It was a hot summer day. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were playing soccer, one on one, at a soccer field. Sunset Shimmer, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie were sitting on the bleachers to the side watching the game.
Rainbow Dash was wearing her usual outfit of black compression shorts under a dark pink miniskirt, while Applejack was wearing a pair of jean shorts that were tighter than the ones she wore in Legend of Everfree.
The game was going on for a long time, because Rainbow Dash had said "First to 50 goals wins!" Both girls were dripping with sweat from playing so hard in the summer heat, and were constantly taking breaks to drink some water. Luckily, Pinkie Pie had brought several bottles of water for them.
Rainbow Dash scored her 26th goal.
Twilight was keeping track of the score. "Rainbow Dash: 26! Applejack: 20!"
Applejack was losing, but she wasn't ready to give up yet, and wanted to finish the game anyway to have fun.
After pausing to down another water bottle each, Rainbow Dash and Applejack resumed their game. Rainbow scored two more goals, and then Applejack scored again.
"Rainbow Dash: 28! Applejack: 21!"
Rainbow and Applejack shook hands, then continued playing.
The other girls were feeling pretty hot too, with the sun beating down on them. They'd occasionally drink some water, and eventually Pinkie Pie took out a big umbrella that she had packed and set it above their heads. She had brought it in case of a rainstorm, but for now it was for shade, and the girls greatly appreciated it.
"You're doing great!" said Rainbow Dash, panting after Applejack scored her 23rd goal. "You've improved since last time!"
"Playin' against you is the best practice I can get!" said Applejack, and she and Rainbow Dash bumped each others' fists, the human equivalent of a hoof bump.
The game resumed. Rainbow Dash and Applejack played as hard as ever.
Rainbow Dash had just scored her 33rd goal when suddenly storm clouds filled the sky and it started to rain hard. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were completely soaked in seconds. Not that their outfits weren't already very damp with sweat. They didn't mind. There was no lightning, and this was hardly the first time they'd played sports in the rain. Plus, the rain was very refreshing after playing hard in the boiling sun.
"That came out of nowhere," said Twilight.
"I hope there's no thunder," said Fluttershy.
"These don't look like thunderclouds," said Sunset.
"Good thing you brought this umbrella, Pinkie," said Rarity, turning to her side, only to find no one there. "Pinkie?"
Pinkie was playing in the rain, splashing in puddles. Her jean shorts were soaked, but she didn't mind. This was very fun for her, and she had only brought the umbrella for the other girls.
"She's just being Pinkie Pie," said Sunset, giggling.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack kept playing, doing sliding tackles a little more often now that the grass was wet. In about fifteen minutes, Rainbow Dash was winning 40-32.
"Go Rainbow Dash! Go Applejack!" said Pinkie Pie, waving pom poms in the rain, her hair somehow tied in pigtails.
The rain was not letting up, but Rainbow Dash and Applejack paid little notice. After about another fifteen minutes, Rainbow Dash scored her 50th goal, while Applejack was at 41.
"Rainbow Dash wins!" said Twilight.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were both tired, panting, and soaking wet, but they had enjoyed the game a great deal. They shook hands, saying "Good game."
"How about we race across that track?" said Rainbow Dash, pointing to a dirt track.
"Sure," said Applejack. "As long as you don't use your Equestrian magic."
Pinkie Pie, meanwhile, was playing in a big mud puddle, giggling the entire time. She got dirtier faster than the rain could wash it off. She paused in a sitting position to drink the raindrops as they fell. Twilight, Sunset, Fluttershy, and Rarity giggled at this. Pinkie's antics were always fun!
Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat and rested for about five minutes, enjoying the cool rain pouring on them. Then, they stood up and started to run.
Only five seconds into the race, both girls slipped on the muddy ground and fell down.
"Oh, are you all right?" said Fluttershy from the bleachers.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat up. They were covered in mud, but they just laughed it off and stood up. As they ran, careful not to slip again, the rain washed the mud off them.
The other five girls cheered the two athletes on as they ran. Rainbow Dash was in the lead, gradually putting some distance between herself and Applejack. Applejack ran as fast as her legs could carry her, but she couldn't catch up to Rainbow Dash.
When they were about three quarters done the race, the rain stopped, though the clouds remained.
Pinkie Pie sat beside Rarity again, completely covered in mud and very cheerful. She was careful to sit about a foot away from Rarity, for she knew Rarity didn't want to get any dirt on her. Rarity saw what she was doing and greatly appreciated it.
"Looks like Rainbow Dash is gonna win," said Pinkie.
"Applejack might yet make a comeback," said Twilight.
Rainbow Dash was still in the lead as they sprinted for the finish line. But, at the last second, she slipped in a particularly muddy section of the track and fell on her back.
Applejack ran by her, jumped over the mud section, and skidded past the finish line. She wobbled around a bit, but regained her balance.
"Applejack wins!" said Twilight.
Rainbow Dash sat up, covered in mud again. "Aw, I was so close!"
Applejack walked over to her and held out her hand. "Ya got that right. If you hadn't tripped, you'd have won."
Rainbow Dash took her hand and Applejack helped her up.
"Congratulations," said Rainbow Dash. "But I probably wouldn't slip if it was a rollerblading race!"
"You're on!" said Applejack.
After they said goodbye to the other girls, Rainbow Dash and Applejack went home, and met at a park they liked to race at with their rollerblades. They hadn't changed out of their wet, and in Rainbow's case, dirty clothes, for it looked like it would resume raining any second now.
They stood at a particular spot on a long path that looped around. This path was made of concrete rather than dirt, so they wouldn't slip when it was wet.
"I won soccer, you won the race," said Rainbow Dash. "Whoever wins this, wins today's competition!"
"All right!" said Applejack. "Go!"
They began rollerblading as fast as they could. For a moment, they were neck in neck. They splashed through a puddle, further soaking each other, and laughed.
They were about a quarter of the way through the race when the rain started coming down hard again. Rainbow Dash let out a satisfied sigh as the rain washed all the mud off her. Not that she minded getting dirty, but it was always a nice feeling.
Then, Applejack pulled ahead of Rainbow Dash. Perhaps Rainbow was going slower because she was tired from running harder, or from falling down.
Then, she turned a hard corner and fell face-first into a mud puddle.
"See you at the finish line!" said Rainbow Dash as she zoomed by Applejack.
Applejack got up and started skating harder.
They reached a section of path that arched downhill a bit. Rainbow Dash was going so fast, she couldn't turn in time. She went off the track and splashed into a nearby pond.
As Rainbow Dash climbed out of the pond, Applejack turned the corner effortlessly, now clean, and saying "Have a nice swim?"
Rainbow Dash started skating as fast as she could, catching up to Applejack when there was about a quarter of the race left. At this point both girls were feeling a little tired from all the competitions, but neither was ready to give up.
Occasionally, one of them would pull ahead. The first time they had raced, Rainbow Dash had tried to cheat, but she was a better sport now.
The rain seemed to get a little harder, as if it could sense the intensity of the race.
They approached the finish line that they had set up. They were neck in neck...
And then Rainbow Dash pulled ahead slightly and reached the finish line.
Both girls sat down, panting and exhausted. They didn't feel like they could do any more competitions today.
"Did we tie?" said Rainbow Dash.
"Ah think you beat me by a nose," said Applejack.
"All right!" Rainbow raised her fist in the air, then shook hands with Applejack.
"That was our most intense competition yet," said Applejack.
"The rain made it more intense," said Rainbow Dash, still enjoying the feeling of the cool rain on her after playing and racing so hard. She closed her eyes and sighed in satisfaction.
As if it had been there specifically for the competition, the rainclouds suddenly parted and the sun came out. The heat felt as nice as the rain when it had first come, and Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked home.
