//------------------------------// // 6. The Wonderbolt Derby // Story: Of Coal and Diamonds // by Alaxsxaq //------------------------------// 6. The Wonderbolt Derby "You thought youse could rat me out, hah!?" A large golden stallion furiously shouted at a bound earth pony. The tied up colt dared to speak, his muzzle covered in blood. "You got lucky...you should be facin' a firin' squad now." "You turn me in? For amnesty? You were like a pawrt of my family. You broke my heart. Well Palomino don't take dat sittin' down." The captive got a smile on his face, and began laughing mockingly. "You think you're still anything special? The days of Big Daddy ownin' da streets is over. You think roughin' me up proves any different?" The boss' anger began rising, and his body started to shake. "I OWN DIS CITY!! I've been offin' ponies and racking up cash since before youse was born! And I'll be damned if I lose it awll before I finally kick da bucket! Manehattan is wrapped around my hoof. I got goons in the East End, doin' what dey do best." "I 'member da tales of Palomino strickin' terror into da heart of police officers. Then Babs Seed came alawng." Clenching his teeth, Palomino swung a hoof at the earth pony's face, knocking out several teeth. "Don't you ever FUCKING mention dat name around me!!" "Dat bitch pinned ya down." He said, spitting out blood. "Gotcha by to your nads. She almost brought you down too. Then some bastards saved your sorry flank." "If you think for a moment that I work—" "Somepony you don't even know's got your bawlls in a vice grip, ready to close it. Why are you lyin' to yourself? You can't even do nothin' 'bout the Police Chief! You're washed up, a has-been; you ain't nothin' no more. Just a pawn in a scheme. You try anything funny, dey gonna put you six feet under." Palomino spent several moments regaining his composure. "Alright...it's clear dat you need a little convincin'." "Gonna kill me now? Thank goodness! I don't wanna endure your mediocrity no more!" "Not before I show you who Palomino truly is." The colt's smile faded, and the crime lord unfurled his wide wings to make himself appear larger. He slowly walked to a metal table and pick up a knife with his mouth. Taking it in his hoof, Palomino grinned down at the to-be dead pony. "Ever heard of the Palomino Necktie?" The colt's eyes widened and his overall complexion paled. "No...no...please, anything but dat! Shoot me! PLEASE!! I'm sorry! It was just business! You know how it is! Right?" "I do know how it is. You're a little punk, and youse gonna get what's comin' to ya." He inched closer with the knife, until the tip of the blade just broke the skin of the colt's throat. The next few seconds were filled with agonizing screams and curses, which could be heard throughout the building. The underlings of the crime organization could only imagine what was causing the wails. When it was over, Palomino nonchalantly walked away covered in blood, leaving behind the lifeless corpse of an earth pony. "I still got it. I'm goin' to take a shower, then go to da race." He said to his bodyguards. "Put dis body out so nopony gets any funny ideas." "You got it, baws. Who ya bettin' on?" "I got a tip..." ---------- Two mares stood just in front of the Grand Manehattan Raceway, taking in the massive size of the venue. Their breaths visible in the cold air, the orange one turned to face her yellow companion. "Ya ready to go in?" "Sure am." "Well then let's hop to it!" The pair gleefully cantered up to the entrance. Under the giant concrete pillars and arches were dozens, if not hundreds of ponies, each one wanting badly to enter the building and find their seats. A special line was set aside for "VIPs". A finely dressed unicorn stallion stood guarding the red rope, and politely addressed the two mares as they came to the line. "Excuse me, ladies. May I see your tickets, please?" "Why certainly." Applebloom flashed a small piece of paper. He examined it for a couple seconds, then taking the ticket he subsequently used his magic to make a hole in it with a hole punch. Returning the ticket to its owner, he repeated the process with Babs Seed. After hoofing the stallion a fairly generous tip, Applebloom led her cousin up through the long corridors of the raceway. "Wow...this sure is a big place. Look at all these food stawlls! How much food and drinks do you think they go through in a day?" The Policemare inquired. "Well Ah don't know about when major events ain't goin' down, but Ah do know during a race like this, easily 40,000 ponies come to watch...so multiply that by the amount of food the average pony would eat during the race...compensatin' for lack of some eatin' and others taking a little too much...Ah'd reckon about 30 tons maybe. And Ah'm bein' modest." "Do you do all that math in your head?" Applebloom replied as if she were just asked if the sky was blue. "Yeeeah. Why?" "I respect a pony would can add and multiply like that without a piece of paper. Takes me ten minutes to do a simple problem." "Well thanks Babs. Ah like to think Ah'm alright at math. You don't get through a day in mah life without at least some calculus." "Yeah yeah you went to college." Babs warm-heartedly chided. "Where are we going? Seems like this hawll goes on forever." "Actually we turn up here to the stairs." The duo began up the steps. "You haven't been to a derby yet, have ya?" "Nope. I've been to some sports games though." "Well Ah guess it's pretty similar. 'Cept this time you'll be in mah box." "I've gotta say, I'm pretty excited, cuz. How much did one of them boxes cawst?" The orange pony said, trailing behind her friend. "Actually, since Ah gave a lot of money to build this place, Ah was given a special box that has been leased in perpetuity to me." "How much did you give?" "Um...300 million...maybe. Ah can't recall." "Wow. That's one expensive box." "Oh Babs, it's not about the money. It's what y'all do with it." Babs rolled her eyes. "Another nugget of wisdom from Applebloom, hah?" "Charity's its own reward. Now ponies have a great, state-of-the-art place to watch their favorite racers!" "And we got a luxury, private box with all the booze we can drink!" Babs paused for a second, feeling a nagging feeling at the back of her head. "Hey AB, there's somethin' I need to tell ya." "Shoot." "Um...what was it...OH! I remember! I went to the library to do some research yesterday." She said just as they had left the stairs and entered another hall. "You can tell me once we're inside." A few more steps later and they entered another hall. "We're here!" The two mares were now standing before an uninteresting door. The contents of the room behind it were revealed only by a metal nameplate reading "Applebloom". The owner took out a key ring, and fumbling with it in her mouth, she unlocked the door and entered. Babs followed suit. Inside was a room filled with two couches arranged in an "L" shape, a coffee table between them, a small bar, a refrigerator, a small kitchenette, and a door presumably leading to a restroom. Babs smiled at what she saw, and nodded in approval. "Well?" Applebloom asked. "What do ya think?" "Pretty nice. Is that the track?" The orange filly rushed over to the large windows overlooking the track. In front of the windows was a small balcony the occupants to go out on and watch the race. Below that were thousands of seats, most of them starting to fill up. The Wonderbolt raceway in most cities was indeed on the ground. It would have been quite the engineering challenge, not to mention a costly venture, to build a stadium suspended in the air that could still allow non-flyers. The raceway in Canterlot was a notable exception, given that the city itself was built into the face of a mountain. "When do you think everypony will get here?" Babs asked, still looking out at the stadium. "Within the next half-hour, Ah'd imagine. Here, have a cold one." Applebloom hoofed her guest a beer from the refrigerator. "The race doesn't start for another hour." "Thanks. So anyway about what I was sayin' earlier..." "Go on." "Well I did some research, and I've compiled a nice theory." Babs took a sip, and then continued. "Turns out six City Council members resigned in October. The Mayor then appointed replacements." "Can he do that?" "No! But the newspapers didn't say nothin' about it, or at least they were made to pull back a story about the matter. And get this; three of the four who didn't resign later dropped a lot of money on some land around the city." "How much?" "Several million!" "Where'd they get that kind of cash?" "That's the same thing I asked myself. I’m sensin' somethin' fishy's goin' on." "Maybe they all have a wealthy contributor." Applebloom replied, taking a drink from her bottle. "Maybe. But I've got another idea. Somepony, or a group of ponies, is fixin' the Council; you know, makin' them 'complient'." The yellow billionaire thought for a second until a revelation came to her. "So...so they can vote on what their 'benefactor' wants! And if that's what's goin' on, Ah'm willing to bet they got more cronies in Canterlot and the newspaper places burying the matter under unimportant political bullshit!" "Now you're gettin' it!" "Ah like your theory, but this conspiracy is a little hard to swallow. But still...the pardonin' of the boss. Ah think you've convinced me about corruption, though. What about the police?" "Cruller laughed at me for wasting my time 'reading'. Besides, I don’t have enough evidence to issue a warrant or nothing’." "Are YOU gonna do anythin’ about this?" "I need more information. But luckily for us, one Council member appears to be clean." "Who?" Babs took a healthy swig of her beer, cringing at the pony in question. "Blue Suit." "Oh dear Celestia...really? He's gonna be your informant??" "Afraid so." Applebloom couldn't help chuckling at her cousin's misfortune. "Good luck with that." A few moments later, a knock was heard on the door. Setting down her drink, the red-maned pony cantered towards the door. Opening it, a large smile erupted on her face. Two tall white unicorns stood, one with a blue mane, the other pink. "Fancypants! Fleur! Come on in!" "Why thank you, my dear. How generous of you to allow us to watch the race with you." The polite stallion turned towards the orange pony. "Why good day, Police Chief Babs Seed! It is a pleasure to see you again. Have you met my companion, Fleur-de-Lis?" The slender mare walked up to Babs. "Nice to meet ya, Fleur. Why don't youse take a seat?" "Don't mind if we do." The model replied. "Would y'all care for a drink?" "Oh don't trouble yourself, Applebloom. Allow me." Using his magic, Fancypants got out a bottle of wine and poured two glasses. Levitating one to his marefriend, he took a sip. "This was an excellent year." He said, quietly smacking his lips. "So, how was the trip from Canterlot?" "Our train ride was rather smooth, nothing out of the ordinary. Quite peaceful traveling through the countryside, wasn't it dear?" "Oh indeed. Fancy, perhaps we could get a place outside the noise of the city?" "I do like that idea. By the way, Applebloom, it should please you to know that the foundation has been laid for the hospital." "Really? Well how about that." "It has been estimated that the complex will be up and running in about...nine months." The stallion took another drink. "Now, Applebloom. I take it our two golden girls shall be racing today?" "Who are the 'golden girls'?" Babs asked. "Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo. And they are." Applebloom replied. "Yes. You see Miss Babs, every race that features the two Wonderbolt prodigies, she usually bets on Scootaloo, and I on Rainbow Dash. More often than not, one of them wins." "Though it ain't easy to tell who." Fancypants chuckled. "Mostly it is a photo finish. After the race, either she or I collect our winnings and then we donate it to various charities." "Sounds noble, but you don't really get much winnings from pickin' the best of the best, do ya?" Babs said. "Actually, since it's not quite certain who will win, either party stands to gain quite a bit. It's just a fun game Applebloom and I play. Are you going to bet, Babs Seed?" "Nah. I think I'll pass." Right as Applebloom was getting comfortable, there was another knock on the door. Excited for the pony or ponies behind the door, but still slightly annoyed at having to get up, she turned the knob and revealed three fillies. Another white unicorn, and two pegasi. Not five seconds after entering the room, the unicorn and younger pegasus were squeezed by Applebloom, her strong earth pony legs nearly crushing the life out them. Babs ran with full force towards them, very nearly knocking Fancypants off the couch. She dove into the circle, and gave them all an embrace. "Scootaloo! Sweetie Belle! Ah'm sooo happy y'all could make it here!" "Uh yeah, AB. I'm racing." Scootaloo said. "And I'm singing. Of course we'd show up. Now could you please stop squishing us?" Sweetie added. "Oh...sorry." Applebloom and Babs released them. "Good to see ya too, Rainbow Dash! Y'all want anythin' to drink? Some water perhaps?" "Nope. Actually we were just stopping by. Remember Scoots; we gotta warm up. It would be a shame to pull a muscle like last time." The cyan Pegasus said. "Yeah yeah, Rainbow. We can stay for a bit, right?" "Fine kid, ten minutes." She hovered over towards the couches to greet Fancypants. Applebloom led her three friends out onto the balcony. Sweetie Belle rushed to the railing and pointed at a spot inside the track, on the grass. Set up on it was what looked like sound equipment. "I sing right there! Oh I'm so excited I could—" She was interrupted by a flash of magic discharging from her horn. It was harmless, but that didn't stop the others from cowering in fear. "Oops...hehe sorry." The alabaster unicorn started to turn red. "Ain't no big deal." Applebloom assured, trying to disregard her frightened response. The four former Cutie Mark Crusaders spent the next ten minutes or so talking about their lives. Scootaloo had just graduated from school, and earned her commission as a medical officer. Sweetie Belle stood to sign a several million dollar recording contract. Even though they had since earned their marks and gone their separate ways, the four fillies were still the best of friends, and cherished any time they could get to spend with one another. Meanwhile Rainbow Dash was boasting to Fancypants and Fleur about her latest airshow; about how she performed all sorts of dives and dips and doing barrel rolls. The two unicorns very much enjoyed the exciting stories, their glory days now behind them. Rainbow dash looked at the clock on the wall and grabbed her partner. "Come on Scoots. Time to get ready!" "Oh alright. See ya guys! Cheer loudly for me!" The orange pegasus shouted. "We sure will!" Babs said. "Do your best!" Encouraged Applebloom. "Leave them in the dust!" Demanded Sweetie Belle. Bearing a giant smile, Scootaloo followed Rainbow Dash out of the room. Before they exited, Fancypants stopped them for one last sentiment: "Now remember, girls. It does not matter which one of you wins, so long as it is one of you. Do your best, and of course, have fun! It is a race, after all!" "We'll see if this little orange filly can best the 'Fastest Pegasus in Equestria'!" And with that the pair left. Applebloom was fiddling through the drawers. Pulling out a tin of fine tobacco blend, she lit up a pipe. Pulling out a cigar, she turned to Babs. "Hey Babs! Want a smoke?" "I dunno. I had one the other night." "Come on. It's a special occasion!" The policemare didn't need much convincing. "Well...alright!" Giving her cousin a light, Applebloom stepped out onto the balcony, and gazed out onto the track. Sweetie Belle looked at the two with disapproval. "You two are still smoking?" Applebloom puffed a cloud of smoke and smiled. "Ah find a good pipe every now and them calms my mind and spirit." "And this is one of Smokey's!" Babs added, laughing. Sweetie Belle just rolled her eyes. "Hey, at least we're outside." ---------- In the locker room underneath the seats, Scootaloo was limbering up, performing wing exercises and stretches. Her mind was ready to leave Rainbow Dash in the dust, and her body was getting there. Ever since her wings had grown large enough to enable flight, the orange pegasus had practiced and practiced for many hours a day. Now the muscles in her wings were perhaps the strongest in her body, except her heart of course. Scootaloo knew this well. In fact, after visiting the doctor who revealed this intriguing fact, she developed an interest in flight mechanics. She wasn't an exceptional student in grade school, but something awoke in the pegasus that compelled her to read all she could about the subject of flight. It proved very useful, and her increased knowledge in not only biology but also physics gave her an edge: she learned how to maximize her performance while at the same time not overexert herself. Her self-taught know-how proved decisive, literally catapulting her to first place in dozens of “street” races. After the Wonderbolts signed her on as a cadet, Captain Rainbow Dash personally took Scootaloo as her apprentice. Now, after much hard work and perseverance, the once flightless orange filly had executed maneuvers in shows perfectly, and became a rising star. She was so good, a special exception was made so she could participate without a formal commissioning. Looking into a mirror to examine the movements of her wings, Scootaloo began to give herself some pep-talk. "Alright Scoots. You can do this. Remember; don't use your vestigial diaphragm. Too many pegasi make the mistake of not breathing like they should." She caught herself about to take a deep breath. "You ready to get beat, kid?" Her former mentor asked, placing her hoof onto Scootaloo’s shoulder. "I should ask you the same." Scootaloo replied smiling. "Good luck. You'll need it." Boasted Rainbow. "Time to suit up!" Opening the locker door, Scootaloo took her Wonderbolt uniform off the rack. Removing the hanger, she unzipped it and began to put it on. Right next to her, Rainbow Dash was doing the same. They were both unaware of anything else in the room, as were the other racers. The preferred circumstances for a grey unicorn, dressed in a black suit. Stealthily uncapping the two water bottles on the bench closest to the two fastest flyers, he levitated a pair of small white tablets, quietly placing each one in a bottle. He then placed the caps back on. All this happened in a matter of seconds. Almost immediately after he had finished, the two turned around, clad in their uniforms. He smiled and rushed over to greet them. "Oh what an honor it is to meet you two!" He said, shaking Rainbow Dash's hoof. "Um...how did you get here?" Asked the confused cyan pony. "I was sent to check up on the racers. But I just couldn't pass up the chance to meet you! In fact," He got out a small book and a pen. "Could you both sign my autograph book?" Rainbow laughed and took the pen in her mouth. She had a tendency to become rather proud during moments like these. Signing the book, she hoofed the pen to Scootaloo. Wiping it off, the orange pegasus signed the book in kind. Closing it up and cleaning the pen with a handkerchief, the grey unicorn smiled widely, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Oh thank you so much! Good luck out there!" He quickly galloped off. The two pegasi shrugged, but honestly thought nothing odd about the meeting. Rainbow picked her water bottle up off the bench and took a drink. "Remember, stay hydrated!" "And don't breathe." Advised Scootaloo, who was about to drink form her bottle. Rainbow frowned. Every race the younger racer told her this, but she could never figure out what it meant. Maybe it was just a joke. In any case, the pair ran out into the sidelines as a white unicorn began to step into the center of the track. Standing in front of the microphone, facing the stands, Sweetie Belle caught sight of Scootaloo giving her a reassuring gesture. Smiling widely, the singer cleared her throat and waited for the music to start playing. Several soldiers came out to bear the Equestrian flag. The first notes of the anthem began. Her heart pounding, Sweetie opened her mouth, and began to sing. What followed next could only be described as the immaculate voice of a divine gift from above. Everypony, patriotic or not, could not help but stand and place their right hooves over their hearts, feeling a sincere love of their country. Tears came from the eyes of all in the stands and even the racers. The song lasted only a minute, but had made an impression so deep that everypony present that day would remember the performance for life. When the music finished, thunderous cheers roared from the spectators. Sweetie Belle, a humble pony, merely bowed and returned to her spot in Applebloom's box. After taking a few minutes to regain their composures, the racers lined up at the starting line. Scootaloo and Rainbow Dash were adjacent to each other. Unfurling their wings, the two pegasi gave a look to one another; a kind of look that said encouragement but at the same time one to intimidate. This was it. All her training and hard work had led up to this. Every race Scootaloo had with her idol was a chance to prove how far she had come; from a small flightless "Dodo" to one of the fastest pegasi in Equestria. Officially that title belonged to the Element of Loyalty, but Scootaloo knew she would one day gain it. True several times she had won, but only when Rainbow Dash let her cockiness get the better of her. It happened more than the cyan mare would have liked to admit. The objective was simple: cross the finish line first. The referee stood along the inner edge of the track. Nodding to another official on the other side, he raised up a starting gun. Applebloom and company up in her box looked with anticipation at the racers. What seemed like an eternity passed, but the racers paid no attention. Inside their heads were tranquil thoughts, determination, and a reflex to jolt the moment the shot was heard. "Alright racers! On your mark! Get set!" He waited a second, and then pulled the trigger. "GO!" The shot was fired, and the entire group of pegasi zoomed past the starting line, leaving the referee in the dust. The announcer eagerly reported the obvious, watching intently. "And they’re off! It looks like Scootaloo is in the lead! But fortunes change like the seasons during a race!" Scootaloo's wing muscles were filled with blood, supplied with oxygen from her continuously-flowing respiratory system. Every part of her body was in sync, having long adjusted to the kind of stresses she put it under. She never turned her vision away from what was in front of her; what the others were doing was unimportant. Only the race mattered. Rounding the first turn, she picked up the pace, pushing herself more and more. Everything was a blur, except what she focused on. Scootaloo made the second turn, and now flew down the long stretch to the other end. But then something happened. Her vision was fading, her eyelids became heavy, and she started feeling drowsy. Nearing the third turn, she was too sleepy to continue flying. Knowing that passing out at such speeds would likely severely injure her, Scootaloo slowed down, and then faded off to sleep. Meanwhile on the balcony, Applebloom and her four other guests looked on in horror as Scootaloo seemed to...just fall down and roll over in the dirt. Rainbow soon suffered the same fate. The race was over quickly, and a winner was declared. "It's Jetstream! I don't believe it, fillies and gentlecolts! Jetstream is the winner!" The announcer's mood saddened when he saw two pegasi not moving in the dirt. "I...It seems Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo have...been injured! Several ponies with stretchers are coming to aid the unconscious pegasi." Sweetie Belle had tears in her eyes over the status of her friend. "What's going on? Why did they just stop?" "Ah dunno! Somethin' must be terribly wrong. We gotta go see if they're alright!" Applebloom shouted, putting down her pipe. The other two fillies nodded, and leaped back into the box. Before she left the room, Applebloom turned to Fancypants. "Ah'm sorry, you two. But we gotta check up on them! Hopefully we won't be gone long!" "No need to apologize to us, my dear. We're coming too!" The yellow pony smiled and led the party down towards the small clinic in the raceway. Meanwhile, many racing fans left, unhappy and equally concerned for the safety of the two downed flyers as much as their own friends. The rest of the races, not as anticipated or hyped, went on as planned. Down on the ground floor, winnings were being hoofed out. One winner in particular was a large golden pegasus with a white mane. A pink pony with a purple mane and her silver friend were walking through the crowd when she accidentally bumped into the pegasus. "Hey! Watch where you're goin'! Youse better be more carefully; next time I might not be so generous. Now get the hell outta here!" He angrily yelled, not caring who saw him. She responded cheerfully. "Oh pardon me, sir. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day." Her tone immediately shifted to become more serious. "Though, I wouldn't be so hasty to lose your temper over an accident." Her face flashed back to a smile, and she and her friend left. Palomino, perplexed, looked at the departed mare. "Well that was...odd.”