//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Always connected 
// by The-rogue-shadow 
//------------------------------//

 Applejack’s eyes were red from crying, and her mane was dishevelled and unwashed. She ran her hoof through the mane of a comatose Rainbow Dash, her true love and best friend.

“So the girls told me that Big Mac and Fluttershy are getting close, which is good, they both deserve to be happy,” Applejack told her, hoping that her voice would bring Rainbow back into reality. 
“And apparently, Spike and Rarity and been seen together a lot,” she smiled weakly at the thought. “Oh Rainbow, ah wish you would just come back to me.” Realizing just how tired she was, Applejack laid her head down on Rainbow’s chest, but as her eyes began to close, she was startled awake by the excited calls of Twilight.

“Applejack! Applejack!  Guess what! I think I may have found a way to bring Rainbow back to us,” she smiled, a look of pride upon her face. Applejack sat up straight and looked at Twilight in disbelief.
“Slow down Twi, what do ya mean?” Applejack asked, trying her hardest to keep relatively calm, while inside, she just wanted to shout out with joy.

“Well, the doctor told me that Rainbow is just trapped in her own mind, and if she’s not willing to wake up herself, we would have to go get her. Even though I think he was joking, it got me thinking. So I searched the whole library, nothing, but then I asked Zecora and she had the book that explained it all!” Twilight said, talking almost too fast to make sense.
“Explained what!” snapped Applejack, eager to get Rainbow back.

“Dream walking AJ,” Twilight exclaimed, before explaining at Applejack’s behest. “Okay, so when a unicorn uses this spell on a sleeping pony, it allows them to astrally project themselves into the subconscious of the pony in question.”
“Wait, so you mean that somepony could actually go into Rainbow’s head and physically drag her back?” Applejack asked, the cogs turning in her mind were almost visible. “Have you told the other girls about this?”
“Yeah, they’re on the way here now, we have enough time to get everything ready for me to go in bef-“ Twilight started before Applejack interrupted.
“You? You are not goin anywhere, ah’m going to go get her,” said Apple jack, ignoring Twilight’s protests. “Twilight, what happens if there is a problem and you can’t get out? We need you on the outside in case there’s a problem, don’t ya see what ah’m saying?” Argued Applejack, and eventually, Twilight relented.
“Fine, you can do it AJ” sighed Twilight.

“Do what! Eat cake! Where’s my cake?” The girls turned to see their friends enter Rainbow’s room; The party obsessed Pinkie Pie, fashionista and drama queen Rarity and finally, The yellow Pegasus Fluttershy, followed by her coltfriend and Applejack’s brother Big Mackintosh.

“No Pinkie, ah’m going to be the one to bring Rainbow back,” Applejack explained to the group.
“But why AJ?” asked Big Mac, concern was in his eyes as he looked at his little sister.
“Ah’m sorry big brother, but it’s just something ah’ve gotta do,” Applejack said as she walked over to him and put her hoof on his shoulder. Big Mac said nothing, just nodded his approval. 

“Okay then, let’s get started” said Twilight, and the group began making preparations for the event. They had another bed brought into the room, and the lights dimmed, as Twilight explained exactly what Applejack was in for.
“In a moment, I will cast the spell, and your mind will merge with Rainbow’s. Inside her mind, it’s going to be dangerous, her mind will try to stop you if it sees you as a threat, so stay hidden. Also don’t forget that this is Rainbow’s version of reality, so some things might not make sense, or might be completely different to the real world. Oh! And one more tip, remember that it is going to be like a dream, if you concentrate hard enough, you should be able to do things that are impossible here.”
“Like what? Flying without wings?” asked AJ, she was beginning to get nervous, but her determination outweighed her fear.
“Potentially” Twilight said. “Now, the spell only lasts two days, so that’s how long you have to find Rainbow and convince her that she’s living in a dream.”

“What happens after the two days?” Applejack enquired, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.
“Well, either you’re trapped in there forever with her, or you could get forcibly pushed back into your own mind, which may cause serious psychological trauma.” replied Twilight, she held Applejack’s hoof in hers, comforting her friend.  “Are you absolutely sure about this?” Applejack nodded once.

Twilight sat between the two beds and concentrated. Applejack’s and Rainbow’s heads began to shine with a purple aura and for a minute or two, nothing happened, but then a bridge of purple light connected the two ponies. Applejack grunted as she felt her mind shift and merge with Rainbow’s. She closed her eyes as it started to hurt, but then the pain stopped and when Applejack opened her eyes, she found herself not at the hospital, but instead in the barn on Sweet Apple Acres. It looked the same, but there was something off about it, it was brighter than usual and nature seemed to be moving faster than it should. Applejack looked around for something to disguise herself with, and decided on a hood and cloak that covered most of her face and discarded her Stetson.

‘This place is really creepy, everything is too… happy’ she thought, beginning the long walk into Ponyville that didn’t follow the main road. Upon getting there, she started searching the town for signs of Rainbow. She became uneasy around the other ponies, they seemed too artificial, soulless, and whenever she asked about Rainbow, using her upper class Manehatten voice so as to not make them suspicious, she always received the same answer.
“Rainbow Dash is wherever she wants to be, she is the greatest pony ever, I want to be just like her.”

Applejack began to grow frustrated with the ponies, all except Derpy, who strangely enough, was very similar to her real life counterpart. Derpy told Applejack that Rainbow Dash spent most of her time in her cloud house just outside of Ponyville with her wife Applejack. Applejack’s grew wide at this latest revelation. 

“Ah’m married to Rainbow?’ she thought, completely shocked as she left Ponyville and started the walk to Rainbow’s house.
She stood there, looking up at the majestic mansion, rainbow waterfalls cascaded off the side and the multiple stories reminded Applejack that she was in Rainbow’s interpretation of life. Her house in the real world was large, but this was ridiculously over the top. 

Applejack came to the unfortunate realization that there was no way for her to reach the house, she tried concentrating, like Twilight said, but just couldn’t get her head around the fact of flying without wings, so instead, she tried the only option left to her.

“Rainbow Dash! Hey Rainbow Dash! Ah got a message for you” Applejack yelled at the top of her lungs. After a few moments, Rainbow Dash shot down from her house and landed in front of her. 
“Hi there, you said you had a message for me?” said Rainbow. Applejack lowered her hood, giving Rainbow a happy smile.
“Yes, ah want you to wake up” she said quietly. Rainbow suddenly tackled Applejack and pinned her down. 
“Who are you, imposter, APPLEJACK!  APPLEJACK!” she yelled, calling for her wife.
“Rainbow it’s me, ah’m Applejack” she said, trying to convince her, but Rainbow just shook her head.
“No, THAT’S Applejack, the real Applejack,” Rainbow said angrily and Applejack gasped when she saw her doppelganger, completely identical in every way, except for the dark orange wings that she had.
‘A… Pegasus Applejack?’ she wondered. Pegi-jack landed and walked over to Rainbow.
“What’s all this ruckus sugarcube?” Pegi-jack asked, before noticing Applejack, her eyes blazing with anger when she saw her.

“I found this imposter trying to trick me, didn’t do a very good job did she babe?” Rainbow said pressing harder on Applejack. “Forgot MY wife has wings huh?” Applejack struggled against Rainbow, but she was stronger than in real life.
“Please listen to me Rainbow, this is all a dream. You’re in a coma, ah’ve come to bring you back to us, ah’m the real Applejack,” she told her, only to have Rainbow drag her to her hooves and throw her against the nearest tree.

“Shut up! You come here, try to impersonate my wife, and then try to tell me that my whole existence is a lie. How dare you!” she shouted and continued to lecture Applejack, yelling at her, telling her that she is going to hurt, that she’s going to suffer because of the insult. Applejack started to get frustrated, then angry and finally, when she had enough of Rainbow’s verbal assault, she got to her hooves, opening her mouth and yelled.

“RAIN-BOW-DASH!!!!” But it wasn’t what she expected; instead of just interrupting, Applejack’s voice hit Rainbow like a speeding train, and threw her backwards. It gouged a trench into the ground as Rainbow was forced onto her back. Applejack’s throat burned as though she had been yelling for days. Rainbow stood, taking up an aggressive stance and stareing daggers at Applejack.
“Oh IT…IS…ON” said Rainbow.
.