Lightning Blossom

Chapter 6: Crash and Burn

Rainbow slowly walked alongside Mac as he helped her out of the hospital at the Academy. She had just been released after they managed to get somepony in to check on the foal's health. According to him the foal was doing fine, but Rainbow told that she had to fly only when necessary for a little while, so that no accidents could cause harm to the child. Big Mac agreed with the doctor, knowing better than to argue with someone who went to school to do what they do, but Rainbow had a different idea. It took Big Mac, Snowflake, Thunder Lane, and three of the instructors to hold Rainbow back as she attempted to tell the doctor how wrong he was by going on the dizzy tron at full speed again. Once she had calmed down enough, or at least to a point where Big Mac could control her by himself, they let her leave.

"I can't believe he said that I can't fly!" Rainbow complained as she leaned against Mac, her wings telling her that getting into the carriage that Spitfire had ordered for them was pointless. Big Mac simply sighed and let her go inside first, being grateful that he didn't have to take the hot air balloon down to the farm, he had a hard enough time getting the darn thing to come up anyways.

"You really should listen to him Dashie, he's gone to school for this" Big Mac said with a grunt as the carriage began to move, the burly Pegasi that were pulling it started off moving fast, causing Big Mac's stomach to lurch. Rainbow noticed it and giggled a tiny bit, but it was over as soon as she processed what make had said.

"So just because he went to school I should trust him?" Rainbow asked, putting her hoof against Mac's broad chest angrily, "Does this mean I'm not supposed to listen to you about farming or apples because you didn't go school for it?" Big Mac frowned at her, making her take her hoof off his chest, still upset at him.

"You know what I mean Rainbow" Big Mac said sternly, his years of being the only male in the Apple household giving his voice an almost father like tone to it, which only pissed Rainbow off even more.

"And you know what I meant" Rainbow said angrily, turning away from Big Mac, and staying that way for the rest of the trip. The last noise to come out of Big Mac was a depressed sigh, and he didn't make another peep until the carriage landed outside the Apple household, where Applejack was waiting on the front porch, her expression letting everypony in the area know that she was still very angry.

"Nice of you to finally come home with the brother stealer!" Applejack said, her voice getting louder and harsher as she looked at Rainbow, who was still in a bad mood of her own. She tried to stay quiet, not wanting to get into a fight with Applejack right then and there, but Applejack had far different plans than that. Without saying anything she stepped up to Rainbow's face, pushing further and further and until Rainbow tripped, landing on her flank. This was the final straw for Rainbow, and within a second she up on her hooves, ready to punch Applejack out.

"You seriously think I want to steal your brother?!" Rainbow shouted as she jumped forwards, eager to take the first hit, but Applejack stepped out of the way, "What kind of moron thinks that up?!"

"HE'S ALL I HAVE RAINBOW!" Applejack shouted as she dodged another punch, this one sending Rainbow face first into the mud. She growled angrily as she hopped back up, shooting an angry glare back towards Applejack. Rainbow attempted to fly at her again, but Big Mac stepped in the way, making her freeze on the spot.

"Get out of my way!" Rainbow shouted as Big Mac continued to move with her, preventing her from getting a straight shot at Applejack.

"Eenope" Big Mac answered, giving Rainbow a blank stare as Applejack ran into the house behind him. Rainbow gave Big Mac one more look before she angrily flew away, not paying attention to how fast she was going, or where. Knowing full well that Rainbow was going to fly away from him no matter what Big Mac decided to head out into the orchard to buck some apples with what little daylight he had left. Meanwhile Rainbow used the high speeds to talk to herself about what had just happened.

"How could my own coltfriend do that to me?!" Rainbow complained as she shot over the town hall, "I thought he was supposed to always take my side in a fight?!" Without paying attention Rainbow performed a sonic rainboom, causing her speed to drastically increase, as well as create a shining rainbow trail behind her for anypony to see. As she turned to head for a loop around the town she felt a sharp and sudden pain in her stomach, causing her wings to stiffen in surprise. While frantically attempting to get her wings to flap Rainbow began to fall like a meteor, right into Sweet Apple Acres. From the orchard he was working in Big Mac was able to see the rainbow comet crash, a smoke cloud climbing high into sky.

"RAINBOW!" Big Mac shouted as he began to run towards the crash site, his thoughts and actions becoming a blur to him the closer he got. The next thing he knew Big Mac was sitting in the waiting room of Ponyville Hospital, not knowing what was going on. When he began to look around a doctor came down the hall, a sad look on his face when he saw Mac's confused look, mistaking it for a pained one.

"I'm sorry Big Mac..." the doctor said sadly as he watched Mac raise an eyebrow.

"For what?" Big Mac asked, his eyebrow still raised.

"We did everything we could for Rainbow, but..." the doctor said, the memory of the crash coming flooding back to him. His face drained of color, or at least as much as it could for somepony as red as he was. The doctor waited a second before he continued to speak, hoping that some of the shock would have worn off, but it didn't.

"We had to amputate her wings, I'm sorry"