The Apple Doesn't Fall Far
Big Macintosh plodded down the stairs with footfalls as heavy as a house. One glance out the window told him that it was about six in the morning; normally he’d already be hard at work in the orchards. Today wasn’t a normal day, though.
He gave the calendar a passing glance as he wandered into the kitchen: Sunday. It was a holiday, but not one Big Macintosh particularly enjoyed. He’d make sure the rest of the family enjoyed it, though. Family always came first.
It wasn’t long before Granny Smith’s familiar form crossed the kitchen threshold. She offered Macintosh a proud grin, one which he returned. “Mornin’, Macintosh,” she greeted, making for the stove. “Got any plans fer the day?”
“Eeyup.”
With a hint of sorrow in her voice, Granny Smith asked, “Same as every year?”
“Eeyup.” Macintosh’s voice was completely deadpan. “But don’t you worry none, Granny. Jus’ enjoy the quiet here while I’m gone.”
Granny Smith set a kettle to boil before turning to Macintosh with a satisfied smirk. “I reckon I will. I’ve been meanin’ to get some work done on that there scarf I’m knittin’ anyhow.” She gestured to a simple orange scarf hanging on a hook nearby. Macintosh nodded.
By the time Applejack made her way into the kitchen, Granny Smith was setting out four bowls of steaming porridge. Applejack let loose a wide yawn, mechanically pulled her Stetson from its hook to her head, and pulled up a chair. “Mornin’, Granny. Mornin’, Big Mac.”
Macintosh smiled at his sister as Granny Smith said, “Mornin’, Sleepyhead. What’re yer plans fer today? Ya ain’t jus’ gonna mope around the house, are ya?”
Applejack made to respond, but Macintosh beat her to it. “Nope. She’s got plans with Twilight, last I heard. Hope they’re still on.”
Applejack quirked an eyebrow at him. “How’d you know ‘bout that? I don’t remember ever tellin’ ya.”
“Jus’ heard it through the grapevine.”
Applejack grinned. “Heh, the grapevine? You? C’mon, Mac. You don’t get out enough to even know what the grapevine is.”
Macintosh shrugged, swallowing a spoonful of porridge. “It don’t matter none how I heard it. What’re you ‘n Twilight gonna do, anyhow?”
“Beats me. All she told me’s that she’s got the whole day planned out ‘n wanted me to be a part of it. Whatever it is, I reckon it’ll be one heck of a shindig, given she’s a princess now ‘n all.” Applejack spooned some of her breakfast into her mouth. Macintosh nodded with a firm smile.
“Mac, would ya go see what’s takin’ Apple Bloom so long up there?” Granny Smith asked as she pulled up her own chair. “I know I heard her rustlin’ around, an’ I won’t stand to let her breakfast go to waste.” Macintosh nodded and made his way up to the second floor.
Sure enough, Macintosh heard plenty of commotion from behind the door to Apple Bloom’s room; the click-clack of her tiny hooves was the most prevalent noise. Slowly, Macintosh opened to door and peered inside.
Apple Bloom—sporting a tan fishing hat—was rummaging frantically through her closet, her back to the door. As Macintosh walked up behind her, he picked up some mumbling she was doing to herself. “I coulda sworn I had one of ‘em. I remember catchin’ Sweetie Belle’s mane with it ‘n everythin’...”
“Apple Bloom.”
“Gah!” Apple Bloom turned on the spot, eyes wide as wagon wheels. Her expression relaxed into a relieved smile when she saw Big Macintosh’s face beaming down at her. “Oh, mornin’, Big Mac. Ya scared the livin’ daylights outta me!”
Macintosh tilted his head to look behind the filly and into the closet. “What’re ya lookin’ for in there?”
“Oh, I was tryin’ to find my fishin’ rod.” Apple Bloom’s eyes grew wider as she said, “Sweetie Belle’s goin’ fishin’ with her dad today, an’ she invited me and Scootaloo to tag along! I think Rarity’s gonna be there too, on account of it bein’ Father’s Day an’ all.” She began bouncing up and down in place. “It’s so excitin’! I’m pretty sure we’ve tried to get our cutie marks in fishin’ before, but Sweetie Belle’s dad is takin’ us up to Saddle Lake this time! I bet it’ll be way easier to fish there than in the Ponyville River. I can’t wait!”
Macintosh held his simple smile as the filly rambled on. “Well, yer fishin’ rod can wait ‘til after breakfast. ‘sides, I’m pretty sure I saw it out in the barn anyhow.”
Apple Bloom’s expression went slack-jawed. “Of course that’s where it is! Thanks, Big Mac!” The filly bolted past Macintosh and out into the hallway, giggling all the while. Macintosh let out a contented sigh before wandering back down the stairs.
Upon entering the dining room, Macintosh saw that Apple Bloom’s bowl had already been emptied and the filly was long gone. He rejoined Applejack and Granny Smith at the table and continued on his own bowl.
“So, Big Mac,” Applejack began, eyeing Macintosh carefully. “Tell me you’re doin’ somethin’ other than what I think you’re doin’ today.”
Macintosh kept his eyes glued to the porridge. “I’m doin’ what I do every year, AJ, and that’s that.”
Applejack closed her eyes and sighed deeply. She smiled sweetly as her green irises came back into view. “Come on, Macintosh. It’s a holiday. You work so much as it is, so why won’t you let yerself just enjoy the time you do have off.”
“I do what needs to be done, Applejack. Nothin’ more, nothin’ less.”
Applejack pounded a hoof harshly on the table and scowled as she said, “Confound it, Macintosh! It don’t need to be done! Father’s Day is supposed to be a day where ponies celebrate their dads by showin’ ‘em how good they’ve raised us to be, not a day to feel guilty and mope about. I miss Pa just as much as you do, but you have to move on, Mac. Carpal diem: Seize the day!” She grabbed Macintosh’s hoof in hers and looked pleadingly at him, though he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “Whaddya say you join me an’ Twilight today? I reckon it’d be great to have you along.”
Macintosh stared for a brief moment at the orange hoof on his before pulling away from Applejack’s grip. “Nope.”
“Consarnit!” Applejack pounded the table, sending her spoon flying to the floor. “Granny, would ya talk some sense into him?!”
After a short, stern glare at Applejack, Granny Smith faced Macintosh, her smile like honey. “Now, Mac, why don’t you spend the day with a friend? How ‘bout that Cheerilee gal? I bet she’d love to spend some time with ya.”
Head still hung, Macintosh said, “She’s out visitin’ her pa in Canterlot today. ‘t'ain't the day fer it anyhow.”
Granny Smith sighed. “Macintosh, I understand—”
Big Macintosh rose from his chair with a hard thud on the floorboards. Eyes plastered on the window, he said, “I’m headin’ out. Have fun today, AJ, an’ make sure Apple Bloom makes it to her friend’s house on time. Don’t wait up, Granny.” Before either of the mares could reply, Macintosh swiftly marched from the house, leaving a half-empty bowl of porridge in his wake.
***
Roseluck had just finished setting up her stand in the Ponyville marketplace when she saw a big, red stallion lumbering towards her. “Good morning, Big Macintosh!” she greeted, beaming. “Happy Father’s Day!”
Macintosh smiled his rustic smile. “Eeyup. Got any plans with yer dad today, Rose?”
Rose bobbed her head up and down. “Yep! I’m leaving for Canterlot later this afternoon, and he’s gonna meet me at the train station. We’re gonna visit the Royal Gardens!” Her teeth glinted in the morning sun. “What about you? Any plans for the day?”
“Same as every other year.” Macintosh dropped ten golden bits at her stall. “Gimme a big bouquet of tiger lilies, if ya don’t mind.”
Rose swiped the bits away and moved to put the flowers together. “Where’s the rest of your family, Big Mac? You shouldn’t be alone on a day like today.”
“They’re all gonna be havin’ some well-earned fun today. This is somethin’ I do alone.”
Rose eyed him skeptically. “Really? No one else ever mourns your father?”
“ ‘course they do,” Macintosh said. “Jus’ not today. We all visit the cemetery together three times a year; once on the day Ma died, once on the day Pa died, and once on the day of their anniversary.”
Turning around, Rose place the bouquet on the counter. The bright orange flowers glowed in the light of dawn. “Then why do you do this alone?”
“Jus’ somethin’ I gotta do. Thanks.” Macintosh grabbed the bouquet in his teeth.
“No problem. Any reason why you wanted tiger lilies specifically, anyways?”
Macintosh set the flowers gently in his saddlebag before turning back to Roseluck with a warm smile. “Pa never actually liked ‘em much, but he said they made Ma happy, an’ that’s what made him happy.”
Roseluck blinked twice and smiled. “That’s sweet. Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Try to have a good day, okay?”
One stern nod later, Macintosh set off again, silent as the sun.
***
Ponyville was a small town, with a small cemetery to match. Most of the headstones marked earth pony graves, but more unicorns and pegasi graves had popped up over the past few years as the town had become more diverse. Each tombstone had the corresponding pony’s cutie mark etched into the top of it, and some of the insignias were coloured with gemstones if the family had requested it. It was a simple, humbling place.
Big Macintosh made his way through the rows until he came upon a pair of headstones in the second row from the front. The leftmost one was marked by a single apple with a flower blooming from its stem, the rightmost one had a simple apple tree on it. Macintosh settled in front of the right one and removed his saddlebags.
He sat there for quite some time, the only sound around him being the wind whistling a tune through the dancing grass. His face betrayed no signs of emotion. All he did for several minutes was stare at the insignia until the granite apple tree was embedded in his mind.
Without warning, Macintosh reached a hoof to his saddlebag and pulled out the bouquet of orange flowers. Careful not to deform them at all, he set them down at the base of the tombstone. Once he retracted his hoof, he stared for a few moments more before closing his eyes with a deep sigh. Under his breath, he whispered, “I’ll never be the stallion you were, Pa. I’m sorry.”
Moments later, a gentle sigh broke the silence from Macintosh’s left. Slowly, he lifted his head and looked for the pony who'd made the sound.
Just a few graves to his left, a little yellow pegasus was sitting in front of a tombstone similarly to him. Her head was bowed deep, and her long pink mane obscured her face. Big Macintosh slowly got to his hooves and wandered over to her side.
“Fluttershy?”
Fluttershy gasped lightly and looked up at him. Her eyes were moist. “Oh, I’m sorry, Big Macintosh. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll be quieter.”
Macintosh looked at the tombstone Fluttershy was sitting before. It was marked by three dragonflies. “Don’t worry ‘bout it none. I’m the one who should apologize fer interruptin’ you. I’ll leave you be.”
“No... no, that’s okay.” Fluttershy sniffled. “I should really get going soon anyways.”
“Where’re ya headed?”
Fluttershy’s mouth grew into a tiny smile as she stood. “Rainbow Dash invited me to the Wonderbolts derby with her and her father. She...” Fluttershy blinked a few times. “She knows how hard Father’s Day is for me, and she didn’t want me to spend the day alone and sad. My father passed away just last year, you see...”
“My apologies.”
“Thank you.” Fluttershy sniffled one more time before looking up at Big Macintosh with a genuine smile. “What about you? How are you and your family going to spend the day?”
Macintosh turned his head to gaze into nowhere. “Granny, AJ, an’ Apple Bloom are all gonna relax fer the day an’ have some fun. I’m gonna spend most of the day right here by myself.”
Fluttershy frowned. “What? But... why don’t you want to spend the day with your family? Father’s Day is supposed to be a happy day.”
Macintosh blinked once. “I know, an’ that’s why I made it so that the rest of my family could have a happy day. ‘t'ain't right fer me to have one, though.”
“But... why not?”
Macintosh stood in silence for a moment. He looked down at the gravestone of Fluttershy’s father and sighed heavily. “My Pa did so much fer me. He trusted me to take care of the family when he left, an’ to make him proud. But I ain’t done enough. I ain’t lived up to his legacy. I ain’t earned the right to enjoy Father’s Day without him, ‘cause I ain’t what he wants me to be. I failed him.”
Fluttershy stared at Big Macintosh for several long moments, even though he wouldn’t meet her eyes. Eventually she said, “Why do you think you failed him? You work hard almost every day, and you take great care of your family. Why wouldn’t he be proud of that?”
Macintosh blinked twice. “He jus’... wouldn’t. You wouldn’t understand unless you knew him. My Pa was the greatest pony in Equestria, and I’ll never be as good as him.” He tilted his head down and regarded the harness around his neck. “I don’t even deserve this thing.”
Following his eyes, Fluttershy stared at the harness long and hard. The wind had quieted around them, and not so much as a bird chirping broke the silence.
Fluttershy swiveled her head to look at her father’s tombstone. “Do you know what my dad once told me?”
“What’s that?”
A single tear rolled down Fluttershy’s cheek, and a delicate smile brightened her sullen face. “He told me that I had to grow up to be my own pony. He said that it didn’t matter if I was the best at anything or if I failed at something, because he would always be proud of me just for being me. As long as I lived my life doing what made me happy, he would stay proud. He would stay proud because—” Fluttershy sniffled “—because as long as I’m doing my best to be happy, he would be happy too, and nothing in the world could make him prouder than that.” Fluttershy turned her head from the tombstone to look Big Macintosh in the eye. “Did your father ever say anything like that to you?”
A memory suddenly came to the forefront of Macintosh’s mind.
Apple Oak smiled down at Macintosh from the hospital bed, his eyes filled with the determination his broken body lacked.
“You’ll do me proud, Macintosh. I know you will. Take care of the family, but don’t forget that you’re part of the family too. I love you, Mac.”
Macintosh felt a trickle of moisture in his eye and looked over his shoulder at his father’s tombstone. “I reckon he did.”
Another moment of silence stretched between the two ponies. Early morning light struck the grass just right, lighting the ground with golden dew. The shimmering carpet stretched off in every direction as far as the grass grew.
Finally, Fluttershy offered Macintosh a friendly smile. “Would you like to come with me and Rainbow Dash to the derby, Big Mac? I’m sure Rainbow wouldn’t mind another friend coming along.”
Macintosh looked out across the landscape. Red-speckled trees dotted the landscape in the distance, and Macintosh smiled. “Thanks, Fluttershy, but I know where I need to be today.” He swiftly hefted his saddlebag across his back and regarded Fluttershy warmly. “Happy Father’s Day, Fluttershy.”
“Happy Father’s Day, Big Mac.” Fluttershy pulled the stallion into a quick, one-arm embrace before the two of them left the cemetery.
***
“I’m off to meet up with Twilight, Granny! Enjoy yer knittin’!” An earth-rattling snore was all Applejack received as her reply. She gave a quick eyeroll before opening the door and stepping outside.
And she walked face first into Big Macintosh’s sturdy form.
“Oof!” Applejack stumbled backward. “What in tarnation? What did I... oh, Big Macintosh!” Applejack beamed up at her brother, and Macintosh greeted her in kind.
“Eeyup. Y’off to meet Twilight?”
“Eeyup! And y’know, if ya wanna join us, the offer still stands. I’d hate to leave ya by yer lonesome while yer sisters have all the fun.”
Macintosh stepped past Applejack and across the threshold of the farmhouse. “No thanks, AJ. Y’all enjoy yer time with yer friends. I reckon I’ll keep Granny company today.”
Applejack’s eyes shone like emeralds at him. “I reckon that’d make her real happy, Macintosh.” She made to turn and leave, but paused mid-step. With one quick leap, Applejack pulled her brother into a firm embrace. “I’m proud of you, Mac.”
Macintosh returned the hug wholeheartedly. “Thanks, Sis’. I’m proud of you too.” He gently broke the embrace and looked Applejack in the eye. “Now, you best get goin’. Don’t wanna leave Twilight and Night Light hangin’ too long.”
Applejack stared at him blankly. “Night Light? Twilight’s dad? But how did you—”
“I wanted you to have a good time today, AJ. Now, go make some memories.”
It took a moment before realization clicked behind Applejack’s eyes, and she smirked up at Macintosh. “Thanks, Mac.” She turned tail and galloped out the door towards Ponyville.
Macintosh shut the door in her wake and wandered into the living room. Granny Smith was fast asleep in her rocking chair, a pair of knitting needles and a simple orange scarf strewn across her lap. With a practiced hoof, Macintosh hit the chair firmly and jolted Granny Smith awake.
“The timberwolves! Whuzzat?” She jerked her head around with surprising ease. “Oh, howdy there, Macintosh! Fancy seein’ you back so soon! Didja forget somethin’?”
Macintosh paused for a moment before replying, “Heh, somethin’ like that. How’s about you and I head out fer a picnic, Granny? ‘s a gorgeous day fer it.”
Granny Smith’s eyes gave off a faint shine and her mouth curved into a wide smile. “Sounds lovely, Mac. I reckon that’s a darn sight better than sittin’ here knittin’ all day.” Granny Smith rose from her rocker and—together—she and Big Mac made for the kitchen.
“I swear, you remind me more an’ more of Apple Oak every day, Macintosh.”
Author's Note
Dedicated to those unfortunate enough to no longer be able to celebrate Father's Day with their dads. Don't let yourself wallow in sorrow. Seize the day and make your father proud.
