Les Mareables

                                                                      Les Mareables

                                                                               I

  Equestria has always been known as a land of plenty. The most technologically advanced country in the world. The highest standard of living. And the highest rate of employment. And so it was that the ponies of Equestria lived contently and in harmony. That was the case until the Equestrian stock market crashed. In only a matter of days ponies were losing their homes, their businesses and were forced to either live on the streets or in impoverished homes. And if anypony was lucky to find a job to replace the ones they had lost they were forced to work outrageous hours and for a horrid wage of only five bits a week.

  And so it was that Equestria’s citizens were plunged into debt and despair. And as the ponies plunged deeper into poverty then they also became desperate. And desperate ponies do stupid things, so it was decreed by our Royal Highness Princess Celestia and our equally benevolent Princess Luna that the first ever Equestrian prison would be constructed in Ponyville. The prison became an oppressive symbol for Equestrians everywhere, a symbol of what poverty can turn us into.

  And was the Apple family in the midst of this? Where they exempt from the growing poverty sweeping Equestria? Most sadly they were not. The Apple Family’s orchards weren’t doing well. And the few trees that did give the poor family fruit had to be used as food and not as a source of income. And even when the few trees did bear apples they were usually stolen before Applejack or Big Macintosh could collect them.

  And so it was during the winter that Granny Smith had died of the feather flu. The old mare had lived to become a goodly age of ninety three. And soon Applebloom would join her grandmother in death unless some food could be brought to her soon. Applebloom had been suffering from malnutrition for weeks now. Her small bones were showing through her skin, her coat had become sallow, and she could barely trot even a few feet.

  “Big Mac if we don’ get Applebloom some food soon she ain’t gonna make it.” Applejack muttered to her older brother Big Mac. Applebloom had fallen asleep but Applejack still talked in a low whisper.

  “Eeyup. Don’ ya worry lil’ sis I ain’t gon’ let our sister die, ya hear?” Big Mac said to his sister. Despite Big Mac’s reassuring words he could barely believe them himself. It wasn’t like they had much money. The only money they did have was five bits and that wouldn’t get them far. Considering how inflation has increased the prices on anything in Equestria, even the simplest of commodity’s such as food.

  But Big Macintosh did not lose hope on his sister. He immediately grabbed the small coin purse off of a table near him and galloped outside.

                                                      ***

  Ponyville was not the same as it once was. All of the old establishments that once stood tall and proud were now shadows of what they once were. Big Mac trotted along, making sure to keep a quick pace if he ever came by any homeless ponies. He sure as hay didn’t want to get robed of his only five bits! Big Mac continued on the cracked streets and veered away from anypony that looked starving or in need of money. Poverty can make anypony paranoid, even the calmest of stallions are affected by it. In this case Big Macintosh.

  Big Mac stopped at a dilapidated pink building. He could swear that the building seemed oddly familiar. But it wasn’t until he stepped on a small sign shaped like a cupcake and various greying colors that once made the sign looked vibrant, lively, and full of life.

                                                Sugar Cube Corner

  There were a few more lines underneath that but Big Macintosh could not discern them, so he moved on. As he continued on the path he remembered Pinkie Pie. She had once been a happy party pony until the economy went to hay. She had lost her job and ended up wandering the streets in solitude. It wasn’t until she started drinking hard cider that Pinkie’s health started to deteriorate until she was just another drunk wandering the streets.

  He never knew what happened to her. Big Mac had always tried to coax the truth about what happened to Pinkie out of Applejack but she refused to ever talk about it. So Pinkie’s death was left as a mystery to Big Macintosh. He trotted along until he took a right down an alleyway where three ponies were standing huddled around a garbage can with a burning flame in it.

  Big Macintosh recognized these ponies just by their clothing. They were a local group of ponies that terrorized the town whenever they had the chance. Big Mac began to step back until one of them turned their heads and stared at Big Mac. The pony looking at Big Mac tapped his friend with his dark grey hoof and pointed to the coin purse in Big Macintosh’s red hoof. Big Mac began to step away a bit faster now, he knew that if it came down to a fight he would surely lose despite his large stature.

  “What have we here, hmm? A little lost now aren’t we?” The dark grey pony that first spotted Big Mac said in a menacing tone.

  “What’s in the little bag?” A light blue one asked.

  Big Mac gulped, “S…seeds.” He lied.

  “S…seeds?” The dark grey pony mocked Big Macintosh. “Bullshit. We heard you jingle jangle with those bits before you even came down the alley.” The trio began to get closer to Big Mac.

  “Just give us the money. We don’t want anypony to get hurt.” An olive green pony said. And as he finished his sentence he took out a small life from his saddle bag with his teeth and began licking his lips eager for blood. “But we don’t mind some blood on our hooves.” He said maliciously.

  Big Mac began to feel a trickle of sweat go down his coat and his heart began to pound, hard. The ponies began to get closer until the olive green one began had his knife at Big Mac’s throat.

  “Ya’ll think it’s really a good idea ta mess with me? Ah’ve dealt with ponies like ya before, so ah’ll give ya’ll a chance to rethink yer choice and scurry along now ya here?” Big Mac threatened, even though his words felt hollow.

  The olive green pony gently poked Big Mac with the blade of the knife, drawing blood, and letting it drip on the floor. And that was when Big Mac attacked. He leaned back and gave the olive green pony a good hoof to the chest.

  The green pony gasped and the knife clattered to the floor. The light blue pony stood with his mouth agape and realized that the tables had turned. But the grey pony eyed the knife and lunged for it with Big Macintosh doing the same. The grey pony grabbed the knife first but Big Mac quickly shoved him into the alley wall causing the grey pony to drop the knife. Big Mac quickly picked the knife up with his mouth and started to wave it around at the blue pony who was still standing there.

  “HELP! HELP! SOMEPONY ANPONY HELP I’M BEING ROBBED!” The blue pony screamed at the top of his lungs. The grey pony began to snicker on the ground, so Big Macintosh kicked him to shut him up.

  Big Mac began to hear the sound of hooves hitting the ground and the clanging of metal that one usually hears from a guard’s armor. Big Macintosh dropped the knife and began to gallop back home.

                                                                                  ***

  “Whaddya mean ya don’ have any food!?” Applejack exclaimed.

  “Ah’ mean what ah’ told ya sis. Ah’ was attacked by the local gang. An’ now the guards are after me but-”

  “What did ya do big brother!?” Applejack asked.

  “Listen it ain’t what yer thinkin’. They attacked me an-”

  “Applejack are you home?” A voice came from the door.

  Big Macintosh leaned in close to Applejack’s ear, “Don’t say nothin’ sis.” Big Mac whispered then quietly trotted off to the second floor of the house.

  AJ went to the door and opened it, and to her surprise there was Twilight Sparkle with two guards behind her. “Hi Applejack.” Twilight said happily.

  “Uh, howdy Twilight.” Applejack said nervously.

  “Is your brother home? I need to speak with him.” Twilight responded.

  “Nope, he’s uh, not home right now. Can ya’ll, uh leave a message?” Applejack said with a sheepish smile.

  Twilight narrowed her eyes and stared into AJ’s green eyes making Applejack feel uneasy. “No its fine. I will come back tomorrow.” The guards began to trot away but Twilight stayed and looked at AJ one more time. “You have a good day now.” She said with a firm smile.

  Applejack smiled back and without another word closed the door. “Big brother!” She whispered loudly.

  Big Macintosh trotted down the stairs with purpose, “Are they gone?” Big Mac asked.

  Applejack nodded, “Yup.”

  “What’re we gon’ do?” Big Mac asked.

  Applejack put her hoof to her mouth and was plunged into a pensive state. If she let Big Macintosh stay she might get arrested for harboring a fugitive. But if she turned him in then what kind of sister would that make her? So that left her with only one option, he could leave and be safe. “You gotta leave Big Mac.”

  “What?”

  “Ya gotta leave ah’ can’t let ya go to prison. Ya’ll be safer if ya ran big brother.”

  “But-”

  “This ain’t a discussion! Ya gotta leave. Now!”

  “Ah’ ain’t leavin’!”

  “If ya don’t ah’ll get the guards.”

  Big Mac looked saddened, “Why?”

  “Cuz I want ya to be safe.”

  Big Mac looked at her sister and then up at the stairs where his dying sister lay in her bed. “Fine.” And with that he galloped out of the house and into the forest.