I held the chain in my hoof, the metal tag shining in the afternoon sun. I ran the other hoof over the words cut in to the steel while I read them again.
Jersey Mac
Age 32
K.I.A. Highest Valor awarded
1997-2005
I knew what that really meant. He had decided to do some heroic sacrifice, leaving his sick wife and kids behind to run a farm that had to provide for themselves and a town. He didn't care about what happened to us. He only cared about his own image. Only cared about what everypony else thought of him.
I kept asking myself why I didn't just chuck the things. But every time I, something stopped me.
“Big Macintosh? Where in tarnation did you get to?”
I tucked the chain back out of sight, safely under my harness. Applejack would throttle me if she knew I’d kept anything of our father’s, she’d made it clear what she thought of him when he left mom.
“Big Mac? You up there?” She called from below. I reattached my apple baskets, and carefully made my way down the hill.
“Eeyup,” I answered.
“Just letting you know that Granny has supper ready. Just c’mon in when you’re hungry." She motioned towards the house. "Don’t stay out here too long, ya hear?”
“Eeyup,” I said, starting to walk past her. I jerked a bit in surprise when she suddenly jumped on me, giving me a tight squeeze before letting go. She stepped back, embarrassed.
“Sorry, it’s just…” She ran her hoof over the stitching on her hat. “Don’t overwork yourself again, Big Mac. Ah worry about you ya know.”
I kissed her forehead, placing a hoof on her shoulder. “Ah’ll be careful AJ. Go on now, ‘fore Granny and Applebloom get worried.”
She nodded and began cantering towards home. I followed her journey until she stopped at the door and waved to me. I waved back, taking my apple baskets to where I’d left the wagon. As soon as the weight left my back, I let out a small groan.
Maybe I really should stop, before I collapse out here.
I loaded the apples into the basket, attached the harness to my collar, and began pulling it in the direction of the barn. I shivered, it
felt like… something was wrong, and I didn't want to spend any more time outside.
When did it get so dark?
I questioned, staring up for a moment. The sky was nearly black by the time I walked out of the barn.
It couldn't have taken me that long to clean up, could it?
A gust of wind blew my mane into my face for a moment. I shook my head to get the air out of my eyes. But I stopped when I heard a voice.
"Big Macintosh...”
I turned, searching for the source of the voice. "Who's there?" I whispered.
"You won't succeed..."
"What? Succeed at what?" I yelled into the wind. Which chose that moment to pick up. The orchard seemed to get darker. The temperature dropped.
"I will end you..."
The trees disappeared. The sky was gone. The dark became a fog. It flowed towards me. There was no escape.
“Big Macintosh! You get in here before your dinner gets cold.”
I shot up, banging my head on one of the lanterns in the barn. I looked around. No dark clouds, no weird winds, no anything. As I rubbed the spot on my head, pieces of hay fell out of my mane.
"Falling asleep in the barn Macintosh," I said. Chuckling as I shook off the rest of the hay. "Maybe you have been working too hard."
The smell of flapjacks greeted my nose, and brought my body out of its deep sleep. I pretended, just for a moment, that there was nothing to do. That I could just lie back and relax. Maybe even sit down to eat for once. Then, said body reminded me of the exhaustion from yesterday, and the flapjacks suddenly seemed so far away. I groaned and laid back down.
Maybe... just this once..? I thought about staying in bed. But I had chores to do, so I finally dragged my body out of bed. Before I left the room, I took a quick look at myself in the mirror.
Eugh. I grimaced at the face that greeted me. My mane was plastered across my face, and my coat stuck up in random places. I looked like I’d slept in the barn. I took a quick sniff. And smelled like it, too. Definitely can’t skip the shower, I thought as I headed for the bathroom.
After the shower, I headed downstairs for some breakfast. The sweet scent of Applejack's cinnamon-apple flapjacks was wonderful. It drifted upstairs and called me to the kitchen. I flicked my mane around, getting the water drops out of it, before Applejack said something about my looks. Speaking of Applejack, she was leaning on the stove, humming while she flipped.
“Morning, Big Brother. I see the smell of food brought you back from the dead.”
Back from the..?
I looked outside. The sun was high in the sky, meaning only one thing.
“Ah overslept, didn't I?” I was somewhat hopeful Celestia had decided to raise the sun a bit earlier than normal.
“Yep,” Applejack replied. I sighed. Of course she didn't.
I decided to skip breakfast; my stomach wouldn't thank me for that later. But I was way too far behind on the chores. I gave a longing glance at the food as I headed for the door that led to the barn.
“No you don’t,” a filly said, charging to stand in my way. She glared at me. “You worked nearly all night, then passed out almost as soon as you got in the door.” She stepped closer, rage rolling off of her. I stepped back, a little afraid of the my youngest sister.
“You sleep in for the first time in weeks, and you think that skipping breakfast is a good idea?”
She stopped in front of me, glaring. I looked to Applejack, she shrugged. I looked back at Applebloom, she hadn't budged. I grabbed four plates, setting them on the table.
“...Nnope.”
“Good. I want to see a nice, big, heap of flapjacks on your plate.”
In that case. I took a stack of flapjacks, dumped them on my plate, and poured some cinnamon apple syrup on top. I looked at Applebloom smugly.
She took a long look at the plate. "I suppose that'll be fine," she said. "But Ah want every single on of them gone before you even think about leaving."
I took a look at her, then my plate, then back to her.
Well, I thought as I sized up the stack in front of me. That backfired.