Scootaloo’s wings buzzed in excitement as she stretched her hooves in anticipation for the most important race of her young life. Looking over at her idol she couldn’t help but admire the flyer’s form.
Rainbow was an athlete through and through. Beneath her glistening cyan coat lay taught muscles, under which beat the heart of a Wonderbolt. Nopony in Equestria could hope to match her in the air.
Scootaloo smiled. She knew all of that. By keeping Dash grounded… along with a few other surprises, Scootaloo figured he had evened the playing field.
“Whenever you’re ready, squirt!” Rainbow got into a crouch, flank held high in the air.
Scootaloo sat there.
And sat there.
And sat there.
Rainbow started to get antsy, hooves trembling with anticipation. “Well?” Standing up she gave the filly an inquisitive look. “Any day now!”
Scootaloo looked over at her ‘big sister’. She smiled inwardly.
“OnetwothreeGO!” With a flash, Scootaloo disappeared in a cloud of smoke in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage. Dash was left quite literally in the dust, blinking with a ‘what just happened’ look on her face.
“Hey, no fair, get back here!” Rainbow shouted as she took off after the little orange and purple bolt of lightning.
The little pegasus was fast on her hooves, a clear indication that she had not skimped on her training. Each and every day she practiced, she raced, and ran just about everywhere, making sure that she was in the best shape she could manage.
She never stood a chance against Rainbow, not even in a hoof race. The cyan pegasus easily caught up to her, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.
The small pegasus was rather spritely. She reminded Rainbow of herself at that age.
She was about to catch up to the filly, just as she rounded the corner of the road passing Fluttershy’s cottage. However, when she made the turn herself, she had to flair her wings to stop on a bit. If she hadn’t, she would’ve ran muzzle first into a huge stop sign held up by a canary-colored pegasus. Fluttershy had picked that moment to act as a crossing guard to a family of little ducklings that was crossing the road.
Rainbow tried to duck past, “‘Shy!”
“Rainbow, the ducklings need to get back to their family. If you don’t mind... that is.”
Rainbow fumed as she stood on the tips of her hooves and looked past the ducklings; the little pegasus had ran under Fluttershy’s legs and was already sprinting past the cottage. “Hurry up, ‘Shy!”
“You can’t rush babies, Rainbow,” Fluttershy replied. “They’re very delicate and you have to be extra careful to make sure they stay safe.”
Rainbow offered a grunt in reply. Hopping back and forth on her hooves, she was chomping at the bit to begin the race again. No sooner had the ducklings finished crossing when several tortoise hatchlings began crossing, going in the opposite direction.
“Grrrrrr…. come on!” Rainbow shouted, stomping her hooves. No matter how much she tried though she couldn’t be mad. They reminded her too much of Tank.
Fluttershy happily held the stop sign directly in front of Rainbow’s path. The mare growled and started to flex her wings before remembering the ‘no-flying’ rule. Rainbow just stared at the familiar pegasus.
Is it me, or does Fluttershy look ALL too happy to be holding this up. She shook her head and dismissed the thought. Fluttershy is like that for every animal. She’d look just as happy for everything from a romp of otters to an army of frogs.
As soon as the last tortoise had crossed, Fluttershy lowered her sign and turned towards Rainbow. “Thank you for—”
She didn’t even have time to finish her sentence. Rainbow shot past her like a bat out of Tartarus, spinning the timid pegasus several times in place before she landed with a crash on her rump.
*****
The orange pegasus filly looked over her shoulder as she approached the boundary to Ponyville, looking for any hint of her rainbow-maned idol.
She let loose a giggle at the thought of Fluttershy’s critter friends slowing Rainbow down. Passing through the outermost buildings though, a blue blur appeared and was approaching quickly. The filly picked up the pace and shot past Sugar Cube Corner, her hoofbeats kicking up a venerable smokescreen of dust.
Rainbow was gaining on her biggest fan. Fluttershy’s distraction slowed her down, but it was nothing she couldn’t recover from. She watched the orange pegasus round Sugar Cube Corner, her purple tail flicking about in the breeze. She was gaining fast. She could almost hear the filly’s labored breathing. She was so close.
Rounding the curve to the bakery, Rainbow Dash yet again flared her wings in attempt to stop on a bit. Coming to rest in a cloud of confetti and streamers she let out a yelp. Pinkie Pie stood in the middle of the street, party cannon in hoof.
It wasn’t Ponyville’s premier party pony that caused her yelp, though. As soon as she stopped, a peculiar toothless alligator had decided that Rainbow’s tail looked good enough to eat… er… gum.
“Heyyyyyyyyyyy Dashie, you made it!” The pink party pony with the cotton candy mane bounced up to her and dropped a party hat on her head. “I wasn’t sure if you were gonna make it at first because I was worried your invitation got lost but then I remembered I didn’t send out invitations yet so how could it have gotten lost but then I realized that you couldn’t come at all if you didn’t know about it but here you are and you made it and I’m so happy!” Pinkie’s muzzle moved in a blur, not even stopping to allow a breath.
“Uhhh Pinks, that’s great but—” Rainbow tried to explain she wasn’t there for the party. She never stood a chance.
“Anyways I’m super-duper happy that you made it because Gummy would’ve been sooo sad if you didn’t. He’s getting older and today we’re celebrating a clean bill of health! It’s his ‘The Dentist didn’t find any cavities during his checkup’ party!” Pinkie set off her party cannon again, blasting the pegasus in even more confetti and streamers.
Eyebrow raised, she looked at the party pony positively befuddled. Gummy… dentist… what?
She looked over Pinkie’s shoulder and watched the filly disappearing down the street and around the next turn, gaining distance over the champion flyer. “Pinkie I—”
Pinkie just giggled. “Look at Gummy, he’s so happy you’re here!”
The alligator hung limply from Rainbow’s tail, the multicolored locks gripped firmly in his maw. He blinked… first his right eye, followed by his left.
“I’ve never seen Gummy so happy before!”
“Grrrrr! If I promise to come back later, can I go? I’m really in the middle of something realllllllly important.” Rainbow tapped a hoof impatiently.
Pinkie’s mane deflated. Rainbow wasn’t quite sure how that was possible but chalked it up to Pinkie being Pinkie.
“Do… do you Pinkie Promise?”
“Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye. OW!” Rainbow mimed the motions, quite literally poking herself in the eye with a hoof as she finished. She never had quite figured out how to manage not actually poking herself.
Pinkie’s mane quickly inflated back to its usual cotton-candy texture. “Okie dokie lokie!”
Rainbow Dash was off in a flash and with a flick of her tail sent Gummy flying straight into Pinkie’s mane. Once the dust had settled the party pony looked at her pet and giggled.
“Hehehe, do you think we got her, Gummy? I hope Scoots can actually pull this off!” Wheeling her party cannon back inside to bake more treats she began to prepare for Rainbow’s return to her ‘fake’ party. After all, she had to come back. Nopony breaks a pinkie promise.
No pony!
*****
Rainbow Dash bounded through downtown Ponyville, a cold chill running down her spine as she thought of just taking a nap after the race to avoid all the weirdness that had been happening. She shuddered at the thought. She knew nopony could break a Pinkie promise. She could swear she even heard Pinkie’s voice in the breeze screaming no pony!
Scootaloo’s hooves thundered through the town, every twist and turn taking her out of Rainbow’s line of sight. As she rounded Rarity’s boutique, Rainbow even swore she saw the filly give a wave and a nod to somepony out of sight.
Rounding the corner herself, Rainbow suddenly watched the little filly disappear at a rapid rate. What!? Try as she might, her hooves found no purchase as they attempted to rocket her ahead. Noticing the aura of magic surrounding her the tom-coltish pegasus stopped cold. No. Not now… please no…
“Why Rainbow Dash! Such a pleasant surprise to see you here! Come in, come in! We have much to discuss! I have a new line that I must say is simply divine and would suit you perfectly!”
Sweet Celestia, why hast thou forsaken me? Rainbow facehoofed. “Rarity, now is really not a good time.”
“Why Rainbow Dash, there is never not a good time for fashion! A mare must simply be looking her best all the time!” Rarity began to dig through several designs and folded fabrics as she placed the pegasus down in front of the mirror.
Taking the small opportunity to escape, Rainbow dashed for the front door, only for a magical aura to slam it shut seconds before she got there. Her muzzle quickly became very intimate with the wooden door. “Ow…”
“Now darling, I know my most loyal friend wouldn’t leave me high and dry, now would she?”
Rainbow pulled her muzzle out of the whole it had been occupying and started to rub it with a hoof, “Rarity, I really really REALLY don’t have time right now.”
“But I have so many designs and I need your help. Please Rainbow Dash?”
“Ugh!!!!” Rainbow muttered out loud. “But… I… fine! One dress though, ONE! And you only get two minutes, tops!” Rainbow knew at that time, based on Scoot’s speed, she’d be able to pass her around the apple farm. Even with a two minute delay.
“Oh, absolutely wonderful!”
“Minute fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven,” Rainbow started, causing Rarity to rush to the back room.
Rarity hurriedly grabbed several pieces of fabric and a flowing, off-white dress before rushing back out to the pegasus. With a poof the dress was elegantly place on Rainbow Dash as Rarity rushed to accent the garment with bits of gold and blue fabric. “This particular piece is from my spring collection, specifically aimed at pegasi.”
Rainbow sighed to herself, “minute twelve, eleven, ten.”
Rarity quickly put the finishing touches on the outfit and let out a squee. Holding up a mirror so Dash could see herself her eyes glistened. “Rainbow Dash, you look positively divine! I wasn’t quite sure what to do to accent the cloud design, but these colors are perfect on you! The golden sunlight and touch of sky look simply regal.”
“Can I take this off now? I’m really starting to fall behind,” Rainbow trotted in place, eager to begin the race anew.
With a poof the dress magically removed itself and folded neatly into the box in Rarity’s hooves. “Oh Rainbow, pish posh, there are so many other designs we simply MUST perfect.” Turning back to her inspiration room, the bell over the front door chimed as Rainbow made a hasty exit.
Opal dropped her toy mouse and scampered upstairs as quick as her paws would allow.
*****
Rainbow Dash’s hooves thundered as she galloped through town, trying to make up for lost time. First Fluttershy, then Pinkie, and now Rarity? Once is random, twice is… well it’s Pinkie Pie… but this? Something’s not right…
Rounding the corner toward the Golden Oaks library she prayed to Celestia for no more interruptions. She paused briefly as Spike jumped from the balcony, still covered in soot, and ran from the tree screaming. A lavender mad scientist jumped after him with an eye twitch and a yell. “Spike! You can’t run forever! It’s for science!”
Rainbow thought about helping the baby dragon for all of one second before picking her hooves back up and continuing on. Poor little guy is on his own with this one… nopony stops Twilight from science.
Sweet Apple Acres crested the horizon and came into view as Rainbow Dash barreled toward where she believed she’d be able to catch her biggest fan. Putting some extra energy into her legs, she pressed herself harder to make up the distance as she passed the entrance to the farm and an orange farm pony setting up a roadside stand. Slamming her hooves to the ground she stopped and did a double-take on the sign that now hung in front of Applejack’s table.
The farmer chuckled as she waved a hoof at the assortment on display. “Well Dash, with this year’s season comin’ Ah got some new recipes to try, an’ what better way to know what’s good than to see what ponies like?”
Rainbow Dash walked to the table and lifted her forehooves to the edge, salivating at the delectable display of ciders before her: aged cider, hard cider, cinnamon infused, maple casked, even a few blends from the Apple Family’s private reserve. Picking up a glass of the cinnamon apple cider and gulping it down, Dash’s eyes rolled back and her tongue lolled to the side at the sweet taste. Placing it back down, Applejack immediately went to refill the glass.
Wait a second. Something wasn’t right, and Dash could tell. Since when is she so quick on the refills? Usually she’s telling me to slow down. Looking the farm pony square in the eyes, she waited. Applejack’s gaze shifted ever so slightly to the direction Scootaloo had run. It was a furtive movement, something a pony wouldn’t notice if they weren’t looking for it. But Rainbow Dash was looking, and she did notice it.
“Aww horseapples! She got to you, didn’t she!” Rainbow took off like a bat out of Tartarus down the road, trying to catch up to the trickster.
Galloping as fast as she could, Rainbow Dash made up for lost time. Onto the home stretch she could see Scootaloo in the distance, but she was growing rapidly. A smirk crossed Rainbow’s face as she passed the filly. So close, Scoots, yet so far.
Rainbow Dash was within spitting distance from the finish line when she stopped dead in her tracks. Her ears swiveled back on her head towards the sound of… of… is that… crying? Turning around she saw the filly with hopes of grandeur and a heart as pure as Rarity’s coat was white. She was sobbing in the dirt. Dash looked back over her shoulder to the finish line, and then back to Scootaloo. Finish line. Scootaloo. Finish line.
Turning back to her number one fan, she reached out a hoof and gently lifted Scootaloo’s muzzle. Dash smiled at the filly and carefully picked her up, placing her on her back and trotted towards the finish line with Scootaloo in tow.
“Ra… Rainbow Dash, what are you doing?” Scootaloo asked as they tied the race.
“Me? Nothing,” Rainbow replied with a smile. “I just stopped to help my little sister on the side of the road, what sort of mare would I be if I didn’t do that?”
“I... but… you… the race… passed me…”
“Check the scoreboard,” Rainbow replied with a smile. “turns out we tied, and only an awesome filly that was worthy to become my apprentice could ever hope to tie with someone like me.”
She picked up Scootaloo with her wings and placed her back down on the ground..The cheering crowd that had gathered around to watch the end of the impromptu race were all around them, shouting Scootaloo’s name. “So no more tears, we both won until you're ready to take me on for real.”
“Thank… thank you,” Scootaloo said between sniffles with a small smile.