Shift Happens
Twilight Sparkle was nervous.
Now of course, anyone who knew Twilight personally knew that this was nothing out of the ordinary. The purple bookworm-turned-princess was always stressing out and getting worked up over things, especially when it came to tests. Ever since she was a filly, one of Twilight's greatest fears was failing a test, doubly so if said test was given to her by her mentor and leader of Equestria, Princess Celestia. It took Twilight a long time to realize that failing a test was not the end of the world, and that Celestia wouldn't be disappointed in her.
Or banish her to magic kindergarten.
Regardless, Twilight still tended to get nervous about tests, even if they weren't given to her by Celestia. In fact, the test she was about to take was one she had given to herself. Ever since the incident with the Dazzlings, where Twilight had figured out how to keep the portal to the human world open whenever she wanted, Twilight had been returning to Canterlot High to study more about this strange new world. Between trying to get her crown back, saving the school from a demonized Sunset Shimmer, and then returning again and having to take care of the sirens, Twilight had little time to actively explore the new world and all of its differences from Equestria. She had picked up some of the more biological aspects of the world fairly quickly, though mostly out of necessity; she could now walk upright perfectly and even run fairly well, and she had adapted very well to using her hands for everyday tasks where she normally would have used her magic or her mouth. (Although writing using her hands was still a bit of a challenge, and as a result her normally beautiful penmanship in Equestria looked more like the scribblings of a toddler in the human world).
But the rest of the world was still new to Twilight, and she had wanted to learn all about it. So for the past few weeks, she had been going to the school's library to pour over all the books they had there to learn about the construct of this world. She learned about their history, and how it differed from Equestria's (she was surprised to learn that this world worked mostly on a democratic system rather than a monarchic one, something that was almost unheard of in Equestria), she learned of their social constructs and ideals (and in hindsight, Twilight was glad she didn't question why humans had to wear clothes all the time, THAT could have lead to a potentially embarrassing situation), and most recently, the technology of their world.
That was the part that truly fascinated Twilight. Her head had span when she first came to this world and saw how technologically advanced it was compared to Equestria. They may not have had magic here, but the technology was something to marvel at. She learned about cell phones, computers, portable music, the internet (which she had been blown away by, having an almost endless supply of information right at your fingertips was a scholar's dream, and Twilight would have lost herself in it for hours in there wasn't more pressing matters at the time), and she learned about transportation. She had initially been confused by the large presence of odd-shaped moving metal boxes, but she came to realize that because these humans didn't have the power to naturally teleport or fly like unicorns and pegasi did, they instead adapted to moving around quickly on land. Besides making engines that could self-propel trains and planes, they also made automobiles, cars that could move humans fairly quickly across large distances without having to use any manual labour. Twilight learned about how they worked, how to drive them, and how humans got a license to drive them.
And Twilight Sparkle, always one for learning new things and trying out new challenges, decided that she too, wanted to drive like everyone else.
So she got her hands on a Driver's Handbook, read it cover to cover so many times she lost count, did countless research on how cars worked and what the traffic laws were, and finally marched herself down the Canterlot Driver's Testing Centre. Of course, she had worked herself into a tizzy about the test as she usually did, but after a couple deep breaths and some supportive words from her friends, Twilight took her test. She passed with flying colours, as everyone had expected her to. In fact, if Twilight compared it to other tests she had taken while studying at Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, she'd have to rate the test about a 2.5 out of 5 on the difficulty scale. However, over the course of living in Ponyville and dealing with the problems she faced there, Twilight had learned a very important lesson: That studying something in a book and answering questions on paper about what she had read was one thing.
But actually applying what she had studied in the real world?
Well, that's why she was here now.
A hand came down on Twilight's shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. She turned to look at who the hand belonged to, and came face to face with Flash Sentry's blue eyes.
"Hey", he said with a warm smile, "Don't be nervous Twilight. Driving isn't as hard as it looks, and I'll be right next to you the whole time. Just take it slow and relax, and you'll see it's actually really easy. There's nothing to be worried about."
Twilight nodded at him with a small smile, feeling a bit of her previous tension start to fade. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon in the parking lot of Canterlot High, and aside from one or two cars, there was nobody else around. Flash had taken her here to try driving, saying that it was the perfect place to practice, as she didn't have to worry about other cars or people ("And to minimize the casualties," Spike had added, earning him a bop on the head from Twilight). The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and there was nobody around. It was the absolute perfect conditions for Twilight to start driving, so she should be absolutely fine.
Right?
Right.
"Okay" Twilight said finally, feel her confidence rising. "Let's do this."
The two of them strode over to Flash's jet-black Camaro. Comparing it to other cars she had seen, Twilight figured that it was probably a very nice car. The streamlined look and the decals adorning the hood and doors also suggested that was probably a very sporty car, too.
If it's sporty, doesn't that mean it'll have a lot of power, too? What if I can't handle the power?! What if I lose control and we go flying straight into a
Twilight took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Just relax, it'll be fine. Flash is with you, and it's his car, so he'll know how to keep it in control if I can't.
Arriving at the car, Flash opened the driver's side door for her. Politely thanking him, she easily slid into the leather seat and closed the door. She looked at all the various buttons and gauges and started to feel a little intimidated, but forced herself to relax as Flash climbed into the passenger seat. You can do this Twilight. You read the books. You know how it works.
After settling into his seat, Flash turned to her. "So," he said with a smile "before we get started on your lesson, do you have any questions? I figure it'd be better to get them out now instead of when you're driving and trying to concentrate."
Twilight was prepared for this. "Actually, I do have a few questions."
"Ask away."
"When did you last change the oil?"
The question caught Flash off-guard "I...er, what?"
"The oil." Twilight repeated "The driver's handbook said you should change your oil every 3000 miles, or every 1000 miles under more strenuous usage. I'm not sure if your driving counts as strenuous, as you mostly just drive to and from school and around the city, but you did say you sometimes go to visit your cousin who lives almost 100 miles away, so you should probably change it every 2000 miles just to be safe." Before Flash could even formulate a thought, Twilight continued, "Oh, also, how is your tire pressure? The handbook said you should always make sure your tire pressure is at optimal levels before you drive. It said optimal pressure is at about 35PSI, is that what all your tires are at? If you're not sure, I brought a pressure gage with me."
"Twilight I don't think that's really ness.."
"OH! And how is your windshield washer fluid level at? You should always make sure it's filled to at least 40% full. Oh! And how are your windshield wipers doing? Are they in functioning form, leaving no gaps in their wiping pattern? How old are the blades? The book said you should have them replaced once a year. Are they more than a year old? They need to be ready for any kind of weather. The book said you should make sure they are always ready in case of rain, sleet, or snow!"
Flash glanced out the windshield. The sun shined brightly in the blue sky, with not a single cloud to be seen to block its rays.
"And what about your headlights? Are your high beams bright enough? The book said they should be shining at an exposure of..."
"Twilight." Flash said, cutting her off, "We don't have to worry about headlights, or windshield wipers, or tire pressure. We're not going on an expedition across the country. We're just driving around a parking lot."
"But the book said..."
"Twilight" he said again, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "You're just nervous, that's all. Trust me, we don't have to follow the book down to a T. We're just going for a simple drive, that's it. Just relax, and focus on the driving part."
"Are you sure?" Twilight asked skeptically
He smiled at her. "I'm sure."
Twilight was still hesitant, but she slowly let herself relax. After all, she just had a Learner's Permit that was only a few days old, whereas Flash had his full license and had been driving for a few years. Twilight figured she could trust him on this. Besides, he had to study and take the same test I did to get his license, so he obviously knows proper car care.
"Now then," Flash said, looking at Twilight with confidence, "Why don't you get yourself situated in the car, and we'll start driving."
Twilight nodded at him, feeling her earlier confidence coming back. She had studied how to properly prepare yourself for driving, now she was going to prove she knew it!
First, she buckled her seatbelt, making sure that the lap belt was placed between her thighs and her stomach, and that the shoulder strap was nestled in place between her breasts.
Proper Seatbelt Placement: Check!
Then, she went to adjust her seat. It took a bit of fiddling around until she found the electric seat controls at the side. She carefully moved the seat into its proper place, she wanted to make sure that she was in the correct position, or else it may affect her driving. It took a bit of time, but Flash just waited patiently for her. Once the butt, back, and lumbar support were all where they need to be, she straightened back up.
Correct Seat Position: Check!
Finally, she used the controls on the door to adjust the side mirrors so that she could clearly see any vehicles that may be in her blind spots, and then manually adjusted the rear-view mirror so that she could see everything behind her.
Mirror Adjustment: Check!
Having adjusted everything to her liking, Twilight felt her confidence flowing through her. She could do this! She was ready to drive!
All that was left to do was start the car. She went to turn the key in the ignition, but remembered what the book said. You should always keep your foot on the brake when starting the vehicle!
Twilight knew that there were two pedals. There was one on the right, which was shaped vertically. This was the accelerator. It let you control how much power you were giving to the wheels, and therefore, how fast you were going. The pedal on the left, shaped horizontally, was the brake. It would let you slow down the car and bring it to a stop. Better keep my foot near that one in case things start to get out of hand!
Twilight looked down, ready to put her foot down on the brake and begin her driving session, and froze.
There were three pedals.
Twilight's train of thought came to a screeching halt as she tried to process this. How...how can there be THREE pedals?! There's supposed to be TWO pedals! THREE is not TWO! THREE is MORE than TWO! She looked at the pedals again. She could tell the one on the far right was the accelerator by the shape of it. Tentatively, she reached her right foot out and pushed down on the middle pedal. She could feel resistance behind it. That has to be the brake. So then what.... She moved her foot over to the mysterious third pedal and pushed down. The pedal went down to the floor with almost no resistance. Confused, Twilight pumped the pedal up and down a few times to the same effect, not noticing any notable differences with the car.
Flash had noticed Twilight's befuddled look. "Twilight, is everything okay?"
"I....I don't understand." Twilight said, turning to him with confused eyes. "Why is there three pedals? There's supposed to be two! Why aren't there just two?"
Flash blinked in confusion as he processed what Twilight had said. Then, he suddenly groaned and smacked his palm to his forehead. "Oh man, I'm such an idiot!", he said, dragging his hand down his face. He then looked at Twilight sheepishly. "I'm so sorry, Twilight. I just...I'm just so used to driving this car that I didn't even think about it. And then you asked me if I'd show you how to drive, and I just got so excited..." he blushed and looked away for a moment, before looking back with a sigh "...I guess I just got so distracted I completely forgot that this car is a standard."
"A...standard?" Twilight asked, now even more confused than before. "A standard what?"
"A standard transmission. Basically...it means that you have to control the gear changes instead of the car doing it for you. It's...it's a little different than driving an automatic." He looked at her apologetically. "I'm really sorry Twilight, it didn't even occur to me until just now." He glanced down at the clock on the dashboard. "Ah shoot, it's after 2:30, so my mom will be out at her golf game now, and my dad's out of town for the weekend, so I don't have access to any other car." He looked away, feeling even crummier. "I'm sorry Twilight. I guess we'll have to reschedule for another time."
Reschedule? But...But I did all my adjustments already! I'm already in the proper driving position! I studied! Twilight felt herself deflate, feeling saddened by the fact that all of her excitement and all of her reading and reviewing the night before would have to be shelved for another day. Stupid standard transmission. Why'd you have to ruin my day? I just wanted to drive, and you took it away! How hard could you be, anyway?
Twilight paused, her last thought coming back to her.
How hard can it be?
A smile started to form on the corners of her mouth.
Yeah, how hard can it be, anyway? Flash said it himself that it was only a 'little' bit different than driving. Twilight felt her confidence coming back. And even if it is hard, so what? I've taken hard tests before, and it's never stopped me! Heck, if I gave up on a test because it was hard, I never would have solved Starswirl's spell and became a princess in the first place!
Hitting the steering wheel in resolution, she turned to Flash with a confident smile. "Flash, I want to learn to drive a standard transmission!"
Flash's head snapped up. "What?"
"I want to learn how to drive a standard transmission. Right here, right now, with you."
"I...er....are you sure Twilight? It's a bit different than normal driving..." Flash said, still befuddled by her sudden change in attitude.
"That's okay. I'm sure I can adapt, I know the basics of how to drive, and with you here to show me, I know I can do it. Besides, this'll be a great learning experience for me! Maybe I'll even be able to teach others afterwards!"
Flash stared at her for a few moments, before cracking a large smile "Twilight Sparkle, you sure are something else! Well aright then, if you want to learn how to drive stick, who am I to deny that? You ready to begin?"
"I sure am!" Twilight said with a confident grin. "What the first step?"
"First, we'll want to start up the car, so you'll have to put the third pedal, which is called the clutch, all the way to the floor."
"Clutch to the floor, got it!" Twilight nodded, and began to move her right foot to the pedal when Flash stopped her.
"You have to use your left foot with the clutch, Twilight."
"What?" Twilight looked at him, completely confused. "But...the driver's handbook said to never use your left foot when driving, only your right! It said that driving with two feet can be really dangerous!"
Flash shook his head. "That only applies for automatic transmissions. You have to use your left foot for the clutch and your right foot for the gas and brake. Just trust me, it'll make sense once we start."
"Okay then." Twilight said, still a little wary, but nonetheless pushed the clutch down with her left foot. "Now what?"
"Now start her up." Twilight nodded, and turned the key in the ignition all the way to the left. The car came alive with a mighty roar, before calming down to an idle. To Twilight, the rumble of the car's engine reminded her of the rumbling noises Fluttershy's lion friend made back home. She liked that.
"Okay so, before we begin, I'll just briefly explain how a manual transmission works, just so you have a better idea." Flash said. "So you learned how the gears in a regular car work from your studies, right?"
"Yes." replied Twilight. That, along with with combustion engines and telephones, was just one of the many things Twilight was planning on trying to introduce in Equestria.
"Alright, so in a manual transmission, instead of the car changing gears for you, you have to do it yourself. When you push down on the clutch, it removes the spinning gear that's connected to the engine from the gears that are connected to the axle and wheels. This means that the wheels aren't getting any power, but you'll be able to change gears. When you let go of the clutch, it connects the spinning gear from engine back up to the rest of the gears, thus giving the wheels power again, and making the car move. The gear stick," he said, pointing to it, "lets you move and change the gears. Why don't you try moving it and getting used to it? Just remember to keep your foot on the clutch."
Twilight hesitantly examined the gear stick. In all the pictures she had seen, the gear stick only moved up and down, and had letters to mark each gear. This gear stick, however, moved up and down, as well as side to side, and the knob on top had a pattern laid out consisting of the numbers 1 to 5, and the letter R, which Twilight summarized as being the gear numbers and Reverse. It took a little to get used to, but after a moment Twilight could easily feel the shifter definably slipping in to each individual gear. This doesn't seem that hard. "Okay, I think I've got the feel of it. Now what?"
"Now, we're going to try actually driving. First, put it in first gear." Twilight moved the gear stick into the position indicated as '1'. "Now, this is the tricky part that most beginners have trouble with. To get the car going, you have to let your left foot off the clutch, while at the same time pushing your right foot down on the gas. Just take your time, get a feel for it, and go whenever you're ready."
"Okay." Twilight said, feeling a bit of giddiness rising up inside her. I'm going to do it! I'm actually going to drive! Oooh, I'm so nervouscited, as Pinkie would say. Positioning her hands at the proper ten and two position, Twilight let out a shaky breath as she put her right foot over the accelerator.
Okay, I can do this.
She gave the accelerator a brief tap. The engine let out a brief vroom in response.
Off the clutch, on the gas. Off the clutch, on the gas. I can do this.
She gripped the steering wheel a little bit harder.
And here we go in 3....2....1
Twilight slammed her right foot down all the way on the accelerator, while simultaneously dropping her left foot off the clutch. Twilight and Flash were thrown back into their seats as the Camaro rocketed forward with a squeal of the tires. Panicking at the sudden speed, Twilight slammed her foot down on the brake. She was thrown forward into the seatbelt as the car screeched to a stop and stalled.
"Wha...what happened?! What did I do?!" Twilight asked, starting to hyperventilate. The sudden burst of speed followed by the abrupt stop had shaken her up a bit.
"That was my fault, Twilight" Flash said, rubbing the spot on his chest where the seatbelt had cut in. That had really hurt. "I should have clarified better. You need to gently let off the clutch and gently let on the gas."
"...Oh." Twilight said, her face burning bright red in embarrassment. I should have tested them first! Stupid! "...sorry."
"It's okay, like I said, I should have explained it better," Flash offered with a sympathetic smile. "Start her up again, and this time, just...take it easy."
Twilight started the car again as she willed the burning in her face to go away. Well THAT was embarrassing. Making sure that the car was still in first, she took a couple deep breaths as she prepared to try again. Okay, relax, and be gentle this time!
Ever so slowly, Twilight began to lift her foot off the clutch. Doing it slowly this time, she was able to feel when the gears started to catch, and felt the car begin to move forward.
That's it! Now I just have to get on the
The Camaro gave a short jerk as the engine stalled and died.
"What? What happened there?" Twilight asked in disbelief.
"You stalled, that's all. You just have get on the gas a little faster next time." Flash replied.
Starting the car again, Twilight could feel a bit of frustration starting to ebb its way in. Okay, THIS time I'll get it.
Once again, Twilight began to let her foot off the clutch. This time, as soon as she began to feel the gears catch, she started pushing down gently on the accelerator. The car began moving forward at a moderate speed.
I'm doing it! I'm actually doing it! I'm driv
In her excitement, Twilight dropped her foot completely off the clutch. The car gave a bigger jerk this time as it once again stalled and died.
'Oh come on!" Twilight yelled in exasperation.
Flash gave a brief chuckle. "You let off the clutch too quickly. Don't feel bad, everybody does that when they're learning." Noticing the frustrated look on Twilight face, Flash's smile was replaced with a look of concern. "You okay? Do you want to take a break for a minute or something?"
"No." Twilight said firmly. "I want to keep going. I just have to keep at it, I'll get it soon enough."
Twilight started the car once again, and gripped the steering wheel harder.
A single hair popped out of place on her head.
Let's do this.
In the parking lot of Canterlot High, a jet-black Camaro was doing something very unusual. It was moving slowly across the parking lot, but it was doing it in erratic, jerky movements. Inside the Camaro, Flash Sentry was trying not to lose his lunch.
"Twi. light. Can. you. may. be. stop. pul. sing. on. the. gas. plea. se?"
The Camaro rolled across the parking lot at a snail's pace. It was moving so slow, that if it was a wild animal, one might believe it was stalking it's prey.
The difference was that animals that stalked their prey tended to be silent.
VRNRNRNRNRNNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNRNR
"Maybe a little less gas there, Twilight!" Flash yelled over the din of the engine.
The Camaro was still, like a calm lake in the early morn. Suddenly, it took off, sprinting like cheetah chasing down a gazelle in plains of Africa. It floated beautifully across the parking lot, like a ballet dancer performing Swan Lake, swishing across the stage, preparing to jump into their partner's arms...
...and then it skidded to an ungraceful stop in the shrubbery at the end of the parking lot.
"How was that?" Twilight asked hopefully.
".......better." Flash said after a moment, trying to unlock his hands from the death grip they had on his seatbelt.
The car rolled smoothly from one end of the parking lot to the other. As it reached the end, it began to gracefully swing itself around.
It made it about halfway before it stalled and died.
For a moment, the parking lot was silent, and then
"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Twilight relaxed a little bit as she once again easily turned the car around and began heading to the other end of the parking lot.
"See? You're getting the hang of it!" Flash said proudly. "Now, you'll just want to shift into second gear..."
"Shift?!" Twilight exclaimed, jerking the wheel to the right slightly as she looked at Flash "How am I supposed to do that?!"
"Relax, Twilight, it's easy. All you have to do is MIND THAT LIGHT POLE!"
Twilight pulled again and again on the gear stick, producing a horrible grinding noise each time.
"Why won't it GRNSHSNRSH shift into SHRNRSHG second gear?! CRSHSVRNS I think it's KRNSHRNK stuck or CXCRVSXVC something!"
"Are you SKRRT using the clutch?"
"..."
"..."
"........oh."
Twilight stared at the instrument cluster in confusion. The RPM needle was going up, but her speed seemed to be going down.
"That's weird. Why is second gear so much slower than first?"
Flash Sentry looked down.
"Twilight, you're in fourth."
A little squirrel was making it's way back to his squirrel home inside the tree behind the school. He was very excited to see his squirrel wife and squirrel son after a long day of doing squirrel work.
His journey home was interrupted by a large black monstrosity suddenly jumping up over the curb, forcing him to do an insane squirrel jump out of the way.
The Camaro thundered its way back off the curb and onto the pavement of the parking lot.
"Was..uh....was that curb always there?"
Flash Sentry made the smart decision not to say anything.
Green Thumb, the school's gardener and florist, had put in a nice patch of grass between the rear entrance of the school and the parking lot. He had put a little wooden sign in the grass that read "Keep Off The Grass". The grass had been put in over a week ago, so it really didn't need the sign there anymore, but Green Thumb left it in anyways, hoping it would keep the students from messing up his nice little patch of grass.
He probably wouldn't have appreciated having a Camaro back over the sign, and the grass.
"That, um, that was reverse, Twilight."
Fluttershy exited the side doors of the school, humming a little tune to herself as she ate her granola bar. Principal Celestia had been nice enough to let her use the art room over the weekend to work on the banner she was making for the Canterlot Animal Shelter fundraiser barbecue next weekend. It was almost finished, and Fluttershy couldn't be happier.
Oh, I sure hope we raise more this year than we did last. Fluttershy thought as she finished off her granola bar. There's so many renovations that need to be done at the shelter, those poor animals deserve much better than what we have now.
Neatly folding up the wrapper, Fluttershy looked around for a place to properly dispose of it. She spotted some trash cans all grouped together near the corner of building, likely put out in order to be collected and emptied before school tomorrow. Making her way over to them, Fluttershy's thoughts drifted back to the fundraiser.
I hope I made enough pamphlets to give out this week. Maybe 300 wasn't enough? Maybe I should have made 500. Or maybe...
Unfortunately, Fluttershy never got to finish her thought, because just as she reached the trash cans, they all suddenly exploded outward, flying out in all directions, the metal making a horrendous racket as they cascaded onto the pavement. Fluttershy screamed and tried to jump back out of the way, only to trip over the rock edging and fall painfully into the thistle thicket that happened to occupy that section of the flower bed.
"Ouch" said Fluttershy as she carefully pulled herself out of the flower bed, in order not to tear her skirt on the sharp thistle. Looking around to find the cause of the sudden trash can explosion, she was very surprised to see a black Camaro in the spot where the trash cans used to be, one of said cans wedged underneath the front bumper. She was even more surprised when she recognized the purple-haired girl getting out of the car.
"Twilight..?"
"Fluttershy!" Twilight exclaimed, finally untangling herself from the seatbelt. She quickly rushed over to the pink-haired girl and began examining her. "Oh my gosh, I'm so, so sorry! I didn't even see you! Are you hurt? Did I hit you?"
"Oh, I'm okay Twilight" Fluttershy said, feeling a little uncomfortable at how close her friend was looking at her. "You just, um, startled me, is all. What about you, Twilight? Are you...okay?" Having recovered from her heart attack, Fluttershy was finally able to take in Twilight's appearance. Her hair was frizzy and wild looking, with hairs popping out all over the place, and she had some rather un-ladylike sweat stains under her armpits.
"Oh me? I'm doing just fine." Twilight said, straightening up. She gave her friend a smile that seemed like it was in danger of falling off. "Flash was just teaching me how to drive, that's all!"
"Oh, that's...nice." Fluttershy said uncertainly. She peered around Twilight and looked into the open car door. Flash Sentry seemed to be frozen in place, staring out at the front of the car with wide eyes. He was mumbling something that Fluttershy couldn't hear very well, but she managed to pick up "The paint.....oh, the paint....."
"Well anyways," Twilight continued "I'd love to stay and chat, Fluttershy, but I've got to get back to it. Try, try again, am I right?"
"Uh...okay. Bye, Twilight." Fluttershy gave a weak wave as Twilight climbed back into the car. She turned around and began to walk home, making the decision that if she ever saw Twilight behind the wheel of a car again, she would run very, very far in the opposite direction.
The Camaro swerved back and forth violently across the parking lot.
"Small corrections, Twilight! Small corrections!"
"I'm trying!" Twilight cried as she vainly tried to get the car to straighten out, but every time she tried to correct her steering, the car just swerved violently into the opposite direction. "I can't concentrate while you're yelling at..."
"TWILIGHT LOOK OUT FOR THAT
The two of them stared slack-jawed at the sight before them. Neither of them said a word. The only sound that could be heard was the faint sound of the wind whistling through the nearby trees. Finally Twilight spoke up.
"Maybe...maybe they won't notice?"
Flash Sentry stared at Twilight, then at the long, ugly gash that now adorned the old BMW's once pristine dark blue paint, then back at Twilight.
"...or maybe not." Twilight sighed in defeat. "Maybe we can get some paint and touch it up ourselves? Or maybe..."
"What are you doing?" asked a voice from behind them. Flash and Twilight both let out a scream of surprise, startled by the sudden voice. They both turned around to see who had spoken, only to see Vice-Principal Luna standing there, one hand on her hip and an eyebrow raised in curiosity. Flash's voice died in his throat.
"Oh, h-hello Vice Principal Luna." Twilight said nervously, twiddling with a strand of her hair. "F-Fancy seeing you here. W-What are you doing at the school on a Sunday?"
"I could ask you the same thing, Miss Sparkle." Luna said cooly. "I came to let Miss Fluttershy into the building to work on her banner, and then I had to finish up some reports." Her curious eyebrow remained raised.
"Oh...t-that's nice." Twilight said, looking anywhere but at her.
Luna continued to stare expectantly at the two of them, waiting for them to say something. A full ten seconds of silence passed before she spoke again.
"Miss Sparkle, is there any particular reason why you and Mr. Sentry are standing in front of my car?"
At those words, Flash Sentry's mind ceased to function, and his body mercifully let him pass out, sprawling out on the pavement behind Twilight.
Twilight chuckled nervously. "Well, you see, it's kind of a funny story...."
The sun was just starting to set as they drove home in silence.
After being revived and exchanging insurance information with Luna, Flash had simply told Twilight that they were done for the day. She stared at her lap and listened to the quiet rumble of the car, the absolute silence killing her. Finally, she decided she had to break it.
"I'm really sorry for almost hitting the light pole, Flash."
He remained silent.
"..and for hitting the trash cans."
More silence.
"..and scratching Vice-Principal Luna's car."
Flash took a deep breath, and let it out in a big sigh. "It's fine, Twilight."
"No it's not." Twilight insisted. "It's all my fault. I thought that just because I had read all about how cars worked that I could actually drive one, and I tried to do it anyways even though I wasn't familiar with how standard transmissions work, and I just kept trying over and over again even though it was obvious I sucked because I was just so determined to prove I could do anything, because I'm Princess Twilight, and I can do everything!" Twilight found it getting harder to speak as she began to feel the hot sting of tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. "And looked what happened. I drove awfully, I left skid marks all over the parking lot, I tore up part of the lawn, I damaged school property, I...I scratched up your beautiful car a-and damaged Luna's car, which you're going to have to pay for..." Twilight covered her eyes as she felt more tears begin to escape as her face burned in shame and embarrassment. You big egghead! Why can't you learn when you're in over your head?!
Flash gently pulled the Camaro over to the side of the road and pulled on the handbrake. "Hey," he said softly, "Come here." He undid Twilight's seatbelt and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. Twilight put her head on his shoulder as he began to gently massage her back. "Listen to me. I don't care about the scratches on my car or what happened with Luna. My insurance will take care of most that anyways. And none of it is your fault. They were accidents, that's all. Accidents happen to everybody, even you."
Twilight looked away, ashamed "That may be true, but none of those accidents would have happened if I hadn't been so stubborn about trying to do something I had no clue about. If I had just listened to you and waited for another day, none of this would have happened."
Flash gently guided Twilight's face back to him. "You wanna know what happened the first time I tried to drive stick? I stalled my dad's truck. Three times in a row. And you know what I did afterwards?" Twilight gently shook her head no. "I gave up. Just like that. For almost a month and a half after, I wouldn't even try to drive stick again, because I thought it was too hard. But not you, Twilight." Pride began to work its way into his voice. "You never once gave up, no matter how hard it seemed. No matter how many times you stalled, or hit the curb, or ran into the bushes, you'd just dust yourself off and try again. That wasn't stubbornness, Twilight. That was determination."
A wide smile was now plastered on his face. "And you know what else? You're a pony who came from another world and had to learn all of this stuff from scratch! I've seen people who were born and raised here who've done way worse than you, Twilight, and they've grown up with this stuff. For someone who comes from a place where they don't even have cars, you did amazing for your first time! And I bet with a bit more practise, you'll be driving with the best of them! And you know what, Twilight Sparkle?"
Twilight looked up at him, and was met with a warm and sincere smile.
"I would be happy to go driving with you again."
Twilight smiled and blushed as fresh tears threatened to spill again. She quickly wiped them away, and reached up to gently kissed him on his cheek.
"Thank you, Flash." She whispered.
"You're welcome." He whispered back as he returned the kiss.
Blushing profusely, Twilight gave him another tight hug before she sat back in her seat. Putting his seatbelt back on, Flash put the car in gear and merged back onto the road.
They drove in silence again for a bit, before a smile spread on Flash's face.
"Hey, Twilight, you wanna know something?" He asked with a grin.
"What?" Twilight asked softly, looking at him
"You are definitely....the best pony stick shift driver I've ever seen" he finished with a laugh.
Twilight playfully swatted him on the arm and joined in with his laughter, feeling better than she had all day.
Monday afternoon rolled around, and Twilight Sparkle headed through the halls of Canterlot High. She was heading to the library to do more of her research (today's topic was the history of television and radio broadcasts), and she just needed to grab some books from the locker Principal Celestia had generously loaned to her.
Twilight felt great today. She had put the whole business of her Sunday driving behind her, deciding that right now, she should just focus on the studying part of her human visits. But she was definitely going to take Flash up on his offer to try driving again someday. Just....maybe after she'd done some more research.
Arriving at her locker, Twilight was very surprised to find an envelope addressed to her taped to it. She pulled it off and looked around, wondering who could've left it there. She tore it open, whereupon something fell to the ground with a plop. Twilight bent down and picked it up.
It was a bus pass.
Even more confused now, Twilight looked into the envelope and saw that there was also a letter inside. She pulled it out and unfolded it, and noticed the very regal looking penmanship.
She began to read.
Dear Miss Twilight Sparkle,
Last night, I got a call from Vice-Principal Luna about a very strange incident involving you and Mr. Flash Sentry. This morning, I decided to check the surveillance cameras that are pointed at the rear parking lot. After reviewing yesterday's footage, I have come to the following conclusion.
Twilight Sparkle, you are a very bright and intelligent young lady, a wonderful friend, and a saviour to those at Canterlot High. The staff and all of the students here are truly grateful to you and your friends for saving us and our school twice-over now. And it is with this in mind, that I humbly request that, on behalf of the well-being of all the staff, students, and indeed the school itself, that you never, ever, ever, ever drive again.
Yours Truly,
Principal Celestia
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OMG! Now THAT is a great story, I thought I was bad when I was first taught how to drive a stick shift. Keep up the good work.
Remind me never to let her near my car. I value my transmission.
Heh. In my country you have to take your driver's licence test on manual.
See, I have to favorite this one because Twilight made every single mistake that I did when learning to drive standard twenty years ago, in the exact same order. It's like you knew.
5182575 Well, I did base some parts of the story off my own embarrassing experience of learning to drive stick
5182329
And what country is that?
A riot, this story.
I learned to drive stick in the second car I had ever driven, about two or so years ago on an old rustbucket 1980 Jeep on some friends' property, a 4-speed with an I6. The floor pans were mostly gone, anything that was not metal was completely baked by Texas sun, we had to rebuild the engine because it was so fouled with sludge and carbon that it missed constantly, and best of all, the gearbox falls out of alignment if you don't push the spring all the way before putting it in reverse (Being stuck in 4th is about the opposite of reverse.
), and we still haven't fixed that. I love the thing, and the old AMC workhorse starts up with a snap of the fingers and runs like a song now that we've brought her back to health.
I may not have had quite as much trouble as our unicorn friend here, despite all our similarities in personality, but she didn't grow up with a passion for cars and doesn't play simulation racing games with every assist except ABS turned off, then plays with gear ratios, tire pressure, diff locks, camber and toe, brake pressure, and suspension damping to help negate oversteer on high-powered rear wheel drive cars.
The order of mistakes and the reaction of both driver and mentor are so hilarious because they're so accurate and remind us all of when we first learned. Also, poor girl has to learn on her boyfriend's well-cared for Camaro with its short throws, multitude of gears, and vast stores of torque and horsies under the hood. I must think of the consequences before feeling driven to do the same with any of my girlfriends in the future. 
Anyway, great story and amusing style. The only thing I could see that might want a little improvement is the description of objects, though I myself need greater practice with that very thing myself.
5183816 Poland
The cars for driving lessons have a second break and clutch pedal on the teacher's side, specifically to prevent scenes like above ;p
I just want to see pony RD learn to drive
Funny story! I don't know how to drive (yet), but I hope I do better than Twilight did. I don't have the luxury of taking the bus.
At least Principal Celestia was nice enough to provide an alternative mode of transportation!
This is why I am never going to drive stick in my entire life!
WHAT EVER YOU DO DONT LET PINKIE BEHIND THE WHEEL
Talkin' 'bout a bunch'a shiiiift work... a big ol' pile of shiiiift work...
I like that you didn't go for a completely random story, instead playing it genuinely and letting the inherent comedy of the situation shine through. Everything felt in-character, and you did a good job of making Flash pretty likable.
Also, that bus pass.
well, there Goes $400 up in Smoke, thanks to Twilight Turning Flash's Pirelli PZero Tires into Pirelli Zero (tread) Tires.
and there goes about $3,100 Right Down The Crapper for the Tremec TR6060 Transmission Twilight just Destroyed, and throw in another $336 for the Clutch Flash is about to need...
I've learned to drive a stick and I've done so on the road. I did okay but I just hate it.
I drive an automatic. If any vehicle I'd drive for shifting it'd be a paddleshift.
Fluttershy takes care of lions to? Must make things pretty awkward at lunch time.
5356669 Don't forget the couple hundred for the body work.
7338635
more like several Thousand. but I bet Flash's insurance paid for the damage to Celestia's car.
7340084 It was actually Luna's car. OH! and dont forget the bodywork on Flash's car! Resprays can cost.
7340264
well, that is another $420 for a new front bumper, $100 for a new air deflector, and depending if Flash's Camaro is an SS or not, $831 for a new Front Spoiler and if his car had Fog Lamps add another $266 for replacing both Fog Lamps and their bezels (depending if they got damaged when Twilight hit the Trash Cans); so, far not including painting, and labor costs, the bill to fix Flash's Camaro is a Whopping $5,453! and more than likely, the insurance company will INSIST on using a GM Dealership for repairs, so that is $113 an Hour Labor, and Thankfully his camaro is painted basic black, so he won't get charged out the ass for paint.
7412886 I'm starting to see why driving schools use crappy cars and not $50000 sports cars. Poor Flash. That reminds me. How much does trauma therapy cost?
7414427
hell back in the 70s, the Driver's Ed car my mom used was a Plum Crazy Purple Dodge Challenger Convertible with a white interior, do you know how much THAT is worth Nowadays in good Condition!?
EDIT: of course, even with crappy econobox cars, if you don't know what you are doing, you end up with THIS: i112.photobucket.com/albums/n180/digidude07/asploded%20aveo%20clutch_zpsbj256grn.jpg
this is WHAT'S LEFT of a friction disc and pressure plate of a 2009 Chevrolet Aveo Sedan with only 77,000 miles on it; the previous owner was a LOT like Twilight, and did not know how to drive stick whatsoever. I believe the current owner of the car said she was stuck on a hill attempting a hill start, and likely over revved the engine and dumped the clutch, when then proceeded to explode, which ripped the starter out of the bellhousing, as well as put 3 large holes in the transmission.
7418373
Life can be very wierd at times.
Twilight, I suggest you stay away from the number 34. Just saiyan...