Through Simple Eyes

Hello! How was your day?

…

You know, it's just plain rude to not answer when someone says hello.

Let's try this again, my sister, Applejack, decided she needed to keep my hooves occupied while she went around Applebucking. Now, she's a right good filly, but really, I'm no writing man. She was jus being sweet, you know? Anyhoo, the girl decided that I should take up writing a journal of what I do while she's not around, so that I don't feel quite as useless.

Whole lotta hooey if you ask me.

Course you didn't ask. Anyway this here journal's 'sposed to be some kinda therapy thing. I'm no rocket physician, but I hardly see how this any a this is gonna do squat  for my busted back.

I don't even know how I'd even start writin' this thing, you know? So I asked Applejack when she gave it to me,

"What do I do with this?"

An' she said, "Ya right in it, Mac!"

So I look at her an' said, "I don't know jack squat about writin' a diary, how would I start?"

"Jus write like you're talking to somebody, ya hear?" She says, manner-of-factly, " Real simple, just start out, 'Dear Diary' and go from there. Write about your day!"

"Okay," I says, course I really wasn't sure about anything she was saying. Ain't as simple as she made it look.

For starters, who the heck starts talking to somebody by saying, Dear Fluttershy, or Dear Applebloom, or Dear Granny Smith.

Don't make sense.

So 'stead I started off by just saying "Hello! How was your day?" 'Course you didn't say nothing. You were 'sposed to say "Just fine and dandy, not much going on with myself. What did you do today?"

And then I'd start my day out at the beginning, after I got my journal of course.


….

So I figure ya'll are not gonna say anything, are ya?

…

Then I guess I'll just start on mah own.

Bout the crack a' dawn I got up to go Applebucking, course it was jus' a force a habit, 'cause I couldn't  do anything. Regardless, I went out, and Applejack runs up perky as a squirrel on sarsaparilla and tells me about this journal thingie. If I had to explain it I figure that she blames herself for what happened to me, kinda silly considering that she wasn't even there when it happened.

Girl's a big softie, you know that? I watched her grow up from a little apple tart to the big burly girl she is now, but never lost that big, soft, fresh baked apple cinnamon heart of hers. 'S adorable watching her be all tough, Granny Smith thinks it's cause she wants to be more like myself. Don't know why, my opinion she's the lucky one, getting to play all those friends a her's. She don't deserve to be slaving away on a hot farm, ya know? Like… well like me.

Ahhhm getting' off track ain't I? Anyway I took the journal and stuffed it in my saddlebag for later, figurin' I wouldn't need it quite yet. Granny Smith needed me to go into town to pick up her hip medication,  and on my way I ran into Fluttershy trying to coax a bunny out of his warren for a snack. I can't resist a doe-eyed girly like herself, so of course being the gentlecolt I was I stepped in front of her and offered to lend a hoof. She was going on and on bout I didn't have to help her, and that she didn't wanna be a burden, kinda sweet how she was being all humble and such. I insisted though.

Don't quite reckon what set her off though, cause the second I reached in with my teeth and pulled the babe out by the skin on his neck she started fuming something fierce. Kept talking on about how I can't treat a babe like that, course being the gentlecolt I was I didn't mention that she wasn't doing much better at this than me…

Course I shoulda known that I'd make her mad though. Girl sweet as that has razor wire under her skin, jus waiting for you to trip it off and get all cut up when she loses it.

I bowed my head an' apologized, that seemed to set the girl at ease. Thankfully, if I do say so myself, because in all honesty that little filly scares the apple butter out of me.

Got to the market pretty easily. Gotta say the weather was nice. Must a been those Pegasus ponies working their tails off as usual. I appreciate all the hard work they put in, specially since it's not something I could ever do myself. Not easy being a big guy, if you wanna know. Sometimes it jus makes me sad that I gotta always keep all my feet on the ground.

In fact, while I was admiring bright sky I noticed that one girl, Rainbow Dash, lazing up on a nearby cloud. So I figured what the hey, an' I shouted up,

"Hey, Dash!"

An' she turned right round on that cloud and looked down, "Hey Big Mac, what'cha doing?"

She had a nice smile, I gotta say. Never noticed before, must a been the sun or sumthin', you know how the weather can make a mare look prettier than usual. Anyhow I yelled back that I was picking up some medicine, and I'm not sure why, but I then I says,

"How's the weather up there?"

And she jus shook her head and laid back down on that cloud a hers, I heard her laugh a little before she yelled down,

"Real funny Mac, never pegged you as a kidder."

I was just curious was all, didn't mean no harm. But at least she didn't sound too sore. Still kinda wonder what it must be like to fly up there. Way up. She must have a heck of a time. At least I reckon she would, I would.

Well, I was jus barely to Doc Whoof's office when I felt something rustling in my saddlebag. Now, I must remind you that I am a horse of steely nerves, but this was something terrifying. Felt like at the very least no less than fifty mice, er, no, rats, big ugly rats had found their way in my saddlebag.

I was a bit spooked, until I realized it was just Pinkie.

"Wow Mac, you scream like a girl," She said. She was jus yanking me, of course, she knew I didn't yell at all, and if I did it wouldn't be like a girl.

"What in tarnation are you doing rifling through my stuff Pinkie?" I was rightfully cross.

She playfully kicked the dirt, and then she looks up and says, "I was hoping you'd have some apple fritters."

I shook my head, "Pinkie, why would I be carrying apple fritters?"

And I swear her face lit up like a gosh-darn Christmas tree at the question. Don't think I went crazy, okay, but I really think I must a heard some music when that little pink dynamo started prancing around. She took a huge breath an' looked at me an' sang, out loud in the daw-gone marketplace.

"Why would you carry a treat for me?
A snack for your favorite friend pinkie?

A treat you see,
A treat for me?

An apple dumpling,
Cinnamon something,
Sweet sugar-honey glazed,
Gotta stuff it in my face,
Double Double chocolate dip,
Eat my fill and never quit,
Whipped cream and a cherry on top,
Taste so good I never stop
Treeaaaaaaaaaat?

Because,
Because,
Because!

Cause Sweets are for Pinkie and Pinkie is me!
Nobody knows it quite better, you see?

Yes every confection must pass my inspection
Cause Sweets are for Pinkie and Pinkie is me!"

Now don't think poorly of me, but it was about halfway through her little musical number I decided to hightail it. How'd I know the song so well? Heck, that was the first chorus. Now, I'll tell you what, Pinkie might be a few sprinkles short of a sundae but any tune she pops out of those sugar-coated lips sticks in your head like molasses on a frost covered tabletop in December. That little filly is certainly the life of the party, I even danced once when she started singing at our Applebucking dinner.

Heck of a girl…

Ah shoot, what happened next? Oh right, I nearly forgot. I was on my way back after picking up the medicine, an' you'll never guess who I bumped elbows with.
You know that Rarity gal who makes dresses? Yup, that one. She ran up to me, an' trust me, I looked around and she was running at me. I could barely understand  her she sounded so hysterical, like a chicken with its head cut off, I swear.

"Oh Macintosh, darling!" I woulda thought she was swooning over me, if I didn't know better, "You simple must help me!"

"What I do ya for?" I said.

"I just need one little favor, please, my model for today didn't show up and I need someone to size up this suit I was tailoring, Macintosh I'm sure you can understand that there's not a colt in the world save for you who could fill this suit! Please say you'll model it?"

"Eyup." I said. Feels good to be called the big guy.

So for the next hour or so, she had me standing on that little platform, with a whole buncha mirrors and ribbons and such, dressing me up in about fifty or so variations on this one single tuxedo she was gussieing up for some colt about town. I woulda nearly gone crazy, if she hadn't been shooting me compliments the whole dang time.

Stuff like,

"My what thick, broad shoulders you have,"

An',

"Your jaw line compliments this so nicely!"

An' I'm not afraid to admit I blushed when she said,

"Macintosh your flanks are so toned, how do you do it?"

I don't know much about styles an' such but I must be quite the looker. I almost brought it up to Applejack later, if I wasn't so certain she'd never stop laughing. That Rarity sure is kind though.

After all that was done, and she was pouring compliments all over me as I walked out the door, she says,

"Wait a minute!"

An' I did. An' she slipped this rose into my mane, right above my ear. Not normally my style, but it was a sweet gesture. So I left it in there just to be polite. An' with that I was out the door and on my way back home. I never woulda guessed I had wasted the whole dern day, the sun was nearly down!

I was galloping home as fast as I could with my bruised flank, when I couldn't help but get distracted again. That girl Twilight Sparkle, you must know her, the new girl straight outta Canterlot.

Well anyway she was jus sitting there, out on this little hill facing the settin' sun, an' reading a book. So curiosity gets the better of me an' I trot up to her. Not sure why, but I didn't immediately say nothing to her. Jus kinda looked over her shoulder for a bit.

She finally noticed me an' looked up, "Oh, hello Big Macintosh."

"Hey," I says.

She smiles as says, "What are you doing out?"

"Was just about to say the same thing"

"Just reading this book." She lifted the book a bit closer so I could see. One of them mythology books.

"Oh. Well I should get going, delivering medicine for Granny Smith."

"Ah, well stay safe!" She said, and looked back down to her book.

Ahhh don't get that girl.

Anyway I know that musta been pretty boring, but I just wanted to try this whole writin' thing out myself. I gotta admit that it was a bit soothing. But you should I normally have much more exciting days,

Oh! Like this one time me an' my buddy Pony Keith were out,

Ah shoot, running out of space. Maybe another day diary.

-Big Macintosh