//------------------------------// // The Front Line // Story: Appledashery Vol. Two // by Just Essay //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash gave the Lightning Bolt around her neck a polish. She smiled. Then she polished it again. Two things glinted in the afternoon sun: her teeth and the pendant. "Will ya stop rubbin' it?" "Pfffft..." Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes and leaned back lazily against the fence post behind her. "Please. I'm covered all over in fur. What's gonna change?" Applejack paced to a stop in front of her. The two of them lingered in the center of Ponyville. Much of the townsfolk were still densely gathered around. A few blocks away, the crowd packed tightly around Princess Celestia and her entourage. "Ya know that we're gonna have to give these up eventually," Applejack said. "Give them up?" Rainbow chuckled. "Tch. Yeah right. Sounds kinda stupid, don't you think?" "How do ya figure?" "I mean..." Rainbow Dash toyed with the jewel around her neck. "...these babies are sorta pointless on their own now, right? Sure, they once were used to zap Nightmare Moon to space'n'crud. But now we're the ones doing the zapping! You gotta admit, Applejack, we've earned these things!" "They still belong to the royal palace of Canterlot," Applejack said. "And besides... don't we know better by now?" She glanced at her own apple-shaped pendant hanging around her neck. "It was the magic of our friendship—all united in supportin' Twilight Sparkle when she most desperately needed us—that took Nightmare Moon to the woodshed all good'n'proper!" "Euuuchk..." Rainbow stuck her tongue out. "When you put it that way... makes it all sound super crazy lame." "I'm just sayin'..." Applejack stood before the lazing mare. "It's not these here Element thingies that made last night possible. It's us." "Uh huh." "Soooooo..." Applejack's eyes narrowed, hardened. "We gotsta be on our best behavior now, Rainbow Dash. We're more than just ponyfolk of Ponyville... we're doggone defenders of Equestria!" "Heh... I was always a pretty awesome hero, AJ. I can call you 'AJ' now, right?" "Whatever. Only now, sugarcube, yer a representative of Princess Celestia! Just like Twilight Sparkle! We gotta follow her lead and be all virtuous-like! That means no more prankin' the neighbors or bein' an all-around rotten apple!" "Ughhhh... yes, Mom," Rainbow Dash groaned. "I'll turn in this piece of bling and then fly straight." "Is that a promise?" "Sure." Rainbow stifled a yawn and rubbed the inside of her left ear. "Whatever." Applejack cocked her head to the side. "Pinkie Pie Swear on it?" Rainbow squinted up at her. "The buck is that?" Applejack swiftly gestured: "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." Rainbow exploded with high-pitched giggles. Her voice cracked, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen." "Yeah... well..." Applejack blushed slightly. "Not my invention." "Do it again." "What? No! You do it!" "Why?" "Because..." Applejack stomped a hoof. "It's important!" "AJ. Dudette..." Rainbow shrugged. "We did the important stuff yesterday. Equestria's saved! We're heroes!" She waggled her eyebrows and leaned back against the fence. "Bask in it!" Applejack gave a long sigh. She turned around three times and squatted down on all fours before the pegasus. "Stop being so friggin' serious," Rainbow Dash muttered. "That's Twiilght's job." "I can't help it." Applejack gulped. "Things got a mite bit frightenin' over the past day... two days..." Her brow furrowed. "How long it's been?" "I dunno. For a night that 'lasted forever,' it was shorter than the usual cider binge." "The usual what—now?" Rainbow shook her head. "Forget it. Look... the long and short of it is that we were there for Twilight when she needed us." "Yeah..." Applejack nodded. "We were, weren't we?" "Pretty cool how you took charge and got us all to help Twilight out in the nick of time." Applejack blinked. "Come again?" "You heard me." Rainbow smirked. "Whenever she wasn't around, it was you taking command. Like you were the friggin' apple general of Ponyville or something." "Oh. Uhm..." Applejack kneaded the grass between them. "I didn't mean to come across as bossy..." "Bossy? Pffft. You didn't rub it in our muzzles or nothing," Rainbow Dash said, waving a hoof. "You just... took charge. With confidence." She rested her head back against the fencepost and closed her eyes above a smile. "Pretty friggin' cool." "Well... uh..." Applejack shrugged. "Guess... I-I'm used to takin' charge around my family. And... family is the best kind of friends you can ever have. So this wasn't... too crazy of a leap, I reckon." "Hey..." Rainbow stifled a yawn. "...Fluttershy's on board, so count me in." "Just Fluttershy, huh?" Rainbow peaked one eye open. "Hmmm?" Applejack coughed, avoiding Rainbow's gaze. Silence. "I'm... sorry." Applejack's ears twitched. She looked up at the mare. "For what?" "Mrmmmf..." Rainbow Dash squirmed as she forced herself to say it. "That crud I pulled... y'know... in the Everfree Forest." A grumbling sigh. "When I freaked everypony out on the cliffside and then... uhh... eheh... everypony fell." "Well..." Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. "...nopony got hurt in the end. And... shucks... I learned all about my connection to Honesty from it!" "Now you're being too easy on me." "What?" Rainbow gestured. "Just days ago, you were busting my chops for being a total clown around town! We both know you're not a softy, Applejack." "Yeah, well..." Applejack tilted her chin up. "Forgive'n'forget. It's what friends do." "Oh yeah?" "I always thought so." A dry gulp. "So... 'friends,' huh?" "Well... yeah!" Applejack chuckled. "That's what this whole shebang was about, ya reckon? The Elements are in our charge. We're here for Twilight... for Ponyville... for Equestria... you name it!" She smiled gently. "And you certainly proved yer 'loyalty' when it was most required. Way to go, sugarcube." "Heh... I was pretty awesome, wasn't I?" "Twilight seems to think so." "Well... so long as she... uh... thinks so..." Silence. "So... like... are we superheroes now or...?" Rainbow Dash felt her pendant again. "I'unno..." Applejack shrugged. "Cuz wouldn't that be totally frickin' awesome?" Rainbow grinned. "Defending Equestria! Fighting off dragons! Hunting down pirates! Looting armories! Putting out fires! The works!" "Eh... one step at a time, Rainbow." Rainbow waggled her eyebrows. "Am I going too fast for a simple farm pony." "No." Applejack frowned. "But you sure are fixin' for a bruisin' if you jump into all this Element business on yer own." "Hey! I can take care of myself!" "Reckon so... but this is a team effort, remember? Let's... just let Twilight do the strategizin'. Then... when she most needs us... that'll be the time that we rush in and kick flank. Ya feel me?" "Yeah. Hey... we're the two besties for that sort of schtick, huh?" "Hmmm?" Rainbow Dash gave the air a left and right hook. "Wham! Pow! Smack! When it's time to get down and dirty... it's up to honesty and loyalty!" "Heh... yeah..." Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a smug grin. "I suppose we are the true go-getters of the group." "Cuz... face it... when it's time to wrestle manticores or sea serpents again, who can we rely to rush in and do a headbutt? Rarity?" "Pfffft... hah hah hah!" Applejack laughed and pounded the earth with her hoof. "No... no we sure can't!" "So... how 'bout it?" Rainbow Dash shrugged with a devilish smirk. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack... frontliners for here and ever." "Heh... you bet yer fruity butt." "Shake on it?" "And how." Applejack spat on her hoof. Rainbow spat on hers. Both mares shook hooves in the glittering sunset over Ponyville.