Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut

by Hooves Like Jagger

IX: Screws

Robotic Stallion Big Lugnut
Author: HoovesLikeJagger
Chapter IX

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Fast forward one week. Applejack lets Big Lugnut sleep in the attic and has him do his chores during the day. The Cutie Mark Crusaders use Big Lugnut's strength and speed to find new ways to acquire their cutie marks and cause their families distress. Rarity preps Gibson for his perfect date with Fluttershy. Gibson crys a river, builds a bridge, and gets over it. Somepony abandons a slightly domesticated penguin on Fluttershy's doorstep. Twilight tries to reconcile Rainbow Dash and her estranged father. Rainbow Dash is too busy brushing up on pregnancy and foal care to talk to her father. Arrow Dash is too busy preparing what is turning out to be the concert of the century to talk to his daughter. Mrs. Dash grows slightly more pregnant than before. Pinkie Pie helps repair Lyra and Bon Bon's roof.

On the surface, not much has happened. Time grinds on and each pony's life carries on in its normal fashion. It's a fundamental truth, though, that if nothing happens life is boring. There have to be periods of nothing happening. All those emotions and thoughts get bottled up in the day to day grind and one fine day they all come out in the sun. That's how the cycle goes, and today happens to be one very fine day.

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"Now we're getting stuck on what to use as the venue. The projected ticket sales are really making it difficult..."

"Now remember: she's very timid so you can't be too forward. Be a gentleman but don't totally take control!"

"Of course having it outside of town would be nice, so I've been looking around for a good venue in the surrounding area."

"It's going to be hard since you can't talk, but you must remember to keep the conversation flowing. Understand?"

"He's sent me several letters already, but I keep reminding him that isn't the point of the concert. It's not a variety show."

"And don't look her in the eyes too long! She'll get nervous, but don't stare at her body! That'll make her nervous as well."

Gibson Song had two ponies talking in his ears, and he was listening to neither of them. He wished he could just hang out at Zecora's all day and play guitar, but fate had other ideas for him. Rarity had made a disguise for him so he could walk around Ponyville unrecognized. To his amazement, it worked like a charm. A wide, black stetson, dark sunglasses, and a black flight jacket deterred anypony who might know him. Not even Sweetie Belle recognized him at first. The length of his jacket even hid the guitar on his flank, so it was foolproof.

It did, however, put him at Arrow and Rarity's mercy. When Rarity wasn't teaching him the finer points of going on a date with Fluttershy, Arrow was going on about the concert. If it was one or the other, it would be tolerable, but it was both so Gibson wished it would all stop. It would soon enough for today was the big day. Today was his scheduled date with Fluttershy. Provided he didn't royally screw it up, Rarity would let him off the hook.

This Fluttershy mare sounded like a real piece of work, though. Even if she was twice as beautiful as Rarity, he didn't know if he'd be able to put up with all her quirks. Scared of strangers, timid, unable to assert herself, doesn't like to make eye contact, timid, tears up at the thought of dragons, timid, explosive temper when pushed too far, timid and to top it all of she's timid. Rarity had really driven the timid point home, so Gibson kept imagining the frailest little mare in the world. He felt sorry for her. Rarity had insisted they'd met previously, but Gibson didn't recall what she looked like.

"Alright Gibson! It's time," Rarity announced the zero hour. Gibson nodded, ready to get this over with. "Let's hurry over to the meeting place. Fluttershy should be waiting and it isn't good to keep a lady waiting," Rarity lead him out the door.

"Gibson! We'll discuss the venue some more when you're done. Good luck." Arrow flew out the door before them. Gibson had seen a lot of Arrow, but in the recent week he seemed much happier than usual. He figured it was the town. Gibson couldn't get around it; no matter how much crazy stuff happened to him here, the energy of Ponyville cheered him up and got him through it. He hoped it would persist through his date today.

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"An' I keep tellin' you Lugnut! Ya can't jus' bash the tree like that!" Applejack reprimanded him for the umpteenth time.

"I try to hold back! It's hard being as strong as I am," Big Lugnut complained. Applejack wouldn't have it though.

"Don go complainin' 'bout yer strength! Yer blessed in that respect." It wasn't long ago that seeing these two walking down the streets of Ponyville and having an idle argument would have been strange, but now Ponyville was perfectly used to it's metallic resident. For all anypony cared, Big Lugnut was a pony just like them. There was one pony who still couldn't convince herself to see it that way though: Applejack.

Applejack had fought with it for the past week. In her brain, Lugnut was still a robot. He was a walking, talking, pile of metal. She knew it wasn't true. He was a pony on the inside and one day he'd be a pony on the outside. Knowing that made no difference. Big Lugnut equals robot, and that was the end of the discussion.

She couldn't treat Big Lugnut like everypony else. All the differences between him and her couldn't stand out more if they glowed in the dark. Applejack watched what she said, she watched what she did, and she sure as anything watched where she was looking whenever she was around Lugnut.

Big Lugnut had not overlooked these changes in her behavior. She hardly looked him in the eye anymore. She maintained a constant distance from him. The strangest part was she never once talked about his current condition of being a robot-pony-pseudo-being. Whenever he brought the subject up, she'd change it. Lugnut tried his best to get around these things. He followed her eyes when she looked away, he moved closer when she moved away, and he brought up being a robot as often as he could.

The two were a ticking time bomb.

Lugnut was about to pursue the subject of his strength further, but Applejack suddenly put a hoof out in front of him. She motioned for him to be quiet, pulling him behind a hedge. Big Lugnut followed her line of vision and saw what she was looking at.

"Is that Fluttershy?" Lugnut asked in a hushed tone. Applejack nodded. Fluttershy wasn't what was odd, it was who she was with. Somepony neither Applejack or Big Lugnut had seen before. He was a shady character. He wore a long, black jacket and a large black hat. To top it all off, his eyes were hidden behind a pair of black sunglasses. It was overcast today, so there was no need to wear sunglasses unless somepony was trying to be shady.

"Whaddya reckon Fluttershy is doin' with a stallion like that?" Applejack was legitimately worried. Fluttershy wasn't an idiot, she knew better than to acquaint herself with shady ponies. She's a doormat, but she's much to timid to get pulled in by some strange stallion. She had still retained some Iron Will training in case of such a situation. Applejack believed the phrase went, "If you don't want to go out, clobber the sorry lout!"

"Do you think maybe we should keep an eye on them?" Lugnut asked. Applejack nodded.

"If he tries anything funny, I swear I'll hogtie 'im faster than a caffeinated rattler!" Thus the two began watching Fluttershy and her mysterious friend. They stood in the square, just talking. Well, sort of talking. Fluttershy said some stuff and the stallion would nod. His mouth never moved. He was getting sketchier and sketchier.

"They're moving!" Lugnut noted. Applejack and Lugnut moved as stealthily as they could. Taking cover behind some more hedges, the two popped their heads out as Fluttershy and her companion entered a coffee shop.

"Horse apples! How're we gonna keep an' eye on 'em now?"

"We could look in through the window," Lugnut offered. Applejack looked around.

"There!" she pointed a hoof at a roadside stand. The sign above read "¡Ropa Mexicolta!". Applejack was already trotting over to it, so Lugnut followed. Behind the stand was a chestnut stallion with a bushy mustache.

"Hey amigo, how much fer two hats and two ponchos?" Applejack produced her bit bag from under her own hat. The vendor gave them an odd look. Applejack tried again, "Uhm... cuantos pesos por dos sombreros y dos ponchos?"

"No, no, no." the vendor shook his head. "I understood you the first time señorita. Pero... how did you know mi nombre was Amigo?"

"Your name is Amigo?" Lugnut asked. Amigo nodded.

"It is a family name," he explained bashfully, "I an new to Ponyville you see. Mi familia sent me to-"

"We don't have time fer chit-chat pard'ner!" Applejack snapped. After paying a slightly less discounted price, Applejack and Big Lugnut were decked out like vaqueros, or at least they imagined they were. Vaqueros usually avoid large, gaudy sombreros and itchy, cactus ponchos.

In their new disguises, the two made their way into the little cafe. Their outfits elicited a few stares, but they made their way unhindered to a table right behind Fluttershy. Applejack ordered a cup of tea when the waiter came, but the two were silent otherwise.

"So... uhm... do you like animals?" Fluttershy asked her companion. He silently nodded. Applejack and Lugnut continued listening to the conversation, which still wasn't much of a conversation. Fluttershy would ask a question and the stranger would nod. It was all too suspicious. They couldn't see Fluttershy's face, but her voice sounded pretty normal. Applejack took some solace in the fact that she wasn't distressed. The stranger was another case though. His eyes couldn't be seen, but they could tell his gaze was shifty. He wouldn't look forward for long, he'd always turn his head and look around, like someone was watching him.

In his defense, he was being watched. He didn't know why Big Lugnut and somepony else were dressed so strangely, but he didn't dare point them out. If this date went awry for Gibson, he didn't know what Rarity would make him do next. He motioned to Fluttershy that it was time to go.

"Oh, yes... I suppose we... uhm, should go now," she agreed as the two got up and left. Applejack and Big Lugnut followed behind, but at a safe distance. The crowded streets of Ponyville were easy for them to hide in. They could follow the two wherever they went and nopony would-

"Hiya sis! What're you doin'?" Applebloom and Scootaloo suddenly appeared, minus one white unicorn. Lugnut and Applejack quickly snatched them up and jumped into some nearby hedges. Lugnut took a moment to reflect on how many hedges there were in Ponyville.

"Applebloom! We're in the middle of somethin' 'portant 'ere!" Applejack pointed out Fluttershy. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked at each other, both very, very excited.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADER PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS!"

Applejack and Big Lugnut were powerless to stop the two fillies as they suddenly ran off. Thinking they were freed of them, they simply continued following Fluttershy. The unsuspecting couple stopped to sit on a bench in the park. By the time Applejack and Big Lugnut found a good place to watch them, they were joined by two niñas.

"Scootaloo, Applebloom! What in tarnation are you doin'?" Applejack growled at the fillies, now decked out in the same uniform as they were.

"Shh! I can't hear wut thar sayin'!" Applebloom put a hoof over her sister's mouth. Applejack didn't waste effort trying to stop them. Once the Crusaders got it in their heads to do something, they stuck to it. Applejack was glad they were at least down by one.

The park wasn't too different from the cafe. Fluttershy did all the talking, the stranger in black didn't say a word. He looked around a lot and shuffled nervously on the bench. Unbeknownst to those watching him, he was only doing so because he swore the number of sombreros following him had doubled.

Soon enough, the two started leaving the park. Applejack and the Crusaders were about to go after them, but Big Lugnut stopped them. He pointed to the other end of the park. Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight Sparkle were entering the park and had obviously seen Fluttershy.

"We gotta keep them from blowin' our cover!" Applejack declared. Lugnut nodded. Rainbow Dash, sped up and out of her group.

"Quick! Scootaloo! Fly after her and stop her!" Before Scootaloo could explain to Lugnut that she couldn't fly, Lugnut had already picked her up. "I'll give you a boost!" was all he said before chucking her like a hoofball. Scootaloo wouldn't have needed to actually been able to fly with that. She intercepted Rainbow Dash perfectly, nailing her right in the side. The two crashed into a hedge. Pinkie and Twilight rushed over to help, but were quickly tackled into the hedge themselves by Lugnut and Applejack.

"What's going on?" Twilight yelled. Applejack stifled her with a hoof.

"Fluttershy is runnin' around with a real strange pony!" Applejack explained.

"And we're investigating!" Applebloom announced, hopping onto the dog pile taking place in the hedges.

"Oooh! I wanna investigate!" Pinkie Pie smiled.

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"Have you ever been on a boat?" Fluttershy asked her billionth question. Gibson nodded. This was easily the strangest date he'd ever been on. He couldn't speak, his date kept asking him the most arbitrary questions, and there was a large group of sombreroed ponies following their every move. Their date wasn't quite over yet. They had one more destination. When Rarity got him to agree to take Fluttershy there for the date, he'd accepted reluctantly. Now that he was being tailed by all these ponies, he wished to Celestia he'd fought her harder on the issue.

"The Silver Stable?" Fluttershy read the sign of the large establishment before them. It was Ponyville's fanciest, most uptight, five-star hotel. Rarity said there was an excellent bar in the lobby, but she had also said:

"If she's feeling up to it and you're feeling up to it, I think it would do the girl a world of good!"

Getting the green light from the mare you're interested in to go ahead and knock boots with her friend is pretty soul crushing. Gibson was not at all interested in getting Fluttershy upstairs; however, his poncho wearing stalkers had no way of knowing this. As the two entered the Silver Stable, he felt the collective hatred of all of his followers fall upon him.

"I can't believe it!" Twilight, who had been reluctant to join in and don the stalker uniform, snorted in rage. "He's going to take advantage of poor Fluttershy! As her friends, we have to stop him!" The entire group started into the establishment, but Applejack turned Applebloom and Scootaloo away at the door.

"Lookie here Applebloom! Go an' git Big Macintosh! If things git ugly, we'll need more stallion power!" Applebloom and Scootaloo saluted and trotted off. Applejack knew they had Scootaloo's scooter, so they could find Macintosh pretty quickly. They needed to stall anything from happening until then.

The somberoed party entered the hotel. Looking around, they noticed Fluttershy and her rapacious companion were sitting at the bar ordering drinks.

"We can't let her drink!" Rainbow Dash warned her compadres. "He'll probably slip her something!"

"Like alcohol!" Pinkie Pie gasped. Everypony just stared at her for a moment.

"Yes, Pinkie Pie." Twilight was first to speak up. "He's going to put alcohol... in her alcohol..."

"It's the perfect crime!" Pinkie Pie declared. No one else thought so.

"We can't hesitate then! Big Lug, you watch the door! Girls, do what ya can to make sure he can't do anythang fishy!" The group dispersed with Lugnut staying right at the door. The other four mares drew down their sombreros and sat down at the bar. Fluttershy was too busy wondering what she should order to drink to notice. Gibson was too busy noticing to wonder what he should order to drink.

"Can I... get you ladies some drinks?" the bartender asked his strangely appareled patrons.

"¡Cidero!" Rainbow Dash grunted what she thought was Spanish for cider. The bartender ignored her.

"Cerveza," Applejack ordered, less than confident in her Spanish. The bartender looked at the next pony down the line.

"Uh... Cerveza?" Twilight didn't know Spanish, but she hoped a "cerveza" wasn't too strong. Pinkie was next.

"¡Agua!" Pinkie Pie giggled. Nopony would suspect she was fluent. Next was Fluttershy's turn.

"Oh... well... I've never had a cerveza before," she admitted with a smile. The bartender turned to Gibson. Gibson lifted his hoof and pointed down the line.

"Una cerveza, señor?" the bartender asked. Gibson shook his head and pointed again. "Just agua then?" Gibson nodded. He could tell the bartender was enjoying all this on some sick level. On the other end of the bar, Applejack and the others were quietly consorting.

"See! He ordered water! He's trying to keep his own wits about him!" Rainbow Dash whispered.

"Yer right Dash... we gotta keep Fluttershy from drinkin'!"

"Hey Applejack." Applejack turned to Twilight. "What's a cerveza?" The bartender eased her worries by placing a pint of beer before her, Applejack, and Fluttershy. He put two glasses of water in front of Gibson and Pinkie Pie. Rainbow Dash waited for him to give her something, staring at him intently. He noticed her, and gave her a sly smile. He placed a box of apple juice in front of her. Rainbow Dash looked at the carton, then looked up and glared daggers at him. He looked terribly satisfied with himself.

Fluttershy looked down at her pint. The four mares beside her watched her. Gibson didn't dare to move a muscle. Fluttershy looked up from her drink at Gibson, then back down at her drink. After a moment of reflection, she finally spoke.

"I think I actually have had a cerveza before," she concluded. Pinkie and the bartender snickered a bit, but nopony else moved. Fluttershy took a drink as everypony watched. Once she was done, she looked over at the sombreroed mares. They all began to act natural. Applejack and Twilight took a swig of beer, Twilight's face contorting under her sombrero as the liquor entered her mouth. Pinkie leaned on her hoof and looked away while Rainbow Dash attempted to pierce her straw into her juice box. Fluttershy turned to Gibson. Twilight spat her liquor back into her mug.

"Are we dressed appropriately to be here?" she whispered. Gibson nodded, just counting down the minutes until he was free. Fluttershy just kept watching the sombreroed ponies. They continued to pretend that nothing strange was happening, except Rainbow Dash who'd become completely absorbed in trying to get her straw to go into her juice box.

The doors of the hotel suddenly flew open. There in the doorway stood a tall, red Stallion wearing a sombrero and poncho. It was Big Macintosh, and he looked absolutely steamed. Applejack was about to call out to him, but somepony beat her to it.

"Big Macintosh?" Fluttershy fluttered her wings and lifted herself off her seat at the bar, "Is that you?"

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh snorted.

"Oh... I think we are dressed wrong to be here," she mumbled as she noted Big Macintosh's attire. Big Mac stared right at Gibson. Fluttershy must have noticed. She looked up at Gibson apologetically.

"Uhm... you should probably leave," she warned.

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh started walking up to him. Gibson didn't hesitate. He was done with this. For all he cared, he could stay cursed forever as long as he didn't have to put up with another second of this. He left his seat at the bar and walked straight out the door without one look back.

"Wow... good job Bi-" Applejack was cut short by Big Macintosh glaring at her. Once she was quiet, he turned back to Fluttershy.

"You're probably wondering... why I was here... with him..." she started.

"Eeyup."

"Well you see... Rarity set me up with him... and... and I she just wouldn't take no for an answer... so, uhm, I said yes. Are... are you mad?"

".... Nope." Big Macintosh's expression softened. Fluttershy visibly relaxed too. Nopony else knew what was going on, especially Rainbow Dash who'd thus far failed to poke her straw through but would be damned if she didn't. Fluttershy sidled up to Big Macintosh, looking very happy. The two walked away from the group and went up the stairs of the hotel.

*shunk*

"Got it!" Rainbow Dash triumphed over her juice box. She sipped upon it, spinning around in her seat and observing the dumbstruck ponies around her. "Did I miss something?"

"Fluttershy and Big Macintosh just went upstairs together..." Twilight explained. Rainbow Dash nodded, drinking some more of her apple juice.

"Good job, Fluttershy." She raised her carton in her honor. Big Lugnut came away from the door and rejoined the group.

"I don't believe it," Applejack stuttered while she just stared at the stairs. "How long have Fluttershy an' Big Macintosh been... together?"

"You've never seen them together?" Big Lugnut questioned.

"An' you have?"

"Yeah, at least twice during the time I wasn't able to sleep." All eyes turned to Big Lugnut, imploring further explanation. "What? They were in the orchard doing... uh... well I don't know what, but I didn't get involved because there seemed to be a lot of screaming and crying involved."

"He made her cry?!" Applejack was incredulous. Lugnut shook his head though.

"No, Macintosh was crying," Big Lugnut explained. Further discussion of the topic was not pursued. Ponies who had drinks, finished them. Everypony there decided to pretend they had seen nothing that day.

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Gibson returned to Carousel Boutique in a huff. Rarity noticed him as soon as he came in. She also realized he hadn't completed his contract. As he shed his disguise, Rarity marched over to interrogate him.

"What's going on? You're not supposed to be back yet! There had better be a good reason for this!" Rarity fumed. Gibson stared at her, his eyes completely dead. Without skipping a beat, he hopped up on her round catwalk and stamped his hoof four times.

"Eh... what?" Gibson pantomimed strumming a guitar then shook his head. He stamped four more times.

"Oh! Uh... four words?" she guessed. Gibson smiled a bit and nodded. Sweetie Belle came down from upstairs.

"Gibson's back!" she shouted as she bounded to the edge of the stage. "What are you guys doing?"

"Charades darling. Gibson here is going to explain why he left his date with Fluttershy early," Rarity grumbled the last part. Gibson ignored her. He stamped his hoof once. "First word?" Gibson nodded. He brought his hooves to his sides and flapped his elbows up and down.

"Uh..." Rarity didn't know what to make of it, "Bird? Chicken? Pegasus?"

"Scootaloo!" Sweetie Belle guessed. Gibson shook his head. He changed poses. This time, he huddled on the ground with his hooves over his head.

"Oh! Fluttershy!" Gibson nodded. Despite the situation, Rarity looked pleased that she had gotten it. Gibson tapped his hoof four times. "Uh, fourth word?" Gibson nodded. He stomped his hoof twice. "Two words... like two words together?" Gibson nodded again, stomping his hoof once. Gibson pointed to himself.

"Gibson?" Rarity guessed. Gibson shook his head, discreetly motioning towards his hindquarters with head. Rarity had to think for a moment. Had Sweetie Belle not been there, he would have been a bit more brazen with his gesture.

"Colt?" Gibson nodded.

"Aww, no fair Rarity! Let me get one!" Sweetie Belle complained. She looked up at Gibson expectantly. He pointed at her, then back at him. Sweetie Belle's face lit up.

"Friends!" Sweetie Belle got it immediately.

"Coltfriends?!" Rarity didn't like where this was going. GIbson stomped once to alleviate her fears. "Colt...friend?" Gibson nodded. Rarity pondered this for a moment.

"Fluttershy... has a... coltfriend?" Gibson nodded vigorously. Rarity was absolutely shocked. "B-b-b-but who is it?! She never mentioned this to me!" Gibson didn't know who the pony he'd seen was. His initial fear upon seeing him did leave an imprint of the stallion in his brain. Gibson puffed himself up to full size.

"He's... big?" Rarity asked. Gibson nodded. He looked around the room. He jumped off the stage and ran over to some rolls of fabric on the ground. He put his hoof on a red one.

"He's big and red?" Sweetie Belle lit up. "Fluttershy's coltfriend is a firetruck?"

"No, Sweetie Belle," Rarity corrected her as she came to a shocking realization, "Fluttershy's coltfriend is Big Macintosh!" Rarity looked at Gibson for confirmation. He remembered back to the bar. The name sounded familiar, so he went ahead and nodded. That was the final blow for Rarity. Her eyes became unfocused and she began to teeter side to side. She fell over, but not before moving a fainting couch between her and the floor. She lay there, passed out from too much drama. Sweetie Belle and Gibson looked at each other with blank expressions.

"Hey Gibson! Wanna put on this disguise Applebloom gave to me and get some ice cream?" Sweetie Belle smiled. Gibson grinned broadly and nodded. It was the best idea anypony had all day.

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Rainbow Dash returned to her home after the sun went down. For some reason, Twilight and Applejack really wanted a second beer after their first and then a third after the second. They nearly partook in a fourth. Thankfully for those two mares, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash decided not to drink. It took both Pinkie and Rainbow to escort a drunken Twilight back to the library while Big Lugnut headed back towards Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack in tow.

Rainbow Dash closed the door behind her quietly, in case her mother was sleeping. Her stealth succeeded in leaving two other residents of her house undisturbed. Her father and her pet tortoise Tank were staring at each other in her den. She nearly interrupted the two, but hung back when she caught the contents of the one-sided conversation.

"-And I hate it... I just hate it. I want Rainbow to like me... like when she was a little filly. Those were great days... those were the days I thought I could have million children and be a million times as happy. We drifted apart though, and now I don't know how to reconcile the two of us," he confessed to the tortoise. "You know... when I found out my wife was pregnant... I thought to myself, 'I'm going to be a father again,'... What a terrible thing for me to think"

Rainbow Dash couldn't believe what she was hearing. Not just the words, but her father's voice. His voice was shaking, and even if she couldn't see he might be crying. He didn't stop there though.

"It took me a while to realize that I've been a father all this time, and a terrible one. When things were easy and things were good, I enjoyed it. When it got tough or when I didn't like it... I got scared and backed out. I said a lot of things I regret to a filly who was way too young to have her father that angry at her. That isn't what love is. I loved my wife no matter what, so why was I so afraid to love my daughter when my heart wasn't in it? Why couldn't my brain tell my heart to deal with what it was feeling and just love her when she needed me to? If I can't figure that out... I don't deserve to have anypony else call me father." Arrow Dash was doing his best to fight back his tears. He didn't want to cry in front of a tortoise because that's just ridiculous. He didn't even know why he was talking to a tortoise. He just started talking, and the tortoise was there, then he started talking about Rainbow Dash, and now he's on the verge of blubbering like a baby. Tank pulled his head back into his shell for a moment, reappearing with a handkerchief in his mouth.

"Ha... thanks." Arrow took it and dried his eyes. Rainbow Dash retreated back towards her front door, letting what she'd just heard sink in. Her father wanted to make up. He really, really, really wanted to make up. Not just for her sake or his sake, but for her little brother or sister's sake too. There was something else in there that struck a chord with her. Something he said hurt her. He'd admitted he hadn't loved her.

Rainbow Dash thought she'd be sitting back saying "I knew it!" when he finally said so. Instead, she felt terrible. She felt terrible not because it hurt her, but because it hurt him. Had he said "I don't love her and never did," she would probably have stormed up to him and bucked him right up the pooper. Instead, she felt terrible. She felt terrible because she realized she was the exact same as her father. She'd loved him when that was easy and hated him when that became easier. She was no better than he was.

Rainbow Dash opened her front door then closed it audibly. She listened to her father shuffle around in the den and laughed to herself. Maybe she could return things to the way they used to be. She was still sore though, he had said some pretty terrible things when she was young. While she held the cards, it couldn't hurt to mess with him a little. She winged her way into her den.

"Evening Rainbow," Arrow greeted her stiffly. Rainbow Dash did her best not to smile and give away her ruse.

"Yeah, evening," Rainbow Dash yawned. She flew past him, towards the staircase.

"Did you have a good evening?" he asked. Rainbow Dash stopped and turned her back to him, unable to hold back a smirk.

"Yeah, my friends and I were out. I'm pretty beat so I'm gonna hit the hay." She continued on up her stairs.

"Good night then." Her father nodded, sitting back on the couch.

"I love you too dad," was all Rainbow Dash said before disappearing upstairs. Her only regret was she didn't get to see the look on his face.

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"Ah... ah tellin' ya Big Lug... ah had no idear that... that Mac wuz... wuz goin' out wit Fluttahshah," Applejack slurred. Big Lugnut just nodded, silently walking down the road to Sweet Apple Acres with Applejack slung across his back. His brain was telling him the time to sleep was soon, but thankfully his body didn't need to respond.

"Big Lug... Big Lug... are you lissenin' to me?" Applejack asked. Big Lugnut just nodded. "Ah jus' wunder... ah jus' wunder if they're in love er not... whaddya think Big Lug?" Applejack snickered.

"I don't know. Macintosh looked pretty ticked when he saw Fluttershy with that strange stallion though. He forgave her once he explained it, so I think that's a pretty good case to say they're in love," Big Lugnut explained this mostly to himself. He didn't think Applejack was sober enough to absorb that info. To confirm it, she snorted in amusement.

"Yuup, that an' the two of 'em are porkin' like bunnies in springtime! Yeeeehaaaw!" she laughed. Drinking had made her a lot more brazen, that's for sure. "Hey... hey Big Lug..."

"Yes?"

"D'ya think ah'm sexy?" The left field comment made Big Lugnut's eyes expanded to their full size.

"Uh... w-why are you asking?" he tried to get her off of the subject.

"Ya know... ah jus'... never caught nopony like... makin' eyes at me errr wut," she grumbled. Big Lugnut honestly found that hard to believe. If nopony was looking at her, it's only because they were afraid of what Applejack would do to them if she caught them.

"Well... I guess I do," Lugnut admitted. He didn't see the harm in flattering her a little. It wasn't a lie. He was attracted to her, and no getting around that fact. He turned into Sweet Apple Acres, noticing his passenger was suddenly very silent. "Are you awake Applejack?"

"Ya... ya... jus' thinkin'... can't think cuz ah'm so drunk," she chuckled. "Yer a nice robot Big Lug."

"Thanks Applejack."

"No, no, no... ah mean it!" she scolded him. "I wish ya weren't no robot Big Lug..."

"I won't be a robot forever." Big Lugnut opened the door to the farmhouse, making sure not to make too much noise. He closed the door behind him quietly and went up the stairs.

"Well... hurry up and stop bein' a robot," she mumbled, obviously starting to drift off. Big Lugnut brought Applejack to her room and laid her on the bed. She took off her stetson and put it on her nightstand.

"I'm going as fast as I can," he chuckled, pulling her sheets over her.

"Uhn... go faster," she mumbled, getting comfortable in her sheets. "I love you too much already..."

Big Lugnut stood in the darkness by himself. Applejack slept before him. Looking at her brought on a wave of thoughts and emotions. He'd barely been alive for over a week, so he couldn't believe something like this was already happening. It seemed unlikely. It seemed like a dream.

Big Lugnut was afraid. He was afraid he would lose everything if he moved too fast. It became clear to him that while he was a robot, he needed to play the part of a robot. He wasn't normal, not yet. He just needed to wait. Once he was pony, it could all be his: A new life, new friends, hard work, love could be all his.

They could not be Big Lugnut the robot's.

Comments

[LemonSpice]

So Awesome. Another great chapter and I can't wait to see what happens next.

[TacoTown]

good chapter bro.

[djthomp]

Good job, Fluttershy indeed. Dash vs. the juice box was hilarious.

[totallynotabrony]

Best chapter so far.

[Aiovas]

I freakin love this chapter!!! BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHY BIG MAC WAS CRYING?!

[Luna Eclipse]

<Quote>
"Well... hurry up and stop bein' a robot..." she mumbled, obviously starting to drift off. Big Lugnut brought Applejack to her room and laid her on the bed. She took off her stetson and put it on her nightstand.

"I'm going as fast as I can," he chuckled, pulling her sheets over her.

"Uhn... go faster..." she mumbled, getting comfortable in her sheets, "I love you too much already..."
</Quote>

Oh Shi-

[Shtormovoi]

Caballeros, creo que estamos oficialmente del otro lado del rio XD

[Volkova]

570800
She had a surprise in store for him, winkwink!
But then he found he enjoyed playing the part of the mare and all was good and proper once more.

[Themaskedferret]

Ahahah best chapter yet! I loved the three amigos becoming waaay too many amigos. Nice twist with Gibson and Fluttershy too, I completely wasn't expecting that.

Typos again: Scootallo "now he's on the verge of blubbering like a baby." Now he was etc etc "his reappearing with a handkerchief" don't need the his.

[stotans]

Big Mac was crying
I must say my good sir, that joke was enough to draw out a cheer of laughter out of my dull person.
You are truly a master in the art of comedy. Good show, dear boy.

[Obsidian Shard]

Great story so far loved the whole
"You've never seen them together?" Big Lugnut questioned.
"An' you have?"
"Yeah, at least twice during the time I wasn't able to sleep," all eyes turned to Big Lugnut, imploring further explanation. "What? They were in the orchard doing... uh... well I don't know what, but I didn't get involved because there seemed to be a lot of screaming and crying involved."
"He made her cry?!" Applejack was incredulous. Lugnut shook his head though.
"No, Macintosh was crying," Big Lugnut explained. Further discussion of the topic was not pursued. Ponies who had drinks, finished them. Everypony there decided to pretend they had seen nothing that day.

lol

724029 My Spanish is lacking but im pretty sure that's
Gentlemen, I think we are officially on the other side of the river
Right?