Twilight wept almost uncontrollably.
Here she was, powerful in magic. Yet there wasn’t anything her magic could do in the face of mortality.
She never felt so powerless.
“Oh AJ! what am I going to do without you?
I thought…
I hoped we were going to have a future…
Together.”
Twilight was grasping for straws in her mind, there had to be something, she wasn’t ready to give up on AJ yet. But the only thing she could even think of was something Celestia had talked to her about right after the death of Twilight’s grandmother.
They were talking late one night about some deep matters concerning life, death and the universe. She said that it was thought that there was a being that watches over all creation. One that may have created it all. But Celestia wouldn’t explain any deeper because she didn’t know for sure.
This being was known as the Faust. It was more than just a name used in oaths and exclamations.
Twilight had, in the past, subscribed to the notion that prayer was for the deluded and the superstitious. Or the last resort of the hopeless. But now, she couldn’t think of anything else.
“Please Faust,” said Twilight sobbing, “forgive my doubting, but if you’re real, spare AJ…
Or take me too because I now know that I don’t want to live without her.”
Twilight wept more, she was remembering all the good times she had interacted with Applejack. The fun, the friendship, the closeness. The promise of a deeper relationship like they’d been hinting at with each other.
Twilight wept hard as the memories of her friend flashed by in her mind’s eyes. But there was an image, clearer than the rest, which came to mind. It wasn’t a memory, perhaps a fantasy. It was and it wasn’t Applejack. It was the Applejack from the human world. The figure in her mind was in her half-pony form, which made the sight of her more comforting.
‘Use what ya learned here Sugar Cube.’ Said the human Applejack in Twilight’s mind.
‘What did I learn,’ asked Twilight, suddenly her tears slowing.
‘'Member that there first aid book ya were so interested in,’ replied the AJ in her mind.
Then she faded away.
Twilight concentrated:
Moons earlier…
Twilight was still having trouble with coming to terms with this new body. She knew that she was going to have trouble getting her crown back. But getting a grasp on her new form had to be taken care of if she was going to function ‘normally’.
She’d studied the facts about this world and had made a list she was sure was going to endear her to the denizens of this school. But as she lay there, she just couldn’t go to sleep. So she got up quietly as not to wake Spike.
She was looking in the biology section of the library, there were so many questions in her mind about these beings. She was being careful not to attract attention of any security that might be there.
She took several books off the shelves and went back upstairs to the little storage nook that she and Spike were bedding down in.
There was a street lamp who’s light shown in a window at one end of the nook.
From the very first, Twilight had been surprised that the people spoke and the books in this world were in a language much like Equestria Standard. The differences were little enough that if you paid attention, you could understand. Such as; everyone vs. everypony or in hand vs. in hoof and other odd phrases like that.
One of the first things she noticed, which was a little embarrassing, confirmed the reason these creatures the book called humans, wore clothing all the time.
Unlike ponies, there wasn’t any way for them to hide their genitalia. She’d discovered this already when she had to go to the bathroom earlier. Try as she might, it didn’t work. She ended getting an embarrassing cramp trying to close and hide it. Also, the book cleared up the reason all the females had enlarged breasts.
Twilight assumed at first that it was a cultural norm that they had children early. But instead she found that it was an evolutionary trait developed when the species began walking upright and the normal display portion of the anatomy, the rump and genitalia, were no longer at eye (and nose) level.
Also their evolutionary beginnings cleared up why the breasts were in the wrong place (to an equine). Twilight assumed that these humans were somehow a branch of the equine line that diverged into another path. But the fact that they were primates blew her mind. Primates in Equestria were simple and not very bright creatures.
However one book really caught her attention, and she’d hung on to it the entire time she was in the human world.
It was a book on first aid. There were so many things that were amazing. Twilight had asked and received permission from Cheerilee to bring it back with her when she returned to the pony world. She’d thought about sharing it with the doctors in her world, she’d read it often. Twilight really did intend to return it when she had it copied.
Back in the present…
Something was working its way to the surface of her mind.
Something she’d read when she was spending the night in the Canterlot High School library.
‘What was it?’ thought Twilight.
‘What was it?
Celestiatdamn it! What was it?’
Twilight put all her will into forcing her mind to find this.
‘An acronym…
Three letters…
… !’
Then came the epiphany.
A technique called CPR:
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation.
‘How did that go?
How long has AJ been out?
Will it work on ponies?’
“Damn you Twilight!” she screamed at herself as if her emotions were disembodied from her logical side. “Don’t analyze! This is AJ’s life, if there’s any hope…
Do it…
DO IT NOW!”
Twilight quickly took the difference in equine anatomy vs. human anatomy into consideration.
She put a hoof under the back of AJ’s neck and opened the airway. She put her mouth over AJ’s mouth and nostrils and blew two full breaths.
Then with her forehooves over Applejack’s sternum, she did the compressions as well as she could remember how that book said.
She repeated the actions over and over. Twilight was trying hard to stay on task. Her head hurt. Her forelegs were going numb. Her wing was throbbing. Blood, sweat and tears burned her eyes. But she refused to succumb to despair and fatigue.
Twilight didn’t remember how long she was to do this before it was too late. But she wasn’t about to give up.
However, just as all hope was about to slip from her hooves. Applejack coughed forcefully.
“Applejack!” exclaimed Twilight hugging her friend as best as she could without moving her too much. And without thinking, kissed Applejack full on the lips.
“Oh thank you, Faust!”
“Twilight?” said AJ, “Ah’m glad to see ya too. Not that Ah mind, but what’s with the tears and lovin’?”
“AJ,” said Twilight now crying with joy. “You were dead. Your heart had stopped and you weren’t breathing!”
“Ah was dead?” said AJ trying to sit up. “But how come Ah ain’t?”
“No, don’t sit up.” Said Twilight, “I’ll explain in a bit but for now, you’re hurt and you shouldn’t move too much before we find out the extent.”
“’Cept fer a splitin’ headache, an’ it feelin’ like somepony was dancin’ on my chest, Ah feel ’kay.”
“What you’re feeling with your chest was because of me doing chest compressions to help restart your heart. I think cracked ribs and a painful chest is much better than the most special of ponies being dead.
Is that all that you’re feeling?”
“Well,” said Applejack, “my right hind leg hurts some.”
“Just some?”
“Yeah, it stings a might.” Said AJ, “but no big deal.
Why the look, Sugar Cube?”
“AJ, your leg is broken or at least dislocated. If you’re not feeling it, then you may have some damage to your spinal cord. But if you’re feeling something, then perhaps it is just bruised or pinched and not severed. Or it could be the shock of the injury. Either way, it’s all the more reason to not move too much.”
Twilight took one side of AJ’s saddlebags, which was lying near, and lay her head on it.
“Just rest there,” said Twilight, “I’ll try to move you to somewhere more comfortable. Just let me collect our things first.”
AJ lay there thinking of how Twilight had just called her the most special of ponies. In spite of the pain, AJ smiled and closed her eyes thinking about what was an obvious revelation of Twilight’s true feelings, feelings she shared about Twilight.
As she was searching for their things, Twilight was also looking for any way out. But the walls were almost vertical and there appeared to be no paths out.
Twilight found AJ’s sleeping bag and blanket. Also there were some contents of the saddlebag spread around. Twilight realized that her things weren’t there. She looked around and nothing. Looking up, she saw her things caught high in the branches of one of the trees she’d struck on the way down.
Twilight tried to levitate the objects down, her aura shown dimly around it, but nothing else happened. She concentrated harder and still the result was the same.
Twilight walked back to AJ and she was frightened by the sight. AJ was laying there motionless, her eyes closed.
“AJ!” shouted Twilight, dropping the items she’d collected.
“What?” answered Applejack, opening her eyes and turning her head.
Twilight ran to her friend and embraced her the best she could, then she buried her face in AJ’s chest and cried.
“I was so afraid that I’d lost you again,” sobbed Twilight. Then lifting her head and looking at her friend. “I now know I couldn’t take it if that happened!”
“It’s ’kay, Sugar Cube,” said AJ reaching out to Twilight and joining the embrace. “Ah wouldn’t wanna lose ya either.”
They hugged for a moment and Applejack kissed Twilight’s cheek. Twilight turned and kissed Applejack’s lips. They tightened the embrace, it wasn’t too long and there was tongue. It thrilled both mares.
Twilight drew back, they looked into each other’s eyes deeply and smiled. In spite of the situation, it made their hearts happy.
“This isn’t the time or place to have that talk, is it?” said Twilight with a small smile.
“Ah reckon it ain’t,” said AJ with an odd look in her eyes.
The two kissed a short simple kiss.
Then AJ’s eyes shifted to the top of Twilight’s head;
“Don’t yer horn hurt bein’ cracked like that?”
“My horn?”
“Yeah, it’s bleedin’ some.”
That explained the blood on her face, the pain in her head and her magic not working right.
“This isn’t good,” said Twilight. “My magic is limited, I can’t fly, and I don’t know how we can get any help.”
“Well Sugar Cube,” said AJ. “Let’s take it as it comes. We have each other, an’ ’tween us, we can handle anythin’!”
“Okay AJ,” said Twilight smiling at the thought, “let’s take care of your injuries and get you more comfortable.”
AJ started to argue, not wanting a fuss made over herself but she knew that Twilight was right.
“Uh… If’n Ah can’t get up,” said Applejack sounding embarrassed, “how do Ah ‘go’?”
“Go where?” asked Twilight.
“Ya know,” said AJ blushing, “go… Take a dump. Ah think this whole thing has just ’bout scared it out of me.”
“Oh…
Go!” said Twilight. “Let me think.”
Twilight got up and looked around then she walked over to the stream. Her horn glowed dimmer than usual. An aura appeared in the water and a good gallon or more of water rose up in the air, suspended in her aura. Twilight was able to move with it and release it on the bank of the far side of the stream.
“At least that worked,” said Twilight.
Twilight walked back to her friend.
“AJ, you’re going to have to trust me and not be grossed out.”
“What’d ya mean?”
“I’m going to help you spread your legs and then I’m going to catch your waste.”
Applejack looked shocked.
“Ya sure ‘bout that Sugar Cube?”
“Would you rather mess on yourself?”
“No, Ah just want ya to be sure ya wanna do it.”
“I don’t think this has anything to do with me wanting to or not. I’m not going to let you lay in your own waste. And I can’t think of anything else to do.”
“Ya sure that ya ain’t just wantin’ to check out my marehood?” Said AJ chuckling.
Twilight smiled.
“Hey, I need some reward for doing this.”
They both chuckled.
“Now relax and let’s take care of the call of nature and then I’ll have to splint your leg and move you.”
“’Kay Twi, Ah trust ya.”
Twilight gingerly helped move AJ’s good leg so her ‘bottom’ was unobscured.
“Now when I tell you just go as normal. Because of the magic, you’ll be so clean, you’re not going to have to wipe.”
“Go as normal? With some hot mare checkin’ out my privy parts? (Twilight chuckled) Ah guess Ah ain’t got no choice. Let’s get it over with.” Said AJ, as she relaxed the muscles that normally hid her marehood.
Twilight knew it was the situation and the filter of her feelings for Applejack, but by Celestia, it had to be the most beautiful thing she’d ever seen. It was all Twilight could do not to stare, AJ did notice and chuckled quietly.
Twilight concentrated, her aura formed tightly against AJ’s marehood and anus. Applejack timidly relaxed her control. She passed her waste and the aura contained it all. As Twilight said, none adhered to AJ. Twilight walked to the stream and levitated the offending substances to the land on the other side of the stream. Far away from themselves.
Twilight returned to her friend. AJ had an odd smile.
“Twilight, Ah wanna ask a favor.”
“What’s that.”
“Neither of us know if’n we’ll make it out of here, right?”
“It is a possibility.”
“Then would ya kiss me? Not rushed like a’fore. In case we never get the chance again.”
“Most certainly Sweet Apple-Dumpling.”
“Apple-Dumpling?” said AJ, “Ah think Ah like that. It sounds like somethin’ ya’d call a marefriend.”
Twilight took AJ’s hoof.
“That’s because I’ve wanted you to be my marefriend for some time now, if you’ll have me as yours. Before any of this happened, I knew I’d wanted to be close to you. It’s what I was thinking when we agreed that we needed to talk when we got home.
I think with what’s just happened to us, the talk is now unnecessary. I’ve often thought about what it would be like to be in a relationship with you, beyond being just friends.
So it isn’t just the situation. I think me seeing you laying there…
Actually dead.
It forced all my feelings for you to the surface.
I’ve never been anypony’s marefriend before. But I’ve always wanted a marefriend that I’d call little pet names that only I’d use to show how much I feel.”
“That’s what Ah was thinkin’ ’bout when we said we needed to talk too. Ah don’t know anypony that Ah’d rather have as my marefriend,” said AJ. “Ah ain’t been anypony’s marefriend a’fore either.
An’ Ah too have thought of ya many times. Thinkin’ ’bout what it’d be like to hold an’ be held by ya. Ah think our time together and that talk on the way here helped me realize just how much ya already mean to me.”
Twilight kissed AJ passionately.
Twilight was thrilled as was AJ.
They broke the kiss and embraced.
“Ah should’a asked fer that a’fore,” chuckled AJ, “years ago.”
“Hopefully,” said Twilight, “we’ll have many more chances, and years to do it.”
Then Applejack’s expression changed to one of being in pain.
“Was my kiss that bad?”
“No, Twi Sugar,” said AJ, “Ah’m really startin’ to feel my leg now.”
“That’s a good sign,” said Twilight.
“Not from where Ah’m layin’,” said Applejack trying to smile.
“I’m going to have to splint your leg,” said Twilight, “I’m not looking forward to it because it’s going to hurt at first. Once set in the right position, the pain should lessen. Then we can move you someplace that’d be more comfortable. I’m thinking we should move you over by the cliff wall. There are trees overhead and an overhang of rock to protect from any rain and it’ll block some of the wind.”
“’Kay Sugar,” said AJ, “let’s get this over with.”
Twilight went and collected some long sturdy branches, Twilight was surprised at the number of very straight ones she found. But she realized that the only way for the trees to get light was to grow straight up to the only sky available.
She also collected some vines growing along the wall of the cliff. Then she returned to Applejack and put a couple of sticks on either side of her good leg.
“Uh, Twi? Ah don’t wanna tell ya what yer doin’, but that ain’t my bad leg.”
Twilight chuckled.
“Apple-Dumpling, I have to measure the lengths to make sure they’ll be right. I can’t do that to your bad leg without causing you pain or harm.”
“Oh, that makes sense.”
Twilight did her best to use her magic to cut the sticks in the right places, She did have an issue at first with the poor control of her limited magic. The first she cut was at too much of an angle to be useful without it jabbing Applejack or into the ground. Plus it was too thick and heavy, and it was about eight feet long. Twilight didn’t even know why she’d chosen this large of a branch to start with. So she didn’t try to shorten it and decided to set it aside to cut shorter later for firewood.
Then she cut another two with better results this time.
Afterward she put the sticks on either side of the bad leg. And with her magic managed to get the vines underneath it all in several strategic places.
Then Twilight came back to AJ’s head.
“Now I’m sorry for what’s about to happen. I hate to get a new marefriend and then hurt her right away.”
“Do what ya have to, Sugar, Ah understand.”
Twilight kissed Applejack again, a nice long passionate kiss.
“Okay Apple-Dumpling,” said Twilight, levitating a thick stick to AJ’s muzzle. “Bite on this, it’ll help…
Some.
And I know it’s a lot to ask, but try not to move.”
Applejack bit down on the stick and nodded her head.
Twilight concentrated hard on what she had to do. Her aura formed around AJ’s hind hoof. Then with a mighty force of will, AJ’s leg jerked straight. AJ felt a ‘pop’ and Twilight saw the knee joint snap into place. Twilight was relieved that the leg was dislocated and not broken.
“AHHHHH!” screamed Applejack, nearly biting the stick in two. Twilight started to cry because she was feeling her marefriend’s pain. Especially because she herself was the cause.
Twilight forced her limited magic to hold the leg in place but also to tie the vines around the splints. Twilight would’ve normally tied all four at once, but it was all she could do to hold the leg in place and tie one at a time.
Then when it was secure, Twilight let go, and moved up to AJ’s head. Her eyes were closed, tears streaming. She was trying heroically to stifle some sobs.
Twilight hugged Applejack, who embraced her back.
“I’m so sorry Apple-Dumpling.”
Applejack mumbled something unintelligible. Twilight looked and said:
“You can spit the stick out now.”
Putt! AJ spit the stick out.
“Don’t fret Sugar, ya did what ya had to do. An’ it does feel a mite better. Thank ya.”
Applejack pulled Twilight close and kissed her to show that there were no hard feelings…
But the other feelings were becoming more and more obvious and harder to ignore.
Twilight was able to levitate AJ enough to get the blanket under her. Then she lay the sleeping bag on some soft ferns and moss she’d collected and placed under the overhang of rock. Twilight half dragged, half levitated AJ on the blanket onto the sleeping bag and then zipped it around Applejack, not before getting the blanket out from under AJ. Twilight rolled the blanket and used it as a pillow for AJ’s head.
“Are you hungry?” asked Twilight.
“Ah could use a little somethin’,”
Twilight retrieved AJ’s bag and took out an apple. She was able to break it up into bite sized slices and feed them to Applejack.
“I’m afraid my bag with the carrots didn’t make the trip all the way down. If you want, I could get you some grass. There’s some nice tender grass growing by the stream.”
“Nah, the apple was ’kay fer now. But Ah could do with somethin’ to drink.”
Twilight looked around. The canteens were nowhere to be found. And Twilight’s fine control of her magic made her unsure if she could levitate water to Applejack without drowning her or at least leave her soaked.
“I have a way to give you water, but I hope it won’t weird you out.”
“What’s that?”
“I can carry it in my mouth and give it to you that way.”
AJ waved her closer and kissed her passionately.
“If’n having yer tongue in my mouth an’ mine in yer’s don’t ‘weird’ us out, why would that?”
Twilight chuckled, she hadn’t thought of it that way.
“I’ll try to feed it to you slowly,” said Twilight. Applejack nodded her head.
Twilight went to the stream and tasted it first. It tasted clean without any pollutants. Then she drank some herself and waited. There was nothing that upset her stomach. If there were parasites, they could deal with them later…
If indeed there was a later.
Twilight sucked up a mouthful and returned to Applejack. Applejack lay her head back and opened her mouth. Twilight tried not to think it looked like a baby bird waiting for a bug from its mother.
Twilight put her mouth in AJ’s and let the water out slowly. AJ requested a little more, so Twilight repeated the procedure. When done, Twilight figured, why waste an opportunity? So she turned it into a passionate kiss which was held longer than any kiss they’d shared yet.
“Ah’ll have to get thirsty more often,” said Applejack, breaking the kiss and smiling.
The two just looked into each other’s eyes. It was as pleasant as the kiss. Finally Twilight spoke.
“You rest now Apple-Dumpling,” said Twilight, stroking AJ’s forelock, “it’ll be dark soon and I need to collect some more firewood and make sure there aren’t any surprises we haven’t seen yet.”
“’Kay Sugar,” said Applejack, “Ah’ll be right here.”
The two chuckled, and Twilight gave her marefriend a kiss on the cheek.
Twilight collected some rocks from the stream and made a fire pit. Then stacked some of the smaller pieces of wood close, leaving the big ones out from under the cover of the overhang until she could cut them. Then with some effort, Twilight got a fire going. Luckily, the overhand would protect AJ’s bed, the fire pit and some of the firewood should it rain. Plus the ground was a mild slope toward the stream, so no water would puddle and get the fire or AJ wet.
Twilight was sitting close by AJ, holding her hoof when she suddenly got up and walked away toward a spot a little bit away from where they were. There a lone tree was standing. She soon returned.
“Okay Apple-Dumpling,” said Twilight with a smile, “this is from a tree Zecora told me about. It’s the white willow tree and the bark can be used to make a pain reliever(1). I don’t have my lab here to make an extract. So we’re just going to have to chew and suck on the bark.
And yes, it’s yucky.”
Twilight and Applejack chuckled. Twilight levitated a couple pieces of bark to Applejack. She started to chew and made a sour face.
“Yeah Twi,” said AJ, “it’s yucky.”
“I know, I’m chewing it too.” Said Twilight, “just try not to swallow it.”
Applejack lay watching and thinking how much Twilight was putting herself into taking care of her. Never had anypony been that sensitive to her needs.
‘Ah sure could get used to havin’ Twi around me more permanent like.’
These thoughts went through her mind as she spit out the consumed bark and drifted off to sleep.
Twilight sat by the fire. She kept an eye on it so it wouldn’t get out of hoof. She’d make sure it was bright enough to be seen at night, in case anypony would be looking for them. And she was going to put moss in the fire during the day to make enough smoke for the same reason.
But Twilight was more interested in watching AJ as she slept. Twilight was focused on AJ’s breathing. She’d theorized it was the shock of the hard landing on her back caused AJ’s heart to stop. But she wasn’t taking any chances. She was afraid to let herself go to sleep, just in case.
She also didn’t let AJ know that only about half of the apples she was carrying made it to the bottom in an edible condition. AJ needed all her strength so Twilight was determined that the remaining apples would be for her marefriend only. Grass and moss would have to do for herself.
Twilight watched AJ sleeping. With the way her heart felt now, AJ was about the most beautiful mare she’d ever seen…
Sorry Rarity.
Twilight reached over and gently stroked AJ’s mane, it was so soft. She just wanted to kiss every freckle on AJ’s face. She’d waken her sleeping marefriend and they’d do the things that she’d read in some of the mare with mare erotic literature she’d kept hidden from Spike.
Yes, Twilight had known that she was attracted to mares, but she never felt this way looking at any mare in the past. She also hoped it wasn’t just the situation. But if were the situation, she hoped the situation had opened their hearts to this.
Twilight was thinking about how life could be if AJ was her partner on a permanent basis. She was even amused thinking about what their friend’s reactions will be if they ever made it out of there.
Twilight counted herself lucky. Here was the mare of her dreams and Twilight had come so close to losing her. Just earlier that day, Applejack was laying on a slab of rock, dead. No heart beat, no breathing.
Twilight was starting to wonder if the whole ‘going into the other world’ was about more than getting her crown back, especially since she had to give up that crown not long after coming back.
However, she returned with something greater, the knowledge that brought her marefriend back from the dead.
In spite of not being superstitious or a mystic, Twilight always believed that some things happen for a reason. Perhaps Celestia was right and there is a guiding hoof out there that shapes pony’s lives. Twilight may not have concrete proof, but she was never again going to say that there couldn’t be. Especially since it appeared that her prayer had been answered.
These thoughts danced through her head as she gathered her wings around herself to stave off the chill. The dancing fire lulled Twilight to sleep.
What she hadn’t seen was a set of yellow eyes in the distance watching them.