> Disinterest
>  by AgentSnail
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Mixed Feelings
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rainbow Dash pushed a lock of her mane to one side, watching it slide back into position.  She licked a hoof and pushed it back once again, smiling as it stuck.  Her fashion had always been one of simplicity, though most of that was likely based on the fact that she hated the idea of makeup.  It was a stupid concept anyway.

Besides, she saw how Mac looked at her, why change a thing?

She looked at a clock on the wall of her bathroom, realizing with a slight twinge of nervousness that she only had a few minutes left.  There was always the idea of flying faster to save time, but she didn't want to end up sweaty.  Not when they were going to a restaurant, anyway.  She wouldn't mind if it was just her, but it would probably make Big Mac look bad if she showed up a ruffled, sweaty mess.  

This was the second date with the guy, but she still felt like the first one had been pointless.  She was fairly sure he was interested in her, but at the same time, he didn't seem to be.  The whole experience had been weird.  

Dash washed off a little bit of food that had stuck to her cheek, turning it towards the mirror to check that it was gone.  

Maybe the strangest bit of the whole thing had been Applejack's attempts to dissuade her.  Dash had had an eye on Mac for a while, on account of the fact that he was a complete hunk, to quote Rarity.  She'd watched him buck apples before and maintain the endurance to continue long after Applejack had called it a day.  

She didn't feel the same as the other mares, though.  They just looked at what they saw and swooned.  Dash, she liked to think, saw a little bit more.  His endurance, his refusal to quit.  He was the only pony more stubborn than Applejack, and that came from the farm mare's own mouth.  And he was one of the few stallions that would enjoy her strength and constant hard work, or so she figured.  He'd accepted her enough to get to that first date, and that was a lot farther than most mares had gotten.  

Actually, now that she thought of it, she wasn't sure if any had made it as far as she had.  Maybe he was just viewed as something impossible to attain.  Some of that made sense, with Mac's indifference and Applejack in the way.  

When she'd asked his sister if she was okay with the idea, she'd figured that she'd hear some kind of 'don't hurt him' remark, if anything, but that was absent.  Applejack had used a rather cunning system of half lies and implications against Dash's notion, though the blue mare had still followed through with it.  

Applejack's reaction hadn't been distinctly negative, and that gave Dash some hope.  She knew Mac was shy, along with pretty much every other argument Applejack had.  she didn't jump into relationships; she could muster the patience to wait.  It was one of the few things she was patient towards.

Something clicked in her head, and she wondered if Applejack had been implying that she wait for Big Mac to make his own choice.  He might not have liked getting asked out, especially when he was obliged to say yes.  He was too nice to turn her down, though the silent hesitation hadn't done much for her self-esteem.  Eh, she had enough of that anyway.

Dash hopped onto her windowsill, letting herself simply fall from the window.  Her wings spread, and as they started to level her out her thoughts continued.  

Mac never seemed disinterested in her, really.  He never looked elsewhere, kept eye contact and so on.  He listened, but he never tried to push things forwards.  Dash swiped a hoof down her face, groaning into the crisp air.  He definitely was an enigma.

Her flying practice had been off yesterday, and she had attributed the problem to thinking about him.  She'd long since stopped trying to sort out her feelings, and instead attempted to figure out how to figure out Mac himself.  Her progress there was just as low.  Too many variables, not enough information.  Great, now she sounded like Twilight.

The pegasus landed lightly, trotting along the road in thought.  Her mind processed another few words before she crashed into a mare and was forced to focus on the real world.  

"Sorry."  The blue pony said, picking up the other mare and dusting her off.  "My mind's somewhere else."

"No problem."  She replied, and Dash let out a little sigh of relief.  "I'm in the same situation anyway."  

Dash nodded and bid a short goodbye, trotting the final few seconds to the restaurant.  Mac was there, watching her with his usual stoic face.  Part of his mouth had turned upwards, probably because of how she had crashed into the mare a moment ago.  He was on time as always, and that made her feel a little guilty.  

"You been waiting long?"  She asked, staying a couple feet from his face so that she didn't have to crane her neck too much.  

"Bout five minutes."  He replied, in his usual southern drawl.  Short, as usual.  "Nuthin' too bad."

"Sorry about that."  Dash replied, blushing slightly.  "I didn't mean to be late."

"Ah was four minutes early anyway, so there ain't nuthin' ta be ashamed uh.  Waitin' isn't a big deal."

She bit her lip, having run out of things to say.  Mac took it in stride, turning to a mare behind a small podium.  "Macintosh, reservation fer two?"  He asked, watching her find his name on the list and cross it off.  

"Right this way, you two."  She said, leading them down a walkway and inside the building.  They turned and walked down an isle, before she set down the menus.  "Here we are," she said simply.  Dash thought she saw a bit of jealousy in the mare's eyes, but ignored it.  So far, there wasn't too much on the Mac Train to be jealous of.  

Mac pulled out her chair, waiting for her to sit down before he did himself.  Dash nodded, murmuring her thanks.  "So how was your day?"  She asked, mentally berating herself for the crappy question.  Like she couldn't infer anyway.

"Good, Ah suppose."  Mac said.  "Ah did more than ah expected ta do today.  You?"

"Just some weather duty."  She replied.  "I got in some flying practice."

A silence stretched on, and Rainbow wondered if she could just disappear from existence.  "Must be fun ta fly."  Mac said, nodding.  "If'n ya aren't afraid uh heights."

"Are you?"  Dash asked.

"Just a little."  Mac replied, losing his eye contact.  "Ah prefer ta keep mah hooves on the ground, if'n ya know what ah mean."

She paused.  That was a start, at least.  "Would you believe me if I told you that I used to be afraid of heights?"  Dash asked, and Mac shook his head.

"Ah'd probably say ya were full uh it."

"Well I was, which is kinda ironic, right?  A pegasus that didn't like heights?"

"Ya look like yer flying' pretty well now."  He said.  Now it was her turn to nod.  "How'd ya get past that?"

"My dad pushed me off a cloud and fell with me."  Dash chuckled.  "Once I swooped out of that one, it wasn't so bad.  Dad was a real trial by fire kind of guy."

"Tough love, I guess."  Mac said with a grin.  

A waiter set down a plate of bread, looking at the two ponies.  "Would you care for anything to drink?"  She asked.

"Just water is fine."  The two said in unison, sharing a glance and a chuckle.

"Need a few more minutes for food?"  The waiter inquired, looking at the duo's closed menus.  Dash blushed a little and nodded.

"You ever been here before, Dash?"  Mac asked, propping open his own menu.  

"Not before today."  She replied, flipping a page.  

"Mah cousin used to work here when we were colts.  He's doin' some sort of cook work up in Canterlot now, ah think."  Mac set down his menu, having apparently selected his entree.  

"You ever think about what you would do if you weren't apple farming?"  The pegasus queried, watching his brow furrow.  

"Ah have, and ah'm sure there's a lot ah'd be able to do outside uh apple buckin'…"  He trailed off, scratching at his chin.  "So ah guess this is what ah'd like ta do, 'cept with a little more time to travel.  Ah ain't got a long bucket list, but that don't mean I ain't got plans to check off every one of those boxes."

"What stuff do you have on there, besides traveling?"  Dash inquired, relinquishing her menu to rest her chin on a hoof.  He was a little more talkative than she had expected in the beginning, but he was far from a conversation starter.  Sometimes the stallion seemed almost content with silence, even though she was sure he had a lot to talk about.

"Well, ah'd like ta get a new cider up an' runnin' eventually, maybe even better than the last one.  Soon as Applebloom can put in a few hours to help, ah should be able ta entertain a few hobbies."

"Don't you already?"  Dash paused.  "Have hobbies, I mean?"

He blinked.  "Sometimes ah take a day off.  Weekends ah sleep in and do the easy chores like fixin' the house and feedin' the animals.  Ah'm mighty good with a hammer, in mah own view."

He could probably slap a nail into a board in one shot, Dash thought with a little grin.  At some point, he'd make great competition for training if he had the time.  She was surprised how busy Mac was, and how little he seemed to care about the fact that he worked himself ragged.  Maybe all the activity with the elements and things Applejack got pulled into had stuff to do with that.  But of all the ponies to take on such a feat of harvesting an apple orchard alone, Mac just seemed fitting, somehow.

"Sometimes ah whittle."  He said, still thinking.  "Oh!"  He exclaimed, and Dash jumped out of her thoughts.  "When it's not cloudy or too cold, ah take a sleepin' bag onto a hill near the orchard and watch the stars.  Ah've taken to learnin' the constellations as well."  He grinned, sitting back in his seat.  "And that's mah hobby."

Dash opened her mouth, then closed it again.  "I can't say I have much on the level of that."

"Hows about those flips and stuff you do all the time?"  He asked.  "Ya know, over the acres?"

"You watch me?"  She inquired, and he seemed to shrink back a little in his seat.

"Ah guess…"

"I'm not mad!"  Dash affirmed, waving a dismissive hoof.  "Just- didn't think I had an audience."

"Ah can stop if you-"

"No it's fine, Mac!"  It was kinda cute, in a way.  "Do you think I'm any good?"  As soon as she asked the question she felt just a little more nervous.  If he had really seen her fly a number of times, a bad opinion would be telling.  She knew he wouldn't say it that way, but at the same time she doubted the ability of an Apple to effectively lie.  

"It's more interestin' than the wonderbolts."  He said with a sigh.  "They were a waste of money, 'specially when ah don't need to leave home to get a free show."  

Dash guffawed, throwing a light punch into his shoulder across the small table.  Mac grinned back, rubbing at the point of contact.  They both broke into laughter, which ended as the waiter walked back up.  

"Have you decided what you'll be having?"  The mare asked, and both nodded.  She looked at Mac.

"Ah'll take the soup of the day with extra avocado, that little shrimp appetizer, the house salad, and the Straw Hat."  He said, handing the waiter his menu.  

"And for the lady?"  She asked.

"I… guess I'll just have what he's having."  Dash said, pensively.  "Think I'll explode, Mac?"  She asked as the waiter left.

He shrugged.  "It's not the most ah've ever eaten."

Like that was a measurement she could understand.  "I mean like-"

"Yeah, ah know."  He chuckled.  "Mare like you, ah doubt it.  Flyin' can't possibly be as leisurely as it looks."

"I think it's funny that you'd want to fly."  Dash began with a grin.  "I mean, you seem so at home when you're bucking apples.  Honestly, I think it would be hilarious to look at if you had wings."

Mac snorted, leaning back in his chair with a smirk.  The wood creaked under his weight.  "How's it you think ah look at home buckin' apples?  You watchin' me back?"  He asked, and Dash couldn't completely hide her blush.

She tapped her hooves together under the table.  "Maybe just a bit, but you can't really blame me."

"Is that so?"  He asked, a sarcastic sense of humor she'd never encountered before revealing itself.  It was more like a whole new Mac than just a bit of new humor, actually.

"Body like yours, it'd be surprising if I didn't get distracted sometimes."  Dash responded, holding their gaze for a few seconds.  They both broke out into another round of laughter, and she managed to hold back a blush. 

"Oh man…"  Mac trailed off, calming down.  "Yer funnier than I remember, Rainbow Dash.  Ah'm supposed to be the one given' you compliments, not the other way 'round, ya know."

"A guess I'm just that kind of mare."  She said, grinning as the waiter delivered their appetizers.  

"And how would you describe such a type of mare?"  He asked back.

"I think the word awesome would suffice."  She replied, leaning backwards and crossing her arms.  Dash fought the urge to rest her rear hooves on the table.  

"Maybe modest as well, ah think."  Mac added, and she giggled.  

Dinner passed by quickly, as the duo continued to laugh and make merry.  

Dash scraped the last bit of food from her plate, staring at it for a moment before she put her fork into her mouth.  "Oh man, I'm so full…"  She moaned, and Mac chuckled to himself.  

"Told ya not to eat the whole salad."  He said, his eyes sparkling.  The stallion counted out a pile of bits and pushed them onto the bill.  

"I told you that I'd-"

"Ah, it ain't no bother."  He replied.  "Ah don't get out much anyway, and ah'm sure as hey not gonna let ya pay yer own way.  I can spare the bits."

"Thanks."  Dash said, though she didn't particularly like the feeling of getting paid for.  "You enjoy the food?"  She asked, trying to get her thoughts off of her uncomfortable gut. 

"It was about what ah was expectin'.  You?"

"I liked it enough to hurt myself, so yeah."  Another chuckle from the guy.  "You ready to go?"

"Ah think ah could stand to move."  He replied, pulling himself up and out of his chair.  Dash followed suit, feeling at least a few pounds heavier than normal.  

"Ah…"  She mumbled, putting a hoof to her tummy.  "Isn't there a saying?  You know, friends don't let friends eat too much?"

He grinned.  "Ya took the challenge on.  Technically, ya succeeded."

"I don't feel like I won."  Dash replied, covering her mouth as she burped.  She followed Mac out of the restaurant and into the cool nighttime air.  His attention immediately turned to the cloudless sky, and the masses of stars above.  She nudged against him, notifying him that she'd caught up, but he seemed to jerk away.  "Something wrong?"  She inquired, and he broke eye contact to shake his head.

"Didn't know that was you."  He replied, but she could tell something was off.  That meant a lot, since she couldn't read ponies very well at all.  

"We should do this again sometime."  She said, and he nodded, smiling at her.  All of a sudden, he seemed to have retreated back into his normal habits and personality, and she couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why.

"Ah'd like that."  He replied, and they continued down the street.  She stopped a few steps later as they arrived at the entrance to the Apple Acres, and Mac stopped with some hesitation as well.  He stood still for a few moments, staring into her eyes.  She couldn't tell what emotion it was that she saw, but with a sigh he turned and started walking towards his house.  

Dash didn't move for a good minute, but only turned to watch the stallion retreat into the distance.  His head was a little bowed, and he hardly resembled the lively stallion from a few minutes ago.  She squinted an eye in confusion, tilting a furry eyebrow.  

She sighed, shook her head, and took off.  Part of her felt disappointed.  Dash had figured she'd get a kiss at least, after all that.  He seemed to like her enough, and that date had been so much better than the last.  But he hadn't, and it didn't look entirely like he was shy.  It almost looked like he had decided against the idea of pushing things further. 

Dash let out a groan.  She was supposed to understand stallions.  That was the thing she had over most mares, besides the striking good looks and athletic frame, of course.  But she didn't get Mac at all.  He acted so strangely, and every time she had him pinned to act one way, he would try something different.  

Maybe he was a colt cuddler?  No.  He wouldn't have accepted her date.  Or would he?  Did that make sense?  Was she a test to figure out if he was attracted to mares, and it had turned out that he wasn't?  It could be the shyness, though, but that sounded somewhat farfetched.  

Either way, she felt like shit.  Dash laughed, a bitter noise.  He hadn't rejected her, and he'd basically asked for another date.  But that- she felt like she was caught.  Mac was something different.  Each moment that went by, she noticed his body less.  He was so much more interesting and deep than she could've expected, and if she could get another date, she would.  Mac was a challenging stallion, so she'd just have to up the ante.  

That wasn't to say that she was impatient, really.  Outside of a few guys, most of her relationships had been quick.  Whenever she wanted a fun night, it wasn't hard for her to attract stallions.  She didn't feel proud of herself in the morning, but hey, she got lonely sometimes.  Tank wasn't very good companionship, as it turned out.

Dash landed in front of her house, nearly bumping into her front door in thought.  Her stomach had an annoying cramp going on, and it was making her thoughts harder to collect.  Too much food was an understatement.  

She didn't go upstairs to her bed, and instead laid down on her couch.  Mac was a riddle she could solve, if she put her mind to it.  Some part of this whole thing was annoying, because she didn't like being the one that fell for anypony.  It wasn't love at first sight; she hardly knew the guy.  So why was he all she could think about?

She could just add that to the list of unanswerables, she supposed.  Dash patted her belly, and it gargled back at her.  Suddenly, her eyes felt heavy.  She couldn't sleep now though, not before she had some plan of action.  Come to think of it, she had weather duty tomorrow, and a lot of it.  

Dash swore under her breath.  Persistence was out of the question as a tactic, although she figured Mac wouldn't like that anyway.  So she had a day to try to plan out a night that would move things forwards.  A kiss was a win.  But what was it that Rarity said?  Sex on the third date?  That better not happen, especially if this relationship was supposed to last for any amount of time.  Maybe she was just being sentimental, but Dash liked to think that when she found the right stallion, things would be different.  She wouldn't mind a bit of feeling in her relationships again.

Of course, if Mac was the expert at playing hard to get, she had a lot to learn.  Man, if he was putting her all through this and laughing, he was going to have a nice hoof print on his cheek in a few days.  

Dash fell asleep a few minutes later, with visions of a grand third date flying through her head.
> Emotions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Stupid wing."  Dash mumbled, stretching the appendage out with several audible cracks.  "Oh, that didn't sound good."  She continued, rotating it around in the air.  She'd slept on it funny, and it went without saying that she wasn't happy with the result.  It was sore, and now she was looking forward to weather duty even less.  

Tank stared up at her from the floor, blinking one eye.  Dash sighed, getting up from her couch and trotting into the kitchen.  She grabbed a lettuce head, ripping off a few leaves to toss to the tortoise.  She took a bite out of the rest of it, crunching as thoughts from last night resurfaced.  The cyan mare swallowed, taking another hunk from the spherical greens.  She'd been in the middle of trying to come up with a plan last night.

"Something big…"  She said, beginning to pace.  "A gesture that isn't girly, hopefully."  Dash put a hoof to her forehead, wracking her brain for any ideas.  Minutes passed, before she let herself up for air.  Sometimes she thought better when she was flying anyway.  She took a bite out of another bite of lettuce.  

"Don't burn down the house, Tank."  She said, and Tank stared.  "Guess I'm coming home to steam, then."  Dash sighed, hopping into the air and floating out a window.  She dropped like a rock, slowly pulling herself out of the dive as she neared the streets below.  She would just ask Mac to go somewhere tonight, but she didn't want to seem clingy.  She wasn't a clingy mare anyway.  At least, she was pretty sure.  

Dash skidded to a halt on Ponyville's main street, breaking into a trot as she pushed her way though the doors into the weather team's headquarters.  It was probably ironic that it wasn't made out of clouds and floating, but Ponyville wasn't heavy in pegasi.  Many of the staff members were unicorns and earth ponies, and the system ended up making sense.  Pegasi didn't tend to be the best accountants anyway, though Dash couldn't be sure exactly why.

The cyan mare slowed to a walk, moving through the door to her office.  She knocked her hoof into a bobble head of Soarin', watching it bounce around as she took her seat.  Dash put her hind hooves up on the table, draping her tail over one leg as she leaned back and closed her eyes.  She was a good fifteen minutes early anyway, on account of the fact that she hadn't slept well.  Too many fucking thoughts of Mac.  It was starting to get on her nerves.

She tried to put together a list of places that she figured Mac would like.  His tastes were simple, though they still had a bit of variation to them.  Some part of her was glad he hadn't ordered apples last night, in a way.  He wasn't totally focused on the things, at least.  

What about fancy places though?  She could imagine him liking someplace that was fairly nice.  It would be a nice change of pace from the usual stuff.  Then again, there was only one fancy place in Ponyville, and that was booked several years in the future.  Figuratively, of course.

That would be nice though, just her and Mac in some mood lighting with extravagant food.  Dash knew she had at least a few bits burning holes in her saddlebags.  Then again, he might want to pay, and-

"D-Dash?!"  A voice began.  "I didn't expect to see you here so early!"

"Oh, hey Flitter."  Dash responded, taking her hooves off the desk.  "How's life?"

"Gooooooood…"  She said, putting strange emphasis on the word.  Flitter took a seat, propping her head up with her hooves as she stared at Dash.

"Flitter, you're kinda creeping me out."

"Oh, shush.  What's he like?"  She asked.

"What?  Who?"

"Oh, you know."  

"Do I though?"  Dash inquired, shuffling a few papers around.  

"You can't expect to keep rumors from spreading, cap'n.  I heard that you're dating Macintosh, but I wanted to hear it from you.  It's a little far fetched that you-"  She covered her mouth.  "I mean, uh-"

"What did you mean, exactly?"  The weather captain asked, her face darkening with anger.  She felt slight relief at the slim reason to yell and let off a bit of steam.  "That I can't exhibit a bit of a personality?!"

"No, that's not-"

"Oh, that somepony like me isn't able to foster an actual relationship?!"  She felt her anger grow, although she couldn't figure out why it came quite as easily as it did.

"I didn't say that-"

"Then what the heck are you saying?!"  Dash took in a quick breath.  "Get out!"  She watched the mare leave and close the door behind herself, feeling a pang of guilt.  

Dash counted to ten in her head, sitting down and spinning in her chair.  When she came back around, she smacked a hoof into her desk, gritting her teeth.  It wasn't like her to explode like that, but something Flitter had said just resonated.  Ponies didn't tend to love her presence.  Dash had an ego, and wasn't agreeable on most everything.  If it was that clear that she couldn't hold down a relationship, then what were the chances that Mac had been repelled?  He was just the type of pony to be too polite to bring it up.

Maybe that was why he'd walked away, when he realized that he wasn't going to be able to tell her.  A tear of frustration slid off her muzzle and onto a piece of paper.  Dash swept it off the table, hissing in rage.  She felt so annoyed at everything, and she didn't even know why.  

No, she was mad at herself.  For screwing something up.  For taking this long to realize that it was probably her fault.  It was always like her to do that.  Every fucking time.  Dash let her head fall, bumping into the desk.  She was so tired, and she didn't even feel like moving anymore.  Part of her mind was trying to be optimistic, but the rest of her didn't want to be.  She'd created the mess, and she deserved the consequences.  Getting angry at Flitter was collateral damage, and she knew she'd need to apologize later.

Hopefully the mare wouldn't spread rumors about her the way everypony seemed to.  She wasn't sure how it would be spun, but she doubted it'd be correct.  Or maybe it would.  She was sitting in here, throwing a tantrum over the fact that she couldn't figure out her own emotions.  How old was she anyway?

Dash pulled her head off of the desk, resting her chin on a hoof.  Her mind seemed to reboot, supplying her with a stream of actual intelligible thoughts.  She wasn't giving up on Mac, she knew that.  Not until she knew she wasn't wanted, anyway.  But she had to go about this carefully.  She didn't want ponies to know what she was doing, and that included him at the moment.  She needed a plan and a weak point, something that Mac would like more than something else.  She needed something so show him that he held a lot of her interest.  That she really did like him.

His love of astronomy came to mind, but that seemed like something to remember for later.  It didn't seem to apply anyway, with the forecast for clouds.  So that was out of the question.  Dash felt another bolt of annoyance lance through her brain.  

No.  This was stupid.  She just needed to find a good way to think about it.  Look on the bright side.

It was a challenge, for sure.  She never gave up on anything, and this wouldn't be a start.  She'd told herself that a million times.  But this was completely different from flying or a competition.  Dash was dealing with somepony else now, and she wasn't any good at it.  She'd thought she was good at picking up guys, but that was probably due more to the fact that it wasn't anything long, and she had the body and heavy flirting to back it up.  That stuff wouldn't help her with a guy that wanted something lasting.

Dash knew her competition, as always, although it was a little different this time.  In some strange way, she liked trying new things like this, and getting Mac was kind of a victory in itself.  It meant something, knowing her, that she wanted to try so hard to keep what little she had to hold onto.   She figured she'd be the first to cut her losses with so little going on.

A knock at the door shattered Dash from her thoughts, and she cursed under her breath.  "Come in!"  She yelled, managing to keep her voice waver free.  Thunderlane pushed the door open, walking a few steps inside.  

"We're ready to set up, Rainbow Dash."  He said, and she nodded, getting out of her chair to follow him.  He stopped, turning his head back towards her.  "And I know it's none of my business, but what happened between you and Flitter?"

"I-"  Dash sighed.  "I owe her an apology, I know that much.  I'm just a little tired and stressed is all."  Thunderlane nodded, and an idea popped into Dash's head.  "Hey, on an unrelated topic, don't you have a marefriend?" 

"Well- yeah, but I mean-"  He paused, looking at her oddly.  "Why?"

"Look, it's nothing weird."  Only for her, really.  "I- can you meet me here after work?"  She asked.

"Nothing weird?"  He questioned.  "Because Cloudchaser is already kinda pissed at me over something."  He scratched his head.  "I'm not really sure what it is though…"

Dash sighed, pushing at him lightly with a hoof so that he would get out of the way.  "Let's just get this stupid storm together."


________________________________________________________


Dash pushed a cloud into place, sighing as it locked itself into the cloudbank.  It was a particularly boring day, not even a breeze to goof off on.  Usually whenever a wind gust came by, she'd take it as a perfect opportunity to throw in a trick or two with the extra lift.  It made weather duty bearable on days like these.  

The fact that spring hadn't come into bloom yet made things look dreary, especially with the delayed rain.  Estrous had messed with their schedule, and the fact that the sun had come out a few days early really messed with the temperature and humidity that they were supposed to maintain.  It had taken weeks to fix it all, although it would have taken a lot longer without Thunderlane throwing in a hoof where he could.  She couldn't really prove that, because she'd removed herself from the scene, but still.  He was next in line to get a promotion, when the year-end reviews came around.  Besides, it fit his character.  The reports couldn't be that far off.

But her thoughts quickly drifted back to Mac, as she had expected them to.  Dash had gotten her emotions under control at least a little, and it felt good to be able to think again.  Her mind was still working at full speed, trying to run through scenario after scenario towards a possible solution.  

All she had come up with by this point was that it was more than just her drive to win.  She was sure that there was substance with him, and even though her first actual conversation with Mac and her shot at asking him out had been in an attempt to woo him when no pony else could, she knew that when she got there it wouldn't be a hollow victory.  She had a shot at a relationship with a pony that was a lot like her, and had a body to boot.  He seemed smart as well, and that was just icing on the cake.  Not that she would be very interested if he had turned out to be a total dolt.  If she was going for a real relationship, then he had to be smart.  His banter back and forth with her had easily shown that he could keep up.

There was probably another hint somewhere in the fact that he didn't have wings, and her lack of concern over such a thing.  She thought about it, and didn't really care.  So he couldn't fly.  She didn't need him to.  She tried to convince herself that it would be annoying and stupid to have a coltfriend that couldn't explore the skies with her, that she wouldn't ever get a playful challenge out of him.

But he pushed himself hard, and she saw a little of herself in that.  So he couldn't fly.  He could still push her.  Dash didn't have speed records in everything yet anyway.  So what if he could only push her in some ways?  They'd be new ones, that was for sure.

She was just beating around the bush, and she knew it.  She could see the farm from here, along with its red-coated resident traveling between the rows.  Dash pushed a large cloud into place, giving a quick salute to the pony that had helped her.  As she turned to look around for some more clouds.  

There were more than enough hanging over Sweet Apple Acres, and while part of her really wanted to go over and watch Mac like she occasionally did, the other part of her didn't want to risk being seen and making things worse.  But her reasonable thinking lost as soon as she saw him appear again.

Maybe she could figure something out about what he was thinking, or something that could help her.  Dash looked around, finding her sector devoid of ponies.  She had a reputation for being lazy, but she didn't want to actively encourage it.  The mare grabbed a nearby cloud, pushing her hooves in a little ways so that she could pull the fluff apart.  She quickly hollowed it out, climbing inside before she closed up the cloud behind herself.  She pressed her hoof through the bottom of the cloud, making a little hole that she could see through.  Even if Mac did look up, there was no way she could see her in here.  

She unfolded her wings as much as she could and began to push wind through the cloud, drifting slowly as she approached the acres.  After a few minutes, the first apple trees came into view, and Dash felt a slight pang of nervousness.  If she missed him drifting like this, she would have to float over and try again once she was a ways away.  Changing direction was too obvious, especially with the sun casting shadows below her.  

But Mac came into view and she allowed herself to slow, coming to a halt ever so slowly.  He was concentrating on his job, and she took the time to begin dropping in altitude.  She heard him grunt and kick a tree, a resounding thump echoing out as apples fell.  It looked way more menacing than Applejack's kick, and that meant something.  Of course, Dash had seen him preform the same smooth action dozens of times.  The way he tensed up, the way his muscles just rippled when he-

Dash put a hoof to her forehead, sighing.  She wondered if he knew he was a sweet bit of eye candy.  That he could basically ask any mare to sleep with him and they would.  Well, maybe that was a stretch, but it made Dash want him a little more.  The competition and growing likeness had really done a number on her.  As if floating around in a hollow cloud after him for a smidgeon of information didn't say that loud and clear.

Mac had finished getting the apples into barrels, and loaded a few into a wagon that he had brought along. He dipped his head under the single yoke and struggled to get himself attached before testing the connection.  He planted his hooves in the ground and the cart began to move, getting up to his cruising velocity in only a couple seconds.  It always amazed Dash, seeing stuff like this first hoof.  Even if she had no interest in Mac, she could still find interest in what he did.  He dwarfed Applejack in the things he could do, which was understandable with his size, but when he pulled stuff like this it just looked mismatched.  Like it should've been impossible in the first place.

She kept Mac in her view as he drew the wagon into their barn, coming out a few minutes later.  He looked a little under the weather, though she supposed he had just moved a huge amount of stuff up a slight incline.  But he usually seemed to shake that off.  Whatever, she honestly hadn't watched him a whole lot.  

Applejack walked up to him as he exited the barn, and some hushed conversation went on about something or other.  Dash didn't care too much; she didn't want to creep more than she had to.  Mac shook his head, and uttered the only words she could hear.  "Not yet."  He said, and Dash's heart sunk a little.  Not yet what?  He hadn't continued their relationship yet?  He hadn't kissed her yet?  Hadn't found a mare he actually wanted?

Dash eyed them, as Mac shifted awkwardly, his head facing downwards.  Applejack took a couple steps forwards, putting a hoof around the larger Stallion's neck.  It looked like the smaller mare was trying to comfort him, although Dash had no idea how that necessarily pertained to anything she'd just heard.  She didn't want to think that his emotions were related to her, but some part of her brain assumed the worst.  

The pair walked back towards their house, disappearing inside.  Dash let herself roll onto one side, trying to make sense of what little information she had.  She couldn't possibly hope to, and she wished she hadn't even tried to get more.  She felt like the addition of what she'd heard had just left her farther away from where she wanted to get.  

Dash opened up her cloud base, flying away silently.  Maybe her little chat with Thunderlane could clear something up.


_______________________________________________________


Dash checked her office clock once again, watching the second hand click around slowly.  The door opened and she jumped, taking her hind legs off the desk in a hurry.  When she saw that it was only Thunderlane, she replaced them and pointed to the seat across from herself.  

"So, I still don't know what I'm supposed to be doing here."  The stallion said, looking nervous.

Dash took her hooves off the desk again, opting to lean over the surface.  "You better never tell anypony that this happened."  She said.

"I won't, I guess."  He replied.

"That really sounds trustworthy."  Dash mumbled back.

"Yeah, well I don't know what I'm doing."

"Look, I'll be straight with you.  I had a couple dates with Big Macintosh, and he's a complete mystery to me."

"That doesn't surprise me."  Thunderlane responded, before quickly adding, "He kinda is to everyone."

"I just hoped that maybe, being a guy, you could give me some sort of advice?"

Thunderlane leaned backwards in his chair, putting a hoof under his chin in thought.  He let out a thoughtful hum.  "Well, there's always a place in a guy's heart for a mare he can relate to.  I mean, there's the whole physical attraction, but after that, it's all about keeping the guy involved.  We get bored of looks."

"So like, things in common."

"That's one part.  Mac could just be clueless, but I like to think he isn't.  I know the guy, kind of, and when we actually had conversations, he was always kinda funny.  Made a couple of slightly dirty jokes once."

"So then why is he distancing himself?"

"Maybe he just wants his choice?  He's got anypony he wants.  But he obviously agreed to going on a date with you, even though guys don't like girls asking them out too much.  So there must be something.  He talk a lot?"

"More than I expected him to."  Dash replied, rolling a pencil under her hoof.

"I'd say that's also a good thing.  Look, you've got no choice other than to continue, so you'll have to do that."

"Yeah, but what kind of things should I do?"  

Thunderlane thought some more.  "It doesn't need to be much.  Stallions are cheap.  Sure, a dinner would be good, but spending time with him is just as good.  Go buck some trees with him, bring a lunch.  Cloudchaser got me to ask her out with things like that, when she was really just paying attention to me."

"Well I could've done that.  How could they not want anything?"

Thunderlane chuckled.  "Pride.  Stroke his pride and give him a little attention, stay even moderately desirable and give him chances to take the lead, and you've got a new colt friend.  Only hard part is keeping him from knowing what you're doing.  So no 'Oh Big Mac, you're so very strong' stuff, alright?  Just be yourself, but do it around him."  He got up, turning to leave.

"Thanks."  Dash said, and he nodded.  

"Oh, one more thing.  Never throw a race or a competition.  Winnning out of pity sucks.  Complete turn off."

"That pride, huh?"

"Yeah.  Surest way to a guy's heart."  He paused, standing in the doorway.  "Other than complimenting his sexual prowess."  He laughed at his own comment, voice fading as he walked away.  

Dash pondered his comments, finding that what he'd said made a fair amount of sense.  In a lot of ways, the joke that stallions were simpletons had merit.  They were fairly easy, if you just changed a couple things for each one.  Of course, she didn't know how to change them to fit Mac.

Dash got up, grabbed her keys, and exited her office.  She locked it behind herself, sighing.  The dreary light from outside seemed to mesh with her emotions perfectly as she left, giving a slight wave to the receptionist.  They'd finished early despite Dash's distractions, and she realized that doing something dinner related with Mac was still an option.  

The mare took to walking, keeping her head down in thought as she walked through town.  Walking was always the best way she had to think.  Flying always turned into speed or a trick, or this and that.  It was too much fun to keep concentrated on something serious, though it sometimes worked nonetheless.

Her eyes raised to Twilight's library, and she altered her course to walk inside.  She wasn't going to ask Twilight for relationship advice.  That would be like asking a mathematician about his opinion on art.  That wasn't to say Dash didn't have an idea, though.

The cyan mare opened the door, trotting inside.  A few stacks of books were here and there, so she could tell Twilight had been working.  

"Twilight?"  She called out, and the mare raised her head above a small wall of books.

"Dash?  What're you doing here?"

"I was actually- well, I need a favor."

Twilight set down her book, walking over.  "Yeah?"

"Well, since you still owe me for saving you from that one aerial crash…"

"That I'll apparently never stop hearing about…"  The lavender mare responded, looking annoyed.

"I heard you had reservations with the Princess for dinner tonight.  You know, to talk about princess stuff."

"Yeah…"  Twilight urged Dash, making a gesture with her hoof to continue.

"Can I have them?"  She asked, watching Twilight's face scrunch into an odd expression.  "Look, I really need it, and you can just say that you forgot to make them and go anyway.  They won't turn down a princess."  Dash waited a few seconds, her heartbeat sounding in her ears.  "Please?"

"Why do you need them so badly, Dash?  Who are you trying to impress?"

"It's not about impressing anypony, Twilight.  I just- I need a shot.  An opportunity."

Twilight was silent, and Dash figured that things wouldn't pan out.  She sighed, and began to turn around.  "Fine."  Twilight said, and Dash's eyes went wide.  "I'll go over with you, and we'll change it.  This won't reflect well on me, but I think I can make an exception just this once."

Dash almost launched herself into the other mare, her hooves wrapped tightly around Twilight's neck.  "Thankyouthankyouthankyou!"  She exclaimed, squeezing her arms in a tighter hug.

"Yeah."  Twilight grumbled. "Don't get too used to it."


_________________________________________________________________


Dash balanced herself on one of the larger branches of an apple tree, watching Mac work his way down the row.  He kicked another tree, and the sounds of apples hitting the bottom of buckets filled the air.  

"Ah can see ya there, Rainbow Dash."  He said, and Dash jumped.  "Blue don't match with green."  Dash hopped from the tree, her cover blown.  "What brings ya out here?"

"You."  She replied.  That was supposed to just be a thought.  She was pretty sure Mac blushed, but she couldn't tell.  Dash looked away.  "Look, I got us reservations at the Ruby Bale.  I don't know if you want to come, of if you even want this relationship to continue, but I'll be there at seven.  I hope you are too."  She chanced a glance at Mac, who looked completely mortified.

"Dash, Ah didn't mean ta make ya think-"

"Look, it's your choice, alright?"  She said, turning to take off.  Mac galloped over and grabbed her tail before she could, keeping her grounded.

"Ah'll be there, alright?"  He asked, his face full of what almost looked like fear.  Maybe he did care.  Dash nodded, letting her mouth turn up into a smile.  She flapped her wings, but he held firm.  "And Ah'm sorry Ah'm actin' weird, Ah just have a lot goin' on."

Dash wanted to get mad at him, but she didn't.  She was just glad that things hadn't exploded around her, because of her.  Not yet, anyway.  Instead, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek before he could resist, grinning as he lost his grip on her tail and she flew off.  Dash turned around to see him put his hoof to his cheek where she'd kissed him, and she grinned a little wider. 

Maybe there was still hope after all.
> Change of Plans
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash felt giddy.  She couldn't sit still, and she found herself pacing around her house aimlessly.  Tank watched her go this way and that, his head swaying side to side as she passed.  It was funny that she was giddy about any of this.  A kiss wasn't anything she hadn't done, but the way Mac had looked afterwards had etched itself into her brain.  She could still make out his blush, his scared face when she said that he should make a choice to end it.  

He didn't reject her, and that made her feel good for a change, a high point on the roller coaster of emotions she'd felt over the past couple days.  She hadn't gotten mad at him, which was a little surprising to her.  She was expecting that she'd go off on him given the chance, accuse him of playing with her emotions or some crap.  But she hadn't, and she didn't know why.  She just felt so relieved that it wasn't true and that her voice hadn't wavered.  That was probably for the best anyway.

She was also just remembering the feelings she had last time she was in a relationship.  This barely counted as of yet, but it was still something she could put her mind behind.  Dash felt like she had more energy than she knew what to do with, and almost deliriously excited.  Her eyes caught an open window, and she decided to do a little flying.

The cyan mare got a running start, folding her hooves close to her chest as she sailed through the cloud window and into open sky.  She stuck out a wingtip, rolling as she followed the parabolic descent.  Wind slid over her muzzle as she neared the carpet of dark grey clouds below.  Dash spread her wings, finishing a final roll as she pulled out of her dive.  She dipped a forehoof into the surface of the cloud, drawing a long line in the surface as she shot past.  

The air was nice for flying today.  Perfect for storms as well, a nice low pressure system to allow her that little bit of extra speed.  Dash laughed to herself, wondering why ponies could control the weather itself, but not the pressure systems that compounded their effects.  It explained why they had a quota at the end of the year for rain as opposed to a schedule.  It was easier to build storms during the times the atmosphere helped them out.  The thing fed on itself a little bit that way, and they ended up with a lot fewer issues.

Dash banked, drawing a large semicircle in the clouds with a wingtip.  She gave herself a line, staring at a mound of clouds not too far away, and decided to see how well she could keep it.  She picked up speed, banking herself upwards until she was about vertical.  

Her wings folded in, a wingtip creating some asymmetric drag and beginning a slow spin as she decelerated.  Dash flapped with the same wing, spinning faster as she came to a halt and the food she'd eaten a minute ago lurched.  The sky and clouds mixed together in her vision, blurring as she felt herself turn upside down.  She was just counting the spins, attempting to find her position as she fell.

She counted down from three, splaying her wings and stopping her spin as she pulled out of her dive.  She watched the mound of clouds go by just to her right a moment later, shaking her head in slight annoyance.  Eh, she couldn't really get annoyed right now.  She was in way too good a mood.  

Dash slowed, watching the mound of cloud rise as it developed into a thunderhead.  She flew lazily around it, wondering how large it would grow before the rain started.  If it didn't begin by eight, she would have to start it manually, but that was usually avoided by following the weather patterns anyway.  She really didn't like the fact that things worked on their own, but it gave her an excuse to be lazy.

Besides, she had several hours to burn before she had to meet Mac, and she could just see what happened with the storm as she flew.  It seemed like the perfect compliment to a hectic morning.  She got some flying practice in, and got to think about a guy that she was sure was interested in her.  Well, ninety percent sure.  

Dash would take those odds any day.


____________________________________________________


Dash chuckled to herself, adjusting her mane a little bit.  It was the first time she'd beaten Mac to a date.  She could see him walking towards her, ponies moving out of the way respectfully.  With the momentum he had, they'd probably end up sprawled out in a head on collision anyway.  He looked tired, maybe a little under the weather.  It reminded Dash of how he had looked earlier today. 

Mac stopped in front of her, and she wondered if she'd just been in thought the entire time he'd taken to draw closer.  She grinned up at him, forcing her thoughts away.  "Hey Mac!"  She exclaimed, her voice sounding a little shaky through her excitement.  

He looked down at her, sending a slight grin back.  He pulled off his silly looking top-hat, and removed a rose from inside.  He held it out to her, and she almost let out a noise of surprise.  "Ah got ya this on the way here."  He said shortly, pausing for a moment before following up, "Ah saw what a bright red it was, and ah just thought of ya."  Before she could take it out of his hoof, he reached over and gently placed it behind her ear, weaving it through a few fibers of her mane.  It didn't have any thorns, luckily.

"Thanks, Mac."  Dash said, looking at the rose out of the corner of her eye.  

Mac wasn't finished, however, and with a sigh, put a hoof to her chin to get her attention.  "Ah'm sorry about last night, if ya thought ah was blowin' ya off, or if ah didn't like ya, but-"  He sighed.  "Ah dunno, I was just a little scared."

How could he possibly be scared of anything involving romance?  He had it the easiest, and he didn't even know it.  But scared of what?  That she wouldn't like him?  Hadn't it been obvious enough?

"Dash?"  He asked, and she snapped out of her thoughts.  "Ya hear me?"

"Yeah."  She replied, "I can't say I'm the most experienced with dating either, so I guess we'll just work through it together, alright?"

He nodded, smiling.  Dash had a quick mental argument in her head before she decided to lean forwards and hug him around his neck.  Mac didn't resist, putting his heavy hooves around her back a moment later.  

She couldn't get over how thick his neck was.  He smelled of apples and dirt, and something else she recognized but couldn't quite place.  It was so faint it just wafted away with the breeze, and she gave up on trying.

"So, we've got a nice dinner ahead of us,"  Dash began, releasing him,  "and I say we put this stuff behind us and enjoy it for what it is."

"Ah second that notion." Mac replied, walking with her towards the pony taking reservations.  "Ah thought you'd misspoke when ya said this place.  Ah don't know how ya got a reservation."

"I pulled some strings."  Dash replied cryptically, smirking.

"So long as ya don't expect ta be payin' the bill."  He replied, looking away.  Some part of Dash recalled the conversation she'd had with Thunderlane about pride.  She could relate to that especially.  

"Rainbow Dash, I assume?"  The doorman asked, looking down a list and crossing off her name.  "Right this way."

As he opened the door to the restaurant, Dash couldn't help but feel underdressed.  She couldn't find a pony that wasn't nicely dressed, look as she may.  Her only consolation was that Mac was as naked as she was, minus the silly hat.  It was a good hat, but it just looked way too small to not be a joke.  She got a laugh out of the thing and decided to let herself drop it.  

The waiter pulled out a chair and she sat down, as Mac waved her off and did the same.  Another pony walked up, standing at the table and waiting for their attention.  "Warm towel?"  He asked, and Dash shared a look with Mac.  Yup, definitely underdressed.

"Yeeeeaaaaaah…"  Dash said, taking it out of his tongs tentatively.  Mac was staring at his with an equal level of complete confusion.  "Hey-"  She began, but the pony was already gone.

Mac looked nervous.  He picked up a piece of silverware that shimmered in the light, and she knew what he was thinking.  Take him somewhere where you can be yourselves.  Where you can show him why you're better than they are, she thought to herself.  Besides, his insistence on paying would just make him flat out broke.  

"Hey Mac, let's get out of here."  She said, and he diverted his gaze from a gold rimmed bowl, carefully setting it back on his plate.  

"It takes months ta get reservations here.  We can't just leave."

She waved her hoof dismissively.  "I got them yesterday."  

Mac let out a breath of air that sounded like a mixture between 'how?' and 'what?'  She wondered if his world was about to crumble around himself.  But with a shake of his head, he set down his little towel and stood.

"Ya ready?"  He asked, and she nodded, standing up as well.  A waiter walked by and Mac grabbed her, pulling them both behind a privacy wall.  "Gotta move all secret like."  he explained, and Dash giggled.  She peeked around the wall, ducking backwards as a waiter passed by.  She turned, an irritated look from a stallion in a booth making the both of them chuckle.  

Mac tapped her and they reversed, moving through the group of tables slowly, heads turning in every direction.  Dash failed to stifle a laugh, watching Mac try to act stealthy when he was huge and red.  Like there was anything more obvious.  To her surprise, he bumped through a door labeled 'employees only', and with a little bit of trepidation, she pushed through as well.  

"Mac, what are you doing?"  Dash asked, and he only grinned back, looking at the cooks bustling about.  

"Ah know a pony that works here."  He said, as if that explained much more than the bare minimum.  It would've irked Dash is she wasn't used to it by now.  Or expecting it, for that matter.  

He walked a few steps forwards, a cook drawing notice.  The busy pony murmured something to another, who's head snapped to one side.  "Macintosh!"  He exclaimed.  "Never thought you'd cash in on that favor!"  

"Ex, at your service."  Ex said with a bow.  "It's short for Exquisite, but that's no fun to say.  'Sides, ex sounds cooler."

"'Less he breaks up with a marefriend."  Mac said.  

Ex batted a hoof at Mac.  "That's still fun for me, because then they'll sound stupid trying to explain who they dated!"  He paused, grinning ear-to-ear.  "So what can I do for ya?"  He asked.

"Ain't callin' in that favor yet."  Mac replied.  He leaned over and whispered something to the stallion, who nodded.  

"I wish I could say I was responsible for that stuff.  It's definitely worthy."  Ex replied.  "But look, don't be a stranger, alright?  It's been too long since we did something."

"Ah'll stay in touch."  Mac replied, turning to Dash.  "Ah got a plan uh action."  He said confidently, and Dash almost verbally expressed her excitement.  Something was happening, and it wasn't even due to any prompting by her, other than that they should leave.  She was looking at a Mac that she'd never knew existed or expected, and she liked him a little bit more every second that passed.  

"Dash!"  He exclaimed, and she shook herself out of her thoughts.  "We've got places ta be, come on!"  He grabbed her hoof, pulling her through the busy kitchen and through a back door.  The rain had started, lightly drizzling onto their backs.  It wouldn't be long until this thing became a complete downpour.

"How do you know him?"  Dash asked as he let go of her hoof and slowed down.  

"We were buddies back in school, never really lost touch.  Probably helps that we both live here in town still."

"Yeah, but about what you asked him…"  She trailed off, trying to extract some information.  His hoof pressed to her lips, and Dash stared.  

"Ah'm gonna keep that a secret, 'lil lady."  He replied, a hint of humor running along his voice.  "'Sides, if'n ya kept yer hooves on the ground a little more, ya might have a bit of ah clue."  With that he turned and took a few steps away, turning his head to beckon.  Dash broke into a trot, catching up with his pace.  She found that even at what looked like a leisurely pace for him, she had to trot every couple seconds to stay side by side.  

"Mac, I've got short legs!"  She exclaimed, laughing as she caught up again.  "Slow down!"

He snorted in amusement, allowing her to walk a few steps past him so that he could attune his pace.  They were going down a side street, passing several ponies here or there.  It was nowhere near as busy as Main Street, and she couldn't say she ventured into much of the town other than the places she needed to go.  Mac seemed to be one to do the same thing, but it looked like she might be wrong.

Mac took the top hat off his head, situating it over her mane.  He nodded in approval.  "Looks better on ya."

"Where'd you even get a top hat?"  Dash asked, giggling as she pulled it a little more onto her head.  

"Ah won it."  He replied.  For a moment she thought he might actually continue.  

"How?"  She followed up.

"Well, Ah-"  He stopped, peering up at a sign.  "Here we are.  Come on."  He turned into an alleyway, the sign marking it as the 'Hole in the Map.'  It seemed shifty to put things lightly, despite the sounds of activity filtering through it.  But she trusted Mac, at least somewhat.  

"Mac, are you sure this is where we're supposed to be going?"  She asked, and he nodded.  

"Better be, 'else Ah'm just goin' crazy."  They turned a corner, and the alley opened up into a square filled with ponies and storefronts.  A fountain stood out in the middle of the opening, perfect arcs of water stemming from its statue into a larger pool.  

"How have I not seen this before?"  Dash asked, ducking under a paper lantern as they walked across the stones that she just now noticed made a rather pretty mosaic.  

"Ya looked up yet?"  Mac asked, and she did.  Graceful arches stretched from either corner of the square, creating a dome over the covered courtyard as rivulets of rain streaked across the somewhat translucent ceiling.  "They call it the hole in the map because this block used to be one big building, and in the Ponyville map, it got adjusted when everything changed.  But the ponies that built the new stores covered it like this, trying to make something new and interestin', Ah guess.  Yer not the only pegasus not to know 'bout it, it's mostly earth ponies on account of the produce that goes through here.  So it looks like the hole was just a mistake from the air."

"Yeah, but it's just so-"  Dash trailed off, her eyes wide as she took in the lanterns, wobbling as a slight breeze swirled.  "I'm really glad that somepony finally showed me this, Mac."  She leaned into his side, stiffening slightly as she remembered the outcome last time.  But besides a slight jump, he let her stay.  Why was he different tonight?  What had changed?

Dash took a quick breath, picking up the same smell that she recognized, but couldn't place.  As soon as she picked it out, however, it was gone.  The lights and pillars extending towards the ceiling far ahead quickly regained her concentration.

"We've still got to get dinner."  Mac said, pulling her away from her view.  They trotted across the square, stopping in front of one of the storefronts.  It had a row of stools out front, most of which were empty.  Mac took one, giving her a hoof onto the next stool over.  

"This is where your friend said to go?"  Dash asked.  Mac did a half shrug.

"Ah only asked him if he thought the food was actually good.  Ah'm not one known for culinary mastery."  He chuckled to himself.  "Mah opinion says that it's the best in town, but that don't always mean as much as it sounds like it does."

"The usual?"  A pony said, pulling off a small hat to wipe his brow.  "What about the lady friend?"  

"Get me the same."  Dash replied, giving Mac a playful punch to the shoulder as the pony turned away.  "You had this all planned out, didn't you?"

"No."  He replied, keeping a straight face only briefly before it turned into a grin.  "Well, since the restaurant."  He sighed, a quiet laugh following his breath.  "Ah suppose that Ah always wanted to take a mare here, but Ah just…"  He twirled a hoof, and with an internal chuckle, Dash wondered if he'd run out of words to use for today.  He really needed more than a hundred any other day.  "Didn't have any mares."  He finished suddenly.

"If you don't mind me asking, how come you don't date more often?"  Dash asked.  Probably not the best question.  "Why me in particular when the whole of Ponyville is attracted to you?"

"They aren't attracted to me.  Not really."  He replied, a long silence stretching on.  Dash rolled her eyes, something Mac luckily missed.  "Ah guess, what Ah'm tryin' ta say is, they only really go after me cuz Ah'm good looking, apparently.  Ain't nothin' more than a physical romance goin' on there.  Ah don't want one-night stands, Ah want somepony that cares about the parts of me they can't touch."  

"Mac!"  A pony exclaimed, throwing a hoof around the red stallion's neck.  "It's about freakin' time you get a mare!"  The random stallion looked her over, grinning at Mac.  "At least being picky got you somewhere, Mac."  He laughed as the red stallion pushed him away with a hoof.  "Fine, I'll let you have your night."

"Sorry about that."  Mac said nervously.  

"It's no problem."  Dash replied.  "I'd do the same if I saw one of my friends anyway.  A bowl slid in front of her, and she gasped.  It was a simple bowl, filled with noodles of all sorts and covered with vegetables and bits of seafood.  The smell reached her nostrils and her mouth watered.  She hadn't realized how hungry she was.  "Oh, this was sooo worth leaving that other place."


___________________________________________________


Dash eyed a bit of a shrimp still at the bottom of her bowl.  "If I believe in myself, I bet I could eat that without exploding."  Mac looked at her, then the bowl, and laughed.  He took another mouthful of his dwindling meal.  He hardly seemed to be slowing down, though she supposed he was bigger and worked more, so there was that.  

"How am ah supposed to explain that ta mah sister?"  He asked, grinning.  "But Ah guess it'd keep the mares from ogling' as much if a mare exploded on her third date with me.  Carry on."  He went back to his food, his ear perking as she chuckled.  His smile grew a little wider.  

"I trusted you, Mac."  Dash replied with feigned disappointment.  "You know I've broken my food addiction for almost four hours."  

Mac let out a noise that sounded like a cough, and he turned away quickly, continuing to laugh.  

"You okay?"  She asked, but he waved a hoof at her.  He pulled a napkin from the table and blew his nose, shuddering as he tossed it into a garbage can behind the counter.  

"Try not ta make me laugh while Ah'm eatin'."  He said, pushing at his muzzle with a hoof and making a face of complete disgust.  "Eeew."  He exclaimed, blowing his nose into another napkin.  "Noodles."

"Didn't think I could make you laugh that hard."  Dash cringed, looking towards him with a bit of worry.  

"No harm done."  Mac replied.  "Ah should've been expecting' that."  He clapped his hooves together, smiling.  "Hows about a little desert?"

"Mac, I can't-"

"Eh, I've seen how you eat.  Ya can find space."  

Dash laughed, hopping off her stool.  Her stomach sloshed uncomfortably.  "You seem to be confident in a mare that seemed to know she would explode a minute ago."

"Or Ah planned this night a little more than Ah should have."  He said, scratching the back of his head.  Mac led them across the square again, stopping in front of what appeared to be an ice cream parlor.  He pushed some bits onto the counter, looking to her.  The pony behind the register followed suit a moment later.

"Number three?"  She asked, and Mac made an arm movement that she almost missed.  "What?"

"I just wanted the same thing."  He replied.  "Never gonna branch out from chocolate if I don't have to."  He grabbed a couple of cones from the vendor a moment later, handing one to her.  His top hat almost fell from her head, but she pushed it back on.

"I would say that I'd drink to that, but I guess it's not applicable."  Dash replied, grinning.  She walked over to the fountain, sitting on the side with her cone in hoof.  She took a long lick, surprised at how good it tasted.  It covered her tongue in a film of delicious flavor, and that was just the first lick.

"Ya look like yer enjoyin' that."  Mac observed, taking a bite out of his ice cream.

"Says the guy who bites ice cream."

He looked at his cone, then at her.  "Do ya not?"

"I just get brain freeze."  Dash replied, grabbing a drip of the soft-serve with her tongue as it threatened to seep over the side of the cone.  "And I'm pretty sure you're supposed to enjoy ice-cream, not act like it's the only food you've had for weeks."

"Ah don't tell ya how ta live."  Mac said, smirking.  He took another bite of ice cream.  

"So, Mac, you never did say why you chose me over those other mares…"  Dash trailed off.  She didn't want to put him into another situation where he would get scared, but then again, she wanted to see how far she could push her luck.  "And then brought me on such an amazing night."  She gestured around to the shops, the decorations and the buildings.

Mac thought, as if trying to decide whether or not he should let her in on a secret.  Dash watched a bead of perspiration slide off his forehead and hit the ground.  It wasn't even hot, so she wasn't sure how he could've possibly worked up a sweat.

"You okay, Mac?"  She asked, and he nodded.  

"Just tryin' ta formulate mah words into somethin' that actually makes sense."  He replied.

"I meant with the sweat."  Dash persisted.  "Are you feeling okay?"

He turned to look her in the eye, and he took a nervous swallow.  "Ah'm fine.  Anywho, Ah chose ya because ya never seemed to care about me that much before ya got ta know me.  Maybe ya ogled or whatever.  Ah don't care.  But ya got ta know me, ya got past mah sister, and we're here.  That's more work than anypony's done before, and that's enough for me."

"Really?"  Dash asked.  "I don't want to play myself down, but I mean- it wasn't that hard."

"Ah saw how tired ya looked after last night, and it kinda scared me.  Ah'm not good with mares, but Ah didn't think ya'd loose sleep over me."  He looked away, and some ice cream dripped over his hoof.  

"Is that why you did… this?"  Dash asked, gesturing around.  "Because you don't need to feel like you're making anything up to me, I just-"

"No, that's not it…"  Mac interrupted, sighing.  He opened and closed his mouth, trying to figure out what to say.  "Ah said Ah wanted ta do this with a mare, and Ah didn't just come up with it last night."  He set balanced the flat bottom of his cone on the edge of the fountain put his head in his hooves.  "Yer tough ta act right around, Rainbow Dash."  He said.

Dash was taken aback.  "What?"  

He looked her in the eye, sitting up straight again.  She leaned a little closer.  "That whenever yer around, Ah just have trouble actin' like Ah want ta.  Ah know Ah'm not usually talkative, but during our dates Ah've felt like Ah needed ta say somethin' because Ah feel like you'll lose interest in me."  He looked at his hooves for a second, glancing back at her.  

Dash's brain argued with itself.  Kiss him.  No.  Yes.  Wait for it.  He had to say something, or initiate it.  Or did he?  She waited.  He didn't say anything.  Her move.  It was her move.  Things were slipping away.  She needed to come up with something, anything!

Mac continued, and she jumped.  "The problem with that is that Ah feel like Ah need ta fill these silences, and ah never did before.  Ain't nothin' comin' outa' mah mouth but gibberish now anyway."  He swallowed.  "But if ah know one thing, it's that ah've had a lot of fun these past two days, whether it seems like it or not."  He scratched the back of his neck.  "Ah guess ah can really say that I do like y-"

Dash's lips met his, and he stopped.  Mac jolted backwards, his breathing heavy.  Dash felt a couple of anvils collect in her stomach.  She wanted to just run off the longer he stared back, but she felt stuck.  His mouth gaped a little, but he closed it after a second.  His lips turned upwards a fraction of a second before they mashed into hers.  

The change in emotions was almost painful.  Her heart soared, and Dash felt a hoof touch the back of her head, pushing her closer.  She happily joined into the kiss, opening her lips just slightly to see if she could push her luck.  As soon as she did, Mac was way ahead of her.  It was a bit of a surprise that he was a good kisser, or that he even wanted to take the lead, his wide tongue becoming a dominate but not overwhelming presence in her mouth.  Dash playfully pushed it back, fighting into his mouth.  As soon as she did, he cut off the kiss, breathing heavily.  She could've sworn one of his hind legs twitched.  It had just been a kiss, but like the one from earlier today, it seemed to have a huge effect on him.

He was grinning, and she hugged around him gently.  His hooves wrapped around her, and he let out a hum of contentment.  Dash got a strong whiff of the smell she'd kept getting all night, and pushed herself out of the hug gently.  She still couldn't place it, which annoyed her like crazy.  She recognized it so much it wasn't even funny.

"You're pretty good at that."  Dash said with a giggle.  "I thought you said you haven't been with any mares."

"Only one when Ah was still in school."  Mac said, smiling as he thought about it.  He sounded happy thinking about it, but his face almost looked pained.  As happy as she felt, a bit of her was ticked off that she still couldn't figure him out.

"It's gettin' late."  He said.  "Ah don't want to sound like Ah'm gettin' distant, but Ah do have to get up tomoarrah."  He leaned forwards, and she accepted a peck against her lips.  

Dash smiled, nodding.  "Gotta do what you gotta do, right?"  He helped her up, picking up his melted cone with a napkin.  "This can definitely go into the books as my best date yet."  She said, leaning against Mac.  "Thanks."

"Ya shouldn't be thankin' me."  Mac said.  "It was a pleasure."  They walked back through the alleyway, staying in contact the whole time.  Dash split off as they exited, her joy threatening to burst from her body as the rain, now a more respectable downpour, covered her fur.  She couldn't care less.  She felt so unbelievably happy, not least because she had managed to confirm her feelings and his, even if she still had more to figure out.  

"Man, this rain feels good."  Mac commented, looking up and extending his tongue to catch a drop of rain.  A few tendrils of steam extended themselves off his back.

"You sure you're not getting a fever?"  She asked.  He shook his head.

"Ah feel fine."  

Dash nodded and looked at the clock tower in the distance as it came into view, going rigid.  "Ah, crud!  I've got to get up early tomorrow to make sure this storm starts to wrap itself up!"  As if on cue, lightning struck off in the distance, a resounding thud sounding as the sound caught up.  "Will I see you again tomorrow?"  She asked, and Mac thought for a moment.  

"Eynope."  He replied.  "'Sides mah job."

Dash smiled, giving her wings a flap to free them of water.  "I'll look forward to it."  She said, leaning forwards to give Mac a kiss on the cheek before she took off, ascending towards her house.  All in all, it would have been hard to have had a better ending to her day.

Now she just had to see if she could make way for a more awesome tomorrow.
> Obstacles (*)
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash tossed and turned under her covers, but for different reasons than the night before.  She'd fallen asleep a few minutes after getting to bed, excitement over her budding relationship still turning over in her head.  It didn't take long for her dreams to turn… a little less mellow.

She saw trees, the red fruits they bore.  She knew where she was, saw the red fur she had her nose buried in as they hugged. His arms were tight around her, pulling her over with a giggle onto the ground.  He nibbled at her ear, and Dash pushed herself to her hooves once again, meeting his lips with her own.  Mac moved behind her.  She felt his hooves on his shoulders and rubbed against one with her cheek softly.

His hips grazed her backside, his chin sliding around her head as she let out a sound of impatience that rang around her dreamworld.  Dash caught a glimpse of his smile, felt his stomach against her back.  The heat of his body against hers, the feeling of humidity between them as they started to heat up.  She wanted him to do it, to start things already, but he didn't.  He was swaying them forwards and backwards, no real attempts or urges apparently setting in on the stallion.  

Then Dash felt it like a bolt of electricity, rubbing between her thighs, pushing the short fur this way and that.  It was leisurely, like they had all the time in the world.  Mac's breath against her neck seemed slow, and she knew that he was saving his stamina.  He pulled back a little, clutching her more tightly as he tapped at her entrance, letting himself slide back between her legs a moment later.  He was teasing her.  He had her right in the flat of his hoof, and he knew it.  Dash pushed backwards, but he only yielded a low chuckle.

His tip replaced itself, and with a slight backstroke that disconnected them, he pushed forwards, making contact a fraction of a second later and-

"BRRRRRRRRIIIIIING!"  Dash's eyes shot open, and she turned her head towards the offending alarm clock.  She punched it off the bedside table and it bounced against the wall, turning off somewhere in the process and coming to a stop next to Mac's top hat that she had inadvertently stolen.  She shut her eyes again, trying to start the dream from where it left off.  She gave up after a few moments, sitting up with a scowl.  

"Fuck."  She murmured, pulling up the covers and looking down at the small wet spot between her legs.  "Ugh."


_______________________________________________________


Dash pried off the top of a thunderhead, kicking it and sending it floating away.  It was shaping up to be a long day already, and it'd hardly even started.  She'd spent the first half hour of the morning dislodging her house from a cloud bank, and now she was stuck doing weather duty until the storm petered out the rest of the way.  It had let loose most of its rain overnight, but that didn't mean a whole lot.

She wanted to see Mac.  The dream she'd had hadn't helped, even though she was sure she would have been in the same position today anyway.  It had been a nice fantasy, even if it hadn't gone through to the end.  From what she'd managed to hold onto, it really seemed less like a wet dream and more like a bond that she yearned to have with Mac, now that she thought about it.  It was so far beyond lust, even though that was all she'd taken it as at the time.  

That wasn't to say she wanted sex, really.  Because that wasn't it.  She didn't expect it either.  Mac wasn't going to move that quickly, and she knew it.  That was fine, though, seeing as that wasn't what this was supposed to be about.  It was an actual relationship, and those weren't based on sex.  She was pretty sure about that, anyway. 

Part of her wanted the contact that she'd imagined that they shared.  Not that it needed to be in the same context, but she liked sleeping with stallions.  In the literal sense.  They were warm and firm but not too firm, and she fit against them.  Sometimes it was on their arm or against their chest, but she didn't really mind.  She felt excited about the idea that she could see him later, which was a strange feeling.  She didn't like it.

And yet, she kinda wanted the sensation to continue.  She'd never really felt these things, or at least, not for a long time.  She wondered if it was the same way for Mac.  Dash liked to think that he felt so… she would call it heavyheartedness, but that didn't really sound right.  She wasn't going to go professing her love for a stallion that she'd only knew for a few days, but she felt like she wanted to.  It wasn't as if she loved him, in the deep sense.  She didn't know much about him, but she had… fallen in love, she supposed.  Pretty badly, in fact.  

Part of that was referenced when she was so lost in her thoughts that she crashed into a cloud a moment later.  She shook her head, trying to focus.  Whether she could name her feelings or not, she still wanted to see him again, and thinking wasn't getting her anywhere.  

"There's probably a 'ten seconds' line in here somewhere."  Dash said quietly to herself, cracking her neck with a wide grin.  A mare like her could get done before lunchtime.  That was lowering her standards anyway.  She let out a laugh.  There weren't any mares as awesome as her anyway, especially not when it came to weather.  She smacked her hooves together, and got started.

It was only a matter of time.


_____________________________________________________________


"Checking out already, boss?"  Thunderlane asked, leaning on the side of Dash's office door as she got her stuff in order to leave.  

"Yeah.  Got things to do, ponies to meet."  

"So, would one of those ponies happen to have red fur?  Be a little tall?  Highly sought after?"

Dash smirked.  "Maybe."

"Pfft.  I get to know, I helped you out."  He said, pushing at her with a hoof as she tried to go by.  "Come on, I'm not the gossip type."

"Fine.  I'm going to meet him."

"Date went well?"  

"Better than you'd expect."  Thunderline made a suggestive face.  "Not like that!  I- It's- maybe later, but-"  He closed the door, and Dash sighed.  

"Go ahead."

"We just kissed, alright?  Then it was pretty late and we went home."  She couldn't keep a smile from her face at the memory.

"You look pretty buzzed from just a kiss.  That's how you know he's something to stick to."  The stallion said, pushing the door open again.  "Anyway, I'll see you later.  Good luck and all that."

"Hey-"  She began, and he stopped.  "I never needed any help, alright?"  

He seemed to get the idea.  "Got it, rep and all.  No help from me."  He disappeared around the door, and Dash let her smile return.  She had to keep herself from sprinting out the door, but let loose as soon as she was out in the street.  She dodged this way and that, jokingly taking Mac's advice to keep her hooves on the ground a little more often.  Ponies yelled at her, but she couldn't care less.  

She turned down the same alleyway she had the previous night, entering the same square and slowing to a trot.  She knew what Mac would want for lunch, if they did take out.  She walked up to the same noodle shop, and wondered for a moment if they were only open for dinner.  The square wasn't very full, but that didn't necessarily mean anything.  

"Can I help- Oh, you're that mare from last night!  That one that Macintosh brought here."

"I didn't know he was so well known."  She said, taking his outstretched hoof to shake.  "Rainbow Dash."

"Grease Pit."  Dash wasn't sure if he was joking.  "At least, that's what ponies call me."

She stifled a laugh.  "I don't know if that's the best nickname to have."

He shrugged.  "It's grown on me.  What can I get you?"

"Do you do to go?"  She asked, and he nodded.  "Then two slightly smaller versions of the stuff we got last night."

"Coming right up."  He replied, tipping his hat to her.


___________________________________________________________


Dash glided back across town, riding on an updraft that circulated in the slightly warm morning.  She had the food in her hooves below her, which in the absence of magic didn't turn out to be easily held.  It was heavy and in flimsy containers, so the fact that she'd taken off at all was somewhat of a surprise.

Ponies went by beneath her, her slow pace completely different from her usual style.  In a way, she kind of liked it.  But then again, she was annoyed that she hadn't gotten farther yet.  She felt giddy, excitement running through her like she was part of the wiring to a lightbulb.  So close, and yet so far. 

He'd like this, she figured.  She didn't know what he did for lunch, but having his favorite stuff brought to him couldn't hurt.  Might brighten his day if he was having a bad one, and give them something to talk about.  

Buildings started to become less common and were soon replaced by the fields and trees of the Acres.  Her grip slid on the plastic containers, and she felt a chill run down her backside as she struggled to readjust.  They slipped again, and she cursed under her breath, leaning down to bite onto a container in an attempt to hold on longer.  

She saw him, reclining against a tree down below.  Dash slowed down, flapping her wings backwards as she descended and came to a stop, setting down the two containers of soup gently in the grass.  She let go with her mouth, cringing a bit at the bite marks in the lid of the corresponding container.  That would just be hers.

The blue mare looked up, running her eyes across Mac's body.  He was damp with sweat, probably taking a rest after the row of apple trees that had already been bucked.  He also hadn't noticed her, which was hard to believe.  She wasn't a quiet flier.  But there he was, just staring off into space as a bead of sweat worked its way over his muzzle.  He looked tired and stressed, like he was coming down with something after all.

"Mac."  Dash tried, attempting to get his attention.  It didn't seem to work.  "Mac!"  That seemed to get the desired results, as he jumped and looked over at her.  "Hey."

His eyes looked her over, and he wiped a hoof across his brow.  "Why're ya here, Dash?"  

"Just wanted to see you."  She replied.  That only sounded a little corny.  "Brought lunch."  Unsurprisingly, he seemed to devote a little more attention to her.  His mind was clearly somewhere else.  The tired part probably explained that.

He rubbed his hooves together, pushing himself to his hooves.  He took a few steps towards Dash, who was greeted with the smell of hard labor and dirt, intermixed with that undertone she infuriatingly recognized but couldn't place.  She leaned forwards and kissed him on the cheek, watching a blush appear as she pulled away.  It was red enough to be seen through his fur, so that had to mean something.

"Ah guess this marefriend thing is all it's cracked up to be."  He said with a chuckle, pushing his lips against hers.  "Ah don't deserve ya."  Mac continued, taking a container as Dash handed it to him gratefully.  Hopefully he wasn't sick like he'd argued.

"You don't deserve me?"  She laughed.  "How can you figure that?"

He shrugged, pulling off the fork that was taped to the top of the lid and letting out a sigh of relief as a cool wind blew by.  "Ya put all the work inta this, and all ah did was make it hard for ya.  It's weird saying' that though, marefriend."

Dash chuckled, watching him take a sip of broth.  She still couldn't help but feel worried for him, though.  "Mack, how're you feeling?"  She asked.  He swayed on his hooves, letting himself fall into a sitting position.  

"Ah'm fine."

"You're clearly not."  Dash replied, gesturing at him.  "You look like you have the flu without the chills, and you're still working like you normally would."

"It's gotta get done eventually."  He said, shoveling down some more noodles.  "Thanks a ton for this, Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah, it's no problem, but-"

"Look, Ah have a lot ta do today, cuz Ah'm already a little behind."  He murmured through a couple of noodles.  "Why am I so freakin' hungry?"  

Dash put a hoof to her forehead, sighing.  God, stubborn was right.  She could understand that, but still.  She picked up her untouched soup, detaching the lid and bringing a scoop of noodles to her mouth.  They tasted delicious, as always.  It would have been nice to know about these a few years ago.  

"Ya want some water?"  Mac asked.  "Ah can go get it from the house."

"Get some ice."  Dash suggested, and he nodded.  He disappeared over a small hill, and Dash was suddenly stuck a little more alone than she wanted to be.  At least the water might do him good, whatever the problem was.  Relationships were a lot of work.

So she waited and waited.  She stared at the squished grass where Mac had been sitting, the steaming soup that was already mostly gone.  Dash took another mouthful of her own.  He should't be gone this long…  

"Sugarcube?"  Applejack asked, and Dash just about jumped out of her skin.  

"What?"  

"Mac told me ya were out here."  The farm mare replied, walking down the hill towards her.  

"What happened to him?"  Dash inquired, raising an eyebrow as she rose to her hooves.  "He okay?"  

"Well, Ah stuck him in bed, if'n that's what yer askin'.  He's not gonna admit that he ain't fit ta work, so ah have ta do this from time ta time."

"You know what's wrong with him?"  Dash asked, spreading her wings.  She couldn't decide between relief and annoyance.  

"Nah."  Applejack replied unconvincingly.  Dash eyed her but said nothing.  

"Tell him I'll try to stop by for some visiting hours, alright?"  She sighed.  "I gather he's resting right now, so I'll give him tonight."

Applejack nodded, and Dash turned to take off.  "Wait."  The orange mare said, and Dash let her wings fall to her sides, looking behind herself.  "Whatever ya'll have done with him the last couple nights, it's really-  Mac's hardly stopped talkin' bout ya, and that means a lot, given him.  Seems like Ah shouldn't have had as many reservations about this."

"I told you there was some sort of click there."  Dash replied with a grin.  "And besides, you don't have to thank me.  I got everything I wanted last night when we kissed and I knew his feelings."

Applejack grinned a little.  "So, Ah should expect yer tamarrah?"

Dash laughed.  "Bright and early."


_________________________________________________


Dash had never been more bored in her life.  She was laying on her couch, a hind leg draped over one end, Tank asleep on her chest.  She wanted to be with Mac.  Naturally, that was the one thing she couldn't do.

Why couldn't things just work out?  She had just wanted to go over there with lunch and maybe share something comparable to the night they'd had.  It was like he'd become some sort of sustenance for her, and she wasn't sure if she liked it.  

Actually, she would, if she was next to him in that bed.  That's sure be nice, all warm and… sweaty.  Eh, maybe when he wasn't sick.  But assuming that, it would be nice.  She could imagine herself fitting nicely in his hooves, snug against his larger form.  All warm and secure.  Wow, she felt lonely.  Which was ridiculous, because she had a coltfriend.  He'd even referred to her as a marefriend, so it had to be official.  

"How can I possibly miss him after a couple hours?"  She asked out loud, pushing a hoof into her forehead.  It was annoying.  She sighed, poking at one of Tank's legs, which retreated into his shell, only to slowly hang back out a minute later.  He would have never made it in the wild without her, that was for sure.  But that made him slightly more interesting.

She really needed to find something to do.  Music.  She could listen to music.  Dash set Tank to one side, pulling herself off the couch.  Her hooves padded along the floor on the way to the closet, and she pulled down a box of records.  Her friends were all telling her to upgrade or something, but she liked her old stuff.  

Dash stared at the box for a moment, pulling a random case out and removing the disk.  She stuck it onto her record player and turned it on, setting down the needle.  Lonely blues music started to play, and something stopped her from flipping it off in anger.  It fit, at least.  Even if it made her feel lonelier.  

She sat down, leaning against the couch and letting the music play.  It almost seemed to play through her, compounding her emotions and sorting them into exactly what they were.  

Dash knew she wasn't just lonely.  She was annoyed that things couldn't go smoothly.  A kiss was supposed to mean that she could coast, ride the updraft after the initial energy to fly high enough to reap its benefits.  Relationships all followed the same formula, whether or not they looked the same.  Once they got started, they got better for a while until they went downhill.  The maximum just occurred at different points for different ponies.

Then again, she liked the security.  After a few days, she could continue where she'd left off, and win Mac the rest of the way.  She'd done the impossible, sort of, and now it just relied on her building things up.  Their relationship hadn't fallen apart by now, and that meant a lot.  Her mind had slipped so many times in their conversations that he pretty much had to know how she worked and what she thought.  It was a little unfair.  But where he had information, she could still do a good job reading his face.  He was expressive, probably as a result of the fact he didn't talk a lot.  There was probably also something about the fact that he was the brother of a pony that couldn't lie.  

Was it just hard for Applejack to lie, or physically impossible?  Could she lie if lives depended on it?  Come to think of it, she was shaky earlier today when she said she hadn't known what was going on with Mac.  

Dash's blood ran cold as her thoughts changed.  If she didn't want to tell him, it could be something horrible.  What if he was slowly dying from some disease?  He would be the first one Dash would pin as trying to keep such a thing private.  

But as she started to think more logically, that seemed less likely.  He kicked tree after tree, and she'd seen it.  She didn't know of any diseases that wouldn't affect him at all, except at certain times.  Well, there was tuberculosis, but that was coughing.  He'd just sweated.  Maybe that smell had something to do with it.  

It was funny that she'd thought his emotions were an enigma.  His life was a complete mystery.  She'd just figured he bucked apples all day and did some other things that he'd already shared.  Having some strange recurring disease was something else entirely.  It scared her more than she wanted to admit.

Here she was, coming up with the worst case scenario and freaking herself out because… what?  Her coltfriend had a cold and Applejack seemed nervous, so it had to be a rare disease?  He had to be dying?  

She leaned her head backwards against the couch, catching Tank as he nearly walked off the piece of furniture.  She set him on her lap, closing her eyes and listening to the music as it filtered through her house.  She felt tired, and despite the emotions bubbling up all around her, she found herself increasingly eager to bleed the time away.  

Next thing she knew, the record was done and Tank was gone from her side.  It'd felt like she just had just closed her eyes for a minute, but judging by the sky outside, time had definitely passed.  

"How did I sleep through the whole frickin' day?"  She asked, staring at a couple of low hanging stars.  She felt rested and full of energy, but it still kinda annoyed her.  The dim crescent moon projected a square of light through one of her windows onto a clock, showing her that it was well past midnight.  Leave it to her to sleep twelve hours straight.  

But Dash knew she needed it, and even though it was the middle of the night and her sleep schedule would be all screwed up, it was twelve fewer hours she had to deal with or compound any fears with stupid thoughts.  And another thing, it'd been forever since she'd been able to fly at night.  She quite liked the idea of not being tired when she did it.

Dash rolled to her hooves, finding Tank not too far away, and allowed herself the slight excitement over what she could now do.  She crouched and launched herself through a window in a fluid motion, loosing herself into the cool night.  It would be hard to think about anything but flying in these conditions, and that was just how she liked it.  


______________________________________________________________


Dash banged on the door to the Apple abode with her hoof, shifting her weight awkwardly between legs as she waited.  Technically, it was still bright and early, even if the sun had just crested the horizon.  

Were those hoof steps?  She was pretty sure they were, but they definitely weren't Mac's.  The door opened, and a tired Applebloom stared up at her.  The filly mumbled something that may or may not have resembled a curse word, before she turned around, taking a deep breath.  

"SIS!  Mac's marefriend is here!"  She yelled, leaving the door wide open as she walked away.  

"Well ask her inside!"  Came Applejack's response, filtering in from some other room.  So much for not waking everypony up.  

"Ah did!"  She responded, lowering her voice as she looked at Dash.  "Come on inside."

Dash followed the filly to their kitchen table, watching Applebloom return to her slightly soggy cereal.  Dash sat next to her, figuring that Applejack would be down in a minute.  

"It's cool that yer datin' mah brother."  Applebloom said through a mouthful of food.  "Scootaloo seems ta think that yer the most awesome mare in town.  She'll go crazy when Ah tell her."

Dash sighed, scratching her head.  "Crazy how?"

"Happy, Ah'd assume."

"Man, it's been too long since I've seen that little squirt."  Dash said, biting her lip.  There was just too much stuff going on.

"She'd probably freak out if you ever get a bit of time to show up.  Maybe help her get her cutie mark?"

Dash grinned.  "I'll try to find a free slot."  As if time was the problem.  She had tons of time, but no will to do anything with it while things were on her mind.  At this point, Mac came first.  It made her feel crappy to say that, but trying to do something with Scootaloo while her brain was elsewhere would just be bad for the both of them.  When she could devote her full attention, or most of it at least, she would gladly spend a day with Scoots.  But before then, it just seemed stupid.  

"Ya know, when ya said bright and early, ah expected ya somewhere around the early afternoon."  Applejack said, walking into the room.  

"So if you don't mind me getting right to the point, where's Mac?"  Dash asked, shifting in her seat.  

Applejack sighed.  "Yer not gonna like this.  He's with the Oranges, managing some cider supply.  He'll be back in about a week."

"Huh?"  Dash asked, leaning closer.  Applejack hadn't seemed particularly nervous about that.  

"Ah said that he'd be back in about a week."

"Why did you send him away, in his condition?"  Dash inquired, furrowing her brow.  The fact that Applejack wasn't showing any of her obvious tells hardly convinced her.  

"It was either that, or a week's worth of work if Ah went."  She replied.  "Ah know you two're close, but it's rather important, Sugarcube."

"Yeah."  Dash said, her breath catching as she tried to hold back tears.  "Alright."  She didn't feel like pushing it.  She hardly felt like doing anything.  

With a creak of the chair she got up, walking straight towards the door.  It was hardly open before she took off, ascending into the sky.  Tears of frustration clouded her eyes, running along the sides of her face as they dried in the wind.  She felt like curling up in a corner and crying, which in turn made her feel like kicking herself for acting so brittle.

But she hurt, and she didn't know how to make it better.  Dash had broken bones before, a rather large number in fact, and while those were technically worse, she would make them hurt less by keeping them steady or resting.  And the pain started to sink to the back of her mind anyway.  This was different, and she had no experience with any of it.  She wanted to ask for advice, but at the same time, she wanted to deal with this alone.  

As she reached home, that was exactly what she did.


________________________________________________________


Dash wondered if he'd want his top hat back.  She'd stuck it back on her head, the rose laid out on the bedspread in front of her chin.  She was sprawled out, and she had been for who knows how long.  

The sun spot had moved across her floor, as had Tank.  Pretty soon, it started to fade completely, sliding onto the wall and away from her pet.  

Dash took off the hat, smoothing out the shape it had formed in her mane.  She had nothing to do, so she may as well bring the headwear back.  Maybe something had gone wrong and Mac was back anyway.  That made her feel a little better.

She pushed it tightly onto her head and dropped from an open window, glad that at the very least she'd gotten through the day more quickly than she'd expected.  Hopefully these stupid yearnings would wear off so she could just wait like a normal pony.  It was a week, with an assured gain to their relationship afterwards.  They were to a point, as she liked to think.  

The flight to the Acres was uneventful, as was her landing and the knocks on the door.  Applejack opened the door much more promptly, biting her lip as she saw Dash.  

"Mac left his hat with me, I figured I'd just give it back before I lost it or it fell out of my house."  She said, trying to keep her voice steady.  "Any word, perchance?"

"Well, he was doing a little better when he left this morning.  Ah guess Ah forgot to tell ya about that."

Dash nodded, turning and taking flight.  She stayed low, banking around the backside of the Apple Family barn.  She figured she'd pull a full circle to try to get some fun into her mind, coming around the front and past the open window above the doors.  Man whatever they had in there smelled funny.

She turned around, hovering outside.  Dash floated inside a bit and landed on the loft, sniffing at the air.  It was like… it was that familiar smell that she'd gotten…

Off of Mac.  Her eyes widened as she finally recognized what it smelled like.  Heat.  It smelled like a mare in heat.  

Dash looked around, trying to figure out what could possibly make such a smell.  The last mare she'd known that had been in heat had finished early last week, and that was an outlier.  So… how did Mac- It didn't make any sense.

She crouched, hitting the floor of the loft as the red stallion walked by beneath her.  What- she- huh?

This didn't make any sense!

He flopped onto his side next to a barrel of cider and a pile of oranges, which explained why Applejack was able to lie this morning.  It wasn't as if she technically had.  Dash would've found that funny if she didn't have a million other things to figure out.  

Mac looked uncomfortable.  Maybe he was better, but not by much.  Was this quarantine?  Was she in a bad situation?  Why all the setup for one lie?

Dash scraped her hooves down her face, managing to keep quiet.  Mac was facing away from her, which was nice since she didn't have a lot of cover.  

She looked around and listened, but all she could hear was the sound of Mac's breathing.  Unless there was a corpse in heat around here, or the smell was from something else and she wasn't remembering it correctly, Mac somehow smelled like heat.  But that was impossible.

The fact that it had taken her so long to recognize that smell annoyed her, but it wasn't exactly surprising.  The last thing she remembered about heat was the smell.  It wasn't something she noticed, although she was sure a stallion knew it by heart.  She face hoofed.  Because why it had taken her so long was really important.  

Mac got up again, shaking his head and blowing out steam.  He was pacing sideways to her, and she could swear- was that- he had an partial erection.  She wasn't sure whether she should try to mentally scale it to an object near her or freak out.  Why was this happening, anyway?  

His testicles were right behind that, though she'd at least caught glimpses of those before.  So why the smell?  

Mac let out a grunt of discomfort, stopping his pacing.  He laid down on his stomach, breathing heavily as some sweat went down his forehead.  He was right below her, and Dash almost forgot to breathe.  Mac rolled onto his back, further under the loft.  Unsurprisingly, he showed off a fair amount of hardware at the same time.  Well, a fair amount would be putting it lightly- Dash face-hoofed again.

If she didn't at least have a reason behind watching, she would probably feel pretty dirty.  As it was, she still did.  This was wrong on so many levels.

Mac turned his head sideways, keeping his eyes tightly shut.  He mumbled out her name, and her eyes went somehow larger.  Mac pressed his length against his stomach, rubbing it slowly as he moved his ample balls with his other hoof, rubbing at himself below them.  Dash felt her blood run cold and her breathing speed up.  She leaned over the edge of the loft, taking in the sight beneath her.  It was impossible.  She had to be asleep in her house or something.

Dash closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.  She opened them again, taking in the same surroundings.  Maybe she was imagining things.  She leaned over the edge again, gasping.  He'd shifted a little, and she could see- everything.  Right there, right where there should be- nothing at all on a stallion.  In between his legs where only mares were supposed to-  She heard her name again, coming out on a husky breath.

Her coltfriend wasn't even a colt!  

Dash took a half step backwards with a shaky breath, hearing a plank crack.  Then she was falling as the rest of the boards gave way under her weight.  She landed on the ground, her head spinning.  There was a flurry of activity around her, but she couldn't concentrate on any of it.

"Dash!"  Mac exclaimed as she began to get her bearings straight.  "Ah- what? You-"  His single word sentences steadily degraded into nothingness.  He had his back against a bale of hay, covering himself up with his hooves.

"Look, I just have to-"  Her breath caught.  "I have to go."  She turned, flying out of the barn at what had to be near-lightspeed.

"Dash!  Please!"  Dash heard, but she only sped up into the darkness.  The blue mare stopped a ways from the barn, landing on an exposed branch of an apple tree.  She couldn't slow her breathing or her lightning fast thoughts.  Everything made sense.  The lies, the deceit.  Mac's personality quirks and his reactions.  She wasn't sure how it wasn't obvious earlier.  Oh wait, that's right.  She'd figured anything like that was impossible.

He had- she still didn't get it.  He had both.

"So what?"  She asked herself out loud.  "So what if he's a little different.  Or a lot."  She sighed, shaking her head.  It didn't matter.  Dash had fallen for Mac, and that was still him.  He was still a stallion in nearly every sense, so that simplified a lot.  

Fuck it.  She had to go back.  She wasn't letting something like this end because of something else that she couldn't overcome.  She'd done tons of stuff harder than this.  It was just one more challenge, one more obstacle.  Maybe it wasn't even that big of one.

Dash hopped from the branch, taking flight again.  She had to make amends and regain the stallion she'd been stuck away from for so long.  Nothing had changed, not really.  This was supposed to be a relationship.  Relationships weren't perfect, and the sooner she accepted that the sooner she could move on.  A load on her back seemed to float away, and the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a smile just slightly. 

He was here, and he wasn't sick.  As she neared the same window she'd flown out of and felt a little of the same excitement to see Mac as she had before, she knew things could go on, even if they might change a little.  There was too much here to just give up, and if there was one thing she knew about herself for certain…

She never, ever, gave up.
> "That Mare"
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash glided through the window into the barn, tapping a remaining board on the loft with her hoof as she passed.  She looked around, catching sight of red fur against yellowed hay.  Mac was sprawled out, lines of tears etched across his cheeks despite the existing sweat.  

"Mac?"  She asked, and he visibly jumped, looking up at her with a rather violent flick of his head.  

"Ya came back."  He said, as if not believing his own statement.  

Dash walked over, offering him a hoof.  "It's not too fair of me to end things over something so pointless."  She said, as he grasped her hoof and sat up, nervously keeping his hooves planted on the ground in between his legs.  

"Did ya see what Ah've got?"  He asked, disbelief plastered over his face.  "Because it kinda outshines the rest of my whole performance."

Dash laughed, and Mac frowned.  "Look, you should be glad I saw everything.  It's not as if you need to explain why you're trapped in a barn for a week, or why you had that smell about you, or why you looked like you were getting sick.  I mean, I was worried about you, and while I'm sure there was a better way for me to find out that you…"  She trailed off.  "It was at a rather good sequence of events, alright?"

"Yeah, but Ah mean- Is this the end?"

"Of what?"  Dash asked.  

"Our coltfriend marefriend thing."  Mac replied, gesturing between them.  His voice shook ever so slightly, although she could tell by his eyes that he was feeling far worse.  He barely got the next words out.  "Because Ah really don't want it to end."

The blue mare smiled, leaning forwards to wrap her hooves around him.  "I don't give up that easily, alright?  Besides, I said it was a good time for a reason."  She felt his hooves join the hug, and she grinned.  She would smell like heat after this, but that didn't matter.  She was surprisingly okay with this whole thing, at least at the moment.  Dash pushed herself back from the hug, keeping her eyes locked with Mac's.  

"Really?"  He asked.

"Yeah, of course."  Dash murmured back, nuzzling against his cheek.  A long silence ensued.

"Ya can ask me about it, if'n ya want.  It's not like Ah get to talk about it ever, and we may as well get everything out there."

"You sure?  It seems a little… private."  Dash replied, biting her lip.  "And I don't want to push you anywhere, especially since I'm not even sure how fast I want to move this relationship along.  It's not like I want to ignore this, but more like I don't want it to affect us in a way that we're going to regret."

"Ah just meant general stuff."  He replied.  His shoulder twitched.  

Ask him how it all works.  "Well, isn't it hard to be around me?  Doesn't that make you go crazy with, like, lust and stuff?"  Playing it safe was okay too, she supposed.  

"It's not that bad."  Mac said, leaning back against his bale.  "It's only really terrible when Ah'm alone."

"How come?"  Dash asked.  He shifted uncomfortably.  Like it wasn't bad.  She knew how it was.

"Well, Ah just sit around, thinkin' about ya and tryin' ta keep the heat bearable."  He sighed.  "But the worst part-  Actually, look."  He shook his head.  "Ah don't want ya ta think of me differently."

"Well yeah, you're still Mac, and-"

"Exactly.  Ah'm a stallion.  Ah act like one, feel like one, and just happen to have that on mah backside."

"I wasn't planning on acting differently.  Besides, of course, with the heat part."

He paused.  "Fair enough.  Anyway, it's only really bad because Ah smell like a mare in heat and the stallion part of me loves that."

Dash cringed.  "Oooh…"  She stretched out an arm, still surprised with the ease she felt.  “So, like, when I’m around, are you just-“

“Ah guess it’s not- Ah’m not in danger of pouncin’ on ya.”

Dash laughed.  “You seem to have a lot more control with this than I would.”

“Well, is bein’ around other mares hard while you’re in heat?”  He asked, and Dash let out a quiet ‘ah’.

“Can’t say it is.”  She replied.  “But that begs the question, have you ever been around a stallion during this whole thing?  What was that like?”

“Let me just say that Ah’m really glad Ah haven’t.”  He adjusted himself into a more comfortable position, grinding his thighs into one another.  He let out a shiver of pleasure and need.  “Ah’m deathly afraid Ah’d do somethin’ that ah’d regret.  That’s part of the ground rule from earlier, by the way.”

“The thing about treating you like a stallion?”

“Yeah.  Ah’m straight as an arrow.  Promise.  Heat likes to tell me Ah’m not.”

“You seemed to be keeping me in your mind alright.”  Dash replied, smirking.  

“First time Ah’ve successfully done that.”

“Did it help?”  She asked, leaning forwards to press her nose against his.  “Because you looked like you were having fun.”

Mac shook his head, grinning, though she could tell it was probably not helping be coquettish at a time like this.  “Ya know, the last mare found out ‘bout me ended things pretty quick, and here you are just trying to flirt.”  There it was.

“Well, I guess I’m happy that I feel like I actually know you.”  Dash replied, looking away.

“Did ya not before?”  Mac asked, an eyebrow moving up his forehead.  

“Whenever I tried to think of something to do with you, I just came up blank because of how much of a mystery you were.  The fact that I got anything you liked together was kind of a miracle.”

“And I’m guessing everything makes a little more sense now?”  He paused, grabbing some of his sister’s lie enablers.  “Orange?”

Dash laughed, finally allowing the humor to escape over such a random plan.  “Your handiwork?”

“I figured you wouldn’t take it well this early.  It’s only been a few days, after all.”  He reminded.  “Speaking of, why are ya so accepting of this in the first place?  What’s going on in that head of yers?”

“Well, I saw you, called it impossible, broke a few planks and fled.  So you’re caught up there.  But look, I don’t have a lot of trouble with this for a few reasons, but most of that has to do with the amount of work it’s taken to get this far.  And like I said, it’s still you.  I’m glad you just want to be treated like a guy, because that makes things really easy.  You’ve still got those parts, anyway.”

“Ah do.”

“But like, can you have a foal?  I mean, it’s actually impossible to get one both ways, right?”

He scratched his head, his hoof twitching as he lifted it away.  “Wanna test it?”  Mac asked with a grin, before sobering again.  “Ah’ve got a doctor, because at some point Ah’m going to need one for… something.  Anyway, you’re partially right.  It’s impossible to have a full set of everything, or at least, as far as he’s ever heard.”

“So you’re stuck without kids?”  Dash asked, feeling a pit form in her stomach.  She couldn’t even imagine not being able to-

“He didn’t say that.  Evidently Ah lean towards the male side, and there’s a good chance Ah’ll be able to… impregnate a mare.  Might take a little longer or something, maybe a bit of outside help, but it’s still a possibility.”  He sighed.  

“You seem to be pretty okay with those odds.”  Dash noted.  “I mean, if I was in the same situation, I- well, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“Well, Ah never thought Ah’d get the chance.”  He shrugged.  

“How does that even work?”  Dash asked.  “Like, you’re in heat, and you’re saying that you could impregnate a mare, but that’s- wouldn’t that mean that you’re fertile?”

“Ah don’t know if Ah like how that sounds."  Mac replied with a dry chuckle.  "Ah think it’s been at least a few years of testing, because Ah want ta know everything Ah’m stuck with, good or bad.  There’s a partially formed ovary up there somewhere, although after the doc pulled a sample of that he basically ruled that out.  None of that stuff is anywhere near developed enough to actually become something new.”

“Yeah, but you’re still in heat.”

“Half of them still grow and trigger hormones, so every year it’s fifty-fifty whether or not Ah’ll go into heat, or so, even though Ah’m missing a working womb.  Ah’m totally barren either way.  That’s one of the things that makes me extra rare, though, besides the fact that Ah’ve got most of two balls along with the ovary.  Doctor thought Ah was joking when ah said Ah'd been through heat.”

“Did you do any testing with your… testicles?”  Dash asked, and he nodded.  That sentence only sounded partially retarded.  Good job brain.

“’Lot easier ta get a sample with that.  Most of my sperm work, minus a few that he says don’t have tails, which come from the one that’s partially formed Ah guess.  Either way, it’s a good chance that Ah could have a foal, and ah’m glad that ah have two lumps in the sack, even if one can’t do much, or anything.”  Mac sighed.  “The fact that the rest of me works is a miracle, really.”

“Or that you looked normal down there.”

“Do Ah?”  He asked, moving his hoof away from himself so that he could look.  Dash wasn't sure if it annoyed her that he kept the hoof in between himself and her.  “Ah wouldn’t know.”

“Well, from what I saw…  Look, the next most pressing question is, why go into heat now?  It’s weeks after the mares.”

“Pfft.”  Mac said.  “Ah went into heat in the middle of fall before.  Might not even be fifty fifty, ah don’t know.  Ah could be runnin’ through eggs all the time, or something, but only a few decide to act up.  Either way, Ah don’t get a choice.  Every other year is just a good average, so we assumed.”  He paused, letting a small grin grace his face..  “Anyway, that’s how Ah work to the best of mah knowledge.  Up to yer standards?”

He toppled over onto one side as Dash hugged him again, her muzzle planted firmly into his shoulder.  “How is it that I’m actually feeling happier to have you after all this?”  Dash asked, muffled by his thick, damp fur.  She breathed in, the smell of heat filling her nose.  What she hadn't noticed until now, however, was the backdrop of his musk.  It smelled great, and if it wouldn't have been weird, she could have probably stayed there all day.  

“Trust me, the feelin’s more than mutual.”  Mac replied, hugging her close.  She felt something prod her backside but ignored it.  Her wings still rose a little, whether she wanted them to or not.  Part of her mind drew up the dream a couple nights prior.  

Dash pulled her head back, leaning into a kiss that Mac seemed to decide to start at the exact same instant.  The feelings as their lips met and held, surrounded by his warm hooves and chest were exquisite.  She could feel his heartbeat through his chest, clear and strong.  This whole close encounter may not have been under the circumstances that she had expected, but it felt just as nice.  

She stroked her hooves along his back, feeling his find a place in the feathers of her wings.  He was trying to keep from hitting anything that would get her excited, which was gentlecoltly of him.  Or he didn’t know how to do stuff with wings.  But either way, she’d done a good job staying cool, even when that big thing of his was surely inches away.

“Is it sad that this almost feels romantic?”  Dash asked, hugging herself a little closer.

“No.”  Mac replied, chuckling.  “As far as I’m concerned, this is the best day ever.  And plus, Ah’ve got just about no ability to do romance.”

“What about that dinner?”  Dash asked.  “That was the best.”  Mac grinned, kissing her on the cheek.  “Are you serious about the best day ever thing, by the way?”

“Why wouldn’t Ah be?”  He inquired, raising a joking eyebrow.  “Yer smart, and ya care, and yer still here, and ya have a body that pleases mah eyeballs, and-“

“Yeah, but like-“  She was grinning ear to ear.  “That’s so crazy.  I’ve never been a part of a pony’s favorite day before.  I love it.”  They laid there as time went by, Mac’s occasional uncomfortable movements and grunts the only noise.  He ground himself against her, and Dash nearly let out a yelp, but tried to keep herself composed.  She knew it hadn't been on purpose.  

“I should go.”  Dash started, pulling herself away.  “I know how heat is.  I should give you some time alone.”  She spread her wings, working through a little stiffness she may or may not have gotten from his movements.  It still surprised her a little that she felt the same towards him, but she was glad.  The past… portion of time had been nice, despite the circumstances.

“Wait.”  Mac said, pulling himself out of his slouch against the bales of hay.  “Stay with me.  Just fer tonight.  I want to make sure you’re still here when Ah wake up, and that it wasn’t a dream.”

“Well…”  Of course she would rather be warm and wrapped in his hooves, even if there was a little sweat involved.  It’d be all she would think about if she went back home anyway.  But the heat wasn’t him…  But he wasn't very affected…

She shoved those thoughts into the back of her head, nearly diving into his arms, toppling them both over for the second time in a day.  “But look, you tell me if you get too pent up, alright?”  Dash asked, poking a hoof into his chest.  "Because I swear to god, if we do anything or you decide to outmuscle me, neither of us is going to live it down."

Mac gulped.  “And so goes the terrible part of heat.”

“Hey, if I can help it, next year’ll be awesome.”

“Dash!  Stop givin’ me things ta think about!”

“Sorry.  But tell me, alright?  I know that the fact that I’m not a stallion isn’t changing much.  You’re a crappy liar, just like Applejack.”  Some of his scent wafted into her nose again, but she ignored it.  He couldn't stay cool, so she had to force herself to.

Mac’s cheeks flushed.  “Ah thought that was good.”

“Well, you’ve got to work on your poker face.  Voice is fine.”  She mussed up his mane, pressing her chest neatly against his.  They fit together so nicely, and it was one of the best feelings in the world.

“Just so long as ya don’t get worried about me.”  He replied.

“Pfft.  You’ve got way more control than I do."  She giggled.  "But like you said, I don’t have to question the hormone targeting too much.”

“And it doesn’t clash.”  Mac added.  They lapsed into silence.  

“Hey, what you said about my body, was it true?”  Dash asked, breaking the silence.

“Now you’re just fishing for compliments.”  The Red Stallion chuckled, letting his head fall backwards against the padded ground.  “You said all this stuff about ogling me, and Ah swear, there aren’t any mares like ya, Dash.  Ah’ve talked with a lot of ponies for business, mostly because Ah have to, and part of that has involved some of the lower Wonderbolts.”

“Seriously?”   Dash exclaimed.  “Who?!”

“They weren’t important ones, so I’m not sure if you’d know them.  Ah’ve forgotten, come to think of it.  But the point is, there was a lot of eye candy there.  Not a lot of brain power.  But you’re strong and smart, which is great.”

“Don’t want a pushover?”

“Ah just don’t want a trophy marefriend.”  He replied.  “You can think, and you could do a good job against me in any physical- umf- contest.  It’s nice to have a drive and a little competition.”

“That’s exactly what I was thinking!”  Dash exclaimed.  “Well, after I managed to get you on a date, that is.  Like, I just started trying to pair us in my head, and even though that sounds like something a stalker would do, it… wasn’t, I guess?”  She smiled uneasily.

“It’s a real good thing Ah know what yer talkin' about.”  Mac gently pushed her off of himself, into a small pile of hay.  Dash put on her best pout, which by her view was pretty good.  Mac snorted in laughter, but she could tell he was more than a little heated from what contact they’d had.  His face was flushed, and she was pretty sure that his thighs were a darker color for a reason.  Then, of course, there was his erection.  The whole thing made her feel more than a little guilty.  There was some awkwardness in there, but it was surprisingly far in the back of her mind.  

“Ah need ice.”  He said, staring into space.  

“It getting bad?  Because look, me being here’s just going to make things worse…”

“No, look.  Ah’ve got a solution.  It worked two years ago when Ah was in heat, and Ah’m sure Ah can get it to work with you.”  He gestured, motioning for her to stay.  He looked hyper, like he might bounce off a few walls.  “Just wait here.”  Mac sprinted out the doors, shouldering them open as he disappeared in the direction of his house.  She could hear his hoof steps and the slapping of his meat against his stomach disappearing into the distance.  She wasn't sure whether she should be aroused or laughing her ass off.

Dash watched him go, wondering if she should be surprised.  Well, he’d stayed sane a lot longer than she’d expected, that was for sure, although until now his assurances had made her assume that his heat wasn't as bad as in mares.  But there was always that point where it just got to hard to handle.  It seemed way hotter in here.  How long had her wings been sticking out like that?

Would leaving right now help?  Would that be a good idea?  She kinda wanted to see the plan and follow through, but she also didn’t want to be around to tempt Mac.  He’d said that he wanted her here, but that could just be the heat talking.  It'd be really nice if she had a little less of a yearning to stick around.  It was weird, and yet it wasn't.  She cared about him, not the heat.

Her own emotions made this whole thing really annoying.  Alright.  Logical thinking.  You were supposed to stay away from mares if you were a stallion.  But he wasn’t a mare, and he didn’t act like one in heat, to a full extent…  Plus, he didn’t even seem to want to push sex…

She bit her lip, her eyes catching the wet hay where Mac had been.  Man, she was stuck.  Dash wanted nothing more to be wrapped up with Mac, but if she did something stupid while he was a little out of his head, he could end up stopping things as soon as he sobered.  

“Aaaah, why is everything so hard?!"  Dash let herself fall on the ground, a strong whiff of heat spewing into the air as she hit the hay.  Maybe she could have found out in a better way, like if he hadn’t been in heat at the time.  But then again, the relief over everything else had made it easier.  She was back to being tired, dammit.  Too much stress.

“Dash!”  Mac yelled, and she rolled over.  “If we’re going to get to sleep, it better be in this window of time.”  She looked at him and smiled, his fur looking brushed and clean.  His mane was wet, and she wondered if he’d showered.  There was nothing better than a shower in heat.  

“Where’d you go?”  She asked, sitting up.  He looked like a whole new pony, although she could still tell he was a little bothered.  Dash pushed a wing back to her side.

“Ah showered, got a few… out.  Broke out mah heat remover.”

“Your what?”  That sounded dirty.  He held up a bunch of ice packs attached to strings, draping them across his back and sighing.  Or not.  He reached under himself and tied it on, and she noticed that he didn’t… ahem, have anything hanging out.

“Ah took off the chest ones fer ya, if’n ya’ll stay.  Promise Ah’m sane, at least fer a while.  Ya don’t have ta worry about puttin’ us somewhere ya’d regret.”

“Just get over here.”  Dash commanded, watching a smile break out on his face.  “I know this doesn’t make things easier for you, but it seems romantic that you’d chance the effects just for me.  And I can't tell you how annoying it is to have heat come up now of all times.”  

“Yeah."  He said, pausing.  "Ah was thinking’ that ah might let ya go few a while, but then you were against mah chest like that, just layin there, and the heat faded for just a second.  It came back just as strong, but… Ah dunno, ah couldn’t bring mahself to turn that down.”  He turned, kicking a bale of hay over that spilled into a pile as it came to a stop.  “Might as well steer clear of the heat hay.”

Dash put a hoof to her chest, making up a fake posh voice.  “You’re too good to me, Mac.”  She said, poking at one of the ice packs.  “How long do these last?  It’s not a bad idea, actually.”

“Actually.”  He repeated, laughing.  “You sound so surprised.  ‘Bout a half hour, so-“

“Let’s get going, right?”

“’Less ya want to go, still.”  

“Shush.  I think you can stand not to be lonely for a single night in the last year.”

He laid down on his back, and Dash found a spot on his chest, his heartbeat immediately instilling its steady beat.  He put his hooves around her, resting them there as she let hers hang around his sides.  If there was some moral issue to be had with this, she could worry about it tomorrow. This meant something, having all this go on and still ending up with such a romantic outcome.  It made her heart heavy, and the contentment of it all did the same to her eyelids.  She wanted to relish the feeling, but before she knew it she’d passed out, a happy resident on Mac’s heater of a chest.


_____________________________________________________________


Dash awoke with a start, her dreams fading as they had a couple nights before.  She shook her head, trying and failing to get annoyed.  Those dreams never really got going, but she was sort of glad that it hadn't.  Sure, her wings were stiff and she'd have a bit of explaining to do with the new smells, but seeing the end of the dream just felt like it would spoil things for later.  Dash wasn't sure how things would proceed between them, but she was totally sure they would.  She felt something for him, empathized more than she thought she could.  Maybe she really did love him.  Maybe this is what love felt like.

She stared down at his face, tilted backwards with his jaw wide open in slumber.  Dash couldn't hold back a slight laugh, though she forced herself to stay quiet.  He looked way more peaceful than he had yesterday, and she aimed to keep him asleep as long as possible.  

Dash rolled off of his body, her wings providing some resistance.  She took a long breath, keeping herself calm.  She had weather duty today as usual, trying to make sure that a growing storm didn't move over Ponyville.  Dash picked up a piece of paper from on top of the keg of cider, walking over to one wall to pull out a measurement pencil.  'Off to work,' it said, and she stuck it on Mac's chest with a slight grin.  He probably wouldn't miss that.  

Dash leaned down, giving him a kiss on the cheek.  It'd be over soon enough.  She had a lot of time to think up something romantic to do at the end anyway.

Something hit her in the side, and Dash was thrown into the nearest wall, the air knocked out of her lungs.  She crumpled on the ground, gasping for breath and in pain.  She blinked the blur in her eyes away, looking up at Applejack's face.  It was literally red with rage.

"Ah don't know what ya think yer doin' here…" She began, her words eerily quiet and measured.  "But takin' advantage of mah brother is SO LOW!"  She drew back a fore hoof, punching Dash in the gut as she tried to get to her hooves and sending the mare back to the ground.

Dash tried to choke out a response.  

"Shut up!!"  Applejack raised her hoof again, pointing it at the blue mare's face.  "Ah swear, ya have five seconds to get off mah property before yer face and the ground become one thing."

Mac's hoof wrapped around Applejack's hind leg, pulling her backwards with a sudden ferocity that Dash couldn't believe.  Applejack thudded onto her back, sliding into a bale of hay.

"Why the fuck are ya punchin' my marefriend!?"  He yelled, standing between his sister and Dash.  His hind leg twitched, and Dash watched a drop of moisture run down his hoof.

"Look, Mac, Ah know yer not in the right mind at the moment, but she came in here and took advantage-"

"We didn't do anything!"  He yelled, and Applejack went silent.  "She didn't even want to stay, but since she didn't shun me from her life and run away, Ah wanted to see if she'd still be here in the mornin'.  Ah thought maybe ah was dreaming, but clearly Ah'm not!"  He took a step towards Applejack, who seemed a little scared by her enraged brother.  Like anypony wouldn't be.

"Whether she did or not, ya can't blame me for getting defensive of ya!"  Applejack yelled back, not losing an inch.  In fact, she took a step towards Mac, pushing her muzzle forwards until it was only inches from his.  "Having your first go like this… you know how ya'd feel after?"

"Ah could live with it if it was with Dash."  He replied, his voice even.  "She didn't even entertain the idea of bedding me.  She acted like it was the last thing she wanted ta do."

"So what happened if ya couldn't control yourself?  What if ya just took what ya wanted?!"

"Ah had mah heat remover, and ah've got a whole lot more control than ya do!"  He hollered back, his face redder than usual.

Applejack finally broke the standoff, taking a step back and beginning to walk away.  "Yer right."  The farm mare stated.  Dash almost fell over in shock.  Applejack had conceded a point.  "It's your life, and if ya said ya ain't done nothin', ah should damn well believe it.  Ah'm sorry for the kicks and the crappy wake up call, 'specially if you did accept him as he is."  She said.  

"Look, I understand."  Dash replied, rubbing at her ribs.  Maybe if she hadn't kicked her like she'd meant to kill.  "I would… probably do the same thing, I think."

"But it's going to be my fury if you make a move 'fore the end of the week."  She muttered, shutting the barn door behind herself.  It opened a moment later.  "Congratulations on finding 'that mare', Mac.  It's about time something went your way."  Then she was gone again, and they were left in silence.  

"Sorry about her."  Mac said, putting an arm around her shoulders.  "She can be protective.  Ah've got some ice, if you want."

"Pfft, I don't need that.  I can walk it off."  Maybe she could do weather duty without moving.  That'd be nice.  "Gotta get to work and all."

"Yeah."  He replied, though his mind was clearly somewhere else.  "We probably shouldn't do that again.  You were right."

"It got worse?"  Dash asked, as if it wasn't obvious.

"Ah'd like to have ya visit me, but just- it can't be long.  Applejack was right when she said that Ah shouldn't push things."

Dash nodded.  "How about you just stick something in the window if it's okay to visit, alright?"  She picked up an orange.  "Like this, alright?  I'll bring a little food, and we can talk, and then I'll leave.  Of course, if you just want me to stay away for the rest of the week, that's fine too.  Just don't put the orange up there."

Mac blinked, trying his hardest to stay focused.  "Can ya bring a few sweets?"

"Candy?  Sure, I'll bring some stuff."  She took a step forwards, tweaking her side as she tiptoed up to kiss him.  He leaned down quickly, sensing her pain and holding her chin up with a gentle hoof.  Mac pulled away quickly after their lips met, and she didn't blame him.  

"Ya should really get that looked at."  He said.  "Sis can do a lot of damage, when she wants to."  

His face was a perfect expression of guilt.  "I'll be fine.  Besides, work gives me something to do."  Dash assured, spreading her wings and taking off through the window.   Her flight muscles pulled on the bruise, and she cringed, trying to fly a straight path.  As soon as the streets of Ponyville came into view she landed, another blow to the rapidly developing purple spot.  Walking was still easier.

She could handle a little pain.  It'd only been the other day she'd thought the same thing, totally willing to swap out the pain in her heart for some of the physical variety.  But everything made sense, as far as it was going to by now.  She had a coltfriend that was here to stay, and even though their relationship wasn't going on during the best events, she knew that it would survive.  What they had was lasting and strong, and maybe it had just taken a little bit of oddity to tell her that.  Besides, normal was boring.

Dash sniffed the air, shaking her head with a laugh.  

Damn, she needed a shower.
> A Little Relief
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash sat down with a sigh in the corner of her cramped office, freshly showered, letting out a groan of annoyance as pain rocketed through her side.  She was going to yell at Applejack about this, that was for sure.  It hadn't seemed like the thing to do at the time, and she somewhat understood the farmer's rage, but it didn't warrant… this!  Dash chanced a peek at her side and cringed.  Mother of all bruises, that was for sure.  She could walk it off of course, mare she was, but it would've been nice to have just not had it happen.  

Maybe she'd just been too overjoyed from the night before to blow a gasket right there.  Besides, Mac had kinda done that for her.  Dash smiled merely thinking about it.  About him.  

She had Mac.  Finally.  She knew him, maybe even loved him.  The pain in her side faded a little.  Maybe that was how Mac had felt when he'd forgotten his heat for a moment.  Man, she wanted to hug him again.  Her arms couldn't even reach all the way around, come to think of it, but their contact just seemed so right.  It wasn't lustful or anything, especially when it should have been.  

Dash had never felt so excited over a thing so intangible.  It was strange, to think that she was lonely as all get out only a week ago, and now… well she wasn't really sure what stage she was in, but she liked it.  There was some stuff she had to work out in her head, but Mac's willingness to answer questions had gone a long way.  Obviously she hadn't asked the really personal ones, but that didn't surprise her.  Though they didn't stop her from wondering, of course.

It wasn't really strange that she was curious, right?  She didn't think so.  It was such a strange thing to think about, and she still wasn't sure what things were like.  

He was in heat, and normally that was a mare thing, constricted to mare parts.  But there he was, with an erection that she could just now begin to think about in an erotic sense.  Well, not now.  Not at work.  Dammit, work.

Dash squinted, thinking.  What did having a dick feel lik-

The door opened, and she just about had a heart attack.  "AAAH!"  Dash exclaimed, pushing herself roughly into the arm of her chair.  Thunderlane walked inside.  "What is it with you and not knocking?"  She asked, perturbed.  "Seriously!"

"What's got you so jumpy?"  He asked, and everything from the last sixteen hours spun through her brain.  

Dash let out a breath.  "Just a little tired.  Thoughtful, I guess."  She replied.  Technically not a lie.  She wasn't like Applejack, she could definitely lie, but she just preferred not to.  Fewer possible enemies that way.

"Thoughtful in a good way?"  He asked, sitting on the corner of her desk.  

"Yeah.  I can say I have a coltfriend now."

"Oh, seriously?!"  Thunderlane exclaimed.  "Nice job!"  He stepped off the desk, offering her a hoof bump that she gladly returned.  

"Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it."  Dash replied.

"I would assume so.  You aren't going out and telling anypony about it though, any reason for that?  Privacy?"  He asked, returning to his seat.  

"Mostly that.  If ponies find out, I guess I don't mind, but it just seems simpler without that."

"Probably some jealousy'd be going around after that discovery, huh?"  He asked, and she nodded.  "Though I'm sure you'll have at least a few stallions breathing sighs of relief.  Can't say those guys will be too annoyed with you."

"Stallions were always easier to talk to anyway."  Dash replied.  "Less emotional stuff."

Thunderlane laughed.  "I hope you realize that's the reason you can hang around stallions so easily.  Romance may be different, but it's hard to dislike a mare that acts like one of us."

"So I'm eye candy and have a personality?"  She asked, chuckling.  "You're too kind."  

"I live to please."  He responded, taking a little bow.  "Anyway, got any plans for today?  It's not like there's much to do on the weather front, no pun intended."

"Yeah.  Kinda wanted something to do, though."  Her side gave a pang of annoying pain, but she downplayed it well.  It was on the side opposite him anyway.

"That's not like you.  Bit of Mac's work ethic rubbing off?"

"Ha, maybe."  Dash paused.  "I guess I'd just rather get through the time I'm not with him as quickly as possible."

"I know the feeling."  Thunderlane responded, picking up a snow globe from Dash's desk to examine.  "It fades a little, after a while.  Not so overpowering.  I kinda like it, though."  He became silent, thinking for a moment before he burst out into laughter.  "And here we are, talking about feelings."

"It's not so bad if it isn't like the usual gossip."  Dash put on her best impression of Rarity.  "Ooh, did you see that stallion, darling?  What a stud, and his flank!  It's a pity, though, because I heard from my friend that her friend is going out with him, and they aren't speaking to each other anymore because of it.  But I'll tell you what I heard…"

"Alright, enough."  The stallion responded, wiping a tear from his eye.  "I get it."  He got up, grabbing the doorknob with a hoof.  "See you later.  Got a little work of my own to get done."  He finished, leaving and closing the door behind himself.

Dash waited a few seconds, before she turned to look at her side.  Ooh, that was worse than she thought.  Her skin had turned a dark blue over a large splotch of flesh, and it almost hurt to look at.  Applejack was in for a nice, crisp punch to the jaw.  

And what was with that whole thing anyway?  She could understand being overprotective.  Her father was overprotective of her in a million ways.  But at some point, it had to have registered through her brain that maybe it wasn't what it looked like because Dash had been there, and not some other random mare.  She could have understood Applejack's rage a little more if it had been another mare, and not just because it wouldn't be her with the giant bruise.

I mean, maybe she could have been mad, and so on.  But she'd gone a little far against one of the ponies she trusted the most.  At least, Dash hoped she trusted her.  Yeah, she better by now.  So there was another reason Applejack deserved an uppercut the next time they met.  Like she needed two reasons.

She had to look busy, at least.  If somepony came in and saw her just laying around, it wouldn't look good.  She could sleep on clouds because she almost never got caught, and the fact that everything still got done gave her a lot more leeway.  There was probably some paperwork she had an excuse to work on now, and the fact that she was in the office gave her no excuse not to get to work.  

Come to think of it, there was some junk about their quota, and some more about other stuff like cloud supply and mountain rainfall.  They couldn't possibly control everything, but she wished they could.  That'd be a lot fewer forms.  

She pulled open a drawer on a filing cabinet, hauling out a huge folder, which Dash slapped on the desk.  The blue mare paused to swear under her breath, putting an angry hoof to her side.  This wasn't a bruise, that bone had definitely just moved.  Ooh, she hated that feeling.  Made her feel sick.

But it was just a rib, she'd had worse.  She didn't really need the hospital for that.  They couldn't do much anyway, other than a wrap around her chest.  What if the bone was offset?  She didn't know how to align bones, more than the obvious parts.  This was probably the first time she was torn between getting help or not.  If she just got this paperwork done now, that meant that she wouldn't be cramming in as much before audits, and that meant that she'd see more of Mac during that time, in which she had a history of being lonely.  She hated being lonely.  

"Dammit!"  She muttered.  "Broken bones come first."  It would've been nice if a higher up had actually heard the stupid struggle going on in her head.  She didn't really want a promotion, but it'd still make her look good.  This entire train of thought was retarded.

Dash closed the door of her office behind herself, walking towards the door.

"Weather issues?"  A unicorn behind the front desk asked.  

"No, just broke my rib."  Dash responded, walking through the door before the mare could ask a follow up question.  Maybe that'd put in a shot for her toughness.  Or maybe it'd make her look stupid if they assumed she'd somehow done it in her office.  

Alright, so she'd go by the hospital, see if everything was alright, punch Applejack in the face and yell at her, and then check for oranges.  Maybe a pony in the Canterlot insane asylum had come up with the same sentence at some point today.

Dash still felt rather happy, all things considered.  She didn't consider flying to speed things up, because it would only make things worse.  Her flight earlier had probably done enough of that, though.  She wasn't grounded, hopefully, but- wow, that would suck if she was.  Eh, at least she had stuff to occupy her on the ground now.

She came to a halt, staring at the dirt.  Dash, fastest and most awesome flyer in Equestria, had just shrugged off the possibility of being grounded for a while.  Was she high?  

Dash told herself that it would be horrible not flying for a couple days.  It had been before.  Getting to her house would be annoying, but she didn't really care.  She didn't feel that annoyed or put out.

She walked up to the front desk of the Ponyville hospital on autopilot, getting out of her thoughts long enough to notice the stallion in scrubs behind the counter.  

"Soooo, I broke my rib, and I was wondering if I could just have somepony take a look at it real quick."

"When did you break it?"

"Today."  Dash responded, turning to point to the bruise.  Something about that position really fucking hurt.

The receptionist skeptically reached for an intercom microphone.  "We've got a mare with a broken rib, minimal further damage."  

"If you're not in too much pain, fill out these forms."  He said, sliding a clipboard at her.  "It'll help speed stuff up."

Dash nodded, taking the board and a pen and taking a seat.  Her thoughts turned to Mac again, and time slipped by.


_________________________________________________________


Not a bad break.  Couple days, they said.  Try not to fly, they said.  Dash rolled her eyes.  She lived in the sky, that was hardly even possible.

The bandages wrapped around her sides felt a little too tight, and they left her in a state of feeling perpetually short on breath.  It definitely kept the bone from shifting as much as it could, but that didn't mean it wasn't annoying.  Walking long distances sucked.

She could see the barn, though the window was obscured by the treetops.  She needed something snazzy to say to Applejack before she unleashed a stiff upper cut.  Or getting mad worked.  Dash wasn't livid or anything, but keeping her from flying and the lack of trust deserved at least one punch.  Sure, she understood what Applejack had done, just as she was sure the farmer would understand why she was going to have a nice bruise on her face.  

Dash stopped in front of the barn, looking up at a window with a lack of citrus fruit.  Dammit.  She heard hoof steps and turned, catching sight of the orange mare.  Applejack gave her a slight nod as she passed, which almost made Dash hold her punch.  Almost.

Applejack sprawled backwards onto the ground as Dash clutched at her side.  Soooo worth it.

"What in tarnation!"  Applejack yelled, getting to her hooves.  She opened her mouth to say something else, but Dash cut her off.

"Look, Applejack."  Dash said calmly.  "I could handle things in a civilized manner, but we both know that such a plan hardly solves tensions."

"What are ya-"

"How could you not trust me!?"  Dash asked, pointing to her side.  "Like this was really what was necessary!  I'm grounded for a few days while these bandages work their magic!"

"Look, Dash, Ah-"

"No!  I- You're supposed to trust me, not overreact!"

"Ah-"  Applejack hung her head.  "Ah know."  She paused, and Dash decided to let the silence trail on.  "But look, Ah know that what Ah did wasn't warranted, but look- Mac's heat is a sensitive thing to him to say the least, and when Ah saw ya there- I just got so angry.  It as nothing to do with ya, but he'd just blame himself forever if anything happened, and he's- look, the reason Ah didn't seem to trust ya is because Ah didn't think that far ahead."

"I can see that."  Dash replied, calming slightly.  "You always were pretty impulsive."

"Careful on the moral high ground, Dash."  Applejack replied with a chuckle.  "Ya might slip."

Dash batted a hoof at her.  "I'll never get over your sayings.  We good?"

"More or less."  Applejack replied.  "Can't say Ah'm too mad about something Ah kinda deserved."

"Glad to hear it."  Dash paused.  "The first part, I mean.  Just tell me if Mac wants to see me, alright?  How's he doing?"

Applejack let out a low whistle.  "Not good."  She moved a few steps closer, lowering her voice.  "It's a bad heat, and before ya go off blaming yourself, Ah highly doubt it's you anyway.  He's prone to some… well, bad might still be the best word to use."

"How do you know?"  

"Water intake's a good indicator, specially when ah can compare it ta other heats."  

Dash furrowed her brow. "What?"

"Well, he pushes out a cooler of water when he runs out, and ah get some water in it.  Stick out a few other buckets of ice water so that he doesn't just dump the tank.  Anyway, he's on track to beating a record."  She nodded a few times to confirm, grinning a little at her own brilliant plan.

"How do you deal with it?"  Dash asked.  "I mean, what's it like having Mac around when this kind of thing happens?"

Applejack sat down, leaning against a tree in thought.  "The funny thing is, it's just so normal by now."  She let out a dry chuckle, staring downwards.  "Ah mean, he's been around since before ah was born, so it's not like Ah knew any different from him.   But if ya told me ta pick a stallion that qualifies as normal, Ah'd pick him out of a crowd even if he wasn't mah brother.  With all the stuff he has going on, he's always been the same Mac, and he's never let it affect him.  Made the guy one hell of a role model after Granny gave me a talk about the whole thing." 

"Explains a bit of the stubbornness."  Dash interjected.  Applejack nodded.  

"Ya can expect a call, if it comes.  But Ah wouldn't count on much of a change for the better right after heat.  Hormones don't exactly make those days easier."

"Wait, he has that too?"  Dash asked, somewhat shocked.  Man, he had an odd mix of things that worked.  The week after heat sucked.

"He gets all the crappy parts of bein' a mare.  Can't have a foal, so that gets rid of the best."  Applejack shook her head.  "Ah'd never want ta be him, ah know that much."


__________________________________________________________________


Days went by.  Two, then three.  Dash watched the barn, but it became obvious almost immediately that Mac was trying to diligently keep away.  She couldn't blame him.  If she was the one in heat and he came by, well… she supposed that came more down to whether or not she could persuade him to do anything.  She definitely couldn't overpower him at all, not that she went that heat crazy.  Judging by what Applejack had said, Mac must've had some sort of tendency towards such a thing.  Or maybe just an assumed one, like something that they wanted to protect against even if it never came about as a problem.

The fact that Mac's absence made sense didn't lighten her burden, however.  She missed their contact. The weather had cooled despite the spring months, and if there was ever a time she wanted a body next to her it was now.  It felt almost like the draw that heat had, without the purely sexual lust.  She wanted Mac next to her to hold onto and love, not for crazed intercourse.  Love.  Huh, there went those thoughts again.

Dash leaned back in her swivel chair, yawning and making her way for the door.  Maybe today.  Her rib was feeling better, and after another day or so she could probably get to her house without using a cloud.  Either way, the grounding was somewhat nice.  She liked seeing things from Mac's point of view, and it'd given her ample time to find a couple of niches of Ponyville that she'd missed.  She was becoming a regular at The Hole in the Map as well.  Every time she walked inside she berated herself for not caring enough to find it earlier.  It was a magical little place.  

She passed a group of ponies that were giggling about something or other.  She felt kinda like laughing.  Not that she really knew why.  Of course she didn't, her feelings hadn't been predictable for days, why start now?  

What would happen if Mac let her in anyway?  What would he look like after most of his heat had passed?  She usually looked alright, but that was because she spent most of her time in her cloud shower staying cool and taking advantage of the lack of a water bill.  It almost seemed like the colder she could stay, the more stability of thought she held on to.  For some stupid reason, she tested that a few years ago for a day.  It had not ended well.

If this relationship got somewhere, a cloud walking spell and the use of her shower could help Mac a whole lot.  But then again, if they were still together months or a year from now, however long it took, she doubted that she'd want to suppress his heat.  She felt a little warmer just thinking about it.  

Apple trees went by.  Dash realized that she got caught in thought way too much.  One of these times she was going to hurt herself running into something.  It'd probably end up re-breaking her rib with her luck.  She looked up at the barn, realizing that she had gotten too close to see any oranges in the window.  A wind blew, and she narrowly stepped out of the way of a falling fruit.  

"Yes!"  She exclaimed, hopping around on her hooves.  Her excitement was short-lived, however, as she pushed against the door with a hoof and found it firmly locked.  "Fuck."

Maybe Applejack had a ladder nearby.  Her rib was healing, but she didn't want to tempt another break or added soreness.  Climbing a ladder would still be risky, but it wouldn't be anything she couldn't handle.  She found a step stool, which was totally useless to her.  Wait, was that- ooh, it was.  Dash pulled out a folding ladder, awkwardly pushing it alongside the barn.  She set it up under the window, making sure that the rusty cross braces of the triangular structure weren't about to come apart. 

Getting in was easy, aside from a jump that had needed a bit of help from her wings.  Aiding a hop wasn't hard.  Staying up in the air was the problem.  

Dash stepped across the boards on the loft, watching her step and carefully testing each one.  There was a nice little stair step of hay descending towards the ground, which she could-

"Dash!"  She looked up, finding Mac across the barn.  She was surprised that it hadn't been her first action, as soon as she had entered, but she really didn't trust these boards.  "Ooooh."  Mac sighed, clearly concentrating on something else.  Dash could see exactly how much he was concentrating, considering his central position in the barn.  He was rubbing at himself and breathing heavily, and as much as it wasn't right to watch… She really wanted to.  Well, parts of her did, anyway.  Obviously her saintly mind didn't, because that would be ridiculous.

Mac pushed his head backwards into the hay on the floor, his mouth open in soundless pleasure.  A bead of sweat slid over his forehead, but he paid it no heed.  He shifted, giving Dash a full view of everything that wasn't directly blocked by his hooves.  Her eyes widened, and her wings slowly spread open.  Her eyes watched his length as he stroked it madly, trying to push out an orgasm like it was some sort of cleansing process.  She knew how it felt.

The stallion grunted, rolling slightly to one side as he arched his back.  He let out a series of staccato gasps, his eyes so tightly shut it looked as if he might turn his eyelids inside out.  His hoof got in the way of his member as he came, his muscles taught.  Dash crouched a little lower.  She didn't really want to embarrass him by letting him know she'd been here for any amount of time.  Maybe he'd give it a rest and she could make a racket and act like she'd just arrived.  

But he didn't stop.  He just went back to his genitals that she struggled not to stare at.  It was so- oh man, he was- he didn't have to wait between orgasms even.  Maybe that was the heat, but it was so hot…  Was his musk always this strong?  Was this room always so warm?  She felt her backside pulsate, trying to keep a hopeless damper on her arousal.  

Mac opted for a slightly slower route this time around, murmuring her name occasionally as his small thrusts met his hoof.  He dug his other hoof hard into his va- she'd have to get used to that.  His vagina.  She wondered how that felt, what kind of pleasure she could make him feel if she- no, sex was off the table.  Even if it would be awesome.  Even if she was realizing that she really wouldn't object to it.

Mac moaned out some mangled word, his rushed huffs of breath their own clues to another orgasm.  Dash bit at her hoof, looking down at him.  It had been so short a time, and he was- she hadn't been this aroused since- maybe never, even.  Don't rub yourself, Dash…  You're not here for a show.  

Mercifully, Mac came.  What she could see wasn't a spectacular ending, as a little rivulet of semen slid down his completely rigid length.  Such a performance wasn't really surprising, considering the number of times he'd surely emptied himself already.  She felt herself wink at the thought, nearly throwing a hoof between her legs to get a little release of her own.  It'd probably help if she stopped thinking like this.

The stallion rose, turning around from his audience of one.  Dash hurriedly wiped a dribble of juices from one of her hind legs, trying to make herself look like she hadn't just been watching and liking his performance.  If she'd been told a week ago that her coltfriend would go into heat and have his own set of female genitalia, she would have probably laughed and been a little disturbed.  But when she looked at Mac, it just wasn't that simple.  He was what he was, and she accepted that.  Liked it, even.  There was always that one drawback to every guy, and if this was Mac's then she'd really drawn a winner.  

Mac moved behind a couple of bales of hay, and Dash punched a board with her hoof to act as if she had just landed inside.  Mac's head popped out from behind one of the bales again, and Dash had to keep from laughing at how cartoonish it looked.  Her arousal had cleared up a little, at least, although the strength of his musk hardly helped.  She walked down the stair steps of hay, meeting him behind his bales.  

To say that he was looking tired would be an understatement.  So would words like unkempt and bothered.  "I saw the oranges."  She said.  Yeah, obviously brain.  "Why today?"

"Well-"

"What's this?"  Dash asked, picking up a cupcake from a bale.  Her eyes focused on a candle behind it, and the hole it had left in the frosting when it had been removed.  "Oh no."

"It's mah birthday."  He confirmed, smiling a little.

Dash sighed, setting the treat aside.  She sat down.  "Gosh, that sucks."

"It's not that bad, 'specially since ya got here."  He said.  Dash wondered how it was possible that she had gone from a state of high arousal to near depression in fifteen seconds.  It made her feel a little queasy.

"Applebloom brought it by this morning before school, even though she wasn't supposed to."  He grinned with an expression that Dash had only ever seen on her parents' faces.  "Love that little filly."  He twitched, scratching at his inner thigh.  Mac left his legs a little spread, though a fair amount of him remained out of sight.  "And evidently ya didn't come to yer senses 'bout me, so that's a nice end to today."  He leaned to one side.  "What happened to yer-"  He gestured to the bandages around her chest.

"I just hurt myself.  No big deal."

"But-"  

"Look, I'll tell you everything when you're totally sane up there, alright?  It's really nothing to worry about."  She leaned forwards before he could respond, pushing her lips to his as she sat down in front of him.

Mac pushed her away after a moment, the fuzz of one of her fore hooves slipping by his member as she put it back to the ground in front of her.  The stallion stiffened and his length pulsed.  Keep your wings to your sides, Dash.  Just like her to try to do something that was impossible.

"Don't."  He said simply, remorse in his voice.  "It'll just get worse."  Dash mentally slapped herself.  As if he wasn't having a bad enough heat.  Especially over his birthday.  Wait, birthday…

"Hey, we're marefriend and coltfriend."  She said, putting on a warm smile.  "And it's your birthday."  She kissed him before he could stop her, pulling back a second later.  "You deserve a little birthday gift before I can get you something real."  

Dash poked a hoof to his chest, rolling the stallion onto his back without much trouble.  She wasn't going to go far, but she could at least give him a little relief.  Heat was always better when somepony else helped.  

"Dash, don't.  I- we shouldn't do this."  He said, sweat breaking across his forehead as he tried to fight the urges she knew he was having.  

"Mac,"  she began, crouching so that her muzzle was right next to his shoulder.  "We're not going there, alright?"  She let herself lay on her side, resting her head on his shoulder.  "But I can't let you just sit around like this when I know I can help."

"But-"  Dash pushed a hoof against his length, giving it a small rub.  Mac seemed to melt, putting a hoof around her back as she began.  Apparently he was done trying to stop her, and she was somewhat glad that he hadn't tried too hard.  She knew she could help like this, and give him a nice bit of relief.  It was the least she could do.  Her hoof wrapped around, sliding up to his flared head and back.  Dash felt her backside pulse, her wings trying to remove themselves from her sides.  He was thicker than he looked, but she wasn't sure how he compared to other stallions.  It'd been far too long since she'd done anything like this.  She leaned over and kissed him.   

Mac groaned into her mouth, and she stroked back down, running over his medial ridge and meeting the edge of his sheath.  Dash pulled away from the kiss for a moment, taking a look at what she was working on.  He was so stiff, so unbelievably hard…  Her eyes slipped down, past his testicles, pulled tight against his body with need, towards the bit that ashamed him so much.  Dash had never really had much more than a glance, and what she'd said before had been about correct.  

It looked mismatched onto his body, but it looked normal if not of slightly larger proportions.  It stuck out just a bit, the ridge of muscle or erectile tissue that ran towards his penis keeping it pushed out.  Why she wasn't turned off in the slightest, she would never know.  Dash knew she was completely straight, and yet here she was, ogling a vagina.  Maybe it was because it was attached to Mac, and because that was his arousal dripping onto the floor.  It winked at her, and Dash felt an eyelid twitch.  A bead of precum slid onto her hoof, and Dash's wings flew out from her sides, her internal battle lost.

"Dash…"  Mac complained, and she realized she'd stopped.  She shook her head, putting on a smile as she returned to his lips.  She stroked faster, another drip of precum sliding over her hoof.  "Oooooh Goooosh."  He said, and Dash giggled.

"Not gonna swear, huh?"  She asked, and he peaked through an eyelid on his happy face at her.  

"Gotta act mature around the ladies."  He replied with a dry chuckle, which ended in a gasp.  "It feels so much better when ya do it."  

"I know."  Dash replied, nuzzling against his cheek.  "Now shhh.  Just enjoy it."  That smile though… if she died now, she'd be happy.  Mac sucked in a quick breath, his free hoof shifting and prodding at the ground as it tried to find something to do.  She extended a wing, lowering the feathers until they came into contact with the tip of his member.  Mac nearly had a heart attack, his member pulsing in her hoof.  Man, he had a cute face when he was getting pleasured.

She knew her wings were soft, but she could only imagine what they felt like to him.  Dash worked her feathers gently over his tip, continuing to stroke his length.  She felt him expand, kissed him on the cheek and caressed his side with her free hoof as he came against her, shaking in silent release.  Dash held him for what felt like forever, her arousal, though still growing, refused to become needy.  She could laugh at how she felt, so ready and yet unwilling.  She could wait, even if it took years.  So long as she could stay around Mac like this in the meantime, it'd hardly feel like waiting at all.  

"That was- it- Ah-"  Mac stared at the ceiling, panting with that same smile.  That expression was probably more arousing than everything else she'd done today.  "Ah love you Dash."

Dash merely smiled, as if she had been expecting it.  She hadn't in the least, and she nearly did a backflip right then and there.  Maybe it was just his heat talking, or the fact that he'd just gotten off by her hoof.  But- no, she knew those feelings were real, that he knew them to be true.  Dash's response response was as heartfelt as any words she'd ever uttered before.  

"I love you too."
> Fatigue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash opened her eyes, blinking them a few times so that they would wet themselves again.  Mac was holding onto her like she was the last mare in the world.  He was so cute, even despite his mussed up mane and matted fur.  The smile he had even while he was asleep probably helped.

She liked this.  Waking up next to him, warm and with his hooves around her.  It was nice that she'd confessed her love for him the night before, even if it may not have been the most romantic time to do so.  Oh well.  She couldn't account for everything, nor did she have the patience to.

Mac shifted, blowing a puff of air into her neck.  He held her a little tighter, pressing his chest against her side.  Jeez, he felt  even warmer like this.  If the barn hadn't cooled overnight, she would've been beginning to overheat.  How much warmer was he while the whole heat thing was going on?  The stallion pushed his muzzle into her neck, as if he was trying to tease her.  

"Mac, stop!  That tickles!"  She laughed, feeling his muzzle slip under her chin.  Dash watched his eyes, still closed in slumber.  He was breathing more heavily, and Dash felt him grind himself against her.  Wait.  He did it again, whispers drifting into her ear.  Hold on, he wouldn't really… A third gentle thrust, a huff into her fur.  But the whole heat thing really didn't say much towards predictability.  "Mac."  She shook his shoulder.  "Hey, wake up."  As if on cue, Mac tightened up and thrust against her, pushing his member gently against her lower stomach as he ejaculated, shaking slightly.  Dash wrapped a hoof around the back of his head, holding him a little closer as he played himself out.  

Well.  She wasn't sure how to react to that one.  Partially because she was still getting used to his heat, and partially because she'd never really watched anypony experience a wet dream.  At least she knew he was thinking about her, and there was also the fact that she'd kinda had her own dreams while sleeping with him.  If he wasn't in heat, they probably would've had sex already anyway.  He definitely deserved the benefit of the doubt, all things considered. 

Damn, that stuff was warm.  No, wings.  Stop.  Don't do that.

Should she wake him up?  Try to slip away and clean up?  She sort of liked the feeling though, and it was arousing as hell.  Wouldn't have been under any other circumstances, but it was now.  

"Mmff."  Mac mumbled, pulling his muzzle from under the side of her jaw as she shook him a little more.  He opened his eyes and met hers.  "Hey."

"Hey yourself."  Dash replied with a giggle, leaning over to kiss him.  "Have any nice dreams?"  Mac rolled her from her back so that her chest was parallel to his, and pulled them together.  The blue mare barely reveled in the closeness for a millisecond before Mac's face went a deathly shade of white.  He pushed her backwards, looking between their bodies.  

"No!"  He yelled, pushing himself to his hooves and away from her.  His back bumped into the wall, breaking a plank as he came to a stop.  Dash'd never seen him so freaked out, and it scared her a little.  "Oh, we- no, but-"  He trailed off as his eyes went unbelievably wide.  He ran for the barn door, shouldering it open like he had days earlier.  The internal lock on the door, engaged this time around, splintered apart, and he was gone before Dash could even utter the word wait.  

Look what you've done this time.  Oh, I'll just lay here.  Don't worry about that dangerously placed semen, Dash.  Mac would never view that as something he might have done in a fit of arousal and heat, then promptly forgotten.  Better let desire cloud your judgement, Dash.  Fuck.  

She galloped out of the barn, rubbernecking all over in search of the red stallion.  He was nowhere to be seen.  Fine.  Drastic times called for drastic measures.  Dash ripped the bandages off her body, spreading her wings.  Hopefully she wouldn't regret this tomorrow.  Wow, that bruise looked like shit.  

The mare hopped into the air without further ado, taking off at a fast speed over the orchard.  She was pretty sure he went this way.  But she didn't know what she'd say, or how he would react.  Too much stresssss.

Dash caught sight of him after a few moments, swooping downwards.  She was nearing the ground too quickly, and despite an attempted flap she still hit the ground hard, sliding through dirt and grass.  By the time she came to a stop, everything was hurting.  She looked up, cracking an eye to find Mac, stuck between several expressions.  

"You okay?"  He finally asked, his voice cracking.  

Dash pulled herself to her hooves, brushing off some dirt as she nodded.  "Good as I'm going to be."  She sat next to him before he could protest, leaning against his side.  

"Did we-"

"No."  Dash replied immediately.  

Mac let out a long sigh, shaking his head.  "Ah'm sorry 'bout overreactin'.  Ah probably should've just asked.  Not like I remembered anythin' like that anyway."  He paused.  "But how-"

"Wet dream."  Dash explained, pulling one of his hooves into her lap.  The morning sun shone gently down upon them through the leaves of an apple tree.  She laughed, watching Mac look at her in the corner of her eye.  "I expected there to be more explaining."

"Well it would have been over and done with in the barn if heat wasn't ending and mah emotions weren't in a tizzy."

"What- oh… yeah, the week after heat."

"It's not really that bad.  A bit uncomfortable, some blood from whatever lining forms, and it's over.  Thought process don't always work like Ah want it to, though.  Obviously.  You know how it is."

Dash giggled.  "It's funny listening to a guy's point of view on all this stuff.  Like, you just act so differently.  Rarity goes on and on about heat, and you hardly acted annoyed that it was your birthday yesterday.  And now you're just saying that the week after's just a thing like everything else you have to do."

"Ah'm stuck with the stupid cycle, so Ah may as well get used to it."  He leaned his head back against the tree.  "Gosh, I feel so much better.  Not that better than what I was means much."

"That day when heat starts to clear up is nice."  Dash said, drawing circles on her leg with his hoof.

"Ah don't know if Ah thanked ya for last night.  The part that Ah didn't dream and then think was real, anyway."

"Pfft, don't thank me.  You needed a little pick-me-up."

"Yeah, but- did ya mean what ya said?"  He asked.  Of course she had.

"'Course.  Probably could have waited for a more romantic time there though, Mac."

He blushed, looking away.  "Sorry."  He paused.  "Ah guess Ah just never thought Ah'd be around somepony that genuinely cared about me like you do, and Ah just never expected what happened… to happen."

"Well I'm glad it did.  Clears the air a little."  She chuckled to herself.  "Plus, you're acting like what I did was one-sided."

Mac squinted at her.  "But it was."

She poked a hoof into his side and he flinched, laughing down at her.  "It's been a long time since I've done anything like that, and it has been a lot like what you were saying…"  His face fell a little.  "I mean, it was, anyway."  She grinned.  "Like, most of my relationships that were anywhere near recent have just been physical.  A hoofjob was just a hoofjob, a way to make a stallion feel good so that they would reciprocate."

Dash shook her head, smiling.  "But last night, I never wanted anything in return.  I just wanted to pleasure you, to feel you against me as I did it, and to hear you and make you feel better.  I- uh… um… I just ran out of ways to describe that experience."

"You have such a way with words."  Mac said with a laugh, bringing her into a hug.  She let her head rest on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of the morning.  She could feel him pulsate between their stomachs, but paid it no heed.  Well, she tried not to.  She didn't outwardly acknowledge it, at least.  

"I should… get back."  He said, his eyes getting a little glassy.  "You make this too friggin' hard, Dash."

"I can take care of one more before I go to work."  She murmured, nipping at his ear.  Something popped in her neck.  Alright, not extending that far again.  Maybe if he wasn't so tall…  

"Somepony might see us."  He protested, though Dash could see he wasn't behind his own argument.  She slid Mac's back down the tree in a quick motion, leaving him flat on the ground.  The stallion seemed to be short for breath all of a sudden.

"This won't take long."  She said with a giggle, wrapping her arms around what she could reach of his back.  She pulled herself against him, his member still sandwiched between them.  

"What're you gonna-"  Dash pulled herself up slightly, her belly hair brushing against his sensitive skin.  Mac groaned, holding her closer.  She thought it was impossible to be more aroused than she was the previous night.  As it turns out, she was wrong.  So, so wrong.  Her rear pulsated with need, her body grinding upwards again to another groan.  Dash kissed him, his tongue wrapping around hers as he eased her down, aided by gravity from the moderate slope they were lying on and beginning to become more dominant.  

She ascended slowly, working her hooves over the stallion's shoulders and back.  Her brain was a flurry of arousal and love, a combination that she still had a little trouble getting used to.  She was careful to avoid any direct stimulation to herself, trying to keep her brain somewhat sensible.  This was a slippery slope she was treading on, and she knew it.  It took every ounce of mental capacity to keep from sitting Mac up straight and pulling herself up just a couple extra inches.  

Dash broke the kiss, watching her coltfriend push the top his head against the tree a few inches away, his shut eyes facing towards the sky.  His blush was visible, and he looked so pleased.  It made her do a little dance in her head.  There really wasn't much hotter than a stallion approaching orgasm, especially with Mac's emotive features.  

Dash waited until mac slowly slid her upwards, taking the time to wiggle her hips and send his tip from side to side on his own fur.  Mac let out a surprised squeak, trying to cover the noise up with a cough.  Dash felt herself give a strong pulse in response.  He was so new to all of this.  If he didn't stop being so cute and arousing, she might just explode.

"Ah'm not going to last much longer."  He said quickly, sliding her back up with a larger sense of urgency.  Dash repeated her wiggling motion, feeling his arms go slack for just a moment.  He grew against her, pulsing strongly a few times before she felt his warmth explode between them.  His breathing became jagged, and his arms tensed and shook around her back.  He was quiet when he came, gritting his teeth as he pulsed against her.  

The blue mare pulled back, looking down at Mac's face as he started to recover.  She laid a hoof across his forehead, smiling downward.  She was satisfied.  She, the one that had ended up without an orgasm, was probably more satisfied than the one that had.  He opened his eyes, looking up at her with a tired face.  Actually, he did look pretty satisfied.

"Aaaaah."  He sighed, letting his arms fall from her back and onto the ground.  

"Was it good?"  Dash asked, brushing a lock of mane from Mac's face.  "It looked good."

"As if it's possible for ya to make this bad."  He replied, taking in a deep breath.  "We haven't even had sex yet, and-  Ah can easily say that was the best Ah've ever felt."  He laughed, caressing her cheek with a hoof.  "Ah'm sorry about this little creed uh mine, waitin' 'till after heat."

"I would only be annoyed if it wasn't so satisfying to watch you come like that."  Dash replied, letting out a giggle of her own.  "It's kinda funny, because if it wasn't you, I probably would be annoyed."

"Well look, I can always just- do something in return."  He replied quickly, his eyes becoming a bit less tired.  A bit of worry replaced it.

"No."  She giggled.  "I'm here to try to make your heat a little better, not to save up favors."  She watched his length fill up with whatever little blood it'd lost.  It wasn't staying as consistently rock hard as yesterday, but it definitely hadn't gone down.  "Hey, how come you stay hard like that?"  Dash asked.

Mac seemed surprised by the question, and stammered a few times before he got a word out.  "What?"

"Well, you know.  Stallions can't really go more than once without a break."  There was a brief silence.  

"Oh."  He replied, pausing.  His face flushed.  "It's probably just the heat hormones, because Ah'm mostly without the ability otherwise.  Guess it just overrides the cool down hormones."

"Is that why stallions stop?  Hormones?  I just thought it was… well, I dunno."  She rubbed at a fore hoof.  The speaking part of this was going well.  

"That's why we usually get all tired and mellow."  Mac said, stretching an arm.  "It's a nice afterglow, when it applies."

"Which I assume doesn't include now?"  Dash inferred.

"It's not bad."  He said, shrugging.  "It usually subdues the heat better than… the mare part uh me does."  His eyes glanced away.  

Dash laughed.  "Well, fancy that."

He grinned back.  "Ah guess Ah can give ya a more complete rundown after-"

"MAC?!"  Applejack yelled, her voice close.  Mac hopped to his feet, taking a few uneasy steps before toppling over.  

"You okay?"  Dash asked, rushing over.  "Why'd you fall over?" 

He spat some dirt from his mouth.  "Ain't got enough blood for mah head."  He joked, standing up more slowly to keep from getting another head rush.  "Anyway, Ah'm gonna go meet her.  Ah suggest we split up, see in' as ya got yer rib broke last time.  And it'll just be simpler, because an explanation at this point would just be a waste of oxygen."

"But I never said-"

"Pfft, ah know broken bones.  Plus, mah sister kicked ya and ya looked hurt, so I figured it was more than a bruise."

Dash wasn't sure if she liked the fact that Mac assumed she had to be pretty hurt to show it at all, or if she was just surprised that he'd figured her out and not tried to dig further.  She didn't really like it when ponies drilled her for knowledge, but it seemed doubtful that she'd care if it was Mac asking the questions.  Prior to this ordeal, she'd had a set of rules towards how she chose the ponies she wanted to be around, but those had just floated out the window.  Mac hadn't actually done anything that could have possibly annoyed her, but he would get a free pass from a lot.  

"Well, see you later?"  She asked, scraping a hoof along the ground in a little circle.  "I mean, obviously, but soon?"

"You'll know when the heat runs its course, trust me."  He replied, laughing for a moment before his expression sobered.  "I mean, well, I'll find you.  Don't know how much stuff'll happen, depending on how well stuff goes the next week."

"MAC!"  Applejack yelled again, sounding further away.  

"COMIN'!"  He yelled back, peering under himself and wiping away his seed.  Somehow she'd forgotten about that.  Mac was right about not letting Applejack know of her presence.  That'd be a can of worms, at the moment.  The stallion waved and galloped off, quickly out of sight as he crested a hill.  Dash didn't wait for him to reappear on the flat land near the barn, and turned to take off herself.  Something in her brain clicked and she stopped, sighing to herself.  

She'd actually left a cloud here, a few days ago.  That's how she'd managed to get to her house every day.  Well, not this cloud specifically, but several.  Dash had split up the first one into a few chunks so that she had them around a few places, but clouds had a tendency to melt into thin air when they were small.  

Nope, still there.  She'd stashed it in the shade, so that had probably helped.  Her hoof pushed in a bulge, fixing up the cloud so that she was sure it wouldn't just split when she got up higher.  Satisfied, she climbed on and laid on her side, using her good wing to start her on her voyage.  

It took a while to get to her house this way, but she wasn't uncomfortable.  She also didn't have anywhere to be, so that erased her urge to speed up.  She laid her hoof across her stomach, coming in contact with Mac's semen and jumping in slight shock.  It was probably weird that she hadn't tried to clean herself off.  Then again, she sort of liked it.  Not in a slutty way, she didn't think.  If it had just been some random semen, she would have thrown up by now.  It was Mac's, though, and that was what was important.  

Wow, she was aroused.  How much farther to the house?  She looked.  Not that far.  Her hoof scraped across her belly, picking up a dollop of the slowly drying sperm.  Dash stared at her hoof for a moment, looked around, and put it to her mouth.  

It was kinda nice, actually.  Butter, but thicker.  Some other flavor she couldn't name.  Kinda sweet.  How much farther? 

Her cloud bumped into her front yard and Dash practically launched into her house, running up the stairs to her room.  The mare crashed onto her bed, putting a hoof between her legs as she replaced the other to her mouth.  Numerous fantasies about Mac spiraled around in her head, driving her hoof faster before they could even form.  She didn't seem to have a strategy, only sawing back and forth across her lower lips as fast as she could.  

Dash closed her eyes, allowing her imagination to kick in.  

She opened her mouth, letting out a moan.  Mac was above her, his length hanging invitingly towards her face.  He was busy staring at her lower half, and Dash spread her legs farther.  She stopped stroking herself, letting the fantasy play out.  

"Whenever you're ready."  Fake Mac said, crouching a little.  

"I'm so ready."  She replied in a whisper, wrapping her hooves around his hips.  Dash slowly went back to the stroking between her legs, rolling her hoof and attempting to replicate the feelings of being eaten out.  It was a cruddy rendition, but her imagination was working too vividly to care.  She got a little of his length in her mouth, Mac grunting as his weight began to press against her and his precum stuck to her tongue.  His balls touched her muzzle, what she could see of his female side looking as aroused as he was.

Dash felt herself pulse, gasping as her orgasm approached.  It'd hardly been more than a couple minutes, but she was still impatient.  Her hoof scraped over her stomach, grabbing whatever was left for her mind's finale.  Mac warned her, his length pulsing and growing in her mouth.  She could hear his groans and barely concealed moans as he submitted himself to sexual pleasures that he'd never known.  That was what set her off.  Dash bit her lip hard, arching her back as she came.  Her fantasy stalled for a moment, picking up as her tastebuds decided to process his flavor.  

She finally got half of a moan out, her orgasm beginning to slacken.  Dash gave herself a few more strokes before she let her arms fall to the bed, breathing heavily.  A few tingles of pleasure continued to spread through her thighs, before slowly beginning to meld into the afterglow.  

"Man, I wish that had been real."  She mumbled, loneliness horning its way into her otherwise content mood.  She shook her head in annoyance.  "Dammit."


________________________________________________________


Time passed slowly.  Roped into a long day of work because of a few sick ponies, naturally.  At least it gave her time to think of something she could do with Mac.  Not a sexual thing, but a real activity.  She wanted to try to give him an emotional boost for the next week, and even though merely showing up was a good step to take, Dash wanted to think larger.  After all, she wasn't in this for sex or any physical attraction.  Well, that wasn't a big proponent, anyway.  She'd never had a pony say that he'd actually loved her, and she wondered if that was why she was constantly trying to find awesome things to do with him.

No, that wasn't it.  Actually, maybe she was a little nervous that it could all disintegrate in front of her eyes.  It wasn't like her to give anything less than her all, and even if she could coast along with only her sense of humor and good looks, she didn't want to.  All she needed was some free time.

So naturally it wasn't hard to imagine her emotional state when the weather report came in.  Dash threw a few things, yelled, contemplated who she could punch in the face.  The nice low pressure that they'd had for a while was expiring, and if the shorter estimates of the time for the weather to fully change were anywhere near correct, she had a lot of work ahead of her.  No time for Mac.  That depressed her way more than she'd ever care to admit.  


________________________________________________________


Another night, another day.  She'd been stuck pushing clouds into the wee hours of the morning with a mostly-healed rib, only to get up after a few hours to continue.  The day had slurred together into a mess of work and troubleshooting.  The clouds weren't as cohesive as they had been, and had needed to be set up to one side of Ponyville so that they would blow over in the gentle wind and drop the rain.  But every time they started to make progress, the storm would start to break up, and they would end up pushing it back against the wind, just to repeat the process.

Dash ached all over.  Hours upon hours put into a rain storm that they might not need in the long run.  She understood the unpredictability of weather better than just about anypony in town, but that didn't mean she liked it.  There was always one of these stupid things each year, but at least last time they hadn't been short some ponies.  They had also expected the low pressure to continue for another week or two, giving them time to carefully put together a storm like this, but that hadn't happened this either.  

It was getting dark again, and she was one of the few ponies that remained.  There were always the employees that left right at the end of the day, and the ones that put in a little extra before they had to make plans.  She'd seen Thunderlane a while ago, but she doubted he would amount to much help.  He looked really sick, and Dash was just surprised he'd stayed.  He was supposed to be building the clouds up higher, so that if he passed out he wouldn't fall all the way back to earth.  

She'd accept a much smaller crew for this whole operation if she wouldn't need to deal with Cloudsdale and the unions.  Dash rolled her eyes.  She wondered if she'd be able to get away with any of that.  Ponyville had one of the best records in Equestria, and it definitely wasn't because of half of the ponies that worked for her.  But firing ponies that didn't pull their weight was basically impossible anyway.  Flitter cruised by, sending a quick wave as she met up with a stallion a distance away.  At least she could still stick pay raises where she wanted to.

"Dash."  Came a raspy voice, as heavy wingbeats signaled the arrival of a stallion.  "How are things looking?"

She turned, a silhouette appearing against the waxing moon.  "Thunderlane?"

"Yea-"  He cleared his throat, rotating around her so that his features came into view.  "Yeah."

"I told you to go home, guy.  There's no point trying to work in your state."

"I already told you, Dash."  He began with a slight chuckle that turned into a cough.  "I'm just rearranging some clouds in my free time.  You know, like art or something."

"You're such a stubborn bastard."  Dash replied under her breath.  Reminded her of Mac.  And suddenly she felt a little worse.  She almost fell asleep a moment later, jerking awake as she lost a few feet of altitude.  The cloud bank they were working on split down the middle and the ponies let out a collective groan.  So went weather creation when you tried to work against Mother Nature.  Thunderlane angrily shoved a cloud in the crevice, forcing it together with the rest of the cloud.  

A bolt of lightning lanced through the sea of grey, letting out a deafening bang.  Dash covered her ears, sighing as she pulled her hooves from her ringing eardrums.  Thunderlane flapped his way over, his fur standing straight up.  He had a hoof to one of his ears, and paused to cough.  

"See, art."


___________________________________________________________


"Dash."  The word echoed around in her head.  That was her.  She had that name.  Her brain muddled any sort of response.  "Ya okay?"  She felt her face move, and lazily opened an eye.  A big green iris came into view, and she skittered her eyes around between little flecks of gold.  

Oh, the guy wanted her to respond.  "Who's ya?"  She replied, as- wait, why was Mac here?  Was she asleep?

"Dash, ah don't ta sound accusatory, but are ya high?"

Her brain snapped into some sort of working condition, and her eyes opened wider as she got a hoof under herself.  "I'm just tired."  She managed to say, getting into a wobbly sitting position.  Dash pointed to a storm on the opposite side of town.  "Labor of love.  Also some number of hours.  Not really sure.  I remember wanting to come here and the sunrise, but I thought the flying here part was a dream."  She yawned, not feeling any less drowsy.  She saw a sizable pile of blueberries a few feet away, and transferred one to her mouth.  It was a really good blueberry.

"Where did you get these?"  She asked, head drooping for a moment as she struggled to stay awake.  

"Ah can bring ya there."  Mac offered.  

"I dunno if walking is really going to be my thing at the moment."  Dash mumbled, as Mac's muzzle pushed its way underneath her stomach, teasing her onto his back.  It wouldn't have been very comfortable if he was bony in the slightest, but all she felt was soft fur and wide muscles that supported her over his back just perfectly.  The last thing that went through her head was the slight smell of apples, trees and dirt that came out of his fur.  

Nothing had ever smelt sweeter.
> Consummation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash wasn't sure which part of the past several hours had been a dream anymore.  As she gradually came into consciousness, she remembered her encounter with Mac, but it just seemed… kinda like it belonged in a dream.  There weren't any physics-bending portions of their encounter, but a lot of her dreams kept within the laws of reality anyway.  Also, she couldn't tell what she was sleeping on.  Felt sorta like cloud, but not.  Such a way with words she had.  

Dash opened her eyes, looking around.  She felt rested, surprisingly.  But at the same time, the… moss she was laying on seemed to be lulling her back into slumber.  It smelt of soft citrus over a fresh drizzle of rain.  Dash forced herself into a sitting position, continuing to take in her surroundings.  Assuming Mac had actually taken her here and she hadn't crash-landed on the way to the Acres, it was unbelievably pretty.  A little bubbling creek cut through thick trees and foliage, and she had to poke herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.  Thin lines of water ran down what little ground wasn't covered in moss, minus a section that had clearly been converted into a fire pit.  She doubted it would grow moss there anyway, considering the slightly raised ground it sat on, keeping water away.  A few small trees poked resiliently out of the rock here and there before the moss turned into the forest proper.  But what she still couldn't wrap her head around was… Well, if this was in walking distance from the Acres… How could that even be the case?  And where was Mac, anyway?

She heard the calls of birds, the movements of animals, and noticed the visibility of red fur amongst such a green place, emerging from the trees.  So apparently it hadn't been a dream.  Dash waved to the stallion, breaking out in a huge grin as she gestured around to the place.  "This is amazing!"

"Yeah," he replied with a laugh, coming closer.  "Guess the Everfree's not so bad after all, huh?"

Woah, what?  "The Everfree?  We're in the Everfree?"  She was just sleeping here, unprotected, and-

"Dash, it's not dangerous!  We're not in that part uh the forest!"

"It's all dangerous!"  

"Does it look dangerous to you?"  He asked, and Dash stopped, following his gesturing arm as he put the other behind her back to direct her vision.  "Look, Ah've been out here since Ah was a colt, and it's always been as peaceful as it is now, 'less you venture too far in.  But ya have ta go pretty far in ta get to the Everfree you're talkin' 'bout.  Or go in over by Fluttershy's house, where all the crazy things seem to clump.  "

"No manticores?"  

"Nah."

"No bears?"  

"Not that I know of.  There isn't a lot of prey here, and like ah said, they seem to keep to the area with the bent up trees anyway.  Maybe there's more food around those parts."  He shrugged, emptying one side of his saddlebags into a pile of blueberries beside her as he laid down on the moss.  Dash looked up the slight incline, noting a small cliff behind them that was also wet with a film of running water.  Maybe there was a spring over there or something.  

"So how did you find this place?"  She asked, watching a solitary cloud float over and reflect the colors of sunset and grabbing a hoofful of blueberries.

He turned around, and she caught a little trail of dried blood that had moved down his leg at some point in time, probably hours earlier.  Ouch, so it was as full fledged as Mac had implied.  "Ah did a lot of exploring' when ah was a kid.  Still do, actually.  But Ah found this place when Ah was up there a ways,"  He said, pointing up the wet cliff.  "Ah found the little spring, then started to follow it."

"Oh."  Dash said, nodding.  

"Well actually, I slipped on a rock and fell through a couple of bushes, and that's how I found this place."  He finished.  "Ah wouldn't have gone through all that thick foliage bordering this otherwise."

"Were you okay?"  Dash asked, staring at the cliff.  It wasn't a small drop, and it definitely wasn't onto the softest of ground.  

"Ah broke two uh mah legs."  He said.  "But Applejack followed me out, figurin' ah had some secret fort or something with all the explorin' ah was doin'.  She got granny out here.  Braeburn's parents were visiting, so they pulled me out."  Mac shrugged.  "Could've been worse."

"You're using a rather interesting scale."  Dash observed.  "How old were you, anyway?"

"Ah was like ten or somethin'.  Look, Dash, Ah don't want to depress you or anything.  Ya look kinda sad."

"I'm not depressed!  I'm just… I dunno, it's weird realizing how much depth your life has, considering the general mystery that surrounded you two weeks ago."

"Depth!"  He scoffed.  "Ah kick trees most days."

"Yeah, but there was The Hole in the Map, and this place, and every time I think up a date idea you bring me to some amazing place like this!  It's pretty, it's romantic, and you seem to profess to me that you don't have any experience with dating."  She laughed, and Mac chuckled back at her. 

"Well then Ah'll tell you what, if you liked this so far…"  He trailed off, walking to other side of the fire pit and pulling aside a few huge leaves.  "Then you'll really love the fact that Ah brought food."

"That depends on how many blueberries are involved."  Dash said, narrowing her eyes jokingly.  "I friggin love those little guys."

"Well, Ah've Apple Family'd it up, so it's good that you like blueberries."

"Wait, but I thought-"  She trailed off.  Much confusion.

"Ah mean, Ah made everything from blueberries.  Like we usually make everything from apples.  Apple family'd, you know- whatever."  He sighed and set down a picnic basket, and Dash laughed.  

"How'd you even get all this set up?  I wasn't out that long."

"Only like seven hours."  Mac replied.  "Plus, Ah make blueberry stuff every year, so it was just luck that you commented on how much you liked them and that Ah had them around."  He paused.  "Plus, even Ah get sick of apples."

"Impossible!"  Dash exclaimed with a laugh, watching him take out a blueberry pie and separate it from the cardboard he'd used to protect it.  

"And you wonder why we went to The Hole in the Map.  Last thing Ah wanted to see that day was an apple."  He pulled a knife from a sheath on his hip, sticking it into the middle of the pie to cut a slice.

"Why the knife?"  Dash asked, watching him start on the second cut.  It was growing much darker out, something Mac seemed to notice as he handed her a slice of pie.  He threw a bit of kindling onto the old pile of soot, pushing away the cool ash to get at some embers.  Apparently he'd been here recently.

"Just in case."  He replied, watching the fire light.  He added a few twigs.  "Haven't had to use it out here yet though."

"So you're just cutting the cake with that big thing for giggles?"  Dash asked, chuckling.

"Or Ah forgot stuff despite the fact that Ah had more than enough time."

"Well it's good pie."  Dash said through a full mouth.  "Like, really good."

"Sis tends to like it too."  He said, blowing some of his mane from his face in annoyance as a gust of wind blew the flame out.  He walked over to his saddlebag, pulling open the other half.  He pulled free a big bottle of lighter fluid.

"Abandoned all pretense of a romantic fire start?"  Dash queried, laughing at his expression of determination.  

"Ya like explosions, right?  Those are romantic, right?"  Mac asked, grinning.  He moved his saddlebag backwards a few paces before continuing on to the fire.  He sloshed the contents of the container around, presumably judging the contents.  Then he preceded to open the lid and liberally pour the chemicals over the embers.  Nothing happened for a few moments before it burst into flames, billowing up past Mac's face as he hurriedly jumped away.  "Now that's now ya start a fire!  If startin' a fire with little twigs is romantic, this must make me some sort of god by comparison."

Dash was too busy laughing her head off to hear him.  As she got herself under control she inched a little closer to the flames, warming her hooves as occasional giggles escaped her.  "Starting a fire like a true stallion."

"Ya know it."  He replied, sitting down next to her and blocking the gentle breeze that had arisen.  Mac cut another slice of pie, beginning to eat.  Dash leaned against him, sighing happily as the sunset faded into darkness.  She could see a star already, which sparkled above the red clouds hovering over the forest.  Red at night, as if to prove that making that storm had been just as impossible as it'd felt.  No rain for a while though supposedly, so she could at least rest knowing that her efforts were not without use.  

The storm wouldn't blow over here, probably.  The Everfree would probably screw with that too much to keep the brittle clouds together.  Pegasus magic just sort of died around here, minus the piddly stuff like standing on clouds.  Even unicorn magic got a little wonky.  Maybe Mac was right, though.  There was something that just seemed more interesting out here.  Maybe she couldn't build an entire storm bit by bit, but she could start one if the weather helped to build on her moves.  When the monsters and evil were taken out of the picture, the forest was a pretty enchanting place.  Maybe the Everfree part had a much more liberating meaning at some point.

"This is nice."  She finally said, shifting her head on his shoulder.  "I'm glad we stuck together through all this stuff.  You were totally worth the effort."

Mac just chuckled, shaking his head.  "Ah'm just glad we lasted through that first night.  It's all been like a dream since then."

Dash wrapped a hoof around his back.  "You're such a softie."

"Ah try."  He let himself fall backwards onto the moss, bringing Dash with him.  More stars were poking their way through the fading light of the sunset, beginning to form constellations.  The pair admired the view for several long minutes, watching the sky fill with twinkling light.  

"So, mister astronomy, what's that group of stars called over there?"  Dash asked pointing.

"Assumin' Ah'm lookin' in the right place, that could be Orion."  He paused.  "But that other group to the left of that is Gemini, so you could be referring to those."

"Who named them?"  

Mac laughed.  "Ah wish Ah knew.  Nopony knows.  They're just names that got passed down from somewhere.  Ah mean, in Gemini ya got Kastor and Pollux, the two bright ones that form the connecting line.  Those ain't pony names.  But then again, the figures ain't ponies neither.  But that don't stop ponies comin' up with the legends for em' anyway."

"I dunno, it's kinda cool though, to have them shrouded in mystery.  The names could be as old as the stars themselves."  Dash replied.

Mac chuckled, pulling her closer with an arm to give the mare a brief kiss.  She giggled back, kissing him a little more firmly.  The kiss went on for several long moments before both broke apart, out of breath.  A blush had spread across Mac's cheeks, somehow visible despite the fading light and his red fur.  Dash moved a hoof gently up his arm, gazing into his eyes.  "Want to keep going?"  She asked, barely above a whisper.  

To her delight, Mac merely kissed her again without so much as a second thought.  Dash felt herself melt, pulling him closer as her hooves wrapped around his back.  She felt herself get wet at even the prospect of what they were about to do, the lead up it had involved.  What it meant.  She let him take control as he pushed her gently into the moss and continued to keep his lips planted against hers.  Part of her was getting impatient, but she pushed it away.  Even with Mac it wouldn't leave her alone.

It took her a second to notice that they'd stopped kissing.  She let out a quiet giggle, and Mac blushed a little more, if that was possible.  He stuck a hoof behind his head, scratching nervously as his rhythm fell apart.  He'd come to the end of his experience, apparently.  "What do you want me to do?"  He asked nervously, and Dash nearly burst into laughter.  "Are we supposed ta do oral, or-"

"Mac."  Dash said abruptly, cutting the stallion off.  He shifted above her and his already very erect member slid against the fur on one of her inner thighs.  Mac fought back a shiver.  "I'm down for anything, alright?  This is your first time, not mine."  Mac just stared a moment, before Dash continued.  "And the more we wait, the more desperate I become for you, so...  yeah."  Mac nodded, shaking his head slightly to get rid of nerves.  Honestly, Dash was glad he was nervous.  She was glad it wasn't like one of her dreams that casted Mac as a sex god.  It was interesting, and it felt real.  It had that element that her daydreams always missed.  The realism.  And jeez, did he pump blood into that thing fast.

"Ah, uh-"  He trailed off, as Dash pulled him down roughly with a hoof, nearly knocking the air out of herself with the sudden extra weight.  Man, he was solid.  Their lips met again, along with certain other parts of their bodies.  Mac gasped into her mouth, a slight grinding motion following up the contact.  She'd got him back into it, then.  Awesome.

Mac took the lead, rubbing against her back with a hoof as he pushed himself back into the mood, Dash's soaked entrance kissing at his tip as she pulsed and throbbed with his heat poking her just so.  He pulled apart for a fraction of a second, getting a nod from Dash before he started to push inside, resuming their kiss.  

Immediately Dash realized that her visual approximations had sucked.  He was big.  Maybe his size had just made it look proportional and somewhat ordinary, but… Oh!

"Hold on a sec, Mac!"  She exclaimed, gritting her teeth as he split her apart.  Mac was gritting his teeth for a different reason.  Well at least she was tight, that was always better than the alternative.  Always looking at the bright side, she was.

Dash could feel his pulse against her walls, her tunnel constricting inwards as it subconsciously tried to get Mac off.  She felt a dribble of impossibly hot precum exit his tip, and her arousal somehow rose further.  Mac slid in a little more as her face cleared up, moving through her with a series of grunts.  

"Dash, Ah- Oh!"  He moaned, pulling her tight to himself again as he buried his muzzle under her chin.  Dash kissed his forehead, feeling him shake a little against her as he gave a little final push and bottomed out.  She moaned at the feeling of fullness around his length.  "H-how am Ah supposed to last i-inside you like this?"  He stammered as his stallionhood jerked inside her, his voice muffled by her fur.  

"You'll do fine."  Dash replied, stroking his mane as he tried to calm himself down.  He pulled his muzzle free a moment later, pulling out part of the way.  He paused, looking down at her before he pulled out entirely, giving Dash a view of his impossibly hard, pulsing dick flickering in the firelight.  It looked like his estimation of not lasting long was fairly accurate.  "What's wrong?"  She asked, getting scared for a moment that he didn't want to continue.

"Ah feel like Ah'm smothering ya."  He replied, taking a few steps to a tree at the edge of the firelight.  He sat against it, his member showing no signs of lowering.  

Dash got the idea immediately, trotting over and giving Mac a kiss, briefly caressing one of his cheeks with a hoof.  She reared up, putting a hoof on the tree to hold herself up as Mac got his hooves on her hips.  She sat down on his lap facing him, his member angrily pulsing between them, demanding action.  Dash moved upwards and lined it up, sliding down on the rock hard meat slowly to a gentle groan.  "You're such a romantic, you know that?"  Dash asked, feeling Mac reach even deeper points somehow.  She felt like she might go cross-eyed, strings of pain-turned-pleasure zipping up her spine without even the beginnings of an actual thrust.  Mac began to move gently, not shifting her at first as he made tiny movements.  It felt marvelous.  His sheath was pushed up against her nether lips, covering all over her with warmth and little shivers of ecstasy.  He got a better grip on her, preparing to continue.

"Ya were the one t-that got me thinking about this p-position since the other day."  Mac replied shakily, referencing the time she'd gotten him off with her belly fur.  Just thinking about it made her pulse.  "And that'd be all well and good if it weren't even more- "  He let out a huff of breath.  "Even more stimulating than the last time."  With that he moved her upwards, lowering her back on his cock before it could even get a quarter out.    His fur tickled at her clit as he met her hips, pushing more desire through her system.  Dash leaned forwards to kiss him, reveling in the fact that he only seemed like he was partially there mentally.  She'd got him this way.  She'd done this.  Brought him this kind of pleasure.  Not like he wasn't reciprocating, though.

Her hooves wrapped firmly around his neck, helping Mac keep his rhythm as he hurtled towards his first orgasm inside a mare, precum bubbling from his dick.  Well, inside if she could help it, anyway.  She knew he'd try to stop, attempt to cool down so that he could continue again.  Try to make it about her.  Gentlecolt blah blah.  Pfft.  That was boring.  He thrust at a weird angle, hitting a spot she wasn't expecting and making her walls contract around him.  He groaned, a muscle in his shoulder twitching.  

Mac was losing his ability to contribute to their continued kiss, precum now oozing out of his member at a pace that revealed the short fuse he had left.  If he was able to get this much into her before he even came...  She could hardly think of how amazing his finish would be.  Dash thrust herself against him on a downstroke, making Mac's eyes widen as she decided instead to whisper in his ear.  

"You better not stop."  She cooed, nipping at his neck, then his ear itself.  "I want to feel you climax, hug you against me as you come."

"Dash, wait, I-"  He protested weakly as Dash went back to chewing gently at his ear.  He was pulsing rapidly as she started to really feel good, in no small part because of the nearly boiling warmth inside her, and the larger, more needy thrusts Mac was taking.  The pulses got closer together, before Mac stopped, trying to pause as he huffed out some breaths.  His face was flushed, but there was no mistaking the look of near-ecstasy written across his face.  He continued to pulse inside her, and let out another groan of pleasure.  He wasn't going down anytime soon.  Dash would have none of it anyway, starting to move herself along his shaft in his absence.  She squeezed down on him, and with a bite of his lip and a muffled sound of pure pleasure, Mac knew he'd gone too far to turn back.  His arms tightened around her as his lips smooshed into hers, his hips running a hard thrust into her rear that sent her head spinning.  

Mac exploded into her marehood, unleashing what felt like an ocean of his seed.  Dash moaned, pulling herself against her stallion as he played himself out in the most intimate of ways.  The warmth spread through her, and she moaned again as Mac twitched particularly hard.  She was out of breath, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.  Her eyes opened to Mac's, and she kissed him again.  "Thanks for this, Mac."  She said, feeling him begin to soften inside her.

"For what?"  He asked, dumbfounded through his afterglow.  God he looked gorgeous.  "Ya didn't come."  He sorta seemed dejected.  Too nice as usual.

"So?"  Dash asked, caressing his cheek with a hoof.  "You did."

He was silent.  "Ah'm confused."  

Dash got quiet, down to a whisper.  "This was never about me having an orgasm.  It was about us sharing the ultimate level of intimacy.  I don't care what other mares say.  They're shallow."

"But-"

"No, Mac.  This is about our relationship.  Not our sexual organs."  She paused, nuzzling against his cheek.  She could feel some of his seed slipping out of her as he continued to soften, and shivered involuntarily.  "But if it makes you feel better, we can keep going.  I think we're probably the top two ponies in town when it comes to stamina."

He gave a pulse of life at that, and she cooed.  "Look, last think I'll say is, you would get me off first try if that's what nature intended.  But look, you're fighting the same thing all guys have to.  It's pretty obvious when a stallion just doesn't care, and you're obviously not in that group."  Dash ground herself against his lap, feeling Mac rejuvenate at her words.  Anything that got him worried was death to his erections, apparently.  

"Glad ya think of me in such high terms."  He mumbled back, still sounding a little embarrassed.  A small grind he returned said that he was getting back into the mood, however.  Dash kissed him, caressing his tongue with hers.  It was gentle, not as heated as it had been a minute ago.  Dash felt herself start to stretch a little as Mac hardened to his full extent, moaning out her pleasure.  She was back to where she'd been in an instant, the mere idea of him getting hard while inside returning the buzz she'd been feeling.

"You sure you aren't still coming off the tail end of heat?"  She asked with a husky laugh, getting a chuckle back.  "You're rearing to go pretty fast there, stud."

"Maybe just a little."  He replied.  Mac started to move, enjoying the second position he'd picked.  One of his hooves moved farther downward, cupping a flank as he started to make longer strokes.  Dash felt his medial ridge leave, only to return a moment later, scraping down her walls.  She might come after all, if he kept up like this.  Of course, she felt like she was on a hair trigger as it was.  

Mac seemed to be doing better, managing to focus a little more despite the increased stimulation.  That was probably because it was his second attempt, but Dash had enough experience to know that the second orgasm could feel way better if she played the lead up correctly.  She really wanted to feel him come again, even if she didn't expect a whole lot of seed.  It was more arousing than sex itself in a way, watching him get pleasure from her that he could barely even handle.  Seeing somepony as tough and large as him become such a softie when they were intimate was a feeling she couldn't even explain.

Mac's hoof slipped, and she fell down his length abruptly, losing her balance and pulling him away from the tree, on top of her once again.  She got her breath back after a few tries, laughing as she caressed his cheek.  "Just go with it."  She said, watching Mac grin and push himself in just a little farther.  He was as deep as she could imagine, pulsing in time with her heartbeat.  His balls were pushed against her, feeling warm and wet.  Wait.

Mac seemed to notice her confusion, pulling away slightly and returning a face of equal confusion.  Dash pulled him against her chest again, putting her muzzle next to his ear.  "Feels like it's not just one part of you that's excited."  She whispered, watching his cheeks heat up.  So that hypothesis had been right.  "I didn't know you could get that wet."  She said, feeling the stallion continue to make small movements without a response.  "Well, come on, let's get on with it then!"  She exclaimed, pushing herself back against him as best she could.  

"That doesn't freak you out at all?"  Mac asked, staying perfectly still, just staring back.

"Stop second-guessing yourself!  I'm out here having sex with you for a reason!"  Dash laughed, putting her hooves around his flanks in an attempt to pull him inside her.  Mac started again after a laugh and a shake of his head, thrusting with more resolve than he had before.  His thrusts were getting longer, more fluid.  Dash began to moan, feeling her arousal pick up.  He felt so perfect inside her, sending electricity through her nerves.  His precum was flowing, quiet wet slaps from his balls against her filling the air.  He was shaking slightly, telltale signs that he was reaching the end of his rope.  She might just get there with him, if he kept things up.  

One of Mac's hooves slid across a wing, sending shivers through her body.  She moaned, beginning to feel the tingles of orgasm spread around her inner thighs.  Mac's thrusts were growing choppy, as Dash began to massage his flanks harder, trying to ignore the pleasure building up in her body so she could play with him just a little more.  He was expanding inside her, stretching her walls as he emptied and filled her over and over.  An idea popped into her head, and she stretched a hoof farther along Mac's flanks just as his thrusts started to seem final.  

"I'm gonna come again."  He mumbled under his breath, taking a few final thrusts.  Dash got a hoof on his vagina, managing to rub at his clit before he lurched and came, hard.  Not expecting the touch, he had jerked forwards into her, burying his length as he went silent, his lungs stopped abruptly mid breath.  A blob of pure heat hit her inside as he reached new depths, and Dash finally shot over the edge, pressing a hoof against Mac's rear as she lost concentration and her eyes rolled into her head.  Dash moaned, feeling Mac's tight embrace as she pulsed around him, trying to extract every last drop.   

She opened her eyes a few moments later, feeling Mac lay down beside her, his penis sliding out of her gently.  The first thing she felt was a sort of tightness in her chest, the same feeling of love she'd had towards Mac in the preceding days.  It spiked for a moment when her eyes met his, and he moved forward an inch or so to kiss her.  He almost lost his footing as he leaned down, before chuckling to himself.  

"Did you..."  He trailed off after a moment.  "Did you come?"  He asked, a hoof snaking further around her back to hold her closer.  

Dash grinned.  "I'm sure you know."  She replied, laughing.  "Thought you may have passed out there at the end for a moment."

Mac blushed, averting his gaze.  "I mean...  I wasn't expecting you to really... deal with more than the parts of me that match."

"Pfft."  Dash replied, batting a hoof at the air.  "If you have extra pleasure buttons, I'm going to press them when I can.  Plus, your reaction...  That's the best part, for me."

"Watching me come?"  He asked, confused.

"Either that, or looking at you now, all satisfied and stuff."  His eyes were getting droopy.  She hugged a little closer to him, pushing her cheek into his shoulder where it seemed to fit perfectly.  He was so warm.

"Ah..."  He trailed off, as if not sure how to respond.  His smile gave away how he felt, even if he couldn't put it into words.  It was cute, especially on a stallion as normally tough as he was.  It just made the times he opened up to her about anything just a little more special.  Of course, they were probably also special because this relationship meant something.  

"So Mac, I know this is still kinda weird, but for future reference..."  Dash paused a moment, choosing her words carefully.  "Was that thing I did at the end, like, okay?  I didn't push some line or anything, right?"

Mac blinked.  "No.  Ah mean, like Ah said Ah just wasn't expectin' it.  Yer not hurtin' me, and Ah'm definitely glad you didn't avoid it like tha plague."  He sighed.  "Whatever you're fine with, Ah'm fine with.  You're the first mare Ah've known that's even accepted me as Ah em, and to be honest just bein' around ya's always nice.  But while Ah'm not well versed in this, or versed at all as it may be, Ah'm right onboard with the plan to go it together."

"Aren't you all sentimental?"

"Well Ah try.  Apparently Ah'm also romantic."  He replied with a chuckle, squeezing his arm around her.  He was drifting off by the second, which was no surprise.  Dash shifted, some of his seed oozing out of her slowly, taking its warmth with it.  Her eyes drooped, and she pulled herself against her coltfriend.  Didn't seem like she had a whole lot left in her either.  

She reflected on the night, realizing how great it'd been.  Beyond the sex, the carnal pleasure, she had a partner she could trust.  That she loved and knew that when she woke up tomorrow, he'd be there.  And be there tomorrow, and next week and realistically as long as she could get him to stick around.  At this point, she hoped that was forever.
> Growing Closer
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash awoke to something pulling on her arm, followed by the feeling of fur beneath her.  Cold spread around her back, her brain quickly turning the general feeling of cold into water and then rain as she snapped awake.  It was pouring.  

She was atop Mac's back, bouncing up and down as he trotted towards the cliff with the picnic basket in his mouth.  He turned, moving along the steep rocks for a few seconds, looking for something.  He seemed to find it a moment later, his eyes flicking to the opening of a cave.  He arrived in a few seconds, laying down flat on the ground and sliding her gently off onto the rock.  Then he was gone with a flash of lightning, only to return a minute or so later with two large leaves pressed together.  

"What's that?"  Dash asked, watching him set them down carefully.  Mac jumped, making a shocked sort of choking sound before he realized she was awake.  Dash couldn't hold back a giggle.  

"Dammit, Dash!"  He retorted angrily, his fur sticking up all over the place.  "Anyway, I grabbed some of the embers before they fizzled out, I hope, and I'm going to start a fire with the wood I stash here and my trusty lighter fluid."  He bent down over the fire, pushing a stick around in the ash with his lighter fluid at the ready.  He found glowing embers and squirted a few drops of the flammable substance onto the end of the stick, letting it run down into the warmth.  It caught immediately, spreading up the twig as Mac added some more of his tinder.  

"You really have this planned out, huh?"  Dash asked, pushing herself to her hooves.  She felt a twinge of soreness, which realistically was to be expected.  She was surprised it wasn't worse.  

Mac had a little fire going now, lighting up the inside of the cave with its flickering light.  He took a few steps back, kicking another stick on and grinning.  One of Dash's ears twitched, and just as she turned her head Mac was already spinning.  

He leaned back just quickly enough to avoid most of a claw to his face, three scratches quickly running with blood as the stallion backed up a step into the rain.  Just as soon as he regained his footing their timberwolf attacker was on him, pushing him onto his back.  It went to take a bite out of his neck as Dash's rear hooves collided with thick wood, sending the creature flying with an audible crack.  It hit the side of the cave, flopping on the ground as Mac pushed himself to his hooves, a shallow gash on his shoulder where he must've been clipped with some teeth bleeding rather freely.  

He didn't miss a beat, throwing a hard shoulder into the beast as it rose, shoving it into the ground roughly.  Mac clambered with his hooves, pressing them down onto the shoulders of the wolf.  He picked up the shoulders before the wolf could bite him, slamming them back down with another crack that stunned the creature.  Dash watched, not sure how to further contribute.  She could help, but she didn't want to get in his way, and she definitely didn't want to do something that would make him get hurt worse than he already was.  She moved to help hold the enchanted pile of sticks down, unsure of Mac's plan after they got it pinned but willing to help nonetheless.

Before she could intervene Mac pulled back his right hoof, throwing it back in a blur, repeating the motion several times.  The crack was resounding, and when Dash looked around Mac's heavily breathing body, she only saw the remnants of a head.  He took a few more breaths before he rose, kicking the creature angrily.  With another kick, it went into the fire and started to catch.  "Ya know, it just has to be the day Ah bring you here that the first predator Ah've ever seen shows his face."

"I mean, it was probably because of the rain..."  Dash started, pulling the connecting band of fabric from Mac's saddle bags to tie around his shoulder.  "Timberwolves don't really like it too much."  

"Why was there rain anyway?"

"I dunno, Mac."  She replied, shaking her head angrily.  "It shouldn't have moved this way, let alone grown as a storm.  It just must've been something about the Everfree.  And it shouldn't have happened anyway, all the signs said it would be clear!"  Dash's voice cracked, and she blinked away the beginning of a frustrated tear.  

"Well as much as Ah hate to say it, we're goin' ta have ta cut this date a little short."  Mac put a hoof over his wrapped shoulder and winced, standing up.  Dash rushed to his side, pushing herself under his bad side.  He nodded at her, but Dash was preoccupied with other things.  First of all, the fact that it was realistically her fault that this had taken a turn.  She must've overlooked something that pointed to this storm.  There must've been a factor she missed.  That was the only explanation.

She felt the warmth and wetness of lips against her cheek, and turned in shock to look at Mac.  He was bleeding and tired and had every reason to get angry at her for anything.  But as usual he was past the supposedly small and unimportant bits of life and was back to his normal self.  It didn't make sense.  

They started to move towards the cave opening, quickly taking a turn to walk further along the cliff, a trampled path showing the route Mac took.  Dash was drenched already.  Her feathers were waterlogged, and her fur wasn't faring much better.  It only took her a minute or two to start shivering, but Mac stayed warm and solid as ever.  

Her mane washed into her eyes, but she didn't have a good way to push it out of the way without the possibility of losing her footing under the fraction of Mac's weight she was taking.  Mac made a slight turn and she followed, watching what she could see of the foliage thin out gradually.  Mac took his weight off of her as they emerged onto an edge of the Acres, holding himself under his own strength and looking around thoughtfully.  

"Look, Dash, Ah know this didn't end exactly how it was supposed to, but hows about we go back to the house?  Ah mean, get some food, a warm bed.  Ah'm sure Granny'd want you to stay."  He paused, gesturing to his shoulder.  "Plus, Ah'm pretty sure this just looks bad."

"Mac,"  her voice cracked once again, to her extreme chagrin.  "I think I've already screwed t-this up enough for one day.  I'd rather just f-fly home and c-count my losses."  If she could just fucking stop shivering too, that'd be awesome.

He just looked dumbfounded.  "What?"  Before she could respond, he continued.  "Whatever.  Don't take blame for this stuff, Dash.  It's not your fault, and Ah did say it was safe, so..."

"Yeah, but that timberwolf wouldn't have been there without the storm!  You wouldn't be a bloody mess!"

"But ya know what Dash?  It was still the best date of mah life."  

"How can you possibly say that?!"  She asked, pointing to his shoulder.  "Doesn't that hurt, even a little?"

"Well, yeah...  But that's not the point!  Ah ended this thing with some cuts and stuff.  But Ah also ended up with you, and this nice feelin' in my chest.  Plus, they say it's worth uh little pain to stick out the tough bits."

"They don't mean corporal pain!"

Mac had already turned around, and was walking towards his house, shining in the distance.  "Look, Dash, yer welcome if ya want."  Another pause.  "But Ah-"  he shook his head, lost for words.  "Ah dunno.  Please?"

She didn't respond for a moment, and Mac turned, taking a few more steps up a slight hill.  Thought after thought flew through her head, before she finally let her hooves carry herself after him.  She'd wanted Mac by her as long as she could have him.  This was no way to go about it.  So with that she took chase, seeing Mac turn and grin at her before beginning to run himself, ignoring any pain he must've felt in his shoulder to insert an air of competition.  She really didn't deserve him.

Dash remembered what Thunderlane had said about competition, and wondered briefly if that applied to Mac in his current state.  Her grin grew, and she sped up, attempting to match the stallion's land speed.  She drew in his lead, laughing as she pulled up alongside him with the thrill of it all.  The wind and rain blew against her face, but it didn't feel cold, and her shivers were gone.  She felt alive, the bad luck of the day forgotten momentarily as she pushed herself harder to etch out a lead on the guy she loved, now her fierce competition.

Mac grinned back, speeding up as his stride lengthened.  Dash lost ground, watching his long legs move majestically as they pushed him along at a breakneck speed.  Everything he did reminded her of another thing she loved about him, and couldn't stand to lose.  As Mac held his lead and they neared the house, she realized that she may have also found the only pony in the world she was fine with losing to.  

Well, fine to an extent.


_____________________________________________________________________________


"What."  Applejack said flatly, looking at the dirty, soaked and bloody ponies huffing and puffing in front of her door.  "Ah mean, this isn't really how you date, Mac."

She just left the door open, retreating inside.  A couple towels landed on the doorstep, and Mac grabbed one and walked inside.  Dash tentatively followed.

Applejack was sitting at the kitchen table, looking at them with an expression that really just said she didn't know how to feel.  

"It's a long story, sis."  Mac said, opening the fridge and grabbing a couple slices of pie.  He slid one to Dash as she sat down to join him.

"I figured.  I know you're the big brother and all, but you're just so strange."  She gestured towards the two of them.  "Like, I expect this from you, but how does Dash get dragged into your crazy plans?"

Dash had to think about that statement for a minute.  She expected this from him?  Him?!  In hindsight it made sense, but it was still a foreign thought.  She was still somewhat stuck in the common belief that Mac was boring and regular.  Pfft.  She really needed to adapt.

"Well I'll have you know that everything went perfectly before a timberwolf decided to crash the party."  He said rather happily given the context, rolling his eyes at the end of the sentence.  

"And you sound rather peppy for having a bloody shoulder and claw marks across your face."  Applejack replied with a sigh.  

Mac just grinned and shrugged, watching Applejack chuckle.  He grabbed Dash's hoof, pulling her gently away from the table.  She barely grabbed her dish before it was out of reach, managing a laugh as Mac whisked her off.

Applejack just tilted her hat downward, laughing to herself as the pair left the room.  "So long as you had a good time, Mac."


________________________________________________________________


Mac jumped awake, squeezing his arms around Dash gently, checking that she was really there.  After that confirmation, he allowed his eyes to wander to the bright outside world, sun streaming in as his mare started to wake up.  

Dash opened her eyes, blinking a few times as Mac came into focus.  He dwarfed her as usual, but he created a really comfortable space against his body for her to lay.  She could hardly keep herself awake, and drifted in and out of consciousness a few times as she slowly and decidedly entered the world of the living.  

She kissed Mac on the cheek, nuzzling at his jaw line.  

"I guess these things always are a little better when things don't go to plan, huh?"  She giggled.  "Next time we can try to avoid the predators though, alright?"  She still felt bad about that...

"Sounds good ta me."  He chuckled back, as Dash turned away for a moment, reaching her hoof out to grab a bottle from the nightstand.  

"So this is what you cleaned yourself with, huh?"  She asked, showing him the label of the bottle.  "Ya Boi Big Mac's Extra Hard Cider?"

Mac broke into laughter, shaking his head.  "We don't sell that.  Ah make the extra hard cider in test batches, and Ah just sorta started naming it whatever ah felt like.  Yer probably the first one outside of the family ta see that one though."

"I didn't know that you even made this stuff.  Applejack never talks about it."

"Well it's mah side project, so I'd hope not.  Yer not supposed ta know until it actually goes on sale."  He chuckled.  "But Ah suppose ya could keep yer mouth shut if Ah send one yer way?"

"I mean, I'll try it for your sake, but I can't say I'm into anything that's heavy in alcohol."

"Ya might like it.  Ya never know."  He replied.

"Want me as another taster, huh?"

"It just seems like it needs somethin', but I don't know what it is.  It's real annoyin', cuz Ah've been tryin' stuff forever."  He pushed himself up, resting on an arm.  "Ah think we should get breakfast."

"How's your sister doing with all of this?"  Dash asked, gesturing between the two of them.  "It took me forever just to get her to agree to not freak out if we went on a date, and there's no way I would've figured she would just stay cool last night."

"Hey, give me some credit.  She's not the head of this household, and as much as ya may think she's got the final say in stuff..."  He laughed.  "Ah'm still the big brother, and as long as Ah'm happy, Ah'm sure she is."

Dash only laughed in response, before narrowing her eyes suggestively.  "I dunno, it'd probably be better to take a shower first.  You know, wash off all the dirt we don't have on us?"

"Ah know yer vein' all seductive and such, but Ah do need to clean mah shoulder and such.  So no funny business until that's finished, alright?"

"I'll extend a tentative promise."

Mac rolled his eyes with a chuckle, throwing the covers off his body and sliding out of bed.  Dash took in the rest of the room she'd missed last night, her eyes flicking around to the belongings he had displayed, which were rather sparse.  It was about what she'd expected.  Mac had disappeared into the attached bathroom, and sounds of water spilled out into the bedroom a moment later.  Dash bounded out of bed, following him inside the equally sparse conjoining room.  

The stallion gave her a half grin and stepped into the water, letting it wash over his forehead.  The shower stall was almost comically small compared to him, and he had to dip his neck a little to get under the nozzle.  But his grin showed he was enjoying it, and with a nuzzle against his side Dash stepped in as well.  

It was cramped.  Not overly so, but cramped nonetheless.  Dash kissed Mac on the lips, the bar of soap he was preparing to rub on his shoulder falling from his hoof with the distraction.  He made an annoyed sound, but Dash grabbed it before he could and started soaping up the other parts of his body, making sure to stay away from the cuts.  She rubbed at his back, taking her time over the expanse of red fur as she worked her way backwards.  

Mac was clearly enjoying her touch, muscles twitching here and there as she caressed them.  God, she loved how responsive he could be.  

"Dash, Ah sorta need ta-"

"Shh...  We'll get to that."  The mare moved away just as she got to his flanks, instead working her way down his side, feeling his breaths bow his ribs in and out slowly.  His chest was next, easily reachable when he was standing at his full height like he was.  She pushed her fur up against his, rubbing her back underneath him as she drifted towards his hind legs.  

Her head bumped sideways into what she quickly realized was Mac's rod, and she heard him let out a sound of distress from the hard contact, which surely hadn't felt good.  But she also hadn't expected him to be at full mast before she got even close to the teasing that she'd expect would make this appear.  Did she really turn him on that easily?

Mac grunted as Dash laid a hoof on his length, his member jumping with her touch and lightly slapping against his stomach.  He leaned against the wall of the shower, tilting himself slightly to give slightly easier access to his throbbing stallionhood.  Dash allowed both of her hooves to explore his length, remembering how it had felt inside her just the night before.  And how sore she was now.  Oof.  She sat down underneath him, grinding herself slowly on the soapy tiles to the daydream, her wings spreading slightly and bumping against the wall and the curtains.

Dash quickly realized that hoof jobs didn't work quite so well in the shower without a good source of lube that would stick around, and without much of a thought, encased the head of his member with her mouth.  Mac let out a half moan, putting an encouraging hoof on her back.  He twitched as she pushed on for a few more inches, laughing around his length about his heavy breathing.   She'd never known a stallion that could get this aroused from just a little treatment, and Dash loved the mere thought of it.  He had no control with her, no fuse.  He displayed exactly what he felt, as usual, but this version was a whole lot more arousing.  After all, she could concentrate a lot more easily this way.  

Dash removed her mouth for a moment, looking back at Mac's face.  The top of his head was pushed against the front wall of the shower, his eyes shut tight.  He had a blush covering most of his face, and looked like he might die from pleasure.  She loved that face.  And to think she'd only seen it twice now.  Well there were the times in heat, but he had an undertone of fatigue and fear going along with those.  

Dash returned to his stallionhood, watching it twitch a couple times before she put her mouth over the tip again and gave it a hard suck.  Mac jumped, another groan escaping him as Dash started to go in for the kill, rubbing herself with more need against the floor.  She played with his heavy balls with one hoof, driving him further into the throes of passion.  He was beginning to thrust just slightly, his every breath filled with a slight undertone of a moan.  

A quiet squelch noise broke through the noise of the water, and it took Dash a moment to realize it wasn't her.  With as much of a smirk as she could muster, she removed the hoof from his balls and wrapped it around his flank, moving her other free hoof past his balls between his legs.  Mac jumped when she began assaulting his pussy with her hooves, melting into the feeling after a few stiff seconds.  He winked around the side of her hoof, trying to draw her in as his grunts and groans began to get louder despite his efforts to stay quiet.  It was still strange to feel that back there, but it was starting to become just a little more natural.  Natural in a relative sense, of course.  

Dash was having a bit of trouble making her body go through a variety of different motions in her ministrations, but found herself as imminent as Mac was.  He went silent, staccato breathing the only noise as he gave another little thrust into her mouth, rubbing at her wings with a hoof.  Dash moaned, realizing that he'd picked that up from last night after all.  

Then he just went off.  He curled his stomach, letting out a quiet breath of satisfaction as he blew into her mouth.  Dash felt his marehood tighten slightly in beat with each pulse of his cock.  His orgasm went on for a while, and as he came down Mac looked like he might pass out.  Dash got a final grind on the floor that sent her over, but it was nowhere near the feeling she'd had last night.  Not that she exactly felt ready for that again so soon, as awesome as it was.  

The mare swallowed and stood, giving Mac's fading erection a few careful strokes before she moved to kiss him, his face still covered in a heavy blush.

"That was amazing."  He said in almost a whisper, nuzzling against her cheek.  "Yer amazin'."

"Hey, don't think too highly of me yet."  Dash giggled.  "I haven't even gotten started with you.  Just give me a week."

"Ah'm not sure if Ah should."  Mac replied, laughing weakly back.  "Ya might kill me."  He grabbed the soap as Dash offered it back, taking a few moments before lathering up his shoulder with a hiss.  It had scabbed over most of the way overnight, but Dash was sure it still hurt like crazy.  

"So when you come like that..."  Dash started, stopping to pick her words.  "Does all of you come, or is it just like one bit?"

"Ah'm pretty sure it's just the part that ya pay attention ta."  He replied, any amount of blush that had faded coming straight back.  

"So despite the fact that you got off, you're still sorta... high and dry?"

Mac took a moment's pause, thinking.  "Well, no.  Ah mean, a little, but it's not strong or anything so long as Ah end up, ya know, bustin' one.  It's like Ah said in heat, beatin one off is more satisfying because of the hormones it releases or somethin' and it cools me down right quick."  He stopped again, before opening his mouth to continue.  "So basically don't feel guilty."

"I mean, it's hard not to.  You should probably tell me these things ahead of time."

"I would, but then you'd feel obliged to try to make everything perfect, and this isn't about me.  I mean I guess what we just did sorta was..."  He pushed his tongue into his cheek, looking at the wall.  "So Ah mean, especially don't worry about it.  It's the thought that counts, and now ya know.  Not to mention it's still the best and only oral Ah've ever received, and it was perfect in my book."

Dash rolled her eyes, giggling a little.  "Apparently it's just going to be pillow talk like this until I've got you figured out, Mac."

"Hey, that's more interesting than a guy you've got pinned on day one, huh?"  He asked with a grin, returning to the task at hand and lathering back up the soap.  The scratches on his face were cleaned a lot more easily, and after a rinse Mac turned off the shower.  He turned to her a moment later, grinning.  "Alright, now we can have breakfast."


_____________________________________________________________


"Ah see you're finally up, Mac."  Applejack greeted as he walked into the room, followed a few moments later by Dash.  "Apple Bloom's off ta school already, just so you know."

"Is it that late?"  He asked, looking at the clock.  It was, apparently.

"Yer gonna have some serious catching up ta do today iffn we're ta stay on schedule."

"Ah know."  Mac replied, nodding

"But yer goin' ta the doctor ta get that stuff looked at.  Ya can't get any ah that infected."

Mac looked like he was about to argue, but held off.  "Ah guess Ah can go in for the usual post-heat checkup as well."  He said.  Dash caught the slight stiffening of Applejack before she remembered that Dash knew.

"So you two're official now?"  She turned away from a sizzling pan, looking more towards Dash than her brother.

"Yeah."  Mac said, and Dash nodded in confirmation.  "She's the real deal, ah reckon."  Dash blushed.

Applejack just grinned, turning back to her cooking.  "Ah hope both uh ya're hungry, cuz ah went all out."  She walked over, sliding some dishes in front of the pair.  "Ah figure today's worthy of a little fanfare, if that's alright with you, Mac."

The stallion already had a mouth full of food.  "Erts perfert."  He replied, digging in.  Dash only laughed at the hungry stallion, beginning the meal herself, albeit a little more slowly.


____________________________________________________________________________


"Macintosh?"  Called a nurse, squinting at her clipboard to check the name.  "The doctor will see you now."

Mac got up, taking a few steps away before gesturing for Dash to follow.  She'd not had anything to do after the storm blew away by itself, so going with Mac anywhere seemed a million times more interesting than anything else.  They went down a hall, into an office where the nurse gestured to some chairs and they sat.  

A few quiet minutes went by, before the door opened and a unicorn with a grey coat and a dark purple mane walked in.  "I swear, I never see you for the simple things anymore, Mac."  He said, sitting down in his chair.  "What is it this time?"

Mac snorted.  "You act like Ah'm always in here, Light."

With that the doctor pulled a drawer open, and slapped a thick manilla folder onto the desk.  "I can re-read these to you if you want."  He threatened jokingly, before gesturing to Dash.  "Anyway, why's the pretty mare here?  You finally get a marefriend, Mac?"

"Yeah, in fact Ah did."  Dash failed to contain a bit of her blush.

"Well good on you, buddy."  The doctor stared for a moment, moving a hoof up and down one side of his jaw line.  

"She knows."  Mac said, and the doctor perked up a bit.  "Figured that's what you were trying to ask."

Light stared for a moment.  "I'm surprised.  I always knew you'd rake in something desirable, but the captain of the weather team...  Oof."  He got out of his chair, leaning over the desk and opening the folder.  "So anyway, you're here for those wounds, and I'm assuming something about heat?"

"Eyyup."  Mac replied, in his usual fashion.  

"And do you want her to stay?"  Light asked, gesturing to Dash.  "No offense, but it's policy that I ask."

"I get it."  She replied, nodding.  To be honest she wasn't really sure what she'd want.  She was sort of interested, but at the same time Mac needed his privacy.  And she felt awkward enough already.

"She can do what she wants.  It's up to her."  Well that didn't help her at all.  

Light nodded.  "Well then let's get started.  In the phone call you said timberwolf?"

"Yeah.  Claw on mah cheek and teeth on mah shoulder.  Ah've cleaned it with hard liquor last night, and washed it again with soap this morning.  Applejack wants me to make sure Ah don't get an infection, though.  Ya know how it is."

"Can't miss a week or more laid up in bed, yeah."  He was scribbling something.  "How long after did you clean it?"

"Less than a half hour.  Got it pretty good.  It was raining too, so that probably helps a bit."

"We'll probably do some bloodwork and clean it again just to be sure.  I might prescribe some lower level antibiotics just in case.  Those things' teeth are disgusting.  We'll do the same for your face, but their claws haven't been known to be particularly dirty other than dirt and the like.  Then there's the usual heat stuff that we go through."

"What do you do for heat?"  Dash asked.

He took a breath, still looking nervous about talking to anypony but Mac.  "Well, it's not a whole lot.  I check hormone levels to make sure nothing's abnormal, and then grab a few samples from various parts of him to check for cancer and other abnormalities.  It's similar to what I do with mares normally, but with Mac there's no guarantee the cycle doesn't stop halfway and he does't just endlessly produce some hormone, especially on account of the fact that he's never actually fertile.  So we mainly check for that.  Don't want my buddy here to have anything bad happen to him."  He paused.  "So just go into the usual room and I'll meet you after a few minutes of paperwork."

"A thrill a minute, I'm sure."  Dash said sarcastically.

Light rolled his eyes.  "You don't even know the half of it."


_____________________________________________________________________


"How long have you been doing these sorts of things?"  Dash asked, pushing herself onto the usual bed thing with paper on it.  

"Well Ah've known that guy since as long as Ah can remember.  He's an odd duck, but we're pretty good friends.  And about this stuff, it's only been since I actually had my first heat.  That freaked everypony out, including myself.  Light was the only one that had really thought that it might happen, and he smoothed things out.  That was when I was thirteen, then a year and a half passed with nothing.  Then I got another, and he's worried now that they're coming closer together as I age."

"Like how close?"

"Well, the heat two times ago was a little less than a year off, but I had one in the middle of winter too."  He scratched his head.  "That one wasn't actually too bad.  The cold kinda dulled that down.  But obviously I don't want one every month or something and he wants to test the residual hormones about the same time from each to see what happens to them.  I came in in the middle of heat too, but he's waiting on these results before he tries to make some sort of correlation."

"I'm sure it's not easy when you're one of a kind."

"Yeah, he complains a lot about that.  That and the fact that he's making a bunch of advances in the study of a very rare set of individuals.  He likes the fact that he's doing it and not somepony else, but I know how he feels.  Sorta sucks to figure stuff out without a lot of use for the future."

"But I guess you've got to be glad that he cares, right?"

"Yeah."  Mac responded with a nod.  "Granny Smith vetted him pretty well, so she tells me.  I hear that story about every other time I'm alone with her.  Showed him who's boss with her little baby boy, blah."

"He looks younger than he is."

"Yeah, well Ah've heard he's pretty damn smart past the jokes and such.  Graduated medical school a couple years early.  Apparently he also does some fairly involved surgeries from time to time, but given the fact that we're in a small town those don't happen too often.  So he does other stuff.  Apparently he got a bunch of degrees and licenses and things.  I dunno, he doesn't talk a lot about his pre-med life."

"Sounds like he didn't have much time for fun."  Dash observed.  Mac only shrugged in response as the door opened and the doctor slid inside.  He set up some equipment and took a seat on a swivel chair as he scribbled something down.  

"Patient has turned blue... become female."  He murmured, before Dash heard him and laughed.  

"We better operate immediately."  She said, getting a grin in return.  

"Yeah.  Switch places if you will."  The two traded spots, and the doctor got out the usual set of observation equipment.  Heart rate, breathing, eyes and ears and stuff.  It almost made her forget they were here for something rather specific.  Dash grabbed a magazine, flipping through it idly as she waited.  She figured she'd probably leave the room soon anyway.  There was no reason for her to come along other than to keep Mac company, and she doubted he wanted her there when things got... well, when they did mare things to him.

When she eventually looked up the doctor was taking some blood, and Mac was watching the syringe with a slight bit of disgust.  After he had enough the doctor left for a moment, presumably putting the sample somewhere.  He returned and started looking at Mac's shoulder, and Dash went back to her magazine.  

She was halfway through some rag article about a celebrity in Canterlot that really needed rehab when she looked back up, watching a fresh bandage get wrapped slowly around Mac's shoulder.  She put down the magazine, looking up at the ceiling.  She heard the clock tick, listened in on the white noise.  Her eyelids grew heavy as Mac and Light's noises drifted into the background.

Dash jolted awake, her dream ending suddenly with her falling off a particularly high building.  Mac let out a half laugh, and Dash craned her head around Light to see what was going on.  From what she could see, Light was just pressing on Mac's stomach.  But then she remembered the rest of the procedure, and the fact that Mac's face seemed conflicted made sense.  

"You still seem overly sensitive, Mac."  Light muttered, humming lightly to himself in a bored tone.  "No unusual pains from the week after, right?  Unusual bleeding?"  Mac shook his head.  "Well, everything seems normal to me.  I mean, normal for you.  No strange developments or changes from last year, prostate seems fine and nothing seems to be bumping up against other parts of you.  I'll get any results back in a couple weeks."  He took a step back from Mac, who let out a sigh of relief.

"And the shoulder?"

"Those tests should be much faster.  I'll either get them to you by the end of the day or tomorrow, but in the meantime I'm going to write a prescription for some antibiotics that I want you to take."  He paused, tossing his gloves into a metal bin.  Mac noticed Dash was awake and blushed.  "That'll run for two weeks, and I want you to take those regardless of how you feel."

Mac grabbed a piece of paper from Light and got up, stretching his legs.  "What do ya think about the heat?"

Light shrugged.  "I can't tell you anything yet, but we'll see.  I don't know why it would be getting closer together in your twenties rather than like sixteen, seventeen.  Things should have stabilized.  But it could also just be statistical errors.  Let's both be honest here, we're not going to figure out what makes you tick in a night.  But I'm sure we'll figure everything out soon."

Mac nodded, shaking Light's hoof.  "Thanks again, Light."  Dash could swear she heard a hint of well-disguised fear in his words.  Not that it was out of place.

"Yeah, don't mention it.  I know you don't particularly love these things, so I'm hoping it wasn't too bad."

"Eh.  Ah had some company, even if she did pass out for a while." 

So that was it then.  He just wanted company.  She couldn't say it surprised her, after all this.  Mac was lonely and different in a world that didn't really understand him.  He didn't fear criticism, but he sure feared being alone in his struggles.  Or maybe he just wanted the luxury of being able to talk openly to her about everything, and this was something where he could sort of just show her.  Every day that went by, Dash understood more about what made Mac into who he was, and she could see why he wanted to show her everything.  After all, he'd never done this for anypony before.  She could imagine he was fairly desperate.

That was funny.  Mac was the kind of guy to be more desperate for someone to talk to than to have as a marefriend.  The fact that she'd become both was a happy coincidence, for sure, and it definitely simplified Mac's life for once.  And to think she'd thought in the beginning that he wouldn't like her because she would bring chaos to his life, while he only desired more of his stable life.  It wasn't often you fell in love with somepony only to realize that there was more to them that you loved instead of finding flaws.  

"Ready to go?"  Mac asked, looking down at her with part of his blush still on his face.  Dash nodded and grinned, standing up to kiss him before he turned to the door.  

"Yeah, I'm good."  Dash replied, stretching.  "You have fun?"  She asked with a grin.

"Totally."  Mac replied with a roll of the eyes.  "I'm glad you came though.  It's a little less lonely when you're there."

"Hey, that's what I'm for!"  Dash exclaimed back, punching him lightly in the upper arm.  

It was Mac's turn to chuckle.  "Well, marefriend, how about I return the favor and keep you company.  Choose somewhere for lunch, we'll do something a little more interesting."

"Gosh, Mac, there's not much I can show off that's interesting.  You've pretty well got that category locked down.  Most of the stuff I'd want to show you is up there."  She said, pointing to the sky.  "I know about some cool stuff in Cloudsdale too, but that's the same dilemma."

"But what about that spell mah sister used that one time?"

Dash shook her head.  "Unless there's a more stable version of that spell, I don't really want to have the only thing between you suddenly falling through a cloud to be magic Twilight rarely uses.  I mean, my friends did it without asking, but even if something did go wrong, I could catch them.  You're probably a little past my weight range."

"Ah get it, Dash.  Ah'm fat."  He said, wiping away an imaginary tear and turning away.  "Morbidly obese."

"Yeah, exactly.  Point is, I'd rather that be the backup plan."

"Well what about Zecora?"  Mac asked, surprising Dash that he knew her name.  "Ah'm sure she would have somethin' for walkin' on clouds."

"Why?"

"Well ah mean, it's worth a shot.  She had a flower that cured the cutie pox that one time in some cliche manner, so a cloud walking thingy isn't out of the question."

"Oh yeah.  I'm surprised you brought that up."  Dash laughed to herself, shaking her head.  He was a problem solver, this one.

"So as soon as Ah'm all healed, we'll venture out there.  Worst case scenario, we just buy a couple spices from her that are delicious and call it a day."

"I like how I can fly, and I'm pretty sure you've seen more of the world than I ever will."

"A lot can hide down here if you're patient enough to look for it."  He paused.  "By the way, Hole in the Map is doing their spring festival in a few days, so if you're looking for something ta do and ya don't have to move a cloud here or there..."

"You know, asking me out shouldn't be so hard anymore."  Dash replied with a smirk.

"Ta be honest, Ah just don't want ta keep ya tied up like this.  Don't feel obliged on mah account."

"Got any other spectacular events you'll allow me to be privy to?"

Mac frowned, thinking.  "Well, the Crusaders are coming over in a couple days to spend the night and generally destroy things, so write that one off the list unless you can find something really interesting to do that also takes place close enough to keep an eye on them.  Then there's the next barrel of hard liquor, which should be aged tomorruh.  Ah guess thats- Wait!"  He slapped a hoof into his forehead.  "AJ's makin' us celebrate mah birthday late, and she told me a couple days ago that if there was-"  He broke out the air quotes, "'a hint of anythin' goin' on that's al all romantic in any way, Ah want her here'.  So that was that, and to be honest, I was still sort of shocked that I wasn't dreaming at that point.  That's tonight though."

"And I was still in shock that you ended up having a vocabulary that was larger than two words."  Dash replied.  "You better start going back to the norm, because I'm sure you're going to get accused of being a crappy changeling sooner or later."  This announcement didn't leave her a lot of time for a gift.

"Eyyup."  He replied, humoring her.  "It's really easy to use two words when you've got nothing much to say.  Ah did a lot of thinking', and ah can't say ah thought replying in specific detail about the weather being nice was necessary."

"Got to be efficient, huh?"  Dash asked sarcastically with a slight roll of her eyes.  

Mac nodded briefly.  "Ey- shoot!"  He took off running, and Dash stared after him, confused.  She assumed this wasn't a race.  Was it?  If it was his belated birthday then she really needed to get him a present.  Brain, not the time.  Later.  But she hadn't gotten one for him before, so...  Brain!

Dash took flight, speeding up quickly in order to catch up.  The stallion barreled through the middle of town, dodging around ponies that couldn't get out of the way fast enough.  If anything accidentally got in his way before he could avoid it, said thing wasn't going to continue in the same direction for long.  He neared the end of town in a time that would probably set some sort of record.  She also wondered why he never seemed to run in the running of the leaves.  He'd blow through the competition.  Maybe he wanted the thing to stay competitive.

"God he's fast."  Dash muttered to herself, losing elevation as she honed in on what she assumed was his destination.  Mac vaulted the fence to the Apple farm, making a bee line for the barn.  Dash landed in front of the structure, looking around.  "Yo, Mac, what's the deal?"

"Hold on a second!"  He returned with the wagon for carrying Apples, leaving it just outside the barn.  "Ah've got to get some of these apples before they start to go bad.  It's not just a matter of sis gettin' angry anymore."

"Is it really that pressing?"

"Well, Ah want ta have adequate time to sell them."  He threw a bunch of containers in the back of the wagon, returning for more.  "And besides, Ah'm behind."

"How much do you have to do?"  It couldn't possibly be that much, right?

"Well, Ah've got most of the acres around the house, and if Ah'm efficient Ah could get that done today."  He was hardly breathing heavily, even after all that running.  Maybe she needed to up her ante if she was to compete with him.  

"I bet I could buck more trees than you can."  Dash blurted out, blushing slightly.  That half thought out idea was supposed to stay in her head for just a bit longer.

"Oh yeah?"  Mac asked, as more buckets went into the cart.  "Ah guess ya did the best at that when mah sister needed help, huh?  Flight versus might, then."  He disappeared, coming back with a water cooler.  "Let's get started."


__________________________________________________________________________


"Come on, Applebloom.  You'll see your friends again tomorrow."  Applejack said to the filly, watching her go about her usual pouting maneuvers.  The older mare rolled her eyes.  "It's Mac's birthday, remember?"

The pouting stopped, replaced with a slight blush.  "Oh yeah.  See you later, girls!"  She yelled to her assembled crusaders before leaving with Applejack.

Picking the filly up from school wasn't something Applejack normally did.  Most of the time, Mac would go grab her and bring her home, talk about how the day'd been and so on.  It was always something he used as a break, and looked forwards to.  Applejack couldn't say she was surprised he hadn't come today, though, considering the circumstances.

"So where is Mac, anyway?"  Applebloom asked.

"Well, he went to get a checkup the doctor's earlier today, but Ah'm sure he's out doin' somethin' with Rainbow Dash."

Applebloom snickered.  "Are they datin'?"

"Yeah."  Applejack replied simply.  Applebloom seemed completely surprised.

"They are?!  But Ah thought- Well, Ah figured they were only friends!"

"Nah."  The farm mare said back.  "Besides, Ah can't say they don't look cute together, and Mac deserves something more than farm work and whatever he thinks of to occupy his time."  Explosives came to mind.

Applebloom was silent for a moment.  "But then why did they wait so long?  Those two have known each other for a while, right?"  

"Well, Applebloom,"  Applejack started, "relationships aren't always logical.  You'll realize that when you get older."

"Ah mean, it seems pretty simple ta me.  Ya just find a pony that ya like, and then stuff happens and ya get married."

Applejack laughed.  "Yer leavin' quite a bit out there, missy."  

Applebloom didn't respond, which seemed uncharacteristic of the energetic foal.  She was just staring at the Acres as they drew nearer, and while something looked off about the view, Applejack couldn't place it.  "Where're all the apples?"  The foal finally asked, barely above a whisper.

Her elder looked around, finding that every tree in sight was bare.  Not a single one of their shiny red apples anywhere.  She broke into a sprint, visions going through her head of this disaster or that.  Maybe the parasprites had made an energetic return?  She'd barely been gone a half hour!

Applejack hopped the fence, cresting a small hill and tripping over something.  She sprawled out onto the dirt, rolling a few times before her eyes focused on a wagon filled with a truly massive amount of apples.  Her head snapped to the side, meeting the eyes of Dash, who was breathing heavily as she too laid on her side, covered in sweat.  Mac walked up to the two of them in a similar state, letting himself collapse next to the weather mare.  

He stuck an arm into the air, wiggling it around as Applebloom peered over the hill at them.  "Victoryyyyy."


__________________________________________________________________________________________


Dash stared across the kitchen table at Applejack, slowly sipping at a glass of ice water.  

"So Mac, you decided to have a contest to see who could buck more trees, and I assume your handicap was your shoulder?"

Mac let out a short burst of laughter before nodding.  

"And all those trees out there... those were your doing?"  She asked, her face full of either doubt or total confusion.  Dash couldn't be sure.

"Eyyup."  Mac replied.  "Ya can add that to the record books."

Applejack grinned, shaking her head.  "You know, you can do the stupidest things sometimes."  She said, laughing a little herself.  "But Ah'll tell you what, it would've been great to have had you two doin' stuff like this years ago."

"It's all about business, huh?"  Dash asked, raising a joking eyebrow.

"That, and the sheer accomplishment of that!"  Applejack exclaimed, getting excited.  "Ah mean, that'd be at least two days full work, and ya'll did it in less than the time Ah've been gone for.  We can get that big order Fancypants always wants fulfilled a few days early!"

"It felt like an eternity though."  Dash said, rubbing at an arm.  She hurt all over.  But she let a grin show on her face.  She'd fared a lot better against Mac than she'd expected, and she was sure he hadn't expected the kind of competition from her that she'd shown.  But then again, she felt like she was going to need to sleep for three days straight.  Hopefully Cloudsdale didn't decide she had to put together another storm.  "And anyway, I've really got to get back to the house just to check on things.  It's been a few days since I've even been inside there.  Sorta feels strange."

"Well before ya go, sugarcube, we're having a little get together for Mac's belated-"

"He told me."  Dash replied, standing up.  "Don't worry, I'll be there."  She turned to Mac, pointing her hoof.  "And you're getting that gift I mentioned a while back."  She exchanged a few goodbyes, giving Mac a stiff hug and messing up Applebloom's mane with a hoof as she left.  Not two seconds out the door and she was speeding away, her wings much less sore than the rest of her.  She had a little time to herself, which in a way was refreshing.  She had time to think, to return to the solitude she occasionally liked without the slight residual stress of a weird relationship with Mac.  It was funny.  He'd taken up so much of her thoughts over the last two weeks, and while he definitely still was, they were all much more jovial.  The unknowns were gone, and she felt like she actually knew him.  And with a laugh, she realized that getting his present wouldn't be such a challenge.

But man, she just felt so at home around him now.  It was weird, because it just seemed like he belonged somewhere along with her, just by her side.  To be honest, she felt kinda lonely when she couldn't just look to one side or the other and crack some stupid joke.  But that wasn't even the beginning, was it?

There was the shower this morning.  Her wings stiffened briefly and she wobbled in the air before getting herself under control.  But what had gotten into her anyway?  She wasn't usually like that, especially not after actually having sex for the first time in however long.  Maybe it was just what she'd been thinking right after their encounter in the Everfree.  It was infectious to push Mac into a state like that, and feel him shake under her touch.  And she wanted to find out what made him tick.  Maybe it had a bit of competition mixed in.  Dash laughed at the thought.

Whatever it was, she was glad there was such an element of spontaneity to their relationship already.  She didn't know what to expect from Mac, and she hoped she could preform similarly as she caught onto his style of dates and romance.  It was just too perfect not to learn.  Her heart swelled.

God, she loved him.


________________________________________________________________


"So then, what should it be?"  Dash muttered, looking through the shelves of a store.  "I thought this would be easier, but now there are too many choices."  The real problem here is that she'd forgotten about his birthday until today, on account of her complete and total stupidity.  To be honest, he'd probably like something that she made more than a knickknack of some sort.  The most she could probably manage was some sort of inside joke.  

Dash rolled her eyes, scanning more items as she slowly walked down the isle and turned into the next one.  This was craft stuff, which seemed fairly useless to her.  She was never really the artist, and anything up that alley wasn't her strong suit in the slightest.  She'd been alright at modeling clay and stuff, but the rest of it just wasn't that interesting.  "Gah!"  She exclaimed, drawing the attention of an employee.  Damn.

"Can I help you find anything?"  Ugh.  If she couldn't figure out what she wanted, she really doubted they could.  

"I'm just looking for a gift, but to be honest I'm just not sure what to get.  I feel like I should make something, but I'm strapped for ideas."  Maybe the mare would say something that would jog her memory.  

"Well, evidently we've got the craft isle, and the next one over has some frames and posters and things, just so you know.  But may I ask who it's for?"

"Yeah, one second..."  Dash replied, peering around into the next isle.  There were a bunch of motivational posters, some of them placeholders in frames.  There were also a large number that were shots of nature and the like.  Dash grinned.  "I think I might have figured it out, actually."


__________________________________________________________________________


"Hey Mac, when's Dash gettin' back?"  Applejack asked, her voice wavering slightly.  Mac didn't seem to notice.

"Dunno."  He replied.  "Knowin' her, she mighta fallen asleep on some comfy looking cloud somewhere."  He chuckled.  "Ah'm just kidding.  She'll be back in time."

"Yeah."  Applejack responded.  "Ya won't believe how hard it was to keep this from Pinkie.  Ah had ta keep tellin' her it was just a thing we normally do as a family, but no, she wanted streamers and confetti and a cake twenty feet tall."  Applejack laughed.  "She hasn't had the privilege of celebrating your birthday yet, you know."

Mac chuckled.  "Ah know.  Mare's got too much energy fer me."  He said with a shake of the head.  He opened a cabinet, pulling out one of his bottles of extra hard cider.  

"The tradition continues?"  Applejack asked, pulling up a seat across from him.

"It does."  Mac replied, pouring her a shot glass. 

"To your happiness."  Applejack said, raising the glass.  Mac only laughed.  

"That just sounds ridiculous."  He paused.  "How's about... to finding the last ingredient in this stupid stuff!"

"Ah'll drink to that."  Applejack said, downing the glass.  It burned down her throat, creating a pleasant warmth in her gut.  "That always wakes ya up."

"Ah'll say."  Mac replied.  There were sounds of a crash coming from another room, followed by a sound of annoyance from Applebloom.  "Applebloom?!"  

"Yeah?"

"What're ya doin?"  The stallion asked.

"Surely not bouncin' on yer bed!"

Mac opened his mouth to respond, but ended up just returning his attention to Appejack.  "'Least she didn't say she was tryin' ta get her mark in bed bouncin'."

"Ah heard that!"  

"Eh, lay off the filly!"  Granny Smith said from the corner, waking up.  "She's doesn't give up, and you should be thankful she's got such a strong will."  She eyed the cider.  "Ey, why're ya holdin' out on me, Mac?  Ya know Ah like to try yer brews from time ta time."

"This is the same one as a week ago, Granny."  Mac responded.  "The new one's done tomorrow."

"Oh, shh.  That's what you say every time." Mac glanced at Applejack and received a shrug, to which he sighed and poured a quarter-shot into a new glass.  He turned back to Granny Smith, realizing with a grin that she'd fallen back asleep again.  

"Solved itself the same way it did last time."  Applejack said with a chuckle, swirling her alcohol around in the bottom of her miniature glass.  

"Yeah.  But ya know she'd just fall asleep as soon as she got a lick of cider in 'er anyway."  

"Or maybe it'd keep her awake and we'd realize that Granny's a super genius in her old age."   Applejack noted.  They both shared a laugh.  "But we'll never know, will we?"

"Ah doubt it."  They were silent once more. 

"So, to broach a more serious topic, what'd the doctor say?"  Applejack asked.

"The usual."  Mac's voice got a little quieter.  "Tests'll be back in a few days or somethin', but he's not sure why Ah've had a couple heats close together.  He says it's probably nothing, but at the same time... this isn't him by the way, it's me, but Ah can't see how they would just happen to be that close.  That was a span of weeks, AJ, and while Ah honestly wouldn't care about them with Dash around...  Ah mean, not as much, but let's be clear in sayin' that Ah don't want them every month, and Ah sure as hell hate how Ah feel during' the whole affair."

"It's not so bad, Mac."  Applejack offered, attempting to comfort him.  "And you're right, you've got Dash.  You said the last heat was the easiest you've ever had."

Mac sighed, shaking his head.  "Yer right.  Ah should stop bein' such a downer and enjoy myself, huh?  Look on the gigantic bright side?"

"Look, Mac, if by some small chance your heat keeps getting more grouped up, if that happens, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.  But enjoy yourself, Mac.  There's no need to worry about things that are out of your control."

Mac nodded, thinking for a few more moments before a smile started to break out on his face.  "Yer right."  

"Hey!"  Applebloom yelled from down the hall, trotting towards them.  "Ah've got somethin' ta show ya, big brother!"  

"And what might that be?"  Mac asked, raising an eyebrow.  

"You'll have to look, Ah suppose."  The filly replied cryptically, trotting back towards Mac's room and disappearing into the dark interior.

"Well, Ah guess Ah'll see what ya were hidin' from me then, Applejack."  He said, making the mare chuckle.  

"And maybe one day Ah can keep from drawn' suspicion."  She replied. 

"Maybe, when you're really old, just fall asleep like Granny to keep from raisin' eyebrows."

"Oh man, what a plan."  Applejack chuckled, rolling her eyes.

Mac walked into his room, his eyes straining against the darkness.  Dash hopped into him, nearly giving him a heart attack as she hugged around his neck.  "Happy birthday, Mac!"

"Yeah, Ah love surprises.  Ya got me."  He replied, dripping with sarcasm.  

"Shush."  Dash replied, giving him a peck on the cheek before she let go.  "Just watch this."  She picked up a cord from the ground, poking it in the general area of a light socket before it eventually went in and the room lit up.  Little lights were everywhere, hanging from the ceiling here and there, looking like the stars in the night sky.

"Well, Mac?"  He didn't respond.  "Come on!  Lay down!"  Dash exclaimed, pushing him towards his bed.  He rolled on, looking upwards with a huge grin.  

"This is insane, Dash!"  He said breathlessly.  "You've even got the- how'd you do this?"

"Well, wings and this ball of energy here.  The idea may have been mine, but the engineering wasn't."

"God, Betelgeuse is even red."  His eyes flickered here and there, and he reached out to just touch a random star with a hoof.  "This is so cool."

"Yeah, well you should have seen the look on the hardware store guy's face when I ordered like a million of these tiny lights."  Applejack said, laughing.  

Mac opened his arms up, beckoning for a hug.  "Come here, all of ya."  He said, as Applebloom catapulted herself into his arms.  The other two joined him after a laugh.  "I love you guys so much."  He said quietly, still distracted by the lights.  

"Well you can thank your marefriend for the idea and the execution.  She ended up back here in a panic, telling me about this or that, and I just couldn't say no."  Applejack said, gesturing towards the other mare.  "Now come on, we've still got cake to eat, and your presents to open.  And we've got to get Applebloom off to bed here; she's got school in the morning."

Mac chuckled, giving a final glance at the lights before he rolled off the bed and followed the others into the kitchen.  Applejack was already in the process of removing a cake box from the freezer, and she carefully moved it across the room towards the table.  Having set it down, she went back to the kitchen and pulled a tea bag from a steaming cup that she'd apparently made earlier.

"What's the tea for?"  Dash asked, pointing.  It seemed an odd combination.

"Well one time Granny slept through Applebloom's birthday, and she wouldn't let us hear the end of it, so we give her a little pick-me-up."  Mac clopped his hooves together in front of the old mare's face loud enough to make her stir, and Applejack pushed the cup into her hoof.  "Rise and shine, Granny!"

"Oh, did Ah forget to take mah pill again?"  She asked, blinking as she tried to shake off the drowsiness.  

"No, Granny, remember?"  Applejack asked, gesturing to the assembled guests and the cake.

Granny Smith nodded, letting out a slight chuckle.  "Ah'm just joshing' with ya.  Gotta act oblivious to allay attention.  Ya know, with all mah top secret work."

Dash began to wonder just what Granny Smith was capable of when she wasn't sleeping.  She'd heard stories about her from Applejack, but they never really seemed to fit nicely in line with the pony she saw in front of her.  But that would eventually be her over there, tired and old.  She wondered what her life would seem like at that point, how long it would seem looking back.  Even now it just felt like she'd blinked, and while-

"Dash?"  Mac asked.  "Yer doing the zone out thing again."

"Sorry."  She replied.  She really had to stop with this philosophical crap.

"Well, Mac?"  Applejack started, handing him a large knife.  "You're the birthday boy, make the first cut."

"What is it?"  He asked, gesturing to the cake with the sharp object.  Applejack just grinned. 

"Why dontcha' find out?"

Mac looked like he thought briefly of a snarky comeback before deciding instead to keep his mouth shut.  Dash was glad about that, for once.  Wow, okay.  That was the opposite of normal.  Well now that thought just sounded sarcastic despite the fact that she really wanted him to talk as often as he- whatever.  

She tuned back into the middle of a staring contest between Mac and Applebloom as the stallion pushed the knife through almost unbearably slowly.  It smelled of chocolate and raspberry, a combination that she hadn't seen in quite a while.  Mac chuckled a moment later at the annoyed look on the foal's face, slicing the cake the rest of the way and moving it over to cut out a piece.  He slid it onto a plate, handing it over to Applebloom, who excitedly grabbed it from him and took a seat.

"Ya better wait fer us, Applebloom!"  Applejack warned, stopping the filly before she could vacuum the food out of existence.  

"Ahh, let her go."  Mac said, cutting another slice.  "This ornate of a cake doesn't come around every day."  He gave the thin slice to Dash.  "Could ya give that to Granny?"  He asked, and she nodded, making sure the old mare had a firm grasp of her plate before letting go.  Mac slid two other plates onto the table, cutting one more slice for himself before sitting down.  He looked around the table, trying to slightly draw down his massive grin.

"Well that's a good birthday if'n Ah ever saw one."  Applejack remarked, picking up a glass of milk she'd poured.  "Ah'll toast to that."

Dash grinned, picking up her own glass and extending her arm across the table to bump her glass against the two other ponies that could reach.   They all took a sip.

Applejack shook her head, chuckling.  "Ah've gotta say, Dash, when Ah told ya that Ah'd have no problem with you datin' mah brother, ah didn't think it'd mean we'd end up here.  Ah guess it's just nice to see ya as happy as ya are."

"Well then, Ah think we need a new toast."  He replied.  "Not to a good birthday, but to the best!"  

Glasses clinked, and the quiet sounds of an Apple Family birthday continued late into the night.
> Intimacy
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash pushed open the doors to the weather headquarters, the lobby a little quieter than usual.  She shook her head slightly, figuring it was just her mind playing tricks on her.  She walked into her office, sighing as she got inside.  It was bound to be a boring day already...

"Dash."

Her side hit the wall as she jumped, but other than that she managed to stay composed.  "What the hell, Thunderlane?"

He gestured to her desk, and she sat.  He kicked the door shut with a rear hoof.  "Cloudsdale's pissed."

"Tell me something I don't know."

He shook off her comment.  "No, like actually pissed.  Somehow they heard that the storm got out of control, and that the weather team wasn't responsive in the slightest."

"But-"  Dash scratched her head angrily.  "God, they're such a bunch of morons!  We built the storm that they told us to build, and said that it would act strangely because the weather didn't agree, and worked breakneck hours to get it done, and then it has a spas over the far side of Ponyville and suddenly we're the bad guys?!"

"Yeah, look."  Thunderlane kept his voice low.  "They want a meeting."

"They-"  She paused.  "They what?"  

"That's all they told me."  He shook his head.  "Well, what the receptionist told me.  They weren't actually here."

Dash held back the urge to flip her desk over.  She would have totally done it, but Thunderlane happened to be in the way.  A meeting.  Fuck.  Those were never good.  "I swear, after I've been on a nice long tour with the Wonderbolts, I'm getting those stupid idiots replaced.  Half of them had hardly done a week of weather before they got there!  Two of them are unicorns!"

Thunderlane waited until she'd calmed down before continuing.  "So they're expecting you a week or so from now.  You'll probably get a letter.  Anyway, just tell them what happened, and you should get off with some BS warning."

"Yeah, I know."  She shook her head angrily, crossing her arms to keep the urge to knock something from her desk down.  She took a deep breath, keeping her tone as steady as she could.  "I'm just mad because I don't want to waste the time on something so stupid for the usual pointless review process and eventual issuance of the same stupid penalty that means nothing."  That wasn't the root of her worry, however.  She'd already gotten warned about something in the past, and they were known to be more harsh and unforgiving on 'repeat offenders'.  Did the satisfaction of a punch outweigh the consequences?  No, but it only lost by a small margin.  

"Well, I'll leave you to it.  I'll put in good words if they ask.  We all will.  You did the best you could with what you had and you're the least at fault for any of this.  If anything, the response by the others that didn't work crazy shifts is to blame."  He got up and turned, coughing a few times into his elbow before exiting.  

So now that she had Mac figured out, the world had to step in with some unexpected obstacles.  Dash put her rear hooves up on the desk, leaning back in her chair to think.  She wouldn't have cared if they'd just audited her or something.  Those were always fun.  She'd get the whole place to talk in cryptic jargon about everything they did, and the weather commission ate up whatever they said because it sounded like progress.  There was that one guy that always thought it was thoroughly hilarious listening to them, and he seemed Dash's only ally in this whole affair.  He'd been the weather boss here many years ago before he got promoted.  He understood the kinds of things that they would go through in a crumby storm like they'd been assigned, but of course there was no way he was going to change the views of the others.  

Maybe she was being a little harsh on the experience level.  Surely there were others like... what was his name?  Breeze?  That sounded about right.  But there had to be others with experience.  She'd never met them or seen them, however.  And that one annoying unicorn stood out, talking about all the complicated bits of weather and how inefficient they were despite the fact that she couldn't even grip a cloud, let alone get a feel for how they responded to different situations.  The science and theory of weather fell apart quickly in practice.

"This'll be fun."  She muttered to herself, pulling her hooves from the desk and sliding open a drawer with several files inside.  She grabbed the one representing the current year, and pulled out a few relevant manila folders.  There were only a couple papers to add with the storm now in the past, and she grabbed the one with rainfall estimates, transposing the numbers into the master matrix.  If anything, they were ahead of schedule, making the storm she was in trouble about even more pointless.  Of course, she'd already known that to be true, but the carefully worded letter to Cloudsdale command hadn't changed anything.  

Dash started writing up a transcript of the size of the storm and it's movements, along with the concentration of where the rain dropped overlaid on a map of the town.  She didn't technically have to do this, but she liked to.  It created references for her own use of how a storm moved and acted under different conditions, and let her adjust with more than just memories to back up her plans.  She ran a tight ship here, contrary to the belief that her friends had of her, she was sure.  But they never asked her about the specifics anyway.  This wasn't her dream job by any means, but she still quite liked it.  It could get dreary and boring, but at the end of the day she was still providing a vital service to the citizens of Ponyville and building her own efficient little empire.  And when a storm wanted to come together... man, was that fun to make.  The static charge in the air when it was almost done, the rumbles it put off... it made her fur stand on end.

She filed the transcript away, tapping her pen against the desk a few times.  Now came the HR chunk that for some reason wasn't somepony else's job.  She'd gotten a page printed for her before she'd come in about a couple of her workers that just seemed to be doing lackluster work.  Clouds falling apart, sectors of Ponyville not being covered in time.  Dash sighed, looking at the ID pictures that had been taken of the ponies.  She set the papers aside, shaking her head.  She'd continue to watch them, but until ponies started getting over their colds she couldn't exactly prepare a good argument for firing either or both of them.  Colds made flying harder, knocked off your balance just enough to make the easiest things challenging.  

It'd sure be nice if she just had a bunch of Thunderlanes around, though.  He was about as good of a worker as she could have hoped for.  He hadn't even been looking for a job here before she'd offered him one, watching him move around some clouds to make a little raincloud on a hot day.  Rainclouds were notoriously hard to gather when it got increasingly hot and dry, as it had been, and he'd gotten a little storm on all by himself.  Technically, that was illegal and punishable by a fine with too many zeroes, but all Dash saw was a second in command in the making.  He'd agreed vehemently to the idea, and had been working here ever since.

Dash grinned.  When she got into the Wonderbolts, Thunderlane would get an abrupt promotion, that was for sure.  And she wouldn't have to worry about all her work here over the years going to waste.  

There were a few knocks at the door.

"Come in."  

Mac pushed the door open, looking around.  "There aren't a lot of clouds in here, Mrs. Weather."

Dash laughed.  "Is that what you were expecting?"

He shrugged.  "Ya need a little raincloud in a jar."  He paused, turning to frame the wall with his hooves.  "And... shark tank over there.  Luckily, yer on the bottom floor so ya could install a button to drop ponies through the floor into lava or-"  He did an overly exaggerated gasp.  "Another shark tank!"

Dash couldn't hold back a giggle.  "Is that what you think I do?"  

He shook his head.  "Nah, but it'd be cool though.  The raincloud thing was sorta serious."

"Clouds don't work that way, Mac.  Anyway, what brings you around?"  She wouldn't deny that he had already made her day better, but it still left the question open as to his sudden appearance.  

"Well yesterday ya saw some stuff from mah life, and ah wanted ta get ta know some stuff from yers."  He paused.  "Ya aren't busy, right?"

"No, not really, but despite your continued insistence that you in fact were glad that storm rolled over your farm and into the Everfree last night, Cloudsdale is decidedly more bitter, and they have requested my audience.  Before you ask why, it's because they have no understanding of how weather works in practice and refuse to cut us any slack."

"So ya have to go?"  Mac asked after some thought.

"Well I'd like to keep my job, yeah."  Dash replied.  "Besides, I assume they're just going to issue a warning and that'll be all.  And you know, it's becoming a lot more clear why you like working as your own boss."  So apparently she wasn't telling Mac about the danger of not getting a warning.  She'd broach the subject with him... she just needed a little time to try to figure out how to say it without worrying him too much.  He had enough on his plate without her problems included.

"Well after yer performance buckin' apples, Ah can't say that there's much chance mah sister wouldn't give ya somethin' for the season."  Dash frowned at him and he smirked.  "Just sayin'."

"I do like this job, you know."  Dash said quietly, spinning a pen around on her desk with a hoof.  "It's not my dream job by any means, but I enjoy it, and there's not much else in Equestria that would give a pegasus a chance to act like a pegasus at work.  There's plenty of crap for unicorns, but the pegasi are really under-utilized as a race, especially outside of Cloudsdale and Las Pegasus.  And the construction industry, but we both know Ponyville's pretty stagnant right now."

"Dash, why are ya so nervous about a warning?"  Mac asked.  There it was.

"Well, because I'm not so sure it will be just a warning."  Dash replied, her voice shaking ever so slightly, words flowing forth before she could seem to filter herself.  "The stupid board that reviews weather doesn't have a clue about how it works, and even when I make the best possible decision out of a scenario they get angry because I couldn't achieve impossible ends.  Half the weather team was sick for that storm, and it was high pressure!  We still managed to make a storm out of it, and apparently it clashed with the Everfree over a tiny percentage of Ponyville citizens.  I think they got two or three complaints."  A tear of pure frustration ran down her muzzle, and she angrily wiped it away.  Mac put his hooves around her, nuzzling her neck.  "I hope you know these are tears of anger and not grief."

Mac laughed.  "Ah know."

Silence drew on for almost a minute before Dash could compose herself enough to speak in a level tone.  "It's just- Like, if they just gave me challenges that'd be fine.  I like challenges.  But it wavers between that and impossible with some of these things, and other times when storms are easy to make we get some order not to.  It's such a stupid bureaucracy and I can't stand it!"  Dash almost lost it, almost broke out into tears.  She gritted her teeth, holding back.  She didn't like fully breaking down in front of anypony, and this was no different.  She knew Mac was there for her and it wouldn't make a difference to him, but it made a difference to her.  It was her ability to keep a level head around here that kept the team going, at least to a degree.  And dammit, she'd approach this the same way.

Dash wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head as the frustration continued to turn to cool rage.  She hated the weather board with every fiber of her being, but that wouldn't help her now.  She needed a defense, a rock solid set of reasons that the board was wrong.

"Don't worry about me, Mac."  Dash murmured.  "I'll figure out something."  And that she would.  She had a whole week to prepare.  She could get anything in that amount of time, or more closely, anypony.  At this point, maybe the best plan was to get a few extra ponies to experience the same things she was.  

"No ya won't, Dash."  Mac replied, and Dash angrily looked over at his face to find him grinning, gesturing back and forth with a hoof between them.  "We'll figure somethin' out."

For a moment Dash thought of denying him the prospect, telling him a more nice version of 'there's nothing you can contribute'.  But she realized there was.  Mac knew ponies all over Equestria.  Powerful ponies that bought in bulk and knew other ponies near them.  The Apple Family had the strongest connections of any family she knew by far.  And if Mac couldn't find something of use out of that, she didn't know who could.

"Alright, Mac.  If you really want to, you're in."

Mac grinned wider, hugging her against his side with an arm.  "Ya know, Dash, there may be a few ponies that hate those weather guys more than ya do..."


_____________________________________________________________________


A couple days dragged by, a plan slowly coming together despite Mac's busy workweek.  As they discussed this or threw out that, Dash began to realize that this was going to be more of a gamble than she had planned.  Assuming she could get the weather board to do something incriminating, she still had to release that information in a way that resulted in the survival of her job.  They'd taken care of some of that.  One of Mac's relatives in Manehattan could send out the smallest tape recorder she'd ever seen, so they had that as a backup to hide in her mane or something if they couldn't come up with a better plan.  But it still sounded like something out of a bad spy movie, and relied too much on them saying something wrong.  They rarely said stupid things, or at least things that would sound stupid to the non-weather civilian.

But besides the numerous farmers Applejack and Mac knew that hated the random, sometimes unpredictable rainstorms from the board, that wasn't anything concrete that could work out for her.  Maybe they had some corruption going on up there, but she couldn't prove it.  As far as she was concerned, they were just stupid and clueless.  There wasn't a crime against that, unfortunately.

The issue lay in the fact that there were so few with knowledge of how the weather system actually worked that she could sway.  She'd felt confident in herself at the beginning of this debacle, but now she wasn't so sure.  Even if she could finagle Celestia onto the government mandated observation seating that nopony ever used, it still probably wouldn't- well maybe it would.  She wasn't sure if Celestia knew much about weather.  Well, she must, right?  Dash wasn't sure.  She pushed the thought to the back of her mind.  That sounded like she was just asking for help anyway.  If it came to that then fine.

"But have ya considered a strike?"  Mac asked, shuffling some papers against the surface of the table in the diner they'd chosen for today.  "That could get them to panic."

"I mean I thought of the idea, but I can't do that in good conscience."

"Alright, so why don't ya just take a strike from the weather board then?"  He asked, leaning back into his side of the booth.

"What do you mean?"  She asked.

"Well, iff'n they fire ya just say 'no', or at that point ya could just pull yer crew out uh government employment."

"But that's-"  She stopped.  Would there be an issue with that?  She needed a license, and to have her team vouch for her, but after that...  "Alright.  I got it."  She pulled out a calendar, checking the date.  "We've got four or so more days until I have to go.  Ironically, we're going with the simplest plan, now that we actually have time to sit down, look through the papers, and think about this."

"What sorts of things do ya need ta do that?"

"Well I need a freelance license.  That's not that bad, because it's usually somewhat of a rubber stamp in Canterlot.  I guess the hard part is telling them what I'm going to do and leaving with my head still attached.  Because I think it would be coolest to let them either give me a warning or try to fire me and be all like, 'nope'.  You know, like you said.  Then they can sit there with those stupid expressions on their stupid faces, and I can pull out the license as they finally get ready to talk."  Dash paused, rubbing her hooves together as Mac took a French Fry from their communal supply.  "I'm really starting to like this plan."

"So then, where to?"

"First stop, the mayor's office."


____________________________________________________________________


"Wait, why?"  Mayor Mare asked, finally giving the pair her full attention.  

"Well, because I'd like to operate my weather team intelligently, free from the harmful bureaucracy in Cloudsdale.  We would be able to operate more efficiently and on a better schedule, saving Ponyville resources and time."  Ooh, that sounded hard to refuse.

"Better for Ponyville, you say?"  The mare asked, raising an eyebrow.  "But this system has worked fine all along, Ms. Dash."

"That may seem true to you, Mayor, but neither you nor the majority of the residents of Ponyville see what goes on inside the weather headquarters.  The storm that happened last week was nearly impossible to put together, and the fact that it only went haywire on a sliver of town is a miracle.  That storm should have happened now.  It's now low pressure, and my employees are working against the grain to keep it from raining.  That's a lot of waste for nothing, Ms. Mare."

"I see what you mean, but I'm still hesitant to administer a new license.  I've never had this mentioned before."

"Ms. Mare, you know you enjoy the weather statistics I compile every year."  Dash began, leaning slightly towards the mayor over her desk.

"Ah yes, the one that always ends with a big comparison page to other cities.  And you always write victory at the bottom in red."  A slight blush spread across Dash's cheeks as she grinned, and Mac laughed from his chair in the back of the room.  Dash only got more red.  

"Well then you should see why it's such an easy decision to switch over to a local structure.  We're adequately prepared."

The mayor sighed, thinking.  "I'll tell you what.  Get me the required majority of signatures from your team and I'll give it some serious thought, alright?"  She stood up, and Dash moved forwards to shake her hoof.  "But if this goes through, I hope you know that it can be reversed at any time if it appears that we are worse off."

Dash nodded.  "Fair enough."

"Well then, you've given me a lot of work to do, Ms. Dash."  The mayor replied, chuckling.  "I'll get right to it."

"Sounds like a plan."  Dash grinned, breaking the hoofshake that had gone on for a little too long without either of them noticing.  

Dash closed the door behind herself, grinning from ear to ear.  "I think this might actually work!"  She did a quiet celebration dance.  "Ooh, if I have my own weather team and I'm the boss, I could totally change my job title to 'Supreme Commander'.  That's got a nice ring to it."

Mac laughed.  "You got a maybe, and immediately you go to Supreme Commander."  He shook his head, "but ya still have to fly this license to Canterlot for the stamp or whatever, so it's not like you aren't somewhat challenged on time."

"Pfft!  This is me we're talking about.  Canterlot it super close anyway."

"I dunno, Dash, it took me a while to get there to turn in a few renewal things.  And I know I can't fly, but it was a really long time on the train."

"I think that'll be the least of our problems.  We'll have to wait on her decision, and before then I've got to start setting up a million things."

"Like what?"  Mac asked.

"Well, I have to get a deal ready with Cloudsdale Weather, mainly.  Changing any part of our yearly schedule was a nightmare with them, but maybe that's just because it had to go through the weather board as well.  So I dunno, maybe it'll all be easy.  But then there're the signatures of the crew, not hard but time intensive, and the usual weather work.  So basically it's going to be a long two days."

"Well just swing by iff'n ya need some help on somethin'.  Ah've got a lot to do as well, but it's not like Ah wouldn't enjoy a break now or again."  He bumped up against her side playfully, making her giggle.  

"Yeah, well when I get to the point of compiling all the records of everything I've ever done for the probable audit we'll get then yeah, I might call you in for that.  If you want, I guess."  Like anypony actually liked that stuff.

"Hey, Ah'm fine with running numbers and that whole deal.  Ah do the taxes and stuff for the farm, so it's not that out of the ordinary."

"Well don't feel obliged.  It's not like I'm paying you for these things you do.  Unless you want money, but I thought that-"

Mac laughed.  "Ah don't need your money.  Ah want ta spend time with ya, is that so bad?"  He smirked.  "Ah mean, ya can be pretty annoying'..."  Dash punched Mac in the shoulder and he laughed.  

"Ah'll tell ya what though, Dash.  If this plan uh yers works and we get other weather teams ta do the same thing, that commission-"

"Weather board."

"Yeah, weather board, whatever.  Anywho, they'll be pretty pointless then, huh?"  

Dash's face lit up.  "Oh my gosh, you're right!"  She threw her hooves around his neck, hugging him tightly.  "You know, I never thought I'd be attempting to do anything like this with my life.  Taking action against that stupid thing and all.  But it's cool, and if it works I think I might have something I'd be more proud of than a career with the Wonderbolts.  And this one would last a little longer, too."  Her eyes sparkled.  "The mare that got rid of the stupid weather board..."

"Yeah, well whenever yer done letting yer imagination go wild, apparently we still have work to do, right?"

"I mean, yeah, but we could also just stay here and imagine my impending celibacy."

"Mhm."

Dash laughed.  "Frankly, I don't know what you expected when you signed up to be my coltfriend."

"Shoot, there was a sign up?"  He held up an imaginary clipboard.  "Who's the poor bastard that's next on this list..."

"Oh, shut up!"  Dash rebutted, laughing again.  "Being first on any of my lists is a great honor."

"Ya don't pay so well, boss."  Mac responded, now squinting at the same imaginary clipboard.  "And the Q4 projection is down."

"But what about all the investors in Rainbow Capitol?"  Dash gasped, fake shock plastered all over her face.  

"Ah guess they're screwed.  Better panic sell."

"And so my company rises and falls in twelve seconds."  Dash said sadly, shaking her head.

"You said you were fast.  That broke some records there."

"I'll take what I can get."


_____________________________________________________________________


"You're done for the night, right?"  Dash asked, sliding some papers into a folder and tossing them into a drawer.  "Because I'm feeling pretty done at the moment."

Mac yawned, passing her a paper.  "Yeah.  Ah figure Ah'll do a bunch of apple buckin' tomorrow while yer goin' to Canterlot, if the mayor has the thing ready by then.  Ah'm not behind on mah work yet, so Ah figure iff'n ya need me fer anythin' else, ah'll be around."

"Mac, I'm already feeling guilty about the fact that you're here in the first place.  You should go do something fun."  It's not like she really ever seemed to return favors like these...

"Eh, it's fine.  You'd do it fer me."  He replied, handing her another paper.  His hoofwriting was surprisingly neat for a guy.  Hers wasn't great by any standard, so that didn't mean too much in comparison.  But it looped nicely in cursive and looked professional as hell.

"Well at some point you better need me so that I can feel less guilty about having my coltfriend work as an unpaid intern."

Mac chuckled.  "Hey.  Ah'm at least a temp.  Pay me in undyin' love."  

Dash smirked.  "I'm thinking maybe you earned yourself a bonus."

"Ooh, dirty talk."  

"Don't act like it's so strange!"  Dash exclaimed, giggling.  "I can do that."

"Yeah, but it's always so weird ta see ya like this, ya know?"  Dash stared at him.  "Come on, ya tell me all this stuff about how Ah don't act how ya expected, and Ah can't say the same stuff?"  Dash shrugged.  Seemed fair enough to her.

"Like what?"

"Well ta be honest Ah'm glad yer gettin' a little more confident and boisterous 'round me now.  Maybe Ah'll end up wishing' for the days when ya were nervous about everything cuz it was cute, but hey."  He grinned.  "The nice thing about ya is that ya don't need a guy to prop you up.  Yer independent and strong-minded."  Dash continued to stare, her gaze softening as her slight smile turned to a grin.  "Ya seriously never figured Ah thought about ya in a similar way?  Ta be honest, fer a while Ah thought ya were just lazy."

"Hey!"

"Ah said fer a while.  Probably should clarify that those thoughts were months ago.  Anywho, Ah never seem ta get disappointed in anything that happens along the way with us.  Sure, Ah could be more interested in my life at this particular moment, but it's hard ta be unhappy.  This paperwork sucks, but yer right there, and at the end of any crappy day ya still will be, unless ya have really and luck with paper cuts.  So Ah dunno.  Maybe Ah needed you more than ya needed me, contrary to what ya seem ta say."  

Woah, what?  Dash could hardly get a sentence together.  God she loved him.  She looked at her desk, which was still covered in papers.  She could sweep that off with a hoof and demand sex...  No, that was too much of a risk and too much work later.  

"Dash?"

"We're done.  You're done."  He was so cute when he was confused.  "I'll race you back to your place."


___________________________________________________________________


The pair toppled onto Mac's bed, kissing each other as if it was as important as their next breath.  It was ravenous and rough, and Dash couldn't imagine it any other way.  It spat in the face of their previously gentle relationship, and pushed the duo on as if they were both in heat.  They might as well have been.  It'd been a couple days since their last, and with his sex drive and her own, that was apparently far too many.  

Dash was wet and winking before Mac even brushed against her with his member, and she hardly had the patience to wait any longer.  Dash pushed herself away from her coltfriend's lips, letting out a slight moan from the tension in her nethers as she slid her hind legs off the bed.  They touched the floor a moment later, Mac's covers still tickling her belly as she gave him a sultry look.  "You better go hard."

Mac didn't need any encouragement.  He was off the bed and behind her in a moment, his stomach resting on her back as he moved up behind her.  He slid a hoof between the covers and her chest, wrapping it tightly around her as he drew his hips back, his dick sliding quickly backwards between her legs as he moved it upwards, pushing at her marehood and coating her lips in a thin coating of pre immediately.

"Ah!"  Dash exclaimed, feeling him tap against her entrance.  "I still can't believe how big you are."

Mac chuckled, his breath gently flowing across one of her ears.  "Or that this isn't a dream."

Dash laughed.  "Yeah, you and me bot-"  Dash cut off, losing the concentration she needed to speak, or maybe just forgetting that she had started.  Mac still had enough presence of mind to go in slowly the first time, although with the amount of lube between them it was really just a formality.  Dash counted the inches, felt his medial ridge stretch her that tiny extra amount and move inwards.  Pleasure was already flooding into her from her stretched tunnel, the feel of his heartbeat making her feel close despite the lust.  He relaxed at full hilt for just a moment, giving Dash time to adjust to the marvelously pleasurable intruder before he started.  Even before he started to move, she was already trying to milk him for all he had, to draw him deeper into her warm, damp grasp.  

They'd never done it the traditional way, and as Mac started to pick up speed a few strokes in Dash wondered why it had taken so long.  There was just something so feral and animalistic about it that suited their needs.  He lined up with her perfectly, the least possible resistance occurring as he sawed back and forth inside of her, lewd noises coming readily from their contact.  She could feel the drops of precum almost constantly emerging, and wondered how long he would take.  Dash bit down on his blankets, letting out a muffled moan as he hit a good spot inside of her.  Maybe it wouldn't even matter when she was this horny.  

Mac nibbled at her ear, his free hoof moving from propping himself up to around her body like the other one.  It was the most snug hug she'd ever experienced, and she hardly even noticed the feeling of Mac's weight on top of her.  He sped up with the new grip, his hind legs shifting and twitching as he pounded into her.  Any trace of his gentle touch had been replaced with a need to finish, and finish as soon as possible.  She may have actually driven the guy to a state of arousal where he just no longer cared.  Dash pulsed around his length at the thought, letting out something between a moan and a sigh as he pounded away.

Mac's head slid down next to hers, and he removed a hoof enough from her side to be able to turn her head to meet his lips.  There was tongue everywhere, contributing to the frantic feeling as they neared their peaks.  The angle Mac was hitting changed slightly, angling downward as Mac raised himself.  Dash was experienced enough to know exactly what that meant.  She kissed him, her mind's eye stuck on a picture of Mac, up on his tiptoes as his hid hooves curled in pleasure.  It'd happened with one of her coltfriends before, but it'd never been this hot.  Mac's member was on fire inside of her, his unending stamina keeping the pace fast and hard.  Dash could hardly concentrate on the kiss anymore, her body on autopilot and the image of them the only in her mind.

Mac was grunting, telltale shakes against her back warnings of his imminent climax.  He seemed to struggled to keep his rhythm, seeming to get slightly off beat.  Mac shook for a moment in orgasm, his member only half in, his backside shaking, before he slammed himself in all the way, warmth filling Dash to the core.  She felt pleasure rip through her body, Mac's hooves gently raking down her sides as she came back to reality.  

At least a minute went by before he slowly pulled out, nuzzling her neck as some of his seed slipped out onto the floor.  Dash summoned up enough energy to roll over, and looking at the mess between her legs, was unable to hold back a grin.  "How do you store that much up?"  She asked, giggling.

Mac only shrugged, a bit of a grin on his face as well.  "Ah'm just happy Ah lasted as long as you."  He replied, looking somewhat tired.  He laid down on the bed next to her, looking up at his currently dark stars.  His erection hadn't died down yet, and was caught in a sort of half hard state.  Maybe he wasn't done yet.  Neither was she, by any means.  

Dash rose from the  bed, turning around and looking at Mac's spread legs.  He jerked to close them for a moment before he stopped, keeping  himself open to her.  His face turned a noticeable darker shade of red.  

Dash wrapped a hoof around his dick, stroking the length slowly and covering her fur with a mixture of their juices.  She leaned down and poked the tip with her tongue, his taste spreading faintly around her mouth as she delicately prodded at his flared tip.  She knew how sensitive stallions were after they came, but she had faith in herself to be able to make it still feel pleasurable.  Her eyes wandered down to his balls, then further.  It was always somewhat shocking to see him to his full extent, because it sorta seemed like she'd look and it wouldn't be there anymore.  Like it was in her imagination.  But there it was, his vagina, staring back at her.  It was as wet as she was, minus his seed slowly oozing out, and as Dash teased the tip of his length with her tongue he winked at her.  

She pulsed, her own arousal quickly reemerging.  Dash replaced her mouth with her hoof again.  She'd never gotten a great look at him in the barn, given the crappy lighting.  His fur was slightly patchy between his legs, as if his body had just thrown up its hooves at some point and given up.  But other than that, it just looked like any old marehood.  It was bigger, she supposed, to fit on Mac, and it seemed to be pushed out slightly, presumably accommodating for other parts of him, but it looked normal.  Somehow she couldn't shake the feeling that it had a masculine look to it, but maybe that was just because of who it was attached to.

"Like what you see?"  He asked nervously, still red under Dash's prying eyes.  

"Oddly enough, I do."  The words felt strange coming out of her mouth.  But it was the truth.  This was literally a marehood, but it didn't really register as one in her head.  When she finally got down to it, it was just another part of Mac that would feel good to him.  This didn't mean she would be all over it, but she did want to see his reaction to it, and that was the really arousing part anyway...

Mac jumped when she pressed a hoof against his soaked entrance, rubbing it gently over his lips, spreading them under gentle pressure.  He looked at her with a look that asked if she was really sure about what she was doing.  It winked, and she took her hoof away in surprise.  

Dash laughed, leaning over his body to kiss him.  She made sure to get her lower stomach to rub across his nethers again, his balls dragging gently along her fur as well.  "I said I'd use all of you eventually."  She said.

"Don't feel obliged to-"

"Hey, I've gotta get there sometime."  Dash grinned, rubbing at him some more.  "Now come on, Mac.  I'm doing what you wanted, right?"

"Ah just wanted ya to accept me, this is beyond what Ah expected-"

"Ha, so you don't deny it.  You liked it enough in the shower anyway."  Dash replied.

"Yeah, but-"  He stopped short, the side of Dash's hoof digging inside him, brushing up against his clit.  If his dick wasn't hard before, it definitely was now.  She slowed her hoof, thoughts of everything she could do to Mac racing through her head.  He winked again around her hoof, as if trying to pull it in.  Weird, being on the other end of it all.  "Ya don't look too happy about it."

"Yeah, well it's weird, alright?  Not like, bad weird, but it's still something I've never really dealt with.  Not with anypony else.  And the reason I don't look happy is because I'm too busy trying to learn what you like."  Dash grinned at him, steeling herself towards the goal she'd already given a lot of thought to.  Dash returned to her ministrations with gusto, rubbing at Mac like she would herself, trying to hit the same places she liked.  This was different, of course, but she assumed she had a good place to start.  

Mac grunted, laying his head back on the bed and resigning himself to her.  His dick was definitely back at full mast, bouncing at her and asking for attention.  Dash caressed his clit, watching his reactions to everything she did.  She wondered what he tasted like.  

No, that was something she should'n- wait, yeah it was.  Was it?  She stopped once again, realizing with some guilt that she was torturing Mac.  "What would you think of me if I did?"

"Did what, exactly?"  Mac asked, propping his head up with a hoof to look at her.  He tried to look serious, but couldn't keep a goofy grin entirely off his face.  He probably liked what she was doing more for the intimacy than the pleasure, but hopefully she could get that to change.  It just depended on how much she was willing to do to get there...

"I mean, anything besides rubbing you?  That's not even that great, really.  There are better things, but I'm not sure about them, and even if I am accepting the fact that it's you, does that still make me-  I'm not into mares, Mac."

"Ah mean, then don't be."  He replied.  "Ya don't have ta do anythin'."

"Yeah, but I like how you react!  I don't think about any of this when I'm doing you.  It's just-"  She lowered her voice a little, even though she knew that the Apple Family house was so sturdily built it blocked most noise.  At least at their relatively quiet levels.  "It seems so natural when I'm in the moment."

"Well like I said, you-"

"Does that make me selfish?"  Dash interrupted.  "If I didn't, I mean?  Like, ignoring that?  But that's such a wasted opportunity, and I do love you the way you are, but-"  She bit her lip, lost for words.  

Mac sat up, grabbing her with his hooves and pulling the mare onto the bed.  "You?  Selfish?"  He grinned.  "Reminds me, I never returned the favor from the night out in the woods."  He kissed Dash, rolling her onto her back and chuckling slightly as he retreated down her body.  "Don't give me too much crap for bein' bad at this."  He said, pressing his muzzle into Dash's marehood before she realized what he was doing.  Dash let out a choked moan that was half shock, half pleasure.  The need and want came back to her in seconds, and she felt herself heating up again.  As Mac enthusiastically played with her down there she began to remember the feeling of not caring what anypony thought.  He wouldn't care, and she definitely wouldn't think of herself any differently.  Why should she?

Dash paused in her thoughts.  He'd just come in her a few minutes ago, and she knew stallions didn't particularly enjoy eating a mare out after that...  But there was Mac.  She saw a twinge of discomfort flash across his face, but it was replaced by a grin as she let out a coo.  If he could get over his own inhibitions so easily, then so could she.

"Hey, get up here big guy."  Dash said, positioning him on his back once again.  Her pussy winked, Mac's following suit a moment later despite the blush on his face.  Dash moved her wet lips over his muzzle, getting his member into her hoof once again and wasting no time in engulfing it in her mouth.  Mac was as aroused as ever, setting to work on her as pre slid into her mouth.  Dash hummed on his length, pushing his legs apart gently with her hooves to get to work on his sensitive lower lips.  They were much larger than hers were and much easier to manipulate with her hooves.  But despite that, he definitely wasn't loose.  She'd figured it was her muscle that made her such a tight pleasure to Mac, but honestly it took a lot to not be pleasurable to him.  But if that theory was right and it depended at least partially on muscle, he must be hella-

Mac twitched, pushing his stallionhood slightly further into her maw and making Dash jump out of her thoughts.  She groaned, the tip barely tickling her throat.  Mac wasn't trying to force anything, and he had stayed far from making her gag.  Dash grinned.  But his twitching probably wasn't intentional.  Her marehood winked at the thought as Mac focused momentarily on her clit, as if trying to keep her on the task at hand.  Mac winked just after, and Dash took advantage of the opportunity to pay special attention to his nub.  It always seemed to be most sensitive during a wink, and damn did his pop out in a way that drove her insane.  It was just asking for attention, and with Mac's cock gently sliding in and out of her mouth and his nethers steadily spilling his nectar, a brief thought ran through her head about how crazy this was.  And how hot everything she did from now on could be.  

Mac was grunting and huffing into her, driving Dash to new heights of arousal.  Lust and curiosity pushed her past the final point of resistance, and she replaced her muzzle with a hoof on his cock, leaning down farther.  Her tongue touched Mac first, tentatively.  It wasn't enough to get a taste, but she returned shortly, flicking it around his clit as she slowly stroked his length.  He tasted clean, a hint of sweetness that left as soon as it appeared.  Mac jerked slightly, a heavy groan escaping into her marehood.  Ooh, she wasn't going to last long if he kept that up.  But she could tell she was breaking his concentration much faster than she was losing her own, and she couldn't blame him.  Trying to handle just a marehood was hard sometimes.  Both, well, that was just a great opportunity to make sure he was lost to the world.  

Dash caught his clit in her lips once again, playing with it for a moment and waiting for Mac's groans before she moved on.  She buried her muzzle in his slit, realizing with a spark of a thrill that it felt the same for him right now.  The extreme heat, the tight, pulsating lips around her tongue and the very tip of her muzzle.  She rubbed at his nub with the hoof that wasn't stroking his increasingly pulsing cock, wondering for a thrilling moment if she could get him to come from both places at once, assuming that was how it worked.  Her imagination ran wild with the possibilities.

Dash held off her own orgasm, trying to keep the presence of mind to manage Mac.  He let out a gasp into her, sparks of pleasure almost sending her over the edge.  His tunnel clamped down around her, holding the tip of her tongue in a vice grip as she felt it manage to get even more wet than it had been.  Her hoof slipped from his cock to his stomach, meeting tensed muscles as tiny tremors worked their way down his legs.  It let up after a moment, repeating the same motion several times, releasing and re-gripping at her muzzle as Mac grunted and moaned.  She let up, giving him some time to regain his breath.  "Oh mah gosh."  Was all he said.  

"Did you just-"  Dash trailed off.  She knew he had, but to be honest, she'd thought he was farther away.  

"Yeah."  Mac  grinned, letting his head fall back on the pillow as he dragged a hoof gently along her marehood, unwittingly keeping her close to the edge.  One of her hind legs twitched.  "That was nice."

"Only nice?"  Dash smirked, sliding off of him.  If she got him here, she could allow her own head to cool just slightly.  Or rev up, as it often did.  But Mac's member looked strained already, and she doubted he had a lot of time left...  She stretched out an arm, hearing her elbow pop and letting out a breath.  She was calm enough to do this right, but excited enough to make it that perfect kind of sexy.  Well, in her mind anyway.  She'd have to ask Mac what kind of fornicating he liked the best.  So she may as well experiment with something that was in-between.  

Dash nearly smacked a hoof to her forehead.  Normal ponies didn't think like this during sex.  She shook off her thoughts and slowly repositioned herself on top of him, facing towards his head with the best look of lust she could muster.  Mac wouldn't say anything, and he surely wouldn't beg, but she could tell it was hard to be left high and dry like he was.  Or halfway so, she supposed.  Dash drew her tongue along his length, unintentionally teasing him as it passed over his medial ridge.  So it was sensitive.  She'd have to remember that for later.  She slowed enough to get a flick over his head, however, getting a pleased sound out of him.  She made sure to replace her tongue with the soft fur of her chest as she progressed, feeling a strong pulse or two as she neared her nethers.  Oh god she was so close.  Maybe even closer than he was.  

Dash yelped as Mac suddenly hugged her to his chest but melted into the development, finding the romanticism of the hug clashed rather elegantly with the poking at her rear.  Well, in a weird sort of way, she liked the combination.  It was like one of those hard candies that would occasionally give off a burst of sour.  Maybe at some point she could stop the bedroom philosophy.  Or at least save it until after they were supposed to be having sex.  This was just getting sort of sad.

Mac pressed upwards at her gently, her lower lips holding fast for a moment before Dash pressed backwards and they gave way.  He slid in several inches suddenly, gasping at the stimulation on his already very aroused member.  Dash felt him pulse twice in rapid succession, and wondered for a moment if he was about to come.  She at least wanted him to be hilted...

"Woah-"  He grunted, his hooves tentatively looking for purchase before nesting themselves just above the root of Dash's wings.  She moaned as his fur brushed across the downy feathers, and Mac let his hooves wander, leaving tingles of pleasure in their wake.  

Dash cleared her mind, pushing herself the rest of the way down onto Mac's length.  He groaned, his hooves gripping around her wings, using them as additional leverage.  Mac pulled her to his chest, getting a good thrust up into her and receiving a hearty moan.  He took notice, letting his hooves run free around her wings as he sped up, burying his muzzle in the fur of her neck.  His husky breaths hit her flesh through her coat, creating a pleasurable warm spot.  Every time he retreated his member scraped at her walls and his hooves slid along her wings.  Dash was speeding along to a climax she had not entirely expected not to have just fifteen seconds ago.  

Two more thrusts was all it took before drops of precum became a comparable deluge.  It wasn't like his first, but it always felt like heaven, her core getting painted in his impossibly hot seed.  Her orgasm snuck up on her, flooding her mind with pleasure.  All she could think to do was hug herself to Mac as she clenched and dripped around his length, small thrusts of his and her own magnifying in scale.  She felt her marehood milk out a little more of his cum, managing to draw his orgasm out with hers.  

Dash sighed as she came down, putting her forehead to Mac's as he emerged.  They were both breathing heavily, but for different reasons.  Dash pulled herself off his length, shivering at the pleasure his mostly hard meat could still provide.  Without thinking, she just moved lower.  

Mac suddenly snapped out of the afterglow as he realized what Dash was doing.  He sat up, not making a sound for a moment.  "Ya were gonna-"

"Well I wasn't thinking and-"

"Ah'll be on top."  Mac replied with a grin, grabbing one of her hooves and throwing her onto the bed.  He stared at her for a moment, thinking about the logistics of scissoring, she presumed.  He quickly grabbed one of her legs, holding it to his chest.  "This is a weird night."  He said matter-of-factly.  

"You're not wrong."  Dash replied, thrusting her hips up to run into him.  She quivered slightly, letting out a coo of satisfaction.  Not that the weird feeling of a marehood against hers didn't keep her out of the moment to a slight extent.

Mac was flushed from a mixture of the afterglow and the orgasm he'd just had, his length staying just erect enough to keep from running into her, and his balls seemed to have no chance at leaving even a millimeter of space between him and his body.  So with the worry that his jewels would get crushed out of the way, this sort of thing actually made sense.  Well, in one way.  "God, yer so wet."  He mumbled, rubbing against her slowly.  "I didn't know coming soaked you like thi-"  His pussy winked, pushing his clit out so hard she thought it might get stuck.  He groaned, the delicate flesh sliding around in their combined lubrication easily.  Mac went in a few small circles, mushing their nerves together in a pleasurable cycle.  Then he tried to lean down to kiss her, making the movement a little too quickly.  

Mac got about a foot from her mouth before he let out a grunt of surprise, his face changing from pleasure to pain as he rolled to one side next to her.  "Ah!"  He exclaimed, shoving a hoof between his legs.  He let out a pained laugh, shaking his head.  "Ah knew that was gonna  happen!"  He moaned, and Dash couldn't help but chuckle at the rapid turn of events.  Apparently she'd been wrong about it not being a problem.

"I guess you're not the perfect sex machine."  Dash jibed, poking him in the side.

"We need ta think a little harder about these things."  

Dash massaged her marehood lightly, easily keeping herself excited despite their break.  Mac rolled onto his back, the bed creaking.  He looked up at the stars for a few moments, his length slowly regaining the hardness it'd lost.  Suddenly, what Dash had thought was her keeping her arousal steady seemed insignificant by comparison.  She was almost there, almost to the edge, and all she wanted to do was touch him.  The first thought through her head was a hoofjob, then a brief daydream about getting him off in the barn several days ago.  

Dash stood up on the bed, leaning down to kiss Mac.  "Are your balls okay?"  She asked.  

He laughed.  "Yeah, but before you ask, no, I don't have a lot left in me."

"You don't need a lot."  Dash retorted quickly, as she laid herself down flat on her stomach.  "I heard about a position like this once, and I figure that we can try it if we're not supposed to be going fast.  It's a lot like the first one, but slower I guess."

"Ah mean, that'd probably be hot and all, but ah'm kinda heavy Dash."  

"Well, you do a thing where you have to still kiss me so I think your upper body is to a side."  She paused.  "Come on, we're wasting daylight!"

"Where did you even hear about this?"  

"I mean, it may or may not have been a list of positions..."  Dash replied.  "And I may or may not have remembered most of them."

"Ah guess we may as well get started."  Mac grinned, lining up his cock.  He pressed it into her gently, coming into contact with her flank without too much trouble.  His body pressed against hers, pressing her back and flank into his welcoming bed as he appeared next to her.  He was deep inside her, and if Dash remembered correctly, a lack of good leverage forced him to stay there, making small thrusts as he stayed almost entirely inside.  

And that was how he started, shifting his weight around in an attempt to get a better thrust before giving up.  It was awkward for a minute or so as Mac tried to solve the enigma, but Dash was loving every moment of it.  She was pressed into soft covers, getting slowly pleasured from behind.  And as soon as Mac got this down there'd be kissing too.  

He was rubbing past the deep parts of her he usually turned around at, the parts that had to wait for another thrust to get any sort of feeling again.  And it felt like heaven, especially as Mac got a rhythm going, and his breathing turned labored.  His lips bumped into hers before she even realized what was happening.  She was off in some dream about doing this on a cloud someday, and how epic that would be.  But this was just as good, as far as she was concerned.  

"Fer how little ah'm movin', this sure feels- well, g-great."  Mac mumbled.  

"Ya ever been stuck this deep for so long?"  Dash asked dreamily, failing at ignoring the pleasure well enough to keep her eyes focused.

Mac grunted.  "Ah- oh, yer so tight everywhere at the same time, and it's so different."  He replied, his words mostly making sense.  He gritted his teeth.  "Ah hope yer close."  

"You can't last with me, can you?"  Dash asked, raking a hoof through his mane as they kissed again.  

"Ah know it might annoy ya, but in a way, Ah hope that never changes."  

Dash giggled, her laugh trailing off.  "I suppose it's nice, having you so close all the time.  I can't be bad at sex when your body hardly seems to care if I'm having an off day."

Mac slipped, sliding back in a half inch as he fell back to her body.  He groaned, and Dash tensed, the movement almost pushing her over the edge already.  Dash got what little movement she could out of her tail, getting it to wrap around and flick Mac right on the marehood as he moved upwards.  He let out a yelp and Dash giggled at his sensitivity, getting a taste of her own medicine as Mac bumped back into her and her nerves lit up.  He was fully hilted, his sheath pressing against her clit with every thrust as she quivered and tensed around his length, his nectar running down between his balls to meet with hers.  All her mental power to hold herself back flew out the window as she descended into ecstasy.  With him inside her so deep, the grip she could get on his length felt like heaven.  She might squish him out of existence, the way the tension felt inside her.  "Ah!"  She moaned, the pleasure from her backside threatening to erase all intelligent thought.  Dash shook underneath him, her small movements against the blankets leaving trails of pleasure across her body.

"Oh, gosh, Dash, ah-"  Mac grunted, pressing down harder onto her and trying to push more of his length inside her clenching depths.  Dash attempted to draw in air as Mac pushed some out of her, pressing her further into the soft bed and surrounding her with a combination of warm fur and warm bed.  As she laid there, pleasure still pushing its way through her body, her mind was stuck instead on how comfortable she was, and how she never felt like moving ever again.  Her breaths were coming out staccato, and Mac seemed to realize and moved some more of his weight off of her.  Cool air on her back snapped her back to reality, the final tremors of her orgasm subsiding slowly in increasingly gentle pulses.  

Mac's member was pulsating hard, his half-moans revealing how close to orgasm he was.  Pre was pouring into her so readily it almost seemed like he was already having it.  But Mac eventually seemed to pull himself back from the edge enough to start moving again and regained his slow pace, pushing himself into her with more pressure each time, trying to get just a little deeper.  His thrusts were shaky and he was having trouble maintaining the position and the rhythm.  A hoof turned her face to his, and he pulled her into a kiss.  Almost simultaneously his pulses intensified, sending a blob of seed deep into her core, then another.  He managed a couple more thrusts before he resorted to a gentle and small grinding motion, seed leaking out of his length.  

Almost immediately Dash could feel him shrinking, and knew that he probably didn't have much more in him for the day, if anything at all.  They were still half-heartedly kissing, and Dash knew that in a few more moments one of them was going to pass out.  Mac rolled off of her onto his back in a slow motion, sighing happily.  He grabbed Dash from her prone position, pulling her into his arms and becoming the big spoon.  Dash had liked the constant, gentle pressure, but she wasn't complaining about this change of positions.  Anytime she was in Mac's arms felt good.  

Dash murmured out her approval, snuggling into him.  "Next time I'm not going to waste time thinking about whether or not to get that pussy of yours involved."  She paused, continuing to catch her breath.  "You're going to know how good that body can make you feel, mark my words."

Mac chuckled, his chest rumbling against her back.  "I'll look forward to it."  He pushed her head towards his, kissing her gently.

She felt his heartbeat through her wings, and moved a hoof to join his on her chest, smiling.  Then she was out like a light.  
> This Time, With Feeling!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash woke up when Mac did, one of his hooves gently tracing patterns on her chest.  She wasn't sure how long he had been doing that, but it had probably been quite a while.  She slept like a brick in the sense that it took a lot to wake her up, yet she rolled all over the place in her own bed.  This was one of the rare occasions where she ended up in the same position.  Mac must've pulled a blanket over them after she had passed out, and it was keeping her pleasantly warm.  Mac fit perfectly against her back, like the most form fitting compliment to the blanket possible.  His hind hooves rubbed against hers, the intimacy of the seemingly pointless contact not lost on Dash.  

After a while of drifting in and out of sleep, Mac's moved her just enough to bring her fully out of her slumber.  He rose from the bed, replacing his body with a pillow against her back.  Light beamed in through the window, her eyes fluttering open as the water in the shower started.  Thoughts passed through Dash's mind about joining him, but she couldn't see anything happening.  There was no hint of lust amongst the love she felt for him.  Apparently last night had left her completely satisfied.  

She wouldn't mind laying here a little while longer as he showered, and filing in after him.  Maybe a peck on the lips and a slap on the ass as she passed?  Dash chuckled to herself.  Bothering Mac was probably something she should at least somewhat filter.  Their banter was nice enough anyway.  They threw a lot of thinly veiled insults at each other for the laughs of it, and it was nice stress relief.  Not that she insulted Mac because she was angry at something else and took out her anger on him.  That wasn't it.  But it was the sort of joking thing that stallions always did, and had never done with her.  

Dash grinned.  For as much as Mac said he needed her, he sure knew how to edge the line.  Not that she cared, of course.  She liked the openness, and the fact that she would basically always get a straight answer out of him.  Unlike Applejack, he could lie and get away with it.  He was emotive, but only when he wanted to be.  He could have a godly pokerface if he wanted, but she knew that he wouldn't want to.  Admittedly, some of her thoughts about him were partially based on speculation, but she knew that the runner up to the element of honesty would have been him.  

But in a way, it couldn't have been.  Mac would be the first to tell you he didn't like a lot of things and be forward with his opinion, but he knew when to hold his mouth.  Maybe he held it a bit too much.  Applejack was Mac's boisterous side all the time, with no sliver of the quiet he had.  Maybe it was just how they'd grown up, but Dash sort of wondered why Mac was so short of words.  It could be just because he was the counterweight to Applejack.  Shining Armor's calculating personality countered nicely with Twilight's tendency to get over-excited.  And as far as she knew, Twilight still couldn't beat him in chess on a regular basis, no matter how many strategies she read on the subject.  

Dash laughed, waking herself up a little more.  Twilight had even introduced some triple layered chess thing in an attempt to put one over on him, but apparently that had gone horribly for the mare.  Shining had taken readily to the game, wiping the floor with her after the first game.  It infuriated Twilight, which was always funny.  She'd watched him before, however, and it was incredible how quickly Shining could look at the board and make a move.  He'd lose seemingly important pieces here or there without batting an eye, and then beat Twilight anyway.  

Why was she thinking about chess again?  Oh, right, the dynamic between Applejack and Mac.  What a tangent that had been.  

In any case, it was a little bit harder to think about Mac and Applejack's differences when they lead very similar lives.  Eh, it'd probably come to her eventually.  A crow landed on the windowsill, grabbing a beetle that had crawled up an inch or two onto the glass.  It stared at her with intelligent eyes, thinking for a moment about the creature beyond the clear shield before taking flight again.  

Mac emerged from the shower, pushing at her shoulder with a damp hoof.  "Hey, time to wake up."  He murmured, wiggling her around until she let out a groan.  

"Lemme alone."  She mumbled.

"I would, but you wanted to go to Canterlot if you could, remember?"  He asked, returning his hoof to her shoulder to prod at her.  

The thought slowly circulated in her head for a moment before Dash snapped awake, sitting up quickly.  "Shit!"

"It's not that late yet, Dash.  You don't have much to worry about."  

"Yeah, but I want to skip the line."  She looked around, seeing that the clock on Mac's bedside table read seven.  She let herself relax a little.  "When did we actually get to sleep?"  

"Well, after the good worker Ms. Dash decided to forego her audit preparation in order to have sex with some hot stallion, it was only like seven thirty, and we never ate dinner."  

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I'm pretty hungry."  Dash replied.  "But a shower is definitely going first.  It's not often I care so little after sex that I just pass out like this."  Thinking about that idea made it worse.  She just felt stuck together back there.  "Not that I really ever had a lot of sex, but still.  Ew."  She got up, ignoring the feeling of matted fur as she walked out of the room.  


________________________________________________________________________________


"Hey, Applejack."  Dash said, walking into the kitchen.  Her wet mane drooped lower than usual.  Maybe she needed a trim.  Focus, Dash.

Applejack furrowed her brow.  "Ah didn't think ya were over."  How could she delicately ask how she hadn't heard anything?  

"Ya were gone when we came back.  Then we passed out pretty quick."  Mac spoke up, about halfway through a massive plate of eggs, spinach and hash browns.  

"Oh, ya did, did ya?"  Applejack smirked.  "Good ta know yer gettin' yer sleep."  

Dash shook her head.  "I still feel like you should freak out."  

"Yeah?"  The farm mare jibed.  "Ah already did that, and ya saw how that went."

"Mhm,"  Dash confirmed.  "I guess that got itself settled, though."  

Applejack laughed, shaking her head at the not-so-distant memory.  "Interested in a little food?"

Dash nodded.  "Definitely!  I'm starving."

"Well Ah'm already workin' on some eggs, do those sound okay?"

"Fine with me."  Dash replied, taking a seat at the table to wait.  The smell of Mac's food wafted over and her stomach grumbled.  He grabbed another plate from the table and wordlessly dished most of his remaining food onto it, sliding it in front of her.  

"Ya wanted ta skip that line, right?"

"Yeah, but you don't have to-"

"Ah saw how you were lookin' at it."  He chuckled.  "Ah hardly even touched that part of the plate, so don't worry about germs."

"I wasn't.  Thanks." 

Mac paused, standing up from the table and walking a few paces away.  He dug through a pair of oversized saddlebags, returning with a small pouch that he tossed in front of her, next to her plate that was quickly getting cleaned of food.  She assumed it was full of bits the way it jingled on when it hit the table.  "Do me a favor and if ya see a pretty thing, snatch it up."

Dash looked at him quizzically.  "Like what?"

"I dunno, but Ah don't get into Canterlot much, and Ah assume ya don't either.  So ya might as well have a few bits."

"Do you want a souvenir?  Or like a knick knack?"  Dash asked.  To be honest, there was a fair amount of stuff in Canterlot for under twenty or so bits, but she had no idea what he'd want.  

"I dunno.  I'm handing you a few bits and telling you to spend it on something random because I want to see what comes back."

Dash stared for a moment, before she broke out into a laugh.  "Dammit, Mac."

He grinned.  "It's science."  

"Iff'n ya say so."  Applejack said, shaking her head as she dished some scrambled eggs onto Mac's plate, then her own.  "Now come on, ya gotta get a few more eggs inside ya.  It's not a short day today, 'less we work fast."

"Ah know."  He replied.  "'Least yer not goin' on some crazy adventure with yer friends right after breakfast and leavin' me here all alone."

"It's only a little thing with Fluttershy and Rarity.  Plus, Ah bet ya enjoyed the quiet last time."  Applejack responded.  

"As if.  Applebloom didn't just poof out of existence, ya know."  He laughed.  "And her friends were all over the place."

"Thank Celestia for your never-ending patience."  

"It was tested."  Mac responded, chuckling.  "Often."

"Well you survived."

"My mind didn't."  

"So what's this about going to Canterlot stuff?"  Applejack asked, changing the subject through a mouthful of eggs.

Dash nodded, swallowing.  "Well you know how Mac has been working with me all week on weather stuff?"  Applejack didn't respond immediately, so Dash continued.  "Well, anyway, the gist is that the Weather Board is angry with me because of that storm last week, and I was sorta afraid that I'd get fired.  So basically I'm going to separate the Ponyville command from them so that their dumb decisions don't affect me."  She took another bite, feeling the same excitement she'd felt when they'd finally hatched this plan renew itself.

Applejack rolled over the idea in her head silently for a moment.  "Ah mean, as long as ya don't forget we need rain."

Dash scoffed.  "You know, AJ, I may seem lazy but I do take a few things seriously in my life."  Dash shoved the rest of the food into her mouth, rising from the table quickly.  "Anyway, I need to see if that license is a go and speed off to Canterlot before things get busy."  Dash deposited her dishes in the sink, attempting to give Mac a kiss on the cheek as she passed him on her way to the door.  All the gesture succeeded at was a basically a light punch to his cheek with her muzzle as she failed to slow down enough.

Mac laughed it off, watching her rub at her muzzle.  "Yer in too much of a hurry.  Besides..."  His hoof shot out, wrapping behind her neck and pulling her into a kiss before she could react.  "That's how ya do it."

Dash grinned, her cheeks crimson.  It took all her willpower to not look over at Applejack to see what she was thinking of the whole affair.  Dash gave Mac a light punch to his shoulder, with her hoof this time, before she opened the door and left.  Two seconds later she was airborne.  She loved Mac's spontaneity, but one day she wanted to be able to compete with it.  That was a little hard, though, when it was a win-win.  Not a day went by where she didn't love him even more.


___________________________________________________________________________


"And with that in mind, and with the looming threat of it getting revoked, I present to you, Rainbow Dash, the form that will allow you to break all formal ties with the Weather Board."

Dash took the think, official paper in her hooves.  "Wow..."  

"Don't make me regret the decision."  The mayor warned.  But her threat belied her sentiment.  They both shared a grin, and with a nod and a word of thanks, Dash turned to leave.  "One more thing."

"Yeah?"  Dash asked, turning back.

"Good luck."

She nodded.  "I'll need it."


___________________________________________________________________________


Dash dove under a cloud, pitching upwards through a gap and rising quickly.  Tank was fed, and she had a sizable amount of bits on her, just in case she saw something she wanted.  She sped up as she met open air, Canterlot coming into view.  With the majority of the climbing over, she could level out, getting to a comfortable cruising speed.  The city quickly drew closer, and Dash rose a couple more feet as she passed over the wall.  The guards posted there let out some sounds of confusion, quickly lost behind her.  She picked a street, banking hard in order to line up with it.  This low flying was sure to irritate some of the stereotypical Canterlot unicorns, which was fine with her.  But the roads all fanned out from the palace in a general sense, and the office for these things was right across the street.  Speed was of the essence, and this was the fastest way.

Dash made a slight turn as she encountered one of the rays, as they were called, and the palace came into view.  If she got much closer, she might get into the territory of getting forcefully grounded by a unicorn guarding the palace.  She had heard about the group of pegasi that had tried to get into the palace a few years ago and extort Shining into keeping the guard passive as they made off with some huge lump sum of wealth.  The palace had a lot of that.  Their plan was complicated, and it would have worked if not for two things.  Shining's hatred of surrender, and his location when they'd burst through various windows.  

Dash turned sideways, flaring her wings hard.  It was just at the edge of what she could take, slowing her down rapidly.  Her hooves hit the ground and she started to gallop, folding her wings quickly and dodging around the Canterlot bustle.  The streets started to clear a bit, and she started to slip back to her thoughts.  The pegasi had broken in during one of the days Celestia was gone, and Luna was fresh off the moon and still not really herself.   Shining hadn't stuck to his usual schedule, however, because he had decided to choose that day to propose to Cadance.  That decision of his had set so many things in action, it almost made her laugh.  

The raid failed, and Shining came out on top, even if he had done it just barely.  Instead of being trapped in-between several of the pegasi, he ended up just outside their encirclement.  By the time they were able to react, he had fought off the only pegasus he encountered and rallied the guards.  He saw Cadance mere minutes afterwards and figured he may as well pop the question.  She said yes amongst the chaos stemming from the realization that there were still more pegasi in the palace.  Shining had forgotten to tell Twilight as a result, and with the amount of work he had to do buffing security and finding time for his fiancé, it was months before he sent her the news.  But then, naturally another crisis was just beginning, and his tired and stressed mind stood no chance.  At least the elements weren't involved in all the threats across Equestria.  Of course, she would have rather had Shining's contributions in stained glass rather than their own.  His were way cooler.

Dash shoved her way through the door to the government office, her jaw dropping.  This early in the morning? 

She shook her head.  "This is where I die."


_________________________________________________________________________


Mac hauled in the last load of apples for the day, walking out of the barn to bump a celebratory hoof against Applejack's.  

"Trees are staying staggered this year."  Applejack noted, grinning.  "It's a lot easier than that one year when ya hurt yerself."

"They sensed weakness."  Mac replied, chuckling as he slid off his harness.  "This one's way easier to get off than that last one.  Anywho, you have to get to that thing with yer friends, so have fun."

"Yeah, sure thing."  She replied, nodding and trotting off towards the farm gates.  

And just like that, Mac was left with nothing to do.  Dash was gone, obviously, and his friends worked jobs with regular hours.  He let a grin break out on his face.  Well, not all of his friends.  There was still Zecora.

He'd met up with the zebra after she'd fixed Applebloom's cutiepox, and offered to help her out with something.  It just seemed fair, and he could offer muscle at the very least.  She took him deep into the forest to go after some nut, which was up in a tree, luckily for him.  Well, most nuts were in trees, so he'd sorta expected that.  But Zecora had expected him to be better able to grab them when he reared up due to his size, as that was what she had been doing.  A heavy kick knocked down most of the ripe ones, and that was that.  So she made them up some sort of fruity drink and sent him on his way, with the invitation to come back some time.  

Unsurprisingly, he came back the next week, and made a sort of tradition out of it.  They'd go off somewhere, more than she'd been able to go before now that they had two sets of eyes looking out for danger, and find some interesting plant.  Zecora would tell him about it, and what sorts of things she used it for, and he'd go home a little smarter.  But ever since the mare had gotten used to him, she started slipping out of her rhymes.  It was apparently her people's version of formal talk, because it took forethought and careful wordplay.  It was what you did for those who were a rung higher in society.  It was fairly interesting, and much more involved than anything they had here in Equestria.

Mac broke into a trot, hopping over the fence that surrounded the acres, looking around at the trees as they waved in the wind.  He moved into shade, prickly oak leaves from Fall crackling underhoof.  He weaved between tree trunks and around bushes, enjoying the openness this part of the forest had.  The ground was covered in dry leaves and shade, the occasional bush here or there, but that was all.  When he started to get down towards the creek, where the softer land was, it became hard to move through.  Luckily, he never had to go that far.  

The stallion walked onto a narrow path, looking around for any sign of life.  There wasn't much more than birds and the occasional squirrel around these parts in the middle of the day, and today was no exception.  He turned to the right, following the path as the brush became steadily more dense.  He never saw a pony on this path, and Zecora didn't have the time or the resources to maintain it.  She had spoken many a time of the unnatural ways in which the forest acted, and on their many ventures Mac knew she was onto something.  Paths like these were a good example, and the occasional ruin here and there shunned forest life.  

The trail opened up and her hut came into view.  He slowed, walking up to knock on the front door.  He heard excessive movement inside, and a few moments later the door opened.  

"Hello, Macintosh."  Zecora began.  "I assume that you'll try your best, not to scare our special guest?"  

"Oh, well if ya have company, Ah can leave."

Zecora pushed the door open the rest of the way to reveal another zebra, standing awkwardly in the back of the room, but beckoned him inside anyway.  Ingredients were out, neatly strewn around Zecora's counter.  Something was simmering in her cauldron, but it looked and smelled like food.  Whatever she had been making, she either hadn't started or it had been a small batch in one of her other pots.  

"So where're you from?"  Mac asked.  

"Zenris."  The Zebra replied. 

"Zenris?  Where's that in relation to Zecora here's village?"

A hint of hesitation passed across his face.  "South."

"It float?"  Mac asked, taking some tea Zecora handed him and taking a sip as he sat down at her center table.  "Ya could've just told me it was a changeling."  He watched it's eyes shift, a little too conspicuously.  It definitely wasn't one of Chrysalis's.  But then again, they never were.

"You a traveler?"

The zebra hesitated, before green fire surrounded it, leaving in its place a feminine looking changeling with light orange eyes.  "Y-yeah, I am."

"Yeah, well don't worry about me.  Most ponies would probably freak out, but Ah've had enough time around Zecora to expect a lot.  You're nothing seriously exotic, at this point."  They were interesting, though, as nomadic groups of changelings that would show up as travelers here and there, sometimes getting so adjusted into a society that everypony forgot that they were ever absent.  He only knew of a couple in town, and those were names he would gladly take to the grave.  They excelled in backstory, but couldn't match ponies' personalities and gimmicks the way Chrysalis' changelings had been able to, or improv that well apparently, so they didn't attempt replacements.  That was what differentiated most of the changeling races from hers.  

"But after Chrysalis-"  

"Ah know, but ya aren't them."  Mac sighed.  "Unfortunately, you're all the same to ponies because Chrysalis' changelings are all they've ever seen."  He paused, watching the changeling slowly relax.  That was good to see.  What Mac did know, at this point, was that changelings could definitely pounce.  He'd gotten tackled by one that he'd caught by surprise a couple months ago, and even though he wasn't ready for it, it was still hard under normal circumstances to knock him over.  He'd pinned that one eventually, and let Zecora calm it down.  But they were deceptively strong.  

"So, another love potion?"  He asked, pushing a chair out towards the changeling with his hoof under the table.  "That's what you guys seem to come in for most of the time."

The changeling took the seat after some thought.  "Yeah.  Zecora takes these blossoms that we can put any love we have into, and they act as a sort of holder."  She responded.  "But my boyfriend's hurt, and it's the best way to heal a wound when you can make a potion out of them.  They're a lot more common now that Zecora's here to make a few when we ask, but before we had to really travel.  They think we're some sort of spirit creature down in some of her home villages, so they're more than willing to do us a favor here and there."

"So what happened to yer boyfriend?"  Mac asked, watching Zecora stir her soup out of the corner of his eye.  "If'n ya want to talk about it."

"Well it was just a stupid accident, really, but while we were all working on building a few new additions to our little temporary village, a tree fell and he made sure I was out of the way.  His leg didn't fare as well."  Tears pooled in her eyes, but she blinked them away.  "But these fix injuries like his in just a couple minutes, and as soon as it starts healing it's too late for this to work very well."

"Only fresh injuries?"  Mac asked.  He'd known about the love potions, but not how they worked or what they did exactly.  

"Yeah, but we had the blossoms ready, so I've got time.  He's sleeping anyway, and he could use a couple minutes of rest."  She paused.  "But I should go.  Once he's back to normal and we're done building, we can finish getting our stories ready.  I'm hoping to settle with him, and maybe a couple others.  The rest'll move on once we're set."

"Well good luck to ya both."  Mac said, pushing the bottle he assumed was what she wanted across the table.  "Oh, say hi sometime.  Not as you, of course, but whoever ya are.  Ya seem nice."

She smiled at him, and he felt the friendliness he exuded towards her getting pulled away.

"We'll see how it goes.  But maybe."  She let the door close behind her, before pushing it open quickly a moment later.  "Oh, where are my manners?"  She pulled two petals off an extra blossom she'd brought.  "If you need a little pick-me-up.  It'll manifest its way however you want it to, when or if the time comes."

"Oh, it's surely not needed, and with its absence your tribe will be impeded."

"Nonsense."  She smiled, floating the petals over to them in her magic.  "Niyen."  The door shut again.

"It's been a while since I've heard anything in their language."  Mac mumbled, handling the petal and feeling its power in his hoof.  He had two of these now, the other was under his bed, carefully stored.  The love would keep the petal intact, and if he ever needed it, it was there.  Zecora had used one once, and she had said that it was a burst of power that seemed to know all the ways it could execute itself.  She had run down a list of everything she had wanted to try before the power ran out, and to put it simply, it was like becoming a unicorn that could also manipulate weather for a short time.  With all the changelings she had helped, Zecora could probably use all the petals at once and blow the princesses out of the water.  The travelers liked the forest, and one group was always camped out somewhere nearby.

"So, shall we gather?"  Zecora asked, putting a few ingredients away.

Mac grinned  "We shall."  

"Oh, but one thing first, and I promise it will be terse."

"You can drop the rhymes."  Mac said, chuckling as he held the door open for her.  

"But if I were to 'drop the rhymes'," she air quoted, "Then I would allow you to have peace at times."  Zecora paused, grinning.  "And that's just not allowed."

"So what's the thing that needs doing?"  Mac asked, looking around outside.  The forest had gotten a little misty since he'd gone inside, for whatever reason.  Like he'd said, weird stuff happened.  He hadn't been lying to Dash when he'd said that the part they'd been in was normal, but  Zecora was bordering on where things got strange, and where he wouldn't want to go without somepony to watch his back.  

"Well, there's a tree growing here that I really need to get to disappear."  She paused.  "Sorry."

Mac grinned.  "You know, I don't really care about the rhymes like you think I do, but you may as well not bother yourself trying to concentrate on those as well.  And like I said, the teenagers have a music style you'd be perfect for."

"And I sarcastically said I'd think about it.  I have better things to do than show off my sick rhymes, yo."

Mac laughed.  "But the looks on their faces, you've got to admit that'd be great."

"I will concede."  She pointed to a darkened tree.  "That one there, I am worried it's diseased.  I cut into it, and it's only the outer layer that's changed color, which makes me think that it's a sort of fungus that works its way up the sides, like it is, and slowly converts the upper branches of the tree into its feeding grounds.  We can't let that happen."

"Why?"

"The spores it eventually releases can take root in ponies if there are enough in the air to overwhelm the body's natural defenses, and living things like us are its favorite.  They send in roots easily, and as you might imagine, that's not a good thing."

"Sounds like a good enough reason to me."  Mac replied, satisfied.  "So, kick it down?"  

"Initially, yes.  It'll slow the growth, and I can chop up the tree and burn it later."  

Mac couldn't help but grin a bit, walking towards the tree.  He pivoted on a hoof, letting out a kick.  The tree let out a loud crack, and several birds angrily flew out of the tree.  Mac got his footing again, and kicked once more.  He left a sizable dent, and turned to look at the tree.  Probably only one more.  It looked somewhat rotten to begin with.  Mac placed his front hooves in the divots he had left in the ground and kicked.  

Another crack rang out as the tree tilted, a couple roots raising as the trunk splintered and shifted but held.  Mac didn't let up, hitting what he deemed to be a weak spot and watching the tree uproot itself the rest of the way.  The roots it still had attached were withered and dried up, and he could see why it was so easy to knock over.  

"Alright, that's done."  Zecora said simply.  "Unfortunately for us, it's probably also the most interesting part of this excursion."

"Well, seeing as I'd be sitting around the farm with nothing to do otherwise, I'm sure it's fine."

"Don't say I didn't warn you,"  the zebra replied, chuckling as she led him into the forest.


____________________________________________________________________________


"Next."

Dash shook herself out of her stupor, trying to feel as excited as she should be.  Ugh, like that was possible.  "I have a permit to file for the Ponyville weather control."  Maybe, if she tried, she could be more monotonous than this mare behind the counter.

The mare just stared with dead eyes, and Dash already knew she lost.  "All necessary paperwork?"  Lost, and lost badly.

"It's all here."  Dash said, handing a stack of paper over, topped with the permit.  "Squared away."

She adjusted her reading glasses over the course of five seconds.  "I see."  

No fuckin' shit lady.  "So, am I good?"

No response for a solid twenty seconds.  Maybe if she concentrated hard enough, she could eek out enough magic to make this mare's head implode.  "Let's see."  

Dash huffed out a breath that had almost formulated itself on her lips as a long string of swear words.  But because she was a mature mare, they were only going off inside her head loud enough to probably still be audible.  

"I think these are in order."  She opened an ink sponge, placing a stamp on it and making sure every molecule on the thing was covered before slowly stamping the goddamn seal of approval on there.

"Bring this to window five."  

Dash forced a smile that probably looked like a grimace.  "Thanks."  She slowly turned.   Everyone in front of window five was dead.  She was going to personally kill them.  She let out a sigh, her fake smile disappearing but not getting replaced completely with hatred for her life.  It was empty.  Maybe it was for specific things like hers.  She trotted over, uncertain.  

"Hello?"

"Yes?"  A stallion asked, typing out some piece of paper a few strides from the window.  "Permit in order?"

"Yes."  Dash replied, a little too much excitement seeping out that this might go quickly.  

"Well your odyssey is over."  He responded, typing a few more characters before walking over.  She handed it to him, and he moved to a wall of files, pulling out a drawer after a moment and filing the papers.  He produced a new sheet identical to her permit without the mayor's signature, and affixed his own.  "This goes back to the mayor, who will give you one to put up in the... Ponyville Weather Center.  You can change the name with Ponyville, and we'll update it the next fiscal quarter."

"Thanks."  Dash replied gratefully, stowing it in her saddlebag.  "You wouldn't believe the-"

"Line?  Oh, I understand.  I'd be like the mare down there if I didn't have other things to do.  Have a nice day."

"You too."  Dash responded, excitement slowly creeping back into her body.  Everything was still working, much to her surprise, and she could see her plan developing.  She trotted happily out the door, no doubt annoying the ponies that were still in line, but she didn't care.  All she had left on the agenda for today was to turn this thing in and buy a random thing for Mac.  As she approached the center of town once again the streets became more and more busy until she could hardly see from one side of the street to the other.  

Dash looked at the various stores, all high end this or that, and knew that Mac's twenty bits wouldn't be enough to buy a single item from any of them.  So she walked onwards, peering in through shop windows here and there at expensive jewelry displays and dresses, things she could never afford even if she wanted them.  She gave up, disinterested with the wares Canterlot's main shopping street had to offer.  She hopped into the air, cutting over a couple streets in the hopes that she could find something that she might want.  Canterlot was known for having a huge variety of things to buy, but so far she wasn't seeing it.  

Dash landed on a far clearer street, looking around at the shops.  There were a few restaurants, a toy shop, what looked like a candy shop, and a toy shop a little ways down the street.  Dash smirked, eyeing the mannequins in the window wearing several versions of erotic clothing.  Well, it wasn't going to be what she spent Mac's money on, but she had a few ideas of what to buy now.  

She walked through the door, feeling a pang of embarrassment.  She'd only been to a store like this once before, and it had been weird then too.  Oh well, if there was anyplace to have something interesting, it'd be here.  She checked the ponies inside the store, making sure she didn't even remotely know any of them.  With her cursory check over, she allowed herself to walk further inside.

"Can I help you?"  A unicorn mare asked, walking up to her.  Her outfit was rather normal, in spite of the store.

"Yeah."  Dash replied, thinking for a moment.  She really didn't want to say this was for her.  Or Mac.  "So I'm actually here for a friend, on account of the fact that I lost a bet.  You probably hear that a lot because ponies don't want to admit its for them, but she knows I hate being in these stores.  No offense."  

"None taken."

"Anyway, apparently I'm looking for a-"  She pulled out a piece of crumpled paper from her saddlebag, looking at its empty face for a moment.  "Strapon.  Is that a thing you carry?"  

The mare looked a little too excited.  "Of course!"  She gestured for Dash to follow, as they moved into a different room.  An entire wall was covered in toys of various types.  Dash felt her face heat up.  Maybe this was a bad idea.  But she figured if Mac ever wanted as much of a realistic experience as she could give him, this would be the way.  And she would much rather be prepared than not.

"Which ones are good?  She wanted-"  Dash sighed.  "She wanted it to give good feedback."  That made sense, right?  It was a dead appendage, and it couldn't possibly be anything like a real one if she could hardly get anything out of it.

"Well, we have our newer models over here."  The mare said, pointing to some oddly shaped things.  "But if you want the best, I can show you that."  She pulled one off the wall, and Dash cringed.  This was weird on several levels.  "This one fits inside a mare for better leverage and feedback, as you say.  It's one solid piece, from the end of the faux penis to the holding mechanism.  It comes with straps, of course, but those are auxiliary, and not as necessary as they once were."  She paused, taking a breath.  "The selling points of this one are twofold.  It's moulded around the clitoris of the wearer, using the sensitivity there to make small movements more obvious.  There's some adjustment for how it fits there, not just to accommodate all mares but to allow it to change to the wearer's style.  So, if a receiver likes it one way, the connections can be modified to make that specific angle or speed more pleasurable to the wearer."  

"That's quite farsighted."  Her face had to be beet red by now.

"Indeed.  The other part is that optionally,"  she pointed to the part Dash would have inside her, "there is a small reservoir here, so that when the wearer orgasms, contractions can allow the receiver to feel a degree of the male climax.  I would suggest warm water, as cleaning may be hard otherwise.  Cool, huh?"

"I've never heard anypony talk about something like this so casually."  Dash replied dryly.  But it sounded nice, like Mac would enjoy the experience if it ever came to fruition.  To be honest, it seemed like it would be fun as well, with something that would theoretically replicate sex to a reasonable degree.  If it were ever to happen, and she took his virginity... well in a way, because short of him finding a stallion they weren't going to get any closer.  But anyway, if it did, she supposed it would live up to any expectations he had, and it would sure as hell knock out a chunk of heat if he went into it again.  She'd never been with a stallion while in heat, but she knew that attempting pregnancy was the thing that could change the week from an irritating to an entirely enjoyable experience.  So if he ever did decide to use it, she knew it would get its use.  

"So, I have two questions."  Dash paused.  "First of all, do I have choices of sizes?"

"Yes, we have a few.  In accommodation of privacy, we've been reasonably able to judge what our clients need based on their body size and type.  I would suggest a smaller size for you, for reference, and within that there's a choice of the other end between a small, medium and large set."  She gestured.  "And if your friend isn't satisfied, we do accept swaps."

"What do you do with the ones ponies return?"  Dash asked, before she could stop herself.  "Actually, I don't want to know."  She bit her lip, thinking.  In a way, she knew what Mac would need.  He'd definitely want the larger one, just because he was bigger if nothing else.  But in a way, she wished it would be part of her feeling his tightness clenched around... ugh, she could think about that later, when she wasn't in public.  "So I'm guessing this is about a million bits?"

"Oh, of course not!"  The pony exclaimed.  "If you could believe it, these don't sell as well as I feel they should.  They're on clearance until we slim down our stock to a more reasonable level.  They're only eighty bits right now."

"Seriously?"  Dash asked in disbelief.  "You aren't pulling my leg?"  Man, outside of the waiting in line part, this day was turning out to be pretty good in a results oriented kind of way.  "Well then in order to get out of here as soon as possible, and with general estimates of my friend in mind, I suppose I'll take one in medium with a large end."  There was no way she was going with small when it would pale in comparison to Mac.  But then again, he was bigger than the large, as it looked.  But she just needed to be tight around it, not overly distract herself with being stuffed. 

"What color of straps?"  The mare asked.

"I dunno, black?  She can get other ones later for all I care.  I'm going to have to get her back for this, I'll tell you."  Dash chuckled, her laugh turning into an exasperated sigh.

"Alright, I'll get that in a bag for you."  The employee offered, placing the display back on the wall and going into a back room.  She returned with a bag a few moments later, and Dash made sure to shove it deep into her saddlebags.  This had better be worth it.  And it had better work the first time, because she definitely wasn't coming back.  She pulled out the bits, handing them over.

"Thanks."  Don't do it.  "One more thing?"

"Yes?"  She asked.  

"Well, to wildly change the subject here, I have an earth pony coltfriend, and while I know that wings can feel good, do they have any lessors known points like that?"

She thought for a moment.  "Well, it depends from earth pony to earth pony, but they usually have a few vestiges that you can play with."

"What?"  Dash asked.  

"Well earth ponies are the base model of all of us, so seeing as they don't have wings or a horn, it goes into sort of armoring those areas a little more.  But you can usually find a nub of bone along their back or something and it can feel good.  The missing horn is a similar deal, although almost all earth ponies are sensitive there, compared to a rather small pool of unicorns.  We suspect that the forehead is actually supposed to be specific to earth ponies, and was involved presumably in mating or bonding in some way, we think.  It's something that's still featured in old artwork and carvings, but we can't seem to figure out why it exists."

"How isn't the forehead thing more well known, though?"  Dash asked.  "It seems common to do that."

"Well, from how it has been described to me, it's not a sexual sort of pleasure, so much as a general giddy feeling."  She shrugged.  "But I'm not one of those unicorns, so I'm not sure.  But because of that, most probably assume that it's just a normal thing, something that happens during intimate moments with their lovers." 

"Well."  Dash thought, looking away.  She should really grab an anatomy book from Twilight and see what else she could find.  "Thanks a ton."

"Sure, come again!"

Yeah, right.  She was struggling between a combination of keeping her wings calm and her cheeks sky blue with the thoughts whizzing around in her head.  A mirror she walked by said she had at least succeeded at the wings part.  It'll be worth it, Dash, the embarrassment you're feeling will pass anyway.  

Shut up, brain.  Even with the vague feeling of excitement still in the back of her mind for various reasons, the embarrassment she felt from this whole ordeal was still at the forefront.  She knew that these places were supposed to be secretive, but she couldn't shake the feeling that somepony would find out.  The only one she ever wanted to know was Mac, especially with this purchase.  That was a pang of nervousness that she quickly shook off.  Nopony would find out.  She didn't have to worry.  Like she wouldn't anyway.

Dash walked past several other ponies entering the store, looking away as she passed.  She'd probably die if any of them recognized her, or even worse, if somepony like Rarity happened to show up.  Dash trotted outside, made sure her saddlebags were securely shut, and took to the air.  The air cooled her warm cheeks, bringing her back to her senses and clearing her mind.  

She just needed to peruse for something Mac or her wanted, and then it was back to Ponyville.  She really needed a nap.


____________________________________________________________________________


"Ya know, this place really creeps me out sometimes."  Mac mumbled, looking around at the incredibly dense fauna at the edge of the clearing.  Clearing was a bit of an overstatement, given the fact that they were still covered by branches so thick it seemed like nighttime.  

Zecora laughed.  "While I suppose among ponies the forest is subjective, it becomes quite the asset from my perspective."

"Dammit, Zecora, stop joking around."  Mac held the lantern higher, though it did little to pierce the darkness.  "Ah don't even remember why Ah do this sometimes."

"You say joking around, like I'm some sort of clown."  She chuckled, freeing a few mushrooms from the ground.  "But here you are afraid, spooked by just a little shade."

"Yeah, and the noises from creatures Ah can't see.  If one of the heavier sounding' ones decides to come after us, there's not much Ah can do."  He huffed, dread taking hold in his body.  "And you and Ah both know it's gotten weirder out here recently."

"You only fear them as a threat, because you are not in the right mindset."  Zecora replied, carefully packaging the fungus.

"Well Ah don't like to trust the invisible repellant this area has as much as you do.  Frankly, the fact that beasts stay away makes me wonder how cursed these places really are."  He heard a growl, turning quickly to look where it had come from.  His heart was beating a mile a minute.  

"Ha! What a ridiculous thought!  To think you would say that after all you've been taught."

Mac huffed, anger spiking amongst the fear.  "To think you would think mah thoughts so overblown!  It's no surprise yer so alone!"  God dammit.  Zecora was silent.  Nice, Mac.  Congrats.  A+ man, perfect.  A hoof rested on his shoulder, and he jumped.  Just Zecora.  "Sorry."  

She shrugged, a dejected gesture that only made him more angry at himself.  It wasn't like him to go for the kill like that, to pick out a weakness and actually take advantage of it.  "I suppose it's my fault, pushing you when you were already on edge."  She replied.  "It was for my amusement, so I deserve what I get."

Yeah, but that didn't warrant anything quite so harsh.  "Ah still crossed a line."  She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off.  "At least, in mah mind."  Another low growl reverberated around the trees and Mac twitched, still somehow managing to keep his eyes on her.

"Nerves."  Zecora said, dismissing him with a hoof.  "All is forgiven."

The walk back was quiet for quite a while.  Mac knew Zecora wasn't angry, but he became stuck in his own thoughts, hearing himself mock her rhymes and loneliness in one line on repeat.  Fuck.  He knew it didn't really matter in the scheme of things.  It had hit hard enough to make the zebra stop in her tracks, and that was normally hard to do.  She'd forgiven him, but the words still hung over the pair, refusing to allow him to think about anything else.  

"Aside from the issues there may be in visiting that part of the forest, and contrary to what you think, I do understand them, this is quite the haul."  Zecora began.  "And while you're still brooding over what you said, you can't be perfect.  It won't even cross my mind a couple days from now, and you'll probably still be trying to think about how to fix it.  That's how you are, and if you can take a bit of constructive criticism, it's your downfall, Macintosh.  You need to stop dwelling on the past, especially with the beginning of a relationship like yours.  It's not healthy."

"It's hard not to think about these things."  He mentioned after a pause.  "They keep me up at night sometimes, and I know you're right.  I'm working on it.  But Ah used to be so lonely, and I yearned for somepony like Dash for so many years, that it just became natural.  It was this or that mistake that kept me from being happy, and I'd look up at the sky at night and just think."  He stopped, looking down at the ground and watching his hooves.  "Back then, there wasn't much of a place in Ponyville for me.  Ah was an outsider in mah own town, mostly.  But the last few years have been a turn from that, from insignificance and self-doubt.  Ah met some more ponies, talked a little more, and found you."

He paused again, choosing his words carefully.  "So whenever Ah lost mah way or felt overwhelmed, I came out here.  The Everfree is soothing, mostly, and it probably helped keep me sane sometimes.  Basically, this is a roundabout way of sayin' Ah'm thankful yer a part of mah life, whether it seems like Ah am all the time or not."

Zecora laughed, shaking her head at him.  "Don't say it like I kept you from committing suicide!  You're so overdramatic!"  She shoved his side, making him budge a little to the right.  

Mac chuckled.  "Ah try."  They broke out into giggles, laughter quickly echoing through the trees as the tension dissolved.  As they slowly calmed back down, Mac composed himself enough to ask a question.  "So, what are you planning on using these for?  We've never gotten anything like this during our other adventures."

"These mushrooms are varied in uses, some that even I don't know.  They're rare and sought after, and us finding them today was a miracle, especially in such numbers.  Whatever I do with them, they'll go to good use."

Mac laughed.  "Like all those 'rare' berries Ah got for you, just so ya could eat 'em on the way back?"

Zecora shook her head, pushing open the door of her hut as they arrived.  "I assume the answer will become clear soon enough, once I find something to use them for.  But I'll be stingy, that's a promise."

Mac grinned.  "Well Ah should be getting back.  Life to attend to outside the forest, ya know what Ah mean?"

Zecora scoffed.  "I hope I never really do."  She waved goodbye, and he took his leave with a chuckle.  


______________________________________________________________________________


"What kept you out so long?"  Applejack asked, grinning.  "Finally doing something with your friends now that Dash isn't around?"

"Ah went out with Zecora."  He replied.  "That sounds like it was a date.  That's not what I meant."

"Ah know."  Applejack stated.  "Ya wouldn't have just Dash to worry about if ya cheated."

"Like I would even think of cheating."  Mac scoffed, pushing on her shoulder just hard enough to send the mare off balance.  Music started to filter into his ears from the house.  "You have friends over?"

"Applebloom does."

"And you're out here, not watching them like a hawk?"  Mac smirked.  "They'll burn the house down."

"Ah wouldn't be surprised if arson was one of their cutie marks."  She grinned, leading him inside.  "Plus, the music's for me."

Mac listened as the music transitioned into a guitar solo, walking in beat as he tried to cross the threshold.  

"Mac!"  Dash exclaimed, knocking him sideways as she barreled into him.  He could hear Applejack laughing from inside as they rolled in the grass. 

"There one second, gone the next!"  She managed to wheeze out.  

"Mac!"  Dash hollered.  "I'm alive!"

He pushed her off of his body, getting up and dusting himself off.  Dash looked up at him, always amazed at how tall he looked.  "Yeah, ya are."

"I had to have been in that line for hours, and I think at some point my heart stopped beating, but I made it!"  He extended a hoof to her, and Dash took it.  His touch felt nice after so many hours without it.  It'd hardly been a day and she missed him.  His ears perked, and Dash had no time to react as she was pulled in front of the door.

"I love this song."  He explained, turning towards Applejack.  "The speakers can go louder, come on!"

Applejack grinned, disappearing from the doorway as the song ramped up in volume.  Mac leaned forwards, moving in beat as he kissed Dash on the lips.  "Missed ya."  He said, taking one of her hooves in his.  "Ya fancy a dance?"

"Oh, come on, Mac, you've got to know I'm not good at dancing."

He shook his head, laughing.  He pulled her hoof closer to him, so that she was just inches away from his face.  "You're a coordinated mare, you'll learn."

"But-"  The first guitar chimed in after the intro, its music faintly echoing around as Mac whirled her around, staying on beat as he continued his fast paced flurry of dance.  He strung her out by her arm, and Dash went along with the twirl.  She was starting to catch on, adding a few of her own movements among their shared dance.  She couldn't get the grin off of her face, watching as Mac slid up to her, pulling her up onto her hind legs as he reared up.

"Yer catching on fast."  He said, leaning his forehead against hers.  Dash couldn't keep her grin from growing slightly, knowing what the gesture meant.  "Hope you've got good balance."

That was all the warning she got as his moves got more complex.  She felt her hooves leave the ground, the world spinning around her before she ended up somewhere else, barely keeping up with this new pace.  Mac chuckled, as if proud he could throw the fastest mare in Equestria off her tempo.  He slowed his pace, waiting for her to match his moves and recognize the pattern.  By now they had garnered a small audience of four, but Mac hardly looked like he knew the outside world existed.  

Their dancing style was something Dash had only ever seen a few times, and she knew why.  It was tough.  They were both perpetually unbalanced, being only on their hind hooves as they were.  Mac's arm wrapped around her chest, spinning them both a half revolution as they sort of fell past each other, keeping them upright.  The dance was about balance shared between two ponies and a rhythm to keep it.  Mac knew her well enough to keep them from falling, to know how she would fit into the equation, and if she could grin wider at this point she would.  

They crossed forearms, spinning around separately for a moment before Mac switched arms.  This time he grabbed hers in his, spinning her into his chest.  They rocked backwards, almost far enough to get them past the point of being able to save themselves, and he spun her back in time to keep from falling forwards.  So it went for the next couple minutes as he surprised her with the sheer number of dance moves there were, and his skill at staying balanced on only two legs.  The song started to draw to an end, and Mac changed his movements.  He pulled her in quickly, knocking her off balance as he caught her in his arms.  She looked up at him and he grinned, keeping them in place as he stood on just his hind legs.  She could only imagine the concentration that took.

In the blank space between songs, Dash pulled herself up for a kiss, fully aware that it would probably topple them.  She got to his lips for a brief second before Mac tipped, sending them both back into the grass.  They laughed, joined by some gentle applause from the doorway.

"Now all ya need's a rose, Mac!"  Applejack joked.

The next song began, a slower one that Mac knew was coming.  Dash was up in a moment, and he had her back to her hind hooves in barely a second, stooping down to put his head over her shoulder as they moved around slowly.  Her hooves found the small of his back, moving them around the area slowly and feeling the gentle curves that were normally absent.  Mac was carefully doing the same, stroking at the larger feathers of her wings.  He made sure to stay away from the areas that would cause them to stiffen, but the petting felt soothing.  Dash nuzzled into his mane, giggling.

"Love you, Dash."  He whispered, and she giggled again, holding him a little tighter.  

"Love you too."  She responded, nipping him in the neck when she knew their audience couldn't see.  "When'd you get so good at dancing?"

"Well it's just something we do, bein' a country family and all.  Applejack and Ah used to pass the time with it as foals, and we got pretty good."

"You could say that again."  Dash misstepped, but Mac easily righted her.  She blushed.

"Boring!"  Applebloom yelled, racing out of the doorway and into the house.  The song changed again, a new, faster tempo beating out over the acres.  

"Shall we?"  Mac asked, taking a step back so that he was only holding her hoof in his once again.  He kissed her hoof, laughing a little at the formality of the gesture and the way it made her blush.  She grinned.  

"Duke of apples, I accept your dance."  Dash responded, getting a snort out of Applejack.  

"Well then, queen of clouds, it is mah honor."  He replied.  "Last one on their hooves wins."

"Trying a competition with me?  Surely you've heard of my reputation?"

He scoffed.  "Well then surely you know that Ah don't accept reputation until proven in dance."

Dash smiled widely, watching the fillies join in with their own dances as dusk began to set in.  "May the best pony win."
> Departure
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"So yer leavin' tomorrah?"  Mac asked, placing a paper into one of the many piles scattered around Dash's office.

"Yeah.  The Weather Board needs to see me bright and early, then I've got to work out a deal with the weather factory.  I'm not going to need as much of an extensive plan as before, seeing as a bunch of those clouds went to waste anyway.  So it probably won't take too long."

"How long do ya think you'll be gone?"  Mac asked.  She could hear a tinge of sadness already.  

"A couple days at least.  There's no way I'll get this done in a single day, and it might go to three if I'm unlucky."

Mac nodded.  "Well don't hesitate to call the farm once in a while, okay?  Ah know the phone service can be crappy up there, but still."

"It's only a few days, Mac."  She put down the paper she was dealing with, looking over at him.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."  He replied.  "Ah'm just gonna miss you, is all."  He sounded a little too sad for only that.  But she wouldn't push the issue if he didn't feel like talking, and besides, she'd missed him when she had gone to Canterlot, and that had only been a few hours.  Mac was just a more emotive pony, and he had less on his mind.  He was worried for her and how everything went, she was sure, probably a little annoyed that he couldn't come with her.  She would be in his position.

"I could try to get Twilight to give you a cloud-walking spell."  Dash paused, chewing her cheek.  "But those don't last that long, and the last thing we need is you falling through the bed in the middle of the night."

"Ah can't leave, even if Ah wanted to."  Mac responded, sounding slightly less depressed.  "Ah've got more apples to buck, and Ah've got the first big deal of the season ta make.  Should be a thrill."

"So then we're both missing out."  Dash responded.  "I always did want to know how those went."

"Well Ah like ta think we'll be dating for more than another week or two, and you'll see one."  

Dash put a hoof to her chin, making a thoughtful expression.  "I dunno, I'll have to look at the calendar."

"Darn, I forgot every stallion in the town got to sign up for an attempt to woo you."  He chuckled.

"You're still in the lead with forty-three stallion appreciation points.  I wouldn't worry."  

"How many points did I get for bein' this smokin' hot?"  He asked, striking a model's pose in a free section of floor.  He licked his hoof, keeping the reaction to the taste to a minimum as he touched his rump and made a hiss noise.  The he broke into a coughing fit.  

"Didn't like the taste of Ponyville ground?"  Dash asked.  

"That wasn't just the taste of street."  He gasped, shaking his head.  "Whatever it was, it was vile."

"That's what you get after working all day and coming over here after."  Dash laughed.  "But you at least made your joke."

"It's all worth it for that."  He chuckled, looking at his hoof.  "And anyway, you still didn't answer me."

"Oh, seventeen."  Dash decided, making the number up off the top of her head.  

"Out of ten?"  Mac queried, going back to the paperwork.  "Because I would've thought I was at least a strong eighteen."

"Keep dreaming."  Dash retorted, punching him in the shoulder.  "You better be worried if I ever do find an eighteen."

"Ah'm sure everypony'll fall for an eighteen."  The stallion replied, regaining his concentration towards the work at hand.  "But enough about that, we're almost done with all this stuff.  We've just got the home stretch."

"Oh, Mac, that reminds me."  Dash began.  "While I'm gone, there's supposed to be a small storm.  I have all the instructions laid out, and Thunderlane should be able to do fine.  But watch the skies a little bit while you're working, because if something goes wrong, I want to at least hear it from a pony on the ground that generally knows how we work.  I'm sure I'll hear it from Thunderlane, too, but that usually doesn't give me as big of a perspective.  You should be able to see all of it at once, rather than the small part he'd be working on."

"Ah mean, Ah've watched the storms before.  Yer pretty well disguised against the sky, 'cept for that mane and tail of yers.  But yer super clear against clouds, like when ya were flyin' last week."

"You watched that?"  

"Well, yeah.  Ah mean, Ah get distracted sometimes, and it looked like it was gonna rain, and we weren't meeting to discuss the Weather Board till later, so you were the most interestin' thing around.  Ah'm probably the most secure pony you'll ever find about mah body.  Ah mean, Ah'm built for what Ah do, and Ah like what Ah do, so it's all fine with me.  But when Ah watch ya fly, Ah do sorta wish Ah could do the same."

"You'd have big wings."  Dash said simply, imagining him flying around with her.  "Wingspan of a griffin at least.  That'd be great, for sure."  Wings would suit him well.  And flying with him would be nice...  Ooh, that reminded her...

"Ah'm still surprised that ya wanted ta date a non pegasus, in a way.  It's not like yer gonna get any aerial races out of me."

Dash dismissed him with a hoof.  "Pfft.  I like flying, but it's not my entire life.  I have this to do now, anyway.  The Wonderbolts was a great dream, and it's still something I'd love to do someday.  But this goal is attainable, and it relies on me, not one of the members of the Wonderbolts finally deciding I'm material for their team.  To be honest, I could really just start my own team if I wanted to, like I'm doing with this.  The name isn't everything."

Mac nodded, looking at his sides.  "Well, maybe one day, huh?  Science is still advancing."

Dash laughed.  "Sure, figure it out, then we'll talk.  Plus, I'm fine with you how you are."  She walked over, pushing her forehead against his.  He grinned, pulling her into a hug.  Dash moved her hooves about slowly, trying not to give away her plan.  If this didn't work, she could just explain it as a bust, but if it did... well, it was for science.  And he already seemed to be enjoying the forehead contact.  Maybe that was just because it was her, though.  

She estimated where his wings would be if he had them, and began raking up and down his back slowly with more pressure.  She knew it felt good, so he wouldn't mind.  He hummed out his approval, letting her continue unencumbered.  She felt his ribs, moving back up and starting from his shoulder blades.  She quickly passed by the rib where her shoulder blades ended, realizing that the pony had been right.  They went on a couple longer, ending suddenly.  Extra armor was right.  Probably around there, she figured.

As soon as she dug her hooves around the edge of the bone, Mac's back arched backwards, a sort of shocked sound coming out of him.  Dash let go, worried she had hit a pressure point.  Mac regained his balance and stared at her, planting his forelegs firmly in between her and his crotch.

"Wh-why did that feel so good?"  He asked.  "And how did you know it would be there?"

"Uh..."  She shook her head.  "Well, I'm glad it worked."

"Yeah, but what is it."  He pressed.  "Only pegasi are sensitive on their backs."

"That's not true."  Dash explained.  "Wings turn into extra armor and bone mass on earth ponies, but you still usually have some of the nerve clusters."

"Then how come I've never had that happen?"  He asked, his voice changing from an accusatory tone to one of curiosity.  

"Well, apparently they're sort of hidden.  I had to really get my hoof in there to touch that, you know."  The forehead thing could stay her little secret a while longer, at least until she knew it worked.  It was fun when she could get him to feel good, especially when he wasn't expecting it.  "So I'll just have to poke you occasionally in public."

Mac looked down, irritation on his face.  "Jerk."

"What, did he come ou-"  Dash blushed.  "Woah, that got you going."  

Mac stared.  "Ah'm gonna move behind yer desk, so that when somepony inevitably comes in here, they don't get an eyeful."  He stood up, quickly moving behind the desk, and after a moment of looking at her chair, sat in it instead.  "And just for that, Ah get the chair."

"So how good did that feel?"  Dash asked, genuinely interested.

"It was nice, but ya know it doesn't take me much.  Ah'm sure it wasn't as good as yer wings."

"I dunno," Dash smirked, sauntering over.  "I think it was a little better than you're letting on."

"Even if it was, I don't want any of that sound going through that door.  Because unlike you, Ah apparently have modesty."  His irritation slowly dissolved into a grin.  "So at least wait until Ah can handle ya a bit better."

"As in never, because I'm so good?"  She asked, puffing out her chest.  "Too good, some may say."

"Ya may be the only pony Ah've ever had sex with,"  Mac began, "and while that makes you the best, let's not forget it also makes you the worst."

Dash laughed.  "Fine then.  Belittle my prowess."  She calmed down a bit, trying to return to the papers.  That would be easier if her thoughts weren't on her coltfriend's erection.  "But I gotta try to finish this, so I'll attempt to keep from teasing you."

Mac raised an eyebrow, grinning.  "Maybe just delay said teasing for a few hours, huh?  Ah bet Ah would win the back touching contest."

"Is everything a competition with you?"  Dash asked.

"Only because you want it to be."  He replied, chuckling.  "You gonna work late again?  It's confusing my sister when ya end up in my bed without having actually come home with me."

"Well if we figured out a semi-permanent cloud walking spell, we'd be at my house more.  But unfortunately, that's the disadvantage of dating me.  Of course the other side of that is you wake up with a mare in your arms that you don't remember arriving."

"Ah remember two nights ago, when ya accidentally kicked me in the balls."  He jibed.

"Oh, shoot, that woke you up?"  Dash blushed.  "I thought that'd be the one time when a ball shot was forgotten."

"Ya woke me up the other time, too.  Yer lucky ya happened ta be lookin in the window when ah woke up, because Ah thought we were about ta get invaded."

"So basically it was a bust then."  Dash mumbled, feeling dejected.  She'd thought that was pretty spontaneous and loving.  The way Mac made it sound, it seemed silly, and maybe it was.  Ugh, she'd never get it at this rate.

"Why're you looking so down?"  He reached over the desk, just barely getting his arm far enough to lift up her chin.  "It's the thought that counts, as cliché as that sounds.  And I don't need you to woo me every second of every day.  You hold my interest a little better than that."

Dash couldn't keep herself from giggling.  "Yeah, I know.  But you always do such a good job... like the dancing and The Hole in the Map, and I just feel like I'm not doing enough."

"It's not actually a competition, Dash."

"I know, Mac.  But you know me, and relationships are supposed to be a give and take, and I just feel like I'm doing the taking sometimes."  She laughed, shaking her head.  "I'm amazed that I was the one you fell for, because so far I don't feel like I've done anything special."

Mac grinned.  "Yer too self-critical.  Yer supposed to be the confident mare in town.  But just the fact that you like bein' around me so much... well, it means a lot.  Ah don't need anything more than you."

"You sure know how to sweet talk a mare."  Dash replied quietly.  "I'm so pissed I have all this paperwork."  She stood up, leaning over the desk to kiss him.  It was gentle and loving, a startling difference from what she was sure the rest of the night would be like.  Her without Mac for two or three days?  She better get her fill of him now.  

Dash returned to where she had been, breaking the kiss after some amount of time.  It was as if her brain turned off whenever they kissed, taking her perception of time with it.  Her world became the connection they shared, the warmth and the slight taste of their lunch on his lips.  She was really glad she had decided to start breaking off ties with the Weather Board, but it could get annoying at times like these.  She wanted to spend the rest of the night with Mac, watching a movie or doing anything else.  But at best she would end up with some time off before she went to sleep, and they would do something steamy.  There was nothing wrong with that, really...  it was fulfilling and satisfying, but it was only a part of the coltfriend experience.  They were supposed to date, not just do paperwork.  

"Thinkin'?"  Mac queried, breaking her from her stupor.  

"Just wishing I had a little more free time."


____________________________________________________________________


"There."  Dash said resolutely as she filed a paper.  "Everything's more organized than it's ever been before, and if I do get audited, which I will, it should be a breeze."

"Ya know, Ah never did ask why ya wanted ta get them through here so fast."  Mac murmured, shaking himself awake.  

"It gets in the way of work."  Dash explained, looking around at the perfectly ordered room.  "I have to stay out of my office, and trying to get any sort of reference material for designing a storm or checking rainfall figures is all slower.  And this time it's going to be worse, now that we're independent." 

"Lemme see the certificate."  Mac implored, watching her grin and move behind her desk, opening a drawer.  The framed certificate came out, and she placed it on her cleared desk.  

"All I have to do is figure out where to hang it.  But would you look at that?  The piece of paper that lets me say I don't care what the Weather Board says, because I know what I'm doing and have the freedom to do it!"

"Does it do tricks?"

Dash scoffed.  "Real funny.  I think maybe I'll frame it twice."

"A new art trend, I suppose."  Mac acknowledged, smirking.  "Now come on, time's a-wasting!  We still need food, and Ah'm gettin' ya somethin' special."

"Oh yeah!"  Dash exclaimed, running over to her saddlebags.  "You never asked what I got from Canterlot!"

"Did ya get yerself somethin' pretty?"

"I sure did!"  She hollered back, excitedly turning to reveal a small jewelry piece hanging from her hoof.  

Mac looked at it, his eyes widening as realization swept over him.  "How'd you find that?"

"It just happened to be there!"  Dash handed it to Mac, turning around as he and he slid the necklace around her neck and clipped it in the back.  "There were tons of cool necklaces there, made out of this stained glass stuff, and one of them happened to match your cutie mark, more or less."

He turned her around, grinning.  "Well Ah think ya look beautiful."

"Well then you should be happy that it only cost ten bits," she reached around her back, pulling another from her wing, "because I got two!"  She dangled the other one from her hoof, the light shining through it in interesting ways.  "I figured you wouldn't want a necklace, and they didn't have these as necklaces anyway, so it should fit nicely on your hoof."

Mac took it from her, holding it up to the light.  He hadn't looked hard enough at the last one to see its other effects.  They acted a little like prisms if they pointed at light, and as Mac held it up to his hoof it's shadow cast a faded, fragmented bits of rainbow on his fur.  "How did they make it do this?"

"Well I assumed it was something about different types of glass or a weird cooling process, but they wouldn't tell me.  I wouldn't divulge a secret like that either if it kept me in business a block away from main street."

Mac nodded, still examining his tiny cloud.  "That city's pretty at night.  Sparkles like this does.  Thanks, Dash."

"You're welcome," she beamed, thrilled that he liked it.  "I'm suppressed you'd like the look of a city, though.  You seem more like a nature kind of pony."

Mac shrugged, trying to put the bracelet on his wrist.  "Ah do like nature, but there's something to be said for modern engineering.  Manehattan's turning into quite the city."

"I guess it better, seeing as it's going to be over two million soon."

"Havin' that many ponies in one place still seems insane ta' me."  Mac shook his head, finally getting the bracelet on with one hoof and holding it up above his head, up to the light.  "And would ya look at that..."  He trailed off.  "Ah love ya, Dash."

"I'm just glad you like it."

"Well then, hopefully Ah can repay the favor with dinner, huh?"  He asked.

"I suppose you can."  Dash responded.  She could only imagine what place he had in mind.  Surely one she'd never heard of.  And she couldn't wait.


___________________________________________________________________________________


"You know, I sorta expected The Hole in the Map."  Dash confided, looking at the somewhat run-down buildings on the older side of town.  She passed through, or at least over here often, but never had business being here.  If Ponyville had a bad side of town, this would be it.  Not that it really did, compared to Las Pegasus for sure, but it was still shady.

"Did ya expect The Hole in the Map when we went to The Hole in the Map?"  He inquired.  Dash rolled her eyes, kicking a tin can down the road.  

"No, I suppose I didn't."  She replied, looking around.  Saying she was scared was an overstatement, but slightly wary was a good way of putting it.  It was dark around here, the streetlights spread out a little too far.  It reminded her of a few too many horror movies.  

"Well, we're here anyway."  He said, stopping under a streetlight, and pushing a door open with his hoof.  They moved into a different world.  Not literally, but it might as well have been.  From quiet, nearly deserted streets to a bustling tavern.  

"Two?"  A mare asked.  Mac nodded.  "Right this way."  She walked them towards their seats, moving past the most well stocked bar Dash had ever seen.  Across from the bar were some old, worn looking booths.  The waitress pointed to one, and they took their seats.  "Could I get you two started with anything?  Water maybe?"

"Sure."  Mac said, and she left.

Dash looked around.  "Well, here's another place I never knew about."

"There are apparently a lot of them."  Mac grinned.  "But I suppose you know a thing or two more than Ah do about the Crystal Empire or the Palace.  Ah wouldn't mind travel that didn't involve business... although Ah realize yours still is."

Dash frowned.  "Yeah, sometimes I wish I wasn't an element.  I mean, I guess I'm loyal, but..."  She paused.  "I dunno, it's gonna be the death of me, and its cool and all but I never got a sign-up, you know?"  Dash sighed, thinking for a moment.  "Rarity's a big fan of fate and stuff, but I would've rather chosen.  It's not like I would have refused or anything...  well, maybe I would have.  If nothing was at stake, I wouldn't want any part of it."

"But Ah thought that ya didn't need the charm.  That you were the element."

Dash sighed.  "Yeah, you're right.  I'm glad that I can do a lot to help Equestria, but I mean, these things get dangerous.  Not that I don't like dangerous things, but it's my fault if I screw up, and due solely to my error.  I'm essentially the cause of my own injuries.  But we've fought changelings, and Sombra, and all these things, and they're risky, you know?  Like, they make cool stories later, but it's surprising we survive sometimes."  Dash shuddered.  "It's a noble way to go and all, but it's not the way I want to go.  I like to think I'm like Shining Armor occasionally, you know, cold and calculating... I've never really seen him break his calm before in anything other than a few circumstances.  One of those was under changeling magic, so that doesn't even really count.  But I'm not like that.  I think about ponies when I'm about to do this hazardous stuff, and it bothers me.  I think about my friends, and I'm sure now I would think about you..."

The waitress dropped off some waters, and they both extended their gratitude.

"But basically it scares the crap out of me to think I could just stop living in some pitched battle."  She tapped a hoof against the table.  "Just like that.  I know what I'm fighting for and why I do it, and I'll do it again, it's just that..."

"Ya want to live your life without the effects of this element and what it does to yer free will."

"Yeah.  I guess that rambling point got through.  Another thing is, though, it would probably make me a target, don't you think?"

"Like in the spy movies."  Mac replied, chuckling and trying to snap her out of her thoughts.  It worked, slightly.  

"Mhm."

"Look, Dash.  Ah know yer stressed for a variety of reasons right now, and ya probably need a little more sleep, but we're a team now, okay.  They don't know who they're messing with.  And besides, you're just letting your stress and nervousness over tomorrah do the talkin'."  He was making some weird motion with one of his hooves.  "So come on, maybe crack a smile?"  He asked, grinning from ear to ear.  

Dash couldn't help but grin back, giggling at his goofy face.  

"Hey, Macintosh."  A stallion began, walking up to the booth.  "A couple ciders?"  

"Yup."  He replied, grinning.  The stallion smiled back and returned to the bar.  "We sell cider to him."  Mac explained, moving his fork around idly.  "And mah sister tells me ya love the stuff we make, so considering the fact that you've got a bunch of stuff to deal with tomorrow, Ah thought it would be fitting that ya indulge a little before hand."

"I'll need it."  Dash sighed, shaking her head.  "That, and some good sleep."

"Ah would say that ya shouldn't work yerself so hard, but ah know ya won't listen ta me.  So get a bit buzzed and forget."

"An interesting way of dealing with things."  Dash chuckled.

"If it doesn't work, Ah have a few more bottles of the heavy stuff."  He replied with a grin.  "But really, what are they gonna do to ya?  Look angry?  Stare ya ta death?  Ah think the worst thing is the audit, and while we may act like they're worse than death, Ah like ta think there's some exaggeration there."

Dash shook her head.  "I know you're right, but it's just weird.  I've never done anything like this before, and... it's just worrying thinking about a bunch of bureaucrats with nothing to do, and a perceived personal insult against them.  I know I said they were just stupid, but corruption is a very real possibility.  It's one that I don't think is true, but it's still possible."

"Dash, yer workin' yerself into a frenzy again."  Mac began, Dash's tired eyes perceiving the worry on his face.  He'd hidden it well up until now.  

"I know."  She sighed.  "I can't think of anything else.  Probably because I've been doing weather stuff for the past few days nonstop.  It's tough."

"What about Scootaloo?  She was all excited to see you out and about a few days ago.  Apparently ya haven't been doin' a lot of practice flying?"  He asked, raising his eyebrow inquisitively as if he didn't know the answer.

"She told you that?"  Dash asked, becoming interested.  She hadn't seen the kid as much as she would have liked.  

"Yeah.  They bugged me for a while when Ah was trying to finish bucking apples for the day.  Apparently Applejack or Applebloom told them ya were my marefriend and after the usual kid stuff about it being weird or whatever they started asking questions.  And because Ah hated the 'when you're older' excuse when Ah was a kid, Ah just told them stuff."

Dash's eyes widened.  "What did you tell them?"

"Oh, you know, just sex in detail."  He replied.  "No, they didn't ask stuff like that.  It was more stuff like why do ponies date, and things like that.  They're getting older, and they were givin' me some good questions.  'Why Dash?' they asked, 'why not someone else like Cheerilee?'"

"Well, why me?"  Dash asked cutely, batting her eyelashes.  

"You already know, Dash."  

"Remind me."

"Well..."  Mac began, thinking, "yer smart, cunning, and yer driven.  And yer competitive, that's got some charm to it.  Because Ah know what you'll ask next, Cheerilee didn't have the dreams you do, or the aggressive drive to get there.  And she just wasn't interesting, really.  But apparently we looked good together, so there's that."

"I guess I could see that, purple and red."  

"Yeah, we looked alright.  That whole thing never really got anywhere, though, partially because of Applebloom and her friends."

"How was the whole love potion thing?  How did that feel?"  Dash asked.  It was a question she'd had for a long time, but had never thought was appropriate for a normal conversation.  At least, not until she knew him a little more.  Which, as it happens, she know did.

Mac shrugged, lowering his voice.  "It was like Ah was in heat, but the only thing that mattered was the other pony's pleasure.  But it was also something where Ah felt really content being near her.  It's not something Ah enjoyed in the slightest.  It turned love into a sort of drug fix."

"Applebloom got grounded for quite a while, if I remember correctly."

"She got a lighter penalty for helping to keep us apart."  Mac replied, resting his head on his hoof in thought.  "God, that was a weird day."

Dash laughed, accepting a cider as it was handed to her by the bartender.  "I can imagine."

"What can I get you two?"  He asked.

"The usual, Ah guess."  Mac replied.  "Fer her too."

"Sure thing."  The pony replied.  "We'll have that out in a few."  

"Thanks."  Mac replied, turning back to Dash.  "Anyway, what Ah've ended up thinking about that potion was what it would do to me now, assuming you were the target.  Like, Ah already hate not being around you, but I guess Ah'm admittedly not pushed subconsciously to find you to an extent where Ah actually go looking."

"I feel so insulted."

Mac grinned.  "Maybe when we're old and bored."

"I'll take you up on that offer."  Dash laughed, holding up her mug.  "To time wasting."

Their glasses clunked together, a few drops of cider sloshing out.  Mac chuckled, taking a sip.  "Ah'll definitely drink to that."


____________________________________________________________________________________


"Mac, are you sure this is the best-"

"Oh!  Get back Dash!"  Mac shoved her backwards, pulling her a safe distance away.  

"This should be green with some crackles at the end."  A stallion said, who Dash had been introduced to as Caramel.  

"What worries me is that ya aren't sure."  Mac replied with a chuckle, the three of them starting as the firework launched, racing up into the air.  It arched over them, exploding a hundred or so feet straight up.  Blue streamers of light trailed downwards, crackling as they began to cool.

"Okay, so they were blue.  Sue me."

"Wow..."  Dash mumbled, her eyes following the sparks as they went out one by one.  Real fireworks were a bit of a rarity.  They were starting to become more common, but there were just too few ponies skilled in making them.  "How did you come into making these?"  She asked.

"My brother wanted to make fireworks when he was a kid."  Caramel explained.  "He gave it up after a while, but I liked them too much."

"You've gotten pretty good!"  the blue mare complimented, "Have you ever thought about putting on a show for Ponyville to make the magic ones obsolete?"

"I have, but I'd need others that really knew what they were doing to attempt something like the finale.  That's when it gets really technical."  The stallion pulled out a box shaped firework with several tubes, neatly wrapped.  "So I sell them on the side for a few bits.  It keeps it as a hobby so I can focus on my job and friends."  He grinned, the light of his flashlight reflecting eerily off his face.  "Speaking of friends..."

Mac took a second to realize what he was doing.  "Oh, come on, Caramel."

"It's worth it."  He affirmed, tilting the plank he was using as a launchpad and propping it up with a stick.  He checked that it was sturdy and drew his fuse backwards, standing next to them.  "And if this goes south, we have a few trees right behind us."

Mac rolled his eyes, but Dash giggled.  It was boring when all the safety was there.  This was interesting and new, and the off-chance of injury made her feel alive after all that paperwork.  She nudged Mac in the side as Caramel lit the fuse and dropped it.  The flame sparked its way across the grass, disappearing inside the firework for a moment.  

The first rocket made a fwoomp noise as it ejected, sailing right over a nearby house and detonating.  The ordeal would have been much more worrying if it had been dry out, which it definitely had not been.  They'd had a small shower earlier in the day, a sort of small rationing system she had the crew doing until she had more time to manage their storms.  It would be annoying in the long term, but for a week it worked fine.  

A second flew out, then a third, blowing up in similar positions.  The fourth moved the launchpad slightly, aiming the remaining fireworks lower.  The fifth went off, blowing up a little closer to the roof.  They were all different colors, breaking into different patterns as they exploded.  It was great to watch, way better than these unicorns with their unrealistic and intricate designs.  This was real, and it was amazing that Caramel had refined them as much as he had.  

"Get back."  Mac said, backtracking.  

"What?"  Dash asked, her attention elsewhere.

"They didn't go off yet!"  Caramel exclaimed, galloping the few strides to the nearest tree.  Dash slid into cover behind him, peeking out at the smoking explosives, partially lit up by the abandoned flashlight.  

There was a horrendous boom, as the casing tore itself apart, spinning several feet up in the air.  A firework launched out just after it started to descend again, hitting the railing of the balcony on the house, barely managing to bounce off before dissolving into a burst of white and an explosion that was somehow louder than the case blowing up.

"Ta-da."  Caramel muttered as the dust settled, walking out towards the wreckage.  

"What happened?"  Dash asked, her ears ringing

"Caramel annoyed Bonbon again, that's what."  Mac replied with a laugh.

Caramel ignored him.  "One got stuck in the tube, I think."  He stopped a fair distance away, making sure he wasn't in the path of what remained of the barrels.  That took out two others, hopefully, then the high-explosive finale, without the bells and whistles, flew out midair.  That one's loud because it doesn't fling any particles.  Most of the energy is turned into sound, which you felt in the shockwave that-"

"Caramel!"  A mare screamed, easily louder than the racket of dogs barking and annoyed birds.  "My house is not a target!"

"Bonbon?"  He asked, feigning surprise.  "Did you move?"

She put a hoof up on the railing and rested her head on it, staring at him.  Caramel shrugged.  She mumbled something, returning inside.  Several windows lit up, and she exited from some sliding doors downstairs.  She had a scarf on, signs of wariness evident on her face.  Bonbon stopped in front of the group, extending a plate of cookies towards Mac.  "Lyra is sick, so she's not always stealing them from me.  They'll go bad otherwise, so you guys may as well have them."  She noticed Dash.  "Oh, I heard you two were dating."

"Yeah?"  Dash asked.  

"It's not so hard to get information out of Mac.  Sometimes he acts like a little filly with stuff like this, but I got him to tell me he liked you a while before it became official, I guess."  She grinned.  "It's nice to finally see him with a mare, in a way.  And I'm sure the stallions around here can breathe a sigh of relief.  Especially you, Caramel."

"An honest mistake."  He replied, not intimidated by her implied threat.

"Your honest mistakes always wake me up."

He nuzzled into her neck.  "I'll make it up to you."

"Sometimes I swear you're just trying to get me mad at you so you can spend time with me."  Caramel just grinned and shrugged, to which Bonbon rolled her eyes.  "I guess I'd be angrier if I didn't know your apologies are worth it."

Dash laughed, seeing a bit of themselves in Bonbon and Caramel's relationship.  The joking, the sometimes weird dating procedure.  "Maybe I should do that to Mac?"  She asked, getting a grin out of Bonbon.

"Sure, just try to annoy him.  If those Crusaders can't drive him into a rage, then nothing can."   

Caramel stopped his light nuzzling for a moment, looking around.  "You know, I don't want to break the mood or anything, but fireworks that loud still aren't technically legal around here, so..."

"Hey!  You four!"

"Shit!"  Caramel yelped, pulling Bonbon away with him as the four broke into a gallop.  Caramel sprinted away and grabbed his creation, still remarkably in one piece.  Dash and Mac caught up as they ran through a row of trees, turning onto a street.  "It's only like, ten or something.  We'll just go to the market.  He couldn't have seen anything but outlines."

"Sometimes, when I wake up in the morning, I think I'm going to have a day where I live as an adult."  Bonbon veered, bumping into Caramel.  "I almost made it, but you woke me up, you jerk!"

"I'm an adult most of the time, that's all I ever agreed to!"  He retorted, bumping back against her, albeit a little lighter.  "And you go to sleep too early!"

"Well if ya guys want ta follow through with yer plan here, turn into this alley!"  Mac yelled, and they veered hard left, the sound of hooves scraping on the pavement and fighting for traction reflecting off the buildings as they entered the alley.  Dash chanced a look before the wall got into the way, not seeing anypony.  Maybe he hadn't followed.  It wasn't as if they had really endangered anypony to his knowledge.  Or he was slow.  

The group slowed to a walk, exiting into a busy part of Ponyville and becoming one with the crowd.  Caramel tossed the firework carcass in a trash can as he passed.

"It really gets the adrenaline up, huh?"  Dash asked, getting a chuckle out of the other three.  

"I'd be a lot harder on Caramel if stuff with him wasn't as exciting as it is."  Bonbon replied, laughing.  "And no, you're not off the hook."

"Fiddlesticks."

"Anyway, I still have the cookies,"  Bonbon said, unraveling her scarf to reveal the plate and its still mostly intact cookies.  "So if anypony's interested..."

Dash grabbed one, taking a bite out of the side.  The flavors of berries flooded into her mouth, and she pulled it away to find that what had looked like a sugar cookie had in fact turned out to be way better.  

"Are they exquisite as usual?"  Caramel asked, taking one for himself and biting into it.  "Because personally, I like to think that they're the best things on the face of the planet."

Bonbon kissed him on the cheek, laughing.  "Points awarded."

"All joking aside, they're always pretty damn good."  Dash nodded, grabbing another.

There was a lapse in the conversation as they all ate quietly.  Bonbon, not particularly interested in her own cookies, spoke first.  "So I hear that you're thinking of making Ponyville weather independent?"

"How'd you hear that?"  Dash asked, not denying it.  Her efforts weren't exactly a secret, though it would sort of annoy her if the Weather Board caught wind of it before she could tell them.  

"Thunderlane told me.  Well, he told Caramel, who told me.  They're pretty good friends, so I can't say that's weird, and then evidently we're sort of acquaintances..."  She grinned, gesturing to Caramel.

"Yeah, I don't mind, so long as the whole town doesn't know."  Dash responded.  "Technically, Ponyville is already independent, but I need to inform the Weather Board and get a new deal with Cloudsdale.  We don't need extra clouds that often around here, so that shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Well from what I've heard, you have a much tougher job than most ponies would think."  Caramel interjected.  "Especially with the rumors about how lazy you are that circulate from time to time."

Dash shook her head.  "Yeah, well last time I checked, I'm allowed to nap when I've finished with my job.  Weather's not like accounting, there's not always something you can do."  She laughed.  "Oh well, at least Mac knows that I'm not some lazy blob.  That's what counts."

"Well if you have your meeting tomorrow, we should probably let you go."  Bonbon noted.  "I don't want to be the reason you aren't well-rested, even though Caramel may not have a problem with that."

"Only for you, Bonbon."  Caramel teased, getting bumped by her.  

"Well then, Ah guess Ah'll see ya around.  Don't end up in jail."

"Him?"  The beige mare asked.  "No promises."  Caramel just grinned.  Dash couldn't help but grin back.  His energy reminded her of a younger version of herself.  She wondered how he kept it around.  

The four bid their goodbyes, moving through the thinning crowds of downtown once again.  They got away from the majority of ponies quickly, walking under the light of the moon by themselves.  Dash pushed herself gently against Mac's side, finding it somewhat humorous the height on her back where she made contact with his stomach.  His warmth quickly started to flow into her, the cold of the night not affecting her with him at her side.

"Ah'm gonna miss ya."  Mac mumbled.  "It's only two days, but it'll be a boring two days."

"Don't think I'm any different."  Dash reassured.  "And besides, it'll be the last thing for a while.  I have your phone number, so I'll just call from my hotel, okay?"

Mac grinned.  "Ah'd like that."

"Okay, that's settled.  But before we call it a night, I say we get about as crazy as my level of exhaustion will allow." 

Mac stared at her, unsure.  "Yeah?"

Dash decided to have some fun.  "You know, slow... You're moving me up and down on you, so slowly you can feel every-"

"Dash!  Wait until we get to mah bedroom!"  Dash giggled, veering around an apple tree.  

"And then you hilt, and we're against each other, as deep as-"

Mac slowed his walk and Dash turned, fully knowing what she would find.  "Ah know Ah get goin' easily, but come on, Dash."  He whined.  His house came into view, and it was immediately clear that at least one member of the family was still awake.  Mac looked like he was trying to concentrate on anything else, to variable results.  He'd managed to avoid a full erection, and Dash had the heart to let him continue to calm down.  She wasn't a total savage.

Mac pushed open the front door, walking inside.  He had delayed long enough for his shaft to retreat, and luckily, too.  

"Hello, Darling!"  Rarity exclaimed, almost looking surprised that Mac would show up to his own house.

"Hey, Rarity"  He replied shortly.  If he was irritated that they couldn't get down to business, he sure didn't show it.  But that was the first thought to spring across Dash's mind.  She needed to get to sleep, and she needed to get intimate with Mac.  The idea of it was burning away at her already, clouding her thoughts.  Mac moved across the room, and she followed.  "What brings you to this part uh town so late at night?"

"Oh, is it really that late?"  Rarity looked at the clock.  "Oh, heavens!  Well, we've been chatting for much longer than I had planned for."  She started to gather up her things.

"So how've you been, Rarity?"  Dash asked, breaking into the conversation.  

"Surely not as good as you, the pony that devastated mares everywhere by taking Macintosh out of the singles pool."  The pair blushed.  "I've been busy with the usual things, slowly moving up in the world...  You know how it is, Dash."

"Yeah, I guess."  She replied, not sure what else to add.

"Applejack tells me you'll be missing the spa day tomorrow because of business arrangements?  Would you like us to reschedule?"

Dash grinned.  "No, you guys go without me.  I'm not missing much."

"Stubborn as usual, Rainbow."  Rarity chided.  "Well, there'll always be next week."  She threw her saddlebags over her back and started to move for the door.  "Thanks for having me, Applejack."

"The pleasure's all mine."  The farm mare replied, taking a cup from where Rarity had been sitting and her own, placing them in the sink.

The door shut, and Applejack turned her attention to Dash.  "Good luck tomorrah, even though ya won't need it."

Dash cringed.  "We'll see..."

Applejack threw a dismissive hoof into the air.  "You'll knock 'em dead, just watch.  Maybe if it annoys them enough, they'll actually die."

"Maybe that can be my thing to calm down?  Image the audience is dead?"  

Applejack snorted, pulling a leftover sandwich out of the fridge.  "Points for originality."

"Well, we're gonna hit the hay early, Ah think."  Mac piped up, moving towards his room.  "Dash needs her rest."  

Dash suppressed a giggle, keeping her face neutral.  Maybe he wanted this more than she did.  "Yeah, I don't want the extra nervousness that comes with being tired.  But the upside to all this is that flying to Coudsdale early tomorrow will clear my mind.  I'll get up a few minutes early, and throw in a trick or two.  Then I'll hit the Weather Board with some facts, and call it a day.  If they roll over and die, I can do that weather deal as well, and be back by sunset."

"Wishful thinking, but Ah wouldn't doubt ya."  Mac replied, sending a wave to Applejack.

"Maybe someday ya can get a better cloudwalking spell and take up Dash's bed for once, eh?"  Applejack asked, grinning.  

"If it's as comfortable as you say, then Ah think she'll have to worry about me deciding to put down roots."  He proclaimed with a chuckle, disappearing through the door to his bedroom as Applejack began making her way down the hall.  He closed the door quietly, fully aware that Applebloom was probably asleep by now.  Mac turned around and immediately bumped into Dash's lips, melting into the kiss but not allowing it to get more aggressive.  They both knew that despite their lust and want to begin with fast, somewhat rough sex, it couldn't happen.  It would keep them up too long.  Mac pushed Dash backwards gently, bumping her into the bed and pushing her onto her back with a gentle hoof.

Mac broke the kiss briefly, making sure she was situated to keep from bumping teeth before he continued.  Mac laid lightly atop her, his hind hooves still on the floor as they kissed, not moving too quickly yet making sure to skip foreplay as best they could.  There was no need with them, and it often became a simple formality that they used as a delay before the finale.  Then again, Mac's stamina devalued it into more of a warning firework, the first one that shot off in order to notify ponies of the impending show.  There were probably better analogies out there, but still.

Dash pulled away, pressing her forehead against Mac's.  She could feel his member, draped over her lower stomach, quickly rising away as it stiffened.  He left a thin trail of precum as it lengthened with every heartbeat, leaving her fur within seconds to bounce against his stomach.  Mac caressed her cheek with a hoof, blushing with arousal as he began to position himself.  God, he looked so sexy.

"Oh!"  Dash exclaimed, wrapping her arms over his back as he pushed lightly against her lower lips.  After the usual resistance he slipped inside, sliding a little bit further than he probably wanted to immediately.  Dash gasped, Mac's breathing stopping short.  He shut his eyes, his length pulsing as she squeezed it.  It'd been like two or three days since they'd last had sex, but it felt as pleasurable as the first.  Dash heard a squelch, figuring it was from Mac seeing as there was no way there was space left inside her.  She wished they had time for her to get to all of him.  He started to move and she groaned, pushing his chin up with a hoof so they could enter back into a kiss.

Mac pulled out slightly before inching back inward, trying to get to the depth that they both loved.  His medial ridge stretched her, scraping against her walls and leaving them alight with pleasure.  It had barely been a minute and they were already panting, pleasure building up in the both of them far too quickly.  Mac made a few short thrusts, staying as far inside her as he could while still making reasonable movements.  He was seeming to forget about the sex itself, focusing more on the kiss.  Their tongues were intermingling, fighting between their mouths as their idle hooves explored each other's bodies.  

Mac got a hoof under her arm and suddenly pushed forwards, moving her further onto the bed and thrusting against her.  He had been almost hilted already, but the tiny amount of movement combined with a large amount of force added a little roughness that had been missing.  Mac rolled them onto their sides, and Dash caught on to his plan as he started playing with her wings, his other hoof in the small of her back, keeping his leverage for his small thrusts.  He had achieved a slow rhythm, keeping his movement to a minimum in order to keep them both excited but away from the edge.  He was getting more experienced at this every time.

"Ah, shit!"  Dash moaned, her wings flaring as much as they could while she was on her side.  Mac moved his kisses to her neck, continuing to massage her wings.  Two could play at that game, mr. nerve clusters, especially since she had two hooves free.   Dash let a grin spread across her face, moaning as her marehood pulsed around his length, Mac's groan in response a clue to the fact that it was as warm and tight as he said it was.  He never could seem to get over the feel of her, and in a way she hoped she always seemed like a drug to him.  He definitely was for her.

Dash got her hooves onto his back, going straight for the kill.  One hoof got a grip on his shoulder blade, digging around until Mac jolted and tensed, thrusting inside her with the leverage he received from his iron grip on her.  Pleasure flared from Mac's hooves, and she let out a quiet moan.  

"Apparently I'll never get used to that."  Mac mumbled, groaning as she continued to move her hoof around.  The other one had not found purchase, but she had enough concentration left to continue to look.  

Mac's hoof left her back, caressing her wings for a few moments as he slowed down to almost nothing, pulsing hard inside her.  The break went on almost until Dash urged him on to continue.  His hoof returned downwards and played with her tail briefly before planting his hoof firmly just above it.  Then he lengthened his thrusts.  It wasn't a large change, but it was enough of one to account for their rising lust and arousal, and Mac didn't let himself get distracted.  Dash could see the concentration on his face, his back arched as he tried to account for the new pleasure he wasn't used to.  Maybe that was why he slowed down.

She started pushing against him with his every thrust, inching closer to her climax.  From how much he was pulsing inside her and the way the little bursts of warmth that was his precum were getting closer together, there was definitely no way he was far either.  Dash got a hoof on his chest, pushing them apart.  His member slid out of her as she sat back on the bed, making her shudder.  She missed it immediately.  

"Sit up, Mac."  She said, watching his stallionhood sit up with him, bumping against his stomach.  He tilted his head backwards in pleasure as it bumped his stomach, pushing it out away from the contact with a hoof.  Dash had never really seen it this close to orgasm, all angry and veiny like it was, leaking a steady stream of precum that had already started to slide down his length.  

"Jeez, Dash."  He started, the pulses in his member calming down.  "You trying to kill me?"  

She kissed him, giggling.  "I knew you were close, but not half a second from bursting close."  The pegasus wrapped her hooves around his neck, sliding against him until she came into contact with the thick head of his length.  "I- unf- figured it was easier when one of my arms wasn't stuck between you and the bed."

"I'd suppose-"  He replied airily.  She slid a couple inches onto him and Mac gritted his teeth, letting out a groan.  Dash tensed as much as she could, massaging his sensitive flare before she let herself take in the rest of him.  He was as close to the edge as he was going to get without losing it the rest of the way, and as she came to a halt he almost went over the edge.  He pulsed several times, a particularly large blob of precum hitting her deep inside and making her groan.  "That was close again, Dash."  He murmured, panting.  She'd heard his marehood match a few of her pulses with its own winks, and it only made her more aroused.  "Why ya gotta torture me like this?"  

"It'll just make the end better.  I have p-plans I'm trying to get to here."  She replied airily, only a few thrusts away from climaxing herself.  Sitting stationary wasn't working.  Dash braced herself on his shoulders, pulling herself up in a long but smooth motion.  Almost immediately, she let herself slide back down just as quickly.  If this was the end, then they were hitting it at full speed.  Mac braced himself with a hoof, thrusting upwards.  

Dash's hoof slid from Mac's shoulder and she pulled him onto her as she tried to recover her balance, throwing a weirdly aimed thrust into the mix that hit her in all the right ways.  Mac's lips hit hers as his hooves found her wings.  He was past gentle thrusting at this point, and as soon as he repositioned he started moving them both as quickly as his body would allow.  Dash felt her climax hit, growing in intensity as Mac continued to thrust, his hug around her getting tighter as he neared his peak.  She'd lost all control of their coupling by now, but she couldn't find a reason to care.

He moaned into the kiss, growing louder as Dash managed to get another poke at his back in.  His seed hit her like a bullet, but he didn't stop thrusting, stretching her just a little more with his impossibly hard member.  He got in a few more good thrusts before succumbing to the pleasure and pushing himself in as far as he could.  He held her tightly, his activity lolling in the kiss for a few moments as he twitched and huffed, his movements for some reason the only thing Dash could focus on as she lay there, basking in pleasure.    His orgasm seemed longer than usual, her less intense pulses keeping it strong for a few precious moments longer.  

She could usually tell fairly easily when Mac was coming down, but his renewed interest in the kiss made it quite clear.  He pulled a hoof from her wing, placing it on her cheek, his other hoof sliding behind her head.  They laid onto their sides once again, the sensual kiss only breaking occasionally as they attempted to get their breath back.  He didn't make an effort to pull out, and she didn't force him to.  It felt nicer being slowly let off of the addictive experience that involved being filled by him, and while it was never something she really liked to let go...she knew it wouldn't last forever.  She giggled slightly into the kiss, using a hoof to play with his mane.  Well, it was definitely something that she'd miss in the coming days.

"Ah love ya, Dash."  He murmured, throwing a blanket over the pair and diving straight back into the kiss before she could respond.  Dash took a little more control, hugging him tighter and making completely sure he knew what her reply would be.  Over whatever period of time they spent making out, Dash could feel them both falling asleep, the kisses becoming less common, slower when they did happen.  More and more sensual as the lust melted away.  Mac started to fade and she called it quits, nestling her head into his warm shoulder and passing out almost immediately, without even a chance to think of everything that she had to do in the morning.  


______________________________________________________________________________


Dash woke up with a start, rolling over to look at Mac's alarm.  She read the time and sighed, letting herself lay in the cool covers she had migrated to for a moment.  It was about six, which was good because she wanted to get out of here quickly, if possible.  She was supposed to be there in time for the thing at nine, which left her a lot of time to mess around while she flew.  A trick here or there would clear her mind.  

Mac grumbled something, rolling onto his back.  Dash chuckled at his expression.  He almost looked like he was comatose.  It didn't take her much longer to notice what she presumed was his member, making its own ridge under the bedspread.  She allowed herself another chuckle, wondering how often Mac would have sex with her if he could whenever the urge hit him.  Maybe he had a stronger drive than she did.  Time would tell, she supposed.

She pulled herself out of bed, going through her usual daily routine.  She may as well just move in, given the amount of things she had brought over here.  She brushed her teeth, starting the shower.  She spit and washed out her mouth, checking the water.  It had warmed up by now, and she stepped in.  Her mind wandered.

Being a pegasus, one of the lessons they were taught as kids was to make sure you were completely dry when you flew.  Young pegasi were particularly susceptible to sudden cold attributed to windchill, and if your wings got too cold it was hard to avoid crashing at that age.  Naturally, she had been one of many to learn the hard way, but thankfully she had been close to the ground at the time.  Once she had grown up, her wings had finished maturing, their complex structure of blood vessels and the thickness of her flesh enough to protect from any immediate danger.  But she still knew when she was getting towards the danger zone, and she'd had to ground weather operations in the past because of freezing rains and snow.  They could manipulate weather perfectly... when the conditions were right, and they could still get stumped by the more volatile storms.  At least the Everfree didn't produce any storms they couldn't fight.  So far, anyway.

Dash shut off the water, shaking herself mostly dry.  Her mane was still drenched, and she would have to make sure it was ready to go before taking off, especially this early.  The spring heat hadn't kicked in, and it was surely still humid from the rain shower they'd had a couple of days ago.  Plus they had a front moving in.  It wasn't anything to worry about so long as she prepped properly, but it would still be chilly.

Presumably, ponies figured that flying was easy, without risks to those that were born to it so long as they didn't attempt, say, insane maneuvers.  But there was preening, and all the times she was stuck on the ground or in her house because of some extreme weather.  Heat could be dangerous for cramps, for instance, though those weren't exactly as much of a worry.  Probably a big thing for foals, though.  

She squeezed the water out of her mane as well as she could, wrapping the towel around her head tightly.  Nopony would see her and be able to make a spa joke anyway.  Dash looked at herself in the mirror, making a circle in the water that had condensed with a hoof.  She looked a little tired, maybe, but she also looked ready for the day ahead, prepared and mentally at peace with the whole affair.  Would she get nervous right before?  Probably, but it didn't matter.  She knew what to say, knew how they would react.  Even if things didn't go to plan, she could wing it.  This was the stuff she had spent years honing, learning down to a science.  No one knew weather like she did, especially not the Weather Board.  Her break would be today, and her proof would follow soon after, as Ponyville became the pinnacle of weather control.

Dash started humming to herself, idly separating a red hair from a yellow one.  She wandered out of Mac's bathroom, closing the door behind her.  She shivered, shrugging and grabbing his massive robe, draped over the back of his desk chair. She threw it on, stumbling back into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror.  Dash laughed, pushing a hoof to her mouth as she glanced at Mac.  He was still asleep, good.  She turned her attention back to the mirror, grinning at her reflection.  She looked like a foal that had found her father's robe.  Maybe not that bad, but it was still comical.

She rolled up the sleeves, pushing them over her shoulders so they would stay.  The back of the robe trailed along on the ground, looking ridiculous.  It was still amazing to her that he was so large, and even though he had fit into her mind as normal by now, things like this were still insane to her.  He was like that guy in those action movies that took a punch from the main character and just sort of stood there, unfazed.  He was the main crony, but with intelligence.

Thank god she thought out her compliments more than this before they came out of her mouth.

Dash poured herself a bowl of cereal, munching on it as she read the back of the box.  She really needed to float a few bits Applejack's way for all the food she ate here.  She thought about just leaving them on the counter before thinking better of it.  Surely there was a more eloquent way.  The Griffin Empire had paper money, which apparently would sometimes wind up in cards and things, from what little information ponies had told her.  When she had been asking what they gave as gifts, she at least expected a more interesting answer.  There was probably a variety of other things, but she couldn't recall what they were.

Bits were so annoying, though.  Applejack had complained from time to time that she couldn't negotiate by half bits, which was only really a problem in town when they were selling things one by one.  But apparently griffins could just buy a hundred apples or one blueberry, and they had the denominations for that.  She had heard about it possibly happening here in Equestria, but so far nothing had changed.  Admittedly it didn't affect her much, but it would be a hell of a lot more interesting.  Maybe she just wanted something less heavy.  That was probably it.  

And with more types of money, the chances that she could get her face on one would skyrocket.  Ooh.  At the moment it was just Luna and Celestia hogging the two faces of the bit to themselves, selfish bastards.  Of course, if she ever did get her face on a coin or a bill, it had better not be for being an element.  Maybe for revolutionizing the weather system across Equestria or something--she couldn't exactly see fancy flying being that important--but even then, there had to be more important things to put on a coin.  

But there the griffins had them again.  They had a revolution like a hundred years back, and had all their original leaders on there that had crafted their country into what it was.  Equestria just had Luna and Celestia for however much longer they lived, then maybe something chaotic would happen that lasted more than a day or so.  But those didn't really exist, because of the elements or Twilight or whatever.   

It wasn't as if she loved the Griffin Empire and wanted to move there, it was nothing like that.  They had weird customs, and she was sure she would find at least some small part of their diets unsettling.  They didn't eat pony, and the usual response to the question was a joke about it being too tough or something.  Tasteless, too.  It was a little weird to hear, because there was always the thought that went through her mind about how they knew.  That thought would cancel with the one that said the entire statement was a joke and to lighten up a little, but it still made her think.  And her thoughts always went to how she would taste.  Apparently, not so good.  She didn't have any fat on her, and that was where the flavor was.  Being almost entirely ignorant when it came to meats and their proper preparation, fat just seemed gross.  

Eh, the bits of meats they mixed into food were always nice.  It definitely didn't bother her in any sort of ethics way, and maybe at some point she'd have to get one of those fancy steak things.  Those were just a big slab of meat, though, and probably there was a way to work up to it.  Her only experience with one had been when a steak had passed by her table in Canterlot, and she'd gotten a good whiff.  She couldn't lie that it smelled good.  She'd probably get one to annoy Rarity.  Rarity loathed meat.

Dash got up from the table, washing her dishes and returning Mac's robe and towel after making sure she was dry.  She trotted out the door, hopping into the air with an emotion she didn't expect to feel: excitement.  She did a few loops before getting her bearings and flying off in the direction of Cloudsdale, grinning.  So it began.


_______________________________________________________________________________


Mac jerked awake, putting a hoof to his head.  It came away sweaty, and he threw the blankets off in an attempt to cool down.  In doing so he revealed to his own tired mind his stiffened member.  A second of shock washed over him before he started to feel a familiar burn and he let himself fall back against the pillows.  

"Fuck me."  Mac grimaced at the irony of the statement.  He lay there for a moment longer, before arising so that he could begin to pace.  "Shit."  He said simply, trying to think as much as he could now before it got hard.  Fuck these unintentional puns.  

This explained a lot, unfortunately.  He had been feeling unusually hot yesterday morning when he had taken a shower, but had written it off as just a weird event.  Then last night he'd felt a little too aroused.  Dash had gotten him going outside, sure, and he would've gotten something from that, but the dirty thoughts came all too easily and vividly to his mind.  Then he'd felt more needy during sex, and-- he should've just seen this coming.  Dammit.  He'd just assumed it was because he was around Dash, or it was a little bit warmer than the forecast had said.  Anything but this.

The walking felt nice, at least.  It was one of his strategies for keeping his mind elsewhere, and usually it worked.  Air was cooling his marehood fairly well, slowly drying the moisture that had accumulated there.  Hopefully Dash didn't know.  He didn't want her worrying about more than she already had on her plate.  But this was insane.  He couldn't be having another heat.  It didn't make sense.  It had been like a week.  This couldn't be happening.

"Probably just a wet dream and Ah'm comin' down with somethin'."  He reasoned, but the logic hardly made sense.  At least at this point, the light burning sensation between his legs wasn't going away, and he didn't have any other ideas.  Mac looked at the clock.  Applebloom would be off to school soon, and afterwards he could check if AJ was still around and see if she could get his doctor on the line.  The heat tests had maybe shown a pattern, the guy wasn't sure.  At least it was progress, and this one could be the breakthrough.  It was weird enough to at least reveal something.

But he was without Dash, and if he was already feeling this heated then the week was off to a bad start.  Usually the first day was easily manageable.  Heat eased itself onto him, as if realizing how annoying it was and offering an apology.  But this was already annoying, and he'd been awake for five minutes.  That wasn't a good start, by any means.  He looked between his legs, verifying that his member was as erect as it felt.  So it wasn't going down, that answered that.  

The objective now became getting ready in time for the worst of it.  At this rate, he maybe had the day.  Tomorrow it would be hard to think about anything other than Dash and some form of penetration.  That wouldn't have been a bad thing if she were here.  He shook his head, sighing.  Whatever, it couldn't be helped.  He needed to fill up the water coolers, dump in the half-gallon milk containers that he'd made into ice cube trays with populations of one, and... well, just wait, he supposed.  It would probably be helpful to get as many apples out of the trees as he could handle, seeing as he'd be MIA for at least a few days.  Applejack usually was able to work through her heats, but ever since she had seen him try she had told him to stay in the barn and stay cool.  He assumed she thought his were worse, at least sometimes.

Alright, with the idea of getting work done in mind, he needed to get in a few minutes of... well...  God, he hated heat.  Mac laid back on his bed, avoiding the wet spot from his dreams.  At least the early part of heat could be staved off with a little bit of attention, but it wouldn't last long.  He laid his hoof against his member, feeling it pulse against him.  It had been a while since he'd even bothered to touch himself; with Dash around it just seemed pointless, and to be honest the thoughts didn't come to his mind.  He sighed, but chucked to himself a few moments later.  He was probably one of the few that got angry at the chance for pleasure.  But then again, he'd be drooling at it in a few minutes time anyway.

He hurried the movements of his hoof along, feeling the tingles of the beginning of an orgasm on the horizon already.  Dash's hoof immediately replaced his in his imagination, his other hoof poking at his balls for a moment before continuing downwards.  He met wetness, his marehood winking in enjoyment as he pressed his hoof against his clit.  Mac wasted no time in his ministrations, moving quickly to push himself towards the edge in any way he could.  After all, his main objective here was just to look presentable so he could do everything he wanted to today.  

Mac hooked his hoof into his wetness, attempting to get the edge as deep as his stocky hoof could.  As usual, it was no use, and the pussy that Dash had described as tight kept him from making any progress.  To be fair, he didn't exactly need to be tight in the slightest to block his hoof.  His dick was pulsing heavily, pleasure building up impossibly quickly.  His thought process finally broke as pleasure swept over him, seed hitting him in the nose and making him jump.  His hoof was a blur across his marehood by now as it winked, occasionally stopping briefly as Mac lost concentration.  He had his own rhythm down to an art, speeding up as he pulsed and contracted, pushing himself closer in spurts.  

His length slowed its pulses, drooling with the last of his seed yet refusing to go down.  Damn.  Mac just restarted his stroking, a vision of Dash replacing his hooves again as the thick line of his seed across his body started to cool.

"You're not done?"  He imagined her saying.  She paused for a moment as he caught his breath.  "I guess we'll just have to see how good this heat is at keeping you hard, huh?"  Dash grinned her trademark grin of competition before disappearing momentarily as Mac's pussy contracted and new pleasure sped across him.  He almost let out a moan, but bit his lip hard.  He wasn't sure if Applebloom was gone, and the last thing he wanted was noise seeping out.  Dash returned as his pleasure started to die down, not stopping with his length.  Mac curled his stomach with the pleasure, rolling onto his side as his length erupted again and his vision went white.  Nothing existed in those precious few moments other than the ecstasy rolling through him.  If heat could make masturbation feel this good, he wondered as he floated in space, how would it make the real Dash feel?

As the stallion started to come down, he could feel his length slowly slackening.  He figured he probably had two or three minutes in maximum afterglow mode before it started to come back, and he couldn't help but enjoy his time off.  As soon as his heat started to return it would be off to the shower with him for a few more, then onto all of his work.  Hopefully he could knock it out for the morning at least.

It was going to be a long day.

God dammit.  Fuck that pun.
> Desperation
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Dash walked through a very ornate doorway, flanked by two guards.  The hallway she was in quickly opened into a much larger, domed room.  She looked around, refreshing her memory of the atmosphere from last time.  Little had changed.  She managed to quell a shiver as nervousness forced its way back into her mind.  Her mouth dried up.  

"Wait in the middle."  A guard said to her, before returning to his place by the door.  Dash did as she was told.  The Weather Board sure liked to put on a show.  Maybe she could one-up them this time.  She moved her tongue around in her mouth, feeling her heartbeat loud and clear.  If she could get herself in motion.

"Rainbow Dash!"  A voice boomed through the speakers, jolting her from her thoughts.  "Are you aware of why you're here today?"

Something witty.  Nothing.  Come on, brain!  Anything!

The pony rolled his eyes at her lack of a response.  "It has come to our attention that your reckless mismanagement of the weather over Ponyville has led to storms growing out of control, most recently in the events just over a week ago."

Anger replaced nervousness, and her internal script started to rewrite itself.  This was no longer a speech for the ages.  It was about defending herself against the shit the Weather Board said.  "Oh, that."  Dash shrugged.  "It happens."  Ice cold, Dash.

"Maybe in your mind, Rainbow Dash, but not in the mind of the Weather Board.  Your conduct is dangerous, and we have accumulated many complaints calling for your dismissal.  We've warned you in the past, and we feel we are quickly running out of options."

"Let me check one thing.  You are aware that Ponyville is in close proximity to the Everfree, where storms build themselves, correct?"  He nodded.  She was doing it, no choking or anything!  "Then why, may I ask, is it not erroneous to assume that I was doing the best anypony could, especially with a crew largely out sick?  I have documents to prove that as well."

"Whether or not you may feel you have reasons behind your subpar performance, Rainbow Dash, there is no excuse for endangering the citizens of Equestria needlessly when backups and safeguards can easily be formed."  

Because the weather team totally wasn't made up of every single pegasus knowledgable with weather, Dash thought, internally rolling her eyes.  Backups were a waste of Ponyville's limited resources, and the citizens lacked any interest in such a program.  Given their good record, she wondered who it was that was complaining.  "I see."  She replied shortly.  The tension started to return, and finding herself at a loss for a moment only gave the nervousness a chance to return.

"We have therefore decided, after much deliberation, to submit a recommendation for your dismissal to the mayor of ponyville, along with a suggestion for a suitable replacement."  Heads nodded behind him.  "You'll be demoted but remain on the team in recognition of your years of service."

"There's nothing that can change that?"  Dash asked, trying to look devastated.  That would buy her time to think.

"I'm afraid not."  The pony replied.  "You may go."

"Nah."  Dash responded, surprising even herself.  The pony stared.  

"Excuse me?"

The words started to flow again, as a new plan fell into place.  "Let me confirm, you're a non-governmental review board?"

The pony gathered his resolve, looking ticked off.  "Yes, we are."

"Ah, yes.  And I believe you said you'll 'submit a ticket' and 'recommend a replacement'."  She said, using air quotes around the two phrases.  "Those don't sound very forceful to me."

"While you are right,"  the pony responded among whispers from the other members of the board present behind him, "the recommendation of the Weather Board carries much weight across Equestria, I'm sure you'll find."

"Oh, darn."  She stamped her hoof to the ground, looking defeated.  "Well, then I guess I'm glad my word is worth more."  She pulled a copy of her license from her saddlebags, showing it to the board.  Ooh, take that.  "You'll find that it is in fact legitimate, minted only a few short days before this meeting.  To be honest, I didn't really have to come.  Until I commit a crime on the job, the Weather Board has surprisingly little influence.  And even then you're just around to make my firing official.  The criminal justice system does the rest."  Dash paused, enjoying the poorly hidden look of shock on the stallion's face.  

"You can't assume that-"

"Excuse me,"  Dash began,  "we're equals now.  With this contract, I have severed all ties to this pointless institution, and with it allowed myself to more easily run Ponyville Weather without the bureaucracy from you.  I contract to the city exclusively now, and because of how loosely your system is put together, there's nothing you can do about it."  She paused, tipping her imaginary hat.  "So I'll be keeping my job and giving myself a nice title promotion to manager or boss... still haven't figured out which one I want yet... and you all can sit here and do whatever it is you do.  Maybe forfeit your jobs to ponies that actually know how weather works."  She turned to leave.

"Once you go down this road, you'll find it's not so easy to come back."

Dash shrugged, finding the one stallion she knew on the Board grinning in the back of the group and nodding to him.  "Sounds good to me."  Dash walked past the guards and through the lobby, chuckling to herself as she walked outside.  She walked across the street, looking over the fence at the side of the city at the ground far below.  What a way to put in her quitting speech.  The day was off to a great start already.


________________________________________________________________________


"Fuck whatever day it is today."  Mac mumbled, biting his lip as he attempted to clean himself in the shower.  Everything had become a zone that aroused him in some way, and heat was already starting to get old.  He started on his flanks, his marehood enjoying the treatment immensely.  Ideally, he had wanted to get it out of the way, but visions of stallions mounting him flashed through his mind, his fur prickling at the body he could almost feel against his back.  Mac shook his head, turning the water even colder.  It was basically hose water and he was freezing, but the cold was barely helping.  

Streams of water ran across his lips and down his length, teasing him with their wisp-like caresses.  His masturbation from earlier had hardly delayed the rebound, and only made him more worried about how bad this was going to be.  He was sliding towards full heat way too quickly at this rate.  

Mac reared up, positioning his head just below the shower faucet and letting the water run through his mane.  He moved to the side for air and immediately regretted the decision as part of the shower stream skimmed his belly and hit the head of his length.  There wasn't even a pause as it pulsed hard, drooling with whatever he had left at this point.  It had only been three so far this morning, but they had been close together and he'd come hard.  He would be ready to pass out by now under normal circumstances, yet as he came down his body only wanted more.  

Alright, that was it.  If he was going to get this done for any reasonable amount of time, he'd have to pull out the big guns.  Mac reached from the shower, grabbing a small towel off the rack.  He threw it on the tile floor, laying down carefully on his back and rolling it into a cylinder.  He sighed, pushing himself slowly backwards until the back of his head hit the wall and the spray landed squarely between his legs.  Mac managed to slide the towel underneath his rear to aim himself before the water pushed him over another climax.  He let out a moan, shoving a hoof in his mouth to keep the sound to a minimum.  

As his marehood stopped pulsing, he hardly got a few breaths in before his length decided it was ready again.  Mac looked down his chest, feeling the hard pulses with every beat of his heart and watching his legs spread obscenely wider as his body subconsciously tried to soak up as much stimulation as it could.  Mac tried to imagine Dash, positioning her face in front of him after a few thoughts.  The scenario they were in stayed the same, albeit with her kissing him.  The less he altered, the easier it was.  Her dirty talk filtered into his ears from time to time, pushing him across his climaxes as they slowly became less and less common, and he became less and less aware.

An alarm went off, making him jump from his almost comatose state.  That was probably an overstatement, but he felt like a new level of lethargic.  Mac slowly rose to his hooves, his hind legs feeling uneasy.  He turned the water off, checking his sheathe with a hoof.  However long he had been here, it had done well to cure him of his heat at the moment.  Mac turned to the clock, surprised to see that he had set it a mere fifteen minutes after he'd gotten in.  It had felt like hours.  But he was sated for the time being, and ready to take on the day.

For the first time this morning, he felt good.


____________________________________________________________________________________


Mac wiped his forehead, ignoring the slight burn that had inched its way back inside him.  It was a minor annoyance, one that he could easily ignore.  He pushed a bucket into position, bucking the tree it was under.  Apples fell, finding their places in the containers.  Mac quickly consolidated the apples and threw the full containers into the wagon, grabbing more and moving on to the next tree.  Applejack was on the other side of the acres, and didn't yet know of his current heat.  It was just as well.  She would have forced the work on herself, and he didn't want that.  It never went well.  

Mac bucked another tree, continuing with his monotonous routine.  He was most of the way through the trees he needed to get done, and was getting close to the ones for the rest of the week.  He needed to get at least a good chunk of those done.  He looked over at them, trying to observe their harvest from afar.  All he ended up noticing was a mare walking through them, who waved as she noticed him looking in her direction.

"Bonbon?!"  He asked, hoping his voice carried that far.  She broke into a trot, taking a minute or so to make her way over.  

"You know, this place is really big once you have to go past the house."

"Yeah, it is."  Mac confirmed.  "How come yer all the way out here?"

"Well, actually, I wanted to talk about-"  She sniffed the air.  "What is... are you in heat?"

Mac's face hardened, as if he knew it was a joke, but thought it was stupid.  "Of course not."

Bonbon waved a hoof at him dismissively.  "As if I don't know."  Green flames enveloped her body, leaving him in her place.  "All it takes is one touch to get it right, and we've been friends for quite a while.  You may not be the most touchy-feely of ponies, but it was bound to happen eventually."

"Yeah, yeah."  Mac muttered, watching her turn back.  "Ah guess you got me."

She shrugged.  "The secret's safe with me.  After all, you've kept mine well enough."

"Yer lucky Ah knew ya weren't one of Chrysalis' batch."  He explained.  "It's not like yer the most stealthy of changelings."

"I didn't think it was so easy to see through that window.  To be honest it's lucky that it was only you, especially considering you weren't trying to peep.  If you had been I would've felt it."  She paused, trying to get her thoughts back on track.  "Anyway, it was smart of you to wait for a better opportunity to try to expose me, especially since-"

"Ah happened to talk to Zecora about it out of pure luck."  Mac finished.  "It's gonna be really hard for me to argue your case next time, Bonbon.  Ah'll gladly go down in flames for you, but don't force me ta do it over nothing."

She shrugged.  "It's hard wearing a mask all the time, lying to everyone.  And besides that, I still have to be a changeling occasionally.  I get rusty after a while and even easy transformations and magic get hard."  She gestured with her hooves, putting them extremely close to one another.  "I was this close to forgetting my own origins, to becoming Bonbon.  Well, I am Bonbon, but the Bonbon they know, I mean.  Then this guy stood us up in an alleyway and I was barely able to cast a spell.  I made it look like non-magic me, which was nice because BonBon's an earth pony, but you know."

"Well actually, I didn't know that."  Mac confessed.  "But hey, learning new things is nice."

"Yeah, well anyway, the point of me coming here is to tell you that something weird is going on in the Everfree.  The nomads out there are getting spooked, and it takes a lot to put them off."  

"I thought something was weird."  Mac noted, sighing.  He just wasn't sure what it was.  But it'd definitely felt stranger than usual, somehow. 

"Yeah, well watch out for that.  I don't know if it's something or someone, but it can't be nothing."

He smirked.  "Helpful."  

"Eh."  Bonbon shrugged.  "But here," she handed him a petal.  "I made this for you.  It's a little stronger than they usually are, and it's specifically for you."  Mac moved to take it, but she pulled it back.  "That means that it'll be nearly useless to anyone else, but way more potent if you need it, so use it if you need to throw an Ursa Minor or blow up a city block."  She let it fall into his hoof.  

"Thanks.  I hope you're leaving yourself some..."

"Oh, please.  Caramel loves me like there's no tomorrow.  Maybe because he's afraid he'll blow one of us up, so he'll have to get it all in now."  She put a hoof over her heart.  "I know he's annoying but damn I love him."  She stared off into the distance, becoming silent.  

"So like if you have kids, what happens?"  Mac asked, breaking the silence and looking at her quizzically.  "I assume changeling evolution accounted for that?"

"We can mate with ponies, yeah.  We make more ponies, though.  I do occasionally wonder what would happen if I was in changeling form.  Presumably we would still make something I think, but I dunno."  She paused, watching Mac twitch.  "God, that heat's bad, huh?  I can almost taste the lust."

"Yeah, well at least you know there are downsides to having this body."

"Oh, I get it.  But outside of you, I haven't been able to re-create it.  It doesn't work at all when I create my own forms.  Not even close."

"It's weird that you tried."  

"Come on, you wouldn't?"  She waited for a response, breaking into a wide grin.  "That's what I thought.  But I'll tell you what, i'll see if I can give you a bit of a break."

Before Mac could ask what that meant, Bonbon already had a hoof against his cheek.  He was having trouble not trying to extend the contact, and at the very least respond with a hoof of his own.  But as he opened his mouth to protest her hoof became cold, so cold it burned.  He tried to pull away, but he seemed rooted in place, all of his body heat shoving its way into her extremity.  All of a sudden it stopped, and the two both fell backwards, bowled over by some phantom force.  

"What the hell was that?" Mac asked, getting up.  

Bonbon let herself lay on the ground for a few moments, looking content.  "I grabbed a bunch of your lust."  Now that she mentioned it, his mind did feel clearer.  "It'll be back soon, but I figured it was worth a shot."

"Does that count as cheating?"  Mac asked, not sure whether to smile or frown.  He was sorta joking, but-

"Nah, it's not like you wanted to give it to me.  It's hard to take love meant for another out of a pony.  Really inefficient."

"So that tasted good, then?  Or whatever it's like for you?"

"Well, I'm definitely not hungry.  But with Caramel I'm never hungry."  She shook her head, chuckling.  "Anyway, watch your back."

"Keep track of Caramel."  Mac recommended.  "If they're out for those in the know, Ah wouldn't go after a changeling with a ton of love straight out."

"Yeah."  Bonbon confirmed.  "If this is the first disaster we have to deal with, at least we have some advance warning."

"Of the existence of danger."  Mac replied, irritated.  "That isn't enough to tip off the Ponyville guard, even if they did understand the situation."

"Well, you wanted to know all this in the first place.  Knowledge of the things ponies don't want to believe in comes with the price of secrecy."  She sighed.  "I can tell you that firsthoof."

Mac shrugged.  "Maybe it's nothing to worry about?  It could be any number of things, and maybe it's just passing through."

"I hope you're right."  Bonbon replied, turning away.  "I'm going around to the rest of us next, so they know what's going on, but other than the couple that came in with me, most of them are new and nailing their identities is all that matters right now."

"Yeah, Ah get it."  He waved goodbye as the mare started to walk away, wondering what it was that could spook the nomads.

He thought on it for about thirty seconds before his brain resolutely and quickly decided to focus on Bonbon's rear.  He watched it like a hawk as it started to disappear over a hill, and jumped as she gave it a shake, surely realizing that he was eyeing it.  Lust wasn't as good as love, she'd said, but with how much he felt like mounting her and fucking for hours, she was surely feeling a little full.  But he was glad that for the few minutes they'd been talking, he had at least forgotten about his heat, to a large extent.  

Mac turned his attention back to the trees, sighing.  Forcing himself through the rest of these was going to be a challenge.  


_______________________________________________________________________


Dash wandered into the weather factory, her long walk across town calming her nerves.  She had said everything she had wanted to without missing a beat, but she still had to be a little worried about angry Weather Board members.  They could surely figure out some course of action to annoy her, and after the audit she wasn't sure what that would be.  She had to hope for a flawless season to point to as proof that she could handle everything.  

Now that she was here, there was a possibility that she could finish before the end of the day and return.  She missed Mac, but that was in the back of her mind with everything else that had to be done.  

"Can I help you?"  A stallion behind the counter asked, his wing in a cast.  That must've been why he was working the desk.

"Yeah, I need to negotiate a new contract for Ponyville Weather."

"Okay..."  he trailed off, looking through a scheduling book.  "You called in a few days ago, right?"

"I did."  The moment of truth.  "I wanted to see if I could reschedule for today."

"Well, let's see."  He flipped a few pages around, drawing his hoof down a page slowly.  "Unfortunately, unless somepony cancels, we're booked up today.  Manehattan is working out plans for expansion, and we don't expect to be done before the end of the day."  Dammit.

"Ugh, okay.  Well, can you point me in the direction of a fairly nice hotel and book me for your earliest time slot tomorrow?"  This wasn't too bad, really.  She had expected the Weather Board to take much longer, and not let her go like they did.  At least she wasn't stuck for an extra day.  

"Sure.  Eight tomorrow work?"

"That sounds fine to me."

"Cool."  He replied, writing down her name from a phone record.  "So just down the road, there's a six or seven story hotel that everypony makes fun of because it's called Cloud 9."

"Super original."  

"Yeah, exactly.  They're probably a three star or so.  I'd go there."  He paused.  "I guess if you want to pay a little more, a few blocks farther and one south, there's another one that's four stars.  I can't remember what it's called, but it's a weird looking building, and it should be clear."

"Thanks."  Dash replied, exiting the weather factory in short order.  She had a lot of time, and not much to do.  Maybe she could figure out something to get Mac on a cloud?  Seemed possible.  Cloudsdale had a lot of worker issues, and always seemed to be short on ponies.  If any city wanted to develop a permanent cloud walking thing, it'd be here.  Otherwise she could probably ask Twilight.  She'd gotten Tank to be able to hang out in her house, but it had taken a lot out of her.  And apparently it had something to do with Tank's lack of movement.  Maybe she was better now, and Mac would be easy.   

Enough about that.  She had a market right here in town, where she could, at the very least, find something that Mac would like.  At least she wouldn't be totally bored.  


______________________________________________________________________________


"Oh, fuck."  Mac muttered, trying to regain his footing.  His hind legs were shaking again, and there was little doubt in his mind that he was in full heat by now.  He'd been walking around and getting enough rubbing between his hind legs to excite him, which had been quite the irritation.  But to top it off he'd kicked that tree and apparently vibrated enough to come.  

He recovered and wrote it off, trying to get through the last of the trees for today and ignore the rivulets of moisture running down his legs.  He was so close to being done, and then he could move on to other things.  He had thought about just retreating to the barn, but what he really wanted to do was make a trip to the doctor.  Of course, he couldn't go there in this state so he had to figure something out.  But if he was going to start orgasming from little to nothing, then this would quickly become impossible.  

Mac shook his head, his thoughts becoming no clearer.  He was beginning to feel the effects of too much lust to the brain, interruptions to his thought processes making it harder to keep planning and trying to go about his business.  It was getting tough far too fast as well, making him nervous to see what he would be like by the end of the day.  

His hindquarters called for attention, the next buck almost sending him to the ground with sudden pleasure.  Mac let himself fall onto his side after a few moments, gritting his teeth.  This heat was beyond old.  And it was worse than last time.  He felt like crying, something he hadn't done since he'd been a foal.  But it wasn't fair, this happening to him.  Heat sucked enough already, without it being worse and ridiculously frequent.  Dash was gone, naturally, the one thing that could have made it bearable.  He wanted- no, needed to see her, to feel her touch.  Fantasies weren't cutting it, no matter how real the hallucinations looked.  His head sorta hurt, but the pain hardly registered, blocked by everything else.

The grass felt nice against his cheek, morphing into Dash's hoof as he lay there, his mind yearning to be with her like a drug addict needing their next hit.  He blew a fast breath from his nostrils, steam following the disturbed air before whisking away.  

"Mac?"  Dash asked, walking over the crest of a hill.  She barely glanced at him before her eyes went wide, and she rushed to his side.  "What's goin' on?  What happened?"

"Dash, you're back."  He felt himself grow sleepy, blissful peace washing over him as he felt hooves wrap around his neck, picking up his head and looking into his eyes.


__________________________________________________________________________________________


Cold washed over Mac's body, and he sat bolt upright, looking around quickly.  Applejack was standing in front of him, a bucket in her hooves.  "Oh, thank god."  She sighed, pushing a water bottle into his hooves.  "Drink."

Mac realized his thirst as she said it, gulping down the bottle quickly.  It didn't seem to make a dent.  "I need more."  He said, his voice hoarse.  She handed him another bottle.

"Why didn't ya tell me ya were goin' inta heat again?"  Applejack asked, looking somewhat annoyed.  "Ah put ya in here for yer own good, because you start to lose yer grasp on the world when it gets bad.  How many days has it been?"

"One."  He responded, watching her eyes widen.  "Ah'm assuming Dash was a hallucination?"  He already felt the heat returning.

"Yeah."  His sister replied shortly.  "Ya shouldn't have done that, losin' fluids as fast as ya are, and on a hot day ta boot.  Ya almost worked yerself ta death."

He looked at her for a moment, but found no hint of any lie.  So it had been that bad then.  "Ah wanted ta put mah share in before Ah had to end up in here."  

The barn doors opened, and Mac shielded his eyes from the light.  As they adjusted, his doctor came into view.  "So he's having another one?"

"Yeah."  Applejack said, standing up.  "It's definitely a bad one."

"From what you said over the phone, I assumed."

"Look, Doctor, Ah don't want to interject mahself too much into his affairs or sound too blunt, but can't ya just cut his ovary out and save him from this?  Ah know he might not want ta do it, but that would fix the problem, right?"

"It probably would."  Light replied.  "But Mac is a delicate stallion, and any procedure like that would be far from normal.  If you needed a sterilization procedure for some reason, then that would be easy.  Noninvasive and quick to heal, and it's been done thousands of times, practiced by doctors on models and cadavers before they leave school.  This is specific, and the chances of us screwing something up are much, much higher.  If we can avoid surgery and figure out what hormone may be triggering this response and how to target it, that would allow us to fix the problem."

"So then why has it takin' so long?"  Applejack asked, becoming irritated at Light as he began looking Mac over.

"Getting drugs wrong is just as bad, Applejack.  I understand the torture Mac goes through, and as soon as I'm sure I have a solution I'll administer it.  But with so few data points, it's hard to develop any definitive conclusions."  He paused.  "I am close, though.  He managed to come in during heat two weeks ago, and the rapid turnaround this week should hopefully give me a rather accurate vision of the entire cycle.  Before, we couldn't take samples before heat because he didn't know it was going to happen, but by accident, we have this time."

"That was just after his last heat, there's no way ya could get anything from that!"

Light shook his head, pointing a light into Mac's eye.  "The cycle starts weeks before, surely you must know that."

Applejack thought about continuing the argument before sighing.  "Ah guess yer right."  She paused, thinking.  "But how could he even have another heat this soon?"

Light shrugged.  "I think we may know a little more after a few days, though.  I can only assume that it's accelerated because of hormones a female wouldn't normally have, or the fact that we're dealing with a non-fully formed uterus here.  Or things could just be out of sync.  I just can't say for sure."  

"I really love it how you talk about me like Ah'm not here."  Mac mumbled, pushing himself against the wall so that he was sitting more straight up.  He slipped slightly on the loose hay, shaking slightly as the friction pushed him into an orgasm.  He'd never been so annoyed during a climax before, or so embarrassed. But other than the gritting of his teeth and maybe a couple twitches, he kept it to a minimum.

Applejack looked on with concern, the sexual nature of the entire affair getting screened out by worry.  If this didn't get under control and this was a trend, how would he even survive?  He was tough to deal with during a good heat, and this was far past that.  And there were some things she couldn't help him with, which made her feel worse.  Most of his heats had been like hers, a major annoyance, but nothing that couldn't be worked past.  Some had been worse, but never before had she seen him like this, hallucinating and forgetting about water.  Maybe the lack of water had compounded everything else, dulling his thoughts and making him act like he had been?  That was a distinct possibility, and it made her feel better if it had been the main problem.

"You okay, Applejack?"  Mac asked, and she nodded.  Of course it wasn't the truth; she was worried as hell.  She bit at her hoof, ignoring the taste.  Mac was starting to get the look in his eyes again of a pony possessed, and it freaked her out.  There wasn't much that could keep him here if he decided to leave, so it came mostly down to his free will.  That same free will had pushed him through work in the heat while being in heat and through dehydration, just to do her a favor.  Applejack sighed.  Maybe she was just overreacting again.  She'd done it with Dash when she found her in the barn, and according to Mac, she'd made his last heat quite easy.  And more importantly, she hadn't done the things Applejack had accused her of.  

But it was still only day one.


_______________________________________________________________________________________


Applejack shut the barn doors behind herself, barring them shut.  Mac had enough food and water to last him the week, but she knew she'd be back in a few hours.  Leaving him alone during the bad ones was usually not a good idea, because his mind would wander a little too much.  He'd never tried to leave, probably due to his immaculate willpower, but with Dash in play she wasn't sure what would change.  Speaking of...

She walked inside, nodding to Applebloom.  The filly was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a bowl of cereal as an after-school snack, blissfully unaware of the issues in the barn.  "Did ya get the apples all back inta place?"  She asked.  Applejack had told her an Apple had fallen, and a chain reaction had occurred.  She was getting so good at misrepresenting lies that her element was starting to become irrelevant.  She chuckled.  "Yeah, they're all set up.  Mac's in town doin' somethin', but he helped me finish up."  The lie seemed to pass.  Applebloom was too young to read faces as well as Mac and her friends.  

"So, problem solved?" 

"Fer now, yeah."  Applejack responded, pulling the phone from its hook.  She put her hoof right up to the numbers before realizing that she couldn't call Dash.  She stood there, frozen as she thought about the conundrum.  The phone rang in her hoof, and she pushed it to her ear, picking it up.  "Dash?"  

"Huh?"  A voice responded.  "How'd you know my pitch?"

"What?"  Applejack asked, confused.

"It's my- look, I'll just start over.  It's time to dash, dash, dash out to Canterlot's biggest gem- click."  Applejack hung up, wondering if she should be amused or annoyed.  She put a hoof to her chin, thinking.  If Dash did call, she merely wanted to know when the mare would be back.  If she was going to be delayed another day, then she would have to watch Mac like a hawk until then, and start figuring out how she could do that with Applebloom around.  Maybe another sleepover?  They'd just had one here, so somepony owed them a favor.  

Or maybe she was underestimating Mac's willpower.  She was cutting him short.  This was the same guy that had protected her all these years, that had broken two of his legs in the Everfree and barely shed a tear.  If there was anypony that could handle whatever kind of jacked up heat he had, it'd be him.  Hopefully Dash would make it easier, when she got here.  Applejack didn't want to think of any of the graphic elements of their contact, but she had a way around him.  Mac had been in a good mood since their first date, and after she'd discovered him, he'd basically never frowned.  He was madly in love with that mare.

That was what put her on edge.


______________________________________________________________________________


Dash wandered through Cloudsdale's market, not finding much of interest, especially on the cloud walking front.  Cloudsdale wasn't exactly known for much beyond weather, so she couldn't say she was surprised.  Their produce was not as fresh, and they lacked many of the larger items a market like Canterlot could host.  There was a lot to be said for life in the clouds, but this was not one its strong points.  

Cloudsdale had come about through necessity, starting as the weather factory by itself.  Originally, the factory had existed just off the cliffs of Canterlot, but due to noise and risks it was relocated.  A small town popped up around the factory for the workers that didn't feel like making the long commute, and the city had grown ever since.  It was a simple history, but it at least had its own character.  

A jar caught Dash's eye, a little raincloud inside.  She knew it was fake, but it did look strikingly more realistic than the ones she'd seen before.  Intrigued, she trotted over to the stall to take a closer look.  Her well trained eye could tell that something was off, but she couldn't quite place what it was.  Part of the cloud lit up for a moment before fading, and she raised an eyebrow.  

"You like it?"  A pegasus asked, turning his attention from the customer he had been talking to.  "My son made it.  He's a unicorn, doing some training in Canterlot.  Pretty cool, huh?"

"Yeah, it's surprisingly realistic for a fake."

"Well if I didn't know better I'd say he's still got a bit of the sky magic in him."  He grinned, picking up the jar to look at himself.  "You know, there haven't been that many that have been able to definitively call it fake.  Most of them knew something was up, but they couldn't quite bring themselves to say that it was fake."

"A bunch of years of weather team does that to ya."

"Oh?  Which city?"

"Ponyville."  Dash replied.  "I'm actually up here on business, but the weather factory's a little busy apparently."

"I've heard."  He agreed.  "Anyway, if you're interested, I'll call it twenty bits for this thing."

"Really?"  Dash asked, surprised.  "That's a little cheap, don't you think?"

"Trying to charge yourself more?"  He chuckled.  "I'll tell you what.  Twenty, but next time you come up here you've gotta come look again.  If you can't tell that it's fake, you have to buy another for forty."

Dash laughed.  "If it's indistinguishable, I'll take forty any day."  She handed over the bits, taking the jar from the vendor.  She finally had that little cloud that Mac wanted her to stick on her desk.  Funny how after she'd told him it was impossible, somepony made it anyway.  This was magic, and didn't follow the same rules, but still.  She couldn't wait to show him.

Having made her purchase, the mare continued to walk around aimlessly.  She scanned the stalls for anything else of interest before turning back towards her hotel.  She could call Mac, then grab dinner and find some part of the Canterlot night life to take part in, without alcohol, before tomorrow.  Then it was back to Ponyville to start running her empire.  Dash grinned.  Man, she loved how that sounded.


______________________________________________________________________________


"Okay, Mac.  Yer not off to a great start here, buddy."  He paced back and forth, trying to get his thinking done in a burst as he had earlier.  "Got the vast majority of the apples done, so that's good."  Images of Dash flashed through his head, and he felt like his entire body was going to catch on fire with the burn that started up whenever he thought of her.  He'd never done drugs, and he'd probably used this analogy a million times in his head, but he felt like an addict that was going cold turkey.  Every fibre of his being wanted Dash so badly he could hardly even think about anything else.

Mac shut his eyes tightly, trying to bring something, anything else into his mind.  This was getting to be too much, and he felt like he was going insane.  His attempted thinking session had lasted maybe a minute, and now he couldn't get himself straight again.  

"Fuck!"  He exclaimed, swinging a hoof into a hay bale with enough force to send it sliding across the barn.  "Why'd you have to leave me alone, Dash?!"  

Mac took some deep breaths, wiping a frustrated tear from his eye.  He sat down, pushing his back up against a hay bale and getting to work.  Maybe he could bring the heat down, just a bit.  Then things would seem clearer.  

He touched a hoof to his member, pleasure surging through him, even with the lacking contact.  He groaned, beginning to stroke his length slowly.  As soon as he got to the head on his first stroke he gasped, an orgasm sneaking up on him out of nowhere.  Seed hit him in the chest, but he couldn't care less.  Mac reveled in the brief but sweet relief as he came down, pondering the intensity of the things he was feeling.  Those thoughts got lost as he started paying attention to his marehood as well.

It only took a few rubs, heat pushing him too close to the edge over the past few hours to be able to last more than a few short seconds.  Every muscle in his body was alight with pleasure as he refused to give pause to his movements.  The orgasms distanced themselves, but Mac was too busy reaping one of the few benefits of heat that he had kept himself from for far too long.  He was just a pulsing, tense body on the floor.  He wasn't sure if he was making noise or not, but he didn't care.  

Pleasure hit him again, and he curled in upon himself a little further.  A bit of seed hit him in the cheek, and without thinking he contorted himself a little further, managing to lick the tip of his dick.  The soft friction felt incredible, and no voice in his head could dissuade him from the path he was on.  He knew that this wasn't something ponies did.  That it was weird, and blah blah blah.  

Fuck them, he needed this.  Mac wrapped a hoof around one of his hind legs, making sure to keep his other rubbing at his pussy, and pulled.  His length got a couple inches into his mouth, enough to get him to come once again.  Dash took his place in his mind, the fantasy transforming the entire scenario into one he hope'd he'd have in as few as a matter of hours.  Nothing was coming out of him anymore, a testament to how quickly he'd spent himself and how little his body cared.  

He could faintly taste himself, but taste was hardly registering as a sense he still had.  Sight and hearing, both unimportant.  The only things now were his own, intoxicating scent, and the unspeakable pleasure it helped drive him to.  But where he should have been overjoyed with the feelings now that he finally allowed himself to seize them again, Dash still cut her way through the haze.  

She had better get back soon.  


_________________________________________________________________________


"Hello, Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack-"

"Ayyy!"  Came Dash's voice from the other end of the line.  "I told you I'd call."

"Yeah, how'd the Weather Board go?"  Applejack asked.  

"Friggin awesome!"  Came Dash's excited reply.  "They didn't even know what to do with me, I've never seen them so shocked.  But anyway, now I'm waiting on the Weather Factory.  They say they'll take me early tomorrow, and I'll get that all ironed out.  It shouldn't take me more than an hour or two."  

"Nice."

"So where's Mac?"

Applejack hadn't prepared for this as well as she should have.  She almost started to say she didn't know, but stopped herself.  That would be a lie.  Or was it?  She didn't know where in the barn he was.  "Ah'm not sure."  She answered after a moment.  "He was working his heart out earlier this mornin', so he's probably still out there."

There was a pause at the other end of the line, followed by a sigh.  "Well, then could you tell him I called?  I'll be bored later tonight, so if you want to call back, I can give you the number of the room."

"Ah'm sure he'll be all over it."  Applejack replied, getting out the paper and scribbling down the number as the mare gave it to her.  "Anything else?"

"Uh... No, I'll just wait until I'm talking to him."  Dash admitted, disappointment evident in her voice.  "Talk to you later, I guess."

"Sure thing, sugarcube."  Applejack finished, hearing the line go dead.  She felt bad, guilt weighing heavily on her mind.  But worrying Dash wasn't something she wanted to do, especially not around something that had started to replace her Wonderbolts dream.  She would be back early tomorrow, and then everything would turn out alright, she hoped.  Maybe she should check on Mac again.  Applejack looked at the clock, shaking her head in irritation.  First she'd get Applebloom from Rarity's, then she'd check on him.


_______________________________________________________________________________


Mac drew in a breath, raising his head from the ground.  Had he passed out?  He remembered the gist of what was going on, but his memory had ended abruptly.  He reached for a bottle of water, drinking the whole thing down.  This probably wasn't a thirst thing.  He'd probably passed out once before from something related to heat.  Excessive pleasure?  Was that a thing?

Either way, it worried him.  He honestly felt like he might die before he saw Dash again.  The burning was already back, and he just wanted it to stop.  It wouldn't stop, no matter what he did.  He'd gotten so desperate as to suck his own- ugh, he couldn't believe it.  The heat was driving him insane, far past the point of any other.  

Mac wiped sweat from his brow, trying to fall back asleep or pass out again, or whatever.  He didn't let himself move for what seemed like hours, trying to get exhausted enough to allow himself the privilege of skipping part of his heat.  All he succeeded in doing was warming up the cool boards beneath his side, making him somehow more uncomfortable.  

Finally admitting defeat, he pushed himself over towards one of the coolers, positioning himself under the nozzle.  Water splashed out as he pressed the button and he let it spill over his face as it outpaced his drinking.  He didn't want to pass out again if he could help it, though he still doubted the last was from thirst.  But there wouldn't be a next one, at least.  Mac sat up, leaning sideways against a hay bale.  The time he'd spent laying still had brought the heat back down into barely manageable levels, and he took note of the relative solace he had in his mind.  That almost made it sound bearable.  Manageable didn't mean it was bearable.  

"Dash..."  He muttered, repeating the name now and then.  It was something Applejack had told him to do, years ago.  Pick a thing, then repeat it a million times to keep his focus when his mind strayed.  He thought of their dates, of their time together and how sex was always something tacked on.  It was great, but it wasn't what kept him around.  Her jokes and jibes replayed in front of him, his imagination placing them right in the middle of the room.  They danced and laughed, having a joyous time like they always did.  

With the way he was acting, it almost seemed like she had died a few days prior, and he was stuck in mourning.  But he might as well have been, at the rate time was moving.  He'd been in this barn for an hour and a half.  That was it.  Sweat dripped into his eye, and he blinked it away.  Sleep still wouldn't come to him, and by now his mind had switched from dwelling on the past to plotting.

Every plan was insane by normal standards, a mixture of lust and exhaustion.  But even as he tried to coral his thoughts, to think of something that could help him, he couldn't shake one idea.  One that had stuck, refusing to go away like this fucking heat.  Mac stood, having little decision in what his body wanted by now.  

If Dash couldn't get here, he could go to her.  And he knew just the mare to help him, the only one that could bend the normal laws of even what magic would allow.  

Zecora.


___________________________________________________________________


"Zecora!  Open up!"  Mac hollered, banging at the Zebra's door.  It opened a moment later, and Mac walked in.  He was still dripping slightly from the pond he'd jumped in, but any relief he'd felt from the cool water was long gone.  

"What's wrong, Macintosh?"  She asked, worry in her voice.  That was no surprise. 

"I need to get to Dash, right now.  Immediately."  He tapped his imaginary watch to make it absolutely clear.  Everything was getting unbearable, and if he didn't get out of here soon he was at risk of completely breaking down in front of his friend.  Not an emotional breakdown, like, ignoring heat too long breakdown.  

Zecora nodded, gesturing for him to take a seat.  Mac obliged, making sure to keep his arms between her and his lower body.  She sprinkled some sort of herb on tea, pouring out two cups and pushing one towards him.  "Drink.  You look tired."

Yeah, of course he was, but did he have time for this?  Zecora's look told him she wasn't accepting any compromises.  He took a sip, realized it probably wouldn't burn him, and gulped the whole thing down.  It bubbled in his stomach for a moment, before his heat cooled ever so slightly.  He let himself take a breath.  "Thanks."

"You never told me you had heats, Mac."  Zecora said.  

Mac really didn't care if she knew at this point.  With their long friendship, it was bound to happen eventually.  And he smelled like a mare in heat, and that was a hard smell to mistake.  "Well, Ah do."  The words were hard to say, and he felt his face heat up a little more.  

"So Dash is away, and you're burning up without her?"  The zebra clarified.  Mac blushed and nodded, and she put a hoof to her chin in thought.  

"Ah don't know what ya can do with those potions uh yers, but ah was hopin' for wings."  

Zecora nodded, still thinking.  "I'll tell you what.  I'll make your potion, and we'll call it a favor.  You've helped me out a lot as it is."  She started hurriedly mixing ingredients, throwing a bunch into a little pot, which she put into the fire.  Mac watched her intently, his heat back to the barely manageable state it had been in before.  He started to let his eyes drift to Zecora's backside, but he looked away.

He could totally pin her.  Shut up.  Fuck.  He put his head in his hooves, trying to forget the thoughts that had run through it.  He was so far gone.  

Zecora set a filled vial to the side along with the small bowl, still adding ingredients to the other one.  

His top hat probably smelled like Dash.  Would that help?  It'd probably make things worse.  The way Zecora was working over there made him think that she was working on a cure for cancer.  Maybe she was going to drug him, realizing he was as out of control as he knew he probably was.  It wouldn't surprise him, after all he was basically drunk on hormones.  He was barely even a pony anymore, and hurtling quickly towards total animal.  At least Dash couldn't see him like this.  At least she hadn't when she'd found out about what he'd hidden from her.  

"Mac!"  Zecora exclaimed, pushing at his shoulder.  He sat up, looking from the same spot at the table.  "You fell asleep."

"Oh."  He said, still not comprehending how he couldn't notice.  Two little bottles were laid out across the table.  "What are those."

"Well this one," Zecora began, gesturing to the one on his right, "is a potion to give you wings, so that you can see Dash.  You'll have to use a petal if you're going to get them without training.  I have that just under the cork.  Oh, and it'll hurt.  Immensely.  This other one is the primer, that you absolutely need to take a half hour before the main one, or else it will kill you.  And you'll never see Dash again, got it?"

"Yeah."  Mac replied, reaching for them.  Zecora pulled the wings one away, though he currently had enough presence of mind to know which was a better choice.  He pulled the cork out, hurriedly dumping it all into his mouth.  It felt thick, but seemed to go down easily enough.  

"Alright.  These things are shaky, so wait at least an hour before you move on.  It could take longer to work."

A whole hour?  Damn.  Zecora showed him the door, and he walked out.  "Thanks."

She nodded.  "You're very welcome."

Mac walked the entire way back to the Acres, finally feeling drowsy.  It was probably only about three in the afternoon, so he was waiting until at least four.  He trudged slowly over the rolling hills and between the trees, walking past the hole he'd ripped in the side of the barn to get out.  The doors had been barred, and he'd been desperate.  He'd fix it next week.

"Mac?!"  Applejack yelled, running up to him.  "Oh god, Ah was so worried!  Where have you been?"  She'd deny him to the grave, but he could tell she'd shed some tears.  

"Ah couldn't handle heat, so Ah went to see if Zecora had anything to help."  

Most anger he could see in her face vanished, and she noticed the potion in his hoof.  "So she did?"

"Yeah."  He replied shortly.  His fur was just about dry by now, letting the heat come back full force.  But he was just so tired...  "Ah gotta get to sleep, first.  In mah own bed."

Applejack thought for a moment, before stepping aside.  "Go ahead.  Applebloom should be working on homework in her room, but Ah'll go in first just in case.  She trotted off, disappearing into the house several moments before he got there.  A hoof beckoned him inside, and he barely stumbled into his room and got the potion and its empty companion on the bedside table before he passed out.


_______________________________________________________________________


Mac awoke in a daze, feeling like he had slept for days.  He half expected to see himself in a hospital room, with Dash hanging over him.  But she wasn't, and it was light outside, so it must've just been overnight.  That was still twelve or so hours at least, which given his apparent level of exhaustion seemed right.  

He stared up at the little hanging stars, currently dormant, wondering how Dash worried that she wasn't doing enough in their relationship.  The answer would probably always elude him.  

"Wait..."  He mumbled to himself, sliding a hoof tentatively down his stomach under the covers.  He didn't feel heated, and as soon as his hoof passed the point where he knew he would have hit his length, he knew he wasn't.  Mac pushed himself up, pulling the potion from his night table.  He'd seriously asked for this.  He turned it around in his hoof, noticing writing scrawled onto the back.  

"You've got twelve or so hours."  It read.  "I'm not sure what something stronger would do, but I couldn't do nothing.  Enjoy your day off."

Mac shook his head, chuckling.  He didn't know what was in this potion, but he doubted it was the real deal.  Zecora knew he wouldn't have a chance to drink it.  The stallion placed both vials into a drawer in his bedside table, pushing it closed.  He supposed he'd have to ask about it later.  

He rose, stretching out his sore muscles.  He remembered most of what he had done while under the control of heat, and he couldn't be happier to stave it off for even a little while.  Dash should be back in the morning, and he would have her to help.  He could only fantasize about how good her body under his would feel after what felt like centuries.  He may not have been in heat at the moment, but the feeling of need for Dash had stayed, to an extent.  

Mac looked at the clock, surprised to see it was three thirty.  It was light outside, so had he slept for over a day?  Did the twelve hours start now?  He shrugged to himself, walking into the kitchen with a telling grumble in his stomach.  He wasn't sure if he had eaten food today.  Or yesterday?  Whatever one had the heat in it.  

"Yer up already?"  Applejack asked over a sandwich, looking astonished.  

"Is that sarcasm?"  Mac asked, still slightly groggy.

"What?"

He paused.  "How long was Ah asleep?"

Applejack looked at the clock.  "Maybe thirty, forty minutes?"

Must've been the potion, then.  "Well, okay."  He gave her a tired grin.  Maybe he could use a little more rest.  "Ah guess Zecora's potion worked."

"Yer feeling better?"  Applejack inquired, looking like she didn't quite believe him.  

"So much better."  He replied.  "You can't even believe.  The bottle said it'd last twelve hours, so Ah should be able to wait until Dash comes back."

"It's nice to see ya in a better state than this morning."  Applejack said.  "Ah was seriously worried there, didn't know what a were going ta do."

"Ah suppose Ah was a little out of my mind."  Mac admitted.  "More than the usual."  He walked over to the calendar, hanging from the wall.  "And now that Ah'm all here, and rememberin' mah responsibilities, Ah can meet with the pony from Manehattan as planned."

"Mac, ya don't have to if ya don't think yer up to it."  Applejack replied, nervousness evident in her voice.  

"Look, sis, it'll be fine.  Ah was going ta do it anyway, and this thing is workin' like a charm."

"Yeah, but Ah'm worried it'll stop in the middle, and he'll know."  She replied.  

"Know what?"  Applebloom asked, walking into the room.  

"Our business tactics."  Mac replied, reaching out with a hoof to playfully push her a little.  "Ya snoopin on our strategies?"  He asked, slightly worried that she'd heard more than just the last two words.  

"No!"  She vehemently denied, shaking her head for good measure.  "Ah just came down here to ask about a math question."

"Good."  Mac replied, rubbing his hooves together evilly.  He looked at the foal, who was getting slightly nervous under his gaze, before grabbing her by a hoof and pulling her over to him.  He pushed a hoof into her tummy, chuckling as she burst into laugher, trying to squirm from his grasp.  

"Ack!  Stop!"  She yelled in between laughs, as Mac continued to torture her.

"You've already heard too much!"  He replied with a laugh of his own, tickling her a few more seconds before he let her go.  She stumbled a few paces away, letting out a few residual giggles.  "So anyway, ya had a math question?"


________________________________________________________


"And you're thinking I take sixty?"  The suited pony asked.  "You're insane.  I'm the one here making the deal."  

"Ah think yer going to be a little regretful in a few months when we're still operating under yer contract, and Manehattan's population wants more apples, Glow."

"Yeah, well there's no way I can make a jump like that from last year."

"Ah would say that the free market's telling you to, or someone else will."  Mac replied, shrugging.  "It's up to you, but Ah've got to sell the surplus somewhere."

"You're not implying you'll help my competition, are you?"

"You got first crack with us, as ya usually do Glow.  But we've got to stay afloat ourselves, and Ah can't have apples rotting in the barn."

"And what if Manehattan crashes, and Equestria has another recession?  What then?"  He asked, throwing his hooves up into the air.  "It's a miracle I didn't get burned by the last one."

"Ah suppose ya have a point, but we're dealin' in commodities here.  Yer only concern should be that the economy of Manehattan expands slightly over the next fiscal year.  And you've seen the quarterly numbers from companies based there."  

"It could be another bubble."

"In what, Glow?"  

"I don't know, energy?"  He sighed, thinking.  "Look, I can do fifty five grand, I think.  I'll have to expand the transportation branch a bit, but it's not too much expansion too quickly."

He could move five grand somewhere else.  "Ah think Ah can push a few more into Canterlot to make the difference."  Mac offered, extending his hoof.  Glow took it after a moment, and shook.  

"I'll have the contract faxed through to you in a few days, and we'll haggle over anything else then.  Expect a long phone call."

"Sounds good."  Mac replied.  "Pleasure doin' business with ya."

Glow nodded, pulling a heavy bag of bits from his briefcase and tossing it on the table.  "This should cover any advance I need.  I know you enjoy a physical paycheck.  I'm wiring the next ones, though."

"Yeah, our little tradition's gotten heavy over the years."  Mac pointed out with a laugh.  

"Well, getting back should be easier, at least."  He turned to leave.  "See you later, Mac."

Mac bid his goodbyes, waiting until the stallion had left before hurriedly pulling the phone off the wall and dialing the number Applejack had written on a post-it.  The phone only rang twice before it was picked up.  "Hello?"  Came Dash's voice from the other end of the line.

"Hey, Dash."  Mac grinned, happy to hear her voice from somewhere besides inside his own head.  "How'd the Weather Board go?"

"Alright."  She said shortly.  "After I showed them the license they had trouble arguing with me.  I'm sure they're mad, but I mean come on.  They can't do that much.  I've just got to contract with the factory tomorrow, then it's back to Ponyville with me."  She paused.  "What about you?"

"Ah'm doin' okay."  Mac offered, not sure what information he should offer up.  He looked around warily, finding no one.  Applejack had taken Applebloom out to dinner so that he had the quiet house to himself, but he still worried that they would come back early.  He sighed.  "Well, actually, not so good."  

"How come?"  Dash asked, her worry clear even through the clouds dale static.

"Well, to be frank, Dash, Ah went into heat today."  He replied.  "For some reason.  It was really, really bad, but Ah managed to get a potion from Zecora that negated it for a while.  But all Ah'm sayin' is, expect me ta be not all there tomorrah."

"Oh, shoot."  Dash mumbled.  "That's cool that Zecora knows how to do that, though.  I didn't know you knew her."

"Yeah, we've been friends for a while.  Guess it never came up."  He paused, realizing that he'd never told her.  "But in any case, Ah don't want ya to hurry yer meetin' to be with me.  Ah'll be sure to sleep in, and ya can arrive whenever."

"I'll be sure to get there early."  Dash affirmed.  "We'll turn this heat into a lot of fun, alright?  You sure you don't want me to fly over there for the night?"  

"Nah."  Mac replied.  It sounded tempting, but he wouldn't be in heat until the morning anyway.  "It wouldn't do a lot of good, and yer business there is far more important.  The sole reason of me tellin' ya any of this is just ta give ya advance warnin'.  Ah didn't want ta just throw it on ya when ya get back, and if there's anythin' more pressing that ya have ta do, do that first."

"And leave you hanging?"  Dash asked.  "I don't think so.  I'll be over as soon as I can, and trust me, we'll kill that heat dead."

Mac grinned, shaking his head at her stubbornness.  "Fine.  Ah'll be looking forward to it."

"You better."  Dash laughed.  "Anyway, I'm glad you called now, because I was just about to get in bed to try to fall asleep early.  So probably a couple hours of reality television and I'll be brain-dead enough."

"Ah've heard that one with the housewives and mobsters or whatever is a real rag."  Mac offered.  

Dash yawned.  "Yeah, well I guess I'll see if they have a channel guide somewhere.  It's the season of that one sport in the Griffin Empire that's pretty cool and totally complicated.  Way better than hoofball."  She laughed.  "Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow.  Don't go insane without me."

"Love ya."  

"Love you too."  The line went dead after a second or two, and Mac stuck the phone back on the hook.  He started making himself dinner, wondering if his heat would come back as bad as it had been before.  He hoped not, but it wouldn't matter.  As soon as Dash was there, it would just dissolve.  It may not have been exactly how nature intended heat to work, but it would do.  

He did wonder what it would be like to have sex as a mare, though.  Especially this morning, for obvious reasons.  He wasn't sure if virginity mattered after he had sex with Dash, but technically that part of him was.  Eh, that was really semantics.  He didn't care.  Dash said she felt full, content even when they weren't moving much.  Maybe that was just her, and it varied greatly from mare to mare, but he couldn't ignore the fact that he was curious.  

Well, it wasn't like he needed to make a decision anytime soon.  Dash had already gone after him with her tongue and that had felt insanely good.  Everything with her always felt like heaven, and he couldn't say he wasn't excited to see what happened tomorrow.  Should he save himself, keep himself occupied with something else until she got there?  It sounded nice, especially since he'd have something saved up.

Mac grimaced, grabbing his finished sandwich and retreating quickly into his room.  Zecora's potion was good, but it wasn't keeping him away from his sexual thoughts as much as he would have liked.  Or maybe that was just him being excited.  He grinned, beginning to eat his sandwich in peace as his member and any arousal retreated.  Not that there was much compared to heat, but still.  He thought more about Dash, remembering his thoughts back in the barn when he was trying not to lose it.  

Maybe the best part would be a simple kiss. 
> Forces at Work
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

		"Can't be more than a few hours, now."  Mac mumbled to himself, wiping sweat from his forehead.  He let his head fall backwards, resting on the top of a hay bale.  Heat was back, and as bad as it had been.  But he'd prepared, made sure he was hydrated and full, and it seemed much more manageable.

"To me you're like a healthy addiction I can't deny,"  the radio said, blasting music in an attempt for him to block out all other thought.  "Won't you tell me if that's healthy baby?"  

He shook his head, annoyed at the song for reminding him of Dash.  He smacked his hoof into it, changing the station.  

"-here in the Canterlot area on the seventeenth of May, Creekside Amphitheater."  Some music played from the band they were advertising, fading out quickly as the ad ended.  

"And now, another half-hour of non-stop classic rock, only on eighty-seven nine, The Bone."  Guitar started to play, far too complicated for hooves to play.  It was either magic, or it was- singing started, and Mac knew it was one of those griffin bands that had started to become popular.  Ponies usually created interesting stuff, but the amount of control some of those griffins could have over a guitar with talons was insane.  He started humming along to the guitar riff, having to concentrate quite a bit to fit in every note.  He tapped his hooves to the notes, wondering how the solo hit them so quickly, and kept its time.  All Mac could do with a guitar was singular notes at what he thought was a modest rate.

"And says at last just as the time bell rings, 'goodnight, now it's time to go home'..."

He wished he could play guitar like that, or at least give talons a shot to see how they felt.  He was so into the thought that he hardly noticed when the next song started, breaking him out of his trance with a flurry of sound effects, leading suddenly into a slow beat.  It was completely different from the other song, but somehow complimented it.  He recognized the band as one that he had been a fan of for quite some time.  Their songs layered in such a way that it seemed like the audio version of art.  "Look around, choose your own ground..." it sang, putting him back into thought.  He wondered what types of music Dash listened to.

He half hoped it wasn't too much pop, but he couldn't say he really cared.  She seemed like she would enjoy anything with a fast beat, though he struggled to narrow it down more than that.  Probably rock, but he couldn't be sure.  He wanted to dance with her.  Maybe more than he wanted to have sex.  He was lying to himself.  But he still wanted to dance.  He wanted to blast music and be able to do something with it.  

"And balanced on the biggest wave, you race towards an early grave."

The plan that he had toted as easy was getting harder to pull off.  So far today, he'd gotten up, showered the sweat away, eaten a big breakfast quickly and came out here.  He had at no point broken his self control to touch himself.  That might have been a silly creed to stick to, because he felt like he was going to catch on fire.  

"Oh god, Dash,"  he mumbled,  "prove your speed."


______________________________________________________________


"Back already?"  The pony behind the front desk asked, grinning.  "You're early."  

"I figured if they could take me early, I'd be here."  Dash replied, shrugging.  "I'm not doing anything else in Cloudsdale, and I'd much rather be back home sooner."

He nodded.  "I'll put in a message for them."  He pushed an intercom button.  "Sir, Rainbow Dash is here to see you, if you'll have her early."  He paused, waiting for an immediate response that didn't come.  "Hey, you said you were Ponyville weather, right?"

"Yeah, why?"  Dash asked, surprised he knew, or remembered that she'd said it.  Had she told him?

He tossed her a rolled up paper, which she caught.  "Because you made the front page in the Cloudsdale Tribune."

Dash didn't reply, too busy unrolling the paper.  As she revealed the front page, her jaw dropped a little.  She wasn't front and center, but a still rather sizable portion of the page featured her likeness, looking like she was about halfway through her address to the Board.  The picture showed a calm, collected version of her, part of the way through dropping some fact or another.  "I didn't know they had press in there."

"Yeah, since like three or four months ago.  It's still kind of new."  A transmission came back through his intercom. "They'll see you now, if you're ready.  Just take the elevator to the top."

"Sounds good."  She said airily, her mind swirling with a million thoughts now, none of them on the contract she had to negotiate.  She called the elevator, stepping on as the doors opened a couple seconds later and pressing the button.  It rose quickly, depositing her at the top floor much faster than she had expected and giving her no time to think.  

Dash walked into what seemed to be basically the clichéd office from movies, with a big window behind a big desk.  At least he wasn't silhouetted against it, looking out menacingly in a chair that was mostly turned around.  He was just working and looking tired.  

"Thanks for taking me early."  Dash offered, taking a seat as he offered her one.  

"It's no problem.  Storm, pleased to meet you."  He stretched his hoof out, and Dash shook it.

"Pleased to meet you too."

He grinned and nodded.  "I'm happy to take you early, especially since I'm trying to get out of here early on this fine friday afternoon.  As a weather mare yourself I'm sure you know that our work does end at some point."

"I do."  Dash replied.  "I suppose you have quotas for cloud manufacturing like we do for storms."

"In a sense."  He agreed, folding his hooves on his desk and giving her his full attention.  "Normally, I'm sure you're used to a larger board table, right?"

"Yeah."  Dash admitted, looking around.  "It's somewhat weird dealing with the big boss without everypony else."  

"Well after the Manehattan debacle I gave them the day off.  I figured that Ponyville weather wouldn't be hard to deal with, and judging by the paper today I made a good decision."

Woah, he was taking shots at the Weather Board too?  "I'm surprised you'd say that."

He chuckled.  "Well, I'm assuming you have a good idea what you want, and I don't have to deal with a bunch of Weather Board ponies here that don't understand that it's easier to make regular clouds and form a rainstorm than make rainclouds and try to move those.  I waste a lot of wage money paying ponies to move their crap around."

"Right?!"  Dash exclaimed, before grimacing and calming down.  

He chuckled, but his face quickly hardened.  "A little advice?"

"Sure."  She replied.

"Between you and me, I wouldn't pull another stunt like that."

"What?"  She asked, surprised at the sudden shift the conversation had taken.  "What stunt?"

"The one with the weather board.  You didn't just embarrass them in front of a couple guards, but all of Equestria, eventually.  They have egos."

"Yeah, but they don't-"

"Have any power?  Sure, not officially.  They sent somepony here to try to dissuade this deal.  The only reason I still have you up here today is because I know you're right, and if you're successful I'd much rather live in a world without the board.  They can't touch me, but you better watch your back.  They don't care if you did help save this country or not, and regardless of their cluelessness in politics, they know the bureaucracy like the back of their hoof."

Dash swallowed hard.  Just what had she gotten herself into?  "Surely you're over exaggerating?"  She reasoned, hopeful.  They couldn't be that bad.

"Maybe I am.  But ponies that find themselves at odds with the Board have encountered several issues with their careers shortly after."  He sighed.  "So while I don't know what they'll do, rest assured that it'll be something.  You'll have an advantage, being who you are, but there's only so much reputation can do.  Think about every decision you make and be clever, and you'll do just fine."

"Yeah, that makes me feel great."  Dash mumbled, a lump forming in her throat.  Just like her to assume that she could get away with something like that.

He patted her on the back, putting her at relative ease.  "You'll be fine.  Now, as leader of the only independent weather team in Equestria, what clouds do you desire?"  This second rapid change in conversation almost gave her whiplash.

Dash took a deep breath, trying to put all her worries aside.  "I want to set up a plan with the weather factory to have some number of clouds on hoof, to be taken and paid for as needed.  I know you have storage here, and I want to take advantage of that to avoid wasting clouds by letting them hang over Ponyville indefinitely."

"Mhm."  He nodded.  "And what amount of cloud are you recommending we put you down for?"  The version of him that had given her the warning had been replaced by a calm, collected businessman.  It made her wonder if she had somehow hallucinated the whole affair.

She collected herself once again.  "Well, I'm looking for enough of the higher quality ones to thinly cover about a square mile.  Presumably, we won't take it all at once, but it would be there in case of emergency."

The stallion leaned back in his chair, thinking.  "I suppose it does make more sense than the previous shipments I was sending, considering the rain clouds the board made us send in the middle of winter last year after a blizzard.  However, we can't have those ready for at least a month with spring demand.  The other stipulation is that I only want to be held accountable for having all the clouds there with a week's notice."

"Then I want to make sure that at least a third is always up for grabs."  Dash rebutted.  

"Sounds reasonable."  He paused, stuck in thought.  "You'll pay full price for the clouds?"

"Mass produced?"  Dash queried.  "They're fancy clouds, but they aren't hoof made.  Ninety percent for buying bulk and convenience of not wanting them right away."

Storm pulled a file out of a drawer on his desk, flipping through the papers inside.  "I'll give you ninety two with no returns."

Like she would accidentally withdraw them.  She wondered if he was going soft on her because he wanted her to have every advantage she could.  "Deal."  

The stallion grinned, stopping a recorder that she hadn't noticed he'd turned on.  "I'll have my secretary write it up, and have you out of here in no time."  He tossed it into a tube in the wall, and it was whisked away.  He returned with an ornate bottle of hard liquor, pouring a bit in two ornate glasses with ornate ice cubes.  "I know it's early, but no one has to know.  I like to end any of these things with a toast, especially since I already have the office of those crazy businessmen from movies.  I may as well fit the part.  To freedom."  

Dash chuckled, bumping her glass off of his.  He'd put maybe half a shot in there, aiming for moderation.  It went down smooth, leaving her with a slight burning sensation as it settled.  Out of her few forays into the world of hard alcohol, this had probably been the best.  And she needed it.  

"I'm enjoying this low-key contract thing."  She said, not getting all the feeling she wanted into the comment.  What a surprise.

He shrugged.  "Like I said, long week.  I want to get home like you, and don't take this as an insult, but Ponyville is small fry stuff."

Dash laughed.  It sounded somewhat hearty.  "Yeah, I get it, but still."

"We'll give this a shot.  If something goes horribly wrong, we'll correct for it next time.  That's capitalism after all."

"Coming from a guy that's got heavy ties to the government."  She chuckled.  That one was real.  

He shook his head.  "I try to act like the tax money we get is from satisfied customers.  In any case, you can wait in the lobby downstairs for a few minutes until my secretary has that stuff ready.  Read it first, obviously."

"I know."  Dash replied.  "I may be new to the self-negotiating of these things, but I've had to sign other things before."

"Just making sure."  He affirmed.  "You wouldn't believe the number of ponies that just sign things without reading them nowadays."

The blue mare nodded, leaving her glass on his desk and taking her leave.  As the elevator started to move back down, her thoughts immediately turned to Mac.  A second wave of nervousness shot thought her, the bit of alcohol suddenly feeling uncomfortable.  It was still pretty early, though, surely he hadn't been up that long, right?  But maybe with it being as bad as he had said, it didn't need to be that long.  He was probably in a living hell waiting for her.  Being in a relationship made it worse, at least when she couldn't be there.  Heat was one of the reasons a lot of long-distance relationships broke up, though Dash had always attributed those to a lack of self control.  

At least she had another thing to think about.  Dash stepped from the elevator, picking a chair in the lobby.  Then her train of thought started moving again.  

Her heats had never been seriously unbearable.  She didn't become animalistic, and to her knowledge nopony really did.  The craving was definitely there, but most times it was ignorable.  Working was out of the question because wind would start to feel sensual, and even ignoring the rest of the awkwardness of heat that would be a dangerous distraction.  And stallions tempted her a little too much for her liking.

Using heat as an excuse for cheating, however, seemed low.  She was glad that nopony she knew had used it, because she would've been obligated to go smack some reason back into them.  It made no sense, cheating.  She couldn't fathom the logic for not just dumping the partner if something wasn't working out, then getting with the new one.  Maybe she couldn't accurately put herself in their shoes, but whatever.  There weren't many worse things you could do to a pony, except like murder and stuff.  But emotionally that was probably the worst.

Dash paused her thoughts, wondering how she had gotten so far from Mac.  Oh, heat not being that bad.  Yeah.  Mac complaining meant something.  He'd probably walk back into the house with an arrow through him, mention it, then go pull it out somewhere by himself.  So it must be bad.  That left her with the obvious plan of how to deal with it.  He wasn't going to get rid of it himself, or he wouldn't have mentioned it in the first place.  

The immediate solution that came to mind was break out the toy she'd bought, and give it a few test runs.  Don't visualize that, Dash.  She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the vision out of her mind before it could begin.  The problem with that plan was, it left her with a serious moral catch.  If she were looking from a pragmatic viewpoint, then her best option would be to use the toy, and make it feel as much like a stallion as she could.  That would knock his heat down a notch.  But she also wanted to make it something he would remember as sensual and gentle, and more importantly she wanted him to agree to do it of his own will.

He had said in the past that his male parts had always seemed to calm him a little more.  So maybe they could go crazy, and when he got it out of his system, they could knock it out the rest of the way.  His answer would be from his head, and they could have a little fun with it.  She could presume that if heat went as nature intended, it was quite an exciting experience.  

Hopefully he was still asleep, but she knew how heat had a nasty habit of destroying her sleep schedule.  If anything like that happened to Mac, then he was in for a bad time.  She presumed he was already awake if Zecora's potion had worn off, and may had been for a few hours.  Come to think of it, why hadn't he told her about Zecora?  She was not a mare to pry, but it seemed strange that he wouldn't if they knew each other so well.

Dash shook her head.  He hadn't mentioned Bonbon or Caramel for quite a while either, and that didn't mean anything.  If he'd known her for a while and they were together, then she was pretty sure that he would've been sharing the heat she'd found him out in with her.  Mac didn't seem secretive with his personal life, and honestly she couldn't find any reason to doubt the things he said.  He probably viewed lying as a waste of oxygen.  Anyway, with that pointless worry out of her head, she could continue onto what she'd been thinking.  

So assuming the potion wore off, she needed an attack plan.  She'd taken a shower this morning, so she was as clean as she was going to get for the time being.  Not like it mattered, but she wanted to look good when he saw her again.  Dash tapped a hoof to her chin, thinking as objectively as possible.  She'd drop off the gift she bought here in her house and get some good food, check on Tank, and run documents down to the weather office to copy and lock up.  She'd make sure to have a saddlebag with his gift from Canterlot as well, and not pull out the contents of that side in the office.  It would probably be lunchtime by then, so she'd bring Mac something from The Hole in the Map.  A sandwich or something that didn't need to be hot.  She'd leave her saddlebag outside in a sunspot to warm up, so that she could make the experience as real as possible.  

But if she couldn't knock out his heat well enough, she may end up there for a large portion of her day.  She was fine with that on the one hoof, but if the weather demanded storms and showers it would be hard to juggle both.  Hopefully she could either get a break with the weather or sate Mac well enough to leave intermittently.  Sort of like his last heat.  

That led her into her underlying worry.  Those heats were way too close together.  Even the most fertile mares had cycles of a month or so, and he'd had a week between this and his last.  She was sure Applejack was thinking the same thing.  Mac may not have been normal, but this was a little too strange.  If he got stuck in a cycle like this, and his next heat started two weeks from now, she wasn't sure how long he could handle that.  He had her, sure, but neither of them had that kind of time or that flexible of schedules.  Mac and Applejack didn't have that many excuses, and if ponies found out about Mac she wasn't sure what they'd do.  There wouldn't be any pitchforks, but it could put them off.  She had no idea.  But she knew that Mac would be embarrassed.  He wouldn't want his face seen for quite a while.  

Dash cringed, wishing she wasn't waiting on this contract.  Even when it was done, she still had to read it and verify everything, then presumably draft a new one.  Hopefully they could agree on everything and she wouldn't have to get the lawyer from the weather office to start sending letters and making phone calls.  They had him on a necessity only basis, and something like that would cost a lot.  And besides that, waiting on it just made her think about the Weather Board.  And if Storm was right, then that just added another thing that she had to-

"Rainbow Dash?"  The secretary called out.  "They've got it typed up, but it's still a little rough."

She looked at the time, wondering how she'd thought about other things for a whole twenty five minutes.  Whatever.  She had at least an hour or two of negotiating with the only guy that realized the gravity of the situation she was in.  Perhaps more than she did.  

At the very least, she had Mac to get back to.  She hadn't missed him as much during this trip as she did now.  She wanted to feel his embrace, and to scream about the weather board for an hour or two.  Hopefully she could at least get the first one.


________________________________________________________________________________


"Ooooooooooh my gooooooooood."  Mac groaned, laying on his back in total discomfort.  He sucked down another bottle of water, replenishing the fluids he'd lost in probably the last ten minutes.  His member was helpfully showing him the direction of the corner of the ceiling.  It pulsated occasionally, refusing to be anything other than painfully erect.  He refused to touch it, showing far more self control than he'd thought he had.  He wanted to have Dash be the first, to completely lose it at the first touch of her hoof, rather than his own.  It was a silly gesture, but it just felt right.  

And it wasn't easy.  He vividly remembered all the debauchery of yesterday, the things he'd done to get off.  It had worked, he supposed, but it still bugged him.  And his brain kept trying to remind him that he had all the parts to please himself anyway.  There was no way he was ever going to bend his erection, but his mind didn't seem to care about logic.  

Sure, he'd thought about stuff like that before.  It came with his body, and probably wasn't impossible by any means.  He just had to get it in there before he was completely erect, and then figure out how to keep it moving, then he would be-  

"Uugh."  He groaned, shaking his head.  There were some lines he just didn't want to cross.  There wasn't any real risk, he couldn't get pregnant anyway, but the concept still weirded him out.  A couple more heats like this, though, and he doubted he'd care.  Curiosity would get the better of him, and he'd see if it happened to work like it did in his head.  

He sat up, careful to avoid stimulating his hindquarters as much as he could.  He grabbed a deck of cards that Applejack had left him, clearing an area of straw so he could play unhindered on the floorboards.  Mac laid down on his side, flinching as he touched his member to the ground ever so slightly.  It pulsed hard, relishing in the brief contact.  Luckily he wasn't close enough to come--he'd kept relatively under control--but it threw his thoughts into chaos once again.  

Mac fought through the dirty images in his head, carefully laying out the cards.  He pulled some strands of hay from the bale, making some card sized rectangles above the area he was setting the cards in.  Maybe if he managed to focus on something like this, a real thinking puzzle, he could ignore his heat.  If he could just get into the zone, then he would be fine.  But getting there was a problem.  He assumed that the only efficient way to kill heat besides the obvious was to find himself in life-threatening danger.  Survival instincts would take over, right?  He wasn't sure, but he didn't feel like almost dying to find out.

He placed down his last card, immediately throwing an ace into one of the imaginary boxes.  At least he was off to a good start.  He thought for a while before he began the first moves of the game, making small stacks of cards.  He started thinking a few moves ahead, watching the cards move around in his head.  He hit a dead end, and tried another.  He got further than his first attempt, and started moving the cards before he forgot the order.  

Freecell had always been his favorite card game, mostly because it didn't rely on luck like solitaire.  Everything he dealt had a solution, he just had to find it.  The door moved slightly, and his head turned to look at the opening quickly enough to hurt his neck.  Some wind whistled through the rafters and he sighed, watching the doors move back an inch as the gust died down.  He wondered if he could even get himself inside Dash before he-

"Fuck you, wind."  He mumbled, trying to return to his game.  For a entire quarter hour he had tuned out the burning in his hindquarters, but now the incessant pulsing of every part of his genitalia begging for some attention had returned with a vengeance.  It had been a blissful minute.  He tried to return to the game, but found focus eluded him.  His heart was beating in his chest, still excited from the brief prospect of Dash being back.  His juices were dripping readily across his leg and onto the floor, preparing him at the slightest thought for full-on mating.  Whatever loss of blood he'd achieved in his member had erased itself in a fraction of a second, and he was back to feeling shitty.

His eyes drooped.  Maybe he could get to sleep.  That was better than cards, anyway.  Mac leaned against a hay bale, closing his eyes.  Dash had better be here when he woke up.  His wit was at an end.


_____________________________________________________________________


Dash sighed, rolling onto her bed.  It'd been a while since she'd slept here, she mused.  The blue mare stared up at the ceiling, shaking off any residual stress she had over the Weather Board fiasco.  She couldn't worry about that yet.  Job or no job, she cared about Mac more.  

To that end, she'd come back here to get ready.  She hopped up, quickly filling Tank's food bowl with lettuce and a couple little gems like raisins he'd find if he ever got to them.  He looked at her, blinked, and started to move over to the new food.  Dash watched him take a few bites and get bored, beginning to walk off somewhere else.  She chucked to herself.

She took out whatever else was in her saddlebag, replacing it with Mac's gift.  Or cure, more accurately.  She'd already dropped off everything at her office and given ponies instructions, so that was taken care of.  They'd run a simple schedule for the rest of the week, and that'd be that.  Thunderlane was to tell her if anypony came in, and inform them that she was out sick and he was in command.  If the Weather Board was after her, that would at least throw them off her trail that much.  He'd tell them that she was at her coltfriend's house because she didn't feel like she could fly home, and Applejack would do the rest.  She'd already talked to the mare to make sure her plan was airtight, and she'd call in sick tomorrow so it was in writing.  She doubted that they would be so blatant as to come by today.  If Mac thought he could handle heat over the course of the day, she would continue going to work, but save herself from flying around.  Frankly, she needed to save as much energy for this as possible.  

"Okay."  She said, clapping her front hooves together.  She had the thing, now what else?  Dash opened her refrigerator, quickly cleaning out some of the food that was close to expiring.  A lot of water followed that down.  She wanted to make sure she could handle the stamina that came with heat, and getting dehydrated or hungry were great ways to fail at that job.  

Dash threw some granola bars in her saddlebag along with a water bottle, trotting upstairs to grab a bottle of lube.  She'd basically never used it, but it'd come with something she'd bought at some point.  She'd make sure to get a little extra lubrication in there in case she wasn't otherwise ready.  She didn't need much foreplay at all, but none was probably stretching it.  Mac would probably get on top of her pretty fast.  

She had butterflies in her stomach for a new reason now.  It'd been a day and a half since she'd seen Mac, and she was ecstatic at the thought of their intimate contact resuming.  She just hoped he wasn't completely out of his mind.  If he was, then she could never proceed with the rest of the plan in good faith.  It just wasn't right.  Dash made sure the reservoir of her toy was full, making a mental note to remember to leave it in the sun to heat up.  It was a warm day, but definitely not warm enough to cause any damage or melt it.

She threw the saddlebag over her back, allowing herself a grin.  In five or so minutes, she'd get a pretty nice vacation from all of this stress.  The mere thought made all the butterflies fall silent.


___________________________________________________________________________


"Mac, you still here?"  Mac heard, rousing him from his stupor.  He'd managed a comatose state where he had become completely oblivious to the world around him, a floating consciousness in a sea of indifference.  Or so he'd thought.  He'd managed to get his dick down, at least.  That was an incredible feat.  

"Dammit Applejack, yes!"  He hollered back, figuring it had to be her.  She was coming in through the side he'd messed up, and he figured that Dash would go through the front.  He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, turning to find Dash.  He looked... well, not good, as it was.  Mac stared at her, his eyes going wide for a moment before he looked away.  His erection surged as he panicked, grabbing a bottle of water in his hoof and chugging it down.  He was probably just dehydrated, and he didn't want to get his hopes up.  At least the momentary panic killed off his arousal at the source.  

"What is it?  Just a checkup?"  He asked, gesturing to himself.  "Because Ah'm still here."  Please don't be Applejack...

"Huh?"  Dash asked.  "What're you talking about?  Why's that wall broken?"

"Wait, Dash?"  Mac asked, excitedly getting to his feet as he hoped for the best.  "Fer real?"  He held himself back as best he could, just in case.  It didn't stop his member from reaching full extension in a couple of seconds.  Dash stared at it for a moment.  It pulsed, reminding him he hadn't gotten off yet today.  He was right back to being hopelessly close to the edge.  

"Yeah."  She replied, confused.  "I don't get it."

He wrapped her up into his arms before she could react, hugging her like he had thought she was dead.  "Ah hallucinated that you were back earlier when Ah got dehydrated, but it was mah sister."  He explained.  "Ah didn't want ta get mah hopes up, so Ah assumed it was the same thing."  He sighed, laughing.  "Oh man, ya can't begin to understand how much Ah've missed ya."  

"I've got a bit of an idea."  Dash replied with a grin, pushing him away just enough to kiss him.  He tried briefly to be sensual and slow, but quickly lost the bit of self control keeping him there.  He pushed her back a foot or so, pinning her against a stack of hay bales and kissing her for all he was worth.  The full effect of his heat was back beating down on him as if it had never left.  He was so close to the edge, pleasurable feelings spiking through his hips despite the lack of stimulation.  Mac pushed her lips harder against his, the need to ram himself inside her somehow getting eclipsed by the idea of a simple kiss.  His hips jerked, trying to hump something, anything.  Pleasure kept building between his legs, but he knew it would at least wait for him to start.  

Dash's tongue danced inside his mouth, and Mac realized far too late that he wouldn't even need stimulation.  He pulled away and staggered back a step, trying to figure out how he was going to avoid wasting something he'd been holding himself back for this entire day.  Dash came down to her hooves from the hay bale stack, looking surprised that he'd stopped and just in time for Mac to groan and hit the ground with a blob of seed.  He saw Dash with a twinkle in her eye just before he pulsed again, her body slipping between his forelegs and wet lips sliding up his member.  That perked him up, forcing his eyes wide open with the sudden massive increase in pleasure.  

He pushed her further down his length with a hoof, his hips spasming as his body finally released all of its pent up energy in one long, pleasurable burst.  Mac jerked hard and tipped, barely feeling himself hit the ground.  Dash somehow stayed with him, making sure the orgasm that he'd saved for her didn't go to waste.  

Dash pulled her mouth away, wondering if heat had changed the taste of his seed or if it'd just been her imagination.  Mac mumbled something unintelligible as his mind tried to reboot.  Dash was soaked and she could hardly think straight.  That had probably been the hottest thing she'd ever seen, having a stallion come without any sexual contact, and so violently too.  Apparently the lube had been pointless.

Mac sat up, looking down at his member which was still hard.  He tried to laugh, but his voice cracked.  "Ah wanted that ta be inside ya."  He confessed.  "Ah know ya like that and Ah figured Ah'd be shootin' blanks pretty quick today.  Sorry."

"You're apologizing to me?"  Dash asked, shocked.  "I'm sorry I couldn't be here earlier."  She turned around, laying her front half against the ground and flagging her tail to show me just how wet she was.  She winked, and Mac's member twitched in response.  Dash grinned, watching some of his juices drip from his balls as he stood up.  That'd get its turn too, she declared in her head.  "Now come on, let's kill that heat."

"Why the wait, Mac?"  She asked, humming as he settled his chest atop her shoulders.  It felt nice. 

He was breathing heavily already, still continuing his slow movements.  "Ah want ta get inside ya before Ah come again."

Dash winked again, kissing the tip of his length.  He shuddered for a couple seconds, but apparently kept himself from coming.  Oh god this was the hottest thing.  

"Ah'm tryin to save somethin' for ya, but yer not helpin'."  He replied gruffly, as she felt heat from his member near her opening for a second attempt.  She winked again, the suspense driving him insane.  Probably her too.  Mac looked backwards, trying to gage how well he was lined up before he began moving forwards rather quickly.  He hit her soaked flesh, made an adjustment, and filled her in one succinct thrust.  She was so much wetter, tighter... better than he remembered.  

Dash gasped, her sounds of pleasure completely drowned out by a moan from Mac.  There was no effort to make it sound masculine, but before she could think too much about it he was pulling back out, shoving it back in quickly.  He was making small thrusts as fast as his body would allow, quivering on her back like mad.  His vision was white, pleasure overtaking his entire thought process as he finally released himself into his mare.  He came like he'd never come before, his body trying to fill her to the brim even thought it wasn't able to.

He was probably making a lot of noise, but he couldn't care less.  He hugged Dash against his chest, shuddering as he finally started to come down.  He buried his muzzle into her neck, kissing her gratefully.  His heat wan't gone, not by a long shot, but it was probably far better after a matter of only seconds.  Dash giggled as he moved a hoof under her, caressing her chest.  He laughed, his chuckles growing quickly into all out guffaws.  

"What's so funny?"  Dash asked, twisting herself around enough to look him in the eye now that he wasn't bearing down on her so heavily.  "Forgot what it's like to come inside a mare?"  She shifted her hindquarters, making him twitch as he realized he was still inside her.  His laugh faltered.  

"Maybe a little."  Mac admitted, wiping a tear from his eye.  "It's just so weird, ya know?  And yer acting like it's so normal it's just... funny ta me, Ah guess."  He stopped the small thrusts he'd been making without noticing.  Maybe it hadn't cured him as much as he'd thought.

"You don't have to stop."  Dash reminded.  "I know you don't want to."

Mac chuckled, continuing to gently caress her.  Sweat worked its way down his forehead, heat filling his body back up with lust and need.  He gripped her a little more tightly, wondering if he could squash this heat after all.  "Ah don't know how long it'll be."

"Don't worry about it, if we can't kill your heat the old fashioned way..."  She grinned, "In your way, I guess, then I've heard of a few tricks."  She gasped as he kissed at her neck, pushing himself all the way back inside.  He worked his way up to a quick pace, grunting softly into her ear as he worked away.  She had missed him, almost forgotten just how full he made her feel.  She winked around him, massaging his length and moaning as he stretched her out, speeding up.  Her nose picked the scent of his musk out from the aroma of smells that surrounded them, a strong pulse moving through her hindquarters.  She wasn't sure if it was the heat or the speed or what but something about this just felt so goooood.

Mac grunted, thrusting against her hard.  He shook again, some quiet noises escaping through staggered breathes as new warmth dribbled into her.  Her eyes widened as she let out her own moan, his rhythm hardly changed, pausing for a moment before he continued.  "You- I know you said you stayed hard, but I didn't know you just- ah!"  The seed he'd added had added a bit of viscosity, replacing some of the friction the lube had erased.  Dash moaned, feeling it coat her walls completely as Mac fucked her, making sure to leave no place untouched.

"Ah'm sure Ah'll get tired..."  He paused, moaning himself.  It was so cute when he moaned.  "Eventually."

"I wanna see your face, at least."  Dash bargained, almost hearing the gears turning in Mac's head as he considered pulling out.  

"One sec."  He replied huskily, returning to his short, fast strokes.  He was keeping his flared head near her entrance, stretching her opening quickly and repeatedly, aiming to push his own pleasure along as fast as possible.  It felt far better than she had been expecting and she moaned out her approval, breathing in Mac's increasingly thick musk.  She was beginning to lose herself in Mac's heat, and she had no plans on stopping.  He came in her once again, waiting until his orgasm was over to carefully turn her onto her back.  Maybe five or six seconds tops passed before he replaced his member inside her, and it couldn't have been more than a minute before he was coming again, his member so hard it was stretching her in ways she'd never felt before.  Bringing her closer to her own peak.  

If this was how heat went, then she couldn't say Mac having one every two weeks would be such a bad thing.  She came suddenly and without warning, tightening on his length with a series of short moans.  Mac didn't pause his thrusts as he normally did, but merely pushed harder, the continued movement pushing them both towards levels of pleasure that she hadn't known were possible.  He nursed her orgasm on, making her whole body tingle for a couple of marvelous moments.  Mac slowed down just slightly to make her ending a little smoother, and with a kiss on her lips, he was straight back to his rapid pace.  

Heat was a magical thing.


__________________________________________________________________________________


"Dash!"  Mac exclaimed, and she opened her eyes, looking into his.  

"What?"

Mac sighed, resuming his thrusting.  He seemed less in need, but even as he caressed her cheek and went to say something he shook, surely pushing himself over the edge once again.  "I thought you'd passed out."  He managed to say after a couple tries.  His face was more flushed than she'd probably ever see it again.

"I'm no quitter.  But that was a good one."

Mac laughed, the sound of a squelch from his backside tempering his response.  "The heat's s-still here."

"Did it get- ugh- better?"  Dash asked, their semi-casual conversation during his thrusts probably funny in some sense.  

"Ah mean, sorta."  He replied, tilting his head up in enjoyment as she winked around him.  "B-but not really, no.  Ah could get this thing under control after a few last time.  Now it's not having any of that."  He sighed.  "Ah've came so much, Dash.  How could that not break this thing?"

Dash pushed him off of her, pulling herself off his length.  He watched what she was doing, shaking and quietly moaning in what she assumed was another orgasm he'd started by pulling out.  "Well honestly I'm not sure.  But, you're of relative ease of mind, so I can break out my other trick.  She reached through the hole in the wall, grabbing her saddlebag.  "Have you ever thought that the reason you aren't breaking the heat is because," she removed the strap-on from her saddlebag, grinning, "we aren't going after the right spot?"

Mac stared at her, shocked.  "Uh-"

"Well, what do you think?"  She asked, "I spared no expense, making sure it was as close to a stallion without being one as I could.  It should fill you up like a stallion too, and if anything kills heat it's a creampie."

"It's not- it's not... real, is it?"  He asked.

"No.  I mean, it's water.  Where would I get real semen?"  As if on command, a dollop leaked out of her, hitting the floor with a quiet plop.  She shivered delightfully.  "Other than from you."

Mac still looked nervous about the whole thing.  He looked around, as if there could have been ponies watching.  "I want to see it on first."  He mumbled.

Dash obliged, pushing one part into her slowly with a moan, making sure it fit well.  She was a little loose after the beating she'd had, which she was sure she'd feel tomorrow, but it held on well.  Not like loose for her wasn't still tight.  And it was still nice and warm from the sun.  Dash put the straps on and adjusted them, looking under herself to confirm that it was on right.  Seeing a dick there was weird.  She pushed it down a few inches, watching it bob back up as she removed her hoof.  

Mac was still lost in deliberation about how to treat the thing.  "Sit down."  He said, and Dash sat.  He walked over, looking at the toy.  It was quite large, and Dash knew that it wouldn't fit very well inside any normal ponies.  But Mac was so big she knew his proportions would take care of the rest.  "Yer sure this can fit inside me?"  He asked.  

"Yeah."  Dash said, even though she wasn't, come to think of it.  But she was pretty sure.

He blushed hard, thinking for a couple more seconds before turning around and dropping his front.  A couple more seconds passed before his tail flagged.  His face had achieved a new color of red.  "Ah didn't think the first time'd be like this, but Ah guess it's as good as any."

"You'll like it, I promise."  Dash said, trying to hop up onto his back.  After a few flaps of her wings she maneuvered into place, her member between his legs with her hooves far off the ground.  That was about what she'd expected.  Mac grabbed a smaller hay bale with her on his back and slid it backwards between his hind legs.  Her hooves met ground and she tried to replicate the grip he normally had on her hips.  He was big, and her arms didn't go that far around him.

Dash tried a few practice strokes, tapping his member and sliding under his balls every time.  She was probably driving him insane.  Not eager to waste any more time, she drew her hips back, feeling the toy get stuck between his lips at the entrance to his marehood, and pushed.  

It was harder than she'd thought.  Maybe she'd overestimated him.  Or maybe this was just how tight virgins were.  The toy was soaked in his juices, audible winks happening every couple of seconds.  She suddenly slid in an inch or two, stopping, and Dash pushed a little harder.  A couple more seconds, and she slid home.  Mac jerked beneath her.  She let out a sigh.  

Mac stood up suddenly, almost knocking her off his back.  "Damn!"  He exclaimed, hopping around a little.  "Ah thought Ah wouldn't have that fuckin' thing."  He rubbed at one side of his hips, and Dash slapped a hoof against her forehead angrily.  

"Of course, just like me to forget that sort of thing in the heat of the moment.  I just thought it was tightness."  Dash sighed, rubbing her hooves along his sides reassuringly.  "But how's it feel, outside of that?"

He grimaced, shaking his head.  "That's a crappy way to start sex, isn't it?"  He let out a long breath, chuckling.  "But Ah guess ya still got ta do it, huh?  Happy to be the only mare in Equestria to pop a stallion's cherry?"

"Yeah."  Dash replied, still irritated with herself for forgetting something that should have been obvious.  There was still some part of her brain that still didn't expect these things from a pony she regarded as a stallion. "I'm surprised you didn't break it doing some work around here or playing with yourself before."  

"Ah didn't really want ta use toys."  He confessed.  "Ah wanted something more real.  Seeing as you're controlling this one Ah guess it counts.  The doc said Ah ripped it pretty good a while ago, but Ah guess there's still enough left for it to hurt."

"Really though, Mac, how're you feeling?"  Dash asked.

"I guess good, now."  He paused.  "It's still weird, but it's good.  I feel really full, and it's so warm."

Dash grinned, glad that he was coming around.  "Just wait until we get going.  You're going to love it, I promise."  She nuzzled into the back of his neck, having to stretch so far to reach.  He seemed even bigger from up here.

She adjusted herself several times, trying to find a position that felt more natural.  It all seemed weird, not that she was really surprised.  It wasn't as if she had instinctual feelings of how this was supposed to go.  Not that Mac would know if she was really doing a bad job.  Or maybe he would.  Eh.

Dash pushed forwards, re-hilting herself.  She adjusted again, making a few small movements to test.  She moved her hips backwards, cooing at the way the toy played with her clit.  Mac groaned underneath her, his winks making the toy harder to move at random intervals and pressing it into the back of her marehood.  Dash could feel the movement and forces far more easily than she had expected, glad that she wasn't completely disconnected while using this thing.  

"I'm going to do some stuff, and I want you to tell me what you like.  I can't feel this out as well as you could so I want to make sure I'm not doing anything wrong."

Mac nodded, trying to come to terms with the pleasure from her initial thrusts.  She moved a little further onto his back, forcing her thrusts to go a little more downward.  Mac moaned out his approval, shaking his hindquarters slightly.  Dash doubted he'd have any issues, all things considered, but just in case there was some difference about his body she should know about...

She shifted downwards, aiming her thrusts up.  On the first thrust she could tell this side wasn't as smooth.  There was some bump that she hit and slid over, earning a surprised sound of pleasure from Mac.  It wasn't much, but she could feel enough to know it was there.  

"Go faster, Dash."  he mumbled, and Dash's concern flew out the window for a moment.  She braced and kept the angle, trying to hit Mac in all the places she liked while hitting his own she's just discovered.  She dragged the toy close to his clit, his groans evidence that he was really enjoying the treatment.  

"What is that I'm hitting in there?"  Dash asked breathily, feeling her own pleasure build up as she thrust.  The toy wasn't that great at stimulating her, but this whole experience... everything that had happened in the last few hours, made sure she responded readily.  "I mean you seem to l-love it and all, but-"

"Ooh!"  Mac exclaimed, the sounds of dripping rhythmic with his contractions hitting Dash's eardrums as he shook beneath her.  He came the same way, which surprised her a little.  She had expected him to have at least a few token differences.  Then the realization dawned on her.  

"Wait, that's your prostate?"  She asked surprised that he'd managed to come from just that.  Well, not really considering the heat and all.  But either way it wasn't what she had been expecting.  His stallionhood was unbelievably sensitive during heat.  Maybe that was why Mac had decided it was better for managing the whole thing.  

"Dash!"  He exclaimed, sounding pained.  "Why did you stop?!"

"Oh, sorry."  She replied nervously, pulling herself upwards on his back and beginning to thrust again.  She'd try to give him an orgasm as close to that of a mare, in case it mattered for the heat.  She slowly sped up, getting used to the position and the movements.  What stallions did was enjoyable, she thought as she watched Mac groan and moan beneath her, reveling in this new experience.  He was beyond his personal issues with this, finally enjoying it for what it was, for how good it felt.  She was moving quickly now, using her wings for balance as she repeatedly hit him in one of her favorite spots as roughly as she dared, or what she assumed it to be based on how much he liked it.

Dash nuzzled and kissed his back, vowing to do this face to face next time.  They could kiss like they had been before, but she'd be the one in control.  Mac moved and the toy jerked inside her, making her eyes roll up into the back of her head for a moment.  

"Oh God I'm-"  He managed to get out, sounding surprised before he tensed up, torquing the toy inside Dash just enough to send her over the edge.  She moaned, trying to continue to thrust, but Mac was too tight.  She couldn't get it to move, and the more she thought about that the stronger her orgasm got.  There was some humor in the fact that she hadn't even expected to come when she had, being so focused on Mac, but she lost the thought as pleasure filled her mind and refused to leave.  

She felt wetness on one of her hooves, and leaned back to look at Mac's rear.  He was absolutely soaked, juices dripping down one of his legs and onto her hoof.  Even for a mare in heat, this was a lot of-

"Is-"  He huffed, shutting his eyes tightly as a bit of pleasure washed over him.  "Is that how that feels?"  Mac asked breathily, craning his neck to look up at him from the floor.  Another ripple of belated pleasure made him spasm.  Dash had forgotten about the 'cum' this thing had.  "Because this is the most content Ah've felt in a long time."  He responded, giving her a tired smile.  "Except my neck kinda hurts."  He stood up slowly, stretching his front half out.  Dash dismounted, and a mixture of his fluids and the warm water spilled out in a little stream.  

"It's probably somewhat close, but I'll try to work on finding something more realistic.  It's obviously not that liquid-y."  she chuckled.  "Well, maybe it is for you right now, but not the first time."

"Where're ya goin'?"  He asked, grinning at her.  "Let's go again."  

Dash smiled back, trotting over to crash her muzzle into his.  Her faux penis bounced around, and she laughed at what a ridiculous scenario they were in.  She supposed it would never not be funny to her.  But now as they were kissing, as she tried to replicate the way Mac gently pushed her onto her back and as he humored her hoof, letting it push him gently over, she realized it still felt natural.  There was a certain logic to it all, and yet the novelty still aroused her.  

Dash laid herself gently on his chest, her head far below his chin.  Apparently they'd need to get creative.  Dash pushed a hoof against Mac, urging him backwards.  He shuffled himself several feet before he hit a hay bale and realized her intentions.  He half sat up against it, his curved back in the position allowing Dash to see eye to eye with him again.  They kissed slowly and sensually as she used a hoof to guide the toy towards his opening, watching as it winked expectantly.  This position was harder for her to work, but the slickness of his passage and Mac's ease towards the act at this point made it easier.  

He huffed as it went in, putting a hoof just above his groin as if trying to see if he could feel it.  Dash looked at him, licking a hoof and pushing it into his clit as he winked.  His balls pulled up as she touched them, trying to ready another load as they held tightly against his body.  A hoof went around the back of her head, pulling her into a kiss.  Her thrusts were uneven and lacked rhythm, her mind lost in pleasure and the kiss itself.  But Mac's moans were insistent, the occasional light slap of his member against his stomach telling of just how aroused he was. 

One of Mac's hooves started servicing his dick, gently rubbing it near its medial ring, keeping it happy but away from orgasm.  Dash put a hoof on his, making it wet with his own juices and guiding it a little more insistently.  The hair trigger he had on everything right now made everything a lot more interesting.  Hit him in the prostate and this thing would go off, or aim a little upwards, hit that spot he liked, and push him over that way..  

"Dash, Ah-"  

"Which one, Mac?"  She grinned, watching him try to decide, though her continued assault on just about everything on his body that made him feel good made that impossible.  Time went by.  "Well?"

"Ah don't know!"  He exclaimed with annoyance, his hooves moving down her back and pulling her closer.  Her hoof moved quickly along his member, feeling it pulse and jerk, his insides moving with the same impatience.  "Just do somethin'!"

"Well..."  Dash was breathing heavily from her efforts at this point, moments away from orgasm herself.  How stallions did this for longer was a mystery to her. "How about here?"  She asked, jerking a hoof hard into his clit.  His response, partially formed, resulted in attempts at garbled words.  He tightened as Dash shoved in a final thrust, aiming at the part that would set him off the rest of the way.  The icing on the cake that made what he was feeling right now so much better than anything she could imagine.  It was even better when her stupid plan worked.  

"Ahhh!"  He yelped, his back arching as he found himself not knowing how to deal with the pleasure.  Dash's hoof was still moving on his dick, tendrils of the best feelings reaching into his very mind, the tips of his hooves, everywhere.  He lost track of his body and how it was moving, unsure as to whether he'd closed his eyes or just stopped processing input.  But he could still feel Dash's hooves, how marvelously full he was.  He could feel whatever was left of that warm liquid seeping into his core, leaving exquisite and white-hot pleasure in its place.  His dick felt like he was ejaculating gallons, stuck in some sort of loop with the rest of him.  

After an eternity the pleasure began to ebb.  He relaxed his back and let out a deep breath he hadn't known he'd been holding.  

"Hey there, orgasm man."  Dash joked, rubbing his chest affectionately.  Her hoof left trails of gentle pleasure wherever it ventured.  "That feel good?"

"Too good."  He managed after a couple attempts.  He felt drunk.  Dead tired.  "How long was that?"

"I dunno, not that long."  She shrugged.  "Probably just a couple seconds longer than normal."  She pulled out suddenly and he gasped.  "I remember giving you a pretty good one in the shower a while ago, but that looked like it was on a whole new level."

"You're a natural."  He breathed.  

"And you have the aphrodisiacs of heat."  She replied, taking off her toy and climbing onto his chest.  "It's not hard.  I didn't squish a ball this time either."  

He chuckled.  "I guess that would have killed the mood."  He stuck a hoof around her backside, touching her and making her jump.  

"Don't tell me you want more."  She groaned.  "That's hard work."

"I just need to repay the favor.  You may not be as easy to drive insane, but I'll find a way."  

She watched his eyes droop.  "Just try to catch up to me now, stud."  She laughed.  "There's no turning back, and no relief until this heat lets up.  Or maximum relief, as it may be."

He grinned, his heart filling with enough love for her to make a changeling's mouth water.  "At this rate, I hope it never ends."


_________________________________________________________________________


Dash awoke in a daze, sitting up slowly.  She put a hoof to her head, a slight headache echoing the ache in her hindquarters.  She filled a cup from one of Mac's coolers, making sure she was hydrated.  Last night had been something else, so much sex she could hardly believe it.  Pangs of nervousness reminded her she had other things to deal with, and as fun as dealing with Mac's heat was, it wasn't something she could devote her entire life to for a week.  

She grabbed a piece of paper from a small stack, grinning at another that had been laid aside.  It was a drawing of her, and one not half bad at that.  Dash scrawled a note on a blank piece of paper, telling Mac why she would be gone and working and leaving an eta for her return.  Also info on the sandwich she'd brought that he had never gotten to eat.  With any luck work would go quickly today, though she knew that if the Weather Board decided to do anything her time would be stretched thinly.  She chewed her lip, wishing she could accurately predict the future.  

Oh well.  She turned to leave, setting the note next to Mac and giving him a kiss on the cheek.  She moved for the exit, taking a few steps before something grabbed her hind hoof.

"Where do ya think yer going?"  Mac asked, rising slowly to his hooves.  "Leavin' me so soon?"  

"Mac, I have to check up on the weather headquarters, you know that."

"Mmm, Ah know that."  He pushed his lips against hers, and she relished the contact.  "But ya can be a couple minutes late, boss"

Before she could refuse he was mounting her gently, nuzzling against her neck.  "Mac..."  She protested.  

"Ah'll be quick."  He whispered, sliding into her as he climbed the rest of the way onto her back in such a fluid motion that it gave her no chance to respond.  The majority of his weight rested on her as he started, making sure she was ready before he gave up the ghost.  One hoof slid around her chest, just behind her arms, while the other wrapped around in front.  Mac wasn't lying when he said he'd be fast, and with a grip like this she was in for a show.

He was off like a rocket, lewd slapping noises filling the room as she shook with the force he was putting into each of his rapid thrusts.  He came not even a minute in, clutching her hard against himself.  Warmth filled her core, his member stretching her out as it painted her walls.  But he didn't stop, trying his best to continue his pace.  He lost the ability to be quiet, moaning softly as he worked towards his second.  

Dash was beginning to warm back up to the experience, wondering why she had even bothered refusing.  Her legs felt wobbly, and she found herself increasingly stuck between working to stay upright and enjoying the pleasure to its full extent.  The way his length rubbed against her walls, the greater amount of friction now that she wasn't quite as dripping wet....  It was a new feeling, more intense in some ways.  And the speed, the complete lack of control as he humped her.  He'd always kept himself there just a little bit last knight, knowing that he had all the time in the world.  Now he had mere minutes to tide himself over.  

She was fast approaching her climax, amazed at just how fast Mac was pushing her along.  He shuddered, whispering to her just how he was going to ravage her when she got back in excruciating detail.   His voice was quickly becoming the only thing she could concentrate on other than the pleasure.  She tried to stave off her orgasm long enough to allow Mac to come first, but he quickly made her efforts impossible.  Or maybe he'd been playing her the whole time.  

Dash tightened up, letting out a moan that she hoped nopony would hear.  Mac was still going strong, driving her up the wall as he continued to penetrate her.  She could only imagine what it felt like, somehow continuing to move inside her when she was this far in the throes of coming and so tight.  He stopped suddenly, yanking on her mane with his teeth as he released himself a final time, letting out a groan of satisfaction.  There wasn't much left in him, but she could still feel him add to the growing pool inside her.  

Mac pulled out slowly, some of his seed following and sliding down her leg.  Dash shuddered, unable to do anything but grin.  She eventually worked up the energy to turn around, still surprised that she'd remained on her hooves, and kiss him.  "I didn't know you could talk dirty."  Dash smirked, running a hoof down his cheek.  "But no matter how rough we bang later, you still know what'll come after."  He blushed, looking away.

"It's still a little weird."  He admitted.  

"But you loved it."  Dash grinned.  "Just imagine when I'm good at it."  

"Ah'm scared ta think of the possibilities."  He lost himself in thought for a moment, his member wobbling and dripping as their sexual escapades flew through his mind.  "Yer lucky Ah have a strong heart."

Dash chuckled.  "And such sweet moans when you come."  He blushed harder.  "See ya later."  

Mac laid down, still breathing heavily from his rapid exertion.  "Hey Dash?"  He asked, watching her turn around.  "Hurry back."


_________________________________________________________________


The next couple days passed quickly for Dash as she adjusted to her new scheduling.  Mac was happy and mostly content, probably starting to enjoy all the attention he was getting over the course of the week.  Dash put a couple files back where she found them, glancing up at her tiny reflection in a security camera.  It wasn't something anypony would see, but was something she'd picked up fairly cheaply to see if she could get anything incriminating on the Weather Board when they audited her.  And she knew they would, because it would be an easy way within their power to report things she was doing poorly to Canterlot and have her removed.  

She did realize, however, that these would be new ponies this time.  She wasn't affiliated with the Board anymore, so there would be a new staff.  But if the weather factory stallion was to be believed, they could still be critical to her case, puppets of the Weather Board.  That was the worst case scenario.  Best case was that they just called an audit, and that would be all that happened.  She probably ran the most efficient government funded thing out there, so she had nothing to worry about.  

A knock came at the door, and Thunderlane stuck his head inside.  "There's somepony here to see you, Dash,"  he said, removing his head once again.  Dash frowned.  It could be exactly what she'd been thinking about, something else equally annoying from the Board... Maybe she was overreacting.  It could be a friend, right?  Hopefully not Mac.  Her curiosity reached critical mass and she quickly made for the door.  Her eyes scanned across the waiting room, going wide as they fell upon somepony she'd never expected to see.  

"Princess Luna?"  She asked, baffled.  "What're you doing here?"

"Just Luna, Rainbow Dash, though I appreciate the lack of other formalities."  Dash blushed slightly, realizing that what she'd said was somewhat rash to be directed at royalty.  "In any case, I heard that this weather headquarters is now run by yourself, and seeing as that is quite new and interesting, I wanted to stop by and see how you're getting on."

"Slow day in Canterlot?"  Dash asked.  "You know, it's more comfortable in my office.  Let's chat there."

Luna nodded, following the cyan mare to her quarters.  "In a way, I suppose.  No day is slow, but I find myself increasingly in charge of the royal courts, and I can only listen to so many cases before I go insane.  But they're having trouble choosing a jury for a murder that I'll be preceding over, so I found myself with some time."  She chuckled.  "Besides, if they do find a jury, I won't be in town.  They'll just move the opening statements to tomorrow."

"Why don't you just hire somepony else?  I mean, you don't make the decisions anyway."

Luna took a seat, looking comically out of proportion with the chair.  Not that Mac didn't, but she really highlighted the size difference.  "Unfortunately, Canterlot and my sister are hopelessly reliant on tradition for their daily schedules.  Equestria has grown in the last thousand years, as you may have expected.  We weren't really a country back then, more a fledgeling society.  It was easy to hear every case, because there weren't very many.  Some adjustments have been made since then, with the creation of regional courts and the jury system, of course, but it's too easy to get my audience with a complaint over market stall placement."

"I suppose so."  Dash replied, nodding.  

"Sometimes it's still weird being in this time of technology, where boxes full of wires are completing mathematical problems for us and electricity is in ponies' homes rather than just in the sky.  I came from simpler times, and Equestria has advanced.  I found it interesting that many years of peacetime could not yield the rapid advancement of our war years ago with the griffins.  Gunpowder and explosives, now hidden in guard towers and ponies homes', revolutionized warfare that I had only seen before with the sword and arrow."  She lapsed into silence.  "And as ponies work to prevent the apocalypse of tomorrow, it moves steadily onward."

"What was it like on the moon anyway, for all of those years?"  Dash asked, slightly changing the suspect.  "While all that was happening."

"Boring."  Luna replied.  "Such a barren place makes time quite apparent, though I believe I was never there."

What?  "Huh?"  

"Well, while I vividly remember the moon, I doubt that my sister has the power to send me hundreds of thousands of miles away, and keep me alive in a vacuum.  We're not invulnerable, you know, and I do need to eat and breathe.  But whatever the case, that's what she tried to do.  So it's a mystery to me."  She paused.  "I assume she put me in one long coma, though she did not know where I was physically until the nightmare and I made an appearance, so that doesn't really mesh with that theory.  I'm still working on what happened, clearly.  You want to know the most interesting part though?"

"Sure."  Dash confirmed, on the edge of her seat.

"I still dreamt, up there or wherever I was.  I saw recurring dreams of Equestria, with my friends in times of old.  But eventually I saw things beyond myself, until that was all I saw.  I saw other worlds, a noteworthy one devoid of magic and full of two legged beings.  I watched them overcome their problems, war each other over a thousand years.  But always they rebuilt stronger, into better societies.  They ventured into space, created technology within our sights but beyond our years.  Some things seemed impossible, like their bombs that harnessed the power of the sun, erasing entire cities in the blink of an eye, if they were used in such a way.  And though they still war, still find themselves in conflict, though the availability of those bombs seems to discourage it, I couldn't help but feel as if they knew something we don't.  I wished that at some point whatever was allowing me to have these dreams would allow me to communicate, to find companionship among these aliens, but I was never able to find a way."

"Why are you telling me this anyway, Prin- Luna?  I don't want to sound ungrateful, but it's just that-"

"I understand."  She shrugged.  "I'd say it's nice opening up and all that stuff, but I accidentally went into one of your dreams and I felt guilty.  So while I was already planning on coming out here to congratulate you, I figured I'd give you a little something in return.  One of my secrets for yours."

"What did you see, exactly?"  Dash asked, trying to keep from blushing.  Judging by the heat on her face it wasn't working.  

"You and your coltfriend."  She responded shortly.  

Dash winced.  "Well, I mean, that's sort of his secret..."  

Luna's eyes widened.  "I- Oh, I thought that was just part of the dream.  A hidden desire."  Dsah shook her head.  Luna was silent for a moment, lost in thought.  "I suppose then that it is to him that I owe this apology."

Dash nodded.  "So, any other plans in Ponyville before you leave?"  She asked.  "I can't believe I'd be the only reason you came out here."

"You're right.  I'll do the rounds and say hi to the other elements, a few townspeople and probably the mayor, but then I've got to get down to business.  There's something weird about the Everfree, but I can't put my hoof on it."

"Weirder than normal?"  Dash chuckled.  As if that was possible.  Hopefully it wouldn't kick up some monster storm while the Weather Board had a close eye on her.  

"I don't know."  Luna responded.  "It's just- I can just feel it, you know?"  

Dash shrugged.  

"Well, maybe someday.  I suppose with as many years as I've been around, it's probably not surprising that I know a thing or two.  In any case, that's the main reason why I'm here."  She stood up, turning towards the door.  "Good luck on this venture of yours Dash.  I hope you succeed."

"Thanks, Luna."  Dash replied, giving her a little bow.  "Good luck with the Everfree."

She nodded, and then disappeared through the door, leaving Dash with her thoughts.  A few more days and Mac's heat would be over and done with, and any hint of Weather Board retaliation hadn't appeared on the horizon.  Maybe she wouldn't need to multitask after all.  

Thunderlane burst through the door.  "This month's payroll forms are here!"  He exclaimed, dropping them on her desk with a thud.  "Have fun!"  

There was always something.


_____________________________________________________________________________


"Mac!"  Zecora exclaimed, confused.  "I didn't expect to see you out and about.  Do you need another potion?"

He shook his head.  "Ah'm just bored."  He could feel his heat, but it was down to what he could consider normal.  Easily manageable, and what he expected at this late point in the week.  "Not much ta do when Ah can't go into town or anythin'.  The only ponies Ah can be around right now are you and BonBon, and technically neither uh ya'll are ponies anyway.  And BonBon's in town."

Zecora chuckled.  "I see your predicament."

"Anyway, Ah'm sure there's something that needs gatherin'.  Ah still felt a little guilty about not givin' ya anythin' for that potion that killed my heat, so Ah figured this would be a good gesture."

"You shouldn't feel bad about nothing of issue."  Zecora replied.  "Seeing you in such a state was disconcerting, and I knew the heat needed subverting.  To not act would have been in error, especially when it was you that was the bearer.  There was nothing you could do to help yourself, while the supplies to fix it lay right at hoof on my shelf."

Mac chuckled.  "That last one was a bit of a stretch."

Zecora grinned, grabbing a basket and making her way to the door.  "Let's get to work."


_____________________________________________________________________________


"It's a little brighter here today."  Mac noted, looking around at the twisted branches.  He felt much less creeped out than he had before, for whatever reason.  He was happy, by all means, but it was still strange just how freaked out he'd gotten last time.  

"BonBon's told you that something weird was going on?"  Zecora asked.

"She has."  He replied shortly.  "Should Ah be worried?"

Zecora shrugged.  "I don't know.  For the moment, it seems to have lightened up, but it's still there.  I know you can sense it too.  BonBon taught you well."

"She only taught me ta be able to pick out changelings."  He stated.  "If that's what this is, then Ah guess it's just a side effect." 

Zecora chuckled.  "You earth ponies, always acting like the mundane ones.  All ponies come from magic.  Just because yours is the least obvious does not make it any less powerful."

"Look, Zecora, I grow stuff pretty well.  That's no superpower.  I can't pick things up without my hooves."

"You're thinking backwards."  The zebra grinned.  "Nopony takes to the world as well as your kind.  Feels how it flows, how it works.  You can't tell me that you don't always seem to know when your plants need water or fertilizer.  Your grandmother knows when the Zap Apples are going to grow before it happens.  A superpower?  I'd say its more of one than telepathy."

Mac huffed.  "Even if Ah can feel what the plants need, that doesn't exactly translate to power.  The only ace up mah sleeve is those petals and mah strength."

She stopped to scrape some bark from a tree.  "Maybe if you concentrated a little more, rather than looking for strength and speed, you might find what you're looking for."

He stopped walking, waiting until Zecora turned around to see him.  "Are ya just screwin' with me?"  Mac asked.  "Ah know that maybe ah'm overreactin', but there's somethin' out there that freaked out the nomads, and is still out there, and Ah'm worried Ah'm gonna need to protect Dash or mah family from it.  If there's something Ah can do that would let me better fulfill that role, Ah'd like to hear about it in no uncertain terms."  He sighed.  "Sorry for getting a little angry."

Zecora stared at him for a moment.  "I didn't know you were so worried."

"Well, Ah am."  

Zecora scratched her head, thinking.  "There's not much I can really do.  Earth pony magic is self-taught, and what isn't you already know.  Bon Bon inadvertently taught you that much."

"Ah get that, but-"  His ears swiveled, and the same chills that he'd had from last time washed over him.  "What the fuck is that."  He whispered, taking a couple steps back.  He couldn't hear anything, see anything to suggest that something was wrong.  But something was.  Maybe Zecora was right.

"Whatever it is, it's back, and it doesn't feel like disguising itself this time."  Zecora whispered back.  A bead of sweat ran down Mac's forehead.

"Some sort of monster?"  He asked.  "Could be an ursa or something, right?"

"I can't say.  If you had lived out here for years, you'd probably be able to have a good guess, but I'm coming up blank."

He heard quiet rumbling, and moved behind a tree.  It grew slowly in intensity, his panic growing accordingly.  He wished he'd brought a petal with him.  The feeling was still washing him over like a cold breeze, multiplying his fear, diminishing his thoughts.  Zecora was staring at him, looking surprised at his state.  Why wasn't she just as freaked out?

"Mac!"  Zecora hissed.  "Stop focussing on how it feels, you're turning white!"  She looked around, checking for other danger.  How could she not know where it was coming from?  It was almost blowing out his ears with how loud it was.

What else am I supposed to do?  He tried to ask, but the words didn't come out.  He was paralyzed, and he didn't even know why.  

"Focus on me."  She offered, and he tried.  He stared at her, hoping that whatever magic she saw in him would just work.  He was freezing cold, and the rumbling in his ears was drowning out whatever it was Zecora was trying to say to him.  He shut his eyes tightly, hoping he could keep out something, anything.  

He was shoved to the ground suddenly, and opened his eyes to see Zecora atop him.  Her face was inches away from his.  She was moving closer.  Thoughts broke through his wall about Dash, about how Zecora looked poised to kiss him.  How, as the seconds passed, he knew she was going to.  This was all wrong.  He felt anger flare through him, shoving her away with all the force he could muster.  It took him barely a second to pin her.  She was smiling.  

He stood there, contemplating his situation.  A deer ran past, but he paid it no heed.  She looked like she was laughing, but he couldn't hear it.  She spoke, but it took a moment to register.  

"I bet that broke through your mental block."  She said.  

Mac's eyes widened in realization, and he stepped away.  He could feel the breeze, but it wasn't all-consuming.  The rumbling was gone, replaced with the quiet sounds of the forest.  Zecora stretched a hoof towards him and he pulled her up.

"What just happened to me?"  He asked, barely above a whisper.

"You told me what we're dealing with."  Zecora replied.  "And hopefully figured out a nice way to break yourself from that trance."

"Oh yeah, Ah'll just have you kiss me whenever that happens."   He replied sarcastically.

"Strong feelings, Mac.  Anger, happiness, hope, courage... they all counteract fear." 

"Okay, whatever."  He wasn't prepared to accept all this yet.  "What's that then?"  He asked, pointing to where the wind was coming from, though it was dying down quickly.

"Oh, is that where it was?"  She nodded.  "That explains why you hid behind the tree like that.  Anyway, I suspect that somepony has found one of the old relics this world has to offer.  I'm sure you remember the Alicorn Amulet.  This is just another on a long list."

Mac put his hooves to his head, groaning.  "Okay, but why can Ah feel it, and you can't seem to?"

"Well, if I'm correct with the artifact part, everypony can.  It's supposed to instill fear.  You're just a little more sensitive."  Zecora started trotting back towards her hut.  "Come on, this isn't something menial we're dealing with.  I'm not going out here anymore until we figure out who's doing this."

That meant a lot, coming from her.  


___________________________________________________________________________


"Aha!"  Zecora exclaimed, showing him a picture of a vambrace with a solar eclipse etched in, front and center.  "This is the one."

"Oh?"  Mac asked, setting down his own book.  "What's it say?"

Zecora moved herself into better light.  "It says that the wielder, should they seek revenge above all else, can spread despair across the land, ensnaring those nearby into a state of extreme fear.  That's basically the gist, but while that gives us the generalities, these are usually exaggerations."

"That's it?"  Mac asked, annoyed a the short description.  

"Hold on."  Zecora interjected.  "It also says that it takes a lot of power to use, and is often used in short stints to disorient enemies."  She set the book down.  "So I see a few options here.  We're dealing with something very powerful.  That's number one.  Number two is they just exhausted themselves testing this thing, and they don't know what they're doing spreading it out like this, because it sounds like it needs to be targeted at specific ponies rather than general areas."

"But I felt it before."  Mac mentioned.  "I don't understand."

Zecora paused, flipping back to the page.  She deadpanned and moved to the next, showing him that there was another paragraph to the entry.   "It says here that like a lot of these relics, it possesses a mind of its own.  Not as much as the Alicorn Amulet, but it does try to grab passerby and do the same thing.  It's likely that we were near this thing last week.  You've never been out right there before, and I can't say I like to go there alone, so this is still adding up.  These things can also go into periods of inactivity, so that could explain why you and I have never felt that before.  It could have become active and be attempting to ensnare victims.  That seems most likely to me."

"This whole thing is really weird."

Zecora read the page for a moment longer, before closing the book again.  "Don't worry about it."  She said resolutely.  "I'll figure this out, and once I do it'll go straight to Twilight."

"Should Ah mention it anyway?"

She paused.  "You can if you want, somepony might know of this thing.  But the solar eclipse on it makes me think it's an old Zebra thing.  We ended up creating a lot of possessed trinkets to thwart our enemies themed by the heavens.  Such is our magic.  We also had our fair share of morons obsessed with making the things possessed."  She paused.  "So your information, even if it's right, may mean very little.  Twilight sits on a lot of knowledge, but for once she might not have any answers.  Truly, the only way for us to find what we're looking for, is to search ourselves.  If it comes down to that, which I doubt it will, prepare accordingly and wait for the word."

"What should it be?"

"This one?"  She grinned. "Petrified." 
> Secrets
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"You're thinking you found an old artifact?"  Twilight asked, cocking her head slightly to one side.

"Yeah."  Mac replied, nodding.  He handed her a paper upon which he'd written a general description and sketched it.  

"Woah..."  She muttered quietly, looking over the sheet quickly.  "So where is it?"

"Well that's the thing."  He said, sitting down in one of her armchairs and cringing as it creaked, sounding like it was about to break.  He wasn't the only stallion this big, and he sort of wished they made them a little stronger nowadays.  "We're just pretty sure somepony or somethin' is using that.  We felt it in the Everfree."

"Who's we?"

"Zecora and Ah."  He replied.  "It lasted a couple minutes and then faded.  Zecora's idea was that it was a test, unfocused.  That was why Ah was the only one that could feel it ta such a degree.  But in practice it could theoretically be used on anypony, though the spell is harder fer unicorns and pegasi to break.  That's what we're thinkin' anyway.  It could just be how it is, doin' that stuff by itself."

"Wait, what about the different types of ponies, what did you mean by that?"

He was divulging a little more information here than he had wanted to.  "Zecora said that earth ponies can just be more sensitive to that sort of thing."  He replied.  

"Okay, I guess I'll take her word for it."  She replied, looking surprised.  Mac had expected the mare to know at least an inkling of that.  "That zebra had a grasp on magic, so I suppose anything's possible.  But outside of a few exceptions, you ponies have really only been reported to be good with plants."

"Ah'm just reiteratin'."  He replied, not eager to share every detail when he himself didn't even know how it worked.  It was on his to-do list to figure that whole thing out anyway.  If he was one of the special ones or just a pony that had learned a little more than others, he wanted to know which one it was.  But it fit that the earth pony part of him was responsible.  BonBon had said that he was a quick learner, but he had assumed that was just because he worked hard.  "Anyway,"  he snapped out of his thoughts, "Ah would appreciate it if ya'll looked into it." 

"Well, Princess Luna said that she was investigating something strange in the Everfree, so that may have been the same thing.  I would consider that resolved if I were you.  If whatever it is you felt isn't what she's after, I'm sure she'll feel it and seek it out as well."

"You're probably right.  But forward that onto them in case they don't know what they're dealing with."  

"Alright, Mac, if you insist."  She chuckled, gesturing for Spike to make his way over.  "But seriously, I think Luna can handle it."


_________________________________________________________________________


Luna stared across a small clearing at a large brown unicorn, her hooves frozen to the ground.  The pony was just standing there, staring at her, but she couldn't get up the courage to move.  Pure fear had taken over her mind, yet it was serene in its influence.  Placid and calm, not overbearing yet unmoving.  Just like her.

"Princess Luna."  He said, stepping closer.  His face never deviated from a neutral expression.  Her eyes followed him, noticing a metal armor piece he wore around his foreleg.  Immediately she knew it was the source of her fear, but she didn't know how to stop it.  It was just so out of place with what she could swear was a light glow coming off of it.  "How's life treated you?"

She had a snarky comment all ready, but she didn't manage to open her mouth to respond.  

"Yeah, yeah, same here."  He responded after a few moments of her silence.  "I do quite enjoy nature and living out here."  He paused.  "I like this thing."  He said, holding it out for her to see.  The artifact Twilight's letter had described.  That absolutely had to be it.  Luna took a step back.  "I found it the other day.  Or, should I say, it found me.  A real pain in the ass though, this thing.  Tell me, do you know what it is?"

Silence.

"Go on, tell me."  The armor piece glowed brighter, and Luna gasped quietly.  

"No."  She responded quickly.  

"Interesting."  He mulled the thought over for a few seconds, before the sounds of wing flaps pulled him from his thoughts.  "Celestia, to what do I owe the pleasure?"  He was shoved backwards harshly, Celestia's spell fading immediately as soon as her hooves hit the ground.  So it needed the earth to work, then.  Or maybe that was the strongest and therefore the only way he attempted it?  Luna stuffed that knowledge and the questions that came with it into the back of her brain for later.

So she'd gotten Luna's message then, just before she had ended up in this mess.  And now they were both trapped, great.  Beads of sweat appeared on the pony's forehead, the energy needed to keep them both under his spell apparently not as small as he expected.  But it let her know that the thing didn't supply all of the energy.  "So we're going to cut this short."  He said.  "I guess I don't have to worry about either of you imminently interrupting things."  The unicorn shook his head, looking a mixture of fatigued and relieved.  "You don't know what this is about anyway.  But it's irrelevant right now.  Strike this down in whatever way you choose," he began, pointing to the relic, "but I'll have something stronger."  He swallowed hard, his demeanor not as bulletproof as he probably would have hoped.  There was something weird about this guy that Luna couldn't quite put her hoof on.  

An eyebrow inside Luna's mind rose.  His lack of confidence was telling of his inexperience, but in a way that made her a little worried.  He wasn't confident like a stereotypical bad guy, more like one that had done his research and had considered all the possible issues with his plan.  There was no bragging or boasting to it, almost like he was talking to them.  Tired, for sure.  He seemed very notably normal.  Maybe this was his one hurrah, his perfectly planned crime before he rejoined the civilian populace as if nothing had happened.  Pushed towards this by something that had happened years ago.

"But in a way this amuses me."  He said, rubbing his head tiredly.  "I didn't want to use this at all.  I don't like it, or the way it talks to me.  If you weren't investigating I would've avoided all this.  I would rather be doing anything else right now, to be honest."

"What do you want?"  Celestia asked, her voice strained.  The spell was either degrading or he'd let it work at partial functionality to save energy.

"Revenge."  He said.  "I wouldn't be able to use this thing otherwise.  But that's beside the point."  Still no conviction in his voice.  The anger of his plots had faded long ago, replaced by fatigue and nervousness.  It wasn't really befitting of someone in his position.  

Luna felt anger grow within her, but suppressed it.  It almost felt foreign, a stark contrast to her normally calm demeanor even in the face of great adversity.  She regarded that as one of her greatest strengths, and now it faded in the face of so much rage...

"You should be happy I have a plan, though.  I don't want to take power, I don't even want to kill you."

A demigod, held motionless by someone like this?  Embarrassing.  A voice inside Luna's head pointed out.  It riled her up more than she'd care to admit, though she wasn't sure why.  He wants revenge, but he's stupid.  He'll get us both killed.  That had to be the thing he had communicating with her.  There was nothing else that could explain it.  Why would it act like it was undermining its master?

"But look, I don't want to say it's not personal, because it's super personal.  And that's clichéd anyway.  But look, I'll just get this thing to make you forget you were here and that'll resolve that.  Fear's pretty strong, apparently."  His voice lowered.  "Of course it is, I know first hand."  He stared at Celestia.  "You made sure of that."  Tendrils of fear snaked their way into Luna's mind.  Her memories were clouding with despair, dread, every bad emotion she could think of.  Blocking themselves off.  But just as she started to forget their conversation, the tendrils faded away.

The spell over Luna broke suddenly and the pony started, beads of sweat running down his forehead.  Magic was already flying at him, clipping the arm with the vambrace.  It popped off, bouncing several feet away.  He stared at it, then her.  They both knew there was no way he could get it and expect to escape, not unless he had another trick up his sleeve.  A few seconds passed before he sighed in defeat, cut his losses and teleported away.  Luna sighed, unhappy that they were dealing with an enemy that was adept in magic by himself to a large enough extent to teleport.  

Do not forget the opportunity I've awarded you today.  The voice said, disappearing like a gust of wind.  It sounded as if the pony allowed the thing to operate, the voice becoming quieter and weaker towards the end of the phrase.  But he'd also said that the relic had found him, not the other way around.

"Tia!"  Luna exclaimed when she saw the state of her sister, trotting over and waving a hoof in front of her emotionless eyes.  She threw a couple hard punches into her shoulder, trying to get her to respond.  After the sixth or seventh, by which point she was getting desperate, Celestia turned to face her.  

"Luna, you're hurting me."  She said, irritated.

"You weren't responding."  The dark blue alicorn responded.  "I thought you were hurt."

"As if a few timberwolves could hurt me, sister."

Luna raised an eyebrow.  "What?"  

Celestia stuck a hoof in front of Luna's face, moving it back and forth.  Luna followed it with her eyes, unsure of what to make of her sister's movements.  "You don't seem to have a concussion.  That's good."  

"I didn't hit my head."  She said, deadpan.  "Surely you remember what happened?"

"Yes, sister.  We came out here to assess the state of things in the Everfree.  Upon seeing that it was due to that artifact and sensing nothing else out of the ordinary, we attempted to return.  A branch fell on you, and I grabbed it just before it hit you on the head.  However, I was unable to slow its momentum to a stop with the lack of time and concentration that I had.  You passed out, and woke up after a few timberwolves showed up to investigate the noise.  You know how they like dead and dying wood.  Then I scattered their sticks so they didn't come back.  Now here we are, slightly sweaty, but intact.

Luna decided to let the matter drop for the time being, making herself intent on thinking about what she had seen, trying to solidify her memory in case that thing decided it wasn't done.  It's true that it could have been what Tia said.  Could, only because it covered all the bases.  But that seemed far-fetched, and she wasn't about to assume that her version wasn't the right one.  It was far too continuous for her to see any outright problem with it.  There was a definite broken branch laying on the ground behind her sister, though.  That was what worried her.

Then again, the guy had said he would erase their memories of their encounter, and her head didn't really hurt.  She had a bit of a headache, but she'd had that all day.  If Tia didn't remember it, then it had worked as intended.  But she was unaffected, that voice in her head sparing her.  Why, though?  Did it expect her to enact revenge?  If it lent itself only to those seeking revenge, did that mean it caused them to seek it on occasion and made itself usable?

And how powerful was that thing, to be able to mess around with the mind of one of the most powerful beings they could muster?

Celestia moved over to the vambrace, picking it up with a hoof before Luna could protest.  "Sister, put that down!"  She half expected the princess to burst into flames and start wreaking havoc on the nearby townsponies, but nothing happened.  Maybe it was all just mind games by that mystery pony?  Or maybe Celestia just didn't want revenge, so it was mundane.  Luna'd figured that those not wanting revenge would be barred from touching it, but barred only from its power made more sense.  

"Do not worry, sister, I'll put this into a secure place once my student is able to study it.  You know how she is; I'd rather she looked at it now than later."

Luna just raised an eyebrow, still very much unsure of her sister.  Celestia took off, and Luna followed.  Whatever happened, she'd be on the lookout for anything strange out here.  This didn't feel like it was over in the slightest.  In fact, she knew it wasn't.


_____________________________________________________________________


Mac held a potted plant in his hooves in his bedroom, staring at it just as he had for the last hour and a half.  He had surrounded himself with them, trying to figure out if he could break the code that was everything Zecora had said.  He knew for a fact that the cactus he had to his right side needed water.  He knew it would be beyond help in three weeks, and that if it were healthy it would bloom in two.  He didn't know how he knew those things, but over the long period of time he was sitting here, those facts had steadily just come to him.  

He was staring this plant in particular because he had bought it from the market in a hurry before getting the hell out of town, and knew very little about it.   He got closer, squinting his eyes and concentrating.  There were a lot of things he could assume about the plant, like that the dry soil could imply a need for water on such a water-demanding plant, and the leaves looked like they lacked nutrients.  But he didn't know.

A knock came at the door and Mac jumped, falling backwards onto the bed with his heart in his throat.  He'd been so deep in concentration that he'd really not been ready for any sort of distraction.  He was a little embarrassed, though, letting himself spook that easily.  But before he heard the pony on the other side of the door speak up, he knew who they were.  He knew that the plant had been watered a week ago.  He knew that there was a bird on the roof, about the size of a finch, pecking at a fallen nut.  

He let his head fall back against the sheets, sighing.  "Come in,"  he responded to Applejack's announcement as she made it a moment later.  His senses were fading inwards, the bird disappearing from his mind, followed by Applejack and the plants in the room a few seconds later.  So he needed to either be on adrenaline the whole time or figure it out with a little more thought.  

"How's it going?"  She sniffed the air.  "How come you smell like perfume?"  

"Zecora had some, and I needed to go tell Twilight about a weird thing in the Everfree.  I have a lot more excuses for smelling like perfume than heat."

Applejack sat down on his bed, looking over at him.  "Anything to report?"  

He shrugged, sitting back up and sliding backwards against the wall to face her.  "Zecora thinks its some old relic or whatever.  It's supposed to make ponies afraid above all else.  Ah felt it, it's like ya can't even move.  Ah can't imagine what it's like if it's focused on ya."

"So ya have it then?"  

He chuckled.  "Twilight asked me the same question.  No, we don't.  We're worried about who does."  He paused.  "And Ah want ya to be on the lookout for weird things.  It could be nothin', but in case it isn't... Just- don't go off on your own if ya can't help it."

There was a moment of silence.  "Ah'm sure Twilight can take care of it."

"Yeah, apparently the princess is involved too, which doesn't really make me feel better.  Ah mean if it's that pressing..."

"It must be bad."  Applejack finished.  They both lapsed into thought.  Minutes passed.  "So what about these plants?"  

"It's a long story."  He confessed, shaking his head.  

"Well Ah have time."  Applejack responded, rolling onto her side and curling her hooves against her chest.  "So shoot."

"Um..."  He realized a lot of information would come out if he told her the whole truth.  But Applejack was the element of honesty, and if she said she'd keep something secret, she would.  To her it was a loophole and it didn't break any moral standard so long as nopony was getting hurt, as she'd worded it.  "Close that door."  

She got up and closed it wordlessly, returning to her previous position.  "Ya got a bombshell?"

"A little."  He said.  "But Ah'll give ya the short version, on the promise that ya never tell anypony."

"Of course."

"Good.  Basically, BonBon taught me how to pick out changelings.  Ah still need to focus on it a little, but Ah can do it without much trouble.  She-"

"How'd she know how to do that?"  Applejack asked, "How'd you even test something like that?"

"Well, she's a changeling, so- Shh!"  Whatever thing she was going to say back to him, she stopped.  "The changelings in Canterlot are associated with Chrysalis, as Ah'm sure you know.  But BonBon is associated with another variety, called the Nomads.  They create characters around themselves and become new ponies, as contrary to Chrysalis's changelings impersonating ponies.  So when she came into town years ago, you'll find that there was no BonBon in town already, or anywhere.  Well, maybe there's another BonBon somewhere, but you know what I mean.  There are others like her, but Ah'm not giving you that information.  They want as few to know as possible, and the only reason Ah know is in case Ah can vouch for them.  In the current state of things though, it's unlikely Ah'd be able to help."

"How do ya know they aren't affiliated?  They are pretty good at disguise.  It's like, their thing."

"Well, yeah, but what's their plan then?  BonBon's lived here for years, been mah friend since long before the Canterlot invasion, and continued ta be after.  She has a coltfriend that she loves and is presumably the most full changeling for miles.  Ah know Ah wouldn't give that up fer anythin'.  Ah mean, she's getting what she wants, why change that?"

Applejack mulled over his words in her head before nodding.  He could tell she wasn't having an easy time accepting what he was saying.  "Fine."

"Anyway, she tried to teach me, not knowing if it would work, but it did.  Took like a month too.  Zecora tells me that such a thing wouldn't work with a unicorn or a pegasus.  That what we feel as earth ponies, the plants and life around us, is what allows us to grow them so effectively.  We sense it like pegasi sense weather.  Then that thing happened and Ah had to break myself out of that spell, but long story short now Ah'm here trying to sense these plants.  When you scared me half to death opening that door Ah got it to work with you, these plants, and a bird on the roof."

Applejack stared.  "Yer pullin' mah leg."  

"No."  Mac replied, dead serious.  "And after you, I'm going to tell Dash.  This is not something I'm allowed to keep secret anymore, not when you may be in danger."

"Okay, well pardon me, Mac, but how do you expect to improve your ability to fight by sensin' plants?" 

"Sensin' things in general, Applejack."  Man, he did sound like a weirdo.  "If Ah can react to things Ah can't see, that'd be better, right?"  He sighed.  "Look, Ah'm not takin' this thing in the forest well, and Ah can tell you're about to write me off, but Ah just-  If it's anything like what Ah felt, Ah don't want to be caught unprepared."

"Ah suppose Ah can understand that."  A long pause ensued.  "What about yer heat?"  He regarded her change in subject with slight skepticism, making an annoyed face at her.  She shrugged, and he sighed.

"Ta be honest, it's probably making mah worrying worse, with all the hormones or something.  It's not that bad today, but Ah'm a little preoccupied with life at the moment.  It's definitely surging, and Ah'm gonna be back to a mess tonight Ah'm sure.  Ah'm already halfway there."

"Ya sounded like you were having fun though."  Applejack grinned, winking at him.  Presumably trying to put him in a good mood.  He couldn't be sure if she was worried about his state of mind or the details of what he was saying.  "Ah'm glad, you deserve it after all these years.  A mare that loves ya for who ya are, and apparently knows which buttons to press."  

"What'd ya hear?"  He asked, feeling chills move down his back.  Not too much, he hoped.  He didn't regret anything they did, but he didn't want it to be public knowledge.  Especially not the stuff last night where he'd been... receiving.  Mac had enjoyed the experience and the never-ending intimacy that Dash seemed to be able to create whenever they were together.  She had been so caring, looked so completely annoyed and saddened when she'd hurt him... He just knew she cared.

"Yer fun early this morning."  She laughed.  "There's a big hole in the side of the barn, ya know.  Sound goes everywhere.  Dash is quieter than Ah thought, though.  You guys had a nice duet going on, it meshed well."  

By now Mac's face was a deep shade of red.  Maybe she was just aiming for embarrassment.  "It makes heat a lot easier, havin' somepony.  Like beyond the physical.  Ah just have somepony that's there for me.  Not that ya weren't, but ya know."  

Applejack nodded, grinning.  "Maybe Ah'll have to find myself a nice stallion, seeing as this relationship thing's working out so well for ya."  

"Once this thing's over."  Mac reminded.  "But yeah.  Ah'm sure if he tells the truth to ya for a while yer gonna have to marry him.  Bet that's a big turn on."

She tapped her chin, chuckling.  "Maybe.  But Ah want somepony responsible, but who knows how to have fun on weekends.  He wouldn't need to be a muscular giant, but Ah wouldn't want a fatty."  

Mac chuckled.  "Very direct.  To the point.  Ah could see you making a business card out uh that."

"Well what'd ya see in Dash then, Mr. Judgemental?  Hmm?"

"Ah'm pretty sure you've heard some of this before, but here goes."  He cleared his throat.  Applejack rolled her eyes, and he chuckled.  "She's smart.  Absolute, complete requirement that any mare Ah'd have any interest in needs ta be intelligent.  Ah don't know how Ah'd get along with a stupid one, and Ah don't want stupid kids."  Applejack laughed.  "Anyway, she's athletic.  Ah will confess that sometimes a curvy mare does catch my fancy, but I enjoy her body type for a much wider range of things.  For one, it means we like some of the same things.  And there's something about her in motion, really using the strength she's built up, that get's me goin'.  Then there's her personality.  Funny, always a plus, gets sarcasm.  Tenacious and determined but honest and nice."  He shook his head.  "But Ah'm probably biased."

"You set the bar high for the next mare."  Applejack pointed out, looking impressed at his lengthy list.  

"Ah suppose.  Ah hope she's the one, because Ah have no idea how Ah'd find another one like her.  Ah think Ah'd have to end up settlin' for less."

"Ya know, if Dash was the changeling instead of BonBon, Ah think she'd be losing that trim shape right quick with all the love."

"Ya know, Ah'll have to ask her how extra love manifests itself."  He paused.  "Oh!  Look at these!"  He fetched the shoebox from under his bed, pulling the tin he kept his petals in.  "The Nomads have a thing where if you help them out, they'll return the favor with one of these.  It's like super powers in a petal, according to Zecora.  Ah'm talking magic, and knowing how to use it all in one package.  These are here just in case."

"Well you know, we do have a few stumps that need removin'..."  

Mac chuckled.  "To be honest, Ah don't know how strong they are.  Ah assume they vary.  BonBon gave me one she said would only work for me, in case something happened.  That's probably really powerful, but Ah hope Ah'll never need to use it."

"Ooh, just get yerself some wings and you'll be an alicorn, magic boy."  

He briefly thought of the fake wings potion Zecora had given him.  One day he'd have to remember to ask if it was really just a joke.  "Ah guess.  Any plans for the day?"  He asked.

"Ah might buck a few more apples, but Ah dunno.  Ah could also just wait until the end of the week when yer back at it, so Ah have somepony ta talk to.  Yer stickin' around for that, at least?"  She jibed.  "Because if ya wanna spend some time with yer ol' sis, Ah'd be down."

"Are you lonely?"  He asked, feeling a little bad.  Here he was, talking about Dash and doing everything with her and he'd hardly thought about Applejack.  "You're right to be, Ah suppose.  Ah'm not around here enough."  He paused.  "After my heat, we'll do that.  The movies, I mean.  We'll get Applebloom and go to something too violent for her age, maybe bring her friends if we're feeling patient."

"Maybe they'll find one of their cutie marks."  

Mac grinned.  "We were like that though, once.  Trying all those stupid things.  A cutie mark is as much a coming of age story as anything else.  Not because they happen to do the task but because they know what'll get it for them.  It's that realization.  As long as they're doing zip-lining and stuff it's not gonna happen.  But it's still pretty hilarious."

Applejack shrugged.  "Ah like their innocence.  There's something so freeing about a blank flank, though with yer hobbies ya may as well not have a mark in the first place."

"Ah had a lot of time on my hooves back when Ah thought Ah was gonna be single mah entire life.  When Ah was bored, Ah thought about it.  That made it worse.  After that one mare, it played on repeat in my head."

Applejack nodded, looking downward and studying the blankets.  "Ya sure were quiet fer a while after that one."  She said.  "In fact, ya never really talked much until this whole thing with Dash.  Ya scared me a little, Mac."

He shook his head.  He supposed she was right.  Maybe he had let himself descend a little too far.  "Well Ah tried to fill my life with hobbies and stuff in place of a relationship so Ah couldn't think about it, but Ah was so worried that nopony would ever want me when they found out.  You can't imagine how badly Ah felt when Dash found out and flew off.  But she came back.  That made all the difference."  He remembered when he had left to get rid of his erection and shower to try and make it easier to sleep with her around.  He'd stumbled drunkenly into his bathroom, dripping various fluids all over at the mere thought of Dash still being out there, not scared or put off.  

He came so hard thinking about her, allowing himself to push a hoof under his balls for a reason other than getting rid of heat.  He felt no embarrassment, no shame in his body for the first time in years.  It had been cathartic, weights lifting off his back at the realization that he might find happiness in a relationship.  She'd turned his life around in that moment, turning his hatred at everything about this, especially heat, into something far nicer.  He had a bounce in his step as he went back to the barn, and he vividly remembered the wink he'd had when he'd seen Dash, still standing out there.  It didn't serve as a cruel reminder of what was under his tail, but as a source of excitement, a sign of things to come.

He snapped out of his thoughts, looking up to see Applejack staring at him.  He was glad he was laying on top of his erection, keeping it covered from her, though he knew she could smell him.  But that had been the case the whole time, and he'd warned her that heat was setting in again.  Boy, was it ever.

"Well, Ah've gotta go make dinner.  Ah'll holler when it's done."  Applejack stated, rising from his bed.  Mac watched the door close, twitching as he accidentally moved his stallionhood against the bedspread.  Seemed like there was debauchery in the works, Mac thought with smile.  

Heat was a lot more fun when he knew Dash would be around in the very near future.  


_________________________________________________________________


"What do you make of it, my student?"  

Twilight shrugged.  "I don't know why you came to me on this one, Princess.  I'm surprised you don't know much about it, but I can't say I'll be much help."

"I've seen many artifacts rise and fall in the past, but rarely do I know what they are before they appear.  These things are fleeting, Twilight."

"Well I don't know much.  Big Macintosh said he thought it was this, but the pattern's changed a bit.  It's definitely been around, taken a beating."  She hovered over it, reaching out a hoof.  "Can I touch it?"

"Absolutely not."  Luna said, the first words she'd spoken since they'd showed up.  She was over by the door, leaning against the wall in thought.  "Tis-"  She sighed, rolling her eyes.  "It's not something we should mess with.  Just like the Alicorn Amulet."

Twilight withdrew her hoof, conceding the point.  "I suppose it does target revenge, and anything silly may be enough for it to use."

"Do you know if it's got a mind of its own?"  Luna asked.  "Like the Alicorn Amulet.  And why does Macintosh of all ponies know more than all of us combined?"

"Well..."  Twilight began, "he thinks it might.  He said that Zecora and him are pretty sure that it's zebra hoodoo, and those things have a habit of being like that."

"You see, sister?"  Luna asked, her patience over the whole affair wearing down.  

"It is likely a sort of hex, I doubt that it has its own-"

"Tia!"  Luna exclaimed, throwing her hooves up.  "Do you remember nothing?!"  She'd hoped that it would turn out to be temporary, that maybe whatever exactly had been responsible for messing with them would be imperfectly controlled.  "A pony threatened us with that thing.  He singlehandedly held us under its control for entire minutes.  He tried to remove the experience from our memories, but it didn't work, or something stopped it from doing mine."  She pointed a hoof towards the table.  "That thing is incredibly dangerous!"

Twilight was getting ready to cover her ears, preparing for Luna's royal voice.  

"We think it should be destroyed immediately!"  A good call, apparently.  

Celestia waited until Luna was done.  The princess of the night looked annoyed at herself for allowing her royal voice to make an appearance.  It had become quite the rarity over the years.  "That's quite unorthodox, Luna.  Besides, it could prove to be useful."

Luna tried to calm herself.  She managed to at least get her volume under control.  "Art thou so stuck in your ideals that thou would just let a- a- thing of this caliber exist?  Tis not beneficial, tis not-"  She struggled to think of a word. "useful.  Tis a risk.  The unorthodox is necessary, sister.  Science tis not the priority, safety is."  She wasn't sure if her breaking into her old tongue annoyed her more than her sister.  Her mind was too clouded over with anger to think.  "We're visiting the zebra."  She grabbed a bag, sweeping the thing into it.  They didn't move immediately, and Luna turned around.  "Well?  You all have wings."


________________________________________________________________ 


A knock sounded on the door, and Zecora rose.  Mac made an annoyed sound, losing concentration on a bug he had in a jar behind him.  Dash was apparently stuck designing some schedule for rain in the coming weeks.  It'd be a full workday for her or longer.  He watched her increase the flames on a pot she had on the stove, further overpowering the scent of his heat.  If anypony he knew was here, it'd take a lot to smell through that, especially if they were a mare.  Stallions could pick it out of just about anything, but Zecora had assured him that as long as they were a little ways away it would be impossible.  And besides, the coverup smelled excellent.  

He watched the door swing open, his eyes bugging out a little as the princesses and Twilight walked in.  He felt the beginnings of a cold sweat.  They had better not be able to know.  They didn't have boosted senses, right?  Zecora shot him a look, which didn't say he was screwed but also didn't say he was in the clear.   Maybe it was about something else entirely.

Zecora directed them to her table.  "Hello there mares of stature, what is this you've happened to capture?"  That was a bit of a stretch, but he couldn't think of a better rhyme.

"We found the thing Mac was talking about."  Twilight said, sending a nod his way.  He could sort of feel it, so he wasn't surprised.  "What happened to Dash?"

"Work."  He replied.  He wondered if ponies besides Dash and his family knew that he talked more than one word a day.  His close friends that Dash had barely known before did, but definitely not Applejack's friends.

She nodded.  "Bored?"

"Ahead on the apples."  He lied.  Maybe they were, who knew.  Probably not.  She gave him a slight expression of being impressed, then dumped the vambrace from the book on the table.  He started, jerking forwards in his seat.  They'd said they had it but he almost hadn't expected it to be real.  Seeing was believing, he supposed.  

"I see you have found the artifact, but how did you endure its attack?"  A question indeed.  Also a very loose rhyme.  Something had Zecora off her game tonight.  

"I'm not sure."  Luna ventured.  "There was a pony there, but he seemed to loose control of the spell he had us under.  Then I knocked this off of him before he could get away."  Celestia didn't like that answer, but Mac had no idea why.  Seeing animosity between the princesses was strange.  Celestia was regal in her discomfort, but it was very clear as Luna finished her sentence that she was unhappy.  In her tone, her face, everything.  Luna seemed like the one to care less about acting royal.  Huh.  Maybe he was getting somewhere with this sensing stuff.

"We wish to explore our options."  Luna stated.  "They wish to study this thing, but I think that we should destroy it.  I feel that at the very least, we need to know how to do that for safety reasons."

"This is a Zebra creation, so we'll need to be creative in our circumvention."  She picked it up, looking at the underside.  Irritation flashed across her face.  Mac made out a few runes on the surface, colored blood red before she set it back down.

"What do you mean, circumvention?"  Twilight asked.  

"Many of these enchanted things are unpredictable, but they're almost always nearly indestructible."  She pulled out a book.  "I think that upon finding a solution, we should give up this foolish illusion."

"And destroy it?"  Twilight clarified, surprised.  "But it could tell us so many things.  What if it results in a breakthrough?"

"Yes."  Zecora answered, pulling out a piece of chalk and beginning to draw a circle around it.  Twilight was getting antsy.  "Do not fear, I merely want to extract some information from our souvenir."  Mac idly noted the off-balanced rhythm of her last sentence, still staring down the thing warily.  He was beginning to feel it again, spreading bits of fear here and there in a little radius.  It almost looked like a slightly darkened sphere, but it could have just been his mind playing tricks on him.   He'd never seen a circle like this before, though.  He'd seen one or two in her books, but he'd never seen her use one.  This was definitely old zebra stuff though.  It worried him that she was so resolute in knowing what to do.

She rose, pulling an assortment of stuff from a cabinet.  A couple things dropped from her grip and she kicked them out of her way.  Candles went on the corners of a triangle inside the circle, and a couple incense things went elsewhere.  She lit them, the princesses glancing at each other with slight worry in their eyes.  "Huh."  Zecora stated, before looking at her book again.  She chuckled, adding a bit to the circle.  It let off a light glow, the symbol on the front growing in intensity and adding an eerie light to the room.  Then it faded away, just the same.  

Zecora scratched her head.  "It's unaffected.  That's certainly not what I expected."  Back to normal.  She pushed it out of the circle, back towards the others.  "You should take it back with you, but I have a few more theories to look through."

"So you didn't learn anything?"  Twilight asked, surprised.  

"These runes seemed important to me, but I don't know how they affect it in actuality."  She said, showing Twilight the underside.  Mac couldn't feel the radius of the piece anymore, which was strange.  She wrote them down on a piece of paper, and replaced the artifact in the bag.  "If I find out what they signify, well... then I'm sure you'll always be nearby.  Though I suggest you leave in a hurry, as these clouds look like they may drop their rain in quite the flurry."  She offered.  Mac could still feel the thing, it just wasn't where it was.  That thing of Zecora's had done something for sure.

The princesses offered their thanks and apologies for taking their time, and left.  

"What did you do to it?"  Mac asked.  "It's changed."  He concentrated.  "It's still here, too!"

"It's on its way out of the forest, Macintosh."  Zecora assured.  

"No, it's like down..."  He leaned over to look under the table, and one of her hooves moved out of view.  "What was that?"

No response.  

"Ah can feel it on you, Zecora!"  He exclaimed angrily.  "What're you doing?!  You know something!"  

She sighed, placing it on the table.  "I transferred it into a similar vessel.  Easy stuff.  Just had it under the table."

Mac took a moment to respond, not sure how to process that information.  He rose to his hooves.  "Why do ya have a second one?"

More silence.  

"Fine, why did you trick the princesses?"  There were a few possibilities here, and some of them were very bad.  

"I couldn't let them have this.  It only causes trouble.  I'm going to destroy it, once and for all."

"Ya knew what it was?!"  Mac replied, raising his voice.  "Why wouldn't ya tell me?!"

"This is my battle, Mac, you weren't supposed to be involved."  

"What the hell does that even mean?!"  He queried, exasperated.  Mac stuck out a hoof for it, trying to take it away.  What even was her battle?  If it had already driven her insane like it had that other pony...

He didn't have a chance to finish the thought, because it sent what felt like an electric shock through his body as his hoof made contact.  He tipped sideways, collapsing in a pile on the floor.  Zecora stuck a pillow under his head, stepping over him to leave.  "You'll understand why I can't take any chances, Mac."  She opened the door to her hut and disappeared into the dusk, thunder sounding in the distance.
> Old Tales
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Mac looked around, spinning and taking the environment in.  This was not Zecora's hut.  Mac was in the middle of a dirty, deserted street.  It was eerily empty, and he couldn't see anypony around.  He wanted to yell out and ask for help, or wherever this was, but he knew it was the vambrace doing this.  Scratch that.  He didn't know this was all in his head.  Zebra magic was powerful stuff, and he wasn't completely sure what it was capable of.  Even if this was in his head, that didn't mean he couldn't get hurt or communicate with his mind's apparitions.  Zecora was on thin ice with him for the decisions she'd made tonight, but she wouldn't chance something like this if it put him in danger.  He knew that much.  Or at least, he was pretty sure.  Maybe she wasn't in her right mind anymore, and it wasn't Zecora he was worrying about.

So what did it want?  He was in a street, great.  Super fun.  Was it buying itself time?  Other ponies hadn't done this when they touched it, to his knowledge.  So was it something Zecora had done or something that was a result of this sensing thing?  He couldn't say.  Everything pressing in his life was far too new for him to know much at all.  Except heat, but even the behavior of that was new.

"Aah!"  Somepony screamed, and Mac bolted down the street.  He turned into a dim alleyway just in time to see a zebra adult wrest a loaf of bread from the hooves of a filly as an older one tried to fight him off, breaking into a sprint towards Mac.  He was looking at the fillies and hadn't seen him yet, so Mac planted his hooves, drawing back as the zebra started to turn his head back around.  Mac threw his punch hard, bracing for impact only to watch his hoof fly straight through the zebra's face, sending himself sprawling to the ground.  He rolled, watching the zebra make his getaway.  Damn.  So they were some sort of vision then.

The little one was crying in the elder's arms now, the older filly staring off into the distance with a look of absolute hatred.  Something told Mac that this was where the vambrace began, that all of this had to be related to that.  She wanted revenge, and ended up creating this thing to keep her sister safe or whatever.  Seemed justified enough.  Mac followed them home when they started moving again, walking through the door before it closed on him.  He didn't know if he could touch buildings, but he didn't want to find out by getting crushed.  

They were greeted by the drunk sounds of a wasted Zebra emanating from a beaten up armchair.  A glass raised towards them, followed by laughter.  At least he was a happy drunk.  The fillies made their way into another room, plopping down onto a bed that had seen better days.  

"I think Lenar's family could spare some food..."  The older filly offered amongst the sounds of grumbling stomachs.  

"No, I don't want food."  The younger replied.  Mac was surprised.  Maybe it was this one that would do it..?  "I want to get rid of that stupid zebra that keeps taking it."

"How, Tena?  It's not like we can just kill him.  We'll be the next to go, but in the square, in front of everyone.  You know we're not liked."

"They'll never know it was us.  We've got mom's old books, they have stuff in them that's perfect, like hex bags, and-"

"That's not real!  It's all just fake magic that'll get you put on trial for witchcraft.  No one ever wins a trial for witchcraft."  She sighed.  "Look, I'm going to go over to Lenar's, and I'll bring back something to eat.  Stay here, and don't do anything stupid, okay?"  

"Yeah, sure."  

"I mean it."

"I know."  She agreed, signing.  


___________________________________________________________________________


"Dash!"  Thunderlane yelled, the words that followed lost in the wind.  

"What?"  She yelled back, heaving and pulling a chunk of cloud free.  It spun away into the haze.  

"I said, we're not slowing this thing at all!"  He screamed, mere feet away not but still being drowned out.  "This is just dangerous!"

As if to illustrate the point lighting lanced across the sky a hundred feet away.  It would have made their fur stand on end, had they not been completely drenched by the storm.

"Then I'll do it myself!"  Dash responded.  "The Weather Board is all over my ass, and I'm not risking something getting out of hand.  "We can't afford to wait and hope that this thing plays itself out."

Thunderlane groaned.  "Fine, but you owe me for this."  He hooked his hooves into the cloud above them, waiting for her to do the same a ways away.  "Ready?"  He asked.  She nodded.  "Pull!"

The chunk didn't go without a fight, electricity lighting the area where it split for a fraction of a second, sending tingles through Dash's hooves that reminded her why she liked this job.  Flying was crazy and she loved pushing herself to the edge, but she liked the rush of weather sometimes, knowing that she was one of the best at fighting storms.  They were trying to split the cloud bank and pull it apart, a tactic that had worked well in the past for shortening storms.  However the major tradeoff to that method came in the fact that it made the storm more intense.  They were absolutely drenching the Everfree right now, but she was sure that by the time it reached Ponyville it wouldn't have much left.  

Just because this worked well didn't mean she used it often, though.  Whoever was still out in force right now was getting hazard pay.  At least it wouldn't be too much of a hit to her budget, seeing as so few had come along.  They were all on call anyway, because if this thing came to Ponyville with the same intensity it would become their responsibility as well.  And there'd be no hazard pay for it then.  

Dash was shivering, unable to keep herself remotely warm anymore.  Thunderlane looked like he was faring better, and Dash wondered for a moment if she would have ever gotten involved with him.  She'd thought about it in passing a few times, but she admired the fact that he treated this job as seriously as she did.  

Also, she didn't really need a shower today anymore.  She'd probably take one to warm up and not have hypothermia, but she was tempted to let herself smell like rain and fresh air.  Mac liked that smell anyway, though she was surprised he still noticed when he was in heat.  Dash grinned to herself, thinking of the things they'd do tonight.  How nice the things had been from last night.  As much as she had liked being in control, there was something so reassuring and lovely about the feel of his chest against her back.  She had always been a sucker for the traditional way, even though it seemed the least intimate.  She didn't want to always do it that way by any means, but there was just something about it...

Lightning struck again, much closer this time.  It sent tingled through her body again, though these were uncomfortable, far too high of energy.  Maybe Thunderlane was right...

But if this storm continued to grow and terrorized Ponyville, she could basically kiss her job goodbye.  The Weather Board would seize on any opportunity they could, so there was no way she was going to hand them an opportunity if she could possibly avoid it.  The only way to win this was by playing the long game.  She hated the long game, but it would have to do.

"We're going to have to break it another way!"  Dash yelled, ripping off chunks of cloud and flinging them downwards, no longer trying to pick her targets.  

"What are you doing?!"  Thunderlane yelled, flying over.  Dash could barely see anymore, her waterlogged feathers and fur making her feel ten times heavier.  

"Well we tried going at it from the top, and now the more dangerous but more effective way of using the bottom, so I say it's time to try seeing what happens when we make our own cloud and hurl it into this."

Thunderlane shrugged.  "I'll warn the others!"  

Dash nodded, watching him fly away before dropping some altitude to find her cloud chunks.  She shoved them together, compressing the cloud as much as it felt like doing.  Then she pulled it away from the storm, taking some deep breaths as she finally left the rain.  The remaining weather ponies began to filter out of the storm, some of them helping to make the cloud denser.  

Dash put her shoulder to the back of the cloud, other ponies grouping up around her as they started to push.  The cloud accelerated quickly, moving faster and faster under the thrust of many sets of wings.  Dash hollered the signal to stop and the ponies pulled back, watching the very dark grey blob sail into the cloud bank.  Lightning erupted along its path, rending the cloud and keeping it from forming around the gap that had been made.  The thunderhead's base was alight with activity, dropping an absolute deluge of rain as the cloud became unstable, showing signs of weakness, she hoped.  

Lightning exploded out of the bottom with a ferocity she hadn't seen in years, striking a tree far below and blowing it to smithereens.  Any fire that the blast started went out as soon as it began, the cloud itself reeling from the massive output of energy it had experienced.  It broke apart, losing much of its intensity and allowing Dash the rare opportunity to take a breath.  

"One down!"  Thunderlane exclaimed, smacking her on the back.  "Nice job!"

"Yeah, now there's only like fifty left."  She muttered, shivering.  

"And none, as far as the Weather Board will be concerned, am I right?!"  He yelled at the rest of the assembled ponies, getting quite the response.  Dash was taken aback.  She'd hardly expected them to care.  

"I don't deserve you guys."  Dash replied, grinning widely.  Maybe she wasn't so alone in this after all.  


___________________________________________________________________________


A rock bounced off a second story window, and after a short delay the lights switched on.  The window opened soundlessly, and a young colt stuck his head out the window.  

"Hey Lenar."

"I can't just keep giving you food, Zecora."  He whispered down at her.  "My dad's gonna find out, and you know how he is.  You know what it means to be interacting with you."  Mac took a slight step back, surprised that this vision was following Zecora.  He knew she had to do with the vambrace somehow, but he'd not expected her to come into the story this early.  In fact, he'd expected this vision to center around the vambrace itself.  

"Oh come on."  She responded, putting on a pout.  "You wouldn't let a cute filly like me starve, right?"

"It may not always be up to me."  He stated, tossing down a couple loaves of bread.  "I guess I'll see you tomorrow."  He finished, closing the window after he saw her nod.

Zecora was careful on her way back, dipping through alleyways and sticking to the sides of streets as the buildings transitioned from nice to run down.  It was quite the dynamic, though with all the movement Mac found himself distracted by the fact that his breaths felt empty, and he wasn't fatigued in the slightest.  He stopped breathing to see if he could, and after another minute of following cute little Zecora he realized that it was unnecessary.  It was a strange feeling for sure.  

Zecora eventually made it through her door safely, breaking off a quarter of a loaf to place with her passed out father.  It'd probably be stale by the time he woke up but whatever.  He probably had enough reasons to drown his sorrows the way he did.

"Zecora, is that you?"

"Yeah, Tena."  She replied, walking into their bedroom.  "I got-"  Her eyes widened, looking around rapidly at the books spread around.  She looked right through Mac, which was something he was still getting used to.  She peeked out into the main room again, her head coming back into the room looking quite cross.  "How did you find those?"

"The floorboards were loose, and I wanted to see if I could fix them."

"How long ago?"

"I don't know, Zecora, a few years?  Does it matter?"

Zecora looked like she was about to explode with anger.  "Do you know why I hid those?"

"Yeah, because they're banned, and-"

"Stop beating around the bush!"  Zecora cut her off angrily, pushing the book Tena was looking at closed.  "Those books are the ones mom used, and you remember why she's not around anymore?!"

Tena grew slightly more somber.  "But we can just use it to make a hex to stop-"

"No!"

"But we get our food stolen out there so often, and this could stop it forever!"

"And what, get you killed?"  Zecora spat back.  "I don't know how many people you think I have left on this earth, but it's far fewer than you seem to expect.  I'm not willing to risk that over something stupid."

"You said yourself that you weren't sure if Lenar could keep up giving us food forever.  We don't have any other options, since they turned on mom.  The only reason dad still has a job is because they want to say they walk all over him, and flaws in his personality aside, he at least sticks to that and puts some food on the table."  Tena took a breath.  "All I want is a little more security."

"Maybe when we're out of options.  Anything's better than that."  Zecora bit her lip.  Though she knew that it was a big possibility it would come to that eventually.  "No hexes."

"Fine."  They lapsed into silence.  "You know some, don't you?"  Tena eventually asked.

Zecora sighed.  "Mom showed me how they work, yeah.  They're not like spells, you know.  You need ingredients and stuff in a little bag."

"So they are real."  Tena noted.  Zecora sighed and nodded.  "So-"

"I won't do it, Tena."  Zecora laid down on her side of the bed, pulling the covers over herself.  "Eat some bread and go to sleep."

"What about you?"  

"I'm not hungry anymore."


________________________________________________________________________________________________


"You know, if they see you with me, you'll be in the same situation as I am."  Mac spun around, the environment changing in a flash.  He was atop a grassy hill, the city he had been in off in the distance, he assumed.  Zecora looked older, in her teenage years now for sure.  

"They won't."  The stallion next to her reassured, looking out over the city.  

"Lenar-"  Zecora tried to protest, before he placed his hoof over her mouth.  

"I gave the guards the slip, and my father isn't expecting me for anything anyway."  He watched her for a moment, trying to see if she was any more at ease.  It didn't appear as if his dialogue had worked.  "The chief justice is also investigating something in the styx district, so there's nothing to worry about there either."

"Well what if they find out about my sister?"  Zecora asked.  "It's only a matter of time, and she gets more bitter every day...  I worry that there's not much she feels she has to loose."

"She's smart, Zecora, she'll avoid them.  Besides, in ten years none of that will matter.  That will all be ours, and you'll be by my side at the top of the castle."  He said, pointing off into the distance.  "Witchcraft is only illegal because they make it so.  I see the things its done in history, the good it can do.  Banning something like that and driving it underground like they have only serves to create ponies like what you worry your sister may become.  Begrudging and extremely dangerous."

Zecora leaned her head against his, getting sleepy in the gentle sunlight.  "Maybe I can take up my mother's studies after all."  She muttered.

"As if there was ever any shadow of a doubt."  Lenar replied with a chuckle, nuzzling against her cheek gently.  He pulled her against him, fighting off his own fatigue.  "I just wish that it was like it had been, back when we were kids.  You know, when no one would have batted an eye at this.  I know it'll make no difference in the end,"  he continued, squeezing her, "but it still bothers me that it's a hoop to go through, you know?"  He looked down at her, realizing she was already asleep.  

Lenar kissed her on the forehead, settling in beside her and quickly passing out himself.


_____________________________________________________________________


And so the vision moved again, a very slightly older Zecora pacing back and forth in her living room.  She looked moments away from a breakdown, though he obviously couldn't be sure what had happened.  There was a knock at the door, and she stopped suddenly, staring at the old wood.  She walked over silently and carefully, looking through a slit in the door before sighing and pulling it open.

"Lenar, what are you doing here?"  She hissed, closing the door behind him.  He took off a beggar's shawl, tossing it to the floor.  Apparently Zecora had been quite serious about how much of taboo it was to have him anywhere near her.  "Did you figure out where-"

"They have her."

A tear slid down her cheek, her face turning inwards with emotions Mac had never seen in all the time he'd known her.  "Fuck!"  She screamed, throwing a table over.  "She promised she wouldn't do this!  Looked me right in the eye!"

Lenar tried to hug her and calm her down, but Zecora didn't let him.  "It's gonna be alright."  He tried again, with enough uneasiness in his voice for it to be clear that it wouldn't be.

"You could pull every single string you have available to you, and then what?  You know what they'd do, just group you with her, throw you down like nothing, heir or not."

"I'll pull any of those, if that's what it takes."

"You better not."

He was calming down now, cooler thoughts prevailing in his mind.  "I'd go down in flames for you, Zecora, you know that."  He blocked a punch going for his head.

"You stupid moron.  Like that'll fix anything."  She jerked her hoof in his grasp, trying to get free.  Lenar was having no trouble holding her, attesting to his strength.  

"Oh, it won't.  That's far too obvious.  But if we pull just one or two..."  He alluded, grinning, "we might just have a shot of an okay ending here."

Zecora sighed, letting her hoof fall limp.  Tears still occasionally fell, but she appeared far more composed.  Lenar embraced her, and she lost her progress, sobbing mutedly into his shoulder.  Zecora looked angry at her emotions and the hold they had over her, though she seemed helpless to control them.  Eventually the hug came to an end and Lenar let go, planting a quick peck on her forehead before turning around to grab something he'd brought.  

He pulled a rolled up piece of paper out of a tube, spreading it out on another table.  "How far are we going with this?"

"Anything t-that gives us a reasonable chance of survival and gives her a shot at it."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say."  He replied, looking in her direction.  "You're calm right now, and I need it to stay that way.  You're a strategic thinker from now on, and these are the options we can pursue without emotional input."  

Zecora nodded.

"This is a map of the square they'll bring her to.  I don't know what they've charged her with.  It could be something petty, though realistically anything could be turned into a death sentence as far as they're concerned.  You think it may be that she was found with witchery stuff, which could be true.  In the event that she appears on that platform tomorrow to be hung, these are our options.  Guards are posted in these places, and everything I've scribbled on here is stuff they can see.  

"It's all scribbled on."  Her breath caught, and he put a hoof around the back of her neck.  

"You're not looking closely."  Lenar pointed so several places on the map.  "This is disregarding windows.  We can't run in there with your specifications and expect to come out on top, let alone save ourselves.  We have old arrows from the archives that are great at cutting rope and a nice bow and one shot."

"So we cut her down and then what?  Leave her to the dogs?"

"No, then chaos does the rest, ideally.  Look, I went through everything and this is the best plan.  This is not an easy shot, nor is it the best way of saving your sister.  But we've got to look at what you want to have happen here, and that involves keeping us alive.  I've had to sacrifice some of the strategic-"

"Yeah, you really have!"

"Well what am I supposed to do?  I know it's your sister but my hooves are tied here.  Do you want me to give up everything for this?  Make a decision and stand with it, Zecora!"  

"What other strings do you have?"  

Lenar looked at her quizzically for a moment, sighing.  "This is it.  Short of going in there and chopping her down manually, probably needing to kill someone and make an unlikely escape, and then restarting our lives in a different city days away with no supplies, no.  We need to sell this one, really overshadow your sister with something more important.  Did I ever tell you why my father hates witchcraft?  Why he really does?"

Zecora opened her mouth to answer, before closing it and shaking her head.  Some remaining tears slid down her face.  "No, you didn't."  

"Well I thought I knew, but he had a little too much to drink several weeks ago.  He used to be known as a great noble, and in many ways he still is.  He makes good decisions when they don't involve witchcraft.  It goes way back, all the way to your mother.  Ya see,"

"My mother?"  Zecora asked.  "How come you didn't tell me earlier?"  

Lenar did a half shrug.  "I didn't want you or your sister to know, especially since Tena was already on the verge of what she did.  Besides, I had a lot of other things to think about."  He put a hoof over her mouth as she tried to protest.  "Shh.  Listen."

He sat down, leaning against the couch.  "Your mother was a great witch.  She was a master of the craft, picked everything up almost immediately.  My father saw this and made sure she was well taken care of.  Such a move wasn't made with the intent of controlling your mother and keeping her on his side, but for the many great things that can come from a well supplied, content witch.  Medicine, clairvoyance in decision making, you name it.  Your mother was brilliant.  So when I try to dissect the motivations behind killing her, understand that I'm speculating on vague and often incomplete information."

Zecora nodded.  

"Someone, I'm not sure who yet, was quite put off by your mother and the ease with which she convinced the duke of things.  She had real power, and while she used it responsibly, there's no surprise her position was the cause of a lot of envy.  Eventually someone moved on that position, and with a rather brilliant plan as well.  My father was supposed to inspect something, but I got sick.  He sent my older brother instead, and well, the trap went off on him.  He died spectacularly, and with the telltale signs of your mother's witchcraft.  Naturally, my father was absolutely outraged, thinking the trap was meant for him, rather than as just a stunt.  And, well, you know the rest."

"And you know it wasn't her?"  Zecora asked, hopeful.

"Well, I don't know, but someone must've been close to my father if they knew about his change in schedule.  I have a hard time thinking your mother didn't, but like I said before, she didn't really seem to have a reason to take power.  And if she was trying to, why be so obvious?  It would have been incredibly sloppy to commit the murder outright like that with her skills and resources.  She could've made him die of a hex that resembled a disease or whatever, but not that."

Zecora swallowed, pushing the information to the back of her mind.  "So what's the big deal with it now?  I mean, pardon my brashness but why should I care when my sister's getting hanged in a few hours?"

"Well, because we're going to use it to our advantage.  We'll get your sister down, and then we'll make it look like witchcraft was involved.  I'll give you an alibi and ideally my father will become more distracted with that new threat than your sister or you, at least for a while.  He doesn't think straight when it comes to that sort of thing, so smaller mistakes will probably be overlooked.  That's the idea anyway.  Eventually the next plan of action will be figuring out who it was that framed your mother and getting them out of the picture.  Maybe then I can get my dad back to normal.  Maybe then he'll act like himself again."

"We can hope."  

Lenar tried to give her a smile, but it came out as more of a pained grimace.  The face of a colt who had never really known his father on that much of a personal level, who had presumably been shut out emotionally after his brother had died, Mac could only assume.  At least Zecora had a father figure that was sober occasionally and still cared about her, in his own way.  Lenar was just the backup heir.  


____________________________________________________________________________


"Yes, he needs you to vacate for a few hours."  He handed the zebra some coins.  "I've been ordered to stay here for a couple hours to ensure additional safety, you understand."  The zebra nodded quickly, having apparently received quite a bit of money.  

She dipped inside for a moment, leaving a minute or so later with a cute little zebra in tow, a nod towards Lenar.  So that was a string, he supposed.  He seemed to be well liked anyway, being met with a smile when the door had opened.  That made sense, with his nice, charitable personality.  He nodded to her, watching her retreat down the block.  Zecora came out from behind a trash can, following him inside.

They found the window they were looking for, and Lenar soundlessly pushed it open.  He set his stuff down, his armor reflecting the sun from the window as he moved.  It was generically colored but engraved with various shapes and patterns, making it look quite ornate.  He pulled a bow from around his body, pulling the strange arrow from his quiver.  He looked it over, and Mac realized it was clearly something made more to look nice than be functional.  Maybe a relic or recreation of something from times of old.  It looked a little too clean and fancy to be anything else.  But he'd said it'd been from the archives, so maybe its purpose had been for circumstances such as these.  Not specifically these circumstances, but for rope cutting maybe.  That could be useful for fighting siege equipment or maybe for use against ships?

"So that's it, huh?"  

"Yeah."  He replied, barely above a whisper.  "And now we wait."

"Hey."  Zecora started, after at least a few minutes of silence.  "Whatever happens, whether it's bad or good..."  She faltered, shaking her head.  "Hopefully good... I love you, Lenar."

"It's all going to be fine, Zecora."  He replied, watching.  "And don't think I forgot my promise to have you up in that castle with me."

"You've been saying that since we were foals.  Since before mom died.  Do you really believe that?"

"Well."  He shrugged.  "I don't know what else I've been working towards my whole life."  

Zecora couldn't hold back a slight smile.  "God, you're such a sweetie."  He blushed at that, laughing to himself.  "I'm so lucky to have you."

"You probably are."  He agreed, as Zecora punched him in the shoulder.  "But look, I'd probably be a perfect heir to this regime if I had never known you, and I'm glad I'm not.  This place is going to be different.  No witch hunts, none of the scare tactics.  I'll be just and caring yet firm, with my beautiful mare by my side through it all.  So maybe it's me that doesn't deserve you."

"You're sure optimistic.  How do you even plan to take the throne?  Waiting?"

"I've got a plan, but now's not the time."  Mac watched a few zebras get led up onto the platform and get ropes placed around their necks.  Somewhat petty-ish crimes were read off.  Not worth a hanging but not exactly child's play either, assuming the crimes were correct.

"Where's Rena, Lenar?"  Zecora asked, growing distracted by the events outside and the growing noise in the square.  

"Oh, she'll be by herself I'm sure.  If they didn't make her a big deal it'd be a waste.  Whether she did anything witchcraft related or not, it'll be great for the higher ups when there's such a supposed danger about.  And if they found anything, which I assume they did, that'll seal the deal."

There was a long silence between the pair.

"What's going to happen to Rena?"  Zecora asked, shakily.  "Say we save her life here, then what?  She can't just be a fugitive here forever."

"We'll have to send her to another city.  I have the connections to make it work, and these guys can't do much over there."

Zecora looked like she might protest, but decided instead to remain quiet.  Any silence they achieved was immediately overshadowed by a collective drop in crowd noise outside.  Mac knew without looking that the zebras had dropped.  The ruckus steadily built back up, and Lenar readied his bow.

"Attention!"  A zebra bellowed.  "We bring before you proof that the old barbaric customs of witchcraft still thrive, even within our city walls.  This zebra, doing the unnatural!  Working against the flow of the world itself, twisting it any way she pleases.  We found old books with her, with incantations and diagrams for just about every way to kill or maim any one of you.  Who knows what her target could have been?!  Maybe you over there, or you!"  The crowd was getting worked up, though not as much as Mac had expected.  

"But we are nothing if not fair, in this civilized society we occupy.  Gone are barbaric practices of burning at the stake or drowning.  All who commit crimes punishable by death are allowed a quick, painless death and a proper burial.  But she, as one to commit these crimes, must face this punishment."  A noose slipped onto Rena's neck, tears streaming down her cheeks, but her face otherwise composed.  She knew what she had been doing, the risks that had come with it.  

Lenar drew back his bow, watching the hangman's arm on the lever intently.  "God, Zecora."  He sighed.  "I hope this works."

The arrow flew as the lever moved and Rena dropped, slicing through the rope and sticking into one of the poles of the galley behind it.  Rena hit the ground hard, a shocked silence sweeping over all present.  Lenar and Zecora ducked to the floor, staying out of sight.  Lenar took out a knife, handing it to her.

"You know the drill."  

Zecora tried to think of a way around it, but she couldn't.  There wasn't any time, and this kept him free from blame.  Zecora wrapped her arms around his neck, mashing her lips against his without a hint of subtlety or delay.  They didn't really have time for that either.  "I love you, Lenar.  You shouldn't have to do this for me or my sister."

"Stop acting like I have a choice."  He pointed to his shoulder.  "Go."

Zecora hesitated for a second before placing the point of the knife on his shoulder where he'd said to and drawn a helpful line and shoving it in.  Lenar cringed and jerked, and tears fell from her face.  This was an excellent plan, playing on tactics of witchcraft from many years ago, back when it had focused more on blood and sacrifice.  These were classic wounds that they would impart toward their enemies, meaning something about the flow of energy.  Lenar looked like he got attacked and lost a lot of blood in a non life threatening way, and her sister had a good shot at getting away in the chaos.  

Zecora sank the knife into his other shoulder, almost feeling the pain herself.  She pulled it back out, lowering Lenar gently back to the floor.  He wiped a tear from her face, rolling onto his side with a groan.  "Get to work, Zecora."  He mumbled, cringing as she pushed a hoof into one of his wounds, collecting some of the blood in a bowl.  She slid over to the wall quickly, dipping her hoof and smearing it on the wall, writing.  

Lenar admired her work for a moment, before nodding.  "Get out of here."  He mumbled.  "I'll meet you near the willow tomorrow afternoon."

Zecora was all too happy to oblige, quickly vacating before any help arrived and happy that Lenar had organized patrols to give her a window.  She ran like hell through the deserted streets, arriving back at her house in record time.  She didn't feel fatigued, too much adrenaline running through her system.  She closed the door behind herself, turning and coming face to face with a guard.  

Zecora screamed, pure ice running through her veins.  He grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her around as she tried to fight back.  "Calm down!"  He yelled.  Zecora stopped in her tracks, her mind slowly remembering how the plan was supposed to go from here.  

"Oh, you're Lenar's friend."

"Yeah.  Under official order from the duke to make sure that you don't leave here.  How am I doing?"

"Impeccable."  Zecora replied, out of breath.  "You scared the absolute shit out of me."

"Lenar says I'm good at that."  He took position near the door, watching her.  "I guess now it's time to see if he forgot anything.  If the plan's gonna blow up, it'll probably be around now."  

And so they waited, and waited.  Zecora's dad chatted with the guard as if nothing was amiss.  Mac took inventory.  He still hadn't a clue why he was seeing any of this.  He assumed it had something to do with the vambrace, but now he wasn't so sure.  He hadn't even seen the thing, though if anypony were to create it, it'd probably come down to Zecora's sister.  But she could be dead by now, and if she wasn't, why wasn't he following her?  He seemed to be stuck to Zecora, drawn to follow her around.  But he could also walk off if he wanted to, there was nothing preventing him besides his curiosity.  This had to be her story that was being told, but when would any of the pertinent things happen?  He was getting worried that he'd simply been trapped in here, yet at the same time, why even bother telling a story to him?

Knocks broke him from his reverie and the guard opened the door, letting in a few more guards.  They looked at Zecora, then him, and nodded, taking their leave.  Dark fell and Zecora passed out, exhausted.  The time didn't change immediately, and he allowed himself to drift back into thought, sitting in one of their chairs.  It was hard and unforgiving, like concrete.  He supposed that was because he couldn't alter the vision.  He sighed, spreading out on the floor instead and stretching.  It felt nice, and he half wondered if he was doing it in the real world concurrently.  

He didn't know what to do with Zecora after this.  He felt his emotions were muted in here, as if they were part of a memory in his own head.  Reminders of how he had felt, but powerless to instill the same motivations in him now.  That wasn't to say he felt nothing, because that was the opposite of the truth.  Some part of him wanted to see if this would show her reasoning in a better light, but another part knew that it wouldn't change his attitude.  She'd betrayed his trust, in a way, kept dangerous secrets and did this to him.  At the same time, however, he couldn't help but think he was mad because she was being childish about this whole thing.  She knew something about it nopony else did, and it apparently embarrassed her enough to lie to some of the most powerful beings on the planet to keep it that way.  While he could understand that to a degree, she'd kept it secret even from him, the one that knew her the best and had her back.  He wouldn't have been angry about something in her past, had she just explained it to him.  

Real anger brewed within him, something far separate from the emotions he'd been feeling about the memories played in front of him.  Anger to a degree he hadn't felt in a long time.  How could she possibly feel that doing this was her best option?  Getting him stuck in here and lying to him like she had?!  He was so pissed he could hardly think.  Then some clarity washed over him.  

Maybe that was why he was in here, then?  She didn't, maybe couldn't, explain it well enough herself?  But she still said it was her battle to finish so he really couldn't be sure how her motivations were playing out quite yet.  Even that line of reasoning didn't really ease his rage.  

Other ideas had flowed through his head from time to time, with the most common being the possibility of a lust for power.  Zecora knew what that thing could do.  Maybe she had a few enemies left over to take care of, and this was the easiest way to achieve that end.  He liked to think he knew Zecora better than that, but at this point, who knew?  

Some fresh, unmuted fear settled in his stomach.  This vision had better end quickly, because he needed some answers.
> The Ends Justify the Means
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"It's not supposed to do this, oh fuck."  Lenar mumbled as he faded in in front of Mac.  He was trying to stop his own bleeding as best as he could, but it didn't seem to be helping very much.  Mac looked at the puddle of blood and cringed, stepping away from it as it rolled across the floor.  He looked out the window in an attempt to gage how far back the vision had gone by taking him back here.  Just after Zecora had left, he presumed.  

A zebra guard entered and dropped his weapon to the ground, sprinting over and pulling some bandages from a pack attached to his leg.  He got to work, the bandage soaking through rather quickly.  He tightened it, a loud groan from Lenar letting Mac know it was quite snug, before he began putting pressure on both wounds at once.  Several more guards poured inside, disappearing through the various doors and down the hallways.  They started to filter back out moments later, lining up on either side of the room.  Minutes passed, the sounds of chaos outside the front door and the window still clearly evident.  Lenar continued to writhe on the floor, now under the care of multiple zebras.  They didn't look too concerned, which Mac took as an indicator that Lenar would be okay. 

"Make way!"  One yelled from outside the door, and a couple zebras walked in, looking regal.  All around the room dropped their heads.

"Son!"  The one in front exclaimed, taking a half step towards Lenar before deciding he probably shouldn't get in the way of the medics.

"Dad."  Lenar replied, twitching as one of the zebras pressed on his wound.  

"How is he?"  He asked.

"He'll live."  A zebra replied.  The duke nodded thoughtfully, his attention eventually turning to the writing on the wall.  He turned white.  Mac followed his gaze, looking at Zecora's work.  

I will not allow you to harm my children, Intus.  Mac grinned.  So that's how they'd played it off.  They knew that the duke had killed Zecora's mother, so what better way to distract him than reminding him of that and insinuating that she was still around.  Witchcraft seemed mystical enough, who said it wasn't possible?

"Mere trickery pulled off by her other daughter."  The second regal one said, probably an advisor or something.  Maybe a bodyguard.

"That's not what-"  Lenar tried to sit up, before he was pushed back down.  "-I saw."  He let out a heavy breath.  "I posted a guard by her in case she tried anything, but last time I checked she was still there."

The duke looked worried.  "Send someone to check.  What of the witch?"

"We lost her in the chaos, my lord, but I'm sure she's been found by now."

"She better be."  He mumbled back, staring at the wall.  "I'll be in the keep if you need me.  Lenar, see me when you're not in dire straits.  You!  Get a blood kit and some bags in case he needs any!  If my son dies I'll have all your heads."  He voice wavered slightly toward the end of the sentence, though Mac didn't need any more indication to know he was scared out of his wits.  Both for his own life and his son's, it seemed.  Zecora's mother may have been his greatest fear, judging by the way that he reacted.

They bandaged him up for a while as Mac sat and thought.  At least if this was moving more quickly than reality he had extra time to think.  Though he supposed he wouldn't have much to think about if he wasn't in this mess in the first place.  "Why am Ah stuck here, anyway?"  He asked out loud, shaking his head.

"And here I thought you were mute."  A voice said, as if it was right next to him.  Nopony reacted, and honestly Mac couldn't say he was very surprised at this point.  He still jumped for good measure.  

"So you're the vambrace, then?"  He asked after quickly piecing it together in his head.  

"I have other names, but yes, I suppose I am."

"Why are you doing this to me?"  

Mac heard chuckling echo through the building.  "I'm not doing anything, you did this to yourself.  Subconsciously, at least."

"So it was the sensing then.  Zecora knew I would react like this."  

"Mhm."  It confirmed.  "Nice to meet you by the way.  I remember feeling you in the woods a bit ago.  First time I've got a good reading on Zecora in years as well."  Mac caught what almost sounded like excitement in his voice.  

"So this is the story of your life?"  

There was a pause.  "I suppose, in a way."

"Which one are you?"  Mac asked.  

"I'm not giving away my own life story.  That wouldn't be very fun."  He replied.  "Besides, I'm needed elsewhere."

Mac's eyes shot wide open.  "Is Zecora using you?  What's she planning?"  

"I guess I'll find out."  It replied, disappearing like a gust of wind.  The world shifted again and they were back under the willow tree overlooking the city.  

"I'll be okay, Zecora."  A battered Tena said to her worried sister, shifting her bulging saddlebags.  "It's like a day's walk, and Lenar's got a place for me to stay."

"Thank god you have connections, Lenar."  Zecora mumbled, hugging her sister tightly enough to inhibit her breathing.  Mac watched the trio say their tearful goodbyes, even the stitched up Lenar managing to shed one or two.  

"Now lay low, okay?"  Lenar said pointedly, without any softness whatsoever.  "You're more free to practice witchcraft where you're going, but don't do anything that can be seen in any way as dangerous.  If you make a name for yourself, they might hear of you here, and it's well within their power to extradite you for trial.  You're a new zebra from now on."

"I can safely say I've learned my lesson."  Tena responded, nodding.  "I'm staying away from that stuff until I know it's safe.  Maybe for when you're in power."  She finished, winking at him.  Then she turned and walked off, turning only a few steps away to force them to promise her that they would visit.

Mac watched her disappear over the hills in the distance as the two stood in silence.  "She'll be fine, Zecora."  Lenar said, patting her on the shoulder.  A trade caravan's going that same route later today.  If something horrible happens, they'll bring her the rest of the way."

More silence.  

"I can't believe that ended well."  Zecora mumbled.  "I just can't believe it."

"I'm still a little shocked myself."  Lenar replied.

"You did all this... took all these risks..."  Zecora continued to mumble.  "I love you so much."

"Aww, well I-"  He stopped as her lips smooshed against his, surprised for a moment by the sudden turnaround.  He wrapped a hoof around the back of Zecora's head, pulling her closer.  

"You know,"  Zecora began, "there's something couples tend to do with each other when good things happen."

"We're couples."  Lenar mentioned between kisses he was planting all over her fur.  Mac felt his face heat up.  

Zecora laughed, nuzzling him back.  "I know a perfect spot."

"Yeah, I know a few as well."  Lenar shot back, the double entendre earning him a roll of Mac's eyes, even as he wrote down the dumb joke in the back of his head for later.  He let them move away into the trees, not particularly wishing to hear everything else that went on.  As luck would have it, the world changed again.  

Mac was in an ornate room now, but he wasn't sure where exactly.  Peering out the window, he assumed that it was the same place Lenar had thrown bread from.  Or the same building, anyway.  That part of ground didn't look the same.  He couldn't make much sense of why Lenar had seemed to grow up in a regular-ish house.  Maybe it was to seem more relatable to the people.  Mac could see how the current duke had a lot of leadership capacity, even if he seemed distant.  Minus the anti-witchcraft thing and possibly murder.  But assuming Lenar's narrative was correct, the duke was just being manipulated.  Not really guilty to the same degree at all.  

Mac looked around, finding a simple table with just the duke and Lenar, eating a meal that seemed a little below their stature.  Mac wasn't entirely surprised that they seemed like the type to not live the good life just because they could.  

"You look distracted."  The duke mentioned, gesturing at Lenar's mostly untouched food.  

"I'm just thinking."  Lenar said, who looked very similar in age.  Mac had to guess that he was probably only a little shy of twenty by now, though Zebras presumably aged at least slightly differently from ponies, so Mac supposed he could be a little younger or older.  

"What about?"  His father asked back.

Mac was sure whatever he was thinking about couldn't be mentioned.  "All the stuff I need to learn before I take over."

The duke chuckled.  "Well then you'll be happy to know I've got some stuff scheduled with my advisors to do just that.  I'm sure I'll start to go grey the day that that happens, but I guess you're right.  That should start next week, if you still want to go through with it."

"Oh, nice!"  Lenar exclaimed.

"I figured you'd like that."  He responded.  "But don't try to grow up too fast, alright?  You'll miss these days when you're like me and something's always stressing you out."

"Oh yeah, how'd the negotiations go with the king?"  

"They're getting worse."  He complained.  "Not because of the king entirely, the other nobles are a thorn in my side every step in the way.  But we're populous here as well as strategic, and we're one of the few cities with fortifications like these.  But one day they may not make a difference.  The artillery they showed off in the capitol seems dangerous mostly to infantry.  I suppose war exists to shake things up, though, so it wouldn't surprise me if we have to change.  We'll have to see what they do with such a technology."

Lenar nodded.  A long silence ensued.

"So my advisor says he has a possible lead on where Linta is."  Intus said to Lenar.

"That's good.  Don't need her stabbing any more shoulders."  Lenar replied, eating a small tomato.  So that was the name of Zecora's mother, then.  It appeared their plan had held together quite nicely.

"I'd still like to ask her how she feigned her death, as I must say I'm quite interested."  He replied.  "But someone as dangerous as her, responsible for such things..."  His voice wavered.  "And capable of so much... I must admit I'm worried."

"You've been worried since you found out, dad.  You mustn't let yourself be so stressed all the time.  It's not good for you."

"How can I not be, when she killed your brother?  Took him from me all those years ago."  Lenar nodded.  "I don't know what her goal is now.  I would've thought that she would kill you as well, but here you are.  I think she may have taken some of your blood, which my advisor says could be used to get at anyone in our family tree with a little work."

"And how does he know that?"  Lenar asked.  Mac watched the king, who didn't flinch.  

"I instruct him to read the books we confiscate so that we know better what to watch out for."

"And that doesn't worry you?"  Lenar queried.  "If anyone reads one of those books, you assume they're involved in witchcraft.  But he has free reign.  That sounds dangerous to me."

"Watch your mouth."  He shot back.  "I believe I know how to choose my leadership."

Lenar crossed his arms, staring.  

The duke sighed.  "You'll understand, someday."

"Maybe."  Lenar replied, wiping his mouth and getting up from the table angrily.  "I'm taking a walk."


________________________________________________________________________________


"So that's what you think?"  Zecora asked.  "He killed my mother?"

"No, it's what I postulated."  Lenar replied.  "I already assumed it was one of his advisors, but I didn't know which.  I don't see much of what goes on behind those doors."

"I'm surprised how isolated your dad keeps you from this stuff."  

"He says it's not something he wants to do because it makes him feel old.  I told him something might happen and he sort of capitulated, but it doesn't start until next week.  I could tell you all about how to fight, dress, act and the list goes on.  Not how to deal with the bureaucracy.  I love him and all, even with how stubborn he can be, but I wish he'd see what I mean."

"Well either way it's great that we have a lead, but assuming we ID the guy, what are we going to do, kill him?"

"I figured we'd just find out a way to expose his witchcraft to my dad.  That'd either get him banished or hung, almost definitely the latter."  Lenar shrugged.  "I worry that he may grow aware of this and try to keep us from outing him."  He reached into his saddlebag, removing an few old books and setting them on the ground in front of her.  "So I grabbed these."  

Zecora stared at them in disbelief.  "You want me to learn witchcraft?"  Lenar nodded.  "Nonono, I'm not getting involved in that."

"Zecora, we need to be prepared.  This guy is dangerous, and he knows exactly who you are.  Besides, you're a natural."

"Look, I may have made stuff with my mom, but that was over a decade ago!"  Zecora protested.  "And what if they find this stuff?"

"They won't.  I picked up a night shift of guarding, and we'll meet then.  I'll watch out for others, and you can just focus on learning.  But you should totally teach me a few cool tricks if you can."

Zecora sighed.  "Fine.  But this isn't going to be that fast, even if I am good at it.  Then we're going to have to wait for an opportunity anyway."

"Well I have some time, so we may as well get started."


_________________________________________________________________________________


When Lenar got back the moon was high in the sky, his eyes drooping.  He stumbled in the door, grabbing some food to munch on from the pantry.  He knocked over something in the process, cringing with the amount of noise it made.  He didn't need to be sneaky; his dad didn't usually care, but he didn't want to just wake him up for no reason.  But when he walked back into the kitchen with his food, no one was there.  Usually his dad was standing in a doorway staring.  Huh, well he must've had a late night too.  Or maybe he was waiting in a different doorway.  

Lenar walked by his bedroom door on the way to his own bed, stopping to look inside.  He didn't immediately see his father in the bed, so he pushed the door open a little more.  It creaked like mad, and Lenar rolled his eyes.  There he was, in bed.  Not out doing something.  Not that he really cared, but anything about his schedule Lenar could learn at this point could be useful later.

"Dad."  He called, wondering what had put him in such a deep sleep.  He pushed against his shoulder, moving him but not waking him.  The slight grin disappeared immediately from Lenar's face.  "Old man, wake up!"  He yelled, shoving him roughly with his hooves.  He was breathing faintly.  "Hey!  Help!"  He looked around frantically before sprinting out of the room and down the hallway.  Lenar shouldered his way through the maid's door, pulling her out of bed and shaking her awake.  

"Lenar, what are you doing?!"  She yelled, looking somewhat relieved when he set her down on her hooves.  

"Something's wrong with dad, and I need you to do whatever you need to do while I get help."

"Okay, go!"  

Lenar didn't think twice, sprinting from the room and down the hall.  Mac had trouble keeping up with him as they burst through the front door and across a plaza.  A minute or so later Lenar was at the front of a building that Mac assumed was a hospital.  He barreled into the lobby, letting the secretary know what was going on.  Lenar left, running back towards the house.  He quickly assumed a place next to his father before help could arrive, but looked unsure of what to do.  He eventually settled on gripping a hoof, the maid continuing to look the duke over.

"What's wrong w-with him?"  Lenar asked, getting choked up.  

"I can't say for sure, but it's serious.  Could be a stroke."

"How could he have a stroke?  He's not even that old!"  

"Lenar, just stay calm.  Did you come straight to me after finding him like this?"

"Yeah."  He replied.  "B-but I don't know how long it's been since it happened."

"Well they'll have blood thinner, so let's just assume that you found him moments later."  She paused.  "You're not blaming this on yourself, are you?"

Lenar did a half shrug, a tear making its way down his muzzle.  "I don't know what to think right now.  I feel like I'm dreaming."

"Well just make sure you do what you can if anyone needs it."  She responded.  "We can't have you getting glossy eyed now."

Doctors streamed in a few minutes later and Lenar moved outside, his head cradled in his hooves as he sat up against a wall.  Mac knew how he felt, with the sadness and loss, but with the haunting realization that there was nopony to tell you what to do or how to do it.  Lenar looked lost, heir to a throne he knew very little about.  


_____________________________________________________________________________


The vambrace sped up its vision, skipping between events in a sort of montage.  Lenar was in what Mac assumed was a war room, then a court, out in the forest with Zecora, giving a speech, speaking with the bureaucracy, and in the hospital with tears streaming out of his eyes over his father's motionless body to name just a few.  He aged at least a year or two, though Mac wasn't sure if that amount of time had actually passed or if it had just been stress.  

The rapid pace of the shifting visions suddenly and abruptly ground to a halt in a hallway in the castle, Lenar hunched over in front of him.  He had his eye to the key hole of a door, ears pointed straight forward as he eavesdropped on something.  Mac tried to walk through the door, and this time it let him pass, the lack of any feeling as his body followed him through solid wood unnerving.  

"Well he doesn't hate witchcraft.  That's the problem.  What if someone like her rises up and decides to take revenge?  It's only a matter of time."

"There's no way.  Besides, she can just have a little accident with her witchcraft, and he'll turn right around.  I'm pretty sure he knows her better than we thought, and while she may not be doing anything nefarious, who's to say she couldn't have been all this time.  If there's one thing I know, it's that Lenar will hate witchcraft just as much, given the chance.  I mean how could he not when it killed his brother?"

Lenar left the doorway and the two speaking ponies, taking mental note of any physical traits he could see.  After all this time they finally had a target.  The new duke allowed himself a grin, a slight bounce in his step as he made his way across the square, through the market and to his house.  Then he promptly set an alarm and went straight to sleep.  

One shift later and Mac was back in the forest.  

"They know?"

"Oh yeah."  Lenar replied.  "We need to make a move fast if we're going to do it."  He sighed.  "I just don't know what that move will be, exactly."

"I can't say I exactly want to murder them if we can avoid it."  Zecora said.  "Surely with all of their witchcraft stuff there's something we can do to expose that?"  

"Well sure, but they can dispute me all they want and I'm not sure if other members of the government will accept that.  I mean, they could just decide to make me disappear.  I'm not sure how deep this goes, Zecora."

"Annoying them could be the right move, you know.  You have me now, and I've done nothing but train these last couple years.  I could pick out the things that are dangerous to you before they go off, and we could have more solid proof of an attempt on your life that way."

"So what, I appoint you to government?  I know I could make that work to some degree by telling them that I wanted to extend the olive branch to control you, but as soon as you found something it would just be regarded as you setting up a trick."  

Zecora scratched her head.  "Well we can make it public if I can get one thing working.  And if we can get a pretty good amount of hair or skin or blood from one of them."

"What do you mean?"  Lenar asked.

"Well I think I remember there being a spell to make a kind of copy of a pony wherever you want, in which case we could do it in public in the square.  Cameras are out of the question because they're huge if you want to take video, and that would be too obvious anyway.  So maybe we could get away with this instead."

"How does it work, exactly?"  He inquired, mulling over the idea in his head.  

"Well it's typical voodoo, but it goes a little further in creating the form itself.  So unlike the dolls that can exist forever without a sizable drop off in power so long as the bound component doesn't get destroyed, this one will quickly overload it, so to speak.  It's got a time limit, though I'm not sure how long exactly."

"What kind of time limit are you thinking?"  

"Well with a lock of hair it can't be more than a few minutes if I remember correctly.  Really short.  But the more material I have, the better."

"Great."  So now I might need to signal to you instead.  He groaned.  "But what if they just called this trickery as well?"

Zecora rolled her eyes and shrugged.  "I don't know, Lenar."

"Okay well study the thing and I guess we'll see if we can use it."  His sat down, holding his head in his hooves.

"It's going to be okay, Lenar."  Zecora reassured him, putting an arm around his back.  

"I can't believe it's possible to be this stressed."  He replied, shaking his head.  "I'm going to end up the same way as my father at this rate."

"Nonsense."  She said cheerily, kissing him on the cheek.  "It'll all turn out okay, just you watch."

"God, I hope so."


____________________________________________________________________________


"You asked for me, my liege?"  An advisor said, coming into the room.  Lenar nodded.  

"I wanted to propose an idea."  He replied.

"Anything, my lord."  Lenar rolled his eyes.  

"I was thinking of allowing better relations with Linta's children."

That took him aback somewhat.  This was the more confident of the two that he'd been listening in on for a while now, so he'd assumed he was the ringleader.  "Why would you do that, sire?"

"Speak to me in normal terms."  Lenar commanded, waiting for him to nod.  "Because I believe we can control her and provide the usefulness of Linta when she was still around.  We are merely festering her hatred by keeping her there.  Just look what happened with her sister.  And with Linta appearing to be tied to them in some way, we shouldn't take any chances."

"Maybe she's waiting for an opportunity to get close to you?"

"I've got no quarrel with her.  In fact, I mean to lift her from poverty.  How could Linta possibly have a problem with that?"

"Spirits can be unpredictable."

"And how would you know that, Jalais?"  Lenar asked, surprising him with his use of his name.  He hadn't gotten more than a hint of the witchcraft stuff his father had mentioned in his years of being here so far, which made Jalais look even more suspicious.  

"It says in the texts of the church, sire."  

A smooth answer.  "But you say that she's a spirit.  Wouldn't that go to contradict the definition of spirit in the church writings?  Does it not say that she would need to be undisturbed in her grave?"  He paused, waiting for the words to sink in.  "Then why would it not imply that Linta is a little extraordinary, maybe even unnatural?"

"I don't cate your meaning, Lenar."

"I wish to know why my father chose you as the designated witchcraft advisor and why you haven't told me about it."

"Your father wished for you to become older before you found out."  

"Did he?"  Lenar asked, raising an eyebrow.  "How convenient.  Well I wish for you to begin telling me all you know about any threats tomorrow at noon."

"Sir-"

"Dismissed, Jalais."


_________________________________________________________________________________


Zecora finished drawing her circle, checking it at least twenty times with the book before making the scenario specific changes to it.  She etched it into the ground with a hoof before lighting the candle in the middle and hoping for the best.  

With a whoosh of air, she was in a bedroom of the castle.  Hopefully the right one.  She looked around, getting her bearings.  She had three minutes before this spell reverted, pulling her back.  She galloped into the bathroom, pulling hair from a comb, hoof shavings from the trash can next to the sink, old dental floss... anything that would have part of him on it.  She really hoped Lenar had picked the right room, and that he was occupying him like he was supposed to.

Jackpot!  There were some bloody rags in here, presumably from a nosebleed or something.  They were common in this dry climate, and while it disgusted her to no end she found herself not really caring.  

Lenar had decided that they better grab something of his to have as a weapon even if they hadn't yet figured out a plan.  So here she was, collecting gross stuff so that they could be better prepared.  She was careful to cover her tracks as well as she could, quickly moving on to his dresser.  More hairs, but nothing specific of mention.  She pulled the lining from one of the pieces of hoof armor, figuring that those went missing all the time anyway.  It smelled like she expected it to.  

Whoosh!

She was back in the forest, holding a lone sock thing.  What a weird day so far.  But the circle did what it was supposed to do, and she couldn't be happier with it.  That had been the first time she had actually put her witchcraft to use that hadn't been to test it.  She felt like she was full of energy, like she could do anything.  That shouldn't even be possible, but with a circle, a candle, and a little of her own energy it worked.  Speaking of, she should feel tired right now.  That should have been a hard thing to do without charms or other witchcraft catalysts.  But it hadn't been.  It had been easy.

Zecora couldn't believe herself.  She looked at her hooves, amazed by this testament to her abilities.  Maybe Lenar had been right after all.  She couldn't even begin to imagine the things she could do with charms at her disposal, or maybe if she was lucky some bones.  She wasn't about to exhume a grave or kill something just for that, but these guys doing witchcraft in the castle surely had some.  How else could they perform something on tier with her mom?  If she got those and learned a little more, well, there'd be no stopping her.  

Mac watched Zecora warily, aware of her thoughts on her own power.  By now he couldn't be sure how the vambrace came about anymore.  Used by them as a weapon, by Zecora for the same?  

"Why show me any of Zecora's childhood?"  Mac asked, hoping for an answer.  He waited about a minute with no response, and almost gave up. 

"Background."  The voice replied.  "You made it happen, not me.  Had we both been ponies and interacted this way, everything would have rushed into your head in one overwhelming instant.  But here, it's more like a dream.  I don't control what you see, but it's what's important, I suppose."

"So you remember this, in some form or another."  Mac concluded.

"You'll soon find this vision isn't quite the same as what you think it is."

"What do you mean by that?"  He asked.  

"I didn't write this story, but I'm not giving it away.  You may as well sit back and watch, seeing as you're the first to see it second hand."

"But you aren't omniscient, are you?"  Mac pressed.  "How could I get several perspectives in this world if you weren't?"

A long sigh.  Mac watched Zecora continue to grin ear to ear.  "I could ask you intimate questions about your life too, but I don't.  Besides, as soon as I explain something you'll just have more questions, so you might as well just wait.  Time moves more slowly in here anyway, so the outside world hasn't changed a lot."

"At least there's a little good news."  Mac murmured.  

The world shifted and he found himself in the square, Zecora working on painting the bottom of a platform in the middle with another intricate circle, for what use Mac couldn't discern.  Zecora carefully checked her work and touched it up before leaving the paint to one side, well hidden near some supports.  She picked up some books, trotting off into the darkness.  Mac followed, watching the hints of sunrise peek over the horizon.  He could hear noises of activity already, though Zecora seemed sure enough of herself.  

They quickly arrived at Lenar's abode, and Zecora peered through the window.  "Ugh, he's supposed to be awake."  She murmured to herself, turning to go around front.  Something caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks, turning back to the window.  A hooded figure made its way through the doorway to Lenar's bedroom, disappearing from view.  

"Lenar!"  Zecora screamed, punching her hoof through the window but making sure to stay away from the falling glass.  They weren't ready for this yet, their plan not finished or set to go into motion.  Lenar pushed the zebra out of the bedroom and into another wall, keeping a knife pressed away from his chest.  Another hooded zebra came into sight and stared at her.  

"Zecora!  The spell!"  Lenar yelled, dodging a swipe at his face.  A circle on the zebra's hoof glowed and he was thrown backwards against the wall.  "Now!"

She turned to run and the other zebra vaulted through the window in pursuit.  Hopefully Lenar could hold his own, because at this point the spell was their only way to get out of this alive and on good terms with the townspeople.  She really hoped he was a gloater back there.  Either way, this was gutsy for them.  Lenar must've really gotten them worried, or maybe she had.  Zecora couldn't be sure.  He sounded hot on her hooves, but she didn't want to turn her head to check.  The plaza was coming upon them quickly, much more active than it had been a few minutes earlier, and Zecora reached into her saddlebag to pull the components she needed to get the thing into action.  Everything was all set, she just needed to activate it.  

She came to a halt, trying to put a root into a small bowl, but as she reached out her hoof she was tackled.  She slid a ways away with her attacker, the wind knocked out of her.  She struggled for breath as she tried to push him away, to no avail.  Another item came out of her saddlebag, a piece of paper with a circle.  She slapped it onto his shoulder, activating it with a bit of mental concentration.  He slid away with an 'oof', and she made another dive for the bowl.  

Zecora watched the bowl disappear from her view, the pony's hooves and a paper circle appearing in front of her.  He'd managed to teleport her!  She gulped, dodging a punch.  That was something totally out of her league.  Or, at least, she hadn't attempted it yet.  Zecora scooped some sand with a hoof, throwing it into his eyes.  He staggered backwards, and Zecora took her chance.  She threw the root in and her carefully concocted mixture, and it burst into short lived flames.  The circle above her glowed.

"What's this, your trap?"  He asked, finally getting the sand out of his eyes.  He gestured to himself.  "Still here."

"I know."  Zecora replied, waiting for a telltale sign that the plan was actually working.  

"What do you aim to accomplish here?"  A voice boomed out.  The other zebra got distracted long enough for Zecora to run out from beneath the stage and take in the full glory of her creation.  It was positively massive, far larger than she had expected.  The zebra that had attacked them, the one that Lenar had correctly identified, was standing there in all his light blue glory, his slightly see-through form reflecting interestingly as the sun rose.  So it had been Jalais after all.

That had been Lenar talking, though.  He popped into frame a little as he drew closer to Jalais, sporting a few cuts and bruises.  He had what looked like a furniture leg in his hoof, though his opponent's large knife looked a little more menacing.  "I mean, look, killing me won't exactly allow you to stay in a society like this.  I'm well liked around here, and there's nothing you can do to change that this late in the game."  Lenar pointed out.

"You bitch!"  The zebra near Zecora yelled, hitting her in the side of the face with a hoof before she could react.  She sprawled out on the ground, her ear ringing.  He had taken off back towards Lenar's house, presumably to warn Jalais.  Zecora pulled herself slowly from the cold cobblestones, spitting out some blood and giving chase.

"As if your pathetic legacy can't be erased.  We've been around far longer than you, boy."  

"So you'll what?  Make it look like witchcraft again?"

"We won't make it look like it, we'll do it.  Then we'll frame the next one in Linta's lineage.  You're forgetting the amount of propaganda that we've done over the last however many years.  Witchcraft is the plaything of the devil to them.  It's got no redeeming qualities, and everyone already expected her to be a witch so they won't even care when she takes the fall."

Zecora was still giving chase, wishing she had had the time or ingredients to make a light-footed potion.  She'd be upon him by now, pummeling him with the power of another potion.  But time had not been kind to them, so here she was, trying to fight without augmentation or advantages.  She wondered why he wasn't hopped up on them himself, but put it down to luck.  He either hadn't expected to need them, or had a poor reaction to potions.  Some of those reactions were fairly gruesome, so she could understand that.  But their power could be unfathomable.  

Zecora pushed her legs beyond anything she thought they could do.  "You're ruthless, you know that?"  Lenar asked, the loud whoosh of a knife sounding behind her.  

"I'll take that as a compliment.  But I also like fun, don't sell me short.  This is fun, right now.  And I can take as long as I need because this room is soundproofed and glamoured.  Pretty cool, huh.  So you'll die, and you can scream as loud as you want.  No one will wander over because nothing seems weird, either.  Witchcraft is so much more powerful than either of you knew.  You shouldn't have been so eager to force this exchange."

"At least I'll die doing the right thing."

"Mmm..."  Another swipe of the knife.  "Debatable.  Maybe in your own mind, but after we're done with you?  After all the cards fall?  We'll be heroes.  Involved in a power struggle with a witch, and this is what happens?  Good thing we're here to put it to an end.  Pity we couldn't save you, though.  But we avenged you by taking out your friend, so I guess it's as good as we'll get in this imperfect world."

"So with stabbing, I assume this one's getting played off as a hex bag incident?"  

"Smart.  I'll give you that."  He sighed happily.  "But there's just something nice about getting to do it myself.  Hex bags are so cowardly."

"So when you killed my brother-"

"Well he walked through an alleyway, it was just too easy.  I mean, getting the guards away was a bit of a challenge, but a fun one.  And it worked so well.  A little too well, don't you think?"

"I figured it out, so I'd say not well enough."

"But look at how long it took you!"

Zecora dove on the zebra and they slid, hitting the side of the house.  Zecora watched Lenar and Jalais turn in the hologram, and the zebra's face hardened.  "I guess I'm cutting this short."  Jalais said as Lenar dodged a stab, then another, blocking a third with his table leg.  Jalais touched a circle on what Zecora assumed was the wall behind him, sending Lenar flying out of the shot.  Zecora shoved the zebra in front of her as he started to get up, sticking her circle on the front of his face and activating it.  He hit the wall of the house hard, and slumped over.  

Zecora sprinted inside, her heart beating a mile a minute.  Keeping the spell going was taking quite a bit of energy from her, but adrenaline was covering it up for the time being.  She slid around the corner to Lenar's bedroom door, the normal interior of the room shifting into its destroyed contents as she passed the doorway.  Zecora smacked the circle the zebra had written on the wall and sent him into the wall next to Lenar.  Zecora's eyes widened.  Lenar had a knife in his gut, his hooves holding it where it was.  He looked shocked, or maybe he was in shock.  She didn't know, and she didn't have time to find out.

But regardless, it made her angry.  That was something her books had warned repeatedly against.  But she couldn't help it.  Without Lenar, there was no point to any of this.  If she couldn't save him than she'd rather die trying.  These zebras were screwed either way.  At least they'd achieved that much.

Zecora reared up, slamming her fore hooves into the ground.  A crack formed in the floor, the Jalais realizing almost too late that it was headed for him.  He jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding a pillar of stone that shot out of the floor.  

"How'd you-"  He looked around where she was standing.  "Without a circle?"

Zecora didn't respond, only growing angrier.  Her eyes glowed a shade of crimson.  Jalais backed into a corner, looking around for a circle to save him.  "No matter what happens,"  Zecora began, her voice sounding slightly distorted.  "At least I'll be remembered for giving you a quick end, unlike the way you murdered Lenar's brother, Jalais."  She finished, putting emphasis on his name.  She could hear it boom out through the town a fraction of a second later.  

He stood there for a moment as Zecora stared, backed into a corner and looking scared for his life but otherwise confused.  "What, no more power to back up your-"

Zecora raised a hoof into the air, curving it backwards towards her face.  He coughed, a splatter of blood appearing on the hoof he used to cover it.  He clutched his stomach with a hoof, grunting in pain.  "You said-"  he groaned.  "You said you'd make it quick!"

"Yeah, comparatively."  Zecora replied, her eyes glowing brightly.  "But I want my revenge to be a little more memorable than that.  Maybe you'll regret what your tenure over these past fifteen years did to me and my sister, realize the consequences as your life ends."  Zecora looked at Lenar, cringing at the knife still lodged in his stomach.  He looked shocked, somewhat in awe.  She knew he was considering telling her this wasn't necessary, that she didn't have to kill him.  But he was too dangerous, and she knew that if they didn't get him here, they may never get another chance before something bad happened.  And the best way to kill a witch and make sure the job was done was a hex.

Blood was flowing out of his mouth in a thick stream as Jalais assumed the fetal position.  Zecora deftly broke the spell linking him to the town square, a light rumble passing through the building a moment later.  Jalais choked on his blood for about a minute or so before finally going silent.  Zecora collapsed, her power leaving her in an instant.  She dragged herself over to the glamour circle on the wall, scuffing it with a hoof.  The maid, tiredly inspecting the broken window and the giant figure that had been outside, she presumed, suddenly did an about face as the room updated itself for her.   Zecora merely waved, before the world became lost.


________________________________________________________________________________________


Zecora jolted awake in a hospital, looking around quickly in search of Lenar.  "Lenar?!"  She yelled, shoving the blankets from the bed and pulling an IV from her arm.  She stumbled down the hallway, realizing very quickly that she hadn't regained her strength.  She wasn't sure exactly what had happened back there, and she wasn't sure if she'd liked it.  But se'd definitely never heard of that happening to anyone before.  Passed down the family line, she supposed.  Or maybe it was just her.  How could her mother have been executed if she had been able to operate that sort of power without a circle or a potion or any conduit at all?

She turned a corner and bumped into a zebra, falling backwards onto the floor.  "Zecora?"

"Lenar?  What're you doing up and about?"  She asked, taking note of the IV he was pushing along with him.  

"I'm all stitched up and healing.  Not really supposed to be out here yet, but you know."

"That was fast."

"Unlike your nap."  Lenar replied.  "I'm glad you're awake, because I was getting worried."

"How long?"

"Two days.  Makes sense with witchcraft like that, though."  He grinned.  "Huh, duchess?"

Two days.  Woah.  Zecora blushed.  "We're not married, you can't call me that."

"Oh, you're right."  He made an annoyed face.  "Is there a title for the duke's girlfriend?"

Zecora chuckled.  "I don't think so."

He knelt.  "What about his fiancé?"  Lenar asked, presenting her with a ring.  "This was supposed to be more romantic, but I figure given the context it means more thematically.  I love you, Zecora."

Zecora's jaw dropped, and she didn't know what to say.  Naturally, when something did come out it was something sarcastic.  "Corny, but I'll take it."  She quickly followed up.  "Of course, Lenar.  A thousand times yes!"  She hugged him tightly, hearing a nurse walk by and half releasing him on instinct.  "Going to have to get used to this though."

"I already pushed a few laws around, but I don't think they were really necessary.  That stunt the other day was a godsend, Zecora."

"Glad I could help."  Zecora replied, embracing him again.

"I sent word to your sister, and even though I'm pretty sure her home is there now, I'm sure she'll agree to visit."

"I can't believe this is really happening."  She mumbled, tears of joy streaming down her face.  "Everything's going to be normal for the first time in forever, and-"  Lenar covered her mouth with a hoof.

"Normal is boring."  He chuckled.  "Let's strive for better."  

Zecora laughed.  "Fine, your majesty.  How should we start?"  

He pretended to think about it, but Zecora already knew what he wanted.  "I say we wait a few hours to make sure I'm not going to start bleeding out again, and then take a look at our new quarters.  I'm retiring my father's room, and for a while at least I think I'm just going to stay in the castle.  It's less walking, and I'm not supposed to be doing that very much right now."

"Look, if you're not up for it..."

"No, shh."  He paused, grinning.  "Tell you what.  I've been on top a lot lately, so if you want, we can just-"

Zecora kissed him, drawing a few eyes.  She felt them watching her like tingles on her skin.  Maybe it was the witchcraft, or she really wasn't used to this sort of public stuff.  "Show me the way, Duke."