My Little Chrono Triggers Are Magic

by Pav Feira

A Sky of Fire and Rainbows

2300 AD

#32 Ruins

After parting ways with the ponies of Carrij Dome, the three friends headed east. Following the information center’s map, they solemnly walked through the ruins of the old civilization, working their way to the next Gate.

“That thing is responsible for all of this, isn’t it?” murmured Rainbow Dash tersely. She had seen the answer a few hours ago, but the full implications of that video were only starting to sink in, and it was bringing her blood to a slow boil. “It was the one who screwed up the planet. Killed millions of ponies. Made everypony else give up on living. Lavos...”

“But it’s okay! We can fix everything!” Pinkie Pie cheerily reminded her friend. “We just need to hop back in time, stop the big old baddy from popping out of his hole and shooting its death-rays all willy-nilly, and then the future will be safe and happy again!”

“Oh, we’ll stop that monster, all right,” Rainbow Dash growled. “I’ll buck it right in its stupid face if I have to. There’s no way I’m gonna let the future get messed up like this.”

Twilight Sparkle playfully bumped into her brooding friend. “You’re not in this alone, Rainbow. Pinkie Pie and I will be right alongside you, every step of the way.”

“Thanks, you guys,” she replied with an embarrassed grin. “I’ll be counting on the two of y– look out!” She shoved her companions behind a mound of twisted iron, barely dodging the incoming laser bolt. Responding quickly, the three ponies leapt out of cover, weapons drawn to the ready.

A squad of sentry bots was approaching from around the bend. The rudimentary robots appeared equestrian-inspired in their design, yet largely simplified. They roughly resembled a parade of tennis balls, with their spherical lime-green bodies. They bounced roughly across the coarse terrain of the torn-up road, as there were no shock absorbers on their trio of stubby wheel braces. Their oblong heads jerked back and forth violently, as the prominently mounted optical sensor desperately tried to fix onto the intruding ponies. The sentries rolled out in an arc before the ponies, blocking their progress deeper into the ruins. “Entry into this sector is forbidden,” announced a synthesized voice.

Rainbow Dash flashed a cocky grin, teeth clamping tight on her katana’s hilt. She did appreciate her friends’ words of emotional support, but at heart she was a mare of action. And right now, she was aching to get her hooves dirty again. “Didn’t you chumps just hear me? I am going to kick the destroyer of worlds in its face. You tin cans aren’t even in the same league as me!” she hollered, leaping through the air toward her foes.

A blur of yellow and orange whizzed between the pegasus and her prey, forcing her to screech to a halt in midair. As the object slowed and began lazily circling the air around them, Rainbow Dash was shocked to realize this was yet another mechanical guard. However, this particular model was more advanced than its green tripod brethren. The robot’s head was clearly shaped like a pony’s, down to her amber eye sensors and fiery orange mane. Her neck connected down to a elongated trunk, but at this point the similarities with a pony ended. Instead of a pair of soft feathered pegasi wings, a pair of sturdy fixed wings ran along the length of her golden sides. Jet engines on the tip of each wing rotated themselves skyward, allowing her to hover steadily in the air, perched between the ponies and sentries.

“Whoa, hey, c’mon now,” emanated a feminine voice from the jet-pony. “Everypony cool their jets.”

The guardbots reeled back in surprise, letting out a rusty creak that nearly sounded like a gasp of awe. “It’s... the MARE!” they crooned in unison.

“That’s enough, you bolt-heads,” the jet-pony teased. “Stop embarrassing me in front of the trespassers.”

“The Mare?” questioned Rainbow Dash, stepping forward skeptically. “Who the heck are you supposed to be?”

The flying robot chuckled. “Oh, don’t mind them. I’ve just got a bit of a fan club.” Her thrusters softened slightly, causing her to drift gently toward the ground. “I’m a Bolt Series Aerial Assault Unit, serial number S-P7F-R3. Just call me Spitfire. That’s easier.” She stopped her descent, gently hovering eye-to-sensor with Rainbow Dash. “So. The three of you are trying to get through these ruins, huh?”

“Yeah! Why?” shouted Rainbow Dash as she smashed her nose against Spitfire’s. “You and your goonies planning to stop us?”

“Chill, chill...” she placated, slowly drifting back away from the hostile pegasus. “Yeah, technically we’re under orders to prevent anypony from getting through here. It’s kinda dumb though; there’s never any ponies coming this way...”

“Not in decades,” chimed in one of the guardbots.

“Terribly boring guard detail,” lamented another.

“...Spitfire, I love you,” whispered a third.

“So I’ll tell you what: why don’t we make things more interesting?” Spitfire spun around in the air, pointing herself toward a toboggan-shaped vehicle resting just off the pathway. “That jet-bike over there should still be operational. Think the three of you can keep up with me in a race?”

Twilight Sparkle gasped as her eyes lit up with glee. She bounded excitedly over to the jet-bike. “Incredible! I’ve never seen propulsion engines like this on a land craft before. Jeez, this puppy could probably reach top speeds of over–”

“Pffft!” Rainbow Dash objected loudly. “You may be a machine, but you obviously don’t have history records like the ones in Carrij Dome. Otherwise, you’d recognize that you’re talking to Rainbow Dash, fastest pegasus in the history of ever.”

Spitfire stared at Rainbow Dash as her circuits rushed to catch up. “Wait... you actually want to fly against me? As in, fly with your wings? Hun, these are jet thrusters,” she said, spinning the propulsion engines on her wings. “A biological pony like you isn’t even in the same league as me. I was trying to give you a sporting chance with the jet-bike...”

The pegasus angrily charged up to Spitfire again, jabbing her in the chestplate with a hoof. “How about I give you a sporting chance? How does a five-second head sound?”

“Haha, c’mon girl, watch the personal space,” laughed Spitfire.

“I don’t get it,” quietly questioned Pinkie Pie. “Wouldn’t this bike make the race heaps easier? Why is Dashie acting that way?”

Twilight Sparkle chuckled knowingly. “Because, Pinkie, that’s who Rainbow Dash is. She’s always seeing insults and challenges where none exist. It’s a matter of pride, I suppose. Lucky for her, she usually has the skill to put the bits where her bite is.”

“I bet!” Pinkie Pie’s eyes glistened excitedly. “All those years of training and dedication and–”

“And besides,” she deadpanned, climbing into the cockpit of the jet-bike, “when she inevitably gets in over her head, we’ll be there to bail her out.”

“So, how about it?” Rainbow Dash continued her challenge. “Are you tough enough to race me? Or are you just yellow?”

“Heh, you’ve awfully confident. I like that.” With a laugh, Spitfire’s thrusters launched her skyward. “C’mere, I’ll show you the course.”

Rainbow Dash flew after the jet-pony into the sky. From their high vantage point, Spitfire outlined the race course. The first leg dived and weaved through melted steel girders, turning the ruins into an impromptu obstacle course. The second leg of the course climbed up the side of a destroyed skyscraper. The building had been knocked over, and now rested at a slight incline. Once reaching the top of the sloped building, both racers would dive back down to ground level, where they would reach the third and final leg: a straight shot to the edge of the ruins.

“And that’s the course,” concluded Spitfire. “So, how about this: if you win, you and your friends get to pass through the ruins. If you lose...”

“I. Don’t. Lose,” responded Rainbow Dash with a smirk as large as her confidence.

Below, her friends had loaded into the jet-bike and fired up its engines. “Good luck, Rainbow Dash!” cheered Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie Pie waved her hooves excitedly. “We’ll meet you at the finish line!”

Rainbow Dash grinned and flexed her muscles. Thanks, Twi and Pinkie, she thought. Don’t you worry; this race is as good as won!

“Aww, c’mon Twilight,” pleaded Pinkie Pie from the backseat. “Can’t I drive this thing? Please? Please? Can I? Pretty please with gumdrops on top?”

Twilight Sparkle winced sharply. “Err, Pinkie, you should really let me–”

“Hey! What’s this thingy do?!” Leaning over her friend’s seat, Pinkie Pie jammed the throttle control to full power. With a lurch, the jet-bike flew across the ground, racing toward the finish line.

“Piiink-iiie!” screeched the terrified unicorn.

Taking this cue, Spitfire ignited her own thrusters, diving below into the twisted wreckage of the race course. Immediately, Rainbow Dash felt her stomach sink. Crap, she’s fast... I shouldn’t have given her that head-start! One Sonic Rainboom, two Sonic Rainboom, three Sonic Rainboom, four Sonic Rainboom, five Sonic Rainboom! She dove into the course, bent on catching her opponent.

Myriads of girders and wreckage raced toward her. Foal’s play. Her body ran on instinct, as years of training took control. Finely-tuned muscles adjusted her course, twisting and bending through the pathway. A dead end! No, just a sharp turn downward. She spread her wings to slow her descent. Slow enough. This is a race. She carried her dive’s momentum into the tunnel’s new direction. Gravity is upward. That’s fine. I’ll rotate soon enough.

She blew through a straightaway. Incoming dive. Gravity is upward. Spin then climb. She stretched and tilted a wing, causing herself to spiral. There, now it’s a climb. Shallow climb. Don’t flap. Got enough speed. Her wing muscles strained against the air currents whizzing past her. Too optimistic! Shit! The debris scraped along her tender underside, digging into her flesh and destabilizing her flight. Flapping her wings fiercely, she managed to lift herself over the wall without getting torn to shreds any further. Deal with the pain. This is a race. Risks must be taken. I don’t lose.

Sharp turn. She angled her wings. Girder! Take the outside path. She slacked her wings, and touched off the wall with her hooves. Easy, but too many turns. Losing speed. Can’t lose. She flapped with all her strength, propelling herself faster. Must catch up to Spitfire.

Speak of the devil. First, plumes of the robot’s exhaust. Then, the jet-pony’s flank. Then, the back of her mane. Each twist and turn of the course revealed a better glimpse of the leader. She flashed a wicked smirk. Amateur. All speed. No agility. This leg is all sharp turns. Advantage: Rainbow Dash.

Suddenly, the tunnel opened up. The fallen building came into view. Second leg. Dammit. Spitfire glided up the side of the inclined structure with ease. She’s gaining. Thirty meters back. Three legs in the course. No more sharp turns. Advantage: Spitfire. I don’t lose. Gaining altitude; losing speed. Jet thrusters are cheating; she’s pulling ahead. Can’t lose. Must find a way.

Something caught her eye. Open window. It’s a building. It’s hollow. Gotta risk the shortcut. She flared her wings to their max wingspan, causing her muscles to burn in protest. Slow enough. Dive inside. Sun dammit! Not hollow. It’s caved in! No, flash of light. There’s a path! Gravity pulled her closer to the onslaught of obstacles. Wall. Twisted desk. Future carriage thingy. She didn’t have to think; instinct took over. Every limb, every muscle, every feather fell back onto years of training and twitch reactions. Spin and flap. Dodge and weave. Can’t crash. Can’t lose. The window.

Outside. Spitfire gasped in amazement, and called out to the pegasus. Talking can wait. Must win. In the lead. Second leg over.

Third leg: the straightaway. Advantage: Spitfire. No. Spitfire’s pulling ahead. NO! Fucking cheater with those fucking jets. I don’t lose. Excuses can wait. Hold nothing back. She flapped with all her strength. Can’t lose. Losing distance. Not good enough. Screw that, I am good enough. Finish line on the horizon. Give it your all.

I don’t lose. Wind racing past me. Vision blurring with tears. Sight is irrelevant. Trust your other senses. Flap harder. Wings burning. Faster. I don’t lose. Fatigue setting in. No, I can sleep any day. Today, I must not lose. Faster. A lifetime of training. This feeling feeling... Nirvana... I can taste it. Faster. Air currents spiraling around me. I don’t lose. Wind tearing my body. Twilight. Faster. Must go faster than ten years ago. I’m almost there. Faster. Faster. Ocean.

The ocean? thought Rainbow Dash to herself. She chanced a glance downward. Kilometers of ocean waves stretched before her. What the hey? Spitfire didn’t mention any oceans! She flared her wings sharply, screeching to a halt in midair. Shit, where am I? I went off-course? I lost?! Where am I? In a panic, she whipped her head around, desperately trying to regain her bearings.

A faint cry drifted across the breeze. “Dash!” It was Twilight Sparkle’s voice.

Rainbow Dash turned around. Before her, the coastline stretched from horizon to horizon. Squinting, she could make out a few specks: purple and pink on the ground, yellow in the air. Reality dawned on her. Jeez... I completely flew past the finish line! Great, looks like I totally “got in the zone” and blacked out there. Why does that keep happening... She circled back, curious to learn the results of the race.

As she neared the finish line, she grinned from ear to ear. The race’s outcome was crystal clear. And entirely expected. And completely awesome. Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie were beside themselves, leaping ecstatically into the air and cheering wildly. Spitfire hovered solemnly near the finish line.

“Rainbow, that was incredible!” crooned Twilight Sparkle. “I’ve never seen you fly so fast in all the years we’ve–”

“Holy Swiss cheese! You really could be Captain of the Wonderbolts!” jabbered Pinkie Pie as she shook with excitement. “Those moves were cuh-razy! You were flipping and flapping and flying and fwooshing and–”

“–speedometer clearly showed we were traveling over eight hundred kilometers per hour, but you and Spitfire blurred right past us–”

“–had no idea you were that fast. You were a force of nature! A bolt of lightning! A musical yak! A–”

“–called out to you when you hit the finish line, but you didn’t listen! Just kept racing away with your head in the clouds, like usual–”

“–super-duper inspirational, you know? I mean, it’s like, after watching you go all out, I wanna give it a hundred and ten percent too! We should all reach for our dreams! Thanks to you–”

Rainbow Dash felt electricity coursing through her veins. Praise and adoration were the motivation for her life’s work. She already knew that she trained hard, and had the makings of a champion. But nothing topped the euphoria of a cheering crowd, be it two ponies or two thousand. It might be a bit egotistical and vain – she was the first to admit this – but no other feeling in the world came close.

“Rainbow Dash, was it?” Spitfire hovered up to the race’s victor. “I guess you didn’t need to use that jet-bike after all.”

“Told ya, didn’t I?” she triumphantly reminded the jet-pony. “Fastest pegasus in the history of ever.”

“Heh, that you did. You sure had some smooth moves out there, for an organic pony. Maybe next time I won’t need to hold back so much.”

“Heck yeah, Spitfire! You better bring your A-game,” she boasted with a smirk. “This race was just the practice round. Next time, I won’t be flying on an empty stomach. It’ll be a true contest of skill.”

The two speedsters laughed, determined yet good-natured, as they sized each other up. They both knew a proper rival when they saw one. As they parted ways for now, they pined for the next chance to race against one another. For them, the next contest would not come soon enough.

Comments

[Chengar Qordath]

Nicely written race, though the chapter was a bit on the short side. Not an issue as long as we get more chapters soon (and going off what you said on the fic's ED page, that should happen soonish).

Loved Spitfire as The MARE.

[Letedwend]

Oh man, reading this fic makes me geek out so hard. Great job so far! Can't wait for *spoiler redacted*, and especially *spoiler redacted*!

[Appleloosa2011]

Totally awesome

[Salnax]

New chapter! Hooray!

A bit short, but not too short. This chapter fulfilled its objective.

[Katanauser]

Heck yeah! RD FTW!!!!

[Rhyme]

So, so glad to see this updated, was one of my favourite ongoing fics when I found it and I've not even played Chrono Trigger, though I'll definitely have to soon if this is any indication. Wicked race scene, can't wait for the next chapter :D

[RTStephens]

Heh, nice use of short sentences to get across the thought process Rainbow was going through. That mare's got plenty of energy, even on an empty tank.

Nicely done!

[Silverstein]

Great chapter! I think this was the farther extent of my old read-through.

Which means...new stuff! Yeah!

Silver out!