Ponies always ask me: “Big Mac, how come you’re so quiet?” Well, sit yourself down and get comfy because I’m about to tell you why and it ain't a happy story, partner. It all started back when I was a colt; didn't even have my cutie mark then and Applejack was yet to be born. My ma and pa were still alive back then; they were a couple of hard working ponies. My pa was a big stallion, bigger than myself as a matter of fact. He was dark red with a large red apple cutie mark that always looked like it was hoof polished, and an orange mane and tail not unlike my own. His name was Jonathan Apple.
He and his brother Britemac Apple were the ones to start the apple orchard in Appaloosa, but when Britemac disappeared one night, never to return, that was when it was left up to my pa. Pa used to talk about him a lot; I think that’s where my name came from. Braeburn and I were two close friends as colts but he never really knew what happened to his pa Britemac and neither did I. I always made sure to cheer him up, though, so he didn’t think about it too much; I wouldn't want to either. It was our job now to help out at the apple orchard regardless of what happened. My pa told me: “Ponies come and go but apples are forever”. I still wonder if he was talking about fruit or about us honestly.
Then there was my ma, she was a sight for sore eyes any day. She was kind as can be but if you got her mad, woo pony, you better watch out. To some it seemed like my ma and pa together were quite an odd pair; he was a rugged pony and she was a dainty orange mare. Yep, you guessed it partner, she was an Orange, Valencia Orange to be exact. I might be tooting my own horn here but I dare say my ma was the prettiest mare in Appaloosa and nopony can tell me otherwise.
She worked as a singer in the saloon there, no doubt where the two originally met. Her coat was the purest color orange you ever did see. Her mane was like a part of the sun had come down to rest upon her head with a matching tail. She was the kind of mare a stallion would dream about, only for her not to be there when they awoke, but yet she was there for me and my pa. She wore some of the biggest dresses I ever did see, typically with a matching frilly hat with a feather on her head. My pa, on the other hoof, only ever wore a regular ole cowboy hat on his head; he was never fan of wearing clothing.
I always stood up for Braeburn; we were best friends after all and could talk all day about apples. I know it’s kind of hard to imagine me being talkative but I swear on my cutie mark that it’s the truth. I loved to just talk to my ma and pa about whatever was on my little mind then; I asked them about the sun and the moon and why the sun brings happiness and moon brings danger. They always told me that to spite her sister Princess Luna had created creatures that came out at night to hunt the ponies who basked in the sun.
We had a nice farm there in Appaloosa; wasn't much different from what we have now in Ponyville. Though, we always did have one big problem there, and that was timberwolves. They were a real pest to the ponies of Appaloosa and nopony was ever supposed to go out at night. You knew that if they didn’t come back, well then, they’re gone. I wished it didn't have to be that way but that’s how things were then.
Sure you could try to get a few ponies to form a search party and venture out to find them, but ponies knew you were lucky to come back with anypony left from it. That’s kind of the reason we even had livestock in the first place; pigs, sheep, cows and chickens. They weren't for us, they were for them and it was as simple as that. The daytime was the best time to do anything in Appaloosa; everypony knew to get up early and go to work and then get back to their home before night came.
It just became normal for us after a while really, the only trouble we would ever really have is when newborns were expected. As you might guess my ma was pregnant with Applejack for a little while, and then came the time for her to come. I helped my pa rush my ma to the doctor when she was in pain and my little sister was about to be born. My pa stood by my ma’s bedside putting his hoof on hers for support while the doctor gave her a wood bit to bite down on.
Granny Smith was quick to join us once she had heard the news that the new member of the Apple family was about to be born. Everypony waited patiently for my sister, including myself, but I had begun to notice the sun was setting and knew the worst was coming; the timberwolves. I nudged my pa with my hoof trying to warn him but they were all too focused on the baby about to be born. I watched nervously out of the window of the room we were in as the sun slowly sank, the light faded, the moon rose and I heard the howl of the timberwolves. It was then at that time that my sister Applejack was born, as if the wolves already knew she was coming and announced their presence.
The doctor spoke up: “It’s a girl, Mr. Apple, what will you name her?”
Without missing a beat my pa spoke confidently: “I’ll name her Applejack”.
We knew we didn't have much time left; another howl of the Timberwolves came and they were getting closer.
The doctor quickly ran to block the front the front to stall them and shouted: “Quickly! I'll distract them while you run out the back, take my carriage and run! Run as fast as you can!!”
My pa tipped his hat in response to the doctor and said: “Thanks, Jack”.
Dr. Jack smiled and waved us off. The five of us together made a run to the carriage where two drawing ponies were waiting to get us out of town and fast. Everypony jumped into the back of the carriage and I turned back to wave to the doctor. As soon as I raised my hoof to wave the door collapsed on top of him and Timberwolves were pouring through the house like a river bursting through a dam. My pa shouted “Heeyah!” and our carriage was off like thunder rolling away from the house.
My pa had moved to the front of the carriage to speak to the horses pulling us. “Take us to Ponyville and fast!”
The two horses nodded in response and kept up their gallop; the sounds of barking and howls slowly getting further away from our carriage. Everything seemed like it was going to be okay, we had made it away from the timberwolves. I was finally able to get a look at my new sister; I trotted up to her and my ma together in the carriage and saw my sister’s cute face. I smiled so wide as I looked at her; she was sound asleep. The noise hardly having any meaning to her at all as she slept like the newborn foal that she was.
Once it seemed like we were in the clear, that terrible howl of the timberwolves hit our ears again. My pa moved quickly towards the back of the carriage and squinted into the dark, and he knew what he saw. The glowing red eyes of a pack of timberwolves were after us and they were gaining steadily.
My pa tried to encourage the drawing ponies. “They're right on us again we need to go faster!” he shouted.
The two ponies were already struggling to keep their current speed with the five of us in the carriage. My pa looked desperately around the carriage, hoping there was something he could toss out to lose weight. I could tell by the look on his face that he realized there was nothing but the five of us together on that carriage. He trotted over to my mother and gave her a knowing look and she returned it to him.
I watched on, wondering what was happening then. “Ma? Pa?” I asked looking worried.
One of the timberwolves caught up with the carriage and jumped onto the edge of it grabbing my ma’s leg. She had been laying near the back of the carriage while holding Applejack. My pa and I had instinctively jumped out of the way of it but my ma couldn't move while holding my sister. Acting quickly she tossed Applejack to my pa who safely caught her as my mother was being drug out of the carriage.
I reached a hoof out as if I had a chance to try to save her: “Mama!” I shouted, tears starting to stream down my cheeks.
“Valencia!!” my pa shouted out in dismay after her. He moved quickly to give Applejack to Granny Smith and looked me dead in the eye with the most serious look I ever saw on my pa’s face. “Take care of your sister”. He took off his hat and put on my head giving it a gentle rub before he jumped off the carriage.
Granny Smith turned away with tears rolling down her cheeks. I clutched my pa’s hat in my hooves against my chest as I cried. “Mama...Papa...” I knew this was the last time I was going to see them but I also knew I had to look after my sister in their place. I watched sadly as our carriage was pulled away quickly from the growing pile of timberwolves that had jumped on my parents.
Our carriage was able to speed up after that and we quickly got away from the pack again as they vanished from sight. Granny Smith spoke up. “Are they gone sugarcube?” she asked, wiping away her tears.
I turned to look at her, wiping my own tears from my face with my foreleg and managed to utter a sad: “Eeyup…”
Granny Smith looked solemnly at me before speaking again. “Think we’ll ever see them again?” she asked.
I shook my head sadly, my eyes still red and tear-filled: “Nope...”
I took my pa’s hat and went to see my little sister Applejack again, hoping her face might cheer me up. She opened her eyes slowly and looked at me; thats when I saw how much she looked like Ma. I couldn't help but smile widely at her even if I was still teary-eyed. As I looked up ahead of us I saw the sun rising again; it had been a long night. I saw Ponyville in the distance, like it was coming up with the sun, and I knew that this would be our new home. I knew that someday Applejack would probably ask about what happened to Ma and Pa. I told her what Pa had always told me: “Ponies come and go, but apples are forever”.