Wake Up, Applejack!

by Comet Burst

Sense of Self

Applejack was quite the deep sleeper, or so Braeburn had heard. However, lying in a hospital bed with a bandage wrapped around a scarred part of her temple, he was almost sure she was dead.Her eyes were shut in a finite way and her breathing was slow and deep, sounding like she was struggling to remember how. Seeing her like this left a very uncomfortable feeling deep in his chest, what he assumed was similar to a rotting cavity where his heart should be.

Word about the crash had already spread as far as Canterlot. The worst hit place was Applejack's hometown, Ponyville. Already, the other Elements of Harmony, along with Apple Bloom and Big Macintosh, were on their way to Appleloosa. With the wreckage still being cleared, the train line was out of commission, meaning they had to take the long way here. Deep down, Braeburn wasn't sure if they would make it on time to see her. The best doctors in Appleloosa and a few from the neighboring cities were pouring over the wounded, but their true focus was Applejack.

The fact an Element of Harmony was in a coma was a reason for all ponies to fear. Without all six, the Elements were almost useless. If Discord broke out or Nightmare Moon attacked again, Equestria would be without its most powerful force to stop them.

Souring at the thought, Braeburn pulled his own stetson down onto his forehead as his eyes began to mist. If Applejack didn't pull through this, he wouldn't be able to live with himself. 'Not cuz she's one ah dem Elements,' he thought bitterly, 'Cuz she mah cousin and the closes' ah have to ah sister.'

---

Applejack wasn't sure what had happened. Her body ached terribly, more so than after the Apple Buck season she did by herself. Her head pounded like the rhythm from the steam engine she was travelling with. All she knew was she didn't want to move, and that was that. As she lay there, her eyes remained shut. She was so tired and wanted to do nothing but sleep, but her mind kept prodding her to get up despite her body's protests.

"Fer cryin' out loud," she mumbled to herself. She had never been so tired and achy, but had never wanted so badly to get up and move. She was already moving, heading towards...

Without warning, Applejack's eyes bolted open. Her sparkling emerald eyes glistened with fear as she scanned her surroundings. Now she remembered why she felt so tired. The train was crashing! Flicking her eyes around, Applejack saw nothing but an empty black space stretching out in front of her. Forcing her tired body to lift her head, she swiveled it around, hoping to see anything. The total darkness around her made no noise, had no silhouettes in the distance or anything. It was just empty.

"Hello?" Applejack called out. She silenced herself as her voice disappeared into the darkness too, not echoing off anything. Tentatively, she tried again and found the same result. Confused, Applejack shook her head slowly, partly to clear the fog swirling about her tired mind. She also hoped that closing her eyes would have the same effect it did when Sweet Apple Acres was pitch black in the night, adjusting her vision to make out objects. Upon opening them, though, she felt her stomach plummet. There was nothing to see.

Remembering she was in a train crash yet again, Applejack feared what had happened to her physically. Scared but determined, she spun around to examine herself and saw... well, nothing. Her body was completely unscathed and her joints worked fine. In fact, it looked like she had just emerged from a bath since her coat was shimmering and her tail was a brilliant pale yellow. Sighing happily and smiling to herself, she turned to stand up and froze as she got her rear legs up.

There was no visible light source here, so how could she see herself?

Immediately, her forehead spiked in pain, causing her to gasp sharply and squeeze her eyes shut. She raised her forehooves to her temples and tried to ease the pain in her skull. She had headaches and had been hit in the head before, but this was different. It was as if her brain itself had been cut by something. Despite the pain, Applejack steadied herself and continued to rub her temples. Eventually, the pain subsided and she opened her left eye. She was tearing from the pain, but it wasn't as bad as other injuries she had gotten over her lifetime.

Deciding it was best to make sure she didn't have any more unseen injuries, Applejack rechecked herself for bruises or internal bleeding. She had never personally experienced the latter, but she had to learn how to detect it should her or her family suffer an injury on the farm. Her neck was okay and so was her chest, back and front hooves, but upon checking her flank, she paused and stared at it.

Right there, on the upper part of her rear leg, was nothing, just a shiny patch of orange. No three red apples that distinguished who she was.

"What in tarnation?" she spoke out loud, trying to wrap her head around what she was seeing. Her cutie mark had disappeared, leaving her with a blank flank. Frantically, Applejack spun over to her other side to check if that one was there too. To her horror, it wasn't.

"What the hay is goin' on?" she asked to herself.

As her voice disappeared into the darkness, her ear twitched. A sound, so very faint that if it wasn't for the stillness of where she was it would be lost, echoed back. Upon registering the faint sound, she froze. It could have just been her imagination, but she waited and hoped it would be made again. After a few minutes, she heard it again. Despite the low volume, Applejack knew that sound. It was the sound of the wind rustling through the apple tree leaves in Sweet Apple Acres.

Standing up and forgetting about her new blank flank, Applejack strained her ears to find the sound again. The slight rustle echoed once more and the orange mare took a few steps forward, trying to follow the sound. The yawning darkness scared her, but Applejack grit her teeth and started trotting.

As she did, the darkness seemed to stretch on in all directions, filling her with a sense of dread. What if her mind was making her hear the wind so she wouldn't panic? As she continued trotting, she began to become sure she was right.

"You'll never find your way out that way," a phantom voice spoke, cutting the silence like an explosion. Applejack yelped in surprise and fell to the ground, if that's what it could be called, and covered her head. She shivered as she waited for something to attack her, but as the seconds passed, she became aware nopony was there.

Opening one eye, she asked a question in a timid voice. "Are you a ghost?"

After a slight pause, the voice responded. "Yes and no, my dear Applejack."

"Wha' does that mean?" She called out.

"It means I am neither living nor dead, and therefore cannot harm you. But there is no reason to suspect that, for I want to help you."

Applejack raised her head a bit, but kept her body on the ground. "Help me with what?"

"To escape, my dear."

Applejack tilted her head as se looked around, hoping to find the source of the voice. "What am ah escapin' from?"

The voice chuckled a bit before it spoke again. "From your mind, Applejack."

---

"What do ya mean by that?" came a raised voice.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot elaborate any further at this time," a stern voice answered.

A hoof stomp later, a very tall and stone faced doctor trotted out of the room and approached a nurse pony. "Make sure she has a steady IV line and her head is elevated, nurse."

The white mare nodded and walked over to the room as the doctor sighed.

---

"Why would ah wanna escape from mah mind?" Applejack asked the darkness.

"Ah, I should be more clear," the voice answered, "I want to help you recover."

"What are yah talkin' about?" the orange mare shouted in frustration, stomping her hoof, "Ah don't know what yer sayin'!"

The voice didn't respond this time. Feeling a little ashamed at her outburst, Applejack looked down at her hooves, still upset but still a little ashamed. When the voice did respond a couple seconds later, Applejack listened intently.

"Perhaps it's best if you see it for yourself..."

Against the blackness, a small part began to shimmer. A perfect circle just big enough for a pony to walk through wiggled like the air on a hot day, changing to a very dark gray before changing to lighter shades. Applejack backed up a bit in fear, but gulped and held her ground after losing a few feet. She had seen scarier and no matter what walked towards her, she would be ready for it.

However, her breath was sucked out of her as a familiar pony walked through.

He was slightly taller than Applejack with an orange mane and tail. His coat was a vibrant yellow, contrasting sharply with his emerald eyes. Upon his head sat a dark brown stetson, much darker than her own, matching his dark brown vest he wore as well. His smile was all she needed to confirm who it was.

"Braeburn?" she asked in awe.

Braeburn gave her a smile, but said nothing. Instead, Applejack plied him with a question.

"Wait, how're you doin' this?" she queried.

"Doing what?" he replied.

"How're yah makin' that there fancy portal appear? Yer not a unicorn as far as ah know."

Braeburn's smile turned weak as he watched Applejack and he began to talk in a voice that didn't belong to him. "You think this is the real world, don't you?"

Applejack tilted her head to the side and replied, "It's a strange place, but where else would ah be?"

Braeburn locked eyes with Applejack and deadpanned. "Applejack, this isn't the real world."

"Whadda ya mean by that?" Applejack asked in return, suddenly feeling a sense of dread fill her. Being the Element of Honesty, she could tell when ponies were lying. Braeburn had the most serious look on his face Applejack had ever seen, meaning he wasn't lying to her.

"Applejack," he said, "This is your mind. You're in a coma in the real world."

Comments

[Blagdaross]

Ooooo that was good. I really like getting into a character's head like this and you pull it off really well. I also like how you handle AJ's voice here, enough so we hear the accent in our heads, but not so much that it's hard to read.

I hesitate to point out any grammar issues. I'm afraid I would be pulling you away from writing in your own style.

Another ready to go chapter, I say!

[Just Some Random Guy]

Well, I'm hooked. I will be awaiting more.

[pahnazd]

I thought of that video the moment I read the name of this story.
Definitely going into my read list

[observer of dimensions]

[DPheonix]

if my favorites were working i would fave
send chills down mah sphine