The afternoon rush at Canterlot Mall filled the air with music, chatter, and the smell of pretzels from the food court. Rainbow Dash stood at the counter of the sports store, practically bouncing on her heels as the cashier slid a shoebox into a glossy shopping bag. The perfect sneakers — lightweight, aerodynamic, fast — were finally hers.

She didn’t notice the stranger standing just a little too close. Not until it happened. In a blink, the bag was gone from her hand. The blur of movement was so quick that for a split second she thought it was a prank from Pinkie — but the grip was unfamiliar, and the retreating figure didn’t look back.

“Hey!” Rainbow’s voice cracked like a whip through the crowd. Shoppers turned, startled, as she took off, weaving between them with the kind of speed that left streaks of color in her wake. You darted around benches, leapt over a stack of boxes in a store display, and cut hard toward the food court — but Rainbow was always right behind you, her sneakers pounding against the tile.

You tried to lose her in the arcade’s maze of flashing lights and sound, but she stayed locked on, hurdling over chairs and sliding under the counter of a startled vendor. Into a side hallway, through a service door, out into the parking lot — your lungs burned, but you could almost taste freedom.

Almost.

A rainbow blur slammed into your side, knocking you both to the pavement. The bag rolled away. Rainbow snatched it up, chest heaving, a triumphant grin spreading across her face.

“And… caught you,” she said between breaths. Her eyes glinted with curiosity. “Now let’s see who thought they could out-run me.”

Her fingers hooked under your hood, pulling it back. Your hair spilled out, framing a face so striking it made her pause for a heartbeat longer than she meant to. Her smirk softened, just for a moment.

“…Huh,” she murmured, tilting her head. “Oh, you’re..."