A/N: Thank you for all the support. I do hope you enjoy my writing. Also I thank my amazing beta reader.
After the reliving of Ditzy's tragic indent; Big Macintosh and Ditzy grew closer together.
Ditzy sighed; her day of work had been long and hard. The bag of mail she received was out of order. She had delivered pretty much all of the mail to the wrong houses. She had to deal with being yelled at all day...again.
Ditzy laid on the couch of her living room and placed a hoof over her eyes, hoping to get in a quick nap before she had to go and pick up Dinky from school. She slowed her breathing and calmed her being. She had almost dozed off when a knock came at the door.
Ditzy rolled off the couch. She groggily answered the door. It was Mayor Mare. "Hello Ditzy, are you busy?"
Ditzy was confused: Mayor Mare was Ditzy's boss but she almost never came to talk to her. Ditzy responded, "Well, I guess not."
Mare Mayor invited herself into Ditzy's home. The Mayor had impassive look on her face. That face wasn't usually a good sign. Ditzy felt rather awkward with the Mayor in her house. Ditzy waited for the Mayor to say something with a fake smile on her face.
"Well, I wish I could be here with better news." Mayor Mare said. "But I'm afraid that with the new budget we can't afford everything so... You’re going to have to take a severe pay cut."
Ditzy stumbled backwards. She looked at the Mayor, shocked, "Wh...What?"
The Mayor's expression didn't change. "You’re going to have to take a pay cut to about 8 bits an hour."
Ditzy's eyes widened and went wall eyed. "But that's a drop of 5 bits an hour! I can't live on that!"
The Mayor was already making for the door. "I'm very sorry, but it's the pay cut or I'm going to have to let you go."
"But..." Ditzy started to say, but was cut off by the Mayor leaving her home quickly. We were barely getting by on 13 bits an hour; there is no way I can keep this place on 8 bits. Oh, what am I going to do?
And the answer to that question was to find another job, but Ditzy wasn't particularly skilled at anything. She couldn't fly for very long, so being on the weather team was out. She couldn't pull anything. She fainted at the sight of needles, so being a nurse was out of the question.
"Buck it." she swore to herself. She decided to take a walk around town. She trotted out into the chilly early fall air. The leaves on the trees had just started to fade from their green into oranges, reds, and browns. She would have gone to talk to Big Macintosh or Carrot Top about her problem, but Big Macintosh was busy with apple buck season and Carrot Top was out of town.
Ditzy walked through town looking at the businesses. None of them had a help-wanted sign. She walked on. She spotted Pinkie Pie in the distance; evidently Pinkie spotted her first, because she was hopping towards Ditzy.
"Hi Ditzy! You look sad, what's wrong?" Pinkie Pie asked, Ditzy could appreciate Pinkie's concern and decided to tell her.
"Well, I had to take a large pay cut." Ditzy said, hoping that Pinkie could help, but Pinkie looked confused.
"Why would that make you sad? It's just money." Pinkie Pie said happily, thinking that her statement was enough to help Ditzy. Ditzy sighed instead; she felt a new wave of sadness about her predicament.
"It means that I can't afford my house or afford to feed myself." Ditzy murmured. Ditzy started to walk away from the pink party pony. It was obvious Pinkie didn't understand the importance of money. Which Ditzy could understand, seeing as she lived in the Cake's house.
"Would a party make you feel better?" Pinkie asked. Ditzy opened her wings and flew up into the air to make a quick escape from Pinkie Pie. Ditzy flew over the town keeping, herself relatively steady.
She glided over Sweet Apple Acres. Big Macintosh, she saw, was working hard bucking the apple trees. Ditzy circled above the farm, watching Big Macintosh work. Even from the height she was at she could see the sweat on his body.
Ditzy let herself get distracted from her flying, which was a mistake. Her wings became uneven, throwing her into a quick loss of altitude. She tried to correct, but she over corrected throwing her into a fast counter spin. Ditzy's eyes clamped shut as she approached the ground. She braced herself for impact. She did hit something but it wasn't the ground.
As she hit...whatever she hit, she heard a loud crack and a grunt. She opened her eyes to see a wall of red. Big Macintosh stood there with a look of pain on his face. He opened his mouth, but stopped with his teeth clenched.
"Macintosh are you alright?" Ditzy asked. Big Macintosh didn't say anything. He nodded his head, the look of pain still plastered on his face. He walked very slowly to the next apple tree. He readied himself for bucking.
Ditzy watched as she gathered her thoughts. He pushed his weight on to his front legs, and then he bucked. Big Macintosh yelled in pain. He fell on his side. Ditzy cringed at the thud he made when he fell.
Ditzy heard his sister Applejack call from somewhere else on the farm, "Mac everything alright?"
Big Macintosh opened his mouth to respond but he didn't instead: he shifted his eyes to look at Ditzy. Ditzy could see the pain in his eyes.
His sister, Ditzy could hear, was quickly approaching. Big Macintosh held out a hoof for Ditzy to help him up. She took his hoof and used all her strength to get him on his hooves. Applejack arrived just as he managed to balance himself.
Applejack had a confused look on her face when she saw Ditzy standing there. Applejack said, "Uhhh… howdy Ditzy. Macintosh, why'd ya yell like ya did?"
Big Macintosh just looked at her and she seemed to know. She walked close to him and poked him in the side, he cringed and his leg instinctively lifted to protect the painful spot. Applejack sighed. "Ya broke a rib...again."
Applejack leaned into Big Macintosh's good side to support him as they walked and said. "Come on let's get that wrapped."
Ditzy followed behind them at a considerable distance thinking to herself. Great now I have a pay cut and I hurt my colt friend.
Luckily, they weren’t too far from the house. Applejack helped her brother into his room. Ditzy waited awkwardly outside of Macintosh's room.
After a few minutes, Applejack came out with an annoyed look on her face. "Now, Ah know my brother 'loves' y'all, but with Macintosh hurt we're going to be way behind in work. Now, Ah know ya had something to do with it, but he won't tell me so... Ah'm going to have to ask y'all to leave before ya break something else."
Ditzy went wall-eyed. "I understand."
Ditzy left quickly. She decided not to fly to pick up her daughter from school.
________
Ditzy watched Dinky take a nap after school. The peaceful little filly had no idea about the problems her mother was having. On 8 bits an hour she might be able to feed Dinky and maybe herself but she wouldn't have any money left over after food.
Ditzy felt like her daughter would be asleep a while longer, so she decided to have a second go at finding a second job. She trotted down to the town square. She asked around to see if anypony had any work to be done: no pony did.
Then she spotted Big Macintosh standing by an apple stand. He had a bandage wrapped around him. He was dealing with a mare that wanted some apples, so he was too busy to notice Ditzy.
Ditzy tried to walk around to avoid being seen by him. She was unsuccessful at that.
He spoke up in a clear voice. "Ditzy, come here."
It didn't sound like a suggestion. She lowered her head with ears flat against her head and walked towards the apple stand. He looked at her with a firm yet gentle face.
"Y'all did a number on me." He said with a gesture to his bandage. To Ditzy's surprise, he chuckled. "Who knew such a light pony could hurt a large stallion like me."
Ditzy still felt bad, but her spirits were lifted by his laugh. "I'm very sorry, Mac."
"It’s okay, sugar cube, Turns out my rib ain't broken, it's just cracked." Big Macintosh said with a happy whinny.
"You seem happy about this." Ditzy said. Big Macintosh nuzzled her playfully. Ditzy noticed he was being just a bit too kind. "Are you taking any medicine?"
"Eeyup!" He whinnied. That explained the mood. He bobbed his head happily. "And Ah feel great!"
He nibbled at her ear, she blushed at his brashness. "Mac. We're in public."
"Ah don't care." He playfully nudged her side. Some other ponies were starting to look at them.
"I think I better take you home." Ditzy said. She tried to pull him along by tying a rope to his yolk, but he was stubborn and weighed more than she could pull.
"Ah don't want to go home. I feel too good. Applejack is just a stick in the mud, I want to have fun." He said, and started to pull Ditzy in the opposite direction. He broke into a gallop. She was forced to gallop along with him, unable to stop him.
"Mac, stop!" Ditzy yelled. He didn't seem to listen. He ran, pulling her through town and ponies stopped to stare at the strange sight. He ran along coming up to Sugar Cube Corner. He stopped, wide eyed in front of the candy building. Ditzy took a moment to regain her breath.
"Come on, Big Mac. You’re not right in the head. You need to go home and rest." Ditzy said, still winded. Big Macintosh ignored her, he ran into the building, dragging her with him and attempting to eat a whole pan of cupcakes.
"I'm sorry Big Macintosh, but you have to pay for that first." Mr. Cake said to the large earth pony. Big Macintosh seemed frustrated with this answer. He reared up and Mr. Cake cringed, but Macintosh just galloped out the door before Ditzy could untie herself from him.
"Mac, you need to stop." Ditzy yelled into his ear. He shook his head no. He galloped straight towards the Everfree forest. Ditzy planted her hoofs in the ground creating a ditch as he pulled her along.
"Nope! The Everfree forest looks fun." Big Macintosh said happily. It took only a few moments to be fully engulfed by the massive forest. Air seemed to get darker with every step deeper into the woods.
Big Macintosh wasn't watching where he was going causing him to run head first straight into a large tree.
Big Macintosh stumbled around for a bit, and then fell over unconscious. Ditzy sighed, now she was in the Everfree forest, with an unconscious Big Macintosh, and she was lost.
First off, she untied herself from Big Macintosh. She looked around and saw that Big Macintosh left a trail of destruction, so she could find a way out. Now she had a rather large problem with a certain large pony lying in front of her.
Pulling him was out of the question, he was much too heavy. Ditzy pushed Big Macintosh, but she was unable to budge him from his position. She would just have to wait for him to wake up.
_______
Big Macintosh's eyes slowly fluttered open. He put a hoof to his head and groaned. Ditzy sighed in relief. She was starting to think that he had hit his head too hard. "Ugh...Ditzy? What are we doing out here?"
Ditzy explained to him the situation that that had brought them to the current setting they were in.
"Ah'm mighty sorry, Sugar Cube. Ah don't know what came over me.” Big Macintosh groaned. He looked pained when he stood due to the medicine running out. Now he had nothing to prevent the pain that was coming from his side, and Ditzy had to brace herself to keep Big Macintosh upright.
They walked slowly though the path that Big Mac previously made.
"I'm sorry for hurting you." Ditzy apologized. He gave her a gentle look, the ones he was always good at giving.
"Ah'll forgive ya if y'all forgive me for dragging ya though town." Macintosh suggested, he also groaned when his side bumped a tree.
"Of course I forgive you Mac." Ditzy said. After a long time walking they made their way back to town. They made it as far as Ditzy's house before Big Macintosh spoke up again.
"Ditzy, Ah don't think Ah can make it all the way home to the farm." Big Macintosh said and Ditzy knew if Big Macintosh was complaining, he really meant it. She helped him into her house and over to the couch, which was much too small for him to lie on.
"Can I get you anything?" Ditzy asked.
"A glass of water would be mighty fine." He said. Ditzy fetched him some water and he drank it down in a few gulps. Ditzy was thankful for her daughter able to think straight, Dinky had left a note saying she would be spending the night at Twist's. "Do y'all mind if Ah spend the night here?"
"Not at all, Mac. In fact, I welcome it." Ditzy said. "I don't think that couch is large enough for you… or me, for that matter."
Ditzy helped Big Macintosh get to his hooves, and he chuckled, mostly to himself. He said, "I don't think Ah'll fit in Dinky's bed either."
"We can share my bed." Ditzy said trying to make it sound innocent as possible, but she couldn't help but blush.
"Won't that leave us in a precarious situation?" Big Macintosh asked shyly.
"I think we can be adults about this, right?" Ditzy asked; she couldn't help but giggle at her attempt to sound like an authority.
"Ah don't know, can we?" Big Mac didn't make it sound like a question. She helped him into her own bed which creaked and squeaked under his weight. "Ah hope I don't break it."
Ditzy laughed. "I hope so too. I'll be right back I need to get some water."
________
Ditzy drank down the water in a large gulp. Ditzy felt the weight of a long day crash down on her, and she suddenly felt very tired. She trotted into her room and laid on the bed next to Big Macintosh.
She was surprised when Big Macintosh spoke up, "So Ah heard you had to take a pay cut."
"Where did you hear that?" Ditzy asked. She had no idea how he found out. Oh, now he's going to think I'm not going to be able to pay for anything.
"Around town ponies said you were looking for work. Why didn't ya just come and talk to me?" Big Macintosh asked. His tone wasn't of scorn but of concern. "Ah have tons of bits saved up."
"I knew you were busy with apple bucking season and I didn't want to bother you." Ditzy murmured. "And we both know how well that worked out."
"Ditzy, Ah always have time for you and ah will supplement your pay check as long as Ah get to tease y'all more." Big Macintosh said. Ditzy smiled to herself.
"I think I can make that deal work." Ditzy said with a slight giggle.
Ditzy felt him nuzzle her neck and she liked it. "Ah love you."
"Ah love you too." Ditzy said, imitating his accent. They shared a laugh. They laid there for a long time. Ditzy liked the safety that she felt with Big Macintosh. She felt him lovingly nibble at her ear.
Then she felt something on her wings. Oh no. Ditzy thought. Her wing, that wasn't under her, shot straight out. She had just pop feathered. If you were a pegasus pony, then this was the most embarrassing thing to happen in public. It signified arousal. Luckily this wasn't in public but Ditzy blushed hard all the same.
"Uh..." Big Macintosh seemed at a loss for words, "Are ya ticklish on your ears?"
"No, um... It's what pegasi call pop feather." Ditzy said quietly. She could almost feel him giving her a questioning look. "It happens when a pegasus is um... aroused."
"Oh." He said softly, "Ah've never heard of that before."
She tuned her body to embrace him. Her face was still a deep red, but then again so was his. She nuzzled him and he nibbled affectingly on her ear. They took a moment look at each other.
They shared a kiss. This one much more...passionate than their first kiss, but it was just as magical, if not more so. They parted after what seemed like a long time. Ditzy felt a peace that she hadn't felt in a long time come over her. It was nice having somepony other that Carrot Top to depend on. Some pony that she could trust to protect her and Dinky forever. Some pony to love her in a way that Carrot Top couldn’t.
"Do you think we're ready?" Ditzy asked the large crimson stallion. He had a look of extreme care on his face.
"Only if you are, sugar cube. Ah would never push ya into doing something ya don't want to do." Big Macintosh said in a very gentle voice.
That last statement made Ditzy double sure on her decision. "We're ready."
A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I always thank my reviewers and my faithful readers thank y'all for reading. Also thank my great beta reader, BlackRoseRaven you should check out some of his stories too. He's on fanfiction.