//------------------------------// // CYOE #1: OTP (One True Ponytone) // Story: Big Mac Writes a Love Letter // by HiddenMac //------------------------------// It's a brand new day. The Sun is rising, the air is crisp, and Big Mac is the first Apple up... well, except for Granny Smith who is already in her rocking chair for her early morning nap. With the chaos of the Ponyville Anniversary behind him, at least for now, Big Mac is ready to seize the day and catch up on some sorely needed farm work. AJ should be up soon as well and it'd be best to get a head start before she becomes a taskmaster; a strategy which he learned years ago. The timid, pale yellow pegasus crept up the path to the Sweet Apple Acres farmhouse. She had not been able to sleep that night and through sheer, uncharacteristic bravery or, more likely, severe mental exhaustion, she forced herself out very early so she could talk with the silent stallion and admit her feelings. If only she had a good excuse she could use as an ice-breaker. She carried on her back a small pack containing various items she could possibly use for just such an occasion. "Okay, Fluttershy! You can do this!" she whispered, quietly motivating herself. "You've rehearsed this all night! He's going to love me!" She paused momentarily as her self-doubt once again interfered. "But what if he says 'no'? Oh, that'd be terrible! I'll have to hide, I couldn't be friends with Applejack, I'd have to move away and be lonely and miserable until I die a sad old hag with nopony as a friend while feared as a hermit or a witch by the locals!!!" She shook her head and stamped her hoof to tear her away from her uncertainties, "NO! He's going to LOVE me!" She exhaled a calming sigh to once again assure herself. "After all, we have so much in common: we're both kind, shy, quiet, polite, courteous. We both oddly love singing. We love helping and protecting others. We're fine with doing the hard work while others get the attention. And we both really love nature: he loves the plants and I love the animals; it's the perfect marriage of flora and fauna!" She marched herself right up to the front door, confident, albeit slightly delirious, as she felt she has ever been. "HE'S. GOING. TO. LOVE ME!!!" She raised her hoof, ready to take the final step and knock on the front door. Before she actually did, the door swung open, revealing the large stallion just on the other side. Fluttershy froze. She stared deep into his emerald green eyes, afraid to move or speak. It took a moment for her to register that...he probably heard what she just said through the door! "EEP!" she jumped into the air before beating a hasty retreat into the nearest bush she could find in a feeble attempt to hide. Big Mac slowly walked up to the shaking shrub, blushing and flattered, curious to see exactly what the shy filly meant. Realizing hiding was a futile effort, Fluttershy popped back out, hoping to save face. "Oh, HEY therrre Big Mac!" she used her poorly acted attempt at confident flattery, "fancy seeing you here..." Mac stood there in unbelieving silence before responding, "...Eeeeyup?" Stupid, stupid, stupid! she scolded herself in her head. He LIVES here! Quick, think up some excuse! "Um, I just came here to..." she paused, thinking on her next move, "see...if...Angel Bunny ran over here again! Yes, that's it!" she perked up, cheerful at her cleverly perceived ruse. "You haven't seen him, have you?" "Nope." "Really? Are you sure?" she smirked, insisting on the deception. "Did you look in that vegetable garden over there?" She pointed behind him, turning his attention and distracting him momentarily. She quickly removed her pack while his head was turned. Opening it, she took out the tiny rabbit, who was still sleeping, and plopped him on the ground between the two ponies. Angel hit the soil with a soft thud before turning back and sneering at his caretaker. The tiny nightcap he was wearing fell off in the throw, so he picked it back up and slammed it once more onto his head to visually voice his displeasure. "Ooh, sorry baby. Mama will make it up to you later, I swear!" she whispered to her ill-tempered pet. Mac turned back around, confirming that the bunny had indeed not been in his vegetable patch. "Oops! Look! There he is!" Fluttershy now pointed to the bunny that crossed his arms between them. Mac looked back up at her, cocking a brow in disbelief, to which Fluttershy grinned as wide as she could, desperately hoping to sell the fib. "Well, I'm glad we solved that mystery!" Angel hopped to a nearby pile of straw, rolling around and curling up to continue the slumber that had been denied him all night with his caregiver's rantings. "Now that we got that out of the way," Fluttershy continued, "are you doing anything special today?" Mac put his hoof to his chin, pondering his list of things to do. "Nope." "Oh, just more farm work?" she added. "Eeyup!" "Anything after that?" "Nope." "Do you think we should..." she looked for anything they could do together, "...rehearse our parts for the Ponytones?" Mac thought about it. "Nope," he genuinely thought, thinking their parts were fine until the next rehearsal. "Oh, okay..." she looked for some other way to ask him out. "How about...gardening? Will you be able to help me plant new vegetables?" "Nope!" he quickly shot back. After all, it is harvest time and it would not make much sense to plant a new garden with winter approaching. "Well then," Fluttershy started to panic, "how about I help you with your chores?" "Hmmm, nope," he countered once again. It's not that he didn't mind the help, it's just that he'll be doing a lot of bucking and heavy lifting today and she wouldn't be much use. It wouldn't be polite having her work only to end up getting in the way. Fluttershy began to tear. While Mac thought he was just being polite, it really came across that he didn't want to be with her. Her tiny heart started to break as it became apparent he did not return any feelings toward her. She hoped for so much and practiced all night for this interaction only to now find it all for naught. In desperation, she threw one last, overt attempt. "Can I at least buy you dinner after you finish with your chores?!" she recoiled and shut her eyes, waiting for his reply. --- Granny Smith awoke in her rocking chair. Just outside the front door, she could hear some filly trying to converse with Big Mac to no success. It took her a moment to identify the soft voice as Fluttershy's, AJ's timid little friend. She never thought that frightened little filly would ever work up the courage to ask a stallion out, much less a big stallion like her McIntosh. Granny Smith always wanted him to find a nice mare, she even set him up for disaster with the fake foot ailment just to expose him to the amorous affections of the town's lovelorn females. But Fluttershy? It sounded like she was having trouble; everything she asked, Big Mac was simply denying it. Granny Smith knew he liked one of his sister's friends, she just didn't know which one. Could it be her? Whatever the case, it sounds painful to listen to. Either he didn't like her or he was oblivious to her advances. Whatever the case, this is embarrassing and intolerable! "Fer the love of... somepony's gotta put a stop to this!" She jumped from her rocking chair with an annoyed grunt and hobbled the best march she could over to the front door. Opening it, she interrupted the awkward exchange. "Can I at least buy you dinner after you finish with your chores?!" Fluttershy recoiled and waited for his reply. "NO YOU MAY NOT!" Granny Smith yelled, stomping from the front door. The order snapped the attention of both ponies as well as rousing Applejack from her sleep, who listened in while continuing to awaken. The elderly mare marched right in between the two ponies to separate them before turning her attention to her grandson. "Big Mac, I don't care if you like 'er, you got chores to do an' ya ain't finishin' 'em 'til yer done!" Fluttershy blushed as her heart jumped. Did she just say he liked her?! Perhaps she wasn't just making a fool of herself. She couldn't help but crack a hopeful smile at this new information. The feeling was quickly extinguished, however. "And you!" Granny spun to the interloper. "Just what makes you think yer good enough to court an Apple?!" She picked up one of Fluttershy's forelegs, showing the lack of muscular development to Big Mac. "This one's so weak, Ah bet she wouldn't be able to pull her own weight, little as it is! Ah'll be dead an' spinnin' in mah grave before I let somepony like you have mah great-grandfoals!" she threw her hoof to the ground, showing disdain for the pegasus. Fluttershy instantly began sobbing at the horrible insults spat at her from what she thought was a good friend. Granny wasn't finished as she barked one last order at Big Mac. "Big Mac, I don't want you seein' anymore of her! AH FORBID IT!" she stuck her nose in the air and marched back toward the farmhouse, but not before slapping Fluttershy across the face with her tail, which had not yet been groomed. Fluttershy lost all control of her emotions, crying in hysterics as she quickly turned and sprinted away, straight into the forest of trees bordering Sweet Apple Acres. Mac stood in stunned silence, amazed that Granny had treated the shy filly they knew so well with that much contempt. When Granny reentered the farmhouse, she was greeted with a stern expression from her granddaughter Applejack, who hastily put on her hat as she ran through the house to eventually catch up with her hurt friend. "GRANNY! HOW COULD YOU!" Applejack attempted to pass by her to the front door. "That was Fluttershy! One of our best friends and-" "Wait fer it..." Granny slammed the door and stopped Applejack's progress with the other hoof. They peeked out the nearby window to find Mac struggling to make a decision. After a moment, he turned and sprinted in the direction of Fluttershy's escape, but not before Angel Bunny hitched an unnoticed ride on back of the pursuing farmer. "There he goes!" Granny exclaimed. Applejack looked back at her with a confused look. "Sorry for the big spectacle," Granny explained. "Ah feel turrible treatin' Shy that way, and I'll make it up to her. But I needed to light a fire under that clueless grandson o' mine!" "You mean that was all for Mac? You knew he would chase after her?" Applejack tilted her head as she asked. "Sure as shootin'!" Granny Smith exclaimed. "He might be thick-headed, but he's still as stubborn as any Apple! You tell 'em he can't do sumthin', he's gonna go right ahead and do it!" --- Mac followed the path of Fluttershy's escape as best he could. Unfortunately, after a while he found himself unable to track her any longer. It appears as if she stopped running and took to her wings; there will be no way he can follow her now! Unexpected help hopped along the back of Big Mac as Angel made his way up to Mac's mane. Clearing a spot on the crown of Mac's head, Angel grabbed two handfuls of hair and attempted to coax the stallion into moving toward the left. Mac jerked his head back at the sudden alarm of the rodent atop his scalp. After identifying it as Angel, he figured the tiny pet might know best as to where Fluttershy ran off. He turned to the left and let Angel guide him toward the direction of one of his owner's favorite spots. Coming into a clearing, Big Mac and Angel Bunny found Fluttershy crying on a large, flat rock overlooking a pond. On the left side of the pond, the water roared in from a waterfall originating in a large creek above. This is one of Fluttershy's secret nature hideaways where she can clear her mind or recover from a stressful event, and right now she really needed it. Mac crept in, hoping not to startle the upset pegasus. His presence was given away, however, as Angel Bunny hopped off to give his caregiver a consoling hug. Shortly after, she noticed the large, red stallion for which she harbored affectionate feelings. She did not want to get him in anymore trouble, but more importantly, she didn't want him to see her like this. "Big Mac! Please! Leave me be! This weak pegasus is no good for you!" she cried a little harder now, knowing she was not meant to have him. Big Mac slowly and quietly crept toward her, trying to work up the courage to finally speak. He found his voice failing as he involuntarily remained silent, causing further distress upon her. "Mac..." "I-it weren't for y-you..." he quietly forced out. "What?" she choked back another sob. "Granny... what she said; it weren't for you," he tried explaining. "W-what do you mean?" "She said that... to motivate me, not insult you." "But," she sniffed, trying to clear her voice. "Why would she say something so mean?" "She wanted me to... for the pony I..." Big Mac's words were failing him. He was so nervous and shy that he just couldn't force the air past his lips. Here he was, trying to confront his shyness and console the fragile mare, only to find that he couldn't express his voice; talk doesn't seem like it's the answer. Luckily he has a choice... He took a deep, calming breath and commenced singing a slow, passionate serenade. Fluttershy, please don't cry! Every tear makes me want to die! Yes, I confess it's true; My love was written just for you. Only you are what I desire, your kindness makes my hopes fly higher Only you can make me so bold, with you, I'd like to grow old. So I beg: please don't cry! My love, my hope, my Fluttershy! Big Mac finished and waited for Fluttershy's response. The emotional pegasus sniffled and wiped away a tear. She looked down to Angel for reassurance to find the bunny closing his eyes and nodding his approval. "You... you really feel that way... about me?" "Eeyup!" "I never knew! How long did you feel this way?" "Since you fell from the heavens," he confessed surprisingly easy. He might be shy and completely nervous, but he was sure of one thing: he loved her, and always had. "Oh Mac!" she rushed toward him and buried her face into his chest as they embraced. She started to cry again, only this time they were tears of joy. Big Mac couldn't help but join her as he displayed his own liquid pride. He finally confessed his feelings to his one true love and she now returns his affections. What was the most terrible, uncertain time of his life is now the most joyous. He just wanted to sit there with the mare he loves and enjoy her company in one of her most special places. The hum of the falls and tranquility of the water provided the perfect romantic setting to begin his relationship with the most beautiful, kind, and special pony ever to grace Equestria. "I'm so happy, I don't know what to say," commented the love of his life. "Then let us just sit here together, even if nothing need be said."