Chapter 4: Maps
The next morning, Big Macintosh woke up a bit earlier than he had originally planned. Taking great care into packing his saddlebag in the kitchen, he wanted the day to go off without a problem. He placed some apple turnovers in his bag as well as a few golden delicious apples before closing it up. Just as he was about to trot out the front door, he paused and turned around, trotting back up to his room. On his dresser was a piece of paper. Scribbled onto the paper was a map that the stallion drew up from memory the night before. He quick placed in his bag securely before going back downstairs to exit the house out into the cloudy and windy morning.
Trotting to Sugarcube Corner, where Pinkie Pie was living with the Cakes, the red stallion began to grow nervous. He couldn't exactly place the reason why he was feeling such, but the thought of being with Pinkie on this day was enough to have butterflies. Taking calming, deep breaths, Big Mac continued his movement to the bakery. As soon as he trotted up to the door, he knocked and waited for a reply.
Unbeknownst to the stallion, a pink pony appeared out of nowhere behind him and spooked him, "Hiya, Big Mac~! Are you here for our fun day?!"
Jolting upward a bit, Big Mac turned to see the pink, party pony, "Oh, heh, howdy, Miss Pinkie Pie. Ya know….no matter how many times ya do that, ah can never get used ta it."
Pinkie giggled at the comment, "But if I don't startle you like that, I lose the element of surprise! Even though I'm the Element of Laughter doesn't mean I can't be another element! So, what are we doing Big Mac-Mac?"
Slightly chuckling at the mare's play on his own name, Big Mac replied as he began to trot, "Ah know it's not much, but ah was thinkin' we'd go on a hike."
"I love hikes! Then again, I love a lot of things, like my pet alligator!" the mare excitedly spoke.
"Al-Alligator?" Big Mac was both interested and worried if Pinkie actually was telling the truth.
Bouncing happily, Pinkie nodded, "Yup yup! His name is Gummy and he is the cutest little pet reptile in all of Ponyville! He's the only pet reptile in Ponyville, but still, I had to hold an annual contest to prove that! He's been winning the title for five years in a row!"
Big Mac couldn't help but smile at her energy and her words, "But doesn't Spike count in this contest of yers?"
Pinkie went deep into thought, "You know, I don't think Spike has entered! He must enter in this upcoming reptile contest," taking a pause to take a huge gasp, the mare continued, "That means Tank needs to enter, too! It looks like Gummy has got some competition this year!"
"Eeyup, seems like he does," the red pony commented, thinking it kind of fun that Pinkie might actually hold the contest.
"I know he will do great at the 'balloon nomming' event! And I'm sure he will do well in the 'alligator in the tub' swimming event! He's a natural champ!" Pinkie spoke as fast as her mouth would let her.
As they trotted north, the two continued to talk amongst themselves. However, this talking mostly consisted of Pinkie Pie speaking as fast as she could with Big Mac listening carefully and making a few comments when the pink pony has to breath in air so she would not pass out.
About an hour, Pinkie realized she had no idea where she was going, "Hey, where are we going anyway?"
Big Mac stopped and looked at the surroundings around them, "If ah'm correct, we're not too far from were we need ya go. Though, must say it's windier than ah've ever seen it been."
Bouncing in a circle around Big Mac, Pinkie asked, "You know this place?"
Big Mac nodded, "Eeyup, just need ta get out mah map from mah bag."
"I'll get it!" Pinkie Pie offered with a cheerful tone. Before Big Mac could object, Pinkie felt around in his saddlebag and pulled out the piece of parchment. As soon as she opened the folded paper, the breeze picked up and fiercely blew. Trying to hold on to the map, Pinkie Pie let go of the paper and it flew off with the wind. "Oops…." was all she said.
The stallion noticed that the wind had carried the paper away. He turned to see Pinkie looking at the map flying away from them. He noticed her happy-go-lucky attitude was gone and all that remained was a wide-eyed filly with her ears flat against her head, looking as if she could burst into tears at any moment. The pony turned her puppy-dog eyes to Big Mac. With a warm smile, he comforted her, "It's okay, Miss Pinkie Pie."
"But….the map…." in a grief-stricken tone, she pointed in the general direction the paper flew.
"It's fine, ah still know this area. An' ah think ah know which way we need ta be goin'," the stallion spoke with confidence. The attitude rubbed off onto Pinkie who gave a small smile.
Wandering around for a few minutes, Big Mac led the way. Moving through the brush, the red stallion stopped to assess the area. Pinkie, who was uncharacteristically silent as she followed Big Mac, stared at the stallion as he was looking around.
A few moments later, Big Mac spoke, "Eeyup." With just that, he walked through a very talk bush and disappeared to the other side.
"Hey, wait up!" Pinkie called out as she tried to push herself through the same bush. Upon arriving on the other side, the pink mare was astonished with what she saw. Big Mac had let them up to the top of a ridge that looked down onto Ponyville. It then dawned onto the mare that Big Mac had taken them to the southern foothills of the Unicorn Mountain Range. The breath taking view mesmerized the mare into a trace until the stallion spoke.
"Miss Pinkie Pie? Would ya like an apple?"
Snapped back into reality, Pinkie noticed a hoof holding up a yellow apple for her. With a gasp, she replied, "A gold delicious apple?! YAY!" She quickly took it from Big Mac and started gnawing the fruit.
Big Mac smiled as he pulled out a turnover to eat.
About ten minutes past before either of them spoke.
"I'm sorry, Big Mac," Pinkie was the first to speak.
"Pardon?" his ears perked up.
"I'm sorry I lost the map."
"It's quite alright, Miss Pinkie Pie. It was just one I drew up last night."
"But that makes that one super-duper more special!" Pinkie turned to the other pony, empathizing her word 'super-duper' by flailing her limbs.
"But we still got here, an' that's what ah had planned fer us. So, it's all okay in the end," Big Mac gave another comforting smile, which caused Pinkie to smile back.
The smile returned to Pinkie's face as she turned back to looking over the ledge and the scenery.
Then, it was Big Mac's turn to break the silence, "Miss Pinkie Pie?"
"Yeah-huh?" Pinkie turned to look at the red pony.
Looking out over the ridge and the town below, Big Mac spoke, "Ah know this sounds really odd and quite silly, but ah like ya…."
The mare noticed a slight change in color to Big Mac's face, "Aww, I like you too, Big Mac!"
"No, Miss Pinkie Pie. Ah mean, ah really like ya….a lot…." he tried to restate what he wanted to say as his face grew a deeper pink to it.
"And I like you a lot, too!" Pinkie echoed.
Big Mac felt his message wasn't getting across, so he tried one more time. And this time, his face was burning, "Miss Pinkie Pie, what ah'm tryin' to say is that ah love ya…."
"And I love you, too! What part of that aren't you getting?" Pinkie Pie appeared next to him and knocked one of her hooves against his head, "Hello? Are you working in there, Big Mac's brain?"
"Huh?" the mare's words finally reached Big Mac, "Wait, ya really mean that?"
"Of course!" Pinkie's voice was more chipper than normal. With a loving hug to the stallion, she continued, "I've really liked you since, like, ever! And when Applejack asked if I could help you, I bounced at the opportunity! Then again, I bounce at lot, but that's not the same as this!"
"Ah never knew ya felt that way 'bout me, Miss Pinkie Pie."
Stopping her hug on Big Mac, Pinkie started hopping around Big Mac, "How can I not?! You're, like, the nicest stallion ever! You are super strong, but you are also so gentle and kind! And you are super fun to talk to!"
Big Mac couldn't help but laugh at the last comment, "Ah'm not sure 'bout that last item."
"But it's true! Most ponies just ignore me and then don't reply, but you do!" Pinkie stopped her bouncing and placed her front hooves on Big Mac, shaking him as she spoke, "And if you don't believe that, then I'll just have to tell you the millions and billions of other reasons why I love you!"
"Alright, Miss Pinkie Pie, ah get it," Big Mac still had a smile on his face.
"Good! Now you just need to get that you don't have to call me Miss Pinkie Pie! You can call me just Pinkie! Or some sort of pet name! I like pet names!" Pinkie exclaimed.
"A pet name?"
"Yeah! Like between lovers and stuffs!"
Big Mac paused for a moment and the smiled, "Alright, I understand then….Sweetie Pie."
Pinkie Pie's face lit up at the stallion's new nickname for her. She then proceeded to tackle him to the ground with a hug.
END