"Apple Jack!"
"Yeah, Granny?"
"Time to come in! Gettin' dark!"
"Be there in a minute, Granny!"
She hates lying to her family, especially Granny, but she has found over the past few months, it has gotten easier. The only sleep Apple Jack has had is when exhaustion hits her suddenly and quickly. And even still it only lasts for a few minutes at most before she screams in terror from another nightmare. Her family notices her lack of sleep, but if it bothers them to see her like this, they know better than to force her into sleep. Apple Jack's stubbornness has been at a all time high. Her insomnia keeps her up for twenty four hours a day and seven days a week. Which, in truth, Apple Jack doesn't mind. It's better than sleep. Anything is better than sleep. Instead of going towards the farm house, she goes deeper into the orchard and starts on tomorrow's work. "See? Who needs sleep? I'm perfectly fine right here. Doin' my chores!" she says, trying to convince her over worked body. "After all, what farm pony isn't used to hard labor? Like bucking trees, or plowin' fields? I can do this!"
"Apple Jack?" a deep voice asks softly.
She turns around and sees Big Mac with a shy, worried look. "Now, Big Mac. Don't you start telling me to go inside and go to sleep. I refuse to rest until the chores are done!" Apple Jack explains.
Big Mac sighs and says, "I'm not here to force you into things you ain't comfortable with, Apple Jack, I figured you wouldn't come in, so I'm here to help with the chores you're doin'."
"Does Granny know you're here?"
"Nope."
"Alright then," Apple Jack says. "You can start with those trees over there, while I stick with these ones," she explains.
Big Mac quietly nods in agreement and turns to the direction he was appointed to. Apple Jack turns around and smiles at the tree behind her. She missed every pony during the time she was away, and is thankful that they are so supportive of her. Never has she felt so much true love from her family. She thought back on the day she received the letter, Granny telling her to stop what she's doing and get the mail.
There was a letter from Filthy Rich, probably the money he owed, a letter from Babs for Apple Bloom, a bill for the new gardening supplies they bought, and a letter addressed to her from Celestia. Curiously, she opened the letter. She never got mail from the princess, so this was very weird and nerve wracking. "What could have happened that would make the princess write to me?" she wondered. And then she read it. Yak-yakistan and the Griffon Kingdom were attacking each other and planning on attacking Equestria as well. She and her friends were asked to report to the palace for briefing on the plan the next day.
Apple Jack shakes the feeling off and focuses on bucking the trees. She thinks, instead, of the day they got back. Despite everything that had happened, she was happy. Happy to see every pony had survived the bombings and were all there to greet her. In the excitement though, she caught a glimpse of Scootaloo and Zephyr Breeze, and Apple Jack's heart sank fast. She knew that Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash would never hold them, never greet them, never smile at them, and never have a conversation about the weather with them ever again. She then thought of Diamond Tiara, Dinky and Derpy, Cadence and Flurry Heart, Apple Bloom's classmate Snips, and all those who's family will never be the same again thanks to the war.
Apple Jack tries to blink back the tears and keeps working. She focuses all her attention to the task at hoof. Apple bucking. "It's just like any other night on the farm," Apple Jack tells herself. "Big Mac is just behind those trees on the right of me, and I'm here. I'm safe. I'm bucking apples." she explains to herself. Plain and simple.
She hits the tree with a big thud and hears the apples fall into the baskets below. She blinks, and sees a glimpse of Carrot Top shooting at a Griffon soldier in her mind. She shakes her head once again, and goes to the next tree. Again she hits the tree, hears the apples fall, and sees Shining Armour being stabbed by a Yak spear in her mind. She blinks back tears, and goes to the next tree. Once again she hits the tree, hears them fall, and sees a bomb go off, destroying the immediate area and every pony retreating to the back up base. She starts crying as she thinks of the blood and that poured through countless ponies, yaks, and griffons as she fought for Equestria. Each memory getting worse and worse as she remembers more and more!
"Apple Jack?" she hears, but she keeps crying.
"Apple Jack?" all those yaks and griffons killed by her own hooves!
"Apple Jack!" All those who she couldn't help and instead let die!
"Apple Jack!" she wakes into consciousness. Apple Jack is laying on the couch in the family area. It was all a dream. But this one felt so real! She looks down, and sees that Apple Bloom was the one who woke her up. She rubs where her scar is and looks at Apple Bloom.
"How long was I asleep?" she asks.
"Two minutes, you were having a nightmare, so I woke you up," Apple Bloom explains.
"What time is it?" Apple Jack asks.
"8:00 a.m," she says.
"Why aren't you at school then?" Apple Jack questions, about to lecture her for not going to school.
"Granny let me stay home to watch over you, because Mac has to work all day in the fields and Granny has a meeting with Spoiled Rich in town today," Apple Bloom explains.
She couldn't argue with that. Granny hadn't trusted Apple Jack alone since the first night of terrors, and it's only gotten worse as time goes on. "Well, What do you want to do today, Apple Bloom?" She asks, sleep still in her head.
"We could go into town?" Apple Bloom offers.
"No, I'm not ready yet, I don't want to face the ponies who's loved ones..." Apple Jack trails off. "Something else," she says, changing the subject.
"We could play a card game? You promised you would teach me how to play Old Mare," Apple Bloom offers.
"You need more ponies of Old Mare. Tell you what, we'll play Seven Up until Big Mac comes back from the fields, then we'll convince him to play Old Mare with us," Apple Jack said, winking.
"Sounds like a plan!" Apple Bloom says excitedly.