Home On The Range

by Bluecatcinema

Take The Rough With The Smooth

Many years ago...

A few months after forming the Cherry Cavalry, Big Red was hanging out with White and Black, enjoying some cherry pie.

"How do you do it, Red?" Black asked.

"Do what?" Big Red asked, swallowing a chunk of pie.

"Keep eating?" Black replied. "You're like a walking garbage disposal!"

"Black!" White frowned.

"What?" Black shrugged. "I'm just saying. It wouldn't hurt 'im to lay off the food a little."

"What are you implyin'?" Big Red glanced at Black warily.

"I'm not implyin' anything." Black defended. "I just figured with your... girth, it would do you wonders to stay away from the pies and cakes."

"...Are you callin' me fat?" Big Red gasped.

Black remained silent.

"Maybe a little." Black shrugged.

"Seriously, Black?" White growled.

"Well, it's true." Black shrugged. "You gotta admit, Red's always been a little on the pudgy side. Like a tomato with legs."

"Doesn't mean you should actually say it." White admonished his brother. "Honestly, man, he's one of our best friends! You should apologize to-" He turned to see that Big Red was gone. "Hey, where'd he go?"

Big Red had ran off while White was admonishing Black.

Though he would never outright admit it, given he had the family's stubbornness, he had always been self-conscious about his weight, and while it never bothered him as much when ponies said it, but to have his own friend Black bring it up had hit him hard. He sat under a tree, sobbing quietly.

"Stupid pudge." He sniffed, glancing at his rotund exterior. "Why'd Ah have ta be so chubby?"

"Red?"

Big Red turned to see Cherry Jubilee nearby, looking at him with worry in her eyes.

"Oh, uh... h-hi, Cherry." Big Red said, awkwardly wiping his eyes. As if his day couldn't get any worse, being caught crying by the pony he had a crush on was really embarrassing.

"Are you okay?" Cherry asked.

"Oh, Ah'm fine." Big Red lied.

"Really?" Cherry frowned. "You looked a little upset. Almost like you were crying."

"Cryin'? Me?" Big Red snorted. "Naw! Ah just had somethin' in mah eye, is all."

"Something in your eye?" Cherry said skeptically. "Come on, Red. You can tell me."

"Well, Ah..." Big Red started. "Naw, ya'll think Ah'm bein' silly..."

"I won't." Cherry smiled kindly. "Whatever's troubling you, I promise I won't think it's silly."

"Okay." Big Red sighed. "Me, Black an' White were hangin' out, and Black called me out on bein'... well, fat."

"I see." Cherry nodded.

"Ah know Black wasn't tryin' to be mean, but Ah don't like it when ponies call me fat right to mah face." Big Red sighed. "It hurts..."

"Oh, Red..." Cherry whispered.

"And it's true, ain't it?" Big Red moaned. "Ah'm jest a big ol' fatso! Papa insists it's darn family genetics, but Ah know better than that! Ah'm just some pathetic piece a' blob!"

"No, you're not." Cherry placed a hoof on Big Red's shoulder, causing him to freeze up. "You just listen to me, Red. It doesn't matter what you look like on the outside. It's what's on the inside that counts."

"Really?" Big Red smiled.

"Really." Cherry nodded. "Besides, I think you look fine just the way you are."

"Aw, shucks, Cherry..." Big Red blushed.

Just then, White and Black arrived.

"Red, Black has something he'd like to say to you." White nudged Black. "Go on."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay." Black sighed. "I didn't mean to hurt your feeling, and junk. Things just came out wrong."

"That's okay." Big Red smiled. "Ah know you weren't meanin' to be mean... let's just put it behind us."

"You got it." Black nodded.

"Now that's been settled, who's up for a trip to the swimmin' hole?" Cherry offered.

"Ah'm game." Big Red grinned.

"And me." White added.

"Me too." Black smirked.

The friends went off together.

As they did so, Big Red gave a thought about Cherry's words. She was so kind, so caring. At that moment, Big Red pledged to himself that, someday, somehow, he would win her heart.

The Present...

It was another working day at the ranch. Big Red wandered through the trees of the cherry orchard, observing his young charges' work.

Despite the little skirmish he had with Eclipse the other day, the griffon hadn't made any snide comments or tried anything sneaky. Big Red figured he must had either spooked him or he was scheming. Either way, it was, if anything, an relief. But Big Red refused to let down his guard, just in case.

However, in spite of that, Eclipse and Huckleberry were bucking quite well in the areas of the orchard assigned to them, but Big Red saw very little progress in the part of the orchard Globe was in.

"Hey now, where's Globe?" Big Red asked.

"Beats me." Eclipse shrugged. "Wouldn't tell you even if I knew..."

"I think he went off to the east side." Huckleberry pointed.

"Thank ya kindly, Huck." Big Red smiled. "Nice ta know somepony around here is helpful."

Eclipse snorted petulantly as he returned to bucking.

Big Red made his way over to the east side the orchards, glancing around.

"Globe?" Big Red called, "Globe! Where are ya?!"

"Um… a little help here?"

Big Red's ears perked up at Globe's voice, though it sounded rather muffled. He turned towards the direction of the sound, only to be met with a rather bemusing sight:

Globe's back half sticking out of a tree.

"What in tarnation?" He frowned, walking over to him. "Need a little help, pardner?"

"Yes, please!" Globe's mumbled voice issued from within.

"Comin' right up." Big Red spit on his hooves, rubbed them together, then grabbed Globe's sides and pulled. After a few moments, Globe popped out.

"Thanks." Globe smiled.

"No problem." Big Red grinned. "How'd you get stuck in there, anyhow?"

"I... tripped." Globe shrugged.

"Tripped?" Big Red frowned, "While cherry-bucking?"

"I'm just as confused as you are." Globe shrugged, "Yet it happened."

"Okay, if you say so..." Big Red muttered. "So, you good fer more buckin'?"

"I sure am." Globe nodded.

"Good ta hear." Big Red smiled. "Matter a' fact, Ah might join ya."

"Oh, you don't have to..." Globe mumbled.

"Shoot, it's mah orchard, right?" Big Red chuckled. "'Sides, it looks like ya could use a li'l company."

"Thanks, Big Red." Globe smiled.

"Yer welcome, kiddo." Big Red grinned.

Globe started bucking, and Big Red followed suit.

That evening, Cherry served up some cherry and tumbleweed stew. Eclipse and Huckleberry dug in, but Globe barely touched his food.

"Is something wrong, Globe?" Cherry asked. "You've barely touched your food."

"I'm not really hungry." Globe declared.

"Since when?" Huckleberry gaped.

"May I be excused, please?" Globe asked.

"Of course." Cherry declared.

Globe left the table, though a bit downtrodden...

"What's with him?" Huckleberry frowned.

"I don't know." Eclipse frowned. "This isn't like Globe..."

"Ah'll go talk to him." Big Red announced, just finishing his food. "If there's one thing Ah know, it's how ta talk to a young 'un in distress."

"I'll believe that when I see it." Eclipse frowned.

"Trust me." Big Red declared. "Ah'll get ta the bottom a' this, and fix Globe right up. Jest wait an' see."

Big Red followed Globe, who was lying on the couch in the living room.

"Ev'rythin' okay, pardner?" Big Red asked.

"I'm fine." Globe murmured, not bothering to face Big Red.

"Really?" Big Red snorted. "'Cause that wuz the first time since ya got here that ya didn't wolf down yer food and ask fer seconds."

"Was it?" Globe said nonchalantly.

"Come on, kiddo." Big Red urged. "What's up? You can tell me."

"I dunno. It's kinda dumb." Globe frowned.

"Well, dumb or not, Ah still wanna hear it." Big Red gave a small smile. "Ah promise Ah won't laugh or anything."

"Well..." Globe wavered for a moment, then opened up. "You know how I got stuck in that tree today?"

"…Ya didn't trip, did you?" Big Red deadpanned.

"Nope." Globe sighed. "The truth is, when I was bucking that tree, some of the cherries fell inside this hole, and I was feeling puckish and I figured it wouldn't hurt nothing if I helped myself to them. But before I knew it, I was stuck."

"No foolin', huh?" Big Red gave a bemused look.

"Yeah." Globe agreed.

"Still, Ah don't get why you would have been hungry, we were only out there for two hours." Big Red pointed out.

"I don't know, I was just hungry." Globe frowned. "Serves me right though. This ain't the first time my appetite got me in trouble…"

"Come on, I doubt it's that horrible." Big Red said reassuringly.

"Oh yeah? As far as I can remember, it caused problems not just for me, but for everypony else." Globe declared. "Me, Eclipse, and Huckleberry were just waiting on a rock before my tummy decided it was hungry, and because of me, we came to Dodge Junction and pilfered those cherries that night. And to top it off, we wound up in jail because I had to have some bread the morning after. Heck, none of that compares to when I was hungry enough to try and swipe a bag of oats. Because of me, Eclipse, Huckleberry and pa almost got..."

"Almost got what?" Big Red asked.

"Nothing." Globe sighed. "The point is, none of that would've happened if I weren't such a fat yutz!"

"Ah, cheer up, kiddo." Big Red smiled. "T'ain't all bad."

"How so?" Globe groaned. "I'm practically a garbage disposal with legs!" He felt a bit of tears come to his eyes. "I feel like such a burden to everypony…"

"Hey, hey, now, no need fer waterworks." Big Red soothed him, putting a hoof on his shoulder. "Lemme show ya something." Big Red pulled a picture out of a drawer, and passed it to Globe. It was a picture of himself as a colt, when he was at his most pudgy.

"No offense, Big Red, but I don't see how showing me another fat colt is supposed to make me feel better." Globe pouted.

"That colt wuz me." Big Red chuckled.

"Whoa, really?" Globe did a double take. "But you're so buff!"

"Ah wasn't always." Big Red declared. "Ah wuz a real tubby little colt. Couldn't stop eatin' even if mah life depended on it. Ah felt the same way you did. Ah thought it was somethin' ta be ashamed of."

"So... what happened?" Globe asked.

"Ah got better." Big Red smiled. "A special friend of mine helped me realized Ah didn't haveta be ashamed of who Ah was, and that it wuz what Ah had on the inside that counted."

"I guess that sounds nice..." Globe mumbled. "But I'm not you, Big Red."

"Ya don't haveta be." Big Red chuckled. "Ya gotta be you. Ya gotta be comfortable in yer own skin. Ya gotta love yourself. If not, then who will?"

Globe didn't look convinced.

"Yer more than just a pudge, kiddo." Big Red patted him on the back. "Yer a polite, decent young colt, an' that's what counts."

"Really?" Globe asked.

"Really." Big Red smiled. "And don't ever think yer a burden upon anypony. The fact that yer brothers were willin' to risk gettin' caught so you wouldn't go hungry at night oughta count fer somethin', right?

"AI guess so." Globe muttered, before glancing at the picture again. "How did you lose all that weight anyhow?"

"Puberty and lots and lots of cherry-bucking." Big Red said nonchalantly.

"Lucky you." Globe sniffed. "But I doubt I'll be that fortunate."

"Oh no?" Big Red smiled. "All that cherry buckin' ya've been doin' these past few days has helped ya more than ya think." He tapped Globe's side. "Gettin' a little more solid there, ya see?"

"Really?" Globe smiled.

"Really." Big Red chuckled. "Bein' a workin' pony does wonders fer the ol' fizz-eek. Keep up the good work, and before long, ya won't even recognise yerself."

"No kiddin'..." Globe mused. "Maybe I should put in some overtime while I'm at it..."

"That's the spirit." Big Red ruffled his mane. "Now, you up fer a li'l dessert? Cherry's baked her famous cherry pie."

"Yeah, sure." Globe nodded. "Not eating really gives me an appetite."

"Now that sounds like the Globe Ah know." Big Red beamed, as they returned to the kitchen.

Not so many years ago...

Big Red was sitting in the living room, enjoying a lazy Saturday afternoon. Shine and Mist were out with friends, all the cherry had been bucked, leaving him to kick back and relax.

"Ahh, this is the life." He stretched on the couch.

Suddenly, the front door was flung open, and the seven-year-old Mist rushed into the house, crying loudly.

"Big Red!" She wept, rushing at him.

"What's the matter, young 'un?" Big Red took her in his forelegs.

"Nopony wants to play with me!" Mist screeched.

"Say what now?" Big Red frowned.

"Me and my friends were hanging out at Desert Flower's house, and we were all set to play some hoofball." Mist hiccoughed. "But then Tumbleweed said I couldn't play, because I keep getting sick."

"Aw, really?" Big Red frowned.

"Really?" Mist sniffed. "She said they shouldn't have to risk me collapsing during the game, or worse, getting somepony sick. And everypony agreed with her! Even Desert Flower said I should sit the game out!"

"That ain't right." Big Red frowned. "Ah oughta have a talk with those kids' mothers."

"Thanks, but it's not them that's the problem." Mist sighed. "It's me. I'm always getting sick. Why do I have to be so weak?"

"Now, Mist, ya shouldn't oughta be thinkin' that way." Big Red declared.

"But it's true." Mist sniffled. "To all of them, Ah just some poor little filly who gets sick all the time."

"Yer not just some poor filly, kiddo." Big Red hugged. "It ain't yer fault ya got a weak immune system. Yer mother had the same problem growing up. Unfortunately, there ain't nuthin' ya can do about it, either."

"Great pep-talk, Big Red." Mist pouted.

"The point Ah'm tryin' ta make is that ya can't let that bog ya down." Big Red told her. "If ya dwell on the bad stuff, ya ain't never gonna see the good stuff. An' there's a lotta good stuff about ya. Ya gotta learn ta take the rough with the smooth."

"Huh?" Mist frowned.

"Yer a great filly, Mist." Big Red smiled. "Yer smart, kind, an' carin'. Ya like ta have fun, and yer always polite and level-headed. Far as Ah can see, that's what folks oughta take away from meetin' ya, not that ya get sick more than most."

"You really think so?" Mist blushed.

"Ah know so." Big Red nodded. "If other ponies can't see past this one li'l problem, that's their loss. Anypony'd be lucky ta know ya."

"Thanks, Big Red." Mist hugged him.

"Anytime, kiddo." Big Red hugged her back. "Anytime."

Comments

[dracone]

fat right ot mah face

I think you meant "right to mah face" or "right ta mah face" Red has an accent similar to the Apples, at least that's what I've gotten out of reading all his speaking pieces.

[dracone]

The last part of the chapter was so much d'aww

[Mother3Forever]

God, I Love Globe. Reminds me of me....If I wasn't borderline emaciated.