Always connected- Aftermath

by The-rogue-shadow

Chapter 10

Rainbow galloped to the main tent, quickly throwing her armour on as the screams and shouts from the front got louder. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Pinkie and Twilight sharing a quick kiss and it made Rainbow worried. She strapped her sword to her back, adjusting it until she was able to fly at the same time. The last thing she put on was her helmet, which promptly slipped over her eyes, as Rarity hadn't finished making Rainbow her armour yet, meaning that Rainbow was stuck with a spare set that didn't fit her properly. She followed Pinkie and Twilight out of the tent, meeting up with Black Diamond and Twilight's second in command; Lightstar as they headed towards the shouting. Rainbow unsheathed her sword as she heard the distinctive sounds of griffins, an eagle's screech mixed with the roar of a lion. She took off, trying to get perspective on the situation and saw that the griffins had blasted through the defences and were laying waste to the camp. She landed beside Twilight and explained what she saw. Twilight nodded and flipped up the hood on her outfit that had replaced her armour. When they reached the source of the chaos, Twilight and Lightstar began to fire balls of fire to distract the griffins while Rainbow and Diamond galloped straight at them. Rainbow slid to the ground as a griffin swung a huge hammer at her. The hammer clipped her head and sent the helmet flying. Rainbow slid between its legs, slicing at the griffin's ankles as she did. The griffin howled with pain as Rainbow stood, jamming the sword in between its wings. It fell to the ground, dead, and Rainbow stared at it, shocked at how easily she had killed it. Black Diamond shouted something to her, but it sounded distant, muffled, as Rainbow's hooves quivered. She was shocked out of her trance by Black Diamond, who was shaking her. She turned to him, fighting back the tears that had filled her vision.

"Stay focused Rainbow, there aren't that many of them. Come on let's-" Diamond started, but suddenly he was wrenched away from her as a large griffin grabbed him by the throat. Rainbow could only stare as it took its sword and plunged it into Diamond's stomach. His eyes went wide and he screamed. Once again shocked back to reality, as the griffin tossed Diamond aside, the sword still embedded in him, and turned to Rainbow. She screamed loudly, animalistic, leaping on the griffin. She knocked it down and with one swipe, decapitated it. Rainbow could feel the transformation, and surrendered control to Rainbow Dark. What followed was like a dream, a wet, crimson-tinged dream. Rainbow could make out flashes of limbs flying and the fearful expressions of the griffins as they fell before her. A few times, she would receive glints of the pain that Rainbow Dark was feeling every time she got hit, but still she pressed on. She took back control when she stopped hearing any noise. For a moment, she stayed as Rainbow Dark, her eyes searching for any signs of movement. When she was certain that there was none, she took a deep breath, calming down and letting the transformation reverse. She galloped over to Black Diamond and found him surrounded by Twilight, Pinkie, Lightstar and to Rainbow's sorrow, Rarity. She bent down to look at Diamond, his eyes closed and his head being cradled by a crying Rarity. Rainbow hugged Diamond, and as she did, a small drop of her blood fell onto his body from a head wound she didn't realise she had. The blood trailed down his chest to the wound, now without the sword and they all gasped as the wound glowed golden for a moment and closed slightly.

"Oh my Luna! Rainbow, your blood, it's healing him! We need more." Shouted Rarity, fearful that she might lose her fiancé. Rainbow checked her head, but found that the wound had healed. In desperation, she grabbed Diamond's dagger out of its sheath and slit her arm, just above the hoof. The blood flowed from the rapidly closing wound, but the little that did found its way to Diamond's wound. It glowed brightly and Rainbow could make out the faint sounds of sizzling as the wound closed. Rarity laughed as it happened, and Rainbow hoped against hope that it worked. The wound closed completely. With a gasp, Black Diamond's eyes snapped open and he looked around in panic.

"Did I kill them all?" He asked, and Rarity kissed him, as Twilight patted Rainbow on the back. A single tear rolled down Rainbow's cheek as she grabbed Black Diamond and hugged him.

"I'm so sorry Diamond." She said, her voice full of fear and joy at the same time.

"What for, what did you do?" He asked, giving Rainbow a look. She shook her head.

"The details can wait, the important thing is that I failed you and I'm sorry." She said, looking at the ground in shame.

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

Applejack waited until it was dark before she finally went to check on Applebloom and found her lying on Twilight's bed crying. Applejack sat down next to her and waited for Applebloom to ask the questions she was now prepared for.

What happened to you?" Applebloom asked. "Ah understood that you were staying at the hospital to be with Rainbow, and then the next thing ah knew, Big Mac said that you were in a coma and that he was off to war." Applejack sighed, trying to find the best words to explain what she meant.

"Ah know darling, and ah'm sorry to have scared you like ah did. Rainbow had retreated into her own mind to escape the trauma of the attack. And Twilight found a way for me to go get her. So ah did. Ah'll explain the whole story another time, but the point is that ah was told that ah would be awake in two days and then when ah awoke, Twilight appeared and said that we had been asleep for a year and a half. Which, to my understanding, was because of a spell that Celestia used to keep us asleep until I succeeded with Rainbow." Applejack told Applebloom, and frowned at the sceptical look on her face.

"Ah swear it's all true." She added, and Applebloom shook her head.

"You can understand why ah don't believe you. It all just seems a little ridiculous." Applebloom said, and Applejack smiled.

"Trust me; it was ridiculous for me at the time as well." She said, and Applebloom smiled.

"Ah missed you big sister." She said, hugging Applejack, who embraced her and squeezed tight, never wanting to let go. Applebloom pulled away, smiling at her sister.

"So, you and Spike huh." Said Applejack and giggled at the blushing face of Applebloom.

"Yeah, well, after you and Big Mac left, ah had to harvest all of the apples by myself and one day Spike saw me and just started to help without even being asked. We started to spend a lot of time together and then one day he formally asked me to be his marefriend." Applebloom said, smiling as she remembered.

"Ah've actually been talking to Zecora about changing Spike into a pony so that we can be…. Closer." Said Applebloom said and it was Applejack's turn to blush, her eyes widened and she was at a loss for words.

"Uh…. What?" Applejack said finally. Applebloom laughed.

"Well ah'd like to have a foal someday and that can't happen if Spike is still a dragon so we have no other choice. Ah've talked to Spike about it and he said that he's willing if it's possible, but Zecora said that it is beyond the skills of herself or any unicorn." Applebloom said sadly. An idea formed in Applejack's mind and she took off downstairs, leaving Applebloom looking confused. She returned with Spike and DuskDrift.

"Ah think ah have the solution to your little problem." She said, looking at DuskDrift.

"Okay, what am I missing here?" DuskDrift asked, looking at the confused expression on Applebloom's face.

"DuskDrift, do you think that you could turn Spike here into a pony?" Asked Applejack and Spike's mouth dropped open, he turned to Applebloom.

"You told her about that!" He said and Applebloom smiled awkwardly.

"I suppose I could…. But there would be no guarantees and I would need you all to leave." Said DuskDrift. Spike put his hands up, telling them all to stop talking for a moment.

"Three things; Firstly, how does she do magic, she's a Pegasus. Secondly, assuming she can do magic, how does she do magic that apparently the most powerful unicorn can't do, and thirdly, why are you so up for it Applejack?" Spike said, and Applejack smiled.

"Well, because DuskDrift is no ordinary Pegasus, she's Luna's apprentice and she has been taught magic that is impossible for unicorns already. And as for your question, ah'm up for it because I can see in Applebloom's eyes how much she cares for you and I want her to be happy." Applejack replied, and Applebloom blushed. DuskDrift ushered them all out of the room and closed the door. Applejack told Big Mac the plan and he said nothing, instead taking a deep breath and whispering something to Applebloom that made her blush. For hours they waited, as screams erupted from the bedroom. Applebloom had to be held by Big Mac to stop her from bursting in on them as DuskDrift worked. Applethunder made them all some lunch, but they all barely ate anything.

'Ah hope ah did the right thing.' Thought Applejack, as Spike's screams got louder.

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

Rainbow flinched as The Doctor stuck a needle into her arm and pulled out some blood. Taking the vial, he shone his pen-light at it. The whirring noise became deep and the blood started to boil. The Doctor turned off the light and smiled.

"Remarkable, absolutely remarkable. Rainbow your blood not only has the properties to heal yourself, but can heal others. Fantastic! I have no idea of the magic or the science to why it works, but that fact is that it works." He said, and Rainbow frowned, the Doctor giving her no new information about what had happened. Rainbow turned as Black Diamond limped into the tent, the blood only healed the sword wound and none of the others he sustained during the fight.

"Well I'm just glad it did work." He said, standing next to Rainbow, who looked at him and could feel nothing but guilt. She had let him down and gotten him seriously hurt, and she would never forgive herself for it.

"Diamond, I can't believe how badly I let you down. I hesitated and you got hurt and-" Rainbow said, but was interrupted by Diamond, who stuck his hoof in her mouth.

"Rainbow stop. Please don't beat yourself up. I was the one who should have been paying more attention. I should have realised that you were going to get first-battle jitters. It was all on me, you are the one who saved my life. I owe you a debt I cannot repay." Said Diamond, hugging Rainbow. He produced some papers from the saddlebag that hung off his side and handed them to the Doctor.

"Can you sign these please? They're from Rarity, something about an armour upgrade she needs your help with." He said, and the Doctor smiled. Rainbow looked at Diamond, puzzled.

"How can you just brush off the fact that you died today! Like literally dead!" She said, not believing that he was so casual about it. Diamond looked at her, sighing.

"Because Rainbow, that's what happens. I don't fear death, because I know that my time will come when it does. Until then, I just try and do my best and protect those I care about." He explained, taking the papers back off the Doctor and leaving.

"Do you fear death?" She asked the Doctor, who laughed.

"When you've died the amount of times I have, it loses its novelty." He said cryptically. Rainbow didn't understand what he meant, but she did know that she DID fear death. A lot.

Comments

[xanderman1201]

Oh my gosh, i laughed so hard at the doctors comment there at the end.