The Other Route

by Silent Strider

Rating: everyone
Tags: Big Macintosh, Applejack, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure
Length: 4431

Applejack's pie delivery route took her through the Flame Geyser Swamp and led to a faceoff against a chimera, but Big Mac's route to a mountain unicorn village might be worse.

Applejack's pie delivery route took her through the Flame Geyser Swamp and led to a faceoff against a chimera, but Big Mac's route to a mountain unicorn village might be worse.

Created for the Equestria Daily Writer's Training Grounds #011: "Somepony to Watch Over Me"

This story happens simultaneously with the episode Somepony to Watch Over Me

Feel free to point any flaws; it's why I'm taking part in the Writer's Training Grounds, after all.

Published 2014-03-14 05:50:06 UTC
Last updated 2014-03-14 05:50:06 UTC

Leaving

With a sigh Big Mac looked back. He had just reached the fork in the road and his sister still hadn’t returned. He shook his head; perhaps he should go back, talk some sense into her…

Nope. While Big Mac was sure Apple Bloom was ready to handle the house and chores alone, he also knew Applejack had to reach that conclusion on her own. Besides, he thought, if I waste too much time I will never reach that village.

He took a look at his map and glanced around.

To the right the path continued to climb over hills of ever-increasing height, soon leading to a rocky plateau devoid of anything green. It would continue to climb for a while, sometimes steeply; it was a route that required raw strength and some of his more unique talents.

To the left the ground descended again, ending in a great mass of deep green, a sea of sorrowful trees. Straining his eyes Big Mac imagined the tiny pinpricks of light that could be seen at night, a beautiful sight that disguised how dangerous be the swamp underneath all that green could be. It was a route that favored his lighter and more agile sister.

With a final look back, and another glance at the Sun already past the zenith, Big Mac took the right path, his muscles straining against the increasingly barren incline. In front of him, the low .grassy hills slowly made way for a high plateau, a nascent cliff to his left.

The road had been slowly, but steadily, climbing for the last hour. At his left the cliff had turned into a sheer drop, the swamp visible at the bottom as a mass of green with occasional brown spots; to his right the plateau had given way to a high stone wall, some loose boulders resting at its base from time to time. Some distance ahead the path curved to the left, a series of caves dotting the exposed cliff

The path was still wide, which suited Big Mac just fine; he didn’t expect company, not after last time, but nevertheless he tensed his muscles and adjusted the cart’s harness so he could let it go at a moment’s notice.

Slowing down, Big Mac progressed as silently as he could, ears perked as he looked around. After a few minutes of near silence he started to smile; perhaps this time he could avoid them.

His face turned into a frown as wordless singing reached his ears, the voice as sweet as a honeyed gala. But it was too distant; if the creatures were hunting him they had given themselves away too early. But if they were not hunting him…

Ignoring the chaffing of the loose harness, Big Mac broke into a gallop, his eyes madly scanning the path ahead.

The cacophony of the cart drowned out the song, bringing increased clarity to his thoughts. Slowing to a fast canter, Big Mac looked around for places where an attacker could hide.

The song soon died; either the hunt was done or the creatures, alerted to his presence, wanted to remain unseen. He was looking behind a boulder when the same honeyed voice from before spoke.

“Want to have some fun, handsome?”

A comely mare’s head was rising from behind a large stone ahead, a provocative smile on her face. Her fur was golden, shining in the sun; her eyes were blue as the unclouded sky; her mane wild like Scootaloo’s, brown like the bark of an apple tree. Focus, thought Big Mac.

The creature got up, wings wide spread, her body now visible. Big Mac glanced at where the creature’s cutie mark should be. Her hindquarters were blank and feathered; where a pony tail should be, a bird’s feathered tail could be seen.

Big Mac’s eyes narrowed menacingly. “How’s the wing, Stormy?”

Stormy winced, flapping her right wing slowly. “Let me guess, you want safe passage? We don’t hurt you, you don’t hurt us? Done. Now be gone.”

Big Mac slowly circled the stone, eyes on the creature. She moved slowly in turn, always facing him, her frown deepening. As the creature’s feet - bird feet - were finally visible, Big Mac saw what he was searching for; the creature’s prey, a white unicorn mare — thankfully still breathing — could be seen behind the creature’s tail, the mare’s green eyes open but unseeing.

“Nnope.”

The creature screeched, her face contorted into a grimace. “She is ours! You can’t claim her. She was driven out by her own. Leave!”

Big Mac slipped out of the cart’s harness and balanced a stone on his hoof. “Nnope.” He tossed up the stone and, with a spin, bucked it towards the creature. It exploded just besides the creature’s open wing, showering her with dust.

The creature took to the air, her eyes fixing on him like a falcon’s. “You can’t have her! I will lure her to the cliff!” She started singing the same wordless tune as before, her mouth set in a menacing grin, wings flapping towards the cliff; the unicorn stirred.

Big Mac felt his head swimming. Following the song seemed just… right. His eyes had lost their edge when he finally opened his mouth.

“Pom pom pom para para ram pom pom para ram.”

Finding the music in him, Big Mac could think straight again. There was a kernel of truth in the creature’s words. She could lure the unicorn with her song; it was those creature’s most dangerous weapon. Singing could shield a pony — Granny Smith made sure to teach him this before he took this route for the first time — but, with anything less than a full band, it was impossible to fully shield others unless they sang along.

He could knock the unicorn cold… Nope. I can’t fight carrying her.

The unicorn’s only hope was to sing, and before she could sing Big Mac had to pull the mare out of her trance. Wincing, Big Mac lifted a hoof and struck her face, while his mind raced to find a tune that could work. Something short, catchy, that anypony could get going after hearing just once…

The mare’s head turned with the strength of his strike. Big Mac’s eyes glittered as he saw the unicorn’s eyes brighten slightly, her hoof touching her reddening face, but her expression was still vacant. She was not completely free of the creature’s siren call, but perhaps she was conscious enough to obey a single command…

Bringing his muzzle close to the unicorn’s ears, Big Mac interrupted his own song for a brief moment to yell “Sing,” and conjured the catchiest tune he knew.

“Tu tu turu, tu tu tu turu, tu tu turu, tu turu tu tu”

He repeated the tune two, three times, his ears deflating with each passing second, all the while blocking the unicorn’s advance with his own body. It wasn’t working; the unicorn was still forcing his way forward with unseeing eyes.

Big Mac was lifting a trembling hoof to knock her out when her lips finally started moving, faintly mimicking his own loud singing.

The creature noticed it too, her face assuming a bird-like scowl as she let go a primal screech. “Noooo!”

The brief pause in the creature’s song broke the spell holding the mare. She blinked, looking around, Her eyes went wide as she looked behind the red stallion.

Big Mac yelled “Don’t stop,” following her gaze as he started singing again.

The creature was coming at him, her claws glittering in the sun. Big Mac turned around, his weight on his forelegs while he kept glaring at the creature, ready to strike with his powerful hind legs at a moment’s notice.

The creature interrupted her dive and hesitated. “You’ll pay for this! You hear me? You’ll pay!” Flapping her wings to gain altitude, the creature slowly flew backwards until she was over the drop again, and after a few moments resumed her siren song.

Keeping an eye on the creature, Big Mac led the unicorn to his cart. He looked between the cart and the creature angrily flying nearby; he hated to make others do his job, but it would be safer to be ready to fend off any further attacks. Wordlessly he pointed to the cart; the unicorn nodded, putting on the harness.

As the two ponies walked up the road, Big Mac switched to the other half of the melody.

“Na naaa, na na na na na, na na na …”

Author's Note

Eeyup, I had Big Mac sing a famous video-game song. In a duet, even.
Warning, don't click the above link unless you want to have the song stuck in your head for the next few hours.

The creatures were Harpies, mainly based on the D&D version (hence the siren song), but ponified and with some elements of the mythological versions added back.

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.

Arriving

Big Mac was pulling his cart again, the unicorn trotting besides him.

“Are you telling me that… thing… had entranced me and wanted to have me for lunch?”

“Eeyup.”

“And that she has two sisters? I don’t think you could have saved me if they were together.”

“Nnope.”

“I guess I was lucky, then.”

“Eeyup.”

The unicorn looked at the red stallion’s face. “Aren’t you curious about me?”

Big Mac looked back at her, never slowing. She had green eyes and a long golden mane like his sister’s, but the similarities ended there. Her mane was messier than a chicken’s nest, as if it hadn’t seen a comb in days; her coat, white with a slight green tint, was dusty and smeared in places. Her cutie mark was a large horseshoe with three green sparkles around it.

“Well…”

“I don’t mind telling, Big Mac, if that is what you are thinking.” Her mouth formed a smile as Big Mac looked at her eyes. “Not after you saved me and told me all about yourself.”

In silence, his own eyes showing concern, Big Mac kept looking at her eyes.

The unicorn cleared her throat. “My name is Emerald Wind, and I live in Mountain’s Star, a nearby unicorn village. It’s where you are going, isn’t it? I was going to visit a friend in Ponyville when I heard a song, and the last thing I remember is you striking me.” She brought a hoof to her still slightly red face, as Big Mac’s ears lowered. “And don’t tell me you are sorry. You did what you needed to save me.”

Still talking, the two ponies came to the end of the path. Ahead of them was a stone bridge, large enough for two carts side by side, built in the unicorn style that reminded Big Mac of Canterlot. On the other side a narrower path, also overlooking a cliff on the left side and with a stone wall on the right, about the same width as the bridge.

Big Mac came to the edge of the cliff and looked down. To the left he could see a huge mass of sad trees — the swamp — as it gave way to solid ground; to the right, in the distance, a group of green and gray houses at the edge of a small lake, the village his sister was going to.

Emerald joined him in observing the passage below. “Looking for something? That sister of yours you told was coming this way?”

“Eeyup.” His ears perked as Applejack was mentioned.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she is fine.”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac backed from the cliff and made for the bridge, Emerald following closely. A few paces past the middle Big Mac looked back at the unicorn, ears lowered, sadness in his eyes.

Emerald looked down and to the side, her own ears lowering. “You really can’t keep a secret, can you?”

“Nnope.”

“How did you know I was lying?”

Big Mac stopped, removing the harness. “Rumors ‘bout bandits. That creature’s words. Your coat.” He turned towards her and gently lifted her face. “Your eyes.”

Emerald pushed aside Big Mac’s hoof, her head lowering again. “You knew that before you even saved me, then. Why did you still save me?”

“Had to. Nopony deserves that, not even a pony that is helping bandits.”

“Why not leave me behind after saving me, then? You sure know how bandits employ a gal like me.”

Big Mac lifted her head again, looking deep into her eyes. “Your eyes. I don’t think you can hurt another pony. Ya ain’t bad, just misguided. Everypony’s like that once ‘n a while.”

Emerald left his hoof stay this time. “You’re too trusting, you know that?”

“Eeyup.”

“I’m gonna regret this,” said Emerald as her horn started glowing.

A bright green aura flashed in front of Big Mac. Turning, he saw the unicorn appear on the far end of the bridge, towards the village.

Emerald looked up, where a narrow trail could be seen, her ears down and her eyes pleading. “The game’s off, guys. Let him pass.”

“Can’t do, sweetie.” A tan earth pony stepped from behind a stone and started down the trail.

“You have to, he saved my life.”

A blue earth pony rounded a corner down the path. “Your fault for not being careful.”

On the other side of the bridge a green earth pony stepped from behind a boulder. “Yeah, as if we would let a little runaway thief give orders to us.”

The tan pony advanced to the edge of the bridge, ignoring Emerald. “Now you, Red. Step away from your cart and drop anything else you are carrying.”

Big Mac turned sideways, his eyes going from one end of the bridge to the other. “Nnope.”

“Don’t be a fool, Red. We will hurt you to get the cart.”

Turning to the tan pony, Big Mac narrowed his eyes and started pawing the ground in front of him. “I reckon you ain’t let me go either way.”

“Boss, look out!” The blue pony was pointing up, where a dozen small rocks were floating in a green aura.

The tan pony — Big Mac guessed he was the boss — turned to Emerald, lowered his head and charged. Taken by surprise, the mare was thrown at the stone wall, grunting with the impact.

The magic holding the stones up died, showering Big Mac. He took a hoof to his head, nursing a spot that was hit.

The boss laughed, turning to the still dizzy mare. “You helping us now, sweetie?”

“Nnope.” Big Mac threw one stone up and kicked it behind the legs of the green pony; it exploded in the wall behind. Picking another stone Big Mac turned sideways again, watching both sides of the bridge.

“Get him, now!” The boss lowered his head and charged, followed by the blue pony. The green pony started galloping a second later, jumping to the side as a second stone came flying towards him.

“No!” Emerald got up and ran after the boss, slowly gaining on him. One green flash later she was on top of him. “Stop!”

With one buck the tan pony threw the unicorn to the ground and continued to gallop. Big Mac lowered himself, eyeing the approaching ponies.

The three ponies jumped upon Big Mac, piling on top of him. Emerald got up and rushed to the fray, biting a random tail and pulling.

From below the other ponies, Big Mac looked at Emerald. “Step back.”

She let go of the tail and took a step back. “What —”

With a mighty heave Big Mac stood, throwing the three ponies around. The green and blue ponies were sent back the way they came, while the tan pony…

Eyes going wide, Big Mac leaped to the bridge’s side, desperately nipping at the pony’s tail. He bit empty air, looking helplessly as the pony sailed above the bridge’s railing.

A green glow enveloped the pony’s tail, pulling it down to the railing and holding it there. With a yelp the pony stopped, hanging over the empty space.

Big Mac turned to Emerald. Her horn was glowing brightly, her eyes narrowed in concentration. “Nopony deserves that, right?”

With a low, relieved voice, Big Mac answered, “Eeyup.” He turned back to the hanging pony, taking his tail in his mouth and starting to pull.

“Big Mac, wait. Don’t pull him yet.” Emerald, trembling, turned to the other two ponies, who were slinking towards them. Noticing her glare, they stopped.

She gulped and closed her eyes. As she opened, her trembling was gone, her voice firm. “This is how we will do this. You will hold your boss while Big Mac takes his cart and leaves the bridge, then you can start pulling. I will stay here to make sure you don’t start pulling before Big Mac is safe, and“ — she turned to Big Mac and winked, strain visible in her face — “to make sure he doesn’t fall. Everypony okay with that?”

A whimpering voice came from the railing. “Do what she says, do what she says!”

The two bandits nodded, walking towards Big Mac. They each took hold of one of the boss’ hind legs, while Emerald’s magic enveloped his tail once again, allowing Big Mac to release it.

As Big Mac took the harness of his cart he looked back at the unicorn. “You’re sure?”

She smiled weakly, a slight trembling visible again, but her eyes were set. “Don’t worry, big guy. My special talent is speed, I will be gone before those goons can do anything. Now go, before they get ideas.”

Big Mac nodded and ran, cantering towards the nearby village as fast as he dared.

The village gate was just beyond a last bend in the path when Big Mac stopped, looking around. He sat, ears dropping, and stood there a few moments glancing at the Sun; it was already touching the horizon. He had to get to the village now…

“Hi, big guy.” Emerald, smiling, stepped out of her green magic glow. “I told you that I would get away.”

Big Mac smiled seeing her,but his face soon became one of concern. “What will you do now?”

Emerald turned to face the last bend in the path, her ears dropping. “I can’t go there. You heard those bandits; I’m a runaway thief. I fled the village and was trying to live outside when they found me.” She shot a longing glance at where the gate would be. “I miss all the things I had there. Even the simple ones. Taking warm baths, eating good food…”

Her stomach growled. She looked at Big Mac, embarrassment in her eyes, as her cheeks matched the color of the setting Sun.

Big Mac nodded and stood, taking a pie from the cart. “For helping me.”

It was quickly surrounded by a green aura.As she looked between the pie and Big Mac, Emerald’s eyes were sparkling as much as her horn. “Thank you. You already did so much for me.”

Big Mac looked her in the eyes. “I can help still. You ain’t bad, ya can still start over. But…” he turned his eyes to the hidden gate. “You have to own up to your errors.”

A tear rolled from Emerald’s eyes. “I… I can’t.” She was gone in a flash of green.

Big Mac sighed and took the harness. He went through the village gate and set his cart in the village’s only street.

On a hidden ledge in the stone wall, above the gate, the unicorn watched everything, tears of joy and sadness mixing and falling onto an still uneaten pie.

Big Mac had left the village as soon as the Sun rose, walking in silence. The way back should be easier now; as soon as he got to the village Big Mac warned about the dangers of the road. Thanking Big Mac for the warning, the village elder sent a message to the guard asking for help, and a team of pegasi guards had been patrolling the path since early morning.

He was almost at the bridge, thinking about his sister, when a flash of green and a familiar voice brought him back to the outside world. “Yo, bug guy!”

Big Mac lifted his head and looked at the bridge. Emerald was in the middle of the bridge, faintly smiling. Her eyes, though, gave away her uncertainty.

Smiling, Big Mac went to the back of the cart and opened a panel. Taking an apple, he tossed it to the unicorn. “Breakfast.”

A green glow engulfed the apple. “Thank you…” Emerald’s hoof was slowly drawing circles on the bridge floor. “About yesterday, I was thinking… would you still help me? Do you think I could start over in Ponyville?”

“Eeyup. But —”

Trembling, Emerald looked up, at Big Mac’s eyes. “I have to pay for what I did. I know.” She turned around, looking over the bridge’s railing. “Do you think ponies there will accept me? Do you think they will let me stay, knowing that I was a thief before?”

Big Mac put a hoof over her shoulder. “Eeyup.” His voice was soft, but carried the certainty of those that put honesty above all.

The two ponies stood like that for a few minutes, while Emerald silently sobbed her worries away.

Her trembling gone, she was turning around when she suddenly looked down and gasped; pointing to the ground below the bridge she said, “Isn’t that your sister? Who is that red maned filly with her?”

Big Mac looked over the railing. It was her sister’s cart, all right, with Applejack pulling. And besides her…

“Apple Bloom.”

“What, your filly sister? Didn’t you tell me that the other route was as dangerous as this one?”

“Eeyup.”

Emerald turned back to Big Mac, drying her previous tears. “I guess we better get going. I’m sensing somepony will have a lot to explain back at home.” Finally noticing the apple still in her green aura, she took a bite.

“Eeyup!”

Author's Note

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.

Home

Big Mac was plowing the field at the right side of the barn when he heard a familiar voice.

“Big Mac!”

The red stallion looked towards Ponyville. A white unicorn mare was running towards the farm, a warm smile in her face. As she approached the arc in front of the barn a green glow embraced her, a similar one appearing in front of Big Mac and leaving the bouncing unicorn in its wake.

“You got the princess to help me! I can’t believe it!”

“That would have been me, sugarcube.” An orange mare came out of the barn. “Woah Nelly! Rarity got ‘hold of you?”

Emerald Wind looked like a different pony. Her coat was now spotless, her hooves shining in the sun. But the biggest difference was her mane and tail; they were now properly combed and tied in a ponytail style, similar to Applejack’s own but slightly wavy.

The unicorn was beaming. “Yes, that too. She told something about not wanting somepony walking around with a bird’s nest for a mane and dragged me to her boutique. She didn’t even charge me anything! Was that you too?”

Applejack suppressed a laugh. “Nah, that would be just Rarity being Rarity.”

Emerald opened her mouth to speak, then turned back to face Big Mac, who had a confused look. “You don’t know what happened, do you?”

“Nnope.”

Applejack put a hoof over Emerald’s shoulder. “Why don’t ya’ tell him, sugarcube? I reckon you’re itchin’ to tell.”

Emerald looked at Big Mac, a gleam in his eyes. “The princess herself found a job for me! She talked to the mayor and I got hired as a town courier, my special talent being speed and all that. I’m even allowed to stay in a spare room in the town hall until I can get a place of my own.” She turned towards Applejack and raised an eyebrow, the bit finally dropping. “Wait, you know the princess?”

“I sure do. She is a good friend and really nice. Well, I reckon Pinkie gonna throw a welcome party as soon as she sees you, might as well introduce the girls then.” Applejack took a step back, still smiling, but with a firm look on her eyes. “You gotta something else to tell, don’cha?”

Emerald turned back to Big Mac. “Well… The mayor will be docking part of my wages to pay for what I stole back in Mountain’s Star. Princess Twilight got a word with the guards, and they reached an agreement to let me stay here. Seems like the princess found a loophole in one of her books to have my employment qualify as community service.”

Applejack’s eyes softened. “Ya ain’t off the hook, sugarcube, but we all believe in second chances here. We will —”

Big Mac took a step towards Emerald, holding a hoof towards his sister. “We’re gonna help you in any way we can, but …”

“But if I ever steal again you are going to hoof me to the guards yourself, is it that?” Emerald winked at Big Mac, beaming despite her words.

“Eeyup.”

“Ya got the hang of speaking with my brother darn fast.” Applejack elbowed her brother, winking her eye. “You sure she’s not your special somepony, Big Mac?”

Emerald giggled and looked right at Applejack, a mischievous smile on her face. “I don’t think you should joke about that, ‘sugarcube’. You know what Big Mac likes in me?” She shook her head, making her long golden mane flip, and blinked a green eye towards Applejack. “He tells me that I remind him of you. Now think again about what you just said.”

Applejack’s mouth dropped open, her cheeks matching color with the apples in her cutie mark. Laughter filled the air, suddenly becoming distant as a green magical aura flashed in front of Applejack. Down the field, leaping out of another green flash, the white unicorn was bounding and laughing.

A smile of her own spreading, Applejack looked at the unicorn and started running after her. “Now come back here, you rascal.”

Back by the plow, Big Mac looked at the antics of the two mares, his deep laugh echoing across the farm.

Author's Note

Feel free to point flaws, errors, or to make suggestions; I'm here to learn.