//------------------------------//
// When you realize that you can't save important ponies to you. 
// Story: What If?... 
// by RandomFics271197 
//------------------------------//

It was a normal day in the Sweet Apple Acres, Applejack has invited Rarity to spent the afternoon together. Big Mac was helping his parents in the apple bucking season, since he discovered that he had unbelievable strength for his age. His parents decided to let him help them. Everything looked perfect, until...



Applejack and Rarity were trotting through the Apple trees, until they found a rock.

But this rock was different, it shined everytime the sun hits on it. That beautiful event attracted Rariry attention and she started to trot in the rock's direction. But the problem was, to reach the other side, they needed to cross an old tree that was down forming a little bridge. Because it was an old tree, every weight on it could be made it destroy.

Rarity didn't notice where she had going until she put her front hooves on the bottom of that tree, that made it started to craking on the middle. Applejack gasped and tried to warn her.

"Rarity, look out." she said. "Get out of there. RARITY." she yelled but she didn't answer.

Seeing that she will not answer her she decided to stop her.

Because Rarity was in the middle on the track, Applejack tried to be careful when stepping on the tree. She felt the tree shaking and heard some cracking sounds. She trembled and yelled.

"RARITY, COME BACK." she yelled out enough to made it echoing through the orchard.



In the middle of the orchard, Applejack parents heard that strange noise. They immediately notice that it was Applejack voice. They left their job and trotted in the sound direction. Big Mac noticed that his parents left in such a worry and decided to follow them.

When they arrived at the source of the sound, their worst fear. Applejack was hanging herself on an old branch while holding Rarity hooves.

"Help me. Somepony, HELP." Applejack yelled. 

"Hang on, dear. Daddy is on the way." Bright Mac said. "Try to find something to push them up. A rope, something. Quickly"  he said to Pear Butter, receiving a nod as an answer he trotted in the tree direction. 

Pear Butter turned her back and saw Big Mac.

"What's happening?" he asked, "I saw you two leave the orchard so quickly."

"Dear, find me a rope. Your father needs one. Could you get one?" she asked

He nodded and left that place to search for a rope.

Pear Butter heard a loudly crack, she jumped in fear and turned her head back. Her worst fear. The tree split in two. She rushed desperately to the falling half of the tree.

"Bright Mac. Applejack." she called.

"I'm here mom." Applejack responded.

"Your father, where's he?" she asked

"I don't know he tried to push us up, but then I heard the tree cracking and I lost his sight." she answered

She looked around to see if she could saw him. Until finally she spotted him. He seems to be unconscious.

"Bright. Bright. BRIGHT MAC. Answer me?" she called for him but no answer.

"Applejack don't move. I will help you ok." she said while slowly trotted towards her.

She tried to extend her hooves, trying to reach her but she couldn't she was small. She decided to get down a little bit. But she slipped and fell towards Bright Mac body.

"Mommy!?" she called.

"I'm here, dear. Don't worry." she said while started to standing up on her hooves. "Bright Mac, wake up. Help us." she tried to call for him, while shaking his body, but no answer. 'Damn it.' she said

"BIG MAC. HELP. HELLP." she yelled.

Big Mac who was looking for a rope nearby, heard her mother calling for him. He turned his head back and said. "Mom". He started to rush on his mom direction. "Hang on." he said

When he arrived again to that half fallen tree. He shouted. "Where are you?"

"Down here, sweetie." she answered.

He trotted in the fallen tree and started to look for her.

"Mom." he said

"There's no time, Big Mac." she explained "Help them" she pointed to Applejack and Rarity.

"But, what about you?" he asked.

"We'll be fine. Just, save them first." she answered while tears started to form on her eyes.

"Applejack" he turned his vision to her sister.

"Big Mac. We're here. Help us." she called.

He detected her voice and started to descend the tree.

"Hang in there." he said. "Applejack, don't look down. Close your eyes." he said

With him being a little smaller than his parents he could reach Applejack with no problems.

"Here. Grab my hoof." he said while extending his hoof.

"I can't If I gave it to you. Rarity will fall" she said

He started to feel the tree shacking meaning that he couldn't hang on that position any longer. "Screw it." he said. "Applejack, I'm sorry for this." he leaned towards her and bite her neck making her squeak. "Hang on." he said.

He started to shake his head making sure that he had enough strength to throw her back up. With a grunt he threw Applejack, that safety hit the grass, she was safe and away from that dangerous tree.

"Mom. Hang on. I'm coming for you now." he said while climbing up the tree.

He finally reached his parent's position.

"Here grab me." Big Mac extended his hoof.

"Big Mac. You can't get both of us out of here. You're too..." she said

"No. I can. Just trust me." he said.

The tree started to slipping, that made Big Mac lost balance.

"Big Mac." she called.

"I'm fine." he said. He then spotted a little liana near his head. He grabbed it and threw it at his mother. "Take this." he said.

Pear Butter grabbed the liana and wrapping it around her and Bright Mac. 'I hope this will work.' she said.

He started to climb up the tree. Now that he was in a flat place he started to push the liana up and said. "Come on." 

Suddenly the tree fell down, and one of its branches hit Big Mac's face, that made him lose balance, but that won't stop him from trying. He used his full strength, trying to pull his parents up. Until he heard a soft cracking near his back hooves.

The soft ground wasn't resisting the weight of a male colt and two adults. He denied to give up.

"I will do it. There's not a single fissure that's gone to stop me."

Her mother was being hit by small portions of dirt, feeling that they could both fall.

"Big Mac. Stop it. You will fall too if you keep trying." she yelled.

"I'm gone to do it. I will save..."

He stopped his tracks of words when he heard her mom crying.

"Big Mac. You can't do it. You're just a colt. You don't have enough strength to pull us up." she said

"No. I'll not give up, that easily." he said while trying to sustain his tears. "I'm an Apple. We don't leave anypony behind."

"Big Mac. I understand, but..." she said. "Applejack needs you now. "Who will take care of her now, Big Mac? If we both fall." she asked while sobbing heavily. "I understand that you don't what to lose us, but accidents happen my dear. You just need to learn to live with them." she said

"But, you... you... saved me. From isolation, I can't let you fall. Not until I..." he said, while tears started to form on his eyes.

"I understand. But it appears that I can't leave you no choice." she said. "Let us go."

Big Mac when heard her words he shook his head to a 'no'. "No. No.  I'll not gonna do it" he said

"I know that you don't but I've to do it." she said. 

She leaned her head towards the liana, bitting it. Due to her bite, the liana snapped and...

Suddenly Big Mac felt no weight on the liana and started to push it up, until...

He realized there's nopony in there and gazed over the vein, saw that it was bitten. He slowly tried to look down the hill and saw them. They were falling reaching the bottom of that hill until he lost their sight. Tears started to run down his face.

"I'll protect her, no matter what." he said while making a cross on his heart. "I promise".

He then trotted back to her sister. He used his body to get her up.

"Big Mac, where are they? What happens to them?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, sister. But... they're gone." he said tried to not cry in front of her.

"Gone. What you mean?" she asked

"They're... they're dead, Applejack." he said.

Applejack looked at his brother and started to cry. He then embraces her and let her cry on his chest.

"Let's go back. Granny needs to know this." he said while small trails of tears were visible on his face.



Granny Smith when heard the recent news, was devastated and started to cry uncontrollably. Applejack did the same. But him, he couldn't do it, he couldn't stand there, it caused so much pain to him. He rushed towards his room and laid on his bed, until he felt the need of letting all out and started to cry uncontrollably. Until he felt the need of sleep, letting his head weight like a feather he was sleeping now and happy in his dreamland, reunited with his parents once more.


THE END