Fleur and Big McIntosh get stuck in the Everfree Forest on a cold winter's night, and neither of them are happy about it.
There's something deadly in the Everfree Forest, and Fleur de Lis' distracting magic is the only thing keeping ponies away and safe. But when her decoy fails, she has to go find out why.
Big McIntosh is doing Fine Crime a favor when he spots a strange mare in the woods. Thinking she might be lost, he follows her deep into the Everfree.
By coincidence or fate, Fleur and Big McIntosh are stuck together in the Everfree. Big McIntosh doesn't take to her shallow nature, and she's not too fond of his disinterest in the hottest mare in Canterlot! But they'll soon find out there's more to each other than meets the eye. Together, they must struggle to survive the local wildlife and the fatal cold of a winter's night in the Everfree.
But not all the threats that thrive in the forest are natural.
The Everfree Forest loomed on all sides, crowding Fleur de Lis in as she walked along the wide path. The trees were bare, their limbs holding up thin layers of white. The dirt on the path had been rendered soft by the snowmelt, making it squish faintly beneath her hooves. She tightened her coat and shivered against a soft wind, quietly wishing she were back in her mansion in Canterlot and resting before a warm fireplace.
But such conveniences were also ahead. Fleur’s boss was not an inhospitable stallion, and she knew he’d have a suitable place for her to stay the night. She just wished he didn’t live so far from Ponyville. Calling it ‘the middle of nowhere’ was an understatement. In the past she had understood, but now that he'd been cured it was little more than a nuisance. Couldn’t he move into town now that it was safe from him?
Not that it mattered. The issue raised in his summoning letter made it clear she’d have been coming out here, whether he lived in these parts or not. With this in mind and a pout, Fleur pressed against the bitter cold and moved on. She couldn’t wait for Spring…
The house was still fairly new. Her boss preferred to say ‘house’ because it sounded more modest, but it was clearly a mansion. It stood tall before her, almost completely filling the clearing that it had been built in. A dark wooden exterior and towers at the corners gave it a shape resembling a castle. It was certainly imposing enough for the role.
Which was the point.
Hooves crunched on half-melted snow and dead grass as Fleur entered the clearing, her eyes going to the large double doors. She was mildly surprised to find them open. A large cart half-filled with food sat by the entrance, and judging by the ruts in the snow it was a new arrival. A supply drop of some sort? She entered the building without fanfare, taking a moment to rub the muck off her hooves.
The interior was just as big as the exterior suggested. She found herself standing in a two-story entrance hall that seemed more like a ballroom due to its size. A pair of massive staircases led to a single balcony opposite her, but she knew that her boss would be down the hall to her left. Her ears perked to the sound of heavy hoofsteps.
The stallion was big. Impressively so. He paused at the hall’s entrance, tall and red with an unkempt orange mane. As his green eyes took her in she pondered at his expression, which she could only describe as blasé. It wasn’t the kind of reaction she usually received when meeting a stallion for the first time, and it left her mildly uncertain.
But she maintained her practiced regality. “Is Fine here?”
“Eeyup.” The stallion gestured behind him and made for the entrance, revealing his green apple cutie mark. He didn’t even offer a second glance as he walked by, though he had a gentle smile on his lips.
What rudeness! How could he just ignore her? Fleur raised her head high and trotted towards the hall with determined grace. She could ignore him just as easily!
The kitchen was a couple doors down the hallway, and seemed rather small for a building of such size. There Fleur found her boss. He was taller than the average pony, though still short compared to her and nothing compared to the massive stallion she’d just met. He was a mottled-brown unicorn with a dark mane, though she knew it to be dyed. He wore a thin necklace, upon which dangled a sharp-looking knife with a black blade.
He was busy moving baskets of produce into a storage closet when he noticed her entry. “Ah, Fleur! Welcome back. I hope your trip was at least halfway decent?”
Fleur pursed her lips and tossed her mane. “You know I hate this weather, Fine.”
Fine nodded as he set the basket on a shelf just within her view through the closet door. “I know, and I’m sorry. But you know as well as I do how important this is.”
She sighed and moved towards the center of the kitchen, eyes roaming the boxes and baskets of fresh food. “Yes, that is why I came as quickly as I could. I do not intend to wait, either. Tell me about this problem you are having so that I might fix it immediately.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Fine replied as he came back to the kitchen. “It’ll be getting dark in a couple hours, and if our wild weather experts tell me there's a serious cold front moving in. You’ve probably had enough of the cold for one day.”
“Nonetheless, I would at least like to go out to—” She paused at the sound of hoofsteps. A moment later the big stallion returned, boxes stacked on his broad back. He nodded to her with that same soft smile, and she politely backed away so he could get to the spot clearly designated for stacking.
Fine grinned and gestured between his two guests. “Fleur, Big McIntosh. Big Mac, Fleur de Lis.”
Big Mac, busy setting boxes down, gave her a nod. “Nice ta meet ya, ma’am.”
She peered at him. “A pleasure.” He went right back to work, paying her no more mind.
Fleur shot a questioning look at Fine, to which he answered, “I asked Big Mac to help me with supplies this month. I’m rather busy this week, and just can’t take the time to head all the way out to Ponyville on a shopping spree. Speaking of which—” he turned to his helper, “—you did remember the pears, right?”
Big Mac reached into a box and tossed one of the fruits Fine’s way. Fine caught it with his magic and grinned. “Yes! You, sir, are a lifesaver!”
Big Mac just went back to work, though there was a certain amused touch to his smile.
Fleur watched her boss bite down on the pear, eyebrow raised. “I can see I will have to prepare something…proper for myself tonight.”
Fine took a moment to swallow. “What, you don’t like pears?”
She flicked her mane with muzzle high. “I prefer my meals cooked and plated, thank you.”
He grinned. “And you’ll have it! I reckon I’ve got at least something that you’ll like in my recipe repertoire.”
Fleur blinked, her haughty manner cracking just a touch. “You are going to cook for me?”
Fine nodded. “Consider it a bonus for braving the cold. Let none doubt the generosity of Verity Fine Crime!”
She sniffed with a smile as he took another bite of pear. “What I doubt are your cooking skills.”
His attempt to laugh left him choking on his food, which in turn made her giggle. Big Mac walked between them for the door, eyeing Fine with lips curled in what wasn’t quite a smirk as he left for another load of goods. Fleur watched him leave with a taught frown, her pleasant mood just a little dulled.
Fine regained control, using a dish rag to wipe his face clean. “That’s a challenge if I ever heard one! You watch, by the time you get back I’ll be working on something that will make your mouth water!”
“A Lady never lets her mouth water,” Fleur declared pompously, but then she leaned forward with a wicked grin. “Since I know you’ll fail, I reserve the right to be off for a week.”
“Oh-ho, so that’s the way it is? Alright, then if I succeed, you’ll have to come to Ponyville for this year’s Nightmare Night to entertain my friends’ families with your spells.”
She blinked and leaned back. “You have friends?”
He blushed and tapped his knife, an old habit that made it sway like a pendulum. “It’s a…new development. Do we have a bet or not?”
She studied him for a moment, a dainty hoof set to her playful lips. “Deal! You make me a meal worthy of Canterlot, or I get the week off of my choosing.”
“Otherwise you’re performing for foals this year,” he agreed. They tapped the tips of their horns together with a clink.
“Well,” she turned to the door with a grin, “I should investigate the problem! Don’t want to give you any time to cheat by looking up recipes in that library of yours.”
When Fleur was in the hall she found herself almost bumping into Big Mac, who was carrying another load. She frowned and backed away, giving him room to reach the door. He still had that smile. It annoyed her to no end, and she didn’t even know why. He nodded to her before entering the kitchen, and she leveled a scowl at the back of his head.
“Right back, Big Mac.” Fine appeared in the hallway, chuckling at what he apparently thought was wit. He gestured to Fleur and headed for the entrance. “So anyway, to business.”
“You said the town was acting up?” Fleur asked.
“Indeed,” he replied as they reached the main hall. His horn flashed, and smoke began to form. The clouds surrounded him until she couldn’t see him anymore, but quickly faded away. When they did he was wearing a thick red coat.
She raised an eyebrow. “That’s an impressive spell. Is it a new?”
He nodded with a proud grin. “Something I’ve been working on with Twilight Sparkle. Took a couple months to get the kinks out.”
They went out into the chilly evening air and began to circle the massive building. Fleur was compelled by the wind to once again tighten her coat. “Has anypony been to the town since it was made?”
They rounded the corner and continued their walk. Fleur relaxed a little now that the structure was blocking the winds. “So what seems to be the problem?”
“I tested the town the other day,” he explained. “It seemed…shaky. Some of the ponies kept fading in and out, and a few reset their roles as a result.”
She considered this, going over the intricate details of one of her most challenging creations. “Hmm… That could be a number of things. I will have to investigate it up close.”
They rounded the next corner, a blast of wind making them both shiver. They turned to face the woods at the back of the mansion. The bare trees swayed in the gusts, snow raining down on the forest floor with every motion. Fleur noted that ice had begun to form on the puddles in the clearing. She cast her eyes slowly over the thick underbrush, seeking out the sight that had once been so very familiar.
Nothing. It seemed the forest’s mysterious resident wasn’t going to make an appearance.
“Don’t stay out there too long,” Fine ordered, his tone serious. “Don’t forget: we have no idea where the real town begins.”
She glanced over to see him studying the woods, head bowed in a dark glare.
“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. She turned and pressed a hoof against his chest. “You just worry about making me a culinary experience.” She turned and trotted for the trees, grinning.
His voice called after her. “Don’t underestimate what’s out there, Fleur! Back by nightfall, you hear me?”
She waved a dismissive hoof over her shoulder and entered the thick wood.
Big McIntosh spent well over an hour getting all Fine’s food stored. He’d insisted upon helping, even after the cart had been emptied. It was the neighborly thing to do, after all. What really kept him around, though, was when Fine had asked if he knew any special cooking tricks from the Apple Family. Big Mac suspected such help qualified as cheating when it came to Fine’s bet with Miss de Lis, and he also didn’t consider himself as good a cook as Applejack or Granny Smith.
But he offered some tips, anyway. Fine was a studious stallion, and took diligent notes. Though Big Mac thought that a little excessive, he shrugged it off as he did so many things. Like that high-class mare who’d come around for such a short time. He wondered more than once what had happened to her. After all, why come all the way out to Fine’s house just to leave right away? It didn’t make any sense.
He thought back on her, recalling just how pretty she was. A high-class pony like that almost certainly came from Canterlot. Big Mac had no idea Fine Crime knew such a beauty! If Big Mac were any less of a stallion he might have fallen for her at first sight.
He hadn’t seen horn or hoof of her in some time, though. He didn’t mind – what she did was not his business, and she didn’t seem to like him, anyway. He couldn’t understand why, but he didn’t understand Important Ponies. On the other hoof, he did wonder how she knew Fine Crime.
“Oh, me and Fleur are partners in a little business venture,” Fine explained as they made their way for the front door. “She conjures the demons, I sell them pony souls, we both get rich. How do you think I can afford this house?”
Big Mac rolled his eyes. Like everypony in Ponyville, he was well accustomed to Fine’s misguiding lies. “Ah thought ya got the place from a geniecorn.”
“Well, yeah,” Fine answered with a grin, “but I had to pay the geniecorn.”
They stepped outside, where the world had turned orange from the setting sun. A blast of wind hit them hard as they turned to Big Mac’s cart.
“Are you sure you don’t want a coat?” Fine asked, pulling his own tight. “I’m sure I could whip one up for ya in a jiffy.”
“Nnope.” Big Mac began attaching himself to the cart. “Ah’ll be just fine.”
“Must be one thick coat on ya,” Fine noted with a shiver. “Well thanks again, Big Mac. You really saved my flank, this time.”
The large stallion nodded and began to make his way home. He glanced back to offer a wave…
Something moved at the edge of the woods. Big McIntosh did a double take, confirming that his imagination wasn’t playing tricks on him. It was a young pony, barely old enough to be called a mare. He could barely make her out in the brush, but saw enough to recognize that she had a blonde mane and grey coat. The mare cast a glance his way…and her eyes shined like lamps.
Big Mac’s eyebrows rose. He turned and peered into the woods, but the mare disappeared beyond the corner of the house.
“Big Mac?” Fine watched as the larger stallion quickly detached from his cart and followed. “Where do you think you’re going?”
Big Mac said nothing, only went to turn the corner of the house. He paused and saw the mare again, flitting amongst the trees at the edge of his vision. She was already at the back of the house. Was she lost? Shy? In some sort of trouble? He continued after her at a trot.
“Whoa there, big guy!” Fine was walking next to him. “You don’t wanna go that way, trust me.”
“She might need help,” Big Mac noted, not pausing.
“It’s nothing,” Fine insisted with a nervous chuckle. “Your eyes are playing tricks on you.”
He saw her, too. His anxiousness made hat clear. Big Mac reached the back of the house and headed for the woods, eyes roaming the trees for another sign of the pony.
Fine was abruptly in his way, and now he seemed genuinely worried. “Listen to me! You do not want to go out there!”
Big Mac finally paused, giving Fine a questioning frown. “Wah?”
Fine breathed a sigh of relief before sitting in front of his friend. “It’s dangerous, okay? It’s not like the rest of the Everfree. You go in there and you might not come out.”
Big Mac raised an eyebrow, then peered over Fine's shoulder. There she was again, walking directly into his vision between two trees. She sat, bowed her head, pawed the ground. She seemed…worried.
“There’s nothing out there,” Fine insisted. “Come on, let’s get you back to the—”
The mare spotted them, and her eyes went wide with fear. She immediately turned and bolted into the woods.
“Wait!” Big Mac circled Fine and gave chase. He just couldn’t leave her by herself!
Fleur was deep in the forest, a large fire ruby floating before her. She eyed it carefully, tapped it with her hoof. Her first guess had been that the energy source of the fake town was running low, and now her suspicion was confirmed. This was the third magical battery she’d inspected, and it was just like the others: almost completely drained. There were two more out there, but by now she was confident of the situation.
The magic had drained surprisingly swiftly, yet as she thought on the problem she realized that she should have predicted this. She’d activated and reset the illusionary town frequently for testing purposes, and that had to have put a strain on the gem batteries. She should have replaced them right after finishing the place.
No matter, this was an easy fix. She’d made sure to store plenty of extra gem’s at Fine’s house. She just needed to trade them and bring these in for recharging. If Fine had learned about gemstoring he could have saved her the trouble of coming out here.
Then again, magic wasn’t his forte.
Fleur shivered as a breeze blew her mane about her face. It was getting close to dark, and she had no interest in staying out here once night had fallen. Forget the things that lurked out here, it was going to be freezing. She decided to take the ruby with her; the town wasn’t working now, anyway, and maybe she could use it to explain things to Fine when she got back.
She was barely walking for five minutes when she heard something moving through the brush, and her guard shot up. She couldn’t be that close to the real town, so it had to be an animal of some sort. She waited patiently, ears perked as the thing moved somewhere beyond her sight. What might it be? Timberwolves? A manticore? Something else entirely? She was not afraid; one didn’t work in Fine’s business without having lethal self-defense abilities.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t moving for her. Her head slowly turned to follow the noise. It was headed in the direction she knew the real town to be. She pursed her lips and wondered if she shouldn’t just ignore it. After a few seconds she shook the thought away; what if it doubled back? She should at least investigate to see what it is.
This in mind, Fleur closed her eyes and concentrated. Her horn tingled just a touch as she directed the spell towards herself…and the darkness faded. Her spectral vision zoomed forward through the forest, ethereal and fast as a falcon. Barren trees blurred by as she followed the sounds, until her vision at last found and focused on something running through the—
She gasped at the sight of Big McIntosh. He had an expression of genuine worry, and looked as though he were chasing something. A moment of fear crept up on her, and she quickly moved her spectral eyes to follow along just over his shoulder.
Her fears were confirmed when she spotted the silver mare fleeing in the distance.
She released the spell and opened her eyes wide. The distraction town was gone, it couldn’t keep him occupied. That meant he would reach the real town, and if he did…
Fleur bolted through the forest, the forgotten ruby dropping to the snow. She had to stop him, he would die if she didn’t! She cursed herself over and over again for neglecting the gem batteries. If her town had been working, Big Mac never would have made it so far! If he died it would be on her hooves.
She liked to think she was a good pony. Her jobs under Fine had hurt many, but they were all crooks, villains and monsters. To her knowledge, Big Mac was an innocent civilian. Fleur couldn’t let him die, she’d never live with herself if she did! She tore through the brush, ignoring the clawing limbs that tugged on her mane and tail. Her legs pounded the moist earth like they hadn't done in ages. She had to catch up, she just had to!
Minutes passed as she weaved her way through the thick forest, hooves kicking up half-melted snow. She prayed to Luna that she might make it in time. Just how far ahead was he? He was such a big stallion, surely he couldn’t move that quickly through this place.
At last she spotted a flash of red in the distance. She pushed her legs a little harder, glad that she was in such good shape. She gradually caught up to him, and noted that he was barreling directly through the underbrush! He left a wide trail of crushed bushed and snapped limbs in his wake. She made for that path and, once free of obstacles, was able to double her speed and quickly catch up to him.
“Big McIntosh!”
He looked over his shoulder, his face covered in scratches and twigs. His eyes went wide as he saw her, but he didn’t slow down. Instead he looked forward once more and called out, “Help me!”
“No!” Fleur was right behind him, now. “Big Mac, stop! She’s not what you think!”
He ignored her, tearing after the silver mare that was just beyond their vision. Worry touched upon Fleur’s mind; how close were they to the town? She had to stop him, but there was no way she’d be able to hold back a stallion of his size. Mind working frantically, she focused on a spell. A tree abruptly burst from the soil, right in his way!
Big Mac let out a surprised cry, but to her surprise he was able to run right around the tree with only a small drop in speed. How could a pony that big move that quickly?! She growled and jumped right through the wood, the tree fading like a mirage as she let the magic drop. If one tree wasn’t enough…
She concentrated again, and soon trees were bursting up all over the place! The thick wood grew much more dense, and now Big Mac was scrambling for some sort of path. Fleur slid to a stop in the moist grass, sucking in sharp breaths as she glared at him. “Come back to Ponyville, Big Mac! You’re going to get yourself killed!”
“Nnope!” And he was gone, managing to jump between a real tree and one of her fake ones. Fleur let out a curse and followed, the trees once again fading. Goddess, was he stubborn!
She couldn’t let this continue. The sun would be gone soon, the temperature was going to drop precipitously, and that was on top of what was hiding in these woods! She had to change tactics. There was one trick she had that always worked, and it was time she used it.
Her horn flashed, and trees began to rise once more. Big Mac dodged and weaved through them, but he was slowing down. She ran through her illusions to catch up, and soon was running beside him. “Big Mac, she’s not worth it!”
“Ah can’t ignore her,” he declared, eyes locked on the supposedly endangered mare ahead. “Wah are ya tryin' ta stop me?!”
A tight bunch of trees grew up right in front of them, and this time Big Mac had no choice but to stop or run into them. He sneered and turned to move around…and Fleur was in his way. “Big Mac, stop! You have more important things to worry about!”
His lips dropped to a dark frown as he observed her. He tried to run around her. She moved to block, and they collided, dropping to the moist ground in a tangle.
Which was exactly what she’d been after.
She found herself lying on her back, covered in water and snow. Her moist mane lay across her face, a few strands remaining plastered across her muzzle as she pulled it back. Big Mac was leaning over her, and for once there was no subtlety in his glare.
“Wah won’ ya let me help her?!” he snapped in her face. “She probably jus’ got away because o’y—”
Fleur leaned up and kissed him. Right on the lips.
The massive stallion fell back to a sitting position, eyes wide and jaw loose. His cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as he gaped.
Fleur offered her most sultry smile. She didn’t bother to wipe away the strands of mane from her face; she knew a seductive look when she had it. More importantly, she had him. Young stallions were so easy to manipu—
Big Mac shook his head violently – “Nnope!” – and was off running once more.
Fleur’s breath caught in her throat. She sat up and stared after him. He… He rejected her! No stallion had ever rejected her before! She was so good at her job because she was irresistible! How could he have just turned away, like that?
Her mind was so muddled with shock and disbelief that it took several seconds to remember why she’d made the attempt at all. When she did remember, her heart slammed into her throat.
“W-wait, stop! Come back!” She scrambled to her hooves and gave chase, mind frantic. “Please! I’m trying to save your life!”
Big McIntosh had no idea why that crazy mare was going to such lengths to keep him from saving a lost pony, but he refused to be distracted! He scoured the forest for any sign of the silver mare. He wished she hadn’t run in the first place. Now they were so deep in the Everfree he couldn’t be certain of how long it would take to get back home. But he wasn’t going to ignore a pony in need, it just wasn’t right!
Bright yellow flashed in the distance. He peered and saw the pony sitting in the woods and watching him. Breathing a sigh of relief, he gradually slowed down until he was moving at a slow walk. He studied the blonde-maned mare, who returned the look with a wide-eyed gaze. She seemed almost…emotionless.
He stopped a safe distance away, not wanting to scare her into running once more. He took a moment to recover his breath before calling out, “Hey there. You okay?”
No answer.
Big Mac eyed the woods around them. It was such a strange place, what with trees popping up out of nowhere. It didn’t seem safe. He leaned forward to address the pony once more. “Are ya lost?”
Nothing. Just that unblinking, bright stare.
“Big McIntosh!” Fleur had been running so fast that she couldn’t stop, and ended up slipping onto her side as she moved past him. She leapt up, soaked and covered in dirt and twigs, and pressed her forehooves to his shoulders. “Please, we can’t be here! We have to go, now!”
She was wide-eyed with panic. What was her problem? He reached forward, lifted her right off the ground and deposited her at his side. She stared with shoulders slumped as he shot her a scowl. Hopefully she’d finally take the hint! He turned to the silver mare once more and gestured. “We’re not gonna hurt ya. Are ya lost?”
Fleur let out a frustrated cry. “We’re not going to hurt her?! Do you have any idea what you’ve gotten yourself into?!”
He gave her another dark glance before taking a few tentative steps forward. He put on his most comforting smile. “Ya gotta name?”
“Why won’t you listen to me?!” Fleur gave him a surprisingly hard hit on the shoulder. “Please! The sun’s…going… Oh no…”
Big Mac glanced to the West, but the sun was impossible to see for the trees. But it was pretty dark. He gestured to the silver pony, who didn’t move.
Fleur grabbed his tail.
“Idiot!”
Tug.
“Simpleton!”
Tug.
“Brute!”
Tug.
“What do I have to do to get you to listen?!”
She wasn’t helping matters! Big Mac knew it was going to get very cold very quickly, and that poor mare was going to…to…
He gaped as the silver mare started to fade before his eyes.
“Big McIntosh,” Fleur snarled from behind him, “if we survive this night, I am going to kill you!”
The silver mare’s body was gone…but her eyes were still there, glowing brightly in their ever-unblinking gaze. He took a step back, not sure what was happening. As he watched, black forms began to rise from the earth all around him. What in Celestia’s name…?
Fleur was in his face, trying desperately to push him back. “What are you waiting for? Run!”
“But…” He looked around as the black forms began to take on distinct pony-like shapes. “What are they?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted, wide eyes darting from shape to shape as she kept pushing him. “I don’t care!”
They were ponies…but not like any ponies he’d ever seen. They were thin, skeletal. Their bodies where wholly black and dripping with something he couldn’t fathom. Big McIntosh’s uncertainty began to shift into something more primal at the sight of them. He was feeling cold...anxious...
Fear. He was feeling fear. His ears tucked as hoarse, thin whispers reached them.
“Cuuuurrrrse…”
“Theeeey arrre cuuurrrsed…”
Fleur turned to face them and backed up. Her horn was glowing dimly, but when she slipped by Big Mac he could see the terror in her eyes. He backed up with her, heart hammering as dozens of black, skull-thin heads turned on them in one creaky, hard motion.
“Cuuurrrssed…”
“Stooop the cuuurrrse…”
Big McIntosh’s breath stopped as red eyes opened in unison to stare into his soul.
“Kiiiilllll….”
Fleur grabbed him and cracked a hoof across his jaw, knocking him from a reverie he hadn’t even been aware of. “Stop staring and run!”
They scrambled in unison, running back in the direction they’d originally come. Big Mac’s hooves pounded the soft, moist soil as trees began to fade like mirages, gradually being replaced by dilapidated buildings. Terror filled him at the sight of more of those black…things peered out from the windows. They were all over! Crawling out from beneath foundations, shambling on broken legs from around corners.
A building loomed over them, red eyes peering from its dark recesses. Big Mac tried to stop and slid to the ground on slick snow and ice. The more fleet-hooved Fleur helped him stand, pushing him frantically. “Get up, go!” They darted amongst the hideous creatures, which closed in with skeletal grins and creaking bodies.
“Stooooop theee cuuuurrrsse…”
“Kiiiillll, kiiillll…”
“Proooteeect thee viilllaaaagge…”
“Kiiilll theemmm…”
“Leave us alone!” Fleur screamed, dodging a feeble lunge from one of the things.
Big Mac’s heart pounded as hard as his hooves. He saw a group of the things blocking their path to the edge of this…this ghost town, and lowered his head to charge.
Fleur screamed. “No! Wait!”
He was moving at full gallop, ready to barrel the monsters over, when a stone wall abruptly appeared in his path. He locked his legs and slid to a stop, just avoiding a collision.
Fleur was in his face, horn shining bright in the darkness and eyes wide. “Don’t touch them! Whatever you do, don’t touch them!” She grabbed and pulled him away from the wall, which began to fade with the glow of her horn. “Come on, stop standing there!”
The wall disappeared, and three pairs of red eyes gazed unblinking from right behind her.
“Kiiiiilllll…”
“Nnope!” Big McIntosh grabbed Fleur, who let out a surprised cry as he set her on his back. Then he ran, as fast as his muscular legs could manage. He was filled with fresh horror as more red eyes, more black shambling bodies and more husky, eager voices surrounded him. What had he gotten himself into?!
But he kept his resolve. He’d started this trying to save a pony, and he’d end it doing the same!
Fleur held on to Big McIntosh’s work collar for dear life. Part of it was the shambling monstrosities that were all around, but it had more to do with her fear of falling off when he was galloping so fast! Why had he grabbed her like this? She was faster than him!
But there was no time for argument. Everywhere she looked, she was met with red eyes and leering black faces. Her heart was hammering in her chest. Why couldn’t he have listened to her, why?!
“The cuuuurrrrssse…”
One of the things lunged from the shadows, and Big Mac barely managed to dodge. The movement forced him sideways, and he came dangerously close to a small group of the things. Fleur let out a shout and fired a pink ball of energy from her horn; it erupted on the ground before them. The creatures shattered into bits of goop and what she could only imagine was bone, and Big Mac leapt over and beyond them.
Fleur glanced back and sucked in a sharp breath; the bodies were beginning to reform.
They didn’t stand a chance. If they didn’t find a way out soon, they’d be overrun! But every time Big Mac made for the edge of the crumbling town the things would appear, blocking his path and forcing him to flee. Each barely avoided lunge made her heart stop, every whispered call sent shivers down her spine.
But Fleur kept her head. Though terror threatened her control, she forced herself to think as rationally as possible. She’d been in terrible situations before, and she knew she could get out of this one! “Big Mac,” she called over his shoulder, “try to circle the town!”
“Eeyup!”
He followed the buildings along the town’s perimeter, occasionally moving for a path that would always be blocked. Fleur began firing her energy balls, which was one of the only directly combative spells she knew. Every shot knocked the monsters back, but they always reformed. Their leering faces seemed to mock her futile efforts.
Her mind moved quickly, ever fighting the creeping claws of terror that threatened panic. She wasn’t a fighter, she was an illusionist, and right now her vast repertoire of spells were of absolutely no help! The things kept coming, over and over and over again. Big Mac couldn’t run forever! She held on tight and closed her eyes, fighting to think of some kind of solution.
“Kiiillll…”
“Proooteeect theee tooooowwnnnn…”
“Stoooppp theee cuuuurrrrsse…”
“Shut up!” She screamed at the things, tears in her eyes. “Shut up, shut up, shut up! I need to think!”
“Calm down!”
She blinked and looked at the back of Big Mac’s head. He looked back – just the smallest glance before turning his attention back to his fleeing. It had been so brief, but she’d seen it; the calm in his eyes. There was fear, but there was also clarity.
“Calm down,” he repeated.
For a few seconds she forgot where she was. All she could do was marvel; they were in the middle of a zombie-infested ghost town running for their lives, and somehow he’d managed to use the calmest, most patient tone she’d ever heard.
Her brain snapped back into focus just as a creature lunged in front of them! She fired a small laser – her only other offensive spell – and sliced its legs off, giving Big Mac the room he needed to leap over it. But only barely; she could hear him huffing from effort and knew he was wearing down. Even a stallion as fit as him couldn’t keep this up.
She raised her head and looked around. She saw a mass of the shambling entities between two buildings, the only obstacle to their escape. “Big Mac, left! Head for the exit!”
He glanced in that direction, spotted the creatures. “Nnope!”
She leaned forward so her head was beside his and spoke directly into his ear. “Please, just this once, listen! I know what I’m doing!”
He glanced, locking eyes with her for just a fraction of a second. “Hold on.”
She did as she was told, latching on to his collar tightly, and he locked his hooves. They slid to a stop just as one of the creatures pounced, landing on its face where they would have been. His legs kicked; he reared up and was turned back around in an instant.
Fleur raised her head and focused, working to charge the spell as best she could. “Don’t stop. Whatever you do, don’t stop!”
He galloped faster, charging headlong towards the wall of oozing monstrosities. Fleur waited, her horn sparking wildly as she forced more and more power into the spell.
Red eyes locked on, shambling bodies jerked towards them.
“Nnnooo eessscaaape…”
“Nnnooowheeerrre too rruuunnn…”
“Nnnooowheeerrre too hiiiiiide…”
“Kiiiiillll…”
She released the spell, a massive pink ball of energy flying out before them. The creatures let out a collective, terrible hiss as the ball erupted just over their heads, splattering black ooze in a wide circle on the ground.
“Go, go, go!”
Big Mac jumped over the edge of the circle, passed through and jumped over the other edge. They fled into the night, leaving the horrible town and its red-eyed residents behind.
His legs ached, but he kept going.
“Big Mac.”
He had to make as much distance as possible.
“Big Mac.”
His chest burned, but he ignored it.
“Big McIntosh!”
He glanced at Fleur, still riding on his back.
“You can stop, now.”
He wasn't going to stop 'till he was clear out of the Everfree!
She leaned over so that her head was beside his. “You can’t keep this up forever. And I can walk too, in case you’ve forgotten.”
The stubborn part of him wanted to ignore her and keep going till his legs gave out. Instead, he let himself slow to a walk, and finally stopped. He waited until she’d managed to climb off his back before dropping to his haunches with head low, gasping for breath.
“Thank you.” Then she hit him across the cheek, hard. “The next time somepony tries to save your life, maybe you’ll listen to her!”
He rubbed his cheek with a frown. “Eeyup.”
Fleur lifted her hooves in exasperation. “Can’t you say anything other than that?!”
BigMac raised an eyebrow. “How ‘bout ah’m sorry?”
“Sorry?” She sneered and turned away from him, rubbing herself through her muddied coat. “Do you really think I’ll accept that?! You almost got us both killed! You ignored me, wouldn’t listen to a word I said…you even rejected me! Nopony’s ever turned away from me like that!”
He frowned at the back of her head. Did she really think him that shallow? “Ah was tryin’ ta save a life.”
But she seemed to be focused on only one thing, now. She turned on him, hooves to his cheeks as she glared. “How could you do it? How?! I know all the tricks! I’ve seduced diplomats, enthralled lords! I refuse to believe that one ignorant stallion from Ponyville could just ignore me!”
Wow, she really was full of herself. He pushed her away and shook his head, wondering if all city ponies were like this. Or maybe it was just Canterlot ponies?
She patted her face, as if searching for some fault in it. “Am I losing my touch? It can’t be age, I’m still in my early twenties! I-it has to be something I’m missing, something I missed. B-but what did I miss? I can’t afford to lose my best weapon!” She grabbed him by the collar once more, eyes pleading. “How did you reject me, how?! I need to know! If Fine finds out I got rejected, he might not trust me to do those kinds of jobs, anymore!”
She tried to shake him, but couldn’t achieve much with his weight. Big Mac pushed her away again, feeling disgusted. He didn’t want anything to do with this mare. He just wanted to go home…
“Please!” She sat, her moistened tail going flap against the ground. Her entire body sagged, and there were tears in her eyes. “Please…I can’t lose my touch. I earn my living through my ability to manipulate stallions! Please, tell me what I did wrong. Without my looks, what am I?”
Big Mac thought her loathsome. She survived by manipulating the hearts of stallions? What kind of mare was she? Not of the decent variety, to be sure. If he were any less a stallion, he’d have left her to herself in this miserable, dark, cold…
Very cold. A gust blew, making even him shiver. He observed her, realizing that she was still wet from when they’d collided prior to the village. She was trembling like a leaf, her thin, high-fashion coat of little use under the circumstances. She was covered in mud and twigs and grit, and her mane hung from her head in soaked tangles. Tears dripped from her pearly cheeks.
Big McIntosh didn’t like her, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel sorry for her. He wasn’t made of stone, after all, and she had chased him all the way out here in an attempt to help him. Even if she was a shallow pony, she deserved his compassion.
If only he had something to help her warm up.
Big Mac eyed the stars, which peered at him through thin, leafless branches, and was eventually able to find his bearing. “Come on,” he said, gesturing to the East and offering her a smile. “Let’s get ya out o’here.”
Fleur sniffed and looked up at him with moist eyes. She rubbed her muzzle and nodded, trudging along beside him as they began the journey home.
Fleur was freezing, her breath coming out in thick white clouds. She was so cold she thought her blood might be ice.
And she was starving. She thought of her bet with Fine; at the moment it didn’t matter what kind of food he offered her, she would have treated it like the finest gourmet delicacy!
And she was so very tired. Every step made her horseshoes feel like lead, and she kept her head hung low just to save the strength needed to keep it up.
And she was dirty. So dirty. She’d have to spend a whole day in a tub before she’d feel decent again.
And, speaking of tubs, she was still wet. Her tail dragged along the moist ground, her mane hung from her face like a mop, her coat was covered in frost.
And…
She let out a depressed sigh; there were too many ‘ands.’ She decided to settle for being miserable. She’d always hated the cold, but this was taking things to a whole new degree of loathing.
She eyed Big McIntosh. He seemed to be faring a lot better than her. Maybe it was his size, or perhaps he was just trying to put on a good showing. He still shivered, though, the frost much more obvious on his red coat than her own white one. She watched the steam of his breath for a while, observing the small swirls and shapes of it. Every now and again he’d look up at the stars.
But they’d been walking for a long time, now. “Are you sure you know where we’re going?”
“Eeyup.” He didn’t even look at her.
Fleur scowled and focused on her hooves. One hoof at a time, just keep walking. Eventually she’d be back in Ponyville and could find someplace warm.
Several minutes of frigid silence passed. Fleur paused every now and again to rub her body in the vain hope of gaining a little extra warmth. Big Mac never bothered with that. He never complained about the cold, though there was no way it wasn’t bothering him. He had a permanent frown on his lips, and his eyes remained focused and steely. She couldn’t tell if it was because he was determined to ignore the cold or focused on getting home.
Or perhaps it was her. Maybe he didn’t like her.
Which was fine; Fleur was not inclined to like him, either. How in the name of Luna’s sparkling mane had he managed to resist her? The thought kept coming back, over and over and over again. She was desperate to figure it out, but after her shameful breakdown from before she wasn’t about to ask again.
She needed something else to think on. Anything aside from her failure and the freezing cold. She slowly scoured her mind even as she repressed a shiver. “S-so,” she asked through gritted teeth, “do you have any idea just how far away Ponyville is?”
Big Mac shook his head. “Nnope. Got confused when ah ran from the town.”
She sighed and rubbed her body once again. “So th-there’s no telling, is there?” He didn’t answer. “Do you think we’ll ev-ven get there before morning?”
His harsh expression finally broke. He turned his head to observe her as he asked. “Are ya gonna be alright?”
She sneered and forced herself to move forward with head held high. “I’ll be fine, thank you.”
He kept staring as they walked in silence. She wanted to snap at him, but firmly held her tongue. What did he think she was, a feeble filly?
“What were ya doin’ out here, anyway?”
Fleur missed a step and fought to maintain her haughty demeanor, but suddenly she felt very foalish. All this time she’d been walking with him, and not once had she considered forming an excuse! Why hadn’t she realized that her presence would seem odd? Now she was frantically raking her brain for some sort of explanation that wouldn’t involve the truth. Fine wouldn’t want him to know…
“Did ya get lost?”
She paused and stared at him. He stared right back, but didn’t stop walking. “Lost…?”
He looked forward once more as he went on ahead. “It’s nothin’ ta be ashamed of.”
Lost. That was a half-decent excuse. Perhaps she could—
Fleur shook her head forcefully; it was a terrible excuse! That was the kind of thing some brainless twit would think of!
Then it hit her: he had every reason to believe she was that dumb. For all he knew, she was just another stupid model. Living off of petty charms, marrying somepony rich, living life from one pointless party to the next. The kind of mare who survived off undeserved fame and thrived on scandal. And why shouldn’t he think that way? Her cover was as a supermodel, after all. What did Big Mac know of Archons and treachery and espionage?
Fleur followed behind, head hung low. She studied his prints in the moist snow, noted how huge they were in comparison to her dainty hooves. She was observant enough to have gathered that he was a stallion of hard work. He probably survived off of toil. A stallion like that would almost certainly look down on a pony who seemed so…hollow.
She recalled her momentary breakdown, how upset Big Mac had seemed about it. He must think her so vain. She couldn’t deny she was a proud pony, but it wasn’t about shallow vanity. She really did need to maintain her appearance. Being a supermodel was one thing; being an Archon was something else, entirely. Her attractiveness was her greatest weapon! It had gotten her through so many missions…
His excuse was a legitimate one, but she couldn’t possibly use it. Fleur was an intelligent, strong-willed pony. She was too proud to act all vain and dumb for the sake of the excuse. True, he was just a regular citizen of Ponyville, but it still mattered to her. Her image was just too important.
But what other excuse could she use?
Snow began to fall, a wind kicking up to make her shudder. She felt at her mane, which was still moist and ugly. And hard; the hair was literally freezing thanks to the water. She eyed Big Mac’s girth and wished she were a little bigger. If things kept up like this…
No, that wasn’t going to happen! She shook her head and forced her aching legs to move faster, catching up to her companion. She forced her mind to think on him, and what she might say.
But her only idea was to tell the truth. She couldn’t do that…could she?
Maybe if she only told part of the truth. Fleur had learned to lie a long time ago, but to deliver half-truths wasn’t so easy. At times like this she envied Fine and his masterful talent for deception. She thought carefully on the events of the night, picking out the facts that didn’t need to be shared. She didn’t want to give the wrong clues, but how to know what was a good truth from one that might lead him to dangerous conclusions?
Her teeth chattered as she spoke. “B-Big M-McIntosh?”
“Hmm?”
She breathed into her hooves a few times to warm her cheeks. “I want to t-tell you the truth, but y-you have to promise not t-to tell anypony. You especially can’t tell F-Fine Crime I told y-you.”
Big Mac glanced at her, then came to an abrupt stop. His eyes went wide and he reached up to touch her icy mane. “Are ya sure yer gonna be alright?”
She knocked his hoof away with a glower and a shiver. “I t-told you, I’m fine! D-do you promise or n-not?”
He hesitated, the worry plain on his face. She glared, silently daring him to correct her. After a while he nodded and walked on, though he never lost his apprehensive frown. “Ah promise.”
She sighed and followed, taking some time to carefully think on her words. “I’m h-here on Fine’s—” Maybe he shouldn't know Fine was her boss. “—at Fine’s r-request. You probably won’t b-believe this, but I’m not just a model. I’m als-so a Master Illusionist.”
He eyed her. “Don’ ya have ta pass a test ta be called a ‘Master’?”
She returned the look. “Y-you mean you know about the m-magical aptitude tests?”
He frowned and faced forward once more. “Ah’m not jus’ a dumb country boy.”
She winced. “S-sorry, that w-was—” She shook her head; why was she apologizing? All this cold was muddling her mind. “Y-yes, I passed an exam. Th-that’s why Fine needs m-me, for my magic.”
Fleur glanced at him, but he said nothing and kept frowning. There was nothing else to do but keep talking…and watch her words. “F-Fine knows about that t-town we escaped from. He lives out-t here so that he c-can distract ponies who c-come near it. He asked m-me to make a fak-ke ghost town. It was sup-posed to harmlessly scare off p-ponies who got p-past him.”
A sharp breeze swirled snow about them. Fleur let out a small yelp at the intense cold. Big Mac glanced at her, but she hurried on with her explanation before he could speak. “Th-the town I made was m-malfunction-ning, and he ask-ked me to fix it. S-so here I am.”
Fleur refused to look at her companion. Her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering! But she was fine. She was not going to show any weakness…even if she was starting to feel really tired. When his stare began to grate on her nerves she asked, “S-so? D-don’t you have anyth-thing to s-say?”
A long silence passed.
“Y-ya don’ look too good.”
She rounded on him. “About m-my story! Do you b-believe me or not-t?”
Big McIntosh stared at her face, ears low. He opened blue lips to speak, reconsidered. At last he nodded. “Ah believe ya.”
Her mind stopped working. “Y-you d-do?”
“Eeyup.”
He turned and continued walking. Fleur tried to make sense of how easy that was, but was too tired to…to…
She looked down at her legs, the thin snowfall floating about them in tiny swirls. Several seconds passed in mind-numbing silence. She thought, she commanded, she questioned. But no matter what she tried, her hooves remained still.
She was in trouble.
It took Big McIntosh a couple seconds to realize that Fleur wasn't behind him. He stopped and looked back to find her staring at her legs as if not sure what they were.
He knew what that meant.
He looked around, raising a hoof to his eyes to block the snow. The woods weren’t so thick around here, but if he could find a good spot…
There. A trio of trees, knocked down as one by some unknown force.
Big Mac walked over to Fleur, who had sat and was still staring at her legs. Her eyes were drooping, and his worry grew at the sight. He stood beside her. “Put yer leg around mah shoulder.”
Fleur slowly looked up at him, as if even that small movement required a lot of effort. “W-what?” Good Goddess, she was so blue.
She wouldn’t make it with just a leg on his shoulder; he grabbed her and set her on his back. Her head hung loosely over his shoulder as he made his way to the trees. “I’m s-sorry,” she whispered. “I th-thought I c-could handle it.”
“Ah know.”
She went silent, her heavy breathing the only sound between them. Her quietness worried him. He needed her to stay awake for at least a little longer!
It took a few minutes to reach the trees. He dropped to his belly and carefully set her back on the ground, taking a moment to check her over. She was still awake, but wouldn’t be for much longer. “C-can ya use magic?”
Her eyes drifted up to him from the ground, her face as pale as the snow on which she lay. “I-I th-think so. B-but wh-why?”
Worry filling him, Big Mac hurried to gather up some of the limbs and dead wood that surrounded them. There were plenty, and soon he had a big pile set aside. He grabbed a few and set them before her. “D-don’ fall asleep,” he ordered through shaking teeth. “Wh-whatever ya do, d-don’ fall asleep.”
He found a larger, sturdy looking stick and set it vertically atop the tiny pile. He rubbed it between his hooves demonstrably before giving her a hopeful look.
Fleur’s eyes followed the motion, widening slightly in understanding. She lifted her head just barely, her face straining as her horn started to glow. The stick began to turn far faster than Big Mac could have managed. He turned his large body and lay down so as to block the wind.
Seconds seemed like hours. His heart thudded against his chest like a hammer as he watched her magic work. Would she give up before the wood got hot enough? Fleur seemed like she was at the end of her rope…
Smoke rose, accompanied by his rising hope. “Tha’s it, ya almost got it.”
She closed her eyes and grimaced, but her magic didn’t fade. At last a small flame sparked within the wood, and Big Mac hurriedly surrounded it with his hooves to protect against the snow and winds. “Good! This is perfect.”
The magic dimmed as Fleur’s head dropped to the frozen ground with a sigh. “H-how c-can…such a s-simple th-thing be so d-diffic-cult…?”
Big Mac worked the fire as carefully as he could, and after a few minutes he’d built it into a proper blaze. The warmth was wonderful! He helped Fleur move a little closer to it, and she thanked him, but he wasn’t satisfied. “Give m-me a moment,” he told her, turning to the three downed trees behind her.
She was resting on her side, and couldn’t conjure up the strength to roll over. “W-where are y-you…?”
Big Mac patted her on the shoulder. “Jus’ wait.”
He walked around the trees, studying them. They weren’t as big as they’d looked from a distance, but they’d do the job just fine. He went to the first one and, with some effort, managed to get a hoof under it. He strained, but it wouldn’t budge.
The cold must have been affecting him as it was affecting Fleur. Big Mac glanced at her, wondering if the fire was enough.
But then that old Apple Family stubbornness kicked in. Fleur needed help, and he wasn’t about to take any chances. He tried again, growling from the sheer effort as his hooves slipped on the icy ground. His shoulders were soon aching, but at last he managed to lift the tree. Feeling satisfied even as he huffed steam with the effort, he moved the tree as carefully as possible and set it down.
Once the tree was down, he noted Fleur watching him. There was no expression save weariness on her face, but still he grinned and flexed. Just for the sake of showing off. She offered a faint smile that left him feeling rather pleased with himself as he went to retrieve the next two trees.
It took some time, and when it was done his legs and shoulders were terribly sore, but he finally had the three trees set. Two on bottom, one on top. They weren’t a proper wall, but they would block the wind for two sleeping ponies. He went back to Fleur and carefully moved her so that she was between the fire and the trees.
“Y-you… Y-you didn’t h-have to go through all th-that,” she whispered as he set more sticks to the fire. Big Mac just sat and shivered. She let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. “W-well… th-thank you.”
He eyed her quietly, wondering if it was enough. She had the fire, but it wouldn’t last all night. He was going to have to sleep, too; there was no chance he’d be able to resist. The chill had that affect, he knew. But she needed to stay warm. She was tall, but not a big pony by any means. A slender form might work on a studio catwalk, but out here it might just kill her.
There was really only one option, and the thought had him thankful his coat was red. He threw a few more sticks in the fire and walked over to her. She was asleep now, right? Maybe that would make it less embarrassing. And if he could wake up before her…
He hesitated. The thought of what he wanted to do just seemed…improper. But she needed all the warmth she could get. He watched her for a few seconds, cheeks burning as hot as the fire. By Celestia’s multi-hued mane, was she a pretty!
That only made the idea feel worse.
His head jerked up as a long howl resounded in the distance…
The first thing Fleur noticed was that she was pressed tightly against something. She didn’t know what it was, but it was warm, so she didn’t move away. The world beyond was cold, and she wanted none of it.
Her mind flitted in and out of consciousness. She eventually became aware of the sound of heavy breathing, so she knew she wasn’t alone. That didn’t make any sense; she always slept alone.
Fleur’s eyes flitted open, and her world was white. For a moment she could only gaze sleepily and wonder what she was seeing. Had she bought white sheets? And why was her bed so hard?
The past night snapped back into her brain, and she jolted awake. The world cleared when she lifted her head, the snow that had piled on top of her slumping off. The fire she and Big Mac had made was nothing more than smoldering embers, but the snow had stopped falling and the sky was clear. No breeze, either, and for that she praised Luna’s name! Now where was—
She went rigid as something shifted beside her. She was still tightly pressed against that warm presence, but suddenly she wasn’t sure she wanted to be next to it. Gradually, her head turned to the side. The warm body she’d been feeling was Big McIntosh, his back to her and his chest heaving with deep breaths.
It took all Fleur's willpower not to leap away.
She stood slowly and stepped back from him, mind frantic. She tried to recall the night before as vividly as possible, but after she helped light the fire it was all a haze. She could vaguely recall him moving the trees and being impressed. What else? Had there been anything else? Goddess, she hoped not!
She turned away from him, cheeks burning. Surely he hadn’t… No. No, he seemed too decent a pony for that.
But he was a stallion. She’d never met a decent stallion, before!
What about Fine Crime?
Well, he certainly didn’t qualify as decent. He was too in love with his job to be interested in mares, right?
No, he did like one mare.
That didn’t help!
Fancy Pants was a decent stallion, of that she was sure. That was a little comforting.
But Fancy aside, all stallions wanted her. Big McIntosh was a stallion, so it stood to reason…
Then why did he reject her last night?
That last thought was sobering. She glanced back at him, suddenly feeling a lot better about her situation. If he wasn’t going to go after her when she was feigning an attraction, surely he wouldn’t go after her while she wasn’t even trying. Right?
Fleur bowed her head, eyes on her hooves as she tried to reason her way through her uncertainty. But then she noticed the red in the snow. Blinking, she raised her hoof and bent down for a closer look. No doubt, the snow was red once it went so far down. She stood up and looked around, and suddenly saw many curious things. Some of the trees had claw marks. A few more spots of red in the snow marked something’s movement.
It had to be blood. But where had it come from? Did something approach them in the night? Had she been so sapped of energy that she’d slept right through it?
Then she noticed the wood. It was spread out and shattered, but it didn’t look…normal. She turned to peer at the fire. One particular lump caught her eye, and she lifted it up with her magic. It was rounded on one end, and pointed on the other. It looked familiar. Like…a claw.
Timberwolves.
Fleur poked around in the ashes with a stick and pulled a few more burnt pieces out. She began to recognize parts; teeth, a tail, more claws. She looked to Big McIntosh with wide eyes; had he fought Timberwolves while she slept? And used them for firewood? She was astounded, and inescapably impressed.
She set the wood back on the pile and stoked the flames for a bit, nursing the fire until it was back to a proper blaze. That done, she went back to observe Big McIntosh. She’d never had somepony protect her while she slept. She used her magic to push the snow from his sleeping face. He seemed so…peaceful.
Her eyes traced his neck, then his massive body. So much muscle! No question, Big Mac was one rugged pony. Fleur used her magic once more to push the snow from atop him, and had to cover her lips to keep from shouting in surprise; he had a trio of long, parallel cuts going down his side. Suddenly the blood she’d found made a lot more sense.
She stared at his wound for several long seconds, mind churning over this revelation. He’d fought timberwolves, and still went through the trouble of keeping her warm throughout the night. Did that mean she owed him her life two times over?
How could she ever repay such a debt?
He began to move with a big yawn. She took a step back, trying to think of something to say. What did you tell somepony who’d just protected you all night long? ‘Thank you’ hardly seemed like enough!
His eyes flitted open, and he immediately noticed her. “Mornin’,” he offered with a calm smile. He began to stand, wincing at the pain.
“Wait.” She set a hoof to his shoulder. “Don’t move just yet.”
He raised an eyebrow, but laid back down. Fleur observed his wound closely, trying to remember the spell she’d once known so well. Her horn lowered so the tip hovered over the cuts, and a pale aura surrounded the injury. She continued the spell for several seconds before letting it fade. She eyed the wound, which didn’t seem any different from before, then gave him a questioning look. “Better?”
He hesitated, eyes on his injury, but slowly tried to get back up. He managed it without difficulty, and gave her a grin. “Thanks.”
“No,” she answered, head drooping. “I should be the one thanking you. I’ve never had somepony defend me like you did. I could have died.”
“Wasn’ nothin’,” he declared.
She looked up and saw that pleasant, strangely charming smile. “Nothing? How could you say it was nothing? Look at that injury!”
He glanced at it as instructed, but he didn’t seem at all bothered. “It was the equine thing ta do.”
Her jaw dropped as he turned to study the fire. “B-but… But you didn’t get anything out of it!”
“Did too.” He gestured to the flames with a grin. “More firewood.”
She stepped up beside him and brought her face close to his. “I don’t think you understand. We both could have been killed! Why did you go to such lengths?”
He studied her with a solemn frown, confusion clear in his eyes. He considered the question, but finally just shrugged. “Because ya needed me.”
She sat and gaped. “That’s all?”
“Eeyup.”
Her mind was spinning in circles. Was that really all there was to it? Was he just that good a stallion? She hadn’t met very many she would call noble – Fancy Pants was the only name that came to mind just then – but she may have just found one. It was…unnerving. She was so used to…to…
“B-but didn’t you want something for your actions?”
Big McIntosh glowered, shook his head and turned back to the fire. He began kicking snow onto it.
He was offended! “I’m sorry.” She turned away with head bowed. “I must seem very shallow and foalish to you.”
There was a moment of silence, punctuated only by the sound of him kicking the snow. “Life in Canterlot mus' be very different,” he noted after a time.
Canterlot? It had nothing to do with Canterlot.
“Come on,” Big Mac muttered, walking past her. “Time ta get ya back ta yer cozy city.”
Fleur followed, head low and eyes on his white hoofprints. Why did she feel so…shameful? Was it because of how she’d been looking at him all this time? He really was a decent pony, wasn’t he? He probably didn’t think much of her at all. How strange, it was almost exactly the way she’d felt about him when she’d first laid eyes on him. But now it seemed more like she was the one not worth his time. He probably couldn’t wait to be rid of her.
Even so, he’d fought timberwolves while she slept. Most stallions she’d dealt with would have left her there as a distraction, even if they liked her. He didn’t, but he’d fought for her. Granted, he’d probably been fighting for his life, too, but he could have just left…
She was reminded of something Fine often told her: the Archons wallowed in shadow and muck to protect those who bathed in the sunshine and rainbows. Or something like that. She’d never understood, but suddenly his meaning was coming through.
Fleur’s fans thought she was a supermodel. The history not known to them was much darker, grown out of ashes and dragon’s fire. She knew real pain and desperation. The Archons had helped her to change a miserable life into something productive, if by no means bright. She’d accepted the life – even welcomed it – because it was better than what she’d known.
She didn’t know Big McIntosh, but by his demeanor she couldn’t help thinking that he’d led a happier life. No pony could be as good as he was, not without having some good things happen to him. He probably had a loving family, a happy home to return to. She could only assume he was from Ponyville, and last she checked it hadn’t been destroyed in some great catastrophe.
Sunshine and rainbows. That was where Big Mac was from, wasn’t it?
Fleur had long questioned Fine Crime’s charity to non-Archon ponies. She’d thought it foalish; a waste of resources and time on ponies who didn’t know they existed, much less appreciate the dangerous work every Archon performed for their safety. Yet now, as she gazed at Big McIntosh’s back, she felt a curious appreciation. He didn’t know about the harshness that could be his world, the evils that she’d helped hold back all her life. It hadn’t affected him, so he could – presumably – live a happy, productive life being kind to others.
All her efforts and energies had been devoted to keeping ponies like him…well, like him.
Fleur paused and stared. She’d been an Archon for years, but only now did she truly understand what it meant to be one.
Was that three times over she owed Big McIntosh?
She moved to catch up, falling in step at his side. “Can I ask you something?”
Big Mac nodded, though he didn’t look her way.
“I’d like to know a bit more about you. Tell me about yourself?”
He eyed her with a dubious frown. “Really?”
She blushed, but wasn’t about to hold back. She felt it was important that she know. “I’d like to know more about the pony who helped me.”
Now he blushed, glancing away and scratching his head with a lopsided smile. “Ya make me sound like a hero.”
“Maybe you are,” she replied sweetly. “Maybe you’re my hero.”
Big Mac's cheeks were burning – a true feat considering their color. “If ya say so.” He considered her request for a few quiet seconds, ears laid flat. “Ah’m not that int’restin.”
“Please.” She set a hoof to his shoulder. “I’ll listen. We have time, after all.”
He glanced away with that silly smile once more. “Whaddaya wanna know?”
She thought for a moment, trying to pick something that would hit upon her preferred subjects. She eyed the working collar on his back and smiled. “Family. Tell me about home.”
This mare was getting more confusing by the hour. First she acts like he’s a nopony, then she tries to seduce him, then she gets all offended because he was too busy to fall for it, then she acts all high and mighty until she nearly gets killed by the cold, and now she wanted to know everything about him! But Big Mac knew his own share of crazy mares – Applejack’s friends quickly came to mind – and if he could survive them, then he could survive this one.
But at least she was being pleasant for a change. He didn’t mind talking about his family, and the more he talked the more she opened up. She seemed outright happy! In a way, she was almost a completely different pony. After a time he even started to enjoy the conversation. He couldn’t get her to talk about herself, though. It bothered him, but he tried not to worry about it.
A few hours after they’d begun the walk, his side began to ache again. She used her magic to deaden the pain a second time, and he was appreciative, but he knew the wound would need proper treatment. His first stop after getting her back to civilization would be the hospital. Not that he expected the wound to be serious, but he’d rather it be taken care of properly. There was no hiding the fact that her spell, though welcome, wasn’t doing anything to actually help the wound heal.
He wasn’t used to talking so much. It was beginning to feel uncomfortable, but she didn’t want to stop. He had told her of Applejack and Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, his parents. She wanted to know abut the Apple Family Reunions, about life on the farm. When he’d nearly exhausted his personal life, she wanted to know more about his friends! He didn’t understand why she was so…enthralled with this information, but he tried to be accommodating. After all, her attention was flattering.
And Fleur was a heck of a lot prettier when she was smiling.
Big Mac could only talk for so long, so he was intensely relieved when they finally came upon the familiar path to Ponyville. He offered to bring her to town, but she turned the offer down and chose to head for Fine Crime’s place. Big Mac decided to go with her; after all, Fine was probably worried sick. What if he’d gone into the forest looking for them?
That was his excuse, at any rate.
“You really don’t have to come with me if you don’t want to,” Fleur told him. “I know you’re eager to get that wound looked at.”
“Ah said ah’d get ya back ta civilization,” he reminded her. “We ain’ there, yet.”
She smiled that pretty smile of hers. “You’re a true gentlepony, Mr. McIntosh. I wish I had some way to properly repay you for the kindness.”
“The pleasure was all mine,” he replied. At that moment he really meant it.
They went the rest of the way in silence. Big Mac watched Fleur out of the corner of his eye. Her head hung low, her body was caked in more dirt than his own, and her step was heavy. But she didn’t stop smiling. By the shine in her eyes, he thought her pleasure was genuine. Yes, she definitely seemed like a whole new pony.
But he liked this new Fleur. Now that he thought on it, he was a little sad to think that she’d go back to Canterlot. He’d probably never see her again.
Maybe that was for the better. She was a famous supermodel, and deserved some rich stallion. Big Mac would just have to be satisfied with the fond memory of her smile. After all, his life was with his family and his farm.
They at last reached Fine’s place, its imposing towers standing like sentinels above the trees. Fleur pulled the cord by the front door, and an ominous bell resounded in their ears. Fine opened the door a few seconds later.
“There you are!” He wrapped the taller Fleur in a hug. “Thank Luna, I thought I’d lost you!”
Fleur blinked and returned the hug awkwardly. “You were worried?”
“No, I just like copping feels via free hugs,” Fine snapped, stepping back. “Of course I was worried! Big Mac, you still alive?”
“Eeyup.”
“Glad to hear it!” The two exchanged a hoofbump, Fine grinning from ear to ear. “Do you know what AJ would do to me if I had to tell her ya got killed?”
Big Mac chuckled, imagining the sight of his sister ripping Fine a new one. But the image was also sobering. “Ah should head home. They’ll all be worried.”
“Are you sure?” Fine asked. “You’ve got to be famished! At least let me get ya something to eat.”
“Nnope.” Big Mac shook his head with a smile. “Ah’m pretty sure the family will be feedin’ me plenty.”
Fine eyed him and his wound, the skepticism plain on his face. “Well, if you insist. But thanks for bringing Fleur back. I’m sure she was a hoof-full. I owe ya double.”
Big Mac waved a dismissive hoof and shot Fleur a charming grin. “Ah’d do it again in a heartbeat. Miss de Lis.”
He started to turn away, but Fleur stopped him with a hoof to his shoulder. She gave him a smile and lowered her horn to his wound, casting her spell yet again. “There, so it’ll last you all the way home.”
He smiled. “Thank ya, ma—”
She leaned over and kissed his cheek. “That’s for everything else.”
He blinked and stared for a moment. His cheeks began to burn, which only made her smile broaden. He glanced at Fine, who was watching Fleur with a raised eyebrow, then gazed at her once more. “Uuhh…thanks.”
Fleur was sad to see Big McIntosh go. After all he’d done for her, it seemed…anticlimactic.
“What happened out there?” Fine asked, gesturing for her to come inside. “You look like you’ve been through Tartarus.”
Fleur giggled and flicked her mud-stained mane. “I thought some stallions liked the dirty look.”
He stared as the door closed behind them. Fleur took a moment to bask in the interior’s warmth, but noted his eyes on her. “What?”
His eyebrows rose. “You seem awfully happy for a muck-encrusted city pony who just spent a night freezing in the woods.”
Her stomach rumbled, making her blush and grin. “And famished, too. I hope you have some food for me?”
He nodded and waved for her to follow, though he still had that bemused expression. “Did something happen out there?”
“Difficulties arose,” she replied. “Big Mac and I dealt with them. Well, mostly Big McIntosh, if I’m to be wholly honest.”
“What about the town?” Fine asked. “You didn’t let him find it, did you?”
Fleur blushed, recalling the horror of the previous night. “He couldn’t be stopped, but we got out safely. Food, now.”
He obliged, offering her a large salad he’d kept in the fridge. It barely made it to the kitchen table before she dove into it with unladylike glee, making his eyes go wide. “Fleur, what happened to you?”
“I’m hungry,” she pointed out between bites.
“Noted.” His eyes went to the hall. “Big Mac seems to have taken the ‘elite’ out of you.”
She sat up straight and dabbed her lips with a napkin with exaggerated posh. “Worry not, Mane Archon. I assure you, I will maintain my regality once back in Canterlot.” She promptly returned to her eager eating.
Fine peered at her, lips set in a taught frown. “Seriously, Fleur. What happened out there?”
She sighed, realizing that he wouldn’t be deterred. “I tried to stop him, Fine. I really did. I even tried—” Her cheeks burned, but the anger she once felt didn’t resurface. The fact that she was blushing at the concept at all felt strange, and she could see by Fine’s expression that he thought so, too.
She coughed and went on. “We ended up in the town, but we got away. After that we walked back here. What more do you need to know?”
He raised an eyebrow. “How about how he got that huge wound?”
Her blush came back, and she averted her eyes. “Oh…that. We ran into some timberwolves, and he fought them off.” Why was she avoiding the whole truth?
Fine nodded. “You mean he protected you. That must have felt odd.”
Odd? No, that wasn’t the word for it. She bowed her head, suddenly filled with shame. “I… I wasn’t awake at the time.”
His lips formed an O. “Now that must have really been awkward.”
“You have no idea,” she whispered.
He leaned against the table, observing her critically. “And just how could you sleep right through a timberwolf attack?”
She shifted, unable to meet his eye. It took her several tries to get the words out. “I succumbed to the cold. I just…couldn’t take it.”
“So Big Mac saved you twice over, did he?”
She winced and waited for the criticism to fly.
But Fine only shrugged and shook his head. “Guess I owe him a lot, saving my heir’s rump twice like that. At least now I don’t have to send all those letters I wrote gathering a search party.”
Fleur blinked and gave Fine a questioning look. “I thought you’d be upset.”
He waved a dismissive hoof. “You’re still thinking of when Hoofknife was in charge. I’m Fine Crime, and I know that you’re not made for the conditions you were in. I know a bit about weaknesses, Fleur.”
“Weakness?” She bowed he head once more. “I couldn’t even navigate my way out of a forest. I had to rely on a civilian to take care of me!” She paused, thinking on her words. “A very capable civilian, true. But I’m an Archon! I should have been able to handle myself.”
“There’s a reason I always send you to the big cities,” Fine pointed out. “Why are you beating yourself up over this? Wildlife survival was never your niche. Forget about it.”
“I can’t,” she grumbled, turning away. “I can’t forget about it.”
A long pause passed between them. Fleur had said such things, but in reality her frustrations were aimed at—
“It? Or him?”
She blushed and wouldn’t turn around. Fine let out a long sigh. “You weren’t sampling the local menu out there, were you?”
Fleur turned on him. “How dare you! You know I am not that kind of mare! I might use my looks to lure in the stallions, but it will take a lot more than…than…”
Fine’s lips were curling into a slight smile that had her fumbling for words. “How far did it go?”
“We didn’t,” she snapped, cheeks burning. “It… Nothing like that happened!”
He set a knee to the table and leaned his cheek against his hoof. “Look at this, the Archon’s premier femme fatale. The seducer of stallions, going coy over a farm colt. Don’t tell me nothing happened. Just how did he keep you warm enough to survive the night, hmm?”
Curse his observant nature, and her cheeks for refusing to cool down! “He… He just…stayed close. That’s all!”
Fine grinned. “You know he’s the prized stallion of Ponyville? There’s many a mare in town who’d give her right-hind leg to get that close to him. And—” he shot in before she could speak, “—there are plenty of hot-blooded young stallions who would kill to get that close to you.”
That second part was certainly true, she knew it for a fact. She tossed her head, though the effect wasn’t so good with all the muck in her mane. “I am not the kind of pony to have her heartstrings pulled by a stallion just because he stood by me in my time of need.”
“And that’s a problem,” Fine announced, his expression suddenly going sharp. “You’re not made of ice, so stop pretending to be.”
“Being made of ice has kept me alive, and you know it,” she snapped back. “If I am to protect his way of life, I have no choice but to—"
“Whoa, whoa!” He waved his hooves, eyes wide. “Did you just say what I think you said?”
Fleur blinked, thought on her words. Her mouth abruptly closed, and – to her immense frustration – she was blushing again.
Fine leaned forward, a hopeful smile on his lips. “Fleur? Have you finally figured out what I’ve been trying to teach you all these years?”
She looked away, thinking on everything she’d learned about Big McIntosh. “I’m a little envious of him,” she admitted, ears drooping. “He has such a normal, happy life. I want to preserve that.”
Fine heaved a long sigh. “I know exactly how that feels. You should see him, again.”
She shook her head forcefully. “No. I couldn’t possibly.”
He set a hoof to hers, which made her jump and look directly in his red eyes. “Trust me, Fleur. Go and see him. You can still watch after his way of life as an Archon. Look at me.”
She frowned and pulled her hoof back. “I am looking at you. As I recall, your little angel at the edge of the forest didn’t approve of your attention.”
“Results are not guaranteed,” he replied seriously. “But I tried, and I’m still trying. I don’t regret going after her. You won’t regret going after him.”
Fleur raised an eyebrow. “You make it sound like I have a crush!”
“You do,” he declared. “You might not understand that just yet, but you’re crushing, Fleur.”
She raised her head with a haughty frown. “I think if I were attracted to a stallion, I’d know it.”
“Would you?” He leveled her with a cold stare. “Ignoring other Archons and Fancy Pants, have you ever looked at a stallion as anything more than a tool to be used, or as a target to be removed? Has the concept of emotional, potentially romantic attachment even breezed through that mind of yours?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but paused. She repeated the questions a couple times in her head and wasn’t sure how to answer. She couldn’t understand why she felt so…guilty. “I’ve never had a use for romance, Fine.”
Fine stared at her for several long seconds, lips set in a sad frown. She tried to match his eyes, but it was hard, and after a while she was staring at her half-eaten salad. She didn’t know what she was feeling right at that moment. Part of her wanted to lash out and refuse everything he was suggesting.
Another part wished she could do it. There was an eagerness in her, a strange thrill like she’d never felt before. It was like gazing into the unknown and longing to jump in.
But it was scary, too.
At last Fine stood. “If you don’t want to take advantage of the opportunity laid before you, that’s your business. Your personal life is yours to do with as you please. But I think that, deep down, you know what you really want to do.”
He turned and headed for the door. “Sometimes it’s okay to listen to that little voice in your head, Fleur.”
And he was gone, leaving her to ponder her future.
It took a lot of convincing to keep Applejack from marching into the Everfree Forest and giving Fine Crime a good buck in the teeth. In fact, Big McIntosh had been keeping a close eye on her just to ensure she didn’t try to do it behind his back. In the end he’d resorted to having her perform a Pinkie Promise in front of Pinkie Pie, which he knew would seal the deal. He still wasn’t sure she wouldn’t do it, though.
At least he didn’t have to worry about farm work, given that it was the dead of winter. His side was still in a lot of pain after his little sojourn with Miss de Lis three days ago, and wouldn’t have been much help with the usual chores.
He had told them some of his trip. He’d mentioned getting lost in the woods with a friend of Fine Crime’s, and how they’d been forced to stay out there together. There was no keeping the timberwolves a secret, of course. He didn’t tell most of them about the ghost town, but he brought Apple Bloom aside on the second night and told her. He owed her an apology, for he now knew her stories from months back about running into a zombie infested town in the woods were not nightmare-induced imaginings. They had a little heart-to-heart, and he promised never to doubt her word again.
He’d been very surprised to hear that the two of them weren’t the only ones to run into the place; apparently Rainbow Dash, Scootaloo and Nye Stone had been out there, as well. They had agreed to keep the place a secret, and that seemed like a wise decision to him. He was glad to know that Fine and Fleur were doing what they could to keep ponies safe.
Fleur. She was the real secret, at least Big Mac thought so. He’d never bothered to reveal the identity of Fine’s ‘friend’. After all, they would never have believed him if he said he’d spent the evening with a famous supermodel. He couldn’t blame them, either; it sounded like a silly colt’s fantasy. So he kept that bit of knowledge to himself.
He kept thinking about her, though. It was such a foalish thing, and he knew it. Big Mac had no reason to believe he’d ever see her again. He tried not to think of how he liked her little kiss on the cheek much more than that first kiss. The first one had been deceptive, almost cruel in its manner. But that second one kept him up at night, wondering if he might find some way to earn another.
Which was, again, foalish.
It was the morning of the fourth day, and the entire family was downstairs enjoying pancakes when there came a knock on the door. Apple Bloom darted off to answer it, thinking it would be her fellow Crusaders. When she came back, she had wide eyes.
“Uh, Big Mac?”
“Eeyup.”
She glanced back towards the door for a moment. “You’ve got a visitor.”
“Probably more well-wishers,” Granny Smith noted with a grin.
Applejack patted Big Mac on the shoulder. “Yer a regular celebrity righ’ now, big brother.”
“Yer tellin’ me,” Apple Bloom added anxiously. “Ah think this admirer’s from Canterlot! Ya’ll should see her.”
Big Mac’s heart skipped a beat as he stared at Apple Bloom. The others shared dubious looks as he quickly got up from the table and headed for the door, breath stuck in his chest.
He came to an abrupt stop in the hall, jaw dropping at the sight of Fleur de Lis. She stood just inside the doorway, cleaned up and as beautiful as the first time he’d seen her. No…perhaps she was even more beautiful. She was; she was smiling. That smile melted his heart.
“Well, you certainly seem happy to see me,” she noted with a blush.
Big Mac shook himself to try and get the clouds out of his head. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t think of anything to say other than “Eeyup.”
Fleur’s smile broadened just a touch. “Is that all you have to say?”
He heard hoofsteps, and glanced back to see his sisters and grandmother peering from around the corner. His mind was frantic; why couldn’t he think of anything to say?! Except “Eeyup.”
When he turned about he found Fleur standing just before him, her pretty violet eyes staring right into his. She poked his big chest with a hoof. “You rejected me, Mr. McIntosh. Do you remember?”
He swallowed, eyes locked with hers and heart pounding. His hooves felt like lead. “Eeyup.”
Fleur sat, her smile going wry. “I take that as a challenge.” She set her hooves to his shoulders, and his eyes went wide. “I thought you should know I’m accepting that challenge. Let me try this again.”
