Chapter 1: A Dip in the Lake
"Are you free, AJ? Please say yes please say yes!"
"Of course ah'm free, sugarcube. Nothin' stops me from enterin' The Runnin' o' the Leaves!"
"Woohoo! Come on AJ, let's go get some food!"
"Okay, Dash, good plan from ya'." Applejack rolled her eyes lazily as she said this and the two walked around Ponyville, eventually coming to a halt.
"Here's the place!" said Rainbow Dash. "The best eating around!"
"Ya' said that right, that's fer sure." replied Applejack. The two ponies sat down and ate for about half an hour, talking about The Running of the Leaves.
After that they went to a small lake on the outskirts of Ponyville, but Rainbow Dash was hesitant about swimming, while the apple farmer got herself wet. Instead of swimming, Dash got some water from the lake in her mouth and squirted it in Applejack's face, causing her to be even more wet.
"Good aim, Rainbow."
Rainbow Dash smiled mischievously as AJ dipped under and filled her mouth with the warm water. When she came up, it looked like her face was going to explode! She pelted the water out onto Dash, and now she was as wet as Applejack.
"Now ya' should jump in anyway. We can dry ourselves quick enough for The Runnin' o' the Leaves."
With that the sky blue pegasus threw herself into the water, making a splash. The water was deep and warm, so the farmer and the athlete spent time there, swimming to their heart's content, when they had nothing better to do.
"Sooooooo...." said Rainbow Dash, grinning. "Water fight?"
"Yup!" answered Applejack, to find a wave of water coming her way. She quickly dodged and splashed water on Rainbow. The two ponies played and played until they realized that The Running of the Leaves was going to start in half an hour.
"We should get out soon."
"Yeah, AJ. Let's get out. The Running of the Leaves is in about half an hour."
The two ponies dried themselves off with a large, cream coloured towel they had brought to the lake with them.
"Nothin' like a good swim before a nice long run, eh partner?"
"Nothing."
"Ah' feel calmer than a mouse that just barely escaped a cat." Applejack replied, wrapping about half of the towel around her, letting Rainbow Dash have the other half. After they had dried themselves off, they were off to the starting line.
There was twenty minutes before the race started and a few stands were set up near the starting line. Rainbow Dash and Applejack saw lots of ponies and heard cheering and talking. They could smell food and it made them feel tired, and the fresh grass tickled their hooves. The two walked up to the ice-cream stand, with a handsome stallion greeting them.
"One vanilla fer' me and one fer' mah' friend, please."
The blue stallion manning the stand got two ice-cream cones, took them up to a machine and squirted vanilla ice-cream into the cones.
"Here you go, ladies." he said, handing them the ice creams. "Have fun in your race!"
They sat down on the cool grass. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Derpy Hooves came flying in.
"You're racing too? Good luck Applejack, good luck Rainbow Dash! I'm sorry I broke the town hall roof. But it got fixed, right? So everything's okay now. I still feel a little ashamed.... anyway, I wish you both lots of good luck!" With that, Derpy flapped her wings and flew off. Her number was 239.
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "Good luck in the race. That reminds me! AJ, you still have the numbers?"
"Yep, sure thing Rainbow. Ah' wouldn't ferget the golly things." Applejack took off her backpack and began searching through, and eventually she found them. "Here they are."
The orange cowpony took the two numbers out and they got them pinned to their flanks, over their cutie marks. Applejack was number 346, and Rainbow Dash was number 347.
"The Running of the Leaves will be starting in five minutes. I repeat The Running of the Leaves will be starting in five minutes." the speaker announced. Ponies turned their heads towards it to listen. "Five minutes, be ready with your numbers, pin the numbers on your flanks and have a great time."
Five minutes passed like twenty seconds as Applejack and Rainbow Dash talked. The speaker made another announcement. and ponies fell silent and listened.
"Everypony, please advance to the starting line. The Running of the Leaves is starting."
"Let's go." said Rainbow Dash.
"Now don't ya go usin' those wings again. Ya know what happened last time." Applejack gave Rainbow Dash a quick wink as they advanced to the starting line.
"I've learnt my lesson." replied Rainbow Dash, beaming. "I can't wait!"
"Me neither!"
Finally the two strong mares were at the starting line ready for action.
"Three...." announced the speaker.
"Two...."
"One..."
"GO!"
"GO!" at this a horn sounded.
About three-hundred ponies galloped from the starting line, all in a hurry.
"Remember, we're workin' together this time!" Applejack yelled to Rainbow Dash over the crowd. "Don't ya dare use them wings either!" She had to go as loud as she possibly could to get Rainbow Dash to hear and her hat was slipping off.
"Yep!" answered Rainbow Dash. "I've learnt my lesson!"
Applejack pulled her hat over her head to prevent it from falling off. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were then in the lead with a massive crowd of mares and stallions following them, it was almost as if they were leading an army into battle. Rainbow Dash looked behind her and gulped nervously, and returned her main focus to the road ahead.
Applejack and Rainbow Dash regrouped.
"Working together!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash to Applejack. "As a team!"
"Ya said it!" replied Applejack.
The two ponies were running out of energy slowly but as long as they were in front they didn't care. They were working for first and second, and Rainbow Dash had offered to go second, so she slowed down a little to just behind Applejack. A tight corner over a cliff edge was coming up.
The two ponies in the lead gulped hard and they could hear their own heartbeats going faster and faster.
Applejack rounded the corner fine when she noticed Rainbow Dash tumbling down the steep cliff edge. Applejack jumped off too, but in a safer fashion.
"Ah'm comin' Rainbow! Hold on!"
But Rainbow Dash couldn't hold on. "Applejack! Help me!"
Rainbow Dash had reached the bottom in a tumble and blood spilled everywhere. Her rainbow mane was grey and ruffled and Rainbow Dash found it hard to breathe as she cried and cried. Applejack reached the bottom fast and had only got a minor graze on her left leg. She cried and the pain in her emotions were greater than her physical pain.
"No...." whispered Applejack. "Don't leave me, Rainbow. Don't quit on me now."
"Tell Scootaloo to follow her dreams Applejack.... I'm not going to survive."
"Ah love yall so much...."
