Big Macintosh pulled the plow as he trudged along the fields of Sweet Apple Acres. His body was drenched in sweat as the sun's heat beat down on him and the farm. Gritting his teeth whenever he tried to plow the soil, he moved at a snail's pace and grunted at random intervals. The more he pushed the plow attached to his yoke, the tighter the muscles in his legs would become.
It was a job he had to do, and there was no doubt about it. His younger sister was more accustomed to bucking apple trees and little Apple Bloom lacked the age and physique to do such a strenuous task. Though as Big Mac continued plowing the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, a lone thought tickled the back of his mind, growing exponentially until it was all he could think about.
"This is all that I do," Big Mac muttered to himself.
Feeling his heart sink lower and lower, Big Mac ceased moving and squatted on the dirt below with sagged shoulders. He let out a deep sigh and looked to his left. Before him were acres upon acres of apple trees, all standing straight up and reaching for the sky. They shimmered as the sun loomed over the horizon. Each tree either bore numerous apples or none at all.
One of the trees shook and the apples attached to it fell to the earth, not even resisting gravity's pull. Big Mac gulped, the picture of Applejack's inevitable scowl and furrowed eyebrows was clear in his mind. Her silhouette off in the distance, complete with her signature hat, revealed itself to him. Big Mac rose up and tugged on the plow once more, But no matter how much he pulled, his veins looking like they were about to burst, he couldn't move an inch.
Applejack was now completely visible to Big Mac, but something about her caused his eyes to widen. Instead of the scowl he envisioned in his head, there was a warm smile across his sister's face. Applejack kept on trotting towards him until they were only a few hooves apart and her smile only widened the closer she got.
"Is everything okay, big brother?" Applejack asked, panting with her tongue out. "I'm more than willing to help."
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, though his tone of voice contained a lack of confidence. More beads of sweat dripped down his face as he bit his lip.
Applejack gazed into his eyes and raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”
Big Mac body slouched and he let out a sigh. "Actually, nope."
"What's wrong?" Applejack placed a hoof on her chest and her smile curled into a slight frown. "Are you working too much? You've already plowed the fields that needed it most and then some, so do you want to take a break? You've put in an hard day's work, so I understand if you want to rest."
Big Mac shook his head. "Not quite." There was something missing, and he knew that well. But what could that something be? He had a caring family, Sweet Apple Acres was having one of its best years in its proud history, and he wasn't depressed. There had to be something, but as words upon words flowed through his brain, nothing came up.
"Do you want to go somewhere?" Applejack's smile returned, which prompted Big Mac to smile ever so slightly. "There's a town fair going on at the moment, so how 'bout we go there? Maybe you'll find what you're looking for."
"How did you know I was looking for something?" Big Mac quickly covered his lips with his hooves and his cheeks blushed.
"Call it a mare's intuition." Applejack chuckled for a brief moment. She trotted over to Big Mac and reached over to the long rope connecting his yoke to the plow.
Click!
The rope that was once a part of Big Mac fell to the floor, his body no longer feeling constricted. It was like he could breathe once more. Looking over to Applejack with a wide grin, he nodded and lifted his legs up and down. He could move freely again, and his soul bubbled up.
"Are you ready?" Applejack asked.
"Eeyup," said Big Mac, trotting forwards.
"Well then, what are we waiting for?” Applejack pointed towards Ponyville with a bright grin on her face. “Let’s go!”
Glancing over to Applejack, who was trotting beside him, Big Mac stared at the town of Ponyville ahead of him with twinkling eyes. He looked back over to the barn, its bright colors as vibrant and full of life as ever, before staring back at Applejack once more. As he continued marching towards the vibrant town, Big Mac felt the back of his mind itch once more. A simple phrase popped in his mind without warning, and it was tugging his heart in all directions.
I wish I had a special somepony. Somepony who I could be close to and talk with.
Why did he want a special somepony now? It wasn’t like he had experienced this for a long time. He noticed the tight sensations spreading from his heart and all over his body. Feeling the air become heavier and heavier until it felt like he'd sink into the dirt, Big Mac continued trudging forwards.
The pair continued trotting along the dirt path. Echoes of ponies of all ages within Ponyville became louder the closer Big Mac got to the town. His throat tightened and his breathing became more intense. It was as though he was plowing Sweet Apple Acres all over again, only with an additional fifty pounds of weight to deal with.
Big Mac closed his eyes, still trotting along with heavy steps. Maybe he could find Cheerilee at the fair. They always got along, though they were more friends if anything. As long as that one pony he met at a similar town fair not too long ago wasn't there, everything would turn out just fine. He just had to keep on trotting and not flee.
"Where are you going, brother?" Applejack asked. "We're here."
Big Mac opened his eyes and his jaw dropped at the scene in front of him. Sure enough, he was in the eye of the storm that was Ponyville's Games and Items Fair. A large banner displaying the event's lengthy title fluttered about in the slight breeze. White tents as far as the eye could see were set up all over Ponyville's town square. Whether they were selling silly souvenirs that were doomed to end up at the next Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange, selling items that actually had some value, or were handing out prizes such as plush toys at the carnival games, there was always something going on under one of the tents. Ponies of all ages trotted about, all of them with beaming smiles and a skip in their step as they kept on gossiping, giggling, or both.
Big Mac peered at Applejack, who was shifting her eyes about. Her behavior blended in the crowd well enough, though something in his gut told him everything that he needed to know.
"Now then, what should we do first?" Applejack asked.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Big Mac questioned in return, his pupils dilating.
“Of course. I wanted to go to one of the stalls selling food, but I know that you aren’t interested in stuff like that.”
Big Mac nodded gently, though his expression remained static. As much as he hated to admit it, Applejack was right about how dull and uneventful discussions about food and baking were to him.
Applejack froze for a moment. She rubbed her muzzle and her eyes locked onto a pony in front of her. "Hmm." Her lips then turned into a smile, prompting Big Mac to gulp. "See where that light blue pegasus?" Big Mac shifted his own eyes around and when he saw the light blue pegasus, her face exactly as he remembered it in his mind, his face became pale. That wide smile and lively pose was unmistakable. "She looks like she's having a lot of fun. Maybe she's also a nice pony to talk to and introduce yourself to.” Applejack’s lips formed a radiant grin. “You might even become friends.”
It had to be her. That pony from that one fair a few months ago. She was a bit dizzy that day, so maybe she wouldn't recognize him. Big Mac took a small step forward. He hoped that was the case. Her smooth, flowing white mane and tail stood out amongst the crowd. As did her stern body and confident smile. Big Mac's legs wobbled ever so slightly. He wasn't going to faint, not here and now. He slowly made his way forward, the mare's voice becoming clearer by the second.
"Yes! Another victory!" the mare shouted, punching the air with her right hoof. "I'm so awesome at this!" A wide grin formed on her face as she bounced up and down. "It’s time to make it four in a row!"
Big Mac's limbs froze as he gazed at the mare in front of him with a stupefied expression. What was Applejack thinking? Just by listening to her gloat about her victories, Big Mac knew that there was no way that they could possibly get along. That along with what happened the last time he met this mare made them incompatible as far as he knew. Hopefully, she didn't remember him.
Big Mac glanced behind him and noticed Applejack staring directly at him with a warm smile before trotting off. He returned his gaze to the mare and assumed a stern posture. Now was the time to be brave. Feeling a surge of adrenaline rushing through him, Big Mac raised his hoof towards the mare, his heart thumping louder and faster until it felt like it was ready to leave his chest.
"Um, excuse me," Big Mac said in a meek tone.
The mare turned to Big Mac and in the blink of an eye, her face became pale. Big Mac's chest tightened. He bit his lip. This was going to be a long day. There was no doubt in his mind.
"Um, I wasn't expecting to see you here," the mare muttered, her eyes shimmering. "What brings you here?"
Big Mac raised an eyebrow and stood still. His mind twisted itself into a corkscrew and his jaw dropped a little to form a dumbfounded expression. It was as though the mare changed her personality at the drop of a hat. Was he talking to the same mare he just saw win that carnival game? Or was his mind playing tricks on him?
"I'm, well, I was just in the area, and I think I recognize you,” Big Mac said, his cheeks blushing. His body felt like it would drift off the longer he stood in front of the mare. "You know, maybe we could hang out for a tad so that I could get to know you better. Are you, um, okay with that?"
"I'd love to, um, have a date," the mare said, her eyes shifting around and avoiding eye contact. "We could, um, get to know each other a little better."
Big Mac smiled and rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess so. Anyway, what's your name?"
The mare's eyes looked at Big Mac for once and she grinned sheepishly. "Fleetfoot."
"Well, I'm Big Macintosh."
Fleetfoot's smirk widened, though her eyes also sparkled with an anxious aura. "It's nice to know your name."
Big Mac took a deep breath, his muscles trying their best to force a wide smile, but all that resulted was a pitifully small one. "Same here."
The two ponies stared at each other with smiles, their bodies not budging an inch. Big Mac's eyebrows furrowed slightly and his muscles tightened. How was he going to keep this date going in the first place? There had to be something for him to say.
Digging through his mind, Big Mac closed his eyes and let the tension in his body loosen. What do ponies on a date do? There wasn't a theater nearby, and it wasn't like he knew Fleetfoot well enough to know if she even liked such things. Maybe a restaurant would do the trick.
Big Mac nodded. "What restaurant would you like to go to?" he asked.
Fleetfoot turned her head to the left, then to the right, and nodded at a slow pace. She raised her hoof up and pointed in front of her. Big Mac looked over to where she was pointing, which was a large, bright green tent that looked like a tree’s leaves. A large, outdoors restaurant with the name "Salad Paradise" resided under the tent, its name running along the tent's perimeter. Groups of ponies were leaving the tent or entering it, all with smiles across their faces.
"This looks like a place that could work," said Fleetfoot. "Does it look, um, good to you?"
"Eeyup," said Big Mac.
"Let's get going."
The pair trotted side by side as they made their way through the bustling sea of ponies. At least one hard part was behind him, but there was the matter of the date itself that would make everything else seem like foal's play. What were they going to talk about in the first place? It was a question that clouded Big Mac's mind and forced his muscles to tighten once again. He looked over to Fleetfoot, who was biting her lip and appeared to be taking heavy steps wherever she went. Maybe his date was doomed to fail after all.
The two made their way to the outdoors restaurant, not uttering a single word along the way. Big Mac kept biting his lip and glancing over to Fleetfoot on occasion. Fleetfoot's face was losing color as each second went by, her eyes twinkling and looking like they were on the verge of tears.
Big Mac then looked up and spotted a mustachioed stallion wearing a black vest and reclining against a wooden desk with "Salad Paradise" printed on it. It felt out of place, being outside and all, but such trivial matters were the least of his concerns.
"Ah, hello there," said the stallion in a thick, Prench accent. "Romantic evening, no?"
Big Mac looked over to Fleetfoot, who stared back at him with a blank gaze. The pair shrugged and nodded with fixed gazes.
"Um, sure," said Fleetfoot. "Can the two of us have seats?"
The stallion nodded. "Yes, of course." He stretched his forelegs and motioned the couple forward. "Follow me."
Everything around Big Mac felt tenser as he made his way through the tables at the restaurant. Waiters and waitresses pranced around the grass, carrying glasses of water, wine, and juice. Others, meanwhile, carried plates of food that ranged from modest to a tower that could feed an adult dragon. Big Mac felt his body glance the side of a table or chair on more than one occasion, struggling to squeeze through at the same time as the other ponies. He wasn't trying to force his way through on purpose, but the impatient air of the place forced him into a corridor made out of a pony in a buttoned up suit and a table covered in a fine, white cloth.
"Here is your table," the waiter said with a smile, twirling his mustache. "Look at the menus and I will be right back."
The table before Big Mac was humble enough. It was small and rectangular, covered in the typical white sheet the other tables had, and a rose inside a small vase rested in the center. The flower’s aroma was rather poignant, though it didn’t make Big Mac’s nostrils itch. It smelt like a perfume in a way. Neatly positioned on the table were two menus, both of which were rather thick as far as menus went.
Big Mac sat down on one of the chairs, its wooden beams rubbing against his back and feeling like jagged rocks that poked him. His large, muscular size felt compressed in the chair, which only made him consciously clench his teeth. He squirmed around for a bit, trying to adjust himself to the chair, only to sigh and pick up the menu before him.
Fleetfoot rested her forelegs on the table and opened her menu as Big Mac stared at her. There was something about her that warmed his heart, but he couldn't figure out why. Was it her smooth, white mane? Or perhaps it was that innocent smile she had, desperately trying to masquerade the anxiety her gleaming eyes showed.
"Well, um, I think he might be awhile," Fleetfoot muttered. She looked left and right, freezing for a moment before looking back at Big Mac. "So, should we, um, get to know each other better?"
"Sure," said Big Mac, retaining his posture.
"I'll start, I guess." Fleetfoot smiled sheepishly as her eyes darted around before they stared at Big Mac once more. "I like to go to the beach during my free time. What about you?"
Big Mac rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I don't have a lot of time off, but I do like taking care of my littlest sister. She's a lot of fun to be around, if a bit irresponsible at times."
Fleetfoot leaned closer to Big Mac. "What's her name?"
"Her name is Apple Bloom."
"Apple Bloom." Fleetfoot formed a slight, but warm smile. It felt more genuine to Big Mac than her other smiles, producing a ticklish feeling inside of his chest. "That's a really cute name. Is she doing well?"
"She's doing just fine. She's still looking for her cutie mark, which is where the irresponsible bit comes in." Big Mac chuckled for a brief moment. "Youngsters."
"That reminds me of when I was younger." Fleetfoot closed her eyes for a moment and snickered. "I remember thinking my cutie mark would be a mallet or something about construction. When I discovered my cutie mark, I remember my jaw dropping and my classmates going nuts. I think I got mine a little earlier than the fillies I knew."
Big Mac grinned and laughed. "Ah, the wonders of foalhood."
Fleetfoot froze for a second. She then raised an eyebrow, but her smile remained. "You wear that big yoke a lot, don't you?"
Big Mac nodded. "I do. I have to pull all sorts of heavy things. Plows, sleds, you name it."
"That sounds tough." Fleetfoot placed her hoof on her chest, then placing it back on the table. "I'm assuming you work at a farm, right?"
"Eeyup. What do you do?"
Fleetfoot looked to her left, then to her right, and finally back to Big Mac. "I'm, well, a Wonderbolt. I do aerial shows and help ponies in their time of need. It's, um, it's nothing to brag about." She withdrew a little. Big Mac raised an eyebrow, his face forming a look of bemusement. "Okay, maybe I do brag a little."
"Any stories you feel like sharing?"
Fleetfoot nodded. "One of my fondest memories was when the team was called on a mission to stop a sand drake rampaging through Dodge Junction."
Big Mac's jaw dropped and his spine froze. "I thought those weren't real. My granny used to read me stories about things like those. Aren't they strong?"
"That's what the rumors said. Well, what happened was that the captain grabbed a book from the library and looked up info on the sand drake. She told us that it had terrible hearing, so what we did was that we sneaked up on it from behind and attack the vulnerable points on its body."
Big Mac's heart raced. He leaned closer to Fleetfoot. "Did it work?"
"Totally! We won in under two minutes!" The restaurant became silent for a brief second as Fleetfoot closed her lips shut. Her cheeks flushed as she sat back down. "Sorry, but yes, we were successful. I know that we're successful most of the time, but it's always a great feeling to achieve victory. It brings a smile to my face."
Big Mac nodded. "It sure is. I wish my life was as interesting as yours."
Fleetfoot shook her head. "Trust me, while the many victories are excellent, the few defeats we've had were painful. It isn't for the faint of heart." She sighed and looked down at the table for a moment before gazing back at Big Mac.
"I understand. Sometimes things just don't work out."
"I know, but it still hurts."
The stallion returned with two glasses of water, setting them on the table in front of each pony. The water inside swished around a bit, drawing Big Mac's attention for that brief second. The stallion then stood up straight, an air of haughtiness circling around him.
"May I take your order?" the stallion asked, his accent even more pronounced.
Fleetfoot looked down at the menu, and then back at the stallion. "I'll have the tomato salad."
The stallion pulled out a pen and a notepad, scribbling something down on it. He looked over to Big Mac and raised his bushy eyebrow. "And you?"
"Is there anything apple related?" Big Mac asked.
The stallion rolled his eyes. "Apple fritters it is." He then turned around in a huff and trotted back towards the kitchen, shimmying between tables, chairs, and other ponies along the way.
Big Mac looked over to Fleetfoot and the pair locked gazes. This occurrence continued for about a minute as not a single syllable left their mouths. What else was there to say? It wasn't like he had a lot of interesting stories to share, and topping Fleetfoot's had to be a gargantuan task. Big Mac's throat tightened. For unknown reasons, he felt as though that somepony was watching them from afar. Big Mac dug deeper into his mind, pulling out the first thing he could find in there. He bit his lip.
"Do you know of a pony named Rainbow Dash?" Big Mac asked.
Fleetfoot's shuddered. Her eyes shimmered and her lips curled into a slight frown. She looked down at the table before her with drooped shoulders and let out a deep sigh. "I do. Why do you bring her up?"
Big Mac felt a dagger pierce his heart. It was going so well, and he had to ruin it all with something he didn’t know. Taking a few deep breaths, he then cleared his throat and blinked. "Fleetfoot, are you okay? Is there something about Rainbow Dash you don't want to talk about?"
Fleetfoot rubbed her eyes. "Well, I was a snake to her. I know I'm a bit, well, brash, but I'd rather forget that day ever happened." She placed her hooves on the table and let out another sigh. "I wish I could go back and do it all over again."
"I understand."
"Huh?" Fleetfoot looked into Big Mac's eyes, her lips curling into the slightest of smiles. "Y-you do?"
"I do. I wish I could redo some things myself." Big Mac looked at Fleetfoot and his heart warmed up. He formed a wide, beaming smile across his face, which caused Fleetfoot to copy his expression down to the last detail.
"You've got the cutest smile ever." Fleetfoot rubbed her eyes once more.
"Do I really?" Big Mac glanced at Fleetfoot's lips and bobbed his head. "You have a cute smile, too."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." Big Mac unconsciously placed his hoof on Fleetfoot's. "I know a kind mare when I see one, and I know there's a heart of gold inside of you."
Then, out of nowhere, two plates of food appeared in front of Big Mac and Fleetfoot, both of them exactly what they ordered. The scent of the apple fritters tickled Big Mac's nostrils, soothing the rest of his mind and producing a homely feeling. It was as though the apple fritters were crafted to produce such a thought.
"Enjoy," said the waiter. Who then turned around and left, squeezing through the small gaps once more.
"Um, there's one more thing I need to say," Fleetfoot said. Big Mac nodded slowly. "I'm sorry for how I acted at that one fair some time ago. I wasn't me that day and I shouldn't have followed you like that."
"Apology accepted," Big Mac replied.
The pair both nodded and then dug into their meals. As Big Mac chowed down on his apple fritters, a warm, apple-like taste touched his taste buds and produced visions of Sweet Apple Acres as he chewed his meal. Fleetfoot made quick work of her salad, smiling as she consumed her meal from time to time. Big Mac licked his lips on occasion as he ate the apple fritters, letting the taste fill his body with a joyous feeling.
After a couple of minutes, the pair finished their meal, paid for dinner, and stood up. Their faces glowed like stars. Holding hooves as the two trotted out with skips in their steps, Big Mac and Fleetfoot departed the establishment.
The couple made their way outside of the restaurant and stood at a quieter portion of the fair. A few ponies were about, but Big Mac felt like he could breathe once more as he let his body enjoy the open space. He took a deep breath, enjoying the open world once more without a waiter or a table squishing him. And to think that ponies like Fleetfoot lived in places where tight spaces were the norm. He shuddered for a moment at the mere thought and blinked, his face relaxed.
But he’d do it all for her if he had to.
"Fleetfoot, I loved our evening out together," Big Mac said. "Thank you very much."
"I also loved it," Fleetfoot responded. "You have such a wonderful personality, and I'd love to be able to spend more time with you."
Big Mac nodded. "Same here."
Fleetfoot sighed and stretched her light blue wings, their graceful form drawing Big Mac's eyes towards them. "I have to get going, but feel free to write to me. I hope we meet again. Goodbye, Big Macintosh."
Big Mac waved his hoof. "Goodbye, Fleetfoot."
Fleetfoot flapped her wings and took off into the sky, a boom ringing in Big Mac's ears as she flew away. He flinched for a moment and looked up at the sky above, Fleetfoot getting farther away with each passing second. Recognizing that it wasn't the most romantic date, Big Mac nevertheless felt something from it. He placed his hoof on his chest and grinned. Maybe there was a mare for him after all, and it was the one he least expected. It tickled his shoulder in a way, which was an odd feeling.
"Hey, Big Mac," said Applejack, tapping on Big Mac's shoulder. "Are you in there?"
Big Mac jumped up, the hairs on his body standing up, and turned around. He noticed Applejack standing directly beside him with a wide smile across her face. "I am now."
"I think somepony has their first crush." Applejack chuckled a bit and Big Mac blushed, his eyes darting back and forth. "I caught a few glances of you with her, and I could feel the chemistry from where I was.”
“She’s quite the special somepony.” Big Mac’s body shook as his face beamed with happiness, freezing for a moment upon realizing the stark contrast to his more quiet nature. “I’m excited at the thought of spending more time with her.”
“That’s great! Let's head on home, brother. Rest as much as you need to and we'll get back to work tomorrow morning."
"Sounds good to me."
Big Mac glanced back to the tents that covered Ponyville once more, focusing his gaze on the now distant Salad Paradise. As he reflected on his evening with Fleetfoot, as awkward as it was, his mind formed one simple conclusion. He did have a special somepony, and while he might not be clairvoyant, he knew without a doubt that their relationship would grow from here.