Appledashery

by Just Essay

Friends Through Thick and Thicker

Stu Leaves and Rainbow Dash trotted along the edge of the burning mess.

"Silver Shill's in custody," Stu explained under the noise of working officers and fireponies. "He's being uncooperative, of course."

"Of course," Rainbow muttered, balancing her weak stance with outstretched wings.

"But between him and the evidence gathered at the site, I'm pretty sure the police will get a lead on where the two sons of Shindig went," Stu said. He looked up, the wind blowing at his mane. "I told him as much as I knew about Cider Space and the alicorn chalice."

"Uh huh..."

"They'll likely have a bunch of questions for you. The police, I mean. You talked with Epcot more, so I suspect you have an even bigger mental picture of the situation."

"What good will that do?"

Stu glanced aside at her. "Well... we kinda found one of Equestria's oldest, most mysterious artefacts, Rainbow Dash." He smiled slightly. "I'm sure somepony somewhere will be greatful to know that. Who knows, with the right sort of magic spell, maybe some unicorns can even trace the whereabouts of Frederick and Flim."

"Whoah. They can do that?"

"Maybe. That's what the unicorn officers said, at least."

"Yeesh. Magic is weird."

"Heh. I know, right?" Stu glanced ahead. "Look..." He reached aside and tapped Rainbow on the shoulder. "There's AJ."

Rainbow looked up, and she tripped.

Applejack was on the other side of the police tape, rummaging through the mess. Just as the two approached, she pulled something out of the rubble with a heavy gasp. It was her hat; Applejack brushed the thing off, smiled with relief, and slapped the article over her skull.

"Hey!" Stu waved. "Hey, Applejack!" He pointed aside. "Look who's up!"

Applejack looked over, blinking calmly. With a quiet breath, she ducked under the tape and trotted over.

"Hey... h-hey AJ," Rainbow Dash said, waving with a blue wing. She smiled. "Pretty freaky, huh? I mean... all of this Serenity Shindig nonsense... what, with the magical chalice and all?"

Applejack walked up.

"But what matters is that you and everypony else is safe and we don't have to worry about—"

Applejack brushed straight past Stu and threw her arms around Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus gasped, instantly blushing red as a beet under the shade of night. Her heart pounded heavily, jostling her eyes until she looked limply over at Stu.

Stu quietly... politely backed away from the scene.

At last, Rainbow breathed, and it was a breath full of the smell of warm sweat and apples. She almost whimpered, but somehow found the strength to squeak, "AJ...?"

"I'm so glad yer doin' fine, sugarcube," Applejack said, holding her friend close. "You worried me somethin' awful!"

"I... I'm sorry... I-I..."

"Dun be, darlin'." Applejack leaned back, smiling at Rainbow Dash as she rested a hoof on the mare's shoulder. A pair of sparkling green eyes reflected the pegasus' twitching expression. "I'm guessin' the whole nasty dream business took a lot out of you."

"It did?" Rainbow blinked. Almost immediately, she jerked. "R-right! It did! Hooo boy..." She flexed her tingling muscles, smiling nervously. "Good thing I'm made of stronger, awesomer stuff! Heh!"

Applejack sighed. She stepped aside, her hoof brushing against the back of Rainbow's head. Before Rainbow could say something—the mare spoke: "Stu told me about what you did."

"Uhhhh..." Rainbow nearly wheezed. 'What... what did I do?"

Applejack glanced over. "You somehow found a way to stay longer in the dream, tryin' to pull me out."

"Oh. Oh right."

"No wonder you was so worn out when we found you woken up," Applejack said. "That must have taken a lot out of you."

"Well, Epcot helped a lot."

"Erm... yeah. I bet she did."

Rainbow squinted. "How much do you remember?"

Applejack pouted, adjusting her hat as she stared at hte crumbled ruins. "Bits and pieces, most of it rosy."

"Rosy?"

The mare sighed. "I... I feel mighty shameful sayin' it, but..."

"Go ahead. It's cool."

Applejack looked over with an apologetic expression. "All I remember is... is feelin' really good... and very comfortable-like." She gulped. "Them brothers... they put some spell on me. They made me feel as happy'n'joyful as I've always wanted to feel." The mare shuddered. "Like I was livin' some foalhood dream over and over again."

"Er... yeah..." Rainbow Dash glanced aside. "About that..."

"But somehow, the entire time, I knew that somethin' wasn't right." Applejack turned to smile at her again. "I didn't have my family with me. Or my friends. At least... that's what I thought."

"They put some heavy blinders on you, Applejack," Rainbow said. "But... you were there. In some way or another, a part of you cooperated. So don't feel bad."

"I dun feel bad. Not really." Applejack sighed, her lips curving. "It's impossible to feel bad when I know I've got ponies who care for me so much."

"Uhhhh..."

"You and Stu... you did yer darnedest to pull me out of there. And then Mulia Mild... Donut Joe... Gustave..."

"Heh... yeah, I suppose we got them out too, didn't we?"

"Always thinkin' for others when push comes to shove, eh girl?" Applejack chuckled, shaking her head. "I dun think I've ever been prouder to have such a loyal friend."

Rainbow Dash avoided Applejack's expression, if only so the mare couldn't see how aflame her cheeks were. "Yes, well..." She cleared her throat. "Stu helped."

"I reckon he did, but..."

Silence.

Rainbow glanced over. "But what?"

Applejack sighed. "I'm mighty tired. The police folk here say that they needs to question us a bit more. I'd say we get that over with and start to plan a way back home." Applejack rubbed her head, wincing. "And ta think I wasted so much time and money in comin' to this here dead end."

"AJ..."

"Now I gotta figure out a way to make up on lost apple buckin'! Who knows what kind of a hole this will put my farm in and—"

"Your farm's gonna be fine," Rainbow Dash said. "We both know that, so don't even pretend to complain about that."

"Even still—"

"And you are in one piece," Rainbow said, her brow furrowed. "And you're gonna go back to your family. Your real family. Ain't that a victory?"

Applejack stared at her. With a rosy expression to her freckles, she smiled and said, "Yeah, darlin'. I reckon it is."

Rainbow smiled.

"Come..." Applejack brushed her hoof against Rainbow's shoulder and led her towards the wagon. "...you look like you could use a drink. I've got more cider than I can toss into a sinkhole on account of there bein' no business here."

"Uhhhhm..." Rainbow shuddered. "No offense, AJ, but I think I've had my fill of cider for a while."

"Heheheheh..."

Comments

[Mister Saxon]

Applejack brushed straight past Stu and threw her arms around Rainbow Dash.

Would that be the right term? Or some variation of forelegs? Or hooves?
I mean, I like the sound of arms better. It sounds... warmer, I guess? I don't know. Just saying.

"Come..." Applejack brushed her hoof against Rainbow's shoulder and led her towards the wagon. "...you look like you could use a drink. I've got more cider than I can toss into a sinkhole on account of there bein' no business here."
"Uhhhhm..." Rainbow shuddered. "No offense, AJ, but I think I've had my fill of cider for a while."

Welp, we broke RD. Please stand by...

[skyace]

5922533 Personally, I've heard it both ways, sometimes interchangeably. I think it all comes down to the author's preference. Either one works.

[Lightning Bearer]

Applejack sure seems... well, like Euphoria's more laid-back cousin. A little touchy-feely, too. I suppose it's asking too much to hope that maybe the seed of an idea has been planted in Applejack's mind, even if only subconsciously. I mean, Stu helped save her, too, but she pushed right past him to get to Rainbow. I'm curious to see what comes of this.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5922422 Okay, thanks a bunch, hon. I'll check it out.

Well, it very well could be, that's true, but, myself, I'm going with your first guess, as well.

And the way that she reacted when she found her hat in this latest chapter, I'm just wondering if it is something of Dash's in it.

Guess that we'll just have to wait and see, huh?

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5922595 what, like inception? That'd cheapen the experience a bit, dontcha think? I mean, if Aj only reciprocates Rd's feelings because of a leftover dream kernel, then can anyone honestly say that the love would be genuine.

Ugh, I'm getting philosophical again, aren't I?

[Lightning Bearer]

5922690

Nothing so direct. I wasn't thinking that the experience would create feelings in Applejack, so much as make her look at Rainbow through different eyes, the same way that experiences in the waking world can do. At some level, she might even remember or half-remember the kiss, which, though occurring in a dream, was a lucid act on Rainbow's part, reflecting real feelings.

More than anything, though, I'm trying to think of ways that established events in the story might contribute to future developments. Just a hypothesis, basically. We've seen the causes, and we can currently only guess at the effects. I refuse to believe that this whole Cider Space storyline, delving as it did into matters of the subconscious and culminating in an actual kiss, would end more-or-less exactly as it started, as far as their relationship is concerned. And like I said, Applejack's behavior towards Rainbow this chapter caught my attention. It might be my shipping goggles talking, but...

[Sheendough]

Stu quietly... politely backed away from the scene.

YES!!!!

"Your farm's gonna be fine," Rainbow Dash said. "We both know that, so don't even pretend to complain about that."

Uh-oh.

Now, one thing here is missing: Silver Shrill... How much friggin' time did they spend in the dream-verse?! Only Silver Shrill knows for sure.

[viofriedsevey]

Ohhhh my god this slice of life stuff is pure bliss, and I'm so glad she got atleast a hug, but goddamn I NEED MOAR.

[Fishberry]

I'm going to have to be really, REALLY patient for the Appledashing, aren't I...

I've tried Appledashing before. It never goes well.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMwiJjci73g

[MidnightReflection]

5922795 Actually, I think Stu already told RD that the police had... (hoofcuffed? Yeah.) hoofcuffed Silver Shill and were questioning him. However, RD took a massive, liberal amount of her medicine before entering Cider Space. Since it wore off by the time she woke up... it could very well have been up to 2 weeks, or maybe an entire month. Luna won't be happy that she neglected to talk to her during the full moon in that month, either. She needs to know just what's going on so far east.

[YoshiFawful64]

Stu quietly... politely backed away from the scene.

I really hope this means he's figured it out. After everything that happened, I could definitely see him backing off respectfully. Plus, Rainbow could use another confidante. He could also be a wingman. Get it, 'cause he has wings? ...I'll shut up now.

[Leftover of Saikano]

5923120 I don't remember if I just dreamed it, or it was implied at some point that RD lost all the contents of her stomach while she was sleeping.

[zaponator]

Well, at least it's warm and fuzzy, even if it does pretty much negate all the progress made during that huge crossover adventure.
Warm and fuzzy is nice.

[HopelessRomanetic]

I really have this feeling that AJ knows a heck of a lot more than she lets on. And as much as i love the idea of Dashie's feather in her hat, i dont quite think it is so anymore... There were certainly a lot of instances wherein the feather could have fallen out. Unless AJ taped it in.. It could be a picture of Dashie? I dont rightly know.

[Bulbajer]

bulbajer.files.wordpress.com/2015/04/kasumi.jpg

[Sheendough]

5923120 Yeah, I know Stu was taken to the cops, but he never appeared and we never know how much time he was in the shed. Now, even if Rainbow took a lot of her drink, she was not active during her dream, she stayed motionless, and that may have affected her medicine dosis, just like when patients wake up from a coma and can't move well.

[Sheendough]

5923846 Or maybe (on a second guess of mine) she has a picture of her parents.

[Sarda]

That's an awful lot of prime harvest land just going to waste, then

[Salad king]

5924076 I don't think it will be a picture of her parents though, she reacted far too strongly when dash tried to pick it up before, she's got something in it she doesn't want anyone to see

[DrEggnog]

Applejack looked over with an apologetic expression. "All I remember is... is feelin' really good... and very comfortable-like." She gulped. "Them brothers... they put some spell on me. They made me feel as happy'n'joyful as I've always wanted to feel." The mare shuddered. "Like I was livin' some foalhood dream over and over again."

There was a goddamn kernel of truth to the shit that Flim and Flam were spouting. Because of that, for all their monolougeing, I'm not sure I can call them bad villains.

[arancaytar]

Who knows, with the right sort of magic spell, maybe some unicorns can even trace the whereabouts of Frederick and Flim.

Um... I'm pretty sure Frederick and Flim are the same pony.

Frederick and Flam? Or maybe Flim and Felix.

[Boop-Happy Lass]

8555425
Am I almost catching up with you?

[arancaytar]

8556389

You have, I think this was my latest chapter.

[True Edge]

Daaaaaash. . . . . Tell her! At the very least, tell her about the disease, or I swear to Celestia, I will END YOU!. . . . But only temporarily. You have to live to get cuddles.

[SnowOriole]

Stu quietly... politely backed away from the scene.

As you should.

[bronyheat]

10297811