AppleDash Group Collab

by DbzOrDie

Roughhouse - Tyro

“Wait, Applejack was what?” Twilight spluttered, spilling her tea over the floor.

“She was bleeding!” Fluttershy responded, shuffling in her throne as a grumbling Spike tended to the split beverage. “I saw her at her stall in the market and she had a bloodied muzzle. I suppose it was lucky it was the red apples in front of her and not the green ones...”

Twilight set her cup back down on the Cutie Map. “Did she seem like she was in pain?”

“Not really. In fact I don’t think she even noticed.”

“Well she is pretty hardy. It’s probably just some rough work on the farm. You know how she is.”

“But this isn’t the only time!” Fluttershy banged her hoof on the table for emphasis. Well...lightly tapped it anyway. “She seems to have more and more cuts and bruises every day now!”

“Every day?” Twilight tapped her chin thoughtfully. “When did you start noticing this?”

Fluttershy looked down at her own cup, hiding her face within her mane.

“Fluttershy?” Twilight asked more insistently. “What aren’t you telling me?”

“Um...I don’t...I don’t want to say...”

“Come on, if there’s a problem, I need to know.”

Fluttershy took a deep breath, after which her words came out all at once. “It was just after she and Rainbow started seeing each other! Oh I know it’s not right to suspect, and I can’t believe Dash would ever-”

“Wait a second!” Twilight cut in. “You’re not seriously suggesting that Dash is...I mean...I feel like that’s not the kind of thing A.J would take lying down...”

“But that’s just it!” Fluttershy sat up straighter in her chair, desperate to make Twilight understand. “I’ve noticed that Dash is also getting more cuts and scrapes lately. Just three days ago she had this horrible looking black eye!”

Twilight sank back into her throne. It seemed unthinkable. The news of her two friends beginning a new relationship had been such a cause for celebration. But now, the idea that two were engaging in...”domestic disputes”... The two had always been rather short tempered, not to mention quick to trade blows if it came to it, but this was another level. If this sort of thing were to happen at the farm, where Applebloom might see...

“That’s it!” She jumped to her hooves. “We’re going to Sweet Apple Acres to get to the bottom of this!”

Down at the farm things seemed peaceful as ever. Twilight, Fluttershy and Spike had asked Mac about his sister’s whereabouts, but he hadn’t seen her since the morning. None of them felt comfortable telling him about their theory regarding his sister and her...special friend. They wanted to make sure they were right before the stallion got his hooves on Rainbow.

They decided to go ahead and search the farm just in case, and were eventually rewarded when they spotted their two targets emerging from the barn.

They each gasped at what they saw. The situation seemed worse than ever. One of Rainbow’s wings looked bent and she was limping. Applejack was sporting a massive bruise on her barrel as well as a split lip. Twilight’s heart sank. The two had seemed so happy at first, but here it was. Evidence that this relationship was clearly not meant to be. There was no other option. She had to intervene and recommend that they break up. It was for their own good.

She approached them with a heavy heart. “Um...hi girls.” Where to even start?

“Well howdy Sugarcube!” A.J greeted her with a wide smile and bright eyes. Poor Applejack. She must be trying to hide what was going on for the sake of everyponys’ feelings. “What brings you round these parts?”

Twilight took a breath and steadied herself. “Applejack. Rainbow Dash. I know what’s been going on. And it has to stop.”

“Um...stop what?” Rainbow asked, a look of confusion on her face. “And what do you thinks’ been going on?”

With no other choice, Twilight steeled herself up and explained everything she and Fluttershy had been discussing. Fluttershy herself soon burst into tears, but Twilight held strong. She had to be. For them.

And yet, when she had finished her story...Applejack and Rainbow just laughed.

“Aw Sugarcube,” Applejack spluttered between guffaws, “y’all seriously think me and Dash would do a thing like that?”

“Yeah Twi!” Rainbow was on her back, hooves in the air, laughing like there was no tomorrow. “You think I’d lay a hoof on A.J? Where’d you come up with an idea like that?”

“Well...” Twilight was honestly a little offended at them not taking her concerns seriously. “Look at the pair of you!”

“Huh?” Rainbow looked up from the ground. “What about us?”

“Y-you’re...you’re hurt!” Fluttershy had calmed down enough to still talk, but the sobs still came through here and there. “You’re always getting hurt! If you aren’t doing this to each other, then who is?”

Applejack and Rainbow stared at the three for a moment. Then they stared at each other. Then they collapsed into hysterics once more.

“Hey come on!” Spike raised his voice. It didn’t seem nice of them to be laughing at their friends’ concerns like this. “We’re worried about you guys!”

“Aw heck, Spike. “A.J wiped a tear from her eye. “Don’t you worry none. Ain’t nopony doin’ anythin’ bad to us. We was just roughhousin’ in the barn a little.”

“What?”

“What!”

“Um...what?”

Rainbow finally got to her hooves. “We just like to wrestle now and then. Y’know, it’s a way to blow off steam. Jeez guys, don’t take everything so seriously!”

“But...but...” Twilight struggled to find the words. “You’re limping! Applejack’s bleeding!”

Applejack shrugged. “Just a scratch or two, ain’t no big deal.”

“Besides A.J started it.” Rainbow added.

The farm girl rounded on her. “I beg your pardon?”

“You stepped on my wing!”

“You punched me in the mouth!”

“Only cuz you kicked me in the leg!”

“That was an accident!” A.J stopped and smirked. “Guess I didn’t realise how delicate you were.”

Rainbow’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”

“Ain’t nothin’ to get upset about Sugar. Ain’t your fault if you don’t have the endurance.”

Rainbow shoved her face straight into A.J’s, their noses touching. “Oh yeah? I’ve got like, ten times the endurance you have!”

Applejack pushed back, still smirking. “Wanna put that to the test, Dash?”

Rainbow smirked back. “Always.”

“Fine. First one to say uncle has to do Big Mac’s chores for three days!”

“You’re on!”

Before Twilight and the others could say anything, a blur of orange and blue fur hit the ground and began rolling over the grass.

“So um...maybe we should go?” Spike asked. The other two nodded and they quickly made their exit as the roughhousing continued.

“Hey! No biting!”

“What’s the matter Sugarcube? You goin’ soft on me?”

“Grr!”

Twilight and the others hastened their departure.