Fallen Eagle

Chapter 72: Midnight Concerns

So, after the longest wait in between chapters, which I PROFUSELY apologize for, here we are back again! And for those of you desperately wondering what Big Mac's stare meant, you'll get your answer in this chapter! I also once again have to thank SquirtlePWN for his amazing job as my Beta Reader!

Gracie Ghost: That's actually really interesting to think about! Although, I have no plans for that to actually happen in the story

axelialea: Oh just wait and find out! :3

OBSERVER01: Well, Ivan just really used the Captain America thing as a comparison to what's happened to him. It's not like he actually has Captain America's speed, strength, and stamina, but he's got a lot of the ponies' physical and mental capabilities minus actual magic.

Guest: I'm so thrilled people are trying to guess what the child will be; but you'll just have to wait and find out! :P

headreviewer mk2: ...We'll see. That's a very good possibility

Sheppard741: Thank you! And yes, I loved writing in Applebloom losing it :D

Monkeyboy0118: Oh I remember you asking that! It was fun to lead you on like that, no offense :D

Furi Poi: Well, this IS the magical land of Equestria, with a little science fiction tossed in there for good measure :P. And I hope my schedule clears up too, though with this hiatus for the show and the fact that I now have a more consistent work schedule, things may work out for the better

chipmunkfanatic: Oh ho I have had this planned for a long time my friend, and I'm so glad to have finally written it and the fact that it's gotten a positive response. Trust me, I spent HOURS talking it over with a friend to work out all the kinks so it could be believable

Random Guy: Thank you!

DarthLeo: Well I'm glad to have caught someone's attention who's not normally drawn to stories like this! And thank you for telling me to take my time. I realized that forcing myself to adhere to a schedule may have backfired. I used to be able to update within a 10-14 day period, but that's because I worked when I could instead of forcing myself to. And I hope you like the answer to your question about Big Mac :D

StacheKing: I'm happy I still have a few good twists up my sleeve :P But yes, this was all planned out even before the whole mission to Draconia. And I'm glad that some people are taking notes of small details like the whole shoulder thing just in case it could be brought up again. As for Celestia donating her blood, yeah this is reaching into like comic book territory, but it really was the only non contrived way I could think of to make Ivan reproductively compatible with Applejack. And I spent hours discussing this over with a friend to work out the kinks and not make it so that JUST his reproductive organs were effected. But as for Granny's reaction, it really wouldn't have been fair for her to go off on them considering this really wasn't supposed to happen, but she knows how responsible Ivan and AJ are and, hey, she loves kids :P And Big Mac...well you'll see

Jay789: Here you go!

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(Later that evening; Ivan's POV)

I may have been asleep and cuddling up against Applejack after telling her little sister and grandmother that she was pregnant, but my sleep was anything but sound. The both of us were exhausted and looking to get some rest, yet my mind was too wracked with thought to rest peacefully. Even when Applejack kissed me goodnight and curled up against my chest, relaxation was an impossibility. My eyes snapped open as I lurched forward in Applejack's bed, gasping for air. I could feel my body completely drenched with sweat; my hand trembled as I slowly raised it up to my neck. "What the Hell?" I asked myself in between labored breaths. I felt a little relief as there was no noose around it as there had been in my dream, but that didn't last long. After cradling my sweaty forehead in my hands for a moment or two, my breathing finally went from labored to normal as I peered over at AJ. The beautiful mare was still sound asleep, softly whinnying away and facing toward me.

The silvery light of the moon shone brightly through her window and upon her, only furthering my want to crawl back next to her, but I just couldn't right now. I gently lifted the covers and swung my legs around to the side of bed, allowing the blanket to rest upon my empty spot on the bed. I stood up and tried my best to not make the floorboards creak and groan. One look in her dresser mirror revealed just how sweaty I became through the short time I'd slept; the moon's reflection glistened off my now glossy skin.

I had perhaps the worst nightmare I've ever had in my life, and it was one I dared not tell Applejack. All of the angry shouting, gnashing of teeth, and lassos wrapping around my neck flashed into my mind, making my body jolt. The Apples, at least the one's I've lived with for over a year, and Braeburn that I met several months ago, would never do such a thing to me, but I wasn't so sure about the others. AJ and Big Mac assured me that their family was very kind and just the sort of ponies I would like, but now with Applejack carrying our child, my mind had wandered while I was sleeping. I touched my neck again, feeling that relief of smooth skin instead of a coarse rope before running my hand through my soaked hair. I caught Applejack's reflection in the mirror, only making feel as bad as when I jolted awake. Turning around halfway, my heart sank as Applejack's hoof began to move around as if she were searching for my body to cuddle against. There were so many things I wanted to talk to her about, and that we had planned to discuss the next day, but I was too afraid she might take my concerns the wrong way.

With a loud sigh, I threw on a t-shirt and pecked the mare's freckled cheek once more, wishing her pleasant dreams and telling her I loved her. She groaned appreciatively and drew her hoof back to her chest before I quietly turned and exited her room, shutting her door silently. I just needed some air and some time to think about what I needed to say to her tomorrow morning. I held my breath in an attempt to not awaken anyone else in the house as I trekked down the moonlit hallway, taking careful steps around the creaky floorboards. Even when I reached the top of the staircase, I checked my six just in case I had disturbed someone in the night, or if they were awakening to relieve themselves or get a snack.

When everything looked the same, all the doors were still closed, I grasped the banister on the wall and faced forward. Creak. The top stair squeaked and groaned as soon as I put my foot down, sounding as loud as gunfire to me. My grip on the banister tightened so much I thought I would get a splinter for sure. I waited, and waited, and waited for one, if not all, of the doors to come flying open to see what was happening. But nothing happened. All of the doors remained closed and the rest of the house remained as quiet as a church. I knew I couldn't just stand there all night, so I silently performed Cadence's relaxation method before braving the seemingly louder staircase and finding myself in the living room of the Apple household. I didn't stop there, however. It was a small victory, but the thirst for fresh air was too much.

Thankfully, I was barefoot, so I didn't have to worry about the thumping of my shoes giving away my nighttime prowling. I hurried past the kitchen and out the back door, relishing in the cool night air like Andy Dufresne in the rain after he escaped Shawshank Prison. After a few deep breaths, I sat down on a nearby barrel, rubbing my hands around my face and through my hair. "Trouble sleepin'?" A stallion's deep southern accent asked from the dead of night. Nearly losing my balance, I gripped the edge of the wooden barrel to steady myself as Big Macintosh slowly trudged his hooves through the dirt past me. It then occurred to me that the screen door to the kitchen never shut.

The red stallion stopped in front of me and cocked his head to the side, giving me the same look as before. "Big Mac," I greeted Applejack's brother with a rough gulp and a nod. "W-were you….?" I jabbed my thumb in the direction of the house.

"Nope," Big Mac straightened his head back up only to shake it. "Ah was just gettin' a glass o' cider when y'all came rushin' through the kitchen like y'all were on fire," he explained with a soft snort.

"Yeah," I bowed my head shamefully, rubbing the back of my neck. He then squinted his eyes at me.

"Trouble sleepin'?" He repeated, his voice retaining the same stoic octave and not sounding like he was concerned about me. "Yer sweatin' more than a rabbit in a pit o' snakes." Immediately after Big Mac pointed that out, I pulled my hand away from my neck, only to see it shimmering in the moon's light. I groaned and wiped it off on the shorts I was wearing before covering my face with my hands again.

"You could say that," I remarked in a defeated voice through my hands. Of all the times to have a nightmare and needing someone to talk to, Luna couldn't visit anyone's dreams because of her pregnancy. I could tell Big Mac I had a nightmare, but what if he asked me what it was about?

"Too much ta think of?" He asked instead. To a little surprise, I slowly lifted my hands down away from my face, squinting back at AJ's big brother. He stared right back at me without blinking.

I opened my eyes back to normal size and looked down at the dirt pitifully. "Yeah," I nodded while gripping the rim of the barrel tighter. "I've just had so many things bouncing around inside my head that I've barely been able to focus since Applejack told me the news," I admitted point blank, returning my gaze to the stallion. "I-I managed to get some sleep."

Big Mac pursed his lips and harrumphed before plodding around next to me, pulling up another barrel to sit upon. "Well, didn't ya talk ta my sister about what's buggin' ya? Ah mean, y'all have plenty ta talk about anyways," he added, casting somewhat of a judgmental eye in my direction. I couldn't tell if he was being serious or if he was attempting to be snarky with me considering I'd impregnated his sister. I looked out of the corner of my eye at him, raising an eyebrow, trying to figure out his game.

"No, we went right to bed after a long day, as you can recall," I said in return of his tone of voice. "Right after we told Granny Smith and Applebloom, Applejack and I went upstairs and crawled into bed. We talked for a bit and promised to talk further about this tomorrow after a good night's sleep," I explained. "Although, that's going to be lost on my part," I mumbled.

"So what kept ya up?"

"Well, nothing kept me up," I replied with an irritated scowl, "I said I got a little sleep, but it was anything but good," my scowl softened and I swiveled myself around to look at the house where Applejack was asleep. I didn't even know if she was sleeping well or not either since I wasn't there with her.

"All right," Big Mac grunted, "what happened in yer nightmare?" I swear I almost gave myself whiplash from how fast I spun around to face the earth pony. I was surprised I didn't get any splinters in my palms either.

"Nightmare?"

"Cougar," he rolled his eyes, "Ah may not be Princess Luna; I can't magic myself into dreams, 'n Ah might not be able ta explain what yer dreams mean, but Ah spent practically my whole life stayin' up with Applejack 'n Applebloom after they had nightmares when they were younger. Ah know what somepony looks like after they've gone through a bad dream," he explained, sounding genuine for the first time in our nightly encounter. Hell, he even put his hoof to my shoulder.

I could feel my heart just drop down to the pit of my stomach. I could tell AJ anything now, but after a hellish nightmare like this, the only one I could trust to talk to would be Luna; Big Mac would've never crossed my mind. It wasn't because I didn't trust him or think he couldn't explain anything, but because of what happened in the dream. How would he react to what I had to say? "Well?" The stallion gave my shoulder a shake.

"S-sorry," I snapped out of my daze. "Look Big Mac, I don't think I can tell you that," I answered as truthfully as possible, making sure to never look away from him. Of course, he wasn't too thrilled by my response, snorting right in my face and furrowing his eyebrows.

"Spit it out," he ordered. I would've jumped back in surprise had he not been holding me down.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Big Mac, I just can't tell you or anyone here for that matter, okay?" I retorted, putting my hand on his hoof to try and pry it off my shoulder, but it wouldn't budge. The red stallion let out a frustrated groan, but bowed his head until his chin touched his chest. I felt bad for doing this to him, but allowed him to continue since I pretty much had no other option, and besides, I didn't mind the company right now.

"Listen Cougar, Ah wanna help ya get down ta why yer like this, but Ah can't unless ya let me," he raised his head and stared back at me. "Ah just wanna help ya," he repeated. Big Mac may have been acting a little more open and approachable now, but I couldn't keep the indiscernible stare he gave me earlier from flashing in my head. My scowl reappeared momentarily and I went with it.

"Right, because giving me the stare of death every god damn time you look at me now REALLY helps!" I snapped, flinging my hand from his foreleg. Big Mac's soft demeanor instantaneously hardened like concrete; he jumped down to the ground, his ears flattened against his head, his green eyes became daggers, his teeth gritted against each other as his lips curled into a snarl. The stallion snorted loudly directly into my face; the hot breath from his nose forced my eyes to blink uncontrollably.

Once my vision cleared, I was, unsurprisingly, face to face with an angry Apple. "Big Mac-" I tried to apologize before the pony butted his forehead against my own, boring his eyes deep into mine. I grunted when he jabbed his hoof into my chest.

"Now, you listen here, Cougar, an' you listen good!" He growled, stabbing his hoof into my chest again. "We ain't talkin' about that right now." Big Mac slowly pulled his face away from mine, both his frustrated expression and my terrified one remaining. "Somethin' is botherin' ya enough ta keep ya from sleepin', 'n Ah'm really tryin' ta see to it that ya get past it," the stallion explained through clenched jaws, breathing in and out of his nostrils and into my face. "But dammit Cougar, ya gotta get it into yer head that if talkin' ta AJ ain't an option, y'all can come 'n talk ta me, Granny or even Applebloom if it's appropriate fer her."

Suddenly, Big Mac's eyebrows slowly eased up on his eyes as he sighed loudly, dropping his foreleg back onto the dirt. I gulped, grasping the edge of the barrel that I was using as a seat to help steady myself. "Yer family now," Big Mac's ears raised back up but drooped to the side of his head. "Heck, ya've practically been family since ya rescued mah sister from them timberwolves." Raising his foreleg again, Applejack's brother, instead of jabbing my chest, gently laid it upon my knee. "We're all here fer ya, Cougar. You shouldn't be afraid ta confide in any of us for anythin', especially since yer gonna a father ta mah lil sister's baby."

My temporary fear was instantly washed away; regret filled its place. I'd been so worked up over the course of events of the past day, and Big Mac's stare didn't help in the slightest, but I couldn't deny that he was right. I never expected to talk to anyone about my dream, I only sought to clear my mind with some fresh air, but here Big Mac was, willing to stay awake in the middle of the night and try to help me sort out my thoughts while I snapped at him. "So please, let me help ya."

"I-I'm sorry," I stumbled out the words. "I'm so sorry, Big Mac. I know it's not an excuse for snapping at you like that, but I haven't able to think straight since this morning. Th-this nightmare even hit me from out of nowhere. The only reason I even came out here was to try and clear my head; I didn't even know you were awake." I released my fingers from the barrel and put my hand to my forehead, feeling the slippery sweat that painted my skin. "To be honest, I didn't think about telling anyone about my nightmare, n-not even Applejack," I flat out confessed, yet continued to keep my gaze glued to Big Macintosh to prove I was telling the truth.

This definitely caught him off guard; Big Mac raised an eyebrow and whinnied in surprise. "Not even Applejack?" He repeated what I'd admitted verbatim. I shook my head in response. "W-why not?"

"Because…..because I was afraid of what she'd say if I told her what happened in it," my hand slowly moved back to my neck, rubbing at where the rope had been compressing against my throat. "I-It was just a ridiculous dream anyway," I quickly rambled, moving my hand back to the outer edge of the barrel. "AJ and I have better things to think about." However, that answer wasn't good enough for Big Mac. The red stallion exhaled and clambered back on top of the barrel next to me, resting his hoof on my back.

"Y'all mean like what Ah wanted from ya with my 'death stare'?"

A shiver went up my spine from the tone of his voice. Big Mac sounded as if he were a bit hurt at what I had dubbed his look he was giving me. Now I felt guilty about yelling at him like that after getting it trough my thick skull that he was legitimately trying to help me right now. "I didn't mean to snap at you like that, but yeah, that is something that's been banging around my mind all afternoon and night."

"Maybe Ah deserved it fer not comin' ta talk ta ya in private over what Ah wanted, Cougar," he sputtered, removing his hoof from my back so he could run it through his orange mane.

"Well, no. If you say I've been family for this long, I shouldn't treat family like that," I tried to counter.

"Look Cougar, Ah wasn't tryin' ta make ya feel like ya did somethin' wrong, or that Ah was angry with ya. Truth is, Ah've had one thing on my mind that's botherin' me," he explained, resting his chin on his hoof.

"….And it concerns me, right?" I asked, giving the stallion a sympathetic look. Big Mac simply blinked a few times before looking over at me with his right eye.

"Eeyup," was the only word he said. I really couldn't believe how this night was going. I still wasn't positive about whether or not Big Mac had trouble sleeping either, or if he indeed just wanted a glass of cider at midnight. Yet, now he and I appeared to have similar problems, and I tried to shoo away his attempts to calm me down and clear my mind. I had to make it up to him.

With a quick lick of my lips, I turned to him and said, "Listen, how about we start this over?" Big Mac's ears twitched as he turned to me, puzzled. "I mean, if you still want to help me, I'll talk, please," I begged. Although still confused, he couldn't help a small smile from spreading across his muzzle as he nodded his head. "On one condition," I added, only making his confusion grow.

"Huh?"

"If I tell you what's bothering me, then please tell me what's bothering you about me." It was a fairly simple request, but the farmer still took a moment or two to contemplate my proposition before his smile returned and he nodded his head.

"Eeyup!" He exclaimed.

"Good," I managed a smile of my own, only for it to vanish when I began to chew on my bottom lip. "I-I suppose you want me to start with my nightmare?" He again nodded in agreement, even rotating himself around on the barrel so he was facing me directly.

"Ah promise Ah won't judge ya or get angry with ya over a nightmare, Cougar," he swore.

"I'm willing to take that chance," I said with a deep breath, thinking back to the earliest point of my nightmare I could remember. With a clench of my eyes, I braced myself for having to relive what was honestly the most terrifying dream I've ever had. A pat on my back from Big Mac's hoof helped me destress enough to begin. "Do you remember how earlier today we were talking about AJ introducing me to the rest of your family at a family reunion?"

"Eeyup?"

"Well, that's what was happening in my dream. We were hosting the reunion here on your farm, and dozens of your family members showed up," I explained. "I was completely nervous, but Applejack stood by me and kept assuring me that everything would be fine and that your relatives would love me."

"Sounds like what would happen," the stallion beside me commented heartily. I put my hands to my face and groaned.

"Yeah," I replied into my hands. "And at first, some of them were a bit skeptical and took a good look at me, kind of like I was one of Twilight's nutty experiments. They poked and prodded at me and even got a little too close for my comfort to look straight into my eyes." I took my hands away from my face; Big Mac's body language was all I needed to know that that didn't seem exactly normal for his family, or maybe only a few would do something like that and only rarely.

"Did any o' them not like ya?"

"Nope, all of them were fine with me, especially since AJ told them what happened up at the falls and they all knew I took part in saving Luna in Draconia." Big Mac's ears twitched in curiosity. He motioned to ask something else when I added, "That's when everything went to shit," I said quietly, closing my eyes and letting out a sniffle. "AJ wanted me to tell them that we were together just so I could work on getting to know your family better, and they could get to know me better."

"…..An' they didn't take that too particularly well?"

"Braeburn at least tried to stick up for me," I muttered. "Big Mac….Braeburn and Applebloom's little cousin Babs were the only other ones to be happy about my relationship with AJ. Some of your family members stared at me like I was a monster, and others started going off on how it was unnatural, that they didn't have anything against me personally, but they were accusing Applejack of beastiality," tears began to stream down my face as the real horrors of the nightmare began to resurface.

"A few of them, I never got their names, even separated us, telling Applejack that she'd be out of the family if she didn't stop, "courtin' this animal." I took a deep breath, wiping my cheeks dry of tears in the process. I opened my eyes and battled the stinging sensation the dry farm air that assaulted them to find Big Mac and a shocked expression carved onto his face. "Th-the others pushed me away from her and said they'd….they'd kill me if I touched her in any way."

"Cougar-"

"That's when Applejack told them they can't do anything about it because she was carrying our child." Big Mac had to grab ahold of me as my body began to tremble.

"Cougar, ya don't have ta-"

"They all froze like time had stopped, and just stared at the two of us. That's when one of them called me a monster and another threw a lasso around my neck, yanking me face down to the dirt." Images of dozens of Apple family members dressed as Mad Max versions of themselves began to flash through my mind, all kicking and jabbing at me while I was held down by the rope wrapped tightly around my neck. Over their shouting, I could hear Applejack desperately pleading with her family to stop and trying to push her way through the crowd. With dirt clinging to my face, I looked up to see her being pushed back by her family before there was a violent tug on the rope, and I found myself being drug around the farm. "Th-they kept you and AJ, Granny, Applebloom, Braeburn and Babs away from me while they tossed and drug me around like a wild animal. I-I remember every rock and piece of debris on the ground cutting into my arms, face, and body, the wounds filling with dirt. Finally, it all stopped when they plowed me straight into the trunk of a tree, breaking my rib cage. I could barely breath when they rolled me onto my back and kicked me in the head before they declared they would hang me for what I did. Th-the last thing I remember was being strung up on the tree and seeing Applejack fighting to get to me. That's when I woke up."

I wasn't crying, but my breathing was ragged, and I was trembling as if it were fifty degrees below zero outside. That last image of Applejack fighting to get to me would haunt me for awhile, no matter how hard I would try to forget it. I didn't have any clue where that dream could've come from; never did I get the impression that any of AJ's relatives outside of Braeburn or Babs would do something as horrific as this. I trusted Applejack and Big Mac's words, but I couldn't decipher what could have caused this. The most I feared was certain members possibly ousting AJ, Big Mac, Granny and Applebloom from their family.

"Come 'ere," Big Mac's deep voice calmly ordered, instantly melting away the flashback to my nightmare. I felt his strong forelegs curling around me in a comforting hug as he rested my head upon his shoulder. My body almost instantly became motionless as his my cheek rubbed against his warm fur. It wasn't getting hugged that made me tense up, it was the fact that Big Mac had never done something like this to me before. Then it dawned on me that I'd never even given him the chance to do so, and his words about opening up to he, Applebloom and Granny Smith became heavier.

I couldn't deny that his hug brought me to a more calm state of mind; I sighed and hugged him in return, reveling in the soft noises of the night that surrounded us. "Ah ain't mad at ya, Cougar," he finally said after my breathing had followed my body in returning to normal. "Ah can't fault ya fer what happens in yer dreams; it's not ya can control them."

I took in a breath before replying. "I-I know, Big Mac, but I still feel guilty for dreaming of your kin like that."

"Yer just a lil scared, 'n y'all have every right ta be right now," he reassured me. "Somethin' like this just comes right outta nowhere and blindsides you 'n my sister; who wouldn't that scare the horse apples out of? Ah know this is a huge change fer ya, but just remember, y'all have Applejack, me, Applebloom, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Shinin' Armor, Cheerilee 'n the rest o' yer friends ta turn to if you ever need anythin', just like y'all will be there fer my sister if she needs anythin', right?"

"Of course," I pulled away from Big Mac to look him square in the eye. "I promised Applejack I'd never abandon her, and I know our friends won't, b-but I'm just so lost right now Big Mac! And I'm not just scared; I'm terrified about what's going to happen or what we're going to have to do, and I can't think straight!" Big Mac suddenly put his hoof onto my chest and gave it a gentle push, silencing my mini panic attack.

"Jus' calm down, Cougar. It'll be okay. Like Granny said, we'll still be here ta help ya if you 'n AJ need it. Ah know this doesn't help yer situation about meetin' the rest of our family. An' Ah won't lie, some may not like it, others may have ta get used ta it, n' some might be fine with it, but Ah can assure ya that they ain't gonna hang ya, Cougar. None o' them would go that far, but please feel safe knowing that my sister won't allow it, Ah won't allow it, 'n certainly Granny Smith won't allow it. Yer our family, whether somepony else disagrees; that won't ever change."

"Th-thank you, Big Mac," I replied after a surge of joy radiated in my chest at hearing his promise, my mouth twitching as I mustered up a smile for the stallion. "You all mean so much to me, but," I paused, my mind wandering to another thought that wouldn't leave me alone.

"But what?" Big Mac gently pushed against my chest again.

"M-meeting your family isn't what's bothering me the most right now," I admitted. Having to finally get together with the rest of AJ and Big Mac's relatives was one of my main concerns, but the instant Celestia and Twilight confirmed Applejack was pregnant, and the fact that we didn't know what the baby would be, a darker thought clouded my mind. It was the reason why I'd been so scared and quiet the rest of the day. In fact, I was glad that it wasn't what my nightmare was about; I would've been an even more emotional wreck.

"Well, what else is eatin' at ya, Cougar?"

"You do know that we have no idea what our baby will be right?" I asked, sounding as if I were completely drained of energy. I couldn't stand thinking about it, but until we could discover if our child would be a pony, a human, or some sort of hybrid, it was something that would be foolish to ignore.

"Ya mean if yer gonna have a filly or a colt?" The stallion raised an eyebrow in confusion, missing the point I was getting at. He even lowered his hoof from my chest, yet kept his other foreleg wrapped around me for comfort. I couldn't help but lay my head against his shoulder.

"Big Mac, what if something goes wrong? Wh-what if her pregnancy gets too complicated? Or what if…..what she dies at childbirth?!" I exclaimed loudly, turning my head into the stallion's shoulder. No one knew if her body could handle this. Even if she was pregnant with just a normal pony, what if it was bigger than normal and unable to be pushed out by AJ? Telling the rest of her family was one thing; having to go through this pregnancy when a lot of ponies didn't even like my mere existence was going to be difficult; but the possibility of Applejack, the only woman I've ever wanted to be with passing away was a level of fear that I hadn't reached before. The fear of losing her was even greater than the fear of losing any of my other friends….Adam and my squad mates included. The thought of never holding her again, never sharing a laugh with her again, never cuddling with her outside watching the sun set, and never looking into her emerald eyes again haunted me. Then of course, there was the horrifying thought of losing either her, our child, or both.

"Hey now," Big Mac said softly, gently pushing me away from his shoulder.

"I know I won't be the only one who'd be devastated Big Mac, but I just can't lose her! I-I love Applejack too much to let her go!"

"Cougar, Cougar, calm down," he advised as he put his free hoof on my own shoulder. "Now look, that's a genuine concern, 'n Ah don't blame ya fer worryin' about that. But think about it this way: It's still early in her pregnancy, too early ta even have the faintest idea what yer baby will be. Ya just need ta give it some time. Remember what AJ told ya about our mom?"

I sucked in a deep breath and shakily replied, "She told me that your mom was near death when she gave birth to Applebloom."

"Eeyup," Big Mac replied without even blinking at the painful memory. "Now down the road when it is time ta see just what y'all have made, the doctor can schedule her a C-Section if givin' birth the natural way is too dangerous fer my sister or yer baby, just like what the doctors had ta do ta save Applebloom. It's not like ya have ta wait until Applejack gives birth ta see what'll happen."

All of a sudden, my body ceased trembling in Big Mac's grasp as his words clicked within me. I was still afraid for what would happen to AJ, but Big Mac wasn't wrong at all. Now, there was still the concern of if she was carrying a human baby, would her body be able to carry it all the way to the end of nine months? Again, the only way to know was to be patient until the fetus was more developed and Dr. Shots could tell us. "'Sides," Big Mac snapped me out of my daydream, "yer about as tall as Celestia, 'n not that much bigger than Ah am. Ah don't think that the size o' yer baby will be much of an issue, 'specially since earth ponies can handle more physical demands than unicorns or pegasus ponies."

"Th-that's true," I replied, my voice beginning to return to normal. "But, you know, what if our baby retains a lot of physical traits from me and AJ? I-It could be bigger than a pony baby or a human baby," I pointed out more rationally.

"Cougar, if Mrs. Cake can deliver not just twins, but a pegasi 'n a unicorn, Ah think Applejack is gonna be just fine," Big Mac smiled before pulling me in for another hug. "Ah'm just so glad ya care this much about Applejack, but if it still concerns ya, yer gonna have ta tell her yerself when ya both sit down ta talk this whole pregnancy over." He released me from the hug, only to have a serious look painted onto his face.

I swallowed and nodded, wiping the streams of tears from my cheeks. "I will, Big Mac. I just want to have a plan set in place in case something does turn up." I wasn't 100% back to normal; I was still shaken up over everything, but Big Mac's reassuring words had helped me calm down a little.

"Good," Big Mac grunted as he hopped down from his own barrel, stretching out his back. "Now then, is there anythin' else ya wanna talk about before ya go back upstairs ta be with my sister?" A small embarrassed smile spread across my face as I realized what he had said. But as I thought about it, the nightmare and my concern for AJ's health were the two things that were seriously plaguing my mind. The rest I could talk over with Applejack tomorrow.

"Not really," I replied softly. "But, didn't you want to talk about something?" The stallion bit his lip and looked away from me towards the ground, contemplating something. He kicked his hoof a few times at the dirt before finally picking his head back up.

"Cougar, Ah really didn't mean ta scare ya or stress ya out even more than ya were," he repeated from earlier. "It's just that, Ah'm an old fashioned pony, even more so than Granny Smith if ya can believe it," he chuckled.

"Really?" I asked with a puzzled raise of my eyebrow. I had somewhat of an idea of what he was getting at, but I wanted to let him finish in case I was wrong. "How old fashioned are we talking about?" The red pony sputtered and groaned as he thought.

"Look, Ah know this may sound rude considerin' what ya've gone through tonight, Cougar, but Ah just wanna know one thing."

"Yeah?" I leaned forward from where I was sitting.

"Now that yer gonna be a daddy ta my sister's baby, when are ya gonna propose ta her so you can do the right thing fer Applejack?" He asked bluntly. I could feel my heart almost stop when he asked me that. In fact, I almost felt lightheaded as I thought about standing at an altar with Applejack, kissing her and being bound to her forever, and being able to call her my wife instead of my girlfriend. However, I wasn't lightheaded in the way one might think.

"B-Big Mac," I nervously chuckled. "I get where you're coming from, I really do!" I exclaimed. "I mean I've thought about it even before she was pregnant, but we both agreed that we would take our relationship, especially the pregnancy, one step at a time. We've got to get everything we need to talk about out on the table tomorrow first, Big Mac, and clear the air of any uncertainties we may have," I explained to the stallion's stoic face.

"All right."

"But once we do, I'll start thinking about a time and a place to ask her. I love Applejack, and I'd love to be bound to her as husband and wife. When the time is right, you have my word that I'll ask her to marry me, with your blessing of course," I added with a promising grin. Without warning, Big Mac sighed and gave me a gentle push off the barrel, helping me keep my balance before I fell. "What-" I tried to say before the stallion put his hoof to my back and began to push me toward the farmhouse. I didn't resist much, but Big Mac pushed me through the kitchen door and the kitchen itself, through the living room and to the base of the stairs before coming to a stop. I gave him a confused look before he gave me a small nudge with his muzzle.

"Ya've always had my blessin' Cougar, ever since Hearth's Warmin'." He said with a big smile and another nudge to get me upstairs. Taking his encouragement, I turned and gave the stallion a thankful hug for his help before journeying back upstairs. This time didn't take nearly as long as it did when I had awakened from my nightmare, but that didn't matter to me. As soon as I reached Applejack's room and quietly pushed open the door, my heart leapt at seeing her sleeping figure in her bed, just as I had left her. Now I understood why her brother was so adamant about me getting back upstairs; Applejack, even in her sleeping state, was the one thing that could put me at peace until morning, and I wasn't going to waste that opportunity.

I quickly threw off my shirt, discarding it into her nearby hamper before lifting the covers and softly slithering into bed with her and scooting my way over to her. I put my arm around her to cuddle with her, but froze when she let out a soft moan. "Mmmm," she subconsciously scooted closer to me and slipped one foreleg around my neck, one on top of my chest, and laid her head in the crook of my neck, a content smile on her face.

With a small sigh, I smiled down at the beautiful mare and wrapped both arms around her, planting a soft kiss on her freckled cheek. "I love you," I whispered before I drifted back to sleep.

End Chapter 72

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After that sweet moment with Big Mac, what else could be on Ivan's mind for the future? What could be on AJ's mind? Find out next time where they talk it out with a surprise guest!