Appledashery

by Just Essay

Rainbow Down

A blue hoof knocked on the cottage door.

Seconds passed.

With a creak, Fluttershy opened it. She took one look outside, and her eyes widened. "Rainbow Dash!"

Fidgeting, the petite pegasus stood on the front step to Fluttershy's home.

"I was looking for you all day yesterday! Please..." With a gulp, Fluttershy gestured inside. "Won't you come in?"

Rainbow's head hung low as she trotted forward, entering the foyer in silence.

Fluttershy closed the door behind her and turned around. "I... I heard about what happened with the tornado meet the other day. That had to have been so frightening!" She blinked. "And... a-and Big Mac told me all about Applejack and Stu Leaves." She gulped. "Rainbow Dash... Rainbow, I... I know this all must be very tough for you..."

Rainbow Dash paced about. At last, she came to a stop, trembling.

Fluttershy stared at her. "Rainbow...?" She bit her lip, leaning forward. "Rainbow Dash, is... is everything okay?"

Rainbow's muzzle trembled. Slowly, her moist eyes raised to meet Fluttershy's gaze. "What's wrong with me, Fluttershy?" She sniffled. "Why... can't I j-just like stallions or something?" Her voice cracked as tears rolled down her face. "Why can't I just be n-normal?"

"Oh Rainbow..." Fluttershy crossed the distance between them. "Don't say that." She swept Rainbow up in a deep hug. "Don't you ever say that!"

Rainbow clenched her eyes shut. She dug her muzzle into Fluttershy's soft neck as quiet sobs ripped through her lungs.

Fluttershy nuzzled her best friend closely, enveloping her with warm wingfeathers. "One of these days, Rainbow..." She stroked Rainbow's back and murmured past her ear. "One of these days you're going to meet a gorgeous mare." She smiled tearfully, holding Rainbow close. "And she is going to love and adore you in every way that you deserve. You'll meet the mare of your dreams and you will both spend the rest of your years together and all of this will seem like nothing, you hear me?"

"B-but I don't want any stupid m-mare..." Rainbow Dash wept. Her shuddering breaths made tender squeaks between each pained word. "I want Applejack!" She clenched her teeth, shivering in Fluttershy's grasp. "I love her, Fluttershy. I love her so much..."

"I know you do, Rainbow Dash. Goddess, I know..." She patted Rainbow's shoulder. Then, clenching her jaw, she spoke firmly: "And you and she will always be best friends. You've done so much for her, whether she knows about it all or not, and she's rewarded you with her trust and loyalty. But if you're hoping for anything else from her, then you'll have to move on." Fluttershy fought a sob of her own as she squeezed Rainbow tight. "I'm your friend Rainbow and I love and care for you and that's why I must tell you that you have to move on. Applejack is not worth you punishing yourself every day of your life. Nopony would want that for you. I don't want that for you. Applejack wouldn't want that for you. Please, Rainbow Dash. My heart and soul aches from seeing you suffer so..."

"Mmmmm..." Rainbow Dash whimpered, shaking her head. "First you... then Listing... Gilda..." She gnashed her teeth. "Now AJ?! What's wrong with me?! Everypony I love is either impossible or a cruel train wreck. Why d-do I do this to myself?! I'm a loser... I'm such a friggin' loser..."

"No, Rainbow." Fluttershy nuzzled her close. "You're a mare who can't settle for the best unless it's something or someone you can win. And the best is waiting for you out there... somewhere." She caressed Rainbow's tear-stained chin. "You're a winner, Rainbow Dash. You just haven't found the prize yet."

Rainbow hung her head. She wiped her muzzle as more tears trickled loose.

Fluttershy leaned in. "And it's high time that the game changed. Don't you agree?"

Rainbow hiccuped on a sob. She hugged herself and stared forlornly into the floor. "I just... I-I just don't know what to do. She sustains me, Fluttershy. Just the thought of her... just her voice... the sight of her freckles..." She clenched her eyes shut. "Nopony's ever made me feel this good just by existing. Nopony since... s-since..." Her teeth clattered as she squeaked, "...since Dad."

Fluttershy exhaled softly. "Oh Rainbow..."

Rainbow's limbs went limp. She fell forward and Fluttershy caught her yet again. The two draped against the floor with Fluttershy holding her weeping friend. She stroked Rainbow's mane and ears, smiling tenderly.

"Applejack's happy now because of you... ten times over. Relish in that." She leaned forward and kissed Rainbow on the forehead. "Relish that and move on."

"I wish I knew h-how, Flutters..." Rainbow's trembles gradually slowed as she rested against her friend's limbs. "I don't know... I just d-don't know..."

"Shhhhh..." Fluttershy stared out the window, blinking her own eyes dry. "You'll find a way. I promise. You will."

Comments

[Phoenix Kitten]

Rainbow hiccuped on a sob. She hugged herself and stared forlornly into the floor. "I just... I-I just don't know what to do. She sustains me, Fluttershy. Just the thought of her... just her voice... the sight of her freckles..." She clenched her eyes shut. "Nopony's ever made me feel this good just by existing. Nopony since... s-since..." Her teeth clattered as she squeaked, "...since Dad."

...So..maybe I'm reading to much into that, but that seems more like Dash is after a parental love, than a love love.

Fluttershy fought a sob of her own as she squeezed Rainbow tight. "I'm your friend Rainbow and I love and care for you and that's why I must tell you that you have to move on. Applejack is not worth you punishing yourself every day of your life. Nopony would want that for you. I don't want that for you. Applejack wouldn't want that for you. Please, Rainbow Dash. My heart and soul aches from seeing you suffer so..."

Careful Shy... I pointed out yesterday that her method of moving on is just.. leaving without warning.

[Phoenix Kitten]

6952653 I thought 1500 at first, then someone said closer to 1200, and Sharp recently pointed out Skirts is aiming for 2000.
So I just lumped all three together in a rough estimate.

[Hestia]

"Why... can't I j-just like stallions or something?" Her voice cracked as tears rolled down her face. "Why can't I just be n-normal?"

My poor fragile heart. Why?

Alright . . . well, this was absolutely heart wrenching. I'm going to go cry in a corner or something . . .

[BronyInHiding]

February blues + Feel heavy chapter of Appledashery =

[I Thought I Was Toast]

I know I shouldn't root for more bizarre self-punishment and overloyalty... But moving on at this point almost feels like giving up... It's why I hated the ending to Background Pony... It felt like Lyra was giving up rather than making a sacrifice... And I feel the exact same thing here... When a character suffers this much they either need to win or they needed to be strong enough to perservere... Problem is moving on feels like both giving up and perservering at this point so I have no idea how to feel about the idea of Rainbow trying to move on anymore... I know it's the healthy thing to do... But still...

[LucyHorseThing]

...I can't even make a corny joke about this!

The feels...agh...

[Fishberry]

derpicdn.net/img/2014/2/20/556873/medium.png

[CommanderCuddle]

6954199 How does Aj making her enjoy everyday like her dad did make her want parental love?

[CommanderCuddle]

Wonder what the next arc will be for Applestuery

[Lightning Bearer]

A heartfelt chapter, and all I can think about is how comfy a pillow filled with Rainbow down would be.

[Macky]

6954438 your a cruel person

[MidnightReflection]

6954629 As soon as I saw the chapter title, all I could think of was a pillow.

[viofriedsevey]

"Why... can't I j-just like stallions or something?" Her voice cracked as tears rolled down her face. "Why can't I just be n-normal?"

All I can say is wow. I was entirely caught off guard by the power of this sentence. I've never looked at it from this point of view, it's more than an external struggle of people accepting you. I honestly couldn't imagine hating who I am for one reason or another, and that is truthfully one of the most depressing things I can think of.

[Dash32]

I really should be getting some sleep. I have a car show to go to in the morning. But DAMN THIS IS SUCH A GOOD STORY! SO MANY FEELS!!!! THE FEELS!!!

[zaponator]

Still holding out for an awkward dating arc...

[FloydienSlip]

"And she is going to love and adore you

and cherish you, with her dying heart, with her fleeting mind, and she'll wish you the absolute best in joy and harmony."

[DrEggnog]

Heartfelt shit. Really laid everything on the line there. I love Fluttershy choking back that sob. Shows she truly cares as much as she says she does.

[arancaytar]

"I was looking for you all day yesterday! Please..." With a gulp, Fluttershy gestured inside. "Won't you come in?"

Yeah, don't you want to come inside, Rainbow Dash?

[SnowOriole]

Rainbow, if you're going to move on, you need that closure called Coming Clean to Applejack.

Too bad it doesn't seem too timely, does it?

[Jackattack2]

where's gilda-