Big Macintosh had been having an ordinary day, cutting down grass in the south fields and cleaning up some debris from a rainstorm that had blown through the other day, when he'd been interrupted by Rainbow Dash. His day had rapidly changed from 'ordinary' to 'different'. Big Mac wasn't a huge fan of 'different', because in his experience, different had two flavors: different good, and different bad. And now, Rainbow Dash had just said something crazy.
Big Mac glanced nervously down at the petite pegasus mare. "... Eewhat?"
"A date. Y'know. Go out and do something? Grab a bite to eat? I dunno," Rainbow Dash said, looking away from the large stallion.
Big Mac blinked, looking up to try and find where his sister was hiding. She must be in on this joke. Big Mac didn't see her, and he suddenly felt more nervous. He swallowed. "This... uh... ain't a joke?"
Rainbow Dash looked back up at him, frowning. "What?"
Oh. She was serious? Big Mac scuffed a hoof on the ground. "Why d' ya wanna go out with me? I ain't your speed or nothin'."
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "I thought it could be fun. But, if you'd rather not, that's cool, I can—"
"No! It's fine, just... Ah'm surprised, that's all. Not every day that a mare like you asks somepony like me out. I'm plumb honored, Rainbow Dash." Big Mac said quickly.
Rainbow Dash grinned at him, spreading her wings open. "Great. I'll catch you tomorrow, then? Around noon?"
"Uhh... eeyup?" Big Mac said carefully.
"Awesome. See ya later, big guy!" Rainbow Dash said, and with a flap of her wings she was in the air.
Big Mac's forelock blew back from the rush of wind as Rainbow Dash disappeared, and he blew out a sigh. A date with Rainbow Dash? He shook his head. Why would she be interested in him? Because it might be... fun? He wasn't exactly a fun stallion. More like reliable. Steady. Stoic. He didn't know why Rainbow Dash would ever ask him out to do anything, much less go on a date, but it was certainly different.
He turned around, preparing to get back to work, only to be faced by a starry-eyed Applebloom. The filly's face was screwed up into a huge grin, and she clopped her front hooves together happily. "Yer goin' on a date with Rainbow Dash!?"
Big Mac let out a huff. "Eeyup." He knew there would be no hearing the end of this. The last time he'd gone out on a date with anypony, it'd been very nearly ruined by his sister and her two friends. They meant well, but that didn't change the fact that their precociousness often lead them to take on things that they weren't equipped to handle.
"That's so excitin'!" Applebloom trotted in place, giggling. "Ah've gotta go an' tell Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo! Scoots is gonna be so excited! We could be, like, sisters! Ah've always wanted a sister!"
"You already have a sister," Big Mac pointed out, walking around Applebloom and continuing with his chores.
"Ah mean one my age," Applebloom said with a laugh. "Somepony that can do everythin' with me!"
Big Mac considered this statement for a moment, frowning thoughtfully. Didn't she already do practically everything with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle already? He decided to let it slide, though, and just nodded, bending down and tossing a fallen tree branch into the cart. Applebloom, on the other hand, scampered away towards Ponyville. He watched her leave and heaved another sigh.
This certainly was going to be different.
Big Mac strolled out to the field beneath Rainbow Dash's cloud house. He'd finished his morning chores early that day, and had left the farm in his sister's capable hooves. He'd taken a moment to clean up a bit, and he'd snagged a flower for Rainbow Dash. He wasn't exactly sure what the mare liked, so he'd gone with a nice white rose. It was classic, but not amorous like a red rose. Something for a friendly outing. He didn't have any illusions about what Rainbow Dash expected of him, because he was mostly in the dark about the pegasus mare. She was just one of his sister's friends. Loyal, which he respected a great deal. Big Mac exhaled slowly, and glanced up at the sun. It was almost noon, and there was no sign of movement from—
Before he could complete that thought, two pegasus ponies flew overhead, circling him. He blinked, squinting up into the bright sky. The two pegasus ponies landed before him, and he got a better look at them. One was a stocky stallion with a rainbow-colored mane, and the other was a petite pegasus mare with freckles and a orange mane. They had cyan coats almost identical to one-another, the stallions' a few shades darker blue and the mares' a bit lighter... her eyes, though. The mares' eyes were rose, and Big Mac knew instantly who these two ponies were, even if their coat colors and manes hadn't given it away from the first moment. He swallowed hard, straightening up his posture a bit, trying to appear confident, even though he immediately felt a bit of sweat on his ears. "Uh," he managed.
"Hey there, tiger. You're Big Macintosh, I presume?" the stallion said, his voice deep.
"Eeyup," Big Mac replied, offering a hoof to the stallion.
"Bow Hothoof," the pegasus stallion said, shaking Big Mac's hoof firmly, "and this is my wife, Windy Whistles."
"We're Rainbow Dash's parents," Windy explained, smiling as she spoke her daughter's name.
Big Mac swallowed again. "Ah... nice ta meet ya?"
"Big Mac! There you—oh!" called a raspy voice from the cloud house above them.
Big Mac let out a sigh of relief as Rainbow Dash flew down to land beside him, smiling at him. "Hey, big guy."
Big Mac nodded to Rainbow Dash, his eyes darting desperately between her and her parents. He hadn't expected to be meeting this nice mare's parents on their first date. It smacked of a formality that Big Mac hadn't expected, but somewhere deep down he appreciated. Rainbow Dash turned to face her parents, who were beaming at their daughter. "Guys, what are you doing here?"
Bow's grin turned a bit nervous. "Well, we were hoping to get a good look at the colt taking our daughter on a date!"
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. But how'd you even find out about this?"
"Scootaloo heard it from one of her friends, and she told us over dinner after she invited herself over!" Windy explained, smiling. "She's so precocious. Like the sister you never had!"
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Sounds like she's doing her job as my little sister pretty good. Ratting me out is definitely right out of the younger sibling playbook!" She didn't seem upset, despite her words. Almost... proud?
"So, Big Mac... you seem..." Bow searched for words, "... large!"
"You're, ah, an earth pony! Which is... new!" Windy said, smiling at Big Mac.
Rainbow Dash smirked. "Yeah. He's a nice guy, and so we're just gonna go and do some low-key stuff. Maybe walk around the park, have something to eat."
Big Mac glanced between Rainbow Dash and her parents, squinting slightly. Rainbow Dash's awkward stance and her parent's nervous smiles told a story that Big Mac could just barely see the surface of, and he wasn't certain he liked what he was seeing. He offered the white rose to Rainbow Dash, remembering his manners. "Ah, I... got ya this."
"Oh, a white rose?" Windy said, raising an eyebrow. "You know that a white rose means 'I am worthy of you', don't you?"
Big Mac stared at the rose, frowning slightly. When did a rose other than the red ones mean anything? He'd been around plants all his life, and though he didn't claim expertise, he thought he knew a thing or two. He smiled nervously. Rainbow Dash, on the other hoof, grinned and reached out, taking a bite of the rose. "Mmf. I think it sends exactly the right message."
Bow and Windy exchanged a glance, frowning. Big Mac shuffled his hooves nervously as Rainbow Dash finished off the rose and swallowed the last petals. "Thanks, big guy. That was really nice to bring me a snack!"
"... Eeyer welcome," Big Mac murmured.
"C'mon. Let's go and take a walk. Unless you guys... have something to say?" Rainbow Dash said, turning to regard her parents with a raised eyebrow.
Bow shook his head after a moment's hesitation. "No! No, of course, nothing to say. You two kids go have fun."
"Some nice, low-key fun," Windy added.
"Low-key..." Bow said quietly, staring at Rainbow Dash with disbelief.
Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Great! See you guys later. C'mon, big guy!"
Big Mac hesitated as Rainbow Dash trotted towards the park, turning to face Bow and Windy, who met his gaze with uncertain smiles. He searched for the right words, and stumbled on something that he hoped would resonate. "I'll take good care of her. Nice meetin' ya both."
With that, he followed Rainbow Dash, who cast a brief glance over her shoulder, and then slowed down to let Big Mac catch up. She walked shoulder-to-shoulder with him, eyes forward, a smirk on her lips. Big Mac resisted the urge to look over his shoulder, feeling Bow and Windy's eyes on his back. They walked to the park, crossing over a grassy hill before Rainbow Dash let out a long sigh. "I think we're in the clear for now."
Big Mac turned to regard Rainbow Dash. She looked far more relaxed than she had a few minutes ago, and she looked up at him with an uncertain smile. "Sorry to drop that on ya, Big Mac. My parents can be a little... overbearing. You handled it like a champ, though! Thanks for not freaking out."
Big Mac chuckled nervously. "Ah can't pretend t' understand, but it sure was nice of them to be worried about ya."
Rainbow Dash snorted. "Yeah, it'd be nice if it was only every once and a while... but they're super, crazy into every little thing I do. It can be a bit much. I was hoping that you'd be able to weather a little crazy parental intrusion." Big Mac shrugged, and Rainbow Dash smiled at him. "Cool. Do you just want to find a shady spot and sit? We can get something to eat later. I meant it when I said I wanted to do something really low-key."
Big Mac shrugged again, content to let Rainbow Dash drive the date wherever she wished. He followed her to a cool patch of grass in the shade of some trees and sat down, reaching out one hoof and snagging a stalk of tall grass to chew laconically on. Rainbow Dash sat down next to him, looking around the area. "So..." Big Mac glanced over at her, ears perking forward. Rainbow Dash smiled. "You... have any hobbies?"
He considered his answer for a moment, and nodded. "Eeyup. Ah enjoy some tabletop games with Spike."
"Oh, right. That wizard game thing you do on guys' night!" Rainbow Dash replied, leaning forward. "That's pretty cool."
"Tabletop games? How about sports?!" called a familiar voice.
Big Mac turned, staring down the hill to look at the nearby grass field. Rainbow Dash's parents were done up in full-on hoofball equipment, and they were passing the ball back and forth with athletic grunts and whoops. "Rainbow Dash loves sports!" called Bow Hothoof.
"It'll be really hard to connect with our little girl if you don't like sports!" Windy Whistles said, jumping up to pass her husband the ball. "Get it?"
"Got it!" Bow shouted, diving for the ball and crashing into the dirt spectacularly.
"Woo!" cheered Windy, leaping up onto her hind legs and kicking her front hooves. "Sports!"
Rainbow Dash's ears flattened, and she groaned. "Seriously?"
Big Mac chuckled, and called, "Oh, I like sports plenty, too. Just don't have time because I take care of the farm."
Bow got up with a grunt of pain, limping and stretching his wings. "I got a cramp..."
Windy nudged her husband. "Hear that? He does like sports. Just doesn't have time because he works on a farm!"
"Nice!" Bow said, attempting a hoof-pump and ending up groaning in pain.
Windy waved a hoof, "Keep at him, Rainbow Dash! Crack him open like an egg! Get inside his head!"
Rainbow Dash's eye-roll was legendary. "Sweet Celestia on an airship. Maybe we should go somewhere else?"
"Sure," Big Mac said, standing up.
While Windy helped Bow remove his hoofball gear and ice his back, Rainbow Dash led Big Mac out of the park and towards Ponyville, her pace slow and her eyes on the road ahead. Big Mac could tell she was upset. He considered asking her, but knew that if she wanted to talk about it, she would. Or maybe he was supposed to ask? Mares were a bit of a mystery to him. He decided to err on the side of caution. "So...?"
"Sorry. Like I said, overbearing parents... heh heh," she laughed weakly, looking up at him with an uncharacteristic lack of confidence.
"No worries," Big Mac offered. "So... ya like sports?"
"Y-yeah," Rainbow Dash said, perking up a bit. "I mean, I'm obviously more interested in flight acrobatics and stunts and stuff... but sports are cool. I played a lot of hoofball when I was a filly."
"Me too. I probably coulda done something with it, but, y'know. The farm," Big Mac said, shrugging.
"Yeah? I mean, why didn't you leave your family to handle it? As big and strong as you are, you coulda been a pro!" Rainbow Dash said, grinning and nudging him with one wing.
Big Mac blushed. "Aw, shucks. But, no. Applejack would go plumb crazy without anypony to help her."
"I get ya. I remember that week when you got hurt during Apple-bucking season, and Applejack tried to do all the work by herself."
Big Mac chuckled. "Eeyup."
Rainbow Dash eyed Big Mac appreciatively, "Y'know, I think this is the most I've heard you talk. Like, ever."
"Don't have much t' say, usually. But a nice mare can drag a few words out of me," Big Mac ventured, smiling at her.
Rainbow Dash chuckled. "Yeah? Well, when you find a nice mare, you let me know," she said with a wink.
Big Mac and Rainbow Dash shared a laugh, and Rainbow Dash trotted a bit faster, leading Big Mac to the Hay Burger. Big Mac followed her, smiling to himself. She'd been a little put-out by her parent's unexpected intrusion, but she'd recovered quickly. He just hoped that it wasn't going to be a trend. Rainbow Dash found them a seat at a booth and scooted into it, patting the cushion next to her. "C'mon, big guy."
Big Mac glanced at the empty seat across from her, but noted the slight smirk and saw the challenge in her posture. Would he wimp out and sit across from her, or would he pony up and sit beside her? He slid into the seat next to her, settling awkwardly next to her. Rainbow Dash gave him a little room, her hooves resting on the table and tapping the table top nervously. Big Mac felt a feather brush against his shoulder, and he looked to his side, noting her wings awkwardly shifting. Big Mac scooted sideways a bit, clearing some space, and Rainbow Dash relaxed her wings a bit, looking up at him appreciatively.
"Hayburgers all around!" two ponies crowed as they joined them both in the seats opposite Big Mac and Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash's face went flat, and she covered her face with both hooves. "Nooooo!"
"We saw that you kids had left us some space, so we knew we were wanted!" Windy said, grinning as she set a tray piled with hayburgers in front of Rainbow Dash.
"And we know what Rainbow Dash likes! CARBS!" Bow added, setting a second tray loaded with hayfries in front of Big Mac.
Big Mac shook his head, chuckling despite himself. Rainbow, on the other hand, seemed ready to crawl under the table and die. "Mom! Dad! Come on! I was trying to be a little... y'know, sitting together?"
"Oh?" Windy said, smiling as she unwrapped a hayburger and set it in front of Rainbow Dash.
"How about you, son? You like carbs? Our Rainbow Dash has to eat a lot, because she's a professional flier!"
"Daaaad! This is so uncool!" Rainbow Dash whined, sinking lower in her seat.
Big Mac glanced between the earnest expressions on her parents' face, and the mortified one on Rainbow Dash's. He sighed, and smiled. "I think it's mighty... uh, cool."
Rainbow Dash blinked, staring up at him. "W-what?"
Big Mac smiled, reaching over and taking a hayfry from the pile. "Don't often get a chance to meet a mare's parents. I don't date much. Too busy. But, well, I think it's great that you're so... involved in your daughter's life, Mister Hothoof and Missus Whistles."
They stared at him, obviously surprised, and exchanged an unreadable look. After a moment, Bow cleared his throat. "O-oh? Really? You're... well, the first stallion that's said something like that and hasn't just left or gotten upset with us!"
Windy bit her lip nervously. "You're not upset with us?"
Big Mac snorted. "Upset? Naw. Like I said, I think it's great."
Rainbow Dash sat up straight, staring at him. "But... you don't think it's lame that my parents are following me around? Nosing in on our date?"
Big Mac smiled, "Honestly? It's certainly a little different, but at the same time, I respect it. I can understand wantin' to check out the stallion takin' your daughter out. I get nervous about Apple Bloom all the time, and I'm just her big brother. She ain't even datin' yet," he said with a shiver, "an' that'll be an interestin' day when it comes..."
"So... it's cool, then?" Rainbow said slowly.
"Sure. Maybe it ain't quite a regular date, but I wouldn't mind gettin' t' know the three of ya better."
Rainbow Dash slowly turned to regard her parents, and she nodded. "Uh, so... I guess you guys can stay?"
Windy and Bow both cheered and high-fived. "Best first date ever!"
Rainbow Dash held up a hoof, "BUT!"
The two ponies froze, mid-high-five, and looked at their daughter nervously. "Y-yes?"
"Tone it down. Like, a few notches?" Rainbow Dash asked.
Big Mac chuckled. This was turning out much better than he'd hoped. "Thanks for th' food, by the way. I, uh, like carbs, too."
Windy smiled appreciatively. "Oh, that makes sense! If you work on a farm, then you're bound to need lots of energy!"
"You must know your way around a plow. Heck, I bet you are the plow! Look at ya!" Bow said, reaching over and poking Big Mac on one shoulder, "Built like a brick house, I tell ya!"
Big Mac shrugged. "Eeyup."
"So, you like sports and carbs. What other things do you have in common with our little Dashie?" Windy asked.
Big Mac turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who was nervously eating a burger. She swallowed hard and smiled at him. "Uh, well... we don't actually have a lot in common. At all."
Big Mac smiled back, "Eenope. But I think she's a mighty interestin' mare. She's one of my sisters' best friends, and she's loyal like nothin' else. And fast!"
Bow grinned, "Have you seen her do a sonic rainboom?"
Big Mac nodded, "Eeyup. At the weddin' in Canterlot. Was somethin' else, all right."
Rainbow Dash blushed a bit, but recovered. "Yeah, that was pretty cool. Big Mac, here, he's pretty interesting himself. He once dressed up like a mare, just to help his little sister compete in the Sisterhooves Social."
Big Mac nearly choked on a hay fry, his cheeks burning. "Uh, well, I..."
Windy and Bow, on the other hand, stared at him with wide eyes and huge smiles. "Wow. Going that far for your family? That's something we can respect, son!" Bow said.
"We've done some admittedly embarrassing things for Rainbow Dash's sake," Windy said with a giggle, "But it always was what we thought was best for her."
Big Mac managed to recover from his embarrassment, and he chuckled. "Y-ya don't think it's... odd?"
"We think it's great!" Bow and Windy said, together.
Rainbow Dash giggled. "Well, look at that. You fit right in."
Big Mac smiled at her. "Yeah?"
Rainbow winked at him. "Eeyup."
When the burgers and fries were devoured, and the table cleared, Rainbow Dash and Big Mac left, heading for the park once more. Rainbow Dash's parents followed along, but they hung back. Big Mac turned and looked at them, and they trotted over to join Rainbow Dash and Big Mac after a moment of quiet discussion. "Rainbow Dash?" said Bow.
"Yeah?"
"We're going to head home," Windy said, smiling at Big Mac.
"O-oh?" Rainbow Dash said, blinking with surprise.
"Yeah. We think you've got a mighty fine stallion, here. We'd love to see him again, in fact. But I think we need a little space!" Bow said.
"We've been hanging out with you two for most of the afternoon! Time for some us time!" Windy said, laughing and throwing Bow a wink.
Big Mac chuckled. "Eeyup. It was nice meetin' ya both."
Bow and Windy both gave Rainbow Dash a hug, but then, to Big Mac's surprise, they turned on him and both embraced him as well. He stood awkwardly, enclosed by two pairs of hooves, and he closed his eyes for a brief, happy moment. When he opened them, Bow and Windy were already in the air, flying off towards Cloudsdale. Rainbow Dash watched them leave, and then turned to Big Mac. "Well, that was weird. Usually I can't get them out of my mane."
Big Mac smiled at her. "I guess they were just anxious... but we showed 'em they've got nothin' t' worry about."
Rainbow Dash giggled. "Y-yeah. I guess so."
Rainbow Dash lead them both back to the shaded tree they'd started their date at. The sun was lower now, and the evening was cool, and she flopped onto the grass. Big Mac flopped down beside her on his back, staring up at the sky. "So, you think my parents are okay?" Rainbow Dash said.
"Eeyup," Big Mac said with a nod.
"Not... super embarassing? A total deal breaker?" Rainbow Dash asked, her ears going flat.
Big Mac was quiet for a moment, before he glanced over at Rainbow Dash. "You've heard that before, huh?"
"Yeah. From way less cool stallions," Rainbow Dash said, sighing.
Big Mac nodded. "Y' want the truth?"
Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her side, facing him. "Yeah. Give it to me straight, big guy."
"I wish my parents were around to meet you, like yours got to meet me," Big Mac said quietly.
Rainbow Dash stared at him for a moment, before she rolled onto her back. "Oh. Yeah, that... that'd be pretty cool." Her tail flicked nervously.
"They'd have liked you," Big Mac said simply.
Rainbow Dash turned to look at him again. "Really?"
"Really," he said with a nod.
Rainbow Dash giggled. "Cool."
They lay on the grass as the sun slowly began to set, and the air grew cooler. Rainbow Dash might have napped, but Big Mac was awake, his eyes on the sky as the stars appeared. He smiled up at the night as it arrived. "They'd have liked you a lot."
"Mm?" Rainbow Dash murmured, blinking her eyes open and yawning. She blushed, sitting up. "Oh, gosh! I fell asleep!"
"S'okay," Big Mac said, sitting up as well. "Ya want me t' walk ya home?"
"Oh, uh... sure!" Rainbow Dash said, standing up and shaking out her wings, stretching.
Big Mac smiled, reaching out and brushing some stray grass out of her mane, and Rainbow Dash blushed. She turned and trotted away, leading him back towards her home. She slowed down as they neared their destination, glancing at him nervously. Big Mac watched her, wondering what she was going to do. After a moment, she stopped, and turned to face him. "I think your parents and my parents would have gotten along really well," she said.
Big Mac chuckled, "How d' ya figure that?"
"Because you're a great guy, so they must have been really great parents," Rainbow Dash said, grinning at him.
Big Mac's ears lay flat, and he blushed. "Thanks."
"No, thank you," Rainbow Dash said, kipping up onto her hind legs and planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You made today pretty awesome. I was worried that my parents would freak you out, but you handled them like a champ... and even though they're really embarrassing sometimes, they're still my parents. If you don't like them, well, it's... kind of a deal breaker for me, too."
Big Mac stiffened at the kiss, and found that his heart was racing. "Uh... um... eeyup?"
Rainbow Dash giggled, spreading her wings and taking to the sky. She hovered above him, heading towards her floating house. "See ya later, big guy!"
Big Mac watched her fly away, and he found himself alone on the ground. He chuckled wistfully, one hoof scuffing the earth, and then he turned and ambled towards home. On the way, he reminisced about the day, Rainbow's parents, and the kiss that still left his cheek feeling warm. He stopped, halfway down the road to the farmhouse, and he turned, stepping off the path and into the orchard. He walked a little ways, just enough to be surrounded by the apple trees, and he sat down, smiling, and looked up at the stars again.
"Hey ma. Hey pa. I took a nice mare out today. Her parents... they reminded me of you both, a bit." He chuckled. "Maybe not the same, but... they sure loved Rainbow Dash somethin' fierce. It was real nice, gettin' to meet them, too." He exhaled a warm breath, looking down at the earth. "I think you'd like this mare. She's not exactly what you'd expect... but she has her heart in the right place. She appreciates her family, even if she doesn't know how to say it sometimes. She might not have said it, but I could tell that she appreciated them bein' there for her. She was so wrapped up in worryin' what I thought, she didn't know what to do, but I think I set her right. I hope," he swallowed, "I did ya proud."
He chuckled, standing up and resting one large hoof against the bark of an apple tree. "I love you both. Forever an' always. G'night."
With that, he turned and trotted towards home, his eyes set on the lights of the farmhouse ahead of him. He reached the front door and pulled it open, and was greeted by the sight of Applejack, Apple Bloom, and Granny Smith gathered around the dinner table. They all looked up from their meal and smiled at him, and an air of expectation filled the room. Apple Bloom grinned the widest of all. "Heya, Big Mac! How'd yer date with Rainbow Dash go?"
"Aw, Apple Bloom, ya don't go botherin' Big Macintosh about his date!" Applejack said, grinning at her little sister.
"Nonsense! Ah wanna hear all about it! How'd it go, sonny?!" Granny Smith demanded, clopping one hoof on the tabletop impatiently.
Big Mac chuckled, walking through the room and planting a kiss atop Apple Bloom's head before sitting down at the table with his family. "It was different."
