Appledashery

by Just Essay

The Stupid Thing

Rainbow Dash stretched her forelimb back... and then she stretched it forward.

The numbness was starting to dissipate. She felt strength returning to her extremities.

Exhaling deeply, Rainbow capped the containers shut and slid them back into her bag. She hovered in place behind the wagon, tying her satchel and sliding it in amongst the multiple crates of cider.

"Stu, I... I'm sorry for getting angry just now," she spoke into the country air. "It's just that..." She bit her lip, shuddering. "Applejack means a lot to me. And, for once in my life, I gotta go about this the smart way. I gotta play it safe, y'know? After all, I'm pretty sure it's what she would do for the two of us if we were in as terrible a jam..."

Silence.

"You understand, right, Stu?"

More silence.

"...Stu?"

She looked up, squinting about her.

She was alone in the center of the farm.

"Stu, where... where did you—?" She froze in mid-sentence. Biting her lip, she flapped her wings harder and flew out from behind the wagon.

---

Silver Shill rubbed his forehead, wheezing, smiling every once in a while.

Fwoosh! Rainbow Dash lowered in front of him, glaring into the outhouse. "Have you seen my friend just now?"

"Heh..." Silver Shill exhaled shrilly, his eyes twitching above a feeble smile. "It's no use. Without me, there's no finding your way! I tried to tell him. But I suppose there's no convincing idiot ponies."

Rainbow's brow furrowed. "Tried telling him what...?"

"You know what I've grown to hate?" Silver Shill looked up, frowning. "Ponies who beat others down and still pretend like they're capable of loving someone!" He spat. "But the Brothers? No... they've only treated me right. They love their mother, and they've given her—they've given me paradise!" The stallion snarled. "You and your friend care so much about that cider-maker. What have you ever given her, huh?! I wonder!"

Rainbow backed up, blinking awkwardly. A pale sheen spread through her figure and she pivoted towards the factory.

The small door hung ajar.

"Oh no..."

"You think this is a gift?! Now?! Hmm?!" Silver Shill shivered and hyperventilated. "He'll die! He'll get lost and become nothing! All because he didn't approve of Shindig's gift to her!"

"No." Rainbow clenched her teeth as she rocketed into the factory. "No no no no no—"

Silver yelled after her. "Neither of you will ever find paradise!"

---

Rainbow Dash burst into the large concrete building.

Panting, she looked towards the center of the room.

The table stood exactly where it always was, but the pitcher of cider was gone. So was the Chalice.

Breathless, Rainbow flew forward and hooked a right. She looked into the chamber where Shindig's machine lay.

Lying on the floor, propped up against the legs of Applejack's gurney, was Stu Leaves. A half-empty pitcher of cider stood to his left, while a goblet rested on his right, turned over and leaking a tiny trickle of orange moisture. A smattering of glowing blacy crystals rested in a haphazard circle around him.

"Stu!" Rainbow Dash flew towards him and grabbed his shoulders, giving the limp stallion a massive shake. "Stu!" Her panicked breaths steeled themselves into furious snarls. "Rrrrgh... stupid... Stupid Leaves!" He gave his muzzle a firm slap, but it accomplished nothing. His ears remained forever drooped while his eyelids occasionally twitched. "Stupid... Stupid Leaves!" She tilted her head back. "Rrrrrrrrg-aaaugh!"

She dropped him like a loose rag and trotted off, huffing and panting. She paced furious circles, hooves scraping against the concrete floor. All was silent, save for the static buzz and crackle of Tesla coils.

"... ... ..."

Rainbow sat on her haunches, hugging herself as her breaths slowed and normalized. She fumed less, and her ears folded back as a heavy lump formed in her throat. She trembled, looking back at Stu Leaves again, this time with a long and melancholic expression. Crawling over, she examined him more gently this time, pulling back his eyelids and staring into his lifeless gaze.

Stu's lungs expanded and contracted slowly, calmly. He said nothing, did nothing. It was far too late.

Rainbow clenched her eyes shut. She gnashed her teeth, shook, quivered, then calmed again with a heavy exhale. Gently, she stretched him out along the floor, then laid the crystals around him in a more orderly fashion. She breathed into the ones that were dim, causing them to pulse brighter, stabilizing the stallion.

Then the pegasus stood up, wings coiled tightly at her side. She tilted her gaze up, staring at Applejack. Then, at last, her eyes fell to the pitcher of cider below... and the alicorn Chalice lying just a few feet away.

She stood in cold silence.

Comments

[RoboRed]

God. Damn. It. Stu.

"He'll die! He'll get lost and become nothing!

Needsmoargreentexthuehuehue

[Sharp Quill]

A smattering of glowing blacy crystals rested in a haphazard circle around him.

At least he was smart enough to do that.

Then the pegasus stood up, wings coiled tightly at her side. She tilted her gaze up, staring at Applejack. Then, at last, her eyes fell to the pitcher of cider below... and the alicorn Chalice lying just a few feet away.

Don't. You. Dare.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Okay, time for something drastically stupid, absurdly unlikely to work, and a surefire way to be killed or worse.

Anybody got popcorn?

5526638 Purple is more appropriate. Also, first she would have to sing Her song...

[Jay_Baker]

Danmit stupid leaves!

[aleistergreynight]

I suppose, for a change, I won't ask where Lancie is this chapter...

[Weehawk]

Oi. Hoping I don't read her saving him with a wish for him to get some glory for saving AJ.

[arancaytar]

"You think this is a gift?! Now?! Hmm?!" Silver Shill shivered and hyperventilated. "He'll die! He'll get lost and become nothing! All because he didn't approve of Shindig's gift to her!"

Fixed

[arancaytar]

She stood in cold silence.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT.