Appledashery

by Just Essay

Okay

Gentle music wafted out the speakers of a record player propped up in the corner of Fluttershy's foyer. The owner of the house sat on her couch, sipping daintily from a cup of tea. Starlight from the window bathed her shiny yellow coat as she lowered the cup and smiled.

"You're doing wonders for her, Rainbow Dash."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow lay on her belly across the floor, rubbing a hoof across Angel's head. For once, the bunny was receptive to a pony's touch, and the fluffy thing smiled, rolling over so Rainbow could have access to its belly. "She hasn't flown yet."

"She's getting there, though." Fluttershy smiled. "Slowly but surely, thanks to you."

"I don't do 'slowly' very well."

"I beg to differ." Fluttershy watched as a songbird or two landed on the hoofrest of her couch. She leaned in to nuzzle them with a sweet smile. "It's amazing what a difference one mare can make by just being there for a pony they love. Especially a mare like you."

"Heheheheh..." Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"What?"

"'Love,' huh?" Rainbow sighed. "I just wanna see the lil' squirt get far in life."

"And is that so strange?" Fluttershy craned her neck to the side. "That you can love a pony without it being a super-obsessive ordeal."

"Meh."

"There's the love of sisters... the love of mentors... the love of friends."

"Scoots has so much potential, is all." Rainbow exhaled slowly. She looked past where her hoof was rubbing Angel's belly. "I hate to see all of that go to waste."

"What makes you think that could ever remotely happen?"

"'Cuz..." Rainbow gulped. "She's a lot like m-me."

Fluttershy stared at her firmly. She leaned her head off the couch. "Look at me."

Rainbow did so, trembling slightly.

"You are not a waste." Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. "Do you understand me? And you're never ever going to be one."

Rainbow's nostrils flared. "I know."

"Do you?"

Rainbow smirked slyly. "'Cuz I'm awesome."

Fluttershy leaned back with a sigh. "You've said that before."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow looked back at Angel. "I've never meant it quite so much before."

"Oh?" Fluttershy took another sip.

"I've never realized how... friggin' simple it is..." Rainbow smiled limply. "To have friends... friends that are happy." She gulped. "And to know that they're happy."

"Mmmmm... it's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Makes me glad for Scoots." Rainbow cleared her throat. "And it makes me glad for Applejack."

"So long as you're not obsessing over either of them. They're going to be okay, Rainbow Dash."

Rainbow closed her eyes. "Easy to say that."

Silence, save for the soft, tranquil music.

"You know what I think you should do?" Fluttershy smiled. "Go on a vacation."

"Pffft..." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Yeah right."

"No, I mean it." Fluttershy spoke. "Find a week where you can go somewhere and... and be by yourself."

"I already do that," Rainbow muttered. "A lot."

"I mean leave your troubles and fears and obsessions behind, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "Be somewhere and someplace for a little while where you can... live in the moment, y'know? Not feel so attached to... the feeling of being attached."

"So I won't have to stress it, huh?"

"Exactly."

Rainbow sighed.

"What do you think?"

"I think..." Rainbow gulped, her wingtips fluttering. "...that it sounds pretty nice, actually."

"It's going to be okay, Rainbow."

"...?" Fluttershy turned to look up at the couch.

Fluttershy smiled back. "It's going to be okay."

"What is?"

"Everything." Fluttershy winked. "I promise."

Rainbow stared at her. "Pffft..." She gazed back across the cottage. "You're such a sap."

"Says the pegasus fluffing a bunny rabbit."

"Go to Tartarus."

"Heeheehee..."

Rainbow smirked.

The record reached its end.

Comments

[Tchernobog]

[Phoenix Kitten]

Rainbow stared at her. "Pffft..." She gazed back across the cottage. "You're such a sap."
"Says the pegasus fluffing a bunny rabbit."
"Go to Tartarus."
"Heeheehee..."

I'm such a sucker for friendshipping, this right here, just made me smile so wide.
Like.. even when this ends, and AJ and Dash are cuddling happily, I still think this moment will be the one that got the biggest smile from me.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Go out, be yourself, fight evil, save ponies. Fly east.

[Tim the Planes-pony]

This vacation is going to be trouble finding her, I can tell already.

[Cotton Fluff]

"You are not a waste." Fluttershy's eyes narrowed. "Do you understand me? And you're never ever going to be one."

"I mean leave your troubles and fears and obsessions behind, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "Be somewhere and someplace for a little while where you can... live in the moment, y'know? Not feel so attached to... the feeling of being attached."

So, while I know Fluttershy is giving Rainbow some advice on her current problem here (and that's great)... does anyone else get the impression she's also giving Rainbow some advice on her condition? This whole chapter just feels like it's actually about Rainbow's short future to me, which... is actually a little depressing .

On the plus side, a vacation means an adventure arc which would be a nice return to form.

[zaponator]

A vacation would be nice.
I'm still holding out for hilariously/adorably awkward attempts at dating other ponies.

[destinedjagold]

6906604 Flutters said a week's vacation, not a year-long epic of saving some random piece of the ring world or something. :P

[Sir Mediocre]

6908639 Besides, Discord has established already that Austraeoh-Dash is in a different plane of the multiverse. Obviously, this can mean only one thing.

Rainbow Dash must fly west and form an alliance with the Squirrels of Laputa, thus paving the way for a vodka empire that would stretch from Griffonstone to Manehattan and beyond.

That would keep her busy for a while.

[DrEggnog]

"It's going to be okay, Rainbow."
"...?" Fluttershy turned to look up at the couch.
Fluttershy smiled back. "It's going to be okay."

Heartwarming. I'm hugging my pillow to my chest.

[SnowOriole]

Go find Lancie!