Big Macintosh emerged from the changing rooms at the Ponyville Gym with his farm work clothes left behind in favor of a grey muscle shirt and black shorts. The big red stallion didn’t strictly need to work out each day considering his already exceptional fitness and his physically demanding work but it had been something he had gotten into the habit of since he was only twelve, around the time when Applejack had left to go and stay with their relatives in Manehatten for a while.

With his little sister gone for several weeks Big Mac had needed something to occupy his time when he wasn’t at school, and even though Granny Smith hadn’t been so sure of his choice of weight training with their apple crates, it had certainly worked out for him in the long run.

“Hey Big Mac!” The familiar voice of Thunderlane called to Big Mac from across the gym where the dark coated pegasus was already hard at work on one of the treadmills. “Cheerilee was in this morning, she said for me to tell you that she’s doing parents night tonight for the school so she’ll be back late.” Thunderlane told him in a casual tone; the pegasus had been one of the first to know of Big Mac and Cheerilee getting together and since Cheerilee used the gym in the early hours and was usually gone by the time Big Mac got there it wasn’t uncommon for him to relay messages.

“Thanks.” Big Mac nodded as he picked up a pair of weights roughly the weight of cinderblocks and sat down on the bench nearest Thunderlane’s treadmill.

“So… how was last night big guy?” Thunderlane asked in a very strange tone

“So you’re actually serious? As in, you really mean that all that happened? This isn’t just you making fun of me for always trying to get you to tal-”

Thunderlane forced himself to stop talking as he saw Big Mac giving him an annoyed glare while the red stallion lifted a pair of weights in his hands that together probably weighed as much as Thunderlane himself. The black stallion made the choice to stop checking that the farmer was being truthful and instead try and get details.

“So… do you actually plan to keep it going?” He asked over the noise of the treadmill he was running on.

Big Mac just shrugged and continued lifting the weights in his hands; the two of them had the gym mostly to themselves for now so he didn’t exactly mind talking to Thunderlane about this. He knew he couldn’t tell too many ponies, Celestia knows he didn’t need that level of attention on him or anypony else involved, but Thunderlane as much as he never shut up knew not to let any secrets slip out of that big mouth.

“Well you can’t just stop it now right?” Thunderlane asked again as he watched Big Mac drop the weight down, apparently caring nothing for the loud clang.

“Nope.” Big Mac said simply with a blank expression as he stood up and walked over to the blue exercise mat to do his usual fifty push ups after a workout.

“And… anypony you’ve got your eyes on?” Thunderlane tried to pry, kicking the speed of the treadmill up slightly; the pegasus stallion had been one of the two Ponyville residents officially added to the Wonderbolts reserve, the other being Rainbow Dash to the shock of absolutely no one, and he was trying to hone his speed not just in flying but running too.

Big Mac didn’t have the heart to point out that wouldn’t help much in a flying squad.

“Come on buddy, you know I’m just gonna keep asking til you give me an answer.” Thunderlane insisted in a voice that made Big Mac distinctly envision a male Rarity.

“I don’t make a habit of looking at mares like that.” Big Mac said truthfully.

“And yet you’re trying to start a herd with Cheerilee?” Thunderlane pointed out in bemusement.

“I wasn’t the one who brought up the idea.”

“But you aren’t objecting to it are you?”

“...Nope.”

“Then shouldn’t you be thinking more about who you might want to add to the herd? I mean you said Cheerilee’s friends are only in town for a few more days, shouldn’t you think of some more local girls?”

“Eeyup.”

Thunderlane sighed. “You know it’s really hard trying to have a proper talk with you.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac replied with a slight chuckle.

Thunderlane turned around and raised his hand to flip Big Mac off, misplaced one of his feet and promptly found himself flipped right off the treadmill as it flung him backwards into the bench Big Mac had only just moved off of to do push ups.

“Knew it.” Big Mac mumbled to himself as he did his push ups, alternating which arm he used. As he went for number eleven on his left arm a second loud crash caused him to drop onto his face in surprise.

He turned around to glare at Thunderlane but the darker stallion shook his head in confusion, still lying in front of the bench the treadmill had thrown him at. “Not my fault this time.” He assured Big Mac as he looked around for where the second crash had come from, only for another loud bang to sound seconds later from the changing rooms.

“Who’s screwing around with the lockers again?” He asked in annoyance, remembering an occasion where the Cutie Mark Crusaders had managed to tip over half of the lockers. “Hello?” He knocked on the mares changing room. “Whoever’s in there what’s going on?”

“Sorry!” Well that voice was certainly familiar.

“Ditzy?” He asked through the door.

“Err, yeah. Look, Big Mac, I swear it’s not a big deal, I can handle it myself you can jus- OUCH- just go back to your, ugh, workout!” She insisted, sounding rather than she was trying to beat up the lockers judging from the metal clanging going on.

Big Mac raised an eyebrow at Thunderlane, who just shrugged his shoulders again.

“Coming in.” He said loud enough for Ditzy to hear. “One, two, three.” He counted, giving her time to call out if she wasn’t decent or just didn’t want him in.

The locker room wasn’t a disaster zone as Big Mac had half expected but Ditzy had certainly done a number on the door to her locket. Namely, it looked like it had been ripped clean off.

“Uhh…. hi?” The grey pegasus offered, looking more than a little sheepish; she only had a towel wrapped around herself but at least she was covered. “Look, I’m really sorry if I gave you a fright, it was totally not locked, I mean I shut my wing in it and-”

“Locked yourself out of your locker?” Big Mac guessed.

“Again!?” Thunderlane asked from the back in disbelief.

Big Mac ignored his friend and picked up the battered locker door in one hand, turning it over and observing the hinges which had given up under Ditzy’s assault. “You could’ve asked someone.” He suggested, trying not to sound condescending.

Ditzy gave him an odd look, with the eye that was looking at him anyway, and looked off to the side. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled.

Big Mac quickly patted her shoulder. “No harm no foul.” He assured her gently.

“I’m pretty sure that constitutes foul.” Thunderlane pointed out.

“Don’t you have a fashionista to go and try and score another hug off of?” Big Mac snarked.

“Hey, we can’t all have mares throwing themselves at our herd. Or even have herds for that matter.” Thunderlane pointed out with a dramatic wave of his arms between them that looked like he was badly auditioning for a play. The pegasus stallion got the point though and left the room quickly. “See you later Big Mac.”

Big Mac watched the stallion go before he felt a tap on his shoulder. “So… it is true? You are making a herd, with Cheerilee?” Ditzy asked with an inquisitive look.

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said with a slightly frustrated look that news had travelled so fast evidently; he had been hoping he would have more ponies willing to vouch for his good intentions by the time word starting getting out strong.

Ditzy giggled at the look on his face. “Word travels fast in small towns Big Mac.” She reminded him. “Don’t worry if it’s a secret I promise I won’t shoot my mouth off about it.” She swore with a salute, immediately grabbing her towel as it began to slip down.

Big Mac nodded in gratitude, trying not to look at the brief glimpse he got of her upper body. “Dinky alright?” He asked, turning around to let her get changed.

“Oh she’s doing wonderful.” Ditzy said, sounding much more cheerful with her daughter brought up. “Cheerilee told me the other day she made the most wonderful picture in their arts and crafts, she thinks Dinky might become a really great artist one of these days. Did she tell you about it?”

“Eeyup.” Cheerilee had told him no such thing but then she usually didn’t, she preferred not to bring work into it when they were together.

“I’m sure Dinky will love that Cheerilee thought it was good enough to tell her special somepony.” Ditzy said with a loving tone while buttoning up her mailmare outfit. “Do you mind if I ask how it got started?” She asked, suddenly.

“Hmm?” Big Mac asked; everyone in town by now knew of the incident with the love poison and how it had kickstarted his and Cheerilee’s being more honest about how they felt.

“The herd.” Ditzy reminded him.

“Oh.” The big red stallion paused, wondering if he should be honest. “Cheerilee’s idea.” He said simply.

Ditzy gave the stallion a strange look as she put her hat on. “If I heard that coming from anypony other than an Apple I’d probably think they were short on a few orders of honesty.” She admitted. “You can turn around.” She added.

Big Mac turned back to face the pegasus with a sheepish smile. “Truth be told, surprised me too.” He confessed, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “I still haven’t really thought of how or who or when.” He admitted.

Ditzy got a thoughtful look on her face, which only made her eyes drift even further apart. “How about Lyra? No wait, she and Bon Bon are an item now. Have you asked Pinkie Pi-” She stopped herself at Big Mac’s worried look. “Yeeeah maybe not.” Ditzy admitted, cracking up at the look on Big Mac’s face.

The stallion shared a laugh with the mailmare. “I think I want someone… what’s a nice way to put it…?”

“Simple.”

“That ain’t always nice.”

“Most words can be mean, depends how you say them.” Ditzy reminded him.

The stallion blinked. “I suppose. But, I dunno, just somepony… somepony normal, somepony we can… can….”

“Hang around with without it being awkward?” Ditzy asked.

“Can I get you to speak for me from now on?”

“Long as you keep ordering packages for me to deliver.”

“Deal.” The stallion chuckled. “But I mean it, I just want someone nice, someone I can relax with, talk around…” The stallion paused again as he realised mid-sentence he was basically describing the pegasus mare before him.

“Well, it’s Ponyville; normal is in short supply.” Ditzy joked, but the jokey smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oh sour apples!” She snapped as she looked at her watch. “Has it been that long? Oh I’m gonna be late again!” She moaned, quickly snatching up her bag from the locker and throwing things into it. “Please can you tell the owner I’m really sorry, I swear I’ll pay for the door once I have enough.” Ditzy quickly asked Big Mac.

The stallion had been struggling with himself but now decided he knew what he had to ask. “Ditzy…?”

“Oh no did I break something else?” The pegasus asked, whipping her head round the room to look for anything she might’ve broke.

“Nope.” Big Mac assured her. “It’s just… well….” The stallion sometimes wanted to throttle his own throat until he could speak more easily, even though he knew that made negative sense. He could practically feel his nervous nature tying his tongue in knots. “Do you, maybe sometime…. want to…”

CLANG

Ditzy shot up and smashed her head into the top of the locker with a loud echoing clang. She didn’t seem even remotely fazed when she turned around to look at Big Mac, quickly running her eyes, or one of them anyway, over his face to see if he was asking what she thought he surely couldn’t be.

“Are you, really, you’re… wow, that’s, I, uhh…” Ditzy stumbled over her words worse than Big Mac had trouble getting them out to begin with as she tried to answer the silent nod that the stallion gave in response, apparently even his own iconic one word answers abandoning him. “I… I’m honored but, I have Dinky and-”

Big Mac held a hand up quickly, waving it to try and assure her there was no problem with her not wanting to but Ditzy quickly held his hand in hers, taking a second to note the difference.

“I’m not saying no.” She assured him, unconsciously stroking her hands over his. “I just… need to think about it, okay?” She asked him. “And I’m pretty sure you and Cheerilee should talk it over too, I mean after all, Cheerilee might not want a pony like me involved.” She didn’t clarify what she meant but for the stallion she didn’t really have to.

Big Mac didn’t dare say yes in case she took that to mean he agreed with the ‘pony like me’ part of her answer. Instead her just placed a hand on her shoulder and nodded, looking into her eyes to try and convey what his tongue wasn’t letting him say.

“Okay… how about you and Cheerilee come round to my house after I get off work and we can, talk about it?” She offered. “I mean the very least I can do is make you dinner first.” She added with a weak chuckle.

Big Mac just nodded again.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you tonight?” Ditzy said with an uncertain tone. She was very aware of how close the two of them were all of a sudden. For one mad moment she considered grabbing Big Mac and pulling him into a kiss right then and there but instead the grey pegasus settled for a hug to the big red stallion and quickly left the room, apologising as she went and already sounding like she was practicing an apology to her boss.

Big Mac stood still where he was in the changing room, pondering what had just happened. Was he really ready to take on a more permanent second mare? Fleur and Fancy had been essentially a fling, he and Cheerilee both knew that, but Ditzy was not only far closer to home but she had a foal to consider.

Could they really expect Ditzy to take to this well? Big Mac had no idea what had happened between her and her previous partner, heck he didn’t even know if they had married before Dinky came along or not. Had it been a bad experience? Would she be hesitant to get involved in anything if it had?

His thoughts were quickly shattered, collected into a dustpan and thrown into Tartarus by an ear piercing shriek. He spun around, ears clamped down to his head, to see three mares he recognised from the marketplace screeching at him.

In hindsight, perhaps it hadn’t been wise to stay still in the mares changing room while there was a locker door ripped off it’s hinges.

Author's Note

Okay, everyone who has bothered to come back here is owed a major apology on my behalf. My personal life as well as my work life has been an utter wreck for the last year and a half, which has made continuing my fanfictions the last thing on my mind. I don't consider this to be a proper excuse as I did have time where I could've wrote more of this story but drumming up the motivation to do so has been almost impossible.

But finally, here it is, part one of Special Delivery, introducing Ditzy Hooves as the potential third permanent member of the herd. For those curious, the poll was only one vote of difference in favor of Ditzy, second place was a close run to Vinyl.

And yes, she's called Ditzy here. That's not out of a desire to avoid controversy or because I'm sensitive, I just think it's a better pony name.

Part Two is already in the works. My plan from now on is to strictly organise every member of the herd entering the story into their own little mini-arcs, so while there may be noticeable gaps between the arcs themselves, the parts of each arc should come within reasonable time.

Hopefully this first part makes up somewhat. As always, any ideas, potential herd members (stallions or mares) and in general any advice is highly appreciated.

Love you all.