Appledashery Vol. Two

by Just Essay

Dust and Shadows

"Hooboy..." Applejack tilted her head back as she and Big Mac made their way to the refreshment table. Several ponies brushed by them in the bustling place, and many a hoof was waved in their direction, accompanied by smiles and cheerful exclamations. "Just how old is this barn? Must be dusty—cuz there is a whole lot of winkin' goin' on."

"Heheheh..." Big Mac smirked. "Eeenope."

Applejack looked up at him. "Nope? As in... no dust or no winkin'?"

Big Mac rolled his eyes.

"And just who tapped the sass barrel inside you all of a sudden?" Applejack's freckled muzzle scrunched. "I swear. Every time we get within so much as a hoofball field from a group of gabbin' ponies, you revert back to yer old self!" She waved a forelimb at the thicker portions of the lantern-lit crowd. "Well go on! Go and talk some ponies' ears off like you used to! I know yer dyin' to get it done!"

"Heheheh..." Big Mac shook his redhead. "Nawwww..."

"Eugh. Fine. Just help me unload the fritters." Applejack bumped into a few ponies as she arrived at the table. "Pardon. Whoops! My apologies. Sorry—didn't see yer tail there. Aw—mighty thanks. Just gotta scoot on through... mmmmm... herrrre we are!"

Applejack let loose a heavy breath of relief once she had some flank-room. She cleared a swath of open space atop the table and pulled the boxes full of baked goods out of her saddle.

"Okay... okay..." She breathed in and out with no small amount of melodramatic poise. "...just... get the treats spread out all nice and tasty. Put in a good word for Granny. Speak to Filthy Rich and a few of his friends. Then... mmmmm... m-make a swift skedaddle! No big whoop!" She turned to smile at Big Macintosh. "Nopony will know we was even here!"

Big Mac glared at her.

Applejack raised an eyebrow under the brim of her hat. "What?" She shrugged. "Is my mane a mess?"

The stallion slowly shook his head. "Eeeeeeeeeeenope."

"Big Mac, I..." Applejack grimaced, rubbing her shoulder as she looked nervously towards the corners of the room. "I just... ain't that good with crowds." She gulped. "Reckon you know what that feels like, right?"

"Eeyup."

"So... then... we're in agreement, right?" Applejack smiled crookedly. "We'll be in and out long before they begin their silly dance numbers. I mean... eheh... I dun mind cuttin' a rug or two, but I only ever seem to coordinate well when it's with other Apples like you or Apple Bloom or even Cousin Apple Stem—"

"OooOooOooOoooh!" Big Mac's eyes were suddenly shiny. He craned his neck to look over Applejack's hat.

"Huh?" Applejack turned around, following Big Mac's line of sight.

Her gaze fell upon a brand new model of plow—shiny and emblazened with a company logo. Filthy Rich stood beside it, striking a fancy pose as he patted a blue ribbon affixed to the top of the thing. Slicking his hair back, the stallion rambled off one sales pitch to another while surrounding stallions drooled at the dazzling prototype on display in the corner of the barn. Filthy's spouse stood a few spaces away, rolling her eyes and sipping at punch.

"Oh Celestia have mercy..." Applejack chuckled. She turned to smile at Big Mac. "I guess it's finally happened. You—big brother—are in lurve."

Big Macintosh cooed. "Eeeeeeeeyup."

Applejack giggled.

Right around that time, the country band playing fiddles ended their latest number. The air filled with a chorus of "yeeeeeeeeeeeha's", and shortly after—as the musicians took a moment to relax and mill about with the partygoers—the air filled with a delightful, songful melody.

"Why, heavens-to-betsy!" Applejack paused in placing out dishes full of apple treats. She looked all around for the source of the heavenly harmony. "That... sounds just like a freshly-opened bottle of spring! What is makin' that music?"

At last, she found the source of the melody. It was a flock of songbirds, perched on a beam overhead. They stood in a color-coordinated line, harmonizing with beaks angled brightly in the lanternlight.

"Huh... songbirds? Congregatin' at night?" Applejack smiled to herself. "I haven't seen somethin' like that since I visited the Cloud District in Fillydelphia! I wonder..." She looked around. "...did the Harvest family hire a pegasus to come and coordinate the party—?"

Applejack froze.

Her heart sank deep into her chest.

Across the way... dressed in smoky black silks and sashes...

...was Silver Shadow.

The visiting outsider had midnight-blue flowers pinned to her lusciously curled mane. She stood near the wall, smiling and chatting it up with a stallion or two. All the while, she looked bored... and sad. Her eyes swept the lengths of the barn's crown... searching... hoping... yearning—

"Guhhh!" Applejack found herself backtrotting on numb hooves. "Mrmmm... Big... B-Big Mac...?" She clenched her teeth. "I-I changed my mind! We gotsta go! We gotsta go now!"

Silence.

Trembling like a foal, the mare looked over her shoulder.

"Big Mac?" her voice cracked.

Across the barn, she spotted him. The oafish red stallion was standing before Filthy Rich. Together, they chatted while gesturing at the shiny new plow. Big Mac continued to drool.

"Rrrrrngh!" Applejack gnashed her teeth. "Consarn it! This stinks more than a... skunk stuck up a tree with a... a..." She slapped her forehead. "Guh! My countryism gland's done poached itself dry!"

On the far side of the barn, a pair of ears perked up. Silver Shadow was eagerly craning her neck.

"Shoot!" Applejack squatted low and shuffled stealthily into the thick of the crowd.

Comments

[zaponator]

Goddamnit Applejack, you even make being emotionally crippled look adorable.

[Phoenix Kitten]

"Shoot!" Applejack squatted low and shuffled stealthily into the thick of the crowd.

One mare sneaking mission.
This has one of 3 outcomes.
1. Somepony will blow her cover.
2. She'll make it out safely.
3. She'll make it out, but get spotted and dragged back in.

[Lightning Bearer]

s2.quickmeme.com/img/ef/ef1a1bfad483aa04ec730ba070cbf4bdb8ab4aa99354c0dc95506bd25f5febdf.jpg

[DrEggnog]

8258903
Oh God that's funny. Props to you, sir.

Dust and Shadows

This is the most Appledashery chapter soundingest thing I've ever read.

"Just how old is this barn? Must be dusty—cuz there is a whole lot of winkin' goin' on."

*squints* Is this because of my comment?

"And just who tapped the sass barrel inside you all of a sudden?"

. . . What? That's not a saying or a subverted saying or countryism or anything. You know, sometimes Appledashery is so bad, it's good, and I think that makes the parts that are genuinely good better.

Applejack was really adoracute towards the end of this chapter.

[PropMaster]

8259079
Hm? You called?

Excellent chapter, as always. I'm excited to see how Silver Shadow drags Applejack into the mix!

[Booster Spice]

Shadow believes she is a Silver Dream Machine, where to AJ, shes just a psychotic self centred hedgehog?

[Leftover of Saikano]

8259500
The hedgehog's dilemma would be a fitting theme for this story.

[BabySkittleMonster]

Ooh, drama! How excellent! Now all we need is the timely intervention of a crippled social disaster to help AJ out on her quest to homosexuality.

[arancaytar]

"Oh Celestia have mercy..." Applejack chuckled. She turned to smile at Big Mac. "I guess it's finally happened. You—big brother—are in lurve ."

"I would like to be a plow. "