Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut

by Hooves Like Jagger

XII: Speakers

Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut
Author: HoovesLikeJagger
Chapter XII

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Applejack leaned against a lamppost in the quiet, darkened streets of Ponyville. She was plum tuckered, as she would put it. A pony doesn't just buck apples all day and then still have the energy to go on a romp through town in the middle of the night. After only a small period of searching, she realized how hopeless her search was. The only clue she'd received as to the location of her target was "town". She could have at least asked Applebloom what these ponies looked like.

She shook her head and started walking again. The short respite on the lamppost had done her some good. She ambled the streets of Ponyville, wholly unsure of what she should be doing. Nopony was out this late. Nopony should be out this late. After all the work she did today, Applejack especially should not be out this late. Ponies who did come out this late were not the kind of ponies Applejack wanted to encounter. Right on cue though, a dark shadow walked out into the street before Applejack. The ebony stallion turned it's head and directed his glowing, red eyes at her. It trotted towards her.

"My dream is possible," it chanted. Applejack started backing away from the figure, but it sped up. She turned and fled the opposite way down the street. She stopped in her tracks as two more shadowy stallions emerged at the end of the road, one with turquoise eyes and another with bright green eyes.

"It is possible," the ponies chanted. Applejack darted down a side street, trying to escape her ever hastening pursuers. When she got back on a main street, there were even more of them. Their glowing eyes locked onto her.

"It is possible." They all charged at her. Applejack booked it down the street, weaving around the shadows as they emerged from side streets, doors, windows, walls, or the ground. They came from everywhere. Their glowing eyes drenched Applejack's soul in panic.

She arrived at the town square. There was a legion of shadowy ponies on each road marching towards her. Applejack backed up towards the fountain, but bumped into something. She spun around and looked up. A shadowy pony standing right by the edge of the fountain looked down at her with empty eyes.

"W-what's goin' on?" she panicked.

"Only what you wanted, Applejack," the phantom's voice boomed. "They awoke and now they're doing exactly what you told them to do."

"I didn't tell them to do anythang!"

"You told them to go out and get what they want," the phantom yelled. All at once, the advancing shadows stopped. Applejack found herself trapped in a tight circle, completely surrounded by their luminescent stares. To her surprise, the shadow in the center with her pulled her behind him, so that he stood between her and the crowd. The shadow backed up, nearly pinning her to the edge of the fountain.

"What're you doin'?" Applejack yelled at him.

"I won't let them take you," the phantom rumbled. He got low, getting ready for the surrounding ponies to pounce on them.

"What? Why?"

"Because!" The pony turned his head and looked at Applejack. "You're my dream!" The phantom's eyes flashed into life, filling Applejack's sight with a purple flash.

"Applejack?" Applejack woke up with a start. She was curled up beneath the lamppost from before.

"Fluttershy?" she mumbled, looking up at the pegasus's face. Fluttershy helped Applejack get up and dust herself off. Applejack's eyes kept darting around, expecting a shadow to jump out and attack her. As she came to her senses, she realized that wasn't going to happen.

"What happened?" Fluttershy asked.

"I guess I let myself fall asleep... I came out here lookin' fer somepony. Uh, what're you doin' out so late?" Applejack questioned her friend. Fluttershy shuffled her hooves a little. Strangely enough, she didn't look embarrassed. The expression on her face was more one of contemplation. She looked up and right into Applejack's eyes.

"Well... I was at, uhm... Sweet Apple Acres."

"Doin' what?" Applejack had a hunch, but she wanted to get it right from her friend's mouth. To Applejack's surprise, Fluttershy didn't break eye contact or skip a beat.

"I was with Big Macintosh," she admitted. Applejack knew of only a few things a mare and a stallion could be up to so late at night, and all of them were things she didn't want to imagine her friend and her brother doing together. Applejack had been meaning to get to get to the bottom of the matter of her brother and Fluttershy anyway.

"So you two are like that," Applejack sighed. "Mind if I asked how and when this came about?"

"Well... it was last cider season," Fluttershy began. Last cider season had been a peculiar one. Cider is a year round beverage, but once a year every year comes the time to honor the mighty apple with the Equestrian tradition of drinking sweet apple cider early in the morning. The Apples are the sole cider providers for the Cider Season celebration, but could never keep up with the demand every cider season. Making cider is a slow, and delicate process.

Last season the Flim Flam Brothers made their first ever appearance. The Apples nearly lost their farm to them, but luckily the brothers got run out of town for selling insultingly low-grade cider. That was only half the reason why last year was so unusual.

The other half stemmed from the fact that there was suddenly a cider surplus. There was alcohol aplenty for everypony around and normally inadvisable amounts of drinking were encouraged. Everypony of the legal age was drunk off their flanks, excluding the vendor of the beverage: Applejack. She was still pretty drunk, but unfortunately for the Ponyville population she wasn't drunk enough to stop serving the delicious liquor. The entire day was like one huge metaphor for excessive drinking: it was totally awesome while it was going on, but the next day everyone realized how dangerous and horrific the whole thing was. Applejack was surprised nopony had died that day.

"Ya got tugether durin' that drunken' rodeo?" Despite Applejack's peeved tone, it didn't shock her that the union of the two introverts was triggered by alcohol.

"Well... yes... you see..."

_________________

Fluttershy tried with all her might to recall what had happened yesterday. She remember Flim and Flam showed up, got run out of town, and then there were celebrations. Those celebrations involved copious amounts of drinking, but other specifics were blurry. The last explicit memory she had was Pinkie asking her to be her drinking buddy. Pinkie does not drink except during Cider Season, so Fluttershy had mistaken her for a lightweight. Fluttershy knew for sure she'd drank way too much, but she unfortunately lacked the proper knowledge to riddle out what she was doing in the Apple's barn, laying on their hay and looking up at the ceiling.

More importantly though, she wondered why Big Macintosh was doing the same thing right next to her.

Macintosh was wide awake as well, trying to solve a riddle similar to Fluttershy's. He remembered having a drink with Rainbow Dash, seeing as they both ran so hard to press all that cider. He remembered going with her to have a drink with Pinkie and Fluttershy. After a few drinks, Rainbow Dash passed out and Pinkie wandered off to go drink with some other ponies. Big Macintosh and Fluttershy kept drinking together, having a blast as he recalled. At some point though, his memory went dark. Now he was laying on the hay in the barn, with Fluttershy right next to him. It was awkward to say the least.

Big Macintosh didn't know if anything had happened, but the vast majority of stallions would have let something happen in his shoes. Even when he wasn't drunk, he thought Fluttershy was very attractive and just a really nice mare. He always sensed a sort of quiet, kindred spirit in her. He was a gentlecolt though and he wasn't just after her body, even if it was a really nice one. He'd never done anything with anypony before, so he was deathly afraid that he'd hurt her or forced her into something she didn't want. He lay in silence, trying to formulate an opening line.

Fluttershy, on the other hand, was pretty certain something had happened. The way she knew was because, in the simplest of terms, she was a bit sore. Fluttershy knew that Big Macintosh wasn't the kind of stallion who sleeps around, so she didn't want to turn this into something huge. When it came down to it, the two of them were too inebriated to make a decision in the eyes of Equestrian law. Then again, she didn't know how drunk Big Macintosh was. The prospect of being taken advantage of, or worse, frightened her. More than being afraid though, she wanted to trust Big Macintosh. As far as stallions in Ponyville went, she was most comfortable around him. He was calm, quiet, and pretty easy on the eyes. Fluttershy wondered for a moment if she had taken advantage of Big Macintosh.

"Uhm," the two spoke up at the same moment. Both of them instantly clammed back up, waiting for the other to speak up again. That wasn't about to happen. Big Macintosh decided he should take the initiative, since he was the stallion. He stood up, then turned around and offered a hoof to Fluttershy. She reached out and wrapped her hoof around his.

The memories came streaming back.

Big Macintosh suddenly and very clearly recalled being poised over a moaning Fluttershy. Fluttershy recalled Macintosh standing over her and grunting fiercely. They remembered other things as well, like how they'd escaped the festivities to make out in the orchard and then drunkenly wandered over to the barn. Even under the influence of alcohol, it would've been tough for the two of them to forget a lot of the things that transpired in the barn.

They both froze, hoof in hoof. Neither of them dared to say anything or move a muscle. Everything in the barn stood completely still. The world itself stopped turning for a brief moment.

"Big Macintosh?"

"E-eeyup?"

"I'm sorry..."

"...Now hold on." Big Macintosh yanked Fluttershy onto her feet, causing her to let out a little squeak. "If anypony should be sorry, it's me."

"W-why?" Fluttershy whimpered.

"Well... cause ah'm the stallion here. The stallion has to take responsibility," Big Macintosh explained. "Now Miss Fluttershy, ah'm ready tuh do whatever it takes to make this up tuh you."

"Uhm... why?"

"Well, cause I may have made you do some things you didn't wanna do," he admitted. "An' nopony should have to... uh... do stuff... like that unless they want to."

"So... you... you didn't want to?" Fluttershy posed an odd question.

"Well... I was drunk," Big Macintosh started, but noticed Fluttershy cringed a bit at what he'd said. He wasn't the quickest tractor on the farm, but he realized what Fluttershy was getting at.

"Now look Mi-erm... Fluttershy, we were drunk and we didn't know what we were doin'. I don't know if it mattered to us who we were with." Big Macintosh laid the truth out on the table. Fluttershy shrank a bit, casting her gaze down. Big Macintosh didn't want to say it, but if would make Fluttershy feel better he had to come out and tell the truth, no matter how embarrassed it made him.

"But Fluttershy." Big Macintosh lifted her head with a hoof, forcing her to make eye contact. "I'm glad you ended up with me, an' not some stallion who'd just use you and toss you aside."

"R...really?" Fluttershy perked up a little. Big Macintosh nodded, but the look in Fluttershy's eyes told him she wanted to hear more. He had more, but he really didn't want to keep confessing like this. He kept telling himself that he's a gentlecolt, and he braced himself for the embarrassment.

"And ah'm glad I ended up with you cause yer nice an' yer... pretty... an... ah... erm." Big Macintosh's face was redder than normal. Fluttershy was reveling in it, though. Sure, she was blushing profusely too, but nopony had ever told her things like these.

"Go on," she urged, smiling brightly. Big Macintosh's heart couldn't take much more embarrassment, but his brain was in control of his mouth and it told his mouth to keep going.

"An' so, I really don't want you tuh hate me, cause ah believe in goin' steady fer a while before doin' something like we... did. So whatever you think I need tuh do tuh make it up tuh you is perfectly fine with me." Big Macintosh exhausted his speech. He couldn't help but notice that Fluttershy looked like she was about to laugh at him.

"So, you'll do anything to make it up to me?" Fluttershy flitted her wings playfully. Big Macintosh didn't know where this was going.

"Eeyup." He wondered what she had in mind. She might ask for discounted hay, or just straight up free hay. He might have to walk her bunnies or water her plants or something like that. He thought maybe she'd ask him to be her personal chauffeur from now on. He was ready for anything, except what actually came out of her mouth.

"Can we do it again?" she asked ever so coyly. Big Macintosh blinked.

"I beg yer pardon?"

"You know, now that we can think cleary, can we do it again?" Fluttershy asked, but with a subtle air of command. Big Macintosh wondered if he'd stumbled upon a Fluttershy from a different dimension, kind of like her alter ego. He had never imagined Fluttershy would be asking him to "do it" let alone "again". He suddenly recalled other details of the drunken debauchery they'd been embroiled in. If memory served, Fluttershy had come on to him. He'd just been a drunken heap of putty, doing whatever she suggested. It stood to reason that Fluttershy is actually very aware of what she wants and how to get it, but she's too nice to be pushy or assert herself. Apparently, adding alcohol gave her the courage to take even more drastic steps than normal.

"Well?" Fluttershy batted her eyelashes at him. Big Macintosh remembered enjoying himself during the whole affair and he would be lying if he said he didn't want to do it again, but the thought of doing it while one hundred percent there was frightening. Despite all the hemming and hawing, Big Macintosh knew his answer.

"Lay down." A gentlecolt is only as good as their word.

_________________

"And so, we've been seeing each other behind everypony's back because... well I was afraid everypony would think badly of Big Mac and Big Mac was afraid everpony would think badly of me. We were going to tell everypony... eventually." Fluttershy cast her eyes upwards, attempting to remember the last time she and Big Macintosh came close to divulging their secret relationship.

"I don't think any less of you sugarcube. If ya'll make each other happy, that's all that matters," Applejack admitted. "That... that is all that matters, right Fluttershy? Makin' each other happy is the most important thing, right!?" Applejack got up in Fluttershy's face, suddenly seeking confirmation.

"Uhm... I... I guess?" Fluttershy stuttered.

"Yer right! It is all that matters!" Applejack exclaimed. Fluttershy wasn't sure what was going through Applejack's head right now, but it was frightening her. "It's all so obvious now! Thanks Fluttershy!"

"Y-you're welcome?" Fluttershy didn't know what she did, but before she could ask Applejack darted off back towards Sweet Apple Acres.

"Don't worry 'bout Big Macintosh, Fluttershy! If he ever hurts you, I'll trample 'is head into the ground!" she promised before fading into the darkness.

___________________

Big Lugnut had grown accustomed to waking up in the attic. Ever since he gained feeling in his hooves, Applejack had pulled out an old mattress for him to sleep on. It was a pretty big mattress, so Lugnut had asked why it wasn't in use. Applejack had just said the ponies who used it before weren't around any more. Since Lugnut didn't get stiff or uncomfortable, he couldn't fully appreciate the vastness of the mattress. Even with a stallion his size on it, there was always room for one more pony.

Big Lugnut did like sleeping, but he hated waking up. His mind was all foggy and he had to fight to convince himself to get out of bed. Applebloom had explained to Lugnut the additional horrors of how is body would feel upon waking up. He didn't like the sound of being achy and weak.

He put those thoughts aside. Before opening his eyes, he ran through the agenda for the day. Granny Smith and Applebloom were apparently going to jam the Zap Apples. He didn't know what that meant, but he was told he'd be carting the product of this jamming to a stand right outside of Sweet Apple Acres. He'd been told ponies would line up along the whole length of road between Sweet Apple Acres and town to make a purchase.

Big Lugnut resigned himself to open his eyes. The day wasn't going to start itself. The first thing he saw was Applejack sleeping next to him peacefully. He closed his eyes and tried again. Applejack was laying right next to him on the mattress. As innocent as Big Lugnut was, he started panicking a little. After having said little more than "hello" to each other for a month, he didn't know what to make of finding her on his mattress.

Big Lugnut silently tried to exit the mattress, but his inadequate knowledge of how mattresses, especially old ones, react when something heavy moves on them caused Applejack to stir. Slowly, her eyes flitted open. Big Lugnut and Applejack stared at each other listlessly for a moment before Applejack slowly smiled.

"Mornin' Big Lug," she greeted him. Big Lugnut ejected himself from the mattress.

"Applejack! What in the world are y-" Big Lugnut's voice suddenly cut off. Applejack waited for him to finish, but Lugnut remained silent. Oddly enough, his eyes kept dashing about. He frantically waved his hooves, trying to indicate to Applejack something was wrong. Applejack just laughed, failing to grasp the depth of the situation.

"Stop messin' around Big Lug. We're gotta git down to werk!" she chuckled, getting off the mattress and heading downstairs. Big Lugnut followed after her quickly, still trying to voice his silent distress. "Sorry if I startled you Big Lug. I wanted to tell ya'll somethin' last night, but yer hard to wake up. I guess I ended up fallin' asleep in yer bed."

Big Lugnut remained strangely silent. Applejack just assumed he was a bit sore about her laughing at his distress, so she brushed it off. The two entered the kitchen where Applebloom and Granny Smith were already hard at work. Big Lugnut took note of the pink dots painted all over the place, but went right back to trying to get Applejack to realize what's wrong with him.

"Mornin' Big Lugnut!" a paint spattered filly greeted Lugnut. Big Lugnut waved to her and then pointed to his neck. "We're not quite ready yet Lugnut. Ya'll kin take the jam out after breakfast!" the filly explained. Big Lugnut gestured to his neck with more gusto.

"Would you knock it off Lugnut?" Applejack teased him through a mouthful of apple. Lugnut spun his head around to glare at her, or rather he tried. His neck, which usually rotated all the way around, stopped at only ninety degrees. The development was more than just frightening to Big Lugnut. He was more visibly panicked now, but Applejack still thought he was screwing around and Applebloom was jammin' too hard to notice him.

"Mornin'." Big Macintosh sauntered into the kitchen.

"Mornin' lover boy," Applejack snickered. Big Macintosh clammed up. There was no way his sister could've known what he was doing last night. She wasn't pursuing the matter though, so he turned his attention to somepony who was making a scene all by his lonesome.

"Uh... Lugnut, is somethin' the matter?" Big Lugnut nodded his head violently. He spun his neck side to side, displaying the new found limitations. "You can't rotate your head anymore?" Lugnut nodded again, showing that Macintosh was dead on. Applejack perked up at the discovery.

"Ya can't? Why didn't ya say anythin' Big Lug?" Big Lugnut glared at her, pointing at his neck and shaking his head.

"I don't think he can say anythin'," Macintosh pointed out. Lugnut nodded his head again. He wanted to give Big Macintosh a big hug, but having seen the way he hugs Fluttershy, Big Lugnut opted not to hug him.

"Oh, whoops." Applejack smiled apologetically up at Big Lugnut, "Well that's a bummer. I was hopin' to have a pretty important conversation wit ya Big Lug. I guess it kin wait till yer voice comes back."

"If'n his voice comes back," Big Macintosh reminded them. He was met with a glare from Big Lugnut and Applejack, both stares saying the same thing: "Of course it's coming back."

"This is a good thing Macintosh," Applejack corrected him. "It jus' means he's growin'."

___________________

As predicted, there was a long line of ponies stretching from Ponyville to Sweet Apple Acres. The line moved along steadily. Big Macintosh and Applejack exchanged each pony's bits for a jar of the multicolored jam and saw them off. Big Lugnut would eventually cart over a fresh supply of jam, keeping sales moving at a fluid pace.

Among the patrons of the stand were quite a few familiar faces. Pinkie Pie was among the first in line, ready to purchase quite a few jars to use back at the bakery. It never ceased to amaze Applejack how the mare always managed to arrive early for everything.

The next familiar face to arrive was a certain ivory unicorn. She was wearing a dark hood to disguise herself, but Applejack could see right through the ruse. Rarity purchased two jars and hurried away, lest somepony discover her love for the not so slimming concoction.

Applejack was surprised when the dragon Spike showed up at her stand, lacking the company of his lavender guardian.

"Mornin' Spike, where's Twilight?" Applejack craned her head over the stand to look down at the small lizard.

"The Princess is arriving today for the concert tomorrow. Twilight is waiting for her back at the library," Spike explained. Applejack had nearly forgotten that the Princess would be in town for the concert. She thought she ought to bring her a free jar of jam as a gift.

As the morning moved into afternoon, Fluttershy arrived at the stand. Applejack swore she escaped with a very discounted jar, but Big Macintosh claimed he didn't know what she was talking about. Applejack let it slide, finding she was coming more to terms with the thought of Big Macintosh and Fluttershy being an item.

It wasn't until the jam line was just about petered out at the end of the day that Applejack and Big Macintosh were confronted by another pair of familiar faces.

"Hello Apples," Arrow Dash greeted them.

"Uh, hey there," she greeted him with a bit of hesitation. Normally, Arrow Dash looked very composed. His mane was always slicked back, his iconic pinstripe suit was always in order, and he was always alert. Right now though, Arrow Dash looked like he'd been stuffed in a barrel then rolled down a mountain. His mane was everywhere, he wasn't dressed, and he had a look in his eyes reminiscent of a mailmare Applejack knew. Rainbow Dash was also with him, but Arrow was such a sight Applejack hardly noticed her.

"I need Zap Apple Jam... better make it two jars." Arrow places his bits on the table.

"We don't have any jam up front right now, but Lugnut'll be 'round in a wink if ya'll kin wait. Mind if I ask you what happened Mr. Dash?" Applejack questioned.

"Well," Arrow mumbled. "I was so busy that I... uh... I didn't... talk... to my wife for... uhm... three days."

"Three days?!" Arrow grimaced and nodded. "Land sakes! Yer wife is pregnant an' you don't talk to 'er fer three whole days?"

"I know, right?" Rainbow Dash pitched in. "She was so angry with him, she made him drop everything to come with me to get Zap Apple Jam today."

"And it took all day," Arrow grumbled. "Just like last time..."

"Last time?" Applejack questioned. Just then Big Lugnut rolled up with jam in tow. He noticed Arrow, pointing at him with a hoof. Big Macintosh silently filled him in while Arrow told his story.

"My wife's family has a sort of weird tradition where they eat Zap Apple Jam during the last few months of their pregnancy," Arrow explained. Applejack took a look at her cyan friend, noting the distinct similarities to the jam and her mane. Applejack hadn't met Rainbow Dash's mother, but she'd heard form Twilight that the two looked eerily similar. Applejack speculated there might be something to this tradition.

"Your side of the family has a weird tradition too, Dad," Rainbow reminded him, "Eating jam is just as weird as giving everypony two names."

"Two names?" Applejack probed further, "Like 'Rainbow Dash'?"

"No, Dash is the family name," Arrow pointed out. "My full name is Arrow Fletcher Dash and her full name is Rai-"

"No!" Rainbow clamped a hoof over his mouth, "If you tell them, I'll tell Mom you ditched me in line!" Arrow instantly clammed up; he didn't want that. Applejack really wanted to know what Rainbow Dash's full name was now. She felt Lugnut nudge her side. He pointed downwards with his hoof and started writing something in the dirt.

"Anyway, once I get back I have to spend the rest of the day with my wife. I was supposed to have a meet and greet with Princess Celestia today, but I had to cancel. I just hope the Princess is as understanding as her pupil is," Arrow prayed.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, Mr. Dash." Applejack handed over two jars of jam to the Dashes. "Now take care of yer wife, ya hear?"

"Thank you Ms. Applejack," Arrow took to his wings and started to fly off. Rainbow Dash took off right after him, but she turned and waved before getting too far.

"See you later, Applejack!"

"I reckon I will, Lorikeet!" Applejack started snickering. She was too far away to see Rainbow Dash's mouth drop wide open and Arrow's eyes when he remembered he'd already divulged his daughter's full name to Big Lugnut and Pinkie Pie. Luckily for Arrow, he snapped out of it shock before his daughter did, and streaked off towards home.

"Get back here!" Rainbow Lorikeet Dash screamed a shrill bloody murder before tailing after her father. Applejack was rolling with laughter and Lugnut was silently hitching up and down. Even Big Macintosh cracked a smile.

_________________

"Comrades! We have problem!" Stoli came galloping into the green room. The rest of the band members were silently going about their own business. Gibson was checking out the guitar he'd be using for the concert, Snares was using the table in the middle of the room as a drumset, and Dixie was building a house of cards, which tumbled down unceremoniously when Stoli burst in.

"Aww, ponyfeathers!" she cursed. "What's the big idear, Stoli?"

"The Princess, she is real Princess!" Stoli panicked. Gibson and Dixie gave him an odd look while Snares continued jamming on the table.

"Ja mon! She woodunt be much uvva Prin-sess if she wasn't no Prin-sess!" Snares chuckled, adding an extra flourish of his sticks each time he punctuated the "sess" of "Prin-sess".

"No! You do not und-ehr-stand!" Stoli rumbled, pacing about the room like a nervous criminal. "Arrow got the real Princess Celestia to come to concert! The actual one!"

"Ya Stoli, you didn't know?" Dixie was busying herself with stacking cards again. Gibson and Snares had were already ignoring Stoli and returned to their own business.

"No! I was thinking Arrow was pulling our legs!" Stoli parked his enormous body on a couch. "Now I am nervous. If concert is bad, the Princess whill not be heppy!"

"Well shucks Stoli, don't git yerself werked up 'bout it. Ah'm shore the Princess will like it." Dixie wasn't really invested in Stoli's problem. Her main concern was her house of cards.

"How could you not be worried?" Stoli protested. Nopony responded this time. Gibson, Snares, and Dixie honestly didn't put too much weight on the Princess being there. They'd performed for plenty of important ponies before, so stepping up the game to a Princess was just more incentive to give it their best.

Besides, Stoli always panics the day before a show.

"Oh, this is worst possible thing!" he groaned, burying his face in the couch. His stage fright had been a point of contention earlier on in the band's career, but they discovered Stoli followed a very specific pattern. The day before a concert he always freaks out. The day of the concert he turns into an inconsolable mess. Ten minutes before they go on, he goes back to normal. The rest of the band and Arrow had decided it was just best to let nature run its course. Of course, Arrow told them to let nature run its course and make sure Stoli is well practiced for the big day, so he'd instructed Gibson to tell him the same thing whenever he freaked out.

"Stoli," Dixie piped up. "Usually Gibson tells this ta ya'll, but on account a Gibson bein' unable to talk, I'm gonna tell ya." Dixie got up and picked a guitar off its stand. She plodded up to Stoli and forced it into his hooves.

"Cry into this," she advised him, before going back to her house of cards. Stoli complied, plucking a few scales with a dismal look in his eyes. Everypony went about their business peacefully, until there was a knock at the green room door. Snares was the first to speak up.

"Open the door, come on in."

"Carefully!" Dixie cautioned. The door quietly swung open, only slightly disturbing Dixie's house of cards.

"Hello everypony," the band was greeted by Twilight Sparkle. "I'm Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's pupil."

"Howdy, what kin we do ya fer?" Dixie didn't look up from her house of cards. It wasn't terribly odd that there was a pedestrian backstage. If they had business with the band, security would have let them right in.

"Well, Princess Celestia would like to meet the band before the concert tomorrow." The band froze in place.

"Uh... like... right now?" Dixie droned. Twilight nodded as Dixie's house of cards tumbled to a heap. She broke out of her stupor to respond. "Why shore! We'd be glad to meet the Princess, wouldn't we fellas?" The other band members nodded slowly.

"Great! She'll be right in," Twilight disappeared out the door. Once she was gone, the band quickly huddled up.

"Okay, playin' for a Princess is one thang, but meetin' one? I ain't ladylike an such! What am I gonna do?" Dixie fretted.

"I'm not so good with formalities mahself, phillay. I dunno how to be round a Prin-sess," Snares complained.

"I am scared," Stoli admitted, biting his bottom lip nearly hard enough to draw blood.

"An Gibson can't talk none! What do we do?" Dixie looked around at her band mates. They were all wearing the same expression of uncertainty. Snares made a quick proposition, which everypony agreed on and quickly set about to prepare themselves.

"A Horse with No Name!" Twilight reentered the green room, "I would like you to meet Princess Celestia!" Twilight was soon followed by the tall, white alicorn that ruled over all of Equestria. She was a stunning sight with her radiant mane, golden diadem, amethyst encrusted necklace, and shimmering, gold shoes. Despite how striking a sight Celestia was, she looked far more shocked by the sight of the four sombreroed ponies before her. Twilight was equally confused by the sight.

"Twilight," Celestia leaned down and whispered in her student's ear. "I thought you said they were a folk rock band."

"They... are?" Twilight didn't understand what was going on. She cleared her throat and addressed the ponies before her. "Where did the band go?"

"Oh!" Stoli exclaimed in falsetto, "¡El band es no aqui, senior-eat-ahs!"

"Oh, where are they then?" Celestia asked.

"Uh... ¿No se?" Dixie dropped her voice as low as it would go. "Uh, we'd like to help ya-er, senoritias, but we gotta vamanos outta here!" the band began shuffling out of the room past the befuddled Celestia and Twilight.

"Um... okay." Twilight moved to let them pass. She looked up at her mentor, but her mentor looked just as uncertain as she did.

"It wus muy bien tah meetcha Prin-sess-o, ¡Adios!" Snares droned before zooming out the door behind his band mates. Twilight gave an exasperated sigh.

"I'm sorry Princess. I just don't know where everypony went."

"That's okay Twilight Sparkle, it wasn't your fault," the Princess consoled her student. "I do find it strange that the opening band also disappeared when I came to greet them."

"I know, right?" Twilight grumbled, "I wish all these sombreroed ponies knew where they got off to..."

Comments

[Aegis Shield]

Well if Big Lugnut's voice is gone, the more sensitive bits like vocal chords must be in mid-transition to being flesh once more. I was TOTALLY expecting him to vomit nuts and bolts onto the breakfast table or something. I mean, his stomach has to form SOMETIME, and its not gonna be full of anything good when it first arrives, hahaha! Just something to think on. Its very exciting to watch Big Lugnut's bits and pieces change themselves out for the real deal. His mouth will be a big part of it, I bet, haha.

I'm not sure what to make of Applejack's dreams. I just can't make the connection to anything, and am kind'a ignoring that part of the story, to be honest. Until it hooks into something tangible that stupid people like me can understand, it feels like an extra loose end.

I must say I'm impressed with the number of subplots as well. Rainbow Dash's new siblings. Fluttershy and Big Mac. Rarity and this Gibson fellow as well. I'm not sure I'll be able to be along for the ride for all of them for too long, though. After all, this is a story about Big Lugnut, not EVERYPONY, haha. But that's just me nitpicking. Considering this is his story, we didn't have very much of him this chapter. He's a very interesting character and you certainly string us along very well waiting to see what he'll do next. Just make sure we get good portions of our beloved metal stallion in each chapter, huhm? He's not a background character, he's a main character. But, like I said, acknowledging that he's just one pony and world doesn't revolve around him shows a good deal of forethought and writing skill. I wait with bated breath to see the shell ultimately come off. Perhaps he'll be Equestria's first black stallion? That would be cool!

Keep writing, I'm still enjoying the ride!

~Aegis

[djthomp]

Lorikeet! Hah!

Pretty sure I saw a comic recently about Rainbow's mom eating Zap Apple Jam while pregnant, was this a reference to that?

I was a tad confused about the ebony unicorn that turned out to be Rarity. Isn't ebony black? Or was ebony just the color of her hood?

[Hooves Like Jagger]

616539
Gah! That's two strikes! One more and I'm out!

Put me in coach! I can still do thiiiiiiis!

*cough* Thanks and stuff.

[totallynotabrony]

More and more amazing each chapter.

[Sinrar]

visibly, the sombrero/ poncho combiaison is the best disguise.
hmm.... Maybe I'll use it the next time my grandmother visit me.

GREAT fic. Can't wait for another update!

Sinrar

PS: Lorikeet, uh?
I wouldn't be at Dash's father's place.

[Zixinus]

Sombreros for all!

Seriously, I love those jokes.

Although I actually was dissapointed when it turned out that Lugnut wasn't going to stay a robot-pony.

Still, keep it up!

[CommanderCupcake]

Big Lug Spartan pony adventures! Anyway, I wonder if he'll starve to death by having a stomach but no mouth. Also, love the little illustrations at the beginning of each chapter, they are... cute.

God, now I've got Mac/Shy's night stuck in my head. *Chambers pistol and places it at temple*

[commander672]

Freaking Sombreros, man! They're made from the discarded remains of Clark Kent's glasses and the TMNT's trench coats. Nobody can see through them, nobody! Legions of spies have infiltrated Celestia's castle, indistinguishable from the other staff and completely invisible.
Accept...you know..with sombreros.

On the bright side, Amigo's business is booming and he's collected enough bits to open a shop in Manehatten.

[Luckysweep]

It is rather surprising how well a disguise can work if you don't give anybody time to figure it out.

[Starbuck the Pegasus]

New catch-phrase:
"Because sombreros, that's why!"