//------------------------------// // episode 14: Ki vs Wings! // Story: Dragonball MLP // by ultrapoknee //------------------------------// [Ponyville -11 a.m. - Third Person POV] The ponies of Ponyville were all gathered around the town hall, awaiting an announcement by one of the Elements of Harmony. The news was floating in the air all morning, courtesy of a certain cyan prismatic pegasus, that race no one has ever seen will soon be taking place. Princess Twilight graced the crowd and stands in front of them. "Good morning to you all, everypony," Twilight said, gaining a round of applause from the crowd. "Now, I'm sure many of you are wondering why we're all here right now. I, myself, ask the very same question when my dear friend Rainbow Dash requested me to hold this meeting. Although she did not say much on the specifics, She spent all morning informing everypony of an important race that will take place at noon today; a race she will now explain to you all." Twilight said as the ponies ranged from curious to bemused. Then, suddenly, Rainbow Dash flew to the podium and took the microphone. "Sup, everypony. Now I know what you must be thinking "what race is the most awesomely amazing pony talking about and how could it possibly top any other race that Equestria has held before?". Well, I'll tell you. Yesterday evening, I discovered that a certain somebody has been keeping a secret from everypony in Ponyville." the crowd of ponies became more interested in whatever secret Rainbow was referring too. "A secret that has forced me to challenge that somebody to this race for the best flyer in Equestria. And that secret belongs to none other than Goku and his ability to fly without wings!!" Rainbow said dramatically. The crowd, as well as Rainbows, were stunned silent at this proclamation. Twilight and the rest of their friends took this opportunity to talk to their cyan companion. "Rainbow darling, you do know that it's impossible for anypony without wings and magic to fly right." Rarity said with a strained smile as her eyes alternate from the crowd and her friend. "Rainbow! What in the hay do Ya thinking to sprout such malarkey?! You're looking crazier than a pig chasing its tail." Applejack scolded. "Um, well, maybe it's not as crazy as we think it is. Goku's metal home can fly, Guru can fly as well. So maybe Goku has a special device that lets him fly. If you don't mind me saying." Fluttershy said. "Girls, let's all be reasonable here." Twilight cuts into the conversation. "So far, there has been no evidence contrary to what we already learned from Goku that would suggest he's able to fly without the use of his ship. Granted, what Fluttershy said is plausible. Goku must have some device capable of flight. His world is so technologically advanced that I wouldn't be surprised if pigs could fly." Twilight said. "I saw him do it with my own two eyes; he said he uses that wacky Ki energy. Scootaloo, Applebloom, and Sweetie Belle saw him too. Didn't they tell you two?" Rainbow asks as she turns to Applejack and Rarity. "Oh, I just figured Sweetie Belle was far too excited from her latest visit." Rarity said. Rainbow turns her gaze on Applejack, who was silent at the moment. "When Applebloom talked about it, I saw that she wasn't fibbing, but that's a mighty big pill to swallow, so I kinda put it on the back burner, and I was gonna ask Goku when he came in for work," Applejack explains. Rainbow let out a groan at this. "But isn't that like lying to yourself or not accepting the truth?" Rainbow challenges. Applejack huffs at the jab to her element. "It's a truth I can't wholly accept till I see it with mah own eyes." "Well, what do you think, Pinkie? Pinkie?" Rainbow and the girls started looking for their wayward hyperactive friend when they saw a note on the ground where she was standing. Twilight went to pick it up and read it aloud. "Dear Friends, While you were all talking, I decided to head over to Goku's place and bring him here. I was so super duper excited to hear that he could fly that I just had to see for myself. So we should be coming overhead right about now. Love, Pinkie Pie." "P.S, you all look like ants from up here." Twilight finished reading the letter, much to everyone's confusion. "Geez, even her letters are random," Rainbow commented. "And what did she mean we look like ants?" "Wheeeeeee!!!" A loud squeal of joy alerted everyone in the town hall. The ponies then looked to find the noise source, only to find something that made their collective jaws hit the ground. "Look, up in the sky!" a mare stated. "It's a Griffin!!" a colt called out. "It's a blimp," a stallion said. "No, it's Pinkie Pie and-- Goku?" Starlight said as she and everyone else's eyes widen in shock. There high in the sky was Pinkie Pie with her arms spread out like a bird while she was straddling on the back of none other than Goku. Pinkie was giggling like a pony gone made while Goku had a wide grin on his face. They circle the hall, taking in the bemused expressions of the ponies. "Huh, I wonder what's got everyone so surprised?" Goku asks obliviously. "Duh, you silly billy. They're all surprised that we're falling through the air." Pinkie informs as she returns to her pose. "I don't see why that's a big deal. Those pegasi fly all the time, and I remember Starlight saying she could fly by levitating." Goku ponders. "Oh, I got a great idea. Do a barrel roll!!" Pinkie said as her voice became monotonic and deeper. Goku arched a brow at this request as he looked back at Pinkie to see her smiling face and pleading eyes. "Uh, okay. Just make sure to hold on tight" Goku complies with Pinkies and starts to spin like a barrel rolling down a hill. However, on the third rotation, Pinkie had a mischievous smile and loosened her legs. She began to fall while she was still giggling on her way to the ground. Goku notices this. "Uh oh, hang on!" He said as he flew after her. He disappeared using rapid movement to give himself an extra boost. On the ground, everyone started to panic. Several Pegasi flew to intercept. However, they paused as Pinkie landed right in Goku's arms bridal style. They slowly descended and landed in front of the crowd of ponies who were making their best fish impression of opening and closing their mouths. Pinkie then leaps from Goku's arms, sporting a large ear-to-ear smile. "Wow, that was fun, and what a great trust exercise," Pinkie chirped. Goku chuckled himself. "How about next time you give me a little more warning, ok?" he said as Pinkie nodded vigorously. Soon, Pinkie's friends snapped out of their stupor, ran, and passed the crowd to speak to the two. "W-well darling, it seems that Sweetie Belle was c-correct in her claims of you flying Goku." Rarity said shakily. "I'm glad you were able to catch Pinkie. I was so worried." Fluttershy said, feeling relieved. "I can't believe mah eyes. I mean, I saw it, but I can't believe it." Applejack said as the image of Goku flying kept replaying in her head. Then, she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around to be greeted by a smug-looking Rainbow Dash that had her hands behind her back as she leaned forward towards her. "So-- Do you accept the "whole truth" now," Rainbow said with a coy smile. Applejack wanted to retort, but she bit her lip and reluctantly nodded. Rainbow celebrated her victory with a fist pump. While the others gawked over Goku's ability, Twilight slowly walked up to him. Her mane and tail looked frazzled behind the measure. Her left eye twitched uncontrollably, and she wore a wide, crooked grin while her body trembled slightly. Twilight reached Goku and began patting him down as if she was searching for something. "Twilight? Is everything alright?" Starlight asked while Twilight continued searching Goku's person. "Oh, Drake, she's at again," Spike said with annoyance. "Um, Twilight? I'm pretty sure I don't have any food on me if that's what you're looking for. Grandpa Gohan told me that it's a bad habit to stuff food in my clothes." Goku said. Twilight finally stopped her search and faced Goku. "Oh, excuse me, Goku, I was trying to find the device that you're using to attain and sustain flight. Fluttershy gives us the theory earlier, and I must agree that it's the only one that's the most sound. Unless- You have something to share with us." Twilight said with a strained voice. She still held her manic grin and twitchy-eyed features. "Oh right, I guess I never really said that I could fly using my Ki energy. Haha, sorry about that." Goku said as Twilight nodded slowly at this. "Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Goku, you really shouldn't be so absent-minded. Now I have to add this to my notes on Ki energy. I suppose I'm to blame as well. I haven't been spending as much time with you as I have with Dr. Briefs. You're both such great treasure coves of knowledge, and I didn't mean to play favorites or make you feel left out. So we'll have to rectify that immediately." Twilight said as she summoned a few books, notepads, ink, and quills for documentation. "Now, let's begin, shall we?" Before they said anything else, a rainbow blur zipped in between Goku and Twilight. "Not so fast, Twilight!" Rainbow called out, snapping Twilight out of her trance. "We aren't here for another egghead study season. We're here to find out which is faster, Ki or Wings?!!" Rainbow said as she flared out her wings in a challenging manner. "I gotta agree with Rainbow Dash on this one. I think a close race sounds exciting." Goku said confidently. Twilight, however, held a distraught expression. "But-but-but, think of the research. Surely, we can postpone till I can--" "Come on, Twilight," Spike cuts Twilight off. "The race is way more fun than pulling all-night research and note organizing. Plus, we can always do that later," "He's right, darling. Everypony here came for a race unlike any other. And this one most certainly fits that bill." Rarity said. "Pretty please, Twilight, let Sonny and Dashie race. I wanna throw the winner a huge congratulations party." Pinkie pleaded with her lavender friend with big puppy dog eyes. Twilight tried her best to fight it, but it was no use. "...Fine," Twilight reluctantly said before she snapped her attention to Goku. "But I want a full detailed description of your flying ability, and I will be watching this race very closely." Rainbow smiled brightly and flew back to the podium to address the crowd. She gestured for Goku to join her, to which he does so without hesitation. Goku floats over and lands right beside Rainbow. "Alright, Everypony, now for a reason, we're all here. The big guy and I here are going to take part in the race of the millennia. Here's how the layouts will be; we will be flying a total of three laps, but each lap will be different from the last. The first lap will be here in Ponyville, where we will do a once-over of the entire town. The second lap is where we will enter the ghastly gorge. From there, the final lap will involve us going to and from Canterlot; the first one to complete all the laps and land in front of Castle Friendship will be known as the fastest flyer. Sound good to you?" Rainbow said as she shot a cocky look towards Goku. Goku smirks at this and returns the gesture. "That sounds great. Just one question, which way is ghastly grog?" Goku said as he laughs sheepishly. Rainbow just facepalmed. [one hour later] Rainbow Dash and Goku stood in front of Castle Friendship, performing some pre-race stretches, while Twilight had used her magic to display a monitor like a screen in front of Castle. The ponies of Ponyville were all sitting down in folding chairs, courtesy of Pinkie Pie, and were waiting for the race to begin. "As everypony can see from this map display of Equestria," Twilight said as the screen flared to life. "Our two competitors will follow this highlighted route from Ponyville to Canterlot to back here again. When they complete these laps, the racers must fly through the cloud ring above us to be declared the winner." Twilight said. "Say Twilight, what's with these weird wristbands you got us wearing?" Goku asks as he raised his hand and pointed to the orange band with a crystal embedded in it, whereas Rainbow's wristband was light blue. "And where can I get a hold of them. Those bands are magnificent." Rarity squealed as Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you asked Goku. Those bands will act as a receiver for my spell that will display your positions to the crowd in real-time so we can catalog every piece of data you will be providing for us today." Twilight beamed. However, the rest of the town gave Twilight a deadpan stare. Twilight smiled sheepishly before correcting herself. "I-I mean so we can all enjoy a fantastic race between you two, haha. Anyway, one last reminder. This race is all about speed, agility, and maneuverability. There will be no intentional sabotage of one another, and do not teleport in any way, or else the offending party will face disqualification. Any questions?" "Yeah, when will you quit flapping your muzzle so we can start? I wanna hurry and win this so I can catch my afternoon nap," Rainbow arrogantly said, causing Twilight to huff at the rude comment. "Racers, take your positions," Twilight said as both Goku and Rainbow got into a coaching position. Finally, Pinkie Pie came up with a checkered flag. "On your marks..." "I hope you didn't have a big breakfast cause you gonna be eating my dust!" Rainbow said confidently. "I see you're very confident. But you might not feel that way after you lose!" Goku said with equal confidence. "Get set..." Twilight continued as Pinkie raised the flag. The crowd waited with bated breath as both Goku and Rainbow Dash stared intently forward. "GO!!" Twilight yelled as Pinkie waves the flag. Both racers sprinted past Pinkie, causing her to spin like a tornado as they continued to run down their paths. After a few moments longer, Rainbow flared her wings and took to the skies with a mighty flap. Goku followed suit as he jumped from the ground and started flying. "And off they go folks. The two racers are neck and neck as they start their lap around Ponyville." Pinkie Pie said as she stood on the podium with a megaphone. "Say Pinkie, mind if I announce too?" Spike asked. Pinkie smiled and pulled out another megaphone from her mane, and handed it to Spike. "Now, back to the action. We see that Goku and Rainbow Dash are rounding the residential area. They both flying pretty low while crisscrossing between the houses. So Spike, whose your odds-on favorite to win this race?" Pinkie asked. "Well, normally, I would say Rainbow Dash, but when I think back to that ghoul encounter, then I'd have to say Goku," Spike said. "Betting on the new kid, huh? That's a gutsy move. But Rainbow is in the Wonderbolts, and she has a home-field advantage. So my money is on our resident speedster." Pinkie said. Meanwhile, The racers continued to zip through the residential area. "Ha, it looks like he can keep up with me but let's see him do this..." Rainbow said to herself. She saw two houses coming up that had a narrow space between them. Rainbow smirks, and the line's herself up with the gap. Goku looks on quizzically at what the Pegasus is trying to do. As they neared the two buildings, Rainbow turns sideways and quickly slips through space. "Yes, beat that!" Rainbow said. Unfortunately, Goku had to stop in mid-air and fly over the two homes. "Darn it!" Goku cursed as Rainbow now had the lead. "Haha, that was a nice one," he said as he tried to regain some lost ground. "Ouch, that's gotta be rough." Spike comments. "You said it; Spike, Rainbow Dash now has the lead as she makes her way past Sugar Cube Corner." Pinkie said. "That was a good maneuver she pulled off." Starlight said as she sat next to Twilight and her friends. "That's just what you would expect from our Rainbow Dash," Twilight said. "Yeah, even in a race, she still finds the time to show off." Applejack said while shaking her head. "Yay, Rainbow Dash, you can do it. Do your best, Goku yay." Fluttershy cheers softly. Goku was quickly gain on Rainbow Dash as they were coming up on the schoolhouse. Rainbow proceeded to zigzag through the playground, fly up to the slide, and between the jungle bars. Goku chose to jump from the school onto the seesaws. Then he uses it as a springboard to swing off the pull-up to catch up to Rainbow. "Those were some awesome moves but still not awesome enough to beat me," Rainbow said to Goku. "Thanks. You're not too bad yourself. But it's not over yet." Goku said. "Both racers are showing off some amazing moves as they have just completed the Ponyville lap and are now heading to the dreaded ghastly gorge ooooooo~," Pinkie said as she added some spooky sound effects. "This is the point of the race where things get a lot harder. So I hope they can mind their surroundings." Spike said. The racers enter the mouth of the gorge. The ample space enables both parties to fly side by side. Rainbow felt right about this part of the race as she flown through numerous times before and when she chose a tank as her pet. Rainbow was able to memorize all the danger the chasm held, which would undoubtedly be the advantage. But knowing the threat still isn't the same as avoiding it and would have to tread lightly. The two follow the path to a narrow passage that seems to be blowing wind outwardly. Goku and Rainbow entered it a gust of wind immediately bombarded them. Rainbow Dash caught a powerful wind gust that pushes her back a few feet. Her misfortune allowed Goku to take the lead as he did not have wings that the wind would hinder. "See Ya Later," Goku yelled back as he cleared the passageway. Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth and snorted as she fought past the wind current. Finally, she made it out the passageway to find that Goku now had the lead and headed right for the moray eels nests. Back at Ponyville, the inhabitants were watching with great fascination. "Looks like Rainbow Dash caught a snag by way of air current, and she has some major ground to cover." Pinkie said. "And it looks like Goku is entering the quarry eels nest. He'll have to be careful here." Spike added. Cheerilee and her students took the day off to watch today's events. She turned to her class and saw all the fillies and colts jumping in their seats. "This is so cool." A colt said. "I want Goku to win." A Fillie said. "No way Rainbow can't lose. She's a Wonderbolt." A light blue pegasus with a dark blue mane said. "Who cares? They're both losers. I could fly a circle around both of them." Rotten core said with a cocky grin. "Then why don't you fly through ghastly gorge?" Diamond Tiara taunted. "Ha, I would if my wings weren't tired," Rotten said. "Translation: I'm too much of a chicken." Silver Spoon chastises as Rotten Core begins to fume in anger. "Class, behave yourselves and just enjoy the race." Cheerilee scolded as the class quietly went back to observing the race. "Thought, I will admit. This race is spectacular," she said. "It most certainly is." a new voice said, causing Cheerilee to turn her head and spot a unicorn with charcoal black fur, green eyes, and green-blue. She wore a slender black dress and black shoe slippers. "Oh, I'm sorry. You startled me. You seem to be new here; have you come to visit the town?" Cheerilee asks politely to the new mare. "Why yes, I am visiting. I'm also looking for somepony." The unicorn then turns her gaze back to the magic screen. "That's very nice. I hope you find this pony. Oh, and my name is Cheerilee." Cheerilee happily said as she extended her hand. "It would seem I already found that somepony." the mare said ominously. "And you may refer to me as Chrsyaline," she said as she shook Cheerilee's hand. Back with the racers, Goku was flying dangerously close to the large holes on the opposite side of the gorge. "Huh, that's weird. I'm picking up multiple power levels coming from these holes, but they're too dark to see into." Goku flew slightly closer to one of the holes. At that moment, a large pair of eyes glowed in the dark, followed by a set of razor-sharp teeth that dipped with saliva at the prospect of dining on this new prey. Goku barely had seconds to react as the broad set of fangs lunged forward in an attempt to swallow him whole. He flew upwards while splitting his legs to avoid the attempt at his life. Goku soon found himself staring at the eyes of the eel, which narrowed in annoyance. Goku laughed sheepishly and jumped off the aggravated eel. However, the noise from the first eel woke the others, and they all tried to take a bite out of Goku as he flew by. "Looks like Goku had made friends with the eels of Ghastly Gorge, and they came out to say hello." Pinkie said while Spike gives her a blank stare. "I don't think Goku likes their form of greetings, Pinkie," Spike said dryly. "Eeeh!, Whoa!, Yikes! Why are there even eels coming out from the cliff walls on dry land?" Goku yelled out to no one in particular as he continued to evade the eels. Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash took this opportunity to bypass the eels nest while Goku had them distracted. She laughed at the comical way Goku dodges the eels. "I hope you don't mind if I win while you play with your friends," Rainbow called out as she flew into the final part of the gorge. "HEY!" Goku yelled out in frustration. Finally, he manages to slip away from the eels and flew faster to catch up. "Goku says goodbye to his new friends and tries to make up the lost ground. Both racers are now nearing the exit of Ghastly Gorge, but they better tread carefully as that portion of the Gorge is known for rock slides." Pinkie informs the crowd. Sure enough, rocks began tumbling down from above and onto Goku and Rainbow. However, Rainbow Dash remained undeterred as she skillfully dodges and weaves past the incoming boulders. "I am so not getting stuck in here again." She said to herself. Goku elected to not only dodge but to deflect away any rocks that came his way. Thanks to his senses, he had no problem predicting where the stone would fall. As well as keep his pace with Rainbow. Rainbow looks back in astonishment at Goku's feat. However, that proved to be a mistake as a rather large boulder descended upon her. Goku notices this and moves to stop it. "Yah!" He lets out a mighty yell and punches the boulder, shattering into pieces, while Rainbow watches. "You should try to be more observant. Bye." Goku lectures before he shoots Rainbow a grin and flies off. Rainbow's only reply was to snort and take off close behind Goku. "Holy rock bashing Spike! Do you think Goku worked at a rock farm before this? I'm sure Maud, Limestone, and Marb would love him." Pinkie said. "Yeah, that was pretty cool, and now both racers are entering the final lap," Spike said excitedly. "Let's get a few comments from the audience." Pinkie said as she and Spike went over to their friends first. She stops in front of Fluttershy, who in turn made an eep sound at the sudden attention. "So Fluttershy, how are you like the race so far?" "W-well, it's been amazing. Rainbow and Goku are doing well." Fluttershy said. "And do you have a favorite to win?" Pinkie asks as she got a little closer. "Oh um, I would like it if they both won. At least that way, nopony would feel bad." Fluttershy said hopefully. "That would be ideal, darling, but this is Rainbow we are talking about." Rarity chimed in. "Darn tooting', no way that mare will settle for anything less than winnin'," Applejack added. "But Goku seems like the type to win also," Spike said thoughtfully. "O-oh, that's right, well I guess I would um want Rainbow to w-win. But Goku's trying hard too, so I just..." Fluttershy trailed off into a mumbling rant as she hid behind her mane. Pinkie then moves to Twilight. "How about your opinion, Twilight?" Pinkie asks. "Both racers seem very physically capable, and this next lap will have no more obstacles to hinder them. This segment will surely be a test of speed." Twilight said analytically. "Although Goku has shown amazing prowess, my money's on Rainbow to come out on top," she said proudly. "You heard it here, folks, the Princess of Friendship has given her blessings to our favorite rainbow-maned pegasus. With this kind of support on Rainbow's side. Can Goku overcome these odds? Let's watch." Pinkie said as the crowd cheers loudly. Goku and Rainbow Dash were fly quickly through the air. There was no more bantering or taunting between the two. Just a real focus on their task. They were rapidly on the approach to Canterlot as both of them tried to gain the lead. Goku couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the nation's capital. He made a mental note to tour the city when he had the chance. On the other hand, Rainbow didn't partake in sight-seeing partly because she's been to Canterlot a few times and mostly because she was waiting for this leg of the race. As they rounded the mountaintop, Rainbow began to pick up more speed. Her body tensed, and her mental focus became sharper. Goku notices this sudden change in Rainbow's posture. He felt her power level build up, but, more importantly, he saw the air around her form into a Mach cone. Rainbow turns back to Goku with a cocky grin. "Just one last question before I win this..." Rainbow said with a cocky expression. Goku raised an eyebrow and had a bewildered look at this declaration. "And what is it?" he asks, but he may soon regret asking that. Rainbow's cocky smile grew wider as she faced forward and yelled out. "ARE YOU READY TO TASTE THE RAINBOW?!!" "Wha--" whatever Goku was going to stay fell on death ears as the cone around Rainbow Dash grew narrow. Instantly after that, Rainbow explodes forward with newfound speed. An ear-splitting boom was followed by a brilliant flash of rainbow colors that shot out in all directions. The prismatic shockwave seems to go on forever, and it was quite the visual spectacle. Or it would be for Goku if the sudden boom and flashing colors hadn't momentarily stunned him. While still maintaining his current speed, he soon recovers to watch the aftermath of Rainbow Dashes Sonicrainboom. "Whoa, amazing! Look at her, go!" Goku comments as he watches Rainbow Dash make a beeline back to Ponyville with a rainbow trail following her. "That's some technique she pulled off. She has me beat there, Although...." Not one to be left behind, Goku began charging his Ki. Back in Ponyville, the Ponyville began to cheer wildly for Rainbow Dash as victory is all but guaranteed. "Look at that ponies—the legendary Sonic Rainboom in all its beautiful glory. Goku was practically blown away by Rainbow Dashes' best move. I don't he'll be able to recover from that." Pinkie Pie states. The rest of her friends looked on proudly. "Great, we'll never hear the end of this." Applejack said ruefully. "I can't believe I once tried so hard to stop something so breathtaking!" Starlight said in awe. "Yes, it is, and I don't think I will ever grow bored with it, no matter how many times I see it," Twilight said. Fluttershy, although happy for Rainbow, couldn't help but feel saddened for Goku's loss. Rarity picked up on her friends' feelings and went to console her. "Don't feel too bad, darling. Goku gave a valiant effort as any real knight would," she said to her friend. "I know what may cheer him up. A nice big hug and a rather large portion of food should do the trick." "I think that sounds lovely." Fluttershy agreed. Over in Ms. Cheerilee's seat, the fillies were cheering madly for Rainbow Dash's apparent victory. "Well, you have to admire Son Goku's character for going as far as he did," Cheerilee said thoughtfully. Crystalline let out a frustrated sigh. "Typical. Of course, that Rainbow-maned rat wins," she said softly for no one to hear. "See, I knew she would win. Nopony can beat a Wonderbolt." the dark blue maned pegasus colt said. "I guess you were right, Rumble." A red-maned filly with cream-coated fur said. "You said it, Twist," Pipsqueak added. "Of course, that hairless ape would lose. Like anything without wings could be something with wings. The monkey should have stayed in its cage." Rotten Core rudely said. Those comments quickly railed up the Sugar Lumps and the CMC. "Mr. Goku still tried his best, and he could easily outfly most pegasi," Applebloom said. "He's faster than you." Silver Spoon added. "So what if he didn't win. He still showed that he's unique," Sweetie Belle continued. "How many ponies are you friends with that can fly without magic or wings? Zero! That's what I thought." Diamond Tiara taunted. As her classmate made a commotion, Scootaloo remained quiet. For some reason, she felt like the race wasn't over. She looked intently at the screen, then over the horizon. Scootaloo saw a twinkle of light that she knew was Rainbow Dash coming toward the town as she continued to look until a second twinkle appeared behind the first. It was at that moment she jumped out of her seat. "EVERYPONY LOOK!!!" She yelled and pointed to the second twinkle. "I-it's GOKU!!!" The ponies were shocked at this declaration and followed the orange fillies gaze. First, they spotted the second twinkle, and then they turned back to the magic monitor screen. Sure enough, the image displayed Goku rapidly approaching Rainbow Dashe's position. A white aura was surrounding his body. It trailed behind him much like Rainbow. "UNBELIEVABLE PONIES!!! Goku seems to be surrounded by some white fire-like aura. Not only that, but he already halfway caught up to Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie exclaims. "But, but, that would mean he did a Sonic Rainboom too." Spike pointed out as the rest of the ponies agreed. "I know, right. This race truly has turned into a once-in-a-lifetime event." Pinkie Pie yelled out excitedly. Rainbow was brimming with pride as she neared Ponyville. This event would be another chapter in her list of awesomeness that she managed to pull off. "Aw yeah, never mind being the fastest in Equestria, I'm like the fastest thing alive ever!" As Rainbow continued her mini celebrating, Goku had managed to catch up to her considerably. He leveled with her midsection. Rainbow felt a presence on her left side. She turns her head, and her jaw dislocates from her mouth. In all of his spike-haired, big toothy grin glory, Goku, who had finally caught her at head level, was now matching her Sonic Rainboom speed. "I gotta admit, you surprised me with this technique, and I had a lot of fun today," Goku chirped before he donned a severe and confident expression. "But now it's time I win this." he proclaims as he started to outpace Rainbow's speed gradually. Rainbow manages to snap out of her shock and put more effort into her Rainboom. "I won't go down that easy!" Rainbow said through a strained voice. "That's the spirit," Goku yelled back. The two racers fought over the lead, with neither side yielding to the other. They had now reached the outskirts of Ponyville. They soon passed by the train station, and the finish line lay ahead as they continued their struggle. Rainbow began to feel something, a feeling she would get after a hard workout session at the gym or practicing routines at the Wonderbolt headquarters. That feeling was fatigue. Rainbow's eyes widen in shock as she sees herself losing some speed. "N-no!! I shouldn't be this tired already. I-I!" Rainbow's voice got caught in her throat. "The racers are now in the home stretch. They are heading to the castle at maximum speed. It may be a photo finished." Pinkie said as ponies and her friends watch with anticipation. "Come on, wings - *grunt* - m-move faster!!!" Rainbow gritted out, but no matter how hard she tried, her body would not heed her commands. Rainbow has always liked to push herself, but even she has her limits. She had never needed to do so with the Sonic Rainboom. She looked forward at Goku, who still seemed like he had yet to break a sweat despite everything in the race. Rainbow also noticed that she and Goku were neck and neck. "They're about to reach the finish line," Spike exclaimed. "And the winner is..." Pinkie trailed off for dramatic effect. She raised the check flag high above her head as Goku and Rainbow Dash got closer. Rainbow Dash was doing all she can at this point, but her body strained with exhaustion. Time seemed to have slowed down as they were now mere inches from the cloud ring. Finally, she slammed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable. "...I-I lost..."