• Published 16th Nov 2015
  • 1,821 Views, 85 Comments

Hindsight - Jack of a Few Trades



When Cheerilee catches wind of Big Mac and Marble Pie's fling over Hearth's Warming, she begins to question what her friendship with Big Mac really meant. Was there ever something more to their relationship?

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Chapter five: From Bitter to Sweet

“Class dismissed!” Cheerilee announced. The students needed no further signal, and they raced to leave in their usual fashion. Cheerilee watched them rush out the door, and she sighed. With the departure of the class, she was left with little to keep her busy for the rest of the evening, little to keep her from dwelling on the previous day.

Cheerilee stood up and grunted as she stretched her back out. Her eyes still felt heavy from all of the crying she had done the night before, and she sighed as she pulled her scarf down from the wall with what little enthusiasm she could muster. She threw her bags over her back and plodded towards the door, not caring enough to do her usual check back over the classroom to make sure things were in order.

She wasn’t looking forward to going home. That meant time to think, to feel bad, and the inevitable comfort food that came with it.

The weather team still hadn’t gotten rid of the clouds from the day before, and the thick blanket of overcast was keeping the sun from warming anything. It was a dreary, depressing day over Ponyville, and it almost made Cheerilee feel like the weather was mocking her.

She trudged down the slope that led back towards town, her head held low and her eyes downcast, as if the weight of the entire world was pressing down on her shoulders. Her hooves dragged with each step, lazily scuffing across the frozen dirt beneath her hooves.

As she made her way through town, she was beginning to draw some attention from other ponies. Roseluck passed by in the opposite direction, staring at the way Cheerilee was holding herself. Lyra and Bon Bon weren’t far behind her, and they began whispering to each other after she passed. Cheerilee normally would have been embarrassed by the sympathetic attention, but at the moment, she didn’t care.

She just needed some cake.

The bell over Sugarcube Corner’s front door jingled cheerily, quite unlike the pony of similar name walking through it. Mrs. Cake was standing at the counter this time instead of Pinkie Pie, just completing a transaction with another mare whom Cheerilee did not recognize.

“Thanks for stopping by, dear. Have a wonderful day,” she announced, sending the mare on her way with a doggie bag in her mouth. “Hello, Cheerilee. Gosh, you look like you’ve had it today.”

Cheerilee grimaced, and Mrs. Cake took notice and quickly moved the conversation along. “What can I get for you today?”

“Do you have any Chocolate Overload cakes in the back?” Cheerilee asked.

“The whole cakes?” Mrs. Cake asked.

Cheerilee nodded.

“I’m not sure, let me go check on that. Just a second.” With that, Mrs. Cake disappeared through the swinging kitchen doors. Cheerilee took the time that she was gone to fish her bit bag out and count out exact change. Mrs. Cake returned barely thirty seconds later with a cake box balanced on her back.

“We had two of those left. Will that be everything today?”

“Yes, that’s everything.” Cheerilee barely even made eye contact with the baker, and she placed her pre-counted money on the counter.

“Alright, twenty-three bits,” Mrs. Cake muttered to herself, sliding the cake across to Cheerilee and swiping the bits off the counter and into a waiting cash drawer on the other side. Cheerilee picked the cake up by the ribbon on the box and placed it on the small of her back.

“Cheerilee,” Mrs. Cake said, making eye contact for the first time. “From one mare to another, I get what you’re going through. I’ve been there plenty of times myself.”

“Thanks,” muttered Cheerilee, turning to leave.

“Let me finish, dear.” Mrs. Cake leaned across the counter, close enough to whisper in Cheerilee’s ear. “Before you go, I have one piece of advice that I know works for whatever it is that’s bothering you.” She kept her voice hushed, despite the fact that there weren’t any other ponies in the store. Cheerilee perked up a bit with interest.

Mrs. Cake smiled, “Don’t eat too much of that cake at once. You’ll wind up regretting one more thing than you already do.”

For the first time that day, Cheerilee smiled.

“Thank you, Mrs. Cake,” Cheerilee said, walking out of the bakery with perhaps just a tad more pep in her step.

The clouds were still blocking the sun’s exact position, but the entire scene seemed a little darker as Cheerilee stepped back out into the street. Dusk wasn’t too far off, and she would be spending the rest of the evening curled up on the couch with cake and a book of whatever kind her fancy decided on when she came to it. A particularly sharp gust of chilly wind cut around the corner of the building, and Cheerilee nuzzled into her scarf, immediately starting down the short walk towards home.


The lamp over the far end of the sofa was the only light on in the house. Cheerilee sat under the warm glow, curled up in her blanket and reading away on a particularly cheesy romance novel called A Whisper in the Wind. The classic, completely unrealistic male love interest had just been introduced, and Cheerilee found herself a bit surprised that the author had waited at least three chapters to bring him in.

Maybe this one won’t be quite as goofy as I expected, she thought, turning the page. Her hopes were immediately dashed when the next paragraph was entirely devoted to listing off all of the incredible physical attributes of the stallion in question. It’s like the author has no idea what she’s doing.

A knock at the door pulled Cheerilee’s attention away from skimming past the wall of pointless description in the novel, and with some difficulty, she kicked the blanket off of herself and climbed to her hooves. Without her book to occupy her mind, the cake sitting in the fridge was starting to sound like it was ready to be eaten.

It’s probably Nook. Maybe she can sit down and have a piece of cake with me. Cheerilee ran a hoof through her mane to at least help make it more presentable and she gripped the door handle. She braced herself for the imminent hug coming when Nook would burst through the door, and she pulled the door open to greet…

Big Macintosh.

On reflex, she immediately slammed the door closed again before he could even speak, and her heart immediately began racing a mile a minute. What was he doing here? Was he coming to apologize? Why did he have to come back just when she was well on her way to feeling better?

Why am I letting him think that I’m angry with him? With a deep breath, Cheerilee steeled her nerves and pulled the door open just enough to speak through the opening.

“Yes, Big Mac?” she asked, doing her best to retain a calm tone.

“I...uh,” Mac stammered, scratching at the back of his head. “I figured on having something to say when you opened the door, but all’s coming to mind is that it’s cold out here. Can I please come in?”

“Sure,” Cheerilee said, opening the door wider so he could enter. As he walked in, she flipped on the entry lights so the house wouldn’t be so dark.

“Thank you.” Big Mac stamped his hooves on the mat, knocking the snow from them. Cheerilee closed the door behind him, the cold getting to her just long enough to get her to shiver.

“The weather team sure has outdone themselves this winter,” Cheerilee offered in an attempt to start a conversation of some kind.

Any other kind than what I think you’re here for.

“Applejack said that Rainbow Dash is gonna start warming things back up tomorrow. I hope so, ‘cause I hate the cold.”

“I feel the same way. Can I get you something to drink?” asked Cheerilee.

“Do you have anything hot?”

“I can brew us some coffee if you’d like.” Cheerilee started making her way to the kitchen, and she noticed that Mac was following her a bit closely.

“That’d be just fine, thank you.” Big Macintosh went over and took a seat at the breakfast table, his large frame not fitting very well in the more mare-sized chair. Cheerilee turned the stove on under the already-prepared kettle.

Here it comes. Any second now, thought Cheerilee. She glanced over at Big Mac, whose gaze was on the window, watching as the view outside slowly darkened. She felt a pang of sadness in her stomach that nearly demanded she get out the still-untouched Chocolate Overload cake in the refrigerator.

“You know, I’ve always sorta wanted to live in the middle of town for a while,” said Big Mac.

“Oh? Why do you say that?” asked Cheerilee. It wasn’t quite the way she’d expected him to start the conversation.

“I’ve always liked watching ponies,” said Big Mac, looking out the window. “I’ve always liked going to work the market so I can just sit there and see other ponies go by. I always wonder where they’re going, what their day’s been like…”

“Sometimes I like to do that with Nook, but she usually tries to judge other ponies by their appearance, and then it doesn’t last too long after that.”

Big Mac didn’t reply other than laying his ears back. Silence tried to take hold again, and Cheerilee could almost feel what was going to pull them out of the lull.

“Cheerilee, I wanted to talk to you about yesterday.” Big Mac didn’t look at her, instead keeping his gaze on what was outside of the window.

“Big Mac, I thought you made it clear about how you want to be with Marble Pie.” Cheerilee watched him grimace, and she felt another pang deep inside her chest.

“You left before I got to speak my mind,” said Big Mac. Cheerilee crossed the room and took a seat at the chair across from his.

“You made it pretty clear to me, Mac.” Cheerilee reached over and brushed her hoof against his own, causing him to jump a bit, but it worked in getting him to glance at her. “It’s okay, really! I understand how you feel, and I’m fine with it. You don’t have to—”

“You’re doing it again,” he said, pulling his hoof back. “Cheerilee, please, just let me talk.”

“Okay,” Cheerilee said quietly, sitting back in her chair.

“I guess I’d best explain the situation with Marble Pie a little better.” Big Mac shifted in his chair, which squeaked under the strain of his large frame shifting. “Marble was just a little crush. We got to liking each other a little while I was there, but we just live so far away. It can’t work over that distance with a mare who can barely talk for herself without Pinkie doing it for her.”

Cheerilee stared on in disbelief. Was this going where she thought it was going?

“Heck, she’d probably not even write me back if I sent her a letter,” added Big Mac. “I appreciate that you were keen on letting her take priority, but there just wasn’t nothing much there in the first place.”

“Oh,” Cheerilee said quietly. She looked down at the table, avoiding eye contact at Big Mac. She blushed a bit as she reflected on her overreaction from the day before. The room went silent for a few moments, neither pony sure what to do next.

“So,” Big Mac began, starting the conversation forward once more. “I did a lot of thinking about what you said yesterday.”

Wait… is he?

“I always wanted to forget about Hearts and Hooves Day, but after yesterday, I started thinking real hard on it. I didn’t get much sleep last night.” BIg Mac stopped, flattening his ears and biting his lip as he blushed ever so slightly. “Drat, how do I say this?”

Cheerilee looked up at him, her eyes brightening faintly. Is he really going to do it?

“I was thinking about how much Apple Bloom always talks about how great you are in class. It seems like she’s always got a story about something she’s learning, or what you did to make her smile, and whatnot. And then I remembered how much I liked spending time with you. Remember when I came over and helped you fix the bathroom door?” Cheerilee nodded.

“I guess I just chalked it up to us being friends back then, but I really liked helping you out that day. Maybe I just didn’t realize how much I enjoyed being there because how scared I was of that danged potion.”

“Big Mac—”

“Cheerilee, I decided that I shouldn’t let that potion keep messing with my life, and if you’d be willing to have me, I’d like to give... ‘us’ a shot.”

“Uh,” Cheerilee gasped, unsure of if she’d heard him right. “What?”

Big Mac sighed. “Cheerilee, I’d like to go out on a date with you.”

Cheerilee’s eyes widened as a deep blush colored her cheeks. She sat there in silence for several seconds, mouth agape. Finally, after her brain spun itself around a few times, she managed to squeeze out one cohesive thought.

Say yes.

Without thinking to do it first, Cheerilee jumped up from her seat and ran around to the other side of the table, locking Big Mac in a hug from behind.

He chuckled, “I take that as a ‘yes’?”

“Yes, Big Mac. I would love to,” Cheerilee whispered in his ear. She rested her head on his shoulder, a deep warmth in her chest replacing the pangs of sadness that had been there just moments ago. Three days before, she hadn’t even had an inkling of an idea about what would happen. If I hadn’t made that bet with the students, I might not even be here right now.

The kettle on the stove began to whistle as the water boiled, and Cheerilee reluctantly released Big Mac from the hug. “So Mac, do you have anything in mind for a date?” Cheerilee asked, unable to suppress a giggle. After all, she was talking about going out with perhaps the nicest stallion she’d ever met.

“Well, how about something simple? Does dinner sound good?”

Cheerilee smiled as she turned the stove off. “Yes, Big Mac, that sounds lovely.”

“How about Friday at six?” he asked.

“That works well for me,” said Cheerilee.

“I figure I should probably take that coffee to go. It’s getting late.”

“It’s awfully cold, Mac.” Cheerilee’s voice took on an almost playful tone. “Maybe you should stay a while and see if it gets any warmer. Have you had dinner yet?”

“I ate before I came over. Why?” asked Big Mac. He wasn’t quite picking up on what she was going for.

“I’ve got a really good cake that we could try together. Ever had Chocolate Overload cake from Sugarcube Corner?” Cheerilee poured the water into the Prench press.

“I can’t say that I have,” said Big Mac.

“Well stick around for a little while. I’m sure you’ll love it,” said Cheerilee.

As she pressed the plunger to make the coffee, the window suddenly lit up with orange light. Big Mac gasped in awe, and Cheerilee scampered over to the window to look out and see what was happening.

On the edge of the horizon, the clouds had parted just enough for the last of the day’s rays of sunshine to break through and bathe the underside of the cloud layer with light, causing the entire sky to come to life with brilliant shades of scarlet, orange, and yellow. It was one of the better sunsets she’d seen in years, and she turned to the stallion sitting in the chair next to her. The stallion that she had a date with on Friday.

Tomorrow was going to be a beautiful day.

Author's Note:

This story marks a number of milestones for me.

With the posting of this final chapter, I have now published over 100,000 words to Fimfiction.

This was my first ever attempt at writing romance.

And finally, this is the longest story I have ever brought to completion.

It's been quite a journey, and one not without its bumps in the road and rough spots. It has been a learning experience to write this, and I hope that you all enjoyed the ride as much as I did. Thank you for reading, thanks to Lord-Commander, Kestrel, and FamousLastWords for their support with getting this story polished and ready for you all, and I hope to see all of you next time!

Revised 12/12/15

Comments ( 14 )

A wonderful conclusion to a very good story. Glad to see everything worked out for them. :rainbowkiss:

Time to call the parents. Best get it out of the way now Cheerilee.

Maybe you should stay a while and see if it gets any warmer.

If you know what I mean.

Awww....such a sweet chapter and ending! GO CHEERIMAC! Forget that MarbleMac garbage! GO CHEERIMAC! GO CHEERIMAC!

Love this story!

Nice last chapter! This was so warming to see finish, and I think a lot of that is the detail you put into Cheerilee's mental journey.

Looks like Apple Bloom will get that sister after all.

The story was....well in whole the story was really compelling. Cheerilee has always been one of my favorite characters and so few portray her well. This was actually quite well done so you have my hooves up for this. The writing was a bit simplistic, average at best but that's what I think makes the plot shine, there's not a whole lot to clutter the story and dialog. Normally I'd demerit a story for that but I think I'll still give it a passing grade. Still, great job. I hope to see more awesome stuff like this.:twilightsheepish:

Oh I like this story. I always figured Big Mac and Cheerilee were meant for each other.

This story left me with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. I really enjoyed it. I'm adding this to my favorites.

This was my first ever attempt at writing romance.

And it was very good. I really liked how Cheerilee criticized poor romance writing in this chapter too.:twilightsmile: Good to see you know what to avoid when writing a romance.

Man, now I'm feeling good. Cheerilee is happy, so I am happy. I'm assuming that means I connected strongly with her in this story. So that's some fantastic writing there.

I've got to go use this positive energy somehow before I have to go to work tomorrow.

Stay awesome, Jack.

Hey! That was nice story, I prefer MarbleMac, but this warmed my heart. Thanks for making such an amazing story!! :twilightsmile:

Good work and thumbs up. Your story has been reviewed by PCaRG. Link >>>>>> here <<<<<< for the review.

Wonderful story.
I really enjoyed it and would have really liked to see what the date is like :pinkiehappy:

Jack, the fact that there isn't a chapter after this where the horses kiss makes me want to steal your hip bone.

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