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“Can all students please start heading down to the soccer field,” Principal Celestia’s voice blared down through the intercom. “The Iron Person Competitions for the Fall Field Day are about to start.”
Rainbow Dash already threw all her school supplies into her bag and was jumping up and down, waiting for Ms. Cheerilee to open the door.
Rarity and Pinkie Pie walked up to her.
“Wow, Rainbow Dash,” the pink girl laughed, “you’re super excited for this!”
“I’m way above excited, Pinkie!” she replied. “I live for the Iron Person Competitions! Strength, speed, agility, and best of all: the big race!”
Ms. Cheerilee opened the classroom door. The three girls were the first out, and started walking to their lockers.
Pinkie Pie skipped beside her. “You know it’s not really a race, right?”
The athlete smiled. “Yeah, for you, maybe. But AJ and I always race each other. It’s kinda our thing.”
Pinkie squealed. “Awww, that’s adorable!”
Rarity nodded. “Yes, quite cute.”
They walked a few paces then she asked, “but you’re dating now. Won’t the competing put a strain on your relationship?”
“Rarity!” Pinkie gasped. “Why would you say that?!”
“What? It’s an important thing to think of.”
Rainbow Dash frowned. “…No? Why would it put a strain on our relationship?”
She shrugged. “Isn’t it obvious? Every time you two compete at something, you get irrationally competitive and end up arguing.”
Pinkie blinked. “That’s actually a valid point.”
“Uh, how?”
Her two friends shared a look.
“Think of it like this, darling: you and Applejack are still a recent development. Having a disagreement can put an effect on your relationship, especially so early on.”
Rainbow furrowed her brows. “But we’ve been best friends since seventh grade. How is dating any different?”
Rarity laughed. “Oh, that’s a good one!”
Pinkie frowned. “I don’t think she’s kidding.”
“…Oh. Well.” She cleared her throat. “You’re in a new level of your relationship with her. You don’t know yet what she’s comfortable with, and she might not want to race you anymore in risk of damaging anything. Haven’t you noticed any changes since you’ve been together?”
Rainbow frowned. “Uhh… we kiss a lot more? I don’t know, Rarity! But I think if she wants to change something, she’d tell me. She’s really honest about things like that.”
“I know, darling. And I don’t mean to offend you. But I’ve noticed small changes with both of you since the development; I just would hate to see things not work out due to anything that could be prevented.”
Rainbow Dash bit her cheek as she thought. “Huh. Do you think this, too, Pinkie?
She shrugged. “Don’t ask me, Rainbow Dash. I know diddly squat about dating.”
“…Me too, apparently.”
- -
Around the corner at the end of the hall, Applejack was having a similar conversation.
“The competing doesn’t sound very loving,” Fluttershy said, tapping the arms of her wheelchair.
Twilight nodded behind her. “You and Rainbow seem to be in a good position, Applejack. Is working against each other really the healthiest thing?”
The blonde frowned. “Ah get what y’all are saying. So, what should Ah do?”
She shrugged. “It’s your choice whether you compete or not. What would Rainbow want?”
The three turned down the hallway to their lockers.
“Well, Rainbow loves competing. And winning. She’d probably feel bad if Ah didn’t keep up tradition.”
She spotted her girlfriend and the rest of her friends at the other end of the hall. She waved and smiled.
“We just don’t want you two to get hurt, Applejack,” Fluttershy said, placing a hand on hers. “You and Rainbow Dash both seem really happy.”
“Ah am happy. And Ah’m wanna keep her happy too.”
- -
“Okay, I have a plan,” Rainbow Dash whispered to Pinkie Pie.
“About what? Is it about how to get one of those pins?” She pointed to a basket of pins at the school entrance that was being monitored by Snips and Snails. “I wanna get one, but they always rip me off.”
“What? No, I meant about the race.”
“Oh, okay. What’s the plan?”
She looked up to where her girlfriend was; a few paces ahead, talking with Twilight. Rainbow smiled.
“I’m gonna let AJ win the race. I’m more loyal to our relationship than my winning streak, and by doing this I can prove that I am an awesome girlfriend.”
“Awww!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed as they walked through the doors. Some of the other kids turned their heads to that.
The blue girl blushed and covered her face. “Shut up! I’m just doing something nice for my girlfriend. It’s not a big deal.”
She laughed. “Okie-dokie-lokie. Whatever you say, Rainbow Dash.” The two started heading to the woods outside the school.
- -
“Ah know what Ah’m gonna do about the race,” Applejack whispered to Twilight as they walked through the doors to the woods. She was a few paces in front of her girlfriend, who was talking with Pinkie Pie.
Twilight lifted her head from her book. “What’s that?”
“Ah’m gonna let her win. That way, we can keep up the tradition and there won’t be any hard feelings when it’s over.”
She smiled. “I think that’s a good idea. She’s probably gonna brag a bunch when she wins, though. You prepared for that?”
Applejack chuckled. “Ya make it sound like Ah don’t know my own girlfriend, Twilight.”
As if it were on cue, Rainbow Dash jumped into the conversation with Pinkie Pie.
“You guys talking about me?” she asked. “Is it about how awesome I am?”
“More about how humble you are,” Twilight rolled her eyes.
The athlete scoffed. “Hey, I can be humble! I’ll show you how humble I am when I kick all your butts.”
They laughed and took their spots at the start line.
“Ya ready for a race, sugarcube?” Applejack asked, tying her hair up.
Rainbow smiled and started dramatically stretching. “I’m ready to determine the ultimate Running of the Leave champion.”
On the side of the track, Principal Celestia lifted a megaphone. “Students! Attention, please!”
The crowd silenced.
“Thank you. The Running of the Leaves has been a Canterlot High tradition since my sister and I have been working here. We understand that some of you would rather be somewhere else, but showing school spirit and putting in effort is all we’re looking for.”
Vice Principal Luna grabbed the megaphone.
“And just a reminder: this is not a race! That’s not the point of the tradition.”
“Yeah, right,” Rainbow whispered. “What are they gonna do? Stop us?”
Applejack smiled and winked, which made it hard for her to tune back in.
Principal Celestia had the megaphone back.
“Just enjoy the afternoon of fresh air and see you at the end! Are all runners ready?”
The two girls knelt down, toes just over the line.
“Are you ready?” Rainbow asked.
Applejack smirked back. “Ah’ll be seeing ya at the finish line.”
Principal Celestia lifted her arm.
“On your marks, get set… GO!!”
- -
Why is she running so slow?
Applejack glanced over to her girlfriend, confused. The two have been running for five minutes and were way ahead of the other students, but neither were making a move to pull ahead of each other.
Rainbow Dash noticed the look.
“Everything good, AJ?”
She nodded slowly. “Uh, yeah. Ah think so.”
“‘Kay…”
They ran for a minute more, and Rainbow kept sending her concerned looks.
“You sure there’s not something you wanna talk about?”
Applejack bit her lip. “Not exactly. Just Ah’ve noticed that—“
Her sentence was cut short when a small stump caught her foot. She fell to the ground with a thud and skidded to a stop on the path.
She coughed the dust out of her lungs and opened her eyes… and saw her girlfriend reaching her hand out to help her up.
“I know I’m awesome, but I thought you already fell for me,” Rainbow teased.
She stared at her hand, and ignored the blush in her cheeks. Because another thought was more consuming.
Why hasn't she run off yet?
Rainbow was still waiting. So Applejack rolled her eyes but accepted her help, cautiously. Something felt off, but she couldn't put a finger on it.
After they had started running again, she decided there was no harm in asking.
“Why haven’t you run off yet?”
Rainbow turned her head to her and frowned. “What do you mean?”
“…Ah just gave ya plenty of time to pull ahead, but ya didn’t.”
Her frown deepened. “You’re still my girlfriend, Applejack. I’m not just gonna ditch you in the dirt.”
“Why not?”
An expression appeared on her face, somewhere between annoyed, confused, and exasperated. “You’re kidding, right? Because I’m gonna help you whether you want me to or not!”
“…Alright.”
An awkward silence filled the air, tension clouding around them like fog.
After a long moment, the blue girl asked, “so, what were you gonna say earlier?”
“Hmm? Oh… nothing important.”
- -
Congratulations, feather brain. Ten minutes in and you already messed up.
Rainbow Dash kept her eyes on the track as she went over the conversation again.
Does she want me to win? Is that why she asked why I didn’t pull ahead?
No; that’s not like her at all. She loves competing. And I’m literally letting her win. How is she not happy right now?
So then what’s going on? Was I too harsh? If I hurt her feelings, then…
Maybe Rarity was right. This race is straining everything.
She bit her lip and glanced over.
“Hey, AJ?“
Her green eyes flicked up. “Yeah?”
“Listen, about earlier…”
As she was framing what she was going to say, a loud snap came from the forest beside her.
Her eyes flicked to the trees as she stumbled to a stop. “Did you hear that?”
“…Hear what?”
She heard the sound again; louder this time.
Rainbow paled. “That!”
“Ya know what?” Applejack grabbed her hand and started pulling her up the path. “We can talk later. Wanna keep running?”
“Running sounds good.”
She saw a figure moving somewhere in the forest along with another especially loud snap.
The two girls bolted away, both screaming in terror.
- -
In the trees, Fluttershy gasped when she heard a loud shriek on the other side of the treeline. “What was that?”
Pinkie Pie stopped. “What was what? Sorry; jumping on sticks is really fun!”
The shy girl giggled. “Oh, it’s probably nothing.” She crouched down and opened her arms, releasing a tiny flock of ducklings. The mama duck scuttled around her feet to the baby birds, and quacked her thank you.
“You’re very welcome, Mama Duck,” Fluttershy smiled. “Just remember to stay away from the paths, or you could get hurt.”
The duck quacked again and shuffled into the forest, followed by her chicks.
Pinkie grinned, and pulled a bag of grape candies out of her pocket. “Aww. Look at them waddling away. So cute!” She handed out a sweet. "Want one?"
“Oh, no thank you, Pinkie Pie." She watched the birds walking away and continued, "I just hope they get back home safely.”
She turned back and blinked to the forest surrounding them. “Umm, do you know how we get back home safely?”
“I have no idea.” The pink girl hooked her arm through her friend’s. “Let’s just keep walking!”
- -
Far away on the running path, the two girls were still running for their lives.
“Ya… ya think we… lost it?” Applejack asked, not slowing down her sprint.
Rainbow Dash peaked over her shoulder. She saw nothing in the tree lines, or on the path.
“I… think… so.”
“Alright.”
They skidded to a walking pace to take a breath.
“How are ya feeling?”
“Eh, okay.” Rainbow shrugged. “The finish line is close by, so it’s not too bad.”
Applejack rolled her eyes and picked up the pace again.
“Well, if you’re gonna beat me, you’re gonna have to run.”
Rainbow glanced up at her face and noticed a small smile. Her heart fluttered with relief.
I didn’t mess anything up.
They ran side by side for a minute until the blonde asked, “what were ya gonna say earlier? Before the thing in the woods?”
She blushed. “Oh, that? Umm… can’t remember.”
“Alright then.”
Around the bend, Rainbow Dash heard music playing.
The path opened up revealing the school’s soccer field decorated for the events twenty yards away. Students and teachers who didn’t participate were milling about in the area, waiting for the Running of the Leaves to be over.
The blue girl took another look at her girlfriend and slowed down to a jog.
Applejack frowned, and slowed down to a walk.
Both girls stopped moving and stared at each other.
“What are ya doing?”
“What are you doing?”
Her frown deepened. “Ah’m slowing down…”
“Well, I am too.”
“Why?!”
Rainbow’s hands flared. “Cause I want you to win! Obviously!”
She watched her girlfriend's eyebrows furrow and her face drop in disbelief. “Why do ya want me to win? You’ve been acting weird all race, Rainbow Dash!”
“Uh, maybe cause you’re my girlfriend?! And so have you, by the way! What was that 'why didn't you run away' stuff?!”
“Cause Ah’ve been wanting you to win!”
Rainbow couldn't believe what she was hearing.
“WHY DO YOU WANT ME TO WIN?!" she demanded. "AND WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME HECK FOR WANTING YOU TO WIN, IF YOU WANT ME TO WIN?!”
“AH THOUGHT LETTING YA WIN WOULD BE GIVING YOU WANT YA WANTED!!”
“WELL, I DON’T WANT US ARGUING!! THIS IS THE EXACT THING I WAS TRYING TO AVOID!!”
Applejack was still frowning, confused and frustrated, but she exhaled and brought her voice back down.
“Alright,” she said. “Ah don’t want that either. But Ah do wanna know what’s been going on with you. Start talking.”
Rainbow sighed and rubbed her forehead. The entire situation was giving her a headache, but she knew it wasn’t supposed to be a problem.
So, she started explaining.
“This morning," she started, "Rarity and Pinkie got into my head, and said that us racing would put a strain on our relationship, since it’s still pretty new or whatever. Rarity pointed out that we always get competitive over this, so I thought that if I let you win, there wouldn’t be any arguing or tension. But that was obviously wrong.”
Applejack was silent for a moment. Then she cracked a small smile.
“Well, what’d ya know.”
Her eyes flicked up. “What?”
Her smile had broken the rest of her face, as she said, “Ah had that exact same conversation with Twilight and Fluttershy this morning. Said ‘working against each other wasn’t very loving’ and all that. Ah thought if Ah let you win, it wouldn’t be a big deal.”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t sure if she was processing that right. She blinked a few times and said, “you have got to be kidding me.”
Applejack shook her head. “Serious as zap apple jam. The whole thing’s kinda funny, though, ain’t it?”
The blue girl pinched the bridge of her nose, a small laugh escaping her lips. “Can we never listen to our friends again?”
“Ee-yup. Although, they were right about one thing.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“One of us always wins. Meaning, if ya wanna beat me, you’re gonna have to—“
She started sprinting off, kicking up a trail of dirt. “RUN!!”