//------------------------------//
// Chataloo 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	"Don't overdo it, sport!" Rainbow Dash's voice echoed between the pounding heartbeat in my ears.  "Taking off might be the hardest part, but you don't have to fling your friggin' feathers off.  Just ease into it more."

"Grffff..." I sweated and strained, buzzing my wings into an orange blur.  I managed to lift myself a full foot off the ground, but I lingered there.  "'Ease into it,' she says...!"

"Those rapid wing-flaps work for when you're on the scooter, but you're not fighting ground friction, now, are you?"

"Erm... no?"

"Heh..."  Rainbow smirked out the corner of my eye, lounging on a tree stump beside me along the edge of town.  "Try pivoting the wings forward a bit as you flap them."

"But won't th-that move me forward?"  I wheezeed and stammered.  "And—like—into the gr-ground?"

"Not if you lean your body back."

"Oh."  I blinked, pausing to rest on my hooves.  "But... then won't my wings be leaning back two?"

"That's just the thing, sport."  Rainbow pointed.  "You wanna keep your wings even.  The rest of your body?  That's for moving your weight around."

"Huh... I never thought of that..."

"Granted, that's just beginner's flight tips," Rainbow said, stifling a yawn.  "Like Fluttershy says, 'baby steps.'"

"Heheheh..."

"What's so funny, kid?"

"Just I never thought you'd ever be taking advice from Fluttershy," I say with an amused grin.

"Hey.  She's a lot tougher than you think."  Rainbow winked.  "You know all about her stare, after all, don't you?"

"Boy, do I," I said with a nervous laugh.  "She could freeze a giant basilisk with that glare!"

Rainbow Dash inexplicably squirmed.

I glanced curiously at her.  "Rainbow...?"

"Er... it's nothing."  She waved her hoof.  "Go ahead with the flapping."

"Right."  Holding my breath, I beat my wings—slower this time—making sure to pivot my body while keeping the flapping feathers even.  "So... uh... you were with the Wonderbolts for a short time?"

"Kid, I was a Wonderbolt," Rainbow said.  "But—like—I was aware of it.  And I knew how bogus it was.  I mean... heheh... if I truly made it to the Wonderbolts, ponies would be cheering for me a whole lot louder.  So I knew deep down inside that the dream was totally fake."

"But... didn't you say they had a museum dedicated to you n'stuff?"

"Eh... a pretty lame museum."  Rainbow Dash smirked.  "I'd rather be larger than life in the flesh.  They can build monuments to me long after I'm dead."

"Heh..."  I smirked, straining slightly as I raised off the ground, one inch at a time.  "That's crazy."

"Which part?"

"I just can't imagine death being an end for you."

"Right.  I'd just get bored of my life and disguise myself as another pony for a decade."

"Hehehehe!"

"Don't believe me, squirt?"  Rainbow stretched her limbs, smiling.  "I'll have you know, I've only been 'Rainbow Dash' for a few years!"

"Pfffft..."  I rolled my eyes.  "Oh Rainbow..."

"No!  For realsies!  In my past life, I was a badflank griffon named Faust with a penchant for sharpening her talons on mountaintops!"

"You could have been a griffon in the dreamworld if you wanted it so badly," I said, sticking a tongue out.

"Eh... I was too busy saving my friends."

"Yeah!  And it's so awesome what you did too!"  I beamed, my insides still tingling with excitement from the epic tale.  "Becoming the Blue Jay?!  Tearing the system of Fat Elephant down?!  That was so cool!"

"It's Philanthropy, kiddo.  And—yeah—it was pretty cool."  Rainbow slicked her mane back.  "Some parts more than others."

"There's just one part I don't understand."

"Yeah?  What's that?"

"Well, you saved everypony who was stuck in the dreamworld.  Everypony but Applejack—I mean right at the end."

"Uh huh...?"

I rested my wings, whiping the sweat off my brow before glancing at her.  "So, like, how did she get out safely?  You said the dreamworld shattered and you got sucked out.  Even Epcot couldn't hold you in place."

"... ... ..."  Rainbow Dash glanced off into the heart of Ponyville.

"Did... like... Applejack buck her way out or something?" I asked.  "I mean, she thought she was a princess n'stuff, right?  Seems like a miracle she got out at all."

Rainbow Dash's lips parted.  She froze in place for a few seconds, then eventually looked my way.  "... ... ...care to keep a secret, kid?"

My heart skipped a beat.

"For you, anything, Rainbow Dash!"  I smiled.

"Even from the two scamps you hang out with?" Rainbow's eyes narrowed.  "Including Applejack's little sister?"

I made a zipping motion with my muzzle.  "Mum's the word, as far as Apple Bloom's concerned!  Sweetie Belle too!  Or anypony!"

Rainbow nodded, then nodded again.  She swiveled about until she sat upright on the log.  She took a few breaths before calmly saying:  "Applejack got out of Cider Space because of a kiss."

"Echhhh..."  I grimaced holding my lunch in.  "For real?  A kiss?"

"Heh.  Yup."

"Like... a true love kiss or something?"

"A kiss from her knight in shining armor," Rainbow said, her voice calm and her cheeks rosy.  "It's what broke the dream's spell on her."

"Wow... I-I had no idea that Applejack was into that kind of stuff?"

"Heh... me neither, kiddo."  Rainbow nodded, looking at me with thin eyes.  "So maybe you can understand why... somepony would want to keep that secret."

"Heh... sure."  I smiled.  "I sometimes think of silly, dreamy, fru-fru stuff."

"Really?"  Rainbow arched an eyebrow.  "You?"

"Uhm..."  I bit my lip, glancing aside.  "Maybe."

"... like who, Scoots?"

"Mmmmmm..."  I tapped my front hooves together.  The sweat on my coat is palpable.  "Mrrrmm... R-Rumble."

"Pffft!  Thunderlane's brother?!"

"Yeah, so?"  I stomped a forelimb, frowning.  "I totally outrun him each day at recess!"

"Hah hah hah hah hah hah!"  Rainbow Dash hugged herself, legs kicking as she nearly fell off the stump.  "Haaaa ha ha ha!"

"Hey!  Sh-Shuddup!"  I folded my forelimbs, feeling a distinct burning sensation across my face.  "It's not that stupid..."  I gulped.  "Is it?"

"Oh... not at all... heheheh... just..."  Rainbow rubbed her eyes dry, smiling.  "That's about the best dang qualifier I ever heard."

"Really?"

"Enjoy life while it's simple, Scoots."  Rainbow Dash stood up, ruffling my mane.  "And, if you want my real opinion, you've got good taste."  She snickered again.  "Heck of a better taste than Blossomforth, at least."

"Huh?"

"Eh... never mind, sport."  Rainbow paced past me, stretching her legs.  "Just make sure—the day Rumble can catch up to you—that you know how to suplex him."

"Uhhh... sure!  I can do that!"

"I bet you can.  And you will."

"So... uh... about Applejack."  I gave my attempt at a coy smile.  "She's got a Knight in Shining Armor?  Any stallion we know?"

Rainbow's ears folded back.  She gazed past me with a dull sigh.

I blinked.  "Rainbow...?"

"Yes and no, kid."  She turned to look at me, smiling calmly.  "Yes and no."

I scrunched my face.  "That's a weird answer."

"Darn straight."  She squatted low and pointed to her backside.  "Wanna practice more aerodynamics!"

"Sure!"  I hopped on and got a good grip.  "Say... any chance I might... I dunno... be able to enter this Cider Space place on my own some day?  Sounds wicked cool!"

"Eh, I doubt your parents would approve, kid," Rainbow Dash said.  "I can't imagine they approve enough already."

"Approve enough of what?" I asked, blinking.  Upon the second eye-flutter, we lifted skyward like a rocket, and I flailed from my grip to her shoulders.  "Whoahhhhh—ha ha ha ha!"  I pumped a hoof in the air.  "Yeahhhh!"

Rainbow grinned devilishly, gliding us towards the cloud levels.  "Heh... who needs dreamin'?  Am I right?"