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1 Frogs1,933 words
2 Place Your Bets2,523 words

2 Place Your Bets

“Simmer down, Fluttershy,” said Apple Bloom. “So what if ya both have different ways of dealin’ with animals.”

“Look, there’s an easy way to settle this,” said Lazybug. “How about a Staring contest?”

“Sounds good to me,” replied Crosspatch with a disturbing grin.

Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle really hated the look Crosspatch and Lazybug were exchanging.

“1, 2, 3, go!” shouted Crosspatch.

Fluttershy recoiled. The school ponies gasped.

Crosspatch shut her eyes and opened them again, looking much calmer. “That, colts and fillies, is called the Stare. Very few are…”

“We know!” snapped Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo together.

“How do you know?” asked Crosspatch, slightly taken aback. “It’s a rare gi--”

Then Crosspatch recoiled. Fluttershy had recovered and shot a Stare right back at her.

“What?! You can use the Stare, too?!” cried Lazybug.

“Uh, huh,” Fluttershy answered as she reset her face.

Crosspatch gave herself a shake. “OK, so I guess we’re both Stare masters. Shoulda guessed there’d be another one in Equestria.”

“Well, that means you can have a proper Staring contest,” said Lazybug excitedly. “Ready?”

This time, Fluttershy and Crosspatch were ready at the same time.

Lazybug looked from one to the other as they held their eyes shut. “1, 2, 3, go!”

The intensity of Fluttershy’s and Crosspatch’s eyes made every foal in the room either squint or look away. The two stubborn mares kept up their lethal looks into each other’s faces for nearly a minute before shutting their eyes at the same time.

“Dang! It’s a tie,” groaned Apple Bloom.

“Hey Lazybug, gimme a squirt,” said Crosspatch, panting a bit.

Fluttershy watched as Lazybug walked up to his sister and spritzed her with his water bottle. Crosspatch was seething at her opponent’s smug look.

“Anypony have any other ideas?” asked Scootaloo.

“An endurance test?” Twist suggested.

“What kind?” Fluttershy and Crosspatch asked together.

“Flying contest?” put in Sweetie Belle, who was getting into the spirit of unfair advantages.

“Oh, shut up,” groused Silver Spoon.

“Who can hold their breath the longest?” suggested Lazybug.

“You too, newbie” said Silver Spoon.

“Wait, why don’t we see who can last longer outside their comfort zone?” asked Twist.

“Meaning?” asked Fluttershy and Crosspatch together. They glared at each other in annoyance.

“Well, Fluttershy doesn’t do much flying, and Crosspatch can’t last long without water,” said Twist. “How about Fluttershy stays airborne for as long as she can, and Crosspatch stays out of the fountain in town for as long as she can? And whoever gives up first loses the argument.”

Crosspatch chuckled. “You don’t fly much? How do you deal with blue jays?”

“They all know me,” said Fluttershy. “How do you deal with blue jays?”

“Well…”

“No, no, no! I don’t want to hear about anymore animal cruelty,” Fluttershy said quickly.

“I’ll have you know I do not deal with blue jays in a way that hurts them,” Crosspatch hissed. “I just lure them to the ground with peanuts. They get full and can’t put up a fight, so I can easily take them somewhere where they’re not bugging anypony.”

“Is that why I’ve been tending to so many blue jays with indigestion lately?!” burst out Fluttershy. “I’ve gotta go home and feed my bunny rabbit. Meet me at the fountain in ten minutes.”

“You’re on,” smirked Crosspatch.

They sealed their deal with a hoof-bump, and the school ponies cheered as Fluttershy ran out of the school house.

After Fluttershy left her cottage, she found her way to the fountain barred by several ponies. Clearly, word of the endurance challenge had spread.

“What’s all this about, Fluttershy?” inquired Rainbow Dash, easily avoiding the crowd with flying above it.

“I’m only settling an argument,” Fluttershy insisted. “I’ll be fine. Now, will you excuse me please?”

Rainbow Dash had no idea how to feel. On one hoof, it was interesting to see Fluttershy taking a stand, but somehow, she felt it didn’t suit her. But far be it from her to discourage her friend from something she believed in.

When Fluttershy finally managed to get through the crowd, she couldn’t see Crosspatch anywhere.

“Did she decide to back out?” she asked to no one in particular.

“She’s in the fountain,” said Applejack, who had made it to the front of the crowd.

“WHAT?!”

Fluttershy jumped to the fountain and slapped the water. Crosspatch emerged, soaking wet and grinning smugly.

“You no-good cheater,” accused Fluttershy.

“We haven’t started yet, have we?” Crosspatch raised an eyebrow. “I mean, you haven’t been flying at all today, have you?”

Fluttershy was fuming.

“You two almost ready?” came a voice.

Fluttershy turned around. Derpy and Minuette had walked up to the fountain.

“They’re gonna be your judges,” said Apple Bloom from the crowd. “Derpy’s gonna watch you and Minuette’s gonna time you.”

When Twilight arrived, the atmosphere became less excited.

“Isn’t there another way to settle this argument?” she said to the two incensed mares. “The both of you can really hurt yourselves doing this.”

“It’s either this or go back to the school house and sort things out there,” said Crosspatch bluntly.

“Things coulda been a lot worse back there, Twilight,” piped up Apple Bloom.

“But why can’t either of you let this little disagreement go?” asked Twilight.

“There’s nothing little about a disagreement over the ethical treatment of frogs,” Fluttershy said obstinately.

“I’m sure not gonna let somepony insult my brother and get away with it,” Crosspatch said firmly.

Twilight hated not knowing how to proceed. She didn’t like the odds of either of the two quarrelling ponies giving in to their stubbornness and surrendering the challenge, but they were both so determined that she felt like nothing she could say or do would stop them.

Crosspatch hadn’t known Twilight long enough to call her by her name. “Your highness?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve heard tell that you once turned a frog into an orange.”

Twilight groaned. “That is true.”

“And I’m the animal abuser,” snorted Crosspatch.

Fluttershy wasn’t having it. She knew Twilight hadn’t meant to cast that spell on that frog. Twilight, somewhat cross with herself, decided the best she could do was let them carry on and be on hoof if one or both of them injured themselves.

“On your marks…” said Derpy.

Fluttershy’s wings were outstretched.

“Get set…”

Crosspatch leaned out of the fountain.

“Go!”

Minuette began her timing spell as Fluttershy took to the air and Crosspatch jumped out of the water. The crowd chattered excitedly. Most of the crowd was cheering Fluttershy on, much to Crosspatch’s chagrin. The minuets slipped by. Fluttershy’s wings never stopped beating. Crosspatch didn’t so much as glance back at the fountain. It looked to the onlookers that they were evenly matched, just like when they tried to out-Stare each other. Fluttershy wasn’t far from the ground, and soon, it occurred to her that she was casting a shadow over Crosspatch. She quickly moved to her right. Crosspatch looked up indignantly before sitting down on the ground and stretching her forelegs with a loud satisfied sigh.

“You’re both OK?!” called Twilight after fifteen minutes.

“Yep,” said Fluttershy and Crosspatch together, before staring daggers at each other. They couldn’t stand answering questions at the same time.

Fluttershy’s wing joints were getting sore. She hadn’t been airborne for this long since the last time she’d flown to Cloudsdale. The warm afternoon sun was causing her to sweat. Her anger at Crosspatch subsided for a moment when she suddenly realised that almost half the town was watching her. She shut her eyes.

“The frogs,” she said to herself. “Do it for the frogs.”

No matter how uncomfortable she was being a spectacle, she refused to stop flying until Crosspatch was back in the fountain. When she next opened her eyes, she scanned the crowd for Rainbow Dash, who often remained airborne when observing something. But by now, even Rainbow had needed a rest, and was standing next to Applejack. Fluttershy indulged herself with the thought that she’d outlasted Rainbow Dash, the best flyer in Ponyville.

At this point, Crosspatch had most certainly beaten her record for lasting without water. She was sweating more than Fluttershy was and she found it hard to stand back up. She was well aware that there might only be one pony in the crowd who was routing for her. After all, Fluttershy had been living in Ponyville longer than she had. On the other hoof, she was there first, even before Ponyville existed. She and Lazybug, whose honour was just as much at stake as hers, were stalwarts of this land.

“Your brother,” she said to herself. “Do it for your brother.”

She promised herself that she would only jump back into the fountain when she saw Fluttershy back on the ground. She peered into the crowd to see Lazybug’s supportive face, but he was nowhere to be seen. This was because Lazybug was deliberately hiding himself from his sister whenever he sprayed himself with his water bottle. Crosspatch appreciated this when she realised what he was doing, but it did make her think of water and how badly she needed it.

“How do you feel now?” asked Twilight after half an hour.

“Good,” said Fluttershy breathlessly.

“Fine,” said Crosspatch hoarsely.

Twilight wasn’t sure she believed either of them. Fluttershy was wobbling and Crosspatch was now flat on her back. It looked to her like she would have to call this thing off soon. She looked around at the crowd. It was clear that this was an interesting sight. Mild mannered Fluttershy in a battle of wills and stamina against Crosspatch the pre-Ponyville farmmare. She was sure that no good could come of this, but she knew that Fluttershy and Crosspatch were set in their ways and just wouldn’t give in.

In their respective positions, Fluttershy was looking straight down at Crosspatch and Crosspatch was looking straight up at Fluttershy. Fluttershy felt a lump in her throat that had nothing to do with exhaustion. From where she was, Crosspatch looked like she couldn’t move a muscle.

Am I taking advantage of her mutation? she thought. That’s not like me. Why am I so angry? Why should I take advantage of somepony’s bad luck? Maybe Twilight was right. Maybe there is another way to settle this whole thing other than letting her dry out.

Crosspatch was watching Fluttershy wobble in midair. She couldn’t help but feel sorry for her as she flapped harder than she had ever done in all her life.

Am I being rotten? she thought. I mean, wings are awfully important to a pegasus’ lifestyle. Rainbow Dash assured me of that, that’s for certain. What if Fluttershy’s wings give out and she never flies again. I couldn’t do that to somepony. Sure, we may be at loggerheads, but if I let this carry on, I might wreck her life.

It had now been forty-five minutes since the challenge began.

“Now how are you two feeling?” asked Twilight.

Neither of the competing ponies responded. They hadn’t heard Twilight. They were both lost in their own worried thoughts. Twilight took their silence as a sign of fatigue.

“This is getting out of hoof, you two!” she called.

Still, neither of them reacted.

How can I possibly say I represent the Element of Kindness if I let somepony get dehydrated?

I’m already guilty of endangerment after what I tried to do to Applejack and Big McIntosh. I guess I haven’t changed.

Think of Lazybug! He’d be devastated if his sister couldn’t get water in time.

She’s got so many animal friends. The blue jays, the frogs… they’d never forgive me.

I can’t stay up here just to win the argument.

I can’t let her push herself over the edge.

I mustn’t take our petty disagreement this far.

I’d never be able to forgive myself.

“It’s a tie!” declared Derpy once Fluttershy had touched down and Crosspatch had dived into the water.

Applause broke out all around the fountain. Minuette announced that Fluttershy and Crosspatch had both lasted forty-seven minutes. Crosspatch, fully refreshed, popped out of the water and found Fluttershy leaning over the well looking fretful.

“Are you alright, Crosspatch?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” replied Crosspatch. “What about you? How are your…? Oh, no.”

Fluttershy’s wings were hanging lifelessly down by her sides.

“Your wings. You had such lovely wings,” Crosspatch moaned.

“Oh, I’ll be OK soon,” Fluttershy said breathlessly. “I just need to rest.”

“Why not join me in here?” suggested Crosspatch. “It’s nice and cool.”

Fluttershy took her up on her offer and as they both sat in the refreshing water, the onlookers gathered around the fountain offering congratulations. These kudos weren’t only for how long they both lasted in the challenge though.

“You both gave up for the others’ benefit, didn’t you?” Twilight asked.

Fluttershy and Crosspatch grinned.

“So what now?” asked Lazybug. “How are we gonna settle this argument?”

“I have an idea,” said Fluttershy. “Crosspatch, I’d like to meet you tomorrow at midday please.”

“Uh… OK. Where?” asked Crosspatch.

A train from Loch Azure arrived in Ponyville at noon the next day. Rarity and Pinkie Pie split up once they were on the platform. Pinkie Pie was heading back to work at Sugarcube Corner, and Rarity was heading to the Spa for hers and Fluttershy’s weekly get-together. An unusual sight awaited her when she arrived and was pointed in Fluttershy’s direction by Aloe.

“Welcome back, Rarity,” smiled Fluttershy. “I hope you don’t mind if my friend here joins us this week.”

Crosspatch waved contently.

Rarity shrugged. “By all means. What’s the occasion?”

As the three mares went through seaweed wraps, massages and hoof treatments (although Crosspatch steered clear of the steam room), Rarity got the whole story of Fluttershy’s and Crosspatch’s spat and how their competition ended.

“I take it everything is alright between you now?” said Rarity.

“We’re both great,” said Crosspatch. “We’ve agreed to help in each other in our work. Whenever I get a snail out of a spinach garden or a bird out of a badminton net, I’ll bring it to Fluttershy if it’s in need of TLC.”

“Just before you arrived,” Fluttershy said to Rarity, “I wrote in our journal that I shall never be so set in my ways again. No pony should go as far as a painful challenge just to prove a point. All you’ll end up proving is how stubborn you are.”

“Here, here,” smiled Crosspatch from behind two slices of cucumber.

“Splendid,” said Rarity. “I’m very happy for the two of you.”

“So,” said Fluttershy, “how was the BYOM event?…”

Author's Note:

Crosspatch would, wouldn't she? In her line of work, she'd have to.

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