//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7b 
// Story: Date-Your-Own-Dashie 
// by CategoricalGrant 
//------------------------------//

Rainbow Dash is standing on a cloud next to you and extends a hoof out to point toward a peak in the distance. “Alright, once around that hill and back to the cloud.”

You start nibbling your lip, worried about your prospects. You were not known for your long-distance flying. Or your sprints either, for that matter, but at least a shorter race would be over quicker than this one would. “Okay. On the count of three?”

Rainbow Dash nods solemnly.

You crouch down. “O-”

“ONETWOTHREE!” Rainbow Dash cries, launching herself off of the cloud and into a triple corkscrew as she accelerated at un-pony-like speeds.

“No fair!” you cry, flapping your wings anxiously as you try and fail to keep up. Squinting through the wind, you end up realizing that Rainbow Dash cannot be seen ahead of you.

A whoosh accompanies Rainbow Dash’s precise inverted loop, and she adjusts herself so that she is flying immediately ahead of you. She rolls onto her back and lazily flaps her wings as if swimming the backstroke. “What’s not fair? Taking a little head start? No offense, but I don’t think it’d make much of a difference.” Slowly rolling over again, she takes off at full speed again, rounding the hill before you even reach it.

It’s several long and arduous minutes before you reach the race’s endpoint, and when you do, Rainbow Dash is there to meet you with a smug grin. “There you are. I thought you had gotten lost, or died, or something.”

You land heavily on the cloud, taking big, gasping breaths of air into your lungs.

Rainbow Dash snickers loudly and pats you on the withers. “Looks like somepony needs a nap. C’mon, let’s go find a better cloud.”


Proceed to Chapter 12.