Stage Four: Rearing Ravine! Time to Make a Move?

[SteelEagle]

Stage 4- The Rearing Ravine
 

Challenging the racers is the most dangerous part of an otherwise safe forest, the Rearing Ravine. High and heavily forested, it can be hard to see if you're about to fall off of the side of a cliff and the trails are small and zigzag up and down. The trail ends at a rickety wooden bridge with missing steps that seems to taunt you as you draw near. The gap the bridge covers looks dangerous, but some of you think you could handle it. Have courage, because if worst comes to worst, coordinator pegasi and unicorns are at the bottom of the ravine to ensure your safety. Hopefully it won't come to that.

OOC- Say whether or not you are trying to use the bridge or are trying to make the jump over the gap. The bridge does not give points, the jump can give some good points...if you pass, which will be a random d6 roll by me made when you attempt it. Failed jumps can lose points! There are modifiers to whether or not you succeed on the jump based on your previous actions.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Having blown himself back so thoroughly just moments ago, Taira felt a fire in his belly urging him to try and retake a higher spot. He'd saved up a good deal of energy through out this race and he could only hope it would pay off by the races end. The kirin's fuzzy ears would twitch a moment as his hooves thundered along on the path. A distinctive echo coming across the ravines around as he ran forward at an even but intense pace. These forested tops seemed almost familiar, almost like home... but more importantly he felt he had an advantage! He lived in high places with dangerous falls for most of his life! He could recognize those angles trees seemed to grow at near the edge of a fall, the way the wind sounded around him as it whistled softly through the ravine...

"I should stop by here after the race..." He said to himself, "Maybe get some pictures for Niju." 

 

Around this next corner, Taira caught a glimpse of a bridge in the distance. It was rickety looking and didn't inspire much confidence. Taira could hear the wood creaking as the wind rustled it about. There wasn't much time to decide, but Taira had made up his mind as soon as he saw that ravine! "Gummy! Bandit!" He barked with a delighted grin, "You ready to fly?" All he got back was silence and that profound stare.  "That's what I thought! Let's fly!" Taira built up his speed moving faster and faster until he made his jump across the gap, feeling as if time slowed down while he soared through the air with a goofy grin while his passenger stared into the middle distance...

 

 

[szalhi]

Damn, she kind of felt like an idiot. Nothing bad at all happened back there, it was just a simple cruise through with no dangers at all. But that didn't mean there could not be potential dangers further along. She saved her energy back then, her physical energy. Maybe she should have used the opportunity, she didn't even really have to navigate, just run straight. As she paced along, the terrain started to change, she had been here before, and as such, she had no problem navigating her way through. "Isn't there a bridge up ahead?" She said out loud. Hopefully, nothing bad happened to it. She was not going to jump again unless it was the only option. 

 

Yeah, she was right, there was a bridge here. It seemed worn out, but still quite functional, as long as they didn't do anything stupid. She could not sense the bottom of the ravi- wait, no, there it was. It was just within her focus. It wasn't really reassuring at all. She stepped on the bridge, testing its strength. Fine as long as they didn't shake it around too much. "Alright, no running here, unless you all want us to die," She called out to any others that may be considering the bridge. This could drag her back some placings, but she didn't care. "If it was up to me, I'd say we go one at a time for safety, but I'm not about to force that during a race." She proceeded to carefully trot her way over the bridge. 

[Pretzelparty]

 

Taira's jump didn't go as smoothly as he had hoped it would. With a loud thump his forelegs found solid ground... his hindleg's not so much! Remembering his passengers, Taira stiffened up his core, managing to stay straight and then shift his weight forward and fast enough that Gummy and the bandit tumbled a short distance forward. Managing to save his passengers though, did come at a cost as he soon found his core tiring and his hind legs left scrambling for purchase on side of the ravine. He knew that there was a group of pegasi down below to catch him if he fell, but he had pride and wasn't about to let it be tarnished by this!  With a couple grunts of exertion, Taira pulled himself back up and resumed his run!

 

He lowered his head down as he galloped forward, both the critters sliding up along his muzzle, through his mane, past his horns and now back to resting on his rather comfy back. With a sigh of relief he glanced back to the pair, "Sorry about that, boys! I guess I'm not as spry as I used to be! Only one way to get back to my prime though! We charge forward!" The stallion raised up his hoof as if punching the air... while Gummy continued his eternal contemplation. 
 

A sigh escaped the stallion's lips, "I wish I could at least get a tiny hoof er... paw... or claw bump from either of you." With a momentary shrug, the mountain-kirin galloped on ahead!

[SteelEagle]

Mistakes had been made, though she would never want to admit it at this very moment. The very last of her burst of energy was still coursing through her veins, but the high was crashing and as a result, her coordination was off. She found herself drifting off course ever so slightly and scraping alongside the sides of the ravine, the pointy rocks and branches, the rocks and pebbles underneath being more firmly felt in her soft pony peddy. But still, she ran heedless of all concerns because now was a time for action and she wasn't going to do anything but her best. She deserved it, Applejack deserved it, the Running of the Leaves deserved it, and any sneaky paparazzi who was still taking hidden photos des- well he didn't, but he'd get it anyway.

The race had by now established a clear hierarchy of pure talent. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Taira were at the front, the fastest and most successful of the bunch. They were in Ra-Ra's eyes the most successful of the pack, but that didn't mean the others were out. Ra-Ra was firmly in the upper half with Hawke the Griffoness and Boulder Dash, the living, breathing piece of muscle. The guard Fire Walker was moving at a conservative pace thus far, but Ra-Ra knew she could do so much more. Loose Cannon, the gray stallion, airship pony and the armored blue mare may have rounded out the collection that she had heard and taken notice of, but they weren't out either. It was a wide-open race she was excited to be in the thick of.

The Ravine moved alongside her. There were fewer trees here, fewer leaves to shake off, but the trees that existed here looked like they needed all the help they could get. Old and withered rather than old and strong, they struggled to survive in a place denied water for long periods. The leaves that came off looked desperate and brittle, but they came down hard and fast. Like Ra-Ra, in many aspects, except one: Ra-Ra was the mistress of herself and her destiny and was never one to deny herself. While these trees felt feeble she felt strong, if not in body, then in spirit. She would not be stopped by anything other than the purest defeat.

With this fire still burning, she continued on through the Ravine, determination like a stone rolling towards an unknowable future.

[Hippo]

 

Left turn, right hook, traverse a gradual left-leaning slope.  Large hairpin, inclined right-hooved bend, and then a downhill snake.  Applejack impressed herself at how well she had remembered these winding obstacles around the ravine.  She never game-planned it, but running the leaves so many years in a row allowed her to recognize certain areas of the map that had stayed in the back of her mind.  That meant she also knew what was up next.  Another bucking bridge.  Applejack had not forgotten what the last bridge experience was like and was pretty resentful of wooden structures that used to have the respect of a confident earth pony like herself.  Maybe it was the fact that she had just seen her friend get mildly hurt in the sticks that made her realize how real some of the danger was in this race.  Whatever she felt, she knew that the bridge coming up had probably not been maintained but that it would only be an option anyway since experienced runners know how to jump the chasm if they chose to do so.

 

Applejack's weaving of the dense forest near the ravine had caused her to slow down, and for good reason.  No use making mistakes here if it means taking another wrong turn.  Besides, she had made good time up until now and it was best to conserve energy when the brain power to help navigate the ravine was needed.  Only a few moments of light canter from the orange mare and Taira had overtaken her before the bridge.  When given the option, the kirin made no hesitation jumping the gap.  The stallion moved very brisk in the air.  However, he would only halfway make it, as his back legs kicked ferociously at the rocks and dirt to gain leverage over the side.  Applejack came to an abrupt halt, and could see the sweat dripping from the raccoon upon the kirin's back.  Gummy just stared blankly into nothingness.  Without much time to get her rope and help Taira, the kirin used his momentum to rolled his small friends to safety, and then slowly but surely pulled himself up and continued to run.

 

Applejack swallowed all of the nervous moisture that resulted in her mouth.  It was true that she didn't get scared nearly as often as others, but she still sometimes felt the stress of pressured situations like this one.  She took a quick gander over at the bridge, seeing Loose Cannon slowly hop her way over the bridge, the ropes of the device swaying unforgivably with every step.  The alternative wasn't much better in her eyes.  Applejack shook her head to knock the sense back in.  "Nope.  No bridge this time."  She looked over the edge of the chasm to see how deep it was, and spotted a few pegasi and unicorns standing at the bottom giving her a quick friendly wave when they noticed her peek.  Applejack took twenty-six steps backwards and then began to run as fast as she could towards the gap.  With any luck, she would have enough strength in reserve to help push herself across the gap.  As soon as she reached the edge her back legs thrust her body forward and for a long second, she flew.

 

(Applejack is attempting to jump the gap)

[RainbowFoxxy]

[OOC: Post between RainbowFoxxy(Pinkie) not sure why my copy/paste from google docs always comes in bold and can't be un-bolded ol, Dubstep(Hawke), and SteelEagle(Ra-Ra)]

 

The Pie was blown forward on a gust of...well....ummmmmmmm...sneeze?!

 

"Uhhhhh, bless you?" Pinkie called back over her shoulder as she fly through the air on the amazing allergy infused gust.

 

Perhaps Hawke's plan of keeping Taira behind her and Pinkie's lead wasn't the...greatest idea. How was she supposed to know the kirin had allergies to match his stature? In that instant, they had both been shot forward in a torrent of wind and dust and leaves. A couple of the trees were completely bare now, so at least something good had came from it. Hawke however had a bigger worry on her mind...The fact that the ground was still moving but her legs weren't planted! Thankfully, cats always land on their feet. Gracefully the griffon planted paw and claw back to dirt and hit the ground running. Heh, she'd gone faster before.

With that breeze out of the way, maybe she and Pinkie could continue the...Wait where was Pinkie Pie anyway? It took a second for Hawke to register that the party pony hadn't landed yet and was still flying forward from the prior sneeze. And was on a crash course with a tree. Okay so it was funny a couple times, the bang ooh tree routine, but with her flirting having gone so well, Hawke couldn't just let her new friend get hurt. It'd probably leave her more tired, but the griffon dashed just as quickly as she could to put herself between the mare and the tree. With a leap and a kick off the tree, Hawke managed to catch Pinkie on her back and get back to the track. "Hey there, thanks for traveling Dreamcrest Transit. I hope you have a smooth ride." she said over her shoulder as she started to slow her pace so the pony could hop down if she wanted. Not that Hawke would complain if she didn't.

 

"Whew! So ummm, I guess our new friend is allergic to you?" She managed to say as she slid off the griffon's back. "I'm glad I can't say the same! Hopefully we can race together a lot more Hawke! Thanks for catching me! I wasn't looking forward to meeting that tree up close and personal." Her cheeks blushed again, happy that Hawke had saved her from a crash and that she'd been up close and personal with the griffon for a few seconds. Ponk tried to think of something to keep her mind off the thoughts of Hawke that had started flitting about.

 

"Oh!" Ah the perfect distraction!

 

“I’m gonna go catch up with Ra-Ra for a few!” She winked at the griffon. “Let’s talk more later ok?”

 

With a big smile Pinkie jetted ahead, making her way to Ra-Ra’s side.

 

“Hi Ra-Ra! Long time no see!” She took on her trademark bouncing gate which somehow managed to keep stride with the galloping pony next to her. “Hope you’re having…” Her eyes moved to the injury on the mare’s flank.

 

“Oh my gosh! Did you get hurt? Are you ok?” She was all concern. Any close friend of Applejack was of course also a close friend to Pinkie Pie!

 

Ra-Ra ran with the last embers of the Mustang dying out, the surge of adrenaline that hid behind it on its own last legs. In that way, the injury didn't matter. With heavy breathing and a determined glint in her eye firmly in place as a dawning realization that she had made a terrible mistake was disallowed from replacing it, she smiled a weary, happy smile. "It's...fine...Pinkie Pie. What's a little athletic...competition without a little...pain?"

 

“Ok, well if you’re sure you’re fine,” She nodded to Applejack who was running up ahead. “And of course it was Applejack who bandaged you up. She would never let anything bad happen to one of her friends!” That was true for sure. Applejack had been there for Pinkie countless times. If there was ever a pony that could be trusted it was the farm mare. Sure, she made mistakes, everypony did, but Applejack was by far the most dependable pony Pinkie had ever known.

 

“She’s a great friend, isn’t she?” Pinkie waited for Ra-Ra’s response. The Pink One had been wondering if there was anything to AJ and Ra-Ra aside from being friends.

 

The musician nodded emphatically, through tiring lines on her face. "The best I've...ever had," she smiled wearily, pondering the truth of such a thing. Mustangia had been a loving time in her life and she had good ones in Fillydelphia and Manehattan, but time told her that they had all abandoned her one by one in increasingly awful ways. Or worse, they had agreed to all of Svengallop's suggestions. They had watched her get altered and changed and only became jealous, envious, or agreeable to this new mare constructed from industry advice. It took an old friend from when she was a filly to break her out of that dark spell. Applejack was the best friend she ever had, yes. "Can't imagine what I'd do...who I'd be, even...without her."

 

Pinkie nodded and was going to respond when her eyes widened!

 

“Don’t look now but actually do look!” The ravine gaped open in front of them as they ran straight towards it! Of course there were ponies set up to keep anypony who fell safe but still, who wanted to be set back by taking a plunge?

 

She glanced at her friend. “What do you want to do?”

 

Ra-Ra came to a smattering stop alongside Pinkie Pie, engrossed as she was in the moment to moment running of the event to lose track of just how much space had been removed from the unequal equation. She looked around, the last of her high coming to a whimpering end within her as she tried to imagine what could be done. The bridge was always safe, but today didn't seem a day to be safe. The spirit inside her, awakened from a long dormancy, may have lost all of its physical potency, but it still held tightly the leash around her soul. The gap was jumpable. It was dangerous, yes, but you could never do great things without being a little dangerous. She looked at Pinkie, her body clearly weary, but her eye still beholden to the aspect of the mustang. A mistake was being made.

"Applejack is possibly my greatest friend...but that doesn't mean I have to allow her to...win!" She laughed in between breaths, and then started walking back. "I'm going to jump. What about you?"

 

“I think I’m gonna jump it too! See you on the other side Ra-Ra!” Pinkie took a few steps back and then ran full tilt at the gap! As she ran she counted down...

 

"One...two..." At the last moment her legs bunched up like springs. "Threeeeeeeeee!" Out she went over the gorge! Would she make it?

[Dubstep]

Hawke smiled as a blush tinged Pinkie Pie's cheeks. Oh she was just too cute! What a lucky day this was huh? A chance to put her energy to some good use, and she likely had a date afterwards! How awesome was that? "Seems like it yeah! It was no trouble, not about to risk my cute new friend being a pink smudge on a tree!" she said with an affirmative nod. Sure it'd probably not have been that bad, but just the same, the griffon didn't want anything bad to happen to her. "Sure thing Pinkie, have fun! And maybe after the race, I can take you for a flight if you'd like!" Hawke waved to Pinkie Pie as she zipped off to check in on Colouratura, who Hawke had to admit was doing impressively well through out! No offense to the starlet, but she entirely expected the mare to be at the back of the pack taking a breather. Good on her though! Kudos.

Up ahead not too far, Hawke could see the bridge, as well as a few ponies making leaps across...or not in a couple of cases. Risk verses reward was well in effect it seemed, and soon the griffoness would have to choose which she was after...The last bridge hadn't treated her too well, but falling could put a major hamper in her placing. Coming in first wasn't a huge deal, but coming in last was totally out of the question. And so instead, Hawke opted to cross the bridge. It seemed that another racer had the same idea, calling out to any ponies approaching to bare careful. Looking down into the ravine, Hawke could spy safety ponies ready to leap into action at a moment's notice, that was a relief. "Hope you don't mind some company over here." Hawke said as she began to cross the bridge carefully behind the mare. "Worse comes to worst they've got ponies on standby to catch anyone."

[Pretzelparty]

 

Taira was genuinely thankful he'd manage to get back to his spot in the front again! His stumble on that jump may have cost him some time but already he was pulling ahead of the rest.

The stallion's hooves pounded roughly on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and a whirl of leaves in his wake. The deceptively swift and nimble stallion pushed along with his surely temporary lead, leaping over a large log in the way and ducking just out of the way of low hanging braches. One oddly shaped branch that just barely caught his antler made him wonder if his rival in all this was making any progress on catching up to him. At this rate the mountain would have something to brag about for ages to come!

 

 

 

[SteelEagle]

Ra-Ra felt her legs like jelly. She felt pain and tired hooves with tired muscles in a race that made her pay for the recent extravagance in her physicality. But she was going to jump. She was excited to go all out even if it wouldn't work, even if the loose muscles that made up her tired body were in revolt against the suggestion. A small part of her was worried about pictures of her failure making the rounds, but an even bigger part of her was addicted to the idea of pictures of her making the jump adorning the front page of the entertainment section of every major Equestrian tabloid. Even then a few would be unkind, but that was fine. It would make one heck of a great album cover. One amazing story to tell.

One amazing jump to make.

Ra-Ra first gave herself some space. You couldn't just jump from one end to the other, no matter how great an athlete or healthy you were. More deep breaths, moving her mane out of her face so she could stare it down. Really it wasn't so scary. Long, yes. But not very dangerous! Ponies were there in case she fell. There was no harm to be had. She got low, her snout taking in a final deep, deep breath of the rocky ground, her exhale sending dust flying. Her head looked back up in front of her. It looked...clear, clear enough. It looked like a good path. Good enough! She wasn't a beggar nor a chooser, but a mare with her spirit centered on the final act of the mustang spirit that bull-rushed through any concerns that may stop her.

She started galloping towards the edge, the clip-clop of her hooves cracking against the whistling world around her. She came upon the ledge and jumped...and it was perfect, the ledge was strong and broad and her legs gave their all in a final push towards greatness. The aching in her legs, the anger of her muscles, all dust in the wind of her avarice-ridden runner's high. The songstress flew the sky at full extension. She was a shadow on the sun, silhouetted against it so she was little more than a dark figure as the sun's joyful aura surrounded her. Her mane was wild and free in the air. For a brief moment in time the perfectly poised picture was possible and as perfection would have it, somepony somewhere took it.

She'd take it!
She started coming back down to earth, convinced she had failed completely if only because she was certain that her luck had to end at some point, and there wasn't an Applejack here to save her.

Nopony was more surprised when her first pair of legs came down on solid earth, propelling her forward just enough so that that her second pair landed as well- a bit of a stumble as one hoof was only half on and the rock face slightly gave away, but nothing she couldn't take as she fell to her side and slide a few feet. It took her a second to get up and realize...

“I...I MADE IT!” Coloratura bellowed, rearing up in excitement despite the dirt and blood, the rays of the sun dancing on her cutie mark and across her wearied form as an excited, ecstatic neigh was issued forth so all may know...she did it!

[Dashman562]

Boulder Dash was running hard and fast as he followed the group closely but slowed a bit to get his second wind.  He knew what was coming up and it was a doozy.  A rickty old bridge or risk jumping the ravine to make up time.  It was a hard choice to make but as he watched the other runners make their choice he felt a sense of strength grow in him that had been held back.

 

He was reminded of his father making the same leap many a year ago and the thought of making him proud from above brought a smile to his face and a tear to his eye.  "Whelp...ya got to be in it to win it.  Right On?" he thought as he closed in on the ravine.

 

In an attempt to save time and catch up, Boulder made his choice.  He reached Dow, pulled all he had and ran at top speed for the Ravine edge.  Win or Like we he had no regrets as he made the keap over the Ravine with all the strength his legs and body held.  "YEEEEEEEEHHHHHHAAAAWWWWWW!" he screamed as he made the keap over the Ravine letting fate take it's hand.

 

Boulder Dash is jumping the gap

[RainbowFoxxy]

OOC: Post via Dupstep and Rainbowfoxxy

 

It seemed like luck was usually on the Pink pony's side but... apparently not when it came to leaping ravines! 

 

"Threeeeeee!" She was sure she'd make the jump. It wasn't really all that far across. She had taken the ravine without really even looking clearly at the other side... or down for that matter.

 

She soared upwards, and that was about the extent of it. She had gotten the bounce part really well, it was a forte for Pinkie Pie. Buuuut, this distance? That was another story entirely. She froze in the air for a brief moment and for the first time looked down!

 

"EEEek!" It was such a long way down it made her head swirl! Then she began to fall!

 

Down, down, down went the pink party pony! Of course there were safety ponies ready to go but at the moment they must have not been looking up. None of them were flying up to help her!

 

"Oh nooooo!" Pinkie squeaked in dismay! This party had suddenly turned into a major pooper!

 

Alright, slow and steady. Not Hawke's usual bag, but she could handle it if it meant making it across this rickety thing. It didn't really look safe for one creature, let along a number of racers, so everyone was taking their dear sweet time, which meant the other racers were getting further and further ahead. Ugh. She really should have just jumped for it. Worst that would happen is that she'd need someone to catch her. She heard Pinkie Pie counting down before she jumped across, now she had the right idea! Just at the count of three, Hawke turned to watch the pony's leap! Up and up and...uh oh. "Caspita! Hold on, tesoro!" The rules can go to Tartarus for right now, since it seemed the rescue ponies down below had sparkles for brains.

 

Hawke didn't waste a beat pulling off the binder that kept her wings tight to her side as she lept from the side of the bridge. With a swift flap, Hawke sped over to the plummeting pony and caught her in her arms with a little smile. "Bene bene, looks like we had to take that offered flight a little sooner than expected, mia caro. Are you well?" another quick flap of her wings and the griffon swooped up and out of the ravine, onto the other side landing gently with Pinkie still in her grasp.

 

Pinkie exhaled sharply as the griffon caught her up! It seemed only an instant before she was safely on the far side of the ravine. The mare threw her arms around the griffon and embraced her tightly!

 

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She let go but let the griffon keep holding her while she looked deep into Hawke's eyes. "Not sure I would have made it out of that without you Hawke!" Pinkie leaned forward and without really thinking about she planted a kiss on the griffon's cheek.

 

"Oh! Uhhhhh..." She looked away definitely feeling embarrassment creeping through her. Nope, she wasn't going to let that get the best of her. She was strong, she was confident, she was Pinkie Pie!

 

"Thank you," The moment lingered for a while and then Pinkie got back on her hooves. "We should get running Hawke! Can't let those guys take the lead!"

[Hippo]

 

The moment Applejack jumped through the gap, she knew she was in trouble.  Could have been plate tectonics, or natural weathering, or maybe some cheeky donkey deliberately made the gap wider by chipping away at the cliffs.  That would fall under Loose Cannon's theories of great running of the leaves conspiracy, but all the while, Applejack had no time to think on these things as she paused suspended in the air.  Literally paused.  Applejack was frozen and couldn't move, but she wasn't falling either.  When her frozen expression look down, she saw the glow of two unicorn horns keeping her levitated across the gap, and then slowly she moved to the other side before the spell was broken and Applejack could move again.  She would gracefully land on the ground at the other side.

 

This gave Applejack a little bit of a guilty feeling for the lack of authenticity to her efforts.  But of course, she had no idea that magic would be required, she genuinely thought she'd make it.  Maybe she would have made it anyway but the safety team below helped her anyway, seeing as Taira needed help as well.  Applejack looked over the cliff and waved a thanks to the unicorns for their aide, and then turned tail and began running after Taira.  She could also see several racers behind her deciding to leap or take the bridge.  She wasn't that far ahead of them.

[Pretzelparty]

 

"Welcome back, Stet-san!" Taira smiled back at Applejack as she tailed him, "Enjoying the view back there?" He asked, knowing full well that from her perspective she'd probably only have a view of his banner of a tail flowing behind him.  This time, Taira was especially excited to keep his lead at the head of the group as long as he could without pushing too hard, gotta keep saving his energy for the final stretch...  It was so tempting to just bolt at full speed with how much adrenaline was pumping through his veins.  Perhaps in the hopes of distracting himself he tried to bait the mare behind him into some conversation. 

 

"I hope you haven't forgotten our wager! You'll be buying me a genuine hat by the day's end!" Another leap over a log in the path broke Tai's speech for only a second, "You and your family run a farm, right? My family back home do tours of the mountains! I'd been thinking about trying to set up a farm sometime ta get a few more bits for us all, know anything about high altitude agriculture?"

 

If Taira wasn't so busy maintaining his lead he'd have applauded the show back there. Some ponies landing, other ponies plummeting to  safety and being returned but having their pace broken. Hawke and Pinkie Pie seemed to be having an especially intense go at the ravine, but as they grew further and further away, Taira couldn't help but question why they'd taken that time to stare into each other's eyes for so long.

[tacobob]

 

 

 

This technically was –supposed- to be the first course that was actually supposed to be challenging. Normally both the ‘Brooks and ‘Glade were supposed to be cakewalks. Cakewalks? Why in the world does this expression exist? The pony pondered this as she continued to gallop away. Did somepony actually walk through a row of cakes and decided that it needed to be an expression? Also, why couldn’t she have a relative named Cake Walker? Would be nice to have a family member who could cook, or would their talent be walking on cakes? What a horrible cutie mark would that make. Just a hoof in an cake. This would not be a pony even Pinkie Pie would like.

 

“Woah!”, after nearly sleep-walking her way off an path, the officer decided she needed to concentrate on the path. She would also have to remind to mail an birthday card to her cousin Sleep Walker. Oddly enough, he was not known for being lazy, but was skilled at making those cloud beds Pegasus ponies could sleep on. She had tried one out before, and it was an utter shame they had yet to find a way to make the comfortable bunks for ground homes.

 

The officer had her head in the clouds for so long, she did not realize how far she had fallen behind. She could not even see Applejack's strangely cheek-less behind anymore. Or was that just a sign of runner's fatigue? Seeing odd things. She was sure even those boxy stallions passed her by. If she kept it up, the little old grannies with their walkers would be shooting by her very soon. This could not be! The mare doubled her pace. This was probably why she normally did not do so well in these long distance races! Her mind would wander. She needed to move! She needed to speed! But not too much!

 

As she moved quicker, another bridge fell into view, and like the other one, this looked pretty rough. What was going on with Equestria's infrastructure? Her tax bits should have paid for at least bridges she could walk on without falling to her doom. And considering what happened to those who failed to listen to her wisdom and take the bridge, she would have to make another jump. Thankfully she gained a second wind and her legs were still very strong. This helped her easily cross over the gap and look pretty good doing it in the process.

 

Hopefully she would at least catch up with somepony to talk to.

 

Spoiler

(Fire Walker made the roll!)

 

[Hippo]

 

Taira's taunting of Applejack's failing to keep up didn't hinder Applejack physically, but emotionally her rival gears were turning.  She's starting to understand why the kirin in the grove were so adapted to not speaking.  A race of hoofed creatures with that kind of attitude deserved the retaliation of silence, at least for a while.  Kirin had the mouths, but did they have the legs?  "Don't you worry firetail, I'll be ready to take my hat off, so I can put on that first place medal."  Applejack snarked forward, the sound of her voice hard to carry through the trail the kirin was leaving.  He certainly was running fast.  "My relatives grow apples and other crops all over Equestria, but I don't think many of them grow things in the mountains.  I wouldn't mind learning a thing or two about mountain cultivatin'.  Maybe we can learn together sometime."  Applejack lost earshot of the kirin.  If he was talking more, she couldn't hear it for now.

 

Applejack then looked behind her to see Fire Walker not having nearly as much issue with jumping the gap, with no magical aura around her indicating she needed help from underneath.  And she couldn't even try to accuse her of using her wings, since the pegasus was wearing a running suit.  "Holy pear tarts, Fire, you jumped that gap better than any of us so far!"

 

 

Holy pear tarts?  Fire Walker could not help but grin after hearing another one of Applejack's countryisms.  Still, as they would say in apple country, run with the big dogs or stay on the porch.  "I might be better suited for shorter runs, but there is one thing I can do, and that's jump!"  She bounced.  "I almost fell behind, but it's time for a Walker to take the lead!"

 

"Well seeing as I overtook you easily in the glade but you're still running next to me tells me what I thought was an advantage didn't amount to much of anything at all."  Applejack was glad she could discuss race tactics with another pony without requiring the heavy banter that was so easily dished out among the other racers.  Something about increased adrenaline and galloping as fast as you can brings out the attitude in most, but these two experienced athletes had been there and done that.  "In fact, you probably have more energy left in the tank than I do!"

 

"To tell you the honest truth," the Pegasus pony really wished somepony would invent a device that would protect one's mouth when she ran, so she could talk and move without getting a random bug stuck in her crawl. "I really need to run more marathons, and not just my once a year race for the REA.", she felt just about right as her canter matched the farmer's almost perfectly.  "I tend to get a little distracted during long runs."

 

"Mind if I ask what you ate for breakfast this morning?"  Applejack asked curiously.

 

While she really did not want to even think about food, she could not be rude.  "I had mostly carbohydrates as they break down very quickly and make an excellent energy source...so it was oatmeal with an banana..And a nice little energy drink like Brawndo...It's the thirst Mutilator!"

 

No apples.  How disappointing.  Although Applejack thought that meal sounded very nutritious and delicious.  "I need to try me one of them energy drinks.  Last one I had was one that was in a case that Big Mac bought from Flim and Flam.  Needless to say, the snake oil bit put a bad taste in my mouth and i haven't been able to trust stuff like that ever since."

 

"Just make sure it isn't loaded with sugar," the mare warned, "And also not sold at the side of the road from a shifty looking pony in a snappy straw hat."  These were wise words to live by!

 

"It's always plain ol' apple juice for me!"

 

"Apples, I'd hate to say have fiber and might make you need to hit the little pony's room during a run, which can be disastrous!"  Hmm. Maybe this would be the farmer's undoing.  The tasty apple juice would give her some energy, but it would also give her the trots!  And not the good kind!  She smiled as the topic of the kirin was brought up.

 

"Woooooweeee, that kirin is on a mission!  I wonder what he ate for breakfast!"  The need for speed ached in Applejack's mind as she continued to take advantage of Fire Walker's tandem.  Two ponies always ran faster than one.

 

"If we can't beat this guy, we have no business running, ever!"  The stallion running ahead of the pair was a handsome looking fella, but he was basically a fuzzy box with legs.  Strong legs, but they were still attached to a block!  Pegasus mares tended to be faster flyers due to their lighter weight and better aerodynamics, so it should count for runners, too?  Maybe during her next visit to the dentist, the officer should pick up the runner's magazine instead of the trashy tabloid.  Might help her win the next race! 

 

In the focus of her vision the path ahead, Applejack caught at the corner of her eye, a squeak for help.  "Huh?"  When she looked to her right, she saw a rabbit her her leg caught underneath a fallen tree branch.  She was conflicted.  She needed to help the critter but she knew that it would cost her time on the race.  The decision really wasn't a choice though, Applejack knew what the right thing to do was.  She could only ask Fire Walker if she could help, and she would not blame the pegasus for declining aide, even though she knew she probably wouldn't.  "Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat!, we gotta help her!"  Applejack's hooves ground to a halt across the gravel and she trotted to the hare in trouble.  "Hang on there, bunny, we'll get you out."  She said as she wasn't sure where to start.  She could just kick it, but she would risk hurting the animal.

 

"Huh? What are you looking at?"  She didn't mind giving a slight glance at the kirin's rump, but there was something else her 'partner' was looking at, and while it had two fuzzy cheeks, it was an actual rabbit.  Being a good gal, she had to help the fuzzy little critter as well.  "I could scoop up the little fella with my wing.  That won't count against me, will it?"

 

"F'course not," the apple pony said.  "But wouldn't that mean you gotta take off that suit you got on?"

 

"No, not really."  Fire Walker shook her sides.  "The suit doesn't cover up my wings, it just keeps them in place."  A few jingles more, "If I ended up falling off a cliff like a klutz, I would prefer to still have my ability to fly.  Might cost me the race, but it's better than costing my life."  Once her wings were free, she did not open them up, knowing they would probably slow her down like a parachute. Instead she kept them ready.

 

"If you're gonna do it, I'll wait until your wings are free and ready, and I will try and lift the log up.  It looks really heavy.  I got faith in my strength, but I don't want to chance it, we gotta be quick!"  Applejack spit the ground next to where she would attempt to gain leverage of the over-sized branch, not that soiling the ground an insignificant amount meant anything, other than that she meant business.  She wrapped her front legs around the branch and prepared to lift.  "Tell me when you're ready."

 

"Right.  Let's do this."  Operation bunny-rescue is GO!"  Applejack lifted the branch in angst, holding her breath while she did so.  Small seconds felt like hours as Applejack waited for Fire Walker to grab the bunny.  Fire Walker tried her best to time this just right. She needed to avoid the branch and catch scoop up the little fuzzy creature with her wing. Easy said. Tough doing.  "Come on now lil' gal."  Thankfully the great pony spirits in the sky were looking out for both ponies and the bunny as the officer was able to scoop her up and gain a passenger.  Pinkie had her alligator.  Discord has his raccoon.  Now the officer had her own very fuzzy little friend.  Applejack let out a huge gasp for air and dropped the timber as soon as Fire Walker and the bunny were clear.

 

A few breaths later, Applejack approached Fire Wallker nuzzling the rabbit as they continued to run again.  "She looks great, I was worried she might have broken something, but she looks healthier than a kale sandwich on a treadmill."  Applejack looked ahead as Taira was no longer in line of sight of the red and orange duo.  "Alrighty.  Now that the important stuff is dealt with, it's time for us to catch that kirin and teach them a lesson about racing with ponies who know a thing or two about endurance.  Let's roll!" Applejack and Fire Walker's wake consisted of light dust pickup and a shower of leaves that covered their tracks for miles.  Fire Walker would have to make another stop back here after the race to return the critter back to her home.  But for now, the race was still on!

 

((TacoBob provided Fire Walker via chat RP.  Thank you, Taco!))

Art credit:

Spoiler

https://www.deviantart.com/iojknmiojknm/art/Applejack-586963227
http://www.canterlot.com/gallery/image/5856-fire-walker/

Chat log (rough draft):

Spoiler

11:36 PM] Hippo: Applejack then looked behind her to see Fire Walker not having nearly as much issue with jumping the gap, with no magical aura around her indicating she needed help from underneath.  And she couldn't even try to accuse her of using her wings, since the pegasus was all bound to her running suit.  "Holy pear tarts, Fire, you jumped that gap better than any of us so far!"
[11:40 PM] TacoBob: "Holy pear tarts?", Fire Walker could not help but grin after hearing another one of Applejack's  countryisms. Still, as they would say in apple-country. Run with the big dogs or stay on the porch. "I might be better suited for shorter runs, but there is one thing I can do, and that's jump!", she bounced. "I almost fell behind, but it's time for an Walker to take the lead!"
[11:44 PM] Hippo: "Well seeing as I overtook you easily in the glade but you're still running next to me tells me what I thought was an advantage didn't amount to much of anything at all."  Applejack was glad she could discuss race tactics with another pony without requiring the heavy banter that was so easily dished out among the other races.  Something about increased adrenaline and galloping as fast as you can brings out the attitude in most, but these two experienced athletes had been there and done that.  "In fact, you probably have more energy left in the tank than I do!  Mind if I ask what you ate for breakfast this morning?"
[11:52 PM] TacoBob: "To tell you the honest truth.", the Pegasus pony really wished somepony would invent an device that would protect one's mouth when she ran, so she could talk and move without getting a random bug stuck in her crawl. "I really need to run more marathons, and not just my once a year  race for the R.E.A.", she felt just about right as her canter matched the farmer's almost perfectly.  "I tend to get a little distracted during long runs..As for my breakfast." While she really did not want to even think about food, she could not be rude. "I had mostly carbohydrates as they break down very quickly and make an excellent energy source...So it was oatmeal with an banana..And a nice little energy drink like Brawndo...It's the thirst Mutilator!"
October 8, 2018
[12:12 AM] Hippo: No apples.  How disappointing.  Although Applejack thought that meal sounded very nutritious and actually very delicious.  "I need to try me one of them energy drinks.  Last one I had was one that was in a case that Big Mac bought from Flim and Flam.  Needless to say, the snake oil bit put a bad taste in my mouth and i haven't been able to trust stuff like that ever since.  It's always plain ol' apple juice for me!"

Applejack ended her ramble suddenly as she noticed the kirin in front of them pulling ahead.  "Woooooweeee, that kirin is on a mission!  I wonder what he ate for breakfast!"  The need for speed ached in Applejack's mind as she continued to take advantage of Fire Walker's tandem.  Two ponies always ran faster than one.  But in the focus of her vision the path ahead, she caught at the corner of her eye, a squeak for help.  "What?"  When she looked to her right, she saw a rabbit her her leg caught underneath a fallen tree branch.  Applejack was conflicted.  She needed to help the critter but she knew that it would cost her time on the race.  The decision really wasn't a choice though, Applejack knew what the right thing to do was.  She could only ask Fire Walker if she could help, and she would not blame the pegasus for declining aide, even though she knew she probably wouldn't.  "Consarnit, we gotta help her!"  Applejack's hooves grinded to a halt across the gravel and she trotted to the hare in trouble.  "Hang on there, bunny, we'll get you out."  She said as she wasn't sure where to start.  She could just kick it, but she would risk hurting the animal.(edited)
[12:22 AM] TacoBob: "Just make sure it isn't loaded with sugar.", the mare warned, "And also not sold at the side of the road from a shifty looking pony in a snappy straw hat.". These were wise words to live by!  "Apples, I'd hate to say have fiber and might make you need to hit the little pony's room during a run, which can be disastrous!" Hmmm. Maybe this would be the farmer's undoing. The tasty apple juice would give her some energy, but it would also give her the trots! And not the good kind!  She smiled as the topic of the kirin was brought up.
[12:28 AM] TacoBob: "If we can't beat this guy, we have no business running..Ever!" The stallion running ahead of the pair was an handsome looking fella, but he was basically an fuzzy box with legs. Strong legs, but they were still attached to a block! Pegasus mares tended to be faster flyers due to their lighter weight and better  aerodynamics, so it should count for runners, too? Maybe during her next visit to the dentist,  the officer should pick up the runner's magazine instead of the  trashy tabloid. Might help her win the next race! 

"Huh? What are you looking at?", she didn't mind giving a slight glance at his rump, but there was something else her 'partner' was looking at, and while it had two fuzzy cheeks, it was an actual rabbit.  Being a good gal, she had to help the fuzzy little critter as well.  "I could scoop up the little fella with my wing..That won't count against me, will it?"
[12:32 AM] Hippo: "No not at all," the apple pony said.  "But wouldn't that mean you gotta take off that suit you got on?  If you're gonna do it, I'll wait until your wings and free and ready, and I will try and lift the log up.  It looks really heavy.  I got faith in my strength, but i don't want to chance it, we gotta be quick!"  Applejack spit the ground next to where she would attempt to gain leverage of the oversized branch, not that soiling the ground an insignificant amount meant anything, other than that she meant business.  She wrapped her front legs around the branch and prepare to lift.  "Tell me when you're ready."
[12:42 AM] TacoBob: "No...Not really.", Fire Walker shook her sides, "The suit doesn't cover up my wings, it just keeps them in place." A few jingles more, "If I ended up falling off a cliff like a klutz, I would prefer to still have my ability to fly.  Might cost me the race, but it's better than costing my life." Once her wings were free, she did not open them up, knowing they would probably slow her down like a parachute. Instead she kept them ready.

"Right. Let's do this." Operation bunny-rescue is GO!
[12:45 AM] Hippo: Applejack lifted the branch in angst, holding her breath while she did so.  Small seconds felt like hours as Applejack waited for Fire Walker to grab the bunny.
[12:50 AM] TacoBob: Fire Walker tried her best to time this just right. She needed to avoid the branch and catch scoop up the little fuzzy creature with her wing. Easy said. Tough doing.  "Come on now lil' gal.", Thankfully the great pony spirits in the sky were looking out for both ponies and the bunny as the officer was able to scoop her up and gain a passenger. Pinkie had her alligator. Discord has his raccoon. Now the officer had her own very fuzzy little friend.  She would have to make another stop back here after the race to return the critter back to her home. But for now, the race was still on!
[12:56 AM] Hippo: Applejack let out a huge gasp for air and dropped the timber as soon as Fire Walker and the bunny were clear.  A few breaths later, Applejack approached Fire Wallker nuzzling the rabbit as they continued to run again.  "She looks great, I was worried she might have broken something, but she looks very happy and healthy."  Applejack looked ahead as Taira was no longer in line of sight of the red and orange duo.  "Alrighty.  Now that the important stuff is dealt with, it's time for us catch that kirin and teach them a lesson about racing with ponies who know a thing or two about endurance.  Let's roll!"  Applejack and Fire Walker's wake consisted of light dust pickup and a shower of leaves that covered their tracks for miles.

 

[RexDraco]

Discord had made some slight miscalculations regarding his flight path. When he had first considered this it was merely to catch the wolf off guard from his disgruntling remarks that did to stir the ire of the spirit. If not for their little wager the questionable unicorn would have not thought twice about turning him into a toy poodle and being done with it! But now it was a matter of pride. Discord -- er, Dark Strife, couldn't be at the back of the pack and definitely not behind that mountainous blowhard! The spirit felt a sense of irritation over take him as he pulled his face from the tree's embrace before peeling back and fluttering to the ground in a useless, flattened shape. With a pop the spirit regained his third dimensional-ness and slammed onto his rump. 

 

"Grrr I would have gotten away with this if it weren't for you meddling trees!" He fumed, only to blink in realization. "Oh ho ho, wrong series." The spirit rolled to his hooves and  pulled a helmet from thin air before clapping it atop his head. 

 

He put his all into making it through the forest and keeping up with what pony plots he could maintain view with, but it was becoming harder and harder for the spirit as he was never one excelled in athleticism. He could see now what all the hullabaloo was with Dash being so skilled with feats that seemed ordinary for a group that pandered about on four legs. The hoots and hollers of a certain mad dashing pony made it easy to follow the lost crowd of racers, but boy they had gotten quite a distance from him. His age was catching up with him and as he made it to stage three a wheeze escaped his lungs. Standing on his hind legs the unicorn manifested a paper fan to air himself as he saw a most dastardly obstacle come into view.

 

"Oh you've got to be kidding me! Who is drawing up these stages?! When this is all over I am calling my agent." he huffed, crossing his forehooves over his chest, a sour expression on his face. "I am starting to wonder if the unicorns did some terraforming for them because I don't remember so many dangerous paths in Ponyville." He dropped to all fours and grumpily strolled along looking for hide and hair of that kirin. "I am chaos incarnate and even I think this is just too much....?" What the? 

 

Coming to the ravine his gold and red eyes drew between the span of space cut through the ground. Some ponies jumped over and others took the bridge. Oh -- on no not this again. Last time he took the bridge he nearly drowned. Not that he could, Dis-- Strife was an excellent swimmer. Flicking his cropped tail the annoyed old unicorn snorted and trotted to the edge of the ravine. He looked down finding it to be a very long way down.... His ears would perk as a suddenly pink blur shot down the crevasse. His mane was tossed back by the speed of falling Pinkie. He blinked, head pulled back and hoof raised over his chest in minor offense. Okay so maybe the ravine wasn't so safe to jump over. He skulked back and trotted toward the bridge, eyeing the cascading cupcake. He could help her before she hit rock bottom,  but it looked like Hawke was on the case. Discord wouldn't just let his friend fall to her pancake-y doom while he was around, just to win.

 

That was evil.

 

But he did like heroics and swooping in at the last minute seemed far more savior-esque than catching her midway. He came to the bridge and slowed to a stop. He watched the bird-cat dive down to save the sweet parading mare. Once he was assured they were safe the disguised spirit, only so for the sake of sportsponyship, would manifest a netting of pink clouds below just in case any other ponies decide to fall to their doom. He cocked his head and scoffed.

 

"It isn't as if I am helping, I just felt it could do with a splash of color." Flicked his tail he would trot across the bridge. "Now where is that mouthy pup." He spat out, refocused on his goal: kick Taira's ego to the curb!

[Dubstep]

From tip to tail, Hawke's fur and feathers floofed up. Now it was the griffon's turn to have a blush grace her cheeks. She hadn't been expecting that kiss! The hug sure, but even a kiss to the cheek is usually second date material...But then again it's not every day that you save someone from plummeting into a ravine. Don't question a good thing Hawke! The griffoness would place a claw gently on Pinkie Pie's cheek and pet the fur with the thumb talon with a smile. "La mia piccola fragola, sei dolce come zucchero filato." leaning in, Hawke returned this kiss, but this time beak to lips and would savour the tender moment for a few seconds before breaking away with a smile. "I feel like I've already won." she answered with a smile before glancing over back towards the bridge where other ponies were finally starting to make it across. Hawke cleared her throat and pushed back the Itailian accent she had let slip. "You're probably right though, we should get back to it soon. We can continue this after the race!"

Hawke braced her paws against the ground and readied herself to bolt when she spotted the stallion from earlier making his way across the end of the bridge. "Oh hey! Glad to see you're alright dude." she said with a wave to the grey unicorn....who still hadn't given her his name now that she thought about it. Ahh well. She took the moment of chatting to slip her binder back on over her chest and wings. "If you're looking for your friend, he's pretty far ahead. I'd offer you another lift, but that didn't go so well last time. But if you can keep up, I think we can handle the company. Let's rock Pinkie!" with a beckoning wave to the stallion and a grinning nod to the mare, Hawke would start to rush off down the trail once again.

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Taira hadn't intended for his words to come off as taunting, he genuinely was curious if Applejack liked the scenic view of the ravine. All the shades of green, the whistling of the wind, and the rhythmic galloping hooves of the racers... it Gave this old dog a very zen feeling as he kept moving along.  'Firetail' wasn't a nickname Taira could say he'd heard himself called before still, he took in stride and would grin. "Taira "Firetail" Yamamoto... That does have a nice ring to it! I---" Before he knew it applejack had fallen behind and out of earshot... well for her, Taira was more than capable of hearing her suggestion that they learn together sometime. Taira's tail began to wag for a few seconds at the very prospect of having visitors again!

 

Fire walker's jump was a genuinely impressive one, that even Taira had felt the urge to comment on. A deep breath filled his lungs and soon in rather booming voice one could hear from stands he spoke up, "A very stylish jump indeed! Maybe she should have the title of 'Firetail' instead, eh? ... and it was mostly eggs!"

 

While Taira ran on ahead he kicked himself for not noticing that bunny sooner. His sharp ear's picked up the mare duo's plan to save the creature from this coming stampede,  making the old stallion sigh in relief. Well, Now he was sure he was going to invite both Fire and this equestrian heroine (In addition to pinkie pie) to his mountain home sometime. Such acts of kindness and charity deserved a fitting reward.

 

 

 

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Pinkie grinned as the griffon floofed up in reaction to her affection. That was more than she could have hoped for. She was sure now that Hawke was smitten with her as much as she was with the griffon. Then Hawke began speaking a a language Pinkie didn't know and leaned in close...

 

The Ponk was never short on romantic affection! As Hawke planted a kiss directly on her muzzle Pinkie leaned in and returned the favor with gusto! When they parted, she drew in a shallow breath. Her heart raced faster than it would of if she had won the race! 

 

 "I feel like I've already won."

 

"Me too!" 

 

Wow! She has hoped she was going to make friends during the race, but she hadn't even dreamed of the chance of meeting a special someone while she was at it! Well, don't get too carried away... the mare thought to herself...

 

"You're probably right though, we should get back to it soon. We can continue this after the race!"

 

"Definitely!" Pink's response came with a big blushing grin. Hawke wanted to get together after the race? Maybe Pinkie could start getting carried away! 

 

She trotted in place, eager to start running again while Hawke called over to the grey unicorn. Pinkie was happy to see he was ok after slamming into that tree!

 

"Sure!" She waved to the stallion. "The more the merrier!" She was all pumped up from the kiss and super ready to get running! 

 

"Yep!" She winked at the griffon. "Let's rock!" 

 

POOF!

 

A cloud of dust was all that could be seen in Pinkie's wake!

 

As the pack of three ran onward Pinkie looked over at the unicorn. "Looks like you've had an interesting race so far! I've never seen someone leave such an impression on a tree before!" She tapped her muzzle in thought. "Well, except maybe Fluttershy, she seems to leave an impression on all the plants and animals... speaking of animals, is that raccoon your pet? Gummy seems to really like hanging out with him!"

[RexDraco]

The old looking unicorn kept his trot, pushing his pony legs as far as they would allow. Star's sake! Why didn't ones just invent aeroplanes instead? They could have sky races! He eventually ambled up to where Hawke and Pinkie were, the pair's head still seemingly in the clouds they nearly feel through. And here he was worried about her! Hmph! Flicking his ears the stallion turned his mismatched eyes toward the Griffon who seemed at a loss for his name. 

 

It was probably better he did not give these visitors his name. It wasn't as if he had a problem declaring his great and unabiding lordship over chaos and disharmony, but it was in that the very inkling of consideration that he may actually lose... He'd never be able to show his face again! He was surprised Pinkie hadn't noticed but knowing her if it wasn't a baked message in a pie or an imperative plot point to a joke -- it seemed to go clear over her head. At least she would have you think. If he hasn't the title already he was sure Pinkie would have the first resume in a god of chaos.

 

"Oh, what?!" He nickered out at the news. "Oh blast it!" His ears folded back as he snorted at the regard of his intimacy with nature. "Yes well she does have a way with all things green. Or purple. Or blue." He flicked his tongue out, which didn't look very pony like, before sucking it back in. "Oh, him? I don't have ...pets, no. He is my traveling companion. Sometimes he is my hat when the duty so fits. He was supposed to distract Taira, not become distracted by the scenery... Oh well." He lamented Hawke's words. "But this just means I need a better plan to catch up to that old dog!" He was really in on it to get Taira! 

[Dubstep]

Yup, today was definitely turning out to be a great day. A heart pumping race, new friends, and a date with a cute mare? The only way the day could get better is either winning the race or a ticket to a free full course meal. Hawke wasn't picky. The griffon was glad to see that the older unicorn hadn't lost his fighting spirit after that brush with the branches. A lot of ponies probably would have just sat it out after that, but this guy had guts!...Or was just a little off in the head and REALLY desperate to beat his friend. Whatever the case may be the company was welcome and the trio was off and dashing through the woods again.

She listened in as Pinkie and the stallion talked about the unicorn's animal companion. That explained the raccoon she saw on Taira earlier, she thought it an odd fashion statement. When he brought up needing a better plan to catch up to Taira, Hawke chuckled and lightly shook her head. "Well maybe if you had a cat instead of a raccoon your last try would have worked better. They guy has the craziest allergies I've ever seen. Next time I get ahead of him, I'm gonna have to play it careful or I'll be taking another impromptu flight."

[Pretzelparty]

 

 

Taira was weaving, ducking and leaping over each obstacle he came across. Every few steps he glanced back to make sure The Bandit and Gummy were still safe and sound. One of his backward's glances would bring a delighted grin to his mug: Discord was back in the running! He was still behind, but Taira was glad to see that the spirit of chaos wasn't going to be bound to a tree until the very end.  Just thinking about when he himself smacked into that hard wood, he felt a pang of sympathy for the great noodly god. He wasn't about to let his sympathy cost him his lead though!

 

Again he would speak up in that booming voice, "Welcome back, Dark-senpai! Glad to see you're sturdy enough to get back! Mind your hoofing, this place has some pretty sharp turns...  I'd advise against roller skates this time!" The snicker in his voice could be heard all the way in the back as the old mountain kirin projected. With his lead seemingly still secured, Taira took notice of some bushes around the next corner! He slipped in and would use his speed and teeth to tear off some off a branch with some blueberries still attached, then snack away. He didn't finish the whole bushel, instead he would exhale a small puff of mist that would pick up the branch and offer some to the raccoon on his back. There weren't any rules about using magic to feed passengers was there?

The Bandit clearly didn't care as he just nibbled away at the branch with very mellow chitter. Gummy decided to forego the blue treats and would stare glass eyed at pinkie pie all the way down with Hawke.

 

 

[Dashman562]

Wham!

 

The trees shook, pouring leaves down like water from a trough.  The ground shook and cracked like an earthquake causing a few racers to look back in shock.  Boulder Dash landed with a thud across the ravine safely and the big lug of a farm stallion shouted and hooted victoriously as he shot forward to gain pace with his successful leap.

 

"Yeeeeahowww!  Yippie Kay U!  Heads up man little ponies.  This freight train still has gas in the tank!" he shouted as he closed in on the leaders.  He passed Ra-Ra winking at her with those sea blue eyes that had made many a Mares hearts melt like butter, then passed Pinkie Pie who had been helped up again.

 

"Hope ya got one of them sweet kisses saved for me in the victory lane Pinkie" he said as he passed her and soon came upon Applejack.  Smirking as he closed in, he recalled her teasing earlier and made sure to blow in her ear as they came neck and neck.  

 

"I owe ya that for the nice view earlier, but now it's my turn to return the favor.  By the way, yer beauty could blind the sun in the light it gives" he said as he soon came upon Taira.  

 

Closing the distance with the Kirin he shouted in his thick country drawl, "Didn't think ya was rid of me that easily did ya?  I can't make it easy fer ya!"

[Hippo]

 

Not too long after Applejack and Fire Walker's bunny rescue mission, she found herself falling back into the main pack, who all seemed to be trailing Taira ahead of them.  Strategic-wise, the physiological effect of not being able to pace with a partner would probably make Taira fall back to the group.  But Applejack could not focus on these mid-race calculations and theories, as the ponies and griffons and things were busy chatting it up around her.  Normally it wouldn't bother Applejack, but she could not help but eavesdrop.  It seemed by the context of conversation was that of romantic gestures.  Since when did runners high cause everypony to be love-struck?

 

When Boulder ran past her, Applejack flicked her ear at the sudden teasing of air from the stony stallion.  She had assumed he was just being competitive.  Maybe he was trying to get inside her brain, cause her to misstep.  What's that?  Oh, he's flirting.  Applejack deadpanned.  She could not fathom why all the racers were suddenly playing the dating game.  It wasn't that she couldn't appreciate the affection.  She could, before it getting too awkward.  But to her, this was not the time nor place.

 

She noticed Ra-Ra approaching her again from behind.  "Have you been hit on yet today?  Let me guess.  Yes?"  Applejack smirked but was honestly quite distracted and distressed.  "I think it's all kinds of weird that everyone seems to be tryin' to hook up right now.  I think at this rate, they might need wedding bells at the winner's circle."  She looked at Ra-Ra as they both ran.  "It's almost like ponies have been pairing off during the race in hopes of getting hitched, testing the waters of affection, and giving each other pet names. Isn't that right, Ra-Ra?  I'm just glad someone here is actually running the leaves instead of running their hearts."  Applejack nodded with a short pause.  "That's why I love running this race."  Applejack's head popped up in thought.  "Oh, and you too, 'fcourse."