//------------------------------// // Running Like the Wind (Part 1) (Edited) // Story: Equestria Girls: A Fairly Odd Friendship // by redandready45 //------------------------------// Rainbow Dash looked at Sunset in surprise. "You ponied up while playing Timmy music?" "Yeah," Sunset said. She and her friends were eating in the cafeteria, talking about her time babysitting and the eruption of her magic. "I think this was inevitable, darling," Rarity said with a teasing smile. "What do you mean?" Sunset asked. "It is obvious, sugar cube," Applejack said with a teasing smile, "Ah've seen the way he looks at you." "He doesn't just like you," Fluttershy said with more genuine kindness, "he looks up to you." Sunset frowned bitterly, which didn't go unnoticed by anyone. "Sunset, what's wrong?" Applejack said. Sunset pulled her eyes from her lunch and looked at her friends. "I don't know. When I started this, I just thought I'd be doing a mission. I never expected...to be...someone's caretaker." "Oh ah see," Applejack said, her green eyes full of wisdom. "You spent all your time being a terror. It's hard for you to imagine that littlun' lookin' up to you." Sunset was confused. "He does?" "Sunset," Fluttershy said with a smile, "we've seen how he looks. He really trusts you a lot." Sunset didn't look assured. "When I came to this world, I never expected that I would interact with a human kid, let alone take care of one. What if," Sunset frowned, "what if I mess up with him?" "If you ever feel like you don't know what your doing," Rainbow said with a smile, "just ask us. Not to toot my own horn, but I am a pretty good big sis to Scootaloo." Her phone rang, which she answered. "Hey, sis, what's happening?" "Rainbow," Scootaloo said, "Babs challenged me to a fight." Rainbow's eyes narrowed as she gave Scootaloo instruction. "OK, Scootaloo? What do you do when someone challenges you to a fight?" "Sneak up behind them in hit them in the back of the head with a chair," Scootaloo recited. "And if that doesn't work?" "Go for the eyes." "Good, you're learning something," Rainbow said with a smile, "be sure to bring me some of her teeth." "Will do," Scootaloo said, "HEY BABS! I WANTED TO INTRODUCE MY FIST TO YOUR FACE!" Rainbow hung up the phone. "That's my little Scootaloo," Rainbow said with pride. Everyone's eyes rolled at that. "Hey, Face Plant." "Epic Fail Boy." "Lord of the Loser." "Well, at least they're not making fun of your teeth anymore," Chester said in an attempt to reassure his pink-hatted friend. Timmy, Chester, and A.J. were at their usual spot in the cafeteria. Everyone still remembered Timmy's disaster at the skate park and kept mocking him for it. "There's got to be something I can do to rebuild my reputation," Timmy said with some frustration, "if I don't, people are gonna keep making fun of me for months." "There is a simple solution." A.J. advised, "Just do something so awesome, everyone will forget about what happened." "But what can I do?" Timmy asked. "Attention, students," Principal Waxelplax's voice announced over the intercom, "tryouts for the school track team will begin on Thursday. Please sign up at the gym before the end of the day." Timmy smiled a hopeful smile. "That could work." Timmy walked into the school gym and stood in line to sign up. To his anger, he saw two unwelcome faces smirking at him. "Hey, Timbucktooth," Tad said. "Love kissing the ground," Chad finished. The two began laughing like crazy. "I'm here to sign up," Timmy said defiantly. Tad, Chad, and everyone else in the gym started laughing even harder. "What's gonna be your big move," one boy said. "Fall on your face," another boy said mockingly. "Well, good luck," Tad said sarcastically. "You're gonna need it," Chad said. "I can beat you any day, at any time," Timmy declared. "Oh really," Tad said. To Timmy's shock, Tad and Chad both did backflips. "How-," "Our parents got us a personal trainer," Chad gloated while pushing a button. A few seconds later, a very muscular man burst into the room wearing red shorts and a tank top. The man put a cinderblock on his arm and destroyed it by curling his bicep. "The only muscle you've exercised is your wrist," Tad gloated. The two let out another laugh before walking out of the gym, followed by their personal trainer. "I would definitely fall in love with a boy who was an athlete," Trixie said lovingly, following Tad and Chad out of the room with hearts in her eyes. "How am I gonna compete with that?" Timmy muttered to himself. Then he smiled and looked at his fairies, disguised as two lunchboxes in his bag. "You guys will help me, right?" Timmy said, only for the two to give him a concerned look. "What do mean you can't help me?" Timmy asked with dismay in his voice. He spoke with his fairies alone in the sandbox. Wanda was disguised as a plastic shovel, while Cosmo was disguised as a pail. "The non-competition rule," Wanda said firmly. "Oh yeah," Timmy said with frustration. "Well, can't you wish me up a personal trainer?" "No," Wanda said, reading off Da Rules. "That would be using magic to help you win." "Track coach?" "No," Wanda said. "Nutritonal specialist?" "No." "Gym membership?" "Yes," Wanda said. Timmy smiled. "But we all know those don't ever work," Cosmo said with a smile. Timmy frowned bitterly. "Timmy, there is something you can do," Wanda advised with a smile. "What?" Timmy asked him. "Don't you remember?" Wanda asked Timmy. "Your dad ran track. Maybe he can help you out." A smile came to the bucktoothed boy's face. "Right," Timmy said happily. Timmy came up to his father, who was mowing the lawn. "Dad," Timmy asked his father. His father blissfully ignored him. "Dad," he repeated. "DAD!" Timmy let out a disappointed sigh, annoyed at his father not caring about him. Again. He began bitterly storming away. Timmy's father turned off the lawnmower and pulled out some earplugs from his ears. "Man, these earplugs work great," Mr. Turner said happily to the objects in his hand, "they can keep out the noise generated from lawn equipment, annoying neighbors, and unwanted children." He saw Timmy walking away. "Hey Timmy," Mr. Turner said happily, "did you need something?" Timmy stopped his walking at let out an annoyed sigh. "So let me get this straight," Mr. Turner asked Timmy sternly while they sat in the living room. "You wish to join a sports team in the pursuit of vapid popularity and win the eye of a popular member of the female segment of society?" "Yeah," Timmy said. A happy smile formed on the dark-haired man's face. "I am so proud," Timmy's dad said, a joyful tear forming on his face. "Get ready. We're going to practice outside on the lawn." "Yay," Timmy said, excited to be doing something with his dad. Timmy came out on the lawn dressed in a white tank top and pink shorts. He stood patiently, waiting for his dad to show up. "Oh, Timmy," Mr. Turner said from behind the house. "In honor of me teaching my son how to run track," Mr. Turner said, "I've decided to wear my track uniform from all those years ago." Timmy's father wore a track uniform that barely fitted over him. The shorts were fine, but the tank top was too small, showing off Mr. Turner's middle-aged gut to Timmy's discomfort. "Ah, it burns!" Timmy yelled. "Anyways, Timmy," Mr. Turner said, "let's do some stretching." Timmy wore a smile, happy that his dad was helping him with something, and stood next to him on the lawn. "Let's start with touching our toes," Mr. Turner said. The dark-haired man started to bend down. "That's right," Mr. Turner said as Timmy repeated the gesture, "nice and-" a cracked echoed throughout the lawn, and Timmy's Dad let out a moan of pain and fell to the ground, clutching his back. "Dad, what's wrong?" Timmy said with concern. "My back," Timmy's dad moaned, "not stretched...in twenty years. Middle-aged body...feeble. Need...eggnog." Timmy walked away from his father and looked down at his fairies, this time disguised as two water bottles. "I wish my dad was better!" Timmy asked his fairies. The two fairies raised their wands, only for the same raspberry noise to come out. "What?" Timmy asked Wanda with annoyance. "Sorry, sport," Wanda said to Timmy. She poofed up Da Rules book. "Since using magic to heal his back would help you win the competition, that's out." Timmy let out a sigh of disappointment. "Thanks for coming on short notice, Sunset," Mrs. Turner said to Sunset. "I was happy to do it," Sunset said in a humble voice, watching with concern as Mr. Turner was carried on a stretcher into an ambulance. "Get this man an IV," one of the paramedics said as Mr. Turner was pushed in. "Yes," Mr. Turner said euphorically as an IV of eggnog was inserted into his arm. "sweet, sweet nog." "The paramedics said he'd be out by tomorrow," Mrs. Turner said, walking into the ambulance to join her husband, "so I'll see you all tonight." As soon as the door was closed, the ambulance drove a few feet before being lifted into the air by a medical helicopter. Sunset looked back at Timmy, who sat on the lawn, looking upset. "Don't worry," Sunset said to Timmy in a reassuring tone, "you're dad's gonna be" "I know he'll be fine," Timmy muttered angrily. Sunset frowned in concern. "Then what's wrong?" Sunset asked the brown-haired boy. "So you're trying to run track," Sunset said. The two sat on the living room couch, where Timmy discussed his predicament. "Yeah," Timmy said, "if I can become an athlete, I know Trixie will date me." "This Trixie girl again," Sunset said with distaste. "She's not a girl. She's an angel," Timmy said. "Her eyes sparkle like a thousand beautiful suns." Sunset let out an annoyed frown." Timmy, we need to have a serious talk," the teenager said with some annoyance. "About what?" The doorbell rang before Sunset could speak. "Wait here while I get the door." Sunset opened the door and then returned with an odd smile on her face. "Timmy," Sunset said, as if trying to control laughter, "it is for you." Timmy walked over and saw a fat lady with brown hair and a brown dress at the door. "Are you Timmy Turner?" The woman asked in a deep voice. "Yeah." "This is a singing telegram from," the woman read the card, "Tootie Valentine." Timmy let out a horrified frown as the woman took a deep breath and began to sing. "TIMMY I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU TIMMY," the woman sang in a deep, obnoxious voice, "TIMMY, TIMMY, TIMMY, I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU, TIMMY! I LOVE YOU. I-," Turner slammed the door with a yell. "Even when she's not here," Timmy said, yanking on his hair, "she's still a pain!" "Who?" Sunset asked, laughing a little bit at the spectacle. "Tootie Valentine," Timmy said, "an annoying girl who has a crush on me. She won't leave me alone no matter how many times I tell her to go away!" "Why does she have a crush on you?" Sunset said. "I gave her my extra cookie at kindergarten," Timmy said, "and she acts like we're soulmates." "Aww," Sunset cooed. "It's not funny," Timmy protested, "she doesn't just have a crush on me. She's really creepy about it." "How?" Sunset asked Timmy. "She once had a wedding with me," Timmy said. "That doesn't sound to-," "With cake," Timmy said. "That's not-," "And a wedding dress," Sunset frowned in shock. "OK," Sunset said uneasily, "that's a bit-" "And a minister who would marry me against my will," Timmy finished. Sunset felt an uncomfortable frown. "Really?" Sunset said with disbelief. "Yes, and she made me wear a leash and a tux." Timmy and Tootie held each other's hand. Or, more specifically, Tootie held Timmy using a chain that was stuck to his wrist. The girl wore a white wedding dress, while Timmy was stuffed into a tuxedo, looking utterly mortified, as the minister read off his book. Tootie smiled. At long last, Timmy would be hers. "If there is anyone here who objects to the marriage," the man said, "aside from the groom," the man uttered as Timmy tried to object, "speak now, or forever hold your peace." "Oh look," Timmy suddenly said, pointing somewhere, "it's Timmy Turner." "Where," Tootie said excitedly, looking away. POOF! Tootie looked back and saw that Timmy had vanished. "Why doesn't he love me?!" Tootie shouted. She ceased her mourning and pulled out a cellphone. "Cancel the hors d'oeuvres and our honeymoon to Boca Raton," Tootie said with disgust before returning to crying on the ground. "So this girl hounds you, no matter how many times you tell her no?" Sunset asked. "Yes," Timmy said tiredly. "And she keeps following you around with gifts and stuff," Sunset surmised. "Yes," Timmy said. "Just like you do with this Trixie girl," Sunset finished with a stern glare. Timmy frowned in annoyance at Sunset's insinuation. "That's not the same thing," Timmy said defensively. "HOW?!" Sunset yelled. "I saw that girl, and she clearly wasn't into you. Heck, she sent her bodyguard to humiliate you, and you keep stalking her. You're obsessing over someone who doesn't like you, has probably never liked you, and probably never will. I know she's pretty and rich but-," "You don't know anything!" Timmy yelled angrily. Sunset was a bit shaken; Timmy could be disobedient and cheeky, but he never talked back to her that way. "Timmy, what's wrong?" Sunset asked, her annoyance given way to concern. "You-you wouldn't understand," Timmy said sadly. "Then help me understand," Sunset said in an understanding tone, "why are you letting yourself get hurt by this girl?" "So...you dressed up as a girl," Sunset said uneasily. "I was...dared into doing it," Timmy said, his eyes darting back and forth. "But I also figured if I could become a girl, I could figure out what Trixie wanted for her birthday." "And," Sunset said. "I learned Trixie has a...secret," Timmy said uneasily. "What is it?" Sunset said. "Please don't tell," Timmy beseeched her. "Well, she doesn't go to my school," Sunset said with a smile, "so I probably won't need to gossip about her to anyone." "OK," Timmy said dramatically, "Trixie....loves...comic books and video games." A brief pause hung in the air before Sunset began laughing like crazy. "What?" "Timmy," Sunset said, still chuckling, "I don't see what the big deal is. I love video games and comics too. Why would that be bad-" "Well, I don't know where you went to elementary school," Timmy said, "but in my school, it works like this: boys can only like boy things, and girls can only like girls things." Sunset frowned. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard." "I know," Timmy muttered angrily, "but because of that, Trixie thinks she's a freak. When she saw me as Timantha, she was scared. She said, 'please don't tell anyone I like boy stuff. My friends will think I'm weird.'" Sunset frowned with concern. "But I hung out with her. And..she wasn't a freak at all. We had a lot of fun together. Trixie isn't just some pretty face. She likes all the things I like. And she told me that all she wanted was a friend who liked boy and girl stuff." "Then why not just tell her that?" Sunset asked softly. "I tried," Timmy said, before looking down in shame, "and...she kicked me out of her party. She doesn't want to be caught with a loser like me." "Timmy," Sunset said with sympathy in her voice, "I'm sorry that she turned you down after you opened your heart to her. But there's always fish in the" "I don't really care that Trixie wants to date me," Timmy said with sad eyes, "I'm upset that Trixie....hates herself." Sunset looked at Timmy with even more sympathy. "If I could become popular, all I would need is just one day to show her that...she's great the way she is. And she doesn't have to be afraid of doing what she loves." Timmy got up from the couch and walked away. "I know," Timmy said morosely, "it's stupid," he muttered morosely as he climbed the stairs to his room. Sunset looked at the sad boy, not with mockery as he feared, but with a mixture of concern, astonishment, and.... a bit of pride. "He actually cares about her," Sunset muttered, a proud smile forming on her face. She narrowed her eyes in thought, thinking about a couple of people who could help her.