Chained to the Plow

by daOtterGuy

Bolt Out of the Blue

“Hey, Mac. How’s it going?”

Big Mac stopped as he let the plow harness attached to his shoulders go slack. He turned to the source of the voice as he wiped sweat off his brow with a hoof.

A dark grey pegasus stallion with a silver and white striped mohawk hovered in the air near him.

“Hey, Thunderlane. Whatcha need?” Mac asked. “Thought the weather was supposed to be clear today?”

“It is, but the weather isn’t what I’m here for.” Thunderlane landed lightly on the ground whilst furrowing his wings at his side. “I came to see you.” He flashed a grin.

Mac stared at Thunderlane blankly. “Why?”

Thunderlane’s smile faltered. “What do you mean? Can’t I visit an old friend?”

“You can, I just-” Mac shook his head and undid the buckle attaching him to the harness with his mouth. It dropped to the ground with a thump. “Yeah, sure, but make it quick. I have fields to plow and that one to feed.” He jerked his head to a spot behind Thunderlane.

Thunderlane turned to look behind him. Apple Bloom was splashing one hoof in a mud puddle and chomping on a discarded apple with the other.

Thunderlane smirked. “She looks like she’s feeding herself just fine.”

Mac grunted. “She needs a proper meal that isn’t a single apple and whatever flecks of mud end up in ‘er mouth.” He frowned. “And a bath, but mud never hurt nopony before.”

“I don’t know about that, Mac. That mud ball to the side of your head in third grade looked like it had hurt.”

“It only hurt because Caramel is a dirty cheater and throws nothin’ but cheap shots.” Mac smirked. “Don’t know why you’re commenting on the hits I took considering that one zinger to the back of your head from Cherilee. Best shot in the game.”

Thunderlane groaned. “Threw me off so bad I dropped out of the air and fell face first into the deepest mud puddle on the playground. You had to pull me out while I whined about the dirt in my wings.” He glared at Mac. “I also remember you laughing your head off while you did it.”

“Couldn’t help it, Thunder.” Mac failed to hold back a grin. “You always were a bit obsessed when it comes to cleanliness after that presentation Ms. Spelling Bee gave on mold. Do you still clean every grape on the stalk before you eat’em?”

“No.” Thunderlane said indignantly. Mac’s grin grew bigger. Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Okay, fine. Yeah, I still clean each grape, but it’s just a habit now. I handle dirt just fine.” He stomped his hooves on the dirt field causing dust clouds to coat his legs. “See?”

“Uh huh. Still don’t make you any less weird, Thunder.”

Thunderlane snorted. “I don’t want to hear you call me weird, Mac. Who was it that brought a stuffed sheep dog with him to school everyday for five years because he got nervous around strangers?”

“Thunder!” Mac’s face flushed a darker red than his coat. “You promised me that you would never mention that again.”

“I did promise that back in fifth grade and will keep that promise — even if it was under coercion.”

Mac glared. “Not true.”

“You put me in a headlock, Mac. That’s called coercion.” Thunderlane grinned. “However, I didn’t promise not to talk about how you brought lil’ Taffy in your saddlebags to every exam right up until graduation because you got anxious without your cuddle buddy for reassurance. Right, Lil’ Mackie?”

Mac snorted angrily and charged after Thunderlane with his face tinged redder than an overripe apple. Thunderlane leapt with a flap of his wings into a hover just off the ground, laughing all the while.

He led Mac on a merry chase around the field while making passing remarks on how adorable Mac was. Mac just continued his relentless charge at the offending bird on his property while quietly fuming.

Apple Bloom, thoroughly enjoying the manic chase, clapped her hooves together enthusiastically as she called out “get’em!” to Mac.

Big Mac put on a final burst of speed and managed to tackle Thunderlane in mid air, who gave out a surprised yelp. They rolled along the ground before stopping a short ways away with Big Mac on top of Thunderlane, muzzles only several inches apart.

Thunderlane chuckled in a deep brassy tone as he gave insincere apologies to Mac. Mac was struck silent as he felt a wave of emotion flood through him when he looked down on Thunderlane pinned just below him.

He couldn’t place the emotion, but it made him want to remove the distance between them.

Thunderlane managed to get his giggle fit under control. He looked back at Mac with amber coloured eyes and a warm smile. “You got a look in your eye, Mac. What are you thinking?”

Mac felt his heart hammer in his chest and his flood of emotions swell bigger than before. Bigger than him. A loud, raging storm in the core of his being.

He liked how it felt, these feelings he couldn’t quite place.

Then Apple Bloom giggled.

And family, home, and legacy crashed in to remind him of what he was supposed to be feeling.

Abruptly Big Mac stood up and trotted back towards the plow. Thunderlane got up after him with a confused expression on his face.

“Wait, what-” Thunderlane started before shaking his head. “Okay, uh, do you still want to have that talk? We could-”

“Can’t,” Mac interrupted as he hooked himself back up to the plow. “I need these fields plowed before lunch.” He braced himself, pulled the harness buckles tight, and turned his head to look back at Thunderlane. “Good to see ya, Thunderlane, but I got work to do.”

Big Mac pulled the plow pointedly facing forward and ignored the hurt look on Thunderlane’s face. A short few gallops away, he heard the pounding of hooves as Thunderlane caught up to him and trotted by his side with a determined look on his face.

“What if I help you out?”

Big Mac paused mid pull and let the plow slow to a stop. “Why?”

“If I help you with the work, you finish sooner, which means you’ll have time to talk to me over lunch.”

“Don’t you have weather work?” Mac asked.

Thunderlane rolled his eyes. “Weather work is sporadic. So long as I’m present for the rain cloud making tonight, I have the rest of the day off.”

Big Mac thought over the proposal. “Fine. Second plow is in the barn. Grab it, start on the opposite side of the field and if you manage to last until lunch, we’ll talk.”

Before Thunderlane could give vocal confirmation, Big Mac had already restarted his trek, pulling the plow and leaving straight grooves behind.

As Mac continued to till the soil, he watched as Thunderlane struggled with the second plow. He face-planted several times attempting to push the thing out of the barn, got tangled up in the harness trying to don it, and trotted in place as he failed to pull the plow after him.

Big Mac gave a shake of his head. “Don’t worry about it, Thunderlane. If you can’t do it, I can-”

“Shut up, Mac!” Thunderlane yelled back. “I am pulling this stupid heap of scrap metal if its the last thing I do.” He growled. “No mere object shall beat Thunderlane!”

Thunderlane continued to exert himself against the plow. A vein popped out along his neck as he gritted his teeth and snorted from exertion.

Mac was about to interject again when, miraculously, the plow moved.

Mac slowed to a stop as he raised both eyebrows in surprise. Thunderlane was moving forward.

With the plow.

He wasn’t as fast as Mac, nopony was, and he’d seen his baby sister draw straighter lines, but he was getting it done. Slow and steady.

Mac smiled and continued his trek.

---

With Thunderlane’s assistance, they finished a half hour before lunchtime.

Thunderlane had collapsed into a dining room chair with his head resting on the table as soon as they stepped through the door. Mac set about making a hearty lunch of vegetable stew as Thunderlane lightly complained about how dirty his hooves were. Apple Bloom had been placed into a booster seat and giggled happily as she clapped her hooves for ‘birdy’.

Thunderlane smiled at the new nickname.

In time, Mac set the table with several massive portions of food and talked with Thunderlane. Memories were revisited, current events were discussed, and promises for future visits were made.

As they talked, Mac felt the weight of his responsibility lift to be replaced by a gentle warmth he hadn’t felt in a long while.

He couldn’t remember if he had ever smiled as much as he did then.

Comments

[Bicyclette]

Thunderlane turned to look behind him. Apple Bloom was splashing one hoof in a mud puddle and chomping on a discarded apple with the other.

aww that is so Apple Bloom

Thunderlane smirked. “She looks like she’s feeding herself just fine.”

hehehe great answer

“It only hurt because Caramel is a dirty cheater and throws nothin’ but cheap shots.” Mac smirked. “Don’t know why you’re commenting on the hits I took considering that one zinger to the back of your head from Cherilee. Best shot in the game.”

hehe, always love references to the cast being the same age as Cheerilee growing up

He led Mac on a merry chase around the field while making passing remarks on how adorable Mac was. Mac just continued his relentless charge at the offending bird on his property while quietly fuming.

ehehe he is an offending bird so true

Big Mac put on a final burst of speed and managed to tackle Thunderlane in mid air, who gave out a surprised yelp. They rolled along the ground before stopping a short ways away with Big Mac on top of Thunderlane, muzzles only several inches apart.

hoowee

He liked how it felt, these feelings he couldn’t quite place.

Then Apple Bloom giggled.

And family, home, and legacy crashed in to remind him of what he was supposed to be feeling.

noooooo Big Mac! why would those two be in conflict?

He wasn’t as fast as Mac, nopony was, and he’d seen his baby sister draw straighter lines, but he was getting it done. Slow and steady.

Mac smiled and continued his trek.

yay, assistance!

Apple Bloom had been placed into a booster seat and giggled happily as she clapped her hooves for ‘birdy’.

Thunderlane smiled at the new nickname.

aww that is so cute!

He couldn’t remember if he had ever smiled as much as he did then.

yay, Big Mac being happy! i am surprised! and i certainly hope this will not be the happiness that is later taken away again to make Big Mac even more of a tragic figure!