Appledashery

by Just Essay

From Tower to Tower

"Places! Places, everypony! Okay!" Epcot grinned brightly, raising her two hooves in front of her like a conductor. "Just like I taught you! Now... repeat after me..." She inhaled deeply, then sang, "Imaaaaaaaaaaaaaginationnnnnnnnnn. Imaaaaaaaaaaginationnnnnnnnnn...."

Mulia, Gustave, and Donut Joe sat side by side in the center of the hollow clock tower. Rather lethargically, they chimed in: "A dream can be a dream come truuuuuuue. With just that spark—in me and youuuuu."

"Heeeheeee!" Epcot shimmied in place, skirts flouncing. "You did it! You did it! Now, was that so hard?"

"Mrrrffgh..." Donut Joe facehoofed, blinking blearily. "Somepony kill me now."

"Beats being stuck in a cage, no?" Gustave remarked.

Mulia raised her hoof. "Uhm... Miss Epcot? Could we try that 'Vistas de Mexicolt' song that you taught us instead?"

Epcot's eyes briefly flickered like red hot coals. "My little mule, nopony sings 'Vistas de Mexicolt' anymore. Nopony."

Mulia's ears drooped back as she hung her head. "S-sorry..."

"Heeheehee!" Epcot reached forward and patted her skull. "It's okay! It's not your fault you were born mortal!" She twirled about with a smile. "Mr. Leaves? Would you like to join in? You can sing all of Dreamfinder's lines!"

"Not right now..." Stu Leaves leaned against his dormant armor, staring out through the refracting translucent walls of the tower. "I think something's flying this way."

"Oh?" Mulia craned her neck to see. "Is it Rainbow Dash?"

"Nah, I don't think so," Stu said, shaking her head. "I've never known her to look so... poofy."

"Buh?" Donut Joe blinked.

"Er... wait a second..." Stu Leaves stood up straight. Pretty soon, he flinched and dove towards the side. "Look out—!"

FWOOOSH! Rainbow Dash and Apple Jewell came sailing into the tower, nearly clipping the heads of the four ponies and chaperone.

"Eeeeeeeeeeep!" Apple Jewell shrieked before the two collapsed against the floor and rolled to an awkward stop. "Guh! Applesauce!"

"Aaaaaaaaaaieee!" Mulia kicked her hooves, eyes clenched shut. "We're under attack! I knew it! It's back to the cave and moldy oats forever!"

"Shhhhhhh!" Gustave covered her muzzle with a talon. "Calm yourself, Mademoiselle! It is simply Rainbow Dash!" He turned towards the scene with a beaked smile. "With a certain prize, I might add."

"Whoah, for real?!" Donut Joe stepped up, grinning. "You got her?!"

"Apple... Applejack...?!" Stu Leaves trotted up, muzzle agape. "AJ, is that you?" He reached a hoof out.

"Mrmmff..." Apple Jewell swam her way out of her collapsed skirts. She reached out blindly, taking Stu's hoof. As he helped her up, she looked into his eyes, blinking.

Stu Leaves blinked back. "Applejack, you're... you're..."

The Cider Princess stood in dead silence. She blushed, then backed away from Stu before curtseying. "On behalf of Queen Serenity, I greet you, noble vagabonds."

"Erm..." Donut Joe shifted nervously. "Why do I not like the sound of that?"

"Rainbow Dash?!" Stu gulped and nervously throated, "What the buck, girl...?!"

"Gnnghhh..." Rainbow Dash finally stood up, folding back her artificial wings. "I'm just as confused as you are, Stu."

"You grabbed the wrong AJ!" Stu exclaimed.

"Huh? What?!" Rainbow frowned. "No I didn't!"

"Then why's she dressed like that and acting this way?!"

"Duh! Cuz she's the Cider Princess, ya pigeon huffer!"

"Rainbow Dash, we're stuck in a giant dream world run by Shindig's... mfmfg—brain power!" Stu pointed at the regal mare. "How do we know this isn't just another projection?! And you brought it right here?!"

"Stu, believe it or not, this is the real deal."

"But how do you know—?"

"Because I just do, okay?!" Rainbow snapped.

Stu winced, reeling back.

Rainbow took a deep breath. "It's just that... that..." She sighed. "The real deal is really screwed up... in the head, I mean. Shindig's... done something to her. Really bad."

"That... that's horrible..." Stu Leaves grimaced. He gazed at Apple Jewell with moist eyes. "Applejack, if you're in there somewhere..." He gulped. "Please... hold on. We're going to get you out. Your friends are here, and we'll get you home!"

Apple Jewell straightened her tiara. "But I am home, good sir. Or—at least—a few windy blocks from it." She pivoted about, staring at the undulating translucent walls. "What an intriguing domain. No doubt some magnificent Blue Jay witchraft."

"Do we really have to wait on her to get her senses straight?" Donut Joe muttered. "I mean, there are plenty of Equestrian psychiatrists who can do a number on all of us. So can we just awake already?!"

"You shut your Donut Hole... er... D-donut." Rainbow nevertheless shrugged her shoulders with a frown. "There's only one way out of here, and it's with all of us in our original shape. Epcot?"

"Hmmmmm..." The Chaperone trotted tightly around the elegant mare. "She's certainly got a dense shell of psionic constructs all around her."

"Ah jeez..." Stu blanched. "We're never going to free her, are we?!"

Epcot giggled. "I was talking about the frilly skirt, silly!" She nevertheless turned to scrutinize Apple Jewell again. "But, I'm sensing something quite... unique about her."

"It is Applejack, though?" Mulia Mild spoke up. "Rainbow and Mr. Leaves' friend?"

"Oh! Most definitely!" Epcot said with a grin. "But it would seem as though Shindig has constructed a very specific sim just for her."

"Right," Rainbow Dash said with a nod. "And all of her close friends and family appear all across it—"

"No no, I do not mean the epic artifice that is Philanthropy," Epcot said. She reached a hoof up and tapped the princess' skull. "I mean the dream that has been placed here... ensnaring your honest and dependable friend like a cocoon!"

"Wait wait wait..." Stu Leaves held his hooves out. "...you mean to say that she's wearing more than a princess gown?" His eyes narrowed. "She's wearing a dream?"

"Mmmmm... it would appear so." Epcot nodded. "Some ancient alicorns hid themselves in pocket dreams-within-dreams in order to enjoy solitude from the rest of the constructs and their inhabitants. It would appear as though—in a very short span of time—Shindig has learned to master the same thing, only she's chosen to utilize this gift as fetters for another dreamer." She shook her head. "Tsk tsk... what a shame."

"Okay..." Rainbow Dash took a shuddering breath. "So, Epcot, how do we... y'know... doubly wake AJ?"

"Hmmmmm..."

"Epcot?" Stu murmured.

The chaperone fidgeted. "That's just the thing. I'm not even sure we can..."

Comments

[RoboRed]

Dun dun duuuunnnnn!!!

[Salad king]

Well, at least applejack seems to be co-operative. Heavily brainwashed, but co-operative.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Well, at least the gang's all back together again, if nothing else.

Now, that said.........

The chaperone fidgeted. "That's just the thing. I'm not even sure we can..."

Ohhhhhh, boy.

That is not something that Dash wanted to hear, I'm thinking.

I'm also thinking that she's not going to give up on getting her beloved AJ back, either.

And where Shindig is concerned, she's blissfully unaware that she's going to have a very pissed off, to say nothing of vengeful, Pegasus on her hooves.

You don't mess with Applejack when Rainbow's in the picture. You. Just. Don't.

Not if you want to stay healthy and breathing, anyway.

And it'd be kinda nice if a certain Princess of the Night (and Dreams) suddenly got clued in to all of this and were to show up right about now.

On another note, I'm just wondering how the Element of Honesty itself is probably reacting to all this?

Seeing as it's Bearer's head is being messed with, that is.

[SwiftShad0wWing1]

Shit just got real...

Will they ever get AJ back?

[Elsaack]

Sooo...
Love live Apple Jewel?
New Element of Honesty?
th05.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2011/305/e/a/rainbow_dash___no_by_cptofthefriendship-d4erd69.png
Guess not.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

So, Shindig brainwashed her via Inception? Well, time to go poking around in AJ's head. Although I'm slightly concerned that Epcot doesn't even know how to fix her.

[Mister Saxon]

We need to go deeper!!

[Lord Dragon]

5757468 You just made my day.

[zaponator]

Just kick 'er.

[Lightning Bearer]

[Scohinyha Sanka]

[viofriedsevey]

The Kick! Give her the kick! You couldnt imagine how much I would love it if this turned into an Inception and Bioshock crossover, now we just gotta get Fallout somewhere in there and my life will be complete!

[Aatxe360]

Epcot's eyes briefly flickered like red hot coals. "My little mule, nopony sings 'Vistas de Mexicolt' anymore. Nopony."

Not even Lyra Heartstrings? O wait. She doesn't sing, does she? Touché.

[TwilightUCrazy]

GOD DAMMIT, ALREADY!

[BabySkittleMonster]

Yep. It's official. I am blaming you, Zaponator. If you actually read this comment.

CURSE YOU, ZAPONATOR! I shall have my revenge! Somehow.

[Sharp Quill]

Hey, at least I was right about Epcot analyzing Apple Jewel and rendering a diagnosis.

And I'm glad I was wrong about that being a dozen chapters in the future. It means that SharpDoo will commence a dozen chapters sooner.

[Shipmun]

"Erm... n-not that I've ever... glanced through any of them, or nothin'..

Oh really now?

What do you mean you're not sure you can? Epcot, please. There's gotta be a way, RD won't take no for an answer after all.

[Sheendough]

5757400 5757580 5758260 Anyway, it's your fault. *points to Zap*

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5757439 Yes, indeedy, it did.

Well, of course they will! (Although I ain't got the foggiest clue as to how.)

(Or more correctly, Dash will figure out how to.)

But, to quote (or maybe paraphrase might be better) Trixie (one of my least favorite ponies in the whole show): "Is there ever any doubt?"

5758899 Hey! Not mine, it ain't, bud!

*glares at Zaponator for causing all the mess*

[zaponator]

5758260
5758899
5758957

I regret nothing!
i.imgur.com/oFWVSli.gif

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5758977 *blinks* Well, okay, then.........

[YoshiFawful64]

5758330
Actually, I think I recently found a ship that trumps both SharpDoo and SharpLeaves — I can't believe none of us thought of it, but Sharpcot is clearly the best pairing.

[Leftover of Saikano]

5757468 I wanted to say that. But as I read the chapters over half a day after they come out, it's normal that I don't get to say it first.

[Sharp Quill]

5759581

Well… there is the small problem that Epcot can’t exist in the mortal plane.

Wait.

Oh, no… I am not going to drink the cider. No way. Not gonna happen. That’s insane. Absolutely, positively out of the question.

Unless…

I brought along Celestia or Luna, thereby saving the day. Yeah, I could work with that. I’d be a huge hero.

But Epcot would still be stuck in that dream realm, so…

SharpDoo!

(Besides, Epcot probably isn't into mortals, if ya know what I mean.)

[YoshiFawful64]

5760070
I wouldn't be surprised if they found a way to somehow bring Epcot out of Cider Space (like, inhabitating a robot pony chassis or something). Besides, Rainbow will have to use up the new shard's power on something, won't she?

[Simple Facade]

Weeoow, catching up on missed chapters.

Looks like even Dreamjack needs her hat.

"She takes a licking and keeps on ticking!"

"My goodness!" Apple Jewell blushed like a beet. "How uncouth!"

Get your mind in out of the gutter, AJewell.

So, Epcot, how do we... y'know... doubly wake AJ?"

Is it happening??

"That's just the thing. I'm not even sure we can..."

forums.androidcentral.com/attachments/rumored-devices/90553d1383824224t-google-nexus-8-tablet-1375203477690.png

[Autumn Rush]

So Applejack is stuck in a dream within a dream...

Lovely.

[TheOddPerson]

OMG loved the south park reference.. laughed my plot off :P

[DrEggnog]

Now that I've seen The Lego Movie (my favorite movie ever), Epcot reminds me a lot of Unikitty.

I really not following how all of this dream business works, though of course, I only made it like twenty minutes into Inception before walking away.

[arancaytar]

"Okay..." Rainbow Dash took a shuddering breath. "So, Epcot , how do we... y'know... doubly wake AJ?"

We Need To Go Deeper.

[SnowOriole]

"Wait wait wait..." Stu Leaves held his hooves out. "...you mean to say that she's wearing more than a princess gown?" His eyes narrowed. "She's wearing a dream ?"

So you mean to say we should just strip her.