#macdash

Twilight Sparkle x Sunburst: They have a sort of book club that’s just the two of them, where they both read a book and then take one or two days a month to write a thesis together on it. They get extremely passionate and in depth about it, with a number of papers easily exceeding 50 pages. I would imagine they publish some that they especially want the world to see but not always; it’s all in good fun as an intellectual bonding activity. It really brings them closer together as they engage in healthy debate and learn more from and about each other. Also they still love to go antiquing together just like in the show!

Applejack x Sugar Belle: They send the kids on a few days away with Big Mac or Apple Bloom and they take the kitchen to themselves for a baking weekend! It’s a passion both of them share and I think they’d spend the time not only discussing different recipes but also the goings on of their life and their personal values and whatnot. Much like when they were dating; it makes for a healthy and communicative relationship. The kids would certainly come home to tons of apple-flavored treats to enjoy (and even some with other flavors thanks to Sugar’s more varied palate)!

Rarity x Filthy Rich: Rarity would 100% love to take extravagant trips so she and Rich would absolutely go on a lot of those, distinct from obligatory travel for business or other high society commitments. They do bring their kids along, not wanting to leave them to miss out on any once-in-a-lifetime memories, but they hire a babysitter/nanny to come with them so they can reserve some of the itinerary for just the two of them. There are pretty much endless opportunities for what they could do together, depending on where they travel to. Rarity and Rich thrive on these experiences giving their relationship so much variety, but with how busy they are all the time, I imagine they’re also happy to spend a date night alone at home with wine and rose petals.

Rainbow Dash x Big Macintosh: I can see Big Mac loving nothing more than to lie back against a sturdy old tree and watch his radiant love perform dazzling tricks in the sky. Rainbow Dash loves the attention of course, knowing she’s admired so much for her talents, but I imagine she would also wish he could join her up there. Thus leading to her trying to carry him with her (she’s so strong yet so small - would she succeed?) or otherwise looking for some other way to get him up there. Big Mac would appreciate that even more than the stunts she performs, the fact she thought about him. If not that, they might race around with Dash flying through the trees and Big Mac running along with her, letting loose for some good lighthearted fun.

Fluttershy x Quibble x Pharynx: Nature hikes or weekend camping trips would be their favorite pastimes; they sometimes go with the kids and sometimes without. Fluttershy has lots of fun talking about all the fauna and flora while Quibble is enjoying learning new things, definitely taking notes along the way. All the while Pharynx is playfully joking about being their bodyguard, even going so far as to stand outside of the tent and keep watch at night. (I’ve recently developed the headcanon that only juvenile changelings need regular sleep and that adult changelings can stay up for days).

Name: Earth Day Nicknames: Purple Dart  Age: Not Born Yet Parents: Rainbow Dash and Big Macintosh Siblings: Evergreen Blaze, Moonray Chill, Lantern Glow, Strawberry Breeze Personality: Earth Day won’t be joining the family until later in the story, but when he does, there’s a big personality in store! Right from his youngest days they’re a lover of attention, just like their mom, and luckily there’s a whole family to dote on him! As he grows up, Earth Day develops a particular interest in fashion and makeup despite it not being their Mom’s thing, although their Pa has certainly dabbled in it once or twice. It certainly helps him bond with Princess Cut. His friendly demeanor as a baby grows into good pony skills which will do him good in whatever endeavors they choose in the future! Cutie Mark: N/A

“Family Walk”

I wanted to get this done for my birthday yesterday, but shading took longer than expected. 

The Apple family going for a nice constitutional on a sunny afternoon. They’re taking a leisurely pace, as Applejack is pregnant with her and Soarin’s daughter Apple Medley. But Apple Cobbler and Reinette quickly turn to running as a game of tag ensues, or Cobbler egged his younger cousin into anger, as boys are wont to do. Part way through drawing, I realized that MacDash’s second child would be born by this time. I thought of having Mac carry her in a papoose or stroller, but it seemed too much to give him more to carry. She’s probably at home taking a nap. 

This is also the debut of my machinations for how magic works with my humanizations. In the case of pegasi, as demonstrated by Rainbow and Mac’s daughter Reinette, the wings are summoned when needed and a pattern appears over the skin of the face, shoulders and back. Reinette’s facial pattern was inspired by a peacock and I intend to model Rainbow’s after a peregrine falcon and Soarin’ after a blue jay. 

I’m still working out specifics with the other pony races and you can look forward to designs for non-ponies soon as well. 

“Cryin’ Roaman with a baby.”

MacDash--”Heartbeat”

If you asked them, neither Mac nor Rainbow can really remember when they started dating. They met after the longest night in a thousand years and their connection to Applejack brought them together with some frequency. At first, Mac was just Applejack’s brother and that was it. She would try to get a rise out of him sometimes, egg him on, things like that.  Conversations over drinks at Apple Farm parties and stopping to chat as they ran into each other brought them closer. Rainbow used Mac kind of like a diary, telling him about things. Even if he didn’t say anything, it felt good getting it off her chest. When Rainbow hit the peak of her Wonderbolt career, seeing most of her friends getting married and starting families made her start thinking about that kind of thing. When she decided to ask Mac out on a date, she realized that was what they were basically doing already, sort of. They just had to make it official. A short time later, Mac proposed. 

They have two daughters. I haven’t really developed them a lot yet. The first is about as girly as you could possibly get, the second is ADHD enough to give Pinkie a run for her money. 

I've always loved <3 the ship MacDash and had been meaning to do something with them for a while. And I know that FlutterMac is really popular too so I thought I'd do a mix of the two. I'm trying to express the untainted love between Big Mac and Rainbow and their ignorance to hurting Fluttershy. At the same time I hope Fluttershy's bitterness in her expression is evident.  

We're growing out of our minority status as more people like you are coming forward with it.