I changed my icon… ya'll likey? :D
ONWARD TO THE APPLEDASH!
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Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to The Hub, Hasbro, Studio B, and Lauren Faust. I do not own any of these characters in any way or how, nor do I claim ownership to the pony franchise. These characters are simply my toys.
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"Perhaps it's only a matter of time before you recall the pain…"
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A Rainbow Cut Short
Chapter 5: Chains
"Big Mac!" Applebloom cried out, galloping up to smash into her older brother in a hug. Big Macintosh smiled softly and began to hug back his youngest sister "Been good to your big sis?" He asked. While Big Macintosh wasn't one for words, he did speak much more around his family.
Granny Smith began to wobble out of the house "Oh the Big Mac is back, did you help with the pickin' and the kickin' and all of dat der' apple sellin'?" She asked.
"Eyyyyup!" Big Macintosh said, giving his grandmother a hug. All of this peace was interrupted however when an orange earth pony in a cowpony hat crashed into his side from seemingly nowhere. She was on his back and was ruffling his hair within seconds of impact.
"C'mon AJ!" He grumbled.
"No can do there Big Mac, all that der time at the other farm made you soft I reckon, so how much did you do on tutoring and how much did you do all the work yourself while they watch'd ya?" Applejack asked playfully.
Big Mac just grumbled and kicked Applejack off of his back; however it was a tad playful.
Rainbow Dash was right up the stairs, in Big Macintosh's room no less. She sat there, gently rubbing Tank's shell in circles with her hoof. She grumbled to herself on how the week had gone by so fast. Her mind kept flashing to Applejack holding her close during the nights with no sleep. She grumbled even more as she realized she couldn't control these thoughts, and they kept coming up.
Staying at Rarity's would be horrible of course, likely forcing her to try on dresses and such. Pinkie Pie would keep her up for all hours of the day with parties, Twilight would make her read till she died, even though she said she only liked the Daring Doo novels, so that left Fluttershy…
"Well little guy," Rainbow said, lifting up Tank's shell "I guess we can't crash here anymore… suppose you mind going to see Fluttershy again, I'm sure she's been missing you…" Rainbow mumbled, forcing herself not to grumble at the thought of asking to crash at Fluttershy's. It's not like she didn't like Fluttershy, the fact that she was one of her best friends was proof enough, but she wanted to jump off a cliff at times when Fluttershy became scared of nothing or upset over little things, not that she didn't care about her friends wellbeing of course, but it was just so… uncool.
She looked down at the window, thinking about how the four family members were close enough to act like complete idiots in front of one another without being embarrassed. The only pony Rainbow had managed to talk to seriously about her feelings on this entire situation, was Applejack, and even that was limited until she thought she would sob, then she couldn't speak no more.
The family disappeared into the house, and Rainbow let out a long sigh "Guess it was nice when it lasted…" She grumbled to herself, looking down at her hooves.
It was a little surprising as the cyan pre-pegasus turned her wheelchair around and noticed a big red stallion standing in the doorway, looking a tad confused. Rainbow blinked and opened her mouth to say something, but she found her words were dry and realized she had no idea what to say. He had appeared out of seemingly nowhere, or maybe she was so lost in thought she hadn't noticed him.
"I…I um…" She began, but was thankfully saved from where the awkwardness of this conversation was leading when a familiar orange earth pony came up behind Big Macintosh "It's alright Big Mac, I'll 'plain everythin' to you in a minute', but can you give the two of us a jiffy?" She asked.
Big Macintosh was silent for a few moments "Eyyyyyup." He finally said before turning around, Rainbow Dash could hear him trotting down the stairs.
Applejack turned back and smiled warmly at the cyan pony "Hey Dashie." She said. That name caused Rainbow to smile, but only when Applejack called her that, and she couldn't point out why. "Hey…" She mumbled.
The pony trotted up and looked out the window Rainbow was previously looking out of "So… how'd you like it here?" She asked.
Rainbow Dash shrugged "I guess it was nice, but it wouldn't be very awesome of me to stick around and be an annoyance… I guess one of the others could take me in or something…" She mumbled, fiddling with her hooves.
Applejack smiled, and stood up and began to push the wheelchair. Rainbow was taken by surprise, she was leaving now? That was quick.
"I mean… it isn't like I liked it here or anything, it was just a place to crash, y'know?" She asked the orange pony.
"I know…" AJ said, rolling her eyes.
Rainbow stayed silent as Applejack turned left "The stairs are the other way…" She mumbled, but Applejack didn't say anything, just turned into another room. The room was old fashion looking, just a simple bed with a hoof-stitched red blanket and lumpy pillows.
"I figured… since I'd been sleeping with ya half the week anyways, wouldn't matter much if it was full time…" Applejack said.
"What?" Was the only word Rainbow could get out before Applejack gently nuzzled her cheek "I mean, you ain't goin' nowhere till you want to go, and don't lie to me, I could see you pouting from upstairs!"
Rainbow blushed "S-Shut up…" She grumbled, but still smiled softly "Who'd want to stay at an old barn house that smells bad anyway?"
Applejack rolled her eyes "Suit yourself, but ya'll ain't going nowhere!" She said "Now I gotta go downstairs and talk to Big Mac 'bout all this, poor feller think we'd kick him out otherwise."
Rainbow bit her lip slightly in frustration. Applejack could read her like a book, and she wasn't sure how she felt about that at this very moment. Should she be frustrated, annoyed, happy, relieved? Her mind was full of so many questions on how she felt she made it shut down.
"Thanks…" She mumbled.
Applejack grinned "No problem RD!"
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"So Doc, how'm I looking?" Rainbow asked, wincing slightly as a nurse re-bandaged her waist, stretching back to where her wings were less than six months ago.
"Your legs are healing at a steady rate, you seem to have been good and not been pushing yourself too hard, which is what we recommend." He said, his horn using magic to hold the clipboard up and scribble down notes "Funny, last time you were here I heard you couldn't stay seated!"
Rainbow growled when he said that and snarled when she heard Applejack snicker slightly "Sounds like Rainbow, I'll give ya that!" She mumbled to herself, not meaning for the doctor to hear it in the slightest. She sighed a little "So… I've been a good pony for once…" He rubbed her upper leg "Feels weird… not being a daredevil for once."
There was a silence that nopony could break, until Applejack finally worked up the courage to say something "So Doc, how lon'g till dis here filly can run again?" She asked, nodding toward Rainbow, who seemed to be a little lost in her own thoughts.
"If she stays on good behavior, I presume she can get off a week early, it's odd to not see much stress on somepony's bones for once, are you sure you haven't moved at all?" He asked.
"Only the first day or so…" She mumbled "Then I never left Big Mac's boring old room till AJ here took me into hers, that was about a week ago I reckon…" She paused, shaking her head as she realized she was picking up on Applejack's speech.
The doctor nodded, scribbling down some notes "I take it you miss, Applejack, you've been with her the most often since she got out of the hospital?" He asked. Applejack didn't hesitate a moment before nodding "Shoot, I've been stickin' to her like bark to an apple tree!" she said, putting a hoof to her chest. Rainbow rolled her eyes "A little clingy if you ask me…" she grumbled. Applejack playfully butted her arm and the two chuckled playfully.
The doctor smiled warmly, he seemed nicer than the last, although that could be due to the fact that Rainbow Dash wasn't being annoying and self-centered as usual, at least not as much as she usually was.
"Then, may I please see you in the hall for a moment, alone?" he asked.
"What?" Rainbow asked, annoyance in her voice, she threw the front of the wheelchair back so she was balancing on only the wheels, her balance keeping her in place "Will it take long, I'm bored…" She whined.
Applejack saw her about to fall and caught her, Rainbow chuckling nervously at her the moment she did. The orange pony blew her blonde hair out of her eyes and grumbled "Try not to lose another body part while I'm gone will ya'?" She asked.
"Yes mom." Rainbow grumbled, sitting with her body hunched over in her wheelchair and upper legs crossed. Applejack rolled her eyes and began to follow the chestnut unicorn out of the room, the door closed and he spun around to look her in the eyes. Applejack suddenly felt the seriousness of his stare, he looked serious.
"I need to ask you something, Miss Applejack." He said, holding up the clipboard with his powers "Your friend, Rainbow Dash… has she been having any trouble sleeping?"
Applejack had to think for a moment "None that dis here pony can 'member," She said, holding a hoof up to her chin as she thought a moment "I've seen her sittin' awake, that's 'bout it, just starin' out the window with her turtle."
Something was scribbled on the paper. The orange pony wasn't one to eavesdrop… but everything that happened was her fault after all, and it was killing her to know. "Why?" She asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.
The doctor glanced up, "Oh, nothing too important, it was just when she was hear, she had a rather hard time sleeping, nothing new, patients who go through trauma are usually uneasy during their dreams, but we always try and make sure they are holding up alright."
Applejack glanced down "Dash had never been one to let her fears get to 'er." She mumbled "Were they… bad, I reckon I might need t'know, case they return is all."
The doctor blinked "I can't compare it to anything really, when patients have nightmares, normal nightmares are sometimes a pleasant stroll through the park compared to them, she would never tell us what she dreamed about, just woke up screaming and sobbing in fear. They haven't caused any physical damage, only some lack of sleep and uneasiness that passed over time."
Applejack felt her belly tighten, the image of such a weak and pitiful Rainbow dash crying and sobbing out for comfort made her eyes well in tears "I… I…" Her mouth was suddenly dry, the words she wanted to speak got lost in her throat and never resurfaced.
The doctor glanced at the door to the doctor's room, they had been talking in hushed whispers, and it simply sounded like Rainbow was grumbling about how board she was. "I feel the need to warn you Applejack," The doctor suddenly said, AJ's head whipping around to the older's ember eyes staring into her green ones "If she awakens with those same nightmares, there isn't any panic button or medicine to calm her down, only you."
Applejack nodded, glancing back at the door. It was her fault anyway, however she couldn't help but feel a sudden ripple of recollecting run through her. She remembered, waking up screaming after the incident, Big Macintosh had to hold her till she stopped sobbing at first, until she learned to wake up and quietly cry herself to sleep. The dreams came, right after the incident, same as the cyan pony who was messing around like her usual self only thirty feet away.
"I'll be there…" Applejack said, her eyes wide as she blinked slowly "I ain't just gunna leave her alone, what kinda friend would I be?" She said it nervously.
The doctor nodded, and Applejack suddenly remembered Rainbow's tired eyes, as if she hadn't been sleeping well.
She suddenly pictured Rainbow running beside her at "The Falling of the Leaves" race, how they promised this year to have a friendlier competition than before. It made her feel better, the thought of her cyan friends gentle teasing as they raced neck and neck toward a goal people would forget about in a week's time.
Comforting, that was the word that described it, like a warm fuzzy feeling, calming her mind so she could face Rainbow Dash without her guilty eyes giving her away.
"Well…" She mumbled, reality hitting her hard "Better get back to her, I bet she's gettin' all fidgety and bored."
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Rainbow Dash leaned her body against an apple tree. Her empty wheelchair was next to her after several minutes of adjusting herself to get out. She had no idea how she was going to get back in, she might just have to suck up her pride and let Applejack help her, but that was later.
Right now, the cyan pony was gently nibbling on a sweet apple that had fallen from the tree, the juice made her cheeks hurt, yet she couldn't stop eating it. She loved apples, she wasn't sure why, but the Sweet Apple Acre's apples were amazing, the same as their cider. The cyan pony paused, a tear coming to her eye at the memory of her lack of super-amazing cider.
Hooves stamping into a nearby tree drew the pony back to the world. Rainbow shook her head and blinked several times. She glanced up and saw Applebloom holding a barrel over her head, catching any of the apples that had missed during the falling as Applejack threw them.
"Great job AB, keep up the good work!" Applejack called. The little yellow pony nodded happily, her bow bouncing slightly. Rainbow Dash smirked a little, it looked like a game to the two. The rainbow maned pony watched the apples fall from the trees one after another as they played a one-way catch, or maybe basketball… she wasn't really sure. It almost seemed like fun, certainly better than the stress of keeping every cloud out of the sky at all times.
The cyan pony put her hooves behind her head and chewed on a piece of straw, leaning her back against the tree. Her hind legs cased in the casts made her grumble whenever she wanted to adjust herself, but couldn't. She couldn't wait until the six weeks were up. She paused, thinking "Guess it would be around four weeks now…" She mumbled. Four weeks equaled eternity in her mind, even longer if you counted her version of a second.
After the sixth basket was filled, Applejack chuckled as Applebloom caught the final ripe apple in her mouth. "Alright you little troublemaker, what'ya say we get all these apple's back to the barn?" She asked.
"Alright Applejack, I'll race ya!" Applebloom challenged, wiggling her hind in the air. AJ chuckled and gave her sister a little noogie "Now hold it, don't forgit Dash, we can't just leave her, even you get lost this deep inta the orchard."
Applebloom giggled "Alright AJ, but I still bet I'll make twice as many trips as you!"
"You're on." Applejack said as she watched Applebloom race off with a barrel of apples on her head. The orange earth-pony turned toward the pre-pegasus, Rainbow found herself smirking.
"You two seem to be close." Rainbow mumbled as the orange pony trotted up. Applejack lifted squatted down and lifted the cyan pony up, the breath being knocked out of the pre-pegasus "Easy does it." Applejack mumbled, setting the pre-pegasus down in the wheelchair. She smiled at Rainbow and Rainbow Dash, despite not wanting to; found herself smiling back happily "Thanks." She said. A word she rarely used not came up frequently in day to day conversations with each other.
"No problem RD, not let's say we go and get us some grub, I'm starvin'!" She cried. Rainbow shrugged "I ate nothing but apples, I'm stuffed.
"You would be, you little pig!" Applejack grumbled lightly, locking the cyan pony in a head lock and ruffling her mane playfully. The two of them were getting closer as each day passed, only three months ago they would feel awkward acting like this to one another. Rainbow giggled and felt the cowpony hat be deposited onto her head. She looked up from the brim "Doctor said to get me outside, outside makes me hungry!" She argued.
"Whatever." Applejack said, rolling her eyes once more "N' sugarcube, I think you really lost me this race now that you weight so much."
"Shut up…" Rainbow chuckled. The two sat in silence for several moments as Applejack pleasantly strolled through the apple trees, looking like she had no intent on winning. It was nice… but Rainbow would zoom through these trees in a nanosecond if given the chance.
"So um… Dash?" Applejack suddenly asked.
The cyan pony glanced behind her with wide eyes, the brim of the hat making it impossible to see the earth pony's eyes. "Yeah AJ?"
"So… ya'll have no idea what ya gonna do once you get all healed, do ya?" The orange pony asked. Rainbow growled a little and looked at her cast-covered legs "None of your business…" she grumbled.
"Take it as a yes…" A sigh was heard from the orange pony as she spoke. Several more moments of silence went by "I was thinkin'…" Another long pause "Maybe you could just work on the farm…"
Rainbow felt her gut tighten, she didn't know why but her heart beat a little faster and she blushed. Applejack continued "I mean, we'll pay you and all, even give ya' a place to stay till ya can save up 'nuff money to hightail your way on outta here," Applejack said "We can start off slow, I know pegasus ponies aren't nearly as strong as earth ones, so if you want we can just sell em till you're ready, what'll you say?"
It was the least she could do, because this was all her fault anyway.
Rainbow Dash was silent for several moments "Have… the rest of the Apple Family heard about this?" She asked. Applejack shook her head, but realized Rainbow couldn't see her "Nope, but I can convince Big Mac he was a filly if I tried, he's a little slow if y'know what I mean…" she whispered. Both chuckled and Rainbow thought a moment "Y-Yeah, why not, sure?" She said, puffing out her chest "I'll be the greatest farmer pony in all of Equestria!" She cried.
Applejack chuckled some more "With those weak little hooves, please."
"What are you laughing at!" Rainbow growled, pushing the hat up with her upper leg "lookin' for a fight partner?" She asked, her best Applejack impersonation on hand. Both chuckled lightly once more.
This… in more or less words… was simply the life.
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Rainbow Dash found herself crouching down, trembling slightly as the hoots and howls of the forest echoed in her ear. She felt tears run down her cheeks as she tried to flap her wings, yet a large, rippling tremor of pain rippled through her. She looked back to see her bent up wings, horribly twisted and bloody.
She tried to walk, but couldn't do that either. Her legs were trapped, she tried to look behind her yet couldn't see anything except a massive stone. It took her a moment to realize her legs were trapped under there.
She heard a noise. A cracking and her head shot around. The cyan pegasus blinked quickly and scanned the area. "Applejack?" She whimpered out, not trying in the slightest to hide the fear in her voice. Her made that was once Rainbow was now sickly and muddy, covered in filth. She had bruises and cuts all over her body, but she couldn't tell from what, nor could she remember.
The sound came again, this time it was louder. Rainbow curled up in a tiny ball and began to whimper, her body trembling as sobs tore through her body, yet couldn't find an escape through her closed throat. The sound was so loud it might have been right next to her.
"Applejack…" She whimpered "T-This isn't funny…" She whimpered out.
Something scratched her back, and she had to keep her mouth shut as she felt warm blood lead down from her neck to the start of her tail.
"Applejack…" Rainbow whimpered one last time in desperation, something sharp nudged her back, and she whimpered even harder "I… I w-w-want to g-go h-home…" she begged.
A moment later, horrible pain skyrocketed through her body, and she let out a mane-curling scream of agony as blood poured down her body, she could feel her ribs breaking, she tried to put her upper leg in the things mouth to get it away, but its iron jaws clamped on it as well, causing a dull pain on top of the one going on.
"Applejack!" She sobbed, beginning to cry as hard as she could, the creature near her was invisible through her tears that blurred her vision, all she could feel was the pain and the warmth of blood on her skin.
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The scream that causing Applejack to jump straight awake was one big enough to reach Cloudsdale. She heard an agonizing screech from the filly next to her as she heard a thump, and somehow knew she had fallen out of bed from the clanking of the casts.
The orange pony sat straight up and saw Rainbow Dash on the floor, curled up in a tiny ball as she openly sobbed, covering her head and ears with her arms as she sobbed incoherent words. She was in a cold sweat, her eyes caused a pool of tears to form around her on the floor touching her head. She whimpered and wailed in fear.
"Applejack!" She suddenly wailed.
The earth pony froze. She heard her name… she heard her name be screamed from a sobbing Rainbow Dash… no… it wasn't right!
Suddenly the door burst open and a red colt was standing in the door, looking like he had been rudely awoken as well, a sleepy looking Applebloom was near the door as well. Big Mac glanced from Applejack to Rainbow, and then back to his sister. It took a moment for Applejack to snap out of her shock, forcing her guilt to settle down as she all but jumped off the bed and crawled near the crying pegasus.
"There are no panic buttons…" She whispered, the Doc's words ringing in her mind. The sound of Dashie's sobs hurt the pony as she got down near the face of the younger "Rainbow?" She asked, with no response "Dashie?"
This time, teary eyes cracked open and Applejack felt legs wrap around her neck as Rainbow sobbed harder "A-A-AJ!" She cried, unaware where she was, still somewhere in her dream.
Flashbacks… flashbacks to her own dreams flashed in the orange pony's mind. She suddenly grabbed the cyan pony and pulled her close as tight as she could, sitting up and pulling Rainbow Dash with her. "I-I-It hurts…" She whimpered "B-Blood… t-t-t-there's so much b-blood…"
"Shhh, it's just a dream Dashie…" Applejack whispered, holding Applejack in her arms as she sat bridal style with upper legs still wrapped around her neck, a sobbing filly's head in her chest. Applejack began to rock back and forth "It's alright, nopony can hurt you, I'm here, you're safe…" She whispered as she nuzzled the younger.
Big Macintosh walked forward as the little pony cried. He leaned his head down to nuzzle her back, and she jumped in fear before turning around with teary eyes. Applebloom walked up too, and nuzzled the cyan pony's cutie mark.
It was horrible, seeing such an… amazing and beautiful pony be brought to such a low level by her fears.
"It'll be a'right now." Applejack stated "Nopony will ever hurt you again… I won't let anypony touch you, I bet my life on it."
Rainbow was still half in a dream, for she didn't even notice as the older absent mindedly kissed her forehead and began stroking her mane "Just a dream…" She whispered, Rainbow still letting out a few choked up sobs in Applejack's arms.
"Apple…Jack…" Rainbow mumbled, squeezing the orange pony tighter than ever before.