Big Macintosh is a busy stallion.
He sighed as he finished bucking yet another apple tree. The ripe treasures within the confines of its leaves were shaken and dropped into carefully placed buckets.
This is no secret. Ponyville’s biggest stallion often has his hooves full in Sweet Apple Acres. Whether it is apple bucking, field plowing, or animal feeding, Big Macintosh is usually working.
Nopony really wonders what Big Macintosh does in his free time. Most assume he doesn’t have any free time. This is, of course, ridiculous. He, like his dear sister, has plenty of free time as long as it isn’t Applebuck Season. What he does in his free time is a mystery to all but him, however.
Twilight Sparkle would sometimes remark at seeing him in the library, reading chemistry books of all things, but no one puts much stock in that. Big Macintosh is a simple farmer. Why would he be interesting in chemistry, of all things?
Big Mac wordlessly picked up one of the apple buckets and started his trek back to the barn.
Of course, ponies like Twilight and his dear sister Applejack can see the partial truth about Big Macintosh. They both know he is a lot more intelligent than he appears. He does handle Sweet Apple Acres financially, and he is rather efficient at it as well. It wouldn’t be a stretch to call him a mathematical genius, as well as an accomplished economist. Few ponies know about this.
Knowing he is smarter than he looks does not answer the question as to what the large stallion does in his spare time.
Big Mac nodded in his sister’s direction as he passed. Applejack was hard at work as usual.
What did the quiet stallion do when there is no work to be done?
He used to read history.
Big Macintosh, unknown to all but him, has a library of historical information within his head. He knows more about the history of Equestria than the ever studious Twilight Sparkle. He remembers he kept his old history books from his school, and occasionally gathered some books from stores for keeps. History fascinated him, yet horrified him.
No, he was not horrified because of the last war that had come one thousand years prior, as many ponies are. He is horrified by what history has done to the land.
That was his second hobby. Thinking.
And think he did. He thought about the thousand years of peace, the complete lack of large scale conflict. How even the smallest of issues come and go with little fuss within the country. The rest of the world follows in Equestria’s footsteps, and remains largely at peace. There are hardly any petty quarrels, and crime is non-existent. Most would agree that these are good things.
Big Macintosh sees the bigger picture.
One thousand years without war. One thousand years of complete societal, technological and social global stagnation. Big Macintosh sees the house society has built them, and he sees they can no longer add upon the foundation of such a house. At least, not in the state the house is in currently. Some would argue that any house can be added upon, made greater.
But sometimes to build a bigger house, you first must demolish the small one.
Big Mac wordlessly entered the barn, placing the apple bucket with many others of its kind.
Of course, the metaphorical house can never really be demolished while immortals exist to keep their very foundations intact for all eternity. Princess Celestia, keeping the same policies and laws for the last thousand years has inadvertently caused the stagnation. She means well, of course. But she is short sighted and arrogant. She believes her way is best, and refuses to try new governing techniques because of the reasoning ‘if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.’ The recently rehabilitated Princess Luna is no different, and even if she did attempt new policies, she as an immortal and as a creature of habit, will drive the country into the same stagnation. In order for the metaphorical house to be demolished, its two largest supports must be removed first.
Simply removing the two leaders would not cause the house to topple, however. Despite the fact that panic would spread, it isn’t enough to completely cause the house to crumble. There would need to be additional panic. There would need to be chaos, mistrust, and paranoia to act as the termites slowly chipping away at the remaining house’s supports. To do this, one must spread terror, and ensure a maximum amount of collateral damage.
Big Macintosh’s third hobby is planning.
Big Mac left the barn and looked in the direction he last saw his sister. She was animatedly conversing with her friends who had apparently come while he was not looking. Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were all gathered around her, speaking of Celestia knows what. Big Mac doesn’t know what they are talking about, but he can’t bring himself to care. He idly glanced in the direction of Canterlot, seeing it in its full glory. The precariously perched city looks unstable, but due to enchanted support structures, it is actually very solid.
If chaos and paranoia were to run rampant within Equestria, it would be only a matter of time before blame shifted to the other countries. A mistake would be made; a war or two would be started. Forces would clash, governments would crumble, and inevitably without the guiding might of the celestial sisters, all of the other countries would descend into chaos and start wars with one another. The world would pound itself into ash. But it would rise again, bigger and better because of it. All it needs is a push.
Inevitably there would be panic over who would raise the sun and moon, but Big Macintosh knows that Twilight Sparkle is aware of means to raise the sun. He imagines it would take her a day or two to organize a large amount of magically potent unicorns to work together on a massive sun-raising spell and work from there. It’s been done before, it can be done again.
Big Macintosh’s fourth hobby was preparation.
As the official owner of a farm, Big Macintosh has need for many various chemicals. Pesticides and the like need to be bought in mass quantities in order to support Equestria’s largest apple orchard. Naturally nopony would notice if the excess went missing. Not many ponies know what one can accomplish with chemistry knowledge and pesticides. Combine some very carefully mixed chemicals with a fairly common magic-cancelling material known as arcanite and an ignition results in some very effective explosives capable of destroying magically enhanced materials.
Transport is important. Big Macintosh had hired a unicorn to teleport him from Ponyville to Canterlot and back once every day to observe guard patrol patterns. Naturally they do not expect much crime or any attack, so their presence is just to make the citizens feel safer. They had not been a problem. The real difficulty was getting a feel for the two princess’s schedules.
Using the unicorn transport and knowledge gained from previous visits, Big Macintosh had, the night before, successfully infiltrated Canterlot and planted his specially made explosives several of the structure’s main supports, and several lining day court and Princess Luna’s bedroom. The explosives are all carefully placed, but have no means of ignition. All except one.
The ignition for the explosive, located just inside of day court, is a material known as siyfucium. This material only ignites when in direct contact with sunlight. After the first explosive is triggered, it will generate a chain reaction that will cross the entire city and reach its supports before the inhabitants can even understand what is happening.
The siyfucium is arranged in such a way that sunlight coming through the windows will only touch it at two o’clock.
Big Macintosh idly looked in the direction of the sun. It is close to time.
As if on cue, several flashes were then seen from within Canterlot castle, before several more went off all throughout the city and underneath it. It was at least four seconds before the resounding ‘claps’ were heard from the explosions. In that moment, Celestia and Luna were already dead.
Big Mac looked closer to see the entire city start it’s slow descend down the mountain, it’s few remaining supports crumbling under the weight. Rubble could be seen as specs falling beneath, and the city sped its descent. From this distance, it is all so quiet.
The entire city seemed to lose its orientation as it tipped forward and soon found itself falling sideways. It was at this point did Big Macintosh hear the alarmed cries and screams coming from those in Ponyville witnessing the event. Big Mac spared a glance in his sister’s direction, to see her and her friends with paled faces, staring at the carnage with open-mouthed shock.
After what seemed like an eternity, Canterlot finally finished its descent and crashed into the ground. The entire city seemed to crumble apart and become an unrecognizable pile of white rubble. No doubt that anypony surviving the initial explosions would be dead from the fall and buried beneath the rubble.
Twilight Sparkle was already in tears, no doubt already certain that her parents and brother, who live in Canterlot, are dead. Rainbow Dash fell to her haunches staring at the scene with wide-eyed horror. Fluttershy is attempting to comfort Twilight, despite she herself being a shivering wreck. Rarity had fainted before the city even hit the ground. Pinkie Pie’s mane went straight, and her colors seemed to darken as she stared at the scene with wide, teary and terrified eyes. Applejack is motionless, staring at the scene with wide eyes, her mouth moving but no sound coming out.
As for Big Macintosh’s expression…
He wore the ghost of a smirk as he stared unblinkingly at the carnage he wrought.
Big Macintosh. Owner of Sweet Apple Acres. Brother of the Element of Honesty. The Apple family’s largest stallion. Equestria’s first terrorist.
Big Macintosh is a busy stallion.
Author's Note
Brought to you by high blood alcohol levels.
~MenialLabor
