This chapter is a soft edit with some grammar and spelling corrections. A final edit is pending review and will be uploaded when finalized. I apologize in advance for any errors that were not corrected.

As the midday sun approached overhead, three magically gifted mares made quick fixes to a familiar-looking wagon. The work of one of these mares appeared to be far more rushed than the others.

"Trixie," Starlight called out, trying to win over her friend's attention. "I know you said you wanted to leave as soon as possible, but not all of these spells are going to hold your wagon together for long. You could easily end up breaking down in the middle of nowhere. You need a real replacement for the broken wheels and axle. I don't even think the tarp will hold up against any strong winds or even a gentle rainstorm."

Trixie remained un-flinched by the warnings as she continued to resort to the mess of items spilled out from her home. "It's fine. The rest of the repairs can be done in Appaloosa. The wagon only needs to last until then."

"Trixie," Twilight spoke with concern. "I understand that you're scared, and I can't make you stay. But you should reconsider staying here. We still can use your help, and you'll be much safer if we can-"

"Not. Interested." Trixie was quick to turn down the offer. "You're doppel, and the darkness found me here; they can find me again. So I'm leaving. End of story, Princess."

It was hard for Twilight to sound convincing on any reason to stay while helping her get ready to leave. "Yes, I remember you saying so. But I also remember that my doppel said she wouldn't try to reach out to you again. And that the darkness only found you because it followed the doppel. But even then, if either of them can find you in the dream realm, then it won't matter where you-"

"Yes, Twilight. Trixie is well aware of this. But do you not recall what else the doppel said?" She turned to Twilight, frustrated with having to explain herself. "She told Trixie that she could not see or feel anything past my bridge. Which means she didn't find me in the dream realm. She was looking for me here. Even if she couldn't find me, or the humans, like she said, it's very clear that she can see things in the real world. So, -" she turned back to the shrinking pile of stage props and other personal items still unsorted "-the further Trixie is from here, the safer Trixie will be."

Starlight raised the rear end of the wagon with her magic and slid a now intact wheel back onto the axel. "Okay, that's the last of the repairs." She eased her magic down to lower the rear wagon wheels back to the ground. She watched and listened carefully as the wagon creaked through all of its wooden joints, and metal fasteners came under the weight of itself. She sighed with relief as the magic dissipated and the repairs held together.

Starlight walked back from behind the wagon to join the other two, meeting Trixie, who carried the rest of the supplies haphazardly all clumped together, ready to dump them in the back end of the wagon. "Trixie, we can't keep you here, but we both think that you'll be much safer with us. If the dreams come back, I'm sure there's a spell that can help-"

She stepped to the side as Trixie walked past her, still unwavering in her determination to leave. "-or maybe even get Princess Luna to help you. That's kind of her specialty, so-"

Trixie dropped the rest of the items into the wagon with a loud crash of the mixed items toppling over each other and stopping Starlight mid-sentence. Trixie sighed again, running out of patience with these two. She turned around, meeting Starlight face-to-face again.

Starlight was doing her best to hold back her emotions. She was scared for her friend. So much had happened in such little time since actually first becoming friends. Now, she was leaving with so much unknown danger overhead.

"Trixie... I've barely just started getting to know you. And now you're not even acting like the Great and Powerful Trixie that I came to know and love. You're my first real friend that I've made on my own since-" Starlight started to choke up, tears welling up. She closed her eyes, trying to push back the pain she was feeling for not being able to properly help her first real friend in her time of need. Scared of losing her for good.

Starlight felt the warmth of an embrace wrap around her. She opened her eyes to see Trixie holding her tightly again and returned the gesture. "Sorry. I just don't want anything bad to happen to you again."

"I know," Trixie answered softly. A few notes of sorrow as she spoke. "And you're right. I'm not acting like myself." She pulled back and released Starlight. "I'm usually far more brave and bold. Even if I'm actually scared or nervous, I don't let that bother me. But now... I feel... different. Everything feels different. Inside and out. Even my thoughts have changed."

Trixie made her way to the front of the wagon with Starlight following. "It's a little hard to explain. It's like I used to have smaller thoughts before."

Trixie started to fasten herself into the straps to pull the wagon. "But now, it's like I have bigger thoughts. I can mentally see more, and everything from how my body feels, what I smell, what I hear. All of those things change how my thoughts form."

She began to tighten the straps. "I know none of that probably makes any sense. I don't even understand it myself. I just know that..."

She looked down to her feet, saddened by her own thoughts. "I'm not going to be any safer by lying to myself or any pony around me, and I don't care about what they think about me because of it."

"It sounds like the fear of death has made you reevaluate your life, Trixie." Twilight finally spoke up again.

Trixie turned to Twilight, then back to her feet again. "Yes, that might be true, but there's more to it than that."

Trixie raised her head up, looking far out beyond the limits of Ponyville. "Best of luck to you, both of you. Trixie will not forget the kindness and favors you have given. Thank you again."

The straps grew taut as they were pulled along with Trixie heading out for the desert lands of Appaloosa, her wagon making trails in the soft soil behind her. She didn't even look back to see the tears still falling from Starlight's eyes or the generous waves she gave as she wished her fair well.

Twilight stood idly by, watching Trixie venture farther and farther away. "We did everything we could, Starlight. She's doing what she thinks is best for her and everypony else," she said, doing her best to give comfort to her only student.

Starlight turned back to Twilight, unable to mask her concern. "She's going to be fine out there on her own. Right?"

Twilight smiled. A mix of putting up a strong front and honest faith behind it. "Trixie has proven herself to be very resourceful when she wants to be. And no pony can make it out there for as long as she has without being able to take care of themselves. She'll be fine."

Starlight sniffed hard to clear her nose and wipe away what tears she could. "Yeah, you're right. She'll be fine."

Twilight turned around and motioned for Starlight to follow. "Come on. Let's head back to the others. We still have a lot of work ahead of us."

Starlight said nothing but followed along closely behind. They both made their way closer to Ponyville, close enough so that they could teleport back. With a flash and a pop, they both reappeared in the castle. Though, upon return, they found it rather quiet. The two looked at each other. They shared the same confusion of such a calm atmosphere.

"Did they leave without us?" Starlight asked.

"I suppose they might have if they finished up early," Was Twilight's reply.

The silence was interrupted by the sound of crunching and cracking with what sounded like glass or crystal breaking upon itself. The noise was coming from the table map room where everypony else was working out of just before they left. The sounds continued, sharp snaps and cracks rising every few seconds. The two gulped, fear rising as they recalled Trixie's nightmare storytelling.

Was this what she heard? Had such a frightening manifestation from the abyss found its way here?

Starlight stepped closer to Twilight. With a shaky voice, she uttered: "That sounds an awful lot like-"

"No, it doesn't!" Twilight answered prematurely, in a high-pitched squeak of panic.

Starlight wasn't comforted with Twilight's response, as it came with no confidence. "Well, we can't just not investigate."

"Right," Twilight agreed, sounding more confident. "Maybe it's mice?"

"Do mice normally make nightmare noises?" Starlight asked.

They slowly made their way down the empty hall to the door leading to the table map room. The cracks and snaps growing louder with every step. Soon, they were close enough to hear the more distinct crackling and tings of crystals shards grinding together. As they drew even nearer, the occasional sloshing of a dense fluid flowing and swirling would be heard.

Just paces away from the entrance Twilight had formed a shield around them both, and Starlight's horn glowed brightly, charged and ready to blast the first dark anything that had the misfortune of moving in their general direction.

Slowly, Twilight pushed a door open to the room where their fears could be heard. "Rarity? Pinky Pie? Anypony there?"

The door creaked open, giving access to an even higher volume of the nightmarish noise. "Mmm, just me, guys," Answered a young reptilian voice.

"Wait a minute," Starlight spoke up, the frustration of embarrassment changing her tone. She swung the door open the rest of the way.

There sat Spike in Twilight's chair, munching away at a massive bowl of gems and a tall glass of milk.

"Spike!" Twilight exclaimed.

"What?" Spike answered defensively. He looked down again at the size of the bowl. "I got a late start to the day, so I'm having a bigger breakfast than usual. This is a totally reasonable-sized breakfast for a growing dragon like me." He stuffed his face with another handful of gems and started to munch on them again. The same nightmarish noises continued from his breakfast as he reached for a tall glass of milk to quench his dry mouth full of gem shards."

Twilight groaned, her overactive imagination had gotten the better of her, as she dropped her shield. "You're fine, Spike. Keep eating your breakfast." She made her way into the room, carrying the weight of all her frustrations of the recent days. "Spike. Where is everypony else? Did they leave already?"

Spike swallowed another mouthful and wiped his mouth clean. "Well, from what I overheard before they left, Pinky Pie went back to work, Rarity, Fluttershy, Applejack all went back home to get their own stuff to help the humans, and Rainbow Dash went ahead of everypony else to be a guide for the humans."

Spike readied another handful of gems to drop into his mouth but hesitated and pulled his hand back. "You know, for an extra allowance, I could show the humans around Ponyville and be their guide." Spike smiled that used car salesman smile, hoping to sell this deal before Twilight knew what hit her.

Twilight sat her saddlebag down on the table, prepping it to be filled with the supplies she would need for the day. "Spike. You haven't even met any of the humans yet."

"Okay. Okay." Spike eased off, not wanting to push the sale too hard and scare away the deal. "I completely understand, Twilight."

Twilight continued the conversation as she added the variable few items to her bags. "Thank you, Spike. You don't know the kind of stress this has created for me since it all started."

Spike flipped up one gem, catching it in his mouth, and chomped down on it. "No worries, Twilight. You just focus on working out the details after I meet them, and I'll focus on the finances." He popped another gem up to catch but immediately felt a cold, dark stair cast upon him. He opened one eye as he held his mouth open, waiting for the morsel to find its place. Twilight's grim expression said what a thousand tombstones couldn't.

"Or maybe we just discuss if it's even a possibility another time?" He apologetically offered with his childish grin.

The gem finally came down, thudding and bouncing off his forehead. Angry Twilights can make dragons momentarily forget about mid-air gemstones. He dropped the rest of the gems still in his claws into the bowl and jumped out of his seat to fetch the gemstone that was making its lucky escape.

Twilight groaned again in frustration, pulling out a book 'Gryphon Diplomacy and History' from her satchel and replacing it with a 'General Diplomacy and Tactics' book instead. "I swear he drives me up the wall with his little antics like that."

Starlight giggled. "Come on, Twilight. You have to admit, not only does he do a lot for you, he does a lot for you while putting up with all of us. Can you really blame him for wanting to get out to do something else or, heaven forbid, get even a little extra allowance?"

Twilight looked down the hallway Spike ran down in pursuit of that elusive gem. He was lying on his side and pressing himself between an old china cabinet and a stack of cardboard boxes that were full of damaged and worn-out books.

Spike squirmed to get in farther, the gem just out of reach. She watched as he brought a leg up and pressed his claws into it. He pushed against it and forced himself farther in.

Twilight just barely heard him yell, "Got it!" as the side of the cardboard box gave way and spilled the mass of loose pages from the tattered books that quickly buried him. His little legs fluttered and kicked, unable to free himself from the damaged literature.

Just as faintly as before, she heard him yell again. "Awe, nuts! A little help, please?!"

"You know," Twilight admitted. "-I think even I could benefit from having him out of the castle for a while."

"Having who out of the castle?" Came Rarity's voice, unannounced.

"Rarity?" Twilight turned around to greet her. She saw Fluttershy had returned as well. "Oh, and Fluttershy. What are you two doing back here? I thought you went home?"

Rarity quickly walked over to her spot at the table. "Oh. Well we did, but you see I forgot my good idea pencil here, so I came back to pick it up. Fluttershy just happened to be traveling with me at the time."

Rarity levitated her good pencil up and placed it back in her little sketchbook. Heading back to the exit, she saw the lower half of Spike sticking out of a pile of book pages. His short legs and tail flailing and thrashing about as he tried to free himself. "Umm, Twilight. Just what exactly has Little Spikey Wikey gotten himself into this time?"

Twilight turned just enough to take in the spectacle as well. "Oh? Spike? Chasing down breakfast."

Rarity could only imagine there was a story behind it all but decided to let the mystery live on. "Ah, yes. I see. Breakfast..."

She shook her head. "Actually, no. I don't see it at all. It looks like he's just struggling for no good reason at all." She chuckled to herself for a moment. "He's simply is just adorable the way he gets himself into these kinds of things, isn't he?"

Fluttershy stepped up alongside Rarity to see what they were all talking about. "Oh, my... Umm. Shouldn't somepony, I dunno, help him?"

Starlight spoke up from the other side of the room, where she had just finished gathering a few items for herself. "You know, I used to rush out to help the poor guy when something like this happened. But now... now I usually sit back and see how long everypony else will ignore him or if they fail to notice that he's in some situation like this at all."

"Really?" Asked Twilight. "How long does it normally take?" The faint noises of Spike grunting and expressing his discontent, as well as fighting words towards the books, came off as low rumbles from off in the distance under the pages.

Starlight readjusted herself, now sitting on the satchel. "If he's in the way of somepony, five minutes. If not, he'll get himself out eventually."

"What?" Twilight protested. "I wouldn't make him wait that long? We have too much work to do for me to wait that long."

"Oh, that's the more impressive thing," Starlight added. "If he's actually needed for something, whoever needs him will help him without even noticing what they're doing just in time for him to take care of whatever they need."

"You can't be serious," Rarity exclaimed.

"Do any of you need him for anything right now?" Starlight asked nonchalantly.

"No," answered Twilight, then Rarity, and finally Fluttershy.

Starlight followed with another question in the same nonchalant tone. "Are any of you helping him at the moment?"

They all answered the same as the previous question.

Starlight did not attempt to point out that they were proving her right. She decided to see how long for them to notice, or if they would notice at all.

"Oh my gosh!" Twilight shouted.

"I don't believe it!" Rarity finally realized it was true.

Fluttershy gasped. "Oh, my. We're all such terrible friends."

"I can't believe I never even noticed this was something so common for us," Twilight confessed.

"How long have we been like this?" Rarity asked.

"I'm usually so good helping out others in need. Why is it that I never seem to notice when Spike needs help?" Fluttershy begged that burning question while all three continued to not help Spike.

Before that burning question could be answered, the sound of many hooves clopping on the stone floors and metal armor clanking together entered the room. Two by two, Celestia's royal guards marched in and lined the walls around them.

"What!? Princess Celestia is back again so soon?" Twilight shouted out loud. "Why didn't I get a notice she'd be back this early?"

Her horn started to glow, the mass of book pages was lifted, and Spike was pulled free from the mess. He was quickly set down on his feet, and the pages returned to the books they spilled out from and the boxes themselves patched up with her magic, all while Twilight never even looked at what she was doing.

"Spike! Quick! Get the tea set ready for Celestia, and grab my list of most recent notes!" Twilight demanded.

"Right!" Seeing all the guards fill the room, Spike ran off to the kitchen to fetch Twilight's notes.

Starlight passed some of the guards who were now circling the entire room. She joined Twilight and the others in forming a line, all ready to greet Her Highness. She took her place but wondered if anything from her previous observations had changed, despite telling the others of what happens typically. "Hey, Twilight. What are we gonna do about Spike?"

Twilight responded just as oblivious as ever. "Spike is always getting into trouble like this. I can't always be there to pick him up and dust him off. I'll take care of him as soon as I've properly addressed matters with Celestia."

It was just as baffling as it was ridiculous. Starlight was beside herself with the hilarity of how oblivious her friends all could be. "Okay, good. Don't want him stuck under all those books for too long."

Twilight sighed. "I know, but sooner or later, he's going to—" Twilight noticed just how much Starlight was trying to stifle her chuckles from slipping out. She looked behind herself to see Spike was gone and the books were already pact up as they should be. She facehoofed. "Let me guess. I did it again, didn't I?"

"Oh, Twilight. It's days like today I'm so glad you took me in." Starlight said, tilting her head just ever so slightly and batted her eyes.

Twilight had to laugh at that. "You. Are. Terrible, Starlight Glimmer."

"I'm terrible," Rarity interjected.

"We're all terrible," Fluttershy corrected her.

"It's Spike who keeps needing to be rescued from himself. He's the terrible one." Starlight joked.

All four laughed together at just how much clumsy Spike tends to be when left unsupervised.

Finally, the last set of guards formed up in the room. There were a lot of guards here this time around. Far more than Celestia ever traveled with that Twilight could recall. At last, the towering yet elegant figure of royal regality came into view. The four took their bows.

Twilight smiled and warmly greeted her mentor. "Princess Celestia, welcome back so soon. I hope—"

"On your hooves, Twilight. There is no time for pleasantries. Where are the humans?" Celestia demanded. Her lack of tact brought all four to attention.

"The humans?" Twilight drew back, thinking perhaps she missed something important that Celestia had told her long ago.

"Are they safe?" Fluttershy asked, stepping forward.

"Are they in danger?" Rarity questioned desperately, stepping ahead of Fluttershy.

"Wait? What's going on?" Starlight asked openly, hoping one of them could give her an answer.

Celestia was not entertaining any distractions. "I am concerned if they have been in contact with a former Equestrian. A unicorn mare by the name of Sunset Shimmer. If they have, then they may pose a great threat to us. Have they done or said anything that might lead you to believe they could be dangerous? Perhaps asked for things or mentioned something that they should not have known unless they had been here before, or was told by somepony who was?"

The four mares looked at each other. Cerb showed signs that he could be dangerous if he really wanted to be. Plus, at least half of the humans did have knowledge about many notable ponies and significant events in Equestria that they shouldn't have known about. Might they actually be working with a new enemy, and the video they shared be a ruse? Was the Sunset Shimmer how they actually were able to come to Equestria?

Fluttershy was hesitant to answer but wouldn't dare defy her princess. "Well, um. You see. Some of them do know a lot about all of us. And Equestria. And you. But I don't think-"

"Then it is as I have feared," Celestia answered back mournfully, yet resolute in her tone. "Where are Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and Pinky Pie? If things get dangerous, we may need to use the Elements to stop Sunset Shimmer. She is a very cunning and capable unicorn. Also, her knowledge of magic has made her very powerful. We must all be careful if she has come to cause trouble again."

Fluttershy was cowering back, afraid to say something else wrong to endanger the humans. Rarity, however, she was assured that humans, especially Cerb, were not a threat. "Applejack went back to her home, and Pinky Pie went back to work. But Rainbow Dash went ahead of us to go see the humans."

"What!?" Celestia exclaimed. "Oh my, this could be a problem. Spearhead!" She called out.

A pegasus, slightly larger than the average stallion with a coat that was more tan than orange, ran up behind Celestia and saluted. "Spearhead reporting, Your Highness! What are your orders?"

"Spearhead, take your squad, locate the Element of Honesty, Applejack, the Element of Laughter, Pinky Pie, and escort them back here. I will want all of the Elements of Harmony together before we-" Celestia took a pause on her orders as she already saw a problem with her plan. "Rainbow Dash is already with the humans. New orders. Locate Applejack and escort her to where the humans are staying. We will find Pinky Pie ourselves and travel down to confront all the humans together."

Spearhead saluted. "Yes, Princess. Moving out."

Twilight slowly stepped up to Celestia's side. "Princess Celestia, I don't think these humans pose any threat to us. We've already spent time with them. They don't-"

"Twilight," Celestia commanded softly. Her voice was stern and unwelcoming. "-this is not open for discussion. You do not know of-" Celestia bit her lip, forcing herself to take the time to find the right words to make Twilight understand.

"Twilight," Her voice softened, and her posture changed to reflect the regret she carried. "I do not wish to treat your human friends as our enemy."

Celestia was finally opening up and starting to let Twilight in.

Twilight was quick to press for more information, though she knew enough to do so with a soft approach. "Then, please tell me. Why did you come back here so quickly with so many soldiers and guards? What do you know about the humans that would make you come ready for war?"

Celestia slowly took a deep breath. "I will tell you what I can on the way about what lies beyond the cursed mirror of Star Swirl the Bearded and the terrors of Equestria that have traveled through it."

"Cursed mirror of Star Swirl the Bearded? I never heard of such a thing." Twilight replied, astonished to discover there was an artifact from Star Swirl she never knew of.

Celestia gave a nod to one of the guards. He nodded back, did an about-face, and started marching out of the castle. The rest of the armored ponies following in line behind him. Celestia counted the rows of soldiers and joined their ranks, following them out with Twilight and the others close behind.

"The mirror is no ordinary mirror," Celestia started to explain. "Star Swirl created a mirror many, many years ago. Every thirty moons, it opens as a portal to another world, but it only stays open for three days. Star Swirl had used it to banish three evil sirens that worked to disrupt the harmony of Equestria after he exhausted all other options to stop them peacefully."

Starlight quickly asked a question while Twilight was in shock at this revelation in Equestrian history. "Wait? Are you saying Star Swirl fought three sirens that were so powerful that he expelled them from Equestria into another world instead of imprisoning them in Tartarus?"

Despite all of what was going on, Twilight still found herself jealous of Starlight getting to ask such a good question. Thankfully, her bitterness went unnoticed.

"Yes," Celestia answered with a heavy heart. "He regretted his choice to banish them. Not only because he thought it was a failure on his behalf to take away their chance for redemption but also because he cast three dangerous sirens into a human world without any warning to them and no way to know if the Sirens would be able to regain their magic and continue their reign of disharmony."

"Was one of them the Sunset Shimmer you mentioned earlier?" Twilight asked, not wanting to lose any time or attention from her mentor. (Yes, she was being that petty.)

Celestia again sulked, thinking of her failure with Sunset Shimmer. "No, unfortunately. Sunset Shimmer was the last pupil that I took under my wing before you, Twilight." This caught every pony's attention, especially Twilight's.

Celestia went on to clarify. "Sunset was very gifted with magic from a young age. Much like you were, Twilight. However, unlike you, she was hungry for power. She didn't care about learning the value of friendship or earning the respect of others. She thought that if she were stronger and could force her will, that would be enough to make Equestria a better place. She thought that she could then rule it and take my thrown as well."

All the ponies gasped. Even some of the soldiers who managed to overhear comically lost their pace and either stumbled or nearly tripped over themselves, falling into the pony in front of them.

Twilight finally understood the panic Celestia must be feeling. "That sounds terrible, and I can see why you reacted so strongly, thinking she might be back-" Twilight had to fight off a sinking feeling in her gut, afraid of how Celestia might react to being told that her fears were more than likely misplaced. "-but I don't think this Sunset Shimmer you're telling us about is behind the humans arriving here."

Celestia never broke stride, but she eyed Twilight with a look of insubordination. "Oh? And what makes you so certain of that?"

"Ugh, Twi?" Starlight spoke up from behind, though not loud enough to stop Twilight from continuing to throw her friend under the bus.

Twilight ever so carelessly explained. "Because we know it was a spell from Trixie that brought them here."

Big Mac and the others were finishing up far earlier than expected. Much earlier, in fact. A workload that should have taken Big Mac and Applejack working together all day had been finished up before noon.

"That the last one?" Cerb asked, closing the tailgate. The Bed of the truck was filled with barrels. Twenty-two in all.

"Eeyup," Big Mac answered, gleaming with a radiance of joy and awe.

"Alright, man. Good, cus' it's getting hot out finally." Cerb huffed while closing the tailgate. He backed away from the truck, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Must be at least, what? Eighty-six degrees out?"

Lumberman started up the truck again, prepping to transport the last load. The engine rolled over, and the other components powered up on the dashboard. Lumberman flipped through a menu on the center console. "Close, man. Eighty-five, but throw in the humidity, the real feel is probably about ninety."

"Shit... should have brought a pair of shorts to change into," Cerb complained.

"Well, you should have thought ahead," Kelly answered with a rather cheerful voice.

Cerb turned back to see Kelly walking up with her shirt pulled up through itself, turning it into a makeshift crop top. The way she pulled it through brought a great deal of emphasis to her breast and created far more noticeable cleavage. Impressively making her more than adequate b-cup look more like a c-cup.

"Jesus Christ, Drips. You trying to give poor Big Red a heart attack?" Cerb joked, though apparently a bit annoyed by how much she was leaving herself exposed.

"A heart attack? And are you talking about—" Big Mac stopped with his jaw literally falling unrealistically lower than his Adam's apple, his eyes fixated on Kelly's figure.

The tops of her hips curved up and out of her shorts, easing softly into the soft mounds of her glutes. The shorts were just tight and low enough to leave a shadow visible that allowed for a brief glimpse of the cleft of her ass cheeks.

Unable to blink, he watched in what felt like slow motion as Kelly turned her front into view. She drew in a deep breath and heaved her chest up, further emphasizing her healthy bust. Then, in what could only be defined as a gift from the Gods of the Equestrian Red Delicious, Kelly raised one of Big Mac's very own freshly collected ripe apples.

In cinematic fashion, the moist fruit met her lips, her teeth broke through the thin skin with a hardy crunch, practically deafening to the paralyzed stallion, gaze fixated on the alluring site.

Further transfixing the heavily hormonal-influenced colt, multiple streams of sugary juices jettisoned in a near orgasmic fashion from Kelly's bite into the apple, generously coating her chest in a glistening display of welcoming flavors for any wanting tongue.

Kelly pulled back the gushing fruit from her naturally cherry-colored lips. Three strands of her own salivation that mingled with the fructose-infused serum strained and snapped as under the growing distance. Then the savory angel spoke. "Holy shit, that's juicy."

"Damn, Drips. That apple just busted a month's worth on your chest. Did it buy you dinner first?" Cerb asked, grinning like an ass hole.

"Fuck, I wish," Kelly giggled, trying to wipe her lips clean, though not with much luck. "Hey, Mac. Is there a place I can wash up?"

Cerb was quietly laughing to himself, just taking in the random goofiness of the situation of Kelly’s messing eating. Then he noticed her awkwardly looking towards Big Mac. Her eyes briefly flashed over to his, then quickly back to Big Mac.

Cerb had to see what new predicament was developing now.

To no surprise, it was, of course, none other than Big Mac, himself. Besides the goofy jaw drop he hadn’t closed, his pupils were replaced with pink pulsating heart shapes. Other pink and lavender hearts in similar designs floated up and audibly popped. It was a true-to-life cartoon version of a pony stuck in love vision.

Cerb turned back and motioned to Kelly. “Hey, Kel. The shirt? You might wanna…”

“Yep, pulling the shirt back down.” Kelly quickly answered, untucking the bottom of the shirt from the neck and pulling it back down to cover up as much skin as possible.

“Yo,” Cerb called out to the entranced colt. “Mac Daddy… y'all right?”

A sudden honk of the horn from Lumberman, who must have been following along, finally snapped Big Mac out of his googly-eyed haze with a sudden jump from being spooked.

Coming back down, he shook his head, clearing away any remaining lingering hearts. “Oh, ugh. Sorry, was I saying something?”

Kelly smiled warmly, feeling sorry for how smitten he had become. “Don’t worry about it, Big Mac. Let’s just go unload this last batch, huh?”

“Oh, right,” Big Mac answered with a bit of a shaky voice. He was clearly frazzled and embarrassed from being caught gawking like a total goon.

Kelly quietly came to Cerb's side. "Hey, you mind taking Lumberman up and start unloading without us? I think I need to, umm," She turned back to Big Mac, who was grinning in such a way you couldn't tell if he was forcing a grin to hide his embarrassment or if it was his uncontrollable infatuation showing through.

Cerb was getting that uncomfortable feeling in his gut again.

"I need to have a talk about realistic expectations, ya know?" Kelly said with a disappointed sigh.

Cerb nodded knowingly. "Yeah, take your time. We'll wait for ya in the barn."

Big Mac watched in confusion as the two drove off with the last load without him and Kelly. Not that he was unhappy with the turn of events. He just didn't understand why they didn't all go back up together like they had the last three loads.

"Uh, do they know they left us?" Big Mac asked hopefully.

Kelly giggled. "Yeah, I wanted a little alone time with ya. Have a more private conversation, ya know?"

It dawned on Big Mac that they were, in fact, now alone. He wasn't ready for this and started sweating bullets.

"Oh, yeah. I, uh. We can, uh—" Big Mac lost the ability to formulate thoughts and words together, apparently.

"Think you can walk and talk without falling over?" Kelly asked, already walking up back to the others.

"Wha?" Big Mac asked, bewildered. He surveyed the surroundings to find that Kelly was already making the trip back up without him.

Kelly maintained her steady strides, waiting for the big lug to catch up, which he did, albeit from a sprint, sliding into a stumbling trot. Big Mac regained his balance, whipping his hair back in some attempt to look suave and stylish with a handsome smile.

What Kelly saw was his messy hair flipped over to one side of his head and the most adorkable cheesy smile any cartoon character could make.

"Oh," Kelly managed to say before covering her mouth and laughing with a snort. She placed her right hand on Big Mac's neck and playfully pushed him away. "Stop clowning around and just be natural, ya big goofball."

Those words must have been just what he needed to hear. He shook his mane back to normal, sighed, and returned back to his usual carefree smile. "Sorry, I'm just—"

"I know," Kelly cut him off with a sweet and loving tone. "That's why I wanted to have a conversation with you in private."

Big Mac's thoughts quickly started a bombardment with his emotions of what this conversation meant. Was she going to take it further and open up about wanting a special somepony, or was she going to end it before it even started? Maybe he was going too fast, and now she wanted him to stop? Perhaps he... maybe he should pay attention; she's been talking, and he hasn't been listening.

"—and I can't believe how nice you and all the others have been to us so far. This place is so much different than where we come from. I'm not sure how much your sister has told you about where we come from and the drama our friend Lumberman drug up yesterday." Kelly ended with a question, turning so she could attend to his response.

"Uh, no," Big Mac nervously answered, grateful it wasn't a follow-up question to whatever he had spaced out on earlier. "Applejack only said that you were all really nice friends and that you all deserved a nice home-cooked Apple Family dinner. Well, that and how great your Tukilla was."

Kelly laughed at the drunken mispronunciation. "It's called Tequila. And yeah, she really seemed to like it. But, that was awfully kind of her to say those nice things about us."

The two continued on for a short distance, not saying anything. Somewhat lost in the pleasantness of the moment. Though, the silence had to end if Kelly was to set things straight with him.

"Big Mac," Kelly opened up the conversation again. "—can you be perfectly honest with me if I ask you something?"

This was it. Sink or swim. Big Mac felt the weight behind this impending question, and his heart raced at the possibilities. "Well, of course. Ask me anything."

"Do you really like me? I mean, like, you know... really like me, like me?" She asked the question so bluntly, yet a twinge of sorrow came behind it.

Big Mac took a second to put together what to say, but instead, he found himself really examining how he felt. He was smitten. He knew it, but was there more to it?

"I uh," Even his words mirrored her tone now.

On second thought, no. It was time to be bold and brave. Time to put himself out there again and take a chance. "You know, I, in fact, I do believe I do Miss Kelly."

Kelly blushed. A sweet and honest smile found its way through her lips. "I... thank you."

This was such a relief for him. Perhaps not the best response, but he wasn't shot down either. Maybe he could press his boldness a bit farther and ask her the same? "Miss Kelly? Do you maybe like me, like me, too?"

Kelly came to an abrupt stop, stopping Big Mac with her. "I don't really know what to say, Mac."

Kelly turned herself to face Big Mac; her posture showed she was uncomfortable with something. "There is something that is just so sweet and kind and honest with you. I feel like you're the kind of guy that..." Her words trailed off, thinking of her many, many lovers of the past. "I'm not used to guys liking me with honest intentions."

"Oh, well, I... what?" Big Mac didn't understand what she was trying to say. "Did I do something wrong, Miss Kelly?"

Kelly's reaction wasn't a happy one. His question seemed to make her sad. "No, no, you didn't. You did—" She sighed like she was about to say something she was going to regret. "You did what no one has done for me in a really long time."

Big Mac stood in anticipation, waiting for this secret act to be explained.

"You did everything right and proper. I'm not used to that. I'm not—" Kelly turned away, wandering under the shade of one of the many apple trees that surrounded them. "I'm not used to wanting it."

"Miss Kelly," Big Mac cautiously approached her, careful not to intrude on the personal space she had added between them. "-I'm not sure exactly what you might be wanting from me, but whatever it is, don't be afraid to ask me."

"Stop," Kelly uttered, practically whispering.

Big Mac held his hoof in mid-stride, slowly pulling it back and standing back as she requested.

Kelly spoke up again, low in tone but firmly. "Before I say anything else."

With a ghostly presence, Kelly stepped forward and placed both her arms around Big Mac's neck. She hugged him tightly. One hand slid her fingers through his mane and gripped it. The other rubbed up and down the back of his neck like she was trying to comfort or console him.

"Thank you. You're amazing," she muffled out with her face buried between her own arm and Big Mac's massive neck.

"Miss, K—" was all Big Mac could muster out before being shut down with an even tighter embrace. He didn't even try to finish his question. He did only what he felt he should do. He raised a hoof, lowered his chin down on her back, and returned the favor with a firm yet gentle hug.

The embrace lasted longer than either expected, but eventually, Kelly pulled away. "I'm sorry. I feel like such a terrible person right now."

Big Mac's face shifted as he tried to think of what she was alluding to. "But, you haven't done anything wrong, Miss Kelly."

Kelly had to put some emotional distance between them. Not that she loved him. She didn't. How could she? She loved the way he treated her, the southern manors and puppy dog response she could so easily draw out of him, but it was wrong. This had all gone too far. "Mac, do you think you could ever love me?"

Big Mac's eyes shot wide open, and his hair all but stood on end. "Love!?" He shouted. "Miss Kelly, I like you just fine and all, but we haven't even—"

"Would you ever be allowed to?" She quickly hit him with another question.

"Ugh, Allowed to?" He asked, perplexed.

"Physically. Emotionally. Legally. Do you think you could? Would your friends and family still love and accept you if you tried to love me?" Her words were cold and empty.

"I-well. Equestria is— you see." Big Mac desperately searched for an answer, but what kind of question was she really asking?

"Why are you asking me this?" His question was asked with anger he didn't try to hide.

Kelly looked down to the ground; she seemed to be ashamed of herself. "Where I—" she paused. "Where we all come from. Me being with someone like you would be illegal. I'd go to jail. And maybe that's not the way things work here. I dunno. But even if it was all sunshine and rainbows and none of your pony friends wouldn't put you in jail for being with someone who isn't a pony like you, I'm not good for you. You'd love me for a day, or the night, or a week, and then you'd be gone, and I'd be single and alone anyway."

Big Mac was hurt and angry at the sudden rejection after all the affection he thought she was showing earlier. "Oh, I get it. Just because I'm just some big dumb farm pony, you think I'm not good enough for the likes of you?"

Kelly gave the stair you give someone when they entirely miss the point and try to make it about themselves. "That's entirely one hundred percent not at all what I said, Big Mac. Everything I said is about you're too good for me, I'm not good enough for you, and no one would want you to waste your time or throw away your life on someone as trashy as me."

She turned away in a huff, punching a stray apple off its branch."Jesus fucking Christ! I'm trying to save you some grief here, God damn it." She crossed her arms in a stubborn display of angst and frustration. "Why'd you have to fucking like me so god damn much?"

An angry tear made its way down her cheek, and she quickly brushed it away. "Why'd I have to meet you here and now like this?"

"So this isn't about me?" Big Mac asked apologetically.

"No... Yes. I mean—" Kelly turned around. "It's everything. I'm human. You're a horse. You're not supposed to talk. I'm not supposed to be here. None of this should be possible. I shouldn't want to have your attention like I do."

That last part might have sent the wrong message.

Big Mac was conflicted. "I'm not sure just what you want me to do now? Because I hear you saying that we can't love each other because I'm a pony, but it also sounds like you don't love yourself."

"Ugh," Kelly groaned in frustration. "Love is grossly overrated."

"Don't you love your friends?" Big Mac asked.

Kelly groaned again. "That's a different kind of love. Not the kind of love between actual lovers. Well... except for those two times." Kelly was starting to open up a bit too much.

"You were Special Someponies with two of your friends?" Big Mac asked, a bit surprised.

"Special Some... what? You mean, like, did me and two of my friends date each other?" Kelly tried to clarify. "No. Nothing committed like that. We just—"

Kelly stopped herself again. Not only did she not want to taint the stallion's purity with such carnal knowledge, but she also didn't really want to admit that she slept with two of her best friends who were stranded with her. Then again, maybe that's what he needed to hear to give up his pursuit.

"Miss Kelly," Big Mac slowly walked up into her personal space again. "I'm sorry for how I've been acting. I can't explain why I feel the way I do, even though I'm no pony special to you."

Kelly didn't want him turning this in on himself. "No, Mac, please. Don't—"

"No, Miss Kelly," Big Mac persisted. "But who I am won't matter to you until you know who you really are. And whoever it is you think you are from wherever you came from, isn't who I've seen since you've been here."

Kelly had two thoughts at that moment. Either break down and reward this stud with a big wet kiss for giving the most perfect response anyone could have ever given her, or punch him upside his stupid head for saying the most romantic thing ever said to her while being a horse instead of a human. Both ideas held equal validity in her mind and canceled each other out. Instead, she just stood there helpless without a response, her head wilted and staring into the empty air between them.

Big Mac made short work of the silent standoff by placing a hoof on her shoulder. "You like me, and I like you. Maybe that's as far as we go, but that doesn't mean that's where we end."

Kelly summoned the strength to meet his gaze again. A thousand unspoken apologies and thank yous were spoken without words.

Big Mac again flipped his hair to look more suave and attractive like he had just minutes earlier. "In the meantime, I'll do my best to restrain my southern charms, and dashing good looks to only formal events so as not to compromise the good name and ethics of Equestria's beloved Miss Kelly."

Kelly was ready to thank him for being so understanding but was instead too distracted by his cheesy, wannabe playboy smile. She smiled and tried her best to control her laughter. "Damn it, Mac. If you don't stop being so likable, I'm gonna give you a black eye."

Big Mac backed away, laughing to himself, and started up the path to the barn. "Sorry, Miss Kelly. You're just going to have to get used to liking such a likable pony such as myself."

"Oh? Is that so?" Kelly fired back.

"Well, yeah. How else am I going to let you stay such a near and dear friend if unless you did?" Big Mac shot back, perfectly delivering the flirt.

"Near and dear friend?" Kelly questioned, faining insult. "Are you Friend Zoning me? And wait up, jerk. Don't just abandon me out in the middle of your orchard just because your southern charms didn't pan out as you expected."

"Southern charms not panning out as I expected?" Big Mac toyed with the words as Kelly ran up to his side. "Miss Kelly, I simply can't understand why you are still so fixated on a missed opportunity from days gone by."

"Days gone by?" Kelly huffed. "That was like, all of five minutes ago!"

"Awe, yes. But it feels like just yesterday you were holding me close and praising me for just being the stallion that I am." Big Mac said, reminiscing on the hug she had just given him earlier. "You know, even though we never became an item for each other, I still look back fondly on those days and how you thought of me."

"What? No! Don't you try and make it sound like I was the one chasing after you and not the other way around!" Kelly shouted, surprised to hear Big Mac misrepresent their two-day history.

"Hey, Kelly?" Big Mac asked with a smile too big to be innocent.

"What?" Kelly answered, raising her voice to him.

Big Mac slowed down just enough to lean in close to her ear and stage whisper. "It's called prank for prank. It means I like you."

Big Mac pulled away, grinning slyly with a wink, and bumped his flank into her side just enough to knock her off balance, leaving Kelly shocked from being caught entirely off guard.

"Oh my god! You! Jerk! I'm so gonna get you back!" Kelly yelled while laughing and doing her best not to love Big Mac more than she knew she secretly was starting to.

She did, however, speed up closer and release a flurry of weak rabbit punches into Big Mac's shoulder.