Paradise
Chapter 32: Royal Meetings pt.1
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“When it comes to axes, the weight is one of the largest strengths but also weaknesses.” Hank explained holding onto the Mac’s axe showing its balance point as the pony nodded along with rapt attention.
It was the second “lesson” the stallion had received from the man, the first being on his short lunch break the day before where the human had started talking about fighting with an axe. Mac wanted to start learning the basics of unarmed combat but Hank had resisted, his explanation being that he could get Mac far more lethal with an axe, or some other tool, far quicker than with just his hooves.
Mac wasn’t about the question the man who had more experience in ending life than Mac had living most likely in how he should teach the subject so he excitedly listened in and watched as Hank explained and demonstrated how to use the seemingly normal tool in increasingly brutal fashions.
Hank did however say that they would soon get to the basics of true hand to hand, or hoof to hoof, combat when he saw the smallest hints of disappointment in the stallion’s posture.
“When you land a hit, it's devastating. Doesn’t matter where on the body it hits, which side of the axe you use, if it’s a solid hit, it’s gonna really fuck up the day of whatever you’re swingin’ at.”
Almost in a trance, looking at the blade of the axe as the human slowly swung it demonstrating the various different cuts while the warm summer breeze blew through the trees that surrounded them and his mane alike Mac was startled out of it when the human raised his voice.
“However! It is definitely high risk, high reward.” Crouching down to the ponies eye level Hank stared straight into Mac’s eyes as he sat the axe next to the pony, “The weight makes it easy to overswing and hard to get back online in a quick manner. You’re open for a long time if you miss, you’re open for a long time if they dodge it. An axe isn’t the fastest or most agile weapon around, it’s not slow by any means but it's no well balanced sword either. It needs practice so it doesn't get you killed, and I fully expect you to practice what I teach you, no matter how tired you are from the orchard. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir.” Mac nodded, getting a smirk from the human.
It wasn’t intentional the first time Mac had called Hank ‘Sir’, it just felt natural to address such a commanding presence as such when it questioned you. Whether it be Mac’s formal upbringing or something else, it was what felt right to address Hank as when he was teaching him. It didn’t make it any less embarrassing however due to the somewhat complicated nature of the two stallion’s relationship. But Hank had assured Mac it was just fine to call him sir if he felt like it, even if the human got a chuckle out of it.
“Good, now pick up that axe and swing it at me, I wanna show you what I mean.” Hank ordered.
Quickly picking up the tool in his mouth and standing, Mac pushed away the reservations he had about swinging an axe at the man and reared back before swinging it with all he had.
Only cutting through air, not the human’s thighs; the weight of the axe carried Mac’s head in the downward arc even as he fought it to stop and reset. Finally cancelling out the momentum of the axe, Mac brought his head back to neutral only to see the human had taken a half step back.
Nodding his head Hank looked at the stallion, “So you see what I mean by leaving you open right?”
Nodding back in confirmation, the axe still in his mouth Mac mumbled out a ‘yes.’
“And do you think, I, your stand-in opponent, could capitalize on that moment of openness no matter how brief?” Hank asked.
Setting the axe down, Mac nodded again, “Yes Ah do.”
“You’re damn right I could. Now let’s go again and I’ll show you how.”
Getting back into position, Mac raising his axe, Hank cleared his throat, “Now remember I want you to fight back as hard as ya can.”
Nodding to show that he understood, Mac readied himself for what was about to come and brought his axe back before swinging it with all he had.
Unsurprisingly finding nothing but air, Mac took a step back to maintain distance like Hank had said while starting to pull the axe back up. Mac’s assault going better than most of his previous attempts, he started to get hopeful he’d actually get another swing in before his axe’s return was stopped by a firm hand around its handle.
Mac’s large green eyes meeting Hank’s small grey ones the pony tried his hardest to wrench the weapon from the human's grip but only ended up adding momentum that Hank capitalized on and used to throw Mac onto his back while pulling the axe from his mouth.
Rolling onto his side away from the human, Mac wasted no time in attempting to get up, and was nearly there, before a boot pushed against his left shoulder blade and he was roughly thrown back onto the ground.
Once again on his side Mac attempted to get away but instead was pulled onto his back via a hand around his right arm moments before Hank sat victorious on the stallion's stomach.
Looking up to the man who had the blade of the axe pressed ever so gently into the side of his neck, Hank gave a small smile before retracting the blade but not giving up his full mount position.
“So,” Sliding his hand down the handle of the axe with a quick snap of his arm and resting it over his right shoulder, “What do you think you could do to keep me from closing the distance and taking you down.
The absence of the axe blade allowing the red stallion to relax a little bit her looked from the man’s face to where he was straddling his lower stomach with his legs before looking back up to Hank’s face which now had an expression of curiosity on it.
“Could ya please get off?” Mac asked quietly, his face a few shades darker than his already red coat.
“Nope, I’m perfectly comfortable here.” Hank said matter of factly. Punctuating his statement with a small scoot as he repositioned himself.
Growing increasingly nervous, Mac started to look around to make sure nopony could see them. Not seeing anypony Mac turned back to Hank and placed his hooves on the human’s knees trying to push him off,
“Please get off Hank, Ah don’t want nopony to see.”
“Not until you give me an example of what you think you could do.” Hank responded putting more of his substantial weight down on the stallion putting a stop to any of the stallion's efforts.
Realizing anything he did was just wasted effort, Mac stopped pushing on the human and again looked around to make sure nobody was around as he grew increasingly panicked, his breathing quickening from the anxiety and weight on his diaphragm.
“Ah don't want anypony thinkin’ Ah’m w-weird, get off!” Remembering what Hank had told his sister, Mac thrust his hips up as hard as he could in an effort to disrupt Hank’s balance and get him off.
Finding initial success, feeling Hank’s weight lift from his torso, thinking he was in the clear, Mac started to think about getting up before he suddenly felt Hank grab his right arm while simultaneously rolling to the left.
Effortlessly bringing Mac with him in the roll they soon landed in the exact same position they were in before, just three feet to Mac’s left.
“You’re not going anywhere until I let you.” Hank said assertively holding Mac down with a hand on his chest, “Though that was a very good use of the umpa, good job.”
Knowing it was fruitless to struggle, Mac let out a heavy sigh, “Hank Ah don’t want another pony ta see another stallion on top of me...It… It jus’ looks bad, could you please get offa me?” Borderline pleading with the man Mac’s ears fell flat against his head as he let out a deflated sigh.
A little confused at first it finally snapped for Hank as he remembered back to that night when Mac and his siblings had came to him for comfort to sleep.
“Mac, none of this is sexual in the slightest. I get it can be uncomfortable but if you want to learn you’re gonna have to deal with it. There is nothing weird going on here between me and you.” Hank explained motioning between himself and the stallion that was still beneath him, “You’re gonna be in these positions for a great many hours while learning these techniques and you’re gonna be in the exact same positions with your enemy when the time comes. Grappling is as personal as it gets when it comes to fighting.”
Looking away from the man, not able to look him in the eye Mac took a deep breath, “What if somepony sees and thinks Ah’m gay?” In a nearly silent whisper Mac asked.
Looking at the stallion for a second Hank looked up and hardened his gaze before looking back down at the stallion who was still looking away from him.
“Hey. Hey. Look at me.” Hank said, lightly slapping Mac’s face, getting the pony to look up at him, “Are you gay?”
“W-what?” Mac stuttered.
“Are you gay?” Hank repeated gently, in the most caring tone he could muster, “Yes or no. Are you attracted to other guys?
“N-No, Ah’m not.”
“Mac, I don’t care if you are, I won’t treat you any different I promise, I’ll think no different of you.” The man reassured.
“A-Ah’m not gay!” Mac said more forcefully.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes! Ah’m sure!” Mac loudly stated getting a nod from the man.
“Then why the fuck do you care about what other ponies think Mac?! You know what you are, why does it matter what a bunch of dumbasses think?”
Huffing Mac looked up to the man, “Cause if even one pony thinks you’re a colt cuddler, and that rumor gets out, your reputation is ruined. Ya lose all your friends, all your business, maybe even your family.”
After hearing that it all made sense to the man as to why Braeburn was so scared about being found out, thinking on it further it started to upset Hank more and more.
“Do ya see now?” Mac asked lowly.
Looking down at the stallion resolute Hank clenched his jaw, “Mac, I assure you none of this makes you gay in the slightest, we’re going to continue with our training and you’ll get used to it as you progress and you’ll realize that. It’s okay to feel a little uncomfortable but I also know no one is going to see us way back here amongst the apple trees anyhow so there is zero reason to worry, Okay?”
Nodding his head, Mac started to calm down with the man’s words.
“If someone does see us though and they want to go around spreading baseless rumors I want you to go right up to them and punch them right in the fucking mouth. You got that? I don’t care if it's in the middle of town. I want you to knock their front teeth down their throat.”
“That being said, I don’t want you to think there is anything wrong with a person being gay.” Hank said still atop the stallion, “ I’m not telling you to rock their shit because being gay is a terrible offence, reguardless of what pony society believes, I say it cause if a pony wants to talk shit then they need to get hit.”
“Ah get it, Ah get it.” Mac assured nodding his head, “Ah….Ah probably shouldn't tell ya this but…” Thinking about whether he should let one of the most serious secrets he knew slip out or not, Mac took a deep breath before slowly exhaling, “You’re understanding and not judgemental. Ya know Brea right?”
A small smile on his face Hank nodded, “Yeah, I know him.”
“Well uhhhhh…. He’s gay.” Mac said, almost not believing he had just told somepony else after he had swore to Breauburn to never tell any other living soul all those years ago.
“I know.” The human stated simply, catching Mac off guard greatly.
“Wa- How?! How did ya hear that?”
Laughing a little Hank pushed off of Mac’s chest and stood back up rolling his shoulders, “He left his edition of “Those who serve” playmare on top of his magazine stack in his bathroom.
“O-Oh. Ah see.” Mac said, rolling himself over and standing up as well, taking the first full breath in what felt like forever, “So it really don’t bother ya if two stallions are, ya know, together?”
Holding the axe by the very end of the handle, pulling it up with just his wrist a few times with each time Hank sighed as he tossed the axe into the air and caught it just below the head, “There are too many things in life that are far more important than worrying about where somebody likes putting their dick or what they want shoved up their ass.”
The blunt wording making Mac blush and avert his eyes away from the man he heard Hank give a short chuckle, “But we’re not here to talk about the opinions ponies hold on relationships right now, if you want to talk about that later we can, but right now I’m teaching you how to kill so let's get back to it.”
Nodding in agreement Mac straightened up as the man cleared his throat.
“So what do you think you could have done to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed?”
“Well Ah tried to step back and maintain distance like ya were talkin’ about but ya still got to me faster than Ah could get reset.”
“And you did a good job at it, you were on your hooves way longer than the first few times. So good job Mac.” Hank praised getting a small smile and another slight blush from the stallion who was not at all used to the positive praise.
“Your first problem is that you’re trying too hard.” Hank said changing his hand position and holding it like he were about to do a downward cat with the tool, “You don’t have to use all your power to get a devastating blow from an axe, especially if you’re built guy like yourself, if you use a little less of your power you’ll be able to stop the swing much sooner and get another one out.”
Walking over to the stump of a long gone apple tree Hank motioned for Mac to follow, “I’ll show ya.”
Having demonstrated different techniques to the stallion for the better part of half an hour and having the red pony run through a few different drills, serious progress was starting to show through Big Mac’s inexperience.
It made Hank happy to see the stallion improve and to see that small smile on his face as he started to connect the dots and formulate his own techniques just as Hank had years before. It was nice being able to just hang out with another guy after so long as well and share in a hobby.
The feeling wasn’t just exclusive for Hank either, Mac thoroughly enjoyed talking with the man and doing things with him, it’d been since he was a colt that he was able to have a relationship with another stallion in this way and he hadn’t realized just how much he had missed it until he had experienced again. Mac felt extraordinarily thankful that Hank had popped into his and his families life, in the short time that Mac had known the man he had become the stallion’s most trusted friend, and as such had seen a side of Mac that not even his sister or Granny had seen in a long time… his talkative side.
Both stallion and man covered in a glistening layer of sweat from the exertion of the training mixed with the heat of the outdoors they both stood still and silent enjoying the feeling as a strong gust of wind passed through the trees and across their wet skin and fur.
Both looking up into the clear sky enjoying the breather Hank looked back toward the ground and saw a small orange shape move from behind a tree before AJ came into clear view heading toward the pair.
“Hey, Mac!” AJ called out getting the stallions attention, “Ah really need your help in the south orchard, Dang wagon sank down into that wet spot again.”
“Eeyup.” Mac said simply before starting to walk toward his sister as she approached as well.
“Ah’ll see you tomorrow Hank.” Mac said with a smile over his shoulder as he walked away.
Smiling back Hank nodded, “Sure will, I’ll drop this axe back off to the house before I leave, make sure you prace what I showed you tonight a little, especially the jab. That translates directly into striking.”
“Ah will!” Mac cassured as he met up with his sister and the two started toward the stuck cart, but not before AJ waved to Hank with a smile.
Waving back to the stetson wearing pony Hank watched as she turned as well, disappearing into the trees of the apple orchard.
Thinking back over the somewhat short discussion he had with Mac as he walked through the trees in the rough direction of the house Hank stopped as he thought of something he really should have said to the stallion as well.
Running his thumb over the blade of the axe as he thought about whether or not he should bring it back up next time the man nodded his head to himself and turned to the direction the two siblings had disappeared off to before starting into a jog to catch up with them, the axe choked all the way up in his right hand.
Hank didn’t know exactly why he felt the way he did, but he definitely felt that Mac may need some reassurance in the area, and that it was best to talk to it while it was still fresh in both of their memories.
Hank didn’t have long to think about it however as he quickly caught up with the pair as they walked along a path to the south orchard, Aj’s orange coat, and Mac’s red coat, showing through the dense foliage more and more as Hank closed the distance.
Slowing down to a calm walk, Hank breached the trees in front of the pair, surprising both of them at his unexpected and nearly silent appearance, only being able to hear any indicators of his presence until he was already nearly in front of them.
Her level of worry dropping instantly as she realized it was just Hank, Applejack smiled as the human started to walk toward them, “Ya must’ve forgotten something awfully important to get here that quick.”
“Oh I just forgot to tell Mac somethin’.” Hank explained, “I’m gonna borrow him for just a second and then I’ll send him right back on his way to help you with that stuck cart.”
Stopping in front of the pair, AJ thought about just what it could be that was so important, her curiosity about her brother’s and Hank’s relationship growing by the minute.
“As long as it don’t take too long,” The orange mare finally said, taking a step forward as Hank did as well.
“Promise it won’t. C’mon follow me bud.” Hank said as he walked past AJ and motioned for Mac to follow him off into the trees, which the red pony did eagerly.
Going a ways in, looking over his shoulder to make sure AJ hadn’t followed them Hank stopped and turned to the red pony behind him as the stallion looked around.
“What are we doin’ here?” Mac asked, curious about just what Hank had in store for him, because surely it was something to do with their training. Hank had endless lessons that he seemed to teach in the strangest, yet incredibly effective, ways.
“I just wanted to say somethin’ to you.” Hank said as he squatted down so he was at eye level with the stallion.
“Yeah?” With a turn to face the human Mac hummed.
Staring straight into the pony’s eyes for a few seconds, Mac stared back before Hank broke eye contact searching for the best way to say what he wanted to, “Look… I’m not great with words but…”
Grumbling to himself Hank sighed before looking back to the pony who was still looking straight at him.
“It’s not that you make me think you are gay or anything but if you were Mac, and you wanted to tell someone, I want you to know you could tell me. Above that though I just want you to know that I’m someone you can confide anything in, your deepest problems no matter how embarrassing you may think they are, you can talk to me and I’ll tell no one else.”
Pausing for a second to get a read on the pony, all the man could see was that Mac was still looking straight at him, no expression on his face, not even an ear twitch. Deciding to keep going Hank reached his left hand out and landed it on Mac’s right shoulder, the small gesture getting a small glance to Hank’s hand from the stallion.
“I won’t tell your sister, I won’t tell Granny, I won’t tell no one. If you need to talk about anything, and I truly mean anything, you can come to me and I’ll make time for us to talk. There’s no need for you to deal with all that shit I know is in your head alone.”
Not a clue if Mac’s dead on stare into his own eyes was a good or bad thing, all Hank truly did know is that the gears in the stallion’s head were spinning a million miles a minute because whenever Mac got like the way he was, he was thinking about something hard.
“The secrets of dead men, dead men that were from a world I no longer call my home reside inside my head, and always will. I swear I’ll uphold the same standard with anything you wish to confide in me. Everyone needs someone they can talk about uncomfortable and… heavy things with, and I know it’s been a long time since you’ve had someone like that but if you don’t want it to be that way any more I’m right here for ya.”
Another pause of silence coming between the two, the only sounds available for the pair to hear being the sounds of the birds and insects around them, Hank slowly took his hand off Mac’s shoulder and brought it back to his own knee.
Getting ready to stand up and tell the stallion that it was time to get going, thinking the somewhat one sided exchange was over Hank was stopped as the red pony said something two quiet to make out but just loud enough to hear over the rustling of leaves.
“What was that?” Squatting back down, the human asked.”
“Why?” In a quiet voice uncharacteristic of the large stallion Mac whispered, looking deep into Hank's eyes.
“Why?” Hank parroted as he squatted back down, “Cause I care about you Mac, and I want you to be happy.”
The short explanation being the absolute simple truth about the human’s intentions the pony was having a hard time understanding. It had been so long since he had someone in his life like Hank, who didn't judge him, didn’t think he was weird, and who truly seemed to want to hear about his problems and help them through them. Hank had been so kind, and so understanding, especially since that night out on the front porch, Mac couldn’t help but feel the human might have ulterior motives, it wouldn’t have been the first time.
Thinking about it for a second, Mac broke from his static pose and took a small step forward toward the crouching human, “But why go through all the trouble of dealin’ with me? Why waste your time dealin’ with all this weird stuff in my head? I’m just a waste a time!”
Taking a few deep breaths to calm himself down Mac sighed and hung his head before turning and walking away from the still crouched human. The pony didn’t get more than a few steps away, however, before a hand clamped around his right shoulder and quickly spun the large stallion around like he was a colt.
Back to facing the human struggled to get out of the man’s grasp to no avail.
“Hank Ah don’t... Jus’ leave me be,'' Macintosh sadly said as he struggled further, trying his damnedest to break free from the human and go off alone like usual.
Try as he might however, the pony simply couldn’t get loose from the human’s vice like grip on his shoulders. The man on the other hand, growing tired of the Mac’s continued struggle to get loose, lost his patience.
With a huff as he did, Hank switched his grip from around Mac’s shoulders to under his arms before lifting up with his legs and arms at the same time, bringing the red stallion airborne.
Held out in front of the human like he was near weightless, Mac very quickly got an understanding for just how strong Hank really was and quickly stopped moving realizing he had no choice over where he went at the moment before his back was roughly pressed against a tree.
The impact knocked the air out of Mac’s lungs and the large stallion coughed as he looked at Hank who was looking at him with a seriousness he’d never seen on the human’s face before, not even the two nights he fought off wolves.
“Now you listen the fuck here!” Hank barked harshly, forgoing any attempt at talking quietly, “You are not a waste of time, you ain’t any of that shit! I don’t know why you think that or who in the hell told ya’ that but there ain’t no reason for it! None!”
Seriously upset at the red pony’s words Hank shook his head, “So what was it Mac? Did you convince yourself that you’re a waste of time? That you ain’t worth the effort? That you don’t deserve to be cared for? Or did some son of a bitch tell you that? Cause I swear if it's the second one... I’ll kill him. I’ve gotten away with murder before and I’ll gladly do it again. I won’t have someone tellin’ you such blatant bullshit!” Hank growled as he turned his head away and spit before focusing back on the slightly shocked stallion, “So which was it Mac?”
Overwhelmed at the mix of stimuli, and terrified that Hank was mad at him, the red pony could feel pressure behind his eyes and his throat closing as a rush of emotions started to push their way through.
“It-It’s me! Ah’m the one wh-w-” Mac admitted before he had to stop talking to keep himself from choking out a sob. He really didn’t want to cry, especially in front of Hank, he wanted to be the tough and strong stallion ponies saw him as, and he definitely wanted to show that in front of the human who meant so much to him. That is if his image hadn’t already been tarnished from before in the man’s eyes. The thought alone along with everything else only added more to the fire as Mac tried to hold his emotions from showing.
Sensing and seeing the change in the pony Hank’s face softened, now mad at himself for handling the situation so poorly, the man cursed himself, looking away from the red pony as he did so.
“Mac, I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, I’m just upset that you think that about yourself.” Hank explained as he slowly squatted down and gently set Mac down, releasing him, “I’m upset that someone as hardworking, kind, and loyal as you could ever. Ever! Think that you’re not worth the time. Not worth love… or whatever it is you’re missing and have so foolishly convinced yourself you don’t deserve. Cause I’m gonna be honest with you, it’s a bunch of bullshit. I know it's harder than this: but you need to stop thinking like that, you’re lying to yourself.”
Patting the stallion on the shoulder as he continued to sniffle, doing his best to hold his tears back, the human moved his hand next to under the stallion’s chin and pushed up, making it so Mac was looking him in the eyes instead of at the leaf littered orchard ground.
“I want you to look at me when I say this, because I don’t say it lightly… You got me?”
The faintest of a nod coming from the stallion as he sniffled again he did his best to look at the man in front of him, looking away for a second before the human’s hand instantly repositioned his head to where he was looking forward again.
“I love you.”
Three simple words said in sequence. That’s all it took to break the last barrier Mac had erected to hold his emotions back. Just like that night on the porch when the farm pont had first admitted his feelings and Hank had accepted him the floodgates were opened.
His level of stress plus the heavy and long pushed down topics that were brought to light combined to bring Mac into a very vulnerable spot emotionally, one that he just couldn’t mask any longer.
The tightness in the stallion’s throat too much to bear any longer Mac finally let go, releasing a loud sob while tears started down his face in earnest from his clamped shut eyes.
Pushing forward blindly for an embrace from the human, Mac quickly found his mark and was guided up where he wrapped his hooves around Hank’s armored chest in a tight hug that was immediately reciprocated by the man.
Simply being there for the stallion Hank continued to pat Mac on the back while he scanned their surroundings for anything coming to take advantage of the brief moment of vulnerability. While nothing seemed amiss Hank was still compelled by his nature to move Mac’s head so it was pressed against his chest instead of over his shoulder out in the open to muffle the sound of Mac crying, not because it annoyed him, but because not much else in the world made Hank anxious like making noise when nothing else was. Plus he figured Mac would appreciate keeping this between them.
As the pair continued to sit under the trees of the old orchard Hank continued to pat the back of Mac’s neck as he gently said reassurances to the stallion as the red pony released his sorrows.
“Ah miss em’ so much.” Mac quietly choked out from his position against Hank’s chest, “They knew Ah loved em’ right?”
“Oh god Mac,” The human exclaimed gently as the stallion started to break down again, “Of course they knew, there is no doubt in my mind they knew.”
Running his fingers through the stallion’s hair a while longer to calm him back down Hank eventually guided Mac’s head back up so he could look the distraught stallion in the eyes, “There should be no doubt in your mind most of all.” Hank said gently tapping the stallion on the head.
Weekly nodding with a sniffle, the stallion continued to hold onto the man, not wanting to let go.
“Not only did they absolutely know you loved them, they’d be proud of the man you’ve grown into. The way I know is because I’m proud of you Mac.”
Upon hearing the words Mac’s lip started to quiver again and he instantly squeezed the human harder, pulling himself back into the human who happily let him.
“It’s okay buddy, it’s okay. I’m here for ya.” The human reassured, rubbing and patting the pony on the back as he quietly sobbed, much unlike the loud pain filled ones before.
Going so long and never hearing those things, never having anyone to support him in ways that only parents could have been incredibly hard on the red stallion, everyone should get to hear those things and experience love like that. Hank knew that, he knew that all too well, his own struggles and deep sealed away pain reminding the man that it was still there, still unresolved.
Scanning around automatically as Hank started to slip into his own mind he noticed an orange shape through some foliage he hadn’t recognized before and focused on it. He already had an idea of what it was but only had his inference confirmed as a gust of wind pushed the dense ground foliage aside for a second to reveal AJ there staring at the pair, tears in her own eyes as she watched from a slight distance.
Locking eyes with the mare, Hank gave a solemn smile and gently motioned for the mare to come to him.
Taking a moment to do so, thinking about whether she wanted to turn around and leave or approach the large man and her brother, Applejack quickly shot down the idea and took slow steps forward through the bush, never taking her wet eyes off the pair.
AJ had growm frustrated at the pair for taking so long when there was a large backlog that she and her brother needed to get caught up on, AJ had initially abandoned the walking path after growing impatient in pursuit of the two to find them and give them an earful about wasting time.
Not having much luck on finding the two large stallions strangely, AJ’s ear flicked when she heard Hank’s raised voice and she immediately headed in the direction of the voice with a huff. Thinking about just what she was going to say to the two stallions.
Hearing Hank’s voice clearer as she closed in on him and her brother she presumed the orange mare picked up the pace a little as Hank’s voice gained another level of intensity. Not long after pushing through a particularly thick section of brush the apple mare was stopped in her tracks as she watched Hank lift up her huge stallion of a brother like nothing and roughly push him into a tree.
Completely forgetting her original reason for tracking the two down, AJ watched unable to look away as the two had a very close heart to heart, her brother opening up and admitting things she had never even started to suspect before.
Hearing the issues her brother had been apparently facing for a long time by himself and then hearing what Hank had to say in return was enough to make her eyes sting with sadness but what really pushed her past the point of no return was watching her brother completely break down after being told that he was loved.
A great level of guilt built in her chest as she started to cry in earnest, AJ tried her best to keep quiet so she didn’t disturb the pair even if she wanted to run up to her brother and give him a hug herself.
Even with the desire to go and hug her sibling, AJ kept herself still and watched as Hank comforted Mac, another level of admiration budding in her heart for the man.As she got her emotions back in check for the most part, Apple jack was careful to sniffle quietly so Hank wouldn't sense her and was about to leave so she wouldn't get noticed before her ears picked up Mac’s doubts about their parent’s knowledge of his affection towards them.
That was what really pushed AJ to disregard her care for being sneaky. The loss of their parents had been very hard on her as well but she was also much younger when they went missing and was able to get over it easier especially when Granny had instantly been there. She had realized it was much harder on Mac than any of them had ever known, he’d always said he was okay and not to worry about him but it was clear now that he was anything but okay and that she should have picked up on that.
Hindsight being 20/20 and the past being unchangeable AJ stopped thinking about it and broke into a quick jog as she neared the pair, Mac looking up to notice his sister before she rammed into him and wrapped him up in a hug as well, her own cheeks wet with tears as well.
Now that AJ was there Hank slowly pulled himself from the embrace and stood up, his knees popping violently as he scanned their surroundings, he needed to get to the meeting spot he had told the two princesses to meet him at, he said he would be there every day Noon to one for a week. So far it had been two days with nothing but he knew they were both busy and he still had to uphold what he had said regardless, it was just who he was.
His attention switching back to the two siblings as they continued to hug, tears still wetting their faces he smiled at the small smiles he saw on both of their faces. Turning to walk away without a word to let the two work through things on their own terms at their own pace he was stopped when he heard Mac’s voice.
“Where’re you goin’?” Mac asked the man as he walked away.
Turning around to see both Mac and AJ looking at him Hank smiled, “I think you two have plenty to talk about and work through without some dumbass making it awkward. That being said you can still come to me with anything you want to talk about Mac, and you too AJ, I figure there’s quite a bit that needs to be said just between you two so I’m gonna go handle my own business for a while. I’ll see you both later”
Leaving all the way this time Hank took a nice and slow walk through the trees, half to clear his own head and get his bubbling up emotions in check but also to check and make sure it was safe for AJ, Mac, AB, and Granny before he left for a while. Taking deep breaths in through his nose as he tried to clear his head to a much less effective degree than he wished, Hank gave up on the endeavor and continued to walk through the trees toward the house and barn, a heavy weight weighing on his shoulders. At the very least he was relieved that Mac was able to open up and let all of his demons out, AJ coming into the picture was just a very fortunate accident and he hoped it would be a place that the two could work from and grow closer.
Dropping his musings as he closed in on the house Hank looked at the broken railing on the porch and the large blood stain that had soaked into the wood as he walked past them and into the house to retrieve his radio and phone he had left while Mac and him did a little training, he didn’t want the irreplaceable equipment getting damaged during a training exercise of all things.
Slipping the phone, screen facing in, into his right pants pocket out of habit he later reached for the radio and turned the volume up a tad before holding down the PPT.
“Zecora how copy?” Hank said clearly and firmly, waiting for a second before he heard a slight click on the speaker and then the accented voice of his girlfriend.
“Loud and clear. Are you heading to the meeting spot? Over.”
A smile on his face just from hearing her voice Hank held the button down again, “Sure am, heading there shortly, though I'm not very optimistic they're gonna show this time either. Over.”
“The one time you don’t show, they will. You know that. What are you going to talk about anyway exactly? Over.”
Turning around so he was looking out the door, Hank leaned against the wall, “I don’t know the specifics myself yet. I’m going to showcase to them how dangerous it's getting around here so they’ll help me do something about it. Over.”
Nothing but silence over the radio Hank knew the zebra was thinking about what to say.
“Please be careful…. Over.” Finally coming across the airwaves Hank smiled.
“You know me and careful don’t get along, I promise I’ll come back home to you though how about that? Over.”
“As long as it’s in one piece I find these terms acceptable. Over. Wait, love you.”
Holding the paddle down so the zebra on the other end could hear his laughter he could practically feel her blush even over a mile away, “Love you too. Over.”
Turning the volume back down with the conversation over, Hank clipped the radio to his left suspender strap and turned to Granny who he had heard walking up behind him while he was talking to Zecora. That same knowing smile on her old face as always the two looked at each other for a second trying to figure each other out before Granny’s smile widened a little bit.
“Do you have a minute to sit and talk sonny?” The elderly mare finally asked, a small waver in her voice from old age.
With a roll of his wrist to look at his watch the human knew he still had a little time before he absolutely had to leave and he wanted to know what Granny was thinking of, he knew it wasn’t going to be just a friendly chat, there was something going on,“I’ve got no more than ten minutes, what’s up?”
“Let’s sit on the porch.” Granny said taking a step forward.
Following suit, Hank made it to the door much faster and held it open for Granny as she passed through getting a “Thank you.” from the old mare in return.
The door closing behind him with a thud as the human walked back out into the late summer breeze Hank turned away from the picturesque scene in front of him and switched his attention to Granny who was now sitting in her rocking chair.
“So what is it this time Granny? I could tell you’ve been thinking real hard on something since that night.” Hank asked as he kept his place on the top step, not wanting to sit.
A genuine series of laughs coming from Granny the old pony shook her head at the man, “You’re real good at readin’ people for a stallion who hardly shows any emotion ya know.”
“It’s a good skill to have. Especially when you don’t like to waste time.” Hank said with a small grin.
Understanding what the human meant Granny shook her head and looked out across her property. Normally she wouldn't let somepony talk to her like that but Hank was no pony and not the "pony" to try and lecture, he wasn't afraid to use whatever tone he wanted or say anything, then again Granny figured you didn't have to be when you have a presence as domineering as Hank.
"Just what are your intentions here Hank?" Granny asked getting the smallest of twitches from the humans face in response.
The broadness of the question confused the man and he turned to the pony, "And just what do you mean by that?"
Now with the man facing her Granny was free to look at the man from his large size, scars, and gear in all. Especially the black rifle he held in his grasp, his trigger finger tapping the side of the worn receiver just above the magazine release. Finally resting on the hardened face of the man, small pupils included as he looked right back into her eyes unwavering.
"What Ah mean is: Just look at yourself. You can do anythin' you anything you please and nopony could stop you, not even the princesses, if what ya did to Princess Celestia is anything to go off of. Is it true? Did ya really knock her out?" Granny changed the subject out of her own curiosity.
A Small, barely noticeable smile punctuated by a curt huff coming from the human Hank confirmed, "Yeah. I ‘bout knocked her head off with how limp she went…. Bitch had it comin'." He added after a few seconds.
"That's what I'm gettin' at. What's stopping you from just goin' off and taking whatever you want and killin' whoever you please?"
Granny's real question finally revealed to Hank he narrowed his eyes a little, "You really think I'd do that?"
"Ah've got to. After hearing all you've done, how can Ah not? Ah won't lie and sugar coat it but Ah've never even associated with a pony like you before. And that's by choice."
"Funny how shit works out huh?" Hank more stated than asked as he checked his watch again seeing that he only had about three minutes left.
Just about the response she expected from the stoic man Granny gave a short humorless laugh just how Hank had said his short humorless half question.
"Ya know it doesn't bother me about what ya've done so much bad, it's that you ain't even a little bit regretful, you enjoyed it and continue to enjoy it." Granny said as Hank looked back at his watch and turned away from her, facing toward the steps.
"Granny if you don't want me around no more just up and fuckin' say it. Explain to Mac, AJ, AB why I won't be around and I'll be out of your hair. Simple as that.” A scowl spreading across his face Hank promised. “You only have two options: Tell me to fuck off and leave or accept I’m a ruthless, vengeful, violent bastard and that I’d do anything for you. That’s all ya got. Cause if you think for a damned second that I’m gonna change myself to fit your liking then you’ve never been more wrong in all of your hundred and whatever the fuck years you've been around.”
Staring dead at Granny for a few moments for emphasis Hank slowly relaxed his posture and face before turning away entirely, picking up his rifle and checking its chamber to make sure it was loaded.
“Well Granny,” Hank cleared his throat attempting to come to a more neutral tone though it didn’t sound much better to the old mare, “It’s been nice, let me know what you come up with when you figure it out.”
Walking off the porch and onto the path, Hank's long strides took him forward at a brisk pace as Granny watched him leave, her eyes never leaving the human until he was completely out of sight.
Letting out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding Granny leaned back in her chair, he's an interesting one alright, Granny thought recalling the short conversation and just how fast Hank's demeanor had changed. At the drop of a pin Hank could become a completely different stallion, and it didn't matter with who he was talking.
Granny knew she had no power over him, she also knew she couldn't keep him away. The three kids had grown very attached to the strange stallion in lighting time, especially Mac. Granny didn't know just what was going on between the two, but she could see the way Mac gravitated toward the human in a way she'd never seen before. A small part of her wondered if Mac was gay like Braeburn is.
The old mare would be surprised if he was, she didn’t get that ‘feel’ that she had before with other ponies in her past or hell, even Braeburn, it was obvious to her when he was just a colt. She was honestly mostly surprised that most of the family hadn’t figured it out yet, but she figured that was a good thing, she knew others would act… poorly with such a revelation. She was just proud that Mac and AJ didn’t let their cousin’s choice in partners change how they treated him, even if they didn’t know that she knew.
Yes, she really didn’t know what was going on between Mac and Hank, but with Mac talking more, and smiling more she couldn't say she disliked whatever it was that was going on. It had been since Mac and AJ’s parents went missing that she had seen him so upbeat and like his old self.
She was screwed if she wanted to banish the human from the property and the family, there was just too much good that he brought to the table, she just hoped that he’d continue to be safe to have around.
<><><> Hank, 3rd person, or whatever I write in, Trail<><><>
Hank’s mood soured a little from his conversation with Granny; he did his best to let the great weather and various sounds of the forest return his previous good mood. The human had always enjoyed being in the woods, even as a young boy. He spent his first night alone in the woods at eight, much to his parents displeasure since they had thought he had gotten lost, but no, he had simply gone against their rules of not staying at his makeshift campsite overnight by not coming home and moving camp pso they couldn't find him and drag him home. The ass whooping was worth it when he came home in the morning, and the small smile of respect he got from his Grandpa after having his ass beat red with a switch was something that still made him smile to his day.
Smiling even now as he thought about it, the human came to a stop directly in front of Fluttershy’s property and reached for his radio, pressing on the paddle as he did so.
“I’m at the meeting point Z so I’m gonna turn my radio down, if anything happens just use the tone system, you remember how to do that right? Over.”
Waiting for a few seconds Zecora eventually responded from the other end, “Sure do. And you’ll be coming home after that right? Uh...Over.”
“Sure will be, see you soon, love you. Over.”
“Love you too. Over.” Zecora responded sweetly, making the man smile. Taking a moment to take in his surroundings as he turned his radio nearly all the way down, with a smile still on his face, he scanned the sky as well before quickly turning his head as he heard the door to Fluttershy’s cottage open.
“I think I may need to re oil your door, squeakin’ a little bit.” Hank said in a raised voice so Fluttershy could hear him from all the way across the front yard.
Choosing not to raise her voice and instead get closer to the man Fluttershy quickly trotted towards him as he took a few steps in her direction as well.
Getting within range of her quiet voice Fluttershy slowed before coming to a stop just after crossing the small bridge, “The door just gets opened and closed so much from letting all the animals inside and out, I think I can get it though. Don’t want to bother you.”
“It’s no big deal Flutters, you’re not a bother at all so don’t worry about it.” Hank dismissed while still keeping his eyes upward, scanning the sky, “I’ll just swing by one day when I’m passing by and oil it real fast, won’t take but a minute.”
"Oh. Well, thank you." Fluttershy accepted with a smile, happy for the help, along with a part of her knowing that Hank most likely wouldn't take no for an answer.
"So what have you been up to recently? I've seen you come by for the past few days… if you don't mind me asking that is."
Taking a moment to scan the sky again before answering Hank soon looked down to the gentle pony, "I actually requested a meeting with Luna and Celestia. They are to come here to link up with me."
Eyes going wide as she remembered overhearing about the meeting he wanted that night fluttershy was shocked, "That's incredible."
"Hm? What is?" Hank asked, glancing at Fluttershy.
"Just that you can tell the princesses that you want a meeting and they'll show up. That's not usually how it works at all."
"Well I dunno if they'll show at all, I gave em a week and a time frame that I'd be waiting for them but they know I mean business. Celestia especially. They also know how serious the issue at hand is." The human explained with a small smile, before it fell as he looked to the stream.
Following the human’s line of sight Fluttershy also frowned when she looked to the previously clear and perfectly clean stream. With a sigh Fluttershy deflated a little, “You’re talking about those wolves aren’t you.”
“Yeah… I am.” Hank grumbled, “This is an issue I just can’t handle on my own, I’ll run out of ammo, or I’ll run out of blood. I need help and I’m banking on Luna and Celestia’s long lives to have some insight on what can be done to get rid of these bastards.”
Thinking it over for a second and then looking at Hank up and down, focusing on all of his previous injuries that had since healed over with scars Fluttershy did her best not to worry too much about the human, but she just couldn’t help it, “Please be careful Hank, I don’t know if we could live without you.”
The uncharacteristically serious topic coming from Fluttershy the man couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he looked into her eyes.
“You’d all be just fine.” Hank said flatly.
“No. No we wouldn’t.” Fluttershy said in an even more uncharacteristically punctual tone, “and the quicker you realize that the happier you and all of us will be.”
Surprised by the usually quiet and meek mare’s confidence Hank nodded, “I’ll see what I can figure out.”
Smile on her face Fluttershy turned to head back toward her home, “Good! And really, please be careful when you go into the woods, we really do like and need you Hank, and feel free to come by some time for some tea!”
“Will do Flutters, see you later.” Hank waved goodbye to the mare as she walked away, “Weird.”
Putting the somewhat strane change in character Fluttershy had just shown behind him the human followed his instincts and quickly got out of the open. Moving about twenty feet into the treeline and looking up to make sure he couldn’t be spotted from the air. Happy that he was undetectable from the sky, Hank then scanned his surroundings to make sure he wasn’t being watched and to identify the best areas to move to if he needed to flank and escape routes in case things got a little too hot.
Not even knowing he was analysing the area around him, his mind being so well versed in doing it, it did it automatically in the background, only speaking up if something stood out, like the brown shape moving steadily through the underbrush.
His mind sending the item of interest to Hank’s conscience, he quickly brought the rifle to the shape while flicking it off safe with his thumb. Trigger finger waiting patiently on the side of the trigger guard Hank watched the shape trying to identify it while keeping all of his senses open for other possible threats.
Watching as it stopped Hank had figured that it was most likely a deer due to the coloration but kept focused on it until he could get a truly positive I.D. It wasn’t much longer until the deer popped its head up from behind a bush, mouth full of some kind hearty stemmed plant, to look around itself that Hank relaxed, and that laser-like focus on his target in his mind subsided.
Putting the rifle back on safe and lowering it the deer was drawn to the movement and froze as it focused on the shape it had previously not noticed. Ears twitching, trying to hear if Hank was making any noise, it couldn’t pick out anything over the breeze as the human sat there completely motionless.
Slowly chewing on the plant in its mouth while continuing to look at the crouching human, the deer decided he wasn't a threat and quietly snorted, turning its focus away from the general direction of the human for a second before turning back and looking up, its ears snapping forward.
Watching the deer closely Hank knew it had sensed something he couldn’t yet and that it had to be up and to his left, the rough direction of the town and more importantly, the capital. Having a feeling he knew what was approaching, a grin came across his face as he kept his eyes on the deer to see how it would react.
Watching animals was something that Hank had learned the immense importance of as a young boy, his countless hours in the woods observing nature teaching things he’d carry with him for the rest of his life. Having animals on the field was one of his favorite things, especially dogs, even if he hated the canine species generally. Most people would ignore a wild dog in the street or in the forest but in more than one instance watching the fauna had saved his life and helped him end others. As such Hank held a keen importance on watching animals, they could sense things much before a human could and even things humans flat out couldn’t. They were living early warning alarms that moved and could give anyone the upper hand if you paid attention and knew how to decipher their behavior.
Soon enough, just as he expected, the quiet flap of wings was finally discernible to human ears and grew in volume as it approached.
While he knew at least one sister was approaching he couldn’t yet discern if there was multiple individuals or not and as such Hank decided to move so he would be not only to the flank of where Celestia and or Luna would most likely land but also slightly behind, just for that much more of an upperhand incase guards had tagged along as well.
By moving rearward he would not only have the tail end of anyone in the middle of the clearing but also be in a position to confront any guards that had been ordered to take up the rear and would otherwise flank him while he flanked the sister(s).
Staying low and moving fast through the underbrush Hank heard the deer scurry off over the tone of what now he could tell were multiple pairs of wings, most likely scared off from his sudden movement.
Taking up position in a heavily covered spot his mind had tagged earlier, Hank only waited for a second before the sound of two pairs of wings grew to a peak right overhead and then went past him before the forms of Celestia and Luna came into view as they slowly lowered themselves to the ground.
Listening just a few seconds more for the sound of more wings while scanning the woods for a second for any possible ground forces converging onto their position, Hank turned back to the sisters to see swords on both of their sides.
“So you can follow directions Celestia, good girl.” The human said lowly to himself as he continued to observe the pair, not ready to expose himself just yet.