The Heights of Competition(Closed)

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow Dash folded her wings behind her as she landed at Sweet Apple Acres. She found the farm often made her crave a tall glass of cider. It wasn't quite the season for that yet...but it would be soon enough.

 

"I can't wait to get some of that cider!" Her voice cracked as she spoke herself about the delicious drink. She trotted through the grounds, heading for the general direction of the barn. She hadn't seen AJ in her initial fly over and figured she might be in the big red building.

 

Today was the day she had been training for! Rainbow had spent a good deal of her summer working out to get herself in the tippest of toppest of shape for what was going to start today. Her muscles were primed to perfection beneath her glistening sky blue coat. The mare had never felt as good as she felt today! She was finally going to beat AJ! She had dreamed of it! She had wanted it for so long! She was going to prove she was the strongest pony around, and no stetson wearing, apple flanked filly was going to stop her! Dash couldn't help a slight smile forming on her muzzle. If there was one thing she loved it was the competition spirit between her and her good friend

 

"Hello! Apple Jack? Ready to taste defeat?" She jested as she poked her head in the barn. She wasn't sure it was where she would find her friend, but it was a good enough place to look.

[SteelEagle]

 

Equestrians could be a really silly lot. Applejack would know- some thought she could be a silly pony at times. And maybe that was true but if it was, she was in grand company. Everypony in Equestria was silly in some way- it was the cornerstone of friendship if you really gave it any thought. You allowed yourself the weakness of frivolity amongst those you cared about, showing the points in your self-made armor of personality that they could seep into and find the pony underneath each and every time they wanted to. And, well, Equestrians had big dreams. Big ambitions. Nearly every Equestrian believed in some sort of great destiny for themselves, even if their cutie mark foretold a generally lackadaisical life. They dreamed big, dreamed friendly, and shared their quirks that made them oh so very interesting. Yes, Equestrians were silly.

And nopony was sillier than a cyan pegasus named Rainbow Dash. Really, you flighty bird brain? You're really going to challenge Ponyville's second strongest pony- and strongest mare, second strongest Apple- to some strength challenges? Ponyville's greatest athlete to athletic competition? Shucks, some ponies were silly but Rainbow Dash was the queen of silly ideas. If it wasn't some sort of competition she could use her wings for, what could she do but look like a silly one? Granted, she could do things Applejack could never dream of doing...in the AIR. She could do some amazing, breathtaking, awe-inspiring things...in the AIR. Maybe if today's competition was in the, oh, maybe AIR, she would win. But it wasn't. It was on the ground. Granted, the mountains. But the mountains were still the ground and Applejack was still the best, so as her friend arrived and shot off heer snappy jest. Applejack replied with a cocky smile as she turned to the flighty one and chuckled.

“Hold up there, pony girl. Ah have no intention of losin' to tha likes of you,” she said, rolling the last barrel of cider into the cart. Three barrels of cider and a whole boat load of camping equipment for two, plus food and beverages. This competition had no real end date. It'd take as long as it took for Rainbow Dash to admit that Applejack was the best around and nopony was gonna get her down. Whether that took two days or two months, it would be done. “Ah'm fine for takin' all this ta tha site, since Ah know yer just too fragile for it,” Applejack prodded her friend, always happy to have Rainbow around- kidding or not, she was probably Applejack's closest friend. And beyond being a good opportunity to compete, this would be a good way to just have some alone time with a pony that was often just too busy for a little 'ol farmer filly.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

 

“Ah'm fine for takin' all this ta tha site, since Ah know yer just too fragile for it,”

 

Rainbow nudged her friend back a little harder than the original prodding had been. She let a huge smile split her muzzle as she stared up at the barrels of cider resting in the cart. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Cider! So much cider! It was hard to think of anything else with those barrels just sitting up there, ready to be drank down in huge gulps by a rainbow maned mare!

 

"Nopony has intentions of losing to me, they just do! I can't help it, I'm just too awesome!" She trotted towards the cart as she spoke. Her wings ruffled a little bit as she thought of possibly flying up to inspect the barrels a little closer.

 

"This is one packed cart." She moved over and shouldered AJ lightly to the side. "If you could move your rippling muscles over a little bit, we can both pull the cart. You're talkin' to Rainbow Dash here you know. I'm about as opposite of fragile as you can get!"

 

The mare's heart beat wildly with excitement. Excitement for cider! For going on a camping trip in the mountains! For spending as much time with AJ as she wanted! They had both had to clear their schedules to make time for this and it was so going to be worth it! The apple flanked filly was such a close friend and Rainbow really did love spending time with her. It was just bonus that she was also going to be able to show AJ up in some contests. Rainbow had come up with a few ideas herself and she wondered if Apple Jack had come up with some as well. If only AJ was a pegasus! It was one thing to show her up on the ground, which was going to happen... but she was so be beaten in a flying contest!

 

Dash was ready to slid into the cart rungs alongside her friend, if AJ would move over. She smiled winningly, waiting to see if her friend would let her pull too.

 

"This is going to be so much fun!" Plus, she would pull the cart so hard, Apple Jack would have trouble keeping up. Rainbow smiled, what a great adventure they would have.

[SteelEagle]

 

Good to see that Rainbow Dash was as confident as ever. Applejack had a healthy respect and, indeed, admiration for her. She had accomplished many great things for Ponyville, Equestria, and herself, and often in that order. It was a misunderstood thing loyalty, and was often cast aside as a trait of the naive or blind. But Applejack knew the truth- it meant putting your heart out in front of others for their own well being. It was one of the most important part of love. It was one of the biggest elements in integrity and honor. All of these combined were what made a pony great, something truly special, and Loyalty was the foundation of it all. So was it any surprise that her best friend was this over-competitive, often times lazy, consistently overbearing pegasus?

Heck no. Applejack was proud to call her a friend. Not so proud that she still wouldn't shellack her up front and rearside in any competition, mind you. She had plenty of ideas for things they could do that'd be plenty fair, and well, the flighty one didn't have a lick of a chance. Applejack was faster. Applejack was stronger. Applejack was more highly skilled. She couldn't fly but she didn't think there'd b much up there anyway. Poor Rainbow had walked into a minefield of athleticism the likes of which she had never seen. She didn't think her feathered friend had a chance to win the series but she might just allow Rainbow to win once in a while. You had to treat some ponies like you would your little sis- let'm win a game once in a while. Gotta keep their hope up so she didn't get down and stop being a competitive little flier.

Applejack made room, moving the second harness off of it's lock and making room. “Come on in pony girl. Ah'm sure we can make some good time. Gotta keep that cider safe though, don't wanna get it too jostled. Whatcha been up ta? How long ya got open, Sugarcube?” Applejack asked, thinking about what she could do with all the time she herself had made. And also about the place they had selected- well, Rainbow Dash had. Applejack hadn't the time to scout it out but Rainbow Dash had all the time and all the speed in the world. “What place did ya pick for our lil shindig, Dash? Ah'm right excited ta be spendin' all this time with ya, truth be told. Even if Ah'm gonna whoop ya somethin' silly,“ Applejack smirked, winking at her friend with all the dashing confidence that her friend was famous for returned twicefold.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow slid into the cart straps next to her friend.

 

Whatcha been up ta? How long ya got open, Sugarcube?”

 

The cyan mare ducked under the chest strap and turned to give her friend a smile. "Oh you know...the usual. Pretty much rockin' everything I put my hoof to, spending time with Tank, and practicing my flight tricks. I haven't really had time to practice for our competition. Not that I need to, I've been ready for this like forever!" She nudged AJ's side playfully as they started out from Sweet Apple Acres at a trot. Good thing there were some sort of shocks under the cart, wouldn't want to upset all that beautiful cider!

 

"As far as how long I've got, as long as it takes. I've been looking forward to this too!" As she spoke, she looked up. "There you are! You're late!" She chided the airborne tortoise as he came into view. Tank puttered near the cart and winked at the ponies. "Glad you could make it Tank!" Rainbow winked back at her pet and pal. "Oh yeah, were you going to bring Winona along too? I can't remember if we even talked about bringing our pets. I hope that's cool with you."

 

Soon they were trotting through the outskirts of the Whitetail Woods. It had been a while since Rainbow had seen it from the ground. Usually she was soaring over the green ocean of trees.

 

"So, I thinking we would start from the foothills of the Solstice Heights. I picked out a good camping area there. Same one I took Scoots to a while ago. After that we can decide if we want to go up into the mountains or whatever. I figured that spot would be good for all the contests we're gonna have. I'm really looking forward to this AJ! Especially the part where I beat you in like a ton of events!" 

[SteelEagle]

 

Always the cocky one, though not without cause. Rainbow Dash was one of Ponyville's greatest athletes but she was entrenched behind the indomitable mare of steel in front of her. Applejack was the best Ponyville had to offer. If she ever decided to go pro the question wasn't could she become one of Equestria's greatest athletes, the question was in what sport or event? “Well, if you've been ready for this forever then Ah just have ta pity you. Comin' all this way and knowin' yer trotting ta yer doom? Tsk tsk, an' here Ah thought they taught you pegasi some self-preservation up there,” Applejack laughed as she returned the nudge, trotting line in line with Rainbow as they made their way further to their destination. “Have the Wonderbolts called on ya lately?”

It was good Rainbow had time. Applejack was looking forward to this vacation and didn't want to cut it short on account of some cyan birdbrain messing up her schedule. “That's good. Ah'm lookin' forward ta some quiet time away from tha farm. Ah love it ta pieces but Ah need a break every once in a while-” she began before Tank showed up in all of his tech'd up glory. Well, Applejack had never said no to pets so why not have Tank? Not that it changed Applejack's plans any. She couldn't even bring along Winona even if she wanted. “Tank is more than welcome ta join on up. Ah can't bring Winona, she has all sortsa problems up thar. And she'd try an' eat somethin' for sure, in a bitey mood lately. Plus Ah can't pull her away from Apple Bloom lately.”

The location was workable. Applejack was excited to have a good place to get far enough away from Ponyville to have privacy from all the little problems that could stuff the day full of busywork. “Sounds good ta me, Rainbow. Ah've always wanted ta see tha Heights for a good period of time. Ah'm also excited ta see it from tha winner's circle, hehehe. So, Ah'm bringin' tha cider. Y'all have anything yer bringin' thar?”

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Ah'm also excited ta see it from tha winner's circle, hehehe. So, Ah'm bringin' tha cider. Y'all have anything yer bringin' thar?

 

The mare smirked as they continued to trundle down the road towards the Solstice Hieghts. They were going to have so much fun! Of course it would be more fun if Rainbow was able to win all the sweet events she had come up with. 

 

"Oh you know I brought some awesome stuff for our trip AJ! I'm like the best camper of all time. In fact, if there was a prize for like the best camper ever I'd totally win it!" They hit a small bump in the road which made to contents of the cart wobble just a bit. "Whoa, we better take it easy if the road gets bumpy." Rainbow wasn't one for taking it easy, but when there was the safety of cider involved it was a different story.

 

"Yeah, I went ahead and stopped at a few places while I as packing up. I've got like the best snacks from Sugar Cube Corner and even some chocolate milk! I figured we could use some of the great stuff we brought for prizes and stuff!"

 

Soon they were deep into the forest and the trail began to get thinner. Rainbow kept straight on the path, trying to pick the smoothest part for their cargo. "So I was thinking when we get there we could have a contest to see who can get their part oft he campsite set up first. Sound cool to you?"

[SteelEagle]

 

 

 Puh-lease. Rainbow Dash couldn't camp her way out of the Whitetail Woods without help. Well, at least in comparison to Applejack. Now if there was a championship for camping it was a championship Applejack would win and her big brother would come in as a runner up in. She knew all the knots you needed to know and knot use- a bit of a rope joke, there- in certain areas. She knew the proper footage of a campsite for two ponies taken into account local environment and security, cleaning of a site to avid injury or accident, and the sort of fabric that worked best in inclement weather. How likely was any of that to come up in any given situation? Pretty low if she was being honest, but it never hurt to be prepared. Or overly prepared, especially when through experience it was as simple and easy as it was for her. She readjusted her stride to calm Rainbow- the cider was in no trouble- and listened to her friend regardless. She really was a hoot.

She got extra grub and some chocolate milk, which was always a treat. Shoot, flavored drinks were kind of expensive. Not as expensive as one of Rarity's fancy caviar, but expensive enough that she didn't just ask Daisy Jo to take care of it for her. When you had chocolate milk producing cows, it drained them a lot faster. Less milk. Of course yiu could always just add something to the milk later, but that wasn't real chocolate milk. It was colored milk with a chocolate aftertaste. At least that was the way Applejack viewed it as bit of a purist on the matter. Either way it was good to have Rainbow invested in the non-competitive portions as well as the competitive portions of the camping trip.

“That sounds like a good idea,” Applejack replied, slotting Rainbow's suggestion into what they had planned, bad timing or not. Otherwise, she was quiet. She wanted to compete in that silly little camp setting up contest, and she would. Half-heartedly, maybe. She wasn't going to turn non-competitive things into competitive things. That was how somepony got hurt. Either way, Applejack continued the trot, and time passed well. It wasn't that long- just a few solid hours of good trotting- until they started to inch closer to their destination.  

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

“That sounds like a good idea,”

 

Dash eyed her friend mischievously as they continued their trot. She had been expecting some kind of counter challenge or some kind of boastful banter from her apple flanked friend but she gone none of it. What could AJ be planning? Whatever it was, the Dashster would be more than ready to overcome and conquer any challenge laid down! The day passed into afternoon as they continued. Dash started to think of all that cider they were pulling along. She really could go for a big glass full of the sweet amber liquid right now!

 

"Wow! At this rate we'll be there in no time...at least for trotting on the ground. If we were flying we'd already be there!" She nodded to Tank as the tortoise swooped by on his propeller. The shelled creature winked at Dash and then looked towards the little stream they were going to have to cross. "So ummmmm, AJ? It looks like Tank wants to stop for a water break. What do you think? I wouldn't mind having a snack really quick...of course only cause I think Tank wants a little rest break." She watched as the tortoise landed near the edge of the stream. Well, it was kind of like landing, if landing included rolling and tumbling over the grass for a little while before stopping.

 

Dash was glad to use her pet as an excuse. She was thirsty! And her stomach was rumbling a little too! She unhitched herself from the cart and went to her camp bag. inside was the fixings for alfalfa and molasses sandwiches. Of course it wasn't something she usually ate but hey, they were camping out after all!

 

"Come on AJ, I've got sandwiches here!"  She spoke around a muzzle full of food. All this outdoor stuff sure made a pony hungry quick!

[SteelEagle]

 

 

It didn't take much to tire out little old Rainbow Dash, did it? She may use Tank as an excuse, but Applejack didn't need to be private eye to feel the way that Rainbow jumped eagerly at it. Not that Applejack could blame her. Rainbow Dash was a trick flier. The fastest pegasus in the world. But what she wasn't was an endurance flyer. She needed to build up her core, get her breathing. Right, build that stamina. Applejack could help with that. For now though, a nice break wasn't that out of order. Applejack would rather just push on and set everything up before taking a break, but that sandwich did look awfully good. It wouldn't be the first time Rainbow cooked something good up anyway, and food was never a bad reason to take yourself a nice little break.

“Ah guess it can't hurt. Ah'd like ta get us thar sooner rather than later so we can go ahead an' set it up before we hit tha hay fer tha night. Pass that alfalfa an' molassas sandwich right on over here, Sugarcube,” Applejack licked her lips in response, moseying on down near the stream and removing the cart. She made sure to put the stabilizer on the rock nearby. She then curled up, front forelegs up under her, and took a sip of the stream. Now that was nice, clear country water! “See, now this here is something Ah can get behind. Where'd ya scrunge up that deeee-licious looking sandwich thar?” Applejack asked, scooping up her sandwich and taking a big, honking bite. “Now that tastes just as good as it looks!” Applejack replied, enjoying it heartily. She then had a thought. "Ya know, maybe Ah can get back on tha road and you can fly there. Then you can get there first, set yourself up and whathaveyou. So when I get mine ready, Ah don't have to wait an' take a nap so you can get done."

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow watched in fascination as the apple mare chewed on the HUGE gite she had taken from her sandwich. Then she smiled, glad her friend was enjoying herself.

 

"Ya know, maybe Ah can get back on the road and you can fly there. Then you can get there first, set yourself up and what have you. So when I get mine ready, Ah don't have to wait an' take a nap so you can get done."

 

Hmmm... an interesting notion. One that Rainbow would be apt to comply with. But she wasn't going to let ol' AJ think they that she couldn't pull her weight with the cart. "Sounds like a plan, as long as you don't start thinking I can't pull that cart as good as you can!" She winked at her friend in good nature. There would be lots of time to prove herself soon enough. Why waste this time boasting? Well, because she was Rainbow Dash after all. " I mean I could always just fly the whole thing there myself!" She finished her sandwich and started to flap her wings. "But I understand if you need the extra training before we start competing!"

 

Rainbow made sure her smaller pack was in place on her back before picking up speed. She streaked off through the afternoon sky, leaving a trail of rainbow in her wake. She figured Tank would be following her, the little guy could take care of himself. She would make she his tent was set up right next to hers.

 

The sun was beginning to drop lower in the sky as Rainbow went about setting up her tent. It didn't take too long as it was a pretty simple design. She didn't need anything flashy. Tank puttered onto the scene and winked at her.

 

"Here you go buddy! I got your tent all set up!" She showed her pet his new digs with one eye on the trail. She was sure AJ would be showing up soon.

 

"I better get a fire going. Just in case Applejack doesn't get here til the sun goes down or something." She smiled, knowing her good friend was the fastest ponyt around.

[SteelEagle]

 

 

Applejack didn't think Rainbow couldn't last all the way to the camp site pulling the cart, she knew. Or at the very least, she knew that it would tucker her out. If Applejack was concerned about losing to the pegasus in anything, then maybe she'd allow her to go ahead and pull alongside her. She wasn't though, so she wanted Rainbow to be all good and rested. When Rainbow lost fair and square, Applejack didn't want a single shred of an excuse to overshadow that. Plus it gave her some time to think, some time alone for recent events to really come into focus. She had a sister who had a cutie mark she had to figure out, and a farm that had a whole new lot of land to toy with. Indeed, good things were happening and she was more than happy.

“See ya there!” She said, and soon after they separated. Applejack trotted in her own pace, the cider rumbling up and down paths for some time while she made her way there without a rush. It wasn't that long, by her reckoning of the word at least, until as she passed over a hill she could see Rainbow and tank at their camp site. Good, they had the time they needed. Applejack continue trotting speed there, the heavy and ungainly weight tied to her meaning little. After a time she made her way to the camp. “Good goin', Rainbow. Just lemme get mah camp in order an' set up our cider, then we can have a small drink 'for we get to it. Sound good ta you, Sugarcube?” Applejack said as she disengaged the cart and pulled out her saddlebag. In short order her tent was a set up, an all together humble affair with sleeping quilt rolled along. “Want some cider, RD?”

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow could help but smile as her friend rumbled into the camp. She got that good feeling down deep in her stomach when things were going just right. It was a great time of day, she was on a camping trip with one of her best friends, and best of all...there was cider! No really, she was the most excited to be spending time with Applejack, it's just the cider tends to cloud the mind. Dash just loved it when AJ pulled out the 'sugar cube'. It was the best nickname around and it made the good feelings even stronger deep inside her stomach. Yep, this was the best day ever!

 

“Want some cider, RD?”

 

"Do I want some cider? Hmmmm..." Rainbow flapped her wings and hovered near the cart while AJ finished unpacking. She tapped a hoof to her lip as if deep in thought for a few moments. "Oh yeah I want some cider!" She flew over to her pack and fished out two traveling mugs. Then she flew back and made quick work of pouring out two foaming mugs of her favorite drink. It was difficult but she did place one of them down for AJ before drinking hers down.

 

"Oh yeah! That's the stuff! Tastes as good as ever AJ." Rainbow smiled and then went into thought for a moment while wiping cider off her chin. What was the first contest going to be? Maybe a simple running race? They didn't have time for too much before the sun went down.

 

She eyed a lone tree on a ledge about a mile up the mountain trail. "So what do you say Applejack? Time for a little hoof race before the evening?"

[SteelEagle]

 

It was good to see Rainbow more than willing to get herself all tossed up on the cider before they even did anything. Poor filly had a problem. Too bad Applejack was a dirty enabler who also took in some nice drinks, so who was she to judge? Besides, Rainbow Dash kept the Apple family going in the lean months. Not that it mattered here: this was free of charge, in the spirit of honest competition. It was also a good way to signify that this was truly their vacation. It wouldn't matter if they decided to forgo the competition and just partied, it was their time and they could do with it as they pleased. And for now, that meant good ol' Apple family cider. “Thanks, partner,” Applejack said as Rainbow managed to pour her a mug without dropping it and drinking it all off of the ground.

Applejack took a good, long gulp, the whole act being audible. Ahhhh, love it. This was the good stuff, alright. She made hundreds of barrels a month when the going was good. Some barrels were worse than others. Some barrels were considerably better. This one was better. It wasn't in the initial taste- crisp, clean, good as normal- but how long it stayed with you. The aftertaste was powerful and delicious as well. None of it died down by the time you took another sip, so the taste only improved as you took more sips. This was the good stuff. Competition? Applejack could beat Rainbow any time, so for now Applejack would leave it up to her winged friend. Wasn't any pelt off of her hide. “Sugacube, you can pick any competition you want. Somethin' short though, gettin' a bit long in tha day for anythin' too dramatic,” she said, gulping as she did so. Hopefully Rainbow thought AJ was scared. 
She could be a pretty good actress when she wanted to be.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Ah ha! Nothing got past Rainbow's gaze! AJ had gulped before saying she was up for a hoof race. Hee hee! This was great! Apple Jack was actually nervous about having a race. That was a good sign. Dash had her concerns about the up coming competitions. Apple Jack was like the strongest pony around. No pony could buck apple, toss hay bales, or basically be as awesome as AJ was. Even Rainbow had a hard time figuring she was actually has hardcore as Apple Jack. Not that she would ever let on that she felt that way. Rainbow was tough, Rainbow was fast, Rainbow was awesome! Yep, that's how it was and that's what she was going to prove!

 

"Ok cool!" She gulped down the rest of her cider and pointed with a hoof at the lone tree. "See that tree up there? I say we have a race to that tree and back! First one to make it back here has to cook dinner!" She winked at her friend. "And of course pour the cider." Her belly was already full of the stuff but the thought of having another mug before sleep sounded so good!

 

Rainbow trotted to a point just to the side of the camping area. "Let's start from here." She drew a line in the dirt and got ready to run. Her belly was gurgling and swirling a little but she could still run and certainly beat Apple Jack!

 

She waited until her friend was on the line. "On your mark, get set, go!" Rainbow took off like a shot! Well, pretty much like a shot...maybe not. That cider was really going to slow her down.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack kept her face even as the gleaming in her friend's eyes clued her into the fact that her plan had worked. Well, wasn't much of a plan, per se. Rainbow was a big pony who could make her big pony decisions without needing to look for signs of weakness from a mare who had none. If she had some- well, she wasn't going to fret none about it. This wasn't supposed to be a big deal. Just a nice excursion. But for all of that she did want to win. And so did Rainbow. And while Rainbow wanted to go ahead and win bad, she needed to eat some humble pie to start off. If you allowed Rainbow's ego to get in her way then she could be an insufferable mare. She never seemed to win with her ego not flaring up. More importantly, once she started to win she started to take an event way too seriously.

That was true of losing too, but- well, that wasn't Applejack's problem. Applejack was here to win and Rainbow could just suck it up and lose like a champion. After Rainbow was done speaking and drinking, Applejack removed her hat and put it on a nearby branch. Time to get serious. Into position, head down, flank up. Hooves dug in. Controlled breathing. Eye on the tree, the dirt, the ground, she could feel it- she was a step slower than Rainbow of course since she had a bit further to go but that was fine. Let Rainbow get her tiniest of head starts. Much better for Applejack to overtake her and then run her down now than wait to do it, and hope that her galloping could beat Rainbow before she decided to cheat a little and use her wings for extra speed.

They were off. Applejack didn't move fast at first, building herself up. But build herself up she did. Faster and faster, hooves poundiing the dirt in quicker succession. She galloped faster and faster like a shooting star. Against this, Rainbow had no defense. All the trickery in the world couldn't compare to the simple fact that Applejack had the strength, the speed, the endurance, and the experience to shut her friend up momentarily. Her mane was caught in the wind as she picked up, her ponytail holding on for its life as she started to blow past Rainbow. She turned her head and stuck out her tongue, only to whip it back up front, put it down, and put the hooves to work. Her legs become blurs of motion as she charged towards her destiny. Poor Rainbow never stood a chance.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow stuck her tongue right back to Applejack as the mare charged by. Sure, she was fast. She better be fast, Rainbow needed a challenge after all. She narrowed her eyes on the target, the lone tree. At the moment it was slightly obscured by AJ dust, but that wouldn't be for long! The pegasus lowered her head a little and let her legs do the work. Of course he wings were just aching to help out but Rainbow kept them in place on her back. If there was one thing she didn't want to was AJ gloating that Rainbow had to use her wings to win. Simply because it just wasn't true! Sure she might have done that in the past, but she had been training.

 

AJ was in a for a surprise!

 

Rainbow streaked away towards the tree, her mane and tail flowing out behind her. He hooves pounded the ground as energy burst through her legs. She propelled herself forward, coming dead even with the cocky farm pony before too long. The tree was right ahead of them when Rainbow turned her eyes on her friend.

 

"Soooo, are we just out for an evening trot or something? I thought you said you were fast!" She galloped harder, pulling into the lead by a nose as they made it to the tree. Ha! All that training seemed to be helping so far, Rainbow just hoped she could keep it up! She didn't usually push herself this hard but she knew that's what she would be doing all weekend if she wanted a shot at winning some of their contests.

[SteelEagle]

 

Awww, look at Rainbow Dash. Her legs DID work. And here Applejack was worried she was going to lap her feathered friend before she had to catch her second wind. It was good to see that RD wasn't neglecting her legs at all. She always did have a nice quad of 'em, but they could be spindly little things at times. Her wings were tight and muscles and worked like a machine, but on the ground there was no competition to be had. Last time they had an honest to goodness race, Applejack had been hefting about a nice little pot belly on her. It was right after the harvest and that meant one heck of a nightly diet. But now it was in season proper, and her diet was there to help her athleticism. So was her lifestyle now- between being a member of Task Force Suntrot, an Agent of the Sun, and taking on the more long-form transportation duties, she was a rollicking muscle.

All of which was just a fancy way of saying that Rainbow's confidence was returned with a decidedly cool smirk, a smile, and then- Applejack's gallop took on a longer stride, where before it had been quick but relatively small steps. Now it was a swift and long stride, almost doubling her already quick pace. She turned her head to see her friend- RD didn't have a prayer. And when it came to endurance, it would only get worse. Well, maybe not- she was an athlete too. But Applejack was outrageously fit now. She couldn't have become one of Celestia's secret chosen without being top form. And she couldn't be Rainbow's friend without wanting to push the pegasus to be her very best. Applejack's gallop seemed to turn her into an electrifying orange blur as her head went down, decreasing wind resistance. “YEEEHHAAAWWWW! C'MON PONY GIRL, WHY AREN'TCHA PUTTING YER TROT INTA IT?!” Applejack bellowed, just to ensure RD caught it as she neared the camp.

She even had an idea on what to make Dash cook.  

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

AJ passed her up again and Rainbow squinted her eyes as she ran even harder! Her legs moved in a blur, dust flew out behind her, and still she couldn't catch her friend!

 

"Come on Dash! What's with you? Let's go!" She muttered to herself as she tried to run even faster. Her lungs started to hurt as she continued on. She tried to keep herself breathing regularly but she could feel herself starting to pant. She just had to catch up with Applejack! She couldn't loose the very first competition!

 

Her hooves pounded the ground as fast as she had ever moved! Her wings ached to open up so she could fly. It would be so much easier to gain speed. But no, she wouldn't do it. There was no way she was going to let AJ gloat about that!

 

Rainbow was riveted on AJ, visualizing the gap between the two of them closing.

 

CRACK!

 

Her front hoof hit a rock, hard. Everything seemed to slow down as she began to fall. Dash opened her wings to try to right herself but it was too late. She had lost her balance. She was going to have a bad fall.

 

The mare hit the ground and rolled a few times. When she finally came to a rest Rainbow knew she was hurt. The hoof that had hit the rock was split and throbbed badly. In fact, her whole leg hurt bad enough that she didn't even try to get up. She was covered with scratches and she had rolled over on of her wings. Rainbow whimpered a little as she tried to raise her head.

 

"AJ...ow, ow, ow... AJ? I need you." Her voice sounded weak but it was all she could do. After that she laid her head down in the dust and whimpered.

[SteelEagle]

 

Thump, thump, thump. Applejack could feel the air around her seemingly shimmer and shake as she cut through it at top speed, her breathing regulated and swift. Rainbow was one of the greatest athletes in Equestria, but Applejack was up there with her and while Rainbow could do things that Applejack could only ever dream of, she didn't have to dream of this. She was going to win this. She was a mass of solid, lean muscle flying down towards her victory with all the abandon of a slightly younger mare. She was a well oiled galloping machine and she knew she would win. She even heard Rainbow talk to herself, but not in the close whispering way that indicated she was close by, but as a foggy bellow. Yes, she was far in the lead.

Still, she could hear Rainbow try, the pace of her friend quick but not quick enough to close the gap against the charging Applejack. Stomp stomp stomp, thump, thump thump, the two raced even though the conclusion was foregone. Applejack could almost taste the tree she was so close, coming onto it in an electric blur. She heard the sound of Rainbow's charge fade as she rounded the tree, pivoting in place and preparing to charge back. Golly, Rainbow had certainly fallen way behind. No matter- AJ would win, Rainbow would grumble as she poured cider, and maybe the flighty pegasus could find something she could beat Applejack at. Cider pouring- yeah, that seemed like Rainbow's best event, if she said so herself.

But as she turned around she saw something else- and she heard something else. She saw Rainbow rolled over on herself, looking like anything but her normal athletic self. Whimpering, even? Oh no. And then she called out for Applejack, and it didn't sound good, not one bit. Applejack reared up and charged back to where her friend had fallen, and it didn't take long for this surge of adrenaline to bring her there. There she could behold her friend crumpled on the ground. “Woooaaaaahh nelly, what happened? Rainbow, where does it hurt?” Applejack said as she bent down, a light rain starting to pepper the area.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow knew she was hurt badly. Normally she would have jumped right back up! A few scratches never kept her down! She was Rainbow Dash! She was strong and independent and awesome. She was not the kind to fall down and start crying for help. She stayed where she was with her cheek in the dust and her wings crumpled over her side. Her breathing came short and quick. Pain throbbed through her body, probably the most pain she had ever felt. Leave it to Dash to fall awesomely hard... she would have laughed but she just couldn't.

 

"Ow ow ow... AJ I ...my front hoof hurts so bad." She couldn't look at the hoof. It was probably better she didn't as it had a nasty split all the way up to the coronary band. "And my wing...it's broken." She knew it was. She couldn't move it and it hurt so badly.

 

The rainbow maned pony tried to raise her head but she couldn't. She opened her eye and looked towards her friend as a tear trickled down her cheek. "It hurts AJ."

 

She closed her eye as the rain began  to splatter on her pelt. It wasn't falling too hard yet but it would be soon. Black clouds had rolled in over the mountains, ready to drop their deluge.

[SteelEagle]

 

Gosh, if there was anything worse than how Rainbow looked it was how she sounded. The normally excitable and confident mare had been brought low by events, her pain apparently enough to shatter the illusion of overconfidence that often flew around the mare with as much boldness as one of her aerial acrobatics. It was gone, evaporated, and she sounded a little scared and a lot hurt. Applejack hadn't seen her like this, not ever, reminding her a lot more of Apple Bloom and Big Mac than her competitive friend. There was truth to the belief that friends became family, and Applejack could only with a hint of dark comedy suggest to herself that this was just another notch in that belief's most outrageous score. But anyway, back to the important thing: Her friend was in pain.

“Ah can see that, RD. Just remain calm. Won't do you no good ta get all worked up,” Applejack quipped as she inspected the hoof, turning RD at the fetlock, gently all the while. Nothing good there. Poor mare had cracked it something good. The hoofwall had a noticeable split in it, all the way up tp the band. There was no telling what had happened internally, but she could inspect more on the outside. The cleft was noticeably inflamed, the frog puffed as if bruised. The heel didn't seem to have anything off about it- felt fine at least. So whatever had happened, Applejack was confident that the major damage was to the wall. Granted, that could be outrageously dangerous. The wall is what kept a hoof safe from all manner of deadly infections, and it kept the structure of the hoof together. Rainbow wouldn't be on that for a while.
 

“Yer not getting' on yer hoof for a bit, Sugarcube,” Applejack said as the rain picked up, nodding to Rainbow's wings. She wasn't as knowledgeable about that, not by a long shot. It may have been the more harrowing and emotional injury to Rainbow but Applejack would need extra help to start probing that one. “We need ta move ya ta camp, make sure we can set everything and clean it up. Ah'm gonna put you over mah back an' get ya back to camp in a jiffy. Use yer other hooves ta make sure you get on me clean, alright? Can you do that for me, pony girl?” Applejack asked as she started to slide RD onto her back. Getting the bottom half of her fully into the increasingly muddy ground and then pushing up, as if scooping up a muddy ice cream. And she was the scoop, of course. But this way she didn't touch the wing or the hoof! Once RD did her thing and got positioned, Applejack started trotting carefully towards camp.

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow groaned as she tried to help AJ with her endeavor. As much as she knew she needed to be moved she just didn't want to. It hurt too much. But she tried anyway... maybe because AJ had called her "pony girl". She had always liked that nick name, only coming from AJ of course.

 

It seemed to take forever but after a little effort on her part and a lot of careful effort form her friend Rainbow was across her friend's strong back. It made it a little hard to breath but that was the least of her concerns. Her whole body was one big ball of pain. She had never ever felt so terrible in all her life. It was enough to suck all the bravado right out of her. Enough to make tears stream down her face as her friend moved towards camp.

 

Even though AJ was trying to move smoothly it still jarred Rainbow's body. She knew her friend was trying her best to be gentle though. The cyan mare grit her teeth and bore it as AJ neared the tents. Thankfully they had set them up before the race. Her cheek was resting on AJ's side, around the level where the farm mare's ponytail mane hung to. Rainbow could smell Sweet Apple Acres and sweat in AJ's blond mane and it brought a small amount of comfort to her.

 

AJ always brought comfort to Rainbow. She would tell AJ how she felt once the pained went away. She couldn't believe she never really had. AJ knew her and Rainbow were close but Rainbow really wanted her to know that AJ was her best friend. She felt stronger just having Applejack around. She was the best friend any pony could ever ask for.

 

Soon they had made their way to the tents. All Rainbow wanted to do was curl up in a ball and escape the pain. Her hoof was throbbing terribly since it was hanging lower than her heart at the moment.

 

"Can we go in your tent AJ?" She managed to get the words out. "I'm so tired."

[SteelEagle]

 

The road less traveled was less traveled for a reason, and that was all Applejack could think of as she carried her friend to the safety of their camp. This place was normally as beautiful as any place in Equestria but she knew first hoof how bad it could get up here when the weather decided to turn. There wasn't a pegasi within twenty miles of here, meaning weather patterns were often shunted here away from settlements. So not only could this place see some nasty weather, but it could see prolonged nasty weather. So Applejack wasn't just worried about the injuries her friend had. As much as she could only guess they hurt, the healing would be a major issue. As would be keeping her wounds clean. But Applejack was willing to do it, because Rainbow was one of her closest friends.

It was rare to find true and honest respectable traits in a pony known for bravado and showboating as much as anything else, but Rainbow was a different mare entirely from some other examples. No doubt she had her problems, but Rainbow was brave, devoted, and an athletic one to boot. All traits AJ liked, and all traits AJ would prefer to not see undone by tripping. She made a concerted effort to go as gently as she could, but she knew it must hurt the wounded bird on her back. She made it to the camp in good time regardless, and made sure to follow the request. She opened her tent slowly with her mouth, the flap finally falling limp on the ground before she put Rainbow dash gently on the ground.

“Alright Dash, lay on your stomach. I'll go an' get yer bedroll, an' yer gonna put your hoof on it, keep it elevated. Keep your wing immobile,” Applejack said quickly before exiting into the growing wind and rain. She made her way to Dash's tent and did so- making sure to pick up Tank as she did so. Applejack returned. “Hoof up,” Applejack whispered. Then she left again, dragging in a keg of cider and pouring a mug for Dash. “Alright, drink up a little. Ah'm gonna inspect yer wing, Sugarcube,” Applejack said evenly, keeping calm for her friend while she dug through her saddlebag. After a minute, a small book- useful REA materials from back in her time in Task Force Suntrot, especially regarding first aid for the various species. She inspected the wing gently, reading the book as she went. “Just tell me where it hurts when Ah get to it, an' tell me what happened ta cause ya to go all cattywampus back there.”

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

Rainbow felt her heart beat slowing a little once her friend was able to set her down in the tent. It just hurt so much. Everything hurt and she had to concentrate to get her body to calm down. Applejack was proving herself to be quite the medic at the moment. She had a gentle touch and a soothing voice that Rainbow very much appreciated. It hurt when she had to elevate her hoof but she knew it was best for her to do so.

 

"Ow ow ow..." She murmured as the hoof was moved. Before long the elevation had helped a little though the hoof still throbbed terribly.

 

Then AJ brought her a mug of cider. She had to dip her head as she tried to get some of the sweet liquid into her mouth. The taste was comforting and it helped her deal with the pain a little bit. She had another sip and some of the cider dribbled down her chin. She tried to wipe it off but only half succeeded. She was such a mess! She would have been totally embarrassed to be this way around anypony else. But this was AJ. This was her best friend.

 

AJ asked Rainbow where it was hurting in her wing and she took a moment to respond. Her hoof hurt so bad it was hard to think about anything else. But her wing was all messed up and they would need to get that cared for. She tried to stay calm, pushing thoughts of never flying again as far away from her mind as she could.

 

"My hoof hurts so much it's hard to think about the wing." She flicked an ear back, trying to concentrate. "It's like a deep kind of pain, I probably broke it didn't I?" A tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek. She just sniffed as more tears fell. This was terrible. She had no idea how it all had happened just from a fall. "AJ, am I going to be ok? My wing can be fixed right?" She could feel panic welling up now. She had to stay calm. She took a deep breath. "Ok, well I can't move the wing at all, like the muscles won't move. Oh, that's bad isn't it?"

 

She tried to figure out how she had fallen so hard to get herself to calm down. "I was just running really fast. I guess I wasn't paying attention to what was right in front of me. I just wanted to catch up to you so bad and that rock must have been in the path... a tiny smiled flickered at the edge of her muzzle... I was going to beat you of course..."

 

The rain had started to fall hard outside the tent. It pattered on the canvas material and dripped down the sides. Tank popped his head in the flap and shuffled inside. The little guy watched from the corner wondering what had happened to his friend.