The screaming had stopped an hour ago. He's sure he could've heard it all the way from the Everfree Forest. It had echoed around the barn, torturing him within his prison, unable to be by her side.

But it was over now. He laid on the cold, hard dirt and strained his ears. Listening for anything. Mumbling prayers as he stared up through the hole in the roof, at the silent moon in the skies above.

Was she safe? Did she survive? He knows Granny's the expert, but that didn't mean he hadn't heard ponies whispering about low survival rates in home births. Any number of things could go wrong, for the child or the mother.

And here he was, laying in the dirt.

So lost in thought he was, he nearly missed the slow, trotting hoofsteps approaching the barn. But he could never miss the rap-tap-tap on the doorframe. Something was different though. For the past year, it had always been harsh. Demanding. Tonight the hoof knocking is shy. Quiet. Almost... afraid?

He rolls over, forcing himself to his hooves, and stares at the door in trepidation. It almost seems to loom before him in the darkness, like a manitcore waiting to pounce.

But then the clouds shift, drifting away from the barn, and the moonlight falls upon the door. Suddenly, it's perfectly visible, clear, crisp, and blue. He sucks in a tight breath, wondering if this is a sign. Slowly, carefully, he steps towards the door.

He doesn't want to open it. Doesn't want to see what's on the other side. What if she's hurt? What if they died? The moon casts his shadow upon the door, and it almost mocks him. It whispers in his mind, staring at him with its black, empty face, taunting him with the visage of darkness, of death.

Another set of knocks, right in front of him, slightly more forceful but equally as scared. A voice peters through from the other side of the door. "B-big Mac?" ...did her voice just... crack? He swears he imagined it. She sounds... hoarse. Wet. Throaty. Like she's just run a 5k on 1 bottle of water and 3 hours of sleep.

He grits his teeth, and slowly pulls the barn door open.

***

She laid in the four-poster bed, resting underneath the quilted comforter and surrounded by pillows. Ice packs rested in all the right spots. Her jaw hurt, her chest hurt, her legs hurt, her pelvis hurt, everything hurt. But it was done. It was over. The sun had set a little over an hour ago, and a cool night breeze gently lifted the curtains in her window, drying the sweat off her as she sighed in relief.

It hadn't been easy. Months of mockery behind her back, whispers around town, slowly losing her ability to keep up with her friends, everypony treating her like a damn invalid all the time. And the delivery. Oh how that had hurt. Granny said it was gonna hurt, but Celestia, what an understatement! Felt like fittin a dried pig through a sewin needle!

But then it was over. It was done. Granny took the little thing and wiped it dry with a wet washcloth, hot water running down its fur, cleanin off all the icky gunk. Redheart was there too, she'd been the one ta cut the cord. Oh Celestia, how she'd been in her ear all year long. "Unsafe birthing practices" and "Medications". Hogwash. The Apples have been homebirthing for centuries, and Granny knows what she's doin. She wasn't gonna break tradition like that, that there's bad luck!

They'd all stepped outta the room now. She could hear em talkin' in the next room over. Couldn't make out the details though, too damn tired to try and focus. Heh, the shocked look on their faces when she'd popped the foal out. She coulda sworn fer a second that somethin was terribly wrong.

But then Granny handed her the foal, all swaddled up in a beautiful orange blanket, and assured her everything was alright. The foal was healthy. Redheart had a real funny look on her face, some kinda shocked, confused, and sadness all mixed together. But she agreed, the foal looked perfectly healthy.

And then they'd left. She cradled her foal in her forelegs, and pretended not to notice the look that her big sis had shared with the two, before they all bid her a goodnight. She focused on the foal snuggled up to her chest. His mane, golden and wild like the sun, and his coat, a soft, light green. And the tiny, fluttering wings that tickled her cheek...

She sighed. How was she going to explain this?

She hadn't expected his genes to be so strong. She remembered Ms Cheerilee saying something about how Earth Ponies were built fer endurance, but Pegasi were built for the speed of war. Probably has somethin ta do with that.

Was she gonna tell him? Should she tell him?

This all got outta hoof so fast. She just didn't wanna get in trouble. Granny woulda asked her where she'd been, AJ woulda been fussin about her chores, and Mac woulda been furious she was out on a school night. It was just a white lie, no harm done.

But then she'd started feelin funny. Throwin up at odd times. Gettin hankerin's fer weird foods, like Pears or Pickles over Stirfry. Granny noticed somethin was wrong, and took her down fer a checkup.

Pregnant.

That one word had changed everything. Suddenly everyone had all these questions. Granny damn near fainted at the news, AJ wanted to know how, and Mac just wanted ta know who. She'd seen the murder in his eyes, he was gonna go do somethin, somethin rash. She couldn't let Rumble get in trouble, not fer her own dumb mistakes.

What was one more lie?

Lyin' to AJ ain't easy. Ya have ta curl up real tight-like, intah a ball, and cinch yer eyes shut. If she sees yer eyes, she'll know in an instant if yer lyin. Zecora said somethin about eyes bein the windows to the soul, I reckon she's right on the bit there.

She believed it. Dunno how, but she did. Not even a question, just held me close an told me we'd get through this. She'd ask Twilight fer help, we'd figure this out. It was fine. She'd done it. She was in the clear, Rumble wasn't gonna get in trouble!

Next mornin, there was a knock on the door. Some fancy-pants stallion from Canterlot. Fancy mustache, fancy vest, fancy tie. Smelled like cheap hooch and week-old plums.

What was one more lie?

She'd thought she was in the clear. But then he started askin all these questions. She wasn't even sure what half of em meant! How do ya lie when ya can't even tell what ta lie about?

It was fine. Easy fix. Just had ta say she didn't remember nothin. He seemed... Well, he didn't seem happy about that, but he accepted it easily enough. Too easily, really. Without a second thought, he had a whole new line of questions. Celestia, she must've made up a dozen lies on the spot then and there.

But it seemed to satisfy him. He apologized fer some reason, and said he'd speak with her family a moment afore takin his leave. That was fine. Gave her a chance to try and get her story straight, 'cuz they'd sure have all their questions, an her answers needed ta match what she told the doc.

An then the yellin started. AJ threw a plate, Mac started yellin, an she'd just covered her ears. Granny was hollerin, and she blocked it out. Tryin ta figure out how to fix it all an not git in trouble.

AJ came in her room an told her everythin was gonna be fine. Mac was just gonna sleep in the barn fer now, they could set up his room fer the foal. He needed to fix up the old thing anyways. Had some concrete ta pour, some fancy new stuff with nasty fumes that ain't no good fer foals.

AJ was choked up fer some reason. Sweatin real bad. Somethin wasn't right, but... Askin questions just leads to more questions, and she didn't need none of those right then.

She sighed, shaking her head and staring out the window towards the barn. How had this all gotten so out of control?

The late spring breeze blew through the window, ruffling the curtains as the clouds drifted over the moon. It was harder to see the barn now. Harder to peer through the windows, through the half-fixed roof.

Why hadn't Mac come to see her this whole time? It wasn't fair. Was he that upset about the foal?

Granny would say Mac was sick. Caught a cold while workin. AJ would say he was busy with her chores.

She knew they were lyin'. Coverin' fer Mac. He didn't wanna see her. At first, that was fine. If he wanted to be an Ass about it, she wouldn't see him either!

But weeks turned into months, and he still wouldn't come by. She'd sneak out to the barn some nights, listen to him shuffle around. Try ta work up the courage ta go in an ask.

AJ caught her one night. Started makin Winnona sleep out in the barn. "Mac wants his privacy, ya owe 'im that much."

Liar.

She sighed, nuzzling the little wings that tickled her nose as she stared into the night. Watching the stars shine in through the window, coating the orchard in a blanket of darkness. She wished she could be up at night more often. It was so pretty out.

A speck of light in the darkness. Someone'd lit a lantern. She squinted, her heart fluttered with hope, trying to make out a large, muscular frame. Her heart sank as she caught the stetson in the firelight. Just AJ, headed out to the barn. She watched as her sister slowly trotted over, knockin on the barn doors. Weird that she'd do that, not like she's gotta worry about no fumes.

Maybe she's worried 'bout somethin fallin on her? She an Mac were in the collapse last month, she supposed she'd be nervous too. But Mac was in there all night, shorein up the supports all good-like. Couldn't come to dinner, too busy makin sure it was safe. It should be fine ta go in now.

There, as the door swung open. She squinted as hard as she could. Just barely, the shadow of her big brother in the doorway. Maybe AJ could get him to come in? Come visit? See the foal? Surely he'll care about a new Apple? She wished she could hear what they were saying.

She got out of bed, hobbling over to the windowsill on her tired legs, and leaned as close as she could without droppin the foal. Strained her ears, squinted her eyes, and prayed to the Sun and Moon that her big brother would come home.

Wh-why did Mac fall? Is he okay? H-he's poundin the ground. She can hear 'im sobbin, even from 'ere. Did he hurt himself? She watches as AJ scoops her brother into a hug, she can hear AJ cryin too.

What's goin on? Apples don't cry. She ain't seen either of 'em cry once in her life. She wants to call out to them. Wants them to come in and talk.

But would that just make Mac mad? Would he hate her again? Go back intah the barn an not come see the foal? She bit her lip, turning and moving back to her bed. AJ would fix it. AJ promised she would help the foal any way she could. AJ would get Mac to come see her. She trusted her big sister.

She crawled back under the covers, and pondered on what she was gonna tell him when he got here. Mac was her big brother, after all. He couldn't be mad forever, right?

She'd decided on a name a couple months back, after tryin Cousin Green's odd recipe. A sugary apple & oatmeal-pie. And Mac does love his oatmeal.

The little foal in her arms wriggled, and she held him up to her chin, burying him in the crook of her neck as they laid down to rest. She stared out at the silver moon, drifting lazily in the starry sky. Luna's blessing on full display.

"Ya know Crisp," She whispered, stroking the little golden mane curled up in her forelegs. "Ah think everythin is gonna be ohkay..."

Author's Note

I had so much fun writing this, dancing around such a dark subject like the name of an eldritch entity, describing only the effects a simple word has had on this man's whole life.

I'd like to think our King in Yellow would be quite proud of how easily humans drive one another mad with one simple word.

I doubt I'll do a sequel. I'm pretty happy with how this ends. It leaves a lot to the reader's imagination. The reader projects much of themselves onto Big Mac here, and while I certainly know what the canon outcome would be, many people have differing views on how they would handle such a situation.

And more than anything, that's what I wanted to get out of writing this. I wanted people to read this, and think about life from this point of view. And maybe, just maybe, give a friend the benefit of the doubt, instead of jumping to conclusions.

I may do a blog post in a couple days, going into some of the details and such that I couldn't fit in an Author's Note, just for funsies.

Merry Christmas, y'all!