"You'll never get away with this!" Rainbow cried out, still struggling.
"Oh honey..."Noctambula grinned wickedly. "I've been getting away with it for three hundred years!'
"We won't let ya take over the world!" AJ shouted.
Noctambula raised an eyebrow. "The world? Who said I wanted that? I just want to be young forever. Is that honestly too much to ask for?"
As Noctambula made the final preparations, Applejack turned to Rainbow, a look of guilt on her face.
"Rainbow...whatever happens....ah'm sorry I cheated back there. It was low down and dirty, and ah'm ashamed of it. I hope you can forgive me."
Rainbow looked surprised for a minute, processing the news, before hanging her head in shame.
"I-I'm sorry too. About the branch, and...the way I've been acting. I just..." She sighed. "You've met my parents. You saw how they are. I love them but...they're my parents. They're supposed to say I'm the best but, I had to prove I was the best. I wanted to earn that place. But...I didn't do that today. All I did was become a big cheater. I'm sorry."
Rainbow and AJ looked t each other, and exchanged forgiving smiles.
"Oh my! How touching!" Noctambula said in a mocking voice. "Now enough with the emotional talk. Let's get this show started!" With that, she summoned her magic through her staff, causing it and the pentagram below her to glow too.
"Glaoim ar chumhachtaí olc a dheonú dom mo mhian
Tóg cad a bhfuil siad
Agus tabhair dom dom
Athchóirigh dom cad a cailleadh i bhfad ó shin!"
The girls continued to struggle as the ritual continued, however, the effect could immediately been seen taking place. They sat still as they felt their lives and magic draining from them. A few wrinkles began to appear on their faces as Noctambula laughed with victory.
AJ and Rainbow watched in horror as the girls grew weaker as Noctambula grew stronger.
"We have to do something!" AJ whispered.
Rainbow quickly looked around for something-anything-that could help them...and then noticed how conveniently close the Bugbear's foot was to AJ's...
Rainbow quickly looked AJ in the eye before swiftly down at her foot. AJ looked down and realized what she meant. She quickly raised her foot....
*CRUCH!*
"ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!"
....stomped down on the Bugbear as hard as she could, causing him to let out a loud roar as he released his hold on the two girls, who quickly leaped away.
"You stop the spell!" AJ commanded. "I'll handle this abomination!" Rainbow nodded as AJ and the Bugbear began to square off.
*Peck!*
"Ow!"
Rainbow waved her hand around, but the yellow canary was merciless, pecking at her whenever it could.
Finally having enough, Rainbow ran rapidly in a little circle around the bird, creating a sort of mini tornado that carried the bird and knocked her into a tree.
*Wham!*
With a swift punch, AJ knocked the Bugbear back-first into a tree. But this didn't appear to do too much, as it then raced towards her, stinger out. Thankfully, she managed to jump out of the way just in time.
"What!?" Noctambula exclaimed when she noticed what was happening outside of the circle. She watched as her familiar landed in a bush, to dizzy to fly and her minion be flipped on his back by the cowgirl. "No! This can't be!"
"Believe it lady!" Rainbow said, speeding over and tackling Noctambula out of the pentagram.
The glowing faded as the spell ended. The girls groaned as their magic binding disappeared and their faced returned to normal.
Noctambula knocked Rainbow off her, stood up and pointed her cane at the athlete.
"You little brat!" She roared. She tried to focus magic through her cane to blast Rainbow, but nothing happened.
"W-what!?"
Rainbow Dash got to her feet and opened her hand...revealing the shattered remains of the crystal she had pulled off of the witch's neck.
"NO!" Noctambula cried out in horror. She looked down at her hands and saw how quickly they became old and bone-thin.
Everyone stepped back and looked on in horror as the woman rapidly aged, going from a young woman to an elderly lady in seconds. The witch screamed in agony as she was reduced to nothing but skin and bones...
*Flash!*
...before bursting in a flash of light.
Everyone looked on and saw nothing remaining of the old hag but a black cloak over a pile of dust.
"Woah..." Was all Rainbow could manage to say.
The canary, regaining it's senses, saw the remains of her mistress and try to fly away...only to turn into a pile of ash herself.
The Bugbear, now freed from the hag as well, flew off into the woods.
Twilight, AJ, and Rainbow all locked eyes with each other before rushing together in a three-way hug, happy to have made it through this.
AJ and Rainbow led the group to the finish line, where they were greeted by a cheering crowd and relieved families.
After explaining to everyone what had happened, the races were cancelled for the day as the guard quickly combed the woods, both examining the spot the group told them about, and for any other dangers.
We find our young heroines wearing warm blankets and drinking hot cider next to their respective families at a few nearby picnic tables, listening to Celestia and Luna.
"We did some research based on what girls told us. Her name was 'Noctambula' correct?" Luna asked as the three young mages nodded.
"That's what we thought." Celestia continued. "What we found were mostly second or third hand accounts and rumors, but from the looks of thing, they appear to be accurate. Apparently Noctambula was a talented yet vain mage a few centuries ago. When she realized how old she was getting, she was desperate for any way to reverse it. She eventually came upon a crystal that allowed her to store the youth and magic of anyone and allow her to access it. She designed the ritual herself and every few decades she would kidnap five young woman and drain the youth and magic from them. Unfortunately..." Celestia dropped her head. "They perished not long after, allowing her to remain under the radar for years."
"Until you girls." Luna stepped forward. "I suppose going undetected for so long allowed Noctambula to get cocky, or perhaps she was just tired of finding new victims ever few years, and she got careless and decided to take Twilight as a means of staying young a little longer than usual."
Twilight felt her parent's arms around her tighten a bit.
"But thanks to you three young ladies, nobody will ever have to worry about her ever again." Luna nodded to the other kidnapped runners being hugged by their families and friends.
This brought smiled to the three element's faces.
"Ah'm proud of you sugarcube." Granny Smith smiled as Applebloom hugged her sister. Off to the side, Big Mac was trying to keep his worried tears in check.
"I'm sorry I didn't win today's race." Rainbow said to her parents. "I know how much you like to see me win."
"Oh dashie!" Windy teared up as she and Bow hugged their daughter.
"We're just happy you're safe." Bow confirmed, causing Rainbow to smile.
Spike jumped up onto Twilight's lap and licked her face, causing her to giggle.
"Everyone?" Twilight spoke up. "Can Rainbow, AJ and I just have a few moments together please?"
"Sure!" Granny said, heading towards the snack table.
"Of course!" Windy said as she and her husband got up too.
As the adults chatted while walking towards the snack table, Twilight turned to her friends.
"We know what yer gonna saw Twi." AJ sighed.
"You're going to lecture about how disappointed you are in us and how real winners never cheat-especially against their friends." Rainbow hung her head.
Twilight looked at them for a moment before smiling.
"No." AJ and Rainbow looked at her, shocked. "I wanted to say I'm proud of both of you. I heard what you said back in the clearing, and I'm glad you both recognized what you did was wrong and pushed past that to work together and save everyone. That was very mature of both of you."
AJ and Rainbow smiled at these words.
"And I'm assuming you'll stop competing with each other over everything?" Twilight raised an eyebrow.
"On my word." AJ said, raising a hand.
"Sure." Rainbow said before donning a smug grin. "After all, everyone already knows I'm the top athlete at Canterlot High."
"Now don't get on you're high horse now..."AJ narrowed her eyes.
Twilight rolled her eyes, bet still kept her smile.
"Whoo hoo!" Pinkie said, somehow popping up in between all of them. "I say we celebrate with cupcakes!" Grinning, she grabbed everyone and began pushing them towards the dessert table.
The trio looked at each other before bursting out in laughter and racing towards the snack table.
No matter how frustrated they got sometimes, they were glad some things never changed.