Trixie Lulamoon took a short sip of her bourbon, letting it slide down her throat with an all-too familiar burning sensation. She was sitting at a table in Berry Punch's establishment for... something. She knew where she was, and what she was doing, but could not properly put a name to the activity. “I'm trying, I really am.” She floated the shot glass back down to the table, letting it drop the last half-inch to land with a thunk. “I know, I know,” she continued, waving a hoof in the air. “I was pretty bad when I first got to Ponyville. The Night Court can do that to a pony.” She let out a sigh and glanced away, finding sudden interest in a speck of dust floating and twisting in the air. “But I'm getting better. I am, really.”

Her compatriot, a rather large and well-muscled earth pony stallion, glanced over, shifting a stalk of straw from one side of his mouth to the other. “Eyup,” Big Macintosh drawled out.

A snort came from Trixie. “How eloquent, as usual.” She floated a pitcher of water over to Big Mac's side and refilled his cup of cider. “I ran into Rainbow Dash earlier. Well, less 'ran' and more 'dodged to the side as she barreled in for a crash landing'.” She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “Honestly, how she ever got weather manager position... Anyway, I also had a meeting with Ivory Scroll.” She paused and her entire body shook. The bottle of bourbon floated to her glass, tipped over and poured another shot, which Trixie greedily downed.

Big Mac slowly chewed on a begonia sandwich. “That bad?”

There was a pause before Trixie shrugged. “Not that bad. But not that good, either.” She shrugged and leaned in. “Honestly, she tries. I guess after Corona and parapsrites and everything else that's happened in so short a time in such a sleepy town, it can get to almost anypony.”

Big Mac set his sandwich down. “Ivory Scroll means well, and she does good at her job. Ah guess tha past few months just kinda pusher her outta her comfort zone.” He chuckled slightly. “Not every day that apprentice of Princess Luna comes ta' town and it's the most 'normal' thing ta happen.”

Trixie barked a laugh. “I guess so.” She waved a hoof at him. “So last time we were here, you told me about tracking some gang leader operating near Cloudsdale? Lightning Drift or something?”

“Lightning Dust,” Big Mac corrected, smiling slightly. “Caramel and I tracked her ta the Wonderbolts' training camp. It took a bit o' doing, but we managed to get her tied down and brought to tha proper authorities. She was cussing up one hay of a storm, though. I left out some of the more... colorful language when I told Applebloom about it. No need fer her to learn such things before her time.” He let out a sigh and shook his head, his rather unkempt mane swishing back and forth. “'Course, that time's comin' up a might too soon fer me and Applejack. Yup.”

Trixie let out a sigh. “Ditzy thinks the same way about Dinky. It seems like only yesterday she was tiny and big-eyed, or so I've been told.” She shook her head and took a sip of bourbon. “Oh, that's the stuff.” She looked to Big Mac and waved the bottle at him. “You sure you don't want any?”

“Sure enough, Miss Trixie. One of us has to be sober enough ta help the other one home.”

The unicorn growled slightly. “And how many times have I told you not to call me 'Miss Trixie', Big Mac?” She sat back, crossed her forelegs in front of her chest and thrust her nose into the air. “It is not 'Miss Trixie'!”

Big Mac took another bite of his sandwich. “Would yah prefer 'Miss Lulamoon', instead?”

Trixie glanced at him out of the corner of her eye before her head drooped almost to the table. “All right, all right.” She glanced up at him, a smile forming on her lips. “You know, you might not say much. But what you do say, counts.”

“Yup.”

Trixie shook her head. “And here I am, babbling like Pinkie Pie on a sugar rush. I don't know how you put up with me, sometimes.”

Big Mac looked over at her. “Trixie, I don't know how yah put up with me, sometimes. I think this might be tha most I've said during one of our little dates.”

Trixie, right in the middle of swallowing, coughed and sputtered. Her blue cheeks turned purple and tears streamed from her eyes. Big Mac pushed a glass of water across the table, hopped off his chair and trotted over. “Drink,” he said, taking the cup and helping Trixie take a sip from it.

After a few moments, Trixie's coughing subsided and the color of her cheeks turned back to blue. “Thanks,” she said. “You have saved the life of the Great and Powerful Trixie.” She leaned in close to him, locking eyes. “What should be the Noble and Strong Big Macintosh's reward be?

Big Mac's stalk moved around before he stepped back. He glanced at her down the length of his muzzle. “Well, lemme finish mah dinner first and we'll talk.”

Trixie let out a sigh as he walked back to his chair and sat back down. “Oh, all right. We can finish dinner first. But then...” She let her voice trail off and batted her eyes in Big Mac's direction.

Big Mac stared ahead at her, slowly moving the stalk around in his mouth. Slowly, his cheeks turned a bright crimson, overtaking even his coat. He hunkered down and began eating once more, his eyes never leaving the plate.

“... And so I said to her... what'd I say? Oh, yeah! I said to go buck yourself, Corona! Then I passed out, but I showed her what for when I woke up. Say, what does 'what for' mean, anyway?”

Big Mac shook his head. “Don't know,” he said to Trixie as she clung to his back. He walked along the deserted streets of Ponyville, carrying her back to the Residency. He kept his gait slow, keeping any sudden movements to a minimum. After a few minutes, they arrived at Trixie's home in Ponyville. He shrugged his shoulders, aiding the slightly-inebriated Trixie off of his back and onto the ground. “Here we go.”

Trixie landed on all four hooves, her motions not quite steady. She shook her head and let out a breath. “And now, the Great and powerful Trixie... will get some sleep.” She blinked before turning her head to look right at the stallion. “Big Mac?”

“Yeah, Miss Trixie?”

“I... love you.”

Big Mac blinked. He let a smile play across his lips before turning and giving Trixie a kiss. “Ah love you too, Trixie.”