My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic

The Romancing Quest

By Doctor Scraps

Disclaimer: My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic is property of Hasbro and all affiliated parties involved, and the author claims no rights to any characters, settings, or events. This story was written for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Eh…nothing to really write about this time.

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Chapter 7

…

Macintosh rounded the bend on the dirt road cutting through Sweet Apple Acres, straining his muscles for just a little bit more speed as he approached the line drawn in the dirt marking the end of his lap. His legs were screaming, threatening to give out, but the adrenaline was keeping them in motion. It was only when he crossed the line that he trotted down to a canter, collapsing under the shade of an apple tree.

"Eight minutes. Thirty second less than last." Applejack held out the stopwatch for Macintosh to see for himself, smiling down at her big brother. For the last two days between working and other things, he had taken to running the entirety of Sweet Apple Acres, training for the race that would decide whether he and Twilight Sparkle would be seeing more of each other.

"Heh….I can do better…" Macintosh dunked his head into a bucket of water laid out for him, tossing his head back and swishing his wet mane about.

"Easy there, big guy. Any faster and I reckon we'll have another Pony capable of breaking the sound barrier." Applejack had been more than obliging to help him in his training, keeping note of his progress, even if she did worry a little about him pushing himself too far. She was keen to remind him of her own stubborn upsets with trying to go one mile more than one had the legs for.

She knew Twilight was on his mind since they left her place that day with Trixie's challenge in place. Macintosh had a look about him when his mind was occupied. Looking out ahead at nothing, but looking with purpose. Face set and serious

He didn't trust Trixie to run this race fair, but he had every intention of doing so.

"I can do better, AJ…" Macintosh got back up and gave his legs a stretch, "I gotta be better."

Applejack smiled reassuringly to her big brother, giving a soft shrug. "You done ran the perimeter of the whole property in eight minutes, Mac."

"But now I need endurance. I faltered twice back there on the trail and almost ate dirt. And I think I know how train for it." Macintosh got that determined look once more. "Go get the Crusaders."

…

"Ma'am, I would like to express once more…" A timid male voice murmured as Trixie enjoyed a cup of tea, her horn aglow with magic as she finished levitating and arranging the curved, brightly colored wood ramps, structures, and metal hoops into an adequate test track for her purposes, "That these grounds are officially off limits until the Wonderbolts training facility is completed…so…um…I'm going to ask that you please let me out of this box, so that I may, um…escort you off the premises so that no one is injured on-site? Please?"

Trixie mused for a moment, regarding the big blue crate she was nestled on top of on the far end of the field.

"I'll let you out when I'm finished. Now be quiet and let me concentrate." She knocked on the wood of the crate and hopped down, tossing the empty tea cup aside as she approached her makeshift starting line. Trixie was confident that whatever trail Twilight set before her and her rival, it was most certainly not going to be a straight shot race to the finish on a country trail. That would give too much of an advantage to her larger, sturdier opponent. Trixie was by no means a slouch when it came to physical fitness, she could keep up with the best of them at a good gallop. But this was Big Macintosh she was talking about. Big, brawny, Macintosh. The stallion could probably pull a full load cart and not lose momentum and speed even with a wobbly wheel.

No, she knew how Twilight's mind worked. She would play fair, give both the adequate chance to excel.

So, what better way to practice than with an obstacle course? She would train her reflexes, go for speed and agility. Be prepared physically and mentally for whatever came at her on the day of battle.

She bent down and took in a breath, steeling herself…And with a snap of her hoofs on the ground she burst forward. Her track began with a ramp and a leap across a chasm to another ramp. Easy enough, all it required was enough speed and a timely leap…

…

A lone pony walked along the dirt road out from town, a bag bearing the label of Sugarcube Corner Bakery gripped between her lips. She was dressed in a fine dark purple cape and hood, a long unicorns horn protruding forward, only the briefest glimpse of a lock of blue mane to be seen. She hummed softly to herself as her path brought her alongside the area being developed for some sort of spectacle. Weeks ago, it had been a vibrant field until an infestation of parasprites rendered it unfit.

The pony paused as she took notice of a long line of protrusions and structures. Too organized and purposeful to simply be bits of construction refuse and material ushered aside, not to mention, there was a curious blue Unicorn, also in a cape, racing up a ramp, leaping to clear a gap, failing miserably, seeming to growl a long string of curses before trying again…And receiving a very similar fate.

It reminded her of something she read…about the true definition of madness being doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

It demanded investigation.

…

Trixie paused to catch her breath, and to let the ringing in her head stop after that last jump came up short and she crashed headfirst into the sheer side of the other ramp. She pondered moving the ramps a little closer, but that would mean reorganizing the spinning poles and fire traps. She was about to give it another go when she became aware of another Pony watching her from the fence…From afar, she looked like Twilight, which gave Trixie a small boost of confidence…Twilight was checking on her progress! She decided to greet her, her confidence slightly dwindling when she discovered it not to be Twilight, but another Unicorn altogether attempting to pull off the "traveling witch" look. Still…she had an audience. And Trixie did love an audience.

"Ah…Come to see the precursor to a marvelous spectacle?" Trixie asked as she trotted up to the fence line. "No doubt, all of Ponyville has heard of the grand race that will be happening soon."

"I'm afraid I have heard nothing of the sort." Her voice was soft as she sat her bag of goods down, but had a humor in it. "What is it you're doing? It looks rather painful."

This deflated Trixie some. Didn't Twilight know the first thing about holding a contest like a race? You spread the word so the whole town can come and see. If she wanted to keep it quiet she would have suggested a game of cards rather than making her go to all this effort for a private affair.

"Well…Ahem…" Trixie cleared her throat, dusting herself off some as to look presentable, "As you no doubt know, I am the Great and Powerful Trixie…"

"Never heard of you." The Pony stated rather flatly. "…Is that crate bouncing around?"

Trixie moved to block the view of her captive, laughing nervously before trying to turn on the showpony charm once more. "The Great and Powerful Trixie…? Scholar, magician extraordinaire?"

"Ah…I see…So what are you doing then? It doesn't look like magic." The pony observed.

"Ah, yes, well I am currently involved in a civil dispute over the affections of another pony…One Twilight Sparkle, you know the name?"

"Yes…As a matter fact I do…"

"Good. So then, the race shall determine the suitor that shall be accepted by Lady Sparkle as her lover, and the other must accept defeat and ridicule."

The pony tilted her head, gazing out from her hood with an azure eye that seemed to sparkle underneath. "…And you think you will win…?"

"Of course. The Great and Powerful Trixie overcomes all obstacles that come across her path."

"You keep crashing." The pony said, noting her observations. "You can't even hop one obstacle."

Trixie puffed up her chest and turned up her nose. "…I may be hitting a few snags and rough edges, but I'm certain I will get the hang of it…"

"You're a magician…use your magic to clear the gap." The pony stated, as though it should have been the first thing Trixie thought of, wilst turning to stick her muzzle into the bag of baked good..

"Hmmm…Not a bad idea…but how to keep it unnoticed…?" Trixie put a hoof to her chin and turned away in thought. When she looked back, she saw her visitor's flank retreating down the road. On a fence post, she had left a muffin. Trixie sniffed at it, smelling fresh baked oatbread with a hint of blueberry, shrugged and devoured it. A light bulb then clicked inside her head, and a fantastically genius grin cut across her face.

"My good sir…" She trotted to the crate. "I shall have to leave momentarily, so I will have to let you out, but only if you promise not to disturb my training course."

"Um…er…What will be the penalty is it's touched?" A voice asked from within.

"Do you know what happens when a horse is struck by lightening?" Trixie asked in a cheerful tone,

"…No…" The voice whimpered. "What happens?"

"Care to find out…?" Trixie asked, just as sweet.

"….No…."

"Good pony." Trixie's horn glowed and the crate walls fell, revealing a green-furred horse with a hammer cutie-mark, who was cowering under a mound of hay. "Oh…and are there any spare horse shoes hereabouts? Size 3?"

…

Through the market square of Ponyville, another spectacle was taking place. A cart, loaded to almost crippling capacity with rocks, to the point where the wheels were barely making an effort to turn, was coming across the road. In the cart, three young foals in red capes coaxed a local workhorse to keep up the pace, one of them brandishing a a crop, but was too small and too far away to do anything with it. The big red stallion groaned and struggled against his yolk, his face a brighter shade of red than the rest of him, snorting and grunting along, digging hooves into the earth to drag along the way.

"C'mon, Big Brother!" Applebloom cheered and hopped in the seat in the cart, rattling the huge bushel of rocks the Cutie Mark Crusaders had collected for their newest project- the private trainers of Big Macintosh for the upcoming Race For The Kissy Face, as it was officially coined as by Pinkie Pie, who was following behind the cart, passing out flyers, featuring an artists rendition of Trixie and Macintosh glaring each other down while in the background, a rendition of local librarian Twilight Sparkle, dressed in pull Princess in Danger regalia, held a hoof to her head in woe from the balcony of a particularly menacing tower.

Come one come all, the big and the small, for the race to end all races! There can be only one! This Friday, at Long-Grass Fields! Present this flyer at Sugarcube Corner and get a free Peach Tart! While supplies last! Be there, for the Race For The Kissy Face!

"Soooo…why are we making your brother pull the rocks again?" Scootaloo inquired. "These are supposed to be for our castle. How are we supposed to earn our Siege cutie marks if we're helping him train?"

"yeah, how is this supposed to help Mac with the race?" Sweetie-Belle asked.

"Well, obviously, my brother is the fastest horse in Ponyville, right?" Applebloom stated.

"Well…I guess." Scootaloo raised a brow.

"So if he's really fast on his hooves, then he'll be extra fast if he can be fast haulin' our rocks! He's buildings endurance and stamina! He'll need it for when he marries Twilight and she becomes my sister!"

"Why's that, Applebloom?" Sweetie-Belle asked.

"Well, I always heard Applejack talkin' how Big Mac was fit to bust a filly when-"

"Applebloom!" Macintosh called over his shoulder, giving her a stern glare.

"Just sayin'!"

…

Twilight, for the last two days, had holed herself up in her library, emerging only once to request a copy of the Ponyville annex from the town hall. In that time, she had constructed from spare materials a small model of Long-Grass Fields, a location chosen for the race due to it's long winding roads, straightaway's, and a bridge that crossed over a river that would serve nicely as the starting point.

Trixie's hunch had been correct. Twilight wanted this to be a fair display. Macintosh obviously could beat Trixie in a straight race hands down. Unless, as Spike had put it, a Ursa Minor was in hot persuit.

Twilight stared at the diagram in front of her, scribbling notes here and there about weather pattern manipulation, and runic booby traps. Were portals a little much? There used to be an old saying at the academy that there was never a bad time for portals.

Maybe the Doctor would let them do a tour around the Tardis…at least one of the smaller side corridors…

She paused and looked out the window, lost in stray thoughts. Her stomach suddenly pitched now that she wasn't focused on her organizing and designing. She tucked her hooves under her, ears drooping as she thought about the moment the race ended…She would be someone's lover…She wasn't sure she was ready for that, but it was happening.

"Don't worry yourself sick, Twilight…" She sighed, shaking her mane. "This is still part of the project…it's just…moving forward a lot faster than we thought. We have to be…objective about this…right?" Her question received no answer. She wasn't so sure anymore. Or about anything.

Maybe she wasn't worthy of either of them…

Twilight turned away from her work and climbed the ladder to her bed, disappearing under the quilt.

…

Trixie's camp sat on the northern most edge of Ponyville. A cauldron boiled over the campfire while Trixie rummaged through her suitcase, pulling out bottles and vials, occasionally referencing an open page in a large tome. "Lets see…a pinch of this…a pinch of that…" She yanked the cork off a vial of green cubes and added three, then another for good measure, turning the boiling contents a bright neon shade.

Satisfied with her mixture, she fished out a small box of horseshoes, dumping them into the cauldron.

"Excellent. Now, let it simmer and cook into the metal. And by morning, they will be ready!" She stared into the rolling concoction, grinning from ear to ear, clapping her hooves together, oh so pleased. Twilight will soon be hers, and together, they will make sweet sweet magic together.

Her stomach rumbled, breaking her reveling in her genius. "Mmm…Muffins…" She slinked into her tent to partake of the muffins she had bought after that strange Unicorn had left one for her.

…

Elsewhere, in the palace of the dawn and the dusk, hooves clicked on smooth marble as the 'unicorn' in the purple hood entered into the private sanctuary of Princess Celestia herself, setting the bag of baked good down so as to pull the garment from her person, revealing the alicorn beneath.

"Sister…I think you may want to have a talk with your pupil." Princess Luna said as she handed off the cloak to a servant. From where she lay across the room on a large, plush circular cushion, Princess Celestia sat up, tilting her head curiously.

"Oh? And why is that?" Her horn began to glow as she pulled the bag towards her, peering inside, and squealing with delight while pulling out a box of specially made cupcakes. "Yay!"

"She has two suitors set to compete for her affection. A race." Luna recounted her meeting with Trixie. "I am assuming this is not at all associated with her appointed task."

The Princess of the Moon settled beside her sister and nibbled on a blueberry muffin, while she waited for Celestia to reply with her thoughts, instead receiving the indulgent 'yummy' noises. Celestia caught her gaze and returned that quizzical look.

"…Twamight…" Celestia paused to swallow, a dollop of orange frosting on her nose. "Excuse me…Twilight is engaged in extracurricular activity at the moment, my dear sister. I was almost afraid she would not reach this point. I'm happy she is able to have this experience."

"Someone will be hurt." Luna said flatly, obviously disapproving.

"I know…" Celestia had that spark of worry in her ancient eyes, still not making any move to clean her snout. "It will be a painful lesson…"

"Will you not interfere?" Luna asked, looking up at her ever wise, ever contemplating sibling. "Will you not speak to her at least?"

"I will do what I can…But I cannot interfere directly…As I said, this will be, perhaps, one of the most painful lessons she will ever learn…The lesson of heartbreak…"

"but why, sister?"

"…As the world may never know good, unless there is evil in it…So too, can one not truly know love, until she has learned of loss…"

"Sister…?"

"Yes, Luna…?"

"Please clean your snout. I can't take you seriously when you have frosting on your face."

…

To Be Continued.