Bigger Macintosh

Bigger Macintosh

Part 1: Bystander

Big Mac had always been one of the largest ponies around. He didn’t know why, mind you, it was just one of those facts of life. It could’ve been his earth pony heritage, good luck with genes, or maybe he’d just eaten right as a colt. All he did know was that ever since he could remember, he’d been a good head or two taller than all of his peers, and it wasn’t long before he was eye level with all the adults. Then he'd shot up past them as well, and pretty soon he realized he’d have to be shopping at the Big and Tall store from now on.

He’d always been strong, too. Although that was to be expected, considering his line of work. Apple farming wasn’t exactly a desk job, and the amount of lifting, pulling, pushing, carrying, and bucking he did every day was evident in his figure. It’d just made him look buff as a colt, but when puberty hit, well, things shot up a whole new level. He became a walking wall of muscle, his massively broad chest filling out and drawing the envy of all his peers. His legs became like tree trunks, the rippling muscles bulging and bristling with unspent strength. His thick, beefy neck and shoulders flexed with every step, and his shapely rump looked like it’d been chiseled out of granite.

That last part was a description his new marefriend, Princess Luna, seemed to favor.

Yes, there was no mistaking it; Big Mac was a big pony. He didn’t mind his size, though, and neither did Luna. Rather enjoyed it, as a matter of fact. He liked that it made the farming easy, and that it allowed him to protect his home from the dangers of the Everfree Forest. He was a workhorse through and through, and as long as he could do what he liked, he didn’t have a problem with it. He and Luna traded visits in either Canterlot or Ponyville on the weekends, and aside from the occasional double-take at the unlikely couple, things hadn’t changed all that much.

Of course, that’s when the changes started.

He was in his room getting ready for the day one sunny Tuesday morning. His harness was in his hooves, and a twinge of annoyance was building in his chest. He’d noticed it been feeling a little snug lately, yesterday particularly so, but now he couldn’t even get the dang thing around his neck. It’s not like it’d shrunk or anything, either. It was made of wood!

“Consarn it.” Big Mac walked over to the full-length mirror on the wall. He examined both himself and the harness with a critical eye, but the more he looked the more it was evident that he was the one who’d changed. His neck was thicker, his shoulders were broader, and even his chest looked deeper. He’d always been able to see all of himself in this mirror, but now, he noticed that the top of his head was out of the frame.

Curious, Big Mac went over to the wall where he’d marked his height since he was a colt. It was covered with small pencil marks, and for some reason he’d never wanted to erase them. He’d been the same height for years, and he was pretty sure that his body was quite through with the growing thing, but it couldn’t hurt to be sure. He stood up straight, marked his height with a pencil, then went into his closet and got a tape measure.

The new mark was a good three inches higher.

Big Mac frowned. “Well, that ain’t right.”

He leaned back on his haunches and pondered the situation. He hadn’t been doing anything different in his routine. He hadn’t stumbled into a patch of poison joke. He hadn’t been around any unicorns casting strange spells, He and Luna hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary, he’d steered far clear of that Discord fella. His diet had been the same, and there hadn’t been any world-ending apocalypse scenarios that threw all of Equestria’s magic into flux.

At least, not since last year.

Big Mac scratched his head. He didn’t think he was doing anything different. So why was he growing again? Maybe it was just a late growth spurt? That could happen sometimes, right?

Ehh… maybe he shouldn’t put too much thought into it. It was only three inches, after all. Luna might notice, but other ponies probably wouldn’t.

Hopefully.

The lingering worries stayed with Big Mac as he left his room and went through the motions of his day. He ate breakfast, got ready for chores, then made up an excuse why he couldn’t use his harness. He’d get it refitted tomorrow.

Work was nothing but normal routine, although he couldn’t but notice that everything seemed… easier. He could buck trees with but barely a swat of his hooves, he could push the plow without breaking a sweat, and he could carry more barrels of apples than he usually could. His large muscles flexed and moved with his fluid motions, making the normally grueling work look like foal’s play.

Big Mac chuckled as he finished up for the day, two hours early. “I could get used to this.”

He put the farm tools away and headed into the house to clean up. He then helped Granny Smith fix dinner (much to her surprise) making a good load extra for himself. He always had a good appetite, but tonight he felt especially hungry. He ate it all without a problem, too, which drew more than a few curious glances from his family members.

“Geez, Mac,” Applejack said. She looked down at the six plates of food that her brother had polished off. “You sure were hungry.”

Big Mac picked at his teeth with a toothpick and leaned back with a contented sigh. “Eeyup.”

“Ya do some hard work today or something?”

Big Mac shrugged. “Just one of those days, ya know?”

Applejack eyed her big brother, searching for any sign of falsehood. She found none, but some part of her noted that something seemed different about him. She couldn’t but her hoof on it, but it was enough to be curious.

Applejack nodded. “Yeah, I do know. Some days ya wanna suck up all the food around ya like a vacuum. I hear ya.”

Big Mac smiled his slow smile. “Eeyup.”

“Ya ate almost as much as much as that fillyfriend o’yours,” Granny Smith said, smirking. “Between the two o’ya, we’re gonna need a bigger fridge.”

Mac rolled his eyes. “She’s pregnant, Granny.”

Granny put on a look of mock shock. “Ya don’t say?! Well, I plum hadn’t noticed! I thought that she had just put on a bit o’water weight!”

Apple Bloom snickered. “A lot of water weight.”

The three mares broke into laughter, and Big Mac couldn’t help but join in. They loved to rib him about his relationship with Luna, but he knew they meant well. They’d actually been very kind to her, especially Apple Bloom for some reason.

“Think i’m gonna be goin’ up this weekend to visit her,” Mac said. “Ya’ll don’t mind, do ya?”

Applejack shook her head. “Naw. You know there ain’t much to do this time of year. All I was gonna do is teach Apple Bloom how to watch for tree fungi.”

“I’m sooooooo excited,” Apple Bloom said dryly.

Big Mac smiled. “It ain’t that hard, Bloom. You’ll get the hang of it.”

That night was a simple affair. The four Apples wound down in their usual ways, and Big Mac eventually said his goodnights and retired to his room to sleep. He dawdled around a bit before crawling into his soft-plush bed, noting that it did seem a little smaller than he remembered. He still fit, of course, but if he stretched out his hooves all the way, they spilled out over the edge.

Big Mac couldn’t help but feel a small twinge of excitement. He wasn’t sure why, but something about that implication made him feel giddy. Sure, he wasn’t a big hero like Applejack, but if he could take care of this farm by himself without any problems, then maybe that was enough.

“I just wish I could do more,” he muttered to the dark ceiling.

“I’ve found that greatness tends to be a family trait, young Macintosh,” Luna had said to him when they’d first met.“Just because you haven’t had a chance to prove yourself doesn’t mean you never will.”

Mac sighed. Luna seemed to think he had potential, but in what way, exactly, he didn’t know. He didn’t see anything on the horizon, and unless something drastic changed somehow, he might live his whole life on the sidelines. The eldest child of the Apple family would sit useless while his sisters went off to do great things, and he’d be no more than a figurehead of the clan with no real clout or respect.

Sighing, Big Mac crawled under the covers and drifted off to sleep.