Hope is the thing with feathers
Dr. Spring Flight wanted Rainbow Dash to remain in the hospital under his care for at least a week. For the first three days and nights, Applejack did not leave her side, even sleeping on a small cot at the foot of Rainbow’s hospital bed. But on the fourth day Lyra insisted she go home and let her take over for a while.
“It ain’t that I don’t trust you,” AJ resisted, “but I -“
“You need a break.” Lyra levitated Applejack’s bags onto her back and physically urged her toward the door.
“But she -“
“APPLEJACK!” Lyra grabbed the reluctant mare by the face. “Do not martyr yourself to this. It will just make Rainbow feel worse. Take a break. Bring Scootaloo home for the night. Spend some time with Soarin. If not for yourself than do it for them. I’m sure they miss you.”
Applejack sagged. “You’re right, of course. C’mere, give me a hug Sugarcube. You’re a good friend.”
AJ stopped by Soarin’s place and left a note: I miss you. Come by tonight? I’ll be at the house. - Jackie . The Shys insisted she stay for lunch, then she and Scootaloo dropped by the farm for a while. They took the scenic route home; Scootaloo seemed a little clingy but mostly happy to have her back. By the time Soarin arrived for dinner she was nearly back to her normal self. They worked on her homework all together, ate out on the porch, then leaned back to watch the stars for a while. She fell asleep nestled between them, one hoof hooked around Soarin’s foreleg and her head lolling on Applejack’s shoulder. The two older ponies’ eyes met over her little purple head.
“Lyra was right,” whispered AJ. “I needed this. Maybe... we all did?”
Soarin nodded vigorously but then lowered his gaze. “I was afraid...” he blew out a ragged breath. “I feel like I let you down.”
“What?”
“I promised you I would look after Rainbow Dash. And I got to her as fast as I could but it was already too late. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh, Sugarcube.” Applejack sighed. “Don’t take that on. Misty told me how it was that day. She told me if not for you Rainbow wouldn’t even be alive. Look, I know how she is, and I know how it is down there. I should never have asked that of you. It was unfair of me.”
“But I was glad you asked. It made me feel good, thinking that I was the kind of pony that a pony like you could rely on. I wanted to be that for you.”
“And you did and you are. Soarin, look at me. That hasn’t changed. I don’t know how Rainbow Dash will go on from this and that scares me. I’m more scared now than the day you brought me here. But how I feel about you hasn’t changed. I still... I still rely on you. More than ever.” She traced his jawline with her hoof, and he captured it with his own and kissed it tenderly, wrapping his wing around her and Scootaloo both. “Let’s go upstairs.” Applejack whispered. “Let’s put this little Crusader to bed.”
Together, they settled Scootaloo into her bed with Scratch the cat, then Applejack led Soarin to her own room. “She’s not as deep a sleeper as Dash is. Think you can keep it down?”
Soarin’s cheeky grin that she loved had returned. “The question is, can you?”
Applejack slapped him lightly across the face with her tail as she moved to the bed. “Okay then, flycolt - show me what you got.”
Afterwards, he pressed his muzzle hotly to the nape of her neck. “I love you, Applejack,” he panted. “I love you so much.”
She twisted around to look him in the face, so he could see how much she meant it when she said “I love you too, Soarin.”
A week after Rainbow Dash came home, Dr. Whooves said he was working on something for her, something that would help her fly again, and that it was nearly finished. Rainbow told him she was in, 100%, no matter what it was. Spitfire was unsure and reluctant.
“Do you really think this guy can do what he claims, AJ?” she asked. “Do you really believe him?” Her face was weary bordering on haggard. If there was anypony to rival
Luna herself in responsibility and sleeplessness it was Spitfire.
Applejack thought of the beautiful greenhouse and the rows of dirt and plants and colorful vegetables flourishing in their cloudy home. “I do.” she nodded. “If he says he can figure this out, he will.”
Rainbow Dash did her best to stay busy while she was grounded and Applejack did her best not to hover. Soarin was pulling mostly night flights for a while which made finding time together harder; finally, it was Dash who invited him to move in, and it was also at her suggestion that he gave his old apartment to Lyra. Misty Fly lived in the same neighborhood, Dash knew she and Lyra were still hooking up, and she congratulated herself on securing such beneficial situations for two of her teammates and two good friends. “Best wing pony ever!” she whispered to a giggling Scootaloo the night Soarin and Applejack retired to their new little area of the house for the first time. The additional privacy was timely; Dash’s close scrape with doom had reminded everyone in their inner circle of their still tenuous situation in this fraught new world. And that only increased Soarin and AJ’s urgency for one another. When he crept in late at night, the smell of storm clouds and rain on his fur went straight to her head, when he slipped between the sheets his feathers were deliciously cool on her body. She always wakened at once, arching into him as he gathered her close. He loved getting to come home to her. After an arduous mission he yearned for the comfort of her body, the sound of her voice moaning his name.
The day came when Rainbow Dash and Dr. Whooves were ready, and Applejack and Scootaloo went to wait nervously outside his little workshop, along with Soarin and most of the other Wonderbolts, and Princess Luna herself. Rainbow emerged with a beautiful silver prosthetic wing and took to the sky for a test flight as everypony looked on, at first nervously, then with increasing excitement as she begin to fly faster and further, executing a series of tight maneuvers with all of her customary panache. When she started climbing swiftly, only to redirect into a sudden dive, Spitfire pulled her sunglasses off.
“She’s not!”
“She is!” Applejack shook her head.
The rainboom exploded, rippling, just above their heads. Rainbow Dash was crowing with delight as she zoomed past and the assembled Wonderbolts began to cheer as they took to the sky after her. Applejack turned, smiling, to Dr. Whooves.
“I wasn’t sure it would hold for that,” he muttered in a dazed whisper.
“Say what now?”
“Nothing!” He laughed nervously. “I’ve just never seen a sonic rainboom up close before.”
“I reckon you get a nice big assist on that one.” Applejack hoof bumped him.
“Magnificent.” Luna beamed. “You have a marvelous mind, Doctor.”
“I don’t rightly know where we’d all be without him!” AJ agreed as the stallion in question blushed furiously at their praise.
Midnight Strike swooped over and hovered just above them. “Come join us, Princess!” She encouraged. Luna demurred but the call was soon taken up by the other ‘bolts, and finally with a soft laugh she unfurled her majestic wings and lifted gracefully into the air to join the celebration. Soarin glided down to grab Scootaloo. “Ready for a ride, squirt?” He tossed her onto his back and rocketed off with her squealing and clinging to his head and neck.
When Rainbow Dash finally alighted, with Luna and the others close behind, she marched right up to Dr. Whooves, grabbed his face and kissed him smack on the lips. Then Fleetfoot did the same, then Thunderlane, and soon the flustered Earth pony was surrounded by Wonderbolts, all gleefully kissing him and clapping him on the back. Applejack found herself standing next to the Princess.
“It is a good day.” Luna observed the scene benevolently. “It does me good to see ponies so happy; we need to be happy, Applejack, don’t you think? There’s more to this life than mere survival.”
“I reckon you’re right, Princess.”
Luna now turned a slightly arch look upon her. “You’re sleeping better nowadays, Applejack. No nightmares for several weeks. What’s your secret?” There was a twinkle in her eye that brought to mind the filly she might have been, many eras ago. Applejack couldn’t resist responding with a coy smirk.
“My secret is good company,” she drawled. Luna gave a delighted laugh like a peeling bell. When Soarin and Scootaloo landed alongside them, the Princess gently drew Scootaloo aside to join the crowd of celebrants still surrounding Rainbow Dash and the Doctor. Soarin smiled at Applejack and bumped her shoulder with his. When she bumped him back he threw a wing around her and gathered her close against his side.
“Princess Luna said she’d noticed I’ve been sleeping better,” he smiled.
Applejack chuckled. “She said the same to me. I guess she approves.”
“Hey, do you think she’d want to officiate our wedding for us?”
Applejack was momentarily startled; her jaw dropped but she recovered quickly. “What do you mean, wedding? You ain’t even proposed!”
Soarin laughed. “Okay, okay,” he acknowledged, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “How about this?” He raised his wings on either side of their faces, shielding them in a feathery cocoon of privacy. They were both smiling into each other’s eyes, their muzzles brushing together. “Applejack,” he kissed her gently, “I love you more than anything in this life. Will you marry me?”
AJ nuzzled him tenderly. “Nothing would make me happier. The answer’s yes.” They stood there kissing behind the shroud of his wings while the celebration continued. Only Luna seemed to notice. She gave a deep sigh of contentment. Yes, today was a very good day.
Soarin and Applejack chose to be married in a picturesque area of the farm, on a day that was all pretty sunshine, blue skies, pleasant breeze. One thing two heroes of Equestria who lived near the weather factory did not have to worry about on their wedding day was an errant rain drop. Applejack asked Rainbow Dash, Lyra, Shining Armor, and Doctor Whooves to stand up with her. Scootaloo and Flurry Heart were to be flower girls, of a sort. They would precede the adults down the aisle with sparklers that Doctor Whooves had whipped up. Applejack hadn’t anticipated any real flowers until that morning when Mr. and Mrs. Shy dropped off some beautiful Irises they had grown as a surprise for her on her special day. Lyra sent one to Wonderbolts HQ for Soarin to pin on his uniform, and wove the others into Applejack’s braid.
She had never been the sort of filly who liked to daydream about weddings, she’d never cared much about being a bride per se, but Applejack was completely and entirely delighted to be marrying Soarin and she waited with pleased anticipation behind the greenhouse with her friends as the guests assembled. Dr. Whooves poked his head around the corner. “I think we’re ready to begin!”
Shining Armor cleared his throat shakily. “Applejack?” He extended a hoof to her. “I know that if your own big brother were here...”
Applejack hugged him fiercely. “I know. Thank you, Sugarcube.” She smiled tenderly at the single tear that ran down his cheek. “Liquid pride, right?”
“That’s right!” He agreed with a watery smile, patting her hoof into the crook of his foreleg. AJ smiled at her friends, at the little ones.
“You fillies ready to lead the way?”
Dr. Whooves handed Scootaloo and Flurry Heart each a little pinwheel sparkler - “they don’t actually ignite!” - he assured Shining, and the two young ponies proceeded up the aisle to the delight of the crowd assembled. Rainbow gave Lyra an exaggeratedly courtly bow and extended her hoof, which Lyra accepted, laughing, and then came the beautiful bride, escorted by her honorary big brother, who was now crying in earnest. Applejack smiled around her at all their assembled friends - our little Cloudsdale family, she thought. Even good old Dr. Spring Flight had taken the day off to attend and was dabbing his eyes with a hankie. Luna regarded her subjects with a gentle smile; Applejack noted for the first time that she had grown taller, though not yet so much as her statuesque sister. Soarin and the rest of the Wonderbolts were resplendent in their dress blues. He winked at her and she at him. They were like any other bride and groom on this day, smiling and blushing and unable to take their eyes off one another. When Luna pronounced them husband and wife Soarin dipped AJ backwards and kissed her firmly as everypony whistled and cheered and Dr. Whooves gleefully set off fireworks and Flurry Heart flew in exuberant circles above them.
“I love you so much, Jackie. I’m so lucky you chose me.” Applejack wrapped herself around her dashing groom and kissed him back with equal vigor. “Oh, it’s me who’s lucky, Sugarcube.” When they shared their first dance to the same song they’d danced to at Soarin’s birthday party, there was hardly a dry eye in the house.
The party lasted all that day and well into the night, eventually becoming a sort of revolving door, open house which anypony could drop by and partake of. Applejack and Soarin danced with all the guests, all the drop ins, but always returned to one another, their eyes always finding each other across the crowded floor. Princess Luna stayed the whole time and partook in all the fun, all the revelry. She threw back shots with the Wonderbolts and danced with Dr. Spring Flight and helped set off more fireworks. She was delighted thinking of all the happy dreams that would visit her subjects this night. Those she couldn’t save still ate away at her but looking around she felt that she had managed to rise to the occasion of this strange era, that she had managed to get this thing right.
Very late that evening, as Applejack drifted to sleep with her head resting on Soarin’s chest, she did not think of what came before or what might come next and who was not there to see it. She just enjoyed the feeling of her new husband’s leg curled protectively around her shoulders and the steady beat of his strong heart under her ear.
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I liked this chapter, now what will happen next
Wow the doctor is a very lucky pony just like the tenth doctor in Doctor Who lol 😁
10878844
I know, right? Kisses from all the bolts, what a lucky pony. 😘
So it looks like Applejack keep an eye on Rainbow dash while she's recovering but both of them are pretty drain and Lyra called Applejack to go home and be with Scootaloo and soarin and it looks like she needed this and being with him as well after a few weeks recovery rainbow came home and told soarin to move in with Applejack and her and Scootaloo and then a few days the doctor gave a new metal wing for rainbow and she test drive it and it worked perfectly she thanked him for all the things he done for her but then Soarin also drop the ball by asking Applejack to marry him which she accepted and everybody are pretty happy for them it's an adorable chapter I like this I wonder what's going to happen next
Applejack and soarin
10878934
Oh my gosh, thank you- I love this! What a great choice for them. Since I referred to them having a song I have been curious to know what readers thought of for them so thanks so much for sharing that.
I also like “Try Me” by James Brown for them and if Lyra and Misty had a song it would definitely be “All Night Thing” by Temple of the Dog. 😉