Doctor Stable carefully removed bandages from Rainbow Dash's wings.
"Now, you are going to have damaged feathers," he told Rainbow, who was lying on her stomach on a hospital bed.
"Oh dear," a yellow pegasus gasped.
"Not to worry, miss. She is going to be fine. She is just going to need a lot of therapy sessions and surgery to remove some of her feathers. Either surgery or preening. Though I recommend the first one. It's less painful."
Rainbow groaned as the doctor pulled on the bandages. In response, her marefriend squeezed the cyan pegasus's hoof.
"Just don't think about it, Rainbow. Just look at me. Everything will be fine," Fluttershy reassured her.
Rainbow instantly felt at ease with her Fluttershy there, but it still hurt as the doctor pulled the bandages off. Some of her feathers were coming off with the bandages.
"Ow," Rainbow winced, "You know, despite appearances, I have a very low tolerance to pain?"
"I know, sweetie," Fluttershy stroked Rainbow's sweaty brow.
"This bandage was a tough cookie," Doctor Stable said, "But, all done."
Rainbow sighed in relief.
"But, you are not done, yet. We need you to stretch your wings out in a bit," the doctor said as he exited the room.
"Oh," Rainbow groaned, "Lie with me, Fluttershy."
The yellow mare complied and lie down on the bed. Rainbow shifted on top of her and rested her head on Fluttershy's chest and draped a foreleg over the yellow mare's waist.
The doctor returned a few minutes later with Nurse Redheart. The couple on the bed started a little. Fluttershy moved to get up, but the doctor motioned for her to stay.
The white mare said, "Well, Miss Dash, I hear you are on the mend. We need to shift your wings a little. Miss Fluttershy, you might want to stay there, she will need your support. This process is quite painful sometimes."
"WHAT?!" Rainbow shouted.
"Hey," Fluttershy placed a hoof under Rainbow's chin and brought her face close to hers, "I will be here the whole time. Don't be scared."
Rainbow opened here mouth to speak, but Fluttershy stopped her and said, "And don't say you aren't scared because I know you." She nuzzled Rainbow's nose gently.
"Okay," the doctor said uncomfortably, for he hated to interrupt such sweet moments between patients and their loved ones, "Miss Fluttershy, will you please hold Rainbow's hooves as I straighten her wings?"
Fluttershy nodded and wrapped her hooves around Rainbow's. The blue mare looked at the mare underneath her and prepared herself for the worst pain imaginable. She felt the doctor's gentle hooves touch the end of her right wing. He began to pull it ever so slowly. Rainbow winced as a shot of pain powered itself through the tip of her wing and surge all over the nerves in her body.
"AH!"
Fluttershy tried to comfort her with Rainbow's Lullaby, though it did little to ease her discomfort. Rainbow released Fluttershy's grip on her hooves and grasped at the sheets.
"Sorry, Miss Dash," Nurse Redheart managed to get out in the cacophony of screams, "We didn't think it'd be this painful, or we would have given you some medication. Too late now. Sorry."
Fluttershy began fight back tears. She couldn't bear seeing Rainbow in this much pain. It was as if she was in pain, herself. Fluttershy tried to distract her damsel in distress by gently placing a hoof behind the blue mare's ear and stroking it gently. Rainbow calmed a little as she sank into Fluttershy's embrace.
The doctor finished the right wing and said, "Okay, it's half over. Can you give it a flap for me?"
Rainbow lifted her wing slowly. She winced a little but it wasn't as painful as when the doctor had stretched it. She flapped it once. Then again.
"How does it feel?"
"It hurts a little," Rainbow told Doctor Stable.
"Okay, now the other one."
Rainbow groaned. Not again. Please. Not today. I showed enough weakness.
......................
Twilight was aligning books in her library when she heard a knock on her door. From where she stood, she opened the door with the pink aura of her magic.
Rarity entered and scanned the library for her alicorn friend. She spotted the purple mare hovering near the ceiling.
"Darling, guess what?" Rarity smiled.
"What?"
"Rainbow is getting her bandages off, today. Pinkie is planning a party and Applejack is baking some pies for it!" Rarity sat down on the rug in the center of the library.
"Ooh, I've been craving some of Applejack's pies!" The alicorn floated down to sit next to the white unicorn.
"Me, too. Totally not relevant to what we are talking about, but, I came to see if you wanted to help me with a dress I'm making for Cadence. She's having a birthday next week and, of course, Pinkie has a party planned. I kinda need a mare with wings and since you are an alicorn now..." Rarity trailed off.
"I'd be happy to, but later," Twilight beamed, "Do you want to go and see how Rainbow is doing?"
The white mare nodded.
The mares walked side by side through town toward the hospital.
Along the way, Applejack was pushing a cart of apples and didn't seem to know where she was going. She smashed into Rarity and Twilight. The three of them fell on top of each other.
Applejack chuckled and rose to her hooves. She said, "Ah'm sorry, y'all. Ah need ta watch where Ah'm pushin' this cart. Y'all headin' to the hospital to see RD?"
"Yep," Twilight nodded, "You see her yet?"
"Yeah, she's a bit loopy though. They had ta put her to sleep because it was more painful for 'er than they anticipated. Fluttershy never left 'er side. Such a sugarcube, that girl."
"Oh, my." Rarity gasped.
"Well we should get going. See ya, Applejack," Twilight waved a hoof as the orange mare walked away toward the town square to sell her apples. Twilight ruffled her wings to get the dirt off of them. Rarity was frantically trying to fix her mane. She pulled a mirror from out of nowhere with her magic.
"Oh, good, my mascara is still perfect!"
Twilight giggled as the two began walking to the hospital once more. The mares walked in silence and soon reached their destination.
The hospital towered above all of the other buildings in Ponyville. The alicorn walked in the huge mahogany doors first and the unicorn followed.
They followed the long hallway of signs leading to the pegasus wing of the hospital. They met a white earth pony nurse in the hallway.
"Um, pardon, Nurse," Rarity spoke, "We are here to visit Rainbow Dash."
The nurse pointed a hoof toward a blue door to the right.
"Thanks," Twilight nodded her head in thanks.
Upon reaching the room, Twilight knocked on the door.
"Come in," a sweet voice said from within.
Twilight and Rarity opened the door and peeked in to see Fluttershy lying next to a sleeping cyan pegasus.
"How is the poor dear?" Rarity asked softly.
"She's tired. She went through a world of pain today. She's going to need surgery, girls." Fluttershy looked down sadly.
"Oh, dear," Rarity frowned.
Twilight was speechless. Fluttershy turned to return to her marefriend's side. Twilight approached her slowly and placed a comforting hoof on the yellow mare's shoulder.
Twilight left her hoof there and spoke softly, "I can find a spell if you want. I'm sure one exists. It's rare, but I have found pegasus spells before."
"I couldn't ask you to do that. She just needs feather removal, nothing major."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I don't want to risk her being in any more pain. No offense, Twi, you are great with magic, but I know how hard new spells can be, especially medical spells, even for an experienced alicorn," Fluttershy said, hiding behind her mane.
Twilight nodded in acknowledgment. And walked with Rarity out of the room.
......................
When her friends left, Fluttershy lie next to Rainbow and cried silently into the pillows. She felt a comforting hoof around her waist.
"Why are you crying?" A reassuring voice whispered in her ear. Fluttershy felt a soft nuzzle on her neck, then a gentle kiss.
Fluttershy turned herself over so she could see her beautiful marefriend's face. Rainbow wiped the yellow mare's tears away.
"I love you," Fluttershy whispered softly. Rainbow answered her with a long, deep kiss.
"I love you more," Rainbow said as she withdrew.
Suddenly the doctor entered the room.
"Sorry, I knocked, but nopony answered," he said calming down slightly as he saw that his patient was very alive and well, "And sorry for interrupting."
The embracing mares quickly separated and blushed with embarrassment.
Doctor Stable said, "Well, we are discharging Rainbow so that she can heal a little more until her surgery, which is scheduled for next week."
He walked toward the bed and examined Rainbow's wings one last time, "Hmm, it's best if she doesn't flap them for the next two days, but make sure she stretches them out every now and then," he said to Fluttershy.
The yellow mare just nodded and helped Rainbow out of bed. She walked the cyan mare out of the door.
"Surgery, huh?" Rainbow cocked an eyebrow.
"Yeah, that or preening," Fluttershy winced.
"Hmm, I'm tired," Rainbow said, as she yawned. She was still groggy from the sedation.
The mares walked in silence toward the cottage.
.................
Upon reaching the cottage the pegasi were met by Pinkie Pie, who was grinning widely and bouncing up and down in excitement.
"Uh, hey Pinks," Rainbow smiled awkwardly.
"You guys are so cute! I could just pinch those cheeks and squeeze you to death!" Pinkie did just that as Rainbow yelped in pain.
"Oh, sorry Dashie, I forgot," Pinkie bounced inside the cottage.
The two mares entered cautiously as a burst of voices yelled, "Surprise!"
Fluttershy cowered behind Rainbow's tail and whimpered. Rainbow froze. Suddenly, she couldn't focus on anything, but on how close Fluttershy was to her. Her heart beat quickly.
"Rainbow? Yoohoo!" Pinkie waved a hoof in the petrified mare's face.
Rainbow shook her head to wake herself from her hypnotized state. Fluttershy was still cowering under her tail.
"Your auntie Pinkie Pie's got you," Pinkie said as she helped Fluttershy to her hooves.
"I'm a year older than you," Fluttershy glared at the pink mare as the latter hopped back into the party.
Ponies from all over Ponyville squeezed into Fluttershy's small cottage. From where she stood, Rainbow could see that they flowed out into the gardens.
Applejack, Rarity, and Twilight were outside, talking to one another. Pinkie was dancing wildly in the middle of the living room along with a few other rambunctious ponies.
Rainbow and Fluttershy joined the three mares in the gardens.
"Oh, my stars, darling, your poor feathers!" Rarity gasped quietly in horror.
"Ah hope ya doin' alright, sugarcube," Applejack said as she hugged Rainbow gently and then released her, afraid to hurt the pegasus.
"I'm fine," Rainbow assured them.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Pinkie Pie popped up in the center of their lopsided circle with a tray of cookies strapped to her head. A piece of her hair took a cookie off the tray and offered it to Twilight.
"Thanks, Pinkie," Twilight took the cookie with her pink aura. Pinkie repeated the gesture as the rest of her friends took a cookie. They munched in silence.
"Ooh! This is my jam!" Pinkie broke the silence, startling everypony in the garden. She hopped giddily into the cottage.
Angel approached Fluttershy and nestled himself against her forelegs. Fluttershy nuzzled him, then returned her attention to her friends.
"He is so adorable," Twilight mused at the white fluff ball at Fluttershy's hooves.
.................
The party ended with quite a mess to clean up. Fluttershy and Rainbow were picking up garbage. Fluttershy hummed Rainbow's Lullaby softly, as she dusted the mantle with her teeth. Rainbow listened intently as she nudged the trash into one big pile.
Fluttershy spit out her duster and peered at the gorgeous mare working behind her.
"We don't have to clean this now. We can to to sleep now if you want," the yellow mare said.
She flew down to the floor and walked silently to Rainbow, who didn't look up from her task. She seemed upset about something.
"Rainbow, are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"Well, to be honest, I'm a little scared of surgery and of trying to fly again."
"Oh, well you are the best flier in Equestria. I'm sure you will find strength," Fluttershy nuzzled Rainbow's cheek. Rainbow shut her eyes as she nuzzled back.
"Let's go to bed," Fluttershy said softly.
Rainbow nodded as they walked up the stairs, which no longer consisted of a ramp. The mares approached the bed and together, pulled back the covers and slipped underneath them. They rested their heads on the pillows and faced each other.
They shut their eyes for a bit and lie in the darkness in silence.
"Kiss me," Rainbow whispered.
Fluttershy brought her hoof to Rainbow's cheek and stroked it gently. She pulled Rainbow's face to hers and their lips intertwined and danced in synchronization to each other. Rainbow placed her hoof under the covers to place it on Fluttershy's hip and pulled her closer.
In a space for breath, Rainbow said, "Why don't we try preening?"
"Now?"
"Why not?"
Rainbow kissed Fluttershy's neck and jaw and worked her way back to her marefriend's sweet lips.
"I don't know, it's a pretty big step and you didn't know who I was a week ago," Fluttershy said as she pulled away from Rainbow to look at her magenta eyes.
"I'm starting to remember everything, honest. I remember when I first saw you. You were being teased by these bullies and--" Rainbow was interrupted with a kiss.
Fluttershy withdrew and said, "If you're ready. You do know what happens sometimes when two ponies preen each other?"
"Do you want to go that far?" Rainbow asked as she kissed Fluttershy's muzzle.
"I'm not ready to go that far."
"Okay, me neither," Rainbow sat up and adjusted herself so that she was laying on her stomach. She stretched her wings, whimpering a bit.
Fluttershy breathed deeply and draped her delicate body on top of Rainbow's back and wrapped her left wing around Rainbow's. She shifted Rainbow's mane, so that her neck was visible. She kissed it gently.
Rainbow groaned softly as she felt Fluttershy nip at her ear and then at her wing. She felt a tremendous pang of pain as Fluttershy pulled at a feather, but she did not scream. Rainbow sighed as Fluttershy kissed various parts of her wing. She turned her head to see what Fluttershy was doing. She reached to kiss the yellow mare's hooves, which were stroking the fur near her shoulders.
Fluttershy pulled on a damaged feather and it came out with little resistance.
"Got it," Fluttershy whispered as she spit it out onto the floor. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Rainbow nuzzled the yellow mare's hoof and looked into her deep teal eyes.
"No, it felt amazing."
Rainbow sighed and rested her head on the bed. Fluttershy resumed kissing her marefriend's wings again. She nuzzled them as she pulled a damaged feather out. She stroked the area the feather used to be as she tried to make Rainbow's wings neat.
Fluttershy continued to preen her marefriend until all the damaged feathers were gone. When she felt confident that the cyan pegasus was completely free of damaged feathers, she positioned herself so that she was perfectly nestled against the blue mare.
Rainbow felt tears stinging her eyes as Fluttershy nuzzled at her muzzle.
"Why are you crying?" Fluttershy asked as she felt her own tears threaten to fall.
"I just feel so lucky to have you. I don't know what I did to deserve you," Rainbow draped a wing over Fluttershy.
Rainbow kissed Fluttershy's brow. Then Fluttershy wedged her head under Rainbow's chin, pressing into her chest.
Rainbow felt her coat get damp from Fluttershy's tears, but said nothing as she stroked the yellow pegasus's mane.
They soon fell asleep as Luna's night pressed on. They never once broke their embrace.