//------------------------------// // 26 - To the Finish // Story: Slice of Velvet and Pear // by David Silver //------------------------------// To call it a race would have been unfair. Moon and Twilight were running side by side. Their hooves struck the ground at about the same time as their heavy breaths reflected the effort they were putting in. They weren't ahead of the pack, but they had stopped being the last pony. That pony had fallen behind them, gulping for breath and out of the race in their frantic hurry. Twilight hadn't given up. That Moon hadn't either was surprising. "You sure you can keep up? I don't want you being... hurt." "I am proving my sincerity." Moon looked to the sky, where a balloon drifted with Pinkie and Spike. "I hope they are enjoying themselves." "One of them is Pinkie." Twilight smiled despite her fatigue. "I can't imagine her not having a good time in the process. Spike's probably having a blast commenting with her. I just wish I could hear them." "I can fix that." With her horn glowing, Moon conjured a hovering crystal that vibrating with the speech of a pony and a dragon from far away. It was like they had a radio connection to their friends as the commentary came down about the triumphs and failures of the racers. "Excellent idea." Twilight veered to be closer to the sounds. "Why didn't I think of that?! Good work, Moon Dancer." Moon smiled gently at the praise. She had done well, and at magic, of all things. That it had earned her praise from Twilight just proved that they well timed it. "I will keep the spell going until you tire of it." They were trotting, neither galloping nor walking. Some said trotting was the gait that equines could naturally keep up the longest, but it required patience and stamina, like any other gait, to get right and to keep up. Moon could feel her body's complaints. A trotting jog was not at all the same as lying somewhere and reading. It was not the same as standing somewhere while reading or practicing magic either, or walking and enjoying a book. It was a lot more effort than Moon was used to putting out, and her legs were sore in complaint. All she had to do was pull to the side and lie down. Nothing was forcing her onward. But, if she did that, she would forsake her chance to be with Twilight. It could all go wrong anyway, but she wouldn't even get the chance. She couldn't give up, even if the aches were getting worse with each few steps. To Twilight's credit, though she was already due so much, the pace the librarian had chosen was a good one. Moon didn't feel herself tiring rapidly. She could regain most of her breath with intentional ragged gasps of air. "Are you alright?" It shouldn't have been surprising that Twilight, of all ponies, would notice her discomfort. "I know this is the first time you've done the Falling of the Leaves. Do you want to call it even here?" Twilight angled her head at the broad space to the right. "Nopony will yell at you, promise." Even if nopony chastised her, Moon knew what she would lose. She would chastise herself quite well. "I can continue." She brought the radio closer to Twilight. "Besides, who will hold this?" This ignored that Twilight could cast the same spell, reminded it existed. "I'm not giving up." Rainbow Dash crashed in front of them to their mutual shock. The radio fizzled away with the surprise. Twilight trotted right around Rainbow. "This isn't a race, Rainbow." "Yeah, not a race." Moon caught up with Twilight, glad for that moment's pause. She would keep up! It was to no great surprise that Rainbow raced past them on whatever quest she had in mind. Beating Rainbow Dash wasn't her goal. She just had to march at Twilight's side to the end. "Are we close?" Twilight leaned up for a better look. "At least fifteen minutes to go." At Moon's suffering sigh, Twilight perked an ear. "That didn't sound good." "I'm fine!" Her legs were objecting to the continued movement, but Moon was marching despite that. "Oh, let me get this going." She tuned the radio in with her magic. Keeping it up and ready was a welcome bit of distraction. "It does sound like Spike is having a good time." "It really does." Did Twilight not tire? She didn't look worn out at all from all the trotting. She was smiling at the radio instead, despite her heavy breathing. "I am glad you brought him with you." Moon lost track of her suffering for a moment. "Why is that?" Curiosity was a powerful drug that carried her away. "You missed him?" "That, without a doubt." Twilight nodded gently. "But he's also grown so much, and I got to see it! I'm not sure how he would have grown in Canterlot, with your best wishes. Out here he's had his first... two loves, and first rejection." She colored softly at that. "Sorry for being that one... But it was a growing experience. I'm very glad he found somepony far closer to his age, and they are so adorable together." "They really are. I just wonder if a dragon and a pony won't prove to be problematic as they mature together." Moon perked an ear at Twilight. "Though you are at a dramatically different developmental stage, at least I could be sure you would treat him caringly." Twilight burst into merry laughter. "Here I was thinking you'd bring up the differences in pony and dragon biology." She perked an ear at Moon. "There are many. You've read them, haven't you?" Moon colored softly. "Of course... How... Oh... Of course." It was at that moment the realization dawned on Moon of how a dragon and a pony might find difficulties. "If they liked each other sufficiently, I feel confident they would figure out a way around that." She coughed into a raised hoof. "With slow, measured steps taken with love." Twilight colored softly on her own, glancing away. "Like two mares?" "Yes, pre... wait." Moon frowned softly. "You are not incorrect, but two mares are far more... Are you making fun of me?" Twilight's eyes returned to watching where she was going. "To be honest, I don't know. I've... never been with a pony. Have you?" "No!" It came out as an angry denial, but she couldn't stay angry for long. "I haven't... But that is what slow steps are for." "Taken with love," finished Twilight with a gentle smile. "You are a shut in, Moon Dancer." "You take that back." Moon closed in from the side with Twilight. "I am learning all manners of socialization techniques!" "Most don't need to call them that." Twilight waggled a hoof. "I used to be like you, Moon. But my adopted sister broke me out of a lot of those patterns. Oh! I wonder how she's doing." Twilight looked around for a hint of any Apples, but none were immediately around the two steady trotters. "I'm sure I'll find out as soon as we're done. Bet she'll be waiting for us both." Twilight chuckled at the imagined scene. "She'll be laughing that she beat us both." The two laughed, easily sharing how that'd turn out. "Do you think her mother would be involved?" Moon inclined her head. "She is also in this race, is she not?" "She is, ahead of us, likely." Twilight didn't see Pear Butter on a quick sweep, but there were so many other ponies involved. "She said she'd be ready." Nothing impeded their jog, even if Moon's legs hurt a little more with each minute that passed. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't. There was no time to stop before she got to the end and proved worthy of that chance. "Twilight?" "Hm?" "I would like to get a treat." Moon inclined her head faintly away from Twilight. "Something you like. It does not have to involve me if you prefer." "Something by myself?" Twilight considered that a quiet moment. "I suppose a new telescope would be lovely. I bought the one I use now years ago. It gets the job done, but it's far from the best." "Hm." Moon lifted an ear. "I read that it's bad manners and a sign of an unbalanced power dynamic to win favor entirely through monetary gifts, but I also like observing the night sky." Moon danced a little closer to Twilight. "If I got a better telescope, I wouldn't mind lending it for your use." Twilight rolled her eyes at the offer. "That isn't much better. Get it because you want it, or just give it to me with no expectations." She stuck out her tongue. "That's the only way out." "Huh." Considering that took her mind off more immediate things. The relief was slight but welcomed as they drew closer to the finish line. "There are fewer ponies than I expected. There's Pear Butter." Twilight smiled at the matron. "Good to see she put in a good run. As I told you, most of the ponies involved have given up." She gestured to the fallen ponies on either side of them, wheezing and exhausted. "Slow but steady wins this race." Moon trotted past the fallen warriors, feeling a little better for getting past, oh. She staggered, her limbs refusing to work the way they had all that time. She tripped over one of her own hooves and crashed to the ground. "N-no!" Smashing to the ground brought things to a new and painful height. It was like stopping there reminded her how far she had gotten without preparing for it. "No!" "Moon..." Twilight had stopped and reached out a hoof. "I'll help." "No!" moon winced back away from the hoof. "I have to make it myself, to get my chance, and to prove to you I mean it." But everything hurt, and refused to move. She was stuck in place. "Would you want to chase me if I didn't care what you already went through?" Moon gazed at Twilight through her tears, unsure and confused, but... "No..." She would not want a pony that was so thoughtless of her efforts. "But I said..." "You say a lot of things." Twilight offered her hoof anew. "And I'm saying, right now, that I will help you cross that finish line." Twilight got under Moon, her horn glowing as they staggered across that finish line. They took fifth and sixth place with cheering for coming in at all. Pear Butter was on them with a whooping call. "You did it! Both of ya! Now... Where is my daughter at?" Applejack wasn't there, and neither was Rainbow... Ah. The two came in after some other ponies. They were the last to cross the line to Pear Butter's frowning sight. "Applejack Apple!" It was a bad sign when a mother used a full name on a pony, especially with that scowl. "There ain't no reason for you to be that late." She was on Applejack and Rainbow Dash, capturing either with a hoof. "You two--" "Ahem." Celestia was there with a gentle smile. "Before you get too angry with them, there are a few trees that are still heavy with leaves. Perhaps they could help?" Rainbow Dash's eyes grew wider. "Princess Celestia?!" "Autumn is one of my favorite seasons." Celestia dipped her head at the last ponies as she pointed. "Could you get the leaves off those trees?" Applejack snapped a quick salute. "As you command!" She raced off with Rainbow shortly behind her. Shaking those last few trees clean seemed like a lot more fun than dealing with an irate parent. Celestia turned to Pear Butter. "I don't mean to interrupt any mother. It is your right to chastise your child, of course." "Ma'am." Pear Butter dipped her front at the ruler of the lands. "Thank you, um, but I am surprised to see you here." Celestia nodded towards the still hurting Moon Dancer. "I heard my student was racing and had to see for myself."