Shoe day.
Big Macintosh looked outside blearily. Getting up with sunrise was a norm on the farm, and he`s grown to accept it as a fact of life. But that didn`t change the fact that he loved to sleep in, when he could afford to. A little guilty pleasure he`d never admit to anypony. Willingly, at least. He supposed Applejack was quite aware of that guilty pleasure, but compared to guilty pleasures other farm stallions were prone to, like overimbibing, incessantly hollering and marechasing, his was quite harmless one.
He glanced to the side, where calendar was hung. He could`ve sworn today was Sunday, and he could.... Ah, buckit. First Sunday of autumn. The Shoe Day. Well, nothing he could do about it, he thought. At least, work today would be... different. Red stallion rolled out of bed, his hooves making a distinct thump as he landed, and trotted out, looking to freshen up some with rainwater. He needed to get ready for today.
Each first Sunday of a season was Shoe Day - a day when all ponies changed their shoes. On days like those, farriers had set everything else aside and devoted whole day to shoeing. And Mac knew for a fact that nothing inspires more trust in a farrier then a sight of fresh shoes on his own hooves. So he had made it a point to change his own shoes before he admitted anypony else into workshop. As he walked into the shop, he doublechecked the boxes, names neatly written over each. As expected, each box contained a set of shoes this particular pony desired. A lot of ponies, particularly stallions, just preferred his stock iron shoes, but mares often put orders for shoes that made him simply marvel at the material and ingenuity.
And, stallion admitted with a sigh, it was not like he wasn`t particular to that himself. Gingerly, he pulled a box with his name on the lid off the shelf, and popped the lid open. Sun beam reflected from the steel arcs, making him wince. Cold Steel size eleven, shoes for BIG stallions. Setting them on worktable next to the prydash, Mac fitted his hoof into the device, doublechecked everything, and leaned on the lever. With a bit of yank and a clash, old shoe clattered against the slope and into big bin on the floor. By the evening, this bin would be full to the brim with old shoes and nails. Tomorrow, Hammer and Tongs would come over and cart the bin out to their smithy to be smelted into iron for yet more shoes.
Habitually inspecting his naked hoof, Mac spackled the nail holes with hoof glue and put a sheet of wax paper over it. Same process was repeated with the other three hooves. Time to put new shoes on, he thought, winding up the clockwork for hammerworks. Casting the wax paper away, he put the shoe to his hoof, considering the shape. Just like.... THIS. He primed the clockwork with nail and hit the switch, waiting patiently while spring-driven mechanism hammered the nail into his hoof. Four nails per shoe. Sometimes, he wondered why mechanism couldn`t hammer more then one at once - and then he recalled how different ponies had differently-sized hooves.
Still, having the nails driven in was but a mechanical work, one that he`s done many times before. And with clockwork hammer and hoof cradle, chances of quickening were slim to none. He inspected the nailwork, and after a short bit of rasp and file, had announced his new shoes to be a smashing success. Which stallion immediately tested on a thick trunk wrapped into dozens and dozens of old rags, which stood there for exactly that purpose - so ponies could test their shoes in safety.
He would`ve tested more, but barn door was already shaking from the knocking. Judging by the voice, that would be his sister. Big Mac chuckled, and unlocked the door, letting Applejack in - "Hay, patience is a virtue, sis." "Yeah, yeah, Ah hear ya, sugarcube. Jus` excited, s`all." - she offered sheepishly. Stallion shrugged - "Well, yah know what to do, don`tcha? Go on git to th` prydash, I`mma fetch yer shoes an` be there in a jif." Applejack shared his taste in shoes, although her size was quite more modest eight. Still, they were mighty fine sturdy shoes.
Mac leaned closer and quipped - "Ready?" "As ready as ah`ll evah be, sugarcube." - his sister offered, bracing herself. He nodded and leaned on the lever. It moved as expected, shoe hitting the slope with a sharp clang. Then another. And another. And... Mac paused and leaned closer to look on her sister`s rear left hoof. "Well, Ah`ll be gobsmacked, sis. You`ve gone and done chipped yer hoof somethang fierce." - he announced, voice tinging with disappointment, as he went for the rasp. Applejack leaned over the device, staring at her hoof worriedly - "Oh horseapples. Ah knew somethang gave when ah bucked that thar darn stump."
Fitting the rasp over the hoof, he muttered - "Applejack, Ah tole ya once, Ah tole ya twice - don`t buck them darn stumps none, y`hear? If it`s a stump, leave it well alone an` we`ll blast it in the evenin`. S`what we keep grampy`s hooch for." He expected some kind of objection, but his sister just stared on the floor looking contrite. Well, at least it wasn`t all that big chip off after all, and a few minutes of rasping later, it was nothing to worry about. Completely unshod, Applejack wobbled slightly, as she moved to the workbench - "Who-ee, now ain`t that a trip an` bump. Ah`d nevah git used ta walkin` unshod, by golly."
Chuckling amiably, Mac doublechecked everything again, and fit the first shoe over his sister`s hoof, hammer already primed with fresh nail. Soon enough, Applejack tapped her fresh shoes together and delivered a cautious buck to the bucking log. "Darn good work heah, bro." - she muttered appreciatively, - "Applebuckin`, here Ah come." However, as she was about to walk out, she was almost bowled over by exuberant ball of energy called Applebloom. "Shoe day, shoe day, shoe day! YAY!" - she shouted, looking on her big brother hopefully - "Can I get shoed? Can I, can I, can I?"
"Now, Applebloom, ya know yer too young fo` tha shoes." - offered Applejack sternly, - "Yer hooves just ain`t hard enough yet ta drive any nails in, y`hear?" "So are!" "No, they ain`t." "Yah, they are." "No, they AIN`T!" Big Macintosh cleared his throat. "Well, it just so happens yer both are right." - he spoke authoritatively, - "Yer hooves ain`t ready for nails, Applebloom, tha`s tha truth. But Ah can fit ya some trainin` shoes, if yer up to it. Jus` remember, wearin` shoes means yer should think more like grown-up and less like a foal." Applebloom nearly bowled him over as she bounced to the prydash. Applejack, on the flip side, just stared at him inquisitively - "Trainin` shoes? What in tarnation are ya on `bout, Macintosh?"
He lifted a hoof to his lips - "Hush, not so loud, sis. Y`know how Pinkie Pie never wears no shoes, don`tcha? Well, see, she`s been mighty upset she ain`t got no shoes to refit on tha Shoe Day, so she`s gone an` gitten some fake shoes in Canterlot an` brought`im here so Ah could take a look-see." He looked around conspiratorially, and pulled out a bundle from the worktable drawer - "See? That`s them things heah." Applejack blinked, poking at the fake shoes curiously. "Those thangs? What in tarnation are they?" Red stallion shrugged - "Jus` a bit of soft hemp tarp an` a dash of glitter dabbed on. The way Ah unnarstand it, them things are just glued on with hoof glue, an` that`s it."
"Aight, ah gitcha. But what was that `bout thinkin` like grown-up?" - Applejack could sense a plot going on. Mac was always better then her in hoodwinking Applebloom into doing what`s right, and she wanted in on the plot. Big Mac simply treated her to a headshake - "Them things ain`t nowhere near sturdy, sis. So ah`m jus` tell that to Applebloom here, and Ah reckon she`ll stay outta trouble for a coupla days `least." Orange mare shook her head - "Ain`t ya worried she`ll find ya out?" Stallion blinked - "Find me out on what, sis? This here is pure truth ah`m sayin. Them things ain`t sturdy, so she`s gotta learn to keep outta trouble bettah. Heck, if that keeps her outta tree sap, Ah jus` might make`em a regular offer. Ditzy`s sure got `er hooves full with Dinky, an` Ah`m pretty darn sure Miss Rarity ain`t gonna miss tree sap on Sweetie Belle one bit either, y`know?"
"HEY! Can I git my shoes on!" - Applebloom, apparently, got bored waiting. Adult ponies turned around quickly, mindful that bored Applebloom usually equaled to some disaster. Macintosh trotted over to the prydash rapidly, moving the rasp out of foal`s reach. "Applebloom, ya ain`t got nothang ta pry off." - he offered patiently, - "Come on heah to tha workbench so Ah could fit yer shoes." Filly looked sheepish as she raised the hoof and realised that indeed, she had nothing she needed to be pried off the hoof. But that momentary embarrassment was forgotten quickly, as she galloped to the workbench - "Yay! Shoes!"
Big Mac picked up a file and run it over Applebloom`s hoof a few times, making sure it`s smooth and clean. "Now, y`keep in mind them training shoes ain`t sturdy at all. So ya gotta be real careful with them on, or ya`ll rip them clean off." - he explained, dabbing the glue over Applebloom`s hoof, - "Also, when Ah`m done with ya, y`all have ta stand on that there board for a while till tha glue takes. Cinsider that yer first grown-up task - learnin` how ta wait for tha thangs ya wanted." Applebloom, however, was far too elated about getting her training shoes to actually pay much heed to grim notions of doing grown-up things. Even the strict admonishment of Mac to stay still till the glue takes did nothing to dampen her cheer.
Finally, sister invasion was over, and Mac could concentrate his attention on farm hands. Nothing fancy, all of them wore stock shoes, so by the time Applebloom`s hooves were safe enough to walk on, everypony on the farm who had a need in shoes had been reshod for the season. By his experience, Mac knew that after a little while, various ponies from city will start trickling in. He doublechecked the special order shoes. Rarity? Check. Rainbow Dash? Check. Fluttershy? Check. Twilight Sparkle? Red stallion looked over the ornate wooden box and shuddered. He had no idea what about Twilight`s shoes unsettled him so, but he had a notion it would be best not to find out. After all, if Twilight`s shoes arrived in that box and old shoes had to be sent back in the same box the very next day by Pegasus Express Delivery, it ought to be pretty important. He shuddered to think of how much a "valuable" type of delivery by PED straight to Canterlot castle might have cost. Thankfully, that never had to concern him - every Monday morning after the Shoe Day, fresh as morning dew, a pegasus would be standing at the barn, waiting for him to bring out the box and sign the papers. Same pegasus would also deliver him a pleasantly full pouch tied with the Royal Treasury seal "for services rendered".
Macintosh shook his head and continued checking the custom-order boxes. A custom set for Mayor Mare that came delivered in sealed package. Check. Seal intact? Check. That one was much less of a mystery to Mac then previous one - mayor`s front left shoe was also a municipal stamp, while front right had her personal stamp-signature. Necessities of the office and all that. He didn`t mind - being in mayor`s good books was certainly good for business. Is that... wait, no, there was one more custom package somewhere. He looked over the shelves quizzically. It should be there. It... OH. It was there, right under the ornate box. Ditzy Doo decided to splurge for fancy shoes for the autumn. He wondered what could possibly catch the eye of mailmare. Something as... unusual, as she herself was, most assuredly.
While he was thinking and checking, sun had rolled over the sky closer to midday. Suddenly, he became aware of a flapping sound. Uneven and wobbling, interspersed with laughter and occasional squeal... Pegasi. He galloped to the door, and threw it open hastily, just in time to witness weather team mingle with postal service, whole gaggle of fluttering babbling pegasi settling down right in front of his barn. He could see Rainbow Dash laughing raucously in the middle, but other special order pegasi were nowhere to be seen. But then again, postal service came in two waves, and right now he had to deal with off-duty wave. Sighing, Mac turned around and walked into the barn, pegasi already forming the line, babbling and chittering. He kicked the bin of pegasi shoes closer to the worktable and yelled - "OK, who`s gonna be the first?"
Naturally, Rainbow Dash jetted in front of him. "Alright!" - she whooped, seeing Mac reach for the box, - "My Wondershoes!" Shaking his head, Mac slid the catcher tray into the prydash and prepared to pry the constructs off the pegasus. Most of pegasi were happy enough with lightened shoes, but Dash, being quite obsessed with speed, had hers delivered from Cloudsdale. Stallion shook his head as he dabbed glue on mare`s hoof. "Hey, watch it with hooves!" - came mock-indignant cry from the rainbow-haired pegasus. Big Mac merely sighed, pressing wax paper over the hoof - "Now, Miss Dash, we had that thar discushion already, innit so? Yer favorin` them fancy aluminium shoes, and I hafta make sure none of that breaks off an` sticks in yer hoof." She merely snickered and whapped him on the snout with tail playfully - "Ya, I just like to wind you up, you big lug."
Shaking his head, Mac laid the shoes on the worktable. It never ceased to amaze him how shoes so delicate could be matched with such a crude character. But somehow... it worked. He leaned closer to clockwork hammerworks, adjusting the pull on the hammerhead. Pegasi needed their nails driven about a third less hard then earth ponies, given their hooves were generally smaller and softer and just outright more delicate. Same went for the mare looking on the dimly glittering shoes with anticipation. "All ready, Miss Dash." - stallion announced, as he primed the hammer with fresh nail.
Wiping the sweat off his forehead, red stallion followed the cloud of pegasi with his eyes. All in a days work, but golly, if they weren`t a hoofful and then some. He sighed, and went back into barn, kicking now noticeably heavy castoff bin on the way. It rattled, as the shoes and nails within settled down just a little more. He grabbed the catcher tray and carefully dumped Dash`s old shoes into small box off to the corner. He`d send it off to recycling after Winter Wrap-Up, when it would be full of shoes. Aluminium didn`t really mix well with iron, and he preferred not to piss off his usual suppliers of shoes by dropping it into their castoffs. Thumping the box to settle the shoes in it just a little better, he cast a longing eye over the one next to it. That one was for Fluttershy`s shoes.
Shy pegasus also wore custom shoes, but hers were old-style bronze ones. According to her, animals hated the smell of iron from regular shoes - but her hooves were too easily chipping to walk around bare, so Fluttershy opted for bronze instead. He thought it suited shy mare just fine. She had this air of old time grace with her, something he thought only belonged in fairy tales. Or maybe he just thought so because he nursed a crush on her ever since Fluttershy moved into Ponyville. Heaving the last sigh, Mac turned around. He knew she`d be visiting for her new shoes later today. He planned on trying to speak up, and of course, he was well aware he would chicken out in the last second and hide behind all-business and empty pleasantries.
Big Macintosh turned around and backed off with distressed neigh, when he came nose to nose with pink mare that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "Sun`s glory, Pinkie Pie! Donnae scare me like that again, y`hear missy!?" - he breathed out, shivering, - "Ah`ve done thought Ah`ve turned inside out!" Pinkie giggled, pulling off her pizza mask - "Hey, Mac! Wow, you`re scaredy for somepony so big. So, can I get shoed now?" His heart still beating like a hare tail, Big Mac could only answer with a spastic nod.
And then, he rolled eyes when Pinkie did exactly the same mistake as Applebloom. "Miss Pie, ya ain`t got nothang I could pry off yer hooves." - he informed pink mare flatly, as she puttered around the prydash, - "Now, come on heah, an` Ah`ll fit yer new fancy shoes right on." He was about to get the fake shoes out, but was interrupted in the action by another voice. "Pinkie? Is that true? You`re getting shoes? Oh my goodness, I thought I`d never see the day!" - Rarity always had ... timing. Macintosh couldn`t make up his mind about it - sometimes, it was best timing he`s ever seen, sometimes it was the worst timing ever witnessed, but... Rarity had timing, alright.
"No, I`m not, silly!" - informed pink mare giddily - "Just the make-pretendy shoes, not the real ones!" At Rarity`s inquisitive stare, stallion shrugged and produced the bundle of fake shoes, plucking the four out that looked like good match for Pinkie`s hooves. Unicorn immediately leaned in, looking over the fakes with genuine interest. "My, my, those just got in vogue in Manehattan." - she murmured, - "I had no idea you`re keeping ahead of hoof fashion, Big Macintosh." He shrugged dismissively - "Ah`m not, Miss Rarity. Ah`m just fittin` them, not pickin` them."
"Pish-posh. No need to be so modest, darling. You`re known as best farrier in town for a good reason, let me assure you." - Rarity never skimped on anything, compliments included. Still, Mac had a job to do, and he leaned over the worktable, rasping Pinkie`s hoof down to uniform surface that a glue could hold to. "Y`know that ya`ll have ta stand still fo` about half an hour till tha glue dries?" - he quipped, as he smeared some of the aforementioned glue over the rasped surface. Pinkie Pie nodded resolutely - "Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh!" And so, he did glue a strip of fabric to each of her hooves and made her stand absolutely still.
Rarity could not believe it either - "Dear, that was indubitably impressive, I must say. Getting Pinkie Pie to be still of her own volition? Genius." She was standing in a shallow pool of quicklime, her elaborate wooden shoes needing to be chemically softened up before Macintosh could rasp them off. A tricky procedure, and one she was understandably nervous about, given the caustic nature of quicklime. Big Macintosh was a pro in this, however, and never once she had a brittle hoof or a lime burn like it happened sometimes with other farriers. Shifting her weight from one hoof to another, she was delighted to hear the sopping sound. It meant that glue gave in and she could step into adjacent pool of vinegared water to wash quicklime off. Quickly making sure all four of her hooves were making the soppy sound, she gingerly climbed over into the water, swishing her legs in it lazily. Some small bits of her old shoes broke off, floating on the surface of now murky waters.
Gingerly, Rarity stepped out of the water pool, extending her leg into the prydash. Stallion slouched over her dainty hoof, tapping off the leftovers of wooden shoe with small hammer. She could feel the light strokes and then the pressure of rasp as Mac removed the last vestiges of glue, making her hoof bare and smooth. One down, three to go. A while later, Rarity was holding her hoof out against the workbench, stallion smearing a fresh dollop of glue on it. Rarity favored oriental shoeing method that involved a layered shoe of bamboo, ironwood and lacquered balsa. A long and delicate procedure that was just so her in its detailed complexion. It took time, it took attention, and it was darn near impossible to get just right without some serious attention before and gentle filing after. Still, by now, Macintosh could do it almost automatically, having had quite enough of practice by that time. And that was something that Rarity admired - capability to do anything good was quite a gift. She often wondered if Mac missed his true calling as full-time farrier.
Somewhen during the process, Pinkie Pie left, leaving a faint smell of streakers and a sound of sugar behind. Mac had no idea how she did that, but he was not about to question Pinkie Pie. Ponyville had quickly established that attempting to comprehend Pinkie Pie was the quickest route into gibbering lunacy. It was easier to accept her as a force of nature and just deal with it as it came. Now that Rarity was drying in the spot previously occupied by Pinkie, he could finally stretch his back. Quietly grateful no pony else in town shared Rarity`s oriental inclinations, he nonetheless marvelled at the job well done.
Stallion took a brief account of special order boxes. Only four rema... scratch that, he mentally amended as he spotted dignified figure of Mayor Mare at the door. Grabbing the sealed package he trotted out to meet her. Even though mayor`s shoes had to arrive sealed, setting them was not harder then a set of regular shoes. As he pried the old shoes off, stallion collected the front ones and bent them completely out of shape with the hammer while mayor watched. A little precaution never hurt anypony, and Big Mac was a firm believer in due process and following the rules. Satisfied with the ruined state of shoes, he swept the broken remains into the castoff bin, and waited for Mayor Mare to undo the seal on the package that contained new ones. Setting them in was just a matter of technique, and he was all about technique.
Looking around, Macintosh suddenly realised it was already close to sunset. Rarity left with Mayor Mare, lively discussing the latest moan and groan from Canterlot and Manehattan, leaving him with a bit of time to go and grab something to eat. As hungry stallion approached the kitchen, he could hear one voice that had not graced his barn thus far. That voice belonged to the pretty librarian. Quickly snapping a couple apples for an appetizer, Mac entered the kitchen confidently. His customary bowl of oatmeal and alfalfa sat at the usual place on the cupboard, and he headed straight to it. If his instincts told him right, he had to be quick about the meal, lest he made Twilight Sparkle wait on him.
As if on cue, the purple unicorn entered the kitchen, discussing something with Applejack. He was fairly certain Applebloom`s name came up in the conversation more then once. Probably something little filly and her friends did at the library. Probably, something mischievous. He paid no mind to it - foals will be foals, no matter what. Instead, he paid some attention to the librarian in question. "Good aftahnoon there, Miss Sparkle." - trite, but oh so true way to start a conversation. Mare in question flushed, her voice coming out with a little squeak in the end - "Oh, hello there, Big Macintosh. Lovely day, isn`t it?"
He would chuckle, if it would be appropriate. Twilight Sparkle was always so flustered around him. At first, he was worried. He thought cute librarian might have had a crush on him. A crush that he most assuredly didn`t return. He would readily admit that Twilight Sparkle was a pretty mare, an enticing mare even, and if given an opportunity, he would`ve rolled her in the hay a time or two without a single regret. However, and that was a big however, stallion understood with perfect clarity that unicorn unnerved him some. In short encounters, this undercurrent of forces beyond his ken was but a piquant condiment to the eyecandy that was the Twilight Sparkle, but he knew nothing certain could ever come out of it.
This is why he conscripted Applejack into finding out the truth soon after noticing Twilight`s strange behavior. For a while, Applejack couldn`t tell him anything that he didn`t know by himself, but after one particularly prolonged and possibly boozed-up party arranged by one Pinkie Pie, his sister came home with messed mane, hickeys on her neck and a satisfied look in the eye, and told him the square truth - Twilight was simply struggling with her own inclinations. Apparently, librarian had a serious streak of kinky running through her mind, and Applejack gone and done waded straight into it all four hooves. Now, that was all fine and dandy, but none of the fancy stuff Applejack gushed about particularly tickled his fancy - Big Mac liked his mares natural and simple, and Twilight was anything but.
With that in mind, he most certainly preferred to keep things clean and friendly with librarian. "Pardon me fer askin`, Miss Sparkle, but yah do remembah t`is Shoe Day today?" - he ventured amiably, knowing how scatterbrained purple unicorn could sometimes be. Bullseye. "I..What? It`s Shoe Day today? By the moon`s socks, what`s wrong with my head? I could`ve sworn that`s tomorrow." - exclaimed Twilight, stamping her hooves for good measure. Big Mac could not help but chuckle - "Well, seein` as you`ve been so kind as ta bring all yer hooves with ya, Ah can nail ye up real quick."
Nodding absentmindedly, Twilight bid a temporary goodbye to Applejack and followed Big Macintosh back to the workshop. Mac was already looking around for the tools he kept aside for such an occasion. Back in time, when Twilight had just arrived to Ponyville, Big Mac received a letter with royal stamp - letter that was likely written by Celestia herself. Said letter requested his farrier services for one Twilight Sparkle, laid out the logistics of custom shoes that were to be fit to unicorn and promised a pay that stallion deemed quite generous. Of course, after encountering said shoes, he understood the reasons for generous fee a little better. Said letter also suggested he have a set of tools set aside specifically for that purpose and nothing else. At first, he was skeptical, but one does not disobey a suggestion from goddess, and he was very glad he didn`t.
First of all, Mac pulled hoofsacks on his front legs. Done with protection, he fetched hammer, rasp and prybar from the back section of worktable drawer, and laid them out next to ornate wooden box. Twilight trotted in just as he cracked the box open, habitually looking aside. Shoes inside looked like ordinary mare shoes in size seven, except for that odd lavender gleam about them. Big Mac knew for a fact that touching the shoe with bare hoof would make it numb for a minute or two, and that scared him well enough as is. He shuddered to think of the reasons why one would wear something so unusual.
"Hallo again thar, Miss Sparkle. If ya`ll just mosey over here, please?" - he offered, patting the workbench. Purple unicorn obliged, her cheeks mired with faint blush as she extended her front hoof over the table. Stallion fitted the teeth of prybar under the shoe and gave it a pull. One. Two. Three. Four... Shoe clattered against the worktable, oddly. Mac could`ve sworn it came off with a whisp of smoke. Twilight let out a soft sigh as he set about spackling the nail holes with glue. He was well aware librarian had... unusual reactions. But then again, she was most unusual mare in all other aspects as well.
A little bit later, Mac was laying out new shoes on the sheet of wax paper, intent on packing up the old ones. Twilight stood barehoofed, giving the glue a little time to work its way through the pores of the hooves and set. Her blush intensified all the while he worked. He was not sure what caused it, however - and he wasn`t sure he wanted to find out. But then again... maybe he did. "Big Macintosh?" - mare behind him queried quietly. He dropped the last shoe into the box and closed the lid, turning around to see what Twilight wanted... And came within inches of her, face to face. He froze. That... wasn`t in the manual.
Macintosh knew he should`ve pulled back. He was about to, too, but that second of hesitation and deliberation ruined all his intentions, as Twilight leaned up, her lips brushing against his softly. He shuddered. When all was said and done, Big Macintosh was just a stallion, and so he did what stallions do - kissed back. World flipped over, leaving him shivering in air, as tendrils of magic snaked over his coat with soft hissing. He could feel the jolt coming from inside, powerful as an applebuck to the gut, sending him bowled on the floor. Somewhere in the crackle of sparks he heard a voice clearly saying "Aeeenope!", and then realised it was his own.
Slowly, the world stopped whirling around, kaleidoscopic chaos in his eyes settling down into normal vision. What was he doing on the floor? And then he recalled. Big Mac hopped up and with a bit of distressed neigh backed off from guiltily-smiling Twilight Sparkle. A moment of silence later, she let out a soft sigh - "I`m sorry about that, Mac. I really am. Didn`t mean to... uh, scare you like this." "What in tarnation was that!?" - he croaked out, his throat suddenly dry. Unicorn shook her head, looking even more contrite - "Just a kiss. No more then that."
"Kiss? Miss Sparkle, no offense, but Ah`d expect that kinda kiss from stormcloud maybeh, not from a pony." - stallion offered, catching his breath, - "Ain`t like nothang in this world, eenope." She chuckled softly, her cheeks still marred with heavy blush - "I`m sorry. Didn`t mean to bowl you over like that. But.. I have to ask. Did you meant it when you said nope, or that was just a surprised outburst?" She took a step closer, leaning to him - "In other words, would you like more of that?" He froze. That offer came as blunt as he could ever expect it to come.
Big Macintosh mulled over his options. Apparently, Twilight Sparkle here was quite open to the idea. Also, merely kissing her sent him sprawling in sheer bliss. So doing something more intimate would feel like... Like dying from pleasure, most likely. And that gave him the answer he wanted - he could not handle this one. Her magic would drive him mad before long. He lowered his head and sighed - "Miss Sparkle. Yer a mighty fine kisser, ah`ll admit that freely. But I`ve got mah eye on somepony else. Sorry."
She trotted over and patted his shoulder. "That`s OK, Mac." - she offered softly - "You like somepony else. I can respect that." He looked up, quizzically - "What about yah? Why me, even?" Twilight shrugged, her blush finally abating - "You`re pretty. That`s all there is to it, Big Mac. Sorry." Now that caught his attention more - "Ah`ve nevah pegged ya for playmare, Miss Sparkle." Much to his surprise, she slumped over, and walked back to the workbench - "All mages are, Mac. Working miracles comes with a price tag, you know. Come on, let`s get my shoes on. I need them in place before I`ll do something even more unbecoming to you."
He approached slowly, his eyebrow quirking - "Wait, yah mean to tell meh them shoes help ya... keep yerself in check?" She bit her lip and nodded slowly - "Pretty much. You ever noticed how neither princess is ever seen without the regalia? Same thing here. Without some suppressive fitted on, we tend to... er, go on sexual binges." His eyes crossed as the notion hit the brain - "Ya... Princesses... Well, shucks, Miss Sparkle, now ye`ve gone and done broke mah mind." She quirked eyebrow at him - "Well, keep it to yourself. That`s a part of that non-disclosure agreement you signed up for when you agreed to farrier my hooves."
As he carefully fitted the first shoe on, he just had to ask - "Well, ah know ah`m bound by that thar agreement, but still... Why`d ya tell me that?" Librarian chuckled softly - "Oh? Well, I felt a little guilty about jumping on you like that, and I wanted to explain why I did what I did. And I felt a just a tiny-teensy bit vengeful about not getting what I wanted, so this is my little revenge, too." "And it`s darn good one." - he muttered dryly, as he went to work on second hoof - "Ah`m nevah goin` ta look on Celestia the same way again."
He followed Twilight with his eyes. That mare was... something else. He could certainly see the allure she had, now. Having had experienced the touch of magic firsthand, he had to admit that it was something outstanding. Something outworldly even. Unfortunately, he was also equally sure that that kind of feelings were not meant to be experienced by any sane stallion. There were some things out there ponies were simply not meant to fall in love with. Earth ponies, at least. He could understand how an allure of magic could be irresistible to unicorn, but... he could claim with certainty that he, Big Mac, could not and would not want to connect with something so eldritch intimately.
Sighing, he turned around and headed back into workshop, intent to clean up a bit. Pretty much everypony had already got their shoes on. The only ones left to fit were... Fluttershy and Ditzy Doo. Fluttershy would appear somewhen soon, he believed. Ditzy would be late. She always took a mail run on Shoe Day, and always came to had her shoes fit after everypony else, just as Luna`s moon brightened the skies again. He smiled slightly, as he thought about Ditzy. He knew the wall-eyed pegasus ever since childhood. When all was said and done, she was probably his best friend... And once, a long, long time ago, his marefriend. Shaking cobwebs from his mind, Macintosh reached up, lighting the lamp. He needed additional light in the workshop.
"Um... hello?" - that was Fluttershy. Macintosh smiled at shy mare, making a welcome gesture to her as he slid the catcher tray into prydash. "Come on in, miss Fluttershy. Ah`m just about ready to serve ya." - he offered amiably, pulling the box titled Fluttershy from the shelf. It was looking pretty barren by now, only Ditzy`s box sitting in the corner, and Twilight`s box waiting the courier in the other remaining. Fluttershy approached, by now used to the routine, but still quite bashful about the whole thing. Habitually, he fitted her little hoof into prydash and leaned on the lever. Shoe clanged against the slope, sliding on the tray. He paid it no mind, inspecting the hoof under it. Fluttershy always had problematic hooves, and he was pretty set on being through in his work. So far, so good. A few minor chips, nothing serious. He hummed tunelessly, as he worked the rasp over the hoof.
"Oh my... is it so bad?" - Fluttershy was nervous. Certainly, it was not normal for Mac to work over her hooves for so long. And that was only shoe removal, too. Stallion huffed softly - "Mighty sorry, Miss Fluttershy, but ye might cinsider drinkin` milk or somethang daily. Yer hooves are just a mite too brittle fer comfort. Ah need ta rasp away all them little snags an` chips, an` that takes a while... Not ta mention, whittles yer hooves down." She squeaked, muttering - "I, um... I`ll see what I can do. Sorry to cause you trouble..." Her voice tapered off as she hid behind her mane. Big Mac shook his head - "Naw, no trouble at all... Jus` lookin` out for ya, Miss Fluttershy. It ain`t that bad yet, but if yer hooves keep gitten worse, ain`t gonna be long before ya need to see a doctor. So drink some milk in tha evenins`, or maybe ask Miss Sparkle `bout some diet or some such. Ah`m sure she can advice yah somethang."
He pressed the last slip of wax paper on, and stepped back, pulling out to deposit the old hooves into box in the corner, while glue thickened. With Fluttershy, it always took a little extra time to wait for the glue, due to many small chips and such that had to be spackled up. Macintosh dumped the old shoes into the box and tapped it lightly to settle the castoffs better. That box filled less quickly, due to diminutive dize of shoes it contained. Fluttershy wore the smallest size he ever fitted, a dainty six. A tricky job, and it explained a little about how her hooves were always a bit of hassle to work over.
"Um... Macintosh?" - he frose for a second. Fluttershy rarely had the nerve to address him directly, and that made all the times when she did a lot more special. He turned around slowly. "Yep, Miss Fluttershy? Anythang I can do fer ya?" - he offered. Shy mare let out a soft giggle - "I just wanted to thank you for fitting all those shoes to everypony. And um... I`m sorry I come so late..." He shook his head - "Truth to tell, miss Fluttershy, ya ain`t the last one fer shoes. Nevah were." That took her by surprise - "Oh my. I always thought you had to wait for me..."
Big Macintosh shook his head again, looking out of the door, where the sunset flooded the world in reds and oranges - "That`s true, ah do wait for ya, miss Fluttershy. But theah`s one more pony needin` her new shoes yet." He turned around to face Fluttershy and offered - "Ditzy`ll be comin` when the stars come. She`s gonna be tha last fer shoes." "Ditzy Doo? The mailmare? Oh, why does she have to come so late? Or, um... is she here to... um?" - suddenly, Fluttershy lost her speech again, blushing profusely. Mac heaved a short little laugh - "Ah`m sorry, miss Fluttershy, perhaps ah`ve misled ya a little. Ditzy`s comin` so late `cause she takes tha Sunday shifts, s`all there is to it."
"Oh. Oh my. I`m so sorry for assuming... Eeep." - and there she hid behind her mane again. Simply adorable. Mac just had to smile as he answered - "Ya thought ah`m datin` her? Can`t blame ya for thinkin` that, Ah guess. Truth ta tell, Ah used to, a long long time ago." Still bashful, but ever so curious, she ventured - "You did? Oh dear, what happened?" Stallion shrugged, as he turned around, walking to the workbench - "Ya haveta keep in mind, we were jus` fresh outta school back then. Ditzy... Well, she needed to get outta her home somethang awful, an` ah`m afraid Ah wasn`t up to that task back than. An` so, I had ta let `er go. She came back three years later, with Dinky an` all."
He had no idea why he was even telling that to Fluttershy. But the admission came naturally, and he was not ashamed for that memory. Even though his memories lost some of the youthful vibrancy, he could still recall everything as it if was yesterday - memories he`ll carry till the end of his days and likely after it as well. But... what would be Fluttershy thinking of that? Stallion craned his neck to look - "Miss Fluttershy? Ah think yer ready ta git them shoes on now." Nodding, she followed stallion to the workbench, watching him rewind the clockwork. "I had no idea." - she offered shyly, - "Sorry if I made you uncomfortable recalling all that."
"Naw, no need to worry about anythang like that, Miss Fluttershy. Ah made peace with that years ago, ta be frank." - he replied casually, adjusting the hammerhead pull again and priming it with nail. His mind kept insisting it`s a good time to casually segue into the topic of 'Why don`t we go out?', and he had to agree it was a good time to, logically thinking, as Fluttershy seemed to be quite moved by the story, and thus, would be likely sympathetic to love plead. However... he should at least finish her shoes first. And so, he did that much, methodically nailing all four shoes to her little hooves, checking and doublechecking them for any mishaps. But as all things, that chore was also finished before long.
"Well... I should probably go." - she offered quietly, smiling at him from under her mane - "Thank you a lot, Macintosh." That was it. The time to plead his case. Mac opened his mouth... and his mind hit a snag. He knew what to say, but he had no answer to the question he could finally ask himself - 'And then what?' Truth to tell, as all stallions, Macintosh was prone to occasional maredreaming. He had moments of fancy about many a mare. Why, just very recently, he had a very literal fancy about Twilight Sparkle. Not to mention that just a few later, unicorn`s ribbing sent a shudderingly crazy yet oh so sexual image of seductively smiling Celestia in cowpony duds blazing through his mind. But this was one thing he never did - he never ever had that kind of fancy about Fluttershy.
With a sudden start, he realised he couldn`t. Even as he wrecked his mind for most perverse images he could scrounge up, Fluttershy just... wouldn`t factor into those. About the most intimate thing he could see himself enjoying with her was a chaste conversation, a picnic maybe, or just hanging out. His mouth closed with an audible clop. That was one hell of a realisation - to have a crush for years only to realise he could summon more lust for blatant blasphemy then for the object of his attention. Fluttershy peered at him, somewhat worried about the stallion visibly struggling with some kind of thought. And when she was just about to break his reverie, Macintosh faced her and gave her a warm smile.
"Sorry `bout that, Miss Fluttershy. Ah`ve gitten into a daydream all of a sudden. Have a good night now, y`hear?" - he offered, feeling more certainty then he ever had for the last year. Yellow pegasus chuckled softly, and trotted out of the barn - "Must be something pleasant you`ve been thinking about, Big Mac. Good night to you too." He honestly thought it would be much more painful to watch her go, but... strangely enough, he was OK with that.
Stallion trotted out of the barn. He needed to fetch something from the house. As he back out, carrying the sought object, a lone pegasus landed in front of his barn and peeked in curiously, quipping - "Muffin?" He hurried back, nodding to Ditzy on the move. She followed Macintosh into the barn. He offered her the object he was carrying - an old wicker bottle labeled "Malk". Ditzy chuckled tiredly, accepting the bottle and taking a swig from it. "I`ll never live that one down, will I?" - she asked softly, setting the bottle down. Big Mac grinned and shook his head - "Eeenope."
He kept that bottle for a long long while. The label was made by Ditzy herself when they were but schoolfoals, and Mac kept it ever since. Initially, it just served as a memento, but after Ditzy run away, he started using it to keep dandelion wine in it - off-white milky drink that could be confused with milk from the first glance, but not from the first sip. Pegasus flopped on the bench near the door, wiping her forehead. Mac took a seat next to her. "Long day, eh?" - he offered amiably. Ditzy snorted. "Don`t get me started." - she muttered, leaning to him slightly, - "I`m just glad it`s over."
Stallion sniffed her mane, mostly involuntarily. He could make out the faint smell of muffins, smoke and something less definable, but certainly familiar, over the zest of sweat. Almost without realising it, he leaned further, licking Ditzy`s ear. She tasted like salt and mare. Before either of them knew it, they were making out, hooves tangled in manes as they pressed together. A few second later, they pushed apart, and resumed looking out of the door in the starry sky. "Y`know, we really should stop doin` that." - offered Mac without any conviction. He said the same thing each Shoe Day. As always, Ditzy agreed - "Prob`ly should."
"So... Big Mac... How`d your crush going?" - she asked him tentatively. Macintosh snorted - "Same as always. Nowhere." She poked him with hoof slightly - "Why don`t you just ask her out?" He sighed - "Ah tried, Ditzy. Ah swear Ah tried ta, jus` a while before now. But... y`know that thar feelin` it ain`t what ya wanna? Well, that`s tha one Ah had." "Oh, come on. If I were a stallion, I`d be all over her like a bee over a muffin!" - argued blonde pegasus, shaking her head for a good measure. "Yah, see, tha`s tha darn thang `bout it." - he mused - "Ah jus` can`t see bein` all ovah her."
She pulled back slightly - "You what?" Mac looked on her, his face bearing the look of resignation - "Ya heard me. Ah jus` can`t think of her as a mare. Ah mean, ah can see goin` out with her, havin` picnic maybeh, but anythang closer`like than that, and mah mind just stops an` goes nah on me. Ah`m startin` ta think she ain`t tha one fer me after all. What about you, Ditzy? Still lookin` fer Dinky`s father?" She coughed, caught offguard by the question - "Sort of, I think. I`ll tell you after the shoeing, alright?"
It took him a second to make a connection - "Oh, right! Ah almost forgot ye came here fer shoes too. Well, let`s git on with it." Stallion hopped up and trotted over to prydash - "Ready when ya are, sweetheart." Tentatively, she came over, fitting her hoof into the device. Clang. Clang. Clang. Clang... For a pegasus, Ditzy had surprisingly strong hooves, easily rivaling that of his sister`s. He briefly wondered if that`s due to physical exertion - postal team tended to be in generally better shape then weather ponies. But then again, Ditzy was more comparable to earth pony in overall strength then any of the pegasi.
He turned around to open Ditzy`s box, and froze. He knew the look of those specific shoes pretty well. "Erm... Ditzy? Are yah... carryin` again?" - he asked, too dumbfounded to be less blunt about it. She shook her head slightly, blushing - "No, no... I just..." She trailed off, then looked up and sighed - "Mac, can we get the shoes on first? I promise, I`ll tell you everything." Still shocked beyond eloquence, he nodded, numbly, as he pulled out a padded maternity shoe out of the box.
A short time later, they were sitting on the bench again, and this time Big Macintosh was the one to take a sip of wine to settle down his suddenly frazzled nerves. He didn`t like what he was feeling. By all accounts, he shouldn`t really care, but... He just did. "Aight, Ah`m all ears, sweetheart." - he offered, wiggling his for emphasis, - "What`s up with them shoes?"
Pegasus stared out into the starry sky. Then she leaned closer to Mac. "I`ve had a parent rod made last month." - she admitted quietly, - "Not that I want to get back or... I just wanted to know who." Mac nodded thoughtfully. He was well aware that Ditzy never really knew who the real father of Dinky was - but she really wanted to find out. What he omitted telling to Fluttershy is that Ditzy solved her problem of getting out of the house by running away with travelling circus, of all things. She never wanted to talk about what she was doing in circus, nor Mac really wanted to find out. What he knew is that Ditzy came back when the circus thing fell through, and it was enough for him.
"So I did my best to track down stallions I`ve... been with, in circus." - she muttered, very annoyed and embarrassed by the memories, - "But none of them blimped the rod." Now that gave Mac a bit of pause - "Well, them thangs ain`t all that accurate, y`know. Ah mean, them parent rods never blimp out tha wrong one, but Ah`ve heard `bout them not recognisin` the right one aither." She nodded, and leaned to Mac closer, nuzzling his chin - "There`s that. So, Mac, when are you going to make me an honest mare?"
Blinking, he pulled back, staring on Ditzy in shock - "Me?... Ditzy, ah`ve thought yer dead-set on findin` Dinky`s father, ain`tcha?" She smiled sadly - "Oh, I did." Mailmare reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a small rod of glass. Macintosh read about them in newspaper, but haven`t seen one up close till now. A new-age unicorn magic thing, parent rod could determine the parents of a foal with great accuracy. And it was simple to use, too. Just watch for color indication. Red - none, yellow - one, green - both. And right now, the rod was shining a bright green color. His mind stalled.
"I?" - he finally breathed out, hesitantly reaching out to tap the rod. Ditzy nodded, settling the magic device on the bench. "Yes. Dinky`s yours, Big Macintosh." - she offered quietly, turning her face away. "When did you know?" - he demanded, grabbing the rod and holding it before him, like it was the answer to all questions in universe. "The day before yesterday. I`ve forgot to take it out of bag, and... saw it when I brought you the shoe delivery." - she admitted sheepishly - "I.. never thought about that possibility before."
He laid the rod back on the bench, and with great difficulty, made his eyes uncross. "Ditzy, sweatheart, that`s... a lot ta chew at once." - he offered plaintively, rubbing his temples - "Ah mean, we... just once... and..." She nodded demurely, nosing against his cheek slightly - "Once is all that it takes, I guess." Shaking his head, he returned the nuzzle gingerly - "Well, ah reckon t`is good news, anyhow." Still not quite able to look him in the eye, Ditzy offered quietly - "You`re not mad at me, are you?"
Sighing, Macintosh slipped his hooves around Ditzy, pulling her closer. "Sweetheart, Ah could nevah be mad at ya. Fer long, in any case." - he quipped, chuckling, - "And ta be honest, Ah kinda like yer news." She giggled, snuggling against the stallion - "Does that mean you`re going to make me an honest mare after all?" Nodding resolutely, he answered with simple - "Ayup."