When the weather was miserable outside and it forced people to stay indoors, there was one thing they could count on for some entertainment. The good old fashioned board game, the staple of familial entertainment over the years. Whether it be some fantasy role playing game on a fictional, two dimensional landscape, or a murder mystery in the same two dimensional world. A good time was sure to be had by all members of the gaming party, whether they were eight or eighty years old. Of course, age wasn’t the only number that certain people had to be aware of, but this was no number featured on the game box. For Applejack and Butter, that extra number was preparing itself to scupper their evening plans as they settled down to play a game or two to pass the time.

In truth, playing a board game tonight wasn’t just because the weather outside was frightful. There was an air of uncertainty growing between the two, one that was even outgrowing Applejack, which said a lot on its own. The news Princess Luna had given her some time ago had comforted her for many days until she began to wonder. What did that dream of two bodies surrounding Butter mean? Why did one turn pink, as if changing into another person?Did Butter have thoughts about another woman in his life, perhaps someone he spent time with often besides herself? Whilst dreams weren’t exactly the most concrete grounds to pursue someone for the possibility of cheating, Applejack was still worried. She was still growing bigger by the day and without someone there to keep an eye on her and help her through the rough times, she wouldn’t know how to cope. Naturally, her family would be there for her, and so would her friends, but she just wouldn’t have the same level of closeness that she did with Butter. She could tell him things that she wouldn’t dream of telling her friends, on account of just how personal they were. So she planned to use this game night to ask him just what was up and whether she needed to be worried.

Butter had set up on the table in the kitchen for the night of games, and their first round was to be a test of the mind: Chess. Whilst it wouldn’t have been everyone’s choice for first on their board game list, especially Applejack, Butter felt that the night should get more fun as it progressed. That meant sticking all the dull and boring games at the beginning and leaving all the fantastic, fun games until the end. She took her place at the kitchen table and waited for Butter to join her. The game board itself was bigger than most traditional chess boards, along with bigger pieces to help Applejack keep an eye on the action. In fact, all the games they were going to be playing had been sized up a little more than usual, in fairness to Applejack. Though you could not scale them up fully; As time passed it would become a task of balancing their size with Butter’s own, since he would need the most help to move pieces around as Applejack’s size swelled larger. Not to mention expensive if they did not resort to magic to craft such things. Thankfully the magic of their household handled it for now, but time would change that.

Eventually, Butter climbed to the tabletop, sitting himself down with the black section of game pieces. The rules had been explained previously, so after a friendly smile between the pair Applejack took her first move. There wasn’t much she could do on her first move, so she did what most did and moved a pawn two spaces forwards. Butter repeated her move, leaving the board looking the same on both sides. Hardly gripping stuff, and it showed in the next three moves, as Applejack appeared to move her first row of pawns forwards. Butter was the only one to show a little variation. Moving his pawns up in a wave pattern, he kept up a wall of defense while keeping his backline pieces stationary.Applejack saw some of his scheme when, after taking one, Butter moved his knight and took her bishop. By now the board was beginning to look a little cramped and despite the enlarged pieces, Applejack’s oversized fingers still caused problems. When she went to move a piece, she found herself knocking over several others. This then delayed the game whilst she picked those up and restored them to their usual positions. There were also a few debates when this happened to Butter’s pieces as he often accused her of putting them back in the wrong place. The more pieces got added to the board, the more frequently Applejack seemed to be knocking them about.

It was proving troublesome for the pair as, for a game that could take a long time under normal circumstances, it was looking that this one would go for an eternity. Once the first half-hour was up, both Applejack and Butter were a little frustrated and bored of chess. As such they chose to abandon the game in favour of setting up something new. Whilst Butter went about trying to do just that, Applejack prepared her first set of questions for Butter in the silence that followed. Just mulling them over repeatedly, carefully arranging her thoughts and making sure of what to say. She watched as Butter set up their next game; the classic time waster that was Monopoly. Applejack couldn’t remember a time when she had actually managed to complete one game to the end. They’d always resulted in arguments over who had the most small businesses and whether someone was cheating or not. Feuds could easily break out over it, so naturally Applejack and Butter were going to be taking things a little less seriously to be safe. Once the game was all set up, the pieces arranged and the dice prepared, things were ready to begin. It was then that Applejack spoke up with her concerns.

“Butter, before we begin, can ah ask ya somethin'? It’s kind o’ important…”

Putting down the shoe piece he'd selected, Butter looked up at Applejack. “Hm? Sure, what’s on your mind?”

“Ya wouldn’ happen t’ have feelings fer a friend o’ mine, would ya?”

Butter looked baffled. “No? Did one of your friends say something?”

“Well, no, but ah heard that ya were visiting Pinkie Pie lots, well at least that wus wut it sounded like. Ah jus’ wan’ t’ be sure about whether or not it wus true.” Applejack had thought for some time over who the pink woman could have been. She knew that several Ponyville residents had pink fur much like her friend, but Butter was rarely anywhere else but by her side. The only pony therefore that was pink and often close enough to have built a relationship with her little man was Pinkie Pie.

If any of her friends were a cause for concern then reluctantly Applejack had to concede it would be the party mare. While usually very innocent, Pinkie's actions often placed her physically against anyone she was spending time with. Whether hugging, holding hands, bumping playfully or tackling them with enthusiasm she had many ways of keeping in contact with someone. Plus, another point the farmer was wary over was all of her friends were very pretty or beautiful, with Pinkie Pie being the most outgoing with it. She sometimes wore clothing that hid nothing of her robust figure and even less could be found in her wardrobe that didn't draw the eyes. There were even times she had shown among her friends that clothing could indeed be optional for things like slumber parties and relaxing in her room. Her bright and cheerful personality further drew others in, and she had gained many admirers because of it.

“Pinkie Pie? Well, I mean yes I visit her a couple times a week. She helps me find suppliers actually for all of our food. We’re definitely friends too – anybody who’s a friend of yours is a friend of mine! But we’re not…I mean that’s all we are, friends!” Butter explained. “I don’t know who you heard it from, but I’m not seeing anyone behind your back.”

Applejack breathed a sigh of relief, following up with a smile at Butter to assure him. Assuming Butter was being honest, then things weren’t as bad as she thought. Perhaps she could forgive him for having one silly dream, which Princess Luna herself had told her was not a reoccurring one. Still she held suspicions; even if Butter was in the clear for now, she would most likely keep an eye on Pinkie Pie in the future for anything hinky. Even if everything was just friendly and typical of her friend, there were times that boundaries didn’t seem to exist for that girl. For Butter’s part, he took a moment before he smiled back at her, but it seemed that he hadn’t thought about her actions too much. Not that she could see into his mind, but she hoped that was the case. He was likely more interested in trying to beat her at this particular game, and her talk had held them up. The problem was, she didn’t need to play the game to know that this one was going to be a bust as well. All the little pieces that represented the players and the businesses they owned, along with the many cards, were simply a recipe for disaster. She would much rather play something that was much more appropriate for someone of her size.

When she was younger and growing up, in both height and age, she used to wrestle with her brother. At first he was the one who had been getting the upper hand and winning each round they played, aside from the times that Applejack was allowed to win. When she developed a little more in the way of musculature, then things changed and the tables were turned. Now, Applejack was capable of twisting her brother into submission in a matter of minutes. Though, once her height got more excessive, she was a little more careful around her brother when they did wrestle. Eventually they put a stop to it when she towered over him, as she was worried that she might cause more damage than fun. Whilst Butter was waiting to play the game, she was thinking about how they could be doing something similar. She didn’t have to worry too much about Butter being damaged; he seemed to be a little more resilient than most. If the stuff in the past was anything to go by, then being flattened under her body some more wouldn’t be that harrowing for him either.

“Hey Butter, instead o’ playin’ these silly games, how’s about we do somethin’ a little more fun?”

“Fun? What’s wrong with this?” Applejack placed her big hand down by the board, her thicks digits and palm able to engulf Butter’s entire torso by now. Her thumb was easily bigger than most of the pieces even with them scaled up. Considering she’d struggled with chess pieces close to half his size it was a strong argument. “Oh, fair point. Well what’s on your mind?”

“Well, how’s about a li’l bit o’ wrestlin’ t’ start, followed by a couple o’ other special games o’ mah choice?”

Butter looked up at his giant wife. “Wrestling?” She nodded, eagerly, and he hoped he wouldn’t regret this. “Alright, but only if we can come back to this if it’s – if we’re not having fun.”

“Sure, ah tell ya wut, ah’ll even leave th’ game set up, so we c’n jus’ come back t’ it if ya ain’t satisfied. Sound good?”

Butter nodded and removed himself from the table, whilst Applejack just scooted her chair back and waited for him. Once they were gathered at the side of the table, Butter led the way to their wrestling ring for the evening. Well, it wasn’t much of a ring; it was essentially the floor in the living room. Enough floor space for Applejack to lie down and roll around and more than enough space to accommodate Butter as well. Applejack stripped down to her underwear, to make her movements a little easier, whilst Butter followed suit and stripped to his boxers after admiring his better half. It wasn’t exactly the most glamorous of settings for wrestling, but it would suffice. Butter stood at one end of the room as she pushed a few pieces of furniture out of the way. Then, instead of standing or sitting, Applejack laid down on her front and beckoned him towards her in a taunt.

“Well c’mon Butter, ah’m ready. Or are ya chicken?”

Bouncing a little on his feet, Butter looked at the mountain of mare in front of him with trepidation. He didn’t know how he could possibly win this wrestling match, but he was going to give it a damn good go. Plus, he wasn’t against being able to play with her body like this too. He charged ahead and leapt at her shoulder, a grunt escaping as he scaled her body and rolled onto her back. He hopped down her spine and her shoulders, gripping at the flesh as he went. He tried to remember the rules of wrestling and how one could be considered being pressured into submission. The only move he recalled however was one where the legs were pulled up and the arms were pressed to the floor to prevent movement. Accomplishing such a thing was going to be nigh on impossible at his size, but there had to be some way to accomplish it. He bounced onto her backside and paused for a moment whilst he tried to find his footing. Both to admire and be careful; The wobbly, round yet firm rump made it hard to keep a steady footing on. A pleasant sigh from Applejack told him that she was enjoying things for now, not acting, but he hurried on once he could.

Applejack was keeping a secret from Butter, one she wasn’t going to reveal to him anytime soon. She knew he wasn’t going to be able to put her in any sort of submissive wrestling pose, that much would be obvious to anyone. While she was grateful for not having to play any of those other silly board games, she was ecstatic to be receiving a free massage. Rarity would never be able to know about it, otherwise she’d be getting dragged down to the spa on an almost regular basis. She certainly didn’t need that, not when she had her own small masseuse, one she didn’t have to shell out tonnes of money for. To keep up the illusion that this was something Butter could win, she had a few tricks planned. Whenever it seemed like he was trying to move a part of her body, she would help him subtly. If ever the opportunity presented itself, she would also ‘escape’ his hold, perhaps conveniently giving him a welcome embrace with various parts of her. There’d be an element of overreaction to it, but if it made Butter continue with his unwitting massage, then what did it matter?

A small tug on her leg told her Butter was trying to lift it. Looking back over her shoulder, she responded by gradually lifting it, giving it just enough weight to drag the poor stallion’s work out. When he finally had her bent at the knee, she realized he was trying to push it down by her rump. Feeling mischievous, she let him grunt and struggle until slowly lifting her leg up further, which sent Butter’s unsteady stance atop her thigh up into the air, literally. His little legs kicked aimlessly for a second, before his weight pulled her the rest of the way, pinning him gently between heel and cheek. The effort was punctuated by a little groan as she pretended to struggle against him. Some of it was genuine, as the stretching of her muscles proved to be most enjoyable. She could imagine the look on Butter’s face as her leg moved under what would have seemed like pressure from him. Perhaps it wasn’t totally honest of her, it could even give him delusions of his strength, but at the moment it was doing no harm to anyone. Even if he did complain, it would soon be erased once she claimed he had won. She had every intention of losing the match, regardless of what shape Butter put her in. She was just happy to be playing something a little more physical and entertaining, as opposed to the alternatives. As her foot pressed against her rear, she felt Butter’s tiny grip release and she stopped where she was.

Butter moved to her other leg and repeated the act, this time hopping at the right moments when Applejack, unknown to him, helped him along. When both legs were resting against her backside, and Applejack was groaning in enjoyment, he stalled over what to do next. Just the task of moving both tree-trunk legs had taken a lot out of him, and to complete the pin he would have to somehow capture her arms. He pondered for so long that Applejack wondered if he was stuck admiring her two large feet, which wiggled in his view to test that. It caught Butter’s attention, to be sure, but he turned hastily and she face forward before he caught her watchful eye. The next thing she felt was him moving up her spine, prompting her to lie still. The smaller stallion began tugging on her shoulders, which took her some time to interpret. Then she had to figure how to accomplish this without cottoning him on to her ruse, as it needed to stay limp but also move. Thankfully Butter helped her some by halting, sliding off of her body, and then digging under her armpit some to try and forcibly lift her by the upper arm. The sensation made her giggle, her legs kicking in the air idly in a moment of failed acting in delight. The ticklish feel of his fingers so close to her armpit almost ruined everything, but she regained her composure before he moved back and caught her, slowly lifting her arm alongside his actions. With his vision blocked she was able to place her arm behind her back, in a comfortable position, and then Butter climbed back atop her. A stifled sigh escaped the farmer as a knot she didn’t know of loosened while Butter tugged her fingers closer to her feet. Once she was in the position that he recalled, he leapt into the palm of her hand, hands griping the bottom of her wide heels. It was his way of enacting the pose out as one would in a real wrestling match, just on a more miniature scale. It took Applejack a few moments to cotton on, but once she did, she let him know that he had won.

“Alright, alright! Ya win! Ah give in!” She said with a laugh. The entire match had gone on for several minutes without her moving or acting once, and that was just fine with her. She could feel Butter’s delight at his victory as he leaped up and down in celebration, which further massaged her back.

“Yes! Yes!” He squeaked.

Applejack smiled and twisted her body to pick him up, the startling physical act making him yelp and flush. Carrying him around as she sat up, she placed the stallion on her lap. “So, wut shall we play next, huh?”

“Well, we could go back to the Mono-”

“Or, we could play somethin’ else like…ah dunno, hide and seek?”

“Aren’t you a little…not little? That doesn’t seem fair.”

“So? Ya worried ya won’t be good at it?” Applejack taunted.

“Pssh, I could hide from you easily! You want to play hide and seek? Lets play hide and seek!”

So that was settled; their third and unfortunately final game would be hide and seek. A favourite of children all over the world, it was usually played outside. However, with a little tweak of their environment, it could easily be made to work indoors just as well. This came from everything in the room being magically sized up, thanks to the charm upon the homestead favoring Applejack’s scale. So instead of having the vastness of the outside world to hide in, Butter was going to make do with the domestic jungle. Applejack would be seeking, naturally, and if Butter could go an entire half hour without being captured, then he would win. That meant they’d go back to board games as he had won both games. If Butter got caught, then that would make the overall standings a draw. Applejack came up with a solution to that, insisting that if she won, then as she was the most recent winner, she got to choose what happened next. Butter agreed, still high on his victory and assuming he could easily grab a second. So the stakes were set, and all that was left was to actually start the game.

Applejack closed her eyes, placing her palms over her face as an extra attempt to block out the surrounding world. She began to count down from fifty, which gave Butter his time to hide in the large house. He knew that whichever direction he went, he would have to commit to, as it would likely take far too long to swap midway through.There was a couch to the left of him, and if he could get far enough under it, he would have enough time to plan his next move. He set off at a sprint with Applejack reaching the number forty in her countdown. His heart beat in his mouth from the moment he started sprinting, already feeling tense at the situation. Like the cat and mouse this was a hunt, and he was the lucky, tiny, prey of the big, southern, predator. As she reached the thirties and kept going, Butter got on his knees and crawled under the couch.

As he moved between the dust bunnies and one smelly left sock, he hushed his breathing and laid as still as possible. There was just enough room for him underneath the furnitureto lay comfortably, and turning he could see Applejack’s bare feet wiggle and bounce as her countdown began to end. Once she reached fifty she was off, dropping to her knees instantly as she scoured the floor for any signs of Butter. Fortune proved to be in his favor for now as she turned toward her right, away from the couch and instead toward the television.Applejack began checking behind it and inside of the small cabinet underneath. She suspected he would take one of the more obvious hiding spots, since although not too small he was far from fit to have run far, not at least beyond the living room’s confines in the time she’d given him. When the coast was clear of stallions, she sat back on her haunches and thought over her next search. Seeing her pause, Butter meanwhile decided he needed to better hide himself. Scooting over to the lost sock, his nose caught a whiff of the repugnant smell of a long ago work day still evident in its dusty fibers. Even his appreciation of feet did not welcome such company, but as Applejack turned and thumped her arms back down to crawl he knew that time was short.

The second most likely spot to the farmer was under the couch. She turned and moved over to it and flopped down, intentionally letting her weight settle hard. Hide and seek was part mind after all; you had to both find the hidden as well as jar them from their spots with scare tactics. Before even looking she took a deep breath and puffed out a loud breath, blowing several dust bunnies out the other side and making her own nose get tickled in the blowback. Turning her head, she eyed the underside and saw nothing of Butter, the only remaining occupant an errant sock. A few more sweeps around revealed nothing further, but she was certain she was circling closer by the minute. Underneath the clumped up sock, Butter sat still and unmoving, just barely hidden by it at this angle. When Applejack moved on once again in her search, he realized he would have to move too, since once she had eliminated the most obvious spots, she would recheck old ones and perhaps up the ante by moving furniture. The question was just where.

With Applejack’s heavy footsteps filling the air there were not many avenues of escape. There was the side table next to the couch, whose underside was taller than the couch by a fair margin and easy to crawl over to. Then there was the television stand, across the open ground and blocked by Applejack for now. Both were viable locations for distance and time, but not so much for hiding. The next, and only remaining piece of furniture therefore was the small cubbyhole-slash-table by the front door. It was mainly used to drop the mail on and to store Applejack’s work boots, to reduce tracking in mud and the like. Butter also used it, the size easily able to hold his own shoes in addition to hers, and because they both preferred to walk around the house in socks or barefoot. He could hide behind her shoes in the shadows and avoid being seen better.

So that settled it; With a sock having veiled him from Applejack so far, Butter was confident the answer lay in the feet. While Applejack moved over to peer into the kitchen in her investigation, Butter crawled back out from under the couch and hurried over. Her work boots were clear of most of the muck gathered in the fields, allowing him to climb and push past them without dirtying himself. The thick and heavy leather was a difficult obstacle to clamber over, but as he settled into the nook between heels, his chest puffed up with pride. He had managed yet again to avoid her gaze. Victory was all but assured in his mind now.

If only that had actually been the case. Applejack, hearing his pattering feet run over the floor, had turned her head and spied the little stallion at last. Defeat, it seemed, was going to be his sole outcome instead. But she did not swoop down on him immediately. A predatory grin covered her muzzle as she pondered on how to toy with him before finally closing in for the kill. Even without seeing her expression or gaze, Butter felt as if something had dumped a bucket of ice water over him, sapping the pride he had felt upon hiding. His nerves were suddenly shot, his heart pounding in his ears, but he still tried to calm himself and focus. Getting antsy while hiding was always how you lost to the real pros when playing this game. Every child on the playground knew this, and although certainly not a little colt anymore, he wasn’t so far from his years there that he had forgotten that all important lesson.

Butter wasn’t going to let that happen; he was going to make all the right moves and beat Applejack. He was going to get the chance to play Monopoly and she was going to lose at that too! He sighed in relief as Applejack began to search the couch again, muttering something about how he must have hidden himself up high as cushions were tugged. The minutes ticked by slowly, counting down to the half-hour deadline. Applejack continued to stomp around the living room and first floor, her footsteps slapping hard against the polished wood. At one point she even moved to the little cubbyhole Butter was in and kneeled down to peer inside. The stallion sweated it out, her muzzle only a few feet from him, the gusts of her breathing blowing around his mane as she peered intently into the dark. The little noises and hums of curiosity she kept making were agonizing to his heart as it thundered in his chest, but eventually she moved on again, hollering his name and taunting him to come out.

Finally they were down to the last five minutes of play. Applejack had an almost permanent grin on her face now from all the teasing she had been laying onto him. Stomping around, calling his name, taunting and teasing him with funny names and promises of what she would do once she found him. Butter’s face had long since stained itself red all throughout and he was almost tempted to give in, if only to see if she was telling the truth about some of it. The giant mare’s own heart was pounding in joy at having played this game. Gone were the fears and anxiety that had begun their foray into a game night together. The earlier wrestling had soothed her physical sores and now hunting Butter had given her a more emotional release. Even the sky outdoors had cleared enough for sunlight to shine through, and walking over to the front door, a final attack came to her.

“Well Butter, if ya won’t come out, ah guess ah’ll jes go out myself!” She declared loudly, making a spectacle of it as her eyes watched the table next to her. Predictably there was a squeak; Butter, realizing what she had meant, knew that his hiding spot was about to be compromised. He looked to either side but it was no use. If he fled now she would catch him before the last minutes were up, and if he stayed she would find him all the same. Applejack sat her thick rump down right across from the cubby and turned to present her feet at him. The sight momentarily distracted Butter, still steaming from the earlier taunts she had used to try and draw him out. It was all the opening she needed, and Applejack struck! Reaching out, her hand ‘accidentally’ knocked one boot over as it grabbed the other, flopping it atop Butter. As he tried to push it off, her hands moved and grippe both boots firmly, sandwiching him between the leather of both and hiding him from her sight for a bit longer. She pulled them out, careful to not snicker or let her face betray the act despite her horrible lying skills. Then, she released the lower boot to flop onto the floor between her legs, which in turn caused her to released Butter a few seconds later as her fingers grabbed ahold of it, and then slipped off of him on the other side. Butter finally yelped as he fell the few feet into the hole and onto the padded insole, his nose assaulted by the sweat and musky scent around him. Applejack’s large shoe size even for a giantess allowed him plenty of wriggle room, and knowing the jig was likely up he simply tried to climb out before a foot came down and squashed him between it and the boot.

Suddenly he could hear something; Applejack finally couldn’t take it and laughed aloud. Her deep belly laugh boomed out in the air as she clutched at her stomach and grabbed ahold of his temporary home. Lifting it, and him up, the victorious mare smirked and simply whispered ‘gotcha’ at his crestfallen face. She made no effort to extract him, wanting to make sure he stayed right where she had him until he admitted it himself.

“Well Applejack, I guess you won after all.” He finally conceded. “So what’ll it be?” Butter sighed, dejected at the thought of not being able to play his board games again.

Pondering the question, Applejack realized that she was more than willing to try and tackle the boardgames again. “Well ah’m still in th’ mood t’ play, so how’s about we finish that game o’ Monkeyparty or whutever…”

“Monopoly,” Butter corrected her, heart lifted by her pity. “You really mean it?”

“Sure do! Might even be fun, but ah say we put a bet to it. Spice it up a bit…” Applejack confirmed, thoughts moving on as she carried him to the kitchen table once more. All of that stomping had tired out her soles, and she was sure she could claim even more victories with the right wagers. One thing was for certain: The day might have started off sour, but the end would be sweet and enjoyable for the couple.