//------------------------------// // Recovery And Revenge // Story: Apart From The Pegasi // by KillerChainsaw //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash lay sleeping peacefully on Twilight's bed, snuggled up in the warm covers as she nuzzled into the sheets more, seeming to be searching for the familiar touch of her marefriend, however not being able to find the alicorn as she stirred in her sleep a little, frowning and blinking a few times before she slowly awoke and realised that she had been laying in bed all alone. Glancing around Twilight's bedroom, never really remembering how she got here, however guessing that she most probably wasn't able to get to bed without help, still seeming to remember what Lightning had done to her, as she tried to move and winced slightly at a sharp pain rushing through her veins in return. Gritting her teeth as she looked to her bruised hooves and although they weren't throbbing as much as last night, they still all hurt quite a bit, 'Well at least I feel a little better now,' the cyan mare thought as she sighed slightly, feeling tired still and wanting to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, but soon widened her eyes as she quickly turned her head and looked to her wings, seeing them both now bandaged up as she felt thankful that she could feel that they were still aching and throbbing, as at least that meant that she hadn't lost the feeling in them completely which was something she was worried about happening after last night. 'Twi must have bandaged them up for me,' she thought as she let a small smile form on her lips, then soon frowning slightly a moment later, 'Can I...move them?' she wondered as she now took a deep breath and tried to move her wings, clenching her teeth as she slowly struggled to make her wings move even a single inch, sharp pains constantly rushing through her body as she continued to push herself and within a few more moments of struggling she was finally able to spread out her wings, causing the bandages to come loose and fall off them. Dash widening her eyes as she tried flapping her wounded wings a little, and feeling so relieved that she could actually move them, being worried since her wings were still throbbing with intense pain but at least this gave her a good sign that they were not broken and hopefully wouldn't take that long to heal after all. The pegasus's attention then being taken off her wings as she heard the bedroom door being opened, turning her head to the door and smiling slightly when she saw Twilight standing in the doorway with a bit of a taken aback expression, as she quickly came walking into the bedroom. "Dash I don't think you should be getting up just yet, you're still in alot of pain right?" the Princess asked as she looked to her marefriend with a concerned expression, Dash just sighing as she nodded her head and looked back to her wings again. "Yeah...but at least I can move my wings, I really thought I had lost all feeling in them last night," she stated hanging her head a little low and folding her wings to be resting back at her sides, while they still had extreme pain rushing through them, however Dash just enduring it as she knew it could be a lot worse for her right now. Twilight soon smiling in return as she closed the bedroom door behind her, and came to lie beside Dash on the bed, nuzzling her a little before she started to use her magic to bandage up her marefriend's bruised wings again. While Dash just relaxed against her and bit her bottom lip as she winced everytime she had to move her wings slightly in order for Twilight to bandage them up properly. "Well it seems like luckily enough your wings aren't broken, but it's clear that you still won't be able to use them for some time, and you'll also have to take it easy with walking as well since your legs are still quite badly bruised," Twilight said as she soon finished bandaging up Dash's wings and nuzzled her lovingly, Dash just raising her eyebrow back to the Princess in response. "Well that's a relief, but how did I get here Twi? I don't remember going to bed last night," the cyan mare asked as she caused for Twilight to just shrug her shoulders in reply, as she cuddled up close to her marefriend and didn't want her to leave her side again. "You fell asleep downstairs last night, so once Applejack left I carried you up to bed on my back and bandaged your wings up. And you must have been exhausted since you didn't wake up at all, even though both your legs and wings were most probably still in immense amounts of pain at the time," the Princess explained as Dash just nodded to her in reply, before quickly asking another question that she was much more concerned about right now. "And what about Lightning? Have you figured out what we are going to do about her yet?" Twilight just putting her hoof to Dash's lips as she smiled slightly back to her, "I had Spike send Princess Celestia a letter this morning while you were sleeping telling her about everything that's happened, and we haven't heard back from her just yet. But you don't need to be focusing on that now, you just need to concentrate on getting better," she explained moving her hoof to stroke Dash's rainbow mane, as Dash just sighed slightly nuzzling into her marefriend's hoof, knowing that she had to think of herself at this moment instead of Lightning, cuddling up closer to Twilight as the Princess pecked her forehead lightly. "Are you sure you don't want to get yourself checked out Dash, just in case?" she asked, wondering if Dash would agree to maybe going to the hospital or not, now that she knew that something was being done about Lightning. However Dash just shaking her head as she pulled away from the Princess for a moment and rested her head on her front hooves even though it did hurt her a little to do so. "I'm sure I'll be fine if I just get a little more rest," Dash simply replied as she faked a smile to Twilight, before letting a sigh leave her lips, clenching her teeth together when she thought about what plans Lightning Dust could be carrying out right now, and only hoping that they weren't too late to stop her from progressing any further then she already had with them. "I just wish there was something I could do to get Lightning back for what she did to me," she bared her teeth as she thought about that turquoise mare and all the pain she had caused, wishing that she could inflict the same amount of pain onto her somehow. Twilight just sighing as she nodded and crawled up beside Dash, resting a wing over her back and nuzzling into her as she felt the pegasus just relaxing against her again, and nuzzling her back in return, "I know Dash, but just try and get some more rest for now, okay?" she spoke in a low and caring voice, as Dash just nodded back to her and rested her head on Twilight's front hooves, nuzzling into her again as she let out a long sigh and soon closed her eyes, letting herself slowly drift off to sleep as she knew that her body still needed quite a bit of rest before she would feel more like herself again. 'I wish there was something I could do to make her pay for doing this to you as well Dash,' Twilight thought with a determined expression, as she stroked Dash's rainbow mane again, and held her close, kissing her forehead lightly, while the pegasus soon fell to sleep cuddled up to her. The Princess soon lifting her head up as she heard the bedroom door being opened, and looked to see Spike now standing in the doorway with a slightly concerned expression on his face, smiling to him as she gestured for him to come into the bedroom, which he did a moment later. "How is she?" the young dragon asked as he closed the door behind him and looked to the sleeping pegasus with a worried expression, hoping that her condition had improved from yesterday, while Twilight just looked over her resting marefriend again. "She said she still doesn't want to go to the hospital or anything, but if she just rests for a couple of days than she should soon be feeling like herself again, plus nothing is broken I think her bones are just badly bruised, and they should recover in time," Twilight explained as Spike just nodded, hoping that the Princess was right and it wouldn't be long before Dash would be healed and back to flying soon enough. "Have you heard anything from Princess Celestia yet?" Twilight asked, changing the suject slightly, and causing Spike to just nod back to her in reply, his voice being in a low tone as he answered a moment later. "She said she's just working out a few things that need tending to in Canterlot, before she decides which precautions to take at this moment," he simply replied as he sighed slightly feeling a little glad that Dash hadn't been hurt that badly, and would luckily recover soon enough from all her injures, while Twilight just nodded in response and turned back to her sleeping marefriend again, leaning down to her and feeling tears filling her eyes as she nuzzled into the pegasus. 'I'm sorry...I'm sorry I let this happen to you Dash...' she paused on her thought as slight tears streamed down her cheeks, while Spike stood looking concerned to her and came to stand beside the bed, resting a comforting claw on the Princess's shoulder, as she just closed her eyes and sighed deeply, 'But I assure you, I won't let Lightning Dust hurt you or anypony else ever again,' she nodded to herself, biting her bottom lip as she cursed the turquoise pegasus under her breath and cuddled up close to Dash, wiping away her tears, and just lying listening to her marefriend's soft breaths. Spike wanting to say something to comfort the crying Princess, but finding that he was drawing a blank on what to say at the moment, and so just rubbed Twilight's shoulder in a caring way and let her know he was here for her if she needed to talk at all, as they both just stayed silent for the time being. .... Both Twilight and Spike soon leaving Dash to sleep in peace, as they went back downstairs, Spike thinking about making something to eat for Dash once she had woken up again, as he thought she would no doubt be hungery by then. The young dragon looking to Twilight as he seemed to have perked up a little, and wondered if the Princess would want to join him, but once he turned he could see just how downhearted Twilight was at the moment, while she sighed deeply before looking back to him and spoke in a low tone. "Spike...could you keep watch over Dash for me for a bit?" she asked in a sort of nervous tone, as Spike just raised his eyebrow slightly, before soon nodding in reply to the Princess. "Sure, I guess...but why, are you going somewhere?" Spike questioned as he could clearly see that Twilight had a lot on her mind at the moment, and getting the feeling just how conflicted her thoughts were right now, while he stood looking to her with a slightly concerned expression. "Yeah, I just want to check how everything is in Ponyville, plus it'll be good for me to get out of the library for a bit, I'll be back soon okay?" Twilight gave a small smile to Spike as she quickly turned and started to leave, heading for the door, while the young dragon called after her. "Wait Twilight!" Spike tried to stop the Princess from leaving as it was obvious that her mind was a little clouded with her thoughts at the moment, but the dragon just seeming to get ignored as Twilight left out the front door a moment later, Spike hearing the wooden door slam shut behind her as he sighed deeply and and looked up to the staircase behind him, hoping that Twilight would be coming back soon enough. While he now slowly made his way to Twilight's bedroom to go and check on Rainbow Dash, and luckily finding that the pegasus was still sleeping soundly on the bed, sitting by Dash's side Spike just waited for Twilight to return back home again. Meanwhile Twilight was now making her way through the quiet town of Ponyville, looking around at all the other ponies going about their daily lives and knowing that she wouldn't want those lives to be in danger at all, 'Right now Lightning Dust could be planning any sort of dismay for this town, and these ponies know nothing of it, I know Princess Celestia is informed about everything now, but...there's still so much that we don't know yet, and I feel like there's something...more I should be doing,' the Princess thought to herself as she walked through the town, her head hanging a little, as she was clearly lost in her own thoughts at the moment not really paying attention to anything else right now it seemed. The Princess seeming to be a little too focused on her thoughts as she didn't hear someone calling out her name until their volume had reached to a shout, causing Twilight to widen her eyes and be dragged out of her thoughts, looking around for where the voice had come from, then soon spotting a familar tan earth pony, calling over to her from across the market as she was now making her way over to her. Twilight forcing a smile as she greeted the farm pony once she had came over to her, Applejack greeted her back kindly, as she was a little curious why she was walking around town by herself at the moment. "Hey Twilight, what are you doing out here all by yourself, shouldn't you be taking care of Rainbow Dash?" the farm pony asked as she looked to the Princess with a wondering expression, seeing that Twilight seemed to have other things on her mind at the moment, as it was clear that she was wandering off in her mind a little. "She's sleeping right now, so I thought I would leave her to get some rest for a bit. Plus Spike is watching over her so she's not alone...I just...needed some air, I guess," Twilight nervously answered, her eyes avoiding looking back to Applejack, as her head was turning slightly away from the other mare, which just caused Applejack to raise her eyebrow, before she nodded her head in response after a moment. "So how is she doing now?" she asked, seeing that there was definitely something bothering the Princess, but being unsure if it was to do with Rainbow Dash or sometthing else at the moment. Twilight just faking another smile as she simply answered the farm pony. "She's still in quite a lot of pain, and is clearly very tired, but it seems like her wings aren't broken luckily, meaning that she probably only has some badly bruised bones, which she should recover from soon enough if she continues to rest, and give herself a bit of a break," she explained as her forced smile was now forming into more of a genuine one, as she thought of her marefriend, and was really glad that none of her injures were that serious, while Applejack just smiled back to her and nodded in reply. "Well that's good then," "Yeah...but..." Twilight paused as she sighed heavily and turned away from the farm pony now before continuing, "I can tell she's much more bothered by everything that's going on with Lightning Dust then her own condidtion right now," she stated, causing Applejack to look a little concerned in return, guessing that Dash would most likely want to deal with Lightning as soon as possible, without having any concern for her own health at the moment. "And I can kind off see why she is feeling like that...after all I'll be honest and say that I feel the same way right now," the Princess whispered out seeming to be more or less just mumbling to herself, while causing Applejack to look back to her with slightly widened eyes in response seeing now just why she was getting the feeling that Twilight's mind was focusing on something else at the moment. The farm pony staying slient for a few minutes as she looked to Twilight with a concerned expression still, trying to think of something to say in response that would reassure the Princess, "Did you tell Celestia about all this yet?" she asked, drawing a bit of a blank on what she could really say at the moment, while Twilight soon just nodded back to her in reply. "Spike sent her a letter early this morning, and she replied by saying that she has to sort out a few things in Canterlot first, and then decide just what to do about Lightning Dust," Twilight simply answered as she turned back to Applejack now, the farm pony sighing with a little bit of relief in response, however frowning slightly a moment later as she noticed the troubled expression that the Princess still wore on her face. "But even so...I feel there's something more that I should be doing to help slove all of this right now," the Princess added in a lower tone as she gritted her teeth a little, thinking about Lightning and just what she might be planning, while Applejack sighed slightly in response, getting the feeling that both Twilight and Dash were focusing too much on everything that was going on with Lightning Dust right now, which seemed to be causing them more stress then they should have at the moment. The farm pony thinking for a few moments as she stayed silent and tried to think of a way to take Twilight's mind off of what was troubling her, "Do you think we should warn the other ponies in the town about Lightning Dust's plans?" she asked, trying to be helpful and hopefully cause the Princess to become a little less troubled by the things that were on her mind right now, but seemong to not be all that successful unfortunately. Twilight just shoke her head slowly in reply, "It's not worth causing the rest of the town to be on edge and to worry, when we're not even sure what Lightning Dust has planned or when she will strike, plus it wouldn't be good to tell them when we're not really certain what we should to do about everything just yet," she stated with a sigh, still speaking in a low tone, as she turned away from Applejack again, and went a little silent on the farm pony, while she also turned away for a moment, seeming to be lost in thought now. A silence falling on the two mares as they both continued to just look away from each other, and think to themselves for a little while, Twilight just giving out another heavy sigh, as she thought about just leaving to go back to the library to see how Dash was doing, as she knew it wasn't good for her to be getting herself worked up about all this, and really she should be focusing more on her recovering marefriend at the moment. The Princess was just about to speak up, before Applejack suddenly widened her eyes as an idea entered her mind causing her to slowly form a smile on her lips, as she looked back to Twilight again, and spoke up, cutting her off in the process. "Listen Twilight...I know both you and Dash have got a lot to think about right now, but you've got to remember that you're not alone in this, and this will all get sorted out soon enough, but for now..." Applejack paused as she rested a hoof on Twilight's shoulder and caused her to look back to her with slightly widened eyes in response, "You need to think of yourselves first, and maybe get your mind off Lightning Dust for a little but, at least until we know a bit more about what we are going to do about her. In fact I think I know the perfect way to do just that," the farm pony finished as she smiled happily to Twilight and caused her to just raise her eyebrow and look confused in response, tilting her head to the side slightly. "What do you mean Applejack?" the Princess questioned, wondering just what the farm pony was planning at the moment, while Applejack just smiled to her in return. "Don't you worry Twilight, just trust me on this," She simply replied, before she turned away and started to leave, her mind rushing with ideas, as she quickly began making her way back to her home, while Twilight stood confused still as she wondered just what had suddenly gotten into the farm pony and why she had gone running off like that. Calling after her, but soon realising that there wasn't much point in doing so as Applejack was out of her sight a moment later, causing her to just sigh a little, while she shook her head and guessed she might as well just make her way back to the library to see how her marefriend was doing now as she knew just standing around her and letting her mind continue to run wild with her thoughts wasn't going to do any good for her. .... Twilight soon enough making her way home again as she opened the door to the library and came walking inside with a heavy sigh leaving her lips, hanging her head a little low as it seemed like she couldn't keep her mind off of everything that was going on with Lightning for very long as she shook her head and tried to think of something else. Then lifting it up as she heard voices coming from the kitchen, looking with a wondering expression and walking forward slowly, being a bit surprised a moment later as she widened her eyes at seeing Dash sitting at the table along with Spike sitting beside her, as they were happily just talking to each other. The Princess seeing a content smile on her marefriend's lips and softening her expression as she was glad that it seemed like Dash was looking not so tired anymore, and was clearly feeling better now, "Hey what are you doing up, shouldn't you be resting still? And are you sure it's okay for you to be walking around just yet?" she asked as she came walking into the kitchen and nuzzled Dash lovingly, while the pegasus just greeted her and nuzzled her back in return. "Don't worry my legs don't hurt as much now, and I only got out of bed because I was hungry," Dash simply stated as she smiled to Twilight, and caused her to sigh with a bit of relief, and smile back to her slightly, as she pecked the pegasus on her forehead, before she turned to Spike now with a small frown. "I thought I told Spike to keep a watch over you while I was gone?" she raised her eyebrow to the young dragon, while he just folded his arms and frowned in response. "Hey I told her that I would bring some food up to her, but she just refused to listen to me," he stated as he turned away from the other two slightly, as Twilight looked to Dash again a moment later, while she just smiled nervously back to her. "Well I just wanted to stretch my legs for a little bit, after all it wouldn't be good if I let them go numb beacuse I wasn't using them enough," she explained, causing Twilight to just smile slightly and roll her eyes, knowing how stubborn her marefriend could be a lot of the time, and was about to start giving her a lecture that she really shouldn't push herself right now, but a knocking at the door interrupting her as it caught the attention of all of them as they all looked to the door a moment later. Dash feeling like she was luckily saved somehow, as Twilight just seemed to let the pegasus get off easy, before she wallked out of the kitchen and went to go and answer the door, leaving Dash and Spike to start talking to each other again, while they waited to see who was at the door. Twilight opening the door as she greeted their visitor, and was surprised to see Pinkie Pie at the door, looking back to her with a excited expression, and causing the Princess to look to her with a questioning expression as she was about ask what she was here for, but was quickly cut off before she could say anything. "Hey Twilight, is Rainbow Dash awake?" Pinkie asked with a cheerful smile, as Twilight just nodded in reply, still seeming puzzled as to why the earth pony had come round here so suddenly, and looked so excited about something. "Y-yeah, she's in the kitchen with Spike, but- Twilight answered, and was going to question Pinkie just what she had come here for, only to be cut off as the earth pony invited herself into the library and quickly walked into the kitchen, seeing Rainbow Dash talking with Spike and her face lightning up as she tapped her shoulder and caught her attention, while the pegasus just turned and greeted her with a slight smile in response. "Oh hey Pinkie Pie, what are you doing here?" she asked the question that Twilight wanted to know the answer to as she came walking into the kitchen, and hoped that the pink earth pony would soon start explaining just what she wanted with them, as she happily smiled to Dash and talked to her in a cheerful voice. "We've got a surprise for you and Twilight," she stated causing Dash to just look confused as she raised her eyebrow slightly in response to Pinkie. "We?" The pegasus questioned as she looked to the earth pony with a curious expression, as Spike was the same as he, Twilight and Dash all listened to Pinkie as she started to tell them all more about this 'surprise', not really making a lot of sense as she was talking quite fast, and making it hard for the others to really understand what she was saying at the moment. Twilight taking her attention off Pinkie for a moment as she looked to Dash instead, her expression soon forming into a soft one as she could see Dash slowly starting to smile to Pinkie as she just rambled on. That smile wasn't just a casual one that she expected the pegasus to show off, instead it was a small smile, that seemed much more cheerful than most of her smiles had been looking lately. 'I haven't seen Dash's cheerful smile in quite a while, in fact all I've been seeing lately from her...are those sad smiles, plus those ones that I can tell are faked and not what she's truly feeling at that moment,' the Princess thought as she sighed slightly and seemed to be thinking for a few moments, while Pinkie soon stopped her rambling before she took a breath, as Dash just waited for her to finish, happy to see Pinkie being her regular-self again as she remembered that the last time she had seen her was when she was saddened by having her home trashed, glad to see that beaming smile was back on her lips once again. "So are you coming Dash?" Pinkie asked a moment later with hope-filled eyes, as Dash just smiled, and nodded her head in reply. "Sure this 'surprise' sounds interesting from all your saying, so I'll be happy to come along," she stated happily as she felt it would be good for her to get out of the library and not spend all day in Twilight's bedroom. However causing Twilight to widen her eyes and snap back to look at the others again, "But Dash you can't you're still- she tried to protest, looking worried for her recovering marefriend, but Dash quickly cutting her off a moment later. "Don't worry Twi, my legs don't hurt as much now, so I should be able to walk a little, just as long as I take it slow, and I would like to see just what this 'surprise' is that Pinkie is telling us so much about. Besides it could get our minds off of everything that's been going on lately right?" Dash simply replied, causing Pinkie to light up in response as her beaming smile widened and she happily nodded back to the pegasus, before looking to Twilight a moment later. "What about you Twilight?" she questioned causing Twilight to look back to her now, looking a little conflicted for a few moments, while the earth pony still just smiled to her happily waiting for her reply. "You're coming along too right? Spike can come as well if he wants to," the earth pony asked again as she waited to hear Twilight's answer, Spike agreeing happily as they all looked to Twilight now, while she just hesitated for a few moments. Looking to Dash and seeing the pegasus's smile encouraging her to come along with them, as she just gritted her teeth in response on seeing that soft smile of her marefriend's and sighed a little, thinking for a few moments more, before she just shook her head in reply to Pinkie. "Actually...you know there is something that I need to do, but I can come later if you want," she stated with a nervous smile causing Pinkie to frown slightly, as Dash just looked to the alicorn with a questioning expression, wondering why she seemed to just be making an excuse, but not knowing what she was doing it for. "Are you sure you can't come along now?" Spike asked as he and Pinkie both looked to Twilight with slightly disappointed expressions in response, while Dash just contined to look to her marefriend with a curious expression, as the Princess just shook her head in reply, and smiled to the others again. "Sorry but...there's something that I have to take care of first," Twilight simply replied as she gave the other three a small smile in return, while they all looked to one another and Spike shrugged slightly, it seeming like they would just have to go and see what this 'surprise' was without the Princess accompanying them. Twilight just looking to Dash again as she narrowed her eyes slightly, 'I've been seeing Dash's troubled expression so much lately, and that's something I don't want to start seeing again. I miss her cheerful smile, and I never want it to leave her lips again. I let her get hurt once, but I won't let her go through this much pain ever again,' she thought to herself as she looked to Dash with a determined expression now. Knowing that it was time for her to take matters into her own hooves, and knowing that all this wasn't going to go away by itself, she had to do something, after all she was sick of the ones she loved getting hurt, and wanted to finally put a stop to all this once and for all.