//------------------------------// // The Motions // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// Two more tracks later, and Rainbow Dash could no longer remain still. Between the dancing, the euphoria, and the flashing lights undulating all around her, she was starting to feel sick as a dog. The alcohol wasn't helping much either. Every time she looked into the crowd, she saw Bon Bon's and Caramel's jubilant faces between the magically-timed strobes. When Vinyl Scratch spoke in mid-session, it rattled Rainbow's brain right through her skull. "Are you feeling on fire, tonight?! Well then, scream as if you're on fire! And if that doesn't capture the moment, then spin around until your head fills up with smoke! Here comes the fireworks, everypony!" The dance floor exploded with noise and cheer. Rainbow could scarcely keep from wincing. Even when she closed her eyes, she saw her friends—both at Ponyville and beyond—smiling at her... jeering... enjoying life. It didn't take much effort to limp her way out through the exit. For one brief moment, Rainbow thought she heard the music skipping a beat, but she chalked it up to her imagination. Soon, she was free from the dance hall of Mortuana. The cool, breezy air of the desert outside was blissfully welcoming. Rainbow lurched to a stop, feeling the blood pumping in her vessels. Despite so many depressants, she felt adrenalized, and it filled her with a nauseating sensation. Her mind drifted to the idea of a cool, comfy bed. She lifted off on flapping wings, pivoted around, and aimed to take the aerial shortcut to her hotel. This was easier said than done. The glittery horizon of lampposts and casino lights teetered instantly, and she struggled to keep even. She ascended briskly towards the tenth floor. Just as she thought she had the balcony of their room in her sights, she slammed muzzle-first into a glass window. "Ooof!" Rainbow winced, bracing herself against the glass. She flapped her wings, trying to lift off from the buildin'g surface. For the moment, she was stuck in place, and she incidentally caught a glance inside the random hotel room. A mare and a stallion sat at a dining room table. Gentle candlelight illuminated their smiling faces as they ignored their food, choosing instead to gaze into each other's eyes with loving admiration. Before long, the stallion stood up, walked around, and offered his hoof to the mare. She graciously took it, and soon the couple was slow dancing around the hotel room. Rainbow gulped hard. With a nervous jerk, she forced herself upwards on flapping wings. Soon, she found the balcony in question. Stumbling onto an even floor, she slid the door open and spent a good five minutes wandering stupidly across the spacious interior of the VIP establishment. At last, she found the bathroom. The mare knelt before the toilet and... waited and waited and waited. No vomit came. All Rainbow Dash found were thoughts, and they poured out of her ears, painted with the rosy-pink images of Bon Bon's smiling face, gothic lovers chatting with one another, and a couple dancing around the dinner table. So many blushing muzzles and fuzzy chests and sighing lips. "Mrmmmfff... can't even puke when I want to." Rainbow clenched her eyes shut, trying to dream about the Wonderbolts, pirate shows, mares in fishnets, anything but the lovable images in her mind... ...and the freckle-faced soul that they instantly conjured up. She failed, and—in exhaustion—she collapsed on the fluffy bathroom rug. She wasn't covered in vomit, which was a delightful change for once. There was no energy left to celebrate the fact, however, and she fell asleep with anxious spasms, ushered on by the drunken pressure in her skull.