Silverstream and Gallus Tailbiting
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were giving a speech to the students at the School of Friendship about not getting too carried away with being competitive.
"We did that once," said Rainbow Dash. "I was kind of a bad sport when I lost a game to Applejack, so we did an Iron Pony competition!"
"I would've won, but Rainbow Dash used her wings to win half the contests," said Applejack. "So I told her to not use her wings at the Running of the Leaves."
"She tied my wings to make sure. But when I thought she tripped me, I hit her with a tree branch, then things went downhill."
"I was sabotagin' Rainbow Dash just as much as she was doin' to me. I blocked her path with some tree sap and had Pinkie give me a ride on her balloon."
"And I switched the signs to point Applejack to the wrong path."
"And I bit Rainbow Dash's tail to pull her back when we were gettin' close to the finish line."
"And for once, I did it back to her."
"In the end, we tied for last, where Twilight placed fifth after we made fun of her."
"After that we learned to be better sports and did a more friendly Running of the Leaves. We've stayed competitive, but more friendly about it."
Smolder raised her hand.
"Yes?" said Rainbow Dash.
"So if you needed your wings to win over half those contests, that means Applejack's more athletic than you?"
"On the ground, maybe, but in the air I'm the most awesome athlete and fastest flyer." Rainbow did a small backflip/loop with her wings, hovered in the air for a moment, and touched back down.
Ocellus raised her hoof.
"Yes?" said Applejack.
"Sometime before Cozy Glow tried to take over Equestria, I dreamed that you two were being so competitive over Teacher of the Month that you ruined a school field trip for us and almost drowned Yona, but it taught us how not to work together."
Rainbow Dash and Applejack did want to win this award for once - Fluttershy won it every single time - but knew they'd never take it that far.
"That's a pretty weird dream," said Rainbow Dash. "But I'm sure I've had weirder dreams." Like Fluttershy turning into a dragon. But their description of the Running of the Leaves got her thinking of something else. "Applejack, I noticed you don't bite my tail nearly as much as you used to, and I actually kinda miss it."
"Oh, I never noticed. I guess I haven't felt like bitin' tails as much as I used to. Besides, I haven't had to pull you back as much. Except that one time we brought back the Pillars of Equestria and I pulled you out of that bush. But if you want me to start doin' it again, I will."
"What's this about Applejack biting Rainbow Dash's tail?" Silverstream asked with interest.
"I used to bite Rainbow Dash's tail all the time," said Applejack. "First when she tried to attack Nightmare Moon. Then when she thought Twilight was a spy. Then when she tried to get Twilight to give her the extra ticket to the Gala. Then when she was tryin' to fly up the mountain where that dragon was snorin' smoke. Then during the Running of the Leaves. Then when she tried to attack Flim and Flam after they almost won the cider competition. Then when we were being sucked into the Power Ponies comic. And then that time with the Pillars of Equestria."
"You must really like her tail."
"Well, most of the time it was just to pull her back. Twilight mainly uses her magic for that now." She was looking forward to their friendship meeting this month.
"I used to find it annoying, but now that it's stopped, I kinda wish she was still biting my tail," said Rainbow Dash.
"I bit Apple Bloom's tail," said Sandbar. "To pull the Cutie Mark Crusaders away from Cozy Glow's spell."
"I kinda wish she was awake as a statue like Discord was," said Smolder.
"I think an eternal stone sleep is punishment enough for her," said Ocellus. "Chrysalis, too." She still couldn't believe her former queen's threats were finally ended for good.
"And with her, Chrysalis, and Tirek placed deep in Tartarus there's no way anypony's gonna release them," said Gallus.
Silverstream playfully bit Gallus's tail and pulled on it.
"What are you doing?" Gallus asked.
"Tailbiting," said Silverstream. "I thought it'd be fun to try out."
After school was done, the Young Six walked outside.
"Hey Gallus, I have a fun game we could try," said Silverstream. "How about, I fly around and you try to bite my tail? If you catch me by the tail with your beak, you win!"
"Sure, that sounds like fun."
"Ready? Set go!" Silverstream took off, and Gallus flew after her.
Silverstream flew around with many spectacular moves that she'd practiced in her entire time on land. Despite having lived most of her life as a sea pony before the Storm King died, she had quickly become a good flyer, though sometimes if she got too excited she'd crash. And of course sometimes she'd dream about becoming a Wonderbolt.
Gallus wasn't such a bad flyer himself, and kept up with her. Though he couldn't catch up to her just yet, he was having a lot of fun all the same. He loved spending time with his friends, and hated going back to Griffonstone where there was nothing for him. But he loved spending time with Silverstream in particular.
Soon Gallus began to catch up, and opened his beak to bite Silverstream's tail, which was just in front of him.
But Silverstream did a loop and Gallus flew by her. He screeched to a stop and looked around for Silverstream. He found her hovering in the air, and flew at her. She resumed flying around, and he continued to fly after her to try to bite her tail.
"You were so close that time," said Silverstream, turning her head back to look at Gallus.
"Silverstream, watch out for that..."
Silverstream smacked into the side of a mountain, the same one Rainbow Dash had crashed into when she was trying to avoid Pinkie Pie. She slid to the ground, laying facedown.
Gallus touched down next to her. "Are you all right?"
"Don't worry, I got a bit of a headache but I'm okay."
"Good." Gallus bit Silverstream's tail and pulled on it lightly. "I win."
"Looks like it," said Silverstream. "Can we switch places now?"
"Sure."
Gallus took off and flew around using his aerial moves. Silverstream flew after him, and in just under two minutes she was able to bite his tail and pull him back.
"That was fun!" said Silverstream.
"Yes it was," said Gallus. "We never do anything like that at Griffonstone, even with some of the griffons becoming friends."
Silverstream remembered the time Gallus sabotaged Hearth's Warming Eve so they could stay at Ponyville. "You really don't like going back to Griffonstone, do you?"
"No."
"How would you like to come live with me at Mount Aris?"
"You mean it?"
"Of course!"
Silverstream and Gallus blushed affectionately and embraced.
"I'll send a letter to Grampa Gruff," said Gallus. "I doubt he'll object. Especially after we defeated Chrysalis, Tirek, and Cozy Glow."
"I'll go tell the others!" Silverstream started to fly away, but Gallus pulled her back by the tail.
"I wanted to try pulling you back mid-flight like Applejack did to Rainbow Dash."
Silverstream laughed. "So that's what it feels like to be Rainbow Dash. Hey, you don't think she bites her tail so much because she likes her, do you?"
"I don't know. Ponies bite each other's tails all the time without being romantically involved. Sandbar bit Apple Bloom's tail, and we know he's in love with Yona."
"You're probably right."