Rainbow Dash lives an exciting life and is swiftly becoming the most daring, awesome pegasus in all of Equestria. She would gladly give it all up, though, just to confess her love to Applejack.
"What's that?" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Hmmm?" Fluttershy looked aside at her in mid-flight. "What's what?"
Rainbow pointed down. "That."
Fluttershy looked down.
Beneath them, the humble rooftops of Ponyville lingered. Rainbow was pointing to the bulletin board in front of town hall. A pair of stallions were hammering in place a large, brightly-lit poster featuring illustrations of ponies in mid-gallop.
"I've seen those posted all over town," Rainbow stated. "And in some of the neighboring villages where I do deliveries."
"Oh. You haven't heard about the Equestrian Marathon?" Fluttershy remarked.
"Should I have?"
"It's a race that's held every six months," she explained. "It switches to a different town on every occasion. In a month and a half, it'll be held here in Ponyville." She smiled. "It'll be the first time the Equestrian Marathon took place here."
"You don't say..." Rainbow Dash smirked. "I like races."
"It's an on-hoof race, Rainbow Dash," Fluttershy emphasized. "No flying around."
"Awwwwww..." Rainbow raspberried. "Pbllbbblblbb... lame."
"You could still participate if you wanted!"
"Meh..." Rainbow shrugged. "It's not as cool without flying."
"I've sat down to an Equestrian Marathon once in Dream Valley! It was very exciting!"
"When were you in Dream Valley?"
"Uhm... field trip." Fluttershy blushed slightly. "It was after you had dropped out."
"Oh." Rainbow cleared her throat, glancing aside. "Right."
"I'm rather fond of the prizes."
"Humor me."
"Well... the race starts out with a regular lump fund," Fluttershy explained. "Then everypony in town has a month to pitch in with their donations. Towns like showing off how big of a bit total they can get versus the previous locations of the Marathon."
"Uh huh..."
"Then, once they have a grand total, the organization that runs the Marathon agrees to give three-fourths of it to charity!"
"And the remaining one fourth?"
"That goes to the first-place winner of the race, of course." Fluttershy giggled. "You see? It's an opportunity to raise money for both charity and the top athlete! Win-win!"
"Still seems like it's mostly being done for the charity, though."
"Well, is that a bad thing, Rainbow Dash?"
"Nah. Guess not." Rainbow stifled a yawn. "Though, if you ask me, I'd give up a cash prize for a nifty medal... never mind one fourth of a cash prize."
"The prize is merely an incentive to participate," Fluttershy said. "Decades since the Equestrian Marathon started, ponies have mostly been in it for the spirit of charity and competition." She smiled. "I think you should join, Rainbow."
"Eh... that's a no-go, Flutters."
"But you'd enjoy it, Rainbow Dash!"
"No, I enjoy winning." Rainbow raised her forelimbs. "And do you really, honestly think I'd have a chance of winning with these things?"
"Oh... uhm..." Fluttershy fidgeted in mid-air, glancing aside. "You... you n-never know."
"Actually, I do know. So... case closed."
"But... you did the Running of the Leaves!"
"Yeah, and came in last. Besides... I had an incentive to participate in that."
Fluttershy bit her lip.
"Look, it's okay." Rainbow Dash smiled aside. "You know as well as I do that I've had more excitement these past couple of months than even one million marathons could ever hope to compare to. I'm just... happy to be there for my friends here in town. Besides, between the cloud kicking, the deliveries, and the tornado team stuff, I'm booked!"
Fluttershy sighed. "Very well, Rainbow Dash." She smiled. "But, personally, I would love to see you in a competition again someday."
"Who says I'm not already in competition?" Rainbow Dash droned. "World's most awesomest best friend."
"Awwwwwwww."
"Yo ho ho ho a cupcake's life for me." Rainbow dove towards Sugarcube Corner. "Let's get wasted. Afternoon wasted."
"Oh Rainbow Dash..." Fluttershy rolled her eyes, smiled, and glided swiftly after her friend.
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This can only end well...
No, Foreshadowing is for amateurs.
What you do is called foreeclipsing.
Well..good point but...
What she said.
I wonder how much medicine she had to take to recover from that.
Meh. I don't see any platypuses or SharpDoo being foreshadowed.
Well Dash's got a point there. How's she supposed to win with numb legs?
I can't see that stopping her for long, though. (Never has before)
What a charming piece of non-sequiturial worldbuilding. I look forward to never hearing anything about this marathon again.
6889580
That incentive came with freckles. Maybe RD tries to make a bet with Stu for a date with Applejack? ...Nah, that sounds stupid. Dash doesn't do stupid.
I wonder if this will FINALLY be the thing that enlightens all her friends about her illness?
I'm a bit surprised Rainbow still has that delivery job with all the slacking off on the job, disappearing without taking time off, and general bad luck that happens during the deliveries she did do. Her boss didn't seem that nice or accepting of her situation. Though she was getting better last time we saw her on the job so...
Since this totally isn't foreshadowing, I can only assume that Stu and/or Applejack will get involved with the marathon somehow which gives Rainbow reason to tag along. But since that isn't what going to happen, wouldn't it be cool if those two went and did this whole marathon thing and Rainbow went on another adventure? It's been a while, we could use another Lancie inspired adventure.
6889497 As I recall, it was an entire month's prescription of the pills she was on. Which ruined her chances at any kind of recovery from stage two of her illness.
6889662
Her boss is also the one that got her contact set up with Noire and the shady dealing, he knows that if she's not around, it's because she's probably running jobs for the Sarosian.
Cause I'm guessing he hasn't heard that that side business went up in a ball of flames.
6889669
Ah right, right. forgot, that was probably one of the very first plot points in the story eh?
6889677
Right, I forgot her delivery boss was one shady stallion. I wonder if him doing shady dealings might end up starting something in the future? That seems like an open thread that can be poked, still.
Plot twist: this chapter actually isn't foreshadowing.
So the real question isn't "How is the marathon important?" The real question is "Where are the mind games?" There's the obvious not so subtle title, but that could be literal, ironic, literally ironic, a psych out,, a double psych out, an nth degree psych out, an obvious way to look for big foreshadowing and miss the small stuff, simple flat out trolling as we still lack cuddles, and/or many other things.
i am so triggered by the lack of progress *Triggering Intensifies*
6889657 please please please please!
I don't trust the chapter title.
Yeah. About as much as it's not ominously foreboding. Who are you trying to fool? We aren't idiots. We know how your evil mind works (sometimes) by now. I'm keeping a little note of this chapter and the race. You can count on it.
Charity. Like research into a currently incurable wing disease.
On the other hand, I have a feeling the racer won't be Dash, but she'll be involved behind the scenes somehow. Some corrupt officials or yadda yadda whatnot. Maybe a Dick Dastardly.
You're not the only one, Flutters.
6889640
"Dash doesn't do stupid." This statements needs qualification :P
Aj's gonna enter the marathon and challenge Dash to race against her fairly this time. Rainbow's gonna push herself too far and be rushed to hospital. If this ain't how it goes I'll eat my socks!
6892924 Except now you've said it, it won't happen.
6892924 Boy would I love to see Nurse Redheart again. She hasn't checked Rainbow's illness in long time (and hasn't appeared in the show in four years).
Zecora should talk with Redheart or a doctor at some point. While I don't know if her potion actually slows the illness, it's a wondeful treatment for the symptoms.
6893317 But Stu's reaction doesn't seem to fit.
6889086
Who says we still don't?
6891501
Your journey towards enlightenment is nearly complete.
Oh no. OH NO.
Where's the next chapter button?!
6893244 Didn't she ask Dash about it when she went to the hospital to fetch some medicine for Apple Bloom when she got bit?
6894728 Congratulations, you caught up. Welcome to the frontlines.
Also that reference you missed earlier is an allusion to another of SS&E's stories 'Things Tavi Says.'
6895007
Oh, right! I have to finish that... It's gathering dust in my tracking folder...
Oh look, a major even that one could theoretically base an arc around!
Too bad this isn't foreshadowing...
Am I the only one who feels like Flutters is going to sign Rainbow Dash up as a surprise
Reads the chapter title.