Seeking Truth-Ch.4-The Race
The Cloudsdale race track was one of the most impressive structures in the city. It was housed in a large Colosseum, expertly crafted, and filled with enough seats to house over half the city.
It was so Impressive in fact, that Seeker hadn't expect to be let in. Fortunately, Rainbow Dash knew the manager and they were waved through with only a few odd glances.
“Did I tell you how impressed I was with this architecture?” Seeker asked Rainbow Dash.
She looked at the Gryphon quizzically for a moment before replying. “No, why do ask?”
“Oh, I just wanted to complement you, all of you, the Pegasi I mean, this city puts the Gryphons cloud settlements to shame, I only wish I had gotten to visit Canterlot as well to see how it compares to the Gryphon capital.”
“Do the Gryphons even have cloud cities?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Gilda told me she used to live in something called a “Cloud nest” before she moved to moved to the city.”
“Giant cities made entirely of clouds like this, no, Gryphons can't manipulate clouds to the degree Pegasi can, we can only shape them into simple forms, and merge only a few of them together, so instead of cities we take a single large cloud, build something inside of it like an apartment, then set it near a point of reference and call it a cloud nest.”
“What about you' actual cities?”
“The Gryphon cities are some of our races crowning technological achievements. And the Capital ...”
“Rainbow Dash!” A bright green female Pegasi suddenly came out of nowhere and ran up to RBD.
“Hey kid, what are you doing here, there's nothing going on tonight.” The green Pegasus glanced over to Seeker for a moment, before adding. “Or were you planning on changing that?”
“You know it Sunshine Runner, this is Seeker, he challenged me to a race, then added a bet on top of it, so I'm gonna need to use the track real quick.”
Rainbow Dash started to move to toward the track entrance, but Sunshine Runner cut her off.
“Whoa, hold on there kid, you know you can't just go out to an unprepared track.”
“It'll just be a quick race!”
“A quick race huh?” The older green Pegasus scooted her hooves against the floor in thought. “All right, tell you what, give me ten minutes, half an hour tops to prepare the track, and then you can have your race.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “All right fine, but what are we supposed to do in the meantime?”
“You wait in the prep room like always, now, go on, scoot!”
Sunshine Runner pushed Seeker and Rainbow Dash into the prep room, then locked the door behind them.
“Who was that?” Seeker asked.
“Sunshine Runner,” Rainbow Dash responded. “A.K.A, the Race Coordinator who lets little fillies in for free if she knows their gonna grow up to be pro fliers.”
“Alright, everything's ready, you two can come out now!”
“Finally.” Rainbow Dash said as she bolted to the exit. “Hey Seeks, I bet I can beat you to the finish... Whoa!” RBD came to a grinding halt when she saw what lay beyond the exit.
In the short time Seeker and Rainbow Dash had been in the prep room, the Colosseum had been completely transformed. There were markers and colored banners set up for a multi-lap race, the cloud floor had been removed to show the ground below, and the Colosseum was now filled with about 50 Pegasi. The crowed started cheering when they saw that the two competitors had entered the field.
“So much for a quick race.” Seeker commented.
Rainbow Dash smirked at replied. “I guess I should have mentioned, for a Pegasi, there's no such thing as a short race.”
The two of them quickly glided over the starting platform, and the crowds cheers started to die down. When they got into position, the Race Coordinator came out onto the track.
The Colosseum suddenly became quiet enough to hear the wind blow. The audiences eye's were on the competitors, and the competitors eye's were on the stating flag. Sunshine Runner locked eyes with Rainbow Dash, and the two nodded at each other.
“On your mark.”
Seeker tensed up, digging his talons into the cloud below.
“Get set.”
Rainbow Dash prepped her wings, setting them in place to catch the perfect amount of air for takeoff.
“GO!”
After the congratulations, and the filling out of the paper work for the use of the track, the exhausted Seeker and Rainbow Dash were on their way out of the Colosseum.
“So what happened to more that meets the eye?” Rainbow Dash asked Seeker.
The Gryphon laughed, and in an embarrassed, yet humorous tone said. “I guess my Injury slowed me down more than I thought.”
Now Rainbow Dash stared laughing. “Wow really, that's you excuse, just admit that I thrashed you fair and square already.”
“No way, I had you by this much on that last lap.” Seeker said holding his claws about an inch apart.
“Please, you only caught up because I heisted, and even then you couldn't overtake me.”
Seeker had to admit that she was right about that. He had been behind her for almost the entire race, and then during the final quarter of the last lap, Rainbow Dash actually slowed down, almost letting Seeker pass her, but then speed back up again and crossed the finish line a half a second ahead of Seeker.
“I noticed your expression though.” the Gryphon said with his eyes closed, a smirk on his face and head turned down. “I could read the doubt in your eyes that said maybe you should let me win, that maybe you should go and see Gilda in person to hear what she has to say for yourself.
Seeker looked back up at RBD's shocked expression. “Maybe I lost because of my injury or maybe not, but either way, I still want a rematch.”
Rainbow Dash blinked then shook her head. “You know what Seeks, you're really weird.” She lifted her self off the ground in order to be eye level with Seeker before continuing. “Lucky for you though, I like weird.”
Rainbow Dash took off down the hall, yelling to Seeker as she went. “I'll drop off the letter for you to give to Gilda tomorrow at Twilight's library, that's where you'll be right?”
“Yeah, I planning on heading out there at around noon, Is she usually awake by then?”
“Yeah, but If not, Just stop by Fluttershy's place, she'll give you something to do until Twilight wakes up.”
And with that, Rainbow Dash zipped out of the Colosseum, with Seeker following soon after. The sun was setting on the horizon, transforming the entire city into an eerie yet beautiful fiery orange.
Making an enemy, then turning that enemy into a friend, and then racing that new friend for three laps around a giant Colosseum was incredibly tiring thing to do in a single day, so Seeker returned to his room at the inn, hoping that tomorrow would not bring anymore surprises.