Oranges to Apples
Chapter seven: Oranges to Apples
“Ms. Dash?”
Rainbow Dash groaned and used her hooves to grapple the edges of the pillow and fold them over her head. There was no way any pony was going to wake her up from this nap. Who cared if she was asleep for a whole week, she still needed it! The sweet embrace of sleep was one of her favorite things, after all. However, the pony who was disturbing her didn’t seem to notice or exactly care for that matter.
“Ms. Dash?” the voice said again, a bit more forcibly this time around. This time, along with the sound, came a hoof that shook her shoulder. Irritably, she tried swatting it away, but all she felt was air as she swiped her hoof back and forth. Still, she had to admit the voice was better than the constant, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor that kept ringing in her ears relentlessly.
Groaning, she finally answered,” I’m up, I’m up…” and moved herself slowly into a sitting position. Since she couldn’t quite figure out where the voice was coming from, she leaned back and held her head straight, her eyes set on the direction right in front of her. But, if she could take a guess, she would say that it was coming from her right.
“Lunch time,” the voice, Nurse Redheart’s voice to be more precise, called out from her right.
Ha, she was right. It was to be expected though. Rainbow Dash always guessed correctly. However, the little celebration of hers was obliterated when the thought of hospital food crossed her mind. Celestia how she hated that stuff. The last time she was here and had to eat their food, she could just barely force it down her throat. Right now, the absolute last thing she want to do was eat more of it. For a moment she was thinking about just telling the nurse she wasn’t hungry, but she couldn’t starve, now could she?
Surprisingly, a loud clank was heard and something rather heavy was placed onto her back legs, a tray most likely. She heard a chair pull up to the edge of her bed as well.
“Now, I’m going to have to help you eat so - ”
“No! I mean…um…no, I don’t need any help, thanks.”
“Ms. Dash, you won’t be able to see the food. And if you make a mess, then that could lead to some minor problems,” Nurse Redheart said firmly, standing by her position.
Rainbow felt a large heat rise in her face. This might just be the most humiliating thing she had ever experienced. Now she couldn’t eat by herself? What could be next? On second though, it might be better to leave that certain question unanswered. However, she understood what the nurse was saying. It might just be better to swallow her pride and accept the help. Then again…no. She was NOT going to be treated like a foal!
“Can’t you just…I dunno…tell me where everything is?” she pleaded, almost begging not to be fed. What was left of her reputation was on the line! She couldn’t give in now!
A small silence passed between them, and Rainbow assumed that the nurse was thinking about letting the pegasus have her way. But, it seemed that the odds were not exactly in her favor. Then again, they hadn’t really been on her side recently.
“I’m sorry, but certain…precautions say that I must,” Redheart said apologetically. From the sounds that came to Rainbow’s ears, Nurse Redheart had taken a seat in the chair beside her bed. “Maybe next time.”
So much for eating by herself.
She barely listened when Nurse Redheart told her what was on the tray and where each item was. But, she did catch snippets of the explanation and when she did she didn’t particularly like what she heard. All of it was just trashy hospital food that barely tasted like anything. And sure enough, as she started eating it, she was proven correct. The food was hard to get down, and being fed like a foal just added insult to injury. Now she was absolutely sure this was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to her. She just hoped no pony was watching. However, by the pleasing silence that surrounded them, it seemed that the two ponies were alone.
After what seemed like twelve centuries plus a year, Nurse Redheart gave a small sound of approval and the spoon that had been shoved repeatedly into her mouth disappeared.
Rainbow Dash smacked her lips together a few times, happy that the foreign object was finally out of her mouth.
“Okay, Ms. Dash. You’re all done,” she said happily. Little did Rainbow Dash know that the Nurse felt almost the same way about feeding her. She didn’t particularly like force feeding patients, especially when they were so desperate to not have this belittling procedure done. And for some pony like Rainbow Dash, she felt a huge awkwardness that came with it, adding on to the already humiliating process. The only difference between her and the pegasus was a huge pool of sympathy forming in the earth pony’s gut for Rainbow Dash. But, she had little time to pay attention to such feelings.
Rainbow Dash breathed out a large sigh of relief. “Thank Celestia…” she mumbled, leaning back against the pillow. She heard the chair move back a small ways away from her and footsteps heading towards what she guessed was the door. But, before the door opened, she heard Nurse Redheart speak once again.
“Oh, and another thing. There’s a glass of orange juice on the counter just to your right, in case you’d like it,’ the nurse told her.
Rainbow Dash licked her lips. “Right. Thanks,” she said hesitantly.
“You’re quite welcome. Call us if you need anything,” Nurse Redheart said.
The door then clicked closed, leaving Rainbow Dash alone once again. She was just about to lay back down against the cozy bedspread when she just noticed how dry her throat really was. Not to mention the residue of the food she had just eaten was still stuck in her throat. So, very carefully, she leaned over to her right and felt around. She had to be particularly careful with this seemingly simple task. If there was one thing she didn’t want to do right at that particular moment it was spill the liquid. There was no doubt it would cause an unbearably sticky mess, both to her and the floor, and it would take more trouble cleaning up than it was worth. However, just as she was about to give up, her fumbling hooves knocked against something cold and spherical. Quickly, she grabbed it with her two hooves, making sure she didn’t spill the contents of the glass. As soon as it was steadied, she wasted no time with putting it to her mouth and letting the cool liquid wash away the foul taste of the hospital food.
When the sweet juice touched her taste buds, she was utterly surprised to find that it was actually pretty good. It wasn’t bitter, tasteless, or warm. The small glass of juice was certainly a rarity in this kind of setting, and she intended to savor every drop she was given. But, when she finally did finish it, she felt like it had been swallowed a bit too quickly for her tastes. Still, she would probably be able to ask Nurse Redheart or some other nurse or doctor for another glass, so it wasn’t even that big of a deal.
What really perplexed her was the way she thought of the juice. It was just that. A glass of (very good) orange juice. Why did she react in the way she did? To any other pony, it would just be a regular beverage, but to her it was different for some reason. She skimmed her hoof along the glass. Funny, the juice reminded her of AJ’s apple cider for some reason.
Oh…
That was it.
She missed her friends. The orange juice had reminded her of them, and she only wished that they were here right now, talking with her, keeping her company, or just particularly being with her. She could honestly care less what they would be doing, she just wanted some company. She hated being alone. Right now she was regretting sending Twilight and Rarity off so early. Maybe if she hadn’t been so pushy they would have stayed. But, there was nothing she could do now.
And there she sat, leaning her head against the backboard of the bed and pondering about useless and not so useless things. Like juice, her friends, and flying. Oh how she missed flying. How she missed that luxurious feeling of the wind brushing through her ruffled feathers as she flew. How she missed that rush of adrenaline she always got when she took that first leap into the air, her back legs pushing off the ground and her wings taking over, plunging her face first into her true home, the endless blue sky above her. Never again would she fly, never again would she perform daring stunts of aerial acrobatics, never again would she produce another Sonic Rainboom, or break the visible light spectrum. Never again would she defy the laws of what every pony thought was possible.
Maybe she would miss that most of all.
Breaking the laws of physics. Oh how she had enjoyed proving those ponies who doubted her wrong. The look of disbelief on their faces when she had made the impossible possible brought her pride, joy, and even amusement to admit their defeat to her. What she wouldn’t give to see the looks on their faces one more time, just one more time, if only for a brief glance.
Funny how the things you take for granted everyday of your life are the things that matter the most.
She started in surprise when she heard the door click open again, her thoughts grinding to a halt. Who could it be this time? She braced herself as the unknown pony walked into the room.
“Are you finished?” Nurse Redheart’s soothing voice filled the air.
She let out a relieved breath and relaxed as she heard the comforting, not to mention familiar, sound. “Yeah…the orange juice was good,” she said.
Nurse Redheart chuckled. “I see.”
Rainbow Dash then remembered something she had forgot to mention to the nurse earlier. “Hey, do you know when I can leave?” Rainbow Dash asked. When the nurse didn’t answer right away she thought that she had accidentally offended her in some way. “N-not that this place isn’t cool or anything-”
“It’s quite alright, Ms. Dash,” Nurse Redheart chuckled in an amused fashion. Her tone once again grew serious. “Well…if you keep recovering at the rate you are now, I’d say…” Nurse Redheart thought about her answer for a moment or two. “Tomorrow afternoon? Early the next day?”
Rainbow Dash let out a small sound that seemed eerily familiar to the word ‘yes’.
“But, first thing’s first. Do you know where you’ll be staying after you’re released?”
Rainbow Dash froze. If she was being honest with herself, she hadn’t exactly thought that far ahead yet. “Erm…no,” she admitted quietly, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
“I see…I see…” Redheart trailed off, thinking to herself quietly. She spoke once again, her voice brightening with optimism. “Well, there’s no need to worry, Ms. Dash. I’m sure that if worse comes to worst we can find you somewhere to stay,” she promised.
“Thanks,” Rainbow smiled gratefully.
“You’re very welcome, my dear. Now…” There was something about her tone that Rainbow Dash didn’t quite like. It was serious, and it made it sound like some pony had just died, Celestia forbid. “I’m just wondering something.”
Rainbow could feel herself becoming defensive with every second that passed. “Shoot,” she said cautiously.
“For future references, we need to know if you have any immediate family around at the time? Care to help us?” the nurse asked.
The pegasus gulped. Immediate family? Her parents? She shook her head violently. There was no way she was going to think about that now. “I…I don’t want to talk about it,” she answered hesitantly. At the moment, she was doing a very good impression of Fluttershy, leaning her head down and fiddling with the sheets bundled up in her hooves.
Nurse Redheart made a small distraught moan, but it died in her throat about as quickly as it had come up.
“I understand,” she said disappointedly.
For the…second or third time today, she heard hoof steps shuffle to the door before it slammed shut. Groaning, she wondered if she truly had any privacy here. Because right now it certainly didn’t seem like it. She turned onto her right side and flopped her head against the pillow. She wasn’t going to reveal where her parents were to these ponies. They didn’t need to know, so she wouldn’t tell them. It was as simple as that. She trusted these ponies about as far as she could throw them, and that wasn’t saying much. Besides, she didn’t need any more problems right now, thank you very much.
Struggling to get her mind off the unwanted subject, she thought about where she might possibly stay. Since her house was above ground, it was all but unreachable to her. At the moment, she was homeless. And not to mention jobless. But, she could figure it out as it came to her, no problem.
Rarity’s place was more or less always busy with new and old customers, and more likely than now she would probably be used as a living mannequin all day, so that was out. Pinkie Pie was always throwing parties and being random and…well…it was Pinkie Pie. What did she honestly expect? She decided it would be for the best if she didn’t stay with her pink earth pony friend. One could only take so much Pinkie Pie after all. She liked Applejack’s place well enough, so that was definitely a possibility. Fluttershy’s…she was out of the question at the moment.
That only left Twilight, the pony who had saved her from the hands of death itself. She felt almost an unending sense of gratitude towards the unicorn, there was absolutely no getting around that fact. But, there were some more practical reasons she could stay with her. Her place would probably have the most peace and quiet, something she desperately seemed to need. But, who said those were the only reasons? She had been meaning to spend more time with the unicorn. This could be her chance. The very thought brought a small but radiating warmth to her face, but she quickly pushed it down.
That settled it then. Next time Twilight came over, she would ask her about a place to stay. If Twilight couldn’t have her over for whatever reason, she would ask Applejack. If neither of them could…well she would figure that out when it came to that.
But for now…it was time to catch up on her nap.
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So, Dash chapter. Yay!
Trixie's still a butt, but she's much less of a butt than she was. Your thoughts?
Twilight will be next chapter, pinkie pie swear. But, for now, have some Dash.
One minor thing. Near the end where you are talking about places to stay, you said rarity would use rainbow as a "Human Mannequin", she's a pony...
My thoughts are Trixie's awesome and that's that.
i got 2nd!!!
1713895 Oh...oh well...that certainly dampened my spirits.
1722393 Fixed! Thanks for pointing it out!
1722406 I see, I see.
1722416 Technically, you're fourth.
YAY! I'M A CUPCAKE!
1722314 Trixie was a total meat cake, but she's starting to get better. I'm actually starting to have sympathy for her.
Trixie is a butt, but she is less of a butt, you have to admit.
*Stroke goatee* Hmm...... I am liking this sir. I look forward to more on this, and hope to enjoy it.
Perhaps Twilight can feed Rainbow. That seems appropriately awkward and all.
Anyways, keep up the wonderful writing.
And thus my week ends with this update. Why does Murphy's Law hate me so much? ;-;
This was well written, though I keep thinking to myself "THESE CHAPTERS ARE SO SHORT I NEED MOAR"
What do you know, there's the eventual Twi/Dash shipping.
Good job I always look forward to reading a new story by you keep up the good work
The show seems off to me, I may have immersed myself far too deep in the fanfictions and become too entrenched in fanon.
Trixie is well, she's Trixie. She came out as a total badass at the beginning of this last episode only to find that in the end she is still inferior to Twilight. I think she really should train with Twilight because she could probably learn something and receive a major overhaul when it comes to magic use and the art of the attitude without being a royal bitch.
As for this chapter, keep it up. I just got a second to read it and I'm still really happy with how it's turning out. I can't wait for another chapter!
1722314
Your icon...
I am afraid.
1722314 THE GRRREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE IS NOW BEST PONY!
After Twilight.
Chapter was great. I've been liking Dash's chapters, and I'm glad we'll be seeing a Twilight one next.
May the Grace of the Valar Protect You
Shire Folk
1722431 You and me both.
1722454 Indeed.
1722466 Thank you!
Perhaps she can. That would be so weird for both of them at first.
I'll try my best!
1722505 Good question.
Future chapters will be longer, don't worry.
1722617 And it shall continue to grow!
1723381 Thank you!
1722681 Fixed!
1722786 Thanks much!
1723022 Hahaha...nope. I should explain that clearer.
1723055 Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
1723321 I agree with you on the Trixie part, and thank you!
1723341 You should be.
I am more attached to the mature bit of the fanfiction and such (making the ponies more "mature" not talking about sexua theme just insights and such), also does anyone else think the animation has made a drift or change?
that is not to say i did not enjoy the new episode,
1723404 You are very welcome. Well, it's time for me to head to bed...I've got a lot to take care of later today so have a wonderful day/night/whatevertimeitisforyou. Until next time, keep up the good work.
Another great chapter with Dash.
My thoughts on trixie she is much less of a meany but I still don't like trixie at all.
Love story coming up. I love it!
Wonderful chapter, I enjoyed reading it and want to read more please
. And my thoughts on Trixie? Still hate her, never liked her and nothing will ever get me to like her. In my opinion, they shouldn't have made another Trixie episode. 
yay chapter!
but yeah... i'm sure we will see the amulet again. in any event I'm waiting for a Luna episode. we see her less than
This chapter is great, but does this mean that Dash has feelings towards Twilight and Twlight feels the same?
Intresting, very intresting. Well as a token of appriciation i have brought you ducks.
birdsflight.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ducks2.jpg
Aren't they cute, Still not as cute as Pirate Dash Harr harr.
th07.deviantart.net/fs71/150/f/2012/125/0/6/pirate_dash_by_nowler-d4ymjaj.png
I love this.
1723452 Yes I have noticed this also. I find that it has shifted if only slightly towards catering to a more mature demographic. Twilight's use of dark magic fulled by hate, anger, and fear being something we never would have seen in season 1. The undertone of despair and futility of opposition involved in Trixie's occupation of Ponyville could be seen as another example.
Also when Trixie face planted at the end of the episode it was hilarious. Still don't like her much but at least she partially redeemed herself and asked for 'forgiveness' for what she had done.
encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRxzz5V4mBDh2dfAKbWfwLvmu3XPUNG5UlttklIaFD45HzXrzaI1Q
It will be interesting to read whenTwi feeds RD for the first time or when RD tries to eat on her own for the first time. Like moving one hoof over the edges of the glass with the drink, the plate with the food, etc. to remember where it will be right in front of you and such. Then there´s the matter of what to get how much on her spoon/fork.
Going into the bathroom for washing, tooth brushing etc will also be a challenge for RD on her first time, but with some help of Twi like setting up some clues RD can touch she will master that one pretty quickly.
Worst what RD has to overcome is her missing her flying the way she´s used to. She can still fly but never the way she did when she could still see. For that i think all of her friends help will be needed.
Liked your reasoning of Dash where to live as well as still keeping her family a mystery which could later become an interesting story plot twist.
Also eventuel Twidash, yay!
I don't think that cups are spherical. How about cylindrical? XD
1723404 good chapter. I think you're really capturing both rd's personality, and what it must be like to go through that sort of change quite well. I would say "remember, its all in the details" but you seem to have grasped and implemented that idea quite nicely.
1742405 oh don't give the author a hard time, this was a good chapter.
I'm surprised you avoided the angsty "Why did you rez me?" Dash.
This is probably a good thing.
1723452 Oh, I see.
1723613 Thank you!
1723802 Thanks!
1724357 Thank you! More is coming very soon!
1726126 I honestly wouldn't be surprised is the amulet was used again. It would certainly be interesting though.
1726654 It might be, it might be. You'll just have to wait and see.
Ducks! I love Ducks!
And Pirate Dash.
She be cute.
1726743 Yay! Hugs! *hugs*
Thank you!
1726807 I'm glad to hear it!
1738228 Ha ha ha, won't it? Boy, am I gonna have a blast writing that.
Thanks so much! And I FINALLY know the meaning of OP.
1742405 Not in Equestria!
Actually, no, I'm wrong. Oh well. I'll fix it later. Thanks for pointing that out!
1744893 Aww, thanks so much!
1745009 I'm sure it is.
1722314 Good chapter, Always nice to see the victim's point of view in things. The Trixie episode was great, as was she, (in my opinion) even from her first appearance I liked her, and as a result of the latest episode, my admiration for Trixie has all but dampened. I loved the ending to the episode aswell. now i'm looking forward to sleepless in ponyville; I'm mostly looking forward to episodes 11-13. Primarily because they haven't released anything about it (so I've been told), aswell as the fact that something big is going to happen in those episodes, makes me all the more excited to see what happens. Your thoughts?
damn me and my grammar mistakes.
1760111 thank you!
Well, I really want Discord to come back, so I'm hoping in one of those episodes he'll be there.
1760201 The Discord theories sound a little sketchy to me, but I've heard many things about him coming back, aswell as that little hint Discord's VA unintentionally gave at one of the hearings during some Brony convention. However, the return of Discord would most definitely be very interesting, and I would like to see how the writers would even plot such an idea
. Still,Very interesting indeed.
1722424
Did somepony say Cupcake?
1722424 THE GREAT AND POWERFUL CUPCAKE!
lose one sense, and the others are heightened.
her fumbling hooves knocked against something cold and spherical.
A glass is cylindrical. Or possibly just circular according to how you're thinking about it. If it were spherical it'd just roll off anything you put it on and smash.
Although when I think about it, I wonder whether RD's fumbling would provide enough information to determine the full shape of something, or whether simply calling it 'curved' would be more in keeping with what she would be able to perceive.
1722424 And I'm muffin, but you don't see me bragging about that.
5632535 then I'll do it for you! YAY! YOU'RE A MUFFIN!
1722424
THE CAKE IS A LIE.