What You Want and What You Need - Ch. 1

"Afternoon everypony"

"Mac!"

The red stallion was greeted by a chorus of shouts as he entered the bar. After a long hard week of bucking and hauling apples, it was finally Friday night, thank Celestia. It was really Big Macintosh's only time to unwind and maybe talk to friends or just contemplate the universe. His own small universe, that is. Being a dedicated farm pony, he rarely got the chance to socialize with other ponies not counting the rare instance of small talk while making a delivery in town. This bar, on this night of the week was the entirety of his social life.

He slipped off his yoke and set it by the door, turning around to smile at everpony before making his way over to the bar, nodding in greetings at those he passed by. Berry Punch, Lucky, Caramel and his mare of the week, all the regulars. Everypony turned back to their own conversations as he plopped down on his regular stool at the corner of the bar.

"What's shakin' Mac?" The bartender asked with a grin.

"Nothin' but the leaves on the apple trees."

"So will it be the usual?"

"Eeyup!"

The bartender came up from the tap with a tall glass of bubbling amber nectar.

"Will this be going on your tab?"

"Nnope. I've got the bits and then some tonight, Woody." He said, plopping a heavy bag down on the bar with a metallic thud.

What he said was true as the Apple family had finished what had been their most successful cider season to date. Not since the great pear famine of '23 had the Apple family made so many bits off of their signature apple cider. The fact that most ponyvillians were hopeless ciderholics didn't hurt either. Mac chuckled to himself at the thought.

His little sister Applejack, who would normally join him for a round was off in Canterlot securing a very important contract for the farm. Normally he would handle all the financial business but this time Applejack insisted he go to the bar as usual and enjoy himself, having nearly run himself into the ground keeping their cider press running against the Flim Flam bothers. Mac tensed his muscles in his forelegs and winced at the memory of that day. It was all more than worth it at the end of the day. The farm was saved and most importantly, his family was safe and still had a place to call home. He smiled again and thought of Applejack, his littlest sister Applebloom and Granny Smith. He loved them more than anything in all of Equestria and would do anything to keep them safe.

Mac sighed again as he thought of his parents and their sudden death not long after the birth of Applebloom, leaving him to take care of not only his sisters but Granny Smith as well. The incredible amount of responsibility that was suddenly dropped into his hooves had changed him from the lazy and ignorant young colt he had been and forced him to grow up real fast. Coming to this realization is what finally got him his cutie mark that covered most of his flanks. He was the big apple in the family now and it was up to him to protect them and keep a roof over their heads. There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't think about their parents. Suddenly Mac felt very much alone in the crowded bar.

It's been eleven years. Damn.

Mac wiped away the tears threatening to fall from his eyes and relaxed in his seat as he took in the sights and sounds of the tavern. The steady murmer of conversations interrupted by the occasional burst of laughter or raised voice calling for another round on them. Between bouts of loud conversing, the old jukebox in the corner could be heard playing. This time, something mid-tempo and twangy that Mac didn't quite recognize but still gave off a positive energy that at least manged to sooth his soul for the moment. Several couples were dancing slowly in time, embracing each other lovingly. Big Mac sighed and turned back around to face his drink and took a hefty swig. That's another thing he had given up when he took on the responsibility of the entire Apple family. He tried not to think about it too much.

He looked down the bar to his left to see some familiar faces; a brown stallion with a spiky mane and an hourglass cutie mark, holding a glass of mead between his hooves. He was one of Ponyville's more perplexing and mysterious characters. Though he bore the title Doctor Whooves, he never made it clear just what kind of doctor he was. Judging by his cutie mark, Mac always figured he specialized in clock repair or time-keeping, whatever that entailed. Surely you couldn't go to school to become a clock doctor. Whatever he was all about, he was quite an intelligent fellow. Most of what he ever talked about usually flew right over Mac's head. Some nonsense about wobbling, screwdrivers and tarter sauce. The doctor probably knew it all meant nothing to Mac but it's always nice to have somepony there to listen.

Sitting close next to the doctor an attractive blue-grey pegasus mare with a blonde mane and a silly grin on her face; her eyes staring off in two different directions. Everpony knew her because she was Ponyville's mail carrier. Mac knew here especially well from the multiple apologies he'd received from her for destroying his family's mailbox. Ten times in fact. She was known to be a bit of a klutz but the rumors around town were far less kind. The doctor, being the gentlecolt that he was, had taken her under his wing, so to speak and the two had become quite close, maybe even romantically involved, not that Mac really needed to know.

He smiled and nodded at them both.  

"Doctor. Derpy."

"Good evening, Big Macintosh, how are things?" The doctor smiled

"Jus dandy, I s'pose." Mac said with a shrug. "The farm's been doin' real good since the cider thing. Applbloom is making lots of new friends and I reckon Applejack is happy as can be."

"Ah yes, but how are you? How is your life going?"

"The farm and mah family is mah life, Doc." Mac retorted with a slight chuckle. "I ain't got time ta think about anything else." His sly grin faded at the last sentence.

The awkward silence between the two was broken by a song playing on the jukebox that seemed to cancel out the din of the bar patrons for the moment.

I want a woman, with a sweet and tender touch
One who will pay the price for love without asking how much
One who will keep me warm when the nights are cold
Face of an angel and heart of gold
That lovin' woman, with a fire down in her soul

Whenever she needs someone to hold her, I'll be there right by her side
Whenever she needs a shoulder to cry on, she can always cry on mine
Through thick and thin together, down the road come rain or shine
I want a woman like that, to be all mine...

Mac's mouth hung open for a moment before he recomposed himself, returning to his previous stoic appearance.

"I'm fine, Doc. Ah've never been better." he asserted flatly, taking a big drink from his glass and displaying a forced smile.

"Hmmm, quite." The doctor finally replied, furrowing his brow.

While thinking of something else to say to the stoic stallion, he felt something and turned to his left to find Derpy leaning into his shoulder, softly nuzzling his neck and cooing.

"An how'r things going with you two, Doc?" Mac chuckled,noticing the mare's display of affection on the doctor as he began to blush.

"Well, I..we are getting along quite well, thank you."

Derpy began to nibble on his neck and whispering in his ear making him blush further. Mac blushed as well and turned his attention to his drink.

"So Doc, I was jus..." he said but was interrupted by the quick shuffling of stools. He looked up to see the Doc and his mare briskly trotting to the exit. The doctor quickly turned back to Mac.

"I'd love to stay and chat good friend, but there is something urgent I must attend to at once. It has been a pleasure and see you around town. Come Derpy,  Allon si!"

Mac stared at the way they left with the same stoic expression before turning back around and sighing at his glass, which was now almost empty. Whether this was his third or fourth glass he didn't know and he really didn't care anymore. He took another long swig and looked down at the counter, closing his eyes.

Dammit. He thought to himself, I'm supposed ta be celebrating the good times here. Why do ah feel like manuer. My life is good ain't it? I've got everything under control. My sisters and granny are doing well and the farm, needless to say....why ain't that consoling me lahk it should?

Just then, Mac's deep thoughts were interrupted by the familiar shouts of a young mare coming from a dark corner of the bar.

"Aw yeah! Yeah! Oh come on! Yes! Yes! YES!!! DING DING DING. BUCK yeah!" the mare squealed.

Mac squinted in the direction of the obnoxious hollering. Trying to focus his eyes through the haze of the bar he recognized a Cyan pegasus mare with a rainbow mane hunched over the new Daring Do pinball machine that the bar had recently installed. A number of empty shot glasses were scattered all atop the machine all around her. Mac watched as she frantically hugged the machine, her face pressed almost to the glass, her hooves spastically pushing the buttons, wings flared. She was completely entranced by the bells and lights. He also noticed several stallions hovering around her at the machine, more than likely supplying her with the shots and the bits for the machine, hoping to get lucky. Mac scowled at the thought.

"Aw, Tilt?? Whaddaya mean Tilt? The buck!?" Rainbow Dash spat as she threw down another shot and shoved two more bits in the machine.

Mac put on a worried face as he watched the wasted pegasus berate the machine while half the bar looked on. He of course knew this pegasus as one of Applejack's very closest friends. She had even helped Mac run the cider press (and nearly ran him over in the process). She was a tough little gal but he couldn't help but worry about her in her current state of inebriation.

"Oh dear," came a small female voice to Mac's right.

He jumped in his seat. He had to grip the bar to keep from falling off the little bar stool. Startled, he searched for the source of the tiny voice.

He looked to his immediate right to see a butter-yellow pegasus with a bright pink mane; a glass of iced tea in front of her on the bar. She was also looking over to where Rainbow Dash was with a look of distress on her face.

How long has she been sitting there?

The pegasus turned her gaze towards Mac. She quickly matched his shocked expression and looked down at her hooves.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry Big Macintosh, did I s-startle you?" She said to the floor, quickly glancing up at him with her large sea green eyes, her mane partially falling over her right one.

Dayum!

Mac continued to gawk at her for a few more seconds, completely forgetting his concern for Rainbow Dash. The shy pegasus began to blush madly and he realized he was staring. He quickly regained control and shook his head.

"It's quite alright miss, I just didn't see ya there." he grinned nervously.

After an awkward silence, they both turned back to face the bar. Mac fumbled with his empty glass, looking for something to occupy his hooves.

Damn she's cute! I wasn't prepared fer this. What am I supposed to say to her now?

There was something familiar about this mare but Mac wasn't entirely sure. Maybe it was the alcohol taking effect but he was pretty sure he knew her from somewhere. She sure knew him. Maybe she was a friend of Applejack's? She must know Rainbow Dash judging by the concern she was showing for her. Mac shot a quick glance towards the yellow mare and spied her glass. He finally figured how he could break the ice further.

"Hey uh, Woody! Another lager fer me and one ice tea," Mac hollered down the bar, getting his attention.

The shy mare jumped in her seat at the order. She turned one shy eye towards him as the drinks were placed in front of him. She was surprised when the large red stallion nudged the glass of ice tea towards her.

"F-for me?" she said, a surprised look on her face.

"Eeyup!"

"Oh, thank you but you didn't have to do that. I could have paid for it myself."

"No problem at all, uh..."

"Fluttershy." she squeaked.

"Pardon?"

"Fluttershy." she said, only slightly louder.

"No problem at all, Fluttershy." Big Mac smiled, receiving an even warmer smile in return.

Hoo boy, now what to do. What to do...

Mac searched desperately in his mind for conversation.

"So, Fluttershy, do ya... come here often?"

He mentally facehoofed at his own cliched line.

Idiot, idiot, idiot!

The shy pegasus giggled a little bit and smiled at him, continually shifting the gaze of her beautiful eyes between Mac's own and the floor.

"Oh I don't normally come here but Rainbow Dash wanted me to come along. She's been playing that pinball game over there for several hours now and I don't think she'll be fit to fly home on her own. She lives in a cloud and she could get hurt you see..she tends to get very drunk every now and then and it affects her ability to fly."

In fact, that was a problem that most pegasi had and after a number of incidents involving fatal falls from cloud bars, prohibition was officially enacted in Cloudsdale several years back. Pegasi now had to get their buzz on the ground. This was of course a boon for the tiny bars in Ponyville.

Who's bright idea was it to serve alcohol at the edge of a 10,000 foot drop in the first place? Mac thought to himself with a chuckle.

"That's a very kind thing to do for yer friend, Fluttershy." Mac continued, his smile causing her to blush again. "But ain't ya bored just sitting at the bar all alone, with nopony to talk to?"

"Well, usually I'm okay by myself. I'm not very good at conversations." Fluttershy said, nervously batting her drink glass back and forth on the bar, "I usually just end up doing all the listening, which I'm perfectly fine with."

"Heh, me too." Mac replied. "Heck, I get nervous if I have ta say more than eeyup or nope!"

They both began to laugh at this. Mac chuckled heartily and Fluttershy softly giggled into her hoof. Mac sighed internally.

And if it weren't for this beer, this conversation probably wouldn't even be happening.

"So...Do you live in a cloud?" Mac asked.

"No." She responded meekly, "I haven't lived in the clouds since my...accident-well not really a terrible accident but it became a wonderful accident, if that makes any sense. It involves me getting my cutie mark. I could tell you the story. That is, um, if you want to hear it."

He looked into her eyes thoughtfully and smiled.

"Ah'd love to hear yer story, Fluttershy."

"Really?"

"Eeyup."