Chapter 3

I had put the so-called "nightmare" away for now, hoping that this little detail wouldn't change me or my personality in the future. Right now, I focused on only Twilight and my current life, trying to adjust to being an alicorn. It's a bit tough trying to adjust, but Twilight is there to help me out were I to need it.

Right now, Twilight and myself have met up with Applejack and Rainbow Dash over at Sweet Apple Acres. The two of them seemed to be quarreling over who was the more athletic pony, something Twilight says that they do a lot.

"There's no way you can beat this sleek Pegasus in a race, you know," bragged Rainbow Dash.

"Well Ah play fairly," Applejack defended, pointing at Rainbow Dash's wings, "least you could do the same..."

"Oh please," Rainbow Dash scoffed, "I could beat you in a race without my wings!"

Twilight and myself chuckled at Rainbow Dash's particular comment. I actually knew a spell that could remove a Pegasi's wings and a unicorn's horn. It was a spell that I learned just under a year ago and it's one that I've never really used on another pony. Stepping up, I called out Rainbow Dash on her comment.

"Care to prove it then?" I challenged.

"Anywhere, anytime!" Rainbow Dash accepted.

"Glad to hear..." I agreed, casting the spell, removing Rainbow Dash's wings. I also casted the spell on myself, removing my wings temporarily as well, but not my horn.

"What are you doing, Lunar?" Twilight questioned.

"I want to challenge these two to a race as well." I smiled. "They talk an awful lot, but it takes one to know one."

Both Rainbow Dash and Applejack began laughing.

"Y-y-you!?" Rainbow Dash laughed.

"Who else?" I sarcastically replied.

"No offense, partner," Applejack said through her laughter, "but have you ever run a race before?"

"Run in a race, yes," I answered, "beat both of you in a race, I'm about to."

"Y'know," Rainbow Dash spoke, cocking an eyebrow at me, "for an alicorn, you've got a pretty big mouth. How do you know that you'll win?"

"Well, for one thing," I smirked, "I may look like a brainiac and an egghead, as you call it, but I'm a very competitive pony when it comes to races."

"Oh yeah?" Rainbow Dash scoffed.

"Prove it." added Applejack.

"With pleasure." I finished.

"So how about a race to the Everfree Forest and back?" Rainbow Dash suggested. "When I get back first, that means that I win."

"You're funny, Dashie," I scoffed, rolling my eyes.

"I'm funny?" Rainbow Dash smirked. "Oh, I don't know about that."

"When you get back first?" Applejack asked with a displeased face.

"We all know who the fastest pony is here." Rainbow Dash said.

"Yeah," I added.

"I am." The three of us simultaneously said.

Silence fell afterwards as we all exchanged competitive looks with each other. I smirked, then began breaking the silence.

"Well," I spoke up, "there's only one way to find out I suppose."

"Let's race!" Rainbow Dash smiled.

"With pleasure." added Applejack.

Twilight chuckled, then pulled me aside for a quick moment.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this, Lunar?" She asked me. "These two get real competitive and are both very fast..."

"Who cares?" I replied. "I won't lose to the likes of them."

That answer worried me slightly. I would never answer a question Twilight asked like that. I am a more caring pony than a competition driven one. Normally, I would've answered Twilight by saying something like: It doesn't bother me, for as long as I've tried and had fun, I at least won, right?

"Are you okay, Lunar?" Twilight asked me. "You've been acting a bit strange these last few hours..."

I cracked my neck quickly for a second, then answered Twilight how I normally would. "Perfectly fine, Twilight. I guess the competitive atmosphere is turning me into a different pony for a few moments." But I really knew what was going on...

Twilight smiled, buying my little fib, then giving me a kiss on my cheek. "Just have fun and do your best, Lunar. I believe in you."

"Thank you, Twilight." I replied, nuzzling her with my muzzle.

"Eww, BLEH!" I heard Rainbow Dash gagging, with Applejack chuckling just after. "Save it for later! Let's get on with this race!"

"I'll win for you, Twilight." I smiled before leaving her to go join Rainbow Dash and Applejack at the "starting line," determined by us. Twilight flew above us, and counted down from three.

"Three!"

"Ready to lose, Princey?" Rainbow Dash asked me.

"Two!"

"I'm ready to record my awesomeness in the history books, Dashie." I answered, stealing her line and using it against her.

"One!"

"Ah'm afraid that Ah be the one waitin' here for you two slow pokes!" Applejack smirked.

"Go!"

"We'll just see about that!" I shouted as we all sprinted out of the finish line together.

All three of us were evenly as fast, although I was probably faster, seeing how I had a horn that provided resistance against me, but that's besides the point. Slowly, Rainbow Dash started to pull away from Applejack and myself, opening up a gap between us. I allowed Applejack to do the same and let her open up a gap between me and her, letting myself fall behind tremendously, although I wasn't finished quite just yet.

When I determined that both Rainbow Dash and Applejack were between twenty to thirty yards away from me, I began casting a spell on some of the objects ahead of them in the hopes that they would trip and fall, thus allowing me to pass both of them easily. At first, I had dropped things such as leaves and twigs, but as the two of them evaded these items, I began casting things that were hidden in the ground, like roots and stumps.

When I had casted a growth spell on a root, that got Rainbow Dash to trip over and fall, allowing me to pass her with no problem. I then did the same to Applejack and got her to trip and fall as well, allowing me to, once again, pass her with no problem.

It then dawned upon me that I had used illegal means and had cheated in a race, which was something that I never was able to do before I became an alicorn...I cheated...

I cheated...