Dash Challenges Sparkle! A Race for the Ages!

To say Rarity had an ear for gossip was an understatement. It was more like an entire intelligence community working for her. Other ponies would collect the juiciest bit of gossip, spread it around, and she would tap in to draw the cream that rose to the top.

Of course, she would deny it as a lady never gossips.

However, this time she knew she was on the opposite end. Ponies were talking about Twilight. Word of the race was spreading around. Lines in the sand were drawn. The teams had been chosen. It was Twilight's team against Rainbow Dash's team. Ponies were fearful that this might cause the Elements to drift apart. Rarity was able to discern all of this from the looks on two faces whispering as they trotted by.

"Twilight, would you mind if we stopped by Sugarcube Corner? I think the Crusaders have a sleepover planned tomorrow and I wanted to get some snacks for them."

"Oh I don't mind, Rarity. In fact, I'll probably get a couple sapphire cupcakes for Spike while I'm there. He's probably going to be off-balance with this... change in my routine."

"Now Twilight, don't be so grumpy about it. Think of the message you're sending! Rise to meet your challenges and give it everything you have. You'll be an inspiration for fillies and colts."

"Yeah, well, I know it's an inspiration for the rumor mill. Ponies keep whispering as we're walking by."

"Oh really?" Rarity looked around as if such a thing was normally impossible. "I hadn't noticed." They walked in through the front door of the bakery and waited for the cheerful explosion that always comes after.

"Welcome to Sugar... You." Pinkie looked at them liked they had kicked Gummy. "You two have some nerve coming here!" Twilight seemed a bit taken aback. "Come to see if you can spy on my racer?"

Rarity just giggled a bit. "Pinkie, please. If we wanted to spy on Dash, we would just need to look for the cloud she's sleeping on." She pointed a hoof out the door.

Pinkie looked outside and saw a cloud with a familiar rainbow tail hanging off it. "Oh, excuse me for a moment." She popped back in and came out with a slingshot and a water balloon. With deadly accuracy, she fired it and heard a distant "gah!" before shouting, "Rainbow Dash, get your flank off that cloud and get back to your training!" A trademark rainbow streak soon followed and went off. "Thanks Rarity! I can't really do much to train her, but I can make sure she sticks to her program. So, what can I do for you girls?"

"I wanted to pick up some snacks for Sweetie Belle and her friends. They have a sleepover tomorrow night."

"And I would like a couple sapphire cupcakes for Spike, please."

Pinkie seemed a little sad. "Rarity, I think you should go to Bon Bon's and get a box of chocolates from there."

"Chocolates? Darling, they're having a sleepover. That would have them climbing the walls all night!"

"Rarity, please, just trust me. Tomorrow, go to Bon Bon and ask her for the Silver Rose Special." The name struck a chord in Rarity, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. Why did she know that name? "Twilight, here. Fresh out of the oven. Oh, and there's extra dust in the frosting too!" Twilight paid for her cupcakes.

As they left, Pinkie walked out with them. "Don't forget, the Silver Rose Special." And then, something happened that they didn't expect.

Rarity hugged Pinkie.

"Thank you so much, darling. You truly are a wonderful friend."

Pinkie smiled widely. "Really? You mean that?"

"But of course! The elements didn't choose us simply because we are fabulous! They chose us because of how close we are to one another. Now, you keep an eye out for Rainbow Dash, alright? We're going to have fun with this race."

"You betcha! I have a whole stockpile of water balloons in case I need to wake up Rainbow! See you later, girls!"

"Thank you so much for helping, Spike," beamed a grateful Fluttershy. "With all the running around I've been doing today, I was worried I wouldn't have time to take care of everything."

"No problem, Fluttershy! At first, I didn't believe you, but apparently the whole town is talking about it! Do you think she'll be good enough to actually race against Rainbow Dash?"

"You know Twilight better than me, and I know Twilight would give it her all. I've never been a strong flier, but apparently Twilight is strong enough to challenge her."

Spike stopped dead in his tracks with a bowl of fruit salad. "Wait a minute. Twilight told me you chased down Rainbow Dash while pulling her in her hot air balloon."

"What? When would I have done something like that?"

"I think it was... um... oh yeah! When Discord had messed with your heads! Rainbow Dash thought some little cloud was Cloudsdale and she needed to protect it."

Fluttershy blushed. "Um... To be fair, Pinkie and Rarity slowed her down."

"Riiight. Anyway, you're better than you give yourself credit for, that's all I'm saying. So when is Twi--" The front doors of the castle opened. "Huh, that's timing! Hey Twilight! ... Hi Rarity." If one looked closely enough, they might have sworn he was floating.

"Hi Spike! Has Flutt-- Fluttershy! Thank you for everything. Oh, and Spike? Would you take these to the kitchen?" She passed the little box to him. "Those are for you. After lunch though."

"Wow, thanks Twili-- Sapphire cupcakes?!" He took a whiff. "Oh ho ho ho, is that extra sapphire dust in the frosting?"

Twilight giggled, "After lunch, Spike. Speaking of which... What is for... Well, looks like my question is answered. Did you make all this, Fluttershy?"

"Oh, no, Spike was a big help. He did a lot of work."

"Yup. AND Fluttershy went over the foods you're supposed to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I, uh... I don't think you're gonna be terribly happy with the menu."

Twilight grabbed Spike and hugged him. "I understand what I'm getting myself into. Don't worry. You go ahead and follow Fluttershy's instructions. Now, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry."

Twilight found her lunch was smaller than breakfast. It consisted mostly of vegetables, though the fruit salad on the side was very nice as well.  As they discussed what her meals were going to be like, she realized nachos were not on the list.

Fluttershy chuckled at the mention of that. "Don't worry, a few now and then won't be bad. You just have to make sure you do things in moderation. A clawful of nachos won't be too bad."

"Right, so all I have to do is make Spike bigger." Everyone started laughing.

... except Twilight. When their laughs died down, they realized she had a serious look on her face. Spike suddenly gulped and asked, "You're not serious, are you?"

She suddenly smiled and said, "Gotcha!"

Rarity headed home. She had quite the day. The cream was rising to the top and she skimmed off enough to know that everypony was aware it was just a friendly race. It was going to be quite an intense race, but just a race between friends. That hug with Pinkie was just what was needed to get people thinking positively about it.

Still, she heard other things. Some of the Pegasi, especially those on the weather team, were wondering how she'd fare. Twilight was born a unicorn after all.

But she's an alicorn now.

But she didn't know anything know about flying or being a pegasus.

But she was being trained by Rainbow Dash.

And so on and so forth. There was something underneath it all that Rarity was worried about. She couldn't put her hoof on it, but it felt familiar. Not the good kind of familiar either.

Cloudkicker was coming in for a fitting tomorrow. Perhaps she could skim some information then.