//------------------------------// // What Eats You, Applejack? // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash flexed and unflexed her hooves from where she hovered alongside the wagon. To her relief, the tingling sensation was gone, and she felt every inch of her coat with full senses. After a deep breath, she smirked to herself. "Yeah... that'll do for a while..." She glanced to her right. "How about giving those legs of yours a rest, Stu?" "Nah..." Stu shook his head. "After sleeping like a lazy ass all day yesterday? No thank you." He immediately winced, then glanced to the side. "Ahem... No offense." A pair of donkeys two wagons down chuckled. "None taken." "Just try and put a lid on it when yer in the streets of Antlantrot! For yer own good, city slicker!" Stu gulped and nodded ahead. "Duly noted." "You sure about that, though, Stu?" Rainbow glanced around, fidgeting nervously with her hooves as she studied the thick crowd of wagon-carriers funneling down the highway. "It's getting pretty congested here." "If yer feelin' crowded, Rainbow, you can go n'fly ahead if ya want. Stretch yer wings." Applejack smiled sweetly. "Nopony will blame ya. Besides, you've been mighty patient and helpful these past two days." "Yeah." Stu nodded. "Applejack and I will be find by ourselves—" FWOOOOSH! Plop! Rainbow Dash was suddenly sitting by Applejack's side. "NothanksI'mgood." She smiled, twitching slightly. "So... uhm..." She blinked at Applejack. "...how are the apples?" "They're... ... ..." Applejack squinted. "... ... ...juicy." "Y'know, Applejack, I was thinking..." Stu Leaves licked the inside of his mouth as his brow furrowed. "Isn't it true that Shindig's been through a bunch of applicants before she came to you?" "Heh... yeah, I get it, Stu." Applejack blew a tuft of blonde bangs out from over her forehead. "Invitin' a farmer from Sweet Apple Acres is scrapin' the bottom of the barrel." "No! No!" He frowned. "That's not what I mean at all!" "Then just what are ya getting at?" "If you'd let me speak." Applejack sighed and waved at him. "Ahem." Stu Leaves tilted his head aside. "From what you told me, Shindig's invited a lot of potential new owners to come and see the cider factory. Like... over twelve of them." "Uh huh..." "Isn't that a little bit strange? I mean, I hear she's an old... old mare, getting on in her years and all. Seems like she'd be wise enough to go about this a bit more... how should I put it...?" "Professionally?" Applejack smirked. "Why do ya think she's lookin' for a new pony to own the factories in the first place, huh? When a pony's gettin' on in her years, sometimes she needs a bit of help from the outside. Take it from me. I love my Granny to death, but she can be really stubborn sometimes when it comes to askin' for health. T'ain't out of the ordinary for her to go about it flank-over-elbow, ya feel me?" Rainbow spoke up. "You think Shindig doesn't even know what she wants?" "I doubt she's that far gone, Rainbow." Applejack shrugged. "If nothin' else, she's feelin' mighty protective over her factories and her citrus. And y'know what? I rightly dun blame her. From what I've learned, the mare's put her whole life and family fortune into managin' that farm down in Orlandoats. T'ain't easy givin' it up, no matter which way you look at it." She sighed with a sudden somber expression. "I must say, a few times I've wondered about when the day comes that I grow old... and I'll be havin' to give up Sweet Apple Acres." She slowly shook her head. "It won't be easy. Reckon I'd be puttin' hundreds of ponies to the test before I so much as hoof over one single apple sprout." "What... m-makes you think you'd be giving up Sweet Apple Acres, AJ?" "Heh... oh Rainbow..." Applejack shook her head. "It ain't important." "No. Come on. Out with it." "Yeah." Stu nodded. "I wanna know too?" "It's just..." Applejack squinted into the distance. "...Big Mac's found a new lurve in his life. He's a good farmhoof, but I've always known his heart's never been in it. It's just waitin' all this time to be swept away somewhere." "Oh please..." Rainbow Dash smirked. "Knowing Fluttershy, she'd move to the farm in a flash." She blinked. "Erm... I-I mean, if it ever gets that serious." Applejack was already chuckling. "And what, leave all her animals behind at the cottage?" She winked slyly. "I know Fluttershy's yer lifelong friend'n'all, but you should know better." Rainbow Dash opened her mouth, but had nothing to say. She shrank in her seat, shoulders bunching around her chin. "What of Apple Bloom?" Stu Leaves spoke up. "Now there's a green hoof!" "The filly's got too much of Ponyville in her. I wouldn't doubt it if she wanted to move in with the Oranges in Manehattan someday," Applejack said. "Much like I tried to. Only, reckon she won't be tethered to the farm quite so tightly. And, y'know what? That's fine. I'm not about to decide for her." "You don't know that for sure, Applejack," Rainbow Dash said. "I mean, about Apple Bloom and all." "Whatever the case, I ain't denyin' the possibility." Applejack shrugged, adjusting the hat on her head. "I aim to make Sweet Apple Acres the best dang farmland in all of Equestria, even until the day I die. I'll deal with everythang else as it comes." "Yeah, but... giving up the farm after all that?!" Rainbow Dash smirked. "Jeez, Applejack, how do you figure?" "Heheheh... Ohhhhhhh Rainbow." Applejack sighed, gazing off into the rolling treescape beyond the highway. "Who will I even have to hoof the land to?" "Pfft? Who would you..." Rainbow Dash's smirk faded. She blinked at the mare, her ears twitching. "I live for my work, and my work is me." Applejack smiled. "I'm a proud member of the Apple Family. But, let's face it, I'm only ever gonna be just that one member. A loyal daughter and sister through and through." Rainbow Dash gulped, her wings drooping at her side as she gazed dully at the ground rushing beneath them. "Oh, Applejack." Stu Leaves was chuckling, glancing back with a soft smile. "Don't talk like that. I'm sure you're going foal lots and lots of kids before you head to pasture." "Y-yeah..." Rainbow Dash gulped, hugging herself with a slight shiver. "What h-he said." "Heh..." Applejack sighed with a calm smile. "The years are goin' by, Stu. A mare knows when to just settle for what she's got. Especially when work is so important to her. And is. To me, I mean." "Yes, but to live on that farm all by yourself? Growing old alone? That's crazy talk!" "Ain't crazy. Just... when I think of Shindig..." Applejack shrugged. "I see a smidgeon of myself." "Who says Shindig doesn't have any kids?" "Doesn't she?" "And you don't want any? Like... ever?" Stu squinted up at her. "With the loving and wholesome heart that you've got?" Applejack's lips pursed. A sigh escaped her lips as she slumped back in the seat. "Celestia help me..." She played with the end of her ponytail, gazing into the distance. "Havin' a littl'n around to cuddle would be mighty fine. Like the dolls I had when I was a filly..." A slight breathy giggle. "Only I could treat it and raise it right, like my folks always meant to do with me." She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling. "But... when will I ever find the time? With how rapidly things have been goin'? And all for the best, too. I... I really can't ask for much more than I've been giving." "Heh... well we gotta do something about that attitude, AJ!" Stu Leaves said in a pleasant voice. "I mean, you've got friends in your life, and you find time for all of them, right?" "Well, of course!" "So how's having kids any different? No friend like a little one whom you can shape into a pony who'll make even better friends. Hehehe... at least that was always my folks' feeling." "Oh lawd..." Applejack rolled her eyes, giggling. "Yer a silly one, Stu." "Yeah, but am I right or am I right?" Applejack merely smirked. Rainbow Dash gulped. She turned towards Applejack and opened her mouth to say something— "Don't look now..." Stu said in a jubilant tone. "...but a beautiful city awaits." Applejack leaned forward, whistling. "Well, will ya look at that?" Rainbow Dash turned, gazing ahead of them with glazed eyes. A series of sky-stabbing spires reflected off her eyes, set against mountains and dull green tree tops. "Huh... hello, Atlantrot."