Big Macintosh growled out in anger as he slammed a fist down on the desk in his bedroom. He ran a few tensed fingers through his slightly unkempt hair, silently cursing to himself. “dag-nabbit!” He grumbled as he leaned his head down closer to the worksheet he was writing on, as if it would make the assignment easier to understand. He read over the prompt a few more times before sighing once again in frustration and walking out to the hallway, his boots trudging down the staircase as he called out to his sister. “...AJ…”

The middle Apple sibling turned to the sound of her brother’s voice with a tomboyish chuckle, currently cooking dinner for the family, knowing that Mac would most likely be asking her for help with his makeup work for the umpteenth time this evening. “Heheh… C’mon Mac, don’t get all frustrated again, yer almost done!”

“Yeah, with THIS one.” The large farmhand said in a low deadpan. “Ah’ve got three more to do after this one! ‘N another thang: how’n Sam Hill do you know all this stuff so good? Ma, Pa ‘n Granny never taught us how to do nothin’ like this!”

“Ya just gotta spend a little more time studyin’, that’s all! It may seem hard now, but if ya just spend an extra fifteen minutes studyin’ every day, you’ll be all caught up in no time!” She replied with an optimistic grin.

“Ah don’t got time fer no more studyin’, though, AJ! Ah got football, trainin’ with the boys, an’ Ah’m the head farmhand round here! If Ah don’t stay on it, the farm’s gonna go under real quick ‘n in a hurry!” Mac said, rustling his hair again before continuing to rant; Applejack simply stood there watching him, mouth closed and eyes slightly more open than normal, this was the most her brother had talked and the angriest he’d been in a long while. “An’ Mrs. Harshwhinny’s over in mah ear, talkin’ bout college! Do Ah look like Ah’m ready fer college?” He asked his sister, probably rhetorically, standing there, arms open. “Like Ah’m even a little interested in goin’ to one? Ah dunno what she thinks ‘bout me, but Ah ain’t smart ‘nuff fer no colle-”

“Mac.” Applejack interrupted him in a calm voice. “College ain’t for everyone, and Ah’m sure Mrs. Harshwhinny understands that. Maybe she just wants ya to keep yer options open. But right now, all you should be worried about aside from football, training, and the farm, is finishing out this year. Then after one more year, you’ll be graduated, and you can decide for yourself what yer gonna do after.” Her smile faltered a little bit, and she walked over, giving him a supportive pat on the shoulder. “But at least get yer diploma. Alright? It ain’t gonna be that hard for much longer, Ah promise ya.”

Mac gave a long, drawn out sigh before nodding. “Eeyup…”

He sat down next to his sister as she helped him work through the remaining assignments, AJ smiling and watching him write out the last assignment as she thought to herself. ‘God, Mac, I love ya, big bro…’ Together, they worked as the pile got smaller and smaller, and right as dinner was ready, Mac was able to finish the last page off, and all on his own to boot!

“See? Told ya you didn’t need me!” AJ said with a chuckle, before standing up and walking over to the stovetop. “Now, put that stuff in yer room; dinners ready!”

Mac smiled, gave a sigh of relief, stacked all of his papers back in an orderly manner and gave out an overjoyed, “Eeyup.”

-----

Gilda walked down the barely-busy streets of Downtown Canterlot, hands in the pockets of her leather jacket, looking down at the concrete as she was deep in thought. “Hmm… Why would that loser lie to the Principal for me like that?” She thought out loud. “It’s not like he has anything to gain…” She gave a soft chuckle as she jogged her memory of their argument in the high school art classroom. “Heh… some of the shit he said was pretty funny though… dude knows how to roast… ugly fucker”

Lost in thought, she didn’t see the figure approaching her, nor hear the sound of footsteps along the ground. She gave a grunt of surprise as she bumped into a small figure, with a familiar voice. “Oi, fancy meetin’ you here, innit? Sorry about bumpin’ into ya… Diesel dyke.” Pip finished his comment with a teasing comment and chuckle.

Instead of the usually uppity girl getting mad, like he had expected, Gilda chuckled back and firmly nudged him in the ribs. “Ah, ‘s alright, squirt. Surprised ya didn’t keel over and turn to dust though. I give ya props, runt. Heheh…”

“Yeah, well, er… no’as scrawny as I used be, ya know.” He responds casually, clearing his throat a bit in slight embarrassment at the mention of his tiny frame. “...Where you off to in such a hurry? ‘S like you didn’t even know where you were for a secon’... Listen, about yesterday in class… ah… I’m, uh… I’m sorry, yeah?” He managed with an almost pained look on his face, as if apologizing put a bad taste in his mouth. Still though, the girl could tell he was genuine.

She gave a cocky grin and shrugged. “Ah, don’t worry about it. Shit happens, people act in the heat of the moment. And I didn’t get booted from the school, so it’s no sweat off my ass. Anyway, what are you doing here? Don’t you and that Spike kid usually hang out?”

“Ah, yeah, I was actually jus’ headed back to meet’im at my place, we were gonna work out a bit. We’re trainin’ for football.” He explained, leaning onto his back foot in a casual stance, smiling a bit. “I gotta bulk up a bit more, else I’ll turn to dust when a bloke tackles me, like you said.”

“Heh… the way you are now, they may only have to breathe on ya.” Gilda jokes again, before a moment of silence. Awkward silence… She cleared her throat, and as she spoke, a light blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked at him, barely visible. “S-so, uh… I feel bad about you getting detention to save me from getting kicked out… I’ll buy ya sushi sometime, if you want.”

“Eh, ‘s alright, love.” He said with a wave of dismissal. “If you wanna taste fish lips, don’t needa invite me along, heh…”

She rolled her eyes, letting out a boyish giggle. “No, you dweeb, I’m asking you to let me make it up to ya. Besides… I’ve gotta make a few friends anyway if I don’t want people to think that I’m plotting to blow up the school or something.”

“Trust me, lass, you can do be’er than this rough-up for friends, yeah?” Pip replied, sticking a thumb out and pointing it at his chest. “Look, ‘preciate the offer, yeah, but… you’re friends with Rainbow girl already, an… well, like I said…” He began to walk away, spreading his arms open, displaying himself as he said, once again. “Rough-up… I’ll see you in class!” He finished, spinning on his heel as he headed back to his house.

-----

“Bulk? Bulk, it’s Fluttershy!” The pink-haired girl called out as she knocked on Bulk’s door, louder than her usual demeanor as an animal’s health was at stake, obviously one of the few things superseding her normal timidity.

“Fluttershy, hey!” Bulk said as he swung the door open, his voice cracking a bit in nervousness as he say Fluttershy in her cute outfit; sure to anyone else, it was just the same old Fluttershy style: a sweeping skirt that went down to almost her ankles, coupled with a tight-ish sweater and some green flats, matching the earthy tone of the rest of her clothes. Yes, to anyone else it was nothing special, but Bulk’s pulse quickened as he took in her beauty. His face reddened a bit as his voice cracked, but he nonetheless stepped aside and motioned his crush to come inside. “He’s up in my room, just laying on the floor… c-c’mon!” He stuttered a bit as he led her to his room, realizing it would be the first time any female but his mom had been there, and it was a cute girl, at that, and most of all, the girl that he LIKED!

“What’s the poor little guy’s name?” Fluttershy asked with her still concerned but concentrated face, a first aid kit tucked under her arm as she marched up the stairs behind her large friend. Usually, if she knew the animal’s name, it made it easier for her to gain their trust, and made for quicker and easier treatment.

“Tug-Tug.” Bulk replied over his shoulder as they came to the top of the staircase, right in front of Bulk’s room, the door open to display a large bloodhound laying on the floor, panting audibly. “We named him Tug-Tug.”

Fluttershy put on her best clinic smile, gently petting him after letting him give her hand a labored sniff. “Hey, Tug-Tug… I’m Fluttershy, Bulk’s friend. I’m here to help you feel better. Let’s see…” Though she acted fast, moving his head around, rolling him on his side and checking for any signs she could find that would telegraph what was wrong, not once did the dog look the slightest bit bothered or uncomfortable. Bulk was amazed at the ease with which Fluttershy handled the muscular, usually hyper and jumpy ridgeback. “Ahh…~” She said cutely as she opened his meaty maw and looked inside, smiling as she reached into her kit. “Gotcha, you stinker! I think I found the culprit. He inhaled a foxtail. Luckily, its stuck in his throat and hasn’t made it to his lungs yet.”

“Ah, man, that must’ve been from when I walked him by the marsh this morning. I’m sorry buddy, we’ll go a different route next time.” Bulk said, giving his dog an apologetic smile as he pet Tug-Tug’s side, seeing the young hound perk up a bit and his tail thump a few times against the carpeted floor.

Fluttershy trustingly reached her hand with teezers in her clutches several inches into the dog’s mouth, not for a second concerned about being bitten. Tug-Tug whined sharply but never flinched, his tail wagging as Fluttershy retracted the tool with a barbed leaf of sorts stuck between the tweezer’s arms. “There we go! Almost done…” She said in a quiet, soothing voice as she brought over a sterile swab, cleaning a small bit of blood and any remnants of the foreign object out of the wound. ”And… there we go, hehe!~”

Bulk’s lovable pup quickly stood up and barked happily, walking to Fluttershy and giving her face a flurry of thankful licks, making the reserved girl giggle and pet the hound appreciatively. “Hehehe, aw, you’re such a good boy, aren’t you? Yes you are, yes you are! Who’s a good boy?” She asked as she gently cupped Tug-Tug’s saggy face and squishing his jowls playfully, putting her nose to his large, wet sniffer and continuing to talk to him as one would to an infant. “Who’s the best boy in the whole wide world? Is it you, huh? It’s you, yes it is!~”

Bulk beamed and thanked his friend, her seemingly magic touch and surgeon’s accuracy quickly bringing his pet back to his usual self, possibly even more energetic and loving, if such a thing was possible; she really did have a gift for caring for animals. “Wow, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so excited and happy! That was amazing, Fluttershy!”

“I just love taking care of little critters in need. And your beautiful boy here is no exception.” She replied with a small giggle as Tug gave her cheek a few more licks. “Just remember to keep him away from foxtails as much as possible, and try to give him soft foods for a couple of days; his mouth will probably be a little sore for a short while.”

“Got it, thanks!” Bulk replied, his head turning slightly as his mom called in a singsong voice from the kitchen.

“Bulk, honey, why don’t you and your girlfriend come down and have some dinner!” Bulk turned a bright red at this remark and hurriedly tried to stammer out a response.

“M-Mom, she’s not my girlfriend, geez!... uh, w-we’re coming down, just a sec!” He turned back to FLuttershy and nodded his head towards the kitchen. “Heh… wanna stay for dinner?”

It seemed the shy girl in front of him was also quite flustered at his mother’s remark, hiding her lower face behind the wide raised collar of her turtleneck sweater, but nodded nonetheless, accepting the invitation with secret excitement. “S… Sure…~”

-----

Pip gave a grunt as he set down the weights he was lifting, sitting on the bench having finished a set of curls. He gave a slow exhale and adjusted the brace on his wrist.

“I’unno, mate, it was proper awkward. Last time we talked we were ‘urling insults at each other, then I bump inna the lass on my way back’ere, and she’s all buddy-buddy wiff me.”

“Well, maybe she’s starting to get the hots for you, man. Who knows?” Spike replied with a chuckle. Pip laughed as well, but waved off the idea quickly.

“Nah, mate. A lass like ‘er definitely licks carpet. In any case, no’ a rough-up like me.” He replied with a toothy grin. “ Besides which way, if I even got any lass in this town to like me, I’d probably cock it up some’ow, eh? You know me, if I ‘ad a girl, first time I piss’er off I wouldn’t sit back and take a nag, I’d fire back ten times worse ‘an have her leavin’ my place in tears. I’d need a tough lass, that’s for sure. One thing I miss about Trottingham is that everyone had thick sin, couldn’t ever say nuffin’ too mean.”

Spike huffed a bit, listening while he was doing push ups. He took a break, laying in a plank as he spoke. “Yeah, everyone around here is kinda a little bitch. You know I was until we started training with Mac. Speaking of the big fucker, he’s never late to workouts. Wonder where he is.”

Pip was about to reply, when he heard the doorbell ring, standing up from the bench with a grin. “Must be the big bloke now. I’ll go see.”

Spike nodded, going back to doing pushups, hearing Pip’s greeting to Mac upstairs as he invited him in, muffled because of the concrete garage that was between him and the foyer. A few seconds passed before he heard Pip’s quick pattering down the steps to the garage, followed by Mac’s slower, heavier gait. They entered, and Spike saw a happy grin on Mac’s face. The large farmhand walked over and gave Spike a sort of high-five handshake.

“Howdy, Spike. Sorry Ah’m late. Was catchin’ up on homework.” He admitted, though not nearly as frustrated or sheepish about it as he was before his sister had helped him.

“No worries, bro. I like to do mine before I come here and work out, gives me more incentive to work harder cuz I’m stressed and just wanna blow off some steam. Hopefully it works the same for you, too.” Spike said as he went to the hang rack and began doing pull-up and muscle-up reps, working himself up and down the metal frame much quicker than he was able to during his first week of training. Though all three of them had been working hard in these workouts, the change in physique was most obvious with Spike, his once chubby frame now rippling with toned muscles, the boost in protein and testosterone seeming to make him grow faster in height, as well, as he was now around the 6 foot mark. Still tiny in comparison to Big Mac, but impressive nonetheless considering he was once the same height as Pip. His growth spurt had hit him like a freight train, that much was certain.

From there, all three of them continued their usual workout regimen, working diligently and quickly through their sets, though it was not lost on Mac how much easier it was for his smaller friends to keep up with him. He noted that, as they were running on the treadmills, Spike and Pip were now doing full on sprints for minutes at a time, which was a monumental improvement compared to when they’d started out, back when the two would huff and puff after barely a minute of running. Seeing how far they had come brought a smile to his face, and he raised a fist to Spike for a fist bump, which he happily accepted.

The two looked over to Pip sprinting on the treadmill, their eyes widening as the read the distance he had run, noting that he’d been on the treadmill for almost a full hour. “Jesus, Pip, what the hell?! Dude, when passing league starts you’re gonna be burning up those routes!”

“Eeyup.”

Pip exhaled firmly as he stepped off the treadmill, wiping a copious amount of sweat off his face. “That’s the plan, heh. I’m gassed, mate. Let’s hit the tub, yeah?” The three athletes walked out to the backyard of Pip’s luxurious home, stripping down to their compression shorts and sighing almost in unison as they all slid into the hot tub.

“God, I wish Twi and I had one of these at home.” Spike said calmly, closing his eyes as he leaned his back against the wall of the inside of the tub. This made Pip snicker.

“Bad idea, mate. Only time it’d get any use is when you decide you wanna pork ‘er in it. That water would get way too salty.”

“Ah, c’mon, man!” Spike said in a groan followed by a hard chuckle. “I bet you’d watch too, you fuckin’ freak, heh.” The three shared a few jabs back and forth, Mac being all too easy a target along the lines the conversation was going. “Oi, if anybody’s into incest besides you, Spike, don’t you think it’d be Farmer John over there? Ha!”

“Heh. Y’all’re sick.” Mac said with a chuckle, jokingly jabbing Pip in the shoulder. The group continued to joke and laugh with each other for a bit, then the conversation began to bounce around from topic to topic, as per usual. From their favorite music, to what kind of foods they liked to eat, and so on.

Eventually, Pip’s sister walked out, unaware that there were two shirtless dudes in the tub besides her brother until the moment she saw them. “Hey fucker, have you seen my- oh…~” Her jaw went limp as she saw Big Mac, quickly getting quite hot under the collar for the wide-shouldered, barrel-chested farm boy. “Pip, you didn’t tell me one of your workout buddies was a model!~” She walked closer, Pip groaning at her attempt to seduce his friend, putting a ridiculous amount of sway in her hips as she walked over to Mac. “Hi, big boy… can I get you a beer? You look like you could really use some help… winding down after a long… hard… workout…~”

“Leave ‘im alone, you fuckin’ minger.” Pip said with an exaggerated eye-roll. “An’ stop tryin’ to fuck anything with a dick that walks, it’s bloody embarrassing, having such a washed-out tart for a sister, yeah? Bugger off.”

“I wasn’t asking you, arsehole!” She flung back with a nasty face at her brother before turning back to Mac. “What do you say, baby? Come on up to my room with me, it’ll be fun~”

Doing everything in his power to suppress a shudder, Mac slowly sat up a bit, turned to the girl, and with a straight face, in a low, gravelly tone, answered her. “Eeeeeenope.”

Pip’s sister was a bit taken aback by how quickly she was rejected, but trying to keep face as she swayed her hips, walking back inside. “I’ll be up there if you change your mind, country boy~”

The farm hand let out the shudder of distaste he’d been holding in, and Pip gave an amused laugh. “Damn right, mate. Trust me, you don’t wanna touch that slag with a ten foot barge pole.”

“Yeah.” Spike nodded in agreement. “Just from seeing the types of dudes she brings home, you’re lucky you didn’t catch something just by looking at her. Hey, Pip, is that why your teeth are all fucked up? She punched you in the face and gave your mouth gonorrhea? Backyard fence lookin’ fucker.” He finished with a roar of laughter, throwing his head back, and Mac unable to contain himself either.

“Ha, real funny. Chew me, mate.”

Author's Notes:

I know, I know, I'm gone for this long and then come back with a filler chapter. Don't worry, Ringmaster and I already almost done writing the next chapter! (For those of you that haven't seen it yet, on my user page I have a story progress tracker module that I update frequently so I can keep you all in the loop of how close I am to finishing a chapter. Check it out if you're waiting for a new Teachers' Tales or DiE chapter!)

Hope you enjoyed this little update. Stay tuned for more!

Deuces, guys!