Chained to the Plow

by daOtterGuy

To Fund a Castle

It had been several weeks since the funeral. His relatives had left after a massive harvest and several check-ins to make sure Mac was fully decided on his course of action. With some assistance from Braeburn, he had managed to get everypony to drop the issue and trust that Mac knew what he was doing.

Because he did.

The last of his relatives to leave had been the Oranges with Applejack. She had said nary a word since she had decided to leave and Mac wasn’t inclined to start that conversation. He’d had enough goodbyes to last him the rest of his life, he didn’t need another one.

The day she left, he had watched her leave from the kitchen window, hoping that she would have a change of heart, but she hadn’t even looked back once.

He was bitter about her leaving, but they would be okay without her.

Life continued on after that. Everyday, he woke up and got to work. Everyday, he went to bed exhausted and aching. Back breaking mundanity from sunup to sundown.

He harvested the trees, tilled the soil, and sold products at the market. A never ending cycle.

Apple Bloom stayed close by as she had taken to galloping all around the field while he worked. She was always babbling some nonsense to him that never ceased to bring a smile to his face.

Big Mac had also foregone the wooden yoke he normally bore instead for a frilly orange apple-patterned bandana around his neck. He got some strange looks for the fashion statement, but it was a memento from Granny and he would be damned if he allowed others to muddle his devotion to his family.

It also helped that nopony wanted to anger the biggest stallion in Ponyville.

He would have worn his Pa’s hat as well, but AJ had taken off with it.

It ultimately didn’t matter. The fields still needed tending and a hat wasn’t going to help none.

That day, however, he had different priorities: a meeting with Filthy Rich — or ‘Rich’ as he preferred to be called.

It was time for the annual renegotiation of the contract between the Apple family and Barnyard Bargains.

---

Big Mac sat opposite Rich in his office located on the top floor of Barnyard Bargains. A large oaken desk sat between them covered in various papers.

Neither stallion had said a word to each other since Big Mac had arrived with Apple Bloom in tow. Said filly was playing with some toys just outside the office door, which Rich had kindly provided with a knowing smile.

Rich regarded Mac sternly with half lidded light blue eyes. His black mane was swept back, his light dusty brown coat was groomed to an immaculate finish and a neatly tied red bow tie adorned his neck.

Mac couldn’t help but also notice the heavy bags under his eyes.

“So, Mac,” Rich started. “How much do you know about the contract my family has with yours?”

“It’s a sales agreement for bulk sellin’ of zap apple jam. It’s the only product we don’t sell ourselves. Everything else we sell directly at the market,” Mac replied.

Rich nodded. “That’s the gist of the contract, yes. We’ve had it in place since my grandfather’s time.” He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Alright, before we continue this discussion, you and I are going to have a talk.”

Mac glared at Rich already knowing where the conversation was heading. “I can run the farm by myself.”

“The farm isn’t what I’m worried about. It’s everything else.” Rich splayed his forehooves on the desk and looked Mac dead in the eye. “Tell me, Mac. What is the full list of your responsibilities?”

Mac returned Rich’s intense look with one of his own. “I harvest and maintain the fields, process apples into cider and jam, and sell them in the market.”

“And you need to renew your market license,” Rich added. “Not to mention negotiating ongoing contract work with Canterlot and Trottingham. Organizing any catering gigs that the Acres host which are frequent enough to be a problem. Plus the most important thing that you can never ignore.” Rich pointed his hoof towards the office door. “Raising your baby sister.”

Mac snorted angrily. “I can-”

“Overwork yourself into an early grave leaving everything worse off than before?” Rich snorted. “Yeah, you’re doing a pretty good job of that already. How much sleep have you been getting?”

Mac kept his mouth shut.

“That answers my question well enough.” Rich shook his head. “You can't do this to yourself, Mac.”

“I can handle it. I’ve been doing fine since the funeral.”

“For now, but exhaustion tends to catch up over time. It's a losing game.” Rich gave Mac a hard glare. “What are you going to do if you collapse in a field?”

“I won’t,” Mac retorted.

“That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t need to answer because I won’t.”

“Fine, not a real answer, but I’ll table it for now. How will you handle all the administrative work for the Acres? I know your parents and Granny handled everything before, and I doubt they taught you much since you were going to become a banker.”

“They didn’t, but I’ll figure it out,” Mac grumbled.

“Figure it out how?”

“I don’t know!” Mac got up onto his hooves. “I’ll just figure it out. I have to.”

“That’s not good enough!” Rich slammed a forehoof onto the table. “You have a young foal to care for now. You can't make mistakes that put her at risk.”

“I know that! I’m tryin’, Rich,” Mac said desperately.

“And I get that. I do. But you’re making promises you can’t keep.” Rich took a deep breath. “Which is why I’m going to give you a way out.”

Mac flinched. “I’m not sellin’ the-”

“Not what I’m asking you to do,” Rich interrupted. “You’re going to agree to a contract.” Rich took a thick sheaf of papers out from a drawer in his desk and dropped it onto the table with a hearty slap. “After-” Rich gave Mac an intense look. “You read over everything.”

Mac read over the contract carefully. He paused several times over the course of his reading to reread certain passages, but kept a neutral expression on his face through the entirety of the proceedings. After finishing, he placed the contract back on the desk and took a deep breath.

He heaved himself onto the table with both forehooves planted and stared down Rich with a furious glare.

“You’re takin’ everything,” Mac declared.

“Temporarily. And not all of it,” Rich answered back. “You still handle the actual farm.”

“You’ll be sellin’ the cider, the apples, the jams, everything. There won’t be nothin’ left for us.”

“That's a misconstruing of the point and you know it.” Rich glared. “All the profits still go to you, just under different handlers.”

“Non-Apple family handlers,” Mac growled.

“Perfectly good handlers,” Rich spat back. “Until Apple Bloom is older and you can more fairly split the load. Give yourself time to learn how to handle everything properly instead of figuring it out as you go along.”

“I don’t understand. You’re not gettin’ anything out of this. I’d reckon you would actually lose more than you would gain and the whole deal states that everything reverts back to me after a time if you don’t preemptively break the contract yourself.” Mac narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

Rich was quiet for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. “I lost my family too, Mac. My father and mother were killed by timberwolves when I was young.”

“I’m sorry, Rich,” Mac said quietly.

“So was I.” Rich said bitterly. “But it wasn’t all bad. Some friendly farmers handled the business I inherited. Said it was just the right thing to do. When I was ready, they gave it back to me and simply asked that I maintain their existing contract, which I’ve done every year since.” Rich looked to Mac with a morose expression. “Do you want to guess who those ponies were?”

Mac took his hooves off the table and slumped onto his rump. “I didn’t know about that.”

“Not many do since none of your kin liked to take credit for anything.” Rich took a deep breath. “Regardless, I’m not taking advantage of you. I’m just paying back some interest on a debt I can never repay by giving you something important: time to grow up.”

Mac looked back at the contract. He frowned again. “I still don’t know about this Rich. It goes against what my family believes in.”

Rich leaned forward and gave Mac a sympathetic look. “Your family believed in helping others and I like to think I do, too.” He leaned back with a weary sigh. “That being said, if you don’t want to sign it, I’ll have you sign off on the usual contract and you can leave.”

Mac’s head shot up. “You’re not going to make me?”

“No.” Rich shook his head. “I couldn’t even if I wanted to and I don’t want to. I can offer help, but it’s your choice to take it.”

Mac stared back down at the contract. A piece of paper that could make his life easier. Give him time to learn his new role and grow into the proper stallion he’s supposed to be.

But it was a stab against his pride to take help. A handout. It meant he wasn’t ready. That he couldn’t handle it.

That made him a liar.

He glanced over his shoulder to the office door. He thought of his sister playing beyond.

What was pride in the face of family? His integrity was attached to supporting them, not his ego.

He turned back to Rich.

“Do ya have a pen I could borrow?” Mac asked.

Comments

[Graymane Shadow]

A nice twist here with Filthy. Looking forward to the next chapter.

[Bicyclette]

The last of his relatives to leave had been the Oranges with Applejack. She had said nary a word since she had decided to leave and Mac wasn’t inclined to start that conversation. He’d had enough goodbyes to last him the rest of his life, he didn’t need another one.

The day she left, he had watched her leave from the kitchen window, hoping that she would have a change of heart, but she hadn’t even looked back once.

oh i am sure he will carry that not looking back even once into the future

Big Mac had also foregone the wooden yoke he normally bore instead for a frilly orange apple-patterned bandana around his neck. He got some strange looks for the fashion statement, but it was a memento from Granny and he would be damned if he allowed others to muddle his devotion to his family.

aww, fic cover drop! and yeah, considering it seems like that yoke was his father’s in the first place, it’s very in keeping for Big Mac to honor her that way

He would have worn his Pa’s hat as well, but AJ had taken off with it.

oh he is keeping track of these things for sure!

Neither stallion had said a word to each other since Big Mac had arrived with Apple Bloom in tow. Said filly was playing with some toys just outside the office door, which Rich had kindly provided with a knowing smile.

aww, cute!

“I don’t need to answer because I won’t.”

oof, there’s that Apple Family stubbornness

“So was I.” Rich said bitterly. “But it wasn’t all bad. Some friendly farmers handled the business I inherited. Said it was just the right thing to do. When I was ready, they gave it back to me and simply asked that I maintain their existing contract, which I’ve done every year since.” Rich looked to Mac with a morose expression. “Do you want to guess who those ponies were?”

oh, dang! love this backstory for Filthy Rich, and explains why he’s always done right by the Apples

What was pride in the face of family? His integrity was attached to supporting them, not his ego.

so true! glad Big Mac is thinking of this