//------------------------------// // The Canterlot Accord // Story: Appledashery Vol. Two // by Just Essay //------------------------------// "Good night, Joe!" Twilight Sparkle waved back at the front door to the closing eatery. "Thanks for helping us have the best night ever—!" As she did the polite motion with her forelimb, another tattered length of fabric flew loose from her bodice. "Whoops!" "Hahaha!" Donut Joe laughed as he swiveled the sign from "open" to "close." "Been an absolute pleasure, Twilight Sparkle! So nice seein' you back in town again!" "Well, I'm afraid it can't last forever!" Twilight called out, her voice echoing off the storefronts and streetlamps of the sleepy market district around her. Most of the establishments had been long closed, but there was a sense of lurching movement in every alley as the capillaries of the city hummed with the souls of those slowly, gradually leaving the Gala at the Palace. A partly cloudy sky hung over the mountain capital, with starlight peering down between the gasp and illuminating the color in every pony's tired eyes. "I'm just here for a short vacation, but I intend to show the girls here every sight I can!" "Yeah..." Spike yawned, curled sleepily across Fluttershy's back in his little tuxedo. He defeatedly slapped the top-hat over his eyes like a sleeping mask and muttered: "What she said..." More laughter. "Thank you for staying open so late for us!" Fluttershy said. "Yes! You are a gentlecolt and a scholar!" Rarity added. "And super scrumptious!" Pinkie added. "Oh, the doughnuts too!" "Stop by again one of these mornings!" Joe said as he backed up through the door. "I'll give you one of my newest recipes!" "Nighty night!" "Night!" And he shut the door with a click. Soon after, the lights of the inner eating area dimmed as he proceeded to clean the back counter. The six mares strolled casually through the streets, chatting and giggling happily under the glow of multiple lampposts—gradually leading them towards the apartment district where Twilight's parents' home resided. "A shame we had to gallop out of the Gala so accursedly fast," Rarity moped. "We might have been able to procure for ourselves a stagecoach." "I don't know, Rarity..." Fluttershy clenched her teeth, gazing nervously at both sides of the street. "I think the less ponies from the Gala who see us, the better." "Don't be silly!" Pinkie Pie bounced-bounced-bounced along. "Didn't you hear Princess Celestia?! We livened the place up! They should be praising us!" "Ungh!" Rarity rolled her eyes. "Not after all the countless pillars that we knocked out! Or the animal stampede..." She paused to examine a scuff along her fetlock. "... ... ...also, I could very well have sparked a war among the regal houses of Blueblood. Whoops?" "I wouldn't worry if I were you, Rarity," Twilight said. "My only regret—after all that's happened—is that we tore your beautiful dresses in all the ruckus." "Ohhhhhhh it's quite alright, darling. They already served their purpose in wowing Hoity Toity. Besides..." She tried to stifle a girlish squeal. "Mmmmmmmmm-gonna do so much shopppppppppping in Canterlot! Canterlot shopping! Ooooh-hooo-hooo!" Pinkie and Fluttershy squealed and giggled along with her. Applejack rolled her eyes. At the end of her expression, her gaze fell upon Rainbow Dash—who was hovering beside her on flapping wings. Fuzzy blue legs dangled in the lamplight. "You really wanna be flyin' all the way to Twilight's place, Rainbow?" Applejack remarked. "Huh?" Rainbow looked over. "Oh. Pfft. No big deal." "I only figured that after such a whacky, crazy night... you'd be tuckered out! Why not give them wings of yers a rest?" "I'm okay, AJ." Rainbow gulped, hovering a little bit higher. "Trust me." "Well, alright. I'm just worried for ya, sugarcube." "What? Why?" "... ... ...didn't I just say—" "I'm okay! Honest! Really!" "Okay okay!" Applejack chuckled. "Yer okay! I know you well enough to trust ya when you tell me something." "Yeah..." More squeals and giggles emanated from the rest of the group. Applejack struggled through an agitated sigh. "Whelp... guess I know what the rest of the week is gonna be like." "Uh huh..." Rainbow nearly wretched. "I'm going to grow a pair of ovaries from this sleepover." "But... we already have ovaries." "Er... you know what I mean." Silence. Applejack and Rainbow Dash chuckled wickedly. "Unnngh..." Rainbow pulled at her face muscles as she hovered along. "I swear... we're going to choke on 'girly.'" "I dun mind gettin' in touch with my soft side every now and then, but reckon it can get a mite bit overblown... especially with Rarity at the helm... in cotton-pickin' Canterlot." "You think they're gonna force us to go to spas and do facials?" "Wouldn't doubt it." "Heh..." "Heheh..." The two mares exchanged glances. "How 'bout this..." Applejack smirked. "You and I? We promise to keep a steady mind... look after the rest of the girls and make sure they dun go hog wild with their fancies." "Well, hay... we do that all the time as it is, right?" "Hah. Reckon so." "So... uh..." Rainbow gulped. "Is this the thing? We're the self-appointed guardians of this week?" "Darn tootin'! What do ya say, partner?" "Hah..." Rainbow held a hoof out. "You're on." Applejack paused to grip and shake it with her fetlock. "You take the air and I'll cover the streets. Deal?" "Deal." A beat. They both trotted firmly forward, protectively taking up the rear of the group. "Of course... ... ...if they drag us into a boutique, I'm retreating at the first sign of lace," Rainbow Dash said. "Guh! Ya cheatin' varmint!" "Hahahaha... ... ...this is either gonna be the best week ever or the worst." "Guess we'll see." Applejack yawned. "First... a night cap." "Uh huh..." And then Rainbow Dash was curiously dead silent. Applejack paid attention to nothing but her own smile, savoring the thought of sleep along the lamp-lit horizon.