Appledashery

by Just Essay

Heads Up

Rainbow flew and flew and flew and flew and flew in tiny circles, kicking up a tiny whirlwind. At last, she came down, hovering on moist feathers. She brought a hoof up to her mane, feeling if whether or not it was sufficiently dry. It was hard to tell with how numb her limb was by that point, but the ends of her bangs weren't dripping anymore, so that was a good sign at least.

"So..." Stu Leaves rolled up his sleeping bag and tied it up before throwing it into the parked wagon. "...if we head down the Main Highway and exit onto Shermane Drive, it should take us all the way to the heart of Atlantrot."

"Yes, and?" Applejack sat on a log, brushing her golden glistening hair straight. Once she was satisfied, she held a red ribbon in her teeth and began bunching the end of her long-long mane up. "Mrrrmmff... It'll get blocked up before we even reach downtown. It's a slower route."

"The whole point is to find a place to stay in Atlantrot overnight, right?" Stu Leaves smirked. "I've got my relative's friend in the city! Who cares if we get held up a bit! She'll get us a room to stay in her hotel without having to wait in line!"

"Ya mean it's already reserved?"

"Absolutely!" Stu Leaves trotted over with a smirk. "Would I lie to you?"

"Heh... reckon yer not clever enough to even test my Hadar."

"...'Hadar?'"

"Yeah... y'know... 'Honesty Radar!'"

"Well, it sounds like you're saying 'Haydar.'"

"Pfft. What's yer point?"

"Well, the 'H' in 'Honesty' is silent and the way you're saying it—"

"For pony's sake, Stu, it's just a sayin'! Big Mac made it up! Not me!"

"Ha! Well that explains it!"

"Heheheh..." Applejack reached back and looped the end of her mane through the ribbon, tying it into a fuzzy blonde nub. "Reckon ya got a point there."

"Here, AJ." Stu Leaves reached down for her hat in the grass. "Lemme help you with—"

"Don't!" Applejack barked, even making Rainbow jolt from afar.

Stu leaned back, blinking.

Applejack winced. "Erm... wh-what I mean is..." She plucked the hat off the ground, held it to herself, and sighed through a tired smile. "Thanks, Stu. That's mighty neighborly of ya." She slowly slid it onto her head. "But t'ain't necessary. I'm no damsel."

He shook his jittery head. "Of course not. But I don't see how... erm... what I mean is..." He fidgeted, gulped, then bore a nervous smile. "I-I'll draw the wagon first today!" He trotted off. "Assuming we're ready to take off!"

"Y'all assume right!" Applejack said. She sat on the log with a slump, gazing off into the woods.

Slowly, Rainbow made her way over, hovering just above the mare. "Sooooo..." She smiled nervously. "Guess the skinny-dipping realllly woke you up this morning, huh?"

"Hmmmm?" Applejack glanced up. Her freckles curved into a soft smile. "Ah shoot, Rainbow. Ya know how I feel about this here trip." She reached up and tucked a few bangs underneath her hat. "I've got a whole future ridin' on it."

"Yeah..." Rainbow nodded, eyes squinting. "Sure."

"I see you got yer hair all dry."

"Uh huh."

"Hmmmph..." Applejack smirked. "Figures. Y'know, sometimes I envy pegasi."

Rainbow raised an eyebrow.

"Only when it comes to hair-dryin'!" Applejack waved a hoof while chuckling. "I wouldn't trade bein' an earth pony for a sec."

"I wouldn't trade you either," Rainbow said. She gulped and smiled awkwardly.

"Whelp..." Applejack sat up, stretching her muscles. "Nnnngh... reckon we best be on our way. I wouldn't say it directly to Stu's face, but I'm mighty thankful he's takin' the reins first today. My legs could use a breather."

"So you can buck the heck out of Shindig's apple trees, right?"

"Heh... sure, why not."

"Yeah..." Rainbow rubbed her two forelimbs together, glancing forty-five degrees away from Applejack. "Say... uh... AJ?"

"Hmmm? Yes, Rainbow?"

"You were just kidding around earlier, right?"

Applejack glanced at her. "Kidding around?"

"Y'know..." Rainbow bit her lip. "...when you asked me to help you with your hair?"

Applejack blinked. "Oh... Ohhhh!" She chuckled. "Reckon I forgot who I was talkin' to. Nah, I wouldn't put you through such a thang."

"Er... r-right..." Rainbow nod-nod-nodded. "Cuz... y'know, I sooooo hate mane styling."

"Darn-straight."

"Still..." Rainbow blinked. "I wasn't aware you... fussed over your hair so much."

"Ain't fussin', Rainbow. I mean... shoot... I'm no Rarity. But it helps to present oneself as professional-like." She smirked. "In the end, farm or no farm, I am a businesspony, after all."

"Heh... yeah..."

"You'd understand if you were in a line of work that didn't involve cloud-kickin' and deliverin'. Although, I guess you do get stuck with the—"

"I'm no fan of the yellow apron."

"Heheh... I dun think anypony in Ponyville is. Not even the owners of Banner Company."

"I know, right?"

"Heheheh... So, no sense in you fussin' over anythang. Now there's somethin' to envy." Applejack blinked. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the top of Rainbow's head. "Still... if I had a mane as colorful as yers..."

Rainbow blinked. She brought a hoof to her bangs, her eyes tilting up in their sockets. "Uhhhh... what about it?" Silence. "AJ?" She looked ahead.

"Nevermind..." Applejack was already several feet away, carrying her sleeping bag into the back of the wagon. "Stu, we ready or ain't we?"

"Just about! Let's get this show on the road!"

"Heheh... yeeeha!"

"But... but..." Rainbow stammered, feeling her heart bouncing confusedly across the walls of her insides. "What about my mane...?"

The wagon wheels started turning.

"You comin', Rainbow?" Applejack's voice warbled through the morning air.

With a shuddering sigh, Rainbow Dash flew after the two on stiff wings. "You have no idea, girl," she muttered.

Comments

[TwilightUCrazy]

oi58.tinypic.com/34fy2oy.jpg

[Salad king]

Ohohoh! Aj likes her and doesn't even know it!

[RainbowJack2000]

Surprisingly, nothing bad has happened yet.

[zaponator]

"You comin', Rainbow?" Applejack's voice warbled through the morning air.
With a shuddering sigh, Rainbow Dash flew after the two on stiff wings. "You have no idea, girl," she muttered.

Oh my.

[Tchernobog]

5358154
derpicdn.net/img/view/2013/2/9/238207__safe_rainbow+dash_screencap_messy+mane_games+ponies+play_spoiler-colon-s03e12.png

[Scohinyha Sanka]

Are my senses misfiring do to them being deprived of appledashery? Or is this the moment where Dash AJ are getting in each other range leading to them slowly circling closer and closer until they collided in fuzzy, heart attack inducing appledashery?

dang could find the exact video but the first fourteen seconds of this one might do:

[RoboRed]

"Heh... reckon yer not clever enough to even test my Hadar."

"...'Hadar?'"

"Yeah... y'know... 'Honesty Radar!'"

"Well, it sounds like you're saying 'Haydar.'"

I honestly read that as "ha'dar".
static.comicvine.com/uploads/original/10/102298/3133514-jem%27hadar.jpg

[BabySkittleMonster]

5358207
Shh! Don't jinx it! I've still got my hopes set on Dashie losing control and snogging AJ. If SSAE hears what you just said, then explosions. Just that. Explosions. Or something of equal drastic measures. After all, when has He ever allowed us to just enjoy the Appledashery without... Well, dashing it?

[BabySkittleMonster]

5358285
... I don't get either joke. I'm dumb. Is it a play on "gaydar"?

[Sharp Quill]

5358571 That's what I thought.

[cvvvrt]

AJ has a secret secret in her hat.

[Jay_Baker]

5360086

I know right!

[Lightning Bearer]

The mystery of the hat deepens. As does my confustication with AJ's little behavioral quirks. It's so hard not to interpret them as harbingers of some deeper feelings on her part for our petite heroine, though whether she herself is aware of them remains to be seen.

"Heh... reckon yer not clever enough to even test my Hadar."

All things considered, you'll have to forgive me if I'm skeptical of your "-dars", Applejack.

[Leftover of Saikano]

After this story is over, we need a side-quel from the point of view of the hat.

[Aatxe360]

5358285

The term originated from Applejack's brother, Hodor.

[Future Regret]

The last chapter will be Apple jack love Rainbow Dash

[Undeadpegasus57]

5950440

By George, I think he's got it!

Honestly, this is genius. I have no idea how I haven't thought of that before. I tip my hat to you, good sir.

[DrEggnog]

5358154
#1 Best Appledashery Comment

Though I may be biased as Aladdin is my favorite movie.

[DeathFox4]

6206056 Doctor I have found you!

Ok, I want the hat to be unvieled...

MUST NOT JINX!!!

[Weehawk]

All the warm fuzzier that were building up for me evaporated with this bit

"Whelp..." Applejack sat up, stretching her muscles. "Nnnngh... reckon we best be on our way. I wouldn't say it directly to Stu's face, but I'm mighty thankful he's takin' the reins first today. My legs could use a breather."
"So you can buck the heck out of Shindig's apple trees, right?"
"Heh... sure, why not."

We know how the author loves to sucker punch our hero when she lets her guard down. I'm bracing myself :(

[Snowdrifter]

5360086

Shhhh, that's a secret.

[arancaytar]

"Well, it sounds like you're saying ' Haydar .'"

Don't turn it on while Dashie is nearby.

[arancaytar]

"You comin', Rainbow?" Applejack's voice warbled through the morning air.

With a shuddering sigh, Rainbow Dash flew after the two on stiff wings. "You have no idea, girl," she muttered.

Skirts no

[True Edge]

At this point, I am completely convinced that AJ is jsut as infatuated with Dashie as Dashie is with her. That said, with this chapter featuring probably the hundredth or so time Dashie has let out a slip of the Freudian variety, I cannot help but ask. . . .

AJ, how FREAKIN' CLUELESS ARE YOU, GIRL?!?!?!

[ThePonyWriterThing]

"Heheheh... So, no sense in you fussin' over anythang. Now there's somethin' to envy." Applejack blinked. Suddenly, her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the top of Rainbow's head. "Still... if I had a mane as colorful as yers..."

I saw someone else comment this before but now I'm 99.8% sure ah this APPLEJACK HAS A PIECE OF RAINBOWS HAIR IN HER HAT good day.

[SnowOriole]

Ah well. Rainbow, I know this sounds mighty silly, but I dun suppose you could lend a hoof with gettin' my mane straight this morning?

"Here, AJ." Stu Leaves reached down for her hat in the grass. "Lemme help you with—" " Don't! " Applejack barked, even making Rainbow jolt from afar.

She would let Rainbow but not Stu. This calms my shipper heart

Edit: Whups apparently not Rainbow either.. what's in that dayum hat??