Following a Rainbow

by malikvamp

Chapter Nine

FaR Chapter Nine- Twilight's Magic

Applejack was getting strangely used to sleeping on the floor. Shifting awkwardly the orange pony adjusted so that she could see the cyan body, laying limp on her bed. From the open window on the far side of the room a peaceful breeze blew throughout the room. The night sky, only moments ago pitch black, was beginning to brighten up.

'Another sleepless night.' Applejack sighed heavily. 'The second since my return to Ponyville.'

In the room were three ponies; or rather one pony one Pegasus and an alicorn. Princess Luna, the second princess of Equestria, had promised to stay with Applejack till bitter end or happily ever after. So far things had taken a turn for the worst.

Through the use of Luna's magic they had kept Rainbow Dash alive, even got her breathing faintly, but with no way to feed and nurture the Pegasus things were not looking good. Luna, who each night poured her magical energies into keeping Rainbow Dash alive, was beginning to tire frightfully.

"Hay, Luna?" Applejack adjusted herself again to gaze upon the princess; the purple alicorn sat next to Rainbow's bed, her horn glowing lightly. She had done so much for Applejack, and AJ had no way to repay her. Luna was, truly, acting from the bottom of her heart. However... If even a princesses magic couldn't save Rainbow, then could anything? "Uhm, are you awake?"

"Yes, Applejack." Luna struggled to speak, having to concentrate on her words. "I'm here."

"How're ya feelin', princess?" Applejack feigned calmness, knowing that any more stress could be just enough to put Luna over the edge. However, Applejack knew that the question was pointless. The princess would never give up on those she cared about.

Slowly the glow around Luna's horn gave out, and the princess slumped tiredly. Her lips twitched, her beautiful eyes shaking horrifyingly. Luna's whole body was giving out, but to this point she had not admitted it. Unable to fight it anymore, a single tear streaked down her flush cheek.

"To be honest, Applejack... Your princess is not feeling well. I believed that..." Another tear. "That Rainbow would have been cured yesterday. That her eyes would open, full of life. That she would stare up from her bed, smile, and tell us that she was going to be okay."

Several tears now wetted her cheeks. Applejack advanced on the princess, placing a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Luna, ya need rest darlin'! Y'all can't keep pushing yourself like you have been."

The princess looked over to the smaller pony, her eyes red and strained. Luna was the unable to save a friend that she cared for; she was past hope, she had entered into shock.

Suddenly Luna fell, her energies depleted. She had fallen into a deep sleep. Applejack quickly threw a blanket over the princess, returning her view Rainbow Dash.

'I wish Ah knew what you were going through, Rainbow. An wish Ah knew how to help you, if possible at all.'

Suddenly a knocking sounded from the front door of the farmhouse, a floor below.

'Now who could that be, so early in the mornin'?'

After quickly kissing Rainbow's forehead, and pulling the cyan Pegasus's blanket over her shoulder, Applejack made her way quietly to the door. Most likely the whole apple family was asleep at this hour, except for Big Macintosh who would already be in the orchard, starting his daily chores. Applejack made her way down the creaky staircase, through the waning hallways, and to the front door. All the while the knocking continued; whoever was outside was impatient.

Applejack wearily opened the door, revealing-

"Applejack!" Twilight Sparkle was breathing heavily, recovering from a swift run. "I need to see Rainbow, now! I may have figured something out!"

Applejack was stunned for a moment, staring at the lavender unicorn. Twilight looked exhausted, eyes bagging and knees shaking lightly. Upon her back Twilight had saddled two large bags, one of which carried a hefty spell book. Her mane was tossed randomly and eyes focused hard, Applejack could tell this was important.

"Of course, sugarcube, come in!" Applejack backed away from the door and Twilight entered frantically. "Now, what has you so worked up?"

"This may be it, Applejack! I may have found a way to help Rainbow!" Twilight was ecstatic, refusing to stop even for a moment. With Applejack close behind the two made their way up to Applejack's room.

"Tell me what's goin' on, Twilight!" Applejack entered the room soon after her purple friends, and together they made their way to Rainbow's resting place.

"You see, Applejack, it's taken countless hours, but... I've invented a new spell." Twilight's horn burst to life, the spell book in her saddle bag floating onto the bed and opening itself. The pages were filled with purple ink, Twilight's favorite color. The pages flipped rapidly, and finally fell on a page that was especially full. "Here it is."

Applejack's heart warmed, lifting to a happiness that she had not felt since.. Well, since the moment Rainbow said that she loved her. A wide smile shot across Applejack's face and she couldn't hide her excitement if she wanted to. Which she didn't.

The first rays of sun were piercing the horizon, punching their way into the room. Rainbow Dash' beautiful mane, washed and cared for by Applejack, seemed to glow in the light. Applejack couldn't help but notice that Rainbow's breathing had become shallower of late, and raspier. If Twilight had truly found a cure for Rainbow Dash then Applejack had some heavy thinking ahead of her.

'What will Ah say to Rainbow when she wakes up? What will she think of me?' Applejack watched Twilight's horn began to glow, her book rising into the air. '-And what if Twilight's spell doesn't work. What then?'

Twilight grunted painfully as a second layer of color wrapped around the first. And then the book dropped, the magic glow fading away. Agonizingly slow Twilight turned to Applejack. "I can't do it, Applejack! I'm not strong enough to cast the spell." Pausing for a moment, Twilight looked up again, a new hope in her eyes. But I know who can! Wait here, Applejack, I'll bring back Princess Celestial!"

And with that, Twilight was gone; hurrying out of the old farmhouse.

There was still hope. Princess Celestial, an alicorn magically strong enough to raise the sun and lower the moon for a thousand years, was going to save Rainbow Dash. Slowly Applejack sauntered over to her bedroom window. Finally, after so many days of stress and worry, things were about to set themselves straight. Rainbow would be returned to her full strength and then they would...

They would what? Fall in love forever, living in harmony like the trees and the grass? Would they take evening strolls through the park, happily together in eachother's embrace? No... As much as Applejack would have loved to imagine such, she knew that they would never stop being rivals, in a way. If Rainbow recovered then Applejack would never, ever let her fall from grace again. Every day Applejack would push Rainbow harder, and together they would reach their dreams.

If Rainbow Dash recovered, that is.

The sky outside the window was cyan blue, stil chasing away remnants of the night; whiffs of clouds drifted throughout the sky. The trees of Sweet Apple Acres were bare of fruit, their leaves beginning to turn strange, beautiful shades of yellow red and orange. The grass swayed gently in the breeze, and in the far distance Ponyville stood proud, like it had for so long. There, on the road to Ponyville, Applejack could still make out Twilight Sparkle rushing towards town.

Breathing a deep breath of fresh morning air Applejack turned. Rainbow Dash's chest rose and fell with each breath and, if AJ's eyes didn't deceive her, Rainbow's breaths were becoming more regulated! Twilight's spell may not have worked completely, but it may have worked a little. Quickly Applejack ran to the bed, plopping down beside the beautiful pegasus.

"Rainbow," Applejack leaned down over her friend, wrapping her front legs around the sleeping beauty. "Ah love you. If you can hear me then you need to know... ah love you too."

Rainbow Dash moved. It was slight, so small that it could have been blamed on the wind, but she moved. Rainbow's hoof had moved, and Applejack was certain of it.

'Did you hear me, Rainbow?'

"Applejack." Luna had risen from her bed, looking no better than when she had laid down. "What's going on, Applejack? Who are you speaking to?"

"No one, Princess. Just talkin' to myself." Applejack looked over at the sleepy alicorn, who was just able to keep her eyes open. "however, things have taken a turn for the better!"

Immediately the princess's eyes widened, diverting to the sleeping Rainbow Dash. "How? Has she at last recovered!" The former villain seemed like she'd never been so happy in her life. Quickly her happiness dispersed upon the grimly Pegasus before her. "But Applejack, she looks only remotely better than before! She is still sick!"

"Yes, but Twilight has created a spell to cure her. She is trying to reach Celestial to cast the spell on Rainbow Dash!" Happily Applejack leaned down, planting her lips again on Rainbow's forehead before lying beside the Pegasus. "I can't wait."

"Wait, Celestia is coming? Here?" Luna sounded frightened, but Applejack couldn't tell why. Shouldn't the younger sister be jumping for joy? "Applejack, how long do we have till she gets here?"

Applejack stared at the princess, bewildered. "Princess Luna, aren't you glad?"

"Heaven's no, Applejack!" The princes quickly rushed over to Twilight's book, despite her tiredness. Her eyes danced across the open pages, reading as quickly as possible.

"Why, what's the problem?" Applejack was truly bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"Applejack, my sister has to work, day and night to solve problems, and help ponies! She always gives her all, her only time off is when she reads the letters of you, and your friends!" The princess did not break her sight from the pages before her. "All the time I am trying to impress Celestial, to have her see me as her equal! I want to help my sister... I can't stand watching her so busy all the time."

Luna was crying, tears dropping onto the pages below her.

"Applejack?"

"Yeah, Luna?"

"I need your help if I'm going to do this. Please." The younger of the princesses looked over to Applejack, eyes red. "I have to show Celestia that I can do this!"

Applejack understood completely. Up until the day that her mother left Applejack spent every waking moment of her life trying to impress the mare. Even now Applejack sought only to impress the mare that held her heart, Rainbow Dash.

"What do you need me to do?"

Luna, stunned by AJ's quick response, jumped into action. Staring down at the book before her, Luna's horn began to glow.

"Now Applejack, this spell that Twilight has invented... It will bring great pain to Rainbow Dash. The glow around the princess's horn developed a second layer of color and traces of struggle shot across her face. "I need you to hold Rainbow still, no matter what happens! I'm going to be fixing her body, but it will be difficult on both of us."

Applejack, already laying over the cyan Pegasus, quickly braced herself over Rainbow. "Are you sure you can do this, Luna? You're already so strained!" Rainbow's body twitched violently under Applejack.

"Applejack, you pushed yourself for days to save the one that you love." Luna tried to smile, despite the pain. "I live my sister, and I will always push myself to relieve her of troubles!"

Rainbow's body was moving. It moved in sudden jerks, and twists and turns; but it was moving. Applejack understood Luna's new strength, and attempted to muster her own. By this point Luna's horn filled the room with a purple glow. They had to be strong.

Suddenly Rainbow Dash's wing extended, catching Applejack off guard and throwing her across the room, screaming as she hit the far wall in pain. Immediately she stood, running to reclaim her place above Rainbow. Again Rainbow's wings lashed out, throwing Applejack back. Rainbow's screams filled the room.

At that moment Big Macintosh burst through the door, taking in the scene before him. Moving quickly he joined Applejack on her way back to the bed. "What's goin' on, sis! Ah could hear screams from the orchard!"

'Oh, thank Celestia!' Applejack smiled despite her pain. "Quickly, Big Mac, help me hold Rainbow down!"

The Pegasus's body thrashed around the bed, screeching to the stars. Each time Applejack approached she was swiftly met with a hoof to the face, or a kick to the stomach. Macintosh, however, quickly subdued the flailing Pegasus. "Ah got 'er!"

That's when the second problem occurred. Luna, horn now glowing with half a dozen different shades of purple, dropped to her knees. Sweat dripped from the alicorn's brow, her legs shaking violently below her.

"Applejack!" her older brother called out to AJ, still easily holding Rainbow in place despite her frantic movements. "Ah got Rainbow, support the princess!"

Without a second thought Applejack was by the princess's side, Luna leaning heavily on the farm pony. A minute passed. Then another. And another. With time Rainbow began to calm, un-able to fight against her restraints any longer.

And then it was over. The purple glow dispersed. Luna fell to the ground, asleep, her body raising and falling heavily. Big Macintosh slowly backed away from the bed as Applejack approached it.

"A...apple...jack." Rainbow's voice was weak, even quieter than Fluttershy's, but it was there. AJ had heard it, she was sure.

Softly, and quietly, Applejack crawled up beside Rainbow Dash; a single arm thrown over the pegasus's shoulders. Leaning in closer to Rainbow's ear, Applejack whispered. "Ah'm here, darlin'. Ah'm here."

'And Ah'll never be gone when ya need me again.'

Comments

[Succaeros the Chronicler]

Watch your spellcheck, it's changing your words for you.

[Professor Donger]

Princess Celestial? who the hells Celestial? XD

[malikvamp]

292611 gaahhhhhhh I hate iPad spellcheck!