A Day Off?! Eeyup.

Groan...

Big Macintosh let out an exasperated sigh as he forced himself out of bed. He had never liked getting up this early, and it seemed that would never change. Even after living his entire life on Sweet Apple Acres, he had always had to push himself to keep getting up early. There was work to do, after all. He meandered out to the barn, picked up a bucket, and went down to the river, near a cottage on the border of the Everfree Forest. It was still dark outside, and the moon reflected off of the surface of the water, giving the area a very serene feel. He'd always wondered who lived there, and he certainly hoped they wouldn't get angry at him for using the river this early. He lowered his head, with the bucket in his mouth, and filled it with the river water, careful to not get any on his face. Then, in an action that made his previous efforts pointless, he overturned the bucket onto his head. As the cool water washed over him, Big Mac could practically feel it washing the tiredness off of him.

After shaking off the residual water in his mane, he slowly made his way back to the barn, placing the bucket back in its original place, and thinking of what he was supposed to do today. He had already plowed the fields yesterday, and that wasn't a daily task, he recalled. He thought about watering some of the crops, but he looked outside to see a raincloud over the field where they kept their smaller crops. His only option left was to buck some apples. He grabbed a couple of the largest baskets they had, slung them over his back, and set out to collect some apples. It wasn't usually this slow of a work day, but the farm hadn't been having problems with weather or pests recently, which took away some jobs that usually needed doing. It was very unusual; Winter Wrap Up had only been two weeks ago, and usually, Spring was when the animals tried to get at the bumper crop of apples that came in before the main farming season. Also, they hadn't had rain this early in a long time.

He supposed he should be thankful that the Pegasi were bringing the rain this early, but he hoped they would keep it at a steady rate. They usually had to continually water the crops at this time of year, because Ponyville always had very dry Spring seasons. Thinking about it, he turned his head around, looking skyward. He stopped walking for a moment. There were no clouds anywhere else in Ponyville. That was how it usually was. He thought about the raincloud for another few moments, but he quickly denounced the thought, deciding to be thankful that he could possibly nap later, with less work to do. He turned away from the cloud, and walked into the mass of apple trees that made up Sweet Apple Acres.

The sun was now high in the midday sky. Big Macintosh had finished his Applebucking, so he dropped the apples off at the farm. He looked around to make sure that nopony was looking, and he wandered off across the farm, hidden from sight by some of the numerous apple trees on the farm. He walked on for what seemed like an hour, but he finally reached his destination. Far back into the farmland of Sweet Apple Acres, near the border of the Everfree Forest, was a small lake. There was nothing remarkable about this lake, but it was beautiful. Big Macintosh never showed it, but he always had a soft spot for nature. He even felt bad for the little animals he commonly had to chase off the farm. He wished that somepony else took an intrest in nature like he did, but he wouldn't really tell anypony about his own love for nature unless he had a good reason to.

He lay on top of a large hill, in a small clearing in the apple trees. As he looked down over the expanse of nature he was proud to call his home, he let out a deep, relaxed breath. He stood, and slowly began to wander back to the house. It was only noon, and he had no idea what he was going to do. A nap sounded good right about now. As he was walking, he tripped over something. he landed on his chest, his hooves splayed out in front of him. He looked at the offending object he tripped over, and he noticed it wasn't an object at all.

A soft, pure white bunny had stood strongly enough to knock over this massive stallion. While it may have stood the impact, it looked rather scared. It was curled up and trembling. Big Mac felt a pang of guilt go through him, as he was the one who had tripped over this poor little bunny after all. While other ponies would probably have been irritated from falling, Big Mac quickly apologized to the rabbit.

"Aw, horseapples. I'm sorry about that, little buddy. You all right?" His words seemed to shake the bunny out of it's terrified state, it looking up at him with a sort of fear. Big Mac slowly lowered his head to the ground to match that of the bunny and slowly held out his hoof. The bunny relaxed, and jumped happily onto Big Mac's head. He slowly raised his head back up, and wandered back down toward the farm. Upon reaching the house, however, the bunny tapped him twice on the head, and, as Big Mac stopped, the bunny hopped off, looked at him, smiled, and hopped off, extremely quickly. He was curious as to where it was going, but the thought of a nap was foremost in his mind. He didn't usually have time to relax, and he intended to use the time to get back some well deserved sleep. He walked back up to his room, slid into his bed, and allowed the hours of missed sleep to overtake him.

"Big Mac, get your behind outta bed right now!"

The voice made Big Mac jump. Not figuratively, he actually JUMPED out of his bed, almost landing on his angered sister in the process. He landed on the floor in a heap. Applejack glared at him, and he looked up at her, confused.

"What is it, sis? I was just takin' a little nap, catchin' up on lost sleep and all." His statement seemed to startle his sister. She looked at him concernedly.

"Really, Mac? You slept all through yesterday, It's already noon!" Big Mac looked up, wide eyed. He had slept a whole day? His terror seemed to catch his sister's attention, and she chuckled softly. "Don't you worry none, Mac. You didn't miss anythin', work-wise. I'm just a tad worried that you've been missin' so much sleep. How early do you wake up, anyway?" Big Mac looked at her, thinking about it. He said the first thing that came to mind.

"I... I don't rightly know, but it's a good few hours before the sun come up. I usually walk out and wake myself up with a bucket of cold water down from the river, and then I set off to work. I didn't have much to do, 'cause there was a raincloud over our crops anyhow, so I just bucked a few apples, and then I... Uh... Then I headed back to bed." His sister raised her eyebrows at him. Big Macintosh was a terrible liar. She knew that wasn't all he did, but she decided that was his business, and she looked at him with a strange sort of determination that made Big Mac nervous.

"Big Mac, when was the last time you went out to the town?" Applejack's question made Big Macintosh go silent, which wasn't an uncommon thing, but he actually couldn't remember the last time he went out into the town. He said as much.

"Now, I don't rightly remember. I think it was before Princess Celestia went missin'. And then you stopped hangin' around the farm as much, so I started wakin' up earlier to get some of your load of the work done." A thought crossed his mind. "Not only that, but I gotta thank those friends of yours that helped out durin' Applebuck season last year, when I was injured and all. I never leave good workers without payment, even if it's only thanks." Applejack looked at him, shocked that he remembered the incident. She got that look of determination on her face again, and Big Mac shrank back, to make himself look smaller. It didn't work, considering he was the largest stallion in Ponyville.

"Now, brother, don't get yourself all worried about nothin'. I got an idea that might suit your fancy. How'd you like a day off to wander the town? You could maybe buy some things, talk to the townsfolk, and you can thank my friends for helpin' out last year, if you're really so dead set on it." Big Mac had never thought of the idea of a day off. His reply was short, quiet, and oddly stammered.

"A... a day off? T-that don't sound like too good of an idea. Y-you know I'm not too good at talkin' to the other folk, and I-I don't really nee-" He was cut off, by his sister gently nudging him back towards his bed.

"Now I won't hear nothin' against it, Big Mac. You've earned a day off, for Celestia's sake. Now rest up some more, and you'll have tomorrow off. You still look awful tired. Get yourself back in bed, I can handle the harvest for today."

Big Mac began to object, but the idea of more sleep was already pulling him back into the bed, slowly but surely. Within seconds, he was once again sound asleep, before his sister even left the room. She looked at him, with a very worried expression. "You work yourself into the ground sometimes, bro. Get some sleep, and enjoy tomorrow. You need a day off." She mumbled this to herself, though the statement itself was directed at Big Mac, who was sleeping soundly.

Big Mac looked at the paper he had in his hoof. He did intend to thank Applejack's friends for last Applebuck Season, so he'd asked his sister for directions to their houses, so he could greet them in the way any gentlecolt should, and give them his thanks. Being a proper gentlecolt was something that Big Mac prided himself in, and it was something he enjoyed doing. Being polite to others made him feel good, though the amount he spoke was very little. The list didn't have them in any particular order, so he just decided to go from top to bottom. First on the list was Twilight Sparkle, Princess Celestia's protege. He felt slightly surprised that his sister was friends with someone so... high-class. He made his way toward the Library. He hadn't forgotten his way around town, though it had been awhile. He made it to the library, thinking that he'd never been there before. Reading wasn't particularly important to him, though it probably couldn't hurt.

He knocked quietly on the door, as the sign said "closed". He didn't expect a reply, but a high pitched, male voice came from the other side.

"One sec! I'll be there in just a second, gotta put this book away!" The statement was followed by shuffling, a crash, and a grumble. Big Mac waited patiently, and the door opened, to reveal... a baby dragon? Big Mac had never seen a dragon in real life before, but he made the assumption that this was NOT Twilight Sparkle. He spoke up.

"Uh, hey there. I was lookin' for a Twilight Sparkle? My sister Applejack said that I could talk to her here." Spike looked at him, slightly confused. He was lost in thought for a moment, and then recognition hit him.

"Oh, you must be Big Macintosh! That is, unless Applejack has another brother on the farm all day long. My name's Spike! So... what are you doing in town, anyway? You don't usually come out here, no offense." Big Mac chuckled at the polite little dragon. He was glad this little guy was so polite, if a bit unorthodox. He grinned, and spoke.

"Eeyup. I don't usually come around the town, no offense taken. I just got a day off from my sis, and I thought I should wander around and meet some of her friends, so I asked her to give me some directions. Twilight is first on the list. Is she really workin' right under the Princess herself?"

Spike grinned, seemingly proud for some reason. "Yeah! Twilight is super smart. She got chosen as the Princess's understudy when she hatched me out of my egg! It doesn't sound exciting, but you'll have to hear the whole story from her. Oh, sorry, I forgot you wanted to see her! Come on in." He quickly moved out of the way, and Big Mac thanked him as he walked in and looked around.

He'd never been in a library before in his life. He never thought he'd see so many books in one place. He looked around, and he was about to sit and wait, when he heard hoofsteps from above. He followed the noise with his eyes, and he was slightly surprised. An average sized, purple unicorn mare with a purple and red mane trotted down the stairs. For a reason unknown to him, Big Mac caught himself staring awkwardly at her. He managed to look away before she noticed, and he was thankful for his red coat, since it was there to hide his blush. Spike ran over and whispered something to her. She looked over at Big Mac and back at Spike, before nodding. She grinned, and walked over to Big Mac, calling out a greeting in the process.

"Oh, hello, Big Macintosh! It's a surprise to see you in town, let alone in the library." Big Mac looked at her inquisitively for a moment before speaking up.

"Oh, you, uh... already know me? That's a mite surprisin'." Twilight looked at him, and replied with a smile,

"No, not really, Applejack talks about you all the time! She wasn't joking when she said you were the biggest stallion in Ponyville though! You must have a very strong skeletal structure!" Big Mac looked at her, dumbfounded.

"I got a what now? ...I apologize for not bein' the most intelligent of colts, but I never was one for studyin'. I've been a workin' stallion all my life, Miss Twilight. Nice to meet you, by the way." She giggled.

"It's nice to meet you too, Big Macintosh. So, what's with the foray into town? You just taking a break?" He grinned sheepishly back at her.

"Well, yes, kinda. I've been missin' a lot of sleep recently, and I guess I passed out in bed for a whole day and a half, so my sis's puttin' me on forced leave. I just decided to take the opportunity to meet her friends. Well, that, and I still need to thank y'all for helpin' AJ out last year while I was injured. My sister's so stubborn sometimes I worry about her." He caught himself rambling, and quickly mumbled out a "Sorry 'bout that." Twilight looked at him questioningly.

"Why are you sorry?" He looked down before replying.

"Well, I know you're the Princess's understudy n' all, so you're probably real busy. I don't mean to waste your time with my ramblin' Miss Twilight. I don't usually talk much, is all." Twilight giggled again, and smiled genuinely at him, understanding the situation.

"Oh! Don't worry at all! I'm not some understudy that works ALL the time. I usually have too much time on my hooves, so I just end up reading a lot. I have no problem with rambling, either. Conversation is always nice! I know the library's closed, but do you want a few books? I've got some books on modern farming techniques. Nopony else wants them, so you can have them if you'd like." Big Mac was actually quite interested in learning about new ways to make farming easier, so he happily accepted her offer.

"That's mighty kind of you, Miss Twilight. I really appreciate it." She giggled again.

"Really, Big Macintosh, you don't need to call me 'Miss Twilight'. I'm not that formal." Big Mac grinned at her, feeling a strange heated sensation in his chest. It wasn't horribly uncomfortable, but it certainly wasn't normal.

"All righty then, you can just call me Big Mac, then. Thank you for your time, and I really appreciate the books, Mis- Oh, sorry. Thank you for the books, Twilight." She smiled, and waved goodbye as he walked out, with a bag of books slung around his neck.

As soon as he was out of earshot, she blushed a vivid red and closed her door quickly, before rapidly going upstairs and locking herself in her room with a few books, which confused Spike greatly. She usually read, but not behind a locked door. Regardless, the library was closed today, so it didn't really matter. He retreated to the main room, and began organizing books again.

Big Mac looked at his list. The instructions seemed a bit strange, and when Big Mac realized why, he reeled slightly. The instructions said to go to the cottage near the river to meet "Fluttershy". The cottage by the river. He had always wondered who lived there, and it looked like he was about to meet them. He trotted at a decent pace to the river he knew so well. He walked over the bridge to the quaint little cottage, seeing it in the sunlight for the first time. It was a quaint little pink building, and the roof was either covered in, or made of leaves. It was a strange roof, but it looked nice. He looked back at the piece of paper, to see a small note after Fluttershy's name. It simply said, "Be VERY gentle." He wondered why it said this, but he instantly put his mind to being as calm and as gentle as he possibly could. He walked up to the door of the cottage and knocked on the door very softly.

He waited for a few moments, and just as he was about to turn to leave, the door opened, very slowly. He saw a beautiful cream yellow pegasus mare with a pink mane sitting there, staring at him, quietly. It seemed as if she were waiting for him to explain, so he began to speak gently.

"Uh... hello. Would you be Miss Fluttershy?" She said nothing, but nodded once, in a quick movement so small that not many ponies would have even noticed. "Oh, good. Well... My sis, Applejack, gave me directions. I got a day off from work, see, and I wanted to thank her friends for helping with Applebuck Season while I was injured. It was mighty kind of y'all, and I always give thanks to those who deserve them." Fluttershy still said nothing, but blushed. She seemed to always be looking down. Big Mac looked at her for a moment. She really was quite beautiful. She gave off a very natural air. She could probably be a tree if she wanted to.

This quiet observance continued for a moment until Big Mac saw a familiar face. The white bunny from a couple days ago was there, and he recognized it immediately. "Hey, there, little buddy! You feelin' any better today?" The bunny nodded emphatically, and jumped up onto his head for a moment, before hopping off and running back inside. Big Mac was about to leave, when a soft, delicate voice drew him in.

"Um... please wait." He turned, to see that Fluttershy was looking directly at him. She still had a deep red blush in her face, and her wings were extended outward, for some reason. She tried to pull them down, but it was no use. "You're B-Big Macintosh, right? I... I think I've heard Applejack talk about you. That, and... well, it looks like you're the one who helped Angel Bunny a few days ago. He told me he got lost, and that a big, red stallion carried him to the farm. Was that you? I'm sorry if it wasn't. I just... I-" Big Mac preempted her, still speaking gently.

"Eeyup, that was me alright. Poor little guy got down into the deep areas of the farm, any farther and he would've gone into the Everfree." Big Mac shuddered at the idea. Fluttershy's blush dissapeared, and she quickly zipped forward, embracing Big Mac in an extremely surprising hug. She broke down, sobbing.

"Oh, thank you so much for finding my Angel Bunny. I couldn't find him and I was worried he got lost in the forest, a-and there's all sorts of monsters in there, and he could've been injured... or worse!" Big Mac stood there, letting the pegasus cry. She kept crying for a good five minutes, and by the end of it, Big Mac's mane was completely soaked. She let go, and sniffled a little, wiping a few stray tears off of her cheeks. She then realized what she'd done, and began apologizing profusely to Big Mac. "Oh, I am so sorry, I didn't mean to cry all over you. It's just that Angel means so much to me, and I don't know what I'd do without him, and I-" Big mac stopped her, and put his hoof on her shoulder.

"Now, Miss Fluttershy, it's fine. Calm yourself down a little. Your Angel Bunny's all right, ain't he? You got nothin' to worry about. It's just fine. Now, this note here says I need your help to talk to a Miss Rainbow Dash." She perked up. He felt that warmth in his chest again, like that warmth somepony got in their stomach, when drinking hot chocolate on a cold day. He couldn't put his hoof on it, but it still felt slightly out of place for some reason.

"Oh, you need to talk to Rainbow? O-OK! Can you wait inside? I was drinking some tea, you can make yourself a cup if you like. The kettle is still full, I think." Big Mac nodded, and walked into the cottage, as Fluttershy flew off. He wondered why she trusted him so suddenly. His mane was still dripping with Fluttershy's tears, and he felt a pang of guilt run through him. He knew she was happy, but he didn't mean to make her cry. He never tried to make anypony feel bad. He sat down off to the side of the room, leaving the couch unoccupied to be polite. While he waited, Angel Bunny came down a set of stairs and jumped onto his head. Big Mac chuckled, and just let him sit there for a while.

Day One : Introductions

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Hey guys. Not too sure about how well this one is turning out, any constructive criticism is great! It's a bit of a short one, but I'm not too good at writing an accurate Rainbow Dash. So again, constructive criticism is more than welcome!

CRASH!

The shrill noise woke Big Mac with a start. He quickly glanced around the room. To his surprise, he was still in Fluttershy's cottage, in the corner, and Angel bunny was sitting next to him, sleeping soundly. He must have fallen asleep as well, at some point. How long had he been there? He sighed, groggily. Why was he here, again? He was waiting for... someone. One of AJ's friends, probably.

He looked to the source of the noise, only to see that the door to the cottage had been entirely removed from its frame, and it was halfway across the room, lying under a very shaken cyan pegasus mare, with a rainbow mane and tail. She was very eye catching, as most ponies only had one or two colors in their mane and tail. The prismatic colors that this pegasus had were... Cool. He couldn't really think of another word for it, as the pegasus shook herself off and got up, looking around. She noticed him, sitting in the corner, and trotted over, with complete disregard for the door she had just destroyed. Big Mac just stared at her, surprised. Most pegasi wouldn't even be able to get up after an impact like that, and this one just shook it off. He was just contemplating this when he recognized her. This was the same pegasus that had made the Sonic Rainboom, and who constantly practiced over Sweet Apple Acres. As hard as he tried, though, he couldn't think of her name.

"Hey, Big Mac, what's up?" she talked with a very upbeat voice, very confident. Big Macintosh looked at her, still slightly dumbfounded. How did they all already know him? He hadn't met any of them, yet they all greeted him as though he was an old friend. Well, not Fluttershy, but she didn't seem to be the type for a jovial greeting. He noticed that he was spacing out, still staring at her awkwardly, so he spoke up.

"Um... hey there, miss... uh..." He thought for a moment. What was her name again? he looked quickly at the slip of paper that he had set down, to refresh his memory. He was still kind of drowsy, from being awakened so suddenly. "Miss Rainbow Dash?" She looked at him for a moment, seemingly confused.

"What, did you forget my name or something? I'm only the fastest flyer in all of Equestria." She looked slightly annoyed, but it seemed as though there was a trace of sadness in her eyes. Big Mac nodded.

"Well, sorta. I mean... uh..." His mind was still wandering. He was trying to think of something to say, but the rainbow mane reminded him of the first time he'd seen this pegasus.

He was working on the farm, but he had to stop and look up when he saw a rainbow colored blur zip above him. He followed the blur to focus, and he saw that it was a cyan pegasus, flipping and spinning dangerously through the air. She looped up, turned downward and spiraled down into a barrel roll, nearly crashing into the barn into the process. He had originally thought she was crazy, but after watching this occur a few times, he learned to enjoy her high-flying antics. He'd always wondered what it was like to fly.

His mind snapped back into reality, and he wondered how long he had been awkwardly staring at her, remembering the moment. He felt a strange warmth in his chest again, this time as though his heart was comfortably close to a warm fireplace. What was that feeling? He didn't understand it. He should probably check in with a doctor later.

Rainbow Dash didn't look angry now, she simply seemed dissapointed that he didn't know her. He realized he must have damaged her pride. He quickly spoke up, hoping it wasn't too late to make her feel better.

"I'm sorry, I just never got your name before. I know you're the one that's always flyin' around the Acres though. You've got some dangerous moves under your belt, Miss Dash." Her face brightened as she was acknowledged, and she blushed slightly at the compliment. "Recommend you don't go breakin' down doors, though. You could hurt yourself pretty bad. Ain't pegasi supposed to be more, uh... fragile than other ponies? No offense." She seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"Thanks, I think. I work really hard to keep up on all the good moves. Almost everypony knows I want to join the Wonderbolts! And... well, yeah. Pegasi have thin, hollow bones, but that just make us faster. Pegasi have to be light, right? If we were heavy, I wouldn't be half as cool and awesome as I am now! I may be a lightweight, but that doesn't matter. I can take more hits than most earth ponies." It seemed that this pegasus had more than a little bit of pride, if she wasn't downright cocky. He grinned at her.

"I can see that. I thought that hit with the door should've knocked you out cold, considering you launched it halfway across the room. Now, why in the hay did you have to go crashing through the door in the first place?" She looked at him sheepishly, grinned, and then looked away.

"Well... to be honest, I kinda, uh... crashed, a little. It's all right, I'll just fix it and nopony will know!" She didn't face him, but she instead turned to face the door, which was in the middle of the room, flat on the floor.

She said nothing, but she moved over to the door, and tried to pick it back up. For such a resilient pegasus, she didn't have much back strength. Big Mac headed over, tapped her on the shoulder, and once she was out of the way, he easily hefted the door back up, using his head get under the door, and then his neck to lift it onto his back. It was actually pretty heavy. He then proceeded to balance it on his back, as he carried it back across the room to the frame it rightfully belonged in. He shifted the door back onto its hinges and then let it rest. He had always been good at manual labor.

He looked over at Rainbow Dash, to see her blushing, much like Fluttershy had done. Her wings, too, were extended outward, as if she was about to take off. Upon seeing that he was looking at her, her blush dissipated almost immediately, and she looked away, but her wings stayed upright. He could see her strain as she forced them back down to her sides. He wondered just why their wings did that, And why it made them blush. Or maybe the blush had something to do with the wings?

After a minute's deliberation and awkward staring, he determined that he was still terrible at anatomy. He quickly left this train of thought, as he remembered why he needed to see Rainbow Dash in the first place.

"Oh, that's right. Sorry for not mentionin' it before, but I'm kinda on forced leave. I've been sufferin' from exhaustion as of late, and I guess AJ thought I needed a day off. So I decided to head around, and thank the group that helped her with Applebuck Season last year. So, many thanks for your help." Rainbow looked at him for a moment, and then broke into a wide smile, almost laughing.

"Oh, yeah! I remember that. That work was tiring, but it was pretty fun! How did you hurt yourself, anyway? AJ wouldn't stop talking about how you were hurt. She seemed really worried about you." A look of concern crossed her face. "You didn't seriously hurt yourself, did you?" Big Mac looked at her, feeling slightly guilty for being so clumsy in the past.

"Eeyup, I hurt myself pretty bad. I was out Applebuckin', as usual, and I went to kick a tree. Now, I kicked a bit too hard, and the tree started to fall. The unfortunate part was that it fell toward me, Celestia only knows how. I'm lucky I ain't dead. It nearly crushed me, but I managed to get a strong enough kick off to crack the whole thing in half. Mind you, it still hurts when half a tree falls on you." Rainbow looked horrified.

"Jeez, Big Mac..." Big Mac quickly attempted to calm her down, not wanting her to worry.

"Now don't you worry, Miss Dash, I'm fine. I'm still here, and I can still work. Well, the work bit might be a bit more important to my sis, but still." Rainbow Dash grinned.

"Nah, not worried about you. I'm pretty sure you could take more hits than I could, you're pretty strong. But seriously, you kicked a tree so hard you knocked it over, and then you kicked it hard enough to crack it in half? That's crazy! When we were helping AJ out there, I had to fly into the trees to knock anything down at all." She had an abnormal glimmer of competition in her eyes. Or maybe it was admiration? Regardless, Big Macintosh's red coloration proved, once again, to be a benefit in hiding a blush.

Suddenly, Big Mac remembered that Fluttershy was the one who had gone to get Rainbow Dash in the first place, and he accidentally cut her off before she could say anything else. "By the way, where'd Fluttershy get off t-" He was cut off by the door opening, and Fluttershy quietly slinking into the room. She spoke, in that same, timid voice.

"Oh, oh, I'm sorry it took me so long to get here! There was poor little baby manticore, and he'd gotten lost, so I picked him up and flew him back into the Everfree." She looked excruciatingly apologetic. Rainbow Dash jumped up and gave her a hug.

"Fluttershy, you have to TELL ME when you're randomly gonna disappear! If I hadn't accidentally your door, and then gotten distracted talking to Big Mac, I would've had Angel bunny and been out looking for you!" Big Mac looked at her for a moment, in a state of minor shock. Rainbow released her friend from the hug, just as Big Mac came to terms with the situation.

"Hold on now, you just, uh... did what to her door now? And not only that, but Fluttershy was missin', and you just talked to me? It's mighty kind of you to keep me company, Miss Dash, but you could've asked me to go look for her with you. I wouldn't have minded at all! You're both real nice, and I'd hate to have anything happen to either of ya, seein' as you've both been so nice to me and all." Rainbow Dash blushed furiously, obviously quite embarrassed.

"Well... as it turns out, hitting your head on a door at speeds that can almost break the sound barrier can affect your memory. I had totally forgotten about the flight over, I just kinda started talking to you. Not too sure why..." She blushed again, but it quickly faded. "Seeing Fluttershy just kinda... jogged my memory, or rather, reminded me completely why I had rushed over here so quickly in the first place." Big Mac smiled amusedly, but Fluttershy looked extrememly worried.

"Ohmygoodnessohmygoodnessohmygoodness, you're not hurt, are you, Rainbow? We can get you to the hospital, if you need to-" Rainbow cut her off, giggling, as she hugged her again.

"Calm down, Fluttershy, I'm fine. Just a little headache is all."

Big Mac had to admit, they were both cute. Just like with Twilight, he found himself awkwardly staring for a moment, as they continued to banter, Rainbow insisting that she was fine, and Fluttershy insisting that a checkup at the hospital would be for the best. He quickly shook his head and forced his mind away from that thought. What was that? He'd never thought about any mare like that before, let alone three of them. He needed to clear his head of any distracting thoughts. He had two more ponies to meet, and daylight was beginning to fade. He looked at his list, and moved to the door. He had to hurry.

" 'Scuse me, but I got to go. I still gotta meet the other two of AJ's friends. Rarity and Pinkie Pie, I think they were. I'll need to be leaving now, thank you for letting me stay." He said as he moved to leave. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy only stopped arguing long enough to say "Bye," before immediately returning to their respective relaxed and worried states. Rarity and Pinkie Pie. What would these two be like? He hoped he could make it through the day without any more major distractions. He did have to get back to work tomorrow.

Big Mac looked up at the building with a sense of foreboding. He didn't know why, but Carousel Boutique filled him with an internal dread. It was like he was looking into the gates of a new land, something completely foreign to him. A clothing store. Dear Celestia, he had hoped it would never come to this. He gathered what was left of his resolve, and walked quietly through the door. Supposedly, Applejack's friend Rarity lived and worked here, making and selling all sorts of clothes. He looked around the room, taking in the surroundings. They were different from anything he'd ever seen. He assumed this is what a "high class" establishment would look like, if it were a different color. The walls and floor were all pink, in slightly different shades. The curtains on what could be described as a stage were a dark pink, whereas the floor was a vivid bright pink. He didn't know why, but he wanted to leave, immediately. He had to force himself to say something, as the quiet in the room was unnerving. He set down the bag of books he'd had around his neck, and walked forward, addressing the seemingly empty room.

"Hello? Miss Rarity, are you here?" He said, in a strong, yet delicate voice. He almost didn't want a reply. He didn't know why he disliked this place so much. It just conflicted with something deep within his character. Unfortunately, his hopes for silence were in vain, as an almost excessively polite voice came from somewhere up a set of stairs he couldn't see. He heard hoofsteps, and he followed the sound to find himself staring at a pure white unicorn mare, with a very styled purple mane. Just in her looks, Big Macintosh could tell she was very refined. He could only hope she wouldn't be too high class to accept a hello. Thankfully, she trotted over daintily, and looked at him, somewhat analytically.

"Ah, hello, Big Macintosh. What brings you to town? Not a normal sight to see a working stallion like yourself in the best clothing store in Ponyville, unless..." A look of excitement came onto her face. "Could you be here to... clean yourself up a bit? I don't mean to offend, but you always look so... drab, while you're out working the field! I've had designs drawn up and stitched together for more muscular stallions for a while now, but I've never had a model for them! You've definitely got the muscle for it." Big Mac was extremely glad his coat was as vibrantly red as it was, because this was the deepest blush he'd ever experienced. Rarity was VERY forward with her compliments. Big Mac, not sure what to say, stammered out a reply.

"Well, I-I, uh, I just kinda came to talk, but if you need some help, I guess I could-" He didn't get to finish his sentence. Rarity had jumped up and was rapidly pulling him toward the back of the store, where the stage-like platform was set up. She pulled back the dark pink curtains, to reveal three mirrors. She ushered him up onto the platform, and signaled him to wait. She ran over in the direction of the desk, and she disappeared behind a corner. Big Macintosh, for the first time in his life, had no idea what was going on. Suddenly, he knew why he didn't like this place. Normally, he could assess a situation easily, but now? He had no idea what was going to happen to him, and it made him slightly worried, though he didn't show it.

Click!

Big Mac, upon hearing the noise, began to worry more. He really didn't intend to stay any longer than he had to, and it seemed he'd roped himself into something he wasn't getting out of. Rarity came back around the corner, practically vibrating with excitement. She had a cart dragging behind her, full of clothes. Big Mac sighed, resigned to the fate he had given himself.

"So, Miss Rarity, what do I do to help? I don't exactly know what I'm doing." Rarity beamed at him, obviously extremely happy that he was helping her.

"Well, darling, all you need to do is put on the clothes I give you, and then stand still while I fit them, to see how they look!" Big Mac sighed in relief. He was worried that she was going to cover him in makeup or something. It was a seemingly irrational fear, but it was a possibility in his mind. "Oh, come now! No need to be nervous. Oh, yes! before we start, you should probably wash up, I still have some things to set up. There's a bathroom right over there. "She gestured towards a blue door, which seemed to contrast to the rest of the pink interior. He simply muttered an "Eeyup." and walked through the door. Once the door was closed and locked, he fell onto his haunches. What had he gotten himself into?

He walked out of the bathroom some time later, breathing deeply. He hadn't had a good bath in a long time, so it was extremely refreshing to relax in the hot water for a little while. He hoped he hadn't taken too long. He let out his stored breath, and inhaled deeply again. The bathroom that was used by customers to wash up was kept in immaculate condition, and Rarity had an excessive selection of soap and shampoo. He eventually just settled on Apple scented and washed with those. He'd always liked the smell of apples. He started to zone out, but snapped back into reality. He was supposed to help Rarity.

Upon returning to the platform, he saw that Rarity was asleep by the cart of clothing. She seemed extremely peaceful, and Big Mac didn't want to disturb her, but he had a schedule to uphold, and he wouldn't just walk out on someone he'd promised to help. He moved over carefully and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Uh... Miss Rarity? I washed up for ya. You get all of the preparations done?" Rarity woke up quickly, and stared at Big Mac for a moment, incredulously.

"Big Mac? What are you... Was I asleep? Surely, I'm not still dre-" The realization hit her, and she cut herself off. "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry! I finished the preparations, and I just leaned onto the cart to take a moment's rest. I guess I've been working more than I thought today." She immediately resumed her previous train of thought. "So, all I need you to do is try on the clothes I give you, and then stand still. Fair enough?" Big Mac nodded, and so began the work. Rarity gave him a piece of clothing, usually a suit, and he would put it on, and stand still while she would temporarily fit it to him, using magic.

He addressed the topic of last year's Applebuck season while she worked, but Rarity simply waved it off, muttering something along the lines of "Oh, it was nothing, darling." They didn't really talk much other than that, as Rarity was intently focused on her work. After several hours of trying on different styles of clothing, Rarity happily called from the cart.

"Last one, Big Macintosh! After this, you can be on your way. He actually liked this one a lot, a black suit and red tie that, though completely not what he would normally wear, he thought looked extremely good on him. He felt like it made him look more... civilized. He asked Rarity about it.

"Hey, uh, Miss Rarity?" He asked. she turned from the cart for a moment. "What d'you think about this one in particular? I ain't one for fancy dress, but I like it." Rarity looked him over analytically, and nodded, grinning.

"Well, for somepony who doesn't like fancy dress, you certainly have good taste. That's my personal favorite of all of these designs! It really shows of your physique, darling! Would you like it?" Big Mac pondered for a moment. He didn't know when he would wear it, and he didn't want to think about the cost, but that was something he would have had to address anyway.

"Uh, that depends. How much is it? I don't have that many bits on me at the moment, and well-" She stopped him, smiling.

"Don't worry dear, you can have it. Consider it payment for your work. You've been extremely helpful! I was worried I'd never find a model for these designs, as most of the stallions that focus on their physique live in Canterlot." Big Mac raised his eyebrows at her.

"You sure, Miss Rarity? I don't mean to be taking something off of your hooves without payin' ya for it." She stared at him for a moment, and then grinned coyly.

"Are you absolutely sure you insist on paying?" Big Mac nodded. "Well, if you insist, consider this payment for the suit." And with that, she walked over and kissed him on the cheek. Big Mac was stunned. He couldn't move, he couldn't think, he couldn't blink. He just stared straight ahead, as if he had seen a monster. In his mind, a whirlwind of different thoughts and emotions exploded. Rarity simply left the suit on him and trotted up the same stairs she had come down, with a "Goodbye, darling!"

Big Mac wasn't sure how long he stood there. He wasn't sure what time it was, or what day it was. He had that same, strange, warm feeling he felt around Twilight, Rainbow, and Fluttershy. Was this... love? He couldn't seriously be falling for four mares at the same time, could he? He shook his head, hoping to dispel these thoughts for as long as he could. He had one more mare to meet, and very little time to do it. It was now getting dark, and he had to hurry.

Big Macintosh stumbled through the streets of Ponyville, with the bag on his back slightly heavier, as he had taken off the suit Rarity had given him and put it in with the books Twilight gave him. It was getting dark, and it was starting to rain, but he didn't care. He felt as though he was half asleep, though he knew he was wide awake. It was as if his consciousness wanted to be somewhere else. What was happening to him? All of these feelings running through his head couldn't help him. He had to find this Pinkie Pie, give her the same thanks he gave the others, and go home. He needed to sort this out before he could get to sleep. His mind still reeled, thinking of that one moment. It was raining heavily now, puddles forming all over the streets.

"S-She kissed me..." He said it aloud. He stopped, and looked in a puddle. His face reflected his feelings, his mouth, normally straight, was scrunched into a frown, his expression much more somber than usual. The sleep he'd previously lost was really showing, though he didn't notice it before. The bags under his eyes were beginning to become more prominent, increasing the sadness and confusion in his face. He didn't know what was going on in his own mind. It worried him beyond all belief that he didn't even understand himself anymore.

SLAM!

The noise made Big Macintosh look up, startled. He didn't think anypony would be out this late. He looked at the mare who had walked out of the building ahead of him. Upon looking at her more closely, he realized that she closely resembled what Applejack had told him that Pinkie Pie looked like, but something was off. Applejack said that Pinkie Pie was the only bright pink mare in Ponyville, with a cotton candy shaped mane and tail. This mare, however, had a very straight mane, looking somewhat like a popped balloon, sad and limp as it lay over her face. Her tail had the same qualities. He watched as she slowly started to walk down the street, away from him. He could only assume that this was the Pinkie Pie that Applejack had mentioned, as the coloration matched, but...

She wasn't energetic, or happy. She looked down dejectedly as she slowly began to pace down the street, taking one step after another, without any of the bounce or happiness that Applejack had told him about. Big Macintosh only truly took action when she stopped and began to tremble. He started cautiously towards her, but he began to hurry when she collapsed, sobbing. He couldn't just let somepony cry right in front of him. He tapped her on the shoulder, desperately hoping he could make her feel better. He could practically feel the sadness emanating from her, as she sobbed. She attempted to collect herself, but as she turned to face Big Macintosh, tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"Oh, hello... W-what do you want? Y-you're not here come to the party I made, are you? Nopony hung around at all... I tried as hard as I could to make a fun party, I was supposed to meet my friend's brother Big Mac today, and I wanted to have some fun... but it got late, and not even one pony came to spend time with me..." She broke down again, sobbing. Big Mac didn't want to make her feel any worse, so he introduced himself gently, smiling sadly.

"Are you Miss Pinkie Pie?" He asked. She nodded, shaking between sobs. "Well... I'm real, real sorry I couldn't make it earlier. I'm Big Macintosh, AJ's brother. It's nice to meet you, for what it's worth." She stopped sobbing, and looked up at him again. "I... I wouldn't mind havin' a party, if you haven't taken everything down yet." She looked up at him, the beginnings of a smile forming on her face, and her tone of voice became slightly brighter. He could've sworn he saw the pink in her coat and mane brighten slightly.

"R-really? You're Big Macintosh? I thought I knew everypony in Ponyville. Why don't I recognize you?" Big Mac chuckled and grinned at her. He felt a lot better himself now that she seemed to be happier.

"I don't come to town much. I'm usually just workin' at the farm. So, you still got that party set up, Miss Pinkie?" She stood up, giggled, and proceeded to scare the daylights out of Big Mac as her mane and tail practically exploded outwards, inflating like balloons. Looking at her now, she definitely looked like Applejack had told him, her mane and coat a much brighter pink, with the mane twisted and curled at every possible point, much like cotton candy.

"Uh... yeah. I kinda left everything up and just left. I get really weird and forgetful when I'm sad. You should hear about the time I forgot about my own birthday! You sure you wouldn't mind a party, even though nopony else will be there to party with you? Because I know it feels really bad to be alone, and I always try to be around other ponies! Except when I'm trying to sleep. Don't you think it would be weird if I tried to fall asleep next to random ponies in public?" She asked. He nodded happily, and chuckled. She certainly WAS as strange as AJ had said she was, speaking very rapidly, and vibrating with energy at each word. She was a lot perkier now, and he looked at her. She should have been soaked with rain, but her mane remained sternly outwards, as though it defied all laws of physics. His mane was soaked, plastered to his face with all of the water it had absorbed.

"Now, I don't mean to be a bother, but could you lead the way to where the party's at, Miss Pinkie? We should probably get inside before we catch a cold in this rain." She nodded rapidly, somewhere around five times, before hopping off towards the building she'd left. Big Mac watched this, slightly confused. How could she go from so sad to so happy, so suddenly?

She opened the door and let Big Mac into the building. This must be Sugarcube Corner. It was a bit hard to see from the outside, but it looked vaguely like a gingerbread house. As soon as he walked in, he was attacked by an army of aromas so sweet, they could probably knock weaker ponies into a diabetic coma. The air smelled so strongly of sugar that he could almost taste it. The room was still dark, but with a click! from somewhere in the room, The lights all turned on, and confetti sprayed all over the place from seemingly everywhere. She smiled at him, and, much to his surprise, she ran up and gave him a very powerful hug. She was extremely warm, and he could distinctly smell cotton candy in her mane. What surprised him the most was that she was completely dry. That made no sense, no matter how you looked at it.

"Thank you so so so much for coming! I was worried that nopony would show up, and nopony showed up at all, well... some of my friends showed up to drop off some presents, but they couldn't stay... so I was really sad, so I kinda became a little Pinkamena-y for a while there. I'm really super sorry you had to see that..." Big Mac gently pulled out of the hug. Her coloration faded a little as she frowned, but as soon as Big Mac smiled at her, it came back immediately, her face breaking into a smile.

"Uh, pardon me for askin', but what do you mean by... 'Pinkamena-y'?" She looked at him somewhat guiltily, though she didn't lose her smile.

"Oh... that's just what I call myself when I get really sad or really angry, or both... But that doesn't matter, there's a party to have!" She rapidly charged out of the room, coming back a few minutes later with a table that had two boxes and a card on it, each wrapped a different color.

"You set all of this up just for me, Miss Pinkie?" She nodded.

"I always want everypony to be happy, so I always set up super duper fun parties! You can just call me 'Pinkie', by the way, I hate formal parties they're no fun! Speaking of fun, I have a bunch of super fun games, but they all require more than four ponies. I usually have a lot of guests. Oh well! More cake for us!" Big Mac stared in bewilderment as Pinkie brought out an enormous bright red cake, in the shape of an apple. She cut him a slice, and then she cut three more. Big Mac was starving. He hadn't eaten all day, considering all of the things that had happened.

He dug into his cake happily, to find it delicious. Extremely sweet, as any cake should be, but it was light, fluffy, and it tasted slightly like an apple. He finished his slice, and looked over to Pinkie. His jaw dropped. She had eaten half of the cake, and was cutting herself another slice, when she suddenly exploded into the most rapid sentence he'd ever heard.. "MMMM! This cake is really good don't you think so I think so I just can't stop eating it it's so tasty it tastes like apples and I LOVE apples but who doesn't lo-" He cut her off, practically laughing out loud as he chuckled.

"Uh, not to be depressin', but you should probably calm down a little. You should really, uh, save your energy. Never know when you're gonna need it." He frowned inwardly, thinking of how stupid that sounded. That wouldn't make her calm down. He hoped it wouldn't make her angry, he just wished she would... slow down a little. Well, sort of. He wanted some more of that cake, before she ate all of it.

Much to his surprise, however, he could see her slowly begin to calm, and eventually, she was just standing there, not vibrating, not bouncing, just standing. He looked at her, completely stunned, as she began to speak in a somewhat slower voice.

"Hmm... save energy? I guess I never thought about it like that before. Well... it is just me and Big Mac, so there really isn't any reason to be too hyper, but..." She was talking like any other mare now, but... she was talking to herself. Big Mac had no idea what in the name of Celestia was wrong with this mare, but it seemed pretty funny to him. He chuckled again.

"Hey, Pinkie. Not to interrupt your thinkin', but could I have another slice of cake before you finish it off?" She nodded happily, and gave him the slice she had just cut. He thanked her, and she began to cut another slice.

He finished his second piece of cake, now quite content. He looked over, and he wasn't too surprised to see that Pinkie had finished the cake. Thankfully though, she maintained her levelheadedness that she had so suddenly acquired. He knew he would need to head home soon, it was really, genuinely late now. He decided to address the reason he was here.

"Well, Pinkie, I guess I never really explained why I was comin' over in the first place. Now, I suppose you remember last year's Applebuck Season, when I was out on injury?" She nodded. "Well, I decided that, since I was on forced leave today, I should introduce myself to her friends, and give em' thanks for helpin' out the family. So, thank you, Pinkie. I don't know what could've happened if AJ had kept tryin' to do that on her own." She giggled happily, her energy level rising slightly.

"Oh, it was fun! You don't need to thank me, I got to eat apples! And drink applejuice, and make an apple pie with Applejack, and then I made an apple cake, just like the one we just ate! Hey, you should open your presents!" She gestured toward the table, with the two boxes and card on it. Big Mac got up slowly, and walked over. "Ooh, open mine first! It's the card."

Big Macintosh walked over, and opened up the pink card. On the inside, it read like a letter, written in rapidly scrawled mouthwriting that was in recently used ink. Had she written this while getting the presents? It read:

Dear Big Macintosh,

Thanks again for showing up. I don't know what I would've done with all of the party stuff if you hadn't! I mean, I could've saved it, but then the food would go bad, and that's not very tasty. Regardless, if my Pinkie Sense is right, It's my lucky day, because my back's been itchin' up a storm! By the way, you should turn around.

-Pinkie

Big Mac read the letter, not sure what to make of it. What was Pinkie Sense? An itchy back? Her lucky day? He read the last line, and turned to where Pinkie had been. She was now less than five feet away, staring directly into his eyes. He wanted to say something, but he found his mouth dry. Time seemed to be slowing to a crawl. Upon looking into her eyes as she started to hop towards him in this awkward stasis, Big Mac felt a familiar, uncomfortable warmth in his chest for the fifth time today. He'd felt it when he was with Twilight, he felt it when Fluttershy hugged him. He felt it when he thought about the first time he'd seen Rainbow Dash flying, and he felt it when Rarity had kissed him on the cheek.

Oh no. Not again. Not with Pinkie, too... Time seemed to get slower, and slower, with each little hop she took towards him. She took one final bound, and time came back. Pinkie Pie landed right in front of Big Mac, who just stared, stunned, as she embraced him again, this time pulling him into a deep kiss. Big Mac didn't resist, he didn't return the kiss, he didn't know what to do. He had so much running through his mind it was excruciating. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and now Pinkie Pie? He wanted to kick himself in the face. He's only had intentions to go and give thanks to AJ's friends, and he'd somehow... something had happened between them. Whatever it was, there was definitely a conection with each and every one of them. What would he tell Applejack?

The thought of his sister's reaction hit him like a freight train, as well as his collective lack of sleep, and when Pinkie pulled away from the kiss, and let him go, Big Mac made a split second decision that he'd had enough of this mental torment to last a lifetime, and galloped out of the room at high speed, leaving a very confused Pinkie Pie in his wake.

Interlude : Exhausted Introspection Under The Apple Tree

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Sorry for not getting this up sooner. I really wanted to write, but I've been having some trouble with it considering the way I wrote Pinkie's intro chapter. I feel like I'm rushing the story, as I'd really like to make some long term character advancements in all of the Mane 6, as well as Big Mac himself. Due to this, I've made a change in Pinkie's chapter. Instead of fainting, he runs out of Sugarcube corner, and that's where we start off here. Again, I don't feel so sure about this chapter, so, as usual, criticism is welcome!

Midnight had now settled, the rain had stopped, and the darkness did not impede Big Mac's speed as he continued to gallop through the streets of Ponyville, ignoring his body's cries of resistance. It had been a long day, and though the bag around his neck wasn't ridiculously heavy by any means, he'd been carrying it all day, and he only had one goal. Big Mac wanted to get somewhere where nopony could find him in the morning. He needed time to think about all that had happened. It would be too much to say that there was any sort of love between him and the various mares he'd met throughout the day, but there was definitely a connection. What kind of connection, he didn't know... but he needed to think, away from the town, away from the farm, even. He wasn't good at keeping secrets, and AJ was really good at finding the truth. If she learned what had happened, she would be more than just mad. Big Mac needed somewhere to hide. With this in mind, he slowed his pace, and began to check his surroundings.

Fortunately, his frantic sprint had led him down the road to Sweet Apple Acres. He knew from experience he could get lost in the acres of farmland without anypony noticing, and lay low for a while. After passing the farmhouse, he headed into the massive expanse of apple trees. Before too long, he had reached the lake near the border of the Everfree Forest. He followed the border until he reached the very corner of Sweet Apple Acres. Upon seeing that the town of Ponyville was a relative speck from this vantage point, he began to relax. He wandered along the border of the farm some more, a little way away from the forest, and found an apple tree that was large enough to shade him from the morning sun. Big Macintosh sat down under the large tree, beginning to relax, though he did not expect to sleep. Suddenly, a very audible "POP!" was heard, a flash of blue light lit up the scenery around him briefly, and a prominent voice came to him over the quiet of night, shocking him into full awareness once more.

"Big Macintosh, why do you wander so far from Ponyville? We do not usually disturb those who We see during the night, but We must inquire why you have such a... troubled countenance about you." Big Mac nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard and saw who was addressing him.

"Oh! P-Princess Luna, your majesty." He bowed, but rose again, curiously "Were... were you watchin' me? No offense, of course. I'm just feelin' mighty paranoid, all that's happened to me today. Also, it ain't everyday that a princess just teleports in to say hello." Princess Luna looked at him for a moment, analytically.

"We take no offense to your- Oh, that's right, my apologies. I take no offense to your statement." Her voice quieted greatly, much to Big Mac's relief. "My apologies, I've been trying to stop using such antiquated forms of speech. It's... slightly difficult. Regardless. I was not watching you, but it is my duty to oversee all that occurs during my night, and I observed your meeting with Miss Pinkamena Pie. I could not help but notice your... frantic exit. I teleported here, as I wanted to ask why you are so troubled, and if I may be of any assistance. I get quite bored during the night, as I do not usually interact with the common ponyfolk, considering they sleep while I am awake. Would you be willing to talk with me of your problems?"

Big Mac was slightly uneasy about her sudden change in mood, but he felt that if he could trust anyone, it would be Celestia or Luna. He had never met either of them directly until now, but he knew that they were regarded for their passion in helping the citizens of Equestria. Maybe Luna was just the pony he needed to see. He relaxed again, slumping down on his haunches and leaning heavily against the tree. His muscles still ached from the panicked sprint out of Sugarcube Corner, and though he could deal with a little pain, his mental state seemed to magnify the pain in his body.

"You know what, Miss Luna, I think I would be happy to talk to ya for awhile. Got a lot on my mind, see. Now, goin' by what you said, you watch the night. Now, you must've noticed that I don't sleep too much. I normally just work the farm from before sunrise to late at night." Luna nodded, and looked at him with an expression of empathy.

"Yes, I have noticed that. Are you certain it is not best that you, like other ponies, get sleep during the night? It is important to rest. Not that I mind the concept of somepony being awake during my night." Big Macintosh looked at her again, and nodded. Luna sat down in front of Big Mac, listening intently as he began his story.

"Yeah, I should be sleepin' more. I figured that out recently. I went to take a nap a couple days ago, and I ended up asleep for a whole day. My sis, AJ told me that I needed a day off, y'see? So I laid myself down for the rest of the day, and I woke up today, and hit the town, meanin' to meet Applejack's friends, and thank them for helpin' out durin' last year's Applebuck Season, since I was out with an injury, and my sis was so tired she was just fallin' asleep while she was workin' out on the fields. And so, I went on down to Twilight Sparkle's house..."

He recounted the entire day's events to Luna, and he went to high amounts of detail with the emotions he had felt, hoping it was possible that Luna could help him understand what was going on in his mind. He felt a little bad, leaning on a Princess as though she were his personal psychologist. She remained there, though, listening to every detail he pointed out, and nodding. Her facial expression remained empathetic, if not becoming even more so.

"And then I ran into you, Princess. More stressful than any workday. I don't mean to push all my problems on you, but do you know at all what's wrong with me? I'm more frightened for my own sanity than anything." Luna looked at him for a moment, and then responded, in a very knowing tone.

"Well, I believe I do, but... It's strange, you show the main symptoms of being lovestruck, in all of these cases. I mean you no offense in this, but the circumstances regarding your day are, to be honest, extremely odd. I am very knowledgeable in the area of romance, but I have no idea how one can be lovestruck so easily. I mean you no offense, of course, but I would like to meet you again to discuss this, as I find your situation very... interesting. If you wish to meet me again, I will be watching over the night, and all you need to do is come to this tree, as I can tell you would prefer your mental state to be private to others. I need some time to think about your predicament, as well as some time to discuss things with my sister, if that is all right with you." Big Mac nodded, before responding in a cautious tone.

"That's fine, but keep it between you two, if you could. I don't want anypony knowin' about this, though I think I made that clear. Thank you very much. I'm gonna rest here, though I don't think I'll be able to sleep. I'll need to lay low around here for a while. There's plenty of food to eat nearby, and I can drink from the lake over there." Luna's expression changed to a slightly more concerned one.

"Are you certain? That seems to be a rather rash decision. I promise I will keep these meetings between me and Celestia, should they continue. And if you truly want to remain here for a time, I won't argue with you... However, I may be able to help you sleep. I learned a relaxation spell recently, it's very similar to healing, and you still seem to be in quite the state. Would you like me to help you to sleep?" Big Macintosh looked at her for a moment, skeptically, but he decided that she had not said or done anything to break his trust in her up to this point, so he agreed.

"I really appreciate it, Princess. Thank you for bein' so helpful. It feels good to get all of that off of my back." Luna smiled at him.

"I watch the night, and those who live through it. You are under my protection during the night, and I cannot allow you to remain in such a stressful state. To do so would greatly displease my sister, and it would disturb me as well. We have the utmost respect for our subjects. Now simply relax, this should feel numbing." Her horn glowed a moonlit blue, and Big Mac could feel his muscles relax, from his forelegs all the way to his hindquarters. He slumped down as his muscles relaxed, and he could feel his mind slipping away to sleep, and though the occurrences of the day remained in his mind, the headache he had accumulated began to fade. "Good night, Big Macintosh." Luna said, and she flew away towards the castle. Big Mac felt his conscious thoughts slip away, happily letting sleep overtake him as he sat alone, underneath the apple tree.

The Next Day (Complete section!)

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I'm, unsure why I didn't do this before, but here it is. The Next Day, in its entirety. You can reread the original Perspectives if you want, or you can skip past them, but instead of working backwards, and not being able to continue work on an already published chapter, I shall move forward, and finish work on this, the complete Next Day chapter. I suppose it is both good and bad news that later chapters will probably be done in this style, therefore they will be longer, but they'll also be slower to arrive (though that isn't saying much with my production rate).

Twilight Sparkle sat in her room, looking over the same book she'd been "studying" all night. She'd only unlocked the door once, to let Spike in so he could go to bed. As soon as he'd fallen asleep, however, she left the room, and had a late night reading session in the main area of the library, which, much to her chagrin, hadn't helped her in the slightest. Quietly, so as not to disturb Spike, she solemnly headed back to her room, and put the book under her pillow. Twilight begrudgingly set herself to try to sleep, but nothing was coming of it. She sighed, and pulled the book out again. Looking at the vibrant purple cover with golden letters, she found herself unable to think that this wasn't at least a little childish. She was a grown mare, and she should be able to deal with this sort of thing on her own... Shouldn't she? After sighing irritably again, she replaced the book under her pillow, and got up, silently preparing to leave the library.

It was still dark when Twilight left the building, but she already knew where she was going. If she couldn't sleep, she would go to the one pony that could sympathize with her, to a point. Twilight meandered slowly through the streets of Ponyville, heading toward the only building that always had one light on. Upon arrival, however, she found that the door to Sugarcube Corner was open, all of the lights were on, and Pinkie Pie sat in the middle of the main room, staring into space, looking very... lost, in the middle of what looked like an empty party. A plate held crumbs where a cake must have been, confetti was strewn about the floor, and there were boxes and a letter on the same table as the plate. As she looked over the scene, Pinkie Pie nonchalantly reached around herself and scratched her back. She shuddered, as if coming to a stark realization, and her facial expression suddenly changed from lost, to downtrodden. She looked down, and her coloration seemed to fade.

Her mane and tail began to fall downward, straightening and flattening as it did so. It was as if someone had untied the knot on a balloon, and it was deflating in slow motion. Twilight wasn't quite sure what to do, but she quickly moved to her friend's side as tears started to hit the floor. The last time Pinkie's hair was like this, she had been mad, in more ways than one. Now, she was clearly in excruciating sadness. What for, Twilight couldn't tell, all she knew was that her friend needed help. She carefully nuzzled her friend, in an attempt to calm her, and to get her attention.

Pinkie Pie looked up at Twilight, comprehension dawning on her face. She quickly looked away as her eyes began to water again. Twilight didn't know what this was about, but she quickly pulled her friend into a tight hug, allowing her to cry. She'd only seen Pinkie like this once before, but she knew that without some care from a friend, Pinkie would put herself into a state of depression that she wouldn't soon get out of... She could only hope her friend wouldn't go insane again. On the fateful day of the surprise birthday party, according to Rainbow Dash, she'd completely lost her mind. That was a story she wouldn't soon forget.

Offering a hoof to her friend, she slowly helped her up the stairs, making sure she didn't fall between sobs. This was bad, Pinkie had been sad before, but never like this. She looked as if she'd seen something so scary, not even she could laugh at it. Upon reaching her room, Twilight sat down nervously in front of Pinkie, looking very worried, but curious at the same time. She wanted to know what could have caused this. Pinkie looked up as Twilight began to speak, gently and carefully.

"Pinkie... what happened? I've never seen you this sad before..." Pinkie looked up at her, and she slowly stopped crying. When she actually began to speak, her voice was so horribly downtrodden that it made Twilight want to burst into tears. It was just as high pitched as usual, but it had no energy. It was hollow, empty, as if this were a shell of the Pinkie Pie that Twilight knew.

"Well... It started when I wanted to throw a party for Big Macintosh..."

Rarity lie in bed sleeping, comfortably. She was having a comfortable dream about a comfortable dress, one she would comfortably design, as she had no orders for the day, and she was planning on a comfortable session of searching her rooms for inspiration.

After waking up comfortably, and even though it was technically morning, it was still dark. She walked comfortably downstairs, as if to prepare for the day. She was about to get a cup of tea, when she saw a tag on the floor. A tag for a suit. It triggered a sequence of memories that made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Oh... oh my."

That tag was for a suit she'd given away yesterday. A suit she'd given away to Big Macintosh. A suit that had looked so good on him, she had to give it away. When he'd insisted on payment, she couldn't completely refuse him, could she? He'd just looked so marvelous in that suit that she got carried away in the moment, and her romantic nature had gotten the better of her. She had kissed him. It was just a peck on the cheek, but it was so foolish. Oh, no. No no no. Her mind rattled. She'd really done that. She had gone to bed in the love-stricken haze of a dream, and woken up to the harsh reality of her foolish actions. Of all of the things that could happen...

This was the
WORST.
POSSIBLE.
THING.

She reeled with the realization of what she'd done. She quickly used a burst of magic to drag a couch over, before promptly fainting onto it. When she came to, it was still extremely early in the morning, and the sun had just begun to peek over the horizon, cascading a beautiful array of light over the sleeping town of Ponyville, and into the windows of her boutique. Even in her distraught state, she had to admit, Celestia knew how to make a morning beautiful for all of Equestria. Watching the spectacle of morning unfold, she began to calm down. As long as she apologized, and took every precaution she could, it would be fine. She could apologize to Big Mac and be on her way.

Rarity slowly meandered into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. She was about to turn to leave when she noticed a single blemish on her face, just underneath her right eye. Rarity prepared to shriek in horror, but she realized it was a spot on the mirror, and not her face. Sweet Celestia... she thought to herself. This stress cannot be good for my complexion. she then made up her mind, that before any apologizing was done, she had to look her best. She attempted to look her best before doing anything, and this was no exception. Rarity quickly used a flurry of magic and brushed her mane to what she deemed as perfect, and then set out, heading towards the spa. She didn't know what time it was, but she was comfortable in her knowledge that she'd never seen the spa closed to a mare in need.

Sure enough, the door was open and the light was on, though it didn't need to be. The sun seemed more vibrant than ever, shining over and into anything that it could, as though Celestia herself was feeling more generous than usual, and wanted to give everypony a bit of light.It shone through the windows of the spa's windows, seemingly flooding the room with a warm glow. Rarity gracefully paced over to the counter, and asked for her "usual". She knew she didn't need to elaborate. She'd been here so many times, she knew all of the staff by name, and could talk to most of them about their personal lives. The pink mare behind the counter, who's name was Aloe, quickly nodded and took Rarity back into the spa.

"So, Aloe, have there been any goings on recently that I haven't yet heard of? I'd hate to be misinformed of any occasions, and you always seem to know what's going on around town." At this, Aloe stopped for a moment, and looked pensively at Rarity, clearly indicating that she was thinking.

"Nothing that I know of, but I'll be the first to let you know of anything next time you visit, Miss Rarity..." At the words "Miss Rarity", Rarity's mind was swept up in thoughts of the big red stallion again, and the rashness of what she'd done. She truly needed to apologize to him before things got out of hoof. Thanks to this rampant train of thought, she entirely lost focus on the conversation, and she only managed to realize that Aloe had still been talking after her last few words floated through the air. Something about a friend.

"I'm terribly sorry darling, could you run that by me again? I'm not in the most focused state right now." Aloe nodded and spoke, The beautician's words bringing a smile to Rarity's face.

"I was wondering if you would like to be with Miss Fluttershy, as she is here as well." Rarity beamed, and nodded, speaking happily.

"Oh, that would be simply fabulous, darling! I'd love it ever so much." She meant it, too. If anyone could empathize with her about her situation, it would be Fluttershy. Rarity had to admit, she was surprised that Fluttershy was here so early, as their usual sessions were just after lunch. She walked after Aloe, and upon entering the room she gestured towards, her jaw dropped.

"F-F-F-Fluttershy?" The name garbled out of Rarity's mouth like a river of idiocy, halted by a dam of stutters.

"Oh, hello Rarity. It's so nice to see you again!" came the quiet, yet cheerful reply.

Rainbow Dash was alone, relaxing in a cloud as she so commonly did. The late morning sun shed light on her face, showing all of the tiredness that she had accumulated over the night. Now she had this sort of vision running through her imagination, and it was all because of one conversation she'd had the day before.

Ever since she discovered how much she like reading, she learned that she was very good at visualizing things in her head. Unfortunately, it wasn't just something that you could turn off. She had to admit, stories were a lot more interesting than she thought they'd be, what with a sort of movie playing through her head every time she read a book, but now her imagination itself had become a lot more distracting. Staring out into space, she lost focus on her thoughts again as dramatic images rampaged through her mind.

A shadowy figure stood off in the distance, while the rain fell like a curtain in the torrential downpour that was the night. The distant rumble of thunder, a bright flash of lightning, and suddenly, a tree fell towards the shadow.

CRACK!

Louder than the thunder, a deafening snap could be heard, as the figure turned, and forcefully kicked the tree with it's hind legs. The entire tree was seemingly cut in two, and one of the pieces fell harmlessly to the ground. The other half, however, proved to be a much more dangerous entity. It collapsed on top of the figure, and a deep, roaring howl of pain came from the shadow as he fell to the ground, crushed under the top half of the tree. For a brief moment, another flash of lightning revealed the shadow's face. It was Big Macintosh, his expression one of pain and terror.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" A strangely familiar voice sounded through the chaos. Another shadow, leaving an unidentifiable trail behind it, flew down through the clouds. This mystery pegasus flew extremely fast, and turning at the last second, delivered a full force kick to the chunk of tree pinning Big Mac to the ground, sending it a good twenty feet away. The stallion, however, remained on the ground. He was obviously hurt, fairly badly. The pegasus moved in closer to Big Macintosh and whispered something into his ear. In the darkness and rain, it was impossible to see a reaction, but the two moved closer, engaging in a passionate kiss that seemed to slow time. The rain seemed to fall more slowly, the wind seemed less severe. And the lightning that revealed Rainbow Dash's face was slower, more drawn out, allowing every detail of bliss and passion to be seen on her face, as she and Big Mac shared a moment in the dark, chaotic night.

Rainbow Dash snapped back to reality, shaking her head to clear the image from her mind, and stretching to try to disperse the strange, clenched feeling in her chest. These imaginations had been happening all night, and into the morning. Rainbow hadn't even been able to sleep, her imagination had just run wild. She needed something to separate her mind from all of this.

Spreading her wings, Rainbow Dash decided to try the only release that worked for her. She propelled herself off of the cloud, and she flew through her most complex maneuvers. The rush of the wind, the adrenaline of motion moved through her like wildfire, and she quickly began doing improvised maneuvers that were so complex they would make the Wonderbolts cry. Finally, she thought she'd give a final effort to put on a nice show for all of Ponyville. Climing up as high as she dared, Rainbow began to dart straight down, and as a cone of air formed around her and narrowed to the point of release, she prepared for her favorite part. An explosion of sound, a burst of speed, and then... a wave of color washed over the landscape, and as Rainbow continued to fly downward towards Sweet Apple Acres, she prepared to pull up.

Wait... Sweet Apple Acres?

In her momentary distraction, Rainbow Dash managed to close the distance between her and the farmland. With a resounding THUD, Rainbow dash slammed headfirst into the ground, and blacked out.

"...Rainbow..."

"...Rainbow! You all right? Speak to me!"

As she faded painfully into consciousness, Rainbow immediately grabbed her head, and quickly curled up into a ball. The pain in her head was almost unbearable. She'd been launched and crashed in all sorts of places and situations, but she'd never smashed into the ground at the full speed of a Sonic Rainboom.

"Rainbow, you okay? Rainbow!"

The panicked words finally began to form in her mind, and she registered a southern drawl. She felt like she just wanted to go back to being unconscious again. Still, with a huge effort, she lifted her head to look at her caretaker.

"Oh, thank Celestia you're all right. I saw you do that Sonic Rainboom, an' then you went slammin' into the ground... I thought you were a goner for sure." Applejack looked down at Rainbow, looking extremely concerned. Rainbow tried to speak, but she found her voice was raspy and her throat was dry. She was still in severe pain, but she had some slightly more pressing concerns.

"Water..." Applejack simply nodded at this, and ran headlong into the kitchen, coming back with a large jug of water. After taking a long drink from the jug, she felt able to speak again. Her headache was beginning to subside.

"How long was I out?" Rainbow said, as she tried to stand up. Her brain reminded her that it might not have been the best course of action, as a sharp sting of pain shot through her entire body, and she collapsed. Applejack caught her before she hit the floor, and lifted her, carefully, back up onto the cart. The throbbing headache returned tenfold, tormenting Rainbow, daring her to move.

"Rainbow, you've only been out for an hour or so. You hit some freshly tilled farmland, so the dirt was a mite softer. Thanks to that, I don't rightly think you'll need to go to the hospital again. Still, that was a pretty bad hit you took, so you might want to rest for a few." A thought crossed Rainbow's mind, but her head was still throbbing. The pained whisper that came out of her mouth was an unfortunate Freudian slip.

"Big... Mac?" Hearing this, Applejack's eyes widened.

"You seen him, Rainbow? He disappeared yesterday, after I sent him out to meet with y'all. I'm just worried that-" Before Applejack could finish her sentence, there was a dainty knock at the door. Applejack sauntered over to the door, looking very tired, and opened the door.

"Rarity, what are you doin' here?"

"F-F-F-Fluttershy?" The name garbled out of Rarity's mouth like a river of idiocy, halted by a dam of stutters.

"Oh, hello Rarity. It's so nice to see you again!" came the quiet, yet cheerful reply. Fluttershy was not herself. This was evident, not only in her posture, which was strong, upright, and confident; but in her clothing as well. She was wearing a dress that Rarity had never seen, much less thought of designing. It seemed to accentuate her unusual confidence, flowing back in a shade of dazzling green that seemed to resemble the essence of nature itself. Her mane, which was normally in a natural, heart shaped curl off of her head, was straightened, and it flowed down, waving softly over her right eye, and flowing downward over her, looking almost like a of bright pink liquid, flowing from a waterfall in a utopia of color and peace.

Rarity's continued silence seemed to unnerve Fluttershy slightly.

"Um... Rarity, is everything... all right? You seem slightly..." Fluttershy began to say, but Rarity, coming to her senses, preempted Fluttershy, shaking her head to remove the daze that this unexpected visage had caused. Rarity smiled genuinely. Fluttershy was standing more confidently, and was dressing well, but she was still the calm, quiet Fluttershy she had always known.

"Oh, no! Not at all, dear. I'm just surprised, that's all. I've never seen you looking so... well dressed! No offense intended of course." Rarity said. Fluttershy, though as calm and peaceful as always on the outside, had many a thought running through her head, as she always did.

"Oh, no offense taken, Rarity. You don't need to worry about that." Fluttershy gave her normal, gentle smile, and she started to walk out of the spa, but Rarity called over to the door, stopping her momentarily.

"Oh, you're leaving then? What a shame, I was hoping to spend some time at the spa with you. Ah well, have a nice day!" Fluttershy looked back and gave one more smile, in a much more confident fashion than she felt she could, and she trotted back towards her home.

As she automatically plodded her way home, her mind seemed to ponder the meeting which had just occurred, wandering to and fro as she continued toward her destination.

Well, it's nice that Rarity noticed my dress... I don't see why she would think she was offending me, though. I could never take offense to anything she said, we've always been so honest to each other as friends! Well... aside from the time with Photo Finish. I'd like to pretend that never happened. Still, with such a trustworthy friend, maybe I could tell her about...

She stopped, and stared blankly ahead for a moment or two. Looking directly at Sweet Apple Acres, she felt herself slightly detached from her thoughts for a moment. It may have been just a single moment, but it was still enough to solidify her confidence, however minimal it may have been.

no, never mind. This is one thing I need to deal with on my own. However, My day today is mostly full, I have so much to do, so many animals to care for! Maybe I could visit later...

She quickly entered her home, and began to make preparations to feed her animals breakfast.

On the other side of Ponyville, near the spa, a dainty, white figure moved quietly towards Sweet Apple Acres, knocking gently on the door of the house and slipping inside quickly.

New content starts HERE!
By the by, note that the only tear that Twilight has ever truly dropped in the show was when all of her friends had left, in the Discord episodes. It's important. Though this story is not truly canonical, I like to think it retains some bounds of semblance to points in the show.I will have different comments on each of the little subchapters from now on, they will always be in bold.

"Well... It started when I wanted to throw a party for Big Macintosh..."

Pinkie Pie recounted the story of what happened that night with Big Macintosh, how her back had been itching, and how she had assumed that it meant her feelings for the large, red stallion were shared. After Big Mac's flight, however, her back continued to itch, and, by her sense, that meant that she was wrong, and that her luck had yet to arrive. She felt horrible, for multiple reasons, all of which were understandable.

During the retelling of these events, the story was registering in Twilight's mind, but as soon as Pinkie's feelings for Big Macintosh ran through her conscious, she felt a wave of depression sweep over her. It was just as it had always been before, though it was true that she had friends now. Every time she'd fallen for somepony, be it a colt or a filly, stallion or a mare, somepony else had always gotten there first, for she'd never talked to them, and she'd never built up the confidence to try. And now, seeing that Pinkie had feelings for Macintosh, Twilight forced her thoughts of the big red stallion to the back of her mind, hopefully hiding away in her subconscious.

It was no use. As with any hopeless feelings, they returned, grasping at her mind as though they were about to fall into the endless abyss of lost memories. In the back of her mind, she decided that she wouldn't let these feelings go, she wouldn't let them be forgotten. In one of the first times that she could remember, she was completely open with her emotions. She couldn't allow herself to go mad, holding everything in. A single tear fell from her eye, a drop of liquid that had not graced her cheek since the return of Discord. With a light splish, the teardrop hit the floor.

Pinkie Pie, seeing this, suddenly stopped talking. Pinkamina Diane Pie did not make a sound. She simply stared at this single puddle of emotion that lay on the floor, from a friend she'd never seen truly cry before. Looking up at Twilight's face, Pinkie stared into Twilight's eyes, which were cast away, looking through the floor to her own imaginary Tartarus down below. Her mind, which was incredible to any who would just look in, began to analyze the situation, in a poetic sense.

Deep depression, lost hope; the darkest blue. A sense of things in the past, a tinge of regret, a willingness for sacrifice; a magenta stain on the fabric of your joy. Twilight Sparkle, you are giving up on your feelings for Big Macintosh for the sole purpose of giving me a chance. In the depths of your eyes, I see into what lies within your conscious and subconscious minds. Two worlds, twisted and tied; you never forget that which has occurred, your past mistakes, your losses, all that has been sacrificed for your friends. You never truly pushed for what it is you wanted. Even now, you contemplate the cruelties of reality, in the sole hope that, in some way, you can find some way to have me succeed in your place. Sweet Celestia, I'm good at this.

What Pinkie Pie wasn't so good at, though, was hiding her own emotions. Her hair, which was matted and dark, had exploded outward once more, supposedly in the middle of her thought process, and she was now grinning from ear to ear. Twilight stared at her, realizing how awkward thirty seconds can be when you're staring at someone who has managed to temporarily detach from reality.

Pinkie Pie, now in the process of refocusing, realized exactly how strange a degree in philosophical poetry would look. Shaking her head rapidly, she centered back into Twilight, with a grin still plastered on her face.

"Come on, Twilight!" Twilight, shocked by this sudden outburst, lurched back into reality and complete confusion.

"Where are we going, Pinkie? What are you talking ab-OOF!" Pinkie sprinted into her, knocking the wind out of her and tossing her onto her back. She giggled, looking up at Twilight with an enormous smile on her face, and joy in her eyes.

"We're going to Sweet Apple Acres!"

Got a little poetic there, but I think that went quite well! I really enjoy writing like that.

Interlude II : A Rainbow to a New Day

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Hey, everyone! It's good to be back. again. again. ANYWAY. As you may have seen, my style of uploading has been finally completed, and it will continue in the manner which I have chosen, which will be one or two of the perspective style chapters, followed by an interlude with Big Macintosh.

Listen to this, while reading. I think it fits quite well, until the funny bits.
Luna-Dijital

Fairly early in the morning, it was just becoming as bright as any day would be, when he saw it. The sun, having crested over the horizon, began climbing upward toward its pinnacle at the top of the sky. It shone down over Sweet Apple Acres, casting a calm, serene light onto the trees, the apples, and a particular red stallion. It was just then that a wave of color, originating from somewhere near Ponyville, swept through the sky, giving a beautiful sight to any who had awoken early. It seemed to refract and amplify the sun's rays, causing a wave of light to cascade over the grass and trees, leaving behind a dreamlike shimmer on the dew, which had not dissipated since the morning began, thanks to the lack of activity from the aforementioned red stallion.

Big Mac looked up at the light silently, as it passed over him. Each of the colors seemed to trigger a different memory, and it allowed him to contemplate the events of the previous day, from his meetings, to his unfortunate flight from the city of Ponyville. He recalled his meeting with Luna, and how helpful she had been, both in listening to his plight, as well as helping him to sleep. He wondered why ponies could ever have rejected her to the point of her own jealousy taking over her, and causing her to become the terror that was Nightmare Moon. She was so kind, even though she might have been a bit overly formal. Big Mac continued to think over various things, all the while trying to convince himself to move, but fighting a losing battle.

Though Big Macintosh was awake, he didn't want to be. He remained slumped against the tree, his body and mind arguing over the concept of forcing one's self to get up. The body sternly exclaimed that rest was a blessing that should not be wasted, while the mind retorted that, every morning must be faced with energy. To this, the body simply refused to budge, and held fast on his point, claiming that with the lack of rest he's had recently, he deserved a reprieve. The mind was quite put off by this, and reasserted that he had control over the body, and told it to move. The body, as would be expected, complied, but only by shifting an inch or so to the left. At this, the mind simply registered the fact that a bug was flying into Big Macintosh's nose.

He got up, choking and coughing violently, in an attempt to get this insect intruder out of his nasal tract. Miraculously, the bug escaped, unharmed. In disregard of his previous apathy, Big Mac took in his immediate surroundings. He looked at the trees around him, and all of the apples they held. Shining in the morning sun, it was almost like they were rubies hanging from the branches.

The work that lay behind the collection of those apples, his sister couldn't do it alone; she'd tried that before. He knew he'd have to go back, if not for his sake, for the farm's. He stood up, and began slowly ambling along the border of the farmland; back in the general direction of Ponyville, his mind tormenting him along the way. Once or twice, he thought he saw something move amongst the trees, but he put it up to still being fairly drowsy, and continued slowly on his way.

Upon seeing home on the horizon several hours later, Big Macintosh imagined what had gone on in the house since yesterday. He wondered why he didn't see Applejack in the orchard, bucking apples; He half expected to see AJ going about her business normally, as though he'd never been gone. Big Mac's thoughts conflicted. His sister cared about him just as much as she cared about anypony else in the world, but she was a strong pony, she'd handled herself for a few days in Manehattan, which was more than he could say. She wouldn't be panicking herself sick trying to find him, right? He felt a pang of guilt sweep over him. He shouldn't have left without notice. He should've at least let Applejack know he was going to be spending time out of the house, however odd it may have seemed... He could've just left a note. In what could be as much of a panic as could be expected of him, he picked up the pace slightly, and he was about to open the door when he heard voices coming from inside. Very familiar voices.

He quietly crept around the outside of the building, and peered in a window. He saw Applejack, surrounded by her friends, they were all talking, and Applejack looked like she'd been very stressed, and she even had some redness around her eyes. He wondered how hard she'd been working while he was gone. The window was extremely dirty, so he could only make 6 blurs in the room, though he identified them by voice.

"I'm sorry y'all. I just don't know why he would up an' leave like that, didn't even leave a note, nothing. I'm just wonderin' how long it'll take him to get back." She sighed. "Thanks girls, I appreciate ya comin' round, Though I'm a bit surprised you all came by at once to see him."

"No problem, Applejack. I hope Big Mac turns up soon. Don't hesitate to come see us if you need any help."

"Don't you worry about that, girls. He'll show up, I just know it."

He watched, silently, as five of the mares got up and left, leaving only Applejack in the room. He quickly hid behind the barn, and watched until they were all out of sight. He went back to the window, and looked in. Applejack was sitting, slumped down in a chair in the corner, her hat pulled down over her eyes. As quietly as he could, he opened the window.

"Sis. AJ. You alright?"

Applejack stood up with a start. She looked over, and stared at Big Macintosh for several moments. Then she smiled tiredly, adjusted her hat, and stumbled over to the window.

"Why didn't you tell me you were leavin', Macintosh? Where were ya?" she drawled. Big Mac thought about this. He didn't want his sister to be mad at her friends, but he couldn't think of an answer in the moment, so he simply asked her a question to divert the conversation.

"Why do you sound so worried? I was just out for the night." He knew the answer, he knew it before it even reached his ears.

"You're my brother, Macintosh. I love Applebloom, I really do, but you're the only one around here who keeps me sane for long. Granny Smith's memory sure isn't getting any better, an' sometimes it seems like you're the only name she's got in that old head of hers. Half the time she can't even remember my name, let alone that I'm her granddaughter. Never know when she'll be leavin' us." Big Mac frowned deeply at this. He knew that Granny Smith had been losing her memory, but he didn't know it was that bad. Then again, he hadn't talked to her in a few days, maybe even weeks. In fact, he'd said more to Luna in the previous night than he could ever remember saying at once. He mumbled his thoughts, aloud.

"That ain't good. Maybe I was just workin' so much that I didn't really take the time to talk to her. I suppose I should-"

A loud crash interrupted his train of thought. Applejack seemed to snap out of whatever sort of tired reverie she was in as well, and then sprinted up the stairs. Big Mac followed quickly, and saw Applejack standing horribly still, in the door to his room. He wondered why, but then froze in shock, and he stared into the room, noting the skewed decor, the chair out of place, and the curtains open. But, worse than any of these, he noted the still, silent form of Granny Smith, lying on her side on the floor. The timing was almost too imperfect.

"AJ, what... how... is she...?" Applejack said nothing, but pulled her hat over her eyes, and she fell back onto her hindquarters, shaking softly. Big Macintosh felt himself suddenly overtaken by a strange, internal cold, as though his lungs had been replaced with ice, and his stomach had been filled with rocks. He did not shake. He did not tremble. He simply stared, a blank stare that only the confused mind of someone still in shock could replicate.They sat in their respective positions for what seemed like an eternity. Just as tears started to well up in his eyes, a startling yell came from the still form, making him jump backward in surprise.

"DURN IDJIT! YA GONNA STAND THERE, OR YA GONNA HELP UP YOUR GRAN?!"

Big Mac forcefully slammed his face into his hoof, and watched as Applejack's shaking slowly turned into a sort of restrained shudder, and then she finally doubled over, and let out a hearty laugh. They'd really got him this time. Whether it was in bets, or in pranks, his sister always managed to get the better of him.

Applejack's laughter died down, and her voice took on a slightly more serious tone.

"Never believe what happened while you were out, Macintosh. Rainbow up and crashed straight into the ground I'd tilled last night. She woke up an' asked about you, not too sure why. Anyway, I got her some water, then went out to buck some apples. I saw you comin' while I was out in the back sections of the acres, early in the morning. Never seen you move so slow, Macintosh! Got back as fast as I could, and all my friends were there, askin' bout you. Apparantly you became a bit of a conversation starter, on your day off. Ponies ain't used to seein' you around, I guess. Then you showed up, took ya long enough." She chuckled. "I wasn't lyin' when I said I knew you'd be home. Anyhow, welcome back, brother of mine! Hope you're OK for work tomorrow, I'm tired as Tartarus. Dunno how in the hay you get up so early." Applejack laughed as she walked downstairs. Granny Smith was giggling like she'd gone mad, and she followed. He turned, and in a somewhat pathetic voice, complained at them.

"That wasn't funny..." Even saying this, Big Macintosh let out a chuckle. For the Element of Honesty, his sister knew how to hide things. He turned back into his room, knowing that it was him that needed to refresh his memory. Macintosh Apple needed a crash course on pranks, he knew he'd have to get her back for this one. He started to readjust the things in his room, and he thought to himself...

Who could he find that knew something about pranks?

HOORAY, I finally got it done... I've been dealing with a lot of stuff, I'll probably put that in a blog post for ya, but here it is, the new interlude, in all of it's badly written glory. As always, criticism is respected and helpful, as I don't have anyone to proofread these for me.
-Machiniman20

Away From The Acres

by Machiniman20

A Day Off?! Eeyup.

Day One : Introductions

Interlude : Exhausted Introspection Under The Apple Tree

The Next Day (Complete section!)

Interlude II : A Rainbow to a New Day