Innocent

by Puzzle Piece

Act I: Chapter Five: The Best of the Best of Both Worlds

The early morning was filled with birdsong, as if the winged critters heralded the event to come with their own anthem. The sun peeked over the mountains in the east to light the gently waking town below. Bright beams of sunlight advanced across the fields and hills, warming the coats of the ponies up so early.

A group of mares enjoyed these ambient effects as they made their way up into the low hills leading out of town. Their fellow early risers greeted them as they passed, pausing to wonder where they could be going with such high spirits at this hour. The two Unicorns walked at a gentle pace, talking and laughing together. The Pegasus followed a step behind, not saying much. The Earth Pony bounded in circles around the whole group, drawing on some source of energy that knew no limits.

“So, this race?” Rarity said, bringing the conversation around to the reason for their trek. “Rainbow Dash and this new pony in town are going to actually compete?”

“That’s what I heard,” Twilight replied. “Isn’t that what you said, Pinkie?”

“Yep-sir-ee!” Pinkie Pie quit circling and instead bounced alongside them. “And it’s going to be speed-a-rific!”

“I’m not so sure, darling,” Rarity said cautiously. “A Unicorn racing a Pegasus, and a Pegasus like Rainbow Dash no less, doesn’t sound like much of a contest.”

“I wouldn’t be so quick to count him out,” Twilight said mysteriously.

“Oh?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just that you never know what a pony can do just by looking at them. I’ve got a feeling you’ll be surprised.”

“Do you know something you’re not telling, Twilight?” Rarity inquired suspiciously.

“It’s just a feeling,” Twilight shrugged nonchalantly. “A feeling I have reason to believe is accurate, but still just a feeling.”

Rarity was unconvinced but she let it drop.

“At least we know he’s alright,” Fluttershy’s voice came unexpectedly.

“What’s that, darling?”

“Mr. Faircastle is feeling well enough to run a race so he must have recovered from his injuries,” she explained meekly.

“I suppose so. To think,” Rarity pondered aloud. “He shows up on the side of the road covered in bruises, and three days later, he’s challenging Rainbow Dash to a race.”

“He’s that new to town?” said a voice just over their heads. “He must be from really far away too if he thinks he has a chance against me.”

Rainbow was lazily gliding a few feet above their heads. She landed to walk beside them.

“Now Rainbow,” Rarity chided gently. “You must at least take it seriously. It would be rude to act like he isn’t a real competitor. Although I would agree that his chances are rather slim.”

“Fine, but even if I’m not saying it, we all know. This is going to be a snap!”

As they came to the top of the hill leading into White Tail Woods, a second group of ponies joined them. Jason walked with a confident step and nodded to Rainbow respectfully. Rainbow smiled a friendly challenge in return. Cor and Applejack had been discussing farm matters, but broke off when they neared the others. They fell in beside them, and together, the group continued along the trail.

There was virtually no talking among them and the tension and excitement was palpable as it built up in the group. They reached a wide, cleared space where the path led into the Woods and set up the equipment from Applejack’s saddlebag. Soon a blue ribbon stretched between two stakes and a set of many colored flags on either side marked the finish line. Cor, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack settled down to wait, waving as Jason, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight continued deeper into the woods.

“The two of you will start on my mark,” Twilight explained. “I’ll be the only one at the start because I can teleport to the finish in time to see the end.”

Jason nodded in understanding. Rainbow hardly acknowledged that she was listening. They walked on in silence for many long minutes. The branches at the tops of the trees swayed in a gentle wind and caused the shadows across the path to dance. The early morning chill faded as the sun warmed the air and earth around them. Several small animals gathered to watch them pass before scurrying away.

Rainbow noticed that Jason was paying a lot of attention to the Woods, his head turning every which way at once as if determined to miss nothing as he passed by. She could even hear him inhale deeply from time to time, followed by a contented sigh each time. It was a little weird, but then, so were some of her friends, so she dismissed it. Twilight seemed content to let the silence hang between them and Jason was too absorbed in his surroundings to say anything, so Dash decided to look around a bit herself.

It was a nice day for a race; thanks in no small part to Rainbow telling the weather team that if one drop of rain interrupted her while she was competing, she would hold them all personally responsible. Maybe it was a bit harsh though. She would try to remember to apologize to them later; after she won, of course.

The air smelled heavily of earth and bark and leaf which only served to invigorate her more. Her heart was beginning to pound in anticipation. Giddiness welled up inside her and she felt lighter than normal. The cool rush of adrenaline filled her, bringing the world into sharp focus. She smiled to herself as she thought of the feeling she would have when it was actually time to start. She couldn’t hold it in any longer without doing something so she broke the silence.

“Are you ready to see why they call me 'Dash'?" Rainbow teased playfully.

“Are you ready to let your legs do the talking?” Jason returned smugly.

Rainbow just grinned. She was starting to like this Unicorn’s attitude.

The sun peeked over the treetops precisely when Twilight signaled that they had arrived, lighting the whole scene with golden rays. She made a line in the path with chalk from her own saddlebag and stood to the side as the competitors took marks facing back the way they had come.

“It’s a straight shot all the way back,” Twilight began. “No forks or crossed paths and a clear trail the whole way. In this race, you must run the entire way. No shortcuts, magic, or flying. Are you both ready?”

“I was born ready!” Rainbow said.

She glanced over at Jason and saw that his eyes were closed. A ripple passed through his entire body as muscles clenched and relaxed. He took a deep breath and slid into a starting stance.

“Ready,” he said softly.

“Okay. On your marks!” Twilight’s horn lit up with a purple glow.

Rainbow dug her hooves into the soft dirt and gravel of the path.

“Get set!” Sparks of energy jumped from the end of Twilight’s horn as the spell built up.

Rainbow took a deep, steadying breath and locked her eyes forward. Her vision narrowed until only the path existed. Nothing else in the world mattered but the way forward and the buzz of magic that counted down the time until all the tension pent up inside her would be released in a burst of pure speed: Pure pleasure.

“GO!” A bang like a firecracker sounded as the spell erupted into the sky.

Like a snapping branch, everything went at once. Rainbow was around the first bend in the path before Twilight’s spell stopped echoing. It wasn’t the same as feeling the wind rippling through her feathers but the connection with the ground, the shock of her hooves against the pathway, produced an equivalent rush. Each time her hooves touched the ground, she was propelled farther; faster!

She was so lost in the thrill that she didn’t hear Jason churning the dirt right alongside her until his nose pushed forward into her peripheral vision. She pushed harder and he matched her pace. They rounded a bend neck and neck and Jason came out of it a nose ahead. Rainbow saw him keeping an eye on her as he controlled his speed. She feigned a slower pace long enough to get Jason to ease up before surging ahead.

He was with her almost instantly and now was smiling in amusement. Trunks flashed by as each fought for an advantage over the other. A curve to the right and Jason was ahead. A curve to the left and Rainbow was in the lead. Every time one pulled ahead, the other closed the gap and refused to let up.

Suddenly Jason put on a burst of speed that left Rainbow lagging badly. She kicked her pace up a couple of notches but almost immediately found herself careening into a sharp turn. Jason had already dropped back to take the turn more easily. A few patches of grass were torn up as Rainbow struggled to stay on the path but she managed to keep her footing.

Rainbow glanced over at Jason and found him grinning at her.

He did that on purpose! She thought. Now I really like his attitude.

She laughed out loud and crowded him toward the edge of the path. His grin widened and, just as he was about to be forced into some low-hanging branches, he jumped forward and rolled right across her back. Now on her left, he took advantage of her surprise and gained a length on her.

She fought to regain her position but he refused to give it up easily. By the time she had come back alongside him again, they were both visibly fatigued. Her breathing was ragged in her ears and her legs were beginning to grow weary. Each step shuddered through her body. Jason panted at her side, no longer wasting energy grinning or looking at her. Rainbow would have laughed again but it would have cost her badly needed energy.

He was starting to reach the point that the body wanted to give up. She was too, but she had a secret weapon: It only made her try harder to push herself. The only part of competition that she enjoyed more than winning was when she broke through that barrier in her mind and body that kept other athletes from going on. She would push herself to the breaking point and then push harder. It was the pinnacle of her competitive drive; to become better. Not just better than others but herself, better than she’d ever been before.

Keeping control of her pace, she stayed with him. Every turn, every step; they took them side by side. Rainbow’s hooves were throbbing from the hammering they had endured at this pace and Jason was obviously fighting his own battles with his body, but neither faltered. Their minds were bent on the path ahead and the competitor at their side. It was at that point that Jason pulled ahead dramatically. Rainbow was momentarily at a loss as to why he would do something like that or how he had the energy to do it.

That was when she realized the finish was just around the next corner. He had kept himself at a steady pace to save energy for a final sprint! She tightened her resolve and drew on her own reserve of strength kept for just this moment. He was ahead by four lengths when she started to close the gap again. She was still back by two lengths when they took the corner. The edge of the forest was in view now and their waiting friends could be seen cheering them on. No sound reached their ears through their determination.

She caught him as they broke from the trees. She was blind in the sudden light of leaving the Wood’s shade but it was a straight line from here and she poured on the last of her heart and soul to reach the finish. She didn’t know exactly how far it was she had gone but the ribbon that broke across her chest told her she’d gotten there first. Skidding to a halt, she forced herself not to fall over.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the light just as her friends’ voices broke through the fog in her mind. They crowded around her excitedly, shouting encouragement and congratulations. The words were lost to her but their intent was all too plain. She stood unsteadily in the center of them as they patted her back and hugged her. Her eyes found Jason lying in the grass, breathing heavily.

His chest rose and fell in massive breaths and his mouth was open wide to allow his lungs all the oxygen they could manage to take in. Cor stood beside him, asking questions that the other couldn’t yet answer. Rainbow walked over to them. She was somewhat dazed still by the sudden change in activity and her blood thundered through her head. Still, she managed to part her friends and approached her opponent.

“You…ran a…good race,” she spoke between panting breaths. “For a Unicorn.”

Jason turned his head toward her and, taking a steadying breath, responded. “You’re quite the runner yourself. For a Pegasus.”

They grinned at each other in exhausted respect. Jason raised a sportsmanlike hoof to her and she took it without hesitation. They shook once and broke away. Rainbow allowed herself to collapse at last, stretching her legs in the grass to relieve the aching.

One thing was for sure, she thought. She’d underestimated him. Maybe it was her opinion of Twilight as an egghead that had done it. In any case, he was a tough opponent and a real threat on the track. She decided that in the second race, she wouldn’t hold anything back.

~*~*~

Cor glanced at where Rainbow Dash had disappeared beneath her friends’ triumphant embrace. It had been close. Closer than Cor had thought it would be. A single pace had separated them at the end. He hadn’t expected Jason to win the first race hands down, but now he was beginning to have doubts that he could even win the second one.

Jason rolled over and pushed himself up as his breathing returned to normal. Cor gave him another second before trying to speak with him again.

“So, what do you think?”

Jason was silent for a minute.

“She’s got the guts to push herself hard. Really hard. I don’t know if I could have won that race. We were even the whole way. And this was the ground race. Her abilities in the air will be extraordinary to be sure.”

Cor waited for him to continue but he just stared off into space, lost in thought.

“Do you think you can win?” Cor said, bringing Jason back to reality.

“Of course I think I can.” Jason said dismissively. “Am I right? Maybe not. It will be interesting.”

“But you can’t lose this…can you?” Cor pressed.

“I’m going to win this one if there is a way to do it. If she’s so fast that not even I can beat her, she wins it fair and square and she’ll be duly congratulated. Otherwise,” Jason grinned mischievously. “I’ll need you to help me stay standing after I win. I’m putting everything I’ve got into this one.”

~*~*~

Noon had come and gone and the sun was sliding lower in the sky. The finish line had been reset and the racers were rested and ready to begin the second event. Rainbow joked and boasted extravagantly on the way back to the start point. Jason said little, but smiled to himself the whole way.

“You and I came close in the last one, but you’ve got to know this one will be nothing like it. It’ll be over as fast as that!” She illustrated her words with a sudden pounce and a flourish.

“Of that I have no doubt.” Jason replied.

Rainbow puzzled over that. What was his trick? He’d said specifically that he would run the whole way and she trusted him not to cheat. What could he possibly be hiding that made him so confident? She decided she would just have to make sure it didn’t matter.

“You might not have heard of me wherever you come from,” Rainbow rolled on. “But I’m the fastest Pegasus around. One time, when Twilight here first came to…”

“That’s enough Rainbow,” Twilight interrupted. “I’ve had enough of you talking up your win and I didn’t even lose to you.”

Rainbow trailed off into silence. She hadn’t meant to annoy her friend. She was just so energized by her win that she couldn’t contain herself. She had to do something and there wasn’t anything to do but talk until the next race started.

And it was about to start, she thought. Her body responded to the anticipation as it had before but now it fed on her recent victory as well. The combination was exhilarating. Despite this, she forced herself to remain quiet. She was struck by a sudden thought; maybe this was what Pinkie felt like. She always bounced around like she couldn’t sit still and talked so much it wore on everypony’s nerves. Was she constantly this ecstatic? It was a great feeling but Rainbow didn’t think she’d want to feel like this all the time.

They rounded the final bend and the start line came into view once more. Twilight redrew it to account for the dirt that had been kicked up in their last run. Rainbow stood looking back at the trail, reliving the last time through. Every twist and turn played out in her mind. She kept it fresh so that she would hardly have to think about it this time.

Jason appeared to be preparing himself mentally as well. He stood perfectly still with his eyes closed. His breathing was deep and slow. A wave of tan energy washed over him and dissipated. He smiled and opened his eyes.

They both stepped up to the line at Twilight’s urging. Rainbow sank into a low crouch and unfolded her wings. She beat them once in show before setting them high over her back in readiness. Just as before, she saw Jason’s body shudder and slide into his own starting position.

“Ready?” Twilight asked.

Rainbow gave a barely perceptible nod. Jason made a low humming sound as an affirmative. Their eyes locked forward, their concentration too focused to give more attention to their responses, both waited for the release.

“Alright. On you marks!” She started to charge her spell.

Rainbow felt the cool rush of adrenaline course through her once more.

This time, she thought to herself.

“Get set!” Twilight’s voice cut through the silence of the forest like a knife but only managed to be heard as a whisper in the thunder of the racers’ heads.

This time, I'm going to show this Unicorn real speed.

The exact moment Twilight yelled “Go!” Rainbow Dash literally exploded into motion. The shockwave of the Sonic Rainboom bent the trunks and whipped the branches of the trees to either side of the path, a prism of color lighting up the sky behind her. Her wings snapped smoothly from one position to the next as she took each corner. Her hooves, extended out in front and back of her, whistled in the air currents. The ground stayed within feet of her as she blazed down the path.

It was ecstasy. She was pushing her speed to the limit. The constant change in the landscape in front of her as trees blurred past made it seem as if she were moving faster than she could in the open sky. Each point of reference was there and gone in the same instant. She reveled in it all. Her heart hammered from excitement as much as exertion. Shifting her wings closer to her body for more maneuverability, she prepared to take several quick, sharp corners. A slight air current from behind brushed her but she didn’t pay any attention. Nothing mattered except the rush, the thrill.

As she came out of the curves, she spread her wings back to their full span and rippled the air with each powerful beat. She figured that she wasn’t going to have an excuse to go this fast for a while so she might as well milk the moment for every drop of enjoyment she could. Come to think of it, when did she need an excuse to go faster? The thought only made her feel more wild and unbound and she poured on the speed with renewed vigor.

The low hanging branches she’d tried to steer Jason into came and went without obstructing her. She laughed out loud at the thought. She wondered for the first time where he was; if he hadn’t in fact just given up when he saw her speeding away ahead of him. She didn’t like to think she wasn’t even racing him anymore. She didn’t feel good about the possibility of making him feel bad about losing either, but he’d challenged her so it was all part of the game.

Another corner faded away behind her and she recognized where she was. She was only a turn from the finish. She’d known it would be a fast race but now that it was almost over, she couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of disappointment. She shook it off quickly and took the final stretch at break-neck speed.

When the finish came into view, she smiled. She’d hold her speed right up to the end and stop dramatically just past the line. It was showy, but she kind of liked showy. Then her mouth dropped open so far that it looked like it had fallen off her face. Coming to a grinding halt, she couldn’t believe what she saw.

In the midst of the commotion at the finish line, framed by the broken ends of the tape, was Jason. Rainbow’s heart just about stopped as she watched her friends crowded around him in wonder. She walked slowly in to where they were gathered.

“That was the most incredible, indescribable, completely-mindblowingly-outofthisworld-able thing I’ve ever seen EVER!” Pinkie shouted as she threw herself into the air repeatedly.

“I don’t even know if I believe it,” Twilight said with a light laugh. “And I was there when he took off and here when he finished.”

“It really was quite a surprise,” Rarity commented. “We hardly had time to see you as you approached. It was really something.

“Um, guys?” Rainbow mumbled. None of them seemed to hear her.

“I’d have never thought it was possible for somepony to beat Rainbow but…” Applejack broke off as she noticed Rainbow for the first time. “Oh! Rainbow Dash!”

Everypony turned to her with somewhat guilty expressions. Dash could only stand in shocked silence as she tried to find the words. Jason stepped forward but seemed unsteady. Jason’s eyes had a hard time focusing on her and he stumbled slightly. His smile was shaky but sincere.

“It was a…good race.” He hesitated a bit before finishing. He seemed to be having difficulty concentrating.

“But…but how…I never even saw you!” Rainbow managed in a voice riddled with confusion and hurt.

With a visible effort, Jason pulled his expression together and spoke normally.

“You didn’t? Then my plan worked.”

“You can’t have run the whole way!” Rainbow raised her voice indignantly. “You can’t have run that fast!”

“He did,” Twilight broke in. “I saw him. On the subject of what I saw though, would you care to explain how exactly you did that?” Twilight turned to Jason and everypony followed suit.

Jason nodded seriously. “I have trained for years to master an ability that allows me to warp time around me. While everyone else sees time at normal speed, I see it at a much slower rate. I’m able to react quicker to things around me and do things before those around me can react. I still see myself move at a normal pace so I did honestly run the whole way myself. It took just as long by my perspective, but to all of yours, it was much faster.”

“Now that’s an ability!” Twilight said, engrossed in the concept of such magic. “How much can you slow down time?”

“Almost to a standstill,” Jason responded. He paused to catch his balance, which he had inexplicably lost again. “The only drawback is that the more I attempt to slow time, the more effort it takes. On that subject, I…may have….”

Jason fell flat on his face, unconscious. For a whole second, nopony moved. Then Cor sighed and stepped forward.

“He’s fine.”

Doubtful looks greeted his words.

“No, really. I’ve seen this before.” He looked down at Jason. “Too many times it seems.”

“What happened to him though?” Applejack asked anxiously.

“Like he said,” Cor explained as he pulled Jason into a more dignified position. “It takes greater effort the more he slows time. He’s been known to push it so hard that he knocks himself out. He told me he was going to do it before the race started.”

“So he used magic to make time go slower and then he could run faster?” Rainbow hovered just off the ground with crossed hooves. “That seems like cheating.”

“And just what in the hay was he supposed to do against you and your wings?” Applejack returned crossly. “We saw and heard that Sonic Rainboom. It wasn’t as if anything on four legs should have been able to keep up. He managed it somehow and he deserves some credit for it.”

“Are you just taking his side because of our race?”

“No,” Applejack said. “It’s only fair. The rules were put down at the start. Ya’ll should’ve accounted for him havin’ a trick or two.”

Rainbow huffed moodily.

“Now Rainbow Dash,” Rarity admonished. “Try to look at the brighter side of it. You were both marvelous. Each of you had one win. And besides, it was all in good fun, right?”

“Yeah, sure.” Rainbow landed and turned away dejectedly. “I just hate losing.”

“I can’t think of anyone that enjoys it,” Cor pointed out. “It’s good to lose every once in a while anyway. It shows you that there’s still someone out there who can give you a challenge.”

Rainbow looked at him skeptically.

“At least that’s how I look at it,” Cor finished somewhat lamely.

Rainbow sighed. “Yeah, I guess. And it was a good race.”

She looked around at her friends expectantly.

“It certainly was,” Twilight said. “And your Sonic Rainboom was flawless; starting from a standstill no less.”

“And if the Wonderbolts had seen it,” Dash went on. “They’d have insisted that I sign on right away!”

“Right after they got done signin’ Jason up,” Applejack amended.

“But…he’s got no wings…,” Rainbow said, struggling to find the logic.

Rainbow’s friends burst out laughing. After a moment Dash joined in herself. Cor chuckled as he hoisted Jason over his back. The finish line was packed up and the group turned toward home. Cor watched them walking ahead of him, laughing and joking about the day’s excitement. He felt detached from it, as if he hadn’t been part of it at all. He’d only been a spectator after all. This wasn’t even his world.

And yet…

There was something there: A bond of some sort. It had been a while since a group of strangers had begun to feel so familiar. As he and Applejack had walked out here, they had talked openly. It didn’t matter how different they were when they had interests that matched. In fact, as they had waited for the races to begin, they’d all chatted pleasantly. It was a sharp contrast to the way he’d been lately; closed, curt, and on edge. Now these ponies had helped him realize what a relief it was to be relaxed around others. He could almost call them his friends.

Thinking of friends, Cor became aware of how long it had been since he’d seen Zacon. What was it now? A day? Two? Far too long in any case. There was no telling what kind of trouble he could have gotten into. As the town came back into view, he half expected to see smoke rising from the rooftops. Of course, no such sight greeted him.

Jason shifted slightly, reminding Cor that he wasn’t done with his current predicament. He decided that if Zacon had been on his own for this long, he could wait another hour for Jason’s sake.