Chapters Chapter 1
The earth was soft benith his hooves as he followed the path further west, even thought there wasn't a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining bright Big Macintosh couldnt help but feel a shiver down his spine. The sky slowly became covered with the canopy of weaving orchard trees and as the colt reached the edge of the property the sun seemed to be setting much earlier than usual. After a few hours of vigorous work Big Mac decided to venture further than he normally would, further than anypony would, towards the forbidden woods.
The strong colt could remember the stories that his Granny Smith would tell of beasts entwined with the spirit of the woods. Stories of the countless ponies lost in exploration of the unknown, but none to ever return. Stubborn and headstrong Big Mac continued almost with purpose to find something but what he did not know.
Afternoon quickly turned to night but the canopy over the curious colt's head did not alert him to return home. The earth was now hard and the air became stale and cold, strange noises were coming from the woods but he only took this as an invitation to proceed further. Suprisingly a gentle breeze started to follow Big Mac from his flank almost to show him direction. It also carried a soft voice calling the colt to it.
"We have watched you grow........" The colt stopped dead in his tracks. " We have seen your pain......" the wind continued to whisper. " Let us free you from your shackles.... Let us show you your true path...." paniced Big Mac began to run blindly past trees and over bushes. " Let us open you eyes......" heart beating frantickly and all sense of direction gone Big Mac felt trapped and the colt ran as hard as he could and let out a bellowing roar.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME!!!" Just as he could regain his breath he tripped over a stump causing him to roll and lose one of his horseshoes. Ready to call this exploration quits he gains his stance and walks toward the stump to find his lost gear.
Scanning the area Big Mac finds his missing horseshoe right next to the stump that caused his fall, but when he looked closer this was no stump. It was definatly made of the trees here but it was smooth and etched with a strange design. The wind had stopped and the voices as well and while looking around the area near the strange item Big Mac couldn't help but notice that his harness was made of the same wood that tripped him.
"How can this be... Granny Smith told me I was given this harness by my father when I was a young colt." He touched his harness with the shoeless hoof only to notice he had been cut when he tripped earlier. " I never got to know my father, and I can't remember a time before I had this hunk of wood around my neck." the colt could feel his blood flowing faster, his body became warm. " I can't remember when I was just a young colt either." his breathing became quick. " but this piece of wood in the earth, in the forbidden woods, is the same as my harness!" his eyes diolated, and his body became hot with anger. " I guess i'll just have to see what you are. If this is what has been on my neck all these years then you must be something tied to my past"
Big Mac started to dig up the strange item, slow at first but as he came closer to seeing what was so well hidden the in forbidden woods he began to lose control of his emotions. The more anger he showed the heavier his harness became, but this only fueled his rage to find out what was in the ground. " An Ax..? Why would an ax be in ponyville" but as he reached for his discovery he felt time slow down and his harness become light as a feather. " I am going to have a few words with Granny about this." Just as he grabs the ax in his mouth a magical shockwave launches him into the air. As the magic jolts his whole body through the woods he can see a faint shadow.
" Wai.................." but before he could mutter the word "wait" his head made contact with one of the trees, it felt like steel for the second he could remember but then all that was left was darkness. It was pitch black, he could feel nothing, he could see nothing then suddenly his mind was launched through the vast emptiness towards a speck of light.
Chapter 2 Conscious Coma
Chapter 2
It felt like his soul was traveling this dark void for years. The only thing Big Mac could see was that speck of light constantly out of reach all this time but suddenly that speck of light opened to this huge portal. It gave Big Mac just enough time to see that another young pony was playing on his family's farm. He had a crimson color coat and a honey wheat colored mane... " that.. That's me" just as he muttered the words he felt everything that he was get forced into this shade of ponyville.
He was now one with his childhood self, but only able to see and feel what was around him. " how is this possible" After questioning his sanity many times over Big Mac realized this body he was in, this childhood memory he was forced into, he did not have his harness. Intrigued by this Big Mac tried to force every detail to memory. "Something must have been forgotten, why would I be forced to return here." He didn't know what to look for but everything seemed normal. The sun shining, the farm was just full of life and vibrant, for a minute or two Big Mac felt at..... Peace.
Hours go by and the young colt was, well doing what all children do having fun, giggling with the other ponies when out of no where a sharp pain struck the colt, " AAAAAAIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" .......... It wouldn't stop .... This pain ....... " WWWW...HHHHHH....AAAAA..TTTTT .... IIIII.SSSS ...... AHHHHHHHHHHHHH....." the pain felt like Celestia herself was tearing the fibers of him apart. " H..E..L..P...M..E.. PPP..L..E..A..S..E !!!" By this point any other pony would have blacked out from the sheer pain. " I CAN'T TAKKKEEE IT ANYMOREEE " Crippled by the pain Big Mac was on his knees, tears pouring from his eyes but not normal clear like they should be. No these tears were dark as night. His body was shaking and his eyes were pitch black from his tears.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO.... NOT AGAIN !!!!". Granny Smith was already on her way when she heard the screams of terror. " HA ... HA HA ...... HAHAHAHAHAHA." Big Mac's screams turned to demonic laughter. " Fools , you had your chance" the possessed colt replied. By this point Granny Smith was right behind the husk of the colt. With his harness, the very harness he had his whole life, she slammed it firmly around his neck and caused young Big Mac to black out and at the same time sending the older Big Mac back to his body in the current time.
As Big Mac slowly regained his consciousness he tried to find his footing. At first he couldn't even move his hooves, they felt like steel, but once he was able to get a few minutes of rest the pain was bearable. As the colt lifted himself off the ground he noticed that his harness cracked clear in half but this was the least of his worries, the now pitch black woods were peppered with glowing red eyes. Every movement Big Mac made was followed with those same eyes... becoming more concerned for his own safety he started to make his way to the very same ax that knocked him into last yesteryear but at this point he was running out of choices.
The growls were low at first but the more Big Mac progressed through the woods the more it became a deafening snarl.
" No..... Timberwolfs.... "
These were the same types of wolfs that nearly killed Granny Smith when she first came to ponyville, but when she told the story there were only three maybe four of them. Twenty eyes... And that was only what Big Macintosh could see while hobbling to the ax. His heart sank as reality started to set in,
" I still have no less that thirty hoofs to even get to that damn ax... And even if I make it there before these beast get to my flank there is no way I can take on this many timberwolves"
Even though the odds were drastically not in his favor Big Mac still pressed toward the ax but as he drew closer to the mysterious weapon so did the bloodthirsty animals.
"Almost halfway there." The ax shined almost like it was a ray of hope in the dark abyss of the woods. Still is much pain from the unwanted trip in his own memories his legs began to fail him in a big way. "Not now , anytime but now!" the colt yelled to his lazy hind right leg, now dragging the dead weight he could feel the hair on his mane stand on edge seeing that the wolves have closed the distance.
" Just a few more hooves and I'll at least have a weapon" Big Mac thought to himself when his other hind leg decided to join the party, just inches from his grasp he began to drag himself towards the ax. " I swear if I make it out of thi..." before he could finish his sentence one of the wolves sinks his razor sharp teeth into one of Big Mac's uncooperative legs and blood began to form a stream down his leg. " AHHHHHHH..... GET OFF YOU DOG!!" He quickly rolled over and weakly kicked the wolf in the face just enough to break his grip.
Big Mac used this window to firmly grab the ax in his mouth but this time there was no shockwave, no magical force field , nothing .... Just an ax made for a bigger warrior than normal. At this point Big Mac accepted the fact that he was on his own for this ride but if these wolves wanted a meal they were going to have to work for it. He moved the ax just enough to taunt the beast one last time..
" IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT .... THEN COME AND GET IT YOU PUTRID DOGS!!!"
"Out numbered, wounded, tired and cold... You sure know how to throw a party there Big Mac" he thought to himself . "... Let's show them what I'm made of..."
Chapter 3: Just a Taste
Stunned with fear but bursting with adrenaline the colt felt his body get unusually warm even in the cold void of the forbidden woods. His eyes darted trying to keep track of the position of the wolves.
"Two towards my left... Three to my front... "
He tried to keep a mental note but as soon as he could direct his attention to this right one for the wolves launched itself towards his neck. He narrowly dodged the bite but his exposed back did not fair so well. The wound was painful but by no means fatal. Big Mac shook off the expression of pain and directed his emotion to anger.
"You lied to me!" The damaged colt began to shout..
"You've lied to me my whole life, and just as I find some truth I'm left here to die like some weak animal!" A stream of heat began to create a fog above his head.
"No... I will find you... And when I do, you will tell me why I was repressed all these years!"
His body was now smoldering and a trail of fog and steam flowed from him like a cape in the wind. He grasped the ax with such force he nearly cracked his teeth. The timberwolves circled Big Mac like sharks about to start a feeding frenzy, teeth baring and saliva dripping another wolf steps forward... Slow at first but after two paces the beast shot like lightning towards the crimson feast it so desperately wanted.
Big Mac widened his stance and with one swing of his ax there was silence. The force he used to swing the ax caused him temporary blindness, the same as if a pony stood up to quick from laying down. As his sight adjusted back into focus he could feel the cool touch of rain evaporating off of his head and back. A few drops trickled on his lips and it was oddly thicker than normal... It also had a slight metallic taste to it. Once his vision became clear Big Mac realized that rain he so gladly welcomed was not rain at all, it was blood.
There was a brief pause from the timberwolves, they stared almost in shock but it was short lived when two more wolves jumped at the blood soaked colt. He swung at the first wolf and missed the second wolf latched onto his back and started to claw viciously like a dog burying a bone. Each swipe ripped and tore through a new layer in the colts back exposing his muscular system, about four cycles of the wolf Big Mac finally was able to buck it off but he was now bleeding out at a steady rate.
"Damn!.... " Big Mac slammed his hooves on the earth.
"I'll kill you, I'll kill you all!!!" he began to slam his hooves violently.
His breaths became deep and staggered, covered in a cocktail of his own blood he could feel his body slowly shutting down. As the wolves continued to circle him they started to melt into each other like a sea of red and gray.
" No... noo... not like this "
His front legs gave out and he began to feel a sharp pain in his chest.
"Hggggnnn!!! " he tried to stop the pain by pressing his hoof to his chest but it only increased exponentially. The ax became too much for him to hold and it crashed to the floor into a pool of blood. His eyes were weighted with tears and memories just flooding from his face but as he closed his eyes to rest the ax started to glow and the blood on the floor seemed to be absorbed by the unexplainable light. In his last whisper you could hear Big Mac murmur " I'm sorry..... " . The remaining timberwolves drooled with anticipation to sink their teeth into the tenderized hunk of meat that lie before them.
"NOOOOOO !!, stay away from my big brother you bullies!" yelled a butter cream colored filly yelled from behind a tree. Her bright orange eyes and red mane darted towards her motionless blood coated brother.
"Get up! " the filly screamed " Get up !! I can't lose you!" tears flowing from her eyes she nudged herself under Big Mac's front hoof. " You can't go... Your my big brother! You said you would be there ... No matter what...... You said you would always be there for me." Appleblooms voice started to shutter with every word.
"I made you this necklace, please ... Come back. "
The wolves now had an appetizer to start their now two course meal and the howls and scent of blood attracted more members from the pack.
"I love you big brother" the scared filly whispered as if it were her last words.
The ax had a pulsating glow that grew with every cycle and just as the hungry wolves pounced a blinding flash illuminated the woods and Big Mac's eyes snapped open but there was no pupil just white endlessness. He turned his head to Applebloom and said one word.
"RUN!"
The filly did just that and ran hard and fast. One of the wolfs started to follow her path with its head when the colt belted out words as if two ponies were talking in series.
"YOU" he pointed to the wolf tracking his sisters movements.
"YOUR MINE!"
Big Mac moved with lighting speed and stopped inches from the wolfs face and without skipping a beat he punched the animal in a downward motion. This alone cracked the sternum and dropped the wolf to its knees, the colt then turned around took one step and bucked instantly cracking the wolfs skull.
The other timberwolves began to back off but before all of them disappeared Big Mac was able to grab his ax and throw it at one of the retreating wolves grounding it before the beast could escape. Big Mac walked to the dieing wolf and stared with his blank white eyes.
"YOUR SOUL WILL BURN FOR ETERNITY" as the last words were spoken the colt dropped his hoof on the head of the wolf splattering the remains all over the floor.
He grabbed the bloodstained ax out from the back of the mutilated wolf and proceeded to the entrance of the woods. His eyes started to return to normal as he broke the threshold of the forbidden woods.
"Big Mac! Thank goodness your ok," the out of breath filly panted.
"I got help as soon as I could"
Once Big Mac's eyes were totally back to normal all of the pain returned as well and he dropped like a puppet who had its strings cut. The pain was too much to handle all at once and he began to slip out of conscienceness.
"It's ok there big fella you've had quite the day." Applejack tried to put her brother at ease.
"We need to move quickly," Granny Smith said nervously. "This is just a taste of what can happen if we don't get him stable again"
"Just a taste....."
Prologue
It was another beautiful day in Equestria and the apple family was hard at work as always. It was up to Applejack and Big Mac to gather the harvest before the crop spoiled, but somepony wonders, what else is there to tending the farm everyday...
“Boy howdy is it a scorcher or what Big Mac” Applejack cheerfully gestures towards her big brother.
“Eeyup” Big Macintosh replies in his usual monotone and cold stare.
“You were always the talkative one sugar-cubes, Ill take the east side today.” she pauses and steps close to Big Mac. “Ha-ha I couldn't imagine bucking one tree with that harness of yours. Try not to work too hard out there today.” Desperately trying to strike a conversation the young pony gave a gentle nudge with her hoof and a smirk, but ole' Big Mac just nodded in agreement and began to head west to start the busy day of harvesting.
Continuing deep into the west side of the farm Big Mac began to dwell on the comment his sister made of his harness, “Come to think of it I cant remember a time when I didn't have this harness” the colt thought to himself. He quickly shook the thought from his mind and continued to make his way deeper and deeper into the orchard.
