May the Best Pet Win!

Pony's Log Number 207: The bond between a pony and their pet is very special. Choosing a pet is more than just what is seen on the outside, but rather what is on the inside...

It was another clear and bright sunny day. Rainbow was enjoying herself as she flew through the skies.

"Ha-ha! Whoo-hoo!" Rainbow laughed as she flew about, doing tricks just enjoying the wind in her face as she flew at high speed.

"Whoa!" Rainbow cried out when she sees Owlowiscious flying and hooting behind her.

"Who? Oh, it's you, Owlowiscious," said Rainbow, "C'mon, try and keep up!" Rainbow charges off, but it wasn't long before the owl was able to keep up with the blue Pegasus. Rainbow just continued to enjoy herself until she noticed Owlowiscious's head turn into...a dog?

"Winona?" said Rainbow puzzled as the now owl-dog creature barked, "I mean...Winona's head?! Um, is this weird, or is it just me?" The creature then flew circles around her before the head turned into a bunny.

"Angel?" Rainbow pondered before the body now was that of a baby alligator, "Gummy?! Okay, this is officially beyond weird now and right on down to freaky town." The creature with Angel's head then stuck out its tongue, which looked like a snake with Opal's head on it. The tongue hissed and swiped a claw at Rainbow, making the blue Pegasus gasp. Rainbow suddenly couldn't fly anymore and found herself falling.

"Yaaaaah!" Rainbow screamed as she tumbled into a black abyss.

"Whaa!" Rainbow yelped as she woke up with a start from her sleeping spot up in a tree. There before her was Opal, hissing and slashing a claw at Winona, Owlowiscious, Angel, Gummy, and...a brown baby koala from the ground below. As Opal yowled at them, Winona barked and Owlowiscious hooted at her. Even the koala gave a squeak at the cat. Rainbow then realized she was just dreaming and breathed a heavily sigh of relief. Thought she did have one thing on her mind.

Where did the brown baby koala come from?

(main theme)

Rainbow just watched as Winona continued to bark before a group of chattering ponies arrived. Pinkie and Twilight wasted no time playing with their own pets. Rainbow noticed that the brown koala climbed into Mario's back.

"When did you get a pet?" Rainbow asked the colt curiously.

"Just a week ago," said Mario, "Apparently he was abandoned by his family, just like I was, so I took him in. Charlie is still a bit shy, but he's been doing just fine with making new friends." Mario gave the koala a smile as Applejack used her tail to toss a stick for Winona to fetch.

"Let's get this thing started!" said Applejack as Pinkie giggled happily with Gummy.

"Sincerest apologies, Rainbow," said Rarity as she approached the tree so Opal could get down, "if our pets were bothering you." Opal just meowed as she got comfortable on Rarity's back.

"Say you're sorry Opal," said Rarity, but the cat only hissed fiercely in reply.

"She's...sorry..." Rarity replied with a sheepish smile as Mario approached.

"Opal..." Mario warned with a glare. The cat just looked intimidated before giving a soft meow to apologize properly.

"What are you all doing out here?" said Rainbow curiously.

"Why, we always round up our critters for a regular ol' Pony Pet Playdate in the park," said Applejack as she continued to play fetch with Winona, using her tail to toss the stick.

"Uh, you do?" said Rainbow surprised. This was the first time she had been hearing about this.

"Same time every week," said Applejack.

"I thought you knew," said Fluttershy, "You didn't know? She didn't know?" Fluttershy suddenly felt rather insecure and began to rub a fore-hoof on the ground.

"Well, we had initially planned on inviting Rainbow, of course, except-" Twilight tried to explain before Pinkie got in front of her and cut her off.

"We were totally gonna invite you, Rainbow," Pinkie took over and she rushed to Twilight's side, "then Twilight remembered that you don't even have a pet..." Pinkie then rushed over to Rarity, "...and Rarity remembered that you really like to take naps in the afternoon...," Pinkie headed over to Applejack, "...so Applejack figured you wouldn't be missing out on anything anyway..." Pinkie went over to Fluttershy and then made her head go up and down with her fore-hooves, "...and Fluttershy and I nodded our heads in agreement like this." Fluttershy then remembered something.

"Before Mario found Charlie, he came because he was improving his ability to talk to animals," Fluttershy added as her head was still going up and down, "Something I know you're not into that much, but we still should have asked if you wanted to come. Oh please don't be mad at us."

"Oh, I'm not mad," said Rainbow, "You all are right. Not much point of a Pony Pet Playdate if I'm a pony without a pet, right? Plus unlike Mario, I'm not into learning animal languages and such."

"Eeexactly," said Applejack in agreement.

"In all honestly, it's not as fun as I thought it would be," said Mario, "I still felt left out without Charlie and I was getting tired of hearing Opal and Angel called me a dork behind my back...like right now!" Opal and Angel just glared before snubbing him indignantly.

"Well, you kind of are a dork, big brother," Fluttershy pointed.

"Gee, thanks, Flutters," Mario remarked, sticking his tongue out at her and Fluttershy returning the gesture. The others snickered to each other.

"So, if'n you'll excuse us..." said Applejack as she and the rest of the ponies got back to having fun with their pets. Rainbow just headed back to her tree and rested her head on the pillow she had set up so she could get back to sleep. However, it didn't take long before she did start to feel a little left out and tried to drown out the chattering and laughing of the six ponies nearby.

"Hey, now wait a minute!" Rainbow snapped as she hopped out of the tree and came back to the group, "Just because I don't have a pet now doesn't mean I never want a pet!" Fluttershy beamed as an excited smile danced across her face.

"Ohh! Y, y, Oh, really?" said Fluttershy excitedly as she hovered near the blue Pegasus, "You really want a pet? Really? 'Cause I got so many wonderful choices at my house! Oh, and I know you'll just love them! And they'll love you! Oh, and you'll be best friends forever and ever! Oh!" Fluttershy wasted no time picking up Rainbow from behind as she began to talk about how exciting choosing a pet could be. Rainbow just rolled her eyes, especially since Fluttershy was dragging her hind legs in the dirt. Rainbow flapped her wings a bit to get more altitude and to keep her hind legs were off the ground and Fluttershy was able to carry Rainbow back to her cottage.

Some birds were residing peacefully in their little birdhouses as Fluttershy flew into the backyard area of her cottage as Rainbow just walks in.

[Fluttershy]

Now, Rainbow, my dear, I cannot express my delight
It's abundantly clear
That somewhere out here
Is the pet that will suit you just right

[Rainbow Dash]

I can't wait to get started, but first let me set a few rules
It's of utmost importance
The pet that I get
Is something that's awesome and cool

"Awesome, cool, got it!" said Fluttershy, making a mental note of Rainbow's request. As Fluttershy continued to sing, she hovered behind Rainbow and then in front of her as she tapped her nose.

[Fluttershy]

I have so many wonderful choices, just wait, you will see

[Rainbow Dash - she flies low at high speed, startling a tortoise, duck, and a grey bunny.]

I need something real fast like a bullet to keep up with me

[Fluttershy - presents the animal to Rainbow, who just looks at it with disinterest]

Sure! How 'bout a bunny?
They're cutesy and wootsie and quick as can be

[Rainbow Dash]

Cutesy? Wootsie? Have you even met me?

[Fluttershy - pulls the bunny away and looks at Rainbow before doing a twirl in the sky and flies off to show Rainbow some more animals.]

Rainbow, have faith
You see, I will bet you
Somewhere in here is the pet that will get you

"Come on, the sky's the limit," said Fluttershy.

"Sky is good," said Rainbow, "I'd like it to fly." As she followed Fluttershy, a toucan, owl, and the same tortoise watch her walk by.

"Really?" said Fluttershy as she reached into her house and pulled out a white kitten wearing a large blue eyes and bow, "Because I think this widdle puddy tat has your name written all over it. Yes he does. Aww, look he likes you!" Fluttershy pushes the kitten into Rainbow's check. Rainbow is left stunned as the kitten nuzzles her affectionately.

"Pass," said Rainbow bluntly.

[Fluttershy- doing a skip and twirl as she took to the skies once more before pushing an otter and a seal next to Rainbow.]

I have so many wonderful choices for you to decide
There are otters and seals
With massive appeal

"Otters and seals do not fly," Rainbow pointed out indignantly.

"Maybe not," said Fluttershy, "But I've seen this particular seal catch ten feet of air when he breaches the water!" The seal barked at Rainbow in reply.

"That's it," said Rainbow, feeling that there wasn't a pet for her, "I'm outta here." Rainbow nearly walked right into the tortoise when Fluttershy stopped her.

[Fluttershy - She presents Rainbow a couple on insects for pets but Rainbow is still uninterested.]

Wait! There must be a pet here
That will fit the ticket
How 'bout a ladybug, or a cute cricket?

"Bigger," said Rainbow, "and cooler." At that moment, the tortoise tried to get her attention by poking her hind leg, but Rainbow just used the same hind leg to push the tortoise away. Fluttershy frowned for a moment before getting another idea.

[Fluttershy- She pushed Rainbow Dash towards a tree and pulled down on a bird house to open the branches like a curtain. There is a lit up stage with a purple backdrop with a squirrel standing before the blue Pegasus.]

I've got just the thing in that tree, Dash
Meet your fabulous pet, Squirrely!

"It's just a squirrel," said Rainbow.

"Not just any squirrel," said Fluttershy as she tossed it into the air, "A flying squirrel!" The squirrel glided before Rainbow but she still wasn't very impressed.

"...Yeah," said Rainbow, "So, like I was saying..." The screen went black as Rainbow stood in the spotlight.

[Rainbow Dash - as she finished her part of the song, she flew into the air as three fireworks went off behind her.]

Fluttershy, pal, this won't cut it
I need a pet to keep up with me
Something awesome, something flying
With coolness that defies gravity!

"I'm sensing you want an animal that can fly," said Fluttershy.

"Ya think?" Rainbow said as a matter of fact and full of sarcasm.

[Fluttershy - She leads Rainbow into the sky and shows her various types of flying animals]

I have plenty of wonderful creatures who soar in the sky
Like a sweet hummingbird or a giant monarch butterfly

"Better, but cooler," said Rainbow, now taking some interest. Behind her, the tortoise had ducked his head into his shell. When he pulled it out, he was now wearing sunshades.

[Fluttershy -As she showed Rainbow some more flying animals and an insect, Rainbow ponders about the three. Fluttershy continued to sing as two more birds appear and land on Fluttershy's fore-hooves. Fluttershy even stuck out a fore-hoof, showing Rainbow a bat dangling from it. The bat smiles at Rainbow.]

I see. How 'bout an owl, or a wasp, or a toucan?
There's so many wonderful creatures the likes of that
There are falcons and eagles
They are both quite regal
Or perhaps what you need is a dark and mysterious bat?

"Now you're talking!" said Rainbow, "But instead of just one standout, now that's too many." All the flying creatures hover around Rainbow as she sang:

So many choices, and such riches aplenty

"Not a bad problem to have, if you ask me," said Fluttershy.

[Rainbow Dash - She pointed out each creature as she sang about them.]

The bat would be awesome, but the wasp I'm digging too
Do you have something in a yellow stripped bat?

[Fluttershy - Shows Rainbow the Flamingo, which extended one of its long legs to say hello. Rainbow is taken aback by the gesture.]

I've got a hot pink flamingo, just dying to meet you

[Rainbow Dash- She ponders what to do before getting an idea. She gasped and gets into Fluttershy's face to announces the idea of a prize as she stands on top of the chicken coop. The other animals surround her as she flies about, doing flips and then standing on the tortoise with her hind legs. She then flies upward, going her own twirl as the animals on the ground and sky watch her.]

What to do, what to do?
A Prize! That's it! There's really just one way
To find out which animal's best
Hold a contest of speed, agility, and guts
That will put each pet to the test

[Fluttershy - The two Pegasi start to sing together. They start out flying on the sky before landing on the ground to continue to duet.]

Don't forget style, that should be considered

[Rainbow Dash]

Then we'll know for sure who's best of the liter

[Fluttershy]

The one who is awesome as cool

[Rainbow Dash]

Just like me
Can't settle for less, 'cause I'm the best

[Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash]

So a contest we will see

[Rainbow Dash]

Who's the number one, greatest, perfectest pet

[Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash]

In the world for me!

[Fluttershy ]

May the games

[Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash - one can see the view back away showing Fluttershy's entire back yard and the other creatures watching the two Pegasi sing together.]

Begin!

"And may the best pet win!" said Rainbow with determination.

It wasn't long before Rainbow put on a baseball cap, a whistle around her neck, and then blew her whistle as she lined up who she considered would be good contenders for her next pet. She had chosen the wasp, a green and white duck, an eagle, a flamingo, a bat, a ladybug, a toucan, a falcon, a butterfly, a brown duck, an owl, and a hummingbird. The six other ponies, with their pets, cheered from the outer railing of the town hall building before Rainbow silenced them all by blowing her whistle once more.

"Shh!" said Rainbow and turned her attention to the assembled animals, "So! You all think you've got what it takes to be my pet, do ya? Well, We'll just see about that!" Rainbow got into the face of the flamingo, making it gulp as Rainbow paced before them.

"If any of you don't think you can handle it," said Rainbow, "bow out now before you humiliate yourself in front of your peers. This competition isn't for the weak. You'd better be prepared to step up your game!" Some of the animals looked at each other nervously. The lady bug cowered behind the others a bit.

"You call that flapping?!" Rainbow snapped, making the butterfly flap his wings harder, "That's better. There's only room on Team Dash for one of you, and my future pet needs to be able to take it to the extreme! Any questions?"

"I got one," said Applejack to Twilight, "Does she understand what a pet really needs?"

"Yeah, like care and attention," said Twilight, "love and affection..." It was then Winona gave Twilight a lick on her cheek, "...Ugh! And breath mints!" Mario chuckled.

"Let's not forget that special bond that you share with that pet," Mario added, "Outer appeal and skills might be considered, but in the end, your pet is somepony you connect with. Right Charlie?" Charlie just nodded in agreement as he made a few squeaks of concern.

"I would never make you work yourself to ground to be my pet," Mario replied as Charlie hugged Mario's neck. Applejack and Twilight awed. It was then Rainbow noticed that Fluttershy was pushing the tortoise to the front line.

"Now, you just pay attention, and try your best, and - " Fluttershy told the tortoise when Rainbow interrupted.

"Seriously, Fluttershy?" said Rainbow, "The turtle? Why did you bring that thing here for?"

"Technically he's a tortoise," said Fluttershy as she shinned the shell and gave him a hug, "and he's always dreamed of being somepony's pet. He just wants a chance to compete, he won't get in the way. You won't even know he's here." Rainbow just blinked as the tortoise blinked in return.

"No," said Rainbow firmly.

"Oh, just let him try," said Fluttershy.

"Ugh, but there's no way he can possibly keep up," Rainbow protested as she pushed the tortoise over so he was now wobbling on his shell, "Look at him!" The tortoise slowly found a way to get back on his feet and stood before the blue Pegasus.

"It won't hurt to let him try," said Fluttershy.

"But-"

"Just let him try?" Fluttershy asked again, pushing the tortoise shell into Rainbow's face and smiling at her.

"Grrgh, ugh, fine!" Rainbow finally conceded as Fluttershy put the tortoise down and Rainbow got into his face, "But don't say I didn't warn you!" She then turned towards the other animals.

"This isn't a game, you know!" Rainbow continued, "Alright, now these games will determine which one of you has the most important qualities I'm looking for in a pet."

"Speed," said Rainbow as she zoomed ahead, leaving a rainbow colored trail of fire on the ground and causing the tortoise spin on its shell.

"Agility," said Rainbow as she weaved around the animals, leaving a rainbow as she maneuvered between them.

"Guts" Rainbow made a brave pose.

"Style" She flew up towards a cloud and shaped into herself.

"Coolness" She made a pose and smiled as if she was ready for her close up.

"Awesomeness" She made another, more dynamic pose.

"And radicalness" She then stood on her hind legs wearing a baseball cap backwards and some shades on her face.

"Aren't those all the same thing?" Twilight asked as she walked up to her with Mario and Charlie right behind her.

"You would think that, Twilight," said Rainbow as she lowered her shades, giving the purple pony a bored look before rubbing her mane, "And that's why you would never qualify to be my pet." Twilight looked indignant until Charlie started squeaking.

"What did he say?" Twilight asked.

"He says you qualify to be his pet," said Mario as the koala nodded. Twilight looked annoyed as Charlie squeaked some more, but this time more defensively.

"He only meant it to help you feel better, Twilight," said Mario as Charlie squeaked some more and Mario translated, "he also says you qualify to be...Charlie I'm not saying that!" Mario's cheeks went light pink.

"What did he say?" Twilight asked with a smirk as Mario blushed as Charlie used his claws to push Mario's head to speak up.

"He says you qualify to be my soulmate," Mario said feeling his cheeks turned red as Charlie nodded with his arms crossed. Twilight giggled.

"Slow down lover boy," said Twilight with a smug smile, "We're barely dating."

"He said it, not me," said Mario.

"But you obviously agree with him, don't you?" Twilight asked, her smirk never leaving her face as the others snickered around him. Mario wanted more than anything to disappear as his entire face was now a deep shade of red.

"You just had to embarrass me didn't you?" Mario asked Charlie in annoyance as the baby koala just snickered to himself. Once Rainbow has a good laugh, she took off to get started with the first round of competition, which was a speed race. Rainbow then brought the animals over to an oval race track. The remaining six ponies stood just outside the track area to watch the race.

"Speed!" Rainbow shouted as the animal got ready to take off, "On your marks..." The duck quacked and some of the others narrowed their eyes in determination.

"Get set..." Rainbow continued as she narrowed her eyes and blew her whistle. The animal then took off, except for the tortoise. Well, he actually did but since one of his front legs was moving forward, but by the time he had even started moving it. The others were halfway around the course. His first step was barely made when the other flying animals crossed the finish line. Rainbow watched them as they continued to race.

"Sorta speedy..." She said about the bat.

"Not speedy..." She said about the butterfly.

"Pretty speedy..." She said about the duck.

"Could be more speedy..." She said about the owl when the falcon gave a loud cry and zoomed away, blowing the feathers clearly off the owl.

"Yeah! That's speed!" said Rainbow as the falcon crossed the finish line first and the six ponies watching cheered. The poor tortoise had barely finished taking its first step.

"Tsk-tsk," said Rainbow to the tortoise, "That's just sad." Mario looked at the tortoise sympathetically before Rainbow had the animals move on to the next challenge, which was an obstacle course.

"Agility!" said Rainbow as she watched the animals try to maneuver through the obstacle course.

"Sorta agile..." Rainbow said about the butterflies as it gracefully moved through some hurdles.

"Not agile..." She said about the flamingo when it tries to balance on a teeter-totter and falls off.

"Pretty agile..." She said about the toucan as it maneuvers through a jagged pipe tunnel with ease.

"Could be more agile..." She said about the owl as it tried to maneuver through the same hoops as the butterfly. The tortoise wanted to participate but as he tried to jump, he ended up falling over from looking up at the other animals.

"Wanna know the opposite of agility?" said Rainbow sternly, "That." Mario glared from the distance. It was then the hummingbird began to maneuver about the obstacles rather easily and gracefully as the ponies all cheered. Except for Mario, who was feeling a little upset over how Rainbow was treating the tortoise.

"Yeah, baby, now that's what I call agility!" said Rainbow in a sing sang voice as she went for a high-hoof with the bird, "Don't leave me hanging!" The hummingbird stopped fluttering and returned Rainbow's high hoof, but the lack of fluttering made the hummingbird drop like a stone. The bird quickly tried to recover as Rainbow looked annoyed.

"I'm gonna have to shave a point off your score for that," said Rainbow as the hummingbird just flew away feeling rather embarassed. The animals were then brought to an open field as the other six ponies looked at each other worried as Rainbow set down a pet carrier with Opal inside of it.

"Okay!" said Rainbow, "Which of you has the guts to try and get Opal's favorite toy away from her?" Opal just growled as she stepped out of her carrier and raised a threatening looking claw at the animals. The owl, falcon, and flamingo flinched at the sight. The tortoise ducked inside of his shell and the toucan and eagle quivered fearfully. The butterfly decided to go first. As it got close to the cat, the butterfly flapped its wings, mesmerizing Opal as it easily snatched away the toy. The six ponies watched excitedly and Rainbow was very impressed.

"Now that takes guts!" said Rainbow. The tortoise then decided to try as well, but before he could grab the toy, Opal recovered, yowled, and went on the attack. But the tortoise hides in his shell as Opal slashed away at the shell. Rainbow just watched the scene with a face before walking away.

"Style!" said Rainbow as Rarity got her ready for some photo shooting, "Any pet of mine's gotta look good, 'cause you gotta make me look good." Rainbow then spent the next several minutes taking pictures with each of the animals. The first picture was with the bat as they both wore a pair of sunglasses. The second was with the falcon perched on her fore-hoof as they posed together. Third picture was a fencing match between Rainbow and the hummingbird. The fourth was with the owl as they tried to look like nerds, both wearing glasses and ugly sweaters to boot. The fifth was a dynamic shot of the eagle and Rainbow playing a round of curling. Rarity then went to take a picture of Rainbow, now wearing skies and a pink scarf around her neck as she posed with the butterfly. Once the picture is taken, Rarity gives Rainbow a quick pat of makeup on her cheeks before setting up a stool with the tortoise standing on it wearing a giant red bow on its shell. As the picture was taken, Rainbow just looked at the tortoise uneasily as it ducked inside of its shell.

"Poor thing is camera shy," said Mario to himself.

"Coolness!" said Rainbow right after the pictures were done as each animal made a sound.

"Sorta cool," Rainbow said after the owl hooted.

"Not cool," She said about the duck quacking.

"Pretty cool," She said about the bat as it gave a cry.

"Could be cooler," She said about the toucan's cry.

"Not what I had in mind," she said about the wasp's buzzing.

"I can't hear you," Rainbow yelled as the poor butterfly was unable to make any sounds.

"Eugh," She groaned as the tortoise just coughed. Then the eagle gave a loud echoing cry.

"Now that's a cool sound!" said Rainbow impressed. Next came some small scale talents in order to determine which animal could be awesome.

"Sorta awesome," said Rainbow as the bat showed off its ear sonar.

"Not awesome," She said when the toucan stick its tongue out of its beak while keeping it closed.

"Could be more awesome," She said as the flamingo showed off its ability to stand on one leg.

"Ho ho ho, yeah, that is awesome!" She said when the owl rotated its head a complete 360 degrees. Then the tortoise simply tucked its head into his shell.

"Uh, you did that already," said Rainbow plainly, "That's pretty much all you can do, huh?"

"Rainbow!" said Mario, having enough of her harsh attitude towards the turtle, "Will you ease off on the guy? It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this particular tortoise likes you! He obviously wants to be your friend!"

"Oh please," said Rainbow indignantly, "He is so not cool or awesome. He can't be my friend!" Now Mario was offended and even Charlie glared at her.

"I'm not cool either," Mario remarked, "I really just an egghead and a nerd, yet you still let me be your friend." Rainbow froze and gave Mario a glare before sighing.

"Mario, you're different," said Rainbow, "and for the record, you are cool. But the tortoise isn't!" Rainbow then walked away as Mario just shook his head.

"Just let her figure this out on her own," Fluttershy said calmly. Mario just sighed as Rainbow set up a stage for the next challenge, which was, in Rainbow's words: Radicalness.

First the duck tried to do a tap dancing routine, but Rainbow was left feeling rather bored. Then the eagle crotched a sweater for Rainbow, even putting her on the front, but the blue Pegasus was not impressed. The falcon attempted to do a magic card trick, but Rainbow just looked bored as the card she had was incorrect. The wasp performed a rather high skilled show with shadow puppets, but all that did was put Rainbow to sleep. The bat then hangs upside down and uses the end of its wings to play the "My Little Pony" theme song on glasses before giving a high pitched bat screech and shattered the glasses in one shot.

"Whoa! That was truly awesome!" said Rainbow, "But I'm afraid this is a radicalness competition, so I'm gonna have to take some points off." The final act was the tortoise who had set up a rather complex parkour style obstacle course. The tortoise then stood on a stool and got ready to jump onto a nearby spring to begin the routine. Sadly, he mistimed his jump completely and landed on his shell upside down as the curtain closed behind him. Rainbow just sighed to herself as she approached him.

"Listen, turtle..." said Rainbow firmly.

"Tortoise," Fluttershy corrected as she popped out from behind the curtain.

"Whatever!" Rainbow retorted, "You've had your fun, but I think you and I both know who made the cut and who didn't." The turtle just croaked in reply as Rainbow pointed above to the final four flying animals she had selected, which included the falcon, the eagle, the bat, and the owl. The other ponies, except for Mario, cheered as Rainbow turned back to the turtle and helped him back into his feet.

"I mean..."A" for effort and everything, you gave it your best shot," said Rainbow sheepishly, "maybe I've got a gold sticker around here somewhere you can have, but, seriously, go home." The tortoise said nothing but just stared at her as Rainbow's tried to smile, but was growing rather uncomfortable.

"You're starting to creep me out," Rainbow added nervously before turning away and heading towards her final four animals.

"So, anyway, you're all outstanding competitors, but there can only be one of you who's number one," Rainbow told them, "So the final tie-breaking contest is going to be...pause for dramatic effect...a race against...me! Through Ghastly Gorge! Dun...dun...dun!" The view zoomed out to reveal a long gorge that travelled across some open lands as Rainbow hovered over it. Some of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" could be heard as well as the loud cry of an eagle. The six other ponies were just watching from above the gorge. Spike was also with them to watch the race.

"Gesundheit," said Rainbow as she handed a handkerchief to the eagle. The other animals, including the tortoise were there waiting for the race to begin. The other animals felt rather intimidated about flying through the gorge.

"Actually, Ghastly Gorge isn't scary," Rainbow boasted as she began to stretch her body and her wings, "It's fun. Heh. I've flown through it a million times myself, so obviously I'll be at the front of the pack. But whichever of you make it across the finish line with me will have proven you can keep up with me, and will have earned the honor and glory of getting to be my pet." Then without any more delay they lined up to start the race.

"Ready, Setgo!" Rainbow took off at high speed as the four flying animals followed. The tortoise was left behind as he cautiously looked for a way down to the bottom of the ravine. Up ahead, Rainbow was just enjoying herself.

"Whoo-hoo! Haha! Try to keep up!" Rainbow challenged as she maneuvered between some rock pillars. She then headed into a tunnel, which had a strong wind current that was blowing against her. Rainbow had to fly a little harder to beat the current as she managed to fly out of the tunnel. While her mane got a little frazzled, she easily brushed it back into place.

"Can't catch me, ha-ha!" Rainbow taunted before continuing on her way. As the four flyers entered the tunnel, the bat struggled to push against the strong winds while the other animals struggled but were able to successfully push through and get out of the tunnel. The poor tortoise was far behind, sweating heavily as he pushed his already low top speed to the limit. Rainbow just whistled to herself cockily before she approached a huge collection of thorny vines. She stopped for a second and then easily maneuvered through the thorns without getting stuck.

"C'mon, slowpokes!" Rainbow taunted, "You wanna win, don't ya?" The eagle was the first to enter the area and immediately get trapped by the thorns. The owl and the falcon also get themselves caught in the thorns as well and struggled to find a way through. The bat seemed to have no trouble maneuvering as it used its echolocation to detect where the thorny vines were and was out of the area first, followed by the eagle, owl, and the falcon, which its wing was still tangled in a broken thorny branch. Rainbow was waiting for them once the four flying animals had caught up to her.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you!" said Rainbow, "Watch out for the Quarray eels! They don't like it when you get too close to their nests, like this. Whoa!" Rainbow flew near one of the holes as a Quarray eel took a snap at her and then three more tried to bite her as she flew past their holes. The four flyers looked fearfully at the eels, which glared at them before retracting back into their holes. The bat goes first and is immediately gobbled up, but it managed to fight it way out of the eel's mouth. Another eel took a bite at the eagle's head, but fortunately the eager had managed to duck his head down at the last minute. The owl had to wrestle with the jaws of another eel while the falcon lost some feathers as it nearly got snagged by the tail. Rainbow didn't seem to care about all the close calls as she was still enjoying herself.

"Easy, peasy, one-two-threesy!" said Rainbow as she started to fly backwards with a smug look on her face, "Right, guys?"

SMACK!

Rainbow was so busy boasting that she crashed back first into the side of the gorge. The impact caused a large crevice to appear. Then a huge chuck of rock from the top broke off and came tumbling toward Rainbow, who barely missed getting hit by it.

"AVALANCHE!" Rainbow called as more rocks began to fall, "Hey! Whoaaaa!" As Rainbow was busy avoiding the rocks, the other flying animals just go right past her, not taking any notice that she was in trouble. Another rock made contact with her as more rocks tumbled down on her. Once the rocks had settled, Rainbow crawled out with just a few scratches on her body. She tried to take off, but she then got pulled back. She looked behind herself and saw that part of her wing was caught under a large rock.

"C'mon..." Rainbow groaned as she tried to pull her wing out but it was no good. She soon noticed that the four flying animals were still flying away, "No! Wait! Come back! Don't leave me! I'm the one who's supposed to win!" Then Rainbow began to panic.

"I don't wanna end up stuck here...forever!" said Rainbow as she began to fidget about, "Oh no, nonono, th-this can't be happening. Forever is way too long to be to be trapped in Ghastly Gorge. I mean, it's like, forever! Somepony! Anypony! HELP ME!" Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs before just sitting down in defeat. She lowered her head sadly. The urge to cry soon started to overwhelm her as she gritted her teeth and a few tears left her eyes. She stopped crying when she heard the sound of somepony approaching and a dark shadow appeared in the distance.

"Wahoo!" Rainbow cheered happily, "My prayers have been answered! Oh thankyouthankyoutha-YOU?!" Rainbow joy faded when she noticed that it was tortoise that had apparently come to her rescue.

"Oh no!" Rainbow groaned as she covered her face with her hooves and began to cry, "Now I'm not only going to be stuck here forever, I'm gonna be stuck here forever with the most annoying turtle in the world! Gyh, I'm doomed. DOOMED, I tell you!" The tortoise said nothing but walked up to the rock as Rainbow was complaining and crying. Rainbow then stopped crying when she saw the tortoise dig a bit of dirt out of its way and lifted the large rock with its head. Rainbow looked back in shock until she felt somepony grab one of her fore-hooves and pull her forward so the tortoise could set the rock down. Rainbow turned around to see a familiar colt standing before her with a smile on his face. Rainbow had forgotten that she had asked Mario to stand by as a checkpoint so she could monitor how the animals were doing during the race. She hadn't expected for Mario to have to rescue anypony, let alone herself.

"So mister slow and steady proved himself useful after all," Mario chuckled. Rainbow just gave him a smile, but Mario could see in her eyes she was feeling very embarassed and humiliated.

"How long have you been there?" she asked timidly.

"Enough to see you panic, cry, and complain about the one animal who actually came to rescue you," Mario answered. Rainbow just buried her face in her hooves and said nothing but a light sniffle.

"Rainbow, it's okay," said Mario as he gave her a gentle hug, "We all get scared sometimes. It's no big deal. But maybe now you'll realize that choosing a pet, and even a friend, is more than just what their awesome talents are."

"Mmm-hmm," Rainbow mumbled quietly. She didn't want Mario to see that she was crying and just kept her face hidden in his shoulder until she felt she could make her tears stop. Once she pulled away, Mario went to examine the wing that had been gotten stuck.

"Nothing looks broken," said Mario, "it just might be sore for a couple of days. I'll bandage it up so your little rescuer can get you out of here."

"But he's so...I...I mean...how?" Rainbow asked.

"What turtles lack in speed, they make up for in strength," said Mario as he finished bandaging up her wing, "Most tortoises have shells that are very strong that even an elephant can stand on one without breaking it. In other words, you can ride him out of here."

"Oh...ok..." said Rainbow quietly as Mario set her down on top of the tortoise.

With the way I feel right now, Rainbow thought to herself, I'd rather not see everypony else right now. I need time to recover my pride and dignity. ALOT of time...

"Okay," said Mario, interrupting her train of thought, "hang on tight. The tortoise here is gonna show you a little trick he showed me and Fluttershy earlier so we can get you out of here at top speed."

"Wait!" said Rainbow, "Is...is there a rush? Maybe...maybe I..."

"Dashie," said Mario gently, "It's okay. You're still awesome. What happened right now doesn't change that, you're allowed to have feelings." Rainbow smiled, but still whimpered a bit.

"I won't say a word," said Mario, giving a playful eye roll, "it will stay between you, me, and the tortoise. He's really good at keeping secrets." Rainbow chuckled as the turtle tucked himself into his shell.

"Now hang on tight," said Mario as he lightly bucked the shell, making it slide across the surface of the gorge at a speed that even frazzled Rainbow for a moment.

"Whoaaaaaaaaaaaa...ha, ha, ha, ha!" Rainbow screamed as her screams went from screams of fear to screams of excitement, "Yeah! This. Is. So. Cool and Awesome!" Mario laughed as he followed along side.

At the end of the gorge, the other ponies and Spike were cheering excitedly as the four flyers made their way to the finish line at the other end of Ghastly Gorge. The falcon finished first, with the eagle second, the bat in third, and the owl in fourth. The ponies were very excited...until they noticed that neither Mario or Rainbow, and the tortoise were nowhere to be found.

"Hm, something's not right here," said Twilight as both Owlowiscious and Charlie sat on her back as she used some binoculars to look to search for the two ponies.

"Where's Rainbow Dash?" Fluttershy asked worried, getting in front of Twilight to look into the binoculars, "and Mario too? He was acting as her checkpoint."

"Great galloping galoshes!" Applejack exclaimed as she looked in the binoculars, "There's been an avalanche in there!"

"Rainbow! Mario!" Spike shouted as everypony else chattered with concern and worry.

"Wait! Look!" Pinkie exclaimed as she leaped over everypony and pointed into the distance. The others used the binoculars to see what it was.

"It's the turtle!" Fluttershy exclaimed.

"Tortoise!" Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, and Twilight corrected.

"Oh whatever..." Fluttershy retorted.

"And he's carrying something on his back," said Twilight, "and somepony is walking beside him." Both ponies came into view as they could see a familiar colt walking beside the tortoise and Rainbow just sitting on the tortoise with her wing bandaged with a sheepish smile on her face.

"Ahh!" Pinkie exclaimed, "It's Rainbow Dash! It's her! It's Rainbow! And Mario is with them!" The ponies and Spike all cheered as the three very slowly approached the finish line. So slow that their cheering stopped.

"Maybe we'd better go meet him halfway," said Fluttershy as Twilight used her magic to set up the finish line so the tortoise set his foot right on the line and they all cheered once again.

"Huh. Way to go, little guy!" said Spike as he patted the tortoise on the head.

"Oh, thank goodness you're not hurt, Rainbow!" said Twilight with concern.

"Just my pride," said Rainbow, patting some dust off herself.

"And a sore wing," said Mario, "I was ahead of her when the avalanche occurred when this tortoise here helped her get her wing un-stuck when I arrived."

"I certainly hope all of this dreadful dust was worth it," said Rarity, sneezing as the dust hit her nose.

"It sure was," said Applejack for Rainbow, "If'n it means Rainbow gets to have her own little critter just like the rest of us from now on." The tortoise just looked up at Rainbow as the blue Pegasus hopped off his shell.

"Uh...thanks," said Rainbow sheepishly, "What you did...I owe you one." Rainbow raised her fore-hoof as the tortoise gave her a slow but sincere hoof-bump.

"Rainbow!" said Fluttershy, "Your new pet is over here waiting for you!" It was then the falcon, the winner of the race, flew from above as all the ponies, minus Mario, and Spike awed in amazement as it made a landing on Rainbow's back. The tortoise looked up at her sadly. Mario and Charlie, who had returned to Mario's back, looked at her sadly as well.

"Oh...Right...Yeah...That..." said Rainbow sadly as she looked at the falcon.

"What's the matter?" Spike asked her curiously.

"You got your perfect pet, right?" Pinkie pointed out as she stood on her hind legs and leaned on Spike's head for support.

"The best of the best like you wanted, remember?" Fluttershy added, "It can fly and it's not a squirrel! Should we sing about it again?" Rainbow just said nothing.

"A falcon sure looks good on ya, Rainbow," Applejack told her, but Rainbow didn't smile. It was then Rarity went to take a picture. As soon as the light flashed, the tortoise was frightened and tucked into his shell. Unlike before, Rainbow felt sympathy for him.

"Easy, fella. Nothing to be afraid of," Rainbow comforted as she looked at the falcon again, "The falcon sure does look cool...He's absolutely everything I wanted in a pet." The falcon stood proudly as Rainbow sighed to herself. She looked at Mario who gave her a smile and nod. Rainbow knew what she had to do.

"Yay?" Fluttershy said uneasily.

"But I said whoever crosses the finish line with me gets to be my pet," Rainbow pointed out as the falcon's eyes went wide in shock.

"You did!" Pinkie agreed as she leaned on her fore-hooves, "You did say that! She did say that, that was the rule!"

"And the only racer who crossed the finish line with me was the only one who stopped to save me when I needed help," Rainbow concluded, this time with more energy in her tone, "The tortoise!" The falcon looked rather sad, but knew that what Rainbow said was true.

"But what about the-" Twilight didn't need to finish her statement as the falcon shook hands with the tortoise before walking away with his head low. The tortoise smiled.

"Wouldja look at that?" said Applejack, "He even smiles slow."

"Just means that every smile is genuine and sincere," said Mario and everypony laughed in agreement.

"Spike, take a letter," said Rainbow as Spike pulled out a piece of paper and a quill.

"Dear Princess Celestia," Rainbow recited, "I used to think that the most important traits to look for in a pet, or any best friend, were all the physical competitive abilities. But now I can see how short-sighted and shallow that was..." As Rainbow spoke, the tortoise tried to take Opal's toy. Opal growled and went to attack the tortoise once more as he ducked inside his shell. While Opal was slashing away futilely at his shell, the tortoise reached out his head and took her toy and hid it inside of his shell. Once Opal realized she had been tricked, She walked away indignantly.

"Today I learned what the most important quality really is," Rainbow continued, "A certain kind of spirit. A stick-to-it-ive-ness. A never give up, can-do attitude that's the mark of a real winner. And this tortoise has it."

"Tenacity," Twilight suggested.

"Gesundheit," Rainbow replied, mistaking the word for a sneeze as Twilight just smirked, "You just can't stop that little guy. He's like a...like a...Tank!"

"But Rainbow!" Fluttershy pointed out, "You didn't want a pet that couldn't fly because it would keep you grounded and hold you back, remember?" The tortoise, or Tank as he was now dubbed, looked at Rainbow sadly.

"Hmm..." Rainbow pondered when Mario approached.

"Bring Tank over to my house later this evening," said Mario, "I think I might have a solution to your problem." Rainbow smiled.

It wasn't long before the next Pony Pet Playdate arrived as all the other ponies were happily running into the park with their pets alongside them. Rainbow was the behind everypony else, but she didn't care. She was just excited to be included now.

"Heh. C'mon, Tank!" said Rainbow, "We're gonna be late for our very first Pony Pet Playdate!" Tank wasn't too far behind. Thank to Mario's tinkering, Tank how had his own custom made, and magically self operating, helicopter propeller attachment to his shell. With a custom made aviator hat and goggles, he could now take the skies alongside his new owner and friend.

Tank may never be the fast like Rainbow, but at the end of the day...

Rainbow loved Tank very much.

I never planned on giving Mario a pet, but with so many requests I decided to give him one. His pet choice is a dedication to my mother, who loves koalas. She always wanted to name one Charlie so that's why I picked that name. Also Charlie is a baby koala, which is why is squeaks instead of grunts when he talks.

If you enjoy Rainbow Dash, you'll get more of her next chapter.

Peace Pony Fans!