Big Macintosh didn't want to wake up. He would have preferred to stay asleep. Anypony would have wanted to stay asleep on a Monday morning...but he remained awake regardless. He opened his eyes slowly, staring towards the far, cream-colored wall that made up a fourth of his cramped room. Or should he say...'Apartment'...

He grumbled, rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling fan that turned rapidly overhead. Some days he wished it would just break...fall from its secure hold on the ceiling and come crashing down onto his unsuspecting head. It would sure be a hell of a lot better than staying in this utter shithole.

He sat up slowly, his eyes drooped and his lips pursed in a grim frown. He looked more angry, or upset, than he did tired. It may that he had been used to restless nights since his stay in Ponyville...or that Twilight was still missing. He knew Applejack was full of shit when she said the unicorn would be back. She could be in danger right now, in need of help! What if she was in need of a rescue, or medical attention!? How could he get to her from behind this 'new' cage he found himself in!

It was simple...he couldn't.

He turned his head slowly, looking over the tight confines of his 'Apartment' carefully. It was a single-room apartment, no bigger then a small kitchen, with a small bed pushed up in one corner of the room with a massive pile of cider bottles in another. There was no bathroom, no living room, not even a closet. A small desk and a tiny lamp rested against one side of the wall, and a dresser took up the other. He cast a disgruntled look towards the digital clock on the nightstand, the gleaming red numbers displaying the time 4:21 A.M.

He sighed, pushing off the covers and getting to his hooves. Another early start...as always. His body seemed to have gotten used to the sleep abuse he was giving himself, waking up at the slightest hint of noise or getting up to start his chores at Sweet Apple Acres.

With a tired groan, Macintosh made his way over to the door, pushing it open with a hoof and stepping out onto the ramparts of the apartment complex. The city of Canterlot looked beautiful at night, with the full moon casting its eerie glow across the marble surfaces of the buildings. The towering pillars of towers were glowing with a hue of midnight blue, cast from the massive shield that covered just about half of the mountain.

How they managed to keep that up...he'd never understand. He was a pony of physical proportions, not magical. He put his hooves up on the railing, looking over and down at the fountain that rested in the courtyard of the 'U' shaped apartment complex. He thought about a lot of things as he stared towards the fountain, his mind and body too bored to do anything else. He couldn't really complain about the apartments...after all, most of the populace of Equestria was flocking to the mountain. Trains came in day and night...although there was a noticeable decrease in their amount as the weeks went by.

That meant that either everypony had saved...or that there wasn't anypony LEFT to save...

In the first week since the shield fell...Macintosh hadn't heard a word about any movements of the infection. But after Applejack and Rarity returned from the royal castle from a meeting with Princess Luna, bad news followed with them. There had been reports of attacks near Hoofington, as well as Phillydelphia. No news of Manehatten or Appleloosa though, not even of Cloudsdale, the city that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy had gone to to help with the evacuation...the city everypony referred to nowadays as 'The Hornet's Nest'.

He grimaced, looking up at the moon. Was Twilight up there...watching over him? Was she dead? Was she...one of them? Why couldn't Luna do something...a fancy spell or a search party would be just fine! He sighed, bowing his head and perking his ears to the sounds of a door opening nearby.

"Can't sleep?" came the weary voice of Applejack, the hatless mare rubbing at her eyes as she quietly walked towards her brother from next door.

"Ee-nope..." Macintosh sighed, staring towards the fountain.

"Ah hear ya...it's bout this time that you n' me would be gettin' up to rouse the chickens n' start the buckin'" Applejack replied, a small smile on her face. "Ah miss those times..."

Macintosh nodded slightly, remembering the good times on the farm...back before it was a smoldering, ashen wasteland of burnt trees and grass "Eeyup...ah do to."

Applejack stared out towards the distant shield, wondering how life was for any remaining survivors outside. Were they surviving like they did all those weeks ago? "Ya know..." Applejack sighed "Ah can't wait for all this to get back to normal, ya know?" Big Macintosh looked over at her, an eyebrow raised and a questioning look etched on his face. "Seriously," Applejack said, a defensive tone in her voice "Things always go back to normal eventually, don't matter what the setback is! Just you wait Macintosh...give it a month, maybe two, and we'll be back on Sweet Apple Acres plantin' trees n' makin' cider, just like we used to!"

"You said that about Twilight as well..." Macintosh grumbled, looking back towards the fountain "And we all see how that's working out..."

Applejack frowned, her brow furrowing as she growled "Hey now, ah said she'll be back, and ah mean it! Ah'm the Element o' Honesty Mac, ah wouldn't lie bout that!"

Macintosh stayed silent, not bothering to push it further. It wasn't worth it...not right now at least. He turned his attention back to the sleeping city, taking a moment to look up at the shield and mutter "How do they keep that shield up Sis?"

"Hmm?" Applejack asked, looking up at the shield as well "Oh the shield? Luna's got some kinda crystal thingy or what not powerin' the sucker. Ah don't get any of that magic mumbo jumbo, ya know that."

"Your sure that'll keep em out?" Macintosh whispered, his eyes centering on a single spot of the shield.

"Yeah...why do you a- oh..." Applejack began but suddenly stopped, looking up to where he was. A Pegasus Afflicted was hovering over the shield, buzzing around a single spot like a vulture circling its prey. Blood and saliva dripped from the diseased pony, sizzling and disintegrating against the magical barrier. "Huh...well ah'll be" Applejack whispered in awe "One of em actually made it up here. Well there's yer answer Macintosh, as long as we're in here, and they're out there, we're safe."

Macintosh scoffed as the Afflicted flapped away, flailing about in the air as it struggled to stay airborne. "Yeah..." he grumbled "That's how it all went for Ponyville to...we all saw how long that one stayed up..."

Applejack groaned, facehoofing and throwing a glare towards her brother "Would you cut that shit out Macintosh? Try some optimism for once, for fuck sakes! Yes, the shield around Ponyville went n' fell, yes, it could very well happen to this one to! Am I worried about it!? NO! Ah have faith in Luna's hocus pocus n' the strength of The Lunar Guard! Try letting the sun through the clouds sometime Mac, you'll feel better."

She sighed, looking at his distraught expression and scooting closer to him, pulling him into a side-hug. "It's gonna be fine Macintosh...ok? Ah promise it's gonna be ok. Ah swear it on mah status as the Element o' Honesty."

"Ah believe you..." Macintosh whispered, nuzzling the top of his sister's head "Ah always do...go on, get back to bed. Ah'll wake you when the morn' comes round."

Applejack nodded and gave her brother one final squeeze around his middle before turning on her hooves and heading back to her room. "Macintosh?" she called out as she reached the door, drawing the workhorse to look over and raise an eyebrow. The country mare put a hoof against the door, looking at him with concern for a moment before giving him a small smile and whispering "Ah love you...goodnight, and get some sleep for Luna's sake."

Macintosh smiled, nodding to her and whispering back "Ah love you too Sugarcube, g'night."

He waited until his sister had gone back into her apartment before turning and walking down the concrete ramparts of the building. Some air...yeah...some air would do him good.

~*~

Macintosh sat quietly in Canter-trot Park, laying out on one of the wooden benches in the center of the wooded area. A small central fountain trickled quietly with the sound of flowing water, adding a sense of calm to the area. A port in the storm...as it were. He chuckled, thinking back on the old refuge he and the others had in Ponyville, right across the street from Twilight's Library. The nights where he huddled close with the mares and Spike, keeping each other warm and company in the darkest of times. The times where he and Carrot Top cracked bad jokes...before she was beheaded in the streets. Or the time where Junebug made him the best bowl of canned soup in the world for him...right before she went crashing out of the house and into the hooves of the Afflicted.

He sighed, snuggling up on his belly and staring into the trees. Fireflies fluttered and floated about in a peaceful, graceful light show. It was so cold out...cold without his dear Twilight...cold in his heart, with no lavender unicorn to share it with.

"A beautiful night, is it not?" whispered a voice from the darkness, causing Macintosh to jump from the bench, standing at full alert as the sound of hooves against cobblestone drew closer. "Be at peace, dear Macintosh...I meant you no fright."
Macintosh turned his head towards the sound of the voice, his tension immediately subsiding as a flowing mane of stars caught his eyes. He knelt slowly as Princess Luna stepped out into the moonlight, her eyes weary but twinkling with energy. She held out a hoof out and whispered "Oh Macintosh, you need not kneel...come, rise. What brings you to the park so early in the morning?"

He rose and let his eyes wander over her, the fitting of her lunar armor, the black metal of her tiara, the bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Seemed to be an unpopular trend going around...ponies losing sleep. Then again, with the way things were in today's day and age, who wouldn't lose it? "Milady" Macintosh breathed "Ah hope ah'm not intrudin'...just needed some air."

Luna smiled, her mane flowing quietly behind her as she said "Worry not dear, it is technically the middle of the day for me and I needed a quiet stroll myself. A break from all the dreaded worries and concerns of the kingdom." The stallion nodded as Luna motioned towards the bench, her royal hoof-shoes making soft 'clinks' against the ground. "Come, sit with me" she whispered, moving towards the bench.

The two of them sat, staring into the trees for a good long while, silence wrapping around them. Macintosh couldn't complain, despite all the questions he had for her, sometimes a good silence was therapeutic for those under stress. Considering Luna was facing the total loss of all of Equestria and the loss of her sister's sanity...Macintosh could tell that her stress was more than likely extreme.

For several more minutes the two of them sat, watching the fireflies floating about, and then Luna spoke "So Cloudsdale has fallen..."

Macintosh blinked in surprise at the Princesses sudden outburst, looking over at Luna whose smile had faded slightly "What about all the ponies still livin' there?" Macintosh whispered "Miss Dash n' Miss Shy?"

"On their way back, I believe" Luna muttered, rubbing at her forehead gently "Shadow-Mane reports that around seventy or so survivors have made it..."

Macintosh frowned as he heard this, whispering quietly "How...many ponies originally inhabited Cloudsdale?"

"Over two thousand" Luna muttered, looking up at the star-filled sky. "How did it all come to this Macintosh?"

"What do you mean Princess" Macintosh asked, shifting his weight on the bench.

Luna sighed, staring across the various constellations she had often called her 'paintings'. "Four months ago," she began "I was studying modern Equestrian Politics. Three months ago I was keeping the throne warm for my sister as she went about trying to savagely murder two entire races in Equestria. One month ago I turned Canterlot into a fortress and a refugee camp." She shook her head, looking over at the work horse and whispering "How...how did it all come to this? How did we let it get this bad?"

Macintosh shook his head, sighing "Ah don't know Princess...all ah know is that this is the present. We can't change the past....but we can change what happens in the future. As long as we do our best to keep our loved ones alive...we'll all have a good future."

The princess nodded, putting a hoof on his shoulder and whispering "Thank you Macintosh."

"For what?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.

"For keeping me company." Luna muttered "It is good to have a relaxing talk with somepony from time to time."

Macintosh chuckled as he replied "Not to sound disrespectful princess but...ah hardly think anypony is gonna have any time to relax with the danger that's lurkin' just outside ya'lls big shield...thingy. That and...well ah wish ah had a certain sompeony's company right now..."

"Twilight Sparkle..." Luna whispered, drawing a slight wince out of Big Macintosh "You miss her..."

Macintosh sighed "She hasn't come back still...ah don't know if she's alive or dead out there...how can anypony survive out there?"

"You did." Luna pointed out, giving him a tender smile "So did Rarity and Applejack, Spike, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Even Pinkie Pie and the Cake's twins who now reside in the Royal Quarter of Canterlot Castle. She makes an excellent dessert specialist...top of the line foods." The two of them shared a chuckle as Luna went on "Think about who you're worried about dear. Of course you should be worried...but do not forget that this is the same mare who, forgive me if I miss a few things...defeated Nightmare Moon, Discord, led Cerberus back to Tartarus, and defeated Princess Celestia herself. I do not thing she would let a few diseased ponies get in her way."

She could see that some of the worry had dissipated, but not all. She gave him a light nudge and made sure that he was looking him in the eye before she spoke "I have The Lunar Guard searching for her night and day Macintosh, from Ponyville to Manehatten. It's hard, of course...with the monsters out there, but I have them search regardless. If she's out there, we'll find her, ok?" Macintosh nodded as Luna got up, her smile fading fully as she looked up towards the castle and said "I thank you for the company Macintosh...I'm afraid I must depart. The sun will require its...service soon. Good day." With a nod from the stallion, Luna took off, leaving him alone with the fireflies.

As soon as she was gone, he scoffed, shaking his head and laying back down on his belly on the bench. Searching night and day...searching for her...yeah, bullshit. The Lunar Guard had their hooves full with survivors and fighting The Afflicted to deal with a search and rescue, regardless of who the target was. Hell, he'd be out there looking for her himself it that damn shield wasn't in the way. He groaned, putting his front hooves over his eyes. He felt so useless, stuck in this stupid little cage. Sometimes he felt like the protections were reversed...that he was trapped inside rather than The Afflicted outside.

With no choice in the matter, Macintosh rolled over on his back and stared at the stars...watching as the orange tint of the morning began to stretch and glow across the sky. What could he do, trapped in this place? What could he do to help Twilight, help Equestria? What the hell was he even supposed to be doing? Living? Walking? Sitting in his apartment waiting for nothing to happen?

He couldn't do anything.

Nothing except sit on his fat, stallion ass and wait.

It was official...life as he knew it, was completely over.

But if it was over...what would happen now? What would he do? He shuddered at the thought...