Don't Knock It Till You Try It
Don’t Knock It Till You Try It
Don’t Knock It Till You Try It
It started, as such things usually do, with an argument.
Rarity and Rainbow Dash sat glaring at one another, their respective sundaes dripping down the sides of their dishes. Rarity had asked Dash to accompany her to Sugarcube Corner for lunch; the two hardly seemed to spend any time together when the world wasn’t in danger. At first, the lunch date had gone well. They had chosen a table by the bakery’s front window, and their pleasant conversation had blended with the clink of utensils and cheerful murmur of the ponies around them. But an off-hoof remark from Rarity on her opinion of the Wonderbolts' flight suits had quickly raised her friend’s ire.
“I’m just saying, darling, their show would be much more appealing if they were to fly in something other than those garish bodysuits.”
“Wha—‘garish?!’ How else are they supposed to dress? Besides, it’s their signature look. Everypony recognizes it!”
“That’s hardly the point, dear. An ugly costume is still ugly, regardless of whether or not it’s ‘signature.’”
Dash’s wings flared at the remark. “Oh, you did not just call the Wonderbolts ugly.”
“I said no such thing! I said their outfits are ugly,” Rarity said, picking idly at her sundae and levitating a cherry into her mouth. “Really, blue with yellow lightning bolts; what were their designers thinking?”
“It’s distinctive! How else are you supposed to pick them out when they’re flying that high?”
“Well, if they want distinctive, perhaps they should hire a pony with a little fashion sense.” Rarity paused to give her mane a little flip with her hoof. “Say, for instance, a genius fashionista with an eye for style. She could design outfits even more distinctive, and not so amateurish.”
Rainbow Dash nodded, smirking. “Oh, and I bet you’re the mare for the job, right? Please... you’d probably have them flying around in ballroom gowns!”
“And why not?” Rarity demanded.
“How in the hay are you supposed to fly in something like that? The drag would make it difficult for them to do any tricks, not to mention how ridiculous it would look!”
“Well, at least then they’d have some flair, some, some... je ne sais quois!”
“The Wonderbolts don’t need any jennie-sequins! They’ve got style!” Dash retorted.
“If you can call it that. With their current outfits they look like a flock of blue-and-yellow turkeys.”
Dash’s eyes narrowed. “You take that back,” she said in a low growl.
“I will not,” Rarity replied, her nose in the air.
“Now, girls—”
Rainbow Dash leapt from her seat and hovered above the table with her snout inches from Rarity’s. “Why you stuck-up, pompous... Who do you think you are to criticize how the Wonderbolts look?! They’re athletes, superstars! You wouldn’t know athleticism if it walked up and smacked you on the head!”
“Um, girls?”
Rarity stood, a scowl darkening her face as she confronted Rainbow. “And who do you think you are to lecture me about what looks good and what doesn’t?” she replied, pounding her hoof on the table. “To think there would be a day when I’d hear the like from a mare who doesn’t even brush her mane!”
“GIRLS!”
“WHAT!?” They bellowed in unison, glaring at the pony who had interrupted them.
“Um, maybe you should argue outside?” Mr. Cake murmured, taking a step back as the angry mares stared him down. “You’re kinda scaring the customers.”
The two ponies glanced around the room. Their fellow patrons were staring at them in silence, eyes wide and meals quite forgotten. Somepony coughed, and Rarity and Rainbow Dash looked away sheepishly.
“Oh... oh dear. I do apologize, I didn’t realize I was being quite so... vocal.” Rarity glanced at her companion. “Don’t think I’ll forget this,” she hissed from the corner of her mouth.
“Heh, yeah... let’s just take this somewhere else, huh Rare? We’ll settle this outside!”
The two friends strolled out of the bakery, their eyes locked on one another. Upon exiting Sugarcube Corner, they turned to face each other once more, a cold silence between them.
Rainbow Dash was the first to speak. “So, you think you know best how to design the Wonderbolts’ flight suits? A pony with no experience doing anything other than sewing and being over-dramatic?”
“And who are you to say otherwise?” Rarity shot back. “All you’ve ever done is fly around, doing your silly stunts. What authority do you have on fashion or beauty?”
Rarity turned away, her nose in the air. “You like to think you’re so tough, Rainbow Dash, but even you have limits. Why, I bet I could name something you could never do no matter how hard you tried!”
Dash’s nostrils flared. “Oh yeah?!” she exclaimed, flying around to stare Rarity in the eye. “Well, name it then. There’s nothing you can think of that I can’t do!”
Rarity spluttered for a moment. The challenge had been made off the cuff; she hadn’t expected to actually have to name something her brash friend couldn’t do. But then her eyes fell on Rainbow’s unruly forelock, and the perfect answer came to her.
“I don’t think you can treat yourself like a lady! I bet you couldn’t get your mane done in a fancy style!”
Dash stammered. She had expected some kind of physical challenge, not something so uncool. “Tha-that’s not true! I could get my mane styled any day of the week if I wanted!” She folded her arms and looked away. “I just don’t want to!”
A grin slowly crept over Rarity’s face. “Why, Rainbow Dash... you’re not afraid, are you?”
Dash glared. “Me, afraid? Not on your life, sister!”
“Then prove it,” Rarity said. “I dare you to come with me to the spa and get your mane styled. And I get to pick the style!”
Rainbow Dash faltered. There was no way she could turn down a challenge, especially not after being called out like that, but getting her mane styled? After taking a moment to think the dilemma over, she finally nodded.
“Alright, fine. I’ll go with you to get my mane done.”
Rarity broke into a girlish squeal, but Rainbow interrupted. “But I’ll only do it on two conditions. First, you have to promise you’ll never tell anypony about this.”
Rarity considered for a moment before nodding. “Very well, I suppose it will be enough so long as I can see it. And the second condition?”
Dash’s eyes twinkled briefly before she spoke. “Before we go to the spa, you have to spend the afternoon playing sports with me!”
Rarity gasped, taking a backwards step. “Sports? But... but sports are so... rowdy!”
“Oh, really? Who’s the coward now, huh?”
Rarity regarded her challenger, one eyebrow raised as she thought. It would be worth enduring an afternoon’s sport to see Dash’s pride compromised. And besides, surely she wouldn't pick a game that was too difficult. “Alright then, fine! If you won’t do my dare without one of your own, then I accept!”
Rainbow Dash landed, sticking a hoof out. “Deal! If you can spend the afternoon playing sports, I’ll get my mane styled!” She prepared to spit on her hoof, but Rarity swiftly placed her own over Rainbow’s mouth.
“Don’t. You. Dare,” Rarity intoned in a low voice. Rainbow rolled her eyes and held her hoof out. Rarity struck her hoof against Rainbow’s with a clop, and the agreement was sealed.
-----
Half an hour later, Rarity found herself regretting the hastiness of her decision. Dash had said to meet her in Ponyville Park at one o’clock to give her time to talk to some ponies and set the game up. When Rarity had asked what kind of game she had in mind, Rainbow had shot her a grin that sent a chill down her spine. Somehow, Rarity doubted her friend was planning a brisk round of croquet.
Well, I’ve made my bed, and now I have to sleep in it. Rarity wasn’t about to have it said that she had reneged on an agreement. Rather than spending the time until one o’clock dreading her fate, Rarity trotted to the spa to set up an appointment for Dash and herself. Departing, Rarity could hear Aloe and Lotus giggling as they discussed and debated the best way to style Rainbow's mane.
With the time of Dash’s impending humiliation fixed, Rarity set out to face her own. She made her way through the lightly wooded park, eventually coming across Rainbow Dash surrounded by ponies in a playing field, all in various states of activity. Three earth ponies and a pegasus, whom Rarity recognized as Carrot Top, Dusthoof, Caramel and Thunderlane, were running laps around the field. To Dash’s right, Lyra was spotting Bon Bon as she did crunches, and next to them Flitter had Cloudchaser in a headlock, the two mares giggling as they scuffled. To Dash’s left, Sea Swirl and Pokey Pierce were tossing a ball back and forth with their magic, while Rainbow herself was doing a set of pushups. As Dash noticed her demure friend approaching, she grinned.
“Hey, Rarity. You ready to get your flank kicked at hoofball?”
Rarity blanched, stopping dead in her tracks. “Did you say hoofball?” She had been prepared to play something physical, but not that physical.
“Yep, and not touch hoofball, either. We’re playing the real thing!”
“But... but isn’t that dreadfully violent? I’ve heard of ponies being injured in this game!” Rarity smiled weakly. “Couldn’t we play tennis, or perhaps horseshoes?”
Dash smirked. “What’s the matter, Rarity? You backing out already?” A few of the other ponies snickered, and Rarity felt her face heating up.
“I’ve never backed out of an agreement, and I shan’t begin now. Just remember,” she added in an undertone, “that you’ll have to fulfill your end of the bargain when we’re done. I booked an appointment at the spa for three o’clock.”
Dash shifted on her hooves, glancing around. “Alright, keep it down, will ya? We should be done with the game by then.” Raising her voice, she addressed the others. “Okay, everypony, gather ’round! I know most of you know how to play already, but I’m gonna go through the rules for Rarity. Hoofball is played with two teams of six ponies. The teams always have to have two earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns apiece. Sea Swirl, toss me the ball, would ya?” The mare threw Dash the ball: a sphere of bright red rubber about the size of a pony’s head.
Rainbow pointed out the lines which marked out the playing field. A rectangle fifty yards long and twenty-five yards wide had been painted in white, with a large circle at the center of the field. At either end stood a pair of goalposts with banners strung between them, one red and the other blue.
“The object of the game is to run or fly the ball through the goalposts. First team to ten goals wins. You can tackle anypony on the other team, but no tripping or hitting. Unicorns can’t use their magic to do anything except catch or pass the ball, and pegasi aren’t allowed to fly higher than two yards.”
Rainbow gestured to the circle in the center of the field. “When the game starts, we put the ball in the middle of that circle, and neither team is allowed to cross inside until the whistle blows. But when one team scores, the other gets to serve the ball, which means they’re allowed to go inside their half of the circle.”
Rainbow landed, throwing Rarity a glance. “Didja get all that?”
Rarity nodded with a sigh. “I suppose so. But do we absolutely have to tackle each other? It’s just so brutish!”
“Of course,” Rainbow replied. “That’s the fun part! It’s just not the same experience if it’s not full contact. Anyway, we’ve got some time before our ref gets here, so let’s get our teams sorted out. You’ll be on the blue team, and I’ll be on the red. We have just enough ponies here for two full teams.”
The two friends-turned-rivals set about picking their teammates. In the end, the red team consisted of Rainbow Dash and Cloudchaser as the pegasi, Carrot Top and Dusthoof as her earth ponies, and Pokey Pierce and Sea Swirl as her unicorns. The blue lineup, on the other hoof, was Rarity and Lyra Heartstrings as the unicorns, Caramel and Bon Bon as the earth ponies, and Thunderlane and Flitter as her pegasi.
The referee had yet to make his appearance, so Rainbow and her team formed a huddle to discuss their tactics. Rarity stood watching for a moment before she noticed the ponies of her own team were staring at her. “Um, do you need something?” she asked, her eyes darting between them.
“Aren’t we gonna go over the game plan?” Flitter asked.
“Game plan? Why would I know anything about the game plan?”
“Well, Dash said you would be the captain of the blue team.”
Rarity rolled her eyes. Of course Rainbow had made her captain. Just for that, I’m going to tell Aloe to put a frilly bow in your mane, she thought. But as long as she had been named captain of her team, she may as well take advantage of it.
“Oh, the game plan, of course! Er, remind me what you mean by game plan, again?”
Flitter rolled her eyes. “Well, you could start by telling us where you want each player to be on the field.”
Rarity took a moment to survey the playing field, tapping a hoof to her chin as she thought. Arriving at a decision at last, she began shepherding her teammates to their positions.
“Why don’t we group up by tribe? Lyra and I can stay at the back here by the goal, the earth ponies can stand side by side in front of us, and the pegasi can stand in front of them!”
As the team stood in their positions, Caramel glanced at Rarity. “Uh, Captain? You sure this is a good formation?”
Rarity scoffed. “Why, of course I’m sure! This formation is neat and orderly, and so long as you ponies don’t let anything through, I’m sure we’ll be fine!”
As Rarity’s teammates shared glances, a red-coated stallion approached the hoofball field. Looking up from her huddle, Rainbow waved.
“Hey, Big Mac, I was wondering when you’d show up!”
Mac chewed the haystalk in his mouth for a moment before replying. “Eeyup. Had some chores to finish up. Took a bit longer than I was expectin’. Y’all ready to start?”
Dash grinned, tossing the ball to Big Mac. “Yep, we’ve got the teams set up, and my team has finished planning our strategy out. What about yours, Rarity?” Rarity nodded quickly.
“Alright, then," Mac said. "Teams, take your positions."
The ponies of Rainbow's team took up their formation. Rainbow Dash and Carrot Top stood at the edge of the circle with Cloudchaser and Pokey about ten yards behind them. Behind those two was Sea Swirl, and finally Dusthoof stood directly in front of the goal.
Big Mac walked to the circle in the middle of the field and placed the ball in the center. Moving back to the sideline, he raised a whistle in his hoof. “Captains, are you ready?”
“You bet I’m ready!”
“Oh, um, yes, I suppose.”
Mac blew a short blast on the whistle.
Rainbow Dash took to the air in the blink of an eye, grabbing the ball from center field and swooping low over the grass with Carrot Top galloping close to her right. Rarity saw the pegasi of her own team racing towards Dash, but she simply evaded one while the other was tackled in a flurry of feathers. Caramel and Bon Bon were unable to even reach Dash, and she banked left to dodge a desperate lunge from Lyra. Rainbow headed straight for Rarity in front of the goal.
Rarity yelped and threw herself to the ground with her hooves over her head. She felt a gentle gust of air as Rainbow soared over her, and heard another whistle blast. Picking herself up, Rarity saw Dash hovering between the blue goalposts, grinning from ear to ear as she tossed and caught the ball.
“One goal for the red team,” Mac called.
Rainbow spun the ball on her hoof as she drifted past Rarity. “How’d ya like that? Sure you don’t wanna just quit while you’re ahead and save yourself the trouble?” Dash took the ball back to center field, leaving Rarity fuming.
The ponies of either team resumed their positions. Lyra walked up to Rarity and murmured in her ear. “Uh, Rarity, I don’t mean to argue or anything, but don’t you think we should change our formation? We don’t really stand a chance if we stay like this.”
Rarity sighed. “I suppose so. I admit, I don’t know the first thing about this game.”
Lyra grinned and called to Big Mac. “Hey, ref! I’m calling time!”
After a brief discussion on tactics, the blue team took up their new formation: Bon Bon at center field with Lyra to her right, Rarity, Flitter and Thunderlane behind them, and Caramel guarding the goal.
Mac tossed the ball to Bon Bon, who set it in the center of the circle and crouched behind it, her muscles tensed.
“Time over. Blue team has the ball.” The whistle blew.
Bon Bon picked up the ball and held it under one arm, charging forward more quickly than Rarity would have thought her capable. She had nearly cleared center field by the time the defenders reacted, rushing to stop her advance. Carrot Top dove for Bon Bon, but was blindsided by Lyra before she could reach her quarry. Rarity winced at the solid thud of their impact, the two of them tumbling to the ground in a haphazard tangle of limbs.
Bon Bon continued her run, just managing to duck under a speeding Rainbow Dash. Before she could pick up speed again, however, Cloudchaser slammed into her from the left. Rarity gasped as Cloudchaser collided with Bon Bon, and to her dismay, she saw Bon Bon lose her grip on the ball. The ball bounced twice across the grass before being lifted in an aura of unicorn magic.
Pokey had the ball, and was running through center field as fast as his hooves could carry him. He threaded through the blue team’s defense, making sudden swerves left and right to avoid their attempts to head him off. With the blue team occupied by Pokey, Carrot Top ran towards Rarity. Rarity froze on the spot, terrified that the mare intended to tackle her. Thankfully she simply ran past, but Rarity’s sigh of relief was cut short when the ball whistled by her head, to be caught by Carrot Top. The red team’s ball carrier now had a clear run to the goal, and she charged into Caramel with all she had. But the goalie was too sturdy to budge, and he pulled her to the ground, kicking the ball to Rarity with a shout.
With the ball speeding at her face, Rarity clenched her eyes shut and reflexively reached out with her magic. Opening her eyes, she saw the ball hovering a mere foot in front of her nose, enveloped in the glow of her levitation spell. Rarity had a split-second to congratulate herself before a blue blur crashed into her. The impact knocked the wind from Rarity, and her concentration on the ball was broken. After catching her breath, Rarity looked up in time to see Rainbow Dash breeze past Caramel and through the goal, and the whistle blew again.
“Goal for the red team. Score is two to nil, blue team serving.”
Dash flapped by, snickering. “Heh, guess Caramel should’ve known better than to pass to you, right Rare? Nice catch though... it made it a lot easier to get the ball back!”
Rarity set her jaw as she picked herself up from the field. “Laugh if you must, Rainbow. I know what you’re trying to do. You think you can get me to abandon my half of our agreement so that you won’t have to hold up your own. But I’m a stronger mare than you think, and I can give just as good as I get!” She stared Dash down, and to Rarity’s surprise, Dash blinked first.
“Um, Rarity, are you okay?” Lyra asked as she approached. “You took a pretty rough hit; are you sure you want to keep playing?”
“Oh, I’m perfectly alright, dear,” Rarity replied, her sing-song voice in stark contrast to her narrowed eyes and grinding teeth. “Of course I want to keep playing! I mean, before it was just a silly game, but now? Now it is on.”
Bon Bon took the ball back to center field, Rarity glaring at Rainbow as she readied herself. The whistle blew, and Bon Bon dashed forward again. This time, however, the red team ponies were ready for her aggressive charge, and Bon Bon didn’t even have time to make it past center field before Carrot Top pounced. She lost her grip on the ball and Rainbow dove for it, picking it up and making a beeline towards Rarity at the center of the blue team’s defensive line.
“Hey, Rare, check it out! No hooves!” Rainbow crooned, bouncing the ball on her head as she soared by Rarity... but then came to a halt when she realized the ball hadn’t come back down. Turning, she saw the ball, wrapped in a blue aura, floating in mid-air next to a smirking Rarity. Before Dash could recover it, Rarity shot the ball to Lyra at center field, who in turn passed it to Bon Bon, who was weaving through the red team’s defense. Bon Bon leapt high to catch the ball and hit the ground running, finally slipping between the red goalposts. The whistle blew once more.
“Goal for the blue team, two to one. Red team serves.”
Rarity chuckled and shot a glance at Rainbow. “Careful, Rainbow Dash. You aren’t the only pony who doesn’t have to use her hooves.”
Rainbow returned to her position, muttering something unintelligible. She paused to whisper something to Carrot Top, who nodded before they took up their stances at center field. After the teams had resumed their formations, the whistle blew, and Dash darted forward with the ball, the tips of her feathers brushing the grass. Bon Bon and Lyra moved forward to stop her, but as they did, Dash suddenly changed direction, flapping her wings furiously to propel herself backwards. The blue team’s defense closed in on Dash, allowing Carrot Top to gallop by all but unnoticed. When Carrot Top drew even with Rarity, Dash hurled the ball in her direction.
Her mistake, Rarity thought. Running towards the ball, she plucked it out of the air with her magic before it could reach Carrot Top, and passed it to Lyra. Rarity’s smile grew wider and wider as she watched Lyra and Bon Bon making their way to the goal, passing the ball between each other to confound the red team defenders. Finally, Lyra broke through the goal. Rarity hopped in place, squealing through her grin.
The whistle blew. “Goal for blue, score is tied at two and two.”
-----
Rarity, loath though she was to admit it, was developing a begrudging appreciation for the game. She was surprisingly adept at catching and passing the ball accurately, and found it similar to threading a needle, albeit threading a needle twenty yards away while she ran from ponies trying to attack her. And, watching her teammates and opponents running, dodging, tackling and passing, she felt she was starting to get an idea of each pony’s strengths and weaknesses.
She had become less fearful of being tackled, as well. While it was hardly a pleasant experience, she was willing to weather a little roughhousing if it meant she got to pay Rainbow back later that day. And it would be a payment justly deserved after what the game had done to Rarity’s glamorous appearance: her normally pristine coat was now sweaty and covered in dust, while her mane had become tangled and matted.
Rarity focused on the game with a fervor she usually reserved for when she was “in the zone” while designing an outfit. She was so focused, in fact, that she didn’t notice the crowd that had formed to watch the impromptu match until she heard the cheers.
The game continued, both teams playing hard, neither willing to give ground to the other. Whenever it seemed as if the red team had gained a decisive lead, the blue team would surprise them with an obstinate defense, halting their advance and taking the ball to score. But even with the blue team's stalwart defense, the red team began to take an advantage. With lightning blitzes and subtle misdirections, the red team came into the lead once more. The score stood at nine to eight. One more goal, and Rainbow’s team would win.
The spectators were hushed as Bon Bon took the ball to the center, with a look in her eye that suggested she would make the goal or die trying. Rarity’s eyes darted between the red team ponies, gauging their formation. Rainbow Dash had taken her customary position in the front line, with Carrot Top and Cloudchaser at either side. Something was different, though. Almost immediately behind them stood Pokey and Sea Swirl, much closer to center field than they had been previously.
Just as Mac was about to blow the whistle, Rarity called out. “Yoo hoo, Big Mac? I’d like to ask for a... what was it called? Oh yes, a ‘time out’, please.”
Mac blew two short blasts. “Five-minute time out.” The ponies of the blue team huddled together around Rarity.
“Why’d you call the time out? Is something wrong?” asked Bon Bon.
Rarity cleared her throat. “I think we need to change our formation.”
“The formation we’ve been using has done fine so far. Why change it?” Caramel replied. “And besides,” he added, “aren’t you still, uh, a bit new to this game, Miss Rarity?”
Rarity scoffed. “I may be new, but I think I’ve held my own! And didn’t you see their formation? They look like they’re about to rush us!”
“Yeah,” Lyra said, elbowing Caramel in the ribs, “Rarity’s done great so far! And they were awfully close to center field. What are you thinking, Captain?”
Rarity shot Lyra a grin before continuing. “Well, I think Rainbow Dash picked her team for speed. I know her well enough to know that she loves nothing more than flying fast, and most of the goals they’ve scored so far have been because they zipped past us before we could respond. I think she’s planning to throw everything she’s got at us and overwhelm us with their speed.”
Flitter leaned in closer. “So, what do we do about it?”
“Why, we beat her at her own game, of course.”
Two minutes later, the blue team broke from their huddle and took up new positions: Flitter at center field with the ball, flanked by Caramel and Bon Bon. Thunderlane and Lyra stood behind them, and Rarity herself guarded the goal.
Rarity gave Big Mac a nod, and he raised his whistle. He glanced at either team to make sure they were ready.
The crowd held their breath.
The whistle blew.
Flitter took off, racing through the air with the ball in hoof. The red team defense dove for her, but were downed by Caramel and Bon Bon before they could reach her. Rainbow Dash zoomed towards her as well, but just as the two pegasi were about to collide, Flitter dove to the ground and ducked under her, continuing on hoof. Rainbow turned to pursue, and was hit from behind by Lyra.
Rarity had lost sight of Flitter. From her position at the blue goal, all she could see were the ponies of either team running and colliding, with no sign of who had the ball. She hopped between her left and right hooves, craning her neck to see. But when the ball finally reappeared, it was clutched tightly in the hooves of Rainbow Dash, who dodged and rolled in mid-air to avoid the blue team’s attempts to bring her down. Spotting Rarity at the goal, Dash grinned and accelerated.
Rarity's eyes met Rainbow's, and in that moment, time seemed to slow. She recognized the expression on Rainbow’s face: brow furrowed, teeth clenched, pupils dilated. It was an expression Rarity had seen only once before, when Rainbow Dash had saved her from falling to her death, and she knew what it meant. Dash was going all out.
But Rarity wasn’t about to make it easy for her.
In a final act of desperation, Rarity lunged towards Rainbow Dash, her eyes shut tight. Rarity felt the breath knocked out of her lungs once again as she collided with Rainbow, and the two ponies fell to the ground with a thud.
Opening her eyes, Rarity saw a red ball lying on the ground with a blue leg draped around it. A ball that rested on the wrong side of the goal line.
The whistle blew one last time.
“Final goal. Red team wins.”
A raucous cheer went up from the crowd, and the red team ponies leapt into the air, shouting and congratulating one another. Rarity disentangled herself from Rainbow and stood, noting the smile her friend wore.
“Well, Rainbow, I suppose you won,” Rarity said. “I guess I’m just not enough of a sportspony to contend with you.”
Dash put a hoof over Rarity’s withers. “Hey, don’t say that! You did really good, a lot better than I thought you would! Heck,” she added, looking away, “you actually gave us a run for our money with that last play. Was that your idea?”
“Well, yes, it was. I was hoping we could catch you off guard, but it didn’t quite work out,” Rarity replied, blushing.
Dash grinned, nudging Rarity in the shoulder. “Well, it nearly did! And that tackle right at the end there? I didn’t think you had it in you! Y’know what? You oughta play more often!”
Rarity gasped, waggling a hoof in the air. “Oh, goodness no, perish the thought! What would everypony say if I were to be out here rolling in the fields every weekend?!”
Dash burst into laughter, and Rarity found herself chuckling as well. The two stood, with sweaty coats and grass in their manes, simply enjoying the moment.
-----
Half an hour later, sitting in the showroom of Carousel Boutique, Rainbow Dash wished she hadn’t agreed to Rarity’s dare so quickly. It had been easy to say yes in the heat of the moment, after her pride had been challenged. But now that it was staring her in the face, she felt a lot less enthusiastic.
And besides, I didn’t really expect Rarity to play a whole hoofball match. It didn’t help that Rarity was taking so long. She had dragged Dash back to the boutique to freshen up, and the longer she took, the more time it gave Dash to dread what was coming. Finally Rainbow heard hoofsteps on the stairs, and Rarity descended, her coat and mane immaculate once more.
“Oh, that feels so much better! Well, Rainbow Dash, are you ready for your trip to the spa?”
Dash sighed. “I guess there’s no getting out of this. Fine, let’s go.” As the pair left the boutique, Dash glanced at Rarity.
“I thought you said you were just gonna freshen up. You look like you washed your mane and everything!”
“Well, of course I did! I looked an absolute fright after that game. I couldn’t go to the spa in such a state!”
“But I thought that was the whole point of the spa! To get clean and prettied up or whatever?”
Rarity rolled her eyes, nudging Rainbow's shoulder. “No, no, dear, you’re looking at it the wrong way. A trip to the spa is like a little vacation! It’s to rest, relax, spoil yourself a little, and talk with friends!”
“If you say so. I don’t really see anything relaxing about having a bunch of ponies pawing all over you. I don’t have to get a mud bath or anything weird like that while we’re there, do I?”
“Well, I suppose not. We did only agree to the mane styling. But if you change your mind, feel free to try anything you like! It’ll be my treat, and I’m sure Aloe and Lotus would be happy to oblige.”
Dash snorted. “Don’t hold your breath. I only agreed to this much to prove I’m not afraid to take a dare,” she said, giving her wings a flap.
Upon arriving at the spa, the two were greeted by Aloe and Lotus. Rarity grinned and tilted her head to Rainbow. “Well, here she is, girls, as I promised. She’ll be a challenge, but I’m confident you can work your magic on her!”
The spa ponies placed their hooves on Rainbow’s shoulders and led her into the next room as Rarity followed. “Oh, Miss Rainbow Dash, we are so happy you came today! My sister and I have wanted to work with your beautiful mane for so long!”
“Uh, heh, thanks, I guess?” Dash stammered, blushing. She wasn’t used to hearing the word ‘beautiful’ spoken in the same breath as her name.
“How would you like it done? Short manes are in season right now, but if you kept it long, I’m sure it would look lovely as you fly.” Dash stammered again, shooting a glance to Rarity, who winked back.
“Give her the full treatment, ladies, it’s on me. I’ll leave the style to your discretion.”
Rainbow was seated on a cushioned bench in front of a mirror. Looking at her reflection, she began to wish she had freshened up like Rarity had. She normally would've grabbed a shower after a hard match of hoofball, but Rarity's insistence that they kept their appointment had left her no time. Her coat was matted with dry sweat, and there were still blades of grass stuck in her mane. Compared to the shining coats, manes and tails of the ponies around her, she was a total mess.
Rainbow didn’t have long to dwell on her appearance, however, as she felt a sharp, painful tug on her mane. “Ow! Hey, what are you doing?” Glancing behind her in the mirror, she saw Aloe (or was it Lotus?) wielding a brush.
“I’m sorry, but we must get these tangles out of your mane before we can work.” She made another valiant attempt to pull the brush through Dash’s mane, but was only rewarded with a series of yelps.
“Ow, ow, OW! Do you have to pull so hard?!” Glancing to her left she saw Rarity on the adjacent bench, tears in her eyes as she pressed a hoof to her mouth, trying desperately to hold back a tide of laughter. Dash glared at her.
“What’s so—ow! What’s so funny?!”
“Oh, nothing,” Rarity responded, little snorts of laughter escaping her. “It just occurred to me that sometimes revenge is best served with a hairbrush.”
“Revenge for what?! All you had to do was play hoofball, I’m being tortured here!” Her tormentor gave the brush another painful jerk, and Rainbow almost leapt from her seat.
“Please, Miss Rainbow, you must sit still! I cannot brush properly with you moving so much!” Lotus (or possibly Aloe) came over to help, holding Rainbow’s mane as her sister worked the brush through the snarls and knots. Ten minutes of agony later, their task was complete, and Dash’s normally scruffy mane looked neat and smooth for once.
“There, Miss Rainbow, doesn’t that look better?”
Dash glanced in the mirror. “Yeah, it’s great. Are we done now?”
Rarity simply chuckled. “Of course not, dear, that was just a brushing. You mane still has to be washed, conditioned, trimmed, and then styled. And of course they’ll have to do your tail, as well. You’d look ridiculous with a well-styled mane and messy tail!”
Dash groaned. It seemed her suffering had only just begun.
-----
After the sisters finished detangling and unknotting her hair, they took Rainbow to another room for the next stage of her humiliation: the washing. Aloe seated Rainbow in a chair with a sink behind it and another at its base, while Lotus set out an array of flowery-smelling shampoos.
Dash stroked the back of her head as she watched. “Uh, girls? I appreciate the help and all, but I can wash on my own.”
“Oh, nonsense, Rainbow,” Rarity said, taking a seat in the opposite chair. “Remember what I said about trips to the spa? Don’t think of it as just washing up, think of it as a way to unwind after all that running and tackling.”
As Rainbow was about to deliver a scathing reply, Lotus turned on the faucet in the sink behind her client and tilted the chair back, dipping Rainbow’s head into the stream of warm water. Dash’s snarkiness died on her lips as Lotus soaked her mane thoroughly, before putting some shampoo in her hooves and working it into the colorful strands.
Okay, not gonna lie, Rainbow thought. That actually feels kinda nice. Lotus lathered the shampoo with gentle motions, massaging Rainbow’s scalp, while at the foot of the chair, Aloe began washing her tail. Rainbow relaxed in spite of herself, her eyes closing as the two ponies continued their soothing ministrations.
From outside the sink, she heard Rarity chuckling. “Careful, Rainbow, it almost looks as if you’re enjoying yourself. What would that fan club of yours say if they saw you in such a state?”
Dash waved a hoof, not even bothering to open her eyes. “Let ’em say what they want! I already know how awesome I am, I don’t need them to remind me. And besides, the way some of them swoon over me, a little trip to the spa wouldn’t change their minds.”
After rinsing the shampoo from Rainbow's hair, Aloe and Lotus applied conditioner, and told Rainbow to sit and let it soak in. She fidgeted in her chair as the sisters prepared to wash Rarity's hair.
“Hey, Rarity? What did you think about the hoofball match today?”
Rarity snorted. “Such a terribly barbaric sport. All that running about and crashing into one another over a silly ball.”
“Oh, come on, Rarity,” Dash said, flicking her tail and inadvertently spattering the floor with conditioner. “You don’t have to be Miss Priss all the time. I’m asking you if you had fun.”
“Well... I suppose I did, after a fashion.” Rarity tilted her head back into the sink, hiding her expression, but Dash caught a glimpse of a smile. “It would’ve been much more enjoyable without the threat of being knocked to the ground at any moment. But I suppose I must admit, I did find myself having fun.”
“Heh, I thought so. You were playing way too hard not to be enjoying it at least a little. And I stand by what I said earlier: you did really good out there, and you oughta consider playing again!”
A sigh echoed from within the sink. “I’ll think about it. But if I do decide to play another game with you, could it at least be something a little less violent?”
“Yeah, I guess I did kinda throw you to the timberwolves this afternoon,” Dash answered, rubbing the back of her head. “How about next Saturday we try some volleyball, or maybe soccer?”
The sink mumbled noncommittally.
“Was that a yes?”
“Oh, fine,” Rarity sighed. “But only because I’m such a good friend.”
Dash grinned. “I knew you had the soul of an athlete! This time we can be on the same team, I bet we’ll wipe the floor with the other ponies!”
Several minutes later, Aloe and Lotus rinsed the conditioner from Dash's mane and seated her before the mirror once more. The sisters were in disagreement on how best to handle the styling. Lotus was in favor of a high-swept style, but Aloe contended that such a mane would interfere with Dash’s natural aerodynamics, and argued for simply pulling it back and tying it with a ribbon. In the end, the sisters compromised on a braid.
Lotus approached with a brush, and on reflex Dash recoiled. She discovered, however, that the device no longer had the capacity to torment her, as her hair was still straight and smooth from the previous ordeal. Aloe and Lotus gave Rainbow's hair a light trim, and then began the braiding. Rainbow sat, enjoying the gentle pulling and tugging on her mane and tail as the sisters practiced their skills on her.
When the process was complete, Rainbow Dash marveled at the mirror. Surely that mare couldn’t be her. She looked... pretty. Each of the prismatic stripes in her mane and tail had been separated and woven into a complex braid, her mane flowing past her shoulder in a bright cascade of color. Turning to the side, she saw that the sisters had tied the ends of her braids off with a pair of wide blue ribbons, the shade a perfect match to her coat.
“Oh, Rainbow Dash, you look magnificent!” Rarity squealed, her eyes gleaming. “I knew your mane would be beautiful if only you took proper care of it!”
“Uh, yeah,” Rainbow replied, blushing and avoiding Rarity’s eyes. “I guess it does look kinda nice.”
“So...” Rarity said, sidling up to Dash and batting her eyelids, “would you like to keep your mane that way? Ooh, or what about showing our friends?”
“What?” Dash scoffed. “No way! I’m an athlete, not a glamour queen like you.”
Rarity raised an eyebrow. “And what, pray tell, is so wrong about being a glamour queen?” Dash opened her mouth to answer, but Rarity spoke over her. “I certainly take pride in my appearance, but that does not make me vain. And yes, I do enjoy showing off my looks now and again. But where’s the harm in that? You enjoy showing off your aerial tricks, and nopony faults you for it.”
“That’s different, though!” Rainbow replied, shuffling on her hooves as she cast about for the right words. “I mean, I put time and practice into my stunt routines—”
“And I put a great deal of time into my appearance, because I want to look as good as I possibly can. And, Rainbow Dash, I wanted you to get your hair styled so you could look as good as you possibly could, at least for a little while.
“Rainbow, if you’re so keen on showing the world how good a flyer you can be, why not show them how beautiful you can be, as well? And besides,” Rarity said, raising her snout in the air, “If I can agree to play sports with you next weekend, then you can agree to keep your hair styled for a single day.”
Rainbow Dash pawed at the floor for a moment before replying. “Fine, if you promise to play with me next weekend, I’ll keep my mane like this for the rest of the day.” Rainbow paused, casting another glance at the pretty version of herself in the mirror. “And I guess... I guess I could show our friends, too.”
Dash winced as Rarity’s squeal reached an ear-piercing pitch.
-----
The sun was beginning to set as Rarity and Rainbow Dash left the spa, walking side by side. They strolled through town, their friends and neighbors giving them cheery greetings. Some complimented Dash on her lovely new manestyle, while others asked Rarity if she planned to take up hoofball as a hobby. The evening grew quiet, and Rarity turned to Dash, a gentle smile on her face.
“You know, now that I think about it, I suppose the Wonderbolts’ costumes don’t look that bad. They’re not something I would personally design, but they do have a certain flair about them.”
Dash chuckled. “I guess sometimes you just have to accept the things that other ponies like, right? And sometimes it’s fun to try those things out, just to see where they’re coming from.”
“I couldn’t agree more, dear. Do you still want to show your new style to our friends?”
“Yeah, I guess. I don’t plan on doing this too often, so I figure I should enjoy it as much as I can,” Dash said, giving her wings an energetic flap.
Rarity nodded. “Why don’t we visit Twilight first, then? I’m sure she would love to write a letter to the Princess about our experiences today!”
Rainbow Dash blinked. “Hey, yeah, you’re right! I didn’t even think about that. Well, what are we waiting for?”
Sharing a laugh, Rarity and Rainbow Dash set off for the library, their banter carried on the evening breeze.
