//------------------------------// // The Race // Story: The Cost To Know Everything // by Thunder--Dash //------------------------------// I gently put Fluttershy in my Mustang but quickly. I ran to the driver's seat and gunned the motor. The 5.0 liter V8 engine roared loudly to life. Fluttershy just continued to sob. I was trying not to cry myself. To lose my longtime friend Kayla to a ritual would be beyond deveststing. I just couldn't think about what life would be without Kayla. I peeled out the driveway and floored it down the straight neighborhood road. I made a left turn, power sliding around the turn, the tires screeching loudly. Fluttershy clinged on to whatever she could find, still sobbing. Five seconds later, I arrived at Kayla's house. It was now 10:04pm, 26 minutes left to save Kayla. I came to a screeching halt, and quickly dialed Lenny's number. The phone rang. "Please pick up Lenny..." I said to myself. "Hey Kenneth. Everything alright?" Lenny. "Not at all. We need you right now. It's Kayla, she's in dire need to help." I said. Lenny sighed with a mix of a growl. "Let me guess...the ritual..." Lenny said with serious tone. "I'm afraid so." I said. "On my way." Lenny said as I banged on Kayla's door. "It's Kenneth!" I called out. Fast footsteps could be heard. Kelsey opened the door with tears in her eyes. "I came as fast as I could. We don't have much time. We've gotta save Kayla." "H-how much time do we have?" Kelsey asked choked up with tears running down her face. I sighed and looked at my watch. It was 10:06pm. "Twenty four minutes." I said. Kelsey gasped and started to break down into tears. I put my hand on Kelsey's shoulder. "We gotta stay strong...for our friend. Kayla is our friend. We won't let her..." I was about to say when I heard another bang on the door. "Oh thank goodness, it's Lenny." I said as I opened the door for Lenny. "I came as fast as I could. I knew this wasn't a good idea. We need to find a way to save Kayla." Lenny said with a serious look on his face. Fluttershy was still crying in my arms. We all rushed upstairs. Kayla was still breathing, but was quite weak to the point she could barely move her limbs. We all entered the room to see Jenna hugging Kayla who was still on the floor. The time was now 10:08pm, 22 minutes left to save Kayla. "Quick! Find any of this sort of thing to stop this...anything...even a soul transfer, which I bet is impossible to find!" I exclaimed. Lenny searched up soul transfer and pulled up something. He started to read. Meanwhile I was searching myself, but everything required a summoning, which we wouldn't dare try. Lenny continued to read what he had pulled up. Two minutes passed. It was now 10:10pm. Twenty minutes left. "I think I may have just found the thing we need." Lenny proclaimed. "You're a godsend Lenny. What do we need?" I asked. "Okay, Kayla's body is withering away as we speak. Does anyone have a drawing of something we could use?" I asked. Fluttershy's ears perked up. She gasped. "Wait, what is it Fluttershy?" I asked. "During the interview with Kayla...she drew what...she would look like...as a pony...she did it in her notebook..." Fluttershy said with a few sniffles. "Notebook...notebook! Lenny, find Kayla's notebook!" I commanded. "On it!" Lenny said. "In...the..." Kayla said weakly, with a cough. "Easy Kayla...what did you say?" Jenna asked looking at Kayla. "Notebook...in the...bag..." Kayla said wheezing. It was now 10:15pm, and we still hadn't set up for what we were going to do. "Which bag? There's like 3 bags in here!" Lenny said panicking. "The...brown..." Kayla started but ended up coughing again. Lenny started pulling papers and stuff out the bag, until a lone paper fell in front of Fluttershy. Fluttershy looked at what was on the paper. Lo and behold...it was the unicorn sketch Kayla drew. "I got it!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "Okay! Now we need a bed sheet and two candles." Lenny said. Jenna rushed to Kayla's room and pulled the bed sheet off the bed. "I'll look for the candles!" Kelsey said jumping up and running downstairs. It was now 10:20pm. "Hurry! Ten minutes!" I yelled. "Oh...oh..." Fluttershy simply whimpered, looking like she was going to cry again. Kayla's breathing started to become more shallow. "Ok, the ritual requires five bonded friends in order for it to work." Lenny said. "But...there's only four of you! It won't work!" Fluttershy exclaimed, starting to cry again. "Wait, hasn't a certain yellow Pegasus been here with us the entire time and gotten to know us truly?" I asked. Fluttershy gasped. "Th-that means...!" She said, wiping her tears as Kelsey rushed into the room with the candles and matches. "Okay, we must cover Kayla up with the bed sheet and place the drawing on top of her." Lenny said. We quickly covered Kayla up with the bed sheet. We could hear her starting to gasp for air. It was now 10:25pm...five minutes left to save Kayla. "Come on Kayla stay with us!" I said. "Light the candles Kelsey!" Lenny commanded. "Okay!" Kelsey yelled back. She lit the match after two failed attempts and lit the candles. "Everybody gather around Kayla. We must all put our hands on the drawing and close our eyes and concentrate." Lenny said. I put my right hand on the drawing, followed by Lenny's right hand, then Fluttershy's left. Next, Kelsey put her right hand on the drawing followed by Jenna's left then Fluttershy's right hand. It was 10:29...one...minute...left. At this point, Kayla was gasping for air hard. We all closed our eyes. Kayla's gasping stopped. It was 10:30pm...