//------------------------------//
// We Can't Race? 
// Story: Vinyl's New Opponent 
// by OctaScratchRock 
//------------------------------//

"He tried to kill me!" shouted Rainbow Dash. "He has a gun!"

Vinyl's eyes shot open. "He WHAT!?"

Muscle Power made a strong scowl. He directed his expression to Naturally Aspirated, who was standing in a nervouls stance. "I told you to only use that gun if you were absolutely sure they couldn't get away if you shot them." he said. "Now that you've destroyed any trust they may have had in us, Vinyl may not accept a race with me."

"I'm so terribly sorry, boss." said Naturally Aspirated, trying to look as ashamed as a stallion can be. "I WAS certain that I'd kill her. I don't know what went wrong."

"You aren't an idiot." said Muscle Power. "So quit making yourself look like one."

Vinyl looked over at the two stallions. "We've had enough out of you." said Vinyl. "We're out of here."

Muscle Power was desperate to race the supposedly unbeatable R32. "Please don't judge me by my teammate." he said. "This could be my only chance to race you."

Vinyl scowled. "And this could be MY only chance to avoid getting shot by some maniac!" she protested.

Muscle Power sighed. "See, Naturally?" he said. "Now you've blown my chance to race her. From now on, you'll only be my mechanic. As long as you live, you'll never be a driver for my team again."

"Yes, sir....." said Naturally Aspirated, whose facial expression resembled that of a teenager who was just handed a detention slip by his teacher.

Listening to them converse, Vinyl and Rainbow looked at each other. "Don't race them." said Rainbow. "Let's just get out of here. They're crazy."

Vinyl looked up at the sky and thought to herself. Rainbow Dash was almost certainly right. But there WAS an 'almost' in that sentence, right? Maybe racing Muscle Power would be an unforgettably exciting dogfight. But then again, maybe it would be unforgettable in the other way.

Vinyl thought for at least twenty minutes, just standing there in the moonlight. 

Finally, Vinyl formed a serious looking scowl on her face.

"Let's do this race," she said.

Rainbow Dash's mane spiked up and her eyeballs shot open. "WHAT!!?" she yelled. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!!!??"

Vinyl looked at Rainbow Dash. "I like to live dangerously. It's what I do. Otherwise, would I have started driving a race car in the first place?"

Muscle Power overheard. "You will?" he asked. his face brightened up at this statement.

"I'll race." said Vinyl. "C'mon, R32."