The week had passed in a blur for Applejack. Having Rainbow back had done wonders for the orange-coated pony. The longing and sadness was still there. But after going so long without the cyan flier, just her presence amongst them was enough.
Every afternoon, after her work was done, AJ would go and visit Rainbow in the hospital. Things between them seemed to be fine, friends as they had always been. It would have been fine, if Applejack didn't still have feelings for the cheeky tomcolt. Every time Rainbow would smile at her, or look at her, every time their eyes met, Applejack would feel something in her chest, a tight feeling accompanied by a pang of sadness. She strove to hide her feelings though, afraid that Rainbow would see that she still did love her.
Pinkie Pie would constantly bring in baked goods from Sugarcube Corner, and Applejack would bring the apple treats from home, allowing Rainbow to avoid the hospital food as much as possible, it being what it was. Twilight gave Rainbow the latest Daring Do novel, something she immersed herself in during her stay at the hospital. Rarity would always spruce up the room, adding a slightly more artistic touch to the décor Pinkie initially put up. Fluttershy had brought Dash's pet tortoise, Tank, to her, having taken care of it while she was gone. The reunion was heart-warming as the five friends watched Rainbow exclaim at the sight of her loyal pet and hug it in a rare display of affection.
When Applejack saw Rainbow's overjoyed reaction to seeing Tank again, she felt momentarily jealous, wishing Rainbow would've been that happy to see her. But she knew Rainbow was happy to see them. If not for her injuries when they first came to see her, she would've bounded out of bed and pulled them into a rough hug.
Five days since Rainbow's admittance to the hospital, her sling had come off, along with the bandage on her other foreleg. The bandage around her midriff was taken off the next day, leaving her with only her splinted wings and a single bandage leg. With every day, Rainbow had been progressively more impatient and energetic, moving about in the room and waiting for the day she could leave. Often, Nurse Redheart had to force her to get back into bed.
When the end of the week came about, everyone gathered around the bed, Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Applejack. Even the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who dropped in every now and again because Scootaloo wanted to see how her hero was doing, were there. Rainbow was excited, finally able to leave the boring room and go out again. Sitting up in bed, Nurse Redheart was doing some last check-ups on Rainbow, making sure she was strong enough to leave the hospital.
"You've recovered well, Rainbow Dash. You're strong enough to leave the hospital now, so go out and enjoy yourself," the nurse smiled at the agitated Pegasus.
"YES!" Rainbow punched the air in victory.
"Just make sure you don't overdo anything, though. Just take things slowly, and remember to come back just once a week so we can check up on your wings. No flying," her voice became stern at the end, to make sure Rainbow listened.
"Yes, nurse," she replied, looking disappointed.
"Don't worry, nurse, we'll keep an eye on Rainbow, and make sure she doesn't do anything she shouldn't," Twilight said.
"Good. You're now free to go, Rainbow. Enjoy yourself! And welcome back to Ponyville, too."
Everyone farewelled the nurse and doctors, walking out of the double doors into the sunshine. "I'M FREE!" Rainbow crowed, punching the air again. "I gotta check on my cloud home, it's probably all messy now, 'cause I haven't been there in sooooooo long."
"Woah there, RD! Y'all forgettin' somethin'? Y'all ain't allowed ta fly yet."
"Oh… right…" the colourful Pegasus looked down, depressed. Huffing in annoyance, she looked at her wings, still stuck in bandages, being set back into place. The realisation hit her, "Then… where am I gonna stay? I can't go to my home!"
"Well… y'all could always come over ta Sweet Apple Acres. We got space ta take in another pony…" Applejack looked apprehensively at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow used to stay over all the time, when they had been together. Applebloom chimed in cheerfully.
"Yeah! Rainbow, y'all should stay with us! Like a big sleep over!"
Rainbow looked at the golden-haired cowpony uncertainly and Applejack could tell that she was thinking back to when they were together too. They used to stay up late and talk quietly about anything and everything, before falling asleep in each other's hooves. AJ felt a flash of pain pierce her heart as she recalled falling asleep in Rainbow's hold. She missed it, missed everything they used to have. Blinking quickly, she turned her attention to Rainbow again. After a minute Rainbow nodded, tentatively.
"Thanks, AJ. That's be really great… as long as it isn't a trouble to you and your family that is…"
"It's not a problem, sugarcube. We'd love ta have ya." Applejack smiled, a little nervously. Rainbow smiled back, equally as nervous. Twilight spoke up,
"Well, I better get back to the library, I'm reordering my books, they always seem to move everywhere."
"That's because you keep reading them, Twilight," the baby purple dragon said, sitting on the purple unicorn's back.
"Oh, makes sense."
"OH, GUYS WAIT." Rainbow yelled out. Then suddenly a cyan-rainbow blur was pulling all the ponies into a tight hug. "Thanks for the last week guys, I would have died of boredom in that bed if it weren't for you guys!"
The ponies all laughed, and Pinkie Pie's voice rang out, "It's ok, Dashie! We all had super-duper fun too trying to cheer you up!"
The six friends let go of each other, and Rainbow grinned at them all. "It's good to see you guys again. I missed you all."
"We missed you too, darling," Rarity replied.
Rainbow pulled a face at the endearment. "Thanks Rarity. Ok, ok, enough sappiness for the week." Rainbow grinned again. "It's great to be back."
The group then split off to go about whatever they needed to do. Applejack looked back at Rainbow. "Y'all comin' now, sugarcube? We can get y'all set up in mah room, and then…" Applejack looked unsure. What did Rainbow want to do? About to suggest that they did something together, AJ remembered the tentativeness that Rainbow has shown in accepting her offer. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "Why don't we get y'all set up? Y'all got anythin' ta bring?"
Rainbow shook her head. "All my stuff's at my house. I need my toothbrush, but that's about it."
"Alrigh', we got a couple of spares, y'all can use one of them. They're all new, we always keep 'em in case any of the relations forget ta bring their own."
Rainbow nodded, and they continued to walk out of town towards the farm. Applejack glanced at her friend, walking beside her. For the first time, AJ noticed the thinness of Rainbow's body. Rainbow had always been strong, but she looked slightly leaner, and she had certainly lost weight. What have y'all been doin' Rainbow? But Applejack knew now wasn't the time to ask. So she continued to trot along beside her winged friend in silence.
As they drew closer to the Apple family farm house, Rainbow turned to Applejack. "Hey, AJ…"
"Yeah, sugarcube?"
"Thanks. Really thanks. For letting me stay and stuff…"
"Awww, ain't nothin' to it, Rainbow. Now let's get y'all inside and set up. Y'all jus' be in time fer lunch."
As she spoke, the lunch bell rang out across the orchards. "Well, what'd Ah say?" Both ponies laughed and walked into the house, to smell freshly made hay sandwiches, and apple and cinnamon tarts. At the scent, Rainbow's belly growled. Applejack chuckled.
"Ain't nothin's changed. Still the same ol' appetite fer Sweet Apple Acres cookin'."
Rainbow grinned, "What can I say? You guys actually DO make the best apple-related foods in all of Ponyville!"
"In all of Equestria, ya mean," AJ corrected with a smile.
"Applejack! Rainbow Dash! Y'all better come quick, Big Mac's gonna eat all the food!" a young filly's voice called out, giggling.
"Eeeeeeyup."
Walking into the dining area, they saw Applebloom, Big Mac and Granny Smith all sitting around the table piled with a hearty lunch. Applejack shook her head at her sister.
"An' jus' how did y'all manage ta get here so quick, lil' missy? Ah coulda sworn y'all were runnin' off with the other Cutie Mark Crusaders. Did y'all learn ta teleport or somethin' off Twi'?"
Applebloom giggled, "No…" then her eyes lit up. "The Cutie Mark Teleporters!"
Rainbow came up beside Applejack, "Sounds like an awesome idea, squirt!"
Applejack nudged her, "Don' encourage her!"
Rainbow grinned again, "Your idea! Right, squirt?"
"Right!"
Applejack gave them both a threatening glare, before moving over to the table. Rainbow followed, a little nervously.
"Hay, Big Mac, Rainbow here's gonna stay with us fer a little while, jus' 'til she can use her wings again, 's that all righ'?"
"Eeyup."
"Heya, Big Mac."
"Hay there, Rainbow. 'S good ta see y'all are better now." The red colt gave her a nod before turning to his food again.
"Thanks. Ma'am, it's good to see you again."
"Eh? What's that? Oh, Dainbow Rash?" the old mare frowned a moment, "No… that i'nt right…" She then smiled. "Rainbow Dash?"
"Yes, ma'am"
"Ah, 's good ta see y'all, Rainbow… Sash? Come an' have some lunch, dear."
"Thank you." Dash replied, shooting Applejack and Applebloom a look as they tried not to laugh. Big Mac just kept chewing his sandwich.
Finally sitting down, Rainbow grabbed a sandwich and ate it hungrily. Applejack watched her out of the corner of her eye. They almost seemed completely back to normal, Rainbow and her. Laughing and joking about, it was just like it used to be. AJ was thankful, but a part of her couldn't help but feel saddened. She didn't know whether to be happy that they were friends, or saddened by the fact that that was all they could ever be. Mostly to distract herself from these thoughts, she turned to the little yellow filly beside her, and asked what the CMC had been up to lately. Throughout the rest of the meal, Applebloom kept the table entertained with the stories of the three fillies latest exploits, as astronauts, florists and square-dancing.
"Square-dancing? Really?" Dash chuckled.
"Yeah, it didn' work out to well… Scootaloo hated it, an' ended up trippin' over her scooter an' fallin' into a bush!"
Everyone laughed again, before sitting back after the always-filling meal at Sweet Apple Acres.
"Wow, I'm stuffed. I've forgotten how easy it is to get filled up here." The Pegasus leaned back, having stuffed herself with the Apple family's delicious food.
"How'd ya forget so easily? What the hay have y'all been doin'?" AJ asked disbelievingly. "Well, let's go get y'all set up in mah room now."
Applejack led the way upstairs, walking down the hallway to her room. Rainbow followed, looking at the walls and the photos she had once grown used to, traversing the halls every day. When she approached Applejack's room, she looked in to see everything had stayed the same. The hook by the door on which the Stetson always sat when Applejack slept at night. The curtain-less windows that were so often left open for a cool breeze and the warm sun. The orange sheets covering the bed in the corner. The room was still relatively empty, just like it had always been. It was all the way Rainbow remembered it.
Applejack was over by the opposite wall, looking at some books that sat on the shelf. Rainbow, curious, went over to see what the cowpony was looking at. To see her old Daring Doo novel in AJ's hooves. Any words she might have had died on her lips.
Applejack looked down at the cover of the old book. When she and Rainbow had been together, she had brought a lot of her things with her to Sweet Apple Acres. When she left, she had taken most of her stuff with her. Applejack had found this one remainder of the colourful pony, sitting on the shelf after she left. Sometimes Applejack took that book down and would flick through the pages, no interest in the story line. But it reminded her of her Dash, when she was away doing whatever she was doing. It had been her keepsake, something to hold on to when she lost Rainbow. But seeing as Rainbow was back, she felt obliged to give the novel back. It had always been her favourite.
"Ya… left it behind when y'all… left." Applejack kept her eyes down, willing herself to remain calm, and hiding the shakiness in her voice. "Ah best be returnin' it now. Ah took good care of it. Ah remember it was yer favourite."
"I thought I lost it…" Rainbow whispered. She felt unsure, confused in the situation.
"Well… here it is." AJ placed the book in Rainbow's hooves, and quickly turned towards the door. Clearing her throat haphazardly, "Well, Ah'll go get our roll-out bed fer ya. Y'all just settle down an' all."
Rainbow watched AJ leave the room hurriedly, then looked at her novel, sitting in her grasp. She felt confused about what just happened. Her Daring Doo book was in fine condition, as if she had just left it on the shelf yesterday. There was no three-year layer of dust on it, though the cyan Pegasus could see some of the other books looked as if they hadn't been touched since the beginning of time. Rainbow shook her head, dismissing the thought.
Applejack fumbled around in the bathroom for a spare toothbrush, as a single tear ran down her face.
Note: Posted onto FiMFiction by Arby Works with permission from Lonewolf.007. All credit goes to him for his fanfic, please check it out here or on FanFiction.
Mr. Masato/Arby Works.