Call of the Road
BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEP!
Rainbow Dash had very nearly hit the snooze button when her alarm went off at five-thirty the next morning. It was a last minute jump-start of her mind that caused her hand to miss, and dart to the back side to flip the annoying tone off completely. She raised her head from the pillow and sluggishly drug her way through her routine. After a bowl of frosted corn flakes and a quick shower, she pulled on her clothes and gawked at the clock on her nightstand.
She’d promised Applejack she’d be there by seven o’clock. From the front door of her apartment to Applejack’s front porch – depending on traffic – it took about ten minutes
Rainbow twirled her keys in her hand, grabbed Applejack’s jacket off the floor, and casually locked her door behind her at precisely 6:55.
She hurdled over the ’67 Mustang convertible’s driver side door. The handle to open it had broken a long time ago, and the entire car really longed for the scrap heap, considering it looked like one. It’s dark green paint was faded badly, and rust had started eating at the body panels. But Rainbow was loathe to let go of it until it had turned over for the very last time.
She slid the key into the ignition and, after a few twists, the engine roared angrily to life, rocking the frame side to side. She slid the car into gear, and screeched out of the parking lot with a loud bark of throttle.
If her neighbors weren’t awake from her raucous singing in the shower, they were by the delicate roar of her departure.
A series of traffic lights and a short stint on the highway stood between her and Applejack's house. From there, Rainbow rolled the car onto the dirt road leading out into the more rural countryside. She eased back on her lead foot and cruised casually down the boulevard, leaning comfortably back into her seat.
She glimpsed herself in the cracked rearview mirror to make sure she hadn’t ruffled her hair too much in the wind on the ride over. Forcing herself to adopt a neutral expression didn't come easily to her, but was a necessity for her plan to work.
She then tossed her eyes to the dash-mounted clock.
7:02.
A grin crossed her face which she quickly suppressed. She was probably just late enough to make Applejack wonder where she was, but not so much that her friend would be inclined to forget their arrangement and take off on her... or blow up on her, the far more likely outcome.
Just to be safe, she rolled back the clock to 7:01. Brushing a hand to calm her wavy hair, she hung a right onto the grassy path leading into Applejack’s front yard. She circled once around the family’s gigantic, aging rusted-out pickup, and slid up in front of the porch. The car’s revs dropped below stalling speed and the engine died.
Well, no running off if things went south anymore…
The front screen door of the farmhouse was practically kicked open, and out stepped her blonde angel.
Applejack wasn’t what someone would call petite, but she barely came up to Rainbow Dash’s nose. What she lacked in height, though, she more than made up for in form. Her hips and pleasantly-bulging chest gave her an hourglass shape that drove her nuts.
She wore her navy-blue blazer awesomely (Hey, at least she bothered to wear it). The red tie accentuated her white button-up shirt well, and Rainbow was distantly grateful to have so much left to her imagination. It was never not odd to see her without her hat, not to mention her being in a skirt that wasn't denim. The tall white socks and clogs didn't do much for Rainbow other than obscure the view of a pair of tight, sexy and muscular legs.
Oh well. At least it kept her eyes up north where they belonged.
“Yer late,” she grated irritably. Not exactly the grateful, affectionate hug Rainbow had had in mind.
It’d do though.
“What’re you talking about?” she droned, resting her arm against the back of her seat. “I’m right on time.”
“Seven o’clock sharp, remember?” she said in her adorable Southern twang. “What time’s it say?”
Rainbow glanced lazily over to her clock, yawning just to add a layer of indifference to her mannerism. “Uhhh, seven-oh-o- no, wait. Seven-oh-two, now.”
Applejack made a face. “It’s five after, Rainbow.”
“Not by my clock,” she pointed to the dial.
“Well, ya need to reset it.” Applejack looked the car up and down its length. “Where’s mah jacket?”
Rainbow shrugged with purpose and reached down under her seat, pulling it out from underneath her chair. “Here ya go.” She tossed it over to her friend leaning against the edge of the car.
She caught it easily. “Rainbow!” She brushed her hand against the fabric, shaking loose a few loose candies, hairballs and candy wrappers.
“Sorry,” she said, turning her head away to hide her wicked grin. “I guess I dropped it.”
“On what? Sugar Cube Corner’s mixin’ bowl?! This is gonna take forever to clean, now!” she snapped, beating the garment on her knee until it was cleared of all sticky detritus. She removed the blazer, pulled on her real jacket and draped it on her shoulders like a cloak, before wheeling about and locking her fiery green eyes on her.
God she was hot when she was mad.
“If Ah had any spare time, Ah’d give ya what-for!”
Rainbow adopted a hurt expression. Applejack was falling right into her trap.
“Sheesh, where’s all this hate coming from?” she pouted. “I was trying to do you a favor. I thought you might be happy to see me…” She paused. “Guess I was wrong,” she finished shortly.
Applejack paused in her anger, her expression softening ever so slightly.
“Ah… it ain’t like Ah’m not, but…” she said, fumbling over her words adorably, her pretty little head torn between staying the course of being incensed and easing up on the gas.
Frankly, either way would have gotten Rainbow Dash what she wanted.
She let loose a forlorn sigh. “I’d better go,” she said simply, shifting the car into neutral. A twist of the key and the engine roared back to life.
“Rainbow, wait…”
She smirked inwardly.
Aaaand it’s a high pop fly deep into right field…
She turned up to look at the farmgirl. Every moment that passed, it became more and more difficult for her to keep her straight, disinterested face.
Applejack sighed and yanked her bookbag up into her arms.
“Look,” she said, “Ah’m kinda runnin’ behind this mornin’, so could you… maybe take me to the bus stop?”
It’s headed deep! If it stays Fair, it's gone!
Rainbow shrugged.
“Sure, I guess…”
She delivered the line perfectly. What she had wanted to say was something more along the lines of, ‘Thought you’d never ask,’ or ‘Get in here and sit in my lap, gorgeous.’
She couldn’t have everything at once, though. She’d have to catch her friend in a really good mood for that.
Applejack offered a smile as she grabbed the handle and yanked the passenger side door open and slid properly into her seat.
That sucker's GONE, ladies and gentlefarts!
She allowed herself a small smirk on the far side of her face and relaxed back into her seat as her friend buckled herself in.
It wasn’t too late for her to change her mind and jump out, so Rainbow was easy on the throttle at first, and rolled about in a large, easy circle and back towards the farm gates. The engine burbled easily as the new suspension took the bumps in the ground like a champ.
She hung a left and headed up the dirt road at a slow, easy cruising speed, magenta eyes facing directly forward. One hand on the steering wheel, she rested her other elbow against the door.
From the corner of her vision, she saw Applejack clutching her bookbag in her lap, and a few flashes of green against the early sunlight gave away her friend stealing glimpses at her. Knowing the farmgirl kept glimpsing her way worked Rainbow's patience in such a way that she found it difficult to not give up her charade.
I must look so damn hot driving this thing...
As the wind whipped at her rainbow-colored hair and glimmered off her flight jacket and aviators, she couldn't help but wish that Applejack would bite the bullet and snap a picture with her cell just so she could see how awesome she was being.
She forced a yawn to not break out into the most idiotic smile she'd ever worn.
Her friend seated to her right took notice.
“Tired?” she asked.
Implicit permission granted to look her way, Rainbow quirked an eyebrow towards the blonde. “Huh?”
She didn't need the repeat. She heard everything the girl said. Always.
“How'd ya sleep?” Applejack asked. “Yer lookin' a little under-the-weather, sugar.”
“Eh...” she shrugged. “Could've been worse.”
Her friend fidgeted in the other chair.
Rainbow had to reach up from the door and pretend to scratch her cheek to hide the smile on her face. Short, curt answers always got Applejack worried over whether or not she had done something wrong... even if she hadn't really done anything in the first place.
“Got any tests today?”
“Just took my History midterm,” she replied coolly.
“How'd ya do?”
“Eh... passed it. Good enough, I guess. Not bad for my worst subject.”
From the corner of her eye, she could see Applejack's speckled cheeks dimple with her smile as she seemed to feel Rainbow warming up to her approach.
She was playing her like one of her dad's fiddles.
“Ah ain't never gonna understand how you can do so bad at history. It's fascinatin'! Doncha ever wonder how people lived and worked and played way back when?”
Rainbow snorted. “Before cars and jets and fun things even existed?” she scoffed. “Pass.”
“Ah, yer just a spoiled brat. History's supposed to teach ya to value watcha got in front of ya!”
“Yeah, well, I like what I've got in front of me just fine, thanks. I don't need a stupid book to tell me to be thankful for fast cars and... roads.”
Rainbow noticed she was cruising a little quickly. Their journey only took them a mile or two up the road. At the rate she was going, their little trip would be over in no time. She eased subtly up on the throttle and let the car coast the remaining half mile or so.
“Well, how do ya know there ain't somethin' else out there you might like just as much as cars? You ain't never ridden a horse before.”
“Yeah, I'm not huge for such a wussy death as getting trampled by a girly little horse.” She smirked faintly. “I'd rather explode into a zillion pieces when my Raptor just can't handle my awesomeness.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and ugh'd as she leaned against the door. Rainbow could still make out the hint of a smile still lingering on her lips, though, judging from the way those rosy cheeks of hers creased in that cute little way.
She watched her friend nibble on her lip, and the two continued on in silence for a moment.
“Gym midterm's today.”
Applejack turned toward her with a smirk. “You don't exactly sound worried about that.”
“What have I got to worry about?” She shot a familiar grin towards the farmgirl. “I always get perfect grades in gym.”
“Yeah, 'cept when the teacher catches ya sleepin' under the bleachers.”
“It's just so the guys don't feel bad about themselves!” she protested. “I like to think of it as giving them a handicap.”
“Coach sure don't feel that way,” her friend chuckled, leaning back in her seat.
It was a wasted gesture, though – Rainbow Dash noticed – as the car glided to a standstill next to the spot where her bus picked her up the very next instant.
“Welp,” she deadpanned, “guess this is your stop.”
Applejack blinked and looked over to the road sign standing a few feet away. Nobody else waited at this stop; she always stood alone waiting for the bus to swing by and whisk her off.
If Rainbow had been lame enough to ride the bus, she would've moved heaven and earth to arrange it so that she waited with her every morning. But that would require a serious sacrifice of her icy cool image to be seen in an oversized Twinkie.
“Yer leavin' already?” the other girl asked, her expression one of veiled disappointment. It was all in the subtle way the skin between her eyebrows creased. “You ain't even gonna wait with me?”
It was a heartrending thing for Rainbow to hear. She wanted to give up the act and just wait with her until the bus came to take her away.
She'd have to be cleverer though. She had a greater prize in mind, and it was time to seal the deal, or break it altogether.
“Well, I was gonna ask the coach if I could practice a little for the soccer game coming up.” She shrugged.
“Oh... really?”
“Yeah, team's looking kinda bad this year, and I'll need to be at my best if I'm gonna pull 'em through again.”
Come on already...
“Well, don't it get lonesome practicin' all by yourself?”
“Not if I can find one of my teammates and drag them into it too,” she shrugged. “None of 'em can play goalie for crap though, and none of 'em can hang with me on the field either.”
Come ON!
“Well, Ah just... Ah just don't want ya to be there all alone in case ya get hurt.”
“Puh-lease. Me? Get hurt? Come on,” she shrugged. “Since when do I get hurt just practic- uhh...”
“'Don't answer that?'” Applejack smirked.
“Shut up and get out,” she muttered playfully, moving her eyes towards the trees on her left – anything to keep Applejack to see that big twitching smile working its way onto her face. “I need to go.”
A sigh from her right.
“Well... it don't feel right leavin' ya to go all by yourself...”
And that was how you worked someone like a puppet!
“Wait, you're coming?” she asked, feigning surprise.
“'Long as ya don't drive like a dagblamed maniac,” she said with a quirked eyebrow.
That was good enough for a confirmation. All of Rainbow's avid cheering was internalized and kept under pressure for later and more appropriate release.
“Not really in the mood for maniac-driving anyway,” she droned as she flipped on the turn signal and turned onto the highway.
Applejack smiled and relaxed back into her seat quietly, watching the world go by. Cornfields had begun to green up and Sweet Apple Acres off back in the background had begun to ripen into a bright, fruity-smelling paradise again.
As she left them behind, though, and headed back towards town, Rainbow's vision drifted towards the right. She eyed the shoulder of the road intently, and a smile started creeping onto her lips.
Her smile evolved into an evil grin as the turn she wanted crept into view.
She put her turn signal on. Applejack blinked at the familiar noise and turned towards her with wide eyes.
“Rainbow, what're you doin'?”
Rainbow slowly turned her head towards her, her eyes swimming with mischievous intent.
“Taking a shortcut. What's it look like?”
Her friend blinked and inhaled sharply.
“But you saAAAAAAAAAAAAID-!”
Applejack's question was cut off by a sharp fling of the wheel hard to the right, whipping around the back end of the car and skipping the turning lane entirely. The traffic on the highway behind her screeched on their brakes and laid on their horns angrily, before their noise was drowned out by the furious thunder of the rampaging Mustang's mighty V8.
Rainbow shifted into a lower gear and floored the accelerator, inciting a loud shriek from Applejack as she was shoved back hard into the vinyl. She glimpsed over to her right at the farmgirl bracing herself against the center stack and floorboards, and clinging to the handle like her life depended on it.
And present on those freckled cheeks were the wrinkles of an enormous, delighted smile.
A glimpse at the speedometer. 50... 60... 70...
The narrow, curvy roadway stretched out before them, and with a sinister smirk crossing her lips, Rainbow shifted again and rocketed down the pavement as the needle continued to climb.
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4437764
Somehow, I foresaw this being in one of the comments.
4437864
It was either that, or dangerzone.
Does this take place in the Equestria Girls universe?
Will this story be a long one?
Have you ever considered submitting this story to Equestria Daily? You can find out how to do so here.
You and your strange giant Dash.
~spoilers?~
Great writing as always, TUC. I love Rainbow's personality in this one, replacing her lower intelligence canon depiction with that of a socially skillful manipulator. The inner monologue in italics was a particularly nice touch. Maybe it's just the humanized Appledash, but I'm reminded of the Rainbow Dash from a lot of Ezrienel's work.
On the other hand, I feel like I'm missing a lot of background info coming into this chapter. For example, the lines about hitting a home run would have been better served if you had established Rainbow plays baseball, specifically. In addition, Applejack's getup in this chapter sounds like a catholic schoolgirl uniform. Are they in catholic school? You've said that AJ's worn denim shorts and skirts before, so that doesn't add up. What kind of clothes does Rainbow where? Briefly describing them would help develop her personality, if nothing else.
Damn, I just realized I'm fucking rambling. Sorry about that, I guess I'm more tired than I believed, and all the thoughts I had while reading this just kind of jumbled out.
It's still very good, and I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for updates.
4438208
Equestria Daily won't accept humanized fics. You'd have to talk to one of the editors on here somewhere, but I'm pretty sure this would just be turned away without a read.
4438447
Ah, this is the kind of review I wish I could write.
4438353
Heh, I felt weird about that for a moment, too. Then I realized that I only thought Applejack would be as tall as or taller than rainbow was because of humanized art I've seen. I had no idea I even had headcanons for humanized versions of characters. Go figure.
Though I don't let headcanons get in the way of my fic readings. I just go with it.
P.S. - this little driving adventure they're on - I could see it ending...poorly.
P.P.S. - "ladies and gentlepussy-sniffers"
Maybe other people don't feel the same way, but to ME, that was a pretty drastic change in tone for a second there.
1.) I'm not sure if they go to Catholic school, but I was a Catholic school girl and this is accurate.
2.) Rainbow is a manipulative bitch. I fucking love it.
Oh my gosh, this story is gonna be so much fun!
Late review, I'm reading this story slowly but surely. As other's said Applejack being shorter did throw me off for a second, but not much. I also like Dash's manipulative side, but she doesn't seem to be acting like much of herself from the show. But I do really like this interpretation of her. Excellent!
4439640 And what about my other questions? Can you please answer them too?
AAAANNNNDDDD..... The theme song for this chapter?
Highway to Hell by AC/DC.
I might be mistaken, but I think this is how Thelma and Louise got their start.
As a man who drives a mustang...the actions Rainbow is taking in this chapter...most fun I've ever had in a car. Lol
8846886
Back when I wrote this, I was eyeing a new Mustang. Wound up taking a more practical choice and getting a Volvo S60, but part of me still wishes I'd taken the Mustang. :\