Everyone's Excited

A few days before the peculiar events Karen found herself caught up in, she woke up on a nice Spring day. It had rained during the night, leaving a pleasant scent of wet grass, dirt and stone to hang over the town and its surroundings. The sky was deep blue, and the sun peeked out every few minutes from behind the big, fluffy white clouds.

Karen stepped out of her house on the very western edge of Ponyville, put on her headphones and went off to the center of town to get some groceries. She breathed in that fresh air, bobbing her head to the beat and occasionally tapping or stomping the ground with her sneaker-clad feet. They were well worn, dancing on the edge of 'done', but she kept them nonetheless. She adjusted her hockey bag - which had its fair share of stitches - enjoying the way the sling dug into her shoulder every time, and kept walking towards the market place.

Her entire appearance could be described as disheveled, actually. Didn't bother her, in fact she very much enjoyed it. Whatever, she thought she looked cool. Her sneakers, originally marine blue, were now a sort of sky blue with an off-white color. Her jeans were also faded, but still kept their signature indigo color. She wore a long-sleeved white shirt, sleeves rolled up, underneath a black leather coat. The latter was surely her most enduring article of clothing, having only a few marks here and there, always just the right size ever since she owned it.

Walking along the cobbled streets of Ponyville to reach her destination, she pulled the headphones to the side to adjust her hair, letting her hear the nearby ruckus of vendors and customers, all of them with their various goods, milling around. After unsuccessfully trying to get her headphones to get along with her hair, she simply decided to go with a ponytail and be done with it.

Heh, ponytail.

Even after years of thinking of that lame pun, it never stopped at least a tiny laugh from coming up. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a piece of string and let her hands do their work. Her hair, black as ink, was thin and reached down to her shoulders. Although she didn't care much for how she might appear to others, and even though taking care of your hair was essential in pony culture, she always kept a thought for how her hair looked. It didn't matter for her clothes, they didn't change very often. If it were up to her it would be much shorter, but that just looked really weird for ponies so she compromised and kept it just long enough to be acceptable.

Mane, hair, whatever. There we go. Don't need any weird looks today.

After adjusting her bag, Karen turned a corner and stood on the edge of the crowd. There they were, all smiles and polite words and gestures, moving about from stall to stall. It was almost synchronized if you looked close enough, but she figured that's the way things were in the town of Ponyville. With all those locals, you tend to see a certain pattern develop almost everywhere. Not that it was repetitive and boring, not at all. Contrary to what a lot of people might think, it was rarely ever tedious in this town. The ponies there were nice, hard-working people who were always busy with something, so there wasn't any time wasted in the end.

Alright, here we go.

Taking a deep breath, she set the headphones around her neck and walked into the mass of bodies. She weaved her way though, slipping past this guy and maneuvering her ways through some groups, side-stepping past a cart with a "sorry 'bout that" and reaching the first stand she had on her list.

"Hey there, Karen! How are you today?" asked Carrot Top, handing a bag of - you guessed it - carrots to a customer before facing her.

"I'm good, thanks. How's business today?" mumbled Karen, clearing her throat. She really had to enunciate her words more.

"Same as ever, don't you know! Speaking of, what'll you have?"

"Right, I'll take...four, no, four and half pounds. I don't mind if it's from an older batch," she replied, with a clear voice this time.

"Now that's always kind of you. You know you don't have to do that just for me," said Carrot Top, already quickly picking the products.

"I know," replied Karen with a small smile. She really did know. Didn't bother her since the carrots were excellent anyway, plus that meant more fresh products for the others and it helped Carrot Top out.

Less to waste, everyone wins, Karen's happy.

"Well then, here you go! I'd love to chat but, you know, customers and all, am I right?" said Carrot with a playful eye-roll, quickly tying a strong knot before handing her the bag.

"Yep."

"Alrighty then, see you later!" she replied, already turning to the next customer.

Karen left without another word, moving on to the next item. She liked Carrot Top. Neither too friendly for a professional nor too rigid, that mare knew just how to handle customers. She knew Carrot Top was just being polite when she offered to chat, but she didn't mind. They didn't really hang out or anything, but they weren't strangers either. Acquaintances, that was the word. Then again, Karen was also a local so it was inevitable. Everyone knew everybody to some degree, here in Ponyville.

She made her way from stall to stall, doing that sort of dance that must be danced when you walk in crowds. Side-step, dodge, slip past this and that, let this group of ladies pass, weave your way to the destination, done. Karen liked that natural flow of the crowd, where everyone has to plan their every step and yet it's pretty much muscle memory, or instinct, or whatever you want to call it at a certain point. Little nods, wave to that one vendor you know, a quick 'hello' here and a 'how's it going' there, smiles all around. Yes, Karen liked market days in Ponyville. Nice, lively days where you gotta keep moving.

With her bag full with carrots, tomatoes, apples, cucumbers, potatoes, and even some lentils, beans and bananas - thank you Zecora - Karen made her way back to her home, or lair as she sometimes liked to call it. She was just about to get out of the crowd and walk back on those same cobbled streets before a loud voice rose above the noisy crowd.

"Karen! Hey, Karen! Over here!"

Turning with a smile, Karen spotted Pinkie Pie waving at her over a group of customers in front of her stall. Even Sugarcube Corner had its stall for all those sweet, guilty pleasures, and the only pony who could take on that onslaught of sugar-hungry customers was Pinkie. That mare never stopped moving. Literally. Every time they met, Karen noticed that Pinkie was always either bouncing or skipping around, or fidgeting with her hands or playing with her hair. That was annoying at times, but hey, Pinkie was a blast and a great friend all around so it didn't matter in the end. She walked over to the stand, one hand in her coat pocket and the other holding the strap of her bag, and waited until Pinkie had sorted out all the orders.

"And thank you Mayor, I will see you later, and there you go and how are you, Karen?! What's up, Kay Kay, what's up, girl?!" exclaimed Pinkie Pie, extending a fist towards the girl in question. She had started greeting her that way a while ago, and yet it never got old.

"I'm alright Pinkie, good to see you...dawg," replied Karen, bumping fists and making an explosive gesture with her hand (although less excitedly than Pinkie, who even made the little 'boom' sound), "what's the happy-happs, Pinkie Pop?"

"Guuuuurl, you know what it is! No seriously though, I'm doing great! I got my health and my friends and it's a great day and YEAH! You know what I mean, Bulky!" she shouted, pointing to a stallion with massive biceps who flexed in response, "I'm super excited about Hearts and Hooves Day! Are you excited, huh, huh, HUH?! Because I'm excited!"

"Uh yeah, I'm...totally stoked! So do you have anyone in mind?" asked Karen, gripping the strap of her bag a bit tighter.

"As a matter of fact," replied Pinkie, looking around to make sure they weren't eavesdropped upon, "I do. C'mere."

Karen leaned forward and so did Pinkie, using the back of her hand to hide the side of her mouth.

"There's this one girl, a human girl," she whispered loudly, her eyes shifting from side to side, "she's really cute - she has, like, really piercing green eyes, you know? - and she's super interesting, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get a date with her, but don't tell her about it!"

Blushing, Karen giggled and shook her head, backing away while Pinkie Pie wiggled her eyebrows.

"I won't tell anybody, I promise, Pinkie."

"No need to, I'm kidding! No, I not. Or am ?I!" said Pinkie, staring at her friend with wide eyes and a big smile, "So do you want anything while we're at it?"

"Man I dunno, I really shouldn't..." said Karen, eyeing the various pastries while biting her lip. From fruit pies to cakes and boxes of chocolate truffles, which were only some of the specialties Sugarcube Corner had to offer, there was no shortage of sweet treats to choose from on the platter before her.

"Come ooooon, you know you want to," said Pinkie, looking at the different choices, wiggling her fingers together before pointing to one in particular. "How about zis éclair au chocolat, a Prench dessert I've been working on? Oui, non? It iz délicieux, n'est ce pas? she asked, holding it up with one hand and twirling a fake mustache she had just slapped on her face, "you absolutely must try it, hon hon hon!"

Karen genuinely laughed at Pinkie's faux-Prench accent, and decided she had been won over.

"Alright, alright, I totally deserve this somehow. What's that flavor?" she asked, pointing to an identical pastry with beige frosting.

"But zat iz café, ma petite mademoiselle! It iz, ah, how you say, delicious, yeeees?"

"I'm gonna try that one, then," said Karen, still giggling.

"I'dlovetotryyouout."

"Wait, what?"

"I said sure, in fact it's half-price!" said Pinkie, not skipping a beat and holding the pastry in both hands with a big smile.

"Pinkie, that's not...wait, half-price? Why?" asked Karen, staring at her friend with a strong blush on her face.

"Because you're my friend?"

"Everyone's your friend."

"Because you're my favorite human?"

Karen stood still at that, staring at Pinkie with raised eyebrows, her blush slowly receding.

"Jeez, this sure is a tasty half-priced pastry you're missing out on right now~♪" sang Pinkie, making the éclair dance on her fingers.

"...Alright whatever, you're frickin' weird Pinkie," said Karen, reaching into her coat to get the bits while Pinkie Pie expertly wrapped up the coffee-flavored treat.

"I'm not crazy, you're crazy! And you shush your mouth, Gummy!" babbled Pinkie, grabbing the oblivious reptile out from her hair.

"See you later, alligator," said Karen sarcastically, taking the éclair and waving to her friend.

"Aha! This girl, right here! Hilarious!" said Pinkie with an honest, loud laugh and pointing finger guns at Karen before turning to the next customer.

Well that was a bit weird...but hey, she's cool so it's all good.

She shrugged, putting her headphones back on and walking back to her place. Arriving in front of her home, next to the dirt roads leading out of town, Karen placed her bag on the ground and started kneeling down when see saw a group of joggers running towards her. She dragged the bag to the side and kept her hands in her pockets as they ran past, giving a quick wave when they all greeted her.

Might be training for Hearts and Hooves. Huh...

She turned to face her bag, her eyes following the group. She was about to kneel down again when she noticed that one of the joggers, a stallion, was trying to discreetly check her out. He really was trying. Looking at them over her shoulder, Karen had a sudden impulse. She would later think about it from time to time, asking herself what exactly came over her. Blame it on the sunshine, the upcoming day or her naughtier side, but truth be told she couldn't explain it.

She bent over with her legs slightly parted, making sure to push her butt out, while reaching for her bag. She heard a few of the joggers cry out in surprise, and a few saying things along the lines of 'hey, what gives?' or 'you okay there?' before standing straight and looking back. Apparently it worked, as the group was slightly fractured and the ogling jogger had tripped. He got back to jogging, quickly looking over to her. She smiled in what she hoped was a sexy way, her eyes half-lidded, and wiggled her chest around just a tiny bit. He looked away, a furious blush erupting beneath his face. He struggled with his pants for a good ten minutes after that.

Feeling really giddy she dropped the éclair in her bag, zipped it closed and opened the door. The beat bumped in her ears, and she felt alive and sexy before a thought came to sober her up. She dropped the bag on her small kitchen table and scratched her hair, dumping the headphones next to the bag.

"Yep, that's me. Everyone's favorite, sexy...only human in Equestria. Damn it," she grumbled, shrugging off her coat before unloading the groceries.

**********

"What is up everypony, my name is Vinyl Scratch and I am here to bring you the hottest new piece of music that you ever did hear! Yeah! Kick it baby!"

The strong electro tunes blared out of the radio, as Karen strained to pick herself up from the wooden floor of her room.

Come on, you can do it! 48...and 49, and...50!

She turned over and dropped to the floor, clad only in her gym shorts, panting and sweating after that last glorious push-up. She stared at the ceiling, letting the heat slowly fade from her body and listening to the music that her friend made. She previously needed to catch up on some work outs, and this was just one of the few.

She and Vinyl Scratch were best friends, in fact Vinyl was her only best friend, the two of them hanging out almost on a daily basis. Vinyl would stay over whenever her roommate, Octavia, was called away to some concert or party in places like Canterlot or Trottingham, sometimes even outside the country. In that respect, Vinyl was almost Karen's roommate as well. The mare was aspiring to be a famous DJ with her kind of music, and she was well on her way, acquiring enough bits and fans to get herself a small spot on the radio.

Her music was fast, eccentric and new, appealing to what many called the 'crazier, more chaotic' side of youth and inspiring many new artists. Even though she was pretty popular in the larger cities, especially Manehattan, Vinyl stuck to Ponyville because not only did she like her privacy, but it allowed her to focus on her music and DJ for the local club, The Chaos Capital. Yes, even Ponyville had its own club, where both local ponies and outsiders - a lot of them from Canterlot - came to party and hear her music among others. Despite appearances it was a pretty wild club, where ponies could really let loose, and a lot of what happened in there was kept private. Karen had been there two or three times, and she summed it up like this: 'in the discreet club of a smaller city, ponies aren't as innocent as they seem'.

"And that was 'Overdrive', my loyal minions! I hope you liked it, next up we've got some fresh new tunes from this cool dude I met in Manehattan called Smooth as Tartarus! But first, a quick word about Hearts and Hooves! Oh yeah, baby, that's right! It's almost upon us!"

Karen ignored the radio at that point, getting up to wipe the sweat off her body. Her two-story house was not all that large by pony standards, truth be told. Up top, one bedroom - which she also used as a storage room for all her stuff and an office - and a bathroom, a kitchen that also served as a living room down below. The floorboards creaked here and there, its simple white walls barely decorated and her room was messy with all the stuff she had come to own. But in the end it was her place, and it was the way it was because of her, and that's exactly why she loved it.

She then remembered the potatoes she prepared might have been boiling for too long. She slung the towel over her shoulder and rushed down to the kitchen, where the water bubbled furiously in its pot. She drained them immediately, picked up the salad which she had made before her workout and set the food down on her bedroom/office's table. She ate there when she was alone, which was most of the time. She sat down and stretched, Vinyl's voice bringing her back to reality.

"So yeah, that's all I have to say about that! Sorry my lovelies, you won't get me this year! But hey, there's always next time, and the whole year in fact! Suspense and drama, am I right?! So here we go, this is 'Thunder Down Under' by Smooth as Tartarus! And remember, Hearts and Hooves? Soon! Prepare!" she shouted, ominously, before the radio blasted out a new tune.

Neat. Should have listened to that bit just then, at least to see what she's up to.

Karen ate silently, legs crossed as she sat in her office chair, contemplating what she had to do on this day. She looked at her desk, where several letters were piled up. Some from acquaintances, some from people most likely wanting to meet her (she still got some, surprisingly) and some from various business partners. And, worst of all, some pink letters, with 'H&H' stamped on small hearts dotting the front and back. She sighed heavily at the idea of dealing with them.

Might as well.

She was about to sort through her mail when the bell in front of her house rang several times. Cursing, she quickly tried to scrub off any trace of sweat left and its scent. She didn't keep a schedule most of the time, believing that life didn't really allow for strict planning, but she always made sure never to work out next to someone, except for one friend in particular. Throwing on the first top she could find, she almost jumped down the stairs before flinging the door open.

"Yes, hello, sorry about that!" she shouted, only then seeing who rang.

Vinyl Scratch stood there, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her blue hoodie, legs clenched tight in those black pants of hers. She swayed a tiny bit from side to side, her eyes half-lidded.

"Uh...Vinyl? You alright there?" asked Karen, snapping her fingers in front of her friend's face. Vinyl shook her head before looking at Karen, her eyebrows raised.

"Woah...you, uh...smell pretty damn-"

"Yeah, really sorry about that. Hang on just a sec," replied Karen, before leaving the door ajar. She then ran back up her room, digging into her closet to grab a hoodie before returning to the door. Making sure this hoodie smelled clean, she opened it and stood in the threshold, her arms crossed.

"So what's up?" mumbled Karen, clearing her throat. Vinyl looked her up and down for a second.

"Right, yeah. No, I came by to see if we're still on for Manehattan."

"Yes we are," replied Karen, snapping her fingers and pointing a finger gun at her friend, "that reminds me I have to finish packing, thank you for that."

"Neat, I'm really psyched for this, it's gonna be awesome! You'll see, it's just gonna be you, me and Tavi, and we're gonna hang out and party and just let it all hang out!" said Vinyl, clapping her hands and doing a little victory dance.

"Totally, dude!" she replied, grinning.

"And hey, maybe we can find you some hot piece of ass to bring back to the hotel, know what I'm saying?!" said Vinyl, motioning for a high-five.

Karen cursed internally, and her smile only slipped a teeny tiny bit. She was just a second late for the high five, but she tried to make it as sincere as possible.

"Damn right!"

"Hey, you alright?" asked Vinyl, her smile dropping just a bit and her head tilted to the side.

"Yeah no, it's all good. Just a bit tired today, I had to stay up late last night with some work, plus I was working out and I have a ton of mail, and just, you know..." replied Karen, making sure to look and sound as sincere as possible.

"Okay then, make sure to take it easy once you're done, we gotta have you in shape for Manehattan! But just so we're clear, I'm going ahead to set things up with the hotel and all that, and you gotta join me later, right? You know? Like we discussed?" said Vinyl, as if speaking to a child.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm not that disorganized...stupid."

"Hey girl, I'm just saying," chuckled Vinyl, mockingly holding her hands up in defense, "alrighty then, see ya!"

Vinyl turned back, and meant to leave before she remembered the garage next to her friend's place, and pointed at it.

"No, wait a sec! That beast of yours ready yet?"

"We'll be ready, don't you worry," said Karen with a cocky smirk, standing there smugly with her arms crossed.

"Yeah, okay. You rest up too, big boy," sighed Vinyl, patting the large doors concealing Karen's 'beast', "you know I'm gonna steal that thing from you someday, right?"

"Try it, bitch!" chuckled Karen.

"Oh I won't try, it's happening!" shouted Vinyl playfully while turning away, "oh and uh, nice outfit by the way!"

Karen looked down at herself, realizing she was wearing nothing but a hoodie over a tank top and a pair of short gym shorts. Blushing madly she slammed the door shut, blotting out the sound of her friend laughing. She watched her, through the peep hole, walk down the street before reaching her own, strangely designed home. Vinyl actually worked there, both for her music and her radio segments. She was only a rising DJ after all, meaning she was still working from her own home studio.

Gotta love those sweet, gullible ponies...

Karen sighed and looked around, her eyes roaming over the kitchen area to the left and what qualified as a living room to the right. A couch stood on one side of a large, low table, with a beanbag on the other. Between the two, a tall bookshelf stood against the wall. She trudged up the stairs, many thoughts of what to do, what had been and needed to be done flying through her mind. Cleaning up a bit was certainly one of them, she thought, feeling some dust bunnies stick to the soles of her feet. She stood at the threshold of her door, looking around the chaotic space that was her bedroom. Felt more like she had set up a bed and a little office area among the stuff in her storage room.

She didn't consider herself as a hoarder, despite the seemingly useless nick-knacks scattered on the table; a utilitarian was what she was, as she only kept things that could be of use at one point or another. That's how she justified it, to herself and the only person who had ever seen her bedroom. Beneath her large bed, her bag already kept some of the stuff she needed for Manehattan. Some underwear, a couple of spare clothes, and toiletries. She had also thrown in a book or two, as well as some paperwork she really had to do.

Speaking of, might as well check on that.

She changed into her regular clothes and went downstairs. In the living room area, right next to the bookshelf and behind the beanbag, a plain white door was locked. She pulled on the small chain clipped to her pants, holding her keys, to open two locks she had set up on that door and opened it.

She stepped over the small wire that would set off a trap, sealing shut any escape ways the room had, disabled it and the one near the larger double doors, and turned the crank on the wall next to them. The trap had only been used once, when Vinyl tried to sneak in to see the beast. Good times. Only once indeed, but she kept them there. You never know, that's why.

The roof slowly slid open, the sun shining through the grate she had installed under it, making the room actually feel like a beast's lair. Said beast stood immobile, under a thin dirty sheet, as hundreds of little squares of light shone on it.

“Rise and shine, buddy,” muttered Karen, setting a headphone to the side of her ear and throwing the sheet off. The 'beast' in question was a large, thick-framed grey car.

After a few years of living in Equestria, Karen – with the help of many individuals from different species – had introduced the idea of a newer mode of transportation: vehicles. With nothing but the only book she owned back then and a strong will, she had planned at least a hundred ideas to make her ambition a reality. Said plans required a lot of cooperation, bits, restructuring and legislature just as a start. The people of this world were a lot more open to ideas that she had originally thought – not to say there wasn't any hesitation or doubt at first – and with a crew of ponies, minotaurs, diamond dogs and zebras, she had a solid base to start from.

Some species didn't really care much for her idea, such as griffons, yaks and dragons. All of them had their reasons, but a common point was their isolationist policies. Dragons didn't care much for the rest of the world's population, yaks were proud and independent folk, and griffons didn't see the point really since they could all fly. But Karen had enough support to start working on her projects, and eventually the skeptical species surely but slowly joined in. In the end, they all brought their touch to her ideas.

These new vehicles were used mostly for industrial purposes, such as moving goods and materials across great distances much faster than carriages or boats ever could and more flexible than trains. As such, trucks were the most popular, with minotaurs at the top of that particular branch. Big, strong vehicles for big, strong creatures. Buses were also growing in popularity, actually sharing the intense work carriages had to do when it came to public transportation. Finally, regular cars were somewhat of a rarity. Thanks to the wide variety of terrains Equestria had to offer, they were used for competitive driving more than anything. Cars for private use were the lesser part of the whole ordeal, mostly used by families and those who simply wanted to drive. In general, it was agreed upon that driving private cars in the city was a terrible idea for several obvious reasons.

And then there was the beast. There was no car like it in Equestria, which is exactly why Vinyl wanted it so much. In fact it was the first car ever built there, a prototype of sorts. It had been built from scratch, based on blueprints made by Karen and her team, remodeled a few times, modified in practically every spot, and repaired many times after testing. It wasn't a truck and not built for competitive racing, but it was big enough to hold her and what she valued, more solid than the race cars and definitely faster than trucks. It was definitely one of the few things she could never consider letting go of. Through a very peculiar twist of fate, the design was very similar to that of an old Mustang car.

Karen let her hand glide over the car as she circled around it, smiling fondly at her creation. It had taken more than a decade to reach her goal, but here she was. At the young age of twenty nine, nearing thirty, that's how she got by. Her creation didn't change the world, but it did contribute one hell of a lot. Profits had done nothing but grow, and yet she only took enough from them to live how she wanted. That meant enough for food, rent, car maintenance, and a tiny bit extra when she needed to buy an item in particular or treat herself, which happened rarely. Every once in a while, she would donate to this hospital or that school, or to whatever she wanted, really. People asked her why, and admired her for her generosity. All she had to say was that if she had enough to live she was fine, and why not give? Not like she needed all that money.

Yep, the world seems bigger now, doesn't it...

After a few minutes lost in her thoughts, Karen snapped back to reality with a shudder. Getting into the driver's seat, she pulled a small yellow lever underneath the steering wheel. Panels opened on the roof of the car, and absorbed that sweet delicious sunshine. She turned the key in the ignition and the car hummed awake, light rising like the sun and leaving the inside bathed in a warm orange color. She could hear the first engine working smoothly, making the car purr in a way that sent shivers up her spine. She checked the different icons, levers and buttons, giving them all a test. Everything seemed to be alright.

She then set the yellow lever back in its place, and pulled a blue one. Every single little panel flipped over to feed on moonlight, but there was none to receive, making the car give a little whining noise as the lights went out, instead of going either pink or blue. Second engine works, she thought with a nod. She pulled up a lever to the left of the wheel, and the car tried to get its turbines working with the wind it had to take in. No wind, no dice, more whining.

And now, we get personal.

With a grin, she got the solar panels back up - making the car almost sigh with pleasure as it restarted - and then turned a large black key in the dashboard. The car's headlights went from a soft yellow light to a strong white and the fourth and final engine roared to life. Outside, a couple of colts jumped back in fear of the monstrous noise coming from what the local kids called 'the alien's shack'. They weren't mean to her - hell, no one was - but they were intrigued. The car rumbled and shuddered, as if hoped up on sugar and caffeine, and the engine almost sounded as if it were cackling. Gears turned, cylinders chugged away, and the gems inside shone brightly, filled with magic in their dark room. Karen crossed her legs tight and let her head fall back with a dumb smile, her eyes closed.

Thank you, diamond dogs. This was why her car, with that extra engine, was unique. When it came time to add their part to the world of vehicles, diamond dogs turned out to be the authority on several aspects. Call it a natural talent or a new, intense passion for the fast metal boxes, they knew how to get a motor running. They were rowdy, loud and proud, so their motors were built as such. They built every kind of motor there was - even before cars, they provided for trains - creating the heart of trucks and buses and racing cars. And then there was the beast. Almost revered in some circles of doggy mechanics, she had commissioned the dogs on her team to build her an engine powerful enough 'so you know the beast is approaching', as she put it. And deliver they did. Karen drove frequently, either for traveling or for professional purposes, but she only used that particular engine on some occasions, like when she was alone on a long road.

You could leave, you know.

She suddenly stared ahead, seeing the large doors of her garage bathed in white light. She could, actually. She fantasized about slamming her foot on that pedal, kicking it to the highest gear and blasting through them, drifting to the right and launching herself on those dirt roads. Past Fluttershy's home, past Sweet Apple Acres, only the roads awaited her.

She lowered her foot every slowly, her breathing fast and her whole body shaking with the car. Her fingers gripped the wheel until her knuckles were white, and she could feel sweat staining her shirt. The car seemed to get louder and louder, almost deafeningly so. She could do it. She could drive, get away from Ponyville, from everybody, just her and her bag full of stuff on the road.

Her foot put as much pressure as a mouse would on the accelerator, and yet The Beast crept closer to the doors. The car seemed to be screaming now, and so did she, without entirely being aware of it.

"I hate, and I hate and I hate and I hate and I HATE GOD DAMNIT!"

She slammed her foot down on the brake, and The Beast jerked to a stop, almost as shocked as her. It grumbled until silence reigned over the garage, except for the heavy breathing of its human occupant. She was shaking, her hands still on the wheel, and tears flowed freely from her eyes. Suddenly, she slammed a fist on the steering wheel once, twice, the repeatedly with both, yelling and cursing the whole time.

"I'm done! I'm done and I'm done and I'm done and we moved on! Stop being so God! Damn! STUPID!"

Eventually, she stopped. Exhausted, she let her head rest on the wheel and sobbed quietly. After a few minutes, she let herself fall back in the seat, her hands wiping her face clear of sweat and tears and snot. She sighed deeply, and pet the wheel lovingly. It was undamaged, another sturdy part of the sturdy beast it was.

"I'm sorry baby, that was really stupid of me. I'm alright now. You know I don't do that, usually. I'll get a full cleaning done just for that. The works, full treatment, baby. Here, have some munchies," she whispered, flipping the solar panels open and turning it on. The car sighed affectionately, and the orange light returned along with the vibrations.

We're sad and lonely, aren't we? Yup, but hey, we're still us. S'all that matters. Come on now.

Slowly opening the door, she circled around the car, patting it and checking the various parts up top. Once that was done, she went to the door to pick up the wheel board that lay against the wall. Usually she would head to the town's garage, where she did volunteer work when she had free time, and hook it up to a lift, but she didn't feel like going out today. Picking up a few choice tools, she lay on the board and went under The Beast. Checking the axis, the brakes, the suspensions, frames and other parts of its anatomy, she gave a squeeze here and tightened that. She even stroked it in some spots, laughing at how weird she much have seemed, whispering things like 'yeah, you like that don't you? I know you do...' to a car, even if that was a damn fine car.

Once she was satisfied she put everything back in its place, giving a pat on the trunk before closing up the panels, turning the car off and throwing the sheet back over it, almost tucking the machine in.

"You know I'm sorry right? Yeah...alright, you sleep tight. We got a big ride coming in a few days. We could both use a getaway," she muttered. She then turned the crank, the roof sliding back over the grate, set the traps back up, and then slumped into her beanbag, pushing the door shut with her foot.

She checked the clock on her wall. 4 PM. She had spent an hour in there. How much of it was spent being crazy, she didn't know. She let herself sink into her seat a bit, simply staring at the clock. it was quiet, except for a few noises from the outside world. 4:05 now. Would she be late? Nah, she could swing that.

Gotta do some maintenance on this body, too.

Pushing herself out of the beanbag, she reached her room to gather her sporting clothes and stuffed them in her bag. After locking the door and stuffing the chain-held keys in her pocket, she set out towards the Everfree Forest, hands stuffed in her pockets and headphones playing loudly.

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