Fall Weather Friends

Plot

Applejack beat Rainbow Dash at horseshoes on the farm, so Rainbow dared her to an Iron Pony contest to settle who was the better athlete. Twilight Sparkle signed on as judge, and the two friends traded victories through the first eight events. Then Rainbow started using her wings to cheat, winning the rest of the competition. Applejack called her out and challenged her to the Running of the Leaves, a town marathon where ponies run through the woods to knock autumn leaves off the trees. Rainbow promised not to fly. At the start, Applejack tied Rainbow’s wings up to keep her honest, and Twilight joined the race for fun. The two rivals ran side by side until each tripped over roots and rocks, and they started blaming each other for sabotage. In White Tail Woods, they began actively blocking and tripping one another. On the final stretch, they bumped into each other on purpose. When Rainbow’s wing bindings came loose during the scuffle, Applejack tackled her to stop her from taking off, and they kept shoving and arguing all the way past the finish line. Pinkie Pie told them they had tied for last place. Twilight walked up wearing a fifth-place medal, having beaten them both despite her lack of experience. Princess Celestia showed up to celebrate the event, and Applejack and Rainbow apologized for acting like poor sports. Twilight noted that friendship matters more than winning, and the two friends immediately ran off to start another race.