//------------------------------//
// 2 Days to the Canterlot Three 
// Story: True Victor: Winning for Farmponies 
// by HapHazred 
//------------------------------//

Water rolled off Applejack as she scooped the ball just before it hit the floor. She grinned.

"Thirty-five," she shouted, and threw it towards Harshwhinny. It was an accurate throw, and Harshwhinny barely had to move to catch it.

"Thirty-six," she replied. 
Applejack had already timed her landing and fired her hind legs downwards, hitting the almost solid water below and launching herself up again. She was ready for Harshwhinny's throw even before the older pony had a chance to shoot. Applejack grinned. Her training was paying off.

The throw never came, however. Harshwhinny put both hooves on the ball and slowly landed.

"Let's get out of the chamber, shall we?" she said, throwing the ball towards the outside of the pool. 

Applejack tilted her head. "No trainin' today?"

After five minutes of them escaping the slow water, Applejack pulled herself out into clearer air. Able to move easier now, she ran her hoof across her coat to remove some of the excess liquid. Harshwhinny started with her mane instead.

"Not today," Harshwhinny said. "There are only a few days until the Canterlot Three begins now. We're going to move away from water-based exercises." She turned back inside the chamber, where Spitfire and Rainbow were still practising. "Are you almost done?"

"Almost!" Spitfire shouted back. "We're at fifty-seven!"

"New record!" Rainbow added.

Applejack whistled. That was much better than Applejack's personal best of forty-eight. Rainbow was still ahead of her in terms of motion in the magic water.

Harshwhinny sighed. "We'll get our things together and wait in the bar," she said. "Meet us when you're done."

"They're comin' with us?"

"They might as well. I was expecting us to do our training on our own, but since we've come this far together, it seems a bit wrong to split up now we’re so close to the end."

Applejack smiled. "That's nice," she said. She had been happy for Rainbow's company and personal training for the past week. 

Applejack and her coach trotted away from the chamber and to their individual rooms. Applejack’s side of the room wasn’t particularly tidy, but it looked positively sterile compared to Rainbow’s side. Applejack quickly got all her things together and packed them into her saddlebag. She had felt like time had flown by in no time. She grinned. She put a hoof on her sides, and could feel the rippling muscle under her coat. She had always been a strong pony, but having to push through all that water and use every single fibre of her being to move had turned her into some kind of machine.

When Rainbow and Spitfire met them at the bar, Harshwhinny and Applejack stood up.

"Ready?" Applejack asked.

Spitfire nodded. "Yup." She beckoned Applejack and Harshwhinny to follow her, and they passed through the reception area, tossing their keys on the counter.

"I'll send you the bill, as usual," the receptionist said. "I hope you enjoyed your stay!"

They then left the hotel.

"You guys ever play ponyball?" Spitfire asked.

"Once or twice," Applejack said.

"All the time," Rainbow replied. "The weather team play against other towns sometimes. Thunderlane sucks."

"That's not old school ponyball, though," Harshwhinny pointed out.

Rainbow shrugged. "No, we play pegasus only. There aren't many Earth ponies in the weather team." She tilted her head. "Well, there is one, but she's not based in Ponyville."

Harshwhinny nodded, and began walking up a track leading even further up the mountain. It was steep, and often had stairs carved into rock. 

"We're going to play a few games," she said. "Obviously, we don't have a full team..."

"But there are some ponies in the Canterlot Three who don't need one," Spitfire said, looking towards Harshwhinny. 

Harshwhinny didn't reply. Spitfire adjusted her saddlebag.

"Anyway. We both thought that this would be a good opportunity for you guys to test out your new skills in a non-magic water filled environment." She pointed forwards. "On the other side of the mountain, a short way up from here, is a temple. It's real old, but it does have a ponyball court."

"It will be adequate to practise in." Harshwhinny tapped her bag, which made a 'boing' sound as her hoof found the balls they had used for practise earlier. "Luckily, we won't even have to borrow some balls."

Applejack nudged Rainbow as they trotted up the path. "Remind me how to play when we get there?"

"Sure," Rainbow said. "Will do."

It didn't take long for the group to reach a point where no more trees grew. Applejack could see snow not far above them. She rubbed her coat, trying to warm herself up.

"At least when we play, we'll warm ourselves up," Rainbow said, who was beginning to look a little chilly herself despite her pegasus coat. 

"Wonder who'd put a temple all the way up here," Applejack said. "It must be tirin' to walk all this way."

"I don't feel tired," Rainbow said. 

Applejack noticed that Rainbow was right: she didn't feel very tired. In fact, despite the steep ascent, this felt less like a hike and more like a relaxing stroll through a park. "Huh," she said. "I guess you're right."





Their surroundings were mostly just rocks and thin, crisp snow by now. Harshwhinny and Rainbow Dash had both gone ahead, Rainbow out of impatience and excitement and Harshwhinny because unlike Applejack and Spitfire, she didn't stop to admire the countryside.

The Wonderbolt captain would fly lazily in the rear, apparently conserving her energy.

"Hey, Spitfire," Applejack began, "I was wonderin' 'bout somethin'."

Spitfire landed next to her. "Shoot."

"Well, Harshwhinny said she was makin' me do this real hard training 'cause she wanted me to beat Victor Valiance, right?"

Spitfire raised an eyebrow. "That what she told you?" Spitfire asked. She shrugged. "She's not wrong, I guess."

"Well, Victor can't compete in pegasus games, right?"

"Actually, there's no explicit rule against it. It's just that, well, the pegasus games kinda revolve around flying, so..."

"Well, anyway, why're you makin' Rainbow do the same trainin' as me?" Applejack asked. "Ain't that a bit overkill?"

Spitfire chuckled. "Yeah, took me by surprise too," she said. "I was going to go through a tough Wonderbolt exercise regimen in the gym at HQ, but she insisted." She shrugged. "I told her that it'd be unnecessary and frankly, pretty painful, but she said there wasn't any point in doing half-measures."

Applejack's brow knotted together. "Rainbow asked for this? But she's already the fastest pegasus alive, right?"

Spitfire looked momentarily disgruntled. "Well, when she gets her sonic rainboom going, yeah, sure." Spitfire shook off her negativity for a moment. "In any case, she said she wanted, in her own words, 'the most awesome and hardest training I could think of'. So here we are. Playing with magic water on a mountaintop every minute of every day."

Applejack looked over at Rainbow, still flying ahead. 

"Huh," she said. "If it'd have been me, and I could fly faster'n the speed of sound, I'd probably not have done the same thing."

"Yeah. Me neither. And I'm pretty hardworking, too." Spitfire craned her neck. "Hey, there's the temple. You ready to play ponyball?"





The temple was a surprisingly simple looking building. Applejack had for some reason expected more from something so remote and at the top of a mountain. The reality was far less epic. It had old weather-worn walls, snow was piling up around the door, and the windows had been replaced with somewhat more modern, insulated, and less historical double-paned ones. Now and then a pony in a lab coat would trot here and there, escorting various ponies.

"What is this place?" Applejack asked.

"It's a sort of place of healing," Spitfire said, eyeing Harshwhinny out the corner of her eye. "For ponies with... cutie-mark defects."

"Defects? Like, diseases?" Rainbow asked.

"Cutie-marks are more than just a representation of one's talent," Harshwhinny said, staring straight ahead. "They're linked to the soul. When something goes wrong, it corrupts and ruins the pony. There needs to be a place for those ponies to stay, and heal."

Spitfire nodded. "Sometimes they don't heal, though," she said. 

Harshwhinny went silent once again. Applejack got the sense that Harshwhinny had more to do with this place than as a mere visitor, but she sure as hay wasn’t going to press the matter.

"So, ponyball?" Rainbow said, deciding to bludgeon through the awkward silence.

Harshwhinny nodded. "Right. Me and Spitfire will set the net up. You go over the rules with Applejack and warm up."

Applejack trotted over to her friend. Rainbow rubbed her hooves together. 

"'Kay. You played before, right?"

"A few times. I'm a bit rusty."

"Okay. Earth ponies and unicorns are on the ground. Pegasi are in the air. Shoot the ball into the opponent's hoop to win, but only from beneath. If you're a unicorn, you can only play by levitating pads." Rainbow ran her hoof through her mane. "That probably won't come up today, though."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. You can only hold the ball for three seconds, unless you can dribble, which is pretty tough for most ponies. No tackling. This is non-contact." Rainbow pointed at Applejack. "As an Earth pony, you're in the best position to shoot and score, since I won't be able to shoot from above the net. You can only score of the ball goes into the hoop from beneath. If we had a unicorn, we'd use her to do passes and steals, but as it is, we're gonna have to do that the old fashioned way. Oh, and there'll be nets around the court. If the ball falls outside the court, it's out, but if it hits the net and bounces back in, which it probably will, the game continues."

Applejack nodded. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Just basic strategy. Since I'm the most mobile, pass to me if you're in a jam instead of try to hoof it yourself. Then move under the hoop. I'll pass, you score. If you miss, I'll try and get the rebound."

Applejack nodded. "Got it."

Rainbow grinned. "Of course, I bet Captain Spitfire and Harshwhinny'll have their own strategy too. We might have to switch it up a bit."

"Sure thing," Applejack said. "I don't reckon they'll go easy on us."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah." She began to trot on the spot. "So, warm-ups?"





Spitfire and Harshwhinny were both on the court. Harshwhinny was bouncing the ball up and down, limbering up. Applejack couldn't help but notice that her movements were almost scientific in their precision. Applejack sucked air in through her teeth and stretched out her forehoof.

The court wasn't as big as she expected. Roughly a hundred feet by fifty. The net surrounded the whole court, and on each side was a hoop. It was well out of reach for Applejack. She'd barely be able to grab it with her teeth if she jumped as high as she could, she reckoned. She'd have to throw the ball through.

Rainbow hovered above her. She licked her lips. Applejack jumped on the spot for a moment, trying to ease the tension out of her. Rainbow would be going all-out to beat Harshwhinny and Spitfire, so Applejack had to do the same. It wasn't just a matter of pride, but respect.

One of the ponies from the temple was also there. It seemed Spitfire had roped him into being a sort of informal referee.

"Ready?" Harshwhinny asked as Applejack trotted to face her in the centre of the court. "Since you haven't played in a while, we'll be sure to go easy on you."

Applejack snorted. "No you won't."

Spitfire grinned. "Good catch."

Harshwhinny lowered her body, preparing to jump and catch the ball as soon as their referee threw it into the air. Applejack did the same. She knew her body was sprier and stronger than Harshwhinny's. She should be able to jump higher, faster. She'd catch the ball before Harshwhinny. 

Rainbow was preparing to receive Applejack's pass. She was hovering behind her, in perfect position to catch a backwards throw.

"Go!" the referee shouted, and threw the ball straight up.

Power surged through Applejack's muscles, more than she believed she had. She soared up, up, towards the ball as it began to fall. She almost gasped. This was the highest she'd ever jumped... and she wasn't even trying for altitude.

Her hooves edged towards the ball until it was barely a few inches away... and then it vanished.

Applejack's eyes shot downwards. Harshwhinny was gone, already sprinting into their court. But where had the ball...

"Crud!" Rainbow shouted, and darted across the court towards Spitfire. 

Applejack almost swore. She had spent so much effort concentrating on Harshwhinny, she hadn't realised that Spitfire was just as capable of snatching the ball away. Harshwhinny had played them. She had telegraphed a jump straight up to catch the ball, but that had never, ever been her plan.

Applejack was now seemingly stuck in mid-air. She was unable to make gravity work faster, and was reduced to waiting.

Rainbow shot towards her captain, seemingly accelerating faster than Applejack's eye could track. Spitfire rolled to avoid her, but Rainbow, still the faster pony, adjusted her course to intercept. Her hoof shot towards the ball, intent on knocking it out of Spitfire's hooves...

But it was already gone.

It was as close to a magic trick that Applejack had ever seen in ponyball. Her eyes darted left and right to try and find it... to try to figure out the trick.

Her hooves connected with the ground, and once again, she was mobile.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the ball shoot towards Harshwhinny. Of course, Applejack thought. When Spitfire rolled, she must have thrown the ball at the net. She hid the throw with her own body, tricking Rainbow and Applejack, and now the ball was heading towards Harshwhinny, who was perfectly positioned under the hoop.

Applejack's hind legs bunched up, and then she catapulted herself towards Harshwhinny. She fell straight into a gallop at dizzying speed, and in an instant was inches away from her mentor.

The ball, however, was already on its way into the hoop. It passed through, and Harshwhinny smirked.

Rainbow grit her teeth. 

"Sorry 'bout that," Applejack said, panting. 

"Don't worry about it," Rainbow grunted. "We'll do better next time."





Applejack sprinted from one end of the court to the other, but it was seemingly to no avail. Every time she felt she held the advantage, Spitfire and Harshwhinny would play some new trick to turn the tables. Applejack's body twisted left and right to catch their passes, but they seemed to know what she was going to do before she even did it.

They weren't playing ponyball so much as mind games. Rainbow was suffering for it too. 

The score was three to eight in favour of the older ponies. Even though Rainbow was faster than Spitfire and Applejack was stronger than Harshwhinny, the gap wasn't so big that it could overcome the difference in skill and strategy. 

They'd use back-passes, the net, and a vast array of misdirection tricks. More than once Applejack had found herself chasing a ball that simply wasn't there.

Rainbow, from her vantage point in the sky, saw more than Applejack. Her eyes shot around the court, permanently scanning for opportunities, but all she saw were tricks and defeats. Frustration was beginning to take its toll. Her hooves clenched and with every score Harshwhinny or Spitfire landed, she ground her teeth so hard it sounded like she was crushing pebbles.

"Y'all okay up there?" Applejack asked.

"I hate losing," she said through clenched teeth. "New strategy. Block Harshwhinny."

"Block her? This ain't a contact sport."

"So make it so she can't get by you without contact," Rainbow said. "I'll handle the captain."

Applejack nodded. "I'll do my best."

Rainbow got back into position. "Just do it."

The referee threw the ball into the air. Instead of aiming for the ball, Applejack leaped over Harshwhinny. The older pony hesitated, perhaps for the first time that game. She couldn't get to the ball without hitting Applejack. She smiled.

In the air, Rainbow and Spitfire both shot towards the ball. Spitfire's eyes widened as she realised Rainbow had no intention of stopping. Rainbow cracked her forehoof on the side of the ball, sending it spinning out of control into the net. It bounced back with such force, it barely lost altitude.

Rainbow flashed Spitfire a look, and they both shot after the ball. Rainbow kept hitting the ball without ever trying to catch it, and all the while kept accelerating. Spitfire, forced to play Rainbow's speed game, couldn't keep up. Instead, she tried to focus, and predict where the ball would land, but Rainbow's hits were too erratic: she couldn't figure out where to go.

Applejack kept on getting in Harshwhinny's way, but concern grew as she began to realise Rainbow's plan. She was trying to gain enough speed to perform a sonic rainboom. 

Rainbow finally hit the ball straight towards their opponent's hoop. Spitfire grit her teeth, and moved to intercept. Finally, Rainbow was doing something she could predict.

Unfortunately, Rainbow's speed was now so overwhelmingly beyond Spitfire's, Applejack couldn't imagine the older wonderbolt ever having a chance of reaching the ball before Rainbow.

Rainbow shot after the ball, faster than her throw, faster than Spitfire... but she didn't perform the rainboom. 

Instead of catching the ball under the hoop and throwing it up to score, she crashed into the hoop and crumpled, folding in two. Applejack, Spitfire, and Harshwhinny all winced as Rainbow slid off the hoop and onto the ground.

Spitfire landed next to her, and quickly examined her for injuries. Applejack cantered towards her friend.

"Jeez, why'd you let her do that?" Spitfire asked, eyeing Applejack. "I'd expect this sort of thing from her, but I thought you were responsible!"

"She didn't tell me," Applejack countered. "She okay?"

"I'm fine," Rainbow growled, getting to her hooves and brushing herself off. "Just bruised."

Spitfire sighed with relief, then smacked the side of Rainbow's head, causing her to rub the side of her skull. "I didn't think I needed to tell you that you can't do a rainboom under these conditions. You invented it, right?"

Rainbow pouted. "Whatever."

Applejack raised en eyebrow. "Why can't she rainboom?"

Spitfire sighed. "Too many sharp turns, for starters." She looked at Rainbow. "Why else, recruit?"

"Too close to the ground," Rainbow said, now thoroughly miserable. "Takes way more power to go that fast near all the disturbances in the air near the earth."

"Any other reason?"

Rainbow groaned. "And other ponies nearby can disrupt the airflow and send me flying off into a wall or something," she mumbled.

Spitfire nodded. "Good. So, when is it okay to do a rainboom?"

"In a race, in the sky, without anything to crash into."

"Good," Spitfire said, satisfied. "That's the end of that." She trotted off. "Time to take five. I need a breather."





Applejack and Rainbow Dash both leaned against the side of the court. Now they had stopped exercising, the cold had caught up to them, and both had elected to wrap themselves in towels, both to dry off the sweat that had accumulated in their fur and stave off the chill. Rainbow stared sullenly over the horizon. Now she was away from Harshwhinny and Spitfire, she was openly showing how much her abdomen, the part of her that hit the hoop, hurt.

A large red mark, quickly turning purple, indicated the damaged area.

"Y'know what I think?" Applejack said.

"What?"

"I reckon they wanted to show us that just 'cause we're fitter than ever, somepony with experience can still get the better of us."

Rainbow shrugged. "Y'know what I think?" she said, as she gingerly prodded her injury.

"What?"

"I think they were trying to make us use every trick we had, and push ourselves as hard as we possibly could," Rainbow said. "I think it was just training, and we didn't do well."

"Do you know what I think?" Harshwhinny asked.

Both ponies jumped. "Oh, hey there," Applejack stammered. "Didn't see you."

Harshwhinny rubbed her own towel over her neck. "I think that if you two were paying attention, you'd have been learning the tricks and strategies we were using. Especially you," she added, pointing at Rainbow. "Spitfire told me you had a rather unique memory."

Rainbow nodded. "Yeah."

"So, now, you should learned at least half of what we've done," Harshwhinny said. "Particularly since you lost. Right?"

Rainbow pawed the ground. "Well, I guess..."

"Good. It's very important to keep learning, always," Harshwhinny said. "You too, Applejack. I hope you got a good feel for your new strength regardless."

Applejack nodded. "Yup. It's pretty amazing."

"I feel faster than ever," Rainbow said. “Well, once this heals up, at least. Luckily, I get better pretty quickly. Just need plenty of yoghurt.”

Harshwhinny smiled. "Very good, but you had better get Spitfire to take a look regardless." She turned to leave. "Tomorrow, we'll begin travelling down the mountain again. We'll be taking a shortcut that leads to a cable-car, so we'll be heading straight to the games. I hope you're both ready."

Applejack nodded. She hoped so too.





The insides of the temple were sparse, and surprisingly large considering how unassuming it looked from the outside. Applejack and Rainbow were both wrapped in sleeping bags, as the patients of the temple tended to need their own rooms. Applejack didn't know where the caretakers slept, but Spitfire said they weren't allowed to sleep there, either. It was sleeping-bags in the main hall, or bust.

Harshwhinny was gone, and Spitfire was nowhere to be seen either. Outside, snow had began to fall. It was now the beginning of winter, a winter that marked the beginning of the Canterlot Three.

Despite the cold outside, the walls of the temple managed to keep the interior pleasantly warm. Applejack could smell perfumes and incense, and the smooth architecture made her feel… peaceful. At ease.

"So, all that about air currents and stuff earlier..." Applejack whispered, "Is that why you can't sonic rainboom whilst running on hoof?"

Rainbow's sleeping bag shuffled as she nodded. "Yeah. Not even I have enough strength to push through without gaining speed first," she said. "That's why when we were playing ponyball I had to spend ages just flying around to go faster."

"There ain't no way to get stronger?"

"I asked Spitfire, and she said I'd have to radically move my body structure around for it to work. As it is, I can, but only if I get a huge boost."

Applejack stared at the ceiling. "I see."

"Even if I did, the air currents bouncing off the ground would be pretty hardcore," Rainbow went on. "Like, I'd have to bring my A-game to not just catapult away."

"But you could?"

"Well, I mean, I am me. You met me, right?"

"Once or twice," Applejack said with a grin. 

"That should give you an idea."

"It does," Applejack said. "Spitfire told me y'all insisted on comin' here, instead of just spendin’ a month in a Wonderbolt gym."

Rainbow nodded. "Yup. It wasn't my fault. Spitfire basically said what she was going to make me do first was only the second hardest training she had ever done. I had to upgrade."

"Still pretty impressive, if you ask me."

"Yeah, well... Y'know that memory thing that Harshwhinny mentioned?"

"The thing you used to pass your wonderbolts history exam?"

"Yeah, that. Well, I can't switch it off. Whenever I'm flying, I just remember things. Including all the times I lose."

Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Come again?"

"When I lose, or something bad happens, I always have it bouncing around my skull. It's why I hate losing. I have to relive it all the time."

"Sounds a bit extreme," Applejack commented.

"Well, I might be exaggerating a little, but that's basically why. That's why I want to win. I'd much rather remember that." Rainbow curled up in her sleeping bag. "I reckon the Canterlot Three is going to bring some pretty awesome memories."

Applejack nodded. "I bet. After what we've been through, I can't picture anythin' else happenin'." Applejack’s smile lessened. “So long as you don’t try an’ kill yourself like today. I’d much rather you lived to get your medal than not.”

Rainbow went silent. Applejack tilted her head.

"RD?"

“I’m about to get a bit mushy.”

“Oh?”

“I don’t think I could have done this training without you.”

Applejack’s eyebrow raised. “That is kinda mushy,” she said. “Also, I ain’t sure that’s true. You asked for this. You’ve been doin’ better than me.” Applejack rolled onto her side. “I think you’re one of the best athletes I’ve seen.”

“I mean, I kinda think that if you weren’t here, I’d have done… I dunno. Like that stunt during ponyball.” Rainbow rested her hooves under her head as she stared at the ceiling. “Just ‘cause I’m a really good athlete… and I am... doesn’t mean I don’t sometimes get lost in it. You know? Like winning is all there is.”

“You think so?” Applejack asked. “I always thought you put other ponies above all that.”

Rainbow breathed out. “I’m glad you think that, but I’m not always so sure. I kinda feel like I wouldn’t if I was all on my own.”

“I reckon that’d be true for most ponies,” Applejack replied. “Right, RD?”

There was no reply.

“RD?”

Rainbow Dash began to snore. Loudly. Applejack sighed, and smothered her ears with her pillow.

"G'night."

Tomorrow, they'd be at the Canterlot Three games. Then it'd be time to really strut their stuff.






***