Rainbow After The Storm
by milesprower06

Chapter 1
Revelations and Love

Applejack sat alone in the waiting room of Ponyville Urgent Care. The tile floor felt ice cold against her hooves. With every passing second, every pounding beat of her heart, she felt like she was getting jabbed with needles. How long had she been sitting here? Fifteen minutes? An hour? Two hours? It was impossible to tell. It felt like she had been here forever.

She longed to be on the other side of those doors. She wanted to be with Rainbow. Her heart longed to be with the Pegasus, to hold her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. That nothing else was going to hurt her as long as she was there. From now on, she would protect her love with every ounce of her being.

The doors to the emergency room slowly opened. A doctor approached Applejack, the expression on his face grim.

'Oh Equestria...no....please no...' Applejack pleaded within herself. Claws began to dig and bite at her chest.

“I'm so sorry, Applejack. I'm afraid she didn't make it.”

-

Applejack awoke with a start, everything snapping into focus in an instant. She was actually surprised she manged to fall asleep there for a few moment. So far tonight, she had been finding sleep exceptionally difficult, laying next to a sleeping, emotionally disturbed Rainbow in the guest room of the farmhouse. It had been a little over two hours since Luna had departed, so unable to sleep, AJ merely kept her friend and lover company. She spent the time reflecting on what they had shared earlier that night. They had confessed their deep feelings for each other. Applejack had kept them in secret longer than Rainbow, but in her life-changing experience, and time of healing on the farm, Rainbow finally opened up to the workhorse, in the form of an abrupt kiss out by the lake.

'Ah wonder' Applejack thought to herself, 'If she hadn't done that, would I have ever told her how I really feel?'

Applejack had harbored these feelings for Rainbow for awhile, but she was good at concealing them, partially because she wasn't confident in how strong those feelings really were. She wasn't quite sure when it had started. But rescuing Rainbow from the brink of death made her realize just how precious the Pegasus was to her. Not only that, but they did have quite a lot in common. Rainbow was a hard worker when it came to the Weather Patrol, just as AJ gave her all on the farm every day. Applejack never did have any crushes growing up, or a love life to speak of at all for that matter. So the difference between colt and mare didn't mean much of anything to her.

But was it love?

She had to assume it was. She felt stronger for Rainbow than she did for any other pony. Was she worried about what her family would think? Of course, but for Rainbow, she was willing to face and endure it.

“Mah precious Rainbow...”

Rainbow began to stir in her sleep, and seconds later, her eyes fluttered open, to see Applejack laying next to her. AJ gently placed a hoof on Rainbow's forehead, and was relieved to see that her fever was coming down.

“You alright, Sugarcube? Ya had me worried there.”

“Yeah, I'm fine. I guess it just came as a bit of a shock.” Rainbow answered. Then she realized that Luna wasn't present.

“The journal, where's the journal?” she asked hurriedly. Applejack motioned to her dresser on the adjacent wall, where the leather-bound book rested on the polished wood in front of the mirror.

“Ah wanted her to take it with her, but she said it was up to you to what to do with it.” Applejack told her.

“I'm glad she left it here. I'm...I'm not sure what I want to do with it just yet...” Rainbow admitted.

“What was in there that gave you such a shock, hun?”

“I'm sure Luna told you that it was her diary, her journal of what she did, and, towards the end, what she was planning to do. That wasn't Pinkie, AJ. Not the Pinkie we knew. Through a...a perfect storm of circumstances, a monster had been born. That journal proves that there were two distinct personalities, and Pinkie, the Pinkie we knew, was fighting to get out, to regain control. But...but she couldn't.”

Applejack remained silent, feeling Rainbow had more to say.

“Applejack, that night...you didn't just save me. You saved us. You saved all of us from her. I was just the first one out of our friends. By that time, Pinkie was nearly gone completely.”

Applejack contemplated this. Since it happened, she really didn't give any thought as to what drove Pinkie to commit those atrocities in the basement of Sugarcube Corner. She was comfortable with putting the blame entirely on the friend she once knew.

“That journal proves our friend was innocent.” Rainbow said.

“I wouldn't take it that far, sugar.” Applejack said, as gently as she could.

“Why not?”

“Those words in there might clear Pinkie's name in your mind, but I'm purty sure that it won't be as easy for the family and friends of the other victims. It'll take more than words on a page to make Pinkie innocent in their eyes. Because if Pinkie was determined innocent, they'd have nopony to blame. And they need somepony to blame, in order to deal with their loss. I'm sorry I have to be the one to tell ya that, Rainbow. But that's the way it has to be.”

Rainbow accepted this. None of Pinkie's other victims had been particularly close to her.

“I'm...I'm sorry, too.”
“For what, Rainbow?”
“For reading that tonight. I guess I ruined our very first night together.” Rainbow answered sorrowfully.

“Rainbow, you didn't ruin a thing. And I don't want you to fret over what you're gonna do with that book. I don't want you to think about it right now. Because right now...” Applejack began, climbing on top of Rainbow.

“...I want to return the favor.”

With that, Applejack drew Rainbow into a long, heated kiss, sliding her tongue into Rainbow's mouth. Their lips remained locked as the farm pony began to grind her body against her lover's, and Rainbow began to softly moan.

Applejack broke the kiss, and moved down to her neck, tenderly licking and kissing her coat. Slowly, the farm pony moved down to her chest, feeling Rainbow's heart pound against her chest. Rainbow sunk herself into the bed, and let AJ return the affection shown to her earlier that night.

Applejack went lower yet, to her stomach, and Rainbow felt the wetness between her legs increase. She was ready for AJ to have her way with her, but Applejack took things slow. Once at her stomach, she moved to the side, moving her tongue gingerly over Rainbow's right flank. As her tongue swept over her Cutie Mark, Rainbow let out a short, shuddered cry of pleasure, quickly silencing it with a hoof, the scar tissue around her flanks especially sensitive. As waves of pleasure echoed through her body, she made sure to keep in mind to not wake the rest of the household. Applejack, satisfied with the sounds she was getting from her lover, returned to her stomach and continued making her way to between her legs. By that point, Rainbow was quite soaked.

Watching Rainbow's legs quiver for a few moments, AJ started at the bottom, and gave Rainbow's soaked lips one long lick, causing the recipient to cry out in pleasure again. But AJ didn't go back down or deeper in. She slowly made her way back up her stomach and chest, and when she got to her neck, went to the side again, and up her head, licking the tip of Rainbow's right ear and nibbling on it lightly.

“Y-y-you're s-such a...a tease, AJ.” Rainbow said in staggered breaths, overwhelmed with desire.

“Oh, don't I know it, Sugar.” AJ replied, giving one last lick to the inside of Dash's ear, and then went down her neck again, down her chest and stomach, and then slowly began to kiss Rainbow's inner thighs, and finally slid her tongue into her lover's soaked lips.

Rainbow became nearly paralyzed. She barely place a hoof over her mouth as she let out another, louder, more prolonged moan as Applejack swirled and sucked. She kept the movements of her tongue in a subtle pattern, letting the waves of pleasure overtake her lover. Rainbow quivered uncontrollably; she was Applejack's, completely and utterly, and the workhorse knew it, too. Rainbow felt she could no longer contain herself, and removed her hoof from her mouth, and let out full volume sounds of pleasure into the room and beyond, as the hooves that covered her mouth now dug into the sheets. Rainbow's blissful moans also had their effect on Applejack, as she felt wetness return to her intimate areas as well. AJ felt Rainbow's muscles tighten, and went even deeper, nearly burying her snout into her lover, and this quickly accelerated her journey to the edge.

“A-A-Applejaa...ohhhhhhhh!” Rainbow moaned as she climaxed, her whole body shaking. As the waves of pleasure died down, she went limp, and was as satisfied as she hoped she had made Applejack just hours earlier.

Finishing up, AJ gave her lips a slow lick, and slid back up, and brought her face to her lovers, and held her in a deep kiss, gently rubbing and grinding against her lover's quivering body. She parted from the long kiss, and left Rainbow nearly breathless. Words could not describe the bond they had formed this night.

Without a word, Applejack and Rainbow slid under the covers and snuggled together, wrapping their legs around the other.

'Yes,' Applejack concluded, 'this is love.'

“Applejack?” Rainbow whispered, finally having caught her breath.

“Yeah, Sugarcube?”

“The second night I was here, when the fillies saw what happened to me. You said you'd give up everything to make me whole again.”
“What about it?”
“I just want you to know, that's not necessary.”

Rainbow nuzzled her lover's face, and gave her a slow affectionate lick on the cheek.

“Because I am whole. Right here, right now. With you.”

Applejack snuggled in closer to Rainbow, taking in the sweet rainy scent of her coat, as the cyan pony continued to give her affectionate licks to her face.

“Rainbow...what are we gonna tell our friends?”

Dash didn't reply to that immediately, giving it some thought, and came up empty-hoofed.

“I...I don't know. I'm, well, I'm afraid of what they'll think of us.”
“They're our friends, Rainbow. I'm sure they'll understand. I...I hope.”
“I got sick and tired of being called a 'fillyfooler' back in flight school. I'd rather not have that happen again.”
“Rainbow, our friends would never do that to us. Not only that, I don't want to be dishonest to them either. And I don't think it'll be good for our relationship if we hide it.”

Applejack was right about that. Nopony was going to benefit if they tried to hide their newfound love from their friends. Eventually, word was going to get out, and both of them preferred that it be on their terms.

But how to tell them...?

“Tell ya what, hun. Let's not fret over it and just sleep on it for tonight.” Applejack concluded.

Rainbow accepted that, and melted deeper into AJ, giving out a satisfied sigh, and closing her eyes, letting the dream world take her for the remainder of the night.

PONYVILLE URGENT CARE
ONE MONTH AGO

The Unicorn Nurse Goodwill and the Earth pony Dr. Wellhoof finished their inventory for the night, making sure all the instruments were accounted for and in their correct place. Nights at the care center were usually quiet. During the day, there were always fillies coming in with scrapes and bruises, and the occasional occupation-related injury. But the night shift was always quiet, and mind-numbingly boring, as well.

But that peace, that boredom, was shattered as the sound of the front doors slamming open emanated through the closed doors of the emergency room.

“Help! Somepony please help!!!” a voice with a southern accent pleaded. The Ponyville community was somewhat mixed, but the doctor was certain that was Applejack's voice, the co-owner of Sweet Apple Acres. What was she doing in town this time of night? Nurse Goodwill and Dr. Wellhoof were on their hooves as the commotion out in the lobby increased. Within moments, they heard the wheels of an approaching gurney, and sure enough, two orderlies came rushing through the door.

“Oh, by Celestia's mane...” the nurse gasped.

On the gurney, was a cyan pony, mangled and bloody. At first, Dr. Wellhoof thought it was an Earth pony. But then he saw the wooden bucket on the bottom of the gurney, and the contents within. Matching wings and two pieces of fur and skin. Then her rainbow mane and tail confirmed her identity to the emergency room staff.

Wellhoof snapped out of the shock. Questions and answers always were second to saving a life. He and Nurse Goodwill got the Pegasus onto the operating table while the orderlies wheeled in monitoring equipment. Blood had started to trickle from her mouth. Wellhoof checked her eyes, and discovered that the poor Pegasus was currently in shock. Nurse Goodwill took a quick blood sample while Wellhoof quickly got the heart monitor wires attached to her chest, and the orderlies got wires on her forehead to a brainwave monitor, and got an oxygen mask over her muzzle. Turning the monitors on, his eyes filled with determination.

“Her heart rate is dangerously low.” he said, taking in the Pegasus's condition as a whole once more. The most common symptom of shock was a rapid heartbeat, and with a heart rate this low already...

“We don't have much time.” he announced grimly.

“Her blood has an insane amount of adrenaline in it. High levels of painkiller, as well.” the nurse included.

“First things first, we have to get those nails out of her hooves.” Dr. Wellhoof ordered. The most simple and immediate method would seem to be pulling them out. But as Wellhoof grabbed surgical tweezers and pulled, the Pegasus convulsed, her eyelids barely opening, bloodshot magenta eyes rolling up into their sockets. She gurgled up a small amount of blood, and then she fell limp.

Then the heart monitor flatlined.

“Paddles!” he yelled, needing the defibrillator.

“We can't use that until those nails are out.” Nurse Goodwill alarmingly cautioned. Wellhoof again pulled with the surgical tweezers, but they remained firmly implanted. All the while, precious seconds ticked away.

“Damnit!” he cursed, removing the tweezers and slamming a hoof down on the empty gurney.

Nurse Goodwill removed her cap, horn glowing. “Let me try something.” she said, approaching the foot of the operating table.

“Be careful, Goodwill. You haven't perfected teleportation magic yet.” Wellhoof warned.

“If this doesn't work, she's dead.” the Unicorn nurse replied, then closed her eyes and focused. The glowing of her horn intensified, and the doctor stood ready with the paddles. In a single flash of light, the nails disappeared, and the nurse stumbled from the expended energy. “Now!” she said.

Doctor Wellhoof briefly rubbed the paddles together, and placed them on Rainbow's ribcage.

“Clear!”

The electric current passed through the defibrillator into Rainbow, and her body jolted, and the heart rate hiccuped, only to flatline again. “Again, clear!”

The same result. Wellhoof increased the output. “Again!”

Rainbow's body jolted with another shock. Another hiccup, another flatline tone.

“Intracardiac,” Wellhoof instructed, and one of the orderlies quickly brought forward an injection needle, and prepared to inject the last resort drug.

“No, wait we got her!” Nurse Goodwill interrupted, grabbing the hoof of the orderly, stopping him from injecting the cardiac stimulant.

The heart rate monitor's steady flat tone gave way to a slowly increasing beeping pattern. Dr. Wellhoof gave out an exasperated sigh of relief.

“Brain waves are steady. She's stable, for now.” Nurse Goodwill said, eyes studying the monitors. The doctor slowly and carefully turned Rainbow onto her side, and studied her blood-spattered back. His expression became even more grim.

“The nerves in the bone are dead. We can't save her wings.” he said sadly. “I believe we can save her Cutie Marks, but keep her sedated. I don't want to have to try to pull her back from the brink again.”the doctor said. Using her horn again, the nurse levitated the two flaps of pony skin out of the bucket, and positioned them as best she could before getting a needle and surgical thread.

“What in the name of Equestria happened to this poor pony?” Nurse Goodwill asked, still checking her life signs on the monitors.

“I'm not sure.” Wellhoof said, standing on the other side of the operating table. “But one thing's for sure...”

He studied the light rising and falling of her chest for a moment.

“...she's the luckiest pony in Equestria to be alive right now.”