//------------------------------// // Lap 1 (Burn Rubber) // Story: Highway 35 // by raven618 //------------------------------// All ten drivers pulled into a starting line in front of the proving ground. A small drone built like a traffic light hovered in front of the assembled cars. Applejack found herself on the far left of the line. Spitfire next to her, followed by the unknown Road Beast, Sunset, Rainbow, Zecora, Rarity, Twilight, Cadence, and Pinkie. “The track exists in a different dimension from our own,” Luna explained from the racer’s dash computers “a dimension you won’t see, until the race begins.” Rainbow pulled her sky and light blue helmet onto her head. The clear eye piece giving a slight blue tint to her world. Applejack gripped her steering wheel tight, her Stetson replaced by a yellow helmet with a full-face shield and decorated with a white rodent skull design on each side. “When you reach 300 MPH the portal between the dimensions will open. Another portal at the end of the track will return you to this dimension.” “Okay, is anyone else wondering if this Luna lady is just loony?” Pinkie asked, her hair somehow contained in a green helmet with yellow skid marks and red animal eyes printed on it. “It took a genius to design these cars.” Sunset responded, her own black helmet detailed with fire and skull designs. “You can be a genius, but still be considered crazy.” Cadence offered. Her purple and green helmet lacked any attached eye wear, so she and Rarity were wearing yellow goggles under their helmets. The starting light suddenly jumped to yellow. “Cut the chatter, rookies!” Spitfire ordered over the radio, but everyone else had turned their full focus on the race. Engines revved, brakes tightened, RPM was jumped, and nerves were steeled. Twilight began to sweat, her helmet was identical to Rainbow’s in all but one way, her eyepiece had been treated so that she didn’t need to wear her glasses. It suddenly dawned on Rarity that she had forgotten to strap her seatbelt. One quick press of a button remedied that. The light turned green. Ten engines all gunned at once. Straight out of the gate, Rarity took an early lead. Zecora saw this and switched to a different gear, her Krazy 8s car pulling up alongside her. Sunset and Rainbow were neck and neck behind them. Now that her engines were going, Pinkie’s Twin Mill quickly accelerated and threatened to take the lead. “Time to break some barriers.” Rainbow said, before triggering her Nitrox 2 boosters. Her car jumped forwards, claiming the lead from Rarity and Applejack. She hadn’t practiced much with the Nitrox and the rearing up of the car took her by surprise. A quick glance at her speedometer told her that she was going over 200 MPH and still climbing. Sunset quick hit her own booster, giving it just a short dose of the blue fluid. She had seen racers use similar boosters on the streets and she knew to hold back, too much and you run straight into a wall. Pinkie, Applejack and Rarity each hit their own booster and fell into line with the other two. The rest of the racers following behind them. As the cars roared across the sand, each of them started reading 300 MPH, the speedometer readout turning red. In front of the racers, a swirl of light grew out of the sky, before exploding into a ring of orange with green fire. The inside of the ring was a tunnel of purple. “Oh, my word.” Twilight said to herself as she saw the portal. The cars all began to converge on the portal. As the leaders moved forwards, their cars began to glow until they hit the portal dead on, in which they turned into streams of light drawn into the center of the portal, before it closed shut behind them. = = = The portal opened ejecting the leaders onto an orange track winding through… “Where are we?” Rarity asked in awe. “The Egghead was right,” Rainbow said. “It’s another dimension.” The other racers jumped out of the portal with similar states of amazement. “Highway 35.” The grey-haired woman said, “A racetrack built by the Accelerons!” “Check out these rocks!” Pinkie said. The twisting track they were on was suspended between several jutting spires of a dark brown rock she couldn’t identify. “Forget the rocks, Pinkie, check out that sky.” Applejack countered. The sky above them was orange, and devoid of any sun, instead was a large gas giant planet. The track was far more narrow than the open desert they had started on, forcing the cars into a more single file line. A line Sunset had found herself in fifth because of. “It’s still a track. And that’s my world.” She kicked the gas up and began feinting out the other drivers to make them move out of the way. Rainbow saw this in her rearview mirror, and decided to stick the center of the road, the size of her Deora II would keep the outside lanes clear. She was suddenly jostled as Sunset’s ’70 Roadrunner began muscling it’s way past her. “Hey! Watch the paint!” Sunset didn’t grace her with a response and just moved ahead into first place. With the Roadrunner no longer pressing against the Deora’s side, Rainbow overcompensated in her correction and ran into Applejack’s Mega-Duty. Both cars began skidding out of control across the track, before flying off onto the strange stone. “Rainbow! Are you alright?” Twilight called over the radio as her car sped past the crash. “Yeah, I’m alright.” She responded, “I’m fine. A wipeout like that and I don’t have a scratch on me. Luna sure made these cars tough.” She quickly put her car back on the track, Applejack just seconds after her, both eager to take back their lead. = = = Sunset led the other racers through the peaks, oblivious to the giant loop looming in the distance. Pinkie had let Sunset hold the lead for a while, but now she decided she wanted a turn up front. So, she kicked her car into high gear as the track fed into a straightaway. She breezed past Rarity and Sunset, giving the latter a short wave, before pulling into first. Her Twin Mill jumped over a rise in the track, and she saw the biggest loop ever. “Now that is what I call a loop!” The loop didn’t appear to be a mandatory part of the track, instead it was off set so the driver could choose to ride it or keep going straight. Pinkie gave her engine all she’s got and started up the loop. “Oh-ho-ho-yeah! I’m gonna make it!” She said as she began climbing. “I’m gonna make it! I’m-- “ She got quiet as gravity suddenly reasserted itself, and pulled her car off the track. She had only made it halfway up. “…Not gonna make it.” Rarity and Sunset crested the jump neck and neck, just in time to see Pinkie’s car flip end over end. An alarm sounded off in Pinkie’s cabin, the monitor telling her to pull the emergency brake. She did so, causing a parachute to deploy and slow her fall. Sunset and Rarity sped past her car, aiming to keep on the track. Sunset saw that the track ended in a quick rise, followed by open air. A jump. “I’m going for it.” Sunset said, confidently. Rarity had a different opinion, “We don’t have enough speed for that jump!” She quickly hit the brakes. Sunset followed suit and ended up swerving to keep from falling over the edge. The gap was over thirty meters to the end point, with a river of molten stone at the bottom. The rest of the racers began pulling to a halt, bringing the race to a grinding halt. = = = From the observation chamber, Luna watched as her plans all began to fall apart. She was a fool, a complete fool. This was an impossibly obstacle, after all the time she had tried to overcome it, why had she assumed these children could- one of the cars wasn't stopping. = = = Rainbow sped past the line of stopped cars, her target, the loop. “You think you can take that loop, rookie? You can’t.” Spitfire chased the hot blood. “What’s the matter, grandma? Didn’t you ever grind a half-pipe?” “WHAT DID YOU SAY, DEADMEAT!?!?” Rainbow ignored the aviator and focused on the task at hand, ‘Now how did Scootaloo do this?’ She made it to roughly the halfway point, then abruptly hit the emergency break and pulled right hard on the steering wheel. Her truck swerved right until it was facing down the ramp she had just climbed and released the brake and began driving in the opposite direction. She drove up the other side of the loop before doing the same thing and driving back towards the other side, only even faster that before. “She’s doing it to pick up speed!” Cadence realized, before she and a few of the other drivers hit the gas and began to follow her actions. Suddenly the racetrack looked more like a skate park, with cars riding up and down the loop, building speed and keeping out of each other’s way. Rainbow had built up enough speed that she began to drive upside down on the loop. She hit the gas, pushing the truck to its limits before firing her jump boosters, sending her airborne towards the opposite ramp. Spitfire looked on in disbelief as Pinkie started cheering on the surfer girl. “Fly high, Rainbow!” She landed on the down ramp at high speeds, the other drivers making room for her, and made her way towards the jump. Her smile a mile wide as she took off like a bullet across the gap. “Come on, come on.” Twilight prayed as she watched her start to descend. Rainbow hit the other side of the track and bounced before she continued driving. “SHE DID IT!” Pinkie and Twilight cheered at the same time. = = = Luna jumped out of her seat and threw her arms into the air, “WOHOO!” she exclaimed. Before remembering who she was and brushing herself down and thanking the stars that no one else saw that. = = = “Well that’s all fine and good, but how exactly are the rest of us supposed to- “ a squealing noise came from the loop as Cadence’s Firebird, and Sunset’s Roadrunner crested the loop; the telltale blue fire trailing their back wheels telling the rest of the racers they had fired their Nitrox 2 boosters. Both cars flew over the gap and landed with more grace than Rainbow had. Rarity, Applejack, Zecora and the Ballistik car following them. Before long, Spitfire realized she was in last place, before she gave in and started grinding the halfpipe. = = = Sunset passed Cadence and began to advance on Rainbow, licking her lips as she did. “That was a neat little trick you pulled back there, Dash. But do you have the skills to drive in the big leagues?” She moved up next to the Deora and began trying to push it off the road. “Maybe not right now.” Rainbow answered, pushing back; her Deora’s greater weight matching the Roadrunner’s strength. “But I’m a fast learner.” She pulled back on the gas, maintaining her momentum but still slowing down. Sunset’s aggressive driving carried her off the track and left her skidding on the rocks, already getting passed by Rainbow, Rarity, Cadence, and Zecora. She managed to get back on the road just as Applejack passed her. “What happened to all that experience you were bragging about back at the proving grounds?” She teased the fiery Canterdian. “Shut up, pony girl.” = = = Closer to the back, Twilight was fighting with Ballistik to keep out of second-to-last. “I um, never got your name.” she asked. “A. K. Yearling.” “Well, Miss Yearling, what do you think about this, other dimension.” “I think I’m going to be coming back here to research this place more thoroughly, after I beat you.” Twilight’s eyes widened. ‘She’s a researcher? I thought the rest of the racers besides Cadence were all professional drivers.’ Her internal monologue was interrupted as Yearling passed her. Twilight pushed down harder on the gas, trying to close the gap. “Give it up, Sparkle. You can’t win with an antique like that.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile, “My Nomad may look old, but she’s far from an antique.” She changed gears, engaging the four-wheel drive she had been holding back from using. AK was taken aback as Twilight began taking sharp turns on the corners and pulled out ahead of her. Twilight looked back, satisfied as she saw the other car falling behind, and another car right behind it. ‘Spitfire caught up that fast!?’ She checked her GPS; but was startled to see the signal for Spitfire’s Muscle Tone was still back far behind the others. ‘Then, who…’ she was knocked out of her wondering as the track went into a corkscrew, forcing her attention back on the road. = = = The track carried the leaders high into the air. Cadence had fallen behind, leaving Rarity to challenge Rainbow for first. “These mountains truly are amazing.” Zecora commented, “In all my time, I’ve never seen such a thing.” “Zecora, when you’ve skied down the Canterhorn in the Unicorn Range like me, this is nothing.” Cadence bragged. The cars then began descending downwards, a large plume of smoke clouding the track. “Ah! Je vois rien!” “When you have driven in a sandstorm in the Sandhara, Cadence, that sort of reaction makes no sense.” Cadence didn’t need to see the wide smile on Zecora’s face to know it was there. “Uh, has anyone else noticed we seem to be driving into a VOLCANO?!” Rarity screamed. Rainbow reeled back from the sudden assault of noise in her ear. Sunset and Applejack both turned into the outside lane, keeping clear of the smoke and cutting ahead of Zecora and Cadence. They were both ready to try and take the lead, when another car suddenly burst out of the smoke and landed on the track in front of them. “What in tarnation!?” “I found a short-cut!” Pinkie’s voice said over the radio. “Did she just jump off of the track?” “Eeyup.” “And land perfectly on the other side?” “Eeyup.” “Without being able to see it?” “Eeyup.” Any further questioning of the pink girl’s sanity would have to come later, as an explosion suddenly resounded throughout the volcano. The part of the track in front of Pinkie cracked and fell away, a small stream of lava oozing out of the rock and onto the track. Pinkie and Applejack pulled to stop, while Sunset kept going. “Luna said this car could drive through the heart of a volcano. Guess we’re about to test that.” She triggered her Scorchers equipment, her tires getting wrapped in heat proof metal, while a giant plow unfolded in front of the car’s grill. She slammed into the molten stone head on and bursting through on the other side. “If she can do it, so can I.” Pinkie said, before getting rear-ended by Applejack. “Don’t even think about it, Road Beast. We’re gonna have to find a different way across.” “Turn right and head down the slope.” Cadence’s voice came in over their radios, “There’s an arch that runs over the lava.” “Thanks.” Applejack said, turning to where she directed. “How’dja figure that out?” “Street Breed car, remember? We’ve got drones that can find alternate routes through even the most crowded of cities.” The four drivers found the arch, sure enough there was enough room for them to drive over it. Applejack hit the open-communications frequency on her radio to let the last drivers know about the detour. “Alright, fillies, listen up. There’s been an accident or something on the track and now the thing is covered in lava. We found a way around it though. Turn right once- “ “And what makes you think we should trust anything you say?” Spitfire interrupted. “Cause it’s the truth.” It wasn’t a question, and there was no hesitation or sarcasm in her voice either. It was just a fact. Once the last three racers entered the volcano and found the lava river, they turned into the detour, except Twilight. ‘If this works, I can get ahead of them and catch up to Cadence and the others. But this is going to work, I have to time this perfectly. Have a perfect angle, perfect force behind it. The calculations will take too long.' She began to panic, numbers running through her head. ‘Stop thinking, and just feel it.’ Her father’s voice spoke softly in her ear. She drove towards the lava, shutting out the aggressive yelling of Spitfire, and hit her jump boosters. The ’55 Nomad sailed over the lava and landed perfectly on the other side. Twilight almost couldn’t believe what she had just done, then she shifted her car into high gear to gain as much distance between her and the angry Scorcher behind her. = = = Sunset was not having a good day. First, she got shown up by that Dash causing her to fall behind. Then just when she thought she had regained her lead, her engine stalled. Now here she was, pulled over, cleaning volcanic dirt out of her exhaust. “’Heart of a volcano’ my foot.” She had just gotten the last of it cleared out when she heard the other drivers approaching. She quickly climbed back inside and started up the ignition. Not fast enough, Pinkie Pie and Applejack had already passed her. = = = Rarity and Rainbow drove out of the volcano, moving to fast to notice the human face carved into the mountainside. An identical portal to the one that brought them here shimmered at the end of a jump. “Finish line.” Rainbow said. She hit her Nitrox 2 booster, causing her to shoot ahead of Rarity. The purple haired girl moved to do the same, only to find she was almost out of Nitrox. ‘I used too much getting past that blasted loop. Do I even have enough to make it back through the portal?’ she thought to herself. Her question was answered as electricity suddenly coursed across the track, throwing Rainbow’s car ahead at 300 MPH. Rarity’s Slingshot soon followed suit as she hit the current. She was thrown out of the portal just behind Rainbow Dash, earning her a decent second place. She was about to get out and congratulate her on her victory, paused once she realized where they were. Dense tropical jungle foliage decorated the landscape. Instead of the dry, sandy ground she had been expecting was a damp muddy forest floor. Mud that soon found itself splattered all over her car as Pinkie scored herself third place, skidding past. “Welcome back. This is not the end of the World Race. It’s only the beginning.”