Above All Else

by 8686

Forever If They Wanted

She took it rather well. There had been the usual melodramatics of course, though for Rarity that was normal.

But without even waiting to hear the specifics, an annoyed Rarity had leaped to her own conclusions about what had happened, and laid the blame squarely on Rainbow Dash. Her promise to be careful with her favourite dish clearly meant nothing, and her inability to keep it was clear evidence of her guilt. And without even thinking, Applejack had gone straight to her defence. "Don't be mad at Dash, Rare. It wasn't her fault. I swear, it was an accident nopony would'a seen comin'." It had taken a little more than that, but Rarity had eventually started to begrudgingly believe her.

But when Rarity had looked hopefully at her and asked – no, begged – Applejack to tell her that Rainbow Dash had at least sent her dish to its demise in the presentation of some spectacular and exquisite feat of unlikely culinary prowess, Applejack, without the heart to disappoint, had looked her square in the eye and without any hint of a lie, had said, "Rarity? It was unforgettable."

Even so, Applejack felt guilty enough on behalf of Dash to give Rarity five bits and point her in the direction of Farrier, the town smith. If anypony could work that dent out of the metal and make it good as new, it'd be him. Then she had bid her friend farewell and left, ruminating on just how much she was enjoying her day off.

So far this morning she'd been put through agony, had to clean up a mess left in her front yard, broken some bad news to a friend, and was five bits out of pocket to boot.

All thanks to Rainbow Dash who was, conspicuously, nowhere to be seen.

Why, exactly, were they friends again?

As though summoned by her thoughts, Rainbow Dash chose that moment to drop from the sky and land in front of her, without introduction and wearing an annoyed frown.

It was uncanny! As though she had a sixth sense to tell her the instant all of the hard work and unpleasant tasks were over, and that it was therefore safe to reappear.

"There you are!" said Rainbow. "I've been looking all over for you. I thought I told you not to move?"

"Dash? You've been gone for an hour," Applejack shot back. "I can't just sit an' wait for you to decide to turn up again. I've got things to do."

"What things? I thought today was your day off?!"

"It is my day off!" Applejack snapped. "And yet, thanks to somepony, I've already had to fix a broken table, wash and mend a tablecloth, and return Rarity's dish to her explaining why it suddenly looks like the surface of the moon!"

"Uh oh." Dash had the good grace to look embarrassed, and she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly with a hoof. "Uh... does she...? I mean, is she...?"

Applejack sighed and shook her head slightly. "She don't wanna kill ya, Dash. I talked to her. She ain't mad."

She might have expected a 'thank you'. Or an, 'I appreciate it,' would have been nice too. Maybe some token acknowledgment of the trouble she'd gone to to clean up Dash's mess, literally and figuratively. For an instant she thought she might actually get something, but then Dash simply drew a foreleg across her own forehead and gave herself a relieved, "Phew."

Applejack would have been disappointed, if she hadn't come to expect it by now.

"What were you up to, Dash? What was so dang important that you just up and vanished like that?"

"Huh? Oh, right. So I got an idea for another decider from Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams. But I had to go check a few things out before I could make it work for you and me."

Applejack quickly became vexed. Dash had left her in the lurch to go and read a book! One that she'd read a dozen times before!?

Her anger clearly showed, because Dash suddenly looked taken aback. "Whoa, don't get mad. It was all totally for research! The point is I finally know how we're gonna settle once and for all which of us is the fastest, bravest, most athletic, most daring, and overall most awesome pony in town!"

Applejack scowled. Rainbow Dash had already caused her so much aggravation this morning! Why would she want more?! But even as her scowl deepened she realised that back there, behind her sudden surge of annoyance, she reluctantly found curiosity faintly gnawing. Fastest, bravest, most athletic and most daring. All at once? It couldn't hurt to just hear what hair-brained scheme Rainbow would have proposed...

She recognised the signs already, and it still did nothing to help. Rainbow Dash was masterful at it... even if she didn't know it. "Oh you do, huh?"

"Yep. We're gonna have a race," said Dash with a cock-sure grin.

"A race? That's... original."

"Not just any race! We're gonna race to... Witch Mountain!" she said, spreading her wings and leaping into the air, her outstretched forehoof pointing to a tall mountain, far to the south of Ponyville. Then her gaze was back with Applejack, her eyes wide and eager. "It's on the far side of the dark woods south of town. We'll probably have to face terrifying, fierce creatures. Brave our way through dangerous, murky swamps. Tackle narrow, crumbling mountain passes. All obstacles that only the most courageous and daring of ponies can handle. And when we get there, about halfway up, there's Witch Cave. Twilight told me there's a legend that says everypony who's ever entered it... is still in there!" she finished with an excited grin, "So! First pony to touch the back wall of Witch Cave is the winner! Bravest. Fastest. Most Awesome Pony Ever. You in?"

"Dash?" Applejack rolled her eyes. "How's a race up a mountain gonna work? You can fly faster'n I can yell."

"Because I'm not gonna fly," Dash retorted. "No wings, no flying, a hoof-race all the way."

Applejack's suspicious frown returned. "Uh-huh. Do I need to go get my rope?"

"No. Because I'm giving you my special, Rainbow Dash word of honour. Besides, if this is the ultimate, final showdown, then I wanna win fair and square. I'm not gonna have you claiming like I cheated or something. This isn't gonna be another Iron Pony. You still won't let me have that."

She wasn't sure exactly when, but Applejack realised that at some prior point in the conversation she had completely skipped over whether she should participate in what sounded like a risky, half-baked, fool-pony scheme, and had gone straight to the hows and the whats of making sure it was fair. The safety measures employed by her brain to keep her from running off on exactly this kind of ill-thought-through, reckless folly had apparently just been disregarded. Because of Rainbow Dash.

Once she realised this though, her common sense did briefly touch on the notion that this wasn't a good idea. But again, some part of her tried to shoo those reluctant thoughts away. It was just a trip through some woods and up a mountain. Nothing she hadn't done before, and she was an experienced wilderness-goer after all. There weren't likely any real risks out there that she couldn't handle. Dash was probably exaggerating the peril in order to build excitement and hype up the race in her own mind, and even if she weren't... they'd both seen and survived real danger before. At the end of the day they were friends. Race or no race, they wouldn't really let anything happen to each other, and this she knew to be true above all else.

Suddenly, it sounded like fun. She could picture it as being an adventure with Dash first and a race against her second. The only sour note came when she tried to imagine that Rainbow might want to see it the same way... and realised she probably wouldn't. Dash was all about the winning. Applejack preferred the taking part. But taking part in a friendly race with Rainbow Dash? That sounded like a real nice way to spend a day off.

"Okay, Rainbow. You're on."

* * *

It began simply, with three easy words used to start races since time immemorial.

"Ready, steady, go!"

They ran.

They ran from the fountain in the square to the edge of town. They ran over the bridge, crossed the stream, and forged into the wilderness beyond.

They ran carefree and giddy from Ponyville, the cool breeze in their manes and the warm morning sunlight on their backs. They ran free over the wild, unkempt meadows of the valley, the wildflowers in full bloom and the long, soft spring grass under their hooves. They ran with determined grins, laughing now, trading good-natured barbs and competitive banter. They ran, leaving the town they both called home far behind, heading always south towards Witch Mountain.

They ran from the mundane and the familiar into the tempting unknown.

They ran side by side. They ran together.

They ran.

Applejack had almost forgotten what it was like to just run. To feel free. She enjoyed working on the farm, but it was work at the end of it all. There were days when it seemed that was all she ever did. All she was ever good for. And then there were the days like today. When she could run, just for the thrill of it. She could run anywhere. She could run forever if she wanted. She was free. She ran.

She stole a quick sidelong glance at Dash running beside her, matching her stride for stride. Running with a friend was so much better than running alone.

They could both run forever if they wanted.

Rainbow Dash caught her looking. "What's the matter, AJ? Not getting tired already, are you?" she asked with a playful sneer.

Applejack let out a short bark of a laugh. She was pacing herself, and it was obvious that Rainbow was too, but thanks to her refreshing, rejuvenating night's sleep, she felt like she could keep running like this for a week!

The woods in front of them were close now, and Witch Mountain loomed large beyond them. Applejack gave Rainbow a confident grin and, just to prove that she was nowhere even close to tired, she put on a turn of speed, pulled ahead, and barrelled headlong into the treeline with Rainbow Dash a couple of lengths behind.

Rainbow had simply called them the 'dark woods', but the name was apt enough. A densely packed, wide-trunked assortment of oaks, elms and beeches created a thick, gloomy canopy overhead, and while the trees back in Ponyville were still in blossom, here they had regained their leaves surprisingly quickly after winter's end. Underhoof it was wet and muddy, the spring sun having done enough to melt the snows of the past season but denied the chance to dry out the ground beneath. The forest floor was littered with dead branches and twigs, ripped from their parent trees by the high winds of a fortnight previous, and a layer of soggy, brown decaying leaves left over even from autumn covered the ground.

They raced on through the undulating woods, trading the lead back and forth, splurting through the mud and skidding on the wet leaves, spirits high and only growing as their coats became muckier.

They descended a shallow incline to find that directly across their path lay a toppled tree, the wide trunk wrenched from its roots by some ferocious winter storm. Applejack, leading Dash, narrowed her eyes, licked her lips, and pounced on it. She hit the trunk perfectly, using her momentum and her hindlegs to kick off and send herself soaring through the air. She gave a delighted whoop at the height of her arc – which became a startled yelp when her forelegs returned to the ground... and kept going!

Applejack landed heavily, planning to use the momentum from her leap to catapult herself forward for a few strides. But instead her forehooves plunged into the mud beneath her, quickly followed by her hindlegs, and she immediately sank up to her belly in a thick, squelching bog.

There was a loud wooden thud behind her as Rainbow Dash made her own gallant leap from the tree trunk. Applejack looked around in shock just in time to catch the expression of sudden panic on Dash's face as she sailed right towards her!

Dash's wings flared, beat powerfully, and in an instant she was safely airborne, collision averted, and hovering around and then in front of Applejack.

If there was a look of concern on her face, even for a moment, Applejack missed it. Instead, Rainbow burst out laughing.

Applejack glared. "Well, I'm glad you're havin' a ball."

"Oh, relax AJ. You should see yourself right now!" Then, apparently misinterpreting her glare, Rainbow glanced back at her flapping wings and returned an accusing stare of her own. "Hey! This doesn't count as me breaking my promise, y'know," she said, slowly lowering her height. She prodded the mud below her in several places with a speculative hoof and, finding it suitably firm, she landed and furled her wings, sitting on the solid – if messy – ground scarcely two feet in front of Applejack.

Applejack growled under her breath and looked down, annoyed at the cold, sucking quagmire that had snared her. Two feet. She could have made that distance had she known she needed to. Tentatively she pulled on each of her legs in turn, searching for a way to get them free. But even a careful flex left her with a subtle sinking sensation, which, worryingly, did not quite abate when she became still once more.

She looked up at Rainbow Dash.

Dash looked down at her impatiently. "Uh, this is a race y'know?"

"Sure, Dash," Applejack retorted. "How 'bout I run the rest of it underground? That work for you?"

"Wait," said Dash. "Is that... are you sinking?"

"Seems I am," said Applejack levelly, looking down at the mud as it squelched around her.

"Oh, awesome!" yelled Rainbow. "See? This is just like when Daring Do almost gets trapped in the Swamp of Artax! I told you this'd prove who was the most daring pony."

"Uh huh?" said Applejack, giving her forelegs another hopeful tug to no avail, the sucking mud now above the level of her stomach. "So, am I gettin, like, bravery points or somethin' here?"

Rainbow Dash frowned. "Points? There aren't any points. It's a race! Where only the bravest, most awesomest of ponies reach the finish. Didn't I explain this?"

"Probably," said Applejack absently, scanning around for a vine, or a low branch, or a pegasus, or anything really that she could use to pull herself free, and finding nothing, apparently, of any use whatsoever. "So, uh, how exactly does Daring Do get out?"

"Oh, she taunts a sleeping basilisk nearby until it gets so angry that it comes over to eat her. Then she manages to grab onto it and ride it out of the swamp! It's awesome! Hey?" said Rainbow, eyes alight with excitement, "Want me to go see if I can find one?"

"No, Dash, I really don't think that's gonna help right now!" snapped Applejack irritably. Panic hadn't arrived yet, but it wasn't so distant that she couldn't see it approaching.

"Relax AJ, I'm only kidding. Hang on, I'll go see if I can find like, a branch or something. In the meantime just... stick around!" Dash gave herself a little laugh, but when she looked back she found herself meeting Applejack's angry glare once more. "Jeese, Applejack," she said, rolling her eyes. "Lighten up and don't look so worried."

"I wouldn't be worried if I thought you were givin' this situation the attention it–!"

Applejack cut herself off. Half of her body was now sunk into the mire, and she abruptly looked down at the mud directly beneath her. Then she looked back up with an embarrassed smile. "Heh-heh," she chuckled guiltily.

Rainbow Dash looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"I hit the bottom," replied Applejack.

"Really? You're not sinking anymore?"

Applejack looked down again, as though she could see through the mud. She shifted and flexed her legs and, yes, there was definitely solid ground beneath them now. "Nope."

"You still stuck there?"

"I don't think so," said Applejack. Now that she had something to brace against, she could pull hard on her legs without fear of sinking further. It would take a lot of effort, but she'd eventually be able to haul herself out.

"Great! Well, like I said, this is a race, so..."

In spite of herself, Applejack looked up in surprise, her immediate plans momentarily forgotten. "You're leavin' me here?"

"What? No." Dash looked offended. "But I'm totally timing you."

Applejack looked down again and gritted her teeth with newfound annoyance. With new frustration fueling her struggles, she began to rapidly bend and rock her forelegs back and forth in the bog, hoping to create space to move. Then she started doing the same with her shoulders too, moving them side to side as much as she could in the gloop as it schlucked and slorped around her. Finally with some room to work, she braced her hindlegs as best she could and, with a mighty, protracted heave of her strong back muscles, she reared up.

Her forelegs slowly rose from the mud, inch by agonising inch. "Ngh!" she grunted, her eyes and her jaw clenched shut with the effort. Her knees came free, then the rest of her front legs followed. Her hooves finally slipped from the bog with a loud plop and she thrust them desperately forward. They came down and dug satisfyingly into the muddy, firm ground just in front of Dash, and, pulling hard on them, Applejack slowly began to drag the rest of herself out of the pit.

Even so it was a lot harder than she thought it would be, and as her hindquarters at last came free she pulled herself, panting hard and caked in wet, sticky mud, onto firm ground and lay on her side. She thought about standing but the amount of energy she'd just expended suggested that, were she to try, she'd likely just find the earth again rather quickly.

"Well that took forever," said Dash from somewhere above and nearby. "Seriously, that was thirty-four Mississippis, and you're totally on the honour system, okay?"

"Wha...?" said Applejack, still breathing heavily.

"My head-start," explained Dash. "I'd be way ahead if I hadn't stopped to bail you out." Then, without any further ceremony she reared and began galloping once more, calling back over her shoulder as she raced away deeper into the woods. "See you at the finish line!"

Applejack watched as Dash vanished into the thick forest ahead. With no small amount of determination she forced herself back up to her hooves, and found all four of her legs tired but still in fine function. She gave a powerful shake, casting off all but the most stubborn of mud from her coat, and stood rooted to the spot, catching her breath for exactly thirty-four Mississipis.

Then she was off in pursuit of that damned, cocky pegasus.

Author's Note:

The thick scent of the dingey, smoke-filled bar was so bad as to be almost choking. Everywhere she looked there were cut-purses and cut-throats, all eyeing each other up as their next target while Daring Do watched on from her quiet corner table, her hat pulled low. The barely contained tension in the air, threatening to boil over into a mass brawl at the slightest provocation, seemed somehow normal for this dive. What a great place to meet a contact.

Still, if it came to that, she already knew exactly how she wanted the fight to start.

As she watched, through the entrance stepped a newcomer. Pony. Stallion. Brown coat. Black mane/tail (greying). Confident. Sleazy. As one, every pair of eyes in the bar turned towards him, decided he was no threat, and then turned away so they could look at him without being obvious, as their next mark.

The newcomer caught her eye, smiled a smooth smile, and began ambling easily over to her corner with a nonchalant grin. Behind him, through the door stepped three other ponies. Heavy-set. Focussed. Muscle. They surveyed the room quickly and all made their way to the bar, ordering nothing.

As one, every pair of eyes decided that Newcomer wasn't worth the hassle after all.

He didn't so much sit in the seat opposite her, as he oozed into it, wearing a grin that was all smarmy-charm and sinister charisma. Everything about this guy screamed, 'greaseball.'

"Ah, Ms. Do. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." He had an accent, lending him an air of pseudo-sophistication that he seemed determined to play on. "Allow me to introduce myself..."

"I know who you are, Mr. Caballeron." At one time or another, he'd been on the cover of every archeological publication going. She'd read enough of those articles to know what he was about. Some archeologists were in it for the knowledge, others were in it for the adventure... and then there were archeologists like him; only in it for the riches and the spotlight.

His smooth, too-friendly smile flickered for just an instant. Then it was back. "I am honoured that you have heard of me. Though you do me a disservice, Ms. Do. Doctor Caballeron, if you please."

"Doctor," Daring nodded. No need to be spiteful towards him. "Your message said you had something for me." No need to beat about the bush either. If possible, she wanted to be out of here before the brawl began.

His over-charismatic smile increased subtly and he gave her a respectful, businesslike nod. "I have a proposal for you, Daring Do. You see for me, archeology has become... routine. I grow tired of endless dig-sites. Sifting through the dirt for minor relics has... lost its appeal. I long for a real excursion. I long for adventure, into the very heart of ancient ruins, untouched for centuries, perhaps millennia. And, when I heard you had located the lost city of Palomino – a culture on which I have, incidentally, done a great deal of study – I thought we might be in a position to be of... mutual benefit to one another. I am here to propose a joint expedition. Perhaps even the beginning of a profitable partnership between us, hmm?"

As he leaned slightly across the table, Daring leaned back with a frown. She shook her head slightly. "Sorry, Doctor. Daring Do works alone. No exceptions. No offense. You and your coltfriends would only slow me down."

"Ah, you are referring to my... entourage," said Caballeron slickly. "A necessary inconvenience in a place like this, especially for someone of my repute. They would not be joining us. As for myself... I can assure you, my knowledge would only speed our progress, not hinder it. And upon our triumphant return, my connections would ensure that our discoveries were publicised far and wide. Fortune and glory, Daring Do, fortune and glory. Why allow your greatest accomplishments to continue to go unappreciated?"

Daring Do was pressing herself into the corner now, subconsciously wanting to be as far away from the smarmy Doctor as possible. But with a sour taste of bile, she found she couldn't just dismiss his case. He was an expert, and his knowledge might be useful, perhaps even necessary. There were questions about Palomino that she simply hadn't been able to find the answers to, and if the Razor was there, then there was much more at stake here than a simple lost city.

But she didn't trust the Doctor one bit, and she certainly wasn't going to travel with someone she didn't trust. It was a rule, and one that had that had served her well. Unfortunately, it was fairly obvious that Caballeron wasn't just going to take 'no' for an answer and she needed to tread very carefully: the whole bar was a tinderbox right now. If she refused him outright and his pride made him angry or shouty, that might just be the spark to set the whole thing...

Actually... a tiny smile crossed her lips. If she could placate him now, and get Caballeron and his expertise to the lost city, without actually having to put up with him... that was kind of a win-win-win.

"Okay, Doctor," she said with a cocky smirk. "Here's my proposal. I'll give you the location of Palomino. It's one hundred miles due east from here, across dangerous, murky swamps, past hordes of fierce creatures, and over narrow, crumbling mountain passes. You beat me there, or even arrive at the same time – you prove you can keep up with me; that you can handle adventure – and we'll talk about partnerships. If not, then you dig around the city all you want, but we go our separate ways forever. Deal?"

"An intriguing proposal, Ms. Do," said the Doctor, the confidence in that smooth, slick tone never changing. "I believe I will surprise you. I accept your challenge." He leaned a little closer and said in a lower voice, "I look forward to our future adventures."

Daring Do had to hide a self-sure grin. I don't think so.

Suddenly, from the far side of the bar, somepony shouted in anger. Somepony stood abruptly. Somepony raised a chair. Somepony threw a kick.

The tinderbox ignited and immediately everypony in the room was reaching for a bottle or a stool, and, in the blink of an eye, fighting like bears, much to the astonishment of the Muscle triplets still at the bar.

Caballeron also looked shocked, but Daring Do just sighed. So close. Then, in a swift motion she stood and flipped the table between them sideways, into the face of the blue-coated stallion rushing them from the next table over. Next she flared her wings, beating them twice to gain height and alight on the window-sill in the wall just behind her, and with a smooth kick, the window shutters flew open.

"Gotta go, doc," she said, re-adjusting her hat. "See you at the finish line."

-- Excerpted from 'Daring Do and the Razor of Dreams.' Chapter 3: The Risky Race. Reproduced with kind permission from Hoofprint Publishing.

Comments

[shutaro]

I like that exerpt! Once this story is over I'd like more Daring Do, please.

[Discordigan]

I enjoyed this second chapter, especially the Daring Do exerpt.

[Meridian Prime]

Damn, it feels good to read an 8686 story again.

[Mane 6 Pets]

This was a great chapter, but that Daring Do excerpt is what really stole the show. I've never seen anyone write Daring Do so well. Maybe sometime you could finish the story that excerpt is from?

Pretty please for Pinkie Pie?

[Jake The Army Guy]

"Jeese, Applejack," she said, rolling her eyes.

Think you mean "Jeez."

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

Great chapter.

[redmar]

I really like the fact that you used that part of Daring Do again in Daring Do and the Sunken City. The section with Daring Do might actually be the best part of this chapter.

[Betty_Starlight]

Applejack scowled. Rainbow Dash had already caused her so much aggravation this morning! Why would she want more?! But even as her scowl deepened she realised that back there, behind her sudden surge of annoyance, she reluctantly found curiosity faintly gnawing. Fastest, bravest, most athletic and most daring. All at once? It couldn't hurt to just hear what hair-brained scheme Rainbow would have proposed...

I'm telling you AJ! No good will come of this! Don't do it!