6 Months, Several Eternities

by TheRainbowEffect

Catalyst

It was a summer day in Equestria, and a certain rainbow-maned pony was bored, with a capital B. That's right, Bored. Rainbow Dash needed to get out, to go do something. She lay atop a cloud, thinking about the fact that there was nothing to do. The un-awesomeness of the day hurt. The pegasus racked her brain to think of something. She had it! Maybe she'd visit some of her friends! Never was there a dull moment with them! Well... yes there was. That doesn't matter. She dropped herself through the cloud and unfurled her wings. Ah, the great feeling of being in the air. She loved her wings. She started to think as she flew. Who first? She thought for a moment and decided she would visit.... Applejack! She hung a slight left in the air, headed toward Sweet Apple Acres. She saw the apple trees come into sight and smiled. She headed for the tall barn at the center of Sweet Apple Acres. She swooped down when she had reached the barn, and walked up to a certain red-coated pony.

"Hey, Big Mac," she greeted excitedly.

"Howdy," he replied.

"How're things going here at the farm?"

"Mighty fine," Big Macintosh said

"Where's Applejack?"

"She's out amongst the trees, I reckun. Applebuck Season has started, and of course, she's out there being diligent. I'm resting up for a moment."

"She's not doing the entire crop this year, is she?" Dash recalled one year where Big Macintosh was hurt and Applejack had tried to do the entire crop. It wasn't pretty.

"Nope. One pony plus hundreds of trees just doesn't add up."

"You got that right."

"Eeyup."

"Well, I'm gonna go see Applejack."

"Alrighty."
Rainbow Dash took to the skies and started to fly over the trees, scanning the area. The pegasus flew low over the trees, searching for Applejack, who was surely bucking many apples at this point in the season. She spotted the pony with the orange coat down below, but didn't feel like landing yet, so she called out.

"Yo! Applejack!"

The country pony stopped right before she delivered another kick to the tree and looked up at the pony with a coat of blue.

"Well, howdy, Rainbow Dash!"

Dash came to a hover over the trees.

"How's the work coming?"

"It's comin' mighty fine, I reckun!"

"Big Mac helpin' ya this year?"

"Yep. Like he normally does. Except fer that one time, o' course. Crabapples, what a disaster."

"You got that right!"

"Well, I need to get working. If I work hard, we can get the crop done early!"

"That's great! I'm just dang bored, so I'm going to see everypony in the group!"

"Alrighty, then!"

Rainbow Dash flew off, and turned her head to say to Applejack, "See ya later!"

Applejack called back, alarmed. "Rainbow Dash, watch out!"

"For what? It's not like-"

Her words were cut short as she hit the barn. She had veered too far to the left. Her wings froze up and she began to plummet, her back to the ground. Her wings refused to move, to fly. An eternity seemed to pass as she fell, the world taunting her inability to do anything. She was going to die, she knew it. After a short time which seemed like several eternities, she hit the ground with a sickening CRUNCH! She lay there for a moment as nothing happened. She waited. She knew it was coming. After another short moment, the pain flooded her. It was an immense pain that stabbed her wings and shot around quickly to the rest if her body. It was probably the worst pain she had ever felt in a long, long time, if not ever. She was on the verge of tears, but she was strong. She tried to move, but the pain made that every effort an agony. She came to the bad realization that she couldn't move.

"Help!" she cried in a weak tone. Even that took much effort. After a short moment, a certain Big Macintosh came, running faster than she had ever seen him go, to her rescue, Applejack not too far behind. "I can't move..." she whined, as Big Mac hoisted her up onto his back and started to run to the doctor's office, his muscled legs forcing his hooves pounding against the hard earth, his coat starting to gather sweat. Several forevers later, they made it to the doctor’s office, Rainbow Dash's body still screaming in pain, a pitiful moan coming from her mouth.

They rushed to the doctor, and Big Macintosh spoke.

"She fell pretty hard. Landed on her wings."

"We'll need to get her in right away."

"Eeyup," Big Macintosh replied, using his signature phrase.

Dash's moans of pain spoke for themselves. Soon enough, she had passed out.

* * *

When she woke up, she was laying in a bed. She looked around. She was in the Pony Care Unit. She looked around at the other ponies, sitting in their beds. This couldn't be happening to her. Yet, it was. She remembered the horrible incident, and cringed at the remembrance of the sickening crunch sound that had been created when she had landed. Something bad had happened to her wings. She was in denial and tried to move her wings, but they wouldn't budge, and when she tried, they hurt. She sat up and looked at her back. Her wings had been set at her sides and bound in a cast. She hated to think of what this might mean. She hoped that it was just for her stay in the PCU. Just then, the doctor walked in, his hooves clopping softly against the tile floor. He gave a smile.

"Rainbow Dash, you're awake," he said pleasantly.

"Doc, what's wrong with my wings?" she asked frantically.

"Now calm down, you could agitate the wound. Now I have some bad news."

Rainbow Dash broke out in a cold sweat, dreading.

"Your wings are broken. It was a bad fracture on both wings. You won't be able to use them for at least 6 months."

"No, there's gotta be a mistake, I mean, there's gotta be!" she pleaded frantically.

"Sadly, there's not. We ran X-rays."

"Oh yeah? Show me these X-rays!" she said indignantly.

The doctor reached into a pouch on his side and pulled out the X-rays. He laid them on Dash's bedside table. They were bad. Fractures in many parts of each wing were shown. They made her sick. She pushed the pictures onto the floor and pulled out the large bowl on her bedside table that was set there just in case. She vomited into it.

"Doc," she said, face pale, "how long am I wearing this?"

"I told you. 6 months."

She vomited once more into the bowl, the taste lingering.

"Can I get some water?"

"Of course. Nurse Redheart!" he called.

A pony in scrubs came up and said, "Yes, Doctor?"

"Please supply this one with some water," he said as he stooped to pick up the fallen X-rays.

"Yes, Doctor."

Nurse Redheart left and came back not a minute later with a paper cup with water. Rainbow Dash took it and downed it quickly, not too fond of the taste of vomit. The taste left, but the sadness of the news started to settle. No flying for six months. She wasn't going to get back home. Her house was in Cloudsdale, though she spent most of her time in Ponyville. She was going to have to stay with somepony. Applejack and her family came to mind. They would take care of her. She knew they would.

"Hey, lady?"

"Yes?" Nurse Redheart replied.

"Is my friend still out there?"

"The red one that got you here?"

"Yeah. That one," she answered.

"Yes. I will go get him," she said, and walked out of the PCU. Dash laid there, a deep sadness settling. No more flying for half a year. She loved flying. She loved it more than she loved anything except for her friends. No more feeling the rush of joy that only comes from feeling the wind beneath her wings. Not for the next 6 months, anyway. 6 months was a long time. It was an even longer time when one can't fly.

Nurse Redheart walked back in, Big Macintosh following her. Big Mac walked to her bed.

"Hey, Big Mac."

"Howdy."

"So, I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"I can't use my wings. My wings are broken up and I can't use them for the next 6 months. If you haven't caught on, that means I can't go home. My house is in the clouds. I need somepony to stay with. Do you mind if that somepony was you and Applejack?'

"Nope. That'd be mighty fine."

"Thanks, Big Mac, you're awesome."

"Eeyup," he replied and chuckled.

* * *

Rainbow Dash was let out a couple days later. She was happy for that, at least. The smell of antiseptic made her sick, and she had been confined with the smell for a couple of days. Once, the smell alone had made her vomit. The person responsible for cleaning that bowl out probably hates their job now, thought Rainbow Dash. Finally, the hospital got to see the back of her, as she left the PCU. She still had the cast around her torso, keeping her wings in place. She still couldn't fly. It was the same as the hospital ripping off her wings, her pride and joy. At least she got to stay with Big Mac and Applejack. All of her friends had come to give their sympathy and gifts. Twilight Sparkle had given her a book. Fluttershy didn't have anything, for which she apologized profusely, but she totally cutified the place up. Rarity had given her some stylish pony clothing. Applejack had given her, well, a place to stay for six months with Big Mac, Granny Smith, Applebloom and herself. Pinkie Pie had given her a box full of cupcakes. She hadn't been allowed to eat them during her stay in the PCU, but she carried them on her back as she walked out of the hospital with Big Macintosh and Applejack. As they walked, Rainbow Dash thought about the complete unawesomeness of not being able to fly. That sucked. There wasn't going to be any sugarcoating about the matter.

They soon got to Applejack's house, and in a short time, had created accommodations for another. Applebloom was at little fillies’ school at this time of day, so she was out for now. Applejack was the pony that sacrificed her room for Rainbow Dash. The two did butt heads a lot, but when it came to friendship, Applejack was as reliable as any pony in Ponyville. The two had to go applebucking, so she lay there in bed for a bit, thoroughly tired, and fell asleep.

She woke up to see Applebloom's face up close, standing by the side of the bed. The pegasus jumped and a pain hit her wings.

"Ow..."

"Are ya okay, Rainbow Dash?" Applebloom inquired.

"I was..."

"I'm real sorry," Applebloom apologized.

"That's alright, I suppose."

"Can ah getcha somethin'?"

"You can let me get some sleep."

"Okay. Ah will."

Applebloom trotted out of the room, and Rainbow Dash tried once more to sleep, but she had that small problem of the pain in her wings. She had to keep herself from tossing and turning, which agitated the pain. She thought about the suckishness of this. Sadness filled her, a deep yearning for the cool wind beneath her wings. A longing for the wind whipping at her face as she jetstreamed through the sky. Tears welled at her eyes, threatening to cascade over. She tried not to think about her wings, but that was like an amputee not thinking about their missing limb. It didn't really work so well. What was worse, the wings were there, she just couldn't use them. She just laid there, eyes closed; trying to block out the world around her, though that wouldn't do anypony any good. She hadn't until now realized how much she loved her wings. Man, did she love her wings. She was determined not to cry. How lame would that be? After a while, sleep finally claimed her, stealing her away from her troubles for but a couple hours.

* * *

Rainbow Dash woke up the next morning, and was quickly confused. This wasn't her bed. This was Applejack's bed. Why was she in Applejack's bed? Were they having some sort of sleepover, perhaps? No, she didn't remember anything about that. She sat up, and stretched. She opened her mouth in a great big yawn. Ah, morning. And last but not least, she stretched her wings. Well, rather, she tried. When she tried, her wings stayed put and hurt. They hurt badly. Oh yeah. She lay back down on the bed, remembering exactly what had happened. She had crashed into the barn, and fell. The catalyst for the hell she was in now. She remembered that she couldn't use her wings. She couldn't use her precious wings, her pride and joy, her freedom from the ground. A wave of sadness quickly rose, and hot tears sprang to her eyes. She had promised herself she wasn't going to cry. But she didn't have her wings. The sky was taunting her, the ground being all she could access. The world itself was playing a cruel joke on her. But that wasn't the case, she realized. The first tear sprang from her eye and rolled down the side of her face since she was lying down and hit the pillow. The single tear was soon followed by many more, and she shook with a silent sob. This was no nightmare, this was real. Another silent sob shook her, and another. The tears began to flow as her mouth opened and released a sob, followed by another. She was crying now. She could suppress it no longer. The sobs shook her as her moans rang out. She wasn't even bothering to try to suppress the crying. This was it. Hell had taken her in for 6 months, she was sure to get the meet 'n' greet with Satan any time now. She sobbed louder as the tears started to soak either side of the pillow.

Applejack burst in at a near gallop, but she quickly stopped when she saw what was going on. Rainbow Dash was crying. Not just sad, her tough friend Rainbow Dash was crying. It hurt Applejack to see her pegasus friend like this. The worst part was that there wasn't anything else she could do about it. Rainbow Dash's wings were broken and weren't coming back instantly. Applejack felt slightly guilty. She hadn't warned Rainbow Dash soon enough. She couldn't just let Rainbow Dash lay there and cry. She had to do something to comfort her friend. Applejack walked up to her friend, removed her hat, and leaned her head down to nuzzle Rainbow Dash, to comfort her. Rainbow opened her eyes and saw Applejack, and a slight smile crossed her face, but that was quickly replaced by more crying. Applejack lifted her head and spoke.

"Rainbow Dash?" Applejack said in her country accent.

Rainbow Dash spoke between sobs.

"Y-y-y-yeah?"

"Is there anythang ah can do fer ya?"

"Y-y-you d-d-don't need t-to-" she was cut off by Applejack.

"Ah want to. Whatever you want, Rainbow Dash."

"J-j-just st-stay here..."

"Mah pleasure, Rainbow Dash."

Applejack lowered her head to once more nuzzle her cyan friend. Rainbow Dash liked the comfort, and slowly, but surely, her sobs subsided into shudders, which then subsided into nothing. Applejack's 10 times the pony I'll ever be, Rainbow Dash thought. She wanted her wings back, but Applejack's care and warmth was enough for now. Applejack could help a friend in a way no other pony in all of Equestria could. She laid there, Applejack’s care calming her, the warmth soothing her. Elements be damned, Rainbow thought, Applejack deserved the Element of Loyalty as well as Honesty.

Applejack lifted her head and spoke.

"Well, if ya don't mind, Ah hafta go buck some more apples with Big Macintosh now. I'll stay if ya want me to, but the crop is much larger this year."

As much as she didn't want Applejack to go, there were apples to be bucked. Rainbow Dash couldn't hinder her friend from doing a job that needed to be done. What kind of friend would she be then?

"Yeah, you can go out and buck apples. I feel better now, all thanks to you, Applejack."

"It was mah pleasure, really," Applejack protested.

"Alright, if you insist. Now get out there, Big Mac needs some help," Rainbow Dash said with a smile.

"Ah will," Applejack said, smiling back.

As the orange pony walked from the room, Dash closed her eyes, the exhaustion of the past couple days not being completely covered by that one sleep she had. In short, she was still tired. She thought of Applejack's warmth and comfort, and quickly drifted to sleep, a smile on the cyan pony's face.

Comments

[Starcat5]

Standard concept, but one with plenty of room for variation within it. Lets see where you go with this. *tracks, will read later*

[Magicolt808]

I like this story but I think RD would be in for more of a frenzy in the hospital. I thought that she seemed too calm to fit her personality. Still a good story and I can't wait to see what you do with it.

[TheRainbowEffect]

(Authors Note): So, this is my first story, I hope you like it
Anyway, I might need someone to be an editor for my story (seeing as that I don't have one yet) to help improve my story.
All in all, the fact that my story is liked is SO AWESOME

[StarvinArtist]

Pretty Good start, im looking orward to reading the rest of this - gotta love AppleDash. XD

[Panic Manic]

Poor Rainbow Dash Never knew having broken wings would actaully make her cry T-T

[T4]

" Pony Care Unit" this bothers me a little bit. Intensive care would still apply to ponies :I But regardless, respectable fic