Appledashery

by Just Essay

At Least It's Not Called the "Neighxus"

"Stu."

"I'm lucky I found this one small sapling beneath a few towering oaks!" Stu said, shoving several logs into the fireplace and causing the blaze to intensify. "The wood wasn't too saturated by the snow! It was still dry! Whew!" He leaned back, brushing his hooves off. "This should last us the night! Or at least until Momma gets home! Right, kids?"

"Stu—" Rainbow's voice was cut off by the six cheering foals. She winced and hovered backwards to avoid their galloping little figures. "Stu, you gotta wake up from this and help me, okay—?"

"Mmmmmmmm!" Stu Leaves placed the fire guard in front of the hearth and stood up, smiling at the colts and fillies. "Is that apple fritters I smell? Your Momma's gonna love them! This is sure to be the best Hearth's Warming ever!"

"Poppa, just where is Momma at this hour?"

"Well, your mother's a very busy pony, Jubilee," Stu said, leaning down to nuzzle the filly in question. "But if it weren't for her, none of you would be here. And where would Pappa's happy family be, huh?"

"Ewwww... Poppa, you're getting all mushy again!"

"Hehehe... well maybe I can't help it." He nuzzled the other children, then smiled. "Who loves you the most?"

"You do, Poppa!"

He winked. "And who loves you the most-most?"

"Heehee! Momma does!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaand..." He scooped them all up with his gray wings and hugged the six tiny ponies close. "Who loves you the most-most-most-most-most?" He tickled them with his feathers.

They all giggled with high-pitched squeals, playfully bucking his chest and shoulders with their hooves. "You both dooooo! Heeheehee!"

"... ... ..." Rainbow Dash hovered at a distance, blinking at the scene. She tried opening her mouth again, but all that came out was a wince.

"Now... did any of you open your presents yet?" He stood up, glaring at the kids with a wry smirk. "Hmmm?"

"Nuh uh! We wouldn't do that to you and Momma!"

"Heh... are you being honest?" Stu chuckled. "You might be able to fool your old stallion, but not Momma when she comes home!"

"Nope! We wouldn't lie to Momma!"

"Darn tootin'. We raised you proper—all on account of her honesty." Stu stood up, cracking his cold joints. "Whew! I don't know what wore me out more! Chopping firewood or hugging you six!"

They giggled in cadence.

"Well, I'd better make sure the Apple Fritters don't get burned! They've been in the oven for a long time!" Stu turned around and trotted past Rainbow. "Excuse me! Heheh! Try not to bump into any of the family photos there, Rainbow!"

Rainbow pivoted about, watching him trot into the kitchen. In a flash of light, the geodesic sphere materialized into a grinning mare behind her. "I like him! He's cheerful!"

"... ... ..."

"Is something the matter, Rainbow?"

"He's happy here," Rainbow said. "Like... even for Stu."

"Well, of course, silly!" Epcot giggle-snorted. "This sim is tailor-made to his deep, inner desires!"

"I'm just... a bit surprised that it worked so well on him when it didn't on me."

"No two ponies are alike, and you are quite a curious mortal."

Rainbow turned towards the family photos. In each of them, the "Momma" in question still had indistinguishable features. "Or... maybe this place isn't all it's cracked up to be."

"How do you mean?"

Rainbow hovered by more and more portraits, all with the mare's face hidden. "It's no small secret who 'Momma' is. I'm just surprised that Applejack isn't here. Not even a pretend one." She bit her lip. "Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"This isn't a dream-come-true at all," Rainbow said. "It's a prison."

Epcot glanced into the room where giggling little foals chased each other around a Hearth's Warming Tree. "It's a pretty nifty prison if you ask me!"

"No, don't you get it?" Rainbow shuddered, thinking aloud as she gazed out a snowy window. "Only reason we were ever able to enter this place was because Shindig and her sons had set it up with the goblet. But... there was something Silver Shill said... about how Shindig's 'sphere' was only able to handle the four 'guests' that she and her sons wrangled into coming to her farm. I'm willing to bet that they constructed 'sims' for Applejack and the other three. But Stu and I? We're unwanted guests. They couldn't build something for us, so whatever we've got forming here has gotta be..." She swiveled about. "...unstable."

Epcot glanced at the family portraits. "It certainly doesn't look very... complete."

"I think Stu and I have something in common, Epcot."

"What's that?"

"We both know what we want." Rainbow bit her lip, but forced herself to say, "And yet, in our heart of hearts... we both know that we can't really have it." She gulped. "Me? I've known this for a long time. But Stu?" She slowly shook her head. "He's just now starting to figure it out, but only 'cuz he and I had a deep talk about it... in the real world."

"Whew! Philosophy sure has changed since the alicorns made friends with Starswirl!" Epcot said with a smile.

"No. No, it's..." Rainbow sighed. "A lot more complicated than that."

"Hehe! You're telling me!"

"Epcot, how... h-how can I wake Stu up from this... this half-dream?"

"I'm afraid I can't help you there."

Rainbow blinked at her. "You can't?"

"I'm just an experimental pony chaperone." Epcot smiled sweetly. "If Stu wanted me to wake him up, he'd have to ask me personally. Or... he'd need help from another dreamer."

Rainbow's eyes narrowed. "You mean me?"

"Who else?"

Rainbow bit her lip.

"What's the matter?"

"Take it from a pony who knows all about it..." Rainbow shuddered. "...wrecking one's dreams isn't entirely fun."

"Do you wanna get your friends out of here or don't you?"

Rainbow took a long breath, shutting her eyes. She lingered there in thought...

Comments

[Aatxe360]

What will Rainbow do?

This makes me wonder more about what Applejack's sim would be like...

[Sharp Quill]

At Least It's Not Called the "Neighxus"

Eeyup.

[RoboRed]

At Least It's Not Called the "Neighxus"

Yeaahhh...you're right about that.

Well, this task getting sense into Stu is gonna be all kinds of [not] fun.

[Lord Dragon]

5592770 lolololol.

[TwilightUCrazy]

"Stu."

[Lightning Bearer]

Well, there is one thing Rainbow could try:

38.media.tumblr.com/b98745eb565e85c79c4814165af6806f/tumblr_n7cfzxWpFL1tq2qiuo1_500.gif

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Is this Fallout: Equestria? Because Dash is gonna earn the Dreamcrusher perk.
5592737 Betcha we learn what's in AJ's hat!

[Leftover of Saikano]

Didn't all of you wanted to see Stu suffering with his broken dreams? That's what you wanted.

[CommanderCuddle]

Apple's sim should totally let us see whats in the damn hat <.<

[arancaytar]

"Darn tootin'. We raised you proper—all on account of her honesty."

Hm. Maybe it is AJ after all.

But she seems to be very much an off-screen character in this fantasy.