Appledashery

by Just Essay

On the Corner of Everything and Nothing

Rainbow Dash could scarcely feel her hooves, but—if she paced herself—then it didn't matter.

She shuffled forward in a steady lurch, neither tired nor sleepy. The warm lengths of Equestria buzzed on either side of her. Dragonflies flitted among the pond fronds. Cicadas made music from the trees. Hares scurried in and out of foliage, disrupting the stillness of the moment.

The first row of gold-thatched houses lingered several stone-throws away. It didn't occur to Rainbow Dash just how distant her cloud home had been positioned from Ponyville proper until it was no longer there. The blue sky—once a comforting thing—was now an azure vacuum of missed opportunities... neglected conversations... and abandoned dreams.

And yet, Ponyville drew her forward, like gravity. The petite pegasus proceeded slowly, pinned to the earth by the weight of her everything. Her eyes scraped over every lasting detail before and beside her. She couldn't help it. She had never paid that much attention to the surface texture of her home before. For all she knew, it might be the very last time she had an opportunity.

Minutes passed. Rainbow could hear the babbling of tiny brooks that ran through the eastern side of the town. Quaint stone bridges connected the outer districts. Tent flaps from market bazaars flapped in the breeze, and the persistent grind of the town's trademark windmill continued to add percussion to the otherwise dormant villagescape.

So much stone, mortar, and wood—and yet, at a far glance, no sign of living, breathing ponies. In fact, from outside, the village looked pretty, rustid, but devoid of life. Rainbow figured this was how she always saw Ponyville... or perhaps how she had forced herself to see it for so long... in tiny gray glimpses beyond the obscuring curtains of her room... a domain of darkness that afforded her the luxury of isolation, but none of the benefits.

Rainbow Dash paced her breaths as though she was about to descend into a sepulcher. With glacial grace, she entered the east edge of Ponyville.

Comments

[DrEggnog]

*checks watch*

[Thursday]

Here come the fireworks (or waterworks)

[zaponator]

As much as I'd hope she actually manages to say goodbye this time, we all know she won't.

[Seraphimus]

7346578 I dunno, I am inclined to disagree, this all feels like.. .running away again. I don't think this will stand to solve anything anyways.

[ShadowsorLights]

If a friend of mine saw me acting like this I would be accused of base cowardice,
and I would be hard pressed for an argument against it.