With no choice, Macintosh left the podium with the broken wagon, asking the employee Rich had left to assist him by watching the wagon. Strong as he was, Big Mac couldn’t balance every crate of goods in the wagon on his back – He’d be picking and dropping them the whole way to Rich’s Barnyard Bargains, and Filthy Rich wouldn’t be happy if his goods got damaged.

After leaving the first few boxes at Barnyard Bargains he started making his way back to the wagon when…
“Oh Big Mac, hello!”

He turned to see a tall and husky unicorn stallion with a marble white coat, short brown mane, and three hoofballs for a cutie-mark and wearing a Haywaiian shirt accompanied by a plump pink unicorn mare with a purple beehive styled mane with blue beads around her neck and her cutie-mark was three cookies, one bitten. He recognized them as Hondo Flanks and his wife cookie Crumbles, Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents.

Hondo was a retired university hoofball star who now made a living as a coach for college hoofball teams, which required him to be out of town a lot. Cookie was his college sweetheart and they got married right after their graduation and Rarity came along not long after. Cookie ran a sister-business with the Cakes and often advertised it wherever she and her husband visited in Equestria.

Hondo was also one of Big Mac’s favorite players and was astounded to find out he was Rarity’s father. So as one of his old heroes walked up to him, Big Mac straightened up as the older stallion asked, “Howdy-hey there Big Macintosh! Would ya mind stoppin’ by our house?”

“Our lil’ Sweetie’s gonna be spending a couple days at Sweet Apple Acres since Rarity wasn’t able to watch her for us,” Cookie explained, “so we need ya, honey, to come over and pick up Sweetie Belle’s things.”

“I hope ya don’t mind,” Hondo and Cookie looked hopeful, and Big Mac shrugged, Prob’ly just a bag ‘r two, no problem.

“Eeyup, just runnin’ a couple errands then Ah’ll be right wit’ ya,” Big Mac promised.

“We owe ya, Big Mac!” Hondo ‘phew’ed in relief.
“Sweetie’s so excited for her little sleepover with Apple Bloom! Thanks, Macintosh!” added Cookie.

Waving the parents off, Big Mac started back to the wagon and found Rich’s employee waiting diligently.
“Y’mind waitin’ while Ah take this ol’ podium t’ th’ dump?”

“Not at all,” the employee helped Big Mac maneuver the podium onto his back, Mac being careful his package still strapped to his side.

“Be back as soon as Ah can,” Big Mac assured and carried onto the dump.

But he once again tried going down Stirrup Street…

“Big Macintosh!”

“Oh no…” Mac sighed and turned to see Carrot Cake who looked to be either in a big hurry or that he needed to go to the little colt’s room.

“Big Macintosh, I really need your help at the bakery!” Carrot Cake grabbed big Mac before he had a chance to protest, dropping the podium in the middle of the street, and hustling Mac around to the back of Sugarcube Corner. There he saw a wagon full of bags of flour, sugar, and other basic ingredients in baking.
“Pinkie’s handling the customers, Cup Cake’s with the twins, and I need to get all these ingredients inside pronto! Help me out, please?”

Seeing how antsy Carrot Cake was, Big Mac sighed and lightly growled, “Eeyup…”

Hauling in the ingredients took longer than Big Mac had cared but soon enough the wagon was empty and Carrot Cake phew’d, “Thanks a bunch, Big Macintosh, but I’m afraid that’s not the end of it!”

“What?!” Big Mac gaped at the baker with an expression that read ‘seriously’.

“I have to get started on a big catering order and have some baked goods already to go,” Carrot Cake explained, still reared up. “I need you to deliver them to Noteworthy’s shop just down the street!”

“But Ah-” Big Mac tried to protest but Carrot Cake had already brought out three parcels containing the baked goods, with a receipt taped to the top parcel.

“It won’t take long,” Carrot Cake promised, “just drop them off and ask Noteworthy to sign the receipt and bring that back to us.”

“Carrot Cake!” Big Mac got the back door of the bakery slammed in his face and he groaned in frustration as more unwanted errands were heaped onto his plate.

Sighing with a groan, Big Mac picked up the parcels and balanced them on his back before heading down the street.

Noteworthy owned a music shop and stood outside apparently in a heated argument with a recognizable musician.

“Miss Melody, I told you, I am closing,” Noteworthy said in a tone that implied he was losing his patience.

“Well, I can’t very well carry my new cello and equipment by myself to my room at the inn!” Octavia Melody protested. “I have an important meeting at the town’s theatre!”

“Look, you have your purchases, I got my money, anything afterwards really isn’t my concern,” Noteworthy sounded adamant.

“Well maybe I demand a refund!” Octavia threatened, Noteworthy looking flabbergasted.

“Oh-ho-ho, no-no, I don’t think so,” Noteworthy said with narrowed eyes but honestly he just wanted this to be over with. “Look, what if I ask a friend of mine to help you out, would that satisfy you?”

“Maybe…” Octavia said gruffly.

Oh no! Big Mac started walking by casually, praying to Faust Noteworthy wouldn’t-

“Hey Big Mac, help me out over here!”

“Damn it…” Big Mac muttered. He considered acting like he hadn’t heard Noteworthy but he already heard hoofsteps and turned to face the blue earth pony.

“Big Mac, I would consider it a huge favor if you’d help Octavia Melody out,” Noteworthy held his hooves together pleadingly.

“Noteworthy, Ah’ve already got muh hooves full wi-” Big Mac tried to say, only to find a load heaped onto his back, taking him by surprise that he almost fell on his belly.

“Look, sir, I’ll pay you for your troubles, but I really need somepony to help carry my new equipment to the inn,” Octavia said rather rudely. “Follow me.”

Big Mac threw Noteworthy such a stink eye that he nervously gulp and backed up into his store before flipping the open sign to closed. With a groaning sigh, Big Mac staggered one way to make sure the cased cello didn’t fall off his back, feeling the precariousness of the music stand, and felt his package slipping uncomfortably around his barrel. Much to his chagrin, nopony asked if he needed any help as he made his way towards the inn but soon enough he made it and set them in front of the receptionist’s desk.
“Miss Octavia needs this stuff sent t’ her room.”

“Thank you very much sir,” the receptionist replied, and Big Mac left the inn.

Sighing as he walked through town, he thought, A’ight… Just gotta stop by Hondo an’ Cookie’s place for Sweetie Belle’s bags an’ Ah’ll head home, to tartarus wit’ everypony else’s needs…

Thankfully, Rarity and Sweetie Belle’s parents lived a few blocks away from Carousel Boutique, by the lake to be specific. As the windmill came into view, he sighed in relief only for it to be dashed away as he saw the mountain of luggage right in front of Hondo and Cookie’s front door! There was a tent bag, a yellow chest decorated with purple and pink flower symbols, suitcases, hoofbags, a couple purses, way more than a filly needed for a sleepover. He noticed a message taped to one of the bags and read it.

‘Dear Macintosh,

Once again, thank you for agreeing to take Sweetie Belle’s bags for her sleepover with Apple Bloom. There’s just a few necessities, but be sure it all gets where it’s going. Sweetie will arrive after school.

Sincerely,
Hondo Flanks and Cookie Crumbles’

Big Mac wanted so very much to have something wring and wrangle as he was coming so very close to losing even his legendary patience. However he took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, counted to ten, and noted, All Ah gotta do is take this stuff home and Ah’ll be home too…

Needless to say however, getting all of Sweetie Belle’s stuff onto his back was no picnic as Big Mac walked ever so carefully with the precarious load on his back, his package again shifting uncomfortably on its strap to his barrel. But soon he saw the fence that bordered his farmland and for a moment things were looking up.

For a moment.

And as do all moments, it ended.

“Big Macintosh!!”

Big Mac flinched and struggled to turn around and saw a furious Filthy Rich stomping his way.
“Big Mac, I expected the rest of my stock an hour ago! What happened to you? And what’s with all that luggage you’re carrying?”

“Well, Ah-” Big mac started but was interrupted.

“Big Mac!”

They looked to see an anxious Carrot Cake hurry over, “Big Macintosh, where’s the receipt you were supposed to give me from Noteworthy?”

Ah plum forgot! Big Mac realized he’d left the delivery at Noteworthy’s shop but got sidetracked by Octavia and so never got the receipt signed.

“Oh Big Mac!”

Aw come on! Big Mac groaned as he saw Hondo and Cookie arrive.

“So sorry, hon, we forgot to give you Sweetie Belle’s favorite teddy bear,” Cookie levitated a royal purple teddy bear up.

“Do you all mind? I’m trying to get an explanation as to why my stock never arrived at my shop,” Filthy Rich snapped.

“But I need that receipt from Noteworthy!” Carrot Cake protested.

“Big Mac, please make sure Sweetie gets her teddy, huh?” Hondo levitated the bear up to the mountain of luggage on Big Macintosh’s back.

“Look out below!”

Everypony looked up and down plopped Ditzy Doo, the local mail-mare as she struggled up in daze, the letters from her bag flittering about.
“Ugh, Big Mac, the Mayor wanted to ask if that old podium made it to the dump-”

“Excuse us, hon, we’re trying to talk with Big Mac,” Hondo interrupted as he moved closer towards Big Mac, only for him to slip on an envelope on the ground, causing him to yelp as he tripped into Big Mac, the two of them yelling as Big Mac lost his balance.

And went over.

*CRASH/SHATTER*

Big Mac’s groaning daze was banished when he heard the sound of breaking glass. As everypony started arguing and trying to get his attention, he was deaf to them as he slowly stood up from the luggage avalanche, undid the strap and carefully laid his package down, hearing the clinking of broken glass, feeling his heart sink.

He couldn’t bring himself to open the package, he didn’t want to see it ruined!

As the others got more insistent in getting his attention, Big Mac finally snapped. He’d waited over two weeks for this finishing piece for his project, a surprise he wanted to have for his `Shy, something special to commemorate their wedding! And because of all these moochers…!

“IT’S RUUUUUIIINNNNNEEDDD!!!!” Big Mac roared, causing everypony to shut up and step back in intimidation as the big red stallion twirled about to face them, angrily snorting.
“Ah hope y’all are happy! Because o’ y’all my surprise fer mah fiancée is ruined! All Ah wanted t’ do t’day was t’ get mah order from th’ glass shop, get home, work on mah surprise for muh `Shy, an’ have it ready fer our weddin’! But no…! Th’ needs o’ Big Macintosh don’ matter none `afore y’all’s own needs! Ah am not a workhorse for any o’ y’all t’ whip around at yer own leisure, t’ have drop whatever he’s got goin’ on an’ help any o’ y’all wit’ yer own problems! Now thanks t’ y’all gettin’ in mah way mah surprise for muh `Shy won’t be th’ same! Ah’m goin’ home an’ y’all can take yer problems an’ shove `em up yer assholes!!!”

And with that, Big Mac stomped off home, leaving Filthy Rich, Carrot Cake, Hondo and Cooke, and even Ditzy stunned and speechless.

Oi...