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.”
I like the depictions of Big Mac, particularly after the Apples get home. Granny Smith and Apple Bloom were good too, as was AJ once she got home.
I thought general consensus in the group was that AJ was part of the angry mob that tried to raze Trixie's house? It seems like here she didn't participate in that.
1416624 I honestly don't mind either way myself. The only one I'm sure would jump at the chance to trash the residency would be Dash.
1416634: It's not a big deal to me, but I thought that some others were considering writing a 'Trixie apologizes to AJ for her behavior during the run-up to the Longest Night party' fic, which would include AJ apologizing for wrecking her house.
1416641
Not that it'd take. AJ sees the world through the distorting prism of what's good for the Apple Trust.....primarily because of that distorted version of the origin story her late parents believed and passed on to her. Do the other Trust executives believe it? I don't know and don't care. What I do know is that she's got that fancy blue unicorn pegged as a big idjit who might just start saying Yes, Ma'am to Corona and famine and stuff.
1416634 1416641
I'm kind of gonna miss the old head-canon of AJ leading the angry mob (with Applebloom plus BigMac and/or Granny being among the abductees as her excuse for the extreme behavior).
Still, this might be for the best. We do catch an awful lot of flack for supposedly slandering the M6, and making any of them part of the lynch mob probably wouldn't help that perception.
I do, however, hope that we could at least still have an oblivious Pinkie Pie, who mistakes the whole thing for a rave, putting a few holes in Trixie's residence with her part cannon.
Very four minute warning - good stuff.
1417165
Well for her specific chapter in this group fic, I think RK-Striker is planning on her hosting a party to keep the foals who are still left in town distracted from all the scary stuff that just happened. That's scheduled to happen after the sacking of Trixie's place though.
At least one of the CMCs should have been abducted; since Scootaloo and Appleblooms weren't, I guess that leaves Sweetie Belle.
1416709: I dunno, I think if Trixie sincerely apologized, AJ might be willing to forgive her.
1416884: Eh, we'd catch that flak anyway just for having the L6 be the heroes. I think I'll miss the AJ-as-mob-leader idea too.
1417314
Yeah, Sweetie Belle pretty much has to be abducted now, though I could only imagine the drama that would ensue with Rarity. Then again maybe she was among the adult abductees, which now has me imaging her trying to whine Corona into letting them all go.
...though I doubt that would turn out nearly as well as it did with the Diamond Dogs.
1417454
"It's too hot! I'm getting motion sick from being dragged around! The sun is too bright - "
"I will kill you. No negotiation, no begging, you'll just be dead."
...
1417454: I dunno, what if Sweetie Belle is so adorable that she 'cutes' Zecora into letting her go? :-)
1417171 Eyup.
I like this. Aren't we supposed to be making AJ not as 'evil' as before? ;) As for Trixie apologizing to her, for what? Trying to break the bland monotony of apple products? Bah!
Massive d'aww overdose but totally worth it. <--My tombstone afdter dying from hnghhh
Wow, the original L!canon was to have AJ leading the lynch mob? Good god people, you guys get flack for slandering the M6 because it really really looks like you slander the M6.
If that was the original idea I greatly approve of this change.
1419749
I'm not saying it would have been one of her finer moments, but really, if Applebloom had been abducted it would have been fairly understandable that in anger she might have gone a touch overboard, especially since Trixie had been making a nuisance all day and then seemed to sellout the town to Tyrant Sun. She would certainly regret it aftwards.
1417881
The monopoly that only happens one day a year, and is a long standing tradition born of the fact it was Granny Smith's family that founded the town in the first place.
I love Granny Smith in these stories so much. Makes me wish the Main universe used her as often and as well.
1419960
The problem is that almost 90% of Applejack's appearances have been her less than fine moments.
I'm not saying take away all of Applejack's jerkish tendancies but just show some likable features once in a while (even if it's just to her own family). It will help with the intention of Applejack being more misguided than outright malicous (that had been the original intention, hadn't it?) and it will help put a bit more punch into the moments where she does go off the deep end.
I do agree she would tear Trixie apart if she thought that the representative was responsible for Applebloom being taken but what older sibling wouldn't?
Though I have to ask, why does the lynch mob need a leader? Wouldn't the fact that it's just a group of ponies that are scared, confused and looking for someone to blame be enough? While I do see characters like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie (completely oblivious of course) joining in the destruction, any character that was shown to be actively leading the mob would be crossing the moral event horizan.
1419960 Biggest problem is, most apple-based products make me ill.
1421754
Mobs of confused and scared individuals don't usually get much accomplished on their own, not with out singular voice that speaks loudly enough above the others to give that fear and confusion a clear objective to focus on.
Either way though, as I said in my first comment, I will miss the old head-canon, but I can also see reasons why this might be better. What you wrote is not how I would have imagined it, but I don't have any over objections either (Well maybe AB not getting kidnapped bothers me a little; it was fine with Scoots because she was on the other side of town, but AB was right there in the center of the event).
1422052 Let's put it this way: if Applebloom had been nabbed Applejack would have been the first in line to trash the residency, probably racing with Dash to get there first. Since she didn't Applejack would rather protect her little sister than rush into a demolition mob.
1422071
I agree 100%.
Still, I can wish the former is what happened (AB kidnapped, so AJ goes nuts), while also accepting that the latter is now what's canon (AB is fine, so AJ wants to get her home). Not all of my personal disappointments have to be something that I get angry about or hold a grudge over. This is different than how I imagined it, but still a fine story unto itself, and with qualities that could even arguably make it the better of the two.
1422253 I agree. Both outcomes were possibility, this one is now canon. Plus, like was mentionned, anything not to make it seem like we're persecuting the M6.
1422298
There's a bit of a dangerous precedent there which could send us too far down the opposite direction. I don't want "anything to not persecute the M6" to become some mantra that stops us from using them as even mild antagonists. I liked the fact that the L!M6 were each in there own way a warped counterpart to the real thing, and I would hate to see that die.
1422323 I'd rather like to think of this as presenting them as rounded characters. Yes they have flaw but they are not without redeeming qualities.
1422367
I agree, I just don't want anyone to forget that flaws part either.
1422436
I absolutely agree. It's the flaws that help make characters interesting.
>“You Okay?” Big Mac asked
The o should be le case de la lower
>nopony else get’s the joke
What is the apostrophe for?
Big Mac's a bounty hunter? Somehow I have no trouble believing this. Kinda nice to see the apples when they aren't being selfish douches, keeping the other farms from selling their stuff. I liked it.