14: The Nebulous Lustre
Today I learned what the most important quality really is. A certain kind of spirit. A stick-to-it-ive-ness. A never give up, can-do attitude -- that's the mark of a real winner...
Applejack had haphazardly navigated through the city, queued in a line for far too long for overpriced tickets, waited in an even longer line to get in, sat through an entire Wonderbolts performance, and fought her way through a large crowd of ponies for this moment.
She couldn’t decide which part was the least enjoyable.
And now, the large metal door swung open and the crowd went wild.
Dash emerged, her rainbow mane more vibrant as ever, greeting camera flashes with a bright smile.
Her assistant, who had been an utter bitch to Applejack when she had called, gave her a pen, and she walked over to the screaming fans pushed up against the velvet barrier.
This moment.
Anypony, if they looked hard enough, could see that there was no real emotion behind the task for Rainbow Dash. Just part of the job. So it wasn’t surprising when she began to sign the postcard Applejack had shoved towards her without even flinching.
“Who’s it for?”
She was looking down, probably admiring her own likeness, her words slightly garbled from the pen in her mouth.
“Applejack.”
She looked up and the pen dropped to the ground.
“Security!”
“Tell her it’s urgent.”
“I’m sorry, but I just can’t do that.”
Applejack glared at the prissy little unicorn with the clipboard and the stick up her ass.
“Now look here, Miss Authority. I regret to inform you that there are things more important than keeping the precious Madame Rainbow Dash from facing what she’s been avoiding since she flew the coop without even a word of goodbye. So I’d recommend you take that cute little rump of yours and open that damn door before I-”
The aforementioned door swung open and both mares turned to see Rainbow Dash herself leaning against the door frame.
“AJ you bucking idiot.”
Her mane was falling out of its pins and her makeup was smudged across her face. But somehow she managed to still look nonchalant.
“It’s not my fault you-”
She rolled her eyes.
“Just come in.”
Applejack smirked triumphantly in the direction of the assistant and brushed past her, into Rainbow’s dressing room.
Dash shut the door behind them. And locked it.
“Why are you here?”
Applejack was far too engrossed in all the elements that had grown familiar to Dash.
The temperature-perfect lights. The wilting flowers in colored plastic vases. It was all so normal, now.
“AJ.”
She looked up, broken from her trance.
“You’re still really good, you know.”
Dash tossed her head, rainbow locks cascading over her shoulder.
“Thank you.”
She flashed Applejack a brilliant, shimmering smile. AJ, in turn, smirked.
“And you’re still really conceited.”
If that plasticine smile hadn’t already left her muzzle, it sure would’ve left then.
Rainbow repeated her earlier question. Applejack shook her head.
“Are you happy, Rainbow?”
Unsurprisingly, there was a distinct lack of eye contact coming from the pegasus.
“That’s not an answer.”
“It can be if you answer mine.”
Rainbow walked over to the vanity and began removing the pins from her mane, dropping each on the floor, audibly. Applejack’s eyes followed each of them, since apparently Rainbow wasn’t going to give them the same dignity.
“Well it’s a stupid question.”
She took a wipe from a perfectly folded stack and began scrubbing her makeup off, her precious eye contact bestowed on her own reflection.
“Alright, maybe I should elaborate.”
No reaction.
“Are you happy being like this?”
Rainbow whipped around, finally looking Applejack in the eye, taking deliberate steps towards her with heavy hooves.
“Like what, Applejack? What are you trying to say about me?”
“Sounds like you know exactly what I’m talking about, based on that reaction.”
Rainbow was close now, close enough that Applejack could see the bags under her eyes, the same ones Twilight had. The same ones Applejack would know she had if she’d been able to look in a mirror without crying.
“I don’t know what in Celestia you think you’re talking about, but if you’re trying to come here, come into my dressing room and tell me I’m unhappy, then it’s very easy to make sure you aren’t here to bother me anymore.”
Applejack didn’t flinch.
“Nopony said you’re unhappy. Well, ‘cept for you, just now.”
“Get out.”
Rainbow’s eyes were closed. Applejack swallowed, desperate to find the words to somehow deescalate, which was a struggle with Rainbow Dash even in the best of times.
“We’re all unhappy. It’s ok. You don’t have to be--”
“I do. I do have to be happy. I have everything I’ve ever wanted and I’m very happy about all of it, so if you can do me a favor and get out of here before... actually...”
She walked over to a bell on her vanity and shook it.
“My staff will be here in about thirty seconds. So if you have something to say, say it.”
Applejack took a deep breath.
“I’m not trying to tell you you’re unhappy. I don’t know how you feel. I just know that this isn’t you. You’re not... like this, and you know it. And you don’t gotta be like this, either. Nopony’s making you.”
Rainbow rolled her eyes.
“Congratulations, you’ve wasted your time by telling me nonsense.”
Sure enough, there was the telltale sound of hoofsteps right outside the door. It swung open, revealing a burly pair of stallions in black vests. They looked to the Wonderbolt for instructions.
“Alright, alright, I’ll go willingly,” Applejack conceded. “But think about what I said, Dash, please. And write to me sometime. You know where I am.”
Applejack searched in Rainbow’s expression for some kind of understanding, some acknowledgement. But there was nothing. She looked just as composed and aloof and plasticine as she had been when Applejack first saw her.
But she didn’t look happy.
Another day, another show, another group of screaming fans.
A pegasus filly, held in her father’s arms, sticking a photograph and a pen out to Rainbow Dash.
“I wanna be a Wonderbolt when I grow up!”
For the first time since Applejack left, Rainbow made actual eye contact with somepony.
“No you don’t. You wanna be anything else but this.”
And then her people were moving her along, then the roar of the crowd was fading, then it was more checklists and makeup wipes and curt answers. Then she was alone.
She was alone.
Am I happy?
She was alone.
What was AJ even talking about... crazy of her to come in here, assuming things about me, about what my life is like.
She was alone.
She rang the little bell and, with a clattering of hoofsteps, her assistant appeared in her dressing room.
“I need some paper and a ink and a quill. Quickly.”
The unicorn simply nodded and turned around.
“Wait.”
She paused and turned back around slowly, ready to receive her next instruction.
“What was your name again?”
“Oh! Um, it’s Comet Strike.”
“Well, thanks Comet.”
And with that, Rainbow Dash was alone.
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Really hope this does actually get continued.
This chapter really hit me in the feels despite how short it was
neat
Gosh, leave it to 2020 for one of my favorite stories to update. Even if you only give us one chapter, thank you. 🖤
And if there ever is a full Plumander return, I'll have to re-follow with this ol' account instead of the follows-retired-accounts-only one.
10535692
lol not a full return. i have the rest of this story already outlined (thanks, 2015!plu) so i will probably finish this one up (possibly, we'll see, no promises) but i sincerely doubt i'll write anything else new. i haven't written any fiction in at least three years and i havent watched the show in even longer than that so the odds are stacked against me lol
10536713
This and Of And Dot are some of my favorite stories on the site. Even if there are no new stories and it's just both or either one getting finished, that's still more than I could have asked for.
10536776
lol well there is zero chance of Of And Dot going anywhere so i guess i gotta finish this one lol