//------------------------------// // Dash Around the Wagons // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// "Trixie doesn't get it." She looked back at the rest of the group as they trotted along. "What would possess anypony to place one bottle of cider on the wall, much less ninety-nine of them?" "It's a song, Trixie," Twilight said with a groan. "It doesn't have to make sense." "Then what is the purpose of expending one's lung capacity in creating such melodic bedlam?" "Erm..." "As a scientist, Sparkle, Trixie would half expect you to scoff at the very waste of energy." "'Scoff?!'" Pinkie Pie slid forward between the two, eyes wide. "'Waste of energy?!' 'Panties?!'" "Erm... Pinkie?" Twilight blinked. "Trixie didn't once mention that third thi—" "Sister, singing is a way of life!" Pinkie stuck her tongue out. "You don't even know!" "Evidently, Trixie does not." Trixie tilted her chin up. "And as such, Trixie has more time and resources to contribute to scientific pursuits." "Like the digestibility of pine cones?" "Why does everypony insist on making that joke around Trixie?!" Twilight chuckled. "No reason, Trixie. Heheheh... no reason." She and Pinkie giggle-snorted. Trixie stomped her hooves. "Trixie cannot stand for this confusion! Please! Somepony explain this to Trixie!" A few spaces behind, Rarity groaned. "Eugh... I knew I was being generous when I accepted Twilight's choice of bringing that fuzzy blue specimen along for the hike, but now...?" "Oh, relax, Rarity," Fluttershy said with a smile. She flapped her wings, gliding along at a graceful pace. "I find Trixie's presence... invigorating." "You do?" "Mmmmhmmm..." Fluttershy nodded. "Besides, have you noticed how much she's making Twilight giggle?" "I thought that was Pinkie Pie's doing." Fluttershy winked. "One must pay close attention to these things." "Mmmm... I suppose. Although I could stand to pay attention more quietly." "Heeheeheee... wouldn't we all?" Fluttershy smiled. After a blink, she looked behind her. Rainbow Dash flew at the rear of the group, her head hanging low. Fluttershy blinked. She looked ahead. Applejack drew the wagon, legs moving evenly, a smile hanging off her face. The country mare hummed and whistled to herself, murmuring "bottles of cider" between every other note. "Ahem..." Fluttershy cleared her throat. "Say... uhm... Applejack." She flew a bit closer. "Did you hear about... a-about the tornado that the pegasi of Ponyville are going to be summoning?" "Huh?" Applejack looked over her shoulder. "What's that?" "Cloudsdale has requested able-bodied pegasi to make a tornado to sweep away several dead trees lining the north edge of the Everfree Forest." "Oh yeah! The Twister!" Applejack smirked. "Stu's told me all about that. I lent some apples for him to treat the fliers the other day." "Is that so?" Fluttershy smiled pleasantly. "Did you know that Rainbow Dash is captaining the team that Stu is on?" "...?" From the back, Rainbow Dash looked up. She blinked. "Well, yeah. He did mention that. But... y'know..." Applejack shrugged. "Weather flyin' ain't exactly my strong suit, so many of the details are lost to me." "It's actually pretty interesting. Rainbow Dash—as captain of her tornado team—is single-hoofedly responsible for maintaining the very bottom of the tornado's cyclonic cone." "Whew... that sounds mighty complicated!" Applejack smirked over her shoulder. "Way to go, Rainbow Dash! They obviously picked the right mare for the right thang!" "Er... yeah... totally..." Rainbow gulped, smiling nervously. "Lot of... hard work..." "Just what kind of work goes into formin' the bottom of a tornado, anyways?" Applejack's freckled face scrunched. "What... do ya just spin in circles and hope for the rest of the team above ya to maintain things all revolvin' door-like?" "Well... uh..." Rainbow Dash fidgeted. "It's actually kind of textbookish and bori—" "It's very exciting!" Fluttershy cooed, hovering behind Rainbow Dash. "And I'm sure Rainbow would absolutely love to tell you all about her previous adventures in tornado making!" "Previous... adventures—?" Rainbow stammered. "Especially since she desperately needs a break to rest her legs from the fall she suffered the other day." Rarity gasped. "Good heavens!" "Fall?" Applejack stammered. "Fall—?" And Rainbow winced as a yellow body shoved her from behind. "Ooomf!" She plopped across the wagon behind Applejack. Frowning, she sat up. "Flutters? What giv—" "That's right, Rainbow Dash! You just rest up for a bit! I'm sure AJ doesn't mind!" "Uhhh—" "Not one bit, partner!" Applejack adjusted her hat, smirking back at the pegasus. "Ya shoulda told me you was shoulderin' a flight injury!" Rainbow's eyes twitched. "...p-partner?" her voice cracked. "Just lie back for a bit. Ya ain't addin' too much more weight to the wagon anyways," Applejack said with a wink. "So... tell me about how you got this here injury." "Uhmmmmm..." Rainbow Dash glanced back at Fluttershy. Fluttershy hid her face partially behind two hooves. She smiled so hard that her dimples flushed red. "Bet it was a real whiz-banger of a bump, knowin' you!" Rainbow Dash sighed heavily. With a delirious smile, she turned towards Applejack. "I-I guess I... hit my head a bit too hard to remember it too well." "Ah. Well." Applejack shrugged in mid-trot. "That's understandable." "Butttttt..." Rainbow Dash repositioned herself, sitting with feline poise atop the wagon. "...I do remember this one time I survived a dislocated shoulder after banging against the walls of the Ghastly Gorge." "Whoah nelly!" Applejack stammered. "You never did tell me that one!" "There're a lot of things I haven't told you." "Well, we ain't exactly fixin' to be buckin' trees or makin' tornadoes anytime soon. Go ahead and fill me in, sugarcube! I'm all ears!" Rainbow Dash exhaled, her wingtips fluttering. "Okay. So... this one time... in Ghastly Gorge... I flew smack-dab into the jawline of a Quarry Eel." "Quarry... Eel...?" "Imagine if you crossed Big Macintosh with a dragon and a snake and gave it a huuuuuuuuuuge underbite." "Ah. So basically Big Mac on a Monday morning." "Heeheehee! Sure... so... uhm... anyways... I slammed into the thing and went flying. Nyeaaaaaaaaaauuurrrr—!"