Thirty Minute Pony Stories

“Cutie Mark Crusader Flowergirls! Yay!” cried three fillies as the train pulled away from the platform.  Macintosh gave them his slow, patient smile as he waved to them; then to the vague shape of the train as it vanished into the distance.  When it was gone, both his smile and his hoof fell.

A hoof fell onto his shoulder before he could even turn to leave.  Without looking, he knew it belonged to his grandmother.  She’d been there beside him the whole time, though she’d stayed silent.  He looked to her now and saw the old, loving eyes were heavy with understanding and regret.  

Next time, I promise.

She didn’t actually say it.  She’d said it enough times over the years that she didn’t have to anymore.  Macintosh just shook his head and gently shrugged out from under the hoof.  He walked past her and off the platform.  Behind him, he heard her stammer, then swear to herself and finally stomp a hoof in frustration as hard as her old frame would let her.  

Macintosh caught some ponies looking his way.  He saw the confused and wary looks they gave him as they glanced between him and where he’d left Granny.  Everypony knew he didn’t act this way.  

And he didn’t.  Not when his daughter might see.

**********

“What in the hay was that?” sixteen-year-old Applejack demanded once she’d pulled her brother out behind the schoolhouse. “Ya serious?”

“Eeyup. I been her father since she was two.”

Applejack angrily shook her head, “ya ain’t her pappy and ya sure as hay ain’t ours. This here ain’t healthy, Macintosh.”

**********

Granny’d sided with Applejack, of course.  They’d made him promise to never say it again.  It didn’t change anything in his heart, but the denial never stopped twisting the blade.  He shook his head, trying to shake off the familiar and hated train of thought.  Without Apple Bloom to keep him focused, his thoughts turned to Applejack as they always did.  

He started up towards the Acres.

**********

“How come she can go?”

Granny hugged the little colt close. “Yer Aunt and Uncle Orange would only take one of ya.  Macintosh, ya listen to me.  Yer sister’ll be back. I need you to be strong and take care of the farm so she’s got a place to come home to. You can do that. She can’t.”

The little colt looked down at the ground. “Alright Granny…”

She hugged him tighter. “I’ll make it up to you.  I promise.”

**********

“But I stayed! Ain’t right.”

“I know Macintosh, but it’s what your parents wanted,” Granny said.  The colt’s sisters were asleep upstairs while they talked at the table. “Yer the finest little stallion there is, but she’s got a head for the ponies more’n you. Ya know I’m right, Little Mac.” The old, green pony looked away. “‘Sides, she needs this here to be hers right now.  Needs a place to say she needs ta take care of.  Ya know this’ll always be yer home and don’t matter what the paper says.”

He didn’t answer for a long time. “Okay Granny.”

“I’ll make it up to you.  I promise.”

**********

Macintosh kept his hooves falling one in front of the other.  Past the gate, past the house, past the barn.  He caught the trophy case he’d built long ago to show off his and Applejack’s ribbons from the rodeo.

**********

“But… ya promised.”

“I know, Macintosh, I know.” The old pony sighed and nuzzled her grandson. “We just ain’t got the money this year ta send you both. Now Mac, you look at me, that money’d be a big help here and you look me in the eye and tell me Applejack ain’t the pony to bet on. ‘Sides, ya know  we can’t afford to have ya both gone for a week right now.”

He didn’t answer.  He just kicked the ground and looked away.  

She hugged him.  ”Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Next year.  I promise.”

**********

“Macintosh… “

“I know.”

**********

Macintosh kicked a fencepost on the way by.  Applejack, the ten time Ponyville champion.  For all his practice, he’d never even seen the rodeo.  The farm could never spare him, or if it could, they never had the money to send them both.  

The red stallion cast an angry glare back at the silhouette of Town Hall.  His sister had gone to the rodeo on their bit and promised the prize money to the mayor without asking the family.  He knew she still didn’t understand why he’d camped out in an old barn for a week after her friends brought her back and the fear of having lost her faded.  He passed a small crater in the earth

**********

“No way, no how! This here’s family and that means our best.  And our best is Bloomberg.  And Bloomberg means I ain’t leaving him!”

**********

The memories came faster and he muttered while he walked.  Speeding up until he was galloping, nearly blind as he shook his head against them.

**********

“Boy, howdy, ya shoulda seen the looks on their faces.  They say there ain’t never been an Earth pony in Cloudsdale before.”

**********

Applejack held up a golden ticket in her teeth as she walked through the door, “Ya’ll never guess what happened today!”

(time)

**********

“Didja hear? The Princess is comin’ here to Ponyville and I got invited to have lunch wit’ her!”

**********

“Can’t do it here this year! I’m gonna play Smart Cookie in Canterlot!”

**********

“I’m gonna be part of the wedding party for a Princess and Twi’s brother.  Now how often does that happen?”

**********

To Applejack, all the time.  Macintosh found himself on top of the old hill, staring at the stone.  He knew it by heart.  He always wound up here when he was alone; whenever he was angry.  

Whenever they left him here to be strong.

He wiped a few tears away with a hoof.  

“I… Pappy, I… can’t…”

His eyes narrowed and he reared.  His massive hooves came down, smashing into the stone. They came down again and again until the stone cracked, then broke.  He kept on until it was little more than rubble. He stared down at the mess, panting.  He fell over.  

“Ain’t fair,” he muttered into the ground, then buried his eyes under his hooves. He hiccupped and let out a weak laugh. “I really am half an Apple.”

He felt a hoof on his shoulder and knew it’d be green. “Expected this here years ago,” Granny said.  She nuzzled his shoulder. “I know it ain’t easy, but ya ain’t got it right.  Yer the Apple’s core, Little Mac.” 

She hugged him, groaning against her ailing bones.

“I’ll make it up to ya.  I promise.”

—-

BSB Comments:

This was really tragic. Big Macintosh always getting the short end of the stick, and Applejack always getting the chance to shine. That sort of thing wears on a person pretty quickly, but Big Mac’s been strong and holding up the family all this time despite that. Paints the guy in a whole new light. This was really good, well done!