Appledashery

by Just Essay

Orlandoats Bound

"Applejack..." Stu Leaves rolled his eyes from where he hitched himself to the front of the carriage. The three were gathered around the wagon at the front stoop to the hotel. Traffic and pedestrians wandered back and forth beside them in the noonday sun. "No matter how many times you count them, they're still going to be the same amount of cider crates!"

"You can never be too sure!" Applejack stammered, poking her head beneath the tarp covering the back of the wagon. "We've let these here jars alone for hours on end!"

"But you counted them the first moment we came down here!" Stu smiled. "Unless there are unicorns around here adept at thievery teleportation, which I doubt—"

"I've never been to this town!" Applejack said, fidgeting as she backed out of the tarp, adjusting her hat on her head. "Who knows what devious thangs are done in these streets everyday?"

"Applejack, it's Atlantrot, not Mareami," Rainbow Dash said with a smirk. "Just relax. You're delaying us enough."

"Hmmmph..." Applejack frowned. "Since when were you in such a hurry to get out of here?"

"I dunno." Rainbow shrugged. "I mean, Shindig's not going to wait forever, is she?" Smirking, she trotted over to the front of the wagon. "Move over, Stu."

"Huh?" Stu blinked at her. "Rainbow, I already volunteered to pull the wagon first."

"Right. And I'm gonna join you."

"You sure?" Stu nevertheless made room for her to attach herself to the wagon beside him. "I mean, there's going to be some rugged, elevated terrain along the way."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow felt her limbs, reveling in their current strength and resolve. "I'm pretty sure I can handle it. Besides, I'm feeling really awake today."

"Well, if that ain't weird." Applejack hopped up into the front of the waggon, sitting her orange flank down. "Cuz you woke up ahead of me. I'm still tryin' to wrap my head around it."

"Look, AJ, just 'cuz I'm used to sleeping on clouds for a living doesn't mean I don't know how to beat the sun." Rainbow winked. "I've got a gazillion breadsticks in my belly begging to be burned." She kicked her front hooves. "So come on! Let's do this!"

"Heh... alrighty then." Applejack gestured. "Stu?"

"Aaaaaaaaaaand it's Orlandoats bound!" He trotted ahead. Rainbow Dash matched his pace, and soon the two were pulling out into a space given by two carriages in the street. They made their way onto the main avenues, then followed the branching roads until they were moving southbound along the well-paved highway. Here, traffic moved at a far brisker pace, and Rainbow Dash guided Stu and the wagon into the left lane, allowing them to trot at the quickest speed possible.

"Yeeeeha!" Applejack smirked, leaning back as the wind kicked at her mane. "Whew! This is actually kind of exciting!"

"You're one to talk!" Stu huffed and puffed, galloping swiftly. "We in a race or something, Rainbow?"

"Depends!" Rainbow winked aside. "You game?"

"Ohhhhhhh don't go there." He chuckled. "You'll make this stallion's pegasus blood boil."

"Are all pegasi so dang competitive at heart?" Applejack asked.

"Nah." Rainbow smirked. "Only the awesome ones."

"Heheh..." Stu grinned. "I don't know whether or not I should feel insulted."

"Well, prove me wrong, hotshot!" Rainbow gestured forward with her head. "Looks like there's a procession of freight wagons ahead! You think the two of us can pass them in the next five minutes?"

"Whew boyo..." Stu wheezed. "I can feel my heart failing already."

"Well?"

"Awwwwwww what the hay." Stu galloped faster, almost making Rainbow stumble as he accelerated the wagon even further. "If we do it in three minutes, you owe me a bottle of hay soda at the next rest stop!"

"Hah!" Rainbow giggled, matching his speed. "That's more like it, champ! Vrmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

"Heh..." Applejack gripped both her seat and hat as the wagon jostled along after the blazing pegasi. "I knew th-there was a reason I br-brought you two along!" They hit a rattling bump, and AJ's whole body flounced. "Whoah nelly!"

Comments

[Tchernobog]

...I can see it now. Stu will indeed fall for some pony...

...but it'll be Dash. AJ will notice, and be all helpful and try to help it along at first until she notices Dash's discomfort.

After that, anything is game.

[Sharp Quill]

"Right. Am I'm gonna join you."

Think you mean “and”.

Looks like Rainbow took another dose. And shouldn't two pegasi be able to get the cart airborne? It's canon that two pegasi can get a stagecoach into the air. That would speed things up.

[RainbowJack2000]

"You're one to talk!" Stu huffed and puffed, galloping swiftly. "We in a race or something, Rainbow?"

A race to win Applejack's heart, that's for sure.

[zaponator]

I, for one, welcome this new Rainbow/Stu Leaves bonding.

[Shipmun]

"Hah!" Rainbow giggled, matching his speed. "That's more like it, champ! Vrmmmmmmmmmmmm!"

Rainbow Dash is best car
farm8.staticflickr.com/7430/9941097335_594e6c70ee_z.jpg

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5428688 Right, but then they'd have to convince AJ that her cider wouldn't spontaneously combust the moment that they took off.

Speaking of which, anybody heard of that psychic phenomena where 100 people focus on one thing happening simultaneously and then it happens? I'm not saying Stu is gonna violently explode, but...

[Lightning Bearer]

Well, Rainbow sure seems to be in a chipper mood. Certainly a nice change from all the angst and self-defeatery. And Tchernobog raises an interesting possibility I don't think I'd considered: That Stu may fall for Rainbow, and Applejack will try to play matchmaker. That could provide an interesting opportunity for Rainbow to finally be dragged out of the closet. Finally.

[RoboRed]

5428663
This theory is making me wring my hands in glee.

[Salad king]

5428663 lets just hope that applejack gets a little....jealous. Except not in the bad way eh?

[TwilightUCrazy]

5428663

Applejack's the Element of Honesty, Tcherno. She'll have a hard time not broadcasting that she is jealous to the extreme. She'll try to help, but she'll act bitter and upset.

That being said, Rainbow will be far too dense to pick up on it. She'll just think AJ is mad at her for something and lounge around being all mopey and depressed.

Following that, we'll have another AppleDash-less adventure and AJ won't even be mentioned except in a few passing remarks by Lancie.

So how's that for a theory? Anyone think I'm in the ballpark?

Hell, at this point, I could practically be Skirts.

Haha! Just kidding!

Or maybe I'm not...

[BabySkittleMonster]

5429747

Well, I'm game for that. In fact, I bet 20 (imaginary) bits that it will happen exactly as you said at some point in the future.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Everyone now has a Flash Sentry level of hatred for Stu. Will he change it? Only time will tell. Tune in for more of Stu's struggle daily at Just Essay's "StuDashery."

[Sharp Quill]

5429789 Just so long as it's not StuQuillery.

[RainbowJack2000]

5429789
That's clever.

[BabySkittleMonster]

5429945
There's a similar story on the next channel. It's called "Austuraeoh."

5429960
Merci, mon ami!

[YoshiFawful64]

5428663
This should totally be a thing.
...provided it doesn't stop SharpLeaves from happening, of course.

[Sharp Quill]

5430275 SharpDoo! SharpDoo!!

[YoshiFawful64]

5430365
[youtube=ClXAaGoT5eE]
I mean, not that I'd have anything wrong with it, but SharpLeaves is too good to not root for.