Episode 10 - Faster than a Speeding Pegasus
Episode 10 - Faster than a Speeding Pegasus
The town square was particularly packed today. Repairs had been going smoothly, and many of the buildings had begun to take their original shape from before the storm. Yet many still stood broken and falling apart, crumbling under their own weight and deemed unsafe. Priorities had been shifted to leave any critically damaged buildings alone in favour of ones that could be easily repaired, with any that had heavy damage cordoned off in case they collapsed any further.
It was decided that any buildings of questionable integrity would be torn down in order to make the area safer. And now that lighter repairs had been done, the real work could begin. Applejack had volunteered to oversee the demolition, with Peter also volunteering to help do it. He figured that if anything should go wrong, then at least there would be a smaller chance of someone getting hurt. However, today was a particularly sunny day, with children roaming around very close to demolition zones. Thankfully, the adults were at least keeping an eye on them. Though this didn't stop Applejack from checking the area herself each time a building was brought down.
Fluttershy and Pinkie observed from a safe distance, along with the Cake twins and the wolf pup that had been rescued a few days ago, though it was mostly so all of them could see Peter at work. While the other workers seemed to take random swings until the building fell, he was going at particular spots and removing chunks of material until things caved in on itself. Not only that, but he was doing twice the work of everyone else and showed no signs of fatigue. Rather impressive. It did leave Applejack perplexed. She had never seen someone work so much and not have a drop of sweat on them. She hadn't even seen him take a single break either.
"Hey Pete, why don't you take a break for a while?"
Broken out of his concentration, Peter looked over, confused at the request. "I can keep going for a little longer AJ. Once I've got a few more done, I'll call it there." Even if he was showing no signs of slowing down, Applejack was growing concerned. "I know you probably could Pete, but that's not the issue here. I'm only asking that you take a few minutes to get some rest. OK?"
Given that she had asked rather nicely, Peter felt it was only right to abide by her request. It was possibly for the best, as even he realised that he had been doing this for far too long to look normal. And it was clear that Applejack had noticed it too.
"I'm not sure how things work where you come from Pete, but here we work as a team, and that means listening to instructions. You agreed to do this job, so you agree to listen to ma instructions. Got it?"
It had been a while since someone had laid down the law like that to him. But he was very much aware that he was in the wrong. "Sorry AJ. I promise it won't happen again. I guess it’s…been a while since I've had to be a team player."
The apology at least felt genuine. Now she felt guilty. "I get that. But that won't fly here. In this town, we all march to the same beat when we all work together. But I'm sorry for snapping at ya. Just take a few minutes and I'll let ya get back to it."
As Peter walked off with the other girls, Applejack took in a deep breath. The last few days had begun to weigh down on her. Her hometown had been battered and broken, and she had agreed to help pick up the pieces. And now there was Peter, his reserves of stamina beginning to concern her, to add to the pile. But her worries were far from over, as Applebloom came rushing over.
"Applejack! Come quick! It's Rainbow Dash. She's fallen unconscious."
The distressed farm girl couldn't help but feel that someone or something had it out for her at this point. Following her little sister, Applejack could see the individual in question, splayed out on the floor, snoring loudly. She appeared fine, though quite dishevelled. In her arms were pieces of paper. Gently taking them, Applejack could see that they were messages meant for other areas in town, giving instructions and tasks. It was clear what happened.
"Looks like Dash has been running messages all over town. I wonder how long she's been going for?"
Her friend's multicoloured hair was unkempt and dirty, as if to suggest she hadn't showered in days. What’s she been doing this whole time? "Dash? Come on, it's time to wake up." No response came, which was starting to become a concern. Of all the things to happen today, Applejack did not need this. "Dash, come on! Please get up!"
After a little incentivising, Rainbow Dash finally opened her eyes. Still shielding her eyes from the piercing sunlight, she got to her feet rather sluggishly. "Where the heck am I?" Taking an arm for support, Applejack steadied her friend as she found her footing. "In the middle of town. You fell asleep. Don't you remember?" Still trying to wrestle her brain from its slumber, Dash willed herself to recall the past few hours. "No, not really. I can remember doing my rounds, and then nothing."
Concern grew within Applejack. Rainbow Dash was one of, if not THE most, accomplished athletes she knew. And yet here she was - exhausted mentally and physically. What really concerned her was that Dash seemed to be staring off into space, her attention span clearly nonexistent. Another thing lacking was her sense of self preservation.
"I… I gotta… get back… to work. Gotta keep supplies moving."
Feebly trying to extend her wings, Dash attempted to take flight, but could only hop into the air before coming back down. She wasn't going anywhere, despite her best efforts. More and more she tried to take off, but was finally talked down by Applejack.
"Dash, yer exhausted. I had no idea you were pushin’ yerself so hard. If I did, I could have had someone swap in with ya."
This didn't set well with Dash, some semblance of pride still shining through despite her sleep deprived state. "You don't get it. All this is on me. We couldn't stop that storm. I… couldn't stop that storm. I gotta make it right somehow."
Arrogantly, Dash once again attempted to take off, only this time she fell face first into the ground, her exhaustion finally overtaking her. Several townsfolk rushed to her side to check on her, with Applejack kneeling beside her to pick her up.
"Dash, are you alright?!"
A light snoring was all that could be heard. It seemed that she had just fallen asleep again. A relief for sure. All Applejack had to do was get her to a bed and let her rest. With no effort at all, she picked up her friend and carried her to one of the medical tents that were still in operation. While most had already been taken, the one in the centre of town remained open until repairs were over. With many of the beds now available, Applejack carefully placed Dash down, making sure her head touched down softly.
"You best stay there, or else I'll set Fluttershy on ya."
***
The day was coming to an end. Many of the townsfolk had begun to finish off any work they had done throughout the day and head home. Within a few hours of sunset, the town centre had emptied, leaving only a few stragglers. Still under supervision, Peter was breaking down larger pieces of debris to be disposed of later on, while Applejack looked on making sure no one else got close just in case. Pinkie and Fluttershy were close by, the Cake twins fast asleep in their arms. A little ways from them was Applebloom, playing chase alongside two other young girls. Applejack paid special care to all three of them.
She was about to call out to Peter, signalling that the day was over when a familiar voice called out to her. "Thanks for waking me up, Applejack! Now I've lost a whole day." The farm girl was less than impressed being called out in such a manner, but stood her ground as Rainbow Dash approached her. "Nice to see you too, Dash. Sleep well?"
A low grumble could be heard escaping from Rainbow Dash as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Yeah. I guess I needed it. But still, I've lost a whole day now. I gotta get back to work, make up for lost time." As she turned to leave, she felt a viper-like grip on her arm. Twisting around, she saw Applejack holding onto her for dear life. “Not a chance, Dash. You’ve worked yerself half to death. If you think I’ll just let you keep going on like this, you’ve got another thing coming.”
The tomboy continued to try and pull away, but found she was held in place rather firmly. The two continued to argue, just outside of earshot from Peter, Fluttershy and Pinkie. While all three noticed the struggle, they decided not to interfere. However, Fluttershy was concerned. "Maybe I should go over and talk with Dash? She can be very headstrong when she wants to be." While she agreed, Pinkie had other thoughts. “I’m sure Applejack can handle it. She might be the only one that can match up to Dash in kerfuffles like this.”
With everyone’s attention drawn away, there was no one supervising the nearby building. Unaware of the danger, a few of the kids had wandered into the restricted area, including one with short purple hair and rather small wings even for her age. The one person that did take notice of her was Applebloom. “Scootaloo! Get away from there!”
A loud crack was audible behind the young girl, who turned to see the remnants of the building had given up and had now begun to crumble in on itself. Pieces of material shattered into dust, sacrificing any structural integrity left. Ceramic panels still left on the roof slid away and shattered around her. Out of desperation, she cried out. “Help!”
From the corner of her eye, Rainbow Dash had noticed the building begin to move, followed by the cry for help from a voice she recognised. Despite still being somewhat tired, she began to move as fast as she could, the world around her slowing to a crawl. Just a few feet away from her, Peter was still conversing with the other girls, and had his back turned to everything that was going on. However, a familiar tingle in the back of his head pulled his attention away from the conversation. Akin to Rainbow Dash, the world seemed to freeze for Peter as he turned around to face the oncoming threat.
What he saw instead was Dash running towards a small girl near the condemned building, which was currently falling on top of her. "She'll make it in time, but she won't be able to move both of them out of there!" Pushing off the ground, Peter propelled himself forward, the soil cracking at his feet. It had been some time since he had to move at such speeds, the people around him eerily still the whole time. The only one immune to this was Rainbow Dash, who was closing in on Scootaloo, with Peter not too far behind. Both could only watch as the rubble neared the helpless girl, her expression filled with fear as she was sure of her fate. As she neared, Dash reached out, desperate to take Scootaloo in her arms and shield her. Though to do this she would have to slow down, prompting the world around her to start speeding up. That included the rubble tumbling towards them both. Knowing what she had to do, Dash furled her wings around Scootaloo, ready to take the hit instead.
But it never came. She could tell the rubble was above her, but it wasn't moving any further. As she looked behind her, she saw that guy that had been hanging around with her friends holding back the building from falling on her and Scoots. It looked as if he was only using one arm, with the other at her back holding onto her shirt. She began to wonder something.
"Wasn't he standing with the girls? How was he right behind me?!"
With what seemed barely any effort, Peter threw the debris away from the two girls, crumpling to dust upon itself. The other townsfolk had now become aware of what had transpired and rushed to help. Cries of worry rang out, making sure no one had been hurt. To their surprise, the three people at the heart of the incident came out without a scratch on them. A thunderous applause broke out, and someone even shouted praise for Peter.
"Mr Parker! Looks like you and Rainbow Dash make quite the team!"
It was an odd feeling. Peter hadn't worn the mantle of a hero in weeks. And despite his need to keep himself hidden, he had still gone out of his way to save someone out of habit. He had no interest in the spotlight anymore, and so made a startling play. "Her more than me honestly. She was ready to let that entire building hit her to save that young girl. I just happened to be close by. If anyone deserves your praise, it's Rainbow Dash."
The crowd began to swarm around Dash while Peter wriggled his way out. Before he could totally slip away, he was stopped by Fluttershy, still holding Pumpkin Cake firmly in her arms and the wolf pup close to her side. "Why did you run away? You did as much to help as what Dashie did." Even though she was telling the truth, Peter couldn't fully do the same. "I'm just… not that great with crowds. Besides, she seems to be handling the attention quite well."
True enough, Rainbow Dash was enjoying the admiration she was currently getting. But she was also keeping an eye on Peter as he walked away from Fluttershy. She wasn't the only one, as Applejack had a firm eye on him. "How in the heck did he catch up to her? He doesn't even have wings. And he was further away. Somethin’ ain't making sense…"
A hug clamped down on Dash's waist, who looked down to notice Scootaloo embracing her rescuer. "That was soooooo cool, Rainbow Dash! I really do have the most amazing big sister!" For as much as Dash wanted to sit back and take in all this admiration, there was no denying that someone could have been seriously hurt. Or worse. "Maybe I am, but that doesn't mean I can always be around to keep you out of trouble. That was really reckless and dangerous, Scootaloo. You have to be more careful." The young girl's joy turned to sourness, even if she knew she had done something wrong. No one liked being told off by their siblings. But it was a lesson learned.
***
Later on that night, Applejack walked alone back to Sweet Apple Acres, pondering the events of the day. Sure, she was glad that everyone was safe, but she was perplexed by this newfound speed Peter had just shown off. He had been helping around the farm on and off ever since he arrived, and he had never shown anything remotely close to being that fast. Was there something she wasn't being told? Turning into the pathway up to the farmhouse, she couldn't help but notice that the chores that had been left idle that day were finished. Had Peter done all this?
"At least everything is tidy. Less to worry about. Maybe I'm overthinkin’ all this. So he's fast. Why should that matter? He made sure Dash didn't get hurt. Is that so bad? But then, he never told me. Then again, ah never asked."
***
Another beautiful, sunny but cool day in Equestria. And Peter was going to use it well. Given that things weren't busy at the farm and after yesterday's excitement, he decided it was best to explore a little. Ever since daybreak, Peter had grabbed some of his allowed supplies and just started walking. The sun had now just passed its peak, but he was determined to keep walking as long as he could. On his journey, the mountain city of Canterlot was visible on the horizon the entire time. "I wonder how the princesses are doing? Maybe Luna’s getting on with finding herself. Makes one of us."
Overhead there was a booming sound, which sounded awfully familiar to Peter. "Was that a sonic boom? Who the hell is moving at Mach 3?" While that was more than enough to throw him off, what happened next startled him. At the exact same time as the sonic boom, a rainbow exploded outwards, coating the area in a multicoloured glow. "OK. That's actually pretty cool."
"Well yeah, it is me after all."
The voice came from above. Looking up, Peter instantly recognised who it was. "Hey Rainbow Dash. How do?" There she was, cyan wings unfurled like an angel descending from the heavens. Yet her expression was anything but angelic. She seemed suspicious of Peter, eyeing him like he couldn’t be trusted. “I’ve been wanting to see you since yesterday, Parker. Ever since that little stunt you pulled.” Landing with enough force to crack the ground, Dash starred up into Peter’s eyes. For as much as he wanted to feign ignorance, he had been caught in the act. “Look, I didn’t help you for a quick brag. I was worried you or that little girl could’ve gotten hurt. It was just the right thing to do.”
Despite expecting a barrage of questions about his unnatural speed, Peter instead got a great surprise when Dash’s expression turned into one of sheer joy. “Honestly, you could’ve bragged all you wanted and I would’ve had to just stand back and take it. You held up that building like it wasn't even there. AND, you caught up with me. ME of all people! I’m one of the fastest flyers in Equestria, and you moved as fast as I could.” It sounded like someone else was bragging instead. But if she was telling the truth, then that was a bigger red flag Peter had just flown.
“So much for flying under the radar.”
Peter could feel himself starting to sweat. Was this all going somewhere? “You know Parker, I wanna see how fast you can really go. Now that I’m all rested up, I wanna race ya!” This was not the situation Peter wanted to be in. If he hadn't helped out yesterday then he wouldn't be in this mess; the negative to being a hero. “Doesn't that seem a little unfair? I mean, you can fly.”
“Hmm. You got a point there. Tell you what, I’ll stick close to the ground then. How about it?” Everything in Peter’s mind told him to say no. To just walk away and ignore her request. But something about it made him want to compete. As if his body wanted to challenge her. He could always try and underplay his abilities, but he sensed that wouldn't work either. “Fine, just as long as we keep the route safe. And far away from any observers.” The terms became something of an agreement in Dash’s eyes, her expression a massive grin. “Alright then! We’ll head out past the badlands. You’ll see a rock formation on the way. That's our halfway marker. Once you see that, head back here. Got it?”
The rules seemed simple enough. A basic point to point race. Without any more words, Peter dropped his bag and took position, ready to launch himself forward, while Dash hovered just above the ground with her arms folded. The air around them felt electric, as if the world itself was bracing for what was to come. Though Peter was still a little hesitant. “I’ll give it my best, but you gotta swear not to mention it to anyone.” Dash could only chuckle. “Relax Parker, you already said to keep our little bout away from prying eyes. Have some faith in me, dude.”
With her silence somewhat guaranteed, Peter resumed his starting position. Finally, Dash gave the countdown. "3, 2,1, GO!"
F-ZERO - BIG BLUE || Metal Cover by RichaadEB
The ground beneath them caved from the force as they moved, and the air around them turned into a violent shock wave. Clouds parted for miles from their take off. It was a good thing they were in the middle of nowhere, otherwise someone might have gotten hurt. The two were neck and neck at the start, neither giving up any ground. For Peter, this feeling never got old. The rush of moving so fast that almost no one could comprehend him, and seeing the world be slowed down. That was, all except for Rainbow Dash, who was clearly experiencing the same rush he had. In a way, it was exciting. And a feeling Peter hadn't had in some time.
The thrill of a good challenge.
It wasn't long before the two passed into the Badlands, an area of what seemed like entirely desert. As they passed, sand was thrown up into violent plumes like a raging sandstorm. Once again, good thing no one was around. Looking over, Peter could see Dash starting to take the lead on him. "Gotta catch up to her! Being in the air might be giving her the advantage, but I know a few speedsters that would say otherwise. Come on Parker, move those legs!" Finding the speed he needed, the race became neck and neck once again. Dash noticed the burst of speed and was pleasantly surprised. "You better not be holding out on me, Parker!" Peter couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "Wouldn't dream of it! You'll get my best, just give me the same!"
With the two now trying to push each other further, they now were going even faster than before. Now that they were going much faster, their objective came into sight. A formation of rocks with a massive crack in the one at the top. Peter and Dash split from each other's side to lap around the rocks, passing each other on the loop around. Dash kept her confident smirk that she had throughout the race, while Peter still looked determined and focused. As they finished the loop, a new shock wave was created as they pushed themselves to go faster once again.
Heading back to their starting point, both racers now faced the dust storm they had kicked up. But with their overwhelming speed, they pushed right through it, bringing the storm right around with them. Dash was once again getting the lead, with Peter trying to make up the ground each time. He couldn't even tell if she was struggling or not, but it seemed she still had a lot to give, while he was nearing his limit.
"Come on Parker! Home stretch! You got this!" It felt like Peter was going the fastest he had been in some time. Every fibre of his being screamed out to increase his speed again and again. But each time he tried to get ahead of Rainbow Dash, she would always pull ahead again. It was a constant back and forth with no clear winner. Until they saw the meadow they had started the race off in the distance. Now was the time for Peter to put his all into it. “I just need one quick burst of speed. The Kaio Ken might just seal the deal. Can’t say if it's cheating or not, but I’ll decide that later.” A crimson glow began to surround Peter, his speed increasing as it intensified. Rainbow Dash noticed this increase, impressed that he was still keeping up with her at such velocity. But with the finish line getting closer, she decided it was time to stop fooling around and that it was time for her big finisher.
“Sorry to do this to ya Parker, but I’ve got a reputation to uphold!” Before Peter could even get a word in, Dash flew past him in a streak of rainbows, creating mini rainbow bursts as she soared off into the distance. As he slowed down, all Peter could do was watch her sail past their starting point and keep on going into the distance, the rainbows becoming larger and larger, ending with one massive boom as she passed from sight. Despite being so thoroughly beaten, Peter couldn't help but smile. “Wow. That’s…Impressive. Quite the sonic boom rainbow. A sonic… rainboom, I guess. Looks like I gotta get faster while I’m here.”
Miles away, Rainbow Dash had begun to decrease her speed as she approached Ponyville. The last thing she needed to do was damage the town again unnecessarily. “Gotta admit, that was an awesome race. Still, he’s a little heavy footed. Can’t deny he’s got skill though. But for now, looks like I’m still the fastest in Equestria.”
***
Exhaustion, excitement. Things Peter hadn't felt in a while. Who knew that one simple race could bring back such emotions. He had been contemplating it all ever since he got back to the farm. "I haven't felt like this in so long. I kinda want to do it again. Maybe she'll agree to another race?" A tap at the door brought his attention back to reality as Applejack came in. "Hey Pete, just wanted to check up on you. Dash came to see us earlier, said you two had a race?" Any joyous feelings Peter had at that moment instantly faded upon hearing this news. He had been under the impression that Rainbow Dash was going to keep that a secret. But apparently not. "Really? What did she say?"
"Not much. Just that you were much slower than she thought you'd be. She was just tired yesterday. Though she did mention she wasn't supposed to tell us, but didnt wanna keep it from us either. Ah didn't approve of her tellin if that makes ya feel better." While still upset, Peter was at least a little relieved that his abilities had been underplayed. It seemed to put Applejack a little more at ease, given she was getting more and more suspicious about him as the days went on. Which for Peter, was cause for relief. He had to get back to blending in. Still, Dash reneging on their agreement wasn't something he would forget anytime soon. But it wasn't hatred or anger he felt. He just felt disappointed in someone he thought was a friend.
“She should never have said anything. She promised…”
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But wouldn't a sayain be able to curb-stomp every single Spider-Man and My Little Pony villain ever?
11196214
Not Entirely. Even on his home world, this Spider-Man would still be low tier. We also intend to make the more magically inclined characters powerful, unlike how they were in the show.
Good chapter😊