Finding a Friend

by TGMEQ


Finding a Friend Part 4

The early morning sun beamed down on Ponyville. Down at Sweet Apple Acres, Big Mac was already out of bed, and out on the field doing what he promised himself yesterday. He put on his hitching collar, and went outside. The early morning temperature hit against his coat, and caused him to shiver. But that measly weather wasn't going to stop him. He wanted to finish his chores to spend time with Twilight.

He first started by plowing the dirt fields. Granny Smith and Applebloom were going to plant corn, so they can have something to feed themselves. Well, mostly Applebloom, probably so she can get her cutie mark in gardening. Then, he moved on to painting the barn. Applejack asked him last night to paint the barn a new shade of red. It didn't take very long, he took his time and made sure that the paint was well designed. Finally, he finished up on bucking the apple trees that he had to do for the day. After a short while, he finally finished all of his chores. He was a bit cold due to the morning weather, and also tired. So, he went back inside to get warm.

---

Twilight felt sunshine escape through her curtains next to her bed. She was a bit annoyed, but she had to get up anyway. She slowly got off her bed, and stretched. She looked to the right, and saw Spike happily dreaming, with what appeared to be pink stains on his scales. She chuckled a little on how he told her that getting a certain stain on his scales was difficult to remove.

She then went down her stairs, and into the kitchen. She saw on the table, a picnic basket. She trotted over to it and opened it up. She saw four hay sandwiches, two water bottles, some carrots, two apples, two paper plates and 'The Pinkie Pie'. She smiled at the display, and muttered to herself, "Thanks Spike." She then used her magic to pick up the picnic basket and head over to Sweet Apple Acres.

---

Big Mac was inside the house, sitting near the fire. He held out his hooves to get more warmth, since he had to walk on the cold ground. He was glad that he finished his chores early. A bit self confidence.

"Now let me go over the directions again." He said to himself. "I go past Sugercube Corner, then trot on by that boutique. Then I swing by Ponyville Hall. And I reach Twilight's Library."

He was about to go upstairs to look at something before he was about to leave, but there was a knock at the door. He was a bit curious on who would be up at this time of day. So, he went to go answer it. He then opened the door, and saw a unicorn. It was Twilight to be exact. He didn't think spending time with him so early would be a big deal he thought to himself.

"Hello Big Macintosh." Twilight greeted to him.

Big Mac was completely silent, still a bit surprised to see her. She was also carrying a picnic basket.

"I forgot to tell you where we were going to spend time together. So I got up early, and thought we could go for a picnic." She finished explaining.

He had a confused look on his face. Why would they go on a picnic? Especially early in the morning. This isn't what he had in mind on the day to hang out. He assumed they were going to just go for a walk. Or, do some activity. But a picnic? That seemed a bit rushed Big Mac thought to himself.

"I know it's too early to go for a picnic, but I didn't know what else to think on what we should do. I mean, the stuff I do normally would probably be boring to you." Twilight finished saying.

She did have a point. She heard plenty of stories from Applejack, on how she was always studying in her library with a book in front of her, not really caring about anything else.

"So wad'ya say?" she asked him while smiling.

There seemed to be some sort of squeak that came out of nowhere. He was back in surprise for a moment, but finally answered. "Eyup."

"Great! Shall we go?"

"Eyup."

---

They trotted back into Ponyville, both walking the same speed. It was a quiet walk, but that seemed to calm Big Mac most of the time. When they arrived, all the streets were empty. There was nopony in sight. That's what both of them assumed since it was still in the early evening of the day. They then headed over to Ponyville Park. Twilight was going to set up somewhere near the center. She set the basket down, and took the food out using her magic. She also used her magic to pull out a white and red tiled blanket to lay on, and set the food on top of it. Big Mac's mouth watered up when she pulled the food out. He forgot to eat something before he left. But he was going to eat now.

"Well, are you going to lye down and eat?" Twilight asked him.

He forgot that he was still standing up. She took out a paper plate for both of them, and set it down in front of them. Twilight then got out a hay sandwich, an apple, two carrots, and the water bottles. She set them down on his, and her own plate. They finally had all the food out. But something caught Big Mac's eye. He say a rather funky looking pie. He had a very confused look, and Twilight saw it.

"In case your wondering, my friend gave me that recipe for that Pie. It's called 'The Pinkie Pie'. It has mixtures of all various pies, combined in one." Twilight finished.

Big Mac was still looking at the pink dough.

"Also, I have no idea how, or even where she managed to make that dough pink. I'm just as confused as you are."

After that short explanation, they ate in silence. Not one of them saying a word. But Twilight saw that he was having difficult eating. Probably due to his hitch.

"Big Macintosh, why don't you take that thing off? It seems to be bothering you."

Big Mac then got a nervous look on his face. "Nope."

"Well, why not?"

He looked away at Twilight.

"Oh come on. I just want you to be more comfortable." she said with a bit of begging in her tone.

He kept looking away for awhile, but finally gave in. He reached around to the back of his neck, and started to take it off. It took him a while, but he finally did it. He held it up using one of his hooves, and then lowered it to show his strong neck. He did feel much better, but had a sad look in his face. Exactly to the left of his neck, was a huge scar. It completely horrified Twilight.

"Oh my goodness! What happened?" Twilight exclaimed.

Their was no use trying to get out o this one. He had to tell her.

"It all began back when I was just a small colt." he began, talking in a low deep voice. Twilight was surprised to hear Big Mac talking to her, but she was more interested in the story.

---

It was a stormy night on the farm, and it was raining hard. My Ma and Pa and myself where out in the apple orchard, bucking the apples trees. Applejack was just a kid, and Applebloom was just a little filly. They were both inside with Granny Smith watching em'. She was a bit younger back in the day.

We were behind schedule, so we had to work overtime. We spent at least all morning, and all night bucking apple trees. It felt like my legs were rubber the time we took a break. All of a sudden, I heard a loud growl. I looked to my left, and saw a pack of wild Timber Wolves. I could hear their growling in this rain. I couldn't just stand their and just let them come into our land and mess it up. So, I charged for the one in the middle, and kicked him with my back legs as hard as I could. The impact sent me down to the muddy ground. The one I bucked slowly came up to me, and lifted its sharp claws, and it hit me right on my neck. Surprisingly, it just about grazed me, but it sent me right into a tree.

I could feel the blood coming out of my neck, down to the ground below. The same one came up to me, and raised its claws again, and was going to finish me off. But then, I saw my Pa run into that Timber Wolf, and put him to the ground. My ma then kicked a Timber Wolf back into the group.

My pa then yelled out to me, "Big Macintosh, I want you to run back to the house, and barricade yourself, Granny Smith, and your sisters! Do you understand me?"

I finally got back to my feet and yelled back to him, "Eyup!"

"Now go! GO!"

I ran as fast as my legs could take me. I didn't even dare to look back. All I could hear, was loud yelling, and roaring. I finally made it back to the house, stumbling inside with blood dripping down my body.

"Oh sweet Celestia Big Macintosh! What happened to ya!" Granny Smith exclaimed to me.

"Ma and Pa told me to barricade ourselves." I replied back to her.

"Now why would we..." she was interrupted by loud a roar. She could recognized that roar anywhere. She put Applebloom down, who was crying, and started to help me put our furniture in front of our doorway.

We heard Applejack come down from her room. She probably heard Applebloom crying.

"Why in tarnation are ya'll putting the couch in front of the doorway?" she said with her cute accent.

She too, heard that loud roar.

"What was that?" she asked either one of us. But we ignored her. We didn't have time to chat.

After we put as much objects in front of the doorway, we shut the lights off, and bundled together. It was all quiet, and we stared to hear multiple foot steps. We could hear the Timber Wolves at the door scratching it and hitting it. It seemed the door was about to knock down. But luckily, we stared to see lights coming from the base of the door.

"Hey! Go on git you filthy animals!" one pony yelled to them.

"Get on outta here!" we heard another pony.

We heard the Timber Wolves steps getting farther away from the house, but we all still bundled up. It was all quiet again for quite a while. Then we heard a knock at the door.

"Hello? Is anyone in their?" somepony said on the other side of the door.

Granny Smith then got up, moved some furniture out of the way and answered the door. The pony was in shock to see us all inside the house.

"Oh, thank Celestia you all are okay!" he said to Granny Smith, and to us.

"Yes sir, we are okay." Granny Smith replied.

"I thought for sure that the those Timber Wolves got you."

"Well, what about my son, and his wife? Are they alright?" Granny Smith asked.

The man looked down at the ground with a very sad look on his face.

"I'm truly sorry ma'm, but I'm afraid that your son, and his wife didn't make it."

Granny Smith was in deep shock. She stood their letting tears running down her eyes. We could hear her just weeping right in front of us. I too, heard the man, and started crying myself. I looked over to Applejack, and she was crying too and she started to shake. I nudged near her, and wrapped my hooves around her to comfort her. I held her close to me, and she was letting her tears fall down her face, and on my coat, but it didn't bother me.

After a week or so, we finally had a funeral for both of them, and it was a difficult time for all of us. We stood at the graveyard with some family folks, and some of my parents friends. We all had a saddened look on our faces. We heard the priest saying some gibberish on heaven. He was also mentioning the last will of my parents.

"If the Apple Family could step forward please." he called out to everypony in the crowd.

We assumed it was us, so we got up, and got closer to their graves.

"For a Granny Smith, they leave you the owner of Sweet Apple Acres, and to look after their children: Macintosh Apple, Applejack Apple, and Applebloom Apple." he told Granny Smith.

"Also, for Applejack, the father leaves his hat, which it says, "I would like to give my lucky hat to my beautiful daughter, Applejack. Please treasure it like it was your own". And for Macintosh, a hitch left from the mother."

Applejack and I went and got the things we were given to, and we watched as our parents were slowly being lowered into the ground, to put at peace.

---

Big Mac felt the tears coming in his eyes. He started to full out cry right in front of Twilight. Twilight was speechless. She couldn't believe on what happened to his parents. She then got up, and sat next to him, and started to comfort him as best as she could.

"Big Macintosh, I am so sorry for your loss." Twilight said with a soft whisper.

Big Mac's tears didn't let up. He continued to let them fall down his face. He started to feel a little better after a while.

"Yer the first pony I ever told this to." he said to her.

She was surprised to hear that she was the first one he talked to her about this.

"Why didn't you tell anyone else?" Twilight asked.

"I don't normally go out on stuff like this. I'm just the plain old colt, who just works at a farm with no real friends." Big Mac said with anger in his tone.

"No your not," Twilight began, "Your the bravest colt I ever met. You protected your family from danger. You are the one help secure your family's safety."

"But I couldn't save my Ma or Pa."

"At least you saved Applejack and Applebloom."

Big Mac looked down, she was right. He did protect AJ and Applebloom. And even Granny Smith. He then looked back at her.

"Thank you Twilight."

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"Yeah, right."

They then, finished up their picnic, and started back into town.