Silver was up early the next morning, and ended up with a full contingent of wives along for the walk out to Applejack's place. Even Twilight joined along once she saw the rest were going. Twilight had a little frown. "Are you really going to do... that with Applejack? I mean, I guess it's her decision, but she's my friend. It feels weird."

Fast softly huffed as she trotted along with a smile. "She picked him, not the other way around. Let's be supportive of our stallion."

Night waved a wing lightly. "He has to win this 'contest' first, or there won't be anything to worry about."

They soon arrived among the apple trees that marked the Apple domain. It was still gloomy in the pre-dawn hours and a chill was in the air. Despite this, Rainbow already stood beside Applejack and Big Mac in front of their barn.

Rainbow waved at them with a cocky grin. "Already coming in second place, huh?"

Applejack rolled her eyes. "He's here before sunup, he's on time. Now, ah don't want either of ya wreckin' the farm tryin' ta beat the other, so ah'll be taking points off fer every bit of damage y'all cause. Got it?"

Silver nodded as Rainbow shrugged.

"Alright. Next thing, no fancy unicorn magic. That ain't the Apple way."

Silver pointed a hoof at Rainbow. "What about fancy pegasus magic?"

Applejack tapped her chin lightly. "Fair's fair. Y'all gotta do it the earth pony way."

Rainbow visibly bristled at the restriction, but stood in firm defiance, ready to compete.

"Now the rule's simple." Applejack pointed up to some barren fields up on a hill. "We're gonna get some extra crops going. Apples are our primary harvest, as y'all know, but it ain't the only. Rainbow Dash, ya get pumpkins, and Silver, yer doing strawberries. Plow, sow, water. The one that plants the most, wins. Every foot of ready soil is a point."

Big Mac suddenly spoke up. "A foot of grown plants is another point."

Applejack tilted her head. "They ain't earth ponies, they can't do that, but sure."

Silver felt confidence well in him. Unicorn and pegasus magic were ruled out, but he could funnel his power where he wanted. Green hooves should be doable.

"Just remember that damage to tha farm or tha land is points deducted." Applejack looked towards the horizon quietly a moment. The sun peeked over the edge and she clopped a hoof down. "Go!"

Big Mac tossed Rainbow her bag of seeds first, then Silver. Silver tucked the bag into his saddle pouch and looked up to see Rainbow racing ahead. Let her flail wildly, or so he thought. He nodded in thanks to Big Mac and began trotting up towards his field, working up the magic and filling his legs with them. His trot gained in speed until he was moving at a galloping rate despite still trotting.

A plow had been set up at either field, and he moved to step into the harness and get moving with it. Ugh, it was heavier than it looked, and it looked pretty heavy. Silver's body grew warm as he turned more magic inwards, forcing the plow forward through personal fortification, rather than any unicorn chicanery directed at the plow. He arrived at the end of his field and looped around to do another line. He heard a rough cry and saw Fast Change perched on the fence of the field, hooves waving in the air as she cheered him on.

Silver decided three rows was a fine starting point. A glance at the sky put the time at around ten. Had it already been so long? Time flies when you're working hard, he decided, and he pulled out the bag of strawberry seeds, planting some every foot along each row, tapping them into the ground gently and moving along. He hadn't tried expressing earth pony magic this way, and tried focusing on the very bottom of his hooves. They began to feel itchy and sweaty, which may have been a good or bad sign, he wasn't sure.

He gently brushed an energized hoof over the seed as he watered each one, and the energy jumped out of him and into the ground. He felt suddenly drained, slumping to the ground as the energy he had so carefully managed surged in one long flow from where his hooves touched the earth.

Applejack approached quickly. "Ya alright there, sugarcube? Yer looking mighty bushed all of a sudden."

Silver shook his head. "I'm fine." He wasn't sure if he was fine, but he wasn't giving up. He pushed back to his hooves and peeked at Rainbow's field to see her working the plow still, though she had done more rows. Was that seven? His eyes were drawn to the ground by a soft shaking that grew into an audible rumbling.

Applejack stepped backwards off the field. "What tha?"

Sprouts began to surge up from the ground, quickly becoming vines. They grabbed the still-lethargic Silver and held him firmly as they grew and grew wildly across the field. Green strawberries swelled into existence, starting to darken into a delicious red before startled pony eyes. The unrestricted growth caused the strawberries to reach and grow, spreading beyond the three modest rows he started with. The fence groaned as the vines overtook it entirely and spread past it.

Fast Change wisely backed away from the wild vegetation, gawking at it as it spread and spread. For better or for worse, all of Silver's built up magic was expended. He hung there limply in the vine's grips, too tired to do much else.

Big Mac wandered up, shaking his head. "Knew it."

Applejack perked an ear at him. "Knew what? He done covered tha whole field in berries!"

Big Mac waved at the grand mass of strawberries. "He's an alicorn, Applejack. He ain't a normal pony. Think."

Rainbow aborted her field to see what was going on. With a tilted head, she asked, "What's going on over here? Did he use magic?"

Applejack heaved a sigh. "Sure did, earth pony magic. Let's get 'im down."

Silver was soon liberated from the jail of his own creation and allowed to rest on the ground, flopped onto his side. Rainbow looked perplexed. "So... did he win? Or do I win because I'm the only one left standing?"

Applejack shook her head. "Technically he wins." She punched Big Mac in the chest, though it barely moved him. "Why do ya gotta make this more complicated?!" She stormed off with an angry huff.

Silver sat up with Fast and Night's help. Twilight sat nearby, watching the whole scene unfold curiously. She spread her wings and took off after Applejack a moment later.

Rainbow looked baffled. "What's the confusion? He won, so he gets to stud. That was the deal." She looked off after Applejack, then towards Big Mac. "What'd you tell her?" Big Mac was silent. Rainbow stormed up to Silver. "You wanted it, you got it! You beat me, fair and square."

Silver was soon standing under his own power, energy returning to him. "I don't think Applejack's in the mood for that right now."

Rainbow prodded Silver with a hoof. "News alert, she isn't the only mare here."

Silver tilted his head with confusion. "What? You didn't want to be the mother before. Which is it?"

Night fidgeted with her glasses. "I think she is offering--"

"I'm not offering anything." Rainbow turned away. "A race. If you can catch up, you can have me." She spread her wings and took off into the sky with a thunderous gust of wind.

Fast suddenly grinned. "Well, go catch her."

Night shook her head. "Are you sure that's a good idea? She is clearly in a fragile state. She's confused, not aroused."

Silver frowned, unsure what to do. "I'll catch up to her, if I can, but I won't breed her, just try to get a straight answer." He took off and ascended into the sky after Rainbow.

Night shook her head. "That may be the worst idea."

Fast tilted her head. "Why?"

Night sighed. "It's not obvious? If he catches her, then turns her down, it will be a sore blow to her ego, and that's something Rainbow values highly. To be bested, only to be told she wasn't even worth catching is the worst combination."

Fast winced with understanding. "Well unless you think you can catch up with them?"

Night huffed. "With this belly? No."

"Then we wait." Fast snuggled in beside Night. "Wait and hope."

Author's Notes:

Silver endeavors to catch up with Rainbow, but will there be a pot of goal at the end of it?

Probably just a pile of typos.