Fallen Eagle

Chapter 44: Big Brother Macintosh

Okay all my friends, the first thing I want to do is wish all of you a happy 2016! I hope your 2015 was good and that 2016 will be even better. Some of you may be curious, so I'll get this out of the way. Las Vegas was a blast and it was a great way to spend my 21st birthday. Staying at the Hard Rock Hotel was a great treat with all of the Rock 'N Roll memorabilia on display and the non stop rock 'n roll music blasting in the casino 24/7. However, I am glad to be back in Alaska to tackle my final semester of college and to also get back on track with writing...which leads me to my next point.

While I had fun in Las Vegas, it was nagging me that I couldn't really update any stories while on vacation. And now that we're approaching on four weeks since I've updated Fallen Eagle, (the longest streak in between updates) I've decided to do something I've never done before in my stories. What this chapter is, is a SNEAK PEEK, a teaser, for the long anticipated (I KNOW some of you have been waiting for it, don't lie and I am not judging anyone) love scene. After discussing this with two of my closest Fanfiction friends, I decided this would be the best way to hold you guys over while I write the love scene. Another twist is that once I finish the love scene, this teaser chapter will be deleted and the love scene, with this teaser situated at the beginning of the love chapter, will take its place. I hope this clears up any confusion.

Something else positive that will turn out is with a monumental chapter comes my first ever 500th review. As if 400 wasn't big enough, the thought of having 500 absolutely blows me away. I've figured that now we can all celebrate 500 reviews with one of, if not, the most important chapter in the story. As of now, I don't know what prize the 500th reviewer will get. Possibly another OC cameo, or perhaps I'll implement an idea into the story; I don't know yet.

And speaking of writing, I've recently published the first chapter to my first MLP Christmas story titled "My Little Christmas: We Belong." I know Christmas is long over, but if anyone is curious, you can check it out.

And I just realized, 15 reviews for Chapter 43? YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME!

Dixie Darlin: While cases could be made for AJ, I think with Rarity's business sense about reading ponies, she could help with problems most wouldn't ask her help for. In business, you've really got to have a keen eye for reading clients to know what they need.

Nostalgia Cop: What, no Spider sense?

KillerWoW: A-nope, you were number 3. But don't fret; Dale 'The Intimidator' Earnhardt was number 3 for the majority of his racing career.

SquirtlePWN: Thank you. I actually worried quite a bit when I first started writing MLP stories that I knew had to feature Rarity. Glad to see watching every episode twice on Netflix back in 2014 helped.

HaloloverA001: Good for you bro

Sassymouse: Thank you :) I actually thought Rarity would be my Achilles heel for the Mane 6 as well. Pinkie is still kind of hard for me. I know she's not just all party happy the entire time, but sometimes it can be difficult to give her some good scenes. When I was thinking about how Ivan's feelings would be all jumbled, I imagined myself asking my dad for help if I felt like I broke something on his truck...yeah that would make anyone a little nervous/scared lol. As for the advice, I never really noticed that before you mentioned it. But yeah, it is kind of stupid to give someone advice about someone else without considering the someone else in the advice. And Sparity is good for the soul! Spike: Happy Mother's Day, mom. *Hands her a hand made photo album titled: To the world's best Mommy.*

delta111: PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER! I LOVE The Incredibles! And about Ivan, to me at least, it makes him feel more relatable and human to have conflicting emotions. It would have felt boring if he acted just really cool and like The Fonz while talking with Rarity.

OBSERVER01: You mean like one of those call in talk shows? I can see that working out with Spike as an assistant and even giving his own advice from a guy's perspective.

Chaosstripe: Didn't see the pinball hall of fame; we went to see Rock of Ages at The Venetian instead.

The Sleeping Library: With how much I've already put into this story, I HAVE to go all out on emotions, but I am thrilled you liked it. And until Hasbro comes out with the ages, everything is up in the air. All we know for sure is Fluttershy is a year older than Pinkie. Though I think Rainbow Dash is the youngest, then it's Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Applejack, and Rarity for age. But the way Rarity calls everyone 'Darling' or another cutesy name gives off the vibe that she is an older sister figure. It's weird that I say that since I am an only child.

SkullCrusher550: Thank you

Aethnear: CouJack for life! I'm really happy I got Rarity right. She looks like she'd be the toughest for me to write.

Srey: Hey man, it's perfectly fine. Life is more important. As for Ivan opening up his heart so we can see his suffering, that's what I feel is needed to have a well-written character. A good character can't win all the time or be happy all the time. Take a look at all the hardships Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker went through. I try to model Ivan after those two characters that I grew up with. Technically on Luke's part. Star Wars was still a big part of my childhood even though I was born 11 years after the release of Return of the Jedi. The temper issues, he really got it near boiling point during the flashback where he and Reaper defended the staff of the diner near his Air Force Base in Chapter 27. There IS another chapter coming up that deals with that issue, so just keep tight.

TheCompleteName1: Well...possibly.

ShiningShadow1965: Thank you, that really means a lot hearing that my hard work has paid off.

So again everyone, you can still review obviously on this sneak peek. Just again, this chapter will be replaced with the whole love chapter which includes this scene. I hope you all enjoy this and I will work hard on getting the love scene out as soon as I can. Enjoy 2016!

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Unlike last time, I actually recalled the walk back to the Apple family farm. This time I wasn't so deep in thought like when I trekked to Rarity's boutique; there was only one goal in my mind. All I wanted was to set things straight between myself and Applejack. If she had the same reaction I did and was afraid that she had tried to force herself on me, then we would have a bit of a mess on our hands. I still loved her, and although she was gradually getting better, Applejack was still a pretty damn stubborn mare. It would take a lot of convincing for her to see that we had just stressed ourselves over the limit too fast.

Nonetheless, with Rarity's advice I sort of had a game plan to follow. Although, there were still a few pieces of the uncertainty puzzle I had yet to fill in. If we both reconciled and started the night over, where would that lead us? A tiny perverse thought crept into my mind of Applejack and I unleashing our desires. Rarity only mentioned if both of us were ready, but I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready for that step. A part of me feared that it was just my untapped primal urges trying to control my body.

"I guess I could try to wing it," I said to myself. I wasn't talking about the sex, rather how I would approach Applejack. According to Rarity, Applejack was more than likely feeling the same emotions in the pond as I did, but that didn't necessarily mean she was ready either. Whether or not I was ready, if Applejack told me she didn't want to take that leap just yet, I would happily oblige and we could let things go back to normal for us until it was time. My little glimpse of happiness flicked back to dark as another thought crossed my mind. There was no bullshitting around this. AJ and I had to talk about what happened or the uncomfortable atmosphere surrounding us could suffocate our relationship; that was something I vowed to never let happen. Yet, even after we talk, would things really be the same again? I suppose knowing that we had both (somewhat) contemplated sex would remove some bit of uneasiness.

Rarity's mentioning of the Estrus weekend reverberated in my memory banks. Even after Applejack tried to have her way with me, we became a little closer because of it. And I already knew of what two previous farm hands tried to do with Applejack a few years ago. Different sets of circumstances yes, but we both knew how previous sexual encounters for both of us had gone; I felt I had betrayed her trust in forcing myself, and she felt the same way, at least according to Rarity. Nonetheless, as I crested the top of the staircase and found myself in the upstairs hallway, I was met with what appeared to be a normal setting. It was still late at night; only Luna's silvery moonlight shone through the tiny window at the end of the hallway. What little light I had didn't even bother me. All I could focus on was the last door on the left, as if it were the only door on the entire second floor.

The floorboards squeaked and creaked as I marched down the hall, too focused on what I had to do to care about how much noise I was making. It was in my favor that the Apple family was somewhat a heavy sleeping family, so I felt safe that no one should be woken up by me. I finally arrived at Applejack's door; the moonlight drenched my lower legs and the other end of the hall in its silvery glow. Before rearing my hand back to knock, I noticed that the door was just slightly ajar. Not enough to even see into the room, but it was noticeable that it was unlatched. A thought crept into my mind that I could gently push the door open and tip toe inside to not disturb her whether or not she was awake or asleep.

Though, right as my hand touched the wooden surface, I realized that just barging in on her wouldn't be the smartest idea. If she were angry at me or even slightly perturbed by what had happened in the pond, I couldn't just go right on in and give her the impression that everything was fine. I retracted my hand, curling my fingers back into my palm as I lowered my arm. The best thing I could do was softly knock and see if she was inside or not. I gulped, raising my hand again until I heard the floor squeaking down the hall. I froze, keeping my hand in the air when I sensed the presence of someone standing behind me.

"Cougar?" A deep voice called out my name.

"W-what?" I shakily turned my head back to see Big Mac standing behind me, a concerned look on his face. He didn't look angry or vengeful, just concerned. 'Oh boy,' I thought as I started to wonder if Big Mac knew what happened. I then fully turned around to properly face the stallion.

"How are you doin'?" He questioned, his concerned eyes transitioning to sympathetic, which confused me. My knuckles popped as I squeezed my fingers hard against my palms. Big Mac never blinked as he awaited my answer.

"I'm…..still unsure to be honest," I replied quietly, still concerned with what the red stallion was up to. His green eyes finally blinked as he cocked his head to the side, studying me.

"Where did you run off to?" Big Mac continued as if he were a private investigator or an employer interviewing a potential worker. Even his voice went from that of concern to sympathetic. It was almost like he felt sorry for me. "Everypony turned in about forty minutes ago," he added. My heart nearly burst through my chest; Applejack was here in her room. I could finally straighten this whole mess up. Applejack's brother caught my excited grin that creeped out, and instantly crushed my relief. "She ain't in there, Cougar," Big Mac revealed. He pushed the door open softly; it creaked quietly to expose Applejack's room, minus one orange mare. My head sank at the same time as my heart.

"I….I went to Rarity's," I decided to answer the question instead of asking my own. Biting my lower lip, I looked back up into Big Mac's face, "I just needed someone to talk to. Someone who could help me with a specific problem," I admitted, folding my hands together. Big Mac stuck out his lower lip in a pout. Yet, this was his 'thinking pout,' not an upset and sad pout. He smacked his lips together, thinking about what to say next.

"An' my sister, yer marefriend, couldn't help ya?" He asked yet another question. His tone never changed. With a question like that, I expected him to sound a little peeved, but he still sounded concerned and sympathetic towards me. Maybe with just a hint of genuine curiousness.

"Well, she was kind of the reason I sought out help," honesty continued to flow from my mouth. If I could pick just one thing I loved about Applejack, her love and strive for honesty would be my first choice. I was caught off guard when Big Mac gave me a gentle shove with his hoof straight into AJ's room.

"Just have a seat; Ah ain't gonna hurt ya," the stallion quickly explained when I turned to ask him a question. He flicked the light on as I still stood in the middle of the room, waiting for him to just continue. Big Mac sat down on the edge of AJ's bed, motioning with his hoof for me to sit next to him. I quickly obliged, feeling that Big Mac would eventually tell me where AJ was if I talked to him. That's when it hit me. Big Mac opened his mouth, beginning to ask a question, but I held up my hand.

"You know where AJ is, don't you?" I asked knowingly, causing Big Mac to gradually close his mouth. He sighed, tapping his hooves on top of the mattress.

"Yeah, ah do, Cougar," the stallion turned his head to the wooden floor, softly blinking. "Ah'm just worried, for the both 'o ya Ah mean," he added. This really piqued my curiosity; I of course knew Big Mac would worry for his sister, but to be worried for me equally? "Ah just wanna know if everythin' is alright between you two," Big Mac admitted. Having had this particular conversation once with Rarity tonight, I wasn't too compelled to respond to Big Mac's specific request. Rather, I had a question of my own.

"Mac, how much do you know about what's happened?" The red pony looked up from the floor and back at me, his ears drooping a bit.

"Ah have no reason ta lie to ya," he began, placing a hoof on his lap. "Ah don't rightfully know anythin' about what happened, Cougar," he freely admitted. "All Ah can tell ya is that one minute you two were happily enjoyin' each other's company; then all of a sudden Applejack comes a'runnin' inside while yer still outside. At least Ah thought you were just outside," Big Mac corrected. "Sure scared the tartarus outta me, not knowin' what happened. Ah assumed somethin' or somepony tried ta harm ya, but AJ wouldn't answer me when she stowed away inside her room."

My hand immediately found itself on my forehead, gently giving it a massage. "Well, I thought I had screwed things up by moving too fast," I replied, just barely peeking my eyes between my fingers, "but according to Rarity, we just….shocked each other and assumed the worst." Big Mac's ears straightened back up when I had mentioned 'moving too fast,' as if he knew what I meant without really explaining it. I tensed up when the bed creaked under Big Mac's weight; his left foreleg wrapped itself around my shoulders.

"Ah ain't gonna hurt ya," he repeated softly. "Cougar, do ya wanna know what else scared me?" Big Mac patted my shoulder.

"Hmm?" I hummed under my breath, still feeling a little uneasy. I knew not only of Big Mac's physical strength, but also the love for his family, especially his baby sisters. Like I would expect a loving big brother to do, if he felt I hurt Applejack in any way, I would understand if he felt the need to protect Applejack and her heart. He let out a loud sigh before continuing with his explanation.

"What really scared me, Cougar, was Ah had a bad feelin' that you two broke up," the stallion announced, ceasing the patting of my shoulder with his hoof. "Ah hope you don't mind me thinkin' that; what else was Ah s'posed ta make of it? My sister runnin' upstairs in a panic while yer nowhere ta be found," he explained. I nodded in agreement, not judging him for believing that possibility.

"You didn't think-"

"No, absolutely not," Big Mac interrupted. "Ah know it in my heart that you would never try what those two heathens tried ta do to my sister," he growled in reassurance.

"Okay then," I said just barely above a whisper as he squeezed me again with his foreleg.

"Now, don't go thinkin' Ah only care fer Applejack's feelings," Big Mac released his foreleg from around my shoulders. "Ah know how even after nearly a year 'o bein' here, yer still adjustin' to Equestria. 'Specially since you finally became my sister's coltfriend," he managed a small smile, probably trying to lighten the mood. "Ah know ah don't talk much, but yer a part of our family now; Ah care fer yer well-bein' 'n happiness too."

"Thanks, Big Mac," I returned the smile, feeling a little more comfortable. "I guess I should thank you, though," I added. The stallion cocked his head to the side, confused by what I meant. "You know, for accepting that Applejack and I love each other and are dating." I didn't quite get the reaction I wanted. Big Macintosh drooped his head low again, smacking his lips together. Afraid that I had tripped some sort of nostalgic memory of he and AJ as kids, I attempted to change the subject, but all I saw was a hoof in my face, telling me to shut up. The red pony sighed before looking up to stare at a picture of himself and Applejack from long ago.

"Ah want you to know, Cougar," he began softly, almost threatening to bring tears to his eyes, "that Ah grew up alongside Applejack. Even helped raise her from time to time. Throughout her whole life, she's always looked to the positive side 'o things 'n tried ta stay happy 'n upbeat. 'Course, she was thrilled when she met Twilight Sparkle 'n made a friend outta her before goin' off ta save Equestria seemingly every week. But...ever since you came along, Ah've never seen my sister so happy before in my life. She's just beamin' with new emotions 'n is more excited than the first day 'o Applebuck Season. Cougar, Ah want nothin more from AJ than ta see her happy 'n enjoyin' life. Ah can see with these eyes 'n this heart, that yer her ticket. Ah'm beggin' you, please go 'n just make my sister happy," he tore his gaze away from the picture before looking me dead in the eyes and concluding his speech, "brother."

The minute Big Mac called me brother, I felt as if time had ground to a halt. That….that was the ultimate form of acceptance and possibly even a blessing. He seemed to catch on that I couldn't even breathe for a minute; he lightly whacked my back a few times before explaining, "you may not be blood related or a pony, but Ah am honored ta call you my brother for the good man you are 'n the love 'n respect you show Applejack. There isn't anyone else in the world Ah would want to take care 'o my sister like Ah know you will," Big Mac then wrapped both forelegs around me and hugged me, patting my back. I had no choice but to return the favor, though I only used one arm.

"I want to, more than anything," I remarked after we broke the hug, "just please tell me where she is," I politely requested. The stallion stood up from the bed with a rather cocky smirk painted on his face. After all of that emotional release from him, he found this funny?

"Ah'm not laughin' at you in particular, Cougar. But Ah do find it odd that you never noticed the smoke comin' from yer shack," he plucked a wheat stalk from one of Applejack's drawers and popped it in his mouth. Feeling like I was told Bigfoot was in the yard, I smacked my face against the window which had a clear view of my shack. I couldn't see the smoke due to it being nighttime, but I could faintly smell the soot and burnt wood in the air. I also spotted a faint glow dancing out of the window of my shack along with the faint silhouette of a pony sitting on the cot.

"You just gonna sit there 'n look, partner?" Big Mac's deep voice questioned as I saw his reflection in the window heading for the doorway. I could only imagine Big Mac's face when I practically dove out of the window and used the roof of the lower level of the house as a boardwalk. Yeah, I could have just ran out the doorway and out the back door of the house, but this was the quickest way with the fewest obstacles. Still having a conscious mind, I slowed my pace and tip toed past Applebloom's room so as not to disturb her slumber.

Still using Luna's moonlight to light my way, I paused once I came to the edge of the lower roof, weighing my options for lowering myself onto cider barrels below or to just jump in good faith that I wouldn't break anything. With another glance upward at the faint glow of the fire inside my shack, I decided to go with the alternate route. A loud grunt escaped my mouth as I leapt from the roof, landing on my feet and hands like James Bond. Sure nothing hurt now, but my knees might be a little sore in the morning. However, I pushed the possibility of pain aside when I stood up and began to jog toward my destination as the smell of smoke really infiltrated my nostrils.

I didn't slow down until my foot touched the wooden step of the porch. I still couldn't just barge inside, no matter how much confidence was flowing through me. The door was even open, probably from how warm it was getting inside. Before I stepped in, I peered in through the window and saw her. Applejack sat on the edge of my cot, back facing away from the door as she stared at the wood stove with her stetson gone from sight, possibly being held in her forehooves. She actually looked downtrodden; her head and ears hanging low as she softly breathed. I never wanted to see her sad; it nearly broke my heart to see it. Knowing full well that I couldn't dawdle any longer, I made sure to make my footsteps a little heavy to alert her to my presence to not scare her. The moment I set foot inside the shack, both her ears flinched and she turned around, giving me a surprised yet tired look.

End Sneak Peek