“A race?!” Pinkie exclaimed. “I loooove races! They’re so fast, and crazy, and fast, and speedy, and fast! Oh! Can I be in the race?”
“No, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said, looking annoyed. “This is a race between Sky and myself.”
“Okay! Can I be the checkpoint pony, then?” Pinkie pressed, her enthusiasm not even wavering for a moment.
Sky blinked. “Checkpoint pony?”
“The pony that makes sure that nopony is takin’ shortcuts or cheatin’,” Applejack explained. “Really, Sky, I woulda thought a speedy pegasus like yerself would know all this.”
“Guess I never did much racing growing up.” He shot a smug glance at Rainbow Dash. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to win,” he said mischievously.
Either Rainbow Dash didn’t catch the remark, or she chose to ignore it. “We’ll keep this simple. We’ll go twice around the whole of Ponyville. We’ll head around the south side of town first, by the reservoir. Then we’ll head for the schoolhouse.”
Sky had flown over Ponyville many times in the past few months, though he had rarely landed in the town. He held up his hoof in protest before Rainbow Dash could continue mapping their route. “Whoa, whoa, hang on a second. You guys know what all these buildings look like, but I don’t. How am I supposed to know what I’m looking for?”
“Oh! You can just leave that to me!” Pinkie said, swinging her head up in the air. “Just look for me to be waving at each checkpoint along the way!”
Sky’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Uh, Pinkie? How are you going to keep up with us? You’d need to be faster than both of us to be able to show me where to go.”
All of the girls began to snicker softly as Sky arched an eyebrow. “What’s so funny?” he asked, more confused than ever.
“Sky, don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to,” Twilight said, though her answer was more enigmatic to Sky than it was helpful.
“Huh?”
“Just let it go; she’ll be there,” Rainbow Dash said with a sigh.
“O…kay,” Sky said at last, still baffled.
“Alright, after the schoolhouse, we’ll head for Rarity’s boutique on the southeast side,” RD continued.
“And if you cause any damage to that building, you’ll receive the bill for repairs in the mail,” Rarity interjected.
“Relax, Rarity, I’m sure they’ll be plenty careful,” Applejack assured her. She cast a quick glance towards the pair of blue pegasi to make sure they got the message. Sky nodded in comprehension.
“We’ll head straight north along the edge of town, following the creek and beyond,” Rainbow Dash continued, tracing an invisible path in the air with her hoof. “We’ll turn west at the corner of the town, and make our way to the train station. After that, we’ll make for the library—”
“Which happens to be my house,” Twilight interrupted.
“We’ll be careful,” Sky said without hesitation.
“—and head back here. That should be it. You got that, Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash finished, turning to the pink pony that was madly scribbling with a pen onto a small notepad that Sky could only assume had appeared out of thin air.
“…and back HERE!” she said, emphasizing the last word as the tapped her pen against the notepad with a flourish. “I got it. Now, I want a good, clean race. No cheating, no fighting, no biting!”
A question formed in Sky’s mind, but after a quick second thought, he decided to let it go. “Now, both of you need to Pinkie Promise to race by the rules. Do you Pinkie Promise?” she continued. Her eyes seemed to bulge as she enunciated each word of the question. Her face was still bright and cheerful, but there was a solemnity in her words that Sky found deeply unsettling. He found himself looking at Rainbow Dash, who merely rolled her eyes.
“Of course we do, Pinkie,” RD said after a brief pause. “Can we just start the race?”
She gave them both an oddly serious gaze, then, with her usual chipper demeanor, brightened up and pulled a pair of checkered flags out from behind her back. “On your mark…”
Rainbow Dash and Sky both crouched into their starting positions and spread their wings as their friends began to cheer loudly from behind. “You ever seen real speed?” Rainbow whispered to Sky.
“…get set…”
“Don’t think so,” Sky whispered back. “Never met anything that was faster than me.”
“GO!”
There was a quick flutter of wings, followed by the sound of rustling leaves. In perfect synchronization, a pair of light blue blurs went screaming through the grove of trees, causing them to sway and bend at their passing.
Sky was surprised to hear his own laughter as he shot between the trees of Sweet Apple Acres. Rainbow Dash was right beside him, a look of smug determination etched on her face. They nimbly ducked limbs and dodged tree trunks until they reached the edge of the farm and broke into the clearing on the south side of Ponyville. Ahead on his left, along the bank of the creek, was a large windmill. And on his right was a large lake. The reservoir.
And, to Sky’s amazement, right in the middle, bobbing up and down in full scuba gear, Pinkie Pie was waving her legs wildly. “Over here, you two! First checkpoint!” she shouted.
Rainbow Dash made for where Pinkie was floating in the reservoir, followed closely by Sky. As soon as they passed over her, the pair of pegasi turned due east and made a beeline for the schoolhouse. Sky could see its distinct red roof in the distance, and, feeling that he needed to turn up the pressure on his opponent, kicked his wings into high gear as he moved ahead of the multicolored mare.
“Hey, look! A rainbow-colored stop sign! Never seen that before!” Sky teased as he shot ahead.
Sky could hear Rainbow Dash’s laughter from behind. That’ll get her worked up, he thought.
Sky covered the distance in a matter of seconds, the feeling of the wind in his face cleansing his head of any gloom he felt and encouraging his competitive spirit. As he reached the schoolhouse, he turned almost due north as he passed beside its bell tower.
And, as if on cue, Pinkie thrust her head out of the tower and called out, “Second checkpoint!” in a hasty voice.
As bewildered as Sky was as to how Pinkie was keeping ahead of him, he hardly had the time to consider it. Behind him, he could hear the beating of Rainbow Dash’s wings as she stayed hot on his hooves, though he suspected she was just biding her time until she made a move of her own. The pair tore through the air on approach to Rarity’s boutique. Passing by, Sky once again saw Pinkie, bouncing along beside the building. “Third checkpoint,” she called in a sing-songy voice.
“Having fun yet?” asked Rainbow Dash, who had come up beside Sky while he was focused on the physics-defying Pinkie Pie.
“Loads. But when do we start racing like we mean it?” Sky replied.
“Anytime you’re ready.”
Sky took a deep breath as the buildings of Ponyville on his left passed by as blurs. In his head, he pictured his sister, his parents, Lily…all the ponies that meant something to him. I’ll do you proud.
With a release of energy, Sky shot forward with a burst of speed that would have left any normal pony behind.
But, as Sky knew, Rainbow Dash was no normal pony.
She was still right beside him, though he noticed that a rainbow trail seemed to be trailing behind her at this point. Wow. That burst would have left even the Wonderbolts in my wake. She really DOES live up to all the hype.
They matched each other, turn for turn, every beat of their wings as they rounded the northeast corner of town and set a scorching pace along the northern edge of Ponyville. As they sped past the train station, the waved in unison to a pink pony reclining on the roof of a caboose. “Fourth checkpoint!” she yelled, waving back.
Sky recognized the large tree to the south as the same place where he had seen the light on as he set out from Canterlot on his mission to the Everfree forest just over six months ago. So, this is what it looks like close-up.
As they approached, they saw a sudden burst of what appeared to be…confetti…coming from a platform among the boughs of the tree. Soaring by, Sky saw Pinkie, but this time, she was accompanied by what looked to be a festive-looking cannon of some sort. “Back to the barn for your second lap!” she shouted gleefully.
Sky turned to Rainbow Dash. “Is she always that…uh…”
“Unpredictable?” she returned, though Sky could barely hear her over the rush of wind roaring in his ears. “Pretty much.”
“Oh.” Sky finally decided to just ignore the several thousand questions he could think of asking about Pinkie and figured that it was probably best to just leave well enough alone.
They passed over another creek and were back at the barn again in a matter of moments. Grouped up at the base of the structure, Sky could see all his friends gathered around, cheering madly for the both of them. Time to really turn it on.
Rainbow Dash planted all four hooves on the wall of the barn and propelled off of it back into the trees. Sky rolled into an aerial loop, using the downward motion to add to his momentum as he went whizzing after her.
They went spinning and ducking between the trees, each apparently trying to outdo the other in a display of agility. Sky could see the trees shaking as they passed within inches of crashing into them. More than once he had to dodge a stray apple knocked loose from its branch by Rainbow Dash’s sheer speed.
As they emerged from the trees, the both made for the reservoir again, but this time, Rainbow Dash turned her head back to Sky and smiled confidently. “This is what speed looks like,” she said. With a burst of speed that shook the air itself, she rocketed forward, and even the rainbow trail behind her seemed unable to keep up with her.
Sky almost lost his composure as she left him behind, but he refused to let her get away so easily. Digging deep within himself, he finally let his competitive spirit take over.
And he found another gear.
With a sound that was reminiscent of a peal of thunder, Sky felt as though he had left his body behind, and his spirit was free to move as fast as it wanted to. The wind pressed so hard against his eyes that they were stinging, and he was unable to recognize any sound other than the rush of the wind and the almost buzz-like sound of the beat of his wings. He felt the all-too-familiar tingle in their tips that he associated with his unique magical capabilities.
The water rippled as he flew over the reservoir, and the flags in front of the schoolhouse changed direction as he left them behind. Ahead of him, he could see Rainbow Dash as she made her trek northward along the edge of town at her own breakneck pace. But Sky noticed something else as well.
I’m catching up.
The chase continued past Rarity’s boutique and all along the eastern side of the town. By the time Sky reached the corner of town again, he had nearly caught the many-hued mare. As they approached the train station, Sky pulled along Rainbow Dash’s side in an attempt to pass her on the outside. He saw her look in his direction, and, apparently surprised to see him there, jerked her head back around in an attempt to somehow increase her speed and keep her opponent at bay.
Sky smiled. She’s panicking. That’s good. Barring any miracle on her behalf, I’ve got her.
He could see Twilight’s house over the roofs of Ponyville, and he knew that he was mere seconds from putting Rainbow Dash in her place.
When Sky’s entire consciousness erupted.
His vision exploded in a red bomb as his entire body convulsed with the pain of a thousand different sources. His head felt like a dragon was breathing into his ear, while his legs contorted with a stinging cold and the piercing of hundreds of needles. His wings felt like they were being smashed between a hammer and an anvil.
And somewhere in the chaos of his mind, he clearly felt the intense gaze of a pair of crimson eyes.
The Chimera...
Sky opened his eyes. He was lying on the grassy fields on the west side of Ponyville, just north of Sweet Apple Acres, from the look of things. He shook his head and attempted to get to his hooves. Finding that he was (mostly) uninjured, he walked around for a few minutes and stretched his wings. With a sigh of relief, he found that he was simply a little bruised from what had apparently been a rather chaotic landing (which isn’t uncommon when unconscious). In the distance, he could hear several voices calling for him. Looking towards the farm, Sky saw his friends gathered on a hill, looking in all directions and calling his name. With a deep breath, he began walking towards them.
Rarity saw him first. “Sky!” she shouted as she galloped towards him, with the others hot on her hooves. “Sky, are you alright?”
He nodded as she reached him, but before he could say a word, Rainbow Dash took the opportunity to speak. “Looks fine to me. Must’ve just run out of gas during the home stretch, huh?”
“Rainbow…”
“I gotta admit, you had me worried. You’re fast, but there’s no pony that can keep up with me,” she said, pirouetting in the air.
“Rainbow…” Sky put an edge to his voice.
“But hey, you did as well as anypony that’s ever raced me. That’s an accomplishment. And about as good an outcome as you could have wanted, because we all know that no pony can win a race against me.”
“RAINBOW! Shut up and listen!” Sky barked, causing all six of the mares and one dragon to recoil.
“Sky, take it easy! There’s no need for an outburst like that,” Twilight reprimanded.
“Twilight, listen to me. I didn’t run out of energy in the race. I felt it…it was looking for me again.”
Twilight’s eyes grew as she heard what Sky was saying. “You mean…just now? That’s why you didn’t finish the race?”
“Yeah. I felt its eyes, just like when I did back at Zecora’s hut,” Sky explained.
“But I thought you had conquered your fear of the Chimera,” Spike interjected, obviously having kept up with Sky’s vague comments. “Right?”
“I did, but this was different,” Sky continued. “It didn’t feel like it did then. Before, it was a warning, or a threat. This time…this time, it was more like…a challenge. It’s not hiding; it’s looking for me. It wants me to go find it. No…” He paused, searching for the right word. “It’s demanding that I come. It was so intent on making sure that I knew that it was looking for me.”
“That sounds like a heapin’ helpin’ o’ trouble,” Applejack commented. “If it’s so eager to find you, it must be plannin’ somethin’.”
“Applejack’s right,” Rarity said. “It’s just like what Discord did to us in that maze. He pulled us in and made us play his game, and he nearly won because of that.”
“Then we should tell the Council,” Sky said, turning to face the mountain upon which Canterlot sat perched in a perpetual vigil over the realm of Equestria. “They’ll be able to come up with a plan.”
“I can send a note to Princess Celestia, letting her know that we’ll be on our way,” Spike offered.
“Good thinking, Spike!” Twilight said, nodding.
“‘We’?” Sky asked.
“Of course, Sky,” Fluttershy replied. “I mean, aren’t we going along?”
“You bet we are!” Rainbow Dash said enthusiastically. “We’re all gonna show this creature who’s boss!”
Sky’s mind hesitated at the thought of putting his friends in harm’s way like that, but he figured that there was no point in trying to talk them out of it. At least, not yet.
“Alright,” he said. “Spike, you write that letter ASAP. Then you guys take the train to Canterlot. I’ll meet you there.”
“We’re coming with you,” Rainbow Dash corrected, gesturing to Fluttershy. “You’re not the only one with wings, you know.”
“Fine,” Sky said. “We’ll meet up at the palace.”
“Sky, are you sure you can fly all the way there?” Rarity asked. “After the race, the Chimera, and all that?”
Sky smiled grimly as he crouched in preparation to take off. “All that? Heh, I didn’t even break a sweat.”
“Then we’ll see you there,” Twilight said, turning with Rarity, Spike, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie back towards Ponyville.
“Let’s get moving, then!” Rainbow said.
“We better,” Sky said. “I’ve got a feeling that we don’t have much time with this.”