AJ's unexpected adventure

by LGHeart

Chapter 7: Jackie?

“Applejack?”

Every part of my body ached, especially my head, as ah slowly began to open my eyes. The world slowly came back into focus, revealing a regal mare with a purple main and rather silly looking camouflage like outfit on.

“Rarity . . . ?” ah said weakly as ah began to notice our surroundings. Although it was dark, as all get out, ah could easily make out the stone walls with moss, and moisture, along with several stalactites hanging from the ceiling.

“Where are we . . . ?” ah ask, slowly lifting my head slightly.

Rarity knelt next to me her expression slightly worried. “Stay still Applejack. It would be best not to push yourself, deary.”

With a light smile and gentle caress of my back, Rarity's touch seemed to make the pain go away. “Thanks Rarity, but we don't have time to wasting.”

“Applejack are you okay?” for a second Rarity seemed to be surprised, then she got this concerned look at her. She placed a hoof to my forehead. “You don't appear to have a fever . . .”

Swiping the white hoof away from my face ah looked at her like she was crazy. “Ah'm fine Rarity.”

Backing up a little Rarity seemed more surprised at my reaction. “Now I know Something's wrong.” She says with a determined look.

Ah decide it would be best to get up, because at least then we could try and talk face to face more evenly.

As ah slowly got up, pain shot through my body. But I barely noticed the pain as the sound of grass below me caught my attention. Looking down ah noticed the grass bed that was both weaved and lain out below me.

“Fluttershy made that for you.” Looking at Rarity, ah was surprised by the gentle tone she had. She looked down at the little bed and smiled warmly. “After your little episode, we both carried you here. Thankfully we found this cave, Fluttershy grabbed some of the tall grass outside, the moss from the walls, and made the made that bed for you.”

“She did that?” ah ask a little surprised. Wait a minute, this bed was at least big enough for three ponies, if not four.

“Rarity?”

“What is it Applejack?” She asked, although she was obviously worried about me.

“How long have ah been out?”

For a moment Rarity seemed confused by my question, but she took a moment to think about it. “I believe you were asleep for about two days now.”

My eye widened. “What?!”

Flinching slightly, Rarity backed up a little bit. She was obviously surprised by my little outburst. As a matter of fact she looked kind of scared of me all of a sudden.

I took a minute to steady my breath and calm down. “Sorry Rarity, it's just we don't have time to be wasting.”

With a sudden look of steely determination Rarity stepped towards me, and she was obviously not going to back down this time. “Enough of this Applejack! You must tell me what is wrong with you. You are acting like a wild child.”

This time it was me who was scared, Rarity suddenly had this air about her that made me a little scared. A fire could be seen in her eyes and it was burning stronger then ah could have ever thought. For a moment ah was scared to the point that ah couldn't even speak.

Suddenly the fire in Rarity's eyes seemed to calm and finally fade as she carefully wrapped her hoof around me. “Applejack . . .” a twinge of pain hit me right as she said that name. “You need to trust us if you want our help deary.”

“Um, what did I just miss?”

Rarity and ah turned to the source of the voice, only to see Fluttershy at the entrance. Ah smiled as Rarity put a little space between us. “Actually, yes Fluttershy. Rarity was was just scolding some sense into me.”

A confused looked crossed Fluttershy's face as she set down her bag by the entrance, funny that little detail seemed to slip my sight a second ago. She walked up to me and looked deep into my eyes. Ah thought it was a little odd she would be doing something like that but ah didn't care.

“Applejack . . .” There it was again a slight surge of pain coursing through me, right as Fluttershy said that name. “what happened to you?”

With a sigh ah told both of the girls it would take a little time to explain everything. They sat both took a moment to get comfortable before motioning for me to continue.

---

Over the course of the next hour or so ah began to explain what ah knew, and some of the things that had happened. But ah at least kept the fact ah thought the other Applejack may have been taken away, and ah might disappear when we rescue her. Both had sat there patiently waiting for me to finish. By the end they almost looked like somepony had slapped them.

“Are you okay?” ah finally had to asked them just to break the growing silence that was building.

“Applejack” Rarity said as jolt of pain hit me again. “Is all that really true?”

Nodding ah knew this was going to be an interesting conversation.

Both girls looked at each other for second before anypony said anything. “Well that certainly explains your accent.” Fluttershy said as if that was the more interesting thing out all the stuff ah had just explained to them.

“Is that really all that caught your attention?!” ah ask in complete surprise.

“Well to be honest with you darling,” Rarity said with a sympathetic look. “At this point our little group of friends always gets caught up in little adventures like this. We've kind of come to expect that things will get complicated sooner or later. With everything you've told us, we just have another reason to move forward.”

“We also respect your decision to help Applejack . . .” Fluttershy said, and yet again a pulse of pain hit me. This one more powerful then the last one. Both girls noticed me flinch from the unexpected ebb of pain, and gave me concerned looks.

“Is something wrong?” Rarity asked.

“Ah'm not sure.” Ah say.

“Maybe I can help Applejack.” Fluttershy offered. Another wave a pain coursed through my body, still more intense then the last one.

Rarity put her hoof over Fluttershy's mouth. Her eyes scrutinized me carefully.

“Applejack.” The pain hit me once again as Rarity watched me visibly flinch even worse then before. She removed her hoof from Fluttershy's mouth, and with a sigh she looked to the ground. “I was afraid of that.”

Fluttershy and ah looked at Rarity, wondering what she was talking about. It was obvious she thought she was on to something.

“What do you mean Rarity?” Fluttershy and ah asked at the sametime.

“I believe that,” She hesitated for some reason, then pointed to me. “It physically hurts you to hear your name.”

This time it was my turn to seem confused. But then something hit me. Is the other Applejack was the real one, maybe the pain could be a side affect due to her presence being completely removed. It was obvious that the girls had seen my realization by the fact they had were looking at me curiously, but they didn't say anything.

“Maybe calling me something different will help.” ah say trying to cover myself.

“That could work.” Rarity says with a slight smile. “What about Jackie?”

We stand there in a semi-awkward silence. But there was no pain, so ah nod. “Jackie works, but you should Probably tell the others about all this. Besides we need to start heading out as soon as possible.”

The girls agreed and we all started packing up what ever stuff we had, all except for Fluttershy who already had her stuff packed up.

As soon as Rarity was finished packing up she cast a spell. Her horn began to glow a rich light blue that caught my eye and ah was wondering what she was doing. But after a few minutes her horn lost it's glow and she looked over to me. “I just let the others know about the situation and the new developments.”

Once we were all packed up Fluttershy lead us into the forest and started to guild us back to the familiar tracks that we were following in the beginning, and with determination in our heart we set out with maybe less than a week left before ah expected to die.

Author's Note:

I'm sorry if this chapter isn't exactly up to snuff, but the late fall and winter seasons always seem to zap my creativity and energy when it comes to writing.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, if not, well I may be editing it later anyway. if you have any questions please feel free to ask in the comments below and I will try to answer them as best as I can.