sweetie Belle's surprise, Lugnut got up with a start. She only caught a glimpse of his eyes, but she saw the enraged purple bands. Lugnut stomped off deeper into the forest. Gibson and Sweetie Belle watched him go.

"What do you think has him so upset?" Sweetie Belle asked. Gibson didn't respond, not that he could really respond. He had a good idea of what was on Lugnut's mind now. He didn't know how, but he'd riddled it out. He just turned and headed back out towards Zecora's taking Sweetie Belle with him. He needed to speak his mind, even if just to one little filly.

_________________

"Tell me how it is I got roped into this?" Arrow grumbled. He waited in the sterile hospital room with his daughter sitting next to him reading a sports magazine and his wife before him splayed out on an examination table. He had a mountain of scrolls waiting for him back at Rainbow Dash's house, and by the time he returned he knew there will be even more. The concert was only a week away; that meant it was crunch time for Arrow, so he should be crunching away at his work. Instead he was at the hospital waiting for his wife to get an ultrasound.

"I can't believe you're complaining!" Rainbow Dash glared at him over her magazine. "Your wife is having a baby! That's why you're roped into this!"

"I'm not interested in an ultrasound though," Arrow grunted.

"But we're looking at your kid!" Rainbow Dash put down the magazine. Despite how far along things were, Arrow Dash had never seen the ultrasound. He claimed he didn't want to "ruin the surprise". Mrs. Dash had urged Rainbow Dash to bring him though because she didn't want to surprise him. Rainbow Dash agreed and managed to convince him he should come by craftily throwing around the phrase "bonding experience".

"The ultrasound won't tell me anything the birth won't," Arrow contested. Before Rainbow Dash could retort, Dr. Stable entered the examination room with his nurse.

"Alright Mrs. Dash, let's begin," he announced briefly before setting to work setting up various apparatuses for the ultrasound. Soon enough, the doctor had a black and white image of the inside of Mrs. Dash's womb on a screen. Neither Arrow or Rainbow Dash knew what they were looking at, but Mrs. Dash and the doctor looked pleased.

"You're doing quite fine Mrs. Dash," Dr. Stable laughed. "And so is everyone else. Of course, I want to be seeing you all more often now. We should be fine once every two weeks as long as there are no complications."

"Umm..." Arrow chuckled a bit, his eyes darting around the room a bit. "What do you mean 'everyone else'?"

"Well, I mean him," Dr. Stable pointed at a grey mass that sort of looked like a head. The screen shifted, a bit. Dr. Stable pointed to another grey blip that didn't look like anything in particular. "And him."

"Twins?" Rainbow Dash grinned ear to ear. Arrow babbled something in response as well.

"Well, not if you count..." the screen shifted again as the doctor pointed to yet another grey mass. "Her."

"T-t-t-triplets?" Arrow stuttered. Rainbow Dash bit her bottom lip, attempting to simultaneously contain her excitement and wake herself if she was dreaming. The wild eyed Arrow made several intelligible noises and wild gestures towards his wife, who smiled and stuck her tongue out at him. Rainbow Dash started laughing as Arrow stuttered to himself some more.

"Oh man!" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Imagine how surprised you would have been when she delivered three foals! Ah-ha ha ha!" she guffawed. Arrow couldn't process humor at the moment. He had braced himself for one, but his heart was not ready for three foals.

"Congratulations Mr. Dash, you're going to be the father of triplets," the doctor put it very clearly.

"Can't you like... leave one in?" Arrow managed to groan before passing right out on the floor.

___________________

Zecora wasn't home at the moment. Gibson figured she'd just gone to gather ingredients for a potion either out in the forest or back in town. She had already shown him where to find his potion, so he didn't need her to proceed. Sweetie Belle trekked in after him, uncertain of what was going on.

"What gives Gibson?" she squeaked. Gibson didn't respond. He opened up a cabinet, pulling out a small vial from within. He uncorked it and faced Sweetie Belle. He threw the vial back and drank the whole draught in one gulp. He then collapsed unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Gibson!" Sweetie Belle rushed to him.

"Sweetie Belle, I'm all good so just listen to me, 'kay?" Gibson spoke.

"What the?" Sweetie Belle took a step back. "You can talk now?"

"Only for a couple of minutes. I also can't move until the potion wears off. I just wanted to talk normally for a moment," he explained.

"Okay." Sweetie Belle squatted on the floor next to Gibson, "what do you want to talk about?"

"About Lugnut."

"You know what's bugging him?" Sweetie Belle asked.

"I do. Look, you 'n your friends are insecure about not having cutie marks, yeh?" Sweetie Belle nodded in response. "But you talk about it with one 'nother cause you all have the same problem."

"Yeah! We understand one another and we help each other out!" Sweetie Belle smiled.

" Yes, 'n that's a wonderful thing, yeh? What if you didn't have Scootaloo 'n Applebloom to help you out? How would you feel?" Gibson posed a difficult question. Sweetie Belle knew the answer though because there had been a time there was nopony to help her out.

"I felt like I was alone and nopony understood me," Sweetie Belle admitted. Gibson smiled.

"I think that's how Big Lugnut feels. He's only half right, though," Gibson's expressioned stiffened, "Nopony can really sympathize with him since nopony has ever been a robot or wot. Somepony needs to remind him that he's not the only pony with a problem 'n he don't hafta get through it alone." Sweetie Belle was deep in thought, her face all scrunched up. After a moment of thought, her face lit up.

"That gives me an idea!" Sweetie Belle hopped up and zoomed out the door. "Thanks Gibson!" She zoomed back in only a matter of moments. "Actually, I want to ask you something else while you can talk."

"Shoot," Gibson smirked.

"Do you like my sister?" Gibson could tell Sweetie Belle was not asking him if he'd like to make a sandwich with her sister, but the question was more along the lines of would he like to be a sandwich with her sister.

"Why'd you ask?" Gibson tried to play it off.

"You're always making googly eyes at her when she's not looking." She widened her eyes to mimic Gibson's lovestruck expression. Sweetie Belle was more perceptive than Gibson had anticipated.

"I... guess I'm attracted to her," he admitted. He wanted to yell and cheer and scream that he was absolutely in love with Rarity, but now wasn't the time to do that.

"Then you should ask her out!" Sweetie Belle declared. She smiled innocently, but Gibson had spent too much time around his own little sister to be fooled by it. There were darker, more self-centered intentions in the depths of her soul. They probably had something to do with having a famous brother-in-law. Gibson opened his mouth to protest, but he couldn't produce a sound.

"Well, see you later!" Sweetie Belle was out the door again, leaving Gibson on the floor of Zecora's hut. Even if he couldn't talk again, it would be a little while before the potion would allow him to stand.

__________________

Big Lugnut had wandered deeper into the forest to be truly alone, but he eventually turned homeward and exited the forest. It was still mid-afternoon, so he wasn't going to Sweet Apple Acres. There was no way he'd go to Sweet Apple Acres while she might be there. Anypony else wouldn't bug him, but he knew she'd try to pry into his business.

He traipsed down the streets of Ponyville, not heading anywhere in particular. He just stared forward and trotted briskly, like he knew exactly where his destination was. It was the easiest way for him to avoid anypony who might try to talk to him: simply look like he had something else to do. Besides, he didn't believe anypony would go out of their way to talk to a robot.

"Excuse me?" Big Lugnut halted in his path as a chestnut pony stepped before him, squinting at his face. "I dropped my contact lens. Could you help me find it?" Big Lugnut examined the pony. He looked a bit familiar. He was pretty unremarkable looking, with a brown mane and a hourglass on his flank. Perhaps Lugnut had him confused with somepony else.

"Sure, I'll help you find it." Big Lugnut shrugged, "What does it look like?"

"It's transparent," the stallion described with the eloquence of a poet. "I can't really see without both of mine in, so I'm sort of useless right now."

"Where should I start looking?" Lugnut asked, scanning the horizon for anything transparent.

"Eh, on the ground." The stallion was obviously not impressed with the extent of Lugnut's common sense. "Careful where you step. You might accidently-"

*snap*

A soul crushing sound echoed in the stallion's ears as Big Lugnut took a cautious step backwards. The expression on his face was all Lugnut needed to figure out what he'd just stepped on.

"Sorry," he apologized. The stallion collected himself, taking a deep breath.

"That's okay... if I can get home I can just wear my glasses until I get new contacts." He reached out and latched himself onto Lugnut's harness. "You're going to have to lead me there."

"I don't know where you live," Lugnut pointed out.

"Just, follow my directions," the stallion urged him. It was easier said than done. The stallion didn't really know where he was in the first place, so it turned out he was only giving faulty directions. Big Lugnut couldn't have known this, so he lead the stallion into the house of somepony else. They were not well received.

The next set of directions took the two of them out of Ponyville completely. Big Lugnut managed to lead them back into town and help the stallion get a bearing on where they were.

The third time proved to be the charm as the two approached a little house nestled in a lively neighborhood. Big Lugnut had never been to this section of Ponyville. It was understandable though, seeing as there were only houses in this district. Unless he knew somepony who lived here, there wasn't a reason to come.

As they walked up to the front door, Big Lugnut read the name on the mailbox.

"Am I right in assuming you're Mr. Hooves?" Lugnut asked.

"Yes, but it's Dr. Hooves. I didn't go through all those years of school for nothing," he chuckled. The joke was lost on Big Lugnut. Learning his lesson from last time, Lugnut knocked on the door before entering. There were some loud noises from within before the door finally opened. Big Lugnut would have missed the tiny, purplish unicorn if she hadn't shrieked at the sight of him and turned her little blonde blonde tail and ran. The doctor seemed completely at a loss for what had just happened.

"Erm... was that Dinky?" he asked.

"Little unicorn filly?" Big Lugnut asked. The doctor nodded. "I think so then."

"That was certainly odd," the doctor grumbled as he walked inside. Big Lugnut followed him in, closing the door as he went.

"Makes enough sense to me," Big Lugnut grunted. He was a robot. Of course he'd frighten a small child if he suddenly showed up at her doorstep. It was only natural, seeing as he was so unnatural. He recalled how the Cutie Mark Crusaders had also been afraid of him when they first saw him. Everypony in town had been frightened at first. One day they wouldn't have to be. Until he was like everypony else, it was best to stay where he wouldn't bother anypony else.

"Hey you're back!" a female voice greeted the two after they'd entered. A gray pegasus tumbled in, her blonde mane whipping about as she landed haphazardly. She smiled with the innocence of a child, but there was something a bit off about her. "Who's this?" The pegasus looked up at Lugnut, or at least Lugnut assumed she was looking up at him.

Her eyes were not focused on anything in particular; they weren't even looking in the same direction. Lugnut couldn't help but be slightly off-put by her walleyed expression. It made her look less than intelligent.

"Oh, you really haven't introduced yourself," the doctor realized, squinting up at Lugnut as if trying to identify him. Big Lugnut deduced that this pegasus mare and this earth pony stallion were the parents of the unicorn he'd just seen named Dinky. Between the pegasus's strange eyes and the doctor's terrible eyesight, it was a miracle the child could see at all. Dinky had proven, though, that she could see perfectly fine.

"I'm Big Lugnut, I work over at Sweet Apple Acres," he introduced himself as normally as possible. The expression on the faces of the other two ponies revealed that they'd realized exactly who he was.

"Oh... you're the robot?" he half asked, looking surprised. Lugnut nodded, but then realized the doctor couldn't even detect that motion. He confirmed it verbally.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Big Lugnut." The doctor extended a hoof somewhat towards Big Lugnut. "This is my wife Derpy and I guess you met our daughter Dinky."

"It's... nice to meet you." Big Lugnut didn't know what he was still doing here. He should be off minding his own business, but instead he was cavorting with a group of visually impaired ponies. It was strange even by Lugnut standards.

"So what brings you here Lugnut?" Derpy asked, her eyes shifting around as she blinked.

"Oh, Lugnut here was helping me locate my contact. It was, uh, damaged in the process so I had him lead me here so I could get my glasses," the doctor explained. Derpy smiled and nodded, here eyes rattling around a bit as she did. Lugnut couldn't get over the contrast between Derpy's body and her eyes. She was actually one of the more attractive mares he'd seen around Ponyville figure-wise, but the eyes threw him off from the fact. If she had kept her eyes closed, he would've assumed her to be Dinky's sister.

"I'll have Dinky get those for you. Dinky!" Derpy called for the filly. She glanced around, obviously expecting her to appear promptly. To Lugnut's surprise, Dinky did dare to stick her head into the front hallway. She stared intently at Lugnut.

"Dinky, run upstairs and get daddy's glasses for him," she asked the filly. Eying Lugnut the whole time, Dinky carefully made her way up the stairs. Once she was out of sight, he heard the sound of her hooves thumping as she picked up the pace overhead.

"Now, Lugnut, allow me to thank you with a bit of dinner," Derpy offered. She gestured for him to enter further into her home.

"Eh... I... I don't really eat," he tried to explain, but Derpy wasn't about to have that.

"Nonsense! You have to stay! We're having muffins!" she tempted him. Lugnut wracked his brain for a moment. After deciding his knowledge was insufficient, he was foolish enough to petition his gracious host for an answer.

"What're muffins?" With that, Big Lugnut had sealed his fate in the house of the Hooves.

_____________________

The sun had gone down, so it was now the suds turn to go down. Of course, Applejack had already downed plenty by this time, already on her fourth beer. Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rarity all decided it would be best to just let Applejack do all the drinking for them. Rarity had opted they go to a restaurant instead of a bar, that way Applejack would probably be the only drunk pony they'd have to deal with and drinking wouldn't be the only available activity.

With plenty of liquid courage in her stomach, Applejack was suddenly feeling very conversation-y.

"Ah jus' wanna thank ya gurls fer helpin' me wit this!" she mumbled as she wrapped her forelegs around Rarity and Twilight. Fluttershy was sitting beyond Rarity in the booth, shielding her from the physical side of Applejack's inebriation. Applejack continued her drunken rant.

"Ah been thinkin' a bit... an ya know whut ah think? Ah think Big Lug kin run off fer all ah care," she grunted, taking a comforting swig of her drink and freeing Twilight in the process. Twilight took the opportunity to retreat away from Applejack so she was out of reach.

"Well, Applejack we're here to figure out why exactly he's running off," Rarity pointed out while trying to extricate herself from her friend's iron grip

"Ah dun... wanna talk 'bout that... I'd rather talk about... Fluttershy... Fluttershy!" Applejack raised her glass and barked at the timid pony, who quickly retreated deeper into her seat.

"Uhm...y-yes?" she whispered. Applejack hovered her drink in the air a moment longer before putting the glass to her lips and downing another big gulp. She sighed with satisfaction, slamming her half-empty beer on the table and wiping her mouth.

"Whaddya ya'll see in mah brothur?" she asked straight up. Fluttershy's momentary expression of shock betrayed her feeble attempt to collect herself and squeak out a defiance of any sort to relationship between her and Big Macintosh. She wasn't fooling anypony at the table though, not even herself. She gave a resigned sigh and answered the question.

"He... he's nice," she squeaked. Applejack looked displeased with the answer. To express this, she frowned and gracefully crossed her eyes.

"Nah, nah, that's not wut ah mean," she complained. Fluttershy didn't know what else she could mean. "I mean like... like is he good... at it?"

"Good at what?" Fluttershy whispered, hoping she wouldn't be heard. Rarity and Twilight could see where this was going, and they both knew they needed to stop it.

"Y'know wut ah'm talkin' 'bout!" Applejack chuckled, nudging Rarity.

"Ah, ha... so... Applejack, let's talk about something else," Twilight offered. Even if she was up for probing Fluttershy and Big Macintosh's relationship, but not like this. Applejack turned to Twilight and stared right through her for a couple of seconds.

"Wuddabout you Twi? Any stallion catchin' yer fancy?" Applejack giggled. The question took Twilight by surprise. For one reason or another, Applejack was getting hung up on romance.

"No... nopony catching my fancy." She wasn't lying. As a general rule, a bookworm's perceptions of romance are so blown out of proportion that they have great difficulty pursuing any sort of relationship that doesn't fulfill their often unrealistic desires. Most of the blame lay upon the authors of the novels she read. These authors are ponies who suffered from the exact same symptoms and ended up even further romanticizing romance. As a result, Twilight Sparkle had yet to locate what she considered to be the perfect, textbook stallion who'd sweep her right off her hooves.

Applejack was too drunk to consider any of that.

"Ah git it, yer goin' after Spike, ern't chu?" she slurred. Twilight's face scrunched up at the thought, and it had nothing to do with her over exposure to literature. Applejack wasn't done yet. "But Spike wants Rarity ovur 'ere, so ahm surry sugarcube, but that ain't happenin'."

"Uh... uh," Rarity stuttered. The conversation was becoming increasingly awkward for everypony, except Applejack. Applejack was obviously enjoying herself.

"An' Spike's all outta luck cawse Rarity iz only int'rested in that Don Guillermo feller." Applejack was of course referring to Gibson's alias. Everypony in Ponyville was talking about the mysterious stranger from Mexicolt. Many a mare questioned Amigo, Ponyville's resident sombrero vendedor, to see if he knew anything about the muy guapo caballo, but it was never to any avail. All anypony knew was that he spent a lot of time in and around Carousel Boutique. Rarity hadn't realized it, but that was the reason so many mares were giving her the stink eye whenever she was out and about.

"What are you talking about, Applejack?" Rarity blurted out. "I don't think about him that way! Sure he's talented, and handsome, and friendly, oh and so good with Sweetie Belle! Sweetie Belle just adores him, but I don't blame her. Even if he doesn't talk he's very lively and he has this dreamy smile and these eyes, and he's just the right height, and... ah." Rarity realized she wasn't doing a very good job of denying any thoughts or feelings she might have for Gibson. Her little speech got her companions staring at her suspiciously, even the drunk one.

"Hello everypony!" A wild Rainbow Dash appeared. Rarity breathed a sigh of relief, momentarily freed from exploring the topic of the increasingly attractive Gibson Song.

"Rainboh Dash! Jus' in time! I gotta quershton fur ya!" Applejack slurred, taking another long draught from her drink.

"Uh... Applejack, why are you drunk?" Rainbow Dash hadn't gotten the entire memo. Arrow Dash had opted to spend some time alone with his wife after the events of this morning, so Rainbow Dash decided to locate her friends and join in on whatever Applejack had been planning. She took a seat next to Twilight. Applejack reached across Twilight and tugged Rainbow Dash within whispering range. She put her mouth right up to her ear and explained.

"Cause I drank beer," she snickered before releasing Rainbow Dash's head, "Now, to git to... tuh git to mah queshtion! Rainboh Dash! Is there a stallion you've got yer eye on?"

"No," Rainbow Dash answered frankly.

"Ah, how 'bout a mare?" Applejack chuckled like one of those cheesy villains after they had the protagonist cornered.

"No," Rainbow Dash groaned. She got that a lot because apparently being a rainbow colored tomboy means she plays for the other team. The only reason she wasn't pursuing a relationship at the moment is because Rainbow Dash was waiting for a relationship to pursue her. If the stallion had the guts to approach her and wasn't repulsive, she'd give him a shot. Nopony like that had approached her yet, even if some of the mares were admittedly pretty attractive.

"Well, ain't this borin'?" Applejack groaned, slouching back and knocking back the last of her beer.

"What about you Applejack?" Rainbow Dash thrust a hoof at Applejack, who struggled to cross her eyes to look at it. "Any stallion that you're interested in?"

"Heh, nope!" Applejack laughed, noticeably teetering to and fro more than she was before. "No stallion!"

"I see," Rainbow Dash put her hoof down, noticing that her friend was starting to look rather dazed.

"No sir... no stallion... jus' a robot," Applejack groaned just before blacking out.

_________________

Lugnut had not intended nor anticipated staying this late at the Hooves residence. He had sat down to dinner with them, but it was a bit of a moot point for a robot. Derpy kept asking him if he was going to finish his muffin, and when he said no she'd take a muffin from him and eat it. This was repeated several times over the course of dinner. Big Lugnut began to suspect inviting him to eat was just a clever ploy on Derpy's part to get two shares worth of muffins.

He thought that Dinky might not show up because he was going to be there, but she surprised Lugnut again when she hoisted her tiny body into a chair right next to him. She even smiled up at him. Big Lugnut was learning that those with the capacity to fear him the most also turned out to be the ones who liked him the most. It stemmed from being different. Fear and awe of something strange or foreign are two sides of the same coin.

Lugnut found himself strangely relaxed around Dr. Hooves, Derpy, and Dinky. The way they talked to one another, the way they acted around each other, their easy way of laughing, and their smiling faces made Lugnut understand the depth of their relationship with each other. They were a family through and through. It was the same vibe he got from the Apples. It was warm and inviting. It made Lugnut forget about himself for a while.

He now sat alone with Dr. Hooves in the den of his humble home. Derpy had taken Dinky upstairs to get her to bed, so she had told Dr. Hooves and Lugnut to have some "man talk". After a few minutes of silence, Big Lugnut spoke up.

"You guys are a real close family," he noted. Dr. Hooves gave Lugnut a wide eyed stare for a moment, but quickly switched to a warm, earnest smile.

"Thank you. That means more than you know," he laughed, but his voice betrayed the relief he felt.

"What do you mean?" Lugnut asked, venturing further into the dynamics of the Hooves.

"Well... if you hadn't noticed we, Derpy and I, aren't unicorns. Dinky is," Dr. Hooves explained. Lugnut's inadequate knowledge of the origin of babies meant he didn't know what that meant, but he kept silent. He detected this story was a sensitive issue. "Dinky isn't my biological child, but she is Derpy's. Derpy's real father was a unicorn, he used to live here in Ponyville."

"Um, 'used to'?" Lugnut probed. Dr. Hooves nodded.

"When he and Derpy first came here, Derpy was pregnant with Dinky and engaged to that stallion. I'm sure you've noticed Derpy's condition with her eyes... well, I'm the optometrist here in Ponyville so she came and saw me regularly. I'm really the only pony who saw her regularly. Her fiancee was ashamed of her I think. He was ashamed that she was pregnant out of wedlock, that she was so clumsy and forgetful, and ashamed of her eyes. In short, he was ashamed because she was different." The last line struck a chord with Lugnut.

"I guess you can't love someone who's differences can't be overlooked," he grumbled, just to himself. Dr. Hooves didn't hear him and moved on.

"She saw how he was stifling her, though. She knew that wasn't love and she didn't want to marry somepony who didn't love her. It hurt her because she did love him, despite his flaws. She broke off the engagement, and that stallion left Ponyville completely. She was all alone with a foal on the way and feeling more insecure about her eyes and clumsy nature than ever.

"There came the day when she showed up to my office crying. She told me she hated how she was. I hated it when she said that. It wasn't the Derpy I knew. The Derpy I knew was bright, carefree, and bubbly. I snapped and told her that even if she hated herself I still liked her. She asked me what I liked about her and I told her I didn't like anything about her, I just liked her. It made her really happy when I said that...

"I offered her help since she was in such a pickle. After Dinky was born, she insisted on getting a job so she wasn't freeloading off of me. She's not the best mailmare out there today, but she's the mailmare with the biggest heart for sure. After a while she grew on me some more, Dinky grew on me, and I guess I grew on them. On thing led to another, and here we are today," Dr. Hooves concluded his story. Big Lugnut didn't know what to say. All he knew was, he suddenly felt homesick and alone.

"Uh... it's late, I should get going," Big Lugnut announced and stood up from his seat. "Thank you very much for that story. I think... I think it helped me."

"Ha, I should thank you for listening." Dr. Hooves extended a hoof. Big Lugnut took and shook it. It felt warm. A jolt of electricity ran through him as he realized what that meant.

___________________

Applejack was not an easy drunk to drag around. After she passed out, everypony present agreed she needed to be taken home. Had she remained conked out, it would have been easy, but Applejack managed to come to and was now actively resisting going home. The four ponies managed to get her to the road that ran out to Sweet Apple Acres from Ponyville, but now they had to figure out who was going to take her the rest of the way.

"Well, it's going to take at least two," Rarity noted, still carrying Applejack's lower half on her back. "I'm not opposed to going the rest of the way."

"I could go too," Fluttershy piped up, swooping down to relieve Rainbow Dash of duty. Rainbow Dash stood fast though.

"Well, I can go too! I've gotta make sure she gets home okay." Rainbow Dash adjusted Applejack's back on her own.

"I'm coming too then. The more the merrier," Twilight pitched in. They agreed everypony was going, but their departure was halted by a sudden arrival.

"What's going on here?" the sound of thundering hooves coming down the road quieted the instant Lugnut stopped beside them. "Jeez, is she drunk again?"

"Uhm... yes." Fluttershy cowered down as if it were her own fault.

"Load her on, I'll take her back." Lugnut got down closer to the ground so the others could place Applejack on his broad back. They reluctantly complied and went their own ways, exchanging a number of knowing glances. Once again, it was just Applejack and Big Lugnut walking down the quiet, dark road to Sweet Apple Acres.

"Hey... hey Big Lug," Applejack yawned.

"Yeah?" Lugnut was feeling quiet himself.

"Yer a good robot," she mumbled. Big Lugnut heard her softly breathing, indicating she was now asleep. He stopped for a moment. He turned his head and looked at her. Carefully, he lifted a hoof and felt her hair. It was soft. It was really soft. He put his hoof back down, feeling the coarse gravel underneath. The world was interesting again now that he could feel it with his own hooves. He couldn't wait to tell Applejack tomorrow.

When he got back, he placed Applejack in her bed and allowed her to sleep. He went up to the attic so he could go to bed himself. In the shadows of the attic, he thought he saw something large hanging from the ceiling. Intrigued, he flicked on the attic light. He was greeted by a large, red banner with the poorly drawn faces of three familiar fillies and one Big Lugnut. He laughed heartily when he read what was written on it:

"Big Lugnut is the Best Robot!"

~~~Author's Notes~~~

Songs, in order.

Something, Anything - Travis

Cardinal Line - The National

Uh... yeah I got nothing else. Thanks for readin' and stuff.

Comments

[djthomp]

Well, AJ's plan seems to have worked.

And Triplets, that was a bit of a surprise. Did Dash know in advance about them though? She says kids before the doctor points them out on the ultrasound.

[Meta Knight]

fantastic

[Aegis Shield]

Looks like everything is falling into place. I'm glad. Before long he'll pop out of his shell. I hope its during the most random possible time it could happen.

[totallynotabrony]

Gibson could tell Sweetie Belle was not asking him if he'd like to make a sandwich with her sister, but the question was more along the lines of would he like to be a sandwich with her sister.

That was one of the most brilliant lines I've ever read.

[Lemonschooner]

As much as I love this story, I feel like some of the extraneous romance is dragging it down. It was great when there was the growing attraction between Applejack and Lugnut and the potential between Fluttershy and Gibson, but then the Rainbow Dash family dynamic, Fluttershy x Big Mac, Rarity having a slight attraction to Gibson, all have been thrown in, making it kind of hard to follow. Though, you have said it's going to all tie together, so I trust that.

[banjo2E]

What? Your Big Lugnut is evolving!

Congratulations! Your Big Lugnut evolved into BEST PONY!

[Kamineigh]

Her eyes were not focused on anything in particular. They weren't even looking in the same direction. Lugnut couldn't help but be slightly off-put by her walleyed expression. It made her look less than intelligent.

Wall-eyed means 'blue-eyed'.

[Error117]

Big Macintosh wasn't the sharpest hunk of cheese

love that line!

[Lunar Blade]

Did I just see a paper mario reference? I'm not sure, but that one scene with the contact lenses seemed very similar to a scene in the gamecube version...

[Chaotic Mind]

"Hello everypony!" A wild Rainbow Dash appeared.

I lost it there. What a way to include a Pokemon reference.

[Koala2001]

Big Lugnut is the Best Robot!

don't we all agree