Cast Iron Chaos

by Mr Merritt

What's Red, Grey and Humble All Over?

Due to the lateness in the day, Peppermill had to wait until after the evening meal to finally find the time to talk to a family member about finances. A quick remark from Granny Smith informed him that the one to deal with was Big Macintosh, for he was the sole Apple who knew the most about whatever profit Sweet Apple Acres made at any given time. If anypony could help the cook, it would be him.

“Come on…hurry up, Big Mac!” The grey colt anxiously led the way outside of the farmhouse towards a far corner of the acreage. As was their custom, colt and stallion liked to spend that last few minutes of daylight enjoying each other’s company and discussing how their respective days went. Recently their discussions had been rather one-sided, as Peppermill had fumed and sulked over his various employment failures. But clearly the colt was far more excited this evening, which relieved the red draft horse immensely.

Finally, the two male ponies reached their special spot: a single apple tree that sat on a small rise away from the rest of its wooden brethren. Peppermill pranced anxiously in place as the big stallion folded his tree trunk legs under his massive barrel and lay down in the cool grass.

“Ok, first off…I want to apologize…for how I have been…acting the last…couple of days. I know that…I have been upsetting everypony…” began the colt.

“Eyup…” was the obvious, and expected, response.

“I guess…I’m not that used to…not succeeding at things. And…getting upset about…it isn’t right…”

“Eyup…”

“It’s just…well…this pan…”

“Pygg Iron’s Cast Iron Pans…”

“Yes…my father Pepperoncini…owned one of those. It was…quite possibly his…most prized possession. The only…time he would ever…cook with it was…if he was making a meal…just for the family. I thought…it was the most amazing…thing I had ever seen.”

“Hmmm…” This thoughtful murmur was followed by a slow nod of the head.

“He told me…that when I was old enough…he would let me…use it. In fact, he said…that one day it would be mine. I always thought…that if I had that pan…I could be as great of a cook…as him.” The memory of this caused an unexpected surge of emotion to the colt, and he suddenly went quiet. He realized to his dismay that he was actually fighting back tears, surprised at just how emotional he was feeling about thinking about his late family.

“Ah reckon that explains a whole lot. We kinda guessed this here pan wasn’t just any old thing.” remarked Big Macintosh slowly.

“No…it isn’t. But…in all honest I was…pretty much shooting myself…in the hoof from…the very beginning.” The stallion raised an eyebrow, to which the colt finally sat beside his brother with a sigh. “Tell me…Big Mac…has there ever been a time…that you wanted to be…known more than for just…being a great apple farmer?”

“Eyup…”

“I know you…wait, what?”

“When I wuz around yer age…ah reckon round the time AJ came back from her adventures in Manehatten,” explained the stallion. “Ah started thinkin’ that ah could have done a better job being a professional athlete than a farmer…”

“Really?” Peppermill was stunned at this frank admission from his elder brother.

“Seemed ah had a knack fer hoofball. Weren’t any other colt who could hustle lahk me, and I reckon ah still hold the record fer longest home run drive. Shoot, ah had a fastball that could have given Miss Dash a run fer her bits…”

“Wow…”

“But it seemed no matter how well ah did on the field, ah always was just that much better in the orchards. Granny always told me ah was just lahk mah pa…” Peppermill looked at Big Macintosh with huge eyes. He couldn’t remember there ever being a time the stallion ever mentioned his own parents in any fashion.

“Ah admit ah wuz torn. Ah wanted to be good at hoofball, but ah wuz so dang good at apple buckin’. It was fine that I had something outside of the farm to do, but ah realized that I had responsibilities to uphold.”

“Um…what exact ‘responsibilities’…do I possibly have?”

“Well, ah reckon you got to be the best cook Equestria has ever seen…”

“…”

“And one of the best Apple ponies as well…”

“…”

“And ah know fer a fact that the best way to do both of those things is to be honest with yerself. Are you a cashier?”

“…no.”

“Are you supposed to be hanging around a spa?”

“No…”

“Yer a cook. And cooks cook.”

“You’re…absolutely right.” Peppermill sighed. “I guess I…was so caught up…in trying to do…a good job at…those others things I…forgot what I was…really good at.”

“And ah reckon you also fergot you ain’t alone. The whole family wants nothing but yer happiness, and we all want to help you any way we can.”

“That is…all well and good…Big Mac. But the kind…of help I need…isn’t that easy…to give.”

“Ah hope ya ain’t been talkin’ to Applejack about our finances?”

“The way…she tells it…we are barely…making ends meet…”

“Ahm gonna tell you something. The honest truth is we ain’t even close to being in the poorhouse…”

“But…”

“AJ…well, ah reckon you know just how serious she takes runnin’ the farm. But that mare ain’t got the faintest idea about things lahk savings accounts and investments and such. Ah have been keeping tabs on our bits fer years, and I ken tell yah we got plenty o’ money. In fact, we all could probably stop farmin tomorrow and the next two or three generations of Ponyville Apples won’t be wanting fer anything.”

“So…why don’t you…explain that…to Applejack?”

“Ahv been trying that fer years. But Apples are stubborn as anything…I reckon that’s why you seem to fit in so well.”

“I think…you mean determination.” smiled Peppermill.

“Hmmm…nah. I reckon its stubbornness.” This finally caused all of the colt’s tension to flow out of him in the form of a belly laugh, with Big Macintosh’s rumbling chuckle running counter.

“Oh please…greatest big brother…in all of Equestria. May…I please…have a few bit to…buy a Pygg iron Cast iron Pan?” Peppermill, now in a playful mood, actually pressed his forehooves together and knelt before his brother in mock supplication.

“

Only ifin ya promise not to take things so seriously, when ya mess up ah mean. We all make mistakes, and mistakes is a part of learnin’ and growin’.”

“I promise…”

“Well, then I reckon we ken see to it you can get yer pan…”

“Thank you…Big Mac.” Peppermill embraced his brother warmly, which the stallion returned with a small smile.

Author's Note:

Thought some light-hearted Pep/Mac was needed...

Comments

[totallynotabrony]

This is probably one of the more unique ideas I've heard for a story. Simple, elegant. Very nice.

[-Brutus]

Mac > Applejacks with money ha!