//------------------------------//
// Chapter Nineteen 
// Story: The Nature of Nurture 
// by lola2901 
//------------------------------//

        Brio coos cheerily as he bounces in his carrier, already repurposed by Rarity for his new little baby feet. I swear, that girl could wrestle a manticore into a suit and a tie and make him look like the spit of the town.
I feel full of energy as I buck the orchards, hurrying to finish up any stragglers of the harvest before the winter months pull in. The sun is warm on my face, the birds are singing, and the smell of cinnamon applesauce hangs in the air, blown from the house by a gentle breeze.
Everything’s going right. My little guppy’s growing like a weed, Apple Bloom doesn’t have to obsess over her cutie mark no more, and tomorrow I’ll meet up with Twilight for lunch. Pinkie’s even invited us to spend Hearth’s Warming with her family.
“We’re going to need to make you a Hearth’s Warming doll, guppy,” I mention, casting a smile.
My thoughts are interrupted by a distant grunt, followed by a wooden thud. After a pause, the sound comes again, the pattern jumbled and unsteadies. Pausing, I glance at Brio, who looks up at me with confused curiosity. “Ehbebadegah?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I tell him, turning towards the sound. I’ve gotten in the rather strange habit of pretending I have the slightest clue what his burbling means. “Let’s go check it out, hm?”
Turning towards the strange sound, I set out between the rows of trees, following it down a short hill, past the clubhouse, and into one of the small clearings, set deep in the back of the orchard. Pausing, I peer around the edge of a tree, shifting so Brio can peek too.
To my surprise, old Charlie the scarecrow’s there, even though he’s been missing for months now. Big Mac’s there as well, holding a long narrow branch in his teeth. He slices it through the air, smacking it against Charlie with a loud whack. His fur is damp with sweat as he attacks the poor scarecrow, swinging his stick like a blade.
“Big Macintosh, what in tarnation are you up to?” I ask loudly, stepping out from behind the tree. “What in the world did poor Charlie do to you? And I thought you said you didn’t know where he was?”
He drops the stick in surprise, pausing. He hesitates a moment, then bends his head, glancing away. “...S’ a long story,” he muttered shamefacedly.
“I’ve got time,” I say seriously, sitting down. “Now spill. You’ve been acting might odd for months now and I want to know why. No getting out of it.”
Mac pauses, looking at me hesitantly. He can’t get out of this one with just a yup or nope. He’s got some explaining to do, and I’m holding him to it, goshdarnit. He takes a deep breath before speaking. “I been training. I want t’ join the royal guard.”
I pause, blinking. “Whoa, whoa, hold up a second their big brother. You want to be a guard? In Canterlot?”
“Eeyup,” he says, shuffling his hooves as he looks away, rocking back and forth uncomfortably.
“Since when? And why? Why in tarnation, why?” I ask, shaking my head in disbelief. He’s kidding, isn’t he? But no, I recognize the way his ears have gone flat, that way they always do when he’s ashamed.
“For ‘round bout a year now,” he admits, picking a book he’d left out and tossing it to the ground in front of me. It’s a book of drills and regulations for the guard, and to my surprise, I recognize it. I’ve seen him reading it before, once or twice, and he was always in a hurry to tuck it away when I came around.
“In the past year we been attacked by monster weeds, Nightmare Moon, a chaos god, timberwolves, parasprites, an ursa minor and Celestia knows what else. Each time it was you and yer friends who saved the town. The guards were useless,” Mac said, grimacing. “They can’t even protect the princesses. I want to change things. I want to be a guard who gets things back on track. I want to protect Equestria so I don’t have to worry ‘bout my family gettin’ hurt.”
“But we need you here Big Mac,” I insist, still barely able to believe what he’s saying. “You’re doing a great job of protecting us all already! You don’t need to run off to Canterlot to do that!”
He looks away uncomfortably, clearing his throat. “My mind’s made up. Today I’m mailing my enlistment in,” he says firmly.
“You can’t do that, you’re being ridiculous,” I insist, certain I can talk this craziness out of him. “Just put all this foolish stuff away so we can take the last bushels back to the farm, come on.”
He stares at me for a while, then lets out a sigh, head hanging. “Nope,” he says calmly.
“Big Mac, consarnit! Stop being so dust headed! Your family is safe and we need you here! Listen to me!” I say, stamping my hoof for
emphasis.
“Nope,” he repeats, solemnly, straightening. His shoulders set, and he stares down at me, standing tall. I know that expression. I may be stubborn, but when Big Mac get’s himself set on something, there’s no changing his mind.
“At least think about staying!” I say, biting my lip. “Without you on the farm, we’d need to get hired help! Who’ll take care of Granny? And what about Apple Bloom? It’ll break her heart if you leave! I can’t handle the whole orchard myself, not while taking care of Brio! You have to stay!”
“Nope,” he says for the third time, this time firmly, his stance set. He’s determined, and as bullheaded as they come. But he needs to listen. He can’t just leave.
“But we need you here,” I argue. It feels weak, like a leaf trying to block a river’s path. “Even if you do mail it today, they won’t write back for at least a month! Are you sure you want to go?”
He pauses, then closes the space between us, closing me and Brio both into a warm gentle hug. Carefully, he pulls away, looking me in the eyes, and nodding. “Eeyup. This is what I choose, Apple Jack.”
I lean back into him, just disappear for a while in my big brother’s hug. His hooves are soft, and I can hear his heart beating in his chest, as gentle as the rest of him. I don’t want him to leave. I want him to stay here and keep us safe, help me keep my life in check, be my voice of reason. I know he’ll be the greatest royal guard there ever was, and I hate it. I hate that he wants this, and hate that he’ll be good at it.
But more than anything, I hate that he’s leaving us.
“Please Big Mac,” I whisper into his side. He lifts a hoof, gently wiping away the tears on my face. “Please don’t you leave me too.” He doesn’t say anything back, because anything he could say to comfort me now would be a lie.
I don’t know how long we sit there, but when we finally pull apart, it’s cool out, with a biting wind, and the sun is on it’s way down. Big Mac gathers up his things, turning to head into Ponyville and mail in his letter. He pauses, leaning into nuzzle me affectionately.
“You’re gonna do great takin’ care of everyone,” he tells me as he pulls away. “I know it. You’re a good mare, Apple Jack.” With those words, he heads off. Watching him leave, it feels like he’s headed for Canterlot already. I want to believe they’ll reject his enlistment, or the letter will get lost in the mail, but I can’t. Things are going to work out for him and I can tell.
My family’s falling apart around me.