//------------------------------// // Prologue The 10th anniversery // Story: Three Equestrians and an Engineer // by Greasebrony //------------------------------// Author's Note: Support the show, support the music, and support the cars I mention and any brands that helped inspire this story. Now this is my first fanfic and I'm doing it for fun and to add to the awesome community we have. I hope you have as much fun reading this as I am writing it. “Wow the weather pegasi did an amazing job today, today is just so warm and relaxing. ”Spike mentioned to Twilight. ”Agreed.” said Twilight with a smile. It had been five years since that night of the Summer Sun Celebration and Luna's return to Equestria. Since then the bearers of the Elements of Harmony had been kept busy with not only their duties but also saving Equestria on occasion. All of them growing older and wiser as time went on. On this day however both were casually strolling along for the third time that week ‘running errands’ around Ponyville as an excuse to go outside to enjoy the sunny days which Princess Celestia blessed them with, as well as the cool wind provided by Ponyville’s weather team after being stuck in the library for 2 weeks straight. ”So whats left on the checklist Spike?” She asked looking up towards the dragon that stood on his hind legs as he walked. “Lets see here…” He takes a short time to review the checklist. “...hmm not much. Just pick up groceries, stop by the post office and pass by Sugarcube Corner.” “Wow really? I could have sworn we had more to do.” “Well lately we have been keeping a better eye on things around the library. I mean we picked up Cheerlee’s chalkboard on Monday, Ditzy delivered the quills and ink directly to us as a favor from the Quills and Sofas shop owner, picked up and enough parchment to last at least till next Nightmare Night, you helped model for Rarity’s new autumn line not to mention I got this cool hat, and upon your request I organized the library using the Huey Decimal System.” Spike blushed upon the thought that his green accented purple fedora was a gift from Rarity. Twilight thought for a moment. “I would have expected for things to take longer, especially with Rarity. But its good to see that we are getting everything done ahead of schedule.” Spike rolled his eye. “I’ll say.” Looking back at Twilight. ”Last week though I noticed you had your face buried in a few teleportation books. I thought you nailed teleportation the night when you and the others defeated Nightmare Moon 5 years ago. At first I thought you were just rereading it for fun but you were really focused this time around.” She gave him a sheepish smile. “Well true I got the teleportation spell just right and can go where ever I want using little magic. But a thought came to me.” Spike curiously looked at her with a face of curiousity. ”I’m listening.” She stopped for a moment and looked up towards the sky. “I was wondering if it were possible to teleport to other worlds.” Mildly surprised that the pony he considered his older sister would try something that powerful he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. ”If you don’t mind me asking, what is it that got you thinking about that in the first place?” Twilight lightly giggled. ”Of course I don’t mind you asking Spike.” She began to trot alongside him. ”Its just that many nights I look up towards the night sky and I just wonder what else is out there. Are there other worlds just like ours? Whats beyond that night sky we see every night Luna rases the moon? Yes there is a lot to learn just by looking at the stars from the comfort of Ponyville. But what else can be out there?” Spike looks at her for a moment then looks towards the sky with Twilight. His lips curl into a gentle smile. ”Well I’ve got to admit I do wonder the same thing from time to time. Of course living with a pony that has a thing for astronomy does that.” He curiously looks at twilight. ”Is that why we need Cheerlee’s chalkboard?” Twilight simply looks at him with a gentle smile. “Yes, but I also need the spell books and astronomy charts, I already sent a request for them to the Canterlot Archives.” “I take it that’s why we are headed to the post office?” “Yeah, I figured that it would be better to take advantage of the weather just to go over ourselves and pick it right up. Not to say Ditzy is not doing her job well, I just figure its nice to step away from routine for a moment and just enjoy the fresh air.” Spike chucked. ”If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were spending a little too much time near the poetry section of the library.” Twilight shot him a stern glace.”Hey Edgar Allan Pohnie was and still is one of the best writers out there.” Still smiling. ”Whatever you say Twilight.” Sometime later Twilight and Spike are back in the library with all the supplies in hand. Spike proceeded to store the fresh produce and sweets they recently bought and Twilight began looking over the astronomy charts and books that arrived in the post office. Once Spike was finished he proceeded to help Twilight with the set up of the experiment. “Don’t you think we should give the princess a heads up before going along with this experiment?” Spike asked. “Oh, right. Thanks for the reminder.” She quickly wrote up a letter with a detailed explanation about the experiment she is about to embark on. She soon finishes it and levitates it over to Spike. ”This is it?” “Whenever you’re ready to send it.”She smiled reassuringly. Spike blew his magic flame and the embers disappeared on its way to the princess. Within a few minutes Spike burps up another letter addressed to Twilight. “Twi, the princess responded.” Twilight levitates the letter to her opening it revealing the princess’s response. My faithful student, I must admit though I am excited for your thirst for knowledge and I am curious myself I fear that it is perhaps going about this on your own is not the best option. If you are serious about this venture then I suggest for you to have some assistance. If you see fit Luna will be more than glad to lend a helping hoof in the matter and Canterlot’s observatory as well as the research facility is at your disposal. If that is the case then I await your arrival. On a side note you are more than welcome to bring your friends along. It has been quite some time since we all got together. H.R.H, Princess Celestia “Well good news Spike. It seems that Princess Luna wants to lend a hoof in our experiment.” “Well that sounds like it can come in handy.” “Yup, and Princess Celestia suggests that we bring the others along too.” “It makes sense. I mean its been a while since we got together and had a laugh.” “Yeah.” “Okay what do you say we split up and tell the others and we’ll meet back here so we can start packing?” “That sounds like a great idea. I’ll take Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Applejack.” “And I’ll take Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy.” “Alright lets get started, meet back at Quills and Sofas in an hour?” “Sounds good to me.” With that they split up to the opposite ends of town to tell the others. Fortunately all agreed to go and would be available for the weekend. Time: Wednesday, 2:45 A.M. Location: South Miami, Northbound Florida Turnpike. “End of October is coming. Weather feels cool tonight. Good for the engine, gonna take a little longer to warm up the tires though.” Alone once again, with his thoughts parked on the same spot hes used for years before setting out for a drive sitting once more in his heavily modified ’98 Toyota Supra. Eduardo, a 28 year old engineer standing at 5'11 with dark brown hair reaching to his shoulders with an athletic build, born and raised in the latino dominated city. Once again is faced with the similar situation since the day he got his license. Once again when 3 a.m. rolls around his thoughts, his doubts, his worries, his haunted memories, and his demons will be put to rest for the next half hour. The open road will be his haven. He checks his watch, 2:49 a.m. “Alright time for my pre flight checks.” He shifts the car to neutral, turns the key, left foot on the clutch, switches on the fuel pumps and ignition, hits the start button. The modified 2jz roars to life with an assortment of gauges and other electronics reading diagnostics ranging from engine and the boost gauges, to the oil and fuel pressure.”Alright, engine idle is stable…” He gives a couple of test revs and listens for the whistle of the turbo’s blow off valve searching for signs of irregularity, meanwhile checking the other gauges. On the A-pillar he checks the oil pressure, fuel pressure and battery voltage. Above the center counsel he inspects the engine temp. the exhaust temp. oil temp. and water temp. On the center in is his 10 in screen above the radio is the G-meter along with the turbo boost controllers and a GPS, on the side two boost gauges and a transmission temp. gauge below. He proceeds to opening up his laptop that is directly hooked to the Supra’s ECU to double check the settings on the engine management system. ”Yeah, she’s ready.” He minimizes the ECU window and opens up a video recording program. He then opens the center glove box and fishes for his headset and his gopro camera. After he finishes the connections he takes off the rosary and wraps it around his gloved right hand. ”Dammit this fucking pistol is getting on my nerves.” With a quick look in the mirrors to find no one there his left hand he reaches for his lower back and pulls out a loaded full sized compensated Remington 1911 R1. ”Safety’s still on. Man I should really start wearing that shoulder holster.” He sets the pistol securely in the center glove box and closes it. ”Alright lets do this.” Satisfied, his right hand disengages the handbrake and shifts to 1st gear slowly letting off the clutch setting the Supra in motion. He pulls out of the shoulder of the highway and begins his weekly routine frequently scanning the radio police frequencies while getting up to speed. As he drives he thinks silently. ‘10 years I’ve been doing this and each time it always feels different no matter what I drive. One hundred grand I spent prepping this car for this moment. Between the carbon fiber body panels, the modifications to the engine, transmission, suspension, and the chassis. The countless hours I have spent obsessing over every detail in my spare time prepping all the strengthening points, the roll cage, the wheel chamber angle and alignment, as well getting the cam timing just right for the variable valve timing. The weekends I spent taping strings of yarn around the body to check for any drag while still maintaining downforce. All of this while maintaining a stock profile. Only a good eye would be able to catch the details I slaved over. What usually takes entire teams, I once again did on my own. Over the years I’ve done this, it doesn’t matter what the car is it always feels good to see the fruits of my labor out here or on the track whether its me behind the wheel or not. For that alone I should feel proud. Especially now that I was able to do it to not just any regular chassis but rather my personal favorite, the JZA80.’ ‘But even though life continues on for me and the cars and technology I create to better the world are out in full circulation, with countless amounts of individuals enjoying them. I still feel it. I continue to feel that pain I wake up with every morning and go to sleep with every night, knowing that they are not here with me. I know I should have died that night. No, no I did die that night. After 3 years I’m still as dead as I was then if not more. The only time I feel any sort of life again is when I’m out here. In my world, in my home.’ “Guess I’ll have drown my sorrow with whiskey before I go to bed tonight.” Maintaining his speed at a consistent 75mph he approaches the all too familiar sight before him.”Keep taking the turnpike north or 876?” He knew the answer before he asked. “Here I come.” He shifted from 6th gear to 4th hearing the revs build from 1500 to 4000rpm. The turbos spool up with the whine of the transmission and differential.”God I love that sound.” The moment the moment he drove under the bridge of the turnpike into 876 he floored it. The whole car came to life as the rear wheels screeched against the cold pavement barely able to handle the 800 horsepower gushing out of the 3.4 liter twin turbo inline 6. Redlining at 9300rpm he shifts to 5th at 150mph barreling down the 3 mile stretch of road. The turbos whistling, the transmission whining, the engine roaring. Yes he was beginning to feel it again. He could feel everything the car was doing. The feedback he was receiving from the drivers seat and steering wheel to the three pedals at his feet was more that what he expected. He checks his watch, 3 A.M. on the dot. A fork in the road coming up. He maneuvers to the center left and exits one freeway to lead to another still maintaining his speed narrowly missing guardrails on both sides by inches. Its unnerving going from a 4 lane road to a 2 lane blacktop but he had the skill and he knew what he was doing. After a quarter mile straight came a smooth but narrow left. Rev matching he hits the clutch and shits down to 4th not so much as tapping the brake attacking the corner doing 130 mid throttle. For a moment he feels the G-forces from the corner push his body to the right thankfully the bucket seat and 5 point racing harness keep him planted as he exits and into another series of easy lefts and rights along 826 locally known as the palmetto. Up ahead he sees the 836 exit and decides that’s when he’ll begin the real. In his passenger side mirrior he sees a pair of headlights come up and getting closer. He checks the rear view and immediately recongnizes the outline of the body. He grins wickedly and chuckles. “Konigsegg CCX, you must be new here.” The CCX gets along side him with ease, the whine of its twin supercharged V8 ever present. “You are new here.” Both pass under the 836 bridge and the CCX takes the lead against the Supra. “When are you rich boys gonna learn? Its not about the money its about the tuning. You can't hope to beat me if you can't put all the power to the GROUND!” He pushes the pedal to the floor and he feels the subtle G force pushing him against his seat as his speed steadly increses. At 195 he shifts to 6 gear and the CCX gets closer with every second. He gets directly behind the hypercar and flashes his highbeams at him then adjusting both boost controllers for maximum boost. He then directs the car in a position to pass and unleashes all 1000 horsepower leaving the CCX in his wake at 215 mph not letting up until that car was out of his rear view mirror. Still gaining speed he felt his heart rate increase tunnel vision begins to set in, 220, beads of sweat trickling down his face, at 230 his grip on the wheel becoming harder, his eyes wide, a wicked grin plastered on his face, 235, he tore down the freeway passing every car he saw. Yes this was the moment, this was it. Nothing in the world can compare to this. His worries, gone. His demons, forgotten. The thought of that man, banished. 240 miles per hour, the CCX long gone he continues forward with the gas pedal welded to the floor. Guages dancing, all of them increasingly approaching dangerous levels. He's reached it, for these final moments he is finally free. Gratigny expressway coming into view he looks at the digital guage on his monitor. 246 miles per hour at 8500RPM. He lets off the trottle and lets the Supra coast allowing friction and drag to slow him down. He lets out a breah he's didn't know he was holding. he wears a smug grin as he relaxes himself. “Guess I'm gonna be celebrating tonight.” The next morning everypony gathered in front of the library. Applejack and Rainbow Dash were the first to arrive leaving three hearty knocks on the front door. Spike answered. “Hey AJ. Hey Rainbow Dash.” “Top of the mornin’ to ya Spike.”Applejack replied with a confident smile. “Hey there big guy is Twilight up yet?” “Over here.”Came a voice from within the basement lab followed by a crash to which the dragon, earth pony and pegasus cringed.”I’m okay.” Said Twilight. “That pony is gonna hurt herself one of these days.”Applejack said. “If she doesn’t study herself into submission first.”Rainbow chuckled. “Say where are the others? The chariot will be here soon.”Spike asked. “Ah passed Rarity on the way here, she was on her way to leave Sweetie Bell with her parents. She’ll probably be here with Pinkie soon.” “Yeah, Fluttershy shouldn’t be too far behind either. I passed over her cottage on the way here, she was just leaving.” “Okay guess all we have to do know is wait for Twi…”CRASH!!!”…light to finish.” “I’m okay!”