Appledashery

by Just Essay

The Cider Horse Rules

Rainbow Dash opened her tearful eyes. The rooftops of Canterlot hung in hushed silence beneath the cloud that she was on. Her gaze lingered on Twilight Sparkle's parents' apartment, and the last light in the upper window that stayed on, but it soon went out.

A half hour had passed since her late night walk with Applejack ended, and she couldn't bring herself to retire for the evening. She knew that there was a warm and snuggly sleeping bag waiting for her, but that would mean having to sneak her way in and trot over the sleeping form of Applejack.

Applejack... who just moments ago had been bawling her eyes out over the state that her farm was in... who had just exposed the tender parts of her soul to the dashing pegasus...

Rainbow's mind darted to the Gala the night before and the chaos that had broken out. She thought of Applejack's cart full of apple treats being torn to pulpy bits. She thought of the mare's golden braided mane being ruined by the sweat and debris of the comically tragic circumstances. Everything churned together in Rainbow's mind, and once again her thoughts rolled out the sight of Applejack's freckles bathed in tears as she whimpered into the night.

The pegasus gnashed her teeth. She felt fresh tears squeezing out of her eyes. With a groaning sound, she kicked up off the cloud, backflipped, and tore across the upper heights of Canterlot. She put as much distance between herself and the apartment of Twilight's family, where she knew that Applejack must have been sleeping—and fitfully so.

Rainbow outflew the urge to sob, burning a wicked path through the streets and alleyways of the Upper Diamond District. And before she knew it, she had hovered to a stop, panting and sweating before an uptown bar. She saw the lights flashing from the inside, and her muzzle hung between a smirk and a frown. With gently flapping wings, she settled down on numb hooves and trotted her way through the swinging doors.

---

Hours later...

"Hey!" Rainbow Dash slurred as two burly stallions threw her limp body back into the street. "Pffft! This is one—HIC—fine way to treat a paying—HIC—customer!"

"You've had enough, lady," one of the stallions lingered in the doorframe just long enough to say. His brow furrowed as he grumbled, "Go drown yourself at another bar, you Ponyvillean hick!"

"Who are you calling a Ponyvillean—HIC!" She went cross-eyed, then shook her head. "Grrrr! Snotty melon fudge!" She pounded her fuzzy blue chest. "Cloudsdale born and raised! Sonic Rainboomer and Best Young—HIC! I mean Best Young—HIC!" She teetered and bore a lopsided smile. "That thing with the flappy wings n'stuff. Super fast, y'know?"

"Pffft..." The stallion shook his head and stumbled back into the bar. "Pathetic."

"Yeah, well, I'm not the one—HIC—bouncin' for a dump in the middle of sissytown!" Rainbow Dash muttered as she limped a crooked path through the moon-drenched alleyways. Her drawling voice echoed against the brick and mortar shine of the mountain maretropolis. "Ponies here don't know what it means to grow the real stuff! Heck, I'm doing Equestria a favor by—HIC—drinking all the crap so that nopony else has to! Nopony... who grinds their hooves to the bone... and f-for what...?"

She slumped against a street corner, blanching. Her teary eyes throbbed as she stared thousands of miles through the cobblestone beneath her.

"For... for a bunch of lame crud." She gulped. "For having your farm in trouble. And being too honest... too selfless... and b-beautiful to deserve it..." She gritted her teeth as a tear ran down her cheek. Her eyes shut as she shook, seethed, and finally stood up straight with outstretched wings. The next time she spoke, it was in a dull drone. "What I need is a little more cider..."

And she limped on until she found another dive to help her with just that...

---

"Grrglglglgggg!" Rainbow's lips dribbled all over as she poured a mug of cider down her gullet.

She flew upright, wiping her chin with a free limb before giggling foalishly into the cold night winds. She flew from a bar in a lower district of Canterlot, and her gliding wings took her towards the edge of the Royal Palace. The high walls of the Palace grounds stretched blatantly in her path. Her body hurled blindly towards the area, undaunted.

"Hmmmmm..." Rainbow nuzzled the mug like her mother's leg before dropping it to the nebulous ground below. She twirled around and "reclined" in midair, her face limp with a sleepy smile. "Just... one cuddle... AJ. Between friends, mmmmmkay?" She hiccuped, her muzzle stuck between a laugh and a sob. "I don't c-care how—HIC—bad things are..."

She hyperventilated as her eyelids fluttered shut. Her wings went slack, and she plummeted, sailing over the walls and past garden hedges.

"Just... want to be with you..." She murmured, sniffling, hugging herself in midfall. "Just... want to sh-show you..."

She flew faster and faster towards the ground, careening in reverse past sculptures, statues...

Rainbow's lips finally slurred upon the virge of sleep. She exhaled dully, pronouncing six words and six words alone.

And that's when her body struck something tall and pale in the moonlight, shattering it to bits.

CRACK!

---

Rainbow's eyes flew open as she gasped.

She blinked.

She blinked again.

The rooftops of Ponyville were sailing towards her. She had fallen through her cloud in mid-sleep, and was plummeting.

"Crud bagels!" The pegasus shot her wings out, pivoted them, and dragged them against the air.

Her body jerked, limp legs dangling as she swooped towards the village's Town Hall.

"Gnnnngh!" Rainbow Dash gnashed her teeth as she swung her body sideways.

She pulled up just in time to avoid the peak of the Town Hall building by centimeters. Her body roared past the flagpole, the rippling banner slapping her blue muzzle without prejudice.

"Augh!" She twitched, twirled, and glided towards the soft streets below.

Her legs stretched forward to brace for impact, but her memory had failed her. When she struck the ground, her numb limbs instantly buckled, and she collapsed onto her chest, grinding for several feet and forming a shallow trench in the grassy floor.

"Mmmmff!" She toppeled flank over spine, collapsing on her back in a crumpled mess of mud and feathers. At last, her body came to a stop, quivering in pain. "Unnnnnnnnghhh..."

She rolled over, spat clumps of soil out of her mouth, and sat up in the starlight. She flexed her limbs, biting her lip in nervous anticipation. To her relief, none of her bones appeared to be broken. Rainbow let loose a heavy breath, slumping back against the nearest building at the end of her impact site.

Quietly, thoughtfully, Rainbow Dash gazed skyward. Her ruby eyes shared the glitter and shine of the stars above. At last, she sighed and muttered to herself.

"I can't let this thing beat me. I'm enough of a loser without... being a loser."

With a silent slump to her shoulders, she got up, stood on quivering legs, and limped her way east towards her home. It was a daunting task, and she barely trudged faster than half a mile per hour. But she forced herself into the trek, muscles grinding, until the sun rose beyond her house.

Comments

[Lightning Bearer]

We keep learning more about that night. Now we learn that she broke something, presumably in the palace gardens. The first thing that comes to mind is Discord, but that doesn't sound right. Unless there was more to Discord's release than quarreling fillies.

I dunno. We'll see. I'm still trying to climb out of this pile of feels that fell on me tonight.

[MellowMabari]

And that's when her body struck something tall and pale in the moonlight, shattering it to bits.

If it was Discord's statue...all I can say is this: poetic justice.

If not, well, it'll be a surprise.

Also, poor Dash. Sometimes you just can't muscle your way through things, especially alone. I just hope that she learns this before it's too late...

[RainbowJack2000]

The Cider Horse Rules

I see what you did there...

[zaponator]

You know how to really get by in life, Dash? With a little help from your friends!

[Future Regret]

3999913

3999913
Reminds me of another story..

[arancaytar]

The rooftops of Ponyville were sailing towards her. She had fallen through her cloud in mid-sleep, and was plummeting.

Haha OMG I knew it, pegasi can get falling-through drunk

[AppleTank]

I don't think this is Cider Princess yet

[Brazilianguy17]

"Just... want to be with you..."

aren't those the six words ?