On Death's Door

Chapters

The Beginning
A Dash of Memories
Shyness
Magical Moments
Being a Brother
Let's Have a Party

The Beginning

Beep...Beep...Beep....Beep...Beep....

That was the only thing the six mares heard, their silence bringing out that horrid sound. They were all crowded around a large bed in the center of the room, their eyes on a large figure that was laying on it. The room was cold since it was a hospital, but there was a different chill in the air that froze their hearts and their spines.

On the bed lay a giant stallion whose body was a deep red. His mane was a dirty blonde color, and his eyes were a sparkling green if they were open. But they were closed, and his body was in terrible shape. Two of his legs had become broken and were sitting in large casts that were difficult to make because of his size. He had large gashes and cuts all throughout his body that had to be bandaged over and would all probably leave scars. One of his ears was torn up, and his breathing was weak.

An orange mare finally broke the silence as she laid her head on the bed, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed, “No...nonononononono...” She cried, “This wasn't supposed to happen....this shouldn't of happened....not to him....not to anypony.....” Twilight, a purple unicorn made her way over and placed a hoof on her shoulder.

“Applejack....” Twilight said, tears welling up in her eyes as well. She wasn't sure what to say and cleared her throat, feeling light sobs coming up as well, “Big Mac....he's a strong stallion....he will be-

“JUST FINE?!” Applejack screamed, turning to her friends, “HE'S IN AH COMA! HIS BODY IS ALL SMASHED UP AND BLEEDIN'! AND NOT TO MENTION THAT HE TOOK SOME BRAIN DAMAGE! HE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO WORK AGAIN! HE MAY NOT EVEN BE....” Applejack sobbed, “Big Mac....He may not even be himself anymore....”

“This is all our faults....” Rainbow dash said quietly, “If we had only listened to him....” A stream of tears made their way down her cheeks.

“Big Macintosh....” Rarity cried, her makeup becoming smeared by her tears, “He....was there for us...he got himself hurt....for our sake....”

Fluttershy was too busy crying to talk, and Pinkie's hair was straight and down, not in its inflated self. The six mares didn't want to reflect on what had happened that day.

The Day Before...

“Hey Applejack!” Twilight called, looking around the apple trees for a certain pony wearing a stetson, “Where are you?!” Pinkie Pie was bouncing up and down behind her, a wide smile on her face, followed by Fluttershy who was busy playing with the birds in the trees.

“Hey Y'all!” Applejack grinned, making her way out from the trees, “What you all here for? Want to help me buck some apples?”

“Noooot Exactly!” Rainbow Dash grinned, swooping down from the skies and making a few circles around her friends before finally landing softly onto the ground.

“Twilight here has read something that sounds very...fabulous.” Rarity smiled, coming out from the trees, “And it might also intrigue you as well.”

Using her magic, Twilight brought out a book in front of Applejack and opened it to a certain page.

“Uh, what's this?” The pony blinked, reading the page, “The Golden....Apple?”

“That's right!” Twilight grinned, “It's the most magical apple in all of Equestria! It is said to give you the knowledge of an entire library!”

“And give you the speed twice that of a sonic rainboom!” Rainbow Dash called out.

“Make you the most beautiful mare in the entire planet!” Rarity smiled dreamily.

“Allows you to read the thoughts of any animal!....But not to use it in a rude way of course...” Fluttershy chimed in.

“And its supposed to taste better than any cupcake combined ever in the entire wooooooooooooooooooooooooorld!” Pinkie Pie grinned, jumping up and down, “You've gotta come with us, Applejack! PLEASE?!”

Applejack scratched her head with her hoof, “Well...seeing how its such a legendary apple and all....Of course I'm in!” All the mares cheered and started talking about what they would do with this apple.

“Only one problem though...” Twilight said, “It's located directly in the center of the Everfree forest.” All the other mares grew quiet, thinking for a few seconds.

“That's fine!” Rainbow Dash grinned, “We've been there hundreds of times! This won't be any different!”

“You're right!” Applejack smiled, “This shouldn't be too hard!”

“Time to find this golden apple!” Twilight grinned.

“Yes!”

“Um...but its scary....”

“Yeah!”

“Indeed!”

“OF COURSE!”

“Nnnope.”

Each of the ponies turned to see a massive red stallion standing nearby with a yoke around his neck. He had a sprig of wheat in his mouth and he looked very unamused. Big Macintosh was the strongest, largest, and most hard working pony that the six mares had ever seen. He didn't say much, but he had a heart almost the size that he was.

“What do yah mean, no?!” Applejack blinked, “It's an enchanted magical apple! Doesn't that sound like fun?”

“Nnnope.”

“Oh come on Big Mac!” Rainbow Dash cried out, “We've been through there before many times! We always come out okay!” Big Mac lifted an eyebrow at them.

“Too Dangerous.” Macintosh stated, “Don't go.”

“Big Mac!” Applejack called out a bit angrily, “I'm a big mare now. Ah can take good care of mahself and mah friends! You know this!” Big Mac just stared at her which seemed to piss her off even more.

“I think Big Mac is right....” Fluttershy said quietly.

“Come on Fluttershy! Doesn't this sound like an awesome adventure?!” Pinkie Pie smiled, bouncing up and down, “We'll be fine, Big Macaroni! We also have Twilight's special magic!”

“Let's go girls!” Applejack shouted, glancing back at Big Mac one more time, “Everything will be fine.”

They entered the everfree forest, cheerily talking amongst themselves as though it was not much of a big deal anymore. The scary trees were being ignored, along with the strange noises. Only fluttershy seemed to take note of their surroundings.

“You know...” Rainbow Dash grinned, “Applejack, your brother is one helluva stud. I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again!” Applejack rolled her eyes and looked back at the blue mare, “Rainbow! If ah hear another word bout my big bro from ya!”

“She's right though...” Rarity giggled, “It's a shame that he doesn't come into ponyville more often. I would love to gather his...measurements...” Fluttershy turned red, Twilight's eyes widened, Rainbow Dash laughed, and Applejack gaped.

“What the hell are yah sayin?!” Applejack exclaimed, “Now that's jus' embarrassin!”

“Oh, come on Applejack!” Rarity laughed, “From what I'd seen, you had a huge crush on your brother when you were just a filly!” the others turned to Applejack with their jaws on the ground.

“N-No!” Applejack cried out, “We were jus' close is all!...And that was after our parents...” Applejack grew silent and Rarity instantly regretted what she said.

“Come on Girls...” Twilight said, stepping ahead of them, “Let's move along. It's been a while since we started walking and we should almost be in the heart of the forest.”

“Right...” Rainbow Dash said, feeling a light chill in her spine, “I...don't think I've ever gone this far into the forest before...” Fluttershy whimpered, hiding behind her friends, “I knew this was a bad idea...”

“Don't worry guys!” Pinkie laughed, bouncing to walk, “This forest isn't so baaad! Besides, my Pinkie sense isn't even going off! I think we- Pinkie froze, causing the other ponies to stop as well.

“Um...Pinkie?...” Twilight asked, growing a little frightened, “What does that-

“TIMBERWOLVES!” Pinkie screamed, “RUN!” The six mares all heard howling, and jumping out from the trees came five or six timberwolves, their jaws widening and dropping with saliva.

“Twilight! Get us outta here!” Applejack cried, the ponies all running as fast as they could away from the terrifying beasts.

“I...I can't!” Twilight cried, her horn sparking, “Something is blocking away my magic!”

“Fluttershy! Talk to them!” Rainbow Dash yelled, narrowly dodging a bite from one of the beasts.

“I can't get through to Timberwolves!” Fluttershy screamed, her tears flowing from her eyes like crazy, “Their hearts are as black as night!”

“Then we gotta outrun em!” Applejack growled, kicking ahead, “But which way do we go?!”

“We're lost now too?!” Pinkie yelled, “No! I still haven't eaten the cake that's baking back at sugarcube corner!”

The mares were chased for what seemed like hours until they found themselves at a huge rock wall, cornered completely as the wolves blocked off any other escape routes.

“Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, get away from here while you can!” Rarity yelled out, “There's still hope for you !”

“No way!”Rainbow dash yelled, landing next to Applejack, “We're staying with you two!” Fluttershy landed next to Twilight, tears still rivers on her cheeks.

“Well, ponies...” Twilight said quietly, “I'm happy to have ever known you....” The timberwolves howled and charged, their gaping jaws opening up wide enough to engulf an entire pony.

There was a loud crack, and one of the wolves was sent crashing back into a tree. The ponies all looked up to see a large red figure, a yoke around its neck.

“Big...Macintosh?....” Applejack blinked, tears in her eyes, “Why are...” The wolves howled and charged at him. Big Mac spun around, delivering a kick that could break a tree in half to one of their jaws, sending the monster into the rock wall. Another jumped at his side, and Big Mac spun, delivering punch with one of his powerful hooves. One of the wolves tackled him, its teeth slashing through his skin as he hit the ground.

Big Mac yelled in pain, and then punched down on its teeth, breaking a few before the wolf finally released him. The other wolves then leaped onto the crimson stallion, the pony letting out a powerful battle cry before the wooden beasts engulfed him with the bodies.

“MACINTOSH!” Applejack screamed, running straight for the pile.

“NO!” Big Mac's voice came, breaking the body of one of the wolves with a powerful kick and sending it up into the air, “GET OUT OF HERE!” One of the wolves bit down on his leg and a sickening crack was heard. Big Mac grunted with the intense pain and spun around, head butting it and smashing it into the ground.

Applejack suddenly felt herself being pulled back by the desperate hooves of Rainbow Dash and Rarity.

“NO!” Applejack cried, “WE HAVE TO HELP HIM!”

“We need you to stand back!” Twilight yelled, her horn glowing, “I'm gathering up my magic...this is going to take one shot....you can't be caught in the crossfire!” Applejack and the other mares looked on in horror, Big Mac fighting off the timberwolves. Three lay around him unconscious or dead, his body looking slashed and mangled already. His yoke was completely shattered and torn up, lying in a heap next to his barely standing body. There were more howls coming from the forest, and Big Mac let out a bloody scream as more rushed from the trees, tackling his body.

“NOW!” Twilight screamed, a powerful beam shooting from her horn. It landed directly in the pile of timberwolves, the light engulfing them as they howled in agony, their bodies set aflame. They immediately jumped off of the stallion and sprinted into the forest crying in pain.

Rainbow Dash and Rarity finally let go of Applejack who ran screaming to her brother.

“Damnit...Damnit all!” Applejack cried, her tears dampening the bed sheets, “We deserved this more than he did! And now look at him....LOOK AT HIM!” The mares continued to cry, the room filled with nothing but sobs. And then the door opened...

Applejack turned her head, her eyes widening. At the doorway stood Applebloom, her eyes not believing what she was seeing. On the bed lay her big brother....her strong, smiling, hard working big brother. And at this moment....he looked small and frail, his face wrapped up in a bandage.

The mares stared at Applebloom in silent. They had feared this...she was too young to have to see anything like this. The small filly walked slowly up to the bed before propping her self up onto her hooves against the bed, looking up at Big Mac's face.

“Hey...Big Brother....” Applebloom said, making a sad smile, “Wake up....”The other mares looked toward the ground as Applebloom repeated her words,

“Wake up...Wake up...Wake up!....WAKE UP!” Applebloom cried, her face being dug into the bed sheets. A few moments later, she lifted her head, her eyes glaring at the six ponies.

“YOU!” She cried out, “YOU DID THIS TO HIM!” The ponies all opened their mouths to say something but nothing came out. The young filly ran out of the room

A Dash of Memories

It had been two days since the incident...And Applejack was taking it harder than anyone else. Work at the farm was slowed because of the loss of the powerful red stallion...and it was also because of the shape Applejack was in. Bags were forming underneath her eyes, and if she wasn't at Sweet Apple Acres she was in the hospital right beside Big Macintosh. Her friends were noticing the shape that Applejack was in and did everything they could to convince her to head back to work. They finally managed to, and they all agreed that each of them would pitch in a bit of their day to do Big Mac's share of work on the farm.

Big Macintosh's injuries weren't the only reason that Applejack was in a bad mental state...it also because of Applebloom's anger and Granny Smith. Applebloom blamed her sister for everything that had happened to Macintosh, and she wasn't helping the fact that Applejack was already hurting herself horribly. They never spoke to each other, and whenever Applejack tried her sister would respond with a "Eeyup" or a "Nnnope." Just like her brother.

Granny Smith was a different story. Applejack just couldn't find it in her to break the news to her grandmother. She didn't want her to feel the loss of another family member and so she said that Big Mac was on a trip to Appleloosa to help with construction.

"I'm so proud of that boy..." Granny Smith chuckled, rocking in her old wooden chair, "He always does what he can to help others. Just like this father." Applejack couldn't say anything and just left, tears in her eyes as she went on her daily visit to the hospital.

As she walked through the town, the ponies grew silent. Many of them tried speaking with her about the issue but she just brushed them off with a sad smile and said that she was busy. Some of them blamed the incident on her and her friends, but that was only a small percentage of the whole town.

When she entered the hospital and stepped into Big Mac's room, she noticed that she had found him exactly how she had left him...Broken, beaten, and unconscious. She stepped up to the bed, looking at his form. His breathing was still in the same weakened state, and his heartbeat was precisely the same as well. Her eyes once again started getting watery, her frown quivering. She felt so useless...so very useless.

"Hey Applejack." A voice said behind her, "I was looking for you. I...thought I would find you here." Applejack looked back to see a familiar blue pegasus standing in the doorway.

"Hey there Rainbow Dash...." Applejack said, wiping her eyes and forcing a smile, "What's up?" Rainbow Dash walked up, her eyes glancing back to Big Mac, "Well, the girls were thinking about giving you some sort of a break today. We've decided to finish your share of work too so that maybe you can have some time to yourself to...think and such. You know, take a walk around and gather yourself. Maybe visit sugarcube corner and have yourself some delicious cupcakes or something." Applejack smiled at her friend, "Thank you guys so much but it's alright. Ah'll be fine. Tell the girls that I'll be back to work any minute now. Ah just wanted to come by and see how Big Mac was doing was all..."

"Come on Applejack." Rainbow Dash said, walking up to her friend and placing a hoof on the yellow mare's shoulder, "Big Mac...would want you to do this." Applejack thought for a second and managed to make a little smile, "Well...Alright..." She wiped her eyes again and headed to the door, "Tell that girls that ah said thanks..." Rainbow watched her friend leave before sighing and pulling up a stool next to Big Mac's bed.

"Your sister really is something..." Rainbow Dash laughed sadly, "She's trying to take responsibility of what happened all herself. And...that's just wrong..." The blue pegasus sighed, looking into the closed eyes of the stallion. Memories danced around in her head as she thought back on her first meeting with Big Mac.

Rainbow Dash sped through the trees, her wings beating fast as she cut through the air like a razor sharp knife. Her eyes were on fire with anger, and her teeth were clenched as she weaved through the trees expertly. It was about noon with Celestia raising the sun to the very top of the sky. It was a very beautiful day, but the naive young pegasus couldn't have noticed it at that moment.

"Stupid parents...." She growled, "I hate them I hate them I HATE THEM!" A few hours before she was in the state she was in she had told her parents of her big dream of joining the wonderbolts, the greatest flyers in all of Equestria. They simply just gave her a funny look and laughed, saying how her life would stay with controlling the weather and nothing more. The young filly just shook with anger and shot out of the house, cursing her parents for just dismissing her dream like it was nothing.

Her anger was clouding her flying concentration, and before she knew it her left wing smacked into a bush. She cried out in pain as her wing retracted on reaction, her flying getting out of control. She spun in a few awkward circles before hitting the ground, bouncing a few times before finally slowing down to a slide on her face.

"I'm...so glad...the wonderbolts...would never see this..." She groaned, standing up and shaking out the pain. Her voice was squeeky even when she tried to sound as masculine as she could. She cracked her neck, feeling a satisfying pop as she stretched out her wings, "Nothings too badly hurt..." She said to herself, "Well, I might as well keep flying away as far as I can from them." Before she could even start, she heard an odd noise. Blinking, she looked around in the trees, hearing nothing but the occasionally chirping and the sound of the breeze through the leaves. Shrugging, her wings spread out as she began to fly.

The strange sound reached her ears again and she stopped, pulling her wings back into her body as she scanned the area. She was a very curious pony, and she couldn't help but seek out the source of the noise. She heard the sound again and began creeping, poking her head out of a bush to see what was causing it.

The sound was being caused by the ripping of earth and a grunt of a pony that she could tell was a few years older than what she was. The pony was a deep red color with dirty blonde hair and what appeared to be a yoke around his neck. The yoke was connecting to a large plow behind him, and even Rainbow Dash was impressed that he was actually managing to drag that through the tough ground. He was skinny and slightly taller than her but she could see his muscles tightening and quiver with every step he took with that plow.

"What are you doing?...." Rainbow Dash asked before realizing that she had spoken outloud. The colt gave her a glance as he continued to pull the plow, his teeth clenching with effort, "Workin'." He said, his legs pushing down at the ground as the plow moved inch by inch. The pegasus emerged from the bush, a bit surprised that he didn't question why she was there.

"I can see that..." She said in her ever so confident voice, "But why? It looks a bit heavy for you." The colt glanced over at her again before going back to his pulling, sweat coursing down his body.

"It's my job." He grunted, the metal blade tearing through the earth behind him. Rainbow Dash grew annoyed at his simple answers, stomping her hooves onto the ground with frustration.

"Why is it your job?" She asked, walking closer to him, "You're way too small to even try to pull that thing! Besides, wouldn't you rather be hanging out with some pony friends? I can think of a hundred different things that I would rather be doing than pulling some weird contraption through dirt!" The colt stopped in his tracks, panting loudly as the plow ceased to halt. He looked at her, his eyes giving her a strange lazy look.

"It's for my family." He said, chewing a sprig of wheat in his mouth. Rainbow Dash blinked and glared, anger filling her heart once again.

"Why?..." She growled, "You're family is probably trying to control your life! Is this what you really want to do?! Pull something three times your size through dirt for the rest of your life?!" The incident with her parents was flaring up in her mind and she growled, "I bet your parents are just having you do this so that they can just sit around and have a good long break! They don't want you to go out and discover yourself! They probably just want you to do boring work like this all day so that they don't have to! There are so many other things you can be doing than this! Don't you have a dream? Don't you have something you've always wanted to do?! Why are you doing something so demanding when you could be out there making something of yourself! Why? Why?!" The red colt sat down, his eyes not leaving her as he listened to her rant. With a sigh, he spat out the wheat and stood up.

"My parents..." he said as he began pulling onto the plow, "They're dead." Rainbow Dash blinked, her anger ceasing and her words stopping right away. He grunted, his muscles trembling as he continued to pull the plow.

"My family..." he breathed, "Needs me. All ah have left is my sis and my granny. My sis is too young to help with the hard work and granny is too old. Ah've got to keep working....so that my sis...can chase her dreams...." The colt pulled and pulled, the pegasus doing nothing but watching him with wide eyes.

"But..." Rainbow Dash blinked, standing up and following him as he pulled the heavy plow, "What...what about your dreams? Isn't...isn't there something that you've always wanted to do?..." The colt gave a heart warming smile, his eyes staring before him as he dragged over the earth.

"Ah want to help my family. My dream....is to see my sis grow up...and live the life that she would always want" he said, grinning wide, "And ah want to see...this farm live on like my ma and pa wanted..." He lost his footing and he fell onto the dirt, panting loudly as he lifted his head, determination burning through his eyes.

He felt a push on his side and he stood up, looking over and seeing the blue pegasus standing next to him with eyes that were a strange mixture of sadness, happiness, regret, and appreciation.

"I thought I was the coolest pony..." She chuckled lightly, "But....I guess you can take that title for today." She spread her wings and jumped over to the plow, placing her front hooves on the back, "I also can't leave a fellow pony in need! So let's do this!" He stared at her with wide eyes before giving her the biggest grin she had ever seen, "Eeyup!"

The plowing had taken a few big hours out of the day, and the sun was starting beginning to set when they had finished. As soon as the last inch of dirt was finished, they found themselves lying on their backs, sweat drenching their coats as they smiled in victory, the work finally being done. Rainbow Dash found that she had a hard time walking at the end of it, and she couldn't imagine what the colt was feeling at this moment.

"So..." She panted, looking over at the fellow pony she had helped, "Is that it for today?..." The red pony grinned, chewing on the end of a small thing of wheat, "Eeyup. For today." He chuckled lightly, staring up at the clouds that the pegasi above were beginning to work on . Rainbow did as well, but thoughts were clouding up her brain.

"I was thinking about what you said to me back there..." She said with a frown, "I...recently told my parents of my dream to join the wonderbolts. They...completely shot me down...Like they couldn't believe that I would ever become one. It...really hurt." She said, wondering why the hell she was talking to somepony that she had met only a few hours earlier that day.

The pony just stared up at the sky, chewing on the wheat in silence for a bit before he spoke, "Your parents love you. They were just thinkin' 'bout what they thought was best for you. It's not like they doubted you or nothing. Ah bet all these apples that when you get back home they'll be worried sick, and once you prove to them that you have the determination and the will, they will support your dream all the way."

"You...really mean that?..." Rainbow Dash asked quietly, glancing over at the red colt.

"Eeyup." He smiled, his green eyes making her feel happy and reassured. With that, she stood up and shoot out her exhaustion from her bones.

"Well, then I don't want to keep them waiting to apologize." She smiled, spreading her wings. She turned towards the colt, "Thanks a lot for the talking. I'll see you around, stud!" Her wings batted and she flew off into the sky, glancing back to the see the red pony waving and smiling at her as he disappeared into the distance.

When she had got back home, her parents had wrapped her up in a super tight hug. They had been worried sick, and they both apologized from the bottoms of their hearts to their beloved daughter. Rainbow forgave them, and she would forever thank the pony that had helped her through the day. She only wished that she had asked for his name.

"Now explain to me why we're going to your family reunion again?" Rainbow Dash asked her good friend Applejack.

"Come on, Rainbow! We'll have all kinds of delicious delights goin' around! And the rest of my family would really like to meet my friends!" The blue pegasus sighed in frustration and would rather soar through the air for her practice. She and Applejack had known each other ever since she had first stepped foot in Ponyville. Rainbow Dash had never met or heard anything about Applejack's family besides Granny Smith, Applebloom, and her brother that never really went into town because he was always back on the farm. As she took her first step into the farm an old memory from years ago popped into her mind. The memory of that red colt that she helped plow the fields with. It had been a while since she had last thought of him and she would always like to know how he was doing.

Applejack brought Rainbow to a huge picnic table where her family was all seated at. There was one blank empty seat, or maybe it was two together since there was quite a bit of space there.

"Ah'd like to introduce you to my family!" Applejack exclaimed, hooking a hoof around her friend, "There's Apple Fritter, Apple Bumpkin, Red Gala, Red Delicious...." The list went on and on, and Rainbow Dash had to give fake smiles to hide the immense boredom that was building up in her. Applejack kept listing them on and on before briefly pausing.

"Hey..." Applejack said, glancing around, "Where's Big Macintosh?! He's supposed ta be here right now!" The apple family all glanced around and shrugged, "You would think because of his size he would easily be noticed..." Applebloom said, eating a bit of a pie that was placed in front of her.

"Big Macintosh!" Applejack yelled looking around, "Ya here?!"

"Eeyup."

Rainbow Dash froze before jerking her head toward the direction of the voice. She was pretty certain she had heard that before, and it was from that colt all those years ago.

Trotting from the corner of the house came a massive stallion, a cutie mark of a green apple slice in half on his flank. His eyes were an emerald green and his mane was a soft looking darkish blonde. His tail was cropped, and he had a large wooden yoke fitted around his neck. He was holding a basket in his mouth and he set it down onto the table before taking a seat.

"No...no way..." Rainbow Dash blinked, staring at the red pony.

"And this is my brother Big Macintosh!" Applejack grinned, "He doesn't say much but he's a hard working pony!" Big Mac looked up at the blue pegasus with his usual lazy look. The family reunion began, but Rainbow Dash had a hard time not stealing glances at the massive stallion. This was the same skinny little colt she had met years before and she knew it. He had the same color, same eyes, same way of speaking...He was just bigger...and much more muscular.

When everybody had begun eating and drinking she caught him getting off from his seat and saw him making his way back to the barn. She soon followed after him, living her friend to deal with a few drunk ponies.

As she entered the barn behind him she noticed an old rusty plow that lay in the corner. No doubt it was that same plow she had pushed years ago, and she was still flabbergasted.

"Need somethin'?" Big Mac asked, emerging from the darkness and almost scaring the living daylights out of the blue pegasus.

"Um...." She stammered, her voice squeaking a little bit, "I'm...just taking a look around is all..." She laughed nervously, turning around. Why was she nervous?...She was always confident and strong. But meeting this pony again and seeing how strong and different he had become...she couldn't help but feel a tension in her chest.

"Wait." Big Mac said, making Rainbow dash freeze in her steps. The blue pegasus looked back to see the red stallion grin widely at her.

"It's been a while and I've never caught your name ever since you helped me plow the fields." Her eyes blinked and her cheeks grew a bit red, "Um...long time no see....Big Macintosh....I'm...Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow came back to her senses when a nurse opened the door to Big Mac's room, "Oh, I expected to see Applejack here. Are you watching him for her?" The blue pegasus blinked before getting up from the stool, "Well, uh...for a little bit. Now excuse me..." She chuckled lightly, heading for the door. She glanced back at the red stallion one more time before shutting the door behind her, holding back her tears.

This chapter I was a bit unsure of but I hope you enjoyed it. If there is a few errors that you notice or anything else like that, please tell me. I'll do what I can to improve the way I write.

Shyness

"Oh no...." Celestia gasped, rereading the note again and again. There was no way she could believe this....The brother of Applejack?...The holder of the element of honesty?...This couldn't be...The mighty princess was currently sitting on her glittering throne, her bright magnificent eyes showing concern and sadness. As she was going over the words another time, her sister, Princess Luna, made her way down the stairs. She was rubbing her tired eyes since Celestia had sent a guard to retrieve her.

"Sister....what is it? It's still the daytime..." The darker mare yawned, walking up to her sister. It was then she noticed the quivering hoof that held the written message.

"My treasured student...sent me a horrible message..." Celestia said quietly, biting her lip, "...about the brother of the element of honesty...."

Luna yawned and lifted an eyebrow, "Her name....was Applejack I believe. Wasn't her brother that giant red stallion? He seemed like a very hard working pony."

"Yes...And it seems like he's been terribly injured defending the six mares...And he's been sent into a coma...."

"Excuse me...." The yellow mare said in a quiet voice as she edged past some of the nurses walking the opposite way.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." She said, accidentally bumping into an older pony walking down the hallway.

"I beg your pardon..." She spoke, lowering her head after getting into the way of a doctor. It wasn't before long that she stood before a door that seemed much bigger in person than what she had thought. Biting her lip and adjusting her saddle bags, he entered into the room.

The scene...was the same it had been for a week now. The big red stallion lay in bed, his eyes closed as he was whisked away in a dreamlike state. One that he might never even wake up from. Fluttershy stared at his form, feeling her heart drop as though it had leaped from a cliff.

She felt a light tug on her mane and looked back to see Angel, her white bunny, pointing furiously at big mac. He was also grabbing her saddlebag, giving her impatient eyes.

"...You're right Angel..." She said, managing to make a sad smile, "I...I need to be here to support him. Not fill this room with depression." She walked up to his bed, digging into her saddle bags. She pulled out freshly cut flowers and set them into a vase on the nightstand next to the bed.

"There you go Big Mac." She chuckled lightly, plopping down onto a stool, "That should freshen up this room a bit. I know that you would appreciate it." Angel climbed up onto her shoulder, also staring at the big red stallion with a sad expression.

Applejack seemed to be doing better, but her mind was still in pieces. She was going to the farm more often now, and the fact that her best friends were there helping her really gave the mare a big boost. She was able to smile again. Laughing was still a big ways away, but it was one step at a time. Applebloom was still not talking to her though....and they couldn't hide Big Mac away from Granny Smith forever. Fluttershy sighed, humming lightly to herself.

"Big Mac..." She said quietly, "We're....we're all waiting for you." She said, tears welling up in her eyes again, "Why...why won't you just wake up?..." Big Mac entered her thoughts, and she would find herself digging up old memories that had been buried in her heart.

Lightning fired down from the sky, causing the sound of thunder to crash through the air. Many of the animals that heard this shuttered and cried, diving into their homes in hopes of waiting out the violent phenomenon. The rain was pouring like rocks, and the wind was as strong as a dragon's breath. Branches of the mighty trees were being ripped off, birds being launched off into the cold air.

The pegasi had unintentionally created the horrible storm. What was supposed to be a simple rainstorm turned into a monster of nature. Hail was starting to smash down onto the earth, and the ponies could only watch in horror as their homes were being pounded by the ice blocks that were slowly but surely growing in size. Their only hope was for the pegasi to hurry and calm the horrible clouds.

All the ponies were safe in the homes....except for one. Fluttershy.

The mare was so frightened that she couldn't even scream anymore, the thunder echoing right down to her bones. At this moment she was hiding with the whole of a large tree that began to creak and teeter, the branches being ripped off like limbs in a massacre. The lightning flashed, the mare's eyes growing wide as she drifted in and out of shock. The rain and the hail was putting too much pressure on the tree which was her only shelter. It would be only a matter of time until it blew away.

Fluttershy had taken shelter in the tree instead of a house because of a small family of rabbits that were living in it. The tree was old and dead, and she knew that it would never last in a horrible storm like this one. She thought that she could be strong for them, and that she could protect them. But here she was, just as scared as they were. They whimpered and trembled beneath her body, their little hearts beating faster than ever. They were terrified...so very terrified.

"Come on...Fluttershy..." The yellow pony whispered to herself, her eyes staring blankly out the hole in the tree, "You have to stay strong....You have to stay strong...You have to- There was a flash of lightning, and she felt the tree jerk and convulse. She saw a strange light above her, and an instant later she realized that the tree had started on fire, making it fall apart much faster.

"No...." She whimpered, "Oh nononononono...." The bunnies all cried out and she huddled over them even closer, the flames getting closer and closer to her body. She would do what she could to protect them...even give her own life.

As she felt the heat closing in on her, she heard the strange sound of...Galloping? And before she knew it, she heard a large crack. The tree around her was pulled completely from the ground and even snapping it in half, the wind pulling it. Fluttershy screamed, tensing her body up as she was ready to feel the punching of the hail and the stabbing of the rain.

But it didn't come.

The yellow mare glanced up to see a big red figure standing in the way, shielding her from the drops from the sky. The pony was gritting his teeth in pain, yet his green eyes showed relief as he glanced at Fluttershy, managing to flash a smile.

"Big...Mac?...." The yellow pony blinked, watching the large stallion take all the impact, "What...what are you doing?!"

"...Just....Stay!" The stallion growled, a large ball of hail smashing into his head. Even through his red fur she could spot the blood that began to trickle.

In a time that seemed like hours, Fluttershy stared up at the form of Big Mac, his large body taking the hits from the painful storm. Eventually, the pegasi managed to pull away the clouds, ending the storm once and for all. The sunlight broke through, filling ponyville with light once again. It appeared that Big Mac had reached his limit, his body collapsing onto the grass in exhaustion and pain.

"Macintosh!" Fluttershy cried out, running over to his side, "Oh no..." He had welts and bruises all over his back along with some cuts and scrapes. She dove to his side, the massive stallion breathing heavily and biting his lip because of the pain.

"Don't worry Mac...." She cried, tears welling up in her eyes, "I'll....I'll go get help!"

Fluttershy was also admitted to the hospital for a checkup after the incident, and as soon as she was done she had charged through the hallways. Desperately searching for Big Mac's room, she forgot her shyness for a moment as she asked where it was. Thankfully the hallways weren't very crowded and she was able to find it quickly.

When she entered the room, the three other apple family members were there. Fluttershy was worried that something horrible could have happened, but relief filled her heart when she saw the smiling faces of the three ponies.

"There you are, Fluttershy." Applejack chuckled, "Big Mac right here was worried that you might've been hurt. This boy's heart is bigger than him. Too bad his brain can't fit his skull." Big Mac himself was lying on his belly on the bed, his back covered in bandages. He had a few on his head, and his stupid grin managed to form a smile on Fluttershy's face.

"Well, we've got to head back and check on the farm. Be sure Big Mac gets his rest. He's gonna have to fit the fields pretty soon!" Fluttershy watched as they left and turned to look at the red stallion.

She had to admit...he did look pretty ridiculous. The yellow mare sighed and seated herself at his side, her eyes staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry...." She whimpered, "If it wasn't for me being stupid....you would have never gotten hurt." Big Mac just gave a little chuckle and smiled.

"If it wasn't for you, the rabbits would've all been in a big ole' pinch." The red pony looked up at her, "You're a brave mare, Fluttershy. Not everybody could do what you did out there...saving those rabbits was a real strong thing to do."

Fluttershy grew a bit red and began to stutter, "B-B-But...y-you're the one t-that's brave...." Macintosh gave her a smile.

"Fluttershy, you're a great pony. Don't let anypony tell you different." He adjusted a little bit on the bed and winced. They sat in a moment of silence for a while until she spoke up once more.

"Just...curious...you don't have to answer if you don't want to but...I thought you would be at the farm instead of in Ponyville."

"You weren't the only one who was worried about them bunnies."

Fluttershy opened, her eyes, and the form of the smiling red stallion was replaced by the broken body of the hard working pony. Her lips quivered, her tears once again falling onto the bed sheets. She wasn't strong. She wasn't brave. She couldn't do half the things Big Mac could. Big Mac was a pony who cared about others and was willing to give up anything for his friends. All right now, all she could do was cry for him.

Not the best chapter by a longshot...I was sick when I wrote this so it's probably really sketchy. It's a bit short, but I promise I'll make it up to you guys in the next chapter.

Magical Moments

Twilight Sparkle yawned loudly, dark bags hanging heavily under her eyes. As each night came and went, she had a harder time getting to sleep. Not only was she working with the other mares around the farm to help Applejack, but she was also reading very late at night. Medical books were sprawled all over the library floor, and she would always leave it to Spike to reorganize and clean everything back up. She was grateful for that. But every book she read, every page she dove through, every word she absorbed...None of it would be able to help Big Mac. None of them.

She wasn't giving up hope, though. It had been a month since he had been in his coma, and his body was healing up even though he wasn't conscious through it. A few of the bandages had been taken off, and his red fur was starting to be visible again. However, his eyes were still closed and there would be fresh new scars if he woke up. WHEN he woke up.

She lightly tread through the hospital, her books in her saddle bags. Today was her day off, and everyone expected her to get some extra sleep in. But there was no time for her to sleep. It was almost like she was punishing herself for putting Big Mac through that horrible situation. Each of the six mares blamed themselves horribly for it...Especially Applejack.

The orange mare herself was coping different with the situation as time went on. Sometimes she acted like Big Mac was away on business, laughing and smiling to convince herself. Other times she was depressed and crying, her work slowing down immensely. She was looking worse everyday, but her friends would always be there for her.

Applebloom was still not speaking to any of them. She went around with the cutie mark crusaders like usual, but she wasn't her normal self. She was more serious, and she would get angry at random times. She visited Macintosh everyday before school and after school. Twilight had noted to visit the big red stallion during school hours.

She pushed the door open to his room, walking in silently. His eyes were closed, his chest moving with his weak breaths. She cracked open a window, letting the fresh air enter the cold room. She then seated herself at a stool, taking a few books out of her saddle bag and opening them up.

"What would you like to hear today, Big Mac?" She asked with a light smile, " Harry Pony and the Sorcerer's Stone? Or another Daring Do book? I was thinking of reading the next Daring Do for you." She was answered with silence and opened up the Daring Do book, her mind traveling somewhere else as she read with quivering lips.

It was like any other day in Ponyville. The sun was shining, and the birds were chirping. And Twilight was having another one of her weird fits.

"Oh no..." She shrieked, going through book piles like crazy, "Where is it?! Where?! Where?!" She cried out, diving into another pile of books, kicking them all away as she screamed and yelled, waking up a very cranky and very upset purple dragon.

"Twilight...." Spike yawned, peering his head over at the bottom of the steps, "What's wrong now?...Celestia already said that it was okay to not send her a weekly report....was the deal now?...."

"What's the deal?...." Twilight twitched, popping her head out of the pile, "What's the DEAL!?" In a bright flash and a puff she disappeared and reappeared next to the dragon, making him shriek and hide in his basket.

"First of all...." Twilight twitched again, her hair looking like a complete mess, "All the books were disorganized, there were pages that were stained with ketchup and mustard, more than half of them need repair and I CAN'T FIND MISS SMARTY PANTS!" She screamed, teleporting again. This time she was right on top of Spike, her eyes twitching again, "Have....have you seen her?...." Spike cowered into his blankets and pillows whimpering.

"No?..." He said, afraid to see her reaction.

"I....I thought so...hahah...ha..." Twilight walked sadly down the stairs before sitting down at a table, a huge stack of books right next to her. Spike had to gather his courage and peer down at her to see how his friend was doing.

"A brief history of Manehattan..." She grumbled, "Pages 18, 24, 54, and 78 have mayonnaise stains on them....this needs REPAIR!" She tossed it into a huge pile filled with books that Spike could only guess were ones that he had accidentally spilled food on.

"Um...Twilight..."

"Not now Spike..." The purple unicorn snapped, picking up another book, "Chewbacca's Wookie Cookie Cookin'..."

"Hey! That's my favorite!"

"SHUTTUP!" Twilight yelled, throwing the book at the purple dragon, "I'm busy!" She was so agitated that she didn't even hear the door open behind her, a weirded out red stallion stepping softly onto the wooden floor of the library.

"Gallop With the Wind..." Twilight sighed, holding up another book as she went through it, her horn glowing as the pages flipped by quickly. "A classic...REPAIR!" She tossed that into the pile, still not noticing the large pony behind her who was clearing his throat.

"Um....Miss Sparkle?..."

"Hold on..." The purple unicorn grumbled, "I'm in the middle of checking damaged books...REPAIR!" Another book hit the pile and spike winced.

"I...have something to talk to you about Miss Sparkle."

"I'm busy!" She twitched, "REPAIR! REPAIR! REPAAAAIR!"

"Twilight...."

"I said I'm- She spun around, her eyes widening as she faced the largest stallion in ponyville: Big Macintosh. Applejack's brother was known as a soft spoken pony, and she never really had a conversation with him. The realization of him seeing her like this made her cheeks grow red, her eyes widening as she realized what she probably looked like at that moment. Her mane was all crooked and messy, her eyes were wild and huge. She probably looked like she needed a long hot shower and some sedatives.

"Miss Sparkle...." Big Mac cleared his throat, "Are...are you alright?" He looked over at the books and back at her, "And do you need any help?"

"Well...I...." Tears welled up in her eyes and she suddenly hugged him, shocking the red stallion, "Things are just piling up on me...it feels like I'm suffocating!" Big Mac gave out a small sigh smiled, rubbing her back with his hoof, "C'mon, Twilight. Let's get this all cleaned up."

Big Mac then went over to her repair pile, neatly stacking them up as she continued rummaging through the books, her mind a bit more clear. She was able to work faster, her magic under much more control as she was able to scan the books with haste. Big Mac wasn't slowing down on his part and kept up organizing the books by name. Twilight soon lost track of time, and when they had all finished the sun was beginning to set on the far horizon.

"We're....we're done...." She blinked, practically collapsing onto her table from relief, "We're done!" Macintosh was finishing up picking up books, all of them in neat stacks below the shelves. Twilight would be able to put every book in its place with her magic but at the moment she was completely spent. The red stallion smiled at her, plopping down on a seat right to the right of the purple mare.

"Looks like we're all finished up here." Big Mac didn't look the least bit tired and he chuckled lightly to himself, "AJ's gonna be a bit mad that I wasn't at the farm for very long today. But I'm glad I was able to help a fellow pony in need." Twilight nodded, her eyes slowly staring to close. Big Mac smiled at her and stood up, placing something soft next to her as Twilight began to fall asleep.

"Have a good night sleep, Miss Sparkle."

Twilight blinked her eyes open, the morning sun peering through her windows. She sat up and knocked something onto the floor. Something...Fuzzy? She glanced down and instantly squealed, her hooves picking up the thing that she had been longing for.

"MISS SMARTYPANTS!" She cried out, hugging her plushie tightly, "YOU'RE BACK!" She felt something odd and held it out, examining her childhood toy.

All the small tears and rips had been repaired, and her button eyes were sowed on expertly. She was clean as a whistle, and there wasn't even a speck of dirt to be seen on her. Twilight was baffled...Who could have done this?...Her mind then shifted to the day before when Big Mac had helped her.

"Big Mac..." She whispered, staring at the doll, "He did this...for me?...." She was staring at the plushie for what seemed like forever before a loud yawn woke her up from above.

"Twilight...." Spike yawned, rubbing his eyes as he glanced down at her, "What are you so happy about?...." The purple mare grinned sheepishly.

"Oh nothing..." She chuckled, her cheeks blushing a bit, "Nothing at all...."

The door to Big Mac's hospital room opened, and Twilight's tired eyes took a few seconds to focus on the familiar figure that walked in. She noticed the flowing beautiful mane and the brilliant white coat of Princess Celestia and immediately jumped off her stool, going right into a bow.

"P-Princess Celestia!" Twilight greeted, "I'm sorry that we could hold a special greeting for you! Its....its just its so surprising to see you come here out so suddenly!"

"My most faithful student..." Princess Celestia smiled, "You didn't think that I wouldn't visit a dear friend and brother of such important ponies, would you?" She noticed the bags beneath Twilight's eyes, biting her lip as she did so. All of the friends were probably taking it this hard as well. Big Macintosh...what did you mean to these ponies?

"Twilight..." Celestia spoke softly, "I would like you to gather the other five and tell them to meet me here. I would like to see all of them."

"Right away!" Twilight nodded and scampered off, leaving Celestia in the room. The powerful princess quietly shut the door and made her way to the red stallions side, her eyes showing her sadness and deep concern for his well-being. She took a seat, watching him breathe weakly. Even if he woke up there would be a definite change in him. There was no way to recover completely from something like this...He would need a miracle. They would need a miracle.

Princess Celestia was the most powerful being in Equestria. Her magic could demolish her enemies, topple evil castles, and cleanse the lands of darkness and malice. But no matter how hard she could try, no matter how strong her determination was...she couldn't bring back Big Mac. She could heal his wounds, sure...But she couldn't heal his heart and mind.

It wasn't long before the six had entered, and Princess Celestia was startled by what she saw. Aside from Twilight's condition, they all looked horrible. Each of them had bags under their eyes and she could feel the sadness in their hearts. Applejack was the worst of them all. Each of them went into a bow, and Celestia had to force a sad smile.

"My little ponies...." She started, "I'm sorry I couldn't come sooner. As soon as I heard, I did what I could to come here."

"Princess...is there no way to help him?..." Applejack asked, her eyes bloodshot and teary.

"I'll do all I can...But there is nothing I can guarantee." Celestia said quietly, looking back to the crimson pony, "If there is something I know, its that he's strong. And he needs you all to be strong for him." She looked back to the mares and gave another sad smile.

"He needs all of you. He may be asleep, but that doesn't mean that he should be alone. I know that he is dear to each and every one of you, and that means that he's very dear to me too." Celestia looked back at Big Mac, "There is always hope. And let's keep that hope alive."

Being a Brother

For now, the six mares had to wait impatiently outside of Big Mac's room. Since Princess Celestia arrived, she forbid them from going into his room for reasons unknown. Perhaps she was working some strange kind of healing magic that could be interrupted if they all were in there, or maybe there would be a strange interference problem. Whatever it was, it was torture to each and every one of them.

Especially Applejack.

The stetson wearing pony sat in the corner, her eyes staring bullets into her hoofs as she twiddled them in front of her. She was the only one sitting on the floor, refusing to take a seat as she sat with her back to the corner. She didn't help the awkward silence that was filling that end of the hospital hallway, each of them other ponies having been lost in their own thoughts. The curiosity of whatever was happening in that room was slowly killing them.

"Hey..." Twilight spoke softly. She had the attention of the whole group, but their eyes will still elsewhere...either on the floor, ceiling, or their own hooves.

Twilight cleared her throat, "Hey..." She said again, "Remember...Remember that one time...when Big Mac had accidentally walked through poison joke?..." There might have been a small cough, and the mood seemed to only keep dropping.

"Yeah..." Pinkie Pie said, her eyes slowly raising from the floor, "...And the next day he woke up with a voice as high pitched as mine...." She giggled very lightly.

"Heheh..." Rainbow grinned, "Yeah...and he also couldn't stop himself from talking...."

"...So he told every secret that he was trying to keep...." Rarity snickered, "Every...little...one..."

"Even the one about him aspiring to be a best selling romance novelist...." Fluttershy said, her smile widening, "And it turns out that he was one!"

"My favorite was that he tried ballet dancing back when he was a young colt...." Twilight smirked, "Kept it a secret from everybody..."

"How about the one when he accidentally ate hallucination mushrooms..." Pinkie Pie began to laugh, her deflated mane actually starting to puff up a little, "He thought Applebloom was a ravenous manticore out for his blood!"

"He also thought that spike was a giant ice cream bar..." Rainbow smiled widely, chuckles spreading around the hallway, "And he swore that Rarity was a big old hairy gorilla!"

"Hey!" Rarity snapped, "That was NOT FUNNY! He chased me around throwing bananas at me the whole day!Not to mention being called something so....hairy and disgusting!"

"It's better than him thinking you were a mystical wizard with the powers to make him into a giant cheese wheel...." Fluttershy shuttered, "He tried building a shrine outside of my house for me...."

Everypony in the room laughed, aside from Applejack. Yet her brown hat blocked the view of her ever growing smile. They each started sharing funny, even embarrassing stories that had related to Big Mac. And before they knew it, they were roaring from laughter, practically rolling on their backs as they remembered the good times with the large red stallion.

After a few more minutes of giggles, the six friends were staring up at the ceiling. Their thoughts were back on the strong stallion who had protected them, his mangled body once again being a fresh image in their minds.

"...You know...." Twilight said quietly, "He was always such a big goof. A hard worker, but a big goof ball."

"No kidding..." Rainbow Dash sighed, "He really knew how to make us smile...or feel bad about something that we've done."

"Always there to back us up when we needed it..." Pinkie Pie added.

"However, he needed some new threads badly..." Rarity snorted, "That old beaten up yoke of his would look fantastic with ribbons."

"I...don't think its that bad...." Fluttershy said quietly, "He really treasured that thing..."

"He did." Applejack's voice cut through the air, but not in a menacing way. Her tone sounded hurt. The other five friends turned their gaze to the stetson-wearing orange mare who was now sitting up with her back against the wall once again.

"Applejack...." Twilight sat up as well, "Its...Well, I was never here when you guys were fillies. So I was just curious...about what Big Mac was like when you were younger." The other friends sat up, looking at Applejack. It seems like they never really knew the past of the powerful stallion.

Applejack bit her lip, but she finally looked up at them, "Big Macintosh...was everything he was before the accident. A goof, a hard worker...." She looked down at the floor again, "And the best brother I could ever ask for..."

"Applejack...please come out...."

"No!"

"Come on...please..."

"Not...Not until ma or pa comes back!"

"Applejack....you know that-

"SHUTTUP! They're coming back! I know they are!" Granny smith left it at that, sighing in defeat at the door of the young filly Applejack. She could understand her grandaughter's situation very well. There was a huge loss in her heart as well, but Applejack was too young to cope with it. The loss of both your parents at a young age was a major life-changing event. There weren't many who would be able to continue on their lives without the two major figures in their youth.

Granny Smith was in no way a bad replacement. In fact, she was a perfect pony to look up to. Sure she seemed to be a bit weird in the head sometimes but she always knew what was best. However, the young filly just didn't see it that way. Her ma and pa were long gone, and there was nothing she could do about it other then cry.

Big Macintosh, on the other hand, was taking things almost too well. The growing colt was almost the size of his pa now, and she knew he would continue to keep on growing. He was a strong pony, and as soon as his parents were gone he practically took over all of the work since Granny Smith was too old. Applebloom was still in diapers, and Applejack was going rebellious.

Granny Smith made her way down the stairs, her head hanging down sadly. Things weren't going to be the same...she wasn't even sure that her beloved granddaughter would even smile again. She caught something crimson in the window and bit her lip, seeing her grandson plow the large field. The poor pony had done almost half of the huge field, and there was still more to come. Worst part was that it looked like they were in for a heavy storm, the trees rustling as grey clouds approached from the west.

This was the same kind of day that Applejack's parents passed away on.

Granny Smith had a horrible feeling that something bad was going to happen. Ignoring the creaking of her old bones, she sprinted up the stairs to Applejack's room.

"AJ! Are you there?!" She called, "Applejack!" There was no answer. Gritting her teeth, Granny spun around, giving the door a powerful bucking with her old two legs. The door broke open. There was no orange mare in sight. Just an open window.

"Oh no..." Granny Smith cried out, running up to look outside. Her granddaughter was nowhere in sight, and panic began to flood into her heart. She saw Big Mac making his way to the barn, dragging the old large plow along with him.

"Macintosh!" She yelled out, thunder echoing out in the distance, "AJ...She's gone!" Mac's eyes instantly met his grandmother's, yet he still kept the same calm expression. He pulled off his signature yoke and broke off into a gallop. He knew precisely where his sister would be.

Applejack was definitely not thinking things through. The rain was coming down hard, the wind cutting into her body like knives. She was cold, wet, and crying. She had twisted one of her ankles when she was sprinting through Sweet Apple Acres, and now she was in a strange sort of limp as she tried to hurry as fast as she could. When she hit a particular muddy section of the path, her front hooves got stock and set her sprawling onto her face into the filth.

Gritting her teeth, Applejack managed to stand up, the pain almost unbearable coming from her leg. The rain was already starting to wash away the mud on her coat, and soon she had just about reached her destination.

She limped past the tombstones, each of them her eyes searching for the ones that held the names of her parents. The rain was making it hard to see, and Applejack soon began to wonder if she was in the right cemetery.

After what seemed like hours, her eyes had finally proved her tree. She spotted the two freshly dug graves underneath a single beautiful white tombstone. It had been carved by the best sculptor in Canterlot, and the names were as plain as day. Applejack stumbled over, sitting on her flank as the rain continued to pour down on her relentlessly.

"Ma....Pa...." Tears filled her eyes, the filly's lip quivered, "I'm here..." The only answer she received was from the thunder in the clouds above. The rain was so loud that she could barely hear the familiar voice call her name.

"Applejack!" Big Mac called out, walking up behind her. Applejack spun around, her eyes red with sadness and rage.

"Get away from me!" She screamed, "I don't need you! Ma and Pa are right here! I'm never gonna let them leave me ever again!" Big Macintosh stared at her with his same stone-faced expression, and her anger only seemed to get hotter and hotter.

"What's wrong with you?!" The orange mare cried out, "You almost never talk! I hardly hear you laugh or complain! You're just a mindless stupid pony that goes around the farm doing whatever anyone tells you to do!" She was back on her hooves now, screaming out at her big brother.

"You...YOU WEREN'T EVEN AT THE FUNERAL!" Applejack sobbed, "I DIDN'T EVEN SEE YOU CRY! YOU'RE A HEARTLESS, SELFISH PONY THAT CAN'T EVEN THINK FOR HIMSELF! YOU-

"Enough." Macintosh said, and for the first time she heard a bit of an angry tone coming from his voice.

"What?!" She growled, "Can't take the insults because you know they're true?!"

"Ma and Pa are watching." Big Mac said, "Can't you tell that they're crying?" Applejack blinked, turning back to look at the tombstone. The rain water was giving off an image of sadness, and Applejack just couldn't handle that. She collapsed back onto her flank, her loud sobs being even louder than the thunder and the rain. Big Mac sat down by his sister and she leaned on him, her face buried his chest as she cried. He smiled sadly, hooking his fore-hoof around her.

"AJ..." He said, "Don't forget. They are always watching us and they will always be with us. They may be gone, but they will never be gone from our hearts." Applejack glanced up at her brother, and although it was raining, she thought she could see tears coming down from his cheeks.

They sat in silence, their eyes upon the tombstone before them. When the rain lightened up and finally disappeared, Macintosh pulled his sister onto his back, bringing her back to the house.

"It was raining then too, huh?" Fluttershy asked, recalling the time when Big Mac saved her during a thunderstorm.

"Big Macintosh is a pony like no other..." Twilight smiled, "You're very lucky to have him as your brother, Applejack."

"Thanks, Twilight." Applejack said with a sad smirk, "I guess I sort of had a BBBFF of my own." Each of the six friends laughed lightly to themselves.

Big Mac's door shot open, and they all jumped up onto their feet in surprise. Celestia stood at the doorway, and she looked exhausted. Her coat was ruffled up, sweat coming from her brow. She was panting when they saw her, and she gave them a little smile.

"I managed to heal all of his wounds..." Celestia spoke, "But no matter how hard I tried...I couldn't wake him. I'm sorry, Applejack." The orange mare nodded slowly, and Celestia moved out of the way as the stetson wearing pony rushed into her brother's hospital room.

All of his wounds were gone, but they had been replaced with scars that littered his body. His breathing was much better, and his heartbeat was strong and normal. Applejack gave out a cry of relief, laying her head on the bed with a light sob.

"Thank you so much, Celestia...." Twilight smiled, the other ponies making their way into the room, "Big Mac maybe have not woken up, but you gave us the next best thing." The tall, beautiful white pony looked back at where the red stallion slept. No matter how much better the situation looked, she couldn't erase the worry that was tugging at her heart.

Let's Have a Party

Six months. It had been six months since Big Macintosh had opened his eyes to greet the new day. Six months since he had looked to see the beautiful sun rising from the horizon. And it had been six months since he had saved the elements of harmony. Big Mac had shown no signs of him waking up, no signs of him returning to the world that he knew and loved. He was trapped inside his dream world.

Ponyville had been running like always. Summer had gone and winter had arrived, with winter wrap up not being too far away from that day. Snow had piled up outside of the hospital windows, and the ponies were clad in boots and scarfs. Normally, Big Mac would be piling wood into the stove to warm his house as his sister went to be with her friends. He would sit down with a good book and wait for the day to come when the plow needed him again.

This would be the first winter wrap up of his life that he would never attend.

Applejack had been with her friends almost every single day. She needed them to keep her going, to keep her from breaking down. She had gotten better, and she was now beginning to smile a little more. Even Applebloom was starting to talk to her again...the little filly was slowly starting to forgive her sister. Slowly...but surely.

The six ponies were gathered around Twilight's library, the snow coming down gently outside of the massive tree-structure. It was warm and soothing...just what they all needed.

"You know...." Applejack said quietly, looking out at the snow, "Winter Wrap up is near..."

"I know. I've got it all organized." Twilight spoke, taking a sip of some hot chocolate, "We don't have to worry about a big old mess again! We'll make it on time."

"But..." Fluttershy said quietly, "We'll be missing one earth pony..." They all went quiet. Each of them was thinking the same thing.

"Don't worry." Rainbow said, forcing a smile on her face, "It should be even better than last year. And when Mac gets up, that year will go by even better!" Her optimism was short lived. The six months had not passed by quickly, and their hope was already beginning to diminish.

"C'mon, everypony." Pinkie said, standing up from the table, "Don't give up on it yet! I'm sure he'll be up soon! I'm sure!"

"Yeah...is your Pinkie sense telling you that?" Rarity asked, "Is there even a sense for that sort of thing?"

"Rarity..." Twilight rolled her eyes, "Don't be like that." There was a awkward silence that followed soon after. Any talk of Big Mac resulted in sad moments of silence...at times they may have gotten angry. It was a touchy subject...but they had a hard time not talking about him.

Pinkie took a sip of her drink and walked up to the window, glancing out at the snow outside. "Hey....Remember that time when....."

Pinkie was prancing through the street, her saddlebags filled with candy, confetti, party hats, balloons, silly string, and other party materials that come to mind. She had realized that earlier that day she was low on party supplies, and that just wouldn't do! She had to be ready for any party occasion that could happen! She kept track of all the birthdays of all the ponies in Ponyville, and any special events that could pop up. She had to be ready!

On her way back to Sugarcube corner, she greeted just about everypony she saw. Well, she knew everybody and liked everybody, so how could she not? There was just some ponies that didn't understand Pinkie Pie, but she paid them no heed. She greeted them just like how she greeted others. As she pranced down the dirt street, she heard a familiar friendly voice in the street.

"...So have you been working on what I told you?...Okay, good...Big Mac's really gonna love this!" Pinkie recognized the voice of Applejack, and she smiled as she skipped over to the orange mare. Applejack was currently speaking with the local craftspony, and she seemed pretty energetic and happy about.

"Hey Applejack!" Pinkie exclaimed behind her friend, making the orange mare jump in surprise.

"Pinkie!" Applejack grinned, "Don't surprise me like that!"

"Sorry about that! Hey, what are you doing over here sounding so happy?"

"Well..." Applejack scratched the back of her head. She wasn't sure if she should really tell Pinkie Pie this...

"C'mon!" Pinkie was bounding up and down, "Tellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellmetellme-

"ALRIGHT!" Applejack exclaimed, "Today's Big Mac's birthday, and I had ordered a new plow to be made for him. His old one was all rickety and rusty."

"Oh, alright then." Pinkie smiled and turned away, "Tell him I hope he has a- WAIT WHAAAAAAT?!" Pinkie gasped spinning around towards Applejack, "IT'S BIG MAC'S BIRTHDAY?! AND I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW?!"

"Heh, I'm sorry Sugarcube..." Applejack smiled nervously, "But since you don't talk to him much, he really doesn't know." Pinkie stared at Applejack, gaping. How could she skip over a pony?! All the ponies were too important to miss! She would have to call a party immediately and-

"Pinkie." Applejack said firmly, "I know this sounds crazy, but I wouldn't throw a party for him." Pinkie blinked, opening her mouth again before Applejack shoved an apple in to silence her.

"Now..." Applejack cleared her throat, seeing the sad eyes of Pinkie Pie bore into her own, "Let me explain. Big Mac has a lot of work to do everyday until nightfall, and even when I try to get him to leave early he just gets all stubborn. If you can somehow convince him to have a party, that would be great." Applejack adjusted the hat on her head and smiled.

Pinkie spit out the apple and smiled widely, her eyes glimmering with determination, "Don't worry Applejack! I'll get right on that big oaf, so don't you worry!" The pink earth pony then took off for Sweet Apple Acres, kicking up a trail of dust as she dashed down the street.

"Sorry, Big Mac." Applejack chuckled, "But you're gonna have one fun day today."

A thunderous banging echoed throughout the apple orchard as a large group of the crimson fruit fell perfectly into the wooden buckets placed expertly underneath the tree.The big red stallion grunted in approval, looking over to see the amount that he had kicked down. All the apples had been taken from the tree, and it was a decent amount. Smiling in success, Big Macintosh slowly plodded over to one of the buckets to start piling them into the wagon. He had a few more rows of trees to go through before he could move on.

When he was loading up the last bucket, he noticed something strange. The basket was just slightly heavier than the others, and the apples were piled on a little higher. He placed it onto the back of the wagon to stare at it quizzically. What in the hay was-

The bucket suddenly exploded as apples were launched all around him, a pink earth pony's grinning face suddenly jamming itself into his nose. Big Mac was really freaking surprised, but he made no noise as he landed back on his haunches.

"Big Mac!" Pinkie gleamed, "I found you!"

The red stallion blinked a little before grinning, "Eeyup." He stood back up, walking around the wagon to pick the apples up one by one. And in the meantime, a strange noise was coming from Pinkie's mouth...like she was trying to speech like an auctioneer on a sugar overdose.

"So I saw Applejack today and I was like 'hi!' and she was like 'hi!' back and I noticed that she was at a store and she said she was looking for a birthday present for you and I had no idea that today was your birthday which was scary because I know the birthdays of every pony in ponyville so then I raced over here to ask you if you think you can take time off to have a party because its fun and-

"Nnope." Big Mac replied, placing the last apple into the bucket as he approached the front of the wagon. When he he had attached it to his yoke, he turned his head back forward-right back into Pinkie's face.

"Why not?!" Pinkie asked, her eyes wide with disbelief, "My parties are awesome! You get to meet every pony, talk to every pony, have fun with every pony, drink with every pony, eat with every pony-

"Nnope." Big Mac replied, chewing the sprig of wheat in his mouth lightly as Pinkie was lightly pushed aside so that he could move the wagon.

He felt four hooves land on his back, and Pinkie's eyes cast down onto his own.

"Why not?!" Pinkie asked, "We'll have such a great time!"

"Work." Big Mac replied, "I appreciate the thought Miss Pie, but by the time I'll be done I'll be too exhausted to move. Not all of us have the energy like you." He felt the hooves disappear on his back, and sighed in relief too soon. Before he knew it, Pinkie had suddenly found a straw workers hat and had it on her head and was trotting up next to him.

"Then let's get to work, sonny!" She saw, replicating Applejack's accent. Big Mac stared at her before grinning, "If you say so."

Back when Pinkie helped out with her rock farm, she had great experience with hard work. Moving and lifting heavy rocks each day was a great burden, and she was almost sore every hour of each day. That hadn't been fun at all, and she had detested everyday she spent working. However, after discovering parties, she was happy and had left all those hard days of work behind her. Besides, who could possibly find hard work fun?

Big Macintosh did.

As the sun beat on their backs, the red stallion looked like he was having the time of his life. With a powerful kick from his hooves, apples fell like raindrops into their buckets. While he sweat and strained, he had a huge smile as he pulled the plow across the fields. He chuckled as he pulled the wagon.

Pinkie would've been asking him all sorts of questions if she wasn't so exhausted. The pink wild card had officially met her match at Sweet Apple Acres, and she had panted with every passing minute. The soreness was double that of what she had experienced at the rock farm, and she couldn't find any sort of possible way why Big Macintosh was enjoying what he was doing.

"Big...Mac..." Pinkie groaned, flopping down onto her face as her buckets of apples spilled around her. Big Mac glanced back, his smile unfaltering.

"Just a bit more, Miss Pie." He replied, helping her up by pushing up at her side with his muzzle, "You're doing good so far." She tried to laugh, but ending up coughing lightly instead. The large form of Big Mac gracefully made its way over to the wagon, loading up the buckets of apples.

And then it finally happened. A few hours later, while the sun was setting, hundreds of the apple trees had successfully been apple bucked. There was no sign of the red orbs on them, and Big Mac was completely ready to call it in. He dragged the wagon into the barn and unhitched it from his yoke, gently trotting to find Pinkie who he had left outside the farm.

"Miss Pie?" He asked, "It's all over." When he saw her, he couldn't hold back a smile. The pink earth pony was lying on her back, snoozing loudly while her back legs twitched a little. He shook his head, spitting out the sprig of wheat. He approached her, and with a swift movement of his head she landed softly on his back, snoring still.

"APPLES!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, waking up suddenly as she screamed at the top of her lungs, "SO MANY APPLES! Oh hey, I'm in my bed!" At first, the pink pony didn't question anything. The morning sun was glowing through her window and she appreciated the warmth it was giving her. It was a few seconds later when she remembered what had happened.

"Oh no!" She gasped, "The party!" She darted out of her room, racing down the steps to leave Sugar Cube Corner. Was his birthday already over?! She couldn't be too late! She couldn't!" With a shriek, she opened the door to the outside world.

"Mornin' Miss Pie." Big Mac greeted, a bit baffled by her sudden appearance, "I was just going to ask if you were awake yet." Pinkie blinked, her eyes huge as she stared at Big Mac.

"No...No way..." She said quietly, her hair starting to deflate, "I...missed your birthday..." Tears began to form in her eyes, but Big mac laid a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"No you didn't, Miss Pie." He grinned, "I had a blast yesterday. When you helped me out, I got work done early so I could spend time with my family. You gave me the birthday present I wanted most, Pinkie." The earth pony blinked, her hair starting to go back to its trademark appearance.

"Pinkie, " He began, "Sometimes, what a pony needs for their birthday isn't a party. It's knowing that they have friends and family that try their best to brighten up the day." Pinkie grabbed him into one of her infamous Pinkie death hugs, smiling into his neck.

Big Mac chuckled lightly, "Now come on. Isn't it Spike's birthday today?"

"We gave him a pretty big party after that though." Applejack chuckled.

"Of course! I needed to give him some sort of party!" Pinkie exclaimed, looking over at her friends with her wide smirk, "And when he wakes up, it will be the party to remember." The room fell silent again.

"Yeah..." Applejack said quietly, a sad smile forming onto her lips, "And when he wakes up, he's going to have so many chores afterwards..." They all laughed quietly, the air in the room brightening up a little more. Big Macintosh was gong to be in for quite a time when he wakes up. If he wakes up..