//------------------------------// // Racer Story Day 2 // Story: Need For Speed: Friendship Pursuit // by RayneTheSkunk //------------------------------// DAY 2 Rainbow Dash walked slowly down a darkened road. Heavy fog settled above the asphalt.The moon’s light was blocked by sheet of clouds. Dash could just barely see her own snout in front of her. Zero sound, zero visibility, zero company. “Hello?” Dash called into the fog. Her own words were echoed back at her. Her echo scared her. It wasn’t the same. The voice was strained and distorted. It was like some sort of tortured soul taunting her. Another sound pushed its way through the fog. Whatever that sound was, Dash ran towards it. Two lights pierced through the dense fog forest. Rainbow’s muscles became paralyzed. SHHPLAT! Dash’s eyes snapped open. She stared at her ceiling for a couple of seconds. She heard another pony breathing next to her. Dash turned onto her side to see Pinkie Pie laying next to her, smiling, “Oh god, tell me we didn’t...” She cringed as the thought went through her head. “We didn’t,” the cheery earth pony replied, “you were having a nightmare. Luna told me about a nightmare she had once where she turned evil and tried to make it night time forever.” “Why didn’t you wake me up?” the frustrated pegasus complained. “Well, I thought it was better for you to face whatever it was. Oh, I’ll make waffles! That’ll make you feel better.” Pinkie hopped out of the bed, and went straight for the kitchen. Rainbow’s apartment was only a few steps away from a hotel room. She had a living room that doubled as her bedroom. There was also a bathroom, and a small kitchen. Dash turned on some old cartoons to get the nightmare out of her head. A couple episodes passed before Dash heard a ding from the kitchen. “Food’s done!” Pinkie shouted. She jumped back into the bed with two plates full of fluffy, syrup-doused waffles. She gave Dash her plate and got straight to eating, “Dashie, I got some good news,” she mumbled through her stuffed mouth, “While I was cooking, I made some calls and got us a race in the city tonight,” She swallowed the waffle, “Don’t worry about running anyone over. Everypony knows to get inside when a race starts. Well we do still have the traffic to worry about.” Dash took a bite out of her breakfast. “Thanks. Just, why are you so nice to me? You signed me up for another race, you showed me around, you got me set into the loop, and you even made me breakfast.” “Oh, it’s no problem. I’ve been racing here for a loooong time. I just like being helpful.” Pinkie gasped. “I got a great idea! I can be your manager!” Dash laughed, “Why would I need a manager? I can manage everything my …. actually you know what? Go for it.” Pinkie swallowed another waffle, “Just two teensy weensy things you need to do for me.” “Fine, what is it?” Dash groaned. “One! You have to let me stay at your apartment whenever I want. Plus I get to raid your fridge.” Pinkie said pointing to the kitchen. Dash rolled her eyes, “Fine. What’s the other thing?” Pinkie leaned in close and whispered, “You have to help me find out who the mystery pony behind the loop is. If he’s even a pony. Think he could be a dog?” Dash gagged on her food, “What! Why the hell would you want to do that?” Pinkie shrugged, “Well, it’s a mystery. Somewhere there’s the big dog behind all this, but nopony knows who it is. I want to find him so I can throw him a huge party!” Dash snickered, “A party? That’s it?” “Well Maybe a few other things too,” she chuckled, “but it doesn’t matter. You in?” Pinkie raised her hoof high. “Oh, why the hell not? I’m in!” Dash sealed the deal with a high hoof. Pinkie convinced Rainbow Dash to go to the store with her to get some new clothes. They went to a store in the plaza district called The Red Ribbon. The store was filled with clothing styles of all kinds. “So Dashie, what sort of clothes are you interested in?” Pinkie asked while shuffling through a rack of dresses. “I don’t know. I’ll probably run into something I like.” Dash roamed the store looking for a section that at least interested her. Her eyes connected with something at the back of the store. She got closer to look at it. A red hooded jacket just screamed out to her. “Hey Pinkie, I found something.” The pink pony bounced over. “I want this one.” “Great, because I found you a shirt that will go really well with that,” Pinkie pulled out a yellow shirt with a fire ball emblazoned on the front. “You like it?” “Yeah, yeah I do. You’re paying for this right?” Dash asked, realizing she was still pretty broke. Pinkie nodded. The two made their purchase at the counter where a pair of goggles caught Dash’s attention. “Nice, let’s get this too.” After getting dressed, it was already about time for their race. They hopped into Rainbow’s new RX and rushed through the streets. It was night; the streets were illuminated by huge TV screens and glowing signs as they drove into the neon district. They made it just in time behind the other five racers. Dash wiped the sweat from her forehead. “I thought we were going to be late … wait a second! We’re in the same car, how the hell are you going to race?” Pinkie giggled “I forgot I didn’t have my car. We’ll just be racing together. Woo!” Dash slammed her face into the wheel with a groan. Pinkie stuck her head out the window to look at the other racers. “Ooooh, we’re racing against Rarity!” Dash picked her head up from the wheel. “Who’s Rarity?” The other racers’ engines growled in unison. “Never mind, just tell me later.” Dash revved up the engine. The racers burned their wheels on the pavement for three seconds as they always do and once those seconds were up they all burst into the race. Rainbow Dash found herself starting in the back just like before. She tried to curve her way around the the racer in ahead of her but he blocked her off every time. She turned left he turned left; she turned right he turned right. While Dash swerved back and forth trying her best to out wit the annoying driver in front of her, pinkie was setting the race’s track on her cellphone’s GPS. “Dashie make a right, now!” Pinkie shouted. Shocked by the sudden out burst Dash whipped the car to right with out thinking sending her straight into an alley that cut diagonally to the next street. Dash went from sixth to third almost instantly as she popped out of the ally and slid into the left lane. "Did you know that alley was there the whole time?" Dash said as she weaved between heavy traffic, charging her nitrous to full in a mattter of seconds. "No, I just got the whole city on my phone." Pinkie said. "We all use these as maps to help us. You really should get one. Oh an see a left turns coming up in about three more seconds." The intersection was packed with crossing drivers. With no time left for thinking Dash shifted into the right lane before sliding into her drift. The civilians slammed on their brakes as racers drifted through the intersection. Dash ground her metal against two or three of civilian obstetrical. Pinkie Pie hit the nitrous as they came out of the hazardous turn. “Hey only I get to use th- ahhgh!” Dash was cut off when another racer rushed into her side. “God damnit. You wanna play rough, buddy! We’ll play rough!” Dash grinned and hammered her car back into the other racer. “Oh, things are gonna get fun now!” Pinkie shouted. “Yeah they are! This guy is going down!” Dash said as she rammed him again, forcing the other racer into oncoming traffic. “Good luck dodging!” “Oh, not that Dashie! The cops are on us!” Pinkie pointed at a small group of police in the rear view mirror. Two of them were already handling the other racer behind her, “Remember Dash, race first, cops second!” Dash started to break out into a nervous sweat. She’d forgotten about the police part of racing since they were never a problem back home. She desperately pounded the nitrous button and blitzed through the road, making a hard right on the next intersection. One cop stayed on her while a second, driving a much less muscular car, went for the racer in second. “Dashie, if the coppers ever get to close you gotta give them a good Pinkie Ram! That's how you take out a cop and get the ultimate zoom juice.” Pinkie tapped Dash’s shoulder trying to be reassuring. Dash tried her best to focus on the race and drafted the other cop ahead of her. The other interceptor stayed close behind Dash. The interceptor was driving a police-modified Impereza. Dash haphazardly swerved through the traffic. Her pursuer stuck to her as if they were tethered. The cop pulled up to her left. “Dashie slam her!” Almost instinctively Dash swung into in the copper. The interceptor was pushed right into an oncoming car. They could here the crunching collision, “Lucky shot! He’ll be back though, those cop cars are tough” “Well at least that one is out of my hair for now,” Dash said. Once again she was able to put her full focus back to the race. The second place Racer was still too distracted by the interceptor hounding him. Dash drove around the two combating drivers. The first place racer was still nowhere in sight. “Where the heck is she?” Dash shouted. “According to my phone she’s in an alley up ahead.” Pinkie said rather plainly. “You mean this whole time you knew where everyone was!” Dash yelled as she drifted a right turn. “You never asked. Also that alley is coming up on your left.” Pinkie pointed to the gap between two almost glowing buildings. Like before, Dash slid her way into the alley. She used the bit of nitrous she still had to blast through to the next street. On the other end she could finally see the first place racer and the finish line flares not too far ahead. “That’s her; there’s Rarity!” Pinkie shouted. Dash smirked, but only for a second. A siren blared behind her. A short glance into the window revealed that the cop from before was back on her. Dash drafted Rarity in attempt to out run her chaser. The officer mimicked her, moving right into their line. The distance between the three grew shorter. Dash was ready to pass Rarity before the officer busted in between them. Rarity or Rainbow? Who was going to get hit now that the enforcer had to choose? Before that decision could be made Dash was shaken by the cop being forced into her. She could see Rarity blast on through the road. Dash grit her teeth as Rarity passed straight through the finish flares. That made two losses in a row and to make it worse she still had to handle this stupid cop. Pinkie Pie was busy screwing around with her phone,”"Hey Dashie, I didn’t want to use this earlier since I thought it would be cheating, but I guess it really isn't cheating at all since we just lost anyway. So let's blast this baby!" “Blast! What in the world are you talking about?” Dash shouted. “I’ve got an EMP app of course! It lets my phone blast an electric pulse thing at other cars.Just drive ahead of him Dashie. Leave the shooting to Pinkie,” she said the EMP went online , “We’ve got 5 Seconds!” “Uhh,” “Five seconds!” Pinkie yelled as she leaned out the window to aim. Dash used the small bit of nitrous she had left to get ahead of the target. She positioned themselves right in front of the interceptor, “Almost, almost. Got her!” The cop’s car was covered in a sheet of static as it skid to a halt. Dash and Pinkie sped through the finishing flares. Rainbow slammed her hoof against the wheel. “C’mon that’s the second race I lost. I hate losing.” She grumbled. “Oh don’t be too mad about Dashie. I have to buy another three-hundred-ninety dollar EMP app now, but I’m still happy,” Pinkie made a ridiculously huge grin, “You’ll start winning. I know you will,” an irritating ring tone blared from Pinkie’s seat, “Oh it’s Rarity. Gimme a sec Dashie. Hi Rarity! You did awesome. My new friend isn’t too exited about it though. … You want us to meet you at the Roundtown Brew? Sure we’ll be right there! Bye.” Dash sighed, “Just show me where it is and we’ll go. I want to see the pony that beat me this time.” The two came to a small, peaceful coffee shop near the county mountain ranges. The inside was painted warm colors reminiscent of chocolate. The relaxing aroma of boiling coffee beans made the place feel cozy like a loving home. Dash followed Pinkie to the brightest corner of the room. A white coated unicorn with an expertly curled purple mane sat at the table. Dash and Pinkie Pie sat next to the unicorn, “Hi!” Pinkie said as she rushed the unicorn with a hug, Dash folded her hooves, “So you’re Rarity?” “Why yes, I am the one and only Rarity, and hello Pinkie” the unicorn greeted as she flipped her hair, “so, who are you darling?” “I am Rainbow Dash, speedster of Ponyville!” She mimicked Rarity’s hair flip, “ I just want to you to know I would have won if the stupid cops didn’t get in the way.” “Oh, really now? Then how about the three of us have race tomorrow if your so sure your better than me.” “Wow two of my best friends racing! That sounds amazing! Can I bring balloons?” Pinkie pulled a bouquet of balloons from underneath the table. “Uuuh … sure Pinkie. You can bring balloons.” Rarity said as she looked under the table. “I’ll take that challenge. I’m just having a bad start. Tomorrow you’ll both see what I’m made of!” Dash boasted “I’d hope you’re made of something good then. Pinkie and I don’t get a good challenge very often. Now Rainbow, what can you tell me about yourself?” Rarity leaned forward, “It’s not often I see a pony with such a colorful mane.” Rainbow took a second of thought before answering, “Well, when I was a kid I was always into flying races. When I got a bit older I got interested in my dad’s cars. So I started looking up stuff about cars all the time. One day it came to me. Combine cars and racing! That’s how I learned about NASCAR, but that was way too boring. So I figured I’d find some of the other kids that were into cars as much as me, and we’d race through the roads. We did that for a good five years until I was old enough to move out. Yep, I pretty much created racing in Ponyville.” Rarity took a sip of coffee, “So you do have experience. I’ve never been to Ponyville before. I’ve heard it’s rather bucolic in terms of fashion, such a pity. I’d go there just to give them all some proper clothes, but my father won’t let me make any trips like that.” “We don’t need your clothes. We get along just fine naked,” Dash grumbled “Oh, did I strike a nerve? I don’t mean to belittle anypony, but honestly the lack of style is just sad. Style and flair is actually how I got into this sport. I received an absolutely magnificent car for my sixteenth birthday. It just wasn’t magnificent enough, so I got the grand idea to give it my own personal paint job. I made that car as fabulous and radiant as any vehicle could ever be.Then the problem was showing it off. Normal driving wasn’t enough to present the quality of my art, but when I raced through the beautiful county roads it was graceful. In short, I race for art. Also it annoys my mother. Don’t ask about her,” Rarity said as she took another sip of coffee. Pinkie started slamming her hooves on the table. “Oooh ooh me next! Let’s see. When I was in high school everyone thought I was super duper awesome. The other kids said the awesomest thing I could do was steal the Principal's car and race with it. Then they’d all throw a huge party after I won. So I did it and I’ve been racing ever since.” “That simple huh? You really are crazy. Gimme a sec, I’m going to order something,” Dash waved to the nearest waitress. “Hey! Can you get me a hot chocolate? Thanks.” “Right away,” the pony replied with a feather-soft voice. After a few minutes she was back with the drink, “Here’s your hot chocolate. Please leave a tip … you don’t have to, but we really appreciate it.” The waitress was a yellow pegasus. Her mane was Pinkie with streaks of black died into it. Dash took a quick sip, “Thanks. Hey just asking. Whats up with the black?” “Honestly it’s just dreadful. It doesn’t go with the rest of your colors at all. Besides, gothic is a horribly depressing style,” Rarity added. The pegasus hid her face behind her hair, “Well it usually stops people from talking to me. I guess it’s not working anymore. Pardon me, but I have to get to the other customers.” Pinkie pulled the waitress into a seat. “Nope, you’re sitting with us. I know the manager; he’ll be fine. Now, what’s your name? The pegasus tilted her head up just enough for the others to look her in the eyes. “Flu-Fluttershy. Can I please go back to work?” “Oh come on. Do you really feel like working that much? Just relax. Meeting new people is nice. I just moved her and I already got one friend and there’s this unicorn girl.” Dash pointed at Rarity. “Remind me to call you that pegasus from now on,” the unicorn girl replied. Fluttershy waved a bit of hair away from her face,“Okay. If I really have to. My shift ends in half an hour anyway.” Rainbow and the others spent their time trying their best to coax Fluttershy into conversation. She talked a bit, but never as much as they hoped. Once Fluttershy’s shift ended she left from the table, insisting that she needed to catch her bus. A bit later the others decided it was time to go home as well. “Farewell pegasus. I’ll take Pinkie home tonight. I could only imagine how unbearable dealing with her all day must be,” Rarity said as she pushed Pinkie Pie into the back seat. “I’m not a bear!” Pinkie shouted through the window. “Au revior pegasus.” Rarity said before driving off into the night. “Sayonara unicorn.” Dash mumbled. On her way driving back home, Dash noticed a lone pegasus at a bustop. “Fluttershy,” she said to herself. She pulled over, “Fluttershy, what in the world are you doing out here alone? It’s cold.” “I well … missed my bus. I’m waiting for the next one.” Fluttershy was wearing a black jacket; she used the hood to cover most of her face. “Please don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine. I have a jacket, see.” Dash popped open the passenger door. “Come on. I’ll give you a ride home. I’m not taking no for an answer you know.” “But you just met me. You don’t have to do anything for me. Just go on, I’ll be okay.” Fluttershy said, taking small steps back from the car. “Do I need a reason to help someone? Now get in already, I can see your legs shivering.” Dash gestured for her to get in. “That’s me being nervous,” Fluttershy mumbled, “Fine, if you insist, but you can’t take me to my dorm. If the other girls see someone dropping me of, they’ll start nasty rumors again.” She reluctantly got inside next to Dash. “Sure, I had a bunch of problems with stupid rumors back in high school. So, do you want to stay at my house or something? I can’t think of anywhere else to take you.” Dash said as she pulled of the curb. Fluttershy stared into the darkness outside the window, “Oh no. I couldn’t do that I just met you. I really have no idea what sort of person you are … no offense.” “None taken. Should I take you to a motel or something instead. I don’t have any money on me to pay for it.” Dash said, “Hmm now that I think of it I don’t have any gas money. Meh I should be fine.” She mumbled. Flutter shy checked her pockets, “Neither do I, sorry.” “Then we have two options Fluttershy. One: I take you to your dorm and some stupid rumors might start. Two you try your luck at my house. Come on what’s the worst I could do?”, thoughts rushed through Dash’s head, “Don’t answer that.” Fluttershy looked over to dash, “Well I guess I can risk spending the night with you. I could never handle what the girls might say.” or two Dash chuckled, “Don’t worry about them or me. It’s fine.s fine. Won’t be the first time I had a mare I just met over. It’ll be like a sleep over”. __________________________________________