Pink Apple Seeds

Chapters

Chapter One: Pink Apple Seeds
Chapter Two: Splitting Seeds
Chapter Three: The Witchy Mare
Chapter Four: A Yoke and Sprig of Wheat
Chapter Five: Big Macintosh’s Decision
Chapter Six: Rows of Ivory
Chapter Seven: Monsters' Duel
Chapter Eight: Changing

Chapter One: Pink Apple Seeds

Author's Note

I wrote this back in the early seasons before the Pie Family Farm was shown to be a train ride away from Ponyville. Since there was no indication where it was back then I placed it a way out of Ponyville but still within walking distance. Think of it as being farther away than Sweet Apple Acres on the other side of town.

Chapter One: Pink Apple Seeds

Chapter One
Pink Apple Seeds

It was a usual gray overcast day on the Pie family rock farm as young Pinkamina pushed the rock, a pebble really, across the small practice field her parents had set up behind their home. Pinkamina stopped for a short break, sitting down in front of her little pile of stones with a quiet sigh and looked up at the sky.

The perpetual dull sky washed the farm in a gray light giving young Pinkamina’s world a dull haze of similarly muted colors. This didn’t bother Pinkamina as it would one of the townsponies, it had always been this way for as long as she could remember. Even her family shared similar earthy tones and colors that fit their gray-hued farm, except for her. Pinkamina was different from her family or at least she looked different which was the only difference she’d ever known.

“Ahh!” The loud groan of annoyance drew the pink filly’s attention to the brush that ran along all but one of the sides of the practice field. She looked east, north, west, her eyes shooting north again as a pony emerged from the brush. He was a tall colt, though a bit scrawny, at least twice as big as she was, with bright green eyes that shone with annoyance at the moment, and a messy orange mane and his cutie mark was a green apple sliced in half. However, what struck Pinkamina the most was the coloring of his coat, it was like her’s except darker in shade yet at the same time brighter and more vibrant.

Big Macintosh shook his mane wildly casting off several leafs and twigs that had become caught in it, no doubt the source of his annoyance. “Consarnit, dang-blasted...” Big Macintosh cursed to himself for a moment before realizing he wasn’t alone. He looked over to the young pink filly whom he had stumbled onto, and who stared back at him with curious eyes.

“Oh, mah apologies miss,” Big Macintosh said standing up straight and mustering up his politeness. Cursing in front of the young filly was something his parent would tan his hide for if they ever found out, so he did his best to make a better second impression. “Mah name’s Big Macintosh. You must be Pinkamina Pie. Mah Pa told me all about yer family, he told meh that the Pies had a little filly that was about mah sister, Applejacks, age, that must be y'all. Pa says yer family farms rocks, but ah dont see how anypony could farm rocks.”

Pinkamina was dazed by the colt’s talking, nopony in her family ever talked that much, they hardly talked at all. Everypony in her family knew what was expected of them and did it, her mother or father never had to tell them to do something more than once. Not really knowing what to say Pinkamina simply nodded to confirm that she who he thought she was and then returned to pushing the pebbles across the practice field.

Big Macintosh stood and watched the filly for a few moments, his head tilted curiously and Pinkamina realized that he probably didn’t understand what she was doing. She stopped and turned back to him, but was halted with uncertainty. She didn’t know how to explain something so simple, and it had never been explained to her, she’d learned to do it by watching her sisters.

Big Macintosh, however, seemed to understand perfectly. “Oh ah see, y'all rotate them pebbles back and forth,” He said with a nod. Though he still didn’t understand why the Pie family had a rock farm, he simply shrugged the question off and asked, “Can ah try?”

Pinkamina was glad the big colt understood what she was doing without her needing to explain; especially since she was positive she wouldn’t be able to get out a coherent explanation on her own. Pinkamina was also glad that Big Macintosh was going to stick around for a while, she got kind of lonely out there practicing all day by herself. She pushed the largest practice rock over to him, it was at least half the size of her head and she struggled a bit to get it over to him.

Big Macintosh was glad to see that Pinkamina seemed to want him to stick around as well. Not many ponies wanted to hang out with him, he made them nervous which made him nervous, but Pinkamaina made him feel at ease. Still, he was beginning to get worried, he’d have to be very careful not to scare her away with his oddities. She was the first pony outside of his family who didn’t seem to be afraid of him, he would have to be very careful.

Pinkamina gave a little sigh when she had finally gotten the stone in place for Big Macintosh, and realized she’d need a lot more practice before she was ready to work the fields. With the practice rock in place, Pinkamina took a step back and sat down looking on expectantly to Big Macintosh. The red colt stepped up carefully and gently leaned down to the rock. Pinkamina thought he looked nervous, but she could imagine why. Finally, Big Macintosh gave the rock a gentle nudge with his snout which caused it to roll a few centimeters before it stopped hardly having moved at all.

If Pinkamina had known how to she would have laughed, but instead, she just shook her head at the sight unable to believe such a big pony could be so weak.

Big Macintosh glared down at the rock, it could have moved a little further than that, now he had just embarrassed himself. He leaned back down and gave the rock a quick flick with his snout. This time the rock shot across the field as if he’d bucked it and dented a tree at the edge of it.

“Ah-ah-ah’m sorry. Ah didn’t mean to.” The tall red colt began to stammer shrinking away from the pink filly.

Wide-eyed Pinkamina looked from the rock dented tree to Big Macintosh and thought how her father would love the surprisingly strong colt.

“Yer father would hate me,” Big Macintosh said his head hung low as he stared at the ground. He didn’t realize then that he had answered her thoughts, as he sank into self-loathing. “He’d just think ah was a freak just like everypony else does.” Suddenly his loathing became anger and with a growl he took his anger out on a nearby stone, crushing it to dust with a stomp of his hoof. “All the pony’s at school knew what ah was and they were all scared of meh,” he stomped another one to dust, “And that stupid desk and to go and break.” He was about to do the same to a third, but just as suddenly as the anger came it slipped away and he slumped to the ground.

What was he doing? His parents had taught him to be tougher than this and he had been. Even after the first day of school when nopony had talked to him or the second when the teasing began Big Macintosh had never moped like this in front of his parents, he didn’t even tell them anything was wrong.

The Big Macintosh felt something nuzzle up against his neck, he looked up to see Pinkamina standing at his side rubbing her head against his neck. He felt so much from that one act of kindness. It was like she was telling him she wasn’t afraid of him, he wasn’t a freak, and that it would be all right. He had kept all the pain of his alienation inside never letting it show, never letting anypony in. He should have felt silly letting his emotions and his sentiment run wild like he was, but instead, he just felt calm and at ease. For several minutes Big Macintosh lay there while Pinkamina stood and rested her head on his back. They didn’t speak, but that didn’t bother either of them, to them the silence spoke volumes.

“Ah was born this way,” Big Macintosh finally spoke overcome by the need to tell his story to somepony who didn’t already know it, a pony he could trust. He also needed to hear it himself, out loud and in his own words instead of the hushed tones of other ponies. “Mah parents knew ah was strong, ah was always breakin’ stuff as a baby, but they didn’t worry about it, not at first. Then when ah was younger even then y'all are my ma took meh out t’ see my pa applebuck.” Big Macintosh seemed to drift further and further away as he told the story vividly remembering what happened.

A tiny Big Macintosh ran excitedly back and forth around his mother who watched him with soft amber eyes and a warm smile. His mother Valencia was a pale yellow mare with an orange mane and though nopony realized it then she looked a lot like a grown-up version of her yet to be born youngest daughter Apple Bloom. Her cutie mark was a bowl of fruit.

“Hey ma, ah can see pa!” Big Macintosh called back from the top of a hill, even though she was just a few strides behind him. Big Macintosh took a few steps towards his father but his mother quickly stepped up and grabbed him by the scruff of his mane and lifted him off the ground. “Hold on Mackie, you can’t just can’t run up while your father is applebucking, you could get hurt. Just stay up here and watch how your father does it.” Big Macintosh struggled a bit, really just flailing his hoofs, but calmed down at his mother’s words and watched quietly.

Big Macintosh’s father, Great Graven, shared his deep red coat, but his mane, one a light brown, had long since been bleached blond from long hours of working under the sun, and his cutie mark was a trio of red and green apples. The large stallion approached the tree its branches heavy with large red and green apples. He took only a moment to size up the familiar tree before he turned his flank to it and with a single powerful buck shook the tree to its roots. The shaking caused the heavy apples to break free of their branches and fall into several well-placed baskets around the tree.

Big Macintosh watched his father work with wonder, he had never seen anything so amazing in his short life and was sure he never would. He suddenly found himself back on the ground his mother having released him, and took off down the hill to his father’s side. “Pa that was amazing, it was so cool,” Big Macintosh said bouncing with foal-like excitement.

“Nawww Little Big Macintosh, it weren’t nothing, applebuckin’ in our blood it’s easy.” The large stallion said with a smile as he ruffled his son’s mane with a hoof.

“Can ah try applebuckin’ then pa, since it in mah blood and all?” Big Macintosh said his eyes bright and hopeful.

“Ah don’t see why not,” Graven replied pointing off to an unbuckled tree that had baskets set around it.

“Graven,” Valencia brushed up to the stallion giving him a disapproving look, “He’s just a colt, applebucking a bit much don’t you think.”

“Naa Val, He’s a strong little apple he might shake down a few.” He replied confidently with a wink, a father simply bursting with pride for his son.

Valencia gave him a withering look, but Big Macintosh had received all the encouragement he needed, and he dashed up to the tree practically hopping with excitement. He looked the tree over searching for just the perfect spot to buck it just as he’d seen his father do, but instead of finding a good spot he only managed to intimidate himself by fully realizing the immense size of the tree. He looked back to find his parents still watching him, he couldn’t give up without trying. So he turned his flank to the tree, coiled back his hind legs and kicked with all his strength. There was a thunderous crack that resounded for miles sending any animal in that ranch scurrying for dear life. Big Macintosh jumped at the noise and dashed to his mother, he shivered with fear as he hid behind her.

“By Celestia Mackie,” She muttered under her breath.

Big Macintosh looked up at his parent who were staring wide-eyed at where he had been, and he followed their stares. The tree was bent over, a large crack in its base just below where he had kicked had been torn open. Big Macintosh couldn’t believe what he was seeing and continued to stare as the tree’s strength gave out and it crashed to the ground.

Big Macintosh’s eyes filled with tears as he stammered to apologize, “Ah... ah... ah didn’t mean to. Ah’m sorry!”

Valencia hushed him and his father told him that it wasn’t his fault, but the little colt continued to cry. He remembered how his father had told him how the biggest trees in the orchard had grown over the long years since his grandparents settled there. Looking back at the fallen tree Big Macintosh could only imagine that it had been growing there since his father was his age and he had killed it with a single kick.

Valencia carried her son back to the house softly reassuring him with each step that it wasn’t his fault, but Big Macintosh knew better. Slow his mind wandered to the stories his father told him to put him to sleep about brave stallions who slay terrible monsters that would otherwise destroy all that ponies held dear and wondered, was that what he was?

“Mah parent’s never told nopony about what happened, but accidents kept happening. It was like once the barrel was tapped there was no stoppin’ the cider from flowin’ and everypony found out.” Big Macintosh was sitting up but his ears were flat and his head hung low. Pinkamina sat next to him her large blue eyes following his even when he wasn’t looking at her. “Like the desk.”

“Ah just couldn’t handle it anymore so ah ran away. Ah was gonna live in the Everfree forest, but ah got lost and ended up here with y'all.” Big Macintosh looked over at his silent pink friend who leaned over and touched her head to his side and looked back up at him with worry in her eyes.

“Don’t worry Pinkamina, Ah promise not to leave if y'all promise ah can come back and visit ya.” He flashed her a quick smile to which she quickly nodded.

“Well then all right,” Big Macintosh stood up looking over to the brush he had come stumbling through some time ago. He was a little embarrassed that he had gotten so emotional and told the little filly all that, but he felt better for it. Pinkamina stood up as well still closely watching her tall red friend and he looked back down at her. “Ah best be goin’, see ya soon alright Pinkamina.”

She nodded a goodbye which big Macintosh returned then pushed his way back into the brush to try and find his way home. Pinkamaina watched him go and listened until she could no longer hear him before turning back and trotting to her house.

Big Macintosh pushed the front door open gently, which of course caused it to bang open noisily. Normally that would have caused him to grumble angrily at the door, but today he simply rolled his eyes at it and gently pushed it closed.

“Big Macintosh yer home,” Applejack cheered hurrying down the stairs to greet her older brother.

Big Macintosh flashed his sister a smile, “That’s right kiddo,” and swept down and scooped her up onto his head then let her slide down his neck and onto his back. She looked back at him curiously, he never picked her up, in fact, he usually treated her like she was made of paper and would crumple up or tear apart at his slightest touch.

Applejack, of course, knew all about her brother’s superpony strength, and always thought it was cool and trusted her brother never to hurt her. Applejack jumped up and turned around so she was facing her brother head rather than his flank and beamed, “Does this mean we can play today?”

Since Big Macintosh was always so afraid of hurting Applejack when they played he usually just watched her practice with her lasso, or, more often, she watched him perform feats of incredible strength. Big Macintosh only ever seemed to enjoy his abilities when he was entertaining his little sister, but he had stopped playing with her since he started going to school. He flashed another smile and said, “Ah'll have to see about that.”

Applejack cheered and jumped eagerly on his back, this was the scene their mother came upon when she slowly made her way down the stairs, her belly swollen with Applejack and Big Macintosh’s little sister. Valencia paused and blinked with surprise watching the scene not knowing what to say at first. Big Macintosh had become so depressed since the start of school that she wasn’t used to seeing him like this anymore. Finally, she approached them, a genuine smile spread across her face and asked, “How was your day Mackie?”

Big Macintosh looked up and saw his mother watching him and Applejack play. He flashed her a smile as well, stepped up to give her a kiss on the cheek, and said honestly for the first time, “It was good.” He would have left it at that, but glancing back at his little sister he couldn’t help but add, “Ah made a friend today.”

Chapter Two: Splitting Seeds

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Chapter Three: The Witchy Mare

Chapter Three
The Witchy Mare

Weeks passed but Big Macintosh never left his room, the only real change coming when the tall red colt moved to his bed, giving up on trying to keep the door barred. His parents were never invasive usually just gently knocking on his door and giving a short plea for him to come out or eat something which was always ignored. Applejack, however, was a different story; she tried everything she could think of to get in finally succeeding when she climbed up to his window. Worried the stubborn little filly would hurt herself and realizing that having her in his room was no worst then her banging on his door and yelling at him, Big Macintosh relocated to his bed.

Valencia brought him food but Big Macintosh never ate nor did he really sleep. Each day he seemed to get worst, listless, numb to their presence, and soon he seemed completely catatonic. His half open eyes grew distant and his family grew more worried. They didn’t understand what was happening whether it had to do with his strange abilities, his depression or both.

Applejack sat at a small picnic table her hooves cupping her cheeks as she glared down at the table trying to think of how to snap Big Macintosh out of his stupor. Apple Bloom sat nearby burbling and playing with a set of worn blocks that had once been Applejack’s and Big Macintosh’s before her.

“Excuse me little one, this is Sweet Apple Acers I take it?” A voice from behind Applejack snapped her out of her thoughts, she turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin. Behind her stood an old chocolate colored unicorn mare, she had hard green eyes and a thick curly raven mane. She wore exotic clothes in dark colors and an odd wrap around her head. To Applejack she looked very much like the wicked witchy mares from the story book her father read to her at bedtime and a suddenly fear of being made into a witch’s brew shot over her.

Applejack let out a squeaky scream and ducked behind her baby sister. “Ah... ah, taste really bad. Ah’m always skipping mah bath, but they wash Apple Bloom every day.” Applejack stammered nudging her little sister towards the chocolate unicorn. Apple Bloom looked up with wide-eyed curiosity at the unicorn and started sucking on her hoof. The chocolate mare’s expression softened becoming a curious, almost confused look, but before she could question the young filly further she noticed a familiar face coming towards them.

“Oh, my Unistra you finally found your way here.” Granny Smith called slowly trotting up to the raven-maned unicorn and gave her a warm hug. “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you as well Granny Smith,” Unistra paused and looked the much older looking mare over the added with as much sincerity as she could muster, “The years have been kind to you.”

Granny Smith neighed and rolled her eyes at that, “You and your darn ‘unicorn aging. I’d look as young as you if I had spent my life in a library being waited on by maids and butlers and taking magic potions for every little ache and wrinkle.”

Unistra laughed at Granny Smith’s words and soon the older mare joined in as well. “You earth ponies are too stubborn to die before a unicorn like me, your old bones will be visiting my grave one day just you wait. As for my potions, I hope you’ll at least take the one I use for my arthritis; it will make you feel years younger.”

Applejack finally came out from behind her little sister seeing her Grandma and the Witchy Mare were friends. It was odd, Applejack always though her granny didn’t like unicorns for all the reasons she had just told the Witchy Mare, but they were laughing about it.

Granny Smith became serious casting a grim look at her friend, “That’s not why I asked you to come, though.”

Unistra nodded the seriousness returning to her eyes. “I am sorry I could not come sooner, the mail has trouble finding me when I am out. Normally that is exactly why I go out on my ‘research expeditions’ but I never intended to ignore an old friend in need.”

“Yer here now that all that matters, we earth ponies are patient so if things take time we can wait. But where are my manners here you are standing outside in the sun, please come into the house.” Granny Smith stepped aside and guided Unistra to the house.

Applejack listened intently to the conversation, it sounded like the Witchy Mare was here for something important, and the only important thing happening was Big Macintosh’s condition. But what was the Witchy Mare going to do about that? Applejack decided she should keep a close eye on the Witchy Mare and make sure that her ‘help’ was really helpful. She picked up little Apple Bloom who had been watching the whole scene with wonder, probably due to the presence of a new pony, and trotted quickly after the Witchy Mare and her Granny.

At the house, Granny Smith introduced the Witchy Mare to Valencia and Great Graven, and much to Applejack’s surprise her parents both gave her a short bow and spoke to her with a formality she had never heard from either of them before. The Witchy Mare greeted them with equal formality and Applejack noticed Granny Smith roll her eyes at all three of them.

The adults sat in the kitchen to talk while Applejack was sent off to play in the living room with Apple Bloom, but that didn’t stop her from listening closely to find out just what the Witchy Mare was planning to do to help her big brother. As if to help her big sister Apple Bloom played quietly not making much sound at all.

“...and ever since then his strength has just been unbelievable.” Valencia finished explaining to Unistra about what had happened with the tree when Big Macintosh was young. “Before then I mean, he was a strong foal, but not like that. Granny Smith said Graven was the same way as a foal, but after that Big Macintosh seemed to break almost everything he touched until he learned to control his strength.” Valencia’s ears folded back and she looked down with worry at the table, “He controlled it most of the time, but there were always accidents.”

Applejack listened as they explained about Big Macintosh’s problems at school and how things seemed to get better after Big Macintosh finally made a friend, but then he just seemed to give up. As she listened Applejack realized that they didn’t tell the Witchy Mare anything about Big Macintosh’s power to make those neat light shows, but she remembered that Big Macintosh had never told their parents about that and made her promise to keep it a secret just between the two of them.

“That is quite incredible, for one so young to develop such power, I can see why he has been having so much trouble,” Unistra replied with a look consideration.

“Do you think there’s anything you can do for him?” Valencia asked insistently, her voice full of concern. Big Macintosh hadn’t eaten anything for so long that, despite the fact he seemed to be fine, she was getting very concerned for his health.

“I’ll have to talk to him myself first, I need to be sure of what it is before I can try and do anything.”

“Ah don’t know how much luck y'all have, he won’t talk to anypony, even his little sister,” Graven said deeply saddened by the situation. “He... ah didn’t think anythin’ could make him cut himself off from Applejack like that but...” He trailed off know knowing how to finish.

Unistra cast him a sympathetic look, “Still I need to see him and talk to him if I may try?”

Valencia and Great Graven nodded and all four of them stood up from the table and started up the stairs to Big Macintosh’s room. Applejack gave a last look to her foal sister, who was playing safely in the middle of the carpeted living room and quietly followed them up the stairs.

Big Macintosh’s room was plain and undecorated just a bed, dresser, closet, and window. The top of the dresser held his few personal items, important items given to him by his family some preserved even though they had been accidently broken. The rest of the trappings of his youth had either been passed down or destroyed, the latter more than the former, and the only other markings in the room were marks on the floor and walls where repairs had been rendered.

On the bed lay the still red form of Big Macintosh lying with his back to the door. He didn’t move when they came in and an outsider might just have believed he was sleeping, but the four adult ponies knew better. Big Macintosh hadn’t slept the entire time he had shut himself in his room. He never slept and he never ate but for whatever reason, he also never seemed to waste away either, not that it stopped his parents from worrying.

“Mackie,” Valencia nudged his softly trying to rouse him. “There’s somepony here to help you she just needs to talk with you. Please just talk to her a little.”

Big Macintosh didn’t move or say anything; the slow movement of his breathing was the only indication that he was even alive. His mother’s eyes glazed over with tears and her jaw began to shake, “Mackie please.”

Seeing her mother about to cry was all Applejack could take. “Big Macintosh!” The little filly shouted tearing into the room jumping up onto the bed and then onto her brother’s side. “Y'all better get yer sorry butt outta bed right now,” She jumped up and down on Big Macintosh’s side though it didn’t seem to have any effect on the colt. “And tell the Witchy Mare what’s going on now!”

The adults stood in stone silence watching the little filly attack her catatonic older brother. “Applejack,” Valencia finally shouted in shock.

“Don’t worry mah, I’ll get him movin’ yet.”

“Applejack, you stop that right now, and what did you call Miss Unistra?”

Applejack paused her humping and looked shamefully at her mother. “But mah she does look like a witchy mare.”

“Applejack!” Her mother gasped in shock turning bright red and glanced over at Unistra who was curiously looking herself over. Valencia snatched Applejack off her brother holding her up off the ground by her mane and hauling her from the room, “We’re going to have a little talk about this, and where is your sister!”

“But mah she looks just like the witch mare in my storybook.” Applejack whinnied, furthering her mother’s embarrassment, what would Unistra think they were teaching their children. “And Apple Bloom’s fine downstairs,” Applejack reassured her mother only to have the little foal announce some distress she was having with a shrill cry. Granny Smith rolled her eyes at the commotion the little filly had caused and went downstairs to deal with the little foal while her daughter-in-law took Applejack to her room to deal with her.

Unistra smirked to herself; sometimes she wished she had started a family like Granny Smith. She would never know the simple trials and tribulations that a family could bring. She sighed and mused that time for such things was long past and therefore should not be dwelled on.

Her expression became serious once again as she turned to the red colt that had lain still throughout the commotion. She walked around the bed to face his front and look into his face. His eyes were half closed, dull and unfocused staring at nothing. What had happened to make him like this? Was his strength really so incredible that he couldn’t control it? If that was true Unistra feared there may only be one reason.

She looked down into his face, “I suppose that you will not talk to me, even if I am here to help you?” As she imagined that earned her no response from the colt, she sighed and continued. “OK, there is still one thing I can do as a test, but I am afraid you will not find it very comfortable.” Unistra’s horn glowed and she conjured up a needle, it gleamed in the light. She hovered the needle over to Big Macintosh’s flank and stabbed the needle at it.

“What’re y'all doin’?” Great Graven asked growing a little suspicious of this Witchy Mare who was trying to stick his son with needles, Graven hated needles.

“It is all right Mr. Apple,” Unstria said pulling the needle away from his son, it hadn’t even pierced his skin. She dismissed the needle into the nothing she’d pulled it from only to conjure another. This one looked different, Graven could put his hoof on it but this needle’s point seemed keener for some reason. She stabbed this one at Big Macintosh’s flank and it sunk in easily but did little more than earn a small involuntary jolt from him.

“What’s the meanin’ of this,” Great Graven protested again.

“Sorry about that Big Macintosh,” Unistra said to the unresponsive colt, dismissing the needle and conjuring an X-shaped bandage placing it over the tiny wound. She turned to Graven who was glaring down at her disapprovingly. Without the large stallion noticing she conjured the needle again and stuck this one into his flank, it sunk in without a problem.

“What in tarnation?”

“Did not take much force did it, quite sharp hmm, and this is the first one I tried.”

Graven glared at the old unicorn, gritted his teeth and swallowed his anger. “Ya so what, what are ya doin’? Ah, don’t much like folks comin’ ‘round and stickin’ meh and mah kin with needles!” His patience was wearing quite thin.

“Come back downstairs and I’ll tell all of you there,” Unistra said walking past Great Graven, pausing to yank the needle out of his flank earning her another groan of pain from him. She didn’t want to tell them about what she believed was causing the problem with Big Macintosh with him in the room, even catatonic it didn’t seem right to talk about a pony like he wasn’t there.

Great Graven paused for a moment to look at his son’s still form and his whole form drooped sadly as if he was suddenly feeling a terrible weight on his back then turned to follow the old mare.

The adults gathered back in the kitchen, Granny Smith having calmed little Apple Bloom and Valencia having finished scolding Applejack. She left the two in the living room once again warning Applejack not to bother them again. Applejack waited a few moments until she heard them talking again then moved up to listen in on their conversation.

Unistra was silent for several long moments, despite her confidence dealing with an angry Great Graven she didn’t really know how to begin.

“I’m sure as earth pony you all know the stories about the legendary earth pony, Titan?” Unistra asked carefully.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Valencia asked.

“I am sorry I know how odd the question sounds, but if you please just entertain it for a moment.”

The three earth ponies looked at each other in confusion but didn’t protest further and Great Graven began to recount what he could remember of the legend.

They say before the rule of Princess Celestia, and even before the earth, pegasi and unicorn ponies came together and formed the land of Equestria in the age before ages when monsters roamed the lands terrorizing all ponies there arose a mighty hero named Titan. It was said that the earth shook at his every step, his kicks leveled mountains, and that the fangs and claws of the monsters could not pierce his hide. He was the first to befriend pegasi and unicorn ponies, the fastest of the pegasi became his herald, and the wisest of the unicorns became his sage.

With them, Titan wandered the land defeating hundreds of monsters and saving countless ponies until the very sound of his approach caused monsters to flee in terror. With the monsters gone peace came to the land and Titan was crowned king of the earth ponies.

However, the fleeing monsters did not wait ideally for Titan to pass from the world and sought the aid of their king. The King of Monsters was the most terrible of their breed, and so huge and awful that he devoured his own kind. Yet so great was the monster’s fear of Titan that they would risk the wrath of their king.

Enraged that anything could cause a fear in his subjects that rivaled his own the King of Monster abandoned his ancient home and sought vengeance against Titan. Titan and the King of Monster fought from sunrise to sunset, but the King of Monster, who was bigger than any mountain, wound not fall to Titan’s kicks, and as the last rays of the sun were claimed by the horizon Titan was swallowed in a single bite.

The ponies despaired knowing that Titan’s death would mean the return of the monsters. The night that followed was longer than any other, but when the day finally broke it brought with it a joyous sight, the body of the King of Monsters dead and sprawled across the distance landscape a new mountain range that stood between the land of monster and the land of ponies.

During the fight Titan had come to realize that he could not defeat the massive King of Monsters its hide was too thick to pierce and its bulk to great to overcome. However within, the King was vulnerable and so he let himself be swallowed to defeat the King of Monsters from within.

The King of Monsters body stood for the rest of time as a great barrier keeping the monsters from returning. Still, some believed that the monsters did not dare return for fear that Titan would be reborn. Still, others say that Titan did return, each time ponies were in need he returned to save them, coming from under the King of Monsters’ mountain and returning once the danger had passed.

Unistra nodded, the basic story was the same in most legends she’d heard. The three earth ponies watched her expectedly waiting for her to explain why she had asked to hear the legend.

She cleared her throat, “What most ponies do not realize is that the legend is true, at least partially. What happened between Titan and the King of Monsters is lost to the ages, but Titan returning that part is true. Except you see it was not Titan that returned, but another earth pony that inherited his power.” The Apples stared in wide-eyed disbelief in what the old mare was telling them, not really know how to react they let her continue.

“Scholars debated for years about the truth of the matter, whether it really was Titan or some other pony. Did Titan’s spirit merge with the pony to give them this power or did they use some kind of magic to give themselves Titan’s power? It was Princess Celestia with her eternal life that finally realized the truth. Every hundred years or so another earth pony would be born with Titan’s abilities, scholars have taken to calling such ponies Titan earth ponies. She paused and looked deeply at the assembled Apple family. “I believe that your son is the Titan earth pony of this century.”

Big Macintosh’s parents reeled at her words, Graven sat dumbstruck and Valencia shook her head in protest, “Mackie’s stronger than anypony else, but his steps don’t shake the ground and his kicks can’t knock down a mountain. It’s... It’s just ridiculous!”

Unistra leaned back calmly her expression remaining even and relaxed; she knew that there would be resistance to such a radical theory. “Gossip can get blown out of proportion as it is spread around, the same is true for legends. With that kind of power, you described him showing as a foal it is not hard to see how the legends of a full grown Titan would portray him with such strength whether or not it was technically accurate. Big Macintosh probably does not make the earth tremble with his every step, but I would wager he could make a little tremor if he put his mind to it.” She could see that the Apples still were not totally convinced or, more precisely, that they simply did not want to believe it.

“Ah reckon that’s gotta be it.” Applejack appearing at the doorway then rushed to Unistra’s side agreeing with the Witchy Mare. Despite the scolding she had gotten from her mother the forthright little filly had to voice her opinion on the matter if it would help her older brother.

“Applejack hush,” Great Graven told her firmly, “Yer were told t’ watch yer little sister, not go hangin’ ‘round listenin’ t’ us.”

“But pa the Wi- I mean Miss Unistra gotta be tellin’ the truth, Big Macintosh can do so many amazin’ thin’s. Why he can even make fireworks all on his own an’ makin’ look however he wants!” Applejack argued back desperate to get her parents to listen to what the Witchy Mare was telling them.

Unistra’s eyes shot open at what Applejack was saying, the Titan legends never mentioned him being able to do anything like that, but they did describe abilities like that. Before Applejack’s parents could send her away Unistra stepped to face the little filly. “Applejack, are you sure your brother can do those things? How do you know, did he tell you he could make these fireworks?”

Applejack looked down at the floor shuffling her hooves both a little intimidated by the Witchy Mare’s sudden interest in what she was saying and embarrassment over what she had done. “Naw he showed me it. Ah caught him doin’ it once and ah begged him till he showed me proper. He didn’t like doin’ it but he said he had to, to get rid of it cuz it kept buildin’ up in his chest. Ah thought it was cool but he made me promise not to tell anypony.” Applejack was sobbing now tears coming down her cheeks, crushed that she had to betray her brother confidence like that. “But ah don’t care, he’s bein’ stupid just lyin’ up there like that. He’s so cool and nice, he’s the best big brother ever, but he just listens to all those stupid ponies at his school. Ah... ah just want him to go back to the way he was before!”

Tear poured in a steady flow from her eyes and she was too choked up by her own sobs to speak. Her parents went to the little filly hugging and hushing her to calm her down, and Apple Bloom’s cries soon joined her sister as if in protest of whatever was causing her big sister to cry.

Unistra would have tried to calm the young filly if her parents had not been there, however since they were her mind was free to reel with the consequences of Applejack confession. Applejack’s account of Big Macintosh’s other abilities fit what was known from the legends, but it just could not be.

Though not always present many of the legends told of another gifted earth pony. In some legends, he was Titan’s best friend, while in others he was Titan’s brother. In some, he seemed to be just a regular pony while in others he was weak and sickly, but all the legends agreed that he had the ability Applejack described.

In most of the legends, he was known as Shooting Star and though he and Titan were friends he usually turned to evil due to jealousy, lust for power, or is simply misguided and tries to forcibly bring all ponies under his rule, forcing him and Titan into conflict. In some of the legends he sees the error of his ways and is welcomed back by Titan. In others, he is banished to the land of the monsters, but in most of the legends, Shooting Star perishes either by Titan’s hooves or by his own foolish mechanisms.

The legends told of Shooting Star’s return as well, and ponies with Shooting Star’s abilities became known as Kinetisis ponies, however, Kinetisis ponies were so rare that even Princess Celestia claimed to have only ever met one such pony. It was only after seeing the incarnation of Titan ponies throughout the ages did she theorized that the Kinetisis ponies probably followed a similar but much longer cycle.

Unistra could find no reason for the little filly to lie, in fact, the little filly seemed to have an unshakable honest heart leaving no doubt she was telling the truth. The implications of what Applejack had just told her, however, were staggering. None, of the admittedly few ponies that studied the field, had ever theorized that a pony could be born both a Titan and Kinetisis pony. Such a pony’s power would be immeasurable, it would be like a deity walking among mortals, and nothing would be beyond such a pony’s reach. Yet if the young Applejack’s testament were to be believed then the most powerful pony ever born now lay catatonic in his room, defeated by a broken heart.

Chapter Four: A Yoke and Sprig of Wheat

Chapter Four
A Yoke and Sprig of Wheat

Once Applejack and Apple Bloom were calmed down Unistra told them all the implications of what Applejack had told her. There was a near endless flurry of questions from the family, not all of which she could honestly answer, but eventually, she convinced them of the truth of what she was saying and soon there was only one question left to ask.

“So can y'all... make him normal?” Great Graven asked carefully embarrassed by his own words, he had never thought of his son as anything but exceptional and would have had some strong words for anypony who dared utter anything bad about his family. Once Graven had believed that he could set a strong enough of an example that his son would learn to withstand the hurtful remarks of the jealous or ignorance and become somepony great. However, seeing the hardship and pain his son had to endure everyday Graven’s conviction broke; he would do anything now to spare his son anymore suffering.

Unistra shook her head sadly feeling Graven’s pain, “I am afraid that all the magic in the world cannot take away what your son was born with. The best I can offer is to stem it, I am adequately talented at enchanting items with magic. I believe I can create some that will take away most of Big Macintosh’s incredible strength and perhaps even one to suppress his kinetic abilities.”

Valencia and Graven looked relieved and hopeful, but Applejack just frowned and said, “Why would y'all do that? Ah mean ya Big Macintosh is too strong for his own good and ah’d love t’ be able t’ play with him without him treating me like Ah’m made of glass, but his fireworks are so cool, why would y'all wanna take them away?”

Unistra smiled sadly down at the little filly, she was so fiercely protective of her elder brother and so unyieldingly honest it was hard not to admire the little filly. Even with all his abilities, Unistra would not be surprised to see the filly eclipse her brother in the eyes of most ponies. She sighed at what she had to tell the little filly next. “You watched over your brother closely right Applejack?”

The Little filly nodded.

“Then you’ve noticed that he has not been eating right? I am sure that you also know that every living thing has to eat to live if you stop you will not just get hungry, you will die.”

Applejack’s eyes shot wide open at that and she looked to the stairs that lead to her brother’s room where Big Macintosh lay not having moved in for over a week. She looked back at the Witchy Mare panic filling her eyes, “How long does he have? Y'all have to do somethin’!”

Unistra hushed the little filly, “It is OK, because of your brother’s abilities he can go almost forever without eating.” Applejack calmed hearing this, “But that is also the problem you see. Your brother is not just being stubborn or ‘stupid’, he is broken on the inside. He is hurting so much that he cannot summon up the will to get up, and because he does not feel any hunger or thirst he has no physical need to get up. But if I can take away his ability to do that then he will have to get up to eat, drink, and deal with... the other things ponies need to do when they eat and drink. Doing this will allow him to feel normal again and it will help him start to fix what is broken, and you will be able to play with him again.”

Unistra had to admit it was a pretty simple explanation of what she was going to try to do. She herself had no idea until a few minutes ago that what she had just explained was what was happening with Big Macintosh. Originally when she had diagnosed him to be the Titan earth pony she had no way to explain how he was getting by without going through those basic life necessities. Then when she learned of his other abilities it all became clear at least as far as the legend went. Kinetisis ponies stored physical energy in their body and transformed it into virtually any other kind of energy and they could feed off this energy to survive. Of course with Big Macintosh this ability had become a trap, his mind had given up and his body allowed him to become a completely self-sustained engine and nothing seemed to be able to bring him out.

Applejack had always been bright and sensible for her age, at least with most things. She nodded to the Witchy Mare accepting that it was what they had to do to help Big Macintosh. With Applejack and the rest of the family’s blessing, the Witchy Mare set about making the items.

There was a renewed sense of hope on Sweet Apple Acers. Unistra stayed with them in the guestroom as she worked, which half the time was under Applejack’s watchful eyes. It seemed that while the little filly understood that her brother needed her help to get better Unistra was still the Witchy Mare and needed to be monitored. Applejack’s parents told her to leave Unistra alone so that she could work, but Unistra told them she didn’t mind having the little filly as an assistant. She would send Applejack on little errands to get things she needed, the oddest of which was an old broken yoke. The yoke had been in the family for generations and it was too damaged now to bother to repair, but too sentimental to Granny Smith and Great Graven to throw away. The other odd thing Unistra sent her out to find was a perfectly cut sprig of wheat, it was the only plant that she had to get for the Witchy Mare that had to be just the right cut, in length and size.

The rest of the time Applejack spent with Big Macintosh, especially during meal time when she would take her and his portions up to his room and encourage him to eat. She told him that if he did not eat the Witchy Mare was going to take away his abilities. She encouraged him to come out and play, promising to do all the things he liked to do, which seemed suspiciously like all the things she liked to do with him.

She was much nicer to him now that she understood what was happening to him, no longer jumping on him or shouting at him. Applejack realized just how mad she had been at her brother for just lying there and giving up to wallow in his pain. But after what the Witchy Mare had told her she realized that Big Macintosh was not just wallowing in his pain, but that it had taken him and was holding him prisoner. It was an impossible enemy to fight one of the mind that existed and took him out of reach of any help. Still, she had hope, after all when she had almost fallen climbing through his window he had moved away from the door so she would hurt herself trying again. Yet despite the hope the Witchy Mare had brought them, Applejack could not seem to do anything to help Big Macintosh come out of it on his own. Eventually, after a day of helping the Witchy Mare and trying to rouse her brother Applejack would get exhausted and would end up crawling into his bed, cuddling up next to him, and falling asleep.

Soon afterward Valencia or Graven would come and collect Applejack taking her from her brother’s hooves and putting her to bed in her own room. Each time they did Big Macintosh’s eye would moisten slightly and he would mouth, “Pinkamina.”

It took almost a week for the Witchy Mare to finish the items, but once she had she gathered the Apple family in her temporary room to reveal them. They stood around the unicorn’s work table the items hidden under a sheet waiting be revealed. The Witchy Mare had an unquenchable flare for the dramatic. Using her magic Unistra swept the sheet back revealing the polished and repaired yoke and one of the cut sprigs of wheat that Applejack had gotten for her.

“That’s it,” Applejack looking at the items critically, “How’s that supposed to help Big Macintosh?”

“Applejack hush! Let Miss Unistra explain.” Valencia scolded her daughter.

Unistra smiled down at the perpetually forthright Applejack, “You must not judge a book by its cover my dear Applejack. I’ve weaved powerful magic into these items to suppress your brother’s abilities.”

She pointed her horn to the old yoke which looked new, and not at all like the tired old yoke Applejack had brought her. “This heirloom of the Apple family has felt the strength of generations of this as they pulled forward to the future. With my magic, I have reversed this legacy and now it will pull back disabling the strength of those who wear it rather than enabling it. Basically, it will drain a pony’s strength, enough to leave a normal pony helpless, but in Big Macintosh’s case it should render him with the strength of a normal pony.”

“As for the other,” She pointed to the sprig of wheat, “This wheat which would provide life-giving energy to a pony has been enchanted to instead take that energy from ponies. A normal pony who put this sprig of wheat in their mouth would become exhausted in just a few hours. With Big Macintosh, it will absorb the kinetic energy he naturally produces. He will no longer be able to live off that energy and it should absorb enough of his energy that it will not build up and have to be discharged.” Unistra looked back to little Applejack with a smile and added, “but he can take it out anytime he wants to make some fireworks for his little sister. There both also enchanted to be extremely durable so even Big Macintosh should be able to handle them without fear of breaking them.”

Applejack was a little confused by the explanations of how the items worked, but just as the Witchy Mare had promised the items were removable. That meant that they could help Big Macintosh, but he could take them off when he stopped listening to the stupid ponies at school and realized just how cool he was.

It was now her parents’ turn to be suspicious of the Witchy Mare and her magic. They had been grateful when the old unicorn had come and explained what was happening with Big Macintosh, and they had wanted the aged unicorn to do what she could to help. However, now that they were looking at the magically enchanted items that their son was supposed to go through the rest of his life wearing they found themselves less sure. Earth ponies are naturally a little wary of magic, they preferred to keep thing more natural.

“Are ya sure they’re safe, ah mean there ain’t gonna be no weird side effects are there?” Great Graven asked eyeing the items and the Witchy mare tentatively, he did not want to insult the unicorn after she had come and done so much for them.

Unistra gave him a withering look, this was the tiring, but not entirely unexpected part of the presentation. “The items were designed for Big Macintosh alone, so I would warn against anypony else using them. You seem quite strong in your own right Great Graven, you are probably one of the few ponies that could withstand the yoke’s power; care to try it for yourself?” The old mare asked using her magic to lift up the new looking yoke.

Not really one to back down Great Graven accepted the challenge and stood still as the Witchy Mare floated the device over his neck until it came to rest on his shoulders. Mr. Apple staggered a bit when the yoke came to rest on his shoulders, he did not feel any different but the yoke had to weight a ton, he did not see how this would help.

Unistra could see the confusion on the red stallion’s face and smiled knowingly, “Say Applejack how about you give your father a big hug.”

Applejack looked up with confusing at the Witchy Mare who gave the little filly a mischievous smile and a wink. Applejack took the hint that this would be fun and with a quick running jump wrapped her forelegs around her father’s neck.

Great Graven was confused as to what the Witchy Mare was up to, but when his daughter wrapped herself around his neck the confusion turned to shock. She was even heavier than the yoke, he instantly dropped forward, almost face planting into the floor. Normally he could work all day with the little filly on his back, with little trouble, but now he could not so much as lift her. Valencia and Granny Smith watched the big stallion crash to the ground with a mixture of shock and well-hidden amusement.

Unistra almost laughed at the look of Great Graven’s face but managed to suppress it. “All right Applejack, why don’t you climb up on your father’s back and keep him pinned while I get the yoke off him.”

Applejack nodded with a giggle and climbed up onto her father’s wide back. She stretched out her legs like she was trying to wrap herself around him, but she could barely reach a third of the way around him. Still, her weight alone kept Great Graven from getting back up. The Witchy Mare’s horn began to glow again, as did the yoke and it easily floated off of the red stallion.

Great Graven instantly felt much lighter and easily got to his hooves, he did not seem mad as one might expect from who had to endure such an embarrassing scene, but his ego was clearly bruised. Finally, Valencia and Granny Smith could not help but share a giggle at seeing the large red farm pony felled by his little daughter. For her part Applejack was a little disappointed that the fun had come to an end.

Unistra floated the yoke back to the table and set it back in its place, but with a smug smile picked up the sprig of wheat and floated it over to Great Graven. “Care to try the other?”

Great Graven shook his head, “Naw one was enough. Ah think they’re in a good sort, ah don’t feel no worse for wear anyhow.” After such a drastic display of the yoke's power, one would think that Great Graven would have been more worried about putting such an item on his young son. Great Graven, however, came to term long ago with the fact that his son was probably born stronger than he could ever hope to be. Big Macintosh would be just fine wearing that thing, and when it came off Great Graven’s strength had returned instantly, it was safe. As for the wheat sprig, it was meant to deal with a power that Great Graven could barely begin to understand, and so he felt he had to trust that the Witchy Mare knew what she was doing.

Unistra nodded and gathered up the items with her magic, “All right then there is only thing left to do, give them to Big Macintosh.” She said and made her way to the colt’s room the rest of the Apple family in tow.

They entered the silent room where the red colt still lay on his bed the only sound came from the soft rustling of the drapes on either side of his open window. Valencia had taken to opening the window on warm afternoons; it was just one of a dozen little things she did in hopes that he could be snapped out his state.

Unistra came around to stand in front of Big Macintosh the items floating behind her, and looked into his listless eyes. “Hello Big Macintosh, I have some items here that I think will help you, we are going to put them on you now OK.” Unistra always spoke to the tall colt hoping that he could still hear her, then looked up at his father, “Lift up his head for me.” She asked and Great Graven nodded and carefully lifted up his son’s head, there was no resistance.

Unistra floated the yoke over his head down his neck as Great Graven moves out of the way. “This one will suppress your incredible strength, so you won’t have to be so careful not to break things. This one,” She floated the sprig of wheat up and slid it in between his lips, “Will absorb your excess energy so you will not have to keep discharging it every day.”

Big Macintosh did not move as they placed the items on him and after a minute of continued stillness, Valencia released the breath she was holding in a sad sigh. Though the Witchy Mare gave no indication that Big Macintosh’s condition would immediately be cured she had still had secretly hoped her son would spring to life as soon as the items were in place as if it were just his superpony abilities that were keeping him in that state.

“We just need to give it time now,” Unistra said and the other nodded and they all slowly trickled from the room, Applejack being the last one to leave.

Big Macintosh felt something, something that was not the crushing loss of his best friend, or the horrifying shock at what he had almost done to Mr. Pie. Big Macintosh had come to believe that those were the only things left for him to feel in the endless void of sorrow he floated through. The only thing that existed in this place beside him and his pain was a window that taunted him with images of his family. However, every time Big Macintosh looked into the window he was haunted by images of his family sad or in pain, so he tried not to look anymore.

There it was again, the feeling, and this time Big Macintosh remembered what it was, hunger. That did not make sense though; he was dead was he not? Was this not the dark pit that all monsters and wicked ponies were banished to? That was what he was, a monster.

He felt the hunger again and dared to look up at the window. It was bigger than it had ever been before and it did not show any member of his family; just an empty room lit by the pale light of the moon, his room. Why would the window show him that? Was it not there as a divine punishment to show him the pain of those he’d left behind? Except for Pinkamina, he would never see her again.

Numb pain came over him at the thought of his lost friend and once again he began to sink into the blackness of the void. Then the feeling came again, this time like a violent wave that pushed him from the void toward the immense window.

Big Macintosh’s eyes shot open and the young pony gasped for air as if he had been holding his breath too long. He sat up in his bed shaking off the dizziness suddenly sitting up caused him and tried to understand what was happening. At first, all he could remember was Pinkamina’s father taking her away, the pain of that lost, and the shock over what he had almost done to the stallion. Then more memories started to flood back to him of the forest, his anger, his return home, and then he realized what had happened to him.

The void, he had made it with his despair and self-loathing, a prison to trap and punish himself for what he had and almost had done and a place to escape having to face anypony else. Shame cut through the colt as he began to remember the things that had happened after he had slipped into the void, the pain he had caused his family through his selfish escapism. Self-loathing grew anew, he should just go back into the void and wait there to die. Everypony would be better off. The cramping ache in his stomach dashed such thoughts, biological need overwhelming his emotional despair.

Big Macintosh felt the weight of the yoke and the sprig of wheat in his mouth. He knew what they were now that he remembered Applejack and the Witchy Mare, as Applejack called the unicorn, telling him about them. Part of him told him to break the sprig and return to the void. No matter how terrible it was for him while there, it kept other ponies safe from him. Big Macintosh ignored the voice however, he was terrified of going back to the void and what’s more, he could not stand the thought of hurting his family anymore. With a sigh, Big Macintosh stood up from his bed determined to at least find something to eat and quell the physical pain.

The tall red colt crept silently down the stairs not wanting to disturb the sleep of any of his family, especially Apple Bloom whose angry shrieks at being woken would rouse the rest of the family. He did not want to face them, their sad faces still hung heavy on his mind as did the knowledge that he was the cause of that pain. Reaching the kitchen he set to work finding something to eat.

He did not turn on any of the kitchen lights, the light of the moon was enough for him to see and sneaking around felt more secure wrapped in a cloak of darkness. Oats, apples, and water was all there was for him to eat, but they tasted divine to Big Macintosh who had not tasted food or drink in so long. The oats were rich and earthy, the apple sweet and juicy and the water was cool and refreshing, he had not realized how hungry he had truly been and how good it felt to be full. Eating was like coming back to life, and in many ways that was exactly what he was doing, joining the rest of the ponies of the world who needed to eat, sleep and drink to live.

Big Macintosh was now full and growing increasingly tired, the energy draining sprig of wheat was doing its job well and he had not truly slept in some time. He would have slipped back upstairs to his bedroom and succumb to sleep or the void, at fate’s whim, but at that moment the lights of the kitchen flashed to life.

Big Macintosh’s eyes burned at the sudden light, but that was nothing next to the shock and fear he felt at being caught. He turned to see his mother standing in the doorway a mixture look of joy and sadness on her face. It was as if she was relieved to see her son had finally awakened, but the memories of pain and hardship would not leave her, nor would the fear that this was all temporary. Finally, she found her voice and approached him, “Mackie you’re awake, I’m so glad.”

She moved to embrace him, but he stepped back dodging out of the way. His eyes stared at the floor and his head was turned away from her, he did not seem able to face her. She gave him a sad smile that she hoped was more assuring than it felt, “It’s ok, It’s ok, It’ll be all right now-”

“No, it won’t!” He nearly shouted shaking his head as if her assurances were terrible lies. His breathing became labored as if just standing there fighting not to run was exhausting him, “It won’t ever be alright!”

The sadness in his mother’s eyes deepen, she approached as close as he would let her, but still, almost a foot separated mother from son. “What’s wrong Mackie? Please, Mackie, tell me what happened.”

The colt said nothing and continued to stare at the floor unable to face his mother. She took another short step towards him and this time he did not move. Two more followed the first and finally, she was close enough to touch him. She leaned forward to nuzzle him, but at the last moment he backed up out of her reach and turned to face her. He looked up at her with hard eyes trying to project his anger at her, “Ah almost killed somepony.”

Valencia was taken aback by both Big Macintosh’s hard stare and his words, but she could see through the anger of both to the fear and self-loathing beneath. She cast him a soft sympathetic look, “Oh Mackie, I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, I’m sure it was just an accident.”

“It weren’t no accident,” Big Macintosh cut her off tearing his eyes from hers with a shake of his head and returned his gaze to the floor. “Ah wanted t’ hurt him, he hurt... me and ah wanted to hurt him back.” He lifted up a hoof and stared at it for a second, it was nearly a murder weapon. “Ah’m, not like other ponies, if Ah get angry the other pony won’t just end up with burses or broken bones. It would just take one kick and they’d be dead.”

Valencia shook her head in denial of what he was saying, “No Mackie that’s not true, you didn’t hurt anypony and you never would. Besides Unistra made that yoke-”

“Ah know... but it doesn’t matter,” he said shaking his head in denial as well, “What if ah loose it or get angry enough to take it off. Nopony could stop a monster like me!”

Valencia wanted to tell him over and over that was not true until he understood and return to being the happy pony he had been less than a month earlier. However, she knew he would not listen no matter how many times she said it and she did not know what else she could do.

Big Macintosh could see he had won the argument, it was the most awful victory he could have ever won. He moved past his mother to the kitchen doorway just thankful that their argument had not woke anypony else. He swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, looking back at his despairing mother. He wanted to take it all back and become whatever he had to make her happy again, but he could not. He could not become the pony she wanted him to be and play with the other colts and fillies. He was dangerous and he had to stay away from other ponies, for their own sake.

Chapter Five: Big Macintosh’s Decision

Chapter Five
Big Macintosh’s Decision

“So, Big Macintosh how are you feeling?” Unistra asked looking up at the colt, a notebook floating in front of her. It had only been a few days since he had woken up from the void and while he had not slipped back into it, he was still reluctant to leave his room let alone the house.

Valencia had told her, Granny Smith and Great Graven what Big Macintosh had said that first night. They were careful to keep it from Applejack afraid the rather brash and straight forward little filly would not understand. For her part Applejack had been thrilled to see her big brother had finally woken up, but when he told her he could not play with her for her own good she did not take it well. Since then she had lapsed back into her old therapeutic treatment of jumping on and shouting at Big Macintosh, which earned her about the same reaction out of him as it had when he was catatonic.

Great Graven and Granny Smith had both tried talking to him but he would not relent. He was dangerous and the only way to protect other ponies from him was to stay away from them. So the family once again turned to Unistra hoping that she, an outsider, would have more luck talking to him.

Unistra agreed and was at least able to coax Big Macintosh down into the living room and out of his ‘safe’ room as she called it. As she set up for their counseling session Big Macintosh became more and more concerned about what the, as his sister called her, Witchy Mare was exactly trying to do.

“Are ya really qualified ta be doin’ this sorta thing?” Big Macintosh asked in reply to her first question.

The floating pencil tapped the pad with irritation as the Witchy Mare glared at the red colt across from her. “Big Macintosh, it is not very productive for you to answer a question with a question is it?”

Big Macintosh recoiled a little from her intense glare, realizing just why his sister called her the Witchy Mare. “Umm... No, ma'am, it isn’t, ah’m sorry. Ah’m fine, ah’m not really feelin’ much of anything ah guess.”

The pencil scribbled something across the notebook, which caused Big Macintosh to glance over at it nervously. He was just about to ask what she had just written when she spoke. “You were in a deep catatonic state for some time and you only came out of it when your ability to stay in it was taken away. It is hard to believe that you would be ‘fine’ after that, especially since you refuse to leave the house.”

Big Macintosh glanced at the Witchy Mare nervously; it was much easier to refuse to answer his mother or father then the old mare. It was almost as though if he refused to say anything she would make him speak. “Ah umm, ah don’t really understand how ah did that anyways. Ah, mean you explained that ah gather energy from movin’ around and doin’ physical stuff, so how could ah be gettin’ energy from just layin’ there?”

Big Macintosh looked up to find the Witchy Mare glaring at him again. “Big Macintosh I already told you it is not helpful to answer a question with a question.” Unistra said then shuffled herself forward into a relaxed laying position one foreleg over the other, “But if it will ease your mind I’ll explain. First of all, you gain energy not just from your own physical output of energy but from other’s physical output that comes into contact with you. That means you gather energy from the smallest nuzzle goodnight from your mother to the biggest jump on you from Applejack. Besides that, even at rest, your body performs physical tasks, a single beat of your heart alone pushes blood across your whole body releasing all the energy you need to survive. You are basically a perpetual motion machine; does that answer your question?”

Big Macintosh tilted his head in confusion, some of the Witchy Mare’s explanation went over his head. He had no idea what a perpetual motion machine was but he got the basic idea. He nodded to the Witchy Mare, “Ya, ah get it, ah guess.”

Unistra smiled and gave a nod, “Good now that I answered your question you can answer mine.”

Big Macintosh nodded, then paused and frowned, “What was the question again?”

Unistra sighed, “Maybe we should start at the beginning, how about you tell me what happened between you and the pony that started all this. Who was he and what did he do to make you want to hurt him?”

Big Macintosh’s face became grim at that question and he looked away from the Witchy Mare, “Ah don’t wanna talk about that.” His nervousness seemed to suddenly fade.

The pencil scribbled something down on the pad drawing Unistra’s attention for a moment. “Big Macintosh your family, and I as well, just want to help you deal the anger and fear you are feeling. There is nothing wrong with getting angry so long as you control it like you did. You did nothing wrong, but you keep punishing yourself and hiding away. Do you not want to go back to school and see your friends?”

“Y'all wouldn’t know anythin’ about mah school,” Big Macintosh scoffed and looked at the floor, “And ah don’t have any friends.”

Unistra scribbled something else down, “You are right I do not know anything about your school. I only know what you tell me, but I want to help and I can only do that if you tell me what it was like.”

Big Macintosh stared at the floor for several long moments, the room lapsed into silence the only real sound coming from the tick of the clock. Unistra was about to try and encourage him to speak again when he spoke. “They only whispered about meh at first and stared at me as ah passed by. Nopony talked to me and they ran away if ah tried talkin’ to them. Ah started gettin’ nervous everypony actin’ like that and all and accidently broke some things and that just made everythin’ worse. Then Blueblood came and he had a word for me, monster. He would ‘stand up’ to me and the others thought he was so cool for doin’ it...” Big Macintosh’s face twitched with anger as he continued to glare at the floor, it seemed like there was more he wanted to say, to shout. Instead, however, his face just became blank again, “Like ah told ya, ah don’t have any friends.”

Unistra scribbled down a few things one of which she stopped and considered for a moment before asking, “What changed?”

Big Macintosh looked up at her with confusion; nothing had changed that was the point. Seeing his confusion Unistra decided to explain, “For months of school nothing changed. Your parent told me you were depressed after your first day of school, but they thought it would pass and when it did not pass they started to worry. Each day you came and went from school they said it never changed until the first day you came home late, after running away from school. That day you came home and you were happy for the first time. I was just wondering what changed?”

“Nothin’,” Big Macintosh said quickly, he suddenly seemed nervous his eyes remaining locked on the floor. “Ah was just glad ah skipped that day.”

“Really,” Unistra asked scribbling something down, “Your mother said that you said made a friend that day, but you would not tell her or anypony anything else who it was.”

Big Macintosh jumped at that, but did not reply and continued to just stare at the floor.

“I can imagine it being hard for them, your friend I mean. As much as they liked a truly good pony like yourself, they could face the teasing it would bring. That is why they asked you to keep it a secret, no?”

Big Macintosh shifted uncomfortably in his seat and Unistra knew she was getting close to the truth. She knew as well that facing it would be painful it was imperative that they push through to the truth. “But things like that do not stay secret long in a town like this do they? It must have been hard for them, but that does not make it right for them to side with somepony else against you.”

Big Macintosh was shaking his head now as if to deny her words, but Unistra knew he could not and that he had to face this before he could move on. “It was not your fault they abandoned you like that. I...”

“SHUT UP, SHUT UP!” Big Macintosh roared to life slamming his hooves on the floor too angry to even worry that they might have gone straight through the floor. “Don’t ya talk about her like that! Ya don’t know anythin’ about it!”

Big Macintosh’s hard breathing was all that could be heard for the next several long moments. He stared hard at the Witchy Mare who stared back calmly waiting for the angry colt to calm down. Big Macintosh waited for her reply, ready for any snide point she might try and make, but when none came the fire inside of him quickly burnt out and the red colt calmed back down.

“Ah... ah’m sorry, ah didn’t mean to get so angry,” He shuffled his hooves around nervously. That was when he saw the damage to the floor, a few cracked and splintered boards stared back up at him accusingly. It was nothing compared to what would have happened if he had not been wearing the yoke, but it showed that he still had more strength then he should. “Ya see though how dangerous ah am, ah have too much anger and too much power to be around other ponies.”

“It is normal to get angry, everypony gets angry. No everypony, especially young ones, have as much control as you do. You are too hard on yourself Big Macintosh, you are angry because other ponies tease you then you feel wrong for getting mad. Other ponies do not have the right to say those things and you have the right to be angry, but you do not have to hide away from such things.”

Big Macintosh looked sorrowfully up at the Witchy Mare and for a moment he was not sure what was right. Finally, he shook his head and stood up, “Yer wrong. Ah’m dangerous, too many things could happen if ah got angry at somepony.” Big Macintosh walked from the living room to the stairs, “Ah’m sorry but ah’m never gonna leave the farm again. Ah can help out around here so ah won’t be a burden. That’s enough for me.”

Big Macintosh disappeared up the stairs and Unistra’s pencil twitched as if it wished to make another note as she mournfully watched the red colt leave. She sighed in defeat, there did not seem to be much more she could do here, and as much as she hated the idea of leaving her old friend’s family in such a state she really needed to report her findings.

Applejack was the most upset to see Unistra go, and in truth, the old unicorn was sorry to have to leave the brash, forthright little filly. The two had grown close over the week Applejack had played assistant to the old mare. Applejack came to respect the worldly wisdom of the Witchy Mare and enjoyed her subtle mischievous streak. Unistra found Applejack’s fierce devotion to her family enduring and had even grown fond of the nickname the filly had given her.

Applejack’s parents were very grateful for all the Witchy Mare had done for them and said their goodbyes with a little less formality than they had greeted her with, much to her relief. She tried to say how she wished she could have done more to help, but the Apples would not hear of it, they could not have asked her to do more.

Granny Smith told Unistra once again how good it had been to see her old friend. The two had spent many evenings talking about things that had come and gone since the last time they had seen each other. The light-heartedness of such conversations were eventually stolen by talk of Big Macintosh and his hardships.

Even Big Macintosh came out of his room to see the old mare off and thank her for all she had done for him. Unistra would have liked to left the colt with words of encouragement to return to school and to forgive himself for what had happened, but she knew he would not listen and she didn't want to spoil their goodbyes with such things. Instead, she simply wished him good luck.

The goodbyes finished Unistra took her leave walking slowly up the same path she had met Applejack on when she first arrived. Once she was out of sight of the farm she decided it was time to really get moving. Unistra began the less-than-familiar chant she had looked over that morning and her horn started to glow. The light quickly began to spread over her whole body and by the time she stopped chanting she the light covered her from horn tip to tail tip then slowly faded away. The spell in place, she tentatively took a step up into the air, her hooves seemed to find something solid in the air and she stepped into the air.

Unistra never much liked using the spell, the sky was the dominion of the pegasi and she was content to leave it to those crazed bird-brained ponies. However, times like this called for swiftness and there was no doubt she’d get to Canterlot as soon as possible going, ‘as the pegasus’ flies’. She ran through the sky with all the speed and energy of a young mare, another effect of the spell, reaching a height that put her well above the trees leaving nothing between her and Canterlot but empty air.

Unistra had used the spell several times over the course of her life, but the wind and height still gave her an uncomfortable sense of vertigo. She shook it off and focused all of her senses on the distant city, she found that it helped to keep her eyes on a fixed point. The naturally flying pegasus never had such problems, of course, and could let their eyes wander taking the sights all around them as they flew. Perhaps if she were a pegasus she would have seen the large three headed monster making its way towards Sweet Apple Acers.

“Thank ya darlin’, that was a great breakfast,” Great Graven said giving Valencia a kiss on her cheek as he put his dish into the sink. Unistra had declined to have breakfast before she left saying that it did not agree with her travel arrangements. That did not make much sense to the Apple family, but they shrugged it off as a ‘Witchy Mare’ thing. “Ah can’t wait for lunch.”

Valencia rolled her eyes as she turned on the water, food was all the red stallion ever seemed to think about. She could swear that Granny Smith must have coaxed him through life from one meal to the next, which was what she did after all. “You’ll get your lunch at lunch time so don’t you worry about it till then, there’s plenty of other things to be done in the meantime.”

“Yer right, ah better get started,” he said moving back to the table where Granny Smith was feeding Apple Bloom and gave them both a kiss on the head. Applejack had long since wolfed down her breakfast and ran off to do something, probably chase after The Witchy Mare, who she already missed dearly. Big Macintosh had declined to come down from his room for breakfast claiming he was not hungry, prompting Applejack to very pointedly make sure the sprig of wheat was still in his mouth. They could hardly make him do anything he did not want to, and so left him be for the time, but as Great Graven started towards the door the red colt reappeared.

“Ahhh, finally got hungry did ya?” Great Graven said with a smile, glad to see his son up again.

“Actually pah, ah was gonna ask if ah could go out applebuckin’ with ya.” Big Macintosh said and looked down with embarrassment, “Ah don’t want t’ be a burden on y'all. Now that ah have this yoke ah can applebuck with no chance o’ accidently bucking one down, so...”

Great Graven looked his son over and gave a slight smile that could have been taken as a sad smile. He thought it was a great idea, something to ease Big Macintosh back into a normal life. Work would be good for the colt; it would help him work through all that stuff he was keeping inside, “Well ah-”

“No,” Valencia cut in and gave her answer before Great Graven could finish. The two red pony’s looked over to her and seeing the stern on her face, the older knew that meant the conversation was over. Great Graven might have disagreed with his wife, but he respected her too much to contradict her in front of others, the younger was not so wise.

“But why not?” Big Macintosh said taking a step past his father to face his mother properly.

“You can’t just pick and choose what you’re going and not going to do Mackie. You have obligations just like any pony and if you want to work on the farm you’re going to have to go to school first.” Valencia said firmly, she had already heard Big Macintosh’s plan from Unistra and knew that she could not let him do it; it was just another way for him to run away from the things he did not want to deal with.

“Ah can’t go, ah can’t be ‘round normal ponies,” Big Macintosh protested.

“Then you can’t work on the farm either, that’s final,” Valencia said firmly, Big Macintosh wanted to argue further but he could see that it would do him no good. He looked to his father for support but Great Graven just shook his head. He very much wanted Big Macintosh to come out with him, but he knew Valencia was right to a degree and any arguments he might want to voice would have to wait until they could talk about it alone.

Big Macintosh started to speak several times, but each argument died on his tongue before he could speak it. In the end, the only response he could muster was an angry snort before turning and trudging up to his room.

Unistra entered Celestia’s throne room only a few short minutes after arriving in Canterlot, the princess of all Equestria sat on a raised dais. White pegasus guards flanked either side of the stairs outfitted in golden armor. The room was grand and reeked of power and authority that fitted the beautiful unicorn pegasus that proceeded over it all. However, Celestia did not radiate the power and authority one might expect, instead, there was a warmth around her that remained most ponies of their mother. There was not a pony in the nation that would not throw themselves between the princess and danger and no simple air of authority could match that kind of power.

“Welcome my old friend,” Princess Celestia said softly as the old unicorn bowed to the princess.

“I take it you are trying to be funny Celestia considering how old you are and how old I look,” Unistra said up to the princess who was now only a foot above her. Whether the dais was an illusion that made the princess look out of reach to those who entered the throne room or it really altered its height according to Princess Celestia’s will was something no pony, including Unistra, knew. She had learned to ignore it, just like she had learned to speak with the princess like she was just like any of her other ‘old’ friends. It was something that Princess Celestia rarely enjoyed and Unistra loved to see her princess happy.

Celestia laughed softly, “Of course not Unistra. I actually think that time is starting to take its toll on me, but it has only refined you beauty. I doubt I will be so lucky in the future.”

Unistra shook her head with a smile, “Oh yes my dear princess, I dare say it should not be less than another millennium before you start developing a wrinkle.”

They shared a laugh at that, but it quickly died as more sobering thoughts began to spread through the air. “By the urgency of your arrival and your request to see me I take it you confirmed that young Big Macintosh is a Titan earth pony.”

Unistra’s eyes dipped to the floor as she sat down and wondered how exactly to explain what she had discovered. She looked back up at the princess whose eyes betrayed an eagerness that Unistra had never seen from the princess. “I am afraid that it is more complicated than that Celestia. He is definitely a Titan earth pony, even with a maximum power strength draining spell on him he is still stronger than any pony his age.”

The princess nodded at this it sounded like an accurate assessment based on her experience, but what was this complication? Princess Celestia looked to the old mare not pushing for an answer but waiting for her to find the right words. With no better way to break the news, Unistra simply let out a sigh, “It appears that he is a Kinetisis pony as well.”

The princess’ eyes shot open with surprise, something else Unistra had never seen on Princess Celestia’s face, and the princess stood up and quickly trotted down the dais to stand in front of the chocolate mare. “You are sure about this Unistra, he truly has both abilities?”

“Yes Princess I am sure,” Unistra looked to a stain glass window that depicted the legendary clash between Titan and Shooting Star, the world threatening to be torn apart by the power of the two ponies. “I know that the legend says that Shooting Star power could grant him the strength to rival that of Titan, but Big Macintosh is not practiced enough to do such a thing. He can use his kinetic abilities to discharge energy blasts, but that is about all he can do voluntarily.”

She looked back at the Princess, “I did not see him use that ability myself, but his sister has on numerous occasions and I saw some conclusive evidence myself. It seems his abilities have caused him a great deal of social isolation, when I arrived he had slipped into a catatonic state not sleeping, eating or even drinking for weeks. He was feeding off his kinetic energy by reflex, it was the only way he could have survived. Even in the presences of a strong energy draining spell, he continued to operate normally...”

Chapter Six: Rows of Ivory

Chapter Six
Rows of Ivory

“...and ah couldn’t find the Witchy Mare anywhere, it was like she just disappeared.” Applejack said trotting next to her mother, who had a substantial saddlebag slung over her back. They were heading out to the orchard to bring Great Graven his lunch. Valencia had planned on talking to her husband about what had transpired that morning, but the presence of Applejack put thoughts of such a conversation on hold. Valencia and Great Graven rarely argued, but when they did, it was a silent agreement that they did not do it in front of the children. Valencia had told her daughter to wait at home for her to come back, but the filly insistently followed her mother telling her about her failed attempt to find Unistra. Deep down Valencia was relieved, it meant the argument would be put on hold for a little while longer.

“Applejack! I told you not to call Unistra that it’s inappropriate to call your elders such things, especially when she did so much to help Mackie.” Valencia said sharply, Applejack was about to argue that the Witchy Mare did not mind being called that, but thought better not to. Her mother had been in a bad mood all morning ever since she had told Big Macintosh that he could not go applebucking with his father. She kept wondering if her mother was right to refuse let Big Macintosh help their father, she'd looked incredibly sad when she had found Big Macintosh laying up in his room and do nothing was hard on her.

“Still how do ya think she disappeared like that Mah?” Applejack furrowed her brow.

“I don’t know, earth ponies aren’t meant to understand unicorn magic,” Valencia said brushing off the question as unimportant; she did not want her daughter bugging the old mare anyway. However, seeing her daughter’s face droop in disappointment at her response Valencia relented and said, “Maybe you can ask her next time she visits.”

Applejack brightened up at that, she could not wait for the Witchy Mare to come visit again.

They continued to trot through the orchard looking for Great Graven, oddly he was not where he was supposed to be working that day and there was no sign of where he went. Mother and daughter began searching through the rows of apple trees quickly coming to the edge of the orchard where regular trees mixed with the apple trees and the orchard started to look like a natural forest. They called out to him but there was no answer and they were starting to get concerned, the trees were eerily quiet and the wandering clouds the pegasi had left in the sky that day cast gloomy shadows among the trees.

The pair jumped at the sudden snap of a branch and turned to see a large figure emerge from the shadow of the trees. “Ah thought that was you girls ah was hearin’. Darn wild trees, can’t hear nothin’ through ‘em.” Great Graven said trotting eagerly towards them, thinking more about his impending lunch than his own strange wandering.

Valencia smiled at the appearance of her husband and shook her head at her own silly fear. She started towards him ready to scold him for wandering off when a huge three headed monster leaped from the trees Great Graven had emerged from. Her greeting turned into a scream of warning as the surprisingly silent monster bore down on Great Graven its central loin head bare-fanged and claws extended from its cat-like paws.

Great Graven reacted before he truly even had time to register the danger, bucking out automatically with his powerful hind legs. His hooves smashed into the lion head hard breaking the creature’s charge, saving his own life. The moment his hooves touched the ground he leaped out of the way with all the speed he could muster, the dazed monster weakly swiped his claws out at the red stallion but only managed to rake three shallow scratches into Great Graven’s flank.

Great Graven turned to face the huge creature who thrashed in wild anger shaking its head as if trying to shake off the pain of the blow. Being a big fan of the Titan legends Great Graven recognized the three heads, serpent tail and meshed body of a lion, dragon, and goat, it was a chimera. His first impulse was to run, but he realized there was no way he would be able to outrun the creature especially once it took to the air.

As the chimera recovered from the blow Great Graven knew he would have to stand and fight, if for no other reason than to give the girls a chance to escape. The creature charged him again, but this time he was ready, rearing up he kicked at the lion head again shouting, “Run!”

The creature was ready for him as well this time and ducked under the stallion’s kick and slammed into him knocking Great Graven onto his back, the creature to fall upon him. The lion head snapped at Great Graven’s head, but he managed to twist it left or right clear of the beast's jaws. Fortunately, the goat head’s horns could not reach him on the ground, but the dragon head had no such problem craning around to sink its teeth into Great Graven’s neck.

Great Grave cried out in pain but with a surge of adrenalin he kicked up with all his strength slamming his hooves into the chimera’s stomach, knocking the wind from the creature and with another push shoved the larger creature off of him.

Tears stained her face as Valencia watched her husband fight an impossible battle. She knew she should be running but her legs would not move; they would not let her abandon her love. She shook away the tears and her fear seemed to leave her features as she steeled herself for what she was about to do. “Applejack, run home, run as fast as you can and get your brother.” She said as she threw off her heavy saddle bag.

“But mah...” Applejack started her own face streaked with far more tears and fear than her mother’s had been.

“I said go, now!” Valencia shouted sharply causing Applejack’s protests died on her lips. She backed up several steps from her mother’s hard glare before turning and running. Valencia’s features softened and became mournful as she mouthed to herself, “I sorry AJ.”

Great Graven jumped back onto his feet as soon as the chimera was off him craning his head involuntarily to one side to protect his newest injury. He watched the terrible beast pull itself back to its feet as well. It seemed to have some trouble managing its extra limbs, head, and size, but Great Graven did not dare attack the flailing mass of razor sharp claws and hooves.

The Chimera thrashed wildly roaring, growling, baying and hissing all at once, and Great Graven realized just how lucky he had been. The creature did not seem to know how to deal with resistance, having its prey fight back. Finally the chimera steady itself once again and its fierce eyes fell on Great Graven, all of its hate was projected through those eyes and it began pacing back and forth as if studying the red stallion.

The chimera reared up on its goat legs, its heads roaring and baying, its wings out, tail hissing, paws clawing the air. It was clearly trying to intimidate him; fear was the enemy of any combatant, Great Graven knew this and hated how well it was working. He readied himself for the monster’s charge, he doubted could not take survive another direct confrontation. Great Graven would have to try and dodge the immense girth of the creature.

The chimera dropped down to all fours and charged, barreling at great Graven with all the power of a pony drawn train. Suddenly it was barely ten feet from him and Great Graven realized he’d never be able to jump out of the creature’s reach. He closed his eyes for a moment to gather his strength.

Suddenly there was the sound of two bodies colliding and a defiant high pitched cry. Great Graven’s eyes snapped open to see surprise painted across the chimera’s face as it stumbled, its charge broken, and crashed to the ground falling over itself. Stepping back from the felled creature was Valencia panting from all the energy she had put into her charge, but looking fiercer than he had ever seen her before.

Relief immediately gave way to a fear so intense that it stole his breath and he shook his head in denial. “Ah told ya t’ run, ya have t’ git outta here now,” Great Graven shouted desperately.

Valencia fixed her fierce eyes on her husband, “And I told you the day we were married that I would stick by you no matter what.”

Great Graven took a step forward and opened his mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Maybe it was the look of unquestioning determination that she wore that silenced him, it certainly was not her words that convinced him, more likely it was that he understood that truth just as she did. Neither of them had a chance of surviving this fight alone, and even together they had no chance of defeating a chimera. Their only hope was to hold out until Big Macintosh got there, hold out together.

The farmhouse was finally visible through the watery haze that completely enveloped Applejack’s vision. It was evident by her dirty coat and bloody knees that she had stumbled and fell many times in her frantic run, but she had never once stopped. She reached the door and kicked it open causing it to bang loudly against the wall. The band was quickly followed by the sound of Apple Bloom’s wailing, the tiny foal protesting that loud sudden noise. Granny Smith appeared at the entrance to the scolding the little filly before even properly seeing the state Applejack was in.

“Big Macintosh!” Applejack shouted completely ignoring her grandmother and tearing up the stairs. Big Macintosh stepped out of his room just as she reached the door his concern multiplying seeing the state she was in. “Oh mah Celestia, Applejack what happened?”

“There was this monster... it attacked pa and ma told me t’ come get ya and... and... Big Macintosh ya have t’ help ‘em!” Applejack stumbled through her explanation burying her face into her big brother chest and Big Macintosh’s concern turned to white hot fear. He tore past his sister without another word, down the stairs jumping the last five. Granny Smith asked him what was going on, but he did not have time to answer her, he had to get to his parents. He slid to a stop at the front door realizing that he had no idea where they were. He turned back tearing past Granny Smith and shouted up the stairs, “Applejack where are they?”

Applejack appeared at the top of the stairs, “They’re ahh... northern center near the forest... ah think.” Big Macintosh threw off his yoke and spat out the spring of wheat all the while fighting the urge to yell at her for more precise directions. That would be pointless, by the state of her she had run home blind and she was too young to know the orchard well, he couldn’t blame her for that.

He tore past the still confused and growingly concerned Granny Smith and out the front door, splintering it to pieces in his haste. Applejack would have to explain things, for he did not have time; he leaped off the porch not bothering with a single step and hit the ground running.

The Chimera recovered from the shock of being knocked down by the unseen opponent and rose back up to its feet. Great Graven and Valencia prepared themselves for the beast’s next attack, it could attack either one of them and the other had to be ready to counterattack. They remained a good distance from one another so the beast would not be able to attack them both at once. Then something they had not expected happened, the Chimera started to laugh.

None of the three heads seemed to be moving in accordance with the laughter, in fact, each seemed locked in its usual snarling animal rage. “That’s such a sweet sentiment, ‘I would stick by you no matter what’, it could only be better if you said in his silly accent.”

The voice spoke now; its words still dripping with dark amusement, like the whole thing was a sick game. The voice was coming from the chimera but neither pony could see from where exactly. Then a serpent came slithering up the chimera’s back, but if the creature noticed it did not care. The snake reared up and spoke, “It must have been almost a century since the last time I terrorized one of you ponies, but I don’t remember it ever being this much fun.”

Suddenly the Apples realized that the snake was the chimera’s tail. “You can talk?” Valencia asked earning an amused nod from the serpent.

“Then y'all can stop this,” Great Graven said taking a step towards the chimera. “There ain’t no reason t’ fight, we can talk this out. Whatever the reason was that got ya all riled up it weren’t us that caused it, ah swear.” Valencia looked from her husband to the monster watching it carefully. She did not see much point in trying to talk to the monster, it attacked them with no provocation and would have killed her husband already if it had the chance.

The chimera’s snake-tail lazily wrapped itself around its lion head slithering up to its ear. “That is true, it was not the two of you that wronged me.” The snake-tail spoke into the twitching lion ear as if it was whispering to itself rather than to them. “But I was wronged and you two know the cultrate quite well.” The snake-tail slither back from the lion head and onto the dragon head’s scaly neck. “His scent is all over both of you,” It slither between the spikes on the back of dragon’s head neck. “He leveled the forest around my home then collapsed it on me, such a feat is one neither of you could have accomplished.”

“Big Macintosh,” The pair gasped.

“Aah good,” the snake-tail smiled sliding back from the heads, “It’s always good to know the name of one’s victim. Not that you two garner such consideration, you’re just pests here annoying me!” The snake-tail snapped back out of sight as the chimera charged towards Valencia.

Valencia’s mind reeled with what she had just learned, this creature was here for Big Macintosh and she had just sent Applejack to get him. When she thought that the chimera was just a mindless monster she knew they needed Big Macintosh’s strength to have any chance of driving the monster off. Knowing now that the monster was after Big Macintosh her instincts screamed at her to protect her child at any cost.

The chimera gave a flap of its wings and leaped into the air, its wings carrying the bulk of its weight up. It bared teeth and claws ready to drop on the yellow mare, but before it could reach her a red figure slammed into the chimera’s side. The two fell over each other rolling in mid air, the chimera dropped like a stone and hit the ground with a tremendous thud while the red figure rolled over the chimera hit the ground and rolled several more feet before coming to a stop.

Valencia thought for a moment that Big Macintosh had already found them, but as the red stallion stood up she realized it was her husband. He pushed himself weakly to his hooves his wounds opened anew and the rest of his body was now covered in dirt and scratches. He looked over to her and shouted, “Hurry... get away from ‘im!”

Valencia looked over to see the chimera getting back up slowly, dazed by the sudden blow and crash to the ground. Valencia renewed her vicious glare, ignored her husband’s words, and charged towards the creature her hooves ready to smash the lion head. “I won’t let you near my son!”

There was a sudden rush of air and Valencia realized that she had been struck by one of the chimera’s powerful wings. The force of the blow sent the yellow mare soaring through the air. She hit the ground hard, the pain finally catching up with her as she tumbled across the ground like a rag doll.

“No,” Great Graven shouted as his wife lay motionless on the ground. He steeled himself against the panic that crept up from his chest and wrapped around his throat and charged the chimera’s exposed flank.

The chimera had not forgotten about him yet, its dragon head snapped around and breathed forth a stream of fire from its mouth creating a sudden intense wall of flame across Great Graven’s path. The red stallion’s instincts took over and he slid to a stop right in front of the wall, his eyes burned painfully from the intense light and heat.

The chimera clawed the ground in anticipation as it turned all of its attention back to Valencia. The fierce mare had gotten back to her hooves and was staring hard at the monster trying to ignore the pain that coursed through her body. The chimera might want to deal with the mare without the interference of her husband, but she would not go along with that. The blow had knocked some sense back into the yellow mare, fighting the chimera head on was ridiculous, she had to regroup with Great Graven, they would not survive without each other. She looked the scene over and made a plan, it was a hasty dangerous plan, but she did not have time to come up with a better one.

In Valencia’s youth, she had been quite the soccer player. In fact, most ponies thought that she would get a soccer ball as a cutie mark. She had not of course, but Valencia had never regretted that, but she did not stop playing either. Her cutie mark was about bringing all different kinds of ponies together into something wonderful, she had done that with her team and she had done that with her family. Her special talent was not very helpful right then, but she did remember some good advice from her coach that did: “When you can’t go around your opponent, go over them.”

Valencia ran several paces towards the chimera then leaped gracefully into the air. The chimera started forward to intercept her, slid to a halt staring up at the soaring pony. The lion head roared angrily finding she was out of the reach of his snapping jaws, but the dragon head’s neck was not so short and it stretched up to snap her out of the air, just as she planned.

Valencia kicked down with her forelegs slamming the dragon head jaw shut and kicked off its snout like a springboard. However, now she was soaring the wrong direction towards the chimera’s flank and more precisely it's flapping wing. Valencia coiled in her legs and twisted them towards the left wing, she touched down on the solidly muscled wing and kicked off again. She knew the wings had to have some muscle to them to keep the huge creature aloft. Her strong legs and the push of the wing would carry her over the wall of fire, the only problem left was how to land, or so Valencia thought.

“Did you forgot about me?” A voice seemed to whisper and before she could look back there was a sharp stab of twin fangs in her flank. Valencia looked to see the snake-tail let go and smile up at her, time seemed to slow. The legends said that a single drop of chimera venom was fatal to a pony, and by the burning in her leg, there had been far more.

Valencia’s daring jump carried her away from the creature at a speed it could not possibly stop, and before the other heads even realized what had happened the mare had been carried over the wall of fire. Her head spun wildly and all she could think was, “I’m dead.” By the time she remembered she was hurtling towards the ground it was too late. She hit the ground full force bouncing at least once and rolling several feet, but to her, everything had already gone black.

“Celestia no,” Was all Great Graven could get out as he rushed to Valencia’s side, his vision still spotted. His breath was ragged as he looked her over for any sign of life, eventually, his eyes fell upon the two fang holes in her flank. Great Graven’s mind instantly made the connection and tears began to spill from his eyes, “NO!”

There was a blast of hot air and a loud ‘thud’ as the chimera calmly crossed over the wall of fire, “I do wish I’d had more time to get a better taste.” The snake-tail’s voice was like an icy dagger stabbing into his back and a tremor passed through Great Graven. He turned to face the monster, tears still seeping from his now steelie hateful eyes. “My kills always seems so... less personal than theirs.” Great Graven whipped around and charged neighing with all the savagery of a wild stallion, the reasoning pony who had begged the chimera to stop was completely gone.

The dragon head took in a long breath and expelled a torrent of fire at the red stallion, but the enraged Great Graven had more speed then the chimera anticipated. He ducked under the blast and somehow found more speed. “Yes, that’s it!” The snake-tail cheered with an insane eagerness as Great Graven slid to a stop under the dragon’s mouth, and without wasting a moment he sprung up with all his might slamming the dragon’s maw shut. The dragon head was forced to swallow the fire back down. The fire filled the dragon head’s neck, mouth and even its nose finding any small unprotected piece of flesh and searing it painfully.

As the dragon head reeled back in agony the lion head swung over, its jaws ready to snap over Great Graven’s head, but the half-mad stallion was ready. He kicked out with all his strength slamming his forehooves into the loin head’s eye and upper lip. The lion head reeled from the blow blinded in its good eye, the other one already swelling from Great Graven’s first kick, and from its mouth dropped an ivory fang.

Great Graven did not wait for the heads to recover, he leaped up onto the creature’s back, and stared hard at the still smirking snake-tail huffing and snorting with rage. “IS THIS PERSONAL ENOUGH-” Great Graven gasped, his words catching in his throat as his breath was suddenly stolen from him, his eyes agape with shock.

“Quite,” the snake-tail smiled and the red stallion’s body shuttered as the horns of the goat head dug a little deeper into his side before it threw him off with a sharp flick of its head. Great Graven sailed over the other heads and fell to the ground like a rag doll.

Author's Note

Sorry guys, I don't know what happened, posting just totally slipped my mind.

Chapter Seven: Monsters' Duel

The first sight of the battle Big Macintosh saw was the plume of smoke rising up out of the trees and he was thankful for it. Applejack’s directions had been as inaccurate as he had thought they would be. Once he reached the edge of the northern side of the field he had no idea where to go, but the rising smoke pointed him as true as a compass, and as he got closer he heard the battle and the savage neighing of his father.

Big Macintosh rushed towards the sound of the fighting, hoping that he was not too late. He burst onto the scene as the goat’s horns stabbed into his father’s side and Big Macintosh felt his breath being stolen along with his father’s as he watched the monster casually throw his father’s limp body away. As his eyes watched his father’s body fall they found their way to his mother who lay still just a few feet away. Big Macintosh struggled to breathe, pain and loss wrapped around his throat and choked him. He managed a few steps before collapsing to the ground the grief too much to stand.

The chimera and Big Macintosh looked at each other, but it was the chimera who was the first to speak, taking in a deep breath, “Ahh there you are, it’s Big Macintosh right. I would know your scent anywhere.” The snake-tail was still the only one speaking and thought the goat head was basking in its victory the other two were coughing, snarling, and thrashing in pain.

“You... what?” Big Macintosh’s mind was a jumble of emotions and thoughts all struggling to be heard and felt causing a numb shock to paralyze him. The chimera seemed pleased by this and made no move to attack the red colt in his dazed state, such a kill would not bring him justice.

“Who am I, Why have I done this?” The chimera scoffed, “Your parents didn’t know either, typical ignorant ponies.” Big Macintosh’s eyes became hard and narrowed at the chimera’s insult, but the chimera’s snake-tail just smiled back smugly, “This is all your doing.”

Big Macintosh's went wide at that, and the snake-tail nodded, the other head’s beginning to recover. “You destroyed my home in the Everfree forest and nearly killed me,” The memory of Big Macintosh’s mad rage and the destruction he caused in the Everfree forest came back to his mind in a flash. “You shouldn’t have left the job half finished.”

Big Macintosh shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, his body shivering and recoiling like it was trying to deny the terrible truth, and just as he thought the pain could not get any worse the chimera added, “You killed your parents.”

“No!” Big Macintosh shouted back in what sounded like the voice of a scolded foal caught. “Y'all killed them, over what ah did, ya shoulda killed me!”

The snake-tail shook its head, “No you see Big Macintosh when you wrong a chimera you wrong all four head, and each one is entitled to retribution. I took your mother,” the snake-tail said proudly then slithered around the goat head, “And this one took your father. One of these two,” The snake-tail indicated towards the lion and dragon heads, “Will get you and the last will get that little filly messenger I let go and get you.”

Big Macintosh’s mind flashed with horrible images of the chimera finding not only Applejack at the farm house but Granny Smith and Apple Bloom. At that though rage broke through the mess of emotions and took control. Big Macintosh jumped to his hooves and charged at the three-headed monster snorting and neighing wildly, a half-sized copy of his father.

The Chimera snarled almost joyfully charging to meet the wild colt head on, the longer dragon head striking out to snap up the colt in a single bite. Big Macintosh dodged to the right a moment before the jaws would have snapped shut around him.

The lion head roared as it lurched forward blindly trying to snap the colt in half, but with speed, the chimera could not follow Big Macintosh jumped up and slammed a shoulder full force into the lion head’s nose. The chimera was rocked by a force stronger than any it had ever felt before, the loin head snapped back and the chimera was pushed back several feet. It looked like a house cat battling a bear and overpowering it.

The chimera shook its lion head reeling from the awesome blow, and watched as the colt leaped at it again. The chimera quickly swiped at colt with its immense paw, the blow hit the colt like a wall and flung him several feet from the much larger monster. The chimera looked surprised then growled with pleasure. It had always known whoever had destroyed its home was an undersized pony of incredible power, the hoof prints left in the trees made that evident. However, it was still surprised by Big Macintosh’s strength and was worried about what the spry little powerhouse could do, but the chimera realized now that it did not matter how strong the colt was, for the monster’s size and weight meant the chimera could beat him around like a ball of string.

Big Macintosh picked himself up and charged the chimera again with all the wild fury he had, his eyes still steely and filled with rage as if he had never stopped charging. The chimera’s snake-tail smirked as its paw casually batted the colt away like he was nothing, it did not even bother to extend its claws. Big Macintosh hit the ground hard and rolled several feet, but was back on his hooves as soon as he stopped rolling, not even slowed down by the blow.

The chimera huffed angrily at the colt; there was no fear in him, no insight in the way he fought, and no fun in fighting such an opponent. The chimera loved to take apart brave warriors turn their strategies against them and smell the fear grow in them, there was no joy in battle without these things.

Big Macintosh closed the gap between them in a moment, his anger fueled by the knowledge that his mother’s body lay lifeless choked with poison and images of his father thrown casually aside his life blood pouring from him. For the first time he did not regret his abilities, “Ah’ll make ya pay!” Big Macintosh shouted and jumped at the monster, then suddenly he was falling away from the chimera again, his head ringing and his body ached like he had been hit by a brick wall.

He realized this time he had been hit by the chimera’s massive paw, it easily covered half the colt’s body and hurtling through the air made him an easy target. Big Macintosh hit the ground tumbling like a discarded apple core, but he was back on his hooves as soon as he stopped rolling. He was dizzy from the hard roll across the ground rather than hurt, his thick Titan hide protecting him.

Big Macintosh growled angrily feeling more power build up in him, he cursed its uselessness, for all the power was useless if he could get close to the chimera. Big Macintosh turned back to the monster his head low snorting in rage and pawing at the ground, but the chimera was gone.

The tall red colt looked one way then the other, but it was gone only its shadow was left. Big Macintosh realized that did not make sense, something had to be there to cast a shadow. Then the ringing in his ears finally stopped and he could hear the beating of wings.

Big Macintosh looked up and there it was flying above sneering down at the landlocked pony. Big Macintosh’s teeth clenched angrily as he stared hatefully up at the flying murderer the heat building up in him. Flames danced on the fangs of the dragon head, but all the green eyes of the colt could see was the three faces alight with laughter.

“Come down here and fight!” Big Macintosh shouted with all the anger of a helpless colt and all the pain of an orphaned pony, rearing up and stomping the ground with all his might in a futile rage. Suddenly the power within him rushed out and into the ground which split and cracked with a jagged light that streamed towards the flying monster. When it was under the chimera it surged up out of the ground a massive ball of light still connected to the ground by a ribbon of white hot light.

The chimera had taken to the air not to mock the little pony but to burn him to nothing with its dragon breath, it had grown tired of playing ping-pong with the red colt and decided to end him. Still, the chimera had enjoyed the impudent little pony’s angry shouting but was caught totally off guard by the strange terrain light show and the micro white sun that came from it. Before caution could take hold in the monster’s mind it was overcome by curiosity. It looked into the fantastic glow of the object trying to understand what it was, that was when it exploded. The white hot energy washed over it burning the chimera painfully, but not as painfully as the burning in its blinded eyes. All three heads cried out in pain, the dragon head released its fire breath wildly in every direction as it shook itself frantically in pain. It was like nothing the formidable creature had ever felt before; it coursed through every inch of its body paralyzing it. Its body just could not work in that much pain, its wings seized up and it fell.

Big Macintosh was almost as confused as the chimera; that was the energy that had built up in him, he knew that, but it had never been that big, that powerful. He had never thought of attacking something with it, he had always thought it was just light.

He saw the chimera falling from the sky, now was his chance the monster did not look like it would be able to smack him away this time. Big Macintosh summoned up his considerable strength and leaped full force at the plummeting monster slamming into it. The chimera gasped in shock at the sudden unexpected attack rolling back from the force. Now it was falling upside down and the powerful Titan colt was on its soft belly as it slammed into the ground.

Big Macintosh looked down at the monster stirring weakly trying to get back on its feet. The red colt snorted and clenched his teeth, “Ya killed them!” He shouted rearing up and slamming his hooves down on the chimera’s chest. “It’s all yer fault,” He slammed down again earning a painful cry from the three-headed monster. “It’s all yer fault their dead,” This time there was a distinct crack as several of the creature's ribs broke. If the colt had a moment to think he might have found it odd that the chimera was able to survive so many of his blows, as if he was, through all his rage and pain, holding back against even his parents’ murderer.

“Who are you really saying that to?” Big Macintosh turned to see the unblinded snake-tail lunge at his flank. He tried to jump out of the way, but he could not hope to match the speed of the snake-tail and he felt the fanged mouth close over his flank.

There was no sting, but a sense of dread fell over Big Macintosh, he too had heard the legend of the chimera’s deadly poison bite. He turned to face the snake-tail and for a moment thought it wore a mocking imitation of his own dread expression.

“Your skin... it’s like leather armor, what are you?” Big Macintosh looked at it with confusion then glanced down at his flank. There were no fang marks, in fact, his flank was totally unmarred by the battle.

“Let us see if your face is as tough,” the snake-tail snarled and lunged again at the red colt. This time Big Macintosh was ready easily sidestepping the snake-tail’s strike, however, rather than flee beyond the snake-tail reach he lunged forward and grabbed it by its neck just under the head. The snake-tail head thrashed back and forth trying to bite at the colt, but could only manage to move a few centimeters.

“Damn it,” the snake-tail cursed realizing it could get free or bite the colt. “Well, my damned little pony I wonder if your insides are as tough as your hide.” The snake-tail hissed angrily thrashing itself around trying to wrap around the red colt.

Big Macintosh caught sight of his mother again, his teeth clenched angrily and the snake-tail cried out in pain its body flailing until a stomp from the colt stilled it again. Crushing the snake-tail’s head would be too quick for what it had done, so he jumped off the monster stomach pulling the snake-tail with him. He pulled the snake-tail straight and low to the ground then quickly reversed his position and stomped down on it and pulled up with all his strength.

“No! You can’t do this,” the snake-tail cried out and the main body started to struggle again realizing just what the colt was doing, but it was too late. There was a pop followed by a splat and Big Macintosh tossed the last half-foot of the snake-tail on to the ground where it writhed wildly. “There now ya can die slowly like m’ mah did.”

The chimera staggered back to its feet swaying in confusion and dizzy at the loss of its snake-tail, but sight had returned to the three heads. Though the snake-tail was the one that spoke and seemed to reason it was not the solely intelligent head, however, the loss of any head, and therefore a quarter of its sense, was a serious blow to the creature. The eyes of the three remaining heads fell on the red colt whose green eyes glared steely back. Whatever the colt was the chimera did not want to fight it anymore. The monster turned and fled taking to the air, previously unfelt fear pushing it to fly faster than it ever had before.

Big Macintosh snorted angrily allowing only a moment of indecision to pass before galloping after the fleeing monster. The red colt dodged through the trees his eyes never leaving the monster, his kinetisis powers pushing him to go even faster than he normally could. His glare intensified and his anger grew deeper, why had he not thought of this sooner? He summoned up the energy that was growing within him and using it to strengthen his he gave a might push, never taking his eyes off the chimera, and leaped high into the air shouting, “Ah can fly to.”

The chimera looked back and jolted with fear, the red colt-thing was still coming for it and now it was flying.

Big Macintosh landed on the moving creature quite well for a non-flying pony, meaning of course that he crashed into it falling across its back and nearly tumbling off. He grabbed a tuft of fur in his mouth and clung on for dear life.

The chimera quickly realized it had the advantage in the air and began to bank left and right, up and down sharply trying to shake off the colt-thing. Unfortunately for the chimera, the red colt-thing was not nearly weak enough to let go and far too light to break the strong fibers of its fur.

Big Macintosh smacked up and down on the chimera’s back his strength growing with each slam. He struggled and finally managed to get his leg under him long enough to shoot forward like a bullet slamming his head into the back of the loin head’s skull and grabbed a mouthful of its mane to hang onto.

The chimera’s wild banking became a weak wobble as a wave of nausea passed through the monster. The dragon head concentrated on flying, but the goat head reared itself back stabbing at the colt-thing with its sharp horns.

Big Macintosh opened his eyes in time to see the horns coming at him, and quickly let go of the mane. He was swept back safely out of danger tumbling across the chimera`s back and grabbed into its thick fur again. Green eyes glared up at the horns that had killed his father, with an angry snort Big Macintosh got his feet under him again and launched himself at the goat head. Reaching it he wrapped a foreleg around each horn and held on as the goat head thrashed back and forth trying to run him through from impossible angles.

Big Macintosh began to strain as he pulled the horns together with all his might. The goat head bayed painfully shaking itself wildly trying to stop the insanely strong colt, but Big Macintosh held fast. Soon there was an audible crack followed by a loud snap as the two horns broke free from the goat head, which shook and threw itself back in denial.

Without the horns to anchor him Big Macintosh was flung back by the thrashing head and high cold winds. He clutched the broken horns in his forelegs instinctively clinging to something solid, but this time there was no fur to grab onto, just open air to fall through. The red colt flipped through the air, ground, sky and monster fusing into a jumbled mess until suddenly he slammed into something solid. It was like a leather mattress and his collision with it caused a sudden cry of pain from the dragon head. Big Macintosh opened his eyes and realized that the horns had become deeply embedded into whatever he had slammed into and even in his dazed state he still managed to cling to the horns and save himself from falling.

The chimeras wing recoiled automatically at the pain of the red colt-thing stabbing its own horns into its wing. The sudden loss caused the chimeras already shaky flight to completely destabilize and the huge monster began to spiral towards the ground. The dragon head glared back at the red colt-thing who opened his eyes and looked around in confusion, and a new hate was born in the chimera for the red colt-thing. The chimera flapped its remaining wing turning its body so its bad wing was under it, steadying its fall to maintain its position. These actions did nothing to ease its own fall, it did not care about the injuries it would suffer anymore, now its every thought was to kill the hated colt-thing whatever the cost.

By the time Big Macintosh regained his senses he realized that where there should be sky, there was instead ground that was rapidly coming closer. There was no time to think or act, all Big Macintosh could do was brace himself for the impact. He thought he heard the sound of snapping branches then there was a loud bang as his head hit the ground and a wave of dizziness that comes with hitting one’s head. He felt the immense mass of the chimera press down on top of him forcing the air from his lungs, and the rough grit of the ground as they slid along it. Despite all this Big Macintosh`s first coherent thought was that it should have hurt more.

Then the pain washed over him, pulsing and burning like a ball of fire in his chest. It was the pain of the kinetic energy building up in his chest, but he had never built up so much before and it felt as if it would burst forth from his chest and consume him; he had to get it out.

Big Macintosh used all his will to push the energy out, letting go of all the careful control he had developed and released the energy not caring what form it took just so long as he got it out. The energy left him in its purest form a wave of kinetic energy that would slam into anything that got in its way with all the force that Big Macintosh had absorbed when he was driven into the ground by the chimera. There was only one place for it to go.

When the wave hit the chimera, it was like hitting the ground a second time. Its pain became white hot and darkness danced on the edge of its vision. It could not believe that after all it had survived, after all the enemies that had fallen before its collective might that it could have been defeated by such a puny creature as this colt-thing. At least the pony-thing would die with it that was better than being defeated outright. That thought was truly a comfort to the monster allowing it to close its eyes and let itself succumb to the darkness of unconsciousness. Then the chimera felt movement beneath it and the darkness was thrown back and its eyes shot open, the colt-thing was still alive.

Big Macintosh finally managed to pull himself out from beneath the chimera`s body and slowly managed to push himself onto his hooves, only to almost crash to the ground again when a sharp pain tore through his hind right leg. The titan earth pony looked back curiously at the leg which he now held up protectively. He had never been hurt before, not physically anyway, and might have been scared of the alien sensation if he had any fear left in him. At the moment he did not feel anything, not anger or sorrow not even relief that the battle seemed to be over. So when the chimera turned itself over and slowly began to crawl towards him using its clawed lion paws to pull itself forward, eyes full of hate and rage and foam dripping from its snarling, mouths Big Macintosh was not afraid.

“Yer... your... I’ll... it’s...” The creature wheezed desperately trying to use its loin head to threaten the red colt-thing, even if it took its last breath to do so.

Big Macintosh watched the broken monster crawl towards him trying to feel something for the creature that had killed his parents, but he did not. He even remembered the feeling of anger that had driven him to fight so hard, but he could not feel it anymore. So rather than finishing off the monster or offering to help it he merely turned his flank to the creature and began to hobble away.

“Don’t you...” The chimera began but whatever its threat or demand was it was cut off by a fit of violent coughing that started with the loin head and spread to the other two. Slowly the red colt-thing retreated from the chimera’s burring vision until he was gone, and finally the Chimera’s strength gave out and it slumped to the ground. As it lay there the darkness once again creeping over its vision the monster realized that it didn’t have the strength to kill the colt-thing... maybe it never did.

Big Macintosh eventually made it out of the forest and back into the orchard where he could get his bearings again. Above him a thin plume of smoke still rose up from the orchard, the chimera’s fire still marked the location where his parents now lay dead. Thankfully the fire had not seemed to have spread; Big Macintosh did not know that a chimera’s fire naturally contained itself resisting spreading and burning down their forest homes.

As Big Macintosh began to climb the last small hill between him and the site of the chimera’s attack he started to prepare himself for the sight. It was not hard, the images of his parents’ bodies, their wounds and where they had fallen had been burned into his mind when he first arrived on the scene. His mother’s body would be seen first, lying still, calm and so unmarred that he could almost convince himself she was merely sleeping. His father’s body held no such illusions lying crumpled with the fatal wounds staring up at him like hallow red eyes. Big Macintosh remembered these images hoping it would not hurt as much to see them this time, then remembered it a second and third time unable to shake the feeling it should have hurt more.

He crested the hill and looked to where his mother body lay, but she was gone and his eyes grew wide; could she still be alive? “Mah... Mah!” Big Macintosh shouted stumbling forward his eyes scanning the area for her.

“Mackie?” Her voice called out weakly and Big Macintosh followed the weak sound of her voice to where she lay, next to his father.

“Mah,” He shouted over and over as he ran to her side stumbling several times as his injured leg slowed him down. Finally reaching her he nuzzled his snout against hers frantically yet with enough control so that he would not hurt her.

“Oh Mackie,” she answered him tears streaming down her face and onto him as she nuzzled him back. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

Big Macintosh stepped back in surprise, “Yer hurt? Ah gotta get ya to a doctor!” He wiped away the tears that stained his face and moved to help her up.

Valencia slowly shook her head, “No Mackie, I’m sorry it’s too late.”

Big Macintosh did not understand, he shook his head about to protest when his clear sad eyes met her faded blood shot ones and he realized she was looking towards him but not at him. She was blind.

“The poison’s slower than I thought, but I can feel it coursing through me, I wouldn’t make it to town. I’m so sorry Mackie.” She leaned forward reaching out for him but he stood just beyond her reach.

Big Macintosh shook his head slowly, “No.” His breathing was labored and he started to shake, “No, no, no, no, NO!” He moved up to her trying to put his head under her neck and pull her up, “Ya have t’ go t’ the doctor.”

“Mackie,” She lowered her head to the ground to stop him, her eyes welling up with fresh tears.

“Ya have t’ be al’ right!” He struggled, rubbing his snout against the underside of her neck trying desperately to help her up without hurting her. He did not know how, she was so weak and delicate, everypony was so weak and delicate it made everything so hard for him.

“Mackie,” Valencia leaned over and nuzzled his side gently. Her touch was like a shock causing him to jump and weakened his efforts to pull her up until he was just weakly rolling his face back and forth against her.

“What about Applejack an’ Apple Bloom an’ Granny Smith. Ya have ta... take care of ‘em.”

Streams poured from the yellow mare’s eyes, she had to force back her sobs and steady her voice. “I’m sorry to put such a burden on you, Mackie. I know it’s been hard for you and now I have to ask more of you.” Valencia moved to rest her head on her son’s, “You’re going to have to take care of your sisters and Granny from now on Mackie.”

“Ah can’t, ah can’t,” Big Macintosh repeated as if his denial would stop her from dying.

“Yes you can Mackie, you are so much stronger than you think you are,” Her tears poured across his face. She hugged him tighter, “And no matter what your father and I will always be with you, no matter what.”

Big Macintosh wiped the tears from his face on the crook of his mother’s neck. He wanted to keep on shouting his refusal and blame her for what happened, for giving up, for dying, but he knew that she was right. It was not her fault and there nothing she could have done, “Ah’ll take care of them Mah, Ah promise.”

“Thank you, Mackie, thank you,” She wanted to tell him again how sorry she was, but it did not feel right to. Big Macintosh knew how sorry she was and she wanted his last memories of her to be a strong pony he could remember and draw strength from rather than a weak pony begging his forgiveness.

Valencia turned back to Great Graven and nuzzled against him. He was gone and his body was still and rapidly cooling, just as she was rapidly weakening. She wished she could see him, it did not feel like he was there anymore, and she wanted to be near her beloved at the end. Valencia could not ever remember feeling so disconnected from Great Graven, any distance they had been separated by was nothing compared to this.

“Mah?” Big Macintosh touched the side of her neck in concern.

Valencia came out of her thoughts and turned back to her son closing her eyes and nuzzling against him again. “I’m here Mackie,” Those were the same words she would whisper to him when he woke from a nightmare and called to her.

The moments crawled by as mother and son lay silently hugging each other trying to deny the inevitable. Soon, however, Valencia was too weak to hold herself up and had to lay her head on the ground. Big Macintosh never once let go of her, “Mackie please promise me something.”

“Anything Mah,” He answered immediately, his eyes were closed as he hugged her to him trying to keep her with him.

“Promise me you’ll go back to school Mackie, I know it’s hard but... do it for me ok.” She said releasing a last exhausted breath.

Big Macintosh nodded without a second thought as if he might bring her back with enough promises. “Ah will Mah ah promise ah will. Ah promise, ah promise...”

Chapter Eight: Changing

Everything changed after Valencia and Great Graven were killed. As word spread through Ponyville ponies who had feared and shunned the titan pony came out in mass to apologize and pay their respects both to the lost members of their community and the pony that had saved them from the chimera’s wrath.

Big Macintosh changed as well, gone was the nervousness and shyness that had been created by the other ponies fear of him, but to was gone any hint of his once colt-like innocence that even his father had carried into adulthood. Big Macintosh had become a stoic figure in the community, pressing on quietly resigned to the duties and hardships life had bestowed on him. He was a pony ponies could rely on to work hard and even just listen, though everypony said his pain could easily be seen in his sad tired eyes.

No pony ever called him freak again and by the time he returned to school Prince Blueblood had left, called away by his aunt, and nopony missed the arrogant prince. However, despite Big Macintosh’s popularity he still seemed to be alone, the tragedy cut him off from the other ponies and kept him isolated. He wore his yoke and carried his sprig of wheat at all times, and soon nopony spoke of his abilities. They faded into a kind of urban legend of Ponyville whispered to foals and newcomers with less and less frequency and were rarely believed.

The Witchy Mare had returned for the Apples’ funeral but she could not manage to help Big Macintosh who had cut himself off from it all. Applejack pressed the Witchy Mare to use her magic to bring her parents back, her young mind unable or unwilling to understand the limits and rules of magic. Unable to help and her own guilt haunting her, Unistra eventually slipped away.

Her parent’s death was very hard on Applejack and no matter what Big Macintosh or Granny Smith said they could not seem to help the little filly. Eventually, she could not stand to be on the farm anymore and decided that she would go and live with her mother’s family in the city, Uncle and Aunt Orange. Applejack said it was because she wanted something more than to stay on a farm her whole life, but Big Macintosh and Granny Smith knew better. She needed to escape the pain and constant reminders of what she had lost, and so they let her go. The day she returned was the first time Big Macintosh could remember truly being happy since his parents’ death.

Applejack eventually grew into a fine young mare who took control of the farm she had been born to inherit. To Big Macintosh, his sister was stronger than he could ever hope to be. Applejack was like their mother and father combined into one, but as independent as she was he knew he would always stay with her, fulfilling his promise to his mother to look after her.

Apple Bloom grew to, of course, every day she seemed to look more and more like their mother, and, although only Granny Smith could see it, the little filly had her father’s personality. Joyful, excitable, and dedicated yet strangely easily distracted at the same time.

The years passed, sometimes slowly, sometimes quickly, but with each year the clouds of despair that Valencia and Graven’s death caused whined, for Big Macintosh, however, things never seemed to get better. He seemed frozen, the pain never really leaving his eyes. His family and friends would often still try and talk to him about what happened, he was never really willing to talk about it, answering their requests to speak about the matter with a firm “Nope.”

He rarely said more than that and most ponies just thought he was a pony of few words, but Granny Smith and Applejack knew that he was hiding. Hiding from all the pain he was forced to face when he was so young. They wanted desperately to help him but he would not let them, he had only ever opened up to one pony in his life and she had been taken from him a long time ago.

Big Macintosh turned his flank to the tree and gave it a swift singled legged buck, his considerable strength caused the tree to shutter almost violently. Shaking loose the heavy ripe apples that hung low from the branches and causing them to fall into the carefully placed baskets under the tree.

Big Macintosh had become a fine stallion, his sheer size towered over all the ponies he knew, the scrawniness of his youth giving was to a sizable frame of muscle. He turned back to the tree examining it closely with his sad half closed eyes, he always checked to make sure the tree was alright after he bucked it. Applejack had worked hard over the years to build up the strength to perform a full strength applebuck so she could kick down all the apples with a single buck. Big Macintosh had always been more than strong enough to do that, even with the yoke, but as the years passed his incredible strength continued to grow until even while wearing the strength draining yoke he could still kick down a tree if he was not careful. It seemed his strength had finally peeked in the past few years, yet he still carefully monitored the trees he bucked for damage to scold himself over.

Big Macintosh shook his head and turned to the apples in the basket catching sight of himself as a faded reflection on the surface of a shiny apple. He did not know why he kept hurting himself over and over, he never did it when he was around family or friends, they were concerned enough about him and he did not want to make it worse.

“Mackie?” Big Macintosh froze a chill running through him. It could not be, only one pony alive called him that and it could not be her. He turned slowly towards the voice wondering who if any pony he would see and if he really wanted to see them. His eyes traveled along the ground trying to avoid seeing the pony for as long as he could, but finally, they looked up and there she stood.

The light silhouetted the pony, fitting lighting for an angel’s descent from heaven, but to Big Macintosh that was not what made her look angelic. She looked like an angel because that was what she was and what she had always been, his little angel that saved him then was ripped away all those years ago. “Pinkamina?” He whispered daring himself to believe it really was her.

She gasped dramatically and bounced towards him, “Oh Mackie I knew it was you, oh look you’ve gotten so much bigger.” She bounced around him excitedly looking him up and down, “I got bigger to, but you’ve always been bigger right, Mackie.”

Big Macintosh stood stiff and dazed, his eyes wide but barely following the young pink mare. She looked so much different now, her hair thick and full of bounce just like she was and everything about her was brighter and louder than before. “Pinkamina?” He said again as if confused.

“Actually it’s Pinkie Pie now, that’s how your sister knows me.” She said continuing to bounce happily unable and unwilling to contain the immense joy she felt seeing her old friend again. “I saw her in Ponyville and she was selling apples and I thought, ‘I could use some apples their good for so many things pies and cobblers and bobbing for at parties’. I love parties I’m great at putting them on. My family like them at first but I guess after a few days they got bored with them and then I when to stay with my Grandma. She was just like me and we had so many parties. But every day I kept wondering ‘I wonder what Mackie’s doing?’, and my Grandma told me if I wanted I could go stay with my Aunt and Uncle Cake who live in Ponyville and own a bakery which sounded so cool. So I moved in and they sent me out to get some stuff and I met Applejack like I said before. She told me about how she worked on her apple farm with her Granny and big brother and I just knew it had to be my Mackie and it was you, Mackie. Oh, I’m so happy to see you again!”

“Pinkmaina.”

Pinkie Pie stopped bouncing and gave him a frown, “Mackie I said it was Pinkie Pie now...” She cut herself off as she really saw his expression for the first time. She walking up to him slowly, her own features becoming sunken sadly, “Mackie?”

“P-Pinkamina,” Big Macintosh’s jaw quivered as he spoke and for the first time tears welled up in his eyes. Memories he had spent the last several years pushing away came flooding back unhindered for the first time and his impossible strength failed him. He sank to the ground telling himself that it was not his fault, that the chimera’s words were lies, however, now he remembered Pinkamina’s father and how for one moment Big Macintosh had hated him. He remembered how Pinkamina had tamed that anger only for him to unleash it upon the Everfree Forest in his first terrible display of power.

‘It’s your fault they’re dead,” the words tore through Big Macintosh and tears streamed down his face. It was true the chimera only came to the farm because of what he did, his parents' death was his fault.

A sudden wailing brought Big Macintosh out of his despair and back to reality. He looked up to see Pinkie Pie wailing, tears pouring from her eyes looked two mini waterfalls. She sank to the ground in front of him crying out, “It’s all my fault! I left and you were all sad and I was all happy with my Grandma. I should’ve come and seen you and show you I was ok and see how you were doing. I mean I didn’t know where you lived, but I should’ve looked and not given up ‘til I found you. It might have taken years of searching only to have somepony say ‘He lives at the giant apple farm over there.’ But I still should’ve.”

Big Macintosh watched the young pink mare balling her manic personality and odd silliness showing through even in the face of utter despair and snapping him out of his own self-loathing depression. He leaned forward and touched his nose to hers in a shy kiss snapping her from her own frantic apology and softly said, “It’s not yer fault Pinkamina.”

She sniffed looking up at him with large uncharacteristically sad eyes and he leaned in nuzzling against her face to wipe away her tears. However, his own face was so tear-stained that all he managed to do was mix their tears together, but when he pulled back a huge smile was spread across her face and the joy had returned to her eyes.

They sat there in a shaded secluded part of the orchard and Pinkie Pie talked for hours. It was just like when they were young, one speaker and one listener, the roles had changed a little but they could still understand one another in a way no other pony could. Pinkie Pie talked about everything with dizzying speed and changed the topic so frequently and randomly that even the most dedicated listener would have trouble following, but not Big Macintosh. “Oh Mackie this is so great to see you again, ohhh we should throw a party, for me the new pony in town and for you,” She nudged his side, “My best friend.”

Big Macintosh’s smiling face turned grim and he looked down at the ground, a feeling of foreboding welling up in him and Pinkie Pie’s smile faded as concern filled her eyes. “Ah... ah’m sorry Pinkamina ah can’t ah... ah just can’t.” Big Macintosh would have loved to go to Pinkie Pie’s party to stand next to her and introduce her to every resident of Ponyville, but he could not bring himself to put her in that kind of danger. In his mind he was the cause of his parents’ death, the reason his little sisters did not have parents growing up. His powers were a curse and they would attract more danger, he knew they would. His family was close enough to protect but Pinkie Pie, all the way in Ponyville would be beyond his protection. He knew the only way she would stay safe is if nothing and nopony knew they were friends.

For the first time since they had met Pinkie Pie felt shut out from her big red friend, like a wall of pain and fear was keeping her out and stopped her from understanding what he was thinking. She was hurt that he was keeping her out, they had always trusted one another completely and, though it was a bit silly, that was why Pinkie Pie thought they could read one another. Then Pinkie Pie felt something come through the wall, an intense desire to protect her and she realized that all that fear was for her safety.

Pinkie Pie’s ears folded back sadly, Big Macintosh was in so much pain and she wondered if he even knew why he was afraid or if there was even a real reason. As big and strong as Big Macintosh was in many ways he still was just a frightened colt who could not save the two ponies who were supposed to protect him. Now after spending so long keeping things in and being strong for others, she was the first pony to whom he had let his guard down. Now after tearing those walls down, he had hastily build new ones to protect himself from getting hurt again and to protect her from being hurt by him. Right then Pinkie Pie decided she would do all she could to protect Big Macintosh from pain and fear and do all she could to tear down his walls.

Her eyes perked up as a smile spread across Pinkie Pie’s face. She nudged him in the side and he looked over at her, “Okie dokie lokie, I’ll just have a party for me and we’ll keep bein’ bestest best friends in secret. I bet it’ll be lots and lots of fun, sneaking around to spend time together.” She peeked over his broad back glancing back and forth suspiciously, “Always on the lookout and hiding out.’ She jumped up and faster than the red stallion could see she disappeared behind a tree far too small to hide her.

He looked back and forth for the young pink mare only to have her appear before him her smiling face nearly pressed against his. “And don’t worry,” She bounced to his side and lay down next to him, “I’m very good at keeping secrets.”

Big Macintosh smiled down at her his pain and fear lost in her smiling face, “Thank you Pinkamina.”

Pinkie Pie scrunched her face up in a frown and gave Big Macintosh a hard look, “Pinkie Pie. Aren’t you ever going to stop calling me Pinkamina, Mackie?”

A huge smile spread across Big Macintosh’s face, “Nnnope,” he said pointedly wondering if she would ever stop calling him Mackie.

Pinkie Pie shook her head smiling “Mmm, ummm, mmm nopie, you’ll always be Mackie to me,” and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Thank Celestia,” Big Macintosh thought and Pinkie Pie scrunched up her face in annoyance and gave a frustrated growl of defeat, which caused them both to laugh.

For several moments they basked in each other’s company Pinkie Pie once again chatting with endless enthusiasm and for the first time, Big Macintosh looked to the future with optimism hoping that it would be as peaceful as it was right then.

“Not me,” Pinkie Pie interjected reading Big Macintosh. “I hope lots and lots of exciting things happen so we’ll never be board. Oh did you hear that Princess Celestia was coming here for the Summer Sun Celebration this year...”

“...and then Fluttershy burst into the room chasing a whole herd of animals,” Pinkie Pie giggled excitedly.

It had been an exciting year, Big Macintosh thought, almost too exciting for the worrisome red stallion, but they had gotten through it, one tale of adventure after another told to him by Pinkie Pie. She and the others had just gotten back from their trip to Canterlot for the Great Galloping Gala and as usual Pinkie Pie had taken the first opportunity to sneak off to Sweet Apple Acers and tell Big Macintosh all about it.

He watched her intently as she told the story catching her every subtle and exuberant movement, they were as much a part of the story as her words. He smiled and shook his head almost unable to believe how amazing she and really all the fillies were.

Pinkie Pie paused her story, looked up at Big Macintosh and giggled, “Ya we’re amazing all right, amazing party crashers.”

Big Macintosh gave a little chuckle and shook his head, that was not what he meant of course. “Then what did you mean Mackie,” Pinkie Pie asked pointedly.

Big Macintosh smiled thinking back to the day Pinkie Pie and the others had met Twilight Sparkle and Nightmare Moon had returned. He had gotten so mad at them for running off into the Everfree Forest. Of course, Applejack thought his anger was directed at her alone but at the time his eyes were just as focused on Pinkie Pie.

Pinkie Pie lowered her eyes sadly, “Sorry Mackie we didn’t mean to scare you like that.”

Shaking his head Big Macintosh lifted her snout with his. There was nothing he could have done against the power of somepony like Nightmare Moon, and they had done so many more amazing things than just that. The Ursa Minor, the hydra, the diamond dogs, and not one but two full grown dragons. Those were just the most dangerous threats they had dealt with, they had overcome so many other challenges. The ponies of Ponyville had once praised him as a hero, but compared to them his clumsy victory over the chimera was nothing.

The memories of the chimera came over Big Macintosh like a wave of grief, and suddenly his smile faded. Pinkie Pie’s ears folded back in concern as she felt the sadness wash over her big friend. The memory of the chimera always had this effect on the big red stallion. Pinkie Pie hated it when other ponies would bring it up to him, usually to congratulate him or something like that. She had seen it happen in town all too often when they would spy one another across the crowd and Pinkie Pie would feel his happiness sink into depression at the mention of it. Once Big Macintosh had come to Sugarcube Corner to pick up an order and another customer had come up to meet the ‘famous chimera slayer himself’. Pinkie Pie snapped and told the pony off before forcibly ejecting him from the shop.

It had taken a lot to explain to Mr. And Mrs. Cake why she had done that on behest of Big Macintosh, a pony neither of them though Pinkie Pie had ever even met before. For his part, Big Macintosh had been terribly embarrassed by the whole scene and Pinkie Pie thought that he was mad at her, but the next time she came to visit him he'd been quick to thank her.

They looked at each other smiling at the shared memory, Pinkie Pie flicked her mane out of her face and nudged his side, “You’re not that tough anyway Mackie.”

“Oh really,” he thought with a chuckle.

“Really, really. You Titan ponies are supposed to be all tough, but you got hurt during applebucking season remember.” She said poking his once injured side again.

Big Macintosh chuckled, he did remember that and he also remembered how he had gotten hurt. Granny Smith had sent him away north of Ponyville to an isolated farm to deliver a package to an old friend of hers. Granny Smith never relied on messenger pegasi for such things, she did not think it was proper to give something so personal to a stranger. On the way back Big Macintosh had run into the very same hydra that Pinkie Pie and the fillies did at Froggy Bottom Bog. He had chased the monster off, to what he later discovered, was towards the bog, but not before the monster landed a solid bite with one of its mouths. Only magically sharpened things could pierce Big Macintosh’s hide, but the hydra’s strength was enough to break a couple of the red stallion’s ribs.

Big Macintosh regretted not being able to help his sister with the harvest and that the hydra had later put Pinkie Pie, his sister and their friends in danger, but he had to admit it was worth the pain to have Pinkie Pie fuss over him like she had.

Big Macintosh made sure that he did not broadcast that last thought and Pinkie Pie continued. “And there was that time you got the flu during that thing with the napping dragon.”

Big Macintosh remembered that too, he had no idea how he caught the flu, he had never been sick in his life. The flu left him pretty weak, still strong enough to work by his estimate, but with his yoke on he was struggling to lift things his admittedly strong sister Applejack could lift with ease. Again he had to hide his thoughts of when Pinkie Pie had found him nearly passed out in the orchard and everything she did to help him get better, complete with nurse’s hat.

“And then sometimes you get a nose bleed out of nowhere like that time I came back from Appleloosa,” She listed on, a hoof to her chin. Big Macintosh had to fight to keep the memory of Pinkie Pie surprising him with a visit in the outfit she had picked up in the frontier town at least if he did not want to get another one of those annoying nose bleeds.

Each time he pushed down one of these memories Pinkie Pie felt a wave of giddy joy coming from her friend and she gave him a mischievously knowing smile that he never seemed to notice. There were some thoughts that they both wanted to keep to themselves, or at least Big Macintosh did and Pinkie Pie had secrets to keep. Pinkie Pie was happy to say anything she thought out loud, but some of those things made her big red friend uncomfortable so she kept them to herself. Big Macintosh was not very good at keeping secrets, at least not from her, they had a way of slipping out. If he had a secret he had to keep from her he had to avoid her completely, like when her friends were setting up the surprise part for her.

A wave of guilt passed over the normally cheery young mare. She had talked to Big Macintosh before about that incident, she was so embarrassed and though she had fun with her friends Pinkie Pie did not feel any better until she talked to Big Macintosh.

Big Macintosh nuzzled her cheek snapping Pinkie Pie of out her gloomy thoughts, he knew better than anypony just how amazing she was. He remembered how she had dealt with that mean spirited griffin Gilda. How, even with nopony’s help, she had dealt with the swarm of parasprites when nopony else could and then there was her amazing Pinkie Sense. There were so many more things Big Macintosh could list but it seemed that was enough to get his point across.

He felt her forelegs wrap around his neck and pull him into a tight hug. “Thanks, Mackie, you always know just what to say to make my gloomy clouds go away.”

Big Macintosh smiled warmly, Pinkie Pie pulled back and looked into his eyes. It was there in both their eyes, the desire to become more than mere friends. The wall that separated them had waned over the past year, but it was still there blocking them both from what they wanted.

Eventually, Pinkie Pie let go, the reassuring smile never leaving her face, “Oh wellie well, I gotta get back to Sugarcube Corner and help the cakes with an order. I’ll see you soon k Mackie.”

Big Macintosh nodded, “Eeyep, Pinkamina.”

Pinkie Pie giggled starting to enjoy hearing her full name when it came from Big Macintosh. She gave him a last wave goodbye then turned to leave, but she did not. Instead, she turned back, quickly slipped up to him and before he knew what was happening she planted a quick kiss on his lips. She giggled at the silly look he had suddenly developed then skipped off into the orchard without another word and vanished, slipping casually into hiding on her way out.

Big Macintosh shook off his dopey expression, stood, stretched the stiffness from his body and yawned, shaking his head to banish the drowsiness that had come over him. He had never been a lazy pony, but spending time with Pinkie Pie made him feel so relaxed he could just fall asleep right in the middle of the day. Of course, that kiss was something new and it certainly woke him up, he wondered what it was for.

He was about to forget about it and go back to work when he heard the sound of ponies approaching. He turned towards the sound to find his sister Applejack and her pegasus friend Rainbow Dash approaching. The two were in a world of their own, talking and laughing not even taking notice of him. They trotted together so close almost nothing could have passed between them; Rainbow Dash even had a wing wrapped around her friend.

Big Macintosh cleared his throat loudly to get their attention which caused the pair to jump and Rainbow Dash to instinctively take to the air. When they saw it was just Big Macintosh they both relaxed Rainbow Dash hovering just above Applejack who was now looking a little embarrassed.

“Oh hay there Big Macintosh, Ah’m bettin’ yer wonderin’ why ah’m not at the farm doin’ my chores?” Applejack said a little sheepishly, she was never one to shrug off her responsibilities, Big Macintosh knew that, but his time with Pinkie Pie had left the stallion with a bit of an impish streak so he decided to give her a hard time of it. “Eeyup.”

“Ah well, Rainbow Dash came over ta visit, ya see, and we got talkin’ about the race and decided we should have a rematch... another one.” Applejack drew lines in the grass with her hooves nervously, wishing she had a better reason for taking off.

Rainbow Dash hovering above the earth pony and did not look nervous at all, in fact, she seemed to be quite pleased with herself, “And I won this time.”

Applejack shot her friend a competitive but playful look, the corners of her mouth curling up into a smile. “This time,” she said pointedly meaning there would be yet another rematch soon. Rainbow Dash returned her friend's competitive smile and landed next to her blond mane friend, “This time,” she agreed with a nod.

Applejack turned back to her brother a little less sheepish now that Rainbow Dash was next to her. “Anyways ah’ll get straight back home and finish up my chores, ah little break ain’t nothin’ ta worry about.”

Big Macintosh smiled and shook his head, “Nnope.”

Rainbow Dash was a little confused as with her friend or not, but Applejack understood him perfectly. “Ahh well good, Ah reckon ah should be gettin’ back ta the farm then. See you at supper Big Macintosh.”

Applejack quickly trotted towards the farm temporarily leaving her friend standing alone in the presence of the large stallion who looked down at her curiously. Rainbow Dash was very unaccustomed to anypony looking down at her and quickly became nervous. “Uhh... hey AJ wait up!” Rainbow Dash called after her friend zooming after the blond mare, “I’ll walk you home,” She said landing next to her friend.

“Surin’ ya can Rainbow Dash,” Applejack said and the two trotted off together. It took only a few steps before Rainbow Dash’s wing returned to its previous position wrapped around her friend.

Big Macintosh had noticed a change in his sister’s relationship with the cyan pegasus ever since they competed against one another in the Running of the Leaves. It was nothing significant, even Rainbow Dash wrapping her wing around Applejack was not that common of an occurrence, but to any who knew them it was plain to see that they were growing closer. Their relationship was changing slowly as they grew closer; Pinkie Pie wanted her and his relationship to change as well. From the moment Pinkie Pie and Big Macintosh had met each other again he could tell she wanted the relationship to be more than what it was when they were kids. Now Big Macintosh realized just how far that want extended past just being open about their friendship with family and friends. That had never been clearer than the night of the big storm when his sister stayed at Twilight Sparkle’s.

Big Macintosh burst into his room and quickly shut the door careful not to slam it. He absentmindedly tossed a towel to the dripping wet Pinkie Pie as he pressed his ear to the door trying the listen over the sound of his heavy breathing. He had to make sure Granny Smith had not come up to spy on him after his hasty and somewhat suspicious arrival.

He and Pinkie Pie had been visiting out in the orchard when the storm hit. Big Macintosh cursed himself for staying out so long, he knew that the storm was coming that was why his sister had gone to the town square to help clean up. It was becoming a bad habit of his to lose track of time when visiting with Pinkie Pie. With no time for Pinkie Pie to get home Big Macintosh had to bring her back to the barn-like farm house, she would have to spend the night there. However, Big Macintosh had no idea how he would explain what she was doing there or how he had found her to Granny Smith without revealing his secret. Not knowing what else to do Big Macintosh snuck the young pink mare through his window into his room. Then rushed into the house telling Granny Smith how tired he was and that he was going straight to bed, grabbing a couple of towels along the way.

All Big Macintosh heard at the door was the sound of his own thumping heart and with a sigh of relief he backed up from the door and began rubbing the towel over his mane. He turned back to see Pinkie Pie flailing to get the now wet towel off of her head. Big Macintosh smiled to himself thinking how cute she looked. He walked over to her and flipped the towel back off her head allowing her to shake it off.

Big Macintosh was about to tease her about it when she looked up at him and he froze, she had never given him a look like that before. It was full of the playfulness she was so well known for but there was also a kind of mischievousness in those eyes that he had never seen in her. Before he could even think anything she jumped up at the red stallion who was so stunned that he lost his balance and fell back onto his bed with her on top of him.

“Pink...” again he was cut short, his warning that they had to be quiet or might be caught was lost as her lips touched his own. For a moment Big Macintosh did not know what to do, but quickly all other thoughts were lost and he melted into the kiss his forelegs moving of their own accord to wrap around Pinkie Pie and gently draw her in closer.

Nothing else had happened that night, the pair slept wrapped in one another’s embrace and early the next morning they snuck out nopony the wiser, or so Big Macintosh hopped. Granny Smith reminded him later that morning that it was polite to feed guests before sending them on their way, but Granny Smith was always spouting off random bits of advice like that, so it did not mean anything.

Big Macintosh and Pinkie Pie had never talked about that night since and today’s was the first kiss they had shared since that night. Thinking on it now though Big Macintosh wondered if changing their relationship was really be such a bad thing.

Author's Note

And done, thank goodness! Rereading and editing work this old was painful at times, but aleast it served to show how far I've come as a writer.
So does Big Macintosh and Pinkie Pie ever get together officially, well go give my other story Darkest Star a read to find out. I'll be posting updates on it again come Tuesday.
Thank you for reading.