Chap 6

Tiger first fed the pigs, then he went over to the fields to look over the plants that had just started to sprout. “Whew..” he wiped a bit of sweat his forehead, “what was next now?” he asked himself, “oh yeah the hay!” “Hey!!!” came a voice from the sky. “Hmm?” Tiger looked up to see a light blue peguses  filly, who had rainbow colored hair, flying over him. “Haven’t seen you around here? Are you one of Apple Jack’s cousins?” she asked as she flew down. “Ummm I’m not a cousin,” he laughed a little before saying, “I’m an old friend of hers” “Ooooo mystery colt, what’s your name?” “The name is Tiger Dusk? And may I ask yours?” “Rainbow Dash, and no need for the formalities,” she did a simple back flip and grinned, “hmm you look fast, wanna race?” “Ah.. I gotta finish some chores first,” Tiger looked back at the barn where the hay was waiting for him. “Aww, well it’s ok, you wouldn’t stand a chance against the best young flyer anyways,” Rainbow Dash laughed as she started to fly away. Tiger felt his competitive side starting to swell. “Alright let’s have it out here!” Tiger looked up at her with a smirk, “you can fly cause your gonna NEED ALL THE HELP YOU CAN GET!” “Hay ya, that’s what I’m talking about, get ready to have your tail whupped by a future Wonder Bolt!” Rainbow Dash flexed her wings. Tiger pointed in the direction of the mountains, “wanna race there and back?” “Sounds like a plan to me!” Rainbow Dash nodded. “Alright…ready… steady… “ he started, “GOOOOOOO!!!” Rainbow Dash took off first leaving a trail of prism colors from her hair. “Heh, should have seen that coming,” Tiger shrugged as he took off as well, letting the leaves fly in the wind his speed created. “Common! I thought you were gonna be faster..?” Rainbow Dash looked behind her to find that Tiger was jumping through the trees. “Heh, I was thinking the same thing!” he grinned as he leaped past her. “Hay what the? Can ponies even do that?” her mouth opened wide for a second. She started to flap her wings faster and darted ahead of him again. “Not bad,” Tiger watched as she flew ahead, “but you’ll find…” he said as he jumped up high into the air, “that I’m pretty good too!” he finished as he landed and bent the top of a tree back, which in turn launched him forward. “Hey, that’s not fair!” Rainbow Dash called after him as she saw his blur fly by. “Didn’t say nothing about rules~” he’s voice zoomed by with him. “Grrrr” Rainbow Dash gritted her teeth as she flew up high. “That’s it.. time for the ..Sonic Rainboom,” Rainbow Dash flew higher and higher. “Hmm.. she’s up to something..” Tiger looked over his shoulder as he landed on the ground and started galloping faster. “Here we… GOOO!!!!” Rainbow Dash aimed herself towards the ground as she folded her wings. As she did this a bright light seemed to bend in front of her. “C .. come ONNNNN!” she felt the force of the friction hit her hard. “…” Tiger’s eyes opened wide as he saw a large rainbow halo rush over head of him. “SEEEEYAAAAAATTTT THE FIIIIINNNISHHHHLIIINNNEEE!!!!!” Rainbow’s voice echoed as she flew around the mountain leaving the trade mark rainbow behind her. “…I’m NOT gonna lose!” Tiger seemed to almost growl. His eyes flashed a bright green. “Let’s do this!” he forced his body forward. He circled around the mountain too. As he rushed in between the trees he left behind shadow images of himself. His heart was pounding so hard it felt as if it were in his throat. “Come… ON!” Tiger felt the friction of the air hit his skin as well. “I won’t let them down!” he thought about the Ferrari Brothers. His hooves started to glow a bright yellow as he too broke the sound barrier. Everything was a blur in front of him, it was one of the most amazing feelings he had ever experienced though… then a thought hit him, “what if I jump?” without thinking his legs did just that. The orange flash appeared behind Rainbow Dash who was almost at the finish. “What the hay?” she looked back. “YAAAAAAAAAAAA!” Tiger couldn’t control his direction as he crashed into Rainbow Dash and the both of them tumbled down to earth. “Ooo…” Tiger groaned. “Oww… earth ponies don’t fly,” Rainbow Dash rubbed her head as she tried to get up. “Yeah… I kinda figured that out” Tiger stood up, and lent a hoof to Rainbow Dash and helped her up. “I guess you win..” Tiger sighed. “You were fast though, I’ll give you that, but yeah I won~” she dusted herself off. “Heh.. you are the fastest pony I’ve seen since the Ferrari brothers” Tiger said. “The Ferrari brothers? Who are they? Are they as fast as the Wonder Bolts?” Rainbow asked suddenly interested. “Well.. they are kinda the ones who taught me how to be fast on my hooves,” Tiger grinned. “By the way… how did you do that back there?” Rainbow Dash asked suddenly. “Huh?” Tiger looked behind him and saw that beside the rainbow that Rainbow Dash had left behind, the sky seemed to have been covered in the color of ‘dusk’. “I don’t know actually..” Tiger paused and wondered, “all I remember is, me wanting to beat you and pushing my legs to move as fast as I could… then I wondered what would happen if I gave a jump a try… and well we all know that wasn’t the brightest idea,” Tiger laughed. Rainbow Dash laughed too. “Hey Tiger, you’re pretty cool, we should race again sometime,” Rainbow started to flap her wings again. “Sure,” Tiger smiled. “Oh, and another question,” she looked down at him. “Hmm?” Tiger asked looking up. “Well, I was wondering what you thought about Apple Jack?” “What the? That’s kinda out of the blue..” Tiger blushed suddenly. “Ahah!” Rainbow Dash giggled as she flew circles around him, “you like her don’tcha?” “Umm” Tiger stuttered, he was frozen now. “Yeah I can tell,” Rainbow Dash laughed again. “Well.. I.. “ he stuttered trying to think of something to say, which made Rainbow Dash laugh harder as she flew to the ground and collapsed in a heap laughing. “Hey… it’s not that THAT funny,” Tiger looked away totally embarrassed now. “No no.. it’s just, whew, your expression, it was too funny,” Rainbow Dash wiped away a few tears, her sides were aching. “You can’t tell her!” Tiger looked at Rainbow who stood up and gave him a smirk “and why not? She’s like one of my best friends and what if she likes you too?”. Tiger was starting to panic now. “You could be something more,” Rainbow Dash’s expression turned suddenly serious. “Huh?” Tiger’s panic didn’t know what to do with itself anymore and he decided to just listen. “Listen, Dusk, tell you what, I’m gonna help you out since you’re so fast and all,” Rainbow Dash walked over to him. “What do you mean… help?” Tiger asked nervously. “I’m gonna look at how the two of you act, from the clouds, and I’ll let you know if she likes you or not!” she said with a grin. “…” Tiger looked away for a second, his mind thinking about the possibilities. “Err…” Tiger started. “You can’t say no…she is my friend and I’m doing this for her too you know,” Rainbow Dash cut him off, “and well I think you’d go well with her, since you look like you work hard, and your fun and kinda cute I guess”. This made Tiger blush again, and he shook his head. “I don’t know if it’s such a good idea Rainbow…” “Your wishy washy though, minus points for that,” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Listen, I’m going back to work…I’d really appreciate it if you didn’t tell her.. please?” Tiger asked with pleading eyes. “Mmm…” Rainbow Dash flew up again. “Nah.. I’ll stick with my plan, later!” she flew away. “WAIT…!” Tiger sighed, she was already gone. “Gah.. the hay” he ran towards the barn and started on his chores again. “Apple Jack…” he said to himself as he tied the hay into bundles. “She’s gotten real pretty now..that I think about it..” her face popped up in his mind over and over making him shake his head. “Gotta get the work done!” he forced himself to push the thoughts out. “What if she likes you too?” Rainbow’s voice echoed in his head. He sighed in defeat as he tied down the last bundle of hay and decided to sit down. He walked over to the steps that lead up to his room and sat down. “What if she does really like me?” Tiger asked himself, “would it change everything? And what if she doesn’t like me that way?” the thoughts circled around him. “I’d be too embarrassed to be around her anymore… if that were the case. I’d have to leave,” he realized suddenly. “Yeah.. I’m not gonna tell her anything…” Tiger’s ears drooped a little. “It’s for the best, she’s my best friend and I don’t want to lose that…” Tiger’s ears drooped even lower. “Though… I wish, I could tell her my feelings I guess…”