Equestria's Tales

by DouglasTrotter

Heavy Heart (Sad)

A lone stallion sat underneath an apple tree on a hill, gazing at the farmhouse in the distance. As the sun began to set, he watched three silhouettes pass by farmhouse's window. A small, filly sized image latched onto the visage a pony with a Stetson hat. The silhouette of an elderly mare placed a hoof near her mouth while laughing. Beyond the farmhouse, the moon began its ascent with the last bits of brilliant light fading from the setting sun.

"Too bad ya big goof..."

From underneath the apple tree on the hill, a gentle sigh overshadowed the chirping crickets. Big Macintosh said in a calm, quiet voice, "Bloom."

"Big Macintosh. This here is your little, little sister, Apple Bloom. Ah need ya to help watch over her." the voice of a younger Granny Smith echoed inside the stallion's mind.

The little foal, with a tiny pink ribbon around her mane, laid in her bassinette. She smiled at the little colt that peered at her, and the little colt smiled back. Soon, the little foal began to grow with the once small colt turning into a stalwart young stallion. The little pony's eyes remained glued to her big brother, yet, day-by-day, the little foal became a filly who turned her gaze towards another.

"Applejack, that was awesome. I can't believe you're the element of honesty. You saved us all." Apple Bloom's voice resonated inside Big Macintosh's mind.

The stallion's ears lowered. His withers twitched, and he felt his heart sink as he remembered those words, along with the eyes of his little sister focusing on Applejack.

Big Macintosh gazed into the sky to see a plethora of twinkling stars above him.

"Ain't ya proud of your sis. Ta think an apple would be part of an honest ta goodness legend." Granny Smith said to the group that day.

"You're just a darned fool." Big Mac said to himself. His heavy hooves guided him towards the farm house, and then stopped. A cautious hoof rose up and crept towards the doorknob. The stallion's two green eyes peered inside to see Apple Bloom asleep on the couch next to Applejack. Granny Smith slept in her rocking chair. The hoof now placed on the ground, Big Macintosh said to himself, "Better sleep outside tonight."

Big Macintosh turned away from the farmhouse. He meandered passed rows of apple trees, their red skins reflecting the moon's brilliant light then arrived at the barn. The stallion stopped near the wagon and retrieved a blanket from the small storage chest. He draped the white sheet over his body. One final sigh overshadowed the chirping cricked before Big Macintosh laid his head on his hooves.

In the wagon, the stars reflected off of two weary eyes before those eyes finally closed.

"..."

Big Macintosh yawned.

"..."

Big Macintosh tumbled onto the ground. His ears perked up. His eyes darted around. After a quick shrug he picked the blanket off the ground, draped it around his body, and climbed back into the cart. As the crickets continued their nightly symphony, the cart rose a little bit off the ground then dumped the stallion out once more.

"Nope." Big Macintosh said. He rose to his hooves. The wooden cart in front of him hovered above the ground the floated down. After raising an eyebrow, an annoyed set of eyes scanned the area. He let out a guttural grunt. "Nope."

"Why do you refuse help?" the voice said.

The stallion retrieved the white sheet from the ground.

"Is that any way to treat one who has come to aid you?" Princess Luna said, coming down from the moon. She glided towards the ground and landed on soft hooves. "Big Macintosh, I am the guardian of the night. I am willing to help you."

"Nope..." Big Macintosh said, dragging the sheet further over himself. The cart reared up, but Big Macintosh stayed in place. He smirked. His snide smile vanished as the cart turn upside down. The stallion snorted.

"Forgive me. I shouldn't laugh at the misfortune of others." Princess Luna said.

The stallion looked at the princess, squinted, and moved towards an apple tree. He sat down, causing the small landscape to shake. Big Macintosh moved over for Princess Luna to sit beside him but turned away from the kind hoof the princess was prepared to place on his shoulder.

"Such a wistful look on a stallion as young as yourself." Princess Luna said.

Big Macintosh remained motionless while he continued to stare at the farmhouse. The twinkling lights in the sky began to fade.

"You were elated when Apple Bloom was born, were you not?" Princess Luna said. Her eyes followed the stalwart colt in front of her, "That's rather sweet of you to give up your dessert for your sister. Mine can be quite... selective in what treats she gives me."

Two sets of eyes watched the scene shift from instance-to-instance, and moment-to-moment. Princess Luna placed a hoof near her mouth. She covered her gentle smile.

A colt produced a small toy, spinning it between his hooves to entertain two young fillies. The young Big Macintosh smiled at the filly and foal in front of him. The stallion turned away, but he glanced to his side and watched his younger self continue to spin the toy. The three ponies cheered as the toy flew into the air then landed on the ground. Again and again the young colt spun the toy into the air. The paint on the toy discolored, changing from its one brilliant hue.

Almost like a stage show, the scene revealed a now mature stallion that carried a filly on his back. The filly smiled and cheered at the stallion, receiving a warm smile in return from her big brother. At the side of the stallion stood a young mare of a pony with a well fitted Stetson on her head. The group moved forward with a wagon load of shiny ripe apples in several buckets.

"That day marked the change of everything." Princess Luna said.

The group watched an opulent, flying chariot race into town, pulled by two strong pegasi stallions.

"...eyup." Big Macintosh said in a quiet voice.

"Ya'll might not believe this, but..." the dream Applejack said.

"Really?! My big sis is an element of harmony. That is so awesome." the dream Apple Bloom said.
Princess Luna illuminated her horn. The world vanished. In a calm tone she said, "Living in the shadow of another -- I know that all too well, and I know how strenuous it can be to live up to expectation."

The dark landscape brightened. Majestic banners hung from the ceiling near two thrones. A tall, beautiful, royal mare walked towards an equally opulent mare.

"Your duties are equivalent to mine, regardless of what you may believe, Luna. It is you, not I who must raise the moon. My dear sister," a dream Princess Celestia placed a kind wing over a dream Princess Luna's shoulder, "I will always be here for you, always care for you."

"..." Big Macintosh remained silent. His withers shivered. He bit down on his lower lip before it began to quiver. "..."

The princess looked at the stallion near her side, "Though my sister's words were true, they couldn't penetrate the darkness that took root in my heart."

A regal wing graced Big Macintosh's cheek and forced him to look into the eyes of Princess Luna. He pulled away. "Nope."

"Big Macintosh," Princess Luna flew in front of the stallion then sat down, "I say this out of concern because I too have traveled down this path. In your heart is a small piece that wants to be the hero that little filly looked up to so long ago. I implore you to not let that piece be tainted."

Big Macintosh shook his head, "Nope."

"There is no 'Eeyup' or 'Nope' to this, my young stallion. It pains me to be a harbinger of grim tidings." Princess Luna said with the dream world beginning to fade. "A grave threat is coming, and it cannot be stopped by me, my sister, or the elements of harmony. The Cutie Mark Crusaders will need the support of their family and friends."

Big Macintosh lowered his head. A tear crawled down his cheek then dripped from his chin. The single tear glinted in what lights remained in the world before it fell into a darkened abyss. "I'm... I'm just a farm pony, nothin' special. I'm nobody's hero."

Princess Luna raised the stallion's head with her right hoof, "Please, believe me when I say that I know what it means to stand in the shadow of another. It feels as though nothing you do will ever amount to what they have accomplished, but that isn't true."

"Big Mac. Big Mac. Can ya help me?" A voice said.

Big Macintosh glanced to his left to see a stallion helping a little filly off of a wagon. The little filly, sporting a pink ribbon in her mane, latched onto the stallion's neck.

"Thanks Big Mac." Apple Bloom said.

Big Macintosh stood up. Princess Luna shook her head.

"No deed, big or small, goes unnoticed. I cannot force you to change, but I beseech thee to heed my words. A danger is coming. It is one that cannot be stopped by the elements of harmony. Your sister Apple Bloom and her friends will be at the center of this peril. For Apple Bloom's sake, I hope you are there to be her big brother, perhaps her hero." Princess Luna said. She extended her wings. The princess floated into the sky. "Like all my subjects, I am here if you would like to talk, Big Macintosh."

Big Macintosh maintained his wistful look as he gazed at the frozen image in front of him. He laid down, and then closed his eyes. "I'm no pony's hero."

*** *** ***

A rooster crowed. The stallion stretched and yawned. Big Macintosh blinked several times, finding himself on the ground. He looked at the distant horizon to see the sun beginning its ascent. After getting to his hooves, Big Macintosh headed towards the farmhouse. He watched the front door open. The stallion found himself gazing at a blue sky with a lone cloud floating by.

"Land sakes youngin, where ya been?" Granny Smith said, creeping up behind the small group.

"What happened to ya, Big Mac?" Applejack said.

"Yea. You weren't in your bed." Apple Bloom said.

Big Macintosh got up. A loud snarl echoed in the ponies' ears and in the surrounding farmland. The stallion wandered into the kitchen. He sat down at the table with two sets of eyes staring at him.

"Didn't ya get yer fill last night, Big Mac?" Granny Smith said. She rolled her eyes at her grandson who gazed at the boards beneath his hooves. "I know ya eat as much as four bulls, but we can feed ya. We ain't in debt here."

"Hey, Applejack. Get Big Macintosh to tell ya about cousin 'Orchard Blossom.'" Apple Bloom said, trying to stifle her snickering.

"Ain't got a cousin Orchard from what I -- o sweet Celestia, Big Mac. You didn't." Applejack said.

"Well how rude," Orchard Blossom said.

"Heh, heh. Big Mac here was a hoot." Granny Smith said, giving a sly wink. "Swear he coulda passed for a proper mare with a little more makeup. Still," Granny Smith's jovial demeanor soured, "ya got a might carried away there, 'Orchard Blossom,' and, on top of yer chores today, ya gotta fix the hen house, the buckets, the course, and clean up what mess is left."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh sighed after clearing his throat.

"Ah'll help ya," Apple Bloom came closer and hugged Big Macintosh's forehoof, "big brother."

"Thanks for the offer little sis. It's best if I do this on my own." Big Macintosh said. He winced. He shot up, "Whatcha do that for?!"

"Enough ya big goof." Apple Bloom said, having bucked Big Macintosh in the back. "Ah am helpin' ya, whether ya like it or not."

"Stubborn as her big brother," Applejack said, ending with a slight chuckle. "O, that reminds me. I got ya'll some gifts from Manehatten. Let me see here. They're in my saddlebag -- what in the hay?"

Applejack pulled out a thick stack of notes, one hundred pages in total. Her eyes widened.

"Twi is gonna --" Applejack said. She froze, letting out a single gulp.

"APPLEJACK!" A loud voice shouted outside the farmhouse.

"Better run, sis." Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh said in unison.

"Sorry there, Twi. I guess I eh... erm.. plum forgot about... the. Notes." Applejack said, ending with a sheepish grin as Twilight entered the farmhouse.

"Thanks. I needed to cool off." Twilight said, groaning after Apple Bloom dumped a pitcher of water onto her head. "I can't investigate that rock you brought back from Appleoosa if the notes are missing, now can I."

"Right," Applejack said as she pulled her new Stetson down over her face.

"Apple Bloom, would you mind being my assistant?" Twilight said.

Big Macintosh smiled at her, "She's happy to help."

"But Big Macintosh," Apple Bloom said.

The rooster crowed. Granny Smith hollered "Breakfast's ready" to the ponies.

"Nope." Big Macintosh said to Apple Bloom's request. He shook his head a second time, and then said, "I'll be fine. You go help Twilight."

After breakfast was consumed, a few tense minutes of banter between Big Macintosh and Apple Bloom, Twilight and Apple Bloom headed off towards the castle.

"Had the weirdest dream. Was watchin you and Princess Luna talk about me bein' an element of harmony and all. She seemed kinda concerned about ya, Big Macintosh. Anythin' ya wanna tell me about?" Applejack said, looking at her big brother.

"Nope." Big Macintosh said. He stood up and said before he left, "Got chores ta do."

"Alright. Ya can talk to me and Bloom, right?" Applejack said.

The door to the kitchen closed. Big Macintosh walked towards the Sister Hooves Social grounds.

"Ain't nothin special about me. I'm nobody's hero." Big Macintosh said to himself. His ears perked up. The sound of laughter echoed throughout the orchard. He squinted at a tree near the destroyed hen house. "Nope."

"You, and you alone have set these events into motion." Princess Luna said. She illuminated her horn. The broken buckets, the hen house, and the race track were fixed in a flash of light. "Just a little bit of information for you, my young stallion. There's a certain 'thing' Apple Bloom has had her eye on in Ponyville. You'll know it when you see it."

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes. "I guess I have to be honest with myself and know when I'm beat."

Princess Luna nodded to the stallion who headed off to Ponyville before she vanished into the apple tree's shadow. "I beg thee to heed my words. Never do I want to another soul to be consumed by darkness."