A series of Appledash shorts, written with the proofreader being my trusty Spellcheck. :P I might do songfics [minus lyrics], interpretations of scenes from the show, etc.
Previously named 'The Streets of Manehattan', but since there's an annoying little plot bunny gnawing on my brain I changed the title/image. :D
This is Appledash based off the story told in the awesome Les Mis song. Sorry if if it's not to your liking. =) edit; added in some lyrics, sorry! just to make it clear what I'm basing it off
There was a time when love was blind, and the world was a song....
The leaves were falling.
One by one, it seemed.
Their shape was illuminated in the burning orange sunset, making a beautiful display of shadows dancing across the sky.
She breathed in the fresh scent of earth, of rain... of apples.
She leaned in closer to Applejack, resting her head under her workpony's chin. She couldn't think of a more beautiful pony to watch this beautiful scene with her. They could just stay here together, forever, each in the other's warm, loving embrace. She wished this moment would never end.
Rainbow Dash never came across so, with her boisterous, ultra-cool attitude, but she wasn't afraid of commitment for the pony of her dreams. She was intertwined with that very pony right now - Rainbow was already thinking ahead of their future together. Dash would risk her life for her. She was prepared to stand by AJ throughout the entire years to come.
Granted, they had only been going out for a few weeks, taking it slow as Applejack had wished, and not alerting anypony of them just yet. Rainbow couldn't wait until Applejack was ready; she could just imagine the envy of the other ponies, that Applejack was going out and who had possibly obtained the life devoir of the most awesome, fantastic, wonderful, best Young-Flier-In-Equestria chromatic pegasus. Although it might as well be jealousy for Dash herself. She considered herself the luckiest mare in the world for having someone as amazing as AJ.
Rainbow felt obliged to let Applejack know this, as she thought of it.
"AJ."
"Yeah, sugar?"
"I love you."
Applejack moved her head so that she could nuzzle Rainbow. "Same goes for you, RD."
One thing went to another, and the leaves weren't the only thing illuminated in the sunset.
~
.... Then it all went wrong...
What was happening...?
Why were...?
Bon-Bon and Lyra were... too... right? No-one had been like this to them...
They stopped at the entrance of the Everfree forest, each panting for breath. That reaction was certainly unexpected.
Rainbow and AJ had decided to make it public to their friends at Twilight's. They, of course, were ecstatic, claiming to have seen it coming way back. Hopes rekindled, they exited the library and began their way back to the farm. AJ's fellow Apples were unsurprised also; Granny Smith was glad that their granddaughter had stopped trying to hide the obvious from her, declaring that Rainbow was an Apple already - a Zap Apple! Big Mac was eyeing Dash critically. It made her feel uncomfortable, but eventually he nodded and wished them the best. However, Applebloom had disappeared somewhere. No worries there, of course.
The two mares were lost in their own world, making idle chitchat and laughing together. They didn't notice how silent Ponyville now was. They didn't notice everyone's eyes on them. They didn't notice until they heard a protesting 'neigh'.
Rainbow snapped to attention, narrowing her eyes and searching for the offender. It was hard to tell - everypony was staring at the two, expressionless. Another 'neigh' sounded, followed by another and another. Rainbow was about to give a good tailwhopping to whatever foal had opened their mouth, until she was interrupted by an upset, fleeing Applejack. By instinct, she followed, not sure where AJ was going. She'd deal with these hoofpicks later.
"AJ..."
"Ah'm sorry, Rainbow," she sniffed, turning her back to the pegasus.
"You didn't do anything, there's nothing to be sorry for." Rainbow Dash moved forward and held the sobbing Applejack, who leaned back against her. Ponyville would pay for this.
~
.... There are storms we cannot weather....
Everyone's opinion changed pretty quickly once Dash got involved. Applejack had hundreds of ponies coming to apologize to her, and soon the sad event was forgotten in the midst of happiness and laughter.
The peace wasn't for long.
"Consarn it, Rainbow! You know that was over two years ago, you don't need to hold it over my head for so long!"
"Just because it was two years ago doesn't mean it didn't happen!"
"Ah'm not saying it didn't!"
"Seems you really want to hide it, right? Do you want to hide me too?"
"Of course not, you know Ah love y'all. Get your head out of the clouds."
"I will if you get your mouth out of the-"
"Hold it just a minute, that's uncalled for!"
"Is it really, saddlepony?"
"That's it. Ah'm through with us, get out!"
"Don't need to tell me twice!"
~
... But she was gone when autumn came....
Her summer with Applejack was over. It was now autumn, with Dash lacking the company of AJ.
She really regretted it. Loyalty, her flank. A loyal pony doesn't mouth off about things that didn't even concern her, that she knew her Applejack wouldn't do now. Though it wasn't 'her' Applejack anymore. They had broken up on the last month of summer.
Now it was late autumn, and the leaves were falling.
One by one.
But there were two things wrong with this admirable scene. The sunset was red, yellow, pink, blue. There was no orange.
And there was no orange she could interlace with. She sighed, readjusting herself on the hard forest floor. She felt like there was a part of her missing, and Applejack had taken that part with her when they had gone separate ways. Perhaps Applejack was that missing piece. Perhaps it was her heart that was gone, torn apart by shame.
She had tried again - to apologize, to prove her love once more... But Applejack mustn't have felt the longing need Rainbow had. She had told Dash that she needed some time to herself for a while, and that she wasn't interested in trying again anytime soon. That fight had really hurt her. Maybe someday they would be Appledash again.
Someday...
The last leaf fell, tiling the ground with a carpet of orange leaves.
This story is based off the cup song. Yeahhh, I went there~! I decided to do a nice upbeat song for a change... talk ab. awkward & I dreamed are kind of disappointing for AD fans, and the other stories I have planned are kind of sad too, so... >> enjoy?
Well, this was bothersome.
Applejack was about to have gotten all her farm chores finished early today -she just had to put this brush away-, and apparently going about doing so was a waste of effort. She couldn't spend it with the pony she had planned to.
The farmpony glanced up at Rainbow Dash, who was currently hovering over her, a look of sympathy and disappointment etched on the pegasus' expression. Applejack spat out the broom to answer her.
"T'aint nothing Rainbow, you gotta do what you gotta do. And you kinda do gotta... fly," Applejack shrugged nonchalantly, attempting to reassure her marefriend.
"Well, I obviously have to keep hold of the Ponyville's Best Marefriend reputation I've got going on here," Rainbow leaned down to give AJ a slight nuzzle, pulling back up into the air as fast as she had come down. "Still - the Wonderbolts or you... It's a hard choice now."
The orange mare laughed. "That's mighty sweet of you, RD. Didn't take you as the emotional type, though."
"That's your fault! You have me acting all sappy!" The pegasus crossed her forelegs and shot an accusing look at AJ.
The offending mare laughed again. Winding up Rainbow was as fun as a barrel of monkeys. "You know I don't mean nothing of it, sugarcube. You go have fun at your Wonderhooves educationin' mabob, I'll meet up with the girls while you're gone."
Dash landed down on the ground, snickering slightly at the other mare's knowledge of the famous airborne flight group. "That reminds me - if you have any last words of longing and undying passion before I head off, I have an ear open."
Applejack raised an eyebrow. "You're right, guess I do have you acting strange. Mighty sorry 'bout that, guess it's something that comes with the 'lationship package."
Rainbow facehoofed. So much for getting vengeance. "No worries. I'll deal with it."
The two lapsed into a comfortable-yet-awkward silence after Dash's backfired plan. Time for a different approach.
"Two bits you'll crack first."
"Who said anything 'bout eggs, sugarcube? Unless you mean this egg," She ruffled the prismatic mane in indication.
"Nope, I mean this one!" Rainbow, in return, tapped the top of the western pony's stetson.
"It. Is. On."
They pressed their muzzles together, nose to nose against the other. The competitive sheen was visible in their eyes. They smiled, neither of them backing away.
"Suppose you should be off now, dear."
"I'll get right to it, honey. See you in a week."
"I'll be waiting," AJ paused jokingly. "Or not."
"I'll be waiting to see you waiting... With my two bits!"
"Don't count on it, sugar." Applejack backed away first, and gave Dash a nuzzle for the road. "Cya. In a week."
"Don't forget," She pulled the orange pony closer to her again, putting a foreleg around her neck and a wing across her back, as a somewhat tender pegasus hug... thing. She gave a light squeeze, before retracting herself and positioning to fly off. "... To mark the days off your calendar!"
She was soaring through the sky in a snap; it was pointless to shout after the zooming rainbow blur, who was already flying over the apple tree tops.
Applejack shook her head with a chuckle, and picked back up her abandoned broom. She made a beeline for the barn looming in the distance.
~
A few minutes later, Rainbow arrived at the train station. Why she had to get a train to the Academy when she could fly there in a matter of minutes, she had no idea. But enclosed in the letter was a free Ponyville Express ticket - she would have normally been offended at such an offering, but she could see the sense behind it. She had to present herself as a fully charged speed/stunt machine - as Wonderbolt material, basically. She had to be at her best condition, and sitting down to a nice and relaxing train ride would help do the job. She had been asked to spend another week there! Of course, she was completely overjoyed, but now she had Applejack.
Bleh. Damn this sappy stuff.
After getting admission onto the train, she settled into her seat. It was about to leave the station and propel her towards the Academy. She felt like she could start bouncing off the walls Pinkie Pie style any moment now, she was so excited!
The train gave off a final blow before departing.
~
Applejack pushed open the door to Sugarcube Corner, the bell making a soft tinkling to alert the ponies inside the building. She gazed across each table, before she saw the one her friends were seated at. They waved, indicating to go to them. Trotting over, she was met with a chorus of greetings from her fellow mares.
"Hey y'all, how's it been?" They had saved a space for both her and Dash - however, noticing the pegasus' absence, they scooted to take up the extra space.
"Applejack, dear! We haven't seen you for quite some time; I think the rightful question is how it's been with you," Rarity declared, the other ponies nodding in agreement.
"Gosh, I'm awful sorry girls. The two've us just been busy with... you know," she replied sheepishly. She felt mean for neglecting her other friends over her new relationship. She'd need to work something out with Rainbow when she got back.
"It's really quite fascinating, you two pairing up! You make such a good couple, though it was quite unexpected to me at first," added Twilight, rather unhelpfully. Pinkie, Fluttershy and Rarity shared a look - they had seen it coming a mile away.
"Speaking of which," started Rarity, taking the spotlight from the oblivious unicorn, "Where is Dash? I expected her to come here with you."
"She's off at the Wonderhooves Academy again. They offered her another week, I think." The ponies glanced around the table with a smile. Wonderhooves?
"I think it's called the Wonderbolts, AJ," Twilight said, holding back a giggle. It was funny to think Rainbow Dash hadn't corrected that mistake yet.
"Dashie got called back again to the Academy? They must really really like her then!" Pinke exclaimed. "Maybe they'll give her a spot soon, and we can have a big 'Dashie is a Wonderbolt' party with balloons and cake and streamers and-!"
"Yeah Pinkie, I'm sure she'd appreciate that when she gets back," AJ interrupted. It was dangerous to leave Pinkie talk freely about parties, unless you wanted her to walk you home at the end of the get-together still describing her party ideas.
Rarity had similar ideas. "Pinkie, darling, how about those hay cakes you were telling us about?"
"Ooooh, I nearly forgot!" She bounded off to the kitchen.
"So, Applejack... Is she good?"
"Good? At what?"
Fluttershy spoke up for the first time, obviously not liking this new turn of topic. "Rarity, you won't believe what Opal did earlier..."
Twilight looked up. "Oh, yes, it was most stupendous! Such a smart feline!"
~
Flying to there definitely would have been faster. Dash stared out of the window, supporting her head with her hoof. Sitting here was tedious, and there were so many rocks. They were everywhere on this mountain, and the mountain itself was a big mound of boring rock - rocks upon rocks upon a huge rock. Nothing about this scene was at all picturesque.
The train made a slow curve around the mountain, which resulted in a complete change of scenery. Behind the mountain was a breathtakingly beautiful trail of rivers, strewn like ribbons across the rocky terrain; trees, flowers, all sorts of unexpected flora grew, polka-dotted between various cracks and nooks. The sun was setting, which casted a smoky glow across the stone-ridden landscape. It was like someone had taken a page from a ponytale and made it real; she could picture Fluttershy adoring this gorgeous view.
She got a mental hold of herself, and sat back down on her seat. She had gotten a bit excited and pressed right up against the window glass. Applejack's fault.
She felt a pang of... some emotion at the mental mention of Applejack. She turned to look at the empty seat next to her, and wished her farmpony was here to see this enchanting view with her.
... Sweet Celestia.
Rainbow banged her head against the wall in frustration.
~
Applejack chuckled to herself on her way back to the farm. She hadn't spent proper time with her friends for a while, and getting back together again was great fun. Apart from the fact that there was one of them missing. She shrugged. Rainbow has to do what she has to do. She'll be back pretty soon. She smiled, remembering their bet. Dash wasn't at her brightest suggesting such a motion; the element of Loyalty is obviously going to succumb. Victory was practically being handed to her.
Keep thinking that, her conscience jeered to her. She ignored it and trotted on.
~
The following week seemed to draaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag. Each of the competitive ponies were still holding up... somewhat. They kept in contact through letters being sent to and fro. The letters were addressed to each of their friends, but there was usually a little paragraph at the end of Dash's letters just for Applejack.
Neither had come crawling back to the other yet, both too stubborn for such a thing to even be thought. The week was pretty much over, anyway. Thank Celestia.
Applejack had jitters. She couldn't wait to run her hooves through her pegasus' chromatic mane, to feel the wind from her beating wings as she hovered above her... all the little displays of affection she'd show that would be over in a split second. She only had to wait till morning.
Rainbow was indecisive. The extra week, as expected, was completely awesome. Dash already knew all the trials the newcomers were tested with, knowing what impressed Spitfire and using it to her advantage. Her efforts weren't in vain; she was being treated like the pro she was, and she felt like she practically had that team spot being kept warm for her.
But she was, as expected, pining to go home. She missed Ponyville, she missed the ponies and she missed her pony. She longed to see her with her familiar cowpony hat, her southern drawl and her cute little freckles. At least the day was nearly over; Spitfire was preparing the finishing activities before the Princesses switched the sun and moon.
~
Applejack stood with her friends, shifting her weight from foot to foot energetically. The train was arriving soon, and Pinkie had prepared a small party to welcome back the new 'Wonderbolt'.
However, instead of a train there was a.. speeding cyan pegasus aiming to crash right into the bunch of them? It seemed like she was pretending to be a bowling ball knocking down pins.
The skyfallen mare had a different destination planned - it only knocked over Applejack, instead of them all. Rainbow pinned her down to the platform, preferring to be on top as usual.
It took AJ a moment to realize what had hit her -literally-, but she soon recognized the magenta irises captivating her line of view.
"I missed you so much," they whispered simultaneously, locking eyes before locking muzzles.
The four friends watched the heartwarming scene unfolding before them in silence, each deciding to give the reunited couple some time to themselves.
Pinkie edged closer to Rarity and whispered, "Does this mean their bet is off?"
omg gaiz dont i haz teh msot riginil titelz evar. ~cough~ This actually isn't based off a song, but from a FiM flash game I was playing earlier. There was some random mishap with the flash. Rainbow's character was near to a bucket of apples, and the animation made her put her head into it. xD It was such an inspiring moment to me, and gave birth to this glorious piece!
Rainbow Dash had never really thought about it, and had always taken it for granted -
How did her marefriend always have the smell of apples on her? Was it her shampoo, her conditioner, her body wash? That would just be crude; AJ's family seemed to practically live, eat, sleep and breathe apples enough as it was. If they washed themselves with apples too.... that would be stepping over the line of 'original' to plain 'obsessed'. Dash had noticed that Applejack did eat a lot of apples, which meant that she tasted like apples [which Dash was also already knowledgeable of], but that affected her breath. It didn't explain why even her hoofnails smelled like apples.
Maybe she got it from bucking apples all day, but she wasn't exactly taking them and rubbing herself all over with them as she bucked. Instead of smelling like something just baked, she should smell like a wet gym sock. Did the aroma of the apples carry itself over to Applejack as she carried them in their baskets? Perhaps her family made perfume from the apples. But that, again, would be obsessive, and AJ wasn't exactly a frou-frou perfume 'dunker'.
Rainbow turned herself over, getting comfortable with a different position on her cloud. There was nothing quite like flunking off work and hypostatizing about the scent of your marefriend.
Maybe instead of using water, she used cider or apple juice when she bathed. Rainbow imagined a dripping wet AJ in a tub of cider, with her loose mane slicked against her neck.
That would be an option she could agree with.
Dash couldn't exactly pinpoint what apple product she smelled of, though; maybe your typical old apple, cider, apple pie, apple fritters, apple crumble, caramel apples... apple sauce? An idea was beginning to conceive in the pegasus' mind -Twilight would be proud of her- she'd have to conduct an experiment!
She energetically leaped off her cloud and glided to the market square. Work could wait until later, she was about to bring pride to the name of science! Everypony was going about their daily business, sale stalls were packed into every sizable nook and cranny that could be found, and the general atmosphere was buzzing with activity and chatter.
Rainbow easily located the Apple's stall and trotted over, gently shoving her way past the crowding ponies. Big Macintosh was tending the stand, nodding at each pony as they purchased their apple merchandise. She let her gaze roam, until she locked focus onto what she had been looking for, and smiled. Test subject number one.
She made her way over to a bucket of apples, and casually stuck her head deep into the barrel as if she was apple-bobbing, disputing several out of the container and onto the ground as she did so. She inhaled the smell vigorously, unaware of the many stares her upwards rump was getting.
One of Big Mac's customers got his attention, who was pretending he didn't see his sister's fillyfriend shoving herself into a barrel and nonchalantly counting out correct change.
"Sir, you do realize about that pony over there, yes?"
"Eeyup. Guess we can't sell that bunch today."
To make matters worse, Dash dislodged herself and came flouncing over to the stall, cutting in front of the customer and grabbing an armful of treats from the cake shelves.
"Yo Mac, mind if I borrow these?"
"S'okay Dash, y'all don't have to return them."
"Sweet, thanks!" On that note, she flew off into the sky and out of sight within seconds. If Big Macintosh knew anything, she'd be headed to the farm. He'd rather not think of what Dash had planned for his sister.
~
Dash soon reached the orchard. She divebombed into the forest of apples, coming to a stop behind the thick trunk of a tree. She wanted to surprise Applejack with her intelligent philosophy instead of flying right to the farm, and anyway she'd gotten tired of holding them in her hooves. Some of the goods were slightly squashed from their rough journey, but they'd still be fine. The only thing she regretted was having no cider, the one thing she'd have preferred to have AJ test monkey. In a big tub.
She smartly walked into a tree during this daydream, bringing her back to reality. She'd narrowly avoided stepping on her treats, so she outstretched her wings and delicately placed them on her feathered limbs one by one with her mouth, carrying them all the way to the farm.
It hadn't helped that she didn't know what way she was going from the view of the ground, and she couldn't fly up and place her surroundings right now. Celestia, this science stuff was hard.
Eventually, after wandering around in circles for a while, she reached an end to the sight of apple trees, and the shape of the barn house loomed before her. She stuck her head around the doorway, and saw Applejack sorting bales of hay. She must be so bored, trapped in here, counting individual strands of hay! Setting down her precious apple goods, she prepared to leap in the doorway.
"I'LL SAVE YOU, APPLEJACK!"
Before she could even react, AJ found herself flung halfway across the barn by a blue airplane, which was now standing over her victoriously.
"Sugarcube, what in tarnation you doing?"
"No need to thank me AJ! Anything to save my damsel - oof," Dash was interrupted by an orange hoof roughly pushing her over. Applejack stood up and shook the dust off herself, and Rainbow was properly graced with AJ's smell ever since she had made her dramatic entrance in the barn. She quickly leaned over and took a good sniff of everything - Applejack's hat, her mane, her neck, her back, her legs. Applejack again shoved her away before she could advance, and Rainbow responded by also sniffing the offending hoof. This smell was teasing her to no extent. She hadn't ever realized how fragrant it was.
"RD, what's gotten into ya? You're nosing like a dog," Applejack asked with concern, disturbed by these actions.
Rainbow let off a huge grin. "Science!"
This only led to heighten Applejack's concern.
Rainbow briefly explained her query, and Applejack's eyebrow raised up further and further as she spoke.
"That don't sound like no science to me, just sounds like a crazy pegasus with too much time on her hooves."
Dash harrumphed and knocked AJ's hat down over her eyes. "You don't know how much this has been bugging me all day. So we'll conduct an experiment!"
Applejack looked skeptical as she followed an excited pegasus out of the barn, her bales of hay forgotten. She looked at what Rainbow had brought to the farm with her, and started laughing.
"You've just proven that I'm right, sugarcube. You really are crazy."
Rainbow dismissed the comment airily with a russle of her wings. "You sit here," she indicated with her hoof at a random spot on the ground, and Applejack decided to comply.
Thus followed a delicate operation of sniffing, smearing, and comparing between various bakings made from apples with and on Applejack. But nothing satisfied Dash - the smells compared with her Applejack were either too sweet, too sour or too musty.
Perhaps it just meant that Applejack's smell was a special characteristic of who she was, and that no animate object could be pinned down to match her beautiful fragrance.
Or else she just hadn't tested enough apple products. Applejack was covered in all sorts of cake, and was enduring it surprisingly well. Dash would have thought it'd have been all over the farmyard by now. An idea struck her for another experiment and also as a method to clean her farmpony off.
gaaaaaaaizz gaiz gAiZ gaiz GAIZ GAAAAAAAIZ GAIZ GAIZ double rainboom today! In four hours! I can't wait! Have a messily composed chapter as a celebration! warning: sour rd is sour.
~~~
Rainbow nonchalantly streamed along the sky, her 'Fluttershy-is-The-New-Face-of-Advertising' banner tasseling behind her. She, however, found three hindrances - one, it was the crack of dawn. Celestia had barely began to raise the sun, so the land was cold and pretty dark. She should still be asleep now, in her nice cozy cloud bed, blissfully grazing the grasses of dreamland. Another was the fact that she had to go at the speed of a snail to capture the 'magics' of this flimsy shopping tag. She might as well fall asleep here... If it wasn't so cold. Having to actually tow this thing along came very slimly on top of these annoyances. Sure, Fluttershy was one of her best friends, but it didn't change the fact that she was getting paid to do this. Fame and fortune were more of her type of thing, not this scardey cat's!
She couldn't imagine how timid little Fluttershy had even gotten the spine to do something as big as this; she was everypony's idol, the publicity rates were huge! Dash couldn't even turn around without hearing about Photo Finish's new star, without bumping into a crowd of fanfillies, without seeing her face, even. Nowhere was safe from her - Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, take your pick, everywhere was bustling with the presence of Fluttershy, both aurally and visibly. Dash was willing to bet that even the local critters in the Everfree would be babbling in their little critter language about her too.
How she'd love to be in her friend's horseshoes, to be the next biggest thing. The fame, the attention, the bits... How she'd love it all! Dash could picture it now.
The spotlight would be shining on her, capturing the attention of the audience. They knew this was the pretold new Wonderbolt member, who was accepted immediately after her audition. Having saved Equestria from all ranges of evil, being a vital part in the functioning of the mythical Elements of Harmony, being the winner of too many major competitions to count, personal friends of the two Princesses and just generally all-around being awesome, she was a mare more than worthy of having her name go down in the history books.
With Spitfire and Soarin' at each flank, they would simultaneously take off into the air, with a background of extravagant fireworks and confetti withal, they would then preform an extremely complex, skillful routine that would leave the crowd awestruck. To finish, Spitfire would give Rainbow a nod, and with that signal, Dash would leap high up into the night sky and preform a triple... no, a quadruple Sonic Rainboom, finishing with a magnificent Brocade Barrage. Even her new teammate Wonderbolts would be amazed at her skill, having only expected one small Buckaneer Blitz, while the crowd would be going absolutely wild - Canterlot nobles and hayseed farmponies alike! They would shower her with adoration, diamonds, bits and declare her the immediate, worldwide #1 pegasus... !
Dash wittingly crashed into an apple tree, effectively ending her rather unrealistic, but not impossible, daydream. The advertisement smothered her to the leafy prison of branches, before it slowly dragged her to the ground, landing her on her haunches. She seemed to have instinctively flown towards Sweet Apple Acres in her dozing, and gone off her directed flight plan. Oh well.
Rubbing her head, she glanced around quickly, taking in her surroundings. She seemed to be smack in the middle of a sea of apple trees - perfect. After a short inward debate, she smoothed back her mane and got to her hooves. This was another crash that never happened, and she was still awesome.
Taking back to the air, she tugged at the banner's cord with her hoof, as an attempt to bring it up to her. It was heavier than it looked; since she had a flying start before, not to mention with her astounding athletic ability making the task simple, she hadn't noticed it.
Successfully having made it airborne after a few tugs, she surveyed the advertisement while resuming her slow journey. Dash had landed on it in some 'forgotten incident', as well as having it rubbed against the orchard's grassy floor, and some of the paint had gotten smudged as a result. Since it wasn't mainly blurred on Fluttershy's face, it should still be fine.
After what seemed like hours of alert but casual vigilance [as alert as one can be in the early hours of morning], she finally caught sight of the orange farmpony she'd been looking around for.
Rainbow also noticed that she, too, the ever sensible, down-to-earth earth pony, had also gotten caught up with the Fluttershy phase. Applejack was preparing her sales stall for the market, as Rainbow had seen her do many times before, but this time her stall had gotten a new fashion upgrade. Each basket sported its own portrait of Flutters carrying baskets of apples... Dash had to hold back a snicker. Talk about original.
She had to admit, she was feeling a little jealous. Where did AJ have the portraitures of her when she won the Best Young Flier's competition, not to mention the Best Young Racer's derby, as well as all the other awesome competitions she had won with ease? She had been all over the papers those days. She knew, because she had all those papers framed in her cabinet. Perhaps AJ was keeping those sketches dusted and polished until she was a Wonderbolt.
Her ego was reinflated.
Nevertheless, Dash made a mental note to go visit her friend later on. The pegasus doted on the earth pony - Dash considered her to be one of her closest, bestest friends she'd ever had. AJ was so easygoing, and such a good pony. So dependable and honest, not to mention a serious athlete. She was perfect for Dash, and completely relatable. She started to feel guilty for being such a spoiled sport; AJ would never think of dissing down Fluttershy like she had just done. Applejack would be happy and immensely proud of her friend. Fluttershy should be just as important to Dash as the workpony was, considering that Dash had known them both since foalhood and up. She couldn't help but get jealous sometimes of her self-proclaimed sister pegasus.
This time was one of those moments.
Rainbow Dash leisurely drifted along, upon noticing the cowpony would soon notice the prismatic pegasus overhead. AJ was just after putting her last apple basket into place in her Fluttershy clad sales stand, and would no doubt start taking it all apart soon for Macintosh to take to the market. Big Mac would often be the one bringing the cart to town, but it was almost always AJ selling their produce. Rainbow didn't understand why she seemed to be OCD like this; wouldn't it be easier to just set up the first time at the market, with no requirements of setting up at home first for a false audience? Dash noticed that not many ponies usually came by the farm, unless they needed one of the Apples, or perhaps a stock of vegetables or two, so it made no sense to her for AJ to continuously arrange and rearrange her product stand.
Whatever.
Closing her eyes, she stretched her forelegs out and dragged the banner along at a faster rate, making the sheet billow and waver as she did so, maintaining on looking completely casual. She had had some other 'forgotten incidents' of this stupid piece of cardboard yanking her in various directions, which she did not want a repeat of here; sure, she had somewhat gotten used to pulling it, but the possibility of a strong, sudden blast of wind never faded.
She was glad to officially state to herself that she had succeeded with putting a display of ease in trailing this banner along behind her. Even while she was dragging pieces of cardboard around the sky for bits, she was still awesome.
She couldn't really help but hope that AJ had seen her stupendous effort. Since Dash had been concentrating on looking cool, she hadn't thought to say hi to the farmpony - she shrugged it off, concluding that Applejack always initiated the greetings anyway. Dash couldn't go back and say hi to her, after she tried so hard to put on her performance. For some reason, she just loved AJ's attention. She would prefer to hold the gaze of the captivated farmer rather than a crowd full of... cheering fans. Screaming her name, begging for encores...
... Now that she thought about it, perhaps more like a bleacher full of fans.
Well. She could settle for a stadium full of fans, with Applejack and her other 5 best friends watching.
The princesses, if not Rainbow herself, would grant them front line seats, and all of the girls would have brought their own little token of support.
Pinkie would bring her megaphone hat, and her foam finger. Rainbow bet Applejack would crank out those 'Rainbow-Dash-Is-My-Hero' posters that Dash totally knew she had, Twilight would cast some magic fireworks spell or some other egghead means of cheer, Rarity... could design cheerleading outfits!
Rainbow Dash began to wonder, how would AJ look in a-
Dash quickly realized that somewhere along her wandering thoughts process, her wings had decided to slow down, and gradually stop flapping altogether, only very gently hovering her in the air. She didn't know what gave her the awareness in the first place, maybe it was because of her already flared-in-flight wings attempting to flare themselves further in another manner, or maybe the fact that a heavy, cardboard billboard was suspended in the air behind her, which now was complying to the forces of gravity.
Rainbow was, quite elegantly, dragged to the orchard floor for the second time that day, with no doubt of further falls to come. She sounded her landing with a refined thud.
Having become enveloped in the floppy advertisement, she sighed, and grudgingly lifted the paper off herself, rubbing her sore head. Her cranium seemed to be taking quite a beating today; not only from the thinking, but from the blows she had received from uncooperative trees and the rock hard ground. Fighting these incidents off as 'forgotten' was futile now. She had to pony up; she was a full-grown mare! Giving in, she started to try a different tactic.
