//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Sugar and the Mac 
// by grl6p 
//------------------------------//

11 years earlier,

On a quiet little apple farm, 3 foals, a fifteen year old colt named Big Macintosh, a twelve year old filly named Applejack, and a three month old little foal named Applebloom watched helplessly as their grandmother was being taken away to a debtor's prison.

"Let me go! Ah need be there to take care my grandfoals!" protested their grandmother, Granny Smith, as she was being dragged away by police officers.

One of the police officers said, "Well you should've paid off those debts you've owed the bank for the past 2 months. Otherwise, you wouldn't be going to prison and the bank wouldn't be repossessing your farm."

"But my grandfoals have no parents anymore! They need me! Let me go!"

"That's none of our concern ma'am," said the officer, "Foal services will be here any minute to take the children to foster homes."

As they reached the police cart, she kept protesting, "You can't split them up! They depend on each other! Let me go to them! I-"

Her pleas were cut short by the slamming of the cart door and it quickly driving away.

Big Mac hugged his two sisters, "Don't worry. I promise nothing will break us apart. No Foal Services will be splitting us up."

Unfortunately, things didn't turned out well for the three siblings. 

3 different carts pulled up to the house, a fancy looking cart held a rich couple, a taxi cart held a taxi driver, and the third cart was driven by the owner of the Ponyville orphanage.

A unicorn with a tan coat, a grey mane, and a black suit jacket came out with a clipboard.

"Hello there. You must be Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Applebloom." said the unicorn, "I am Sole Guardian from Foal Protection Services. Because you have no parents and your grandmother is in the debtor's prison, I sent three different carts to take you and your siblings to your new homes. The eldest child will be adopted by Pearly Gems and Garnet Fire, the richest couple in Canterlot. The taxi will be going to Manehattan where the eldest daughter will be living with your Aunt and uncle in Manehattan. And finally, the little foal is going straight to the orphanage and will hopefully be adopted into a loving family one day."

Big Mac gasped, "You're splitting us up? That's not fair, we need each other! We can't go to different foster families! I won't allow it."

"I'm sorry kids." Sole Guardian said, "It's for your own good." 

He had two of his associates come for each siblings and ordered them into their respective carts.

Big Mac covered his sisters, "No! You can't do this! We've been through everything together and you're not tearing us apart!"

Sole Guardian sighed, "I've tried being nice but now you leave me with no choice." He whistled with his hooves and sent his associates to the foals.

The siblings were forcefully torn from each other and placed into their carts kicking and screaming.

Baby Applebloom was bawling in the orphanage cart and Applejack was banging on the taxi windows, "NO! I'll never see my family again!"

The sibling the most upset was Big Mac. As the carts drove away from each other, Big Mac just sat there in silence, not knowing of the future ahead of him.

Pearly Gems and Garnet Fire became the adoptive parents of Big Mac. But they were rude, snobby and emotionally abusive towards him.

A few months later,

15 year old Big Mac looked out at all of the teenage stallions playing hoofball with each other.

He turned to Pearly Gems and Garnet Fire, who were by the fire place reading the paper, "Why can't I go outside and play hoofball with them?"

The couple did a haughty laugh and they stopped immediately.

"Us nobles are so much better than those improper lowlife scums." said Garnet Fire, "You should be focused on maintaining your wealthy appearance and not getting dirty playing peasant games."

"But I wanna join them. It's been so boring since I got adopted, I want to go outside, make some real friends, and have some fun."

He tried to go outside but Garnet Fire blocked the door, "No son of mine will play with the poor! They are ugly, hideous burdens that take up space! Even the princesses look down on them!"

"But Father, you haven't let me go out and make one friend since I came here."

Garnet stroked his mustache, "That's because I want to keep the family pure. And you're just an orphan we were forced to take in for free money!"

As the verbal abuse continued, a group of servants eavesdropped in another room, but were afraid to intervene as it could cost them their jobs.

"And as of now, my wife and I are going to mold you into a proper noble. No more thinking about hanging around peasants anymore!"

"But-"

"END OF DISCUSSION! YOU WILL REPORT TO THE MAIN HALL IN ONE HOUR FOR MANNERS TRAINING!"

He and Pearly Gems stormed off leaving Big Mac to sit by the window and cry.

This was the cue for one of the servants to come out and check on him.

Big Mac turned over to see a unicorn with an orange coat, a red and yellow mane, a maroon vest over a puffy shirt, and a candelabra for a cutie mark went up to comfort Big Mac.

The young stallion turned over, "Oh hi Flamethrower. Did you hear everything?"

"I'm afraid I did." he said in a slight French accent, "They are just obsessed with being rich. You mustn't let them break your spirit."

Big Mac sniffled, "I wish you would've helped me earlier. I don't want to be a gentlemen, I want to be with my family again. I just wish things could go back to the way they used to be before, before-"

He began to cry as the unicorn servant comforted him. 

"I am so sorry mon amie, but I can't go back in time and stop your parents from dying. I can only advise you to stay strong and hopefully pray that you can see your family.”

The moment was interrupted by Pearly Gems calling, "Big Macintosh, it's time for your makeover! If you're going to be living with rich ponies, you need to look like a rich pony."

Big Mac sighed and left to see his adoptive mother.

Six years went by and the couple succeeded in making Big Mac a handsome and charming upper class stallion. 

But this came with a major attitude change; Big Mac began to look down on everyone who was a lower class than he was, even his servants. He shut out his past entirely and became spoiled, selfish, and unkind.

This would eventually lead to problems...