Adagio Dazzle Tries to Make Friends

by Daemon McRae

Appledash and Rainbow Jack

Chapter 2: Appledash and Rainbow Jack

Applejack’s weekend was a rare sight this time around. She’d done all of her chores with time to spare this morning, and it had been a light week for homework. With everyone else taking days to themselves or going off and doing their own thing, Applejack took the golden opportunity for once in her life and did nothing.

Then the knocking started.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

It was a sharp, intent knock, yet not without a hint of politeness in that it was brief and well-spaced. The farm girl, ever the gracious host, was quick to answer. She was not, however, prepared for her guest.

“Adagio? The heck are you doin’ here?” she drawled, giving the somewhat frazzled redhead a curious look.

“Hello, Applejack! I’m here to be your friend!” Adagio Dazzle exclaimed, beaming proudly.

Now, Applejack had been raised with proper manners. She was courteous to her guests, and a generally friendly person. Yet it was without a moment’s hesitation that she closed the door with such force as to consider it ‘slammed.’

A high-pitched voice made itself heard from down the hall. “Who was that, AJ?”

“Never you mind, Applebloom. Just somebody needs to mind their own-”

*SLAM*

The front door opened with near as much force as it was closed. “Ex-cuuuuse me?! No one slams a door in my face! I came all this way, walked miles, literal miles to come by and try to be friendly and nice and all those other… things that you and your fellow Rainbooms consider to be so important, and you shut me out like some average door-to-door salesman?!”

Applejack sighed, knowing full well that Applebloom wouldn’t let her live it down if she turned away such a convincing argument out of spite. In fact, she could see the beginnings of a frown form on her little sister’s face. It took all of her effort to turn around, and force a smile. Which still somehow looked as natural as her real smile. “Hello, Dagi. Would you like to come in?”

Adagio, having little to no interaction with Applejack up to this point, would never have known to pick up on the blonde’s lack of accent, a sure sign she was on edge. Applebloom, however, noticed immediately, and took it as a cue to return from whnce she came. Which was anywhere other than where she was right now. Dazzle, to her credit, returned toe forced smile with a genuine one. “Of course, dear Applejack!”

AJ led her ‘former’ foe through the house to the living room, where they both sat on the couch , though the hostess sat as far away as she could from her guest. “So, Adagio, you said you came here to make friends. What, exactly, do you mean?”

The suspicion in her voice was both easily detectable and expected. “Well, Applejack, it occurred to me that, besides m sisters, I have no one in this world to spend time with. I thought it might become me to seek out other people to spend time with, maybe talk, find some common ground, that sort of thing.”

“So yer’ bored,” Applejack guessed, her voice regaining some of it’s drawl.

A small smile crept it’s way across Dazzle’s features. “A bit. But it sounded like a much better idea than most of the other things I could be doing to kill time.”

“I suppose,” AJ said with a nod. “So… what do you wanna talk about?”

Adagio shrugged. “Well, I understand you have a rather prosperous apple orchard in your care? I myself used to work in an orchard.”

Blonde eyebrows met blonde hair in surprise. “No foolin’?”

“Of course not. About a hundred years ago, my sisters and I had set ourselves up on a rather profitable fruit farm near the middle of the country. Of course, I can’t say I understand the value of a day’s hard work ‘quite’ as well as you do, but I’m no stranger to getting my hands dirty.” She paused for a moment rethinking. “Literally, I should add.”

Applejack seemed to warm up to this revelation. “So, what kinda fruit did y’all grow?”

The siren smiled warmly, finally having made some headway in her ‘friend quest’. “Oh, apples, of course. Oranges. Berries of various kinds. Pears...”

Applejack straightened. “Pears?” she interjected.

“Oh yes. I love a good, ripe pear. SO sweet. Nowhere as diverse as an apple, mind you, but tasty nonetheless.”

The farmer leaned closer, her eyes narrowing. “So, would you say you… liked pears more than apples?”

Dazzle waved a hand dismissively. “Of course not. Pears are fine every once in a while, but I couldn’t eat them anywhere near as often as apples.”

Applejack felt a tension in her shoulders leave her. She wasn’t even aware it was there until it was gone. “Well, that’s-”

“Now pineapples on the other hand-”

“GET OUT.”

---------------------------

The siren found herself, once again, walking by herself along the city sidewalks. How many miles had she walked today? No bother. She was used to walking everywhere. A habit from a time long passed when cars, nor even buggies, were available, she had found it a great useful talent to be able to walk any distance without issue. Of course, her issue now was figuring out her next destination. “Stupid elitist apple farmer with her stupid demonic voice and stupid hedge clippers,” Adagio grumbled, taking large, angry strides down the street. “Why can’t I find someone who’s capable of a normal conversation? Like movies, or books, or even… sports...” she trailed off, as a light went on above her head.

“That’s the crosswalk sign,” said a droll voice from behind her. Adagio turned to see a familiar-looking blue skinned girl with pigtails addressing her. Only for a moment, however, as the well-dressed girl started crossing the street.

Taking her cue to follow, Adagio began to cross as well, until an idea popped into her head. “Of course! Rainbow Dash loves to talk about herself. I could make friends with her just by asking about her day!” With that, Adagio took off, passing the blue stranger with ease as she sprinted down the sidewalk.

----------------------------------

Rainbow Dash’s weekend was awesome. Nothing to do, no homework, so she got to sit around and watch movies and eat all weekend! She was currently in the middle of Die Hard, she couldn’t remember which one, the one with the airport. Either way, people were getting shot at and it was super cool.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

She paused the movie as someone knocked on her door. “I’ll get it!” she shouted, jumping up from the couch and sprinting to the door. She threw it open with reckless abandon, her excitement overwritten by confusion as Adagio Dazzle waved at her.

“Hello, Rainbow Dash!”

Rainbow looked around, even going so far as to poke her head out the door and investigate the lawn, just to make sure she wasn’t being pranked. “Um… hi? What are you doing here?”

“Well, I thought maybe we could be friends!”

“...uh-huh. Why would I do that?” Dash asked, not just hesitantly, but with outright opposition.

“Oh please, like you could ever have enough people to brag to,” Dazzle deadpanned, yet still smiling. Her smile disappeared as she heaved a long sigh. “Look, I’m trying here. Trying to actually make friends. And I thought that maybe, just maybe, you would be excitable and outgoing enough to be on board with this, especially if it meant getting to talk about yourself more. I mean, I haven’t hear any stories of your athletic triumphs. Ever.”

Damn you Adagio Dazzle and your perfect logic. No one ever accused Rainbow Dash of being a brilliant debater. A master, maybe. “Ok, fine. I guess I could tell you all about the game against Appeloosa last weekend,” she said, feigning exasperation. Poorly. Adagio could easily see the smile forming on the athlete’s face.

Rainbow led her new guest back to the living room, where she had been watching her movie. They sat down just as Mr. and Mrs. Rainbow walked into the room. “Oh, Rainbow, who’s your new friend?”

Dash waved a hand in Adagio’s general direction. “This is Ada… Adagi...”

The siren rolled her eyes. “Adagio Dazzle,” she said sweetly, holding out a hand to Rainbow’s parents. They each shook it in turn.

“Oh, you must be one of the sirens Rainbow and her friends defeated in the Battle of the Bands last year!” Rainbowshine exclaimed, as if endearing herself to the newcomer.

Dazzle felt an eyelid twitch. “Y-yes, that would be me and my sisters.”

“Well sit down, please! We love meeting Dash’s friends!” said Rainbow Blaze.

Adagio did as she was told, smiling brilliantly. “Yes, she was just about to tell me about her game last weekend.”

Rainbow’s mother beamed. “Oh, absolutely! Our little Rainbow is the best soccer player at Canterlot High!”

Her father chipped in, “Maybe even the whole world!”

“No, I don’t think so,” Adagio mused.

Both the parent’s expressions froze, as if processing the sentence they’d just heard. “Um… excuse me?” Mrs. Rainbow asked politely.

Adagio thought for a moment. “I’m a much bigger fan of Mia Hamm. Such a fantastic athlete.”

“Is that so,” said Mr. Rainbow, his expression darkening.

Rainbow turned to Adagio with sheer terror on her face. “RUN.”

--------------------------------------

Sugarcoat strolled down the sidewalk at her typical, patient pace, when a sound caught her attention. “…………..aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…….” She raised an eyebrow as Adagio ran past her in the opposite direction, which she considered strange as she’d just benn passed by the same girl not half an hour before.

“...traffic, walls, other people, lamp posts...” Sugarcoat mused to herself all of the things the bushy-haired girl could easily run into with such reckless abandon, stopping only as two adults sopped in front of her, manic looks on their faces, each wielding a trophy like a flanged mace.

“Did you see where she went?!” barked the male.

Not wanting to be an accomplice to murder, Sugarcoat pointed to her left, in the direction of a rather large shopping mall.

“Thanks!” yelled the female as they took off across the street, pausing for traffic, of course. Because they were responsible adults.

“...murderous psychopaths, cops, park benches...”

Comments

[Mitch H]

Didn't like the new canon names for Rainbow Dash's crazed fans parents?

[Daemon McRae]

8379944
That's just what the wiki said they were.

[Mitch H]

8379977
Ah. The writers chose to 'have a better idea'. 'Parental Glideance', they're officially Bow Hot Hoof and Windy Whistles, for father and mother. Which - blech, I hate the canon names, and didn't much like the episode they were named in, but yeah.

Rainbow Blaze is a much better Dashdad name, I agree.

[ForSpite]

8379980
Windy Whistles isn't terrible as far as pony names go, but "Bow Hot Hoof" is just awkward.

[LostArchivist]

returned toe forced smile

the?
]

besides m sisters

my

stopping only as two adults sopped in front of her

Stopping. As much as the two getting somehow drenched (Lack of maneuvering around the fire hydrant?) would be funny, I don't think that's what was meant to happen. :(