//------------------------------// // CYOE #4: Zap Apples // Story: Big Mac Writes a Love Letter // by HiddenMac //------------------------------// Rain. Why did it have to rain again? As if his mood couldn't be dampened enough, the rain once again kept Big McIntosh indoors and unable to resume his farm work, which was already dreadfully behind schedule. Wasn't the rain also the cause of all his frustrations? If it hadn't rained, he would not have composed that awful letter and his current misery wouldn't consume him. He told himself without the rain he would have been brave enough to tell his love how he felt. However, then as today, the rain kept him sidelined and wallowing in his own self-pity. No! Not today! Big Mac was GOING to go outside and complete his chores! Today the elements were going to yield to HIS will and not the other way around! He put on his rain slicker and hat and marched out the doors of the barn, slamming them shut as a sign of his determination. Getting sick is preferable to having Applejack berate him again for falling further behind, and surely better than focusing on the horrible events of the previous day. Rain or not, those trees are getting bucked! The work passed by surprisingly fast. Mac had already filled and emptied a few cart loads of soaked but still high quality apples. However, try as he might, he couldn't keep his mind off the humiliation. His secret love attended his speech, but she probably thought him to be a fool. How could he keep his word now and approach her directly? She'll most likely attract somepony more awesome anyway; he'd always wondered why she hadn't already. Eventually, Mac began to silently thank Celestia for the rain; nopony would be able to see him start to shed a tear. Big Mac lurched forward, then immediately launched both hind legs backward in a mighty buck. The impact with the tree caused almost every apple to fall into perfectly placed baskets. Of course, a few fell onto the damp grass but they are easily retrievable. Mac scoured the ground, picking up the few stragglers and placing them into the baskets. While picking up the final apple, he found himself oddly dry. He looked around to find it still raining all around him, but the spot where he stood remained curiously clear. He looked up to ascertain what strange oddity could be causing this when he noticed a perfect hole in the clouds just above him, keeping himself free from the downpour. "Hey, big guy! You look like you wanna catch a cold!" the rainbow maned pegasus remarked from the branches of the now fruitless tree. Rainbow Dash reclined sideways on the branch, her weather goggles still on and her chin resting on her hoof in another attempt to look 20% cooler. Most fillies gave Big Mac the time alone to contemplate his actions and decide how best to handle it, but Rainbow Dash is not most fillies. She HATED waiting, and she was going to confront Big Mac on her terms! "Thank goodness I was here; no stallion of mine is going to get sick under MY watch!" she lifted her goggles as she leaped off the branch and glided over to the alarmed farmer. Mac stepped backward in stunned silence as the assertive pegasus marched in to confront him. After a few paces, Mac hit another tree, halting his futile effort away from the approaching mare. Rainbow Dash didn't stop until she was face to face with him, close enough to where he could feel her warm breath on his wet muzzle. "C'mon, did you think I was going to wait for you?" she rested a hoof on Mac's chest as he leaned backward against the tree, terrified of how strong she was coming onto him. "Admit it: you could only write that letter about the most awesome pony you know! That's Me!" Mac's heart raced as the confident Rainbow Dash pressed the issue. His voice failed him as he couldn't respond, leaving an awkward silence. Rainbow Dash pressed further. "Don't play hard to get; I always get what I want! And I want YOU! All you have to do is say you wrote it for me 'cause I'm the pony of your dreams!" she smirked, hiding the fact that she too was nervous and anxious for his admission. When he still remained silent, she pressed even further, commanding him to respond. "JUST SAY IT! SAY HOW MUCH YOU LOVE ME AND CAN'T STOP THINKING HOW COOL I AM!" her smirk started to change to a sneer as she began to lose patience. "N-n-n...E-e-y..N-n-o.." Mac stuttered, making Dash uneasy and impatient. For the first time since reading that letter, Rainbow Dash began to doubt herself. What if it actually was NOT meant for her? What if her overconfidence was now making a complete fool of herself again? What if she actually fell in love with a stallion only to have him not love her back? Her tone changed again as she felt the emotion she hated the most: insecurity. "Mac...please?" her shoulders lowered and grip loosened as she stared desperately into his averting eyes. Mac still avoided her gaze, not wanting to confront the emotional and uneasy pony. Once again, fear and shyness kept him from sharing his feelings at the expense of a pretty filly. Rainbow Dash backed up, dropping her hoof from his chest as she stared at him in despair. Her heart ripped and shredded into thousands of pieces as she slowly retreated from this humiliating situation. She wanted to go home and cry into her pillow and never see Sweet Apple Acres again, even if that meant avoiding her friend Applejack. Before leaving, she was going to give him a piece of her mind and regret ever rejecting the awesome Rainbow Dash. "FINE! I DON'T NEED YOU! I DON'T NEED SOME STUPID FARMER! I'M RAINBOW DASH! I CAN HAVE ANY AWESOME PONY I WANT!" she fought to hold back her tears as she turned around and prepared to take flight. Mac's emotions swirled. He feared sharing his feelings with the emotional filly, yet he also feared being the cause of such anger and disappointment to her. The battle raged in his heart and mind, neither side winning until HE would make the decision and force a response, whether for victory or tragedy. Dash choked on her tears in a final attempt to verbally wound the conflicted farmer. "You're going to regret it! I'm going to find the most awesome stallion and..." "N-NOPE!" Big Mac finally stepped forward and forced something out, yelling his discontent at his actions and the consequences from it. Rainbow Dash swirled back around, shocked at the sudden command from the frightened earth pony. Mac continued, his nerves still handicapping his attempt to stop her, but not destroying it. "Nope, yer not! Ah... won't let ya!" Dash stepped forward and raised a brow as she leaned an ear in to hear him better. "What do you mean? Are you gonna-" Mac interrupted her. "Ah've always been shy; you know this! A-ah'm afraid to admit mah feelings to you, but Ah'm more afraid to lose you!" His legs shook in terror as he finally declared his feelings...to the awesome and confident Rainbow Dash! Her eyes perked up at this starling revelation. "You mean...the letter really was for me? You really DO love me?!" "Ee-eeyup!" the weight finally lifted off his chest, but he still closed his eyes and shook from the tension. Before he could open his eyes again, Rainbow Dash jumped forward and flew as fast as she could across the short distance between them. He felt a sharp impact as she tackled him and sent the both of them rolling on the ground until she landed on top of him and immediately started to plant kisses on his now wet and dirty cheeks. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU!" she cheered, pinning her stallion to the grass. "Eeyup!" Mac responded, his hoof wiping away a tear from Dash's face. Once again, Rainbow Dash tried playing it cool, like she was above those "girly" emotions. "I-I wasn't crying; some rain just fell on my eye!" Mac looked up, showing her that they were still under the hole in the clouds she had made and no rain was falling on the new couple. He then looked back at in her eyes, "Don't ever change!" Rainbow Dash rested her head on his broad chest, just happy to be with her new stallion. They both just lay there for a while, watching the clouds and rain fall around them and enjoying the sudden rays of the sun warming their damp bodies. There was only one thing that could make this moment better: "Y'know, AJ threatened to not let me have cider after destroying two of her trees..." Rainbow Dash hinted. Mac chuckled in response, "Any mare of mine can have all the cider she wants!"