Impulsively Committed an Appledash Tail

Applejack tossed the last of her hay bales for the day into the barn, clopping her forehooves together satisfactorily. She took in a deep breath, and let out a cleansing sigh. Then kicked back on her favorite log to watch the sunset.

Dash stormed up the hillside past the hayfields, walking awkwardly, lifting her hooves too high, and shaking them out to the sides dramatically. Applejack stared, too shocked to laugh.

“Rainbow Dash, what in tarnation?”

“Don’t wanna talk about it!” Dash closed the gap between her and Applejack swiftly, tippy-hoofing up the hill. “Yuck! Uhg, why’s it all gotta be so nasty!”

“What the hay has gotten int’a ya?”

“They clamped my primaries, Applejack!” Dash blurted out, her wings extending for emphasis. On the tip of each wing was a small metal tie that clamped her primaries together. “I can’t fly!”

Applejack was taken aback by the hurt in Dash’s tone. She sounded on the verge of tears. “Hay, it’ll be alright, sugarcube. When do they take them off?”

“When I pass the ground test. I passed the flight test no problem, totally aced it. But I failed the ground tests. I was…” She looked down irritably.

“You were what sugarcube?” Applejack slid closer, wrapping a foreleg around Dash’s shoulders.

“Tired…” she mumbled.

Applejack nodded. “Well’a figured ya would be after sleepin’ in that position all night.”

Dash grumbled and glared at Applejack. “It’s not funny! I can’t fly, my hooves are throbbing, and covered in dirt, and nasty. And! I get land sick really easy. I’m really queasy right now. It’s killing me! I need to fly…”

“What? A little dirt never hurt nopony!”

“Applejack, I grew up in Cloudsdale! There isn’t even dust up there. Everything is super clean. All this dirt is…is just so...dirty…” Her face scrunched up. “I can feel it all over me. It itches…” Her feathers ruffled, and her fur stood on end. “It’s everywhere! Itching, and crawling!” She danced back and forth on her hooves, then stopped abruptly as she fought a dry heave.

Applejack stifled a snicker. “Nah hold on, we’ll get’cha cleaned up back at the farm in no time.” She grabbed Dash’s hoof, and pulled her along.

Dash pitched backwards, snagging her hoof out of Applejack’s grasp, and flapped to regain balance. Then she turned away, wavering back and forth.

“Dash? You alright.”

Dash shook her head, a hoof shot up to cover her mouth. She realized how dirty it was, and completely lost control, darting over to a bush...

“Yick… Well yer gonna be extra hungry tonight!” Applejack trotted over, and held Dash’s mane back. “That’a girl, let it all out. Ain’t good to fight it.” She slid the tie off her mane, and tied Dash’s into a ponytail. “There ya go. Let’s get some fresh air on that neck.”

Dash didn’t reply, but leaned into Applejack with a groan, her legs quivering.

“Come on sugarcube, up ya go.” Applejack slid under Dash, lifting her up onto her back.

Dash went limp, letting Applejack take over as she buried her muzzle into that wondrous golden mane, straddling the mare for balance. She sighed, taking long deep breaths to savor the heady scent of hay, and the sweet aroma of apples.

“There ya go, sugarcube. Just relax, but hold on tight or yer gonna fall off.” Applejack trotted off down the hill towards the farmhouse. “Family’s out about town today.”

“Chance?” Dash snickered woozilly, the word halfhearted at best.

“Pfftt… Are ya kiddin’? Not after ya just fed mah bush back there.” Applejack trotted on, bottoming out the ravine, and starting up the next hill.

Dash snickered again. “Soo, let’s just say I get hungry… Are you on the menu yet?”

“Knock it off…or I’ll dump ya here in the ravine, and ya can walk back.” Applejack halted for emphasis.

Dash whimpered, hugging Applejack’s neck tighter, and burying her muzzle deeper into loose strands of her mane.

Applejack’s breathing deepened as she trotted on, Dash burning into her back. She’s so dang light, ah can barely feel her back there. A shiver ran through her body as her breathing picked up. Oh, pony, she feels so good… Her ear twitched. D-Did she just moan!?

“You doin’ alright back there sugarcube?” Applejack smiled as she felt Dash nod against her neck.

“C-Can you talk some more? Please?” Dash asked sheepishly.

Applejack raised an eyebrow at Dash’s sudden subdued personality. “Huh? Uh, yeah sure. What’cha wan’a talk about?”

“Anything!” Dash’s voice was strained.

“Oh, sugarcube you don’t sound so good.” Applejack stopped mid-trot, and looked back worriedly.

“Don’t stop! Please, keep moving…” Dash hesitated, panting a little as she shifted her hips slightly. “I uhh… The motion...it’s uhh...helping me feel a lot better.”

“Oh, ok...anything ta help. I hate seein’ you like this.” Applejack trotted on.

Dash let out a little moaning gasp. Applejack’s lips pulled back into a nervous grin. She isn’t! Applejack swayed her flank a little harder as she trotted. Dash’s grip tightened around her neck as she let out another short gasp. Ohh, she is...

“Talk to me…” Dash pleaded.

“I...uhh…uhmmm...uhh…” Applejack’s deep voice vibrated through her body.

“Ohh, yeah! That’s good too!” Dash bit down on her neck gently.

Applejack stumbled, gasping as a tingly wave of heat flushed through her. “Uhm...uhh...yeah, I…”

“Mmhmm…”

“Ahm just gonna go faster…” Applejack picked up her trot into a slow gallop.

“Mmhmm!” Dash nodded excitedly.

“Ah might be feelin’ a bit dirty too.” Applejack cursed the inuendo in her own words.

“Mmm!?” Dash’s thighs clenched, rocking back and forth in excitement.

Applejack’s voice went up in pitch as she blurted out frantically. “Ah-ah mean I did fill that barn up today...so-so-so I could r-really use a bath right about now!”

“Mmhmm! Mmhmm!” Dash bit down harder.

Applejack fought the urge to roll her eyes up as another wave of intense heat flooded through her. “So ah got the next couple days off!” She yelled too loudly. “And ah was thinkin’ maybe we could get to know each other a bit better!” Her hoof beats quickened, slamming into the ground harder, faster.

“Yes!” Dash affirmed, reaching up with her muzzle to clamp down on Applejack’s ear, her wings stretching out, flapping in time with her rocking.

“Oh, wow!”

“Oh, yeah!” Dash growled into her ear.

“Ahh!” Applejack veered off course at random. “Oh, lookie the river! We must’a passed the farmhouse! Uh...a long time ago!”

Dash gasped, panted, and groaned into the ear. “Stop talking, and just buck me!” She ground harder into Applejack’s flank, squeezing, biting, and flapping wildly.

“We’re coolin’ off!” Applejack screamed as she took a mighty leap, and plunged into the cold water.

A few seconds later Dash resurfaced, eyes wide in shock as she dog paddled for the bank, mane plastered across her face, her wings flapping madly, lungs gasping for air.

Applejack crawled up into the shallow embankment next to Dash. She shook the water from her eyes, only to be hit in the face with an angry wall of pony. Dash bowled her over onto her back, and stood over her dominantly.

“What is your problem!” Dash glared down at Applejack, her wings stretched out angrily. “Nothing you do makes any sense!”

“Wha-what? Hay! I was just tryin’ to help, you’re the one who started all that moanin’, and’a’grindin’.” Applejack averted her eyes, blushing despite the chill waters lapping at her cheeks.

“You loved it! You were into it as much as I was, then you do this!?” She hoofed at the waters. “If this is a joke, it’s not funny Applejack!”

“Joke!? T’ain’t no joke Rainbow Dash. Ah wanted ya to stop, so ah found a way ta get ya ta stop!” Applejack shoved Dash off.

Dash flapped her wings for leverage, and shoved back, pinning Applejack. “No you didn’t! Everything you said, everything you didn’t say! You wanted me to keep going, what you did made no sense!”

“What!? You don’t know what I wan’t!” Applejack glared back, her teeth clenched.

“Yeah, I do! My wings told me!”

“Now you don’t make no sense! Yer just yammerin’ on cause ya got yer feelin’s hurt, and ya know ahm right!” Applejack shoved harder, sending Dash flying back.

Dash flapped hard, thrusting forward, but Applejack used her momentum as leverage tumbling backwards to land on top, pinning her. “Hah! Get out’a that one ya vermit!”

Dash shoved and struggled, bucked and bit, but Applejack held fast. “Yah cain’t win, I can pin down mah big brother, and you aren’t half his size.” She grinned as she boasted, but her confidence quickly faded from her muzzle.

Pain welled up in Dash’s chest, and burst out in a frustrated wail. “Get off of me!”

“What!?” Applejack backed off, worry creasing her features with a frown as she extended a hoof. “Did I hurt you?”

“Shut up!” Dash spun around, and flapped. She lifted a few feet from the ground before slamming back into it with a splash.

“Hay, Dash, wait...you ok?” Applejack bolted to her side.

“Do I look ok!?” Dash swiped a clamped with at Applejack, who swiftly dodged. “Do I sound ok to you!? Get away from me!” Dash bit at the metal clamps, but swiftly gave up when it became obvious she would have to rip out her primaries to get rid of them. “Just leave me alone!” She brushed off Applejack’s concerned hoof as she bolted into a gallop.

“Wait! Rainbow Dash, please!? I didn’t mean ta…” She trailed off, throwing all of her concentration into her hooves as she chased.

Dash darted in and out of sight between trees as Applejack raced after her. Their hoof beats thundered through the orchard, autumn leaves floating down around them as they passed.

“Come’on, Dash, just listen to me fer a sec!” Applejack’s hooves threw up chunks of dirt, her stride swiftly closing the gap.

Dash gritted her teeth, and lowered her head to pick up speed. “I’ve been listening! I can’t understand a thing you say or do! Your body tells me one thing, while your mouth says another. In the end I can’t tell which one is lying to me anymore!”

“What!? Rainbow Dash, ah would never lie to’ya! Please, just hear me out!” Applejack closed the gap, snapping at Dash’s tail.

Dash juked to the side, cutting a corner so sharp at full speed with just a flap of her wings that Applejack did a double take, unsure if she had actually seen right. “Wow…”

Applejack rounded a few trees away, and cut back, determined to catch up. She came within inches of Dash’s tail, only to be thwarted yet again as she juked to the side in a rainbow streak.

However, Dash, not used to running on hard ground, was slowing down as pain racked her hooves, and Applejack had no trouble keeping up.

“Would’ya knock it off, and talk to me already.” Applejack caught back up, trailing Dash by a few hoofspans.

Dash blurted out between pants. “Leave...me...alone! I don’t...need...you!”

“Well’nah, hay! No need to get down ta hurtful words!” Applejack pouted.

Dash whipped her head around, glaring daggers back at Applejack, but her words were lost as her hooves slipped, not used to the leaves and the slope of the hillside. A low thick branch caught her neck, her hooves whipped under and passed, and Dash fell back, hard.

Applejack’s words blurred together with the world spinning around Dash. All of it faded out to merciful black long before the pain kicked in.

Dash groaned as the sunlight stung at her brain. “Ow…”

“Mornin’ sunshine.” Applejack smiled weakly.

Dash glanced at her, and then at the window. “Morning?”

“Yeah, uhm…” Applejack played with the tip of her mane, her cheeks permanently flushed. “You slept through last night. Pretty nasty bump you had goin’.”

Dash’s eye twitched as the previous day came back in a rush of anger. “Right, that.” She sat up, but her head throbbed, knocking her back to her pillow. She held a hoof to it, which was also throbbing. “Oh, horsefeathers. My head feels like it’s about to explode, and my hooves are gonna fall off.”

“Yeah, I thought so. Granny’s downstairs making up a batch of herbs from the garden. It’ll fix ya up quick.” Applejack went to place a consoling hoof over Dash’s, and flinched as it was batted away.

Dash also flinched as the action sent a stab up her leg. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be up on my hooves, and out of your mane the second I can trot outa here.” Dash sat up, stubbornly rubbing at her temples.

“You leavin’?” Applejack lost the will to make eye contact.

“Yeah I got places to go, things to do, and none of it includes a pony who can’t be true to herself or her feelings.” Dash challenged Applejack, daring her to make eye contact.

Applejack lost the battle, slowly turned, and silently left the room.

Dash was left alone with some very sad and angry thoughts. “Well, fine then…” She bit her lip, feeling pressure building behind her eyes. “Ya coulda put up’a little fight…” She mimicked Applejack’s accent quietly to herself.

I hate mind games anyway. Dash laid back down, simmering as she continued to rub her temples, debating on whether or not she really did want to leave after all. She startled as it dawned on her how dirty she must be, rubbing mud and gravel into her mane.

She glanced at her hooves. “Clean!?”

“Yeah! Sis cleaned ya up good an’ squeaky last night while ya were out cold.” Apple Bloom sauntered in through the open door. She offered up a half hearted smile. “Ah brought you Granny’s medicine, and some breakfast. Trust me, eat the food first, but save the last bite ta kill the nasty taste of the medicine. Else, you’ll be sorry.”

“Thanks, kiddo.” Dash sat up, and accepted the food graciously. Her stomach growled in approval as she took in a long deep snoutful of the stack of pancakes smothered in apple jam, and maple syrup.

“Hay, if ya don’t mind me askin’. Did somethin’ bad happen between you and Sis?” Apple Bloom ground a tentative hoof into the floorboards as she looked up shyly.

“We don’t really get along for some reason.” Dash shrugged the question off. “Why?”

“Well Applejack is actin’ all weird. She’s been cryin’ since last night, and she won’tell nopony what happened. And that’s weird cause’ I haven’t seen Sis cry, ever! Not since Ma n’ Pa died.”

Dash choked on her bite. “Hmm?” She swallowed. “Wait, didn’t you say she cleaned me up?”

“Yeah, when we got home yesterday she was cleanin’ you up. Went through like six buckets of water. Made me carry em’.” She rolled her eyes. “Pony, let me tell ya, those things is dern heavy! She was cryin’ half the time to. Didn’t sleep a wink last night neither. Sat the whole time by yer bed.” She looked up with innocent eyes. “Big Mac says she’s sweet on ya, whatever that means, but the way she was a’cryin’, ah think she was afraid ya might die or somethin’.”

Her eyes slid over to a pillow on the side of the bed. Cleaned me up, then stayed all night next to me… We gotta talk!

Dash looked down at the glass of medicine with a deep frustrated sigh. It consisted of a light lime green goo that made her cringe, though she had already lost her appetite from the story. Maybe I’ll just wait until she comes back...

Her eyes narrowed with sudden determination as she glared down at the medicine. Then darted back to the pillow. Wait! Is that the pillow I totally bucked up last night? She sniffed at it.

The implications exploded in her brain, her pupils dilating. Then, suddenly, she grabbed the medicine, closed her eyes, and powered down the potent brew in one swift quaph.

“Wow, yer nuts!” Apple Bloom backpedaled.

Dash could almost feel herself turning green from revulsion. “Eeyuck!” She swiftly shoved an entire sticky pancake in her mouth, desperately sucking the sweetness out of it.

Apple Bloom laughed, thoroughly enjoying Dash’s reaction. “I usually just pour it out the window, and pretend to feel better.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, kiddo. Thanks for all your help. Can you do me one more favor though?” Dash smiled at her, ruffling her mane around the cute oversized bow.

“Yeah, what’cha need, Rainbow Dash?”

“Can you run into town, and tell the weather office that I won’t be in today?”

“Yeah, no sweat. I gotta go inta town anyway, an’ pick up Applejack’s hat from Sweetie Belle’s sister’s shop.” Apple Bloom beamed, the perfect picture of helpful pony.

Dash laughed. “You’re awesome kid, and don’t worry, I’ll go cheer your Sis up.”

“Really!? Wow, you can do that?” Apple Bloom stared in open awe.

Dash snorted, glancing back to the raunchy pillow next to her. “Yeah kid, in my sleep! Just leave it to me. I totally got this...”

“Well if’n ya like her just tell her.” Big Mac drawled out slowly, trying to make head or tails of his sister’s dilemma. He eyed a plow in the dim dusty beams of light that filtered through the barn windows.

“Aww, Big Mac if it was that easy ah would, but ah got the farm to deal with. Ah just don’t have time for this.” She gritted her teeth, and kicked a hay bale.

“Just go tell her why, Applejack. She’s gonna understand an’ if she don’t then she wasn’t worth knowin’ anyway.” Big Mac kicked at a bent metal rod on his plow, his thick metal horse shoe ‘clacking’ loudly as he drove it slowly back into shape.

“Ah gotta farm ta run! Ah don’t have time for things like romantical nonsense. We don’t even have enough bits ta get you that new plow ya been needin’ for three years now!” Applejack hoofed over at the offending plow.

“We, don’ even need it till next season anyway. How is you takin’ some time off in the winter gonna cost us bits? Just let me run the place fer’a’bit.”

“Cause there’s stuff ta do, you got enough on yer shoulders, and that’s all there is to it!” She retorted stubbornly. “We got repairs on the barn, heck we need a ‘new’ barn as it is. We got repairs to the farm house. It almost collapsed last winter durin’ the big snowstorms. We need…”

“Applejack!” Big Mac stomped the ground. The hairs on the back of Applejack’s neck stood on end as she cringed reflexively. “Yer comin’ up with some pretty weak excuses! It’s all gonna come down to a broken heart. You let her go without ever tryin’, and yer just gonna regret it, and it’s gonna be nopony’s fault but yer own,” he chided her softly in his deep baritone.

Applejack sat for a moment, head hanging low. “Yer right, Big Mac.” She sniffled. “But she already hates me! She said she was leavin’, and not comin’ back.”

“What’cha scared of, Sis?” Big Mac asked it plainly as he eyed the metal rod, deep in thought.

“What? Ahm not scared. What would I be scared of?” Her face scrunched up in confusion.

Big Mac shrugged. “Well ah’ve never known ya’ta be so…” He searched for the word for a second while Applejack waited patiently. “Ehh...timid.”

“I don’t know, Big Mac.” She shook her head. “Wha’da’ya want me ta say here?”

“Somethin’ about that mare scares you. Just spit it out an’ get it over with.” He stopped what he was working on, and plodded over to his sister.

Applejack flopped down on a hay bale, her brother standing across from her waiting patiently.

She thought for a moment, trying to analyze everything Rainbow Dash was. “She’s just movin’ really fast. Ah cain’t move that fast. I got too many responsibilities to be runnin’ off willy nilly. This is Ma n’ Pa’s farm. We’re…”

Big Mac cut her off “Ah know… Ahm just as serious as ya’r in keepin’ it.” He thought for a second as Applejack waited. “What’s more important than the farm, Jackie?”

Applejack’s eyes darted back and forth. “Don’t use that…”

“Just answer the question.”

She fumed. “Family, ya oversized brick!”

Big Mac grinned. “There’s ma Sis. Now if’n yer sweet on that mare, n’ she’s sweet on ya. Then ya’two get together. What’s that make her?”

Applejack’s muzzle pulled back over clenched teeth as realization flooded through her, but her words were solid denial. “Ah’ve only known her fer two days though!”

“What’s it make ya? Huh?”

“I don’t know if ah can trust her yet!”

He waited, silently.

“She’s unpredictable, an’ ah don’t believe in no such thing as that love at first sight nonsense!” Tears brimmed in her eyes as Big Mac stayed silent. “Ah caint Big Mac! We’re both girls, it’s just not right!”

“Enough!” Big Mac slammed his hoof down on the hay bale next to Applejack, sending his sister bouncing slightly with a flynch. “What’s it make ya!?”

“Family!” Applejack sniffled as a wail crawled up her throat. Tears streamed down her cheeks, she lunged forward, wrapping her hooves around her brother’s neck. “Oh, I bucked up! What if it’s too late!?”

Big Mac held his sister gently. “Ya only known her fer two days. How bad can it be? Tell’er the truth. It’s all ya can do. ”

“Ah don’t know if I can!” She sniffled into his shoulder. “Every time ahm around her mah brain goes wonky!” she growled stifling a sob.

Movement caught Big Mac’s eye from up in the barn window. Dash winked at him over a cheshire grin.

“Well, Sis, uhm… That there’s a serious problem, an I’ma let ya get to fixin’ it then, eeyup.” He let go of a shocked, and confused Applejack, turned, and trotted for the door.

“Wait...what?” Applejack reached out a hoof to her abandoning brother. “But, ah still need you.”

“Nope.” He stepped out, and turned as he prepared to shut the door.

“But...ah’m still confused!”

“Eeyup!” He chuckled as he shut the door.

Applejack wiped the tears from her eyes. “What in tarnation?” She looked down, studying the floor, kicking at bits of loose hay.

Blue hooves slipped around her chest. Dash whispered softly in her ear. “Miss me?”