Author- There IS an update. Check the bottom. This allows me to bridge to the next chapter.
Scratch, scratch.
Scribble,scribble.
Foosh!
Creeeeeeaaaaaaaak!
SMASH, BOOM, BANG!
"Oh dear, oh dear!"
Twilight Sparkle gazed in dismay at the mess that now lay beside her.
Being a unicorn of many spells, and a pony of inquisition there was still much she had to learn.
Of course, with magic, you had to take necessary precautions, as she had. However, she'd neglected to remember the shelf of precious china plates imported from Canterlot just last week, and now they had crashed down to the floor, shattering into tiny shards.
She rolled her eyes in annoyance, carefully levitating the pieces back together. She set back the re-assembled plates next to her, and carefully re-hung the shelf. She neatly placed the plates back onto the shelf, and sighed.
Another magic spell gone AWOL, she thought.
I might even think about going to that new fancy spa that opened up...it's expensive, but the wonders of physical therapy, that's what I could use right now.
But then she chuckled. Her, going to a spa? The day that happened, parasprites would consume all of Ponyville in one bite.
Her train of thought, which had long since derailed, was interrupted again by a loud crash, and a cerulean blur.
Quickly, the blur repeated itself, and the slam repeated itself also, and Twilight realized it was her door.
The blur ceased to move, and Twilight realized it was Rainbow Dash, who was panting, and leaning back against the door.
"Rainbow, what's-"
She was interrupted by a banging on the door, which nearly shot Dash forward.
"Ugh, no time to explain, just help me hold this door!" Rainbow exclaimed.
Now that her friend was relatively still, she could tell that yet another bizarre stunt of hers had probably gone wrong.
Right now, she was straining to hold the door shut, muscles packed to the breaking point. Water dripped from her colorful mane and sleek body onto the floor almost constantly, creating a rapid 'drumming' sound.
Soon enough, the banging ceased. Rainbow kept holding the door for a few seconds, and then peeked out.
"Whew, It's safe."
She turned back to Twilight.
"So, egghead, what's up?"
Twilight huffed. She hated her nickname, no matter how accurately named.
Well, not necessarily hated. She kind of liked it at times, though she hadn't the faintest idea why. Probably because it fit her so well.
"I'll have you know that I'm working on a new spell, though it's going a little AWOL..."
"Yeah yeah, that's nice. Does it involve helping yourself be less...weak?"
Twilight rolled her eyes at this comment.
"Rainbow, we both know that I can already beat you in racing, so what's a contest of strength to me?"
Rainbow smiled mischievously, this was going to be fun for her.
"Is that a challenge?"
"Was that a question?"
"...huh?"
"I meant yes."
"Oh, right..."
The two now stood in a largely familiar spot, it was where Applejack and Rainbow had done tug of war, the last event in the Iron Pony competition before Applejack demanded that Rainbow Dash shouldn't use her wings.
The two now stood on opposite sides of the mud pit, ready to begin.
Rainbow was doing a bunch of stretching, but it was mostly for show. What she planned to do was make Twilight think she was winning, then BANG!, into the mud she would go.
Rainbow picked up the rope in her teeth.
"Ready?" she mumbled around the coarse length of rope on her side.
Twilight awkwardly fumbled with her end, eventually grasping it between her two front hooves.
"I guess..."
"Readysetgo!" Rainbow shouted, tugging back with barely half her force.
Twilight jerked forward, but then dug her rear hooves into the ground for purchase, and her position held.
Twilight slowly began to inch backwards, pulling Dash ever closer to the mud, but in reality, it was because now Dash was barely doing anything at all.
After Dash was about millimeters from the pit, she thought, 'OK, close enough.'
She tugged back with about 75% of her might, sending Twilight careening towards the mud pit.
However, something unexpected happened.
Twilight's stance changed, and next thing Rainbow knew, she found herself nearly toppling face first into the mud pit herself.
"Woah!" she managed to shout, and quickly extended her wings.
She quickly began to flap them, and kept herself from falling in. She now pulled back, not giving any slack for Twilight.
However, a purple glow now emanated from Twilight s horn, and it now covered the rope.
"You use your talent, I use mine!" Twilight exclaimed triumphantly.
"Ugh, Twi'...is fere sumfing you aren't telling me?" Rainbow asked around the rope in her mouth, which she smartly thought to switch to her hooves, else her teeth get yanked out.
Twilight sat down, tapping her head with a hoof, still pulling the rope with her magic.
"Hmmm, yes, multiple things. Why?"
"It's just that...when the hay did you get so strong?"
She inquired, giving a very hard tug on the rope.
"Well, I do study how body physics work, so it's more of strategy than strength."
Now, however, Rainbow was pulling out all the stops.
"Oh, this is it! I'm not losing to an egghead!"
Twilight suddenly stopped pulling on the rope with her magic.
'There it is again! Every time she calls me egghead, I feel...funny! I'm not angry, it's just a playful nickname! Am I hiding something from myself?'
However, as a result of her ceasing pulling on the rope, Rainbow was able to yank the rope all the way back without any resistance.
Twilight was yanked forward, too, due to the invisible bond that links an object that a unicorn is holding, and the unicorn themselves. She landed with a tremendous splat, mud flying into the air in all directions, coating both her, and her aviantastic friend.
Rainbow ignored it for the moment, however.
"HAHA, you should have seen the look on your face when you fell in! Priceless! " Dash exclaimed, taking gasps of air every now and then.
Twilight suddenly recognized the feeling; she'd read about it, she knew it very well. She'd read it in a book when she was nothing but a tiny foal.
'It's a very natural feeling,' she recalled reading. 'To feel "weird" when in the company of somepony you appreciate very much. This is only normal, and there's nothing to be worried or scared about.'
Once Dash's laughing spree ended, her face took on a serious tone.
"There is definitely something you haven't told me. Spit it out, now."
BAHAHA, I had you going! Cliffhanger!
Stay tuned! :D