//------------------------------// // Wagon Tales // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// "Reckon I'm mighty sorry, sugarcube." "Hmmm? What on earth for?" "This here trip is lookin' to take a lot longer than I first imagined. I'm talkin' a few days more. Boy do I feel like a plum idiot." "Pfft! Don't sweat it!" "You sure it ain't no thang to be haulin' this cider to Orlandoats with me?" "I wouldn't rather be anywhere else." "Ain't you got a job with Stamps over at Banner Company, though?" "Huh? Oh! You mean the delivery service!" "How could ya forget about that?" "Er... I-I didn't! I've just got... erm... a lot on my head as of late. Eheh..." "Golly. I didn't think deliverin' parcel across Ponyville was that vigorous of a thang." "Is isn't. Well, what I mean is... it can be. I guess. I dunno." "Still, reckon yer havin' to put off a lot of work time to make this happen." "Meh... no big sweat." "You sure?" "It's just a part-time gig anyways. I'm always taking time off." "And... th-that doesn't worry you at all?" "Pfft. Stamps is used to it. Besides, he knows I'm always good at making a delivery on time." "Sounds like the two of you know each other." "Heck, yeah. We go way back to Flight Camp! Er... that is... back when I ditched Flight Camp. Uhm... g-guess I just shoulda said 'since I was a teenager.'" "Sore subject?" "Eh..." "I gotta say, Rainbow, you're the best darn flier I ever did say." "Yeah. Hehe. And?" "Well, it just seems mighty silly to think that you ever skipped out of flight camp." "Pffft. Why? For real, that place is completely blown out of proportion." "Ya sure? From what I hear, it's a super important part of a pegasus education." "Those stuffy old teachers at Cloudsdale couldn't teach a humming bird to hover." "Heh... ya sure ya ain't dramatizin' a tad bit much?" "Alright. Let me put it this way. Fluttershy passed all her classes with Straight A's. Plus she was on the honor roll." "Okay. Snazzy. So what's yer point?" "... ... ... you've seen how 'well' Fluttershy flies today, right?" "Oh... Ohhhhh." "Heeheehee..." "Okay. So maybe Flight School ain't all it's cracked up to be. Even still..." "What?" "You've got so much darn talent! What's to say ya can't go back to Cloudsdale and teach them little colts and fillies a thing or two about what it really means to flap their wings?!" "Heh... and risk the future skies being filled by pegasi half as awesome as me? Pfftttchyeah, no. I don't think so." "Rainbow..." "Besides, AJ! Doing something like that would—like—mean having to leave Ponyville for a super long period of time!" "Don't you make yerself scarce enough as it is these days anyways?" "I... uhm... er... but th-that's different!" "Heheheh... how so?" "I'm... doing stuff." "What kind of stuff?" "Awesome stuff." "Ohhhhhhh... trainin' for them snazzy Wonderbolts, I take it." "Sure. Why not." "What's so special about them Wonderbolts anyways?" "It... that... pony... grkkkf... blblblblblbb—Are you serious?!" "Hah hah hah hah!" "Gosh darn it, Applejack, since when did you live under a bridge?!" "Land's sakes! Hahahah! I had no idea yer face could get that red!" "You didn't notice until now?" "Heheheheh... ahem. Why, should I have?" "... ... ...uhhhhhhhh... uhm..." "I dun mean to be teasin' ya so much, Rainbow. I guess this is... well..." "Well, what?" "My awkward way of tryin' go catch up." "Catch up?" "Cuz yer always zippin' around to Celestia-knows-where all of the time. I mean, I'm mighty proud of ya for havin' a busy and prosperous life, but sometimes—I swear—I think yer a plain ol' mystery." "... for real? A mystery?" "Uh huh..." "You think that?" "Eyup. All the girls do." "Oh. All... the girls." "Well, reckon Fluttershy's different. You and her grew up together, right?" "Right..." "And it's not like it's my place to ask her for scrumptious details about yer silly school days together. Besides, even if I was of a mind to do that, she's got her head up in the same clouds as Big Mac these days, eh heh heh heh..." "Yeah. How do you feel about that, by the way?" "... ... ...wow. Now that's a way to change the subject." "Uhhh... y-you changed it first!" "Did I?" "Well, you brought it up." "Huh... reckon I did. Well, if you must know, I couldn't think of a nicer mare for Big Mac to hook up with as his very special somepony." "Heh... we all know that Fluttershy is 'nice,' AJ." "Right. But... like... it's more than that! She's compassionate. She's responsible. She's good with livestuck." "Always important, that last one." "Oh hush. Ahem... She's quiet. That's a big one. You literally have no idea how many stuck-up gals from downtown have wandered to Sweet Apple Acres, tryin' to talk poor Big Mac's head off." "Heh... for real?" "Always yappin' on about some prissy thang or another, as if that's somehow the way ya get on the good side of a handsome stallion. Tartarus, he never did get as far as a first date with any of those fat-pursed yahoos." "Yeesh. Someone's really protective of her brother." "I guess I can't help it, even if Big Mac can bench-press me and every marefriend he's almost had all in one go." "Makes me wonder why you haven't given Fluttershy the third degree yet." "Hahahaha! Are ya kiddin'? Dear ol' Fluttershy? I'm more scared for her than for Big Mac!" "If you say so..." "Heheheh... huh?" "Uhhh..." "Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" "Can we... uh... get back to t-talking about how 'mysterious' I am again?" "No, dun change the subject again! What's Fluttershy got that I should be a-feared of?" "Nothing! She's sweet! She's dainty! She's got tail for days!" "Beg yer pardon?" "Uhhhhhhhhh—I mean she's demure! I'm pretty sure that she would... n-never try pulling... a f-fast one on your... big, soft-spoken, totally-not-beta-in-anyway brother..." "... ... ..." "... ... ..." "... ... ...reckon I'm havin' a long talk with Big Mac when I'm gettin' back home." "Ugh. Great. What have I done." "Heheheh... I'm only pullin' yer leg, Rainbow. I'm concerned about Big Mac, but not stupidly so." "Oh. Good. Whew." "Besides... it's not like it's some other marefriend who's rubbing muzzles with him." "Hah! That'd be a laugh. Could you imagine Rarity dragging Big Mac out shopping? Or Twilight Sparkle lecturing him on the chemical composition of apple breeds or somecrap?" "Heheheheh!" "Or Pinkie Pie throwing him a party every friggin' morning! 'Hip hip hooray! It's the We've Been Steady For Twenty-Four More Hours' party!'" "Heh! Yeah! Or your tryin' to race the clumsy oaf down Ghastly Gorge! Whew—doggy! That'd be hilarious!" "Ehhh... heh heh heh... yeah... (ulp)... h-hilarious..."