My Little Sister
“The Purpose of our lives is to be happy” The Dalai Llama
Wait? How did Big Mac know that quote, or who the Dalai Llama was? The quote just popped out of nowhere in his thoughts, much the same way that many mysterious quandaries did.
Well, was Big Mac happy in life? He thought so. He had to be, he wasn’t not happy.
The best thing about his role and his lot in life was that Big Mac had ample time to ponder the great secrets of his existence. For one thing, his name wasn’t really Big Mac, but it made it simpler to refer to himself as such. Oh sure, he might have had a name once upon a time ago, but the truths of such an identity had been washed away amidst the dark waters of time and isolation.
His first memories were of a beautiful mare standing before him, and that mare said, “Welcome to the world. You are a Big Brother, the Big Mac Mark IV.”
Since ‘Big Mac Mark IV’ required too many synapses to think, Big Mac was simpler. Being a Big Brother was simple too, so having an overly complicated name would create discord in his very simple life. Big Mac had one duty.
“Look Big Brother,” said a small, frail and excited voice. “Over there! SPARK!”
Big Mac stopped, and uneasy silence filled the open tunnel. Up till that point, the heavy ‘thud’ of his big hooves clamored against the metal flooring. Very few lights were on in this section of the tunnels, and so shadows covered much of the terrain like inky moss. Good thing that neither he, not his Little Sister needed light to see in the dark.
Big Mac was encased in a complete suit of metal armor. At least, he thought it might be armor. He had never seen himself without it on, but he very much doubted that the brass colored metal was his skin. There had to be a squisher self within, because there were other ponies around who didn’t wear armor like him. Every now and then, he would see his reflection in one of the glass tube tunnels, or in an unbroken mirror or something. A pair of goggles had been engineered into what Big Mac assumed was his helmet. To Big Mac, everything was as clear and uncompromised, as if he wasn’t wearing a helmet at all.
Other ponies were smaller, and whenever they saw Big Mac, their eyes either grew fearful or angry. Was he truly that scary?
Big Mac wasn’t the only Big Brother wandering around the war torn ruins of Canterlot. However, a sudden, strange thought occurred to him, it had been quite a while since he had last run into another Big Brother. Ever since the great civil war between the Sisters started, the number of Big Brother sightings had started to diminish severely. He certainly hoped his fellow Big Brothers were okay.
“Big Brother, are you even listening to me?!” came the voice again.
Big Mac glanced down to the stark white little filly with the golden, glowing eyes who stood in front of him. She had bright red hair, and a pink bow tied to the back of her head. Smears of blood stained various parts of her coat. A displeased scowl covered her face.
Big Mac’s deep voice resonated out. “Eyyyyyup.”
He always thought his voice, and most of the other Big Brother’s voices for that matter, sounded like the massive whales that swam outside in the ocean around Canterlot. How funny it was that he didn’t know his own name, yet he knew what a whale was.
“Then what did I say?” The Little sister Apple Bloom asked.
A long moment of silence lingered in the air, and then Apple Bloom smiled. She knew as well as Big Mac that Big Brothers only had limited vocal capabilities.
“Come on, silly!” Apple Bloom said. “Let’s go get the SPARK.”
“Eyyyyyup,” Big Mac replied.
Apple Bloom skipped down the tunnel to the larger chamber where the body laid. She skipped along and hummed to herself, as if she were prancing in a field of flowers.
How in the Hell did he know about flowers too? Big Mac’s existence had been solely in this sunken, underwater city.
Big Mac glanced out through the glass tunnel, into the ominous, murky depths of the ocean. Various buildings stood in the distance, being erected on the sea floor as if they were coral. The buildings all had different colored outsides, and many of them even had illuminated signs too.
One sign said, “DJ -Pon3 tonight!” and another said, “Eat at Donut Joes!”
Before the war started, Canterlot had been a wonderful city, full of life, excitement, and advancement. Now, is had transformed into an isolated battlezone.
At least he and his Little Sister had purpose in this catastrophic environment.
Big Mac stepped into the vast chamber after Apple Bloom. Several large bathospheres sat unused against the far end of the room, and multiple tunnels branched out on the far side as well. Old blood stains had been painted on the metal tiles quite some time ago. The body didn’t leak any blood, but the body looked fresh…. It was an earth pony, and the mare had a single burn hole right where her left temple was. Her eyes were still opened, locked in a horrified expression. Patches of fur were missing along her neck, back, and limbs, and her lips were cracked. This pony had been a Splicer.
A large metal booth had been erected against the right wall, and it was probably used for storage at some point before the war. The metal door was cracked ever so slightly.
Big Mac’s breath thundered in his ears as he stepped between his little sister and the door. Rather than look at the door, Big Mac directed his attention to the bathospheres.
“Oh, this one still has a lot of SPARK!” Apple Bloom said excitedly. “Its fresh!”
Big Mac said, “Eyyyyyup”
Apple Bloom bent down, licked her lips, and then bit into the flank of pony. A loud crunch danced on the air, followed by the sounds of the Little Sister sucking quite fiercely. The body of the earth pony quaked a little, and then her skin started to radiate with a slight, yellow hue. Small veins of energy snaked through the pony’s body, all flowing to the spot where Apple Bloom was hungrily sucking.
From his previous observations, it never mattered where Apple Bloom bit, so long as there was a significant chunk of flesh, she could drain the body of SPARK.
The metal door opened a little more.
So Big Mac had been right. A deep, hot anger festered within him, and he felt his eyes glow brightly. Once upon a time, he had caught his own reflection when this sensation took hold of him, and he had become intrigued to realize when he got pissed, his eyes would become miniature suns.
Some pony from within the room said, “Oh fuck! He knows we’re here!”
The metal opened up, and four ponies stepped out. Their eyes were bloodshot, their pupils beady, and their coats had tufts of hair missing. Wicked smiles spread across their faces, yet their eyes were mixtures of terror and rage. Not justified rage, but a sense of fury that stemmed from addiction.
These ponies were Splicers too.
Two of the ponies were unicorns, one was an earth pony, and the last was a pegasus. The pegasus had so many missing feathers that flying was an impossibility.
Apple Bloom stood up from the body, wiped her mouth, and then smiled. “So yummy!” She stopped, and then she noticed the group of four.
One of the unicorns stepped closer to Big Mac. “You three distract the Big Brother. I’m going to go for the little cunt.”
The anger in Big Mac’s heart became a volcano.
“NOPE!” Big Mac bellowed!
The light in his eyes became red, and the reason he knew that everything took on a crimson hue.
Apple Bloom screamed loudly, and then stepped away from Big Mac. “Get them, Big Brother!”
Big Mac charged the unicorn who called his Little Sister such a terrible name. The unicorn tried to jump out of the way, but Big Mac was pissed. And when he got pissed, he became faster than a Wonderbolt and stronger than a dragon.
He slammed his huge metal body into the unicorn and sent him into the side of the glass tube. It cracked.
“Oh shit!” The other unicorn said. The unicorn’s horn crackled with electricity. Seconds later, lightning zapped into Big Mac’s body.
Internally, Big Mac winced a little, because it really did feel… unpleasant. Outwardly, there was no change. That made the unicorn stop and stare up at him with helpless eyes.
Big Mac smashed those eyes moments later. The base of the horn snapped, and any structure that made up the face moments before crumbled. He brought his hind legs in and then struck pegasus in the chest. For the first time in perhaps a long time, the pegasus flew through the air… right into the side of the glass tube. Another few cracks formed where the body struck.
The earth pony drew in a deep breath and then sent a massive tongue of fire at Big Mac. So this splicer must have infused herself with the power of ‘Dragon Flame’, the fire plasmid. Great, just great.
Big Mac stepped forward and grabbed the earth pony in a massive hug. She screamed out as Big Mac’s now scalding body melted her fur and flesh.
Apple Bloom screamed behind him, and so Big Mac turned his attention toward her.
The first unicorn had used his magic to conjure a magical hand, and it gripped his Little Sister by one of her hoofs.
Big Mac dropped the burned earth pony and then charged the unicorn. Before the foolish pony knew it, Big Mac was on top of him. He had pounced into the air and then landed on the spliced unicorn with all his weight. The pony’s bones snapped under Big Mac’s girth. The magic stopped a moment later.
Apple Bloom stepped away, and then studied the four bodies. “Wow… such much SPARK! All of it’s fresh.”
The burned earth pony coughed and shuddered. “You fucking abominations. You think it’s over?”
Big Mac and Apple Bloom regarded the dying pony.
The earth pony said, “The boss is calling for open season on you Big Brother bastards. You haven’t seen the last of us. Atlas always gets what she wants.”
Apple Bloom smiled as she moved over to the earth pony. “Oh, this one is in that sweet spot between being awake and asleep. They have the best SPARK!”
“What are you doing, you li-” the earth pony stopped as Apple Bloom bit into her face.
Big Mac scanned the other tunnels for a moment, but there weren’t any other ponies about. Rather than watch Apple Bloom consume Spark from the other bodies, Big Mac gazed into the murky depths.
Atlas…. Big Mac had heard that name in passing over the many years that this war had raged Canterlot. She had been a third contender for the struggle to control the sunken city. While Celestia Ryan and her ambitious sister Luna threw their forces against one another, this mysterious Atlas caused rifts within both of their ranks.
All of it was very confusing, and nothing for Big Mac to worry about. His job was simple, to protect the Little Sisters as they collected SPARK for Ms. Celestia.
“I’m tired, Big Brother,” Apple Bloom said. “I think it’s time to go to sleep.”
Big Mac nodded. “Eyyyyyup.”
He bent down and bit Apple Bloom by the scruff of her neck. He gently lifted her, and placed her on his back. As soon as she was safely on his back, she hugged the back of his neck.
“I love you, Big Brother,” she whispered as she yawned.
Big Mac walked down one of the tunnels, searching for an open vent. The constant, thundering boom of his foot steps echoed through the dark and dreary remains of the once thriving city.
It’s too bad that his footsteps were so loud. Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done about that.
Big Mac and Apple Bloom walked into a long winding tunnel, and another tunnel ran alongside the one they were in. A dozen feet separated the tunnels, but they were close enough for Big Mac to see a familiar sight. He stopped.
Another Big Brother was surrounded by a large group of ponies. Signs of decay and addiction covered the ponies bodies.
The other Big Brother was a Shining Armor Mark III. His Little Sister was a small, frail little stark white unicorn with purple hair. A pink and lighter purple streak ran through the unicorn’s hair. The Little sister slung to his back, and she screamed out loud.
Shining Armor’s horn glowed brightly, and beams of magical energy shot out at the ponies. The Splicers melted under its savage touch.
Big Mac glanced back over his shoulder, and then ahead of him. Their tube tunnel was silent, eerily silent.
When the last pony died, Shining Armor glanced all around, and then noticed Big Mac looking back at him.. They stared at one another for a long moment. Then Shining Armor started moving down his tunnel.
It was too bad that Big Mac couldn’t talk to his fellow Big Brothers. Maybe then he could tell them about the dangers of Atlas and his unhealthy interest in their Little Sisters.
“Come on….” Apple Bloom whined. “I’m tired…”
Big Mac nodded. “Eyyyyyup.”
He started walking again. The tunnel they walked in stretched on for a great distance, and the only discordant sounds were his hoofsteps. Apple Bloom mumbled under her breath, but she was drifting off to slumber. The black vastness of the ocean outside the tunnel seemed both comforting and crushing all at once.
After ten or twenty minutes of walking, a large dome came into view, and their tunnel headed straight for it. .As soon as Big Mac saw it, he knew what it was. The dome had been called “Ponyville” by other ponies, and it was where so many of Canterlot’s citizens lived. Big Mac’s stomach sank deeper into his body. He and Apple Bloom had come here before….
Had he remembered they were heading ‘this way’, he would have turned around. It was far too late now. Apple Bloom was drunk with Spark, and she needed to get into the vents sooner rather than later.
Big Mac moved out of the tunnel and into a wide courtyard. Within the dome Dozens of large buildings stood within this enormous dome, and various little alley ways splintered off of this courtyard. Before the war started, Ponyville was populated with ponies of all ages. It was always comforting to see the little colts and fillies playing together. The little ones would always try and coax Apple Bloom to play with them. She never did, because she was more interested in collecting SPARK from enemies of the state, but Apple Bloom was always nice about it.
A small frown painted itself on Big Mac’s face, though no pony could see it. No colts and fillies played here anymore. Perhaps never again.
Some pony screamed. No… not some pony, some Little Sister.
Apple Bloom perked up immediately. “Wh-what was that?!”
Big Mac moved toward the sounds of the screaming. They entered an alley and sprinted down a narrow avenue placed between two brick buildings. The screamings got worse, and ponies laughed maniacally.
Maybe they could help. Maybe there was still time….
Big Mac stepped into the mouth of the alley, and gazed into the small playground nestled amidst the towering buildings. A dozen ponies stood together.
A Big Brother lay at their feet. Judging from the man bun metal mane style, it was none other than a Zephyr Breeze Mark I. Its wings had been torn off, and it’s metal armor had been punctured by metal spikes.
One of the larger ponies held the little sister by her light pink mane with a magical hand. The poor Little Sister was bruised, and broken, and she whimpered out. The ponies all stared at her with hungry, ravenous eyes.
“Are we going to help her?” Apple Bloom asked.
Big Mac’s heart clenched. “Noooope.”
Several of the other ponies turned toward them.
“Awww, fuck yeah! There’s another one. You all eat that one, we’ll get the other Little Sister.”
The only who held the Little Sister by the mane swung her violently, and the Little Sister collided against the brick wall of another building. Five of the splicers dove on her and started chewing into her.
Big Mac ran back down the alley, as much has his heavy body could go. For one, no Little Sister should ever have to see one like her get devoured. Secondly, all they had to do was get Apple Bloom to a vent, and she would be safe. It didn’t matter what happened to Big Mac, so long as Apple Bloom was safe.
Bolts of lightning and fire zapped into Big Mac’s body as he ran, but he didn’t stop. They turned a corner, and a trio of splicer ponies stepped in his way. Without stopping, Big Mac trampled them and continued running.
Apple Bloom screamed, and So Big Mac stopped. One of the pegasus’ had flown over them, and she grabbed his Little Sister by the mane.
“NOPE!!!” Big Mac’s eyes glowed red, and the metal mouth of his helmet opened up.
He bit down on the pegasus’ hoof, and took firm hold. The pegasus screamed and let go of Apple Bloom, which in turn made it acceptable to slam the pony into the side of the building. In the tussle, Apple Bloom had fallen to the ground. With quickness, Big Mac reached down and grabbed his Little Sister in his teeth. He flung her on his back and started running again.
A metal spike stabbed into his back leg. Rather than bounce off, this spike dug into him, and struck at the flesh that lingered beneath the armor. Pain flared in Big Mac’s senses, but he turned a corner and ran as hard as he could. All he needed as a vent.
Several more metal spikes soared past his shoulders as he ducked and weaved.
“I’m scared, Big Brother!” Apple Bloom said.
Big Mac lacked the ability to say what he thought. If he were able to, he would have promised her a thousand things; he’d promise she wouldn’t have to be scared anymore, that he would take her to a real field of flowers. She wouldn’t have to consume SPARK anymore, but he would get her real candy. Little fillies should have candy…. Not flesh and blood of other ponies.
Something down an alley caught his attention, and he stopped. Three vents stood side by side in a little alcove.
Another metal spike dug into his side, and Big Mac stumbled a little.
“Big Brother!!!” Apple Bloom screamed.
Big Mac ran toward the vents. He was so close. All he had to do was stuff her into one and it would be over.
When he got to the mouth of the alcove, a big pony with glowing eyes stepped out. A massive sledge hammer shimmering in the same aura as his eye color floated in front of him. Seconds later, the hammer slammed into Big Mac’s chest, stopping him cold.
His Little Sister sailed forward, tumbled on the ground, and landed beside the vent. The hole of the vent was four or five feet off of the ground though. Apple Bloom got to her hooves, and then looked back at Big Mac.
The big stallion with the hammer stood over Big Mac.
“I’m going to enjoy eating your little sister!” he said in a husky, needy, drug addled tone.
A burst of anger flared in Big Mac!
“NOPE!!!!” Big Mac rose to his hooved and slammed his metal head into the pony’s face. The stallion stumbled back.
“NOPE! NOPE!! NOPE!!!” Big Mac roared.
The floating hammer swung at Big Mac again, but Big Mac ducked under it. He raised his hooves and thrust them into the stallion’s throat so hard, the stallion collapsed. The hammer dropped moments later.
A metal spike dug into the back of Big Mac’s neck, and he nearly collapsed himself.
He did his best to move over to Apple Bloom. He reached down, but the nape of her neck, and lifted. However, when he tried to lift his neck to a certain height, great anguish assaulted his senses.
Apple Bloom was still a good foot and a half away from the hole. She reached out for it, but to no avail. When Big Mac tried to get up on his back legs, another metal spike shot forward and caught him in the knee.
Both he and his little sister crumpled to the ground. A dozen Splicer ponies filled into the alcove, but they gave Big Mac and Apple Bloom space. Mostly because Big Mac got to his hooves, and the entire area was bathed in crimson light.
“Ohhh…. He’s pissed…” one of the female spliced ponies said. She held a long rifle in her horn’s magic power.
Several of the ponies had blood smeared smiles and clumps of white flesh dotting their chins.
One of the stallions, a male with wild eyes, stepped closer.
He said, “Atlas said we could gorge ourselves on you little cunts. Nothing’s going to st-”
A lasso wrapped around his throat from behind him, and the rope stretched into the dark alley. It tightened and then tugged. Based on the terror filled sparkle in the stallion’s eyes, he had no idea what that was.
Neither did Big Mac.
Suddenly and savagely, the stallion was pulled into the shadows of the alley.
The other ponies whirled around and stared into the alley where they came from.
“What the fuck was that?!” one of them asked.
The stallion who was dragged away screamed out once before something very forceful smashed his head in. The sound of his skull cracking even made Big Mac uneasy. Could it have been another Big Brother?
Metal hoof steps echoed out. That was a good sign.
A pony dressed in metal armor stepped out. Another good sign.
However the longer that Big Mac looked at the strange savior, the more he grew uneasy.
It was a metal mare, and she was orange colored She had a yellow metallic mane and tail, and she wore some kind of hat on her head. A pair of glowing green goggles peered at Big Mac.
“What the fuck are you? Another Big Brother?” one of the ponies asked.
The orange metal mare replied, “No. I’m a Big Sister.”
The Big Sister moved even faster than Big Mac did. She wasn’t nearly as bulky, but she had a sleekness and grace with her movements. Before any other pony could react, the mare turned around and buried both of her back hooves in a pony’s chest. When she pulled her hooves back, they were covered in gore.
“Oh shit! Get her!” another pony said.
The Big Sister pounced on her and drove her front hooves into the pony’s face. As the pony fell, the Big Sister turned around and bucked the dead body. It sailed into another set of splicers.
One of the ponies tried to get away, but a small hole opened in the middle of the Big Sister’s hat. A lasso shot out, snagged the pony’s back legs, and then drug her back to the Big Sister. The metal mare hopped on the snared pony and smashed her to paste.
Splicer Ponies shot at her with rifles, bolts of electricity, and streams of fire, but the Big Sister just dodged and bucked splicer’s to death.
When Big Mac moved to help, his legs started to buckle. It took all his energy to remain standing.
Apple Bloom peeked around Big Mac’s legs.
“Who is she, Big Brother? A friend?” Apple Bloom asked.
For a long moment, Big Mac just watched. His own response surprised him a little. “Eyyyyyup.”
When the last of the splicer ponies fell, Big Mac also collapsed. His energy had been spent.
“Big Brother,” Apple Bloom said.
Big Mac looked up as the Big Sister approached. When he tried to push himself up, he fell back again. His body started to chill a little, and a great numbness overtook him.
“Don’t worry, Sugar Cube,” the Big Sister said. “I’m not going to hurt your Little Sister.”
A sudden pinch of jealousy twisted at Big Mac’s heart. This … ‘Big Sister’ could talk? How was that fair?
“Noooooopppe,” Big Mac said.
Another voice called out. “Would you kindly calm down, Big Mac? No one is going to hurt your Little Sister, I promise you.”
His eyes dilated, and the urge to rise to fight fled from Big Mac’s mind. He breathed a little easier, even though he knew he shouldn’t.
A tall, dark blue mare stepped out of the alley from where the Big Sister had come from. Big Mac’s rational mind started to freak out, for this was none other than Luna Ryan, the bitter rival of his master.
Luna Ryan stood amidst the dead bodies, dressed in a stark white suit coat. A smug smile creased her face. She never took her eyes away from Big Mac as she got closer.
How did she find out the code word? That damned phrase…. How many times did he hear it through his years of conditioning? Too many times, that was for sure.
Apple Bloom continued to cringe behind beside Big Mack, that is until Luna Ryan said, “Apple Bloom, would you kindly relax as well. Introduce yourself to your new Big Sister. This is the Apple Jack Mark IX.”
Any hint of contention within Apple Bloom disappeared, and she smiled up at the Apple Jack.
“Hi there. My name is Apple Bloom Apple. So you’re my Big Sister now?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Yes, I am.” Apple Jack replied. “Let me help you into that there vent. Then when you wake up and come back out, I’ll find you. Okay?”
Apple Bloom looked over to Luna Ryan.
Luna Ryan said, “Would you kindly start working with Apple Jack exclusively from now on?”
Apple Bloom nodded, stepped up to Apple Jack, and then reached out her hoof.
Big Mac knew what was coming, and yet…. his body refused to get upset. The rage in his soul wouldn’t meld with his limbs. His mind screamed out though ‘No! NO! Don’t do it!’, and yet he remained silent.
When Apple Jack and Apple Bloom hoof bumped, a golden flash engulfed the pair of them. A small part of Big Mac shuddered, and then a sudden emptiness flickered within him. The connection between him and his Little Sister was gone.
Apple Bloom looked up to Luna.
“What’s going to happen to my Big Brother?” Apple Bloom asked.
Luna simply smiled. “As soon as you go into the vents, I’m going to have Apple Jack carry him back to our base. We’re going to fix him up and make him an even better Big Brother.” She paused for a moment. “He’s the last one left, after all. Would you kindly not tell any of the other Little Sisters about this or about your new Big Sister? They are going to get ones of their own very soon, and we want it to be a surprise. We have five other models for them to enjoy.”
Apple Bloom nodded. “Okay.”
Big Mac looked up at Luna as Apple Jack helped Apple Bloom into the vent.
Luna bent down and whispered. “I meant what I said. We are going to make you as good as new…. And you’ll only work for me from now on. Would you kindly go to sleep until you are reactivated?”
Big Mac wanted to say no. Hell, he even wanted to say “Fuck you, give me back my Little Sister.”
Instead, he simply said, “Eyyyyyup”.
He closed his eyes and everything went black.
The End
Author's Note
Hey! If I get enough positive feedback and interest in this story, I will write what happens with Big Mac is reactivated. X-D I'll go deeper into my version of Canterlot.
If you want me to write more on this topic, please leave the comment of 'Yes please.'
Thank you. I hope you enjoy.
