Big Mac was irritated, another long night and again there was no progress in the matter at hoof. He knew it wasn't dire, not yet at any rate, but their family's yearly profits were relatively small and each year it seemed more and more on the farm needed to be repaired. It was the nature of the beast he supposed but at this point any missing produce could make a world of difference. Not the mention the principle of the matter, who in Ponyville would want to steal from them?
At this he shook his head to try and clear his mind of these negative thoughts. He had a habit of overthinking on these nightly treks and all it did was serve to irritate him and that didn't do anyone any good. But, as was often the case, just as he had cleared his mind he could feel those irritating thoughts start to worm their way back to the forefront of his brain. Letting out a small snort of frustration he never noticed the small pegasus glide down next to him.
“Hey Mac,” Rainbow whispered in a hushed voice causing Big Mac to jump and his heart began to race.
“Geez Rainbow, ya gave me a fright, did you find any…” he began but Rainbow immediately cut him off.
“Yeah, yeah there's some ponies over on the other end of the orchard, if we hurry we can catch ‘em,” she said eagerly pointing on the direction she had come from.
Mac felt his heart began to pound once again, this time however, it was out of a mixture of excitement and anger. They had finally caught them. As he made to run Rainbow caught him and he gave her a look.
“Gotta put out your lantern, they'll see ya comin’ ” she said quickly as she blew the flame out.
“Good in theory...but how am ah gonna see? Ah know this orchard like the back of my hoof, but ah can't make it all the way across in the pitch black all that quick,” he inquired and he could almost hear Rainbow smirk.
“Just stick close to me, pegasus can see pretty well in the dark,” she responded with a bit of a cocky tone.
“Umm...okay,” he responded as he stood close to her not entirely sure how she planned to lead him. He hadn't brought anything they could use as a lead line. But he received his answer when he felt Rainbow’s wing drape over him.
“Just keep pace with me,” Rainbow responded and this time Mac knew he could hear her smirking before she took off at a brisk trot.
The duo made good time as they traveled towards their destination. Rainbow was grinning as they made their way closer and closer. She was looking forward to scaring the wits out of these little thieves. Before too long they had come upon the area where the three young ponies and they could just make out the sound of rustling leaves and hush whispers of “Hurry up!” and “Calm down they haven't caught us yet,”
“Yet being the keyword...so what's the plan Mac?” Rainbow whispered to her companion.
“I'll circle around them, give me a few minutes then light yer lantern and let them know you're here, then follow my lead,” Mac whispered back.
“Roger that,” she whispered back as Mac disappeared into the night with a stealth and silence one would not have thought possible for a pony his size.
Rainbow waited a minute, then two and after she was certain Mac had been able to make his way around she took the darkened lantern and lite it before jumping out into the small clearing where the three had been gathered.
The shocked faces of the young teen colts stared up at her before turning and trying to flee into the night. But the trio stopped dead in their tracks at the towering sight of a very angry Big Macintosh.
“So...you're the ones who've been stealing from my family?” he said in cold and hard tone Rainbow Dash did not think was possible for the gentle giant to make.The trio began to tremble and whither under his angry gaze and did not respond.
Rainbow had to admit that it was a rather imposing sight. The low angle of her lantern casting long shadows over his face making his displeased expression look fierce, this coupled with his immense size and baritone voice cast the normally soft spoken pony in an entirely new light.
“Answer me!” Mac bellowed unexpectedly causing all of them, including Rainbow, to jump back in surprise.
“Yyyyy...yes,” one of them stammered quietly looking fearfully into the larger ponies face before averting his gaze.
“And why, may ah ask, did ya'll feel the need to steal my family's livelihood?” Mac asked in a stone cold voice. When they didn't answer he took a step closer “Ah’m waiting,”
“It...it was...it was just some fun,” one of them answered lamely.
“Some fun? Ya'll think stealing is just some fun? Takin’ what ma family needs to survive is just some fun huh?” he finished with a dark mirthless chuckle that sounded more like a snort of displeasure. Again he didn't receive an immediate answer so he continued. “Well...we have ways of dealing with thieves,” he said coolly as he reached into his saddlebag.
The trio of young ponies as well as Rainbow looked confused at this and all looked on in horror as the lantern light caught the shine of metal of what Mac pulled from the bag. Now standing before them was a large pony holding an ax between his teeth.
“Ah’ll let ya'll chose which hoof ah take,” Mac said through gritted teeth “Now who's first?”
Rainbow stood there in utter shock as the three colts began to stammer and whimper before Big Macintosh who simply glared down at them.
“Come on let's get this over with, Rainbow hold this one still,” he told her coolly as he made his was closer to the colt nearest Rainbow.
At this the three screamed and took off light a bolts of lightning, tripping and shoving one another as they tried desperately to get away from the ax wielding maniac.
After a few moments Rainbow could hear Mac let out a small chuckle.
“That should put the fear of Celestia in em’,” he snickered looking down at Rainbow stared up at him in shock.
“Geez Mac, that was...that was insane! Don't you think that was bit much?” she stammered out both shocked and a little impressed.
Mac scratched his chin for a moment before responding. “Hmmm...maybe, but it's what my pa did when he had a similar problem, at least that's what he told me when ah was a little fella,” he told her sounding a little ashamed of who he'd done.
“Well what happens when they tell their parents?” she asked a little concerned and at this Mac only chuckled lightly.
“And tell them what exactly? They were stealing from Sweet Apple Acres and Big Macintosh, of all ponies, threatened to cut their hooves off? How likely does that sound to you?” he asked with a quirked eyebrow.
“Well...ahhh, well that's a pretty good point,” Rainbow said with small laugh. She had to admit that if she hadn't just witnessed what she had, she would have never believed it in a million years, and it was just crazy enough that if they did tell it simply sound like kids making up far fetched stories to try and get out of trouble.
The pair chuckled lightly as they slowly turned and made their way back to the farm house.
“First night out and I solve the problem, what would Apples do without me?” Rainbow said with a cocky tone.
“Well we'd probably have ta sell the farm and move away, we owe you our lives Miss Dash,” Mac teased back.
“Watch it big red,” Rainbow huffed as Mac chortled.
“Sorry, but in all seriousness we really do owe ya. It may not seem like a whole lot but those few trees we lost the fruit from...well like I said it may not seem like much but it can make a pretty big difference,” he said a little somberly.
“Really? Are...are you guys gonna be alright?,” Rainbow asked her voice laced with concern.
“Oh we’ll be fine, what we lost wasn't great but it's a manageable loss, we caught them before it got too bad,” he reassured her.
“Well...that's good,” Rainbow responded her anxiety for the family having been eased, if only slightly.
“Eeyup,” Mac responded simply as conversation between the two ebbed away to a comfortable silence. The excitement had since faded and the pair was starting to feel the call of the sandstallion.
As they reached the barn they extinguished their lanterns and began to put away their equipment.
“Thanks again Rainbow, if ya need anything you just let us know,” Mac said trying to suppress a yawn.
“Yeah let me sleep here tonight I'm bushed,” Rainbow responded not even trying to keep herself from yawning.
“Hehe, alright, but ponies are gonna start talkin’ if ya keep stayin’ here,” he said through a chuckle.
“Well maybe that wouldn't be such a bad thing,” she grumbled bitterly under her breath.
Mac stopped laughing immediately have realized he may have inadvertently touched on the sensitive subject in a rather insensitive manner.
“Ah’m sorry Dash ah didn't mean...I wasn't thinking about…” he started but Rainbow cut him off.
“Don't sweat it Mac, you didn't do anything it's just...aaauuugggghhhh!” she groaned as she plopped down on the ground putting her hooves over her face.
Mac watched her for a moment before he trotted over and sat down next her. Leaning over he gave her a soft bump with his shoulder, causing her to look up at.
“Hey, buck up, it'll get better. I mean things might awkward for a spell but things will work out,” he told her reassuringly.
“ I know, I know but I really, really don't want to deal with this,” she mumbled to herself.
“Well...better to deal with it sooner rather than later,” Mac told her.
“You're starting to sound like a broken record,” she deadpanned looking up at him. “But I know you're right...maybe I'll talk to Rarity tomorrow,” Rainbow muttered to herself as she twiddle her hoof in the dirt.
“Well, ah could, if ya want, ah could go with ya offer some support. Don't know how much good it'd do but uhh...yeah,” Mac finished oddly, he realized halfway through the offer it may not be the best thing to say, that he might be imposing on a very personal situation.
“Thanks Mac, I'd actually really appreciate that, maybe we'll make a day of it hehe,” she joked, although there was no cheer or any sense of her cocksure self.
Tentatively, slowly, and awkwardly Mac extended his foreleg and gently placed it around Rainbow and pulled her into soft but strong side hug.
“Don't fret too much, you'll be just fine,” Mac said soothingly before releasing her.
Rainbow felt her face burn red and was silently thankful for the dark of the night. But despite her mild embarrassment she felt an incalculable amount of gratitude towards Mac. She had received kind words and encouragement from her friends but this felt different somehow and she wasn't sure why.
“Thanks Mac, you've been...well you've done a lot for me lately and...well, I don't know what I'm trying to say here but…” she rambled before she was cut off.
“You don't need to say anything, I think I get it,” he said with small chuckle.
“Right, well I think it's time for bed,” she chuckled back.
“Right you are...Miss Da...oof,” the air was knocked out of Mac’s lungs as Rainbow’s hoof struck his stomach.
“Sorry, but I did warn you,” Rainbow said with a grin to which Mac could only grin back.
“That you did, Miss Dash,” a second blow didn't come.