Nearly Drowned: An AppleDash Story

by Goat Carnival

Rating: everyone
Tags: Tragedy, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Main 6, Romance, Applejack, Rainbow Dash
Length: 3659

Applejack falls in love with Rainbow Dash while they're in the hospital

Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy find Rainbow Dash and Applejack unconscious by a river and take them to a hospital. There, they find out what had happened to and between the two to have them washed up unconscious on the riverbank.

Published 2017-04-23 11:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-02-09 00:19:56 UTC

Chapter 1: Lost and Drowned

Twilight led Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Fluttershy along the river. Their friends Rainbow Dash and Applejack had been lost for days, and they have searched every corner of Ponyville.

"Fluttershy," Twilight said. "Do you think you can fly overhead and look for them?"

"Sure," Fluttershy responded. Warily, the quiet pony flew over the trees and surveyed the ground. She saw two shapes on the floor, one cyan, one orange. She knew it was the two missing ponies. She flew back to the group. "I found them both! They're on the riverbank through the trees."

The group ran straight through the trees. Twilight ran straight ahead, leaving her three friends falling behind. She stopped on a ledge and looked down. She could barely move. What she saw was horrific. Before her were Applejack and Rainbow Dash, huddled together, bruised and bleeding.

"Next time, don't run too far ahead of us," Rarity complained. "Do you see them?"

"Y-yes..." Twilight stammered. Her eyes were fixed on the broken bodies of her friends.

The group tried to run to the edge of the ledge, but Twilight stopped them with her wing.

"What was that for?" Rarity asked, slightly angered, but then she looked down. She silenced herself and stood stiff.

Twilight leaped down and approached the bodies. She leaned over them and cried, hugging them.

"What in Equestria could have happened to get these two in this state?" she whispered to herself.

"Applejack, remind me why we're out here again?" Rainbow Dash groaned.

"I needed you to help me get water from the river. I figured I needed somepony strong to help me carry it back. You pegasi have really been holdin' back on the rain these days," Applejack explained.

Rainbow sighed. "Alright, fine. Give me the buckets."

Applejack tossed her two buckets. "There ya go, now get fillin'!"

The two headed toward the river, holding the buckets. They stopped once they reached the bank of the river.

"Are you sure about this, AJ?" Rainbow asked. "That ground looks pretty weak."

Applejack scoffed. "Since when do you care about safety?"

"I suppose you're right. Let's get filling these buckets!" Rainbow Dash and Applejack slid down the muddy bank to the edge of the river. They stuck the buckets in, filling them to the brim.

"I think we're good," Applejack said. "Let's get goin-AH!" The ground gave way underneath her and she fell beneath the surface of the rushing water.

"AJ!" Rainbow Dash shouted. She dropped herself straight into the water looking for Applejack underneath. When she found her, she brought her to the surface of the water. She got scratched on branches and brambles, not long before hitting a rock and getting bruised by the force.

She pulled herself up on the ground, dropping Applejack next to her.

"Applejack," she sighed. "If we don't live through this, and if you can still hear me, I want you to know," she coughed, a pool of dirty water escaping her mouth, "that what I just did for you was out of love." Using her last small bit of strength, Rainbow Dash pulled herself over to Applejack and hugged her. She exhaled and closed her eyes.

Chapter 2: Waking Nightmare

The four ponies gathered around their two other friends who were lying unconscious on the riverbank. Twilight touched her hoof to Rainbow Dash's chest, and then Applejack's. She felt a slight movement, and laid her ear on each of their chests.

"They're still alive!" she exclaimed. Pinkie, Rarity, and Fluttershy all jumped slightly. "Sorry, but we have to get them back to Ponyville hospital! They could be saved!"

They all carried Rainbow Dash and Applejack to Ponyville, taking them to the hospital.

"What exactly happened to them?" the doctor asked once the two were in a room.

"We're not really sure. We just found them by the river unconscious and bleeding," Twilight explained.

"They were huddled together real close, kind of like a married couple," Rarity commented.

Everyone froze. "You don't think..." Pinkie Pie began.

"It's possible..." Twilight said. "But they can't really be together like that, right?"

"Are you done?" the doctor sighed. "These two need to rest in peace." The four mares stood stiff, and the doctor realized what he'd just said. "I mean- um..." He sighed. "You know what I mean. Just leave so we can inspect them and get the medical equipment necessary."

Twilight sighed and left the hospital, followed by Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity.

Applejack opened her eyes. She expected to see the painted wood of her room, to smell the smell of apples, and to feel and hear the wood creak to her even breathing, but instead she woke up in the hospital. All she saw were bright lights, all she could smell was the nostril burning stench of the hospital, and all she could hear was the heart rate monitors beeping. Her breathing was slightly uneven, and she could hardly move.

She turned her head to her right, and she was beyond shocked.

R-Rainbow Dash! she thought. In this weakened state, she could hardly talk. Rainbow was the image of hardly living. She had tubes hooked up to what looked like every end, and she was put on a life support system. What in Equestria put her in this terrible state?

She suddenly remembered, with a surge of emotions flooding her mind. She remembered gathering water, then slipping into the river. The last thing she remembered was hitting a rock, being dragged onto the bank, and Rainbow Dash saying something to her, but she couldn't remember what.

"Oh, good, you're awake!" the doctor said. "We wanted to talk to you."

Applejack felt dizzy with the surge of emotions, she hardly heard the doctor. Then she remembered... "My family! Does my family know? How are they?"

"Don't worry, Applejack, your family's fine, and they do know, and they wanted you to know when you woke up that they're willing to support you and your friend the entire way. We just want to know if you have any recollection of what caused you to end up so beaten and bloody."

"W-well, kinda..." Applejack sighed. "I-I remember the river! We were gettin' water from the river since the pegasi haven't been makin' it rain for some time. I slipped, and then everything up until the rock is a blur. We crashed right into the rock, and then I was on the bank. Rainbow said something and then... I fell asleep. I don't remember anything after that."

"I see..." the doctor said. "That was very useful, thank you. Now, we want you to rest." He turned to leave the room, but then Applejack stopped him.

"Wait!" she said. "How long have I been here?"

"About three days. You were lost for four days until your friends found you and Rainbow Dash."

"So... that means I've been gone for a week?" Applejack exclaimed.

"Yes." The doctor walked out of the room and turned off the lights. Applejack sighed and fell asleep.

Chapter 6: Touch and Go

Applejack opened her eyes slowly. The night before, she had heard movement in Rainbow Dash's side of the room and hoped for the best. She was extremely disappointed when she saw the empty bed to her right that afternoon. She also feared the worst.

Could Rainbow Dash be dead? Or did she make a sudden recovery and was just downstairs getting food?

It wasn't long before Twilight, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie walked into the room, nervous looks on each of their faces.

"What's wrong?" Applejack asked.

"Well… Twilight told us this morning," Rarity began.

"We don't want you to freak out, but…" Twilight shifted her hooves and twitched her ears. "Rainbow Dash is in surgery."

Applejack put on a fake smile. "Surgery ain't no big deal! Rainbow's strong, she'll get through it." She felt a jab at the sides of her eyes and tears streamed out.

Pinkie Pie rushed to the side of the bed. "Buuuuut the good news is hey! The doctors said it's okay for you to try to get out of bed! C'mon! Put those strong legs to good use!"

Applejack sighed and rolled a little out of the bed. This was the first time she noticed a cast around her torso.

"Yay! Looks like you're well and good! I brought you a cupcake to celebrate your 'Finally Able to Get Out of Bed' moment!" Pinkie exclaimed, holding out a red velvet cupcake.

"Th-thanks y'all. I still feel a might weak, though," Applejack sighed as she crawled back into bed.

"Okay then!" Pinkie said, placing the red velvet cupcake on the bedside table. "Fooor laatteeeeerrrr," she whispered, signaling to the cupcake.

Applejack sighed and chuckled. She was still worried, though. Ponies make it through surgery a lot, but if it's for a horribly broken body… she didn't even want to think about it. She sat up in the bed and ate the cupcake. She had to admit, it was pretty good.

Spitfire zoomed into the hospital, followed by Soarin and Fleetfoot. "We just heard about Rainbow Dash!" she exclaimed.

"Is she awake?" Soarin added.

"Do you know if she'll make a full recovery?" Fleetfoot finished.

Before any pony could answer, Twilight and the rest of her friends were back down in the lobby.

"You're Rainbow Dash's friends, right? Do you know how she is?" Spitfire said. She sounded worried. Twilight may not have known the Wonderbolts' leader as personally as Rainbow Dash, but she knows very well Spitfire hardly ever expresses as much worry as this.

She sighed. "We don't know what will come of Rainbow Dash," she began, "but she is alive and in surgery."

"Surgery?" Soarin said, him and Fleetfoot walking up behind Spitfire.

"We're sure she'll be fine," Twilight assured, though she wasn't really sure wether or not it was the truth. "In the meantime, you're going to have to cope with the fact that she won't be coming back to Wonderbolts practice for a while."

Spitfire sighed. "Fine. But keep me posted. She hasn't seen us in ages, and if she makes it through, we want to be one of the first faces she sees."

"Of course, but we'd wish for you to see her a little after. There's another injured mare with her that has really been worrying."

Spitfire turned and signaled for the other two Wonderbolts to follow her out, reluctantly leaving the hospital and a strong member of her team in a fatal state.

Chapter 7: Complete Memory

Applejack tossed and turned in her bed. She knew by now Rainbow Dash would be out of surgery. Probably resting, or dying quick. She hoped she was just resting.

One word haunted Applejack's mind. Love. She recognized the voice. Deeper than most ponies', and very raspy. Rainbow Dash. Where had she heard the mare speak this word to her? One word spoken by the pony she loved clouded all other thoughts. Applejack shook her head, attempting to allow other thoughts enter her mind.

It was then that a memory came back to her. She remembered something said to her in the past. She couldn't remember how long ago.

Applejack, If we don't live through this, and if you can still hear me, I want you to know that what I just did for you was out of love.

Applejack couldn't put the puzzle together. She gathered that the voice belonged to Rainbow Dash, and that she was telling her that she loved her, but she couldn't remember why.

She suddenly remembered. The river! It was at the river that Rainbow Dash confessed. It only made sense. In all the past "good things" Rainbow had done for Applejack, she'd never in the end told her she loved her. The only time Rainbow would have done that would be at the river, after she'd saved her.

So she does love me... Applejack thought to herself, smiling a little. If she lives, I'll tell her.

The mare's eyes opened. She took in everything she saw. Bright lights, blue ceiling tiles. I'm... I'm in the hospital... she thought. She couldn't talk. What's going on? Why am I here?

Nothing made sense. She couldn't remember anything after falling asleep in the forest. She just fell asleep, and then woke up with a pain in her side.

The doctor walked in. "Rainbow Dash! You're up!" he said. "Your friends will be glad to hear of this. The Wonderbolts were in the lobby earlier, you know."

"They were?!" Rainbow exclaimed. "What did they say?"

"They were worried about you. Luckily your friends calmed them down."

"Are my friends still here? And what about Applejack?"

"Er... no, they left hours ago, but Applejack is still in the building.

"Can I see her?" Rainbow Dash asked expectantly.

"Not right now, Rainbow Dash. It is after hours and we expect the patients to be asleep."

"How in Equestria do you expect me to fall asleep when every pony I know has been worried about me? Applejack and I got seriously injured, I've missed I don't know how many Wonderbolts practices, and the rest of my friends had to give the bad news to everyone else on top of their worries!" Rainbow snapped. "It makes zero sense for a pony to try to 'get some rest' when they have the pressure of their friends' mental health weighing on their-"

"Miss Dash, please, watch your temper. The stress could kill you," the doctor commented.

"What kind of hospital is this?! Stressing a half-dead patient out as soon as she wakes up, knowing full well the dangers of telling her?"

"Rainbow Dash, I'm sorry about that. Perhaps you'll be happy to know, however, that Applejack is able to walk about, and you should be tomorrow. We'll allow you to reunite in private, if that's okay."

"Y-yeah... I'm okay with that," Rainbow said, finally calming down.

"Alright, then. I'll arrange it," the doctor said with a sigh of relief.

He left the room, leaving Rainbow Dash to rest. She fell asleep to the slight quick beeping of the heart rate monitor.

Story canceled, here's a summary

They see each other they get happy they fall in love go on a few dates kiss get married everyone's supportive happily ever after the end.

Chapter 3: Visiting Hours

"...and that's what Applejack told us," the doctor finished explaining.

"We see... and how's Rainbow Dash?" Twilight asked.

The doctor sighed. "She's fine, but she hasn't woken up."

"Can we visit them again?" Fluttershy asked.

"You can see Applejack, but we think it's best not to visit Rainbow Dash because you may not like it."

Twilight and Fluttershy went upstairs to Rainbow Dash and Applejack's room, casting their glances away from Rainbow Dash. If she looked as terrible as the doctors said, they wouldn't wanna see her. The curtain that divided half the room was out, obstructing their view of the other side. Applejack was awake.

"Twilight! Fluttershy!" she exclaimed. She was clearly happy to see her friends after a week of unconsciousness. "How've ya been?"

"We've been fine, Applejack," Twilight said.

"How are you feeling?" Fluttershy asked.

"Weak, broken, and close to death," Applejack huffed.

"You'll be fine, AJ," Twilight assured.

Applejack sighed. "Fine. How's Rainbow Dash?" she asked.

Twilight and Fluttershy exchanged a glance. Should they really tell her?

"The doctors think it's best that you don't know. We agree, and think it's for the best," Twilight said.

"I just want to know if she's alive," Applejack sighed.

"She's alive."

"Thank you," she said. "If she wasn't there with me, I would have drowned. I-I would be dead right now if it weren't for her."

"Applejack," Twilight began, "when we found you on the riverbank, Rainbow Dash was huddled up close to you. The position you two were in seemed as if you were... together in such a way." She walked closer to Applejack's bed. "Do you... love her?"

Applejack sighed and rolled over in her bed, facing away from Twilight and Fluttershy. "I don't know. When I got the memory of the river, I felt a surge of unfamiliar emotions. I've felt unconditional love for my family, but... never romantic. If I have, I never noticed."

"Oh," Twilight said. "Well, we'll leave you be. Goodbye, Applejack."

"Bye," Applejack said. As soon as Fluttershy and Twilight left the room, Applejack closed her eyes and slept.

Chapter 4: Applejack's Dream

Applejack walked along the riverside. It was dark and windy. She looked in front of her, and before her stood a brilliant cyan mare with a rainbow mane. She rushed towards her, excited to see the mare up and about, but she stopped. The mare suddenly vanished through the trees behind her.

"R-Rainbow Dash!" Applejack stammered. She ran straight through the trees, looking everywhere for her friend. She finally found her on the riverbank. "Rainbow, you have no idea how happy I am to see you awake and..." Suddenly, Rainbow Dash was on the ground, bleeding. "No!" Applejack rushed to her friend's side, crying over the unmoving body.

"Applejack," a new voice said.

"Whuh- who was that?" Applejack asked, looking around.

"Don't worry, Applejack, it's only me." Princess Luna came walking through the trees.

"Luna! Thank goodness you're here! Something's wrong with Rainbow Dash!"

Luna sighed. "Oh, Applejack, this is merely a dream," she explained.

"Only a dream?" Applejack said. She was both relieved and worried. Relieved because she didn't really witness the horrible event that had caused Rainbow Dash to become so beaten, but worried because this dream could mean so much for what's happening in the real world.

Luna walked up to Applejack and lifted her face to look at hers. "This time of distress troubles you more than it does your friends."

"How'd you know?" Applejack asked.

"Your nightmare was the strongest emotionally," Luna said. "I wonder, why is yours so different?"

Applejack sighed. "Rainbow Dash saved my life, and in doing so awoke some new emotions I've never felt before, but I'm afraid to admit them. I also can't help but feel guilty for all this physical pain I caused Rainbow Dash. If I hadn't taken her with me to get the water, she wouldn't have fallen in after me…"

"And you wouldn't be alive," Luna finished. "You don't have to feel guilty, it was an honest mistake. And as for those new emotions," she continued, "you should be willing to admit them. These emotions shouldn't make you any less of a pony."

Applejack nodded and sighed. "May I spend the rest of my dream with Rainbow Dash but… alive?" she asked.

Luna nodded, and using her magic, replaced the motionless body of Rainbow Dash with a clean, healthy version of her.

"I can't thank you enough, Princess Luna," Applejack said. She ran off through the trees after Rainbow Dash.

Luna smiled and turned around. She headed into the trees and disappeared in the night.

Author's Note

I know I don't do Author's Notes, but I figured it's best to point out that I wanted this chapter to teach a lesson. If you have a reputation for being tough and only caring for yourself, don't be afraid to admit when you develop romantic feelings for another. Embrace it, and wether that person loves you back or not, it shouldn't matter, just don't be afraid to show romantic emotion.

Chapter 5: Too Late

"We're losing them!" one of the doctors shouted from the other room.

"Get something to help them!" another doctor exclaimed.

Twilight just stood outside, pacing back and forth. She had received word from the doctors that Applejack and Rainbow Dash's heart rates were close to flatlining, and she wanted to be there to see if there was anything she could do, but it sounded like it was too late.

The doctors went silent and walked out of the room. Twilight could tell by the expressions on their faces that her friends were gone.

Before she knew it, Twilight was by the river where she found her two friends' broken bodies. Instead of the bodies, there were only two graves with three red apples on one and a cloud with a lightning bolt made up of the three primary colors.

"Why…" she sighed. "Why couldn't they save them? Why couldn't… I save them?"

"There wouldn't have been anything you could have done," a new pony said. Princess Luna came walking down from the moon in front of Twilight.

Twilight wiped the tears from her face and tried to hold back more. "They can't be gone..."

"They're not," Luna said.

"Of course, a dream," Twilight sighed. "If there's anything I highly dislike, it's the fact that my dreams torture me with the death of my friends when they're practically on their deathbeds right now!"

"They're fine, trust me," Luna assured.

Twilight looked down at her hooves. "Tell me… how are they doing?"

"Rainbow Dash has yet to wake up, and I just came from Applejack's nightmare."

Twilight sighed. "I wish I could have been there with them when they went to the river." She smiled slightly. "But then I guess they wouldn't be able to realize their emotions to each other."

Luna chuckled. "They do make quite the couple."

"Is Rainbow having dreams?" Twilight asked after a while.

"Well... kind of," Luna sighed. "It's just the events of the river incident over and over again. It's more of a memory than a dream."

"I knew someday that pony would get seriously hurt like that. This isn't like the time she hurt her wing, she could die."

"She's going into surgery tomorrow," Luna revealed.

"What?!" Twilight exclaimed.

"I fear for her as much as you, but it's highly likely she'll make it out. She's strong."

"I hope you're right Luna..." Twilight sighed as the dream faded out around her. "I hope you're right."