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

Dash opened her eyes, looking around. She felt rested, surprisingly. But at the same time, the… moss she was laying on seemed to be lulling her back into slumber. It smelt of soft citrus over a fresh drizzle of rain. Dash forced herself into a sitting position, continuing to take in her surroundings. Assuming Mac had actually taken her here and she hadn't crash-landed on the way to the Acres, it was unbelievably pretty. A little bubbling creek cut through thick trees and foliage, and she had to poke herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Thin lines of water ran down what little ground wasn't covered in moss, minus a section that had clearly been converted into a fire pit. She doubted it would grow moss there anyway, considering the slightly raised ground it sat on, keeping water away. A few small trees poked resiliently out of the rock here and there before the moss turned into the forest proper. But what she still couldn't wrap her head around was… Well, if this was in walking distance from the Acres… How could that even be the case? And where was Mac, anyway?

She heard the calls of birds, the movements of animals, and noticed the visibility of red fur amongst such a green place, emerging from the trees. So apparently it hadn't been a dream. Dash waved to the stallion, breaking out in a huge grin as she gestured around to the place. "This is amazing!"

"Yeah," he replied with a laugh, coming closer. "Guess the Everfree's not so bad after all, huh?"

Woah, what? "The Everfree? We're in the Everfree?" She was just sleeping here, unprotected, and-

"Dash, it's not dangerous! We're not in that part uh the forest!"

"It's all dangerous!"

"Does it look dangerous to you?" He asked, and Dash stopped, following his gesturing arm as he put the other behind her back to direct her vision. "Look, Ah've been out here since Ah was a colt, and it's always been as peaceful as it is now, 'less you venture too far in. But ya have ta go pretty far in ta get to the Everfree you're talkin' 'bout. Or go in over by Fluttershy's house, where all the crazy things seem to clump. "

"No manticores?"

"Nah."

"No bears?"

"Not that I know of. There isn't a lot of prey here, and like ah said, they seem to keep to the area with the bent up trees anyway. Maybe there's more food around those parts." He shrugged, emptying one side of his saddlebags into a pile of blueberries beside her as he laid down on the moss. Dash looked up the slight incline, noting a small cliff behind them that was also wet with a film of running water. Maybe there was a spring over there or something.

"So how did you find this place?" She asked, watching a solitary cloud float over and reflect the colors of sunset and grabbing a hoofful of blueberries.

He turned around, and she caught a little trail of dried blood that had moved down his leg at some point in time, probably hours earlier. Ouch, so it was as full fledged as Mac had implied. "Ah did a lot of exploring' when ah was a kid. Still do, actually. But Ah found this place when Ah was up there a ways," He said, pointing up the wet cliff. "Ah found the little spring, then started to follow it."

"Oh." Dash said, nodding.

"Well actually, I slipped on a rock and fell through a couple of bushes, and that's how I found this place." He finished. "Ah wouldn't have gone through all that thick foliage bordering this otherwise."

"Were you okay?" Dash asked, staring at the cliff. It wasn't a small drop, and it definitely wasn't onto the softest of ground.

"Ah broke two uh mah legs." He said. "But Applejack followed me out, figurin' ah had some secret fort or something with all the explorin' ah was doin'. She got granny out here. Braeburn's parents were visiting, so they pulled me out." Mac shrugged. "Could've been worse."

"You're using a rather interesting scale." Dash observed. "How old were you, anyway?"

"Ah was like ten or somethin'. Look, Dash, Ah don't want to depress you or anything. Ya look kinda sad."

"I'm not depressed! I'm just… I dunno, it's weird realizing how much depth your life has, considering the general mystery that surrounded you two weeks ago."

"Depth!" He scoffed. "Ah kick trees most days."

"Yeah, but there was The Hole in the Map, and this place, and every time I think up a date idea you bring me to some amazing place like this! It's pretty, it's romantic, and you seem to profess to me that you don't have any experience with dating." She laughed, and Mac chuckled back at her.

"Well then Ah'll tell you what, if you liked this so far…" He trailed off, walking to other side of the fire pit and pulling aside a few huge leaves. "Then you'll really love the fact that Ah brought food."

"That depends on how many blueberries are involved." Dash said, narrowing her eyes jokingly. "I friggin love those little guys."

"Well, Ah've Apple Family'd it up, so it's good that you like blueberries."

"Wait, but I thought-" She trailed off. Much confusion.

"Ah mean, Ah made everything from blueberries. Like we usually make everything from apples. Apple family'd, you know- whatever." He sighed and set down a picnic basket, and Dash laughed.

"How'd you even get all this set up? I wasn't out that long."

"Only like seven hours." Mac replied. "Plus, Ah make blueberry stuff every year, so it was just luck that you commented on how much you liked them and that Ah had them around." He paused. "Plus, even Ah get sick of apples."

"Impossible!" Dash exclaimed with a laugh, watching him take out a blueberry pie and separate it from the cardboard he'd used to protect it.

"And you wonder why we went to The Hole in the Map. Last thing Ah wanted to see that day was an apple." He pulled a knife from a sheath on his hip, sticking it into the middle of the pie to cut a slice.

"Why the knife?" Dash asked, watching him start on the second cut. It was growing much darker out, something Mac seemed to notice as he handed her a slice of pie. He threw a bit of kindling onto the old pile of soot, pushing away the cool ash to get at some embers. Apparently he'd been here recently.

"Just in case." He replied, watching the fire light. He added a few twigs. "Haven't had to use it out here yet though."

"So you're just cutting the cake with that big thing for giggles?" Dash asked, chuckling.

"Or Ah forgot stuff despite the fact that Ah had more than enough time."

"Well it's good pie." Dash said through a full mouth. "Like, really good."

"Sis tends to like it too." He said, blowing some of his mane from his face in annoyance as a gust of wind blew the flame out. He walked over to his saddlebag, pulling open the other half. He pulled free a big bottle of lighter fluid.

"Abandoned all pretense of a romantic fire start?" Dash queried, laughing at his expression of determination.

"Ya like explosions, right? Those are romantic, right?" Mac asked, grinning. He moved his saddlebag backwards a few paces before continuing on to the fire. He sloshed the contents of the container around, presumably judging the contents. Then he preceded to open the lid and liberally pour the chemicals over the embers. Nothing happened for a few moments before it burst into flames, billowing up past Mac's face as he hurriedly jumped away. "Now that's now ya start a fire! If startin' a fire with little twigs is romantic, this must make me some sort of god by comparison."

Dash was too busy laughing her head off to hear him. As she got herself under control she inched a little closer to the flames, warming her hooves as occasional giggles escaped her. "Starting a fire like a true stallion."

"Ya know it." He replied, sitting down next to her and blocking the gentle breeze that had arisen. Mac cut another slice of pie, beginning to eat. Dash leaned against him, sighing happily as the sunset faded into darkness. She could see a star already, which sparkled above the red clouds hovering over the forest. Red at night, as if to prove that making that storm had been just as impossible as it'd felt. No rain for a while though supposedly, so she could at least rest knowing that her efforts were not without use.

The storm wouldn't blow over here, probably. The Everfree would probably screw with that too much to keep the brittle clouds together. Pegasus magic just sort of died around here, minus the piddly stuff like standing on clouds. Even unicorn magic got a little wonky. Maybe Mac was right, though. There was something that just seemed more interesting out here. Maybe she couldn't build an entire storm bit by bit, but she could start one if the weather helped to build on her moves. When the monsters and evil were taken out of the picture, the forest was a pretty enchanting place. Maybe the Everfree part had a much more liberating meaning at some point.

"This is nice." She finally said, shifting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad we stuck together through all this stuff. You were totally worth the effort."

Mac just chuckled, shaking his head. "Ah'm just glad we lasted through that first night. It's all been like a dream since then."

Dash wrapped a hoof around his back. "You're such a softie."

"Ah try." He let himself fall backwards onto the moss, bringing Dash with him. More stars were poking their way through the fading light of the sunset, beginning to form constellations. The pair admired the view for several long minutes, watching the sky fill with twinkling light.

"So, mister astronomy, what's that group of stars called over there?" Dash asked pointing.

"Assumin' Ah'm lookin' in the right place, that could be Orion." He paused. "But that other group to the left of that is Gemini, so you could be referring to those."

"Who named them?"

Mac laughed. "Ah wish Ah knew. Nopony knows. They're just names that got passed down from somewhere. Ah mean, in Gemini ya got Kastor and Pollux, the two bright ones that form the connecting line. Those ain't pony names. But then again, the figures ain't ponies neither. But that don't stop ponies comin' up with the legends for em' anyway."

"I dunno, it's kinda cool though, to have them shrouded in mystery. The names could be as old as the stars themselves." Dash replied.

Mac chuckled, pulling her closer with an arm to give the mare a brief kiss. She giggled back, kissing him a little more firmly. The kiss went on for several long moments before both broke apart, out of breath. A blush had spread across Mac's cheeks, somehow visible despite the fading light and his red fur. Dash moved a hoof gently up his arm, gazing into his eyes. "Want to keep going?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

To her delight, Mac merely kissed her again without so much as a second thought. Dash felt herself melt, pulling him closer as her hooves wrapped around his back. She felt herself get wet at even the prospect of what they were about to do, the lead up it had involved. What it meant. She let him take control as he pushed her gently into the moss and continued to keep his lips planted against hers. Part of her was getting impatient, but she pushed it away. Even with Mac it wouldn't leave her alone.

It took her a second to notice that they'd stopped kissing. She let out a quiet giggle, and Mac blushed a little more, if that was possible. He stuck a hoof behind his head, scratching nervously as his rhythm fell apart. He'd come to the end of his experience, apparently. "What do you want me to do?" He asked nervously, and Dash nearly burst into laughter. "Are we supposed ta do oral, or-"

"Mac." Dash said abruptly, cutting the stallion off. He shifted above her and his already very erect member slid against the fur on one of her inner thighs. Mac fought back a shiver. "I'm down for anything, alright? This is your first time, not mine." Mac just stared a moment, before Dash continued. "And the more we wait, the more desperate I become for you, so... yeah." Mac nodded, shaking his head slightly to get rid of nerves. Honestly, Dash was glad he was nervous. She was glad it wasn't like one of her dreams that casted Mac as a sex god. It was interesting, and it felt real. It had that element that her daydreams always missed. The realism. And jeez, did he pump blood into that thing fast.

"Ah, uh-" He trailed off, as Dash pulled him down roughly with a hoof, nearly knocking the air out of herself with the sudden extra weight. Man, he was solid. Their lips met again, along with certain other parts of their bodies. Mac gasped into her mouth, a slight grinding motion following up the contact. She'd got him back into it, then. Awesome.

Mac took the lead, rubbing against her back with a hoof as he pushed himself back into the mood, Dash's soaked entrance kissing at his tip as she pulsed and throbbed with his heat poking her just so. He pulled apart for a fraction of a second, getting a nod from Dash before he started to push inside, resuming their kiss.

Immediately Dash realized that her visual approximations had sucked. He was big. Maybe his size had just made it look proportional and somewhat ordinary, but… Oh!

"Hold on a sec, Mac!" She exclaimed, gritting her teeth as he split her apart. Mac was gritting his teeth for a different reason. Well at least she was tight, that was always better than the alternative. Always looking at the bright side, she was.

Dash could feel his pulse against her walls, her tunnel constricting inwards as it subconsciously tried to get Mac off. She felt a dribble of impossibly hot precum exit his tip, and her arousal somehow rose further. Mac slid in a little more as her face cleared up, moving through her with a series of grunts.

"Dash, Ah- Oh!" He moaned, pulling her tight to himself again as he buried his muzzle under her chin. Dash kissed his forehead, feeling him shake a little against her as he gave a little final push and bottomed out. She moaned at the feeling of fullness around his length. "H-how am Ah supposed to last i-inside you like this?" He stammered as his stallionhood jerked inside her, his voice muffled by her fur.

"You'll do fine." Dash replied, stroking his mane as he tried to calm himself down. He pulled his muzzle free a moment later, pulling out part of the way. He paused, looking down at her before he pulled out entirely, giving Dash a view of his impossibly hard, pulsing dick flickering in the firelight. It looked like his estimation of not lasting long was fairly accurate. "What's wrong?" She asked, getting scared for a moment that he didn't want to continue.

"Ah feel like Ah'm smothering ya." He replied, taking a few steps to a tree at the edge of the firelight. He sat against it, his member showing no signs of lowering.

Dash got the idea immediately, trotting over and giving Mac a kiss, briefly caressing one of his cheeks with a hoof. She reared up, putting a hoof on the tree to hold herself up as Mac got his hooves on her hips. She sat down on his lap facing him, his member angrily pulsing between them, demanding action. Dash moved upwards and lined it up, sliding down on the rock hard meat slowly to a gentle groan. "You're such a romantic, you know that?" Dash asked, feeling Mac reach even deeper points somehow. She felt like she might go cross-eyed, strings of pain-turned-pleasure zipping up her spine without even the beginnings of an actual thrust. Mac began to move gently, not shifting her at first as he made tiny movements. It felt marvelous. His sheath was pushed up against her nether lips, covering all over her with warmth and little shivers of ecstasy. He got a better grip on her, preparing to continue.

"Ya were the one t-that got me thinking about this p-position since the other day." Mac replied shakily, referencing the time she'd gotten him off with her belly fur. Just thinking about it made her pulse. "And that'd be all well and good if it weren't even more- " He let out a huff of breath. "Even more stimulating than the last time." With that he moved her upwards, lowering her back on his cock before it could even get a quarter out. His fur tickled at her clit as he met her hips, pushing more desire through her system. Dash leaned forwards to kiss him, reveling in the fact that he only seemed like he was partially there mentally. She'd got him this way. She'd done this. Brought him this kind of pleasure. Not like he wasn't reciprocating, though.

Her hooves wrapped firmly around his neck, helping Mac keep his rhythm as he hurtled towards his first orgasm inside a mare, precum bubbling from his dick. Well, inside if she could help it, anyway. She knew he'd try to stop, attempt to cool down so that he could continue again. Try to make it about her. Gentlecolt blah blah. Pfft. That was boring. He thrust at a weird angle, hitting a spot she wasn't expecting and making her walls contract around him. He groaned, a muscle in his shoulder twitching.

Mac was losing his ability to contribute to their continued kiss, precum now oozing out of his member at a pace that revealed the short fuse he had left. If he was able to get this much into her before he even came... She could hardly think of how amazing his finish would be. Dash thrust herself against him on a downstroke, making Mac's eyes widen as she decided instead to whisper in his ear.

"You better not stop." She cooed, nipping at his neck, then his ear itself. "I want to feel you climax, hug you against me as you come."

"Dash, wait, I-" He protested weakly as Dash went back to chewing gently at his ear. He was pulsing rapidly as she started to really feel good, in no small part because of the nearly boiling warmth inside her, and the larger, more needy thrusts Mac was taking. The pulses got closer together, before Mac stopped, trying to pause as he huffed out some breaths. His face was flushed, but there was no mistaking the look of near-ecstasy written across his face. He continued to pulse inside her, and let out another groan of pleasure. He wasn't going down anytime soon. Dash would have none of it anyway, starting to move herself along his shaft in his absence. She squeezed down on him, and with a bite of his lip and a muffled sound of pure pleasure, Mac knew he'd gone too far to turn back. His arms tightened around her as his lips smooshed into hers, his hips running a hard thrust into her rear that sent her head spinning.

Mac exploded into her marehood, unleashing what felt like an ocean of his seed. Dash moaned, pulling herself against her stallion as he played himself out in the most intimate of ways. The warmth spread through her, and she moaned again as Mac twitched particularly hard. She was out of breath, a sheen of sweat on her forehead. Her eyes opened to Mac's, and she kissed him again. "Thanks for this, Mac." She said, feeling him begin to soften inside her.

"For what?" He asked, dumbfounded through his afterglow. God he looked gorgeous. "Ya didn't come." He sorta seemed dejected. Too nice as usual.

"So?" Dash asked, caressing his cheek with a hoof. "You did."

He was silent. "Ah'm confused."

Dash got quiet, down to a whisper. "This was never about me having an orgasm. It was about us sharing the ultimate level of intimacy. I don't care what other mares say. They're shallow."

"But-"

"No, Mac. This is about our relationship. Not our sexual organs." She paused, nuzzling against his cheek. She could feel some of his seed slipping out of her as he continued to soften, and shivered involuntarily. "But if it makes you feel better, we can keep going. I think we're probably the top two ponies in town when it comes to stamina."

He gave a pulse of life at that, and she cooed. "Look, last think I'll say is, you would get me off first try if that's what nature intended. But look, you're fighting the same thing all guys have to. It's pretty obvious when a stallion just doesn't care, and you're obviously not in that group." Dash ground herself against his lap, feeling Mac rejuvenate at her words. Anything that got him worried was death to his erections, apparently.

"Glad ya think of me in such high terms." He mumbled back, still sounding a little embarrassed. A small grind he returned said that he was getting back into the mood, however. Dash kissed him, caressing his tongue with hers. It was gentle, not as heated as it had been a minute ago. Dash felt herself start to stretch a little as Mac hardened to his full extent, moaning out her pleasure. She was back to where she'd been in an instant, the mere idea of him getting hard while inside returning the buzz she'd been feeling.

"You sure you aren't still coming off the tail end of heat?" She asked with a husky laugh, getting a chuckle back. "You're rearing to go pretty fast there, stud."

"Maybe just a little." He replied. Mac started to move, enjoying the second position he'd picked. One of his hooves moved farther downward, cupping a flank as he started to make longer strokes. Dash felt his medial ridge leave, only to return a moment later, scraping down her walls. She might come after all, if he kept up like this. Of course, she felt like she was on a hair trigger as it was.

Mac seemed to be doing better, managing to focus a little more despite the increased stimulation. That was probably because it was his second attempt, but Dash had enough experience to know that the second orgasm could feel way better if she played the lead up correctly. She really wanted to feel him come again, even if she didn't expect a whole lot of seed. It was more arousing than sex itself in a way, watching him get pleasure from her that he could barely even handle. Seeing somepony as tough and large as him become such a softie when they were intimate was a feeling she couldn't even explain.

Mac's hoof slipped, and she fell down his length abruptly, losing her balance and pulling him away from the tree, on top of her once again. She got her breath back after a few tries, laughing as she caressed his cheek. "Just go with it." She said, watching Mac grin and push himself in just a little farther. He was as deep as she could imagine, pulsing in time with her heartbeat. His balls were pushed against her, feeling warm and wet. Wait.

Mac seemed to notice her confusion, pulling away slightly and returning a face of equal confusion. Dash pulled him against her chest again, putting her muzzle next to his ear. "Feels like it's not just one part of you that's excited." She whispered, watching his cheeks heat up. So that hypothesis had been right. "I didn't know you could get that wet." She said, feeling the stallion continue to make small movements without a response. "Well, come on, let's get on with it then!" She exclaimed, pushing herself back against him as best she could.

"That doesn't freak you out at all?" Mac asked, staying perfectly still, just staring back.

"Stop second-guessing yourself! I'm out here having sex with you for a reason!" Dash laughed, putting her hooves around his flanks in an attempt to pull him inside her. Mac started again after a laugh and a shake of his head, thrusting with more resolve than he had before. His thrusts were getting longer, more fluid. Dash began to moan, feeling her arousal pick up. He felt so perfect inside her, sending electricity through her nerves. His precum was flowing, quiet wet slaps from his balls against her filling the air. He was shaking slightly, telltale signs that he was reaching the end of his rope. She might just get there with him, if he kept things up.

One of Mac's hooves slid across a wing, sending shivers through her body. She moaned, beginning to feel the tingles of orgasm spread around her inner thighs. Mac's thrusts were growing choppy, as Dash began to massage his flanks harder, trying to ignore the pleasure building up in her body so she could play with him just a little more. He was expanding inside her, stretching her walls as he emptied and filled her over and over. An idea popped into her head, and she stretched a hoof farther along Mac's flanks just as his thrusts started to seem final.

"I'm gonna come again." He mumbled under his breath, taking a few final thrusts. Dash got a hoof on his vagina, managing to rub at his clit before he lurched and came, hard. Not expecting the touch, he had jerked forwards into her, burying his length as he went silent, his lungs stopped abruptly mid breath. A blob of pure heat hit her inside as he reached new depths, and Dash finally shot over the edge, pressing a hoof against Mac's rear as she lost concentration and her eyes rolled into her head. Dash moaned, feeling Mac's tight embrace as she pulsed around him, trying to extract every last drop.

She opened her eyes a few moments later, feeling Mac lay down beside her, his penis sliding out of her gently. The first thing she felt was a sort of tightness in her chest, the same feeling of love she'd had towards Mac in the preceding days. It spiked for a moment when her eyes met his, and he moved forward an inch or so to kiss her. He almost lost his footing as he leaned down, before chuckling to himself.

"Did you..." He trailed off after a moment. "Did you come?" He asked, a hoof snaking further around her back to hold her closer.

Dash grinned. "I'm sure you know." She replied, laughing. "Thought you may have passed out there at the end for a moment."

Mac blushed, averting his gaze. "I mean... I wasn't expecting you to really... deal with more than the parts of me that match."

"Pfft." Dash replied, batting a hoof at the air. "If you have extra pleasure buttons, I'm going to press them when I can. Plus, your reaction... That's the best part, for me."

"Watching me come?" He asked, confused.

"Either that, or looking at you now, all satisfied and stuff." His eyes were getting droopy. She hugged a little closer to him, pushing her cheek into his shoulder where it seemed to fit perfectly. He was so warm.

"Ah..." He trailed off, as if not sure how to respond. His smile gave away how he felt, even if he couldn't put it into words. It was cute, especially on a stallion as normally tough as he was. It just made the times he opened up to her about anything just a little more special. Of course, they were probably also special because this relationship meant something.

"So Mac, I know this is still kinda weird, but for future reference..." Dash paused a moment, choosing her words carefully. "Was that thing I did at the end, like, okay? I didn't push some line or anything, right?"

Mac blinked. "No. Ah mean, like Ah said Ah just wasn't expectin' it. Yer not hurtin' me, and Ah'm definitely glad you didn't avoid it like tha plague." He sighed. "Whatever you're fine with, Ah'm fine with. You're the first mare Ah've known that's even accepted me as Ah em, and to be honest just bein' around ya's always nice. But while Ah'm not well versed in this, or versed at all as it may be, Ah'm right onboard with the plan to go it together."

"Aren't you all sentimental?"

"Well Ah try. Apparently Ah'm also romantic." He replied with a chuckle, squeezing his arm around her. He was drifting off by the second, which was no surprise. Dash shifted, some of his seed oozing out of her slowly, taking its warmth with it. Her eyes drooped, and she pulled herself against her coltfriend. Didn't seem like she had a whole lot left in her either.

She reflected on the night, realizing how great it'd been. Beyond the sex, the carnal pleasure, she had a partner she could trust. That she loved and knew that when she woke up tomorrow, he'd be there. And be there tomorrow, and next week and realistically as long as she could get him to stick around. At this point, she hoped that was forever.

Author's Notes:

Well, here's a chapter that's kind of important. This story's weird because of the fact that it isn't like anything else I write. I mean, I've written clop before, but that's not what I mean. Those are one shots anyway. The fact of the matter is, I've got to make a storyline out of this that seems rather low key in relation to the others I've done previously. It's not a story with a lot of action, or conflict outside of the obvious parts, most of which are cliche. Oh well. Thinking about this stuff is fun sometimes.

Well I'm finishing this up at three in the morning. I've got a lot of important things to do, but to be honest, it's grating at me that this hasn't been released in a number of months. I just had it sitting here half done for a while, and it annoys me to have chapters sitting around like that. Oh well. I'll probably release this a short time from writing this paragraph, so hopefully it's satisfactory, and serves as an intro or something to the beginning of their relationship. I'm not even sure what that meant, but it sounded alright so it's staying. I've never felt so slow at thinking before. I guess it's been a long year.

Hopefully you people are enjoying this story. A comment is always appreciated (and they give me ideas and motivation)!