Appledashery

by Just Essay

Epcot Is Best Pony

"You might wanna take it easy!" Epcot chirped, trotting anxiously around Rainbow Dash. "Get used to the dreamy vibrations—"

"I... c-can't afford to wait!" Rainbow hissed, crawling forward, one hoof at a time. Her mane flickered like a torch, and moths flittered out of her ears. "My... friends..." She clended her teeth while her coat turned multiple shades of blue, purple, and cyan. "I gotta find them before Serenity Shindig turns one of their souls into a lifeless husk!"

"Well, that doesn't sound very nice!" Epcot said with a frown.

"And... and if it ends up being her..." Rainbow Dash panted, her body rippling like a fresh water color. "Guhhh... I couldn't... I-I just couldn't live with..."

"I mean it! You'll wanna calm dowwwwwn!" Epcot squatted low. "Mortals weren't meant to fly these plains, y'know!"

"If... if Starswirl could make it past the alicorn zappage..." Rainbow's eyes opened up, leaking plasma and flame. "Then so c-can I!"

"Hehehe! And do you think he went about it as clumsily as you are?"

Rainbow Dash bit her lip, shivering. She suddenly curled up, heaving and wheezing. After a few choking breaths, she hissed, "What must I do?"

"You have to relax, silly filly!"

"But... but I don't know... don't know h-how..." Rainbow winced. "In a place like this..."

"What are you holding onto that convinces you that you're in the real world?"

"The... real...?"

Epcot smiled. "This is supposed to be a place of joy and wonder." She winked. "The fact that a mortal like you got here is a sure sign that you have the confidence it takes to go far places!"

Rainbow bit her lip.

"You need to let go of that which is holding you back." Epcot leaned down to nuzzle the pegasus. "How else are you gonna snoop out your friends, hmm?"

"What's... holding me...?" Rainbow gazed along the green plateau. Her weak eyes squinted.

From a distance, a fuzzy discoloration could be seen swimming through the earthen plane like a sea of piranhas.

Rainbow shuddered, sniffling. "Zecora..."

A series of black and white stripes shot straight towards her, rippling through the ground.

Rainbow gnashed her teeth. "Zecora, I'm so sorry, but you can't help me here. Neither can Noir—"

The stripes struck her. Rainbow howled, her body jerking back. However, within milliseconds, she went slack, collapsing against the stone as her body instantly atrophied.

"Nnnngh! Gaaaughkk!" Rainbow yelped.

All around her, voices echoed closer and closer, tickling her ears with snarls and laughter.

"G-girls... Twilight... Fluttershy..." Rainbow whimpered as her paralyzed limbs grew heavier and heavier. "I'm so sorry. I just... j-just didn't want to burden you." Her teeth chattered as her chin fell closer and closer to the stone below. "Rarity... Pinkie..." She sobbed. "Vinyl, Lyra, Bon Bon, Caramel... you all understand, right?" Her eyes flickered. "Lancie..." And she exhaled one last time.

Her hooves sunk into the ground, one at a time. Rainbow's body puddled into a blue pool while her feathers disentegrated. Then, with a warbling cry, Rainbow sank through altogether.

She emerged, splashing, on the other side, sprouting out of the same verdant plateau, shooting out onto dry land. Her every limb screamed with tingling senses, causing her hooves and wings to twitch. She rolled over, sputtering, feeling the sudden strength to sob:

"Applejack... Applejack..."

Her eyes flew open wide, quivering, as she breathed heavier and heavier. At last, she spotted a pale hoof outstretched before her.

"Welcome to the other side," Epcot said with a proud grin.

"... ... ..." Rainbow gripped Epcot's hoof. She lifted up, carried by her own strong limbs. The ease with which she now stood startled even her. The entire world dazzled in a circle around the mare, and Rainbow felt as if—with one blink—she could propel herself a million miles instantly.

"Whew! Pretty spritely!" Epcot giggled. "That didn't take long at all!"

"But... but..." Rainbow Dash glanced at her healthy limbs. "None of it this is real." She bit her lip. "It's all just part of a dream."

Epcot leaned forward with a smile. "Your strength and determination is real. It's helped you survive in the real world all this time, hasn't it?"

Rainbow simply stared at her.

"So!" Epcot leaned back, grinning. "Where do you want to go first?"

Rainbow pivoted about, gazing in wonder at the floating mountains and palaces. "Anywhere..."

Comments

[Tchernobog]

[Lord Dragon]

Hmmm... Meep.

[Sharp Quill]

Epcot Is Best Pony

Yeah, as soon as I uncovered the pattern, it gets dropped.

I do have one question, though. Why is Rainbow Dash struggling so much when Silver Shill found it so wondrous that he'd do anything to get back and stay there for eternity. For Dash, it's been more like Hell than Heaven.

[Lord Dragon]

5565414 Exactly, he reads the comments and he will probably read this as well. Brony on my friend. Brony on.

[auramane]

After a week and a half, I am finally here. Oh, it feels great... Except that there's no climax or anything and now I need to wait for more...

...

Welp

[Lightning Bearer]

I'm starting to think she is.

[RainbowJack2000]

5565414
Hehe. You jinxed it.

[Sheendough]

5565447 5565414 This is the reason he drops in references and shit in every other chapter. Someone complains about the story? Let's make a shoutout to that in the next chapter!! Allons-y!

[Lord Dragon]

5566211 I don't understand. Are you saying that we should stop people from jinxing the story and stop complaining or something entirely different?

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5565414 Dash is more self destructive than Shill. That was reflected just now in Cider space when she was blindly stumbling about, without any clue how to do so without literally falling apart. Anyone with that mindset is sure to morph such an experience into a chaotic pit of suffering in no time.

[Leftover of Saikano]

I don't know. But EPCOT is doing well in the ranking.

[BabySkittleMonster]

That sounded absolutely horrible for poor Dashie. Then again, that isn't exactly surprising considering the author. Skirts, if your reading this (and I think you are), you stink. Do you know how emotional this story has made me? My Shipping Cushion and Crying Pillow are respectively pummelled and completely submerged in my sadness. Thank you, you damn sadist.

[Sheendough]

5566378 No, I'm just saying we should try and not jinx the story more than it already is, lest we end up with an ending none of us will like.

[Novi]

If I ever came across one of those spheres of before, I wonder what it'd say if I gave it a paradox question..

[berrytone]