A Work Horse's Bleeding Heart
Chapter 2 - Blind Love
Big Macintosh laid in his bed, sunlight from a window beaming across his body. It was a pleasant feeling that warmed his fur. Ditzy’s body brushed against his, and the two sat peacefully.
But something was wrong. Macintosh tried to open his eyes, but instead of seeing, pain lanced through his head and his eyes burned. He clapped his hoofs over them and grunted in pain. In his pain, he woke up Ditzy. She looked over, and her eyes widened at the sight of him moaning in obvious distress.
"Macintosh? What's wrong?" She said worriedly.
"Mah eyes... I can't see"
"Hold on, I'll- I'll get Applejack" Ditzy said.
"Okay" Macintosh replied, voice cracking.
Ditzy headed to the door, took a moment to look back at Macintosh, then opened the door and quickly headed to Applejacks room [upstairs]. While she was gone, Mac's headache subsided, and his tense body was able to calm down. But whenever he tried to look around, his eyes still hurt. Eventually he heard the door creak open and heard his sister's familiar hoofsteps on the floor, then her voice rang out.
"Macintosh! Are you okay?"
As Macintosh leaned against the back of the bed, he turned his head to the sound of the voice and managed a distressed grin.
"Not really" he said. Ditzy filled Applejack in.
"He says his eyes hurt, not really anything else, just... He can't see.
"Shouldn't we take him to the medipony or someone?"
Applejack replied, feeling a bit protective.
"But Macintosh is hurt-"
"I'm fine, ah just can't see" he interrupted.
Nodding her head, (Then saying “I guess” Instead) Applejack agreed with Ditzy.
“Ah just have to follow you” Macintosh said.
Applejack helped him off the bed, and Ditzy brushed against him once he’d gotten to his hoofs. Macintosh kept his leg brushing Ditzy’s, and let her guide him out of the house. After about thirty seconds Macintosh heard a door open, then felt the cool breeze of the morning rush in.
Mac continued to follow Ditzy as she trotted out the door. Despite his size, Big Macintosh could be gentle and managed to follow the grey Mare easily. Continuing down the path that lead to Ponyville, they entered the small forest that seperated the Apples from the rest of town. After about ten minutes of silence, they ran into Ponyville's local princess, who appeared to be on her way to Sweet Apple Acres.
"Hello Applejack! Oh, and Big Macintosh and Ditzy. What're you doing here?" Said Twilight.
Macintosh ear's twitched in surprise, as he hadn't seen Twilight walk up. He still hadn't adjusted to this new envirment. Next to him, Mac heard Applejack speak up.
"It's Macintosh Twilight, He's... Hurt"
Twilight's expression changed to a mixture of being worried and curious.
"You're hurt? My Magic can help with small injuries, and you don't look like you have any major wounds"
Big Macintosh shook his head after she was done, and gave a better explanation
"It's just mah eyes, ah can't see. It hurts when I try too, even"
That took Twilight by a surprise. She'd been with Macintosh only a week ago when it had been announced Mac was getting married, and then he could see fine. While Twilight didn't know a spell that could fix Macintosh, she did know a spell that could help her heal Macintosh
"Okay Big Mac, I'm going to use a spell on you, just to see how you're hurt"
Lowering her head, Twilight concentrated on Big Macintosh. At the same time her horn started glowing purple, and a light aura of the same colour surrounded Macintosh. Applejack and Ditzy stood back, watching Twilight do her magic, litearally.
After ten seconds or so, Twilight's magic faded and she looked up, concerned.
"Well, it seems... Big Macintosh really is blind"
"How could Macintosh be suddenly blind?" Ditzy asked.
Twilight shook her head. She hadn't heard of a pony going suddenly blind either.
"He hasn't done anything that would make him blind, has he?" Twilight asked.
This time, Ditzy shook her head. It's not like there's anything in Sweet Apple Acres that could make a perfecty healthy pony go blind.
"So, the doctors couldn't do anything to help Big Mac?" Applejack asked
"Not even Magic could help your brother" Twilight replied.
"Then all we can do is just go back home?"
"Well, yeah"
It was a sorry event, certanly for the Apples. Not only would Macintosh be blind for the rest of his life, he couldn't buck apples either. A double-bladed sword, with both blades on the wrong side.
"Well, the best you can do is get Macintosh used to being blind. And, I can go look into it a bit more, in my books"
Applejack nodded, and Waved to her as Twilight headed back to her home.
So they turned around, heading back into the forest. Again, silence. It was a bit demoralizing, considering the situation. Nothing like a silent walk after a bad situation.
Finally, Sweet Apple Acres came into sight as the Ponies returned to their house.
Walking up to the door, with Macintosh close behind, Ditzy unlocked it then entered the house. Applebloom, who had been waiting for them on the couch, turned and greeted them.
"That didn't take long. So, is Macintosh okay now?"
Trotting in, Ditzy shook her head sadly.
"Actually, we met Twilight on the way there and she said that Big Macintosh was ... Blind"
That took Applebloom by a surprise.
"Blind? But how could my brother just go Blind?"
"Not even Twilight knew why either"
Usually, Twilight is insightful of any situation she's confronted with. To not know about something this average is quite odd. Dissapointed, Applebloom slumped back into the couch. Meanwhile, Ditzy guided Mac to a
chair so he could rest. The events this morning could take a lot out of someone... Even if you weren't the one that could never see again.
Speaking of that, Macintosh was also frustrated with the situation. Why him? He was just a simple pony that farmed. He wasn't important. Sure, he did help feed Ponyville, but they could still make due without him.
But that wasn't why he was mad; he just wanted to see his family and that beautiful grey mare again.
So, if you liked the story... Well, like it! And if you see a spelling mistake, or something wrong in the chapter, please, point it out!
A Work Horse's Bleeding Heart
Chapter 1 - Life as Mac knows it
One year later, following the events of A Work Horse's Beating Heart
It was a humid day at Sweet Apple Acres; morning mist drowned out the barn the Apple family lived in. Of course, the Apples weren't the only ponies living in that barn anymore, now Ditzy and Dinky Doo lived there too. Of which the latter was poking a sleeping red stallion that was laying on a couch.
"C'mon, Macintosh" The filly said, "get up!" Big Macintosh stirred, and managed to open his eyes. Looking down, Macintosh saw the filly pushing him with a hoof. Before either could say anything, Ditzy walked in from Macintosh’s room, where she had been sleeping.
“Oh, Dinky! leave Macintosh alone!”
Stepping away, Dinky apologized to Macintosh with low ears. But he simply smiled, and ruffled the filly’s hair with his hoof. Getting up, Big macintosh walked over and pushed his lips to Ditzy’s, who gave in. After a pleasant second, Dinky spoke up.
“Uh, could i just have some breakfast?”
Nodding his head, Macintosh, next to Ditzy, walked into the surprisingly large kitchen with Dinky trailing behind. Big Macintosh helped Ditzy put out three sets of dining equipment on the table. Realizing the rest of the Apple Family would wake up soon, Macintosh put down another three plates. There were leftovers in the cabinet the Apples stored food, so nothing fancy would be eaten this morning.
Knowing there was no reason to wait for everyone else, the few ponies dug in to what was on their plates. they were about halfway through when Applejack trotted in. Greeting them, the orange pony wasted no time getting her share and sitting down at the table, helping herself. A minute or two later Applebloom and Granny Smith came in, greeting them.
“Heya, Ditzy” Granny Smith said, then joined them in the way-to-crowded dining (in this case, breakfast) room. When Ditzy had moved in the Apple’s small hoof-made table simply hadn’t cut it, so they had made an even shiftier extension to it that, certainly could be much better, but they added it anyway. The new edition to the old barn had also made more renovations happen.
The most recent of which, wasn’t inside, but outside. What is it? A peculiar row of half-constructed benches that stood on a flat, dusty yard outside the barn.
Quite peculiar, considering it was also where Ditzy and Big Macintosh were going to get married in two months.
Speaking of Macintosh, who was now hitching a cart of apples to his back with the help of Ditzy. She gave him a peck on the lips, smiling, then kissed Dinky on the forehead, as Dinky was also going with Macintosh. Mostly because she wanted to see what it was like, even though Dinky knew her way through the entire town.
Waving at Ditzy one last time, Macintosh, with Dinky walking next to him, set off down the dusty path that lead to Ponyville.
After a long ten minutes of walking and Dinky trying to not talk, the trees surrounding the two started to thin out, and finally they emerged from the forestry and found the much better stone road that lead to town. Secretly, Macintosh looked over and smiled internally when he saw his tag-along companion looked quite relieved to be out of the dirty, boring forest. He had known, and told, Dinky that she really wouldn’t of enjoyed the trip, but she had persisted. Now the unspoken bet had obviously been won by the much wiser Stallion.
Back on the road that Macintosh's hoofs echoed off of, they continued to Ponyville. Eventually, Dinky interrupted the clinking of the cart's wheels against the road.
"So you're going to be my daddy?" She asked. That question took Macintosh off his hoofs. Not because it would mean Macintosh would be marrying somepony who had a bastard for a daughter, but because it was simply something that Dinky wouldn't normally say. Composure in mind, Mac responded with a small;
"Eeyup."
Instantly, Dinky leaped up on his leg.
"Oh, thats awesome!" Macintosh rolled his eyes. Apparently it took you three days to figure that out, he thought. But he smiled anyways at Dinky. Arriving at Ponyville (No, Dinky wasn't still on Mac's leg) Macintosh heaved the cart into the marketplace. Weighed down by the cart, he asked Dinky to get the key to the Apple's stall. Energetically, she attempted to lift the key out of the cart with her magic until Macintosh told her to just hold it, so she bit it in her mouth (metal, yuck!) and unlocked the stall.
Unhinging the cart from iconic yoke he always wears, Big Macintosh loaded apples into the stall, then waited there.
"Why are we waiting?" Dinky asked. Mac looked down,
"Because we're waitin' fer Applejack"
"You never said anything about waiting!"
"I did" Dinky couldn't argue with that, because she knows he had said they were going to wait. Leaning her head on the stall's counter, she blew some hair out of face, waiting. At least it didn't take long, Applejack trotted up to them in about four minutes, taking the stall for them, letting both go back home. Dinky, of course, was rather happy when the Apple's barn came into view. The exclamation of "look! We're home!" Caused Macintosh to roll his eyes again. The green trees rustled around them as they approached the old barn. Approaching, Dinky walked inside to meet her mother while Macintosh pushed the cart he was pulling into the open garage, then closed the big wooden door. After that he joined Dinky.
Inside, Macintosh met Ditzy again and embraced her in an a warm kiss, finally separating after a few seconds. They warmly looked into each other's eyes, then continued with their tasks. Ditzy went to take care of Dinky, while Macintosh worked on the room where his wedding would be held. Of course, Ditzy and Dinky would pop in every once and awhile. After three long hours of work, Big Macintosh was able to retire to his bed with Ditzy. They snuggled together, each other's warmth was reassuring. Soon, they managed to drift off to sleep, both thinking of each other.