Twilight discovers a book about the history of the Apple family, but it's missing some information. While it tells all about Granny Smith's life, there's no mention of a husband or any children. Twilight goes to Sweet Apple Acres to fill in the gaps and gets a lesson about what it means to be a family.

Applebloom follows Big Macintosh into the orchards in the evening to find out what he does when he is alone.

Big Mac is not the most outspoken pony in Ponyville. In fact, he rarely speaks at all. All he seems to do is just work on his family's farm day in and day out. Nothing else but his orchards and family seem to matter to him.

Little does anypony know, he is fulfilling the final wish of his departed mother.

To be a simple pony.

When a tragic event befalls Applejack, she takes drastic measures in an effort to prevent it. But can a simple farm pony make a difference in the face of an inevitable end?

A story about the sacrifices we aren't willing to make, and those that we are.

- Edited, attacked, and generally made better by Exuno.

Featured on EqD, rated Star-5.

Big Macintosh reflects on a day long in the past and a path he lacked the conviction to follow. A heavy price must sometimes be paid for the path one walks.

Featured on Equestria Daily.
Followup story here.

After Big Macintosh helps the Mane Six out of a jam, he finds his ordinary life of
peaceful routine thoroughly disrupted by the various misadventures those crazy
ponies always seem to get themselves into.

Artwork provided by the talented Zemious

Windfall takes place seven years after FiM's main timeline. The Elements of Harmony have gone their separate ways, but are still close, and all the girls come running to be there on the eve of Fluttershy bringing her first foal with Big Macintosh into the world.

If you enjoyed this story and this fanfiction future extrapolation, please consider reading the sequel Earth & Sky

Cloudchaser and Big Macintosh have been going out for a while now.
So when Applebloom mentions hearing weird noises coming from his room, Cloudchaser investigates...

The challenge? Daunting. The reward? Worthy. Failure? Not an option. For Big Macintosh has accepted the bet, and thus begins A Ballad of Eeyup and Nope - in which he isn't allowed to say either.

This is the emotional tale of Bramley Apple, the father of Big Macintosh, Applejack, and Applebloom. He has returned to make amends with his family he abandoned over ten years ago. However, the sudden appearance comes to a total shock to the eldest sibling as he is resentful and determined not to accept his father's unexpected visit.

~ Kudos to Blaster Master for his assistance with the proofreading!