Chapter 4
It was quiet for a long time.
Briefly, Redheart came in to bring me food and tell me that the fitting of my wheelchair was coming along with my first therapy session tomorrow.
Then she had left.
And it was quiet again.
I wasn't hungry. I tried pushing the food off the bed, but couldn't move my core enough to push it far enough.
I couldn't even do the simplest things.
Useless.
For a few hours, I floated in and out of awareness.
I didn't think.
I was empty.
I was exhausted.
But I couldn’t sleep.
It must have been evening by the time I heard it.
There was the sound of something wheeled racing along the hallway outside my room. A moment later there was a stampede of hooves hitting the ground, chasing after whatever it was.
And then they entered the room.
Those two ponies.
For a moment we all stared at each other.
I almost cried. I might have if I wasn't so exhausted.
But one of them did.
That same pony was next to me on the bed a second later, throwing her arms around my neck and quietly crying into it.
The other was on my other side a moment later, uncertainly chewing on her bottom lip.
"Hey girls," I breathed.
"Applebloom…" Scootaloo trailed off. "Are you okay? Wait, I mean…"
I chuckled weakly. "Well, I ain't showing my insides to y’all right now. so… I guess I could…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say I could be worse.
I couldn’t walk. I couldn’t do things on my own. I didn’t have a future anymore.
“I could be better,” I eventually finished.
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo shared a glance.
“So…” Sweetie Belle squeaked. “What now?”
I sighed.
“Tomorrow I get a wheelchair, and they start teaching me how to live with… y’know.” I waved my forehooves around. “Only two usable legs.”
Sweetie backed out of the embrace. “So you’re like that… forever?”
I let my legs fall limply. “Yeah. Sounds that way.”
A minute or two passed in silence.
“How did you girls get in here?” I finally asked. “I told th’ nurse I didn’t want to see nopony else.”
Scootaloo grinned. “My idea, actually. We weren’t just gonna let you suffer on your own, so we got some help! And a distraction.”
“Twist volunteered to cause a scene so we could sneak in. She told us to tell you ‘hi’.” Sweetie Belle explained, glancing at the door. “I sure hope she didn’t get in trouble.”
I clenched my jaw tightly shut as my eyes burned.
Twist? The filly I so rudely dropped and almost completely stopped talking to after I met Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle? She risked getting into trouble so my friends could come comfort me?
I… am a horrible pony.
“Well…” I felt my voice go high as I suppressed a sob. “T-tell her thanks.”
“...Applebloom?” Scootaloo asked softly.
“Can I… I want to…” I tried vainly to force myself into a sitting position, but my core didn’t respond.
I gave up after a moment and let my head fall to the pillow, holding my forehooves out to my friends.
After a moment of confusion, Scootaloo and Sweetie pulled me into a group hug. I probably would have cried there too if I had any tears left.
We stayed like that for what felt like hours until my embarrassment got the best of me and I laid back down into the bed.
“T-thanks,” I muttered, my cheeks currently the same color as my mane. I awkwardly cleared my throat, then struggled to think of something to break the awkward silence with.
“So uh, did y’all make it out okay?”
“Aside from this cool scar I’m gonna get.” Scootaloo smirked as she pointed up toward a covered up gash on her left brow. “The Doc said Sweetie and I only have something called whiplash, which is just kind of a pain in the neck.”
I blinked. “What is it?”
Sweetie chuckled. “No Applebloom, Scootaloo means it’s literally a pain in the neck. The pain in the neck is a pain in the neck.”
I felt myself giggle.
A giggle that soon turned into a genuine laugh.
And before too long, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle joined in.
For a few moments we just laughed, and it almost felt like the old times.
But all good things must come to an end.
Scootaloo wiped a tear from her eye with a final chuckle. "But in all seriousness… I know we can't really do much, but is there anything else we can do for you?"
I chewed on the inside of my cheek for a few moments. There was something I was dying to ask, but I didn't think I could bring myself to say it.
The sympathetic looks of my friends reassured me that I would not be judged.
"I just… don't wanna be alone right now. Can y'all…" I hesitated. "Maybe stay… uh, stay th’ night?"
Scootaloo laid on the pillow next to me, smirking as I let out a colossal yawn. "As long as you need, Applebloom."
"I don't want y'all to get into trouble," I replied tersely.
"Rarity will probably be angry that I didn't let her know, but she'll get over it. She'll probably be okay after I explain myself, considering your situation," Sweetie said slowly.
"And I have Rainbow Dash watching over me tonight. Considering both our sisters know we were trying to visit you, I don't think she'll be mad. She'll probably be proud!" Scootaloo exclaimed.
For a few moments, we all stayed in silence.
“So what now?” Sweetie Belle yawned.
“Ghost stories?” Scootaloo suggested.
Taking that as her cue, Sweetie Belle magically switched off the lights and unbound the curtains, so just a sliver of moonlight shone through.
“I don’t really feel up to that.” I sighed.
Sweetie hummed for a moment. “Truth or dare?”
I chewed on my lip. “We’re stuck in one room and I can’t even move. I’m sorry girls, I don’t mean to drag y’all’s nights down.”
“Screw it.” Scootaloo poked at the bedsheet, noticing me trying, and failing to suppress a yawn. “What else can we do?”
“Well…” Sweetie Belle hesitated, laying on my other side. “Why don’t we just go to sleep? I mean, we can probably do some stuff tomorrow if you aren’t too busy, Applebloom.”
Scootaloo shrugged, sliding under the covers to my right. “And if they don’t let us see you, we’ll just have to cause another distraction and break you out. Now scooch over.”
"I ah… can't." I frowned.
"Aw, c'mon." Scootaloo chuckled. "Sweetie Belle ain't that big yet."
"Hey!" Sweetie Belle squeaked indignantly.
I covered my mouth with a hoof to prevent a laugh. "No, I mean I physically can't."
"Oh." The smirk faded from Scootaloo's face. "Sorry."
Sweetie Belle dived under the covers, and I felt a part of my back get moved toward her. She popped back out with a smile. "You should have some room now!"
"Thanks, Sweetie!" Scootaloo chirped, throwing the blanket up so it fell over all three of us.
For a few minutes, we laid there in silence. I heard the gentle snoring of Sweetie Belle on my left, and Scootaloo tossing and turning every so often on my right.
I found myself smiling as I considered how much trouble my friends were risking to bring me comfort.
Even with all the stress recently, I felt like, with my friends beside me, it was gonna be a great night. And maybe I could even… well, maybe I should try to avoid thinking about the future for now.
Still, at least I had two friends right now I’d trust with anything. Two I can count on to do their best to make sure I got through everything life threw at me. Two that would break into a hospital to see me happy.
Scootaloo turned again next to me and gave off a small gasp. I saw her bite her lower lip and she lifted the blankets and looked underneath.
She dropped the blankets and turned to me, giggling into her hoof.
"Oh my gosh Applebloom, they have you in a diaper?"
I felt the blood rush to my cheeks.
Well, it was gonna be a decent night at least.
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Nice cute chapter.
Good friends can help even in the most trying of times.
Even if they do make you want to throttle them sometimes.
Oh Come on! Rainbow and rarity not going to face punishment?!
Short but good! That's what's friends are for, helping each other
SCOOTALOO SHUT UP! Is nice chapter. Applebloom deserves some happiness.
damn, this makes me feel more sorry for AppleBloom
Aww!
Huh? Apple Bloom shouldn't be able to feel that, and I'm not sure what this motion would look like.
True friends to the end at least the chap had a somewhat happy ending this time
10465236
the part of her back that still has nerves
10464759
Hope you enjoy!
10465105
10465107
Well said.
10465157
I mean, Rainbow straight up committed eco-terrorism and blew up a factory in one episode and didn't even get a slap on the wrist. The show doesn't really do arresting, especially if you're a main character.
10465176
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10465192
Girl has it rough. Girl will continue to have it rough for a good while.
10465236
Sorry if this is badly phrased, Sweetie magically moved AB's legs toward her. That means part of her back above the injury got moved, too.
10465289
10465348
I wish I could just help her, heal her nerves and maybe give her prosthetics or something like that.
I remember reading that after Christopher Reeve's paralysis he came close to having the plug pulled.
But then his good friend Robin Williams came in, made a joke that he was a proctologist, and suddenly Christopher Reeve regained the will to live.
A little joy in our lives can make a huge difference.
10465354
To be fair, AB looked like she was about to bleed out.
10465364
I remember hearing about that too, that was really cool.
10465396
But still, this is why we all ought to learn first aid. Because Applejack may have made Apple Bloom's injuries worse.
Williams was one of the few celebrities whose death brought me to tears.
10465404
Well maybe, but her spine was already seperated at that point.
And I'll be honest, I didn't really know much about Williams until after he passed. I knew he was Genie, and Mrs. Doubtfire. He seemed like a really awesome dude though.
I want to say this before I read the story, I don't like "cripple" stories, because they contradict the canon (even though they went through with Scootaloo not being able to fly in the end, but Season 9 was kinda shit anyway). Especially when there are M6 characters to blame for someone getting hurt.
Why would being crippled be an issue for a non-ordinary character when their friends have so much power at their disposal? Even in real life pretty much anyone at this point can afford bionic legs that allow you to run just a well. There has to be some magic equivalent in Equestria.
10465490
Honestly, you'd think so too. But I'd imagine if it were the easy, then Scootaloo, surrogate little sister to one of Princess Twilight's best friends would be able to fly by season five.
10465499
Writers didn't have the balls to confirm that she was disabled until the very end, so they could avoid raising questions like this one. That's just a part of their lazy writing (post Season 5).
So I've read the first 2 chapters. Paralysis, huh? The cover image is kind of misleading... Still though, people use exoskeletons for that kind of thing in real life. Honestly, magic ruins stories like this one. If there are even flowers that can grant a wish, there would probably be a ton of solutions for paralysis (spells, artifacts, plants, Discord, etc.)
I wonder whay will happen next
10465533
Honestly just making Discord as powerful as they did kinda ruins fanfics. I feel if this were a regular situation Discord wouldn't give a fuck, but in this FS could probably convince Discord to help.
Which is why I don't add Discord in my dramatic stories.
10465556
Tune in tomorrow and find out!
I like to think that if someone close to me crippled me, I wouldn't be mad at them but instead I'd enjoy them always being apologetic and trying to make it up to me. Heck yeah!
10465565
I could see that after a while, but I can't imagine not being pissed at somebody who crippled me for a long time.
I wonder if Discord could help her. . .
10465620
probably not without turning her spine to candy cane...just because Chaos doesnt seem to have rules, it doesnt mean that there r no limits...
10465583
I would definitely be upset with the person who paralyzed me - ESPECIALLY if it was due to their own selfish behavior. Though I hope Apple Bloom rekindles her love for her big sister, I don’t blame her for her reaction - in fact, I’m surprised the other Crusaders haven’t lashed out at THEIR respective siblings. After all, THEY crashed into Apple Bloom’s cart - if not for that, Apple Bloom wouldn’t be crippled.
Though AJ is the MOST responsible, Rainbow Dash AND Rarity played key roles to AB’s crippled state.
Then again, we’re only at chapter 4, so who knows? Love where this is going so far. It’s got just the right enough angst that it breaks my heart, but not too much where it makes the world look like a desolate black hole of which no one can escape. This feels like a natural take on things, I think. Kudos!
10466023
I guess I first mention it in the next chapter, but the other crusaders did go off on their sisters. AB doesn't know this yet.
Thanks for the kind words, also.
Who let you be so good at writing the CMC?
10466089
I did.
10465729
Oh please, Discord has shown several times throughout the show that he can magic pretty much anything he wants. It's better to not mention him at all rather than making up some crazy limits that don't make sense for his character. It's like that one cringe worthy Scootaorphan fic where Mayor Mare (!) just would not allow Rainbow Dash to adopt Scootaloo because she's "irresponsible".
Poor little Bloom...I hope she and AJ make up...didn't get a chance to see this until now but it's definitely going on my tracking list!
10466207
Discords magic SEEMS over powered and he can do what ever he wants...but i seriously doubt that he has as much control as it seems...control implies order, after all, and thats something that Discord cannot do, he tried that once, remember, being orderly...it almost destroyed him...no, Chaos is more an art than a science, Discord can get the GENERAL effect that he wants, but Chaos can and will always do its own thing. when i said he might turn ABs spine into candy cane, i didnt mean that hed do it on purpose. hes the Spirit of Chaos, not Medical Practice...i think that title belongs to a snake in the amarezon somewhere...
10466221
If he can get the general effect, making a cripple walk again should definitely be easy for him, candy cane or not. But even without Discord, there are plenty of things (wish granting flowers and stuff) that ruin this concept.
10465362
Do I have a fanfic for you!
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/224216/my-life-as-a-bipedal-quadruped
10466221
Ace Clepius?
10466265
in theory sure, just like Discord should be able to produce all kinds of life extension magic, but its a little different in practice. even those wish granting flowers, we all remember how that fiasco turned out. there is no easy out here, nor is there a way to predict what would actually happen if Discord even tried making AB walk again...little hard to do any science when u try to add two and to...and keep getting brussle sprout as an answer...
10466711
That's just trying to explain magic (trying to diminish its role like the writers did in the episode where Rarity lost her mane). But magic IS overpowered, and that murders the concept of stories like this.
10466816
Okay...I can kind of see what you are saying, magic in Equestria has been shown in cannon to be limited pretty much only to the individual's imagination (for lack of better descriptors, it's late and I'm getting sleepy). Anyways, how about instead of IF magic could fix it? SHOULD it? I mean yes in this story there's a certain obvious yes factor, I mean only a heartless brute would wish ill on someone AB's age. But in the long-run, and in terms of beyond the immediate scope of the Apple family, in wider Equestria, if they used magic to wish away all of their problems, that would mean that if a pony "wished hard enough" or happened to know the right ponies, they could live an idyllic life, no struggles, no hardships, and no real reason to bother getting out of bed. If magic is truly the be-all-end-all answer to everything, why bother getting a cutie mark at all if there's nothing to work for? no dreams? no goals? Frankly, I'm not exactly a driven individual, but even I get tired of being lazy eventually.
I'm not suggesting that there couldn't be certain cases like Applebloom's where magic couldn't help mend things or fix things, but from here where does one draw the line? could a filly "magic" back their dead parents after a tragic accident? could an angry mare "wish" that their best fillyhood friend never left home or that cutie marks didn't exist? Could a less scrupulous pony "clop their hooves three times" and poof their way onto the throne of Canterlot?
This topic of magical ethics actually reminds me of a fic where Discord asks Fluttershy if she'd like to be immortal, and she refuses much to his bewilderment.
TL/DR, using magic as a "cure-all" is something I've read about in multiple stories and blogs and essays, in the latter two it is from what I've read and in my personal opinion a lazy approach and kills just as many great ideas as trying to define it. Not saying that your opinion isn't valid, the show was terribly inconsistent about how such things worked and there are definitely episodes where the writers themselves come across as writing things for the sheer heck of it.
Oh... my poor heart... I'm feeling all the feels now. All at once. If you wanna talk about whiplash...
I didn't even get a chance to cover it yet... but poor Applebloom... I was going on and on about Applejack, and she wasn't the one who's life was utterly RUINED!
...
I'm hopeful though. Her friends are incredible friends. They would never let her down... and a good, strong friend group makes... almost anything possible... she'll get better. Either naturally, or via force if Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle have anything to say about it.
I just hope Applebloom can reconcile with Applejack...
I've been seriously crying for a good 45 minutes straight now... that's a testament to your writing. Even with short chapters, you STILL hit the nail on the head with emotions... even if I do get mood whiplash from them...
I want to read more, but I need to sleep. So, I'll make like the CMC here, and just sleep, and wait for tomorrow...
Onward to the dream realm, may Luna watch over me, and guide me to pleasent, warm dreams...
My heart is starting to break