The Expedition: Silverstone Shakedown
Sunday - 6:00am
"Come on!"
Sunset Shimmer's sleep-addled mind barely heard Twilight Sparkle's desperate pleas for the others to wake up. She turned in the comfy blankets and let out a groggy, "Just five.. more.. minutes."
Before she could get back to sleep, Sunset felt her arm pulled near enough out of its socket as she was thrust upward into a sitting position.
"Now, Sunset!" Twilight told her sternly.
"Fine, fine. I'm up," Sunset said, rubbing her eyes.
Now that everyone was up, Twilight ended her ruthless quest to dislocate arms and got ready for the day ahead. Her outfit of choice was a blue striped shirt, tied back hair and a purple skirt.
"The usual, I see," Rarity added, reflexively diving into her large suitcase to grab a makeup kit. Everyone stopped and gave her a curious look, "What?"
Applejack spoke first, "We're gonna be racin' again, Ah don't think you'll need any makeup today Rare'."
Rarity let out a huff, but put the kit away, "So be it."
While the sun was still making its slow ascent into the sky, the entire Silverstone track was visible from the room window. Twilight looked down below, a shimmering glint in her eyes, she couldn't wait to let loose out there!
Shortly after, the girls made their way down to the breakfast hall on the first floor, joining up with Luke, Haley and Maverick. The hall was decorated with glass tables which were filled with plenty of other Ford enthusiasts who were chatting, eating, and even taking pictures together. Twilight suspected that some of them had finally met in person after years of online talk, with Ford Fair being the biggest Ford event in the entire country. All of Europe, even.
She thought back to the things that her father, Night Light, would tell her when she was younger, that the best way to let people know about the upcoming meet was to leave a paper slip under their wiper, or if you wanted to ask for advice you had to visit your local shop in person. Now? Anyone can just send a text to their friend who was hundreds of miles away.
Although Twilight used to shrug these off, she had to give her father some credit. He was the reason she loved cars so much, and he wasn't exactly wrong either.
As part of the hotel's steep price, it included a pick-and-choose buffet. The group got their fill and grabbed a table near to one of the track-side windows before anyone else could. Twilight sat back, silently watching more of the people as she absentmindedly ate her breakfast, a habit from her time of solitude at Crystal Prep Academy. She noticed a lot of the tables were taken by specific groups, the '6SOC' club, the 'Fast Fords' club, even one titled 'The Ford Bible'.
A random voice called out from within the room, which pulled her out of her train of thought.
"It's half seven, let's go!!!"
There was a unanimous commotion as a few hundred hotel guests finished their breakfasts and made their ways out of the hall all at once. The Horizon Racing Team waited a few pensive seconds before joining the frenzied mass of people.
Unobstructed sunlight cast itself down on the world as waves upon waves of cars brandishing the blue oval slowly trickled into the Silverstone complex. Twilight peered around in awe at the various buildings lining the outer perimeter of the track itself, it was like a small and enclosed city, purely dedicated to the art of motorsport.
Everyone was funneled deeper into the heart of the track itself, a vast expanse of asphalt arteries with flat grass spots in between. Twilight checked her handheld map, Zone 15 was almost exclusively held for members of the Horizon Festival.
As the group moved ever closer to their designated zone, she noted it was elevated and gave an unobstructed view of the Wellington Straight section, she wondered what strings Luke had to pull to obtain such a good spot.
She focused back to the task at hand, expert maneuvering to line all of the cars up perfectly. Luke lead the way in his Focus, with Maverick at the rear of the pack. After much co-ordination, she flipped her Shelby off and admired the groups work.
Parked directly facing the track, perfect.
The atmosphere was beginning to pick up, the smell of petrol was in the air and everywhere Twilight looked, she could see swathes of different coloured vehicles.
The Horizon Racing Team fleet was already getting plenty of looks from other owners and spectators alike, one passerby even complimented Twilight on the GT500's carbon wing.
Luke sauntered over and tapped it, "Yep, that cost the better part of eighteen grand. I couldn't believe that at first, could you Twilight?"
Twilight was too busy gawking at an approaching car to answer. "What is that?!"
A random person chimed in, "Oh, that's uh... The Monster Fiesta."
That snapped Twilight out of her stupor. She couldn't tell what the car was at first, but deduced that it was another Mark-Six like the one Luke owned. That was, if you ignored the satin blue-to-purple paintjob, and extreme custom bodywork.
Bodywork was certainly a... Word that could be used to describe the exterior of the car. Every single body panel had been changed drastically, or completely replaced with one from a different car. The front bumper was devoid of all standard grilles and foglights, remaining almost completely open for air cooling. The rest of the car was just as outrageous, sporting different headlights, mirrors, no door handles and an enormous roof wing.
Twilight was about to respond, but the doors opened upwards in a scissor motion, she had to turn around to hold in the sheer amount of laughter at seeing them raised up like that.
That was, until she heard laugher coming from the car. Twilight whipped around to see Luke already walking over to the driver, though he looked oddly familiar.
"Lewis, I can't believe you made it!"
The two shared a quick hug, while Twilight watched on from a short distance. She was just about to scurry away when...
"Oh yeah! And this is Twilight, the top racer at the Festival this year!" Luke said, gesturing a hand to her.
Lewis smiled, "Hiya!"
Twilight smiled back, looking him up and down. Lewis had short brown spiky hair, almost identical to Luke's, atop a slightly more tanned face. However, he was on the opposite end of the fashion-scale, wearing a plain white t-shirt with denim jeans. The realisation finally dawned on Twilight.
She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, "So, are you two..."
"Twin brothers, yes," Lewis replied sheepishly.
Luke pointed his way. "Yep, while this guy has been travelling the world, I've been working on the Blurple Beast for the past few months."
"And I've gotta say, you've done a fantastic job! This bodykit couldn't be better."
That certainly shocked Twilight, "You created the bodywork?" she asked towards Luke.
He nodded an affirmative. "Plenty of times I've wanted to fob it off to someone else, but it went in for painting last week and was ready just in time for the show!"
Pondering why exactly, Twilight walked around the Fiesta, eyeing various elements of the design. She looked back and said, "I must ask... Why, exactly?"
Lewis smirked, with Luke not far behind, "Let me teach you about the era of Max Power..."
By nine o'clock, every stand was filled to the brim with Fords of various sizes and colours. Some were big and flashy, other's small and inconspicuous.
Twilight followed Applejack back towards the entrance they came in, Zone 16 being their destination. She intended to visit each club in an anti-clockwise pattern, finishing with the more expensive cars up by the Fast Ford section and the circuit start line.
"So you're tellin' me this is the truck section?" Applejack asked her car-inclined sidekick.
Twilight looked up from analysing one of the maps, "Yep, the Ranger and Raptor club should just be up here!"
True to her word, the two were greeted with a stunning lineup of new and old trucks. A few showed their age, rust permeating around wheel arches and in the pickup bed. Others looked as if they had just rolled off the production line, albeit with choice upgrades.
One in particular caught Applejack's eye, a brown-orange Ford Ranger. She let out a low whistle and strolled over to it, "This'd be perfect on the farm. Ah could see Big Mac driving this around, heck, Ah would!"
The towering behemoth dwarfed both girls, standing near enough eight feet tall on lifted suspension and thirty-seven inch tires. A bolt-on wheel arch kit only accentuated its presence above every other vehicle.
"Ah'm gonna find out some more info on this beauty, if that's alright with you."
Twilight nodded. "More than fine with me, enjoy it! I'm gonna go take a look around."
A few specks of green, the same as Luke's Fiesta caught her attention on the grass closer to where the track was. She wandered over, noticing a few yellow and red ones mixed in too.
They must also be Celebration Editions, how neat!
Truly, Twilight wasn't the most knowledgeable on Fords, but she had to admit that they were becoming increasingly interesting with every new car that came into sight. Hatchback Focuses sat next to tricked out Transits, with the occasional fastback Mustang sprinkled into the mix. For being just one brand, Ford sure had plenty of variety.
One brand, that gave Twilight pause. If this was a single companies' efforts, what else could be out there in the world of cars?
She stopped for a moment and leaned against a metal railing, tuning out the buzz of engines and chatter. She remembered her Japanese phase, when the Toyota Supra sounded like the coolest car to exist. That was the first real foray into cars for Twilight, other than the ones her father had shown her.
However those cars started to feel familiar, and she looked for something new. Something else to learn about. Thanks to Forza, she was moving onto the realm of supercars and hypercars. But even those began to feel the same, and eventually a Ferrari 458 didn't seem as exciting as it once was.
But that was just in Forza, the video game. Twilight realised she had never really been to an actual automotive event before, definitely nothing like this.
Even though some of the driving skills had become mere reflexes, she had never truly experienced the feel of a car, either. That changed the second she entered this world.
Twilight looked up, and took in everything around her. She noticed how ecstatic everyone was. From the largest Owners Clubs to the smallest of children, everyone had great smiles on their faces. The entire atmosphere was elated!
She once again pondered a thought...
Is this what being into cars is really about?
Maybe, just maybe, it was.
Ducking and weaving through the cars, Twilight snapped the odd photo as she walked. She pointed her phone at a stunning silver Escort, but it wasn't in frame. She shuffled backwards and felt her leg briskly brush up against a cold and hard surface.
"Eep!" Twilight spun around, realising it was the back of a blue Fiesta, with the owner stood next to it, she held up both hands in embarrassment.
"Ohmygosh I'msosorryIhopeIhaven'tdamagedit—"
The older woman waved a hand. "Oh dear, don't worry about it! Nothing much is going to take this car down soon. I see you're getting pictures, I take it?"
Twilight nodded an affirmation. "Yes, it's simply brilliant how different the cars are, but they're all Fords!"
She looked down, noting that the thing she backed into was a rather sporty rear diffuser. A mischievous gleam crossed her eyes for a moment. "Say, where did you get this rear diffuser from?"
The woman followed where Twilight was looking. "Ooh, that thing! It's a Maxton Design diffuser, replaced the rather boring one that came from the factory. If I remember correctly, they're trading here, they should have a stand over in the trade section."
Twilight thanked her for the information and parted ways, both of them eager to see the full extent of Ford Fair.
Maxton Design, Maxton... I'll have to remember that for later, Twilight mused.
A sharp buzzing coming from her pocket instigated a reflexive grab for the phone inside. It was a Snapgap notification. Flicking it open showed it was Rarity who had sent the message.
Twilight! I'm across the bridge, Zone 14. Get over here ASAP!
Attached to the text was a very shaky selfie of Rarity with some sort of blue car behind her, and then another, and another, and another.
"Now I've got to see this."
The display hit Twilight's vision before she was done walking down the bridge that stretched out over the Silverstone Circuit. Rarity was beckoning her over with unhidden glee at the bottom.
"I get that it's cool, but what's the big deal abou—"
Rarity shuffled Twilight into position. "Look."
It looked like something straight out of a Forza lobby get-together. Twenty of the most immaculate Performance Blue Mark-One Ford Focus RS' sat in a perfect line, stretching all the way down the length of their club stand. Twilight estimated it to be about sixty meters from end to end.
It didn't take long for it to click, she couldn't help but grin. "I see what you mean, that is awesome."
"Isn't it! I don't know a thing about cars but I can appreciate the effort and satisfaction of such a sight, it's simply divine!"
Twilight wholeheartedly agreed, she probably wouldn't see something like it again.
The two girls chatted for a while, walking up and down more rows of monochromatic cars. They decided to figure out which colour was the most prominent from the top of the bridge, and after some intense scanning they decided that the most prominent was, of course, blue. The second being orange, mostly worn by Focus STs.
Rarity eyed a purple car somewhere within the swathes of others and dashed off to investigate, leaving Twilight to continue her quest to see every car this place had to offer.
Deep within the crowds and trade stalls to the left side of the bridge, a black and red banner stood tall and proud. Part of it was obscured, but it beckoned Twilight over with the end reading 'Design'.
Sure enough, the banner had lead her straight to the Maxton Design stall, also adorning a black and red colour scheme. Strung up on racks were products like bolt-on splitters, spoiler extensions, and side skirts. Twilight joined the line of eager customers, waiting to see what she could pick out.
After a brief wait, it was her turn at the table. One of the Maxton Design staff asked her, "Hi, how can I help today?"
Twilight reflexively pushed her glasses up. "Would you happen to have a rear diffuser for the mark-six Fiesta?" she said with a smile.
"We sure do, is it for your car?" the man asked.
"Oh, no, its for my, uh..." What do I actually call him? "Friend!"
Way to go Twilight... She could already feel the blush creeping onto her face. Luckily for her, the man paid it no mind, already off to grab the part she needed.
Once Twilight got over her mind malfunction, he was already back, with the large unibody diffuser stretching four feet in length. She paid what was asked and hefted the large piece onto her shoulder. Quickly realising that would probably smack someone in the face, she opted to hold it upwards instead.
It was an awkward shuffle back over the bridge, one which earned Twilight a fair amount of looks from everyone walking by, with the majority of people giving her ample space to pass. That awkwardness continued when she was wondering how to actually hide the diffuser. It would be noticed in the team van, and the rest of the cars had almost no practical storage room.
Twilight was back into her thoughts when suddenly, Pinkie Pie!
"Hiya Twilight, watcha got there?" Pinkie announced from behind her.
Twilight spun around and quickly shushed her. "Its a surprise for Luke but I can't let anyone know! Do you have any idea of where I could put it?"
Pinkie nodded excitedly. "I know just the place!" She zipped over to her chromed out Fiesta and popped the boot, before sliding down the rear seats. "This should be good!"
Breathing a sigh of relief, Twilight said, "Thanks Pinkie, have you checked out anything yet?"
"I sure have! Did you know that there's a Ford Sierra built in nineteen-eighty-nine in South Africa which has a three liter V6 engine and is only one of two in the whole country?!" Pinkie finished with a big breath.
"No, I didn't," Twilight replied, somewhat frazzled by the information overload.
Pinkie pointed in the general direction of it, "Its juuust that way! But I was about to go see Sunset out on the racetrack if you'd like to come with!"
Sunset out on the racetrack? "Sure," Twilight said, following a now bouncing Pinkie Pie.
"Yippee!"
Another short journey across the bridge lead Twilight and Pinkie to the entrance lane of the circuit, where plenty of cars were already eager to go. Sunset was beside her Ford GT, one of her arms halfway into the sleeve of her racing suit.
She nevertheless smiled at seeing them, "Heya girls! Mind helping me out a bit here?" Sunset said, pointing to her stuck arm with her free one.
After a brief shuffle and some help from the two girls, Sunset was zipped up in her racing suit, with a fiery red and orange colour combination that matched her perfectly.
The three exchanged brief recounts of what they had seen so far. Much to Twilight's chagrin at the bet she had made back at the Festival, Sunset had spotted another two Shelby GT500s amongst the sea of other Mustangs. She even had pictures to prove it.
Twilight didn't have much time to dwell on that as the sound of an airhorn alerted all the drivers in the pits to start their cars. Sunset grabbed her helmet and said, "You can watch me do a few laps if you want! Film it as well, kay?" before shoving her helmet on and running to jump into her car.
Seeing as she hadn't checked out the racing sessions yet, Twilight walked over to the railings and waited for all the cars to file onto the track, Pinkie following behind. The two were standing at the middle of the Wellington Straight with the cars entering to the right, which would have to do an entire lap before coming back around at speed.
Seeing as that would take a few minutes, Twilight flipped her phone to the Snapgap group and sent a text letting everyone know where she and Pinkie was. A few moments later, Fluttershy walked over, already wearing her race suit.
"Hey Flutters! You're going on track too?" Pinkie asked her.
Fluttershy grinned, twirling the keys to her Mustang. "Oh, yes! Once this track session is over, it's the drift session. I just couldn't pass it up."
"I didn't expect they'd have that many Fords that could drift," Twilight quietly mused.
Fluttershy nodded. "I sure didn't, but then, I found out there's a whole team who make them called the Hoonigans! They're also into rally and they saw how I handled that Mini in our last race. Well, they saw me here too and invited me to join them in the drift session. They said I could bring a passenger along if I wanted to!"
"That's nice of them! Who were you thinking of?" Twilight innocently asked, not thinking anything of that last sentence.
Fluttershy's grin turned sly as she said, "Didn't you say that you had never been drifting, Twilight?"
Twilight stared like a deer in headlights, before looking down at the ground. She didn't want to say no to Fluttershy, but she absolutely did not want to go drifting. It wasn't the sheer speed which worried her, it was the lack of control. Something of which drifting was fundamentally based on.
"Well, it would be nice, b-but... I don't really like drifting that much," she said, giving a nervous smile.
"Oh, please Twilight... Please?" Fluttershy pleaded, her eyes like those of a puppy. It was the weakness not one of the girls could say no to.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Twilight begrudgingly gave in. "Fine. But you owe me, Fluttershy."
Fluttershy bobbed her head in glee. "Thank you Twilight!"
The track session wrapped up at eleven-fifteen, with all of the cars slowly trickling back to their respective areas and booths. Sunset pulled up just as Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were making their way back from the circuit's edge. She disengaged the Race Mode, which lifted the car up a few inches and retracted the rear wing, before slipping out of the door and giving the girls a rather large dose of helmet hair.
"I could totally get used to this, I've never felt anything like it in my life!" she said, giving the GT a loving pat on the roof. "Seriously Twilight, it's a track weapon."
"With how hot it must've been in that helmet, I bet it was," Twilight said.
"Well, at least you'd win that bet!" Sunset joked back. "But now, I'm gonna go get out of this suit, catch up with you girls later!"
Sunset flipped the GT back into drive and drove off, waving the girls goodbye. Just as she did, Fluttershy beckoned Twilight to her Mustang, already set to be unleashed onto Silverstone. Twilight made it a point to sarcastically trudge her way over.
She did, however, climb into the passenger seat and buckle herself up. Fluttershy handed her an open-face helmet, which she quickly shoved on. The car's V8 sprung to life, with an ear shattering din for anyone unlucky, or lucky enough to be standing behind. Fluttershy drove towards the entrance gates, where Twilight could see a few other drift-built Mustangs lined up. The rightmost car was one that looked familiar, a sixty-five Mustang in black with jutting grey swirls all over.
Twilight knew exactly what car it was, but she still had to ask, "Is that..."
Fluttershy beat her to it, "Ken Block's Hoonicorn? Yes. He'll be going out with us."
"That certainly is impressive, Fluttershy! Not that I doubted your abilities," Twilight nervously laughed.
With an all too knowing smile Fluttershy said, "Don't worry Twilight, you'll be safe with me."
After a few safety checks, the squad of vehicles rolled onto the track proper; a blue 1965 Mustang in the lead, with Fluttershy's RTR in second place, the Hoonicorn behind in third and a red Mustang at the rear. They crept along for the first hundred meters, revving their engines and drawing the attention of showgoers.
Gradually, the group began to pick up speed. Fluttershy shifted into second gear as the Brooklands turn came ever closer. The blue Mustang darted left towards the inside of the turn, with Fluttershy following suit.
"Its about to go sideways, Twi!" she said a second before veering right and kicking the clutch, sending the two sideways through the corner. Fluttershy held the wheel as Twilight scrambled to latch onto the door, her insides already churning at the increased G-force that pushed her to one side of the seat.
The motions lead the RTR out of Brooklands and into Luffield Corner. The four cars all simultaneously shifted into their third gears and Fluttershy increased the throttle to make sure she cleared the full corner. She wrenched the wheel in the opposite direction, diving straight into the apex of the sweeping right turn. Being a right-hand-drive car, Twilight had to peer over Fluttershy to look out of her window and see Ken Block following closely behind them. So closely, in fact, the cars were a mere six inches apart.
Fluttershy swung out of Luffield Corner and straightened the car up for a moment through the softer Woodcote Corner, which gave her a few seconds of thought as she focused on the moves of the blue Mustang a few car lengths ahead. The group was now out of Woodcote and into the Pits Straight section of the circuit, leaving only one thing for them to do.
The blue Mustang swung a hard right, before slipping to the left. Fluttershy followed along with the fishtail motions, going from hugging the perimeter of the track to almost clipping the inside wall in a matter of seconds.
Twilight was silent throughout most of the affair, though she couldn't help but let out a few uneasy noises and grip onto the door even harder as the forces swayed her body with each subsequent slide from one side of the track to the other. She was busy just keeping her breakfast down, and this was only after three corners!
Despite the fact that Fluttershy was towing the line between controlling and crashing the Mustang the two girls were locked into, she asked, "How are you holding up Twilight?"
"Just, fine... I, guess..." Twilight said through heavy breaths. "I'm gonna open a window."
She was already flicking down the button, allowing the window to roll down and let a rush of fresh air in as they ebbed and flowed through the straight section of the track, which helped to ease the pressure she felt, at least. Twilight could feel herself growing slightly more relaxed with the situation, now.
That let her truly take in what was actually happening, she glanced at the rearview mirror to see the Hoonicorn and red Mustang following with the pair mimicking every movement, if a couple of seconds apart from each other. Twilight noticed through the plumes of tyre smoke and flying rubber that the marks snaking across the track looked a lot like the transverse waves from her physics textbook.
Clunk
The bash knocked Twilight out of her focus, and she looked back to Fluttershy with the sharpest glare she could muster.
"Sorry, got a little too close to the wall," Fluttershy admitted with a very sheepish smile.
Twilight breathed another sigh of relief, she'd lost count of how many times she had, by that point. Luckily the Pits Straight section was coming to an end, with Copse Corner up next, taking the group into the second half of the circuit.
Okay, this wasn't as bad as I originally thought... Halfway through, this should be over in no time.
The leader of the group, the blue '65 Mustang, was preparing to swing through Copse. Twilight looked on as it jabbed right towards the inside wall, where she expected a quick move to the left side of the track before another clutch kick. Just as the Mustang veered left, a sudden slip of the clutch sent it into a frantic spin as it lost all grip in the rear wheels.
Just as frantically, Twilight grabbed onto the door as she clocked onto what was unfolding right before her eyes. Her heart jumped into her throat as she tried to scream for dear life, but nothing escaped. She tried to close her eyes, bracing for the impending crash, but they were locked open as she whipped between the careening car right in front of her and Fluttershy's stoic expression.
Without warning, Fluttershy shot as left as she could turn the wheel, putting her and Twilight in the middle of the track, on a direct collision course with the out of control classic.
In one fluid motion, she palm-spun the steering wheel rightwards with her right hand and pulled up the handbrake with her left, forcing the Mustang to enter it's own sideways spin.
Twilight managed out a strangled, "Fluttershy what the—" but Fluttershy paid it no mind, wrenching the wheel back to the left while practically punching the left shift paddle down to first gear before slamming the drive-selector into reverse. She kept the throttle pinned as the car swept itself backwards, arcing past the blue Mustang which was being dodged by the other members of the group.
Both girls peeked in their respective side mirrors, seeing that Copse Corner was awaiting their imminent entry. With a flick back into drive and another lightning fast palm spin, the Mustang surged right again, facing the correct way and as the new leader of the drift entourage.
Another effortless pull to the left sent the car sideways through the turn, before slowly righting itself as Fluttershy let her forceful foot off the throttle, letting the pair coast out of Copse and into the next straight section.
Twilight slowly pulled her dilated eyes from the windscreen towards her driver, hands gripped around the wheel with such force she wondered if it would break in two. Fluttershy said something, but it was inaudible through the sound of Twilight's heartbeat in her ears and the rush of pure adrenaline.
An errant thought lead her to remember the bottle of water she stowed away in the door card. She quickly grabbed for it and downed the entire thing before letting it drop unceremoniously into the passenger footwell. She looked back at Fluttershy, who was still focused on the track.
Fluttershy spared the shortest of glances. "Are you okay, Twilight?" she said a second time.
Twilight laid back in her seat, which wasn't all that comfortable being a carbon bucket seat. Nonetheless, she let out a long, deep sigh. "That... That was..."
She let the words hang, still wracking her brain over what had just transpired. Fluttershy replied with a calm, "I know... That was... Something, I guess."
Twilight had to agree on that, it certainly was something. She could still feel her heart thumping like it wanted to escape her body, the rushing in her ears had only just subsided, and she was breathing like she'd just ran a marathon. Despite that, it felt exhilarating! Was this really what she was missing out on?
"I've... I've never felt so terrified yet excited at the same time, you're a pro, Fluttershy!"
Fluttershy took her eyes off the track upon hearing that. "Really?" she asked, quite surprised at the sudden praise.
"Absolutely, and to think, we were so close to crashing if you hadn't pulled that reverse entry!" Twilight said with a spirited chuckle. Fluttershy joined her, both still in disbelief at the wild ride they had just experienced.
"I think I'm over the rush now," Fluttershy voiced once their mirth had faded.
Twilight nodded. "So am I, that was probably the scariest thing I've ever witnessed, though."
The two sat in relative silence for a moment before a voice came through the car speakers, "You okay, 'Shy?" one Ken Block asked. Twilight looked out of her window to see the other cars had formed on their left side.
"Mhm!" Fluttershy said into her radio, "Just a little startled after that entry."
"Wait, that was a first?" Ken asked.
"Oh, yes! I just reacted to avoid the other car, it wasn't intentional."
A pause. Then, "Wow! Colour me impressed, 'Shy. Think you can do the rest?"
Fluttershy looked towards Twilight, already with an affirming grin, "Absolutely!"
"Alright! We'll follow your lead," Ken replied before the radio switched off with a click. Foot to the floor, Fluttershy lead the charge into the corner combo of Maggotts and Aintree with renewed vigor. A sharp downshift followed by a powerful clutch kick held their car in the balance of the forces at hand, swinging from one side of Maggotts over to the other.
With no time to lose, the Mustang breached Aintree with minimal effort. Fluttershy held the wheel in lock with one hand, daring to edge nearer to the rim of the corner than any other. A backwards jolt signified the rear wheels had moved onto the gravel surrounding the track itself, giving her the signal she was a little off course. She wasn't worried, and neither was Twilight, who was looking out the side mirror to witness the backspray.
A jab of the throttle and another bout of countersteer put her car back on track, face to face with the Wellington Straight section. With practiced moves, fishtailing onwards was a breeze for the pink-haired driver, getting closer to the sides of the track with each rapid swing.
The footbridge loomed just up ahead, Fluttershy eased back on the gas and looked towards Twilight, "Lap two, ready to have some fun?"
"Oh yeah!" Twilight beamed, a wide smile across her face as they passed under the bridge.
With a smile of her own, Fluttershy slammed the gears up a notch and tugged at the handbrake, swerving backwards into Brooklands and initiating their second lap.
The midday sun-rays bounced off the glistening squad of cars as they rolled back into the pits, to the cheering of five particular girls and many more showgoers. As they pulled up to the pit crew, someone within the crowd started a chant of, "Fluttershy! Fluttershy! Fluttershy!" that quickly caught on, drowning out the cars themselves.
The named girl emerged from her trusty red Mustang, hands in the air and with a gleeful smile. She had gained quite a few fans through her quick reaction just before Copse Corner, turning a possible disaster into a true show stopping moment. She was already walking over to greet them.
Twilight wobbled her way out of her seat, legs feeling like jelly after such an experience. It would take some getting used to, but she knew she could add drifting to her lift of favourite driving activities.
Pulling her helmet off let Twilight notice the five friends all calling out to her and Fluttershy from the end of the pits. She walked over, making sure the jelly legs still worked.
"Sure was intense out there Twi, how'd ya hold up?" Applejack asked.
Twilight wiped her brow with a hand. Definitely sweaty by that point, but she shrugged it off. "Just fine, once I got over the shock. You all saw it, right?"
The girls gave various affirmatives. At least five cameras set up to record the track sessions had caught it. Rarity pointed over to a playback screen that was showing the golden moment.
"Fluttershy's got some serious skill!" Rainbow pridefully added, "Speaking of, where is she?"
Off to the side, Fluttershy was mingling with a group of fans, taking selfies and signing a few things. The girls watched for a moment, seeing just how talkative she was, a far cry from her usually shy nature.
A few strides away was the legendary rally driver Ken Block, doing largely the same. He was donned in his Hoonigan racesuit, having swapped out the helmet for a Monster Energy snapback.
"Everyone's raving about her, with fair reason too," Sunset said. "Let's go congratulate her!"
The girls walked over to join Fluttershy, giving her a well deserved round of applause. She noticed after a few seconds and turned to face them, "Hi girls!"
"Great work out there, Fluttershy!" Rarity said, giving her a high five. "That was a spectacular show you put on."
Fluttershy blushed slightly, "Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it. My heart was, well, racing out there!"
Sunset cheekily grinned, "I know what you mean."
Fluttershy continued on, "Wow, it is unexpected, though..." — she gestured to the crowd — "I never thought so many people would be watching."
"It's not every day we see a new driver make her debut," Twilight agreed. "I'm happy to say I was your first ride-along!"
"Happy to have you, Twilight," Fluttershy beamed. "It wasn't as bad as you thought, then?"
Twilight shook her head. "Definitely not, I take back what I said, its fantastic!"
"That was properly rad, Fluttershy," Ken said, walking over. "You've got potential, I can see it already. Maybe even more than me."
"R-really?" Fluttershy almost breathlessly asked, wide-eyed. This wasn't just anyone saying that. This was Ken Block, the man who practically embodied extreme motorsports. A spontaneous invitation from the Hoonigan team lead to this moment, as their fourth group member had to back out at the last minute. A gamble on an upcoming driver paid off for them, giving Ford Fair a pretty exceptional show.
"Definitely. And your co-driv– sorry, I mean passenger, enjoyed it too," Ken laughed it off, the mix between rally and Hooning sometimes becoming blurred for the incredible stuntman.
Fluttershy just smiled even wider, as did Twilight.
One of the Hoonigan team members was waving from their corner of the pits, which got the attention of Ken, and soon the rest of the group.
He turned back to Fluttershy. "Alright, I've gotta jet. Straight back to America for another big project... But before I go, I want you to have this,"
Ken took off his cap, and handed it to the awestruck girl. She took it with only slightly shaking hands before plopping it on.
"How do I look?" she asked.
"Like a true Hoonigan, and I'd like to think you're our newest honorary member."
Fluttershy nodded, "I'd love that! Thank you so much for today, Ken," she offered her hand, which he gladly shook.
He warmly said, "No, thank you for making the show even better. Don't ever stop, 'Shy."
With that, he walked back over to the rest of his crew, already cleaning up their cars.
Fluttershy turned back to her friends, long enough for Twilight to swoop in and say, "You are such a legend! And a member of the Hoonigans! Where do you even go from he—"
A loud rumbling cut her off. Everyone looked towards the culprit, Pinkie Pie, who bashfully twirled her hair. "Sorry! Must be getting hungry, there's a cafe around here, right?"
"Think so, Ah wouldn't mind checking that out," Applejack responded.
"Then that's where we'll head!" Pinkie enthusiastically started her bounce, before coming to a halt and zipping back.
"Anyone know where it is?"
The girls located the cafe sandwiched between Zone 1, 3 and 4, thanks to Twilight's handheld map. A quick walk over turned into a slightly longer one with both Twilight and Fluttershy darting off to look at various cars along the way.
They eventually found the cafe, a small yet permanent fixture erected close to the pit garages, in between two of the Ford Focus stands. It was built in a tan colourscheme, with a flat red and blue roof to match the Silverstone theme.
Walking inside greeted the group to a cool blast of air from the overhead fans. Rarity sighed in relief, her first bottle of empty sunscreen already tossed into the nearest bin.
When asked as to how it ran out so quickly, "My skin is delicate, darling. I will not allow the sun to ruin it!" was her reply.
Everyone moved towards a set of tables over by the large glass windows, facing back out into a Nitrous Blue mass of Mark-Three Focus RS'. Much like the lineup Rarity and Twilight saw, almost all of them were identical.
The cafe itself wasn't crammed, but it was busy, with many people having the same idea to get a few minutes out of the unclouded sun.
"I'm grabbing a water, anyone else want some?" Rainbow asked, volunteering to be the one to order.
Every hand shot up.
"Ahehe, silly question," she said, moving towards the counter.
A voice from the door said, "Grab two more, if that's alright!"
Looking that way showed Luke and Lewis adorned in their blazing Horizon Racing Team racesuits. Luke's hair was shaggy and ruffled, an opposite to how he usually had it. Lewis faired a little better, having just pushed it to the side. Both were caked in a layer of sweat.
They pulled up a couple of chairs and plonked down at the end of the table.
"Whew..." Luke started with a deep exhale, "That was fun!"
"Totally!" Lewis replied, a lot peppier than his twin.
After a couple of seconds, Luke piped up, "Oh! I need to introduce you all to Lewis, my brother."
He gestured towards the mentioned man. "He's been travelling around the world, checking out future locations for the Festival. A good few months in each location gives plenty of time to see if it's a good fit."
Various versions of welcomes were exchanged, just in time for Rainbow Dash to come back, hauling nine water bottles. Luke plucked two before she had a chance to sit down and passed one to Lewis. They wasted little time in gulping them down.
"You two were out on track, weren't you?" Twilight enquired, reaching over to grab a bottle.
"Yep, just been. It was pretty thrilling, to say the least," Luke said.
Wait a minute... Fluttershy gave the pair a quizzical eye-up. "You were out there, just now."
"We were," Lewis said.
"For the drift session?"
"We were..."
Twilight caught on to what Fluttershy had noticed, "What car were you in?"
Both brothers had an identical smirk, and they couldn't help but admit that they were in the red Mustang, at the rear of the convoy.
"It's not mine, it's Lewis's," Luke explained, "Ken asked if we wanted to tag along and we said sure. I was more along for the ride than anything else."
Certainly not what Twilight or Fluttershy were expecting. Fluttershy grilled the two on it, "So you saw all of Copse Corner? What happened to the other car? Are they okay?"
Both nodded. Luke answered, "We did, absolutely fantastic skills, by the way! I was still in shock by Aintree. As for the other car, it didn't hit anything. The driver was somewhat shaken up, but not enough to call it quits."
"That's good to hear, it must've been scary for you too."
Lewis agreed, "Certainly was unexpected, although by the point we were nearing Copse they'd already spun off to the side of the track. I know I couldn't have done what you did!"
Fluttershy wasn't used to all this praise, another thing to add to the list of things that were making her blush today.
"T-thank you," she said with a smile.
"So, what's up next?" Rainbow Dash asked to no one in particular, "We need a solid plan of what to do next."
Sunset took first pick, "It's twelve now. We can chill here for an hour, grab some lunch, then go back out as a group."
"Sounds good to me!" Pinkie said.
Rarity concurred, "Me too, it would do to get a nice respite out of the sun."
Fluttershy nodded her agreement, as did the others.
An hour later, the group felt much more energised and were ready to roll. They left the cafe, back out into the blistering sun and masses of crowds. Rarity dabbed more sunscreen on her extremities while Luke, Lewis and Fluttershy all left their racesuits unzipped.
Too hot to stay put for long, everyone made their way over to the garages lining the pit lane. They were currently housing a few racing teams, some merch shops, and parts manufacturers. Everyone gradually split off to check out different things, although Sunset and Twilight ended up together.
Sunset guided Twilight into one of the garages, teeming with lots of showgoers crowded around the red Ford GT sat in the centre. Her red Ford GT sat in the centre. It was in the process of getting swapped over to racing slicks by a few mechanics.
"I'd like to make you a deal, Twilight," Sunset proffered.
Twilight eyed the sleek car, "Sure, what is it?"
"I've wanted to give your GT500 a try ever since I laid my eyes on it, and I'll be going out for the track session at three. I was just wondering if you'd like to swap cars?"
A tempting offer if Twilight ever knew one. She was also interested in feeling the GT's raw racing abilities. Although it had less horsepower, and a way smaller engine, it had a higher zero-to-sixty and a much higher top speed than her Shelby.
She pretended to mull it over for dramatic effect. "Sure, why not? I'll go grab it closer to the time and we can just swap the keys."
"Sweet, cheers Twilight!"
Twilight waved a hand, "No worries, it'll be fun to drive such a machine around the track."
The pair departed the garage, exchanging pleasant conversation as they snaked among the crowds and cars of Zone 1. A jet black Fiesta caught Sunset's eye, and she pointed it out to Twilight.
They continued onwards, spotting a certain Rainbow Dash in the middle of Zone 5, surrounded by a skittles mix of Ford Focuses that tied into her namesake. They stretched in two large rows about thirty cars long, with a cluster of each colour represented. Red, to orange, to a few yellows, even some greens, and that was just the first row. The second continued into the light blues, dark blues, blacks, and whites.
Rainbow was at the centre of it all, turning and spinning at each new car. She eventually noticed Sunset and Twilight making their ways over.
"Hey guys! Fit right in, don't I?"
The trio spent a few minutes ogling and circling the Focuses, pointing out the minute differences between each one. Some were kept stock, whereas others had slight exterior upgrades. Then there were the ones that went crazy, with things like widebodies and massive rear spoilers.
"Typical Ford stuff," as Sunset eloquently put it.
Twilight even came up with a scientific name, "The Ford Curve of Upgrade Insanity."
With Zone 5 checked off, they circled back towards the Cafe. Zones 1, 3 and 4 still hadn't been conquered by Twilight, and her quest to see every car this place had to offer was no joke.
Upon arrival, more Blue Ovals served to greet them. One pink Transit caught a lot of eyes, while a matte black Focus RS500 sat nestled between lots of other cars, making it a hard spot.
This was paradise for Twilight, by that point. She spent the better part of half an hour excitedly going from car to car, and row to row. Sunset and Rainbow were more than happy to endure her running commentary in the hopes she'd simmer down, before quickly realising it was a futile effort and lagging behind.
Twilight wasn't bothered in the slightest.
With three more zones now out of the way, the girls walked to the far end of the inner complex, where Zone 13 and 12 were situated. Zone 13 had a particularly good view of the circuit, where a dozen cars were already buzzing past. Even better than that, Fluttershy was watching them by the railing!
The gang annexed a soft patch of grass, choosing to lay down like a lot of other folk were. The mechanical hum of cars in the background became a soothing noise from the otherwise hectic day they'd had so far. Twilight tapped at her phone as the time clicked over to one-fifty. Race start wasn't until three, so she had an hour left to explore the rest of the fair.
She stopped the tapping and looked up, "Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, are you two going back out at three?"
Fluttershy shook her head while Rainbow nodded, "Sure am!" the latter replied, "I'll try it at least once. Never been into cars that much, but I won't say no to some racing!"
"Besides, with how much you exercise, it's probable you'll be better suited to it compared to myself," Twilight added.
Sunset looked over. "You'll love it Dash, I think Twilight has converted me to a car girl now."
Twilight leaned over to her like a zombie, repeating the phrase, "One of us, one of us, one of us," in a gravely voice before giggling.
She straightened back up with a smile, "No, but I get what you mean. It's nice to hear you're all enjoying this, even if you didn't ask to be here..."
Fluttershy innocently asked, "What do you mean by that?"
Twilight bit her lip and looked at the grass below her feet, "I'm sorry for dragging you guys into this mess, I know it's not a decision I can take lightly, but..."
She took a deep breath in. A small linger of guilt had sparked inside of her ever since her late night conversation with Sunset, and especially since talking to Luke about it.
A smooth, methodical exhale followed before Twilight admitted, "I'm not even sure if we can go back. And if we can, I'm not sure if I want to..."
Both Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy looked pretty nonplussed at the revelation, while Sunset wasn't as surprised. She had already heard this before.
"Twilight..." Rainbow started.
"No, it's my fault," Twilight said. "And now I'm torn between staying here or going back home."
Fluttershy spoke up, "Well, I've taken to drifting so well because if we can't go home, I'll at least enjoy being here."
Rainbow agreed, "Yeah! It's not all bad, Twi. I'm just happy to have you guys, and it has been pretty fun."
"Yeah, it has," Twilight sighed, although she was already back to smiling. "Just don't tell the others, please. I don't think Rarity would take well to the news and Applejack would be heartbroken. I don't even know how Pinkie Pie would take it."
"Our lips are sealed, Twi," Sunset said. "Now let's go, I'm ready to race!"
Ten-past-two. Twilight had absolutely blazed through Zones 13, 12, 10 and 14 in just under twenty minutes. She had swapped to taking video of the cars rather than photos, only stopping to circle the most interesting ones.
That Liqui Moly Capri looked absolutely stunning, she had made sure to get all the angles of it to show to her father later.
The other three were close behind, thankfully.
"Okay, that's this entire side of the stands done. Now for the Special Displays!" Twilight called back as she walked past the insane lineup of blue Focus RS' from earlier in the day.
A quick stroll back over the bridge laid out a lot of familiar cars, no need to check those out again. The real treats were closer to the main entrance, bundled together on only a few stands. Nestled within the rows of cars, Twilight caught a glimpse of a certain Apple-named friend, and her all too recognisable stetson hat. She wasted no time in walking over.
Sure enough, Applejack was checking out a dual-color wrapped Focus RS. Red on one side, green on the other, Twilight thought it looked like a Christmas-themed wrap that was kept on through to summer.
"Howdy Twilight! How's the Fair been so far?" Applejack asked, sensing her presence.
Twilight twirled towards another flashy car she could see, snapping a photo, "Its been fantastic! Have you checked out the special displays yet?"
"Sure haven't, but Ah take it you're heading there now?"
Twilight nodded, already walking that way. "Hope you can keep up!" she called back jokingly.
Applejack chuckled, "Have ya seen the others?" she said, pointing back to the crossing bridge. The rest of the girls were only at the bottom.
Twenty-past-two, Twilight and Applejack arrived at the edge of the so called Special Displays. On the way over Applejack revealed that she had walked around all of the Zones, barring these, and even grabbed a bite to eat. She was just checking out some of the nicest trucks again. When an incredulous Twilight pressed her on how, she answered with, "I didn't go out on track yet, sugarcube,"
They started a slow and methodical sweep of the final few zones. For a car to be considered 'special', it either had to have immense value, be culturally significant, or be an immaculate example. A few oddities were sprinkled in, such as the South African Ford Sierra that Pinkie mentioned earlier. Twilight made sure to video that one extensively.
Applejack found a few cool ones, beckoning over Twilight as she did. A galaxy wrapped Fiesta was definitely to Twilight's tastebuds, as well as a fiery Ford Falcon painted in a glowing red.
That brought back memories of one particular thing for Twilight, Forza Horizon 3. The Australian-based game that preceded the world she was currently in. It left her with a nostalgic smile, pondering how both could be so different yet so warm in the summer months.
The final few cars were in sight by now, a small bunch of immaculate late-eighties Cosworths and Escort Turbos. She circled each one, closing in on all the finer details. Each curve in the bodywork and each small sticker that made the cars unique, allowing them to tell their own story.
Twilight took three triumphant steps over to a random patch of grass, signifying an end to her mission. She had seen every car Ford Fair had to offer! So had Applejack, who was already making her way through the last group of cars. She came to a stop next to Twilight.
"We done did it!" Applejack proudly said, high-fiving Twilight. "Every car in the whole place!"
Twilight couldn't help but grin, proud of herself too. She reflexively checked the time on her phone, two thirty-five. The other girls were meandering their way through the cars, happy to finally wrap up the main part of the day.
"Don't ever ask me about Fords again," Rainbow Dash proclaimed before downing a bottle of water.
"I'm glad we got to do this together," Rarity said. "This has been a lovely adventure, if a bit hectic at times."
"It's been the best!" Pinkie added, bouncing in place. "But shouldn't we get going? We have a race to win!"
Back at the Horizon Racing Team stand the team van, Fiesta and Focus were already gone, presumably moved to the pit garages. Twilight walked up to the bright red Ford GT she had obtained from Sunset. Pulling up on the butterfly doors she noticed that they were... a lot lighter than she was expecting.
She climbed in, albeit with no style at all. With how low the bucket seat was, it looked more like she had fallen in. The red 'start' button in the centre console was just asking to be pressed, and Twilight happily obliged.
The rear-mounted V6 jolted the car awake, settling into a rhythmic vibration after a few seconds. Twilight took a proper look around the cabin, feeling more like a spaceship on the road, where her eyes settled on a particular button... The lift system button. She didn't hesitate to activate it. The car immediately rose up at the front, and with another press so did the rear. A third press dropped the GT back into it's low slung race suspension. Another two pushed it back up.
"Having fun?" Sunset called from her new Mustang, giving it a few baby revs. The black bodywork and red stripes definitely gave the impression that the GT500 was Sunset's kind of car.
Twilight was like a kid at Christmas, she laughed as she said, "So much! I'm ready to go when you are."
One by one, the girls filed out of their designated area. The show-stopping GT and GT500 lead the way, creeping along the roads at a snails pace. It felt like all eyes were upon the group as they traversed over the bridge once more. Cars such as the GT never failed to bring out smiles amongst onlookers, with many hastily grabbing pictures. Twilight was glad she figured out the lift system moments before, lest she scrape the underbody of such a pristine racecar.
They slipped into a dimly lit garage on the edge of the pit lane. The team van was parked off to the side, toolboxes and parts already spilling out. Haley had the Fiesta off to the side, getting her hands dirty in the engine bay. Luke had his Focus up on jackstands, devoid of any wheels. A fresh set of racing slicks sat next to it, wrapped around lightweight carbon fibre rims.
Twilight hopped out of her GT and walked over, "Hey Luke! What's the plan?"
He pushed a wheel over to the car, letting it drop next to the rear axle. "First things first, can you pop the bonnet for me? There's a latch in the passenger footwell."
Twilight obliged, pulling the latch out and popping the bonnet to a satisfying click. She walked around to lift it up, revealing a mass of carbon fibre coverings.
"There's not much to see here," Twilight said.
Luke called out from the other side of the car, "There should be a few ratchets on top, grab the one with a flex-head and a ten millimeter socket—"
She did as asked, easy enough.
"—one of the air ducts next to the radiator has come loose. Should be a couple bolts holding it to the grille, they'll need tightening,"
Twilight took a deep breath and laid down to slide under the front bumper. It was a little hard to see in the light, but the two bolts were there. She gripped the first one with the ratchet and tightened it before repeating the process with the second.
After a few seconds she popped back up. "Done!"
"Sweet, hop in the drivers seat and turn it over," Luke instructed.
Twilight eagerly hopped into the lone bucket seat, which looked similar to the ones in her Ford GT. Upon closer inspection, she noticed it was from a Ford GT. She turned the key, eliciting a thunderous stream of noise that reverberated around the garage.
"Give it some throttle!" Luke yelled from under the car. Twilight did so, covering her ears with her hands... This was a whole new level of loud. She expected that a race exhaust had been fitted for some added performance gains. The Focus threw it's weight around with each jab of the pedal, before Luke jumped up and signalled for Twilight to cut it off.
"Yep, those are on tight. Cheers for that Twilight!" he said, letting the bonnet drop back into place.
"You're welcome, that was quite fun!" she said.
Luke was already hauling the old wheels back over to the team van. He surveyed the group's cars, "Are you all going out for the session?"
Everyone but Fluttershy nodded an affirmative. She glanced up from her Spec 5. "I think I'll watch," she said with a smile.
Twilight had a better idea, "You could do the starting honors!"
Fluttershy's head shot up. "Oh! Um... Sure, that'd be nice."
Luke whipped out his phone. "I'll text the organisers so they know to expect you. Give me a moment."
The rear door on the team van opened and Maverick clambered out, a few power tools and wrenches falling out onto the floor. He flung them back in and shut the door with a clunk. He triumphantly strode up to Luke and presented his finding with unhidden elation.
"I found it!" he cheered, arms outstretched before passing the small circular object to Luke, who wasted no time in attaching it to the front of the car.
Twilight walked over and took a peek. "A... Tow hook cover?"
Both of the men nodded. "It's all about the aerodynamics. I'm just glad we found it, I thought I had lost it ages ago," Luke said.
Twilight was about to enquire about it when a red light started flashing in her peripheral vision. Everyone looked up at the corner of the garage, a clock beside the light read 14:55pm. A few seconds later, an ear splitting din of engines rose up above the buzz of showgoers. The collective noise grew closer, and a barrage of other Ford vehicles from the other garages passed through the pit lane.
Everyone, sans Fluttershy, scrambled to their vehicles. Twilight wasted no time in powering up the GT and peeling out into the pit lane. She could see Sunset, Luke, and Haley turning out of the garage in the rearview mirror.
While the circuit itself felt somewhat familiar by now, the pit lane was still new to Twilight. A bend to the right eased out onto the track proper, just after the turn where Fluttershy pulled off her legendary reverse entry stunt.
A hiss of static came through the radio she had forgotten about, with Maverick on the other side.
"When you get out on track, warm up the tires by snaking from side to side. It'll help with grip once the session starts," he instructed. Twilight lead the peculiar dance across the asphalt, taking another peek in the rearview mirror to see everyone else doing the same. Even Maverick, driving the Supervan.
The team soon pulled up to the Pits Straight starting grid, settling in at the rear. All in all, there were only twenty cars and the Horizon Racing Team made up half of that. Twilight expected it wouldn't be too much of a setback. She looked around the sleek cockpit at all of the buttons and dials, the majority being crammed onto the steering wheel in a style reminiscent of F1 cars. The mode selector jutted out in the top left corner, and Twilight quickly flipped it into race mode.
It didn't take too long for a buzz to fill the air, coming from the network of speakers set up around the complex. The buzz soon turned into a voice as Fluttershy started to speak over the airwaves.
"Hellooooo Silverstone!" she gleefully announced, ringing out from multiple directions. "This is our final track session of the day! For all of our wonderful attendees today, please direct your attention to one of the capture screens highlighted on the event map, or make your way to a viewing location! Now, as for our drivers...
"I'm sure you've been briefed already, but I'll repeat it for the crowd, too. Remember to drive safely, no aggressive maneuvers or close overtaking—
"—That goes for you, Twilight." she quietly whispered into the microphone, though it was anything but. Twilight felt a sudden heat rush to her cheeks at being called out so publicly. Nevertheless, Fluttershy continued on, "If you're not going flat out, keep to the edges of the track, please! Our team will be monitoring lap times, so if you're in it to win it then give it your all!"
A brief pause, before Fluttershy announced, "Silverstone, are you ready?!"
The roar of cheering crowds reached a crescendo in the near distance. Twilight gripped the wheel, her foot edging closer to the throttle with each passing second.
"Drivers! Are you ready?!" Fluttershy exuberantly asked, getting a chorus of engines in response.
Twilight locked onto the overhead start lights, clenching the wheel tigher and tighter. Any moment now...
"Let's go!!"
Twilight slammed her foot down on the gas, catapulting the GT forwards with the squeal of rubber on asphalt. She couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, feeling the G-forces shove her back into tight seat. She swung a hard left, all the way to the track perimeter, missing the Ford Focus that was ahead by mere inches.
Pulling the wheel straight again, Twilight pushed her red bullet down the grid with a clear sight to the lead position. It was a risky move, one that most would consider outright dangerous, but that didn't matter for her.
Without warning, one of the Fords ahead pulled right, blocking her access. At the same time, another two pulled left, going for the inside corner. She firmly pressed the brakes and slid the GT into the newly open spot, trailing behind the two that were now halfway through Copse.
She flashed through the gears back down to first, the engine audibly growling with each change just behind her ears. The track started to clear out, leaving an open corridor of space for Twilight to take advantage of. A quick glance at the side mirror showed her a clear rear, giving the go ahead.
The GT dove leftwards, jutting out and sitting central on the track. Twilight flicked the paddles up and rocketed through to second gear, spinning the tires as she did so. The car regained traction with an upshift into third gear, positively blazing ahead of everyone else.
Twilight shifted up into fourth as the straight came to an end, which slithered into the one-two combo of Maggotts and Aintree, with her foot still pinned on the throttle. The Ford GT's race suspension made the driving experience an awfully bumpy one, allowing for Twilight to feel every single vibration through the chassis itself. She could see why Sunset wanted to trade, now.
She also had to admit, it was starting to get slightly annoying, and it was an extra sense that took away from her concentration, such as checking the current speed and braking distance.
Oh... My speed, right.
Twilight glanced down at the dashboard, the large '130mph' staring back at her. She breathed in and held it in her core, ignoring the tingles of fear-fuelled adrenaline that were trying to pull at her focus. She felt relaxed, at ease, calm, knowing what her next move was.
With the edge of the track approaching, Twilight had little option but to slam on the brakes. She did so with as much force as possible, and a vice grip on the wheel to keep the car from violently spinning out under its own power. The car lurched forward, leaving strips of burnt rubber across the tarmac and a cloud of smoke to go with it. The rear wing shot up, helping to slow the GT down just a little bit faster.
It stopped just short of the outer curve. Not wanting to ruin the underbody by going any further Twilight wrenched the wheel to the right, pulling through into Aintree. She darted over to the inside of the track just as the radio started to spit static.
Luke filtered through the speaker. "Woah, you okay Twilight?"
"Yep! Perfectly okay, just hit the brakes a little late," Twilight replied with a relieved sigh.
"You're telling me, also, on your left." Luke said before the radio went silent. Twilight sat there for a moment, trundling along at the edge of the track. She peeked to the left to see a certain blue Focus easily keeping up, a small grin across the driver's face. He soon flicked the radio back on.
"How about another race?" Luke enthusiastically asked.
Twilight chuckled. "Didn't you already win the last one?"
"Let's make it interesting then, first one across the line wins!"
That... Actually sounds quite good. Twilight thought. With how track focused her GT was, it was sure to give her some advantage.
"Sounds good, whenever you're ready!" she said, ready to let rip on the gas again.
"Okay—" they looked to the track, brimming with excitement, "—go!!!"
Twilight gripped the wheel and opened the floodgates, pushing down on the pedal as hard as she could! She whipped a look to the left, Luke's car gaining distance ahead. The sound of the GT's engine became almost deafening as she slammed it into fourth gear and passed under the bridge. Just how fast was that car?
No time to ponder the question, the two were quickly approaching the Brooklands corner. Luke darted to the right just a few car lengths ahead. Twilight sensed an opportunity and reacted, easing onto the brakes and swinging a hard left. She pulled the steering wheel as far as possible, cutting into the apex of the corner.
Luke gave a frustrated growl from inside his Focus, having practically gifted the lead to Twilight with such a wide turn. No matter, she was midway through the apex, leaving a large gap to overtake. He jabbed at the throttle, pulling closer behind her. Within a few seconds he'd initiate the move and—
The GT banked a right across to the next apex, much harder than Luke had anticipated. Twilight was playing defensive, he concluded. He had no choice but to go wide again into Luffield.
Twilight glanced at her mirror as she wrenched the wheel in the opposite direction, success! The Focus was slowly but surely losing ground, which is exactly what she'd hoped for. With how good it was in the straights, this was her last chance to balance the playing field.
Luffield corner soon came to an end as Twilight pushed the car ever forwards. Every jolt through the chassis didn't even phase her by that point. She flicked into third gear as Luke exited the turn. There was a fair amount of distance between them, and she needed to make it count.
The GT blasted past the pit lane entrance, onlookers waving and cheering. Twilight aggressively put the car into fourth, checking the rearview mirror to see Luke on her tail. The Pits Straight laid just up ahead, the last stretch!
Twilight kept on the inside, a strobelight of red and white flooding her vision from the right, the GT only inches from the wall. Fifth gear came and went, the engine climbed higher in note.
Luke pulled left, leaving nowhere for her to go but forward. The starting grid laid bare on the track a hundred meters ahead. Twilight looked left, seeing the Focus edging closer. The bumper was level with her body as both cars blazed into the grid, and Twilight couldn't help but force her eyes forward again. A second later she crossed the line, and let out the pent up sigh she didn't even know she was holding.
Twilight flicked the radio on, her fingers like lightning. "Who won?! Fluttershy, who won?!" she demanded.
Silence.
She tried again. "Fluttershy?"
This time, she got a response, "Sorry, just looking over the footage! It seems that you did, Twilight."
"YES!!!" Twilight cheered, "That was amazing!"
"Very well played, Twilight," Luke said. "Wanna go again?"
Twilight looked over at him, grinning from inside his Focus. They locked eyes as she responded into the radio.
"Absolutely!"
Twenty minutes later, the track began to empty of cars. Twilight plodded the GT along, hardly making any use of the horsepower. She signalled into the pit lane and made her way through, pulling into the Horizon Racing Team garage. Maverick, Haley and Sunset were already parked up. She pushed the throttle down one final time, eliciting a passionate roar from the engine before turning the key. The engine cut out as she pulled the door open.
"That was positively exhilarating!" Twilight said, climbing out and pushing the door down. She couldn't help but stand back and admire the Ford GT she had just torn up the tarmac with. "I love this car..."
"You're more than welcome to drive it back, you know," Sunset said, sidling up next to Twilight. "I'm loving the 'Stang just as much, its amazing!"
Twilight smiled, "I'm glad you're enjoying it, how do you like the handling?"
The two traded quips on their respective cars, noting just how different they were, but still incredibly fun to blast around the track in.
Next to pull in was Applejack in her trusty Escort Mk2. The car sounded like it was far from done on track and ready for more. It's driver, however, couldn't say the same.
"Thanks for the great day, y'all!" Applejack called as she rolled the window down. "Ah've had tons'a fun out there,"
Rarity was close behind in her bubbly blue Puma, "Absolutely, darling, it's been a splendid outing!"
Not long after, Pinkie's Fiesta pulled in and parked up next to Rarity. She hopped out, buzzing with glee after such a fun track session.
"That was super! I almost had you, Rarity!"
Rainbow pulled in a moment later, her blue Ford GT70 coming to a halt beside Applejack. She flung the door open and stepped out with a competitive grin. She offered her hand to Applejack, who shook it in turn. "We totally gotta do that again, I was so close to beating you!"
Applejack chuckled. "We'll see, sugar."
It didn't take long for Fluttershy to run in through the garage door. "Hi girls!"
Twilight couldn't help but throw her hands up indignantly. "I do not overtake aggressively!"
Fluttershy let a giggle slip, "How did you start the race again?"
"Fair point," Twilight replied with a smirk, she couldn't exactly deny it.
A grumble made her reflexively look to the pit lane, only to see Luke swing his Focus into the garage and park by the team van. He turned the key, silencing the engine as he stepped out. Everyone looked towards him as he began to speak.
"That was brilliant! Thank you so much, all of you, for such a fun day. I have no doubts you're all gonna crush the Goliath in a week."
The girls cheered, they had become the Horizon Racing Team, tearing up the track and beating every leaderboard that stood in their way! Twilight took a step forward, one thing on her mind.
"Question is... What's next?"
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Are you still gonna do the Horizon Mexico location? If you are on the Xbox One version of the Horizon 5 game, you can just friend me. Gamertag: SSJ2PinkiePie
I've only played Horizon 5 twice. You can watch my gameplay here:
Willight's Forza Horizon 5 Xbox One Gameplay Series
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I can't reveal anything as of yet, and your gameplay looks good!
Just passed 1300 hours in Horizon 5, so anything is possible really.
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I'll get episode 3 of my gameplay when I get a new xbox one s because my current one doesn't work for the tvs in the current house I'm living in, the tvs keep showing Not Compatible for my xbox one s. Also, I'm getting, hopefully, a switch for the new horizons game for my 26th birthday in July(July 1th).