Hello again readers, yes, I've written another My Little Pony fanfiction, and have a lot more ideas for even more. This story though was a big pain and is probably sloppy because I was just trying to finish it and get it over with. I hope you enjoy it anyways.
Oh, and I don't own My Little Pony, in case anyone was wondering. If I did there would be a bit (or a lot) more Big Macintosh in it.
Twilight Sparkle was very, very excited...and a little nervous. Sure, she got excited and nervous a lot, but this time was different. Princess Cadence and Shining Armor didn't often get time off, they were too busy running the Crystal Empire, but Shining Armor had promised Twilight that he and Cadence would come to Ponyville today. That's why Twilight was excited, she couldn't wait to show her brother and her old foal sitter everything that made Ponyville so great.
"This is going to be great." Twilight says to her friends for the sixth time, "A chance to just hang out with my brother and Cadence without worrying about saving Equestria. We can all get to know them better, and they can learn more about all of us."
"So you've told us." Rainbow Dash says, rolling her says, "How many more times do you have to say it before you actually believe it?" For Twilight had been pacing around for the past ten minutes, and her voice did sound like she was trying to convince herself.
Twilight stops pacing, "Alright, so I'm a little nervous," Twilight admits, "I just really want for my family to get along with your families. Speaking of which," Twilight looks around for a second before facing Applejack, a confused expression on her face, "Where are the Cutie Mark Crusaders? Around this time in the morning they're always running around with those crazy plans to get their Cutie marks."
"Oh, I'm having Big Macintosh watchin' them today, to make sure they don't hurt nopony." Applejack says. "If nopony's watchin' them, it never ends nicely."
"That's true," Twilight admits reluctantly, "But I was really wanting Shining Armor and Cadence to meet your family."
"They still can," Applejack says, "Although ah'm not sure that would be such a good idea."
"Why not?" Twilight asks, "They'd get along with the girls."
"It ain't the girls ah'm worried about." Applejack says, "It's…"
"Guy's, if you tried paying attention for once you'd see that they're here." Rainbow Dash calls, interrupting what Applejack was saying. Applejack and Twilight Sparkle turn to see that Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had indeed arrived. Twilight's eyes brighten up and she runs over to Cadence and they do the "Sunshine, Sunshine, ladybugs awake." thing that they always do. Afterwards Twilight trots over to her brother and hugs him.
"I am so glad that you were able to make it." Twilight says.
"Hey, I told you we would, and I haven't broken a promise to you yet." Shining Armor says. "So, you probably have some sort of plan, don't you?"
"Of course." Twilight says as she leads the way to the middle of Ponyville. Twilight took them everywhere in town. To the library, carousel boutique, Sugar Cube Corner, and most everywhere else. After showing her brother and his wife everywhere in Ponyville Twilight started showing them the sights surrounding the town.
It was when the group was walking on a small cliff looking over a lake that things got a little crazy. Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle and Applebloom came dashing around the corner. Scootaloo, who had a saddle bag, looked excited and mischievous, Applebloom looked angry, and Sweetie Belle looked nervous. All three of them were running as fast as they could, and ended up running into Princess Cadence because they were too distracted to notice her.
"Oh, sorry." Sweetie Belle says. The other two crusaders were too busy to stop to apologize.
"Do you think we lost him?" Scootaloo asks, putting her saddle bag down.
"Ah doubt it." Applebloom says. "Tha' jerk will probably be here in a minute." and Just after she said that another pony came running around the corner. The Cutie Mark Crusaders hid behind Twilight as the pony came closer. This Pony, a red stallion, ran closer to the others and, just like the little fillies before him, wasn't paying attention to where he was going and ended up running into Cadence. However, the stallion, Big Macintosh, was a lot bigger and heavier than the fillies and the two of them ended up falling off the cliff into the lake below. Everybody else rushes to the edge to see if they were alright.
"Cadence, are you okay?" Shining Armor asks.
"I'm fine." Cadence says as she and Big Macintosh get out of the dirty water and make their way back up to the top of the cliff. Cadence didn't look injured, she just looked wet, which is to be expected. No harm was done, but Shining Armor was still angry.
"What was that about?" Shining Armor asks angrily. "Does nopony in this town look before they run?"
"Ah'd like ta see you stop at a seconds impulse." Big Macintosh says, sounding irritated. Twilight and Applejack look at their older brother's in shock. They'd only just met and yet they were already acting like they couldn't stand each other.
"Shining Armor, it was just an accident." Twilight says, trying to calm her older brother down.
"Accident or no, Cadence still could have gotten hurt." Shining Armor says.
"Eeyup," Big Macintosh says, his expression softening. He turns to face Cadence. "Ah am sorry."
"It's fine." Cadence says.
"No, it's not fine." Shining Armor says, getting in Big Macintosh's face. "Is 'sorry' all you have to say?"
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh says. "what else do ya want me to say? Unless you city ponies have another way you apologize. But ah don' think ya do, since yer too proud to apologize fer anythin'."
"Alright, tha's enough." Applejack says, stepping between the two glaring stallions. She faces her older brother. "Ah don' know why yer here, but ya need ta go home now." Big Macintosh turns his eyes to meet his sisters and the two of them glare at each other for a minute. Finally Big Macintosh gives in.
"Eeyup," He says. He knew that his sister was right. Staying here will not end well at all. So, without even looking at any of the others, he heads back to Sweet Apple Acres. Once he was gone Cadence strodes to Shining Armor and hits his shoulder as hard as she could.
"What was that for?" Shining Armor asks. Cadence ignores his question and turns her back to him. They all stand awkwardly for a moment before Rarity comes to her senses.
"Oh, princess, that lake water was filthy. Come, we must fix your mane and coat." Rarity says before heading back towards town, no doubt heading for the spa. Cadence sends a glare Shining Armor's way before joining the others in following Rarity. Shining Armor makes his way to follow them, but is stopped by the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Shining Armor, please don't stay mad at mah brother." Applebloom says, "It, wasn't his fault."
"That was your older brother?" Shining Armor asks. "Well, if it wasn't his fault, then whose was it?" At this question the three little fillies look ashamed of themselves.
"Well, he was only running to try to catch us." Sweetie Belle says
"See, we sort of took something of his." Scootaloo says, looking at her saddlebag. "He was just wanting it back."
"Why would you steal something of his?" Shining Armor asks.
"Well, today we were going to try to get our Cutie Marks for explorin' the forest, but he kept stoppin' us." Applebloom explains. "We got mad, so we told him that if he didn't let us do what we wanted, then we would show this to Cheerilee."
"Oh, so you blackmailed him." Shining Armor says. The three fillies look alarmed.
"No!" Scootaloo says.
"Yes" Sweetie Belle admits.
"What's blackmail?" Applebloom asks.
"Blackmail is when you threaten to do something unless you're given what you want." Shining Armor explains. The three fillies look at each other.
"I guess we did blackmail him." Scootaloo says.
"We just wanted our Cutie Marks." Applebloom says miserably. "we didn't mean to blackmail Big Mac." Suddenly something clicked in Shining Armor's head.
"Wait, Big Mac?" Shining Armor says, surprised. "That was Mac?" The Cutie Mark Crusaders look at each other.
"Well, yeah." Scootaloo says.
"Oh man, I've got to go talk to him." Shining Armor says. "Except...I have no idea where he went."
"Oh, he just probably went back to the farm. I can take you there." Applebloom says. "I have to take this back to him anyways." she says, grabbing Scootaloo's saddlebag. Applebloom started trotting off with Shining Armor following closely behind her. Scootaloo and Sweetie Bell look at each other before heading off to the spa to catch up with the others.
Shining Armor was a strong and fit stallion, but he had to admit, the little filly Applebloom was fast. He'd almost lost her multiple times. Shining Armor told himself that it was just because they were running through the middle of the town, and Applebloom, being as little as she was, had an easier time making her way through the crowds of other ponies than Shining Armor did.
After a while they got to Sweet Apple Acres. Shining Armor could see the barn, so he was pretty confused when Applebloom lead him in the opposite direction, to the middle of the trees. Shining Armor thought that they would probably find Big Mac near the buildings, not in the trees. Applebloom knew where she was going though, she knew her brother. After a few minutes they came to a small hill and Shining Armor could see Big Macintosh lying beneath it. Applebloom rushed over to her brother first.
"Heya Big Mac." Applebloom says, nuzzling against her big brother. She then reached into the saddlebag and brought an old, mangy pony doll out of it. She handed the doll to her brother. "Ah'm sorry fer takin' this in the first place." Applebloom says
"It's alrigh'," Big Macintosh says, snuggling against the doll like a little school filly would. It was then that Big Macintosh noticed that his younger sister didn't come here alone.
"What're you doin' here?" Big Macintosh asks angrily, glaring at Shining Armor.
"I brought him here." Applebloom says.
"I just want to talk to you, Mac. It has been a long time since we've seen each other...unless you count earlier today, which I'd rather not." Shining Armor says. Big Macintosh was confused, he didn't remember meeting this pony, unless…
"Yer Shinin' Armor, ain't you?" Big Macintosh asks.
"I knew you remembered me." Shining Armor says.
"It ain't hard ta remember one of mah only friends." Big Macintosh says, "What's hard is recognizin' them when we're all grown."
"That reminds me," Shining Armor says, "I know that city ponies don't apologize much, but I am sorry about how I reacted earlier. I've always been a little protective of Cadence, but I guess now that we're married it's gotten worse. I overreacted."
"Way overreacted." Applebloom mutters under her breath. Shining Armor and Big Macintosh chuckle at her comment.
"So, you and Cadence'r married now?" Big Macintosh asks a minute later as he shifts his position into one more comfortable.
"Yeah, we only just got married." Shining Armor says, "I think your sister, Applejack, was there, along with all the rest of Twilights friends." Shining Armor was a little distracted though. Big Macintosh didn't seem like the type of pony who'd just lay around on the ground, yet that was what he was doing. Shining Armor knew what was wrong, and he couldn't believe he hadn't realized it before.
"I'm such an idiot." Shining Armor mutters under his breath, kneeling lower to the ground to see better. "I was so worried that Cadence had gotten hurt, but it didn't even register that you could have gotten hurt just as easily as she could." Shining Armor took a close look at Big Macintosh's feet and his suspicions were confirmed. Mac's front right hoof was swollen, quite badly.
"You were hiding the fact that you sprained your hoof?" Shining Armor asks.
"Ah didn' think everypony needed to know." Big Macintosh says with a shrug.
"Well, at least you're resting." Shining Armor says, "But you really should do something else for this." Shining Armor brings his head down and touches his horn to Big Macintosh's hoof. Big Mac flinches, but doesn't say anything. Shining Armor's horn starts glowing with magic, and a moment later Big Macintosh's face relaxes.
"I'm no expert on healing magic, but I hope that helped a little." Shining Armor says when he was done with the spell.
"It feels a lot better." Big Macintosh says.
"Good to hear." Shining Armor says. "So, that doll of yours...isn't it Twilight's?" Somehow, Big Macintosh's face get's redder.
"It's a long story." Big Macintosh says, "Let's just say ah came upon the doll, and, well, liked it. Ah was plannin' on givin' it back to Twiligh', but she said tha' ah could keep it."
"Alright then." Shining Armor says. Twlight had really liked the doll when she was a little filly, but over the years she had grown out of the doll. Shining Armor was glad that she'd given the doll to somepony who seemed to appreciate the old thing...even if that pony was a fully grown stallion.
"Is there any specific reason that you really didn't want this Cheerilee pony to know about the doll?" Shining Armor asks. Once again, Big Macintosh's face get's even redder than before.
"Well, she's the only pony in town that don't know about the doll, Ah'd rather keep it tha' way." Big Macintosh says.
"How would everypony else know?" Shining Armor asks. Applebloom answers the question this time.
"Me and the girls sorta wrote it in the school paper, and everypony in town was readin' it." Applebloom says. "Well, almost everypony. Ms Cheerilee didn' read the paper, so she didn' find out about it." Shining Armor wasn't satisfied with this answer, so he turns to Applebloom.
"Does your older brother have any...special feelings for Cheerilee?" Shining Armor asks.
"Huh?" Applebloom says, she was confused. "Ah don't think so. Ah mean, there was that time with the love poison, but…"
"Wait, a love poison?" Shining Armor says, trying to suppress a grin. "I'd like to hear that story." So Applebloom begins to explain, much to Big Macintosh's embarrassment.
Meanwhile, back in Ponyville.
At the spa, the girls were just starting to relax when Twilight realized that Shining Armor wasn't there with them. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle were the last ponies to get there, so Twilight asks them where her brother was.
"Oh, he went with Applebloom to go talk to Big Macintosh." Scootaloo answers calmly.
"He did what?!" Applejack and Twilight exclaim. Without waiting another second the two of them run out of the spa and make their way to Sweet Apple Acres. When they get there and, eventually, find their brothers, they're seriously surprised to see Shining Armor laughing hysterically at something.
"It ain't funny." Big Macintosh says.
"What are you talking about? It's hilarious." Shining Armor says. "But, you are right, it's not fun to be forced to have feelings for somepony, I should know, I've been through that too. It's just the idea that's funny."
"What are you guys doing?" Twilight asks. Big Mac and Shining Armor turn to their sisters, having only just noticed them.
"We're just talking, no need to sound so shocked." Shining Armor says.
"But you were mad at Big Macintosh, and now you're acting like you're friends." Twilight says to Shining Armor.
"An' you don' get along with city ponies." Applejack reminds her brother. "ya think they're too snobby."
"Shining Armor is one of the few city ponies tha' ah do get along with." Big Macintosh says.
"Well, ya coulda fooled me." Applejack says, irritated that she didn't know what was going on.
"Me and Mac are friends." Shining Armor says in response to his sister's question. "We've actually been friends for longer than you two have." Applejack and Twilight look at each other.
"Please tell me ah'm not the only feelin' like ah missed somethin'." Applejack says.
"Trust me, you're not the only one in the dark." Twilight says.
Ending chapters and/or stories is probably the hardest part about fanfiction writing. I'm never sure exactly where I want the story to end. Anyways, I have just one more thing to say and that is YESSS. I finally finished this. After almost a week of writing it and many months trying to figure out the story. But I knew that I wanted to write this, so I couldn't just not write it.