Fillyfooler (Fall Weather Friends)
The run through the Whitetail Woods was exhilarating. By the time the sun was setting, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash made their way back to Sweet Apple Acres, they had to admit that they were a little tired.
They were halfway through the orchard when Applejack stopped, leaning against a tree. She was breathing heavily, and held up a hoof to Dash. “I gotta catch my breath.”
For just a second a smirk flashed across Dash's face, before her own exhaustion hit her and she flopped down in the grass next to the tree. “Yeah. A breather might be good.”
AJ smiled at her friend. “Dash, I gotta tell ya', whatever foolishness we got up to, it's real nice havin' a friend who can keep up with me.”
“Thanks. You keep me on top of my game. I need that, if I'm ever gonna be a Wonderbolt.” She paused, then looked up at the sky. “And. . . I like having a friend I can just mess around with, too. That run reminded me why I do all this, ya know? It was fun.”
“Darn right it was. Reminded me of bein' a filly, just runnin' 'round the schoolyard with the colts, no real point in mind.”
“No other fillies to run with, huh?”
Applejack shrugged. “Not really. Rarity and her friends were mostly playin' dress up and pony dolls. What 'bout you? You have a lot of girls you were friends with?”
“Well. . . there was Fluttershy, but she was more like a little sister. I tried to get her to play with my action figures with me, but she kept worrying about them hurting each others feelings.” Dash grinned, remembering. AJ laughed a little.
The grin fell from Rainbow Dash's face, and she said a little more softly, “I always had one or two friends, but most of the other foals couldn't handle how awesome I was. They were always calling me Rainbow Crash and laughing at me.”
“I know how that feels, sugarcube. There was a while there where other foals were callin' me some mean things.”
“Like what?”
After Dash's behavior earlier, AJ wasn't so sure about trusting Dash with things that could hurt her. But Dash had trusted her first, so AJ traced her hoof in the dirt. “Fillyfooler. Ah was never sweet on a bunch of colts, ya' know.”
Dash gave her a little smile, “Yeah, I got that one a few times.”
“I reckon foals are gonna throw that at any filly that can out play the colts. That don't make it true.” She knew it didn't in Dash's case at least. Dash commented regularly, and sometimes lewdly, on certain male Wonderbolts.
Applejack wasn't so sure about herself. There were stallions who were handsome, sure, but she'd never felt that spark. As for mares, she tried not to look at them too close since those names got tossed at her at school. But all those rainbows all over Dash made it pretty hard not to look, sometimes.
Dash just laughed a little. “Of course not. Just because you're good at sports, that doesn't make you a fillyfooler.”
“Yup,” AJ said with a nod.
Dash went on, “And if you don't really care about girly things, that doesn't make you a fillyfooler, either.”
“No, it don't,” AJ agreed. “And if some mare's flank just kinda catches your eye, that don't do it neither.”
Dash looked at her, a little confused, and Applejack panicked for a moment. “I mean-”
“Nope, it doesn't,” Dash interrupted. She sounded casual as she said, “Heck, even if you thought about kissing a mare once or twice, just to see what it was like. . .”
“Then you still ain't a fillyfooler.” AJ nodded. She hadn't thought about that, but now that Dash mentioned it she felt herself staring to blush. “Um, right?”
Dash nodded, but she looked like she was sizing Applejack up. Then she got up and started flying back and forth between the rows of trees.
“I can't sit still.” She said, but she was still staring at the ground.
“Is somethin' wrong?”
“Um- well- uh-” Dash stammered, then she took a breath and let it out slowly. She stopped in front of AJ, still looking at the ground. “What if there's this amazing mare, and you really really like her. . . like, when you're close to her you can hardly think? And you'll do the dumbest things just so she knows you're awesome, because it's the most important thing ever that she doesn't think you're a loser?”
Applejack opened and closed her mouth a few times while things fell into place. Even when she thought she understood, she had no idea what to say.
“What do you think?” Dash pressed.
Of the jumble of thoughts AJ was having, one stood out. So she blurted out, “I think you're a darn fool, actin' like you did!”
Rainbow Dash finally looked her in the eye to glare at her, “Hey, I never said-”
AJ put her hoof on Dash's mouth, cutting the pegasus off. “And, I think that might just make ya' a fillyfooler. And I think if you can stop actin' like a darn fool, I might be ready to try a little fillyfoolin' myself.”
As AJ took her hoof away, it was Dash's turn to be shocked into silence. So Applejack went on, “I'd be lyin' if I said you weren't a special pony, Rainbow Dash. And ya' didn't havta act like a school colt pullin' my mane for me to see that.”
“So. . . you'll go out with me?”
“Sure. Let's give it a whirl.”
Dash looked up to the sky. She seemed to spot something, and smiled at AJ. “Um, hold on just a minute.”
Zooming into the sky, the pegasus landed on a cloud about a hundred feet away. Then Applejack heard a very loud squeal, followed by shouts of “YES! SHE LIKES ME! SHE LIKES ME! I AM SO AWESOME!”
Seconds later, Dash landed in front of AJ with a relaxed smirk on her face. “So, next Friday?”
Applejack chuckled, knowing full well that going out with the puffed up little pegasus was going to try her patience something fierce, time and again. But she also had to figure that Dash was ambitious and determined, and could work her wings off when she wanted to. And most importantly, Dash would always come through for her. A pretty pegasus who was the element of loyalty wasn't something AJ could pass up.
“Next Friday sounds good. It'll give ya' time to get your mane gussied up,” Applejack said, smirking.
Dash smirked right back.“Yeah. And maybe you can run a brush through your tail for once.”
They looked at each other for around three seconds, then both burst out laughing.
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Dash's reaction seemed OOC... yet funny...
I approve. ^^
I just wish Dash would turn down the 'I'm so awesome stuff'. She's full of pride and known to pet herself on the back in front of others, but she doesn't boast till the cows come home. Many authors seem to write Rainbow Dash in this way, and I think they are exaggerating. Other than that, you've written Rainbow Dash pretty good in this first chapter.
Applejack is sounding good.
So far so good, for a post Iron Pony story. ^^
543783
I hope the second story was a little better in the Dash=awesome department. I'll be keeping what you said in mind, the "I'm so awesome" is a cheap way to characterize Dash, and should probably be used sparingly.
However, I'll warn you that I'm writing the third one now, and it takes place after "Sonic Rainboom." So Dash is going to be (understandably) high off her win, heroics, and day with the Wonderbolts. Don't give up on me for that one, Dash will calm down in the future.
Y'know, I don't really think RD's reaction is really out of character. We gotta remember that she does have hella insecure moments at times and something like this would probably a large load off her shoulders. Hell, I'd say that the phrase "I'm awesome" for her, while undeniably true, is almost as much a defense mechanism, somewhat.
Forgot to add that I enjoyed this chapter and hope to see more.
tone down dash's ego stroking a bit and everything is a okay with me
Awesome chapter! I just think you mighta rushed a little within 1,100 words but still nice... SO FAR...
*snerk* I love AJ's line about the puffed up little pegasus. It was perfect.
Dash you are just as blunt and straight forward as i am when it comes to asking a girl i like out.
good stuff this is really good stuff indeed.
“Then you still ain't a fillyfooler.” AJ nodded. She hadn't thought about that, but now that Dash mentioned it she felt herself staring to blush. “Um, right?”
where'd I put that video? oh found it!
Don't have a lot of time this morning, but wanted to leave two comments here.
This is one of the best, and best delivered, explanations for Dash's behavior, especially in that episode. I love it. There are a few lines like this later in the piece, too, that hit me similarly. AJ's response and Dash geeking out both felt right on point for me. Both made me grin.
This one, on the other hand, causes a bit of a double-take. It's just so exposition-heavy, after so much wonderful character action stuff. It doesn't sour me on the chapter—I like the chapter too much for that—but it does weaken the end of it considerably, I think.
Not that I'm expecting you to go change things. But I figured I'd mention.
This, people, is how you write some fanfic. End of story.