6. Fast vs Furious
Chapter 6-Fast vs Furious
Rainbow woke before the sun, ready to show that Firefly who the best flier in Equestria was. After all, Rainbow was the only pegasus in recorded history to fly so fast she made her friends go through puberty simultaneously from three cities away!
Mac had rolled over in his sleep, his broad back nearly blocking out the sun shining through her window. She yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she got to her hooves and headed into her bathroom to shower. Her wings were certainly sore from yesterday, but it was as she had expected. Morning wings aside, the hot water soothed and relaxed her aching appendages, readying them for another hard day of agility drills and maneuvering.
Rolling over, Mac felt he was alone in Rainbow's bed. Cracking his eyelids, he noticed a light shining from beneath the bathroom door. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and settled his hooves on her cloudy floor before realizing they sank right through the soft material. Scrambling to get a hold of something, he grabbed onto the footboard of her bed, half of his torso dangling from her house. Apparently this batch of lightness potion lacked the potency of the others he had bought. He'd certainly have a word with shopkeeper about this later.
"Rainbow!" he called frantically before losing his grip on the bed and falling through the floor completely, the only thing saving him from crashing to the ground being the rope ladder he had managed to tangle himself up in that still hung from her house.
She ain't gonna be too happy 'bout th' hole in the floor... he thought as he hung upside down, the rope having tangled in his hind legs as he swayed in the gentle morning breeze.
After she had showered, Dash stepped out of her bathroom, and right into the hole Mac had made. Luckily, Mac was in a position beneath the house to catch her in his forelegs as she realized what had happened.
"You forgot to take the rest of the potion before you went to bed last night, didn't you?" she asked flatly, as they both hung upside down from underneath her house. Macintosh couldn't help but laugh.
"Eeyup. This batch was 'sposed ta last till noon today."
Rainbow smiled. It was kind of funny.
"So, ya think ya could help me down?" Mac asked, "The blood's startin' ta pool in my head."
Rainbow turned to the even more red than usual stallion, and smirked. “I dunno. I can think of a few reasons to keep you here.”
Macintosh gave her a deadpan look, or at least as much as he could muster hanging upside down a hundred feet in the air. “Please don’t joke about that.”
Dash sighed. “Spoilsport. You’re just lucky I can fly.”
A few moments later, they were both safely on the ground, and untangled from the ladder.
"Good luck at tryouts today," he said, cricking his neck from side to side. "Don't let that Firefly get to ya."
She gave him a quick peck on the lips. "Don't worry, I'll be alright," she smiled, taking off towards Cloudsdale in the pre-dawn darkness, as Mac set off to the farm to gather his tool belt. He knew of a certain shy pegasus whose chicken coop needed some attention.
Upon arrival at the farm, he found Applejack waiting for him on the porch with Winona. "Well hey there, Romeo," she teased, having just finished up her chores, the sweat on her brow glistening in the light of the lantern on their porch. "How's Rainbow?"
Mac blushed. He knew his sister was proud she had been indirectly responsible for their relationship, but it still got somewhat tiresome to be reminded of it every time he would return from visiting her.
"She's fine," he answered. "Ya know, it probably wouldn't hurt you to have a special somepony either."
Applejacks cheeks immediately lit a blazing red. "Ah don't need none 'a that mess," she replied quickly, petting Winona nervously.
"C'mon Applejack," he said, passing her as he walked toward the barn, "No mare is an island."
"Don't you worry about me, Macintosh," she called as he disappeared around the corner.
He had no time for his sister's nonsense today. In fact, he had half a mind to sic Applebloom and her friends on her romantic life, like they'd done with him. A smile cracked his lips at the thought, though he'd never do that to his sister... without good reason, anyway.
Rooting around in the barn for his tools, he quickly located his belt, but none of the items supposed to be populating it. "Applebloom!" he called into the upper loft of the barn. "What'd ya do with my tools?" It was bad enough he would have to deal with the potential awkwardness of being around Fluttershy after their little 'moment' a while back, and now he had to track down his stuff.
"Ah didn't touch yer tools!" she called back, none too happy about being accused.
"Well Ah know Granny Smith ain't touched 'em, and Applejack ain't touched 'em!" he replied, "So who does that leave?"
"Ah don't know nothin' 'bout your tools! Ah'm going ta school now!" his little sister added, trotting down the ramp to the loft with her saddlebags.
"Bye Macintosh!" she chimed, giving him a peck on the cheek before leaving to meet her friends on their usual walk to school.
Typical, Mac thought, scouring the barn for his tools, knowing that if Applebloom and her friends got their hooves on them, there was no telling where they might have ended up. After a half hour of digging through hay piles and investigating the most unlikely of places, he finally found what he needed.
"Where ya headin' lookin' like that?" Applejack asked, entering the barn just as he was leaving. She began loading the apple preserves into her cart for a day of sales in the town square.
"I have it on good authority that Ms. Fluttershy's chicken coop could use some attention."
Applejack nodded, stopping her work and trotting back his way. "If your headin' that way, take her these apple fritters. Ah made 'em after she fixed Daisy Jo up after her spell of hay fever," she set a basket at his hooves as he took the handle in his mouth.
"Ahright" he managed, setting off toward the edge of the Everfree forest. It wasn't chocolate, as Twilight advised, but it was food.
The trail wasn't a long walk, but long enough to give him ample time to consider how uncomfortable the next few hours might be. The smell of the warm baked goods temporarily took his mind off of Fluttershy and onto how hungry he was. He'd forgotten to eat breakfast, and now his stomach was quick to punish him with a sharp rumble.
He pressed on, knowing he had a job to do. Macintosh kept his steady pace, noting the heat of the sun burning the morning fog and dew away. In the sunlight shown a small, earthy cottage. He noticed a canary yellow form out front, standing at the entrance to the chicken coop he'd be repairing.
She noticed him as well, blushing as he'd expect, but thankful she didn't turn tail and run.
"H-hello Mac, I've had Twilight's doll ready for some time, I was wondering when you were coming for it."
Mac smiled, setting the sweet smelling pastries down at her hooves. "These are from Applejack and I, for healin' Daisy Jo."
"They smell delicious," Fluttershy gasped as she inhaled, giving the basket to Angel to put inside the house.
"The doll isn't th' only reason Ah'm here," he said, taking a look at her coop. "Ah understand your hen house could use some repairs?"
"Oh my, yes, the hens have been very worried about their eggs," she said as they both took a look inside. "Just last week, Josephine lost two eggs to a hole in the floor."
"Well, we can't have that," he added, sizing up the job at hoof. "Ah'd be happy ta fix it up for ya."
Fluttershy blushed, thanking Mac for his generous offer. Her father had built it for her when she first moved in, but it had since fallen into disrepair without the proper upkeep.
"Thank you, Macintosh. I'll get Twilight's doll for you," she said, fluttering into her house while Macintosh began his repairs.
After five minutes, she returned with the item, but decided she didn't want to interrupt Mac while he was working. She laid in the grass, Angel next to her with the doll between her forelegs. She didn't have too much to do today, so there was no reason she couldn't relax a bit and enjoy Mac's company, even though he was just as quiet as she.
After a few hours, the coop looked nothing like it had before. The roof had been fixed, the holes mended, and the legs stabilized. All in all, Mac was pleased with the result, as was Fluttershy.
"Thank you so much Big Macintosh," she said in her usual soft tone, bringing with her two plates from inside with the food he had brought on them.
"Angel and I couldn't possibly eat all these ourselves," she admitted, giving Mac a welcome sight since he had smelled them on the way over.
"Thank ya kindly Ms. Fluttershy."
"Mac, you don't have to call me Ms... unless you just want to..."
"Sorry," he grinned, taking a bite of his only breakfast.
Mac sat Smarty Pants on his back, strapped securely to his tool belt before Fluttershy shattered his hope to avoid any awkward topics of conversation.
"Mac, can I uhm... ask you something?" she began, her voice nearly ending in a whisper, even though there were no others around.
"Sure," he answered, somewhat reassured that there was nothing more awkward than what happened last time.
Well, nothin' could possibly be more uncomfortable than a confession of love, and that's already happened. At least Ah don't have to worry about anything like that, he thought.
"Why do you like Rainbow Dash?"
Mac sighed. Caught completely off guard, he took another bite of his apple fritter to buy himself some time to think.
"Ah... uh..." he shifted nervously on his hooves. The breaking of his normally cool and stoic demeanor taking Fluttershy a bit by surprise.
His mind raced trying to nail down a particular reason he had fallen for the brash young stunt flier in the first place.
Horseapples! Rainbow would kill me if she knew it was takin' me this long ta say somethin'! he thought, panic rising as he knew he'd have to say something. He knew one of the reasons he was attracted to her in the first place was her passion for doing what she loved... but was that it? An infatuation with an attitude, rather than the mare behind it? He banished the thought before managing an answer.
"Ah... Ah don't know," he whispered, almost too quiet for her to catch. The look on his face suggested he'd had quite the epiphany. "Ah just know Ah do," he completed quickly, so as not to give Fluttershy the wrong idea.
"Uhm... okay," she stuttered, expecting a more precise response. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you I'm... uhm... happy for you." she admitted, shying away from his gaze behind her mane.
"Thanks, Fluttershy." Mac nodded, departing as his thoughts were occupied by only one question.
Why couldn't Ah think of anythin'?
His hooves continued, one after the other absentmindedly ahead of him as he made his way home. So distracted by his conscience, he failed to notice his littlest sister calling for him, being trailed by her two friends. On another cutie mark crusade, no doubt.
"Big Mac!" Applebloom shouted, skidding to a halt in front of her brother. "We need your acetylene torch ta get our cutie marks!" she panted, her companions catching up to her and echoing her request. The dirt on their coats and bruises suggested they'd spent most of their morning crusading. It looked like Scootaloo needed to start wearing a helmet, a sizable purple whelp above her bright eyes.
Even though they promised to be careful with it, Mac had to put the breaks on their brilliant plan.
"But Rarity let us use her scissors on our last crusade!"
"Scissors and torches ain't in the same league, missy," he answered calmly, managing to push the rather shaking thoughts from his head.
Advising his sibling to try to earn a more flame retardant cutie mark, her friends hopped on the back of Scootaloo's scooter, waving goodbye to him before taking off down the dirt road.
Mac smiled. Though his sister and her friends caused trouble most of the time, he still enjoyed helping them crusade. When it didn't involve property damage or poisoning him and their teacher. He returned to the barn to find Applejack napping on a hay bail, her hat resting over her eyes. A sprig of wheat poked out from beneath it as her soft snores assured Mac she wasn't just resting.
He returned his tool belt to its proper place on the wall, casting a glance back at his sleeping eldest sister. A glint of metal peeked out from beneath AJ's makeshift bedding. It was his torch. It appeared the crusaders had come to Applejack first, then pled their case to him after she shut them down. He reached for Twilight's doll, carrying it in his mouth as he silently stepped away from the farm towards the studious young mare's home.
First elimination heat of the day. Bring it. Rainbow began her stretches, keeping a sharp eye out for her new rival. She'd put that punk in her place today, she was certain of that.
Maybe she didn't have the stones to show up today. Probably crying in bed about how much her wings hurt— her inner monologue abruptly ended when an all too familiar voice spoke up behind her.
"Well, if it isn't grandma. Joints aren't too stiff to fly, are they?" Firefly sneered. Rainbow casually turned around, a glare across her normally confident features.
"I hope you're ready for the flank kicking I'm about to put on you," Rainbow growled, stepping closer to her. "I'm going to run you into the ground!"
Firefly smiled, "Yeah, I bet you will."
Rainbow shot her a confused stare before Spitfire and Soarin ordered the remaining recruits to fall in for roll call.
After splitting themselves up between genders, Spitfire announced the rules of the first heat. "Of the ten of you left yesterday, I see you all returned to continue towards your goal. While admirable, know that half of you will be going home today in the next few minutes." she warned gravely, Rainbow and Firefly catching each other's eyes from across the group.
"This heat is simple. No weights, nothing but pure speed. The first five to reach the outer layers of Cloudsdale will move on. Take your marks! Get set! Go!"
Rainbow and Firefly took off to an early lead, one that they would hold for the rest of the race. Firefly was neck and neck with Dash, though she was only letting her believe she was as fast. Rainbow pushed herself as she began to pull away from her rival. Glancing back, she noticed Firefly begin to slowly catch up to her.
No way! She can't be that fast!
Dash had only one option. Time to show these amateurs what the title 'Best Young Flier' meant. She pushed herself toward the mach threshold, the familiar air cone forming around her. She gave a cursory glance behind her, sure that there would be nothing to her rear but empty sky. Instead, Firefly was no more than a few seconds behind her, a mach cone of her own forming around her as she gained on Rainbow.
I'm not losing to you! Dash thought, ready to perform a sonic rainboom to hold her lead if necessary. It wasn't cheating, but it certainly wasn't fair. Before she had a chance to perform her signature move, Firefly pulled along side her. Rainbow shot a glare at her, before noticing she had a smile on her face, seeming to mouth the words 'goodbye' as she threw her shoulder into Rainbow's ribs, nearly knocking the wind out of her. The impact shook her, but didn't knock her out of the race. In fact, Rainbow had never felt more furious at that moment than she had in her entire life.
Firefly had gained about ten feet on her as the checkered flag became visible in the distance where Spitfire and Soarin waited.
"I'll kill you!" Rainbow roared, nearing sonic rainboom velocity as she slammed her shoulder as hard as she could into Firefly's side, the audible exhale bringing a grin of sadistic pleasure to Dash's lips as the both fell from the sky. On their way down, they both fought with each other, biting and throwing hooves like two drunks brawling in the street as they tumbled towards the city below.
Tangled in each other, they fell just across the finish line, both potentially tying for first place while the other pegasi crossed the line. Neither heard Spitfire's angry swears as they continued their scuffle on the ground, Rainbow eventually finding her way on top of Firefly, a foreleg raised to deliver a crushing punch before another hoof stopped her.
"Break it up! Now!" Spitfire demanded, yanking Rainbow off of Firefly while Soarin dragged her away from Dash.
"Soarin, continue the tryouts with my group." Spitfire snapped, a fury in her eyes the likes of which Rainbow had never seen. "You two," she paused, allowing the two would be brawlers to realize just how much trouble they were in. "Come with me. Now."
"But she tried to knock me out of the race!" Rainbow pled, as Firefly cut in.
"You saw her attack me! She was just mad she wasn't as fast as—"
"Both of you shut the buck up!" Spitfire growled, leading them away from the group before demanding they both take a seat.
"Fighting? Are you two still foals?"
Neither answered, both studying their hooves in shame.
"Spitfire, you have to believe me! I was going to win, and she hit me in the ribs!" Dash said again, Firefly following her claim with one of her own.
"She told me she was going to run me into the ground before the race! I thought Rainbow Dash had more respect for the Wonderbolts than to try and win by cheating!"
"That's a lie and you know it!" Dash shouted back, anger rising in the pit of her stomach.
"What did I tell you two about fighting?" Spitfire growled, restoring order. "If you two weren't the best mares we've got in this recruiting class, you'd have been out on your asses five minutes ago!"
"It wasn't my fault! Spitfire, you've got to believe me!" Rainbow repeated, praying any clout their working relationship had would help Spitfire realize she was telling the truth.
"All I saw was you attacking Firefly, Dash," she answered, to which Firefly grinned.
"But, if you say that's what happened, I'll overlook this whole incident. On one condition."
"Name it," Dash added.
"If I even think you two are having problems, I'll make sure you never have anything to do with the Wonderbolts again." Both jaws nearly hit the floor.
"Do I make myself clear?" Spitfire whispered gravely.
"Yes ma'am," they responded in unison.
"Now both of you get back over there, and remember; one slip up like this again, and you're both out."
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Wow, I have to say I don't really like Firefly at all here, she is playing way too dirty.
Nice to see that the food and the chicken coop fixing doesn't appear to have turn this story into a love triangle.
yeah, fuck 'er up rainbow
749656 Yeah, I'm playing her hostility up quite a bit, but I assure you there is a reason for it.
What if... Firefly is Rainbow's long-lost sister?
Wow. What a bitch. ... Not sure if I'm talking about Firefly for being so far up herself she can stare out her mouth, or Spitfire for repeatedly failing at her job and blaming Dashie. Maybe both. Seriously though, I think if FF so easily resorts to cheating, she'd probably be taking some kind of drug to give her yet another unfair advantage.
Regardless, this is still a great story and I'm still enjoying it.
Dang that was intense
After all, Rainbow was the only pegasus in recorded history to fly so fast she made her friends go through puberty simultaneously from three cities away!
THIS. FUCKING. LINE.
Man, who knew Spitfire could be so stone cold
I wish I could thumbs up this story more than once.
749681
Does she want to get nuked? 'Cause I think she wants to get nuked.
Is she going to get nuked? 'Cause I think she's going to get nuked.
Is she gonna cry when she gets nuked? 'Cause I think she's gonna cry when she gets nuked.
Going-to-cry-when-she-gets-nuked pony might be quick, but she can't pull off the SONIC RAINBOOM. This is evidenced by the fact that she needed to cheat to win.
Also, how is the 'Boom not fair? It's a race, and if a pegasus manages to go fast enough to break the sound barrier it should hardly be considered a breach of the rules. And if a certain pony-who-wants-to-get-nuked ends up getting nuked in the resulting several-megaton explosion, who's to say she wasn't just stupid or suicidal? Or both?
749825 when it comes to her job, she's all business.
749681
Wait, let me guess. Is Firefly a changeling? Celestia in disguise trying to teach Rainbow a lesson? Evil Alternate Universe Rainbow Dash? Trixie? That's it, I bet Firefly is actually Trixie somehow.
I'm a little surprised that there's no rule against strafing. The race was supposed to see who was the fastest and strafing doesn't exactly tell you that. Oh well, still smart on Firefly to use it.
749840 It's not fair because it would be equivalent to pitting a ferrari against a fleet of mid range sedans.
This is such a beast ass story!!
Spitfire channeling a little Samuel Jackson in this chapter. This pleases me.
After all, Rainbow was the only pegasus in recorded history to fly so fast she made her friends go through puberty simultaneously from three cities away!
This would be a great time for Rainbow to learn PACIFISM
I sence a story-long rivalry brewing, and another night of ranting that Mac has to endure.
You've got an awkward tense change at the beginning of the third paragraph. I think it should be 'Mac felt he was alone'.
And then it's a hay bale.
Other than that, excellent story!
pulls out henry .44 If Firefly does anything more she is gonna have some drainage problems... Racks the lever action
wow. good job
749757 Agreed. This line is the best description of Rainbow Dash ever.
i hate that bitch so much!
keep up the good work!
"If your headin' that way, take her these apple fritters. Ah made 'em after she fixed Daisy Jo up after her spell of hay fever."
Is that a send out to All-American Girl?
Screw you Firefly!!!
I am pretty sure all that selfishness and compulsive lying is going to be Frefly's doom. The wonderbolts are a team, they need to work together. Rainbow can do that but Firefly obviously has problems with the concepts of "loyalty" and "team-work"
749940
To continue the metaphor: If you're trying to find out which car to pick for a racing team, surely not using the 'boom is the equivalent of the Ferrari driver humouring everyone else by pretending they have a chance.
749757
One of the best lines ever.
I agree.
749940
Then maybe the sedans shouldn't be in a race, then? It's one thing if it was about maneuverability and such, but this race was a race of speed only, simply seeing who can cross the finish line fastest. In that case, going Rainboom velocity wouldn't be cheating anymore than a F-22A hitting the afterburners to leave the Cessnas in the dust.
But meh, it's your story, man. Just sayin' this one time, it actually wouldn't be unfair. Otherwise this was a great chapter and I love the proverbial Sword of Damocles dangling over Dashie's head now. I can hardly wait to see how Firefly abuses that to her advantage, especially since she seems to have a knack for doing things where Spitfire can't see 'em.
Good stuff, and I can hardly wait to see RD blast through all the obstacles and ream the competition. OR, whatever else you have happen.
749940
I am okay with this metaphor because Rainbow Dash is clearly the Ferrari.
Where I'm from, "fixing her henhouse" is generally a euphemism for...um...tending to the henhouse's owner. I had to stop reading a few times from all the laughing whenever that came up!
Firely needing to cheat! Not sure if its because she can't sonic boom or because she dindn't wan't Dash to know she could. I'm guessing the former Because Dash always wins. True story.
750692
Would you even be able to hit a pegasus that high up flying at near mach speeds with that thing?
753527 yes... can you hit a jet flyin past mach one with a rocket?
753569
I couldn't. But I couldn't hit the broadside of the Apple family barn with the party cannon.
But the Henry is chambered for .44 rimfire cartridges with about 25 grains of gunpowder. Not exactly known for its range, I would think a high flying, high speed object would be outside its effective range.
This conversation suddenly strikes me as out of place.
Rainbow was the only pegasus in recorded history to fly so fast she made her friends go through puberty simultaneously from three cities away!
From that line alone, I could tell this was going to be a good chapter. And boy, was it!
Amazing as always
753602 Really? lol And I just noticed you know more about this then i do... I give up!
753849
I totally got all that from wikipedia.
"Ah didn't touch yer tools!"
profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/158018_175472722464364_2779440_n.jpg
The reason I believe it to be for the speed and aggression is too obvious
I think you mean Welt or Wheal, rather than Whelp.
Welts (and wheals, being a less used version of the same word) are Small damages to the skin, Typically resulting in raised marks (which can easily be mistaken for scars or marks from far larger injuries. It can make people veryy worried if you accidently stick your arm in a fan and get a bunch of these around your wrist. .Ask me how I know this)
Whelps, on the other hand, are young, carnivorous mammals, most typically puppies. And while the mental image of Scootaloo with a puppy on her face is aD'AAAAWWWWable, I doubt a Helmet would help her one way or another (also make me wonder why they'd need a Welding torch as Cutiemark Crusader Animalcareres (yay). Though if they were CMC Fluttershy Disgard and replacers, I could probably think of half a Dozen reasons)
749841 Good point
Rainbow x Firefly + catfight = good times had by all.
I believe the appropriate term here is "Well, buck".
Something deep in my mind tells me that Firefly is gonna try to do something to Big Mac to get Rainbow out of the way, whether that's hurting him or romancing him.
Or maybe I'm just insane.
Man, FUCK Firefly!
Okay, I get that the race was big, and I laughed out loud at the line about causing her friends to go through puberty from three cities away, but seriously, how has no one been talking about this? :
"Sure," he answered, somewhat reassured that there was nothing more awkward than what happened last time.
Me: He's about to stand corrected again, isn't he?
*I keep reading further, and see awkwardness return in all its glory*
Me: I saw that coming so hard. AND IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.
There will be knives
dun dun dun!!!
fuckin firefly ima fuckin kill her. just watch ur sorry ass when this whole competition is over firefly cause rd is soo gonna kill you!!!
