The Midnight Zone

“So you're doing what now?” asked Twilight. After receiving the scroll from Applejack and Rainbow, she’d finished all the preparations for the Summer Sun Celebration, with the exception of the weather and food, as the two ponies in charge of them were currently doing an…

“An… Iron… Pony… competition,” said Rainbow, finishing her fiftieth one-armed push up, and sitting back down. She had used her wings to help her out.

Applejack turned to Twilight. “See, we've set up a bunch of events to decide which one of us is–”

“The most athletic pony ever!” finished Rainbow.

“And why am I here?” asked Twilight.

“I don’t know,” said Rainbow. “Why is she here?”

“To be our judge and keep score,” explained Applejack.

“Right, heh. Somepony's gotta record my awesomeness for the history books''

“Hello everypony, and welcome to the first annual Iron Pony competition, in Ponyville!” said Spike. He was sitting on Twilight's back, and commenting into a stick, which Twilight had cast a spell on, so that it worked like an actual microphone.

“Uh, Spike, who are you talking to?” asked Rainbow Dash. She was dressed up in what she thought was appropriate: her Wonderbolts outfit. When she’d left for the stadium earlier, Applejack had commented that putting on her Wonderbolts outfit for every special occasion was “a bit overdone,” but Rainbow had countered with: “it makes me feel fast enough to beat you.” Naturally Applejack said: “not all the challenges are speed related.”

Looking at the challenges now, Rainbow realized that was true. She made out a tug-of-war arena, a Long jump, and a fenced area.

“Um… uh, them!” said Spike, pointing at the rest of Rainbow's friends: Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy. “Let the games begin!”

The first challenge actually was speed related: the Barrel Lead. It was a fifty foot sprint, that you had to do whilst avoiding barrels placed in the road.

Applejack got into position.

Twilight said: “Ready, set, go!”

Applejack raced through the course, and just as Rainbow thought she might not beat her, Applejack slammed into the last barrel, sending it rolling into a bush. “Dagnabbit!”

“Time, Spike?” asked Twilight.

“Eighteen seconds!”

“Your kiddin’!” exclaimed Applejack, trotting up to the group. “That breaks my record from last year’s rodeo!”

“But, you got a five second penalty for hitting the barrel,” said Spike.

“Nuts and chews,” sighed Applejack. “Still that's twenty-two seconds. Not too shabby.” Rainbow stepped into position.

“Hey don’t be nervous,” said Applejack. “Remember, It’s all in good fun.”

Twilight stepped up. “Ready, set, go!”

Rainbow took off, zooming around the barrels easily. He shot through the finish gate, and was back at Spike before he could even say the time.

“Woo! That was some fancy hoofwork there, Rainbow!” exclaimed Applejack.

“Thanks but I… couldn’t have been… as fast as you.”

“What was the time on that, Spike?” asked Twilight.

“Ten seconds!”

“Ten seconds! Rainbow, are you sure you're not secretly a rodeo pony?”

Twilight told Fluttershy: “Rainbow wins the Barrel Lead!”

Fluttershy, being a Pegasus, flew over to the scoreboard, and changed the score to 1-0.

“Woo-hoo, I won!” exclaimed Rainbow.

“Yeah, well, don't you go gettin' used to it,” said Applejack, back in competitive mode. “The next competition is the Long Jump. I’ve never been beat at it before!”

“Ha!” snorted Rainbow. “Good Luck.”