Appledashery

by Just Essay

Buckends Theme

"So I looked at the sceneryyyy. She read a magaziiiine." Stu Leaves sang and hummed as he drew the wagon over a hill. "And the moon rose over an opennnnn field. Kathy I'm lost, I said, though I knew she was sleepiiiiiing. I'm aching and aching and I don't know whyyyyy. Counting the carts on the Neigh Jersey Turnpike; they've all come to look for Equestriaaaaaa. All come to look for Equestriaaaaa."

Directly above, Rainbow rolled her eyes and continued flying at decent height to observe the southern surroundings.

"Now that one you couldn't have written yerself," Applejack muttered.

"Nope!" Stu Leaves smiled, not once losing his stride. "Simane and Gallopfunkel. I've loved them since I was a colt."

"They some sort of gospel band or somethin'?"

"Pffft! Are you kidding me, Applejack?!" Stu Leaves barked. "You've never heard of Simane and Gallopfunkel?!"

"Ehhh... should I have?"

"They're only the most classic of folk artists!"

"Y'know, as silly as it may sound, I never done listened to much 'folk' music."

"Well, that's rather strange."

"And why do you say that? Just 'cuz I live on a farm and buck apples means I gotta be into only folk or country?"

"Heheheh... nothing of the sort, Applejack! I just figured—since you're a mare of good taste—you'd be familiar with them! That's all!"

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes for the upteenth time and kept flying.

"To be frank, Stu, all I know is the little musical ditties hoofed down from my family and the other families that they knew."

"Guess what?" Stu smirked back at her over his shoulder. "That's 'folk.'"

"Pffft. Now yer just generalizin'."

"Hey! It's an established concept!" He looked ahead as he carried the wagon down a sloping path. "Check out Whinnypedia if you doubt me!"

"It's not so much doubt as it is—"

"What? Surprise that I can sing like I mean it? Heheheh..."

"T'ain't no surprise, Stu." She smirked. "An airy head just means more wind you can throw through them vocal chords of yers."

"Heheheheh..."

"Hah hah hah hah!"

Fwoosh! Rainbow descended, floating right in front of the laughing ponies' faces. "We've got a split up ahead."

"For real?" Applejack unrolled a map and squinted at it. "Says here that it's only one road."

"Lemme see." Rainbow snatched the map from her. "Uh huh... uh huh... ah, okay."

"What?"

"This is an old map. Like... ten years old."

"Shucks. I didn't think it'd make no difference."

"Well it does." Rainbow pointed south past a line of trees. "Looks like they built a new road. The dirt certainly seems... fresher than the path we're on now. Almost like it's been trotted on less."

"Well, that would make some sense." Stu glanced back. "So which path do we take? I mean... is the new road a better route to our destination?"

"Heck if I know," Applejack said with a shrug. "If I had known that they were makin' a new path to the highway..."

"No sense in blaming anypony for anything," Stu Leaves remarked. "We just gotta figure out on our own which path to take."

"Reckon Rainbow could do that."

"Do what?" The petite pegasus blinked.

"Wouldja mind, darlin'?" Applejack smirked. "Flyin' ahead and gettin' an idea where the new road leads?"

"Why don't we just take the old one? It should totally gel with your old map, right?"

"Yes, but if this new road attaches to the main thoroughfare sooner..."

"Ah, I get it."

"Go on ahead, Rainbow," Stu said. "At the rate we're going, we shouldn't be at the split in about half an hour. That should give your speedy wings plenty of time to scout out."

"Yeah. Sure." Rainbow started ascending. "I promise I won't leave you two alone for too long—" She froze in place, blinking. Biting her lip, she glanced down at the two.

Stu kept trotting along, whistling to himself. Applejack sat comfortably in the seat, reexamining the map with a placid smile on her face.

"... ... ..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted in midair. "Maybe... uhm..."

"Hmm? What's that, Rainbow?"

The mare gulped. "Maybe Stu should take a break. Rest his legs. Then—like—he could use his wings to... uh... help me."

"Help you? Help you how, sugarcube?"

"Well... uh... if... if w-we both fly up and do a bit of scouting, we might... uhhh... figure out a detour a lot faster! Yeah!" Rainbow grinned nervously. "Instead of just waiting on me and me alone!"

"Stu Leaves?" Applejack blinked. "Faster than you?"

"Errrr..."

"She's got a point there, Rainbow." Stu chuckled, shaking his head. "I'd just slow you down and we both know it!"

"Uhm..."

"Don't worry! I'm not gonna collapse or anything. I've got this!" Stu winked as he carried the wagon past Rainbow. "We'll stick to the road while you check ahead! It's all good!"

"Besides, we all know how much ya lurve to stretch yer wings," Applejack said with a blink, then promptly turned towards Stu. "Say... Crosby, Stirrop, and Neigh. Do you know them musicians?"

"Hah! Do I ever!"

The two chuckled as the wagon rolled along.

Rainbow sighed heavily, her face frowning. "Yeah..." She flapped her wings harder and shot south, ahead of the group. "I love it to death." She bit her tongue as she drew further and further away from the other ponies' merry chuckles.

Comments

[unknownbore]

Aww, don't be sad Rainbow.

[RoboRed]

Both are great musical groups.

"Heheheh... nothing of the sort, Applejack! I just figured—since you're a mare of good taste—you'd be familiar with them! That's all!"

Stay away from her, buddy.

Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes for the upteenth time and kept flying.

Careful, Rainbow, you'll wind up rolling your eyes right out of their sockets that way.

[Lightning Bearer]

Personally, I would've gone with "Cartfunkel".

[Sharp Quill]

Directly above, Rainbow rolled her eyes and continued flying at decent height to observe the southern surroundings.

Don't you mean: to get out of hearing range?

"Hey! It's an established concept!" He looked ahead as he carried the wagon down a sloping path. "Check out Whinnypedia if you doubt me!"

Whinnypedia. How does one check out Whinnypedia?

[BabySkittleMonster]

sad whimper: I who would be an avid reader is upset that she who would be an apple farmer is being stolen from she who would be Sparky by he who would be Gary Stu.

Ah, Darkstine. The place where industry rules and language is butchered. Rereading that series really makes you feel all fuzzy inside.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Now Rainbow will be more uncomfortable with Stu. The idea of what could happen when they are alone has already crossed her mind.

[Tchernobog]

Urge to stab rising...

[TwilightUCrazy]

"Go on ahead, Rainbow," Stu said. "At the rate we're going, we shouldn't be at the split in about half an hour. That should give your speedy wings plenty of time to scout out."

[zaponator]

I get the feeling that Stu is way more innocent than Rainbow gives him credit for. Everything he does feels more childish and mundane than flirty.
Maybe I'm the only one getting that vibe though.

[PropMaster]

"What?  Surprised that I can sing like I mean it?  Heheheh..."

I see what you did there.

[silverspawn]

aww, give AJ some more credit. nothing is going to happen just because you leave them alone for half an hour.

[Aatxe360]

5323293

Zap! If everyone felt that way, Just Essay would stop writing. So keep your thoughts to yourself.

Applejack!

[Future Regret]

5321482
You bring me back...

[Snowdrifter]

Actually, given the timing and who knew of the trip, I think there's a vampony to blame. Stu might not have wrong place wrong timed it perfectly if someone hadn't droppped a hint.

Rarity knowns RD is dealing with heartbreak, but thinks she's into stallions.
Rarity also seemed to know that AJ want to eventually have foals/family.
Sooo, the vampire marshmallow arranged for a nice but dim colt to accompany two single mares, hoping to hook one of said mares up.

Having learned from the past, our hapless nice guy hasn't been coached like previous ones.

Neither mare wanted him along, but he's not doing anything to earn a hoof to the head.

[arancaytar]

"Yeah. Sure." Rainbow started ascending. "I promise I won't leave you two alone for too long—" She froze in place, blinking. Biting her lip, she glanced down at the two.

They're totally going to make out the second you're gone Dashie.

... Just kidding.

[bronyheat]

It's funny how I'm noticing similarities between Stu and Bard, yet Bard (and Wildcard) were awesome. Stu... well I just want to beat him with Bard's bo staff.

Hey Stu, H'rhnum