Appledashery

by Just Essay

Sharp Turns

"That's..." Sharp Quill blinked. "Pretty intense, actually."

"Hey..." Rainbow Dash shrugged. "What matters is that we got out of that place in one piece. Same with our heads." She tapped her skull with a smirk. "And here I thought only the humidity down there would kill me."

"Whew! Remind me never to schedule a trip to Fillyda!" Sharp Quill nevertheless smirked. "Still, I bet that kind of craziness is par for the course for an Element of Harmony."

"Whaddya mean?"

"Well, you and Rarity and the other five mares are probably having to deal with one nasty thing or another, on account of having to protect Equestria and all."

"Actually, no, not really." Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I mean, we dealt with Nightmare Moon, a snoring dragon, and a buncha parasprites. But, aside from that, it's been smooth sailing." She shrugged. "This whole business with Serenity Shindig's sons down in Fillyda could have happened to anypony."

"Except it happened to you," Sharp Quill said with a wink. "Which is how you knew from day one that there was a way to beat the whole situation."

"You'd better believe it," Rainbow said, smirking. As Sharp Quill chuckled, she asked the stallion: "So, what have you been up to? Hopefully stuff a bit less kaizo, eh?"

"Uhhhhh..." Sharp Quill gazed across Sugarcube Corner. "I've picked up on some temp jobs here and there. Blue Valley needs some extra precipitation, so I've been flying with the local cloud deliverers."

"Oye..." Rainbow's ears folded. "Bummer, dude."

"Why's it a bummer?"

"Just..." Rainbow shrugged. "That's about as boring as pegasus jobs get. I mean—at least with kicking clouds you get the occasional burst of thunder and crackle of lightning."

"Heh." Sharp Quill smiled. "I'm guessing cloud delivering isn't your forte."

"Flying super slow for hundreds of miles in order to not disentegrate the clouds?" Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I think I'd rather watch paint dry. At least then I'd get some color out of the deal."

"Heheheheh..." Sharp Quill smoothed his mane back. "Well, let's just say I could use the time to think about stuff."

"Like what kind of stuff?" Rainbow Dash waggled her eyebrows. "Lemme guess, you found yourself a hot date already."

"Ehhh..."

"Gonna treat her to breadsticks? Chicks dig breadsticks. I should know."

"Ehhhhhh—no, actually," Sharp Quill said, biting his lip slightly.

"Oh?" Rainbow Dash blinked. "Cuz... erm... I-I could have sworn from last time—"

"I mean, don't take it the wrong way," Sharp Quill breathily said. "I'm still interested. And I'm still looking."

"Uh huh."

"I'm just... not looking in a hurry," he said. "Something about our last talk got me thinking."

"Wuh oh."

"Oh hush. It's nothing bad!" Sharp Quill spoke with a calm smile. "Finding the mare of my dreams would be really sweet'n'all, but... it's not like my whole life has gotta revolve around that, y'know?"

Rainbow Dash stared blankly at him. "...you don't say."

"I mean, why get so riled up about not having a special somepony? It's not like there's a race. And—pfft—buck all that machismo noise about finding a mate just to show off to your bro's. If I'm to get into a relationship, it's not gonna be one that I rush. I'd never had a reason to think much about it beforehand. But... it kinda feels like... like all my life I've had the desire to be in a relationship more than I've needed... uhhh... the relationship itself." Sharp Quill gulped before continuing: "And I figure... why be so crazy over something you can just enjoy with normal anticipation? I've made good friends here in Ponyville. Rarity. You. My cloud delivery co-workers. Sometimes it's... best just to stick to that, y'know? Don't let love confuse things until they have to—cuz your body's gonna burst otherwise. Stupid love... hahaha... that's the kind of stuff worth waiting for. You know what I mean?"

Silence.

Sharp Quill blinked. "Rainbow Dash?"

"Erm..." The mare coughed, clearing her throat. She forced herself to look up at him, and her smile was a bittersweet thing. "Sounds like... uh... like you're finding your place in life."

"Well... yeah." He nodded. "I suppose that's it." He smiled. "And... like... I-I feel like I have you to thank for it, Rainbow Dash."

"Me?"

"You slammed the brakes on the lame train, if you know what I mean." He chuckled, blushing slightly. "I mean... if I hadn't... erm... if Rarity hadn't set us up... erhm..."

"Hey, it's okay." Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "I think I get it." She sighed contentedly. "That place you're in? I... I think I'm headed there myself too."

Sharp Quill blinked. "You are?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"Is that..." Sharp Quill shifted on his hooves. "...is that a place where you want to be?"

Rainbow Dash turned and looked over her shoulder.

Rarity, Twilight, and Pinkie Pie sat closely together, chatting and giggling.

"Hmmm..." Rainbow's ears twitched as her smile lingered. "I wouldn't be all that lame, all things considered..."

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

"Hey, it's okay." Rainbow Dash waved a hoof. "I think I get it." She sighed contentedly. "That place you're in? I... I think I'm headed there myself too."

Oh, Rainbow. Don't go there, girlfriend.

Please.

[Sheendough]

So our old Dash is still there after all, as brash and cocky as usual... STOP USING MY LIFE AS A BASIS FOR SHARP QUILL!!!!!!

[Cotton Fluff]

5999742
The breaks are slamming on the AppleDash train, this can't happen D:

Get your head back in the game Rainbow and go after your love!

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5999826 Hmmm, I don't think so; I think that Dash is just getting a bit down.

And Silver Quill definitely didn't help matters any with what he said to her.

(Because what works for one person does not necessarily work for somepony else.)

Definitely agree with you on that last one, though!

[zaponator]

Oh I guess he's not an evil agent of the mob.
Man, this story's made me paranoid...

[Lightning Bearer]

As much as this chapter speaks to my aromantic nature, I'm looking forward to Rainbow extracting her head for her ass.

[viofriedsevey]

Lol, she thinks shes not gonna be ridiculously in love Applejack, good one.

[HopelessRomanetic]

Damn Sharp Quill, you sooo do not have the right to be the ice berg to the Appledash ship. No. Just no.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5999826 Slamming? Please, the brakes have been going on that train for 555 chapters now. I'm waiting for them to come off.

[Leftover of Saikano]

And I, too am headed that way, it seems.

6000561 sometimes is hard not to read "aromantic" as "aromatic" and makes me look twice.

[YoshiFawful64]

6000561
Wait, you're aromantic too? Awesome!

[DrEggnog]

Oh, Sharp Quill was that guy Rarity set Rainbow up with? I thought it was Stu. It's been so darn long and so much has happened.

[Boop-Happy Lass]

6003286
Aromantics unite! :P