//------------------------------//
// Applejack Versus Rainbow Dash 
// Story: This Is A Bad.....minton Fiction 
// by Brian Jacko 
//------------------------------//

	Applejack served the shuttle and watched a trail of apples and hay come from the shuttle. She gave the flick serve, but Rainbow Dash was prepared and returned it with ease. Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued to volley it at lightning fast speeds back and forth. They were both fairly close to the net. 

Rainbow Dash hit a fast shuttle over Applejack's head. It wasn't a lob, but it was just high enough so that Applejack couldn't reach it.

Applejack flailed her front legs around in the air for a moment and then ran at full speed back to the court. She managed to connect a shot by swinging the racket close to the ground. She was able to send the shuttle back over to Rainbow, but Rainbow Dash was waiting close to the net and jumped high into the air for a super mare smash. Rainbow Dash could jump higher than any other pony out of her group of friends and whenever she would jump, her wings would flare out in extreme anticipation and excitement. However, the necklace that she was wearing voided her of gaining any extra altitude from flapping her wings. She reigned down terror from the skies with these kinds of shots because of the extreme angles she would be able to work with. Rainbow Dash was a hard smasher, but Applejack was by far the best at it, even if she couldn't jump as high. 

Applejack gulped and prepared to defend at all costs. She had most of her weight leaning on her right hind leg as she took note that Rainbow Dash was closer to her right side of the court. She knew that smashing a shuttle was quickest if smashed straight down the line because the shuttle would decelerate in speed if she would attempt a cross court shot, which would still an be effective shot, but not as effective in this kind of situation.

Rainbow Dash struck the shuttle with all of her might. She would show no mercy for her friend. 

Applejack estimated that she'd put it to the right side of the court, which she did. Applejack dove to the side of the court and returned it. She got up as fast as she could. 

Rainbow Dash quickly struck the shuttle to the left side of the court.

Applejack hurled her body over to the shuttle and barely managed to return the shot. She got up again and tried to get herself ready to run to the right side of the court again.

By now, Rainbow Dash was enjoying this cruel game of cat and mouse and made like she was going to hit it to the right corner of the court, but at the last second she changed the angle of the racket and hit it back to the left side of the court where she had placed it before.

Applejack stopped dead in her tracks and fell to the floor a third time and managed to make another return.

Now Rainbow Dash was starting to become impatient. She saw that Applejack was fairly close to the net and she decided to lob it high into the right corner of Applejack's court. 

Applejack grinded her teeth and lunged with all her might towards the back corner of the court. 

Rainbow Dash stood on her tippy hooves in anticipation to see if the shuttle was going to land inside the court or not. 

Applejack hit the floor hard and watched as the shuttle landed close, but still outside of the out of bounds lines.

Rainbow Dash began to fume. "It was in A.J.! I saw it with my own eyes! Don't lie and tell me that it was out."

Applejack picked herself back up and used her front leg to wipe off the sweat away from her forehead. She scooped the shuttle up with her racket. "I reckon yer full of horse apples and ya know how much I hate dishonesty, R.D.," Applejack said. "That shot was clearly out and yer not gettin' yer special shuttle back to serve."

Rainbow stomped on the ground and said, "But it was so close! I worked so hard for that point, and I deserve it!"

"Ya think ya worked hard fer that point?" Applejack asked. "Hah! Ya were standin' close to the net and punishin' me the entire time. Ya hardly did any work! I was the one makin' dives and amazin' plays! I reckon yer just jealous of me. I know that a lil' hard work always pays off no matter if it's on the job, or on the courts!" 

Rainbow Dash growled and said, "I guess I'll let it go this time, but don't you dare make anymore amazing plays like that again!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash continued to play, but they had arguments when Rainbow Dash tried to scoop up Applejack's shuttle and hit it back to her after she won a point. The shuttle hit Rainbow's side of the net and Applejack was far away from the net and expected Rainbow Dash to come over and push it over closer to her. 

They both ended up in an argument over who should go over and get the shuttle. 

Applejack and Rainbow Dash went over to Princess Luna and explained the problem. 

Princess Luna ruled that a pony should go back and push over a shuttle if he or she had failed to return it to their opponent. 

Applejack stuck out her tongue at Rainbow Dash, and this little rule only made Rainbow fume more with anger.

The competitiveness and rivalry didn't stop there when Rainbow Dash would hoof pump her front hoof in the air right in front of Applejack's face whenever Applejack bent over close to the net to push the shuttle back to Rainbow's service box.