Appledashery

by Just Essay

Friends Don't Let Friends Do Dreams

The outline of a mountain swam itself into existence beneath her hooves. Gray stone and green patches of grass blossomed in between the lines and fissures of a floating continent.

Rainbow Dash teetered. With a thin-eyed blink, she pivoted about, trying to gain her balance. Soon it didn't matter; she floated inches above the granite shelf, drifting through clouds and celestial bands of light.

Her head tilted up. Rolling eyes spotted brief flashes of light, like starbursts in the distant gasp of the undulating dreamscape. At some point, she evened out. The spheres rotated, and a figure materialized in front of her from several miles away.

"Well then, if this isn't a surprise!" Her muzzle came first, then her shoulders, flank, and tail. Epcot unfurled like a flag, her mane settling with sparkles of stardust as she stood before her pegasus friend. "Feels like an alicorn age since you stopped by last, Rainbow Dash!" A giggle escaped the side of her muzzle. "I was starting to think that all I had to look forward to lately was sculpting galactic statues of subconscious detritus!"

Rainbow Dash merely blinked. A dumb smile sported her face. She trotted forward, ultimately floating past Epcot.

The chaperone blinked. Twirling about, she raised a curious eyebrow. "Rainbow...?"

"Mrmmmfff..." Rainbow reached into a stretch of fluffy pink clouds. She grasped a column of mist, molded it into a dense blur, and wrapped it around her hoof. Then, with a flick of her forelimb, she turned the piece of cloud into a trombone. "Grnngh... no..." She flicked her hoof again. The trombone turned into a fishing rod. "Darn it... come on..." Another flick: a hatchet. "Ugh."

"Uhmmmm..." Epcot leaned her head to the side. "What, pray tell, are you attempting to conjure?"

"Something that holds water," Rainbow grumbled. Flash! The cloudpiece finally became a mug. "Hah! You're the best friend ever!" She raised the mug up to the sky. A hole opened up in the ether, and a yellow liquid poured through. The stream filled the mug, and Rainbow took a hearty sip. "Mmmmmm..." She smiled, then belched out a giggle. "Whaddya know?! Caramel's onto something. Pineapple shots for the win. Hehehehe..."

"Well, I'm glad I could..." Epcot shrugged with a curious smile. "...wet your whistle. How have you been lately?"

Rainbow Dash ignored her. She pivoted to face the chaperone. "What else can ya do?"

Epcot blinked. "Well... anything and everything!" Her teeth showed. "At least... everything you've always known me to be capable of in this place!"

Rainbow took another sip. This time, the mug was full of red wine. She savored the taste, rubbed her muzzle, and lisped: "Take us to... mmmmfff... one of those palaces."

"Palaces, Rainbow Dash?"

"You know... the alicorn ones." Rainbow Dash licked the edge of the mug as she floated. "With all the cushions and pillows and stuff."

"Ohhhhhh! Those palaces! Well, if you insist!" Epcot giggled, then wiggled her fuzzy gray nose.

The world blurred past them in a kaleidoscope of chaotic colors. The two mares spanned a thousand terrestrial planes in the blink of an eye. At last, they came to an icy stop within a grand marble throne room lined with massive columns and shiny floor panels.

"Ta-daaaaaaa!" Epcot "swam" through the air with a brilliant smile. "I've always liked this one! It's modeled after the Great Mountain Manor of the Sky Kings. Ancient pegasi. Grandfathers to Commander Hurricane! Boy, did those ponies know architecture! The alicorns almost envied them—"

"No no no no..." Rainbow Dash hiccuped, taking a magical sip of vodka. "Not that kind of a palace."

"Huh?"

"You know..." Rainbow squinted. "A palace... where the alicorns went to really... really relax."

Epcot blinked. Her eyes darted about, and at one point her ears perked. "Oh! Uhm... s-sure thing!" She nodded her head.

The realm twirled in a maddening blur. The first thing to explode into existence was a thick, rich incense. Rainbow's hooves made contact with a lush velvet carpet. Burgundy couches lined with pillows and silks surrounded her. A raised platform led to a steaming hot bath on one end of the chamber, and a queen-sized bed drowning in scarlet sheets on the other.

"This place... uhm... was built by the imagination of Queen Alabastra of the Crystal Kingdom!" Epcot said with a slight quiver to her voice. "Do modern ponies remember the Crystal Kingdom? It was once a land of art and decadence until the notorious King Sombra rose to power and enslaved all of his—"

"Uh huh. Right. Save the history lesson." Rainbow lurched across the opulent chamber. She tossed the mug over her shoulder; the item exploded into a dozen doves that flew out the curtained windows. "So... bring 'em out."

Epcot blinked. "I... I-I don't understand, Rainbow Dash." She peered at the pegasus. "Bring what out?"

"Y'know... some entertainment!" Rainbow Dash stifled a burp as she fwomped onto a pile of pillows. She turned over, smiling groggily. "Let's... uhhhh... start simple, shall we?" Her muzzle let loose a throaty chuckle. "I'd say... three mares. Feel it out. I've got all night."

Epcot's eyes darted. "...you mean feminine entertainment?"

"Pffft. You're a mind reader, aren't you? Let's have it!" Rainbow Dash rolled a hoof in the air. "How about giving them... Wonderbolts uniforms. Hehehe... mmmyyyyeah. Two sizes too small, just for manure and giggles."

Epcot blinked.

"The rookie outfits." Rainbow winked. "I wanna feel in charge for once."

Silence.

"Ahem... uhm... b-but of course." Epcot bore a tiny smile. "And... would do you desire... a specific look to these... charming 'rookies?'"

Rainbow reclined back with a heavy exhale. "The more freckles the better."

Epcot stared at her.

Rainbow Dash battled a yawn. At the end of it, she blinked thinly at Epcot. "What's the matter?"

"I..."

"Blonde, green eyes, and freckles! Come on!" Rainbow clapped her hooves together. "Let's go!"

"But that... makes it sound like you want to be surrounded by—"

"It's the closest I'll ever get. So who cares? I need this. HIC! Come on."

Epcot's brow furrowed. "Rainbow, have... have you been drinking in excess?" The chaperone winced slightly. "I mean... in the real world?"

"What of it?" Rainbow frowned. "Look, I dunno about you, but I'm not getting any younger here. So let's get the ball rolling, darn it!"

"This... doesn't seem like you..."

"Ugh..." Rainbow rolled her eyes. "Are you a Chaperone of Tomorrow or aren't you?"

"But of course—"

"Then do what you were made for! Gimme a bunch of sexy Applejacks in uniform!"

"She's..." Epcot fidgeted. "She's your friend. This... this isn't—"

"Pffft. Nopony's asking you to watch. Just do what I ask you. Is that so friggin' hard?"

Epcot blinked. A deep breath rolled through her, and she took a step back. "No."

Rainbow Dash teetered upon hearing that. After much struggle, she sat up. "What was that?"

"No, Rainbow Dash." Epcot clenched her jaw shut. "This is not going to help you. It is not going to help anything."

"Huh?" Rainbow's muzzle scrunched into an iron frown. "The buck are you going on about?"

"You're not yourself right now." Epcot gulped. "I will not help you with something that you will inevitably regret."

"You wanna talk about regret?" Rainbow snarled, slapping a hoof over her own chest. "How about giving up everything you ever wanted every friggin' day of your dang life?!" Her nostrils flared. "You're immortal! A walking magic spell with features. Pffft... what do you know about wasted opportunities?"

Epcot shuddered. "I'm... I'm sorry, Rainbow. You're my friend. And you deserve better."

"I deserve better? I deserve better?!" Rainbow Dash snorted. "What about what I want?! I can't get it out there now do your friggin' job and grant my stinkin' wish!"

Epcot sighed. Her eyes moistened as she looked away... and dissolved into dull gray light.

Rainbow blinked. "Hey... Hey!" She stood up on shuffling limbs. "Where are you going?"

The patch of light that was once the chaperone faded entirely. One layer at a time, the entire palace unraveled around Rainbow.

"Hey! It's falling apart! Put it back together, Epcot! I mean it! What kind of chaperone are you?!" Rainbow was seething at this point. Her teeth showed as she barked: "You say you're my friend, huh?! Some friend you are! I thought I could come here to relax and you just... wuss out!"

The world billowed away into nebulous clouds of black nothing.

"Rrrrgh!" Rainbow snarled. "Oh yeah?! Well, I may be a loser out there. But you're nothing, you hear me?!" She slurred, teetered through the emptiness. "Just... j-just a friggin' toy that the alicorns made! Where would you b-be if Stu and I didn't pull you out of the garbage of time?! Huh?! Is this what you want?! To be alone forever?! Guarding some... subconscious junkyard for a bunch of goddesses who don't know you exist?! You're nothing, you hear me?!"

---

"You're nothing!" Rainbow shouted, clutching her skull. "You're a lame-o waste of space and you'll always be that! So what are you staying loyal to, huh?!" Her eyes opened as she gnashed her teeth. "What are you pretending to be loyal to?!"

The walls of her bedroom echoed her voice.

Rainbow panted... panted.

The mare hugged herself, shivering. She lay on a floor next to a fallen amulet. The air was sour, smelling of sweat and urine.

She shook... shook... seethed. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She clutched her skull hard, hissing. Bloodshot eyes wandered... wandered... eventually finding the amulet. Then—after a deep growl rose in her throat—she swiveled about and bucked the alicorn goblet hard with her hoof.

The chalice went flying across the room, rattling to a stop somewhere unsheen in the shadows.

It scarcely punctuated the throbbing moment.

Rainbow whimpered. She clenched her eyes shut, but the words were still echoing in her head.

"Mrnnngh... grnnnnnngh... buck it... buck it!"

So she did the only thing she could think of.

FWOOOOSH! She flapped her wings and she flew. Her body ragdolled twice against the bedroom walls, but she weathered it... absorbed it... and finally found the space in her window to leap out. Her body did a corkscrew, evened out, then went sailing like a soaked blue missile through the madness of night.

Comments

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

Oh, that ain't good.........!

Darnit, Rainbow! Why did you go and do that to Epcot, of all frickin' ponies?!?

[Phoenix Kitten]

I think Dash...when you sober up, you better apologize to Epcot.

[Lightning Bearer]

[Sam the Anti-Ninja]

Not. Cool. Dash. That was anti-awesome, and you owe Epcot an apology.

[Autumn Rush]

Dash, you owe Epcot one major apology when you sober up.

At last, they came to an icy stop within a grand marble throne room lined with massive columns and shiny floor panels.

"Ta-daaaaaaa!" Epcot "swam" through the air with a brilliant smile. "I've always liked this one! It's modeled after the Great Mountain Manor of the Sky Kings. Ancient pegasi. Grandfathers to Commander Hurricane! Boy, did those ponies know architecture! The alicorns almost envied them—"

Stratopolis?

[RoboRed]

Oh...
...
...that's: 1) not cool, and 2) not good.

[LucyHorseThing]

I don't know how to feel...

I really just want to cuddle Rainbow right now...

She needs a cuddle, poor thing...

[viofriedsevey]

So she had one fucking friend who actually cared about her best interests, and she fucking crushed her. Pretty damn sure Applejack would not approve, and I doubt Stu would ever drop even remotely so low. It's damn depressing to see Dash so low she throws away her morals, because if theres one thing I've noticed about alcohol it's that alcohol doesn't "invent" new thoughts, it takes away your safe guards and filters, and exagerates your thoughts.

[Aatxe360]

7000565

Dash knows this and will punish herself by getting back in a relationship with Listing Breeze.

[Salad king]

And thus we see how much she's really hurting for once, can you really blame her for going off the deep end, after all that she's done and she's still left with nothing.

[BronyInHiding]

Oh god, who's next on Dash's drunken and hurtful crusade? Please don't be Flutters Or any of the Mane 6, except maybe AJ.....cuz that'd kinda rule actually.

[Typoglyphic]

7000726 Let's be honest: it's probably going to be Rainbow Dash. Again.

On the plus side, I feel like we're drawing near to a confrontation of some kind with Listing Breeze. That'd be pretty cool.

[Phoenix Kitten]

7000888 Rainbow Dash, charged with murder of abusive ex, Hell of a way for the other elements to learn about her orientation.

[Hestia]

Well this isn't good.

[zaponator]

Yeah, that went pretty much exactly how I expected it to go...

[Doughnot_followmoi]

Epcot giggled, then wiggled her fuzzy gray nose

.

Damn Rainbow, how could you do that to Samantha Stevens-er-Epcot?

[DrEggnog]

Epcot really is best pony. A firm no, a gentle explanation, and then she just walks away. She doesn't even show how much Rainbow's words hurt her.

At the end there, it looked like Rainbow was yelling at herself, not Epcot. Reminded me of Buffy in season 6, hitting Spike and yelling things about herself.

[Boop-Happy Lass]

Poor Epcot. :(

[arancaytar]

Okay, when she feels better Dashie had better head back there and give Epcot the biggest goddamn apology nuzzle that any pony has ever received.

[SnowOriole]

Wow, that buckin' hurt.

[bronyheat]

Epcot after everything she's done for Dash:

Rainbow you go back in there and apologize to best pone, right now!