Heart's Desire

by LunarShadow

Big Macintosh

Big Macintosh

Big Mac’s ears perked up, the squeal of the barn door hinges alerting him to the presence of another pony. “Apple Bloom? Is that you?” When nopony responded, he shrugged and went back to rubbing the dirt off the plow.

Ah’ve worked around this barn since... well, since I’ve been big enough to do anything and it still gives me the willies. He quickly looked around. The mid-morning sun streamed through the cracks in the roof in thin shafts. Big Mac could see dust particles in the light, but beyond that, he only recognized the vague shapes of various old farm tools in the shadows. Just relax. A few more years and the family’ll have enough for a new barn.

He shuddered as he wiped away the last of the dirt off the plow and stepped back to admire his work. Suddenly, something tapped him on the shoulder. With a bellow of surprise, he spun around and stepped back.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Twilight stood there a hoof over her mouth. “I thought when you called out, you knew that there was somepony coming.”

Panting heavily, Big Mac felt his heart. It was still racing from the scare and didn’t seem to want to slow anytime soon. “It’s okay, Twilight.” He looked behind her, just in case Applejack had accompanied Twilight. “What do yah need?”

“A place to store something,” she replied. “Specifically, somewhere that not many ponies go. I thought that maybe your barn would do? I was going to ask Applejack, but she’s nowhere to be found. I went to the house, but Granny Smith is asleep.” Twilight shrugged. “I guess it’s up to you.”

“Ah guess. Depends what yah want to store.”

Twilight pulled a letter out of her saddlebag and levitated a sheet of paper in front of him. “A mirror. This should explain it. The letter arrived just this morning.”

Under the glow of Twilight’s horn, Big Mac read it:

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

As I’m sure you’ve figured out, the mirror you received from me is no ordinary mirror. Its name is the Mirror of Erised. When a pony looks into it, they see their deepest desire. One would think that it’s not a bad thing. However, the mirror needs to be locked up. Kept somewhere where nopony can find it. You see, it does more than just show your desire. It sucks away your life slowly until you want nothing more than to just sit in front of it and stare.

Sincerely,
Princess Celestia

Big Mac looked up from the letter. “And yer telling this to me why?”

Twilight shuffled her hooves and said, “Because I trust you and your family to not look at the mirror when I say that you shouldn’t. Plus, it’d be a real shock if I just stored it in the barn and you accidently bumped into it without knowing what it does to you.” She smiled nervously. “If it makes you feel better, just look away and I’ll put a cloaking spell on it.”

“Ah suppose. When do you need to move it?” Big Mac looked around, half expecting to see the mirror by the door.

“I can move it right now. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Big Mac nodded and calmly trotted out. “Yah’ve got five minutes, then Ah really need to finish my work.”

“Got it.” Twilight furrowed her eyebrows and nodded. “I’ve already got a spot picked out.”

Shouldn’t be an issue. I already know what I want. Big Mac chuckled at the thought. Ah well, I got some tools to collect while she hides the mirror anyways. He walked over to the nearest grove of trees and grabbed a bucket full of supplies. Just as he turned to head by to the barn, a loud flash bang from the loft caused him to rear up and cry out in surprise.

Twilight flew out the window and landed hard a few meters away from Big Mac. She lay there for a few seconds groaning before she got up. Grimacing, she checked herself over for scrapes. “Is okay,” she said groggily.

Turning around slowly, she faced Big Mac. He could see that she had been disoriented. “Err... Twi’? Perhaps you should go see Nurse Redheart. Yah don’t look so good.”

Twilight’s words were slurred. “Perhapsh... But it’sh nothing. The mirror wash surprisingly resistant to my magic. Poured too much into the spell.” She shook her head and stumbled back towards town. When Big Mac moved to help her, she waved him away. “It’sh fine. I’ll be alright in a shecond.”

Big Mac shook his head. “Yah need the hospital right now. I’ll take you there myself.”

Twilight laughed. “Fine, I’ll just teleport there.”

“Wait!” Big Mac’s cry came a second too late. She disappeared with a crack. He shook his head and sighed.

Mares’ll be mares, Ah guess. I’ll head over to the hospital in a half hour to make sure she made it okay. Shrugging, he picked up the bucket of tools again and trotted into the barn. He placed the tools by the plow and turned to go find another bucket. Curiously, he looked up towards the loft. There were wisps of smoke drifting around lazily.

Frowning, he walked up the stairs and entered the loft. Looking around, he could see nothing except a large scorch mark where Twilight’s spell had exploded. No fire. That’s good, Ah suppose. No mirror either. Guess Twilight couldn’t get it here.

He decided to check out the charred ground before he left. Just to make sure it isn’t too hot and a fire hazard. Walking closer, he rubbed his foreleg against the area. It was cool to the touch. As he circled around it, he bumped into something. Spinning around, he looked around for whatever he had hit. He saw nothing.

“Strange... maybe Twilight did managed to get the mirror into the barn.” Backing up slowly, he eyed the spot wearily. As he went, the air seemed to shimmer. He stopped and stared suspiciously. “No way... yah know what yah want. No need for a mirror to tell you that.”

The cloaking spell faded, leaving the mirror in place for Big Mac to see. “Just leave now and yah’ll never have to worry about it,” he mumbled. But to his dismay, the mirror almost seemed to call him. Looking into the mirror from where he was, he only saw himself.

It’s just my reflection, nothing to be scared of, he thought. Just a peek to prove that can’t hurt, can it? Slowly, mesmerized by the reflection, he walked up to the mirror. As he got closer, a picture slowly formed around his other self.

He raised his hoof and placed it on the mirror surface. His reflection did the same, but smiled. The other Big Mac waved back at the image. Looking past his reflection, Big Mac saw a thriving farm. Hired workers ran too and fro between orchards, going about various tasks. In the distance, a brand new looking barn, similar in shape to the old one but twice as big, sat on a hill.

“B-but... Sweet Apple Acres has always been a family run farm and always will.” He squinted to get a better look at the pony workers. Suddenly, he realized that they weren’t actually hired workers, but his family.

One of the workers, Braeburn Big Mac realized, trotted over and tapped him on the shoulder. Subconsciously, he reached up and touched his shoulder. He felt nothing but himself and when he turned around, he was still alone in the loft.

He looked back at the mirror, but found himself staring at nothing. Sighing, he got up and went to leave the loft. At the stairs, he nearly ran into Applejack.

“There yah are, Big Macintosh! We’ve been looking for yah for the past hour or so. We thought you were in the orchard collecting tools for cleaning.” Applejack looked curiously over Big Mac’s shoulder. “What’re yah doing up here anyways? There's nothing to look at.”

“Ah was...” Big Mac stopped himself, remembering what Twilight had told him. “Nothing... Ah thought Ah heard something up here and was checking it out.”

She can't see the mirror? Why? Is it only visible if you touch it?

Applejack laughed and said, “For an hour? Ah doubt it.” Suddenly, she gasped and grin spread across her face. “Yah were looking for a mare, weren’t yah? It was Rainbow Dash, wasn’t it? Ah know yah’ve got a thing for her.”

Looking for a mare... looking. Big Mac blinked in surprise as Applejack’s teasing reminded him of something. He shoved past his sister and galloped down the stairs, leaving a very confused Applejack behind.

“Twilight!”

Comments

[1-oh-First]

So I assume we'll be getting an Applejack chapter next?

[Mithrandir]

Hmm Mac with the hots for RD, RD wants a child. . .

[LunarShadow]

819762

I agree with you. But on the flipside, in my headcanon, Princess Celestia feels guilt because it was her that banished her sister. She could have, should have tried harder to reason with her sister and whatnot. But yes, Luna will get a chapter. She's next. What she see's? I can't tell you that yet. Wait until tomorrow.

825359

Nooooooo... now's not the time for that. I've stuck my hand in the shipping fire one to many times and burned myself bad.

825389

Luna, LUUUUUNNNNAAAA is best pony. The only reason I didn't do her first is because it seemed more logical to start with Twilight. After that, I listened to my audience.

830600

Maybe after Luna. AJ really doesn't have a reason to stick around in the loft at the moment. I'll try to give her a reason after Luna or the CMC

832750

Sorry to disappoint, but nope. The whole scene was AJ needling Big Mac about it. She doesn't really know. It's one of those 'I suspect it, I'm 99% sure, but I can't quite prove it' situations.

And to all I didn't address directly, thanks for reading! I hope I continue writing good chapters to enjoy!

[sklafjdslkj]

832750
>implied BraeburnxBig Mac
>want RDxMac
>.>