• Published 4th Dec 2013
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Appledashery - Just Essay



Rainbow Dash lives an exciting life and is swiftly becoming the most daring, awesome pegasus in all of Equestria. She would gladly give it all up, though, just to confess her love to Applejack.

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Hoarse, Of Course

"Nnnngh—grmmmf!" Rainbow Dash punched and kicked her way through yet another rain-cloud.

In a burst of moisture, the sky over west Ponyville cleared. Several hundred meters to the east, the dots of Candy Mane and Thunderlane continued tackling their own clouds, although not as briskly as Rainbow Dash.

Hovering alone in the air, the mare flexed her forelimbs. She winced, rubbing her hooves together, searching for the pain from her exhaustive cloud-kicking. It was somewhere beyond the numbness, but she was at a lost to find it.

With a sigh, she glanced to her left.

Just beyond a line of trees, she spotted the glistening expanse of apple orchards. In the distance was a red barn, shimmering in her peripheral.

Rainbow Dash clenched her jaws tight. She pretended to search for more clouds, but was unsuccessful.

Minutes lurched by...

A half hour...

At last, she dangled in mid-air, hugging herself.

Candy Mane and Thunderlane were still well beyond earshot.

Rainbow fought and fought it... but ultimately failed.

With a cold shudder, she pivoted west... and began flying limply towards Sweet Apple Acres.


Th-thap!

Rainbow's hooves landed on dry grass. The soil was hot to the touch—piercing through the tingling in her fetlocks.

Nevertheless, she faced forward, her ruby eyes plastered to the front door to the Apple Family home. It loomed an agonizing lawn-length away.

Sucking in her breath, Rainbow coiled her wings tightly to the side and strolled forward.

"Applejack, I'm sorry for not being there," she muttered to herself. A gulp. "Applejack... I'm really sorry for not being there for you when Apple Bloom was sick." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Applejack, I'm really really sorry, but there was this thing with a living statue of chaos that was kinda sorta my friend but kinda sorta wanting to betray me all along and yet I still went with him on this startlingly violent journey to fetch some precious iced lavenders to save your baby sister from certain venomous demise and... and..."

She scuffled to a stop, sighing.

"... ... ...Applejack, I'm sorry that I've never... n-never settled for being your friend." She sniffled, her eyes moistening. "Especially when you needed it the most. But... but m-more than that, I... I-I..."

"Rainbow!" I shrieked. "Look out!"

"...huh?" She turned towards me, then jolted. With cat-like precision, her wings flapped, lifting her body up in a feathery leap.

I skidded straight through her shadow, braking the scooter as hard as I could. It took a few floundering seconds for the wagon and the fillies inside it to likewise scuffle to a stop.

"Whew! That was a close one!" I removed my helmet, fanning my face and mane. "I'd never live with myself if I plowed you to bits!"

"Pffft... please, kiddo..." Rainbow Dash lowered down. "You're a living comet, for sure, but it'd take more than that to kill the likes of—" She suddenly did a double-take, gawking at one of the two fillies in the back of the wagon. "Apple Bloom!"

My friend behind me coughed... coughed again... then waved. She smiled from beneath her helmet. "Hey there... Rainbow Dash..." Her voice was hoarse, like sandpaper.

"Ah jeez..." Rainbow Dash winced. She touched down beside us and trotted nervously towards the wagon. "Ah jeez ah jeez ah jeez..." She gulped. "Why's your voice gotta sound like that?"

"It's..." Apple Bloom winced, clutching her throat. "It's... it's..."

"It's fine, Rainbow Dash," Sweetie Belle spoke up, removing her helmet with a smile. "My big sis explained it to me. The antidote Noir and Zecora made fixed Apple Bloom up all nice and good. But there are parts of her body that are... uhhh... still recovering from a week of lying in bed."

"Not to mention that whole 'precariously close to dying for good' bit," I added.

"Heehee! Yeah! That!"

"I'm... uh..." Apple Bloom coughed. "...just a bit dizzy... and it's hard to speak. But..." She winced just long enough to speak, smiling crookedly. "...I'm feeling better and better everyday."

"Yeah!" I smiled. "We just got back from school! Cheerilee had an after-class party for her and everything!"

"She has sooooooooooooo much homework to catch up on," Sweetie Belle said, rolling her eyes and giggling. "You have no idea!"

"Yeah!" I turned to smile at Apple Bloom. "Almost makes you wish you were really dead, huh?"

"Mrmmmff..." Apple Bloom coughed as she removed her helmet. "Only... the m-math part," she wheezed.

The two of us giggled.

"That's... that's good to hear, kid," Rainbow said. "Well... n-not the math part, I suppose. But... what I mean is..."

"It's nice... s-seeing you t-t-too, Rainbow Dash," Apple Bloom stammered. "I c-can't wait to..." She winced, rubbing her throat. "...ch-cheer for you next time you pull flight stunts for Scoots h-here..."

"That's okay." I winked. "I'll do the cheering for the two of us. Heck... for all three of us!"

"We know, Scootaloo." Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. "We know."

Rainbow Dash exhaled through a smile. "It's... it's really good..." She gulped. "Seeing you up and about, that is. Healthy n'stuff."

"Yeah..." Apple Bloom nodded. "It's super cool..."

"Like really..." Rianbow shuddered. Her voice shook. "You've no idea—"

"Is everything okay, Rainbow?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Your eyes look wet."

"Pffft..." I waved a hoof. "She's Ponyville's fastest weather flier. What do you expect?"

"Erm..." Rainbow rubbed her fuzzy face. "Yeah..."

"Just what brings you here, Rainbow?" I asked.

"I was... uhm..." Rainbow fidgeted. "Actually, I was wanting to see if... if..."

"Applejack?" Apple Bloom wheezed.

I glanced at Apple Bloom, then at Rainbow Dash.

"Er... yeah." Rainbow cleared her throat. "Friend stuff. Adult friend stuff."

I smiled.

"She's probably..." Apple Bloom coughed. "...out back."

"Bucking apples?"

"No." She shook her head. "She did that this morning."

"Huh." Rainbow blinked. "Why so early?"

"She's... got stuff to do this afternoon..."

"Like what?"

I cleared my throat. "Why don't you go and ask her yourself, Rainbow?"

Rainbow squinted at me... then smirked. "Yeah..." She turned about, tail flicking. "I think I'll do just that..."

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