Applejack Apple wasn't a girl who worried by frivolous things, during the bad times that came when her parents pass away she didn't care that she didn't have new clothes or boots, she didn't care that she didn't get an allowance or that she didn't enjoy the delicious food sold in the stores or markets around town, heck she didn't care that more that once some idiot would call her orphan or hillbilly.

What Applejack didn't tolerate, was that the insults or the need for things was directed to her kin. You could call Applejack anything you wanted if you weren't afraid to lose your teeth of course, but insult her little sister and you were asking for an ass whooping that would leave a lifetime of pain for the sorry soul. Insult Granny for been old or senile and Applejack would make you suffer.

But now she was worried, a lot, by a frivolous thing like her brother's whereabouts, she knew he was an adult already and didn't need to report where he was or how long it would take for him to come back, she knew he was responsible and smart, and yet she had this feeling in her guts telling her that her brother was in danger, so if someone called her silly she would make them regretted.

"Calm down Cuz, I'm sure Biggs is just celebrating that title of his with his fellas and maybe he did that deal with 'whatchamacallit' and is celebrating that too". Jonagold tried to ease her cousin worries.

"Didn ya say that Big Mac may had himself a lady now? Maybe he's havin some cuddlin time with her?". Braeburn too tried but he did the mistake of touching a sour spot. At Applejack silent command Honeydew sunk her elbow into the male Apple's ribs.

"Enough waitin around, if yer gonna be here moppin fer yur brother am out of here". Granny Smith rose from her rocking chair to go back to her room.

"Aren ya worry Granny? About Mac! I just got this ugly feeling that something happen to him and I can't shake it off".

"I got it too sugarcube, but I also got the feelin that yur brother is among friends now so don fret about what ya can't change".

"And just how do you know he's with friends?".

"How did ya know he was in danger?".

"Ha ha uh good point? But still I don like it".

"Applejack, since I left the reins of the farm to Big Mac not once has he fail us and ya know why?".

"Because he... He did a promise to Pa and Ma".

"That's just part of it sugarcube, the main reason was you two". Granny Smith pointed first to Applejack then to Apple Bloom." He would never let ya miss yur childhood or Bloom's. He rather miss school or break his back doin what he could for his family so ya wouldn't have to, but even blood family sometimes is not enough and now yur brother is lookin for his own future, his own happines and we as family can only look for him and support him and THAT is what family does, now you five get some rest that tomorrow is comin, Big Mac or not".

With her mind said Granny climbed the stairs on her way to her room leaving the five youngest Apples to themselves.

"Ya know that Granny is right Jackie, even now we don know if Pops is gonna wake up but if he does we hafta learn all we can to help him even if wer no next to him".

Applejack was shot with guilt remembering her cousins own predicaments. Here they were away from his parents in order to help them and she was worried for her brother who may just be in his way here.

"Yur right, I'm sorry yo, didn't want to throw the mood to the mud".

"That's ok Applejack, I sure they are ok". Apple Bloom tried to encourage her sister.

"They?".

"Ha ha a mean 'he' I... I must be tired from all the worry, ok bye". Bloom disappeared same way her Granma did just a few minutes ago.

"Lil' Cousin Bloom is right, we should get some shut eye". Jonagold recommended.

"If ya want I can sleep here in the sofa and if Cuz Mac get home I'll let ya know, how's that cuz?".

"Thank ya kindly Brae". After saying their goodnight all Apples retired to their rooms. Soon all the inhabitants of the house were sleeping, all except for one, Applejack knew that Granny wasn't lying, but she didn't understand why her fears tormented so much, even when she fought against magic beings from other world she never knew fear like this, only comparable to when her parents had that accident, her mother died instantly but her father, her father suffered for a few more days before he too was gone.

And so now Applejack couldn't sleep, however little by little fatigue started to wear her out, and Applejack Apple fell into sleep, once her dreams took root in her subconscious a unfamiliar magic sprout out of her moving from where her brother touched her to her forehead and the nightmare begun.

A eleven year old Applejack returned from school, despite having a black eye she felt happy, she just showed that bully Strawberry Sunshine that she was not a 'Pussy' although she didn't understand why the other kids laughed at her been called a little cat.

That, however wasn't the reason behind the fight, it started when in lunch Applejack took a couple of apples that her big brother had pick specially for her, two of the brightest and juiciest gala apples she had ever seen, part of the batch that him and Granny Smith had harvested in this hard year almost 8 months after their parents passed away, so the apples had a significant value adhered to them, so when Applejack in her happiness decided to give one to her best friend Rarity the last thing she expected was for Sunshine to take the apple from Rarity's hands and chew on it loudly, then spit the fragments and scream at Applejack.

FLASHBACK.
"Stop bringing apples full of worms!, I'm sure that dumb brother of yours don't even know how to use pesticide, uggh disgusting".

"What did you just said?". Applejack was in shock and asked more because she didn't really heard clearly what she said.

"All I'm saying is that even if your brother left school it was useless at the end because he's so dumb he can't even take care of an apple farm, all he manage was apples full of worms like this...!".
Sunshine smashed the apple in the floor and stomped on it leaving it like a bad applesauce.

Before Applejack could jump at the girl and make her eat the mess she just left in the floor Rarity stood up and did something that only a best friend could do. She stood up and gently pushed Sunshine away from the apple and graciously picked up one of the pieces, with delicacy she put the piece in her mouth and eat it making sounds of enjoyment.

"Well Strawberry dear, I don't know how you taste your food but if you can't even recognize a fine fruit when in your mouth I can only feel bad for when is your turn to take on the family business".

At once the school broke into laughs pointed at the insulting girl, seen herself with no chance of comeback she took her lunch and left the cafeteria. Applejack thanked her friend and broke her apple in two giving one to her defender and promised her a new apple for the next day which she appreciated.

The rest of the day was pretty good, the talk of the day was how Rarity put Sunshine in her place and many of the other kids asked her if the apple was really that good with her telling them to ask Applejack who had apples everytime and never got bored of them.

Soon Applejack found herself surrounded by other kids who asked her about her farm and what other things they produced.

At the end of the day Applejack was ready to go home, she said goodbye to Rarity who left with her father and started walking home, that's when she saw her again.

"Hey Applejack? Wanna come here for a minute?". Strawberry called her over, next to her were her two followers Berry Punch and Golden Harvest.

"Git lost Sunshine, if ya think I'm gonna do what you said then yur dumber that ya look".

"What? Are you a pussy? If so then I'll call you pussyjack from now on, how's that". Her friends started laughing at the joke although Applejack didn't understood any of it.

"Sure thing, if it make ya happy". Applejack continued her way but now the girls were moving along flanking her.

"So you don't mind? Well the joke is probably to smart for you, probably too smart for your whole family ha ha ha". Applejack's eye twitched.

"You know girls? Her brother was so dumb he did even know he was expelled from school until her crazy grandmother told him so". Applejack clenched her fists

"And that little hick with the ribbon, she's probably dumber that those two, and that's the reason why you don't fuck with your broth-grurrha!". Non of the three girls saw Applejack coming and Sunshine definitely didn't saw that left jab coming to her face.

Applejack moved back in a boxer stance, she knew Berry and Golden were just as tough as her, been from farmer families too. To her credit Sunshine got up shaking but mad.

"You bitch! That was cheap".

"Non as cheap as yer dirty strawberries! And what about ya two, ya know damn well how hard is to harvest anythin and yet here ya are makin fun ofa fellow farmer!". Applejack accused the other two girls, Golden seemed to get the message and her face turned with remorse but Berry only smirked.

"My family has been just as long as yours here but does anyone recognize that, fucking no, it's Apples this Apples that, I was pretty sure that with your parents gone and your brother taking charge your farm was doom, but no, he has to go and fucking succeed".

Berry's smirk turned predatory and she lunged forward, she was the tallest of the 4 girls and had a longer reach that Applejack's, she was only able to dodge the punch because she had it in her sight but that let her with bad footing, Sunshine used the opportunity and kicked the Apple girl in the ankle, Applejack almost fell but stubbornness keep her from the floor.

Berry moved again and Applejack faked to face her but instead moved again Sunshine, the two bullies were slow to move and Applejack used that to deliver a knock out punch to Sunshine, Applejack could see a tooth flying from Strawberry's mouth, however her maneuver had a flaw and that was to let Berry get a good punch at her right in the face, Applejack tumbled but didn't fall, she was going to feel that one soon, Berry moved again but Applejack surprised her by closing the distance and taking the grape farmer with her, once on the floor Applejack who end up on top used her position to her advantage and punched again and again, every time Berry tried to move Applejack would deliver another punch to the face, Berry blocked most of them but having to defend only end up in her losing.

When Applejack stood up from Berry the girl was bleeding from her lower lip and nose, she also had a few cuts in her face, Berry tried to stand up but Applejack put her boot over her chest.

"I got nothin against ya Berry, ya let me be and I let ya be but come at me again like this and one of us will end up in the hospital git it?".

After that Applejack looked a Golden Harvest who didn't interfered, she was prone against the wall and looked annoyed.

"Your one tough girl Apple... I dig it". Golden moved next to Berry and help her up Applejack saw them leaving while Sunshine remained on the floor, Applejack tough about leaving the girl there but that would be to evil even if she deserved it. Applejack carried the girl back to school and into the infirmary, after that a report was made with her living the other two girls out of it, only Applejack and Sunshine would get into trouble.

END OF FLASHBACK.

By the time Applejack was close to her home her eye was purple and swollen. She could only imagine the face Rarity would do at seen her like that, and the beating that Granny would have for her soon. Everything, from the first thing Applejack said in the whole day to the very moment her eyes focused in the scene in front of her was forgotten, her mind tried to protect her poor soul making little sense of what was happening in her house, a police car, and ambulance, someone been taking by the paramedics.

"No, no... nah..." Applejack almost chocked trying to get the words out of her mouth and despite her desire to move closer and see what was going on her legs would deny her that.

Could had Granny fall from the stairs, did Bloom got injured by trying to help with the chores." Move damn it". Her voice was more like a croak, her throat too dry to produce the right sound.

Once again by mere stubbornness she willed her legs to move, step by step, trying to see a familiar face and hoping that it was a false alarm, a joke or Granny Smith's special hard cider that caused all this people to come.

That hope banished when she saw Doctor Link among the people tending to the injured, as the doctor recognised her he moved toward her exposing the person in the stretcher, her heart hitched almost to her throat, Big Mac was on the mechanical bed, a respiratory tube was covering the lower part of his face, his face looked pale, almost de-.

"Big brother, please don sleep like Pa, don sleep like them". Little Apple Bloom was been held by Granny Smith, crying intensely into her grip, Granny Smith's own face was a stone that was about to brake apart.

Applejack didn't realized that the doctor was next to her until he spoke up.

"Your brother suffered a case of exhaustion and malnutrition, he's pretty weak right now but he'll get better. Now do you want me to do something about that eye of yours?".

"Is he?... Is he?...".

"He'll be fine, he just need rest and eat properly, the ambulance will take him to my clinic, it would be best if you go with the rest of your family". Applejack did as the doctor recommend and she was hugged as well by her little sister and grandmother, soon a police car drove them to the clinic.

After a few horrible hours of waiting the family finally was allowed to see Big Mac, the report indicated that he fell unconscious around 11 am, he was found first by the Granny Smith who went to look for him when he failed to come back for lunch, Big Mac would confess later that he was sleeping only 3 hours a day and skipping breakfast, all with the purpose of meeting the deadline for the next harvest.

Granny talked with him first and not resisting the need to reprehend her grandson for his self-destructive conduct left him too tired for another visit, yet the doctor allowed Applejack inside as long as she let him rest.

Applejack was seating in from of her sleeping brother, her black eye was better thanks to the doc but were still red from all the crying. The room smelled bad, it did not stink but the past experience with her parents let her with a bad impression of the place, she watched her brother's chest rise and fall with a normal pattern, he would remain in the clinic tomorrow and if the doc would give the ok he would be back home the day after.

Suddenly the room felt cold, she was having trouble keeping calm, she started to shake and hugged her arms in order to maintain heat within herself, for a moment, for a second something caught her eye, she rubbed her eyes thinking that she was too tired and her eyes were making things weird. It happened again and this time she saw clearly, her brother's face was replaced with that of her father, Bright Mac, slowly the dead man in front of her opened his eyes and turned to see her.

The shaking from before turned into a spam, one Applejack was unable to escape, her father removed the oxygen mask and with one bony hand and tried to speak, Applejack was sweating now, her body cold but still sweat formed in her body, and her body kept shaking. The same hand he used to remove the mask was used to touch her and she couldn't move away, her dead father was there, touching her, first her chin, then her cheek and then her hair, he tried to speak again and this time words came out of his mouth "Ya failed me Sugarcube... Ya let yer brother carry everything and he's broken now... You... Ain't... An... Apple". The bony hand took the hat that was the pride of the girl from her head and placed it in top of his chest, the next time Applejack blinked the dead man was gone and Big Mac was there again, pale, slim, hollow, dead, only then Applejack was able to scream.

Applejack woke up almost choking, her hand gripping her arms so hard her nails were digging into her skin, her own super strength was crushing her, she let go but not before leaving marks in her arms, the terrible nightmare she just experienced still fresh and vivid, her temples were throbbing and her stomach was turning ready to realise its contest, her eyes moved left and right to check her surrounds, she was in bed in the house, she was 17 not 11 like in the dream and her brother was alive or at least she thought so.

Then she saw her hat in the perch were she left it, the hat that his father gave to Mac the day he passed away, the same hat Big Mac gave to her the day she entered High School, "I'm proud of ya sis" he told her, but now the other voice sounded lauder in her head "Ya failed me Sugarcube", Applejack didn't sleep at all after that.

CELESTIA & LUNA RESIDENCE.
Inside their rooms, the sisters rested peacefully, however things would last so for the oldest. Celestia didn't have the same ability as her sister to dream wherever she wanted, she had to been content with what her subconscious would throw at her, pleasant or not, so this was one of the times she wished she could sleep dreamless.

Her journey started like normal having coffee in the teacher's lounge, then move to her office to see what needed immediate attention, deal with paper work from there she was free to choose what to take care after. Then it started, her office phone rang and she answered, Redheart was yelling and trying to calm somebody down.

"Redheart? What's going on?".

"Principal! You have to come to my office, we have two students with food poisoning and one of them is already in bad shape!".

"Oh God! I'm on my way, I'll call an ambulance first".

"Please, quickly, he's chocking again do not-". Redheart didnt finish when the line was cut. Celestia moved with haste will calling the emergency services with her cellphone but a call got her first.

"Luna! This isn't the time for -".

"Tia listen! We have have problems! Huge problems!".

"What now?".

"The Dazzlings are back! Sunset and her friends are fighting them in the front yard and they are using magic! In front of everyone and I mean everyone!".

Celestia's chest tightened after hearing that, her hands turning into fists , this could not be happening. "Luna, you need to take care of this, I have another emergency in the infirmary, Redheart needs me to-".

"Fuck! The police is here! They are trying to arrest everyone!".

Celestia stoped, this was a nightmare, it had to be, a sudden tremor almost dump her to the floor but she was still standing, she needed to call the ambulance and ... Banging sounds came from the phone and Celestia felt her blood turn cold.

"Luna! What was that?".

"Oh my God no!".

"LUNA!".

"They opened fire,the police opened fire, they shoot the girls... Sunset... Twilight!".
Celestia didn't wait to heard the end of the call, making a 180 she moved toward her new destination wishing that this was just some joke from her sister, she would be mad but it would be infinitely glad that it was just some prank her immature sister was playing at but the hollow pit in her sould said otherwise.

"I'm sorry". Celestia cried to the two poor souls she was abandoning in Redheart's care to see her would be daughter. Yes she was a coward, her own fears had prevented her from taking the girl as her own and now she may not had that chance ever again.

Celestia opened the double doors of her school and the chaos that was happening there hit her like a locomotive, at the far she could see the police fighting the three sirens in their monstrous form, Applejack and her 4 original friends were trying to calm the rest of the people, on the floor in front of her was what broke her heart, the body of Twilight Sparkle, motionless and blooded, Celestia knew right away that the girl was gone beyond salvation with her eyes open and vacant and a bit of blood coming out of her mouth. Her sister was kneeling next to another girl that Celestia recognized immediately and at her sight she felt an iron claw shredding at her heart and soul, she moved next to her sister who was talking to the still conscious Sunset, as she saw her guardian a smile appeared in her lips and she tried to speak only to choke in blood.

Celestia took her hand and cried over the suffering girl, her head over her chest were the bullet wound was more that evident.

"I'm so sorry, I...". Celestia felt the hand going limp and turning to the girl she found her eyes looking at her with no life behind them, Celestia cried until her eyes run dry, all around her chaos continued claiming lives, properties and sanity, Celestia didn't care, she was dead inside anyway.

Celestia woke up with her cheek stinging, she jerked her head left and right trying to find the reason of it, her eyes focused in her sister who looked worried and had her hand rised ready for a slap.

"Lu-Luna! Did you just? Ugh!".

"Ah, thank God, I thought that you wouldn't wake up, sorry about the slap but you were crying and screaming, no matter how much I shook you, you kept on crying".

"I... I had a terrible dream, Gods above I don't want to have that nightmare ever again". Luna hugged her sister, it was shocking to find her like that but after Celestia told her about her dream she could only agreed with what she said, that was a horrible nightmare, one that Luna hoped never to experience herself, after drinking water and talk with her sister a little bit more Luna decided that it was time to fo back to sleep.

"Don't worry sister, Sunset is with Mac and I'm sure that he would rather be blasted to pieces that let something happen to her".

"I know sister, thanks for everything".

"No problem Tia, now back to sleep, we have a heck of a day tomorrow".

"Good night Lulu". Luna left the room with the impression that her sister would be able to sleep again but she was wrong, the fear was still fresh within the Principal and sleep wasn't a option anymore, as tired and still afraid as Celestia was , she fail to see the black glow that silently moved around her body, the movement left the woman trembling but she could only attributed to the fall of temperature as the A/C turned on.

DOO'S RESIDENT.
Ms Doo ran to her daughter's room as soon as she heard her cries of agony and was afraid of what she would found inside, pushing fear and the door aside she saw her daughter in the floor of her room still wrap in her covers and trying desperately to remove them from her.

"Sweety what happened? Are you ok?".

"I'm... I'm fine mom but... It was horrible! It was the worst dream I ever had". The eye crossed girl responded.

Ms Doo hugged her daughter, this wasn't the first time she bad nightmares but they were pretty rare now, the bulling she received during her early years was the main reason behind, but now in CHS things looked pretty good for her daughter and she was afraid that the bulling had started again." What happened my child, what give you this awful nightmare?".

Ditzy sniffed trying to take hold of herself " It was... It started in school, then it continued to the shops and beyond Canterlot, everyone would point fingers at me and call me names and insult me, even my friends".
Her mother listened as her dear daughter explained.

"And... And... No matter where i went, it was the same all around'.

"That's awful sweet heart but is over now, the nightmare is gone". The mother told her daughter.

The two embraced and Ms Doo could only hope that her daughter wasn't been bully again for her condition, cradling the girl until she fell sleep again Ms Doo retired to her room making plans for tomorrow, she would call the Principal and ask her to keep an eye on her daughter, the younger woman was a respectful and noble person who had defended her daughter when she herself could not, surely she would help.

As soon as her mother was gone Ditzy opened her eyes again, afraid, she wasn't a baby she knew that her nightmare was just a dream, the only person that would sometimes make fun at her eyes was Trixie but they were pretty tame and some even funny, but her fear remained and the possibility of that her torment starting again fed the black glow that coiled to the girl unnoticed.

ROYAL CASTLE, EQUESTRIA.
"I'm sorry Mac... I didn't want this to happen... Please... Wake up...
I love you".

Macintosh Apple woke up from the weirdest dream he ever had, and he had many over his 21 years of life but this one took the bunch. Drowsy as he was he tried to leave the comfy bed that he was using, as he tried to put his weight in his feet he felt to the floor with a loud thumb, he found the reason of his fall as he inspected his extremities to find red furry legs that ended in hooves rather that feet, in that moment the memory of what happen before came rushing to his mind.

"What the? I.. I'm not dreamin, I'm a pony! Sunny? Sunset?! Where?...". With desperation Mac twirled his body around trying to find his lover but he was alone in a slightly illuminated room, the room including the bed seemed too high quality to be a prison room, it looked more like what could be found in a palace, which give Mac the location of his whereabouts.

After checking himself again Mac saw no injuries from his previous fight with the guards and the purple mare, maybe he was healed with magic but he couldn't tell, he could only feel the sensation that Sunset was somewhere around and that was all he needed.

As he tried to make his exit he found the door difficult to handle, his hooves didn't worked as he wanted yet and was forced to open it with his mouth which he found gross for the natural reasons.

As slowly as his control over his teeth will allowed he opened the door silently somehow then moved forth to see if someone was guarding the door to the room but found no one which was odd, he and Sunset had been accused of been rebels or traitors hence the previous fight, so this mean that either Sunset had explained things and found one of the princesses or that the castle had the worst guards he had ever seen.

Taking his chances Mac moved out of the room and into the hallway again noticing the lack of security as a major point, he moved quietly as one with hooves would be capable wary of any confrontation that may come his way.

Slowly, he approached a crossroad were the hallway broke into 4 different directions, he took a moment to see around but again found nothing that could grab his attention, taking a deep breath Mac did something that he hoped could help him, closing his eyes he thought about Sunset, in her beautiful amber fur and her cute little muzzle as well as her sexy tail, then he felt her, to his left, several meters away and thankfully resting which mean that they were found innocent of the charges, with no more stopping him Mac broke into a full throttle in her direction.

"Don worry Sugarcube, I'm commin for ya".

As Mac gained momentum a loud noise sounded from behind and Mac turned slightly but was enough to catch sight of what was coming and now he wondered if the world was showing him the middle finger for something he told Sunset before crossing the portal.

Behind him riding an invisible motorcycle and wearing a police helmet came the result of a mad scientific playing God, a creature part snake, part goat, part dragon and God knows what else, the creature moved to his side and spoke to him.

"You are braking the speed limit mister! And unless you are in your way for an awesome time of Ogres & Oubliettes I'll have to give you a ticket".

Big Mac didn't stop, rather increased his speed and leaving the abomination behind.

"Well? Not even a hello? Talk about rude". With a pop, the dragon thing appeared a few meters in front of the speeding stallion along a barricade and a whistle in his mouth which he blown.

"STOP IN THE NAME OF AHGGG". Mac broke through the barricade sending the thing flying from the impact.

Max continued his mad dash for his lover when the creature appeared in front yet again this time with a banana in his claw, he pealed the skin off and after eating the peal he thrown the banana at Mac's face which had him losing control of his direction.

Mac slammed against the wall and felt in his back, before he could get up he found himself floating magically toward the creature.

"About time you stopped you crazy farmer! And do you have any idea how much those repairs are gonna cost for the Sunbutt and the dream stalker? Obviously not enough, you should have broke through the wall and continued rampaging through the entire castle, what a waste of muscle".

"I don know what yur talkin about ya snake, let me go now".

"Wow wow wow! Is this the way you are suppose to talk to your friends Big Mac?, the shame!".

"I ain't yur friend you critter, now let me go, Sunset needs me!".

"Sunset?, wait a minute". The dragon got closer to Mac and started inspecting him, opening his mouth and pulling his tongue out, pointing a light to his eyes, hitting his head with a hammer and even licking one of his hooves which did make him shrug.

"Oh ho ho ho I see, ho ho I see now, you aren't my friend Big Mac but you ARE Big Mac!".

Mac tried to kick the snake thing but failed miserably and only make it laugh more.

"A little feisty are we, now now how can we do things interesting hmmm?

The thing got closer now going face to face as a mischievous smile spread across its ugly face.

"Oh I know, how would you like to meet your double's wife Mr Apple ha ha ha ha". Mac didn't know what the creature was talking about but he knew in his bones that it was totally evil.

Author's Note

I hate nightmares, I guess everyone does except for masochists maybe, my worst is stepping in quick sand were I sunk really really slow, anyway you know the drill, comment if you like and until next time compadres.