Author's note.

Guys guys guys... It's been a long time since I've written anything. A few weeks, right? *Checks* A BUCKING MONTH AND A HALF?! ...I'm sorry. It's that real life, y'know? Anyway, since I'm back and all, have a chapter. I really hope my wits haven't been lost in the process of real lifeing. Please rate and comment, as usual. Your comments are like gasoline to the engine of my story: without them, I can't carry on with the plot.

Great... A bad metaphor is always a good way to start a chapter, isn't it? So, have some chapter.

Comment, rate, love and tolerate!

Peace.

P.S. Yes, chapters are getting shorter. And probably better. Or just shorter.

***

When the Sun came creeping up the mountain in a most familiar manner, Sweet Apple Acres became covered in warm sunlight, which enveloped the huge farm like sweet honey. While most ponies were still asleep at the time, Big Macintosh was not. The muscular red stallion had already made his way to the furthest part of the farm, his blissful corner, where he could give himself up to applebucking. In fact, there were times when he just needed to remain alone, secluded, able to think over his troubles. And there were some troubles indeed.

To begin with, it had been a few months since he started to have that occasional feeling in the stomach: not pain but a kind of disturbance that one has when they start chewing on a rotten apple and spit in disgust; the feeling still stays, though. However, this feeling was not of disgust: Big Mac could have said it was even... pleasant.

Next, he had been having the same sort of dream every night for quite a long time. A dream of a wonderful yellow mare, with magnificent wings, a shy smile and a most pleasant attitude: a mare of dreams. Fluttershy.

Big Mac kicked an apple tree furiously, watching the fruit fall on the wet ground, crushing into pieces from such a hard blow. The red stallion shook his head angrily, as if he were trying to throw the nasty thoughts away.

So long as it doesn't mess with mah work, it's all right, he thought, proceeding to another tree.

"Quite the opposite, my hardworking friend," a voice reached the farmer's ears, making him turn round.

At first he didn't see anything but a second later he was able to recognise a brown earth pony who slowly came out from the shade of a nearby tree.

The red pony immediately took a defensive stance and looked at the stranger suspiciously.

"Who the hay are ya?" he asked rudely, still glaring at the brown intruder.

The Doctor (And it was, no doubt, me - T.L.) only sighed and shook his head lamentably.

"Why can't I make a cool entrance? Just once?" he mumbled, looking upwards, to the sky, where the Sun had already set itself high above the ground, ready to bathe in the pleasant warmness.

"My name is The Doctor and I am here to help you," the Time Lord addressed the farmer, stretching out his hoof.

Big Macintosh didn't feel like shaking it. He only glared at the earth pony some more, finally deciding that it was just a misunderstanding.

"Listen, Ah don' need no doctor. I ain't ill. Now, if ya will leave me to mah applebucking?" he asked in what he thought was a polite manner.

The Doctor sighed. It is going to be much, much tougher than I've thought... And will probably take more of my precious time... he mentally scolded himself.

"You know, my hardworking, yet so simple-minded, friend, just hanging around here and bucking apples won't get you what you want," the brown pony tried to reason Big Mac.

"Huh? And what do Ah want, then? What'cha think?" the red farmer asked suspiciously and rather angrily, taking a cautious step back.

The Doctor, by contrast, stepped forth and looked directly into the farmer's eyes.

"Fluttershy," he said.

Big Macintosh gulped. A drop of sweat formed upon his forehead and fell onto the ground.

"Now we're talking," he replied.

***

"So ya tellin' me that ya ain't a doctor, yet ya came from the future and are a time-traveller?" Big Mac laughed. "And ya expect me to believe ya?" he continued with a smirk.

The Doctor sighed and facehoofed. Same story again and again... he thought wearily. And I don't even have my TARDIS now...

The brown pony looked up lamentably. A white cloud lazily floated through the sky, covering the sun, yet letting a little sunlight through.

My TARDIS... the Time Lord sighed again, forcing his tears to stay in his eyes, not letting them fall to the ground. Suddenly, he felt a comforting hoof on his shoulder.

Big Macintosh was standing next to him, looking seriously into his eyes. The Doctor could see real sympathy in them - something he didn't expect to face.

"Hey, pardner, Ah didn't think Ah would upset ya. It's jes' hard ta believe, that's it. Cheer up," the red pony said, trying to smile, which, to The Doctor's surprise, came out as a fake.

The Time Lord faked a smile of his own as well.

"It's okay," he said assuringly, as if he were trying to comfort the farmer. "Not the first time it has happened anyway..." he mumbled.

The next second, the brown earth pony already held his head high, having summoned his strength.

"But you need to cheer up in the first place. Your future..." The Doctor made a dramatic pause, looking straight into Big Mac's eyes. "...is the future of all Equestria. The future of your country depends on you. And, to be exact, on whether you will or will not win Fluttershy's heart," he concluded on an especially high note.

"Ah get it," the red stallion replied simply, nodding his head in approval.

"That's it?" The Time Lord said somewhat disappointedly. "No gasps, tears, oaths or something like that?" he wondered with a flickering light of hope in his voice.

"Nope," Big Macintosh said laconically. "Ah believe ya; ya must've seen the future and all. It'll turn out ta be all right, will it?" he explained, carrying slight concern in his intonation.

The Doctor shrugged.

"Don't know; depends on the dimension we're in!" he exclaimed in a cheerful manner, returning to his usual self. (It was about time if you ask me... - T.L.)

"What? But you're a time traveller!" Big Mac yelled in disbelief.

The unperturbed Doctor shrugged once more.

"But I don't know anything for sure. You see, if we look at Time from a non-linear perspective, it will seem like a big ball of..." he began explaining, only to be interrupted. (As always... As always... - T.L.)

"It seems like a big ball of rotten horseapples ta me! First, Ah don't know how ya learnt 'bout mah liking Fluttershy - and Ah don't want ta know," the red stallion added, supporting his speech with a rough hoof gesture that reminded the Time Lord of a particular dictator from planet Earth. "But Ah know for sure: if ya wanna help, ya help me. If ya wanna talk 'bout it - go to doctor Creud - he's a specialist. Ah, on the opposite, am not a talker," Big Mac concluded, stomping a hoof on the ground with quite a lot of feeling, almost making the impression of a certain dictator complete.

"It shows..." The Doctor muttered under his breath. "All right!" he said aloud. "If you want my help, it will be on my terms. First of all, we need to see where you stand."

"On the ground," Big Macintosh replied.

(Awww yeaaah! ... ... ... ... ...Sorry, just had to say it... - T.L.)

The brown earth pony sent a cold glare towards him.

"The first rule. Never. Ever. Try to express your sonorous sense of humour before Fluttershy. Now... let me see..." the Time Lord paused for a second, recollecting his thoughts. "Aha! The next morning, we'll visit Fluttershy... let's say... for a cup of tea. And then we'll see how you act when she's around. Deal?" the brown pony stretched forth his hoof.

"Nope," the farmer replied. "This will not do."

The Doctor suddenly felt very angry.

"Oh, is it so? In this case, I'll go alone. To Fluttershy. To have a cup of tea. And kiss her. Again." he hissed irritatedly.

Now, let me clarify something. It was a mistake. Yes, exactly - that last word: 'again'. Sometimes I so run ahead of my... well, ahead of everything... that I forget some ponies just don't know some facts. Some... vital facts. Like Twilight didn't know the quantum theory of Earth. Like Rarity didn't know I hated the suit she made me a few days after the described events. Like Pinkie Pie didn't know I disliked cupcakes... for more than one reason. ...Like Big Mac didn't know about my having kissed Fluttershy... Well, you catch my drift, right? And let me tell you something. Getting hit in the eye with a hoof is painful. Very, very painful. *Sigh* Back to the story, Narrator. Wait... let's skip a few painful minutes of explaining.

Ten minutes later...

"Ah repeat, Ah'm sorry for kicking ya in the face," Big Macintosh said apologetically. "But ya must understand me too! Ah love her!"

"I... understand you, my hardworking... strong... hard-hoofed friend," The Doctor replied, rubbing his eye. "So... tomorrow, Fluttershy's cottage. Deal?" he extended his hoof once more.

"Eyep," Big Mac nodded, shaking the brown hoof.

***

The morning had all chances to be a pleasant one. As usual. But as soon as The Doctor reached Fluttershy's house, he realised it was turning out to be one of those awful mornings. As usual.

Big Macintosh was waiting patiently right in front of the door. The Time Lord wondered how Fluttershy managed not to notice his presence. But there was a worse thing to worry about.

As the brown earth pony approached the red farmer, the expression on his face was becoming more and more puzzled.

"Good morning, my friend," he greeted the stallion and, without listening to the reply, proceeded to enquire: "I beg your pardon... but what is this... thing wrapped around your neck?"

The red earth pony smiled proudly.

"Oh, that? That's a tie. Mah great great grandpa's, ta be exact. He left it to mah great grandpa, he left it to mah grandpa, he left it to mah father, and mah pa - that's how Ah call mah father - left it..."

The Doctor sighed and interrupted the speech.

"My friend," he began. "My hardworking, stylish friend. I'd rather you didn't wear this... item today."

"Why?" the farmer asked sincerely.

"It is too good for such an occasion," The Doctor replied with a poker face.

"Oh, all right," Big Mac said and took off the tie, not noticing the sarcasm. (You may think he's not the type to notice sarcasm... or anything at all, for that matter... But he's not dumb, mind you! - T.L.)

"Thank you. Now, listen carefully. When she opens the door and welcomes us, you need to make a compliment. Instantly, even before entering the cottage. It's always a good thing to start with," the Time Lord explained.

The farmer nodded silently.

The brown pony knocked at the door.

A second later, a yellow pegasus appeared in the doorway, supported by a white bunny who was standing behind her. She immediately blushed upon seeing two stallions in front of her, one of them being The Doctor.

"Hi, Fluttershy!" The Doctor exclaimed. "We were passing by and thought that maybe we could call on you for a cup of tea?"

"Oh, sure..." the pegasus replied, her blush becoming even deeper. "Um... nice tie you're holding, Big Mac..." she said, looking at the guests.

"Eyep," the stallion replied, carefully scrutinizing his hooves.

The Doctor coughed, giving the red earth pony an invisible kick.

"Oh!" Big Mac exclaimed, looking around fervently, trying to find something to compliment on. "Nice... bunny you have here, Fluttershy. He's so... white?"

The Doctor facehoofed. It was one of those mornings indeed...