Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay


Home Aloners

...a toilet was flushing somewhere.

"...!" Applejack's eyes popped open.

Bright noonday light was gliding in through the windows, illuminating the far reaches of Twilight Sparkle's room. The bed was empty... as were all the sleeping bags surrounding the mare.

"... ... ..." Applejack tiredly looked left... then right. At long last, she saw a clock. It was two in the afternoon. "... ... ...shucks."

She felt something soft, thin, and fluttery on her chest.

"!!!" She slapped two hooves over it in an instant. In so doing, she jostled her hat loose—it was still lying over her fuzzy orange tummy. With a pensive breath, she lifted the brim up with her left hoof.

Rainbow's feather was still safely hidden there.

"... ... ...?" Applejack then looked at the other flimsy object that was pressed beneath her right hoof.

It turned out to be a note, written in neat, draconian handwriting: "Heya, AJ. Out late, huh? The girls and I can tell that you and RD really needed some rest, so we let you sleep in. It's all good; get some shuteye!. We'll be out at the park if you need us. P.S. Twilight's mom has some grilled cheese sandwiches in the kitchen. Help yourself!"

Applejack's green eyes finished reading the note. She exhaled.

"Awwwwwwwwww hayseeds..."

Just then, a door opened nearby. The toilet was still flushing—only far louder this time. A set of blue hooves thumped and thudded tiredly across the room.

"Guh!" Applejack slapped her hat back down, obscuring the feather. Breathless, she looked over as—

"Euuuuuuuuuuugh..." Rainbow Dash threw herself awkwardly onto her sleeping bag. Whud! Her blue butt stuck up towards the ceiling as her wings draped limply on either side. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeugh... my head..."

"Errr..." Applejack gulped. "You... uh... you alright, Rainbow?"

"Ajaaaaaaaaaay..." The pegasus whined. "Could you not snore so loudddddd? My head's being body slammed by invisible manticores..."

"Oh... uh... s-sure thing!" Applejack murmured. A gulp. "But... uhm... other than that, are ya doin' okay?"

"ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz..." Rainbow Dash was out like a stone.

Applejack stared at her. Her ears drooped. "Do ya remember anything?" A breath. "Anythang at all?"

No respnose. Only snores.

Applejack clenched her eyes shut and laid her head back. She remained that way for a long time, stabbed by impenetrable noonlight.

"Mmmmmmmm... dag nabbit."

With a savage motion, she kicked herself up onto her hooves. Pausing in the middle of the room, she looked at her hat—and what was inside it—for the better part of a minute.

Finally, with nostrils flaring, she slapped the article back onto her head—feather and all—and stormed off to the kitchen to drown her thoughts out with bread and cheese.