Appledashery

by Just Essay

Wagon... Tails?

"So... erm... it's not really a big whoop, then?"

"Hmm? What isn't, Applejack?"

"You takin' so much time off from Banner Company? Or cloud kicking?"

"Pfft. Naaaaaah. We're cool, Applejack."

"Ya sure?"

"Positively frosty."

"I could pay ya, y'know."

"No, Applejack."

"I totally can! Sweet Apple Acres ain't exactly pinchin' the bit bag like we used to—"

"Applejack, no."

"But—"

"Look, will you friggin' let it rest?! I came on this trip because I wanted to see your cider business get a big break!"

"But we already done got a big break! With Fancy Pants and his associates! T'ain't like you had to sacrifice much on my behalf—"

"Do I look like the type of mare who would s-sacrifice stuff if I didn't need to?"

"Hmmmm..."

"Pffft! I'm awesomeness incarnate, girl! Why would I ever wanna harsh that kind of a buzz?!"

"Heh... you've got a point there."

"Dang straight I do!"

"Then what's so awesome about this here trip, hmmm?"

"Well... y'know..."

"Yeah...?"

"I... I get to see alligators. Maybe possibly."

"Heheheheh... Ohhhhhh Rainbow..."

"Possoms? I hear Fillyda's got tons of marsupials. Am I right?"

"I swear... all my life I've had mares and stallions call me a silly pony, but you—sugarcube—you take the cake."

"Could I take the pie instead."

"Hardy har har."

"Heheheh... you set yourself up for that one."

"Well, it's a nice change having you around."

"Is that so? Stu Leaves giving you a migraine?"

"I told you he does work at the farm a lot. I never said we were best friends."

"Really?"

"Nope."

"Well... heh... that's a relief."

"Come again?"

"Erm... uhhh... b-because he would just... d-distract you from apple bucking!"

"Distract me? From my apples?"

"... ... ...maybe?"

"You do remember who yer talkin' to, right?"

"Every single moment of every single day, AJ."

"Huh?"

"I mean. Yeah. Sure. I get it. Apples are your life."

"Stu Leaves means well. It's just that... sometimes... I think he means a little too well."

"Yeah, I get it."

"Get what?"

"He's like an excited little puppy that you feel bad for kicking in the face."

"You k-kick puppies in the face?!"

"For Celestia's sake, Applejack, I was being figurative!"

"Oh! Land's sakes... for a second there I thought I had to make a grim confession to Fluttershy."

"Nah. Pegasi can never be cruel to animals. It's in our blood to be stewards of the earth. Unless, of course, it comes to diamond dogs or basilisks. Those freaks can just go buck themselves."

"Come again?"

"Meh. Forget I said anything. Say, the sun's going down."

"Hmm... reckon it is."

"Should we find a place to call in a night cap?"

"Why, is somepony feelin' tired?"

"Well, I-I just figured that it might be a bad thing if we get stuck in the darkness."

"Heck, we both can manage against whatever nature throws at us. We're both Elements, after all."

"Heh. Good point. That's a very good point, actually."

"Besides, I reckon I'm enjoyin' this."

"Enjoying what?"

"Y'know, just walkin'. Talkin'. Shootin' the breeze as evening falls. Reminds me of old times."

"Old... times...?"

"Right. Right after Twilight showed up in town. Remember? We used to hang out all the time."

"We did?"

"Pffft. What, you've got the head of a goldfish or somethin', Rainbow? Honestly, it was only a year ago!"

"Yeesh... feels like a season and three shards ago."

"Huh?"

"You may be right about pegasus brains, Applejack. We kind of... live in the moment."

"Ah, okay."

"Or, y'know, the future."

"Well, I'm seein' a mighty rosy future."

"You... you are?"

"Yes, with this whole meeting with Shindig."

"Oh. Right. Of course."

"And assumin' all goes well... I reckon I'll have you to thank for it."

"Heh... don't you mean me and Stu?"

"Oh, Stu's helped, alright. But it was you who planted the idea of havin' some ponies along for the ride."

"Well, glad I could oblidge."

"For the life of me, I can't imagine how this trip would have gone on my lonesome. I wouldn't have covered this much ground, for one thang."

"Plus, you wouldn't have... h-had the chance to just chillax and chat with another pony about alligators, possoms, and pegasi with goldfish memories."

"Heheheheh... darn tootin'! Hahahah!"

"Eheheheheh..."

"Heh heh heh heh... whew..."

"... ... ...AJ?"

"Yeah, Rainbow?"

"If all goes well, and you do—y'know—make it big with Shindig's cider factory... uh... you'll come back to visit Ponyville lots, r-right?"

"Oh, Rainbow, I'm still on the fence about that."

"Still... on the fence?"

"Er, what I mean to say is, I-I can't rightly say whether I'd have to move elsewhere or just hire somepony to station her or himself down in Orlandoats permanently."

"Uh huh..."

"But I'll tell you this—I'll do my darnedest to make sure I stay back in Ponyville with you and the girls. Home is where the heart is, after all."

"Right... home..."

"But, if I pass Shindig's examination or what-have-you, odds are something is going to change. For the best, of course."

"Of course."

"Eeyup..."

"... ... ...Hey, maybe you can send Stu Leaves down to Orlandoats permanently."

"Awwwww shucks."

"He can be your permanent orange commander! Deep Orange Nine! Emmissary to citrus everywhere!"

"Heheheh... oh Celestia, help me... yer silly."

"Yeah... s-so I've heard..."

Comments

[Salad king]

"I told you he does work at the farm a lot. I never said we were best friends." Is that a HELL YEAH I hear?

[RoboRed]

"He can be your permanent orange commander! Deep Orange Nine! Emmissary to citrus everywhere!"

I love this so much.

[TwilightUCrazy]

"I swear... all my life I've had mares and stallions call me a silly pony, but you—sugarcube—you take the cake."

"Could I take the pie instead."

[Leftover of Saikano]

Who doesn't love marsupials?

[Twinshot42]

"... ... ...AJ?"

"Yeah, Applejack?"

Rainbow got switched out again.

[Bulbajer]

"Do I look like the type of mare who would s-sacrifice stuff if I didn't need to?"
"Hmmmm..."

"You do remember who yer talkin' to, right?"
"Every single moment of every single day, AJ."

"Well, I'm seein' a mighty rosy future."
"You... you are?"

SS&E, I'm sending you the bill for multiple defibrillator uses.
Sigh... and now back to somehow writing 24 pages (minimum) worth of essays in the next few days.

[Sharp Quill]

"Oh, Rainbow, I'm still on the fence about that."

I'll be blunt: this is irresponsible. AJ is an Element of Harmony. When the next arch villain comes along, how is Twilight supposed to round up all the Elements when one of them lives on the other side of Equestria?

[kluck]

kicking puppies fucking outstanding !!!!!!!

[FloydienSlip]

I like how Austraeoh shows up in the recommended stories list.

[Picture_Perfectxx]

"... ... ...AJ?"

"Yeah, Applejack?"

Applejack talking to herself?

[BabySkittleMonster]

5347366
That's censoring it.

[Lightning Bearer]

Seems like Fillyda would have more lemurs than marsupials.

"... ... ...Hey, maybe you can send Stu Leaves down to Orlandoats permanently."

I was thinking the same thing. And it would mean that there was some kind of purpose to his accompanying them beyond just throwing a stick in Rainbow's wheels.

[Shipmun]

I'm loving the dialogue chapters. And yes! Give me a reason not to hate Stu! Send him to Fillyda or whatever it's called!

Even if RD is super disconnected with her friends like AJ is saying here, I see a bright future in store. After the apocalyptic events of all this Discord shard business. Yeah...

[zaponator]

More heads, more talking, still fun.

[Aatxe360]

5347747

Because only Applejack matters.

[Dash32]

Rainbow is starting to slip up

[Seraphimus]

6923443 lol, she's been slipping up since the beginning of the whole story AJ is just too clueless to catch on.

[arancaytar]

"Do I look like the type of mare who would s-sacrifice stuff if I didn't need to?"

"I... I get to see alligators. Maybe possibly."

And cuddle applepones. Maybe possibly.

"Well... heh... that's a relief."

I'm continually amazed that Dashie is actually able to keep her crush secret from AJ.

[arancaytar]

"You k-kick puppies in the face?!"

Do adult diamond dogs count? Because then yes.

"Heh. Good point. That's a very good point, actually."

"Besides, I reckon I'm enjoyin' this."

"Enjoying what?"

"Y'know, just walkin'. Talkin'. Shootin' the breeze as evening falls. Reminds me of old times."

And all it took was knocking Stu out with Checkers so he'd sleep it off. Dashie has found a secret weakness!

"... ... ...Hey, maybe you can send Stu Leaves down to Orlandoats permanently."

AJ's reaction to this makes it less likely that she took Stu along to ship him with RD. It's clear to her that RD doesn't like Stu (for whatever mysterious reasons) and that doesn't seem to surprise or bother her much.