//------------------------------//
// Together 
// Story: Father's Day 
// by Twilicorn 
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	Dinky smiled up at her father, and he winked down at her. Glancing out over the mudpuddle, they stared at the opposing team. Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich. A green flag waved down, and they were pulling like they never had before.

The rope hurt Dinky's mouth, but it was worth it to see Diamond Tiara's expression of shock as she fell, head first, into the mud, her father landing squarely on top of her.

"The first competition goes to Dinky and Doctor Whooves!" A cheer arose form the crowd as the father and daughter high-hoofed each other and trotted towards the next competition. Egg carrying. They each lifted a spoon in their mouth, and a referee placed an egg on each of their spoons.

"Rrdee?" Dinky's question was muffled by the spoon in her jaws, but her father nodded, making it clear he had understood. Once again, the green flag waved down, and they were off.

Dinky's focus remained solely on her egg, taking small, measured steps forward as she neared the finish line. Suddenly, a tragedy happened. The other pony, a colt she didn't remember the name of, darted past her, and the dust in her eyes caused her to lose sight. Stumbling forward, she tripped, and the egg sailed through the air. It was inches from the ground when it was caught... on another egg? Blinking her eyes rapidly to clear the dust, she saw the other colt had tripped as well, but his egg had broken, thus eliminating him and his father.

Dinky lifted her spoon, and her father gently dropped her egg onto her spoon. They marched forward together, despite the fact he could've easily gone faster than her small, unpracticed legs. Together, they crossed the black-and-white finish line, setting the eggs gently down in the nest in front of them. More cheering arose, and the referee once again announced their win.

"Daddy?" Dinky stopped her father from proceeding, gently lifting a hoof out to wrap around his foreleg. "I love you." Her father smiled and hoisted her up on his back, and she could've sworn she saw a drop of water fall to the dirt ground below them.

"I love you too, my Dinky Doo," smiled her father. "Now let's win this!"

"Yeah!" Cheered Dinky as they arrived at the next section. This one was less physical than the others, and more mental, something Dinky appreciated.

"Your goal here is simple. Write a poem about your father, or, if you're the father, about your son or daughter. Your poetry will be rated from a scale of one to ten by the town librarian, Twilight Sparkle, the Mayor Mare, and Rarity Filigree. You have ten minutes. Begin!" Dinky leaped off of her father's back and ran towards the pile of papers and various writing utensils. Lifting her utensil of choice, a green crayon, she began writing on the paper, pausing every few moments to think.

Ten minutes passed quickly, and Dinky was stopped just in time by the sharp blow of a whistle.

"Time's up! Drop your pencils! These will be judged while you complete the final two competitions, and the winner will be determined by these poems. You're next competition is that way, where the referee there will tell you what's next." Dinky climbed back onto her father's awaiting back and waved politely to the mare who had been announcing as her father walked to the next tournament.

Before them stood something Dinky was certain would be their downfall. An obstacle course. She looked up at her father worriedly, but his simple smile calmed her fears. The rules were explained, and the two stood at the starting line with confident smiles. The whistle blew, and they were off.

Dinky's first task was climbing up a tangled web of ropes, but with her father's help, she finally reached the top. From there was a straight rope down, but with some quick thinking, her father lifted her to his back and rappelled down for the both of them. his hooves landing evenly on the wall before him until they reached the bottom. Then he ran towards the large pool, and Dinky spotted the other team and was hit with a pang of pity for them. They were pegasi.

Ignoring her pity, she leaped in and began swimming, her hooves scooping at the water as she slowly but surely made it to the end, her father waiting for her there, a slight frown of impatience on his face. Eager not to disappoint him, she ran forward to the large tub and jumped in herself, pounding her hooves against the grapes below her to make grape juice. Her father joined her mere moments later, but she had already finished, the walls being made of a bouncy material that made it easier for her to squish all the grapes. She leaped out, ignoring her father in her hurry to finish. Now it was just a long run with a few jumps over hay bales. She took off, and was sorry she had spent all her energy earlier. She barely had the strength to jump over the first bale, but her father lifted her up.

As they ran, she squealed with joy, looking out at the world that blurred before her, simply due to speed. They leaped for the finish line, just barely crossing it. The other team was still on the run, just clearing the second hay bale. Her father stood from his leap, brushing his coat off as well as he could before going to the final competition.

Her father smiled down at the competition, and Dinky slid off his shoulders to see what it was. A smile lit up her face too, and she high-hoofed her father. 

"Your final competition is quite simple. Give your father a hug." The other opponent quickly hugged his father and released, a proud smile on his face.

"Done! I win!" Dinky, however, ignored him, instead embracing just his forehoof in a hug, being the only spot she was tall enough to reach. The crowd audibly "D'aww"ed at them, and the referee raised the flag again, her eyes moist.

"Dinky and her father win this round. However, the final winner will be determined by the poems. I have the envelope right here." The mare magically opened the envelope, and paused before reading it. "The winners of this years Father's Day Competition are... Dinky Doo and Doctor Whooves!" A cheer arose from the crowd as a trophy was hoofed to them, with their poems.

"Daddy? I want to read you my poem."

"And I'll read you mine." Dinky nodded.

For My Daddy

Daddy, you're always there.
To help me out, to comb my hair.
To make me feel better when I'm sick.
To teach me not to bite or kick.

Daddy you have always loved me.
And I love you.

For My Dinky

I remember when you were born.
The world sang out for you.

And now that you're older, 
I know you're getting bolder.

But you'll always be my foal
to me.