Little Mac was a dreamer. He hadn’t always known exactly what path his destiny would take, but he was pretty sure it wasn't to spend his whole life mucking stalls in his family's barn. He could hardly lift half the farm tools with his skinny limbs, anyway. That is, on the rare occurrence that he was spotted actually doing his chores for once, instead of reading the latest fantasy novel he had borrowed from Golden Oak. It was almost a daily ritual for Pa to find Little Mac hidden away somewhere reading and lecture him about getting his head out of the books and back to the land where it belonged.
Mac could still hear his Pa’s words, “Runnin' this here farm is a family affair, Little Mac! School is for reading, home is for working.” Then Little Mac, his small rebellion quashed, would return to feeding the chickens, or shearing the sheep, or whatever other mindless work needed doing. The only ray of hope he held onto from this humdrum existence was that, despite working the farm for his whole life, he still hadn’t received his cutie mark. The light teasing he received from his classmates on the subject didn't bother him in the slightest. The flank that others saw as merely blank, he saw as open; open to a boundless number of non-farm related opportunities.
His revelation had come when his eighth grade class had its field trip to the PonCo. head office, to see how big business contributed to the Equestrian economy. He remembered growing bored and breaking away from the group to explore alone. He remembered seeing a well dressed and confident business pony striding away from a conference room with a cocky smirk tugging at his lips. He remembered the roaring laughter of enamoured investors and board members, muffled slightly by the thick glass door as it swung shut.
“Hahahaha; oh, keep your eye on that boy! … Plot-head! Bwahahahaha!”
Noticing his pint-sized observer as he strode over to the exit, the business pony had stopped and given a wink, saying “That’s how it’s done in this world kid; buy when everypony else is selling, always have the most expensive suit in the room, and always always leave the rich guys wanting more.”
Mac had been speechless. The pony in front of him was cool, calm, and the center of everyone's attention. From the cut of his clothes to the deliberate and confident way he spoke, everything screamed … Success. Excitement. Importance. Things he had never felt working the farm with Pa.
After what seemed like an hour, but was really just a few seconds, Big Mac was just able to squeak out, “I want that more than anything!”
Cocky grin spreading into an honest smile, the young business pony rested a hoof on the colt’s shoulder. “Well you're off to a good start then kid,” he said, “cause you know what they call Neigh York City, doncha?”
Little Macintosh shook his head.
“They call it ‘The Big Apple’,” he said, nodding towards Little Mac’s flank. Throwing over one more casual smile, he made his way toward the exit, a trio of fawning personal assistants falling in tow behind him.
Mac finally shook free of his amazement and looked back to find the large green apple of his newly formed cutie mark. “The Big Apple,” he whispered. Little Macintosh felt a smile of his own grow on his lips as his imagination had taken off.
The business pony paused for a moment as he reached the elevator and, as an afterthought, he turned his head and called back, “hey, why don't you look me up when you set up shop here, kid. Name’s Venture Capital.”
As soon as he had returned home he had started making his plans. He re-selected all his courses for his first year at Ponyville high (just in time before the submission deadline). He took his meager life savings and went to Ponyville's only clothing store, walking out with a sharp looking, albeit cheaply made, suit. He returned all the novels he had checked out from the Golden Oak and cleared out their business section.
Most excitedly, Mac had even managed to take on a seasonal part time job with Filthy Rich, helping him with the selling side of the Zap Apple Jam when it was harvest time. Little Mac had proven an eager learner and a gifted salesman. Filthy seemed to enjoy taking the young colt under his wing, explaining the business side of how his farm and the rest of Ponyville worked. Mac had relished in every moment of his tutelage through those early years, though Filthy would always shy away from the topic of taking Mac on full time after he finished school. He had never said why, but Mac had a frustrating certainty that his Pa had something to do with it. Mac had guessed, correctly as it turned out, that as much as Filthy enjoyed showing Mac the world of business, and in fact benefited from his youthful insight on these matters, he would never jeopardize the professional relationship he had with the Apple Family by taking him on without their blessing.
He remembered the day, during an otherwise unremarkable family dinner, when he finally built up his nerve and told his Ma and Pa, head held high, that he was going to follow his dreams and leave home to make it in the big city.
Their reaction was not as positive as he had hoped.
His announcement was first met with several moments of stunned silence. Little Mac had shifted uncomfortably in his seat, awkward under his parents surprised and, in the case of Pa, dismayed looks. The moment stretched until finally it was little AJ who had spoke up, young face scrunched in innocent confusion, “does this mean that Little Mac is gonna be like one of those ponies from the bank who always tell us we havta work harder, Pa? Cause Ah don’t like those ponies.”
“None of us do Applejack, now eat your dinner.”
“Now that’ll be enough, from both of you!” Ma had spoken up, recovering from the shock of her son’s announcement. “Applejack, your brother has the right to make his own way, just like we all do,” Ma had sent a pointed look at Pa despite addressing his sister. “If this is what he really wants … well, we will find a way to make it work.”
The rest of the dinner was finished in relative silence, with Pa sporadically muttering to himself about hiring new farmhands and how they were going to afford it. Guilt and anger swirled together within Little Mac’s breast at his father's reaction. Didn’t Pa get to choose his destiny? Just because he liked to spend his time plowing dirt didn’t mean that Mac had to spend his life doing the same. It’s not his fault he wasn’t built to be a farm pony. Looking up from his slim frame, he caught the worried but reassuring gaze of his Ma from across the table. Ma hadn’t said a word, but reached over and placed her hoof lightly on his. A small smile crept on Mac’s face and he stole another quick glance of the big apple on his flank. It will all work out for the best, he had thought, it’s my destiny.
Years passed, and Mac had grown into a young stallion. Newly graduated from Ponyville High, his spirits and ambitions were at an all time high. He had been accepted into the Neigh York City internship program a week before his final exams. It was unusually early for such a thing; ponies normally had to take a year or two of prep courses before a big corporation such as Venture Inc. would even consider showing any interest.
Mac, however, had never once doubted that his application would be accepted. It was his destiny after all. Plus he had a glowing reference in the form of his old mentor Filthy Rich. Nothing would stand in his way.
Mac smiled as he remembered the ironclad conviction he once had in his youth.
His send away was bittersweet. Ma, Pa, Little AJ, and the newly arrived Granny Smith who had moved in to help out around the house in his absence, all stood at the farm’s threshold as they wished Mac, (Big Mac now, as he had more than filled out the spindly frame he had as a colt), a tearful goodbye. Even Pa, who had never made a secret of the fact he hadn’t approved of Mac leaving the farm, hugged his son and told him to stay safe and send a letter if he needed anything. Mac’s eyes watered as he remembered how his Pa had removed the cowpony hat he had worn since before Mac could remember and placed on his son’s head, with the words “Ah know we haven’t gotten along these last few moons Mac, but if you ever get confused or worried, or you just don’t know what to do … well, I’m here for ya boy. No questions asked.”
One final embrace and Mac climbed into the taxi wagon that would take him to the train station. So excited to start his new future as Equestria’s newest business mogul that he forgot to cast another backward glance to his waiving kin as he rode away.