Race For Redemption
"OF ALL THE INCONSIDERATE, INCOMPATENT THINGS YOU COULD THINK OF, YOU DECIDE TO SABOTAGE THE ENTIER RACING BOARD WITH FOUL DRINK? HAST THOU MISPLACED THY SENSES!?" Luna roared, the strength of her royal Canterlot voice blowing the bat ponies helmets off.
"I believe you mean "lost our min-" the braver of the two guards started.
"WE KNOW THE PHRASE!" Luna snapped, her voice causing a crack in one of the windows.
"Um, Princess Luna?" Noctra called, pushing open the doors to the throne room.
"WHAT?" Luna boomed, her temper clearly affecting her volume control.
Noctra recoiled, ears flattening against her scalp. " Uh-uh-um, I think there's something you should know about, regarding the stallion you asked me to...keep an eye on."
"TELL US- I mean, tell us, is it urgent?" Luna asked, regaining a bit of control.
"W-well..." Noctra quickly flew to the night monarch’s side, whispering something in her ear.
"You're certain?" Luna turned to face the bat pony.
"Pretty sure, your majesty." Noctra replied.
Luna put a hoof to her chin, casting her cold gaze down at her mischievous guards. The two bat ponies in question shivered in fear of what fate the princess might deem fit for them. Much to their surprise, and the rest of the guards present, Luna wordlessly climbed down from her throne, calmly walking towards the large double doors in deep thought.
"What just happened?" one of the accused bat ponies asked.
"Something you fruit brains wouldn't understand." Noctra sighed.
---
Sunrise cowered in the corner as Cloudchaser continued to vent her frustration on her bags. She had assumed the mare would wear herself out, but that didn’t seem to be a likely outcome anytime soon. Her friend had barged into their room, extremely agitated and unwilling to talk about it coherently.
Cloudchaser delivered an especially hard punch to the saddle bag she had been brutalizing, tearing a hole in its side. The ripping noise seemed to snap her out of her rage induced trance, backing away from the torn bag. Her muzzle slowly began to scrunch up, small sniffles escaping her heaving figure.
Sunrise watched her friend, and felt certain that her temper was starting to fizzle out. She had never seen Cloudchaser this upset before. Well, there was that one time with Thunderlane, but this easily surpassed that.
“Cloudchaser, are you okay?” Sunrise asked, placing a hoof on her shoulder.
“No,” Cloudchaser sniffled. “I’m not okay.”
Sunrise wanted to say more, but didn’t as her friend slowly broken down. She simply put her forelegs around her in a hug as the walls she had built up around her came tumbling down. This wasn’t the tough, fun loving mare that everypony knew, this was the fragile side of her that had been left behind after having her heart torn out.
“S-Sunrise?” Cloudchaser spoke up in a whimper.
“What is it Cloudchaser?” Sunrise replied.
“I-is there a soda machine in the lobby?” Cloudchaser sniffed again, rubbing her eyes with her hoof.
That was the mare Sunrise knew. Wine was Sunrise's preference, but if given the option, Cloudchaser would pick soda. It was her go to comfort drink when she had a bad day at practice, or if something was bugging her.
“I can go check, will you be okay by yourself?” Sunrise wore a look of concern as she looked the mare in the eyes with sincerity.
“I’ll be okay, I promise.” Cloudchaser nodded, her breathing starting to become steady.
Sunrise smiled, releasing her friend from her embrace. She could hardly stand the thought of something hurting her like this, or somepony. Cloudchaser never did say who or what caused her to become upset.
Cloudchaser sighed when she heard the door close. She looked down at the saddle bag she had demolished; her rage had done more than ruin a bag tonight, however. The worst damage was the nonphysical, the emotional hurt she had been dealt, and what she had pushed back onto the one she cared for most.
Cloudchaser’s ear twitched as she heard the door open. That was fast, even for Sunrise to make it to the lobby and back. A quick look over her shoulder revealed not her team mate, but Isabella. The mare was conflicted about the human’s presence in her room; she couldn’t find the will power to remain mad or frustrated, but wasn’t exactly happy to see her either.
“I didn’t ask for company...” Cloudchaser sulked.
“Well, you’ve got it.” Isabella chuckled, approaching the distraught mare.
“Shouldn’t you be on the train back to Ponyville?” Cloudchaser asked, turning away from her coltfriend’s sister.
“We were staying behind to watch my brother tomorrow.” Isabella said sitting down on her knees across from Cloudchaser.
A sharp sting registered with Cloudchaser as her heart ached at the mention of her love interest. If he listened to her, then they’d be leaving disappointed tomorrow.
“My brother can be an idiot sometimes,” Isabella said, making Cloudchaser’s ears perk up in surprise. “He means well, but somehow whenever he messes up, he doesn’t exactly do a good job of minimizing the damage he leaves in his wake.”
“I’ll say...” Cloudchaser said quietly.
“Come on.” Isabella said, sliding her hands around Cloudchaser’s barrel to lift her up, and onto the bed. The mare protested briefly, stunned by her sudden position shift. A tender hand rubbing and playing with her ears chased away any argument she might have raised.
Cloudchaser fought back a content sigh, slowly lowering herself into Isabella’s lap. All her fears and worries were being chased away at the moment. Isabella’s free hand slowly stroked her mane, those heavenly fingers gliding through the silk like fibers that adorned her head and neck.
“Why are you being nice?” Cloudchaser mumbled.
“Do you need a reason to be nice?” Isabella asked in return.
“I wasn’t...” Cloudchaser started to sulk again, until the nails of Isabella’s fingers slowly scratched at the base of her tail, making her coo in delight.
“I came here to check on you because my brother screwed up,” Isabella took in a deep breath before continuing her thought. “I also don’t want to see either of you hurting like this. I’ve seen how you two snuggle up to each other at home; do you really think one bad night will make him hate you?”
“I want to believe you...” Cloudchaser whispered.
“You should.” Isabella said as she continued to pet the mare in her lap. The sound of the door closing caused her to jerk her head up.
She noticed Sunrise with a soda can in one hoof, watching her tend to Cloudchaser. She set the can down, trotting over to the edge of the bed, a pleading look in her eye as she took note of how relaxed Cloudchaser appeared to be now.
“Fine, come on up.” Isabella sighed, receiving a happy squee from the other pegasus.
Sunrise nuzzled her way next to Cloudchaser and sighed as she felt Isabella’s hand begin to stroke her as well. She had heard about this human from her friends, and apparently their stories were true, her hand felt AMAZING against the mare's coat and mane.
The two mares wined briefly when they felt Isabella shift, moving to lean against the head rest with a pillow behind her for support. Cloudchaser and Sunrise wasted little time in reclaiming their spots, both completely forgetting about the soda that had been spoken of earlier in favor of being petted.
He probably still wants to be a human....I-oh sweet Celestia! Right there, Cloudchaser leaned into Isabella's hand as her left hind leg twitched a bit. ...maybe I would be okay with that...but Scootaloo....and....mmm...fingers....
"Heh, out like a lightbulb...two lightbulbs." Isabella sighed as she continued to stroke the sleeping ponies that had taken up residence on her lap for the night.
She frowned as she watched Cloudchaser sleep. She knew something else had to be bugging her, their fight must have been really bad. Isabella liked Cloudchaser, and she started to see her as a sister, somepony she could relate to. They both had similar attitudes...sort of.
Admittedly, this little incident had put a strain on that relationship, which was why she came over, to try and make peace. She knew Cloudchaser wouldn't be up for seeing Daniel, so something better would have to do. Isabella found the combined body heat of the two extremely snuggly ponies having an effect on her, as they subconsciously pressed themselves closer to her.
Isabella's head bobbed as she tried to stave off sleep, she couldn't fall asleep here, but she was getting too comfortable to move. Besides, the two mares looked so peaceful, it'd be rude to wake them up now. Giving in with a yawn, Isabella let her head come to a rest against the pillow she had put behind her, joining her two bedmates in blissful slumber.
---
“So that’s it? You’re just leaving?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Yeah, it’s a stupid race anyways. I need to focus on the ones that matter...” I replied.
“Yeah, but you can show those prissy ponies what you’re made of! Don’t back down from them!” Rainbow Dash stomped her hoof against the floor.
She at least bought my excuse for forfeiting. It was better than wasting everypony’s time and money to stay. Tomorrow I’d be on the first train ride back to Ponyville, and everypony would be getting what they wanted….right?
“What about Thunderlane?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“What about Thunderlane? He’s going back to Las Pegasus, so there’s really no reason for me to stay.” I rolled my eyes.
“I...but...y-you can’t just give up!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Look, Dash, I know you want me to go tomorrow, but I can’t. It’s just easier this way, please trust me.” I looked down at the racing mask that had been laid out in preparation for tomorrow before storing it away.
“...quitter.” Rainbow Dash mumbled before storming out of my room.
My ears fell flat in sorrow, even though this seemed like the best way to go about things, I felt rotten for hiding the truth. Rainbow Dash’s words didn’t help things either, like pouring salt into an open wound.
“Somepony seems down in the dumps.” came a voice from the window.
“Oh, hey Noctra.” I said, giving her permission to enter with a motion of my head.
“Thought you’d like to know we got the two ponies that pulled one over on you and your racing buddies. They were feeling the wrath of Luna’s voice.” Noctra keed.
“Her voice?” I cocked an eyebrow at her.
“I guess you’ve never heard the royal Canterlot voice before. Imagine somepony shouting through about twenty megaphones at max volume.” Noctra shivered.
“Probably hurts your ears pretty badly, huh?” I jumped up onto the bed, stretching my wings out a bit.
“You have no idea.” Noctra pointed her hoof at me, slipping out of her armor and joining me on the opposite end. Her actions made me more than a little nervous.
“Uh, what are you doing?” I asked.
“Hmm? Kicking back for a minute….is that bad?” Noctra rolled over onto her back, tilting her head.
“Um, I guess not.” I replied, scooting away slightly.
“Oooh, I get it, wittle Daniel is afwaid of da sexy wittle bat pony.” Noctra teased.
“I’m not afraid, it just might look a bit odd with you being on the bed, out of your armor and everything.” I mumbled.
“I’m just teasing you.” Noctra jabbed me lightly in the foreleg.
“I’m sorry, tonight’s not really the night to tease like that. Cloudchaser and I had a huge fight, and I’m pretty sure she’s against the idea of adopting.” I said.
“Wanna talk about it?” Noctra asked raising an upside down eyebrow at me, making me laugh.
“You won’t leave until I do, will you?” I asked rhetorically.
“Nope.” Noctra grinned.
---
Cloudchaser could hardly believe what she was about to do, she needed to see him though. She knew she was probably the last pony he wanted to see, but she felt the need to talk to him. The door was partially open, a glimmer of light streaming through the small space between the door and it’s framework.
“So she left you all alone?” an unfamiliar voice asked.
Cloudchaser felt her heart stop, she could tell it was a mare’s voice in the room. It didn’t belong to any friend she knew of though. Fearing the worst, she braced herself and peeked in through the small opening, covering her mouth with her hoof at the sight before her.
Her coltfriend was getting awfully close to some…some…bat hussy! No, this had to be a misunderstanding; he would never do this, not Daniel! Cloudchaser clung to this hope as she watched the bat pony’s muzzle grow closer to his.
Push her away...please...push her away... Cloudchaser thought, her heart slowly falling apart.
“She wouldn’t understand my reasoning.” Daniel looked away from the other mare, a hoof slowly caressing his cheek and mane.
“I do...” the bat pony said, pulling Daniel into a passionate kiss.
Cloudchaser whimpered as warm tears matted her fur. She no longer saw her coltfriend, but a cruel, twisted reflection of her past lover. The mare cried out in agony, from a pain that no drug or medicine could cure.
“We believe this nightmare has run its course.” echoed a voice.
Through clouded eyes, she watched the world around her dissolve and rapidly flow into itself, like water running down the drain of a sink or tub, leaving behind a void. She did her best to wipe away her tears, finding herself in complete darkness now. There was no light, only what Cloudchaser cloud assume was some form of solid ground or a floor beneath her.
“H-hello?” Cloudchaser called out with a shaky voice.
“Greetings,” Luna replied, her horn illuminating the darkness. “Do not be afraid.”
“Princess Luna...where are we?” Cloudchaser asked hesitantly.
“Your subconscious, or a part of it, anyways.” Luna looked around the darkness.
“There’s nothing here anymore...am I dead!?” Cloudchaser gasped.
“No, we have simply removed your dream. You're still very much alive." Luna chuckled at the mare's distress.
"Oh...o-okay, but what are you doing here, Princess? Not that I'm ungrateful you got rid of that nightmare or anything." Cloudchaser smiled nervously.
"We believe an explanation is in order," Luna said, continuing her observations of the void, her muzzle turning up in a smile as she looked in one direction and started to walk towards the empty space. "Come, there's something you should see."
Cloudchaser followed Luna towards the empty void, only to reappear in what looked like a space filled with doors, suspended in midair, out of instinct Cloudchaser's wings began to work of their own accord to keep her suspended amidst the confusion.
"You're still dreaming Cloudchaser, there's no need to be afraid of falling." Luna giggled.
Cloudchaser cautiously willed her wings to stop, and found herself floating slowly to a floor that could not be seen, only acknowledged. It was weird seeing so many doors out of place with no discernable frame of reference of what they held behind them.
"You stand in the dream way, few ponies, save for those close to the royal family, have ever laid eyes upon this realm." Luna said walking away.
"So, why are you showing me this then?" Cloudchaser asked.
"Because the stallion you are bonded to is a close friend." Luna said stopping in front of a door that was taller than the others, save for the one next to it.
"Is that-" Cloudchaser pointed at the dark blue door.
"This door leads into Daniel's subconscious. For one night only, we are offering you the chance to see what he sees, feel what he feels. This is not an offer to be taken lightly..." Luna warned.
"....I need to know....this thing with Scootaloo tonight, how much more is he hiding from me?" Cloudchaser looked up at the night princess.
"So be it...remember, these are his thoughts, not yours." Luna said with a nod as the door opened to a blinding light.
Cloudchaser blinked a few times, the light fading to a more tolerable level. The room she found herself in was huge, odd pictures with funny lines and symbols hung from the walls. From the window she could see a series of buildings and fast moving objects on an odd black and white surface below.
"Well, the results for you and your wife came back." a deep voice said, catching Cloudchaser's attention. "To be honest, I'm not sure which news I should give you first."
A creature that looked like Daniel sat behind a desk with a white coat on, she had seen the doctors wear something similar in the hospital. Cloudchaser remembered what Luna had told her, and sat in silence, realizing that she was a spectator in this world.
"Is it that bad?" Daniel asked, not the pegasus she had grown used to, but the human she remembered walking high above the other ponies. He looked younger, but his expression and eyes revealed a sense of fear and dread. HE wasn’t alone either, seated beside him was a human mare, her hand wrapped around his.
"I wouldn't call it bad...but it's not good either. Your wife is fine, it's you that has the, uh, problem, if you will." the older human cleared his throat.
Cloudchaser felt heavy as she watched Daniel lean back in his seat. His eyes left the doctor's, becoming fixed on the desk as more weight continued to press against Cloudchaser. It was starting to hurt, she tried to move but was unable to without causing herself more harm in the process.
"Then how did-" the human seated beside Daniel started to ask.
"I'm not sure how you conceived the first time, but I am sorry that it ended the way it did. I've spoken with multiple couples that have endured a miscarriage and given enough time I would normally advise trying again. In your case though, with what I’ve seen today, I’m afraid it would be impossible to naturally have a child of your own....I’m sorry." the doctor apologized.
Cloudchaser's breath caught at the word miscarriage, not only because of the sudden realization of what was transpiring, but because at that instant the weight around her was squeezing the air from her lungs. She couldn't breathe, her body felt as if it would give out on her at any moment. Then, the weight lifted, the scene before her turning grey.
Cloudchaser sucked in huge lungsful of air. The sound of hooves falling against the floor made her ear twitch, but did little else to stir the mare from the resting position she had taken.
"Why....why did he never mention...anything about this." Cloudchaser panted as she slowly got to her hooves.
"You said it best, he keeps things to himself." Luna replied.
"How can he live with that? I thought I was going to die!" Cloudchaser exclaimed.
"It is as we said, you would feel what he feels. He has told few ponies about this portion of his life," Luna gently rubbed Cloudchaser's back to calm the mare down. "Do you wish to continue?"
Cloudchaser stared at the frozen image of Daniel in silence, debating a tactical retreat from the horror she had just experienced, but she came for answers, and she wasn't ready to back down just yet. She was now curious as to how he held it together after keeping that bottled up inside for so long.
"Yes, I need to." she replied.
"So be it..." Luna said as the same blinding light emanated from her horn, before growing into a large wave that engulfed the room.
Cloudchaser knew what to expect this time, what she didn't expect was where she would end up next in her coltfriend's mind. Her question was soon answered as a cold chill crept up her spine, the temperature around her suddenly dropping. It felt like winter, and unsurprisingly she found herself in a blurry version of Ponyville.
"What's..." Cloudchaser tilted her head in confusion.
"Sometimes memories become focused on other things, other details becoming more relevant than that of the scenery," Luna spoke up, taking her by surprise. "A thousand pardons, but we thought it best to keep a closer eye on you after your last experience."
"No kidding..." Cloudchaser mumbled, walking through the soft snow.
The pegasus looked around, her expression falling as she explored this new memory. She shivered occasionally, the cold nipping at her bare coat.
"You seem disappointed." Luna said.
"I was hoping to find out how he got rid of that pain....I can't accept the fact that he's just been carrying it." Cloudchaser sighed.
"That is something for you to ask him about." for a second, Cloudchaser thought she saw a smile crack across the princess' muzzle.
The sound of a filly crying made Cloudchaser's ears twitch. It was a distinct sound that made her heart twist. Right now though, she wasn't sure who's emotions she was feeling; her own, or Daniel's....where was he anyways?
“Scoots, are you okay?” Daniel asked.
Cloudchaser and Luna followed the voice, the pegasus displaying a bit more enthusiasm than the alicorn. Luna knew what was going to happen next, she had seen what was about to happen already transpire in his memories.
As Cloudchaser rounded the corner she came to a sudden stop. Daniel and Minuette were beside a sobbing Scootaloo. A new feeling was beginning to creep over the mare now, almost like the first time, but softer.
“N-no.” Scootaloo mumbled, trying to wipe the warm tears from her eyes with her hooves.
Minuette approached the distraught filly, not entirely sure what to say or do except wrap her leg around her in an attempt to calm her down. She made soft shushing noises, pulling Scootaloo a bit closer to share warmth between them.
“Can you tell us what happened?” she heard Daniel ask.
Cloudchaser understood this sensation now, compassion. It felt a bit different than when she would express it towards another pony. They both experienced the same things, but the sensations were different somehow.
“I-she-took it-and then it broke.” Scootaloo replied in between sobs.
Cloudchaser watched as Daniel dug through a pile of tools that appeared to have been knocked over somehow. As he removed the tools from their pile, he pulled something to the side, no two things, that didn't seem to fit with the rubble.
It took Cloudchaser a minute to recognize what it was, but when she did, her ears drooped. It was the little filly's scooter. Scootaloo's sobbing picked up in volume and intensity as she saw what had become of her most prized possession.
“I’m sorry Scoots, I can try to fix it. The important thing is that you’re okay.” Daniel said.
“No,” Scootaloo shouted darting away from Minuette, only to slam into his stomach, her forelegs stretched out as far as they would go. “It’s not gonn-a-be-okay! C-cause I’m go-nna have to m-move away and then-and then I’ll never see anypony again! Because I'm different!” Scootaloo cried, burying her face in his jacket as she sobbed.
Cloudchaser's hind legs lost their will to stand as she watched the human hold the sobbing filly. She felt the beginnings of a tear forming at the corner of her eye, but blinked it away before she lost control.
"Why did you agree to show me this?" Cloudchaser turned her head to Luna.
"It is our duty to help guide our little ponies. You are not the first that we have visited, nor will you be the last." Luna smiled.
"I was just mad, I mean, I want him to be all of those things. I don't want him to end up being like...my nightmare." Cloudchaser shivered, lowering her head.
"We know all too well the consequences that come as a result of acting out of rage," Luna said, placing a hoof on Cloudchaser's shoulder. "What you fear is completely avoidable, but he needs you for that."
"He's been a walking tank most of his life, what difference do I make?" Cloudchaser asked.
Luna chuckled "As stated before, there are some things you will have to ask him about and discover for yourself, and even tanks can develop cracks in their armor."
Cloudchaser knew what she needed to do. She was still going to have a looooong talk with Daniel about a multitude of topics, but she needed to get to him first.
"It's almost morning, in the end the decision is yours....good luck." Luna's words came as a whisper as the world went dark without warning.
---
"What do you mean don't bother!?" Isabella shouted, dragging Cloudchaser from her dreams.
"I'm saying, he left!" Rainbow Dash huffed.
"Wait...who left?" Cloudchaser asked rubbing her eyes.
"Your lousy coltfriend, who else? He gets worried over some stupid competition and tucks his tail between his legs like a coward!" Rainbow Dash fumed.
"He left!?" Cloudchaser exclaimed, jumping out of the bed.
"Yeah, soon he'll be on his way back to Ponyville." Rainbow Dash said.
"Oh no oh no oh no!" Cloudchaser began to pace, trying to formulate some kind of plan.
"Whoa, easy there," Isabella picked the mare up, her legs continuing their walking motion. "I know it sucks, but you're making it sound like this is life or death." Isabella gave Cloudchaser a concerned look.
Cloudchaser bit her lip. "I...I told him to lose today. In our fight, I told him that if he loved me, he'd lose."
All eyes were on Cloudchaser now, awaiting an explanation. The mare caved, having been informed that he coltfriend would no longer be in the city soon.
"I was so mad at him, I was afraid he'd break more promises like Thunderlane did. I wasn't thinking straight, but all the things I wanted from him just came out wrong. I like the gentle spirit he has, and I want him to love me more than some stupid random mares..." Cloudchaser mumbled the last part of her sentence, her nightmare still vividly running through her mind.
"I don't want him to lose his chance with Scootaloo either. The whole adoption thing was just kind of dropped on me so suddenly, on top of the drinking incident." Cloudchaser sighed.
Isabella slammed her palm against her forehead. Rainbow Dash and Sunrise looked more than a little stunned at the news. This made Cloudchaser worry immensely as the human started mumbling something and shaking her head.
"Was I wrong?" Cloudchaser asked.
"I-I didn't know anything about it!" Sunrise stammered.
"That was the idea, he wanted to keep it a surprise." Isabella said exasperatedly.
"You serious?" Rainbow Dash was suddenly in Cloudchaser's personal space, blocking the others from her view. Her eyes sparkled with excitement and joy at the news.
"That's what he told me," Cloudchaser replied, backing away from the mare, turning to face Isabella. “I’m sorry, I should have told you sooner.”
Isabella took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before letting it out through her mouth. “I can’t say I’m pleased with what you did, but we’ve all done and said things we regret, myself included.”
“If I could take back what I said I would. I wish there was some way to talk him out of leaving, but there’s no way to catch him before the train gets here.” Cloudchaser sulked.
“Hellooo, did you forget who you’re friends with?” Rainbow Dash grinned, who was joined by Sunrise and Isabella.
Cloudchaser smiled, Princess Luna had been right. She knew what she had to do now, and she had a few good friends to help make it happen. She only hoped it wasn’t too late to undo the damage that had been done.
“Okay, here’s the plan.”
---
Rainbow Dash, Sunrise and Cloudchaser spotted their target easily enough. It was a two pony cart, currently both of the stallions that were responsible for the cart seemed occupied with their break, making it ripe for the taking, or “borrowing” as Rainbow Dash had reworded it. After all, it wasn't like they weren't going to pay for it.
Faster than the two earth ponies could react, Sunrise and Rainbow Dash flew around them, and into the straps that connected them to the cart. The two stallions stood dumbfounded as they watched Cloudchaser fly into the moving cart, dropping a bag of bits as they sped away.
“Uh….what do we do?” one stallion finally spoke up.
“I don't know...crazy mares.” The other replied.
Elsewhere, Isabella knocked on the door to Fluttershy’s room, at least she hoped it was Fluttershy’s room anyways. Rainbow Dash wasn’t the best with directions, Isabella feared that also applied to room numbers as well. Why Fluttershy had opted to stay with Rainbow Dash and her team instead of the others was beyond her, but at least she wasn't having to sneak past guards. She wasn’t seeking the shy pegasus for her part, however. She needed somepony else for her part of the plan, one that wasn't too far away from the animal lover.
“Hey, open up ya walking jigsaw puzzle! I know you're in there!” Isabella shouted.
“I’ll have you know that I’m quite smooth, in terms of texture,” Discord said appearing behind her. “It was my understanding you were going to stop with the witty remarks.”
“I had to get your attention. Do you want to be a hero this morning or not?” Isabella asked.
“A hero you say? How so?” Discord raised one of his fuzzy eyebrows.
“We need a little chaos.” Isabella replied, making the draconequus smile.
---
“How much further? I thought you said this was a short cut.” Sunrise said, looking over at Rainbow Dash.
“It is. The station should be right around….here!” Rainbow Dash shouted excitedly, speeding towards the crowded station.
“ Look out, pardon us, coming through!” Cloudchaser shouted, giving the other ponies fair warning to get out of the way.
“There he is!” Sunrise gestured with her head towards a blue pegasus stallion, with an odd cutie mark.
The two mares picked up speed as they saw him headed towards the train door. Daniel was with his normal group, each wearing an expression of indifference, most likely about the idea of leaving without racing.
Cloudchaser leaned over the edge of the cart, forelegs spread wide as they drew closer. The surprised screams of the other ponies on the train station dock alerted him to their presence. Daniel mouthed something just before being snatched up by the mare, his saddle bags hitting the bottom of the cart and spilling their contents.
---
“Cloudchaser!?” I looked up at the mare on top of my chest in surprise.
“Sorry about this, but we have to get you to that track.” Cloudchaser smiled.
“I thought you were mad at me? I thought you wanted me to-” I felt a hoof press against my lips.
“I know what I said, and you’re right, I was mad. We’re still going to have a very long talk after this is all over, but right now you need to get out there and do what you do best.” Cloudchaser replied, picking up the racing mask from the pile of belongings that had spilt from the saddle bag.
The mare slipped it over my head, adjusting my mane a bit once it was secure with a smile. “So….you’re not breaking up with me?” I asked.
“Dummy.” Cloudchaser sighed, wrapping her forelegs around my neck before pulling me into a kiss.
“I wish you mares would stop being so confusing.” I said after Cloudchaser pulled away, allowing me to put on the racing vest. “I don’t know how you intend to get me in, I already told them I forfeit. My name will be checked off.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that.” Cloudchaser grinned smugly.
---
“I thought you said he withdrew!” an elderly pony shouted at two young stallions in charge of the betting charts.
“H-he did, I swear!” the youngest one stammered.
“Then why is his name printed on all of these!?” the older pony asked, pointing a hoof at a pile of brochures to be given out before the race. “Get his name back up on the board, and be quick about it!”
Discord snickered to himself as the ponies scrambled to correct the error he had created, for the greater good of course. It wasn’t as grand as he had hoped it would be, but getting to flex his chaotic muscle every now and then was amusing all the same.
“I like chaos, yes I do. I like chaos, how about you?~” Discord sang before disappearing in a pink cloud of smoke.
---
“Uh oh.” Rainbow Dash mumbled as both she and Sunrise brought the cart to a sudden stop.
Crowds of ponies were headed towards the track, causing a minor traffic jam. It was the end of the line for the cart, there was no way we would be getting through the massive group.
“Guess I’m going to have to fly the rest of the way.” I said, stretching my wings out.
“But you need to save your energy.” Cloudchaser placed a hoof against my chest to stop me.
“This will just be another warm up, I'll be fine. I'll see you there, okay?” I gently lowered her hoof from my chest.
“If you love me...you won’t lose today,” Cloudchaser said giving me a quick kiss. “Now go kick their flanks.”
“No pressure.” I smirked, leaving the cart behind.
I quickly gained altitude over the ponies below. Cloudchaser and her friends had come pretty close to making it all the way to the track, I could see it easily without climbing too high into the air. I took off towards my destination at half speed, not wanting to wear myself out before the race.
The distance between myself and the track closed rapidly. The noise from the crowd led me to believe it was getting close to starting time, which gave me an idea. I wanted to make a dynamic entrance, something that, until I came to Equestria, was impossible to do.
I went into a dive, after spotting the coordinator, who was speaking with my sister and another pegasus. He resembled Flicker, a rather snobby elitist that thought he was God’s gift to this world. As I got closer I cloud see my sister steadily getting madder as she glared at the stallion; she must have been trying to stall for time.
Okay, let’s give the dynamic entry a try. I smiled as I unfurled my wings.
I landed in between Isabella and Flicker, my sudden appearance causing him to take a few steps back. I heard the crowd cheer a bit, due to my arrival, stylish entry, or simply that the race could finally start I wasn’t sure.
“Oh, don’t mind me, please continue.” I smiled at Flicker, who was much smaller than me.
“Nice entry, very ironman-esque with the whole sudden drop in thing.” Isabella said.
“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to do that.” I grinned. “Thanks for keeping them busy.”
“Just don’t come in last.” Isabella waved her hand dismissively as she walked towards the seats.
I took my position on the starting line, which was next to the pony that had appeared to have been harassing my sister before I landed. I didn’t care for Flicker, he was your typical jerk with a larger than life sense of entitlement. As a human I had never been able to say or do anything about it, but now that we were on the same track, that distance I had to cover beforehand was hardly noticeable.
“So, what were you saying to my sister, Flicker?” I asked, as he took his place beside me.
“That incompetent creature is your sister?” Flicker’s eyes were wide with disbelief.
I didn’t get to reply before a loud bang pieced the crowd’s cheers, the noise triggering me to take off from the starting line and into the air. I owed Lean Streak a great deal for teaching me about pacing, among other things he had taken the time to bestow upon me.
I looked behind me and saw Flicker falling back to fourth. For all his big talk he didn’t have much power to back it up. I felt a smile spread across my muzzle as I continued to put distance between us. I was going to enjoy this race, without a doubt.
---
A gold medal hung around my neck, reflecting in the brilliant moonlight as Cloudchaser and I walked home in relative silence, now that we were alone. Even though we had started to make peace things still felt off, like something needed to be said or done, but I didn’t know what. Evidently, she felt the same way too.
I let out a tired sigh as I pushed open the door to my house. I slung the medal over the back of the couch, tired of having the bulky thing around my neck all day, as well as the entire trip home. Rainbow Dash made me keep it on, since she knew about Scootaloo now, I was inclined to do so for the sake of keeping the news from the filly one more day.
“Um, look…about last night,” I said as Cloudchaser closed the door. “I should have left when I saw him, but I’m stupid when it comes to stuff like that.” I sat on my haunches.
“You don’t have to fight battles like that on your own.” Cloudchaser said.
“I know.” I sighed, starting to lean my head down in shame, only to feel it rise up against my will as Cloudchaser nuzzled her head beneath mine and into my neck. Of all the things she did, that made my heart melt the quickest.
“You know, I never did get that dance.” Cloudchaser whispered as she leaned into my chest.
“There’s no time like the present.” I said, smiling as her eyes met mine when she pulled away to face me. They sparkled as the light from the kitchen reflected off them, creating two beautiful, shining pools of light rose in the dark living room.
“I’ve never done it before.” Cloudchaser blushed.
“Neither have I. So...shall we dance?”
Not sure how the whole feeling pain in dreams will work out in the mlp universe, but I'm inclined to think they experience some form of stimulation from the episode where Applebloom was shocked in her dream....also, magic reasons?
Bat ponies have started to grow on me, like, a lot. 
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They tend to do that.
Everypony needs a little batpony in their life.
The resolution here was pretty nice. And Daniel does need to open up a bit more to Cloudchaser.
I know in real life some people can feel things in their dreams. I find it valid to use in the story.
Oh that is so cute!! I can imagine Sunrise like Pinkie Pie.
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk ha ha!!