An Inconvenient Attachment // Appledash

chapter 56

"STOP!"

"Twilight, wake up!" Her loyal pet dog Spike commented in response to the asleep girl's mumbling and irregular body spasms. The girl jutted awake and anxiously looked around as if expecting something horrific to greet her vision, yet as her senses came back, she remembered their present location.

"We can't stop silly, we're not there yet!" Pinkie replied cheerfully as she peeked over the seat infront of her, oblivious to the emotions she girl was feeling in her nightmare.

"Hey, are you okay?" Sunset asked kindly from next to Pinkie on their shared seat, placing a hand on the startled girl's shoulder which caused Twilight to gaze up at her.

"I'm fine!" Twilight uncertainly replied, the smile she portrayed leaking with fake. Sunset didn't know whether she was greatly perceptive of human emotions because of her newly learnt mind reading abilities or her general empathy, but she could tell something was off. Initially beginning to contradict what Twilight said, she was interrupted by Pinkie going off on a tangent about marshmallows.

"We are going to have so much fun! We're going to roast marshmallows, eat marshmallows and sleep on marshmallow pillows!" 

Rainbow heard the odd conversation behind her and turned around to reply to the comment she eavesdropped on. 

"Yeah, we're probably not going to do that," she said, butting into the conversation causing her friends attention to switch over to her figure leaning over the back of the chartreuse bus seat. Pinkie began to mutter something in response but Dash was already beginning to turn back around and face the chair occupied by Rarity and Fluttershy who were huddled over in conversation about something related to crochet. Noting the hook with pastel yarn wrapped around it in Fluttershy's hands, she concluded Rarity was asking about what fashion garments she could curate with those skills. 

Sitting next to herself was Applejack, her hat lowered to cover her face slightly as she napped with wire headphones in her ears. AJ had asked Rainbow if they wanted to listen to music together, but identifying from the past how her taste in music was heavily country, she politely refused and pulled on her own headphones to play her mixed taste of rap. For most of the ride they didn't talk, they didn't even intend to sit together, Dash intentionally going to sit with Fluttershy, but Rarity waved her over to AJ and insisted they sit together. She thought it was suspicious but Applejack didn't seem to mind so she took the gesture with a grain of salt. 

Rainbow let the time pass by staring out the window, admiring the nature they passed and their unique formations, how they differed from their flora and fauna back home. Whilst eyeing a particular river they were passing over, an orange juice truck passing by on the other lane of the bridge, she felt a sudden heaviness on her left shoulder. Pulling her sight away from the babbling water flow, she glanced at what was causing her posture to sink, surprised to find Applejack leaning on her shoulder, presumably eyes still closed. At first she just stared and didn't move a muscle, it wasn't a 'oh she's so cute,' stare, because Dash is too cool for that corny stuff, but more of a 'what is she doing,' gazing. Half of her was unafraid to move as to not disturb her friend, but the other half was considering how coupley it looked and what the others would think of it, this thought only weighing on her mind due to her friends subtle, totally wrong, hints at their flirting. 

"Attention students!" Principal Celestia announced to the bus they were on, introducing the beginning of her small speech. Vice Principal Luna was on another bus with some other classes, Ms Cherilee on the third with the last sets of students, their whole grade being quite small. The load broadcast of the teacher startled AJ awake, her body's shock response small but noticed by Rainbow who laughed discreetly at her temporary fear. Taking the hat off her head, Dash held it over her so she could glimpse the girls tired expression.