//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Challenge // Story: May The Best Pet Win...My Heart? // by Tailslover13 //------------------------------// After Twilight Sparkle took Owlowiscious home following her usual Pony Pet Play-Date with the rest of her friends and their pets, the lavender unicorn had wondered if Rainbow Dash would actually drop her standards a bit and manage to find the perfect pet over at Fluttershy’s place. Twilight was confident that, if any pony could find a pet for her stubborn cyan Pegasus friend, it was the kindhearted Fluttershy. Still, the thought of her rambunctious, hardheaded, overconfident, slightly arrogant, lazy braggart of a friend having a loving and caring animal to take care of caused Twilight to chuckle to herself. Knowing her, she’s gonna pick something fast and…cool-looking…like a hawk or an eagle or something, Twilight thought, giving her pet owl a pat on the head and turning around to get back to her friends, I just hope that she sees the true point of owning a pet. From the way she acted earlier, it worries me that she’ll just be trying to get a pet simply so that she’ll fit in with the rest of us. Twilight trotted back to the door of her library and pushed it open, eager to get back and see how this all turned out. Deep down, she knew that Rainbow Dash wouldn’t be simply picking a pet and being happy with it. The unicorn knew the Pegasus like a book. Dash always had to stand out and be fancy with everything she made. No matter the decision, no matter the event, no matter the circumstance, Rainbow Dash always had to make a big showing of it. Twilight didn’t want to miss a minute of it. Owlowiscious gave a friendly hoot goodbye as Twilight closed the door behind her back using her magic. Since Spike was off running some errands in town, hearing her pet’s little display of affection filled the unicorn’s heart with warmth. Sure, Owlowiscious couldn’t talk, nor could he use magic. He honestly couldn’t do much of anything, at least not to the naked eye. The owl was more special than just a pet, too. To Twilight, he was family, much like Spike, and she loved both of them dearly. It was the little things that always made the biggest difference in her heart. As Twilight hurried back through Ponyville, trying to relocate her friends, the unicorn’s brain churned into motion as she processed just what Owlowiscious and Spike both meant to her. Yes, they were family, and yes, she loved both of them. But, it almost seemed like she was missing something in her life. First, Twilight got Spike when she was just a filly, and the two were closer than mother and son. Then, during her first year living in Ponyville, fate had brought the cute little owl into her library home. In her heart, Twilight was joyous at always coming home and seeing both of them, so long as Spike wasn’t out doing errands or tending to Rarity’s beck and call, and Owlowiscious wasn’t stretching his wings around the town. However, in a small part of her heart, there always seemed to be something missing. It’s kinda weird, really… Twilight thought, a frown stretching across her face as she dipped her head low and continued to trot onward, When I stop to think about it, a pet is…a loved one…right? Yes, of course; a pet is something that you love and take care of. Something that will always be there for you, no matter what. A pet is your family…your life…the fact that it has the title of ‘pet’ doesn’t mean anything in the least. Owning a pet isn’t a privilege…it’s an honor. Only if both sides show love can the relationship of a pet-owner relationship coexist. I doubt that Rainbow understands this. After turning around another corner, Twilight finally spotted her friends just at the edge of town. As she had expected, Rainbow Dash was there and a hoof-full of avian animals were lined up behind her. There was a butterfly, a bat, an eagle, a hawk, a different owl, a hummingbird, and a few more flying creatures that Twilight had been expecting to see. The purple unicorn couldn’t help but sigh. Already, it was going just as she had feared. She only hoped that the end result wouldn’t turn out to be one of Rainbow’s worst mistakes she had ever made. “Applejack, what’s going on?” Twilight asked, stepping up beside the orange earth pony, “I’m gonna wager a guess and say that Rainbow can’t make up her mind, right?” “Yup…nothin’ new there,” Applejack chuckled, rolling her eyes a bit, “She and Fluttershy took their time tryin’ to find the right critter, but ya’ll know how Dash is. She’s more stubborn than a mule when it comes to makin’ up her mind.” “Yeah, so true,” Twilight agreed, turning away from Applejack to watch and listen to what Rainbow Dash was gonna do. “Okay, listen up!” Rainbow Dash stated, flapping her wings and flying back and forth in front of the animals that she deemed worthiest of becoming her pet, “All of you have been chosen to POSSIBLY become my newest pet. But, I just can’t choose. Which one of you is better than the rest? I want a pet that is gonna be able to keep up with me. Do you all think you can handle that?” A pet that is gonna be able to keep up with her? Twilight thought, sighing and giving herself a face-hoof out of exasperation, It’s just as I feared…she’s only looking for a pet that matches her own personality. That’s NOT what having a pet is all about! Who CARES what kind of animal you pick? As long as it loves you and you love it, why should anything else matter? “So, I’ve thought up the most perfect way to decide which one of you will become my pet,” Rainbow Dash continued, crossing her forelegs across her chest and smirking down at the animals, “I’m gonna have each of you compete in some games to see if you’ve got what it takes! Remember, only ONE of you will be chosen and deemed the winner and thus receive the highest honor ever…becoming MY pet! Are there any questions?” “Ah got one,” Applejack muttered, glancing sideways at Twilight, “Does she understand what a pet REALLY needs?” “Yeah, like care and attention,” Twilight agreed, glancing up at the sky and tapping her chin, “And love and affection…and possibly some breath mints.” She hacked when Applejack’s dog, Winona, gave her a lick right on the cheek, resulting in the unicorn holding up a hoof to defend her sensitive nose. Rainbow Dash glanced over and snickered, but didn’t pay Twilight any mind. She was too focused and excited on seeing which of the flying animals would be able to fulfill all her requirements and become worthy enough to be hers. Same Rainbow Dash as always…ugh, will she ever learn? Twilight thought again, shooing the pink flamingo away as she continued to listen to Rainbow’s talk about what her games would be like, All she cares about are those that are the same as her…or equal to her…or somewhat the same as her but not better. She doesn’t realize that…you have to feel that connection with your pet; it’s not something that can just be picked all willy-nilly. She’s SUCH an airhead. “Alright, now these games will determine which one of you has the most important qualities I'm looking for in a pet,” Rainbow Dash said, putting on a sports cap and her black sunglasses while attaching a whistle around her neck, “Speed, agility, guts, and style. Then, there’s coolness, awesomeness, and most importantly radicalness. These are all the most important traits that my pet must have.” “Aren’t those all the same thing?” Twilight asked, giving a frown as she stepped toward the Pegasus. The more she listened to Dash’s nonsense, the angrier she got. Dash just didn’t get it and it was really upsetting the unicorn. She had no idea why, but she was hoping that Dash would soon realize the error of her ways and simply pick a pet that her heart TOLD her to pick. Unfortunately, calling out the Pegasus for her limited vocabulary was not a good start. “You would think that, Twilight,” Rainbow Dash snickered, reaching over and mockingly patting the unicorn on the head, “And that's why YOU would never qualify to be my pet.” As soon as she spoke these words, she turned and began flapping away. Twilight, however, had just about reached the end of her chain on Dash’s obliviousness to what having a pet truly meant. This was why she blurted out the first thing that came into her mind without really thinking about it. “…how do YOU know that?” she snapped, instantly freezing Rainbow Dash in midflight simply from the challenging tone of her voice, “For all you know, I could easily qualify to become your pet! With your ridiculous standards and qualities, I’m sure that becoming your pet would be a cinch!” Almost immediately, Twilight realized that she may have said the wrong thing. Applejack and Rarity were both looking at her like she was crazy, Pinkie looked amused, and Fluttershy had just suddenly shown up with a tortoise. Rainbow Dash very slowly turned back around and stared down at Twilight. The Pegasus looked both confused and amused at what the unicorn had just said. However, never one to back down from an argument or a challenge, Dash gave a little grin and flew right back down towards the unicorn. She was gonna enjoy this. “Is that right, Twilight?” Rainbow smirked, clearly suppressing the amount of laughter that she was just begging to let out, “So…let me get this straight…YOU want to compete to try and become my pet?” Of course, the thought had never entered Twilight’s mind, but the way Rainbow was clearly mocking her and the closeness of the Pegasus’ face to her own was enough to drive anyone crazy. Once again, Twilight spoke without thinking about it logically. “You know what? Yes, Rainbow, I do!” the unicorn snapped, pushing her face right back into Rainbow’s and not backing down, “The way you’re trying to find a pet is SO ridiculous and foolish that I want to show you the error of your ways. And…if competing in these stupid games will do that…then so be it.” “Uh…sugar cube…are ya’ll even listenin’ to yerself?” Applejack said, slowly trotting up and tapping Twilight on the back. “Yes, darling, just let Rainbow do what she wants,” Rarity shrugged, giving Twilight a weak smile, “There’s no point in…trying to show her otherwise.” “Yeah, and you’re totally not pet material, Twilight!” Pinkie gasped, bouncing over and poking the unicorn on the horn, “You’re so much bigger than any normal pet, and you can talk, and you can use magic, and you’re…a pony! You totally cannot be qualified to be Dashie’s pet!” “Um…I really hate to interrupt, but…Dash?” Fluttershy squeaked, still holding the tortoise, “This little guy would really like to…” “In a moment, Fluttershy,” Dash chuckled, blindly shushing Fluttershy with her right hoof as she never took her eyes off Twilight, “This is hilarious…I can’t let this go. Girls, let me just hear this from Twilight…one final time. Twilight…are you saying…you want to compete to become my pet?” All five ponies held their breath while they looked at Twilight, wondering what in the world she was thinking and positive that she’d stop this foolishness and just let Dash have her fun. Twilight hesitated for a moment. Of course, she realized how stupid she was acting. Just let Rainbow Dash learn her lesson the hard way. Why should SHE care what type of pet Rainbow wants? It’s not her life; it’s Rainbow’s. Why did this matter to her so much? Was it because she wanted Rainbow Dash to know what it REALLY meant to have a loving member of the family and not just someone who was picked for their personality traits? Was it because Rainbow Dash was continuing to give her a mocking grin and ready to laugh in her face? Or…was it for another reason? Whatever the case, the longer that Rainbow Dash continued to hover in front of her with that leering smirk on her face, the harder it was to back away from the challenge. She had already come too far. “Yes, Rainbow Dash, I am saying that,” Twilight said confidently, standing up straight and giving Dash’s mocking grin a fierce glare of her own, “I, Twilight Sparkle, want to compete to become your pet. Why? To show you that ANYTHING can win some stupid games and it won’t make a difference. What WILL make a difference is what your HEART tells you to do.” However, her mini speech was mostly tuned out, as Rainbow Dash had been thrown into hysterics moments after Twilight finished saying the “I, Twilight Sparkle” part of her speech. “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Rainbow Dash laughed, bellowing so loud that she was beginning to tear up, “T-T-T-TWILIGHT…Y-Y-YOU’RE A RIOT! Y-Y-YOU’RE SO HILARIOUS! OKAY…Y-Y-YOU WANT TO COMPETE? FINE…GO AHEAD…OH MAN, THIS IS RICH! T-T-THIS IS GONNA BE PRICELESS!” The Pegasus was now rolling around in the air, pointing a hoof at Twilight and continuing to laugh her head off. Tears soon began to fall from her eyes; this was the hardest she had ever laughed in her entire life, and she was keen at laughing at most things. “Yes, well…um, Rainbow, about this tortoise…” Fluttershy was saying, trying to show the hysterical blue Pegasus the shelled animal she was holding. Once again, Dash quickly shushed her and continued her rowdy laughing session. Nothing was about to stop her from having a good laugh at the joke that Twilight was pulling on her. The unicorn had said and done a lot of things that made Dash snicker, but none as great as this. Twilight had really outdone herself this time. “Twilight…dear…why exactly are you doing this again?” Rarity asked, giving Twilight looks that made one think she was seeing if Twilight was terminally ill, “Are you…are you in the right of mind? Are you maybe not getting enough sleep? Oh, I know, you need a trip to the spa!” “Or a party!” Pinkie giggled, “A great big super-duper-fantastically-awesome party to show Twilight just how much we love her and how she doesn’t need to go crazy just to prove a point!” “Not a bad idea, Pinkie,” Applejack agreed, also expressing her concern to Twilight, “Twi, ah don’t mean to go questionin’ yer logic and all, since yer one of the smartest mares ah know…but, really? This is DASH yer dealin’ with here! Don’t ya know not to mess with fire or ya’ll will get burned?” “Yes…that’s right…” Fluttershy admitted, setting down the confused tortoise she was carrying and giving Twilight a worried expression of her own, “Dash is nice, but…she’ll take advantage of this…she’ll take advantage of YOU, Twilight. I know you’re trying to…um…prove a good point to her, but…are you sure this is the way? You’re…just gonna get hurt…like with what happened with Pinkie’s Pinkie Sense.” Twilight Sparkle shook her head, giving a deep sigh as she looked down at her hooves. What in the world WAS she thinking? She was literally gonna humiliate and degrade herself in front of her friends just so that Rainbow Dash could see just how foolish she was? Was she insane? Was she just a REALLY good friend who wanted her Pegasus pal to do the right thing? Was she…was she…wanting to prove a different kind of point that even SHE wasn’t figuring out at the moment? She didn’t know, but one thing was for certain. There was no way she was gonna let Dash have the last laugh. “I don’t care, girls,” Twilight sniffed, giving her surrounding four friends a polite nod but not backing down from her decision, “Dash’s insensitivity towards others has gone on long enough. You all know what it means to have a pet, right? Rarity, even if Opal is crabby a lot of the time, you know she still loves you like you love her, right?” “Well, yes, but…” Rarity began. “You all KNOW what Dash is doing is wrong,” Twilight continued, “All those birds over there are only here because they can fly…and nothing else. Half of them probably don’t even LIKE Rainbow; they just want to prove that they’re better than the rest. Don’t you all see? If I can outplay all of them at Dash’s asinine games, it’ll prove…” “It’ll prove…what?” Applejack asked, raising an eyebrow, “That…yer perfect to be Rainbow’s…pet?” “W-w-what?!?! No!” Twilight gasped, a slight blush appearing on her face as she glared at Applejack, “That’s NOT why I’m doing this! Really, Applejack! Think about it; if I can win, it’ll prove that ANYTHING can win a few stupid games and that that’s NOT the way to pick a family member. When I win, Dash will finally understand just how dumb she’s acting and, hopefully, she’ll pick a pet that she can love and respect her and that she can love and respect back.” “Well, I certainly can’t argue with that!” Pinkie smiled, “Gummy and I are closer than two peas in a pod, although we’re not vegetables, so I suppose saying that we’re closer than an alligator and a pony in a bed would be more accurate.” “Uh…thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight blinked, shaking her head as she finally laid eyes on the tortoise, “Say, Fluttershy, what’s with the turtle?” “He’s a tortoise,” Fluttershy corrected her, “And he’s always wanted to become a pet. Um…so, I was thinking of letting him compete…he really wanted to.” Twilight stared down at the tortoise, who stared back up at Twilight. They were both very different creatures. One had a shell, one did not. One could talk, one could not. One was rather fast, one was rather slow. One was a pony, one was a tortoise. They were so far apart and not even close to being related. However, Twilight couldn’t help but smile as she gave the little creature a pat on the head. “That’s a GREAT idea!” Twilight smiled, “Now there’s TWO non-flying creatures that are gonna be competing in Dash’s games, both of whom are not what she had expected! This can really work, Fluttershy; good thinking bringing this little guy here.” It almost looked like the tortoise was smiling up at Twilight as she said those words. “Ah hope ya realize that Dash is just gonna humiliate the both of ya and play this for all it’s worth,” Applejack warned, glancing down at the tortoise and giving Twilight a frown, “Don’t say we didn’t warn ya, Twi; yer probably not gonna ever live this down, either.” “I’m fine with that, AJ,” Twilight said, glaring up at Rainbow Dash, who was STILL laughing, “It’s worth it so that Dash can finally learn what love is.” When she said the word “love”, however, she blinked for a moment and tilted her head. Why did she have to say it like THAT? This wasn’t exactly teaching Dash about what “love” was…it was more about teaching Dash what really mattered in a pet. It was clearly just a slip of the tongue, since Twilight was so enhanced in the moment and ready to shut Dash up. “…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA…HAHA…HA…” Rainbow Dash cackled, eventually starting to calm down as her tired wings slowly began easing her down to the ground, “Oh…man…Twilight…you made me laugh so hard…my sides are ready to split…ha…say, what’s with…the turtle?” “He’s a tortoise, and…um…can he please compete, too?” Fluttershy asked. In response, Dash groaned and covered her eyes with one hoof while using her other to rub her stomach. “Fluttershy…not cool…why are you trying to make me laugh some more…when it already hurts to move?” the blue Pegasus grumbled, a sarcastic grin on her face, “But…sure, why not? This is gonna be hilarious enough…to watch Twilight get smoked by those flying animals…and I am NEVER gonna let her live this down…EVER. I suppose adding that turtle…will make this even better.” “Tortoise!” Fluttershy huffed, becoming slightly annoyed with nopony ever getting it right. “Yeah…sure…whatever,” Rainbow Dash wheezed, finally catching her breath and instantly leaping up and using the poor tortoise’s shell as a perch. She immediately went back to grinning right into Twilight’s face. “So…would-be pet…ready for the games to begin?” “Ready when you are, Dash,” Twilight glared, trying not to show just how embarrassed she really was about hearing Dash call her a “would-be pet”. Giving one last snicker, Rainbow Dash slowly lifted up her black sunglasses so that she and Twilight were looking into each other’s eyes. Rosy eyes met lavender eyes, and the inner challenge already started between Dash wanting to humiliate Twilight and milk this for all it was worth and Twilight wanting to show Dash the true heart of a pet and what it meant to love such a creature. This was gonna be good.