*With a heavy heart, I must declare this story cancelled. Though it lacks a true ending, I encourage each and every one of you to make your own. May your vision create something even grander than my own. -Derply*
After the events of Twilight's Kingdom, vegetation across Ponyville has been thrown into disarray thanks to Twilight's new unintentional death castle. But while some plants have been sucked dry, others have flourished, such as the infamous Poison Joke.

Enter Big Mac; a stallion of few words whose about to get a few dozen more whether he, or anypony else, likes it or not.

(WARNING: While it gets silly at times, this fic borderlines between needing and not needing the tragedy tag. Contains character deconstructions that may upset people.)

Editor: Thardoc, and help from TwelveFoot as well!

Big McIntosh has a unique way of appreciating music, and Octavia certainly provides an experience. Octavia would love to get in touch with her earth pony roots, and Big McIntosh has the deepest roots around. They could learn so much from each other about why they do what they do, and they just might gain some insight into their own simple gifts in the process.

Featured on Equestria Daily!

Reading by Goombasa.

Big Macinstosh has always been a rather quiet pony. So, naturally, it's a bit hard for him to admit to having a crush on a certain owner of the Carousel Boutique.

"You have the same eyes, the same smile, even the same laugh. You two would be so much alike. If only..."

No one is a stranger to secrets. Some of us become quite intimate with them, spend years watching over them, even build our whole lives around them. Big Mac is no stranger to the agony of maintaining a years-long facade, and Apple Bloom is not unfamiliar with his silence. But there comes a time when curiosity grows too great, and the pain too deep. Just one question...

Cover art by the stupendous, incomparable and otherwise splendiferous Arby Works.

Sooo, this is weird but I have a crush on my cousin. I mean he’s not really my cousin, he’s like my 17th cousin 20 times removed or something so I guess it isn’t that weird but it’s still a little bit weird. Oh! I’m Pinkie Pie by the way. This is the story of me and Big Mac.

Big Mac’s, well, big. He’s like super tall and he spends all day pulling carts around so he’s got the biggest muscles. Don’t get me wrong, that’s nice and all but that isn’t why I like him. Call me a romantic fool but it was always his smile. When you see his smile, really see it it’s the biggest and happiest smile in all of Equestria.

The life we knew, much like the childhood we all experienced at one point in our lives, is no more. We lived through the tough times. Granted, some may have been easy, and some may have been excruciatingly difficult, but we are the ones who have lived through life with premature intentions that meant no harm. We wanted to live it, as we craved adventure and pleasure, knowledge and acceptance.

But we have lost the way...

The noble, honest ways of old are no more. Life is no longer life in all it's previous meaning and sense. You can cheat, lie, thieve and deceive your way through it and not a single thing will happen to you, and even if some punishment DOES come, you'll just get slapped on the wrist and be told not to do it again.

Everything is so easy now, when back then, everything was very much the opposite.

This is Big Macintosh's story--his struggle--to find a way through the world of today, keeping his cool and finding ways to get through the troubles that it throws at him.

But he's not the only one who feels like this. No.

For the first time in a long time, the Apple Family Reunion is being held somewhere other than Sweet Apple Acres. Big Mac decides this is his chance to finally have some time to himself and volunteers to stay behind to look after the homestead. But time alone doesn't mean that the chores can be ignored.

Berry Punch has had her eye on a certain stallion for a while now, and with his family out of the way, it's the perfect chance to test the waters.

Rewritten on February 27th, 2015.

Big Mac wants to go out and do something. More specifically, he'd like to go on a date, but when Applejack finds out some of the details, she drags him to a fair and Big Mac ends up dating Fleetfoot. Will this date end well?

She looked down to where the enchanted quill had been writing down the rediscovered family lineage of generations. She almost recast the spell when she understood why it stopped.

It was complete.

She had done it.

There at the bottom of the most recent piece of parchment lay the current branch of the tree.

“I did it.” She whispered to herself in shock. “An heir is found.”

“Huh.”

Well, curiosity satisfied she could ignore it and continue onto her next fancy…

Or…

A smile spread across her face and a great look of mischief filled her eyes. She could ‘rustle the jimmies’ of the Canterlot Nobles.

Pinkie...an Apple...or just a Pie. She wasn't sure.They said no matter what, "She was Still an Apple.", yet deep inside, she felt otherwise. She needed proof of the relationship to feel whole. To feel as a if she really belonged...really an Apple.