Chapter 1: Planning the Wedding without the Bride

Chapter 1: Planning the Wedding without the Bride

Big Mac shifted slightly in his sleep, that internal alarm clock going off in his mind, telling him it was time to get up and get a start on his chores. As his eyes fluttered open, he began to push himself out of bed, but all he could do was raise his head slightly as something held the rest of him back. A thin smile started to spread upon his lips as he craned his neck behind him, seeing what was holding onto him.

A pair of light blue forelegs were wrapped around his stomach, refusing to let him go. As he tried to push himself up again, the grip became tighter, an adorable snout snuffling his fur. “Darlin’, Ah gotta get ta work,” Mac whispered, his deep base voice resonating through him and his guard. He could just barely glance behind him to see a face pressed into his back, hiding the features of their face.

The pony gave a muffled replied that was barely audible as they buried their face deeper into his red coat. It was easy enough to figure out what they said: their grip became even tighter, and a leg wrapped around one of his as an extra measure to keep Mac in bed. The large stallion just chuckled again as he flipped over, facing this captor.

“Got ta, darlin’. S’cider season,” Mac whispered into their ear, causing it to twitch slightly as the pony nuzzled their face into Mac’s chest. As they did, a pair of sleepy magenta eyes poked out, and Mac could feel her lips curve into a smile against his chest.

“No, you’re warm” Rainbow mumbled, tightening her grip around Mac’s stomach. The stallion rolled his eyes as he wrapped his own forelegs around Rainbow Dash and placed his head on top of hers, letting out a slow exhale. But he didn’t close his eyes or drift back into sleep. Instead, his bright green eyes looked around the room, taking in the familiar setting that still warmed his heart.

He had stared at the bleary wall for quite a few minutes the first morning he had awoken to the vibrant mess of colours filling his view, to the little bumps of her bony back teasing into his barrel, and to the adorable, raspy little snores rustling his fetlocks. He had considered gently shaking her from dreamland, but no sooner had he moved a hoof than her own had latched onto it, clamping his foreleg around her lithe chest as she wiggled into his chest and melted any thought of disturbing such perfection any more.

Looking around, it was easy to tell that Rainbow’s taste still dominated the bedroom as posters of the Wonderbolts decorated most of the walls, as well as pictures of her with family, friends, or just looking ‘awesome’ as she would put it. Though he had added his own charm with a poster or two of his country background as well as a few comforts from home, such as the quilt they had placed over them, as well as the now enchanted chest that sat in front of their bed filled with Mac’s personal belongings. All in all, Mac could not think of a more perfect room in all his life, mostly because he shared it with her.

But that didn’t mean he could stay in bed all day, as much as he would have wanted to.

“Come on Dash, Ah’ve got ta get ta work. If Ah’m late again, A.J’ll have mah hide,” Mac whispered softly into her ear, making it twitch again.

“Screw her. I’ll kick her flank…” Rainbow mumbled into Mac’s chest, as she pressed deeper into his chest. Rolling his eyes, Mac knew that there was no way out of her grip... except for one, but he didn’t want to resort to that.

“Ah’m serious, Dash. Ah gotta get goin,” Mac began to push up more, trying to get out of her grip. “Ah’ll make ya some strawberry pancakes wi’ lots of cream.” Mac appealed to her stomach; she’d licked too many plates of his home-cooking clean to be able to do anything against it, surely.

“Nope…” Rainbow said lazily, as she pushed herself against him more. “Too tired to eat.” Mac let out a slight huff at her reaction; he might have to resort to that.

“What if Ah bring home some cider taday? The hard stuff ya like?” Mac tried to sweeten the deal a bit more, anything to avoid what would guarantee his freedom but also an angry fillyfriend. Once again, Rainbow Dash just kept her grip up around Mac, refusing to let go of her source of warmth. She didn’t even reply this time, merely letting out a light rumbling from her throat, like a cat purring. Sighing, Mac started to pull his forelegs back.

“Ah’d tried, Darlin’,” Mac whispered, trailing his hooves against her sides. “But ya left me no choice…” Rainbow opened one of her eyes slightly, looking at her stallion to see what he was up to, but she figured it out all too late. Mac had lowered his hooves down her sides, right up against her ribcage and pressed his hooves ever so lightly against them, tracing little circles around them.

Rainbow’s wings shot out, and she let out a ‘un-cool’ and ‘dorky’ snort of laughter. She then continued into an uncontrollable fit of giggles as Mac started to press against her sides, her one and only true weakness. Mac smiled. He knew the hell coming his way for taking such pleasure in doing this, but Dash was so cute when she was like this.

“Ma… Mac! Yo… you jerk! Get off!” Rainbow Dash wheezed between spurts of laughter, trying to get away from Mac now as he tickled her. Mac followed her, keeping the tips of his hooves rubbing against her as she batted him with her wings and hooves.

“Ah’d told yah, Ah needed ta get goin’,” Mac said, holding back his own laughter as he watched Rainbow nearly fall off the bed. “Now yeah gotta pay the price,” Mac just kept on smiling as tears started to form in the corners of Rainbow’s eyes from laughing so hard. Rainbow squirmed in his hold as she tried to get away, wings cuffing his jaw.

“I… I said get off!” With that Rainbow pulled back one of her hind legs and shot it forward, hitting Mac right in the stomach.

The air was forced out of Mac’s body with an ‘oof’ as he doubled over, holding his gut as Rainbow Dash jumped out of the bed, her mane a tangled mess while her feathers stuck out in in every direction. Giving a light groan, Mac looked up with her as tears started to form in his own eyes. “Ah tickled you, and ya kick me in the gut?” Mac groaned as he rubbed his sore stomach.

“I told you to get off,” Rainbow Dash said, finally catching her breath as she shook herself off, glancing to reassure herself he was fine. “Besides, I was offering to let you spend time with the most amazing pony in Equestria, and you turned it down. Therefore, you got everything you were asking for,” Rainbow added, lifting her nose to the sky in an air of superiority that just made Mac chuckle. Pushing himself out of the bed, and not grimacing at the pain, he moved over to his fillyfriend, who refused to look in his direction.

“Ah’m sorry, darlin’,” Mac said as he leaned over to give her a light peck on the cheek, but before his lips could make contact with her cheek she moved out of the way, letting him kiss air.

“Whatever,” Rainbow Dash said, as she turned the other way, keeping her back to Mac. This just made the stallion’s grin grow as he stepped beside her again.

“How about Ah still bake them pancakes for yeah while yer takin’ yer shower? Would that help ya forgive me?” Mac asked, as he put a foreleg around Rainbow Dash and pulled her close to him. She struggled for a second, gently tugging him across the room as a smirk burgeoned on her lips. After several seconds of silence, Rainbow stopped and leaned her head against his shoulder. Those magenta eyes looked up at him, her nose barely touching his.

“Throw in some of that cider as well, and you might have a deal.” Mac shook his head slightly, before placing a kiss on her nose, earning the light giggle that she reserved only for him.

“Consider it done,” he whispered as he gave another kiss to her forehead. Holding her for a few more moments, Mac finally had to let go of her if he was going to be able to make her breakfast and get to the farm on time. “Take a nice long shower. Ah’ll leave yer breakfast right on the counter,” Mac said, walking out of the bedroom, grabbing his yoke on the way and placing it around his neck. It rested comfortably atop of the enchanted pendent he now wore so he could walk on clouds.

As he walked away, Rainbow Dash admired his flank for a second, smirking to herself. He can cook, he can make cider, and can look that good in the morning! Rainbow, you bagged yourself a keeper. Rainbow thought, praising herself as she made her way into the bathroom to shower. As she did, her mind filled with images of pancakes, cider, and her coltfriend serving it all to her like she was royalty. The mental image made her squeeze her eyes shut to get a vivid image of it all as she pranced in place as her wings fluttered. Who would have ever thought in a thousand years, a stallion could make her, Rainbow Danger Dash, the most awesome, cool, and all around best pony, act like a lovestruck filly.

Once in the bathroom, Rainbow grabbed a raincloud from under the sink and placed a candle inside of it to warm up the water inside for her shower. One of the benefits of a cloud home was that all the water was reusable. Putting the cloud in the shower, and waiting for it to warm up, Rainbow looked around the bathroom, noticing the little changes that had taken place since Mac had moved in. There was nothing drastic, just an extra toothbrush, some soap and shampoo for stallions, a container of aftershave and the tube of toothpaste they shared.

In all honesty, Mac had more toiletries than she did, as all that Rainbow owned was the bottle of body wash she also used on her mane and tail as well as a brush for the same. It was just another reminder that she was no average mare, and that it took a certain kind of stallion to keep her interest. When steam started to fog up her mirror, Rainbow turned to the shower and ducked her head under it with a low sigh of relief, before climbing fully under the stream, letting the hot water relax her body.

--

Coming out of the shower, Rainbow Dash rubbed the towel across her mane furiously before tossing it behind her into the hamper. The towel fell smoothly in, not hitting any of the edges and was nothing but net. “And the crowd goes wild!” Rainbow laughed, pumping her hoof as she did. As the steam of the shower disappeared into the bedroom, the scent of water and soap was replaced by that of warm pancakes and maple syrup. Licking her lips, Rainbow flew to the kitchen in search of her breakfast.

“It better be ready, Mac!” Rainbow laughed, as she buzzed inside of the kitchen, her eyes scanning for the big red stallion. However, upon entering the kitchen there was no trace of the red stallion to be seen, and with his size and coat it was nearly impossible for him to hide anywhere in her cloud home. As her eyes looked around, they stopped their search when they landed on the plate of four high pancakes with strawberries placed all around them, some were whole while others cut in half, with a powdering of sugar on top of it all. Next to the plate was a container of syrup that she could see steam rising out of it, meaning that her stallion had taken the time to warm it up.

“Mac, you know me all too well,” Rainbow said, as she took a seat on a stool and began to pour the syrup all over the pancakes, dissolving some of the sugar and pushing strawberries out of place. The sight was just too tempting to the mare, as she leaned over and took a large bite out of the strawberries on top, coating her muzzle in syrup. Rainbow gave a low moan as her tastebuds spasmed and her cheeks crackled, syrup smearing into her fur. She would have to take another shower before she went to work but it was well worth it for pancakes like this.

Swallowing the bite she had taken, she was ready to reach for another when she saw a post-it note a few inches away from the plate. Taking another bite of her breakfast, she reached for it with her wing and brought it up to her face to read.

Dashie,

Had to get going to work. Didn’t want to give Applejack another reason to chew me out. Come by the farm for supper tonight, got a surprise for you!

Mac

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the use of her stupid nickname. She had told him multiple times that she hated it, that it was so uncool, that it made her want to melt against his side. A light blush came over her blue cheeks as she took a large bite of pancakes, trying to force the thought away. She sometimes hated how Mac could make her feel like Rarity, that hung on a stallions every word while batting their eyes. She would have to get revenge on him somehow for using that name, but it was hard to find a punishment since he did so many of the household chores automatically and without complaint, and to have him sleep on the couch was more punishment for her than him.

Her mind did not stay on revenge for long; there was a pile of pancakes before her that needed to be devoured before she had to go to work. Licking her lips, Rainbow Dash leaned over to take another large bite of the sweet meal, when a burst of frantic knocks echoed through the house. Looking up, Rainbow eyed the hallway out of the kitchen that led to the front door, just as another round of knocking echoed through the house, even more frantic than before.

“Rainbow! I know you're in there! Open the door! I have to talk to you right now!” Rarity’s voice resonated behind the door, as she kept on knocking and ringing the doorbell, refusing to let a moment of silence pass. Rainbow rolled her eyes as she grudgingly got up from her stool and fluttered over to the door.

“Keep your mane on, Rares, I’m coming,” Rainbow growled, as she got to the door. She had not so much as turned the knob when Rarity came bursting in, pushing Rainbow and the door out of her way as she entered, earning a ‘oof’ from the pegasus as the door slammed against her.

“Oh, Rainbow! I am so happy for you! Beyond thrilled! The first one of us to get a stallon over the barrel! Oh, darling, it’s simply marvelous!” Rarity chimed, as she pulled Rainbow from behind the door and wrapped her in a tight hug, chattering happily all the while. Rainbow pushed against Rarity as she spun them both in place, and Rarity giggled helplessly. “I can freely say I am jealous of you, Rainbow! Oh, how excited you must be!” she continued, letting go of Rainbow Dash and nearly galloping towards the kitchen. “Come! We have so much to discuss before you go to work!”

As Rarity let go, Rainbow Dash took in a deep breath of air she had missed from the bone crushing hug. “What are you talking about?!” Rainbow all but shouted. “I mean, who isn’t jealous of me, but for what?” Rarity didn’t respond as she disappeared behind the kitchen wall. Rainbow noticed she was wearing a saddle bag that was nearly bursting at the seams. Grunting in annoyance, Rainbow shot after her, determined to know what Rarity was going on about, and why she interrupted her breakfast.

Rounding the corner into the kitchen, Rainbow felt her mouth go dry as her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. Rarity had already set up shop in her kitchen; it looked like as she had sketches, fabrics, measuring tape, and all the other tools of her trade setup across the kitchen table, and she was already brewing herself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, Rainbow, you have no idea how long I have been waiting for this!” Rarity sighed, as she swayed in place, letting her necklace with a blue jewel swing to and fro: the enchantment to allow her to walk on clouds. “By the time I’m done, you will be the envy of every mare in Ponyville… no… Equestria!” Rarity’s mood was absolutely ecstatic as she went on, and the more she did, the more confused Rainbow became.

“Wait, Rarity... what are you…”

“Now, when are you considering the affair to take place? With your colors, I would think that spring would be perfect. All those beautiful tones would correlate so perfectly, and of course Mac would look good in anything—”

“Rarity hold up—”

“I assume it will be on the farm, which would be just a perfect image! Can you imagine it on a hill, overlooking the orchard? Oh! How fabulous!”

“Rarity! Can yo—”

“I still have your measurements from the gala, obviously, but, since you’ve been living with Mac, I have to assume you picked up a few pounds. So, let's start with that and—” Before Rarity could utter another syllable, Rainbow had reached out and grabbed either side of Rarity’s face and glared at her, their noses not even a inch apart.

“What. Are. You. Talking. About,” Rainbow Dash growled, her teeth clenched together as she glared into Rarity’s blue eyes.

Rarity didn’t seem the least bit phased by Rainbow's actions. In fact, she was still smiling widely, even as Rainbow held her face. “Why, your wedding, darling!” Rarity said this as though she was telling somepony that rain came from clouds, or that she made dresses.

Rainbow’s thoughts ground to a halt at those words, her wings no longer flapping to keep her airborne, and she soon fell to the floor. Rarity was once more not shocked by Rainbow’s reaction at all, as she happily skipped past her and towards the table.

“Oh, how marvelous! The first out of our group of friends to be married! How lucky you are! Not only are you marrying Big Mac, you’re marrying into the Apples! I’m sure cider played a part in this decision,” Rarity joked, as her magic engulfed the measuring tape, clipboard, and pen, before moving back over to the downed Rainbow Dash. “Now tell me all about it! How did he do it? I have always dreamed of how a stallion would ask me to marry him! With Big Mac being a romantic at heart, I have to imagine it was quite the ordeal…”

Rarity’s voice faded into the background, as Rainbow’s mind tried to come to grips with what had been fired at it. Cogs and gears whirred away, drifting endlessly as the noise echoed around them, grinding and splintering whenever they came into contact and threatened to make sense of it all.

Something about her and Mac. Something about him doing something. Rainbow couldn't figure it out; the part of her mind that was supposed to be able to comprehend such things shrugged, asked for a supervisor, and then handed over to the daydream committee. The world around her seemed to have slowed down as her mind raced to show her a unicorn in a huge, poofy dress, ramming her dollies together.

“Now let’s see the earring, Rainbow. How much did Mac spend on it? I bet it is simply fabu—”

“My what?!” Rainbow shouted, her wings fully extending as her mind finally snapped into place. Rarity finched at Rainbow’s voice, raising one hoof up as to protect herself, but she slowly lowered it as her smile returned.

“Your engagement earring, darling!” Rarity laughed as she grabbed hold of Rainbow's chin and started to turn it from side to side, peering for her ears. “Now where is it? I want to see what Mac got you...” Rainbow pushed Rarity away, shaking her head in discomfort, before glaring at the white unicorn.

“There’s no engagement earring, or anything! I don’t know what you're going on about, because the last time I checked, Mac and I are not getting married!”

Rarity took a sudden gasp, her hoof clutching her chest while her eyes went wide.

“You said no?!”

“Are you listening to me? He didn’t pro—”

“Why would you ever say no to him? Oh, the poor dear must be absolutely heartbroken! Do you even understand the repercussions of this! You know how close the Apples are; once they hear of your rejection, they’re going to come here and force you!” Rarity exclaimed, fanning herself with her hoof. “Oh, Rainbow, how could be so heartless! I thought you loved him unless… Unless! Oh, darling, are you stepping out on Mac?! Who is the dreadful pony! I’ll see to that they’ll be hunted down an—” Rainbow shoved her hoof into Rarity’s mouth, her magenta eyes burning holes into Rarity’s blue ones.

“I’’m. Not. Cheating. On Mac! He never proposed! Nothing happened! Where the heck did you hear about Mac proposing to me?!” Rainbow bellowed, as she held her hoof on Rarity’s mouth. The unicorn just looked down at Rainbow’s hoof, before looking up at Rainbow, one eyebrow raised above the other. “Oh… right…” Rainbow muttered, and she withdrew her hoof before scratching the back of her head.

“Darling, you must take better care of your hooves. It felt like sandpaper on my lips,” Rarity muttered as she went over to the kitchen table, pulling out chapstick and running it over her lips. “As for how I heard, well…” Rarity let out a deep sigh before bounding towards Rainbow Dash and gripping her in a bone crushing hug again. “I am so sorry, darling! I didn’t mean to ruin the surprise!”

This time Rainbow was ready, and she jumped out of the way of Rarity as she went to clasp her in another iron grip. The unicorn fell forward, while Rainbow hovered in the air above her. “What the heck are you talking about, Rarity? What surprise? Who told you Mac proposed? What the hell is going on!” Rainbow growled, watching Rarity as she pushed herself up and wiped bits of cloud off her well-maintained coat.

“Are you sure you want to know?” Rarity asked, looking up at Rainbow Dash. “I mean, I feel as though I have already done too much, and I don’t want to get involved in the matter any more than I already have.” Rainbow rolled her eyes.

“I’m sure. Now, tell me who the heck told you Mac proposed.”

“Well, they didn’t exactly tell me he proposed,” Rarity said, a smile spreading across her lips as the coffee maker pinged. “I just implied that he already had, but it seems like he’s still building up the nerve.” Rarity made her way over to the coffee maker and helped herself, pulling a mug from the cabinet that read, ‘Look at all the Bucks I Give’, before drizzling in sugar and cream.

“Stop dancing around it! And stop drinking my coffee!” Rainbow yelled, landing on her stool again, and glared at Rarity, not even looking down at her delectable breakfast.

“Darling, you must allow me to elaborate. As you should know, being so…” Rarity snickered, “close to the Apples, Braeburn is in town for a visit. A little while ago, he came by my shop to get a suit fitted, and while there he might have told me about what a certain red stallion had been up to!” Rarity stirred her coffee as she spoke, watching Rainbow carefully as she did. “And how a few weeks back Mac had been in Appalossa for just a day to visit a jewelry store.” Rarity let those words sink it, watching Rainbow connect the dots on her own.

However, Rainbow just kept on glaring at her, not flinching one bit. Rarity gave a sigh as she rubbed her temples with a free hoof, pouting. “Now, what would Big Mac being doing at a jewelry shop?”

“Duh, getting Granny Smith’s locket fixed,” Rainbow answered, waving her hoof. “Mac told me about that when he left: Granny’s birthday is coming up, so he wanted to get her something special.” Rarity huffed.

“Why did he go all the way out there to get a locket fixed? There are several jewelers here in Ponyville that would be just as good, if not better.”

“I don’t know. I didn’t ask why,” Rainbow said. She leaned over and took a large bite from her pancakes once again. “Besides, he was going to be back that night, so it wasn’t anything to be worried about.” bits of food came flying out of her mouth, causing Rarity to lean back slightly, her lips twitching.

“Obviously, he was getting something else. Something secretive, perhaps?” Rarity suggested, as she took a sip of her coffee. “And when Braeburn asked him about it, Mac didn’t tell him what he was doing and hid the item from him. Now, Braeburn and Mac are just as close as Sweetie, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo, so why would he hide anything from Braeburn?” Rarity leaned over, not wanting to miss that look of realization come over Rainbow’s face as she put the ever so simple dots together.

“Because Braeburn talks just as much as you do, and can’t be bound by promises.” Rarity fought every urge to slam her head into the counter, but couldn’t stop a huff. She couldn't understand how Rainbow Dash could be so dense as to miss the polka-dotted elephant dancing in front of her. As she looked down at her coffee, mulling over the need to hire some skywriters and a loudhailer, Rarity’s eyes fell upon the note left by Mac.

“Rainbow, Mac is doing the textbook method of proposing to a mare! He goes out of town, making up some random excuse why, does not let anyone know about it, and,” Rarity used her magic to engulf the note Mac had left for Rainbow and pushed it in front of her, “he is setting up a romantic dinner for just the two of you, where he’s going to pop the question!”

Rainbow eyed the note, her eyes darting over it quickly, before a ‘pfft’ left her lips. She took another bite of her pancakes.

“Yeah, right. Mac does this all the time! He knows he has the attention of the most awesome mare in all of Equestria, and he wants to keep me!” Rainbow proclaimed, more food falling from her smug grin as she rubbed a hoof against her chest.

“Quite,” Rarity mumbled, looking at the crumbs now scattered across the table. She would never understand how Mac fell for such a mare. It was not like she didn’t like them together; quite the contrary, she loved seeing them together! It was a fairytale romance between the two as they were so different from one another, and the way they acted around each other was just too adorable for words! How Mac would amble along with his ears alert as Rainbow talked them off, beaming that simple smile of his, but the slightly different one that he only had when he was around her. Then there was the way Rainbow acted; there were few ponies alive that have seen Rainbow with her defences down. Sure, as one of her closest friends she had seen Rainbow at her low points or when she was unsure, but when Mac was around that haughty mask fell away, and she allowed herself to be who she truly was, for he made her feel something no other pony could provide.

When they had first started to date, the whole town had wrenched their necks to gawp at them every time they strolled through the square, leaning against each other and oblivious to the many eyes tracking them.. Even Twilight had been stunned by the relationship and had done her own research into the matter. For Rarity, it was bound to happen, for she knew that opposites attract more than anything. Then there was the little fact that their relationship was so much more captivating than any novel or movie she had ever found also piqued her interest. How lovely they were together just made her own heart flutter happily.

“I’m sure he does, Rainbow, but look at this! He made you an amazing breakfast, and I am sure he has already has cider in place for the night,” Rarity pleaded, looking to Rainbow, staring into those vacant eyes. “Then there’s the fact today is the most romantic day of the year: Hearts and Hooves day! Mac is doing this to the letter!”

As Rarity spoke, Rainbow was downing a large glass of apple juice Mac had left for her. Once the words ‘Hearts and Hooves day’ escaped Rarity’s lips, Rainbow’s eyes went wide and she quickly expelled the juice from her mouth in a spray, earning a shrill scream from Rarity.

“Hearts and Hooves day is today! Buck!” Rainbow shouted, slamming her hooves against her head. “Damn it! I bet Mac is planning something super awesome, and I completely forgot! I suck at this romantic crud!” As Rainbow lamented to herself, Rarity searched for anything to wipe her coat, before it stained. “How could I have been so stupid! Buck! I need to go get a gift and fast!” Rainbow’s wings gave a mighty flap and she angled herself to race out her front door, but before she could propel herself, Rarity’s magical aura had enveloped her.

“Rainbow, sit still! This is not the time!” Rarity shouted, pulling a dishrag towards her and drying off her fur. As she did, Rainbow strained against the bindings, determined to get free and find the most amazing gift ever!

“The heck it is! Mac has a special dinner all planned out, and I got zip!”

“You can give him a yes!” Rarity shouted back, pulling Rainbow back down to the floor. “Is it not all perfectly clear now? Mac wants to ask you to marry him on the most romantic of days!”

“He is not going to propose: I know my stallion!” Rainbow’s wings stopped flapping around, and she allowed herself to be held in Rarity’s aura. “He is not that dense or that cliche! We’ve been dating for just over an year now; do you really think he would ask me so soon? And on Hearts and Hooves day? Puh-lease! Mac knows me better than that!” Rarity rolled her eyes as Rainbow crossed her forelegs together and tried to melt her with laser vision.

“For Celestia’s sake, Rainbow, just listen!” Rarity, begged, allowing her spell to fade away. “Normally, I am sure Mac would not do anything so obvious.” Rarity took a few cautious steps towards Rainbow, who looked like she was ready to bolt again. “But think about it. If he is ready to propose, do you think he is thinking about what you would normally want, or something that will have the biggest impact?” Rainbow cocked her head, to which Rarity gave low sigh before placing her hooves on Rainbow's shoulders. “Rainbow, he is probably a nervous mess. He’s getting ready to propose to the most beautiful, wonderful, and talented mare he had ever met: He is bound to do something stupid!” Rainbow tilted her head at Rarity and just stared at the unicorn.

Rarity returned the stare, still watching Rainbow’s reaction, holding out hope that she would realize what everything around her meant and that she was one lucky mare.

“Do you have a crush on me, Rares?” Rarity slammed her hoof against her head.

Why was this so hard for her to understand? Rarity thought, looking up at Rainbow Dash, whose head was still slightly cocked.

“No, Rainbow, I do not. I just know what is going through a stallion’s mind,” Rarity said, slowly and through gritted teeth. “I am certain that Big Mac is going to propose to you, and you need to be ready!” Rarity went back to the kitchen table and started to pull out a binder. “So, let’s go over some ways to say yes. I have always been a personal fan of the tearing up and—”

“Rarity, I’m sure you mean well, but I know my stallion,” Rainbow interrupted, waving her hoof as she did. “And if he was to propose, he wouldn't do it like he fell out of a romance novel,” Rainbow added, spreading her wings. “Now, I’ve got to get to work. Lock the door before you leave!” Before Rarity could do anything else, Rainbow zoomed out of her house and towards the weather office for her day’s work.

Author's Notes:

Thank you to all of my editors and I hope you enjoy the story! While this is not the official sequel to Baby it's Cold Outside, it could be a spiritual one.

Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 2: Everyone but Rainbow Knows

Chapter 2: Everyone but Rainbow Knows

Rainbow soared through the skies above Ponyville towards the weather office, her wings dipping into the clouds and letting little fluff balls break away with her. Doing a few dives and corkscrews, her mind went back to what had made an awesome breakfast go cold. Rarity has been reading way too many romance novels, Rainbow Dash thought, shaking her head. Mac proposing on Heart’s and Hooves day? He might like to be the romantic one, but that would just be silly even for him. Rainbow smiled to herself as she thought of all those times Mac had been the romantic type.

Mac didn’t waste time on getting her flowers, taking her on expensive romantic dinners by candlelight, or things that other mares would want; he knew who he was dealing with. He knew a night of just drinking cider in the barn and listening to her talk about whatever topic she wanted, or getting her a copy of a Daring Do, meant more to her than any dinner or flowers ever could. Sure, he had done some silly things like giving her a Daring Do doll. The very idea that somepony thought a doll would make a good gift for her would have been grounds to call the nice ponies in white coats. She was Rainbow Dash! Even as a filly she didn't have dolls; they were way too lame for her.

But Mac was the exception.

He was the only pony who could give her one. He was the only one who knew who could get past those barriers she held up around others. He was the only one to see the real her.

Rainbow gave a sigh, thinking about how Mac had gotten so close to her. Damnit, Rainbow, he got you good, Rainbow thought, a shadow of a grin forming on her lips.

She didn't have long to dwell upon Mac, as the weather office soon came into sight. The office was, of course, a cloud building, albeit just two stories tall and rather plainly shaped like a house on the ground, with ‘Ponyville Weather Office’ written above the double doors. Performing a lazy loop, Rainbow landed right in front of the doors and entered.

Sitting at the front desk of the weather team’s office was a old pegasus that Rainbow Dash knew all too well. He had a dark gold coat, eyes that were hiding behind a newspaper, and a grey mane that clung to strands of the old black, giving it a salt and pepper look. He didn’t even look up when Rainbow Dash walked in, his eyes scanning across the newspaper. “Cutting it close again, Miss Dash?” the pegasus asked, his voice deep and raspy, never lifting his eyes. Rainbow looked up at the clock on the wall and just grinned at it.

“Please, cutting it close? I’ve got another thirty seconds, at least!” Rainbow laughed, as she made her way over to the desk, grabbing the file on his desk with her name on it. As she did, she noticed that the desk had been decorated in little pink and red hearts, with streamers all around. Within one of the hearts was written: To Gunny, Love Flitter and Cloudchaser.

Tilting her head a bit, she looked up at the pegasus and smiled, even though he was still looking at his paper. “They got you this year, didn’t they?” Rainbow asked, raising an eyebrow. The stallion didn’t give an answer, merely grunting as he flipped a page and kept reading.

Rainbow just laughed to herself; both Flitter and Cloudchaser loved messing with the old stallion, always trying to throw him off his game. Gunny never gave them an inch, however, always remaining calm and in control. That was unless some poor soul screwed up and they got his Rah Rah treatment.

“You know, you should give them a chance this year. Maybe they'll jump your bones and make you less of a grump.” The gold stallion looked over his paper at Rainbow Dash, his grey eyes glaring into her magenta ones, but all it did was make Rainbow’s smile grow.

“Just get your flank to work before I find more work for you,” Gunny growled, before rejoining his article. Rainbow just gave a raspy laugh before walking out.

“Just trying to help you, gramps,” she said, tucking the folder under her wing, and started to walk past him towards the locker rooms. Before she could get more than two steps away, Gunny gave out another grunt, causing Rainbow to look over at him.

Gunny was still looked down at his paper, eyes still scanning left to right. “Glad you are slowing down some. Just let me know if he doesn't treat you right, and I'll take care of it.” Rainbow raised an eyebrow at the comment, tilting her head.

“Uhh… thanks, Gunny?” The old stallion just gave a nod, still reading the page he was on. Rainbow stared at him for a few more seconds, before shaking her head and making her way to the lockers.

“Old coot must be going senile,” Rainbow mumbled to herself as she pushed the door open to the lockers.

Rainbow didn’t keep much in her locker, just a pair of flight goggles, toothbrush and paste for when she was running late, and a towel for the showers. There were limited decorations inside it: an old Wonderbolts poster for inspection, and a picture of her and Mac. The picture was from late last winter, when Mac had managed to catch her under the mistletoe. Mac’s eyes were closed as his lips were pressed up against her cheek; her eyes were flung open and her other cheek bulged with cider as AJ took the picture.

She still couldn’t quite justify to herself having such a picture, as though she couldn't go fifteen seconds without seeing him. That being true, she had seen a picture of her and Mac on Mac’s workbench in the barn: just a simple one of her taking a nap on his back as he worked.

Now, for Mac, it was natural for him to need a picture of her while he worked: It was to remind him of how lucky he was to have a her giving him the time of day. Not her, though. She didn’t miss him at work… most of the time, anyway.

Pushing the less than cool thoughts away, Rainbow reached for the latch of her locker and opened it. The moment it was an inch open, the door sprang forth and nearly took her nose off, while confetti and balloons shot out all around her. As this happened, two light purple pegasi mares with light blue manes jumped out from either side of the lockers, shouting, “Congratulations!”

Rainbow Dash’s eyes went wide as she started to scramble backwards from the sudden attack on her eyes and ears, and her head whipped back and forth between the two mares. As her legs moved backwards, she had forgotten about the bench between lockers and was soon tripping over it, crashing onto her back and causing her to slam the back of her head against the lockers with a loud clang.

Giving out a low growl of pain as she pushed herself up, Rainbow opened one eye and allowed it to dart back and forth between the two advancing mares. Neither seemed that concerned for her wellbeing, as they were too busy jumping around in excitement and chanting happily between each other.

“Dash is getting married! Dash is getting married! Dash is getting married!” Flitter and Cloudchaser sang, before they giggled and squealed with excitement. Dash just kept on growling as she pushed herself up, the back of her head throbbing. Once more, the sisters didn’t seem to notice Dash’s discomfort as they kept on chanting and squealing happily.

Once she got up, her eyes fell upon her now wide-open locker, and she felt as though she was about to throw up. Several balloons had been stuffed inside and were now floating in the air, the ends of them tied to the hooks in her lockers. Small confetti cannons had also been placed inside. The firing strings had been elaborately tied up so that when Dash opened the locker they would go off, immediately bringing Pinkie to mind for having some part in this. Also, in her locker was a sign painted in bright blue and red lettering ‘Rainbow Dash is Getting Married!’, but that wasn’t what raised her hackles, made her blood boil, or turned her vision red.

No.

They had decorated the inside of her locker with pictures of bridal dresses, decorations, and, for reasons that were beyond any sane pony,even pictures of lingerie. Rainbow just cringed at it all, as the throbbing in her head bled away while her anger at the twins grew hotter.

“What the heck do you two think you're doing?!” Rainbow Dash’s raised, and very angered, voice pulled the two out of their chanting to look back at her. Immediately they dove down and hugged Rainbow Dash, crushing her between them.

“We heard that Big Mac proposed, so we just go so excited!” Flitter proclaimed, as she held the struggling Rainbow Dash.

“The first of the Weather Team to get married! That is just so amazing! And to land a total hunk like Big Mac!” Cloudchaser added, causing the pair of them to squeal again, redoubling their grip on Rainbow Dash. Every second they held her, Rainbow felt the need to breath burn her throat, but no matter how much she struggled they wouldn't let go. As she strained, she shook her head back and forth in desperation. On one of these shakes, Flitter let go of Dash and instead grabbed either side of her face.

“Wait… where’s your engagement ring?” she asked, forcefully turning Rainbow’s head from side to side, examining her ears. This caught Cloudchaser’s attention, and she too let go of Rainbow and looked at her ears.

“Are they pierced? If not, that could be why she’s not wearing it yet,”

“No, I can see the holes on her ear… oh no! Dash, you didn’t turn him down, did you?” Without them holding her, Rainbow unleashed an almost primal roar as she pulled her head out of Flitter’s grip. As she backed up from them, she took several deep breaths in, still wondering why every mare she had seen today felt it necessary to choke her.

“I didn’t reject Mac! He didn’t—”

“Wait… is this a pitchfork wedding?” Cloudchaser covered her mouth with a gasp at Flitter’s words.

“Imagine that! Oh, Rainbow, do you really think you could join the Wonderbolts if you have a foal?” Cloudchaser looked to her sister wide eyed. “Should she even still be doing weather? That could be dangerous for a developing foal!”

The two kept exchanging replies, their story surrounding the foal of Mac and Rainbow Dash growing more elaborate and sensational every passing second; how her dream must die so that her foal’s may live! Rainbow wasn’t sure what stoked the fire under her mane more, the idea that her and Mac had stumbled into wedlock, that they thought she was pregnant, or… no, worst of all, they were ignoring her. Stomping her hooves, Rainbow Dash stepped between them, chest puffing out and spreading her impressive wingspan to smack each of them on the head.

“First of all, Mac didn't propose!” Rainbow shouted, her eyes moving between them. “Second, I'm sure as hell am not pregnant! And third, who the hell told you Mac proposed to me?!” Rainbow’s eyes kept moving from sister to sister, glaring at them so intensely one would have sworn she was trying to burn holes into them.

The twins stared back at Rainbow Dash, their mouths cracked open as they tilted their heads slightly in opposite directions. Rainbow just held her frown, keeping her eyes locked on the pair and not letting her guard down, still ready to give a good hook to each of them.

After several long seconds of silence, the two opened their mouths and shouted in unison, “That's no fair!” Rainbow flinched as their eyes glistened, as though tears were threatening to spill out. To say the sudden shift in emotions threw Rainbow was to say that the Everfree is a little wild. Being the master of conversation she was, she responded the only way she knew how.

“Huh?”

“You wouldn't understand, Rainbow, already having your own special somepony,” Cloudchaser exasperated, leaning on her sister for support, “but some of us are still looking for a stallion to claim as their own!”

“And where better to find that stallion than at an Apple wedding?!” Flitter added in, leaning up against Cloudchaser. “Who said only you could have an Apple stud! We would have no problems finding a stallion!”

“And imagine if there were twin Apples, who were just as big and strong as Mac! Who could clean—”

“—Cook—”

“—Broad shouldered—”

“—Good with his hooves—”

“—Romantic—”

“—And of course… I bet the Big in Big Mac is genetic!” The twins broke into a fit of giggles as Rainbow’s face turned red. Ever since she and Mac had moved in together, more than a few mares, and stallions, had asked if Mac lived up to the big in his name all around. While she didn’t reveal anything about her stallion to others, she was happy to know that nothing about him was small.

Before the conversation could go any further, Rainbow was saved by the chime of the intercom turning on.

“Alright, ladies, we don't have all day,” Gunny’s voice echoed, sounding bored as he spoke. “Don’t make me come in there to get you.” The sisters giggled helplessly at Gunny’s threat.

“Don't tempt us with a good time,” Cloudchaser tinkled, as her sister noded with more laughter. As if he heard her, the intercom chimed to life once more.

“And when I say ‘me’, I mean Thunderlane.” The twins shuddered at the thought; both had dated the stallion, and both had dumped him. Rainbow just laughed as their jaws clattered on the tiles, and she made her way out of the lockers. Luckily, she had been paired with Thunderlane, meaning no more talk about fictional proposals.

Author's Notes:

Very short chapter, sorry about that, the next chapter is very funny and one of my favorite things I have ever written! Shout outs again to Arbarano and The Masked Ferret for all of their help! Please comment to let me know how you like the story so far!

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 3: Thunderlane the Maid of Honor

Chapter 3: Thunderlane the Maid of Honor

“So you and Mac are tying the knot? Didn't peg you as the type to ever settle down.” Rainbow groaned for what felt like the thousandth time that day. Thunderlane was flying beneath her, his back to the ground so he could look up at her. He wore a pair of flight goggles like most of the weather ponies did, accompanied by a light blue scarf.

Today was one of those rare days where she was on cloud movement duty: It was the equivalent of doing busy work within the weather duties. Normally these days were quite enjoyable, it was easy work with brain in neutral and plenty of time to chat, and with Thunderlane that chats were normally about the Wonderbolts, hoof ball games, or the recent relationship he’d just failed at. Though, like every other pony, today he wanted to talk about her engagement to Big Mac.

I'm going to strangle Rarity the next time I see her, Rainbow thought, not even sure how Rarity had managed to tell so many ponies about this supposed engagement. Looking down at Thunderlane, she was also a bit surprised he cared about it at all. That was when a thought popped into her mind and a smirk spread upon her lips.

“What, you jealous or something?” Rainbow asked, watching him carefully for a response. She knew at one time the dark grey stallion had had a crush on her, but he’d never acted on it, which was okay in her book since she liked him as a friend. Plus, she’d rather avoid whatever had happened between him and the twins, all she knew about it was that it had been ugly.

Thunderlane gave a hard snort before laughing at the question, still flying with his back to the ground. “Me? Jealous of Mac marrying you? I pity the poor fool! I work with you, Dash, and if we ever got serious, I would be afraid you'd kill me doing some stunt! I’m still surprised that Mac is still alive!” Rainbow's face fell into a glare at his words.

“Gee, thanks, Thunderlane. With a silver tongue like that, I wonder why every mare you date dumps your sorry flank.” Thunderlane chuckled, as he righted himself and rose up to the same altitude as Rainbow.

“Harsh, Rainbow, and here I wanted to be your stallion of honor.” Rainbow’s eyebrows furrowed looking back at Thunderlane, who just smiled at her with a big toothy grin.

“My what?”

“You know, the maid of honor? Or whatever the bride’s equivalent is to the best stallion.” Rainbow watched Thunderlane carefully, looking to see if this was one of his lame jokes.

“You know that's for a mare, right?” Thunderlane let out a snort before doing a corkscrew.

“I'll dye my mane to look like yours, put on a dress and poof! I'm your long lost sister, who’s like your best friend in the whole wide world!” Rainbow just stared at Thunderlane, who was apparently serious about this. As much as she knew she should tell him that she and Mac were not getting married, she was too interested to stop him.

“And why would I choose you over my other friends, who are actually mares?” Thunderlane let out another snort as he landed on some clouds and proceeded to strut around, till he finally faced Rainbow Dash again.

“Rainbow, you’re one the guys, and I mean that in the best way! Your bachelorette party has to reflect that! Do you honestly believe that any of your friends could provide a party worthy of such an awesome pony?!” Rainbow scratched her chin, before smirking back at Thunderlane.

“I am pretty awesome.” Rainbow laughed, rubbing the tip of her hoof against her chest as Thunderlane beamed at her. “But tell me what you think the others would do, and why your party would be so much better.” Rainbow was enjoying this way too much, and she knew that Thunderlane had already put way too much thought and effort into this little project.

“Well, you can take Fluttershy and Twilight out of the equation, straight off. What kind of party would they even throw? Twilight would probably have a flow chart in place of what to do when and then measure out how much you guys were going to drink in beakers! That’s not fun; your party needs to be intense and full of energy! Twilight would suck the life right out of it with a smile! And don’t even get me started on Fluttershy. I bet she wouldn't even entertain the idea of hard drinks, and the games would be charades with old mare snacks. So why even consider her?” Rainbow nodded. As much as she loved Flutters—and she did; last month’s ant migration had two witnesses for a reason—she would throw a horrible bachelorette party. She would sooner gnaw off her own foreleg before going to a Fluttershy party, and Thunderlane was spot on with Twilight.

“So what’s wrong with the others?” Thunderlane’s grin grew wider, looking like a cat who had the mouse’s tail under its paw and was now toying with it.

“With Rarity, I think you would be mortified, not entertained. She would want to do it all fancy-like, or else scandalous, as she would put it. There’s no doubt in my mind she would get some strippers for you, and, if I know you as well as I think I do, the minute one of them tried to give you a lap dance would be the minute you broke them in two.” Rainbow couldn't help but chuckle at the comment. It was true that she didn’t like ponies getting too much in her personal space, especially if she didn’t know them, or they were a stallion other than Mac. “And while I have every confidence Applejack could throw a fun party, I also doubt she would want to do anything that could hurt her brother’s feelings, meaning that you would have no fun while everypony else did.”

That one Rainbow really had to agree with. She could still remember the talk Applejack and Granny Smith had given her when she and Mac started to date about how they would clip her wings if she ever hurt the stallion. Rainbow let out a visible shudder, which only made Thunderlane’s smile grow more assured.

“You see? I am the only logical choice for your party!” Thunderlane proclaimed, sticking out his chest and sucking in his gut to give the appearance of true confidence. Rainbow just eyed him, raising a brow as she did.

“And Pinkie Pie? She is the best party planner in all of Ponyville. Probably Equestria,” Thunderlane’s true confidence didn’t falter.

“Dash, you seriously trust Pinkie Pie with your party? I think you want to arrive alive for your own wedding, right?”

Rainbow just smiled again. Fun as Pinkie Pie’s parties were, the idea that she might take the party too far was never out of sight. Copious amounts of sugar and alcohol didn’t mix well.

“So what exactly would you do?” Rainbow asked, now fully curious at what the stallion had in mind for her bachelorette party. Thunderlane just beamed at her, his wings ruffling with excitement at the question.

“First off, we are going to make sure we do this way before the wedding, just on the off chance something happens and we need time to heal some minor wounds and I need to hide from Big Mac. But we are going out to the Lake of the Ozarks baby! Nothing like a long weekend at partycove for your last few nights as a free mare!” Thunderlane was moving his hooves back and forth, unable to contain the excitement he felt. “We will rent a house out there for the weekend as well as a boat, buy plenty of alcohol and go out on the water one day. We would need a big boat, one that could fit like thirty ponies on it at least! Then get out there nice and early and let other boats tie up to us! Lots of drinking, loud music, and have a weekend of debauchery!” Thunderlane exclaimed, throwing his forelegs into the air to drive his point home.

Rainbow sat there, her mind flashing with possible images of what could happen during that weekend. She doubted any of her friends would remain sober for long, and the amount of trouble they could get into was more than enough reason to go along with it. Looking over at Thunderlane, his chest heaving up and down as he panted for breath, she smiled at him.

“Alright, Thunderlane, you’ve got the job.” The second she spoke those words, Thunderlane started to jump around, whooping and hollering and bouncing around the cloud like a foal on Hearth’s Warming Morning. “If I was getting married.”

Thunderlane came to an abrupt halt, turning towards Rainbow, his jaw slack.

“Say what now?”

“Mac didn’t propose. Rarity jumped to conclusions, and she’s been telling everypony that would listen that he did. We’re still dating.”

Rainbow had thought Flitter and Cloudchaser’s reaction to the truth had been pathetic, seeing as they were only interested in grabbing some Apple stallions for themselves. Compared to Thunderlane, they took the news quite well. Thunderlane looked like a deflating balloon; his wings fell limply to either side of him, before he hunched over, his mouth hanging open in pure disbelief.

“Bu… bu… but… Damn it! Now Rumble can’t ask Apple Bloom to be his date for the wedding!” Thunderlane groaned as he fell forward onto the cloud’s surface, sending up puffy pieces as he did so.

“What,” Rainbow Dash grunted, looking at Thunderlane as he tossed about on the cloud, groaning as he did so.

“I had it all worked out! Rumble has a huge crush on Apple Bloom, and I told him this was the perfect chance for him to ask her out. Now what's he gonna do?” Thunderlane huffed as he got up and rubbed his temples. “I’m his big brother! It is my duty to teach him the ways of picking up mares!”

Rainbow Dash gave out a loud snort of laughter, pulling him out of his thoughts momentarily.

“Thunderlane, if you want Rumble to have any luck with mares, then I have the perfect advice.” Thunderlane cocked his head slightly, looking up at her.

“What’s that?”

Rainbow lowered down to Thunderlane’s eye level and smiled. “Don’t. You suck at dating.”

The rest of Rainbow’s shift was uneventful, besides the moaning and grumbling of Thunderlane’s hurt ego, which allowed Rainbow Dash time to think. Since Rarity had visited her this morning, everypony she had come across swore that she and Mac were getting married. Even Gunny had believed it! She wasn’t sure how Rarity had gotten to so many ponies in such a short time, but Rainbow knew she was going to get her back for this!

Rainbow Dash wasn’t exactly a private pony, she liked attention and for ponies to think how cool and awesome she was, but when it came to her more personal life, as far as romance was concerned, she liked to keep that part private. There was nothing cool about ponies knowing she had a crush, or that she was seeking a stallion’s company, or what she did on dates. That wasn't something cool ponies dealt with; that was for ponies who had a crush on her and wanted her attention!

When she and Mac had first started dating, she had allowed her friends to know and a few others; just enough to make sure that all of Ponyville knew Mac belonged to her, and that any mare that tried to come between them would have hell to answer to. But that was as far as she allowed ponies to know about her situation with Mac. Everything else was kept private, only between them. Public dates were not her idea of a good time: to have ponies talking behind their back, to be fuel for gossip around town.

Luckily, this matched up with Mac’s work schedule, and he didn’t seem to mind their dates being walks through the orchard, watching her perform stunts, or hearing her talk about her day. He would always listen to her—truly listen to her, not just pretending to listen, but genuinely listening. Mac wanted to know all he could about her, and she was not shy in the least to tell him all the awesome parts about her, all the amazing adventures she’d had, and all of the fun things she’d done.

Then one evening, about the time she had started to lean against him while they trotted through the orchard, she’d run out of all the good stuff. And she had kept talking. And he had kept on walking with her, rumbling comfortingly when she stumbled, pressing his lips to her crown when her voice failed, and she had just stood, nose buried in his shoulder. He had gotten through all of her barriers, leaving nothing a secret between them. Even knowing the terrible things she had done and her biggest regrets, his feelings for her never changed; they only grew deeper.

And Rarity just had to stick her and everypony else’s precious little noses into it, didn’t she?

The next time I see Rarity, I’m going to mess up her mane and tail so bad that she won’t go outside for a week! Rainbow bucked a cumulus with a bit more force than was necessary, causing it to fade from existence. It might not have been the best of threats one could come up with but, knowing Rarity like she did, this was by far the worst thing she could do to her.

Maybe I’ll tell Thunderlane that Rarity has a crush on him. That would drive her up a tree! Rainbow chuckled at the idea of having Thunderlane following Rarity around like a lovestruck puppy. But she couldn't do that to Spike, though; poor dragon would get jealous and heartbroken thinking that the gem of his eye could be taken by another.

She was already set on paying Rarity a little visit when she got off work, before heading over to the farm to tell Mac about her day, sure that he had probably run into the same problems as her. Knowing Mac, he hadn’t said much more than ‘Eenope’ or ‘Eeyup’ to answer the questions ponies asked him.

As she kicked another cloud out of existence, Rainbow looked around the skies for any other stray clouds to clear away, but the skies were clear blue as far as the eye could see, except for the grey dot of Thunderlane. Smiling, Rainbow darted towards Thunderlane, doing a barrel roll as she did just to get the rush of air around her.

“Alright, looks like we are all done here!” she said with a happy chirp, putting a foreleg around Thunderlane and flying with him. “I gotta go see a pony about some rumors, so I’m taking off!” Thunderlane whipped around to look at Rainbow Dash, his golden eyes wide as she just smiled brightly at him.

“But... wait! What about the paperwork for today? I know we got the easy shift, but we still have to document everything!”

“I’m sure you can handle it, Thunderlane. You’re a smart guy! Just check mark some stuff, talk about kicking some clouds, and boom! All done!” Rainbow was already letting go of him, ready to dive into the town below. Thunderlane stayed aloft by sheer force of his jittering at the prospect of doing both of their paperwork, a task that took a huge chunk of time and stretched one’s mental limits to their breaking point and then kept on going.

“But… but…”

“Look, Thunderlane, I’ve got to go stop this ‘Big Mac and me getting married’ thing soon, otherwise Mac and I will be getting married just because everypony thinks we are! You’ve already got the position of hosting my bachelorette party when I do, and if you cover this for me, I’ll get you a date tonight!”

Thunderlane had almost lapped the town when she had told him that he was going to be the one in charge of Rainbow’s party, but those very last words made him practically light up the sky.

“A… a date!” Thunderlane’s face broke into a large toothy smile as Rainbow Dash started to fly away.

“That’s right! So, you cover me for paperwork,” Rainbow crossed her heart as she flew away. “And I will get you one!”

Rainbow had no idea who she was going to ask to be Thunderlane’s date for the night, but that wasn’t important right now. Besides, she was sure she could get somepony. With the right bribe.

Author's Notes:

Thanks goes out to The Masked Ferret , Docontra, and Arbarano for all the edits! This story would not be as great without you guys!

Please leave a comment of how you like the story thus far, and see you all again next week with another chapter! Also, Gunny is the stallion in the previous chapter...

Chapter 4: Love and War

Chapter 4: Love and War

Diving down from the skies above, Rainbow Dash zoomed through the streets of Ponyville, aiming right for Carousel Boutique to find Rarity. As she flew, blurs of pinks and reds passed by as couples lined the street with their special someponies. Like those below, she would rather be spending the day with Mac, but she needed to take care of some business first with her unicorn friend. Sure, she wouldn't normally want to go into town on a date, but seeing that it was the holiday and everypony had seemed curious about their status, she would not mind showing off her stallion. For once.

However, before she could get within sight of Rarity’s shop, a sudden weight came crashing down on her back and a loud voice deafened her for a moment.

“Dashie! I found you!” came the voice of the only earth pony Rainbow Dash had ever met that could possibly fly, Pinkie Pie. The weight of the pink mare drove Rainbow Dash towards the ground, causing instinct to take over as she shut her eyes tight and prepared for impact. She was no stranger to crash landings, but that didn’t mean she liked to watch it coming, and she held her forelegs in front of her, shielding herself from the upcoming blow.

But there was none.

She landed on something elastic that absorbed the shock of impact as the smell of rubber filled her nostrils; before she just bounced up again. Her eyes flew open instantly; instead of falling upon the hard ground of Ponyville, she was in one of those inflatable bouncy castles. Pinkie Pie was next to her, giggling madly as she bounded around the space, her blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Pinkie!? What the heck was that for?” Rainbow spat, trying to get her hooves under her, to crawl towards the exit of the castle, but Pinkie’s constant movement made it feel as though her hooves were trapped in jello.

“Matilda and Missus Cake wanted me to get you, silly!” Pinkie Pie said, as though it explained everything. Rainbow just cocked her head. She managed to roll outside of the castle and onto the ground of Ponyville with a grunt.

“What? What do they need me for?” As if to answer her question, two sets of forelegs latched onto Rainbow Dash and enclosed her.

“Oh, Rainbow, how exciting!” came the voice of Matilda, her voice practically fizzing as she started to pull Rainbow Dash away from the castle with the help of Cupcake.

“Indeed, Rainbow Dash! Oh, I wish we knew sooner; we have so much to tell you and so little time!” Cupcake added, as she looked over her shoulder at Pinkie Pie. “Alright Pinkie, you’re free to go! Mister Cake is looking after the shop and the twins till I get back, so enjoy your day!” she called out, right as Pinkie was doing a flip straight out of the bouncy castle.

“Goodie! Now to get this over to Caramel’s! I wanted to try out the Inverted Hot Fudge Sundae with him! Now, all I need is chocolate sauce, sprinkles, vanilla ice creams, bananas and chili peppers!” With that, Pinkie Pie was pushing the inflatable bouncy castle down the street towards Caramel's home, shoving any poor ponies that got in her way like a snow plow.

As she disappeared, Cupcake simply shook her head as she and Matilda pulled a struggling Rainbow Dash into Matilda's home. “That poor stallion, I wonder how he keeps up with her?” she asked, mostly to herself as she shut the door behind her.

“Once a mare has a stallion tied around her hoof it's hard to break free, especially if that stallion likes to be tied around it… or down.” Matilda laughed, causing Cupcake’s cheeks to redden as she giggled at the suggestion. A visible cringe went through Rainbow Dash as she pictured what Pinkie might do with that castle and what would become of Caramel.

Ponies had a hard time wrapping their heads around the idea that Rainbow Dash would like a pony that wasn’t a pegasus, or that the pony she had chosen was a warm, shaggy glacier. Yet, somehow, no pony seemed to have batted an eye at the couple that was Pinkie Pie and Caramel, whose things in common seemed to end with ‘breathing’. Caramel seemed happier following her around, coming out of that shell that he hid behind because of her. One thing that Mac had said about it all was that Caramel smiled a lot more now, and it was all thanks to Pinkie Pie.

Rainbow didn’t have time to reflect on Pinkie and Caramel for much longer, as she was pushed onto a living room sofa by Cupcake, and a cup of tea was shoved into her hooves by Matilda. Cupcake and Matilda then took seats across from Rainbow Dash, flowery china in hoof, and were smiling widely at her. Before Rainbow was a small coffee table with snacks set up, frilly plates of small sweets like mini cupcakes, wafer cookies, and fruit. Everything was set up like a morning gossip meeting between older mares, absolutely gagging to get the latest stories from around town, the latest rumors to spread. It was something Rainbow would never want to be part of.

“Alright Rainbow, we want to know everything!” Cupcake said, taking a noisy sip of her tea.

“Yes! We need every detail! Oh, how lucky you are!” Matilda added, as she took one of the small cupcakes for herself and took a dainty bite from it.

“Start from the beginning. What was—”

“Mac didn’t propose to me!” Rainbow snapped, slamming her cup of tea on the table, causing the liquid inside to slosh over and stain several doilies. “Mac and I are not engaged! I didn’t turn him down! He is not stepping out on me! We are not getting married!” Rainbow felt a cyclone of questions rumble through her head. How dare these ponies shove their noses in like this? Why on earth did they think she was getting married, or even that she was considering it? Who were they to presume that about her, and about her stallion? Could Mac even do something that uncool? Why was she so angry about this? Would it even be a bad thing?

Wait...

Rainbow pushed that question to the very back of her mind; she didn’t even want to know where it came from. She was perfectly happy with her relationship right now, and she didn’t need some hunk of metal through her ear to prove that she loved Mac. That was for insecure fillies, not a strong mare like her!

Right?

“Oh, we know, dear,” Matilda said, not even flinching when Rainbow slammed her cup down. Instead she simply leaned over and grabbed the teapot, filling the cup again. Rainbow raised an eyebrow at her, cocking her head slightly as she did.

“You do?”

“Oh yes!” Cupcake laughed, as she took a wafer from the table. “If Mac had proposed, then I am sure you would have told all your friends about it before even saying yes to Mac.” Cupcake took a large bite of the treat before washing it down with some tea. “This is why we wanted to talk to you.” Matilda nodded in agreement, sipping from her cup and then setting it down on her saucer.

“About what?” Rainbow asked, her brain feeling like cotton wool. If they didn’t want to talk about how Mac had proposed to her, even if he hadn’t, what could they possibly want to talk to her about?

“Why, on how to accept his proposal!” Cupcake said, her voice high and full of cheer that was followed by a bout of giggling like a school filly. “Rainbow, this is going to be one of the most challenging moments in Mac’s life! You must accept him properly, or else he could have doubts later on.” Cupcake waved a hoof as though what she was talking about was common knowledge, or else something to be passed on by those in the know.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side even more now. She looked to Matilda, as though the donkey would clue her in on what was going on. Matilda just nodded, but was not directed at Rainbow, more a little over hear head. Craning her neck, Rainbow looked above her to see the picture of Matilda and Cranky on their wedding day. The pair of them were smiling at the camera after the kiss, and even though it was a happy occasion Rainbow found Cranky’s smile to be off putting. Something about that donkey smiling didn’t seem natural, like he was fighting against where a frown was always meant to be. It was disturbing to see him smile, even on his own wedding day.

For just the briefest of moments Rainbow saw herself there, draped in acres of white dress while Mac stood next to her in a suit, smiling that easy smile that he reserved only for her. Everypony's attention on them as they stood before one another, waiting to say those two simple words that would bind them together for all time. That single moment where their lives would be forever intertwined, and everypony would know that they belonged to one another.

Rainbow’s eyes shrank, and she quickly shook her head, trying to get the thoughts to clear. This was not the kind of thing she thought about; it was not what she was about! Her mind should be concentrating on only important things like flying, Wonderbolts, cider, and what she and Mac might do that day! Thinking about weddings and that sort of crud was for other mares— no, fillies! She was too cool for any of that!

“Don’t think we didn’t notice that, Dashie,” Cupcake’s voice broke Rainbow’s train of thought, and she turned to glare at the blue mare. Cupcake didn’t seem the least bit phased by Rainbow’s attempt at heat vision, but instead sat there smiling at her, as though she could see past Rainbow’s eye and right into her mind and what she had just imagined. Rainbow’s face turned red as she looked away, puffing out her cheeks.

“See what? I have places to be, you know!” Rainbow huffed out, folding her hooves over her chest, and continued to look away. Cupcake and Matilda shared a look, before breaking into a fit of schoolfilly-like giggles. This just caused Rainbow’s face to grow a shade darker in embarrassment and anger. “What?!”

“Oh, nothing, dear,” Matilda said, hiding her mouth behind her hoof as she continued to titter. “It’s just that you look so cute!” With that, the pair of them broke into another storm of chortles, causing Rainbow’s face to turn a shade of red that matched her favorite pillow.

“Whatever! You two do whatever it is you do, because I’m gone!” Rainbow started to get up, wings at the ready, but before she could Cupcake was already out of her seat and placing a hoof in front of her.

“Calm down, Rainbow. We were just having a little fun,” Cupcake said, her voice soft and caring. “We want to make sure that Mac’s proposal is a magical moment for the two of you,” Cupcake assured her, pushing Rainbow back onto the sofa and offering a slice of lemon cake.

Rainbow looked down at the tasty treat, already licking her lips before she even realized it. She had loved lemon cake ever since Mac had made it for her so long ago. He was just amazing at seemingly everything: cooking, baking, cleaning, and just being him. There were so many ways they were different from one another, even if you didn’t include the most radical of it all, that she was a pegasus and he was an earth pony. They were like water and oil, and yet they mixed so perfectly.

As Rainbow looked down at the cake, she didn’t notice the look that went between the mare and the jenny as they observed her. After several long seconds of silence, Matilda was the first to break it. “Now then, if what we have heard is correct, Mac is setting up a special dinner tonight.”

That really knocked Rainbow out of her thoughts and sent her looking up at the two wives in the room, her jaw not knowing whether to clench or flop open. “How did you two know about that?! Mac wrote me a note about that this morning! There is no way anypony could…” The dots in Rainbow’s head connected, as she remembered a certain white unicorn reading that particular note that morning. Rainbow started to grind her teeth at the thought of Rarity blabbing about her personal life with anypony that would listen. “Rarity…” Rainbow growled, her wings already itching to take her to Carousel Boutique. She needed to teach her a lesson about butting into other people’s business!

“Regardless,” Cupcake said, looking to Matilda, both sharing an uneasy expression at Rainbow’s face. “Mac is going for a very private proposal, so it could mean that he’s nervous about what your reply might be. He doesn’t want to make it all public, with the chance of rejection.”

“Or,” Matilda intervened, casting a glance at Cupcake, “he feels assured that you are going to say yes, and he wants to make it as romantic as possible between the two of you. He wants to keep your privacy intact and allow you to share all the emotions you want without fear!” Matilda sighed dreamily at that, her cheeks taking on a light shade of pink.

“That could also be the case, but if he is nervous about it he might be shaking a lot and stuttering. He could go off on random avenues of conversation, so as to avoid asking the question.” Cupcake gave a sigh of her own as she placed her hoof upon the earring Carrot had given to her for his proposal. Matilda rolled her eyes, before looking back to Rainbow with a wide smile.

“Yes, that is the case for some proposals, but we all know that Mac will be fine. I am sure he won’t miss a step, and after some casual talk he might move on to the future and what it might hold for the two of you.” Matilda ran a hoof over her own earring as she remembered a suave Cranky proposing to her in front of the entire town.

Cupcake glared in Matilda’s direction for a fraction of a second before turning to Rainbow once more. “Maybe, but I’m sure that under his country exterior Mac is a big softy, who could be quite unsure about his feelings. So what you should plan to do is coax him into it, but not too much; you must let him feel like he willed himself to do it. It keeps their pride intact.” Matilda let out a laugh at the comment, making Cupcake whip her head around to stare at the married jenny.

Matilda had her hoof touching her lips, as if she had tried to keep it in, but the gleam in her eye betrayed her. “Oh I’m sure that Mac will have no problems like that,” she said soothingly. “Afterall, he is a farm pony, and, unlike some males, they are quite sure of themselves and of who they love.” Cupcake just glared at the oblivious donkey, a fire growing within her eyes. Her expression morphed to one of ease as she took a sip of tea, but the blaze was still there.

“Why, Matilda, it sounds to me if you are suggesting that my Carrot is not up to par with other males.” Matilda simply shrugged, taking a sip of her own tea, her own eyes closed, a smile tugging the corners of her lips.

“I think it’s just evident. If he couldn't propose without your help…” Matilda said, her voice taking on an icy edge to it. Cupcake continued to sip from her tea, not looking in Matilda’s direction as she began to speak again.

“I guess that’s because Carrot is more in tune with his feelings than others,” Cupcake said smoothly, turning to Matilda with a wide grin, which was more than obviously forced. “I must say, Matilda, I'm so envious of how dedicated Cranky was on tracking you down, spending his entire life looking for you. Carrot and I have been together for so long, I almost forget how young we were when we first met.” Matilda kept on smiling, her eyes closed as she sipped from her tea again.

“Why, thank you, Cupcake dearie. I must admit, I'm sometimes envious of you, too, and your two little ones, but they seem like such a hooful. I can understand why you've had to let some things go.” Cupcake was reaching for another sweet treat when Matilda spoke; she slowly withdrew her hoof without taking anything. Lines began to form in her face, as she started to grind her teeth slightly, tea cup rattling in her hold.

“At least my Carrot is gainfully employed,” Cupcake hissed, turning to glare at Matilda. The anger she had been trying to hold back now poured from her, filling the room with even greater tension.

"That's right! He is, isn't he? What's it like having to be his boss? He doesn't seem very good at taking directions. Always so flustered. I'm glad my Cranky is more relaxed than that," Matilda growled, her ear twitching as she glared back.

"At least Carrot doesn't have to wear a wig!" Cupcake screeched, getting to her hooves, letting the tea fall from her grasp.

"How dare you! It makes him feel more comfortable!" Matilda shrieked, dropping her cup, not noticing it thump on the carpeted floor and spill its contents everywhere. The two marched up to one another, their eyes sparkling as they each set to defend their husband and belittle the other’s. The pair of them had seemed to have lost sight of the original intention of the meeting, or the fact that a certain pegasus was still there and had watched the entire ordeal.

Rainbow Dash swallowed a lump in her throat, as she slowly got off the sofa and tried to avoid their attention. To the best of her ability; for all she knew, they could round on her at a muffled hoofstep and try to pull her into their growing war. That was something she had no intention of becoming the collateral of.

Slipping out the front hallway, Rainbow could hear Cupcake’s and Matilda’s voices growing louder with every passing second, the insults moving swiftly through rudeness and into obscenity. Rainbow had been in her fair share of fights and arguments, but she would rather be taking on the Changeling army head-on again than face those two when they were angered. Not even when she and Applejack got into it did they ever sound that mean. She hoped. She couldn't suppress the shudder than ran through her at the idea that she and Applejack could ever be that mean to one another.

Pushing open the door, Rainbow had never been so happy to see the overzealous decorations of Hearts and Hooves Day. Hearts filling every window, streamers going from building to building, the sheer explosion of pinks and reds, all of it was more than a welcome relief from the two arguing inside.

Author's Notes:

Sorry about not updating on Mondays like I normally do. Lots of things were going on this week, and next to expect some late chapters. I do hope you enjoy this, and though I feel like I might some hate for this... that's life.

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: The Possible In-Laws

Chapter 5: The Possible In-Laws

Taking in a deep breath of freedom, Rainbow turned her attention in the direction of Rarity’s shop. She felt the anger rise up in her again as she remembered whose fault this all was. Oh, you have it coming, Rarity, Rainbow thought, tilting her head to the side and letting a series of cracks come from her neck. There is nowhere you can hide where I can’t find you, and running will be useless! Rainbow grinned at the idea of a frightened Rarity sprinting from her at full speed, but never managing to escape!

With a big toothy grin, Rainbow prepared to take off, spreading her wings out on either side of herself and raising them towards the sky, ready to bring them down and launch herself into the air! But before she could even think about lowering her wings, she was tackled by a blur of orange.

Whatever it was sent them tumbling backwards, until Rainbow Dash found herself pinned to the ground on her back. She let out a growl, mixed with anger and pain as she once again hit the back of her head hard. If she did this any more today she was going to have a concussion. Lifting her head up, she was ready to take on whoever dared tackle her and show them the full wrath that was Rainbow Dash.

Except she wasn’t ready to take on the pony before her.

On top of Rainbow Dash was Applejack, with the biggest smile on her face, her eyes positively shimmering as tears freely fell down her cheeks.

“Oh Dash, Ah’m so happy! Ah couldn’t believe it when Ah heard the news! Ah knew that big lug was was hiding somethin’, but Ah’d never have guessed it would be something like this! Ah can’t believe one o’ mah best friends is gonna be mah sister!” Applejack pulled Rainbow Dash off the ground and ensnared her in a bone crushing hug as she got onto her rear legs and spun Rainbow around. Rainbow could only give out the slightest of grunts as all the air was ripped from her lungs.

Just as suddenly as the hug came on, it stopped as Applejack loosened her hold on Rainbow Dash, just enough for Applejack to push her nose against hers. “But remember this: you hurt mah brother in any way, there is no force that will keep me from huntin’ yer sorry hide down and endin’ you. Understand?” Rainbow’s eyes widened as she looked into Applejack’s. One second those eyes were full of tears and happiness, but the next they were cold as the Yokeon: the kind of cold that would close in silently and steal the life from you.

Before Rainbow Dash could give a nod or make a squeak in understanding, Applejack pulled her back into the hug, laughing as she did so. “Ah’m sorry, Dashie! Ah’m just so excited fer the both of you! Ah know you’ll never hurt mah brother, but Ah gotta be sure!” Rainbow could feel the joints in her wings popping with Applejack’s grip and felt as though the country mare was going to break her in two.

“Ap… Applejack… let… go!” Rainbow’s voice was barely above a whisper, as there was no air in her lungs to push the words out. She didn’t know if Applejack actually heard her, but Applejack did release her, allowing Rainbow to take in deep gulps of air before her lungs all but collapsed.

Applejack just sat there, smiling at Rainbow as more tears trickled through her freckles. “Look at me! Ah feel like one o’ them silly movie mares.” Applejack laughed as she wiped her eyes. She then looked over at Rainbow and her smile grew wider. “Ah see yer not afraid ta show some emotion around yer new sister!” Applejack said, practically squealing as she spotted the tears on Rainbow’s face.

Rainbow had been too busy taking in deep breaths to notice the film of moisture cooling her eyes, that had nothing to do with emotion. She glared at Applejack as she began to talk, panting as she did so. “Mac… and… I… are…”

“Ah know you two are happy! Oh, that sly dog! Workin’ all day and actin’ like nothin’ special is going on! Granny’s gonna give him an earful when she finds out!” Applejack’s eyes went wide suddenly, her face morphing into one of shock as though she just remembered something her brain had left back at the farm. Rounding on Rainbow Dash, Applejack gripped her face on either side and pulled her so their noses were nearly touching. Again.

“Stars and stones, Rainbow! Did Mac ask yer Pa fer his permission?” Applejack’s eyes were icily still, though that didn’t stop another fire from bubbling up. She dropped Rainbow before she could react, causing the pegasus to fall to the ground with an ‘oof’. “Why, that stupid son of a goat! If he went and proposed to yah without askin’ yer Pa’s permission, he ain’t gonna be standin’ at the altar under his own power!” Applejack growled, as she kicked a stone into a nearby alleyway, hitting a trash can with a sharp clang.

Rainbow Dash pushed herself off the ground and glared at the back of Applejack’s head. That was the third time she had been assaulted today, and now her head was throbbing in pain as well as her wings. Rarity was going to pay for that.

“Applejack, Mac and I are not getting married!” Applejack turned to Rainbow, eyes sharp and staring, but before she could do anything Rainbow placed her hoof on Applejack’s shoulders to hold her back. “No! I didn’t turn him down; he didn’t propose at all! He never did! Got it?” The anger in Applejack’s expression slowly left her, as her entire face slackened and she tilted her head to the side.

“But… Ah was told that—”

Rainbow gave out a low growl, cutting Applejack off as she glared in the direction of the Carousel Boutique. “Oh, I know what you were told, and I am going to fix that little problem.” Rainbow rose into the air, as she started out in the direction of Rarity’s shop. “Once I get my hooves on Rarity, she is going to go back and tell everypony that she shouldn't get involved in other ponies’ business!” With that, Rainbow gave her wings another mighty flap and darted in the direction of Rarity, leaving a gale of wind behind her.

Rainbow’s take off sent dirt, stray pieces of paper, and anything else not nailed down flying through the air. Applejack had to hold onto her hat till the winds faltered so she wouldn't lose it. As the winds faded, Applejack opened her eyes, just in time to see the streak of Rainbow’s tail fade from sight.

“But… Rarity wasn’t the one who told me... ”

--

The memories of the day flashed through Rainbow’s mind as she neared the shop. From being interrupted at breakfast, her locker being booby trapped with mini confetti cannons, subjected to the twins’ questioning of the Apple family, Thunderlane’s rambling of a bachelorette party, tackled by Pinkie, interrogated by Matilda and Cupcake, to finally almost being crushed by Applejack, Rainbow was ready to give Rarity what she had coming! Giving her wings another hard crank as Carousel Boutique came into view, Rainbow dove for the front door, not doing any tricks or flashy moves as she did.

She touched down a few feet from the entrance of the shop and stomped the remaining distance before banging on the door with one hoof. After an instant, she shoved the door open, sending it flying backwards and slamming against the wall, which dented under the strain.

Rainbow marched inside, her magenta eyes scanning the shop for any sign of the white unicorn inside. It was not hard to find Rarity: She stood in the opening to the kitchen in a wide-eyed silence, one hoof raised over her chest, with her glasses looking like they were ready to fall off her nose as her lips scrambled for words.

“Rainbow... what is the meaning of this! Why did you—”

“Can it, Rarity!” Rainbow snarled as she marched over to her, her eyes fixed on the unicorn before her. “All day, ponies have been congratulating me on my engagement to Mac! But you know what? Mac and I are not getting married!” Rarity shrank at Rainbow’s words and started to back up as Rainbow advanced.

“Now, Rainbow... darling... if you give me a moment to explain, I’m sure you will un…” Rarity’s voice melted under the glare from Rainbow’s eyes; it was almost staining the room a violent, murky red. Rarity shuffled back on her hooves, instinct guiding her to the door.

“I have been tackled, questioned, and nearly had my wings broken today because of you running your mouth!” Rainbow said, as she backed Rarity up into a corner. “Now, you have ten seconds to explain yourself, before I drop you in the biggest mud pit I can find!” Rarity let out a slight gasp at the threat.

“You wouldn't dare!”

“Seven… six… five…” Rarity’s eyes widened once more.

“It wasn’t me, Rainbow! I didn’t tell a soul about it!” Rainbow gnashed her teeth at the comment.

And she’s going to lie to me about it! Oh, I am going to drop her in the pigpen! Rainbow thought, as her glare nicked at Rarity’s trembling cheek.
“Three! Two! One! Mud time!” Rainbow shouted as she reached for Rarity, who shrieked and threw out her hooves.

Right as she did, the back door swung open and the sound of a stallion singing off key filled the air.

“Here comes the bride! All dressed in white! Ready to put a ball and chain ‘round the poor colt for life!” Walking inside was none other than Braeburn Apple, wearing his traditional brown vest and hat. His eyes were closed as he walked in, still singing over the cracking glass. “The old colt, we knew him well! Now his life’s a living he—” Braeburn opened his eye for a moment and saw the two mares before him. Looking between the two, he swallowed nervously before smiling as wide as he possibly could.

“Hello, Miss Dash! Congratulations on your engagement to the big lug!” Braeburn put as much cheer in his voice as possible, not seeming to notice that Rarity was in the corner of the kitchen with Rainbow closing in on her, the fur along her neck and back standing up like an attack dog’s. “Ah’ve been sharing the good news with the whole town since Rarity put the pieces together! Seems to be the talk of the town, now!”

Rainbow stared at Braeburn, who smiled blissfully as he revealed himself to be the real culprit of her terrible day. Looking over at Rarity, she watched the unicorn give out a sigh of relief, her hoof resting on her chest again. Turning back to Braeburn, the country stallion was just grinning, as if nothing was wrong with what he had done.

“So, have the two of you chosen a date ye—” Braeburn didn’t get to finish; a blur of movement flew through the air and struck the side of his head. The impact sent the stallion to the ground, his momentary gawp clenching shut as his skull struck the tile with a loud thud. His eyes stayed wide, though his vision blinded with stars; while the skin around his left one started to redden and swell.

“You're lucky you’re Mac’s favorite cousin, or I would have done a lot worse!” Rainbow shouted at the stallion, before turning back to Rarity. “Sorry I almost dropped you in some mud... and stuff,” Rainbow said, shrugging her shoulders as she went to the door. “See you later!” Rainbow said, as she spread her wings and blasted into the air.

Rarity looked to the door and then to the downed stallion before looking back at the door. Her blue eyes were blank and unblinking as she took another look between the two. Her mind tried to shift the necessary gears and shattered a few cogs along the way. Before it could have enough time to smoothly power out of the mess, Rainbow Dash flew back into the kitchen and grinned at Rarity.

“Hey, by any chance do you have a date? I kinda promised to find Thunderlane one for tonight so he would finish my paperwork,” Rainbow scratched the back of her head, eyes closed as she hovered there in the kitchen.

Rarity stared at Rainbow for a second, before giving her head a hard shake as her eyebrows furrowed together. “You just struck my coltfriend!” Rainbow’s eyes widened as she looked at Rarity and then to Braeburn, who was still on the ground.

“Huh… didn’t know that… well, yeah… sorry about that!” With that, Rainbow took off again; the gust of wind she left tore through the kitchen, knocked over a chair, sent pieces of paper flying, and took the petals off of the flowers in a vase nearby.

Rarity shook her head again, getting some of the petals out of her mane before glaring at the door after Rainbow Dash. She huffed at it all, before closing the door and looking down at her coltfriend. “Are you just going to lay there for the rest of the day, darling?” she asked, as Braeburn raised his hoof and lightly touched the spot where Rainbow had struck him.

“Stars above… Ah see why Mac likes her!” Braeburn said, the smile returning to his face, before wincing from where his hoof touched his eye. Rarity just rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the sink, grabbing a washcloth as she did so.

“Because nothing says ‘I love you’ like a hoof to the face.”

Author's Notes:

So... how many are you actually surprised that Rarity was not the culprit? I bet you all feel very ashamed of yourselves for accusing her so... who am I kidding you all took glee in that. As always, thanks to Arbarano, The Masked Ferret , and Docontrafor all their hard work!

I hope you leave comment to tell me what you think so far, and only two more chapters to go!

Chapter 6: What is Marriage?

Chapter 6: What is Marriage?

Rainbow darted through the skies above Ponyville, racing to get to the safety and security that was her home. Though the culprit behind her hectic day had been found, it didn’t solve the fact that the entire town was expecting to hear the official announcement that she and Mac were engaged. The chaos that would come from all of it made Rainbow groan in utter dismay as she flew high above Ponyville.

I should have hit him harder, Rainbow thought, her mind coming back to Braeburn and his big mouth. She could already imagine Scootaloo and the other Crusaders asking to be her flower fillies, Twilight getting all wrapped up in planning the ceremony, and—knowing the Apple family as she did—Granny Smith had probably sent out the announcements already. Imagining the entire ordeal made Rainbow scowl; soon she would have to go to Rarity to get fitted for her dress, then figure out how to decorate the whole thing and who they were going to invite!

Rainbow’s eyes widened as her mind caught up to where she was thinking. What the heck, Rainbow?! Mac didn’t propose to you! You're not getting married! She thought, desperately riding her mind of the bouquet arrangement. That was for other mares! The only thing she should be planning was how to secure her place in the Wonderbolts.

Yet, something about that nagged at her, manifesting itself into a nausea pooling in her stomach. Rainbow tried to push it all away, to think of something else, anything else. Flying with the Wonderbolts, hanging out with her friends, beating up bad guys and other cool thoughts wandered around the front of her mind, but that queasy knot stayed, demanding her attention, demanding her to dwell upon it.

“Argh!” Rainbow shouted, shaking her head hard as she rolled through the air. “Stop thinking about it!” she shouted to herself, as she broke out of the roll and started to glide. “Other mares think about this filly stuff! I don’t!”

Growling in pure frustration, Rainbow Dash looked ahead and saw her house come into view, a place where she could free herself from these annoying thoughts and feelings. Redoubling her efforts, she sped towards home to open up a few ciders to whisk her troubling thoughts away.

Those hopes were dashed when a familiar yellow pegasus came into view, sitting on her doorstep. Rainbow ran a hoof down her face in frustration at Fluttershy looking around serenely, as if it was not odd to wait at someone’s door for them. Sighing, she already knew what Fluttershy wanted and decided to get it over with.

Swooping down, she landed behind Fluttershy, causing the timid pegasus to flinch. “Rainbow Dash, I didn’t hear you at all,” she said, her voice quiet and pleasant as ever. “I heard the news, and I wanted to come congratulate you and Mac in—” Rainbow Dash walked right past her, unlocking the front door and shoving it open.

“Inside. Now.” Rainbow spat, stalking inside and leaving a very stunned Fluttershy in her wake. The pegasus gave a nervous look around, like a small animal checking for a predator, before walking inside after Rainbow.

“Rainbow? Are you okay?” Fluttershy asked as Rainbow Dash collapsed on the sofa, letting out a loud grunt as she did.

“No, Flutters, I’m not!” Rainbow growled, reaching for a pillow and placing it over her head like the shell of her faithful turtle. “You and everypony else thinks Mac and I are getting married and now expect some huge wedding!” Rainbow rolled over onto her back, now pulling the cloud pillow over her chest, glaring angrily at the ceiling above.

Fluttershy cocked her head to the side, a few strands of her pink mane falling into her face. “So… you and Mac aren’t getting married?”

Rainbow let out an exasperated sigh, nodding to the question before pulling the pillow over her face completely. Fluttershy watched Rainbow for a few silent seconds, eventually speaking again in her calm voice. “Did you turn Macintosh down?”

Rainbow gave out a loud, primal roar as she bolted upright and threw the pillow across the room with her sudden rage.

Fluttershy gave out a high pitched ‘eep’, ducking as the pillow hit the wall behind her with a soft thud and fell to the floor with an even softer one.

“If Braeburn hadn’t run his big stupid mouth, I wouldn't be in this mess!” Rainbow growled, getting up from the sofa and marching into the kitchen. She ground her teeth together, her ears flat against her head as her eyebrows furrowed together.

As Rainbow marched off, Fluttershy started to sit up again, her blue eyes shimmering in concern as she watched Rainbow. “Then Mac never proposed?” As she spoke, Rainbow’s head snapped back at Fluttershy with a glare she previously saved for those pestering her.

“No! He didn’t propose! Mac didn’t propose to me in any way! We are not engaged and we are not getting married!” Rainbow shouted, her words filled with an unrelenting rage unfairly directed at the pegasus before her, who looked ready to fly away.

Rainbow took in a deep breath and started to count to ten, before letting one out slowly and evenly. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy, it's… it's been a really long day…” Rainbow sighed as she turned back to the kitchen and reached for the handle of the refrigerator. “All day ponies have been grilling me about something that didn’t happen, and it's getting on my nerves!” she lamented, opening the fridge and reaching for a pair of plain-looking brown bottles with her wings, filled with Apple Family cider.

She popped the top off one with incredible ease, before taking a long sip of the perfect drink to help calm her. As she pulled the bottle from her lips, she tossed the other bottle to Fluttershy. Rainbow didn’t notice that Fluttershy had not been expecting the bottle and had avoided the object as it landed silently on the cloud floor; luckily the floor had been enchanted not to let such items fall through, one of the necessities when living with an earth pony coltfriend.

Dash took another swig of her cider as she reentered the living room and began to pace around, her mind swirling in thought so much that it was impossible to stay still. Pacing had always helped her think; she was used to constantly moving, and when she had something on her mind she needed to move. She had never even noticed it, until Mac pointed it when she accused him of being psychic for knowing when something was bothering her.

“Today started off so great! Mac had made me pancakes and promised me a nice dinner, only for Rarity barge it and start measuring me for a wedding dress! Next the Cloud Twins boobytrap my locker with confetti cannons and wedding pictures, wanting me to hook them up with some Apple stallions at the wedding! I thought being partnered with Thunderlane would give me some peace but even he is on the wedding bandwagon planning my bachelorette party—which does sound awesome—but he still thought Mac and I were getting married!

“After work, I wanted to get back at Rarity, but I got tackled by Pinkie Pie, who is probably off doing Luna knows what to Caramel, so I could be dragged into the gossip meeting of Cupcake and Matilda, which results in them fighting over whose husband is best! Finally, I get to Rarity’s and ready to get my revenge when it turns out Braeburn was the one shooting his trap off telling the whole town about the proposal that. Didn’t. Happen!”

The rage had returned to Rainbow Dash as she downed the rest of the cider she had and slammed it down on the coffee table. “Now everypony thinks that Mac and I are getting married! Heck, I bet Celestia and Luna are already picking out gifts for a wedding that’s not happening!” Rainbow couldn’t hide her anger, her right eye twitching in frustration as she went to get another cider from the fridge.

During the entire episode, Fluttershy had sat on the sofa, the unopened bottle between her forelegs, taking in everything Rainbow had said and watching her reactions. As Rainbow pulled out another pair of brown bottles, Fluttershy rose her hoof up to speak, but, before she could, another bottle of cider was thrown to her, making her duck once more.

“I didn’t even know it was freaking Hearts and Hooves day to begin with! All I wanted today was to sleep in with Mac, have a great breakfast, go to work and then hang out with him tonight! Now, everypony is expecting us to go running through the streets shouting about getting married and making some spectacle about it, when in reality nothing will happen!” With that, Rainbow took another swig of her cider before she started to pace around the living room again, ears flat against her head as she glowered.

Moments passed in silence as Fluttershy watched Rainbow pace around the room, looking only at the floor as she did so. Being friends with Rainbow for so long, Fluttershy had seen Rainbow in ways that not many others had. She had seen Rainbow at her highest like when she had made it into the reserves, and at her lowest as when she was kicked out of flight school. She knew the characteristics of her friend’s emotions and when something was truly bothering her, even if Rainbow didn’t.

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy said, her voice a bit louder this time, causing Rainbow’s ears to twitch and her to look up. “I understand that you're angry about everypony getting involved in your private matters, but… I don’t think that’s what you're mad about…” Fluttershy cringed slightly, as she could feel Rainbow’s retort coming.

“Not what I’m mad about?” Rainbow asked, her eyes locked on Fluttershy. “What else is there to be mad about?” she demanded. Fluttershy could feel the anger rolling off of Rainbow, but she had to keep going; she needed to help Rainbow realize what she was angry about.

“I think that you're upset because… well because…” Fluttershy looked up into Rainbow’s eyes, she could feel her confidence wavering now, but she couldn't back down; not when she’d come this far. “Mac didn’t propose. I think, deep down you wanted him to.” Fluttershy shrunk before Rainbow, the last of her will failing her as she waited for Rainbow’s retort.

The fire was ablaze in Rainbow’s mind at Fluttershy’s words. The very idea that she was secretly wishing Mac had proposed to her was filly daydreams, not the daydreams of super mares like her! She was a free spirit; she was not ready to settle down and get married any time soon! If she got married, her entire life would change, and she didn’t like change when it went against her plans to be a Wonderbolt.

She wanted to tear into Fluttershy, to make her regret thinking that she could ever be capable of such uncool thoughts! She wanted all of Equestria to know that she was a tough and ready for action mare who could take on anything life could throw at her.

Slamming her bottle of cider on the coffee table, Rainbow was ready to defend herself from such blasphemy, though as the bottle hit the table with a thunk the fire within her suddenly went out.

Looking down at the bottle of cider, her eyes came to rest on the hoof carved table below it. The table was not made out of clouds like other parts of Rainbow’s home, but instead it was made out of dark brown wood. Wood that had come from a tree that Mac had chopped down and carved into a table for her. And not just a table.

Her magenta eyes looked up from the table and started to take in the room around her, like it was the very first time she had seen it. Besides the sofa, easy chair, and loveseat that she had always had, the rest of the furniture was made of wood. There was a large bookcase across from the sofa that housed her collection of Daring Do books, and even had a space built in it to place her trophies and other awards for the world to see; there was even a table in the far corner with enough matching chairs to host game nights.

All of it had been made by Big Mac in his free time, long before she had even thought about asking him to move in. He had done it out of love, to know that she had something she would always use that he had made. She couldn't even imagine how long it had taken Mac to plan out and carve each piece of furniture; she had never even asked, just accepted it and began using it right away.

Suddenly, it began to dawn upon her.

Her life had already been changed so much by allowing Mac into it, that she hadn’t even noticed it until now. Where posters of the Wonderbolts used to line the walls, now was occupied with pictures of Rainbow and her closest friends, or of Mac with his family; some photos were even of Sweet Apple Acres and of her and Mac together. No longer was it just her home, but instead it was their home.

Earlier thoughts of not wanting to change vanished, for the change had already happened and she couldn't imagine life without them. Asking Mac to move in with her now seemed like the greatest idea she had ever had. Looking back, before he had moved in her home didn’t seem like a home anymore, just a place to sleep and eat when not out. Mac had changed it into a place to make memories, a place, that no matter how many amazing adventures she would go on, she was always excited to come back to.

Then what freedom would she be losing? The freedom to date other stallions if she wanted to? To hell with other stallions! She had her stallion, and his name was Big Macintosh Apple! The greatest stallion in all of Equestria, the only stallion that was worthy enough to be with the greatest mare in all of Equestria, alicorns be damned!

It wasn’t as though Mac was overbearing either; heck, she was the one who was overbearing at times, dragging him out to try new things and to go to new places! It wasn’t as though Mac was expecting her to become the stay at home mare when they got married, whose only concerns were making dinner, doing laundry, and popping out foals. Mac knew what kind of mare she was, and he had even banned her from doing either laundry or cooking when he saw her supposed mad skills at both.

Mac had never once made any indication that he wanted her to become one, either; he knew what her dreams were and did whatever he could do help her achieve them. From timing her laps to working out flight routines, he had always been there to help her. He was also there when she was at her weakest, when she couldn’t be the invincible mare she let the world see, and had held her when she needed to be held or listened when she needed to talk.

As her thoughts began to slow down, Rainbow slowly began to realize that she had stopped looking around the room, and instead her eyes were fixated on a picture of her and Mac. The picture had been taken shortly after they had become a couple, at the end of cider season. Rainbow had an foreleg wrapped around his thick neck, with the other holding a mug of cider. It had been taken during one of the rare moments of her openly showing affection: she was kissing Mac on the cheek, and the big lug had the biggest smile on his face as he held his own mug of cider.

Turning her gaze around, Rainbow looked back at Fluttershy who was sitting there with a small smile on her lips that still reached her eyes and spoke volumes about how happy she was. Fluttershy had known all along that she wasn’t mad about the attention; she never got mad about attention, it was the fact that she had to deny something that she wished was true.

“I… I love him…” Rainbow finally said, her heart beating faster than any athletic competition had ever made it beat before. “I really love him…”

“I know,” Fluttershy said, her smile growing a bit wider at Dash’s words.

In the blink of an eye, Dash was hovering in front of Fluttershy, shaking the other pegasus’ shoulders.

“No Fluttershy! I mean, I really love him! Like… I want to… want to… ” Rainbow’s eyes were wide, darting around the room as though searching for the word that was eluding her. Though jostled by the sudden shaking, Fluttershy never stopped smiling as she watched her friend coming to grasp with her sudden emotions.

“Marry him?”

“Marry him!” Rainbow Dash shouted, pulling Fluttershy into a hug. She didn’t care who heard her, even if it would mean she couldn’t get into the ‘Bolts. “I want to marry him!” She repeated, her voice as scratchy and rough as ever, but full of truth.

Releasing Fluttershy from the hug, she was smiling from ear to ear as she kept her hooves on Fluttershy’s shoulders. “Fluttershy you are the best! To hell with Thunderlane's party, you are my maid of honor!” Rainbow declared, giving the maid to be a slap on the back that knocked the air out of her.

“I can’t wait for him to propose! This mare is going to be forever off the market, and if any other mare tries to get my Apple they have another thing coming!” Rainbow declared, as she flew around the living room like it was the first day of a Disneigh World vacation, before diving through the floor of her home.

As the clouds started to fill in the hole, Fluttershy sat on the sofa with her two unopened bottles of cider. Though she was happy that Rainbow Dash had come to realize her true feelings for Mac, she wasn’t quite prepared for her reaction. Or when Rainbow’s head came popping out of the floor a few seconds later.

“Real quick, Flutters. You don’t have any plans tonight, right?” Fluttershy’s cheeks started to turn bright red at the questions, her hooves now rubbing against one another.

“No… not really. I was just going to sit at home with Angel and—”

“Perfect!” Rainbow interrupted, her smile never faltering. “I kind of promised to find Thunderlane a date for tonight, and, seeing as you don’t have any plans, do you mind going out with him? Could be fun! Thanks!” Without even waiting for an answer, Dash’s head disappeared, and in the window Fluttershy could see a Rainbow streak heading towards Sweet Apple Acres and leaving Fluttershy all alone.

“Oh… oh my…” was all she could say.

Author's Notes:

Disneigh World... Disney World... get it? Pony version? Heh?
...
...
...
Thank you Ruirik for that joke.

I hope you have all enjoyed this chapter, I got to say I had to re-write it all and I got to say I love this version more than the original version! It came to me in a very rare burst of inspiration and I haven't had such an intense need to write something like that since Baby it's Cold Outside.

As always thank you to Docontra, Arbarano, and The Masked Ferret for all the edits! Another thanks goes out to Chief Maximus for my rants this week.

Now the next chapter is nearly completed, but I might upload it late. My school email put a lot of stuff in my spam folder that should have not gone in there, and I am now very behind on a lot of subjects. So shit is hitting the fan and I am trying to stay a float. So bear with me in the meantime.

Chapter 7: Incident Proposal

Chapter 7: Incident Proposal

Rainbow Dash felt like a filly again. Her body was buzzing with so much energy, she felt she could fly to Canterlot and back in the blink of an eye. Doing a loop in the air, she had to fight the silly smile trying to break free. Her heart was simply ablaze with the idea that she would soon be engaged.

Get a hold of yourself, Rainbow! You’re not like Rarity, or Twilight who would turn into a jibbering mess at this! You’re the one and only Rainbow Dash! Play it cool! The mental pep talk did little to lessen her smile as images of her walking around Ponyville with an engagement earring occupied her mind. Every mare in Ponyville would envy her for taking Mac off the market permanently, their secret hopes that they would break up gone forever. He was her stallion and nopony, not even the Princesses, would take him from her.

As she flew through the early evening air, she tried to imagine how Mac was planning on proposing to her. Was he going to be direct about it, getting down on one foreleg and asking her to marry him? Or was he going to try to slip the earring in her drink and surprise her when she pulled it out, taking her hoof in his and asking her?

Ugh, please not that! Rainbow thought, shaking her head from the mushy thought. If her beau was going to try that sappy cud with her she might have to throw the earring at him and tell him to try again. Then she would have to rethink their relationship if he actually thought something like that would be appropriate for her.

Besides, knowing herself and cider, she might accidentally swallow the damn thing.

If there was any other pony in Equestria that knew how awesome and cool she was, outside of herself and Scootaloo, it should be Mac, and he should propose in a way that fit that.

Just thinking about the upcoming proposal made Dash give a squeal of excitement as she did a corkscrew in the air, drawing ever closer to the Apple homestead all the while. She then cleared her throat to hide the squeal, even with no pony around her. She wasn't capable of making such a filly-like sound over something that was so mushy as this, no matter what the evidence might suggest.

Due to either the excitement she felt while accelerating, or her mind being lost in the realm of possibilities, Rainbow nearly overshot the farm. Taking a sharp right, she started to come in low, then skidding to a halt in front of the farm. She kicked up dirt with her landing, conveniently adding to her dramatic entrance.

Luckily, her entrance didn't go unnoticed. Big Mac was standing on the porch, his eyes wide in surprise as he held a picnic basket in his mouth.

Rainbow gave herself a mental pat on the back for generating such a stunned expression. Whipping her head around and throwing her mane back and forth, she gave Mac the most smoldering gaze she could, with half lidded eyes, lips rising so slightly at the edges to form a smirk, and a few strands of her mane falling in front of her face to complete the look.

“Don't look so surprised,” Rainbow said with a smile, casually observing Mac’s reaction. “I'm always this good looking.”

Mac blinked a few times in rapid succession before lowering the picnic basket, looking up at her with that easy smile he always saved just for her.

“Ah know that darlin’. Ain't no pony as amazin’ as ya,” Mac drawled, gazing at her. Rainbow just marveled in it, knowing she was the only mare to get such compliments from Mac. She closed her eyes, and raised her chin up, ready to be praised by her stallion some more. “Ah’m just surprised yer on time, fer once.”

Rainbow’s face tumbled into a scowl as she glared at Mac while he just stood there on the porch. She was ready for him to praise her more, not shoot down her ego. Mac’s grin just grew wider, showing some teeth.

“Easy, didn’t mean nothin’ by it,” Mac chuckled, though Dash's magenta eyes still glowered at him. “All Ah’m sayin’ is once Ah think yer already perfect, you go do somethin’ that makes ya even more perfect and Ah just love you more,” he said, giving her a wink as he leaned down to take up the basket again.

The annoyance melted from Rainbow’s face, that confident smile returning. “You’re just now realizing this? But I think you meant ‘awesome’ or ‘cool’, but I'll let it slide since you’re kinda cool,” she said, adding in her own wink.

“A’mved honhard,” Mac replied, his words muffled by the picnic basket in his mouth. “Hall we?” He bowed his head in the direction of the orchard.

“Eeyup!” Rainbow replied, copying his favorite reply. Mac merely rolled his eyes and started down the path. As he walked past her, Rainbow got a glimpse of the farmhouse and had to fight the urge to facehoof.

Gathered in the window of the family room stood Granny, Applejack, and Applebloom, all watching Mac and Dash. Tears were forming in each of their eyes as they looked on, though a shiver went through Rainbow as she saw Granny holding her cane, patting it softly against one hoof. While the old mare was moved to tears at her grandson getting engaged, she was more than willing to get revenge on the mare if she dared to say no.

While she had faced forces much greater than Granny Smith, nopony in their right mind would dare anger her.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, Rainbow turned from the onlooking Apples and redirected her attention to the path ahead. As she flew next to Mac, Rainbow felt that earlier excitement build up in her again, threatening to spill over, pushing her to skip the date so she could get to the part where he would propose. Looking at her stallion, she was surprised at how calm he looked, especially considering her own turbulent feelings.

Nothing seemed out of place with him. He wore his traditional yoke around his neck, dirt was still visible on his hooves and coat, and the standard stalk of wheat he normally held in his mouth was placed behind his ear for later. While other mares would want their stallion to be all dressed up and fancy for such an event, Dash didn’t want Mac to look any other way. She had fallen for the Apple Farmer as he was and she wanted him to be the one popping the question, not a fake version. Besides, if he had gotten all dressed up for this, he might have looked more like a Canterlot pony instead of her big red stud, with his broad shoulders, strong back, thick neck, and, of course, that irresistible fla—

“Ou’ ight er Davsh?” Rainbow’s face turned red. Judging from Mac's muffled voice, she had been staring at him for Celestia knew how long. Shaking her head, she darted in front of him and turned around, flying backwards as she gazed directly at him.

“Totally! I was just thinking of how lucky you are that I snagged you when I did!” Rainbow said, fighting the growing heat in her cheeks. Mac rolled his eyes in a telltale way that told her he knew she was embarrassed about something. Fortunately, he kept that calm, reassuring, smile that made it feel okay to slip up around him.

“Eeupff,” mumbled Mac, the picnic basket distorting even his most used word. He just pushed his head out, and pressed his nose against Rainbow’s in an eskimo kiss, which only served to make Rainbow’s cheeks grow darker. Unlike her, Mac had no problem showing signs of affection, but he had learned when not to; otherwise he ran the risk of getting a wing to the back of the head, a kick to the shin, or the one that really drew the point home: a headbutt.

Taking advantage of her flustered state, Mac kept on walking by, his chin lifted up a fraction of an inch in the victory of surprising Rainbow instead of the other way around. He didn’t have time to bask in that glory for long, as Rainbow dropped down on his back, hard. He nearly stumbled, saved only by the fact that he had long grown used to Rainbow’s tactics.

“You’re lucky that you’re cute,” Rainbow growled into his ear, before resting her head on top of his. “Otherwise, you would have gotten a black eye for that.” Mac merely chuckled, shifting his shoulder to adjust the all too familiar weight on his back.

“Eeupff,” he responded in his muffled voice. “Weer aldmoss therr.” He jerked his chin upward, directing Rainbow to look. Out above the orchard a single tree stood taller than the others, resting on a hill just outside the trees in the orchard. Rainbow’s face began to heat up again, as her heart pounded faster than before a race.

She knew the hill Mac was taking her: it was treasured by him and his sisters. The hill itself was nothing special; all that was there was an old oak tree that, despite the best efforts Mac’s ancestors, could not be removed. Eventually, they had given up and left it and at some point a tire swing was attached to its trunk. What was truly special about the hill, however, was that it was the place where Mac’s father had proposed to his mother.

The last doubts in Rainbow’s mind vanished as Mac led them to the hill. While Mac had never mentioned the hill to her himself, Applejack had told her and the rest of their friends the story and how she hoped a certain blue stallion would ask her to marry him under the very same tree. With the way Mac liked to keep to tradition, she was sure he was leading her up that hill for the very same reason.

The rest of the walk took place in silence, only interrupted by the sound of Mac’s heavy hooves hitting the ground. In the midst of the quiet, Rainbow could have sworn Mac could hear her heart beating away, perhaps even feel it, as she rode upon his strong back. It was unsettling how nervous she felt. The nauseating feeling of butterflies in her stomach persisted, despite the fact that she, an Element of Harmony, Wonderbolt reserve, and the most awesome pony of all time, shouldn't have been so nervous about something as simple as this.

If anypony should have been nervous, it should have been Mac, for he was about to ask the greatest pony that ever lived to marry him. Yet her stallion marched on, his large hooves hitting the ground in a steady beat, the rhythm hypnotic and unchanging. Rainbow’s eyes began to flutter ever so slightly, as her nostrils took in the deep scent of hay, soil, and apples from Mac’s hair. The smell was… comfort. Warmth. A great night’s sleep, tucked up against him.

Hers.

Rainbow didn’t even realize she had fallen asleep until she was jostled awake by Mac’s broad shoulders shifting and his rich deep voice whispering, “We’re here.” Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, Rainbow started to look around, trying to piece back what had happened in her brief sleep. Her eyes went wide as she realized that they were on top of the hill now, and the entire orchard was laid out in front of them.

She must have seen the orchard hundreds of times from the air, seeing it in ways that the farmers who tended to it so diligently could not. However, as she looked at the orchard from the top of the hill none of her flights above could ever compare to what she saw. From here the orchard felt alive. While she knew it had to be alive to bear fruit, from here she could actually see it, feel on some level what she imagined Mac felt every time he walked past the trees. Feeling the sap moving and pulsing slowly through the large trees. Though it was dark, she could just imagine each leaf spread wide to soak in the warm sunlight and feel the apples ripening as she watched.
“Ah know it’s a great sight, but Ah’d like ta have supper if ya don’t mind.” Rainbow shook her head as Mac’s voice came to her once more through the haze. With a few flaps of her wings, Rainbow fluttered onto the ground next to Mac with a smile.

“Now it’s a great sight,” she said, puffing out her chest with the orchard as her background. Mac shook his head with a slight laugh.

“Eenope, now it’s perfect.” Rainbow’s smile grew at the words as Mac pulled a red and white checkered blanket out of the picnic basket and whipped his head back, letting it flare out in the air before spreading it across the ground.

Rainbow took a few steps towards the basket. I could help him unload after he prepared it and carried me here, she thought as she reached forward with one hoof. Before she could get anywhere close to it, Mac’s much larger hoof blocked her path.

“Eenope! Got a surprise in there fer ya. Don’t wantcha spoilin’ it,” he said, giving her a wink as he leaned over and took a few paper plates in his mouth. As he did, he couldn’t see the smile on Rainbow’s face grow as she fought the urge to gallop in place. She wanted somepony to come slap her silly for acting all filly-like at the mere idea of what that surprise could be, but could anypony blame her? She couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of Mac’s proposal.

Taking in a few deep breaths, she managed to get herself under control right as Mac’s head came out of the basket again, this time with a six pack of dark brown bottles. At the sight of the bottles, Rainbow’s mouth began to water, her drool threatening to spill out like a waterfall. Though they looked very similar to the bottles within her own fridge, filled with Apple Family cider, these were some of the Apple’s top brand ciders, the kind that only Filthy Rich could afford.

These ciders were the Apple’s pride and joy, made out of only the best apples of the season, then carefully fermented for seven days with around the clock care. Mac and AJ had to take shifts to make sure nothing went wrong, and barely slept during the preparations. Once the apples were properly fermented, they began to blend it with the other batches they prepared, following a recipe that has been handed down for generations. In the end, they barely make more than a gallon or two, and sell it to the highest bidder. Next to joining the Wonderbolts, it had been Rainbow’s dream, since finding about this sacred cider, to taste it. The only thing she knew about the cider was that the barrels that contained it were stamped with Mac’s cutie mark, and the bottle tops were green.

“Ah take it by the way yer droolin’, ya know what these are?” Rainbow blinked a few times, as her hoof rubbed the corner of her mouth to find that, in fact, there was drool escaping her lips. Brushing it away and swallowing the excess saliva in her mouth, Rainbow nodded rapidly.

“Buck yeah I do! That’s your mega cider! How the heck did you manage to get some, let alone six bottles?” Mac chuckled at Rainbow’s enthusiasm, scooping up a bottle with one hoof and pushing the cap off with the other, all executed with the effort it takes to pick a leaf.

“Ah think you ferget who makes it,” he said, handing her the bottle and watching the excitement growing in her eyes. “Knowin’ how much mah fillyfriend enjoys cider, what kind of stallion would Ah be if Ah didn’t get her some? Besides, doubt AJ would notice a thing.” Rainbow could hardly listen as she reached out for the bottle, her eyes the size of saucers as she looked down at the plain brown container.

The aroma of apples filled the air around her, replacing any other smell that might have been lingering around. She could smell the slight hint of alcohol that came with it, but it didn’t take away from the experience, only enhanced it. Looking at the bottle, and then up at Mac, Rainbow watched as he opened a bottle for himself and grinned at her.

“Come on now, Ah know how long you’ve dreamt of this!” He laughed, bringing the bottle to his own lips and taking a slow, thoughtful sip of the contents. Without any other delay, Rainbow Dash mimicked the red stallion’s motions and brought her bottle to her lips as well, lifting the tip into the air.

As the first drop of cider hit her tongue, Rainbow’s tastebuds thought they had died and gone to heaven. There was not just one, but a multitude of flavors that accompanied the cider as it washed over her tongue. There were too many for her to name, flavors that she didn’t even know existed. She had never had a cider anywhere near as good as this one, and felt pain for her tastebuds knowing that any cider she had after this would taste like dirt in comparison.

Finally pulling the bottle from her lips with some difficulty, Rainbow looked over at the maker of the cider who just sat there grinning as he set his own bottle down.

“Ah take that you liked it?” he asked, though if the big toothy smile on his face was any indication, he probably knew that she loved it. Looking down at the bottle once more, she glanced up at Mac with a smirk that would send other stallions to their haunches.

“Have I mentioned I love you recently?” She asked, before pulling the bottle back to her lips and starting to drain it.

“Ah’m glad you love me fer more than mah good looks,” Mac drawled, before he started to unload more from the picnic basket. “And that ain’t even the surprise,” he added, his voice brimming with confidence.

Rainbow was too involved with her drink to notice what he had said or what he was pulling out of the basket. Her mind was too involved in the waves of flavor that were splashing against her tongue. When she had finished the contents of her bottle, slightly regretting drinking it so fast, Mac had finished unpacking the entirety of their dinner and was already opening another bottle for her.

“The looks are just a bonus,” Rainbow replied, taking the next bottle with eager anticipation. As she accepted the bottle, her eyes wandered over the meal that Mac had prepared for them. It was a spread that she had come to expect when dining with Apples, as most of the meal was apple this or apple that. Not that she complained, no, not at all. It was much better than what she was used to with takeout food and food that only needed to be heated up. “Apple cooking is where it's really at.” With that, Rainbow reached for the first apple fritter she could find and took a large bite out of it.

“Eeyup,” Mac said in agreement, watching Rainbow Dash enjoy her meal before taking part in his own. The two sat there in the silence of the night, only interrupted by the cider splashing about in the bottles as they drank. This was the typical start to many of their dates, for they never had time to go out to the town, due to both of their work schedules. A nightly walk and a homemade meal became their norm, and neither seemed to have a problem with that.

As time went on, Rainbow knew what was to come next, and while it was normally one of her favorite parts of her dates with Mac, this night it would be a nightmare if she had to go into detail.

“So, how was yer day, Dash?” Mac asked, swallowing a bit of food before looking over at her, his bright green eyes almost glowing in the darkness around them. As soon as he had opened his mouth to ask, Rainbow had taken a large bite out of another fritter to delay answering the question. While she had in the past talked with food in her mouth (actually, quite frequently) tonight she practiced manners for once, in an attempt to stall.

What do I tell him? I can’t flat out lie to him, he knows when I do! Think, Rainbow! Think! Rainbow chewed silently, trying to find a way to get around this and not tell Mac that his proposal had been compromised, or that she knew it was going to happen. Knowing Mac the way she did, he had probably spent a lot of time planning this, and would be devastated if he knew all his planning had gone to waste. Yet his eyes never left her, a simple grin on his face as he waited.

With an audible gulp of food, Rainbow quickly reached out for her bottle of cider and took a few hurried sips. “Well, you know,” Rainbow murmured, swishing the bottle around. “Nothing too big. Just kicked some clouds and chilled back at home till it was time to come here.” A nervous little laugh followed as Mac tilted his head to the side. “How was your day?”

Mac blinked in surprise, his head tilting even further to the side till one ear flipped over his head like that of a dog. It wasn’t that uncommon for Rainbow to ask about his day, but not until after spending a considerable amount of time talking about hers; he had never heard her describe her day in a sentence or two.

“Ya alright, babe?” Mac asked, straightening up as he did. “Ya got a fever or somethin’?” Mac started to stretch his hoof out to touch Rainbow’s forehead to check. Rainbow’s cheeks went red as she looked away from Mac and leaned back to avoid his hoof.

“Of course I’m okay! What’s wrong with wanting to know how your day was for a change?” Rainbow couldn't help but add a little heat to her words as she replied.

“Nothin’s wrong with that, it's just that… well it's just…” Mac watched her for a half a second, before letting out a breath. “It ain’t nothin’,” he said, surrendering to the mare before him. He had been with her long enough to know to read between the lines, whenever she was short about something, there was something bothering her. He knew it was going to take a bit of time to get her to open up about whatever was bothering her, but he would humor her in the meantime; she’d probably need a few extra moments to figure out how to say what was on her mind.

“Nothin’ too special about mah day,” Mac said, as he began to lay down on the blanket, crossing one leg over the other. “Got here before AJ did, so Ah didn’t get a verbal lashin’ about being up too late with the prettiest pony in all of Equestria,” Mac gave a wink to Rainbow who just rolled her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him. Mac just gave his deep chuckle as he continued. “Fed the cows, hogs, and chickens before spendin’ the rest of the day buckin apples. Biggest harvest Ah’d seen in a long time. Glad Braeburn is here ta lend a hoof, though Ah think he’s more interested in seein’ Rarity than bein’ here ta buck apples”

Oh he’s here to buck, just a different kind, Rainbow thought as she emptied another bottle of the amazing cider. Going back to the regular stuff after this was going to be a nightmare.

“Cept AJ was givin’ me odd looks all day. Like she wanted to say somethin’ ta me. Anytime Ah went ta ask her about it, she’d just say it was nothin’ and hurry on away. Could have sworn Ah saw a tear or two in her eyes as she did,” Mac then raised his head, looking around before leaning in close as though afraid to be overheard. “Between you and me, Ah think somethin’ happened between her and that Wonderbolt feller. ‘Fraid he might have done somethin’ ta her,” Mac whispered, his green eyes darting around.

Rainbow nearly spat the cider in her mouth all over Mac as he spoke. She was not sure what would hurt the big ol’ softie’s heart more: laughing at the thought of his sister being in danger, or wasting such precious cider.

Pounding her hoof against the ground, Rainbow Dash struggled to swallow the cider in her mouth without choking on it. It was a desperate battle to get it all down, and once her mouth was free she started to laugh. It was a laugh that was mixed with coughing, and came out more like ragged wheezing as tears formed around her eyes. She couldn’t help it. As much as she knew it was wrong, she couldn’t stop laughing.

Through her blurry vision, she could just make out Mac watching her. His eyes were slightly cross, but it was to be expected with the way he thought Applejack felt. Taking in some shaky breaths, Rainbow just looked back at Mac and smiled, though fighting back another round of laughter.

“You are talking about Soarin’, right? Co-Captain of the Wonderbolts? Blue? Completely insane for pies?” Mac kept his face stern as glared back at Rainbow, who was just smirking and looking full of confidence.

“Eeyup. Don’t like that yer takin’ this so lightly,” Mac’s voice was low, like that of a dog’s growl. He would normally never take up this tone with her, or anypony that didn’t do him some wrong, but he didn’t like her laughing at the idea that his sister could be in danger. As Rainbow kept on laughing, Mac gave out a snort as he opened his mouth. “Now Ah know you got respect fer the fella, but if he did anything ta Applejack Ah’m gonna—”

Before Mac had finished speaking, Rainbow Dash had leaned in and kissed him on the nose, effectively silencing the stallion. Mac’s jaw hung open in surprise as Rainbow withdrew her lips from his nose and smiled at him. Rainbow wasn’t sure if it was the amount of cider that she had consumed in such a short amount of time, or the fact that she loved it when Mac got all protective, but she couldn’t help kissing him at that moment. Looking into his warm green eyes, she just let that smirk become a full-on grin.

“You big dope! I think you forget who we are talking about! Applejack has Soarin wrapped around her hoof like nobody’s business! Heck, do you even remember who your sister is? If Soarin wronged her, you think she would be all sad like that? She’d hunt him down before you even got the chance!” Rainbow laughed at the last part. She had no doubt in her mind that if any stallion messed with Applejack, she’d take care of it herself before Mac could even hear of it. He probably knew the same thing, but that instinct that drove most older brothers didn’t like to listen to reason so much.

Mac stared back at her for several long moments. She could see the gears in his head turning as they connected the obvious dots before him. He let out a slow breath, releasing the tension within him with it, and looked up at Rainbow with a grin.

“Yer right, darlin’. Sorry Ah raised mah voice,” Rainbow’s own grin widened at Mac’s words and she waved a hoof in front of him.

“No problems, Mac. You just gotta realize that I’m always right!” She proclaimed, tilting her chin upwards to exemplify her wisdom. “It's only natural for you to be wrong every now and then.” Mac just shook his head and watched her. “And besides, she is an Element of Harmony; we’re the most badass mares in all of Equestria! And I’m the most badass of them all!”

“And daring,”

“And daring!”

“Noble.”

“Noble!”

“And the cutest of ‘em.”

“That’s right! I am also the cut—” Rainbow turned on Mac, her eyes focused on the big smiling face of his. “I hate it when you do that.”

“No, you don’t,” Mac laughed, leaning forward and nuzzling the side of her head. Rainbow happily returned the affection.

“Maybe I don’t…” she mumbled, enjoying the sensation. She could have stayed like that forever, just feeling his warm face against hers, the smell of apples emenating from his coat, and the simple sense of security she always felt when with him, yet the big lug had to pull away.

“As penance fer doubtin’ ya, ready fer the big surprise?” At those words, Rainbow’s face started to heat up and her heart began to race. As Mac pulled away and began to reach for the basket again, Rainbow’s wings started to flutter of their own accord, unable to hold the excitement that was building up within her.

She had completely forgotten why Mac had wanted to eat up here on Hearts and Hooves day, and why all of Ponyville had been after her this morning. He was about to propose to her!

“Ah hope you like it, Ah had ta start savin’ up fer it for quite some time,” Mac laughed, not noticing the condition Rainbow was now in. “But you are worth every bit of it,” he added, as time seemed to slow down in Rainbow’s eyes.

She could have sworn Mac was moving slower than normal as he lifted the basket’s lid and let it fall backwards to fully open, not seeming to want to build up the tension. Her right hind leg started to bounce up and down in anticipation. How she wished he would go about it faster, for it felt like her heart was about to beat right out of her chest!

“Took me a bit longer ta get it as well. If Ah did everythin’ in town, Ah was afraid you’d find about it and ruin it all.” A chuckle made its way into his words, as though he was remembering the whole ordeal. “Heck, with Braeburn showin’ up, Ah was afraid you’d find out before Ah was ready.”

That was all Rainbow needed to hear. It was true! He had gone to Appleloosa to get the earring for her! She would have to give him hell for lying to her later, but, at that moment, she couldn't care less! She could feel moisture building up in her eyes as well, but she didn’t need to be invincible for once; not in front of him, anyway.

“So Ah only got one question fer ya Rainbow. Will you—”

“I do!”

Mac looked up at her, his eyes wide as he dropped what he was picking up in the basket. “You do?”

“I do!” Rainbow repeated, jumping over the blanket of food and tackling the red stallion. Despite the fact he was bigger, heavier, and lying down, she didn’t have any trouble pushing the stallion onto his back and landing on him. “I do! I do! I bucking do!” Rainbow laughed as she kissed him full on the lips. She felt a few tears fall from her eyes and land on him, but she didn’t care; she was engaged to the stallion she loved.

Pulling away from his lips, Rainbow kept her hooves pinned on Mac’s chest as she beamed down at him. It felt as though her heart had done a double Sonic Rainboom within her chest, and she just couldn't help but feel happy as she did. Mac just looked up at her, his eyebrows raised and his mouth slightly ajar.

“You do?” Rainbow just shook her head. She should have expected him to be surprised that she agreed to marry him! She was the most awesome pony of all; anypony would be shocked that she actually agreed.

“I do!” Her voice was loud and resilient; she didn’t care who heard her! At that moment, the entire town already thought she and Mac were engaged, so what was the problem if all of them heard her accepting the real engagement?

“That… that’s great,” Mac stuttered out, his green eyes illuminated by the billions of stars in the sky.

“Heck ya it is!” Rainbow couldn't wait to share the news, the real engagement, with everypony in town! Now the attention would be amazing as everypony asked her about it, how it felt to take the greatest stallion for herself, and what they could get her for an engagement gift.

I can’t believe how excited I am! Screw how un-cool I look! Mac is my stallion now, and nopony is ever going to take him from me! Applejack will just have to deal with Mac being late tomorrow, because tonight he is all mi—

“You do what?” Rainbow was ripped from her thoughts as her eyes refocused on Big Mac. His head cocked to the side slightly as he looked up at her, looking less like a strong, brave stallion, and more like a puppy locked behind a screen door. Rainbow shook her head, and rolled her eyes as a smile returned to her lips.

He needs me to actually say it, she mused as she locked eyes with him and her smile grew wider than she thought possible.

“I. Do. Agree. To. Marry. You.” Rainbow stressed each word, resisting the urge to smooch his big, dopey lips between each one. She would have thought he would have been just excited as her by now, but he still must be in shock.

As she spoke, Mac’s eyes started to widen, making them look much too big for his head. His mouth began to open, but closed again as he tried to form even a single word, the path between his brain and mouth apparently not working. Rainbow just stayed on top of him, grinning at how astonished he was at the whole thing.

Luna, he must’ve been sure I would say no. Rainbow thought as she ruffled her wings, taking joy in Mac’s reaction.

“Ma… marry… m… m… me?” Mac finally spluttered out, his eyes still wide with surprise.

“Uh… ye...ye… yeah!” Rainbow mimicked, before jumping off the downed stallion’s barrel and back towards the basket. “Now let’s see it!” Rainbow laughed as she flung open the basket.

“Wait! Rainbow! Hold up fer a—” Mac’s words fell on deaf ears as Rainbow poked her head into the basket in search of the little box that held her future.

Inside, the basket was lined with fabric very similar to the blanket Mac had put out, red and white checkered. There were a few extra sandwiches inside, another pie, and a few other apple products inside but there was no velvet box. Instead, there was only a square shaped object wrapped in Wonderbolt wrapping paper. Cocking her head to the side, Rainbow leaned forward and took the wrapped object out and placed it on the blanket in front of her. Written on the wrapping paper was,

To Rainbow,
Love Mac

Looking over her shoulder to the stallion, she saw him leaning on his side, supported by his elbow as though he had been trying to get up but had frozen when she turned to him. Looking away from him, her attention focused back on the object before her. It was much too big to hold an engagement earring inside of it, nor was it the right shape for the engagement necklace that some ponies used.

Placing her hoof on it, she started to pull down, ripping the wrapping paper off of the object. When the rest of the paper was gone she saw, instead of an engagement… anything of any kind, a hardcover book with an illustration of Daring Do facing an old and crumbling castle. The title read: Daring Do: The Knight of Crail!

“It’s the first book.” Mac’s deep voice came from behind her and she could feel the heat rolling off his body. One hoof reached in front of her and flipped open the cover of the book. “One of the advanced copies, the one the author gets before anypony else,” he continued, as Rainbow looked down at the page before her.

To Rainbow Dash: my true number one fan,
You got yourself one hell of a stallion! You better hold onto him, or I might be tempted to take him for my own!
Daring Do

Rainbow looked up at Mac, his expression a mix between a smile and pain. “Ah… uh… it took me awhile ta find the book, and even get a response from her. The book was available in Appleloosa and Ah met her there ta get her ta sign it,” Mac said, his eyes seeming to want to focus on anything else but her. “Ah thought it would be what ya wanted. Didn’t figure you… uh…” Mac made a vague gesture with his hoof, as words once again failed him.

Rainbow continued to stare up at the big stallion, before looking back down to the book. A storm of emotions started to swell up inside of her: anger, sadness, relief, guilt, and confusion, to name just a few, as she looked back down at the cover of the book. Then, without thinking about it, she leaned into the chest of Big Mac, burying her face into his red fur.

Mac wrapped a foreleg around her as she did, placing his head on top of hers as he leaned against her, a reaction of pure instinct to protect and to care for her. He was confused as well, feeling Rainbow press herself against him as he held her close. He didn’t know what had gotten into her, thinking that he was going to propose. Though knowing that she did warmed his heart, his head, and just about the whole world around him, he was still confused as to how she came to that conclusion.

As if to respond to his thought, Mac felt her mumble something against his chest, like she had done that morning. “What’s that?” He asked, lifting his head up off of hers and looking down at her.

Pulling her face away from Mac’s chest, she rested her chin against him instead. “I said,” she growled out, her nose up, looking upwards at Mac. “I am going to kill Braeburn.” Mac’s ears perked up at those words.

“Braeburn? What does mah cousin gotta do with this?” Rainbow pushed herself away from Macintosh and back to the picnic. She took two of the remaining ciders in her wings before she returned to Mac. Without a thought, she popped off the top of both bottles and hoisted one up to Mac with her wing.

“Trust me, you are going to need one of these,” she murmured as she took a drink of her cider and leaned against Mac. “It's a long story.” Mac blinked several times as he took a sip of his own cider. He had no idea what Braeburn had done to earn the wrath of Rainbow Dash, but there was no force he knew of that could save him now.

Taking a sip of his own cider, Mac just nodded to her. “We got time,”

--

“Wow,”

“Eeyup!” The pair of them sat under the old tree, still, Dash leaning into Mac’s broad chest as she recounted her story, taking comfort in the rhythmic beating of his heart. Mac did as he always did and listened intently, nodding as she recalled all the twists and turns her day had taken. They had managed to finish off the bottles of special cider and the bottles of normal cider he had brought with him.

“Ya had a long day, didn’t ya Dash?”

“Long doesn't even begin to describe it.” She sighed, pushing her head up Mac’s chest to rub it beneath her chin. “But you can understand why I am going to maim your cousin, right?” Mac let out one of his deep chuckles as he rubbed against the top of her head.

“First you were ready ta kill him, now ya want to maim him? Why the change of heart?” She shifted under him, brushing her smaller frame against him.

“Eh. He’s your favorite cousin, and you Apples seem to be crazy about your favorite cousins,” Rainbow said, shrugging as she put more of her weight on Mac, as if to take a brief nap against his frame. “And besides, I think Rarity might be mad if I killed her coltfriend.”

Mac simply nodded as he let Rainbow put her weight on him, keeping his foreleg wrapped around her and holding her there. “Ah’d reckon she might be a tad upset at that,” Mac mused as he kissed her on the forehead. “But ya can make him wish he was dead. Ah might know a story or two that will make him regret openin’ that mouth of his.” Rainbow pushed out from Mac’s embrace, and tilted her head upward to look at him.

Mac was looking ahead, as though he had said nothing at all, except the corner of his lip was curved up ever so slightly. Rainbow just stared at him, one eyebrow raised higher than the other, her mouth slightly open. Her expression quickly morphed into a grin as she bumped her hoof against Mac’s broad chest.

“How is it you’re so awesome?”

“Close proximity to the source,” Mac whispered as he pulled her against him again, kissing the top of her head as he did. Rainbow didn’t fight back as she leaned happily against the big stallion, letting out a deep sigh as her mind quickly got to work imagining how she was going to get back at Braeburn. Though her thoughts did not stay there long, as her eyes settled on the book, still open with the inscription.

“So, how did you get Daring Do to meet you?” Rainbow asked, not moving her head from where it rested. Between how soft his fur felt against his face and the buzz she was staring to get from the cider, moving her head from this spot seemed impossible. Even if she had wanted to.

“Wasn’t easy Ah tell ya. Must have sent a hundred or so letters before Ah finally got a reply.” Mac let out a low chuckle that Rainbow could feel vibrating deep within his chest. “Probably thought Ah was some kind of stalker with the amount of letters Ah’d sent. Ah bet they were right ready ta call in the authorities till Ah finally said you were mah fillyfriend,” Mac let out a low chuckle that Rainbow joined in.

The idea of Mac being arrested during his workday for stalking created some funny images in her head.

“Instead of gettin’ one of em’ impersonal notes they send, got a genuine letter from Daring Do herself ta tell her when Ah was ready ta meet so she could autograph it. Apparently she was mighty excited ta do it.” Rainbow’s wings fluttered in excitement at that. Not only did one of her personal heroes autograph a book for her, but they were also excited to do it! Mac released his grip ever so slightly to allow Rainbow’s wings to flutter.

“Eeyup, then all Ah had ta do then was ta save up the bits. Saw the book once when Ah was in Appleloosa, and when Ah wrote the shopkeeper she said the book was still there.” Rainbow nuzzled Mac’s chest at those words. She knew how expensive some of the first Daring Do books were, and the amount of time and effort he must have put into it to get the book made him even more awesome.

That was when a thought materialized in Rainbow’s head, and before it could fully form within the confines of her mind she began to speak. “So you lied to me about Granny’s locket?” With her head still on his chest, she could feel Mac tense up at the question. It wasn’t as though she was mad about it, it just kind of bugged her that Mac would lie to her.

Hearing him clear his throat, Rainbow could just imagine the look on Mac’s face as his ears went flat against his head and his eyes darted around looking for an answer. She kept her head against his chest as though she had said nothing, taking a bit of pleasure in Mac’s overall discomfort.

“Well… Ah didn’t so much as lie as… well… maybe a half truth?” Rainbow had her eyes closed, leaning against his chest. She didn’t say a word and just allowed the silence to fill the air between them. She knew that if anything, the pause in conversation would unnerve her stallion and force him to come clean. She barely had to wait a minute before Mac began to speak again.

“Ah’d really had to go to Appalossa ta get Granny’s locket fixed. Just so happen ta be the week Ah could afford ta get the book as well.” Rainbow smirked against Mac’s chest, her eyes still closed.

“So why didn’t you tell Braeburn what you were up to?” She could feel him tense again, and she loved it. Not so much the torturing him part, but more the fact that she loved to feel the thick muscles under his skin.

“Well, ya know how much he talks. If he saw me goin’ to the local saloon ta talk to a mare he would assume the worst, even if Ah told him everythin’ he'd just assume Ah was makin’ it all up. Ah didn’t want ta fathom what he would come up with.” Mac chuckled slightly, a nervous laugh that Rainbow could feel through his broad chest. She pushed into him a bit more, wanting to feel every fiber of him.

However, the gesture made Mac feel as though she did not believe him, that she was trying to get to the heart of the matter. “Well, the locket was no secret. Never intended it ta be. If Braeburn asked me why Ah was goin’ to the jeweler Ah would have shown ‘im the locket. Yet he never asked, he just smirked and laughed like he knew somethin’. Probably a good thing he only tailed me ta the jeweler or he would have seen me at the saloon.” Mac tightened his hold on Rainbow Dash, his heartbeat racing as though he was on that treadmill with her again, trying to outdo those Flim Flam brothers.

“Ah mean, imagine what’d he’d say if he saw me talkin’ ta Daring Do. Luna knows he would make up some story and it’d spread like wildfire.” Another chuckle left Mac’s lips as he felt Dash rub her head against his chest again. He had no idea if she was angry with him without seeing her face, but he kept going in hopes he was getting himself out of the hole instead of digging deeper into it.

“Could see him spreading stories about me makin’ time fer another mare behind yer back and ‘im somehow reachin’ ya before Ah got back. Heck, Ah’d had a fright, or two, about comin’ back ta find you, the other Elements of Harmony, the Princesses, and half the town waitin’ fer me ta banish me to the moon!” He shifted slightly and tightened his hold on Rainbow. “Don’t know what would be worse. Bein’ up their all by mahself or knowin’ that the last thought ya had of me was of betrayin’ ya.” Now it was Rainbow’s turn to chuckle; only Mac could make being banished to the moon romantic in some strange way.

“I wouldn't want you banished to the moon,” Rainbow yawned, much to Mac’s relief as he let out a breath he had been holding in. “I would just let AJ, Granny, and Bloom know what you did. I’m sure whatever they’d do would be much worse.” Rainbow had to bite her lip from breaking out into laughter when she heard Mac gulp at the thought of what his family might do to him. There was no fury like that of the Apple family.

Rainbow just let that little metal image play out in Mac’s mind as she snuggled up against his chest. She would have never done this in view of another living creature, for cool ponies did not snuggle. However, if those cool ponies were sure no living creature was around, they could snuggle all they wanted against their coltfriend.

“Though, mind if Ah ask ya somethin’ Dashie?” Dash gave out a soft, almost purr-like sound at the question as she felt Mac’s hoof rubbing her foreleg idly. Mac just smiled at her reaction as he took in a deep breath. “When you said… you do… did ya… well, did ya really mean it?”

Rainbow’s body went rigid and her stomach began to toss and turn. Mac’s hoof trembled momentarily, before he went back to rubbing her foreleg as though nothing happened. “Ah mean… Ah just want ta know if you’d really considered it and it wasn’t some… well…. Like ya felt like ya had ta say yes.” Rainbow would have been a fool if she didn’t hear the quavering in Mac’s voice, that deep soothing voice that usually spent its time comforting her, rather than needing comfort itself.

Taking a breath, Rainbow stayed where she was, leaning against the familiar form of Big Mac. “Does it really matter?” From where her ear was placed on Mac’s chest, she could hear Mac’s heart beat increase at those words.

“Well… Ah think it does,” Mac said slowly as he looked down at the blue mare resting against him. “It’s a pretty big decision, ta… well… get married,” Rainbow smirked as she heard how Mac was talking to her, it was the same tone he took when he was giving Applebloom a lecture. “Ah don’t want ya feelin’ like ya gatta do it now. It changes life fer yeah, and Ah couldn’t live with maself if Ah forced ya into—”

Mac didn’t get a chance to finish as Rainbow pulled herself out of his grip in a blur of motion, and without a second’s warning had her lips pressing up against his.

Rainbow had always cherished the fact she was one of the few ponies Mac would talk openly to, that he would have full conversations beyond his one word replies. However, she took even greater pleasure in silencing him when he did speak, confusing the usually stoic stallion.

She opened her eyes partly as she kept her lip pressed to Mac’s. His bright, nearly luminous, green eyes were open wide as he stared back into her own. She watched the emotions flashing within his eyes as he tried to understand what was going on, to put his mind back on track. Finally, he slowly began to realize it was a pointless battle and melted into the kiss.

Just as Mac started to return the affection, Rainbow pulled away from his lips. Mac’s eyes opened up again to watch Rainbow pushing herself onto her hind legs and placing her hooves on his shoulders. Throughout the process she never broke eye contact with him, her rose colored eyes fixated on his green ones.

“Of course I meant it. I’m Rainbow Dash! Since when do I say stuff I don’t mean?” Rainbow asked with a cocky grin.

“Well… Ah can think of at least one or two times you may’ve bitten off more than you can chew,” Mac teased, before his face went serious again. “It is serious Dash, Ah don’t want it ever being said Ah’d forced you inta anything.”

At those words, Rainbow pushed her nose right up against Mac’s, forcing the great stallion onto his back once again that night. Without blinking, Rainbow kept her nose right against his as she spoke.

“Like you could ever force me into anything,” Rainbow said, her voice low and threatening. “You should know by now that I can’t be forced to do anything. All day I was thinking about what it would be like to marry you, what I would lose, what the downsides would be. And you know what?”

“Wh-what?” Mac choked out. With those words, emotions ran through Mac that made him fear what came next, what the future might hold between them.

“In my book, we are already married,” she said with a wide smile, before falling onto his chest and draping her lithe and so much smaller body over his large muscular one. “From the day you moved in, it was like we were already married. You turned my home into our home. Whenever I need help, somepony to lean on, or just to remind me how awesome I am, you are there for me. I can’t see a future without you Mac. So I don’t need an earring, ceremony, or anypony’s permission; I own your flank Mac, and you own mine.”

Mac raised his head just high enough off the ground to see Rainbow lying there, her head now resting on his chest. She was looking back at him like she did most nights when they fell asleep: as if she were completely calm and at ease with the world around her.

Very slowly, Mac wrapped his forelegs around her, holding her against him as though he was afraid she would disappear if he were to let go. As she spoke, he felt a weight he didn’t even know he was carrying lift from his shoulders. He had known Rainbow loved him, but something in all this had made that love even deeper in ways he just couldn’t fathom.

“Ah love you Rainbow.” His voice was barely louder than a whisper as he spoke.

“I love you too, Mac,” Rainbow replied, her eyes slowly closing as she rested on the large stallion.

The entire day had been a hurricane of emotion for the two of them, and now that they were finally able to rest, it took its toll on the both of them. Rainbow could feel sleep calling to her. She hadn’t even realized how tired she was ‘till then, as she rested in the embrace of the stallion who had held her every night for the last few months, and had completely won her heart. At that moment, there was nothing else she would rather do than fall asleep in the orchard then and there.

Though Mac seemed to have other plans in mind.

“So… what do ya want ta do about everypony thinkin’ we’re engaged? Just walk around town tellin’ them the real story?” Mac’s voice rang out, pulling Rainbow from her well earned sleep. Giving a huff at his words, her tired mind tried to think of how to even start.

“Ugh… that seems like way too much work! I’d rather not try to tell them the real story. I’m sure Pinkie has done something crazy already.” Rainbow moaned at the idea of Pinkie setting up an entire party just to find out it’s not happening. She would either be devastated, or try to make the party into something else at the last second.

“Then ya just want ta be engaged then?” Mac suggested idly, his eyes already closed as his breathing became slower and more shallow as sleep called to him. Rainbow gave out a very unmare like snort at that.

“Are you proposing then?” She asked, before letting out a loud yawn, fully opening her mouth as she did.

“Reckon so,”

“Sure. Let's do it then.” Rainbow sighed, as she let her full weight rest on Mac as he gave out another chuckle.

“Ah guess we’re kinda engaged then… aren’t we?”

“Eeyup,” was all Rainbow was able to say, as another yawn escaped her. “Can I go to sleep now? It's been a long day.”

Mac gave a slight nod as he rested his head back as well. “Eeyup,” he muttered and let his eyes fully close, and the pair soon started to drift off to slumber.

Both fully content with that and in each other’s company, they slowly fell into the waiting embrace of sleep, letting the world around them slowly disappear.

Then, as if their tired minds reached the same conclusion at the same time, both ponies’ eyes flew open and sat up to look each other in the eyes.

“We’re getting married!” They shouted out in unison as they scrambled to their hooves. The need for sleep left them as the realization of what they had agreed on settled in. Rainbow Dash jumped off of Mac; her hooves were clutching her head while her wings fluttered uncontrollably. Her eyes were as wide as they could be and her pupils had shrank to pinpricks. She slowly floated into the air, beginning to gush. Mac barely noticing as his own panic set in.

“Ohmygosh.Ohmygosh.Ohmygosh,” was all Rainbow was able to say as she hovered there.

Mac just sat there, having his own little freakout. “Celestia’s mane! Ah didn’t ask yer pah! AJ is gonna kill me if she finds out! Not ta mention Granny!” Mac moaned as he shook his head, before looking out over the orchard. He wore a thousand yard stare as he looked over the trees he and his family had been taking care of for generations. “Stars and stones… then there's the Apple Stag night tradition…”

“Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh! Ohmygosh!” Rainbow kept repeating to herself. “What am I going to tell my mom and dad? Oh mom is going to flip about this! She is going to tell everypony in Cloudsdale before I can even finish telling her!”

The two turned to one another, panic plain on their faces, ready to convey all the problems they saw in the near future to one another. Yet, when their eyes met once more, all those troubles disappeared. Both broke into goofy grins as they stared at one at each other and the true meaning of it all came over them.

Mac barely took a step forward when Rainbow flew into his chest, wrapping her forelegs around his massive barrel as Mac wrapped his own around her much smaller frame.

“We’re getting married!” Rainbow laughed happily as she tightened her hold on Mac.

“Eeyup!” Mac replied, just as excited as her. He got to his hind legs and swung Rainbow in circles. Laughter erupted from the two of them as they spun, the world a blur around them.

Before long the motion left Mac too disoriented to keep standing and he fell onto his back with a soft ‘thud’, laughing all the same as he did, Rainbow’s own scratchy laughter joining his. With their lungs burning from laughing and tears spilling out of their eyes, Rainbow pushed herself up on Mac’s chest and kissed him once again.

All day she had been denying any engagement, that she was not getting married, and that she was not ready for it. Now, she couldn't be happier as she pulled away from Mac with a brilliant smile on her face. She was engaged to the stallion she loved and didn’t care how filly like she looked.

“Best. Day. Ever!” was all she was able to say.

The End

Author's Notes:

Wow! What a ride! I am very surprised I got to finish this story after all the troubles I have been having with it. It was such a joy to write this story and I am glad there were so many of you that enjoyed it!

Now before I go into the thanks, for all of you who will ask (SFaccountant ) Mac was going to ask if she will let him read it after she was done. Or something. I don't know. I tried.

And for those who want to know where I have been getting Daring Do book titles, of late, all thanks to Gloryhammer! Go check them out, amazing stuff!

Now big shout outs to Arbarano, Docontra, The Masked Ferret , and Magic Squirrel for all the edits! This story would have been a complete mess without all of you so thank you so much! (Shut up, my notes can be as wrong as I want!)

Now some really big personal thanks Aquaman and The Masked Ferret who got me through a pretty hard emotional mess a few days ago. You two are the best and thank you for being there for me!

Finally, I hope you enjoyed this Jake the Army Guy. Welcome home soldier.

Don't forget to leave a comment!