//------------------------------//
// 9. Used Up 
// Story: Keeping It Simple 
// by Ivory Piano 
//------------------------------//


Used Up

The next week became filled with chores upon chores upon chores. Even Big Macintosh, much to his delight, took up a few duties, though they were usually as simple as carrying something light from point A to point B, or making sure the plants were well watered. Aside from those rudimentary responsibilities, there was one chore that he relished in: rebuilding the applecart. This work was done by all three of the Apple siblings inside their barn and, even though he was confined to driving in nails and helping Applejack prop up wooden planks, working with his family was incredibly satisfying.

So far Big Macintosh and Applejack had built the cart’s frame and attached the wheels, and all that was left was to nail and screw the rest of the planks to the structure and then seal and stain the wood. They had built it bigger this time, the Apple family business having grown since the last time the cart was built, but the construction work didn’t stay exclusively to the Apples for long.

It started innocently enough. One day Applebloom was so bored of work that the elder siblings told her to go play. The next thing they knew the little filly had brought her friends to help, all hoping to gain a cutie mark in carpentry despite the fact that they had already tried for it before. When Applejack pointed out that fact they simply said they were trying for a persistence cutie mark as well. Big Macintosh didn’t even bother asking what such a cutie mark would even look like.

Today, however, saw only two crusaders in the barn. Scootaloo held up both a screw and her end of the plank the metal would soon go through, while Sweetie Belle held up the other end. Applejack, meanwhile, was on the other side of the cart carefully drilling holes into the planks with a hoof drill. Not having much experience with the tool, she struggled to hold the handle in her teeth while pressing against the rotating crank with her hoof.

Big Macintosh spat the screwdriver from his mouth. “Sugarcube, that screw’s too short,” he told Scootaloo for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. With a groan, the two dropped the same plank for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. Sweetie Belle shook her head as she walked towards the tool cabinet.

“But these are the longest I could find,” Scootaloo said as she lowered her hoof from the applecart and tossed the screw back into its wooden box with a small clink.

“I found some longer ones,” Sweetie Belle chimed in as she pushed a small box towards her pegasus friend.

“They’re the same!” Scootaloo said as she split her sight between the wooden case Sweetie brought and her own.

“No they’re not,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Are too.”

“Are not.”

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes, stunned that they were too engrossed in their bickering to actually measure the damn things. He didn’t say anything and simply went towards the small tool cabinet and looked through the dozens of tiny square drawers on its front face that held the various nuts, bolts, screws, and nails. Once he found screws long enough, he took out the small wooden box of a drawer and went back to the cart.

“That’s enough you two,” Applejack finally intervened after taking the mechanical hoof drill from her mouth. “Now where in tarnation is Applebloom? She said she’d be here by now.”

The two just shrugged and Applejack brought a hoof to her forehead. “Well, she better get here might quick or else there’ll be hay ta pay,” she said as she went back to drilling holes into the wood. Big Macintosh, meanwhile, brought the box of screws to Scootaloo, who propped up her end of the plank (Sweetie Belle holding up the other) and brought the screw in front of its breech. Macintosh carefully lined up the screwdriver with the head of the screw, but just as the tip was about to meet with the screw’s head the loud slam of the barn door disrupted the stallion’s concentration.

“Ah’m here, Ah’m here, and y’all never guess what Ah found,” Applebloom said as she came dashing into the barn with a book bouncing on her back.  Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle dropped everything they were doing and ran up to meet her halfway. As soon as the Cutie Mark Crusaders were reunited Applebloom dropped her book between them.

“So Ah was at the library ta look up books about Paradise Loch-“

“Paradise what?” Sweetie Belle interrupted.

“Paradise Loch. It’s where Ah’m goin’ campin’,” Applebloom explained. “So Twilight gave me this book, and look at what Ah found,” she said. She kicked open the book to a bookmarked page and her friends whispered a collective ‘oooh’ as they leaned in for a better look.

“Wow, it’s so pretty,” Sweetie Belle said.

“Yeah, the pegasus that took this picture must have been an expert,” Scootaloo added. Neither of them noticed Big Macintosh come up behind them to see what they were all looking at. On the page was a photograph of an aerial view of Paradise Loch. The lake shimmered gold and orange as the sun either began or ended its journey through the sky. Judging by the part of the shore shown, he figured it was the sunrise. Surrounding the beaches of the lake were trees, sparser than the thickly huddled trees of the Everfree.

Applebloom nodded proudly. “Eeyup, an’ y’all can see Paradise woods ‘round it, but that ain’t all.” She looked around for a moment before lowering her head and in a whisper said, “Big Macintosh told me about the legend of Big Hoof.”

“Big Hoof?” The rest of the Cutie Mark Crusaders asked in unison, matching Applebloom’s whisper, leaning their own heads in. The two were deathly quiet as they waited for the farmfilly to go on.

Big Macintosh just couldn’t resist. He lowered his own head down just above Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and in his deepest, darkest voice said, “Big Hoof.”

With a yelp the pair leapt into the air. They whirled about to face him alongside a giggling Applebloom.

“Some ponies say,” Big Macintosh continued, leaning towards the three with a small smirk, “that he’s a crazy ol’ hermit that eats little fillies that’re unlucky enough ta find his home.” He took a large bite of the air for emphasis, and his smile grew as his audience, sans Applebloom, took a step back.

“Other ponies say he’s a cavepony from millions of years ago, some sorta relic of the past from a time when ponies ate meat, an’ he roams Paradise Woods lookin’ for his next meal. Either way, he’s a huge pony bigger than any other pony in Equestria.”

“How big is he?” Scootaloo asked quietly.

“Ya know how much bigger Ah am compared to ya’ll?”

They nodded.

“That’s how big he is compared ta me.”

“That’s huge!” Scootaloo said.

“Eeyup, that’s why Paradise Loch ain’t the safest place for youngin’s,” he said with a chuckle.

“He sounds scary,” Sweetie Belle whispered.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh whispered back.

“An’ Ah’m gonna find ‘im an’ catch ‘im. Imagine the kind of cutie mark Ah’ll get for that!” Applebloom exclaimed, startling the two beside her.

“How?” Scootaloo asked. “Big Hoof is enormous, there’s no way you can catch him by yourself.”

“That’s why Big Macintosh is gonna help me,” Applebloom said proudly.

“But he’s bigger than even your big brother,” Sweetie Belle said.

“So? Don’t mean Mac’s not stronger an’ tougher, right big brother?”

“Eeyup,” he said with a smile.

“That’s so cool, I wish I was going,” Scootaloo said, and for Big Macintosh time seemed to stand still for a moment. He knew exactly where the conversation was headed as soon as those words left her.

“Hey that’s a great idea!” Applebloom exclaimed. “Then we could try to get our cutie marks together.”

“Now hold on there, sugarcube,” Applejack interrupted, turning to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “This is Big Macintosh’s campin’ trip. If you two wanna go yer gonna have ta ask him.”

Macintosh wished she hadn’t said. As soon as she did the three fillies darted up to him and gave him that look. That look that could turn any stallion into a blubbering mess. Thankfully, Big Macintosh was made of tougher stuff and managed to keep his composure, though he had to place a hoof in front of his mouth to keep any embarrassing sounds contained.

“Well, uh, ya see,” he stuttered beneath the weight of their pleading eyes. “Ah was kinda hopin’ that…” he couldn’t go on.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders didn’t even have to say a thing and only continued to gaze at him. He knew they wouldn’t stop until he said yes, and as much as he hated to admit it their strategy was working. He wanted the camping trip to be just his sisters and himself, but the more he thought about it the more he didn’t mind having a couple more foals along for the trip. Heck it might even be fun hunting Big Hoof with them, teaching them new things, and telling ghost stories around the fire. Sure it would mean that Applebloom’s time would be taken mostly by her friends, but at least he would be a part of it somehow.

“A’right, y’all can come so long as it’s okay with yer parents,” he said.

The three let out a collective cheer. “Yay! Cutie Mark Crusaders Monster Hunters!” Without so much as another word they charged out of the barn, presumably to ask for permission to go, though why Applebloom went with them Big Macintosh couldn’t be sure. He didn’t have time to contemplate it much before Applejack’s subdued laughter caught his ears.

“Ya always could tell a tall tale, Mac.” She said as she came to stand next to her older brother, watching the three girls blaze a trail towards Ponyville. “An’ ya always were pretty soft when a filly gives ya the ol’ quiverin’ lip,” she added.

“Ah’m not,” he denied, but he knew it was a bold faced lie. As if to prove it, Applejack looked at her brother with the same eyes and shaking lip that Applebloom and her friends had given him mere seconds ago. He laughed it off as he swung a foreleg around her neck in a headlock.

“Sorry sugarcube but Ah built up an immunity ta yers,” he said with a laugh as Applejack struggled to free herself. She managed to slip through his grasp and countered with a playful bite on his ear, bringing his head down as she reared up and brought her front legs down on his neck in an effort to push him to the ground.

Mac only smiled, abruptly brought his neck down and, with a quick jerk that freed his ear from her teeth, rolled his little sister over his neck and onto the flat of her back on the straw. Applejack just laughed and swatted at her brother’s chin. He took it all in stride with a soft smile.  

“Ya know better than ta take on yer older brother,” he teased, bringing his head down to roll her over and bring her up to a standing position. She regained her balance with a few wobbly steps and retrieved her hat from the ground to place back on her head.

“Just you wait ‘til Ah get my lasso, ya ol’ snakebite,” Applejack said with a smile.

Big Macintosh chuckled as we went up to nuzzle his sister’s cheek. “Ah can’t wait ta go campin’,” he said quietly.

“Me neither,” Applejack said with a laugh. “Guess yer almost all healed up, ain’t ya?”

“Eeyup,” Big Mac answered, rolling his shoulders. “Ain’t too long ‘til Ah’m good enough ta get back ta work.”

“Are ya…gonna do as much work as before?” Applejack asked, walking away from her older brother and towards the book Applebloom left on the ground.

“Course Ah am,” Big Macintosh said with a confident smile. “There’s lotsa work ta be done ‘round the farm, ‘specially since Ah’ve been gone for so long. Might even have more work than ever,” he said, his smile growing bigger.

Applejack didn’t seem to share his enthusiasm, only nodding, her ears pinned and not really paying him anymore attention. Instead she went to the open book, closed it, and placed it on a high shelf far away from the threat of sawdust, straw, and hoofsteps.

“C’mon let’s...” she paused for a moment to take a sideways glance towards the apple cart, her eyes glazed over as they looked at something far in the distance, “get back to work.”

With that, the siblings went back to assembling the wagon in silence. Every once in a while Applejack would speak, but only to order her older brother to pick up a plank, attach a screw, or bore a hole. Big Macintosh tried to start a conversation and asked things like how the trees were doing or how work had been the past few days, but every time she only replied with a quick ‘fine’ or ‘good’. It was hard for the stallion to miss the sudden change of mood. Mac questioned whether or not he should confront her about it. Knowing Applejack she’d just stubbornly tell him nothing was wrong and then he’d have to suffer her liar’s face, which would make him laugh and that would just make things worse. So he just stopped asking questions.

A few hours of lifting and drilling later and the cart stood halfway built by the time three familiar fillies finally came back to the barn.

“They said yes!” Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shouted as soon as they were within earshot of the stallion, Applebloom following at their heels.

Big Macintosh dropped the plank he was holding and came up in front of the two fillies. They were all smiles as he started listing what they would have to bring to the camping trip. “A’right, yer gonna need ta gather up yer gear. A sleepin’ bag, some blankets and pillows, an’ a tent. Now Ah think we got one big enough for you three ta share so don’t worry ‘bout that.”

“How many blankets should we bring?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Night gets pretty cold out on Paradise Loch even durin’ this time of year. The way Ah see it, it’s better ta have too many than not enough. Ah’d bring every blanket ya could pilfer from yer sister, and if she gives ya any trouble tell ‘er Ah told ya she had a huge heart and it’d be pretty awful if she proved me wrong,” Big Macintosh said with a wink.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “Great, we’ll get started right now,” she said as she turned towards her friends, who nodded in agreement.  Before they could dash out of the barn, Applejack called for them.

“Now hold on! Ya got the next couple of days ta gather everythin’ up. If y’all wanna go ya need ta help us fix up this wagon.”

The three let out a collective groan. “Do we have to?” said Applebloom, pleading with her sister.

“Eeyup,” Applejack said. “C’mon now, a little work ain’t gonna kill ya.”


-*-

While the work didn’t kill them, it sure did exhaust them as it dragged on through the afternoon and into the night.

By the time the wagon was completely assembled Applebloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle had all fallen asleep, bundled together on a mound of straw. Macintosh and Applejack smiled down at the tiny pony pile.

“Sorta reminds me of when ya first started workin’ on the farm,” Macintosh said.

“Yeah, Ah remember ya used ta pick me up on yer back and tuck me in for bed,” Applejack said with a smile, but it quickly faded, “Seems like forever ago. Take Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle home, will ya? Ah’ll get Applebloom.”

Applejack grabbed her little sister by the scruff of her neck and carried her out of the barn and into the farmhouse. Macintosh watched his two sisters walk away before looking back at the two still sleeping. He grabbed them and gently placed them on his back. They shuffled a bit as their slumber was disturbed but remained asleep. With a smile, the eldest Apple sibling exited the barn into the warm night.

The trip into Ponyville was uneventful, thankfully. The last thing he wanted was for something to stir the two fillies awake. After dropping off Scootaloo and talking to her parents for a bit about the camping trip, Big Mac made his way towards the Carousel Boutique. On the way, he could feel Sweetie Belle start to fidget.

“Big Macintosh?” she asked with a yawn.

“Hey sugarcube,” he said softly, “Ah’m takin’ ya back home, shouldn’t be too much longer.”

“Okay,” Sweetie Belle said with another yawn. She paused briefly. “Big Macintosh?”

“Eeyup?”

“If you and Rarity got married, would that mean me and Applebloom would be sisters?” she asked casually, as though she didn’t realize the weight those words carried. Big Macintosh had to bring a hoof to his mouth to stifle the laughter threatening to burst out of him. He didn’t want Sweetie Belle to think he was making fun of her. With that said, he couldn’t help but smile at her naiveté. Only once his laughter calmed a bit did he risk answering her. He cleared his throat and spoke slowly.

“Where’d ya get that idea?” he asked.

“I was talking to Applebloom about how great it would be to have an older brother, and she said that if you and Rarity got married then you would be my older brother. Is it true?” Sweetie asked.

“Ah s’pose it would, but...” he began, though quickly stopped. Suddenly an opportunity to get back at Rarity for all her flirtations presented itself. How could he pass it up? “...but Ah don’t know for sure,” he continued. “Maybe we should ask yer older sister, Ah’m sure she’ll know.”

“Good idea!” Sweetie Belle said, her drowsiness abating only a moment before she started to yawn and lay back down on Macintosh.

“But why would ya want an older brother? Seems like havin’ Rarity as a sibling would be trouble enough,” Big Macintosh said.

“Yeah,” she said softly, “but having an older brother would mean I get to do stuff with him. Like building things and going camping. Rarity would never do that.”

Big Mac laughed. “That’s true Ah s’pose, but family’s one of those things that ain’t always mean the same thing to ponies. Ah know Applejack sees her friends, includin’ Rarity, as family. With all the times they’ve helped us out ya might catch me callin’ them the same on a good day. In the same way Ah gotta think that Applebloom thinks of you and Scootaloo as family, so Ah think, in a weird sorta way, that makes us kinda related.”

Sweetie Belle took a moment to grasp what he said. When it finally made sense to her she wrapped her forelegs around his neck in a hug. “Thanks Big Macintosh.”

Mac nodded as the Carousel Boutique came into view. Its windows were lit brightly, like a beacon in the early night. Other buildings began to follow suit, and Ponyville was bathed in the soft glow of its homes. Sadly, the light also dimmed the stars above. Big Macintosh couldn’t wait to get back to the farm where the light couldn’t reach and the stars shined more intensely than any streetlamp. He indulged in the idle thought as he walked up to the door of the shop to knock.

The door opened to reveal Rarity on the other side. Her mane looked immaculate despite the late hour, though she couldn’t hide the slight bags beneath her eyes. She looked at the stallion for a moment, confused until she saw her sister on his back.

“Oh hello, Macintosh,” she said as Sweetie Belle hopped off Big Macintosh’s back and walked towards her sister. “Sweetie Belle, you’re dirty!” Rarity added with a scoff.

“I was helping Applebloom fix her family’s applecart for the camping trip,” she said.

Rarity sighed. “Well I suppose that can’t be helped. Come inside, and you too Macintosh. I’d like to speak with you.” Big Macintosh looked at her for a second, and she merely nodded her head in response.  With a bit of a shrug, he followed Rarity and Sweetie Belle inside.

The smell of perfume wasn’t as strong as the last time he had been in the Boutique, and the mess of fabrics had been cleaned and put away. In the later hours the unicorn’s home seemed almost…normal. Besides the mannequins draped in fine clothing, the interior felt less as if a fashion designer lived there. A mare with fine tastes, yes, but not a fashion designer.

“Go upstairs, take a bath, and get to bed,” Rarity told her sister as soon as they were inside.

“But I’m not sleepy,” Sweetie Belle insisted.

“Go. Mother and Father are coming to pick you up early tomorrow morning and I don’t want a fight to get you out of bed,” Rarity countered, and her firm tone and eyes caused Sweetie Belle to hang her head and go towards the stairs.

“Rarity, can I ask you something first?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder.

“What is it?”

“If you and Big Macintosh got married, would that mean me and Applebloom would be sisters?”

Big Macintosh had never seen such a pure shade of white turn such a deep shade of red so quickly. Rarity’s eyes darted between her little sister and the red stallion. “Well, um, how should I put this?,” she stuttered. Finally she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm the red tinge on her cheeks. “Well yes, Sweetie Belle, but a lot has to happen before Macintosh and I get…married. We would have to go on several dates, have a first kiss-“

“Ain’t no time like the present,” Big Mac said slyly as he brought his cheek to nestle against hers. It became difficult to tell where one red cheek ended and another red cheek began. Rarity stood paralyzed by the sudden contact, not even maintaining the mental capacity to step away.

Big Mac knew it was time to go in for the kill. “So how ‘bout a little sugar?” he asked in his deepest, softest voice, in as warm a timbre as he could muster.

“M-Macintosh…” Rarity stammered.

“Yay! Me and Applebloom are going to be sisters!” Sweetie Belle cheered as she ran up the stairs. “I’ll get to bed as soon as possible so I can tell her in the morning.” She disappeared to the top floor leaving the two adults alone.

As soon as the filly was gone Rarity turned around and gave Macintosh a quick hoof to his cheek for his trouble. It didn’t have much force behind it. In fact, if he didn’t know any better he’d say it was a playful slap. He smiled as he rubbed his cheek in imagined pain as Rarity shot him a glare.

“Macintosh what is wrong with you?” she said in a harsh whisper as if still afraid Sweetie Belle might hear them.

“Why whatever do ya mean, Miss Rarity?” he asked innocently.

“I mean flirting with me like that in front of Sweetie Belle! Now I have to convince her that we’re not…together,” she said.

“Flirting?” Big Macintosh asked as he approached the mare, brought his nose to touch hers, and in that same basso tone said, “Ah thought ya said Ah wasn’t the flirty type.” Big Macintosh smiled as her cheeks turned crimson again. But she quickly regained her footing and a mischievous grin spread across her flushed face. She brought a hoof to stroke the crook of his neck right beneath his chin and pressed her nose more firmly against his.

“Oh Macintosh, if only you knew. This is foal’s play compared to what I have in store for you,” she said in her most breathy voice.

“Ah’d like ta see that,” Macintosh said with a smirk, not backing down from her little challenge.

“You will, but right now I’d like to talk to you about the camping trip you’re taking Sweetie Belle and her friends on,” Rarity said, turning around toward the kitchen. As she did the end of her tail flicked against Macintosh’s nose, undoubtedly on purpose. “Would you like some coffee?” she asked.

“Eeyup. Black with a pinch of salt if ya don’t mind,” he said.

Rarity looked back at him. “Salt?”

He nodded, and she took a moment to wonder at his preference before heading into her kitchen. She came back with two mugs levitating in front of her. She placed them down on the table and the two sat and sipped their drinks in silence for a few minutes.

“You should have seen Sweetie Belle charge in here asking if she could go,” Rarity finally said. “She insisted that we go to our parents at that very moment, and would simply not wait for them to pick her up. I offered to tell you they said yes so that Sweetie could stay with them, but she wanted to tell you herself.” Rarity smiled, and all he could do was return it.

“Now Macintosh, please understand that my request is in no way meant to question you or your sister’s ability to care for my sister,” she continued, and Macintosh merely looked at her curiously as he took a sip from his coffee, “but I would like to join your camping trip.”

Big Mac almost gagged on his coffee, but managed to swallow both his drink and his surprise. After a few coughs he placed his mug on the table and cleared his throat. “Miss Rarity ya know what campin’ is, right?” he asked.

Rarity scoffed, “Of course I do. Honestly Macintosh, I may enjoy the finer things in life but that doesn’t mean I’m some ninny. I’ll have you know that my family went camping regularly when I was a filly.”

Macintosh didn’t quite believe her, but he had no real reason to doubt her either. Quietly, he took another sip of coffee and stared into his mug for a few seconds.

“Well?” Rarity asked.

“Nnope,” he said, keeping the annoyance of his interrupted thoughts out of his voice.

“What? Why?” she asked, shocked.

“It’s just that,” he paused to choose his words carefully, “Ah really wanted this trip to be just my sisters-“

“Then why did you invite mine?” Rarity cut in.

“Ah…,” he trailed off.

“Oh I know what happened,” she said with a sly smile, going around the table to face Macintosh without any obstacles between them. “She gave you that look and you just couldn’t say no.”

Big Macintosh sighed and simply nodded, his eyes drawn to the floor.

Rarity chuckled. “What makes you think I won’t just do the same? You know what’s going to happen. I bat my eyelashes and you say yes, so we might as well drop all pretense.”

“Not this time,” he said. “Miss Rarity, this trip is really important ta me. The only reason Ah invited Sweetie Belle an’ Scootaloo was ‘cause they asked and Ah didn’t think havin’ them along would stop me from spendin’ time with my sisters.”

“Come now, Macintosh,” she said. “I’m sure there will still be plenty of time on the camping trip for you to bond with Applejack and Applebloom with me there.”

Big Mac stared at his mug. It was a good point. After all, they would be out there for two whole days. Still he hesitated. He very much wanted the trip to be as small as possible, but there was another reason he didn’t want her to come along.

He felt that reason in the form of Rarity’s gentle hoof caressing his chin before raising his head to face her.  The soft pressure of her nose pressing against his followed soon after. He closed his eyes, not daring to look at hers.

“Open your eyes, Macintosh,” she breathed. He smelled mint.

His eyes remained firmly shut, and he felt relief as the pressure on his nose subsided. The respite didn’t last long before his muscles tensed as Rarity’s forelegs wrapped around his neck.

“Macintosh,” she said again, and he could feel her lips move lightly against his own. The farmpony’s eyes shot open to see Rarity giving him a smile. An impish little smirk that made him seriously reconsider his friendship with her. “I told you,” she said, stepping forward so her mouth was right by his ear, “this is all foal’s play.”

He gulped.

“May I come along?” she asked.

A few seconds passed as Macintosh tried to find his thoughts. “Seems like a lotta trouble just ta go on somethin’ ya’ll probably hate,” he said.

“I have my reasons,” Rarity said. She removed her forelegs, took a step back to face him, and gave him a heavy-lidded gaze that made him unwilling to know those reasons. Instead, his eyes looked away to a corner of the room.

“A’right Miss Rarity, ya can come along,” he said, trying to ignore the pain of saying it. He didn’t give Rarity a chance to speak and continued, wanting to get everything out of his mouth as if the words were an intrusive bug. “Yer gonna need blankets, as many as you can bring and then some, a sleeping bag an’ a tent. Just meet us at the Acres before dawn the day after tomorrow and we’ll head out for Paradise Loch.”

“Excellent,” Rarity said. She returned her hoof beneath his chin and brought her nose back to his. With a roll of his eyes he broke away from the contact and headed for the door.

“Goodnight, Macintosh,” Rarity called after him. “I’ll make sure to bring a sleeping bag big enough for both of us.” It was enough to get the farmpony’s cheeks burning as he stepped out into the night. He only grunted in response, unable to form words, and left with Rarity’s giggles following behind him.

The night air did little to cool his face as he plodded back towards Sweet Apple Acres. His thoughts ran unrestrained. Was he really that easy to control? His baby sister, her friends, and Rarity sure made it seem that way. Then again, his reaction to a cute face really was nothing new. However, if he were to compare the two instances he could definitely see a contrast.

When Applebloom and her friends gave him the look his heart melted because of how cute they were. It was the same for Applejack, her friends (minus one), and pretty much every other mare in Ponyville.

What Rarity did was a whole other beast entirely. Macintosh would never call her, or what she did, cute. A better word would be alluring. He was putty in her hooves, and he hated it. Worse yet was that it seemed to be getting worse. When he first met her, or at least first spent time with her, he could offer some resistance against her flirting. Now he could hardly keep his mind focused. She wasn’t playing when she said she would take her flirtations to the next level, it seemed. He shook his head clear of the thoughts. He supposed Rarity just had that effect on stallions.

Besides, none of that really mattered. The fact remained that Big Macintosh invited three extra ponies that were not his family to come along on his family camping trip. However, there really was no point in whining about it, was there? It had been done, now all he could do was make the best of it.

He made his way down the path, all the while thinking that getting back at Rarity might not have been worth the resulting trouble.


-*-

The next day Big Macintosh was awake bright and early in the barn, alone, since Applejack and Applebloom were gathering up the camping gear. A can of wood sealant rested on a barrel. He dipped a paintbrush into it and began applying the thick liquid to the applecart. The smell of the sealant hung heavily in the air along with the scent of sugar and vanilla. Big Macintosh, of course, already took the necessary precautions. The barn doors were wide open to provide ventilation, every lantern and other heat source was safely turned off, and the straw was swept to the far corners of the barn. The sealant was highly flammable and any spark could set off the volatile vapors and, while he would no doubt enjoy rebuilding the farmhouse and barn, he rather not risk a fire at Sweet Apple Acres.

So the purple unicorn and baby dragon weren’t exactly the most ideal visitors.

“Hey Mac, can I talk to you?” Spike asked as he and Twilight Sparkle approached him. “Oh jeeze, what’s that smell?” he said, taking a sniff of the air. The fumes got into his nose and suddenly the dragon took in deep breaths as he prepared for a sneeze. Big Macintosh didn’t think anything of it until he remembered what accompanied a dragon’s sneeze.

His fears were unfounded as Twilight placed a hoof on his nose, averting disaster. She removed her hoof and turned to Mac, “Maybe we should go outside.”

Macintosh nodded. He placed his brush back in the can and followed the other two out into the heat of early summer. The noon sun hung in the air and a gentle breeze rustled the leaves of the apple trees. It felt good to get out of the noxious fumes, and every step he took away from the barn eased the headache that had developed as a result of breathing them for so long. Once the the trio were deep into the apple orchard he took several deep breaths to get the smell of apples in his nose.

“Now what is it ya wanna talk ta me about?” he asked.

“Oh,” Spike said, suddenly remembering his original intent. “Uh,” he paused to look at Twilight, who nodded her encouragement. “It’s about the camping trip. I was wondering if I could, you know, tag along.”

Big Macintosh looked at the baby dragon, wondering at the request. It wasn’t as if he was good friends with Spike, merely an acquaintance really. So he couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

“Uh,” Spike looked at his feet and kicked up some dirt. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Macintosh looked back and forth between him and Twilight. “Eeyup.”

“Promise not to tell anypony?” Spike asked.

“Eeyup.”

“Pinkie Promise?”

Big Macintosh grunted in annoyance. “My word should be enough for ya, but if ya insist,” he said, raising a hoof in the air to perform the rhyme. He soon realized, though, that he didn’t know exactly how to perform it.

“Pinkie, how’s a Pinkie Promise go?” he asked, seemingly into the air.

“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. That’s a Pinkie Promise!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she appeared with a bounce next to the stallion. “And while you say it you have to do this with your hooves,” Pinkie continued as she performed the necessary motions and waves while Big Macintosh followed along. Once he was sure he had it committed to memory he turned to Spike.

“Cross my heart, hope ta fly, stick a cupcake in my eye,” Macintosh said before a sudden thought came to him and he looked at Pinkie. “Whaddya do if a pegasus is makin’ a promise?” he asked.

“Actually,” Twilight said, “I’ve been wondering about that myself.”

“I’ll cross that bridge when I get there,” Pinkie answered the two with a cryptic smile.

“Okay,” Spike said, eager to get back to his question. “Anyway, my secret is that I…have a crush on Rarity.”

Big Macintosh just stared at the dragon. Truthfully, he already knew. After all, Spike having a crush on Rarity was about as much a secret as his Smartypants doll (unfortunately), but what did Spike’s crush have to do with his camping trip? The answer became obvious as he remembered who else was coming along.

“So ya wanna use the trip as a way ta impress Miss Rarity?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Yeah, exactly!” Spike said. “So how about it? Can I come along?”

This trip was threatening to get bigger and bigger by the second. “The thing is Spike,” Macintosh began, “Ah was hopin’ it’d be just me an’ my sisters, but Applebloom invited her friends an’ the only reason Rarity’s goin’ is ‘cause Sweetie Belle’s comin’ along. Sorry, but Ah gotta say no.”

“Please Big Mac,” Spike said, stepping towards the stallion. “This might be my best chance to show Rarity how perfect we are for each other.”

“Yeah Macky,” Pinkie butted in. “It might be his best chance!”

“Ah’m sorry but the answer’s still-“

“Please please please,” Spike said, falling to his knees. “I’m begging you, Mac. I’m on my knees and I’m begging you to help give true love a chance.”

“He’s on his knees, Macky! He’s on his knees and he’s begging! True love! Give it a chance!”

Macintosh glared at Pinkie Pie, and her only response was a carefree grin. He rubbed his temple, trying his best to get rid of his sudden headache. Both of them. They soon vanished, however, when he suddenly realized something. If Spike spent most of his time and attention on Rarity, then maybe Rarity would do the same with Spike. A smile formed on his lips.

“A’right, ya can come along so long as it’s okay with Twilight.” Both he and Spike looked at the librarian.

She smiled. “Of course it’s alright with me.”

“Great! I’ll get packed right away.” The little dragon ran off towards town. Big Macintosh just watched him go for a while before realizing that Pinkie and Twilight were still standing around him. He turned so that they were both in his line of sight.

“That was a nice thing you did for him,” Twilight said.

“Ah didn’t do it for him.”

“Oh,” Twilight said. An awkward silence started to develop, and she quickly spoke to mitigate it. “So why-“

“Don’t ask,” he said curtly.

“O-okay,” Twilight said, taking a step back with her ears pinned. She looked over at Pinkie, but she just had a smile like always. “So,” she began again, “what should we bring?”

Macintosh raised an eyebrow. “We?”

“Me and Spike,” she said. “What should we bring?”

“But Ah didn’t invite you.”

Twilight stared at him for a few moments. “You invited Spike. I’m responsible for him. I have to go and watch over him.”

That headache was starting to come back. She had a point, but he very much wish she didn’t. “A’right, but if yer comin’ too then Ah might as well put ya to work. Can ya coordinate the supplies for the trip? Ah’m sure you, my sister, and Rarity’ll wanna share tents an’ stuff like that.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Twilight said. “So what’s on the list of supplies?”

“Just sleeping bags, a few tents, and a lot of blankets, as many as you can bring and then some. Nights at Paradise Loch get really dang cold.”

“What about food?”

“Don’t worry ‘bout that. The Apple family’s got plenty,” Macintosh said.

“Great,” Twilight said. Her mouth opened to say something more, but the words hesitated. She looked over at Pinkie Pie, bouncing beside Macintosh without any rhyme or reason. She turned back to the workpony and asked, “Have you talked with Fluttershy at all this past week?”

“Nnope,” he answered.

She nodded. “She’s been feeling a bit down about, well,” she paused again, “the bird. So I was hoping you could invite her along too. Camping might get her mind off of it.”

“Ah’m sorry, Miss Sparkle, but-”

“Please Mac,” Twilight interrupted. “It would mean a lot to me.”

Big Macintosh looked at her, fighting the urge to sigh and roll his eyes. “Fine, Ah guess it wouldn’t hurt.”

“Thank you so much,” she said.

“Eeyup. Ah suppose ya wanna go back home an’ pack, so Ah won’t keep ya,” he said quickly, turning back towards the barn and talking as he walked away. “We leave before sunrise tomorrow. Don’t be late.”

If she said anything, he didn’t hear, the distance between the two already proved too great. The only thing he did hear was Pinkie Pie bouncing happily beside him.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” she asked.

He ignored her.

“Macky?”

Even as he went back inside the barn he ignored her.

“Can’t you hear me?”

As he retrieved his paintbrush from the can of sealant, he ignored her.

“Have you gone deaf?”

He ignored her as he started painting the wood.

“Hey, over here! I’m talking!”

And he ignored her when he went to fetch a new can of sealant after the old one ran out.

It was only when the endless poking began and the exterior of the wagon had been completely painted did he take a very deep breath, ignoring the fumes, and forced himself to calm down. It wasn’t Pinkie’s fault that his family trip had tripled in size in as little time as twenty-four hours. It was his.

Nevertheless, Macintosh was not in the mood to try and carry on a conversation with her. He wasn’t even in the right mind to just let her ramble on and on as she was prone to. All he wanted was a little peace and quiet to ponder his own thoughts, but Pinkie wasn’t stopping any time soon. With a weary frown he placed the paintbrush back into the sealant and turned towards her.

“What is it, Pinkie?” he asked, forcing his voice to steady, forcing a smile to grace his face.

Pinkie grinned and stopped poking him, glad that he finally acknowledged her. With a bounce she asked, “Can I come camping too?”

“No,” he said simply.

“Aww, why not?”

Big Macintosh bit his tongue, afraid that he might start saying things he might regret. Had she not been listening when he explained this to Spike and Twilight? “Because I want this trip to be just me…and…my…” he trailed off as he realized how pitiful the reason had become. It didn’t matter at all anymore. What was the point in excluding her when his family trip was no longer his family trip? He had given it all away along with his damn invitations, and now it just felt as if he was tagging along with his sisters and their friends on their camping trip.

“You can come along.” The words were limp with defeat and only half-spoken. Pinkie didn’t notice and simply bounced and cheered and thanked him and said how much fun she was going to have, but he didn’t pay any attention to her. Even when she bounced her way back to Ponyville with that face-splitting grin, he wasn’t paying attention. Instead, he just grabbed the paintbrush again and started spreading sealant on the wagon. To start the next coat, even if the first hadn’t even begun to dry.

The second can soon emptied, and he went to fetch a third only to find that there were none left. He gazed at the empty shelf where the Apple family kept the wood sealant. It took a few moments for him to comprehend that the work was finished.

He twisted his neck with a satisfying crack and exited the barn. The sun was low in the sky. It wouldn’t be long now, a few short hours, until they would head out to Paradise Loch. Perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad having everyone else along. Heck, maybe there was still a chance that everything would work out, and he could spend time with his sisters despite the intrusions.

He found a nice, shady tree to lie under and rested beneath its leaves. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply before letting go of the breath in a long sigh that took all the tension out of his muscles. It was a waste of time. With a flap of wings and a weight on his back, all that tension returned in full force.

“You know what sounds like fun, Mac?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Big Macintosh didn’t even open his eyes.“Greetin’ friends with a hello? Ya know, like asking if they’re doin’ a’right,” he said.

“No, not that.”

“Takin’ a nap under an apple tree?” he asked.

“Well yeah, but I was thinking more about camping with friends,” Rainbow Dash said, and he could feel her shuffle around until he felt her back pressing on his own.

“Eeyup, too bad no one’s takin’ a big campin’ trip this weekend,” he said.

“Oh c’mon Mac,” Rainbow said as she rolled over to stand on him. She crept up towards his neck until her forelegs stood on the top of his head. Leaning against them, she lowered her head and bent her neck until her forelock pressed against his nose allowing the two ponies to see eye to eye, even if one pair was closed. “You invited pretty much everypony else, why not me?”

“Don’t remind me,” Big Macintosh said dryly. The same train of thought that plagued him just before he invited Pinkie came back to him all at once. It only became worse because it was Rainbow Dash he was talking to this time.  With the others he had that small glimmer of hope that Applejack would still have free time to spend with him. After all, while she was friends with the other four none were really interested in the kind of things she enjoyed. Things like physical competition and roughhousing. He had hoped he could play and bond with his sister doing all of that. If Rainbow Dash, her best friend, came along then his presence would become obsolete and unneeded. But what could he do? Not invite her when he already invited every other one of her friends? How could he ever justify doing that?

He couldn’t. With his eyes still close he whispered the words that snuffed out whatever enthusiasm he had left for the trip. “A’right, ya can tag along.”

“Great, thanks,” Rainbow said, taking flight for a few happy seconds before landing on his back once again.

“Just make sure ta bring a sleepin’ bag an’ as many blankets as ya can, an’ tell Twilight yer goin’ on the trip. Ah made her in charge of all the gear.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” she said with a sudden yawn. “You know, I’ve been training all day and taking a nap under an apple tree sounds pretty good right now.” She lay down on top of him, a hoof hanging lazily off his side. The two remained in that position for a while until Macintosh spoke up.

“Ain’t ya got somethin’ ta do,” he asked.

“I’m doing it right now,” she said sluggishly before yawning again. Her breathing became calm and rhythmic soon after.

He finally opened his eyes to look at the grass beneath him. He considered bucking her off, but it wasn’t like there was anything he had to do. The applecart was finished, Applejack already took care of the farm work, and the camping gear was already gathered by now. What else could he do but be a mattress? He idly raised a hoof and crushed some grass beneath it, twisting it back and forth until every blade of green became uprooted. Macintosh stared at the bare patch of dirt and slowly closed his eyes once more.

The sun had set and night came to the sky when he finally heard Rainbow Dash wake up and fly off with some parting words he didn’t care to hear. He stood up and silently made his way to the farmhouse. All he wanted to do now was get some damn sleep.


-*-

Early morning came quickly and Macintosh actually felt…better. He didn’t know whether it was because he actually had work to do or because of a good night’s sleep, but he really didn’t care. All he knew was that he felt optimistic about the camping trip. He might even say he was looking forward to it. After all, what could be better than returning to Paradise Loch? It was where he had the best memories of his foalhood, and he hadn’t been there since before he got his cutie mark.

Big Macintosh wheeled the cart outside the barn and looked back at the pile of sleeping bags, blankets, food, water, and other supplies stacked by the barn’s doors. He unhitched himself and contemplated the gear for a few moments.

The first thing he placed inside the wagon were six large sacks, each one almost as big as him, filled with gravel and rocks. He hid these sacks with the rest of the gear. Not that he really needed to, the bags blended with the rest of the supplies, but he liked to be extra cautious when he was trying to pull the wool over Applejack’s eyes.

As he placed his sleeping bag (the last of the gear) inside, he saw Applejack coming towards him with a sleeping Applebloom on her back. She placed the sleeping foal on the soft grass beside the wagon and turned towards Big Macintosh.

“Ah gotta tell ya, Ah’m a bit surprised ya invited all my friends,” she said.

He forced himself to chuckle. “Eeyup.”

“Twilight told me they were all meetin’ up at the library so they can come down to the farm as a group.”

Mac nodded, staring off into the distance. No sooner had Applejack spoken when he saw eight silhouettes in the far distance, five ponies, two foals, and a dragon. His eyes followed them as they came closer and closer, but he soon became irritated with how slow they were going. They were walking at a snails pace. With a sigh and a quick trot, he managed to cover the distance and meet them on the path.

They all looked at him as he approached. Pinkie Pie flailed her forelegs in greeting while Twilight and Rarity greeted him with a quick hello. Fluttershy, meanwhile, stayed towards the back along with Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, and Spike. Various duffel bags, rolled-up sleeping bags, satchels, and tents were levitating in the air, carried by Twilight and Rarity’s magic.

Rainbow Dash was the first to approach him. “Hey what’s up?” she asked.

“Ah never would’ve guessed that the fastest pegasus in Equestria could be so dang slow,” he said, and he waited for her to start yelling. Instead, to his surprise, all he got was a playful smirk from her.

“Think you can do better?” she asked.

Now he understood. Truthfully, he wasn’t really aching for a race. He was about to tell her so when his eyes caught the levitating baggage once again. An idea came to him, and he smiled. Maybe a little payback at Dash was in order for treating him like a bed. “Eeyup.”

“Then let’s race and find out,” Rainbow said as she crouched, ready to take off at a moment’s notice, “On three one two-“

“Hold yerself there, Dash,” Mac said before she could blast away. “We gotta make it fair.” He made his way towards the rest of the group. “Might Ah ease yer burden, ladies?” he asked in his most polite tone, turning about to offer his back to them.

“That’s okay, Macintosh,” Twilight said. “We’re fine.”

“That’s right, sweetie,” Rarity added, “it’s really no trouble.”

“C’mon Mac, are we gonna race or what?” Rainbow said, still standing by the imaginary starting line.

He smiled yet still ignored her. “Ah insist,” he said. “Besides, the extra weight’ll give Rainbow a fair chance ta win.”

“Oh I get it,” the fastest pegasus in Equestria said. She walked to stand beside him and mimicked his stance, her back facing Rarity and Twilight. “Give me stuff to carry too,” she told them. “And make sure you give me as much as him.”

“Um, I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Fluttershy squeaked from the back.

“Yeah Rainbow,” Twilight said, “You can’t-“

“I’ll be fine,” Dash said with a confident smirk. “I don’t want to give him a reason to lose.”

“Well, if you insist,” Rarity said.

Big Macintosh felt half of the supplies float down onto his back. His body buckled a bit as the weight came free of magic. He quickly straightened himself. Rainbow Dash had a bit of a harder time with her half of the gear, her smaller frame necessitating a higher pile that put most of the weight at the middle of her back.

The two racers walked back to the invisible starting line. Rainbow crouched down slowly, trying her best to get low without the weight dropping her completely to the ground. Mac, meanwhile, remained motionless.

“Oh, oh. I’ll count,” Pinkie said as she hopped in front of the two and into the narrow space between the racers. She started counting, punctuating each number with a bounce. “One for the bits.”

“Go Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo cheered.

“Two for the show.”

“You can do it, Big Macintosh!” Sweetie Belle shouted.

“Three for some third thing I forgot.”

“Shouldn’t you be crouching or something to get ready, Big Mac?” Spike asked.

“And go! Go! Go!”

Rainbow Dash kept to her name as she blasted forward with a multi-colored trail following behind her. Macintosh just smiled as he saw all the supplies she was carrying fall to the floor with a soft thud as if they were levitating in the air moments before.

“Uh, go?” Pinkie said with her head tilted in confusion.

Macintosh simply turned to Twilight Sparkle and nodded towards the bags on the floor, “Ya mind?”

She got his meaning and levitated the other half of supplies and placed them on his back.

“Much obliged,” he said. “Now c’mon, all of ya. Ah want ta head out before the sun rises, so we only got about half an hour.”

Big Macintosh made his way down the path at a gentle trot, mindful of the burden on his back. The others followed along and carried out some conversation on the way. Mac was content with simply listening to Pinkie Pie tell Fluttershy and Rarity all about her new apple pie recipe while Scootaloo told Spike and Twilight about the legend of Big Hoof.

He didn’t notice Sweetie Belle beside him until he felt her tap on his leg. “Big Macintosh?” she asked.

“Eeyup?” he said.

“Why didn’t you run the race? Didn’t you want to win?”

He chuckled. “Ya wanna know a secret, sugarcube?”

Sweetie Belle nodded as she leaned towards him, eager to hear.

“Winnin’ ain’t as fun as annoying, Dash,” he said with a little smirk.

Sweetie Belle giggled. “How are you going to do it?” the little filly asked as the group entered the outskirts of Sweet Apple Acres. Applejack and the wagon soon came into view, standing beside a none-too-pleased Rainbow Dash staring daggers at him. Meanwhile, the other ponies ran ahead to greet Applejack (Scootaloo running up to wake Applebloom).

“What took you so long?” Rainbow Dash asked, coming towards him.

“Ya dropped yer gear,” Macintosh said. He positioned his side against the back of the wagon and tilted his body so the gear slid in. “Ah couldn’t just leave it there for Rarity and Twilight ta carry.”

Rainbow slapped her hoof against her forehead. “You know winning isn’t fun when who you’re going up against isn’t really trying.”

Mac chuckled. “Eeyup.”

She groaned at his answer. “And you know, those two really were fine with carrying the stuff. You didn’t have to show off.”

“Who’s showin’ off?” he said. “It wouldn’t be polite of me if Ah just let them carry it all on their own.”

“Whatever you say,” Rainbow said and with a shake of her head went to join her friends. Big Macintosh shrugged the conversation from his mind and circled the cart, hitching himself to the front. He took a few steps forward and back to test both his strength and the wagon’s wheels. When both seemed strong he took a few more steps.

“Hold on there, big brother,” Applejack said, quickly coming up to him to put a hoof forcefully against his chest. He looked down at it, then at her, and she quickly removed it. “Ya might be feelin’ better, but that ain’t no reason ta go an’ risk gettin’ injured again.”

“Oh, c’mon AJ,” Rainbow Dash said as she walked towards the two. “He’s fine.”

“I have to agree,” Twilight said. “He carried all our supplies, after all.”

“Yeah, but ya better believe I would’ve stopped him if Ah was there.”

“You were there,” Pinkie said.

“That ain’t what Ah-“

“Fine, ya wanna pull it, then pull it,” interrupted Macintosh. He unhitched himself and lowered his head to take his harness off. Without another word he placed the harness around his sister’s neck, her head sinking a bit from the sudden weight. Applejack stared at him with narrowed eyes, suspicious of his sudden compliance. She pushed the thought aside, however, and took Mac’s place in front of the wagon. She trotted in place for a moment and with a small groan pulled forward. Despite her best efforts the wagon stayed firmly in place like a deeply rooted tree.

Big Macintosh watched from the sidelines while his sister tried again and again to move the cart. No matter how many times she tried she got the same results.

“Psh, jeez Applejack I would’ve thought all that extra work would make you stronger,” Rainbow Dash said with a laugh. “Let me try. I bet it’ll be a breeze for me.”

Applejack shot her a glare but complied. Taking off the harness, she handed it to Rainbow who took the farmpony’s place at the front.

Rainbow Dash pulled forward but got the same outcome as her friend. No matter how much she grunted, pulled, and flapped her wings the wagon refused to budge. She looked back at the cart’s wheels, as if making sure they were indeed round, and tried one final attempt. She took off an inch from the ground and tried to bolt forward, but still the cart remained motionless.

Finally, common sense overcame stubbornness and her eyes drifted to Applejack who’s eyes went to her older brother. Big Macintosh tried not to smirk, he really did, but the smugness was plain on his face.

“I guess it’ll be fine just this once,” Applejack said, trying to hide her embarrassment while Rainbow Dash unhitched herself and took off the harness. Neither of the mares made eye contact with him as he retrieved his harness and placed it where it belonged.

Rarity’s airy laughter suddenly broke the silence. “Honestly you two,” she said as she walked to stand beside him, “I know you pride yourselves on your strength, but you have to admit Big Macintosh is probably the strongest pony in Ponyville.”

“Aw heck, Miss Rarity,” Macintosh said, a bit surprised at her words. When he thought about it, he supposed it was all part of her new ‘level’ of flirting. He didn’t think much of it and simply played along. “Ya flatter me.” He smiled at her and she gave him one of her own, and somewhere he heard the sound of Applebloom and Sweetie Belle trying to hold in their giggles.

“Uh, you know I’m pretty strong too,” Spike said, running towards Rarity.

“Of course you are my little Spikey-Wikey,” she said with a smile. Big Macintosh had to stifle a laugh, glad that Rarity didn’t do the same thing with his name. Hopefully his theory would prove true and the two would keep each other out of his mane.

He looked up towards the eastern sky. Already he could see the faint outline of the sun’s upper arc peeking above the mountains. They were burning daylight, and they would need as much as possible. He quickly hitched himself to the wagon and turned towards his sister, catching her gaze.

“ ‘bout time we head off,” he said.

Applejack nodded before facing the group and blowing a shrill whistle that easily caught everyone’s attention. “A’right,” she began, “since this is Mac’s trip Ah’ll let him talk about the details.”

Big Macintosh glared at her, and she just smirked in response. Applejack stepped out of the way, allowing Big Macintosh to feel the full brunt of nine pairs of eyes focused on him. He got rid of his shyness with a couple light stomps of his hoof before speaking to the group.

“It’s a six hour walk ta Paradise Loch, so if we head off now we’ll be there by noon. Anypony gotta go to the bathroom before we hit the road?” Nobody said anything, so with a quick nod Big Mac took the first steps towards the path heading away from Ponyville.

His spirits were high as the rest of the group followed him. Maybe he really didn’t have anything to worry about and the camping trip would be a rousing success for everyone. After all, everything seemed to be going smoothly so far.

He smiled. Maybe by the time the camping trip was over every one of the ten ponies and one dragon would be closer because of it. Including him and his sisters.


-*-

“Oh hey! Let’s sing a camping song!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, bouncing alongside the cart.

“Wouldn’t a traveling song be more fitting?” Rarity asked. “Not that I’m fond of either prospect.”

“Well sure, but I don’t know any. Oh! But I know a campfire song about campfire songs,” Pinkie said with a smile. She didn’t wait for any consensus and went right into belting out the tune at the top of her lungs. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Spike, and even Fluttershy sang along. As for the rest, well, they just smiled and started on their own conversations beneath the singing.

Soon Rarity trotted up beside him.  “Macintosh,” she said in that same tone of voice she always used when she wanted something from him. “You said the walk would be six hours. How many times are we going to rest on the way?”

“None,” Big Mac said.

“What?” Rarity said, dumbfounded. “Macintosh, sweetie, darling, you can’t possibly expect me to walk for six hours without rest.”

“What’s wrong, Rarity? Worried you’ll get sweaty?” Rainbow Dash snickered as she flew above the two and landed beside her friend, cutting a snide smirk at the unicorn.

“Of course not, I’m just concerned for Sweetie Belle’s sake,” Rarity said before turning back to Macintosh. “Can’t we take just a bit of a rest along the way?”

“Nnope,” he said.

Rarity, in her usual fashion, pressed her side against his and in her sweetest voice said, “Please?”

Macintosh didn’t get a chance to say anything before Rainbow jumped into the conversation once again. “Just suck it up, Rarity. No need to beg.”

Rarity shot her a glare. “A lady does not beg, Rainbow.”

“Sounds like begging to me,” Dash countered.

The unicorn flicked her mane with a scoff and raised her chin  before falling behind to join the others.

“Ah think ya offended her,” Big Macintosh said.

“Well it’s not like she didn’t have it coming,” Rainbow replied. “It’s annoying when she puts herself all over you like that.”

Macintosh looked at her, a bit surprised at her words, but she simply looked straight ahead with her expression as unreadable as the night they played Whinnyssippi stud. He figured it was nothing and simply spoke. “She likes ta flirt, is all. Besides, we’re all spendin’ the next couple days together. Might be best ta make amends.”

Dash sighed as she tapped a hoof against the ground in thought. After a minute of thinking she flapped her wings and took to the air. “Yeah, you’re probably right, but if anypony asks you forced me to.”

Big Macintosh only chuckled. His eyes following her as she flew towards the back of the group and towards Rarity, who was starting up a conversation with Twilight. His attention drifted back to the road. A few forks in the path turned up every once in awhile. They posed no problem since the way to Paradise Loch was ingrained in his memory. After three rights, a left, and a few miles, the road became a straight shot towards the horizon with endless fields of green grass on either side of it. A few trees could be seen off in the far distance, but those wouldn’t be reached for a few more hours.

Having had his fill of staring at the grass, Big Macintosh looked around for anybody to start a conversation with. He caught sight of Applejack by the side of the wagon along with Fluttershy.

“Hey AJ,” he said, “been awhile since we went campin’, ain’t it? Ah don’t think ya even had yer cutie mark.”

“Uh-huh, sounds about right,” Applejack said simply before turning back to Fluttershy. “So anyway, Winona’s been pretty lazy lately an’…”

Big Macintosh shook his head at his sister’s disinterest. With a small sigh he looked around again and this time saw Applebloom along with Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle.

“Hey sugarcube, Ah ever tell ya how Paradise Loch got its name?”

“Not really, but that’s okay,” Applebloom said, “we’re tryin’ ta figure out how to catch Big Hoof.” It was all she said, and she turned back to her friends.

Big Macintosh decided to just give up. Looks like he would have to wait for another opportunity to bond with Applejack and Applebloom. He gave the wagon behind him a quick tap with his hind hoof to vent out a bit of frustration and just listened to Pinkie’s singing. Even after so long her voice was as strong as when the trip began, though it was the only voice left singing.

“He~y Mack~y,” Pinkie sang, appearing beside him with a bounce. “Why do~n’t you sing with me~?”

“Sorry there, Pinkie,” Macintosh said. “Ah ain’t really in the mood for singin’.”

“Are you su~re?”

“Eeyup.”

“Are you absolutely, positively, undoubtedly, inconsequentially…”

Big Macintosh rolled his eyes as Pinkie rambled along as she usually did. Any other time he would actually enjoy not having to think of something to say, but those doubts about the camping trip seemed to be creeping back into his mind. He tried to push them away, but they persisted.

“...unquestionably sure?” Pinkie finished.

“Eeyup,” he said.

“Okey dokey lokey,” Pinkie said with a smile. “If you change your mind I could always use a baritone.”

“Eeyup.”

Pinkie Pie smiled at him and bounced backwards towards the tail end of the group, continuing her singing as she went along. Not soon afterwards did Applebloom take her place.

“Big Brother?” she said to get his attention.

“What do ya need, sugarcube?” Mac asked, hope lightening his voice. “Wanna hear my story, after all?”

“No it’s not that. Our legs are tired,” Applebloom said, gesturing towards her two friends behind her.

“Oh,” he said, trying to hide his disappointment. He stopped for a quick moment. “We’re ‘bout halfway there. Why don’t y’all get on the wagon? Should be enough room for ya.” The crusaders cheered and darted towards the back of the cart. Once they were all set Big Macintosh trudged along.

“Big Macintosh,” Rarity said sweetly, suddenly appearing next to him. “My legs are tired as well.”

“That’s nice,” he said, wondering what kind of tactic she would use against him. Maybe she would bat her eyelashes, or lean real close for an almost kiss. Either way, he hardened his heart and got ready for whatever she might throw his way. Strangely, nothing like that ever came. Instead, she just groaned.

“Well can I at least have some water?” she said with a glare.

“Eeyup,” he said, wondering at her reaction. A closer look and he realized how different her appearance was. Her coat was dampened with sweat and her mane looked about as unkempt as his own. He guessed she wasn’t in the mood to use her usual tactic. “There’s a few canteens in the wagon. But pace yerself. When those are finished we’ll have ta wait ‘til we get to the campsite so we can open up the water barrels Ah brought along.”

“Thank you,” Rarity said, moving towards the back of the cart.

“Here you go, sis,” Sweetie Belle said, holding out a round canteen to her sister. Macintosh wondered if she would drink their whole supply before they even got to camp. Thankfully, the sun was only halfway between the horizon and the very peak of its arc so the heat was still mild. He hoped it would last for the rest of the trip, but that was just wishful thinking.

And still Pinkie kept singing. It was actually starting to get on his nerves now. He blamed it on his quickly sinking mood, dragging his patience along with it. A few deep breaths helped restore the stoic demeanor most ponies knew him for. It wouldn’t do any good to bring down everyone’s good time.

“Hey Mac, you know what I just realized?” Rainbow Dash asked as she fluttered to land on his back.

“That ya use me as yer own personal perch way too often?” he asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.

“What? No, of course not. I realized that I still haven’t shown you any of my awesome flying moves,” she said with a confident flap of her wings.

He grunted in response. “Ya just wanna show off to all these ponies, don’t ya?”

“Maybe,” Rainbow said with a laugh. She didn’t say anything more, and instead took to the air. She started one of her routines as she flew higher and higher. Not a particularly complex one, Big Macintosh was surprised to see, but one composed of graceful loop-the-loops, barrel rolls, and feints. Big Macintosh watched for a few minutes before he felt another, smaller weight on his back. He looked over his shoulder to see Scootaloo propping her forelegs on his harness, trying to get the best view of the show.

“Wow,” the orange filly said in awe.

“Eeyup, she sure is somethin’ else,” Big Macintosh said. He didn’t mind Scootaloo using him as a perch as much as Rainbow. After all, she was only a filly and this was the first time she was doing it.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said absently. “I wish I could fly like that. Well, I just wish I could fly.”

Big Macintosh was about to say something to her, but before he could Rainbow fluttered down to sit, Lyra-style with her back hooves resting on his harness, on top of the stallion’s head to face Scootaloo. Big Macintosh blew her multicolored tail out of his face, annoyed at her brazen act. “Do ya even remember what Ah said about usin’ me as yer own personal perch?” Mac asked, his irritation growing.

“Hold that thought, Mac,” Rainbow said with a wave of her hoof before focusing back on Scootaloo. “Hey squirt, how about I give you first hoof experience at what its like to be the best flier in Equestria?” she asked with a grin. She took flight, turned in midair, and landed on Big Mac’s neck with her back to the filly.

Scootaloo’s face brightened immediately. “That’d be awesome!” she said as she climbed up Big Macintosh’s neck and wrapped her forelegs around Rainbow’s. After making sure Scootaloo held on tightly, Rainbow took off amongst squeals of excitement from the orange filly. The sounds continued and got louder as the fastest flier in Equestria performed her usual lineup of aerial tricks with the added weight of another pony.

“Careful Rainbow,” Twilight called as she caught up to walk beside Big Macintosh. Rainbow Dash didn’t seem to notice, though she did go a bit slower after Twilight’s warning. Content, the unicorn turned her attention towards the stallion.

“So, Paradise Loch. I’ve never heard of it before Applebloom asked me about it.”

“Eeyup,” Macintosh said.

“And uh,” Twilight continued, “Applebloom told me about the legend of Big Hoof.”

“Did she now?” he asked, pretending not to know where she was going with this.

“You don’t really believe in Big Hoof, do you?” she asked.

“ ‘course he does!” Applebloom piped up from the wagon. “Right Mac?”

“ Eeyup,” he said confidently. Satisfied, Applebloom went back to talking with her friends. Big Macintosh smiled at his sister’s trust in him, but it soon vanished as he saw Twilight’s frown.

“No really, do you believe in Big Hoof?” Twilight asked again.

“Eeyup,” Macintosh said.

“But there’s no evidence to support his existence. I mean, if there was a hoofprint or something like that then I might concede that he might exist.”

“Look Twilight,” Macintosh said, but Rarity came between them before he could go on.  

“Macintosh, would you mind if I grabbed another canteen of water?” she asked.

“Ya used one up already?” Macintosh asked in surprise.

“Of course,” Rarity said. “It took quite a bit of water to clean the sweat off of me. Luckily I brought a towel to dry myself.”

Big Macintosh stopped in his tracks, stunned, for a few seconds before quickly reclaiming his pace. He stared at her and noticed that her coat and mane were now as immaculate as ever. “Ya…ya used our drinkin’ water ta clean yerself? And when we’re only a bit more than halfway done with the trip?” he said, trying to keep his voice low and calm.

“Well if you know a better way to remove sweat and dust I would love to hear it, but only after I get something to drink.”

By this time, Macintosh just wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible rather that having to withstand another moment with her. “Fine, Rarity, get another canteen.”

With a smug smile, Rarity slowed her pace until she was beside the cart. Sweetie Belle handed her another canteen, giving the farmer a guilty look as she did. This time Macintosh watched to make sure she actually drank the water. She did, and so he placed his attention back to Twilight, his patience running dangerously low. The librarian seemed to notice, and took a step away from him.

He was about to speak when he felt a weight on his back as Rainbow Dash, along with Scootaloo, landed on him.

“Thanks Rainbow Dash!” Scootaloo said happily as she hopped off and headed for the wagon.

“It was nothing,” Rainbow said. She turned towards Big Macintosh and Twilight. “So what’re you guys talking about?”

Macintosh gritted his teeth. “About how Applejack said she could beat ya at hoof wrasslin’ any day of the week an’ twice on Sunday.”

“What‽” Rainbow exclaimed, turning around to look at Applejack at the very back of the group. “I’ll show her.” With that she took off towards her rival, leaving him and Twilight alone.

“Well that seemed unnecessary,” Twilight said as she watched Rainbow Dash fly off. “If you didn’t want to talk to her you could have just told her so.”

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh droned. “Look Twilight,” he said slowly, trying to keep his voice steady despite his annoyance. He failed. “Ah believe in Big Hoof, a’right? So can ya just drop it. Ah ain’t in the mood ta have this sorta talk with ya.”

Twilight took a step back, away from the anger clear in his voice. She didn’t answer him for a few moments, too busy thinking over everything he said. “Alright Macintosh,” she said, “but like I said, I don’t think there’s enough evidence to support the existence of Big Hoof. It’s just a legend.”

“Well if you don’t believe it that’s yer right,” he said dismissively. Twilight stared at him, and with a shake of her head went towards the back with the rest of the group.

Big Macintosh wanted nothing more than to be alone, if not completely then as much as was possible. All his doubts, all his insecurities, and all his resentment were coming back full force. He tried to fight those feelings, to send them into the very back of his mind, but he couldn’t. Not with the way things were now. Not when ponies surrounded him. He just needed isolation to get back into a calm state.

“Hey Mac, Applejack didn’t say anything about hoof wrasslin’,” Rainbow Dash said as she and his little sister came forward to stand at his sides.

“My mistake,” he said quietly.

“But me an’ Rainbow did have some time ta talk,” Applejack said. “We figured it was mighty strange that neither of us could pull the wagon.”

“That so?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Dash answered. “We know we’re not as strong as you, but we thought that all our stuff shouldn’t be that heavy.”

“Maybe, ya’ll are losin’ yer touch,” he said.

“Or maybe you did something to the cart to make it heavier,” Rainbow countered.

“Now why would Ah do that?”

“Wouldn’t be the first time Ah asked myself that,” Applejack said.

“Ah didn’t do anythin’,” he said.

“We thought you might say that,” Rainbow said with a grin before looking over her shoulder. “Hey Pinkie, c’mere a minute.”

“What is it Dashie?” Pinkie asked as she bounced to the front alongside them.

Rainbow ignored her and turned back to Macintosh. “Swear by a Pinkie Promise that you didn’t do anything to make the cart heavier or did anything else to make it so me and Applejack couldn’t pull it.”

He rolled his eyes. Honestly he didn’t think Pinkie Promises worked that way, but then again he really didn’t care. “My word ain’t enough on it’s own?”

“Nnope,” Rainbow said.

He’d be more irritated if she wasn’t right. He lifted up his hoof and did the motions as he said, “Ah promise Ah didn’t do anythin’ like that. Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“You get that, Pinkie?” Rainbow asked.

“Sure did,” she answered.

“Then that’s good enough for me,” Applejack said.

Big Macintosh nodded, a bit hopeful that his little sister would actually stick around for a bit of conversation. However, his hope turned to disappointment as she went back to the tail end of the group, chatting with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie along the way. Well, at least he was alone just like he wanted.

Soon the sun’s heat was beating down on the group, although the only pony that really complained was Rarity. He just told her to drink more water and assured her that the walk wouldn’t be much longer. All the while he hoped for Celestia’s sake that they were ahead of schedule. Her complaining could only be taken with so much grace, and it only got worse. First how thirsty she was, then how sweaty she was becoming, and then how messy her mane was getting. On and on and on it went until her voice had the same effect towards the stallion as a plow blade scraping against a rock.

He looked around the group, and it seemed that everyone was lucky enough to immerse themselves in conversation or singing to take any notice of Rarity’s complaining. Everyone except for Spike, who was at the beck and call of his crush’s every whim. He brought her canteens of water, and went back and forth to fetch whatever Rarity needed from her bags in the wagon.

Thankfully, relief came beneath the boughs of the trees that made up Paradise Woods. It wouldn’t be long now, an hour at the most. With the shade of the leaves Rarity’s protests died down a bit.

The woods suddenly gave way to a grassy clearing and Big Macintosh stopped by the side of a lake that stretched out for miles, the opposite side of the shore hidden by the horizon. Its water shimmered in the noonday sun, and on the shore stood a small outcropping of rock that jutted out towards deeper waters (a perfect diving board, he remembered). In the very center of the field was a sizable circle of rocks, a few sprouts of grass poking out from the encompassed dirt, and a couple of half-logs used for seating. Big Macintosh only admired the beauty for a few seconds before unhitching himself and shrugging his shoulders to relieve the slight pain from the trip.

“Thank Celestia,” Rarity moaned as she collapsed on the thick grass.

“A’right, let’s go hunt for Big Hoof!” Applebloom called out, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders scrambled off the wagon.

“Now hold on,” Applejack said. It was enough to stop the three in their tracks. “We still have ta set up camp.”

“Awww,” the crusaders groaned.

“Why don’t ya help Twilight and Spike set up the tents? Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, ya’ll can help me unload the wagon. Mac, take the shovel.”

Big Macintosh nodded, understanding her meaning. He leaned up against the cart and rummaged through the equipment. He finally found what he was looking for and grabbed the shovel between his teeth. While the other ten campers talked amongst themselves and decided where to lay their tents, the stallion quietly made his way towards the woods to dig the most important fixture of any good campsite.

Big Macintosh reappeared at the level plain of grass without the shovel, just in time for Rarity to canter towards him, a bit of a giddy-up in her step. She looked around to make sure no other ponies were within their immediate vicinity before lowering her head in secrecy.

“Uh, Big Macintosh, sweetie,” she whispered so quietly that Macintosh had to lower his own head to hear her. “Where can I…powder my nose?”

Macintosh knew enough about fillies to know what that meant. “Straight that way,” he said, gesturing towards the way he just came from. “Behind some bushes.”

Rarity quickly nodded her thanks before trotting into the woods.

The workpony made his way back to the center of the campsite. Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Spike, Applejack and Pinkie Pie were still unloading the wagon. Two tents, one much larger than the other, were set up a safe distance from and around the fire pit. Beside them, sitting around the circle of stones, was Twilight Sparkle talking to all three Cutie Mark Crusaders. He approached them, hoping to get into the conversation. When he got close enough for them to notice him, he didn’t get the welcome he was expecting.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders all looked at him, eyes heavy with sadness. It made him freeze in place, wondering what had happened. Finally, Applebloom stood and walked a couple of steps towards him.

“Big Hoof isn’t real…” she mumbled.

“What?” he said. “ ‘course he’s real.”

“That’s not what Twilight said,” Scootaloo said, “and she’s the smartest pony in Ponyville.”

“Yeah,” Sweetie Belle added, “There isn’t any proof that he exists.”

Macintosh looked at the smartest pony in Ponyville. She just smiled at him like she hadn’t done anything wrong, like she hadn’t completely ruined his plan to spend some quality time with his baby sister.

He turned back towards the three fillies. “That doesn’t mean he ain’t real,” Macintosh quickly said, shooting for his last chance at saving this camping trip.

“So much for our monster hunter cutie marks,” Sweetie Belle said, standing up and walking towards the wagon. “Maybe we can get our help-empty-a-wagon cutie marks.”

“I can’t believe your brother thinks Big Hoof is real,” Scootaloo said, following Sweetie. Applebloom gave her older brother a final, sad look before joining the other two. He watched her go before turning towards the cause of it all.

“Twilight,” he whispered, scared that he might lose control of his voice, “why did ya tell ‘em Big Hoof wasn’t real?”

Twilight gave him a confused look. ““What? They asked me if I wanted to come hunt Big Hoof with them, and I told them I didn’t believe in Big Hoof and why. He’s just a legend after all.”

Macintosh didn’t know what to do. So instead he just nodded, and Twilight gave him another smile that showed how much she didn’t understand. How could she?

“Alright then,” she said, still smiling, “I should go help unload the wagon, too.” With that she walked towards the cart, quite a few bags levitating in the air as she approached with her glowing horn. Twilight’s magic helped immensely and it only took a few seconds to get all the supplies onto the grass.

It was true that many hooves made light work. Macintosh didn’t even get a chance to touch anything before the other ten campers sorted everything and put them in their proper place. Soon the campsite looked almost like home, and he didn’t have anything to do with it.

With the work done the others started to rest from the long walk, each going into their own little groups. Spike, Twilight, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were content with talking and joking around as they lay beside the empty firepit. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were by the half-log seats, hoof-wrassling. The Cutie Mark Crusaders, meanwhile, decided to go explore the lake shore, playfully splashing each other in the shallow water.

Big Macintosh stood alone in the center of it all, yet completely apart. Completely useless.

Finally he decided to look for something, anything at all to do, anything at all to make him forget about everything around him. Looking around, he saw his sleeping bag along with the six sacks of rocks and gravel. He was surprised that no one called him out on it, but then again they might have thought that they served an actual purpose besides just weighing down the cart.

With a sigh Macintosh walked towards his things, but he didn’t get far.

“Big Macintosh!” Dozens of birds, spooked out of their roost, flew into the air desperate to escape the menacing roar that echoed through the forest. The next thing Macintosh heard were powerful stomps that seemed to shake the whole ground. The colt looked back at the others, and they just stepped away from him as if he had a bad case of the ponypox.

Rarity didn’t look as bad as he thought she would, but then again he didn’t really have an idea of how he expected her to look. But one thing that he did expect was the livid glare and menacing scowl that would send Cerberus running the other way. Big Macintosh wondered what he did this time as Rarity stormed up to him and pressed her nose against his.

“You cannot expect me to use a hole in the ground,” she huffed, stepping forward with each word and forcing him to take a step back.

Big Macintosh was taken by surprise. Not by the fury tainting her voice and steps but by why it was there in the first place. His eyelids lowered back in their usual half open position. “We ain’t exactly in a princess suite here, Miss Rarity,” he said.

“I wasn’t expecting one,” she snapped. “But I was expecting at least a building with some basic plumbing.”

He was getting damn tired of her lip, and his patience had all but run out. “We’re miles away from any of that.”

“I don’t care,” she said. “There is no way I am using a hole!”

“Well Miss Rarity,” he said, going into the offensive as his voice turned into a loud bellow while his hooves took a few steps forward and forced the unicorn back. “ ‘less yer digestive system is so dang efficient that anythin’ left over leaves yer body through yer pores in a fine odorless mist, Ah think ya are. An’ if bein’ apart from yer toilet is too much for ya then Ah’ll be more than happy ta toss ya on my back and run ya back ta Ponyville. ‘cause that’ll be worlds better than putting up with yer dang complainin’ for an entire weekend!”

Rarity did not like that one bit and after a very unfeminine growl their argument devolved into name calling.

“Stubborn stallion!”

“Prissy mare!”

“Oaf!”

“Snob!”

“That’s enough you two,” Twilight said as she, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Spike went to the fighting pair. Applejack and Rainbow pushed Big Macintosh back while Twilight and Spike managed to push back Rarity. The duo finally broke eye contact as they turned their heads away from each other at the same time.

Big Macintosh turned towards the thinner part of the woods and made his way to a path twisting through the trees. “Ah’m gonna go gather some firewood,” he said to no one in particular.

He didn’t stop walking until the campsite became lost amongst the trees and the path disappeared beneath his hooves. The woods were quiet, not even wildlife could be heard. He was finally alone, finally able to rebuild his lost calm. Taking deep breaths helped with his frustration, but they it couldn’t remedy the loss he felt. He didn’t need to be on this camping trip. What difference would it make if he weren’t here? Well for one thing he wouldn’t risk getting angry and ruining everyone’s good time.

A set of steady hoofsteps took him out of his contemplation. He turned around and saw his little sister coming towards him. She looked calm, though concerned. Macintosh had expected her to be a bit more angry with him.

“You feelin’ okay, Mac?” she asked. “Not that Ah don’t think Rarity deserved what she got, but it ain’t like ya ta snap like that ‘less there was somethin’ really big buggin’ ya.”

“It’s nothing,” he said.

Applejack smiled, walked up to him and turned so she stood beside her brother and pressed her side against his. “C’mon, tell me.”

He sighed. There wasn’t any point in hiding it anymore. Might as well come clean with everything. “Just feels like my campin’ trip ain’t my campin’ trip anymore. It pretty much belongs to yer friends now.”

She nodded. “Yeah, Ah can see that, but that shouldn’t stop ya from havin’ fun.”

“Well,” Macintosh said, “Ah was hopin’ ta spend time with you and Applebloom, but Ah don’t think that’s gonna happen.”

“Ya wanted ta use this trip to get closer to us?” she asked.

“Eeyup,” he said. “Ah’ve been spendin’ a lot of time with your friends, but not with my sisters. Applebloom spends most of her time with her friends, and you’ve been workin’ a whole lot more ‘round the farm ta pick up the slack.”

“Yeah, Ah know how that feels,” Applejack said.

“What’s that supposed ta mean?”

“C’mon Mac, ya haven’t noticed? Applebloom spends more time with me than she does with the crusaders. Ya’ve always just been too busy to realize that. As for spendin’ time with me, well, where were ya when Ah wanted ta spend time with you? You were workin’ the farm, too busy ta pay attention ta me. Especially when we were young.” She turned to come face to face with him. Her face was full of regret, and her eyes seemed sad as they stared into his own.

“Now hold on,” Macintosh said. “If you’ll recall we didn’t have much growin’ up. Ah had ta work the farm.”

“Ah know, Mac. Ah know,” Applejack said quickly. “But it wasn’t always like that. One day Ah was tryin’ ta topple ya over, the next ya were tryin’ yer hardest ta water the entire orchard with a small cup. It just feels like ya cast me and Applebloom aside, an’ now ya wanna pick up where we left off?”

“Ah didn’t cast ya aside,” Macintosh said defensively. “Ah took up the farm for my family and-” He stopped when Applejack reared up and wrapped her forelegs around her brother’s neck and nuzzled her cheek against him.

“Ah know, Mac,” she said again. “We appreciate everything you did for us.” She released him and took a couple of steps back. With a smile she continued, “But we can take care of ourselves now, so ya ain’t gotta worry about me and Applebloom, an’ ya can start focusin’ on yer own life.”

Macintosh suddenly felt numb, as if somebody had poured ice water down his back. It took a few moments for him to find the words he needed. “But Ah don’t wanna stop worryin’ about ya. Ah don’t wanna stop bein’ an older brother.”

Applejack chuckled. He couldn’t believe it, she actually chuckled. “Yer still an older brother, Mac. We just don’t need ya as much anymore.”

Macintosh stood frozen and his sister came up to him and gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Now get on back ta camp an’ enjoy yerself. It should be fun ta watch Rarity apologize to ya after all the complainin’ she did on the walk here.” She smiled, completely unaware of the effect her words had. Mac could only stand to nod slightly. It seemed to be enough and she trotted cheerfully back to camp.

Big Macintosh watched her go. He wanted to say something, anything to keep her with him for a few moments more, but no sound ever came from the stallion. He could only watch as his entire purpose walked away.