Appledashery

by Just Essay

As Awestruck As I Wanna Be

Serenity Shindig spent a veritable eternity lingering besides the pipe-lined doors. Rainbow sensed that she was spending that time doing something vital—such as entering a combination into the lock or a code of sorts. Rainbow glanced under the table at the other door with the apple motif. She almost made a move towards it when the temperature of the room dropped dramatically.

Shindig had opened the door. Rainbow knew it from the hairs on the back of her neck raising. With chattering teeth, she squatted low and stole a peek from beneath the dangling tablecloth. She immediately wished she hadn't.

There was no seeing beyond the open frame of the door. Whatever lay past it was blacker than black—almost as if someone or something had sliced a rectangular slit out of reality and left nothing but impermeable nothingness. Rainbow winced, feeling as though her eyes were going to go blind in little square-shaped partitions just from looking at it. Steam vented from the pipes, giving the air around the alicorn a ghostly mist. Rainbow imagined that the contraption built into the doorframe was attempting to compensate for something, as if the very act of opening the doors destabilized the entire room, or tower, or the city itself.

And yet, the whole time, Serenity Shindig—the Queen of Philanthropy—stood perfectly still and resolute before the doorframe. Rainbow imagined that something empowered her, since she was the dreamer of that realm. Whatever the case, while it pained Rainbow Dash to so much as glance at the door, Shindig unabashed stared into it. And, what's more, she began talking into it.

"I know you are out there, my love," she murmured with a great deal of emotion wavering through her vocal cords. "And I know—like me—you are waiting. But fear not. The pain will be over soon, and we will be together again."

Rainbow's ears folded back. She wasn't sure why her body was stricken with so much fear. The only other time in her life she felt like this was in the presence of Nightmare Moon—but at least then she was capable of showing some bravado. She chose at the moment to focus on Applejack. So, turning around, she scurried back towards the edge of the table, took a breath, and slipped out into the open. Serenity's flank was to her, so Rainbow was able to trot towards the apple-emblazoned door without being seen.

Shindig continued: "Her power is magnificent, my love. She has what it takes to pull you from the abyss. Our sons have assured me of this, for they miss you too and will do anything to restore this family again."

Rainbow fumbled with the lock for the key. She seethed through her teeth, finally making contact as she picked the tumblers within the doorknob.

"And when we reunite, we will have the most beautiful city at our hooves," Shindig said. She sniffled as tears ran down her face. "I'm doing this all for you, my love. You've given me so much, and now I am about to give you everything I can. We will be together again. That, I promise you."

The air filled with an even deeper chill. Rainbow heard something that sounded like the distant whimpering of dying foals. It was then that she realized that something beyond the door was replying to Shindig.

She hurried through her task, shivering. The mists spread to her limbs. Rainbow felt cold air encroaching all around her.

Click.

The doorknob unlocked.

Rainbow bit her lip, slid the door open a crack, and scurried her petite body through.

Thud!

She closed the door tightly behind her and leaned her body against it, panting and shivering. With eyes clenched shut, she stood in place, navigating a series of pained heartthrobs.

Rainbow was certain that if she stayed in that room even a few seconds longer, she would have lost something that she could never regain. For some reason, it evoked memories that she didn't even know she had, and while she couldn't quite put her hoof on them, she realized that they must have been visions that a mortal pony wasn't meant to experience.

She was still agonizing over this when the softest, heavenliest, most velvety voice ever carressed her ears.

"Oh my, you poor darlin', are you lost?"

Rainbow's eyes flew open, almost tearing.

Across a luxurious sleeping chamber, a goddess stood up from her vanity, turning to gawk at the stranger in the room. Her emerald eyes lit the place more than a thousand candles could, and she wore red satin with gold trim. Her hair was done up in an elaborate braid, and apple blossoms clung to the blonde tresses.

"Is somethin' the matter, sugarcube? You look frightened."

Rainbow's dry mouth opened. "Applejack..."

The Cider Princess' eyes narrowed.

Rainbow hyperventilated. With a gasping smile, she bolted forward a few feet. "Applejack! It's Rainbow Dash! I'm here to get you out of here!"

The mare raised a dainty hoof, recoiling slightly. "Erm... Rainbow who?"

Comments

[RoboRed]

Ummm...not sure of good sign or bad...

Also, Shindig's getting spooky.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Rainbow hyperventilated. With a gasping smile, she bolted forward a few feet. "Applejack! It's Rainbow Dash! I'm here to get you out of here!"

The mare raised a dainty hoof, recoiling slightly. "Erm... Rainbow who?"

Not what Rainbow was wanting to hear, I bet.

Dang! I want her to get through to AJ, then for the two of them to put Shindig the Insane in her place, and then get the heck back to the real world where they can both give the old nutcase a royal pounding!

And that goes double for those stinkin' sons of hers!

(I always knew that Flim and Flam were both absolutely worthless!)

I also wish that these came out more than once a day! Tomorrow's a long way off to wait to find out if (drat it! I meant when) Rainbow wakes Applejack up and gets her back to normal!

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5741333 She's certifiably nuts; what did you expect of her?

[zaponator]

Well, that was disturbing.
On the other hand, Applejack! Yay!

[MidnightReflection]

How can she hyperventilate and run at the same time? She must be tired out still from flying so far east.

[Sheendough]

Called it again.

[Simple Facade]

Beware The Spooky Door, ooOoOOoo

Now kiss!
That's sure to wake her up... Well, it's worth a try, anyway.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

OK, so she's enraptured in the dream sequence just like Stu, Joe, Mulia, and Gustave were. SO. What's it gonna be. Gentle persuasion might work, but would be long and arduous, and there may not be enough time. The sim is on an artificial lockdown, so altering it to prove your point isn't gonna work. And hitting Applejack is against the spirit of Appledashery as a whole.

Also, Shindig is criminally insane. And all because she can't be with the pony of her dreams. Deja vu anyone?

[Lightning Bearer]

I agree wit Simple Facade. I remember, way back when Applejack was first discovered unconscious on Shindig's farm, drawing a connection to that bedtime story a half-asleep Applejack wanted to be told in the chapter "Some Stories You Have to Finish Yourself" where a princess had been woken by a kiss.

"Mmmmm..." Applejack nuzzled and nuzzled her cheek against the sleeping mat. "The one where... Pr-Prince Charming kisses his sweetheart awake."

Rainbow Dash's ears drooped. She hovered backwards in a cold drift, sighing gently. "I'm... not too fond of that one."

"But... but the story..."

"You'll have to finish it yourself, Applejack," Rainbow Dash said. She winced, but still found the strength to utter, "Try and make it a happy one."

That suddenly seems like a viable option again, even if not in the way I'd envisioned back in the day.

That, or I'm just looking for an excuse for some Appledash smoochin'.

[Aatxe360]

Shindig is a foal playing with fire and explosives. This will get ugly for sure.

[Fishberry]

Yeah, she's been brain raped.

Dammit!

Flips a table.

[Autumn Rush]

Good news: Rainbow has finally found Applejack.

Bad news: Applejack has been brainwashed.

This might be a problem.

[aleistergreynight]

And Rainbow dove through the air, snatching the chaotic limb, from the midst of the storm that surrounded them. As she streaked through the buffeting currents, dodging lightning and magical strikes, she called out a name. A weight fell on her shoulder, behind her out stretched wing. A sardonic voice spoke in her ear, "So am I bailing you out of this situation to? Going to yet again, give up the chance to help Princess Frecklestan, just to rescue all these losers from this dream? Fine, fine, say no more."

[Leftover of Saikano]

How will you remind her of who she really is, Rainbow?

[FloydienSlip]

Dammit.

[Scohinyha Sanka]

5742260 Pr-Prince Charming

[LucyHorseThing]

I think I know how Rainbow's gonna wake AJ up...
mlpforums.com/uploads/monthly_04_2015/blogentry-23942-0-80481400-1430236603.png

[arancaytar]

Whatever lay past it was blacker than black—almost as if someone or something had sliced a rectangular slit out of reality and left nothing but impermeable nothingness. 

Eep. That's freaky even for this place.

The air filled with an even deeper chill. Rainbow heard something that sounded like the distant whimpering of dying foals. It was then that she realized that something beyond the door was replying to Shindig.

Nope.

Nope nope nope nope NOPE.

New theory, by the way: Whatever Shindig, Flim and Flam are trying to let in through that door? They only think it's Philantropy. In actuality it's something horrible and wrong.

[SnowOriole]

Across a luxurious sleeping chamber, a goddess stood up from her vanity, turning to gawk at the stranger in the room. Her emerald eyes lit the place more than a thousand candles could, and she wore red satin with gold trim. Her hair was done up in an elaborate braid, and apple blossoms clung to the blonde tresses.

I got so confused reading "goddess" but soon realised after I read "emerald".

Applejack's back...But she's not Applejack?

[bronyheat]

Void-black nothingness spreading an icy mist and a feeling of wrongness? Painful to even glance at?

I sense the ruinous powers.