Big Mac & Shining Armour are in love. Everypony knows about their relationship... except Big Mac's family. Will Big Mac be able to buck up the courage to come out to his family? Will they accept him?
Big Mac & Shining Armour are in love. Everypony knows about their relationship... except Big Mac's family. Will Big Mac be able to buck up the courage to come out to his family? Will they accept him?
It was a quiet day at Sweet Apple Acres in Ponyville. Big Mac was busy moving hay in the barn, when his ears pricked up. In the distance he could the sound of pounding hooves hit dirt ground.
Big Mac leaned his head out the barn door. In the distance he recognised a very familiar unicorn. It was his coltfriend, Shining Armour!
Big Mac lost all his thoughts in that one moment. He slowly retracted back the barn and got back to doing his job. Shining Armour entered the barn. He was about to give his coltfriend a kiss, but Big Mac slowly edged away from him, and got back to work pushing bales of hay.
Shining Armour, with a confused expression cross his face, said,
“Hey Big Mac.”
Big Mac said nothing.
“Are you OK? I haven’t seen you around Ponyville in a while.”
Big Mac didn’t look up from his job, but replied,
“Eeyup.”
A look of worry and concern replaced Shining’s look of confusion. With a note of worry in his voice, Shining asked,
“What’s wrong? Is everything OK?”
Big Mac scoffed, and said,
“Eeyup.”
This concerned Shining even more, when his coltfriend wouldn’t look at him. Shining Armour sensed something was amiss.
“Mac, it’s fine if you don’t want to talk. I’ll just leave you in peace until you’re ready to talk to me or somepony else about what’s going on, because you seem a bit tense.”
Big Mac had finally reached his breaking point. He turned towards Shining and exploded with rage!
“I told ya already Shining, I’m fine! Nothin’s goin’ on!”
Shining Armour shrunk back but responded calmly.
“OK, we’ll talk later then, when you’re ready...”
Big Mac glared at him.
“I think you should just leave.”
“But Big Mac, I want to help you...”
“I said LEAVE!!!”
Shining was hurt by this, and his eyes misted over with . He let out a small whimper. Big Mac turned around, saw his coltfriend crying and immediately regretted what he’d said. He went to give Shining Armour a hug, but Shining backed away, turned around and galloped out of the barn.
**
Flash Sentry was taking a quiet stroll through Ponyville, when he saw in the distance, galloping towards him, his boss Shining Armour!
You see, Flash had a major crush on Shining, so when he saw Shining gallop towards him, he thought to himself,
“OK Flash, now’s your chance. Just ask Shining out on a date. See what he says!”
Flash grinned, but the grin was wiped off his face when he saw that Shining was crying. Flash’s facial expression was replaced with concern. He galloped towards Shining, in order to ask him what was wrong, but Shining just galloped past him. Flash noticed he was crying, so he flew after him.
**
After a half hour of chasing him, Flash finally caught up with his captain.
Shining was still sobbing uncontrollably. Hesitating, Flash rested a hoof on Shining’s withers, and asked him calmly,
“What’s wrong?”
Shining Armour was still shaking, but was able to hold back his tears as he explained to Flash,
“B-Big M-Mac y-yelled at me...”
As Shining Armour went back to crying, now quieter than before, Flash Sentry took a step closer to his captain and hesitantly, stroked his mane with his hoof. Shining Armor looked over at Flash, smiled, and then passed out.
Shining Armour awoke in a darkened room, confused and trying to remember what had happened. Then he remembered that he’d passed out in Flash Sentry’s hooves. Shining Armour smiled at the thought. Then, he realised, unknown to him before, that somepony was holding his right hoof. Straining his eyes to see in the dark, he made out a recognisable shadow. The shadow belonged to none other than Flash Sentry. Flash stepped out of the shadows.
“Flash? What happened?”
Shining Armour asked.
“You passed out in my hooves sir, so I thought I’d bring you back to my house.”
Flash Sentry responded.
“That’s very kind of you, but I- “
Shining Armour stopped mid-sentence as he realised that Flash was gently holding his hoof. Shining flinched upon contact but relaxed just as quickly.
“But then again, maybe it would be best if I stayed here a bit longer. I’ve had a very tiring day. What’s the time?”
Flash looked at his watch.
“It’s 4:30 pm, sir”
“How long was I out for?”
“3 hours sir.”
“That long? Well I guess I’ll stay here tonight then.”
Flash beamed on the inside.
“Of course, sir. I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed while you rest.”
“Thank you Flash.” Shining Armour smiled, then yawned. Flash Sentry let a small smile escape him. He trotted to the door of the room. As he was about to close the door, Shining Armour called to him.
“Oh, Flash?”
“Yes Shining?”
“Could I ask you to do something for me?”
“Of course, captain. What is it?”
Shining Armour hesitated before responding.
“Could you take a trip to Sweet Apple Acres and talk to Big Mac for me?”
“Of course. Rest now,”
Flash Sentry replied.
Shining Armour nodded sleepily. He closed his eyes. Flash Sentry shut the door, leaving his captain to rest in peace.
Flash Sentry flew down to Sweet Apple Acres. He hesitantly knocked on the barn door.
*Knock Knock*
Big Mac opened the door. Flash glared at him.
“Heya Flash...”
“Hello Big Mac.”
“What’re ya doin’ here?”
“I’m here to ask you a few things...”
Big Mac gulped nervously.
“O-o’ course...”
Big Mac moved aside to let Flash in.
Flash gave Big Mac a soft look and spoke.
“What’s going on?”
Big Mac looked confused.
“What do ya mean?”
“Shining Armour is really upset because you yelled at him.”
Big Mac suddenly became very angry.
“WHAT DID HE TELL YOU!? WHAT DID HE-what did he…”?
Big Mac teared up, right then and there. He fell on his haunches as he sobbed uncontrollably. Flash Sentry looked at the red stallion with a look of sympathy. Flash rested a hoof gently on Big Mac’s withers. The emotional sobs from the red stallion quietened as he looked up at the orange stallion looking softly down at him. Big Mac wiped his tear streaked face, as Flash kneeled and hugged Big Mac tightly. Flash stroked Big Mac’s mane gently, all the while hushing the emotionally conflicted Earth Pony. As Big Mac’s tension in his body lessened, Flash gently moved back, and asked him softly,
“Do you wanna talk about what’s bothering you?”
Big Mac sighed.
“O-okay...”
Sensing the hesitation in Big Mac’s voice, Flash said comfortingly,
“You can trust me.”
“And no-one has to know?”
“Of course not. It’s all in Crystal Empire Confidentiality.”
Big Mac sighed again.
“Ok. I’ll tell ya.”
“Take your time. There’s no need to rush.”
“Well... okay.
Granny Smith doesn’t want me around anypony who really, really likes me... because she’s worried I’ll turn... but she doesn’t know I’ve turned already… she doesn’t know Shining is ma coltfriend! And I don’t want her to know, seeing as I’ll be disowned if she ever finds out…”
Big Mac’s lip was quivering as he finished.
Flash looked at him, concerned.
“I think I get it. You were brought up in the south, so it’s hard for families to accept choices like that if they don’t believe it’s right...
Am I right?”
Big Mac nodded weakly, then spoke.
“I just don’t want Shining Armour to know about this, in case he doesn’t want to see me anymore...”
Flash sighed then, hesitating, rested a hoof on Big Mac’s withers.
“Hey... it’s okay. Applejack and Apple Bloom will defend you against Granny Smith, I’m sure of it.”
Big Mac looked at the orange Pegasus, a look of fear in his eyes.
“Y-you’re sure?”
Flash Sentry looked at the red stallion softly, and the look of fear was instantly replaced by a look of hope in his eyes. The orange Pegasus smiled at him.
“Yes, I am. It’ll be okay.”
Big Mac breathed out slowly.
“Well… I should probably tell Shining why I lost my nerve earlier, huh…?
Standing outside Flash Sentry’s guest room, where Shining Armour was resting, Big Mac shuffled his hooves nervously. Flash Sentry saw the scared look in the other pony’s eyes and rested a comforting hoof on his withers.
“It’ll be okay.” The orange Pegasus pony reassured him with a small smile.
Big Mac breathed in deeply. He shakily lifted a hoof to the door and knocked softly.
No answer.
The red earth pony pushed the door open slightly and peeked in. Shining Armour’s eyes were closed.
“Probably sleeping.” The red earth pony thought tenderly. Taking another deep breath, he pushed the door open further. He stepped inside the room, and shyly walked towards his coltfriend’s bed. The red stallion nuzzled the blue unicorn’s face. Shining woke up, dazed, wondering what was going on. He glanced to his right, and saw his favourite stallion, nuzzling him gently. Shining Armour nuzzled him back and whispered,
“I missed you.”
Big Mac looked up.
“Ah’m so sorry!” He blurted. “Ah shouldn’t have shouted at ya… it wasn’t yer fault I lost it…”
Big Mac sighed and hung his head.
Shining Armour was about to respond, but Flash Sentry standing at the door caught his eye. Shining nodded, giving Flash a silent “thank you” and Flash smiled back at his captain and shut the door, to give the two colts privacy.
Shining figured he should start.
“Are you okay?” he asked gently.
Big Mac looked at the blue unicorn and burst into tears.
“No! a-ah’m not okay! Granny Smith doesn’t want me around ponies like ya! If she knew we were together, she’d disown me!”
Shining Armour said nothing. He just glanced down at his coltfriend with a sad, pitying look.
Big Mac cried even harder.
“Ya prob’bly hate me now, don’t ya…?” Big Mac whimpered, his head in his hooves.
Shining Armour sighed and got down on his hooves so that the two colts were at equal head level.
Shining Armour tilted Big Mac’s head up so that they were looking at each other.
He spoke.
“No… Big Mac, I could never hate you. I love you and nothing will ever stop me loving you. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it together, okay?”
Big Mac breathed in and out slowly before replying with a shaky nod.
Shining Armour gave his true love a small smile and kissed his forehead.
Big Mac blushed, the pink from his cheeks contrasting against his red coat.
“Shining Armour chuckled. Big Mac sighed and said,
“Ah should go tell ma sisters…”
“I agree. I think that’s a good idea.”
“OK. Ah’m gonna do that.”
Big Mac stood up and headed towards the door.
He exited the guest room, trotted down the stairs, out the door and started galloping towards Sweet Apple Acres.
