Little Mac and Cannotfly

by Akataja

Chapter two: coming home

Doctor Hooves thought of himself as a really smart pony, smarter than most ponies and even smarter than most unicorns and he was very proud of it. He was proud of being a doctor of physics; so far he was the only earth pony who did this, all other students back then in Canterlot were unicorns. But before he studied in Canterlot he lived in Ponyville and visited the local school together with the other foals of the town. Back then life wasn’t easy because Hooves was a so-called egghead and easy prey for bullies. But at least he had some good friends, like the Bulk, or Joe, because they had “stupid” cutie marks too. It was very hard for the little Bulk, he was small and thin and had nearly no muscles, but he had a barbell as a cutie mark because he liked to train, but he wasn’t very strong yet. And Joe had a freaking Doughnut because he loved to bake Doughnuts.

Anyhow, Hooves best friend had no cutie mark back then, even at the end of school he was still a Blank Flank. He was a tall red stallion, never used many words and seemed like a typical farmer's son. He was called LilMacci or just Lil Mac, because his father Red Delicious and grandfather Golden Delicious used that nickname for him and his classmates used it because he was the biggest foal in class but still hadn't got his cutie mark. The bullies tried to vex him too, but he wasn’t just big, he was strong too and when they saw him smashing a big rock with one hoof, they decide to let him have his peace. And as long as Hooves and the others were near him, the bullies didn’t try anything.

Time flew by, life didn’t get any easier for Hooves, but he grew a bit. The Bulk got some weight and muscles and Joe became famous for his delicious doughnuts, they sold them at Sugar Cube Corner and every pony in Ponyville wanted some.

Hooves left Ponyville to visit the big university in Canterlot, he wanted to learn everything about physics and about the rules of space and time. The Bulk became a real mountain of muscles and found work as a male masseur. Doughnut Joe finds a nice Job at sugar cube corners and his Doughnuts became very famous in town. But what was with LilMacci? He became even taller, but still, the people called him by his Nickname, because he still had no cutie mark.

When Hooves returned to his hometown he was a doctor, but life still wasn’t easy. The Bulk had, even more muscles, so many muscles that his normal sized wings were too small for his massive body, but he still was a good pal, maybe a bit too loud sometimes, but a good guy. Joe’s doughnuts were even more famous, he played on the thought of leaving Ponyville and Sugar Cube Corner to open his own shop in Manehattan or Fillydelphia. And LilMacci? Maybe he still was LilMacci, but before he could meet his old friend, Doc Hooves met his sister. Little Apple Jack was on the same train; she was coming back to Ponyville too. Hooves did not trust his eyes at the sight of his pal’s little sister, she was a teenager now and had her cutie mark, three red apples, typical for the Apple family. She had become a real beauty, but she was still his pal’s little sister and somehow she was something like a little sister to him too. And she wasn’t his type; his dream mare had to be very smart, a bit older and experienced and a unicorn.

AJ was way more talkative than her brother. She told him everything about her last two months in Manehattan.

“And why did you move in with your uncle and aunt?”

“Ah’ think that was all about da' whole thing when mah’ ma and pa died.”

“Oh yes, that makes sen- whaaaaat?” His jaw fell down as if he were a snake.

“Oh right, yah’ lived in Canterlot for the last few years. Well, our folks died soon after the birth of mah’ new little sister. The whole thing messed me a bit up. To be honest, ah' just wanted to run away, 'left Granny Smith an' Big McIntosh alone with the farm and the foal. Ah’ feel really bad about that…. “

“That sounds, ehm, I’m sorry? How is Lil Mac doing?”

“So far? He is very busy with working and doesn't speak to anypony, ahm‘ a bit worried about him.”

“You shouldn’t worry about him. I bet we just need one visit to our favorite pub and he'll be the old LilMacci again.”

The train arrived in Ponyville station on time, Apple Jack and Dr. Hooves got off the wagon. Nopony was there to pick them up, but that was no wonder. Hooves had nopony waiting at home, so he took the time and escorted AJ back to Sweet Apple Acres. On their way, they met a lot of ponies from their past and greeted them.

Sweet Apple Acres seems fine really, somehow Mac managed to keep the farm running all alone, while Granny Smith had to care for Apple Bloom. Harvest was near and the Orchards were full of overloaded apple trees, somepony already placed empty baskets around them. AJ saw that and had the urge to buck some of the trees right now, but she had to clear things up first. Her brother and granny would be very worried about her, so it was finally time to meet them again. When she opened the front gate she heard an unusual sound. It came out of the barn, and shortly after it the gates smashed open and somepony came flying directly into her. It was a Pegasus, a stallion AJ had never meet before, but he looked injured, someone gave him a very hard punch in the face and one of his wings seemed broken. He sounded a little bit funny when he spoke because his whole face was swollen and he lost some teeth.

“Cahm pfown man.” And then he spat a tooth out. “ipf pfere… Fuft a pfunf of appfles… youpf pfave pflenpfy of iff.”

He was speaking to the pony who came next out of the barn. Hooves and AJ recognized Big McIntosh at the first sign, but somehow he was completely different. Dr. Hooves remembered him as a calm guy with little words, never showing much emotion, but the face of this stallion was ice-cold, it was like Hooves could feel Mac's anger. He had never seen him holding a sledgehammer this way, like a weapon, did he just punch and break the wing of this Pegasus here with that thing? The red-coated stallion stepped near to his prey, the poor broken guy couldn’t fly anymore, so he had to crawl backward. He lost some of the stolen apples out of his saddlebags.

“Alpfright man… Im pforry… im pforry… I nepfer pfield somepfing.”

“Eeyup.” Grunted BigMac.

Hooves could see the attempt to murder in Macs Eyes.

“Can you feel that rage too?” asked Apple Jack.

“I can taste it.” Answered Hooves.

Neither the Pegasus or BigMac seemed to notice AJ and Hooves, the red stallion just raised his hammer, but before he could take the hit Apple Jack made a jump and kicked the sledgehammer away. She looked direct in her brother’s eyes, he seemed to ease up a bit.

“What’s going on here!? Are yah’ out of yah’ mind? Smashin’ somepony like this, just for stealin’ some apples!?”

MacIntosh just wheezed some hot breath out of his nose into his little teen sister’s face, he was a lot bigger than her and maybe anypony else would have shrunk to a little ball at that sight, but not Apple Jack.

“Pull ya’ self together!” she ordered.

The red blank flank was looking at the Pegasus, the winged pony was scared to death, laying in a puddle of sweat and other body liquids. His eyes go wide when the much bigger earth stallion looked at him. MacIntosh's lips moved slowly, forming just one word

“Run.”

The Pegasus needed a while to get on his hooves again, but then he ran as fast as possible to get away from here, losing his booty on the way. MacIntosh just turned around, not looking at the sprayed apples, just grunting a short greet at his sister. “Welcome home sis.”

He just walked inside the main building. After he was out of sight AJ started to tremble, like a thin tree in the wind, sitting down and sighing. Hooves came to her side, putting a hoof on her shoulder.

“What was that?” he asked, “do you treat every apple thief like that?”

“ah don’ know…” said AJ, still sweating a bit “Pa used to treat them with a bit of shouting, he was never so upset about a guy stealing a few apples.” She picked up one of the apples, they all looked pretty fine, red and juicy, but something wasn’t right here. She had just one question. “what is happenin’ here?”

Hooves could just shake his head, he was totally confused too. This red stallion with the sledgehammer wasn’t the LilMac he used to know. He was very curious to find out what happened, but he was also afraid. He just wanted to go away, this didn’t seem like a safe place and he saw dark clouds forming on the horizon, there was a heavy storm coming.

“Maybe I should leave now.” He said.

But at the same time, AJ asked: “Could you stay a little bit longer?”

What just happened? Did she hear what he said? She didn’t respond to this. He wanted to repeat his words “Maybe… “

But AJ interrupted him “Ahm’ very afraid right now. I - I think I can’t get inside alone.”

She looked at him, did he see tears in her eyes? She acted like a very tough, all grown up mare, but Hooves could see the truth right at this moment in her eyes. She was still a little filly, just turned 13 and full of fright, afraid of her own brother and looking inside a deep dark Abyss. She needed help, but how should Hooves help her? Maybe he was smart, but Mac could crush him with one hoof, break him like a toothpick. He never was strong, LilMac used to be strong for him, protecting him.

“Maybe it’s time to repay his kindness.” He whispered to himself. Hooves looked back to AJ, he put his long scarf around his neck again and nodded. Life wasn’t easy sometimes, but sometimes a pony just had to be brave and face it. “LilMac is my friend. I'll help him and I'll help you.”

At least, I hope I can help.

Author's Note:

So the second chapter is out!
I had already five finished versions of this one, some started with BigM, other with flutters or AJ. I took this one here, centering another pony, it seemed like a good idea to me?
Maybe I focus the next one BigMac and maybe the whole fluttermac-thing can start than ^^

thanks again to Aider5 for spelling and grammar check.

Comments

[Darth Redbeard]

you might want to get someone to check out the story description as well.

I wanted to create an alternative universe, were the age of some charakters is changed and theyre past too. The story should show all beloved charakters, but its focused on fluttermac.

were needs to be where
charakters needs to be characters
theyre needs to be their
its needs to be either it's or is

The hole story starts with little fluttershy after her 16th. birthday, enjoying a beautifull morning and starting a new day, trying to proof her worth to her father, the local hero, Crossfire.

hole needs to be whole
fluttershy needs to be Fluttershy
take out the second l in beautiful
proof needs to be prove

isnd needs to be isn't.

None of this is to hurt you, but to help.

[i_am_the_jam]

Looks like Aider5 didn't do good job. There are a lot of punctuation errors as well. Get another editor and try again.

[Akataja]

Thank you very much Darth Redbeard, help is allways welcome :)
To be honest i wanted to do check the description later but simply forget the whole thing... yes, i know, shame on me.

Please dont blame Aider5, he did this to do me a favour, i made the mistakes in the first place.
I hope the next chapters will have not so much errors... at least i try my best.