Speed of a Different Dash

by entiegon

Chapter 6

(EGW)

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Pinkie Pie never knew how hard it was to find a perfect location for a sleepover until now. Usually it was no problem where they went. But with this Rainbow Dash being confined to a wheelchair, it made things a little difficult. Rarity had stairs at her house. So did Fluttershy, Twilight and Applejack. No one but Sunset knew the layout of her house. And, as much as she would have liked to host the sleepover at her own house, she couldn’t because it also had stairs. Not to mention Rainbow Dash didn’t want to meet up with her father just yet, so that house – though wheelchair friendly – had to be ruled out.

“ I got it!” She finally yelled from the corner seat of the booth they sat at in Sugar Cube Corner.

Around her, six girls turned to look at her in surprise. In the quiet that had surrounded them all as each one tried to think of what to do about Rainbow’s predicament, none of them had expected a yell like that. As a consequence, Twilight Sparkle now had a new fashion statement in the form of her drink being spilled over her front, Fluttershy decided it was safer to hide under the table and Rarity’s cake decided it wanted to be eaten by the floor instead of the fashionista. Pinkie had no choice but to look sheepish as all eyes turned to her, despite the obvious excitement that bubbled within.

“ Got what?” Rainbow dared to ask.

Upon those words, the excitement returned. “ We can have a slumber party at the farm!”

“ Uh, Pinkie. The farmhouse has stairs.” Applejack argued.

“ But not the barn!”

Admittedly, Applejack hadn’t thought about the barn, forcing her to scratch the back of her neck in slight embarrassment. A sleepover in the barn would mean that there would be more than enough space for not only a number of games and sleeping bags, but also for food as well. Getting the place cleaned up, unfortunately, would be the challenge… especially seeing that Old Butterscotch the horse also lived there and liked to make a mess of his food some nights. And, knowing Rarity, that girl would not like it one bit if she woke up with bits of oats and straw in her hair thanks to the horse.

Speaking of Rarity, she already looked like she was debating between having a fun sleepover with friends and having to deal with the muck and grime that could no doubt be found in the barn that the sleepover was being held in. The fashionista hated to admit it, but there was even that teeny, tiny little voice in the back of her mind telling her to miss out thanks to the ‘unsanitary habits of barn life’. To make matters worse, everyone seemed to be focussing on her as if waiting to see what she would do about the location.

Rainbow Dash, however, seemed to have concerns of her own.

“ What about Butterscotch? No offence to you, Pinkie, but those party cannons can really spook a guy if they’re not expecting it.”

“ Since when ‘ave you been innerested in Butterscotch?”

If Rainbow didn’t know better, she would have thought that Applejack was being harsh in her questioning. Truth was, she was just confused.

“ I’ve known Butterscotch ever since you… I mean, the other you first introduced him to me. And that day was awesome. I never knew what speed was until I got on the back of that amazing horse. He handles voice and rein commands like a dream! And I can jump with him!”

“ Jus’ don’t forget that things have changed ta what ya know from back home, alrigh’?”

“ Oh… yeah.”

Applejack couldn’t help but sigh at her friend’s look-alike. Just because she was in a different world, Rainbow Dash certainly wouldn’t change much. Her surprising ‘fan-girlish’ behaviour over the horse was just as powerful as her ‘fan-girling’ over those Daring-Do books and movies that were out. Mind you, it was good to see the girl – who had previously been moody and trying to pound open a locked magical portal with only her fist – as happy as she was now; almost bouncing out of her chair despite not being able to move her lower half.

“ As much as I love talking about butterscotch,” a dreamy look momentarily took over Pinkie Pie’s face, making everyone around her wonder if she was aware that they had been talking about a horse and not the lollies, before it quickly snapped back to one of seriousness, “ we have more important things to talk about. I need to know if the sleepover is a go ahead in the barn!”

“ Ah guess Ah could put the horse out ta pasture fer the nigh’.” Applejack thought aloud.

“ Now, why would you do that?” surprisingly, it was Rarity who asked the question.

“ Because that Butterscotch likes playin’ with his food. Some nights, he’ll fling roun’ his feed like some kinda lasso. And we never can pick ‘em when he does. I dunno what ta do with ‘im.”

“ I suppose we could have a look at him.” Fluttershy said, turning to face Sunset Shimmer.

Sunset, at first, looked confused about what the shy girl was suggesting… then she remembered that, even in this world, she had a thing with horses. Most people would say that she was a horse whisperer, much like Fluttershy with all her animals. But a small handful of girls – the ones that surrounded her now minus Rainbow Dash who was currently in another world – knew the truth. And if things were going to play out like she had a feeling they would, then Sunset Shimmer was about to explain where she came from to the Rainbow Dash that was currently sitting in a wheelchair at the end of the table.

Regardless of what was on Sunset’s mind, however, Pinkie Pie had already set up various lists for everyone with what to bring for the sleepover and had handed them out. Applejack found that she had to find Pyjamas and a sleeping bag for Rainbow Dash as well as gather drinks. Fluttershy and Sunset both discovered that they were helping clean the barn considering that they were going to be talking with the horse. Twilight and Rarity got assigned the job of bringing food while Pinkie announced that she was going to be in charge of games.

Being the guest of honour, Rainbow Dash got to do nothing.

But once again, hidden fears emerged from within Rainbow that she couldn’t help but voice. “ What about Tank? He needs his dinner each day to keep him strong and awesome.”

“ Don’t you worry, Dashie. Little Tankie is in good hands. I’ve already asked your uncle to keep an eye on him for you. And I’ve told him that we’re having a weekend sleepover with you! So, because it’s the weekend, we get to spend three nights of quality party time!” Pinkie Pie replied happily, easily ignoring the shocked gasps coming from everyone else. “ How else did you think you were going to be able to spend the night trying to figure everything out? And there is a lot to figure out. So I texted him for you.”

“ Pinkie Pie, darling. You don’t expect me or Twilight to prepare enough food for three entire days, do you?” Rarity was the first to speak up to the new arrangements.

“ No way, silly. That list is only for tonight and maybe tomorrow morning. A whole weekend of sleepover awesomeness means a whole weekend of mega-awesome-amazing bonding time between friends new and not so new! I mean, Applejack can teach us how to make the bestest of the best Apple fritters of all time! I can teach us how to make super-duper delicious cupcakes! I know for a fact that Sunset Shimmer has the best pancake recipe in the world! Plus we can pig out on that famous Sweet Apple Cider all weekend long!”

“ That all sounds great, but… are you talking about my uncle as in Prism Break?”

“ Well, he is the only uncle of yours that I know of.”

“ Are you sure?”

“ Absotively posolutely! Why?”

“ Uncle Prism should be in jail!” the words were almost screamed at the girl sitting in the corner.

“ Not in this world, he’s not!” Pinkie just as easily sang back, leaving a clearly confused Rainbow Dash in her wake.

Twilight then placed her hand on Rainbow’s shoulder as the awkwardness of someone from a different world began to settle over the group once more. “ We’ll add that to the explanation list.”

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A short while later found Rainbow Dash sitting by a bale of hay and using it as a make-shift table as she worked on a secret project of hers. Applejack was currently in the farmhouse hunting down the required items from Pinkie’s list while Fluttershy and Sunset Shimmer both worked to clean up the barn for the weekend.

The cleaning process, however, wasn’t going so fast as both girls were currently taking a break beside the horse stall that was in the barn and were talking to a rather handsome looking bay appaloosa gelding that could only be the troublesome Butterscotch. And the weird thing was that Sunset seemed to be actually talking in horse. Hence why Rainbow was currently hovering her pencil over the paper that she had borrowed from Apple Bloom; she was trying to figure out what was going on on the other side of the barn.

Before she had even decided to move, however, Applejack returned carrying a rolled up, red sleeping bag and a pair of pyjamas with clouds on them. Her brother followed, rolling in a large keg of apple cider from the cellar. With Applejack’s directions to place the keg in the corner, Big Macintosh proceeded to roll two more kegs into the barn. But it was as he left for good that Big Mac noticed Rainbow Dash sitting alone and in a wheelchair. It clearly confused him, thanks to the look on his face saying everything, but he said nothing and continued on his way.

“ So, what’s up with ol’ Butterscotch?” Applejack asked, heading over to the two by the stall.

“ Well, he… um…” Fluttershy stuttered before fading off for some reason.

Sunset ended up having to explain, seeing that the shy girl was once more unable to talk. “ You know how you pulled out of the rodeo this year thanks to, uh, the other me?”

“ Ah try ta forget.” Applejack admitted.

“ Well, you weren’t the only one to be disappointed about not going.”

“ Really?”

“ Yeah. Turns out Butterscotch wasn’t too happy about it either. And he blames you for it. I mean, I tried to tell him the truth, but he doesn’t believe me.”

The dark look that Applejack gave Sunset was enough to make anyone cringe, but something about it struck Rainbow in a number of ways. It took her a little while, but she soon realised that the pang in her heart was more a want for a girl that she couldn’t touch here in this world… and it made her realise, just then, that she was already starting to feel homesick. In her usual style, however, she set her jaw and berated herself for even thinking like that.

Applejack, on the other hand, had turned her attention to the horse, offering the appaloosa an apple she had brought with her. It was obviously a gesture of apology, yet Butterscotch seemed to be a little wary of it. But some whispered words of encouragement and promise seemed to win him over and he gladly accepted the apple.

Of course, the horse just had to look up as Rainbow made her way over to the group, having made the decision to finally confront the girls about the sight she had just witnessed.

“ What’s going on?” Rainbow Dash asked, seemingly innocently, as the other girls turned to look at her.

“ Oh, we were just finding out what was wrong with Butterscotch.” Fluttershy replied softly.

“ By talking to it?”

“ Sometimes jus’ askin’ is the best way ta solve a problem.” Applejack said with a nod and a quick pat of Butterscotch’s muzzle.

“ It also helps to be able to understand the answer, though.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Rainbow Dash noticed Sunset raise her arm and scratch the back of her neck, clearly feeling uncomfortable. What she couldn’t see, however, was the concerned look Fluttershy was giving her bacon-haired friend on the matter. Heck, even Applejack was feeling a little awkward about the subject.

Only one soul didn’t seem to care about what was going on around them and that was the horse. Instead, Butterscotch reached his head over the stall door and began sniffing at Rainbow Dash. It was obvious that he could sense something different about the girl, especially seeing that she was sitting down instead of standing up like he usually saw her. And, without realising, a snort and a flick of the ears told the one he deemed the ‘Horse Talker’ exactly what he was thinking.

Yet, despite not caring about what was happening in front of him, he could still sense the unease that hung in the air. So, he did the only thing he could do. He reached his head over to Rainbow’s and started eating her hair.

“ Hey! I’m not food, Butterscotch!” Rainbow called out, gently batting the horse’s head away from her own as well as the tension that had been forming between the four girls. She still ended up turning around and patting the horse, though. “ Maybe we can get a run later, if Applejack lets us.”

“ Yer not thinkin’ of ridin’ Butterscotch, are ya?” The farm girl questioned, quickly understanding what was being said to the horse.

“ Maybe I am, maybe I’m not. I did say that I knew how to ride.”

“ Ah’m jus’ sayin’ that this fella can be a bit wild at times.”

“ Like I’m not? Both me’s, if I’m starting to understand what’s going on.”

“ Okay, ya got me. But it is startin’ ta get late an’ Ah’m sure the others will be gettin’ ‘ere very soon.”

Rainbow Dash was about to argue some more when, sure enough, the barn doors opened to reveal a bounding Pinkie Pie carrying a large box full to the brim with all sorts of things. Behind her came Twilight and Rarity, each carrying a few different platters of foods. And Rarity was quick to notice that the barn was only half cleaned; instantly bringing a frown to her face.

“ I thought you would have had the barn ready by now.” She said, placing her trays of food in a clean patch of barn that was dangerously close to Rainbow’s hidden project.

“ We had a bit of a problem.” Sunset admitted, gladly leaving the group by the horse for the trio who had just arrived.

Looking at the still somewhat concerned look on Fluttershy’s face and the fact that the group of four had been surrounding the horse stall, Rarity had a pretty good guess as to what kind of problem they had managed to come across. Though she respectfully didn’t elaborate any further on the matter. Instead, she directed Twilight and Pinkie to an unclean portion of the barn before taking in hand an abandoned broom.

“ Well, I guess we better hurry and get this place sorted.” She said instead. “ I may have brought with me an old bolt of woollen fabric that I may have forgotten about, but that does not mean I want it to lay down on a dusty floor.”

“ Why’d ya go an’ bring fabric ‘ere?” Applejack grumbled, also leaving the group. “ This is a sleepover, not some froufrou sewing club fer beginners.”

“ I thought we could use it as some sort of rug. At least to put our sleeping bags on.”

“ Rarity, we don’t need a carpet! These ‘ere sleepin’ bags will provide us with all the carpet we need.”

“ I’m more surprised she didn’t bring a tent.” Sunset found herself whispering to Twilight who had to stifle a small giggle.

Unfortunately for her, though, Rarity heard her.

“ I had thought about it, but then I reasoned with myself that the barn roof would hold up okay.”

“ Of course it would! There’s a whole other room up there, two if ya count the attic!” Applejack replied.

“ Right.”

With that, the arguments stopped and the work resumed. Thankfully it wasn’t too much and with everyone managing to pitch in to help somehow, the barn was ready for the night in a matter of minutes. Plus, once things were nice and tidy, Applejack opened up one of the kegs while Pinkie got to work on setting up some of the games. Rainbow, however, had to make sure that her secret project had remained undiscovered and quietly made it so that only she would find it again. But she still added her two bits in and helped place the food trays on the long table that Applejack had provided for the occasion. Before the girls knew it, the sleepover weekend was in full swing.

Unfortunately for Butterscotch, it turned out to be a ‘girls only’ event. He ended up in the paddock for the night.

Author's Note:

You know the horse that was seen in the 'friendship through the ages' song clip? well, I decided to name him (just a little quirk of mine; animals must have names... unless they're legendary pokemon, in which case they are too awesome to have names). Also, the reason behind the name Butterscotch (aside from it being the only one that seemed to stick in my head) is that a young Apple Bloom named him.

As for Rainbow Dash's uncle Prism Break, he is an OC. Because we know next to nothing about Rainbow's family except possibly her dad having similar looks to her and having the name Rainbow Blaze, I've had to work on a few of my own ideas; Blaze being in a wheelchair being one and now Blaze having a brother who happens to be Prism Break.

My main issue for this story, though, is keeping everyone in character to the best of my abilities. Obviously, there will be differences between the worlds, but I would more than definitely appreciate it if someone reassured me with the accuracy of our main Equestria Girls. Please and Thank You

With that, I hope you have been enjoying this story so far. I will try to push out chapters on a regular basis, but with me having to find time to write and then type the chapters between everything else that I do, I can make no promises.

Comments

[Szalhi]

yay

[rcmero]

Come again? The other Sunset? Do elaborate.