//------------------------------// // He's Mine! // Story: Musings of the Mundane // by Thak //------------------------------// They say if you love somepony, you should set them free. If they return to you, then they will always be yours. Or something like that. Bunch of horseapples if you ask me. Look, I’m not saying I don’t understand what the phrase is trying to say. You can’t force love, everypony has to make their own decisions, yada yada yada. And for the most part, I guess it works. For others, I mean. That kind of thinking won’t work for my stallion. He is just too naïve to be let out on his own. That’s not what I meant; of course he still goes out on his own. He goes into town without me sometimes, and he has his choir practice. He hangs out with his sister, who I love, and her friends, who I don’t care for in the slightest. They’re not bad ponies, probably. I just have no desire to get to know them better. Every time I and my big guy have to spend any time around them I always get hot under the collar. It wouldn’t be so bad if that white tramp and her friend the flying floozy would stop trying to jump my stallion right in front of me. Has nopony heard of common decency? It’s bad enough that he spends time with the pointy-headed priss when something big happens in town, but now she asks for him to visit more so they can practice their “singing”. I know what she’s really doing. What she wants to “practice”. I didn’t spend nearly thirty years in this world to be an idiot now. Not when Big Red needs me. Besides, his singing is only for me. He sings to me when we’re all alone together in the barn. Sometimes he even restarts his singing, just because he didn’t think it was perfect enough for me. He’s such a sweetheart! Of course, no matter how much I protest, he insists on getting it perfect for me. He won’t sing for anypony else but me. At least, by himself. Apparently Applejack has heard him perform in front of very large crowds. I was about to confront him on this when she informed me that he was in a group of ponies singing, and it wasn’t just him. So I can’t get too upset with him. He never sings to anypony else one-on-one except me. And that makes me the luckiest girl in the world. Of course, aside from his family, I’m the one who knows him best. I know all of his hopes and desires, as well as his truly traumatic secrets. I’ve comforted him through the death of his parents, the poor guy. I think it was then that I realized I truly loved him. He has such a big heart, you see. When word reached the farm that his Mom and Dad had passed away due to some tragic accident, I could tell right away that Big McIntosh was hurting. I could see the tears well up in his eyes, threatening to spill across those lovely freckled cheeks. But did he cry? No sir. Not at first, anyway. He went up to his sisters and Grandma and hugged them to death. Perhaps that’s not the best expression to use? The point still stands, though. He cared not one lick for himself; his entire being was wrapped up in comforting his grieving family. Even though he had to be hurting (I was too; his pa had taken me in when Mac was little.), he stood as a rock for the family to lean on. Watching this, I was at a complete loss for words. What do you say when your closest friend loses half his family? I’m sorry only goes so far. I couldn’t say I could relate to what he was going through, seeing as how I never knew my parents. I came to live with the apples shortly after I was born. Sorry, I’m getting a little sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yes. So it was right around then I started looking at Big Mac as more than just a friend. I saw first hoof how his hard work provided for the farm and his family. He worked long hours toiling under the hot sun so his little sister could go to school and make something of himself. Poor Mac. He had to drop out early to work the farm after the accident. Granny said she could hire some helpers to manage the harvest while he finished his studies, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He knew without it being said that they couldn’t afford extra help and still keep all the land his family had worked hard for. So he sacrificed his education to be stuck in the life of a farmer. I dropped out of school at around the same time as well. Didn’t feel right not being next to him. We spent the next couple years working and watching his family grow together. We were pretty much inseparable; I worked next to him in the orchard during the day, and some evenings (if he wasn’t too tired) he’d take me into town for a milkshake. That was a pretty good time in my life. Shortly after that, though, his sister started bringing around her friends more often. His sister Applejack, I mean. Not Apple Bloom. Her friends I don’t mind. They’re adorable, and for the most part they leave me and Big Mac alone. No, it’s his other sister’s friends I don’t particularly care for. Specifically, the unicorn hussy with a penchant for over-dramatizing everything and that annoyingly quiet yellow pegasus. Aside from those two, her other friends are nice. The purple one especially. She’s been helping my stallion get the education he had to sacrifice early on in his life, and he’s been most appreciative. He’s definitely improving on his reading, and when it’s just us he even has enough confidence now to read aloud. Makes me swell with pride. Applejack’s are-they-an-item-or-aren’t-they possible girlfriend is likeable enough, though she is far too amped up on her own brand for me and Mac’s taste. She pretty much leaves us alone, so I can’t complain too much. The bouncy one is apparently a cousin of Mac’s, though he did confess to me he wasn’t 100% certain on it. Of course, Mac would never say anything about it; that’s not his style. No, Mac has the largest heart out of anyone I’ve come across. Sometimes, when he holds me close, I can feel it pounding beneath his chest. It’s like a giant drum is beating just for me, and I can’t help but feel like everything is right with the world. And with such a large heart, there’s no way I could let him go. The poor galumph would be lost in the big bad world, so trusting is he. I’m nice, and his family looks out for him, but I’m afraid McIntosh would just be devastated by some of the vixens out there. T They would rip him to pieces and throw him in the street once they used him for their own sick pleasure. Poor Mac has no idea of the dangers I save him from. How I sacrifice my time to stay with him and make sure he doesn’t get hurt. I saw what he went through when he lost his parents, and I’ll be a buffalo’s brother before I see anything hurt him again. But I know I can’t be with him all the time. He needs to have time to himself, to take a break from work and me. Truth be told, sometimes I need a break from him as well. Which is why I’m home alone tonight. Even though his normal choir practice isn’t for two more days, and that harlot came over herself to ask if he would help her practice. Still, I trust Big Mac. He would never leave me. I won’t let him. “Thank you so much for coming, Darling. I know how busy things can get on the farm,” said Rarity, opening the door of her shop. “Eeyup,” came the reply. “I must say, you look like an entirely different pony without that harness around your neck. Applejack said you never take it off unless it’s something important.” “Eeyup.” “I was surprised you asked to see me tonight. Our usual rehearsals aren’t until Thursday. There’s nothing wrong is there?” “Eenope.” “Well, then. How may I be of assistance?” asked Rarity. Big Mac cleared his throat and ran a hoof hesitantly through his short mane. “Well, Miss Rarity, seeing as how we’re both ponies, and ponies sometimes need to eat, I was wondering if sometime we could eat with each other at the same place. If’n you don’t mind, that is.” Rarity stared at the darkening face of the stallion in front of her. “Are you asking me out on a date, Mr. McIntosh?” “Errr…yup?” “I see…and when was this date supposed to take place? Was it tonight?” “Eeyup.” “Nothing quite like spur of the moment. Might I have a few minutes to get ready? If I am to be seen with the most handsome stallion in all of Ponyville, I simply must look my best.” “Eey…” Wait a minute, thought Big Mac. “Does that mean…?” he asked hopefully. “Yes, Big Mac. I would be happy to go on a date with you. Meet me at the Ponyville Café in a half hour.” “Eeyup,” he replied, a grin breaking out on his face. He practically galloped all the way to the restaurant feeling lighter than air. He felt like nothing could keep him down, a smile plastered on his face as he passed ponies in the street. Some gave him curious glances as he passed; others smiled at his infectious grinning. Either way, he didn’t care. Tonight was going to be a special night. Maybe he should go out without his harness more often.