Appledashery

by Just Essay

Loyal Launch

Rainbow Dash only made it about half-a-mile before she had to descend. Her lungs couldn't contain their breaths any longer.

Rainbow landed in a sparsely wooded thicket. She stumbled onto numb hooves, and she had to lean against a random tree for support.

The mare wheezed and wheezed. Her vision was getting blurry.

Nevertheless, her heart ran circles inside her chest, and in between each split-second beat, she saw flashes of Applejack's tear-stained freckles... heard echoes of the mare's sobbing voice.

Rainbow Dash clenched her eyes shut, and still the sensations would not go away.

She had never seen the mare that distraught before... that weak... that hurt.

"Mrrrmmmfff..." Rainbow Dash pressed her forehead against the tree. "Rrrrgghhhh!" She banged and banged and banged her head against the bark, but the recent scene would not go away.

The pain would not go away... the pain that belonged to another mare... the last pony on earth who deserved it.

Rainbow gnashed her teeth until she couldn't contain it any longer. "Rrrrrgh—Aaaaaaaugh!"

She punched and punched the tree until the numbness was completely gone. Her heart slowed to a normal, angry lurch, and she was seething.

Glaring skyward with renewed vigor, the mare breathed in, breathed out, breathed in... then propelled herself into the air. SWOOOOOSH! A miniature clap of thunder rolled, disturbing the topmost branches as she burned a beeline for the north edge of the Everfree Forest.

Comments

[RoboRed]

This....this is not going to end well. At all. For any party involved.

[Mares-a-Mares]

Rainbow, you're going on a trip to the hospital.

[Phoenix Kitten]

How much you wanna bet Stu's already skipped town like a coward?

Edit: who is going around down voting all the anti Stu stuff?

[Phoenix Kitten]

6918414 Oh.. I think we definitely caused this.

[Sharp Quill]

I don't think the letter is a good explanation for Stu's decision. Why would he care more about Rainbow Dash than Applejack? He has no reason to believe that AJ has any feelings for RD and would be happier with her. For that matter, neither do we. Whereas he does know what effect his dumping of her would have on her.

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

6924351 well, it certainly won't end in cuddles.

[CommanderCuddle]

6924413 Who cares, as i see it this is going to lead into the next arc so... let's not question the why's and focus on the progression

[Fishberry]

What he wanted was not what he desired.

[Typoglyphic]

Well, huge progress in the Appledash department, so...

Good news, I guess?

[BronyInHiding]

Stu leaves, I know who you are. If its money you want I can tell you I don't have many bits. But what I do have is a particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over many long arcs of Adventuring. Skills that make me a nightmare to ponies like you. If you come back and beg for AJ's forgiveness that will be the end of it. I will not pursue you. But if you don't, I will pursue you, I will find you, and I will kill you.

[Tchernobog]

6924514 Not if AJ shuts herself off completely from relationships after this. Dash would never be able to approach her.

[Leftover of Saikano]

Tartarus hath no fury like a mare scorned... Except her protective mare friends.

6924413 Because he has confidence issues and Rainbow Dash is just so awesome.

[Typoglyphic]

6924725 Well, there needs to be some reason for them to not get together for another few hundred (thousand?) chapters. This wouldn't be Appledashery if anything were that easy.

[Keradon]

6924413

Only way I can think of for the letter to catalyze this...
would be if he reasoned out when it was written... and realized where the flowers came from...
and that set off all sorts of lovely, "I'm not worthy" sort of sentiments?

...but it does look like he was working to this decision,ever since....*checks chapters*...Chapter 826:Beaugestion it looks like?

Stu Leaves was still smiling. However, it was a very thin... very delicate expression. His eyes fell to the table top, and although he sat perfectly still, he could be seen spinning the mug in his fetlocks... around and around and around. His shoulders shook slightly, and he let loose a prolonged exhale.

[CommanderCuddle]

6924967 Holy fucking shit i didn't even think about his name foreshadowing this

[Hestia]

Rainbow's probably going to see to it that Stu comes back to Applejack in pieces

What made Stu dump Applejack? They seemed (unfortunately for the AppleDash shippers) happy. I don't think he dumped her because he's just that evil.

[Kiwi Brony]

6924413 I think he found the letter and doesn't think he can compete with Dash

[Jern]

s10.postimg.org/ktmop74bd/RIP.png

[viofriedsevey]

6925021 Shit, he's really been around since 2014?

[Jern]

6925055 Yep, I had to do a quick search but his first appearance was July 1st 2014

[zaponator]

I'm deeply curious to see Stu's point of view in this situation.
Whatever happens, it feels like this goes far deeper than it appears on the surface.

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

6924391 I wouldn't bet against it, put it that way.

6924413 Good point, that.

But the big question is still... why did he break it off with AJ?

I guess we'll find out sooner ot later.

[BabySkittleMonster]

6923403
I was trying to think of something that would anger and upset AJ to the point where even her family are concerned... My brain isn't that creative, unfortunately, so it tended to rebound to what it wants to happen, and how that might happen. Listing Breeze took the biscuit.

[I Thought I Was Toast]

okay, prediction time.

1) Rainbow is angry enough to overuse the one part of her body she can't afford to overuse -- her wings. As was given way back when, the wings are the last thing to degenerate. That's what makes them the "last line of defense" against the final stage of the atrophy. It's most likely harder to over use them than the rest of the body, so as long as they aren't overused the final stage can't kick in until age finally decays them. Normally Rainbow wouldn't have to worry about that, but something tells me she's about to vent her rage by pulling up a lot of dead trees. That's supposed to take multiple groups of multiple pegasai, chances are if anything's going to overwork her wings and trigger the final stage it's that.

2) Stu dumped Applejack because he doesn't think he has a chance with her next to Rainbow. This part is obvious, but the why is actually open to debate. We were so lost in thinking about the letter most of us probably forgot about the hat. It is most likely one of these two things Stu found. Both could cause the same result, but assuming the hat was the culprit that sheds things in a more positive light for Rainbow probably negating prediction 4.

3) There is also the chance Stu is realizing he's gay, though that depends on the level of involvement of the other minor male pegasus in the cast. Sharp Quill was his name I think? Both he and Stu seem similar in how they're struggling to find what they want in life. Rarity's failed matchmaking of Rainbow with him seemed fluffy at the time, but his inclusion on the tornado team suggests he may have a more important role later on. It's impossible to tell though, it may simply be a case of continuity rather than subtle foreshadowing... He's seems too minor a character to just randomly show up a second time though... Anyways, if Stu is gay then chances are there's a Sharp Quill/Stu Leaves pairing to parallel the Appledash ship and help Applejack overcome the really big obstacle of wanting children of her own flesh and blood.

4)If Stu found the letter, then we need to consider Rainbows tendency to inflict self punishment and put others' happiness far above her own. Chances are this path will lead to Rainbow to heavily blaming herself rather than Stu. It would be entirely in character for her to think it was her love for Applejack that ruined Applejack's one chance at happiness. She might vow to leave and never return. To prevent all temptation to act on her love if it means Stu can continue to make Applejack happy.

5) If the hat was the cause, then chances are that Rainbow might finally be willing to confess her feelings, but Applejack will have closed herself to relations.

6) Considering all the former predictions and the fact that Twilight is likely to find out of Rainbow's actions through Celestia and Sunset Shimmer. The final prediction is A) if the letter was involved it will take the combined combined efforts of the rest of the Mane 6 to help Rainbow with Applejack and her hat sealing the deal. B) if the hat was found then the reverse will happen, and the girls will need to help Applejack with the letter saving the day. C) If Stu is gay, and neither the hat nor the letter was found, either option A or B may still happen with variances based on how Twilight reacts to Sunset and if the final stage of Atrophy kicks in.

I'm overthinking things entirely too much, but that's half the fun here. There's so many little things that could lead in to something really important.

[Sheendough]

6924396
6918414
HA! Not me though! I never assumed such thing!

[BronyInHiding]

6924741 Whoaaaa

[Lightning Bearer]

He totally found the letter. Or, at the very least, I can't think of any other explanation that makes sense. Of course, that doesn't make the situation any less sucky.

[Boop-Happy Lass]

... He found the letter, didn't he?