Big mac sighed as he looked at the tree. It had been a few hours since his sister was called to duty by the tree, and there was a pang of worry that was pulling at his heart. He was the big brother, the head of the family, he should be out there protecting the family and not the little sister. He should be risking his life facing down the monsters of the world and his little sister hould be home in bed asleep while he laid his life down for his fellow pony.

He shook his head as he turned away from the tree, knowing that desire was impossible now. Ever since she went into that forest and became an element, she became a hero. Losing a gem that said it didn’t change that fact, that key and that rainbow thing proved it. IT proved that beyond a doubt, she was a hero through and through. That she would be compelled by an inner light to go out and stop a monster from hurting others. And there he would be, waiting, “My sister, a hero. The mare who used to run to me in fright,” looking back at the farmhouse, she smiled softly to himself as he thought back to years before, in a bedroom not too far away and a little filly.

“Big brother,” a three year old Applejack said, running into the bedroom. Her tiny legs trembled as she looked up at her big brother, “The lighting scared me. Can Ah sleep with you?”

“Why not ma and pa?” Big mac asked.

“Paw and Maw have too tough muskles for me to sleep on. You have soft muscles, perfect for sleeping,” Applejack said as she climbed into the bed, and then snuggled close to her brother.

Big Mac let out a sigh and then snuggled back, “Fine, but only tonight. You have to learn to face the scary things on your own sometime.”

“Ok, big brother,” Applejack nodded.

Kicking a rock, Big mack shook his head, “And now she’s facing the scary things all the time.” He continued to walk down his path, hearing the voices of his little sister playing with him, running past the orchard, and laughing all the while. Turning his head to look at one tree, he thought he saw Applejack at the age of five sitting against the tree and crying over a cut on her foreleg. He blinked away some tears as he remembered how he came running to her the moment her heard her crying, and how he began to fix her little accident, “Are they doing that with you now? Are they fixing up your little booboos, keeping an eye on you while you sleep? What am Ah saying,of course they are. You don’t need me now, you’re a hero.”

He lowered his head, trying to not see that little filly anymore, but a mare standing tall on a staircase. He tried to see the mare covered in a rainbow shine flying through the air and bringing the light back to the world. Deep down, he knew that was what she was. But try as he might, he still saw the little filly who needed him and cried so hard when their parents died. That little filly who wanted to put the weight of the world on her shoulders just for the sake of her little sister, was now standing proud against every dark thing that the world could throw at her.

A low growl escaped his throat at that thought. He wanted to go back in time and kick Twilight out of that party, make sure she never met Twilight. There was a part of him that wanted to do everything he could to make sure that the two ponies never met and somepony else would take his sister’s place, maybe him, just so she wouldn’t have gone into those woods and come back wearing an element that sealed her fate. Narrowing his eyes in anger, he lifted his left foreleg and punched a tree hard enough to leave a mark. He just wanted to make sure she would never have left the house and he could be a hero, “But that aint Applejack. She’s the type of mare if you say a filly is in danger of drowning, she would race to the river bed with a rope in hoof. Consequences be danged, she would be a hero right away.”

And that was what hurting him the most, that his sister was now a hero and he was a what, “What am Ah, anymore? A farmer, a big guy, just the stallion who waits while his sister is doing what Ah should be doing? Ah’m the big sibling, its my job to protect her, and she should be here, safe.”

Then he began to think of what he could’ve done, as he began to think of the foes his sister fought. He had book smarts, sure, but not his sister’s common sense. Strong? he scoffed at that one, remembering his and his sisters win loss record, and trying his best to remember the last time he had won a wrestling match with her. In a running match, he could best Rainbow Dash, but if it came down to it, he knew that Dash had him beat. Everything he believed he could have brought to the fight, was squashed by the idea that one of the bearers was better than him. His sister had her place, and he had his, “It’s tough being a big brother to a hero.”

Up ahead, he could hear the trio of the CMC gabbing about their big sisters, and the caused him to lower his head a little lower, “Can’t even be a hero to Applebloom anymore.” He sighed as he watched the three run home to sleep at Scootaloo’s house. Turning his head up to the sky, he watched as the sun began to slowly set on the horizon, “Why Celestia, did you give me such a thick headed, strong hearted, and brave little sister. Why couldn’t Ah have one that stayed home, out of trouble, and safe.”

He took a deep breath and answered it in one deep long breath, “Because it wouldn’t be Applejack.” Turning around before he walked into the house, he saw his sister standing up for other ponies, her running to every tree and kicking it, and her standing in front of an escaped timberwolf with no fear in her eyes. He sighed happily as he walked to the door.

“Evening, Big Mac,” Applejack said with a pained tone in her voice.

Big Mac turned to look towards his little sister with wide eyes, “Applejack! What in the hey?”

Applejack limped on a broken leg, her left eye swollen, “Oh this? Aint no big deal. Those loser we fought?” she let out a chuckle, wincing at the pain in her side from the big red gash. “You should see them!”

“Fought? What?” Big Mac exclaimed as he ran to his sister’s side, holding her steady.

“Well, it seems that the problem was caused by a bunch of bandits attacking a small town, and well, Twilight tried talking them out of it,” she chuckled, but then winced. “They were so bull headed that we had to fight, and well...you see how that turned out.”

Big Mac shook his head as he led his sister into the house, “Ah can only imagine.”

“Big MAc,” Applejack groaned, trying to push herself away from her big brother. “Ah’m fine, I don’t need you-Whoa!”

“Nope,” Big mac said, putting Applejack onto his back and walking up the stairs. “Bed. Now!”

Applejack let out a groan at this as she was carried like a foal to her room, “But, Ah got chores tomorrow!”

“Ah’ll take them,” Big mac said as he calmly rolled his sister onto her bed, and tucked her in. Then he left, walking back in with a glass of cider. “Drink.”

“Ah suppose ya are gonna read me a story next or give me my old teddy,” Applejack snarked.

“Nope, just this,” he kissed his little sister on the forehead and began to walk out of the room.

“Tell me a story Big Mac,” a filly Applejack said in his head, a memory from the past.

“Sure. Once upon a time, there was a strong mare who came from a little village that was attacked by monsters. No one tried to stand up to them, because they hoped someone else would take care of it. Then one day, a brave mare came out of the town, and swore to fight the monsters. The ponies told her not to, because no one asked her to, but she told them that she wanted to. That it was time to make a stand. and so, she defeated the monsters and was cheered as a hero.”

“Think Ah’ll be a brave hero like that, one day?” asked Applejack.

Big Mac chuckled at the memory, “Yeah, you will be.”

“Hey, Big Mac,” Applejack said, drifting off to sleep.

“Eyup?” Big Mac asked, looking over his shoulder at his little sister.

Snuggling in, Applejack breathed out, “Thanks, for being my hero.”

Big Mac smiled softly and nodded, “Eeyup.”

Its tough being a big brother to a hero, but being a big brother for your little sibling? That’s easy.

Author's Notes:

This was probably the fastest I ever went from idea to published. I was thinking about adding scenes with Shining, Rarity's parents, and Maude, but I think this worked better as just Big Mac appearing. What can I say, the episode spoke to me.