Big Mac sat by the door of the barn, waiting for the noise inside to cease. For nearly an hour, he’d listened to the steady, rhythmic thump of hooves against stuffed canvas. He marvelled for a moment that Applejack’s bucking bag hadn’t been kicked down already, when he heard a different kind of thump.

“Oh, fer Luna’s sake!” Applejack’s voice cried out, followed by a resigned sigh and the sound of canvas being dragged across the wooden floor.

Mac continued his silent vigil until Applejack poked her head out of the barn door.

“Thought I might find ya here.” She let out another sigh. “Reckon ya heard, then.”

“Reckon so.” Big Mac acknowledged her in his low, slow drawl. “Tweren’t hard ta miss.”

Applejack snorted, turning away and hiding behind the brim of her hat.

Big Mac let the silence stretch out for a long while before speaking up again. “Ya ever think yer datin’ the wrong type o’ ponies?”

That earned him a hard glare as Applejack turned fierce, narrowed emerald eyes on him. “You mean mares or pegasi?”

“Pegasi,” he answered coolly. “I don’t reckon pegasus stallions’d be any diff’rent.”

Applejack snorted again. “I can’t help what I like.” Her gaze slowly turned to her own hooves and her posture drooped a bit. “It started out so well, I really thought she mighta been the one loyal enough ta stick.”

Big Mac snorted this time, he hadn’t quite been able to completely contain his laughter. “Her name was Flitter, an’ ya thought she’d stick around?”

Applejack’s fierce glare was back. “Oh, yeah?! Well, I’d like ta see you do better, then.”

Mac blinked his eyes once, returning his sister’s angry glare with a cool, impassive look. “Happens I got my eye on a pegasus myself.”

“You, goin’ after a pegasus?!” Applejack’s jaw nearly dropped right in the dirt. “Who?”

“Miss Rainbow Dash.”

Applejack’s jaw really did hit the dirt at his answer. She got shakily back to her haunches after a moment of shock. “Rainbow Dash?! My friend, Rainbow— Hits on jus’ about every filly— She ain’t inta—” Applejack spluttered, unable to form complete sentences.

“S’not the way I hear it.” Mac shrugged. “Even if she ain’t inta stallions, figure it can’t hurt ta ask anyway.”

“Well, of all the— Fine! Just go and ask Rainbow out, but don’t say I didn’t warn ya!” Applejack stomped off, yelling her parting remark over her shoulder.

Big Mac simply smiled to himself. Normally he disliked being sneaky and underhooved, but sometimes his sister did need to have a fire lit under her.