Author's Note

I'm writing this from Big Mac's perspective. Asked an admin if it was against the rules to swap one perspective to the other with chapters. Admin said no. So It's all cool here

Thanks again Meester!

Day 6: A lot of thought. (Big Mac's Perspective)

Eeyup... Big Mac here. Guess'n Ryder sent ya here to find out how he got a hold of his sister again. Lucky you I'm willin' to talk about it. It was the same night. I just got done speakin' to the guard about the dead mare on my property and how Ryder shot her for our protection which they said was still considered self defense. Guard's took my gun and the shells Ryder fired off. Had me sitting in my living room. Covered in mud. All wet from the rain. I thought I'd take myself and give myself something to clean after the mess outside that I felt I caused somehow. It was my shotgun. It was my ammo. It was my land. I watched news on TV. Said they just arrived on Ryder's home. "We're here at the scene of a shooting." The news mare said. "There has been an arrest but of a different matter. Apparently the stallion arrested was keeping a CPS agent from taking his sister whom is on her way to somewhere else. We asked the local tailor who was here dropping off the filly to pick up things for a sleep over with her friends whom we also spoke to."

Just then Rarity appeared on the screen holding an umbrella. "Well I pulled up and went out with the filly to her door." She said. "I had no idea her parents were murdered! I couldn't even stop her brother from looking inside." That's when I turned the TV off. I didn't wanna see my own sister talking about what little Scootaloo went through in them few moments.

I sighed sitting up resting my head in my hand as I leaned on the arm rest. "...Ryder..." I said. "....I hope that damn jail keeps you away from my house..." I really meant what I said at the time. Almost made me want to burn the ground he walked and drove on. I heard a car pull up and honk. Thought it was Shining as I got up and walked to the door. What I saw when I opened it was Ryder's muddy car with puke down the side and my sister in the drivers seat. Gave me chills. Wait... That was the cold outside mixing with my wet clothes. She got out of the car and came to me with tears in her eyes. I held my arms open for a hug but she shoulder checked me right out of the way. I turned to her as she took her boots off. "What gives AJ? Cant a big brother hug his sister feelin' bad for another little filly who just walked in on her-"

I'd've said more but she grunted and cut me off. "I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY!" She screamed in my face. "YOUR BEST GOD DAMN FRIEND IS IN THE SLAMMER WHILE HIS LITTLE ORPHANED SISTER IS AT HER COUSINS PLACE CRYING HER FUCKING EYES OUT! NOW I GUESS HE'S GONNA STAY AWAY FOR GOOD!" I stood there. Not shocked but kinda hurt. My sister always hugged me when ever she was crying. This time she threw her mud covered boots at me and stormed upstairs. I sighed closing the door. Set her boots next to the door, took mine off set em next to hers and took myself into my bathroom and washed up.

I could barely sleep. Couldn't help but remember what happened to me n Aj when we were young... Our mother died giving birth to our baby sister Applebloom. Course me and AJ didn't know till the day he brought AB home. He sat me and AJ down on either side of Granny Smith, our uh... late grandmother.... Our father sat us next to granny told us: "...Big Mac... Applejack... Momma aint coming home..." AJ asks him why while I just sat there gettin' misty eyed. He tells her: "...She's uh... She's going to work with your auntie..." She asks him.... Forgive me this part's kinda hard.... She asks if our momma loves us... He just gets up and leaves the room in tears. He comes to me later while AJ's taking a nap.

"Daddy?" I said. "Aint momma gonna come home?" He takes me into my room and sits me on my bed.

"Mac..." He says. "...You're big enough to understand this but... Please don't repeat none of this to your sister... Understand me?" I remember clearly I barely gave a nod. "...Momma aint with your auntie... I just said that so AJ wouldn't cry... She's.... She's not coming home because she's with grandpa...." It was an indirect way of saying 'mommy's dead'. I couldn't help but feel like wanting to cry... AJ thinks mom went off to Appleoosa to work for my aunt while I know she's in the hospital morgue with an exhausted look on her face and a toe tag stating her name, what number specimen she was, date and time of death and cause.

About a week after that my sister knew the real truth... I'm sitting in the living room with Granny... She goes upstairs to ask daddy something... Next thing you know she's screaming, crying and asking why daddy's in the room hanging by a rope... Our father hung himself leaving us to join momma and grandpa. I spent the whole day with my sister. Took a nap with her, watched cartoons with her.... Even uh... I even wet myself so she wouldn't feel embarrassed alone... I just felt so bad having AJ see that. Kinda fucked her up for a while... Granny was thinkin' about putting her back in diapers she wet herself so much... Anyways I ended up passing out that night. Woke up hearing my phone alarm go off. Five in the morning. Although I didn't feel like getting up to work. That and just outside my window it was raining. I grabbed my phone and saw I had a missed call from an unknown number and that it left a message. I unlocked it, put in the code and called my voicemail. "....Big Mac..." A sniffly stallion said. It was Ryder. He was calling me. Like Shining was gonna be any help. "...Big Mac... I wasted my ONE fucking phone call on you... And you're ASLEEP! If you haven't deleted this message.... Just... Just hear me out please... I want you to check on Scootaloo... and... If you've forgiven me... I need about 200 to pay a fine or... I'll be stuck in a jail cell for years... I don't wanna leave Scootaloo alone for that long.... Please man... You're the only one who can help me here... If you cant... At least tell AJ I love her..."

Why he didn't ask AJ to bail him out I got no clue. Something deep inside me compelled me to get up and get dressed in a green flannel shirt, a black hooded jacket, a new pair of jeans and sneakers. Even went and called up Pinkie. I went out into the living room with my phone up to my ear and saw AJ mopping up the muddy mess by the door as the phone buzzed in my ear. Then a click. "Big Mac...? What're you doing calling so early..." Pinkie asked sounding tired as all hell. I gave a sigh.

"...You hear the news?" I asked. "...Taint good news either..." I heard Pinkie gasp as I went to the kitchen.

"Bad news? What happened? Are you guys okay?" She asked.

"Eeyup... Well... One of us is and it aint me... AJ's taking her new coltfriend's arrest pretty damn hard..."

"RYDER GOT ARRESTED?! What for?!"

"...Not sure... I wasn't there when it happened.... He called n left a message from the precinct telling me to check on his sister and bail him out.... Guess which one I'm NOT gonna do..."

"As much as I hate to say this... Please tell me it's checking on his sister..."

Applejack came over and took my phone from me. "GOD DAMMIT PINKIE HE ISNT GONNA BAIL RYDER OUTTA JAIL!" She snapped. "THIS GOD DAMN SUNOVABITCH DONT CARE ABOUT HIS FAMILY ALL HE CARES ABOUT IS THAT FUCKING TRUCK HE WORKED SO FUCKING HARD ON IGNORING EACH AND EVERYONE OF US!" She hung up and shoved my phone into my chest. "There! That's all you needed to say!" I sighed shoving my phone in my pocket.

"What the hell AJ you know I care about you just the same as everyone else!" I said. She looked at me pissed getting teary eyed. "What's wrong? Cant bail your boyfriend out?" She wound up and punched me catching my jaw. I held my jaw as she took Ryder's keys and forced my hand off my face, shoving the keys into my palm.

"GET OUT! JUST GET THE HELL OUT OF MY FUCKING HOUSE I WANNA BE ALONE!" She yelled before running upstairs crying.

I sighed and stormed out. Todays rain wasn't as harsh. There was still a bit of blood in the dirt where Ryder killed Berrie... Honestly should've kept a hold of my gun so Ryder could'a beaten Berrie to death... But he probably would've lost his sister to the guard. You ask me why I let him take my gun I tell you I didn't want her to die by my hand. I said to not move. She moved. I didn't shoot. Buckshot does a ton of damage close range but with two targets in one crosshair aint good if its a spread weapon. Anyways I stepped out in the mud and walked toward Ryder's car. As much as I wanted to bust that thing up it was all I had to get around. Trudging in the mud wasn't my plan. Though it was an option I didn't wanna end up getting my clothes wet again and risk getting sick. My phone went off again just before I pulled out. Saw it was Pinkie and I just screened her. I didn't mean it but I needed to call someone. Dash. As the phone buzzed in my ear I started thinking. Maybe this was Ryder's way of getting back at me or AJ's way of saying he's more important than me and my truck. It was just about four short buzzes before I got sent to voice mail. "Hey! You got the coolest mare in ponyville! Leave a message!" Dash's voice said. I sighed.

"Dash... Big Mac... I gotta check on Scootaloo soon and... Cant say I was made to do this but I'm just kinda worried about that lil filly..." I said. "...What I heard n saw last night... You'd be able to talk with me alone but.... I just don't want Scoot hearing something I saw with someone she knew... She's prolly got her mind on her big brother and... Yeah... Just... I don't know see if you can get her with Rarity... I'll be at Sugarcube corner drowning myself in something I cant get drunk off of... Poured my damn whiskey down my throat and in the orchard after I got in a fight.... Anyways... I want to talk with you and Pinkie... Gotta get shit off my mind.... Come by Sugarcube Corner... If Pinkie will let me in... Anyways... Tell Scoot I'm there for her.... I'll buy her a few things just to keep her happy... Just... Please dammit talk with me..."

I sent the message off and put my phone between my legs before starting the car. I started to tear up as I drove off. The memories I had in this car. With this car. I remember when Ryder first got this. Picked me up took me way out there and raced this thing. Hell I had to drive him home with this thing when we went out drinking that night. Flipped a coin and I came up designated driver. Glad I did... He nearly started a bar fight and he wanted to quote 'get the hell out before the heat comes'. That meant Shining. I didn't even wanna talk with him. Of course life has a funny way of making you do things you don't want. As I pulled out of the gate Shining pulled me over. Reason I knew it was Shining? He always had the deeply tinted truck. He always had to transport princesses n shit. Lit me up as I got out of the gate. Pulled over immediately. I rolled my window down and he comes out of his car like he's freaking out about something. I was right. "Ryder!" He called out hurrying to the window. "What the hell the news reports say you got arrested and-" He stopped short when he bent down at the window seeing me inside. "...Big Mac...? What the hell are you doing in Ryder's car?" I sniffled.

"...My sister brought it home after Ryder did get arrested..." I said. "...He... he didn't want this to happen but... I mean.. He had to do what he needed to do..." Shining shushed me.

"Big Mac calm down!" He said. "Now look, AJ put in a call last night, you could've seen something. I need to talk with you. We can head anywhere to talk. Just say it and we can go there. Looks like you wanna get somewhere... Right?" I gave a nod.

"....I-I was heading to Sugarcube Corner to talk with Dash... She's got Scootaloo and... And she got no one but her cousin n friends..." That's when I cried. I actually started crying.

"Big Mac! Big Mac look at me!" I looked up at him and wiped my eyes a bit embarrassed. I never cried in front of my friends. Well... Ryder... But that's only cuz of my truck. "I want you to drive this thing up to the house and leave the keys with your sister. Okay?" I nodded and did just as he said. I had to leave Ryder's keys on the table. Applejack was up in her room crying. I had Shining go up and talk to her to tell her I was going with him to talk about what happened that I saw.

When we got to Sugarcube Corner he had Pinkie close up shop until they were out. Already said he'd give a couple hundred bits for his time in there. I sat at a table alone drinking a soda. I didn't wanna kill my liver even more. Pinkie came over and sat with me as Shining greeted and hugged Dash at the door. Dash looked defeated. Like her heart was shattered in the blink of an eye. "...You doing okay Big Mac?" Pinkie asked. I shrugged not knowing how to answer. I had a lot of shit going through my mind. "Well... If you ever need to talk auntie Pinkie is here..."

Shining came inside with Dash and locked the door behind him. Dash approached me and I could see the pain in her eyes. She sat next to me like Pinkie. She hugged me tight. Couldn't tell if it were about Ryder or hearing her aunt n uncle being murdered. "...Sorry I was late... I had Fluttershy come pick Scootaloo up..." She said. "There's no way I could keep calm with her there... She kept talking about Ryder... Mommy and Daddy... I didn't know what to say... All I could do was... Just cry with her..." I sighed.

"...I know how ya feel..." I said. "...I did the same thing with AJ a long time ago..." I sipped my soda trying to keep myself from crying again. Felt close but I kept it back. Shining sat down with us just across from me.

"Alright... Now that we're all here... I need to ask each of you a few questions..." He said. "...Let's start with Big Mac since he was involved the most with what went on..." He looked at me right in the eye as Pinkie got up to get a few more drinks. "What happened last night at Sweet Apple Acres?" I looked at my drink and swirled it around.

"...Someone got shot... I didn't even pull the trigger..." I said. Dash and Pinkie gasped.

"You didn't shoot Ryder did you?!" Dash asked. I looked to her.

"No I didn't! Y'can ask AJ and Scootaloo! They'd know if I did cuz Ryder wouldn't have made it to get his sister n AJ would've gotten me arrested...." I looked back to Shining. "...'Sides... Shinin'd also know... Prolly woulda heard from someone in the guard cuz I'dve wanted to speak with you... Getcha to put me outta my misery or something..." Pinkie came back over a bit shaky with two more sodas. One for Shining and one for Dash. "...Anyways... I didn't shoot anyone... Ryder did..."

"Who'd he shoot?" Shining asked. "Was it anyone you know?" I nodded.

"Eeyup... We all did... Even you Shining... You knew her, Dash knew her, even Pinkie I think... Hell... Even my little sisters knew her... Scoot and Sweetie Belle too... That mare was Appleblooms sub a few days ago... It was Berrie... The same one who murdered Ryder's and Scoot's parents... Heard her as clear as day... She killed their mom and dad... Then she was gonna kill my sister... Ryder ripped the shotgun I came out with cuz the gun Berrie had went off scaring the shit outta me and AJ... Two shots... One in the chest... As she fell another in the torso.... Right there's when he just puked... Never saw him get that mad to where he killed someone... Especially someone who he loved before..."

Pinkie hummed a bit. "...I do remember a car speeding off at closing the other night when AJ and Ryder hooked up..." She said. "I heard it but only saw tail lights. Maybe that was Berrie speeding off after seeing them kiss." Shining used his magic to make a note pad and a pen appear. He wrote down things Pinkie and I said.

"... Okay... Anything from you Dash? Did you see anything weird or off about Berrie?" He asked looking to the rainbow maned mare next to me.

Dash sighed a bit. "I knew there was something wrong with her the first day I saw her with Ryder..." She said. "Ryder never introduced me as his cousin. Just kinda introduced me as a friend would... She confronted me a few days after and popped my front tire on my bike... Well... I wasn't sure if she did it but she did tell me I should stay away from him..."

"Threatened..." Shining said as he wrote something down. "Well... She must've toyed with Ryder so much if she wanted him and was doing anything to win him back after he denied her... She was always sketchy around me... Like she was actually trying to hide something. I never said anything about it but it really made her uncomfortable with me being around..."

I chugged the rest of my soda giving a sigh. Why did I feel bad? Ryder was a no good, secret hiding piece of shit. Yet he got arrested. On my way back home he told me what Ryder got arrested for. Aint what he did with Berrie. I told the guards it was out of self defense for the family so they mustn't've charged him with murder. I basically spent the whole day out back hosing off his car. Lucky me the rain stopped. Sun shone through the clouds as the mud and the puke came right off. Did I wish I was cleaning it with fire? No. I was thinking.... Hell that's my best friend and I was such an asshole to him... I could've blown his head clean off when I saw him out front. I spared him. For all I knew he could've been here to kill me since that gun went off. Just as I popped the trunk to check the engine Applejack came out with a case of beer. I didn't even notice her till she spoke up. "Big Mac...?" She said sniffling. I looked up and saw her dressed in her sweat pants and a flannel shirt buttoned up. She never had it like that except for when she was being lazy which was rare. Had tears in her eyes. "...I-I'm sorry about earlier... I just.... I just didn't like seeing them takin' our sisters friend n my boyfriend... I was lucky just to get Scoot but... Ryder...He just had to punch a damn guard for his sister...."

I walked over and took the beer setting it down next to her. Gave her a hug. "...Look AJ..." I said. "...He was thinking about his family which... I probably should've been doin' since the start... That time when 'Bloom fell out was completely my fault... I was toying with that horn for a while and when I saw her in the back and.... Well I tried having some fun by making that horn go off but I didn't know how close she was to the back... I was trying to get the horn to stop but by that time you were already there getting her up... In other words.... Daddy's truck got us bustin' up, friends and all, worse than Ryder's heart right now... I'm sorry sis... You uh... You think you can forgive me...?" She nodded and hugged me. Full on embrace making us both cry. We ended up going inside and passing out on the couch.

Course about an hour later I get woke up by my phone going off. Lucky me I'm the one who wakes up right away. AJ's a light sleeper too but she was up late last night. I moved her to where I could get up so I could answer my phone. Took it from my pocket and saw it was the mechanic Ryder used to work at. I answered it. "Uh Hello Mr. MacIntosh?" A colt said. "This is Gear Head from the garage in town. I want to let you know that your car has been fixed. All we had to fix was the door hinge, the window track and replace the oil in the engine. Yes that colt that damaged it was fired so you wont have to worry about him anymore if you need to bring your car back!" I sighed.

"Thanks sir... But... I gotta question to ask." I said. "How much to fix a car radio?"

"Well the radio on your truck works fine. Fired it up just to see if everything was good and it is!" He replied.

"No not my truck. My friends car. He's away doing somethin' work related and carpooled with a coworker... Left it with me and I'd say I should do somethin' special for him."

"Well then should be about 50 bits to fix it. Bring it by picking your truck up. You'll only have to wait a half hour. Radio's are an easy fix for those who don't know what to do." I gave a smile.

"Thank you sir. I'll be there soon." I looked to Applejack and nudged her hanging my phone up. "AJ! Aj c'mon sis wake up! We got somewhere to be!"

AJ groaned and swatted at my hand. "...Big Mac no.... Cant we jus' bring Ry with us?" She said still sleeping. "...Can I just stay here wif em....?" I sighed crossing my arms.

"No AJ I gotta send him out. You n I gotta get going to Appleoosa! Brae needs us!" I replied. She started to toss and turn whimpering. Was it mean that I was doing that? Yeah but karma has a funny way of coming back atcha. She yells at me and pushes me out, I mess with her dreams. Dreams ya can control are my favorite just cuz that reason. Anyways she woke up with a yelp. She looked up at me as I went n grabbed her boots by the door. "C'mon the trucks ready and I need somepony to drive Ryder's car back here. Doin' a little something for him just to say I'm sorry." She huffed a bit rubbing her eyes.

"...Cant ya just bail him out to say you're sorry?" She asked. "...I want my sugarcube back in my arms... Or at least his sisters arms... It's just hard to know on the way to Dash's she just loses her lunch right on the side.... I had to carry her up to the door... I almost couldn't give that filly to her cousin y'kno...? I wanted to take her back to our place but with the guards around she'd've needed a change of pants... I wasn't gonna just invade a crime scene just to get her any..." She put her boots on. "...Why aint you gettin' Ry outta the slammer? Dash told me that she had to go out buy a few things of undies for Scoot n she had to get Fluttershy to take her and that filly to the nearest department store that was still open..." I sighed.

"....Look Aj... I wanna get Ryder out of there but... It aint a sellin' day and all we have from week to week is about two fifty each... I spent half of mine on stuff before all this and you probably don't have much since you bought that new TV from when I got drunk and busted it..." She sighed.

"Yeah... Taint nothing I could do then.. Only got about Twenty bits to myself..." She gave me a sad look. Honestly hated it. "...We... We cant ask Dash... She needs the money for helpin' with Scoot... Pinkie helped him with date night money.... I don't even wanna ask Rarity... She still thinks I ripped her dress on purpose... Cant get Twilight cuz well... She'll think I'm tryin' to play the system and Fluttershy don't need to be anywhere near the jailhouse..." I hugged her as she stood up.

"Hey c'mon now... Ryder'll get out no problem... I'll call in a favor okay? Just calm yourself, grab a soda n you drive us to the garage while I make the call. Think you can do that for me?" She nodded into my shoulder.

Not even a few minutes later I was sitting in Ryder's passenger seat while AJ drove. I had my phone to my ear. I was talking to Shining. "No Big Mac that favor was revoked almost like your license when you got drunk and started fighting me!" He said. "Ryder ASSAULTED a guard! He didn't hug him, he didn't trade his sisters wellbeing for his... Scratch that last one but he went to jail! It's out of my hands!"

"C'mon Shining do this for my sister and his sister! Just... I don't know consult Celestia or your wife or somethin' if you'd be able to do that! The boy's just in shock! AJ said he just saw his parents same as Scootaloo! I mean- How the hell would you feel if your parents were murdered when you and Twilight was with ya? You'd be scared to the point of wettin' yerself!"

"BIG MAC! I AM NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT MIGHT FUCK MY JOB UP! Now stop fucking calling me today!"

Before I had a chance to answer he hung up. I gave a grunt and hid my face in shame. Applejack glanced over at me for a quick second. "...He aint helpin' is he?" She asked. I shook my head. "Fuck... Now what the hell're we gonna do...? Do I seriously have to ask Rarity or somethin'?" I looked up at her.

"...Afraid so sis but hey it aint all that bad... Worst you could get is a 'heavens no' or something like that. Just say you did rip the dress and you're sorry! Alright? I'll call her, you can do the talking!" She sighed.

"I don't know... She could just hang up on us when I start talkin'..."

"Aint gonna hurt to try AJ. Just do it and Ryder could be back in your arms as late as tonight!" Boy was I wrong. The damn idiot mechanic took forever, tried ruining the car when he found out it was Ryder's. Threatened to sue even though I just got my truck fixed for free after it took a fall. Honestly that truck has a center of gravity that's off. Stock cab made of metal and a wooden truck bed. Aint his fault it's made like that. Anyways the damn mechanic took forever. Lucky us Rarity wanted to give us money to get Ryder freed for his sister but by the time we got to the precinct the guards told us to go home, said 'visiting hours are over' and we couldn't even TRY and explain ourselves. Pushed us right out the door and even made my sister cry! All we could do was wait till morning. I uh.... I ended up having to sleep with my sister in her bed though. She had a bit of a nightmare about Ryder gettin' executed right in front of everyone. Told her it wasn't gonna happen but she just wanted to have someone to cuddle. Had to do it. Just had to.