Chapter 1 Here She Lay
Applejack’s consciousness burst into being, her eyes fluttering as they tried to clear her blurred vision, only to be sent reeling back as the blinding light seared her sight.
She recoiled back, only to wince as a spike of pain shot through her sore body. Applejack didn’t need her body to tell her she was in bad condition; she could feel it herself. Through the frazzled state of her still-waking mind, she could feel the poor signals her body was shoving into her head... can’t see past these dry eyes, nasty ringings in her ears, and not a single spot on her body that wasn’t aching. Careful not to move again lest she invite more pain, she let herself lay unmoving on her side. Taking in a breath of air, she—
“Ack!” her voice rasped as her lungs spiraled into a fit of coughing and hacking. Needles of pain pricked at her chest, stabbing in with each convulsion. The mare could only grimace at each blow to her, every single one bringing much more than air and saliva spitting out of her. She could feel… well, she didn’t know what she felt. From her body came rough somethings that scratched at her throat on their wayward escape.
After what seemed like decades, her choking subsided into a measly cough, still arduous but tolerable on her worn body. Blinking away a few stinging tears, she saw that her vision had adapted to the light, but it was still far too blurry to be of any use to her; her ears’ ringing had also died down into a constant buzz. At the very least, the episode had awakened her senses. Attempting to look about, the most Applejack could manage was vague splotches of color—lump over there, clump here, all on top of a brownish backdrop. Oh, and the crimson-colored bump that was getting larger.
“Wha—” she tried to say, only to be cut off by another fit of hacking. Still can’t talk, she thought, annoyed. Recovering herself, she focused back onto the blob of crimson, getting a small start at seeing it having moved right next to her head. Becoming a tad bit clearer at the closer proximity, she saw that it was not only that deep shape of red, but also had two white orbs set in the middle. A pony! Applejack realized, though not feeling too reassured. Waking up in terrible condition next to a stranger was never a good sign.
The pony—she couldn’t even make out its gender—paused next to her, seemingly content to observe. Applejack tried raising her hoof up to the newcomer, but only managed to lift just above her head before falling flat with an unsteady shakiness. No, she realized, Can’t move at all... Which meant all she could do was watch.
Leaning down closer to her, the pony’s mouth, or where she estimated it was, shifted up and down a few times. It didn’t take a genius to determine that he or she was trying to speak, but Applejack could only make out a distant whisper of sound—certainly not enough to know what was said. Figuring she was being waited on for a response, the mare nodded her head as much as it would allow, which is to say, almost motionless. Almost.
The figure’s head leaned back out of her personal space again. Darting its head left then right it turned away from her, moving away for a moment before returning, this time with a shapeless white... thing in tow. Applejack could only offer a weak, confused gasp as she felt her head lifted, sending an angry signal of pain from her neck. What are ya doin’?! she wanted to yell, but she her irritation shifted to surprise as she was gingerly set back down, feeling a new softness supporting her. A pillow, she realized. Glancing back up at the pony with a newfound interest, she saw it leaving and returning again, this time with a blanket that it draped over Applejack.
The pony leaned down to her once more and, after mouthing a few lost words, left out of her sight completely, leaving Applejack to wonder just what exactly had happened. But first, she took a moment to nestle into the blanket and pillow. Her aching body had no complaints.
Able to think clearly with no distractions, Applejack had only one sentiment… What in the hay is goin’ on? Her body might as well have run through Tartarus and back before dropping her off with a stranger in Celestia knows where. Although she was vaguely aware of it earlier, only now did she really digest the fact that she didn’t know how she’d gotten into this mess. No memory came to her of anything that could remotely lead to this… Actually, no memory at all came to her of recent events. Frowning, she recalled everything clearly up until about a week ago. Everything after was fuzzy at best, erased at worst.
A grumble of annoyance emitted from her throat, the hoarseness of her vocal chords morphing it into a growl. Just another problem to nag her, and there was nothing she could do about it in her condition.
Wrapped up warmer than Ponyville at the end of winter, Applejack let out yawn that had been hiding at the back of her throat, only to be warped into a cringe as her sore muscles became irritated by the movement. Well... at least I’m not dead.
That crimson pony, though… She didn’t know what to make of him or her. They seemed to care enough to make sure she wouldn’t go freezing up, but that alone wasn’t enough to reassure the farmer. Though, Applejack saw that she didn’t have much of a choice except to count on the stranger’s hospitality. Still… she did appreciate it.
As her head sunk into the fluff of the pillow, her consciousness followed shortly behind. Despite just waking up, she was exhausted. Huh, she thought, That only happens when ya don’t get a good sleep. Even with her questions unanswered, Applejack couldn’t fight the allure of drowsiness. Besides, she knew would get no closer to learning of what was happening if she couldn’t even spit out a word, and time spent resting to get on back on her hooves was time well spent by her book. Her eyelids’ heaviness forcing themselves shut, she drifted into a heavy slumber.
This time, Applejack was roused from her sleeping at a gentle nudging on her shoulder.
Lip curling into a distasteful frown, she let herself lay dormant for a moment longer. She could at least be afforded that with how she was feeling. Applejack noted with a bit of enthusiasm that she was indeed feeling better, but it was clear to her that she hadn’t made a miraculous, sudden recovery. Her body still ached, but it had diminished into a backdrop on her awareness, and her senses in general were much better. And thank Celestia, she could breathe clearly!
At another nudge, this one more forcible than the last, she decided she’d kept whoever waiting long enough—wait, just who was so insistent on waking her up? That pony? Remembering the situation she was in, Applejack cracked open her vision and was greeted by a smiling face of crimson.
“You’re awake! Great! First time that’s worked,” it exclaimed, beaming at her.
“Great” was not the word Applejack would’ve used to describe waking up to a pony violating her personal space. On the bright side, her sight had gone from foggy to cloudy. “Who…?” She winced at the sandpaper roughness of her own voice.
“Ooh, that doesn’t sound good,” the crimson-coated mare said. Reaching for a mug on the bed’s side table, she offered it forward. “Here, have some water. I’d bet you’re pretty thirsty.”
Not bothering to voice her agreement, not that she wanted to, Applejack grasped for the mug, only to nearly send it plummeting to the ground because of her shaking hoof. She winced as she glanced back up at the mare, but she didn’t seem to mind.
“Let me help,” she said, putting her own hoof under the mug to steady it. Nudging it to the farmer’s lips, Applejack didn't waste a moment in gulping down the liquid, emptying it before she even realized it. Clearing her throat, she said, “Thanks,” her voice still hoarse but bearable.
The mare nodded, appearing satisfied with herself. “You’re very welcome.”
Taking a moment, Applejack darted her eyes around, observing what she couldn’t see earlier. The vague shapes she saw earlier turned into what one would expect from a bedroom. A bed here that she was currently occupying, a dresser nearby, a window on the wall, and various other knick-knacks scattered about, some of which too far or small or both for her imperfect vision to make out clearly. She looked back to the pegasus. “Who...?”
“Well… let’s start with introductions.” Jumping back a step, she put a hoof to her chest. “I’m Skylight Crimson! But you can call me Skylight, Sky, or anything you like!”
She’s a perky one. Drawing another breath in, she replied, “I’m Appleja—” She coughed. “…Applejack. Nice to meet ya.”
“Nice to meet you too, Applejack. How’re you feeling?”
“Like Ah took a fall at the rodeo.”
“Is that bad?”
“Eeyup.”
Skylight let out a few chuckles. “Well, the doctor did say you need bed rest above all else, as well as to stay hydrated.”
“A-am I in a hospital?” Applejack asked, looking around the room again. It looked too homey to be one.
She shook her head. “No. I just had the doctor come here. I didn’t know if it was alright to move you.”
Applejack’s brow furrowed. The pegasus seemed nice enough, but she still had questions. First and second: where and what? “Skylight?” she started, getting her attention, “Where am I?”
The pegasus waved her hoof around the room. “You’re in my bed in my room in my house. I asked if it was okay that you stay here while you get better.” Skylight chuckled. “‘Make sure she’s still alive,’ I said.”
“While I got better?” Applejack repeated, her eyes widening, “How long was Ah out?”
The pegasus beat her hooves against the floor a few times, before smiling back at her. “One and a half days.”
“One and a…” Her breath caught in her throat. What in the name of Celestia happened to me?! “Skylight,” Applejack rasped, “How in tarnation did I get here? Why am I in such bad shape?!”
“Whoa now, Applejack. Everything’s fine, I assure you. I’ll answer to the best that I can!” She shot out her hoof just to punctuate the point. “But… before we do that, can I ask how you’re feeling? Making sure you’re okay is most important right now.”
The farm mare wanted answers more than a checkup, but, as stubborn as she was, Applejack had long since learned when she needed to put that aside for her own good. “Fine,” she ceded, heaving an impatient sigh.
“Great! So you fell down at a rodeo, but how is everything else feeling? You could barely move when I saw you earlier, much less talk.”
Getting the implied question, Applejack answered, “I haven’t tried getting’ up, and you had to help me with that there mug. So, no, I’m not feeling very energetic at the moment.” Pausing a moment to think, she said, “I take it you know my voice ain’t doin’ so well.”
“Heh, yeah,” she chuckled, “At least your sense of humor is intact.”
Applejack managed to return the smile, but returned to seriousness in a moment. “As for everythin’ else… I can hear alright, but my sight’s blurry.”
“How bad?”
“I can see just fine, but everythin’ is fuzzy. Small things I can’t make out…” Glancing down at her own hoof, she said, “Gets a bit clearer when what I’m lookin’ at is close.”
“Like near-sighted?”
“I… guess? I’m not near-sighted though. Never have been,” she replied, not liking the sound of her vision being impaired.
Seeing her reaction, Skylight said, “I wouldn’t worry about it. If everything else is getting better, then I don’t see why that wouldn’t.”
Applejack nodded, hoping the pegasus’ optimism wasn’t misplaced.
Propping her up foreleg to lean against the bedside, she added, “Anything else?”
The farm mare shook her head. She had a few aches here and there but nothing worth noting. Though… “Ah’m pretty thirsty,” she said, just in time for her stomach to make its presence known, “…And hungry.”
“Heh, I can take care of that. I happen to be the best and only chef in this household.”
“Can’t argue with that logic.” Clearing her throat, Applejack continued, “Though, can ya put that on hold for a few minutes? I’d like to know what’s goin’ on.”
The crimson-coated mare ran her hoof through her mane as she kept an uneasy smile. “Yeah, sure… Okay, I know… but don’t know. I mean I know some stuff… I can tell you how you got here, but I don’t know how you got like that… Well, not entirely.”
Mouth slightly agape, Applejack shook her head. “Girl, you ain’t makin’ a lick of sense. Just tell me—” she said, but was cut off as a fit of coughing took control of her breath for a moment. Rolling onto her side to look at the pegasus, Applejack forced herself to steady her tone. “Skylight? I’m in a place I don’t recognize next to a pony I don’t recognize, and my body’s actin’ like I put it through applebuck season without sleepin’. Trust me, I know what that's like. I’m mighty confused right now and want to know what’s goin’ on.”
Skylight stared blankly for a moment before shaking her head, putting on a sympathetic face. “Right, sorry. Sometimes I get antsy when... Anyway, what do you want to know?”
“First… how did I get here? Why am I under your care?”
“Okay,” Skylight said, “Um, this is going to sound weird, but... I found you in the forest.”
“The forest?”
“The Everfree forest.”
“I figured that, but whaddya mean ya found me?”
Flashing a weak grin, Skylight said, “Here’s the weird part. You were a statue.” Seeing Applejack’s incomprehension, she added, “Petrified. Lawn ornament. Set in stone. Whichever sounds best.”
Applejack considered her words for a moment before twisting her lips into a frown. “Then… No, that don’t make no sense. How could I have been a statue?”
“I’m not one-hundred percent sure, but I think it was some chicken monster thing.”
“Say what now?”
“I know! That’s how I reacted. But really, that’s probably what happened. You see, when I wheeled you back to town on my wagon, I brought you to one of those archaeologist-types to see if they knew just what the heck you were. But then he went off on ‘sensing magic emanating from within' or something like that, and—”
“Sky, that story’s nice and all, but can ya get to the point?”
“Right! So some fancy unicorn magicks happened and surprise! You’re actually a pony. After looking through some books, he said that there’s a chicken-like monster capable of turning ponies to stone just by looking at them.”
“Chicken monster?” Applejack muttered, brow furrowing as she looking into her thoughts. It didn’t take an expert to know that chickens can’t terrorize ponies like that. Hay, Applejack was an expert! She dealt with animals all the time back on the farm. The mare didn’t think that Skylight was making up some silly story, but a chicken monster sounded flat out whimsical. Though, as she thought about it, she did feet a hint of recognition at the critter’s description as if she had heard of it before. As if… if…
Cockatrice.
Applejack’s eyes expanded to saucers as words from her sister filled her head, telling of one particular slumber party. “It had a reptile’s body,” her sister had told her, “But a chicken’s head and dark, beady eyes! And they could turn a pony to stone just by looking at them, hooves up!”
The farm mare’s mouth floundered emptily as the connection shocked her into realization. All of a sudden, the pegasus’ story was so much more viable. Her voice humbled into a whisper, she said, “Skylight? Did they call it a cockatrice?”
The mare looked off a ways as she recalled, but every second dragged into hours to Applejack. Finally, she answered, her tone hesitant like a jury not wanting to give the verdict. “Yeah. That would be it. You’ve heard of it?”
She nodded, but Applejack was at a loss for words. A cold feeling creeping up her spine, images of herself petrified and lost in the Everfree flashed across her vision. She never noticed herself shudder. “I…” she began, but was silenced as the full implications of what such an incident would mean hit her like a train.
She could see her family seated at the dinner table, just taking their seats, only to cock their heads in confusion as one spot was left unfilled. “Where was Applejack?” her younger sister would ask, only to be answered by a shrug from her brother. He would excuse himself with a nod from their granny, offering to go out and see if Applejack was still in the fields, overworking herself as usual as she poured her heart into the family business. They would patiently wait… and wait… and wait and—
“Skylight,” Applejack hissed, eyes contracted to pinpricks, “Tell me you’re jokin’. Tell me I had just been unconscious in the forest or somethin’.”
In a moment, she shook her head with a genuine glint of concern appearing in her eyes.
Applejack dropped her head to the sheets, squeezing her eyes tighter than possible. For once, she wished she wasn’t the Element of Honesty. She may not be a lie detector, but she had a knack for spotting falsities, and Skylight had none.
But Applejack was not one to give up. She looked back up to the sympathy of the mare, her eyes a desperate yet sturdy plea. “Skylight,” she said, “Ya really are tellin’ the truth, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Then… how long?”
“What?”
“H-how long was I sittin’ in the forest like that?” Applejack asked, her voice rising on every word.
She shook her head, answering, “I don’t know. For starters, I have no idea who you are.”
Applejack forced herself to take a deep breath; though, it came out in a rush. She found herself cursing the fact that she and her friends had never made a deal of being the Elements of Harmony to the public. “Alright,” she said, “If’n ya don’t know who I am, then I’ll tell ya. Ya know Princess Luna?”
Skylight nodded immediately, lighting a spark of optimism in the farm mare. “Then ya remember her return as Nightmare Moon?”
She glanced away in thought for a moment. “Mm, yeah. I’ve heard about that. But what does that have to do with now?”
“Everythin’. I’m one of them Elements of Harmony, Honesty. I helped restore the princess back to her kind self instead of that night-obsessed monster.” Applejack finished with a firm nod, confidence ringing in her voice.
The pegasus, however, didn’t share in the assuredness. Her brow furrowed as she stared at Applejack—now it was her turn to be confused. “But that… doesn’t make sense,” she said.
“What? Why not?”
Skylight shook her head. “Because Luna came back a while ago. Like, a long while ago.”
Applejack’s heart skipped a beat. Her mouth hung open without a word for a few seconds too long before she shook herself out of her stupor. “Whaddya mean by that?!” she rasped, “I couldn’t have been a statue for very long! There’s… there’s no way that’s possible.”
“For very long…?” Her eyes widened. “Oh. Uh…”
Applejack stared at her, never blinking.
“Okay, listen. I bet I just made you all panicky, but I don’t want you to worry. I’m no history buff, so I could be dead wrong.” Applejack opened her mouth to respond, but Skylight held up her hoof. “Let me finish. All I’m doing is stressing you out. I’m going to go… check a few things real quick that should clear up this fog. Alright?”
Applejack stared into her crimson eyes, not knowing what she was searching for. Anything really, but the only thing she found was a mine of sympathy, something that gave her no answers. “…Alright,” she ceded.
“Good.” She took a few steps back, turning toward the door. Glancing back, she added, “Everything’s going to be fine.”
Applejack watched her depart, but she called out to her just before she disappeared from sight. “Ya promise?”
“Promise,” Skylight said, mustering up a surprisingly honest smile. Then she left out the door.
Alone, Applejack looked around the blurred view of the room, but she focused on nothing. Instead, her mind dwelled on the vile what-ifs springing into the forefront of her mind; in her worry, hope was the only thing pushing back against the onslaught. Hope that a nightmare of an accident had not stricken her. She forced reassurance into her mind as she replayed Skylight’s words over in her head. Though, one word kept sticking out to her.
“History…?”
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Poor Applejack!
This is going to hurt for poor Applejack. I would hate waking up in the future after such an event and having to adjust.
Im just happy you didnt kill it! :)
Oh no. I really hope this isn't a 3001 thing. Oh Celestia, it is, isn't it? Need.... More........ Story!
Also, Skylight is strangely easy to picture for some reason. Am I missing something obvious again?
MUCH stronger character so far! I liked the story already, but I like all your changes so far.
Where's Apache?
Jup, much better than the previous version .... although I liked it already ... ^^
So far as it's gotten, I'm really feeling this new version. With only Skylight around, it makes for the interactions between the characters feeling more natural and less clustered, and I already like Skylight far more than I ever did in the first fic, simply because she felt so untouched on in the original wave of OCs.
Oh god the revision is not lacking in those feels that have me on the edge of bursting into tears!
You actually have me looking forward to getting ready to cry.
*finds something cute to feel better*
fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2013/019/7/a/caramelldansen_with_26_ponies__by_designjh-d5s1zer.gif
Daaaaw Caramell dance pones
Took me a little time to get used to Skylight taking Apache's role in the chapter, but I'd say the rewrite is going well so far.
good stuff cant wait for some more
I like it.
And why is it always Applejack placed into these situations when it comes to fanfic? Is she like Robinsson Cruise of ponydom or something?
PS: Isn't posting the revised chapters as new chapters against the site rules or something? But don't quote me on that.
5738475 Rules state that you can't post a revised story as an entirely new story unless changes are substantial, nothing about posting revised chapters. I've seen fics a lot older than this contain outdated chapters and revised ones, so this should be fine.
Roll credits! *ding*
I'm liking this new version too, it feels much smoother. Looking forward to more!
it's punny cause she's a horse and she said whoa, I think this is one of the worst puns ive ever made lol
Poor AJ. Lost in time is never a good thing to wake up too.
Jep. I like the new version.
Alas I can't upvote it again.
So have at least a moustache.
6135829
Looks like AJ is having a Rip Van Winkle situation here.