Chapter One
Pink Apple Seeds
It was a usual gray overcast day on the Pie family rock farm as young Pinkamina pushed the rock, a pebble really, across the small practice field her parents had set up behind their home. Pinkamina stopped for a short break, sitting down in front of her little pile of stones with a quiet sigh and looked up at the sky.
The perpetual dull sky washed the farm in a gray light giving young Pinkamina’s world a dull haze of similarly muted colors. This didn’t bother Pinkamina as it would one of the townsponies, it had always been this way for as long as she could remember. Even her family shared similar earthy tones and colors that fit their gray-hued farm, except for her. Pinkamina was different from her family or at least she looked different which was the only difference she’d ever known.
“Ahh!” The loud groan of annoyance drew the pink filly’s attention to the brush that ran along all but one of the sides of the practice field. She looked east, north, west, her eyes shooting north again as a pony emerged from the brush. He was a tall colt, though a bit scrawny, at least twice as big as she was, with bright green eyes that shone with annoyance at the moment, and a messy orange mane and his cutie mark was a green apple sliced in half. However, what struck Pinkamina the most was the coloring of his coat, it was like her’s except darker in shade yet at the same time brighter and more vibrant.
Big Macintosh shook his mane wildly casting off several leafs and twigs that had become caught in it, no doubt the source of his annoyance. “Consarnit, dang-blasted...” Big Macintosh cursed to himself for a moment before realizing he wasn’t alone. He looked over to the young pink filly whom he had stumbled onto, and who stared back at him with curious eyes.
“Oh, mah apologies miss,” Big Macintosh said standing up straight and mustering up his politeness. Cursing in front of the young filly was something his parent would tan his hide for if they ever found out, so he did his best to make a better second impression. “Mah name’s Big Macintosh. You must be Pinkamina Pie. Mah Pa told me all about yer family, he told meh that the Pies had a little filly that was about mah sister, Applejack`s, age, that must be y'all. Pa says yer family farms rocks, but ah don`t see how anypony could farm rocks.”
Pinkamina was dazed by the colt’s talking, nopony in her family ever talked that much, they hardly talked at all. Everypony in her family knew what was expected of them and did it, her mother or father never had to tell them to do something more than once. Not really knowing what to say Pinkamina simply nodded to confirm that she who he thought she was and then returned to pushing the pebbles across the practice field.
Big Macintosh stood and watched the filly for a few moments, his head tilted curiously and Pinkamina realized that he probably didn’t understand what she was doing. She stopped and turned back to him, but was halted with uncertainty. She didn’t know how to explain something so simple, and it had never been explained to her, she’d learned to do it by watching her sisters.
Big Macintosh, however, seemed to understand perfectly. “Oh ah see, y'all rotate them pebbles back and forth,” He said with a nod. Though he still didn’t understand why the Pie family had a rock farm, he simply shrugged the question off and asked, “Can ah try?”
Pinkamina was glad the big colt understood what she was doing without her needing to explain; especially since she was positive she wouldn’t be able to get out a coherent explanation on her own. Pinkamina was also glad that Big Macintosh was going to stick around for a while, she got kind of lonely out there practicing all day by herself. She pushed the largest practice rock over to him, it was at least half the size of her head and she struggled a bit to get it over to him.
Big Macintosh was glad to see that Pinkamina seemed to want him to stick around as well. Not many ponies wanted to hang out with him, he made them nervous which made him nervous, but Pinkamaina made him feel at ease. Still, he was beginning to get worried, he’d have to be very careful not to scare her away with his oddities. She was the first pony outside of his family who didn’t seem to be afraid of him, he would have to be very careful.
Pinkamina gave a little sigh when she had finally gotten the stone in place for Big Macintosh, and realized she’d need a lot more practice before she was ready to work the fields. With the practice rock in place, Pinkamina took a step back and sat down looking on expectantly to Big Macintosh. The red colt stepped up carefully and gently leaned down to the rock. Pinkamina thought he looked nervous, but she could imagine why. Finally, Big Macintosh gave the rock a gentle nudge with his snout which caused it to roll a few centimeters before it stopped hardly having moved at all.
If Pinkamina had known how to she would have laughed, but instead, she just shook her head at the sight unable to believe such a big pony could be so weak.
Big Macintosh glared down at the rock, it could have moved a little further than that, now he had just embarrassed himself. He leaned back down and gave the rock a quick flick with his snout. This time the rock shot across the field as if he’d bucked it and dented a tree at the edge of it.
“Ah-ah-ah’m sorry. Ah didn’t mean to.” The tall red colt began to stammer shrinking away from the pink filly.
Wide-eyed Pinkamina looked from the rock dented tree to Big Macintosh and thought how her father would love the surprisingly strong colt.
“Yer father would hate me,” Big Macintosh said his head hung low as he stared at the ground. He didn’t realize then that he had answered her thoughts, as he sank into self-loathing. “He’d just think ah was a freak just like everypony else does.” Suddenly his loathing became anger and with a growl he took his anger out on a nearby stone, crushing it to dust with a stomp of his hoof. “All the pony’s at school knew what ah was and they were all scared of meh,” he stomped another one to dust, “And that stupid desk and to go and break.” He was about to do the same to a third, but just as suddenly as the anger came it slipped away and he slumped to the ground.
What was he doing? His parents had taught him to be tougher than this and he had been. Even after the first day of school when nopony had talked to him or the second when the teasing began Big Macintosh had never moped like this in front of his parents, he didn’t even tell them anything was wrong.
The Big Macintosh felt something nuzzle up against his neck, he looked up to see Pinkamina standing at his side rubbing her head against his neck. He felt so much from that one act of kindness. It was like she was telling him she wasn’t afraid of him, he wasn’t a freak, and that it would be all right. He had kept all the pain of his alienation inside never letting it show, never letting anypony in. He should have felt silly letting his emotions and his sentiment run wild like he was, but instead, he just felt calm and at ease. For several minutes Big Macintosh lay there while Pinkamina stood and rested her head on his back. They didn’t speak, but that didn’t bother either of them, to them the silence spoke volumes.
“Ah was born this way,” Big Macintosh finally spoke overcome by the need to tell his story to somepony who didn’t already know it, a pony he could trust. He also needed to hear it himself, out loud and in his own words instead of the hushed tones of other ponies. “Mah parents knew ah was strong, ah was always breakin’ stuff as a baby, but they didn’t worry about it, not at first. Then when ah was younger even then y'all are my ma took meh out t’ see my pa applebuck.” Big Macintosh seemed to drift further and further away as he told the story vividly remembering what happened.
---
A tiny Big Macintosh ran excitedly back and forth around his mother who watched him with soft amber eyes and a warm smile. His mother Valencia was a pale yellow mare with an orange mane and though nopony realized it then she looked a lot like a grown-up version of her yet to be born youngest daughter Apple Bloom. Her cutie mark was a bowl of fruit.
“Hey ma, ah can see pa!” Big Macintosh called back from the top of a hill, even though she was just a few strides behind him. Big Macintosh took a few steps towards his father but his mother quickly stepped up and grabbed him by the scruff of his mane and lifted him off the ground. “Hold on Mackie, you can’t just can’t run up while your father is applebucking, you could get hurt. Just stay up here and watch how your father does it.” Big Macintosh struggled a bit, really just flailing his hoofs, but calmed down at his mother’s words and watched quietly.
Big Macintosh’s father, Great Graven, shared his deep red coat, but his mane, one a light brown, had long since been bleached blond from long hours of working under the sun, and his cutie mark was a trio of red and green apples. The large stallion approached the tree its branches heavy with large red and green apples. He took only a moment to size up the familiar tree before he turned his flank to it and with a single powerful buck shook the tree to its roots. The shaking caused the heavy apples to break free of their branches and fall into several well-placed baskets around the tree.
Big Macintosh watched his father work with wonder, he had never seen anything so amazing in his short life and was sure he never would. He suddenly found himself back on the ground his mother having released him, and took off down the hill to his father’s side. “Pa that was amazing, it was so cool,” Big Macintosh said bouncing with foal-like excitement.
“Nawww Little Big Macintosh, it weren’t nothing, applebuckin’ in our blood it’s easy.” The large stallion said with a smile as he ruffled his son’s mane with a hoof.
“Can ah try applebuckin’ then pa, since it in mah blood and all?” Big Macintosh said his eyes bright and hopeful.
“Ah don’t see why not,” Graven replied pointing off to an unbuckled tree that had baskets set around it.
“Graven,” Valencia brushed up to the stallion giving him a disapproving look, “He’s just a colt, applebucking a bit much don’t you think.”
“Naa Val, He’s a strong little apple he might shake down a few.” He replied confidently with a wink, a father simply bursting with pride for his son.
Valencia gave him a withering look, but Big Macintosh had received all the encouragement he needed, and he dashed up to the tree practically hopping with excitement. He looked the tree over searching for just the perfect spot to buck it just as he’d seen his father do, but instead of finding a good spot he only managed to intimidate himself by fully realizing the immense size of the tree. He looked back to find his parents still watching him, he couldn’t give up without trying. So he turned his flank to the tree, coiled back his hind legs and kicked with all his strength. There was a thunderous crack that resounded for miles sending any animal in that ranch scurrying for dear life. Big Macintosh jumped at the noise and dashed to his mother, he shivered with fear as he hid behind her.
“By Celestia Mackie,” She muttered under her breath.
Big Macintosh looked up at his parent who were staring wide-eyed at where he had been, and he followed their stares. The tree was bent over, a large crack in its base just below where he had kicked had been torn open. Big Macintosh couldn’t believe what he was seeing and continued to stare as the tree’s strength gave out and it crashed to the ground.
Big Macintosh’s eyes filled with tears as he stammered to apologize, “Ah... ah... ah didn’t mean to. Ah’m sorry!”
Valencia hushed him and his father told him that it wasn’t his fault, but the little colt continued to cry. He remembered how his father had told him how the biggest trees in the orchard had grown over the long years since his grandparents settled there. Looking back at the fallen tree Big Macintosh could only imagine that it had been growing there since his father was his age and he had killed it with a single kick.
Valencia carried her son back to the house softly reassuring him with each step that it wasn’t his fault, but Big Macintosh knew better. Slow his mind wandered to the stories his father told him to put him to sleep about brave stallions who slay terrible monsters that would otherwise destroy all that ponies held dear and wondered, was that what he was?
---
“Mah parent’s never told nopony about what happened, but accidents kept happening. It was like once the barrel was tapped there was no stoppin’ the cider from flowin’ and everypony found out.” Big Macintosh was sitting up but his ears were flat and his head hung low. Pinkamina sat next to him her large blue eyes following his even when he wasn’t looking at her. “Like the desk.”
“Ah just couldn’t handle it anymore so ah ran away. Ah was gonna live in the Everfree forest, but ah got lost and ended up here with y'all.” Big Macintosh looked over at his silent pink friend who leaned over and touched her head to his side and looked back up at him with worry in her eyes.
“Don’t worry Pinkamina, Ah promise not to leave if y'all promise ah can come back and visit ya.” He flashed her a quick smile to which she quickly nodded.
“Well then all right,” Big Macintosh stood up looking over to the brush he had come stumbling through some time ago. He was a little embarrassed that he had gotten so emotional and told the little filly all that, but he felt better for it. Pinkamina stood up as well still closely watching her tall red friend and he looked back down at her. “Ah best be goin’, see ya soon alright Pinkamina.”
She nodded a goodbye which big Macintosh returned then pushed his way back into the brush to try and find his way home. Pinkamaina watched him go and listened until she could no longer hear him before turning back and trotting to her house.
---
Big Macintosh pushed the front door open gently, which of course caused it to bang open noisily. Normally that would have caused him to grumble angrily at the door, but today he simply rolled his eyes at it and gently pushed it closed.
“Big Macintosh yer home,” Applejack cheered hurrying down the stairs to greet her older brother.
Big Macintosh flashed his sister a smile, “That’s right kiddo,” and swept down and scooped her up onto his head then let her slide down his neck and onto his back. She looked back at him curiously, he never picked her up, in fact, he usually treated her like she was made of paper and would crumple up or tear apart at his slightest touch.
Applejack, of course, knew all about her brother’s superpony strength, and always thought it was cool and trusted her brother never to hurt her. Applejack jumped up and turned around so she was facing her brother head rather than his flank and beamed, “Does this mean we can play today?”
Since Big Macintosh was always so afraid of hurting Applejack when they played he usually just watched her practice with her lasso, or, more often, she watched him perform feats of incredible strength. Big Macintosh only ever seemed to enjoy his abilities when he was entertaining his little sister, but he had stopped playing with her since he started going to school. He flashed another smile and said, “Ah'll have to see about that.”
Applejack cheered and jumped eagerly on his back, this was the scene their mother came upon when she slowly made her way down the stairs, her belly swollen with Applejack and Big Macintosh’s little sister. Valencia paused and blinked with surprise watching the scene not knowing what to say at first. Big Macintosh had become so depressed since the start of school that she wasn’t used to seeing him like this anymore. Finally, she approached them, a genuine smile spread across her face and asked, “How was your day Mackie?”
Big Macintosh looked up and saw his mother watching him and Applejack play. He flashed her a smile as well, stepped up to give her a kiss on the cheek, and said honestly for the first time, “It was good.” He would have left it at that, but glancing back at his little sister he couldn’t help but add, “Ah made a friend today.”