Competition. It drives us all one way or another. Whether it’s to be the fastest flier, the best team, the greatest magician, to steal a land in jealous fury, or simply to beat that other pony to the stall for the last carrot; competition is in all of us.

Some claim that a competitive nature is healthy, and keeps a pony sharp and fit. Others claim it drives ponies apart and should be avoided as much as possible.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack don’t care about any of that. They just don’t want the other to win. Theirs is an unending game of friendly one-upmanship, a constant striving to prove their superiority to one another for no other reason than they can.

Neither of them thought it would ever bring about romance in their lives.

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Written for (and winner of) the 3rd AppleDash competition. Prompt by bookplayer.

Thanks to my friend, Radoh from the Escapist, for making some small, but very good, points.

Cover art by nekokevin.