Chapter 11:
After aimlessly walking along the path towards Sweet Apple Acres deep in thought about the events which have just recently transpired Ocean Blue realized she had just arrived at the after mentioned farm. She had learned this was where Apple Jack lived and worked early on when she met the girls and now that she knew Big Macintosh was her brother she knew she could find him here as well. The giddiness she felt thinking about Big Mac helped to ease her mind and she began to trot happily until she saw Big Mac working in the orchard bucking apples.
Apple Jack had explained apple bucking but Ocean Blue still had never seen it in person before. Big Mac had not noticed her yet as he lined up his rear legs with the tree, lifted himself up onto his front legs and bucked hard into the side of the tree. A multitude of apples fell from the tree and landed in waiting baskets placed around the base of the tree. "How is he not hurting the tree?" Ocean Blue thought.
Big Mac raised a front hoof up to his forehead to wipe away a little sweat and when he looked over towards the dirt path and spotted Ocean Blue. He quickly smiled happy to see her and Ocean Blue reciprocated the gesture.
"What ya'all doing out here pretty lady?" Big Mac asked.
Big Mac quickly realized exactly what he had said and blushed hard and looked away from Ocean Blue in embarrassment. Ocean Blue also blushed deeply at hearing those words but continued walking up to the stallion.
"He thinks I am pretty!" Ocean blue thought in jubilation.
"Oh I was just going for a walk and thought I would stop by the farm, Apple Jack had told me about Apple Bucking and I wanted to see it for myself." Ocean Blue said calmly and with more composure than she thought she could muster as she lied through her teeth.
"Yeaup, ma sis and I run this farm and buck the apples from the trees. It is hard work, but it is honest work." Big Mac said looking up into the canopy of the tree he just bucked filled with pride and then he looked back down at Ocean Blue and said. "Would ya like me to show ya how to do it?"
Ocean blue quickly nodded excited to spend time with this stallion.
Over the next 15 minutes Big Mac showed Ocean Blue how to buck apples. There were some rather entertaining and also rather embarrassing attempts by Ocean blue where she would either fall forward over balancing, fall backwards trying to hit the tree but missing and every possible combination of failing possible. She of course did finally manage to buck the tree correctly and a good bunch of apples fell. Big Mac was not surprised so few apples fell as most ponies had difficulty in doing it right as they did not have the body strength needed but he was happy with her results. Ocean Blue was alighted in her mastery of bucking apples and thanked Big Mac for being such a wonderful teacher. Big Mac blushed heavily at the complement and said.
"Well, ya is a natural at it after you got the hang of it." Big Mac said with a hint of a joke at her previous failures.
"Oh be quite you, you are embarrassing me." Ocean Blue said while softly punching Big Mac on his right shoulder.
The two laughed together until Big Mac asked. "Ya thirsty?"
"Parched. Water would be great." Ocean Blue responded.
"Ah got something better than water, ah got some apple cider, follow me." Big Mac replied.
Ocean Blue had heard stories from several of the girls about their cider and was excited to try some. The two ponies walked to the house and into the kitchen where Big Mac poured two large mugs full of fresh cider. The moment the golden liquid touched her tongue she was hooked just as Rainbow Dash was. Ocean Blue's eyes shot wide open and she "hmmmed" as the drink went down her throat. Big Mac had seen that look countless times when ponies would try their cider for the first time and he always enjoyed it but at this moment he enjoyed it more than he ever had. He still could not quite put a hoof on it but there was still something about this mare that made her so special in his eyes. He contemplated telling her how he felt but he was never a stallion of many words and usually had difficulty in expressing himself like others he knew. "I wonder if she feels the same way about me" he thought to himself. His heart fluttered a little as he watched her merrily drink her cider while he did the same.
When she was done with the cider she wiped her lips off with her right leg and smiled brightly at Big Mac and said. "I do not think I have ever had something so wonderful before. Thank you ever so much."
Big Mac just nodded his head with a warm smile taking the mug from her and setting in down in the sink basin to be washed. Big Mac then cleared his throat a little as asked. "Would ya like to take a walk with me out in the orchard? The sun will be setting soon and it is a wonder to behold."
Big Mac wanted to hit himself over the head with his hoof thinking how corny that sounded and was absolutely ecstatic when he saw the look on her face and a little nod of her head while she hummed "hmm hmm."
The two of them began walking side by side enjoying each other's company as they made their way to a large clearing that Big Mac knew was the best location to watch the sun set. They stopped and sat down while Ocean Blue drank in the scenery. They stayed silent for a while content with themselves until Ocean Blue decided to speak up.
"Big Mac, um… do you have a… sp - special… special somepony?" Ocean Blue closed her eyes tightly waiting for a response worried about what she might hear as his reaction.
"Nope." Was his only response.
Ocean Blue opened her eyes and cautiously looked over at Big Mac when he asked.
"You?"
Ocean Blue shook her head and looked out in the clearing not wanting to see Big Mac's reaction to what she was about to say.
"I… I get these feelings when… when I am around you and… I get so nervous and excited… happy too. I have never felt this way for a stallion before…" Ocean Blue said.
"She likes me too!?" was the thought echoing over and over in Big Mac's mind.
Ocean blue braced for potential heart shattering news from the red stallion sitting next to her. He took longer than she expected and the wait just made her believe that he did not feel the same way. Then to both her delight Big Mac spoke.
"Ah feel the same."
Ocean Blue was nearly ready to jump as high as she could in happiness to hear those words while her heart filled with unimaginable joy, more joy than she had ever experienced through her entire life put together.
"Ah never had a special somepony though many mares have tried but ah never cared for em." Big mac continued.
"W-why not?" Ocean Blue asked cautiously.
"Ah never "clicked" with them you might say, and they just wanted me for my looks but not for me. But with you…. With you it is different." He said finding it hard to put the words together.
Ocean Blue was somehow made even happier than she was before. She did not know how that was possible but she did not care at the moment. Suddenly reality struck her and all of her joy was replaced with dread. She would have to tell him the truth. How would he react? What is he thought her evil like the others? What if…
Her mind began to swirl as these thoughts consumed her and Big Mac noticed the change on her face.
"What's wrong?" Big Mac inquired.
"Big Mac, I have something I need to… tell… you…" Ocean Blue said.
"Go on." Big Mac replied.
"I am not like the other mares in Ponyville."
"ah know, ah can't explain it myself but that is what I like about you."
"You… you won't like me… if you knew the… the truth." Ocean Blue said biting her lower lip.
"It can't be too bad." Big Mac said.
"It is…" was all she said.
She gathered all of her strength and resolve and knew what she had to do next. Big Mac was startled by green light emanating from Ocean Blue. He saw in wonder and shocked horror as her coat changed from soft pure white fur to a hard shelled black surface. Her mane changed from that of a pony to that of a fin like structure partially transparent with a green hue to it. She grew fangs in her muzzle and while she developed insect like wings while her horn remained but changed from white to black.
Big mac remained frozen in paralysis at what he had just seen. His mind could not process what he was looking at. A changeling… right here in front of him. What should he do? Should he run and get help or should he attack it? While Big Mac was stuck in his own little world, Ocean Blue kept her eyes tightly closed and her body tensed for what she thought was going to come. When several moments passed and nothing seemed to happen, she slowly opened her eyes and looked towards Big Mac.
She could see the look of raw surprise, but she could not see any look of terror or disgust. Big Mac was about to tackle her when he looked into her eyes. Her eyes were still the same. He gazed into her eyes and felt the same feelings he felt before. He did not feel any revulsion towards this changeling. She remained the same kind and funny mare she was before, it was only her looks that changed.
To Big Mac most other stallions and mares for that matter only ever seemed to think about the exterior qualities of another pony. Big Mac on the other hand always looked deeper. He knew something was different about this mare and he now knew what it was. She was a changeling but she was not a normal changeling based on everything he did know about them. While it was not much he knew a changeling would not willingly expose themselves like this. He also knew that they did not act as kind as sweet as she did.
"You're a changeling…."was all Big Mac could say slowly in a near whisper but Ocean Blue still heard it.
"Yes, I am a changeling but I was never like my brethren." She said sadly still anticipating the worst.
The sun was now setting; half of the orange circle in the sky had passed below the horizon. The sky was filled with beautiful shades of orange and red.
"Ah… ah… don't care that ya'all is a changeling." Big mac said in a matter of fact tone.
Ocean Blue looked at Big Mac and he looked at her. They just imperceptibly began moving closer together, their muzzles only inches apart when a voice shattered the moment.
"I found it over here! Hurry it has Big Mac!" Rainbow Dash said while flying high in the air, yelling in the opposite direction from them towards the other girls.
Ocean Blue's face filled with terror and she shook her head saying. "No… no.. please… I have to-to go."
Ocean blue then began to fly away; the unmistakable sound of insect wings buzzing could be heard as she did so. Big Mac sat again dumbfounded at the turn of events as the mare he loved was running away from him.
"Oh no you don't! get back here!" Rainbow Dash yelled while shooting off towards Ocean Blue.
While Ocean Blue did not enjoy flying that much, when she had to she could fly circles around even a fast flying pony like rainbow dash. Changelings naturally can fly around two times the speed of even the fasted pegasi as it enable them to better feed. It was of no use to a changeling if its prey could get away before it had a chance to feed. With her speed Ocean Blue was easily able to out fly Rainbow Dash and when the rainbow Pegasus realized this she stopped dead in her tracks jaw dropped.
"No one is faster than me…" was all she thought. Realizing she could not catch her, she flew back to the farm to see how Big Macintosh was doing. "She better not have done anything to Big Mac or so help me she will pay." Rainbow Dash thought.
Just as Rainbow Dash was arriving at Big Mac's location the other girls had caught up. Apple Jack tackled her brother in a nearly bone crushing hug.
"Are ya alright big brother? That changeling didn't hurt ya at all did it?"
"Nope" was Big Mac's only response.
"What did she want with ya, why were you two out here?" Apple Jack continued.
"Ah brought her out here so we could watch the sunset together." Big mac replied with a little blush.
"To watch the sunset?" Twilight asked confused and raising an eyebrow and tilting her head to one side.
"Yeaup. She then told me the truth about her being a changeling."
The girls all gasped at this.
"She actually changed back into her changeling form willingly?" Twilight continued confused as to why she would do something like that.
"Yeaup but only after…" Big mac trailed off filled with embarrassment.
"After what Big Brother, what did she do to you!?" Apple Jack yelled now in tears not knowing what might have happened to her brother.
"After she said she liked me." Big Mac said quietly.
Again the girls all gasped and Rarity stood up on her hind legs, brought her right front leg up to her forehead, moaned and fell backwards fainting.
"And ah said ah liked her back." Big Mac continued.
"You what!" Apple Jack yelled.