The Running Of The Lovers

Rainbow Dash and Applejack were lying spread-eagle on the grass of Sweet Apple Acres, panting. Cerulean and orange coats were moist and slick with sweat spectrum and blonde mane plastered to their necks and foreheads with the sticky substance. Their tongues lolled out of their mouths as they regained control of their breathing. Rainbow's wings had sweat dripping from them, creating small spots in the short-cropped grass as they spread across the blades, not bothering to be tucked into cerulean fur. Half closed and exhausted magenta eyes met half closed and exhausted green eyes and smiles formed on their faces as they looked at each other.

"Looks like we'll tie again this year AJ."

Rainbow Dash commented as she pushed herself into a sitting position and shook herself off, shedding the clinging sweat from her back, head, mane and tail. She gave her wings a few flaps to unclog the feathers, flying with sweat-clogged feathers was a pretty bad idea. The two had been racing around the orchard as a warm up for the Running of the Leaves which would occur the next day and they had tied once more, crossing a hoof-scratched line in the dirt at the exact same moment, neck and neck and hoof to hoof.

Applejack chuckled, pushing herself up as well. "Let's just hope it's fer first this time, not last." She teased, nudging her friend playfully.

Rainbow nodded. "Well this year we don't have a huge grudge against each other, so we won't be trying to murder each other. That should make things easier." She joked, elbowing her friend right back.

This was there usual way of hanging out, joking around with each other with playful nudges and remarks. They occasionally got into little pretend scuffles until one of them pinned the other down and made them say uncle.

Applejack smirked and gave her a playful grin. "Ah'll still beat ya. Anyways, ah've gotta git back ta work before Big Mac tries to do all the work himself, stubborn stallion. See ya later Dash." She waved before trotting off, some of her speed and strength restored from the short rest.

Rainbow watched her friend go, a longing look in her eyes. She flared her wings, snapping them open on each side as she took off, hovering in the air for a moment. "Love you AJ..." She whispered to herself before flying off, leaving a bright prism trail in her wake.

Applejack's eyes followed Rainbow as she took off in a blaze of rainbows, the same longing look in her emerald orbs. She tucked her back legs under her and kicked the tree as hard as she could, barely noticing when the apples fell into the buckets beside it. "Love ya Dashie..." She murmured quietly, kicking the tree with one leg.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were side by side on the starting line, fur pretty much brushing together. Anticipation gleamed in their eyes, sparkling emeralds and bright magenta. A roped bound Rainbow's wings to her sides, which kept her from flying. This year she didn't mind that much, if she did use her wings then she would reach the finish line within seconds. It was only fair that she ran like everypony else.

Applejack crouched down beside her friend. Their muscles tensed as one, simultaneously as they readied themselves for the long run ahead. Most of the weight was distributed to the orange mare's forehooves, a trick she had picked up from years of rodeo races and even apple bucking. She would push off powerfully with her front hooves, the less weight on her back hooves the better if she wanted a speeding gallop.

Rainbow was crouching very low to the ground. Almost all of her weight was on her back hooves, a tip she had gotten from a flying instructor. When about to take a flying leap to gain speed, one should push off the ground with a huge buck-like gesture of the back legs, which would propel them forwards and allow their forehooves to race the moment they hit the ground again.

Paaaaaaarp!

The horn went off and each racer sprang forward, beginning the race. Applejack and Rainbow Dash landed neck and neck, hooves hitting the compacted dirt as they began their race, muscles flexing and pumping beneath their brightly colored fur. Eyes set, jaws locked and determined glares on their faces as the pulled ahead of the pack, years worth of training, flying and apple bucking, giving them the advantage as their sleek and toned forms powered through. Their hair blew behind them, trails of spectrum and blonde swishing behind them. There was no stetson upon Applejack's head, leaving her hay colored mane to flow freely with the wind, bound only by a thin red mane elastic.

Rainbow's blood started coursing faster through her system as adrenaline leaked through her veins, setting fire to her blood and heating her up on the inside. Each hoof beat was like a roll of thunder in her ears, amplified by Applejack racing beside her and the crowd behind them. She could feel her wings twitching against the tightness of their binds, struggling to break free and take her into the air, to soar freely into the blue, blue sky. Her mouth set a a huge, daredevil grin as her eyes narrowed. Her hooves struck lightly against the ground as she picked up the pace, drawing ahead of the apple farmer. Out of the corner of one eye she admired Applejack's form, sleek yet powerful muscles working clearly underneath orange fur, her green eyes narrowed in determination and her blonde mane and tail fanning out behind her, held together only by the thin red elastic she tied in them.

Applejack felt like gasoline had been poured into her veins. A match struck it and created a fire within her circulatory system, willing her legs to race forwards, light as air. She felt the swish of a ragged yet soft tail as it whisked past her side, catching the brightly colored form of Rainbow Dash as she pulled ahead, legs almost like four separate blurs of cerulean, even her cutie mark was barely distinguishable. Applejack made her strides longer and quicker, muscles flexing and pumping as she caught up. She unintentionally found herself admiring Rainbow's form, toned and evenly proportioned with no extra weight on her, brightly twinkling magenta eyes and her multi-hued mane flowing behind her, unrestrained as it flew around her neck, whipped by the wind.

Around the ponies, leaves were churned by the vibrations in their trees and trunks, caused by the pounding hooves of the racers. Bright, dull, long, short, sleek and dirty pelts flashed by as the red, gold and orange leaves fell, dry and dead brown ones cracking and smothering into dust underneath small and large hooves alike, coating the ground in the colors of a brilliant sunset. The heads of the pack, Applejack and Rainbow Dash of course, managed to avoid slipping and sliding on the leaves, but the ones in the back had to navigate through the growing piles of dying leaves as they fell under their hooves, tripping them up slightly.

The pegasus and the earth pony up front were right beside each other, sweat dripping down their foreheads and along their coats. Damp orange fur brushed against moist cerulean fur as they raced, hoof to hoof and neck and neck. Each step was almost the same, inside hoof, outside hoof, inside hoof and outside hoof, they matched each other stride for stride. If Rainbow pulled ahead, Applejack pushed off the ground a bit with her powerful back legs to speed herself up. If Applejack pulled ahead, Rainbow Dash would almost take a flying leap to get back int he game with her. Neither was ready to let the other one win, let alone pull ahead by even a nose or a hair from their manes.

The faint murmur of the announcer could barely be heard above the roaring of the blood in their ears and the huge beats of the bass drums whenever a hoof hit the ground. The leaves flitted about them, tangling in their manes and clinging to their fur. Everypony had sweat running down their legs and faces now, getting distractingly into their eyes and wetting the leaves caught to the bottoms of their hooves. It dripped from the tips of their noses and stuck their manes to their necks and foreheads, plastering the hair in place. A few ponies tried to pick up the pace, pull ahead while they had the chance. Some slowed down, lactic acids finally claiming their muscles. Some, who had been behind pacing themselves, shot forwards with all the speed they could muster, victorious grins on their faces. The two leading ponies didn't break pace nor stride, years of racing paying off as they slowly drew further and further ahead of the pack, no exhaustion visible on their determined faces.

Rainbow started slowly leading again, her legs seemingly having wings of their own as they tore across the ground, skimming the dirt and seeming to not even touch it. Soon she was an entire head in front of Applejack, her face portraying strain as she forced her muscles to work this hard. She was sure she'd regret this when she woke up up in the morning and finding she wouldn't be able to move stiff, cramped and sore legs which would leave her bedridden the entire day groaning with pain, but for now she was having too much fun to care about morning agony. She just let her flying hooves do the work as her mane stuck to her, no longer flowing with vibrance.

Applejack tried to speed up, but she could feel herself slowing down. Don't ya dare quit on me now legs... She ordered and managed to speed up a bit, her grin returning. As she started gaining on her multicolored friend, she failed to notice where her flying, racing hooves were hitting the ground. Her left back hoof struck something, a jutting rock or a protruding branch she failed to notice, and the momentum she'd gained made her fly for a few moments. Everything was like a rolling blur in her eyes, she felt light as air before she was forcefully slammed into the ground by gravity's powerful hoof. The dirt flattened and spread out beneath her as she rolled a few times before grinding to a halt and she let out a sharp yelp, forehooves instinctively grabbing her left hind leg, feeling a thick, long and jagged crack on the hoof that went up to her more sensitive skin. The back of her eyes itched as wetness clung to her tightly shut eyelids, her face screwed up in pain.

Dash heard the yelp and she whipped around, her eyes greeted with Applejack holding her bloody back hoof with a pained look on her face, a few tears leaking from beneath the lids. She stopped running and ran back to her friend, leaning down to inspect the crack in her hoof. "Oh Celestia AJ your leg..." She murmured. The sound of hooves trampling dirt hit her ears and she looked up to see the rest of the racers catching up. If they got to them before Applejack got up, she'd be trampled! Rainbow looked down at the farmer, looking at her with pained eyes. "Ok, you can't walk I can tell form the look on your face. If we stay here you're gonna get run over by a dozen racers. Sorry about this..." She jammed her shoulder underneath Applejack's side, lifting her a bit. She flattened her ears, pressing them to her skull at her friend's whinny of pain when weight was placed on her injured hoof. With a quick slide of her back legs she slid herself underneath her wounded friend and hoisted her up on her back. She heard a protesting gasp from Applejack but she ignored it, springing to full gear as she raced for the finish line, the fallen Element of Honesty on her back.

Applejack could feel the wind whipping through her mane and across her open wound and she clung helplessly to Rainbow's back, forelegs wrapped around her waist. Each additional gust of wind stung her bloodied and badly cracked hoof, making her wince a bit and her muscles snap taut for the briefest of moments. A few hot tears trickled lazily down her face against her will and she swore loudly at them in her mind with words she dare not say out loud. Exhaustion crept onto her muscles, not the kind before bed but the kind that made her legs go limp and her head droop. She felt like a failure, uselessly clinging to her best friend as she raced for the both of them, the extra weight on her back. But even with bound wings and the burden of Applejack on her back, Rainbow Dash never faltered, each stride and step sure and steady. "...Thanks RD." Was all she managed to say. She had to admit it felt nice to be carried, no matter how bad it made her feel.

Rainbow Dash smiled when she heard her friend's voice, tight and thin as it was. She ignored the feeling of a few stray tears leaking from the itching ropes and onto her feathered appendages. "It's no problem Applejack. You'd do the same thing for me. We're friends and that's all there is to it." She stated affirmatively, heart fluttering in her chest. She would do this for any of her friends, just because she fancied Applejack didn't make this moment more special. She ignored the creeping doubts as the trees thinned out a bit, a few flashes of unnatural color showing the ponies on the other side of the trees and the white checkered finish line. The pegasus looked over her shoulder and could see no racers, so she slowed her pace to a speedy trot as the edge of the forest came near.

Applejack could see the crowd around the finish line, Princess Celestia and even Princess Luna had come once again. It would be humiliating, to emerge from the trees with her friend carrying her like a useless doll. "Hold up Rainbow ah've got an idea so that we can finish the race together." She smiled as Rainbow stopped her moving hooves and turned her head to look at her with curious, yet beautiful magenta eyes. "What if we..." She whispered her plan into Dash's ear and Rainbow in turn nodded in agreement, a smile on her face.

All the ponies in the crowd could see two forms moving behind the thinning trees. One was orange, one was cerulean, just as they expected. The two Equestrian Monarchs had smiles on their faces as they watched the Element of Loyalty and the Element of Honesty side by side, sure to tie again. But as the two mares were fully revealed to the crowd as they exited the tree line, each congratulatory smile died into a gasp of shock. The Princesses had looks of surprise and shock on their faces, but after a moment they could feel their faces growing into a warm smile as they watched the scene unfold to its fullest.

Applejack was leaning heavily on Rainbow Dash, her left hind leg held above the ground as they walked to the finish line together. There were tears running down Applejack's face but she pressed on, Rainbow's shoulder making up for her back leg. Their progress was slow, but both faces were full of determination, Applejack's determination to get to the finish line and Rainbow Dash's determination to see her friend through. The racing hooves of the ponies behind them could be heard as they reached the finish line, mere steps away from the checkered line and white banner.

Just as Applejack took a step forward that took her across the finish line, Rainbow took a step back. There was a bright, artificial flash from the camera as it snapped a picture of the two ponies as they crossed the line on the dirt. The pony approached the Princess of the Sun with the picture and the Goddess smiled as the pair approached her, sweaty and exhausted. "Congratulations to Applejack, who came in first place!" She decreed, using the Royal Canterlot Voice so that everypony could hear her. Her words were met with hooves clapping together and stomping on the ground in applause, cheers ringing across the field.

Applejack's bright green eyes grew wide with shock and she turned to look at Rainbow Dash, who smiled brightly. "But y'all were right beside me, how did ah win? That don't make no sense..." She pondered, giving the pegasus a look that demanded an explanation.

Rainbow chuckled. "See, when you took your step across the finish line, I took a step back at the same time. So, you won. Look, here come the paramedics." She gestured to the ponies in white uniforms running over. "Get yourself fixed up, I'll be waiting at the farm for you." She called as the paramedics escorted her friend to the first aid station. She turned as the orange mare vanished inside the tent, a concerned look on her face the screamed how she didn't want to leave her there. After a few moments she reluctantly walked to the awarding ceremony with the other ponies in the top five.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rainbow Dash was lying underneath the sunset, waiting for Applejack. The chilling air blew around her mane, free of sweat because she'd showered before coming here. Underneath the apple trees in Sweet Apple Acres was where she wanted to be right now and let the rewind button play in her mind, going over the day's events. She could clearly picture everything, from the start of the race till the very end. Every memory let her feel the exhilaration, the sweat shedding off her as she cantered through Whitetail Wood, the thundering of hooves causing the leaves to fall to the ground. The beautiful hues and blends of red, orange and gold as they fluttered before her eyes, clinging dew sparkling in the bright sun as they twirled their delicate ballet in the air before hitting the ground to be hit by multicolored hooves. A sharp cry echoed inside her skull and within her mind's eye she could see herself run over to Applejack as she fell, feel herself lift her friend and carry her to the edge of the trees. At the end of it all, when she was supporting her injured friend until the end, when she took a step back so that the determined earth pony could win it all. That event seemed to be in a time loop inside her mind, going over and over again. One orange hoof forwards, one cerulean hoof back. In that one moment she surprised herself and everypony around them, especially Applejack when she let her win that race.

Clop, clop-cop, clop, clop-clop

The pair of magenta eyes tore away from the display of a fiery sky above her and she directed her attention to her approaching friend, a smile crossing her cerulean face. Applejack was clearly limping and her left back leg was wrapped in bandages from hoof to the base of her hip, but all that mattered was that she was here right now. Rainbow got to her hooves and ran over to her friend, wings fluttering with anticipation of seeing her again. The moment she could reach her friend, vice-like forelegs wrapped around her neck and pulled her into a rib-crushing, throat-flattening death hug.

Applejack hugged her friend back, ignoring the fact that she swore she could feel her ribs cracking. "Whoa nelly Rainbow! Calm down, ah'm ok." She coughed, her face starting to turn red from two things; the pleasant sensation of her friend hugging her and the fact that her air was restricted. When breathing became a labor in itself, she poked her friend's wing. "Alright Dashie ya've made yer point but ah kinda do need mah lungs." She pointed out.

Rainbow pulled back and sat on her haunches. "I guess so. How's your leg, is it anything serious? How bad is it?" She asked, leaning forwards a bit, her face and eyes screaming curiosity.

Applejack never answered. When she saw her friend lean forwards, she just couldn't resist. She leaned forwards and met her friend in the middle. Her lips pressed against Rainbow's and her green apple eyes fluttered closed, not noticing the look of shock on the pegasus's face before she leaned back, a small smile on her face before she saw Rainbow's face, the magenta eyes blank and wide open. Tears sprang to her eyes and she backed away, biting her lower lip. "A-Ah'm sorry..." She murmured before turning tail and breaking into a stumbling run, ignoring the jolts going up her bad leg.

For a moment Rainbow's mind was about as useful as a piece of styrofoam. When her mind caught up with her body, she realized she was running, chasing after Applejack. Her wings were spread on either side and gave the occasional flap, giving her a burst of speed and momentarily making her hooves soar.

Applejack blinked tears from her eyes. She caught sight of a fallen branch and kicked off. At the last moment her leg buckled and she gasped painfully, leap thrown off. Off balance, Applejack was pitched towards the ground at an angle that would slam her painfully onto her side. She closed her eyes tightly and grit her teeth, waiting for the ground to meet her.

Rainbow Dash sprang into the air and beat her wings as hard as she could. Her forelegs stretched out and with a quick flex her wings angled, sending her upwards. Something slammed into her forelegs and she pressed it against her chest. She soared up high until the rising moon was at her back, glowing against her cerulean fur. As the light behind them made the pair mere black silhouettes to observing eyes, tear filled green eyes met gentle magenta eyes. The pegasus flew gently into the air as the moon rose behind her until it was high in the sky, her movements stopping with it. Stars sprang to life behind her as she looked at Applejack. "Get on my back." She said gently, leaning her head down to help her.

Applejack clambered awkwardly on Rainbow's back, positioning herself so that she didn't cover her wings. The view was truly incredible, all of Sweet Apple Acres was bathed in moon light, the apples shimmering like red stars beneath them. Her eyes opened wide and she drew in a breath. "Wow..." She whispered, wrapping her forelegs around Rainbow's neck.

Rainbow's grin widened and her cheeks flushed again. "Hang on tight!" She called and started to dive downwards, stretching out her front legs to come into an aerodynamical point in front of her. Within moments the cone formed, crackling around her as electrons bounced around. Her mane was whipped back and she could hear loud cries from Applejack as she whooped in joy. Tears were forcefully dragged from her tear ducts and the flesh around her jaw flapped as the resistance grew, trying to push her back. The electricity made her fur stand on end, making her look fluffier than usual. She could no longer feel her wings, it felt like she was just falling. Then the aurora of rainbows surrounded her in an ethereal multicolored glow.

Applejack could feel herself and Rainbow stretching. It felt like her skin was tearing, like it was going to rip her in half! For the briefest moment it was gone and then everything went white in a blinding flash. The white separated into each of it's spectrums colors; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and purple. Her jaw gaped and she was surrounded by colors, flying on a blazing rainbow. Her ears rang with the sound of explosion that came fro, every direction, vision engulfed by the flaming rainbow disc. She couldn't blink, couldn't breathe, just watched in awe as everything shone brightly. In her world it seemed to last for an eternity, but in reality it was all but a few moments.

Rainbow rose into the sky again, blotting out her color to the world below. To the watching eyes of the Apple Family, curious about the explosion, they finally saw Applejack get what she had always wanted. Two head leaned forwards, cerulean and orange flushing red and two pairs of lips connected. Sparks lit the fires in both mares' hearts as they pressed against each other, tears running down their faces. Unbeknownst to them, the Apple Family watched with tear filled eyes as their Applejack finally got her wish. The two mares pulled apart after a few moments and looked lovingly into each others eyes. As the tears hit the ground below them they embrace again with more passion, the moon still bathing them in a silver light.

Applejack pulled back and smiled softly at her marefriend. "Forever and always?" She whispered, leaning in with her eyes half closed.

Rainbow Dash nodded. "Forever and always." She murmured, leaning in to lock lips with her marefriend again, the final stars bursting forth behind her.