//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: For the Eyes // Story: Breaking the Wall // by Radiant Dawn //------------------------------// Chapter 1: For the Eyes The sun crested the horizon, warmly greeting the land and those that lived upon it as an old friend. Its rays of life-giving light and warmth breathed energy and life into the morning world, and it welcomed the early-morning people who were heading to work, giving them a bright day to look forward to. Well...most people. In the fields of Sweet Apple Acres, the Apple family were tending to their morning chores. Young Applebloom fed the chickens, cows, and pigs while she watched her two older siblings till the land and attend to their crops. As her eyes wandered to her older sister, a worrying expression on her face. Though young, she was observant enough to know that something had been deeply troubling her sister for the past few weeks. She believed that maybe it had something to do with the vacation her sister’s friend had gone on...maybe she missed her. Regardless, she could tell that Applejack didn’t want to talk about it at the moment, so she let it be. Big Macintosh, by his token, was also worried for AJ, though he knew exactly what bothered her. Even if he hadn’t been keenly observant of how the girl felt, the two told each other everything. Over the years of growing up, this had led to quite a few awkward conversations, and more than once, he’d had to ask Granny Smith for information or read a book, but even with all that being the case, he wouldn’t change it. It allowed the two of them to be closer than most people thought possible, and the trust they shared was boundless. With that being the case, he knew exactly what his sister felt like, as well as the constant worries that ran through her head. The eldest Apple sibling watched his two sisters as he inspected the beloved apple trees for damage, also spraying a homemade organic pesticide over the pride and joy of the Apple family. Though Applejack seemed to work just as she always did, pruning the extra branches off of the apple trees, he could tell she was still stressed. ‘Then again, who wouldn’t be?’ he thought gravely. “Mail’s here!” shouted Applebloom as she ran up to him, her baggy overalls nearly coming off of her as she did so. He chuckled at the sight and nodded with a smile, taking the small stack of envelopes from her. “Thanks, ‘Bloom. Now git back ta work. If ya finish early, y’all can play with yer friends b’fore supper.” The young girl flashed him a bright, warming smile before sprinting off to the barn again. Big Mac just shook his head with a smile as he looked over the handful he held, and began going through it. Most of it was pretty standard: a few bills, a letter from his cousin in Appleloosa, and a few advertisement papers from local businesses...but a shiny golden envelope caught his eye. What was stranger was that the letter was addressed to him. It wasn’t until he flipped the shiny envelope over that he noticed a wax seal that held it closed...one he knew well by now. ‘The royal seal.’ He frowned as he placed the other mail in his pants pocket, and silently wondered to himself what the princess would need of him specifically. Being an Element of Harmony, his sister received letters at least once a month from one of the diarchs, normally Celestia, but he’d never seen one actually for him. The thought of what it could be about made him nervous. Without waiting for his trepidation to increase, he fished out his knife and cut the seal, then opened the letter and began reading. “Dear Big Macintosh Apple, As you well know, Tia’s birthday is quickly approaching, and though she would never admit it, she rather enjoys celebrating it. I wish to make it a momentous occasion, though personal and only between friends and family members...as I believe we both know she could use the caring company. With your family becoming so close to us during the past five years, it would please me greatly if you could find the time to join us in Canterlot for the celebration. I understand that dear Applejack would not wish to leave at the moment, but I do hope that you would feel differently about this. The celebration is set for the eighth day of June, at the seventeenth hour. Please respond with haste so that I may plan accordingly. With love, Crowned Princess Luna Duskwing, L.S.E.” Big Mac smiled as he tucked the letter away, pleased that his ruler thought so highly of him. Ten years ago, he would never even consider the possibility that he’d be speaking so informally with his princesses, but he supposed dating the personal protégé of the sun princess herself for a length of time probably had a lot to do with it. It was no secret that the student and mentor were as close as family, so he assumed that being close with her meant that her “parents” would wish to know him candidly as well. He had been right, of course. It was an odd feeling for him at first...one so humble as he having such a close personal relationship with the royal family. Still, he found it rather refreshing to realize that though rulers, the royal family was just like any other person. He often found it a little disrespectful the way others treated the princesses...namely their lack of eye contact. He was raised old-fashioned by his parents, and his father had always told him to look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them, as it shows respect and it also shows interest in what they have to say. Most of the people that spoke to the princesses, however, almost seemed to cower in their presence...and he found this more than a little annoying to watch. Lack of respect for someone who deserves it was one of the few things in life that truly annoyed him, so he often tried not to think about it. With all that in mind, he still found it pretty nice that the princess had wanted him to attend such an event, and she was right...the solar princess could use friends right now. He stretched out his back a bit before getting back to work, resolving to write a return letter at his next opportunity. The morning chores had been finished hours ago, leaving Big Macintosh heading in to work the fruit stand in the town. It was true that he enjoyed selling the produce his family worked so hard to grow, but today he was doing it because his sister had other things to take care of...though he believed he knew what things. All the same, he was always ready to help AJ out in her time of need, so with a bit of a spring in his step, he finished setting up the cart and unloaded his haul, even polishing a few of the crisp apples to make them all the more delectable. As he took his place behind the stand, he took notice of his first customer of the day, and a rather regular one at that. She was one of the younger women around town and was known as Ditzy Doo (though some of the meaner citizens referred to her as “Derpy”). She was a tall, muscled girl with bright blonde hair and golden eyes, and as with the rest of her race (known as the Alatum), she sported a pair of large feathery wings, both powerful and beautiful. The only thing that marred her nearly flawless form was a lazy eye, for which she was constantly taunted and teased for. Big Mac had once found her crying behind the post office she worked at after a particularly unpleasant day of teasing. In honesty, he understood exactly why she was teased so incessantly. His father had once told him that the strongest of them were always under constant scrutiny by envious eyes, all waiting for a chance to attempt to drag him or her down to their level. It seemed that in Ditzy’s case, it was quite true. Even with the hardship she endured, the girl was very kind and friendly, and she and the Apple quickly befriended each other. “Hiya, Big Mac!” the woman chimed happily as she approached the stand. He grinned and waved at her. “Howdy, Miss Doo. How’re ya doin’ today?” The blond-haired woman smiled wide at her friend’s greeting. “Oh, great! Work’s a little intense, but nothing I can’t handle. Just thought I’d stop by and see a friend while I grab some lunch.” The tanned farmer nodded with a grin before grabbing six apples ‒ one of each kind ‒ and placing them in a brown paper bag. He then passed the bag to the mailwoman with a grin. “There ya go, ma’am. That’ll be four bits.” She handed him the money, which he put away before glancing at her again. “So how have y’all been lately? Ah ain’t seen you or yer sister in awhile.” The girl opened the bag and fished out an apple before taking a large bite and chewing thoughtfully. “Well, we’ve been really busy with moving to Ponyville and all, so...” His eyebrows raised a bit as he asked, “Y’all moved ta Ponyville finally?” The good gold eye of the woman in front of him focused on his face as she swallowed another juicy bit of apple. “Yep! Mom and dad finally got sick of the treatment Dinky was getting for being an inferiorem raised by alatum. I guess she might not get to go to the really nice Canterlot schools for people like her, but we didn’t want her to be sad all the time either.” “Better for her though.” Big Mac answered. “It ain’t no good fer a girl ta get picked on like that just fer tha sake of a school. ‘sides, we got a lotta infies ‘round here ta help her out.” She nodded as she looked off into the distance, presumably towards home. “Yeah...she loves it here. It was a great idea, and I got a job here,” she then leaned a bit closer and patted his shoulder, “and I made a great friend.” He grinned at the touch and nodded. “It’s an honor, darlin’.” The girl smiled before tossing the apple core in the bin he kept next to the stand. “Well, I’ve got a few more duties to do before I’m done, so I’ll catch you later, Mac. Seeya!” He waved goodbye to her as she left, happy to have made Ditzy’s day just a little better. The young woman was very sweet, if a little bit of a doormat. Still, she was very kind and intelligent, which meant that the gruff Big Macintosh was more than pleased to have her as a friend. As he again took stock of what he brought with him, he thought about the past decade of his life, and what it had meant for him. He was on the precipice of being thirty, and had seen more than his share of miracles and disasters alike. His family business was in its prime, and with the demand for his produce only going up, things could only get better. He had dated quite a bit as well, garnering the attention of some of the most desirable women around, while still being humble about it. Okay...maybe he was a little prideful. “Hey Mac!” shouted his next customer, and he didn’t even have to turn his head to know who it was. A gust of wind announced her arrival, and her unique voice was something he would always remember. He looked up fondly at the rainbow-haired woman and smiled. “Howdy, Miss Rainbow Dash.” She rolled her magenta eyes at him and smiled. “For Celestia’s sake Mac, you’ve seen me naked...multiple times. I think you can drop the ‘Miss’ thing now.” He chuckled a bit at the memories and nodded. “Yeah, s’pose yer right. Still gotta be respectful to tha women though, ya know.” Her cyan wings fluttered a bit as she grinned and nodded, letting out her own light chuckle. “Yep, and that’s why you’re awesome, Mac.” “Glad Ah got tha ‘Rainbow Dash Seal of Approval’ then.” he joked. She let loose one of her rare girlish giggles for a few moments before sighing with a smile. Slowly the smile faded and she asked, “How’s AJ?” Big Mac’s smile faded as well, and he gazed out over the marketplace, which was just starting to become active. “Not so good, Dash. She got in a fight last night, and Ah had ta pull her offa some guy she was tryin’ ta beat tha daylights outta.” The normally optimistic flier’s face dropped a little more as she noticed the few visible bandages on his body. She ran her fingers softly over his arm, pausing at the large bandage that covered the abrasion on his inner forearm. “It was about Twilight again, wasn’t it?” For a few moments he was silent, but then nodded. “Yeah. Y’all know how hot-headed she can get, an’ them fools talkin’ bad about Twi jus’ makes her blood boil.” Rainbow Dash’s hands moved to take his own in hers, and she didn’t bother hiding it. After everything that had happened, the Apple family had become closer with the other Element bearers, as well as the town in general. Most of the town was very friendly...some, like Rainbow Dash, were considered kin. The way that Big Mac saw it, she was as much a family member as he was, as she’d seen them all at their worst, and still stuck around in the thick of it. After all, a smart man doesn’t turn away from a helping hand when it’s offered and he’s in dire need...and the needs lately had been dire indeed. “What’s the latest news?” she asked suddenly. Whenever someone referred to “news” around him, he knew exactly what they were asking for. “Better, but not anythin’ really helpful ta AJ. Ya know how she is...she won’ hope until she’s got solid good news from tha doctors.” She nodded and sighed. “As much as I hate to say it, you’re right. AJ’s not really one for hopes and dreams.” “Because she makes ‘em happen.” Big Mac replied as he gently squeezed the hand of his close friend. “AJ don’t jus’ hope fer stuff...she makes it happen.” “But she can’t make this happen.” the stunt flier replied sadly as she softly stroked the palm of the farmer with her fingers. He nodded with a rather sad frown on his face. “Yeah...Ah know...and she knows. Ah reckon tha’s why she feels so helpless...she can’ really do nothin, and that’s new for ‘er.” “It’s hard for all of us, you know...” the fair-skinned woman replied as she met his emerald eyes with her own. He nodded. “Yeah, but AJ’s tha one she’s closest to, next to tha princesses, Ah mean.” Thankfully, much to Big Mac’s pleasure, Rainbow Dash always had a way of lightening the mood with a joke. “First she dates you, then she dates AJ. You think Applebloom’s gonna be next?” she inquired as she released his hand and fixed her flight jacket. He shrugged with a smirk. “Ah don’ know, maybe she’ll want a crack at Granny Smith. Y’all know she’s a might bit more lively than mosta tha old folks.” His comment had the desired effect as she sputtered and her face twisted up in disgust. “Ah, dude! Bad images! C’mon, man!” He let a deep, resounding chuckle vibrate throughout him as he shook his head. “Wanna dish it out, but can’t take it.” The prismatic woman then grinned and leaned against the stand, passing him a single bit and grabbing a rather large, red apple. “I guess if anyone’s working their way around though, it’d be you.” She took a bite of the juicy apple, and just barely contained a moan of contentment at the mere taste of it. Once she chewed and swallowed, she smiled. “I mean, you’ve worked your way through three of the Elements, and six other girls around town. How can you work the fields and still have time for that?” He shrugged as he tossed the bit into the cash box and smiled. “Practice, an’ patience. Ah mean, y’all were happy, weren’tcha?” She nodded as she swallowed another bite of the sweet fruit. “Yeah, I was. Being away on maneuvers for almost a year probably didn’t help though. I hope you don’t hold it against me, because I don’t hold it against you.” He shrugged as he leaned against the counter. “Nah, Ah don’t. Distance can ruin a good thing, no matter how much ya fight it. Ah figured it’d be better ta break it off nicely b’fore we started fightin’ b’cause of tha frustration an’ such.” “At least one of us was thinking for the future.” she replied wistfully. “I would’ve just let it go until we exploded...I’m not too good at planning ahead.” “So Ah noticed.” he replied with a grin. She rolled her eyes, but smiled all the same. “So when are you gonna settle down with just one girl? Or, have you already got one in mind?” He thought seriously for a moment before shrugging. “Ain’t sure. Ah guess Ah ain’t met tha right one yet. As far as mah personal habits, can’t find what ya don’t go out an’ look for.” Her rainbow hair shifted a bit as she tilted her head, splaying across her eyes as she thought. After a few moments she pursed her lips and nodded. “You know, that’s pretty deep, actually. I like that.” “Ah do have mah moments.” he replied with a chuckle. The woman then looked to the skies, her magenta eyes twinkling in the noonday sun. “Anyway, I gotta get back to work, Mac. It was great seein’ ya. You take care!” He waved at her as she flew off with a powerful burst of strength from her wings, proving as always that she was poetry in motion when she took to the skies. He smiled warmly before turning back to the market, noticing that people were beginning to gather around him for the normal midday rush. The sun had begun to set as the tired work man rolled the apple stand into the shed and locked the small storage place up, hauling a rather large box full of bits to his house. Today had been a great day for work, and as he took a look at the fields, he found that Applejack and Applebloom had a rather productive day as well. He smiled as he entered the home, pleased that life went on. Upon walking inside, his nose was attacked by the delightful smell of a home-cooked meal, and already his mouth was watering at the smell of the salted pork and apple stuffing that was cooking on the stove, along with what he assumed was an apple pie in the oven. He gently kicked off his workboots at the door before heading to the washbin and washing his hands, and was pleased to find that even his grandmother was up helping prepare the meal...which meant that he could expect an extra-tasty dinner. “Hiya, Big Mac!” his youngest sister exclaimed happily as he entered the dining room. He smiled warmly at his younger sibling and nodded. “Evenin’ ‘Bloom. Did ya have fun with yer friends?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Yep! Ah helped Scootaloo repair her scooter, and then we all went out to tha market.” “Y’all didn’t cause no trouble?” he asked warily. She shook her head with a smile. “Nope. We jus’ looked around at some of tha stuff b’fore gettin’ bored and hangin’ out by tha park.” He smiled with a nod. “Good. Long as Ah don’ have ta come pick ya up from tha guard station again, Ah don’ mind what ya do. Long as yer safe and havin’ fun.” The young red-haired girl nodded before her eyes widened. “Oh, guess what?” The elder sibling chuckled and shook his head. “Ah can’t guess, AB.” She rolled her eyes, but her excitement did not abate. “Th’ mayor said she’d give me a job keepin’ tha clock tower workin’ good fer as long as Ah need it. Ain’t that great?” He thought about it for a second. On the one hand, Applebloom wasn’t the best worker on the farm, as her talent was more geared towards repairing and maintaining machines and tools, which meant that even at the worst of times, she only had a few things to do here and there. That meant that it would be good for her to get her own job and have some income of her own coming in, so that she could have some spending cash to use when around her friends, or for whatever she wished, really. Still, Big Mac was a little resistant to let her leave so freely and not help out when they needed it. After all, Sweet Apple Acres was a family business...and it needed all of them to work right. “Well,” he began, thinking carefully, “would ya still be able ta fix things around here when we need it?” The adolescent girl smiled and nodded. “Yep! Ah ain’t gonna abandon mah fam’ly jus’ cause ah got a job. Y’all know that.” He had been pretty sure before, but now he was at peace with it. He nodded and replied, “Then Ah’m happy for ya, ‘Bloom. Good job.” “Soup’s on!” announced the elder of the home as she brought a few steaming plates upon her arms, passing them to Big Mac and his youngest sister before she went back for more. Applejack moved slowly and methodically around the kitchen, clearly trying to settle her mind about something, and Big Mac knew well enough what. All the same, he knew she wouldn’t want to talk about it in front of Applebloom, so he let her be for now. Supper was decent, all things considered. As had become normal recently, Applejack didn’t speak much, but Big Mac had expected that. Contrary to what the other people thought of her, she was quite the thinker. A farmer though she may be, she was by no means unintelligent. During times like this though, it worked against her, as her mind would drift to thoughts of things she couldn’t help...couldn’t change. As he sat the table to write his letter to the night princess, he made sure to put everything that had happened in there. After all, though she might be a royal, she was also a close friend, and would want to know how her friends were doing, and by extension, their families. He wrote everything he could think of, from how his business was going, how Ponyville as a whole was faring, as well as how he and his own family were doing. He knew that the princess sometimes grew bored at night with so little to do, and enjoyed reading his letters, so he made sure it was nice and long for her. At the end, he explained that he would love to attend the birthday celebration of her sister, and that he would make time available for the next few days after the celebration. He then sealed the envelope, addressed it directly to the special address the princesses had given him for direct mail to them, and placed it next to the front door to take out with him in the morning. He rubbed his eyes once before locking the doors and turning off the lights, then headed upstairs to bed. He checked each of the rooms of the other family members, being sure that each of them were in bed and resting peacefully before taking a quick shower and making his way to his own room. For the first time in a long time, however, he found himself unable to fall asleep immediately. For the longest time, his sister Applejack had made fun of him for being able to fall asleep so easily, sometimes even referring to him as “Baby Mac”. Tonight though, his thoughts buzzed in his head, as if a beehive had replaced his brain. The thought that ran through his mind the most, of course, was that of his troubled sister. It went without a doubt that she was stressed to the breaking point, if the night before had been any indication. Still, he knew better than to offer help when she didn’t ask. She took it as a jab at her pride, and it went without saying that she could get rather...defensive. Besides, the two of them were close enough that he knew if she actually reached that point again, she’d seek him out...and he’d be there for her. The second most important thought was that of the princesses. He considered Luna another sister, as Applejack was one of the first friends she made and had been a great boon to her in reassimilating herself into society. After all, the farmgirl knew nearly everyone in town, and her business connections reached far and wide across the planet, so she was a great friend to have when trying to meet and become allies with the many people that now lived on the world. A thousand years was quite a long time to be away by anyone’s measure. The night princess had quickly taken a liking to him after meeting them all, rather enjoying his calm, composed attitude, as well as his willingness to make eye contact with her...which was one of the things she found so hard to garner from her other subjects. For the longest time Big Mac had believed that perhaps his parents’ old-fashioned values were pretty obsolete in the age they now lived in... His mind was changed when the princesses both took an interest in him, however. Celestia on the other hand was hard to figure out. She was very kind and loving of the many that she governed, and yet was very firm when she needed to be. In truth, that was not the difficult part to figure out, as Big Mac took the same stance with raising his youngest sister. No...it was the fact that she always had a smile on her face. Even after everything she’d seen in her life and after everything that had happened recently with her prized pupil, she still found the ability to put on a genuine smile... Or at least what seemed like a genuine smile. Big Mac had a bit of a talent for reading people, so much so that he often could figure out what another person was thinking without even asking them. When it came to faking happiness when someone really felt bad on the inside, he noticed that almost everyone had a certain “tell” that tipped him off every time. Celestia was different though. Before he’d gotten close with the royal family, he’d seen how the solar princess and her student had acted together. There was no doubt in his mind that they deeply cared for and trusted each other...but that was also why he found the princess so confusing. Even in the wake of what had happened to Twilight Sparkle, the princess still gave a generous smile no matter what. He supposed it had something to do with how long she’d lived, but he didn’t see how. If he’d been in the same position and it was Applejack or Applebloom that were hurt, he wouldn’t be able to stay calm at all. So how and why was it so simple for her? After a few hours of thinking this over, he pushed it to the back of his mind and closed his eyes. Perhaps some time during his stay in Canterlot, he could ask her this question, and hoped it wouldn’t be too forward of him to do so. After all, his father always told him to learn from the best if you don’t know something, and the princesses were the best at many things. With that in mind he yawned once before turning onto his side and setting his alarm clock, then quickly faded off into the rest that would prepare him for the next day.