Appledashery

by Just Essay

A Leap to the Past

WHUD! WHUD! WHUD!

"I don't think this dragon wants to stay down!" Stu Leaves shouted from his cockpit.

"Rrrrgh!" Donut Joe grunted, swinging his control sticks wildly and forcing the building-mech's "arms" to swing. "Punch it!"

"But what if it isn't enough to end this dream?!" Stu exclaimed.

"Punch it harder!"

"Uhhhh..." Rainbow was sticking her head out the cockpit, staring up at the sky above. "Guys...?"

"Just a few more hits!" Donut Joe panted, sweating as he beat the dragon's face in. "A few more cracked teeth and we'll be making progress!"

"Don't look now, but the mule's dropping!"

"Ah jeez!" Stu covered his head.

Rainbow sighed from across the hollow jaeger. "Not that kind of dropping, ya melon fudge—"

Fwissssssh! Mulia Mild sailed straight past them, trailing a stream of glitter and sparkles. The sheer force of her flyby produced a sonic blast that knocked the jaeger back. While the dragon was still sprawled on the ground, Mulia perched on its skull. The mule raised her staff, took a deep breath, and shoved it straight down between the beast's eyes.

"What in the hay is she—" Rainbow stopped in mid-sentence, gawking.

"Holy Hertz!" Donut Joe gasped.

Before their eyes, the dragon's skin rolled back, revealing a paper shell. What was once a beast of burning fury had been reduced to wicker effigy. Within the span of three blinks, Mulia yanked the scepter back up, and the entire wicker shell retracted like wind-up blinds. The material imploded, compressed on itself, and funneled into a cylinder at the end of Mulia's scepter.

Calmly, Mulia Mild twirled the scepter over her head and flicked it.

THWPPP!

A giant paper crane formed at the end of her rod. The mule whistled a tune, and the bird's wings flapped while its origami head jabbed forward with several tap-tap-taps. The sound of glass cracking lit the air. All three ponies inside the giant mech craned their necks to get a better look. The solid air in front of the enormous paper crane was growing more and more distorted, as if the paper beak of the effigy was striking an invisible solid right in front of Mulia.

At last, after several more heavy taps of the relentless bird—CRACKK!—the fissure burst open, bright white and pulsating. All matter and sediment directly outside the portal were immediately sucked in, along with Mulia herself.

"Whoah..." Donut Joe spoke out the side of his muzzle. "Did that broad just do what I think she did?"

Epcot flitted by, carrying several loose cherry blossom petals. "YES." The sphere swiftly dove through the white slit after Mulia.

"Uhhhh..." Stu tilted his head about. "...Rainbow?"

"I see it!" Rainbow dove out of her cockpit then swung by the other two seats. "Hold on, boys!"

Donut and Stu gasped as Rainbow dragged them out of the collapsing mech and down towards the fissure. The city buildings bent and shattered all around them. Debris and street signs flew past them as they made a mad dash for the swiftly shrinking portal.

"Ah cheese!" Joe whimpered. "Ah cheese and crackers!"

"How I hate this parrrrrt." Stu covered his face with his hooves.

"Nnnnghhhh!" Rainbow gritted her teeth to the breaking point, twirled, and threaded the three of them through the fissure.

---

WH-WH-WHUD!

All three of them landed on a soft patch of sprigy grass. A blue sky stretched overhead, framed by tall mountains covered in majestic forests.

"Mmmff..." Stu wince, rolling onto his back like a giant fuzzy cockroach. "Now where in Celestia's name are we?"

"Hopefully someplace a little less fruity than that last spot," Donut Joe grunted. He stood up straight, looking around. "Mulia? Mulia Mild?"

"I'm right here, Mr. Joe."

"Please, it's just Joe." Joe exhaled through a relieved smiled. "Wowsers... it's so good to have you back. I mean... you are back, right?"

"More or less..." The mule stood before them, fidgeting in her ridiculously colorful dress. "I... haven't had fantasies like that since I was just a little darling." A shudder ran through her. "I can't believe how embarrassing this has been. I swear, Serenity Shindig is going to pay."

"One thing at a time," Stu Leaves said. "Just where are we?"

"More importantly!" Rainbow Dash stood up, then flapped her wings for lift. "Whose is this place?"

"Is this even another dream?" Donut Joe asked.

FLASH! Epcot appeared, wearing a flowing pink dress with an elaborate metal tiara fitted with three golden triangles. "I would most certainly say so! Heehee! You're all making great time, my little ponies!"

"Epcot...?" Stu winced. "What in the heck are you wearing?"

"You know what...?" Epcot did a little twirl, smiling. "I don't know! It certainly shimmers, doesn't it?" She pointed casually past them. "Maybe you should ask him!"

All four figures spun around.

SCHIIIING! A long blade reflected their gasping faces.

A lumbering griffon with a pelican beak and grayish feathers shuffled up, pointing a sword at their gawking faces. He wore a green tunic with a matching cap. "Are they bothering you, fair Princess?"

"Who, me?" Epcot batted her eyelashes. "Oh no. Hehe. They're my friends... er... well..." She blushed slightly, curtsying. "At least the closest thing I've had to such."

"Quite likely they have bewitched you and compromised your wisdom!" The pelican glared, beak clattering. "It matters little, for I will vanquish them back into the mist-laden forests!"

"Gustave?" Donut Joe wheezed. "Gustave le Grand?"

"Butter my biscuits," Mulia said, shuddering. "Now I don't feel so embarrassed..."

Gustave frowned. "Well excuuuuuuuuse me! Just whose kingdom is this?"

"Rainbow...?" Stu murmured aside, keeping his eyes trained on Gustave and his blue-hilted sword. "...any thoughts."

"... ... ..." Rainbow took a shuddering breath. "Yeah... AJ isn't here..."

"Does that mean what I think it means?"

"Yeah." Rainbow shuddered, her eyes glossy. "...Shindig's chosen her as her heir..."

Comments

[RoboRed]

[Sharp Quill]

"Yeah." Rainbow shuddered, her eyes glossy. "...Shindig's chosen her as her heir..."

That logically does not follow. Shindig might not have chosen anypony yet, in which case the next sim shall be AJ's. When they break out of this sim, and then fail to enter another sim, they can reach that conclusion.

Not that there's any doubt AJ shall be chosen. Kinda goes without saying.

[Aatxe360]

I wonder what would happen if Rainbow Dash arrived to find Applejack and she didn't need their help in dealing with Shindig and the Flimflam Brothers...

Or find a sim that is indistinguishable from Cider Space. You know, that is probably what Silver's sim was... Too bad we couldn't see how that would have played out.

Pity is what is felt for those that are journeying the same path after you.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5643169 Well put.

But, knowing our AJ (and more importantly, her Element) the way we all do, she (they) might have more than a bit to say on the subject.

In any event, I get the distinct feeling that she won't give into Shindig's plot without a fight.

One things's for sure, she and her scroundrel sons are in for one heck of a major shock before long, methinks.

Just have to wait and see for sure, I guess.

5643208

I wonder what would happen if Rainbow Dash arrived to find Applejack and she didn't need their help in dealing with Shindig and the Flimflam Brothers...

Indeed.

Because if there's one thing (or two) that our AJ isn't, it's helpless...or stupid.

[Lightning Bearer]

Can't go wrong with Zelda. This oughta be fun.

[Wolfie 03]

Here I was, reading along, wonder what was next when this stood out:

metal tiara fitted with three golden triangles

. Aside from how important it sounded, it made an odd image in my mind. One that kind of looked familiar. Then.... Then there was the sign. Green tunic and matching hat. Sword. Princess. Eeeyup. Interesting indeed. Also interesting that Epcot is the Princess. Means he wasn't actually to the point of finding the princess yet until they showed up.

[YoshiFawful64]

Legend of Epcot should be a thing.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Legend of Epcot: A Leap to the Past.

At least Gustave doesn't just say "Heya! Hup!"

[FloydienSlip]

Applejack's met with a terrible fate, hasn't she?

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

5644530 Ha! I see what you did there.

[Skunkiss]

Huh, we don't know much about Gustave, but it feels like the world of Zelda would be one of the least places he would dream of as the perfect thing.

[Phoenix Kitten]

That chapter title though.

[arancaytar]

"Please, it's just Joe ." Joe exhaled through a relieved smiled. "Wowsers... it's so good to have you back. I mean... you are back, right?"

I ship it a bit.

[arancaytar]

Gustave frowned. "Well excuuuuuuuuse me! Just whose kingdom is this?"

Teehee

[iSleep]

It's a link to the past AAAAAAHHHHHHH! That was my first zelda game I played as a kid. This makes my very happy