//------------------------------// // Shine On, You Amethyst Star // Story: Amethyst Star Isn't Prepared For This // by MagicS //------------------------------// The Amethyst Flame made it onto the wide curve that ended in the straightaway where all the cars were initially lined up at the race’s start, the starting line she had passed just earlier today now converted into the finishing line. It was the only thing remaining between Amethyst Star and absolute victory. As her wheels crunched over the ground she felt an unfamiliar sensation creep up the car, and an unfamiliar sound too. This wasn’t normal ground. Not dirt, or concrete, or asphalt. It was sand that she was driving across now, she glanced down to be certain and sure enough her wheels were churning through and kicking up the sand that made up this last part of the course. “Wouldn’t matter if it was snow, I’m in first place and I’m about to win this thing for Fernie, Dew, and everyone else!” She shouted to psych herself up. It was fairly weird though, the sand was very loose and didn’t allow for much of a purchase, it almost felt like she was driving with her tires partially submerged in water. She didn’t want this last obstacle to trip her up so it was good that she had managed to put herself in first place. The cars behind her didn’t matter now, she didn’t know how close they were, she didn’t care, it was all about her driving. This last turn was wide and it even tilted upwards like she was driving across the wall of a bowl eventually, her car nearly getting parallel with the ground. Coming out of this turn she’d be practically right at the stands. But there was something going a bit wrong with how she was turning, the wheel and tires weren’t responding as well as they should be, as they would be if this was solid dirt beneath her. “What’s with this?” She growled as she noticed her speed dropping despite the sand being blasted away by her back tires. She was crushing the gas pedal but she still wasn’t getting the kind of response she expected. “Why am I still going so slow?! Come on already!” Her car was starting to drift wide in a way she didn’t want it to thanks to the shifting sands and the lack of response from her vehicle. Now she could hear the telltale sounds of other cars coming up behind her, if she didn’t figure this out quick she might lose her position. But there weren’t any other tools at her disposal for this. Just her inexperienced and amateur brain that didn’t know the full ins and outs of her car or this race. “No, no, no!” Amethyst Star’s earlier carefree attitude was replaced by fear. How could this be happening to her? Right now, at the very end! She thought there was nothing that could stop her and now this sand of all things was threatening to snatch victory away from her. But she had finally been doing things differently, so why was this happening? Did it not matter anyways? Did it not matter that she had changed in her mind and was doing this purely to help someone else even when she didn’t even want to try in the first place? Was the fact that she had given up on her old goals not enough? To her left, on the inside of the curve, cars began to appear, gliding over the sand far easier and quicker than she w.as. How? Why? She still didn’t give up seeing that. She nearly pulled a muscle straining but she grabbed her steering wheel in a death grip and pressed her face nearly up against the windshield to try and will her car to do what she wanted it to do. The sputtering sound of the wheels continued to rise up beneath her as she didn’t let up on the gas at all. A loathsome sound, a sound that told her she was still in trouble, still failing to get the desire she wanted. She was pushing herself and The Amethyst Flame as hard as possible, so she shouldn’t be losing, not like this. She was so close so why was it all being taken away from her? A glimmer of hope snuffed out as quickly as it appeared. Watts passed her. Then another, and another. Amethyst Star came out of the curve behind six other cars, all of them now gunning it to the finish line. It was impossible for her to catch up or pass any others like this. And so she crossed the finish line as the seventh driver to finish the race. Ahead of her she saw Watts and the second and third place racers drive to a special spot with three platforms, each one higher than the last, that they drove their cars up so the audience could cheer and celebrate the victors. It must have been something set up while they were away. Meanwhile the others all drove off into the grass, parking close to the fenced off area and turning off their cars. The unicorn from Equestria followed them. Her mind blank. She slowly pulled up beside another car, although it might as well have been on auto-pilot. She blinked once or twice. Her fiery feelings all gone and just leaving a mess behind that didn’t seem to fully know how to react to what had just happened. When she turned that ignition off and heard the engine come to a rest though, it all caught up to her. Seventh place. Seventh place after everything. After saying she wouldn’t let Fernie and them down. After trying her hardest. After really doing something good and unselfish for once on this big, dumb, stupid, trip of hers. “Why...” Amethyst Star croaked, taking off the helmet, scarf, and goggles. “Just why...” The unicorn opened up her door and jumped out of the car, wetness already building up at her eyes. She sniffled, her lungs took in a shuddering breath, she felt weak in the knees and a terrible feeling of guilt and failure overtook her body. Amethyst Star’s lip quivered while tears ran down her face and she struggled to keep from just completely bawling and making a scene around the other drivers. Still, she couldn’t stop it completely, bringing her hooves up to her face to try and wipe her eyes away at least. “It’s—hic—it’s not fair… I-I really wanted to help someone else for once...” she whined through her tears. “I really wanted to do something good! So why… why does this keep happening to me? Why can’t I do anything right? I’m just, I’m just a loser...” She cried. “Amethyst Star!” She heard the familiar voice of Fernie yell and turned to look to see her, her family, and the pit crew all running towards her. Amethyst Star dragged her hoof over her eyes to try and get rid of most of the tears. The sad frown on her face stayed behind, however. “Guys, I’m sorry I-” “That was amazing! You’re incredible!” Fernie yelled as she tackled Amethyst Star, knocking them both to the ground, and hugged her tightly. “Seventh place! I can’t even believe it!” “Huh?” Amethyst Star incredulously said as she looked down at the filly through teary eyes. “What are you talking about? I didn’t even place, what’s so amazing about losing and coming in seventh place?” “That’s higher than we’ve ever gotten...” Dew said, looking half dead after running over here. “It’s incredible to even break the top ten, hardly anyone aside from the veteran and most wealthy teams does that. Did you even notice?” Grandpa was saying as he glanced to another car that had recently rolled up onto the grass. “After all that tough talk, Loxy came in eighth. You beat one of those richer racers.” Amethyst Star looked over, seeing the angry stallion stomp out of his car and throw his helmet to the ground. She sniffled, blinking back some tears. “I… are you saying that… that I actually did good?” “More than good, there’s gonna be so much buzz about us breaking the top ten!” Fernie nuzzled against her cheek before thankfully getting off the unicorn and letting the both of them up. “It was so exciting to watch you, to see how you drove even though you were just an amateur, the audience was totally amazed too!” “This is probably going to really help us out, more than if Dew raced,” Mary Belle said to her. Amethyst Star hiccuped, rubbing a few more tears out of her eyes. “Really?” “Really,” Grandpa stepped forward and rubbed her head. “That was something none of us could have pulled off.” “Indeed, it was quite the race.” The ponies of The Amethyst Flame team looked over to see Watts striding towards them, carrying a golden trophy. He had a pleased smile on his face, whether it came from coming in first or just the enjoyment of the race Amethyst Star couldn’t tell, although from the brief moment she had met him he didn’t seem like the type to rub his victory in anyone’s face. Still, it burned her a little bit to see him carrying that trophy. Although the measurement she had gotten from Fernie and everyone else made her feel a lot better. Mostly she was just interested in why he decided to come over and talk to them instead of bask in his glory. “Watts? Shouldn’t you be heading to the victory celebration?” Dew asked him. The veteran driver waved him off, scoffing, “Pshaw. You all know I don’t care for that. It’s the racing I love, not the glory.” He turned his head to Amethyst Star and smiled wider, showing off his pearly white teeth. “And on that note, I must sincerely thank you for an exceptionally fun and exciting race, Miss Amethyst Star.” “I… t-thank you,” Amethyst Star hiccuped again, still having some difficulty speaking. “I just… I’m a little overwhelmed right now. I thought I let everyone down again.” She got a sad look in her eyes as she hung her head low. “I still failed to get you any of the prize money you needed.” “Now I wouldn’t quite say that,” Watts said. “Huh?” Amethyst Star looked back up at him, the others of The Amethyst Flame team also looking on in confusion. Watts shrugged. “I couldn’t care less about the prize money. I don’t need it and like I said that’s not why I race. For an amateur like you to do what you just did, race with that determination, that sheer grit, and almost win? It’d be a crime not to reward you. My prize money is yours now, what you do with it is up to you. If you’d like to take it or give it to Dew-” Watts frowned slightly as he looked over at Amethyst Star’s team. “Frankly I think if you were instructed a little bit better you would have won the whole thing. How much did you actually tell Miss Amethyst Star about the course?” “Uhh, we were a little low on time...” Fernie nervously blushed and giggled at Watts. The victor sighed and shook his head. “It was clear you didn’t know how to handle the car over the sand. You must let up on the gas slightly or the force of your tires merely throws most of the sand away and you can’t find solid purchase. I’m assuming you were unaware of most other things on the course?” “A little bit,” Amethyst Star nodded. “Kind of surprised by some stuff out there.” “Then I wouldn’t beat yourself up over losing, you did admirably for your situation,” Watts smiled. “So, what will you be doing with the prize money?” “I-” Amethyst Star glanced at Fernie, Dew, and the others. She didn’t even need to think about it. “I’m gonna give it to them. They’re the ones who need it. And they’re the ones who believed in me in the first place.” She smiled at Fernie, a last little sniffle coming out of her nose that she wiped away. “Heh, I knew I had the right of you when I saw you,” Watts winked at her. Fernie tightly hugged Amethyst Star’s leg. “Thank you, thank you so much! I knew it right from the start!” New tears of happiness started to flow from Amethyst Star’s eyes, this strange and foreign feeling of accomplishment and happiness filling up her whole body. “No, I… I really need to be the one thanking you for believing in me. You have no idea, you really don’t, how much this means to me.” Dew came up and threw a shaky arm over her shoulders. “I guess we both really helped each other. Thank you for everything.” “Yes, thank you,” Mary Belle said, wiping a stray tear from her own eye. “Thanks,” Grandpa nodded. Amethyst Star didn’t try to hold anything back as she reached down to hug Fernie, crying in happiness. She may not have been prepared for this either but she had changed since the start of her journey. Slightly. And she may not have gotten entirely what she wanted, it wasn’t heroic, it wasn’t life-saving, it wasn’t something for her to be super duper proud of because she only came in seventh, but it still made her feel really good that she succeeded and helped someone. Amethyst Star wouldn’t trade this moment of joy for anything.