//------------------------------// // Chapter Four: A Yoke and Sprig of Wheat // Story: Pink Apple Seeds // by The1Ryu //------------------------------// Chapter Four A Yoke and Sprig of Wheat Once Applejack and Apple Bloom were calmed down Unistra told them all the implications of what Applejack had told her. There was a near endless flurry of questions from the family, not all of which she could honestly answer, but eventually, she convinced them of the truth of what she was saying and soon there was only one question left to ask. “So can y'all... make him normal?” Great Graven asked carefully embarrassed by his own words, he had never thought of his son as anything but exceptional and would have had some strong words for anypony who dared utter anything bad about his family. Once Graven had believed that he could set a strong enough of an example that his son would learn to withstand the hurtful remarks of the jealous or ignorance and become somepony great. However, seeing the hardship and pain his son had to endure everyday Graven’s conviction broke; he would do anything now to spare his son anymore suffering. Unistra shook her head sadly feeling Graven’s pain, “I am afraid that all the magic in the world cannot take away what your son was born with. The best I can offer is to stem it, I am adequately talented at enchanting items with magic. I believe I can create some that will take away most of Big Macintosh’s incredible strength and perhaps even one to suppress his kinetic abilities.” Valencia and Graven looked relieved and hopeful, but Applejack just frowned and said, “Why would y'all do that? Ah mean ya Big Macintosh is too strong for his own good and ah’d love t’ be able t’ play with him without him treating me like Ah’m made of glass, but his fireworks are so cool, why would y'all wanna take them away?” Unistra smiled sadly down at the little filly, she was so fiercely protective of her elder brother and so unyieldingly honest it was hard not to admire the little filly. Even with all his abilities, Unistra would not be surprised to see the filly eclipse her brother in the eyes of most ponies. She sighed at what she had to tell the little filly next. “You watched over your brother closely right Applejack?” The Little filly nodded. “Then you’ve noticed that he has not been eating right? I am sure that you also know that every living thing has to eat to live if you stop you will not just get hungry, you will die.” Applejack’s eyes shot wide open at that and she looked to the stairs that lead to her brother’s room where Big Macintosh lay not having moved in for over a week. She looked back at the Witchy Mare panic filling her eyes, “How long does he have? Y'all have to do somethin’!” Unistra hushed the little filly, “It is OK, because of your brother’s abilities he can go almost forever without eating.” Applejack calmed hearing this, “But that is also the problem you see. Your brother is not just being stubborn or ‘stupid’, he is broken on the inside. He is hurting so much that he cannot summon up the will to get up, and because he does not feel any hunger or thirst he has no physical need to get up. But if I can take away his ability to do that then he will have to get up to eat, drink, and deal with... the other things ponies need to do when they eat and drink. Doing this will allow him to feel normal again and it will help him start to fix what is broken, and you will be able to play with him again.” Unistra had to admit it was a pretty simple explanation of what she was going to try to do. She herself had no idea until a few minutes ago that what she had just explained was what was happening with Big Macintosh. Originally when she had diagnosed him to be the Titan earth pony she had no way to explain how he was getting by without going through those basic life necessities. Then when she learned of his other abilities it all became clear at least as far as the legend went. Kinetisis ponies stored physical energy in their body and transformed it into virtually any other kind of energy and they could feed off this energy to survive. Of course with Big Macintosh this ability had become a trap, his mind had given up and his body allowed him to become a completely self-sustained engine and nothing seemed to be able to bring him out. Applejack had always been bright and sensible for her age, at least with most things. She nodded to the Witchy Mare accepting that it was what they had to do to help Big Macintosh. With Applejack and the rest of the family’s blessing, the Witchy Mare set about making the items. There was a renewed sense of hope on Sweet Apple Acers. Unistra stayed with them in the guestroom as she worked, which half the time was under Applejack’s watchful eyes. It seemed that while the little filly understood that her brother needed her help to get better Unistra was still the Witchy Mare and needed to be monitored. Applejack’s parents told her to leave Unistra alone so that she could work, but Unistra told them she didn’t mind having the little filly as an assistant. She would send Applejack on little errands to get things she needed, the oddest of which was an old broken yoke. The yoke had been in the family for generations and it was too damaged now to bother to repair, but too sentimental to Granny Smith and Great Graven to throw away. The other odd thing Unistra sent her out to find was a perfectly cut sprig of wheat, it was the only plant that she had to get for the Witchy Mare that had to be just the right cut, in length and size. The rest of the time Applejack spent with Big Macintosh, especially during meal time when she would take her and his portions up to his room and encourage him to eat. She told him that if he did not eat the Witchy Mare was going to take away his abilities. She encouraged him to come out and play, promising to do all the things he liked to do, which seemed suspiciously like all the things she liked to do with him. She was much nicer to him now that she understood what was happening to him, no longer jumping on him or shouting at him. Applejack realized just how mad she had been at her brother for just lying there and giving up to wallow in his pain. But after what the Witchy Mare had told her she realized that Big Macintosh was not just wallowing in his pain, but that it had taken him and was holding him prisoner. It was an impossible enemy to fight one of the mind that existed and took him out of reach of any help. Still, she had hope, after all when she had almost fallen climbing through his window he had moved away from the door so she would hurt herself trying again. Yet despite the hope the Witchy Mare had brought them, Applejack could not seem to do anything to help Big Macintosh come out of it on his own. Eventually, after a day of helping the Witchy Mare and trying to rouse her brother Applejack would get exhausted and would end up crawling into his bed, cuddling up next to him, and falling asleep. Soon afterward Valencia or Graven would come and collect Applejack taking her from her brother’s hooves and putting her to bed in her own room. Each time they did Big Macintosh’s eye would moisten slightly and he would mouth, “Pinkamina.” --- It took almost a week for the Witchy Mare to finish the items, but once she had she gathered the Apple family in her temporary room to reveal them. They stood around the unicorn’s work table the items hidden under a sheet waiting be revealed. The Witchy Mare had an unquenchable flare for the dramatic. Using her magic Unistra swept the sheet back revealing the polished and repaired yoke and one of the cut sprigs of wheat that Applejack had gotten for her. “That’s it,” Applejack looking at the items critically, “How’s that supposed to help Big Macintosh?” “Applejack hush! Let Miss Unistra explain.” Valencia scolded her daughter. Unistra smiled down at the perpetually forthright Applejack, “You must not judge a book by its cover my dear Applejack. I’ve weaved powerful magic into these items to suppress your brother’s abilities.” She pointed her horn to the old yoke which looked new, and not at all like the tired old yoke Applejack had brought her. “This heirloom of the Apple family has felt the strength of generations of this as they pulled forward to the future. With my magic, I have reversed this legacy and now it will pull back disabling the strength of those who wear it rather than enabling it. Basically, it will drain a pony’s strength, enough to leave a normal pony helpless, but in Big Macintosh’s case it should render him with the strength of a normal pony.” “As for the other,” She pointed to the sprig of wheat, “This wheat which would provide life-giving energy to a pony has been enchanted to instead take that energy from ponies. A normal pony who put this sprig of wheat in their mouth would become exhausted in just a few hours. With Big Macintosh, it will absorb the kinetic energy he naturally produces. He will no longer be able to live off that energy and it should absorb enough of his energy that it will not build up and have to be discharged.” Unistra looked back to little Applejack with a smile and added, “but he can take it out anytime he wants to make some fireworks for his little sister. There both also enchanted to be extremely durable so even Big Macintosh should be able to handle them without fear of breaking them.” Applejack was a little confused by the explanations of how the items worked, but just as the Witchy Mare had promised the items were removable. That meant that they could help Big Macintosh, but he could take them off when he stopped listening to the stupid ponies at school and realized just how cool he was. It was now her parents’ turn to be suspicious of the Witchy Mare and her magic. They had been grateful when the old unicorn had come and explained what was happening with Big Macintosh, and they had wanted the aged unicorn to do what she could to help. However, now that they were looking at the magically enchanted items that their son was supposed to go through the rest of his life wearing they found themselves less sure. Earth ponies are naturally a little wary of magic, they preferred to keep thing more natural. “Are ya sure they’re safe, ah mean there ain’t gonna be no weird side effects are there?” Great Graven asked eyeing the items and the Witchy mare tentatively, he did not want to insult the unicorn after she had come and done so much for them. Unistra gave him a withering look, this was the tiring, but not entirely unexpected part of the presentation. “The items were designed for Big Macintosh alone, so I would warn against anypony else using them. You seem quite strong in your own right Great Graven, you are probably one of the few ponies that could withstand the yoke’s power; care to try it for yourself?” The old mare asked using her magic to lift up the new looking yoke. Not really one to back down Great Graven accepted the challenge and stood still as the Witchy Mare floated the device over his neck until it came to rest on his shoulders. Mr. Apple staggered a bit when the yoke came to rest on his shoulders, he did not feel any different but the yoke had to weight a ton, he did not see how this would help. Unistra could see the confusion on the red stallion’s face and smiled knowingly, “Say Applejack how about you give your father a big hug.” Applejack looked up with confusing at the Witchy Mare who gave the little filly a mischievous smile and a wink. Applejack took the hint that this would be fun and with a quick running jump wrapped her forelegs around her father’s neck. Great Graven was confused as to what the Witchy Mare was up to, but when his daughter wrapped herself around his neck the confusion turned to shock. She was even heavier than the yoke, he instantly dropped forward, almost face planting into the floor. Normally he could work all day with the little filly on his back, with little trouble, but now he could not so much as lift her. Valencia and Granny Smith watched the big stallion crash to the ground with a mixture of shock and well-hidden amusement. Unistra almost laughed at the look of Great Graven’s face but managed to suppress it. “All right Applejack, why don’t you climb up on your father’s back and keep him pinned while I get the yoke off him.” Applejack nodded with a giggle and climbed up onto her father’s wide back. She stretched out her legs like she was trying to wrap herself around him, but she could barely reach a third of the way around him. Still, her weight alone kept Great Graven from getting back up. The Witchy Mare’s horn began to glow again, as did the yoke and it easily floated off of the red stallion. Great Graven instantly felt much lighter and easily got to his hooves, he did not seem mad as one might expect from who had to endure such an embarrassing scene, but his ego was clearly bruised. Finally, Valencia and Granny Smith could not help but share a giggle at seeing the large red farm pony felled by his little daughter. For her part Applejack was a little disappointed that the fun had come to an end. Unistra floated the yoke back to the table and set it back in its place, but with a smug smile picked up the sprig of wheat and floated it over to Great Graven. “Care to try the other?” Great Graven shook his head, “Naw one was enough. Ah think they’re in a good sort, ah don’t feel no worse for wear anyhow.” After such a drastic display of the yoke's power, one would think that Great Graven would have been more worried about putting such an item on his young son. Great Graven, however, came to term long ago with the fact that his son was probably born stronger than he could ever hope to be. Big Macintosh would be just fine wearing that thing, and when it came off Great Graven’s strength had returned instantly, it was safe. As for the wheat sprig, it was meant to deal with a power that Great Graven could barely begin to understand, and so he felt he had to trust that the Witchy Mare knew what she was doing. Unistra nodded and gathered up the items with her magic, “All right then there is only thing left to do, give them to Big Macintosh.” She said and made her way to the colt’s room the rest of the Apple family in tow. They entered the silent room where the red colt still lay on his bed the only sound came from the soft rustling of the drapes on either side of his open window. Valencia had taken to opening the window on warm afternoons; it was just one of a dozen little things she did in hopes that he could be snapped out his state. Unistra came around to stand in front of Big Macintosh the items floating behind her, and looked into his listless eyes. “Hello Big Macintosh, I have some items here that I think will help you, we are going to put them on you now OK.” Unistra always spoke to the tall colt hoping that he could still hear her, then looked up at his father, “Lift up his head for me.” She asked and Great Graven nodded and carefully lifted up his son’s head, there was no resistance. Unistra floated the yoke over his head down his neck as Great Graven moves out of the way. “This one will suppress your incredible strength, so you won’t have to be so careful not to break things. This one,” She floated the sprig of wheat up and slid it in between his lips, “Will absorb your excess energy so you will not have to keep discharging it every day.” Big Macintosh did not move as they placed the items on him and after a minute of continued stillness, Valencia released the breath she was holding in a sad sigh. Though the Witchy Mare gave no indication that Big Macintosh’s condition would immediately be cured she had still had secretly hoped her son would spring to life as soon as the items were in place as if it were just his superpony abilities that were keeping him in that state. “We just need to give it time now,” Unistra said and the other nodded and they all slowly trickled from the room, Applejack being the last one to leave. --- Big Macintosh felt something, something that was not the crushing loss of his best friend, or the horrifying shock at what he had almost done to Mr. Pie. Big Macintosh had come to believe that those were the only things left for him to feel in the endless void of sorrow he floated through. The only thing that existed in this place beside him and his pain was a window that taunted him with images of his family. However, every time Big Macintosh looked into the window he was haunted by images of his family sad or in pain, so he tried not to look anymore. There it was again, the feeling, and this time Big Macintosh remembered what it was, hunger. That did not make sense though; he was dead was he not? Was this not the dark pit that all monsters and wicked ponies were banished to? That was what he was, a monster. He felt the hunger again and dared to look up at the window. It was bigger than it had ever been before and it did not show any member of his family; just an empty room lit by the pale light of the moon, his room. Why would the window show him that? Was it not there as a divine punishment to show him the pain of those he’d left behind? Except for Pinkamina, he would never see her again. Numb pain came over him at the thought of his lost friend and once again he began to sink into the blackness of the void. Then the feeling came again, this time like a violent wave that pushed him from the void toward the immense window. --- Big Macintosh’s eyes shot open and the young pony gasped for air as if he had been holding his breath too long. He sat up in his bed shaking off the dizziness suddenly sitting up caused him and tried to understand what was happening. At first, all he could remember was Pinkamina’s father taking her away, the pain of that lost, and the shock over what he had almost done to the stallion. Then more memories started to flood back to him of the forest, his anger, his return home, and then he realized what had happened to him. The void, he had made it with his despair and self-loathing, a prison to trap and punish himself for what he had and almost had done and a place to escape having to face anypony else. Shame cut through the colt as he began to remember the things that had happened after he had slipped into the void, the pain he had caused his family through his selfish escapism. Self-loathing grew anew, he should just go back into the void and wait there to die. Everypony would be better off. The cramping ache in his stomach dashed such thoughts, biological need overwhelming his emotional despair. Big Macintosh felt the weight of the yoke and the sprig of wheat in his mouth. He knew what they were now that he remembered Applejack and the Witchy Mare, as Applejack called the unicorn, telling him about them. Part of him told him to break the sprig and return to the void. No matter how terrible it was for him while there, it kept other ponies safe from him. Big Macintosh ignored the voice however, he was terrified of going back to the void and what’s more, he could not stand the thought of hurting his family anymore. With a sigh, Big Macintosh stood up from his bed determined to at least find something to eat and quell the physical pain. The tall red colt crept silently down the stairs not wanting to disturb the sleep of any of his family, especially Apple Bloom whose angry shrieks at being woken would rouse the rest of the family. He did not want to face them, their sad faces still hung heavy on his mind as did the knowledge that he was the cause of that pain. Reaching the kitchen he set to work finding something to eat. He did not turn on any of the kitchen lights, the light of the moon was enough for him to see and sneaking around felt more secure wrapped in a cloak of darkness. Oats, apples, and water was all there was for him to eat, but they tasted divine to Big Macintosh who had not tasted food or drink in so long. The oats were rich and earthy, the apple sweet and juicy and the water was cool and refreshing, he had not realized how hungry he had truly been and how good it felt to be full. Eating was like coming back to life, and in many ways that was exactly what he was doing, joining the rest of the ponies of the world who needed to eat, sleep and drink to live. Big Macintosh was now full and growing increasingly tired, the energy draining sprig of wheat was doing its job well and he had not truly slept in some time. He would have slipped back upstairs to his bedroom and succumb to sleep or the void, at fate’s whim, but at that moment the lights of the kitchen flashed to life. Big Macintosh’s eyes burned at the sudden light, but that was nothing next to the shock and fear he felt at being caught. He turned to see his mother standing in the doorway a mixture look of joy and sadness on her face. It was as if she was relieved to see her son had finally awakened, but the memories of pain and hardship would not leave her, nor would the fear that this was all temporary. Finally, she found her voice and approached him, “Mackie you’re awake, I’m so glad.” She moved to embrace him, but he stepped back dodging out of the way. His eyes stared at the floor and his head was turned away from her, he did not seem able to face her. She gave him a sad smile that she hoped was more assuring than it felt, “It’s ok, It’s ok, It’ll be all right now-” “No, it won’t!” He nearly shouted shaking his head as if her assurances were terrible lies. His breathing became labored as if just standing there fighting not to run was exhausting him, “It won’t ever be alright!” The sadness in his mother’s eyes deepen, she approached as close as he would let her, but still, almost a foot separated mother from son. “What’s wrong Mackie? Please, Mackie, tell me what happened.” The colt said nothing and continued to stare at the floor unable to face his mother. She took another short step towards him and this time he did not move. Two more followed the first and finally, she was close enough to touch him. She leaned forward to nuzzle him, but at the last moment he backed up out of her reach and turned to face her. He looked up at her with hard eyes trying to project his anger at her, “Ah almost killed somepony.” Valencia was taken aback by both Big Macintosh’s hard stare and his words, but she could see through the anger of both to the fear and self-loathing beneath. She cast him a soft sympathetic look, “Oh Mackie, I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, I’m sure it was just an accident.” “It weren’t no accident,” Big Macintosh cut her off tearing his eyes from hers with a shake of his head and returned his gaze to the floor. “Ah wanted t’ hurt him, he hurt... me and ah wanted to hurt him back.” He lifted up a hoof and stared at it for a second, it was nearly a murder weapon. “Ah’m, not like other ponies, if Ah get angry the other pony won’t just end up with burses or broken bones. It would just take one kick and they’d be dead.” Valencia shook her head in denial of what he was saying, “No Mackie that’s not true, you didn’t hurt anypony and you never would. Besides Unistra made that yoke-” “Ah know... but it doesn’t matter,” he said shaking his head in denial as well, “What if ah loose it or get angry enough to take it off. Nopony could stop a monster like me!” Valencia wanted to tell him over and over that was not true until he understood and return to being the happy pony he had been less than a month earlier. However, she knew he would not listen no matter how many times she said it and she did not know what else she could do. Big Macintosh could see he had won the argument, it was the most awful victory he could have ever won. He moved past his mother to the kitchen doorway just thankful that their argument had not woke anypony else. He swallowed hard at the lump in his throat, looking back at his despairing mother. He wanted to take it all back and become whatever he had to make her happy again, but he could not. He could not become the pony she wanted him to be and play with the other colts and fillies. He was dangerous and he had to stay away from other ponies, for their own sake.