//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: The Mare from my dream, and the doom she brings! // Story: AJ's unexpected adventure // by LGHeart //------------------------------// Ah ran through town, takin' in the partly destroyed town. Several homes looked partly torn down, while others appeared untouched. “Ah wonder what happened to this place?” “AJ!” Ah felt ah hoof grab my shoulder, as long heavy breathes were heard directly from my left side. That caused me ta turn right quick, my guard goin' up like steel wall. Standin' right in front o' me was a mare. She had light pink hair with a lighter pink highlight runnin' down the center with curled tips, her tail, like most ponies, matched her mane. Her eyes were a slightly darker shade o' green, her coat was nice shade o' purple, and right on her flank was what looked like three flowers with smilin' faces on 'em. “Applejack! I'm so glad to see you. I've been trying to find your sister all day.” She looked tired and worried, but ah didn't want to trust her for some reason. “Why are ya' lookin' fer my sister?” The mare seemed ta be taken aback by the sharp tone in my voice. She looked notably confused about the fact ah had turned lookin' at her like ah didn't know her, which o' course ah didn't. “Applejack?” She looked at me questioningly. “Applejack why are you acting like you don't know me?” ah got the strong urge to turn 'round and buck her, but suddenly the marshmallow unicorn, with the purple mane, that met me at the hospital stepped in between us. Vaguely ah remembered that the mare called herself Rarity. “Rarity, right?” ah ask just for conformation sake. The mare nods and turns to face the purple flower flank. “Cheerilee,” she began. Ah took a mental note of the name and stepped forward. Rarity placed her hoof in front of me to keep me from getting' any closer. “Darling, Applejack has recently lost all her memories and couldn't even remember her name when she woke up. She doesn't recognize you at all.” “Oh!” Cheerilee said as she lowered her head a little, “I'm sorry I didn't know Applejack.” She reached out an expectin' hoof and smiled at me. “I'm Cheerilee. Applebloom's teacher.” Ah relaxed a little as an' shook her hoof cautiously. Ah still didn't feel like ah like this mare for whatever reason. “Nice ta meet ya'.” ah say, but even ah could hear the tension in my voice. feelin' Rarity kick my back leg ah flinch slightly. She smiled at Cheerilee, “have a good day miss Cheerilee. Take good care of all the fillies, it is much appreciated.” Rarity wrapped her hoof around my neck an' pulling me along in some other direction away from the purple mare. After a while Rarity finally let go of me after we had passed a few fabric shops and walked inta less public area. “Applejack, deary . . .” she said lookin' at me with a little worry, “why were you acting like that with Cheerilee?” Lookin' at her ah sighed realizin' ah hadn't been very nice to that mare. “Ah don't know, it's just somethin' about her was rubbin' me the wrong way.” My eyes hit the ground in shame, ah had only just met the mare, an' we obviously knew each other before ah lost my memory. But ah still felt like ah couldn't trust that Cheerilee girl. Ah could feel a hoof slide on ta my shoulder. Rarity was lookin' at me with kind and slightly understandin' smile, her hoof was rubbin' my back gently almost like a mother. “It's okay deary, we just need to take a step back and breath.” She made a simple gesture and of placin' her hoof to her throat, took a deep breath, lowered her hoof ta the ground as she exhaled slowly, an' smiled at me. Ah repeated the motion an' felt a little better. The feelin' made me smile at Rarity, “Thank ya' Rarity. Ah probably needed that.” “It's nothing Applejack.” Her smile turned really sweet, “what are sisters of the elements for?” Ah was about ta ask what she was talkin about, when my head started hurtin' a little. I flinched slightly as an image of last nights horrifying figure flashed in my mind. Suddenly pain shot through my entire body, it was violent and fast. Every muscle was twitchin' and burnin'. Fallin' ta the ground ah couldn't stop myself from writhin' in pain. “Applejack!” Ah heard Rarity yell. Suddenly ah felt weightless for a second, an' ah suddenly found myself enveloped in a light blue shimmerin' aura. “Hold on Applejack!” ah heard Rarity say. In a flash of light ah found myself on a hospital bed, my body feelin' slightly stiff but normal again. Rarity was tryin' ta get the attention of a doctor, and bringin' him over ta me. “Applejack?” the doctor asked, instantly ah recognized him as the one that first met. His salt an' pepper mane and tail were slightly more ruffled than the last time ah saw him. That weird little image was still on his flank. “What's wrong, you seem completely healthy.” Ah tell him about the sudden pain and that it had already gone. He seemed convinced until I said ah had ta go see that Twilight girl. “you should probably stay a while longer Applejack, you obviously need more care then I first thought.” “That will not be necessary doctor.” ah recognized the voice long before ah saw the mare herself. She stepped through the door, her tall elegant figure takin' the breath out of everypony in the room. Her dark blue coat glistened just like her beautiful starry mane, that moon on her flank lookin' just as it had in my dream. “there is nothing you and your staff can do about what is happening to young Applejack.” The words weighed heavily in the air as the alicorn mare walked carefully towards me. Her slightly darker blue magic enveloped me an' ah could feel myself being lifted out of bed an' placed on the ground. She walked up ta me so close that ah could almost make out every little detail of her coat an' wings. “Applejack, thou must gather thy friends and travel to find the creature that stole your memories, there you must slay the creature, otherwise you will never get your memories back.” her voice was soft and carin' but still firm an' slightly commandin'. “Princess Luna, why would we have to do that? We could still try to help Applejack get her memories back some other way.” Rarity didn't seem as intimidated by the mares presence as the doctor. But it was obvious that she held the mare in high regards. “Twilight is already looking into the problem as it is.” The princess lowered her head slightly as if bowing to the marshmallow pony. “And if this were a regular case of amnesia, that would be the proper course of action. But this in not a normal case. Applejack has had her memories permanently stolen from her, and there are side effects that are deadly. The creature that stole her memories left a part of itself in young Applejack's mind, it will stay there doing what ever it can to continuously keep her from remembering what has been stolen.” “Forgive me for interuptin'.” ah say gettin' everyponies attention. “But why is my life threatened by all this? It just doesn't make much sense.” The Mare, Luna ah think her name was, looked at me in an understandin' way. “let us explain. Thou has lost more then just they memories, your nightmare last night has revealed that thou is dying slowly. Your brain and mind are slowly being distorted, and as a consequence they will begin to shut down. “One there are some symptoms you will need to watch out for. First, old friends you will begin to see as enemies. This will cause you to separate from people who might protect you. Next you will start hearing or seeing things that will make you fear even the smallest of leaves.” “Oh dear.” Rarity says as she looks at me in a serous way, noddin' at as if she sayin' she will help. “And lastly,” Luna says as she looks me dead in the eye. “You will start to become numb, not only emotionally, but also physically as well. At that point thous must find the creature before the next day, otherwise your entire body will cease to function, leading to cardiac arrest.” “WHAT!?” Everypony yelled simultaneously. “Applejack,” Rarity said, “we must go get the others as soon as possible!” Ah shook my head in agreement, “Ya know the town, I'll stay and talk with the Princess. Go find the others.” Rarity agreed with a nod and ran out the door like a mare on a mission, which ah guess she was. Ah turned ta the Princess, her regal features were sharp an' beautiful. “ah need ta know, how long do ah got?” ah ask knowin' full well that ah wasn't goin' ta like the answer. “Truthfully, I do not know. Each pony is different, but based on the nightmare alone, you may have a week or two at most.” Ah felt my stomach turn inside out as the words hit me like a tone of bricks. “Thou must hurry Applejack, thou does not have time to waste.” Noddin' turned to the door, but stopped ta turn back ta the princess “Thank ya kindly, ya sure as saved my life.” As ah ran out the of the hospital room ah couldn't help but notice the slight blush on the princesses face.