//------------------------------// // And Then Macintosh Was a Robot // Story: My Strange Ponies // by CTVulpin //------------------------------// The Friendship Express pulled into the Ponyville station and Twilight and Big Macinotsh stepped out to be greeted by Applejack. “Welcome back,” Applejack said, hugging her unicorn friend, “how was Appleoosa?” “It was fine,” Twilight answered, “We got their apple tree fungus problem cleared up before it could do too much damage, and the settler ponies and buffalo tribe are still getting along great.” “Great to hear,” Applejack said, clapping Twilight on the back, “I knew the two of you wouldn’t let them down. How ‘bout you Big Mac? Happy to be home?” “Eeyup,” the red stallion said, “An’ I’m raring to get back ta the farm.” “Yeah? Well there’s nothing urgent…” Applejack trailed off as she nudged her brother with her shoulder. “Ya sure yer feeling ok?” she asked, “Ya feel a bit chilly…” “I’m fine AJ,” Big Macintosh said, walking away in the direction of the farm “Just hankerin’ fer some home-grown apples.” “Ok,” AJ said unsurely, following him. Applejack’s worries had faded by the time she and Big Macinotsh returned to Sweet Apple Acres. The large red earth stallion was behaving like his normal strong and silent self and his appetite for lunch was perfectly normal. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith both commented on how strangely cool his body felt when they welcomed him home, but since that was the only abnormal thing about him they didn’t comment further or protest his insistence on getting back to work. After catching up on his plowing, he hitched up to the big apple cart and hauled it out into the orchard where AJ was apple-bucking. “Perfect timin’ big brother,” the orange mare said as he entered the section of orchard she was working in, “I got six trees worth of apples ready ta load up.” “Eeyup,” Macintosh said simply, seeing the full baskets sitting at the bases of the nearby trees. He started toward them, but as he passed under a branch a large golden delicious that had stubbornly withstood AJ’s bucking decided to come loose on its own and fell with a heavy thud right between Macintosh’s ears. “Ow…” he said, rubbing his head. “Hahaha!” Applejack laughed as she came over to him, “Hoo, sorry Big Mac, but that was the funniest co-inky-dink I ever-” she froze in her tracks as she saw his green eyes laying in the dirt in front of him. In stunned silence, she slowly looked up to see black orbs with glowing red pupils in her brother’s eye sockets. “H-humuna…” she babbled before her mind locked up and she fainted. “TWILIGHT!” The front door the library splintered as Applejack bucked it open and charged inside, grabbing the startled lavender unicorn and pressing her up against the table before she could even blink. “What happened to Big Macintosh?” “Applejack, what are you-” Twilight started to say. “He’s a bucking robot!” Applejack screamed, “Mah big brother’s been kidnapped and replaced with a robot duplicate!” “Oh,” Twilight said, averting her eyes, “You found out huh?” “We’re probably under attack by pony-snatching… what did you just say?” AJ said, suspicion quickly replacing the panic in her voice. Twilight bit her lip and looked around wildly. Her horn started to glow with a rising whine, but AJ gave the pointy appendage a smack and interrupted the spell before it could be cast. “What’s going on Twi?” the farm-pony asked. “AJ…” Twilight said pleadingly, and then sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll tell you. Just put me down.” Applejack let her go and stepped back, an expectant look in her hard eyes. “You remember the first apple-buck season after I came to Ponyville?” “Yeah,” AJ drawled, “I worked mahself nearly ta death ‘cuz Mac had hurt himself and I was too stubborn ta ask fer help.” “That’s mostly true,” Twilight said, “Except it was Granny Smith who had hurt herself. Big Macintosh never existed until your mind invented him from the depths of your sleep-deprived delusions. Even after we got you to admit defeat and ask for help and all your other problems went away, you thought Macintosh was real. You’d even inserted him into all your filly-hood memories. After a little while, we realized that Granny Smith wasn’t going to get well enough to apple-buck ever again, and Apple Bloom’s still too young to help you, so we agreed to make your imaginary big brother real.” “What?” Applejack exclaimed, “What kinda hooey is that? T’ain’t no way you coulda pulled that off. I mean, I don’t doubt that between your smarts, Rarity’s eye fer details, and Pinkie Pie you could make a convincing pony robot, but everypony in town, neigh, the entire Apple Family knows Big Macintosh and remembers doing stuff with ‘im long before I ever met you Twilight. How in the hay could you maintain a consistent story between so many ponies. Just ain’t possible.” “You, know you’re right AJ,” Twilight said, nodding. “I am?” AJ responded, confused. “There’s only one other explanation,” Twilight said, her voice suddenly shifting from her own to that of Apple Bloom, “Yer dreamin’ Applejack. Wake up!” “Gwah!” Applejack gasped as she sat up suddenly in bed, cold with sweat. It was night time, the moonlight streaming in through her bedroom window, and her siblings were gathered around her bed, looking worried. AJ took a deep calming breath and wiped a leg across her brow. “Land sakes, that was a doozy,” she said, and then looked at Big Macintosh and gave him a crooked smile, saying, “I dreamed you was a robot and everyone but me knew about it.” “That does sound like a crazy one,” the red stallion chuckled, and then turned to leave. “Well, I better get back ta sleep mahself.” “Me too,” Apple Bloom said with a yawn, “Gotta recharge the ol’ batteries after all the crusadin’ I did today. Night Applejack.” “G’night,” AJ said, settling back under the covers. As she closed her eyes however, she thought she heard the sound of hydraulics and rotating disks. Cracking one eye open, she saw Apple Bloom leaving the room, her small legs moving with a strange stiffness. The filly turned around after crossing the threshold and gripped the door handle in her mouth to close the door, and as she did so her eyes seemed to flash for a second. Just… just the moonlight reflecting in ‘em, that’s all, Applejack thought to herself and she tried to relax, nothin’ ta worry about. … Come ta think of it though… Ma and Pa haven’t been around these parts since I was a filly. … How long has Apple Bloom been living here?