Author's notes: I am skipping Call of the Cutie, since it doesn't really deal with the main ponies.

Chapter 9: Smoke on the Water

Well, I have been here for about 5 months now, and I still don't understand this world. I mean, how can it go from winter, to spring, to fall? Do they just mix and match the seasons to suit their needs? Is that why the weather is so messed up?

I have been watching the local ponies getting ready for 'Running of the Leaves'. It is some kind of marathon that removes the leaves off all the autumn trees, due to the speed of the ponies. When it comes to this world, just throw all the laws of nature right out the window.

While these ponies were working on the marathon, I noticed some of the ponies leaving. I follow the leaving ponies, and found them going to Applejack's farm. There I saw a large gathering of ponies, which seemed to be cheering about something.

When I got up higher to see what was going on, I saw both Applejack, and Rainbow trying to buck Spike off of their back. It was Rainbow's go, and she bucked Spike right off. That has got to hurt.

I continued watching the competition go on, which I found out to be for the title of Iron Pony, this should be fun.

There were quite a large number of challenges that the two had to do:

Calf Roping, with Spike as the calf, Applejack won that easily and Rainbow tied herself up in a tree. How the hell?

Some kind of ball act, which Applejack had loss this time, and Rainbow showing off with multiple balls.

Throwing a Bale of Hay, which Applejack won again.

They then did some arm-wrestle (leg-wrestle?) challenge, which Rainbow won, surprisingly.

These game continued on it the usually fashion, but it changed once they had tied at 5-5. Rainbow decided to do whatever it took to win.

During a Push-up challenge, Rainbow was about to lose, so she used her wings to help her.

And thus the wing wins continue, for the most part.

Rainbow used her wings to keep the baby chicks on her back during a Mud Run. She used them to give her an extra boost while doing the Long Jump. By the time of the Tug of War, I was getting annoyed by Rainbow's actions. So I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine.

I floated over to the two athletes, just as Rainbow was lifting Applejack up in the air by the rope. Seeing an opportunity, I grabbed the rope, and yanked it down. Rainbow was pulled from the air, and ended up on the mud, and Applejack landed on her. That is karma for you.

Rainbow got out of the mud, and then shook it off herself, and looked at the Scoreboard, 14-6. With her still as the victor.

"Woo-hoo! I win by a landslide. I am the Iron Pony!" Rainbow cheered.

"Only 'cause you cheated," Applejack accurately accused.

"What?" Rainbow asked, feigning innocence

"You used your wingpower to help you win over half those contests."

"Sounds like sour apples to me." And you are a dirty cheat.

"Are you sayin' you didn't use your wings?"

"Well... no. But you never said I couldn't use my wings."

"I didn't think I needed to tell you to play fair."

"I still would have won even without my wings," Rainbow gloated. Just accept it Rainbow, you nearly lost most of those, even with your wings. Without them, you are doomed.

"Hah! Prove it," Applejack challenged her.

"Gladly. How?"

"Tomorrow is the annual Runnin' of the Leaves. I challenge you to race me in it,"

"Heh! Easy shmeasy." If you so much as use your wings at any part, I am gluing them to your back.

Applejack, making sure Rainbow doesn't try to cheat again,"Hold on! There is one condition: the point is to run, so no wings allowed."

"No wings? No problem."

They both spat on their hoof, and shook on it, sealing the agreement.

Well then, looks like I got some spying to do, to make sure this race is fare.

When night had fallen, and Twilight was in the library reading and idea struck me. I went over to one of the many books on the selves, and found what I was looking for, How to Run. I then I took the book, and pushed it off the shelf to let it fall to the ground.

When it hit the ground, Twilight jumped, and looked around in alarm, and then noticed the book. She read the title, and looked around the room, and put down the book on top of her current book. She then proceeded to read it.

Good to see that she learned from that note. When something falls, read it. And it would also be good for Twilight to get some real exercise.

I ended up following Twilight when she left the library, and headed to the races.

"Twilight, hurry up, we're gonna be late for the race," Spike said.

"Why are you so excited about the race? It's only for ponies," Twilight told him.

"Yeah, but I'm hoping I can be the announcer again. Just listen: Fillies and gentlecolts, welcome to the annual Running of the-," Spike started, but was inturrpted.

"Welcome to the annual Running of the Leaves! This is Pinkie Pie, your official p-eye-in-the-sky announcer," announced Pinkie in a hot air balloon. Where did she get that, and how could she afford that? I guess bakers get paid well.

"Sorry, Spike. I guess that job's already taken," Twilight said

"As everypony knows, the Running is a very important tradition, for without it, the autumn leaves of Equestria would never fall. So get ready, ponies. The Running of the Leaves will begin in five minutes."

I decided to float on ahead, to see how Rainbow and Applejack was doing. I found Applejack first, but Rainbow made her appearance known.

"Pardon me, excuse me. Make way for the Iron Pony," Rainbow said as she approached Applejack

"The Iron Phony, you mean," Applejack quipped

"So, Applejack, you ready to win second place?"

"I'm ready to run a good, clean race,"

"Yeah, yeah..." Rainbow just finding what Applejack saying annoying.

"You are not allowed to use your wings," Applejack reminded her

Rainbow Dash: I could win this race with both wings tied behind my back.

From the look on Applejack's faces, she is going to regret that.

Yep, she does. Applejack ended up tying Rainbow's wings up, with them pinned to her body, and she didn't do it do gentely.

"Trussed up like a turkey. Well, a turkey who can't fly, that is," Applejack joked.

"Very funny," Rainbow stated.

"'Least now we know we're racin' fair and square,"

Then came the trumpets to alert the races to get ready.

"Racers! Please take your positions!" said Pinkie from her ballon

As the races got to the starting line, I saw Twilight approaching, but so did the others.

"Twilight? What in tarnation are you doin' up here?" Applejack asked.

"I'm racing," Twilight said simply.

Rainbow laughed, "Good one, Twilight."

"I'm not joking," Twilgith said, somewhat offended.

"What? You're not an athlete, you're a... well... you're an egghead," And you are a bird brain.

"I am not an egghead, I am well-read," Twilight defended herself.

Applejack snickers," But have you ever run a race?"

Well, no," Twilight admitted, "But I do know a lot about running."

"And you know this from..." Rainbow said, setting Twilight up.

"I've read several on the subject,"

"What'd you read, "The Egghead's Guide to Running"? Did you stretch out your eye muscles to warm up?" Rainbow started laughing, "Get it? Eye muscles."

Twilight was insulted, "Scoff if you must, Rainbow. But the Running of the Leaves is a Ponyville tradition, and since I'm here to learn, I've decided I should experience it myself."

"Well, I think that's just dandy, Twilight. Good luck," Applejack snickered.

"Yeah. See you at the finish line... Tomorrow," Rainbow continuing putting Twilight down.

Seeing I all I was going to see was just running ponies, I decided to float up to Pinkie's balloon to get a better view.

"All right, ponies, are you ready?" Pinkie announced.

"Get set," Spike continued.

The starting bell went off, and the ponies ran.

"And they're off!" Pinkie announced. She then turns to speak to the crowd, "Welcome to the official coverage of the Running of the Leaves! You know, Spike, despite its name, the leaves don't do any of the actual running. No, that's left to My Little Ponies."

"Why, yes, Pinkie, it's the running of the ponies that causes the leaves to fall," Spike explained.

"Ugh. Those lazy, lazy leaves," Pinkie insulting the leaves, "But this year, the run is about more than the weather. It's about the race to the finish and the two runners who want to win it: Applejack and Rainbow Dash."

"You know, Pinkie, these two ponies have a bit of a grudge match they're trying to settle. Trying to prove who's the most athletic,"

"Yes, and "grudge" rhymes with "fudge"," Pinkie started to ramble.

"Yes, it... does. What?" Spike said getting confused. No more rhymes, I have had my fill with Zecora.

"And I like fudge. But if I eat too much fudge I get a pudge and then I can't budge," Ugh, I hate rhyming.

"So... no fudge?" Spike asked.

"Oh, no thanks. I had a big breakfast. Let's check in with our two competitive ponies, Applejack and Rainbow Dash," she floated the balloon to follow the two.

"Having come fast out of the gate, Applejack and Rainbow Dash are evenly matched running neck in neck. But what's this? Applejack is making a move, she's now ahead by a nose. But Rainbow Dash won't let Applejack have it and takes the lead. She's ahead by half a nose. Or maybe three quarters of a nose. No, about sixty-three point seven percent of a nose... Roughly speaking," Pinkie starting to ramble again.

Pinkie continues, "Applejack sees this move and pushes forth with her strong workhorse legs slinking ahead by three hundred and fifty noses," How long is a nose anyway?

We just continued to float above the race, I noticed that Applejack had seemed to fall to the ground, and Rainbow just continued running. Soon, other ponies ran by while Applejack recovered. I saw Twilight walking at a normal pace, and stopped to talk to Applejack. I have no idea what she said, but Applejack soon was off running again.

We floated down further the track ,and saw Applejack gaining some ground.

"I don't believe it. After a huge setback, Applejack is back at the front of the pack," Spike announced.

"She's the head of the pack, all right. The pick of the litter! The cat's pajamas! Oh wait, why would Applejack take some poor kitty's PJs? That's not very sporting of her," Pinkie said randomly.

"Oookay... Let's get back to the race."

Down below Applejack and Rainbow were continuing to try to pass one another, but soon Rainbow tripped, and fell to the ground, and Applejack continued running.

So now Rainbow was falling behind, while the other ponies were passing her by.

Once again I saw Twilight come up, and she talked to the fallen pony, but Rainbow soon left.

After about another half hour of racing, it was getting rather boring, Rainbow was still behind.

"Welcome back, Ponyvillians, it's me, Pinkie Pie," Ow, Pinkie, right in my ear.

"And Spike. Looks like Rainbow is doing her best to catch up," Spike added

"I'm not sure how ketchup is going to help her in this contest. Now, in a hot dog eating contest it can make them doggies nice and slippery, but personally I prefer mustard. How about you, Spike?"

"Uh... I... like... pickles?" You have spent far too long with vegetarians, and how does Pinkie know about hot dogs?

"Aaand it looks like Applejack has found herself in quite a pickle as Rainbow overtakes her,"

Rainbow finally caught up to Applejack, and passed her by.

"As the racers enter Equestria's Whitetail Wood, Rainbow Dash is back in the lead," Spike announced.

The show going on down below was getting interesting as the two tried to find unique ways to get past the other. I saw them using bees, and tree sap to gain the lead. Rainbow even changed a directional sign, so the Applejack would take the wrong path.

Fortunately, Rainbow did change the sign, so that the other racers would go the right way. Oddly enough, Rainbow stayed there for a bit till Twilight stopped to talk to her, and then Rainbow started running again.

While the balloon continued to float along, we found Applejack up on a cliff, I guess that is where Rainbow sent her.

"Applejack, what are you doing up here?" Pinkie asked.

"There aren't even any trees," Spike said.

Applejack was quite confused as well, "Er, no, but the sign's pointed this way... Rainbow. Mind giving me a lift?"

So Pinkie ended up throwing a rope to Applejack, so that we could take her back to the real track.

When we got close, we could hear Rainbow, "What the hay?! You said no flying!"

"No, I said no wings," Applejack said as she dropped to the ground.

The two end up in a tussle, due to the idea of possibly losing.

"I must say, Spike, that this has been the most interesting Running of the Leaves in Equestria history!" Pinkie said

"With the most interesting announcing," Spike added. With Pinkie, everything becomes more interesting."

"But it isn't the running that's been fascinating. It's the lack of running!"

Twilight ended up coming by soon enough, and talked to the two athlete, and they ran off soon again.

"Once again, Rainbow Dash and Applejack are neck in neck, jockeying for position. Applejack inches ahead, now it's Rainbow, it's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash, it's Applejack—" Pinkie said as the two fight for their place ahead of the other.

The two athletes started ramming into each other, trying to push the other off the track.

"Oh no, she di'int!" Spike said

"Oh yes, she di'id!" Pinkie added.

At some point, the ropes the help Rainbow's wings go untie, so she tried to use them to get ahead. But Applejack jumped on her, to prevent her from getting farther. They ended up tumbling over the finish line, all the while Pinkie was saying, "It's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash, it's Applejack, it's Rainbow Dash—"

"You tied!" Spike announced to the two, as they came to the ground.

Applejack and Rainbow both exclaimed, "Tied?!"

"For first?" Applejack asked.

"For last!" Pinkie said.

"LAST?"

"Then who won?" Rainbow asked.

Twilight then came up to them wearing a metal

"YOU?" Both Applejack, and Rainbow exclaimed

"Oh no, but I did get fifth place, which is rather good considering I've never run a race before," Twilight said. Fifth place, not bad Twilight.

"What? How's that even possible?" asked Applejack

"You ran so slow, and looked at the scenery," said Bird Brain

"Exactly. I paced myself, just like my book said. Then at the end, when all the other ponies were worn out, I sprinted to the finish," Twilight explained. Work smarter, not harder.

"I don't believe it. Twilight beat us,"

"Well, with all your horsing around, it was quite easy,"

"You're right, Twilight. Our behavior was just terrible," Applejack admitted. Now I am going to think of a punishment for Applejack as well for cheating.

"We weren't very good sports," Rainbow also admitted.

"Sounds to me that an important lesson was learned." What the? Princess Celestia showed up? Doesn't she have royal duties to do or something?

"Princess Celestia?!" Rainbow and Applejack exclaimed.

"W... What are you doin' here?" Applejack stuttered.

"Fall is one of my favorite seasons, so I came to celebrate the Running of the Leaves," Princess Celestia explained.

"I'm sorry you had to see us being such poor sport, Princess,"

"That's all right, Applejack. Anypony can get swept up in the excitement of competition."

"It's important to remember that the friendship is always more important than the competition," Twilight said.

"Exactly, Twilight. Now, unfortunately, because the two of you were busy tricking each other instead of shaking down leaves, many of the lovely trees of Equestria are still covered,"

"Why, Princess, I bet we can knock those leaves down for you lickety-split. Whaddya say, friend? Wanna go for another run?" Applejack offered to Rainbow.

"I'd love to stretch my legs," Rainbow said as they both ran off down the track.

Enjoy your time now; I will get you before tomorrow's morning light.

I floated over to where Pinkie was standing, "Hey Pinkie."

"Oh, hi Chromie. Did you enjoy the race, it was so fun!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Yes I did see it, and I also saw Rainbow and Applejack cheating, so I plan on pranking them to teach them a lesson."

"You like pranks, me too. We could pull some really great pranks, especially since you are invisible, and such," Pinkie said excitedly.

"That would be fun, if you ever got some prank planned, you can usually find me in the library. Oh, and Pinkie do you have some glue I could use?" I asked.

"Sure do, here," she said, as she pulled out a jar of glue from her hair. She then hands it to me.

"Thanks Pinkie, now I got to do some planning to get those two."

(Third Person's Perspective)

As a new morning rises over Ponyville, two ponies will find themselves victims of a prank.

Over at Rainbow's cloud house, the young pegasus is getting ready to leave her home, and head out to find a nice spot to practice her aerial stunts.. But once she jumps off, she notices something wrong, as she can't move her wings. Noticing the problem, she turns and clings to the cloud ground of her house to stop her from falling.

"What the buck? What is wrong with my wing?" Rainbow exclaims, trying to pull her wings from her body. She then notices a note stuck to her wing. It will be a few hours before someone comes to find her trapped on the cloud.

Now over at Sweet Apple Acres, another pony falls victim to a similar prank.

As Applejack wakes up, and tries to leave her room, she falls face first. She tries to figure out what just happens, when she figures out her hoofs are glued to the floor.

"Wha' in tarnation?" she asked as she notices a note, that is an exact copy of the one Rainbow received. She looks at the note and sees what it says:

'I don't like cheaters. Ponies I don't like get pranked. You have been warned. –Chrome.'