Stallions of Equestria: Adam's Apple

by mr lovecolt

Got The Music In You

Chapter Eleven: Got The Music In You

Big Macintosh sighed as he finished setting the table for breakfast, making sure to include two extra spaces. Applejack stood to the side of the oven holding a spoon and stirring the pot of applesauce while Granny Smith bent down to retrieve the muffins from the oven. As the stallion’s gaze moved between the two extra settings, both Applejack and Granny Smith took notice, though when Applejack moved to speak, Granny Smith simply shook her head slightly. Applejack nodded and continued with her stirring.

A gust of wind blew through the open window, filling the room with the aroma of flowers from the nearby garden patch. Big Macintosh lumbered through the kitchen and glanced out at the orchards, his attention quickly turning to the front gate. The stairs squeaked, and the three turned towards the staircase just as Apple Bloom reached the landing and made her way into the kitchen.

“Mornin’,” Apple Bloom yawned as she trudged through the room and wrapped a foreleg around Applejack’s leg in a tight hug.

“Mornin’ sugarcube,” Applejack replied after letting go of the spoon.

“It’s Sunday, is Uncle Adam still comin’ by for breakfast?” she asked as she placed a hoof on the nearby calendar.

“Sure is,” Applejack answered.

“He’s comin’ with Miss Rarity,” Granny Smith added as she pulled the muffins out of the oven. “Like two peas in a pod, I swear one can’t go nowhere without the other.”

Apple Bloom made her way to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of milk. Before she closed it, she saw her distorted reflection in a metal bowl.

“Is Uncle Adam… all right after what happened?” she asked.

Applejack turned to Big Macintosh, who was still staring out the window. She sighed and let go of the spoon once more.

“Uncle Adam’s fine, Apple Bloom,” she said. “And don’t you go sayin’ nothin’ ‘bout his stitches.”

“Your pa once got into a fight with a timberwolf ‘bout the time Applejack was born,” Granny Smith mused. “Got scars up the side his muzzle.” She waited for a moment and then began to chuckle. “Melba used to say it made him look rugged.”

“Don’t wanna burst no bubbles, Granny, but Adam ain’t the kinda colt to be described as rugged.”

Applejack took to her stirring, adding a sprig of mint leaves to the applesauce. Granny Smith tapped the muffin tray on the side of the stove before turning them over into a bowl. Big Macintosh’s eyes narrowed, and a few moments later, he made his way to the front door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him. Apple Bloom set the milk on the table just as Granny Smith placed the bowl of muffins down next to it. She glanced at the door for a moment before turning to the elderly mare.

“Mac cares ‘bout Adam, don’t he?” Apple Bloom asked.

Applejack froze in place. Her eyes widened and her ears instinctively perked towards her little sister. She waited for Granny Smith’s response.

“Eeyup,” Granny smith replied without batting an eye. “Then again, he always cared ‘bout those smaller than him.”

“But everypony’s smaller than Mac.”

“Exactly.”

Applejack took a deep breath and smiled. As she thought about everything that had happened, however, the smile faded and she picked up the pot, pouring its contents into another bowl before setting it on the table. As she looked over the completed table setting, she stopped when she reached the place settings Big Macintosh had made for Adam. Her lip quivered when she realized that he had positioned himself so that only he would see Adam’s scars.

“Hey, what’s this box of music doin’ here?”

Applejack turned and saw Apple Bloom flipping through the box of sheet music that Amy had left behind.

“Mac’s thinkin’ of keepin’ it,” she replied. “Gonna take it out to the barn so the Pony Tones can practice some human songs.”

“I ain’t heard ‘em sing in a while,” Apple Bloom said.

“He’ll sing,” Granny Smith replied. “Once his heart gets back in it.”

Big Macintosh looked around for Adam, but when he didn’t see any trace of the human, he turned towards the corner of the porch.

“Ain’t Adam comin’?” Big Macintosh asked after closing the front door.

Rarity stood at the corner of the porch, her horn’s light fading after just completing her teleportation spell. She shook her mane out and smiled at the stallion. Big Macintosh noticed there was something different about Rarity, but it wasn’t until she reached up to her muzzle that he realized what it was.

“You wearin’ your glasses?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Yes,” Rarity replied with a soft sigh.

“Looks nice on you.”

Rarity blushed and turned away. Another breeze blew by, ruffling both ponies’ manes. As if on cue, they both turned towards the front gate, expecting the human to appear atop the hill.

“To answer your question, he is coming,” Rarity replied. “He just… requested to walk here alone. He said that he felt like thinking.”

“Wanna come inside?” Big Macintosh asked.

“I think I shall wait outside until he arrives,” Rarity replied as she took a seat on a nearby rocking chair. “I waited a while before coming here, so he shouldn’t be too far away.” She tapped the rocking chair next to her. “Care to join me?”

Big Macintosh hesitated for a moment. “Eeyup,” he finally replied.

The two sat together for a few moments, their gazes never leaving front gate on the distant hill. Finally, Rarity leaned in towards Big Macintosh.

“Adam and Mister Pierce won’t be seeing each other anymore.” She waited for the stallion to turn to her before continuing. “There was an incident at Safety Pens. Apparently, one of the foals saw Adam and got scared. From what he described, Mister Pierce leaped into the room with a defense spell ready to go.”

Big Macintosh’s eyes narrowed. He heard the sound of wood splintering next to him.

“And that’s when Pokey… broke things off?” He asked, his voice dark.

“On the contrary, Mister Macintosh,” Rarity said with a smirk. “It was Adam who broke things off with Mister Pierce. And wouldn’t you know the last thing Adam said to him was nothing other than, and I quote, ‘I hope you can one day see me for who I am, and not what I am.’”

Big Macintosh felt his grip loosen on the hoof rest of the rocking chair. When he looked down, he noticed that his hoof had left an indentation in the wood. He peered back up at the front gate just as Adam appeared. As Adam approached, Big Macintosh couldn’t help but notice that Adam’s gaze slowly turned to the left, as though there were something interesting in the barn. It wasn’t until Adam was near the front porch that the stallion realized why he kept turning his head. Just like when he was in the hospital, he thought.

“How was your walk, Mister Garnet?” Rarity asked as she leaned forward.

“It was… peaceful,” Adam replied, still looking off to the side. “Good morning, Mister Macintosh.”

Before Big Macintosh could say anything, Adam closed his eyes and sniffed the air.

“Breakfast certainly smells good,” he continued.

“Wanna come in?” Big Macintosh asked.

Adam’s gaze danced between Big Macintosh, Rarity, and the door. The stallion could tell that a lot of thoughts were running through his head at the moment. Finally, Adam took a deep breath and then smiled as he made his way up the steps. Adam tried to keep his gaze straight at the door, but Big Macintosh could tell that he was looking at him from the corner of his eye, waiting to see if the stallion would stare at him. Big Macintosh simply smiled at Adam and waved him into the house. Once the door had opened and shut, Rarity turned to Big Macintosh. They both perked their ears towards the door and leaned in to make sure Adam wasn’t eavesdropping.

“You noticed he does that, too?” Rarity asked.

Big Macintosh nodded. “Did it the night ‘fore he came,” he replied.

“Honestly,” Rarity said with a huff. “I can’t imagine where he learned such behavior.”

Big Macintosh tried to stop both his lip from quivering and his eye from twitching at the same time. “Can’t imagine,” he finally replied.

The two stared out into the orchard. The wind blew through the trees and a hissing sound rose through the air as the leaves brushed against one another. Big Macintosh looked out at the old tree in the distance that Amy always talked about when she spoke of Golden Delicious.

“Adam has become somewhat distant over the past two days, ever since…” her voice trailed off.

Big Macintosh closed his eyes and shook his head. Next time I see Pokey, he thought to himself.

“I do not wish to sound melodramatic,” Rarity continued, ignoring the stallion’s scoff. “But there is something about how he is handling the situation that just seems as though he has simply given up on even trying.” Rarity placed a hoof on Big Macintosh’s foreleg. “I’m simply telling you this because—” She paused as she tried to find the right way to say what she wanted to say. “I have no way to predict how he would react if you were to… you know.”

“Eeyup.”

The front door burst open and Granny Smith charged outside.

“Breakfast’s been ready for a while. Y’all best not be gossipin’ on my front porch now,” Granny Smith shouted. She made her way back in, stopping at the threshold. “Least, not without me.”

Rarity and Big Macintosh smiled at one another before getting out of their chairs and heading inside. Rarity stopped for a moment.

“You know, we don’t have any orders to get started on until tomorrow,” Rarity said. “Perhaps Mister Garnet and I can make this visit an all day affair? Maybe he would enjoy some of the setting.”

“Eeyup.”

Big Macintosh held the screen door open. As the family settled into the kitchen, he saw that Adam and Granny Smith were already seated. Apple Bloom hopped up into her chair. The moment Big Macintosh sat down, however, he noticed out of the corner of his eye that Adam’s face was beginning to turn red. He saw Adam’s face turn away slightly, as though trying to find a way to hide the scars. But then he saw Adam’s gaze linger over Big Macintosh’s features. The stallion noticed Adam’s shoulders loosen when the human realized that Big Macintosh took no notice of his face.

“To family,” Applejack said as she raised a glass of milk.

“Here, here,” Rarity replied as she levitated her own glass.

The others raised their glasses. Big Macintosh smiled as they started eating.

Adam set his plate in the sink and reached out for the dish cloth. A hoof immediately reached out and smacked his hand.

“Ow,” Adam gasped.

“Oh no you don’t,” Granny Smith said as her eyes narrowed. “You ain’t gonna be doin’ the dishes.” She gently shoved him aside and began to run the water.

“I would like to do something to thank you for breakfast,” Adam replied.

“You need to eat more,” Granny Smith added as she poked Adam’s side. “If’n you turn sideways, you’d disappear.” She shook her head. “Didn’t learn eatin’ like that livin’ with Miss Rarity. That mare knows how to keep a healthy appetite.”

Adam tried not to laugh when he saw Rarity and Applejack standing behind Granny Smith. Rarity’s eyes widened and twitched. Applejack’s hoof shot up to her muzzle to stop herself from breaking into a laughing fit.

“If you wanna help, then go upstairs and finish packin’ Amy’s things,” Granny Smith said.

Adam nodded and headed for the stairs. Rarity snapped out of her state of shock and turned to him.

“Adam, darling,” she said. “I’m going to be spending the day catching up with Applejack. Let’s stay and make a day of it here. I know you didn’t get an opportunity to see the orchards while you were here.” She pointed to Big Macintosh, who immediately turned to the refrigerator door, opened it, and stuck his head inside. “I’m sure Mister Macintosh would be more than happy to give you a tour.”

“Maybe I could show off the clubhouse!” Apple Bloom shouted.

“You got homework to do, missy,” Applejack said. “‘Sides, I’m sure Big Mac can handle Adam on his own.”

“…Eeyup,” the stallion replied from behind the door.

“Well then, I’ll just go ahead and get started on Amy’s things,” Adam said as he started to ascend the stairs.

The smile on Adam’s face fell with each step he took. As he made his way down the hallway, he stopped at each picture, where he noticed a brand new one that had been hung. It was a picture of Amy and Golden Delicious standing in front of the apple tree where they had first kissed. Technically, Amy was kneeling beside the stallion so that she was at eye level with him. Miss you, Adam thought as his hand came to rest on the frame. He continued to stare at the picture, taking in just how happy the couple looked. His focus shifted, however, and instead of seeing the photograph, he saw hints of his reflection on the glass. What do you think Golden Delicious would do if this happened to you? he asked himself as he turned away from the photograph and headed for Amy’s room.

Adam looked around and immediately reached for the bookshelf. Just some more clothes and these books and that should be it. The diary fell to the floor and lay open on a page near the end that contained only a handful of sentences.

It’s so weird to see Gee Dee just as Gee Dee, and not even see him as a stallion.

Adam grimaced and reached down, closing the diary angrily. He walked from the bookshelf to the box, filling it with all of Amy’s books. As he continued packing, he noticed Big Macintosh through the window as the stallion made his way to the barn, carrying a box on his back. He watched how the stallion walked confidently through the grass, but there was something off about him this time. It wasn’t until Adam looked at Big Macintosh’s face that he realized the stallion’s expression was different from the usual serene smile always plastered onto his muzzle. Why does he look so upset, Adam wondered. The moment Big Macintosh disappeared into the barn, Adam heard a cough behind him. He turned around and saws Rarity standing in the doorway.

“Adam,” Rarity said. “Can we talk?”

“Sure,” Adam replied as he made his way to the closet and grabbed an armful of clothing.

“I’m worried about you.” Rarity’s horn glowed and more clothes levitated out of the closet and into a box. “I know that you and Mister Pierce hadn’t gotten to know one another very much, but the circumstances surrounding the ending—”

“I’m fine,” Adam cut her off. “Really.”

“Adam, dear, you may try to put up that strong facade, but I know you.” Rarity closed the box and levitated it to the corner. “I went into town yesterday while you were sleeping and saw Mister Pierce.”

“Oh?” he asked as he folded a shirt and set it in the box. “How is he?”

“He’s upset, you know,” Rarity replied. “After hearing both sides of the story, I can see why you broke things off.” She sighed as she levitated more clothes. “Did you really have to tell him that story, though?”

“It was appropriate.”

“It was morbid!”

Adam was taken aback by Rarity’s change in tone. Rather than say anything, however, he simply shook his head and continued folding clothes. Rarity set the clothes on the bed and turned to the door, slamming it shut to no one else would hear her. She turned back just in time to see Adam fall onto the bed.

“I asked him why my face scared him, Rarity,” Adam said as he stared down at his hands. “He said—” Adam swallowed. “He said, ‘what pony wouldn’t be?’.”

Adam closed his eyes when he felt them starting to burn. He knew he was already close to crying. He heard the bed squeak and felt the mattress sink. A moment later, he felt a hoof on his shoulder.

“Adam,” Rarity whispered. “Please let it out.”

And just like that, Adam finally felt as though something had opened inside him. His shoulders shook as he cried into Rarity’s shoulder.

“You tell me I’m not a monster and get me to believe it,” Adam said through his sobs. “And then to just have him yell that at me…” He sniffled and looked up at his friend. “It’s not fair,” he said.

“What’s not fair?” Rarity asked.

“I actually started to think about Amy,” Adam mumbled. “And then I realized that I actually do want what she has.”

“Everypony does,” Rarity replied.

“I don’t mean it like that,” Adam said. “Everywhere I went, everyone kept saying, ‘Adam the human this,’ or, ‘Adam the human that,’ and it makes me angry.” Adam looked out the window. “Amy and Golden Delicious don’t really have that,” he continued. “They just see each other.”

“Listen to me,” Rarity said as she placed a hoof on Adam’s cheek. “It is true that some ponies will see you as just a human. But it is also true that most ponies won’t—I don’t, Miss Applejack doesn’t, Mister Macintosh doesn’t—so many ponies.”

“You’ve told me this so many times,” Adam replied.

“And I will just have to keep repeating myself until it sticks, won’t I?” Rarity leaned in and nuzzled Adam’s arm. “Come, let’s finish this,” Rarity said. “Once we’re done, you go out and get some fresh air. I’m sure Mister Macintosh has a lot to show you.”

Adam gave a small smile and nodded. The two finished packing up Amy’s things, though now they did so in silence. When the last box was set in the corner, they nodded to one another and headed out. Adam turned back, looked around the room, and sighed as he turned off the light and closed the door.

Big Macintosh set the box of music down near the back of the shed next to a small filing cabinet. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a folder that read SONGS. As he flipped through the box of music, he read the titles to himself and he put them in order. One piece of sheet music stood out to him, however. Bit high for my range, Big Macintosh thought to himself, but the words are simple enough.

Once he filed away the songs and closed the drawer, Big Macintosh sat down on a nearby pile of hay and thought about what Rarity had just told him. Mister Pierce was so scared of the story, Rarity had told him after Adam and the others had left the kitchen, he was able to recite it word for word because it had such an effect on him. Big Macintosh imagined Adam, lying in the park, his gaze twisted upwards.

“You gotta tell him,” Big Macintosh said to himself. “Ain’t nopony deserves to think like that.”

“To think like what?”

Big Macintosh looked up and saw Adam’s silhouette in the doorway. He got up and began to walk towards the human, and as he left the darkness of the barn, he could see the features on Adam’s face more clearly.

“You been cryin’,” Big Macintosh said without thinking.

Adam blushed and turned away, causing the stallion to fold his ears down.

“Sorry,” he added. “Just don’t like to see you sad is all.”

“It’s fine,” Adam replied. “I know you’re worried.” Adam looked around. “Did you take Amy’s box of music in here?”

“Eeyup,” he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Just some ideas for the Pony Tones.”

“I can’t wait to see what you guys do with the arrangements.”

Big Macintosh smiled when he finally saw Adam’s eyes light up again. Adam’s gaze locked with his, however, and he watched as the human turned and stared off into the distance. The image stayed in the stallion’s mind, however. I gotta do it, he thought as he closed the barn door.

“Come on,” Big Macintosh said. “There’s lots to see on the farm.” He took a few steps, but noticed that Adam wasn’t following him. “Somethin’ wrong?”

“You seem to be thinking about something awfully hard,” Adam answered.

“Miss Rarity told me ‘bout the story you told Pokey.”

“…Oh.”

“Come on,” Big Macintosh repeated, nudging Adam’s hip. “I wanna show you somethin’.”

“Can we walk through the shade?” Adam asked as he held a hand up to his face. “The sunlight still kind of hurts.”

“Sure thing, sugarcube,” Big Macintosh said, trying not to smile when Adam blushed again.

The two turned down one of the rows of apple trees and headed away from the barn and the homestead, the nearly noon sun at their backs. Occasionally, Big Macintosh would steal glances at the human, who strode through the orchard in a fluid motion completely different from his own thundering movements.

“It’s very beautiful out here,” Adam whispered.

“Eeyup,” Big Macintosh replied as he looked ahead.

As they reached the end of the row, the ground slowly inclined upward to a hill. As the trees became more sparse, Adam saw a large tree up ahead.

“That’s Amy and Golden Delicious’ tree.”

“Eeyup,” the stallion said as he got behind Adam and pushed him forward. “Notice anythin’ ‘bout it?”

“Up close, it looks so…” Adam tried to find the nicest way to say it. “So…”

“Broken?” Big Macintosh asked.

Adam looked at the tree—from everything he had seen of it in the distance, the tree looked willowy, almost wispy. But up close, it simply looked gnarled. The tree was undoubtedly old, and pieces of bark gave way to the raw wood beneath. However, the canopy was still fully flushed with enormous bright red apple blossoms that dotted the twisted tangle of branches. As the wind wrapped around it, the tree looked as though it were on fire, and the occasional blossoms that broke off flew into the air like sparks.

“This tree was here ‘fore we even settled,” Big Macintosh said. “It ain’t like the others.” The stallion reached up and placed a hoof on the withered bark. “It don’t listen to my hooves, and there ain’t any other apple trees like it. Never gives apples, just stays as the blooms.”

Big Macintosh stepped back as Adam reached forward and trailed his fingers along the tree before reaching up to touch the apple blossoms.

“Sometimes, I worry if he feels lonely,” the stallion said.

“He?” Adam asked with a raised eyebrow.

Big Macintosh nodded. “I wonder if he sees all the other trees and how we ponies walk up and down the rows every day and is scared we don’t like him.”

Adam’s eyes darted back and forth. Big Macintosh took a deep breath and sighed when he saw Adam’s hand start to shake.

“It’s hard, you know? Not knowin’ how he got here, not knowin’ what to do or say to get him to open up, and not knowin’ if this is the way he’s supposed to be.”

“I really need to sit down,” Adam said.

Big Macintosh smiled and placed his head under Adam’s hand, which he used to brace himself as he sat down on top of one of the overturned roots. Big Macintosh took another breath. He could feel his heart beating louder and faster as he held his hoof to the tree to steady himself once more.

“Sometimes I come up here and talk to him,” he continued.

“Why?” Adam asked, his voice barely breaking a whisper.

“Dunno,” Big Macintosh replied. “Just somethin’ ‘bout him makes me… wanna talk more.” For the first time, he actually felt a word get caught in his throat. “Most ponies would see this tree and notice the bark and how scary the branches look.” Big Macintosh leaned in so slightly that it was almost imperceptible. “But when I look at him, I just think ‘bout what I can do to make him happy.”

Big Macintosh was beginning to tell that Adam was catching on to what he was saying, because the human looked up to him with fresh tears. The stallion leaned in, but Adam pulled back and pointed up to the tree branches.

“What if this tree never blooms?” he asked.

“Don’t matter,” Big Macintosh replied. “‘Cause he’s perfect, just the way he is.”

As as tear fell down Adam’s cheek, Big Macintosh held a hoof up to catch it.

“I learned one of the songs that Amy had,” Big Macintosh continued. “Wanna hear it?”

Adam tried to speak, but when nothing came out, he simply nodded his head. Big Macintosh smiled and stood in front of Adam. He closed his eyes and started to sing

You are so beautiful… to me.

Big Macintosh opened his eyes again. The moment he saw Adam’s expression, a cry threatened to rip through from his lungs. He continued to sing, however, his voice becoming stronger with each line.

You are so beautiful… to me… can’t you see?

So many images of Adam flashed through Big Macintosh’s mind—how he could switch from such confidence one moment to utter shyness the next, how he stubbornly would try to lift apple barrels while at the same time worrying about helping him, how he always got so giddy when around Rarity and how he always played with Apple Bloom’s bow to get it perfect—and a tear finally broke free from his eye.

You’re everything I hoped for… You’re everything I need.

Adam slowly reached out his hands. Big Macintosh leaned in and took an inhale. Still smells like lavender, he thought as the human’s hair blew in the breeze. As they stared at one another for a moment, the only thing they could see were each other’s matching green eyes.

You are so beautiful… to… me.

Big Macintosh’s voice strained as he reached the final note. But once he finished, he closed the final distance between them and pressed his lips against Adam’s, relishing in how sweet they tasted. He heard Adam sob through the kiss, and a moment later, Big Macintosh tasted saltiness and knew the human was crying, but now he couldn’t even tell if it was the human’s tears or his own that now fell onto his lips.

Adam’s hands trailed up and down Big Macintosh’s neck, gently scratching at his fur. As they trailed up towards his ears, the stallion couldn’t stop from flapping them back and forth. Adam trembled as Big Macintosh leaned in further and put more weight onto the human. Finally, after what may as well have been forever, they parted once again.

“Adam,” Big Macintosh said. “I—”

Big Macintosh couldn’t finish the sentence, because a moment later, Adam’s lips crashed against his once more, this time with such force that he stumbled back and fell onto the ground. They both chuckled as they toppled over one another and landed on the grass.

“Wow,” Adam gasped after pulling away again. “Amy was right about the beard thing.”

“What?” Big Macintosh asked.

“Nothing.”

Big Macintosh watched as Adam’s smile slowly faded. Adam slowly lowered himself onto the stallion’s foreleg until his head was nestled at his chest.

“What’s wrong, sugarcube?” he asked.

“It’s just—” Adam’s voice stumbled. “I don’t get it. I know that according to what the ponies in town say, you should be able to have your pick of stallions. Ever since I got to know you, I always thought you deserved the best.”

Big Macintosh chuckled. As his chest reverberated, Adam’s head bounced slightly on top of the stallion’s fur.

“I did get the best, didn’t I?”

Adam blushed and hid his face in Big Macintosh’s chest. The stallion simply looked up at the sky and stroked the human’s hair with his hoof. No more words were said, because no more words were needed to be said. In the heat of day, Big Macintosh felt Adam’s breathing becoming rhythmic. Soon, his own eyes grew heavy. Within a few minutes, the two lay sleeping at the base of the tree, the stallion breathing out as the human breathed in.

A stallion peered through a pair of binoculars at the scene and grimaced. He shook his head and gave the binoculars to the other stallion and adjusted the fedora placed tightly over his mane.

“Momma ain’t gonna be happy ‘bout this, Stone,” he said. “Not at all.”

“Shut up, Biff,” Black Stone whispered as he hit the larger stallion over the head. “Ain’t gotta be makin’ so much noise.”

“Sorry,” Biff replied as he backed away from the stallion who was half his size.

Black Stone kept peering through the binoculars until he came to the farmhouse. His jaw dropped when he saw Applejack and some unicorn fighting over a pair of binoculars. Stupid peeping mares, he thought as he looked into another window. There, he found Granny Smith holding another pair of binoculars with her gaze trained on the tree that Big Macintosh and the human were sleeping under. What is wrong with this family? he wondered as he looked over the rest of the house. When he got to the upstairs window, he gasped when he saw Apple Bloom staring out through a pair of binoculars. But instead of her gaze being trained at the tree, it stared directly back at him.

“Hide,” Black Stone said as he threw down the binoculars.

Biff nodded, and the two stallions hid next to the trees, their dark brown fur matching the trunks almost exactly. A few minutes later, Black Stone reemerged and pulled his brother out of hiding.

“Gotta be careful,” Black Stone whispered. “Since that little one put up traps the other day, we can’t take no chances.”

“She almost killed that biped,” Biff replied, holding a hoof up to his chest in protection when Black Stone reached a hoof back.

“Ain’t gotta worry ‘bout that one,” Black Stone replied, lowering his hoof. “We just gotta get back to Dodge to tell Momma what happened.”

“‘Bout how they raised the bits to save the farm?”

“Yeah, that’s gonna come as a shock to her.”

The smaller stallion picked up the binoculars and took a few steps back. He felt something scratch against his hind leg and he turned around just in time to see that he had brushed up against a tied piece of rope. He looked up and saw a branch pulled back. The stallion rolled his eyes and hopped over the rope to make sure the trap that had been set didn’t go off. When he cleared the rope, he continued on.

“Momma expected the issue with the taxes to finally knock the Apples over,” Black Stone looked on at the expansive orchard. “T’ain’t fair,” he muttered. “The Apples gettin’ all this land, while Great-Grandpappy had to get our farm on his own.” A devious smile crept up his muzzle. “But we’ll get ‘em, soon, Biff, I promise you we’ll—”

Black Stone heard the rope behind him snap and a loud thud. He closed his eyes and reached up to rub the bridge of his muzzle in frustration before turning around. Just as he had expected, his larger brother lay unconscious on the ground as a bump appeared on the back of his head. The tree branch swung back and forth, and Black Stone reached up a hoof to stop it. Once the danger had settled, he reached down and started to pull Biff away by his tail.

“Once you wake up,” Black Stone muttered through gritted teeth, “I swear I gotta teach you how to do this better.”

He struggled to pull the larger stallion through the forest, his hooves trying to find purchase anywhere to help him leverage himself against his brother.

“Uhhhhh…” Biff mumbled as one eye opened.

“Get up,” Black Stone whispered angrily as he spat out his brother’s tail.
Black Stone turned and peered through the binoculars once more, staring at Big Macintosh and the little human whose arms were now wrapped around the stallion’s chest. He remembered the newspapers from last week reading about another human and a member of the Apple family getting married.

“Why are all the bipeds… no, that’s just…” Black Stone trailed off as he pondered what it all could mean. “Momma’s gonna wanna know ‘bout this.”

Black Stone turned back to Biff, who was currently nursing the large bump on the back of his head. The smaller stallion reached down and picked up the hat that had flown off of his brother’s head when the branch hit him. Black Stone trotted ahead and held a hoof up to his muzzle to signal for Biff to be quiet and then silently galloped away from Sweet Apple Acres in the direction of the train station.

Biff stopped and rubbed the back of his head. He turned back to the tree he had been observing. Without the binoculars, he couldn’t make out any details of what the stallion and the human were doing, but when he felt the pain where his hoof touched, he put his hoof to his eyes and noticed the wet patch of fur that was now stained with blood. That branch really could have killed him, he thought as he galloped to catch up with his brother.

Author's Note:

So, we got Biff

And we got Black Stone, the Cherry Brothers.

Comments

[ChibiChabot]

This was cute and emotional. I cried. Thanks.

[Double Entendre]

This honestly just keeps getting better and better. I teared-up when Big Mac started singing; what a perfect song, and the fact that his range is so low would have made the famous 'voice crack' at the end of the song sound amazing ^_^

[Misty Horse]

Yay finally!

[Bad_Seed_72]

Sooooooooooo. Awesome!!!!!!

Also, le drama on the horizon! Also awesome!

[Avid Fiction]

If I hadn't been in public, I would have squealed out loud when they finally kissed.

And thanks for the cry. I really needed it. Perfect song choice. Though may want to find a new link for it.

Keep up the amazing work.

[foxmcloud23]

that song....i cant hear it and not think of that scene from evolution in the mall