Chapter 13: The Death of Big Mac

“That all… you really met… your soul?” Rainbow struggled to find the right words to say. She had laid back down next to Mac as he told her the story of what had happened that night so long ago.

“Ah met the Devil and Ah sold ma soul to him.” Mac had to admit that, for as hard as it was to relive that fateful night, finally telling somepony of how he became the Ghost Rider felt almost, good. Sure, it did bring up the pain of loss and those horrific memories of Granny, but he didn’t have to bottle it all up inside anymore.

“I’m sorry Mac,” Rainbow whispered, as she gently rubbed her head against his shoulder. “But what happened next? Why didn’t you come back to us?” Mac sighed as he wrapped his hooves around Rainbow and pulled her closer.

“In all honesty, Ah don’t remember much of the day after. Ah woke up fer a few moments in an alley somewhere before passin’ out again. Ma body couldn’t handle the Rider’s power at first. When he transforms, everythin’ about me is burned away, literally, till the morning light. Kind of hard ta keep yer strength when ya wake up dehydrated and starving.

“When Ah came to again, Ah was still in the alley. Ah tried ta figure out where Ah was, but Ah’ve only been to the city once when Ah was a colt. Seein’ it again scared me somethin’ awful.” Mac let out a humorless chuckle. “Funny, after all Ah had seen just a few hours ago, bein’ in the big city still scared the daylights out of me. Anyhow, Ah tried ta make sense of everythin’ that had happened ta me when Ah saw him…”

“The Devil? Again?” Mac shook his head, before turning to face Dash.

“Worse. The Ghost Rider. Ya see, when you or somepony else looks into a mirror or some reflective surface they see themselves. When Ah do, Ah don’t always see ma refection, Ah see—”

“Wait! Are you a vampire?!” Dash shouted, getting to her hooves and standing on the bed, her wings extended. “I’m cool with dating a demon, but a vampire is a no-go! I like my blood right where it is, thank you very much!”

“What? Ah’m no vampire,” Mac remarked, looking up at Rainbow Dash, who looked just about ready to run. “Ah see the Rider in ma reflection. Ah got a reflection ya know.”

“Oh…” Dash’s wings fell flat like a deflated balloon, before she started to lay back down. “I knew that, I was just messing with you. You know, a joke,” Rainbow laughed as she flashed a toothy grin. Mac just shook his head, before giving her a light kiss on the head.

“Sure you were,” Mac laughed, before he rose an eyebrow and a smirk started to form. “Yer not afraid of vampires now, are ya?” Dash’s eyes went wide, before morphing into a glare.

“I’m Rainbow Dash! I’m not afraid of anything! Besides, everypony knows vampires, the blood sucking kind, aren’t real!” Dash gulped a bit as she looked at Mac. “Right?” If anypony knew about what was real and what was not, it was him. He was part demon after all.

Mac just smiled as he laid back down and closed his eyes. “Now where was Ah? Oh, right! That was when Ah saw—”

“Hey! Don’t ignore me, Mac! Tell me if they’re real or not!” Dash shouted, as she slammed her hoof down on his chest, making Mac sit up with a loud ‘Ompf!’

“Now that hurts, Miss Dash! Besides why do ya care? You ain’t afraid of nothin’ right?” Mac just chuckled as Rainbow Dash’s cheeks turned the slightest bit pink.

“I’m not afraid… I’m just looking out for Scoots and Macky. Can’t protect them if I don’t know what's out there.” She huffed, crossing her forelegs. “Now tell me!”

“Fine, fine. There ain’t no such thing as vampires,” Rainbow gave a slight sigh, as she laid back down next to Mac. “In Equestria.”

“What?!” Rainbow Dash got to her hooves once again, and started to hit Mac with her wings, “If that is a joke, it’s not funny!”

“Honest truth,” Mac said, laughing as Rainbow Dash struck him with her wings. “There are vampires, the ‘blood sucking kind,’ they just normally stay outside of Equestrian borders. Not an ideal place fer them to live.” Mac then reached up and wrapped his hooves around Dash’s waist and pulled her towards him. “Besides, you got me ta protect ya. Them vampires ain't that tough. Ah reckon even Caramel could beat one in a straight fight.”

Dash squirmed against Mac’s hold, flapping her wings and pushing against his chest. No matter how hard she tried Mac’s forelegs would not budge, and all her struggles just made the large red pony chuckle.

“You’re not funny,” Dash finally huffed as she placed her head against Mac’s chest.

“Never meant ta be,” Mac said, resting his head on top of hers. Mac gave out a content sigh as he closed his eyes, with every intention of going back to sleep. However, sleep did not seem to want him for he noticed the warmth on his face, the light flooding into the room. Opening one eye, he saw the morning sun shining into the open window from Dash’s entry the night before.

With sleep eluding him, Mac’s mind started to wonder, mostly to what he had told Rainbow about. It had actually been a long time since he’d thought of that dreadful night. Usually he would suppress any memory of it and try to go on living his cursed existence. But opening up to Rainbow Dash made that darkness seem to fade away slightly. He didn’t know if it was because he had finally told somepony about the hell he had gone through so far, or due to the afterglow of his first sexual experience. Either way, he was happy he was with her.

That was when the events of last night flooded into Mac’s mind. He had always been taught that sex was something that only a married couple were allowed to enjoy, and it was the wrong thing to do otherwise. Of course, Mac was the exception of his family, seeing that he was conceived before his own parents were married, but his parents were truly in love.

Mac also knew that not all ponies believed what he did when it came to sex, and knew many ponies simply had sex because it felt good. Though he could not help but wonder why Rainbow Dash slept with him, and so suddenly. Didn’t she hate Wild Blaze, and want to get him convicted of being the Ghost Rider? Why did all those emotions change so quickly leading up to the night before?

“Rainbow… can Ah ask ya somethin’?”

“Nosferatu.”

“What?” Dash shifted slightly in Mac’s grip, pushing her head up to look at Mac.

“Nosferatu. My mom and dad were watching that one night after I was supposed to go to bed, but I watched it from the stairs. It was the first horror movie I ever saw. That is why I don’t like vampires,” Dash groaned as she glared up at Mac. “And if you tell anypony that I will make sure you regret it.” A wide smile spread across Mac’s lips as he shook his head.

“Not that. Ah wanted ta ask ya about… well last night.” Mac’s face seem to grow even redder. He had never felt comfortable about the subject of sex, Celestia knows he couldn't have done a worse job trying to explain it to Applejack when she got old enough.

“What about it?” Dash yawned.

“It’s just that... Ah know ya didn’t like Wild Blaze or Ghost Rider. But when you found out it was me under it all, yer opinion changed, a lot. Ah guess Ah’m askin’... why?” Dash groaned into Mac’s chest, pushing herself up to look at him.

“Oh. That. It’s really a strange story Mac, and a bit embarrassing. I’m not really sure how to even talk about it.” As Dash talked, she looked right into Mac’s eyes and at once Mac noticed a change in them. They almost seemed... softer. “But… you did tell me about the night you died, so I guess it’s only fair. I didn’t realize it at first, but I think it all started around your funeral…”

--

“… Death is not an easy thing to accept. Even under the best of circumstances, death is a terrible thing. Nature has its seasons but death can come to anypony, at anytime, in any place. Truly we know not what a day may bring forth…” Rainbow could barely hear what Princess Luna was saying as she sat there, looking at the two coffins in front of her.

All around her, ponies were sniffeling or outright crying as Luna gave her sermon to the large crowd that had gathered. It seemed like all of Ponyville had come out to say their final goodbyes to Granny Smith and Big Macintosh, along with the entire Apple family.

The funeral had been a closed casket one, due to the fact that Granny’s charred remains and Big Mac’s yoke had been all that was found. Nothing was left of the large stallion, but the unicorns that investigated the scene had found remnants of him and assumed that his body had simply been incinerated, and that the water the firefighters had used washed his ashes away.

Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Braeburn were the closest to the caskets listening to Luna. Apple Bloom’s face was buried in Braeburn’s chest, openly crying and wailing, unable to look at the caskets of her brother and grandmother. Braeburn had his foreleg wrapped around the small filly, keeping her close. He just stared at the caskets, silent tears falling down his cheeks. Applejack sat there, holding a picture of the last family photo they had taken at the end of the last apple bucking season. Her eyes were red and puffy, with dark circles underneath them. They looked ready to burst with tears, but she fought to keep herself together.

Rainbow sat in the front row of the chairs, the V.I.P section, reserved only for close friends and family.

She felt like an imposter sitting there.

Everypony else was openly crying. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, and even Pinkie were in tears. But she didn’t shed a tear. She just sat there, her body feeling numb and cold. She couldn't feel the heat radiating off of Soarin’s body as he kept a wing wrapped around her, trying to comfort her.

She had just achieved her lifetime goal of becoming a Wonderbolt. To fly with the best flyers in all of Equestria, and the first time she could wear her dress uniform was to the funeral of her best friend’s brother. Rainbow almost felt sickened by the fact that she not only had the uniform of her ultimate dream, but a medal already on her chest signifying she was the top of her class. Somehow it didn’t seem fair that she achieved everything she wanted in her life, and one of her best friends had lost everything in hers.

“… We come here today with sorrow in our hearts and questions on our minds as to why these things happen. Can we really know? There are many unexplainable sorrows in life and we must simply leave these in the hooves of fate…”

Rainbow wanted to know. She wanted to know why not just Granny, but Big Mac had to be taken at the same time. There was no doubt that the Apple Family, if not all of Ponyville, had lost two of the most important ponies in their lives. Granny Smith had always welcomed ponies into her home, treating them like family and doing whatever was needed to make sure they were taken care of. Even after some of Rainbow’s biggest fights with Applejack, some that even ended in blows, she still welcomed her to the dinner table. Then there was nothing like one of Granny’s apple pies, too. That mare knew how to bake pies even better than the Cakes did. She was also a master at knitting; any article of clothing one could need she could make. She had even fashioned Rainbow a pair of wing warmers for the winter when she was not out flying.

Then there was Big Mac, Ponyville’s gentle giant. He never missed an opportunity to help his family or anypony that needed it, always fixing things around Ponyville for little to no charge just because it needed to be fixed. He was just so strong, able to take whatever life threw at him and just keep on going. She had seen him pulling impossible weights, working day in and day out without tiring. He seemed almost invincible. Big Mac just wasn’t the pony you worried about.

Now he was gone. In the blink of an eye that seemingly invincible pony was gone.

“…Alas we must say goodbye to Granny Apple Smith and Macintosh Apple. May they rest in eternal peace in the Fields of Elysium, knowing they will be forever loved by their family and friends.” Luna stepped back from the podium she had been talking from. A picture of Mac and Granny set in front of it, surrounded by flowers.

As she stepped back twelve stallions of the Apple family stood up, including Braeburn, and made their ways to the coffins. Six members went to each casket and lifted them off their stands and carried them over to the freshly dug graves where a lowering device had been set up for each. Once they were set, the stallions all bowed before returning to their seats.

As they did, a procession line started to form starting with the back rows. Ponies slowly made their way to the caskets, heads lowered in respect as they approached. When they arrived at the caskets, they laid a flower on top before walking towards the large gazebo that had been set up.

Rainbow watched the ponies as they approached, many still crying as they placed their flowers. Others tried to look strong or brave, but their trembling lips and damp eyes betrayed them.

Cheerilee, Mayor Mare, and Derpy approached the coffins together. Mayor Mare and Derpy were on either side of Cheerilee as she held two flowers. She placed one on Granny’s coffin with ease, but when she turned to Mac’s her eyes began to water with renewed tears.

Her entire body wracked under her sobs, tears flowing freely down her pained face. She leaned on Derpy for support, and the pegasus gently held her with a wing. Mayor Mare placed the flower on Mac’s grave for her. The two slowly moved Cheerilee from the coffin as she continued to cry her heart out.

Soon the line transformed from residents of Ponyville to those who were actual family. Each laid a flower on the ever growing pile as they too made their way to the gazebo, till only those who were in the V.I.P section remained. All the while Luna stood by the coffins watching each pony leave till she was alone with those who were closest to the departed.

“Applejack, if you may,” Luna said, nodding to the now head of the family. Applejack rose from her seat, her legs trembling as she approached the coffins. With her, she carried two bright red apples, both gleaming in the sunlight. She placed each on a pile of flowers, before bowing herself to the ones she loved so much.

As she bowed, Luna’s horn started to glow as the coffins slowly descended into the ground. As the coffins lowered, two stallions Rainbow did not recognized or had seen before now, started to play what could only be described as one of the saddest songs she had ever heard on the bagpipes.

Apple Bloom’s crying became louder and more sorrowful as she pressed herself into Braeburn, unable to watch them disappear. Braeburn tried to hold back his own sorrow, but the tears leaked from his eyes as he watched his cousin lowed into the cold earth. Applejack just squeezed her eyes shut, pulling down the brim of her hat to cover her own eyes as her brother and grandmother descended forever from her sight.

As the caskets reached the bottom of the grave, Luna’s horn glowed brighter, making the lowering devices disappear, and the stallions stopped playing. Then, the dirt that had been removed from the ground slowly started to fill the graves till the ground was even once more. With one last flash of her horn, grass started to grow up from the ground and covered the fresh earth, making the ground look like it was never disturbed.

“We are sorry for your loss,” Luna finally said, as she approached Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Braeburn. “Death is never an easy concept to grasp. My sister and I have seen many deaths, and they are never easy. If you are ever in need of help, know that we are here.” Luna bowed her head to the Apple Family, before turning to the chariot waiting for her.

As Luna left, those who remained look down at the two graves. Applejack stood up again, and moved towards the slate gray tombstones. She bent over and kissed both before turning back to those who were left. “Ah guess we should get down ta supper,” she sighed, moving over to Braeburn and Apple Bloom. She nuzzled the top of her sister’s head before looking up at Braeburn.

The two locked eyes for a second, as if to share in each other grief, before they moved towards the gazebo, keeping Apple Bloom close to them as she sobbed gently. Everypony else started to follow, their heads hung low as they walked away, leaving Soarin and Rainbow alone.

“Rainbow, everypony is heading back to the gazebo for the dinner. You coming?” Rainbow’s head snapped up to see Soarin staring at her. Looking around, she noticed they were the only ponies left.
“Yeah, just... just head over without me. I wanna say a few things…” Rainbow trailed off as she looked at the two graves. Soarin just nodded as he made his way to the gazebo, leaving Rainbow to her thoughts.

Rainbow sat there looking at the headstone of Big Mac. She could not wrap her mind around the idea that he was actually dead, it just seemed so... odd. Taking a few tentative steps forward, Rainbow approached it and read what had been written.

‘Big’ Macintosh Apple
Beloved Son, Grandson, and Brother ‘
Taken too soon, May he rest in Peace

“Hi Big Mac,” Dash croaked out, her voice wavering. “I… I don’t know what to really say.” Dash scuffed the ground before her. “I know you were a great guy and all, and it’s really uncool that you’re… dead,” Rainbow grave a grunt of annoyance as she looked down at the grave.

“It’s really unfair that you and Granny had to die at the same time, especially to Applejack and the rest of your family. You Apples were always such a close family. Kind of makes me jealous. Ever since my dad died, my mom and I... don’t really talk,” Dash sighed at the memory of her loss.

It felt like a cannon shot right through her stomach, leaving a giant hole that tore away at her insides. Over time, the hole seemed mended and she could go on with her life. But the slightest change in the wind, a smell, or just a thought could tear the hole right open again and all the pain would come back in a flood of emotion.

She couldn’t imagine what it had to be like for Applejack and Apple Bloom now that not just their parents were gone, but also the mare that raised them and the brother that was always there to lean on.

“From what I heard, it sounded like Braeburn had the hardest time dealing with it. He went into town to drink and ended up fighting anypony that he could for any reason. Took the sheriff, a few deputies, and some of the town to wrestle him to the ground to keep him from fighting anymore.

“Apple Bloom hasn’t stop crying since it happened. She doesn’t want to hang with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, or really talk to them at all.” Dash turned toward the gazebo, wondering how the young filly was holding up. She wasn’t the greatest when it came to kids—anyone who had seen her with Scootaloo could testify to that—but she knew that filly needed somepony to help her through this time. She just didn’t know who.

“Then there's Applejack. I have no idea how she’s holding up. Kind of makes me a lousy friend, doesn’t it? I don’t know how my best friend is doing during probably the worst time in her life.” Rainbow had tried to talk to Applejack about it, all of the girls had, but she kept everypony at a distance. Running off as soon as they tried to bring up the subject with some urgent matter. And not once had she seen Applejack actually cry.

Shaking her head slightly, Dash broke into a grin, sitting straight up. “But just because we didn’t talk much didn’t mean I didn’t notice a few things about you. Remember when were worked the treadmill together against those Flim Flam dorks? I noticed you slowing down to take a look at my flank. Heh, I can’t blame you though; I do have a great ass. Just nopony would believe me if I said you were looking at my flank. All the mares here thought you could walk on water if you wanted to. I guess I got to know you a bit better than some of them.”

Dash just kept looking at the grave, expecting at any second that there was going to be a sign of some kind to tell her Mac heard her in someway. “Mac, I got to be honest, you were the last one I ever thought kicking the bucket early, or ever, really. The way Applejack would talk about you when she and Twilight got into it about who had the best big brother, you just seemed so damn invincible. You were always working, keeping the farm going, and no matter how hard things got she could always rely on you. It made me kinda wish I had an older brother, and that I knew you better.”

With the thought of Applejack, Rainbow looked over at the gazebo that now held most of Ponyville and the Apple Family. She had no idea how Applejack was holding up or how much longer she could keep that tough front going.

“I promise you Mac, I’ll keep looking out for your little sisters. You can count on me!” Dash placed a hoof over her Wonderbolts graduate badge and smiled. “Wonderbolts’ honor.” Dash then raised her hoof to her head and gave the grave a salute, before making her own way towards the gazebo.
It didn’t take Dash long to get to the gazebo that was taking up most of the Apple’s frontyard. A few stallions from town had set it up earlier that morning as ponies got ready for the funeral. With the barn burning down, there was no where to host all the ponies that had shown up for the funeral.

There was a large table set up with food and drink for everypony, but it didn’t seem like anypony had touched it. Flowers had also been set up around the area, trying to make it seem more bright and colorful on such a sad day. Ponies were mostly huddled in small groups throughout the gazebo, talking quietly to one another barely above a whisper.

At the far end of the gazebo was two large pictures of Mac and Granny Smith. Flowers had been placed under the pictures along with wreaths and some apples here and there. The picture of Mac was of him after what seemed to be last year’s apple season. His face was stoic as ever as he chewed on a piece of wheat, but the corner of his lip was slightly curved in a smile. Next to his was Granny’s, in her rocking chair knitting something for one of her grandfoals. She was smiling like she always did as she sat by the fire.

Sitting in front of all of it was Applejack. Her eyes moving between pictures as she sat there by herself. It was almost as if an invisible barrier had been set up between her and everypony else, for it seemed no pony wanted to go near the pictures till the young Earth Pony moved. Rainbow Dash, intent on keeping her promise to Mac started to make her way to her hurt friend, till a blue stallion approached Applejack instead.

“I am so sorry for your loss,” Soarin said, sitting down in front of Applejack, his head lowered. “I have no idea what you are going through, but as a friend of Rainbow Dash, if you ever need anything just let me know.”

“Thank ya kindly,” Applejack said, turning to him with a wan smile. “This ain’t ma first death. It was just so unexpected.” Applejack sighed as she looked back to the large photos.

“That makes it even worse,” Soarin sighed as he looked up at the pictures as well. “No pony should have to go through so much death so early in life, especially family.” Soarin looked over at Applejack and smiled weakly. “I wish had something better to say, but I’m not all that great with words.”

“No need ta beat yerself up. Ah doubt anypony is good with words during these. Ya know… if Granny was here right now Ah bet she would be standin’ right behind ya, giving me that ‘ya finally gonna get married?’ look she gave me any time a stallion so much as looked at me.” Applejack laughed, rubbing a hoof across her face as a stray tear made it’s way down her cheek. “And Mac would be standin’ right behind me, starin’ ya down like some kind of predator.” Soarin laughed nervously at the comment, looking back to the large picture of the stallion.

“He does look like a big brother who would be protective of his sisters.”

“He looks it, but he wouldn't hurt a fly. He was Ponyville’s gentle giant. He was strong enough to move a house, but them hooves were gentle enough ta hold Bloom when she was afraid of a storm,” Applejack shook her head, as a smile started to appear on her face. Not the one she had been forced to make all day, but a genuine smile.

“He could break a tree in half if he really wanted to, but somehow he always gave his buck the right amount of force ta knock every apple out of a tree. If that ain't enough ta be jealous of, Mac could plow faster and better than a team of stallions and he rarely looked strained doin’ it’. He made it all look so gosh darn easy.”

“He sounds truly amazing,” Soarin said, returning Applejack’s smile. “You really looked up to him, didn’t you?”

“When things got tough, Big Mac was the pony ya always looked to. Him and Granny were always my idols. Mac with his strength and determination ta get about anything done, and Granny for always being so kind and caring towards everypony. Didn’t matter where ya came from or if you had enough bits ta pay fer an apple, she’d take ya in and give you a home cooked meal to lift any pony's spirit. She’s the one who taught me ta bake apple pies after all,”

“Oh?” Soarin laughed as the thought of an apple pie entered his mind. “So she’s the one to blame for teaching you how to bake that amazing pie I had at the gala? I’ve been all over Equestria trying to find a pie equal to it, but no pie has ever come close.”

“Shoot, if ya think my apple pies were good you need to try some of Granny’s! She makes the best pies in the entire family. Ah’m sure if Ah tell her its fer a potential customer she’ll whip one up no—” Applejack stopped talking, her mouth hanging open unable to finish her thought. Soarin watched her in fear as Applejack seemed frozen in time.

“Applejack?”

“Why? Why did they have to leave us like that? Why did they leave me?” Applejack wailed, her forelegs wrapped themselves around Soarin, pulling him into a tight hug as she cried into his shoulder. “It’s not fair! It’s just not!” She cried, keeping Soarin in a bone crushing hug. Everything she had been holding in, the fears, the sorrow, her anger, and guilt all came bursting out like a great flood onto Soarin.

The Wonderbolt recoiled for a second, his eyes wide in shock as the mare wrapped herself around him, looking for some sort of shelter from her emotional hell. He was used to mares throwing themselves at him, but not like this. To his credit, Soarin quickly wrapped his own forelegs and wings around her deepening the embrace.

“Shh… shh… it’s going to be okay. I promise you,” Soarin whispered, as he did his best to cover her face with his wings. He might have not known the first thing about her, but he could tell that she was a mare that had great pride and did not want to show moments of weakness. Slowly, Soarin began to rock her back and forth, as he kept on whispering in her ear. “That’s it, let it all out. I’m here for you,” Applejack sobbed like a frighten filly as Soarin kept rocking her in his arms.

Rainbow Dash took a few steps back as she watched the scene take place. It was a rare sight to see Applejack so vulnerable, and it made her very uncomfortable. She wanted to go comfort her, but Soarin was already there. She didn’t want to crowd Applejack. The last thing she needed was her friends all trying to do the same thing.

Looking around the crowded gazebo, Dash felt the overpowering feeling that she was a stranger. That she herself was not supposed to be there. Looking back to Applejack one more time, and then to the picture of Mac on the wall, Rainbow Dash left the funeral.

--

“Ah knew ma death had ta be hard on em’ but Ah just never thought that bad,” Mac said, his voice cracking as he fought back his own feelings. Being possessed by the Rider, he felt as though he had saved them from some of that tragedy, that somehow they would know that it was better if he had been dead.

Anger boiled up inside of Mac, anger in himself for hurting his family that bad, sadness in the thought of how horrible it must of been for Applejack and Bloom. Though he felt the oddest bit of joy in all of it. Joy in knowing that, despite of all that tragedy and heartache, there was a slight bit of good to come from all of it. That was that his sister found that one pony to make her life complete.

“It was pretty bad. We all knew Applejack was strong, but no pony was that strong. Losing the only real family left so fast and having to raise a little sister on your own while working the farm. We were afraid to leave Applejack alone for too long,” Rainbow Dash physically cringed remember the meeting Twilight had about Applejack, about how leaving her alone for too long could lead to bigger problems.

“Thank Celestia that Soarin was there. He seemed to be at the farm every other day trying to help Applejack out. He brought over meals, took them out to dinner, paying ponies to work the farm. It was getting to the point where it was more normal to see Soarin at Sweet Apple Acres than at Wonderbolt practice. Spitifre looked ready to kill every time he showed up late. She would line him up by himself and pace in front of him shouting the entire time. Asking him what was more important to him, some mare or his job, when would he learn to grow up, and even questioning his masculinity. Soarin would just take it, and as soon as practice was over, he flew right back to the farm.”

“Sounds like he was mighty taken with her. Was it mutual?” Mac asked, that feeling of joy rising in his body. The thought of somepony of Soarin’s status risking everything he was just to spend time with his sister just warmed his heart.

“Pfft! Buck no! Those two were the last ones to figure out they were in love!” Rainbow laughed, much to Mac’s dissatisfaction. “When the papers and magazines started to come out with them on the front page they just didn’t understand it. Pictures of them on picnics, taking late night strolls, eating out at private restaurants just the two of them, they thought it was all gossip.”

“Then how did they end up getting married? They seemed fine with being good friends.” To Mac it seemed kind of obvious there had to be more going on between the two of them, even if he didn’t know the end result, if two ponies spent that much time together doing those things indicated to more in their relationship.

“How else do you get two ponies to realize they love each other? You separate them. The Wonderbolts had a huge show coming up in Canterlot that was going to take a whole month. Something about impressing some foreign dignitary or something that really liked seeing us fly. Naturally being the co-captain of the team, Soarin had to be there for the show.

“For the first few days he was fine. He did everything we were supposed to do in public, smile, sign autographs, take pictures with fans, the works. During the shows he did his stunts perfectly and made sure to show the dignitary why we are the best!” A large smile spread across Dash’s face as she remembered her time as a Wonderbolt. “But… after a week he seemed to change. He always looked tired and depressed. When we walked through crowds, he didn’t smile, or at least not a whole lot; he still posed for the pictures and such but he was not in it. During the performances there were times he just looked lost, like he didn’t want to be there. The crowd never noticed it, but we sure as hell did. The vein on Sptifire’s forehead looked ready to explode each time he came off the field, but it just seemed he had lost his love of flying.

“Then, when the show was a few days from ending, it seemed like he got his energy back. Before each show, he would tell us how many days were left before it was all over. For me, I never wanted it to be over. I was having the time of my life as were a few older members , but he was like a student counting down the days till summer vacation. On the last day, when the show was ending and all that was left to do was bow, he flew out of the stadium! No one knew where he was going, he was just gone. It was not till I got home did I find out what happened from everypony.

“Apparently the month Soarin was gone, Applejack was acting the same way he was. She wasn’t smiling, didn’t put any heart into her work. She just seemed to be going on autopilot, no longer the same pony. That was until one night when she and Bloom were eating supper together when Applejack heard something. Before Apple Bloom could even ask what it was, Applejack was running out the front door and was tackling something to the ground, and then all she could hear was Applejack and some stallion laughing. After all of that they pretty much said ‘I love you’ and, well, you know the rest.”

Mac just nodded, his eyes closed by a smile on his face. That story had made some of the pain of not being their for Applejack for these last five years fade slightly. The knowledge of her having such a stallion, that loved her more than the wings on his back just made his heart melt.

“Wait, how did you not know your sister was dating Soarin, let alone got married to the Co-Captain of the Wonderbolts? Their wedding was all over the papers! They went crazy with the story. ‘Celebrity marries Apple Farmer’ it was bigger than Twilight’s brother’s wedding, and there was an invasion in that!” Rainbow shouted, this time getting on top of Mac and pinning his shoulders to the bed. “There is no way you could be completely oblivious to all that press!”

Mac looked up in surprise at the forceful mare. He had never heard of a mare that was so demanding as Rainbow Dash was, but something about that just made her seem even more amazing. “If ya forgot Ah was kind of bonded to ah demon,” Mac groaned. “They got married around a year after Ah died right?”

“Ya?”

“Well Ah wasn’t exactly in Equestria all that time. Ah tried ta leave the country a few times ta get away from all the pain. When Ah did, the Rider punished me in one way or another. One time when Ah awoke, I was on a piece of driftwood in the middle of the sea. Another time he dropped me on top of a mountain. Ah bet it was during one of them times that they got married,” Mac said, with a hollow chuckle.

“Wow… you two didn’t really get along, did you?” Dash soften her hold on Mac’s shoulders. As her hold loosened, Mac took the opportunity to turn the tables on her. Pushing up, Mac pushed Dash off of him and placed his own hooves on Dash’s shoulder with a goofy grin.

“Not one bit, and we still don’t mostly. We just came to ah understandin’ of sorts,” Mac leaned downed and gave Dash a light kiss on the nose, which she snorted at.

“What the heck does that mean?!” Dash shouted, as Mac just rolled over with a soft thud. “How did you two come to a deal?!”

“Dash, Ah’ve told ya all about me becomin’ a demon and all the pain that went with it. You still haven’t told me why what happened last night happened,” Mac locked eyes with Rainbow, seemingly to be digging for the truth in them. Dash gave a deep huff, crossing her forelegs.

“Do I really have to?”

“Ah told ya about how Granny died, so yes,” Mac replied, raising an eyebrow as Dash just groaned in protest.

“You have no idea how embarrassing this is,” Dash bit her lip as her eyes darted back and forth as if to find a way out of that room. “So… you know how I said I was sorry for not getting to know you better? Well, I decided to get to know you better.”

Mac was taken a bit back by Rainbow Dash’s comment. The idea of a mare as famous and popular as Rainbow Dash took the time to find out more about him, a simple farmer, was a bit flattering to say the least. “Really? How did you?”

“I started to talk to ponies, anypony that knew you. And you know what? They all said you were the best pony you had ever known, that you would drop whatever you were doing to help a pony out, knowing them or not. That you were always more concerned about helping somepony else out than yourself. You were a superhero to the colts and an example of how they should be, and most fillies’ first crush. All of that plus what I knew about how strong you were and such well.. you just seemed like the ideal stallion.” Rainbow finished, her face burning a deep crimson as she talked.

Mac also felt his face grow a bit hotter. It was not often that he heard a mare talk about him in such a way. Sure, he had heard them talk about the more physical aspects of him and mostly stopped there, but it seemed that Dash had taken it a few steps further and actually got to know the real him, even if he was dead.

“I know it sounds kind of creepy to do this after you were dead, but I just couldn't stop thinking about you because I just felt cheated about not getting to know you and how everypony else did. Then once I learned more about you,” Rainbow let out a nervous laugh as she placed a hoof over her eyes as if to shield her embarrassment. “I mean, I went out with a few stallions here and there, even a mare once or twice. But no matter who they were, or what we were doing I just kept comparing them to you. I guess I got a crush on a dead pony, that’s kind of freaky right?” Dash asked.

Mac didn’t respond, as he pulled Dash into a hug, holding her tight against him. “Not at all,” Mac whispered as he held her. “Ah just wish Ah was the pony you thought Ah was, not some demon”

“I don’t think your a demon Mac,” Dash said softly as she returned the embrace. “But you better live up to those expectations, or I am going to kick your flank.” She yawned, slowly closing her eyes ready to take a morning nap.

Mac knew there were going to be issues with this relationship, and how he and Rainbow Dash could continue it with him being dead. But those questions seemed irrelevant now, as he held her tightly in his embrace. She was able to make him feel like a real stallion again, and able to open up. He was ready to suffer hell again, just as long as she was there at the end.

Author's Notes:

First off big thank yous go out to Jake the Army Guy, jszellmer, and Heart of Blades for the edits.

Special shout out goes out to Bad_Seed_72 for being awesome and helping me with the SoarinJack. And as promised the alternative to how Soarin and Applejack got together.

Apple Bloom: JUST F*** ALREADY!!!!

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