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“Return”

By Hamster.

She lays in her bed, his front leg stretched across hers; his hoof pressed over her own.

Wrapped by his warm sleeping body, Twilight feels so wonderfully safe.

It’s a comfort that comes from more than just being gripped by Mac’s massive form, that though firm, holds her gently to himself.

No, her magic can give her strength, but for as silly as it sounds, being pressed so close to Mac and listening to his long heavy breaths; it’s as if this is the first time been entirely open, utterly herself, and she was being held tight for it.

Things had happened only a few days ago, when she’d been late to close the

Library.

She’d had to leave her duties to Spike again who, as he almost seemed proud to do, had managed to fall asleep before finishing. He’d forgotten to flip the ‘open’ sign to ‘closed’, fill out the ledger, and had managed to leave for her stacks of returns that hadn’t yet been shelved away.

So it wasn’t until dusk that she’d managed to tidy up mostly everything, but only after she heard a light clop on the door, did she realize that she’d also forgotten to switch the sign.

“Oh, darn,” said Twilight to herself, putting a hoof to her face. She trotted to the door, preparing to make the inevitable awkward apology. It embarrassed her to think that, after having flawlessly curated the largest book repository in canterlot, she had yet to go a week without needing to close this tiny tree-house library for the sake of some disaster or another.

Her friends would laugh it off, pointing out her very good excuses for missing an occasional workday, and she knew it wasn’t a rational thing. Still, there was something about the occasional glare from disgruntled library goers that always managed to fluster her, as it reminded her just much her life now seemed to be constantly controlled by chaos.

She shook her exhausted body and reluctantly trotted to the front door, only opening the top part. She was happily surprised to find Big Mac, a friend and the brother of one of her best friends, standing patiently on the other side, wearing a small, polite smile and a saddle bag.

“Oh, Big Mac! What are you doing here at this hour?” said Twilight, happy to find someone that had little chance of giving her a lengthy complaint.

“Uhh.” He said in that slow goofy voice of his, and reached his head into a saddlebag, pulling out a book.

“arry or ummin ah ho ate”,  he tried to say thought the book in his mouth.

“Hehe, sorry?” and Twilight magically whisked the book.

“Uh, sorry for commin’ by so late.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem, I know you’re busy with the farm, but thanks for bothering to return this, you have no idea how long some of the empty spaces on the shelves have been here.” She said, blushing.

As the book moved past her to a table, twilight saw its title. It’s a math book, and not just reference guide or an easy school text either, but real math, almost at the level needed to create spells.

“Wow,” says twilight, “what were you using this for?”

“Crops.” Said Mac.

“Ah, yeah, of course. Wait, you really need all this for crops?”

Big Mac thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Guess I don’t really…”

“So, you’re telling me that you up and decided to borrow one of the hardest math texts in my library and read it for fun?” the tired Twilight joked, and dread immediately came over her as the words got a chance to bounce around her head.

Though not disappearing, the soft smile on Big Macs face drooped as he slowly shrugged again. He gave her a gentlemanly nod and said “I best be getting’ back.”

“Wait, no, I didn’t I mean, I uh!” said twilight, utterly mortified.

“Here! wait, Please, let me make you some Tea or something before you head back.”

Big Mac smiled back a polite and tolerant grin.

“I thank ya kindly, but I really best be headin’ back,”

“No, please, I didn’t mean to imply anything!” She swore to her self that she didn’t mean it that way, it’s only that she was use to understanding things that no over other ponies could. She’d been so suspired that anypony could understand the things in that book, especially Big Mac… oh, wait.

And there it was. Somehow she had assumed the slow speaking pony to also be nothing but a simpleton. Again, there was something in that darn smile of his, as if he’d know all along, and only chose then to do anything about it.

“I, I’m… sorry,” said Twilight, lowing her head, “I mean, I did mean something by it, but I don’t now! I mean…”

“Twi,” said Big Mac quietly. He lifted her head with his hoof and Twilight found herself looking Big Mac in the eyes. Somehow he suddenly seemed closer to her, even though he hadn’t stepped, and for the touch of his giant hoof on her cheek, it’s all she could do not to shiver.

There’s another kindly smile, seeming to say everything that Twilight was hoping to hear, more than just forgiving her for putting her hoof in her mouth, he also seems to understanding why... but without hating her for it.

He noded again, carefully letting her go, and with a slow “G’night”, he sauntered away.

Still feeling guilty, Twilight closed the door and headed back inside, thinking about how little she knew about this pony. How she’d assumed him nothing more than a sweet but simple stallion, and how wrong she apparently was.

Twilight smiles now, remembering that first real conversation she’d ever had with Mac, the first of many of her awkward hellos, and his ever bigger smiles. She turns over, doing her best not to wake him. Nuzzling her nose to his chest, she breaths in the earthy smell of potters clay and fresh apples.

[Authors notes: inspired by the fanfiction “Ships that pass in the night”]

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