January 4th, 996
Rainbow Dash wakes up, her body feeling numb from the pressure on her chest. She glances down, smiling; it looks like her stallion has fallen asleep on top of her, though it is no worse than when any of the other mares did the same. A little better, in fact; she has no problem cuddling with him, especially when they are alone or just with the herd, but it is a little awkward when she wakes up next to Fluttershy or Applejack. Pinkie Pie or Rarity on the other hoof... well, at least they seem to enjoy it just as much as she does.
Rainbow shifts, trying to get some feeling back into her hindlegs. Doug stirs on top of her, his dark blue eyes slowly opening and staring into her large magenta irises. They share a quick kiss, Rainbow smiling at his morning breath, before she gently pushes him away. He gets up, careful not to disturb the orange filly next to them, and makes his way to the bathroom. Rainbow stretches her hooves, slipping out of bed to follow him.
One quick refreshment later, a note next to Scootaloo in case the filly wakes up early, and the two are stretching outside of the hospital. Rainbow bounces up and down on her hooves, glad to finally be able to get the soreness out. Though last night with Doug has done a wonder in that regard too, the human ever responsive to her needs. He didn't try to take advantage of her incapacitated state, instead purely focusing on her and what she needed. She smiles, looking up at him; he turns, ruffling her mane and asking, "Ready to go?"
Rainbow nods, taking off at a moderate ground pace. At least her physical endurance hasn't suffered as much, the pegasus able to keep pace with the human as the two make their way through the streets of Canterlot, meandering back and forth among the twisted paths. They come to a stop on one of the main drags, the sidewalks starting to fill with ponies, slipping into one of the less ostentatious shops. The baker, an amber coated stallion, happily fills their order for a dozen donuts. Rainbow Dash and Doug eat five donuts each on their walk back to the hospital, leaving the final two for Scootaloo.
A cool breeze blows Rainbow's mane and she spreads her wings as they get close to the hospital, briefly taking to the air. A reproving look from Doug and she grins at him, "I know, I know, keep it slow. Ugh, I hate going slow." She glides around, a few lazy circles in the air, "Hey, uh, do you think that-"
"No, Rainbow, going really fast by falling and then catching yourself does not count as going slow. Besides, if you did try that and either, one, couldn't catch yourself in time, or, two, hurt yourself with a successful catch, what would happen? We would be right back here, and that's assuming that you don't lose all your magic when you reopen that wound."
Rainbow sighs, landing back on the ground, "I know, fine, you can stop laying it on so thick. What if instead I very slowly decelerate to catch myself?" She nuzzles his leg, his hand resting behind her ears as the two walk back into the hospital. Scootaloo is awake, sitting on the bed while her wings beat like a hummingbird. Rainbow glances at a piece of paper and remarks, "Hey, that's some speed you got there, squirt."
Scootaloo nods, letting her wings rest against her sides, "Thanks. It's the only way I can get any lift, though. I can't seem to glide like you, I have to keep them beating to get anywhere."
Rainbow cocks her head to the side, "Huh. Well, we'll figure something out when we get to the train."
Doug gathers his materials, placing the notebooks in a satchel, "Oh?"
Rainbow nods, "Yeah, one of the nurses left a note. Apparently the rest of the herd will be meeting us at the train station, all six. Applejack, Fluttershy, and Apple Bloom were able to change over to the other train at one of the other stations so they didn't have to go all the way to Ponyville and then come back."
Doug nods, "Good, that's great. Guess we'll all be going home today, then." He slings the satchel over one shoulder, "Glad to get out of this city. Scoots, you want a ride or you want to walk?"
Scootaloo prances around, "I wanna ride! I wanna ride!" Doug chuckles, scooping the filly up and placing her behind his head. She grips his neck with her hindlegs, holding her front hooves against the top of his head. Rainbow grabs the rest of her items, donning the saddlebags, as the three exit the room.
Doug remarks, "Let me know if you need off," as he ducks under one of the low doorways. Scootaloo grips his forehead tightly in order to stay on, Doug grimacing a little at the pressure. He is more careful at the next doorway, bending his knees more and looking up to make sure Scootaloo is clear. Doug walks over to one of the receptionists, the mare smiling at the filly perched on his head. Doug pays off their balance and gets directions, the three walking outside. Rainbow keeps a slow pace towards the train station, the excited filly turning her head left, right, and up to try to take in all the sights.
More than a few heads turn and watch as they walk down the road, Scootaloo eventually whispering, "Daddy, why are so many of the ponies watching us?" Not many ponies seem to catch the remark, continuing to stare at the three as they make their way along the sidewalk.
Doug shrugs, smiling, "They've probably never seen such a tall filly before! How's the weather up there?"
Scootaloo holds a hoof out, "Um, it's a little warm, I don't suppose you can go any higher?" She sticks her head as far forward as she can go, standing up on Doug's shoulders and stretching out. One of his arms reflexively goes up, grasping a hindleg. Scootaloo looks down, "What's wrong, Daddy?"
Doug says, "Oh, I was just worried about you falling off, you know."
Scootaloo scoffs, "But, Daddy, I can fly now, remember? Or, at least sort of glide. Can i jump off?"
Rainbow beams as Doug says, "Okay, but be careful." Scootaloo crouches down, her wings spreading out and beating furiously as she leaps off. She slowly glides down, hooves outstretched, before she lands on the ground ten seconds later. She spins around as Rainbow stomps her hooves, taking a quick bow before standing on her hindlegs again, forelegs raised in the air. Doug rolls his eyes, "Okay, but no more leaping off until we get to the train station, okay?"
Scootaloo nods, "Okay!" as Doug reaches down, replacing her behind his head. The three continue the rest of the way to the train station, getting there an hour before the train from Ponyville is scheduled to arrive. Doug takes a seat far in the back, leaning against one of the walls in the corner. Rainbow moves to his lap, one of Doug's hands moving behind her head and the other to between her wings. She coos, laying down and resting her head against one of his legs. Scootaloo hops off, moving to the stairs. She alternates between climbing up the stairs and seeing how far she can get when she leaps off, her wings beating to try to keep her airborne.
Thirty minutes later and Rainbow Dash is napping in Doug's lap, the hoof traffic in the train station beginning to pick up. Doug whistles, a tired Scootaloo coming over and resting against his side while he continues reading. A few minutes later and the filly is fast asleep, her tangled purple mane occasionally tickling Doug's side as he reads.
A pegasus mailmare tentatively walks up to the two, reading a hoofwritten card. She glances back and forth, coughing once and looking between Doug and Rainbow. "Um, I have a delivery, for Cold Digger?"
Doug nods at the mailmare; the hospital must have directed the mail here, part of the reason he wants to make sure they know where he is. Rainbow Dash is the only other pony who really knows how he likes his weather scheduling to go, though she doesn't really care for the work when he is available. She had begrudgingly agreed to take over during his week long Badlands trip last year, mostly just handling the last minute or emergency changes that are occasionally required, but other than that he really hasn't been able to take a break from it. So, the letters arrive, though during the winter it is more reports and less last-minute requests.
The mailmare pulls out several thick envelopes, smiling at Rainbow and Scootaloo, "I'll just leave them here for her. Thanks, have a nice day!" Doug waves, shaking his head as he returns to his book. Most ponies assume that Cold Digger is a pegasus; only a few on the weather patrol at Ponyville, the Cloudsdale weather factory, and certain Wonderbolts know the truth. And that is just the way he likes it.
Doug opens the envelopes, reading through the summaries of the reports. Not finding any crises, Doug puts the reports back, picking back up one of the romances Rarity had recommended. Most of them are fairly predictable, but it gives him something to do when he needs a break from the scheduling, and they aren't bad for insights into how the ponies operate. Or they give him ideas of what to do with his mares, things they would enjoy. Sometimes he'll read through biographies or history books, but they tend to be just as dry as the weather reports.
The train whistle breaks Doug away from his book; yup, looks like this one will be the Ponyville train. He glances at the timetable; they will have about an hour before the morning train departs. Not quite enough time for the fancier sit down restaurants Rarity prefers, but still enough for a good herd-style breakfast. He gently shakes Rainbow, moving his hands and scratching behind her ears when she doesn't stir. He moves his hands down her neck and colorful mane, gradually pushing harder and harder. By the time he gets to her wings he is digging in as hard as he can, and when he moves to her flanks he lightly taps one side, then the other.
Rainbow sighs, "Aww, you always stop before the good part," as she slowly turns her head. They share a smile as Rainbow stands up, yawning and tapping her hooves on the ground. Doug gathers the envelopes, placing them in his satchel and standing, an alert Scootaloo again perched on his head.
The doors to the train open, a large number of businessmares making their way out, clutching briefcases in their magic or their mouths. Towards the end, four mares and two small fillies make their way out, glancing around the station until they spot Rainbow, Doug, and Scootaloo off in the corner.
"Rainbow! Ah'm so glad to see you!" Applejack, the lead mare of Herd Apple, canters over to the three, her pregnant belly swaying back and forth. The orange earth pony embraces Rainbow, who chuckles as she returns the hug, looking at the rest of her herd as they make their way closer.
Rarity says as she approaches, "You should know better than to move so quickly, Applejack. Rainbow, it is very nice to see you up and about."
Applejack huffs as the white unicorn joins the hug, "It ain't my first rodeo, Rares, Ah know how much Ah can push myself." She looks past her second to see the other two mares in the herd coming forward.
Pinkie Pie, the mare just as pregnant as Applejack, comes up first, annoyance on her face at the enforced slowness. The pink earth pony walks around Applejack and Rarity, finding an opening and sticking first one hoof, then another around Rainbow's barrel. She begins squeezing, "Rainbow, I'm so happy you are okay! I hope you don't take how long it took to get here as an indication of how happy I am to see you, because the doctor told me that I have to take things slow and I just know how much you hate taking things slow!"
Rainbow laughs, "Yeah, Pinkie, I fully expected you to dive into here, tackling me with a hug."
Pinkie Pie squeezes hard, "Yeah! I think I can still do that, do you think you would like it? Rainbow?"
Rainbow turns a deeper shade of blue, struggling to get out, "Pinkie... can't... breathe..."
Pinkie releases her tight grasp around Rainbow, laughing, "Oh, I guess I don't know my own size! Which is funny, because I'm like twenty percent bigger!"
Rainbow pants as Fluttershy, the last member of Herd Apple, flies above them. She nuzzles Rainbow, "Um, I'm happy you're better too. How are you feeling?"
Rainbow winces, "A little crushed. Other than that, well, I'm feeling okay. A little sad this is how it turned out, but I'd do it again even if I knew this was the outcome."
Scootaloo jumps off of Doug, gliding over to her sisters Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle; Apple Bloom asks, "So, what happened? Did she say?"
Scootaloo shakes her head, "No, Princess Celestia said a little, but I couldn't really understand it. Most of what I got was that it was really dangerous, and she shouldn't try it again."
Sweetie Belle anxious asks, "But, she's going to be okay?"
Scootaloo nods, "Yeah, something about her magic being low, but she seemed okay with it. Except for one time. But she and Daddy slept together, and she seemed fine then."
Sweetie Belle pouts, "Aww, they let you sleep with Daddy? Big Sis never lets me sleep in the bed when Daddy is there."
Scootaloo shrugs, "Yeah, pretended to fall asleep next to Rainbow, though she nearly caught me. They didn't talk about anything interesting either, Daddy just helped her stretch out a bit. She said she was doing way better in the morning, especially after their run together. And they brought me donuts!"
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle pout, "Lucky!"
Fluttershy nods as the ponies back out of their group hug, the group listening in on the fillies, "So, what exactly happened?"
Applejack's stomach growls, the mare giving a forced smile, "Uh, Ah don't suppose we can discuss this over breakfast? They didn't exactly serve any on the train, and some of us are eating for two." Pinkie Pie digs around in her mane, pulling out a cupcake which Applejack eagerly devours. "Thanks, Pinks, that'll tide me over for now. We have, what, an hour or so?"
Rarity shakes her head, "A little less than that, especially if we take into account our slower pace. We will also need to purchase tickets. Rainbow, I saw a quaint little place the last time Doug and I were out, would you like to go there?"
Applejack sighs, "Come on, Rares, Ah need somewhere that Ah can fill up and not break the bank. Surely there's a place like that nearby?"
Rarity sighs, "Oh, come now, Applejack, one fancy breakfast won't kill you."
Applejack glares at Rarity, Doug stepping in between them and scratching both of their heads, "How about, I'll take Rarity and Fluttershy to the place she saw. Applejack, Rainbow, and Pinkie, you find something you like; I think there is an EHOP around here somewhere close. If you three can take the foals, I think that would work better too. Rainbow told me a bit about what happened, and then once we are all together on the train we can discuss more."
"But Ah like eating with you, Doug!" Applejack sighs, "Ah suppose that can work, though; alright, 'Shy, you got the foals for now, Ah think it's this way." Rarity quickly makes her way over to the counter, purchasing the tickets for their return trip, while the remaining ponies leave for their respective restaurants.
Both restaurants happen to be in the same direction, Doug explaining what Princess Celestia had told him. When he finishes Rainbow says, "So, what Princess Celestia didn't say, but I think she knows, is that what Sunset Shimmer tried to do was some sort of dark magic. She thought it would be safe, and tried to do it alone. The hope was that the ritual would have transferred a tiny bit of my magic to Scootaloo, hopefully giving her enough... um... magic capacity to be able to fly. And if it worked with me, maybe it would have worked with each of you. But, she lost control a little way through, and Princess Celestia said to not try it again, on account of how dangerous it is, even if everything goes correctly. I'm not going to stop looking for ways to help Scoots, and each of our foals, but maybe doing it with dark magic isn't the best choice."
The gathered ponies nod, sharing another quick hug with Rainbow outside EHOP. Rarity, Fluttershy, and Doug continue walking towards a specialty diner, taking a seat at one of the tables outside. Doug looks at the menu, debating whether to get one of the, in his view wildly overpriced, meat dishes, ending up deciding on the more modestly priced fried fish. Rarity and Fluttershy get the house soup and one of the Canterlot salads, deciding to split the two between them.
Applejack orders three of the largest hay browns, three stacks of pancakes, and two glasses of apple juice, turning to the others and asking what they would like. Pinkie Pie, not to be outdone, orders the same but with everything covered in syrup. Rainbow, not quite as famished, orders a single stack of pancakes, but with an order of the hash browns and bread to go. The fillies get one of the junior meals each, a half stack of pancakes with lots of cream on top in a Celestial Sun pattern.
Satisfied with their meals, and amazed that Applejack and Pinkie Pie managed to pack away all of their breakfast, the herd moves back to the train. Doug, happy that he will be riding with all of his mares, instead of one of the cargo cars, helps load the few bags they have packed, though balks a little once he gets to Rarity's portion.