Day 20: 'And here I thought I was special' (TT)

The sound of horses filled the air.
The countryside - more specifically, the farm they were visiting - was a far cry from the Titans' home in Jump City.
The house, barn and stables were the only building visible for kilometers around. In place of streets ran dirt paths, and few enough of them. Most of the land around them was made up of fields of grain, grazing paddocks, and orchards of fruit trees.
The week-long stay at the farmhouse was a kind of vacation, organised by Robin, and much-needed in the eyes of the rest of the team. Even raven, who preferred being indoors, had found the change of scenery pleasant. She spent the days reading in the apple orchard, usually lying in the shade of a large tree.
Starfire had roped them all into picking fruit today, and they had returned from the orchards with baskets bursting with apples, oranges and pears.
"I'm telling you, I could out-race every horse in this stable!" Beast Boy was telling Cyborg as they set the baskets down in the storehouse adjoining the stable.
"No way, I bet that roan mare could beat you. She's built for racing."
"What do you know about horses?"
"Why do you not simply test your theory?" Starfire proposed, interrupting the argument.
"Yeah!" Beast Boy immediately agreed. "You ride the mare, Robin can ride me." He morphed into a green stallion and neighed loudly.
"No fair!" Cyborg protested. "I'm way heavier than Robin! You'd have the advantage!"
"Well pick someone else to ride for you then," Beast Boy suggested, becoming human again. "How about Raven? She's small."
"No," Raven said, passing by with her book under her arm.
"Aw, come on Raven," Cyborg pleaded. "It'd mean kicking BB's butt."
Raven paused, then sighed.
"Fine."
"Yes! You're goin' down greeny!"
"Bring it on metal man!"
"Riders ready!" Starfire called.
She stood to the side of a line in the dirt, the improvised start and finish line. The race was a straight up-and-back course along the widest stretch of flat dirt path they could find.
Robin was sitting in the saddle atop the back of Beast Boy's green stallion form. Raven was astride the roan mare Cyborg had chosen as the fastest horse in the stables. She looked rather uncomfortable.
"You should know, I've never done this before," she told Cyborg, who stood beside Starfire on the sidelines.
"Just sit tight and hold on," Cyborg told her. Raven looked less than impressed.
"Ready," Starfire called, raising a checkered flag. "Set..."
Robin crouched low over Beast Boy's maned neck. Raven copied him. Starfire swung the flag down.
"Go!"
The riders put their heels to their horses and they shot forward.
Great clouds of dust and dirt kicked up behind the horses' hooves as they galloped down the road. Robin looked secure and confident on Beast Boy's back; Raven was clinging on for dear life, hood blown back, hair and cloak flying out behind her.
Robin and Beast Boy wheeled around the post at the end of the road and started back toward the finish line. Raven did her best to copy them. The mare, to Raven's intense relief, seemed to know what she was doing. Raven held the reins loose and gave the horse her head. They sped up, moving impossibly fast. They drew level with Beast Boy and Robin. Beast Boy snorted and ran faster, neck stretching out, mane flying. Raven's mare matched his pace with ease.
They thundered across the line, dust and capes whipping at the air.
Beast Boy cantered to a stop. Raven slowed her mare, breathing almost as hard as the horse.
She was never doing that again.
"Who won? Who won?" Beast Boy neighed, turning to Starfire.
"The winner is..." Starfire paused for dramatic effect. "Raven!"
"Yeah!" Cyborg punched the air excitedly. "In your face horse-boy!"
Robin dismounted.
"Oh well. Good race, Raven."
"Uh, sure." Raven clumsily got down from the saddle.
"Here Beast Boy." Starfire was standing before him, holding an apple and smiling. "I think you ran very well. You only lost by a little bit."
Beast Boy snorted, but gave a horsey grin and gently took the apple from her hand and crunched on it happily. He transformed back into his short green self, the saddle and bridle slipping off.
He looked over to where Starfire was congratulating Raven and her horse. She gave an apple to the mare.
"Hmph. And here I thought I was special," Beast Boy muttered to himself. Cyborg caught him in a friendly head-lock and ruffled his hair.
"You're a special kind of special, BB."
The two of them laughed.