A Choice

by Bellum

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

In the past week, Big Mac had made more excuses to make trips into town than he had at any point in his life. However, he also finished his morning chores before sunrise and hurriedly got the evening work done before anyone could complain. On the first couple of days, Applejack didn't pay the sudden change of behavior much attention. Though she loved her big brother, she thought of him as lacking in the social department. He hardly had any friends and there wasn’t a mare to speak of. It wasn't right for a young stallion like her brother to slave away in the fields all day thinking that the farm was first to everything else.

To make matters worse, she felt partly guilty for his behavior. Though she did her fair share of the work on the farm, she also took a lot of time off to be with her friends. Sometimes there was something she wanted to do so badly she asked her sweet brother if he could do her work for the day. Not once did he have to agree to take on her workload, but every time he said, “Eeyup.” No complaints, no favors, and no ill muttering came from his lips. He was more than glad to take on the extra work as long as she was happy.

So when Big Mac asked her if he could go into town to sell apples again she was mildly surprised, but pleased as well. Something, or someone, was luring the farmer back into town. Whatever it was had her curious, but she didn't want to scare him or make him feel uncomfortable. So she gave him a smile and a nod of her head. He didn't show it, but she could tell he was happy.

The only times she took a break from her work that day was during lunch and when she fetched her sister from school. The moment she stepped into town she knew something was out of the ordinary. The streets were deserted and most of the stores were closed, but there was no signs of any danger. Glancing into several windows, she saw a few ponies at home, but they didn't seemed distressed.

She would have learned why the town was deserted if she had gone through the town square. However, it wasn't until she met her sister at the little red schoolhouse that she learned anything. Three young fillies were out on the playground, waiting for their parents or siblings to pick them up. Apple Bloom, a yellow earth pony wearing a red bow in her red mane, had her orange eyes glued to her two companions.

A white unicorn with a mulberry and pink mane lowered and raised her melodious voice. In front of her, a blue doll dressed as a ballerina was dancing along to her voice. Though the doll seemed to be made of a shiny glass substance, its movements were as smooth as a living creature. To say its performance was anything short of amazing would be an insult.

Not too far away from the unicorn, to her right, an orange pegasus with a fuchsia mane and purple eyes was concentrating her attention at a board under her hooves. The board was made from a dull gray plastic shaped into a large crescent. The pegasus’ forelegs were planted squarely on both sides of the board with her wings spread out. Under her breath she muttered something that sounded foreign. The board suddenly glowed a bright orange and a gust of air propelled the pegasus to the skies.

For a moment, Applejack nearly panicked, for she knew the filly couldn't fly. However, the fear quickly subsided. The pegasus was only a little more than half a dozen yards in the air, and instead of falling to the earth like a rock, her wings were spread out so she could glide over a short distance. It wasn't flying, but it was the next best thing. Near the end of the flight the pegasus tried to do a somersault. However, there wasn't enough space between her and the ground and she landed hard on her back. Not hard enough to do any harm though, for she sprung right back onto her hooves with a massive grin plastered on her face.

As the pegasus dashed back toward the board, Applejack announced her arrival. “Howdy girls! Where’d ya get the fancy toys?” They were so absorbed with what they were doing the fillies were surprised to see her. The pegasus came to a halt in front of her board while the singing stopped abruptly, causing the doll to come to a stop on one hoof while its two fore hooves arched over its head.

“Hey big sis,” Apple Bloom called out once she noticed her elder sibling. “Do you mind if Ah stay a bit longer? Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo’s new toys are so fun t’ watch.”

“Maybe for a few more minutes,” replied the cowpony as she took a closer examination of the doll. “Ah must say, Ah never seen somethin’ like this before. How were you able t’ make it move without usin’ magic, Sweetie Belle?”

The unicorn shrugged. “Beats me. Mr. Dollar said that this is a device European singers use to help with their singing. The better a pony sings, the more elegant its movements become.” To prove her point she sang a little piece that the cowpony wasn't familiar with, but the filly’s voice made it delightful to listen to. The doll agreed, for it started to move once more with fluid movement. When she stopped singing the doll stopped. “Now you try.”

Wanting to see if what Sweetie Belle said was true, Applejack sang a little folk tale off the top of her head. Her voice was decent, but compared to the unicorn it was weak. The doll moved once more, but unlike earlier, it jerked its way across the grass with little grace.

“Guess it don’t like my voice,” she joked as she stopped singing.

“That what Mr. Dollar said,” said the unicorn with a giggle. “He thought that I'd get more joy from it than he did.”

Though Applejack wondered who this Mr. Dollar was, she turned her attention onto the pegasus. “An’ that thing is?”

“A launch pad,” exclaimed Scootaloo as she bounced onto it. “It’s supposed to help pegasus fillies get a feel for the air by launching them. All you do is put your legs out like this, spread your wings, and say,” she shouted, “Levantar!” Again, a gust of wind tossed the pegasus into the air. Like before, she glided for a couple dozen feet, but this time she was able to execute a clumsy somersault before making a decent landing.

Running back over to them, Scootaloo said, “I would offer you a try, but it’s not really made for you.”

Nodding her head, Applejack asked, “That’s pretty neat, but whered’ya get it?”

“Mr. Dollar gave it to me after Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and I helped him out this morning,” she replied.

“This mornin’,” Applejack asked sternly with a raised eyebrow to her little sister, “as in this mornin’ when you shoulda been in school.”

“It was nothing like that!” exclaimed Apple Bloom as she spun around to face her sister. “We didn't skip school or anythin’. My friends and Ah were heading straight for it when we ran into Mr. Dollar. He was heading t’ town square and bumped into us. He wanted our help to spread the word that he was in town, but we told him we needed to go to school. Instead of sayin’ goodbye he asked where our school was and we took him here. After talkin’ to Miss Cheerilee we were excused for the mornin’ as long we made up for it later.”

Pointing to the objects, she said, “And we told anypony who would listen t’ us about Mr. Dollar. There were so many ponies at town square that he wanted to award us. He offered us payment in bits, or we could get an item of equal value.” Craning her neck to the side, she bent down and turned back around to show a small cloth bag in her mouth. Putting it down, she continued, “Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo got new toys. Ah went for the bits.”

“If Ah were to ask Miss Cheerilee about this story, would she tell me it’s true?” Applejack asked skeptically.

“Yes!” exclaimed the Cutie Mark Crusaders in union.

“She’s still in the school house doing whatever it is teachers do after school,” said Sweetie Belle.

After a few seconds of examining innocent faces, Applejack trotted into the school to find the teacher. She said a quick hello and talked about Apple Bloom's grades just to be polite. She then asked her to confirm the Crusaders' story. Yes, said the teacher, a charming, young stallion by the name of Silver Dollar came in to ask if several of her students could assist him. At first, the teacher was a little suspicious of him, but after a nice conversion she allowed the Crusaders to help the stallion.

Intrigued, Applejack asked her what Silver wanted help with. Nothing much, just wanted them to spread word that he was setting up shop in the town square. From what he had told her, he was selling exotic items to help fund a trip he was about to make. He was also looking for anything that could only be found in Ponyville.

The cowpony thanked the teacher for the information and went back outside to collect her sister. The younger sibling protested, but in the end she said goodbye to her friends. As they walked home, Apple Bloom unknowingly dropped a bombshell. “Was Big Mac sellin’ apples today?” she asked.

“Last Ah checked he was,” replied the cowpony with a small smile.

“Well, Ah saw him when we were in town square,” said Apple Bloom as she shifted the bag of money on her back to a more stable position. “He had the stand with him and he was right across from Mr. Dollar's store, starin’ at it.” Pausing for a second, she added, “Did you know that Mr. Dollar is lookin’ for ponies t’ go with him ‘round the world?”

“No,” replied a slightly bemused Applejack, “Ah did not.”

For one more day she didn't bother with the thought as Big Mac, for the third day in a row, took the apple cart into town. She did, however, ask her sister to swing by town square to see how their brother was doing. She reported the exact same thing she had the day before.

So, when the farmer tried to take the cart into town the next day, she refused the request. “Sorry Big Mac,” she said as she feed the hogs. “Ah’m goin’ into town to meet up with Fluttershy, an’ some of the fencin’ needs ta be worked on. You wouldn’t mind takin’ care of that would ya?” He didn't say no, but she could feel he wanted to. “Maybe tomorrow,” she added.

That day she did have something to do in town: to go and see what the big fuss was about this Silver Dollar. Yesterday, several of her friends came by to see how she was doing. Though they chatted a little on different subjects, the topic would always return to the strange merchant and his wagon.

Twilight visited the merchant to see if she could expand the library's collection. To her surprise, he had some of the rarest books ever printed, which now had a new home in her personal collection. Though Rarity believed the clothing Silver wore was out of date, the clothing and fabric he sold was so new and fascinating. She paid a pretty penny to get her hooves on them. Fluttershy was somewhat conflicted about the merchant. He was kind and generous, but she was appalled that he sold fur coats. It didn't help that he told her of a time when he and his father tracked and killed a manticore.

One had to be either deaf or living under a rock to not know how the merchant operated by now. At the crack of dawn, he left his hotel and towed his wagon to the town square. From sunrise to sunset, he sold his wares. As soon as the sun dipped into the horizon he packed up and headed to the hotel to spend the rest of his day looking for a new employee.

Applejack tried to meet him personally while he was selling, but by the time she got to town square, most of the town had converged on him. It didn't matter if the pony was buying or not because, in his own right, Mr. Dollar was a show pony. She shoved her way to the front of the crowd to see what got them riled up. When she got there she was momentarily blinded by a flash of light.

Once her vision cleared, she quickly spotted the object that blinded her. Standing on his hind legs, Mr. Dollar held a four foot long, curved steel sword in his mouth. Strapped to his back was a black, shiny sheath which looked out of place against his working clothes. Set in front of him was a ten by four board held up by a purple glow. In one smooth, downward movement, the sword cut through the wood with little resistance. Because of the magic, the wood stayed in place, but whoever held it pulled the two halves apart.

The merchant pressed the sword point into the ground and placed a hoof on its handle to keep it in place. “There’s no doubt that the blade is sharp,” said the merchant. “ Made to hack off flesh and bone, but it can also make a nice decorated piece. Miss Sparkle, please take the blade and do be careful about it.” From somewhere in the crowd Twilight appeared with a smile on her face.

“Yes sir,” she said as her horn glowed violet. The same glow gripped the sword by the hilt, slowly levitated it into the air, and made it face the crowd horizontally.

“Thank you,” said Silver. “This katana was made by a master swordsmith back in the late 1600’s. Before the island nation Uma closed off its border, one of my grandmothers managed to sneak in and buy it. Not sure why, but then again, it’s because of her that I have so much weaponry lying around the house. Would anyone like to take a closer look at it?” A few hooves went into the air. “Come forward and please be careful. These swords are extremely sharp and one wrong move could cause a terrible mess.”

Several ponies made their way to the front row to take a better look. One of them being a rainbow mane pegasus who popped out of nowhere three ponies down from Applejack. For a moment, Applejack thought of walking over to the pegasus and asking why she had been avoiding her for the past month. However, she knew the pegasus could easily fly away, so the cowpony chose to wait for another opportunity.

Turning her attention back to the merchant, she watched as the sword slowly hovered several inches from ponies' faces. When it came by her she understood why it should be held with caution. The single edge looked to be well cared for and, based on what happened to the board, it wasn't hard to imagination it cutting through her skin as if it was paper.

A few more ponies examined it before the sword was placed back into its sheath. Getting back on his hind hooves, the merchant took the sheath off his back. “As promised, I have shown off one of my more dangerous items. If someone would like to buy it, be my guest, but be aware that it isn't a toy.” Based on several faces, some of the ponies didn’t hear him. Walking back over to his store, the merchant placed the sword away where the crowd wouldn't see it.

“Now,” he said as he leaned on the counter, “may the next customer come up.” One would think he was selling the last of the apple cider at the end of the season by the way the crowd swarmed to be first. Applejack lost sight of both of her friends and nearly got pulled along with the mob.

Deciding it was best to meet Mr. Dollar later, Applejack spent the rest of the day wandering around town. Somehow, in the afternoon, Rarity drafted her into fitting several of her new dresses. That ate up several hours that she didn't want to spend, but thankfully, the white unicorn loved to talk while she worked, which made the rather daunting task pass quickly. The only reason she got away in the end was because the sun had nearly set and Rarity had other business she needed to attend to.

Once she was out of her friend's mane, Applejack went straight to Ponyville’s only hotel. The hotel was a large, white building with green trimming called The Wanderer Oasis. Though it was primarily a place to rent a room, it also served as a bar and a place of meeting. Usually it wasn't too busy, but it obviously got enough business to stay afloat.Today, there was a line to get into the hotel.

Applejack knew Ponyville wasn't the biggest town in Equestria, but there couldn’t be that many ponies who were willing to leave everything they knew behind for a trip around the world. It should be pointed out that most of the ponies were around her age. Old enough to make their own lives, but young enough not to be deeply rooted to one place.

Not wanting to spend her night in a line, Applejack thought to try again another day. She did, however, stand there long enough to tell that the line wouldn’t last. Apparently, not just anyone can be hired for plenty of sad looking ponies left the hotel.

Though she didn't meet Mr. Dollar, she saw enough that she wondered if Big Mac was drawn by the pony's charisma and promise. Nothing in the past would have indicated that he ever wanted to travel. However, since he was young, it was pounded into his head that his duty was to the farm and his family. It wouldn't surprise her if he kept what he believed a forbidden dream to himself.

For the last three days of the week, Big Mac’s actions kept on proving her hypothesis. Working harder so he had time to go into town, bring their little sister back home from school so he could swing by the town square, and once she suspected he broke some tools just to get away from the farm.

On one of these days he managed to talk to Mr. Dollar. He negotiated with the merchant about the selling of a couple of barrels of the family's apple cider. The cowpony agreed it was a good idea to sell the cider for the right price. However, she disapproved of the fact that he did this without her knowledge.

Tonight was the night that Applejack got to the bottom of this mystery. Whether her brother admitted it or not, he wanted something from that pony. And the more he refused to face it, the more irritated he became.

When she was a filly, she remembered a bitter, old pony that came to town. The reason he was so bitter was because he was too afraid of chasing a dream that was in his reach. She didn't think Big Mac would turn out that way, but still. Better to not go down that path than receiving a pony from it.

*******

Upstairs in his room, Big Mac sat quietly at a desk as he read through the book before him. The desk on which the book rested was much like its owner; plain, simple, and undecorated. However, the wood had been waxed to prolong its life. Beside the book was a candle, illuminating the page's neatly written, cursive words.

He could see why Twilight first thought it was an autobiography. The first half a dozen pages were spent describing some of the author's own experiences in life. None of it was interesting and the author himself joked that he was boring the readers. He ended the last paragraph of the chapter in a peculiar way. Since time can't tell its own history, it is time for me to tell a part of it for it.

From there, the author launched into the lives of about a dozen different ponies that were all related in one way or another. The first few pages were dedicated to a short summary of the pony’s early life, but soon they described the journeys which they took later on. Some of the tales told of the first ponies who settled Equestria while others traveled to foreign lands. All of them faced a hard life, but the endings varied greatly.

Just as Twilight said, there were plenty of pictures and drawings to view. The author claimed that every image was a photocopy of the original. No way of telling if that was true, but the degree of artmanship did change with the stories.

For the past week, every evening, he locked himself away in his room, turned off the lights, and used the candlelight to read the book. At the moment, he was reading about a stallion paddling down the Nile River. Good thing that Pinkie Pie's pet baby alligator was toothless. It may not be a crocodile, but he’d rather not have the close relative chomp down on his flank.

The pounding on his bedroom’s door ripped him out of his reading. “Big Mac,” Apple Bloom called out, “are ya in there?”

“Eeyup,” he shouted back.

“It's time for dinner.”

Mentally sighing, he said, “Be there in a moment.” He listened to his little sister's hooves clatter away from his room. And I was getting to a good part, he thought as he marked his page by bending one of its corners. He closed the book and blew the candle's flame out. For a moment or two, he blindly walked through the dark- the only light source was moonlight filtering through a lonely window. When he ran into the wall, he put a hoof on it and started to feel around. Once he found the light switch he flipped it up.

The light turned on to an overall empty room. Its walls were painted a light shade of green. A queen size bed covered in sheets was positioned in the middle of the room. Next to the bed was the window, overlooking the apple orchard. Below the window sat a small square table holding a lamp. On the right side of the room sat his desk and on the left was a bookshelf. Several books occupied the shelves, but old toys, random stuff, and a rag tag stuffed animal took up most the space. To some ponies the room may seemed to be lifeless, but to him it was perfect the way it was.

As he looked the room over to memorized the layout. He didn’t know why as he had seen it over a thousand times, but he did anyways. With a mental picture in mind, he unlocked the door and headed toward the dining room.

The dining room was a nice size area connected to the kitchen and living room by narrow hallways. A maple wood floor showed signs of many years of wear. Walls were painted a seemly red and covered with pictures of the Apple clan. From old gray photos of the founders of the farm, to more colorful one of recent inhabitants and relatives. Centered in the middle of the room was a round table big enough to sit eight ponies, but four chairs accompanied it.

Someone had set the table for dinner. Four good size bowls accompanied by glasses sat in front of each chair. Napkins laid beside the bowls with a single spoon set on top of them. A pot with a ladle sticking out of it rested in the center of the table. Salt and pepper shakers, crackers, and a bowl filled with shredded cheese were scattered about.

Already sitting at the table was Apple Bloom and Granny Smith. Granny Smith, an elderly mare well past her prime, fought to stay awake. Her white mane and tail were pulled back into a bun, but a few strands of hair stuck out. Light lime green fur did little to hide the wrinkles. Light orange eyes peered through half closed lids. On her flank was an image of a baked pie in its pan.

Unlike her older counterpart, Apple Bloom jumped in her chair trying to make conversion. It was on the topic of her friends and their new attempt in getting their cutie marks.

“Good evenin’,” said the farmer as he walked into the room.

Apple Bloom faced her brother with a big smile. “Howdy Big Mac, Ah was just tellin’ Granny how the Crusaders and Ah excavated Daisy’s backyard for fossils.”

A little worried that he might be filling in holes sometime soon, the farmer asked, “Did ya find any?”

“No,” said Applebloom, the smile faded away into a frown. “All we found were rocks, dirt, and some black, sticky liquid that was almost impossible to get out of my coat.” Turning her head to look at her side, she added, “Ah think there might be a stain, but it isn’t noticeable.”

“Did Daisy let ya dig in her yard?”

“Of course she did,” said Apple Bloom, a little offended. “Ah wouldn't dig somepony’s yard up without permission.” Being on the receiving end of one of the Cutie Mark Crusaders' schemes, Big Mac was skeptical. However, unless Daisy came over and complained about it, he’d give his sister the benefit of a doubt.

“Sit down in your chair,” said the farmer. Happy that he wouldn't pursue the matter, Apple Bloom complied.

Taking his seat at the table, Big Mac found that he sat across from an empty chair. Applejack cooked tonight’s dinner, so that wasn't so strange. She was probably grabbing a loaf of bread to go with the vegetable stew. For a minute, the three sat there with Apple Bloom talking about how things were doing in school, the recent adventures with friends, and a little about a classmate she wasn't all that thrilled about.

The sound of hooves heading toward the table told of the chef’s arrival, but none of them gave her much thought. However, the large platter she put in front of them caused the raising of eyebrows. A jug of milk and water was where they should be, but the large jug of cider was unexpected. “Milk and water for anyone who wants it and apple cider for the adults,” said Applejack with a queer smile.

“What's the occasion,” asked Granny Smith, a little confused.

“Yeah,” Apple Bloom said, “and why can't Ah have some cider?”

“Who said that somethin’ special has to happen for us to have a little treat? Besides, everypony has been workin’ hard this week so Ah thought that a treat is in order.” Before her sister could complain, she added, “Ah have an apple pie in the oven as we speak. As soon as the timer goes off Ah'll go get it.”

The mentioning of apple pie got Apple Bloom to settle down and took Applejack’s kindness as face value. Granny Smith and Big Mac weren't so easily persuaded, but they couldn't see anything wrong with her statement, and especially since the cowpony was an awful liar. They knew she was telling the truth.

As soon as the cowpony took her place at the table, dinner began. Each Apple got their respected portion of the meal and additives. Big Mac and the eldest sister served themselves a glass of cider while Apple Bloom poured milk for Granny and her. As they ate, the three mares idly chatted about everyday life. Big Mac more or less kept to himself, pausing from his meal only to add a minor comment or when his opinion was wanted. As supper progressed, the farmer drank several glasses of cider. It wasn't enough alcohol to get him drunk, but he could feel the drink working its magic.

If he paid any attention at all to Applejack, he would be wondering why she gave him a satisfied glance each time he poured more cider into his glass. He would also be curious about the fact that she hadn't drunk more than half a glass of her cider. None of the Apples were alcoholics, but they appropriated a good drink when given to them.

Sometime during the meal the ringing of a bell came from the kitchen. “Be back in a sec,” said the cowpony as she sprinted out of her chair. A minute later she came back into the room on her hind legs, carrying a steaming pie in her gloved hooves. After setting the pie on the table, she went back into the kitchen to fetch a knife, four plates, and four forks. She quickly set each dish and piece of silverware in their place before returning to her seat.

It went unsaid that dinner must be finished before anyone got a slice of pie. Apple Bloom wasn't inhaling her stew, but she ate fast enough that her sister told her to slow down. Granny slowly chewed away at the vegetables while Applejack had long since finished and now talked to pass the time. Big Mac had also finished, but he sat nonchalantly in silence; relaxed to the point where time was non-existent.

Cider and a good, warm meal did that to a pony. Add the apple pie into the factor and tonight, he could easily go to bed and fall asleep within minutes. At the moment he lazily shoveled chunks of pie into his mouth. Apple Bloom already devoured here first slice and served herself a second. Granny managed a few forkfuls before deciding she was full. She muttered about going to bed, but the chair she was in would do for a quick nap.

Applejack, however, hardly touched the pie that sat in front of her. Instead, a peculiar smile was plastered on her face. “Hope it's tasty,” she said directly to her brother. “Ah tried some different apples from what Ah usually use. Ya know, mix things up a little.”

“It tastes great!” shouted Apple Bloom as she devoured her second slice of pie.

“Eeyup,” said Big Mac.

“Are ya sure?” Looking to her sister, Applejack said, “Gulpin’ it down without even tastin’ it doesn't count.” The filly got the message and slowed her devouring to a more reasonable speed. “What about ya, Big Mac? Have any opinions on my bakin’?”

Baking apple pastries was a family pass time, so it wasn’t uncommon to give and receive criticism. Already influenced by a warm meal and alcohol, Big Mac's tongue was freed from his mind. “It’s fine, but it’s a little too tart for me.” Absentmindedly, he clanked his fork against the plate several time before realizing that it was empty. Putting it down, he added, “Apple Bloom sure likes it, and if Granny could stay up long enough, she would agree. May Ah ask, what apples did you use?”

“The name escaped me,” replied Applejack as she took a forkful of the pie. After lazily examining it she place it in her mouth. As she chewed she said, “Ah got them off of Mr. Dollar when I visited town the other day. Said the apples are only found in Europe and are primarily for cooking.”

“Maybe someone can go back to him and ask what breed it was,” said Big Mac. He was a little too slow to the see the rolling of the eldest sister's eyes. “If Ah could go to Europe Ah would be more than happy to get ya some. However, Ah can’t seem to recall Mr. Silver having any…” His mind finally jumped in to stop his mouth, but the words were already out. Without meaning to he told Applejack something she wasn’t supposed to hear. A bit of shock showed on his face as he stared at the triumphant smile of his sister.

“What Ah meant to say is... Um...” The farmer felt as if he was caught stealing sugar cubes form the sugar jar.

“Does my brother plan on travelin’ the world?” exclaimed Apple Bloom as she jumped in place. “That would be so cool! Big Mac, world class traveler! Off to show everypony what an Apple is made of!”

“Now who said I was goin’ anywhere,” snapped the farmer, more aggressively than he meant to be. He regretted it the moment Apple Bloom cringed. “Sorry, what Ah meant to say is...”

“Mr. Dollar turned ya down?” interrupted Applejack.

“No, and Ah wasn’t going to ask him.”

Applejack arched an eyebrow as the Applebloom said, “Why not? Ah thought that ya wanted to travel the world?”

“And where did ya get that idea?” asked the farmer with a stern frown.

“Ah took a peek at the book ya were readin’. The one ya seem so protective about that ya locked the door t’ your room to keep me out.” The farmer’s face set into a stony expression, but a single bead of sweat ran down his forehead.

As he promised himself, Big Mac got the book from Twilight the day after the merchant arrived. That same day he had left his bedroom door unlocked. When he went out to the fields to start planting some seeds, Apple Bloom went to his room in search for him. Her brother wasn't there, and, instead of leaving, she went into his room. She found the book and managed to get a good look at it before an annoyed brother ordered her to get out.

“What was it about?” Applejack asked to anyone, not sure who would be first to answer.

“A group of ponies who explored the world,” answered Apple Bloom. The cowpony gave a nod of her head as she peered into her brother's expressionless eyes.

“Just out of curiosity,” said Applejack, “how long have you been having these thoughts?”

A shrug was the unwanted answer she got. Several more seconds later, the farmer said, “For some time now.” He looked to the floor to hide his shame. “Haven't put much thought into it until recently.”

“So what’s the problem?” asked Apple Bloom. “I'm sure Mr. Dollar would be more than happy to hire you. You're big, strong, and pretty smart too.”

Shaking his head at the filly, he said, “I can't do that.”

“And why not?” asked Applejack.

“Because Ah can't just leave the farm for ya to handle alone,” he said his voice raising until he was nearly shouting.

The cowpony eyes narrowed as she slammed her hooves into the table. Coldly, she said, “Ah can reassure ya that Ah can easily run this farm with ya here or not.”

Big Mac chuckled darkly. “Really? Who's going to pull the plow so we can plant the crops on time? Who's going to carry all the weight that ya can't carry? Who's going to keep the finances in order so we can pay the bills?” Pointing an accusing hoof at the cowpony, he said, “If it wasn't for me this place would hardly produce, much less, sell apples.”

“Guys,” said a worried Apple Bloom who was completely ignored.

“Ah can hire help if need be,” Applejack countered. “Better yet, there are family and friends who are more than willing to lend a helping hoof. Once upon a time, when we were younger, this farm may have needed you around, but now isn't that time.”

Big Mac knew he couldn't put up a defense against that, but he could be as stubborn, if not more, as his sister when he wanted to. “Still, Ah can't just leave.”

“Ya want permission?” Applejack asked with a roll of her eyes. “Believe it or not Ah think ya should at least try to get the job. If that pony doesn't think you're good enough for it, fine. However, to ignore a possible trip of your life is just plain stupid.”

“Ah don't need your permission,” said the farmer as he stood up, “and Ah can't just leave the farm.”

As he turned to leave, an old, crackled voice spoke up. “You're right. You're a stallion who can make his own choices, but Ah do give my permission for ya to go.” Stopping in his tracks, the farmer turned around to a fully awake Granny Smith and she didn’t look happy.

“Granny,” he tried to speak, but the old mare put a hoof out to silence him.

“Don't say a word. It's time for me to speak.” Glancing over at the walls of pictures, her eyes focused on an old black and white photo of the farm when it first started. There wasn't much to look at. A single log cabin with the area around it cleared away was the only structure standing. In the background one can see apple trees, but they intermixed with the trees of the forest.

“Have Ah ever told ya the story of how our family came over from the old world?” she asked with a dream like expression.

“Yes Granny,” said Apple Bloom with a bored tone, “for like the billionth time.”

“Well then, y’all must remember how hard it was for us to leave our home behind to come here.” There was nods of heads. The Apple family’s origins were that of Terra, a nice size country located in Europe. When Granny’s parents decided to leave the country, it was facing famine, high crime rates, and threat of civil war. Not wanting their family to live through this, they got on the first boat to the magical land called Equestria. However, it was still hard for them to leave everything they knew behind in hope to find a better life.

“Think about this. If my Ma and Pa didn't bring the family here, then Ah doubt any of ya would be around today.”

“Granny,” said Big Mac, “Ah don't think...”

“Let me finish! Ah know that ya don't want to go because ya feel obliged to stay. Maybe you're even scared to do so, but don't let any of that stop you.” A kind smile graced her face as she said, “Who knows what will happen over a period of three years. Just promise me that you'll come home when it is over and done.”

For a moment, the farmer stood there, speechless. Looking to his sisters, they both gave him approving grins. “We'll be fine,” said Applejack. “Think of this as payback for the time Ah left home for Manehattan. I was gone for a year or two, so it should work out.”

“Yeah,” exclaimed Apple Bloom, “and while you're away, Ah'll help out with the farm more often.”

“Don't think for a minute that you’re getting out of school because of this,” said Applejack with a suspicious look.

“Ah would never think of such a thing,” said Apple Bloom as she sat up straight and put her hoof to her chest. However, she couldn't hide the trace of sorrow in her voice.

For another moment Big Mac stood there uncertain on what to say. Slowly but surely, a small smile crept onto his face. “Geez,” he said, “with y'all pushing me to do so, Ah guess Ah can't refuse.”

“Good,” said Applejack as she got up from her seat, “because tomorrow ya got the night off. No ifs or buts about it. Now go t' bed and get some sleep. Ya got to be well rested for that interview.” With no reason to protest, Big Mac did just that. However, his restless thoughts weren’t going to allow him much rest that night.

Comments

[Dee Forty-Five]

Good to see this story update again!

I found myself kind of confused as to the mixing of Equestrian settings and real-world ones. I didn't question it last chapter because with Silver Dollar standing on his hind legs, I thought he'd be a transformed human traveling in Equestria. Now it seems that isn't the case; so in this fic, is Equestria a location in an AU, pony-filled Earth?

Also, the fact that Cheerilee would just let three fillies skip class (especially to go with a stranger she barely knows because he seems to be nice) is really questionable behavior on her part. If I was AJ, I'd find Apple Bloom a new teacher on the spot.

Don't let my nitpickings distract you--I hope to see more activity from you.

[The Yaoi Mistress]

Seem promisin promi... you know what I mean.

When is the next chapter