Appledashery

by Just Essay

Jee, It Sure Is Appledash Around Here

"I shall ask you one more time, knaves!" Gustave shuffled forward, wings spread as he aimed the sword in hisleft talon at the ponies' necks "What's possessed you to kidnap the princess?!"

"Please, my little mortal, you don't understand!" Epcot stifled a giggle, gesturing with her gloved hooves. "I'm not a princess, though I don't exactly shudder at the thought. You see, this is all an elaborate psionic construct and you've become the unwitting pawn in a megalomaniacal mare's game and—" She paused, her purple eyes drawn to a glittery gold triangle hovering just above her right fetlock. "Oooooh! Lookit!" She grinned from ear to ear. "Shiny!"

"You've bewitched her!" Gustave le Grand snarled with a flounce of his green cap. "I knew it! Have at thee!"

"Whoah whoah whoah!" Donut Joe stood before Mulia Mild as the tip of the sword poked into his chest. "Ease up with the poker, Gustave! It's me! Donut Joe!" He motioned with his head. "That's Mulia Mild! We've met up at baking competitions every year! Remember?"

"All I hold true to my heart and mind is my everlasting oath to Her Majesty!" Gustave struck a heroic pose, his hawkeyes thin and piercing. "Her wisdom complements my courage! And together, we stand as a final bastion against the dark and powerful evil of Ga—"

WHAM!!! Rainbow Dash's blue hoof flew across the griffon's pelican beak.

"Ooof!" Gustave fell down to the grass, shuddering. "Ugggh... Gustave needs food badly..."

Everypony instantly winced.

"Rainbow...?!?!" Stu Leaves gawked.

"Wake the buck up, turkey!" Rainbow shouted over Gustave's body before kneeling down and scooping up his sword. "For real—I'm not even playing with you!"

"Heh..." Donut Joe smirked while Mulia continue to shudder. "That's one way of cutting to the chase."

Stu Leaves scurried over to Rainbow's side. "Rainbow, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Rainbow heaved the heavy blade over her body, frowing aside. "AJ's in deep, deep doodoo!"

"But how do we even know that?"

"Isn't it obvious?!" Rainbow hissed. "Between Silver Shill's ramblings and the stuff written in the Shindig House, Serenity foalnapped all four of these chumps in order to find an heir! Now why would she have all three of them sequestered away in their own fantasy worlds if one of them was the chosen pony?!"

"Ennngh..." Gustave sat up, shaking his weary feathered crown. "...I am Error...?" WHAP! Rainbow's hoof kicked him back onto the ground. "Guhhh..."

"I'm telling you, Applejack's been taken into the deepest sphere!" Rainbow shuffled forward, dragging the weight of the sword. "Grnngh... and now it's up to us to get her out!"

"But Rainbow, even if that's true, how can we even reach Shindig?!" Stu asked. "She's gotta be locked up somewhere super hard to reach! Same with her two sons!"

"Well...?!" Rainbow swung the sword—embedding it magically into mid-air. Schlunkk! "Guess we gotta dig deep!" She shouted over her shoulder. "I mean it! If we wanna get out of here, it's gonna take the weight of all us dreamers and then some!"

"But... but..." Mulia shivered. "Shindig's the reason we all got stuck here in the first place! Do we really want to carve our way to her dream?"

"Either we're all getting out of here or we're not getting out of here at all!" Rainbow kicked the sword's hilt, shoving it deeper into a vaporous slit in midair. "Grnnngh... now who's with me?"

Stu took a deep breath, frowning "She's right! Of course she's right!" Stu trotted over, gripping the bottom edge of the sword's blue hilt and adding his weight to Raibnow's. "After all... nngh... I came here first for the very same reason she did! To get our friend out! Wouldn't you all want us to do the same for you?"

"You have done the same for us." Donut Joe smirked, trotting over and gripping the sword as well. "Count me in."

"Mmmfnngh... chuuu..." Gustave sat up again with a dumb smile. "Are the baguettes done?"

"Flap along, le Grand." Mulia smiled as she helped the griffon up and led him over to the sword. "Maybe a hop into the next dream is just the wake-up call you need."

"Grff... heeee... whatever you say, Mr. Owl."

"Epcot?!" Rainbow hollered as everyone struggled and shoved against the sword. "We could use all the help we can get!"

"Hold on! Just one second!" Epcot took a breath, stretched her forelimbs out, and gave her pink dress one last twirl. "Phweeeee..." She exiled with a rosy smile. "Okay. Now I'm good!" FLASH! She darted over, zig-zagged as a floating sphere, then landed against the very tip of the hilt with a pronounced tap!

SCRKKKK! The sword ripped towards the earth... then inexplicably yanked back up.

"Gaaaah!" All of the dreamers fell to the grass, shuddering.

"Grrrgh!" Rainbow struggled to roll back onto her hooves. "Darn it! It didn't work!"

"No! Rainbow!" Stu tapped her shoulder before pointing at the sky. "Look!"

"Huh?"

Everyone stared in dumb shock as the sun flipped over the horizon multiple times. At last, it locked into place, accompanied by a giant moon, a giant lemon, and a giant cherry.

"Uhhh..." Donut Joe blinked.

"You can't be serious..." Mulia Mild murmured.

"Heeee..." Gustave drooled, smiling through is beak. "Lemony..."

"I... uhm..." Stu Leaves scratched his head. "I don't get it."

"Quick!" Rainbow waved at the geodesic sphere. "Give it another spin!"

Epcot tapped the blade again. The sword swung like a lever, and once more the four orbs in the sky flipped and rotated like roulettes. Two suns, a cherry, and an apple appeared.

"There!" Rainbow pointed, ruby eyes bright. "That's the ticket!"

"No flippin' way," Stu cooed.

"Epcot! Again!"

"YES!" The sphere pulled the sword-lever again.

The landscape strobed as the sun was replaced by a moon, an apple, a bell, and another apple.

"I-I'm confused..." Mulia looked over her shoulder. "Are you trying to get all apples?"

"It's random!" Donut Joe moaned. "It could take forever!"

Rainbow Dash breathed... breathed... breathed... then closed her eyes.

Stu looked over. "Rainbow...?"

"Shhhh!" Rainbow clenched yer eyelids tighter. "Just gimme a second..."

As the pegasus breathed easily, she relaxed. Soon, her nostrils tickled with the scent of apple orchards. She wasn't there, but instead elsewhere, gliding over a lush farm sprinkled with crimson shapes and morning dew. Somewhere, safe from the hot sun, there was a front porch with rocking chairs. Rainbow Dash sat in one, waiting quietly, patiently. At long last, an orange shape sauntered over the hill, humming to herself in that deep, delicious voice. She carried baskets of fruit on her flank, and the gloss of sunlight brought out the sugary sheen in her freckles. Her warm emerald eyes wandered over, making contact with Rainbow's. Instantly, she put the basket down, trotted over, and took Rainbow's place on the rocking chair. Rainbow lay against her chest, drowning in fuzzy fur and dank sweat. And just when the tears began blossoming, Applejack's hoof caressed her cheek, drying them before planting the first of many... many kisses.

"Huh... what's with your wings, speedy?" Donut Joe's gruff voice rolled. "Fixing to fly somewhere?"

Rainbow ignored it. Instead, she raised a trembling hoof blindly and rasped in a dry voice. "Okay, Epcot. Now."

The air thundered with roulette wheels. Suddenly, the whole world turned red.

Rainbow opened her eyes to four crimson fruits floating in the sky above. Before them, the edge of the lodged blade glistened with bright golden light.

"Oooooh..." Gustave chanted. "The Golden Land..."

"This is it," Rainbow firmly said. "This is the doorway to where Applejack is."

"How do you know?" Mulia asked.

Stu spun about. "Only one way to find out." He gripped the sword's hilt and tore it loose.

FLAAAAAAASH! The portal opened, and all fives souls—and chaperone—gasped as they went spiraling into the inexplicable vortex, consumed by brightness.

Comments

[Tchernobog]

Hi ho silver, waaaaaaaay!

[RoboRed]

Jee, It Sure Is Appledash Around Here

bout time eh

And together, we stand as a final bastion against the dark and powerful evil of Ga—"

WHAM!!! Rainbow Dash's blue hoof flew across the griffon's pelican beak.

K.O.

"Hold on! Just one second!" Epcot took a breath, stretched her forelimbs out, and gave her pink dress one last twirl. "Phweeeee..." She exiled with a rosy smile. "Okay. Now I'm good!" FLASH! She darted over, zig-zagged as a floating sphere, then landed against the very tip of the hilt with a pronounced tap!

Well...that was entirely unnecessary, though very adorable.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5645411 There ya go!

FLAAAAAAASH! The portal opened, and all fives souls—and chaperone—gasped as they went spiraling into the inexplicable vortex, consumed by brightness.

Ah - ha! Now we're gettin' somewhere!

Go get 'em, guys! Go rescue AJ!!!

Although, why do I just get the feeling that when they do get there, she'll already be chewin' devious relative butt?!

[GluttonousFruitcakes]

Once more unto the breach, my friends!

As a side note, I'm very happy I discovered this story. Looking forward to future chapters!

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

So now it's off to pound the snot out of Shindig, Flim, and Flam until they give up Applejack. As a bonus, Rainbow is pissed.

Dis gonna be good.

[Lightning Bearer]

Well, that was short-lived, but it was worth it for even a fleeting, fantastical glimpse of honest-to-crap Appledashery. I'm really, really curious what we're gonna see in Applejack's sim.

[Sheendough]

5645959 I don't think they're going into Applejack's sim. :/

[Sheendough]

Mah boi, this ship is what all true brony striiives for!

(Also, it's "gee")

[RainbowJack2000]

Darned cliffhangers.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Oh my, the AppleDash! It's finally appearing! I thought I'd never catch a glimpse of it again in this infernal yet brilliant thing. I think my heart is exploding...

[Leftover of Saikano]

This story should totally be adapted into a videogame. I would help in whatever way I can.

[YoshiFawful64]

"Ugggh... Gustave needs food badly..."

"...I am Error...?"

Continuing on with the "subtle" references, I see.

[Fishberry]

Dammit dammit dammit...

I put off reading this for a while because the suspense was killing me...

I should have waited one more day!

[Scohinyha Sanka]

Knowing the story this probably will be the only appledashness we will see in a while.

[DrEggnog]

Sigh... The power of love truly is a beautiful thing. I love it when bizarre fantasy and emotion are mixed in this way.

[arancaytar]

. "Her wisdom complements my courage! And together, we stand as a final bastion against the dark and powerful evil of Ga—"

WHAM!!! Rainbow Dash's blue hoof flew across the griffon's pelican beak.

Gustave just got Gannon-Whammed.