That night in Ponyville everypony headed home and prepared for bed. After taking a bath Babe walked out of the bathroom and turned out the light behind him. He saw André already fast asleep in his night clothes Rarity had made him. He went upstairs. He lied down on the spare bed, staring up at the ceiling. He couldn't sleep yet.
There was nothing but silence...
"…Do you know what you're doing?" Twilight softly spoke as she remained in bed.
Babe slightly raised his head, surprised to hear Twilight, "Heh, you're still awake?" after asking his question he laid his head back down with his arms behind his head.
The two didn't bother getting up to face each other while they talked.
Not getting the answer she was hoping for Twilight asked again, "Do you know what you're doing?" she made her voice stern and clear to make sure she got her point across.
Babe was quiet for a second, "Truthfully Twi, I don't." he admitted, his response made Twilight cringe.
"I'm fully aware of all things Rainbow Dash is capable of. There's virtually no chance of André and me winning the event tomorrow because whatever it is she picks it'll most likely be something she excels in."
"So why do it?" Twilight's voice changed, she started sounding sad, Babe didn't question her and allowed her to finish,"Why challenge her like that?"
He took another second to think, "I don't know." he turned to the bedroom's window and looked out to the moon, "Something just told me too. Who knows? The two of us going away is probably for the best. I don't think André and I will ever be able to truly fit in here." he took his eyes off of the moon and looked back up to the ceiling "And, Twilight, don't be mad at Rainbow Dash, she's just trying to protect her friends."
Twilight tightened her grip around her covers after hearing the word friend, "But you're our friends too. We don't want you to go away." Babe could tell that Twilight was obviously upset about the ordeal that would transpire in the morning.
"…Aw, you'll make me cry Twilight. Hahaha…" Babe jokingly said as he tried brightening the mood.
There was no reply from Twilight.
"Don't worry." Babe softly said as he turned to his side and prepared to fall asleep, "It'll all work out. You'll see."
Twilight closed her eyes and only hoped for the best, "….If you say so."
After the conversation there was nothing more to say, as silence, once again, broke out the two slowly went to sleep.
The next morning...
The day started like any other: starting with breakfast, brushing teeth and washing faces etc. Babe and André prepared for their competition against Rainbow Dash. André sat on the couch tying his shoes while Babe, Twilight and Spike (who was sitting on Twilight's back) stood at the door waiting for him.
André approached the three, "Ok, let's go."
Twilight, while not happy, nodded her head anyway, "Alright guys. Follow me."
"Right behind you." André replied.
Twilight walked out the door leading the way. André waited for Babe to finish preparing. Twilight hadn't noticed and kept going, thinking the boys were following her.
Babe sighed, "Even if our time here was short…I sorta…"
André looked at Babe, "Huh? Sorry, did you say something?"
"…Never mind." deciding not to finish his previous statement Babe just left the library but not before gently elbowing André in the gut.
Babe chuckled as he ran to catch up with Twilight and Spike. André held his stomach trying to figure out what Babe was going to say before he claimed it was nothing. He closed Twilight's door behind himself and caught up with the three. Meanwhile at the entrance to Everfree forest Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were already there.
"You seriously need to reconsider this." the volume in Applejack's voice was strong as she talked to Rainbow Dash who was stretching, Applejack knew her tomboyish friend wasn't really listening and stood in front of her to get her attention, "André and Babe are good boys and they don't mean any of us harm."
Rainbow wasn't paying much attention to Applejack as she continued to stretch, "After this is all over you'll be thanking me." despite her friends words they just didn't register in Rainbow's head.
"Ugh! There's never any reasoning with you!" Applejack mildly yelled out of annoyance and mild anger.
Fluttershy stepped in, "I agree with Applejack Rainbow Dash. Those two have being doing good since they got here. Babe has even promised to help me overcome m-my shyness."
"Nonsense" was Rainbow Dash's only reply, still refusing to listen.
As much as Applejack and the others tried to convince Rainbow Dash she just didn't listen to reason. A few minutes went by Twilight arrived with André and Babe.
"You guys are here already? Sorry if we're late." Twilight apologized as they arrived.
Applejack's anger cooled down as she saw the rest of her friends, "No need for the apologies. We weren't waiting too long." she turned to the boy's for morning greetings, "Howdy Spike, Babe and André."
"Morning everypony!" Spike happily waved to all his Pony friends.
André looked at all his ponies friends while lost in thought, "It's good to see all your faces. Makes me happy you all came out here just to see us do this thing."
Pinkie Pie happily bounced around her human friend, "We also came here to cheer you all on!"
Babe smiled at Pinkie Pie and her positive and energetic self, he then looked at Rainbow Dash, "Did you decide on what we were going to do Rainbow?"
Rainbow stopped her stretches and flew over to the rest of the group, "Oh yes! We're going to do a race through Everfree forest!"
Twilight and the others gasped, especially Fluttershy who nearly fainted. All the ponies and Spike were shocked however Babe and André weren't the slightest bit surprised.
Babe sighed, "Of course…"
André placed his hands in his pockets while sporting a dull facial expression, "Yeah. Seriously, who didn't see this coming?"
Twilight looked up to André and Babe, "Well the racing isn't the part that we're worried about." the two boy's looked at Twilight after realizing she was addressing them, "It's all of you going through Everfree forest! It's too dangerous."
Applejack turned to Rainbow once again, "Rainbow, have you lost yer mind!?"
Rainbow Dash was being cocky as ever, she didn't seem the slightest bit worried, "Nope. I can take on anything that I come across in this forest."
Applejack's eyebrows lowered and her teeth started to show, "You know your ego can seriously be a pain in the flank."
The overly confident Pegasus rolled her eyes, " You don't even know what humans are capable of so you guys shouldn't be worried."
"We're capable of death. That's for sure." Babe plainly stated.
Rainbow pretended not to hear. Fluttershy pulled on Babe's sleeve to get his attention, "Um, you two aren't seriously going to go through with such a dangerous task are you?"
Babe looked toward the forest and then back at Fluttershy, "Yeah. We are. If we don't win you all have been really good friends."
Pinkie rushed over to Babe with her eyes full of concern, "B-B-But we haven't even thrown you a welcome to Ponyville party…!"
André noticed all the concerned faces on the ponies, except for Rainbow Dash. Today probably was the last day they had in Equestria, "Hey, guys?" he softly spoke out to the group.
Everyone turned their attention to André.
"Give me love?" he asked while holding out his arms.
They all came in for a group hug, everyone excluding Rainbow Dash of course, with "Awe's" coming from Twilight and the other ponies.
Rainbow held out her tongue, "Bleh!"
Once the group broke the hugging, Babe turned to Rainbow Dash to get the event started, "Alright Rainbow, what are the rules?"
Rainbow laughed, " No rules. It's just a simple race through Everfree forest. First one out on the other side wins." she then pointed to her friend's, "Twilight and the others can go around the forest and wait for us there. Whoever's out first is the winner."
André was starting to feel a bit nervous but he knew it had to be done, he scratched the back of his neck while looking at Rainbow Dash, "Practically a breeze for you and an insane death trap for us. And you call us the monsters, huh? Fine…let's do this."
The competition was set and the goal was clear. All that's left now is getting the race started. Rainbow Dash, André and Babe were preparing to take their places as the race through Everfree forest was getting underway.