Slowing Down p1 "Break"

>"C'mon, Anon, just a few more rounds!"
"Urgh. Fine. One more, OK?"
>It IS pretty sunny out.
>Then again, when isn't it?
>Considering Ponyvile has a team of pegasi from Cloudsdale dedicated to making the skies clear for ponies to enjoy.
>It's only your typical Utopian society.
>They have everything, weather control, easy to live in conditions, pretty much no conflicts whatsoever...
>Everyone is friends with everyone, it seems.
>I guess the secret to making world peace a reality is simply; "Be a pony."
>You don't know why you're so bitter about this. It's paradise.
>Maybe too much of a good thing?
>Eh, whatever.
>Speaking of too much of a good thing, you're hanging out with Rainbow Dash while you're on your break.
>She's a close friend. Seems you hit it off from the moment she hit you.
>Full force.
>Crash landing.
>Ouch.
>You honestly couldn't think of a better first impression for what hanging out with Rainbow Dash would be like.
>But considering you're on your break right now, it's not as welcome a pleasure as it usually is. You're already exhausted.
>It doesn't help that you're losing 3 - 0 to her at horseshoe toss.
>That's rounds won, not points.
>You check your watch.
>You've still got a decent chunk of time before your break is over.
>You don't understand how you've played this many rounds and still have time to spare.
>This is not the sort of activity you should be participating in, considering you work for Applejack.

>Well, you're not a whiner. You're a winner.
>You're definitely not going to back down from a challenge, especially if it's against Rainbow.
>You never considered yourself a particularly competitive person before meeting her.
>But her brash attitude and cocky swagger ignited something within you.
>You've been trying to get the better of her ever since.
>That's not going to happen though, unless someone retrieves those horseshoes.
>Or somePONY.
>You take a glance at your rival in question.
>She looks back at you, cocky smile slowly fading into an expectant look.
>She can't expect you to pick them up again.
>A whiner you may not be, but you're certainly not a slave.
"Go on."
>"What? Why should I do it? You're the one who lost."
"Well, what are you going to be doing after this?"
>"Heh! Well, I was getting pretty tired, so I was thinking maybe I'd take a nap."
"Take...A nap?"
>"You heard me."
"Dash, I WISH I could take a nap. Some of us, however have got jobs to get back to. Hot, sweaty and physicaly challenging jobs. Like my job, Rainbow. JOB. Ring a bell?"
>She looks away from you, head raised proudly.
>"I'm sure you can handle it."
>Damnit, Dash.
>"Besides, you shouldn't be making me do the work. It's not polite."
>You cast a bemused glance at her.
"Excuse me?"

>"I said, "It's not polite", stupid! Do I have to repeat everything?"
"I heard you just fine. But seriously, what? Since when have you ever cared about being polite?"
>She snorts, and suddenly shoots off into the air.
>She does an impressive - albeit unnecessary - shuttle loop, and hovers at your side, now at eye level with you.
>Guess she wants to make a point.
>"W-well, what do YOU know?"
"I know YOU, for a start. You're far from a "Prim and proper lady", Dash."
>"Can we just play the game already?"
>Well, that was an unexpected change of subject.
>Rainbow Dash is far from one to give up an argument easily, especially one as short as that.
>You hate to say it, but you're disappointed.
>There's only one thing for it.
>Time to tease.
"Sure thing, Rainbow."
>You smile a smug smile, and proceed to pick up the horseshoes, loading your metaphorical word pistol with newfound amunition.
>Once all of the horseshoes are collected, you waltz back to her side, still smiling.
>She's pouting at you.
>Pouting? Her? Really?
>Wow. You feel like you've beaten her already.
>Mainly because that's her losing face.
>Her head follows you all the way back to the line.
"Well, then, let's go. Ladies first."
>She scrunches up her face a little more, a blush becoming apparent on her cheeks.
>You love it when she gets like this. It's one of your prime motivations for trying to win against her.
>"N-no, I won the last one, so you get the first throw."
"Thank you, Lady Dash. How FAIR."
>"Sh-shut up."
>The blush on her cheeks becomes progressively more firey.
>All this exaustion is starting to feel worth it.

>All the teasing in the world isn't going to win you the game, however.
>You begin to aim your horseshoe.
>You take a quick glance in rainbow's direction.
>She's looking at the sky, a red glow noticeable through her fur coat.
>You grin, and put your head back in the game.
>Swinging the horseshoe back and forth, you begin to generate momentum.
>Sticking your tounge out the side of your mouth, you concentrate on the game.
>Steady
>S t e a d y
>S T E A D Y
>"HEY!"
>CURSE YOU, RAINBOW DASH
>Fortunately, you were anticipating such sabotage, and the shot doesn't go far off course.
>And it still lands respectably close to the pole.
>Not too close, but a good starting shot.
>You glance at her, and your smug smile returns.
>She has a smile on her face too, despite her failed attempt to impede your success.
"Need something?"
>"Nah, slipped my mind."
"Huh."
>She begins to reach down for a horseshoe, but you pick one up before she gets there.
>You present the horseshoe to her, inches away from her mouth.
>She glares at you, and continues to as she slowly flutters down, grabs a different horseshoe and accends once again, without losing face.
>This is fun.

>She then faces the the pole, preparing to throw.
>Then, you notice something.
"Hey."
>She stops and looks at you.
>"Yeah?"
"Let's make it fair this time."
>She raises an eyebrow at you.
"You've got an altitude advantage. How about you stand on the ground?"
>"What?! But you're...You're tall!"
"Fine. Move down to my arm. That way we'll throw from the same point, more or less."
>"B-but..."
"You telling me you won't be able to win from there?"
>The classic bait. Foolproof.
"I...I'm telling you t-that I'm...I'm...Grr..."
>She grumbles, and decends a few feet, blushing again.
>She's not resisting as much as you expected her to.
>Guess you've really gotten to her.
>She doesn't say anything to you, and gazes back at the target.
>You're not done with her yet, though.
>She swings back and forth, and then, just when it looks like she's about to throw it...
"Good luck, fair lady"
>She just about stops herself from letting go of the horseshoe.
>"HrrrrrrrrrmmmmmMMMMM!"
>You laugh, loudly.
>"I-I-IDIOT!"
"What's wrong?"
>"...Don't you ever call me that again!"
"OK, OK. I'll stop now."
>You feel that she's had enough for now. You need to finish the game before you're late, anyway.

>"Good!"
>She starts building up momentum again.
>You just stand and watch. You don't care weither you win or lose now.
>As far as you're concerned, you're satisfied.
>She stops and starts a few times, obviously flustered.
>Each time she does, you can see her getting progressively more and more fustrated.
>You can't tell if her cheeks are heating up from anger, or from embarrassment.
>"RrrrrrAGH!"
>She just throws it.
>No build up this time.
>It goes far, and lands far away from the pole.
>She's going to explode, you can feel it.
>"...T-THAT DIDN'T COUNT!"
>Called it.
>Not high enough altitude, nor of enough patience to dive and get it, she simply drops to the floor and gallops full speed towards the horseshoe.
>However, doesn't take into account the terrain below her hooves.
>You hadn't been playing far from Apple Jack's farm, as she practicaly met you at the gate with the horseshoes and pole.
>You found some broad, flat area nearby to play on.
>Well, as flat as you could find it. It was still pretty bumpy.
>Her hoof catches on a dent in the ground, hidden by some grass.
>"W-Whooaaa-oof!"
>It was quite a spectacular fall.
>You'd laugh, but you've laughed enough already.
>Besides, that looked pretty painful.
>Without thinking, you run to her side.

"Are you OK?"
>Hmmmnn...It's nothing..."
>You can't lie, you would've let her get herself back up.
>She's recovered from worse, MUCH worse than what she just took.
>But for some reason, you just couldn't resist.
>You reach out with your right hand, and firmly grasp her right hoof, but not roughly.
>She reacts in surprise, and darts her head up to look at you.
>You find yourself staring into her eyes.
>She stares back.
>You're so used to having those eyes scowl at you, that you never really got a chance to...appreciate them.
>They're a sweet pink, although you only ever thought of them as red.
>She appears to be looking into your eyes too.
>You wonder what she's thinking...
>Your heart begins to race.
>Wait, What? Why are you so excited?
>She's done nothing but treat you like dirt since you got here, and you the same way, ever since you met her.
>You don't...LIKE her, do you?
>She has the brightest blush on her cheeks. Much brighter than before.
>"A-Anon...Thanks."
>Her voice seems...strained.
>You start to worry about her being in pain again.
>You put your hand under the frog of her hoof and lift her up.
>Your sudden movement seems to snap her out of her trance.
>"Uh...H-HEY!"
>She quickly regains her footing and moves away from you, avoiding eye contact.

>She looks angry.
>You both sit in silence for a second.
>A mere moment however, and she quickly bounces back.
>"...Thanks for nothing! I got back up by myself!"
>Still blushing, still angry.
"Good."
>It's all you can manage to say.
>You're still trying to recover, yourself.
>You feel like someone is punching your ribcage from the inside.
>You try to look into her eyes again, but she avoids your gaze.
>"U-uh...w-we'll finish this later. You...YOU DON'T WANNA BE LATE!"
>She propels herself off the ground, and her blue colour is soon lost against the clear sky.
>What's her problem?
>...What's YOUR problem?
>What happened just now? ...anon...
>You've been friends with her for years, and something like that...never happened before.
>You suppose you've been busy lately, and haven't been able to compete with her as often as you used to, but...
>She couldn't have changed too much, right? ..ey...anon...!
>You you have time to work that out later, though. Right now, you should probably get to wo"ANON FOR PETES' SAKE!"
>Oh.
>"Come ON, ANON! If have to carry ya over here, you'll be doin' more work ta make up for it!"
"I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!"
>...
>Well, it looks like your break just ended.
>Damn. Your back hurts.