Healthy Rivalry

by HapHazred

Chapter Three

Only a short time had past since the two adults had left the pair to enjoy themselves on their own, but they had already managed to finish two games of horseshoes, Scootaloo winning both. Applebloom was feeling very optimistic about this latest game, though, since she had a couple of decent throws, but they were all around a foot from the bullseye, and her opponent had been getting closer and closer with every throw.

Scootaloo threw the last horseshoe towards the post, her whole body almost falling forwards due to the weight of the solid metal lump. She tripped forwards, trying her best to see where it was going to land... and to her delight, it bounced against the post, landing only a few inches away.

"Aw, yeah!" she exclaimed, her excitement carrying her a full foot from the ground. Applebloom kicked the dirt angrily.

"Darn it! I was sure I had this one in the bag."

"Heh... well, looks like I'm still number one! You want another rematch?"

Applebloom grumbled. "No. That was my last one. Let's go play chess instead." she replied miserably, trotting towards the open box. All the pieces were scattered around the container, but Applebloom knew what they were and where they went: Granny had taught her how to play the game, and she considered herself a skilled player. "You know the rules?" she asked.

"Yeah, I know them." Scootaloo replied. Applebloom grinned.

"Great! Then I won't have to go easy on you!" she exclaimed, and then they began.

---

On top of the nearby hill, Applejack was half curled up next to Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was pointing out the different clouds in the sky with her hoof, a little habit she would always fall into at night whenever she couldn't sleep, helping her relax. Applejack guessed that it reminded the pegasus of home, and she found it oddly soothing, causing her to often prompt Rainbow into describing a few to get her started, especially when nothing special was going on. Being a weather-mare, Rainbow knew them all, and never tired of describing the difference between an alto-cumuli and a cirrus cloud.

Applejack stretched her legs a little to avoid getting cramped up, and peered down the hill towards the two little specks that were sat around the table below. It looked like the two fillies had moved on to play chess.

"...and that's a cumulonimbus. They sort of pile up into the sky, and are used to transport lots of water in bulk quantities... hey, what is it?"

Rainbow noticed Applejack was looking down at the young fillies below, and stopped talking.

"Oh, I'm just makin' sure they're doin' okay. You know, some ponies take this sort of thing too seriously." she said. Rainbow chuckled, and leant down towards her marefriend, nuzzling her aggressively until she was thrown onto her back.

"Well, they should be able to handle it... they take after us, after all, right?" she asked. Applejack smirked.

"I hope not too much... I'm not sure I like the idea of mah sister hangin' out with a good for nothin' daredevil." she replied. Rainbow Dash gaped in mock horror, despite having thought something similar earlier.

"Is that how you see me? Applejack, you break my heart." she moaned, clutching her chest melodramatically.

"...and how is it you see myself?" Applejack asked quietly, abruptly becoming quiet and cautious. "Do ya'll really think I made you who you are today?" she asked, referring to Rainbow's previous statement from half an hour ago as the pegasus stopped playing the heartbroken mare.

Rainbow leant over her prone figure, a little unsure if this was serious talk or not. Eventually, she nodded.

"Sure you did."

She ran her wings across Applejack's stomach, causing the mare to burst out in uncontrollable laughter as the feathers tickled her skin. "But don't let it go to your head!" she added jokingly. Applejack managed to sit up out of reach from the deadly feathers, catching her breath in short, ragged bursts.

"You're messin' with me."

"I only mess with ponies when I want something. What could I possibly stand to gain?"

"Ya'll could be tryin' to butter me up for more free cider."

"Mm. Free cider..."

"My thoughts exactly." Applejack said, triumphant. "And remember where that got us last time?"

Rainbow did her very best to look innocent.

"Buttering you up or me getting free cider?"

"Gettin' free cider."

"It got me waking up behind the town hall with a headache."

"What a coincidence. Ah remember havin' a headache that mornin' too: mainly to do with clearin' up your mess."

"Hey, I didn't start that drinking contest."

"Well you sure as hay won it."

Rainbow Dash smiled viciously. "Ah ha! I think I see the real problem... you're just sore about losing to me, aren't you?"

Applejack was taken aback slightly by the accusation. Rainbow leered forwards, still smiling that silly little smile of hers.

"It were my cider, I should have been the pony t' drink the most."

Rainbow Dash's wing's flared in triumph.

"Knew it! Man, and I thought I was a sore loser."

All Rainbow Dash felt next was the soft feeling of grass as Applejack tackled her to the ground, her light frame easily pinned by the heavier, sturdier farmpony's muscles.

Rats! Curse my petite form!

"Aagh! Stop it! Or I'll tickle you again." Rainbow threatened.

"Nope. Not budgin'."

Rainbow Dash struggled, but to little avail. Eventually she was forced to resume her assault on the ticklish pony, causing both of them to collapse on each other, laughing uproariously. The pair rolled around on the grass until they flopped over onto their backs, breathing heavily. Once they had caught their breath once again, they both sat up, leaning against each other, enjoying the warmth and comfort of each other's fur on their shoulders and sides.

After the silence had just started to become a little stale, they looked over at the two fillies below them. Applejack peered the most, her neck muscles tense from trying to see as clearly as she could, like an astronomer leaning into a telescope.

"We should manipulate them more often." Rainbow commented with a smile, watching Applejack intently.

"I hope they're havin' fun, all the same." Applejack replied. "Remember when we competed for the first few times? You were always such a good sport, keepin' on coming back better'n before.."

A good sport? Funny... I remember being rude, selfish, and mean...

"I don't remember me losing." she replied instead, keeping her negativity to herself.

Applejack tutted. "Looks like nostalgia is playin' tricks on your mind."

Rainbow pulled her tongue out at her, but it went unseen. Applejack had already looked back at the two young ones, still as curious as before. Rainbow Dash stood up.

"Hey, if you want, I could give you a ride over there. They'll never know, and you'll be able to make sure they're fine."

Applejack pondered, eventually conceding. She didn't really want to spy, but she also wanted to make sure that her younger sister was having a good time with her friend. Rainbow soared up into the sky, exited to practice sneaking around. She returned with a small white cloud.

"What's with the cloud?" Applejack asked.

"What, you don't think a pegasus holding an earth pony in the sky is too obvious?" Rainbow asked sarcastically. "This is so we can hide, silly. Now hold on tight: I need my hooves to push this thing."

---

Scootaloo slid her knight across the board, staring at the board intently, letting it rest between Applebloom's bishop and pawn. She wouldn't admit it to Applebloom, but she was finding this much harder than horseshoes, and she didn't like it one bit.

Not too far above them, just within earshot, hovered the tiny cumulus. Concealed within, Rainbow Dash laid herself out, her weight spreading across it's fluffy surface evenly. Applejack had only one thing to support her, however, and Rainbow was beginning to remember why it was she didn't enjoy flying Applejack anywhere.

"Hey! Mind my wings, I'll need those later!" she grunted.

"Forgive me, but ya'll aren't the one who's going to fall to their death if they let go."

"I might if you rip my wing off!"

"I'll do mah best to be careful. Can you hear what they're sayin'?"

The cloud became silent. Rainbow Dash strained her hearing to it's limit, but heard nothing. The two fillies weren't talking, too engrossed in the game being played.

"They're not saying anything."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

Below, Applebloom trapped one of Scootaloo's pieces. It was hardly an elaborate ploy, but one that her opponent was forced to respond to nonetheless. Applebloom had baited her into a bad situation, and one more pawn was taken from her side.

"What's goin' on?"

"I don't know, I can't see through clouds. If you could see through clouds, there's be no point me hiding inside a cloud, would there?"

"Well, can't you stick your head out or somethin'? I'm curious who's winnin'."

Shortly thereafter Rainbow's head popped out the bottom end of the cloud, her piercing pegasus eyes scanning the board.

"It looks like Applebloom is winning." she said, her voice betraying her disappointment.

"That's mah girl!"

"I'm sure Scoots is just giving her a false sense of security." Rainbow replied, defending her favourite filly.

"That's what you always say when you're losin'. And I always feel very secure after I win, so ya'll must be doin' a good job of it."

"Good thing it's not me playing, then, is it?" Rainbow retorted tersely. Applejack cackled gleefully.

"Applebloom's learned from Granny... she's as good a player as Ah am. And since Scoots is probably as good a player as you are, my guess is my sis' is gonna' to be fine."

Rainbow's head popped back inside the cloud.

"Say that again!"

"All I meant was that I'm sure Scoots is as good a player as ya'll are, and that you should be proud of her."

Rainbow Dash bit back a retort: she knew her marefriend was teasing her, and if she answered back, she would only be providing more ammunition for even more teasing. Instead, she turned towards Applejack, still clutching her tightly, a sly smile playing her lips. "Hey, how about I go get my chess set from home? It's been ages since I've beat your flank at that."

Applejack grinned.

"You ain't never beat mah flank at chess... bring it on."

As the small cloud floated away, both Applebloom and Scootaloo briefly stopped playing.

"Do you think they realize we can hear everythin' they're sayin'?" Applebloom asked. Scootaloo shrugged.

"Eh... who cares." she replied, and quickly shifted her rook to the side. After all, it was Rainbow Dash they were dealing with: she probably meant to be noticed. "Check."

---

Another half hour passed.

The game was straining Scootaloo's brain to it's limit, yet she wasn't able to do much more than keep reacting to whatever it was Applebloom was playing at... and she kept on losing pieces, one by one, but all she seemed able to take were lousy pawns.

It was after that short interval of time that Applebloom gave a victorious cry.

"Ha! Check-mate."

Scootaloo's face fell.

"What? How?"

"Well, your king is blocked in a corner, and mah queen and rook have every escape row blocked. It's the most basic way to win, dum-dum."

Scootaloo growled. She didn't like being called a dum-dum.

"I'm not a dum-dum! Come on, let's do this obstacle course instead. I'm gonna' win, this time."

Applebloom laughed and trotted after her. Her Granny had taught her well indeed, and this well earned victory gave her a fuzzy sense of elation.

---

Applejack looked up into Rainbow's eyes, trying to gauge what she was thinking. She glanced back at the board, following her adversary's eyes. They seemed to be moving in random patterns across the board, and Applejack simply couldn't figure out what she was planning.

"Tryin' to figure out how t'get your rook out of danger?" she asked after a while, subtly trying to disrupt her concentration.

Rainbow Dash shook her head.

"No, I'm trying... to figure out how to make the pieces spell my name... once I do this." she said, and moved her bishop across the board. "Check mate."

Applejack gaped. It was true: she was in check mate, but what was even more alarming was how the white pieces were strung together to form the letters 'D-A-S-H'. Applejack wasn't even sure that was possible, but somehow it had come to pass.

"How'd..."

Rainbow Dash grinned.

"You know a few months ago when you put beat me five times in a row?" she said, as nonchalant as she could. "Well, I practised since then."

Ah yes, that classic Rainbow Dash syndrome: if you lose, don't eat, sleep, or drink until you're sure there's no chance of a repeat performance. Applejack's shoulders sagged. "Well... I don't know how I could have beat that. I didn't even see it coming." she sighed, a little disappointed. She had always fancied herself a rather decent player.

Rainbow Dash chuckled.

"Think that's impressive? Watch this." she said, and turned the board around.

The black pieces, Applejack's own pieces, from this angle, curled around to form a heart shape, right next to the letters 'A-J'.

"Show off." Applejack grumbled, but couldn't help but feel a little warm at the message the chess pieces conveyed: somehow, Rainbow always managed to make even losing seem like a fun prospect.

Rainbow Dash couldn't help herself when she saw Applejack scrunch up her nose, and laughed. "Looks like you've got to practice a bit more, Apples."

"Looks like I do." she muttered. Rainbow leant in over the board and kissed her on the cheek.

"Well, don't go practising too hard... I don't want to make a spelling mistake later on." Rainbow joked.

"You're evil." Applejack replied. "Next time, you're not going to find winnin' as easy."

The pair began clearing away the chess-board, but were interrupted by the sound of angry exclamations and shouts from inside the orchard. They belonged to young voices. Both mares became alert instantly, each worried for their respective filly.

"Scoots..."

"Applebloom..."

They were both on their hooves and galloping down the hill as fast as they could, leaving the un-tidied chess board behind them.

---

Comments

[The Yaoi Mistress]

How...?
I wish I was as good as any of them at chess!

[Basic Runner27]

leedle leedle leedle looo

[HarmonyRapids]

Hats Rainbow for ya... Awesome even when it comes to egghead games...