Love worth dying forby dartmaul15ChaptersChapter 1. Falling TearsChapter 2. My dying ParadiseChapter 3. Farewell?Chapter 4. Heart of the RainbowChapter 1. Falling TearsLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 1 Falling Tears AKA: how to demolish a barn using snow. The light breeze of the winter morning cut like ice-cold knives through Rainbow’s Fur, and her speed didn’t exactly help the cold. It was midwinter, and most ponies wouldn’t even consider sticking their hooves outside running the risk of catching a cold or even worse; getting pneumonia. Yet it was in this weather one could find the light sky blue pegasi soaring through the sky. Truth be told, she didn’t even notice the weather; her mind was fixed on something very, very different. It wasn’t something in her line of sight at all. No, her mind was already several minutes ahead of her; imagining her and Applejack snuggled together in front of the roaring fire from a furnace, with a mug of steaming hot chocolate each. She then put the cup gently down before leaning closer to applejack making their lips meet in perfect unison. A powerful gush forced the pegasi out of her daydreaming, and back into the freezing reality. She was currently flying above the first row of snow mushrooms, or apple trees if one wishes to be a prick, and got the sweet sight of the Apple Residence in sight. The building stood there like a beacon of warmth and love in all the cold, like it encouraged her to speed up more to get there; to get to Applejack. She was heading over to her marefriend of six months, Applejack Apple. She wasn’t entirely sure how it had started. She had always cared for that stubborn pony, yet it was exactly a stubborn pony, three days at hospital and a lot of care that had been needed to make her realize what it was; Love. It had all been more or less uphill after that. They had their share of fights and troubles since then, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with some diplomacy and a portion of pillow talk, or some unconventional usage of ropes and Pegasi Feathers. As she drew closer to the residence she spotted her marefriend, curiously enough outside and on top of the barn. In her hand she held something that looked like a snowplough. The pure joy of seeing her made Dash call out. “Hey Jack; are you ready to get inside for some warmth? Or maybe you want some hot pegasi?” Her voice made Jack react just like expected. Her head shot straight up, and she frantically searched for its origin; her beloved Dashie. “Ah’d love some Pegasi. Ah just have ta clear this barn here Sugahcube, then Ah’ll be right there.” Jack replied with a sheepish grin, and a sultry voice “besides, we don’t want it ta come crashing…” Just as Applejack was about to finish the sentence a loud hollow crack rippled through the sky followed by Jack seemingly sinking about half a meter into the snow on the roof. Her eyes stared back at dash with absolute terror; A stare that would be burned into her very soul for the days to come. Rainbow Dash reacted instantly, shooting towards her marefriend. She flew as fast as she could; pressing her body beyond the limit of what was doable under normal circumstances. Each flap of her wings was a torment begging her to stop, yet the opposite were needed. The icy weather bit through her fur and wings, chilling her to the bone and further enhancing the pain in her wings. Even then she kept pushing herself beyond the limit, now only a stone’s throw away from the barn. Then a second, deeper, crack pierced the silent sky. The whole roof of the barn started to give in bellow Applejack. Large rumblings and hollow cracks could be heard as the supporting beams collapsed and hit the hard floor in the barn down below. Jack just stood there, large pieces of the gable disappearing around her, completely frozen in terror before finally disappearing alongside what remained of the roof. A small cloud of snow was hurled up into the air as the debris and packed snow hit the ground on the insides of the barn. Then a long terrifying scream of absolute agony followed, and after that, nothing; only the distant howling of the wind could be heard. Rainbow Dash just hung there in mid-air looking in disbelief at the barn trying to comprehend what happened. She had been so close; mere centimetres away from saving her. She then dived downward toward the bottom the barn, not really knowing why and how it would help. As the dreaded reality started to sink in bit by bit her confusion were replaced by tears. Silent tears of pain making their way down her chin before dropping towards the snow bellow. The cold air effectively freezes them solid before hitting the ground, leaving just a tiny entrance hole in the soft snow. A hole what will be filled with snow in the next gush, effectively wiping away any trace of its existence. Yet there were still hope, there had to be hope; she had to be alive. There would be no way in Equestria she would be able to forgive herself if something had happened to Applejack. She tipped forward and accelerated, bound to not waste a single second. Pulling up was not an option as she hit the snow at a speed that would have caused severe damage if it was a normal pegasi landing on dirt. But she was no normal pegasi, nor did she land on dirt. She was hitting snow. It was packed, but still snow. The force of impact sent the snow around hurling up into a second snow cloud, allowing more or less clear sight of what had been below it. There, to the left of her! The blanket of white was disrupted by something orange… and red! “Jack! NO!” Rainbow Dash hurried over to what was her marefriend and started digging desperately. The digging formed large clods of snow in her fur around her hooves, but she didn’t care. The more she dug out the redder the snow became, and as she neared the chest the snow were almost as red as the blood itself. She was getting desperate. “no, don’t die jack. Please. I need you.” The horrible truth had fully sunk in as she dug her out. Her marefriend Applejack was bleeding from a large wound in her side, right above her front hooves. There were also small portions of blood coming from her mouth and nostrils. Yet what worried rainbow the most was her weak heart. She gently bowed forward, and placed her hoof bellow Jack’s ear to get her pulse. “No, no, no. This can’t be true. Jack, don’t die!” Rainbow Dash’s words of despair and sorrow echoed across what was left of the barn. Wet salty tears started flowing down her chin again, hitting the snow like tiny manifestations of her sorrow and grief. “Not yet… dash.” A few faint coughs, followed by blood gulping into the snow, could be heard bellow. “Jack…” The pegasi ran her hoof from her neck, and lingered on her marefriend’s chin. A limp, orange hoof touched her mane. “Rainbow… ah love ya.” A few weak coughs escaped the once so strong farmpony as her hoof loosened the grip, and her head fell back into the snow, the icy wind gently playing with the fur on her still chest. “NO! Don’t die Jack. I can get you to the hospital. Just please, don’t die.” The last words almost disappeared in the sobbing as Rainbow Dash just collapsed to the ground. Her marefriend was dead, and she had been too late to prevent it. It was all her fault; she had killed her with her slow response, and there were no way to undo it. For the first time in her life Rainbow Dash felt there was nothing more she could do. Apple Jack was dead, her life shattered as a result, and it was all her fault. If she had been able to follow her into the great beyond she would have done so; gladly. She simply wanted to lie down next to her, and let the cold carry her away. She lay down beside her, and rested her own head against Applejack’s chest, and let her tears flow freely; just wishing for this nightmare to end, wishing to simply die. Kadump… kadump... kadump… Each of Applejack’s heartbeats was like massive thunderclaps in Rainbow Dash’ ears, each of them being a small beacon of hope and life to the poor pegasi mare besides her; each of the beats adding a small spark to the hope residing within Rainbow Dash. Kadump… kadump… kadump… ‘I have to save her. I can’t let her die like this; not while there’s a chance. Not as long as I am Rainbow dash; the fastest flyer in Equestria, and the element of loyalty.’ Rainbow Dash’ newfound determination and hope filled her with enough power to get up from the snow, and take a proper look at the situation. Applejack were lying beside her bleeding from Celestia knows how many wounds; most likely draining her life by every passing second. Rainbow Dash herself was more or less unharmed. Cold as ice, but unharmed. The pegasi dug her snout through the snow and under Applejack’s body in a desperate attempt to get her marefriend onto her back. With her marefriend steadily placed on her back she started to walk into the snow. The first that hit her as she exited the relative sheltering from the barn was the icy wind. It found its way between every single hair and feather on her body, and instantly sent shivers of cold through the light sky blue Pegasus. Yet she could not let wind or weather stop her. She had to get Applejack to the hospital. The high snow, reaching her almost to the elbows, made moving in the snow a painstakingly slow process. It would have been completely impossible if the snow hadn’t been that dry and loose. At least now she could force the snow to the sides with her hooves. For every step she took she instantly sunk down to her barrel before her hooves would meet a layer of crusted snow, thick enough to barely hold the weight. Yet she knew couldn’t survive forever, that every second she lingered outside brought her beloved one step closer to her fate; one step closer to her own fate. There was no way in Equestria she would fail now. Not now as every step she took brought Applejack one step closer to safety; one step closer to salvation and life. As Rainbow Dash stamped her way through the snow the dreaded realization hit her. The reassuring beats of Applejack’s heart were slowly fading; each of them driving the heartless yet unstoppable countdown until her passing. “Jack! No, don’t die! Please, don’t do this to me, don’t do this to us” Yet again, for the third time that day, the snow were stained with salty pegasi tears of sorrow; Each of them bearing the message of a heart shattering under the torment of seeing the love of her life dying in front of her own eyes. Each of them to be swept away and hidden by the next gush of wind. Hidden, but never forgotten. Yet it was in this moment she received newfound strength, strength to push further through the snow. She needed to hurry, and she knew it. She also knew that an attempt to run through the snow would mean the risk of hurting, or dropping, her. A risk she wouldn’t take. It was then she remembered a trick they were thought back at flight camp. It made you able to more or less lock somepony to your back at the cost of not being able to fly at all. Another danger was the risk of dislodging your wings; not to mention the intense pain it would cause. Not that she really cared about that now. She gritted her teeth as she twisted her wings almost to the point of breaking, and placed them over Applejack’s torso; hooking the last feathers locking together, effectively locking her to her own body. It made her cringe in extreme pain, and the only thing keeping her going were the determination to save Applejack; to save her marefriend. She cringed in pain as she made the first steps forward; dislodging her left wing in the process. The intense pain jolted out from her wing, and spread out in the entire body, almost making her black out. ‘No! I will not let her die, not now! I… Need… to… keep… going.’ Each step sent another jolt of pain through her body, and forced her to stop. ‘No, this won’t do. Think Rainbow Dash, think!’ She still kept walking, pushing the intense pain into the back of her head. ‘Leap. I get further by leaping, and it doesn’t constantly stress the wing.’ The light sky blue leaped slightly ahead to test her idea. ‘Yeah, that’s about… ’. She then proceeded to jump a meter ahead only to land in the soft snow before beating a hole in the layer of frozen snow she had been walking on so far. She repeated the process over and over again, each landing shattering ice bellow her hooves. Ice that cut deep into the sole and fetlock, painting the snow in her hoof prints crimson from the blood. She continued the journey toward the hospital, leaving a trail of blood behind her; each jump cutting another tiny wound enhancing the bleeding. By the time she arrived in ponyville her hooves were smeared red by the blood all the way from the fetlocks and down to the tip of her hooves. The soles were cut up to the point where every step felt like walking on burning coal through hell; a journey she would gladly take to save her marefriend. As she stepped up the stone steps leading to the ponyville hospital she felt the last of her powers leave her. She gathered her remaining strength for those last few meters to safety; feeling her body collapsing underneath her. She used her forehead and teeth to push open the front doors before tumbling in on wobbly feet before collapsing on the floor. “Help me…. Jack is dying” was the last words she said before passing out with pleading eyes looking at the mare behind the counter. Author's Note God, that was filed with errors. Anyway, there it is. The first chapter of my entry for the appledash contest, complete with all its flaws and faults. Don't forget to use the thumbing system as you see fit. Chapter 2. My dying ParadiseLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 My dying Paradise AKA: To let it all out, and fall asleep. Complete blackness and muscles aching like no tomorrow were what greeted Rainbow Dash as she woke up. ‘Off. What have I gotten myself into this time, and where in Equestria am I’. Rainbow Dash blinked trice before she realized where she was. There was no way she would ever forget that blue tapestry, and those hard, wooden framed, beds. She was in ponyville hospital. ‘The hospital? How the hay did I get here?’ A quick look around revealed no clue about it, apart from her feeling every aching muscle, and every painful wound in the entire body. ‘Ugh, at least that kind of explains why my whole body hurts like I have been wrestling with a dragon and an Ursa Major at the same time.’ Another few split seconds passed before she finally remembered why she was there. Her trip over to the sweet apple acres, Applejack clearing the barn of snow, the barn collapsing, her getting Applejack to hospital before collapsing, It all came back to her, and flooded her mind. She shot right up like somepony had electrocuted her and shouted one single word; “Applejack!” She instinctively grabbed after the bell for the alarm to call for a nurse, and quickly found what she was searching for. ‘Yes, I knew it.’ She yanked as hard as she could, hoping someone would respond to it. What seemed like hours passed before she could hear the soft clacking of hooves against the tiled floor. “Please Aj, be alive. Please… please”, she begged to herself as the clacking drew closer to her room. The door opened, and revealed an almost perfectly white earth pony with sapphire blue eyes and a light pink mane. On top of her head she wore a nurse’s hat sharing the same look as her cutie mark; a red medical cross and hearts in every corner. Dash instantly recognized her as Nurse Redheart, the most caring of the nurses, and her personal favourite. The countless times at the hospital had made Redheart one of the few ponies she could talk to about more or less everything, apart from her friends of course. “Redheart, where’s jack? How is she going? Is she going to be fine? Can I see her?” The bombardment of questions caught the nurse completely of guard, despite knowing the details of what had happened. She was however in no way prepared for what followed. “Did she… survive?” Her voice cracked as she uttered the last words, and finally let her pent-up tears flow freely. The doubt in her voice and the tears flowing seemed completely out of place, like they didn’t belong to her. “Rainbow dash, Applejack is being treated by the best doctors we have. I am sure she will be fine. You did what you could do in such situation, and you should feel proud about yourself.” “No, I didn’t do everything. I was that close to saving her.” Dash underscored her point by holding two hooves so close together you could barely spot out a small gap between them. “If I had just reacted a little faster, or flew a little faster nothing of this would have happened.” “Rainbow, listen. It was not your fault. It was not your fault!” She knew it would hurt when somepony disagreed with you in situations like these, but she had to make Rainbow Dash understand that it wasn’t her fault. Rainbow Dash reacted as predicted, with frustration and anger “It was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough. I am the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, and can’t even save my friends!” Her tears had stopped now and her grief was now released through her anger. “I have no idea what you are thinking, but if you hadn’t been there then Applejack would have died, that you can’t ignore.” The words hit Rainbow Dash like somepony had thrown a barn at her, and she froze in place; memory trying to comprehend how insanely unlikely it was that Applejack even was alive right now. ‘If I hadn’t been those minutes earlier because I wanted to surprise Jack then I wouldn’t have been there when the barn collapsed, and then there wouldn’t have been anypony around to rescue her. She would have…’ The dreaded word left out from her thought made it stand so clear to her, yet she refused to stop blaming herself. She had failed to catch her, and Applejack was in hospital because of it. Yet she was right, Jack would have been dead without her. “You… you are right.” She immediately fell back into the pillow and tensed her entire body in frustration; not made any better by the fact that the bandages on her hooves itched like crazy. Worst of all, she could only wait and hope; hope that Applejack would make it. A gentle, caring hoof ran over her head trying to comfort her. “Rainbow, I know how it feels. It know how it feels like a thousand blades is tearing your soul to pieces. But you need to rest.” Truer words hadn’t been spoken since she awoke, yet somehow she couldn’t relax. Rainbow could nothing bit look up into the roof, imagining Applejack next to her. The uncertainty of not knowing her fate would surely keep her awake. “I know it is almost impossible to sleep, but that can be helped.” Redheart then stepped over to a small medicine cabinet hanging next to the door, and fetched a small can of pills. “Sleeping pills; they should help you fall asleep in no time. Some of our visitors have also said that they have a tendency to give you sweet dreams. Of course it’s not scientifically proved, but you are allowed to dream.” Rainbow had used them a few times before, and knew they offered her some much welcome rest. She just hoped they could dull some of her grief too, and not just only the pain from her numerous small wounds. The white pony handed her the pill and a glass of water, which she quickly grabbed. The pill was gone in a second, and the water soon followed. The blue pegasi could feel her eyelids become heavy as the sleeping pill took effect. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes and falling asleep was the imaginative yellow fur and green eyes of applejack sitting next to her bed, guarding over her. A small smile spread on Rainbow Dash’s lip as the nurse carefully spread the blanket over the now sleeping pegasus. Chapter 3. Farewell?Love wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 Farevell? AKA: Last time together? Rainbow woke up again to the sound of clacking hooves. She raised her head and looked towards the door out of pure instinct; half hoping the door would reveal an orange mare wearing a Stetson. Instead she was greeted by two unicorn stallions; both wearing what looked like a doctors’ coat and a clipboard. She immediately fell back into the bed and released a groan of irritation. ‘Wishing for Applejack to just trot in here is just be absurd’. Yet she still hoped that it would happen; to have Jack appear with her signature Stetson on her head, the hair tied up like it used to be, and completely healed with no worries. “Miss Rainbow Dash I may presume?” The voice cut her daydreaming short, and brought her back to reality. The slightly befuddled mare looked at them for a second before uttering a worried “yes?” in reply. “Don’t worry. It’s just a routine check to determine if we can allow you to move around on the hospital. It shouldn’t take long”. The first doctor, who apparently appeared to be the one in charge of the two, elevated the clipboard and the pen in front of him. “Let’s get started then. Have you experienced any chest pains since you arrived here?” The doctor then levitated the clipboard even closer, and got the pen ready to write her answer. Rainbow just wanted to assault them with questions regarding Applejack, but she decided it was best to just play along for now and wait for a better opportunity. “No”. The doctor then hastily scribbled something down, and seemingly moved on. “Very well, next question; any problems moving your wings?” She unfolded both wings, and flapped gently a few times to test them before giving a strong flap sending a gush of wind through the room, and hurling some dust to the very end of the room. She then folded her wings again and replied, “no, nothing wrong with them.” She was however unsure how much of it the unicorn heard with his nose more or less in the clipboard, and his pen dancing like mad. However Rainbow Dash was gradually becoming more and more impatient, and decided it was time to ask the doctors about Applejack. “Where is applejack? How is she doing? Is she… alive?” Her voice cracked as she uttered the last words; memories came rushing back to her again and completely overwhelming her. ‘Please be alive, please.’ Despite her questions the doctors quickly scribbled down what appeared to be a few more notes before continuing on their schedule. “Any pains in your hooves Ms Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow then removed her quilt, and unsurprisingly revealed that her hind hooves were also bandaged. She then proceeded to gently step out of her hospital bed, and one by one placed her hooves on the tiled floor. The first three went without problems, but the moment the third one hit the tile a weak jolt of pain rippled through her body, causing her to let out a small yelp as she winced slightly. “Anything wrong Ms Dash?” Both of them looked at her with an examining look. The light sky blue looked anxiously up at the two ponies. Should she tell them the truth and risk not getting to see AJ, or should she lie and say it was nothing? “It’s just a small pain, nothing serious”. She then took a few steps towards them, now with no physical reaction. “Then that should be it” For the first time since they entered the room the doctors actually seemed to care for her. “Your wings appear to be perfectly fine, but we still want you to limit any flying to slow speeds.” The doctors now more or less glared at her, “and no stunts for a week.” They then proceeded with what appeared to be a summary of her medical condition. “It appears that all signs of trauma are gone, that’s good. You left hind leg seem a bit limp, but I don’t think it would be any problem if you are careful. Just try to use your wings if it gets too bad.” “Does that mean… I can see Jack?” Rainbow hoped for the best, and her mind was practically begging for a yes. “Yes you may.” The pony who appeared to be the assistant winked at her like he wanted her to follow. “I will lead the way.” Dash rapidly trotted after the pony as they headed further down the corridor; passing several doors before they stopped in front of one. “Here it is. Just call for me if there is anything you need.” Rainbow dash simply nodded to him before she stepped towards the door. ‘What If she is dying? What if she blames me? No, she’s not that type... I hope.’ She then gently twisted the door knob and pushed the door open, hoping for the best. “Applejack?” The words were filled with doubt. She peeked in, and to her relief Applejack was there. “Sugahcube?” Jack turned around and looked back at Rainbow dash. The fur on her chin was glistening from what appeared to be tears. “Jack!” Rainbow Dash completely ignored the doctors recommendation, and ran towards her marefriend; embracing her for the first time since the accident. The farmpony quickly returned the embrace, holding her beloved marefriend close to her. While still holding around her marefriend Rainbow Dash moved her head slightly, and looked into her eyes; those green eyes shining like emeralds, inviting her to just disappear into them. She just kept staring into the eyes, telling stories about old memories and adventures, intimate moments shared together and all the other secrets they held. But Applejack had other plans for Rd’s centre of attention as she pressed her lips against hers. The light sky blue mare’s eyes widened in surprise, and drew a faint moan form her as she felt the soft lips of her marefriend make contact with her own. Applejack was the one to take the first initiative, and gently forced her tongue into dash’ mouth drawing yet another moan from Rainbow Dash. Just as she was about to return the kiss, the orange farmpony abruptly broke it and detached herself from her marefriend. Rainbow Dash pulled her marefriend closer again and tilted her head sideways, inviting for another kiss, only for applejack to bend her head to the side; revealing a single tear making its way down her chin only adding more tears to her already soaked fur. “Jack, is something wrong?” Rainbow Dash looked down at her with anxiously, and started to rally take note of the changes Applejack had gone through. Her usual vibrant orange coat was now a lot paler, and looked whiter than its original colour. Her mane was also a lot paler, almost grey, and was in a mess instead of a ponytail as it used to be. Yet the most terrifying discovery lay within her eyes; As the surprise of seeing Dash again died away, the normally so lively green eyes were now seemingly dead. It was like Jack was a living shell of her former self; dead inside. “Jack? What’s going on?” By now her ears were lying flat backwards, and her voice was trembling. Applejack simply smiled weakly back at her, “Please don’t blame yerself. Ya did what ya could ta save me.” As she spoke more tears formed in her eyes. “Take care of yerself, and take yer life where ya wanted it”. The dreaded truth finally started to dawn for Rainbow Dash as she crawled up in the hospital bed, and dug her way through the bed sheets pushing them aside to reveal Applejack’s body. Rainbow Dash then nestled herself down next to the pale pony, and spread her wings over her as an additional blanket. The actions seemed to have a positive effect on the farmpony as she laid her head down and rested it on the pillow. She didn’t want to believe it and Applejack tried to convince her otherwise, but she knew it was all in no avail. She hadn’t been fast enough, and now Applejack was dying because of her. She also knew that if she died then she would die alongside her, and she was content with it. She quickly used her wing to pull her marefriend all the way against her own side, making their flanks meet with a weak bump. The reaction from her action was instantaneous and vigorous. They were both surprised and embarrassed to say the least. It was like they both had taken a Taser each directly to their spines, and jolted upwards seemingly engaged in a competition about who could blush the hardest. Unfortunately it also made Applejack’s gloomy mood return with full power again. “Rainbow… ah need ta – ah need ta tell ya somethin’. Ya see, them doctors were talking about mah injuries ta me. Ah didn’t understand all of that fancytalk, but ah figured what they meant and… and ah…” Her eyes were glassy as the first signs of tears started to show. Seeing her marefriend like this was like taking a thousand hot knives to her heart. “Jack, it was not your fault. You are only making it worse for yourself; for me. Please, stop blaming yourself.” The earth pony just looked back with an expression of sorrow. There were something she had been holding back; something pressing on her.. “Sugahcube, ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wounds. Them put too much pressure on mah body. At least them doctors said so.” As she spoke salty tears started to form in her eyelids, and if her pelt could have been stained more by tears then it would. “It’s all mah fault. Ah should have tried ta clear the barn without yer help” “jack, please stop. You are only making it worse for both of us” “ah reckon ye’r right. We should be together to the…” The last words were stuck in the farmpony’s throat. She didn’t want to believe it, but this was the bitter end, and it was way too early. She had her whole life ahead of her, they had their life ahead of them. They were supposed to be together forever. A future wonderbolt and a farmpony; who would believe that? Yet it happened. And now death was tearing them apart again. Applejack put her front hoof over Rainbow Dash’s waist, and buried her face in the rainbow-colored mane. She felt tears rolling down from her eyes and soaking into soft strands of Rainbow Dash's hair. She just lay there, thinking. She wanted to cry, to fight, to buck the dead in his body back where it belonged, but her body felt so weak and broken. Soon her sorrows were swallowed by black, dreamless sleep. The faint, yet so promising beating of Applejack’s heart and the steady rhythm of her breathing was like a lullaby to Rainbow Dash. A painful one, but nevertheless a lullaby. She knew she couldn’t let her marefriend die, but it all seemed so serene. Yet there were no way in Equestria she would be able to sleep, not with Applejack’s words ringing through her head; “Sugahcube, ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wounds. Them put too much pressure on mah body. At least them doctors said so.” She needed to get her a new heart, but how. Unfortunately the exhaustion from the pondering, and the sweet lullaby of Applejack beside her was too much, and she drifted off into sleep. Chapter 4. Heart of the RainbowLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 Heart of the Rainbow AKA: Sacrifices for salvation? Rainbow Dash quickly awoke by the faint tickling of fur against her nose. Needless to say she did enjoy it. Not because of the tickling, but because of the smell - A distinct scent of apple pie with a weak undertone of husky. On top of that she swore she could make out the smell of sap. And there were just one pony she knew that smelled precisely like that; her beloved marefriend, Applejack. Just lying there next to her marefriend were all she could wish for. The faint breathing, and the beating of her heart were like a lullaby to the light sky blue Pegasi. All her memories from the past days were like a bad dream to her. It was just her, applejack and the beeping of medical equipment. ‘Wait, medical equipment?’ The pony jolted upright, and looked around the room. It was still in the middle of the night, and the only light in the room were a sheer green glow from the medical equipment next to the bed. Despite her previous efforts to find a way to save Applejack, it had all been in vain. There was no way to do it. Despite this her words still kept on ringing in her ears; “ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wound wounds.” It was like it was telling her something, but why? She found herself staring out of the window when it struck her like lighting. Jack would survive if she got a healthy heart, and any healthy pony would be able to survive with Applejack’s heart! ‘I just needs to…’ Rainbow dash reacted instantly, and instantly alerted the doctors. A red light flashed instantly as she pulled the string to the alarm, signaling the message was sent. Now all she could do was to sit back and hope. As she sat there her eyes wandered to the Orange mare lying in the bed. She was looking so serene as she lay there with a thick blanket covering her. The hair was flowing freely and really made it apparent how long and graceful it was. It didn’t last long until a group of three stallions more or less tumbled into the room, ready to solve any medical case that were wrong with Applejack. Needless to say they were more than a little befuddled when they discovered that everything seemed perfectly fine. The monitor readings were as they should be, and nothing seemed physically wrong. That was when Rainbow dash decided to act. She stood up, and trotted over to the three ponies determined to make them agree to her plan. “Rainbow, this is your last chance to say no. Once we put you under narcosis there’s no way back.” She simply nodded in reply. Getting the doctors to understand what she had wanted to do didn’t prove that hard. However getting them to actually swap her heart with Applejack’s, and vice versa, proved to be a lot harder. They had at first blindly refused to do so, stating it was too much of a risk. In the end she had, against all odds, managed to convince them. It had worked, and now she was lying on an operating table next to Applejack. Applejack was already fast asleep from the narcosis, and lay there sprawling. “Rainbow dash, it’s time.” The doctor was holding a mask connected to a tube of sorts. She knew what it was and hesitated for a second. However a quick glimpse to the side gave her a boost of determination. “Do it”. Those two words was everything the doctor needed, and he started making the final preparations to put the mask on the pegasi. She could feel as the stallion put a rubber band behind her head. It was made to make sure the mask was firmly placed over her muzzle and snout. She closed her eyes as she felt the mask itself being put on. Already from the first breath she felt its effect. Her senses became dull, and her vision blurred. As she felt her body giving in to the effect of the narcosis she tilted her head, and looked at her marefriend. The only thought running through her head were centered around applejack, ‘Please Jack, be OK again. I don’t know what to do if you die.’ Even then she could feel the narcosis overcoming her completely, and she finally was on the brink of succumbing completely to its effects. The last thing she whispered was “Jack, promise me to survive”. With that the pegasi closed her eyelids, and fell into a deep narcosis. A bright yellow light was shining directly into her face, and made it impossible to see. Suddenly the yellow light was replaced by something orange. Rainbow Dash blinked once to focus her vision. However the orange thing didn't allow her to focus properly before it grabbed ahold of he rand pulled her into a hug. "What were ya thinking with? Ya almost killed yerself" Rainbow dash instanly recognized the voice, and replied "but it worked Jack. It worked." "Yes Sugahcube, it worked."
Chapter 1. Falling TearsLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 1 Falling Tears AKA: how to demolish a barn using snow. The light breeze of the winter morning cut like ice-cold knives through Rainbow’s Fur, and her speed didn’t exactly help the cold. It was midwinter, and most ponies wouldn’t even consider sticking their hooves outside running the risk of catching a cold or even worse; getting pneumonia. Yet it was in this weather one could find the light sky blue pegasi soaring through the sky. Truth be told, she didn’t even notice the weather; her mind was fixed on something very, very different. It wasn’t something in her line of sight at all. No, her mind was already several minutes ahead of her; imagining her and Applejack snuggled together in front of the roaring fire from a furnace, with a mug of steaming hot chocolate each. She then put the cup gently down before leaning closer to applejack making their lips meet in perfect unison. A powerful gush forced the pegasi out of her daydreaming, and back into the freezing reality. She was currently flying above the first row of snow mushrooms, or apple trees if one wishes to be a prick, and got the sweet sight of the Apple Residence in sight. The building stood there like a beacon of warmth and love in all the cold, like it encouraged her to speed up more to get there; to get to Applejack. She was heading over to her marefriend of six months, Applejack Apple. She wasn’t entirely sure how it had started. She had always cared for that stubborn pony, yet it was exactly a stubborn pony, three days at hospital and a lot of care that had been needed to make her realize what it was; Love. It had all been more or less uphill after that. They had their share of fights and troubles since then, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with some diplomacy and a portion of pillow talk, or some unconventional usage of ropes and Pegasi Feathers. As she drew closer to the residence she spotted her marefriend, curiously enough outside and on top of the barn. In her hand she held something that looked like a snowplough. The pure joy of seeing her made Dash call out. “Hey Jack; are you ready to get inside for some warmth? Or maybe you want some hot pegasi?” Her voice made Jack react just like expected. Her head shot straight up, and she frantically searched for its origin; her beloved Dashie. “Ah’d love some Pegasi. Ah just have ta clear this barn here Sugahcube, then Ah’ll be right there.” Jack replied with a sheepish grin, and a sultry voice “besides, we don’t want it ta come crashing…” Just as Applejack was about to finish the sentence a loud hollow crack rippled through the sky followed by Jack seemingly sinking about half a meter into the snow on the roof. Her eyes stared back at dash with absolute terror; A stare that would be burned into her very soul for the days to come. Rainbow Dash reacted instantly, shooting towards her marefriend. She flew as fast as she could; pressing her body beyond the limit of what was doable under normal circumstances. Each flap of her wings was a torment begging her to stop, yet the opposite were needed. The icy weather bit through her fur and wings, chilling her to the bone and further enhancing the pain in her wings. Even then she kept pushing herself beyond the limit, now only a stone’s throw away from the barn. Then a second, deeper, crack pierced the silent sky. The whole roof of the barn started to give in bellow Applejack. Large rumblings and hollow cracks could be heard as the supporting beams collapsed and hit the hard floor in the barn down below. Jack just stood there, large pieces of the gable disappearing around her, completely frozen in terror before finally disappearing alongside what remained of the roof. A small cloud of snow was hurled up into the air as the debris and packed snow hit the ground on the insides of the barn. Then a long terrifying scream of absolute agony followed, and after that, nothing; only the distant howling of the wind could be heard. Rainbow Dash just hung there in mid-air looking in disbelief at the barn trying to comprehend what happened. She had been so close; mere centimetres away from saving her. She then dived downward toward the bottom the barn, not really knowing why and how it would help. As the dreaded reality started to sink in bit by bit her confusion were replaced by tears. Silent tears of pain making their way down her chin before dropping towards the snow bellow. The cold air effectively freezes them solid before hitting the ground, leaving just a tiny entrance hole in the soft snow. A hole what will be filled with snow in the next gush, effectively wiping away any trace of its existence. Yet there were still hope, there had to be hope; she had to be alive. There would be no way in Equestria she would be able to forgive herself if something had happened to Applejack. She tipped forward and accelerated, bound to not waste a single second. Pulling up was not an option as she hit the snow at a speed that would have caused severe damage if it was a normal pegasi landing on dirt. But she was no normal pegasi, nor did she land on dirt. She was hitting snow. It was packed, but still snow. The force of impact sent the snow around hurling up into a second snow cloud, allowing more or less clear sight of what had been below it. There, to the left of her! The blanket of white was disrupted by something orange… and red! “Jack! NO!” Rainbow Dash hurried over to what was her marefriend and started digging desperately. The digging formed large clods of snow in her fur around her hooves, but she didn’t care. The more she dug out the redder the snow became, and as she neared the chest the snow were almost as red as the blood itself. She was getting desperate. “no, don’t die jack. Please. I need you.” The horrible truth had fully sunk in as she dug her out. Her marefriend Applejack was bleeding from a large wound in her side, right above her front hooves. There were also small portions of blood coming from her mouth and nostrils. Yet what worried rainbow the most was her weak heart. She gently bowed forward, and placed her hoof bellow Jack’s ear to get her pulse. “No, no, no. This can’t be true. Jack, don’t die!” Rainbow Dash’s words of despair and sorrow echoed across what was left of the barn. Wet salty tears started flowing down her chin again, hitting the snow like tiny manifestations of her sorrow and grief. “Not yet… dash.” A few faint coughs, followed by blood gulping into the snow, could be heard bellow. “Jack…” The pegasi ran her hoof from her neck, and lingered on her marefriend’s chin. A limp, orange hoof touched her mane. “Rainbow… ah love ya.” A few weak coughs escaped the once so strong farmpony as her hoof loosened the grip, and her head fell back into the snow, the icy wind gently playing with the fur on her still chest. “NO! Don’t die Jack. I can get you to the hospital. Just please, don’t die.” The last words almost disappeared in the sobbing as Rainbow Dash just collapsed to the ground. Her marefriend was dead, and she had been too late to prevent it. It was all her fault; she had killed her with her slow response, and there were no way to undo it. For the first time in her life Rainbow Dash felt there was nothing more she could do. Apple Jack was dead, her life shattered as a result, and it was all her fault. If she had been able to follow her into the great beyond she would have done so; gladly. She simply wanted to lie down next to her, and let the cold carry her away. She lay down beside her, and rested her own head against Applejack’s chest, and let her tears flow freely; just wishing for this nightmare to end, wishing to simply die. Kadump… kadump... kadump… Each of Applejack’s heartbeats was like massive thunderclaps in Rainbow Dash’ ears, each of them being a small beacon of hope and life to the poor pegasi mare besides her; each of the beats adding a small spark to the hope residing within Rainbow Dash. Kadump… kadump… kadump… ‘I have to save her. I can’t let her die like this; not while there’s a chance. Not as long as I am Rainbow dash; the fastest flyer in Equestria, and the element of loyalty.’ Rainbow Dash’ newfound determination and hope filled her with enough power to get up from the snow, and take a proper look at the situation. Applejack were lying beside her bleeding from Celestia knows how many wounds; most likely draining her life by every passing second. Rainbow Dash herself was more or less unharmed. Cold as ice, but unharmed. The pegasi dug her snout through the snow and under Applejack’s body in a desperate attempt to get her marefriend onto her back. With her marefriend steadily placed on her back she started to walk into the snow. The first that hit her as she exited the relative sheltering from the barn was the icy wind. It found its way between every single hair and feather on her body, and instantly sent shivers of cold through the light sky blue Pegasus. Yet she could not let wind or weather stop her. She had to get Applejack to the hospital. The high snow, reaching her almost to the elbows, made moving in the snow a painstakingly slow process. It would have been completely impossible if the snow hadn’t been that dry and loose. At least now she could force the snow to the sides with her hooves. For every step she took she instantly sunk down to her barrel before her hooves would meet a layer of crusted snow, thick enough to barely hold the weight. Yet she knew couldn’t survive forever, that every second she lingered outside brought her beloved one step closer to her fate; one step closer to her own fate. There was no way in Equestria she would fail now. Not now as every step she took brought Applejack one step closer to safety; one step closer to salvation and life. As Rainbow Dash stamped her way through the snow the dreaded realization hit her. The reassuring beats of Applejack’s heart were slowly fading; each of them driving the heartless yet unstoppable countdown until her passing. “Jack! No, don’t die! Please, don’t do this to me, don’t do this to us” Yet again, for the third time that day, the snow were stained with salty pegasi tears of sorrow; Each of them bearing the message of a heart shattering under the torment of seeing the love of her life dying in front of her own eyes. Each of them to be swept away and hidden by the next gush of wind. Hidden, but never forgotten. Yet it was in this moment she received newfound strength, strength to push further through the snow. She needed to hurry, and she knew it. She also knew that an attempt to run through the snow would mean the risk of hurting, or dropping, her. A risk she wouldn’t take. It was then she remembered a trick they were thought back at flight camp. It made you able to more or less lock somepony to your back at the cost of not being able to fly at all. Another danger was the risk of dislodging your wings; not to mention the intense pain it would cause. Not that she really cared about that now. She gritted her teeth as she twisted her wings almost to the point of breaking, and placed them over Applejack’s torso; hooking the last feathers locking together, effectively locking her to her own body. It made her cringe in extreme pain, and the only thing keeping her going were the determination to save Applejack; to save her marefriend. She cringed in pain as she made the first steps forward; dislodging her left wing in the process. The intense pain jolted out from her wing, and spread out in the entire body, almost making her black out. ‘No! I will not let her die, not now! I… Need… to… keep… going.’ Each step sent another jolt of pain through her body, and forced her to stop. ‘No, this won’t do. Think Rainbow Dash, think!’ She still kept walking, pushing the intense pain into the back of her head. ‘Leap. I get further by leaping, and it doesn’t constantly stress the wing.’ The light sky blue leaped slightly ahead to test her idea. ‘Yeah, that’s about… ’. She then proceeded to jump a meter ahead only to land in the soft snow before beating a hole in the layer of frozen snow she had been walking on so far. She repeated the process over and over again, each landing shattering ice bellow her hooves. Ice that cut deep into the sole and fetlock, painting the snow in her hoof prints crimson from the blood. She continued the journey toward the hospital, leaving a trail of blood behind her; each jump cutting another tiny wound enhancing the bleeding. By the time she arrived in ponyville her hooves were smeared red by the blood all the way from the fetlocks and down to the tip of her hooves. The soles were cut up to the point where every step felt like walking on burning coal through hell; a journey she would gladly take to save her marefriend. As she stepped up the stone steps leading to the ponyville hospital she felt the last of her powers leave her. She gathered her remaining strength for those last few meters to safety; feeling her body collapsing underneath her. She used her forehead and teeth to push open the front doors before tumbling in on wobbly feet before collapsing on the floor. “Help me…. Jack is dying” was the last words she said before passing out with pleading eyes looking at the mare behind the counter. Author's Note God, that was filed with errors. Anyway, there it is. The first chapter of my entry for the appledash contest, complete with all its flaws and faults. Don't forget to use the thumbing system as you see fit.
Chapter 2. My dying ParadiseLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 My dying Paradise AKA: To let it all out, and fall asleep. Complete blackness and muscles aching like no tomorrow were what greeted Rainbow Dash as she woke up. ‘Off. What have I gotten myself into this time, and where in Equestria am I’. Rainbow Dash blinked trice before she realized where she was. There was no way she would ever forget that blue tapestry, and those hard, wooden framed, beds. She was in ponyville hospital. ‘The hospital? How the hay did I get here?’ A quick look around revealed no clue about it, apart from her feeling every aching muscle, and every painful wound in the entire body. ‘Ugh, at least that kind of explains why my whole body hurts like I have been wrestling with a dragon and an Ursa Major at the same time.’ Another few split seconds passed before she finally remembered why she was there. Her trip over to the sweet apple acres, Applejack clearing the barn of snow, the barn collapsing, her getting Applejack to hospital before collapsing, It all came back to her, and flooded her mind. She shot right up like somepony had electrocuted her and shouted one single word; “Applejack!” She instinctively grabbed after the bell for the alarm to call for a nurse, and quickly found what she was searching for. ‘Yes, I knew it.’ She yanked as hard as she could, hoping someone would respond to it. What seemed like hours passed before she could hear the soft clacking of hooves against the tiled floor. “Please Aj, be alive. Please… please”, she begged to herself as the clacking drew closer to her room. The door opened, and revealed an almost perfectly white earth pony with sapphire blue eyes and a light pink mane. On top of her head she wore a nurse’s hat sharing the same look as her cutie mark; a red medical cross and hearts in every corner. Dash instantly recognized her as Nurse Redheart, the most caring of the nurses, and her personal favourite. The countless times at the hospital had made Redheart one of the few ponies she could talk to about more or less everything, apart from her friends of course. “Redheart, where’s jack? How is she going? Is she going to be fine? Can I see her?” The bombardment of questions caught the nurse completely of guard, despite knowing the details of what had happened. She was however in no way prepared for what followed. “Did she… survive?” Her voice cracked as she uttered the last words, and finally let her pent-up tears flow freely. The doubt in her voice and the tears flowing seemed completely out of place, like they didn’t belong to her. “Rainbow dash, Applejack is being treated by the best doctors we have. I am sure she will be fine. You did what you could do in such situation, and you should feel proud about yourself.” “No, I didn’t do everything. I was that close to saving her.” Dash underscored her point by holding two hooves so close together you could barely spot out a small gap between them. “If I had just reacted a little faster, or flew a little faster nothing of this would have happened.” “Rainbow, listen. It was not your fault. It was not your fault!” She knew it would hurt when somepony disagreed with you in situations like these, but she had to make Rainbow Dash understand that it wasn’t her fault. Rainbow Dash reacted as predicted, with frustration and anger “It was my fault. I wasn’t fast enough. I am the fastest flyer in all of Equestria, and can’t even save my friends!” Her tears had stopped now and her grief was now released through her anger. “I have no idea what you are thinking, but if you hadn’t been there then Applejack would have died, that you can’t ignore.” The words hit Rainbow Dash like somepony had thrown a barn at her, and she froze in place; memory trying to comprehend how insanely unlikely it was that Applejack even was alive right now. ‘If I hadn’t been those minutes earlier because I wanted to surprise Jack then I wouldn’t have been there when the barn collapsed, and then there wouldn’t have been anypony around to rescue her. She would have…’ The dreaded word left out from her thought made it stand so clear to her, yet she refused to stop blaming herself. She had failed to catch her, and Applejack was in hospital because of it. Yet she was right, Jack would have been dead without her. “You… you are right.” She immediately fell back into the pillow and tensed her entire body in frustration; not made any better by the fact that the bandages on her hooves itched like crazy. Worst of all, she could only wait and hope; hope that Applejack would make it. A gentle, caring hoof ran over her head trying to comfort her. “Rainbow, I know how it feels. It know how it feels like a thousand blades is tearing your soul to pieces. But you need to rest.” Truer words hadn’t been spoken since she awoke, yet somehow she couldn’t relax. Rainbow could nothing bit look up into the roof, imagining Applejack next to her. The uncertainty of not knowing her fate would surely keep her awake. “I know it is almost impossible to sleep, but that can be helped.” Redheart then stepped over to a small medicine cabinet hanging next to the door, and fetched a small can of pills. “Sleeping pills; they should help you fall asleep in no time. Some of our visitors have also said that they have a tendency to give you sweet dreams. Of course it’s not scientifically proved, but you are allowed to dream.” Rainbow had used them a few times before, and knew they offered her some much welcome rest. She just hoped they could dull some of her grief too, and not just only the pain from her numerous small wounds. The white pony handed her the pill and a glass of water, which she quickly grabbed. The pill was gone in a second, and the water soon followed. The blue pegasi could feel her eyelids become heavy as the sleeping pill took effect. The last thing she saw before closing her eyes and falling asleep was the imaginative yellow fur and green eyes of applejack sitting next to her bed, guarding over her. A small smile spread on Rainbow Dash’s lip as the nurse carefully spread the blanket over the now sleeping pegasus.
Chapter 3. Farewell?Love wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 Farevell? AKA: Last time together? Rainbow woke up again to the sound of clacking hooves. She raised her head and looked towards the door out of pure instinct; half hoping the door would reveal an orange mare wearing a Stetson. Instead she was greeted by two unicorn stallions; both wearing what looked like a doctors’ coat and a clipboard. She immediately fell back into the bed and released a groan of irritation. ‘Wishing for Applejack to just trot in here is just be absurd’. Yet she still hoped that it would happen; to have Jack appear with her signature Stetson on her head, the hair tied up like it used to be, and completely healed with no worries. “Miss Rainbow Dash I may presume?” The voice cut her daydreaming short, and brought her back to reality. The slightly befuddled mare looked at them for a second before uttering a worried “yes?” in reply. “Don’t worry. It’s just a routine check to determine if we can allow you to move around on the hospital. It shouldn’t take long”. The first doctor, who apparently appeared to be the one in charge of the two, elevated the clipboard and the pen in front of him. “Let’s get started then. Have you experienced any chest pains since you arrived here?” The doctor then levitated the clipboard even closer, and got the pen ready to write her answer. Rainbow just wanted to assault them with questions regarding Applejack, but she decided it was best to just play along for now and wait for a better opportunity. “No”. The doctor then hastily scribbled something down, and seemingly moved on. “Very well, next question; any problems moving your wings?” She unfolded both wings, and flapped gently a few times to test them before giving a strong flap sending a gush of wind through the room, and hurling some dust to the very end of the room. She then folded her wings again and replied, “no, nothing wrong with them.” She was however unsure how much of it the unicorn heard with his nose more or less in the clipboard, and his pen dancing like mad. However Rainbow Dash was gradually becoming more and more impatient, and decided it was time to ask the doctors about Applejack. “Where is applejack? How is she doing? Is she… alive?” Her voice cracked as she uttered the last words; memories came rushing back to her again and completely overwhelming her. ‘Please be alive, please.’ Despite her questions the doctors quickly scribbled down what appeared to be a few more notes before continuing on their schedule. “Any pains in your hooves Ms Rainbow Dash?” Rainbow then removed her quilt, and unsurprisingly revealed that her hind hooves were also bandaged. She then proceeded to gently step out of her hospital bed, and one by one placed her hooves on the tiled floor. The first three went without problems, but the moment the third one hit the tile a weak jolt of pain rippled through her body, causing her to let out a small yelp as she winced slightly. “Anything wrong Ms Dash?” Both of them looked at her with an examining look. The light sky blue looked anxiously up at the two ponies. Should she tell them the truth and risk not getting to see AJ, or should she lie and say it was nothing? “It’s just a small pain, nothing serious”. She then took a few steps towards them, now with no physical reaction. “Then that should be it” For the first time since they entered the room the doctors actually seemed to care for her. “Your wings appear to be perfectly fine, but we still want you to limit any flying to slow speeds.” The doctors now more or less glared at her, “and no stunts for a week.” They then proceeded with what appeared to be a summary of her medical condition. “It appears that all signs of trauma are gone, that’s good. You left hind leg seem a bit limp, but I don’t think it would be any problem if you are careful. Just try to use your wings if it gets too bad.” “Does that mean… I can see Jack?” Rainbow hoped for the best, and her mind was practically begging for a yes. “Yes you may.” The pony who appeared to be the assistant winked at her like he wanted her to follow. “I will lead the way.” Dash rapidly trotted after the pony as they headed further down the corridor; passing several doors before they stopped in front of one. “Here it is. Just call for me if there is anything you need.” Rainbow dash simply nodded to him before she stepped towards the door. ‘What If she is dying? What if she blames me? No, she’s not that type... I hope.’ She then gently twisted the door knob and pushed the door open, hoping for the best. “Applejack?” The words were filled with doubt. She peeked in, and to her relief Applejack was there. “Sugahcube?” Jack turned around and looked back at Rainbow dash. The fur on her chin was glistening from what appeared to be tears. “Jack!” Rainbow Dash completely ignored the doctors recommendation, and ran towards her marefriend; embracing her for the first time since the accident. The farmpony quickly returned the embrace, holding her beloved marefriend close to her. While still holding around her marefriend Rainbow Dash moved her head slightly, and looked into her eyes; those green eyes shining like emeralds, inviting her to just disappear into them. She just kept staring into the eyes, telling stories about old memories and adventures, intimate moments shared together and all the other secrets they held. But Applejack had other plans for Rd’s centre of attention as she pressed her lips against hers. The light sky blue mare’s eyes widened in surprise, and drew a faint moan form her as she felt the soft lips of her marefriend make contact with her own. Applejack was the one to take the first initiative, and gently forced her tongue into dash’ mouth drawing yet another moan from Rainbow Dash. Just as she was about to return the kiss, the orange farmpony abruptly broke it and detached herself from her marefriend. Rainbow Dash pulled her marefriend closer again and tilted her head sideways, inviting for another kiss, only for applejack to bend her head to the side; revealing a single tear making its way down her chin only adding more tears to her already soaked fur. “Jack, is something wrong?” Rainbow Dash looked down at her with anxiously, and started to rally take note of the changes Applejack had gone through. Her usual vibrant orange coat was now a lot paler, and looked whiter than its original colour. Her mane was also a lot paler, almost grey, and was in a mess instead of a ponytail as it used to be. Yet the most terrifying discovery lay within her eyes; As the surprise of seeing Dash again died away, the normally so lively green eyes were now seemingly dead. It was like Jack was a living shell of her former self; dead inside. “Jack? What’s going on?” By now her ears were lying flat backwards, and her voice was trembling. Applejack simply smiled weakly back at her, “Please don’t blame yerself. Ya did what ya could ta save me.” As she spoke more tears formed in her eyes. “Take care of yerself, and take yer life where ya wanted it”. The dreaded truth finally started to dawn for Rainbow Dash as she crawled up in the hospital bed, and dug her way through the bed sheets pushing them aside to reveal Applejack’s body. Rainbow Dash then nestled herself down next to the pale pony, and spread her wings over her as an additional blanket. The actions seemed to have a positive effect on the farmpony as she laid her head down and rested it on the pillow. She didn’t want to believe it and Applejack tried to convince her otherwise, but she knew it was all in no avail. She hadn’t been fast enough, and now Applejack was dying because of her. She also knew that if she died then she would die alongside her, and she was content with it. She quickly used her wing to pull her marefriend all the way against her own side, making their flanks meet with a weak bump. The reaction from her action was instantaneous and vigorous. They were both surprised and embarrassed to say the least. It was like they both had taken a Taser each directly to their spines, and jolted upwards seemingly engaged in a competition about who could blush the hardest. Unfortunately it also made Applejack’s gloomy mood return with full power again. “Rainbow… ah need ta – ah need ta tell ya somethin’. Ya see, them doctors were talking about mah injuries ta me. Ah didn’t understand all of that fancytalk, but ah figured what they meant and… and ah…” Her eyes were glassy as the first signs of tears started to show. Seeing her marefriend like this was like taking a thousand hot knives to her heart. “Jack, it was not your fault. You are only making it worse for yourself; for me. Please, stop blaming yourself.” The earth pony just looked back with an expression of sorrow. There were something she had been holding back; something pressing on her.. “Sugahcube, ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wounds. Them put too much pressure on mah body. At least them doctors said so.” As she spoke salty tears started to form in her eyelids, and if her pelt could have been stained more by tears then it would. “It’s all mah fault. Ah should have tried ta clear the barn without yer help” “jack, please stop. You are only making it worse for both of us” “ah reckon ye’r right. We should be together to the…” The last words were stuck in the farmpony’s throat. She didn’t want to believe it, but this was the bitter end, and it was way too early. She had her whole life ahead of her, they had their life ahead of them. They were supposed to be together forever. A future wonderbolt and a farmpony; who would believe that? Yet it happened. And now death was tearing them apart again. Applejack put her front hoof over Rainbow Dash’s waist, and buried her face in the rainbow-colored mane. She felt tears rolling down from her eyes and soaking into soft strands of Rainbow Dash's hair. She just lay there, thinking. She wanted to cry, to fight, to buck the dead in his body back where it belonged, but her body felt so weak and broken. Soon her sorrows were swallowed by black, dreamless sleep. The faint, yet so promising beating of Applejack’s heart and the steady rhythm of her breathing was like a lullaby to Rainbow Dash. A painful one, but nevertheless a lullaby. She knew she couldn’t let her marefriend die, but it all seemed so serene. Yet there were no way in Equestria she would be able to sleep, not with Applejack’s words ringing through her head; “Sugahcube, ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wounds. Them put too much pressure on mah body. At least them doctors said so.” She needed to get her a new heart, but how. Unfortunately the exhaustion from the pondering, and the sweet lullaby of Applejack beside her was too much, and she drifted off into sleep.
Chapter 4. Heart of the RainbowLove wort dying for. By dartmaul15 Chapter 2 Heart of the Rainbow AKA: Sacrifices for salvation? Rainbow Dash quickly awoke by the faint tickling of fur against her nose. Needless to say she did enjoy it. Not because of the tickling, but because of the smell - A distinct scent of apple pie with a weak undertone of husky. On top of that she swore she could make out the smell of sap. And there were just one pony she knew that smelled precisely like that; her beloved marefriend, Applejack. Just lying there next to her marefriend were all she could wish for. The faint breathing, and the beating of her heart were like a lullaby to the light sky blue Pegasi. All her memories from the past days were like a bad dream to her. It was just her, applejack and the beeping of medical equipment. ‘Wait, medical equipment?’ The pony jolted upright, and looked around the room. It was still in the middle of the night, and the only light in the room were a sheer green glow from the medical equipment next to the bed. Despite her previous efforts to find a way to save Applejack, it had all been in vain. There was no way to do it. Despite this her words still kept on ringing in her ears; “ah’d survived if it hadn’t been for mah other wound wounds.” It was like it was telling her something, but why? She found herself staring out of the window when it struck her like lighting. Jack would survive if she got a healthy heart, and any healthy pony would be able to survive with Applejack’s heart! ‘I just needs to…’ Rainbow dash reacted instantly, and instantly alerted the doctors. A red light flashed instantly as she pulled the string to the alarm, signaling the message was sent. Now all she could do was to sit back and hope. As she sat there her eyes wandered to the Orange mare lying in the bed. She was looking so serene as she lay there with a thick blanket covering her. The hair was flowing freely and really made it apparent how long and graceful it was. It didn’t last long until a group of three stallions more or less tumbled into the room, ready to solve any medical case that were wrong with Applejack. Needless to say they were more than a little befuddled when they discovered that everything seemed perfectly fine. The monitor readings were as they should be, and nothing seemed physically wrong. That was when Rainbow dash decided to act. She stood up, and trotted over to the three ponies determined to make them agree to her plan. “Rainbow, this is your last chance to say no. Once we put you under narcosis there’s no way back.” She simply nodded in reply. Getting the doctors to understand what she had wanted to do didn’t prove that hard. However getting them to actually swap her heart with Applejack’s, and vice versa, proved to be a lot harder. They had at first blindly refused to do so, stating it was too much of a risk. In the end she had, against all odds, managed to convince them. It had worked, and now she was lying on an operating table next to Applejack. Applejack was already fast asleep from the narcosis, and lay there sprawling. “Rainbow dash, it’s time.” The doctor was holding a mask connected to a tube of sorts. She knew what it was and hesitated for a second. However a quick glimpse to the side gave her a boost of determination. “Do it”. Those two words was everything the doctor needed, and he started making the final preparations to put the mask on the pegasi. She could feel as the stallion put a rubber band behind her head. It was made to make sure the mask was firmly placed over her muzzle and snout. She closed her eyes as she felt the mask itself being put on. Already from the first breath she felt its effect. Her senses became dull, and her vision blurred. As she felt her body giving in to the effect of the narcosis she tilted her head, and looked at her marefriend. The only thought running through her head were centered around applejack, ‘Please Jack, be OK again. I don’t know what to do if you die.’ Even then she could feel the narcosis overcoming her completely, and she finally was on the brink of succumbing completely to its effects. The last thing she whispered was “Jack, promise me to survive”. With that the pegasi closed her eyelids, and fell into a deep narcosis. A bright yellow light was shining directly into her face, and made it impossible to see. Suddenly the yellow light was replaced by something orange. Rainbow Dash blinked once to focus her vision. However the orange thing didn't allow her to focus properly before it grabbed ahold of he rand pulled her into a hug. "What were ya thinking with? Ya almost killed yerself" Rainbow dash instanly recognized the voice, and replied "but it worked Jack. It worked." "Yes Sugahcube, it worked."
