Wake Up, Applejack!

by Comet Burst

Sense of Rememberance

Applejack wasn't sure how long she was asleep, but it was evidently too long. She woke with a start, her emerald eyes flashing in the bright light around her. The light clouded a lot of her already blurry vision, but she thought she saw something made of wood. She groaned, rubbing her eyes and chastising herself for napping on the job. She had apples to buck on Sweet Apple Acres and chores that needed to be done. She had just yawned loudly when a large gust of wind nearly pushed her over. Applejack's eyes shot open and she spun her forehooves rapidly, trying to maintain her balance.

With her vision coming back, she noticed the distinct lack of trees in front of her. Instead, a vast expanse of white stretched out to where she assumed the horizon was. It was hard to tell, mostly because there didn't seem to be one. As Applejack's eyes widened in shock, she yelped as a massive spire of black passed by like a ship on the sea. The thing was huge, much bigger than the mountains she had seen on the way to Canterlot, and looked twice as menacing as the outcroppings in Ghastly Gorge.

Applejack tried to back away as fast as she could from the imposing rock, but her rump hit something. Spinning around, she realized there was another wall behind her, just like the one that she woke up to. That was when the horrible realization came upon her that she was nowhere near Sweet Apple Acres, but was in a basket. While her mind began to work out how and why she didn't realize that earlier, a hauntingly familiar voice called out from the white space.

"Applejack! Were you reading a bedtime story to... An apple tree?"

Her ears stood straight up and her body went rigid. She knew that voice anywhere.

"Rarity?!" she shouted as she spun around.

Much to Applejack's surprise, the looming black spire that was passing her basket wasn't so dark anymore. Instead, a massive facade of Ponyville's resident fashionista, her friend Rarity, looked down at her. She was gigantic, almost too big for the spire to show. The image was cloudy, as if it was being projected onto the rocks.

"Heh... Uh... Well, ya know, being replanted in a whole new place is very upsettin' for a tree... An' Bloomberg here is one of my favorites."

Applejack heard herself speak, but she hadn't moved her mouth. Her skull, however, began to twinge as she recalled Bloomberg, Rarity and the scene. She hissed slightly and pressed a hoof to her temple as the projected Rarity spoke again.

"No fair, Applejack! You've got a luxurious, private sleeper car for a tree, while I am crowded and cramped in the same car with all the other ponies. How am I supposed to get my beauty sleep?"

Without meaning to, she began to mouth her reply as her phantom voice rang out again.

"But Bloomberg's the whole reason we're makin' this trip. He needs his rest so we can give him as a gift to my relatives in Appleloosa."

"But Bloomberg's the whole reason we're makin' this trip. He needs his rest so we can give him as a gift to my relatives in Appleloosa."

Her mind spiked with pain again, causing her to gasp sharply and fall to her belly. Closing her eyes and clenching her teeth, the pain seemed to grow worse as the spire sailed by, the scene fading from the facade. As she rubbed her temple more vigorously, she could faintly hear a set of hooves land on the basket.

Opening one eye, Applejack saw the familiar figure of the monster she encountered earlier. He was still abnormally tall and slender, standing on his rear hooves with a large red apple for a head. It seemed to watch her for a split second before reaching out its foreleg. It took a single stride and Applejack yelped again. Ignoring the pain in her head, she scurried away from it, right into the corner of the basket.

She spun, fear filling her chest, and looked over the side for something to jump onto. She had to get away from these things soon. Much her her utter shock, though, there was nothing below the basket. The same blank white that had stretched far into where she assumed the horizon was wrapped around underneath where she was, looking like a thick layer of clouds. Picking her head up, Applejack's jaw dropped as she saw more black rock formations approaching.

There were hundreds of them, each as imposing as the last. Some were narrow and tall spires, looking more like knives than rocks, and others were wide and craggy, like boulders the size of mountains. As Applejack stared, her mouth hanging open, she noticed several of them had something moving on their facades. Voices drifted over to her, all of them eerie and familiar.

"Have you ever had a cherry changa? Ooh! Sorry, that was a question." came Pinkie Pie's voice.

"Hey, Applejack. How'd you like to be *immortalized* as my friend? " Rainbow Dash asked.

"Biting off more than you can chew is just what I'm afraid of." her older brother spoke.

Applejack pressed her hooves over her ears as the voices became louder and more numerous. Every single one of them was talking to her at once. Years of memories caught up to her at once, causing her to wail when a particularly nasty spike of pain stabbed at her forehead. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to block them out. One moment she was bucking an apple tree while an unfamiliar lavender unicorn watched on, the next she was trotting into her little sister's room only to discover her covered in cutie marks.

The voices only continued to grow louder as she whimpered in pain. They were no longer talking to her from the spires, but were inside her head now. Everything began to blur together rapidly as the memories switched. She was a foal asking for more apple fritters only to become a full grown mare glaring at a certain draconiquus in his throne and then a filly who had just seen her granny and older brother after coming home from Manehatten.

With so many memories swirling around in her mind, Applejack didn't notice the creature behind her had stopped moving. His foreleg was still outstretched, but the apple seemed to be gazing at the spires instead of her. They all were active now, each one displaying a scene from her memories. What was different, however, was that they were starting to glow.

"Easy there," came a voice, "She is just in shock."

The apple headed being spun around to see Braeburn standing behind it in the basket, a soft smile on his face. He slowly trotted past it over to Applejack.

"I would check on your friend up on the balloon," Braeburn spoke unconcernedly, "She needs to be with someone she recognizes right now."

The apple being nodded sharply at that before grabbing onto one of the ropes holding onto the basket. It swiftly climbed up to the balloon overhead, a perfect replica of the barn at Sweet Apple Acres. Braeburn smiled as he watched the being climb before turning to Applejack. She was in a pretty bad condition, but he knew what to do. Taking his forehoof, he placed it on her shoulder and rubbed it gently.

With a sudden jolt, Applejack got back up, a deranged look etched on her face. She was jumpy and stared with tiny pupils out at the spires, her teeth locked together.

"Easy there," Braeburn spoke, "It's alright."

She spun to him, her mane flailing about.

"Alright?!" she yelled at him, "I am not alright! I'm losin' mah mind!"

"Yes," he replied calmly, "Just take a couple deep breaths and count to ten slowly."

Applejack was reluctant, but did as he suggested. She breathed in deeply and closed her eyes, feeling her rapidly beating heart start to slow. Her nerves were harder to calm, but at least her mind was slowing down. After the count of ten, she opened her eyes and glared at Braeburn.

"How the hay did ya get up here?"

He chuckled for a second and said, "I have my ways."

She continued to glare at him before he turned to the spires.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" he asked smoothly.

"Two things: what are those and why should I not buck you in the face for leaving me earlier?" Applejack asked harshly.

"Your second question should be obvious. I am helping you, and bucking a friend in the face is not generally a good idea. Still, I do owe you an explanation for what is going on. I didn't have much time when we first met, but now you're safe, so we can talk."

Braeburn took a deep breath as Applejack still glared at him. She so badly wanted to buck him for leaving her like he did, but she did want to know what the buck was going on.

"This is what we call Memory Lane," he began, "It's a part of your subconscious that stores all of your memories throughout your life. Each spire is a fragment of you, a piece that contains all the emotions, sights, smells and feelings you experienced then."

"So ya still expect me to believe that I'm trapped in my mind?" she asked in an unimpressed tone.

Braeburn turned to her, a slightly shocked expression on his face.

"Would I lie to you?"

"I dunno, but I've seen some pretty weird things in my life. This seems like one of those moments."

Braeburn smiled wryly at that before speaking again.

---

"How is she, doc?"

The doctor pony examined a piece of paper, his brow furrowed in concentration. It was being fed out a machine that was hooked up to Applejack's head, something that made Braeburn feel queasy. The whole room was full of instruments and scary looking contraptions, each that seemed to be interested in Applejack's head. There was barely enough room for him to sit next to the bed.

"Her mental activity is functioning at quite an unusual level. Almost as if she's dreaming about something."

Comments

[Just Some Random Guy]

Huzzah! New chapter!

[pahnazd]

it is still alive, yayness!

[Crochettail]

Ooh, more "visions"!

[wzium]

Wow... easily one of my favorite stories here on FimFiction.net, I hope you'll update soon! Pacing is really good and I like how you connect what's happening in AJ's head with reality. And Braeburn <3 It's so good to see him and you portrayed his relationship with Applejack very well. I can really feel his sadness and worry. I'm really curious when Applejack's family and friends finally arrive and how they're gonna react. And Applejack... I love her in your story, because it's MY Applejack. I feel really bad for her and I hope that in the end she'll wake up. She has ponies, who care about her and I don't even want to think what can happen, when one of the Elements is gone.

[Aatxe360]

I like this story and this chapter is feel-worthy at moments, however, I feel that last part didn't quite sit right with me. I can't put my finger on it at this time.

[wzium]

And here I am, reading it once again... I really hope you didn't abandon this story

[keam]

Please oh please tell me you haven't abandoned this story!

[Sea_Swirl]

wow this is an awesome story!!

[DramaQueen07]

More please! This is a great story. Gotta go, haven’t favorited it yet! Also, love how Braeburn appears in her dreamscape. Just MORE.