Appledashery

by Just Essay

Soft Mornings

It was morning outside. Rainbow could see the cold glow of dawn from beyond the hotel window's drapes. It illuminated Applejack's sleeping form in a dull sheen.

"Huh..." The pegasus murmured to herself. She hovered across the room on thin feathers, so as to be even more soundless. "Sonuvagun. I actually beat Applejack to waking for once." She giggled breathily, then sighed.

Silence.

Rainbow Dash's eyes fell on Applejack's still figure, which was how she realized that she was now hovering almost directly above the mare. A tight knot formed in her throat, and she clenched her teeth to the point of cracking.

Applejack's ears were folded back. Her lips remained pursed open, and her two forelimbs were curled around one another, like a demure schoolfilly's. It was a rare instance in which the usually-strong mare looked tender, fragile, delicate. The faint glow of morning light brought out the pale gleam in her freckles.

Rainbow exhaled. She knew that she could stay there, hovering in place, staring at that angelic image for hours, but she was already starting to feel terrible for such an indulgence. So, with a slight shudder, she forced her gaze to look elsewhere.

And that's how her eyes fell on a certain brown article lying next to Applejack's bedside.

"Hrmmm..." Rainbow Dash smirked to herself. "Never leave home without it," she murmured. She turned to fly back towards the bathroom... but suddenly stopped in place. "... ... ..." She looked at Applejack.

Applejack's left ear twitched, then was still again. She continued breathing softly into the soft covers of her bed, blissfully asleep.

"... ... ..." Slowly, Rainbow Dash drifted over towards the table. She descended just low enough to stay afloat without disturing Applejack with the breeze from her flapping wings. Then, limbs tingling, she reached a hoof out towards the hat. She touched the brim of it, feeling its felt surface. Slowly, she started tilting it upwards.

"Mrmmm..." Applejack trilled in her sleep, like a fitful kitten. She shifted slightly, curling even tighter under the blankets.

Rainbow Dash's hoof had stopped. She gazed at Applejack. Finally, after a long breath or two, she smiled. Her nostrils flare, and she gently... quietly released her grip of the hat, letting it settle back onto the tabletop.

A twinge of guilt fluttered through Rainbow's heart. She felt warm, positively boiling inside. She hadn't realized it until she sensed the cold knobs beneath her hooves, but she had flown over to the window. Within seconds, she had it open to the cold breeze of an early morning. The distant, ambient sounds of a waking city tickled her ears. Squinting, Rainbow opened the window the rest of the way and hovered outside.

There was no balcony to the window. A shallow ledge loomed just beneath the frame, overlooking the sleepy gray depths of the Atlantrot streets below. With a prolonged sigh, Rainbow Dash perched on the very ledge, sitting tall and alert like a fuzzy blue gargoyle. She stared at the mist-kissed skyscrapers of the maretropolis all around her. The sun was just beyond the mountains. Within a few minutes, it would peek beyond the jagged ridges, and its golden rays would reflect sharply off the buildings all around, turning the cityscape into a blinding kaleidoscope.

For the time being, Rainbow Dash reveled in the peace and tranquility of the moment. Her tail flicked occasionally as her lungs quivered with the warm rememberance of the beauty that lay sleeping in the room behind her. She wasn't entirely sure why, but she felt incredibly warm and toasty inside. The memory of a melancholic dream faded away with the morning light, and she smiled into the haze of the virgin day.

"No! Don't do it! Please!"

Rainbow's muzzle scrunched. She blinked, glancing left... glancing right...

"For Celestia's sake! Just stay right there!"

At last, Rainbow Dash glanced straight down.

Several floors down, an earth pony stood on the sidewalk, gesturing at her. "I don't know what you're thinking, b-but you're not alone!" he exclaimed in a panicked voice, his face wrought with concern. "There are ponies who are here for you! Whatever you're dealing with, it can't be so bad that you have to give up everything!"

"Err..." Rainbow's voice cracked. "What are you talking about, fella?"

"Life is beautiful! Don't give it up! Don't jump!"

"Uhhhh... eheh..." Rainbow Dash bore a bashful smile. She stretched her wings out on either side of her, wagging her eyebrow at the stallion below.

The pony blinked. "Oh... Oh!" He blushed, red as a beet, and fidgeted where he stood. "Uhhhh... eheheh..." He waved nervously. "Carry on then! Enjoy your m-morning!"

"Heh... sure thing, pal!" Rainbow saluted. "Good morning to you too!"

"Nnnngh..." Applejack stirred, suddenly waking up with a groggy breath. "Mrmmmf... s-sugarcube?" She sat up, squinting her green eyes at the window. "What... in tarnation is goin' on?"

"Hmmm?" Rainbow glanced back at her. She smiled. "Oh, nothing. Go back to bed."

"But I'm..." Applejack deflated back to the crumpled covers. "...already... in bed... hrmmmmzzzz..."

Rainbow Dash smiled... then smiled some more. Her wings twitched as she gazed back at the city skyline. "Heheheh..." She laughed harder and harder, her eyes clenched shut as she suffered an uncontrollable wave of stupid giggles. "Hee hee hee!"

Comments

[FloydienSlip]

I found Caramel.

[Lord Dragon]

Weeeeeeee!! Meep. (I had something intelligent to say)

[Lightning Bearer]

So... close... to answers.

[Sharp Quill]

Rainbow Dash's hoof had stopped. She gazed at Rainbow Dash. Finally, after a long breath or two, she smiled. Her nostrils flare, and she gently... quietly released her grip of the hat, letting it settle back onto the tabletop.

Um...

[Fishberry]

5422410

I knew it was a typo, but my heart skipped a beat anyway!

[RoboRed]

And that's how her eyes fell on a certain brown article lying next to Applejack's bedside.

"Hrmmm..." Rainbow Dash smirked to herself. "Never leave home without it," she murmured. She turned to fly back towards the bathroom... but suddenly stopped in place. "... ... ..." She looked at Applejack.

Yes...

Then, limbs tingling, she reached a hoof out towards the hat. She touched the brim of it, feeling its felt surface. Slowly, she started tilting it upwards.

...Yes...

Rainbow Dash's hoof had stopped. She gazed at Applejack. Finally, after a long breath or two, she smiled. Her nostrils flare, and she gently... quietly released her grip of the hat, letting it settle back onto the tabletop.

DAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMITDAMMIT

[YoshiFawful64]

JUST LOOK AT THE DAMN HAT, DAMNIT!

[BabySkittleMonster]

Ooh, that suicide scene made my day. Merry Christmas everypony!

[Scohinyha Sanka]

Dang that hat tease and merry Xmas.

[RainbowJack2000]

.........DAMN YOU, RAINBOW DASH!!!! COULDN'T YOU LOOK UNDER THE DAMN HAT, DAMMIT!

[TwilightUCrazy]

...

Whatever is in that hat is gonna blow everything wide open.

[Picture_Perfectxx]

Rainbow Dash is an idiot...

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Ugh, total waste of a troll moment. She could have totally jumped out and landed next to that poor stallion. I am disappoint. Oh and to make this post retardedly unlikeable, I enjoyed the hat tease. AJ will reveal it when she's good and ready.(probably before or during dashie's imminent confession.)

[Sharp Quill]

5423718 Correction: Just Essay will have AJ reveal it when he's good and ready. He's the true villain here.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5423769 He's a villain? But I've never heard him monologue!

[Sharp Quill]

5423888 He self-inserted as Stu Leaves.

[kihutaja]

So I've caught up again. Last time was at the end of Dredgemane arc. I like how the story's finally living up to its name, and the current arc in general.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5423920 That would explain a few things. I suppose your persona in the story will wind up essential to undoing his master scheme. That, or more shopping with Rarity.

[Sharp Quill]

5425327 It beats being Chrysalis. I can shop all day long with Rarity so long as I get to go to Las Pegasus with Derpy on a shard mission with Rainbow Dash. Oh, and no Stu Leaves!

Of course, Fluttershy would have to take care of my pet platypus, Platsy, while on this mission.

And, I suppose, at some point, Derpy's sister will make an appearance, no doubt to get in the way of SharpDoo just like Stu Leaves is here to prevent AppleDash.

Also, don't let Pinkie Pie name your pet. Just saying…

[zaponator]

5422402
5422516
5422862
5423245

...I feel like all y'all really haven't grasped the way this story works.

[Lightning Bearer]

5425917

Yeah, I should know better by now, but still. She literally had the hat in her hooves.

[YoshiFawful64]

5425917
I know, I know. Doesn't mean I can't be frustrated.

[RoboRed]

5425917
Oh, I know. But she was soooo close...

[Leftover of Saikano]

You can't make me believe Rainbow Dash woke up before Applejack.

[TheZouave]

How many people want to bet that when RD does look under the hat, 150 chapters from now, what she'll find is a picture of AJ's mom and dad?

Bets are open. Odds change with each bet.

[DrEggnog]

I was incredibly happy when Rainbow Dash didn't look under the hat. A selfish, goofy guy in a comedy would have given into temptation and either gotten caught or used the info to get himself into some shenanigans, but not Rainbow Dash. She's a good pony.

Also, merry belated Xmas, even though it's July by now (which means I have half a year worth of chapters to catch up on).

[Weehawk]

Us who have read this far tend to hope its a confirmation of love for our heroine. But earlier tonight the thought occurred to me it could be an apple family lucky charm. Like a rock that maybe let's AJ make a wish to help RD later lol

[Seraphimus]

7093818 I want it to be a photo of dash, I suspect it's a photo of AJ's parents

[arancaytar]

And that's how her eyes fell on a certain brown article lying next to Applejack's bedside.

THE HAT.

Will the mystery of the hat be finally rev--- ah who am I kidding.

[arancaytar]

"Uhhhh... eheh..." Rainbow Dash bore a bashful smile. She stretched her wings out on either side of her, wagging her eyebrow at the stallion below.

[True Edge]

At this moment, reading through the comments, I feel really bad about giving in to the temptation to look up fanart of the story. I didnt catch any major spoilers, except one. . . . I already know what's in the hat.