Proposal Problems

by PhonyPony

Rating: teen
Tags: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Comedy, Romance, Fluttershy, Mr. Cake, Braeburn, Caramel, Big Macintosh
Length: 9232

Big Macintosh is finally going to marry Fluttershy, but he doesn't know how he should propose. To figure out how, he asks his three best friends for advice: Caramel, Mr. Cake, and Braeburn. Hilarity ensues. Will any attempts to propose work?

Big Macintosh is finally going to marry Fluttershy, but he doesn't know how he should propose. To figure out how, he asks his three best friends for advice: Caramel, Mr. Cake, and Braeburn. Hilarity ensues when Big Mac tries to propose. Will any of his attempts work? Will Big Macintosh propose to Fluttershy, or will he fail?

Published 2013-01-01 20:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2013-01-20 21:48:25 UTC

The Meeting

Princess Luna had just summoned the darkness to engulf Equestria. With its shining moon and twinkling stars, a pony wondered why nopony would stay up longer and witness the breathtaking sky up above. A certain red stallion seated himself onto a bale of hay at the family barn. He waited for his friends, hoping that they received his letters this morning from Derpy, the mailmare. The letters simply stated:

Once night falls, come to the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. I have urgent business to discuss. Start hauling ass and hurry up!

Big Macintosh, the strongest pony in Ponyville and possibly all of Equestria, waited. With his bulking physique and heavy yoke, one might suspect that he was a mean, brainless brute. He’s actually quite the opposite, being quiet and kind, but he can be aggressive if he wanted to. His cutie mark was a large green apple sliced on half, portraying both his strength and the kindness inside him.

The barn doors slowly creaked open, revealing a light amber earth pony.

“You’re late, Caramel.”

“Sorry,” squeaked a nervous Caramel.

Caramel was different from his companions in so many ways. Unlike the others, Caramel was timid and modest. His cutie mark consisted of three horseshoes. Why, because what he lacked in strength, he made up for in skill. Activities that required finesse like horseshoe tossing and archery were his forte. His finesse could get him out of any bad situation. Unfortunately, shyness consumed the stallion, preventing him from showing off his excellent skill.

“Am I the only one so far?”

“Eeyup.”

At that moment, two stallions trotted in. What made these two ponies different from most others was the fact that these two normally wear clothes. The lanky one wore an apron and bus boy hat, and the other bore a stereotypical cowpony get-up, complete with a hat and vest.

“Howdy, BM!”

The lanky one snickered.

“Ah hate it when ya call me BM, Braeburn.”

“Yeah, and don’t laugh Carrot, it’s rude.”

Mr. Cake, more commonly known as Carrot by his pals, occupied the prestigious role of greatest baker in Ponyville, even outclassing Pinkie Pie and his own wife. Three cakes inhabited his flank, further showing his baking talent. Despite his chuckle at Big Macintosh’s nickname, Carrot Cake was actually the most mature of the group, being the only married pony, for now.

The final member of the group, Braeburn, acted as the most eccentric of the four. Because of his status as an Apple Family member, his cutie mark also portrayed his affinity for apples. Even though the cowpony’s personality mainly consisted of being happy and carefree, one couldn’t find a pony more reliable than Braeburn.

Surprisingly, Caramel started the conversation. “So, why’re we all here, Big Mac? Are we going to talk about our feelings?”

“Wait a minute; I thought we were going to discuss new apple deserts.”

“Ain’t it obvious fellas, we’re finally going to start our band, Earth Pony Girth!”

“Nnope, nnope, and Hell nnope. Ah just wanted to announce that Ah’m gonna propose to Fluttershy.” The gang perked up.

“Well, Ah’ll be! Ah’m gonna be a cousin-in-law!”

“Congratulations, Big Mac! As a married stallion myself, I can tell you that marriage is absolutely wonderful!”

“Congrats, Big Mac. I can’t wait to find my own special somepony. Do you already have an engagement ring?”

“Eeyup, Ah had it specially designed just for her,” Under the hay bale, the red stallion pulled out a hoof-sized box and revealed a gold hoof ring with an extravagant diamond. The trio stood in awe. Carved onto the ring was a design of three butterflies flying, most likely representing Fluttershy’s cutie mark. The designer even engraved a small message, I’ll always love you.

A thought struck Braeburn. “Cuz, how did ya ever pay for a ring like this? Ah mean look at the thing! Special design, engraved message, a huge-ass diamond, it puts Carrot’s to shame!”

“Hey! Mine has sentimental value! It used to be my mother’s!”

“Easy, Ah sold mah hoofball trophy,” answered Big Macintosh.

“What?!” Caramel was shocked. “When we all went to high school together, that trophy was your pride and joy.” His ears drooped down. “You scored four touchdowns during that game. Carrot, Braeburn, and the rest of the team let you have the trophy for being MVP, Most Valuable Pony.”

Carrot wrapped his foreleg around Caramel. “Relax, Caramel, you weren’t even on the team. Why do you care so much about it?”

Braeburn took a step forward. “Yeah, Ah know we worked hard for it, but it was just a dumb trophy.”

“I know, but I thought it meant a lot to Big Macintosh. I don’t want him to regret this decision forever.”

“Ah don’t regret it, Caramel. Ah liked that trophy, but compared to mah love for Fluttershy, Ah’d sell that thing in a heartbeat.”

Feeling better, Caramel replied, “Awww, that’s so sweet.”

Carrot Cake turned to Big Macintosh. “Anyways, if you need any marriage advice, just come to me, Big Mac.”

“Actually, that’s why Ah called y'all here. Ah want to propose to Fluttershy, but Ah don’t know how.”

The freckled earth pony seized the opportunity. “As the only married stallion here, I know just what you need to do! Buy 100 cakes, pay me 10 bits for each one, and then you figure out the rest.”

Braeburn objected. “Stop the advertising, CC! Big Mac needs to propose by givin’ Fluttershy 100 pies, because everypony knows that pies are better than cakes!”

“May I remind you that I was the quarterback of our hoofball team?!” Carrot began to flex his front foreleg. “This limb right here, baby! Best throwing arm in all of Equestria! BM wouldn’t even have that ring if it wasn’t for me!”

“Ain’t ya supposed to be the mature one?! Ah should remind ya that Ah was the one that blocked every single pony from tackling your skinny ass!”

“Grr, cakes!”

“Pies!”

“Cakes!”

“Pies!”

“Enough!” Big Macintosh’s voice boomed, producing an echo in the barn that lasted for what seemed like forever. “Quit your bickering, both of ya’ll! Give me some actual advice!”

The dark-maned pony flinched. He never liked seeing Big Mac’s aggressive side. “May I ask exactly what kind of advice you are looking for? How do you want the proposal to be like?”

“Ah don’t know, Ah just want her to feel special, make her feel like she’s the most important mare in the world.”

"Yeah, that’s why ya need 100 pies!”

“Braeburn,” all turned to Carrot Cake, “Just stop. Big Mac, I apologize for our unruly behavior.”

“It’s alright, but because of your arguing, Ah’m not askin’ either of you for proposal ideas. Caramel, you go first.”

All eyes focused on Caramel, who was surprised for the third time this night. Why would Big Macintosh want to ask me? I’m shy, timid, and I’ve only had one fillyfriend, Sassaflash. It didn’t work out, but we left on good terms. Compared to the others, I’ve had the least experience. Carrot is married, Big Macintosh is dating the pony he loves, and Braeburn is a total mare magnet. “Big Mac, why me first?” Everypony saw the doubt in Caramel’s eyes.

“Out of all of us, yer the shyest, just like Fluttershy in her group of friends. Ah figured that you two might have similar interests.”

“Okay, I guess that makes sense. Well, I would suggest eating at a fancy restaurant. I know this really great one called Fine Wine to Dine.”

“Then, it’s settled. Ah’ll propose to Fluttershy there tomorrow.”

Braeburn screamed. “Yee-haw! Earth Pony Girth, pony pile on BM!”

Just like that, everypony tackled Big Macintosh. It hurt like Hell, but they all laughed. The quartet hasn’t been together for months, and it was always nice to catch up with friends. Their friendship still stayed strong, and they all had fun, at least until Applejack entered the barn.

“Uhhh…” The awkwardness silenced everypony. Nopony knew what to say, except Braeburn.

“Howdy, AJ! It’s exactly what it looks like!”

Author's Note

Thanks for reading everybody! From hereon, we'll follow Big Mac's exploits to propose to Fluttershy. Please comment your thoughts and any ways I can improve my writing and this fanfic.

Caramel's Idea: Fine Wine to Dine

“Uhhh, what are y'all doin’ here?" In front of Applejack were four full-grown stallions lying on top of each other and laughing; she wanted to know which emotion to use for yelling at them.

The group immediately rose up. Big Macintosh, Carrot Cake, and Braeburn shifted their heads to Caramel, who could talk his way out of any situation.

Caramel spoke up. “Oh, it’s simple, Applejack. You see, Braeburn wants to become a professional wrestler, but he doesn’t have anyone to practice sparring with. Big Macintosh wanted to help, so he mailed a letter to Braeburn about sparring with him at the barn. Carrot and I were intrigued, so we came to. While wrestling, the four of us accidentally bumped into each other and tripped, thus putting us in the situation you saw before.”

Applejack breathed out a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat off her forehead. “Fyuu, Ah thought y'all were doin’ somethin’ else, but why were y'all laughing?”

“Big Macintosh farted.”

“Hey!”

“Well, alrighty then! Ah better leave now, don’t wanna interrupt your rasslin’!” Applejack left the barn and took in a deep breath of fresh air.

“Great job, Caramel! You got us out of another tough spot,” The amber pony smiled and blushed at Carrot’s compliment. “…unlike other ponies.” Carrot turned to Braeburn.

“What? It was just a pony pile on Big Mac. By the way, could I live here for a while, BM? The next train trip to Appleloosa won’t be scheduled until next week.”

“Eeyup.”

“Fantastic! Ah’m gonna go to the guest room right now!” Quickly, Braeburn galloped out of the barn.

“Well, I should probably head back to Sugar Cube Corner now. I don’t want to make Cup angry.”

“Yeah, I should probably head back to.”

Carrot and Caramel left the barn, leaving Big Macintosh all by himself.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be a special day.”

Big Macintosh advanced to Fluttershy’s cottage, contemplating on how great this day was going to be. With him was a bouquet of dandelions in hoof and a seemingly uncomfortable suit. Today’s the day! Ah’m finally going to propose to Fluttershy! Ah really should thank Caramel for making a reservation at Fine Wine to Dine. Too bad Ah have to wear this stupid suit. Why did Ah borrow Carrot’s suit, the darn thing doesn’t even fit?! Oh, Ah’m already here. With two knocks at the door, it opened instantaneously, as if Big Mac was expected. Big Macintosh frowned, for the one that unlocked the door was Angel, Fluttershy’s spoiled, but caring, pet bunny.

“Uhh, howdy, is Fluttershy ready to go?”

Angel never liked his master dating Big Macintosh, so he gave him a swift kick to the hoof, it had no effect.

“Pssh, like that would hurt me. Besides Angel, you’re probably going to see me for a long time after this day; don’t ya wanna be friends?” Big Macintosh placed the bouquet on the ground and whipped out his hoof, offering the twisted bunny a truce.

Angel whipped his paw out, reached for the hoof in front of him, and shifted to the bouquet of dandelions. With the bouquet in his paw, Angel opened his mouth wide open and sloppily devoured all the flowers.

“Why, you little…”

“Hello, Big Macintosh. I’m ready to go.”

The crimson stallion regained his composure without delay as soon as he heard Fluttershy’s angelic voice.

“Okay then, let’s…wow.” Big Macintosh’s eyes wandered, analyzing Fluttershy’s stunning dress. It was just a simple, yet elegant, black dress that accentuated the curves on her delicate body. “You look beautiful.”

Fluttershy’s yellow face turned into a light pink. “Oh… my, thank you. I can’t wait to go to that fancy restaurant with you.”

“Eeyup, let’s go.”

“Welcome to Fine Wine to Dine, the greatest Prench restaurant in Ponyville, and no, I don’t like the name. The owner just likes bad rhymes and puns. Do you have a reservation?"

“Eeyup, the name’s Big Macintosh.”

“Oh, here it is. I shall show you and the mare to your table.” The host escorted the couple to their table, complete with plates, silverware, and romantic candles. “Your waiter will appear shortly.”

“Wow, Big Macintosh, this place sure is fancy. How’d you ever get a reservation at a place like this?”

“Well, you can thank mah good friend…Caramel?!”

“Hello, lovebirds. I shall be your waiter this evening. My name is Caramel.”

Big Mac scowled. “We know who ya are. What are you doing here?”

Caramel kept a composed look on his face. “I’ll have you know that I just got hired here today. I must say, being a waiter isn’t so bad. The staff is polite, the atmosphere’s peaceful, and the customers tip quite generously.”

“Congratulations, Caramel. I feel so happy for you.”

“Why, thank you, Fluttershy.” The newly-hired waiter leaned to Big Macintosh and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you.”

“What do ya mean by ‘help’, you sayin’ that Ah can’t propose by mahself?”

“Not at all, I’m talking about the road getting there. I’ve seen your dates before, and they’re usually pretty quiet. You’re not exactly a conversationalist, and one does not simply drop the proposal bomb. I’m here to help you casually talk with Fluttershy until you decide to propose.”

“Ah like ya better when you’re shy.”

“I work at a restaurant now; I can’t afford to be shy. Trust me, when I leave this place, my self-confidence is going to go down fast.”

“Um, what are you two talking about?” asked a confused Fluttershy.

“Oh, nothing. Are you ready to order?”

“Yes, I’ll have the ratatouille.”

“And you, Big Macintosh?”

“Uhhh…” Damn! Ah don’t know anything about this place. What should Ah order?! “Ah, too, will have the rat-patooty.”

“Okay, your food will appear shortly. What about your drinks?”

Big Mac smiled. He knew what to order this time. “We would like two glasses of your finest wine.”

“Um, Big Macintosh, I actually don’t want any wine. I can’t really handle alcohol.”

Caramel spoke up. “How about I get you two the amazing Apple Family cider instead?”

“Yes please, thank you so much.”

The farm pony rolled his eyes. “Yeah, thanks Caramel.”

Tables away from the couple, two peculiar ponies spied on the muscular earth pony’s dinner with the beautiful pegasus.

“Why do we have to be here, Braeburn?”

“Ah told you already, Carrot, we’re here to watch BM propose to Fluttershy.”

“And why do I have to be dressed like a mare? Why can’t you be dressed like this?!” Carrot Cake donned a frilly blue and pink dress. The bottom half puffed out much like the dresses in Granny Smith’s time. The design was just awful, but the stitching was fabulous! To make the disguise more convincing, the baker dolled himself up with makeup, eyeliner, lipstick, and a curly orange wig similar to Pinkie Pie’s mane.

“It’s because you’re married. If Ah wore the dress, ponies might believe that you’re cheating on your wife, but if you wore the dress, then nopony knows who you are, and it looks like Ah’m just on another date.”

Carrot paused and uttered, “You smart bastard.”

Caramel walked up to the sweethearts. “I’m sorry, but the ratatouille isn’t prepared yet. Here are your drinks and some complimentary croissants.”

“Thank you, Caramel. You really are an excellent waiter.”

“No problem Fluttershy.” The amber pony angled towards Big Mac. “Ask her about her friends. She loves her friends.”

The soon-to-be husband nodded. “So Fluttershy, what do ya think about your friends?”

“Oh, they’re great…”

“Carrot, have you tried these croissants?! They’re out of this world!” Braeburn was scarfing down those croissants faster than Angel devouring a lovely bouquet of flowers.

“Not now, Braeburn. Caramel, we’ll both have the ratatouille.”

“An excellent choice.”

“So how’s their date doing?” pried Braeburn, who still had food in his mouth.

“Pretty good, so far. I can’t help but feel like I’m forgetting something though, something that could totally ruin Big Macintosh’s proposal.”

“Don’t sweat it, Caramel. It’s not like Big Mac will see Carrot, Ah mean Cici, bust a gut, and die from laughter.”

Cici interrupted their conversation. “I really hate this dress. Thanks for not laughing, Caramel.”

“No problem, but I should probably warn Big Macintosh.”

“…and then Rainbow Dash swooped down, did a Sonic Rainboom, and saved Rarity and the Wonderbolts!” Fluttershy finished her story, obviously ecstatic about reliving those events.

“Wow that really is a great story. Oh look, Caramel’s finally here with our food.”

On Caramel’s back sat a large platter containing four smaller plates of ratatouille. They smelled heavenly. “Here’s your magnificent appetizer, and Big Macintosh, here are some napkins in case of a mess.”

Big Mac noticed a strange scribble on one of the napkins. It read:

Propose now! I fear that something bad is going to happen.

The farm pony took a bite of his ratatouille, which was delicious, and acted immediately. “Fluttershy, Ah need to tell you something right now.”

“Oh, what is it Big Macintosh?”

“Fluttershy, thill thoo tharry thee?”

“What?”

“Here you go, gentlecolts, your ratatouille.”

Carrot had a worried expression on his face. “Um, Caramel, I saw that you gave Big Mac and Fluttershy the same thing.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Don’t you remember?! Big Mac is allergic to cucumber! We need to help him before he starts reacting!”

“What?” Caramel realized his huge mistake. “Oh no! I’m so sorry, I totally forgot! Carrot, Braeburn, come with me right now!”

Braeburn objected. “Later! Ah wanna eat me some rat-patooty!”

The duo dragged Braeburn by his vest and headed to Big Mac.

“Ah thed, thill thoo tharry thee?”

“Umm…”

Suddenly, Caramel, Braeburn, and Carrot barged in their discussion.

“I’m so sorry Fluttershy, but Braeburn and his marefriend came here saying that Granny Smith needed Big Macintosh for an Apple Family emergency.” The trio snatched the stallion and ran off.

Fluttershy tilted her head to the side. “Um, what just happened?”

“What do we do now?! It looks like Big Mac ain’t breathing!” screamed the cowpony as the threesome carried Big Macintosh. They were running and panicking, but they didn’t know where to go.

“I don’t know!” yelled the cross-dressing baker, “Maybe we should try CPR!”

Braeburn flinched and stoically exclaimed, “Ah’m sorry, everypony. We did all that we could.”

“Shut up, Braeburn! Caramel, what should we do?!”

“Let’s go to the hospital!”

“Ugh, where am I?” The crimson stallion awoke in a room that wasn’t his own. Thermometers, tongue depressors, needles, and boring magazines surrounded him. Ah’m at the hospital.

Noticing the stallion’s deep voice, Nurse Redheart walked in. “You’re finally awake. Your friends and family are in the waiting room, they’ve been worried sick.”

“What happened?”

“Apparently, you accidentally ate some cucumber and had an allergic reaction.”

“That rat-patooty had cucumber? Never goin’ back there again.”

“You should really thank your friends. They rushed you in here and waited all night for you to get better.”

“Sure thing, nurse. Ah’m gonna leave now.” Big Mac got up from the hospital bed and headed to the door.

“Before you leave, I have to tell you something, Big Macintosh.”

“Eeyup?”

“Don’t be so stupid next time.”

Author's Note

Second chapter's done! As usual, please comment your thoughts and any ways I can improve my writing. Thanks for reading!

Carrot Cake's Idea: Cake

Caramel, Carrot Cake, Braeburn, and Applejack waited for Big Macintosh as he recovered from the incident. They worried for the stallion’s health, but a lingering thought still consumed their minds; the proposal failed.

“So lemme get this straight,” Applejack didn’t have a firm grasp on the situation at hoof. In fact, the only reason she knew about the incident was because Caramel rushed to Sweet Apple Acres and told her. She had only heard the gist of the predicament so far.

“Mah brother tried to propose to Fluttershy, but he had a few apples missing from his tree and accidentally ate cucumber, which he's allergic to. Big Mac’s tongue swelled up, and he couldn’t spit out the message. Then, y’all rushed him to the hospital when he had trouble breathing.”

Caramel solemnly looked down. “Yeah, that’s basically it.” He felt awful for ruining the most important moment of Big Macintosh’s life. If only I had remembered. If only I warned Big Macintosh that the ratatouille contained cucumber. If only I didn’t act so careless. It’s all my fault. Tears started dripping to the floor. I’m sorry.

“Caramel, don’t worry.” Big Mac entered the waiting room.

“Big Macintosh!” Everypony hugged the stallion, glad that he was finally okay.

“Caramel, it ain’t your fault, it’s mine. Ah should’ve looked at that rat-patooty before eating it. Ah was being stupid, so don’t worry about it.”

The tears started to dry up. “Thank you,” was all the amber pony uttered.

The moment touched everypony’s heart, but Braeburn disrupted the spell.

“Gazooks! We sure were worried, BM! It’s a good thing we got ya to the hospital! This reminds me of the time when…” Applejack stuck a hoof in the cowpony’s mouth.

“Quit yer yammering! Big Mac, Ah’m so glad you’re okay. Ah’m gonna head back to the farm and tell Granny Smith and Apple Bloom.” Applejack trotted to the exit, but abruptly stopped on the way there. “Two more things before Ah go. First, Ah want to congratulate ya on finally decidin’ to settle down with Fluttershy.”

“Thanks, AJ.”

“Second, Mr. Cake, don’t ever wear that again.”

Realizing he still wore the dress, the baker blushed at the statement. “I was forced to wear it!”

With her message sent, the orange mare left the hospital with a chuckle.

“Your turn, Carrot.”

“My turn for what, Big Mac?”

“Unfortunately, Ah messed up the last plan, so Ah need another proposal idea.”

Braeburn swung his foreleg in defeat. “Aw shoot! Ah wanted to give the next one. Oh well, as long as BM gets married, Ah guess.”

Carrot, content that he finally got to share his wisdom, held his chin up high. “As you all know, I’m the only pony here that’s married, so that means my proposal to Cup was successful, and we’ve been living happily ever since. You see, I asked her to marry me by putting the message on a cake. She thought it was so romantic that she said yes.”

The cross-dressing stallion raised a hoof. “That’s what you should do, Big Mac! Ask her with a cake! I’ll make the cake for you, BM; all you gotta do is show it to Fluttershy. Heck, I won’t even charge you for it!”

“That plan ain’t so bad. It’s simple, easy, and delicious. Make the cake later today, Carrot.”

“Sure thing!”

Caramel interjected. “By the way, you’ve been here waiting for Big Macintosh with the rest of us all night, Carrot.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Does your wife know that you’re here?”

“........ AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!”

“Where have you been?!” Cup Cake lashed out her complaints as her husband quivered in fear. Clearly, she remained awake for multiple hours. Her eyes were a combination of both fury and drowsiness. The rage of Cup had enough force to cause an earthquake at Cloudsdale, and Cloudsdale was on freakin’ clouds.

“You have the audacity to come home after disappearing all night, leaving me home with the twins and Pinkie Pie! Freakin’ Pinkie Pie! You know I love that filly, but sometimes, she drives me crazy! Do you have any idea how chaotic it was here without you holding down the fort?! And why are you wearing a dress?!”

“Now, honey bun, I have a good reason why, just calm down.”

The irritated wife gritted her teeth. “What would that be?”

“Well, Big Macintosh wanted to propose to Fluttershy, so the gang and I helped him out. I wore the dress to watch and make sure the proposal went well, but the plan failed.”

“Oh!” Cup’s voice settled down and decreased to her normal tone. “That changes everything! Poor Big Macintosh, I can’t believe that Fluttershy said no!”

“Actually, she didn’t say no. Big Mac simply couldn’t get the message out.”

“Then we should help him!”

“That’s why I’m here. I was going to make a cake that had ‘Will you marry me?’ spelled out on it.”

The female baker put her hooves over her heart. “Awww, just like how you proposed. Oh Carrot, can you forgive me for being so brash at you?”

“I don’t have to forgive you. It was my fault that I was gone.” Carrot walked up to his wife and gave a warm embrace, letting her know that everything was okay. “Besides, it’s probably just your time of the month again.”

“…….. GGGGGRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!”

After surviving his wife’s rage, Carrot Cake slipped out of his dress and finished baking the cake he promised Big Macintosh. While spelling out the message with strawberry icing, the earth pony began singing a verse from his favorite song.

If you're lost and alone
Or you're sinking like a stone
Carry on
May your past be the sound
Of your feet upon the ground
Carry on
Carry on, carry on

“Done! Now, I should probably go check on Pound and Pumpkin.” The lanky pony ignored the cake and trotted up the stairs, confident that his plan would be a success.

Big Macintosh, along with Fluttershy, headed to Sugar Cube Corner to pick up his proposal cake.

“So Big Macintosh, what was the problem that Granny Smith called you for last night?”

What should Ah say? Ah don’t wanna lie to Fluttershy, but Ah can’t let her know what happened either. Why does my family have to be so darn honest? Ah blame AJ. “It’s nothin’ ya need to worry about.” Ah’m pretty sure that ain’t a lie.

“Okay then. So why are we going to Sugar Cube Corner?”

“We’re goin’ to pick up a special cake.”

Before they knew it, the couple already arrived at their destination.

“Hey there, Fluttershy!” Pinkie Pie greeted the two with her usual excitement. “Where have you two been?! Big Mac, your cake was finished a whole ten minutes ago!”

“Really, that ain’t a lotta time.”

“It is to me! Have you two been making out the whole time?!”

A large blush consumed the lovebirds’ faces.

Fluttershy looked away and hid behind her mane. “No, we were just walking too slowly. I’m sorry for making you wait.”

“It’s fine, I’m only messing around. Here’s your order, Big Mac; Mr. Cake told me everything.”

“Thanks, Pinkie Pie. Let’s go, Fluttershy.”

“Okay. Bye Pinkie.” With the cake perched on Big Macintosh’s back, the crimson stallion and the yellow pegasus waved good-bye and departed the bakery.

“See you later! Good luck!” yelled Pinkie Pie, hoping the best for their relationship.

Roaming to Sweet Apple Acres for dinner, the loving couple had another conversation on the way there.

“Big Macintosh, what did Pinkie mean by wishing us good luck?”

“She’s just being Pinkie Pie.” Sometimes, Pinkie’s mouth is too big! Ah think Fluttershy is getting suspicious. Maybe Ah should just tell her now. “Fluttershy?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Ah love you.”

The timid mare reddened. “I love you too, Big Macintosh.”

“That’s why Ah want you to open the box on my back.”

“Sure.” Fluttershy stood on her hind legs and flipped the container’s lid. Her eyes focused on the cake, inscribed with a message. Surprised, the pegasus simply let out, “I guess I can do that.”

Ecstatic. The farm pony simply felt ecstatic. “Fluttershy, right now, you made me the happiest pony in all of Ponyville!”

“You don’t have to say that, I’d do it for anypony.”

Excitement transformed into confusion. “Say what now?”

Fluttershy beamed an innocent smile. “I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. If anypony asked, whether it be Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Caramel, or you, Big Macintosh, I would always say yes.”

Confusion became depression. Big Macintosh swung his head in defeat. “Ah can’t believe it.”

“After all, it’s just carrying a cake.”

“Huh?” And back to confusion.

“Well, that’s what the cake said. Honestly, you didn’t have to go through so much trouble to have me carry a cake. I’d gladly carry it if you were tired.”

Ah don’t get it. Why would Fluttershy want to carry the cake and ignore my proposal? Unless… “Fluttershy, lemme see that cake.”

The caretaker picked up the box from Big Macintosh’s back and gently placed it on the ground. His eyes widened. In strawberry icing, the cake displayed an unexpected question:

Will you carry me?

Author's Note

Once again, thanks for reading! In case you didn't know, Carrot sang a verse from the song "Carry On" by Fun.

Braeburn's Idea: Party

The walk to Sweet Apple Acres had pure awkwardness emanating from the two lovebirds. Fluttershy carried the misleading cake the rest of the way there, while Big Macintosh simply said nothing. His mug portrayed feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

“Um, are you all right, Big Macintosh?” Fluttershy never wanted to see her coltfriend with that face.

The stallion breathed out a sigh.

“Whatever’s eating you up, I want to know. You can tell me.” The marefriend wrapped a foreleg around the farmpony.

Big Mac breathed out another sigh.

Fluttershy pressed on. “Please tell me. I’d do anything to make you feel better.”

A tiny smile emerged from Big Mac. Ah’m so lucky that a mare like her cares about me so much. “Don’t worry about it, sugarcube. You’ll find out eventually.”

“Well, as long as you tell me later, then that’s fine.”

They continued their walk until they finally reached the Apple household. As they opened the door, the duo was greeted with a “Congratulations!”

Applejack, Apple Bloom, Granny Smith, and Braeburn shouted and cheered. “It finally happened, Apple Bloom!” screamed an ecstatic Applejack.

“Ah know, Ah can’t believe it!” Apple Bloom continuously jumped up and down, joyous of her new sister-in-law.

Granny Smith wiped a tear from her eye. “Ah’m so glad that Ah lived to see this day!”

Braeburn sped forward and shook Fluttershy’s hooves. “We waited so long for this to happen, Fluttershy! This is such a special occasion, let’s celebrate!”

“Wow, you all must really love this cake,” uttered Fluttershy, confused by their excitement.

“Say what now?” exclaimed the Apple Family, minus Big Macintosh.

Braeburn turned around to the crimson stallion. “BM, did it happen again?”

“Eeyup.”

The lively atmosphere dissipated and the entire Apple Family frowned, saddened by Big Mac’s proposal problems.

“Is everypony okay?” Fluttershy didn’t want to see her coltfriend and his family upset.

Because he didn’t want the dinner to be ruined, the yellow stallion perked up. “Of course we are! Thanks for bringin’ the cake!” Braeburn grabbed a hold of Big Macintosh. “Y’all enjoy dinner while Big Mac and Ah talk at the barn.” The two stormed off.

“Okay, let’s eat cake,” mumbled the pink-maned pegasus.

“Uh, sure thing,” responded Applejack, awkwardly.

Big Macintosh lied down on a seemingly comfortable bale of hay. “You told the family?” His voice had a disappointed tone.

“Ah’m sorry, BM. Ah thought your proposal would work this time.”

The depressed farmpony turned his back on his cousin. “Well, it didn’t.”

“This is all Carrot’s fault!” yelled Braeburn.

“No, it ain’t!” Big Macintosh’s voice briefly changed to a threatening tone, but it swiftly regressed back to depressing. “Ah know that Carrot didn’t mean to mess up. Ah don’t blame him, Ah already failed twice. Maybe this is Celestia’s way of tellin’ me that Ah’m not Fluttershy’s special somepony.”

Braeburn desperately tried to cheer up his saddened cousin. “Don’t say that, BM! You two love each other and you know it! How about Ah remind you of our family’s special attributes?!”

“Apples?” guessed the ‘you can’t spell depressed without red’ stallion.

“No! Honesty and attractiveness! You’re good-lookin’, Ah’m good-lookin’, Applejack’s good-lookin’, our whole family’s good lookin’! We’re totally hot!” The cowpony wiggled his flank to emphasize their hotness. “We’re honest too, so you know Ah’m tellin’ the truth!”

“Thanks for the compliment cuz, but that’s not goin’ to help me. Fluttershy ain’t a shallow pony that makes decisions based on somepony’s looks.”

“Ah know that, she loves you for you! You’re kind, caring, strong, and you’re the best applebucker in the family! Get off your lazy ass and realize that!”

Braeburn’s rant invigorated Big Macintosh, releasing him from his depression. The stallion stood up, tall and proud. “You’re right! Ah am all those things you said! Ah will propose to Fluttershy! Braeburn, what’s your idea?!”

“Great to have ya back, BM! Ah suggest havin’ a party tomorrow and proposin’ in front of everypony. It shows that you’re not afraid of anything, not even in front of a large crowd.”

“Ah like the idea cuz, but can we really organize a party by tomorrow?” Big Mac doubted his cousin’s plan.

“Of course we can! Carrot and Ah will handle catering, and Ah know a certain pony that can help with party planning.”

“Okay, but make sure it ain’t as crazy as last time.” A terrifying flashback entered the farmpony’s mind.

“WE CRANK THAT BASS UP TO 11 AND IT DESTROYS THE BOREDOM AT A MICROSCOPIC LEVEL! YEEEAAHHH!” Vinyl Scratch raised the volume. Thanks to the power of wubs, everypony literally raised the roof, thus destroying the barn, again.

“We fixed the barn!” Braeburn defended, “Besides, Vinyl paid for the damages! This party won’t be as hectic, Ah promise. You can rely on me BM, Ah guarantee that tomorrow night, Fluttershy will finally say ‘yes’ to your proposal!”

Celestia raised the sun, and Twilight Sparkle began to rise from her slumber. As she rose, she listened to the birds chirping and the peacefulness of the surrounding area. Her mane protruded from all directions, yet her environment was in perfect serenity.

“TWILIGHT!!!!!” Spike shouted from downstairs in order for his caretaker to hear him.

The called mare shrieked at the dragon’s exclamation. “What is it?!”

“Pinkie Pie’s here to tell you something!”

“Ugh, I’ll be there!” Twilight limped downstairs, obviously distressed by the destruction of her peaceful morning. “Yes, Pinkie?”

“Hi Twilight! I just came here to tell you that there’s going to be a party at Sweet Apple Acres today!” The party mare gave two invitations, one for each resident. “Be there, something really amazing is going to happen!”

“Awesome! Can we go, Twilight?” Spike was eager to go to another party at the barn, especially since the last one.

“Of course we can, but Pinkie, why didn’t you do your singing telegram?”

“It poops me out, that’s why! See you at the party, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie bounced away to deliver the other invitations.

The party, as Braeburn promised, was not as outrageous as the last. At most, only 30 ponies attended.

“Aw man!” Spike kicked the ground, making hay fly in front of him. “I wanted to have fun.”

Twilight comforted her number one assistant. “Don’t say that, Spike. The music’s nice, all our friends are here, and there’s going to be a surprise at the end. It’s a fun party.”

Spike crossed his arms. “I guess.”

“How about I buy you some food to make you feel better?” The purple unicorn pointed to two concession stands. One ran by Mr. Cake, and the other by Braeburn.

The dragon jumped up, excited about the news. “Really?! Thanks Twilight!”

She trotted to Braeburn’s stand and brought out three bits. “One slice of pie please.”

“Sure thing, Ms. Sparkle.” The yellow stallion took her bits and dished out the fresh apple pie. “Enjoy the party.”

“Thank you, Braeburn.”

As soon as Twilight left the stand, the cowpony turned to the adjacent stand. “In your face, Carrot! I just proved that pies are better than cakes!”

The lanky baker was displeased. “Oh hush up, the party just started! Later, I’ll prove that my cakes are superior to your pies! I need to redeem myself for ruining the proposal!”

Braeburn spoke in a condescending way. “That’s real honorable of you, but it ain’t gonna help you one bit! After all, Ah have POOP on my side.”

“POOP?”

“POOP: Ponies Order Our Pies. That’s why pies are better!”

Meanwhile, Caramel conversed with Big Macintosh. “Ready to do this?”

“Eeyup. Ah’m confident that Ah will finally ask Fluttershy to marry me.”

“Well, good luck. It looks like you’re really going to need it this time. I think that something bad is going to happen again. Something that’s worse than the last two results.”

“Like what?” The crimson farmpony began to worry slightly.

Outside the barn doors stood two devious-looking unicorns, one of them carrying an unknown bottle. They appeared to be… singing?

Well lookie what we got here, brother of mine, it’s a party in a barn

Ponies having fun, dancing around, and not even giving a single darn

Maybe they’re not aware that they will soon be in a teary despair

That the key that we need to ruin the Apple’s party you and I do bear

Well we've got opportunity

In this very community

He’s Flim, he’s Flam, we’re the world famous Flim Flam Brothers

Travelling salesponies nonpareil

I suppose by now you’re wondering, ‘bout this peculiar dark green bottle

I say, our revenge against the Apples

And I suppose by now you’re wondering, how will we ruin their party?

Any horse can make a claim and anypony can do the same

But my brother and I have something most unique and superb

Unseen at any time in this big new world

And that’s opportunity

Folks, it’s the one and only, the biggest and the best

The unbelievable

Unimpeachable

Indispensable

I can’t believe-able

Flim Flam Brothers’ Super Dizzy Drunky Cider 6000

Yeah!

The two salesponies ceased their catchy song and began a normal conversation. “Brother, we can completely ruin the Apple Family’s shindig thanks to this Double D cider!” boasted Flim, holding up the bottle in question.

“That’s very clever, Flim!” exclaimed Flam, somehow understanding the reference.

“This cider can instantly intoxicate anypony foalish enough to drink it. Let’s sneak in and pour it in the punch bowl!”

The mustachioed one objected. “Perhaps we should use our magic to mix it in instead of sneaking around like some hoodlums. After all, we don’t want to get caught now, do we?”

“I suppose you’re right.”

“Ready Flim, ready Flam, let’s bing-bang-zam!” sang the red-and-white maned ponies in unison. A beam was shot from their green-glowing horns and it struck the bottle. Instantaneously, the Super Dizzy Drunky Cider 6000 fused with the normal punch with nopony noticing.

“Let’s leave, Flim. We already know that the party will be a disaster now.”

“Right, brother!” With their plan a success, the Flim Flam Brothers escaped unharmed.

“Flam, I tripped!”

“Pinkie Pie, I absolutely adore this lovely party!” Rarity, along with the other Elements of Harmony, formed their own circle at the center of the barn. “But why, if I may ask, are we having one?”

Rainbow Dash joined the interrogation. “Yeah Pinkie. This party’s cool and all, but why now?”

“And what’s this amazing thing that’s going to happen?” questioned Twilight.

“Sorry everpony, but I can’t tell any of you, especially Flutershy.” Pinkie Pie pretended to zip her mouth shut.

“Especially me, why?” asked the yellow pegasus.

The three mares weren’t satisfied with Pinkie’s answer. Suddenly, their eyes shot a piercing glare to Applejack. Rainbow Dash gave a sly smile. “I bet you know why we’re having this party AJ, after all, this is your family’s barn.”

“Uh…” This is it Applejack! Ah can’t believe you’re going to do this, but you have to lie to your friends. Just because you’re the Element of Honesty doesn’t mean you can’t tell a lie. You can do it! This will be the greatest lie you ever told!

“IT’S NOT BECAUSE BIG MACINTOSH IS GOING TO PROPOSE TONIGHT!” Dang it!

Everypony gasped except Pinkie, who did a facehoof.

Rarity was the first to speak. “How romantic! To be swept off your feet by your knight in front of everypony! It shows how Big Macintosh’s love for Fluttershy has no bounds! Ooh, congratulations on being the first one of us to be married, Fluttershy!”

Fluttershy blushed. “Wow, I didn’t know, but I’m so happy that Big Macintosh and I are about to be engaged. We love each other so much, it only makes sense that this would happen eventually.” Fluttershy started breathing heavily.

“Are you okay?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“Oh I’m just excited. Maybe a drink would be nice. Can you get me one, Rainbow?”

“Sure thing.”

“Take that, Braeburn! I just sold my ninth cake today!”

“What a coincidence, Carrot, Ah just sold my tenth pie!”

Carrot Cake was steaming mad. “That’s it! How about we prove which is better once and for all: cakes or pies?”

Braeburn squinted his eyes. “You’re on.”

Caramel talked to a former classmate of the gang at the corner of the barn. He didn’t remember his name, but his appearance was obviously an older version of their former acquaintance.

“Have you been doing well since high school?” pried the amber stallion.

“YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHHHH!”

“CARAMEL!” roared two of the pony’s best friends.

“Sorry, old buddy, but I have to leave now. Somepony’s calling me.” Caramel galloped away until he finally reached the source of the shout. “Hey guys, what’s up?”

“Braeburn and I want you to try a slice of my cake and a slice of his pie. We’re tired of arguing. The dispute will end solely based on your decision.”

“Wow, thanks for trusting me, guys. I’ll do it.”

A crowd started to form around Caramel. Apparently, a lot of ponies cared about the Cakes vs. Pies debate. Carrot and Braeburn each presented a plate in front of their shy friend. First, he slowly ate the cake. His eyes went wide open on the first bite, a seemingly good sign. Then, he carefully consumed the apple pie.

“Tastes pretty good,” complimented Caramel. Once he swallowed the last bite, the dark-maned pony had decided. The attendees leaned forward, anticipating what he would say. Will it be cakes, or pies?

“Sorry, but I think they’re both equally delicious.”

Everypony’s jaw dropped.

“Well, that settles it! Our food, as Caramel said, is equally delicious. No more fighting Braeburn.” Carrot brought his hoof out in agreement.

“Agreed!” Instead of a hoofshake, Braeburn gave a hoofbump, thus ending the feud.

Caramel shrugged. “Honestly, I’m more of a muffin stallion.”

“You are?!” screamed a certain cross-eyed mare in a lovey-dovey tone.

“… AND THEN I SAID, ‘yay!’” Fluttershy swayed back and forth, occasionally stumbling every time. “AND THEN I SAID, ‘yay,’ AGAIN!”

“Fluttershy, dear, are you feeling all right?” asked a worried Rarity.

The pegasus hiccupped. “Oh, I feel great! The love of my life is going to propose tonight! I can’t wait!” Fluttershy finished her cup of spiked punch. “This punch is wonderful! One more, Rainbow!”

“Are you sure? That’s your fifth one.”

“ANOTHER!”

Big Macintosh walked to Vinyl Scratch. “It’s time.”

“Got it.” Vinyl stopped the music and gathered everypony’s attention. “Okay party ponies! First of all, let’s thank Pinkie Pie for organizing this awesome party!”

Multiple hoots and hollers were heard by the audience.

“Aw shucks. Thank you! Thank you all!” shouted a bashful Pinkie.

“And now, we have an important announcement from our host, Big Macintosh!” The DJ shifted the attention to Big Mac.

“Fluttershy, Ah love you, and Ah wanna spend mah entire life with you. That’s why Ah want to ask,” Big Macintosh got down on his knees and brought out the gold hoof ring, “Will you marry me?”

The barn was silent. All eyes focused on Fluttershy.

“Yes,” slurred the intoxicated mare.

She said ‘yes’! Everypony cheered for the couple, congratulating both of them on their relationship. Rarity especially screamed the loudest.

Big Macintosh joyfully jumped around the barn. “It finally happened! Fluttershy and Ah are going to get married! Braeburn was right! Caramel was wrong!”

And then Fluttershy fainted.

The next day, Fluttershy woke up and didn’t remember anything about the day before. Not wanting to simply tell her about the proposal and how she somehow got drunk, Big Macintosh told Caramel to convince everypony to never talk about the party.

Door by door, Caramel went to every pony that witnessed the proposal. They all agreed to never mention the event in front of Fluttershy to prevent her memory from returning.

For some reason, a grey pegasus followed Caramel the entire time.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! For anybody that doesn't get the reference, Flim and Double D were both voiced by Samuel Vincent.

Every member of the gang had an idea for the proposal; every member except one.

Big Macintosh's Proposal Solution: Paper

“What’s takin’ him so long?” Big Macintosh, Carrot Cake, and Braeburn waited for Caramel inside the barn. Braeburn was tired of sitting around doing nothing. “There were only 30 ponies at the party, he should be here by now! BM, just say what ya wanted to say without him!”

“Nnope. We all started this; everypony has to be here.”

The barn door creaked open, revealing a content Caramel. “Hey, guys. Sorry I couldn’t have gotten here faster.”

“What could possibly hold you up?!” asked the yellow cowpony.

“I was telling everypony to never mention the party just like you told me to Big Macintosh, but I got sucked into a chat with Derpy on the way.”

“Derpy?!” Caramel’s best friends expressed shock.

“Uh-huh. As it turns out, we both have a lot in common. In fact, she asked me out on a date for next week.”

Carrot gave the amber stallion a congratulatory slap on the back. “Good job, Caramel! Think she’s the one?”

“Oh, I hope so. I never noticed before, but she really is a great mare,” Caramel looked up, “Guys, I think I found my special somepony.”

“Well, it looks like all our problems are solved,” announced Big Macintosh, “Carrot and Braeburn settled their argument and now Caramel found his special somepony.”

Braeburn raised a hoof in interjection. “You’re wrong cuz, what about your problem?”

“Yeah, every single proposal to Fluttershy failed,” added the lanky baker.

“That’s why Ah called y’all here again,” the deep-voiced stallion placed his hoof on his chest, “Ah’ve decided to propose to Fluttershy by mahself. Thank y’all for your ideas, but Ah realize now that mah proposal should come from mah heart, not from somepony else.”

Caramel stretched his foreleg in front of everypony. “I’m glad you finally decided to propose yourself. We hope for the best, Big Macintosh.”

Carrot brought out his hoof. “You and Fluttershy will be an excellent married couple. We should double date sometime.”

Braeburn too put his hoof in the air. “We know you can do it, Big Mac!”

“Eeyup!” The four collided their hooves together, creating the greatest hoofbump in their entire lives. Nopony asked how Big Macintosh was going to propose, for they already knew that success was guaranteed.

Actually, he didn’t know how he was going to propose.

“How should Ah do this?” Big Macintosh secluded himself in his room, determined to come up with a proposal solution. He perched himself next to his desk and thought of multiple ideas. Crumpled sheets of paper scattered themselves all over the place. Every couple of minutes, their number continued to increase. They contained written plans that the freckled pony immediately rejected, including:

Skywriting from the Wonderbolts? Sounds like something for Rainbow Dash.

Start Earth Pony Girth boy band with the guys and sing? Ah find it embarrassing.

Got to Iron Will’s seminar? Fluttershy probably wouldn’t like that.

Ask Angel for help? Nnope.

“Why am Ah writing these down? Ah said that Ah would do this by mahself.” Big Macintosh formed a ball out of another sheet of paper. He aimed for the wastebasket, but the crumpled sheet slightly missed its trajectory and skewed itself onto the wooden floor. “It doesn’t matter anyway. No matter how many ideas Ah write on paper, Ah just can’t decide.”

The stallion scooted from his desk and lied down on his bed. He shifted to his right and viewed one of the many sheets of paper in his room; however, this sheet remained uncrumpled. Judging by the shade of the faded white, this certain sheet of paper appeared to have been there a while. Big Macintosh smiled. He remembered this one.

It was an average day in Sweet Apple Acres. Apple Bloom hanged out with the crusaders while Applejack and Big Macintosh bucked apple trees. Granny Smith assigned Big Macintosh to the north field, with the south field already occupied by Applejack. With only a single buck, each tree shook with the force of a tackle by an Ursa Major. The Apple siblings never tired themselves out, but they did find the task to be occasionally boring.

That day, on the other hoof, was anything but boring. As if it fell from the sky, a sheet of paper floated from above, landing on a seemingly random apple tree. BAM! The strongest stallion in all of Ponyville kicked the tree, making multiple apples and the unknown sheet plummet into a basket.

“What’s this thing doin’ here?” Big Macintosh picked up the mysterious paper and began to read it. “It’s a note?”

Big Macintosh, please meet me at Ponyville Park at 4:00. I would like to talk to you, unless you’re busy of course. In that case, we can meet some other time. Now that I think about it, you don’t have to go to the park at all. It’s okay if you can’t, I’ll just… On second thought, come to the park right now, if you don’t mind.

And that’s exactly what he did. The crimson stallion left Sweet Apple Acres and arrived at Ponyville Park. Only one pony was there, a beautiful pegasus mare. She had a fragile yellow body and a flowing pink mane that covered her face. Her cutie mark consisted of three butterflies, representing her affinity for animals. The mare turned around, revealing her beauty. “Hello, Big Macintosh.”

So she’s the one that wrote the note. Mah hearts feels funny, a good kind of funny. Ah think she’s one of AJ’s friends. What was her name again? Oh yeah, it was… “Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy’s note started a long chain of events. Originally, she had asked for a single date, but during that one date, they discovered a lot about each other’s personality. Clearly, they were both shy, but other traits were discovered as well, such as Big Macintosh’s strong will and Fluttershy’s kindness. That date eventually led to their second date, their fifth date, their first kiss, and their first ‘I love you.’

“Ah’m so lucky. Ah still can’t believe it’s been a year since then.” As Big Macintosh kept on reminiscing about his relationship, he looked at his surroundings. He viewed his removed yoke, portraits of family, Smarty Pants, and paper everywhere.

Paper.

The perfect idea struck his head. “Paper? Paper! That’s it! One sheet of paper! That’s how Ah’ll propose tomorrow! If paper started it all, then it can end it too!” He found the proposal solution. He found it at last.

“Ah’m goin’ to need a dictionary.”

“Where are we going, Big Macintosh? Can you please tell me?” Blindfold over her eyes, Big Macintosh led Fluttershy to their destination.

The stallion chuckled. “Not yet, it’s a surprise. Besides, we’re almost there.”

After five minutes of walking blindly, Fluttershy removed the blindfold and found herself at Ponyville Park. The sun shined on the grass, making it glisten. Under a tall oak tree laid a checkered blanket along with a light brown basket. “Wow, we’re going to have a picnic?!”

“Eeyup, a romantic picnic at Ponyville Park, the place where our whole relationship started.”

“You remembered,” sighed Fluttershy. The yellow mare sat on the ground. “What are we having?”

The farmpony kneeled towards the basket and pulled out some food. “We have apple pie from Braeburn, Carrot’s carrot cake, and croissants from that fancy restaurant Caramel works at, Fine Wine to Dine.”

Fluttershy licked her lips. “All of that sounds delicious.”

“Eeyup, but before that,” Big Macintosh pulled out a sheet of paper and a quill from the basket, “Let’s play a game.”

The mare received the two items from her coltfriend. “Um, okay. What do I have to do?”

“There are two columns on that there paper. Ah’m goin’ to say 14 words. Ah want you to write the first letter of the first word Ah say on the left column and the first letter of the second word on the right column. Just keep on doin’ that, okay?”

“I can do that.” Fluttershy, surprised by this game’s strangeness, tilted her head to the right. “But why do I have to play this game now?”

The crimson pony raised a hoof. “Trust me; you’ll love this game when we’re finished.”

“Okay, I trust you.”

Big Macintosh began his list. “Warmhearted… Mesmerizing… Incomparable… Angelic… Lovely… Radiant… Luminous… Remarkable… Youthful… Yearning… Outstanding… Magnificent… Unique… Elegant.”

One by one, the shy mare wrote the first letter of each word in their respective columns. “Got ‘em. Why did you pick those words?”

“Ain’t it obvious?” Big Mac wrapped his foreleg around Fluttershy. “Those are all words that describe you. All those words pop into mah head whenever Ah look at you.”

A bright blush emerged on Fluttershy’s face. She had never seen Big Macintosh act so sweet. “You really think about me that way?”

Big Macintosh nodded. “Eeyup, no doubt about it. Now, Ah want you to read the list.”

Fluttershy analyzed the list and gasped. She had never expected this to be the way this moment would happen. On the sheet of paper was the list of letters she wrote:

W M
I A
L R
L R
Y Y
O M
U E

Big Macintosh reached into the basket and revealed the gold hoof ring. “Fluttershy, ever since Ah first met you, Ah knew that there was somethin’ special about you. You’re kind, beautiful, and the greatest mare in all of Equestria. Heck, Ah probably don’t even deserve you. Ah never would have realized mah love for you if you hadn’t sent that note to me. You took the initiative that day, and now it's mah turn. Ah love you, Fluttershy, and Ah want to spend mah entire life with you. That’s why Ah want to ask…”

“Will you marry me?” Big Macintosh closed his eyes and looked away, fearing another tragedy. He heard sobbing. When he looked back, he only saw Fluttershy crying tears of joy.

“I love you too, Big Macintosh! Of course I’ll marry you!”

Big Macintosh slipped the ring onto Fluttershy’s hoof and the two shared a long, passionate kiss. It finally happened, Big Macintosh’s Proposal Solution.

Author's Note

There it is, the sweetest thing I ever wrote. Thanks for reading until the very end!