My Little Pony - Big McIntosh's Big Question
Cheerilee sighed sweetly as she gazed at Big McIntosh from across the table, wondering how much of the love poison had really remained in her body. He smiled back at her, then sat his hoof on top of hers. Cheerilee and Big Mac had been hanging out to tease the Cutie Mark Crusaders into thinking that they were still afflicted by the love poison, but after a while they both came to realise that they really did care for each other. Pinkie Pie appeared beside them and served them their milkshakes.
"Thank you, Pinkie!" grinned Cheerilee.
"You're welcome!" she replied, "Soooo…what date number is this?"
"Twenty…nine?" She looked over at her boyfriend.
"Yup!" he said.
"Wow, almost thirty? You guys must be getting serious!" gasped Pinkie.
"Hehe…yup!" gulped Big Mac, hoping that she wouldn't ask that question.
"Soooo…are you guys planning anything?" she enquired, moving over towards Big Mac and widening her eyes.
"Uh…uh…nope!"
"Not at the moment, sweetie," said Cheerilee, "it's a bit too early." Big Mac's heart sank. Too early? If it was too early, then when would it be the perfect time?
"Okay, enjoy your milkshakes!" Pinkie bounded off inside Sugarcube Corner to serve another customer. Big Mac grinned awkwardly at Cheerilee.
That night, as he walked his girlfriend home, Big Mac noticed how lovely she looked in the silver moonlight, how her eyes sparkled like a pair of large, round emeralds. Right now would be a perfect moment to ask her, he thought. As they approached her front porch, they stopped and turned to face each other.
"This was a lovely evening," she sighed gently.
"Yup! Sure was!" Big Mac chuckled. They both leaned in and kissed each other.
"Good night, sweetie," she smiled.
"Good night!" he called as he made his way down the path.
Once he was back at Sweet Apple Acres, he slipped quietly through the front door of the farmhouse, tiptoed upstairs and sneaked into his room. All of a sudden, the light flashed on.
"And just what time do you call this?!" shrieked Apple Bloom.
"Uh…uh…" he stammered. She must have shouted loud enough for the entire farm to hear, because Applejack came rushing in.
"Apple Bloom!" she gasped, "what in tarnation are you doing awake at this hour?!"
"I wanna know what took my big brother so long to come home tonight!" she said defiantly.
"I was out with Cheerilee," he mumbled.
"Again?! How many times has it been this week?"
"Only three…"
"What?!"
"Apple Bloom, you'd better hush up or else you'll wake up Granny Smith!" hissed Applejack, "Now, will you please go to bed so we can all get some sleep?"
"Fine," she grunted, "and for the record: nothing could wake up Granny Smith at this hour, she's a far too deep sleeper!" As she left the room she shot a look of suspicion at her brother, then slammed the door.
"She's just a little antsy because you're still dating her teacher," said Applejack, "she'll get used to it eventually, you know."
"She'll have to, someday," he muttered cryptically.
"Huh?" He opened up the drawer on his bedside table. Inside was a small navy blue box, which he handed to his sister.
"Open it." She sat down beside him on his bed and gingerly began to creak open the lid. Inside was a gold ring with a green gem set in the centre of it.
"Oh my gosh," she gasped, "you're going to…to…"
"Propose?"
"Oh my. This ring is so gorgeous, she'll have to say yes!"
"I'm not so sure." He downheartedly slumped down onto his bed.
"Why's that, Sugarcube?"
"Pinkie Pie asked us today if we were planning anything, but when we told her we weren't, Cheerilee said it's too early for us to be considering anything serious."
"Oh, Mac. You're really head over heels with your gal, ain't ya?" He nodded and sighed.
"Maybe give it some time, you never know, she might come around."
"I hope so…" She put her arm over his shoulder, and gave him a sisterly hug, then stood up to leave.
"Don't you worry," she whispered from the doorway, "it'll all work out eventually." She left and gently closed the door. Big Mac sat looking at the ring in the box for a few seconds with a defeated expression on his face, then closed it over and sat it back in his drawer. But will it? He wondered. He slunk into his bed and switched off his lamp, knowing that he'd have to convince his girlfriend to say yes.
The next day, Big Mac was trudging around the farm looking a little depressed as he lifted the bales of hay into his cart. Apple Bloom had noticed that he wasn't himself that day, and she and her friends decided to try to cheer him up.
"Big Mac!" she hollered as she bounded across the field, "Whatcha doin'?"
"Just collecting these hay bales," he sighed, "why?"
"We're bored," moaned Sweetie Belle, "can you come play with us?"
"'Fraid not, I got a lotta work to do." Just then, Applejack appeared behind them.
"All right you three, get your hooves a-movin' back to the farmhouse, Big Mac and I have got work to do," she commanded.
"Fine," huffed Apple Bloom.
"I'll take them back to the farmhouse." She began leading the three fillies away, while Big Mac continued lifting the bales into the cart.
"Applejack, why is Big Mac so glum today?" asked Scootaloo.
"He's just a bit down, is all," she replied.
"But why?"
"Okay, if I tell you, you have to promise you won't tell a soul!"
"Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" The three ponies recited the Pinkie Promise.
"Okay, you can't tell anyone, but Big Mac was planning on proposing to Miss Cheerilee soon."
"What?!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, "My brother is marrying my teacher?!"
"Keep your voice down!" Applejack hissed, "You never let me finish. Yesterday when Pinkie Pie asked them if they were planning anything, she said it was too early for anything serious."
"Ohhh…" the three fillies said in unison.
"You've got to keep this quiet. I don't want anyone finding out and Big Mac getting embarrassed. You know how he is."
"Yup! Okay, we're gonna go play. See you later, Applejack!" grinned Apple Bloom. Once they were far enough down the path that they couldn't be seen from the farm, the three girls stopped and huddled round each other.
"We've gotta do something!" whispered Scootaloo.
"Maybe we should just leave it," said Apple Bloom, "I mean, wouldn't it be weird, my brother and our teacher getting married?"
"Yeah, but you might get to be a flower girl!" grinned Sweetie Belle.
"And if Miss Cheerilee marries your brother, you'd be family, and family can't give each other homework!" cheered Scootaloo.
"Hey, you're right!" exclaimed Apple Bloom, "Come on, we've got to convince them to get married!" The three girls headed off in the direction of the centre of town.
When they arrived at Sugarcube Corner, they saw Pinkie outside collecting empty plates and glasses.
"Pinkie Pie!" Apple Bloom called out.
"Oh, hi guys!" she smiled, "What's up?"
"We need your help," said Scootaloo, "We need you to plan a party for us."
"A party? Oh my gosh, yes! What's it for?"
"For Big McIntosh and Miss Cheerilee's thirtieth date. Can you do it tonight?"
"That is so cool! I'll get to work on it right away!"
"But you can't let them know about it. It's a surprise party. We're gonna go and invite them here tonight."
"Okay, I Pinkie Promise that they will not know. See you later!" The three girls left the café.
"Wait, how are we going to invite them without the other knowing?" asked Apple Bloom.
"It's simple!" said Sweetie Belle, "We tell Miss Cheerilee that Big Mac wants to meet her at Sugarcube Corner, then go and tell him that Miss Cheerilee wants to see him there."
"And then when they both show up, we all jump out and shout 'Surprise!', then we try to sneakily convince them that they should get married," cheered Scootaloo, "It's foolproof!"
"I don't know if this is going to work…" doubted Apple Bloom, "I mean, maybe it's best if they don't get married. If my brother marries our teacher, I'll never hear the end of it from Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon."
"But what about your brother? Don't you want him to be happy?" Apple Bloom remembered how he had looked that morning, and how she wanted nothing more but to see him happy again.
"Okay," she sighed, "let's do it."
"Hooray!" Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo cheered as they jumped into the air.
"Who do we tell first?"
"Miss Cheerilee, she's probably at home just now." They wandered off towards her house.
When they arrived, Cheerilee was planting some new flowers into the borders of her garden.
"Oh, hi girls!" she smiled cheerily, "what can I do for you?"
"Nuthin'," replied Apple Bloom, "we just came to tell you that Big Mac wants to meet you at seven o'clock tonight at Sugarcube Corner."
"Tonight? How come he never told me?"
"Well…uh…." muttered Apple Bloom.
"He was so busy with his work on the farm that he sent us to tell you!" Sweetie Belle piped in.
"Oh, I see. All right, you can tell him I'll be there!"
"Okay, bye Miss Cheerilee!" The three girls trotted off down their teacher's front path until they reached the road, out of sight of Cheerilee. They high-fived each other in delight that their plan was coming together.
"Yes!" cheered Apple Bloom as she hoof-pumped the air, "Now to tell Big Mac that he's going on a date!" They began wandering in the direction of Sweet Apple Acres.
Big McIntosh was apple-bucking with Applejack when they found him.
"Big McIntosh!" they all shouted from across the orchard as they ran towards him, "We have something to tell you!" He looked at them, puzzled, as the three fillies arrived breathlessly in front of him.
"What?" he asked.
"Miss Cheerilee…says she wants…to meet you…at seven o'clock…at Sugarcube Corner…" wheezed Apple Bloom.
"She does?" he said, scratching his head.
"Yep!" grinned Scootaloo.
"Well, okay, I guess you can tell her I'll meet her there." They nearly gave the game away when they jumped in the air, cheering.
"Yippee!" they all exclaimed.
"I mean, uh…we'll tell her," stammered Scootaloo.
"Okay. Bye!" Just as the three of them were walking out of the gate of the orchard, Applejack caught up with them.
"Okay, spill. What in the heck is going on?" she demanded.
"Whatever do you mean?" smiled Sweetie Belle in an attempt to act nonchalant.
"I know Miss Cheerilee would have come and told Big Mac herself if they were having a date tonight. What are you three up to?"
"Well…we're planning a surprise party for them," mumbled Apple Bloom.
"What?! Why?"
"For their 30th date!"
"This had better not have something to do with what I told you three earlier."
"No…" said Sweetie Belle as she rolled her eyes suspiciously.
"Girls, I can tell when you're lying. Spill it." The three of them sighed.
"I just hated seeing Big Mac looking so sad this morning and after you told me why we decided we should try and convince Miss Cheerilee to marry him," spluttered Apple Bloom, "we just wanted to help." She looked sadly at her older sister.
"Girls, it's nice that you want them to be together, but grown-ups need to decide for themselves when they're in love," sighed Applejack, "You can't force two people to marry each other if they're not ready."
"We know. We're sorry."
"Should we tell Pinkie Pie that the party is cancelled?" whimpered Scootaloo.
"Well, now wait a minute," said Applejack, "I never said you should cancel the party, I just said not to push Big Mac into proposing."
"Soooo…we should just leave everything the way it is?"
"At the moment, yes."
"Yippee!" cried the three fillies.
"Now, you three head over to Sugarcube Corner and help Pinkie Pie get the party ready, and I'll send Big McIntosh over later."
"Thanks, Applejack," said Apple Bloom as she hugged her sister.
"Aw, shucks," said Applejack with a tear in her eye, which she wiped away with her hoof. The three ponies ran off to Sugarcube Corner to help Pinkie.
The shop was looking lovely: there were rainbow streamers, lots of different balloons, a chocolate fountain, tables laden with a plethora of party food and lots of cakes. Pinkie had even set up a drinks bar at the counter!
"Wow, Pinkie Pie," gasped Sweetie Belle, "This place looks amazing!"
"Thanks!" she beamed, "What time is it now?" Scootaloo looked up at the clock above the door.
"6.45, so they'll be here soon," she said.
"Great! I'll go get us some party hats." While Pinkie was setting out the party hooters and hats the guests began arriving. Soon, it was seven o'clock, and they all waited with baited breath for the lovebirds to show up. After a few minutes, they heard the distinctive sound of the bell ringing as the door opened. It was Miss Cheerilee, who looked around at all the guests, amazed to see everypony.
"Goodness, what is all this?" she gasped.
"It's a surprise for you and Big Mac!" laughed Pinkie Pie, "For your 30th date!"
"For us? How thoughtful! Thank you so much!" Rainbow Dash handed her a slice of cake, and the guests began to mingle.
Half an hour later, Big McIntosh still had not arrived, and everyone was beginning to wonder where he was.
"What's taking him so long?" moaned Apple Bloom.
"What if…he's not coming?" gasped Cheerilee, with a slight tear in her eye.
"No! He would never do that!" Scootaloo reassured her, "Not to you, Miss Cheerilee." She smiled at her three students.
"Thanks girls, you always know how to cheer me up!" The three fillies wandered over to the window to look out and see if he was outside.
"What do we do?" hissed Scootaloo.
"If he doesn't show up in ten minutes, we'll have to go looking for him," whispered Sweetie Belle, "Apple Bloom, any ideas where he could be?"
"Well," began Apple Bloom, "I would start looking for him at Sweet Apple Acres."
Ten minutes passed, and still there was no sign of Big McIntosh, which was clearly making Cheerilee feel like she had been stood up by him.
"We'd better go and look for him," said Apple Bloom in a concerned voice. Apple Bloom grabbed her saddlebag while she, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo slipped out the door, remaining unnoticed by anyone at the party.
"Come on!" puffed Scootaloo, "We've got to hurry so no pony notices we're gone." They rushed as fast as their hooves could carry them to the farm. Once they arrived, they split up in search of Big Mac: Scootaloo took the orchard, Sweetie Belle looked in the barn and Apple Bloom checked the farmhouse. Apple Bloom was running around frantically, searching each room for her brother, when all of a sudden she could hear someone sobbing. She gently pushed her brother's bedroom door open to see him sitting on his bed, looking at the ring in its box.
"Big Mac?" she said quietly, "What's wrong?"
"Nuthin'," he sniffed, "It's fine."
"I'm your sister, you can tell me, you know." He sighed heavily and looked down.
"I wanna ask Miss Cheerilee to marry me, but she said it's too early for anything serious. There's no point in me asking her now."
"But Big Mac, what about your date?"
"I…I'm scared."
"Of what?"
"Of going on this date and seeing her, wishing I could tell her how I really feel, and not being able to. I'm scared it won't be a good date, and she won't enjoy it…and that she'll leave me."
"Oh, Mac, Miss Cheerilee would never do that. She loves you, you just need to show her this. Do you want me to tell you something about your date tonight?" He looked over at his little sister curiously.
"It's actually a surprise party we organised for you and Miss Cheerilee because Applejack told me you wanted to propose to her and we wanted to convince her to say yes." His eyes widened.
"It is?" Apple Bloom nodded.
"I just…I saw how sad you were this mornin', and I thought that if we got her to say yes, you'd cheer up…"
"Oh…Well, Apple Bloom, that was nice of you, but you can't force someone to love someone. You should know that after last time -"
"And I do!"
"I know. It was nice of you to try, but if Miss Cheerilee says she wants to take it slow then I have to accept that. Come on, we'd better head to that party." They both stood up to leave, but just as Apple Bloom was about to close the door, she had an idea. She grabbed the ring box and tucked it into her saddlebag, then rushed out the door with her brother.
Back at the party, Pinkie Pie was trying to keep Cheerilee entertained and keep her mind off her tardy boyfriend by telling jokes, and it seemed to be working, until she ran out of good jokes.
"Uh…uh…what do you call…uh…" she stuttered, desperately trying to think of a joke, when the door opened to reveal Big McIntosh and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Yay!" Pinkie squeaked, relieved, "You're here!"
"Yup!" smiled Big Mac. He winked at his little sister, who was still standing by his side.
"Well," she said, tapping the back of his leg, "Go on, she's waiting for you." He shyly moseyed over to his girlfriend, who gave him a small kiss on his cheek. Once Apple Bloom noticed they were together, she ran over to Pinkie Pie, dragging her over to the table of cakes.
"What is it?" whispered Pinkie.
"I got something I need you to do for me," Apple Bloom whispered back.
"What? Tell me!" Apple Bloom began whispering almost silently into Pinkie's ear her crafty little plan. Pinkie nodded once she understood.
"I got this," she said, "Leave it to Pinkie Pie!" She delicately scurried through the crowd of party guests, holding onto a tray with two apple cupcakes on top, until she reached Big Mac and Cheerilee.
"Cupcake?" she offered as she held the tray in front of them, making sure she kept to Apple Bloom's strict instructions.
"Ooh, yes please!" smiled Cheerilee. Big Mac picked his up without noticing that his cake was significantly different from his girlfriend's. She lifted her hoof to pick up her cake, but stopped, stunned at what she could see.
"Oh my goodness!" she gasped, "Big Mac, I…I…" In the centre of the cake, instead of the apple wedge, sat on top was the ring Big McIntosh thought he had left at home in his bedroom!
"What?" he gulped, "How did…?" He looked over to his youngest sister, who had circled the party guests around the couple. Big Mac took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and started to speak.
"Cheerilee," he began, "we've been together for a while now and…well, I…I love you. So much that I want to be with you forever…" Cheerilee was welling up.
"…and this is how I want to show it. Cheerilee?"
"Yes?" she whimpered quietly.
"Will you marry me?" Big Mac held his breath, as a massive smile beamed across his girlfriend's face.
"Yes! Oh my gosh, yes!" Everyone cheered, they had finally done it! Big Mac took the emerald and gold ring out of the cake, and Pinkie handed him a napkin to wipe off the frosting, before he sat the ring on her hoof.
"Oh, Mac," she gushed, "I…I…I love you!" She leaned in and kissed her new fiancé.
"I told ya she wouldn't say no!" Apple Bloom said proudly. Cheerilee chuckled.
"So," she laughed, "you were in on this too?"
"Yep! So were Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo!" Cheerilee put her hoofs around her three students.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that my three little star pupils helped my fiancé and I come together this time and last time. Just promise me something, girls?" The three foals looked up at their teacher. "Please, just leave this relationship to Mac and I? That is of course, after the wedding. I will need, oh, I don't know, three flower girls, I guess?"
"We promise!" cheeped Scootaloo.
"Yippee! We're gonna be flower girls!" cheered Sweetie Belle.
"And of course I'll need a lovely dress, and I know only the finest seamstress in Ponyville could provide me with that." She looked over to Rarity.
"I would be honoured," blushed Rarity.
"That just leaves bridesmaids and catering. Well, let's see, I know that this party was well catered for…perhaps you could do the food for our wedding, Mr. and Mrs. Cake?"
"It would be my pleasure," grinned Mr. Carrot Cake.
"Oh, and I can't forget the reception…" Pinkie was already standing right next to Cheerilee with her eyes as wide as grapefruits, pleading with her.
"Pinkie, would you -" She was interrupted before she could continue.
"Yes yes yes, a thousand times, yes!" she celebrated by bounding around the room with glee.
"Now hold on, this is a big job. Do you think you can handle this and being a bridesmaid?"
"Bridesmaid?" Pinkie stopped in her tracks.
"Why yes, I could never think of anyone but the six of you being there as my bridesmaids on our big day!" She gestured at Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Twilight and Apple Jack.
"Sorry Miss Cheerilee, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline your offer," Applejack uttered, "I need to be there for my big brother that day. It's nice of you to offer though."
"Oh Applejack," sighed Rarity, "can't you do both? It's just that…I already had the perfect dress in mind for you!" Applejack looked down, thinking.
"Well, it could be a best mare's dress," suggested Cheerilee.
"Yup!" chuckled Big Mac, finally speaking after all the chatter from the girls.
"Well, if it's all right with everyone else, then I'll do it!" Applejack accepted.
"Hooray!" celebrated Apple Bloom, her friends jumping along with her.
"They're getting married! They're getting married!" they sang.
The music started up again, and Cheerilee and Big Mac began to dance together, slowly, gazing lovingly into each other's eyes. Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon pushed their way through the crowd to where they were dancing.
"But Miss Cheerilee," whined Diamond Tiara, "how come Silver Spoon and I don't get to be flower girls?"
"I'm sorry, but after all, Apple Bloom is going to be my new sister…"
"My teacher is going to be my sister?!" gasped Apple Bloom.
"Yup!" grinned Big Mac. He and Cheerilee turned back to dance, leaving Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon gobsmacked.
"Guys?" said Apple Bloom, "do you ever wonder if we really broke the spell of that love poison?"
"I guess we'll never know…" muttered Scootaloo.