Stage Two: Bubbling Brook! Time to Go Bold!

[SteelEagle]

Stage 2- Bubbling Brook
 

This idylic stream is usually peaceful, gently moving about the Whitetail woods lazily. However, the weather pegasi of Canterlot didn't do their job correctly and pushed a storm south and now torrential rains slam the area. The bubbling brook is beyond capacity and reports of flooding in the lower regions of the Whitetail Woods are filtering in. Everywhere however the storm is intense and raging and you have the sensation that as you leave the civilized town of Ponyville, this is not just a race and a cause for Equestrians to rally behind, but a battle of wits and skills in a poor environment.

There is a higher path, one that is free of any real obstacle and only features a small, manageable leap for any equine over the stream. The other choice is the bridge, which is on the normal path and is much faster.
Or maybe it will flood with you on it, dragging you away until rescue workers can throw you back. Choices, choices...

OOC Note- Please put in bold at the start of your post whether you are going for the bridge or not. If you choose to go for the bridge, your time is limited and it takes more than one post. You may post your character going over the bridge and being finished with it when you think you've posted enough to do so, mark these posts as well. I will make a narrator post when the situation changes; those who have succeeded will be told then!

[StrongCopper]

Strong Copper

Bridge

 

In hindsight, leaving his hoodie behind was something of a mixed blessing for Strong Copper. On the one hoof, it might have done something to help shield his body from the heavy, torrential downpour of rain that the looming storm clouds had ominously promised and started to deliver in an instant. On the other through, while it might have offered him some degree of protection and warmth for a time, the sheer wall of falling water that had darkened the skies almost as much as the storm clouds did would have easily soaked it through within seconds, if not minutes of being exposed. Wet fabric was heavy and honestly the brief benefit of having it wouldn't have stood up in the long run.

 

The conversation with the battle scarred mare would likely have to be put on hold for the time being as well. Not just because they were running a race and every extra breath was important, but simply because heavy rain tended to be rather loud and was actually pretty good at silencing other noises so unless the pair wanted to yell loudly at each other, their discussion would merely have to wait.

 

The presence of so much water, mud and wet leaves (after all, the whole point that the running of the leaves started was to shake leaves off the trees) on the ground were also obstacles that needed to be acknowledged. Running full speed blindly was a quick way to end up slipping and falling (and likely skidding along the muddy ground on your face as well), so Strong Copper elected to go for a slower but more controlled pace; Granted, he didn't need to drop much speed from his prior pace in order to keep putting pressure on the scarred mare, but it was still a noticeable drop in speed all the same.

 

The split in the path was, despite the rain, somewhat easy to see. One path steered off to the side, offering a long way around while the other, somewhat more official path in the race ran across an old wooden bridge... that appeared to be standing across a stream  that was threatening to break its banks due to the downpour already. For a moment, Copper considered his options. The longer path was likely the safer of the two if only because it didn't require going over a stream turned raging river, but at the same time not only would anyone going that way be delayed in comparison to those risking the bridge, but the poor weather conditions and wet, slippery ground ensured that running that route would be slowed down further. Not even factoring in what path Tempest was going to take, Copper made his decision.

 

Going big or going home, Strong Copper followed the path heading towards the wooden bridge. Through as he arrived at it he slowed down further. Wood tended to get very slippery when wet and while it was a solid looking wooden bridge, it was still rather old and weathered. A degree of caution while crossing to prevent slipping or having a plank break underhoof was required, even as one bravely pushed forward regardless of the risks. It was just a matter of getting to the other side before the river decided to act up further.

[PyroBlaze]

High path

 

Tiger couldn’t help but smile at Berry’s offer, one he would have to take her up on later. “I’ll definitely be paying your place a visit then.” He responded, though some weird stuff prevented him from saying any more. Namely, that other mare from the start line catching up to them in no time at all and immediately laying it on thick with flirting at Midnight. Well, at least she looked good, but something seemed off about her. Something almost predatory. 
 

The rain brought him out of his contemplation however, and his gaze moved forward to take in the path ahead. It seemed there was a split to decide on, the risky bridge or the slower path. A tough choice, all in all, as both paths had pros and cons. He made his decision just as he reached the split and started up the safer path. There was plenty of time to catch up, he didn’t need to risk disaster here. Plus, he was still enjoying the company, or at least most of it, so he didn’t feel the need to split off yet. 

[Dusty]

Bridge

 

What pony runs headlong in to a storm like this with a smile? What mad mare yells at the sky daring it to even try to strike her down? Tempest was one such mare and pony. The rain cooled her hide and the gumling roar of the storm cheered her on. She was Tempest Shadow, the stormcaller, thundermaker, skybreaker and tempest given life. She feared no storms and just laughed. “Hele faren!” She shouted up at the sky in the runic language of the caribou. “[Hear me! Give me strength! I shall scream your name for all to hear, shout its strength for all to know! I fear no storms, fear no death!]” With her offer shouted to the gods above she focused on the path ahead. 

 

Two paths that is. A bridge that may give out below her hooves in the raging river or a slower safer path up and over the river. She was not about to take the lower path, not with Strong Copper hot on her flank. And it looked like he was going to take the bridge as well. So she had only one path to take it seems. Full speed ahead over the bridge! She did not fear what may happen. It was pointless to fear such danger and the risk of death. It's the will of the gods when it happens after all. So she did not slow down, slowing may risk not making it even more. All she can do is pass over it as fast as possible!

[Blueblood]

High Path

 

Berry Punch might not have been anywhere near the lead, but at the same time, she couldn't help but feel as if she were winning.  She was primely placed between fine, athletic ponies, having an endorphin boosting run through scenic woods, and to add marshmallow to massage, all her flirtations were being returned!  She wouldn't say no to anypony spending a nice evening with her after all was said and done.  Heck, she had barely even winked at the unicorn zooming by, and she'd offered to drop by as well!  Now wasn't that a fine thing?

 

"Look forward to it!  Drinks'll be on the house!"  She called out, grinning.  Yup, tonight would be a real thirst-quenching evening, that was for sure, but first she had to build up that thirst by knocking off those leaves.  And, frankly, her idea of a refreshing drink was not river water straight from the source.  She'd run this route before, and had wound up taking a dunk the last time she trusted that treacherous bridge!  Nope, clearly the wisest choice was the surest route.  Besides, those two overachievers in the front  would take care of all the leaves down that way anyway.

 

And as a bonus, that handsome earth pony stallion was with her too!  As if she needed further confirmation that she was making the right choice.  "Heh, had to figure that Blueblood chose his guards for brains as well as looks.  You're looking better all the time, gotta say."  She gave an affirming wink to Tiger Blood as she kept pace with the Hesperidian.

[Hippo]

 

 

Bridge

 

"I'm a big pony!" Zap stated it as if he was having an argument. He dare not let another older pony tell him he wasn't old enough to participate, even though it would have come from the best Auntie in the world. Zap may not have fully understood Apple Bloom's lived experiences dealing with an older sister who did everything more amazing than her. His only perspective gave him a few glimmers of opportunity, and foolish or not, Zap decided that this dusted path that weaved through many forests for the next several miles was one offered to him.

 

Zap couldn't lie though, having his Auntie with him did make him feel better, and if the pack of ponies got away from him, he would at least not accidentally take a different unused path and get lost. When the road ahead forked, Zap could only see the kinds of ponies that took them. To the higher road, he saw ponies who looked normal and flirtatious. Going towards the brook's bridge, he saw ponies that looked like they normally wore armor. There was no doubt which direction he would choose. He was not a wimp, he was an apple. And maybe not now, but eventually he would prove to be one of the toughest ponies ever. Why wait for an opportunity to prove that, when it seems a moment has come to illustrate that to the world?

 

He scampered towards the bridge and noticed immediately the depth that the bridge upheld. It wasn't that significant for Zap, who had been to cloud tops with his pegasus mother before. In fact it was pretty serine. The calm water underneath the bridge made him feel more calm about participating.

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                           


It was going well so far, or that was what Apple Bloom told herself as she lost some space in the pack. That was fine. This wasn't a sprint but a marathon and in inclement weather Apple Bloom knew better than to run herself face first into the ground. One or two or fifty experiences was all it took to get her to learn that specific lesson. Plus she had other concerns that were clouding her mind other than the run- her nephew had decided to give it a go and she was, well, she was worried. It could be a tough race. There were risks involved every year and more than a few ponies had faced some rather treacherous parts and she was sure it would happen again this time around. Was he really ready for all that? Unlikely! Well, actually, almost impossible. But she was here for him. And together, they would show the field what it meant to be an Apple!

 

If she wanted to win, she had to be bold and while she had learned all those lessons about keeping safe that didn't mean she wanted to avoid every spot of trouble. It was the Running of the Leaves after all- not like there weren't plenty of ponies around to give a helping hoof, or race coordinators who could see her through. The bridge would make her jaunt just that much quicker and would mean she wouldn't have to consider the more dangerous ones later. And she really, really wanted to keep an eye on Zap Apple, so saving herself the trouble later would seem smart. But still, there was a danger. You knew that by the type of ponies who were taking it. You had the Mayoral candidate and Tempest Shadow taking it. Bold ponies, bold decision. But they were also older, stronger, and faster than she was.

 

Should they take the high road? Miss Punch and Tiger were taking it. It was a bit more of a stretch but it was also pretty safe. She was a filly who liked herself a bit of danger and she wouldn't shy away from it if needed but a recent episode with a basilisk had made her a little more reticent to fall in line with the thought just yet. However, she knew how this would play it out. It was a lot less dangerous but far longer and this was a race. Nothing about that long path would set her up to win. She'd have to make up ground elsewhere and she knew that going for later shortcuts would prove far more challenging than the bridge.

 

In the end, she decided to take the high road. She turned to tell Zap Apple this piece of key intelligence. "Alright Zap, we're gonna go-" she began as she started her turn down that path, only to see that in her ruminations on routes he had made his decision and charged towards it. She skidded to a stop and jumped over some bushes back onto the bridge path. "Zap Apple!" She said in exasperation as she galloped after her nephew, her eyes on the environment. The weather was pretty bad but that was normal for the Running in this section. The brook was, again, overflowing and the bridge didn't look like it would stand to another flooding. However, it hadn't happened just yet!

[NiktoBarada]

Bridge

Tongue Twister looked up to the cloudy skies and groaned as she trotted along.  Even though her heavy cape was made from alpaca wool and virtually waterproof, there were limits !

"Well,  SOME pegasi really messed things up !" she groused as she glared at the roiling, rain-laden clouds.

Further down the trodden path the way diverged into two routes : the main route across a bridge, and another route that went around the long way.

She could hear rushing water from somewhere behind the trees in the distance.  "That is most certainly NOT the bubbling of a brook !" she mused, "All this water must have flooded it !

 

Oh joy.  So now I have a choice : the long, safe way.  Or the short, risky way ..."

She smirked before laughing maniacally.

"I spend months every year wandering through jungles !  Searching ancient temples, tombs and vaults all over Equestria for examples of ancient languages !

 

Faced down all sorts of tricks and traps both magical and mundane !  I rescued my parents from a Tenochtitlan vault just a few months ago !

'Risky' is a relative term - and my baseline is a bit higher than most others !

I am NOT the incompetent Nothing everyone thinks I am !

Or wants me to be !" she continued before defiantly heading for the bridge.

[Skycoaster]

High Path

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," he said to Berry as his blush began to fade. "It would be-" His ear twitched as he heard a loud sound back where they started, and a cold shiver ran up his spine, though it had just started to rain as well. Keeping pace with Berry and Tiger he hesitated to turn around, though his curiosity would get the better of him. It was the other mare from the starting line and she was quickly gaining ground. His eyes widened as she grew closer and closer with her...unconventional running style. Midnight had just started to get over his nerves when all her attention seemed to be on him. He could feel his heart beating in his throat as he began to laugh nervously, almost giggling uncontrollably like a school filly. His face was almost the color of the mare's leotard. He could feel his wings wanting to extend, as it took his all to keep them clenched to his side. Still giggling, all he could do is nod his head to her.

 

It was days of rain that he despised being born with such a fluffy coat, compared to most ponies in Equestria. Now not only did he have the standard hazards of a race to contend with, but the extra weight of all his wet fur as well. He had a decision to make quickly. The bridge over the now raging stream or the slightly longer route. He would play it safe and take the higher path. Midnight would shake his head every so often to keep his wet mane out of his eyes. "Ok, mind back on the running," he mumbled to himself. As he turned to see which way his flirty new friend had gone, Midnight would look over to 'Jade.' The sight of the wet mare was enough for him to misstep and trip muzzle first into a fairly deep puddle....

 

 

[RainbowFoxxy]

Bridge! 

 

"Weeeeee!" Pinkie bounded up the path. "Hee hee hee!" The pink mare shouted with much unplaced jubilation as she faced the storm like a champ!

 

"This is fun!" She turned to a very determined Tempest that was making her way down the same path, towards a swelling river and torrential storms...possibly. or maybe the weather pegasi would getting managed and it would be all butterflies and rainbows. You know, the lense through which Pinkie almost always saw the world? Yep the rose colored one! Well, unless she needed to get serious. She could do that, if she had to. But hay now, this was a fun race! She was gonna bring the party!

 

"Hey you guys!" She bounced up to Abby and Zapper. "Can't believe you're already grown up enough for Running of the Leaves!" She reached over with her hooves wide to muss up the forelocks of the young mare and colt. "It's gonna be a party out here today!"

 

As they neared the split in the path she went along the way Zap was taking. "Mind if I join you?" She smiled a huge smile and then giggled. "Not to help you or anything, you're grown up now Zap! I'll just bounce right along with you!"

 

Pinkie bounded up ahead, noting the river and it's turmoil. There was the bridge, swaying slightly. It looked survivable enough... for the time being...

 

"Whew! This is gonna be an adventure and a party huh?" Pinkie spoke to nopony in particular as an errant gust of wind puffed her poofy mane out to the side. "Where's Daring Do when you need her?"

 

Pinkie giggle and made her way closer the the bridge...

[Dusty]

Bridge

 

Thunk-Thunk-Thunk-Thunk her hooves echoed off wood as she charged ahead over the bridge. She was focused fully on her path, eyes taking in every scrap of detail as placed every hoof with planned detail. This was her element, her zone. One slip of the hoof on a clump of leaves and she’d crash. Worse maybe fall over the side in to the river. Did they have fail safes? What happens if some pony did? They’d die if something was not planned for this. Yet what did it matter? All that did matter was what she did. 

 

Closer and closer the end came, a crossing that took moments yet felt so much slower for her. However her focus was clearly going to pay off… "Zap Apple!" The scream made her look back, the voice of Apple Bloom well known to her. She helped a lot whenever AJ asked her to come down and help on the farm. Yet what she yelled about was the more worrying matter. And to her complet shock the owner of that name was crossing the bridge! “WHAT THE #@%#@$!?” She shouted in utter confusion seeing Colt tailing behind Strong Copper. Slamming her rare legs down she came to a sliding halt, almost spinning out on wet leaves and wood. She didn't really know why she did that. Just that she felt… like she had to do it. 

 

Now that she was facing the way she came she started to run back down the Bridge towards Zap Apple and past Strong Copper. So much for her lead. But she’d never live with herself if something happened to that colt, not when she’s in a blasted ear shot! What WAS he even doing in this race? Where was AJ? And was that… Oh no it was. And she was heading for the pink demoen. She regretted turning around already. But no flip-flopping now! She was going to win this Luna blasted race AND keep that blasted Colt safe! She had to do it, AJ will turn her into a dam rug if she didn't!

[StrongCopper]

Strong Copper

Bridge

 

Strong Copper wasn't sure how families gained 'family mottoes', but as he made his way over the bridge he couldn't help but find the words of a pretty damn good one enter his mind as his hooves echoed against the wood of the bridge: 'Favor the Brave, Punish the Reckless'. Had the right kind of ring to it, but if it turned out to be true only time could tell. While his own steps were with care, Tempest seemed to cast aside all pretense of caution as she yelled at the sky in a tongue he wasn't familiar enough with to understand.

 

Still, while he hadn't been moving anywhere close to top speed due to playing to the conditions, it wasn't that massive a bridge and he was still making good time. It wasn't long before the wooden echo of wood was replaced with the combination of earth thuds, muddy squelches and watery splashes. With the danger of slipping on wood and falling into a stream turned river behind him, he could afford to pick up the pace again... at least he could until he heard "Zap Apple!" called out behind him. Normally, he knew well enough that when you were running, you shouldn't look over your shoulder because... well, that's how you slipped, tripped or ran into a tree but under the circumstances he did risk a glance over his shoulder... and his eyes widened as he witnessed a young colt running towards the bridge with Apple Bloom and a pink pony he must have missed at the starting line in pursuit.

 

Considering he hadn't been going as fast as Tempest, when Strong Copper came to a stop it was a lot more controlled with a lot less skidding, but stop he did. Unlike Tempest who was running back towards the bridge, he had instead elected to stay where he was in order to keep watch. If push came to shove, he could attempt to reach out with his magic and grab the small colt in order to pull him out of harms way, but he wasn't going to jump onto the bridge or into the stream unless things had truly taken a turn for the worst. Was it the smart thing to do? No. He was sacrificing his chance to gain a pretty solid lead in the race against not only Tempest, but also all the other racers... but he wasn't about to gamble a colt's life to win a stupid race. An additional thought went towards trying to protect one of Apple Bloom's relatives in front of her as being rather important, but that was a secondary thought that only came about after instinct had kicked in and declared that letting a small child cross a bridge under dangerous circumstances without supervision was a terrible idea and needed to be fixed.

Edited November 10, 2020 by StrongCopper
The moment Strong Copper left the bridge behind.

[Hippo]

 

Bridge

 

Zap's senses were whelmed with the sights, sounds, and smells of the forests. With orange and red hues, they all clapped their leaves while cheering him on as if they were fans of the ponies that shared their colors. As his soft hooves pitter-pattered on the dusty path, the first wooden pallets buried in the dirt marked out the beginning of the brook's bridge. He didn't slow down much as his paced onto the bridge, but he did notice how his hoofsteps were echoing against the ravine walls that now set directly below him. The rushing water and the sound of the other ponies stampeding also added to the ambience.

 

As Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie ran next to him, he felt protected to some extent, which to him was not necessary. He rather enjoyed the loneliness for the short time he executed the ambitions he made about being involved in the running. Auntie seemed a little fretted and out of breath. Even Zap could tell that was a bad sign it being this point of the race, they were only about halfway right? Pinkie Pie was less visibly exhausted, but that was typical. Zap knew the pink pony well, she was always around when there was a big party, especially his birthday. She was also what led to Zap Apple being ultimately confused as to what it meant to be a cousin. It took a half hour inquisitive conversation with his mother in order for him to realize that technically everypony is a cousin if you went back far enough. And these other ponies on the bridge with him, the pegasus with the white socks, or the purple one with the messed up horn, or that stallion who looks like he takes himself too seriously. Were they his cousins, too?

 

He didn't really react much to the other ponies, except for showing an involuntary smile to share his pleasure with the attention they were giving him. But as they crossed the bridge, Zap was distracted so much with the scenery that he slowed to a stop on the mist-covered bridge and looked over it at the rush of water that flowed through it. He could hear the clouds rumbling in the distances as they casted a large shadow over the ravine, and he could smell the fragrances of churning water and damp soil. "Whoa." He whispered to himself, staring at the fierceness of the water building. He had no idea what the living ravine was doing. Was it singing a song? Was it like the trees? Was it also cheering him on?

[RainbowFoxxy]

 

"Wow Zappers!" Pinkie bounded towards the bridge. The contraption had begun to sway slightly in the wind. "Looks like every pony wants to race alongside you!" She commented with a giggle as not only Tempest but Strong Copper raced in to rescue the little guy.

 

"Not sure what you guys are so worried about!" She called out, taking her first step onto the swaying planks. "Zappers is a big guy now. He's gonna be just fine." The last words came out through gritted teeth as Pinkie took a gander upstream. The river was swelling and fast! If they were going to get across while the bridge was still in one piece they better shake a leg!

 

"Everypony across that's going across!" The Pinkie one shouted as she bounded forward. Her bouncing was probably not exactly what the bridge needed to keep itself together but too late for worrying about that too. 

 

The Pink one glanced back to see who was following her. She was about half way over when a big gust of wind made her sidestep into the rope 'railing'. "Eeek!" She narrowed her eyes and continued on. With her in front and those others behind Zap would be just fine...right?

Bridge crossed!

[StrongCopper]

Strong Copper

 

There were at least three mares watching out for the young Colt who had... decided to linger on the bridge in order to see the sights. According to the math within Strong Copper's head, he could easily turn around and resume the race guilt free because it wasn't like the boy was in any real danger that his trio of guardians couldn't handle! ... And yet, he remained where he was standing, horn at the ready to light up in order to do something to try and salvage the situation if things went pear shaped. Because as much as his mind told him that everything would be alright if he left, something deep within his soul refused to acknowledge such an argument and told his brain to be quiet and sit in the corner. 

 

Much like how pegusi weren't allowed to fly as part of the race (also because it would defeat the whole point of shaking the leaves free if they did), Copper understood that a unicorn wasn't allowed to use magic to give themselves any kind of advantage. He was perfectly fine with adhering to those rules as well but... He didn't quite recall what the rules were when it came to using magic to stop a fellow competitor (or possibly yourself) from being washed away by a raging river. Even if it was against the rules... Copper was fully prepared to break them for his own peace of mind when he witnessed the pink... bouncing mare get caught in a strong gust of wind that threatened to throw her over the side of the bridge. Without thinking (or waiting to see if she caught herself on the rope), his horn lit up with a copper orange glow as he tried to... well, not pick up the pink earth pony, but at least put up enough of a magical barrier that she would come to a complete stop on the bridge rather then falling off it.

 

"Alright everypony, the bridge is closing soon. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here!" He called out, hoping to stress the situation to those who might not have noticed it... and hopefully stir the colt to keep moving.

[Dusty]

Bridge

 

Just how in the blazed did she not die as a filly? Was she this clueless as well? No way she was. She’d been dead a dozen times over. But here this colt was, looking out at the river about to take a bridge down with some clueless looking on his face. It was innocent how clueless he was about it. Somethin bout that tugged at her heart and made her feel ashamed for even thinking bad of him for being innocent. Not every pony needs to live like she did. “Time to move!” She shouted as coming to a stop next to Zap, leaning her head down to push the colt along. “Look later we got to run! Don’t want to lose, do ya?” She says pushing him along to get the colt moving again. She did not want to grab him but if things got to bad she’d do it, regardless how much he may fuss. A full grown pony falling in to a river is one thing. A colt? Well she’s heard of far less doing them in. 

 

And can that pink demon shut up? Why was she like that? Yap-yap-yap like some tiny dog. At least Copper was making himself useful, good on him. She needed to talk to him more and learn what his deal was. Why was he on them posters or whatever it was… when Apple Bloom got closer she waved the filly on… or well, young mare? to keep going. “Keep on running, Bloom! Come on Zap, move that flank, want her beating ya?” She fussed as she did her best to get them all off the bridge before it gave out underneath them. They were so close!

[Blueblood]

Berry Punch

 

At this point in the race, the divergent paths had put many trees between the pack of runners headed for the short jump on the High Path and the drama unfolding on the bridge, leaving Berry Punch largely oblivious to the whole thing.  Her attention was mostly drawn to the cute stallions to either side of her, though she also did note that younger folks were no longer present.  Well, well, that only meant she could lay on the flirting thicker....

 

Or, perhaps, just pause to help her fellow runner up.  "I know she's a distracting presence, but sometimes you gotta take your eyes off the prize, if you know what I'm saying.  Don't want you to spend the evening with a cold or sprain at home when there'll be much more interesting places for you, see?"  And with a wink, she set off again, eager hooves shaking down the leaves around her.  The crisp fall air was beginning to hold the promise of rain, which wouldn't be entirely pleasant, but Earth Ponies were a hardy bunch.  Still better than struggling to do the same run in the hot summer sun, if you asked her!

 

When they finally reached the short hop across the stream, Berry did so with ease, using her strong rear legs to spring herself into the air and stick the landing on all fours.  If she were to spare a glance down the river, she might see some commotion surrounding the bridge, but not any of the really detailed events.  A bunch of ponies trying to outrun the flooding, essentially.  From here, Berry could only wish them luck...

[Hippo]

 

Bridge

 

There seemed to be three separate gusts Zap could feel on his wing's feathers. They were still folded to his sides, but they could sense everything, just like Mother said they would when she taught him how to be aware of his surroundings. One of the movements of air came from above. The manufactured weather the pegasus ponies created was moving in, and it was borderline overkill. Applejack was right, they never did check for quality when it came to producing storms for the wilderness where no pony lives. The second movement was from the water. Oddly, the raising of the water level of the stream seemed to change something about the pressure of the air. Zap learned, again from his rainbow-maned mother, that every pegasus has an internal altimeter, the senses in their ear can tell within a margin of error how close a flying pegasus was to the ground. In this case, the ground, or water seemed to be getting closer. The last disturbance of gaseous molecules was coming from the sides, particularly the side that was closest to the opposite side of the bridge. The other ponies were speaking out to him, the purple one shouted urgently about Apple Bloom beating him.

 

Zap daydreamed for a few seconds longer, until he snapped out of it and saw his feathers starting to get weighed down by the moisture that found itself on him. He looked frantically around and realized he was on a failing bridge. Everypony was almost on the other side of the bridge, and he needed to be with them, if for not the race's sake, but for the brilliant idea that he would not be swept away and finally get that swimming lesson his mother always promised him for. Today was not the day for swimming though, Zap had too many other plans, like beating ponies six times his age at a hoofrace.

 

Zap painlessly tiptoed his weightless hooves across the rest of the bridge and found himself next to Apple Bloom. "This is fun, Auntie B!"

 

Bridge Crossed

[StrongCopper]

Strong Copper

 

Strong Copper didn't wait for any acknowledgement for helping out Pinkie Pie, nor hang around to chat. The moment Zap Apple was off the bridge and in relative safety Copper took a sigh of relief before turning back towards the path and taking off once more.  Small child wasn't in danger anymore, his relatives would likely want to have a word with him and he doubted that anyone else would be reckless enough to risk the bridge between its current state and the rapidly rising river. Plus he was cold and wet and wanted to get moving again before he started to freeze in the freaking rain.

[PyroBlaze]

“Well, I’m happy you’re liking what you see.” Tiger replied, returning Berry’s wink as they made their way up to the easy jump. He spared a glance back towards Midnight, who seemed to have disappeared, only to see he had tripped into a puddle. 
 

“C’mon, Midnight, you can’t finish the race that way.” He called back. “Gotta pick yourself up and keep going!” And with that, he reached the jump. Deciding to show off a bit, he did a front flip over the gap, sticking the landing and shaking his mane out a bit before he kept running. He didn’t say anything else at the moment, but he did look over to Berry and give her some flirty eyes. 

[Ciraxis]

High Path

 

This turned out already more enjoyable then 'Jade' expected. Not only she got to observe first hoof ponies who could become potential obstacles or become useful, she got plenty of 'eye candy' to rest her gaze at. And best of all, they seemed to return her attention. It was a while since she shared her sheets with other....especially after a.....surprise it resulted from it. A prospect of ending this abstinence by going for multiple was....tempting.

 

But she had other things to worry about. Three pressing things that made her lag slightly behind.

 

Fist was a rough weather - a mundane concern at first glance. However sorceress experience eye told her that something more could be at play. Perhaps it was a runaway storm, caused by incompetence of Heartland Weather teams (which slowly started to become proverbial)? Or perhaps something more purpose driven then mere job accident? There way ways to conirm this of course, but not without revealing her TRUE capabilities.

 

Tying to that was a matter of choosing the route. The bridge was shortest, most obvious one - and like most of such choices it came with a catch. Not only the bridge itself saw better days, the number of racers and the raging brook posed a question of how much longer could it last? Hou was utterly unconcerned with a flood. Has she been alone she could flash freeze it, hold whole bridge in place with her magic long enough to pass, or even part the water to pass the river bed dry hoofed. But yet again, doing so would reveal her true competence.....and perhaps even identity, seeing the 'Experiment' was close.

No it, was again unicorn's mare nature to go for such unnecessary risk, especially when she had to take into account so many other things. She will take more longer but less demanding path. The fact that grey stallion and the purple mare gazes shifting towards it, make it much more attractive choice too!

 

The last worry...the last worry was that she sensed the presence of a pony which she didn't accounted for!

'Element of Laughter?! Here?' Shuren expressed in her head, while  maintaining her cheerful composition outside. '....Her attendance must've been last minute decision on her side.' sorceress rationalized '.....Whatever the case, I have to be twice as careful. She may have look like a ditz, but if my servants reports are true, she had at correctly judged others at many occasions.' Hou made a mental note to herself....Better to keep contact with pink, earth pony mare to minimum! It took considerable amount of will on 'Jade's' part to not have her gaze suspiciously glued to the line of trees. She had to distract herself with something. Oh right! Cute areion stallion ahead! The purple mare already helped him up, but that didn't meant she couldn't join in.

"Not that kind of dirty hoofsome." she playfully reprimanding him while clearing his body with her magic. Also dry it up a little. She didn't bothered to do do the same with herself. Uhh better to come up with something.

"Oh please Darlins'. I am from Wingapore. At it's latitude this...." she waved at at the weather, answering unspoken question. "...Is barely a drizzle. Couldn't give me a sniffles." she boasted before giving Berry and Midnight a half lidded gaze. "...But maybe you two can. Along with your names...." she proposed...before taking off like an arrow, gaining speed and jumping over the gap not with a normal leap, but am Amanar vault.

What could Hou say? She liked to show-off from time to time.

"....If you can catch me that is...." she added from the other side, with another wink, before running off. She had other kind of storm to look forward to. A real tempest of a mare....

[Dusty]

bridge

Why was this colt so dang slow? Can’t he speed his tiny legs up? “Come on, go, go, go, off the bridge Zap. When did you get so big?” She says pushing him along with her head and muzzle. It's like every time she saw this colt he was twice as big, it's a crime for him too grow this fast! She felt OLD seeing it! But she can worry about old age later, soon as she got off the bridge she let off pushing him along. About time! Uhg, she wasted more time taking this bridge than she gained thanks to this colt! “Safe and sound, I got a race to win. Keep a better eye on him!”

Bridge Crossed

 

 

With Zap safe she focused on the path ahead and Copper running off. That #%#@$ horn head. She was not going to be beaten like this! With nothing more to do with the colt she took off after Copper, pushing herself back up to stop speed down the muddy path after him. How much time did she lose? How far behind were they both? She can’t let that slow her down. Full steam ahead was the only way to win! No more slow down, no more stopping! Most of all with that pink demon so close... At lest she got away before the pink monster realy startred yaping. 

[NiktoBarada]

Bridge

"Wow.  A lot of ponies chose the bridge ..." TT noted to herself as she trotted along, "Quite the crowd here !   And - ARE THOSE FOALS ?!
How did that colt get ahead of us ?"

"You must be more pathetic at running than we first surmised." the Abomination offered.

TT internally glared at the collection of dark magic inhabiting her head.

The bridge was becoming more unstable by the moment - a unicorn stallion announced that they shouldn't stay here.  Once the colt was safely one the other side, he took off down the path.  Soon followed by Tempest and the rest of the crowd.

"Perhaps we should take the other route." Abomination stated, "I see no point in risking our lives for this, and since you don't care about winning, what's being a few minutes behind the others that already took the long way matter ?"

"I chose to go this way.  So this way we shall go." TT replied as she took a few deep breaths to focus on a technique she learned, completely shutting out the outside world.

 
She then strolled towards the bridge, one hoof perfectly placed in front of the other in a precise straight line.

Oddly, when she strolled onto the bridge, there was no sound of her hoofsteps.  Or the boards groaning from her weight.

She stayed near a wall as she walked forward, since that is where the strongest support beams were.  If the bridge were unmaintained for decades, the outside spans would be the only parts left.

"The Leaf Drifts Upon the Wind ?  Where did you learn this technique ? "

"I spent a few years in Neighpal.  Trying to get what was left of my mind back together.  Picked up a few things."

"I thought you were too straight-laced to cheat !" the Abomination chided, "The rules specifically stated 'no flying' and 'no magic' !"

"This is a mental discipline.  Not magic.  And thanks to Hou's corruption, I certainly cannot fly !"

After a few moments of focused walking, she reached the other side of the bridge.

 

Bridge crossed.

[SteelEagle]

                                                                                         

What had started as Apple Bloom watching Zap Apple turned to everypony under the sun watching Zap Apple. Not that he seemed to mind much. Maybe he liked all the attention. Or maybe he never needed it in the first place and would have been fine, even if such a thing didn't really register at first with Apple Bloom. With a whole raft of mares and a stallion all focused on him she was sure he felt safe and important and all those good things. All she knew was that her heart leapt in her throat a bit when he decided to just stop in the middle of the bridge and take a gander at the overfilling bank when he should have just walked to the other side! A fierce gust of wind almost blew Pinkie Pie off, though Strong Copper possibly committed a violation when he used his magic to create a barrier. Not that it looked needed and it was Pinkie so Apple Bloom was sure she had it all under control.

 

And if there was a problem involved it wasn't like Tempest Shadow wasn't there to solve it easily, or that Apple Bloom wasn't right there to carry him off. No, nopony in the history of this race had more care and support than Zap Apple did and it was almost silly how far a little rain and water could get everypony into a tizzy. Including her. Was she being a bit much? He was an Apple and they could handle anything. He might have been a small Apple but an Apple was always hard to the elements, never hardened but always firm in its commitment. It wasn't right to follow him around like a dog when he was just as much an Apple as she, right? She had gotten upset at Applejack for babying her. Why should he baby him? Just because he was a baby? 

Maybe that was faulty reasoning, she though to herself as she started trotting over the bridge. There was a ton of activity on it. Tempest seemed really on edge. Pinkie was Pinkie. Strong Copper was a possibly rule breaking gentlecolt. Zap seemed fine. Tongue Twister was...really weird. And fast. And she?

 

Well, she needed to cross that bridge. When she saw Zap get back moving with some help from Tempest she smiled. "It sure is fun, Zappy-" she began her trot, right before water breached the top and slid across the top of the bridge, sweeping her legs out from under her and sending her spilling out into the brook, her head smacking against the side of the bridge. She fell into the water but shot her hooves out, clutching the side of the bridge and pulling herself up, even as the bridge started to creak and break. "Pinkie!" She yelled out, hoping against hope that there was still time as she scrambled up. "Shake a leg filly!" She said as she charged over the bridge, leaping over a missing plank at the end. They had only seconds!

Bridge crossed!

[Skycoaster]

Tiger's words hit their mark as Berry helped Midnight up. He would sigh heavily as mud ran from his face. "Thanks Berry Punch...," he said shaking his head. Taking a deep breath, he would look down at the ground in self shame. "I..it's just..." he would mutter as the mare that was causing all his problems approached to offer her own help it seemed. Jade drying him off made him feel like a little colt. This time he blushed in shame. His eyes narrowed as he gave Jade an angry glare. "Thank you Miss," He said with a bit of venom in his voice. "I can take care of myself just fine you know..." Pride was now taking over his thinking. What would he fellow guards think? He'd never be able to live this down if he didn't at least come in toward the top of the pack. He simply would just shake his head as she darted off...and quite quickly at that.

 

With a few deep breaths, the bat pony's hooves began to dig into the mud with each step, quicker and quicker as he began to gain speed. He just had to catch up. Now running at a full gallop, he would wink at Berry and Tiger. "Thanks for the words of inspiration," he said with a newfound smile. Jumping the gap, he landed on the other side, only slightly slowing down to conserve energy. He kept his eyes on the trail in front of him, only looking away to see the bright colored leaves floating down from their branches and landing on the wet trail.

 

Looking up, he would catch a glimpse of that mare once more. He would keep his distance and his mind began to make a crude calculation, and one that's numbers did not add up. "She's toying with me..." he grumbled. Was that her plan to win the race? Or did his guard 'buddies' put her up to it? Needless to say, Midnight was running fueled by Areion pride now...