Rainbow Dash flew like a bullet through the dense apple orchard. The only thing on her mind? Cider. She had waited all year for cider
season, and here it was! Rainbow fixed her magenta eyes on the cider stand being set up near the barn and targeted her landing. Drooling at
the sweet fragrance, she picked up her speed and headed for a good spot in the line forming behind the cider stand. Rainbow was
seconds from hitting the ground when a light blue pegasus with a messy, navy, slicked back hair and vibrant green eyes appeared in front of
her. Rainbow Dash tried to slow down, but she was going too fast, and the panicked Rainbow crashed right into the light blue pegasus.
Rainbow cringed. "Ooh, sorry about that..." She got up off of the pegasus and looked at him closely. "Soarin? Is that you?"
"The one and only!" Soarin grinned.
"Oh my gosh oh my gosh! I am so sorry, Soarin!"
"Nah, we all make mistakes, like me when I almost killed myself at the Equestria Games trials."
Rainbow giggled. "You were pretty bad. So, what brings you to Ponyville?"
"I heard they had some great cider here."
"Speaking of... want to stand in line with me?"
"Sure!" Soarin stepped in front of Rainbow Dash.
Rainbow Dash shook her head. "I got here first!" She teased.
Soarin smirked and moved behind her.
_____________________________________
Soarin and Rainbow began to chat while in line.
"So, how's the Wonderbolts? What's it like?" Rainbow inquired.
"Oh, I don't know much yet. I just joined two months ago."
Rainbow grinned. "Well, you are pretty good... for a newbie."
Soarin scoffed. "You're not even in the Wonderbolts!"
"I could be," Rainbow said teasingly.
"You wish," Soarin laughed.
"And you wish you," Rainbow Dash poked Soarin's chest. "...could be as awesome as me."
"Why don't you prove you're as awesome as you say you are?"
"Well, I will after I get my cider. You. Me. Race. This afternoon."
Soarin pushed Rainbow playfully. "Deal."
"Move up, you two! You're holding up the line!" The pony behind them shouted.
Rainbow and Soarin both turned beet red.
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Rainbow and Soarin quickly drank their delicious cider and found a place to hold their race. It was agreed that whoever won would buy
dinner for the two of them that night.
Rainbow stretched her hind legs and began doing push ups when Soarin nudged her. "You ready?"
Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Alright. So we'll just race to that apple tree on that hill over there." Soarin pointed to a lone apple tree at the top of a hill.
"Sounds good," Rainbow replied.
"Oh, here comes Pinkie. I got her to start us off," she pointed to the excited Pinkie Pie hopping towards them.
Pinkie pulled out a megaphone. "Ok, mares and gentleponies, are you ready? Pinkie shouted through the megaphone.
Soarin and Rainbow Dash nodded.
"On your mark..."
Rainbow dug her hooves into the ground and got into her starting position.
"Get set..."
Soarin snorted and spread his wings.
"GO!"
And they were off! Soarin was taking the lead, but Rainbow Dash, as we all know, was very competitive, and wasn't about to let some newbie
beat her. she flapped her wings harder and harder, and was pulling ahead when... BAM! Rainbow Dash had broken the sound barrier and
created a sonic rainboom. Soarin stared in disbelief as he was thrown back by the force of the blast. Meanwhile, Rainbow was sitting in the
apple tree, laughing her head off.
When Soarin got to the tree, Rainbow Dash was still laughing and wiped a tear. "Guess who's buying dinner?" She said through laughter.
Soarin rolled his eyes and sighed. "You are pretty good, Rainbow Dash," Soarin smiled.
"Pretty good? I was awesome!" Rainbow laughed.
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The Mane Six were hanging out in Twilight's palace when Rainbow Dash looked up from her Daring Do book. Rainbow gasped. "I'm
going to be late!"
"For what?" Twilight asked.
"I'm going to a restaurant with Soarin."
Rarity gasped. "Ooh, looks like somepony has a date!"
Rainbow laughed. "Rarity, the only reason we're going out to dinner is because I bet that if I beat him in a race, he would buy me dinner! And
you guys know how much I love food!"
Applejack, the Element of Honesty, was having a hard time believing this. Even Fluttershy had her doubts, as she knew how it felt to have a
friend who you grew to like overtime. However, she kept her slight crush on Discord a secret.
"Whatever you say, Dash," Applejack said with a slight smile.
Rainbow groaned.
"However, I do need some help..."
"Yes, Rainbow?" Fluttershy asked.
"The restaurant Soarin recommended is really formal, so can one of you guys help me out with what to wear?"
Rarity's eyes almost popped out of her head. "Rainbow Dash, I've been waiting for the day you would ask me!"
She galloped to her house and came back with a rack of clothes, makeup, flat irons, curling irons, and accessories. "I have a few options you
could try."
Rainbow Dash gagged.
A painful half hour later, Rainbow had on a flowing violet gown, complete with a touch of glitter and jewels here and there, along with a black
scarf and RD's signature sunglasses. Rainbow even curled her hair a bit for the occasion! "You'll blow Soarin away with that!" Rarity said
proudly. Rainbow sighed. "I'm not trying to blow him away, I just dressed up because the restaurant is formal!"
"And yet, this is the first time you've asked me to help you dress up."
Rainbow Dash blushed and scratched the back of her neck. "Well..."