Applejack opened her eyes slowly, a cool wind rippling over her coat and her back resting against something soft. She didn't move at all, staying perfectly still as her eyes slowly looked about, taking in the scene around her. She was surrounded by apple trees, the light of the sun gently shining through the trees that rustled peacefully in the wind. She sat up on her haunches, looking down at her hooves with a blank expression on her face. She wasn't carved up from the wolves, she noticed, her coat a glistening orange and her sides and face free of slash marks. The wind carried with it the scent of fresh apples, bringing Applejack up on her hooves and gently pushing her to walk up the hill nearby.

She felt...odd. Calm, maybe, but there was something definitely wrong with her. She remembered she was in the Everfree Forest before she blacked out, and could hear the screams of Rainbow Dash. She kept a blank face however, continuing to walk up the lone hill and look out at the wide expanse of apple trees that covered a good size plot of land. She knew where she was, spotting the barn and her house near the middle of the fields. She was home, at Sweet Apple Acres. She looked up as she heard a voice sound off from behind her "Beautiful...ain't they?" She turned her head, her eyes widening a little as Apple-Licious Jack walked up the hill, smiling a little and tipping her hat back on the top of his head.

"P...Pappy?" Applejack whispered, the colt walking up beside her and sitting back on his haunches, whispering

"Eeyup..." Applejack looked down towards the ground, frowning and muttering

"Ah'm dead...aren't ah?" Apple-licious looked up to the sky for a moment, a hoof to his chin as he thought a moment. After a minute he shook his head, sighing

"Nope, close but no apple pie Sugarcube." Applejack didn't say anything, looking out amongst the fields of apple trees and muttering, an ache forming in her heart

"Ah'm not ready to die...ah can't die." Apple-licious looked over and whispered

"Ah now yer not ready Sugarcube...but everypony has their time ya know." Applejack sighed, shaking her head

"But that's not fair..." she said, Apple-licious nodding and gently poking her in the side with a hoof

"Yer right, it's not, but that don't mean that it ain't gonna happen one day." He replied, his grandfilly looking over towards him with a sad expression and whispering

"If ah'm not dead...why are you here Pappy? Ah know yer dead..." Apple-licious nodded and looked out over the trees with a sigh.

"Well," he began, adjusting the stetson on his head "Ah don't really know to explain it...and even then ah'm not sure the answer ah could come up with would be a good one. Guess you can say yer somewhere...in between life n' death." Applejack nodded slowly, taking a moment to enjoy the view with Apple-licious. They stared across their farm, their fields...their years and years of hard work and labor. When Applejack spoke, she felt tears well up in her eyes, half whimpering

"P...Pappy? Have ah led a good life? Am ah ready to die?" Apple-licious looked over to her, shaking his head and muttering

"Hun', nopony asks that if they're not happy with themselves. Just cuz' you asked that tells me you ain't ready to die. Yer full of doubt over yer deeds and actions in yer life, and well...ah can't really tell you if what you've done was worth it. Ya see Sugarcube...a pony's deeds is measured not how by other's see it, but by how they themselves see it. You coulda' done takin' first place at the annual rodeo, and it may not have mattered to anypony in the world. That don't mean ya haven't led a good life. As long as YOU believe you have, then that's all yer ever gonna need." Applejack sniffed, tears falling from her eyes as she whimpered

"W..what about Rainbow Dash? What...what about all mah friends...Big Macintosh...Granny Smith? Ah can't leave them now...they need me Pappy...ah need YOU Pappy..." Apple-licious sighed heavily, holding his hooves out and letting Applejack scoot into them, being wrapped up in a hug and sobbing onto his chest. The colt gently whispered to her as he rubbed her back

"Shhh...quiet yerself now hun'...listen to me fer a moment. Life's a beautiful thing...but it's a tragic...depressing concept when ya think about how short and limited it is. Ya need to make the most out of what ya have now, what all ya have left. Mah time's over Sugarcube, but ah tell you somethin'...ah don't regret nothin', and ah can say ah'm certainly proud of all you've done fer yer friends n' family." Applejack sniffed, looking up and whispering quietly

"R...really Pappy?" Apple-licious smiled and whispered back

"Eeyup! Just look at yerself hun'! Ya done fought and beat Nightmare Moon, ya made five amazin' friends, one of which turned out to be yer true love! You helped Big Macintosh and Granny Smith through all their troubles, and ah've got to say...that Rainbow Dash is a mighty fine and perfect mare for you Sugarcube." Applejack smiled and blushed a little as Apple-licious went on "Love is a powerful thing dear...it stretches across the fabric of reality and time itself. Ah'm dead...yer not, but ah still love you no matter what. Ah love Rainbow Dash as one of mah own, thankful that she gave you the true love you've always been dreamin' about. Tell me, ya love her don't ya?" Applejack nodded and whispered

"With all mah heart...she's the apple of mah eye Pappy...the shiniest...the most beautiful...the sweetest of em all" Apple-licious smiled and whispered

"Then what are ya still don' here Sugarcube? Yer not dead, and it ain't yer time. Ah suppose the only reason yer here is...reassurance. Ya don't need to worry Applejack...ah'm proud of you, we're all proud of ya and all you've done. Ah don't want you comin' back here until yer ready, alright?" Applejack nodded, tearing up again and hugging her pappy tight, who whispered "Be strong Applejack...we'll see each other one day." Applejack opened her mouth to say something but suddenly cried out in pain, holding her chest and shouting

"OW! P...Pappy, what's happenin'!?" Apple-licious smiled a little, whispering

"Yer goin' home...wake up Applejack..." A sharp pain racked Applejack's body, hitting her in the chest and spreading through her limbs. She cried out in pain as Apple-licious smiled, whispering one more word before he dissapeared

"Clear..."

"CLEAR!!!!!!!!!!!" Nurse Redheart shouted, holding a shock paddle against Applejack's chest and shocking her, the apple mare's body jumping up off the surgery table and landing back down with a loud thud. Her wounds were still bleeding slightly, the slash marks only briefly bandaged and her eyes partially closed, glazed over with death and her mouth partially open. Nurse Redheart shouted towards her aid, tears spilling from her eyes as she screamed "AGAIN!!!!" She held the paddle down against Applejack's chest and sent another charge through, screaming "CLEAR!!!"

GAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSP!!!!

The EKG machine near Applejack started beeping rapidly, the apple mare's eyes flying open and looking around wildly. Nurse Redheart put her hooves on Applejack's cheeks and shouted "Applejack! Applejack can you hear me!? Nod your head if you can! Applejack!" Applejack felt like she was on fire, her body and sides burning as she weakly nodded, bringing a heavy sigh of relief from the nurse. She gently let go of Applejack's face and spoke hastily to her aid "Alright, start the morphine drip, and let's get her wounds cleaned and re-bandaged. Keep an eye on her heartbeat and keep her stable."

Applejack's eyes flicked around, heaving for breath as Nurse Redheart put a gentle hoof to her cheek and whispered "Easy now...easy...relax. You're safe in Ponyville. Relax...there we go." Applejack's breathing had calmed slightly, her eyes focusing on Nurse Redheart's' and tears brimming in her eyes. The nurse smiled, sniffing as she whispered "Welcome home Applejack..."

~~~

She didn't know how long she was asleep, but really she didn't care. Sleep was long and peaceful, her breath steady and her body floating in the calm, warm blackness. Her wounds didn't hurt and her mind was at ease, thoughts of Rainbow Dash and apples drawing a soft smile across her lips. When she did wake up, she did so slowly, her eyes opening up to a dark room with the lights of hospital machines blinking in the darkness. A night light was set up in one far corner, and the only other light visible was the light from the crack at the bottom of the door. She blinked, looking over slowly towards the door as she heard the knob turn.The door opened and her heart swelled with joy as she saw Rainbow Dash walk in. Her right wing was bandaged and set with a proper cast, her coat clean and her mane glistening with color. She looked upset, depressed as she carried a small bottle of milk in her mouth, heading over to a chair that was pushed up against Applejack's bed.

The Pegasus hopped up on the chair, popping the bottle open and taking a large gulp, placing the bottle on the table and sighing, staring at her hooves in her lap. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she started to cry, sniffing a little and making Applejack's heart ache for her dearest love. She took a moment to swallow her saliva and whisper with a tiny, hoarse voice

"H...hey..." Rainbow Dash snapped her head up, eyes wide as Applejack slowly smiled, reaching a hoof out to her. Rainbow took her hoof in her own and smiled widely, a fresh set of tears spilling down her face as she whispered back

"Hey...you ok?" Applejack nodded weakly, trying to tug Rainbow over to her by her hoof. Rainbow Dash took the hint and gently crawled up on the bed, stepping over Applejack and settling down next to her, over the sheets. Applejack turned her head and weakly reached out to her head, trying to get a hoof around the back of her neck. Rainbow Dash smiled, moving her head forward and giving Applejack the kiss she was looking for. Applejack sighed heavily through her snout, gently moving her lips against Rainbow's and feeling her heart melt with pure love.

After a moment Rainbow Dash pulled away and whispered "Sleep baby...I'll be right here, ok? I won't go anywhere I promise..." Applejack smiled, tears in her eyes as she whispered with her hoarse voice

"Ah...l...love..y..you..." Rainbow smiled and kissed her again, laying on her left side and pulling Applejack's head against her chest gently, whispering as they both closed their eyes

"I love you too..." Applejack couldn't believe it, but the sleep she was experiencing now was even greater then the previous.