Friendly competition
"She ain't gonna make that."
"Wha- of course she is, AJ! It's not like-
"AGHH!"
*WHAM*
"TWILIGHT!" Five voices rang out in the warm sunlight.
"Wow... she didn't make it."
"Ah told ya."
The eight friends, or rather Pinkie, had decided to throw a party at the lake. Long into the festivities the swimming had gotten a tad boring for Rainbow Dash so the daredevil began doing complicated dives into said lake. What started out for the rest of the group as trying to emulate the talented pegasus' tricks gradually turned into a most heated competition.
Rainbow was thrilled at the prospect and had promised "the coolest prize ever" to the winner of the event, sending various fantasies through the minds of the girls.
Currently, Starlight Glimmer was winning with an earned 9.5 from both of the judges (Fluttershy, who obviously wasn't the competitive type, and Spike.) The lilac mare had performed a teleporting twisting somersault accentuated by several magical explosions from high above the lake. She'd thoroughly impressed both the yellow pegasus and the young dragon.
That can definitely get me the win. The mare wasn't particularly interested in the prize, but she did have a very competitive spirit.
Twilight's attempt... hadn't gone as planned. The alicorn tried a mix of magic and flight, and while the magic part went off without a hitch, a sparkling display of stars, her wings hadn't carried her far enough and she'd slammed face first into the unforgiving ground.
The four panicked mares and dragon, followed closely behind by Applejack and Rainbow Dash, rushed to their lavender friend's aid.
"Are you alright?" Starlight was the first to ask what several of them were thinking. The lilac mare was absolutely mortified. "I was gonna catch you, I swear, but I really thought you were gonna make it."
"Don't worry about it, she's an alicorn," Rainbow Dash lifted up her, face planted firmly in the ground, friend. The Princess of Friendship had several leaves and dirt decorating her cheeks and her eyes were spinning in their sockets, but she was no worse for wear. "See, she's fine," the cyan pegasus chuckled as she roughly pet the dazed alicorn atop her mane.
"I probably should've zagged there," Twilight remarked, shaking her head clear of debris. "I don't know how you do it, Dash. Trick flying is a lot harder than it looks."
Now I definitely won't be winning that rare Daring Do memorabilia, Twilight lamented. That had to be the cool thing Rainbow was talking about.
"Well, I am awesome," the pegasus rubbed her chest proudly with a hoof and a satisfied grin. "So there's that."
"Yer alright, Sugarcube," Applejack chuckled as she placed her stetson onto Rarity's head before moving toward the rope swing. "but ah'm better." The farmmare trotted up to the rope swing as everyone took up their positions to watch.
"Show her how it's done, darling." Rarity cheered her marefriend on as she laid down on her sun lounger. The fashionista refused to compete or to judge, her tan the focus of her attention... well, that and drawing Applejack's gaze as much as possible.
"Just you watch, Rares," Applejack said through clenched teeth, her rope currently held tightly in her mouth. "This is how ya do it!"
The orange mare took a galloping start and leapt onto the tire swing. Once the tire reached the apex of it's motion and she was high in the air, she jumped off, flipping backwards with ease. While she was upside down she flicked her rope at another tree branch, tugging roughly and forcing her body to twist mid-flip.
With the grace of a sea creature, she landed in the water with no more than a slight splash of liquid. The impressive dive was met with raucous cheers from the others, a thin stream of water spitting out of Applejack's mouth once she surfaced.
"That was great, Applejack!" Spike clapped his claws in appreciation.
"Thank ya kindly, Spike," Applejack climbed out of the water and shook herself dry as she sashayed back to Rarity. "What'd ya think of that one, Sugarcube?"
Knowing Dash, that prize is gonna be something amazing. I definitely got a chance with that, AJ grinned, taking a seat next to the reclining unicorn.
"Perfection, darling." The ivory unicorn pecked her marefriend on the cheek as she telekinetically placed the farmmare's stetson back atop her head.
"Close," Fluttershy said quietly. "But uhm, I think Starlight's dive was a bit more... complex."
"She did use magic though," Spike frowned. "is that fair?"
"I'm sorry, was I not supposed to?" Starlight's mood degraded several notches.
"To be fair, I used it too," Twilight conceded. "Eeeeven though it didn't help much," she blushed.
"Her magic is part of who she is," Applejack shrugged. "It's definitely fair."
"Then," Spike huddled together with Fluttershy for a few moments discussing the orange mare's score. "we're gonna have to give you a 9 out of 10."
"Aw heck," Aj chuckled with a shrug. "So close."
"It was a 10 to me, dear," Aj received another smooch from the white unicorn.
"That's worth more than any prize Dash could give," AJ smiled.
"Ooh! OOH! MY TURN! MY TURN!" Pinkie, who'd been silently planning her own dive the entire time, immediately leapt directly into the lake with a belly flop.
"Seven," Spike and Fluttershy said in unison.
"SHOOT!" Pinkie slapped the water with a hoof. "I really wanted that cake," she wallowed in the pool.
"Riiiight... Anyway, time for your prize, Starlight!" Rainbow Dash beamed as she trotted up to the lilac pony.
"I wonder what it could be!" Starlight was giddy with excitement. She'd never won anything before. Everyone stood quietly, waiting. After a long awkward silence, Starlight spoke up. "What is it?"
"It's me!" Rainbow gushed.
The others groaned.
"RAINBOW DASH!" they all shouted as one except Starlight.
"What? I'm the coolest thing there is," Dash announced proudly.
"Y- yaaaay?" Starlight half-heartedly cheered before the entire group burst out laughing.