//------------------------------// // Big Macintosh's Day: Fancy Mathematics // Story: Longest Night: Everypony's Day // by Fizzy Orange //------------------------------// Big Macintosh's Day by Zap Apple Smash When Corona disappeared, Ponyville had disintegrated into chaos. The Night Court Representative had literally vanished and a mob of ponies was starting to form, ready to hunt her down. Watching the spectacle were the four members of the Ponyville Apple Family. “Why are they so angry?” Applebloom asked, hiding between her big brother’s legs. “They’re scared,” Granny Smith replied. “Fear can make ponies do stupid things.” Applejack, having enough of this, tilted her hat forward and put on her game face. “Big Mac, take Applebloom and Granny Smith home. I’m gonna go talk some sense into those knuckle heads.” Applejack found her path suddenly blocked by Big Mac. “Look here, Big Macintosh, I don’t like that dumb blue waste o space one bit, but that there mob’s ready to tear her apart.” “Won’t help.” Big Mac replied. “Yer brother’s right.” Granny Smith said. “When a group of ponies are like this, ya can’t reason with ‘em. Trying to could very well make ‘em turn on ya.” Applebloom hugged Applejack’s legs and looked up pleadingly at her big sister. “Please sis, come home with us.” Any argument that Applejack may have had died almost instantly. She gave her sister a quick hug and lifted her on to Big Mac’s back. “Let’s go home.” As they started to leave town, Applebloom spoke up again. “Where are all the Apples that came fer the family reunion?” “Headed home no doubt,” Applejack answered, “with all this going on they’d probably wanna get back home as soon as possible to give their towns a heads up.” Applebloom was silent for a moment but then asked in a hushed tone. “What’s gonna happen?” The three grown ponies looked at each other, not sure what to say to her. Applejack was the first to speak. “I don’t know.” She admitted. She took off her hat and placed it on the young filly to help protect her from the harsh sun. “But whatever tomorrow brings, the four of us will face it together.” “Eeyup,” her brother added. Despite the constant reminder of the sun, the Apples managed to get home without incident. Along the way Applebloom had managed to doze off on Big Mac’s back. Knowing the young filly needed the rest; he quietly carried her upstairs to her room. It was tricky but soon Applebloom was in her bed. He pulled the blanket over her and, as he was leaning in to give her a kiss on the forehead, his sister sat up and wrapped her forelegs around his neck. “Y’all still gonna be here when I wake up?” Big Mac nuzzled her and lowered her back down. In a soft voice he whispered “Eeyup.” and stayed there until she fell back to sleep. When Big Mac finally made it downstairs, Applejack was waiting for him. “Applebloom got to sleep alright?” The stallion nodded. “Good. If Corona makes good on her promise we’re in for a long day. We’ll all need our rest.” Applejack was about to head to bed as well but then Big Mac held out a hoof, stopping her. She looked back at her brother. “You Okay?” Big Mac asked, concern written all over his usually stoic face. Any other time the proud Applejack bravado would have come out at such a question, but after this night she just didn’t have any left. “No, I’m not.” Applejack sighed as she looked down at the floor. “It’s so messed up! The Princess is gone, Corona is back, Ponyville’s in shambles...” Applejack let out a shallow breath as she looked up at her brother. “...And all I can think is ‘thank goodness it wasn’t you or Applebloom that was taken’. Does that make me a bad pony?” The red stallion pulled Applejack in for a hug. “Nope.” The orange mare allowed herself a chance to lower the walls and let her brother comfort her. “I’m scared.” She whispered. Big Mac ran a comforting hoof through her mane. “Me too.” The sunlight streamed through the window as Big Mac sat at his desk. Despite having encouraged the rest of the family to go to bed, the red stallion had opted to stay up and keep watch in case something else happened. Looking out the window at regular intervals for signs of change, the farmer kept himself busy by running numbers. Though Big Mac crunched numbers a lot more than most farmers, he found that it helped things run smoother on the farm. While Applejack was the one in charge of the Sweet Apple Acres branch of the Trust, she trusted Big Mac to make sure the numbers were adding up, and to keep an eye out for anything she may have missed. Right now, however, he was trying to figure out how they were going to prepare for the days of non-stop sunlight that were to come. The fact that it was winter meant that that nothing was growing so there weren’t any crops to worry about yet, but the extra sunlight was already starting to melt the snow, speeding up the transition from winter to spring. Factoring in the standard rate of snow melting in direct sunlight and the hours of sunlight they were expecting if Corona – a big if - kept her promise; they were looking at winter being at least six weeks shorter. This meant that they would have to speed up preparations for Winter Wrap Up. What also needed to be considered were the horticultural effects: Winter or not, the apple trees and all other plant life still had the basic needs and requirements they always did. The melting snow would hopefully cover extra moisture needed to replace what would be lost in the extra heat. There was also the extra sunlight itself to factor in. While plants needed sunlight to live and theories existed about what extended sunlight did to plants, there was actually no precedent on how plant life would be affected by days of endless sunlight. Big Mac shoved some papers off his desk in what was the closest to frustration he ever allowed himself to express. The world was being turned on his head and he was acting as if this was a mere inconvenience and he hadn’t watched at the Princess being banished by the Tyrant Sun of legend returned. The sad but inescapable fact was that there was actually nothing else he could do, especially if Corona came back. He would do whatever it took to protect his family but what could he do? Run? How could you outrun the Sun? Hide? How long could you stay hidden from an immortal? Fight? As a bounty hunter, Big Mac had taken down all three kinds of ponies, not to mention creatures like Griffins, but this was completely out of his weight class. So Big Mac did the only thing he could do, run numbers and hope for the best. “I thought ya’d still be up.” Big Mac turned and saw Granny Smith enter the room. The elderly mare glanced at the paperwork. “Tryin’ to wrap yer head around what’s happened?” “Eeyup.” Granny Smith smiled kindly. “Mind if I give ya some advice?” Big Mac shrugged. “Don’t bother. Yer one of the sharpest tools in the Apple family shed, but trust me when I say that this was a long time comin’, but well beyond what we’re meant to understand.” Big Mac glanced at his desk briefly before giving a defeated sigh and turning back to the old mare. “What will happen?” “Whatever’s meant to,” Granny Smith replied. “Fate’s like a comedian who hasn’t realized that nopony else get’s the joke. All that we can do is wait for the punch line.” She tilted her head expectantly. “Understand?” Big Mac for a moment and smiled kindly at his grandma. “Nope.” Granny Smith sighed. “Honestly, neither do I.” She then brightened up again. “But as my pappy used to say ‘Why worry when ya can drink?’. I’ve got a bottle o mah private brew downstairs with two glasses, and right now yer the only one awake strong enough to get the darn cork out.” Despite everything that had happened, Big Mac let out a chuckle and left his desk. He gave Granny Smith a gentle nuzzle. “Love you.” The green mare nuzzled back. “I love you too.” She then adopted a more commanding tone. “Now move that big red caboose of yers. I’ve already lost valuable drinkin’ time climbin’ those dang steps to come get ya.”