> Gentle Red
>  by Collins4112
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> The bully
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hellos, thank you for coming for a look, please make yourself comfortable for a read that I hope you'll enjoy. Thank you. 
I would like to thank my beta reader BlackRoseRaven for reading and providing a lot of good corrections. This would have a lot of mistakes if not for him. 

The story begins with our favorite wall eyed mail mare out on her rounds. 

Ditzy, or as some of the less kind ponies called her, "Derpy" was having a good day. It started with a warm blueberry muffin, then seeing her daughter Dinky off to school, and now her mail route was going along without a hitch. 

She greeted everypony she knew with a warm smile. Most of them gave a warm greeting back of "Hello" or "Hay." She was pretty sure that she hadn't even delivered any wrong mail today. She was sure today was going to be a great day.  

She was on her way to deliver a package to Sugar Cube Corner. She flew a bit slowly observing things as she went along. Ditzy liked to watch what people did in their life because her work was repetitive but she still enjoyed it. 

She saw Applejack setting up a stand in the square, The Cutie Mark Crusaders were trying another attempt to get their Cutie Mark, but it looked like Cutie Mark extreme sports wasn't going so well. She observed Twilight's assistant Spike carring a large amount paper back to the library. Ditzy didn't like to read much but she occasionally went to the library to get picture books for Dinky. 

She made good time, even though she was moving slow. She knocked on the door. Pinkie Pie answered the door. 

"Hi there Derpy!" She covered her mouth, "oops sorry, I mean Ditzy." 

"That’s okay. I have a package for Mr. And Mrs. Cake." Ditzy tried to sound offical but she couldn't stop herself from giggling, her official, how absurd. 

"Oooh they've been expecting this for weeks, thank Ditzy!" Pinkie Pie took the packge and set it inside. "Hey Ditzy! I'm trowing a party for how great everything is going, you wanna come?" 

"Sure Pinkie!" Ditzy's smile became goofy and her eyes crossed. "Well, I got other mail to deliver. See ya!" 

Ditzy went about delivering along her normal route. She opened her wings and started to ascend. She could deliver her mail faster if she got above the houses. She was proud of herself for doing so good today, most days.... No she wouldn't think about it. 

She flew over the school. She saw her darling Dinky. She waved and Ditzy waved back which set her off balance. She tried to regain her balance but continued down in a spiral motion. Ditzy picked up speed she desperately tried to slow down. She opened her wings right before smacked into the ground. 

She crash into a table where some little fillies were sitting. Cheerilee heard the noise and ran out. She sighed, this was not the first time Ditzy came to "visit." 

"Sorry, Miss Cheerilee." Ditzy said. Some of the fillies snickered. Dinky blush as she saw her daughter try to hide herself. Dang it she embarrassed Dinky... again. 

"It’s alright, Der... Ditzy." Cheerile put on a fake smile. 

"I guess this is a happy accident! I have some mail for you!" Dinky reached into her carry bag and pulled out a mess of letters and handed them to an annoyed Cheerilee. Ditzy didn't notice though. After she handed over the mail, she waved to Dinky who was trying to hide, "Bye, My little muffin!" 

Ditzy took to the air again. She felt alittle bad for crashing but she wouldn't let her ruin her day. She delivered some more mail without incident. 

Ditzy finished her work early and arrived home, She licked her lips at the thought of all the muffins she was going to make. Dinky is gonna love 'em. She smiled to herself. 

___________

"Ditzy!" Carrot Top knocked on the door. Ditzy trotted away from her muffin batter to answer her door. 

"Hi Carrot Top!" She greeted her very best friend in the world. Carrot Top sighed at her energetic gray coated friend. 

"Ditzy? Good your here. Do you have any muffins I can have? I have a book club meeting today and I forgot the snacks. Oooh the ladies are going to think I'm a fool." Carrot Top worried; Ditzy knew they wouldn't really think her a fool, Carrot Top she just liked to worry like that. 

"I'm making some right now!" Ditzy said proudly. Carrot Top sighed in relief. 

"Thanks Ditzy you’re a life saver." Ditzy motioned for her to come in and make herself comfortable. 

"Hey Ditzy, are you going to the party that Pinkie Pie is hosting?"  Carrot Top asked. 

"I don't know.... I can’t leave Dinky here alone and I don't want to embarrass myself again." Ditzy said. Carrot Top hugged her friend. 

"You should go! We can find a sitter for Dinky. And I'm sure you'll be fine; besides, maybe you can find a Stallion and..." 

Ditzy blushed, "Oh Carrot Top I can't.... I'm not pretty enough anyway..." 

Carrot Top looked offended, "Ditzy you are one very pretty pony! If you would spend a day on yourself you'd have stallions falling at your hoofs." 

Ditzy blushed hard, "Oh you." Ditzy hugged Carrot Top. She truly was a great friend. 

Ditzy pulled the muffins out of the oven and set them on cooling racks. She grabbed a bag and put some muffins in it. 

Carrot Top hugged Ditzy again, "Thanks Ditzy! I'm serious go to the spa get yourself gussied up." 

Ditzy nodded as Carrot Top bolted out the door holding the bag of muffins in her mouth. Should I go? No, I shouldn’t; money is tight as it is right now. Maybe if I have my hair done I can afford it. I guess I can afford it.    Ditzy took some bits out for the spa. 

Ditzy had a slight bounce in her step as she walked across the town to the spa. Ditzy hummed a song to herself and she wasn’t watching where she was going and ran straight into an angry looking stallion. 

Ditzy went wall eyed, "Oh sorry mister!" 

The angry stallion looked down at her in disgust, "Oh it's you, the retard. Why don't you just get lost! No one wants you around your disgusting to look at your freaky eyes. You’re a monster!" 

Ponies skirted around or ignored the situation all together. Ditzy's ears flatted on to her head. She bowed her head and then the stallion pushed her down to the ground. She was sure she was going to hit her. 

Then a shadow came over them both. Ditzy opened one eye. A large crimson stallion with sandy orange mane was standing behind the angry stailion. Oh no, he's got a friend to beat me up too. 

"Get away from her." The Crimson pony said in a deep threatening voice. The angry stallion turned around. He had to look up at the larger pony. 

"Oh yeah, I'll give you what for!" The angry stallion yelled and raised a hoof to throw a punch stright into the chest of the larger stallion. The crimson staillion didn't move an inch and raised an eyebrow. 

"You want to try again?" The large draft pony said in a deep voice. The angry stallion raised a hoof again. The large pony swung a large hoof into the side of the smaller stallion, knocking him down to the ground. "Now, I don't want to hurt y'all. But if I see ya in this town again I'll kick your mark straight of your flank." 

The smaller stallion ran off a large bruise forming on his side. The crimson pony turned his attention to the mare lying on the ground. She opened her eyes that were still wall eyed. Oh no oh no oh no oh no he's gonna kill me. 

"Uh, miss y'all alright?" The crimson pony asked in a gentle voice that surprised Ditzy. 

She refocused her eyes and saw a stallion staring down on her. She couldn't help notice the contrast from the gentle look on his face to his large muscled body. 

"Miss?" She noticed a concerned look in his eyes; it made her feel a tiny bit better. 

"Um yep, I'm alright." In truth she felt terrible on the inside. He helped her to her hooves. 

"I'm mighty sorry for what that stallion did ta ya. Ain't right treating a pretty mare like that." She said gently. She had her head down. He felt bad for her but didn’t know this wasn’t unusual for her. Ditzy didn't say anything which was unusual for her. She thought the day was going to be a good one, but she was wrong. "I'm Big Macintosh. May Ah ask what your name is?" 

"Ditzy Doo." Ditzy said. Her eyes went wall eyed in sadness again. Big Mac noticed this but didn't react. 

"Well, Miss Doo would y'all like an escort to where ever you’re going?" He offered to be polite. Ditzy nodded and started walking Big Macintosh followed close behind. Ditzy was depressed and no amount of politeness would fix it. 

She led them into the spa. The two ponies waiting for customers looked suprised to see Big Macintosh come in. 

"Hellooo." one of them said, "How may we help you?" 

"Just the hair care." Ditzy said. Big Macitosh looked down at her with an eyebrow raised. 

"Wait, give her full treatment any pony that's been through what she has deserves it." The large stallion said putting the appropriate amount of bits on the counter. Ditzy looked surprised, no one had besides Carrot Top had been that nice to her in a long while. 

"Well, Ah got to get going. See ya around Miss Doo." The big red Pony trotted out of the spa. The two spa ponies grabbed Ditzy and threw her into a chair. They idly talked to each other. Ditzy ignored, still understandably stuck in her depression, them untill one of them mentioned Big Macintosh. She listened for a bit as they said things from compliments to some very inappropriate things.

"He sure is a nice one." One of the spa ponies said. Ditzy thought to herself, he sure is. 

_______

Ditzy trotted out of the spa, feeling slightly better then when she entered. She trotted along ponies where staring at her. Do I look bad?

Ditzy went to the Ponyville elementary to pick her daughter, Dinky. She didn't want to fly to avoid crashing, so she was fine walking. As she arrived at the school some of the other parents were waiting for their little fillies and colts. 

One of the stallions that were waiting looked over at her and almost fell over. 

"Hello, Ditzy..." That stallion said nervously. His wife was standing next to him and hit him on the shoulder. "Ow." 

Ditzy stood waiting for school to get out. She could feel the stallions stealing glances at her. I must look good. 

The school bell rang. The little colts and fillies ran out to greet their parents. Dinky ran out and over to her mother. 

"Hey, mom. Wow.... You look beautiful." Dinky said. Ditzy blushed Dinky knew how to make her feel good. 

"Hello, muffin, how was your day?" Ditzy asked. Dinky gave a big grin and hopped in place.

"I made a new friend! Her name is Twist! That's her over there." She pointed to a filly wearing some large glasses. Twist waved back. "She invited me over for dinner, can I go? Please!" 

"That’s great, muffin, of course you can go. You have fun now." Ditzy said it warmed her heart that her daughter was making friends. Dinky squeaked and ran over to her friend. 

Ditzy smiled maybe; the day wasn't so bad. 

_______

"Oh girl! You look great!" Carrot Top ogled over, Ditzy who was blushing madly. "Those stallions won't know what hit them. Now I found a sitter for Dinky tomorrow. Nurse Redheart said she would take her for the night. Now, I'll come and get you around 7, and then we can go to the party tomorrow, okay?" 

"That sounds great!" Ditzy said. She couldn't bring herself to tell her friend what happened. "I sure hope we have a good time." 

Carrot Top hugged her friend. "So do I." 

Thanks for reading tell me what I could do better and what you think of the story. Thank you for reading. And I would appreciate your reviews. I must once again thank my amazing Beta reader for a A+ job. 

> party
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Our story continues on the next night, just before Ditzy and Carrot Top head off to the party.

Do I look okay, Ditzy asked herself. She felt self-conscious; she didn't like drawing attention to herself even though she did it all the time; most of the time it wasn't for good things. 

"You look great!" Carrot Top complimented. Ditzy went wall eyed as she blushed. Ditzy turned her attention to Dinky, who was standing next to her mother. 

"Now, Dinky, you'll be good for Nurse Redheart right?" Ditzy asked with a warm smile; she already knew the answer her "muffin" would give. 

"Yes, mommy." Dinky said with a hop. Ditzy nuzzled her daughter affectionately. A knock came from the door and Ditzy went to answer it. Nurse Redheart stood on the threshold of the door. 

"Hello Nurse Redheart." Ditzy greeted the white pony. The medical pony took a few steps into the small home. 

"Hello Ditzy, Carrot Top." Nurse Redheart said in her gentle yet stern voice. Dinky pressed her small unicorn body into the side of her mother. 

"Say hello Muffin." Ditzy said gently and pushed Dinky in front of Nurse Redheart. 

"Hello." Dinky looked down in her shy way. Nurse Redheart didn't look effected by Dinky's shyness. 

"Oh Ditzy, this can't be the little filly that I heard loves fun." Nurse Redheart put on a sly smile. 

"Fun! I like fun! Tell her Mom!" Dinky hopped around. Ditzy, Carrot Top, and Nurse Redheart shared a chuckle. 

"I know you like fun, but you'll have to have lots of fun with Nurse Redheart to prove to her that you like fun." Ditzy said with playfulness in her voice. Dinky hopped around Ditzy. Dinky was getting really excited for the night ahead. "Now, Nurse Redheart how much do you want per hour?"

"7 bits an hour sounds fair?" Nurse Redheart asked. Ditzy cringed; the whole night was going to be expensive. I can afford it... I think. 

"That sounds fair." Ditzy said tring to hide her concern with the price. Ditzy knew that if she asked Nurse Redheart would lower the price but she hated looking poor. 

"Okay. Well you girls have a good time." Nurse Redheart said. Carrot Top pushed Ditzy out the door, to get Ditzy stop giving Nurse Redheart special instructions and information on her unicorn daughter.
_________


Loud music, lots of dancing, and fun in overdrive, a typical Pinkie Pie party. Dizty watched the other ponies have fun dancing. Ditzy could dance... Well, she usually crashed into other ponies so she was content watching her best friend have fun dancing. 

Ditzy had figured out why it was an adult pony party. There was alcohol. Ditzy walked over to the drink table. She looked down at the punch bowl. She had never had any sort of alcohol before. She eyed the bowl. She wanted to smell it to make sure it  was okay. She leaned in a bit too far, falling face first into the purplish punch. 

She drank in large amounts of the liquid as she desperately attempted to breath. Then she felt a hoof pull on her scruff pulling her up and out of the bowl. 

"Jeeze Derpy I didn't know you liked the punch that much." It was Rainbow Dash, who was one of Ditzy's oldest "friends." Using the word friend was a stretch. Rainbow wasn't exactly the kindest pony but she tried to be nice... Sometimes. 

"I... I feel funny." Ditzy said as she went wall eyed but for whatever reason she couldn't get her eyes to refocus. Rainbow Dash slapped her on the back. 

"That’s what it will do to ya!" Rainbow Dash yelled. She took a long drink of the punch and flew off to party some more with the Elements of Harmony.

"Yeah! I have to be more careful!" Ditzy said in her happy voice to prove (to herself) that she was just fine with Rainbow Dash’s teasing.

Ditzy felt dizzy. She stumbled around until she found her original standing spot. She tried very hard to refocus her eyes but couldn't seem to manage it. I shouldn't let this stop me from having a good time! 

She trotted unsteadily to the edge of the dance floor. She looked down at her hooves trying to keep in beat with the music. She was doing alright considering her situation. Alright Ditzy just keep yourself in check lest we have the same accident as last year. 

Ditzy just was getting into the hang of it, when Carrot Top came over with a stallion. He had a brown coat with an hour-glass cutie mark. 

"Hey Ditzy, having fun?" Carrot Top asked. Ditzy though for a moment, she was actually having fun. 

"Yes I am." She said with a large flap of her wings to make her point. 

"That’s great. This is my new friend... Doctor Whooves was it?" Carrot Top inquired to the stallion. 

"You’re a doctor?" Ditzy asked suprised. “Do you work with Nurse Redheart?" 

"No, my dear, I'm not that kind of Doctor. I study... Well that's not important." Dr, Whooves said with an air of arrogance in his voice. The doctor walked away uninterested in the conversation the two mares were having. 


"I'm so happy for you Carrot Top, a date with a doctor!" Ditzy said excitedly. Carrot Top was just as excited if not more than Ditzy. 

"I know! I'll have to go get my hair done and maybe get something from Rarity." Carrot Top hopped around like a school filly. "We should find you a date! Then we can double date!" 

"Well, I don't know..." Ditzy said nervously. But Carrot Top I scare stallions off because of my eyes. She would never tell her best friend that though. "Maybe...”

"Howdy, Miss Doo." Said a deep and slow voice, She looked around to see Big Macintosh with a sprig of wheat in his mouth. "Y'all enjoying the party?" 

"Yes, thank you Mister Macintosh." Ditzy called back, her eyes still stuck in wall eyed mode so she couldn't clearly see him. Mister Macintosh sounded strange to hear; this was confirmed when he chuckled. 

"No one has ever called me Mister Macintosh before. Thank ya kindly but Big Macintosh or Macintosh will do, Miss Doo." Big Macintosh chucked at the remark he made. 

Ditzy felt funny when he laughed… his deep rumbling laugh seemed genuine and she enjoyed it. "You can call me Ditzy." 

"Ditzy? Well, alright. My apologies miss ah haven’t introduced myself." He held a hoof out to Carrot Top who blushed and took it, “Ah’m Big Macintosh." 

"I'm Carrot Top." Carrot Top said giddily. 

"Well, I got to go watch my sister; she tends to take drinking too far." Big Macintosh gave them one of his half smiles the made Ditzy's insides feel warm. Why am I feeling this way? 

She was still lost in her thoughts when Carrot Top put a hoof on her shoulder. 

"I can't believe he just came up and talked to us! He's usually so shy, that more words than I've ever heard him say." Carrot Top ranted, "I mean he talked to us! He’s just so...so..."

"Nice." Ditzy said absentmindedly. She covered her mouth with her hooves she hoped Carrot Top didn't get the implication from that. 

"Well, I would have said hunky but nice works too. But he is hunky I mean look at that flank...” 

"Carrot Top!" Ditzy said loudly blushing hard. She had been looking at it too but she wouldn't ever admit it.

"Oh come on, I see you looking." Carrot Top gave a light pat on Ditzy's shoulder. "Come on, let's go dance." 

Carrot Top pulled Ditzy on to the dance floor. Ditzy got into the motions of dancing again. She heard Vinyl Scratch put on another song, faster paced song with deep beats. Ditzy tried to keep up with the music but she felt the alcohol lurch in her stomach again. She fell a bit sideways then lost her balance completely. She expected to crash to the ground but felt large hooves under her. 

"Ah think y'all might of had too much of that punch, Ditzy," Macintosh set her upright as he spoke. She was struggling to maintain balance; her crossed eyes were not helping either, "Ditzy, y'all alright?" 

"I um think so!" She said happy. Her mind was being muddled by the alcohol. She had to lean on Big Macintosh to stand up right. 

"Nope," He said sternly. "When the party ends would y'all like me to walk y'all home?" 

"No, I think I'll be okay." Ditzy said as she attempted to stand. She managed it but only for a moment before she stumbled into a group of ponies, "Oh sorry." 

She looked back at Big Macintosh. Who, to her surpise, wasn't laughing at her, like other ponies were (but that rarely bothered her anyway), he just had an eybrow raised. Then he trotted off to another part of the party. 

---------

Ditzy managed to hold herself together and even managed to have some fun. Ditzy had even met some new ponies she had never talked to before but she still felt woozy from the punch. 

"Ditzy! There you are! Do you think you can get home okay by yourself?" Carrot Top said in a rushed. "I have something to do." 

Ditzy didn't even have time to think before Carrot Top said, "Good. Thanks Ditzy!" 

Carrot Top bolted out of the party room. Ditzy looked around to see Pinkie Pie and the Elements of Harmony cleaning up. Ditzy thought about helping but they wouldn't want her help anyway. She was lost in her thoughts when a hoof tapped her on the shoulder. 

"Miss Doo."Big Macintosh said gently, "Ah mean Ditzy. My offer still stands, would you like an escort home?" 

"I wouldn't want to impose." She said, she did want an escort home but she would be much more comfortable with a mare for obvious reasons. 

"It wouldn't impose. Ah have to escort them home too." He said with a chucked and pointed to at about half a dozen mares a bit behind him. "They had a bit too much punch too."

______

Big Macintosh led the mares to their homes. 

"Is this it Miss Heartstrings?" Big Macintosh asked. Heartstrings leaned in close to him. 

"You want to come inside?" She said in a tone that sounded strange to Ditzy. 

"Nope. Thank y'all for the offer." He said with a bead of sweat on his brow as he nervously adjusted him yolk on his neck, "But ah still got to get Ditzy home." 

Heartstrings hurphed and walked into her house. Big Macintosh sighed. The mares had been doing that to him all night. Ditzy stared at him with her eyes still stuck in wall-eyed mode making it hard to focus. He turned to Ditzy and his expression softened. 

"You ready to head home?" Big Macintosh asked in his deep yet gentle voice. 

"Yes, I should be getting home to Dinky." Ditzy said as they walked side by side. 

"Who's Dinky?" Big Macintosh inquired. 

"My daughter, she's such a sweetheart." Ditzy said and the thought of her daughter had brought her eyes back to normal. 

"Oh ah didn't realize you’re married. Ah'm sorry for calling you miss," Big Macintosh with a slightly disappointed look on his face. Ditzy wondered why he would be disappointed if she were married.

"I'm not." Ditzy said in a very small voice. 

"Oh Ah'm sorry..." He said then she saw a flash if realization on his face. They kept on trotting along in silence. 

"Ah know my opinion doesn't matter much, ah'm just a simple farmpony, but ah think that; that is dog-gone wrong thing to do to such a pretty mare." Big Macintosh said. 

"I..." Dinky started to say. Wait, did he just call me pretty? Oh, he was probably just being nice. 

Before they realized it they arrived at Ditzy's rather small home. 

"Thank you for taking me home." She said quickly and bolted inside. Big Macintosh sighed and began to trot away. Ditzy stared at him from the window a moment then sighed, alright go for it! 

She flung the door open and flew after him. She opened her wings and caught up with him, then gave him a peck on the cheek before flying quickly back into her house. 

Why did I do that! Stupid stupid stuipid, Ditzy thought to herself. 

"Ditzy? I that you," called Nurse Redheart from deeper inside the house. 

"Yes it's me, Nurse Redheart." Ditzy replied as the white medical pony came out into the living area. 

"Oh good. Dinky was just a little sweetheart." Redheart sighed, "It truly was a delight. Now, the agreed upon price, that would be 35 bits." 

Ditzy winced a little but paid Nurse Redheart in full. "Thanks for watching Dinky." 

"No problem dear. Thank you very much." Nurse Redheart took the bits and trotted out the door. 

Ditzy went to go check on her daughter. She trotted over to Dinky's room, and she opened the door to look at the small unicorn filly. She heard her daughter stir. She closed the door and trotted off to her own bed. 

Thank you for reading. I would like to thank all the support that everyone is giving and I would like to thank my beta reader. Please if you have idea suggestions or fixes please lt me 

> pond
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 A/N: I would like to thank all the reveiwers for giving me insipration to contiue this story. I would also like to thank my beta reader BlackRoseRaven. Please read and relax. 

We continue our story the next morning. 

Ditzy’s eyes cracked open. Her head was pounding with a moderate headache. The toasty early air crept into the room with a smell of morning, Not many ponies got up eariler than Ditzy besides the Apple family and Fluttershy to keep her animals. She had to start delivering mail early in order to finish before Dinky came home from school. 

Ditzy pulled herself from the warm comfort of her bed. She trotted out to her small but functional kitchen. She opened a cabinet and opened a packet of mini muffins that laid inside. I sure do love muffins. 

Ditzy ate about half the packet and put the rest on a plate with a note that read, "I hope you like these muffins my Little Muffin." She also wrote a smiley face below the note. She felt satisfied with herself as she trotted outside. She only had to go one building down because she lived right next to the post office. 

She slid the mail bag over her head to rest on her shoulder. Its familiar weight tugged at her gently. She trotted out into the day, feeling it warming her being. She looked up to see the earliest risers in the pegasus weather team kicking away the fluffy white clouds that had gathered over night. 

The first stop on Ditzy's route was her own house. She rummaged around in her mail bag finding her small pile of mail. She looked through her letters. Most of the mail was junk but one she had received was the same letter she dreaded every month: the bill. 

She slowly opened the letter and looked at the amount of bits due. She cringed at the number. Well at least we'll have enough to buy food. 

Ditzy walked along delivering mail to the correct houses (for the most part) quickly until her bag emptied out. She then trotted had to trot all the way back to the post office. 

_______

As she arrived back at the post office to add more mail to her bag, she was greeted by three young fillies. One was a yellowish earth pony, another a white unicorn and the last one was an orange pegasus. 

"Howdy, miss Ditzy!" The yellow one said with an accent very close to Big Macintosh's. 

"Uh, hello, I'm sorry but I don't think I know you." Ditzy said. They all took a step closer to her and she took a step back. 

"I'm Scootaloo." The orange pegasus said. She had a crazed look in her eyes. 

"I'm Sweetie Belle!" Said the white unicorn with the strange purplish mane. 

"Ah'm Applebloom and we're..." The yellow earth pony announced. They all took a deep breath. 

"THE CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS!" They all yelled in unison. Ditzy couldn't help but laugh at the strangeness of it all even though the yelling didn't help her headache. 

"Shouldn't you girls be heading off to school?" Ditzy asked, thinking that this was usually the time Dinky headed off to school. 

"It's Saturday." Scootaloo said. "So anyway, we thought we could get our cutie marks by helping you deliver the mail." 

Ditzy hadn't even noticed they didn't have their cutie marks. "Well, I don't know. It's a lot of work and if the mail isn't delivered right I get yelled at."  Celestia knows how often that happens.

"Please! We can help pull the mail or something," Sweetie Belle said. They all looked up at her with big eyes. 

"Alright, alright! When I run out of mail you go back to the post office to get more, sound fair?" Ditzy asked. The fillies gathered into a huddle whispering among themselves. 

"It’s a deal!" Applebloom held a hoof. Ditzy cautiously took it. She hoped she wouldn't regret this. 

_______

Ditzy walked her route delivering more mail. She felt like it was going well. With the fillies help she was making very good time. She really did enjoy her job; it gave her insight into the lives of other ponies. She could tell what ponies were like from what mail they received, how much mail, and what type of magazines they were subscribed to. 

Ditzy was quickly reaching the end of her route which meant she would be done for the day. 

"Alright girls, I'm gonna need a new bag of mail soon." Ditzy commanded; the three fillies knew the drill. They nodded and galloped off to retrieve more mail. 

She opened the mailbox of Sweet Apple Acres. She slid the mail inside the old metal mailbox. She decided to wait for the fillies there. As she stood she heard hoof steps coming towards her. She turned to see who was coming. It was the familar large workhorse. 

"Hello Big Macintosh." Ditzy said. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she saw his signature half smile. 

"Howdy, nice to see you here," He said as he reached into the mailbox to retrieve his mail. He causally looked through the letters. 

"It sure is nice. How are things on the farm?" It was the only thing she could think to say. She was getting nervous standing here next to him but he didn't seem to notice. 

"Lots of work needs to be done." He said. He didn't look too interested in conversation. Ditzy felt relief as she saw the three little fillies coming back with a mail bag. The three little fillies galloped right up to Ditzy. 

"Howdy, big brother!" Applebloom addressed Big Macintosh and Big Macintosh nuzzled his baby sister.  Ditzy almost facehoofed how did I not see that Applebloom, Big Macintosh! 

Scootaloo handed the mail bag to Ditzy. Ditzy looked into the bag and said, "It’s empty?" 

"Yeah, we thought we could deliver the mail on the way here, save us all time!" Sweetie Belle looked proud that the crusaders could deliver mail. 

"You delivered it to the correct houses, right?" Ditzy questioned. It didn't reassure her when the three fillies looked confused.

"You mean they weren’t already in order?" Applebloom asked. Ditzy's eyes dilated. She slung the bag over her shoulder and galloped of to town at full speed. 

__________


"DERPY!" A lot of ponies were yelling at her now. None of the mail the Crusaders had delivered ended up at the correct house. She had to go to each pony and explain why their mail wasn't at their house and why someone else had their mail. 

The longer this went on the more wall-eyed Ditzy became. The more wall-eye she became the more klutzy she became which made ponies even more mad at her. They called her stupid and incompetent. 

She managed after a long while to get the mail back to the correct ponies. She lowered her head to the ground, ears flat on her head. Her blond mane was messed up from the frantic work. She trotted slowly back to her home. Maybe they are right, I am stupid. 

She trotted into her home. Dinky was eating the muffins that Ditzy had placed on the table for her. She looked up at her mother in concern. "Mommy, are you alright?" 

Dinky went over and hugged Ditzy's foreleg. Ditzy responded, "Of course, Muffin, but how about you run along and play with Twist?" 

"Okay Mommy." Dinky said in a caring tone. She shouldn't have to worry about her mother. Ditzy thought to herself. Dinky finished off the last muffin, hugged her mother good bye, and went to go find her friend. 

Ditzy heaved out a sob once she was sure her daughter was gone. She began to cry, something she hadn't done in a while. She sobbed for a long time until she heard a knock on the door. She slowly got up and went anwser the door. 

She opened the door to see a very annoyed looking Big Macintosh, the three offending fillies standing right in front of him. 

"What do y'all say?" His voice was deep with authority. The three fillies cringed at the sound of his voice. 

"We're sorry Ditzy." The three said in unison. Big Macintosh eyed them as they walked away in shame. 

"Ah'm very sorry Ditzy. Don't y'all worry none they will think before acting next time. Applebloom won't be forgetting this for a while." Big Macintosh said gently as he noticed Ditzy had been obviously crying. 

"I should have thought before I said yes. I guess I'm just stupid like that." Ditzy said sadly. Big Macintosh put a hoof down hard. 

"Y'all arn't stupid!" He said clearly, "Ah'm sorry for raising my voice but y'all arn't stupid." 

Ditzy blushed slightly. "Thank you." She said in a small voice. 

"Here, let me make it up to y'all, would y'all like to have lunch today?" Big Macintosh asked. She couldn't see it but his face was getting warm. 

"Thank you for the offer, but I should wait for Dinky and her friend." Dinky said. She wanted to go with him but she had to wait for Dinky. 

"Well, invite them too, plenty of food." Big Mac suggested. Ditzy considered this before finally agreeing. 

"Alright." Ditzy said at a loss for more words. 

"Great, Ah'll be back around noon." Big Mac said with some excitement in his voice. He turned himself around and trotted away. 

_______


Ditzy walked next to Big Macintosh who was wearing saddle bags. She smiled as Dinky and Twist ran around them playing tag. She was glad her daughter had made a good friend. Big Macintosh didn't say much, she was glad for that; she wasn't in a talking mood. 

They walked along the road passing a few other ponies on the way. They came up on a pond that had a nice view of Sweet Apple Acers. 

"This is the spot." Big Macintosh said as he pulled a picnic blanket from his bag. 

"It has a nice view." Ditzy said looking over the rows and rows of apple trees. 

"Eeyup." He said, and that was all he needed to say as he began to take prepared food out of his bag. There were hay and flower sandwiches and apple based treats. 

Say something clever! Ditzy yelled at herself, "That looks great." 

"Thank you ah made this myself." Big Macintosh said with a bit of pride. They sat themselves down and watched the two fillies play. 

"Hey, Big Macintosh come over here!" Dinky called. Big Macintosh stood and trotted over to the two young fillies waiting by the edge of the pond. 

Ditzy watched as Big Macintosh made his way slowly to the two waiting fillies. He lowered his head so they could talk to them. He smiled and nodded. The two fillies climbed on to his back. Ditzy was wondering what was going on but found out soon enough. 

Big Macintosh loaded his weight on to his forelegs, then using his back legs he flung the filllies into the water. Ditzy gasped as she saw her daughter go at least 3 yards into the air. Both fillies laughed as they arced into the pond. 

The fillies’ heads popped up out of the water, "That was awesome!" Twist yelled. 

Ditzy trotted over to Big Macintosh. He raised an eyebrow and flashed her a grin. "Y'all want to go for a swim?" 

Ditzy shook her head, "No." 

To her suprise Big Macintosh wrapped a leg around her then he rolled himself and Ditzy into the pond. As they surfaced her eyes went wall eyed for a moment and she spat water into his face. 

"What you do that for?" Ditzy asked with a laugh. 

"Ah don't know, Ah guess I just slipped." He said with a sly smile. She splashed him. He splashed back but his splash was a lot larger. They had a short splash war but Macintosh was overwhelmed when Dinky and Twist joined in. They all joined together against him.  

They swam around for a bit. Big Macintosh pulled himelf out of the water. Ditzy admired his wet body for a moment but then caught herself and blushed.

"Alright everypony! Eat up!" Big Macintosh bellowed. They all ate happily. Dinky tried to recall some jokes but failed. They all chuckled at them anyway. 

After they finished eating, Big Macintosh picked up the picnic blanket and put it back in his bag. The fillies ran around for a bit as Big Macintosh and Ditzy watched. 

"Thank you, Big Macintosh." Ditzy said and she really meant it. He turned his head towards her. 

"Thank y'all for coming along. Ah would have felt mighty guilty because of my baby sister and all." Big Macintosh said gently. 

"It wasn't your fault but thank you for the lunch." Ditzy slid a little closer to Big Macintosh. 

"Well, can y'all do me a favor?" Big Macintosh asked. 

"Sure, what do you need?" Ditzy asked a little confused. 

Big Macintosh took a deep breath, "Would y'all let me take ya out to dinner sometime?" 

Ditzy went wall-eyed. She almost fainted. Did he just ask me to go on a... Da...date? 

"What?" She asked blankly. 

"Y'all arn't gonna make this easy on me? Would y'all like to go on a date?" Big Macintosh had a sheepish smile on his face. His sandy orange mane blew along with the breeze. 

Say yes dang it! She screamed inside, "Y...yes." 

She felt herself getting light headed. Her heart raced and had butterflies in her stomach. She refocused her eyes on the large stallion. He had a concerned look on his face. 

"Um how would Monday at seven sound?" He asked. Ditzy didn't know but he was just a nervous as her. 

"That sounds great." Ditzy said slowly. She was still a bit shocked. She hadn't even realized he noticed her in that way. Ditzy blushed. 

Twist and Dinky got tired of playing and walked up to Big Macintosh and Ditzy. "Twist needs to be heading home mom." 

"Okay, Muffin, we'll take her home. Thanks for lunch Macintosh, see ya later." Ditzy said quickly taking the two fillies with her. All she could think was, I have a date with Big Macintosh! 

A/N:
Thank you all for reading. Reviews keep this story going and I realy appreciate it. As always if you have any idea, suggestions, or fixes I'd love to hear them or feel free to contact me. 


> first date
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I really appreciate it. Once again I'd like to thank my beta reader. 

We rejoin Ditzy at her home on Monday talking to her very best friend Carrot Top.

"You have a date with Big Macintosh!" Carrot Top hopped around excitedly. Ditzy blushed as Carrot Top talked very fast and in a very high pitched voice. She spewed words at Ditzy. It almost made Ditzy laugh but she was so nervous over her date later that day. 

"Shhhhh! I don't want Dinky to know." Ditzy warned as she looked into the next room where Dinky was taking a nap. She looks so peaceful.

"Why ever not?" Carrot Top asked, a look of confusion on her face. Ditzy rubbed one hoof into the floor, and didn't look up at Carrot Top. 

"I havn't dated a stallion in a long time and I want to make sure she doesn't get too excited about it. I mean it might not work out." Ditzy said quietly. Ditzy hated disappointing Dinky and if Dinky caught wind of the prospect of having a "dad" she would get excited about something that had a likelihood of never happening. 

"Don't worry. Big Macintosh is as gentle as they come." Carrot Top put a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, and then embraced Ditzy in a hug: a surefire way to calm her. 

"Thank you." Ditzy said quietly, "Now what do I say? How do I act? How should I look?" 

Carrot Top was momentarily overwhelmed with the questions. "Ditzy, you'll be fine and just act like yourself. Now, how you look you look good, but we could make you look even better!" 

"Um...Alright." Ditzy said sheepishly. Carrot Top squeed and began to brush Ditzy's blond mane. She pulled out the knots that had formed in her mane from neglect. Carrot Top told Ditzy about previous dates that she had been on. They didn't inspire confidence in Ditzy. 

"And then it started to rain!" Carrot Top finished yet another account of a failed date. By this point Ditzy was getting very nervous about her upcoming date. 

"Do you have any stories about a good date?" Ditzy asked hopefully. Carrot Top thought for a moment. 

"Why yes I do!" Carrot Top announced as she started to style Ditzy's hair. "Well, it was quite a while ago." 

Ditzy listened to her friend's tale of meeting the young stallion, falling in love with him and then going on a few dates. Carrot Top seemed to be lost in her thoughts as she spoke of how the young stallion left town for a meeting and never came back. Ditzy realized the story had lasted for more than an hour. 

"That was quite a story, Carrot Top." Ditzy said; she desperately hoped that she could have an experience like that. Well, without the leaving forever part. 

"Yeah, it was but eventually I accepted that I needed to move on but he did bring something good into my life." Carrot Top said mysteriously, “Without him I would have never met a nice, caring, loyal, and honest gray mare, and I would never have such an amazing friend." 

Ditzy blushed at her friend's lavish compliments, "You’re a great friend too, you know." 

"Yes, and that's why if Macintosh ever hurts you he won't be having any foals soon." Carrot Top laughed. Ditzy also chuckled at her friend's comment. 

________


"So you’re sure you're okay with watching Dinky tonight?" Ditzy asked her friend. Carrot Top looked at Ditzy as if she were crazy. 

"Of cource I am. I've never seen a sweeter filly." Carrot Top complimented, "Besides she already knows how fun Auntie Carrot Top is!" 

"Thank you so much." Ditzy said. She was getting very nervous again with butterflies filling her stomach. 

"I see that look in your eyes again. Don't worry Ditzy; Big Macintosh will be just as nervous as you are." Carrot Top said. Big Macintosh nervous? How silly. I couldn't imagine him being nervous about going on a date with me. 

The clock on the wall chimed 6 times. Her date with the large farm pony would be approaching soon. 

"Mommy, why are you getting all prettied up?" Dinky asked. Ditzy hadn't even noticed that she had found her way into the room. 

"Well, my little Muffin, I have an important meeting to go to, but don't worry Auntie Carrot Top is gonna be here with you." Ditzy said with a smile. Dinky began to grin. She loved spending time with Carrot Top; they always had loads of fun. 

"Yay!" Dinky cheered. Carrot Top chuckled at the overly excited unicorn filly. Ditzy took a look outside. It seemed the pegasus ponies had cleared the sky for the night. 

Dinky hopped around then galloped into her room to find things for her and Carrot Top to play with. 

"Alright, he'll be here soon. When he comes I'll go and play with Dinky in another room, okay?" Carrot Top had planned out the scenario. Ditzy hoped it went as well as Carrot Top planed.

"Alright." Ditzy murmured the thought of being alone with Big Macintosh put butterflies in her stomach. She went wall-eyed with nervousness. 

"Geeze Ditzy it's only a first date." Carrot Top said, trying to calm her very nervous friend. They talked for a while before an expected knock came at the door. Carrot Top gave Ditzy a wink and went to play with Dinky. 

Ditzy nervously trotted to the door. She gathered herself then opened the door. Standing on the other side was the large red earth pony of the evening. He stood with a half smile, his usual yolk was gone. It looked like he actually combed his mane. 

"Howdy Ditzy, ah... Um... Got these for you," He said through the flowers he had in his teeth. Ditzy blushed and took them. She quickly found a vase to put them in. "Y'all look mighty pretty tonight." 

Ditzy melted at the compliment, "Thank you, and you look very nice too." 

They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Big Mac spoke up, "Well, let's get going." 

Ditzy nodded in agreement and she began to trot along side him. The night was warm even with the sun deep into its downward descent but not yet below the horizon. They walked on in awkward silence. 

"So where are we going?" Ditzy finally asked. She looked up at the large stallion. He looked down at her. 

"Well, to tell y'all the truth... Ah was so nervous about this I forgot to plan where to go." He said as they stopped on the path. He had a sheepish grin on his face. So he is as worried about this as I am. 

"That’s okay, how about Sugar Cube Corner?" Ditzy suggested. She hadn't eaten dinner, and there was no way sweets would fill her up, but it was the first thing she could think of. 

"That sounds mighty fine." Big Macintosh agreed. They began to trot along again. "So Ditzy, how is it delivering all the mail?" 

Good, a question she could answer, "Well, it's a lot of work because the mail that I get at the post office isn't always organized, and when that happens, the mail ends up where it shouldn't." 

Big Macintosh considered this for a moment. "Must be might stresful to have the responsiblity." 

Ditzy trotted along at a quicker pace trying to keep up with the large pony. "It is sometimes, but I enjoy it. Gives me something to be responsible for, other than Dinky." 

Big Macintosh slowed his pace when he realized he was going a bit fast. "Ah heard from Applebloom that Dinky is in her class. Strange I don't think Ah've seen you there before." 

"Usually, I pick up Dinky around the back... because that's near to where my route ends." Ditzy responded; it actually had nothing to do with her mail route, it was more self confidence issue. 

"Are ya sure? Ya sure it has nothing to do y'all don't want to show up the other mares?" Big Macintosh laughed playfully. Ditzy blushed but still smiled at the compliment. 

"Yeah, that's it!" Ditzy laughed. Her laugh was infectious because Big Macintosh started to chuckle as well. 

They continued to make small talk until they arrived at the candy clad building. Big Macintosh held the door open for Ditzy. Pinkie Pie was taking orders from the front counter. She gave a big smile when Big Macintosh and Ditzy entered. 

"Hi Big Red whatjadoin’?" Pinkie asked quickly. Big Macintosh looked to Ditzy and raised an eyebrow. 

"Howdy, we're just here for one of y'all's fine sweets." Big Macintosh said easily. Ditzy looked around at the very colorful room with a few ponies sitting around happily eating a few treats. 

"Ooooo, we have lots of those! What do ya want? We have ice cream and cakes, and cupcakes." Big Macintosh waited patiently for Pinkie Pie to finish. 

"Ditzy what would y'all like?" Big Macintosh asked Ditzy. Ditzy considered for a moment. 

"A cupcake sounds nice." Ditzy answered. Pinkie Pie looked excited; she hopped around, grabbing two cupcakes and put them on the counter at the same time as Mac put down the bits on the counter. The cupcakes looked delicious; the rainbow frosting covered the chocolate cupcake nicely. 

"Okie dokie loki, thank you!" Pinkie Pie said cheerfully, but when is she not cheerful. They took the cupcakes and took a table near a window. 

Ditzy giggled lightly as she looked at the small cupcake that was in front such a large pony. She took a bite of her own cupcake. She couldn't help but moan. Big Macintosh looked at her questioningly. He took a bite of his cupcake. His eyes shot wide open. 

"Dear Celestia! These are great!" Big Macintosh said clearly. Ditzy held a laugh at the large stallion's reaction to the cupcake. "Pardon me for raising my voice." 

Ditzy blushed at how polite he was. "They are pretty good." 

They devoured the rest of their cupcakes. A satisfied look graced both their faces. Ditzy heard her stomach growl. 

"Oh sorry, but I didn't have anything to eat before I came." Ditzy said sheepishly while Big Macintosh facehooved. 

"Oh, Ah'm sorry..." Big Macintosh said quietly. They sat in a very awkward silence. Come on Ditzy say something!  But she couldn't think of anything to say; luckily he said something. "Ah know, how about I get y'all something to eat at the farm?" 

"Uhhh...alright." Ditzy said.

____

Sweet Apples Acres was very quiet with all the work that needed to be done, was done. The apple trees swayed slightly in the breeze. The small, not yet ready to be harvested apples glistened in the moonlight. 

Big Macintosh was giving her a tour of the farm. "And finally this is the house that my family and Ah live in." 

Ditzy nodded, interested in his life. It was very different from hers. He had a lot to do all the time. It was surprising that anypony could keep the work up at all. She watched the stallion with the proud gleam in his eye as he spoke of his family. 

"Granny Smith is a bit peculiar but Ah assume it comes with age. She makes the best darn pies and is the only one who truly knows how to make zap apple jam. Apple Jack is my oldest little sister and is a very hard worker. She's very honest, just like all the Apple family, but she owns the farm and does a mighty fine job even if she ain't good at numbers. Apple Bloom is a bit of a troublemaker, though she tries to be good: she just goes about it wrong… and then there is simple ol' me." Big Macintosh finished. Ditzy was suprised at the praise he gave his family but how little he gave himself credit. 

"Wow, you have quite a family." Ditzy said. He looked at her with a gentle smile that warmed her insides. They walked into the house. The house was quiet. Granny Smith sat in a chair, asleep and snoring. 

A tump came from upstaires. "Big Mac, is that you?"

"Eeyup!" Big Macintosh called back. The sounds of hoof steps came down the stairs. A moment an orange mare appeared. She wore a Stetson hat sat on her blond-maned head. 

"Howdy, so this is the special mare y'all were telling me about Big Mac?" Applejack questioned. Big Macintosh gave a shy grin. Ditzy blushed. Special mare?  

"Eeyup, Ditzy, this is my sister Applejack." Big Macintosh introduced. 

"Nice to meet you." Ditzy said slowly, making sure her nervousness didn't confuse her words. She saw the resemblence in of Big Macintosh in Applejack, very sturdy would be a good term. 

"Well, howdy, nice to meet ya too!" Applejack greeted, thrusting her hoof into Ditzy's hoof and shaking it violently. "It’s awful quick to bring a mare home Mac, but if y'all want to get busy..."

Ditzy saw him blush, yes, blush through his crimson coat. She could feel her face getting warm too. "Applejack!" 

"Ah'm just messing with ya." Applejack chuckled playfully. Big Macintosh grunted. "What are y'all doing here anyways?" 

"Ditzy didn't have dinner." Big Macintosh said shortly. Applejack chuckled at her brother's frustration.  Applejack trotted upstairs. 

"There should be some left over dinner in the fridge!" Applejack called before she was out of earshot. 

"Sorry about that." Big Macintosh apologized. Ditzy could still see he was blushing a bit, it made her chuckle.  Big Mac led her to the kitchen. She sat down at the dining table. He took a bowl of stew from the refrigerator. 

He put the stew from the bowl into a pot and began to heat it up. 

"Y'all want a tour of our humble home?" Big Macintosh said his blush finally fading away. Ditzy nodded. He led her around the house ending the tour by his room; which was close to the kitchen. 

"And this is my room." Big Macintosh said proudly. Ditzy looked inside and noticed something sitting on a desk in the corner. 

"Is that a doll?" Ditzy asked. Big Macintosh responded with a sheepish smile. She couldn't hold back her laughter. She laughed for a few moments before calming down enough to speak. "I’m sorry, Macintosh." 

"It's alright. Ah'd imagine if I was in your hoofs I would laugh too." Big Macintosh murmured. She felt kind of bad for laughing at him. Why did I laugh? He never laughed at me. 

He took the few steps back into the kitchen, and he served the stew into bowls. Ditzy took a bowl and quietly ate her stew. Big Macintosh looked into his stew not saying anything either. They finished their soup in silence. 

"Ah'm sorry for being rude, I shouldn't be fuming about y'all laughing. I am a fully grown stallion, Ah shouldn't have a doll." Big Macintosh said in a deep and sad voice. 

Ditzy forced herself not to go wall eyed from shame, "'No. I shouldn't have laughed. I'm sorry; you should have whatever you want. I should have expected it: you’re so sweet and kind...” Ditzy realized she was talking out loud she covered her mouth with both hooves. 

"That's mighty kind of y'all to say." Big Macintosh said. He slid a bit closer to her. She slid a bit closer to him. They leaned in close. Very close. Then their lips touched just for a moment but that moment Ditzy felt like she was riding on cloud nine above Cloudsdale and all of Equestria. 

"Its getting late, ah'll take y'all home." 

A/N: I thought was sweet, what do y'all think. I'd really like to hear your feed back but I also aprriceate the people who just read the story too. Thanks y'all 
> Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

This will be a chapter with what I think is a sad story in it. But I'm ever so happy about all the support this story is getting. My thanks goes out to my reviewers and faithful readers and of course my amazing beta reader, BlackRoseRaven. 
We rejoin our two lovebirds a few months later. Ditzy and Big Macintosh have been dating for a while and they often visit each other during the day. 

Ditzy turned on the oven light and checked on the muffins. She shut off the oven light and went back to her to neatening her house. The house wasn't messy but it could use a cleaning. It didn't take her long to dust and reaching the high places were no problem due to her wings. She whistled a happy tune. 

Her life had been good since she started to date Big Macintosh, but feeling so good also made her worry, strangely enough. She was worried that he would lose interest in her and break her fragile heart, but nothing so far gave her any indication that he was losing interest. 

Ditzy opened the drapes, letting the late afternoon sun break into the room. It was warm with late summer's heat. Ditzy took in the view through the window; the other ponies had begun to come back from work. She saw Carrot Top in the distance, coming towards Ditzy’s house at a slow trot. Ditzy waved at her friend, but she was too far away to see the wave.

Ditzy prepared herself for the endless questions about Macintosh and her latest date. Carrot Top had made it a habit to come over to Ditzy's and talk about what happened. It was usually good for some embarrassment. Ditzy loved Carrot Top, but Carrot Top's questions could be awkward. 

The door swung wide open as Carrot Top pranced into the room. "Good afternoon Ditzy."

"Hello Carrot Top. What brings you here?" Ditzy asked even though she knew the answer. 

"Oh you know, check on my very best friend, make sure she's okay, and," Carrot Top took in a deep breath. Ditzy could tell she was about to ask one of her favorite questions. "Did you do the horizontal dance?"

Ditzy felt her cheeks get hot. She responded, "No. Come on, Carrot Top; he hasn't even told me he loves me. He's too much of a gentlecolt to want to do that before he tells me that he loves me.  I doubt he has even thought about doing that." 

"Ditzy, you don't know much about stallions, do you?" Carrot Top laughed. Ditzy hid her concern from her friend. He hadn't told her he loved her and it made her worry. True, she hadn't told him that she loved him because she was worried he'd break her heart. 

"Well... I....um.... guess not?" Ditzy said questioningly, not knowing what her friend was getting at.

"Well, it's not important. What is important is: did you enjoy yourself?" Carrot Top asked a question that had a very easy answer for Ditzy. 

"Yes I did. We had a very nice dinner, he's quite the cook you know, and then we just walked and talked." Ditzy sighed, recalling the events it was nice.

"That's nice. You've been seeing each other for a little while, so… have you told Dinky?" Carrot top asked. This was a new question. She thought about it, but she never actually told her daughter why Big Macintosh came over so much. 

"Actually, no." Ditzy said rather surprised that she hadn't told her own daughter that she was seeing Big Macintosh. 

"You think it's about time?" Carrot Top suggested. Carrot Top put on a face of genuine concern.

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know." Ditzy murmured to herself more than Carrot Top. 

"It would be respectful to him." Carrot Top reasoned. Carrot Top made a good point in Ditzy's mind. 

"True. Alright I'll tell her." Ditzy said with confidence. The oven buzzer went off and Ditzy fluttered over to the oven. She tested the muffins and pulled them out when she was confident that they were done. 

"Smells good. What are ya making there?" Carrot Top asked, quickly eyeing the fresh muffins that were sitting on some cooling racks on the counter. 

"Butterscotch banana muffins." Ditzy said proudly. Sometimes she wondered why she didn't have a muffin cutie mark.

"They smell great." Carrot Top drooled over the muffins. The two mares each took a muffin and ate. 
_____
Ditzy waited outside of the elementary school for Dinky. The day was sunny but with a wind that rustled the trees. That reminded her that the pegasus ponies would be bringing in a storm later. She made a mental note of that. 

As she waited a familiar shadow overcame her. She smiled as she felt the familiar large head nuzzle her neck. "Hey Mac." 

"Howdy sugar cube." Big Macintosh said in his usual soft spoken way. He had taken to calling her sugar cube; it was a term he usually reserved for his family. She nuzzled him back for a moment. 

The school bell rang and loads of excited colts and fillies ran out of the school. Ditzy took a quick step back from Big Macintosh which caused him to shoot her a questioning look. She gave a sheepish smile. 

"Hey Macintosh." Apple Bloom said, trotting up in front of her big brother. She gave a slight nod to Ditzy; they weren’t exactly on speaking terms but Apple Bloom wasn't one to hold much of a grudge and neither was Ditzy. 

"Howdy Apple Bloom, ready to head home?" Big Macintosh asked. 
"Eeyup." She stole his line. 

"I'll see y'all later Ditzy." Big Macintosh said lazily as he walked away with Apple Bloom. 

Ditzy waited around for Dinky. It didn't take long before the gray unicorn filly approached. "Hi mommy." 

"Hello Muffin, how was your day?" Ditzy said. She decided that the best time to tell her daughter would be on the walk home. 

"Well, I found out I'm good at math." Dinky said. Ditzy gave a surprised look. Not because she thought her daughter was terrible at math it was, but because she was terrible at math. 

"That's great sweetie." Ditzy put on a cheerful face. Okay might as well get it over with. "No doubt you've noticed Big Macintosh coming around a lot lately, and I just want you to know we're dating." 

Ditzy waited for a shocked response about how Dinky would have never known: "Well, duh mom."

Ditzy laughed; she had been so worried that Dinky would overreact, she forgotten that Dinky could make observations on her own. "Well, my observant pony, I have some muffins at home." 

"Yay!" 
________

"Okay Muffin, you have fun!" Ditzy called to her daughter, who was going to go off and play at Twist's house. 

"I will mommy." Dinky said, and excitedly ran off to join her friend, who was waiting at the door. They quickly disappeared, but Ditzy could still hear their happy laughter on the breeze. The day was quickly giving in to night so Dinky would be staying at her friend's house, which was fine with Ditzy. 

Ditzy laid down on the couch she had in the living room and quickly dozed off: half dreaming. 

She was awoken by a loud knock on the door. Only one pony knocks that hard. Ditzy quickly shook the sleepiness from her eyes. She rolled off the couch and headed over to the door. She opened it to see the stallion she'd been expecting. 

"How’re y'all doing this, fine evening sugar cube?" Big Macintosh smiled. She motioned for him to come inside. 

"Well it won't be so nice soon… a storm is scheduled to come through here tonight." Ditzy said with a bounce in her words. Macintosh took a quick look out the window and up at the sky. 

"Eeyup." He said signature line. It was a simple answer and Ditzy could appreciate that. They took a seat in the living room and talked about how the fillies were doing; the farm, the mail, and then it reached the subject of Dinky as Ditzy mentioned: "I told Dinky we're dating today."

Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow. "Y'all just told her?" 

"Yeah." Ditzy murmured, not wanting to explain any further. 

"Any reason why?" Big Macintosh had a slightly hurt look on his face. He was trying to hide it, but Ditzy could tell it was there. 

Ditzy took a deep breath. "Well, I know this is getting ahead of myself, but I was worried that if she found out that she had the prospect of having a dad… "Ditzy blushed. “Then she would get too excited about it."

Macintosh thought this over a moment. "Ah see. Wait, has she never met her dad?" 

Ditzy's pupils narrowed in terror just for a moment, but long enough for Big Macintosh to see. He looked at her with a gentle face and concern in his eyes. 

Ditzy sighed. "I don't even know who her dad is." 

The statement confused Big Macintosh, but he knew that it was bad so he nuzzled her to comfort her. Then a flash of an idea appeared on his face, "Is she adopted?" 

Ditzy shook her head. "No. She is mine but..." 

Big Macintosh took his yolk off in preparation of a long conversation, "Ditzy y'all don't have to tell me. If it hurts ya too bad…"

"I'll tell you, but I haven’t shared this story with anyone but Carrot Top. I haven’t even told Dinky, I’ve always avoided the subject." Ditzy took a long calming breath, "It happened on a visit to Manehattan...

______
Ditzy looked up at the tall skyscrapers of the big city. Some of them reached as high as the clouds. The sun was beating down on the paved streets and it was starting to warm up the spaces between the buildings. 

Ditzy made her way through the crowd. There were a lot of ponies in the growing metropolis of Manehattan. It was so different where she came from: Ponyville. No pony was greeting any pony else. It was rather depressing, but Ditzy came to visit the city to see what it offered.

She thought about flying through the air, but she wasn't the best of fliers and she was afraid she'd hit some pony else, so she just kept with the crowd. It was getting very hot, but Ditzy didn’t have enough bits to buy the overpriced water vendors were selling from their street stands. 

Ditzy kept walking and sweating, not seeing anything of interest. Ponies everywhere and there seemed to be no end to the massive city. She decided that she would definitely not like to live here. Too loud and crowded, and no pony seemed to care about any other pony. 

Once Ditzy realized she didn't belong in the city, she turned around and started to head to the train station. It was getting late, and Ditzy hoped that the last train had not left, but as she arrived at the train station the pony working at the ticket booth closed the grate over the both and put up a sign that read "closed." 

"Miss?" Said a stallion that had been standing close by. Ditzy turned to face the stallion, he was a tall (but not as tall as Big Macintosh) unicorn stallion with a grey coat, just like hers, and a yellowish mane. "I couldn’t help but notice, that you missed that last train, and you look pretty hungry." 

"I guess I am." Ditzy said sadly, her eye's slipping to wall-eyed. 

"Oh my, you have the prettiest eyes. I couldn't let a pretty mare like yourself go hungry. Come on, I'll buy you some dinner." The nice stallion said. Ditzy nodded eagerly and followed the pony along the road to a corner diner. It was an aging place but the food was warm and tasty. 

The stallion graciously paid for the meal and Ditzy happily ate the warm food, letting all her worries go. She felt safe with the strange pony even though she didn't know his name. 

After the meal the gray unicorn said, "I doubt you have anywhere to stay, you can stay with me tonight." 

He gave her a strange look, like he was eyeing her Ditzy replied, "Thank you." 

He led her the short way to his apartment building. His apartment was nice and cozy but very non-descript. Ditzy realized she had no idea where she was but she didn't let it bother her, she was safe, wasn't she? 

"I don't know how I can thank you enough for how kind you are, mister." Ditzy said gratefully.
He almost growled, "Oh I can think of something." 

He put a hoof on her flank which caused her to blush, but not in a good way. "Thank you but no, I'd rather not...." 

He shook his head. He tackled her, overpowering her by a large margin and then... Then.... 

________
Ditzy was crying by this point. She leaned into Big Macintosh, who held her close. He had a tear forming in his eye as well, "Ah'm very sorry Ditzy. Ah would never do something so horrendous to y'all. If Ah ever saw the pony ever he wouldn't be walking ever again." 

Ditzy didn't respond; she could only keep of crying with heavy sobs. Tears ran in streams down her face. She couldn't see anything though the stinging salty tears. Big Macintosh hugged her close.

"Sugar cube, I have something to tell y'all." Big Macintosh had a tear running down his face, "Ah love you. Ah’ll always take care of you and dinky too. Ah’ll never let anything happen to y’all if it’s the last thing Ah do. Ah’m not good at words, but  Ah want y’all to know you’re the… Ah confound my lack of words. All Ah can say is Ah love you." 

Ditzy kept on sobbing even as she looked at him and gave a minute smile. "I love you too."

Big Macintosh held her tight and let her sob into him. She held on to him and felt true comfort in his presence.

Well that was 
> love is magic
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

 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.

> What?
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Hello and thank you for coming to view another chapter. Please read and relax thank you.

We rejoin Ditzy in the morning three weeks after the lovebird's interment encounter. 

Ditzy's eyes slowly opened and she groaned. She felt like her stomach had turned inside out and all of its contents trying to force their way back the way they had entered. Ditzy thought about staying in bed, but she knew with her pay cut she couldn't afford take a day off.

She rolled herself out of her bed. She rushed to the bathroom and released the contents of her stomach into the toilet. She groggily trotted out into the kitchen to prepare herself a breakfast, but the sight of any food made her stomach twist, so she just trotted out the door.

Ditzy made the short distance to the post office. She found her mail bag filled to the brim with letters. At least it looked like it had been organized today. The weight of the bag seemed about a million times heavier than usual. It didn't help her at all that her eyes had gone wall eyed.

She trudged along her usual mail route, but to Ditzy it seemed to take much longer than usual. She walked slowly from one house to the next; delivering the letters that household had received that day.

Her stomach lurched and she gave a dry heave as she put mail in another mailbox. She put the last of the mail she had in her bag into a mail slot on the house the letters were addressed to. She almost dragged herself back to the post office to retrieve another bag of mail.

When she reached the post office she felt another wave of nausea hit her like a bag of bricks. Ditzy decided it was for the best that she finished her work quickly.

______________
By the time she was done delivering the mail, the nausea had worn off and her eyes had returned to normal. It was about noon, so she decided to have some lunch. She trotted happily deeper into town.

She spotted her very best friend Carrot Top at a café. Ditzy galloped over to her friend.

"Hi Carrot Top." Ditzy said with a smile. Carrot Top grinned back.

"How are you doing?" Carrot Top asked. Carrot Top motioned for Ditzy to sit, which she did.

"I felt really sick this morning, but now I feel fine, but boy am I hungry!" Ditzy said eagerly. Carrot Top gave her a curious look as the waiter came up to the table.

"Are you ready to order, ladies?" The waiter asked politely. Ditzy looked at the menu then grunted, dissatisfied with the selection.

"I'll have a daisy and hay sandwich." Carrot Top said and pushed the menu towards the waiter.

"Do you have any pickled onions?" Ditzy asked the waiter, who gave her a surprised look.

"Uhh....yes, but those are usually only to add flavor. Not just to eat." The waiter said. Ditzy shot him a look of annoyance. "Uhhh... Yes, pickled onions, right away miss."

Carrot Top had a surprised look on her face. "Ditzy, you hate onions and pickled things."

"Yeah, weird huh? I just got the feeling that I wanted to eat some onions, and then I thought pickled onion sounded just delicious." Ditzy giggled happily. Carrot Top smiled, but had a look of preoccupied thought on her face.

"So anyway, how have you been?" Ditzy asked. The question snapped Carrot Top out of her thoughts.

"Well, I'm great. Business is good and stuff." Carrot Top responded quickly. They chatted for a few minutes. Their food arrived and Ditzy got her pickled onions. They smelled horrid, but still had a crunchy texture.

Ditzy gobbled up the onions as Carrot Top took a bite of her sandwich. Ditzy took only moments to eat all the onions. Carrot Top stared at her friend, amazed.

"You sure like those..." Carrot Top commented. Ditzy smiled and let out a small burp.

"Excuse me. Those were really good, I don't know what got me craving them." Ditzy said. Carrot Top had an idea about where her craving had come from.

"Remember to take a mint, Ditzy." Carrot Top smelled the breath that the onions had given her friend. Ditzy saw her friend go into another state of deep thinking and it started to concern Ditzy.

"Are you alright?" Ditzy asked. Carrot Top snapped out of her thinking again. Carrot Top looked into her worried friend's face and sighed.

"Ditzy... Have you and Big Macintosh...ummm..." Carrot Top looked around to make sure no pony was listening in on the conversation. "Done the do?"

Ditzy flushed red and that was all the answer Carrot Top needed, but Ditzy responded. "Yes, we...um...did."

Carrot Top sighed. "Alright, after we're done here, come home with me."
___________

Ditzy held the test in her hooves; a shocked look on her face. She stuttered when she spoke. "T-this can... Can't be r-right!"

"Ditzy, you've done the test 3 times." Carrot Top said very gently to her shocked friend. Ditzy started to hyperventilate, and sweat forming on her brow: she felt light headed and her legs felt weak.

"I-I... What do I do?" Ditzy asked quietly, her eyes were wide with desperation and they were on the verge of going wall-eyed. Carrot Top held Ditzy close. A few tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped down onto the floor.

"You have to tell Big Macintosh." Carrot Top suggested. That didn't calm Ditzy down any. Her eyes slipped into wall-eyed mode.

"But what if he doesn't want it? What if he dumps me? What if he makes me get rid of it? What if he doesn't love me anymore? What if..." She asked, her questions quickly becoming faster. Carrot Top put hoof a to Ditzy's mouth.

"Now, Ditzy, does Macintosh seem like he would do any of those things?" Carrot Top asked, and in response Ditzy shook her head no. "Well, we'll go talk to him. I'll be with you the whole time to support you."

"O-okay." Ditzy whispered nervously. Carrot Top hugged her expecting friend. She was confident that Big Macintosh would do the right thing, and if not Carrot Top would have to resort to drastic measures.

___________

Overcast skies loomed over Sweet Apple Acers. It accented the mood that Ditzy felt. I was so stupid. Why didn't I think to use protection? Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Now, Mac is going to hate me. 

The walk to Sweet Apple Acers has been silent. Ditzy wouldn't be talking at a moment like this and Carrot Top couldn't think of anything to say. Carrot Top had gotten Dinky from school while Ditzy took the test...3 times. She had dropped off Dinky at her friend’s and explained to Twist's parents that there was an emergency, and they said they were glad to watch Dinky.

The farm seemed quiet as the two mares walked closer to the house. They spotted Big Macintosh talking with his younger two sisters near the porch of the house. When the two mares saw them, Ditzy froze in her tracks, eyes dilated in fear.

"Just a little bit more Ditzy, He's just over there." Carrot Top gently motivated her friend. She was an earth pony so she could pull Ditzy along with relative ease. Big Macintosh was the first to notice them.

"Howdy, Miss Carrot Top." Big Macintosh greeted. He turned to greet Ditzy, but when he saw the look on her face and he softened his expression. "Sugar Cube, y'all alright?"

Ditzy just stood, frozen in fear. Her expression didn't change and she seemed as if she wasn't even breathing.

Applejack noticed something was amiss, so she said, "Come on Apple Bloom, we have something...uh...important to do."

"We do?" Apple Bloom said, confused. Applejack pulled her sister along into the house.

"She has something very important to tell you." Carrot Top said. She knew that it was important that Ditzy had to tell him herself. Carrot Top nudged her side.

"Ditzy, ya know ya can tell me anything." Macintosh said softly. Ditzy started to hyperventilate...again. Carrot Top put a hoof on her friends shoulder to calm her.

“BigmacintoshI'mpregentwithyourfoal." Ditzy whispered quickly. Big Macintosh looked confused.

"Ah'm sorry, Sugar Cube, Ah couldn't hear y'all." Big Macintosh said gently. He lowered his head to her height to hear better.

Ditzy took a large and long breath. "Mac... I...I'm pre...pregnant...with your foal."

His half open eyes shot wide open and the wheat sprig that he held in his mouth dropped to the ground. He looked just as afraid as Ditzy did. They both stood there frozen while Carrot Top watched, unsure of what to do.

Big Macintosh made several sounds like he was trying to form a sentence. He shook his head and gathered himself. "Ditzy...Ah... Ah don't know what to say..."

"I'm sorry Mac, I didn't know I would get pregnant, I'm sorry!" Ditzy babbled. Carrot Top was about to speak up that Ditzy shouldn't be apologizing, but Macintosh did that for her.

"Y'all have nothing to apologize for. Ah'm the one who got us into this predicament. Ah should have thought ahead before we...ahem..." Big Macintosh broke off.

They stood there awkwardly for another period of time. To Carrot Top's surprise Ditzy spoke up. "W-what are we going to do, Mac?"

"Ah said Ah would always be there for ya and Ah meant it. It's important that y'all to know Ah'm not ashamed of this. Ah love you." Big Macintosh said keeping his usual level headedness. He looked back at the house and sighed. "Ah'm going to have to tell Applejack."

They trotted closer to the house. "It’s probably for the best that y'all stay on the porch."

Carrot Top and Ditzy took a seat on the porch. The door closed behind him as Big Macintosh entered the house. Ditzy sat there quietly muttering things to herself. Then she felt the house rattle with Applejack's voice.

"WHAT?" They could hear Applejack scream. Ditzy could hear the conversation painfully clearly through the window.

"Ah got Ditzy pregnant." Big Macintosh said, standing firm even after his sister's reaction.

"Ah bet that... that hussy seduced ya!" Applejack yelled at him. Ditzy could hear him stomp a hoof.

"Don't call her a hussy." Big Macintosh said firmly. Then Ditzy heard a third pony enter the room.

"What's all the yellin' about?" It was Apple Bloom. Ditzy hoped that Big Macintosh would say something tactful to Apple Bloom.
Instead Applejack spoke first. "Not much, besides our big brother KNOCKED UP his marefriend!"

"Knocked up? Did you beat her up Macintosh? That's not nice." Apple Bloom asked, confused. Luckily, it was Big Macintosh to speak first this time.

"No, Sugar Cube, it means Ah got her pregnant." Big Macintosh said softly.

"You mean Ah'm gonna be an aunt? Yay!" Apple Bloom yelled. That made Ditzy smile. At least some pony was excited about this foal.

"No Apple Bloom, not yay. Obviously our big brother didn't think of us at the time." Applejack lowered her voice a little.

Ditzy heard Big Macintosh laugh a little. "At the time Ah tried not to."

Ditzy blushed slightly at Macintosh's sly comment. Ditzy could almost hear Applejack growl. "Y'all think yer real funny now don't ya? Apple Bloom, go get the mares outside some tea."

Applejack continued to yell at Big Macintosh as Apple Bloom brought Carrot Top and Ditzy some tea and muffins.

"Ah heard ya like muffins so I brought y'all this." Apple Bloom said kindly, giving her a muffin.

Ditzy looked at the filly and gave a small smile. "Thank you."

"So.... Are ya going to marry Big Macintosh?" Apple Bloom asked. This brought Ditzy back a little.

"I hope to." Ditzy said quietly.

Apple Bloom squeed a little. "So... How did ya get pregnant? Ah mean, did Macintosh hug you too hard or something?"

Ditzy and Carrot Top flushed red. Ditzy muttered: "I guess you could say that."

They could hear Applejack's voice calm down a little. "You're setting a bad example for Apple Bloom, Macintosh. Not every stallion is as honest as you. What if some stallion gets her pregnant and leaves her? What then?"

"Ah didn't think of that." Big Macintosh said thoughtfully. It saddened him to think of things like that.

"That's right! Ya didn't think!" Applejack made her point. "It's not that I don't support ya doing the right thing, but y'all could have thought it through."

"Ah'm sorry." Big Macintosh sighed.

"Don't be apologizing to me. Ya go on out there and do the right thing, Big Macintosh." Applejack said.

Big Macintosh trotted out of the house and onto the porch where the two mares with tea were waiting. Ditzy looked at him with sad yet hopeful eyes. He gave her a half smile. She gave a sweet smile back. Carrot Top looked at the way Big Macintosh looked at Ditzy and decided that Ditzy was in good hooves, and she could leave.

"Well...I got to go...um...do stuff." Carrot Top excused herself from the situation and quickly trotted away.

Ditzy barely noticed she left. Ditzy couldn't think of much to say so she said how she felt." Mac, I love you."

"Ah love you too, Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh said. They kissed but it was broken by Apple Bloom.

"EEWWW!" Apple Bloom groaned. Big Macintosh smiled and laughed. His laugh made Ditzy feel warm on the inside and she laughed with him.

"You'll understand one day, Apple Bloom."
_________
After leaving the farm, Big Macintosh and Ditzy decided they would tell Dinky about the situation. Dinky walked into the living room where Big Macintosh was already waiting.

"Hi Macintosh!" Dinky said happily. Big Macintosh smiled back at the filly.

"Howdy." Big Macintosh responded. Ditzy sat on the couch next to Macintosh. "Dinky, we have something to tell you. Now it's important that you don't get too excited." Ditzy said sweetly.

"Okay mommy." Dinky replied.

"Well...mommy is going to have another foal." Dinky said quickly. Dinky looked up at Ditzy, then to Macintosh, then back again.

"What?" Dinky asked in a very confused voice.

"You're gonna have a baby sibling, Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh gently answered.

"R-really?" Dinky stammered. Her eyes grew large in surprise.

"Yes Muffin." Ditzy nuzzled her daughter. "How do you feel about that?"

"I...I don't know." Dinky muttered quietly. "Is Macintosh the dad?"

"Eeyup." Macintosh said anxiously, worried about how Dinky would react.

"Oh...okay." Dinky pulled herself from in between Macintosh and Ditzy and walked away. Ditzy looked at Macintosh nervously.

"Ah'm sure it's just a shock to her." Big Macintosh reassured Ditzy.

She looked at him with worried eyes and said. "I hope so."

A/N: Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your ideas, suggestions and fixes. Thank you. 

> Abort
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello everyone. I've got into a habit of typing these chapters so I hope I update fast enough for you. I thank my faithful reviewers and my great beta reader. 

We rejoin Ditzy soon after she learned of her pregnancy. 

Ditzy smiled to herself. Big Macintosh had made her breakfast before he went off to work. He had been doing that a lot lately. She looked at the bowl of oatmeal. She would normally prefer muffins, but she couldn't reject a good breakfast. She casually ate the oatmeal. 

Ditzy limbered herself up before she went out into brisk fall air. She stretched her legs, then her wings then neck. She promised herself she was going to make this a great day. She trotted out of her home whistling a happy tune. 

Ditzy delivered the mail very fast and she was sure that the letters went to the correct homes. This meant no getting yelled at, which is always nice. On her route, Ditzy actually talked to a few ponies she hadn't talked to in a long while.

It was all going dandy until Ditzy's acquaintance, Golden Harvest, mentioned: "So I heard you're pregnant." 

"Umm...yeah." Ditzy said quietly. Golden Harvest looked at her with a strange smile. 

"Oh my, and still not married are you?" Golden Harvest asked. 

Ditzy, not sure where she was going with this, responded: "No." 

"Oooohhh! Illegitimate foal then." Golden Harvest squeaked. "Wait till the girls hear this!"

"Wait, what?" Ditzy tried to say but Golden Harvest had already galloped away. Okay Ditzy, don't let this ruin your day. You still have lunch with Mac. Ditzy thought to herself. 

Ditzy put back on her smile. The day was sunny, but the cool breeze sucked any warmth there was in the air. Ditzy walked her way to Sugar Cube Corner; she had decided that she needed a little treat. She could afford it because with Big Macintosh supporting her, she had a little money left over. 

She selected a small strawberry shortcake. She paid Mr. Cake for the treat and she sat at one of the colorful tables to enjoy her pastry. She savored each bite, letting the flavors developed over time. The cake wasn't large by any means, so she finished it quickly. 

Ditzy left the building. She looked up into the sky, seeing a few pegasi flying around. She flashed her wings out; she had spotted a soft looking cloud hanging just above the town, and took to the air. She flapped her wings, gaining altitude. She landed on the soft cloud. It had been a long time since she had taken a nap on a cloud. She fluffed up the cloud and curled into a ball. Ditzy found that she quickly dropped off into sleep. 

_________

Ditzy awoke just before noon. She yawned with a stretch and rolled off the cloud. She lazily drifted towards the ground, and into a soft landing. She saw her beloved red stallion off in the near distance. His coat gleamed with a thin layer of sweat from working. 

Big Macintosh also saw her and gave her a special half smile, one he reserved only for her. She waved to him as he approached. 

"How are ya, Sugar Cube?" Macintosh asked. Ditzy thought about telling him what happened with Golden Harvest, but decided against it. 

"I'm doing great. How about you, Mac?" Ditzy questioned. He looked at her a moment, his half smile slid into a sly grin. 

"Eeyup." He said with a chuckle.

"You know I hate it when you answer like that." Ditzy playfully pushed him in the shoulder. He feigned like he was going to stumble over. 

"Y'all are getting mighty strong, Ditzy." Macintosh teased. She heard his stomach growl. "Ah'm mighty hungry." 

"We could go back to my pla...dang it! I forgot to buy groceries again." Ditzy face hooved. 

"That's okay, Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh looked around. "We can just get something ‘round here." 

They looked around and decided on a little diner nearby. The diner was nice and small, with a ma and pa type feel. 

"What can I get ya, hon." The waitress asked as they sat down. 

"Ah'll have the lunch special." Big Macintosh ordered. The waitress wrote his order on a note pad. 

"Just a salad, thank you." Ditzy said. The waitress wrote the order down and trotted towards the kitchen with the orders. 

"Excuse me, Sugar Cube, Ah need to use the rest room." Big Macintosh pulled out of the booth and walked into the restroom. 

Ditzy looked out the window that was at the end of the table, she admired the fine day and the peaceful serenity of Ponyville. 

The door to the diner swung open and Ditzy turned to see who it was. Four mares stood in the doorway. They saw Ditzy and put devilish smiles on their faces. It made Ditzy feel uncomfortable. The four mares took the booth next to Ditzy. 

Ditzy ignored them until two leaned back in their booth to talk to Ditzy. 

"Hello there." The mare on Ditzy's right said in a very high pitched voice. 

"Uh...Hello." Ditzy answered that strange sounding mare. 

"You're the mail mare right?" The other mare, the one on Ditzy's left, asked. 

Ditzy didn't like the way the mares were talking to her, but she responded anyway. "Yes...I am."

Ditzy thought they were going to tell her she delivered the mail wrong or something, but instead the mares looked at each other and giggled. Ditzy desperately wanted Big Macintosh to come back from the restroom. 

"So, we heard from a little birdie that you're pregnant." The mare on the right spoke up again. 

Ditzy didn't respond. Her head sunk down and that was enough to provoke a laugh from the two mares. Why are they doing this? Ditzy thought to herself. 

"So, we heard that the dad is a hayseed. Applejack's brother we heard." The mare on the left smirked. 

Ditzy started to feel frustrated. She grunted. "Will you get on with this!" 

The two mares put on a look of offence. "Well, I guess you don't want to know he wants you to abort it." 

"Wait...what?" Ditzy felt her heart drop. She didn't know why she was taking the mares so seriously. 

"Big Macintosh...that's his name right...we heard that he was telling his sister, who told some other mare she knows we know that we know, that he wished you would just abort the foal." The mares said very seriously. 

"T-that...doesn't sound like Mac." Ditzy murmured. The mares exchanged a devilish look. 

"Well, of course he's not going to tell you, he's much too nice." The mare on her right said. 

"He’s too nice to tell you that he hates the fact that you're pregnant; I'd be surprised if he didn't leave you." The mare on her left whispered into Ditzy's ear. 

"But...I...I..." Ditzy felt empty on the inside, her eyes welling up with tears. Big Macintosh finally came out of the restroom and the mares that had been talking to Ditzy leaned back into their own booth. 

"Ah'm sorry that took so..." Big Macintosh started. 

"Get away from me!" Ditzy yelled at him. Macintosh took a step back. Ditzy flung her wings open, tipping the table over. She felt a surge of anger at Macintosh. 

"How dare you! You got me pregnant! You don't want this foal? Fine! But you have no right to tell me to abort it!" Ditzy screamed at him, tears running down her face. "I don't want to see you ever again!" 

Ditzy flung herself from her sitting position past Big Macintosh, who was very confused and hurt, and the pegasus quickly darted from the diner back to her house. 

_______
"Ditzy, are you alright, Sugar Cube?" Big Macintosh called as he knocked on the door. Ditzy didn't respond. She sat brooding in the dark. I thought he loved me but I was just a toy. Stupid Derpy. That's what you are, you’re Derpy, stupid, clumsily... Retarted. 

Ditzy rocked back and forth, head down, crying. Big Macintosh continued to knock on the door. She tried to tune out his insistent knocking, but it just got louder, to the point the door was starting to bend at each knock. 

"Go away!" Ditzy shouted at him. The knocking stopped. Her wall-eyes stared angrily at the door. 

"Ditzy, come on out so we can talk." His voice was velvety soft. Ditzy threw a book at the door causing, a resounding thud that emphasized her next statement. 

"No!" She snapped with a loud voice. 

"Would y'all talk to Dinky?" Big Macintosh suggested. Ditzy's ears perked up. 

"Mommy, are you okay?" Dinky's soft voice cracked Ditzy's resolve. 

"Fine." Ditzy unlocked the door and quickly let Dinky inside, and then relocked the door before Macintosh could get himself in. 

Dinky looked worriedly up at her mother. "Mommy?" 

"I'm okay, Muffin." Ditzy nuzzled her daughter. "I'm just upset with Big Macintosh." 

"Why?" Dinky asked innocently, looking up at with her large eyes. 

"I was told that Macintosh wanted to get rid of this foal, and I could never do that." Dinky said, more to herself than Dinky. 

"Just give the foal away?" Dinky questioned her mother. 

"No, sweetie. I could never bring myself to give my foals away anyway. He wanted to abort it." Ditzy said. She saw confusion in her little filly's face. Ditzy sighed. "To abort a foal, is to kill it before it is born."

Dinky looked horrified. Then Dinky's face snapped into furious determination. The little filly stomped over to the door, unlocked it and left. 

Ditzy stuck her head though the closed curtains to see her daughter confronting Macintosh. 

"Macintosh, why would want to kill a foal? Do you hate foals or something? I can't believe you would make my mommy pregnant then want to kill the foal!" Dinky's voice squeaked as she yelled. Big Macintosh looked hurt, but also very confused. Ponies were gathered around to watch the strange event. 

"What? When did Ah ever say that?" Big Macintosh asked quietly. 

"My mommy says she was told that you wanted to get rid of the foal!" Dinky squeaked at Macintosh. 

"Who told her that, Sugar Cube?" Macintosh tried to calm down the filly. 

"I...don't know." Now Dinky was confused as well. Macintosh and Dinky stared at each other for a moment. 

"Well, than Ah think we have a misunderstanding." Big Macintosh said level headedly. Ditzy retracted herself from the window. Once again Macintosh knocked on the door. 

"Go away!" Ditzy yelled again. 

"Sugar Cube, we need to talk." Big Macintosh said firmly. "Y'all know this door isn't that strong." 

Ditzy didn't want Macintosh breaking down the door. So she unlocked it: as soon as she did the door swung wide. 

"Get out of my house." Ditzy said in a low voice. Dinky came in through his legs. 

"Ditzy... Ah think we have a misunderstanding." Mac focused on calming her down. 

"I don't think so. You don't want a foal. That's fine!" Ditzy yelled, but her words showed the hurt she felt on the inside. Don't let him see you cry. 

"But...where did ya ever get an idea like that?" Big Mac questioned as he took a step closer to Ditzy. 

Ditzy couldn't hold her resolve for long. 

"Mac...I thought you loved me..." Ditzy started to sob. The words she spoke hit Macintosh like a freight train. "I...I thought y...you would be there for m-me." 

"Ditzy...Ah do love ya..." Big Macintosh's voice cracked. 

"Then why would you want to get rid of our foal..." Ditzy babbled. She stumbled into Big Macintosh, who nuzzled her. 

"Ah don't recall me saying that." Big Macintosh spoke softly into her ear. 

"But the mares at the diner..." And then the realization hit her. She had been foolish to believe the idle gossip that they had told her. Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow.

"Mares at the diner?" He asked. 

"Yeah, they told me the thing I didn't want to hear..." Ditzy's voice cracked. "They told me you wanted the foal aborted... And I was worried that it was true..."

Big Macintosh thought on this a moment. "Rather than me telling ya not listen to gossip, Ah'm going to tell y'all why that is the most ridiculous thing in the world." 

Ditzy looked up at him, and so did Dinky. 

"We may not of planned on having this foal, but gosh darn Ah love the idea of having a foal with ya. Every time Ah look into your eyes, especially when wall-eyed, I can see the reason Ah love you. I see a pony who is stronger than me. She stands through adversity and goes on with life, always looking for the best, even when ponies don't treat her right. Ah see a pony who loves her daughter with all her being, who would do anything to see her daughter smile. Ah see a pony that will get the job done even though it may be hard and not everything will work out okay, but that pony will find a way. Ah see a beautiful mare who knows how to make good friends, but is also kind to ponies that aren't kind to her. Ah love ya Ditzy because you are a stronger pony than me." Big Macintosh finished his unusually long speech. Ditzy leaned into him her eyes brimming with happy tears. 

"Oh Macintosh..." Ditzy was at a loss for words. "That was..." 

He stopped her talking with a kiss. Ditzy could hear Dinky go "eww" but she didn't care. She knew now better than ever that this is the stallion she would live the rest of her days with. She felt her heart flutter. 

"Come on, let's all take a nap. It's been a long day." 

________
Ditzy felt the late afternoon sun hit her eyes, and they slowly came open. She felt around for the large stallion, but he was not in the bed. Ditzy's ears picked up a faint sobbing noise. Ditzy rolled out of bed softly to check it out. 

She found that Macintosh was in the living room with a quietly crying Dinky. Ditzy almost rushed into the room to comfort her daughter, but something stopped her. She just watched, unnoticed by the two in the room.

"Now, ya going to tell me what's got y'all all upset?" Big Macintosh asked in a gentle voice.

"I...don't...think...mommy will.... Love me....after the new foal." Dinky said. The words that her daughter spoke broke Ditzy's heart. She prepared to go into the room and tell her daughter that she loved her, but Big Macintosh's words stopped her. 

"That's just about the craziest thing Ah've ever heard. Your mother loves you more than you can possibly imagine. She goes though everyday hoping that she can make your life just a little bit better. Ah don't think another foal will divide your mother's love, Dinky, that love will multiply. If you can find a better mom than that, Ah'll sponge bath Granny Smith. And Ah love ya too Dinky, just like y'all are my own. If fact I consider you my own." Big Macintosh chuckled and a small giggle came from Dinky too. 

"Now Dinky, Ah need to ask your permission for something." Big Macintosh lowered his head and voice so Ditzy had to strain to hear. 

"Yes, Macintosh?" Dinky asked. 

"Ah need your permission to marry your momma." 

Thank y'all for reading. I'd love to hear what you think. P.S. This chapter is not meant be political. I do not take stand on abortion. 

> propose
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello. I really appreciate the support that the story is receiving. Thank you. And I don't think the story would be as good without my Beta reader, BlackRoseReaven.

We rejoin Ditzy and Big Macintosh a few weeks after Ditzy's ordeal. 

Ditzy walked with her daughter to school. The temperature was cool with the mid fall air. Dinky trotted along happily with her mother. Ditzy looked down at her daughter, who had look that she wanted to tell her something but didn't at the same time. Ditzy had a feeling that she knew what her daughter wanted to tell her. 

Ever since she heard Big Macintosh ask her daughter for permission to marry her, she got excited every time they were in any situation that could be even the slightest bit romantic. She had even flirted with him to get him to spill the beans, but all it did was confuse him

"Okay Muffin we're here, have a good day at school." Ditzy kissed her daughter on the forehead as they arrived at the elementary school. 

"I will mommy!" Dinky said excitedly. Then she looked behind her mother. "Howdy Macintosh."

"Well, howdy Dinky." Ditzy heard the familiar deep voice behind her. "Y'all listen to you mother and have a good day now." 

"Okay Macintosh, Ah will... I mean I will." Dinky giggled and hopped off to school. 

"In no time she'll be talking like you." Ditzy laughed. 

"Now, Ah don't see anything wrong with that." Big Macintosh teased. Ditzy leaned into the farm pony. He nuzzled her gently. 

"I finished my route early... We could...ahem..." Ditzy smiled slyly. Macintosh's eyes widened.

"Well...Ah...." Big Macintosh stammered. Ditzy laughed: this wasn't the first time she had teased him like this. She couldn't help herself; it was so rare she could knock him off kilter. 

"Relax, Mac, I was only kidding....or was I?" Ditzy said seductively. He swallowed nervously. Ditzy giggled. 

"Well, anyway, Ah got work to do on the farm. Winter's comin' and we got to finish a lot before we settle in." Big Macintosh tried to change the subject. Ditzy smiled at his attempt. 

"That's okay, honey." Ditzy said. "We can still spend time together later, right?"

Big Macintosh's expression softened. "Sure we can, Sugar Cube." 

Ditzy kissed him gently. He gave a half smile. Ditzy loved that smile. "Great!" 

"Well, Sugar Cube, Ah got to get back to work. Big Macintosh said. Ditzy thought for a moment as the red stallion began to walk away. 

"Mac, can I come to work with you?" Ditzy asked hopefully. He turned his head and raised an eyebrow. 

"Ya sure ya want to come? It can be a might boring." He warned. 

"I don't care... I'll be bored anyway." Ditzy said. Macintosh thought it over for a moment.

"Alright." He said. Ditzy smiled and walked along with her beloved stallion. He didn't seem to take very much notice of her. 

The walk was short to Sweet Apple Acers. They walked on in not saying anything. Ditzy just followed him as he went into the apple tree rows. Ditzy looked on in confusion as Macintosh bucked a tree, and only a few dead branches fell.

"Uhhhh... Macintosh, that tree has no apples on it. If fact, none of these trees have apples on them." Ditzy gave a questioning look to Macintosh. 

Big Macintosh chuckled. "Well, we got to get all the branches down before winter comes." 

"Oh..." Ditzy felt silly for asking. "Why don't you buck with both legs?" 

Ditzy heard him chuckle a little bit again. "Applejack doesn't like it when I buck with both legs."

His statement confused her. She tried to understand what he meant by that. He continued to buck the trees and the dead branches fell to the ground. 

"Why?" Ditzy decided to finally ask. 

"Applejack doesn't like it when I break the trees." Big Macintosh said in a flat voice. Ditzy couldn't help but laugh. 

"Oh come on, Mac, you’re just boasting." Ditzy said. Big Macintosh looked like we was offended. Ditzy saw this and decided to play on it. "Do it. I dare you." 

Big Macintosh smiled as he flexed his muscles. He put his weight on his front legs. He brought his rear legs back to make contact with the tree. Ditzy gasped as the tree made a loud cracking sound. The tree started to lean at an odd angle. The tree had a split to about halfway down its center.

"Mac...how..." Ditzy looked on in awe. Macintosh had a proud smile on his face. Then he took a look at the tree and his face fell. 

"We best be getting out of here, before Applejack comes to investigate." Big Macintosh said. He began to gallop away. Ditzy struggled to keep up with him. 

After that Macintosh continued to show her what he did on the farm. He provided the brute force that kept the place running, pulling the plow and the carts, bucking apples, and keeping the crops healthy. 

After all that it was still only noon. Big Macintosh led her back to the house, where Granny Smith had a large lunch set out. 

"Who's this young mare, Macintosh?" Granny Smith asked slowly.

"This is Ditzy, Granny, you've met her before." Big Macintosh said. 

Granny seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Oh yes, you're the one where Macintosh sowed his seed."

Ditzy blushed hard at Granny Smith's brash statement. She looked over at Big Macintosh and she could swear his coat got darker red. 

"Well...umm..." Ditzy managed to stammer out. 

"Yes, that's right. You're such a delicate thing... How'd he not break ya when...?" Granny didn't get to finish her sentence. 

"Granny, that's not something to talk about." Big Macintosh managed to stop her talking. Ditzy stood there awkwardly until Granny Smith managed to drift off to sleep in her rocking chair. Ditzy followed Big Macintosh to the table where food was waiting, but so was his sister. 

"Ah see we have a visitor." Applejack said with little emotion in her voice. Macintosh shot her a look. 

"Now, Applejack don't be like that." Big Macintosh said gently. In response, Applejack rolled her eyes. They sat down to a relatively nice meal, albeit quiet. "Shoot. Ah left the plow out. Ah'll be right back."

Big Macintosh pushed out from the table and trotted down the hallway and out the door. Ditzy glanced at Applejack, who didn't look up from the plate. Ditzy sighed and decided to ask the question she had wanted to for a while. 

"Why do you hate me?" Ditzy asked. This provoked a reaction from Applejack. 

"Ah don't hate ya." Applejack responded, but the emotion in her voice betrayed her. 

Ditzy thought over this a moment. Okay, so she doesn't hate me personally, but she doesn't like me, that's for sure. 

"Do you have a problem with me being with Macintosh?" Ditzy tried another approach. The orange mare looked up from the table and directly at Ditzy. 

"Well...yes Ah do." Applejack said, her bluntness surprised Ditzy. "Ah was hopin' that Macintosh would find a nice workin' pony, who could help 'round the farm. And Ah hoped he would find a pony that would be responsible enough to not have a daughter with somepony she couldn't stay with."

Applejack felt pride as she saw she scored a hit on the pegasus. 

"Well...I...I...was..." Ditzy stuttered, the sting on tears in her eyes.

"What? Irresponsible?" Applejack thought she finished Ditzy's sentence. She felt another burst of pride as she saw she scored another emotional hit.

"Raped." Ditzy said very quietly, but Applejack could still hear it. Applejack's face dropped, and so did her heart. Here all along she had been the jerk. Making remarks at the poor pony that had been though such a horrific event. Applejack felt even worse because she had felt pride scoring emotional hits against Ditzy. 

"Oh my...Ditzy...Ah've been a heel." Applejack sputtered out. Ditzy wasn't going to argue with that. Ditzy looked up from the table at Applejack, who sheepishly looked back. "Ah'm sorry. Ah know that Ah've been... Rude..."

"More than that..." Ditzy put in. 

"Ahem...yes more than rude, but ya gotta understand that Ah love my big brother, and due to...circumstances he had to grow up too fast. He hasn't had too much to enjoy in his life. All Ah want is for him to be happy." Applejack tried to reason why she had been unkind to Ditzy. 

"And you don't think I want that too?" Ditzy demanded. She wasn't keen on Applejack's sudden change in attitude. 

"Well... Ah don't know, do ya?" Applejack made her question more harsh than she meant to. 

"Of course I do. I love how he's gentle and how he always knows what to say to make me feel better. I love how no matter how much I complain, he's always there with a shoulder to cry on. I love how he treats Dinky like his own, even though he has very little reason to." Ditzy felt herself starting to go on about how much she loved him. "I love him Applejack. Why can't I do that?" 

"Ditzy... If y'all truly love him that much..." Applejack stood from the table and walked over to Ditzy. Ditzy looked at the orange mare, and to her surprise Applejack hugged her. "Welcome to the family!" 

"Well...um...thank you." Ditzy managed to get out before returning the hug. 

"It's nice to see y'all getting along." They heard Macintosh walk back into the room. "Ooo... And y'all left me some food, too." 

Big Macintosh eyed the food on the table. Ditzy wisely stepped out of his way when he began to start eating again. They had pleasant table conversation, but Applejack had to get back to work. When Applejack left, Big Macintosh went over to a drawer and pulled out an old money box. 

"What's that?" Ditzy asked. Big Macintosh opened the box and began to look over the papers inside. 

"Bills." Big Macintosh responded, not looking up from the papers. He had a pen in between his teeth, making changes to the writing on the paper. 

"Huh? Seems like something Applejack would do." Ditzy voiced her thoughts. Big Macintosh looked up from the papers; he had a wide grin on his face. 

"She does." He said with a chuckle. He pointed to some writing on the paper. "She just awful at it. Look, to tell if we made bits or lost bits she puts a smiley face or a frowny face." 

Ditzy looked at the writing and laughed. Macintosh started to laugh too. "Why do you let her do the bills?" 

"Because Ah don't have the heart to tell her." Big Macintosh sighed. "So Ah hope Apple Bloom's good at math." 

__________
It was late afternoon by the time Big Macintosh had finished all the work he had for the day. Ditzy was once again surprised at the amount of work that Macintosh put in for a single day. 

"Well, Mac, you certainly do a lot around here." Ditzy commented as she leaned affectionately into him. He flashed her a half smile. 

"What would you like to do now, Sugar Cube?" Big Macintosh asked. Ditzy thought on it a moment. 

"Take a walk?" Ditzy suggested. Macintosh nodded his large head. 

"That sounds mighty nice." Big Macintosh answered. "But first Ah need to get something from the barn." 

Big Macintosh walked to the barn with Ditzy by his side. He opened the door and they both walked in. Macintosh walked over to a pile of hay and began to rummage around in it. Ditzy took a look around the old barn. 

"Here it is!" Big Macintosh said, but Ditzy wasn't paying attention. He turned himself around to look at her. She noticed the way he was looking at her, it was strange, but he walked a little closer to her. Then she noticed a small black box in his hoof. 

Her mind started to spin at a million miles an hour. Her heart raced and she began to have the feeling she was going to be jumping like a filly soon. She felt like everything was in slow motion, too. Her whirlwind of excitement climaxed as he asked her the question that she had been waiting for a long time. 

"Ditzy, Ah love ya. Y'all are the best thing to happen to me in my life. Would ya make me the happiest stallion in all of Equestria and be my wife?" Big Macintosh popped the question. Ditzy felt faint but she heard herself speak. 

"Oh, Macintosh. Yes, yes, YES!" She exclaimed. Macintosh gave a whinny of joy. Ditzy looked down at the jewel encrusted wedding band. It was probably the most expensive thing she had ever worn. She felt giddy as she held out a hoof for him to slide it onto her leg. 

"Y'all wouldn't believe how long it took me to build up the confidence to ask ya." Big Macintosh sighed. He would have continued on but he was stopped by Ditzy kissing him deeply. 

"PARTY!" A loud yell could be heard as the sound of a cannon went off. Pinkie Pie flew through the door of the barn. "Happy engagement you two!" 

"How did you...?" The lovebirds asked in unison. 

"My Pinkie sense." Pinkie explained. "Luckily it gave me enough time to plan you this great party!" 
__________
A lot more ponies were at the party then Ditzy expected. There were games, food, and dancing. It was almost overwhelming. Carrot Top raced up to her engaged friend with utter glee on her face. 

"Oh, Ditzy I'm so excited for you!" Carrot Top gushed. Ditzy's smile grew larger as she saw her friend was as excited about the wedding as she was. "You've got yourself the cream of the crop, too!" 

They looked over at Macintosh, who was talking to one of his friends, Carmel, if she recalled right. They didn't look nearly as excited as the mares did, but Ditzy could see how happy Macintosh was. 

Dinky came up quickly to her mother, and Dinky looked happily up at her. "Took him long enough."

"He sure did!" Carrot Top exclaimed. The night was filled with games, dancing, and all around fun. Ditzy had more fun that than she had in a long time. She made sure she didn't get anywhere near the punch for two reasons. One, she hadn't had a great experience with it last time, and two, she knew she shouldn't be drinking with a foal, but that didn't stop her from having fun. 

She even had a dance with Macintosh. She quickly learned he wasn't good at dancing, but she led him through the movements. He still wasn't any good, but she didn't care: she was dancing with the stallion she loved. 

Pinkie had overlooked something. She had planned a hay ride for the fillies and colts, but the pony who always pulled the hay ride was Big Macintosh. Dinky would have rather he stayed, but Macintosh wouldn't have the colts and fillies disappointed so he pulled the cart anyway. 

"It's sure to be a magical night." Carrot Top nudged Ditzy in the side. Ditzy blushed. 

It truly was a magical night. 

Thank you all for reading. I hope you all enjoy




> Hearth's Warming Eve
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

I feel so good about how this story is turning out. I thank the reviewers and the readers. And of course my wonderful Beta reader.

We rejoin the engaged couple a few weeks after the proposal.

Ditzy felt around with her eyes still closed. She relaxed as she felt the large stallion next to her. She opened her eyes to see that he was still sleeping soundly.  With the snow of winter there wasn't much to do on the farm, and he took the opportunity to sleep. Ditzy didn't have to work that day either, but she got up early anyway.

She gently rolled out of the bed, careful not to wake Macintosh. She had a bit of trouble because of the slight bulge of her stomach. Ditzy trotted into the kitchen. She looked through the cupboards, and found a package of mini muffins. She opened the package and happily snacked on the muffins.

Ditzy's cravings had pretty much subsided mostly, but sometimes she still wanted some sort of strange food. She looked out the window: fresh snow covered everything. Ditzy liked the beauty of winter, but she wasn't a big fan of the cold.

"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve, Sugar Cube." She felt Macintosh nuzzle her neck. It took her by surprise that she hadn't heard him get out of bed. She kissed him gently on the cheek.

"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve." Ditzy said quietly into his ear. She nuzzled him back. They stood there for a while, looking out the window and enjoying each other's company. Big Macintosh nudged Ditzy’s stomach.

"How you feeling?" Macintosh asked. Ditzy didn't look away from the snowy scene.

"I'm feeling...good. The cravings have stopped." Ditzy said. Macintosh let out a soft chuckle.

"Thank goodness. Ah thought y'all would start askin' for even stranger things." Big Macintosh said playfully. She punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"It wasn't that bad." Ditzy quietly laughed. It had been that bad, she had sent Macintosh a few weeks ago to get some strange food.

"Do Ah have to remind ya of the smoked spinach?" Big Macintosh teased her. Ditzy smiled at the memory: it had been delicious.

"Are you going to go home to see your family?" Ditzy asked.

"Eeyup." Macintosh said his one word catch phrase. "Apple Bloom would be mighty mad at me if Ah didn't come home, with Applejack going to Canterlot for the play again; Ah'd feel bad leavin' her all alone."

Ditzy leaned into him. He looked down at her. "Ya get Dinky a present?"

"Yes...I also got you something too." Ditzy said in a seductive tone.

Big Macintosh grinned. "Y'all gonna give me a hint?"

"Nope." Ditzy smiled back. She loved the downtime she had with Macintosh. Actually, she loved anytime she had with him. She suddenly had the urge to ask him a question: "What should we name him or her?"

"Ah'm partial to Thor the Skull crusher myself." Big Macintosh joked. Ditzy shook her head with a smile on her face.

"I'm serious, Mac." Ditzy reinforced her last statement. Big Macintosh was still chuckling about his own joke.

"Ah know, Sugar Cube. Ah haven't the slightest idea." Big Macintosh admitted. Ditzy sighed; the problem was she didn't have the slightest idea what the foal's name should be either.

"Oh, alright..." Ditzy said. "I wonder if he or she will be a pegasus or earth pony."

Big Macintosh chewed on the new question for a moment. "Ah don't really care. Ah'll love it either way."

"I know you will." Ditzy put her body close to his. She leaned her head on his shoulder. They looked out the window a bit more: a few ponies were starting to come out now. Big Macintosh walked over to the closet in the living room and pulled out a scarf. She slung it around his neck where he would normally would wear his yolk.

"Ah'll be back later." Mac said as he left.

________


"Happy Hearth's Warming Eve!" Carrot Top called as she burst into Ditzy's home. "And I brought a present for my favorite little filly!"

Dinky, whom had previously been sleeping, bolted out of bed, ran past Ditzy, and right up to Carrot Top.

"Ooooo! A present!" Dinky squealed. Ditzy laughed to herself about her daughter's excitement. Carrot Top smiled at the little filly, and reached into her saddle bag and pulled out a doll. Dinky exploded into excitement.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Dinky could barely get her words out. Ditzy looked at the doll. It was a doll Dinky had wanted for a long time, but it was far out of the price range that Ditzy could afford.

"You're very welcome." Carrot Top said with pride in her voice. Ditzy got a bit closer to Carrot Top.

"How did you afford that?" Ditzy whispered into Carrot Top's ear, so Dinky couldn't hear.

"I got a lot of Hearth Warming business." Carrot Top said happily. "Don't be jealous, I got you something too."

"Awww...Carrot Top, you didn't have to get me anything..." Ditzy replied.

Carrot Top smiled, and pulled something else from her saddlebags. It was a brochure, that displayed a wonderful beach in the tropical southern part of Equestria.

Ditzy looked at it confused, until Carrot Top explained: "I have a time share there, it was a terrible deal, but I still have 3 years left on my contract, so I thought that you and Mac might want to go on honeymoon there."

Ditzy gave Carrot Top a big hug.  She and Big Macintosh hadn't even planned on going on a honeymoon, they just couldn't afford it.

"Thank you so much!" Ditzy exclaimed, hugging her friend even tighter.

"You're welcome; I couldn't let my friend get married without a proper honeymoon." Carrot Top explained.

"I feel embarrassed now...all I did was make some muffins." Ditzy said. Carrot Top smiled at this, she would have been upset if her friend had spent any money on her.

"Ditzy, I love your muffins." Carrot Top reassured her friend. Ditzy went into the kitchen to grab the basket of muffins. Carrot Top happily munched on the delectable baked goods. "So...you get anything for Macintosh?"

"Well, it's more of doing something..." Ditzy said with a sly smile and slight blush. Carrot Top almost spit out her muffin laughing.

"Ditzy, you seductress." Carrot Top laughed. Ditzy started to laugh too, Dinky ignored them: she was too busy playing with her new doll.

___________

The cold air filled Ditzy's lungs as she stepped outside, pulling the sled Ditzy had gotten for Dinky for Hearth's Warming. Dinky forced her way around her mother and out into the snow. Unlike Ditzy, Dinky loved the snow, but Ditzy supposed she loved the snow as a filly too. Dinky ran circles around her mother as they walked to the sledding hill.

The sledding hill was large. One end had a relatively gentle slope slowly increasing in intensity of the slope until the other end which had a dangerously extreme slope: rarely any pony went down it, and if they did, more often than not the pony going down got hurt.

Ditzy and Dinky walked up the other side of the hill, where no pony was sledding down. They reached the top after a while: the foal in her slowed Ditzy down a bit. To her surprise Macintosh was there with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were sitting in a long sled, a toboggan

"Come on, Big Mac give us a good kick." Scootaloo demanded. Big Macintosh raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He turned around and gave the back of the toboggan a kick with one leg. The toboggan flew down the hill, leaving the fillies inside squealing.

"Cutie Mark Crusaders toboggan racers, YAY!" The three fillies cheered as the raced down the hill at an alarming speed.

Big Macintosh smiled as he saw them go. Then he noticed Ditzy and Dinky. "Howdy. Y'all want a kick too?"

Ditzy looked down at Dinky, who was shaking her head no. Ditzy said: "No thanks honey."

Dinky sat herself on the sled, and looked up at her mother. "Ride with me mom? Please!"

Ditzy sighed and set herself behind her daughter. She gave a little push and the sled started to gain speed. The cold air blew past them as they continued to gain speed. Ditzy held tightly onto her daughter. Dinky cheered with the excitement of her first sled ride.

The sled slowly came to a stop at the bottom of the hill. Dinky hopped around her mother as Ditzy pulled the sled back up the hill. "I wanna do that again!"

Ditzy smiled at the comment: she was glad that her daughter enjoyed the present. They reached the top again, and Dinky saw her friend Twist at the top of the hill. Ditzy was glad when Dinky wanted to ride on the sled with Twist instead of her, she couldn't pull that sled up the hill that many more times. Ditzy gave the fillies a push and they went zooming down the hill again.

She took the opportunity to go over to Macintosh, who was preparing to give the three fillies another kick down the hill.

"Come on, Big Brother, ya can kick harder than that!" Apple Bloom complained. Ditzy was surprised, they seemed to be moving plenty fast before.

"I think we were moving fast enough..." Sweetie Belle chimed in.

"Nah, I agree with Apple Bloom, we could go faster." Scootaloo put her opinion in. Big Macintosh half smiled as he gave them another kick that was about 20% more powerful and the three fillies flew even faster down the hill. Sweetie Belle screamed in terror as the other two cheered with glee.

"Heh, I sure hope that's fast enough for them." Ditzy observed. Macintosh watched the fillies fly down the hill, then they kept on going.

"Ah doubt it. Apple Bloom's friend, Scootaloo, will want to keep on going." Macintosh said plainly. Ditzy looked down the hill to Dinky and Twist. They were having quite the time getting the sled back up the hill.

"You want to go sledding?" Ditzy asked him. He looked at her like she was asking a silly question.

"Ya think we're a bit old for that?" Big Macintosh looked at her seriously.

"Well...I just..." Ditzy stuttered. Macintosh touched her shoulder to calm her.

"Ah was just joshing ya, Sugar Cube, Ah would love to go sledding with ya." Big Macintosh said with a gentle smile and apologetic look. "But we have a problem with a lack of sleds 'round here."

Ditzy looked around for a solution, but couldn't find one. She looked to Big Macintosh for an answer.

"Climb on to my back." Macintosh told her. She fluttered up to his back. "Hold on tight, Sugar Cube."

Ditzy did as he said and held onto him tightly. He broke into a gallop to the end of the hill that had a steep incline. Ditzy's eyes widened as he ran to a spot with a severe slope.

"Mac..." She started to warn him, but he dove on to his stomach and they started to head down the hill. "Oh no."

They shot down the hill at higher speeds then Ditzy wanted to imagine. Cold air zipped by as Ditzy screamed: at first with screams of terror, but slowly melted away to cries of joy. Big Macintosh kept his mouth closed, to keep snow from flying in, but he had a wide smile on his face. They came to a sliding stop at the bottom of the hill.

Ditzy rolled off Macintosh and sighed. "Warn me before you do that next time. The foal could have been hurt."

"It was fun though." Big Macintosh said playfully, standing up.

"Yeah, it was." Ditzy admitted. She walked closely next to her fiancé. She got to the base of the hill and stopped. "Hehe...You think you could carry me up?"

Big Macintosh looked at her, a gentle look on his face. "Of course, Sugar Cube, anything for ya and my foal."

It warmed her heart to hear every time he talked about the foal, even though she knew he loved it and her. She climbed onto his back, and he marched up the hill.

As they reached the top, the Cutie Mark Crusaders were waiting for them. "Can you give us another kick down?"

"Any stronger?" Big Macintosh asked the fillies.

"No, Ah think last time was strong enough." Apple Bloom spoke up, and Sweetie Belle nodded.

"Yeah, last kick was good." Sweetie Belle agreed.

"No! Kick it harder!" Scootaloo said with a crazed look in her eye. This surprised Macintosh, and it was evident on his face.

"You can go it alone Scootaloo." Apple Bloom said. Both she and Sweetie Belle got out of the sled.

"Give it all you got!" Scootaloo said excitedly. Big Macintosh only used one leg, but he used all the power of that leg. Scootaloo was sent flying, not down the hill, but the sled flew straight out into the air, quickly falling into a crash landing.

"That was awesome!" Scootaloo could be heard calling from the bottom of the hill.

___________

The lights dimmed as the Hearth’s Warming Even play began. Ditzy stood next to Macintosh, who looked on with a slight smile on his face. Ditzy loved the Ponyville Hearth’s Warming Eve play. They didn't bother having adults do it, the fillies and colts were just too cute when they did it.

Dinky had a small part in the play, but it was enough for Ditzy to get excited. The play began its usual way, with a few wording mistakes, but it was okay since they were only children. Macintosh chuckled as his own sister playing Pudding Head, walked on to the stage.

All in all it ended up being a very nice play, cute to watch and well done for fillies and colts.

"Y'all did a very nice job!" Big Macintosh congratulated the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who each had played one of the leaders; too bad it wasn't their talent.

Ditzy looked to her own daughter and congratulated her. "You did very well, Muffin."

"Thank you, mommy." Dinky said, as Ditzy nuzzled her. Dinky yawned, it was getting late and it was already past the time Dinky normally stayed awake. Big Macintosh had the three Crusader fillies on his back, half asleep.

"Ah'm gonna take them home, then Ah'll be back, okay, Sugar Cube?" Big Macintosh asked. Ditzy nodded her head, and she walked home with Dinky.

_________

A soft knock came from the door, and Ditzy opened it to see her large fiancé. He gave a soft smile as he entered the home. Big Macintosh was wearing some saddle bags over his body.

"Ah got you a present, Sugar." He said in a happy tone. He pulled a gift wrapped box out of one of his saddle bags. He placed the box in front of her.

"Awww...Mac you didn't have to get me anything." Ditzy said. In truth, she would have been very disappointed if he hadn't gotten her anything, but she would never say that.

"Oh, well Ah guess Ah can return it then." Big Macintosh joked. She laughed, but took the present hungrily in her hooves.

"Now, I didn't say that." Ditzy responded. She undid the bow before tearing into the wrapping paper. She opened the box, once all the wrapping paper was off. She looked inside. It was picture of a house, a nice house, but it didn't seem to have any significance.

She looked up at Big Macintosh confused. "Look under the picture."

She moved the picture over and saw a pair of keys; it didn't clear up any of her confusion.

Big Macintosh sighed with a grin on his face. "Ah bought us a house, Sugar Cube."

Ditzy's eyes widened. She looked down at the picture, then back up at him. "Mac..."

Big Macintosh's face fell. "Oh...ya don't like it..."

"No, I don't." Ditzy smiled. "I love it!"

Big Macintosh sighed in relief. She tackled him in a hug and kiss combo. Another box fell out of his saddle bag. It had a tag that read, "To Dinky" on it. That warmed her heart.

"I'm glad our foal will have a great dad." Ditzy put her head on his shoulder.

"Ah'm glad our foal will have such a strong mom." Big Macintosh responded. The stayed there for a while, enjoying each other's presence, until Ditzy remembered her present.

"I'll be right back, big boy." Ditzy seductively, and he smiled sheepishly back. Ditzy smiled to herself. She very rarely had time to be sexy for Big Macintosh, so she would take the time now. She got to her room and opened a drawer. She pulled a large bow from it.

She took the bow and wrapped it around herself. Then she suddenly felt a hot flash and sick to her stomach, just for a second. As quickly as it came it was gone. She shook her head and finished wrapping the bow. She felt pretty clever at that moment.

She trotted out back out to the living room. "Time to open your present."

Big Macintosh looked at her with a surprised look. He had a sly smile on his face. He stood there for a moment, but then his face dropped. "Ditzy...you're bleeding..."

Ditzy felt confused for a moment, then she felt the warm crimson liquid run down the inside of her rear leg. Her eyes went wall eyed, as she felt faint and another wave of heat. She almost fell over. Big Macintosh picked Ditzy up and put her on to his back.

He ran at full gallop out of the house and over to the hospital that was on the other side Ponyville. Ditzy barely recognized what was going on.

Macintosh burst through the doors. The nurse looked pleased that she had something to do.

"Nurse, we need help." Macintosh said as Ditzy came out of the wave of heat. She felt that she was still bleeding. Big Macintosh carried her to an examining room.

She suffered through several proddings and ultrasounds. She wondered what was wrong with her, but Macintosh was there to comfort her the whole time.

After all the tests, she was left to wait with Macintosh in the waiting room.

"What's wrong with me?" Ditzy asked sadly as she put her head on his shoulder.

"Ain't nothing wrong with you." Big Macintosh reassured her. She was worried about the foal and he was worried about them both. The door to the waiting room opened and the doctor stepped in.

"I'm very sorry to inform you..." The doctor started to say. Ditzy listened to the final few words in horror: "But you've miscarried."

Well, that was a chapter. I know it may be the complete opposite of what you were expecting but everything has a reason.

> Bitter
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N:Well, I know I pissed some people off, and I'm sorry for that, but I don't think it will change anything. I had thought it over for a long time and that is the decision I made. Yeah so those of you stick through this, I thank you. 

"Miscarried." The doctor finished. Ditzy felt dead inside. Why did this happen to me? Why, why, WHY!? Happy bucking Hearth's Warming to me. Ditzy thought to herself. Big Macintosh sat next to her, sadness spread across his face; he was chewing over this important bit of information. 

"How... did this happen?" Macintosh asked, his voice cracking between words. 

"Sometimes it just happens, sir." The medical pony responded. It just happens, huh? Why me? Why the foal? Why couldn't I carry the foal of the one I love, when I could when I was raped? Ditzy went on in her head. 

Ditzy felt tears well in her eyes, then finally break through the last bit of resolve she had left. Tears rolled down her cheeks in streams. Big Macintosh put a leg around her to try and comfort her. The doctor let them comfort each other before moving on. 

"We'll have to get the foal out soon." The doctor said. Ditzy looked up at with a miserable look on her face. 

"Why....not...now?" Ditzy demanded: the thought of carrying around her own dead foal haunted her. It would be mocking her for as long it was inside her. 

"It's the middle of the night..." The doctor went on. Ditzy looked outside… how nicely the darkness and bitterness of cold matched what she felt on the inside. "I can fit you in tomorrow...around 3 in the afternoon." 

"That would be fine, doc." Macintosh said quietly. Macintosh nuzzled her, but she pushed him away. The doctor gave her an apologetic look, before walking back to his office. Ditzy slowly stood up. Big Macintosh stood up with her. 

"Y'all want me to carry ya home?" Big Macintosh asked softy. 

"I can walk, thank you!" She yelled at him. He reeled for a moment, a surprisingly hurt look on his face. Then she felt worse for yelling at him. Ditzy walked on ahead of him out into the bitter cold of the winter night. Big Macintosh made several attempts to comfort her, but she ignored him. 

They arrived at their home a few minutes later. Ditzy opened the door to the house, and immediately marched off to bed. She plopped down on the bed. Macintosh came in a few moments later. 

"Ditzy...We need to talk about this." He said gently. She rolled over so she was facing the opposite direction. He sighed and lay on the bed next to her. Big Macintosh put a leg around her. She felt him shaking, ever so slightly. Ditzy felt even worse for ignoring him. With all her emotions swirling around in her head, she started to cry again. She slowly cried herself into a restless sleep. 

_____________

"It's time to wake up, Sugar Cube..." Big Macintosh said. Ditzy grunted, but opened her eyes anyway. Macintosh set a hot breakfast on the nightstand next to the door. The breakfast consisted of oatmeal and a glass of apple cider. 

He didn't say anything else, and began to walk slowly away. She looked at the meal. Ditzy thought, Damn it Ditzy! He's being so kind, and look at you, pathetic and bitter. You should be ashamed. No wonder I couldn't carry his foal, it would be too good for someone like me.

"Thanks, Mac." She whispered: she didn't think he would have heard her, but he turned his head towards her. 

"You’re welcome, Sugar Cube." Macintosh said quietly back, and walked slowly out of the room. Ditzy sat up and put the tray of food onto her lap. She slowly ate the food and drank the cider. The cider made her feel a little bit better, like every pony else in Ponyville she loved Apple family cider. 

Ditzy heard some small hooves thump down onto the floor. Dinky trotted happily into Ditzy's bedroom. Dinky hopped onto the bed next to Ditzy. 

"Good mornin', mommy." Dinky said. She had been absorbing more of Macintosh's speech patterns, Ditzy thought it was cute. 

"Good morning, Muffin." Ditzy said quietly. Ditzy tried to keep the sorrow  from her voice, but Dinky knew her mother too well to miss the sadness. 

"What's wrong?" Dinky asked with a face of true concern. Ditzy didn't want to share what happened out of self-loathing. 

"Nothing, Muffin." Ditzy said, trying to put some pep in her voice. Dinky looked at her questioningly. Dinky wasn't going to take that as an answer. 

"No...what's wrong?" Dinky asked again. Ditzy sighed: she knew she was going to have tell Dinky. 

"Dinky...mommy lost the foal." Ditzy said, her voice heavy with sadness. 

"Lost it? That's silly, it's inside you mommy." Dinky said matter- of- factly. The childlike optimum made Ditzy tear up, yet again. 

"No, Muffin, the foal died inside of me..." Ditzy trailed off. She wanted to say 'because I'm not good enough for a foal.' but she didn't.

"What?" Dinky squeaked. Dinky put on a face of confusion mixed with fear. Ditzy felt that look tug at her heart. Dinky hopped onto her mother, spilling the last bit of food. Ditzy grunted with the weight of Dinky on her. "But, you still have the bulge." 

"Leave mommy alone, please Muffin." Ditzy muttered. Dinky had tears in her eyes as she left the room. Ditzy felt even worse than before. I am a failure as a mother and a foal carrier. 

Ditzy wiped the spilled bits of food off the sheets. She rolled out of bed and headed to the bathroom to clean herself up. 

___________

Ditzy didn't feel any better when she stepped out of the shower. She dried herself off, and walked back out into her bedroom. The bed had been made. Ditzy walked out into the kitchen, when she heard Macintosh and her best friend Carrot Top in the next room. 

"I'm so sorry for you, Mac." Carrot Top said in an empathetic tone. 

"Thank you, miss Carrot Top, but Ah fear that Ditzy is taking it too hard on herself." Macintosh said worriedly. Oh, Macintosh... If I was good enough for you, we wouldn't be in this mess. Ditzy thought to herself. 

"Do you know how it happened?" Carrot Top asked. Big Macintosh didn't say anything for a while, but she could hear from his heavy breathing that he was holding back tears. 

"The doc said that sometimes things like this happen, The foal's heart just...stopped..." Macintosh said with a silent sob. 

"Oh my..." Carrot Top stammered out, but she quickly regained her composure. "I should go talk to Ditzy." 

Carrot Top came through the door way to be face to face with Ditzy. Ditzy tried to back away, but she backed into a wall. 

"Hello Ditzy." Carrot Top said very gently. "How are you feeling?" 

"Umm...I don't want to talk about it." Ditzy whispered. Carrot Top took a step closer to her. 

Carrot Top knew this wasn't the time to push Ditzy into talking. Carrot Top just moved closer to her friend, and wrapped a leg around Ditzy. Ditzy leaned her head into Carrot Top. She started to heave dry sobs; she didn't have any more tears to cry with. 

Big Macintosh came into the room sometime later. "Sugar Cube...It's time to go..." 

__________
With the foal out of her she didn't feel any better. If fact, it made her feel even worse, because it solidified the fact that she had lost the foal...a failure. Ditzy sat and waited for the doctor to give his report. Macintosh hadn't been able to come in and comfort her, which Ditzy wished he could. 

The doctor trotted in with a stoic look on his face. "Well, as you know, we got the foal out, and there were no complications, so you are free to go. You have a good day now." 

Ditzy stood and began trudging to the waiting room. She came to a halt when she saw Macintosh surrounded by the four mares she had the misfortune to meet a few weeks before. 

"So she lost the foal?" One mare asked that was on his right. She had put stress on 'she' 

"Well...Ah'd say we lost the foal, but yes." Big Macintosh said sadly. 

"Well, obviously she isn't good enough for you if she can't carry your foal." Another mare said. Big Macintosh grunted at the remark. Ditzy started to back away, Ditzy thought to herself. Maybe I should just run away, and leave Dinky in the very capable hooves of Macintosh. 

"It wasn't her fault...these things just happen...” Big Macintosh said slowly. The mares pressed their bodies into him. 

"Maybe you should just dump the retard." One mare said rather loudly. Ditzy felt her heart drop to an even further low. 

"What did ya just say?" Macintosh bellowed. "No pony ever, EVER insults her like that! Now Ah know where I recognized y'all from, you're the mares from the diner! You told her that Ah wanted an abortion! Do y'all have any idea the trouble ya caused?" 

Big Macintosh was angry, it was the first time ever Ditzy had seen him mad. All she knew she didn't wanted it directed at her. He stomped his hoof, cracking some tile under it, and the mares started to back away. 

"Why can't ya leave her alone? She ain't done nothing to you, but I guess y'all wouldn't understand how to treat another pony! Now, leave before Ah get angry, and Ah don't want to see ya bother me or my future wife, EVER!" Big Macintosh blew steam out his nostrils. The mares started to gallop away, and the rest of the ponies in the waiting room were staring at him. Then he saw Ditzy, took a few deep breaths, and walked over to her. "Sorry ya had to see me like that, Sugar Cube, but they just got me so...angry, no pony should treat anypony else like that." 

Ditzy was still in awe of her large stallion, who had turned his fury into gentleness in an instant. She couldn't think of anything to say so she just leaned her head on his shoulder, as they quietly walked home. 

____________

Ditzy lay in bed, even though it was 5 in the afternoon. She didn't feel like going anywhere or doing anything. She let her bitterness consume her. She lay in self-loathing. She felt that her fiancé had defended her for nothing, because she felt like she was nothing...worthless. 

Big Macintosh had taken Dinky out to play, so Ditzy laid alone. Then, she heard the door open, the hooves were too soft to be Macintosh's and too loud to be Dinky's. Ditzy recognized them as Carrot Top's. 

"Hey Ditzy, how are you feeling?" Carrot Top asked. Her face displayed a soft look. 

Ditzy turned over, to face away from Carrot Top. "Fine." 

"Oh no you’re not." Carrot said, determination evident in her voice. "Talk to me, please." 

"I don't want to talk about it..." Ditzy trailed off, so Carrot Top decided to try something else. 

"So do you want to talk about the wedding?" Carrot Top sat in the edge of the bed. This perked Ditzy's interest, finally something that wasn't about the foal. Carrot Top smiled inwardly at the sight of Ditzy's interest. "You're still having the wedding, right?" 

Ditzy didn't respond for a while, but finally replied: "Yes we are." 

"Good. Have you looked for a place for the ceremony?" Carrot Top asked gently. Ditzy looked up at her friend. 

"Yeah... We've narrowed it down to two places..." Ditzy mumbled. "The gazebo over by the pond, or just out in the orchard. It's the most beautiful spot though, especially when in the right light.” 

"That's nice, have you decided on anything else?" Carrot Top asked. Ditzy sat up in the bed. 

"Well...We're getting the cake from the Cakes... something Pinkie Pie calls the 'MMMMM' and we've almost got the invitation list nailed down...Mac has A LOT of family." Ditzy said, coming ever so slightly out of her bitter despair. "And Applejack assured me that she could get her friend Rarity to make the dress." 

"That's nice of her." Carrot Top decided to keep Ditzy talking. "I don't think I've ever seen you in a dress." 

"Yeah... It will most definitely be the most expensive thing I've ever worn." Ditzy actually smiled, just a tiny bit, but Carrot Top still saw it. 

"Have you already had it measured?" Carrot Top asked, then immediately regretted asking the question. 

"Y...yes, but I-I'll have to go and get it redone...because of..." Ditzy started to fall apart once again. Carrot Top scolded herself for making such a mistake. Ditzy laid back in bed once again, trying to ignore her friend. 

"Ditzy...." Carrot Top started. "You can't avoid talking about it forever." 

Ditzy didn't respond, she didn't move or make any noise, but then the front door opened again. The thud of Macintosh’s large hooves and the frantic click of Dinky's small hooves filled the house with noise. 

Macintosh walked slowly to the bedroom. His side spotted of snow on his side. He had a half smile on his face, but when he saw Ditzy still laying in bed his smile dropped. 

"Howdy, Miss Carrot Top." Macintosh said quietly, as he motioned his head to signal Carrot Top to give him a moment to speak with Ditzy alone. 

"Hello, Macintosh." Carrot Top said as she left the room. Ditzy looked up from the bed to see Macintosh looking down on her, his face didn't betray any emotions he was feeling at the moment. 

"What's with the snow?" Ditzy asked very quietly. 

"We had a snowball fight." Big Macintosh said, and he couldn't help but smile. "Dinky would have loved to have ya out there...So would Ah." 

"I don't want to go outside, ever." Ditzy whispered. 

"Why not?" Macintosh asked, his voice soft and gentle. 

"I don't want to talk about it..." Ditzy answered. She didn't want to talk to him, obviously. 

"Is it about the foal?" Big Macintosh asked, even though he knew the answer. 

"Yeah..." Ditzy mumbled. She felt something catch on in her throat. 

"Do ya want to talk about it?" Big Macintosh asked, but Ditzy shook her head no. "Well, then, ya know what Ah saw in Dinky's eyes today? Fear... She's scared, Sugar Cube. She's afraid that something might happen to ya, as if she feels like she did something to cause it... no little filly should feel like that." 

"It’s because she has a bad mother!" Ditzy lashed at him. She expected to see hurt in his eyes, but instead she saw a solid determination. 

"Ya aren’t a bad mom, Ditzy. Y'all are a very good one, in fact one of the best." Big Macintosh reassured her. 

"You don't understand Mac. I'm a failure! I couldn't carry your foal, but I could carry the foal of one who...raped me." Ditzy started to sob. "I'm not good enough for you...I'm not good enough...for any pony." 

Big Macintosh cradled her head in his hooves. She started to cry with a choking sound. "Sugar Cube, it wasn't your fault." 

"Yes it is!" Ditzy sobbed into him. He wrapped his leg around her. 

"Sugar Cube, it wasn’t your fault. It just happened, it hurts me too, but I have to be strong for you and more importantly, Dinky. She's scared, Ditzy and she needs her mother more than she needs me." Big Macintosh said. Ditzy thought on this a moment. 

"I'm sorry..." Ditzy cried more into Macintosh. 

"Ditzy, ya don't need to apologize. It gonna hurt for a long time, but the wounds need to be able to heal... Ah love you, and it hurts me to see ya this way." Big Macintosh said his voice cracking, and Ditzy hugged him. “Ah just want to help ya heal, Sugar Cube.”

"Okay..." whispered, trusting her fiancé.  

A/N: Well, I know I made a lot of folt angry but this will make their relationship that much stronger. I thank my Beta reader for great reviewing. 

> Closing Wounds
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Hello. I think you for coming to see another chapter of Gentle Red; I think the story is winding down.

We rejoin Ditzy a weeks  later.

"Good mornin', Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh said gently as Ditzy's eyes fluttered open. She smiled slightly at him. Macintosh smiled back at her with a warm, gentle smile. Ditzy still felt...out of it, but she was making an effort to stay away from her previous deep hole of depression.

"Good morning, Mac." Ditzy said softly. Ditzy crawled out of bed. With a yawn, Ditzy kissed Macintosh on the cheek lightly. She gathered her mind, and she walked out into the kitchen, followed by Macintosh. She opened a package of muffins for her and Macintosh to share. They quietly ate the baked goods.

The day was cold and windy, blowing icy shards of snow across the ground, but that didn't mean Ditzy could take the day off. Macintosh put on a heavy scarf in preparation to leave the house. Macintosh had been helping her deliver the mail the past few days. Ditzy liked his presence, but still felt a pang of guilt anytime somepony brought up anything about the foal. Big Macintosh always tactfully deflected the questions away from Ditzy, and she appreciated that.

Ditzy put on her own scarf and hat, and she slid a pair of goggles over her eyes, to help stop snow from getting into her eyes. Big Macintosh also had goggles that he put on. They trudged through the heavy snow to the post office. Big Macintosh carried all the bags of mail, which meant she didn't have to make trips back to the post office.

The left the post office and went about Ditzy's usual route, but going a quite bit slower due to the snow blowing around. The snow stung Ditzy's sides as it whipped around wildly. The pain of the snow reminded of her of the slowly healing wound of the foal.  Even with barely any link Ditzy stopped in her tracks as the snow enveloped her in sorrow, but then Big Macintosh used his body to block the slashing frost from hitting her.  She smiled up at him; she didn't want to think about what would have happened if she had stopped in this blizzard without him there, so they soldiered on through the winter storm.

The mail was delivered fairly quickly; with Big Macintosh's help she finished work in about half the time it would have taken her in the storm. They made their way back home. Ditzy prepared some hot chocolate as Macintosh started a fire in the hearth.

Macintosh and Ditzy sat next to each other watching the fire, when Big Macintosh spoke up: "Ya did good today, Sugar Cube."

Ditzy looked down at the floor. On previous days, she had stopped a lot more than once, but Macintosh would always wait patiently for her.

"Thanks, Mac..." Ditzy trailed off. Big Macintosh smiled gently at her. She scooted closer to him, and she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Ya think we should explain what happened to the foal to Dinky today?" Mac asked softly. Ditzy was about to shake her head no, but changed her mind and nodded. Macintosh gave her a reassuring smile and nuzzled her.

"But...I want to know what happened first." Ditzy spoke softly. Macintosh looked at her with a face that questioned her request.

"The doc said sometimes things like this happen." Macintosh said.

"I just need closure, Mac." Ditzy sighed. Big Macintosh sighed as well.

"Ya might not like the answer." Macintosh warned, not to discourage but to make sure she thought it over.

"I know! I just want closure!" Ditzy lashed out at him. Macintosh didn't look fazed, he had gotten used to her sudden spouts of anger. He knew that she didn't really mean to get angry at him, but that didn't make Ditzy feel any better for yelling at him. "Sorry Mac."

"It's alright Ditzy. If you really want that, Ah'll see if Ah can get an appointment to talk to the doctor." Big Macintosh said. Ditzy watched the fire: it’s warm glow was comforting. She closed her eyes for a moment, as she rested her head on Macintosh's side. She could hear his calm controlled breathing, and his powerful heart beating at a steady pace.

Ditzy opened her eyes as she heard the small click of Dinky's hooves. She walked into the room.

"Good mornin', Macintosh." Dinky warmly greeted him. Dinky hesitated a bit before saying: "Good morning, mommy."

"Good morning." Both she and Macintosh responded. Dinky hopped up on to Macintosh's back, and shyly looked down at her mother. It hurt Ditzy to see Dinky like this, usually she was happy-go-lucky and it made Ditzy happy that her daughter was happy, but Ditzy hoped that explaining it would help.

"Ya want me to make ya breakfast?" Big Macintosh asked Dinky.

"Yes, please." Dinky said. Big Macintosh smiled as he stood, with Dinky still on his back, and walked into the kitchen. Ditzy watched the fire burn through another log.

Ditzy went to the couch and laid down. The warmth from the fire made her toasty, which felt nice, but made Ditzy drowsy. She let her eyes close, and she drifted into a quiet sleep.

________


The snow storm had cleared up, and Macintosh had gotten an appointment with the doctor that had found the miscarriage. Ditzy walked next to her fiancé: he was talking a lot more than her, which was unusual. Ditzy knew he was talking a lot to keep her mind off the miscarriage.

They made good time to the hospital. They had to wait in the waiting room before they could see the doctor.

"Ditzy Doo!" The nurse called for Ditzy to go see the doctor. Ditzy looked nervously at Big Macintosh, who nodded to her. They stood and walked slowly into the doctor's office.

The doctor looked up from the papers he was reading as Ditzy and Macintosh walked into the office.

"Hello, please sit down." The doctor said, and they sat in the chairs provided. "Now, what seems to be the problem?"

"Well, doc... We came to ask about the miscarriage." Macintosh said. The doctor thought this over for a moment.

"Well..." He said, as he opened a file labeled 'Ditzy Doo'. "I'm pretty sure that we went over this last time."

"I just want to make sure...make sure we didn't do something to cause it." Ditzy said nervously.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about then. You had nothing to do with the miscarriage." The doctor said confidently, as he looked over the file. "You had normal womb structure, positioning was fine, hormone levels were um... unusual."

"What does that mean?" Ditzy asked the medical pony. The doctor looked over the file again.

"Your hormone levels were a bit scattered, but that's nothing you could control." The doctor reassured her. Big Macintosh looked down to Ditzy, who had a scared look on her face. He put a protective hoof on her shoulder.

"Did that have something to with...it?" Ditzy asked. Macintosh caught the tiny catch in her voice.

"Not really, the foal's heart just stopped, we're not entirely sure what caused it." The doctor seemed to be getting bored with the conversation, which Macintosh saw it was making him lose tact when speaking to Ditzy.

"Ah think it's time to go, Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh tried to get her to leave, before she learned more than she would want to know.

"Not now, Mac." Ditzy argued with him.

"Although if it interests you, it was going to be a pegasus." The doctor said. Ditzy felt a pang of sadness. Big Macintosh nuzzled her gently, and that made her feel a little better. "But, I can safely say that it wasn't in your control, whatever caused that caused the miscarriage."

"But what did cause it... that's all I want to know." Ditzy asked. The doctor sighed as she asked the same question again.

"Well, it was a mix of hormonal instability and slight trauma." The doctor said, annoyed that he had to explain it again.

"Trauma?" Ditzy asked, startled at the new information.

"There appears to have been some slight trauma that worked with the hormonal imbalance to help stop the heart. If it makes you feel any better, the foal would have been born with a severe heart condition." The doctor said. Big Macintosh shot him a glare, which made the doctor sink back into his chair. Ditzy felt worse than she had when she came in...But at least she knew.

"Do you... do you have any idea how where the trauma came from?" Ditzy asked in a very sad voice.

"Well, from this MRI we can see that the trauma was external. So, you'd know more about what happened than I would." The doctor said. "Now, I have other ponies waiting."

"Alright, thank you doctor." Big Macintosh said, as he led Ditzy out of the office. Ditzy was dazed. She thought about what might have caused the trauma, but couldn't think of anything. She didn't even notice when Macintosh started to talk again. "Y'all alright?"

"Yeah...just thinking..." Ditzy murmured. They walked outside into the cold, and Ditzy felt another pang of her frequent guilt attacks. She walked very close to Macintosh, partly for warmth, but mostly for comfort.

"Ya want to talk about it?" Big Macintosh asked. He gave her a gentle look with one of his half smiles that still made Ditzy feel butterflies in her stomach. She couldn’t help but give him a small smile back.

"I'm just thinking...what was the trauma..." Ditzy trailed off. They quickly crossed town: due to the snow storm not many ponies were out wandering around. They came up to their home.

Big Macintosh held the door open as Ditzy walked through. Dinky was waiting on the couch, playing with the doll she had received for Hearth's Warming Eve.

"Hello, Muffin." Ditzy greeted her daughter, who shyly smiled back. "We need to talk to you."

Ditzy and Macintosh sat on the couch next to Dinky. Dinky looked up at her mother with large eyes.

"As you know, I...I lost the foal a few days ago..." Ditzy almost whispered. She didn't dare look at Dinky or Macintosh for fear she would break down crying. "The foal...died inside of mommy. It wasn't anypony's fault, but the foal just couldn't make it to this world..."

Ditzy felt her voice catch. She looked at Macintosh, who wore a look that told her she was doing a good job. She took a deep breath and continued on: "Both me and Macintosh feel sad because of this, but we want you to know that we love you and I'm very sorry for pushing you away for these last few days, but... I felt...like I failed to bring...you a...a sibling..."

Ditzy started to break up, but stopped when she felt Dinky hug her. The small embrace made Ditzy feel a whole lot better. Ditzy hugged her daughter back. Ditzy felt a warmth creep into her and it felt good.

"Ah think we deserve a break from all of this, y'all want to go sledding?" Big Macintosh smiled.

__________



The three spent the rest of the afternoon sledding down the hill and having a blast. Ditzy felt a lot better spending the day with her fiancé and daughter...her family. She realized with satisfaction that she had a family, a whole family. A stallion to protect her and a daughter to love her. And it helped that Macintosh loved her as well.

They sledded until it became dark. They made their way back home. Ditzy whipped up a late dinner for them all to eat.

"Ah think somepony is tired." Big Macintosh said, referring to Dinky.

"Ah'm not tired." Dinky yawned, her words slipping into a drawl. Dinky fought to keep her eyes open and focused on Macintosh. Her attempt made Ditzy smile: her daughter was obviously tired, but she defiantly fought the sleep encroaching on her. Dinky hadn't finished all the food on her plate, a sure sign she was tired.

Macintosh picked her up and put her on his back. He walked slowly to Dinky's bedroom, followed by Ditzy. He slid the defiant little filly into her bed.

"I told you, I'm not tired!" Dinky yawned again.

"Would it help if Ah sung a lullaby?" Big Macintosh asked. Dinky nodded her head. Ditzy walked up next to Macintosh, interested to hear his singing voice. He cleared his throat then sung: "Hush now, quiet now, time to lay your sleepy head, hush now, quiet now, it time to go to bed."

Ditzy stood amazed as he sang through the other verses of the familiar song. His voice a smooth bass, it soothed Dinky and it even made Ditzy sleepy. Dinky laid in her bed.

"Good night, Muffin." Ditzy said, when Macintosh finished the song. She leaned over and kissed Dinky on the forehead.

"Good night, momma." Dinky said quietly. "Good night, daddy."

Ditzy felt her heart skip a beat as she heard the word, and she looked at Macintosh, who had an equally surprised look on his face mixed with a happiness spread quickly over his face. He had a proud gleam in his eye as they walked out of the room.

Ditzy quietly closed the door behind them. They didn't say anything, Ditzy leaned affectionately into him, and he nuzzled her in return. They decided to make another fire in the hearth and watch that. It was quiet, yet comforting. The soft crackle of burning wood combined with the warm glow of the fire matched Ditzy's mood almost to the letter. She still felt the burning guilt over of the lost foal, but it was combated by the ones she loved in life, and she knew that with them she could bear this burden.

"Ya decided who mare of honor will be at our wedding?" Macintosh asked openly.

"Carrot Top, of course." Ditzy smiled. She thought of her wedding day, which wasn't too far off. They had planned it to be a few days after Winter Wrap Up to give them some time before Macintosh had to go back to work full time.

"It sure was nice of miss Pinkie Pie to volunteer to plan the reception, and it was nice of miss Carrot Top to lend us her time share for a honeymoon." Big Macintosh said, voicing his honest thoughts.

"Well, we should really thank your sister... She got all her friends to help with the wedding." Ditzy said.

"Eeyup." Macintosh needed to say no more. Ditzy felt safe and loved. She was with the stallion she adored, and she had a daughter that adored him, too. She felt almost back to normal: but she knew she would always have the memory of the lost foal with her, but she could live on.

Ditzy decided she wanted one final piece of closure, so she could say goodbye to the foal she would never have. "Mac... We should name the foal...you know, so we can remember. "

Big Macintosh thought on this a moment, then asked quietly: "How 'bout Honeydew?"

"Honeydew Apple? Perfect..." She sighed. She finally had her closure.

A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing, and BlackRoseRaven for beta reading.

> Bachelorette
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Well, hello there. I think this will be the second to last chapter. Please enjoy. 

We rejoin the soon to be wed couple of Ditzy and Macintosh a few weeks after closure.

Ditzy sang softly as she prepared a lunch for herself and Dinky. She put chopped tomatoes, lettuce, and flowers in between the two pieces of bread. She looked at her work, satisfied with the result. 

"Dinky! Lunch is ready!" Ditzy called. Dinky trotted from in from the living room, where she had been playing, and sat at the dinner table. Ditzy looked at the house and noted how empty it looked, with all their stuff gone. Macintosh had been taking the boxes they packed and moving them to their new house. 

Dinky nibbled happily at the sandwich. Ditzy took a bite, as she watched her daughter's curious eating method. Dinky put her sandwich down, and then she focused hard on the sandwich. Her horn glowed yellow, and the sandwich lifted a few inches off the plate. Dinky managed to take a small bite before it fell back to the plate. Dinky grunted in frustration.

Ditzy held back a giggle at her daughter’s adorable frustration. They had never been able to afford magic lessons for her, so Dinky rarely had any control over her magic. 

"You're getting better, Muffin." Ditzy encouraged her daughter. Dinky grunted, and picked up her sandwich and began eating again. The front door swung open with a loud crash. Carrot Top trotted into the dining room. 

"Hey ya, Ditzy, Dinky." Carrot Top greeted them both. 

"Hi, auntie Carrot Top." Dinky said with a mouth full of sandwich, so she could barely be understood. 

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Muffin." Ditzy instructed her daughter. "And hello, Carrot Top." 

"We got all the decorations ready." Carrot Top announced. "I can believe MY best friend is getting married in two days!" 

Ditzy smiled as Carrot Top embraced her in a very tight hug. Ditzy was still a bit taken back by the fact she was getting married. She was just overjoyed that she was about to be Macintosh's wife, and she felt giddy about it. 

"And the bachelorette party is tonight and we're gonna have FUN!" Carrot Top said excitedly. Ditzy smiled, with a slight blush. Carrot Top had been a bit...eccentric. Ditzy wasn't sure about some of the... interesting entertainment, but Ditzy figured it was more for Carrot Top than it was for herself. If Carrot Top didn't want the bachelorette party so bad, she would have been content to not have one. Macintosh was having a bachelor party. He had assured Ditzy that he and some of his friends were just going to play poker. 

"Uhhh...yeah." Ditzy stammered out. Carrot Top released Ditzy from her iron tight hug. "So... Do you know who all is coming?" 

Ditzy took a bite of her sandwich as Carrot Top read the short list of mares who would be attending the bachelorette party: "You and me, Berry Punch, Cheerilee, and Pinkie Pie… and she's going to bring her friends." 

The Elements of Harmony coming made Ditzy feel a bit uncomfortable: she knew Pinkie, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack, but she only ever talked to Rarity or Twilight on business, and she'd never talked to Fluttershy. She did, however, know Berry Punch and her sister Cheerilee, so that calmed her a little. 

"So, when are we leaving?" Ditzy asked. 

"Around seven." Carrot Top responded. "Then, we'll head downtown and begin our night." 

"Okay." Ditzy said. Carrot Top looked really excited, so Ditzy didn't voice her nervousness about having the Elements of Harmony along. 

"Wow...your house looks so much larger without all your stuff in it." Carrot Top observed, quickly changing the subject. 

Ditzy looked around at her soon to be empty home. "Yeah...I'm gonna miss this place..."

Ditzy thought of all the good memories she had in her old home: raising Dinky, times spent with Macintosh… but there had been bad times too, and she felt the move would finally let her leave them behind. 

"But, I'm glad we're getting a new house, we're going to need the room." Ditzy said, a faint smile gracing her lips. Ditzy finished her sandwich, and cleaned the dishes. Carrot Top played with Dinky, while Ditzy finished cleaning things. 

_______
Ditzy stood with Dinky and Macintosh outside their new house. It was creamy white on the outside, with a green door that accented the green shutters on the windows. The house was larger and better kept then their former house. 

"Well, let's head inside." Macintosh suggested. He took out a key and unlocked the front door. Ditzy took a few steps into the parlor. The boxes that Macintosh had been hauling all day laid around, ready to be unpacked. 

Dinky rushed past her mother and ran about the house, and Dinky looked around, hoping to claim a room. "This is my room." 

Ditzy went to see what room Dinky had claimed. The room was the master bedroom with a master bathroom attached to it. "Oh no it isn’t!" 

"But mom!" Dinky complained. Ditzy looked around the master bedroom. It was larger than her bedroom at her old house. 

"You can have any other room, Muffin, but this is Daddy and my room." Ditzy explained to her daughter. 

"Fine." Dinky said, before she rushed off to find another room to claim. Soon after Dinky left the room, Macintosh entered the room. 

"What do y'all think?" Big Macintosh questioned. Ditzy imagined herself living in this house, after everything had been unpacked and sorted, and she liked what she saw. 

"I love it, Mac." She adored the house. Big Macintosh had a gleam in his eye and a happy look on his face. 

"Ah'm glad." Big Macintosh said happily. Macintosh laid down on the bed that had no sheets or blankets on it. He flexed his muscles for a moment. "That was a lot to pull, and your stuff is heavy, Sugar Cube." 

Ditzy took the cue she fluttered her wings a little, quickly ascending over to Macintosh's laying form. She landed on his back, and she began to rub his sore muscles. He sighed with the release of tension in his muscles. 

"That feels great, Sugar Cube." Big Macintosh said quietly, enjoying the massage. Ditzy enjoyed that she could help him relax. "So, what are y'all mares going to do tonight?" 

As she spoke, Ditzy moved her hooves up to his shoulders: "Carrot Top has it all planned, even though I'm not sure what exactly what we’re doing." 

"Just make sure ya have fun." Big Macintosh sighed. Ditzy smiled at him as she moved to his lower back. "Ditzy...your hooves are magic..." 

She felt warm at his compliment. She loved that about him, he could make her feel good without even trying. She cracked his back, and he grunted with relief. 

"So what are you going to do, honey?" Ditzy said. 

"Ah told ya..." Ditzy cracked his back again. "... We're just gonna play some poker." 

"You going to drink?" Ditzy asked him. She finished her back massage and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. 

"Thank ya, Sugar Cube, and yes Ah might have a few drinks." Macintosh said. "Ya want a back massage?" 

Ditzy laughed. "I'd rather keep my spine in line." 

Big Macintosh chuckled lightly: "I'll be gentle." 

"I love you Macintosh, but you’re a bit big to give me a massage." Ditzy said matter-of-factly. Macintosh smiled slyly as he pushed Ditzy off him and down under him. Ditzy was going to struggle, but stopped when Macintosh began to rub her back. 

"Mac..." She sighed. His hooves were surprisingly gentle on back. As he rubbed her back, she thought some very unladylike images. When she thought them, her wings started to spread, and quickly became stiff. 

She giggled as Macintosh started to nibble on her ear a bit. Ditzy turned over to kiss him. The kiss was passionate and Ditzy quickly saw where this was going. 

"Mommy?" Dinky questioned from the doorway. Ditzy's face flushed red and she could swear she could see Macintosh's coat get a deeper scarlet color. 

"Uhhh...yes, Muffin?" Ditzy asked, while pushing Macintosh off her. 

Dinky looked confused for a moment as if she forgotten what she had wanted, and then she responded: "Uhhh... I found my room. What were you doing?" 

"Nothing." Both Ditzy and Macintosh said quickly in unison. 

_________
"Y'all have fun now, ya hear?" Macintosh said to Ditzy and the mares. 

"Thanks, Mac. You have fun too, okay?" Ditzy commanded. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Bye, Sugar Cube." Macintosh said, before returning back to his friends and their game of poker.  Ditzy looked back at the mares waiting. Carrot Top was waiting for Ditzy, Cheerilee was talking to Berry Punch, and the Elements of Harmony were talking amongst themselves, except for Pinkie, who was excitedly talking to everyone. 

"Alright Carrot Top, what is first on the agenda?" Ditzy asked her zealous friend. 

___________
After dinner, a nice show, and a visit to a ... ladies club... Ditzy found herself in a classy bar on the south side of Ponyville. Ditzy looked down at her martini and took another sip. She had had one already, but she felt like she was still in control, unlike her future sister-in-law, Rainbow Dash, and Berry Punch. 

Ditzy looked over at them and smiled. Applejack had challenged Rainbow Dash to drink more than she could, then Berry Punch wanted in...and she was winning at the moment. Cheerilee was talking with Twilight about her class, and Rarity, with the help of Carrot Top was trying to keep Pinkie from getting too excited. Fluttershy was sitting at a corner booth alone. Ditzy hadn't heard her say anything all night. She went over to her to talk with her. 

"Hey Fluttershy." Ditzy greeted. Fluttershy hid behind her long pink mane. 

"H-hello...” Fluttershy whispered: Ditzy barely heard it. 

"Are you having fun?" Ditzy asked, not deterred by Fluttershy's shyness; she had gotten through Macintosh's shyness, so she was sure she could make conversation with Fluttershy. 

"...yes..." Fluttershy responded. Ditzy took a long drink of her martini. 

"Can I get you something to drink?" Ditzy asked. Fluttershy sank back into the booth. 

"W-whatever you’re having, thank you." Fluttershy responded. Ditzy walked over to the bar and retrieved another drink for herself, and one for Fluttershy. 

"So...I saw you getting some attention at the ladies’ club." Ditzy tried to spark some sort of conversation. Fluttershy didn't say anything and just took a drink of the martini. Ditzy sighed, and prompted: "You know that's not a bad thing, right?" 

"I...don't like...that kind of attention." Fluttershy murmured, and hid once again behind her mane. 

"I can see where you’re coming from there." Ditzy said. They both took a drink to ease the awkward moment. "Sooooo.... I hear you like animals..." 

"Oh I just LOVE animals, especially the cute little ones, but I love all my animals. I have this bunny at home named Angel and I just love him soooo much!" Fluttershy rambled on. Ditzy stared in awe that apparently  just mentioning her animals made her come out her shell that much, although the martini might have helped a little too. 

"That's nice. So...I've been thinking about getting Macintosh a pet-“Ditzy didn't get to finish. 

"I have lots of pets! Do you want a bird, a lizard, bat...” Fluttershy continued to list off the animals that she had available. Ditzy didn't really want a pet, but she thought that mentioning it would make Fluttershy keep on talking. Fluttershy took a break from her listing to take another drink of her martini. "So...anyway, are you excited about getting married?"

"Yeah...I'm just as nervous, though..." Ditzy said. Fluttershy drank the last bit of the alcoholic drink, then  went and got she got another drink. Ditzy noticed a change her behavior when she returned. Fluttershy was a lightweight, barely being able to handle the smallest bit of alcohol. 

After Ditzy had talked a for a while talking to Fluttershy, a few of their friends came over to join them; all except Berry Punch, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash. 

"So Ditzy, what's he like in bed?" Fluttershy asked drunkenly. 

______
Ditzy got home at around midnight. She felt woozy, but felt proud of herself for being able to control herself and not drink too much: by the end of the night they had to drag Applejack and Rainbow Dash back to the Apple family farm. Berry Punch ended up winning the contest and still got home by herself… Ditzy hoped. 

Big Macintosh’s party had ended much earlier than hers so he was already asleep in bed. She checked to make sure Dinky was in bed as well. She planned to lay down but decided to make herself something to eat. 

She made herself a sandwich and ate it in a few large bites. Then, Ditzy felt a large hoof on her back. 

“How was your party, Sugar Cube?” Macintosh asked quietly.

“Oh, Mac, did I wake you?” Ditzy asked. 

“Eeyup. Ya weren’t exactly being quiet.” Big Macintosh sighed, bags under his eyes. 

“Sorry… and to answer your first question, yes, I did have fun.” Ditzy said. “How was your game?” 

“It was fine. Braeburn cleaned house though. How he got that Royal Flush Ah’ll never know…” Macintosh sighed. “Come on, Sugar Cube, we better head to bed.” 


A/N: I know it's a short chapter. Thanks for reading and see ya Monday. 

> Wedding
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Welcome to the last chapter of Gentle Red. I'm proud of what I have written here, and I think you all for coming to read and review. I thank my Beta reader BlackRoseRaven for refining this story to its current level. I thank you all. 

We rejoin Ditzy on the day of the wedding. 

"Stand still, dear." Rarity commanded, as she put the final few touches to tailor her dress to fit Ditzy perfectly. Ditzy was still amazed at how the dress fit her and how it seemed to accent her personality so well. Ditzy tried to stand perfectly still, but she was just too excited. With Ditzy's anxious movements Rarity accidently stuck her with a pin. 

"Ow." Ditzy complained. Rarity just shot her a half-apologetic look that said 'I told you so.' Ditzy stood still so Rarity could tuck in parts of fabric, and add a little bit of lining. 

"Done." Rarity announced. Rarity took a step back to observe her work, and then let out a satisfied sigh. Ditzy took a few steps in a circle to see how it felt moving. It was light, yet the dress had a certain heft to it. 

The door to the room opened up, and Carrot Top walked in. "You look great!" 

"Thank you very much." Rarity said. Ditzy was going to say that, but Rarity beat her to it. Rarity used her magic to put the veil on Ditzy's head. Ditzy stood there as Carrot Top walked around her observing, the dress. 

"Well, I must go and see if the others are fitting into their dresses well." Rarity said, as she left Ditzy alone with Carrot Top. Carrot Top was dressed in her bride's mare dress, which fit nicely into the theme of Ditzy's dress. 

"How are you feeling?" Carrot Top asked gently. In truth, Ditzy felt very nervous, but she didn't really know why.

"Nervous." Ditzy responded. She stepped down from the pedestal she was on. 

"Well, that seems usual." Carrot Top chuckled a little bit. "You should see Macintosh; I don't think I've ever seen him so nervous." 

Ditzy hadn't seen him all day: superstition about it being badly luck for the groom to see the bride kept them apart. Carrot Top smiled at her friend. 

"Well, you have nothing to worry about: your wedding is going to go great." Carrot Top reassured her 
friend. 
"Have you seen Dinky around?" Ditzy asked, since she hadn't seen her daughter around anywhere. 


"Yeah, last I saw she was trying to keep herself from eating the cake." Carrot Top said. Ditzy giggled: she hoped somepony was watching her, or else they might find a bit of cake missing. "So have you told him yet?" 

"Not yet, I plan on telling him after the reception." Ditzy said. Carrot Top gave her friend a gentle look. 

"Well, whenever you do it, I'm sure he'll be happy." Carrot Top smiled. Ditzy looked at herself in the mirror. She looked good, great even, the make-up she had still left her looking natural, the white dress formed to her body shape perfectly, without constricting her wings. Carrot Top stood next to her, and said: "Look at you. You found yourself a stallion, quite a handsome one, and you have a family. I'm so envious." 

"I'm sure you'll find your special somepony someday." Ditzy said reassuringly to her friend. 
___________

The wedding was being held outdoors at the beautiful spot in the orchard: they had gotten the pegasi to change the weather over that spot, so it appeared to be a warm spring day, despite that it was really chilly winter day. 

Ditzy heard the music starting. The bows being pulled across strings, playing classic wedding music. Ditzy took a few deep breaths. Dinky went ahead of her going down the aisle pouring flower peddles along the way. 

Ditzy took a few shy steps out into the aisle. Everypony turned to look at her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Ditzy's mind went blank, unsure of what to do she just stood there. She looked around for help. Her sights landed on Macintosh. He stood there stoically, a half smile on his face. She focused all her attention on him, and started to walk down the aisle. 

She reached the stage, where the mayor was standing to officiate the wedding. Ditzy stopped across from Macintosh. He gave her a smile that melted her insides, but she could see how nervous he was in his eyes. 

"Ya look beautiful."  He said quietly so only she heard. She silently admired him, his tux was prim and proper, but still made him look like himself. His bow tie was red, the same shade as his crimson coat.  

Ditzy quickly went through the vows she had prepared in her head. She made sure she was prepared to give her promises to Macintosh and receive promises from him. 

The Mayor started the ceremony with the traditional beginning. Ditzy wasn't really paying attention to what the mayor was saying, she was too focused on Macintosh. From behind her veil, she took a quick glance over at the ponies in the audience. Macintosh's relatives made up a large portion of the crowd. Ditzy was still surprised at how large the Apple family was, and that was excluding the Orange family side, which was also quite large. 

"I believe that the bride and groom prepared their own vows." The mayor said. Macintosh cleared his throat. 

"Ditzy Doo, we didn't meet under the best of circumstances, but Ah'm glad we did meet. Little did Ah know that my life would change forever, and change for the better. Ah knew Ah was in love with ya the day Ah saw how much you loved your daughter, and Ah knew you’re the mare Ah wanted to spend the rest of my time in this world. Ah love ya, for better or worse, till death do us part, Ah know Ah will live the rest of my days as happy as Ah can, as long as Ah'm with ya." Big Macintosh finished his vows. Ditzy felt a tear come to eye, she took a few deep breaths. 

"Macintosh Apple, the day we met you saved me from somepony who had wanted to hurt me, you did it without a second thought to who I was, but because it was the right thing to do. I guess I loved you from that point, but didn't know it. I knew I loved you when you showed you cared for Dinky. You've made my life hundred times better. I hope to spend all of my life with you." Ditzy finished her vows. The ceremony was quiet. They mayor took a moment to let their words sink in. 

"Macintosh Apple, do you take Ditzy Doo as your lawfully wedded wife?" Mayor Mare asked. 

"Ah Do." Macintosh said in a loud, proud voice. 

"And, do you Ditzy Doo take Macintosh Apple as your lawfully wedded husband?" The mayor asked. At that moment it was the most ridiculous question she had ever been asked. 

"I do." Ditzy said in a voice equally as loud and proud as Macintosh's. 

"By the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife." Mayor Mare announced. "You may kiss the bride." 

Big Macintosh lifted up the veil and kissed her. To Ditzy this was the true beginning to a brand new life. She was no longer a single mother. She had a husband, who would protect her with his life. A new house, a new marriage, and soon, to be something else to be new in their life. They broke the kiss, too quickly for Ditzy's taste, and the ponies started to applaud, with a few whistles and whoops. 

Ditzy walked right next to Macintosh down the aisle. Ditzy felt so happy that it was like everything was happening in slow motion and at high speed at the same time. They were almost down the aisle, when the boom happened. 

Rainbow Dash had performed her signature sonic rainboom, and now she arced across the sky with a rainbow following her. Ditzy looked up at the beautiful rainbow that her friend had performed. They continued on their happy walk down the aisle. 

They reached the end and started to walk off towards their home, to get dressed for the reception that would be in a few hours. 

__________
Ditzy carefully slipped off her wedding dress, for storage. Macintosh watched her in silence, a smile on his face. Ditzy wanted to hop around like a school filly, but she resisted the temptation. 

Ditzy heard the front door open. Applejack appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. 

"Well, congratulations you two!" She said happily. Applejack playfully punched Macintosh in the shoulder. "Ah don't think Ah've ever seen ya dressed up so nice, Macintosh." 

"Ah’ve never dressed up at all." Macintosh said shortly. Ditzy watched them exchange sibling banter. 

"So...when are y'all leaving to go on your honeymoon?" Applejack asked. Ditzy went into the closet to retrieve the dress she would wear to the reception. 

"In a few days, right, Sugar Cube?" Macintosh directed the question at Ditzy. 

"Yeah, that's right." Ditzy responded as she pulled the dress out the closet. Applejack and Macintosh reverted back into their friendly sibling teasing. Ditzy slipped on her reception dress and looked herself in the mirror. 

"Apple Bloom has been wondering when she'll be an aunt." Applejack nudged Macintosh, who smiled sheepishly back. "Look at the time! Ah better be gettin' ready for the reception. See ya there." 

Applejack quickly left the house. Macintosh looked at Ditzy, taking in how nice she looked in the dress. 

"Y'all look mighty pretty, Ditzy." Macintosh admired. Ditzy smiled at him. She leaned in close, and then he leaned in close as well. They kissed, deep and passionate. 

"Thank you, Mac." Ditzy said once they broke the kiss. Macintosh smiled as he slipped on a jacket that was better suited for a party than a tux. 

________
Ditzy walked into the reception with Macintosh. The reception was being held in the Apple family barn. It wasn't ideal but it was large enough for everypony, and it had been cleaned, so it didn't look messy. 

She took her seat next to Macintosh at the head table and Dinky sat next to her mother. Dinky had a little bit of frosting on her nose. 

"Muffin, where is that frosting from?" Ditzy asked her guilty looking daughter. Dinky smiled weakly back at her. Ditzy sighed. "How much did you eat?" 

"Not too much..." Dinky trailed off. Ditzy face hooved. She was about to scold her daughter when somepony stood up to give a toast: Ditzy recognized the pony as Macintosh's friend Carmel. 

"Now, when Macintosh told me he was in love, needless to say I was surprised. I was surprised he actually had any emotions at all." Carmel tried to make a joke, a few ponies laughed, but it didn't work out well. "Well, anyway I wish you two a happy long life. CHEERS!" 

"CHEERS!" The gathered crowed cheered. Macintosh took a long drink from his wine glass. 

The cake was wheeled out and placed in front of Ditzy and Big Macintosh. Ditzy saw a large bite taken out of the back of the cake. Ditzy shot Dinky look that made her sink back into her chair. Macintosh had already cut out two pieces. Ditzy took one into hooves, and Mac took the other piece of cake. 

Ditzy smiled as she took the cake and pushed it right into his face. Ditzy could see him start to kick it off as he stuffed the cake into her face. She laughed, and she began to pick off bits of the delectable cake. 

After a nice dinner a few tables were cleared to make way for a dance floor. Ditzy wasn't sure how, but somehow Pinkie had booked DJ-P0n3, and at a price that they could actually afford; it wasn’t like Macintosh was made of money, after all. 

"Alright everypony, the first dance of the night goes to the new married couple." Vinyl Scratch announced. Ditzy felt like she was going to explode with happiness as she walked out to the dance floor with her husband. 

The song began off slow, and to Ditzy's surprise Macintosh took a lead in the dance. They moved in harmony, and as the song began to speed up, Macintosh still kept up with the beat. 

"Ah've been taking lessons..." Macintosh whispered into her ear, answering the question on her mind. "Ah wanted to make this night as special as Ah can for you."

The song ended with a kiss. Ditzy felt as if all the worries she had ever had didn't matter anymore. After the dance, Ditzy and Macintosh decided to get a drink of wine and mingle a little before going back to the dance floor.  

"Well, Ditzy let me introduce you to everyone in my...Ah mean our family." Applejack said. It took not less than ten minutes to list off and meet every one of her in-laws. Ditzy tried to keep them straight in her head, but she didn't think she ever would. 

Ditzy returned to the dance floor to dance with Macintosh. She traded off to dance with Dinky and even Carrot Top. As the night progressed, Big Macintosh switched from wine, to a bit of a heavier drink, whisky. Ditzy couldn't stomach the stuff, and it would have been a bad idea to drink it anyways. 

______
It was midnight before the last of the guests had gone home. Ditzy looked around at the mess that the barn was in… not that on a normal day it was that clean. 

"We should probably clean up." Ditzy said, her daughter's sleeping form draped over her back.

"We can do that tomorrow, Sugar Cube." Macintosh said, seeming unaffected by his whisky. Macintosh held the barn door open as they left. "Ya have a good day?" 

"You kidding, it was the best day of my life...well, maybe behind having her." Ditzy nodded towards her sleeping daughter. 

"That’s good to hear...Ah heard through the grape vine that y'all have something important to tell me." Macintosh said. Ditzy cursed: she had wanted to tell him on her own time. 

"Well...I'm pregnant." 

The end

A/N:Thank you all for reading and reviewing and sticking with me through the adventure of this story. I'm not sure if anyone wants a sequel, so tell me if you do.