//------------------------------// // Big Mac's Gift // Story: Lovelorn // by Lionspaw //------------------------------// Big Macintosh looked around Sweet Apple Acres and sighed. He was content with the life he had, but he wished he could share it with somepony. Of course, he knew who he wanted to share his life with, but he was too shy to do anything overt about it. “The golden delicious apples need to be bucked soon.” Applejack said from behind him. “Eeyup. I'll start on it after lunch.” “Big Mac, I can do it...” “Eeyup, but I can...” “I bet you I can get all of them in the barn before lunch!” Applejack boldly claimed. “And if I do, you have to walk down main street in Granny's girdle!” “And if you can't?” “...” “If you can't, you have to admit to everyone at the next family reunion that you aren't as strong as you think you are.” “Fine!” Spitting on her hoof, she held it out to Big Mac to shake. “Deal!” he said, shaking her hoof. *** Half an hour later, Big Mac was wandering around town with a goal in mind. He knew that tricking Applejack was wrong, but it allowed him to get off the farm to deliver his very special gift. He shifted slightly, feeling the weight of the gift in his saddle bags roll slightly. It was still early enough that the market stalls weren't set up and hardly anypony was around. That was good. He didn't want anypony to see what he was doing anyway. Being a large red stallion meant that it was not the easiest thing in the world to hide, but when he needed to, Big Mac was good at sneaking around. He eventually found his way to the door he was seeking after a little while and silently slid inside. Breathing a little heavier than usual, he saw the perfect place to put his gift...right where she would see it. He did need to hurry though. He was cutting the timing awfully close for other ponies to see what he was doing. Carefully, he pulled the shiny red apple from his saddle bag and reverently set it in the middle of the desk. Nodding, he left the same way he had come. *** “Did you see it?” “Yeah! Do you think it means she has a very special somepony?” “Maybe...but it could have been somepony else in class that gave it to her.” When Big Mac heard the voice of his youngest sister asking her friend Twist a question, he leaned a little closer to hear. He wanted to know how his gift had been received. “Miss Cheerilee seemed really surprised by the apple.” “Yeah, but she said it was the most beautiful one she'd ever seen.” Twist and Apple Bloom walked around the corner in time for Big Mac to see Twist pin Apple Bloom with a steely glare. “You didn't sneak in and give it to her did you? Miss Cheerilee said she thought it had come from Sweet Apple Acres.” “I didn't! I swear!” Big Mac swallowed. Of course she'd know it had come from Sweet Apple Acres. That wasn't very smart of you, Mac! He cleared his throat, wishing he had a drink. Apple Bloom and Twist turned at the sound and saw Big Mac working the Apple's market stall. “Of course!” Apple Bloom exclaimed. “Somepony must have bought an apple from the stall.” “That makes sense,” Twist agreed. “Big Brother! Did anypony buy a large red apple today?” “Eeyup...” Big Mac felt slightly guilty by lying to his sister, even if it was by not elaborating on his answer. “That had to be it then,” Apple Bloom said, turning towards her friend. Suddenly, a commotion down the street drew the two young fillies' attention. “Wonder what's going on down there.” Big Mac followed Apple Bloom's pointing hoof and saw the newest pony in town, Twilight Sparkle, and her pet dragon, being chased by half the mares in town. He shook his head, a little sad. He would never understand mares. *** Later that night, after Applejack got home from dinner with Twilight and her other friends, she explained what had happened in town. “...and so, Twilight said if we couldn't all go, then she didn't want to go either. And she sent the tickets back! Can you believe it?!? But wouldn't you know, Princess Celestia sent her a letter back with SIX tickets so we could all go together. Plus an extra one for Spike. Just you wait, Granny Smith. I'll get us a whole heap of bits for the farm. You'll see!” “Don't count your chicken's before they hatch, Applejack,” Big Mac cautioned. He wisely kept his mouth shut about his lost bet from earlier that day... *** Periodically, over the next year or so, Big Mac would sneak into the schoolhouse to leave an apple on Cheerilee's desk. He overheard Apple Bloom and her friends speculating on which eligible stallion was leaving her the special treats, especially once all of the other students denied leaving it for her. Big Mac smiled slightly, knowing that he was at least giving Cheerilee something she liked, even if she never found out it was him. “Good afternoon, Big Mac.” Cheerilee's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. “My that was a sweet smile you had on your face just now. Thinking about your special sompony now are you?” Big Mac blushed, turning his red fur a slightly deeper shade of red. “N...nope.” “Oh?” “I...I mean, I don't hav...apple?” “Oh, no thank you. Somepony keeps leaving me beautiful apples about once a week. They are very good and are definitely Sweet Apple Acre apples. I stopped by to see if you knew who my secret gift-er was. I'd like to thank him or her personally.” “E...eeyup.” “Oh, wonderful! Who is it?” Big Mac swallowed and shook his head, meaning that he couldn't speak just then, but Cheerilee took it another way. “Oh,”she responded, her face falling. “You won't tell me...or you can't tell me.” Big Mac started nodding at the first statement, but dazedly continued after she finished her sentence. “I see. Well, whoever it is, please tell him or her that I love them. But I would love to also thank them personally. Good bye, Big Mac.” “Eeyup.” Big Mac whispered. *** “Big Mac! Applejack! Guess what!” Apple Bloom shouted as she ran into the door the next day after school. “Miss Cheerilee has a secret admirer. I overheard her tell Twilight when she came in to the classroom to return a book she had borrowed from Miss Cheerilee. She asked where the apple came from and Cheerilee told her it was from a secret admirer.” “Well, I'll be...any clue who it is, Mac?” “What's a secret admirer,” Apple Bloom interrupted. “It is a pony that gives little gifts or notes to a pony he likes in secret to make sure that the other pony likes him before they speak up.” “Well, that's stupid. How is Miss Cheerilee to know who is doing the giving?” “Usually, the pony receiving the gifts has some clue...” “But she doesn't! I overheard her tell Twilight that she had no idea who was sending the gifts. And the one pony who could tell her had promised not to tell.” Big Mac blushed, realizing too late that Cheerilee had misinterpreted his silence and statements at the market yesterday. “Well, then that secret admirer isn't very smart. He should have left some clue...” Big Mac walked out of the barn without hearing the rest of the conversation between his sisters. He wandered the farm for a few hours before coming to rest at the top of the only bare hill on all of Sweet Apple Acres. His favorite spot. He looked down over the fields and orchards and sighed, finally letting a few tears escape. “Mac?” “Applejack. What are you doing out here?” “Coming to find you. Are you okay?” Big Mac sighed. It was time to be honest with someone. And who better than the most honest pony around. “Not really.” Applejack huffed. “Care to elaborate?” “I'm Cheerilee's secret admirer.” “Y...you?” “I started leaving apples on her desk in the schoolhouse over a year ago. I've been too shy to approach her directly and leaving apples seemed like a sweet thing to do. Especially once I found out how much she loves them. But when she asked me about it yesterday...” “You lied?” “NO! I was trying to tell her it was me, but I got tongue tied. Before I could say anything...she thought I couldn't tell her.” “You need to tell her, Mac. Otherwise you're going to be miserable never knowing.” “I know, AJ.” “Come back to the barn soon?” Big Mac nodded and looked back out over the farm. *** It was a week before Hearts and Hooves day and Big Mac wanted to make sure the apple he delivered was extra special. He was also going to leave a note that had clue in it. Hopefully, Cheerilee would know what it meant. Or maybe he was hoping she wouldn't. Big Mac actually couldn't make up his mind about how he wanted this to turn out. But, just like he had been doing for over a year, he snuck into the schoolhouse to leave his apple. Before he could sneak back out, the light turned on. “Big Mac?” “Ch...Ch...Cheerilee?” “Are you running errands now, Big Mac?” Big Mac sighed, knowing the time had finally come. “Nope.” He shook his head. He needed to say more than that. “Not exactly. I've always delivered the apples.” “Oh.” A beat passed then he felt Cheerilee move in front of him. “Who sent you? Who was cowardly enough to not come himself?” Big Mac shook his head, speechless. Finally he admitted quietly, “I'm the coward.” “What?” “All of the apples. They've been from me.” Cheerilee raised her eyebrows, but Big Mac rushed on, eager to speak now that he had found his tongue. “I wanted to give you a nice gift. To show you how much I care about you. How much I've always cared about you. But I guess I messed up, seeing how you didn't know they were from me.” “Oh,” Cheerilee said quietly, her head down. “So...um...” “Yes.” Cheerilee coughed, then looked up. “You are very sweet, Big Mac, but...” Cheerilee took a deep breath and sighed. “There is somepony else I care about.” Big Mac felt like the floor dropped away from him. “I...I see.” “I just consider you my good friend. That's all, Big Mac. I'm sorry.” “Don't worry about it. I understand.” Big Mac started backing out of the schoolhouse. “Bye, Cheerilee.” And he turned tail and ran. *** Big Mac was gone for most of the night, stumbling into the barn well after midnight, bone tired and shivering. Applejack was waiting up for him. “What in tarnation!?!” “Leave it, AJ.” “You told her then?” “Eeyup.” “And?” “And what do you think?” A spark of anger lit Big Mac's eyes. “She turned me down. Like I knew she would. But I had no choice to tell her since she caught me in the school this morning.” “Ah, Mac. I'm sorry.” Applejack walked over and nuzzled her big brother's neck. Go get some sleep and you can take tomorrow off. “Eeyup.” *** “I'd like to buy an apple please.” Big Mac looked into Cheerilee's eyes, then looked away. “Eeyup. Two bits.” Cheerilee fished the bits out of her saddle back and put them on the stall table. “Are you mad, Big Mac?” she asked quietly. “Nope.” Cheerilee bit her lip, started to say something, then thought better of it. “Thank you for the apple. Good bye.” “Bye.” After she was gone, Big Mac turned running the stall over to Applejack and he took the cart back to the farm. He loaded it up with hay bales and trotted back to town to build the tower of hay that Mayor Mare had decided would be perfect decoration for Hearts and Hooves day. As he was unloading the cart, he heard Scootaloo, one of Apple Bloom's friends, ask him if he was doing anything special that day. “Nope...” He looked up, only to see that she was gone. He shrugged and continued his work, only vaguely aware that his sister and her two friends were causing a bit of a distraction in the middle of town. *** That evening, Big Mac went to the gazebo to fix it, since Apple Bloom had told him it was broken. When he got there, Cheerilee was standing there talking to the three little fillies. He ignored the four of them, and the way his heart started to pound, and bent down to start fixing the gazebo “Oh, I'm sorry, big brother. I already fixed the gazebo..” Big Mac listened half in amusement and half in trepidation as he heard Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo tried and explain that their picnic was too small for all five of them. Then he saw the three little fillies scurry out of the way and jump into some bushes. Swallowing hard, he turned to look at Cheerilee. “Big Mac?” She said, looking into his eyes. “Eeyup?” He responded, trying hard to not get his hopes up as she leaned closer into him. Cheerilee wrinkled her nose and answered, “You have something in your teeth.” As Big Mac was cleaning his teeth with a toothpick, Cheerilee was explaining how awkward the situation was, to which he could only respond with a subdued, “eeyup.” *** A few hours later, Apple Bloom asked him to meet her yet again at the gazebo What now, Apple Bloom? he thought, irritated. Once again, Cheerilee was waiting for him in the gazebo She took the worlds out of his mouth though, when she asked the girls what was going on this time. After being told that the fillies wanted someone to taste test their punch creation, Big Mac agreed that it couldn't hurt to try it. Boy was he wrong. Big Mac had never been a big one for words, but all of a sudden, he couldn't stop the endearments from spilling out of his mouth. One after another of sickeningly sweet nicknames came pouring out of his mouth. The more he tried to stop it, the faster they came. In a fog, he heard somepony mention marriage and his heart leapt. This isn't right, he thought to himself. Cheerilee already told me that she had somepony else she cared for. Snap out of it, Big Mac! But nothing he told himself or tried to do to himself would snap him out of the fog. Soon, he was looking at diamonds and internally wincing at the price of the one he eventually bought. Then he was off to find Cheerilee. This is not going to end well. As he powered through town in his drugged state, he kept trying to stop himself, but couldn't. He tried to breathe a sigh of relief when Apple Bloom finally jumped off of him to save herself. He tried to sigh again when he fell, face down, on a mattress in the bottom of a hole. It's over. Then he heard Cheerilee's voice and it caused him to try and climb out of the hole. All the while he was calling to her using one of the sad nicknames he had come up with. Suddenly, he had control of his body again...just in time have Cheerilee crash head first into him. *** After Cheerilee and Big Mac made the girls do their punishment for using a love potion on them, Cheerilee decided she wanted to play a little joke on the girls. Big Mac agreed, not realizing that she wanted them to pretend to still be under the spell. Apparently, Cheerilee didn't understand how much pain this caused him. As they walked away, hearing the three fillies scream into the night, Big Mac broke into a run. “Big Mac, wait! Don't you want to go to our picnic?” “Nope. Sorry Cheeriliee. It's too painful.” “But...I thought we were friends.” Big Mac sighed. “Maybe one day, Cheerilee. But I can't do it today. I'm sorry.” And he turned and walked off towards his favorite spot on the farm.