Rainbow Dash Shares a Zap Apple Pie With Hugh Neutron
Chapter 1: Exactly What It Says On The Tin
As the day drew to its close, the sky above Ponyville was cast in beautiful colors. There was not a cloud in the sky, courtesy of the hard work of the weather team, and throngs of ponies made their way home to enjoy their night. It had been a hard day of work for many, but that was OK, because now they could all enjoy their night peacefully.
Normally, if one were to look up into the sky, they might catch a glimpse of Rainbow Dash soaring above, flying away from the setting sun as if she was on an epic adventure eastward. Today was different, however- Rainbow had not been out of her home since the morning.
She had buried Tank today. His hibernation had won out in the end, and while she had come to accept that, the sadness in her heart was still a lot to bear. So, she had taken the day off, hoping that a little time to meditate on this would be all she needed. But the day had come and gone, and as the sun set over the town, Rainbow was nowhere closer to her normal self.
Her eyes met the tray of zap apple pie in her lap. Truth be told, she wasn't exactly hungry, but she needed something to take her mind off of the events of today. She had already drank all of the cider in the fridge, and this was all she had left. It was time to make the most of it.
However, just as she was about to dig into her comfort food, the kitchen was suddenly enveloped in a blindingly bright light. Instinct led Rainbow Dash to shriek in a surprisingly feminine tone as she shielded her eyes from the annoying illumination. By the time her hoof even had a chance to reach her face, however, the light had vanished, gone as soon as it came.
It took Rainbow Dash a few seconds too long to lower her hoof, partly due to absolute confusion and partly due to embarrassment from such a shriek escaping her lips. When she finally did, however, she found herself making eye contact with what must have been the dorkiest intruder in all of Equestria. He had the complete package: round-eyed glasses that terribly hid oblivious, brown eyes, clothes that even Rainbow knew were long out-of-style, and the most unsuspecting, unconscious half-smile on his face as he stood idly. On a good day, Rainbow might've laughed at him.
This was not a good day, and it didn't help that this creature was about twice her size. Though Rainbow was certainly acting irrationally, some small spark of common sense within her suppressed any desire to chase him away. Instead, she simply stared at him through tear-stained eyes, her expression unwittingly pitiful.
The man held a small black remote in his hand, which he eyed with an intrigued, innocent curiosity. For the longest time, all he merely stared at the device, his mind clearly wandering on an aimless adventure. Ultimately, he gave a good-natured chuckle before placing it in his pocket.
Then, his eye caught the sad sack of pony known as Rainbow Dash, and he knew he was back in the land of colorful talking horses. Judging by the pitiful expression on his face, the man guessed that the fates had once more summoned him in a desperate hour.
"Hey, little pony," he greeted, taking a seat on her bed. "Is something the matter?"
Rainbow felt like telling him to buzz off and let her be sad in peace, but something about the way he spoke silenced that idea altogether. Despite being a total stranger, his words seemed very genuine, and Rainbow remembered that it was not a good idea to turn friends away when they were trying to help.
If you could call this apeish stranger a friend, that is.
"Not so good," Rainbow replied with a sigh. "I've. . . I've had a bad day."
"Aww, I know how that feels. You know what cheers me up whenever I have a bad day? Pie. Lots and lots of pie."
It was then that the man's eye caught sight of the tray in Rainbow's lap. He broke into a goofy grin that almost immediately made Rainbow feel a little better.
She chuckled meekly. "Hey, great minds think alike, I guess."
"I guess they do," he laughed. Then, he stretched out a hand. "The name's Hugh Neutron, toy maker and enthusiast of ducks and pie alike."
Rainbow met his hand with a hoof. "Rainbow Dash, fastest pony in Equestria," she remarked with a chuckle. Even when she was this down in the dumps, she couldn't help but brag. "Uh, how did you get into my house, anyway?"
Hugh pulled the device out of his pocket, then showed it to Rainbow. "My son is always making some sort of crazy gadget now and again. I guess he had something to do with this one. He's smart, but a little. . ."
"Crazy?" Rainbow suggested.
"I wouldn't say crazy," Hugh responded with a shrug. "More like. . . Eccentric, I think the word is."
"I know an egghead like that," Rainbow chuckled. "Say, Mr. Neutron?"
"Call me Hugh."
"Right, er, Hugh. Would you like pie?" Rainbow offered as she slid the half-eaten tin in his direction.
Hugh gazed down at it, a hunger in his stomach and a temptation in his mind. Oh, how he loved pie, and Judy hadn't made a pie for him since last Tuesday, at the very least. Last Tuesday felt like eons away when it came to time without pie. Regardless, Hugh shook his head reluctantly.
"You look like you need it more than I do," Hugh said, punctuating his point with a sympathetic frown.
Rainbow was quiet for a moment. "You may be right, but friends share things among one another, right? Jeez, I sound like Fluttershy."
Hugh glanced up at the mention of his other pony friend. "Wait, you know Fluttershy?"
Rainbow cocked her head. "You know Fluttershy?"
Hugh nodded. "I do. Not very well, but I did come to your world once, and I helped her dear duck find love."
Rainbow chuckled. "She never told us about you. Still, any friend of Fluttershy's is a friend of mine."
"Then I am happy to be your friend," Hugh replied, cutting off a small piece for himself and taking a bite. Almost instantly, Hugh's mouth was met with an explosion of sweet, fruity flavor, the kind that words could not do justice to describe.
"Mmmm, Rainbow!" Hugh exclaimed through a mouthful of pie. "This is delicious! What flavor is it?"
"Zap apple," Rainbow replied proudly. "The best of the best."
Hugh swallowed. He would have waited a million Tuesdays just to experience that sort of pie again. Not to say that Judy's pie wasn't delicious, but this was on a whole new level.
Nevertheless, he was far too selfless of a man to hoard the delicious pie all to himself. Besides, it was not his to hold, anyway, and he passed it back to Rainbow.
"So, can you tell me what's wrong?" Hugh inquired.
Rainbow nodded. She trusted Hugh, as brief as their friendship may have been. "I sorta lost a pet today."
Hugh frowned, and the empathy Rainbow saw in his eyes was nothing short of genuine. "I'm sorry, Rainbow," he said, and he meant it.
"He's not dead or anything," Rainbow clarified. "Just hibernating. He'll be back when winter is over, but. . . It's been hard without him, you know?"
Hugh knew. After all, ducks fly south for the winter, and as the omniversal grandmaster of all things duck, all ducks were Hugh's pets.
"I know what you mean," Hugh replied. "It hurts a lot, doesn't it? Knowing they're gone."
Rainbow nodded. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she was successful in brushing them away and steeling herself. She had her big cry yesterday, and there wasn't really much of a need for yet another one.
There was an awkward silence as Hugh searched for some sort of comforting phrase. Finally, he merely placed a hand on Rainbow, stroking her coat softly. Rainbow let him, but still said nothing. His action, as small as it was, did make her feel better. She remembered that little things like this were blessings in their own right.
"I know it's rough, but he'll come back," Hugh finally offered, though he knew that it was not much help. "I'm certain he misses you just as much as you miss him. Maybe he's even dreaming about you right now."
Rainbow thought about it for a moment, imagining herself in Tank's dream as the two enjoyed a morning flight. She imagined Tank's smile as she maneuvered herself around and around, dancing and diving with the grace befitting a Wonderbolt. She grinned as she imagined herself flying, only then remembering how much she loved such an activity. It then occurred to her that she hadn't gone for a leisurely flight all day. That was unlike her. Tank wouldn't want her to spend all day like this; that would be totally lame!
"I shouldn't coop myself in my room," Rainbow thought aloud. "I should get back to doing what I love: flying!"
Hugh smiled, patting her on the back. "That's the spirit, Rainbow."
Rainbow shrugged. "Hey, thanks for helping me out, just talking to me and all that. I can see why Fluttershy likes you."
Hugh chuckled. "It's nothing, really. Go out there and enjoy yourself."
Feeling a newfound invigoration within her, Rainbow rose from the bed and threw off her bathrobe. She stretched her wings, shook off the last bit of sadness from her mind, and began to trot at a brisk pace out of the room. Just before she left, however, she poked her head back in.
"You can have the rest of that pie, by the way," she offered.
Hugh gasped in joyous suprise, snatched the pie, and followed her out. He met her outside, where she was crouched and ready to launch. It may have been a little late to start flying, but the sun was still poking out halfway over the horizon. With all the energy built up from a lazy day, she threw herself into the air, rocketing off at a daring speed. She felt the air kiss her coat, the mere sensation reminding her of the joys of life.
Far away, Hugh watched contentedly as he ate another slice of zap apple pie. Sometimes, all a person (or pony) needed was a little small talk to cheer them up, and he was just the gentle man to do it. He couldn't really explain it to anyone, but he somehow just knew that Rainbow Dash was back to her old self. It had been a job well done.
Then, he pulled the remote out of his pocket, and he was gone in a flash of light.