//------------------------------// // Sharp! // Story: Appledashery // by Just Essay //------------------------------// Several flower stems littered the grassy valley—their petals completely plucked clean. A few paces over... a second jug of medicine lay—completely empty. And a dozen more feet from there... ...Rainbow Dash lay slumped on her chest, panting and wheezing for breath. She paused only to gnash here teeth, gazing across the tall grass. Ponyville lay in the distance under a hot noonday sun. Its gold-thatched rooftops glistened in the light... like distant stars. Even if she walked—Rainbow knew—it would take an aching eon to get there. Wincing, she tried to stand up—only to plop back on her haunches. "Ooomf..." Panting for breath, she looked at her forelimbs. Her fetlocks practically dangled from where she held them. It took an epic amount of concentration to get them to even flex at this point. With a nervous shudder, she looked all around her. The earth had been ripped up from where her heavy hooves struggled—in vain—to get a decent running start. Elsewhere, several fresh potholes remained from where she had fallen multiple times on her belly, back, and flank. The mare then looked at the empty jug of medicine. Not a drop had been left inside. The more she gazed at it, the more her extremities tingled—as if laughing at her. Rainbow's breaths grew shallower and shallower. She squeaked something—like an exhausted little foal. Her vision fogged and she felt a soreness overwhelming her throat, spreading through her body. The first of many shivers came, and she hugged herself in time to weather an oncoming sob— "Hey! Rainbow Dash! There you are!" "...!!!" Rainbow Dash hopped up with a single flap of her wings. Through sheer will power, she managed to land on all fours and not collapse. Her outstretched feathers managed to keep her upright and balanced as she peered aside. "Huh?" A stallion touched down, grinning. "Training super hard, huh?" Rainbow sniffled, but hid it with a smug expression. "Uhhh... Sharp Quill?" "Pfft!" He shrugged. "What'd you expect? A griffon with a metal beak?" "Rrnnngh..." Rainbow Dash attempted to smooth her bangs back. Her numb hoof slapped her forehead in the process. "If that's a reference to something, I'm too friggin' tired to care." "Well, that wouldn't surprise me!" Sharp Quill smirked. "I heard you signed up for the Equestrian Marathon!" His teeth showed. "Right after you gave that moron in a blue suit a severe tongue-lashing!" "Uhhhhh..." Rainbow winced. "Yeahhhhhhhh..." Her ears twitched. "Exactly... how many ponies in Ponyville know about that?" "Why shouldn't they?" Sharp Quill chuckled. "You're the pride of the town! About time someone showed up that windbagged blowhard!" "Yes, well..." Rainbow shuddered, nearly teetering over. "I'm not a fan of mega-jerks." "Heh... yeah." Sharp Quill winked. "Too bad he's not the one doing the running, huh?" Rainbow froze in place, her cold blood running colder. "...what's that supposed to mean?" "Well... heh... only that it's Brick Lesneigh whom you'll be competing against. Sure won't be a walk in the park." "Yeah, and...?" Rainbow glared. "You've got your work cut out for you, that's for sure—" Sharp Quill suddenly found himself bending back from an intimidating growl. "Are you saying that I haven't got what it takes to challenge that thick-skulled moron head-on?!" Rainbow snarled. "Huh?" Sharp Quill blinked. "Of c-course not! Just saying that it's a superbig challenge!" "So what? I can't step it up and beat that living mountain at his own game?!" Rainbow barked. "N-no, Rainbow..." Sharp Quill grimaced, lifting a hoof. "Quite the opposite! It's... r-really quite inspirational! Heck, I just signed up today so I can... y'know... sorta team-up with you and the rest of the runners!" He gulped. "Why are you so ticked off all of the sudden—?" "I said that I could beat Brick Lesneigh and that's what I'm gonna do!" Rainbow thundered, her nostrils flaring. "You think I'm some sort of weak pony who's gonna let Ponyville down after all she's promised?! Huh?! You think I wanna leave my lasting legacy as a has-been?!" "I... d-didn't say any of—" Sharp Quill blinked hard. "Yeesh, Rainbow... what's wrong with you today?" "The only thing wrong with me is that I hadn't committed hard enough! But that changes here and now!" She huffed and puffed. "Screw Brick Lesneigh and screw you! I ain't afraid of nothing. If Brick Lesneigh thinks he's such a badflank—he doesn't know what he has coming! I'm gonna kick his flank so hard at this running competition that it'll put every sonic rainboom I've ever made to shame!" She flapped her wings harder, lifting up. "See that I don't!" FWOOOOOOSH! In a thunderous streak, she rocketed towards the heart of town. Sharp Quill lingered in place, reeling. "Jeez louise..." He shuddered, standing evenly. "What crawled into her butt and grew branches?" Just as he said that, he nearly tripped on something. The stallion glanced down, spotting two empty jugs. His muzzle dropped as his brow furrowed curiously. In a nervous stupor, he gazed sky-high. "Rainbow...?" Inside the Town Hall building... An elderly volunteer sat at a table marked "Equestrian Marathon Sign-Ups." She yawned, scribbling words and numbers across a checksheet. Thump! Startled, the mare jolted in her seat. She looked up to see a heavy bit bag lying on the table before her—its canvas edges still settling. "Uhhhhhh..." She looked up over the bag. "Can I help you?" "You sure can." Rainbow hovered in place, nostrils flaring. "I've come to donate to the Equestrian Marathon." "Uhhhm..." The elder mare shifted nervously. "But—Miss Dash... is it? You've already signed up... and donated." Rainbow frowned. "Well I've come to donate more."