Appledashery

by Just Essay

Balls

"So, here's what I can't figure out," Donut Joe muttered as the two descended a dangling flight of stairs between two shadowed platforms. Ducking jets of steam from nearby thrusters, he and Rainbow Dash entered the seedy underbelly of a levitating urban district. "This is some sort of dream world, right?"

"Right."

"And—in reality—we're all just unconscious ponies strapped to beds or chairs or what-not, right?"

"Right..." Rainbow peered left and right as they trotted down a grimy tunnel full of shanty vendors, burning oil drums, and wheezing riff-raff. "So... like... why in the heck would Shindig wanna take one of us—in this case Applejack—and turn her into some sort of 'cider princess?' I mean... what in the heck does this 'coronation' even entail?"

"It's more than a coronation," Rainbow said. "They don't just want Applejack to be some sort of heir apparent to Shindig's title or something."

"Then what the heck do they want?"

Rainbow sighed as the two passed by a series of impoverished pony squatting in a corner and rolling die in a rowdy fashion. "From what I heard, this dangling city in the middle of the ravine has a name: 'Philanthropy.'"

"Ew. That's a damn stupid name."

"Yeah, well, it has a damn stupid connection," Rainbow droned. "Shindig's late husband went by it."

"No kiddin'?"

"He died several years ago. And I think..." Rainbow's ears twitched. "...I think she's trying to bring him back somehow."

"You mean... back to life?!" Donut Joe cackled loudly.

"Shhhhh!" Rainbow motioned, and the two slid behind a metal partitioned, hidden from the rest of the shuffling pedestrians. "This dreamscape wasn't built by mere mortals. It involved a coming together of alicorns and an incredibly talented sorceror. It's more than just some... representation of subconsciousness. This place has a connection with the very fabric of life and death!" Rainbow exclaimed. "Not to mention the thin fabric that separates universes and stuff."

"Yeesh..." Donut Joe winced. "That's some mind-blowin' crap! How'd you find this all out?"

Rainbow sighed, glaring worriedly out into the fire-lit hovels. "Not on my own..."

"So, uhhhh..." Joe shuffled. "Is Shindig somehow fixing to make contact with her dead husband somehow?"

"Possibly... maybe..."

"What's your friend Applejack have to do with that?"

"I... I-I think Shindig's prepared to trade one soul for another," Rainbow said. "She brought all four of you to her farm to see who was most compatible. Seems like she's made her choice."

"Heh... I don't think I could have made a very good cider princess." Joe blinked. "Even still, what does this mean for Applejack?"

"I shudder to think."

"Well..." Donut Joe clenched his jaw into a tight frown. "We can't let that happen, now can we?"

"Right." Rainbow nodded. "Which is why we gotta figure out how to stop the coronation, but—Blue Jay or not—I can't do this with just one other pony helping me."

"Uhmmmm..." A young voice chirped.

Rainbow and Joe looked down.

A red-mane'd filly in rags tugged on Rainbow's tail and blinked up at her. "Are you the Blue Jay?"

"Uhhhh..." Joe shuffled. "It's just a costume, kid. Trust me! She ain't even remotely the most wanted pony in all of Philanthrop—"

Rainbow pressed her hoof over his muzzle. "Yeah, kid! I'm the Blue Jay!" She smirked. "What of it?"

Joe gave her a cockeyed glance.

"There's something you may want to see!" the filly said. Then, with a flicker of red tail hairs, she spun and galloped down the miserable passageway. "Come! Quickly!"

Donut Joe shoved Rainbow's hoof away. "What gives, Rainbow? I thought we were trying to lay low!"

"Shhhh!" Rainbow motioned as she galloped swiftly after the filly. "This is different. I think she's going to lead us to something important."

"What in the hay makes you think that?"

"Cuz she's Apple Bloom," Rainbow said, eyes thin. "Or at least... one of them."

"Huh?"

"Have you noticed that several of the ponies here in Philanthropy look exactly the same?"

"Y'know, now that you mention it..."

"Well, I'll tell you why." Rainbow skirted around the bend, following the swift little figure ahead of them. "They're all copies of ponies whom Applejack knows in real life. And that was her young sister just now."

"For real?"

"I've met more than one Apple Bloom already," Rainbow said. "And... s-something tells me that if she's trying to gather our attention, it's for a good reason."

"You think Applejack is reaching out to us?"

"I dunno. Something like that."

"Where the heck is she leading us?"

"Shhh!" Rainbow crouched low and snuck ahead, spotting the filly crouched in front of a dilapidated shop made out of rusted metal shingles. "Let's see if she's got an explanation..."

The Apple Bloom doppelganger squatted beneath a window'd partition. She motioned Rainbow over, then pointed inside. Rainbow slid her leather-clad body along the front of the shop, hearing the muffled gaggle of gruff voices. Once she was close enough, she peered over the corner of the window frame.

Several stallions stood around a table, laughing, smoking, and poking at a metal cage positioned atop the platform.

"What powers it, do ya think?"

"Beats the Hell out of me! Maybe magic! You never know what's beyond the canyon walls!"

"I'm telling you, it's featherling craft! Ain't no way in Hell the Queen would let this roam the streets!"

"How'd you catch it anyway?"

"Pfft! I saw it lying in a gutter! Only after I'd tried shoving it in my locker did it start farting around and spitting steam!"

"Is the thing alive?"

"Pfft! Who cares?! I'm auctioning this off in the black market the first chance I get!"

"Heh... that'll fetch you some pretty coin! Count me in!"

"Pfft! Buck you! This is my fine!"

"Yeah, well it's my cage!"

"Grrrrr... why I oughta..."

In the center of the group, Rainbow could spot a spherical object made of bent pipes and riveted iron plates. The object glowed with amber firelight from within, then lifted up with various puffs of steam. It rattled against the bars of the cage, as if desperate to soar out and flitter into the upper streets of Philanthropy. As it shook and struggled some more, it crackled with a sound that resembled a voice emanating inside a phonograph: "NO. NO. NO."

Rainbow Dash gasped. A hint of a smile hung off her muzzle for the first time in hours. "Epcot..."

"I g-gotta go...!" The little Apple Bloom copy shuffled off.

"Wait wait wait!" Rainbow Dash waved at her. "Why... why'd you show this to me?"

The little filly shivered slightly. "You're the Blue Jay... I figured that only something that awesome could be associated with you."

Rainbow blinked.

"I was n-never here!" And the child bounded off.

"Well, that was weird," Donut Joe muttered. "Still, there's too many thugs in there." He made to trot back into the shadows. "Let's make like the wind and—"

"Get your butt back here!" Rainbow snarled. "We're going to save Epcot."

"But there are—like—a dozen punks with baseball bats and knives and—!"

GRIP! Rainbow hoisted him towards her with an angry hoof and growled viciously into his muzzle. "We. Are going. To save. Epcot."

Donut Joe gulped. "Y-yes ma'am!" he whimpered in a shrill voice.

Comments

[Sharp Quill]

Balls

Technically, one ball: a streampunk Epcot.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5673571 So it seems.

And at least, thanks to the dream Apple Bloom, they found her. So maybe they can make a bit more progress in getting to Applejack and then getting out of Cider Space.

Oh, and making sure that Shindig and Sons get their just desserts when they get back to the real world.

Which, as supremely pissed off as I'm sure that Rainbow, and more specifically Applejack, are bound to be when thaey all finally do wake up, won't take long.

Wonder if Dash will figure out some way to get her hooves on that Chaos Shard without any of the others noticing it?

I sure hope so. It'll be better off with her and Lancie than it will be back in Senile Shindig's and her sons' slimey hooves.

On another note, the gang is coming together! Can't wait for the next chapter!

[RoboRed]

In the center of the group, Rainbow could spot a spherical object made of bent pipes and riveted iron plates. The object glowed with amber firelight from within, then lifted up with various puffs of steam. It rattled against the bars of the cage, as if desperate to soar out and flitter into the upper streets of Philanthropy. As it shook and struggled some more, it crackled with a sound that resembled a voice emanating inside a phonograph: "NO. NO. NO."

You meanies leave Epcot alone!!

[Lord Dragon]

Epcot is best floating steampunk sphere.

[FloydienSlip]

"No. No. No."

That is horrifying.

[Lightning Bearer]

As it shook and struggled some more, it crackled with a sound that resembled a voice emanating inside a phonograph: "NO. NO. NO."

media0.giphy.com/media/FVvE1wqI4F5AY/giphy.gif

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5674527 i sympathize. Lemme go get pinkie's minigun and i'll be right back!

[aleistergreynight]

RD has Kung Fu grip!
Also I am still certain that Lancie is going to show up soon, just in the nick of time to help RD. How else would the power of chaos, from his body piece, get used up?

[Leftover of Saikano]

Epcot is best ball of steam.

[DrEggnog]

Rainbow, Applejack, and Epcot should have a threesome of cuddles and nuzzles. Would that be jumping the shark? Maybe it can be a non-canon epilogue.

[Phoenix Kitten]

....Epcot is CiD from Saints the 4th....how did i only just realize that?

[Dash32]

Can someone pass this along to Donut Joe? Tell him I said this–ahem......“NO BALLS!!!”

[arancaytar]

Epcot! No!