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The Dash Diaries: Chapter 7

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Tuesday
7:54am - Breakfast

Dear diary,

Managed to get up this morning. According to Mom, I was talking in my sleep. Oh nooo.
She said, "I came in your room at around midnight to see if you were still breathing."
What is the point??
She saw my confused expression. "I used to do it when you were a foal. My little baby girl." And then she ruffled my mane. I said, "Has someone put something in your pancakes?"
She ignored me. "I kissed your cheek and told you I loved you, and you said, 'I love you too, Mommy', but in your sleep. It was the cutest thing I've ever heard."
I said what??
I called her 'Mommy'. What is wrong with me?! I said, "Don't you ever repeat this or I will have to kill you."
She laughed and said, "No worries, I won't tell anyone. Only Applejack."

I am going to have to kill her.

After work
5:05pm - My room, getting ready for the playdate

Nearly ready. Why am I so nervous?
I'll be with everypony else. I just have to not make a complete and utter foal of myself.
Okay, calmy calm calm. Borrowed some of Mom's spray stuff, it's supposed to help reduce stress. At least it smells nice.

Five minutes later
Maybe I should put some make-up on.

One minute later
No. I don't want to look like a tart. I'm going to the park, not the Palace.
It looks hot outside. Should I put my shades on?

5:21pm
Shades are on. Right. I look okay. I hope so, anyway - I've brushed my mane through so much it's gone all fuzzy with static.

When I got downstairs and put Tank's flying hat and goggles on, Mom took one look at me and said, "Why are you wearing your shades? And...have you borrowed my perfume?"
"It's hot outside!" I protested.
She slowly began to laugh. "This is for Applejack, isn't it?"
I blushed. "No! I-I mean.. yes. Well, m-maybe."
She laughed again. Oh, she's so annoying. "You're perfect how you are, honey. If you want my advice, don't try too hard." She handed me a bag of cookies and some lemonade. "For your picnic. Don't forget some lettuce for Tank. See you later."
"Yeah, whatever."

5:29pm - The park
AJ was the first here. Winona ran up and began licking me (and Tank. I don't think the poor guy was quite ready for full-on tongue with a dog.)
Applejack came up and hugged me, and my heart went weird and fluttery all over again.
"Hi," I breathed when she pulled away.
"Howdy there." she giggled, tipping her hat. Stay still, wings, please. Calm. "How are you doin'?"
"Pretty good, I guess. My..." I decided not to beat around the bush. "My coltfriend broke it with me yesterday."
Applejack quickly hugged me again. I struggled to keep my wings down this time. "Oh, Rainbow! Ah'm so sorry. Ah had no idea that you were..."
"Straight?" I laughed.
"No! Ah was gonna say Ah had no idea that you were goin' out with somepony is all, you silly filly."
I could feel my ears burning.
"Oh." I said quietly. So much for not making a foal of myself!
Applejack smiled sympathetically. "Listen, sugarcube. Any stallion that dumps you ain't worth none of your time, an' Ah mean that."
"Thanks, AJ. That means a lot."

5:36pm
Everypony's here. Tank's being really awkward and hanging around Winona loads, which means I'm stuck with Applejack. Which isn't that bad, I guess.

Is it wrong for a tortoise to fetch a stick quicker than a dog?

And for said tortoise to lick said dog?

And for said dog to lick said tortoise?

At one point Applejack came over with a very serious expression on her face. "Rainbow Dash?"
"Yes?"
"Ah have something t'confess..."
Ohmygosh. "G-go ahead."
"Ah'm not sure whether you've noticed it too...but..."
"Yeah...?"
"There's love in this park tonight, Dash."
Ohhhhmyyyyyygoooosshhhhhh. My voice went into full-squeak mode. "There is?!" I croaked.
"Yeah... Ah know it's a bit weird, bein' so...different... t'normal romances...but..."
My heart thumped wildly. Until I looked down and saw who she was talking about.

Not me and her, no. Tank and Winona. Winona had this big silly grin on her face as she rested her head on Tank's shell. Ugh!!!!

"Bu...but... Tank's like... a hundred years older than Winona!" I exclaimed.
"Well, love is blind." admitted Applejack, before bursting out in laughter. I chuckled politely while my heart slowly recovered.
"Yeah, heh... seems like your canine is crushing on my crustacean!"
Wait...
"Dash, tortoises are reptiles, not crustaceans. But... good joke!"
Why me???

6:13pm - Middle of the park, having our picnic
Forgot how good Pinkie Pie's punch was. Why do they call it punch, anyway? It's not like there's some random pony hiding in your bottle waiting to come out at any moment and smack you in the face.
…I hope there isn't, anyway.

Twilight finished her cupcake and grinned. "Shall we play a game, guys? A sitting down game?"
Rarity wiped her mouth with a napkin daintily. "What like? Nothing dirty, I hope?"
Pinkie Pie's hoof shot up. "How about 21 Truths?"
AJ and I snickered. "Yeah, we could have fun with that..."
Fluttershy stayed quiet, and I nudged her. "You'd like that, right, Flutters?"
"Uhm..." Fluttershy hid her face with a napkin. "I-I don't r-really... know how to...play that..."
Pinkie bounded over and Fluttershy almost had a heart attack. "It's simple! We take turns to count, and you can say up to three numbers in a row, and the pony who ends up having to say the number twenty-one has to tell us something we ask!"
"I'll start!" Pinkie yelled. "One, two, three."
Twilight took over. "Four, five."
"Six." I said.
Applejack thought for a moment. "Seven, eight, nine."
Fluttershy was next. "Uhm...ten? I think... or something."
Then it was Rarity's turn. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen."
"Fourteen, fifteen."
"Sixteen, seventeen, eighteen."
"Nineteen, twenty." I smirked.

Applejack rolled her eyes. "Consarnit...twenty-one." Getting up and walking behind a tree so she couldn't hear, we decided what to ask her.
"How about we ask her what her favourite book is?" suggested Twilight.
"Boooo-ring!" giggled Pinkie.
Rarity nodded. "We need something that will... throw her off a bit. A real piece of gossip."
"How about we ask her if she's ever lied?" I suggested. Twilight nodded in agreement.
Then, Rarity gasped. "Oh, girls! I have the best idea!"
"What?" we all asked, leaning in closer.
"Let's ask her if she has a crush!"
Fluttershy blinked. "Uhm...isn't...that, erm... a little... uh... personal?"
I stayed quiet, my ears burning. Twilight giggled. "Nah. Applejack can handle anything. I'm sure she'll have a good answer!"

"So...spill!" Pinkie Pie laughed. I'd never seen Applejack blush so much. We'd asked her, and she'd gone bright red. I still didn't talk.
"Uh...Ah...uh...i-it's...c-complicated..."
Rarity lifted her nose triumphantly. "That's girl code for yes."
"What?!" Applejack and I chorused. I looked at her before blushing myself and hanging my head.
AJ finally cleared her throat. "Yes. Ah do have a crush."
My chest tightened, like l'd had the air knocked out of me.
Rarity clapped her hooves. "I knew it! So, what's he like?"
Applejack blushed deeper and looked at me. Her crush wasn't a stallion, and I could tell that I was the only other one who knew that. She continued nonetheless.
"Well... my crush... is v-very good-lookin'. C-compared to others..." she stuttered.
Rarity smiled slyly. Ohhh, I should have strangled her with her own eyelashes for how much she was humiliating AJ. They were long enough. "Yes?" she implored. "And?"
"An'...an'... they're somepony Ah think y'all know...an'...they're... nice." she finished, in clear defeat over her nerves.
"Hey, girls..." I looked around, before wrapping a wing over Applejack's shoulders. My eyes felt a bit wet. I hoped to Celestia the waterworks weren't about to start up. "M-maybe we should stop this game..."
Applejack nervously stretched an arm around me, and Twilight looked at me, concerned. "Are you okay, Rainbow Dash?"
I tensed up, my brain working furiously to think up an excuse. "Uh...yeah...I just remembered...I left... the oven on. Gotta go!"
And Tank and I dashed off (excuse the pun) to turn the oven off. The oven that wasn't on in the first place.

Oh, no, maybe it was. The oven of love. I've well and truly burnt my hooves in the oven of love, fillies and gentlecolts.

6:55pm - Home, my bed of pain (again)
For once, Mom's not home.
I wish she was.
Applejack has a crush on somepony. Some girl I apparently "know". What if it's Carrot Top?
What does Carrot Top have that I don't?
Besides about a million carrots.

Two minutes later
Or Berry Punch? She hasn't got much that I haven't, besides a cellar full of fruit juice.

One minute later
Oh Celestia - what if it's another member of our gang? Fluttershy? Or Pinkie Pie?
Twilight? Or Rarity?
...Spike?
Shut up, brain. Shut up.

7:01pm
Phone rang.
"Hello, Heartbreak Hotel. How can I help you?"
A stallion spoke back. "Uh...Dash? Is that you? It's Decimal Point."
I almost slammed the receiver down.
"Decimal...? Yeah, it's me. What do you want?"
"Uhm... I wanted to... uh... apologise."
"Apologise?" I repeated.
Dessie breathed heavily down the phone. "Uh, yeah. What I put you through was really unfair. I shouldn't have...behaved how I did. I was stupid. Really stupid. I was just trying to look out for you."
I paused, not saying anything. Decimal spoke up. "Look, if you never want to see me again, I'll completely understand. You're an awesome filly, Rainbow..."
I breathed in slowly. "Hey, thanks. You're pretty awesome too. I know you were looking after me, and... I'm sorry too. I acted really... harsh. You were doing me a favour."
"Apology accepted."
I grinned. "Yours too. Hey, are we cool now?"
He laughed. "When were we ever not cool?"
"Ha! Well, I was always cool. You, however..." I smirked.
"You're lucky we're on the phone or I would have shoved you into the nearest cloud!"

7:15pm
Feeling a bit better. I'm glad I haven't lost Decimal, at least.

That still doesn't sort out the Applejack problem, though...

One minute later
Just checked my calendar again - it's Mother's Day tomorrow. Luckily I didn't forget. I got Mom a blue sweater with "Firefly" embroidered on in pink. It took Rarity forever and cost me fifteen bits, even with a discount for being one of her best friends. Managed to wrap it, too, even though Tank kept stealing all the tape and trying to eat it.

Oh, horseapples, I just thought about AJ. She won't be able to celebrate Mother's Day with the rest of us since her parents passed away... And to think they have to go through that every year, on Mother's Day and Father's Day? Well, I know my mother is quite possibly clinically insane, but I don't think I could live without her somehow. Or my dad (considerably less insane, but still mad for marrying Mom.)

10:21pm
Mom came home (finally.)
I said, "Where in the hay have you been?"
And she said, "Stargazing."
What?

Half an hour later - In bed
Looking at my picture of Applejack and me in the leaves. She really is very, very pretty.
I hope tomorrow is okay for her, I really do.
I gave her a little kiss before I snuggled down. (the picture her, not the real her. I can only dream of giving her a real kiss.)


Wednesday - Mother's Day
After work
4:19pm - Home

Dear diary,

Raced back from work to give Mom her present. She was sitting alone in the living room, so I went up to her and gave her a hug. "Happy Mother's Day."
She hugged me back, before opening the present. She gasped. "Oh, it's lovely, honey!" she exclaimed, pulling it on and grinning. "I look awesome, right?"
"Wrong!" I laughed, "But you do look pretty. And it suits you, thank goodness!"
Mom ruffled my mane. "Any news on the Applejack front?"
I sighed. "She has a crush."
"A crush?" Mom repeated, her smile fading. "On who?"
"I don't know, that's the whole point." It was at that moment that I noticed three boxes by the door. Trotting over, I opened them to reveal a bunch of string, glitter tubes and floating lanterns.
"What in the hay, Mom?"
She looked over, and smiled again. "Those are for the Apples. C'mon, we'd better get going or we'll be late."
"Late for what?" I asked incredulously.
"Put your saddle on and follow me," she ordered, tightening her own girth before placing two of the boxes in her saddle. "and you'll find out. You can have the glitter."

Fifteen minutes later - Peering in the front window of Sweet Apple Acres
Mom has taken me on a wild goose chase to the Apples' farm, and now we are spying on them.
Absolutely mad.
I whispered, "Are you sure we should be doing...whatever we're doing here?"
"Positive." she whispered back. "Look inside. What do you notice?"
Peering in, I noticed something strange about the usually happy country family. They were gathered around the hearth, Granny Smith rocking slowly in her chair, and they just seemed to be sitting there. Applejack had taken her hat off, and she held in tightly in one hoof by her chest. One thing was prominent, though - they looked sad. Really sad.
When I observed this to Mom, she nodded. "The Apples seem to be spending today mourning the mother they lost, not cherishing a living mare like everypony else is." A lump rose in my throat as I peered in closer and noticed a solitary tear running down Applejack's freckled cheek.
"What can we do about it?" I whispered, an urgency in my voice.
"Well, that's what we're here for."
She got up and trotted around to the door. Before I could stop her, she rang the doorbell.
"What are you doing?!" I hissed. "Shouldn't we leave them be?"
Mom looked at me. "And leave them to hide away in their sorrow and drown in their tears? I'm not that kind of pony, Dash."

Applejack answered the door, having put her hat back loosely on her head. My heart ached at the sight of her in such a pitiful state.
"Oh, Applejack..." was all I could murmur, and she waved forlornly before gently hugging me. I held onto her tight, and she sniffed.
Mom smiled warmly as we broke the hug. "Hey, Applejack, is it? I'm Firefly, Dash's mom."
"Hi." Applejack said, smiling a little and shaking her hoof.
"Look, this might seem a little intrusive, but me and Dash are here to... help you out a bit. If that's all okay with you guys..."
Surprisingly, Applejack nodded. "Y'all wanna come inside? We're not exactly ourselves today due to obvious reasons, but Ah'm sure my family will be as welcomin' as ever."
Walking in, we stood in the doorway of the living room and waited for the rest of the family to acknowledge us. Big MacIntosh smiled as best he could, and Applebloom got up before trotting back over to Applejack and hiding behind her sister. Applejack looked at her.
"Say hello, Applebloom." The small filly came out slowly, before squeaking a small, "howdy". Big MacIntosh came to shake Mom's hoof as Applejack did, and Granny Smith eased herself out of her chair and over to us.
"Well, if it ain't Firefly..." she said carefully, smiling at my mother. I made the connection immediately; Granny Smith must have remembered her from when she worked on the farm with Sundance.
My mother smiled and shook her hoof. "Hey there, Greensmith. It's...been a while."
"It has," the old pony returned her smile, as if the very sight of an old friend was enough to lift her spirits just a little. "Ah doubt Big MacIntosh remembers you." Big MacIntosh lifted his head a little, studied Firefly before muttering, "Eeynope." and grinning sheepishly.
"Hey, look. I had an idea for you guys tonight, if you're up for it." Mom said quietly.
The Apples exchanged glances, before nodding. "Sure," Applejack said. "What is it?"
"You'll see," Mom chuckled, trotting outside, "even Dash doesn't know!"

6:03pm
My mother is amazing, and I mean it. You'd never have guessed what she did with us.

Once we were outside, she looked straight at us. "MacIntosh, I want you to get some small coloured light bulbs if you have any, and as many objects that remind you of your parents as you can. Applebloom," she hoisted the box off my back and gave it to the young filly, "I want you to take these glitter pens and draw lots of pretty pictures of your mommy and daddy. No worries if you can't remember what they look like, I'm sure you have photographs that your brother will lend you!" she turned to Granny Smith. "Greensmith, I need you and Applejack to find a tree that means something to you."
I looked at her curiously. "What can I do?"
"You, my girl," she smiled, getting out some of the flat, papery lanterns and setting them on the ground in front of me, "can write messages to AJ's parents from each relative onto the lantern in permanent ink. Now, is everypony ready?"
The others nodded together, looking utterly confused, but happier nonetheless. As Applejack passed through the orchard with Granny Smith, she hung back to whisper in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and a curious warmth to my heart. "Whatever your mom's doing, Rainbow... thank you both."

After a while, the objects were collected and the pictures were drawn, and AJ had found the perfect tree, a large apple tree right on top of the hill, proudly looking down over the rest of the orchard. We congregated on the hill, and I asked each pony for something to write on the lanterns.
"Tell mah momma an' papa that Ah love them." Applebloom grinned, her glittery pictures gently drying in the evening air by her hooves. "An' that Ah can almost buck now! An' that when Ah'm older, Ah wanna run the farm like Applejack an' Big MacIntosh."
"Tell Mom an' Dad that Ah'm fulfillin' their wishes fer the farm," Big MacIntosh told me slowly. "We might not be makin' all that much right now, but we never lost that Apple pride here at the Acres, an' we never will."
"Tell Bramley an' Blossom that Ah'm mighty proud of everythin' they did fer us." Granny Smith told me, a checkered scarf wrapped neatly around her neck even though it was summer. "An' tell 'em Ah'm even more proud of their kids!" she chuckled.
Applejack was last. "Tell my momma an' papa that Ah hope they foun' peace where they are now, an' that Ah love them an' miss them real bad." I smiled warmly, and she winked back. "An' tell them Ah have the bestest friends in the world."

After we had finished with the lanterns, Mom told me to put them back in the box.
"So what do we do with the tree, Miss Firefly?" asked Applebloom. "An' the pictures?"
"Watch." Mom grinned, before taking some string out of the box and tying it to one of Applebloom's pictures. She gently flew up to one of the top branches of the tree, and tied the picture on. "You see," she yelled from the tree, "if we tie all these objects to the tree, it will create a physical memory of your parents! And we can tie the light bulbs on, too, to brighten it up. A memory tree!"
Realisation shone on our faces as we looked up. "A memory tree..." Applejack whispered, looking at me. I locked eyes with her, and we just gazed at each other for ages before we blushed and turned away. Applebloom jumped up and down before racing over and hugging me unexpectedly. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you, Rainbow Dash!" I hugged her back, and Applejack smiled.
"No problem... but this wasn't me. Give Firefly a hug. It was her idea!" I giggled. Mom flew down, and Big MacIntosh got some string out and started tying an old hat once belonging to his father onto one of the lower branches. I picked Applebloom up with one of her pictures and flew her high above ground and helped her to tie it, while she squealed and waved at Applejack, who was tying some of the coloured light bulbs at the lower end of the tree. Soon, it was fully decorated, and the lights gently flickered, highlighting the memories that each picture and object contained. We went around the tree while Granny Smith explained where they all came from, where each photograph was taken. One locket, belonging to Applejack's mother, hung at the bottom of the tree. When I opened it slowly, it contained a picture of a sweet-looking orange foal.
"Guess who!" giggled Applejack, coming up behind me. "Ah was eight months old then. A lot smaller!"

Once we were done with the tree, we sat back in the light as the sun set, and Mom got a matchbox out. We caught the fuel of the lanterns on fire, and they billowed with the growing air inside. The Apples each let theirs go, and afterwards, we snuggled up together by the tree and watched them gently float into the air.

"Best Mother's Day ever, huh?" I asked Applejack.
"Mmhmm, sure is. Thank you, Rainbow." she said, wrapping a hoof around me. I blushed and returned it. "An' thank you, Firefly!" she called to Mom, who laughed and waved.

Yeah. Best evening ever.
Fridaaaaaaay~ Because I can. Right, I'm off to a space museum. Seeya later - enjoy guys! :meow:
© 2011 - 2024 SugarCube16
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Buchi04's avatar
Honestle.....i "b"ucking cried to this chapter