Mighty McIntosh - Origins

by Zee The Freeman

Earth

The dust fell. Granny and the Crusaders shared empty stares. She pulled herself from under the table, limbs creaking while she looked around. Applebloom poked her head out, watching her grandma with concern.

"Are we safe, Granny?" She peeped, the other two crowded behind her. A short time of examination brought only a shrug to answer.

"I don't know, child."

"Where's Big Mac?" Granny didn't answer while she looked out the back window. She stood motionless, staring outside. "Granny?" She crawled out from under the table, and looked outward. Plumes of smoke arouse from a charred massive sphere that interrupted the land. Entirely, it stood still as a stone. Embers glowed in the moon's shadow upon it.

A tear formed in Granny's eye, and she spoke somberly, "I reckon we don't wanna know."

"Whatcha mean by that?" Applebloom asked, worry crawling along her spine. They stared at the giant ashen sphere, it erupted from the hill. Several minutes passed, neither the ponies nor the sphere showed signs of movement.

Scootaloo fidgeted, and pulled herself up from under the table. She left Sweetie underneath, still clammed up in shock. "Let's go find out. I'm tired of being stuck in here." Scootaloo stated, and grabbed hold of the door. She swung it open, swiped the lantern, and relit it. The darkness outside evaded her as she went about the charred grass. Light from the lantern illuminated part of the house as she trekked to the giant sphere. The siding barely clung to the house, most of it scorched or burned. "How did this house even stay together?" She wondered aloud, continuing along. Looking back, only night stared back. No others dared follow her. She caught a glimpse of them staring at her as she approached the giant ember.

Chunks crumbled off as she prodded at it. More chipped away on its own, falling to reveal an image. Scootaloo dusted it off as well as she could, it appeared to be Big Mac's cutie mark. The apple pulsed slowly, the whole sphere seemed to breathe with it. It mimicked a heartbeat, thumping against the ground with each pulse. Each pulse brought the symbol out further, reaching towards her. In curiosity, she pushed the mark inward. Instantly it gleamed bright green, and became extremely hot. Scootaloo winced, pulling herself away from it. It rocked side to side as more chunks fell from the mark.

A hoof broke through the dark material. The rest fell to the ground, erupting more clouds of dust and smoke. She shut her eyes, coughing as smoke invaded her lungs. She felt something touch her shoulder, instinctively she squirmed away.

"I ain't gonna hurt you, Scoot." A deep comforting voice reassured her. "I'm just as confused as you." Before her stood Big Mac, untouched by the inferno. He looked more fit than earlier, as if a weight had lifted from him. She gave him a crooked look, he raised an eyebrow. Motioning towards him, he looked down. He was without his lifelong collar. His eyes widened, "I forgot what most of my neck looked like." He paced about the area, casually stretching. "Haven't felt this good in years!" Excitedly he reared, kicking his front hooves into the air. He slammed the ground coming down. It rumbled the earth, shook the farm, and craggy rocks sprouted out in a line in front of him. "What in Equestria?!" He shouted, backing away from the newly formed earth.

"Scootaloo, get inside! Earthquakes are-" Applebloom called as she dashed towards her compatriot.

She stopped the rabid filly, "Look over there. See? Big Mac's fine!"

"Eeyup." He wearily added, cautiously examining the rocks from a short distance.

"Then what in Nightmare Moon is that?" Applebloom asked, pointing to the craggy line.

"Good question." Big Mac replied.

"Mac, did you do that?" Granny inquired, she investigated the fillies' absence; Sweetie Belle followed quickly behind. Big Mac approached the rocks, and tapped them with his hoof. They quickly retracted into the earth, sealing itself without a trace. Everyone watched in shock as the patriarch of Sweet Apple Acres flung boulders over the field he plowed earlier that day.

"Big Mac, can you stop that?" Sweetie Belle trembled. He paused, and dropped the last boulder back into the earth wound. It quickly sealed without a trace. "I didn't think that thing we found-" She trailed off, eyes fixated on Big Mac.

"THE SENTINEL HAS BEEN CHOSEN." A booming voice echoed across the landscape, catching everyone in the farm by surprise.

"Are they-" Big Mac said. He was cut off from creatures that arose from the depths beneath him. They held the shape of ponies, a few mares and a stallion stood stiffly. Stones made up the stallion's hooves, dirt his coat. The mares shared these traits, differing only in their long flowing manes and tails of fine grasses. The stallion wore a small patch of mushrooms upon his head, his tail a bundle of thick vines. Their prideful stance kept as the stallion spoke.

"You have activated our sigil. Yet, the ritual did not take place where we may have properly greeted you." He glanced at Applebloom, "You appear familiar. Were you the one who disturbed the sigil's proper resting place?"

She froze at his question, the other crusaders gathered sheepishly about her. "It looked really interesting, we only wanted to know what it was." Sweetie Belle explained, still worried yet in control.

"You could've asked us, young ones. We watched you as you did so."

"You WHAT?!"

"Sweetie's right, That is pretty creepy." Scootaloo agreed, shivering slightly.

"We stood in plain sight."

"You're not the most noticeable. Being made of dirt and such." Applebloom pointed out, the stallion pondered her words for a moment.

"So you do not possess visual prowess as we do. Exile does erode the mind of common information."

"Exile? Where were-"

"It matters not, but know I have been gone for many moons. We, however, have not."

"And who are 'we'?" Big Mac asked.

"We are the Earth Ponies."

"Umm, nope. We're earth ponies."

"Besides the horned and winged ones, you are correct. But we are Earth Ponies of a different sort. We are a subsect of the Elemental Ponies.

"Elemental Ponies?"

"We are responsible for the creation of the world as it was and is today. The Earth Ponies forged the stone and soil, and shaped it to what we now stand on. The Water Ponies filled the valleys and crevices with water, creating oceans, rivers, and lakes. The Air Ponies breathed the life-sustaining atmosphere onto the world, and created the clouds with the help of The Water Ponies. The Magic Ponies made likeness of each type, Earth with their bodies strong as stone, and Air swift as the wind. They made the last type in their own visage, leaving The Water Ponies un-honored. From these visages, they breathed life into them, creating earth ponies, unicorn, and pegasi. This is where your definition of 'earth pony' originates. But now you have tapped into your basal element." He faced Big Mac, "You may now control the earth as we do, though you may only push yourself so far. You are bound by your physical form. You may call me Terrac."

"I'm Big McIntosh, though most everypony calls me Big Mac." He extended a hoof, Terrac looked at it curiously.

"If you wish to unlock and hone your true power, meet us within the shrine within the Everfree Forest. It has been an honor, Earth Kin." Terrac and his group phased into the ground, leaving behind a cleansing spot where they each stood. These spots spread across the farm, healing the burnt grass, trees, and crops. The ashen sphere absorbed into the earth, leaving the hill untouched from its previous shape. The house and barn maintained its burnt sidings and structure.

"Dangnabbit, I was hoping that weirdo magic woulda fixed those up," Granny said, disappointed, "Well, we better get to work fixing the barn up. Again. Why's this thing always get all mangled?" She started up towards the barn, motioning for others to come with. Sweetie and Scootaloo followed, leaving brother and sister staring at one another.

"Well, I guess this means we're gonna have to go into the Everfree Forest?" Applebloom said, breaking their lingering silence.

"Eeyup."

Author's Note:

At long last, I have put out another chapter. Sorry about the wait, either way, I hope everyone enjoys it!

Comments

[Vailen]

Twilight is going to freak out when she hears about this and I can't wait to find out what Applejacks reaction is going to be.