Wish Gone Awry. Enter Equestria! Enter New Life!

Sitting down at the laid-out blanket, the group starts to eat Pinkie Pie's prepared picnic lunch. Pinkie Pie prepared a wide array of food, many different flowery sandwiches, more normal ones, pastries galore, hay burgers, and fries. Looking over the foods, Julius spots something out of place.

"I-Is that meat?!?" Julius asks in shock as he looks over one of the hay burgers. Looking at each other, the ponies start laughing.

"Oh Julius, you're so funny," Pinkie Pie laughs. "It's fake meat. Every pony food place has some fake meat, in case we get visitors who eat meat," Pinkie Pie says, laughing before eating a fake meat burger as if to demonstrate her point.

"Oh, ok. That makes sense, but what about the buns? What are they made out of?" Julius asks, turning one of the fake meat burgers around in his hand. "I can't eat hay. Well, I can, but it doesn't do much for me," he explained while trying a bit of the fake meat.

"The fake meat burgers are made with wheat buns," Pinkie Pie tells Julius while pushing a few burgers and fries to him. "Don't worry; the fries are made from potatoes," Pinkie Pie assures Julius as he tries one of the burgers. "So, how are they?" Pinkie Pie asks, bouncing around Julius. Chewing a few bites, Julius gets a good taste before swallowing.

"Well, it's a bit grassy and grainy," Julius starts to explain while rocking his head as if to get a fuller taste "and could use some oil, but on the whole, not bad," Julius says before trying the fries. "Honestly, the fake meat we have is better, but we have a point of reference," Julius tells Pinkie Pie as he eats the extremely crispy fries.

"Meh, I'll take it," Pinkie Pie says as she starts eating several cupcakes in rapid succession.

Slowly eating several of the foods, Julius looks around at the ponies. Luna and Twilight, for the most part, are eating as he'd expect. Not exactly small bites but reserved bites, and eating quite flowery sandwiches. Luna's sandwich had many dark purple and light blue flowers. In comparison, Twilight's sandwich had many light purple and dark pink flowers. Pinkie Pie seemed to be eating every pastry at a sickening pace. Looking on in awe, Julius stopped eating for a few moments.

"Yeah, Pinkie Pie loves her pastries," Rainbow Dash tells Julius as she grabs a fake meat burger. "She's always like that, eating everything with sugar in it," Rainbow Dash chuckles before taking a bite of the fake meat burger.

"Wait, you like those?" Julius asks, bewildered as Rainbow Dash eats the burger.

"Well yeah, there are a few ponies who like fake meat. Mostly those who live around creatures like gryphons, or athletes" Rainbow Dash tells Julius as she eats the burger.

"It's true, most of the guards have grain-meat with one of their meals," Luna confirms as she takes a grain-meat burger. As she tried it, Luna hummed in thought. "It is better than most I've had, but the royal cooks make them better," Luna says while looking at Pinkie Pie. "It's perfectly fine, Pinkie Pie; very few ponies have experience cooking fake meat," Luna tells her before finishing her burger.

"I have experience cooking fake meat," Julius pipes up between eating fries. "We do have different fake meats in my world. They're not all bad, but you can tell they're fake, well I can. I can't say I'm sure how they're made, though," Julius tells the ponies before adding some ketchup to a burger.

"Great, then I can use you to taste test my burgers!" Pinkie Pie chirps up between cupcakes.

"Well, if you're offering and it won't kill me, I won't say no to free food," Julius accepts as he eats another burger.

The picnic continues with Julius trying a bit of everything. The pastries tasted very good, if not a bit too sweet for his tastes. The flowery sandwiches tasted very odd, like a sandwich with only bread and lettuce with some soft flavoring. The hay burgers tasted much like a vegetarian burger with a very grassy bun. The fries tasted normal, a bit on the crunchy side but normal.

"Well, they're a bit different, but they mostly taste familiar. I think I'll be staying away from the flower sandwiches, though; I don't care for them," Julius said as he laid back. Relaxing in the late afternoon sun, Julius shuts his eyes.

"Hey, now don't start napping; you still have a race to lose," Rainbow Dash tells Julius poking his belly with a hoof.

"I'm not going to start napping. I'm just relaxing. We'll race in an hour; let lunch settle first" Julius chuckles as Rainbow Dash's hoof tickles him.

"Awww, is the human ticklish?" Rainbow Dash asks teasingly as Pinkie Pie bounces closer.

"I think he is!~" Pinkie Pie sings as she starts rubbing Julius' belly alongside Rainbow Dash.

"O-ok ok, stop it," Julius laughs as the two ponies tickle him.

"I think it's cute," Luna says with a hoof over her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"I agree. I didn't think you could look so cute," Twilight remarks chuckling.

"W-well maybe we," Julius brokenly starts laughing, "s-should be wrapped in ribbons," Julius tries and fails to stifle his laughter, "a-and cuddle puppies, since so cute we are," Julius laughs as the other ponies start laughing as well. "Ok, ok, enough," Julius laughs nearly in tears, "if you continue, we won't be able to race today" Julius tried to bargain.

"Alright, let's let the human rest Pinkie Pie," a laughing Rainbow Dash told a harder laughing Pinkie Pie.

"Alright, Dashy," Pinkie Pie conceded as the mares removed their hooves from Julius' belly. Settling down after the tickle attack, Julius laid down with Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie flanking him. "Pinkie, somehow you seem to know everything involving anything relevant; think you can wake us up in an hour if we fall asleep?" Julius requests while looking at Pinkie Pie.

"Sure can do!" Pinkie Pie chirps in response.

"Great, thanks Pinkie Pie" Julius thanks as he lays his head back. Relaxing in the warm sunlight and the furry plushness of pony fur, Julius falls half asleep. Relaxing peacefully in the warmth and silence, Julius enjoys the moment while absentmindedly petting the ponies around him, their soft nickering keeping him from entirely falling asleep.

"Hey stud, an hour has passed!~" Pinkie Pie sings seductively while looking at Julius.

"Awww, but I'm comfy," Julius moans as he runs his hand through something plush and soft. Turning his head, Julius looks right in the eyes of a fiercely blushing Rainbow Dash. Feeling where his hand is, Julius realizes he's ruffling her barrel. "Well, if it's any consolation, it's quite soft," Julius smirks at Rainbow Dash while the other mares laugh.

"I know," Rainbow Dash shoots back before moving away from Julius. "Anyways, an hour is up, so let's race. Lead on to where you want to lose," Rainbow Dash tells Julius as he picks himself up.

"Alright, follow me. Pinkie Pie, you can clean this all up in an instant, right?" Julius says as he starts to walk towards Fluttershy's cottage. *BRRRM* A loud vacuum sounds behind him. Turning around, Julius sees nothing but Pinkie Pie holding a vacuum.

"Party vacuum cleans up parties in seconds flat!" Pinkie Pie chirps as she stores the vacuum away.

"Of course, a party vacuum, that's perfectly normal," Julius says, laughing and shaking his head. "Well, let's go this way; we got a little bit of walking to do," Julius tells the mares before walking off towards Fluttershy's cottage. While walking along a familiar path, the mares recognized the path.

"There's no track around here. Any reason we're going to Fluttershy's?" Rainbow Dash asked as the cottage came into view.

"Well, where we are going to race is this way. So why not see if Fluttershy wants to come along?" Julius explains, earning an odd look from the ponies. Following his lead, the mares follow Julius as he walks up to Fluttershy's door. "Hey Fluttershy, you home?" Julius asks as he knocks on Fluttershy's door.

"One moment," Fluttershy's soft voice rings out. Opening her door, Fluttershy looks up at Julius. "Hello Julius, girls, what can I do for you today?" Fluttershy asks as she closes her door behind her.

"Oh, Rainbow Dash and I are going to race. The place we're racing at is close to here. Want to come and watch?" Julius asks, which gets him an odd look from Fluttershy.

"You're going to race Rainbow Dash near here?" Fluttershy asks while racking her memory. As if struck by lightning, a knowing look grows on Fluttershy's face, to which Julius slyly smirks; words between the two were not needed. "Alright, I'll go with you," Fluttershy giggles softly before following after Julius.

"So Fluttershy, you're going to come to watch Julius get beaten, are you," Rainbow Dash states as Fluttershy joins the group.

"I'm coming to watch the race, yes," Fluttershy responds as Julius leads the group further away from Ponyville. Farther and farther, the group is led until a weird forest, somewhat connected to the Everfree, comes in view. Strange-looking trees with twisting branches filled the view of the group. The trees were so thick they were almost mistaken for a wall. A dense canopy covered the forest. The group could spot a few possible paths in the woods before disappearing as the tree branches shift.

"Well, here we are; this is where we'll race," Julius states pointing at the shifting forest. "In the middle of the forest, Zecora is waiting for us. She has two cloths, one red and one blue. We race to her, get a cloth, I'll take red, and you'll take blue, then we race back," Julius explains while drawing a line in the ground with his boot. "It should take about an hour to get to the middle and about an hour to get back. The first one to cross this line with their cloth is the winner," Julius tells a baffled Rainbow Dash.

"This is the weirdest race I've ever heard of," Rainbow Dash says, scratching the back of her head with a hoof. "But if it's how you want to get beaten, then you're on," Rainbow Dash tells Julius as she limbers up.

"Alright, Twilight care to give us a count down?" Julius asks as he gets ready to run.

"Alright, start on the go," Twilight nervously says. "Three," the pair finish their stretching, "two," the pair get square to the forest "one," the pair ready their muscles to take off "GO!" The pair take off towards the forest. Julius doesn't seem to move all that fast, going at maybe a canter. Rainbow Dash, however, bolts ahead full speed.

"This is bad," Twilight says as Rainbow Dash blasts away towards the forest.

"I know. Rainbow Dash can't win," Fluttershy says, shocking everypony.

"Fluttershy, you see the speed difference, right? Julius can't catch up," Twilight tells Fluttershy.

"Twilight, I know this forest," Fluttershy tells Twilight and the group. "I have animal friends who are from this forest, and I had to go into it a few times. You can't fly through it. If you try, you'll hit a branch. And the branches and roots are always moving. If you're not careful, you'll get caught and stuck," Fluttershy explains. *BANG, CREAK, SMASH* Almost as if on cue, to punctuate her point, a loud crash is heard from the forest. "Hear what I mean, girls," Fluttershy says as a slow realization dawns on the mares.

Entering the forest, Julius slows down, from a near run to a light jog. Jumping through the forest, nimbly navigating the branches and roots, Julius softly chuckles. "I guess that makeshift parkour training has a use, good job me, and thank you brain," Julius thinks to himself. Julius notices a rainbow tail and light blue rump sticking out of a tree; jogging up to the tree, Julius chuckles. "How's it going?" Julius asks, laughing as he stops by the rump.

"Very funny," Rainbow Dash says, muffled as she struggles to get free of the tree.

"Do you want a hand?" Julius asks, biting his tongue.

"I'm fine, I'll be fine," Rainbow Dash says, strained he hooves trying to get herself free from the tree.

"Alright, see you at the finish line~" Julius sings. As he playfully slapped Rainbow Dash's rump before jogging off towards the middle of the forest. Freeing herself from the tree, Rainbow Dash looks in Julius' direction.

"I'll get you for that!" Rainbow Dash huffs. Much of the race continues in that same fashion. Rainbow's incredible speed allows her to catch up to Julius with remarkable ease; her recklessness and blinding speed, however, causes her to crash hard into shifting branches. Racing nearly neck to neck, the pair enter a grove with Zecora standing in the middle with two cloths.

"You're looking tired, Rainbow Dash. If you want, we can stop and rest after getting the cloths," Julius offers a panting Rainbow Dash.

"Hah, rest, I don't need a rest. You need a rest!" Rainbow Dash shoots back at Julius as they approach Zecora.

"Very well," Julius sighs as the two get their cloths from Zecora. Julius simply grabs his while Zecora ties Rainbow Dash's around her neck like a foulard or an ascot. Racing back into the forest, the two are neck and neck entering.

"So girls, do you think it'll be enough?" Twilight asks the mares.

"Well, Julius seems quite flexible but surely not enough to navigate a thick, shifting forest faster than Rainbow Dash can fly," Luna says with some apprehension as Twilight cautiously nods in agreement.

"I've seen him move through the Everfree Forest when he saved me; you'd be surprised," Fluttershy says in defense of Julius with Pinkie Pie nodding along.

"Pinkie Pie, why do you think Julius will win?" Twilight asked the grinning pony.

"Because Twilight, I know everything about my friends," Pinkie Pie explains while slyly grinning at Twilight and Luna, causing the two to blush. "Besides, Dashy would never gallop if flying was an option. Flying is an option here, so she'll try flying through the forest," Pinkie Pie explains. The group, hearing rustling from the forest, turns to face it.

"Well, looks like we'll soon have our answer," Luna says as the mares look at the forest with their breaths bated. Closer and closer, the rustling came until a body emerged from out of the forest. Luna and Twilight's jaws are agape as they look on in shock, while Pinkie Pie bounces around happily, and Fluttershy smirks.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Julius shouts to the waiting mares as he approaches the finish line.

"Nowhere to be seen!" Pinkie Pie ecstatically exclaims. "This is your race to win!" Pinkie Pie bounces around happily. Shaking their heads in disbelief, Luna and Twilight start clapping their hoofs against the ground. Running right up to the line, Julius stops just before crossing it.

"I'll wait here," Julius says just a few steps from the line. "I want Rainbow Dash to see me cross," Julius proudly says while smirking.

"Don't be foolish, Julius, just cross the line and win!" Luna practically commands nearly using the Royal Canterlot Voice.

"Yes, I'm foolish, I know, but I just can't resist," Julius responds, grinning foolishly, causing Luna, Twilight, and Fluttershy to facehoof hard. For a whole hour, the mares try to get Julius to cross the line, but to no avail. Looking up in the sky, Julius sees the sun starting to lower. Standing up, Julius starts to make his way back to the forest.

"Where are you going?" Luna almost demands.

"Back into the forest. It shouldn't take this long for Rainbow Dash to come out; she's stuck somewhere. I'll be right back with Rainbow Dash," Julius says, running off into the forest.

"Wait!" Twilight shouts, but Julius just runs off, making Twilight facehoof yet again.

Nimbly making his way through the forest, Julius takes only ten minutes to find a struggling Rainbow Dash. Walking up to Rainbow Dash, Julius notices that her body is stuck in a tree trunk and a wing is badly hurt.

"So how about now? Need some help now?" Julius asks, looking Rainbow Dash in her eyes.

"Y-yes, please," a blushing Rainbow Dash meekly asks. Smiling, Julius helps Rainbow Dash get unstuck from the tree. Julius began slowly working her body out of the tree. After a few long, painful minutes, Rainbow Dash gets freed. "T-thank you," Rainbow Dash meekly says, her head low to the ground. Pain rips through Rainbow's body as she tests her injured wing.

"Here, allow me," Julius offers. Julius placed his hands on Rainbow Dash's injured wing. "Now, I have never done this on anything other than me but first time for everything," Julius says as he begins to focus. His hands feel a magical warmth envelop them, and energy flows through them. Julius tries to heal Rainbow Dash's wing. After a few moments, Julius removes his hands. "Well, I don't think that you're fully healed, but you're better," Julius says as Rainbow Dash tries her wing.

"Yeah, a lot better. Thank you," Rainbow Dash thanks. Feeling no pain in her wing anymore, Rainbow Dash is about to fly up before Julius pulls her into a hug. Holding her firmly to his body, Julius starts walking out of the forest. "W-what are you doing?!?" Rainbow Dash asks in shock.

"I'm not sure if I fully healed you. You could still be injured. Let's not risk it," Julius tells Rainbow Dash, who slightly snuggles against Julius' chest.

"Ok fine," Rainbow Dash chuckles as he gets nearer to the edge of the forest. "You already won the race, I suppose," Rainbow Dash quietly says, avoiding Julius's eyes.

"Oh, oh no, I didn't. I didn't cross the finish line. I was waiting for you," Julius says, smiling at a shocked Rainbow Dash. Swiftly rearranging his hands, Julius locks Rainbow Dash against his chest.

"W-what are you doing? Let me go!" Rainbow Dash tries to struggle out of Julius' grip, but to no avail.

"I'm going to cross the finish line first. Then carry you across," a grinning Julius tells a shocked Rainbow Dash.

"No, you're not!" Rainbow Dash defiantly tells Julius. Struggling all the way, Rainbow Dash tries to break Julius' grip; but the sparing, the race, and the injury sapped almost all of Rainbow Dash's energy and strength. Walking out of the forest with a barely struggling Rainbow Dash in his arms, Julius spots the waiting mares.

"Hey mares, I found our little Dashy!" Julius coyly smirks, much to Rainbow Dash's embarrassment.

"P-please-" Rainbow Dash blushes.

"Rainbow listen, this race I won it," Julius tells Rainbow Dash as he walks towards the finish line. "I did not beat you though; you beat you. In a normal race, you would have beaten me with pure ease. In any race which gave you open terrain, you win easily. You didn't have to accept this race. You could have and should have bowed out. Don't get me wrong, you did well, far better than I thought you would, but it wasn't enough. In the future, if somecreature starts flattering you like I did, trying to goad you into a competition, don't accept; they're luring you into a trap," Julius explains to an exhausted Rainbow Dash as he gets within earshot of the mares. "Do any of you have a blue ribbon? The winner deserves a blue ribbon," Julius asks the mares. The mares look through their stuff, finding no blue ribbons.

"I have pink ribbons!" Pinkie Pie chirps up.

"That's ok; I can easily get a blue ribbon," Julius smirks as he stops a few steps before the finish line. Turning around, Julius takes a few measured steps backward; stopping one step from the line, Julius looks at a panting exhausted Rainbow Dash before quickly kissing her noes. Taking one step backward, Julius makes sure that only his back leg crosses the line while the rest of him, Rainbow Dash included, doesn't.

"T-the winner by a leg, Julius," a disbelieved Twilight says.

"Rainbow Dash got hurt in the forest, her left-wing. I tried to heal it, but she should still get in checked out," Julius tells the mares as he turns around, letting an exhausted, blushing Rainbow Dash cross in his arms. "Speaking of wings," Julius smirks as he runs a hand through the feathers of Rainbow Dash's left-wing. After plucking a large feather from Rainbow's wing, Julius sets Rainbow Dash down. "I'll take my blue ribbon from one of Rainbow's wings," Julius grins as he holds up Rainbow's feather, some of her innate magic trapped inside it.

"W-why my feather? You know what that means!" An embarrassed Rainbow Dash asks in disbelief.

"I do, and I know about your agreement. I believe you wanted a stallion who can beat you in a race," Julius says, smirking. Blushing, Rainbow Dash looks around at her friends.

"It's ok, Rainbow, it's amazing," a blushing Twilight comforts Rainbow Dash.

"F-fine, but you still have to get the others with you," Rainbow Dash huffs while avoiding the looks of everycreature.

"Oh, I plan to. Now Dashy, want to walk to the hospital or want your stallion to carry you," Julius playfully teases.

"I'll walk. I still have some pride," Rainbow Dash awkwardly chuckles as she starts to head towards Ponyville. Following after, the group heads back to town. Before leaving the area, Julius looks right at Twilight.

"See Twilight; I told you I could win," Julius tells Twilight, grinning.

"Yes, Julius," Twilight says with a chuckle, "yes you did," she smiles as the two follow after the group.