Appledashery

by Just Essay

Rainbow Dash Angsts West

When Rainbow Dash finally cleared the mountains west of Appleloosa, she found a stone blue sheet of granite desert waiting beyond. Once her wings had regained their vigor, she took off, flying over the emptiness. To her relief, the plateau dropped off less than a dozen miles further, giving way to rolling grasslands and sporadic clusters of dry bushes.

The temperature rose slightly, but it wasn't as extreme as the desert where Appleloosa was located. In fact, if it was a slight bit more moist, Rainbow might have felt as though she was navigating the humid atmosphere of Fillyda again.

It occurred to the mare that she was covering far more ground (and far more swiftly) than her most recent venture south. There was something about the trip to Orlandoats that made Rainbow Dash feel as if the distance traveled was longer. She figured it had to have been the way in which she occupied her time, conversing so intimately with Stu Leaves and Applejack along the journey.

Applejack...

A savage chill ran through Rainbow's figure. She thought of the mare, but all her mind could conjure up was the sad pale sheen that had covered her best friend's face... and the way it seemed to drown out her freckles with a ghostly malaise. It was almost as if Applejack had become a completely different soul—one devoid of joy and hope. Perhaps it was a curse as much as a blessing that Rainbow Dash loved this sad Applejack all the same, and it tore at her insides just imagining the deflated tone in her voice, the utter lack of melody and drawl.

Fate had chosen to take away something... someone that Applejack loved. If it consumed all the remaining strength in Rainbow's body, she was going to restore that. Even if Applejack never knew how Rainbow Dash felt about her, the pegasus was going to be sure that there was something in this world that the farm mare could continue to cherish. Knowing that Applejack could love was almost as good as being loved. Almost...

The sun had long coasted beyond the horizon. Soon, the dull gray earth matched the even duller sky. Only once the western glow had faded did the universe come out of hiding. In such a crazily remote place, Rainbow felt herself serenaded by a shimmering chorus of starlight. In any other circumstance, she might have been dazzled. For the time being, the pinpricks of light only reminded her of the twinkle that had departed from Apple Bloom's gaze, and she threw herself westward all that much faster.

Only when the night had stretched her fatigue mind thin did Rainbow Dash finally contemplate this situation at a far more dismal angle. What if Apple Bloom did die? Could Applejack even recover? Could anypony in town rise up from such a disaster?

A lump formed in Rainbow's throat, for she realized that there were less countable feathertips on her wings than moments she had actually spent with Applejack's younger sister. It didn't occur to her until then just how... strange that was. She had once assisted Apple Bloom in training for her cutie mark, and then there was the local school talent show that she had attended. But, other than that, her moments spent with the youngest member of the Apple Family was practically nil. And that was curious, considering that Rainbow Dash adored... or at least thought she adored everything that there was to do with the strong orchard farming mare.

But then it crossed Rainbow's mind that—all things considered—she didn't truly stalk Applejack like a pony with her... intense feelings would surely have been tempted to do. Sure, there were the random-fly-by's that took her close to Sweet Apple Acres, the desperate glances across the table at Sugarcube Corner while she and her friends were all hanging out, the coordinated time slots both mares had taken to Wrap Up Winter the last three years in a row...

But, in a lot of ways, Rainbow Dash kept Applejack at hoof's length... maintaining her as a total stranger. Or, at least, far more of a stranger than she had ever truly wanted. Was this just another form of self-punishment? Did she insist to keep her eyes off the prize... for the very nature of who and what the prize was?

"Or perhaps she simply resented herself, and her lack of achievements, because a mare of her awesome qualities should clearly have accomplished more without having a heavy romantic rush weigh her down..."

"Lancie..."

"Just thinking of all the times she could have slipped into Princess Frecklepone's bedroom and... rolled around in her underwear drawer! Thinking how wonderful it was that this one countrified quadruped in all of Equestria would even have a snuggly, cozy underwear drawer just for the pegasus to make love to!"

"Lancie..."

"And the garbage bins! Whew! She'd have everything she'd need to know about Madame McDrawlhaul just by rummaging through them once in a blue moon—"

"LANCIE!" Rainbow snarled. With a dull sigh, she looked over her outstretched wings. "Just... what... in the buck...are you even doing?"

Lancie's fanged smirk glistened in the starlight. "Just felt that this adventurous nightflight needed some desperate internal monologue."

Rainbow Dash sighed and glared ahead.

"...or did you prefer brooding silence where you contemplate the futility of your ardent feelings in the face of insurmountable circumstances?"

"I think I need a power nap..."

"But..." Lancie blinked. "I thought a certain Sparky earlier said that there was no time for—"

"Power nap." Rainbow grit her teeth. "Now." She descended towards a forested thicket. "...so I'll have the strength to snap you in two in the morning."

"Now that's the spirit!" Lancie pumped a talon. "Redirect your angst outward, ya sassy susan!"

"Meh..."

Comments

[RoboRed]

Rainbow Dash Angsts West

YUP,THEREITIS.

"Just thinking of all the times she could have slipped into Princess Frecklepone's bedroom and... rolled around in her underwear drawer! Thinking how wonderful it was that this one countrified quadruped in all of Equestria would even have a snuggly, cozy underwear drawer just for the pegasus to make love to!"

lolwut

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

6158156 You're very welcome.

[MidnightReflection]

She thought of the mare, but all her mind could conjure up was the sad pale sheen that had covered her best friend's face... and the way it seemed to drown out her freckles with a ghostly malaise.

You know, in another universe where she flies East...

"Or perhaps she simply resented herself, and her lack of achievements, because a mare of her awesome qualities should clearly have accomplished more without having a heavy romantic rush weigh her down..."

Lancie, you just keep on being you. And when you pick up all the pieces that are left, don't become a super big dick. Because when you are whole again, maybe you can be... *puts on sunglasses* reformed.

[Aatxe360]

They'd be hard-pressed to catch-up to RD(an RD on a mission) even if they knew where she was headed. They clearly didn't think this through.

[MidnightReflection]

6158401 True, but if I remember, waaaaaaayy back, like... 400 or so chapters ago, that bad griffon was pretty fast. He wasn't fast enough to catch Rainbow, but he was still fast enough to keep up with her until she hid in a cloud... or something? I can't remember, but since RD has to fight Big Boss and all Big Boss' baddies, it may be just enough time to allow The League of Anti-Dash (JE called them that in a chapter title) to catch her at the end of the battle. Hopefully not, but knowing this author, we might end up finding out that Awesometopialand (I think RD made that up when she was in Manehatten with Photo Finish) ends up being real. Because Stratopolis is a myth.

[Khao]

A lump formed in Rainbow's throat, for she realized that there were less countable feathertips on her wings than moments she had actually spent with Applejack's younger sister.

Does Rainbow actually have a single feathertip on her wings, or did you just mean to say more feathertips than moments?

[Aatxe360]

6158419

The whole group? I wasn't just talking about one of them. Why would the others be somewhat nearby if not to oversee the operation closer to home? ...Even if there was hacking involved.

[MidnightReflection]

6158425 Well, not the whole group, no. Just... half of them? Obviously Don Canter would stay in close proximity to Ponyville and await the delivery of the chaos shards, and some of his henchmen would stay to guard him or what have you... but the griffon and maybe Sunset Shimmer ( she can teleport, right?) could go and intercept Rainbow. Maybe even on her way back to Ponyville, after she is conveniently exhausted from the Boss fight and is suffering a dizzy spell suffering from her atrophy and has no more of Zecora's potion left.

[314]

This Chapter = Austraeoh + Lancie

[Lightning Bearer]

Can we let Discord narrate for a while?

[Typoglyphic]

there were less countable feathertips on her wings than moments she had actually spent with Applejack's younger sister.

Fewer

Also, this sentence makes no sense to me. Surely if she hadn't spent much time with Apple Bloom, then it would be more apt to say that there were more countable feathers than moments. I'm not sure whether this is a typo, or a "could/couldn't care less" moment.

[Fishberry]

img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130403195243/mlp/images/c/cb/Map_of_Equestria_April_2013.jpg

[TwilightUCrazy]

Theory: When Rainbow crosses to the East in Austraeoh, she crosses dimensions into Appledashery and the two have an epic, smackdown drag-out fight over Lancie's shiznit.

'Cause reasons.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Of course we all came to this cute story for long, angsty flight scenes.

[Sheendough]

6158401 Please tell me you will roast them alive once they get to your shadowy domains.

[zaponator]

Appledashery unabridged audio book, written by Scootaloo, reading by Lancie.

[Aatxe360]

6160138

No promises. Sometimes I get bored and enjoy visitors.

[PropMaster]

God, do I ever love Lancie. Epcot may be best pony, but Lancie is still a cut above.