//------------------------------// // Don't Wake the Scarecrow // Story: The Lucky One // by Evan MacIan //------------------------------// Chapter Seven: Don't Wake the Scarecrow Big Mac, Sweetie Belle, and Apple Bloom walked along the road towards Ponyville. "Why're we goin' in ta town?" Apple Bloom asked. "Ya'll are going ta play with Scootaloo," Big Mac replied. Apple Bloom rolled her eyes. "Ah know why we're going in ta town, Ah wanna know why you're going in ta town." "Well, Ah wanted to get some exercise now that Ah can walk again. Ah also figured Ah'd check in with Miss Twilight 'bout my legs." "Are you going to ask her about rebuilding the boutique?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Eeyup." "Ah thought Rarity didn' want ya to rebuild it," Apple Bloom said. "Ya heard that, huh?" "Ah heard y'all arguing about it," she answered. "Well, Ah don't want ya to worry 'bout that," he said. "She just need some convincing is all." Big Mac chewed pensively on the wheat stalk in his mouth. He glanced down at the two young fillies trotting beside him. "What are y'all planning on doing today?" Sweetie Belle said, "We're going to help Daisy pick some flowers for her shop." Big Mac nodded. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were always looking for new things to try, so Applejack had the idea that they could do odd jobs for different ponies in town. That way they could both try to find their cutie marks, and make some money at the same time. Most of the ponies appreciated the help. When they reached town Sweetie Belle sidled up close to Big Mac. "Hey Big Mac, can I ask you something?" She glanced over at Apple Bloom. Big Mac took the hint. "Hey Apple Bloom, how's 'bout ya go find Applejack at the market, get some caramel apples. We'll catch up in a second." "Uh, okay," Apple Bloom replied, curious, but knowing better than to ask questions. Big Mac turned to Sweetie Belle after Apple Bloom trotted off. "What'd ya want to ask me?" Sweetie Belle hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Big Mac, after the fire, did you ever get, like, nightmares or something?" Big Mac carefully considered the question. "Now and then. Are you havin' nightmares?" he asked gently. "No," she replied. "Well, I kind'a did at first. But only when I was in the hospital." She kicked at a pine cone. "It's just that, Rarity's always waking up in the middle of the night. She always tries to not wake me up, so when she does I pretend to still be asleep, but sometimes I see her crying. When I asked her about it she told me it was nothing, and I shouldn't worry about it." Big Mac was silent as he chewed over her story. "Well," he said, "how 'bout Ah talk ta her 'bout it?" Sweetie Belle looked relieved at his suggestion. "Okay." Her expression then became slightly apprehensive. "But, you won't tell her I told you, will you? I don't want her to get mad at me." "Ah tell ya what," he replied, "Ah won't tell her ya told me nothing if Ah can help it. But even if Ah did, an' she did get a little mad at'cha, it's only 'cause she might feel a bit embarrassed, not 'cause ya did anything' wrong. Sometimes people get mad when ya try ta help 'em, even when they really need it." Big Mac thought back to Applejack during the previous applebuck season. "…'Specially when they really need it. But ya still got to help 'em, ya understand?" Sweetie Belle nodded, then ran over and gave him a hug. "Thanks, Big Mac," she said, smiling up at the big workhorse. "You're welcome, sugarcube," he answered. ***** Rarity walked alongside Big Macintosh as they traveled towards they southernmost field on Sweet Apple Acres. Big Mac was wearing his harness, and using it to pull a sturdy metal cart with a thick chain inside. "Ya really don't have to do this," Big Mac said, breaking the silence. "Big Macintosh, just because you have been walking around for a little bit does not mean I'm going to let you hurt yourself through overexertion. I know better than to try and get you to take it easy, but I refuse to let you work unsupervised," Rarity replied resolutely. Big Mac didn't press the issue, he knew he wouldn't be able to win this argument. And although he didn't think it appropriate for a lady like Rarity to get her hooves dirty with this kind of manual labor, this presented an opportunity for him to speak with her. They reached the southern field, and came upon the boulder Big Mac had been trying to remove a month ago. Big Mac took the chain out of the cart and wrapped it around the large rock, and hitched it to his harness. "Why exactly do you need to move this rock anyway?" Rarity asked. "We're plannin' on planting some Fuji apple tress come spring, which means Ah gotta get this field ready 'fore then. If Ah wait till winter the ground'll be too hard to move the rock." He looked over at her. "We was gonna plant Gala trees, but then Applejack found out that Gala apples don't sell." He grinned, pleased at his joke. Rarity merely raised an eyebrow, nonplussed. "…Never mind," he said. "Anyway, no sense in puttin' it off any longer." He positioned himself away from the boulder. Taking a deep breath, he dug his hooves into the ground and pulled at the chain. He strained against the chain, then relaxed for a moment, and then heaved against the chain again. He finally took a break, panting as Rarity examined the rock critically. "You managed to move it a little bit," she said. "What you really need is something to lever it out on the opposite side while you pull." "Ah guess Ah can go get Applejack up here…" he started. "Nonsense," Rarity said. "We unicorns may not be as strong as you earth ponies, but we are not completely useless." She concentrated, horn glowing, and a beam of light appeared and formed itself into the shape of a long board, which inserted itself into the earth behind the boulder. "Now you pull from your side, while I push it from here," she instructed him. Big Mac readied himself, and then pulled against the chain while Rarity used her magic to try to lever the rock from her end. For a moment nothing happened, and then Big Mac felt the rock begin to shift. He took a step forward, breathing like a set of bellows, while Rarity willed all her energy through her horn. The boulder slowly rose out of the ground, in a shower of dirt and grass. It tipped, and fell on its side with an earthshaking thud. Big Mac and Rarity both collapsed against the ground and rested while they caught their breath. Big Mac grinned over at Rarity, who smiled back. "Pretty far from useless, Ah reckon," he said. ***** The rock was about twice the size it had appeared on the surface, just as Big Mac had predicted. They moved it onto the cart, and Big Mac began hauling it towards the barn. They walked at a leisurely pace, both ponies worn out, but in good spirits at the difficult accomplishment. "So uh, you was up pretty early the other night," Big Mac said. "No earlier than you," she replied. "True, though Ah'm used to it, being raised on a farm an' all. Ah always thought all y'all townsfolk generally got up later." "Well, perhaps staying here has caused me to adjust my sleep schedule," Rarity said, slightly defensive. "Fair enough," he answered. They walked in silence for a bit, while Big Mac tried to think up a way to maneuver the conversation. He finally decided that there was no way he'd be able beat her in a battle of language. "Rarity, have you been havin' nightmares?" he asked. "I, um, what?" she stammered, taken off guard by the bluntness of his question. Then her eyes narrowed. "Did Sweetie Belle tell you that?" she demanded to know. "That ain't important," he replied. "Well it would be easy for a child like Sweetie Belle to get the wrong idea, and just because she thinks—" Big Mac cut her off. "Just 'cause she's a filly doesn't mean she can't be worried 'bout her big sister. All she wants is to help you." "I don't need any help!" she responded shrilly. "I'm not some weak little yearling!" "No one's calling you weak!" he shouted, then cut himself off. He glared at her, and she glared back. He could see her trembling slightly from emotion, and he realized he was doing the same. He almost never shouted like that. Big Mac took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. He started talking in as calm a tone as he could manage. "Ah was a few years older'n Apple Bloom is now when ma and pa both died." Rarity was silent, as Big Mac took a moment to collect his thoughts. "It was in October, and we'd just finished applebuckin' season. Apple Bloom had just been born, and ma was still feelin' pretty weak after it. We decided to have a big outdoor banquet, with family from all over. Sort of a celebration, both of finishing another applebuck season, an' also Apple Bloom's birth. Anyway, ma was feeling worn out so pa decided to take her back to the house early. They'd been gone maybe half an hour, and granny smith had me take some dessert back for 'em." Big Mac paused, looking at the trees as he remembered back. "Ah started walking to the house. It took a little while 'cause it was on the other side of the property. When Ah got there it was on fire. When Ah saw it, Ah felt like Ah'd been frozen to the ground. Ah should've ran in a saved 'em, or got help, but Ah couldn't do anything. They told me afterwards, it had been too late anyway, that the smoke would've already killed 'em. But Ah never believed 'em. Ah always thought, if Ah'd just done something…" He turned, and looked directly at Rarity. "But you know what made me feel worse then anything? When it was over, on top of all the sadness an' pain, Ah felt relieved. Ah just kept thinking, thinking…" Big Mac stopped. "You thought, 'at least it wasn't me,'" Rarity finished quietly. He nodded. "Ah felt like a damn coward. But after a while, Ah finally figured out that Ah hadn't done nothing wrong. That it hadn't been my fault, how Ah'd acted, an' how Ah'd felt. Ah just wasn't ready for what happened, an' all Ah could do was make sure Ah never let it happen again." The two stood silently among the apple trees, the elegant white pony contrasting with the large red workhorse. "I was so scared," Rarity said. Tears started to form in her eyes. "I knew I should have done something, but I was paralyzed, and if you hadn't come along, then Sweetie Belle would've...would've died because of my helplessness. And afterwards I felt so guilty. And I didn't want to say anything, because it would have been so selfish, when I hadn't even been in any danger…" Big Mac laid his head over Rarity's neck as her tears started to flow freely. He held her quietly, under the leaves, and let her cry. Author's Notes: The chapter title, "Don't Wake the Scarecrow," is the name of a Felice Brother's song.