//------------------------------//
// Dash 
// Story: Apple Breaking: RotE Episode 3 
// by Dream Volt 
//------------------------------//

	I looked at the former saplings.  They weren't exactly huge, but it had only been three days and they were taller than me.  Fluttershy hadn't touched them since we planted them together, but they were growing way to fast to be normal.  Then again ever since Fluttershy started spending a lot of time around the Acres, the ground has become chock full of flowers, and everything just seems a little be healthier.  This included the weeds, but I guess you can't have everything perfect.  Besides, some of the weeds are plenty tasty.  Hay, we even harvested that clover patch to sell in the market.

There was then a sudden whuff of air.  Dash still hadn't figured out her time stop trick, which I still doubted sometimes, even though I knew she wasn't lying about it.  She most certainly believed that what she said happened, did.  One thing she was much better at is coming to a dead stop from high speed.  I didn't even see her approach, so she might have even been going supersonic before she stopped.  She smiled, just hovering there.  She also seemed to have the endurance to never land if she wanted to.

"So I guess Flutter really can grow stuff huh?"

"Yea Dash, she can.  It ain't a problem yet, but if it keeps getting worse, it could be."

"Oh come on, it's just trees, how bad could it get?"

"Dash, the Everfree is just trees."

"Oh."  Then she shook her head and glared.  "Hey, no it's not.  The rules don't work the same there, and there's monsters and…"

"Yea, but ah'm saying even if its Fluttershy's doing, she ain't really taking care of none of these flowers round here, and it's not like it could be just a little fertilizing the weeds along with the trees either.  Ah mean look over yonder."

I pointed a hoof to Appleby's little hill, now completely covered in flowers so thick I don't think there was any grass left.  I couldn't really see the hill itself from here, but I'm pretty sure Dash could.

"Whoa, that sure wasn't there before, but are you sure it's Fluttershy?"

"It could be somethin' else, but she's taken to resting under that there tree.  Ah'm glad old Appleby, well it seems odd to call him that now even though he ain't really younger, was planted on such rocky hill like that."

"Rocky?  It doesn't look rocky."

"Well yea, it ain't obvious, but most of that hill is solid rock, so we can only plant the one tree at the top of the hill where there is enough soil."

"Uh, if you say so.  Seems weird to see you acting so like Fluttershy, and vice versa."

"What are you talking about Dash?  Ah ain't acting nothing like her."

"Well, I guess that's not the right word.  You know I tired to read the whole dictionary once, but I just couldn’t manage.  So would be hoofy at times like this."

"Oh, wait, you mean that ah been taking care of Fluttershy's animals some?  That ain't that odd Dash.  Ah mean yea ah gotta be a little more patient with them little critters than ah'm used to, but critters is critters."

"What about pigs?"

I frowned.  "Pigs is weird.  I know they don’t always act like it, but they're as smart as, well at least close to as smart as, any pony."

"What do they do anyway?  I mean the cows give you milk in return for room and board, but what the heck do pigs…"

"A few things.  We split the profit from truffle season, since they need a pony to hold em back or they'll eat em all, and they're plenty good diggers.  They do some other odd jobs around the farm too.  You don't think it's really just Big Mac, granny, and me, do ya?"

"Well, yea, I did.  I mean didn't you say during apple bucking…"

"Well they can't rightly help with that.  There is one other thing, but it ain't polite to talk about it."

"Oh come on."

"Fertilizer Dash.  If you can't figure out what I mean, ah ain't explaining no more."

Dash waved her hooves in front of her face.  "No, no.  That's fine AJ, I totally get it."

"Good."

I then walked off.  The saplings were fine which meant I needed to get going.  Fluttershy had a lot of work to do, and I was supposed to help.  I was a little confused why she needed my help, or even wanted it.  Before she suddenly made the suggestion I watched her deal with a good bit of her critters so fast I don't get how she did it.  It wasn't a matter of moving fast or nothing, just somehow getting as much done as possible exactly when it needed doing.  I'm pretty sure my help slowed her down.  I then stopped and turned to Dash still behind me.

"Ah know you aren't exactly the most attentive o ponies, but ah also know when you do pay attention you got a good head on yer Dash."

She smiled.  "Yea, I am a genius, aren't I?"

"Ah sure didn't say nothin' like that.  Now ah gots a question for you.  Why would Fluttershy ask fer my help if she can get it done herself much faster."

"I don't think of you being fast, but yea, Flutter does know how to deal with her animals way better than you.  Beats me.  Clearly she just wants you to learn for some reason."

"What da ya mean by that?"

"Well you're much better than that first day right, and you'll probably get better today too.  I don't get it though.  You're not her.  Calm and collected is not you."

"Dash, are you saying…"

Dash face hoofed.  "Wait, that came out wrong.  Okay, it's like this.  You're both a lot like your pets."  Dash then frowned.  "Well, okay, Fluttershy is like how rabbits are supposed to be.  Angel is weird."

"So I'm loyal and friendly like Winona?  What does that have to do with anything?"

"No, not like that.  I mean you are, but it's more like if you walk up to your average dog, what will it do?"

"It will come right up ta ya without fear.  If it's a guard dog it'll bark if you're trespassing but either way it's direct and such.  Rabbits hide first thing, even from Fluttershy.  They don't stay that way, but they hide."

"Yea, it's like that.  You're direct, strait forward, buck your problems away kinda pony.  Fluttershy is all about just sitting there and other boring stuff."

"That ain't the right way o saying it."

"I know, but you know what I mean.  Timid, passive, and very much unlike you."

I blinked.  That was the point.  Fluttershy was trying to teach me something, but it didn't have much to do with animals.  That's why she suddenly changed her mind.  It was something passive, along the lines of patience, though despite what Dash might thinks I'm a plenty patient pony.  Then I blinked.  Except I did always want to be working.  Doing something while I waited.

"Why the hay didn’t' Fluttershy just tell me she was trying to learn me something."

"She probably did, or tried to.  I mean come on, you know her.  Anything could have made her hesitate and she never interrupts."

"Yea, and ah think her name was Pinkie.  That filly's come back a few times with things to help me, each one less sensible than the last."

Dash laughed  "That sounds like Pinkie.  I guess that's why I haven't seen her in a while.  You are keeping everything right?  I mean remember that time…"

"Ah know.  Mostly ah got it all in my barn, but Fluttershy has the turtle."

"Well, here's hoping it's more like the time with the parasprites, rather than that nonsense with all the mice.  How was that even supposed to help?"

"Ah don't think even Pinkie knew, and it sure as shooting didn't."

We both nodded.  Pinkie's heart was always in the right place, but her head never seemed to be.  I still wasn't sure if that's why she ended up helping as often as she did, or we were just lucky she caused fewer disasters than she caused.

"So what exactly is she trying to teach you really?"

"Er, ah don't think ah get it.  Ah mean dealing with little critters is different, but it ain't that different.  Mostly it's just a matter of being all calm like Fluttershy.  Ah may be bad at it, but at least it's something ah can do."

"Oh yea, your super strength only kicks in, well, when you kick."

"It's not just then, it's a few other times too, but when ah'm doing anything more gentle like it can't and…"  I smiled  "…that is it."

I then let a great big "yee hah" as I reared up, throwing my hat in the air.  Dash backed up a bit.  Gentle, that's exactly the right word, and exactly what Fluttershy has in spades, and I don't.  I caught my hat and put it back on my head.

"Oh yea.  Simple as that.  A more gentle touch is just what ah seem to not be able to manage, just like that silly filly needs to be a bit more firm."

"Well, duh, but it's not like…"

"Ah think it might be why things are so outta hoof round her house.  You can't just let plants grow whichever way they want.  It's starting to look a bit like the Everfree now.  Not all dark and such, but certainly as overgrown."

"I guess.  I mean yea it's hard to see from the sky and stuff, but it isn't that bad."

"Not yet.  Still, not only do ah get that Fluttershy's been helping me with just what ah need, but ah reckon ah can finally really help her."

I then took off into a gallop.  If it was anypony other than Dash I might of thought twice about it.  But she's zipped off in the middle of a conversation more times than I can count, and its not like she can't keep up with me if she wanted.