As the Apple Blooms

by The FraudulentBrit

Big Mac and Burnt Oak

As the Apple Blooms

Respite 2; Big Mac and Burnt Oak

Big Macintosh walked up to Burnt Oak’s home, hoping he could find out what he needed to know. When Granny Smith tasked her grandchildren to learn more about Ironhide, Applejack and her brother decided to split up the research. While she had gone to speak with their great aunt Goldie Delicious, Big Mac went to speak with their father’s old friend, the lumberjack Burnt Oak.

In a few ways, Big Mac received the easier task. While Goldie Delicious lived out in the countryside, Burnt Oak resided far closer to Sweet Apple Acres; a simple cabin just out of Canterlot City limits. As he approached the cabin, he could only hope for the best.

As Big Mac approached the front door, he was pleasantly surprised when it opened, revealing a brown-gray skinned man with a white-gray mustache and hair, a plaid shirt, jeans, and suspenders. This combined with the warm smile on his face made it clear it could be no one but Burnt Oak.

“Why, if it isn’t Big Macintosh?” Burnt Oak said as he walked up to the young man. “It’s so good to see you!” As the older man wrapped him in a warm embrace, Big Mac could only let out an (admittedly adorable) “Eeyup.” Once Burnt Oak released him, the young man said, “Say, can Ah ask for somethin’?”

“Of course.” Burnt Oak replied. “What do you need?”

Burnt Oak’s Cabin

As Big Mac sat down at a table in the cabin’s kitchen, Burnt Oak, preparing a cup of hot cocoa, asked, “So, what brings you all the way out here? Wanna learn about the trees?”

“Nope.” Big Mac replied. Curious, Burnt Oak asked, “Come to ask about your dad?” Though the mere mention of his father brought a sense of longing to his heart, Big Mac once again answered, “Nope.” As he finished making two mugs of cocoa, Burnt Oak asked, “Well then, what is it that brings you here?”

“Ah heard from Granny Smith that you knew Ironhide.” Big Mac replied with the slightest hint of guilt. The moment the name “Ironhide” escaped the young man’s mouth, Burnt Oak’s eyes shrank with surprise as he nearly dropped the mugs of hot cocoa. As he managed to set the mugs on the table, Big Mac felt he had made a mistake and apologized, “Uh, sorry. Ah hope Ah’m not intrudin’ or anythin’.”

“Oh, of course not.” Burnt Oak replied as he came back to his senses. “Sorry about that. I haven’t even thought about Ironhide in…..” he paused as he mentally calculated how long it had been. As he realized doing so would only waste time, he simply replied, “Well, it’s been a long time.” Now, his astonishment faded away and was replaced by curiosity. “Wait, why do you want to know about Ironhide?”

Big Macintosh, looking away in shame, replied, “Well, after Apple Bloom caused all that trouble a few months back, Applejack couldn’t trust her around so she….” Burnt Oak raised his hand as he interrupted with, “And you guys called in his favor?” Big Mac could only sigh and reply “Eeyup.” The older man then gave a sigh of his own as he replied, “I figured. Of course, now that I think about it, I haven’t heard anything from Apple Bloom or her friends since the school board meeting.”

Taking a deep breath, Big Mac then continued, “Well, after we dropped her off, Granny Smith said she wanted us to find out more about uncle Ironhide, but we can’t ask him directly.”

This admission made Burnt Oak laugh. “Heh heh. Granny Smith always was one for interesting projects.” Once he had finished, he asked, “So, you want to know more about Ironhide, eh?” Big Mac replied with a simple, “Eeyup.”

As Burnt Oak began to scratch his chin, he remarked, “In that case, you better get a pencil and paper young man, because there’s a lot to our old friend.” Big Mac nodded as the older man took him to get the supplies.

Once Big Mac had a pencil and paper, Burnt Oak led him to the living room as he asked, “So, what do you know about old Ironhide anyway?” Taking a seat, Big Mac replied, “Ah know he and Pa were old friends, Ironhide got drafted into durin’ the war, he and Pa fell out when he got home, an’ after a few years they made up an’ he offered his favor to Pa.”

“I’d say that’s a good start.” Burnt Oak replied. “Anything else?” Big Mac pondered for a moment before he replied, “Well, Granny Smith said he was known for gettin’ into a few fights and how he was good with metal works.”

Upon hearing these tidbits, Burnt Oak remarked, “You sure bet. Ironhide was a pretty good blacksmith. The only thing that could run hotter than any forge he worked on was his temper. For the most part, he was a gentle giant, but once you got on his bad side, oh boy…… may Primus have mercy on you.”

Big Mac then added, “Granny Smith told us he once got in a fight with Filthy Rich.” Upon hearing this, a smile grew on Burnt Oak’s face as he said, “Oh man, Granny Smith was probably sugar coating what happened. Then again, that’s nothing compared to what happened to Canned Pear.” Curious, Big Mac asked, “Really? What happened?” Taking a sip from his cocoa, Burnt Oak replied, “You see, it was back when we were teenagers……”

Sweet Apple Acres, Many Years Ago….

Bright Mac, Burnt Oak, and Ironhide were hanging out in Bright Mac’s room, each drawing in their own sketchbooks. It was the dead of summer, and since they had finished all of their chores, the three teenagers were simply trying to pass some time with a little drawing.

At least they were until Burnt Oak asked Bright Mac, “So, is it true?” When the red haired, yellow skinned teen raised his head, Burnt Oak continued, “You know, you and Pear Butter? You two finally dating?”

Bright Mac found himself blushing, turning nearly as red as his hair. Lowering his Stetson to cover his face, he couldn’t see Burnt Oak give him a cheeky smile as he quipped, “I mean I did see you two out by the lake.”

“Knock it off Burnt Oak.” Ironhide said, gently patting his friend on the back. “So what they are? It’s not our business.”

Lowering his sketchbook, Bright Mac let out a sigh of relief as he said, “Thanks Ironhide.” The gray skinned teen simply shrugged his shoulders as he replied, “No problem.”

This was when Burnt Oak then leant towards Ironhide as he asked, “Speaking of love, how was that date with Chromia?” Now it was Ironhide’s turn to blush as Bright Mac, eyes wide with surprise, asked, “Wait! You finally went out with Chromia?”

Realizing there was no way of getting out of it, Ironhide replied, “Yeah. We had dinner at Garibaldi’s, and then we just enjoyed some quiet time at the park.” Burnt Oak then let out a whistle of “disappointment.” Ironhide rolled his eyes as he remarked, “I know it’s hardly the most exiting evening, but you know how claustrophobic she gets. I figured a quiet walk at night would be perfect.”

Bright Mac then said, “Well either way Ah’m happy for you two. Ah swear you two are the perfect pair.” Ironhide then said, “I thought you and Pear Butter were the perfect pair.” He then paused as a mischievous smile growing on his face as he added, “Or should I say, the perfect “pear?”” Bright Mac simply shot his friend an “un amused” look as he said under his breath, “Wiseass.”

This was when the three boys heard someone knocking at the door. Ironhide asked, “Hey Bright Mac, you didn’t say anything about anyone else stopping by, right?”

“Ah don’t think so.” Bright Mac replied. He knew Granny Smith was out for the day, and there was no way she would be back this early. Now that all three realized something was up, Bright Mac, Burnt Oak, and Ironhide decided to see who it was.

Sweet Apple Acres Living Room

Once the three friends made their way to the living room, Bright Mac walked up to the front door and opened the door. To his surprise, Pear Butter was standing there, her orange hair covering half of her face. Astounded and confused, Bright Mac asked, “Buttercup? What are you doi……”

He was interrupted when Pear Butter wrapped her hands around him as she began to whimper. Concerned for his girlfriend, Bright Mac reassured her, “Hey, its ok. I’m here.” He then began to caress her face, until he saw something very unsettling.

Pear Butter had a black eye.

As Bright Mac found himself horrified by what he saw, Ironhide asked, “What the….? Pear Butter, what happened?” Pear Butter didn’t say anything, simply looking away in shame. Burnt Oak, starting to grow concerned himself, asked, “Did your dad do this?”

“NO!” Pear Butter shouted. “Do you really think my dad would do this?” She then pointed to her eye as her eyes began to water. Bright Mac then said, “Ah believe her. Mr. Grand Pear may have some issues regardin’ us, but he’s not violent.” Ironhide then asked, “So, who did this?”

After managing to regain her breath, Pear Butter answered, “My cousin Canned Pear. He’s staying for a few days and…..” she found her breath shaking again as she turned to Bright Mac continued, “He said he saw us over at the lake and said…..” “Ah don’t think we need to know what he said.” Bright Mac said as he wrapped Pear Butter in another warm embrace.

As the two love birds held each other, Ironhide turned to Burnt Oak and said, “I think we should give these two some alone time.” Burnt Oak nodded as he replied, “I think you’re right.” The two then began to tip toe back towards the stairs.

That was until an unfamiliar voice called out, “Oh Pear Butter!” The moment this voice entered the house, Pear Butter clung on to Bright Mac even tighter as she began to panic. As Bright Mac hung on to his girlfriend, Ironhide and Burnt Oak ran back towards their friends as the gray skinned boy remarked, “I got a feeling he Canned Pear followed you.”

As Pear Butter released Bright Mac, she angrily said, “I swear if that bastard lays a hand on me again I’ll kill him!” As the guys found themselves recoiling with shock, she quickly replied, “I mean, I’ll kick his ass, not kill him.”

Ironhide made his way up to Pear Butter as he reassured her, “I understand. If anything happened to me, Chromia would hunt them down and tear their throats out.” Pear Butter then gave him a quick hug as she replied, “Thanks.”

This was when the voice called out, “I know you’re there Pear Butter! Get out here right now!” Bright Mac began to crack his hands as he angrily remarked said, “No one hurts my Buttercup!”

He was about to walk out the door and confront this Canned Pear, but Ironhide held his hand out as he said, “You stay here. I think I can get rid of this piss pot.”

“He hurt Buttercup!” Bright Mac firmly replied. “Ah can’t let this go unpunished!”

Ironhide simply placed his hands on Bright Mac’s shoulders as he said, “You clobber this guy, and Grand Pear will have every reason to keep you two apart.” Bright Mac could only let out a defeated sigh as he realized Ironhide was right. This, of course, was when the young blacksmith reassured his friend, “Don’t worry. I got this.”

As Ironhide began to approach the door, he said, “You guys might not want to look. This is gonna get ugly.” With that, Ironhide made his way through the door, with Pear Butter and Burnt Oak closing the blinds so that no one could peak in.

From the outside, everyone heard Ironhide’s voice ask, “Excuse me sir. There something I can do for you?” Canned Pear’s voice, clearly irritated, replied, “Yeah. My cousin is in there, and I’ve come to take her home.” Pear Butter found herself leaning against Bright Mac, who instinctively wrapped his arms around her.

“Sorry buddy.” Ironhide replied. “I’m fairly certain whoever you’re looking for is here.” Bright Mac sighed with relief, since he knew he wouldn’t be able to lie that convincingly. Ironhide replied, “You might want to check somewhere else.”

Canned Pear then replied, “You really think you can fool me boy?” Ironhide’s voice then answered, “Sir, I respectfully request you leave.”

Bright Mac and Burnt Oak then heard the sound of knuckles cracking. The young Apple asked, “What do you think is gonna happen?” Before either of them could reply, the sound of something thick smacking into something else. This was followed by even more smacking, making it evidently clear that Ironhide and Canned Pear were now engaged in a fist fight.

“Burnt Oak?” Bright Mac nervously asked. “What’s going on out there?” Burnt Oak nervously replied, “I’m not peeking! You take a look!” Bright Mac gulped as he looked towards the closed blinds, then back to his friend and shook his head.

Then, the punching stopped. As Bright Mac and the others began to look at each other in confusion, the sound of feet running away from outside caught their attention. Pear Butter held her breath as she and the others hoped that Canned Pear had been driven off. Once a few seconds had passed, someone knocked at the door. Bright Mac then tip-toed to the front door and began to slowly turn the doorknob.

To everyone’s surprise, Ironhide walked in, his cuffs undone as he held his hands as he, with mock exhaustion, remarked, “I don’t even think I broke a sweat.” Pear Butter immediately gave Ironhide a massive hug as she repeatedly said, “Oh, thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Bright Mac himself was stunned speechless, as despite the sounds that he had heard, Ironhide didn’t have so much as a bruise on him.

Burnt Oak, himself stunned speechless, asked, “What happened?” Ironhide, managing to gently wiggle his way out of Pear Butter’s embrace, explained, “That guy had coward and idiot written all over him. When it was clear he wasn’t going to back down, I remembered Pear’s black eye and gave him hell.”

Bright Mac then solemnly said, “You realize you’re gonna get in trouble, you know that?” Ironhide sighed as he replied, “I know. Then again, if Grand Pear does come asking, I’ll let him know what his nephew did, and that if Canned Pear pulls this again, I won’t be holding back.” He then turned to Pear Butter as he finished, “Trust me. No one hurts my friends and gets away with it.”

Bright Mac and Pear Butter then wrapped Ironhide in a massive group hug. The young Pear girl motioned for Burnt Oak to join them, something the budding lumberjack was hesitant to do.

Of course, once Ironhide managed to pull him into it, Burnt Oak didn’t resist one bit.”

Burnt Oak’s Cabin, Present Day

“Golly.” Big Mac replied in amazement. Burnt Oak nodded as he replied, “Yeah. Of course Grand Pear did eventually arrive, and Ironhide explained what happened.” As the lumberjack then took a sip from his mug of hot cocoa, he continued, “The old man decided not to pursue legal action since Canned Pear had instigated everything, but he did make it clear he wouldn’t be allowed near their home.” He then gave the young Apple a smug look as he added, “Not much of a punishment if you ask me.”

Big Mac giggled as he finished writing everything down on the paper he had been provided. He then asked, “So, you know anything else about Uncle Ironhide?”

Burnt Oak, his smug smile slowly morphing into a regretful one, replied, “Not really. I was never super close to Ironhide, and only hung out with him when your father was around.” He then focused his attention on his mug as he remembered something. “Then again, there was one time Ironhide and I were together without your father.” He then raised his head to face Big Mac, his face still bearing some regret as he added, “It was about a month after Ironhide came back from the war.”

Big Mac gulped. “That was when he and Pa had their fight?” The young Apple asked. Burnt Oak nodded as he replied, “Yeah. I was out on a survey that day, but I found out a few days later. I remember going to his home to hear his side of the story, only to find him and…..”

Burnt Oak then paused as he took a deep breath as he continued, “Well, I remember pulling into his driveway, right next to his van.”

Armorhide and Ironhide’s Home, Many Years Earlier

As he walked up to the front door, Burnt Oak didn’t know if he was doing the right thing or not. The day before, Bright Mac had informed him that he and Ironhide were no longer friends and that, after getting into a fist fight, he never wanted to see that “stone cold killer” ever again. While he did trust his best friend, Burnt Oak wanted to know what Ironhide thought on the situation, and to do that, he needed to speak to him.

Knowing what he had to do, Burnt Oak knocked on the front door. ‘No turning back now.’ He thought to himself. He hoped that he hadn’t made a mistake, as he knew better than many about Ironhide’s skill with his fists.

The front door opened, revealing Chromia, clad in overalls and wearing a green bandana around her head. As Burnt Oak sighed in relief, the woman asked, “Burnt Oak? What are you doing here?”

“I, uh….” Burnt Oak began nervously. “I came to see Ironhide. I heard he and Bright Mac got into a fight.” Chromia sighed as she answered, “That’s putting it lightly.”

From inside, another, far more familiar voice asked, “Who is it Chromia?” Turning to face her boyfriend, Chromia answered, “It’s Burnt Oak.” Burnt Oak gulped, worried that he would be on the receiving end of a whooping.

Instead, he was greeted by a transformed Ironhide. Where there was once a youthful young man who was prepared to take on the world, the man standing before Burnt Oak had an aura of sadness around him and eyes that seemed to see right through him.

“Ironhide?” Burnt Oak asked nervously. After a few awkward seconds of silence, Burnt Oak continued, “You alright there buddy?”

Ironhide simply wrapped his arms around Burnt Oak in a massive embrace. Once he had been released, the young lumberjack asked, “I, uh, take it you missed me?”

Struggling to maintain some of his composure, Ironhide tearfully replied, “Oh, more than even I knew.” Ironhide then ordered, “What are you standing out there for? Come on in.” Though somewhat off-put by the demanding tone, Burnt Oak nodded as he followed his friend into his childhood home.

Once they were in the living room, Ironhide began to speak again. “Forgive me for being a bit commanding. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Burnt Oak nodded as he replied, “Yeah. Three years?”

“Yup.” Ironhide replied. “Three years since I joined the Wreckers.” As he sat down on the couch, he continued, “Though it might as well have been an eternity.” Chromia then made her way to Ironhide and sat down next to him before he remarked, “Though to be fair, I’d have waited an eternity to see you again.”

Burnt Oak then asked, “So, what was it like?” Ironhide tilted his head and asked, “What was what like?” Burnt Oak, starting to feel like he had just made a mistake, replied, “The war. What was it like to fight in the war?”

For almost five minutes, there was absolute silence. No one said anything as Ironhide just took deep breath after deep breath while Chromia tried to comfort him. Just as Burnt Oak rose from his seat, Ironhide finally gave an answer.

“It was hell.” Ironhide replied, his voice full of sorrow and regret. “It was just one nightmare after another.” Burnt Oak gulped as he replied, “Oh. I’m so sorry.”

Ironhide noticed his guest had become nervous and gently reassured Burnt Oak, “Don’t beat yourself up. It was just something I had to do.” Now that he had been reassured, Burnt Oak began to ask something, but Ironhide raised his hand as he quickly interrupted, “No. I’m not telling you any war stories.”

“Actually, I need to know what happened with you and Bright Mac.” Burnt Oak answered. Ironhide simply sighed as he rubbed his face in annoyance. Burnt Oak tried to reassure his friend, desperately pleading, “Sorry. If it’s too much, you don’t have to ask.”

“No, it’s not that.” Ironhide replied, a hint of annoyance in his voice. “It’s just that…..” He paused before he continued, “It’s a bit of a long story.” As Burnt Oak sat back down, he replied, “Hey, I have all the time in the world.”

Taking a deep breath, Ironhide began, “Well, our unit, the 84^th Wreckers, were a group of commandos. We took out fortified positions, artillery batteries, and more bases than any of us could count.”

Burnt Oak was so enamored by the story that he was surprised by an unfamiliar and raspy voice called out, “Hey Ironhide! There’s a weird car outside. We got a visitor or something?” Confused, Burnt Oak rose to see a man he had never met behind him. This man was wearing a white outfit with green and red stripes, and he had blue eyes, a pair of circular glasses, and had friendly mutton chops.

Rising from the couch, Ironhide introduced his friend. “Burnt Oak, this is Wheeljack, one of the Wreckers and, in light of recent events, my best friend.” Burnt Oak, managing to calm down, extended his hand and introduced himself.

“Howdy. The name’s Burnt Oak.” Wheeljack then shook his hand as he introduced himself with a very enthusiastic, “Pleasure to meet you. Corporal Wheeljack at your service.” Once the handshake had finished, Wheeljack turned to Ironhide and reported, “I got everything upstairs. We should be able to leave in the morning.”

“Wait, leave?” Burnt Oak asked in confusion. Ironhide began to look at Chromia, a guilty expression on both of their faces. The moment was ruined when Wheeljack asked, “Oh, you didn’t tell him?”

Ironhide sighed as he said, “Wheeljack, give us a minute.” The mustached man nodded as he tiptoed away, until he was out of sight and presumably, sound.

Once Wheeljack was gone, Ironhide sighed as he began to explain the situation. “Burnt Oak, this is gonna be the last time we speak for a while.” As Burnt Oak took in what he had just heard, Ironhide continued, “Chromia, Wheeljack, another buddy of ours named Ratchet, and I pooled our money to buy a rundown junkyard over in Allspark Wells.”

Burnt Oak gulped in surprise before he replied, “Allspark Wells? Isn’t that a state over?” He knew that Allspark Wells was the city built to house the workers of the Tyger Pax hydroelectric power station, but that was just about it. Things must have been worse than he thought than he thought. His curiosity, no longer able to be sated, Burnt Oak asked the important question.

“What happened with you and Bright Mac?”

Ironhide, sighing as he sat back down, spitefully replied, “I finally get back home, and there’s people jeering me, calling me “baby killer” and “murderer,” and the one thing I needed….” He then looked up to Burnt Oak as he finished, “….Was a friend.” As Burnt Oak felt a pang of guilt hit him right in the heart, Ironhide continued, “For three weeks I tried to talk with Bright Mac, but he just kept avoiding me, then……”

Ironhide couldn’t say anything else as he just leaned back, a single tear escaping his right eye. Chromia then began to speak. “Bright Mac heard some stories about Ironhide’s unit, and when Ironhide tried to explain, he wouldn’t let him explain.”

Burnt Oak could only let out a horrified sigh as he replied, “Bright Mac has always been known for being thick headed.” The moment the name “Bright Mac” exited his mouth, Ironhide closed his eyes as he tried to keep his temper under control. Realizing he had probably pushed the wrong buttons, Burnt Oak tried to apologize to his friend. “Sorry! I’m Sorry!”

“It’s alright.” Ironhide replied. “I just never thought it’d end like this.” Burnt Oak felt his heart break. Ironhide and Bright Mac may not have been the best of friends, but they were still very close to each other. To think that something happened to end their friendship was simply impossible to conceive.

“So….” Burnt Oak Began. “When are you leaving?” Ironhide stood up as he replied, “We leave before dawn.”

Burnt Oak turned to face the window and found that the sun was setting. Realizing it was getting late, the lumberjack dejectedly said, “Hey, I gotta go. Guess I’ll see you guys sometime in the future?” Ironhide and Chromia began to look to each other with depressed doubt. Realizing what they were thinking, Burnt Oak simply replied, “Well, see you guys.”

As Burnt Oak began to leave, Ironhide called out, “Burnt Oak!” When the lumberjack turned to face his friend, the former soldier walked up to him, reached into his pocket, and pulled something out. It was a purple medal in the shape of a heart.

“A little something to remember me by.” Ironhide said as he handed it to Burnt Oak. Realizing what was going on, the young lumberjack realized what his friend was doing, he tried to deny the gift with a humbled, “Oh no. Ironhide, I can’t accept this.”

Ironhide, however, was persistent. “Hey, I’ve got like ten of these. Think of this as a little piece of me.” Realizing his friend wouldn’t give up, Burnt Oak “relented” and accepted the medal. Once he had the Purple Heart, he placed it in his shirt pocket as he said, “I better get going.”

With that, Burnt Oak departed, leaving his friend for what was, at least in the foreseeable future, the last time.

The Present Day

Big Mac felt his eyes begin to water as Burnt Oak finished his story. The lumberjack concluded his story with a somber, “Yup. Ironhide and I communicated through letters for a while, but we didn’t speak in person for a few years. I tried to talk to your father about it, but he wouldn’t talk about it.” He then took a final sip from his cocoa as he added, “And well, we know how the story ends.”

Standing up, Big Mac found his eyes drifting to the clock on the wall. “Oh no! Ah gotta get home.” He then took his notebook and thanked the old family friend. “Thanks for the story Mr. Oak.”

“No problem kid.” Burnt Oak replied. “My door is always open. Stop by sometime if you want to know anything else.” He was pleasantly surprised when Big Mac gave him a massive hug. The young man released his host and, as he made his way to the door, called out, “See ya later!”

“Take care kid.” Burnt Oak called back as Big Mac exited through the door. Once the boy was gone, the lumberjack reached into his shirt pocket as he pulled out a small medal; a purple heart with a faded purple ribbon.

Rubbing the medal with his thumb and finger, Burnt Oak gently began to say, “I don’t know what’s going on with Apple Bloom and her siblings, but judging by what Big Macintosh told me…..” He took a deep breath as a warm smile crept back onto his face. “….She couldn’t be in better hands.”

Author's Note:

Next Time; Apple Bloom spends some time with Ratchet.

Comments

[LordOfCringe]

Canned Pear? More like Canned Trash. Boom, roasted.

[The FraudulentBrit]

10455089
Fun fact: Canned Pear was chosen because I couldn’t think of anything else that was both intimidating and pear related.

[Iamsorry]

That was a good story really enjoyed it can't wait to see the full confrontation.