Appledashery

by Just Essay

Mission: DASH

"You look gorgeous, Your Majesty."

"Exquisite as ever, Your Majesty."

"You'll make for the finest Coronation ever, Your Majesty."

"Er... yes. Yes, but of course." Apple Jewell nevertheless fidgeted, her dainty body still drying from an extraordinarily long lavender bath. She sat on a plush stool before her vanity while a throng of hoofmaidens flocked around her, carefully brushing and drying her long golden mane. "Am I to assume that Mother put you all to this?"

"Why, we live to serve, your Majesty," the eldest of the mares said, pausing to curtsey. "The Queen cares for her beloved Princess, and so do we." She resumed her task of curling the ends of Apple Jewell's mane. "You needn't worry about a thing. We'll have you fixed up so that even a night of tossing and turning won't sour your natural beauty."

"When the host of Philanthropy gaze upon you, tomorrow, they shall know who it is they worship," spoke another.

"I... I dunno if I take kindly to the idea of bein' worshipped," Apple Jewell murmured.

One maiden giggled. "Why, whatever makes you say that, Your Majesty?"

Apple Jewell's green eyes fluttered. "I... I dunno..." A dull sigh escaped her lips. "Reckon I'm just tired..."

"You've been through an awful lot," said one mare. She paused to frown. "At the hooves of those savage vagabonds, it's a miracle you emerged without suffering a spell of madness!"

"Erm... right..." Apple Jewell nodded. "Quite true..."

"Hmmm..." One mare's muzzle scrunched. "Could use a few more hairclips." She turned and clapped her hooves. "Oh Olivia....???"

"Comin'!" A tiny set of hooves trotted over. A filly in a servant dress shuffled up to the scene, then bowed low, offering a plate of ornate hairclips balanced on her head.

While the older servant reached for the first of many clips, Apple Jewell tilted her head slightly to the side—at least as much as she could afford to do so while being smothered by hoofmaidens.

The tiny servant noticed Apple Jewell looking at her, and the filly blushed severely, a redness spreading across her yellow cheeks that matched her scarlet mane.

Apple Jewell blinked. "What is yer name, again, lil' one?"

"Hrmmmf?" The filly shivered slightly.

One of the older maids smiled. "Her Majesty asked you a question, darling."

Taking a deep breath, the filly stammered, "Olivia, Your Majesty. Olivia Steamstep."

Apple Jewell's eyes narrowed. "Lemme see yer eyes..."

Biting her lip, the filly humbly oblidged. A pair of amber eyes reflected the Cider Princess' gaze.

Apple Jewell took a deep breath. "A most exquisite color." Her muzzle smiled. "I bet you'd look absolutely adorable with a red bow in yer hair."

"A red bow... yer Majesty?"

Apple Jewell opened her mouth... but hung off an empty breath. She blinked a few more times, then exhaled: "I'm... n-not sure why..."

One of the older maids cleared her throat. "That'll do, Olivia. The Cider Princess is exhausted. We must help her to bed."

"Erm... yes. But of course." The yellow filly backtrotted, bowing once more. "It's been a pleasure, Your Highness."

Apple Jewell gazed into the candle-lit corners of the bedroom while the servants put on the finishing touches to her mane.

---

Rainbow Dash crept through the grimy corridors of the Shindig Basement Levels. She wasn't alone. Quiet as a stone, Epcot shuffled immediately after her. Together, the pair of ponies descended a set of brass stairs and entered a rust-red metal corridor lined with torches.

"Yeesh." Rainbow Dash shuddered. "It certainly got all Neil Gaimane all of the sudden."

"The facets of a pony's mind manifest themselves with every shade here in Cider Space," Epcot said. She smiled proudly. "I'm actually rather surprised we haven't seen even darker places prior to now."

"You and me both, sister," Rainbow said in a muttering tone. "Here's hoping the 'Leaves' in Stu's name haven't been shredded yet."

"Let us not forget about the other three companions."

"Oh. Yeah." Rainbow nodded while trotting briskly forward. "Those guys too."

The two rounded a set of metal partitions. They came upon a straightaway, at the end of which was a barred gate where three guards mingled besides a candle-lit table. Upon seeing the two mares, the first of the three guards stepped forward.

"Hey hey hey—who are you?"

Rainbow clenched her jaw muscles. "Ball up," she said without losing her stride.

Epcot glanced aside. "Chu?"

"You heard me. Ball up. Now."

Epcot took a breath like she was diving—FLASH!—in an instant, she became a metal spheroid.

Rainbow instantly balanced her on her neck, continuing to trot forward.

"Hey!" The first guard snarled, whipping out a billy club. "I asked you a question!"

"Yeah?" Rainbow rolled the ball up off her head. "I just remembered something." WHANG! She headbutted it.

Swissssh! Epcot flew into the guard's chest, ricocheting off his yelping body.

Rainbow was already kicking off the wall, twirling, and meeting the sphere with a drop-kick. "Rnnngh!"

P-PING! Epcot pinballed off the other two guards' skulls. One stumbled forward into Rainbow Dash just as she dropped down. The pegasus caught the guard's cranium under her forelimb and performed a falling DDT. She kipped up in time to grab the bouncing metal sphere in her hoof and use it to clobber the first guard square in the face. SMACK!

Within seconds, all three bodies collapsed on the floor, falling into groaning unconsciousness.

Rainbow exhaled. "I remembered that I don't give a buck." She dropped Epcot like a potato sack.

Flash!

"Guuuuuuu..." Epcot materialized, teetering wildly.

"You did good, girl," Rainbow said. "Feeling okay?"

"Urp..." Epcot tried to smile, but her violet eyes were twirling too much. "I-I shouldn't have picked the orange card..."

"Come on! I can hear 'em!" Rainbow Dash said, tugging the mare along as the two scurried past the open gate and into the jail cells.

Comments

[RoboRed]

Apple Jewell took a deep breath. "A most exquisite color." Her muzzle smiled. "I bet you'd look absolutely adorable with a red bow in yer hair."

It appears the real AJ is starting to break through...

Rainbow clenched her jaw muscles. "Ball up," she said without losing her stride.

Epcot glanced aside. "Chu?"

*hnggg*...DammitEpcotwhyyousocuuuutee

[viofriedsevey]

"The Queen cares for her beloved Princess, and so do we."

new2.fjcdn.com/comments/5359313+_ca6e7730b778554c02f9a2c3046cb3d3.jpg

Also, that not giving a buck one liner was completely undeniably badass.

[viofriedsevey]

5808199 Ok, why can't my dumb ass figure out how to quote the story like that?

Never mind, got it.

[Mister Saxon]

I would pay good money to have someone turn this whole Philanthropy scenario into a Bioshock Infinite mod. Not knocking on Elizabeth, but having Epcot to throw around would make my day.

EDIT:

The pegasus caught the guard's cranium under her forelimb and performed a falling DDT.

For those of you who don't know what a DDT is (I know I don't watch wrestling, so I was curious), it looks like this:
i.imgur.com/UQ8eA.gif

[WhitewolfStormrunner]

5808199

Apple Jewell took a deep breath. "A most exquisite color." Her muzzle smiled. "I bet you'd look absolutely adorable with a red bow in yer hair."

It appears the real AJ is starting to break through...

Oh, I'm really hoping so!

[Lightning Bearer]

That fight scene was both awesome and adorable.

[MidnightReflection]

Oh...that Epcot! I am so nervousited for tomorrow's chapter. It must be read with caution! Who knows what Skirts is going to do...

[zaponator]

"Here's hoping the 'Leaves' in Stu's name haven't been shredded yet."
"Let us not forget about the other three companions."
"Oh. Yeah." Rainbow nodded while trotting briskly forward. "Those guys too."

Rainbow gets it.

[Leftover of Saikano]

This story, or at least the Cider Space arc, if the rest is too much, should totally be made into a videogame. Ah, if I only had the skills.

[Dash32]

I keep seeing that word....vagabond......reminds me of a song by Metallicacalled Wherever I may Roam. ROAMER, WANDERER!!! NOMAD, VAGABOND!! CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL!!!!!

[arancaytar]

Apple Jewell took a deep breath. "A most exquisite color." Her muzzle smiled. "I bet you'd look absolutely adorable with a red bow in yer hair."

!!!

Rainbow exhaled. "I remembered that I don't give a buck." She dropped Epcot like a potato sack.

Holy hell, Dash. For a moment there you seemed to be channeling some alternate self with a lot more Easts and a lot fewer Fucks.