//------------------------------//
// Leaves and Such 
// Story: Appledashery 
// by Just Essay 
//------------------------------//

	Rainbow Dash had stopped glancing at the citizens of Ponyville.

She had turned to watching leaves fall.  They landed in a stream rippling under a bridge along the east end of Ponyville.  The sound of a rickety windmill rattled behind a row of houses.  There were voices in the greater distance, but she didn't pivot her ears to them.

Somewhere in the softness of the moment—between the ripples of the water—she came back to reality, and the utter hopelessness of having to come to terms with losing two jobs and a house all at once.

It was at such a precise moment that she needed a distraction... and it was at such a precise moment that she got it: in the form of heavy hoofsteps drawing towards hers.  A stallion was drawing a wagon.  His gait was drooping and his head was hanging low.

A shadow streaked over the bridge, and a voice from above—some random pegasus—hollered:  "Hey!  Stu!  Sharp Quill's got Poker Night all set up!  You coming or what?"

"Hmmm?"  Stu Leaves looked up.  He blinked, and he put on a smile.  "Eheh... pretty tuckered out from all this harvesting.  Think I might turn in early."

"Awww.  You sure?"

"Yeah, dude.  Heh... gotta get rich off of somepony else, I guess."

"As if!  You smoked us last time!  If nothing else, I was hoping for revenge!"

"Next week.  Next week for sure."

"Whatever you say, Stu.  Good luck with whatever you're haulin'."

"Thanks.  I'll need it."  As Stu said this, he looked aside.  His eyes reflected Rainbow's blue figure and he immediately jerked in place.

Rainbow Dash looked calmly at him.

Stu stared back.  He blinked... then blinked again.

Rainbow's brow furrowed.  Eventually, she exhaled:  "Stu..."

"Hey.  Rainbow."  He fidgeted a bit, then eventually smiled.  "You took off so suddenly.  I—"

"Vacation."

"Oh?"  Stu's ears twitched.  "Oh!  Oh right.  Vacation.  Of course."  He froze in place while his ears and tail drooped.  Whatever warmth was in his voice had dwindled completely.  For a moment, it appeared as if he was staring through the mare... towards some unseen point.

Rainbow cocked her head to the side.  "Stu?"

It took him an awkward five seconds to register the fact that she had even spoken.  His eyes lifted again.  The two looked directly at one another.  A spark of warmth flickered across Stu's eyes.  His lungs shuddered, and for a second he appeared as though he was going to say something.  His muzzle hung open... lingered... then closed again.  The next smile that crossed him was genuine, if not a calm and dry thing.

"It's a nice... nice thing to have you around, Rainbow," he suddenly said.

Rainbow squinted.  "Stu...?"

"You're... always super kind to me," he remarked.  Clearing his throat, the stallion added:  "Probably... way more than I deserve."

Rainbow stood in place.  She gave a tiny, lazy shrug.  "Why wouldn't I be nice to you?"

"Yeah... I guess that's a good point."  He exhaled, staring across the rooftops with a glazed expression.

"Stu?"  Rainbow leaned forward.  "Is everything okay, dude?"

"... ... ...hmmm?"  He glanced sideways at her.  "Oh.  Yes.  Everything is... as it should be."  He cleared his throat.  "I just... have stuff to think about, y'know?"

"Yeah," Rainbow replied sooner than she had intended to.  "I do."

"I always imagined," Stu remarked.  "Wish I could play it cool... be cool... like you."  Silence.  Eventually, he trotted along with the cart.  "Looking forward to flying with you again."

"Uh... yeah... sure..."  Rainbow pivoted, watching curiously as the stallion walked off.  For the first time in hours, her numbness had given away—but the tingling was more unsettling than she had hoped for.  With a determined breath, she flapped her wings and made for the far end of town.