Pinkie The Match-Maker

by Ficta_Scriptor

Chapter 9 - Whatever It Takes

Chapter 9 – Whatever It Takes

One day later

Applejack planted a bowl of hot soup onto the table in front of Fluttershy. The poor pegasus looked practically famished, but a portion of Granny’s famous apple, pecan and spring vegetable soup was just a hair short of an elixir in those circumstances. Fluttershy thanked her for the meal and slurped it down, but not without peering outside at the first sign of noise. Without a doubt, she was desperate to speak to Mac.

“You feelin’ better now, sugarcube?”

Fluttershy nodded, giving a small smile. “Yes. Thank you, Applejack.”

The farm pony sat herself next to her and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “You want to tell me what’s goin’ on? Ah gotta be honest, you’ve got me mighty worried.”

“Big Mac hasn’t told you?”

Applejack shook her head. “Not a word. But Ah know it must be somethin’ big to get old iron chest to go mopin’ around the place.”

Fluttershy sighed. “I guess you deserve to know. It all started when…”

---

Three days earlier

“It was you,” Big Mac croaked, drawing in shallow breaths. “It was always you.”

Pinkie stayed glued to the ground as Big Mac left, trotting sadly through the mud. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t speak. She could only watch silently as the gentle stallion slinked his way over the hill and out of sight, leaving her in the company of nothing else but the pouring rain.

This wasn’t meant to happen. This wasn’t meant…

Pinkie started to cry. Everything she’d worked for, everything she’d done to try and make her friend happy had gone so terribly wrong. I should have realised it sooner, I should have… But did everything rest on what she should have done? Was everything lost? Pinkie pulled herself up from the mud and broke into another gallop. No. I can still… I can still try… I need to know for certain if…

“Mac!” she hollered into the night, spotting his silhouette in the distance, his form obscured by the thick, wintry fog. She paced ahead, tears still streaming from her eyes. “Wait!”

Big Mac stopped and turned towards her voice. If there was any chance, any chance at all… He had to stay. He couldn’t leave things the way they were. “Pinkie…?”

Pinkie soon appeared a few steps in front of him, her mane dripping wet from the rain. She caught her breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Why, Mac? Why couldn’t you have just…? If only you knew how much Fluttershy thought of you.”

“That’s why Ah couldn’t,” he said glumly, sighing deeply. “Seein’ her just now in the pretty red dress, holdin’ onto me… Ah thought for a moment — just a moment — that Ah could just dance with her and be done with it, chalk it up to the alcohol. Ah didn’t mean—”

“But didn’t you think she was beautiful? Don’t you think she’s amazing? C-couldn’t you have made it work?” Pinkie pleaded. “Y-you don’t know how hard she’s been trying.”

“Of course she’s beautiful. But if she likes me so much, Ah just can’t go any further.” Big Mac hung his head in shame, unable to fight his own tears anymore. “If Ah did, Ah’d only be doin’ it to make you jealous. Ain’t nothin’ noble about that.”

“Why… Why couldn’t you just…” Pinkie fell to the ground and began beating her hooves into the dirt, expelling her anger and sadness. “Why!? Why!? Why!? It’s not fair! It’s just not—”

Big Mac brought his hooves around her upper body and cradled her. Pinkie submitted, resting her forehead into his chest and bawling. He ran a hoof through her mane — something he had dreamed of doing for so long — and wrapped his forelegs around her.

“Do you remember that day?” he whispered, feeling her tears accompany the raindrops as they trickled over his fur. “When you started singing a song that got everypony smiling?”

“Smile… smile… smile…” Pinkie muttered under her breath, letting her body fall limply against him in exhaustion.

“You found those two little fillies who were down in the dumps, and you made them smile, just like that. And then you hopped into mah cart, and somethin’ took over. You managed to make us happy so easily, so quickly.”

“I… I remember…”

Big Mac brought her head up gently. “Ah don’t think you realise how happy you made me that day. How happy you still make me.”

“But… I just—”

Big Mac pressed his lips to hers, running a hoof across her shoulder. He wanted this moment to last forever. After all the pain he’d felt, after all the pain he’d caused… Something had to give. Something good had to come of all this. As bad as he felt for Fluttershy, he had to fight for what he wanted. He had to—

After no more than two seconds, Mac felt something strike him across the face. He barely recoiled, but brought a hoof to his cheek in shock, feeling the pain ripple across his skin. Pinkie stood before him, looking at her hoof with a terrified expression.

“Pinkie, Ah—”

“No!” she bellowed, stomping her hoof down. “Don’t say another word! Just stay away from me! I… I don’t love you and I never will! You hear me!? Stay away!”

“Pinkie, don’t go…”

But it was too late. Pinkie had already sped off into the distance. As she neared Sugarcube Corner, she paused. Trembling at the knees and feeling the need to physically vomit, she crawled out of the rain and collapsed underneath a large oak tree. She brought her right hoof to her face again, still feeling the impact of battering Big Mac. Here she was, The Element of Laughter, reduced to violence that wasn’t even deserved. She thought of Fluttershy, crying in the middle of the dance-floor. How could she go back to her now, after what she’d done? Fluttershy was the sweetest, most innocent creature in all of Ponyville. She’ll never forgive me. She’ll hate me.

With her will spent, she curled up against the trunk, shivering in the cold. It would be another three hours before she was awoken by a horrible nightmare and sent crawling back home, Big Mac’s cries echoing in her mind.

---

Two days later

“So that’s what happened,” Pinkie said sadly, her mouth and throat getting inexplicably drier. She hung her head down, not wanting to look at Fluttershy. Or at least, she didn’t want to see Fluttershy looking at her.

“I see,” the trembling pegasus whispered, relaying Pinkie’s tale over and over in her mind.

“You must hate me,” Pinkie muttered, a fresh batch of tears appearing. “If you want me to go, just say the word. I’ll… I’ll understand.”

“Pinkie, I don’t hate you,” Fluttershy sighed, scooting across to the other side of the sofa and resting her head on the quivering mare’s back. “I’m just… It’s a lot to take in. A lot to think about.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry about everything.” Pinkie finally turned back to her friend and the pair locked themselves into a tight cuddle, desperate to find some comfort at a time like this. “You mean so much to me, Fluttershy. I wanted to repay you for how happy you make me, how much of a good friend you are.”

“I know.”

“And when I saw you with Big Mac on that night, I saw this look on your face, and I just thought—”

“Pinkie, can we not talk about that for just a minute?”

Pinkie was startled by her friend’s harsh tone. Coming to the conclusion that she’d hurt Fluttershy more than she could have ever expected, she wrapped her forelegs around her even tighter and ran a hoof across her back, something to show — without any more hurtful words — just how sorry she was. But the yellow pegasus stayed silent.

Finally, after about ten minutes without a word being said between them, Fluttershy spoke up. “Thank you.”

“F-for what?” Pinkie stammered.

“For thinking of me.” Fluttershy pulled herself away from Pinkie’s embrace to reveal a smile. “You saw a chance for me to be happy and you did whatever you could to make it come true. You’re more than just a funny, friendly mare who throws parties. You’re a truly… A truly amazing pony.” She paused, her gaze shifting awkwardly to the floor. “It’s no wonder Big Mac has feelings for you. You bring more happiness to this world than anyone I know.”

“Don’t say that!” Pinkie exclaimed, grabbing hold of her friend once again. “Don’t put yourself down below me, of all ponies. Not after what I’ve done… Not just to you, but to Mac as well.”

Fluttershy was about to dismiss Pinkie’s statement without a second thought, when something stopped her. She thought back on what Pinkie had told her — the events that transpired while she was drowning in tears in the middle of Sugarcube Corner, clinging onto Vinyl Scratch as her world fell apart and her heart split in two.

I’m jealous, she said inwardly, feeling her heart stretch and strain at this new revelation. She felt awful for even thinking it, but the mental image of Pinkie and Mac sharing a kiss under the stars made her stomach lurch. It seemed so unfair. She was the one who’d tried her best to impress Big Mac; she was the one who’d spent hours on end plagued by bitter anxiety. And she was the one who’d spent her time at night — huddled up with her duvet covers in bed — wishing for that magical moment when she could hold Mac close. The kiss they’d shared on the dance-floor meant nothing to him. And yet, the kiss he’d shared with Pinkie…

“Fluttershy, what’s wrong?” Pinkie asked, looking into her eyes with confused worry. “You’re… You’re mad at me, aren’t you?” The pink earth pony shuffled herself away slightly, appearing strangely content. A weak smile came across her face. “It’s okay. I… I don’t blame you. I deserve it.”

“No, Pinkie. You don’t deserve it,” Fluttershy said firmly. “And that’s the problem.”

“I don’t understand. What do you mean?”

Just imagine it, a voice at the back of Fluttershy’s mind teased. Big Mac pushing Pinkie Pie up against a tree and running his hooves all over her body, his tongue weaving its way across her neck. Then as she kisses his cheek he begs for more, wanting her more than anything in the world. Not even so much as a distant thought about pathetic little Fluttershy…

“I’m jealous of you,” she croaked. “But… I know I shouldn’t be. Pinkie, you did nothing wrong. And yet, I’m still jealous of you.” She sniffed, wiping away at her eyes. “I’m supposed to be the Element of Kindness, and look at me!”

“And I’m supposed to be the Element of Laughter,” Pinkie muttered sadly. “But I can’t even cheer up one of my bestest friends when she needs me the most. All I’ve done since I got here is make things worse. Maybe… Maybe I should go.”

“No! Don’t go! Please!” Fluttershy jumped forward and grabbed Pinkie by the hoof. “I shouldn’t have even said anything. You… You shouldn’t feel guilty at all about—” She kissed him, didn’t she? She didn’t have to let that happen. What was her excuse? Fluttershy shook her head briefly in an attempt to cast away her damning thoughts. “Just don’t leave, okay? I… I don’t want to be alone.”

Pinkie smiled, gently running a hoof across Fluttershy’s shoulder. “It’s alright, Fluttershy. I don’t want to be alone either.”

Feeling the onset of hunger, Fluttershy agreed to fetch them both some tea and scones. Rather than wolf the food down as per usual, Pinkie stayed much more reserved, nibbling at her meal and politely sipping from her mug. She wished she could crack a joke and get raise her friend’s spirits again, but she just couldn’t. Her mere company would have to be enough as she complimented her friend’s herbal tea and engaged in meagre small talk about the animals scurrying around the house. Fluttershy was at least beyond the realms of sulking in silence, but that wasn’t enough. And yet for all her experience cheering ponies up as the Element of Laughter, nothing sprang to mind. All she could think about was how much pain Fluttershy had been put through, and how much she was responsible for it.

Fluttershy slowly chomped through her scone, offering a piece to Angel, who had snuggled up to her with a deflated expression. Her mind was abuzz as she relived everything that had happened over the last few weeks. But most of all, she thought about Pinkie and Mac together in the rain, the stallion exposing his true feelings for her. She didn’t think her friend was lying. Pinkie had literally struggled to get the information out, her words chained down by guilt and regret. Pinkie could quite easily have made something up so that she wasn’t in any way incriminated, but she chose not to lie. At least, that’s what Fluttershy told herself to believe. Still, there was something Pinkie had said that brought other things to mind, things that she’d never even considered before now…

She’s jealous of me, Pinkie thought to herself. Of course she is! Another voice at the back of her mind rasped. And she’s so angry at you, too! You’ve messed everything up for everyone, all because you were stupid, all because you stopped putting other ponies first. Pinkie lowered her head for a moment, recollecting herself. She knew that she had to make this all better somehow. Fluttershy’s happiness was her top priority.

But then there was also the case of Big Mac. For all intents and purposes, she’d broken his heart with utmost brutality. She didn’t let him down gently like she should have. How must he feel right now? She would have to say sorry to him, but then what would Fluttershy think if she was to speak to him again? Would she suspect that something was going on between them? After all, the moment she lashed out at him and swore that she could never love him, he wasn’t the one she was trying to convince.

After finishing their meal, Fluttershy began tending to more of her animals, placing out plastic bowls filled with treats around the cottage. Pinkie offered to help, and did so with the utmost care. It was surprisingly therapeutic for the pair of them, and many of the animals warmed up to Pinkie in an instant, which helped cheer her up.

Maybe we can just forget about it, Pinkie said inwardly. Maybe we can just take a deep breath, never talk about it ever again and let life carry on. It was a pleasant thought, and it didn’t seem to have a downside. Except, perhaps, for her friendship with Big Mac and possibly Applejack. But if everyone could just play along and pretend everything was fine, maybe it could work. Pinkie’s spirits had begun to creep higher and higher when Fluttershy broke the silence between them.

“Pinkie, I’ve been thinking,” she sighed, taking a seat. “And I want to make sure of something.”

Pinkie nodded. She had a feeling that Fluttershy might have issues with her story, or might not even believe her, but that was fine. So long as she could put her adorable friend’s mind at rest then everything would be just peachy. She hadn’t lied to her, so there was nothing to worry about.

“It’s about some of the things you’ve said. And… I need you to be honest with me.”

“It’s okay, Fluttershy. Ask away.”

“Right.” Fluttershy pursed her lips, appearing increasingly anxious. “Do you remember when you first planned all this? You know, when you took me up to Sweet Apple Acres, and then later you took me to Rarity’s for that dress?”

Pinkie looked back confusedly. Why is she asking me about that? “Um… I sure do,” she replied.

“I never really thought about it before, but…” Fluttershy steeled herself, taking a deep breath. “The way you spoke about Mac — I’d never heard you speak about anypony that way before.”

Pinkie felt a lump form in her throat. “I… I’m not sure what you mean.”

“You called him Ponyville’s sexiest bachelor,” Fluttershy said, stone-faced. “Even when you first took me to him, you said something like—”

“He’s pretty hot, right?” Pinkie quoted nervously, her cheeks growing red. “I… I was just… I don’t know why I said that, I mean, I was just trying to… Um…”

“Is that really all?” Fluttershy asked, staring deep into Pinkie’s eyes. “You just said those things because you were trying to make me feel better about liking him?”

Pinkie opened her mouth to speak, but quickly hung her head dejectedly. “What does it matter? This isn’t about how I feel about him, this is about you. I’m here to help you.”

Fluttershy slinked her way over to Pinkie and grasped her in gentle hug. “So it is true. Pinkie, if you really felt that way, why did you do everything to help me be with him? Why didn’t you—”

“Because who would’ve expected him to like me!?” Pinkie exclaimed. “Be serious, Fluttershy. Who could’ve possibly predicted the quiet farm colt would’ve wanted somepony like me? I’m loud, I’m obnoxious, I’m annoying…” She wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy’s neck and pressed her chin into her shoulder. “I never thought in a million years that he’d feel this way. It doesn’t matter, anyway.”

“What doesn’t matter? Pinkie, if ‘d known you had feelings for him, things could’ve been different.”

“Like what?” Pinkie sniffed. “Like some sort of challenge where we both try to win him over? I wouldn’t even want to imagine something like that.”

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Fluttershy whispered. “But Pinkie, why do all this for me? To not go after him is one thing but, why help me?”

Pinkie took a deep breath in an effort to steady her nerves. “Because when I saw you through the window, I could tell right away that you liked him. And then it clicked. Fluttershy and Big Mac — the perfect couple. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it sooner. And so I thought that if I got you two together, I could forget all about him. I… I thought I could move on.”

Pinkie felt exhausted, but somehow relieved. Her secret crush had been exposed, and it felt both right and wrong in equal measure. But one thing was for sure. She couldn’t let this affect her friendship with Fluttershy. If anything, for them to both sit in the realms of failure would be better. At least then she could be there for her. She’d accepted having no chance with Big Mac, and no matter how he felt, it would have to make no difference. Fluttershy was what she’d fought for all this time, and that wasn’t about to change.

Fluttershy held onto her friend as tightly as she could, not even stopping to wipe away at her own tears. She could hardly believe it. All of her crying and moping around, her refusal to look at things in a positive light… I really am pathetic, she cursed inwardly. And yet Pinkie had been willing to forego her own feelings just to help her. If she’d noticed Pinkie taking a shine to Big Mac she’d have hid herself away, secretly hoping that her friend would fail. So what does that make me? It sure doesn’t sound like something the Element of Kindness would do… No. I have to make it up to her. No matter how much it hurts and how much I cry, I’m not about to forsake my friend for my own selfish needs!

“Pinkie, I want you to know something,” Fluttershy began, loosening the hug just a little. “If you and Mac have a chance together, you can’t let—”

“No! No!” Pinkie cried, shaking her head wildly. “I’d never do it, not in a million, bazillion years! I couldn’t dream of doing that!”

“But I can’t stop you,” Fluttershy continued. “You wouldn’t be doing anything wrong.”

“Yes I would!” Pinkie exclaimed, throwing her hooves up in the air. “I’d be making you sad, and on purpose! And I’d have to stop seeing you or things would get awkward! No. No! I’m not going to let that happen!”

“But I’d be okay!” Fluttershy argued. “I’d get over it!”

“That’s not good enough!” Pinkie shrieked. She paused for a moment, bringing her erratic breathing back into control and calming herself down. Beginning again, she spoke quietly and steadily. “You know what means more to me than anything else in the world? Seeing my friends smile. You know what I hate more than anything else in the world? Seeing my friends not smile. And even if I didn’t have to see you not smiling, I’d still hate that a lot. So please, Fluttershy. Can’t we just forget about all this and pretend like it never happened? Please.”

Fluttershy was shocked. She knew that Pinkie might have been opposed to the idea, but her reaction was far more defensive than she’d expected. She could understand where Pinkie was coming from, but… If they pretended like it never happened; if things really did go back to the way things were, would it be any better? She was still lonely little Fluttershy, wishing for a life that seemed impossible. Still so alone…

“Okay, Pinkie,” Fluttershy said hesitantly. “We’ll stop talking about it.”

“Stop talking about what?” Pinkie chirped, a cheeky smile creeping onto her face.

Fluttershy smiled back, the oppressive atmosphere lifting. “I have no idea,” she said with a smirk, eliciting a small giggle from Pinkie.

The pink earth pony took a brief look outside. “It’s getting pretty late,” she remarked, gazing at the maroon-coloured evening sky. Time had passed a lot quicker than she’d anticipated. “I guess I’d better get going. It’d be rude of me to outstay my welcome, even though I have made a habit out of it in the past.”

“Or… you could stay,” Fluttershy suggested, blushing a little. “I’ve heard about these ‘slumber parties’ before, but I’ve never had one myself.”

“Slumber party!?” Pinkie cried out, leaping into the air and hovering momentarily. “I love slumber parties! At least, I must love slumber parties. I love all kinds of parties!”

“Then it’s settled,” Fluttershy chuckled, watching as Pinkie bounded about the room, her demeanour returning to its original, kooky splendour. It was difficult not to crack a smile when Pinkie got like this. In fact, it was exactly what she needed — a reason to smile. If she was being honest, the idea for having a slumber party just came out, but it seemed appropriate, not to mention a lot less needy-sounding than the truth. She didn’t want to be alone tonight. If anything, she would feel abandoned again. Not only that, but there was something else. While Pinkie didn’t want Big Mac brought up again, something still didn’t add up. She wasn’t sure, but she had a niggling feeling that Pinkie needed support more than she was letting on. As for why that might be… It pained her to think about it. “So what should we do first?”

Soon enough, the two friends began getting everything ready. While they didn’t have marshmallows to toast over the fire (and the fact that it was too late for anywhere that would sell them to be open) they soon found that cherries made an adequate substitute. Even Angel got in on the action, but was soon disallowed after accidentally setting fire to his stick and dropping it on the rug. There was no damage — and the two ponies got a laugh out of it after their frantic scramble to put the fire out — so at least that didn’t end in more misery.

As for telling ghost stories, despite Fluttershy’s sweetly voiced delivery and barely frightening tale of a gingerbread man coming to life and destroying sweet shops, Pinkie hung on her every word, eventually gripping Angel like a stuffed teddy and letting out a terrified shriek upon Fluttershy’s finishing line, “And the candy canes were never seen again!” Suffice to say, Angel soon tired of this treatment and bounded off in a huff. As soon as he’d left the room Pinkie pulled the grumpiest face she could manage and hopped around on her hind legs, causing Fluttershy to fall about in a fit of giggles at such a perfect impersonation of her beloved pet.

Eventually, night fell, and the two friends snuggled up beside one another in Fluttershy’s bed. On any other occasion this might have been somewhat awkward, but for some reason it all felt natural, as if their previous ordeal had suddenly broken down a barrier that prevented them from showing their care and affection for one another. And given their fragile emotional states, this kind of comfort meant a lot.

“Nighty night!” Pinkie said excitedly before wrapping her hooves around Fluttershy and pulling her close. Though initially taken off guard, Fluttershy found herself growing warmer and more comfortable by the second, a nice alternative on these cold winter nights.

“Good night, Pinkie,” she whispered back, blowing out the oil lamp and flopping her head onto the pillow. Her feelings of jealousy and contempt were subsiding, if only gradually. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for all of this. As right as it felt to be there in that moment, something was missing. In fact, something felt wholly wrong. But as two days of exhaustion caught up with her, she soon succumbed to a deep sleep.

Pinkie was awake for a while longer. Being as excitable as she was, she always found it difficult to drift off, though Fluttershy’s hypnotic breathing alleviated that somewhat. Sensing that the pegasus had fallen asleep, she smiled to herself. All that time spent crying into her pillow — afraid that Fluttershy might hate her — and she’d finally managed to make the young mare smile again. She wasn’t going to win any happiness awards, but it still meant everything to her. And yet as she let her body go limp and allowed the land of nod to finally take over, for a moment — just a moment — she wished that it wasn’t Fluttershy who lay beside her. Still smiling, a tear escaped and dripped down her cheek as she finally fell into a world of dreams.

---

“How could Ah be so stupid?” Big Mac muttered, wiping away his newly formed tears.

Cheerilee patted his neck caringly, silently cursing Pinkie Pie for doing what she’d done to him. I guess she finally showed her true colours. All that crap about making ponies smile and she does this? What a heartless bitch…

“Don’t go blaming yourself,” she cooed, still shocked by the sight of such a hulking stallion reduced to tears. She’d tended to young foals who’d been bullied or those who’d lost something of value, but this was different. “If that’s the way she treats you then you don’t need her,” Cheerilee said affirmatively. “You deserve somepony better.”

“But what if Ah don’t want somepony else?” Big Mac asked, shaking his head solemnly.

“After the way she treated you? Kicking you in the face is the last straw, Mac. There’s no way in Equestria you should stand for that. In a way, you’re lucky you found this out sooner. Could you imagine dating her and then finding out she was like this?” As much as Cheerilee wanted to break into a full-blown rant, she knew that she needed to stay calm for Mac’s sake. He was the one who was hurting the most, and he was the one who needed all the support he could get.

“Ah guess Ah forgive her for that,” Mac said sadly. “Ah mean, Ah did kind of up ‘n’ kiss her out of the blue. “

“That doesn’t make what she did any better. Mac, I know it hurts to hear this but you need to let her go. There’s plenty of other mares out there who’d jump at the chance to be with you.”

“Ah know what you’re sayin’. And Ah know how Ah’ve been wastin’ mah time chasin’ after her. Well, not so much chasin’ as just wishin’.” Big Mac rested his head against the sofa and looked up to the ceiling, his mind wandering. “Ah had these crazy ideas about us getting’ married an’ goin’ on all sorts of trips around Equestria. With her around, nothin’ would be boring. It’d be excitin’.” He lowered his head back down. “Ah ain’t had much o’ that since mah folks passed. An’ she’s just so… Ah ain’t even got the words for it.”

Cheerilee rested her head on his shoulder, feeling every ounce of regret and loneliness drip from his words. She’d felt this way many years ago. Back when a pony called Tour-De Force swept her off her hooves, only for her to find out that the supposed saint already had a filly-friend. She had moved on from him, just as Mac would move on from Pinkie. But it was never an easy thing to do. Sometimes, ponies just needed a helping hoof.

“Thanks for listenin’ to me,” Big Mac sighed, his eyes closed as he tried relaxing his mind. “Ah don’t mean to burden you with all mah prob—”

Cheerilee pressed her lips to Mac’s mouth and held there for just a moment, her left hoof running through his mane. Slowly, she brought her head back and stared deeply into his eyes.

“W-hat are ya doing?” Big Mac asked in shock, his heart pounding at the inside of his chest.

“I’m trying to help you,” Cheerilee whispered back, craning her hind leg over Mac’s torso and pulling herself onto him. “Don’t pretend you’ve never thought about it.”

“But—”

“Don’t you go worrying,” Cheerilee said softly, a smile coming to her face. “It can mean as much or as little to you as you want. You don’t need to commit to anything, Mac. I’m doing this for you.”

Big Mac stared at his friend in awe, not even sure what to make of anything. “You really mean it, don’t you?”

“Of course I do,” she replied, running a hoof slowly down his chest and feeling it contract against her touch. “I want to make you feel better, feel loved.” She pulled her hips towards him, her body quivering with anticipation. “Whatever it takes.”

Comments

[RadBunny]

Oh Dear.
Don't let happen what I think is going to happen.....

[OmniFox]

Oh damn!

[BobtheLurker]

I see you're taking the long way to a resolution.

You're killing me here, author. KILLING ME!!

[Rachel Rayne]

why do i want to stragle cheerilee?

[Crimson Dawn]

Wow PInkie has really put herself in a pickle with her desire to sacrifice for Fluttershy. Sure it started out with some desire to get over her feelings due to a lack of confidence in her own looks and personality but she could have had Mac and she gave it up (well maybe for now we will see) because she felt that going with him would be a betrayal to Fluttershy.

It is good to see that Fluttershy is conflicted as she should be. She should have feelings such as jealousy. That is normal and I like that you show it. I also like that not just does she have those feelings but she recognizes them and decides that she wil not follow them for her friend.

Poor Pinkie and now with Cherillee muscling her way in things are getting more complicated.

[Seether00]

Well all sorts of bad decisions being made here.

[Poptard]

Well, I got into this story because I wanted FlutterMac (and really, a lot of other people did). And then everything happened. Granted, it's an exciting roller coaster, but I'm still holding out for a light and the end of the tunnel (which is still Fluttermac), and after the next few chapters started turning out like Mr. Pones' wild ride, I'm kinda losing my steam to finish this story. It's not you, it's me; PinkieMac is a ship I "meh" with a thousand neutral suns, something I'd figured be a one-night stand with the resident hunk.

Still, I've been surprised before. If I'm lucky, FlutterMac will win out, or if I'm lucky in a different fashion you'll make me not "meh" at PinkieMac. Still, I can't really get mad at Cheerilee, since Im guessing she still has lingering feelings for him. She's trying to help, and I'm gonna feel sad for her when it doesn't work out, and Mac pushes her even furthe away.

[Sinful Pickle]

GOD DAMMIT IS CHEERILEE INVOLVED TOO
JESUS HOW MANY PONIES IS THIS GOING TO INVOLVE

[Shrapmo]

People tend to think men are slaves to their desires, no, men are slaves to their emotions.

[Thunderbird]

Really Pinkie? Mac bared his soul to you and you're just gonna sweep it under the rug for your own stupid, selfish reasons!? Cheerilee's right, you are a bitch!

[Card Shuffle]

A love triangle? Or a love square... I sure hope this turns out well. Still am going to be a hardcore follower on this story

[Sky Blazer]

I came to this story for FlutterMac and I do hope that's what will happen by the end. If it doesn't, I may not bother with this story again afterward.

I try to keep myself open to other Big Mac ships, but him and Flutters is the only one I really and truly love more than the rest.

[spoiledspoon]

this shit turned from zero to a 100 real quick, i’ll kill you my dear