Mending a Broken Rainbow

by malikvamp

Chapter 6

Mending a Broken Rainbow- Chapter Six

The hallways of Castle Canterlot were silent, as they always were in the dead of night, the only exception the frantic claps of hooves as Twilight Sparkle neared the throne room. All around her beautiful rays of colored light filtered in through endless rows of crystal glass, arranged as paintings of history, and time well past. From the outside walls the castle could seem like a proud fortress, but from within each room and hallway was a piece of art. A piece of history.

Advancing deeper into the castle, and closer to her query, Twilight quickened her pace.

"Welcome home, sister!" the familiar voice of Shining Armor split the silence as he advanced into the hallway, and into his sister's path. "how was your trip back to Ponyville?"

Pulling to a halt, the princess's pupil sighed heavily. "I'm still trying to figure that out. Now please, I must see princess Celestia right away!" Jeering to her left, Twilight attempted to push farther, but Shining quickly moved into her path yet again.

"Now hold up," the captain's face twisted worryingly, "what's wrong, Twi? I haven't seen you this worked up since you found out my bride was a changeling!"

"No time to talk! I must see the princess!" Twilight once again attempted to pass, luckless. She knew her brother well, though, and knew exactly what he wanted. "Oh fine, you can come with me, if you must!"

Shining smiled a pearly white smile. "Sounds good to me."

Side by side the siblings continued continued Twilight's journey, Twilight's eyes focussed on the task ahead. After a moment, Shining continued. "So what is this about, anyways?"

"Rainbow Dash."

"Your friend?"

"Yes, the one with the rainbow hair."

"And what does this have to do with the princess?" Shining fired, question after question, the final door to the throne room growing close, towering high above their heads. "if you are having problems with your friends, can't you find a way to solve them yourself?"

"Rainbow Dash," the doors to the throne room erupted into a purple glow, and began to creakily slide open. "is Celestia's daughter."

Twilight made her way into the enormous room, Shining armor left, mouth agape and motionless in the hallway. As expected, the princess herself sat upon her throne, however the matching thrones of Luna and Cadence remained empty, the two siblings neigh to be seen. The eldest sister, upon seeing her pupil, rose from her throne and allowed a wide grin to stretch across her face, as always she did upon Twilight's return from her trips.

"Twilight Sparkle," Celestia's voice filled the room with ease, jolting her guards to attention. "welcome back, how was your trip to Ponyville?"

For a moment Twilight's eyes glanced around the room, from guard to guard. She had hoped for the princess to be alone, as stray ears may cause only more confusion. However, deciding there was no time to loose, Twilight spoke. "That's actually what I came here to talk to you about. Rainbow Dash, she... She...."

"Rainbow Dash is your daughter?!" Shining Armor, finally collecting himself, bolted into the center of the room.

Silence once again fell upon the castle. Mass confusion swept over the room, as guards glanced to one another stupefied.

Celestia laughed.

"Brilliant prank, Twilight!" Celestia's words immediately casted away all confusion, as the guards all let out small chuckles of their own. "Now then, guards, please leave so that my pupil and I may discuss her trip. We have much to catch up on."

One by one the armored stallions filed from the room, Shining Armor following close behind.

"Not you, captain," Celestia ordered, forcing the doors closed with a white aura the moment the last guard departed, and trapping the two siblings in the room. "no, I believe that you will want to hear this," to Twilight, "please, finish what you were saying before your brother's interruption."

After pausing a moment to collect her thoughts, Twilight continued, "Princess is it true? Is Rainbow Dash your... daughter?"

"Daughter," the princess spoke the word to herself, as if pondering it's meaning. "perhaps... I mean, yes? I- I don't know."

"What?" Shining once again stepped forward, panic written across his face and throughout his words, "I must find her! She is you heir, what if she is in danger!"

The captain turned, launching himself in the direction of the door. However, a faint white glow that wrapped around his body had him running in place.

"Shining!" Celestia's voice pulled the stallion to a dead stop. "No pony can know of this. It is of upmost importance that my relationship to Rainbow Dash remains a secret, for now at least."

"But-"

"No," Celestia's gaze fell. "I understand how you feel, but you must understand my point of view. Rainbow Dash is my daughter... And yet I am not allowed to be with her. I have not been allowed to see her grow, nor watch over her, for it would cause many, many problems in our kingdom."

"This doesn't make sense," Shining shook his head in hopes of somehow clearing the situation up. "What proof is there?"

"The Elements," Twilight finally made her way back into the argument. "I always wondered how we could use them, when only descendants of the royal family have such power. But Rainbow is a descendant of Celestia, and somehow, my friends and I are connected to her."

"Correct," Celestia sighed, "but that's not important right now. What's important is how you came across this knowledge."

"Dashie told me."

"Dashie?"

"Yeah," the purple Pegasus looked up at her teacher sympathetically. It was hard enough dealing with her friend being split in two, but Twilight had no idea how the princess would handle the situation. "we have a lot to talk about."

---------------------

The cyan Pegasus rose and fell with each heavy breath. Applejack had no idea how she did it, but even in her sleep Dashie retained a firm grip across her filly-friends shoulders, a limp wing resting overtop the couple. For hours, AJ had watched the Pegasus sleep, innocent as a new born filly, and yet something prevented the farm pony such blissful rest. Instead, she simply lay there, waiting. With a heavy sigh, Applejack maneuvered left and right until she was free from Dashie's grasp, and set a firm step upon the wooden floor of her bedroom.

It made no sense. Usually the thought of being in Rainbow's arms alone could send Applejack into a happy night's rest, and yet not even for a moment that night had Applejack been able to slip away into her dream world. Something was wrong. As silently as possible, Applejack crept across the hard wood floor to her windowsill, and stared out across the orchard she called home.

An average morning on the orchard meant waking up just in time to see the first rays of golden sunlight kiss down across the tips of the apple trees, chasing away the lingering shadows of night. It meant watching as the sky morphed from a great collection of stars and planets far away into a mystifying ocean of bright blue, dotted here and there with cotton-candy like white clouds. It meant feeling the sensation of the morning breeze, dancing through the orchard and up to AJ's window, where it gave her a sweet good morning pinch. However, today was not an average morning.

The sunlight failed to break through a thick blanket of grey, murky clouds that reached out as far as they eye could see. Instead of a soft morning wake up call, the wind slapped against Applejack's face like a brick, knocking the night's drowsiness from her body. The trees bent and twisted against the forces of nature, leaves cracking in a rapid musical disaster. And yet, somehow, Dashie slept happily, her body rising and falling with each calm breath.

"Dashie..." the orange earth pony made her way over to the bed once again, whispering softly as not to wake the target of her attention. "ya try so hard, Ah know ya do, but... Ya just ain't no Rainbow Dash," placing a soft hoof in her filly-friends rainbow mane, AJ stroked through the multicolored strands. "but Ah'll make do. Ah'll have to. The other half of ya doesn't want me anymore.

It'll just take some time gettin' used to." Applejack turned and made her way across the small room, grabbing her Stetson and making for the door.

Through the hallway she crept, quietly as possible, and down the set of ever so creaky stairs, into the kitchen where a large red stallion was settling down for breakfast.

"Up early today, Big Mac?" Applejack scrounged up a meal of her own, before finding a place opposite her brother at the table.

"Nope," the muscled stallion took another bite of his porridge, "just seams that way, cause of the clouds. If anythin' we're late."

"Wow, it's that bad out there eh?" Applejack's eyes made for the kitchen window, all the while scarfing down her food as quickly as possible. "Ah do not envy the Pegasus's one bit on a day like this."

"Me neither," another bite. "Considerin' stayin' in today, and catchin' up on work tomorrow. Ah'd recommend you do the same."

"Thanks for the advice," Applejack spoke through mouthfuls of breakfast, "but Ah think Ah need a bit of fresh air. Got some things Ah need to figure out on mah own."

"What about your 'special friend' upstairs?"

"If she asks," Applejack dropped her bowl into the sink on her way to the door, "Ah'm just enjoyin' the weather."

And with that she made her way into the orchard, the door slamming closed behind her as a sudden gust of wind picked up. However, Applejack was never really one for giving up something once she started. One hoof after another the farm pony pressed into the storm, in desperate need of some time to herself.

'Dashie's intentions are great, really they are,' the athlete made her way towards her favorite tree; the place where she and Rainbow first kissed. 'but all she ever wants to do is cuddle, and talk. No competitions. No races, or prank wars, or pushing me forward in the way she used to.'

Applejack crested the final stretch to the tree, dropping to the ground at it's base. 'In time, maybe this will be all right. But for now, Ah suppose... Ah just want...'

Another sudden gust of wind caught her off guard, sending Applejack's Stetson soaring into the sky above. A sharp pain launched into her heart at the idea of loosing her mother's final possession, left to her so many years ago. And then it happened. Like a flash of lightning, a rainbow shot through the dark clouds, casting it's way after the hat. Within the blink of an eye it returned, the form of Dashie dropping several hooves away from the baffled farm pony, a Stetson firm in her teeth.

"Hey, Applejack," the pegasus spoke through gritted teeth, "How've ya been?"

Something seemed off. Applejack half expected Dashie to barrage her with questions, asking why she left, and where she was going, and asking if they could snuggle some more later. However, Applejack was not one to question good luck.

"To be honest, the last few days have been pretty strange, but..." AJ couldn't help but notice how the cyan beauty just sat there, starring at her, instead of dashing to her side and wrapping a warm wing over her shoulders to shelter her from the wind. There was no way Dashie would pass up a chance to be closer to her. "are you comin' over?"

"Right!" Dashie seemed to snap out of some trance, trotting over to AJ's side and dropping a wing over the mare, "of course!"

Dashie allowed the Stetson to drop from her mouth, and onto the ground before them. Now that Applejack thought about it, there weren't many ponies willing to fly into a storm just to make sure she was safe, let alone, use their bodies to shelter her from the wind. Even if Dashie wasn't Rainbow Dash, at least her heart was in the right place. Turning to face her partner, Applejack began leaning forward, their lips growing closer.

"I love you, Dashie,"

As their lips connected, Applejack knew what to expect. A soft, gentle touch, in which she could almost feel the tenderness with which Dashie cared for her. A beautiful, tender love in which she would do anything for Applejack.

But it was not what she received.

Instead, the kiss was sudden, and fierce. Dashie's lips pressed against Applejack's with a spirit and force she had not experienced in days; since before the split. Before Applejack even knew what was happening, the cyan Pegasus was in control, knocking the farm pony onto the soft, cold earth below her. Pressing down again, Applejack was pinned as the Pegasus explored her mouth gleefully.

And then it was over, before she even knew what hit her. Applejack was left with her back against the grass, staring breathlessly into two strong, beautiful magenta eyes.

"D-Dashie?" AJ managed to squee.

And then, everything changed, as a voice broke through the wind from somewhere in the distance. A familiar, fragile voice. "Applejack? You out there? AJ?"

Dashie's voice was unmistakable, coming from the direction of the farm house.

"Horse Apples!" Rainbolt launched herself from her position atop of Applejack and into the air, dropping two tickets into the brim of Applejack's Stetson. And then, in a sudden flash of light, she disappeared into the storm.

Applejack sat alone, and confused.

"There you are!" Dashie bolted up the hillside and landed beside her love, a wing delicately drooping over the orange ponies shoulders. "I was so, so so worried when you were missing this morning, and Big Mac told me you had wondered into the storm! It's gunna get pretty bad soon!"

Turning to Dashie, Applejack smiled weakly. "Sorry, hun, I just needed some air."

'Ah can't tell her about Rainbolt being here.'

"Is everything okay?"

"Actually..."

Without a second thought, Applejack leaned against the innocent Pegasus, pressing her lips against her prey's. Immediately Dashie cheeks lit cherry red, as AJ pressed her assault, forcing the Pegasus against the ground. And yet, somehow, Dashie's kiss remained soft. Innocent. Loving, not lusting. Despite the excitement excited by the surprise kiss earlier, something about Dashie's just felt... Right to the farm pony.

"Yeah," Applejack rolled from Dashie's petrified body, gigging as she descended the hill towards the farm house. "I think I'm alright, but... Well, I kinda wanna just go home and snuggle."

With a happy bound to her step, Dashie followed Applejack back home, unaware of her counterparts surprise visit.

---------------------

"Rainbolt!" Spitfire's voice rang through the wooden door, and into the newest Wonderbolt's room, soon echoed by an assault of loud knocking against the wooden frame. "Come on, We're almost on!"

"I'll be right there," the star responded thoughtlessly, distracted by the image in the mirror before her. Herself.

Even despite her sudden visit to the orchard, and her disguised meeting with Applejack... Something was still missing. She was so sure it was the physical contact, the thrill of having Applejack's body longing for her own, but now she wasn't so certain. Even being there, on top of the target of her affection, it felt... wrong. There was no other way to describe it.

No, Rainbolt wasn't in love with Applejack's touch, she had decided that much. What she longed for, more then anything, was simply to hear the orange earth pony say;

"Congratulations, you did it."

Was it possible that when Rainbolt and Dashie split, a small part of Rainbolt still loved Applejack? But the only way that could ever happen, was if... If...

Rainbow Dash's dream of becoming a Wonderbolt... Was inspired by her dream of impressing the love of her life. Applejack.

With a sigh and a heavy heart, Rainbolt stood, and made her way towards the stadium, in high hopes the Applejack would be among the audience cheering her on.

Comments

[IAmScootaloo]

Nice, this is getting good!

[malikvamp]

978414

haha. well I'd hope so!

[Triforce of the Gods]

Knew from the beginning that had to be a surprise visit from Rainbolt.

[malikvamp]

982718

Aww to obvious huh?

[Triforce of the Gods]

996338 Well I just assumed Dashie would never fly that fast out of nowhere, as Rainbolt seems to have all that part of Rainbow Dash's personality.

[malikvamp]

996348

Hey, as it seems you are online now, could you go check out the new story I am just about to upload (it's short) and tell me what you think?

[Triforce of the Gods]

996390 Well, I was going to go to bed soon since it's 3:30 in the morning, but if it's going up here withing the next couple minutes then yeah I can give it a go.

[malikvamp]

996407

I can't upload it on here right now, but it's up on DevART. If you wanna check tomorrow it should be on here.