Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay

Apple Dashery: Special Edition in 3D

Applejack momentarily put her mulling thoughts aside.

Because right there...

Inside Sugarcube Corner... ...

... ... ...Rainbow Dash was sharing the mother of all Ghastly Gorge stunt stories:

"So there I was... being chased by half-a-dozen of these big, scaley things. Just one chomp of their fangs, and they'd have me for dinner. I knew that if I tried to fly up and ascend above the walls of the ravine, that'd give the creeps enough open air to lunge for me. Nope, there'd be no flying away from this chase like a coward. If I had any hope of shaping them, I'd have to fly to the end of the Gorge until it got thin enough that I could squeeze past the rock and get away from them unharmed."

"What... wh-what did you do?" Rarity asked, shivering slightly.

It was the kind of suspenseful response Rainbow was evidnetly searching for. Applejack watched closely as the petite pegasus continued with her adventure yarn: "I knew that 'Boulder Pass' was ahead of me. Most of the rocks that clung to the walls there were super unstable. A single sneeze could cause an avalanche! Now, I've flown through this Gorge enough times that I could practically do it in my sleep. That's how I knew I'd be comfortable enough to do it in the dark. I just didn't account for having a bunch of fat worms on my tail, their rancid breaths filling my nostrils. But, I timed it just right."

"Timed what just right, Dashie?" Pinkie asked, eyes bright.

"Right when doom was upon me... Right when any second meant that I was gonna become eel food... I twirled sideways and bucked the ever-living-snot out of the ravine wall! All of Boulder Pass shook, and—sure enough—it snowed rocks and pebbles all over the place! Those stupid scale-faces didn't know what hit them! They had flown straight into a rainstorm of stones, and I'd be a donkey's niece if not one of them suffered a killer concussion! Hah! It sounded like coconuts snapping behind me! I think I even heard one of them squealing in pain like a little sissy!"

Applejack squinted. "So... you mean..."

"Yup! They turned tail and ran! And I... got to finish the flight." Rainbow winked proudly. "The first pony to have flown through Ghastly Gorge at night... and lived. And she's totally standing right here."

Pinkie Pie was already cheering: "Wooohooo! Way to go Dashieeee!"

"Simply marvelous!" Rarity likewise applauded. "Such a fantastic, riveting yarn!"

"Incredible, Rainbow!" Twilight Sparkle remarked, breathless. "Such quick thinking! Any other pony who was unfamiliar with the Gorge couldn't possibly have survived that!"

Applejack ignored a worried, mothersome flutter in her chest. Clearing her throat, she stated: "Gotta admit, it took a lot of spunk. Just flyin' into that nasty place to begin with is like signin' yer own death warrant."

"Yeah, well..." Rainbow Dash casually reclined. "It looks like somepony slipped in some invisible ink." The room filled with laughter. "Yup! If anypony's gonna be pranking death, you're looking right at her!"

As the conversation spun wildly around, Applejack spent a prolonged period of time simply staring at the pegasus. Her petite frame. Her devilish smirk.

She tried imagining any of that getting in the way of blood-thirsty moray eels... and it was difficult not to cringe. In a blink, Applejack remembered the tearful mare she had practically cradled to herself in a Canterlot alleyway. So much soft fuzz. Silk sighs. Something so precious would snap under the tiniest of pressure.

Right?

Applejack exhaled heavily. She adjusted the brim of her hat to hide the droop in her ears...

Comments

[krakentoa]

AJ thinks Dash isn't made of stern stuff. We know she's sick, so... Kinda? Not that that stopped her from being awesome, but it isn't exactly a reliable partner.

[zaponator]

Applejack is the only one who's seen both sides of Rainbow

[bronyheat]

I once said that AJ's frustrations with RD's absences over the course of vol 1. would quickly transform to pride when all was revealed. But now...?
Given Applejack's protective nature and the fact she's seen Rainbow when she's vulnerable, I think discovering RD has been secretly diet East horsing would give her an apple-damned panic attack.