• Published 4th Dec 2013
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Appledashery - Just Essay



Rainbow Dash lives an exciting life and is swiftly becoming the most daring, awesome pegasus in all of Equestria. She would gladly give it all up, though, just to confess her love to Applejack.

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Find Your Place

Rainbow Dash gulped.

"So... uh..."

She bore a crooked smile.

"So you're back together?"

Applejack gazed off down the orchards.

Rainbow blinked. "No?"

Applejack smiled. She looked at Rainbow Dash.

Rainbow Dash looked back.

"I told him..." Applejack took a deep breath. "...that I would give it some thought." The corners of her mouth curved and curved. She winked at Rainbow. "But yeah..." She mouthed, "We're back together."

Rainbow Dash blinked.

"He sure did throw me for a loop, did he?" Applejack shuffled around the barn, breathing. "Most self-respectin' mares would toss him flat on his flank and tell him to get lost after what he did."

"But... you're a self-respecting mare, AJ."

"Reckon so. But I also know when a pony's bein' honest with me. And Stu?" She sighed. "I've never seen him so honest before. So vulnerable. He ain't pullin' a fast one. Ain't like him. But... it's more than that. He's shown me a place where he needs help. And... I suppose I need to help him more than he needs to be helped... because there's a part of me that's missin' when he's gone."

"Oh yeah?"

"Mmmmhmmm..." Applejack nodded calmly. "Past all the tears and the anger and the fussy apple buckin'... I plum missed the dag-blame'd fool." She chuckled, glancing over at Rainbow. "But I wasn't about to give him all that on a silver platter."

"So... uh..." Rainbow cleared her throat. "What did he do after you said you'd 'give it some thought?'"

"Heh... dang varmint smiled, then keeled over and passed out."

"Snkkkt!"

"Slept the whole darn day on our couch. Ya shoulda seen Big Mac. He wanted to elbow drop him at every blink. Granny and I had to take shifts playin' bodyguard to the slumberin' fool."

"That... sounds awesome and yet it doesn't."

"Shoot..." Applejack shrugged. "Big Mac will get over it. That's just the thang. Life is short and dang complicated. If we dun get over our hang ups... all we'll ever do is hang ourselves and nothin' will ever get done... and nopony will be any the wiser." She exhaled. "Stu Leaves may be wishy-washy... but that's okay. He's... a part of me now." She gulped. "And... I-I just can't... let him go without givin' him a second chance. Especially now that everythang's all clear-like."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow bore a nervous smile. "Good thing the moron came around, huh?"

"He didn't do it on his own."

"Huh?"

"Before he passed out... he managed to tell me the whole story about what happened the other day with them nasty twisters." Applejack turned to face Rainbow Dash. "He told me that you coached him on... practically threw him into the eye of the storm."

"Well, he was second tier on my team, AJ," Rainbow Dash said. "We were in the right place at the right time to stop that mess. If we couldn't do it... who would?"

"Yer many thangs, Rainbow Dash," Applejack said. "The least of which is modest."

"Huh?" Rainbow blinked.

"In the end, when all was down to the wire, it was only you and Stu inside that tornado. Now..." Applejack leaned her head to the side. "...are you gonna tell me that this here town's biggest and most boastful flier willingly let a silly stallion from Cloudsdale soak up the spotlight in her place?"

"What... are you getting at, AJ?"

"Heheh... all day and every day, I'm surrounded by varmints." Applejack bore a teary smile as she crossed the distance between them, then scooped Rainbow Dash into a tender hug. "What I'm gettin' at, sugarcube, is that you broke the mold around Stu's heart. It's all thanks to you that he found his courage... and... and I'm plum grateful." She sniffed, holding Rainbow Dash close. "You swept in and saved us... the two of us. Could... c-could there ever be a better friend than that?"

Rainbow Dash fought the mother of all lumps in her throat. "You... you know me, Applejack." She closed her eyes and cuddled the mare back, shuddering in the warm embrace. "I'm never gonna leave ya hanging. N-not for anything..."

Applejack sniffled. A tear or two trickled out onto her freckles. "It's... it's like I finally know where I am in life, Rainbow."

Rainbow bit her lip. "That's a darn good place to be. I'm... uh... I'm happy for you, AJ."

"Mmmmmm... reckon you are." At last, Applejack parted the hug. She shuddered and rubbed her cheek dry. "Whew... heavens to betsy, what a week."

"Well, thanks to Stu, at least you've got a day or two to relax, huh?" Rainbow smiled nervously.

"Pffft. Hogwash! I'm only ever relaxin' when I'm fussin' over somethin'!" Applejack winked. "Why don't you hang out for a while. I'll go fetch ya some grub."

"Heh..." Rainbow waved a hoof. "I'm okay, AJ. Believe me—"

"How 'bout some fresh cider for the tornado chaser?"

Rainbow's eyes bugged. "Orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr that."

"Heheheheh..." Applejack led Rainbow Dash back to the farmhouse.

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