//------------------------------// // Daring Doozy // Story: Zap Apple // by The_Incognito_Brony //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash was dreaming. She dreamt that she was muzzle to muzzle with Applejack, snuggling her as she slept. She inhaled her friend's intoxicating scent, allowing her to relax even further. Unconsciously, Dash began to nuzzle Applejack's mane, tightening her embrace of the farmer as she did so. Applejack shuffled in her sleep, repositioning herself slightly as a response to Rainbow's movements. She burrowed into the Wonderbolt's neck, allowing her lips to brush against the soft, cyan fur in her grasp. The two intertwined ponies lay on the mere precipice of sleep, their dreams slowly morphing into reality. With her mind and body coming back to her, Applejack became increasingly more aware of her surroundings. The delicate, fluffy feathers that caressed her. An undetermined, but not at all unpleasant, smell. A fresh smell. One that didn't differ too far from rain or snow. And Blue fur- "Blue fur?!" the farmer thought as she opened her eyes abruptly. Lifting her head from the nape of Rainbow's neck, she found herself in an even more compromising position. Being muzzle to muzzle wasn't uncommon for the two competitors. It was their way of squaring up to each other during contests, races etc. Although they knew the sensation all too well, that didn't make the current situation any less embarrassing. Applejack lay next to her friend with her eyes wide in shock. She wanted and needed to move away, but something inside her was saying the exact opposite. Thousands of situations played out in her mind in mere seconds. It was as though Rainbow Dash had suddenly developed a gravitational field, forcing Applejack to move in closer. It should have made her feel uncomfortable, but she'd never felt safer. Feeling Applejack shift slightly next to her, Rainbow Dash opened her eyes to reveal two emerald orbs staring back at her. Finally coming to her senses, the speedster loosened her wings from Applejack's body and attempted to fly away. She, instead, found herself getting coiled up inside of Sweetie Belle's bedsheets and falling to the floor. Finally freeing herself from her luxurious prison, Dash flew backwards, away from the bed. "Whoa! Personal space, Apples!" she said gracelessly, dusting herself off as she did so. Shaking the last of her dream state from her mind, Applejack gave the Pegasus a cocky smirk. "Didn't hear ya complainin' at 4 am, Dash". Rainbow opened her mouth to conjure up a brash response but soon stopped herself. "Y-yeah. What was all that anyway?" Rainbow asked with concern. The tension in the room was suddenly thick enough to be sliced. Applejack's mind began to wander through her nightmare once again. The reality of it was staggering, down to the tiniest detail. It was complete with smells, sounds, and so much more. Throwing on her usual, aloof persona, the farmer gave Rainbow Dash a grin. "Just a dream, sugarcube. Don't worry ‘bout it, none." "About your parents?" Rainbow asked without thinking. Applejack's entire character shifted, causing her false confidence to fade away. She looked up at her friend with sorrowful eyes, sending a stabbing sensation through Dash's body. "Oh. Gee. I-I'm sorry, AJ. I know you don't like talking about that stuff", Rainbow stuttered as she hovered towards the bed. "J-just forget I asked". "Y'know?" the cowgirl began as she lifted her gaze towards her friend's. "Ah've never spoken to anypony about this before." Shocked, Rainbow took a seat on the end of the bed. She didn't wish to pry any further, but it pained her to see Applejack so morose. Usually, she'd punch her friend on the shoulder and tell her to snap out of it, but this wasn't one of those times. "You don't have to say anything, okay?" the Wonderbolt began. "I can't say that I'll empathise, but I'll always be here to listen." Looking back at her friend from across the bed, Applejack nodded as a comforting smile appeared on her freckled face. "Mind listenin' for a sec?" she asked quietly. Shuffling forward, Rainbow positioned herself adequately, indicating she was ready to listen. Some time passed as Applejack recounted her dream to Rainbow Dash. Surprisingly, she shed no tears. She remained calm and poised throughout. Dash just sat back and listened, slowly understanding more and more about her friend. "And that's why Ah still have it", Applejack said as she began to wrap things up. "Luna wasn't around when Ah was a filly to help me deal with mah nightmares, so Ah've just dealt with it alone." Rainbow Dash felt empty. She couldn't believe how much mental anguish Applejack had gone through. What she was still going through. "Gosh, AJ. I-I'm so sorr-" Cutting the Pegasus’s sentence short, Applejack held her hoof up to her friend's mouth. "Hush up, Dash. Don't go gettin' all sappy on me, now." "Thanks for listenin', sugarcube. Ah do feel a lot better now" the farmer continued as she lowered her hoof. Although she still felt the need to comfort her friend further, Rainbow sensed their conversation had come to a close. "Anytime" she replied in a raspy tone. "It must've been pretty tough, though. Watching your nightmare come to life halfway through a battle", Dash continued inquisitively. Confused, Applejack cocked her head slightly. "Whattaya mean, Dash?" "When we fought Sombra that time. Couldn't have been easy for you to see all that stuff and carry on fighting", Rainbow explained. The cogs inside Applejack's brain began to turn. It was as though some pony had oiled every rusty bolt to get her memories churning again. Her subconscious wasn't somewhere Applejack liked to visit. She was a practical mare, and she lived her life in the present. She refused to look towards her traumatic past, and she hated the thought of the future. There were far too many variables; it made her uneasy. Although her mind didn't want her to go there, she slowly sifted through her memories to find something specific. Something that had been nagging her subliminally for moons. Her Sombra-vision. Anypony would believe Applejack's worst nightmare to be about her parents. As far as they knew, there was nothing more horrendous to the farm pony than losing her family. Applejack believed that notion too until Sombra showed her otherwise. During their battle, Applejack braced herself for her recurring nightmare. She was expecting to see a Chimera in the middle of a fiery swamp. She waited to see her parents draw their last breaths right in front of her. But no. What lay before her was a dying Pegasus. A blue Pegasus with a colourful mane and tail. There were no injuries, so signs of sickness, she was simply fading away. Applejack didn't need any more proof as to who the Pegasus was. It was pretty obvious. What wasn't obvious was why. Why Rainbow Dash? Then, all of a sudden, it hit her. All the contests, their friendly rivalry, the constant need to one-up each other, the flirtatious banter, the fights over nothing in particular, the awkward compliments, and the sly looks they'd exchange now and again. They were all excuses; excuses made by Applejack to get closer to Rainbow. And she'd succeeded. Too well, in fact. Applejack always joked that the Pegasus was her worst nightmare, but never had that sentiment meant so much more. Rainbow wasn't Applejack's worst nightmare. Losing her was. Noticing that her friend's face had become reminiscent of a blank canvas, Rainbow began to move her hoof back and forth to grab her attention. "Earth to the Earth Pony", Dash stated, still waving her hoof. Finally zoning back into the present, Applejack blinked multiple times as she shook her head. Avoiding Rainbow's gaze wasn't easy all of a sudden. All Applejack wanted to do was stare into those magenta pools for the rest of the day, but she could feel herself beginning to panic. "Y-yeah. It wasn't easy, Ah'll tell ya", Applejack finally responded as she shifted her eyes around the room. Fluttering off the bed, Rainbow grabbed Applejack's signature stetson from the nearby peg and placed it confidently on the cowgirl's head. "Perfect", the Pegasus said proudly, making Applejack's cheeks redden. "Don't know about you, cowgirl, but I'm famished! What's say we join the others for some breakfast?" Dash continued. Unable to conjure a verbal response, Applejack nodded at her friend and made for the kitchen. Rarity's kitchen had practically transformed into a Pancake Parlour thanks to a certain Party Pony. Five plates circled the circumference of the table, each plate containing a stack of fluffy pancakes and various fruits. While magically pouring herself a cup of tea, Rarity gave a sly look towards her fellow schemers. Their test subjects had finally emerged. "Oh. Morning, darlings", the unicorn began nonchalantly. "I trust you had a pleasant sleep, both of you." Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy flashed hopeful smiles in their friend's directions, trying not to look too enthusiastic. Applejack and Rainbow Dash froze in the kitchen's doorway, feeling very conspicuous all of a sudden. "Y-yeah. Awesome, thanks", Rainbow muttered as she hovered towards the table. Rarity and Fluttershy exchanged a look of confusion. Applejack, still halted in the doorway, darted her eyes back and forth nervously. "Looking a little jittery over there, AJ," Pinkie began. "But fear not. Pinkie Pie's Practically Perfect Pancakes will tell those jitters to beat it!" The Party Pony placed her entire stack of pancakes in her mouth, impossibly, resulting in an elated smile afterwards. Forcing her body to move, at last, Applejack took a seat at Rarity's table. The ponies in the know had purposefully sat together, making it impossible for the farmer and Wonderbolt to be apart. They were hoping to witness some lovey-dovey looks, hoof holding; you name it. But they were met with a strange silence. Disappointment washed across Rarity's face. How had her brilliant plan failed? Noticing her friend's distress, Fluttershy decided to take the reins. "You know? Last time we did this, Twilight fell asleep in her pancakes", she began with a giggle. "I can't believe how long ago that was." The five mares joined together in a collective smile, which turned into a series of chuckles, laughs and sighs. "Heh, you're right", Rainbow responded, her mouth overflowing with fruit. "The poor dear was so exhausted", added Rarity. "You're telling me! I don't think I've ever made so many pancakes! Twilight helped me set a new record!" Pinkie exclaimed, pouring masses of syrup onto her stack. As their laughter continued, Fluttershy couldn't help but notice Applejack's silence and lack of pancake-eating. "Is everything okay, Applejack? You've barely touched your food," the shy Pegasus asked tentatively. Hundreds and thousands of thoughts made their way through Applejack's mind; about her Sombra-vision, about Rainbow Dash. She'd never been so distracted. "A-Ah'm fine", she began shakily. "B-but Ah best get goin'. Plenty of chores need gettin' done." Without looking anypony in the eye, the orange Earth Pony stood up from the table and practically ran out of the Boutique. Running outside with a full plate in her hoof, Pinkie Pie shouted: "BUT WHAT ABOUT YOUR PANCAKES?!" Realising the farmer was already out of sight, the magenta maned pony shrugged, devoured the pancakes and headed inside. "Goodness, Rainbow Dash. What in Twilight's name happened to Applejack last night?" Rarity asked, sipping her tea. Knowing her friend's behaviour must have been related to her nightmare, Rainbow Dash decided it wasn't her place to divulge such a private matter. "Beats me" the Wonderbolt replied, avoiding any prolonged eye contact. "She seemed fine earlier". "Huh, I bet she did", Pinkie insinuated under her breath with a smile, causing Rarity to kick her under the table. During their conversation, Fluttershy had been, very quietly, reading the Ponyville Chronicle to herself. She suddenly came across an article that made her ears prick up. She had an idea, a brilliant one too. "Um, sorry to interrupt. But, is everypony free for the rest of the day?" she asked. Confused as to where the conversation was diverting, Rarity gave her yellow friend a look. "Well, I do need to sort my dress shipment to Canterlot" the fashionista began. "But, I suppose it can wait another day. Why do you ask, dear?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow at her friend as she slid the newspaper across the table. Upon reading what was in front of her, Rarity began to understand the unspoken plan. "Ahem. Pinkie, darling. What's say you? You don't have to rush off, do you?" Still tucking into her pancake breakfast, Pinkie Pie gave a cartoonishly loud gulp. "Well now you ask, I was planning on reorganising my party planning cave, sending a letter to Prince Rutherford, hanging out with Maud, and-" Rarity and Fluttershy cast an ominous glare in Pinkie's direction, cutting her sentence short. "Buuut, I guess the Best Sister Friend Forever party can wait 'til tomorrow", Pinkie continued with disappointment. "Rainbow Dash? You don't have anywhere to be, do you?" Fluttershy asked, hopefully. "I thought it would be nice to spend the afternoon at the museum". In the middle of drinking her coffee, Rainbow Dash did a genuine spit-take as she heard her friend's suggestion. She hated the museum. One, it was boring. Two, it wasn't cool. And three, it was far too quiet. It was somewhere Twilight loved to visit; all the old books, fossils and paintings drove her crazy. But not Dash. Oh no. "What?! The Museum?! Nuh-uh! No way, Fluttershy!" "Aw. Come on, Dashie", Pinkie encouraged. "Forget it! I'm not demolishing my reputation as Equestria's Coolest Pony by visiting a crummy, old museu-" "There's a new Daring Do exhibit", Fluttershy added casually. "I'LL MEET YOU THERE!" Rainbow shouted as she flew out of the Boutique at record speed. Rarity and Fluttershy hoof-bumped successfully, knowing Plan B was ready to unfold. Rainbow Dash waited anxiously outside Ponyville’s Museum. Sure, the Museum was boring at the best of times, and far from cool, but Daring Do was the complete opposite of boring. Finally, Pinkie, Rarity and Fluttershy arrived, much to Dash's delight. "What took you three so long?" she queried in frustration. "N-never mind. You're here now. Let's go!" And with that, she bolted into the building with sheer exhilaration. The three schemers shared a look between them before following their nerdy friend. Rainbow flew by the ancient books, past the fossils, and through the art gallery, where she finally came across her destination. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!" Rainbow excerpted, spiralling in the air as she did so. The room was chock-full of ancient artifacts and relics that Daring Do had collected over the years, ones that Rainbow herself had helped retrieve too. "The Sapphire Stone!" "The Griffon's Goblet!" "The Ring of Destiny!" "The Seven-Sided Chest of Chicomoztoc!" The fan-pony continued to whiz around the exhibit, naming every relic aloud for everypony to hear. It was then that Rainbow noticed another artifact hanging on the wall, away from the other cased items. "Ha! No way! Fluttershy, remember this?" she exclaimed, pointing a hoof towards the golden antique. It was none other than the Truth Talisman of Tonatiuh, the ancient piece of jewellery that Rainbow and Fluttershy had come across on their last adventure together. "Oh, of course. How could I forget?" Fluttershy giggled, giving an indicating glance at Rarity as she did so. "Seems like Ahuizotl decided to lend it to the museum for a while. How kind". The Talisman had been mounted to the wall, and above it read a sign: "Dare to be Daring? Test your honesty". Flying purely on instinct, Rainbow made her way towards the Talisman. "Well, go ahead, everypony", Rainbow began as she held her hoof out towards the necklace. "Ask me something!" Rarity stepped forward and gave her friend a skeptical look. "Oh? And here I thought you hated truths, Rainbow Dash", she responded almost sarcastically. "Yeah! You said: Truths are just lazy, you guys. And I, Rainbow Dash, am anything but lazy!" Pinkie added while doing her best Rainbow Dash impression. Rolling her eyes and letting out a breathy laugh, Rainbow hovered towards her friends. "That was before we were face to face with an ancient truth-telling artifact, dummies!" she said brashly. "This thing lets you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Right, Fluttershy?" "Oh, yes. The whole truth", the yellow Pegasus replied, accentuating her words as a signal to her friends. "Cool. So, I'll ask you again. Ask me anything", Dash declared, her hoof wavering dangerously close to the Talisman. "Anything?" Rarity teased, raising an eyebrow confidently. "Anything!" Fluttershy threw Rarity a look as if to say "trust me", and the unicorn nodded in response. "Okay, Rainbow Dash. Do you, or do you not-" Rarity began slowly. "Have a crush on Applejack?" Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy gritted their teeth in anticipation. Suddenly, the jewels on the necklace began to glow an iridescent green colour, causing Dash's eyes to do the same. From her previous experience with the relic, Fluttershy knew what was about to happen. "What? A crush? Nah", Rainbow responded as the Talisman took her over. The three friends gave a collective sigh of disappointment. Rarity, ever the dramatist, raised a hoof to her forehead in despair. "Try absolutely head over hooves in love with h-" the cocky Pegasus continued, cutting herself off at the very last minute. The silence in the exhibition room began playing all too loudly. The schemers stood with their mouths wide open, a mixture of shock and happiness running through their veins. Rainbow, on the other hoof, became frozen in fear. With the Talisman's powers wearing off, the glowing in Rainbow's eyes began to cease. She'd never admitted her feelings for Applejack to herself, let alone to the majority of her friendship group. "Did I just say all that out loud?" she wondered hopelessly. "Of course you did, idiot! It's the gosh darn Truth Talisman!" "This. Is. AMAZING!" Pinkie Pie shrieked, setting off her Party Canon out of nowhere. Dash's mouth went dry, her eyes became filled with fear, and her stomach wanted to throw up everything she'd ever eaten. "Rainbow Dash?" said Fluttershy timidly. "A-are you oka-" "I have to go" Rainbow interrupted shakily, soaring out of the Museum in a flash of colour. Rarity, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were left alone, confused beyond belief. "Oh, goodness. I didn't know it was that serious", Fluttershy admitted as she nibbled her mane nervously. "I thought it was just a crush. Now what do we do?" Nodding to herself, Rarity hatched a new, internal plan. "I need to get to the farm, stat!" she announced, rushing out of the exhibition room on her polished hooves. Perplexed further, Pinkie and Fluttershy stood among a sea of confetti. "Soooo, wanna check out the food court, Fluttershy?" the Party Pony said with a bounce. "I spotted a triple chocolate cheesecake earlier with my name on it!" The dainty Pegasus let out a small giggle as she looked upon her excited, pink friend. "Lead the way, Pinkie", she replied, gesturing with her hoof as she did so. "Awesometastic!" "Hey, when we're done, we should totally check out the butterfly room. You'd love that!" Pinkie added as she skipped away into the distance. Hiding her blush slightly with her mane, Fluttershy couldn't help but crack a smile. "Sounds wonderful".