Due of a spell gone wrong, Equestria is invaded by rally drivers and their cars. And all of them are trying to beat the records on all courses of the country populated by magical equine lifeforms. And of course, to pollute the air, too.
As Twilight tried to open a interdimensional portal, something we-
The countless streets of Equestria are the perfect places for fast and intense rallys. The streets are varying from plain city streets over forest paths to lose gravel paths in the desert. Or drive in the mountains!
The ever-changing conditions gives each track a unique and amazing feeling. Each drift and jump is an event for the drivers spirit. The old appearance of Equestria's cities are always a good eye-catcher, but sadly, you have to concentrate on the road ahead of you.
Many ways are tightening, mostly in forest areas, and the drive through the little cities with their small streets are no lollipop-licking.
But all in one, this rally is something you will never forget!
Perhaps this is the first Colin McRae Rally crossover ever. Before you ask, which game I have crossover-ed with MLP, it was Colin McRae Rally 04 and Colin McRae Rally 2005.
Inspired by Material Defender's story 'Equestria Global Offensive'.
All mentioned cars are belonging to their respective owners. No profit was made, this story is just for fun.
The drive out of the town will be difficult but quick. It is suggested to put on tires for mud because the track through the forest will be fast and an intense test for the drivers reflexes.
It was a sunny morning as Twilight read her most favourite book of all books she had. It was a book about the strongest magic spells, containing transforming spells, portal spells and interdimensional portal spells.
At that moment, she read a chapter about the latter, the interdimensional portal spells. She was not really interested, but she never tried to create one before.
"Ah yes, there we have it..."
It said that those spells can open portals to long distance worlds. It can not be controlled which world and what can pass through, whatever matter and source it could be. But it also said that no danger can come, so what she can lose?
She placed the book back into the bookshelf and took position in the middle of the room. Then she closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Her horn glowed brightly as a flash came from the tip.
BANG!
After the loud thunderclap, it was over...
She looked around in her library, but to her dismay, nothing changed. She hung her head in disappointment, she knew that she did everything right. Maybe the spell was outdated, no longer working or else. In any case, nothing happened.
She went back to her bookshelf, searching for a book about flora and fauna in the Everfree Forest. The everfree forest has always been a mysterious forest. It was one of the places in Equestria which did not have an proper map.
Suddenly, and without any warning, Spike bursted through the door of her library. Twilight jumped in shock, but then she groaned "Spike! I told you so many times to knock at the door and-"
"It... is... an..." the little dragon panted heavily. He ran down the streets in a big hurry as something had happened...
"emergency..."
"What kind of emergency?" Twilight said worried.
Spike took some really deep breaths before he said "On the marketplace! Hurry!"
Without a second thought, Twilight used her magic to sat Spike on her back, before she dashed out of her library and into the living town of Ponyville... if that was so. The whole town has gathered around a little area in the marketplace. Every pony chattered about what the chariot is, why is it blue and mainly, what are the strange creatures inside it are doing.
"Excuse me? Can I get through? Sorry..." Twilight repeated, trotting past the ponies who moved aside for her. Soon she found the reason...
In the middle of the crows stood a strange vehicle she never saw before. It was plain blue, with a yellow crescent moon with stars on the left and right side. Did it has something to do with the night sky? She could read names like 'Pirello', 'Michelin' (a ugly-looking bipedal creature was painted next to it) and 'Mountain-Dew'. But each side had the name 'Subaru' written on.
The wheels were not made of gold, wood or metal, they were made of black rubber. The rims were made of what looked like gold, but it was a little bit too brown for it. It was then when she spotted the strange creatures inside the vehicle. They had helmets on, and blue suits. They looked like they were discussing something.
A strange sign displaying the number five stood at the left side on front of it. It did not do anything.
"What are these strange beings?" Twilight asked herself, fearing that they might be extra-terrestrial invaders.
"Lyra said that they're humans!" Pinkie Pie, the pink party pony, appeared out of thin air next to her.
It was the second time that day where Twilight jumped in the air in shock.
"Hu-what?"
"Humans! Lyra had read about them in a book she borrowed from you!" she said smiling as her eyes were starting to glisten in joy "Oooh! I'll make an Humans-Welcome Party-"
Five!
Suddenly, the vehicle made an loud roar as smoke escaped from a tube below the rear side of it. Twilight and Pinkie seized together in surprise, but not due of the roar. They were surprised of the voice, it sounded like it came from their ears.
Four!
The roar considered all ponies retracting from the vehicle and hiding themselves in their houses.
Three!
The smoke coming from the tube did not smelled like water. It smelled like burnt fuel. Twilight was horrfied and amazed at the same time. A engine, similar to that of a train, small enough to fit in a small vehicle... but what good they would do?
Two!
"Where did the voice came from?" Twilight asked over the sound of the vehicle's engine.
"I don't know! My Pinkie sense don't do anything!"
One!
Twilight and Pinkie were staring at the vehicle, what would it do when the count down was over?
Go!
The wheels of the vehicle were spinning wildly, propelling dirt on the two remaining equines and swirling dust high in the air. At the same time, it's engine was howling a loud and high-pitched hum as the vehicle jumped forward...
Thirty six left into alleyway tightens, then hundred straight ahead over bridge. Jump. Then sixty three left on lose gravel over crest.
Twilight was coughing like mad, she tried to free her nostrils and eyes from the dirt. Pinkie tossed a pair of protective glasses from her snout as she said a single word "Wow..."
As Twilight finally freed her coat from most of the dust, she looked around "Where's... that thing... Subaru?"
"It drove down the marketplace, then it took turn into a alleyway and... now it drives over the bridge to-" Pinkie said, but Twilight heard enough.
"It'll drive to Fluttershy's cottage! We must stop it!"
In the distance,screams of shocked ponies were heard, as the vehicle jumped over the bridge and landed on the ground with a wicked smack. The engine gave a deafening roar as it took up more speed... but the voice suddenly stopped. It seemed like they could hear the voice only when they are in close proximity to the vehicle.
"Warn Rainbow Dash! She must be helping Applejack with the applebucking! I'll help, and, if it's necessary, rescue her from the humans and their bashful vehicle chariot thing!" Twilight exclaimed as her horn started to glow for an instant teleportation to Fluttershy's cottage.
Fluttershy closed the door of her cottage gently as she trotted outside, basked in her little snout and ready to collect some daysis for her animals. While she trotted, butterflies encircled her as she sung a "Lalala lala la" song.
There.
She spotted a few daysis under a tree, which stood next to a road with lose gravel. She trotted to them and took them carefully into the basket.
It was then when she suddenly heard a quiet roar in the distance.
"Oh, Manfred the Manticore stepped again on a pointed stone..." Fluttershy sighed, but her smiled didn't left her face. She always liked it to help animals.
To her surprise, the roar didn't stop... and actually, it sounded like it was coming nearer! She turned around...
Twenty three right, don't cut, stay on the left side. A tree and a pony are at the right side!
*VROOOOOOOOM!!!*
A blue blur drove past her at a breakneck speed, the sharp wind punched the basket from her snout and whirled her mane into a mess. The dust ruined her yellow coat. To be exactly, she now had to take a bath... or two.
She just stood there for what it felt like hours, mane a mess and basket somwhere under a bush.
She was not shocked, terrified or flabbergasted... she was just immensely confused as many question appeared in her mind. What was that animal? Why it was blue? And mainly, why it was screaming and roaring?
In the distance, chirps of shocked birds could be heard as they were hushed from their trees... in the Everfree Forest. The vehicle drove right into the dangerous forest.
*PING!*
A flash of light occured next to her, which made her yelp in shock "EEP!"
"Oh! Sorry, Fluttershy, I didn't meant to scare you!" Twilight said excusing. Fluttershy shook her head as she calmed down from the shock as she said "It's okay... you couldn't have known that I'm here."
Twilight sighed in relief as she realized that her friend was okay.
"Did you know what that was?" Fluttershy asked, looking in the direction where the thing had drove.
"Not surely, but from what I saw, it is an motorized vehicle, controlled by... humans." Twilight said, but Fluttershy tilted her head "Humans?"
"I really never heard from those species before, so I don't know anything about them."
"Ah... okay..."
"I've already told Pinkie Pie to warn Rainbow Dash and Applejack about them. The humans and their vehicle did not seem to have any bad plans, but they have caused and will propably cause more chaos. I'll send a letter to Princess Celestia to tell her about this. And please Fluttershy, stay in your house. It's for your own safety." Twilight said as she scratched the backside, many thoughts crossed her mind...
Sweet Apple Acres
"Come'on Rainbow! The apples don't harvest by themselves!" Applejack yelled up to Rainbow Dash, who took a nap on a branch. The cyan pegasus mare gave a snort as an answere and turned around...
Applejack groaned as she took position behind the tree and delivered a mighty kick with her hindlegs at it. The shook shoved Rainbow from her branch and she landed on the ground with a thud. She yelped in shock as she was awaken by the impact on the grassy ground.
"Ah had warned ya!" Applejack said with a smugful face. Rainbow Dash gave the orange workpony a serious glare as she stood up "Okay, I'm gonna help you..."
"RAINBOW DASH! APPLEJACK!" Pinkie Pie yelled as she galloped up to them with such a speed that she left a pink blur behind her.
"Whoah, Pinkie! Take a hold!" Applejack called out as she prepared for a crash with the pink party pony. But Pinkie stopped from the one to the other second in front of her.
And the it came from her mouth, the endless flow of words "You will never know what we saw. So, there was that strange vehicle, plain blue like Princess Luna's fur and a crescent moon on it like Princess Luna's cutie-mark, but it has nothing to do with her because she is the princess of the night and the vehicle appeared in the middle of that day on the marketplace. And suddenly it drove away and out of the town, faster than anypony had seen before and it caused a lot of panic, like a Ursa Minor, only faster and more agil..."
Applejack stuck a hoof in Pinkie's mouth, finally stopping the massive flow of words.
"Stop...just say what happened." she instructed. Pinkie Pie nodded "Mh-mh."
She put her hoof out of Pinkie mouth. Pinkie took a deep breath and said calmly "A strange vehilce appeared on the marketplace and drove away quickly. It was something I... we ALL never seen before."
This explanation gave yet no clue to Applejack, but she get enough to understand the seriousness of this situation. Rainbow Dash, however, was in other thoughts...
Was there something that was faster than her? Not with wings, but by hoof?
"Pinkie? Maybe it sound ridicolous... but I want to know how fast the vehicle was at it drove away?"
Pinkie put a hoof to her chin, humming incoherent words, before she said "Actually, it's speed was more than ninety kilometres per hours, or fiftyfive dot nine miles per hour, or twentyfive metres per seconds, or 328 hooves per seconds... what you want. In any case, it just needed less than ten seconds to get out of the town."
She could not believe what she just heard. Now there was something in Equestria that was faster on the ground than THE Rainbow Dash.
"Where it went?"
"To the direction of the Everfree Forest."
"I'll take a look at that!" she said before she leapt up in the air.
Everfree Forest
Zecora, the zebra, trotted on the path to Ponyville to buy some herbs and spices. Of course she could search after them, but they were rare and the shops in Ponyville have plenty of them in sale.
Suddenly, she could hear a sound which she never heard before.
Not a second later, she could hear a voice...
Fourty straight ahead over long jump, attention, trees at both sides.
Time seemed to slow down to a crowd as something jumped from the crest before her and over her head. It was large, it was loud.
And it was REALLY fast.
She let out a yelp of fear as it landed behind her with a resounding clank, it wheels propelled dirt on her back as it drove away, deeper into the forest.
Another shadow flew above her. At first she thought, it was a dragon, but the rainbow coloured trail was an indicator for Rainbow Dash...
Her enthusiasm was higher than before as she had took chase of the blue vehicle underneath her. She was close enough to listen to the voice…
Sixty two left, attention outer side hangs out, then downhill to a lake.
It was then when it hit her.
The blue vehicle underneath her drove the exact same way as on that day when she was with Twilight and her friends on their way to get the elements of harmony and defeat Nightmare Moon. The path into the Everfree Forest, the trees, the hill and the lake, everything. The exact same way.
Only way faster.
Water splattered everywhere as 'Subaru' drove on a hightened ground over the lake. During that, it lost a little from it's speed, but then it accelerated again as it was on the other side.
She had no problems to follow it, she had her strong wings. But the forest thickened and she lost sight of the vehicle. Fortunately, she could hear yet the voice and she saw the cloud of dirt it caused.
Twenty left turn, then over bridge thightens into thirty two right, opens over crest.
It was going to drive over the bridge she had to repair to continue at that night? And at that speed? She could not bring out what all those numbers meant, but she get enough that it was really going to drive to the old ruins.
It was a big surprise and shock as she saw the bridge.
It was plain new, made of dark wood and seemed to be very stable, except for the grandma-old bridge she once had repaired.
The vehicle had driven over the bridge as it drifted through a not so fast right. The old ruins were already in view. A few puffs of fire came out of the tube under the rear side of it as the engine's sound deceased for an blink of an eye, before it howled again.
Sixty four left over crest, don't cut, into stop.
In front of the old ruins were two roadstop signs, next to them stood what looked like a stopwatch with digits.
Four minutes and twentyfour seconds, actually and it was counting upwards.
She stopped in the air as the vehicle drove between the signs. Suddenly, it seemed like the vehicle get down to a brake as it's wheels stopped spinning; they were blocking themselves.
Her jaw dropped as she spotted the stopwatch.
The stopwatch stopped at four minutes and twentynine seconds.
It just needed almost five minutes to arrive at the old ruins! Her friends spent almost a full night to get to the old ruins and the creatures with their blue vehicle, named 'Subaru Impreza' just needed four minutes and twentynine seconds?
She dived down to the vehicle and landed next to it...
She raised an eyebrow as she spotted the creatures inside it. They had plain faces and a what looked like a noise coming from the middle of their faces. At that moment, it looked like they were discussing something, maybe about the ride to the finish.
She raised a hoof, to knock at the window, to gain the creatures attention...
Suddenly, and without any warning, the vehicle disappeared in thin air. Her hoof hit nothing but air as she swiped it. She blinked in surprise as she looked around. The roadstop signs disappeared as well as the stopwatch.
"What the...?"
She just stood there for a few minutes before she leapt up again, to leave this dangerous place and telling her friends what just happened to the vehicle...
Most of the track will be lose gravel, but the asphalt part comes surprisingly and it is mostly in the town. Drivers have to put attention on their choice of tires. Tires for asphalt will understeering on the lose gravel due of the loss of grip. Tires for lose gravel will be worn out quickly on asphalt.
Dear Princess Celestia,
I'm so sorry, I've caused an enormous and serious incident. I have cast a interdimensional portal spell without learning more about this, and I have teleported a species called humans to our world. However, they don't seem to have any bad plans, but they drove away with a strange vehicle, called 'Subaru Impreza'. They did not have injured any pony, but they caused a lot of panic, chaos and fear. And I don't know how long they last until somepony get injured.
We need your help, you are also somepony who has my greatest trust.
Sincerely,
Your faithful student Twilight Sparkle
"Send the letter." Twilight said as she handled the letter over to Spike, who took it with his claw.
"Now?"
"No, in a few years... yes, now!" Twilight commanded. Spike followed suit as he burnt the letter with his dragon breath. The ash flew in the air and out of a window, like always.
Twilight felt angry and disappointed to herself. She smacked her own head with a hoof in dismay. How would Princess Celestia react? Are humans bad or good?
"TWIIIIILIIIIGHT!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she bursted through the same window where the ash flew through. To Twilight's luck, the window had been opened but that did not stop Rainbow Dashs bashful meeting with a bookshelf...
*Crash!*
"Ouch..." Rainbow Dash muttered as she writhed on the ground, covered by a pile of books.
"How many times I told YOU to use the door?" Twilight sighed as she helped Rainbow Dash getting out from the pile of books. Then she placed the books back in the shelf with her magic.
"You won't believe what I just saw! It's about the vehicle!" Rainbow Dash said, "It drove to the old ruins... and then it just disappeared in thin air."
"Yeah, but it broke our record... it just needed four minutes and twentynine seconds to arrive at the Old Ruins."
"FOUR MINUTES AND TWENTYNINE SECONDS?!" Twilight said aloud. She was not in any way interested how long did they took to arrive at the old ruins, but when a weird noise making vehicle just needed four minutes and twentynine seconds, it was like a punch into her face.
"Yes..."
A graon of discomfort and a loud burp put their attention to Spike, who just burped out a letter. It bore the royal ensemble of Canterlot. Opening it, he began to read...
"Dear Twilight Sparkle, I just read your letter and I don't really know how to respond. Either I should be happy with you, because you are making progress with your magic, or I should be disappointed, because you casted a advanced spell which should be only used by more advanced unicorns. Humans, you said? I don't really know about this species and their vehicles. I'm a little bit relieved that they don't seem to hurt any of my ponies or you, but I'm still concerned for the safety of my folk. Come to Canterlot and meet me immediately. Take your friends with you, I believe we have to use the elements of harmony. Sincerely, Princess Celestia."
Somewhere deep in the Everfree Forest
A pack of timberwolves had spotted a excellent prey, seemed to be presented in a carriage. The prey did not seem to have any sharp weapons and their theeths were useless to defend themselves. So the pack approached it and began to circle around the carriage.
Said carriage was an Volkswagen Rallye Golf, the drivers were just waiting for the go.
5
The car started it's engine, making the alphawolf of the pack howling for an initial attack.
4
Some timberwolves jumped on and at the car, but their wooden claws and theeths were far to soft for the metal.
3
Some timberwolves were scraping at the windows, but the windows were made of safety glass manufactured by Volkswagen Gmbh.
2
A timberwolf tried to bite into the tube under the car -the exhaust-, but as the driver played with the throttle, it inhaled a lot of the smoke. The poor timberwolf began to cough seriously.
1
Some timberwolves were taking some steps back as they realized this was not ordinary prey.
Go!
The timberwolves who were on the car were hurled from the top and landed on the ground painfully. The others were retracting whimpering from the car in fear as it jumped forward, leaving just a cloud of dust. That was also the meal they have just received for the day.
Thirty three right in two left tightens, then two right, jump maybe into five three.
The Volkswagen was getting a little slower. If it was driving over the jump too fast, it would have crashed in the trees of the sharp right curve. But it stayed in the middle of the road and accelerated more, to drive through the first checkpoint.
-00:04:12
*biep!*
-00:03:21
Fifty seconds for the first stage. First stage record beaten by three seconds.
Ten two left, don't cut, rocks at the left side. Then hundred straight over long jump.
Taking another left curve, it drove past a rock formation by drifting a little through the curve. At the end, it stabilized itself and drives through a straight over a rather large crest. It leapt up in the air a few metres before it landed on the ground. The car stabilized itself again as the forward wheels steered against the turbulences.
Thirty five right on lose gravel, then thirty straight ahead over crest.
The rally car found finally it's way out of the forest onto a landroad. And it drove for the second checkpoint.
Which stood somewhere in Hoofington.
Fourty narrow gate on asphalt.
In Hoofington
"Watch the famous and amazing performance of the great and powerful Trixie, the only pony who defeat an Ursa Minor in Ponyville!" Trixie bellowed loudly after a large crowd had been formed in front of her stage on the marketplace of the rather large town Hoofington
"I don't believe you!" somepony shouted back.
"Who said that? Come and face Trixie!"
A female griffon -Griffoness- walked out from the crowd and pointed at her "It was not you who defeated the Ursa Minor and saved Ponyvilly from being destroyed."
Trixie stepped back a little, but then her face changed back to determiness "Oh, you think that's not true? Look, Trixie will show it to you!"
A salve of fireworks were fired in the sky and exploded. The fire made the outlines of a little pony with a magic hat in front of a rather large bear. Everypony could see it clearly, despite the fact it was daytime.
"And now what did you want to say, Miss...?"
"Gilda. But why do you care? And your story is riddled with untrue holes like a changelings hoof!"
"Then I give you proof!" Trixie bellowed back as her horn began to glow...
Ten left turn off into hundred straight through checkpoint. Then second exit.
"Who said that? Whopony that was, it disturbed Trixie's concentration-"
Everypony on the marketplace started to scream in shock as a silvery vehicle shoot out sideways from an alleyway, before it accelerated to the marketplace. The ponies were running and screaming from the top of their lungs "The griffons! The griffons prepared an attack!" or "Nightmare Moon's curse!" as they went back into their houses. Only a flabbergasted Trixie and a amazed Gilda were still standing on the marketplace.
The vehicle drove nearer and right between two yellow signs on the marketplace. The ponies had blocked the sight of them, but now they were hiding themselves in their houses, in safety.
-00:04:12
*biep!*
-00:02:34
The second stage's record has been beaten by two and a half second. The former record was almost two minutes.
Trixie jumped in the air screaming and galloped away. She lost her hat and cape during the process. The vehicle drove past her stage at a ludicrous speed. The breeze it caused made her stage falling apart like a cardhouse. It drove also past Gilda, but she wore an enthusiastic expression. She fellowed the vehicle with her gaze as it drove down the main road of Hoofington.
"Wow, that was cool... really cool..."
Coming out from under a cardbox, Trixie heard what Gilda said "The great and powerful Trixie caused this! It is a curse until she get her money!"
Gilda shook her head a she leapt up in the air. Trixie was way too selfish and egoistic to talk to her in a normal way. She then tried to find the vehicle. Soon she found it driving through the open air shopping mall. Ponies were screaming and hiding under their stands as the vehicle drifted expertely through between the stands.
Twenty left turn through tunnel on thirty lose gravel, then fifty straight ahead over crest into two left.
"That sounds interesting..." Gilda snickered gloatingly. The vehicle drove over the gravel path in the park after it had driven under a bridge.
Canterlot, Castle
Princess Celestia sat in her throne, reading again Twilight's letter, as a unicorn Royal Guard bursted into the throne hall. The royal guard bowed politely and took off his golden helmet.
"Your highness, a emergency letter from the mayor of Hoofington!" the Royal Guard said as he gave a letter with a black and yellow striped ribbon. She opened the letter and began to read it aloud.
"Dear Princess Celestia, we have a serious incident in Hoofington. I think either the griffons are attacking us or Nightmare Moon cursed our town. Anyway, a strange noise making and fast vehicle causes panic in our town. Send help immediately. Sincerely, Graymane, the mayor of the town Hoofington."
She closed her eyes in frustration as she said "The same thing now in Hoofington..."
"Should we send a squad of Royal Guards to Hoofington?"
"That would be the next best idea, but I'm afraid of what the humans have in their leads... no, it would be too dangerous."
"Did thou already read thee letter from Twilight Sparkle?" Princess Luna said as she trotted into the room. The Royal Guard bowed immidiately to her, but the night princess just ignored him as she trotted past him and up to her sister.
"Yes, my dearest sister. And there is also the same problem now in Hoofington."
"Don't fear for the sake of our subjects. We take a look a the situation and teach the humans a lesson.", Luna said as her horn began to glow.
*PING!*
"-idea..." Celestia finished her sentence. She sighed loudly as she looked at the Royal Guard as he asked himself what just happened.
"What now, highness?"
"We just wait... for Princess Luna and Twilight."
Back again in Hoofington...
*PING!*
Princess Luna teleported herself above Hoofington, to get a instant overlook of the town. The first thing she noticed was... well, nothing out of ordinary. No burning houses, no hurt ponies, just a-
No, now she spotted the vehicle too, as it drove underneath her in a street. It was something she never seen before. She followed with her eyes the way of the silvery vehicle. But she worried for the sake of her folk, so she dived down with a few flaps of her powerful wings. She had to teach the humans inside the vehicle a lesson.
Sixty four left with medium cut over jump in twenty right turn.
She stopped in mid air as she heard the voice, before she rubbed her left ear with a hoof. The voice in her head confused her immensely.
Sixty into stop.
She had absolutely no clue as she watched the vehicle driving through between two red signs. It stopped abruptly, but still kicking a lot of dirt into the air.
Luna hovered down carefully and landed on the ground next to the vehicle. She took a look inside through the window. The human who sat on the right side held a college block in his hands. And the page was FULL with scribbled notes, numbers and arrows.
At that moment, the co-driver seemed to talk to the driver of the vehicle, but she could not hear the words.
Luna narrowed her eyes to look at the page and to see more, but then she stared at the ground...
The vehicle disappeared.
She blinked in confuseness and looked around.
"Princess Luna! Your higness! Is everything okay?" the major of Hoofington galloped up to her. He saw everything from his hiding place, and after the vehicle disappeared, he decided to look after her.
Princess Luna turned to him and bellowed with her Royal Canterlot Voice "YES, MY LOYAL SUBJECT! WE ARE OKAY, BUT THANK THOU FOR YOUR CONCERN!"
The poor stallion did not expected this to happen as he was hurled backwards on his back. But before he could say anything, Princess Luna disappeared in a flash of light.
*PING!*
"That was an heartful greeting..."
Back in Canterlot
*PING!*
Princess Celestia looked up to her sister "Oh, hey Luna. I hope you took care of the 'problem'?"
"Unfortanely, no, I was not able to help our subjects...but the creatures did not seem to intent any harm to them." Luna said as she narrowed her eyes, "But when they hurt our ponies, we will be there..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mode: Stage
Car: Volkswagen Rally Golf
Best time: 3:21
Country: Equestria
Course: Everfree Forest - Hoofington
Next Course: Appeloosa - Hive
Memo: Use thick tires for heavy lose gravel or sand!
This stage is one of the few stages where the drivers will mostly race on sand and in tunnels. Be careful in the tunnels, any mistake could end bad for the car.
Appleloosa
The yellow earth pony stallion Braeburn was sitting on a chair in front of his house. He was waiting for visitors which would came by train. But the only ponies who took the train were citizen from the town. Braeburn knew all of them. He looked at the clock of the church and sighed as he saw it was already 9 o'clock. He put his hat back on his head, put his vest together and turned to get back into his house...
Suddenly, he heard a voice which sounded like a metallic thud. It came from around his house. He went after it. His heartbeat increased as he saw a lightbeam coming out from the alleywey.
His jaw dropped as he saw a strange plain blue vehicle, the lights were switched on and illuminating the whole alleyway. He could read the name 'Ford' from it's sides, written in embellishmented words. And he could saw two weird creatures in it's inside.
At first, he did not know what to do, but since he was a open-minded pony who was friendly to any species, he galloped to the vehicle and began to yell in his typical southern accent "Welcome strangers to AAAA-ppleeee-looooo-saaaa!"
However, the creatures did not seem to show ANY reaction. Instead, they proceeded to discuss something but he could not hear the words.
"How rude..." Braeburn muttered. It was then when he noticed the sign placed next to the vehicle, which displayed the number five.
Braeburn was about to ask himself or the creatures what this is all about as he heard a voice.
5
Braeburn yelped in shock as the vehicles elicited a loud roar. It was much louder than a train.
4
Braeburn backed away from the vehicle as the engine went louder, emitting a raspy-sounding shout to the environment.
3
The creature to the left gripped the steering wheel tightly with his... hooves? Paws? He did not know it.
2
The engine was getting louder as it roared.
1
Braeburn thought to himself he should call Sherriff Silverstar as...
Go!
The vehicle jumped forward, driving past him. In an act of shock Braeburn inhaled which resulted in breathing in a lot of dust and smoke. As the cloud of dust subsided, he looked around... and found nothing. The only remains of the vehicle were the marks of the tires, but Braeburn did not seen them since it was getting dark.
He closed his eyes as he shook his head "Haha! I think I'm seeing ghosts. I was so eager to meet strangers that I was starting to hallicunate them."
Somewhere else...
It has been a few weeks ago since Queen Chrysalis failed attempt to rule over Equestria. She had infiltrated Canterlot, yes even the castle with ease. She dragged Princess Cadance into the long forgotten Crystal Caves and replaced her by herself. Everything seemed to go well and her plan of ruling the throne would prevail.
But Princess Celestia's personal student set the real Princess Cadance free and then her and Shining Armor's love threw her and her children out of Canterlot.
She had found herself in the deserts. And on the place where they landed, they build a new hive. Not far away from a little town named Appleloosa, but still to be remain undetected. The love they found there is not as pure as the love from Shining Armor and Princess Cadance, but still better than nothing.
So now, she was sitting in her dark charcoal throne in the far end of a large dark hall. The hall was in the middle of the hive, in one of the highest towers. And the hive looked like a palace, only completely black. Green light came from windows that were lined up like veins in a body at the towers. The towers were in the form of spiral cones and more than thirty metres tall. The main tower was more than hundred metres. All towers were connected by large bridges.
Again, she was sitting in her throne, thinking about the whole situation. She was satiesfied with that what she and her childrens have at the current situation, but is she satiesfied with the whole situation?
No.
She could have all love she need and wanted. She just wanted the best for her children.
Next to her were two guards, standing absolutely still. They wore nightblack armor and long black spears which were looking more organic than mechanical.
Queen Chrysalis thought about new plans to conquer Equestria, but she would not dare to go again to Canterlot...
"Hey! What is this?" one of her guards suddenly said aloud.
"Huh? What?" Chrysalis said in her usual doubled voice as she looked up, awoken from her way of thoughts.
The other guard went from his position and trotted up to a pair of red signs "I don't know, my queen, but these signs showed up out of thin air." He touched one of them, but nothing happened. The other guard went to the other sign and tried to push it with his spear, but it seemed like the sign was glued to the black ground. He then punched it, but he only hurt is own holed hoof "Ouch..."
The guards looked up confused to their queen. She opened her mouth to call for more guards, as suddenly one guard burst in the hall "MY QUEEN! IT'S TERRIBLE!"
"What is going on?! Come over here so I don't have to yell.", she said as she rose from her throne. The guard flew over to her, his insectoid wings gave a buzzing sound to the environment. As he landed in front of his queen, he took off his helmet and began to speak "My queen, our scouts detected a unknown fast moving chariot...thing in Appleloosa. We don't what it is, all we know it approaches our hive..."
Queen Chrysalis shivered at this words. Did Appleloosa know about the hive and now they sent a surprise to them? Do they have to relocate the hive once it's here?
"Mobilize the guards. We would defend the hive with all our might."
"But your majesty, we don't have much love. If we lose, we would waste everything we have!"
"I know...", she closed her eyes as she thought about a failure.
The guard looked at her for a few moments, before he turned around and yelled to his brothers "You heard the queen! Go to the north side. I want at least three soldiers at each entrance of the hive. Use magic only when it's necessary."
"I will stay here." Queen Chrysalis said as she returned to her throne. The guard nodded and flew off with his brothers...
The hive was on full alert. The changelings who weren't old enough stayed in their chambers, while every other changeling who was capable of fighting took position at the entrances. It was a mess, one second everything was peaceful, now everypony felt like a war is coming.
After some more minutes, everything was quiet. All changelings were on the outer side, pointing their spears at the environment around the hive.
"I see something!" one soldier shouted. A bright light came from behind a hill, as well as a roaring sound which was increasing in volume...
Seventy over long jump and thirty six left into tunnel.
Everypony screed in horror as a mechanical monster with four wheels jumped over the hill and landed on the sand with a loud thud. But it did not stop as it advanced the main entrance of the hive with a great amount of speed. The soldiers formed a line in front of the entrance, pointing their spears at the approaching vehicle.
But it did not seemed to bother as it came closer and closer...
Every changeling jumped away as the vehicle was mere meters away. With no obstacle in the way, the vehicle drove into the hive... it was a horror for all changelings.
"ALERT THE QUEEN! IT BROKE INTO THE HIVE!"
All changeling flew and run back into the hive...nopony noticed the yellow signs at the entrance. The drivers of the Ford Focus have just stand up a new record for this checkpoint, namely two minutes and thirtyfour seconds from the start to the checkpoint of this section.
A long fourty four right, uphill the voice said as it drove into one of the towers and drove the way up- it was just a long main tunnel of many which was build like the roads in a underground car park. All changelings who were in the vehicle's way jumped out of the tracks right in time. And all of them were confused from the voice. Where did it came from? And what meant that voice?
Twenty over narrow bridge into long tunnel, one hundred and fifty.
Those changelings who still contained brave in their minds began to throw spears at the vehicle, but the Ford drove with more than 140 kilometres per hour over the bridge...to the main tower, namely where the queen was. So every spear missed the vehicle.
Inside the queen's hall, four of her best guards moved up in front of their queen, longswords and shields ready to strike the vehicle...whatever this vehicle was. Suddenly, and without any warning, the closed gates of the hall vanished into thin air. The guards kept mumbling about to defend their queen, while Queen Chrysalis channeled energy in her horn.
Soon they could hear the vehicle's engine...it sounded almost like a demonic advancing dragon, ready to strike at it's prey...
It's a thirty three left, then twenty through narrow gate into stop, fifty.
The scary machine drove through the gateway. The changeling guards were shouting a loud battle cry before they charged at the much faster vehicle. But the vehicle was merely unfaced as well as the drivers in it. The guards were expecting the vehicle stopping, so they could surround it... but a Ford Focus, with it's turbo charged 4 cylinder 16 valve 1998cc 310HPS engine, on roll cage, gears and everything, wheighs more than one ton and a half... and such a mass can be hardly stopped when it drives with more than onehundred kilometres per hour.
And as soon the brave guards realized the vehicle would not stop, they dodged the vehicle...which drove it's way up to their queen, who screed in shock and the magic in her mangled horn dissipated...
The Ford Focus drove through between the red signs from earlier...
And suddenly, the wheels of the vehicle stopped spinning, the engine emitted loud puffs of unburnt fuel and flashes of fire came out from the tube underneath the vehicle. The wheels were struggling with the mass they had to carry, and the brake discs began to glow in a menacing red...
But finally, the vehicle stopped.
Just a inch in front of Queen Chrysalis.
The vehicle's engine was still humming as she opened her eyes, just to see the creatures in the vehicle discussing. The creature in the left side of her view held a college block in his appendages and pointed with his other at it, presumably showing something the creature next to it.
The guards watched the scene horrified, they were thinking it was the end for their hive. When the queen dies, they would not know what to do.
But as they saw the vehicle standing in front of their queen, they charged at it, some of them in usuage of their wings, and surrounded it.
But before the first spear could embed itself into the vehicle body...
...it disappeared.
The guards looked in disbelief at the place where the vehicle has been, mouth agape. Even Queen Chrysalis looked like a squirrel which watched a thunder...fearfully. Did she built up the hive on a long forgetten place where ancient competitors were racing for profit and now their ghosts were retaking their land?
"My queen...it's gone...it's just gone..." one of her guards only could say...
Also, none of them noticed the stopwatch next to one of the red signs, which stopped at three minutes and sixteen seconds...
-~==~-
Mode: Rally
Car: Ford Focus
Best time: 3:16
Country: Equestria
Course: Appleloosa - Hive
Next Course: Wonderbolts Stadium (Super Special Stage)
This super special stage is a easy one. Just drive as fast as you can and beat the clock!
It was early in the morning, as Celestias celestial sunrays began to tickle on the snout of a very certain pegasus mare.
Spitfire, the captain of the wonderbolts, stirred and opened her eyes weakly. She was still very much half-asleep, but the daily training of the wonderbolts always began early.
The training of the wonderbolts consisted of practicing the stunts and tricks for the next shows, but also it includes mental training to stay concentrated during a real show.
She stretched her limbs and wings, before she hopped out of the bed. After her daily morning business, she get out from her room, and directly went to the door of her friend Soarin, who always was one of the ponies who slept until late in the morning. She knew that Blaze were already practicing for the next show, so she doubt she was still in her quarters. And the other Wonderbolts members were in their holidays.
"Soarin! Get your lazy flank out of your lovecave!" Spitfire yelled after she knocked at the door. As she still received no answere, she groaned and opened the door.
"Soarin?"
She looked around at his quarter, but he was nowhere to be found. His bed was a mess, though it was empty. He was also not in his bathroom. Then she realized it.
For the first time, Soarin woke up earlier than her. A brief smile shot across her lips as she trotted out from the stallions quarters. Getting her mane in the usual position, so it looked like a freeze frame of a blazing fire, she headed to the exit...
She stopped as she heard shouts outside. The shouts were from a mare and a stallion. And then there was the sound of roaring, which sounded like two dragons.
"Oh no..." the thought of her friends being attacked by dragons sent chills down her spine. She charged at the door, slamming it open with her shoulders and ran outside into the blinding white light which was Celestia's sun...
The Wonderbolts Stadium has changed.
Instead of a plain green field which was the training area, there were many lose gravel roads. To describe it, it starts with what looked like two roads next to each other, but it was only one road with curves, crests, jumps and a bridge. Two cars are starting at the same time, but from different startpoints. They are not driving for driving past each another, but for the fastest time; it is a run against the clock.
At that moment, a red Citroèn Saxo Kit Car and a silver Volkswagen Rallye Golf were racing on the track, while the stallion Soarin and the mare Blaze were sitting at the start/finish lines of the course, spurring on the vehicles while they were eating a bag of popcorn. And the ponies looked like they were enjoying the show.
"WOOOHOOOO! Did you see that? It drove through the curve like a eagle doing a salto!" Blaze yelled furiously, as the Volkswagen drifted through a two left, which was a sharp left curve.
Hundred over crest in five left, tightens came from the Citroén as it took a fast curve, while the Volkswagen was driving underneath the bridge.
Spitfire looked at the scene in disbelief before she rubbed her eyes, maybe she was seeing things. But even as she pinched her wings with her theeths, she has to deal with the realization, that this was indeed real.
"SOARIN! BLAZE! ARE YOU OKAY!?" she yelled over the sound of the roaring vehicles, she feared for her friends.
Soaring turned to her, a big smile plastered his face "Hey, Spitfire! Nice to meet us! Sit down and enjoy the show!"
"What happened here? And what are those for things?" she asked, not taking her eyes from the Volkswagen.
"Well, I was sleeping when I heard a roar outside around six o'clock. I woke up Blaze and we went out and saw this!" he pointed at the track, "What are those for things, I don't have any clue, but as soon we found out they meant no harm, we thought we could at least look what they're doing. And whatever they're doing, they are awesome at it!"
Seventy over crest into stop.
He turned around as he heard one of the vehicle, namely the red one, slowing down. Spitfire, still scared, but also a little bit curious, asked "Why is it stopping?"
Blaze swallowed her popcorn before she spoke "Well, we found out that they are driving against the clock, not for the first place. They are starting from different startpoints and when one of those...chariot thingies...reached his former startpoint, he has won against the clock."
"They were doing this the whole morning, but each round is with different ones. At the first time, there were a totally blue one and a purple one... now I know how it must feel to watch our performances. It's an amazing feeling."
Spitfire watched as two different vehicles, a yellow one (Fiat Punto Super 1600 Rally Car) and a green one (MG ZR 1600 Rally Car), were standing at their start/finish line, engines humming. The former vehicles just disappeared in thin air.
"...I must inform the Royal Guards and the princesses about this...do you know who or what are driving those things?" Spitfire asked as the new vehicles just started, their powerful engines were actually roaring like manticores.
"I dunno, but I didn't pay attention.", Blaze said, not looking up to Spitfire. Her eyes were practically locked at the vehicles.
Thirty five left, opens came from the yellow one.
"Fine, you stay here while I'll try to save our daily training." Spitfire said before she leapt up in the air...
At the trainstation of Canterlot...
The trainstation of Canterlot was one of the few most busiest trainstation all of Equestria; Canterlot is the capital city of Equestria and carries the greatest responsibility of the country. Ponies went in and out of the town for treats, business and financial affairs.
At that moment, six ponies were stepping out from the friendship express, following the solar princess plead to come as soon as possible to Canterlot. Despite it took a full night, they have arrived at their destination.
"I wish we could drive with one of the humans chariot thingies, then we would have arrived here in ten seconds flat..." Rainbow Dash muttered. She could not bring the four minutes and twentynine seconds out of her head.
"At least, they meant no harm...", Fluttershy said. At first, she was shocked when she spotted the chaos in Ponyville the humans caused with their noise making vehicle, but then she was relieved when she saw that nopony was hurt.
"But for how long," Twilight said, "Did you see their technology? Such an advanced species has for sure modern technology in other ambits..." She shivered at those words.
Pinkie Pie knew what Twilight meant, but that did not scared the thought away of meeting a human one day "Maybe you're right, but I still must say, they were exciting with their loud thingie..."
"I am right." the unicorn said back.
"I didn't saw humans before and their aweful machine. But I'm still interested how they're looking like.", Rarity said. When the Subaru Impreza was doing it's stage, she was sitting in her boutique, designing new fashion for an order. She heard the noise and the panicked screams of pony, but she was so concentrated at her work, she was not bothered at all.
Applejack walked next to Twilight, but she said nothing because she did not have any clue what her friends were talking about.
Hyoomans?
Subaru?
Those words were saying nothing to her.
So the six friends were trotting up fast to their final destination, namely to the castle.
Meanwhile in the castle
It knocked at the door to Princess Celestias throne hall.
"Open the doors, please.", Princess Celestia commanded to the Royal Guards, who were standing at the door. She hoped that Twilight arrived now with her friends, but this hope was destroyed as she saw the captain of the Wonderbolts stepping in.
However, she kept her genuine smile on her face as she said "Hello, Spitfire. What brings you to me?"
Spitfire bowed deeply in respect, before she spoke "Your highness, it's better when you come over to the Wonderbolts Stadium."
The pegasus kept all her patience together to not to blurt everything out.
"Why? As long as there is no real reason, I see no point to watch some of your performance." she said, but still smiling. Of course she took great interest into the Wonderbolts stunt shows, but not now.
"Nonono, it's a emergency. Somehow our stadium transformed into a arena for a unknown species and their strange loud chariots..." Spitfire said back.
The smile left Princess Celestia's face with all sudden as she heard this. The humans are in Wonderbolt Stadium? Here in Canterlot?
At the same time, the doors of the throne hall opened again, but this time, six ponies bursted in "We're here, Princess Celestia. We came by the fastest way we could!"
Princess Celestia stood up from her throne, holding up a forehoof. Twilight and her friends were stopping in the middle of their tracks.
"No need for talking right now. Captain Spitfire told me that the humans have transformed the Wonderbolts Stadium for their own competitions. I say, we should take a look at that."
"Captain Spitfire?! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!" Rainbow Dash said aloud as she all but hopped around Spitfire, who raised an eyebrow at her childish reaction.
"Rainbow Dash! Collect yourself, this is not the right time for showing them your tricks!" Twilight rolled her eyes at her friends actions. Rainbow Dash stopped, looked at her friend, then at Spitfire, before she scratched the back of her head "Hehe...sorry'bout that..."
"When you're ready, I will teleport us all to the Stadium." Princess Celestia said reassuringly.
The ponies, including Spitfire, got into position, before Princess Celestia channeled magic in her horn. Not a moment after, there was a loud ping and a bright flash of light as they were teleported to the Stadium...
*PING!*
After the blindness subsided from their vision, Princess Celestia was the first who noticed the changes instantly. She knew the stadium very well, and she was also surprised that the plain grass field was replaced with lose gravel path, signs and of course... the human's fast and loud vehicles.
At that moment, a Peugot 206 and a Ford Focus were racing against the clock on the course, and it looked like the Ford was faster than the Peugot, but the Peugot took the curves and crests much quicker than the Ford due it's less wheight.
Seventy six right, then three left under bridge.
Princess Celestia was startled as the Ford Focus drove past her on the road, she did not imagined the engines so loud. Some dust hit her pristine white coat, but she quickly used a simple spell to clean the dust off. The other ponies were more startled by the sound than her, Fluttershy hid herself behind Celestia's ethereal mane and Applejack almost lost her stetson hat.
"So...these are the intruders.", she said as she followed the vehicle with her eyes. She then looked over to Soarin and Blaze, a bunch of empty popcorn bags and some empty pie plates surrounded them. They were still spurring on the vehicles "YEEEEEEES! WOOOOOHOOOO!!!", while they waved their hooves wildly.
"And what are they doing?" the princess asked.
"Cheering. I don't know what's so amazing about those things, but they're turned on by them." Spitfire said with a wave of her hoof.
"And what meant that voice? It sounds like the source of the voice is directly in my ears."
"I don't know, but I'm figuring it out already." Twilight said, taking notes on a block she took from her saddlebag. She scribbled down what she heard "Seventy...six...left? No, it was right... then three left under bridge... I know the right, left... commands... or are they advices? Then the bridge... yes... but what meant those numbers?"
Pinkie Pie took a look at her notes, then back to one of the vehicles. It was going to drive over a high crest, another but higher crest followed directly after. This crest followed a quick right curve.
Ten over big jump into big jump, then four right, attention don't cut.
A proper lightbulb appeared over Pinkie Pie's head, getting her friends attention as she got the result. This mysterious voice makes sense! It is just not a voice to cause confusion.
"Assuming from the lightbulb over your head, you have an idea. Care to tell us?" Rainbow Dash smirked.
"Yes, I know what this voice means!" Pinkie Pie squealed in joy as she bounced up and down, she was so happy now as she figured it out.
"Pinkie Pie, take a deep breath, then you may explain it to us." Princess Celestia said. She always liked the strange behavior of one of Twilight's friends.
The pink pony took a deep breath, before she explained "This voice is not just there for fun. You may have noticed that there are two humans in each vehicle. One of them is controlling the vehicle, while the other gives information about the course. For example, the 'Ten over big jump into big jump, then four right, attention don't cut' from earlier. The ten is propably the estimated distance between the vehicle and a occurence in metres, maybe a curve or in this case, two crests which end jumpy for the vehicle. The four right means... you know some bicycles have gears to switch between speeds. So that means the driver should drive through the curve with the fourth gear. The attention warns the driver of dangers for the vehicle, 'don't cut' means the driver may don't cut a curve because there is something lying in the way, a rock or a pole for example."
"That... makes sense.", Twilight said after she closed her jaw.
Princess Celestia put a hoof on her chin as she thought about Pinkie's explenation "But... that must mean that they were here once before, otherwise they would not know about Equestria's roads," her horn began to glow, "And I don't sense any hint of strange or unknown magic..."
"But... that's impossible! Such strange occurences must have a source of their magic!" Twilight gasped.
Seventy over crest into stop.
They watched the Peugot 206 slowing down to a stop, but still throwing a lot of dust in the air. A few seconds later, the Ford Focus stopped at his former startpoint. Princess Celestia flew over the fence and trotted slowly to the Ford Focus. She looked through the dusty sidewindows.
"Be careful..." warned Twilight.
At that moment, Soarin and Blaze spotted Princess Celestia. They shot up and went straight to her, before they bowed to the ground "Your highness!"
But Princess Celestia did not looked up to them, instead she watched the humans having a discussion in their vehicle. Like any other pony, she could not hear the words. She wanted to get human's attention, so she knocked at the window with a hoof.
*knock-knock!*
The humans showed no response.
She looked at the handle of the door. Gripping it with her magic, she tried to open the door to have a talk with humans. She just wanted to ask them questions like why they are driving on the roads and not on proper race courses... she did not know that rally cars are mostly driving on unpaved roads.
But to her dismay, the door did not budge.
Now Twilight and her friends were approaching the vehicle cautionously. Applejack dared a look through the rear window, while Rainbow Dash hovered over the Ford Focus' hood, looking at the humans through the front glass.#
"Ugh...I must say they look ugly!" Rainbow Dash screwed up her face.
"But look at their fashion! I assume it represents the... vehicle they're driving. It looks absolute marvellous!" Rarity said as she stared at the human's clothes.
"Why they are wearing helmets?" Fluttershy asked. She found it odd to wearing helmets in a closed vehicle.
"I believe it's for their own safety. You see, those vehicles are very fast and avoiding accidents is a little bit tricky.", Pinkie Pie said.
Applejack, who noticed all those iron rods in the vehicle -the on roll cage- said "If ah'm not mistaken, ah assume those rods are also for their safety. Ah think it enforces the... body of the vehicle."
"So they are safe in the case of an accident. But still, it is an dangerous activity." Twilight said as scribbled more notes down on her block, while Princess Celestia trotted around the vehicle, reading all those unknown names.
"Daltech... Focus... Esso... what are the meaning of this names?"
Twilight opened her mouth to say that they are propably the names of the companies who are participating to such an activity, but then the vehicle disappeared in thin air.
"And again, before we could ask them questions, they ran off..." Rainbow Dash waved with a foreleg in frustration.
Then there was a flash of light in the Wonderbolts Stadium, which blinded everypony in the Stadium. Celestia, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and the Wonderbolts members covered their faces with their wings in reflex, while the others used their forelegs.
As the white blindness in their eyes began to subside, they looked around to see what happened.
Everything was back to normal.
"The road... the road! Where is it?" Twilight gasped as they found themselves on the plain grass field which was the training area of the Wonderbolt Stadium.
"Oh well, at least the daily training has been saved." Spitfire smirked, not giving a single horseapple what just happened before, as she looked at Soarin and Blaze, who hung their heads down in dismay, but not of the upcoming training, more of the loss of the former show performed by those vehicles.
"Your highness, thanks for your help, but now we have to catch up our training schedule..." Spitfire said as she trotted off with her friends
Even Princess Celestia was stunned. The magic the humans propably used was unknown among her knowledge... if magic that was. The simple magic detection spell she used did not reacted to the vehicles nor to the roads. It was like the road was normally built and the vehicles were manufacted by a unknown equestrian company.
"Princess, what are we doing now?" Twilight asked, trying to break the silence. She was now a little bit scared at the behavior of the humans. They just popped out of nowhere... it was also her guilt that they appeared, but instead of saying nicely "Hello!" to the ponies and have a nice conversation, they just decided to do some... whatever this is called with their noisy fast vehicles.
"I don't know, my student, but-" Princess Celestia said, but she was interrupted.
"YOUR HIGHNESS!!!"
She looked up, to see a white pegasus Royal Guard flying down to her. Taking some steps backwards, she watched the Royal Guard landing in front of her. The poor pegasus was panting, he was flying very fast as something happened.
"Highness, please... come to the Royal Garden... there is something..." the guard panted hardly, speaking was now more difficult for him.
"I will take a look," she turned to the six ponies, "Are you ready for another teleportation?"
Their nodding was all the confirmation she needed...
*PING!*
-~==~-
Mode: Super Special Stage
Best time: 2:34 (Mitsubishi Lancer)
Country: Equestria
Course: Wonderbolts Stadium
Next Course: Royal Garden - Trainstation
A video about the super special stage in Colin McRae Rally 04:
Just like in the stadium, the ponies had to blink with their eyes a few times to regain their ability to see. But then as everypony could see once again, they all gasped at the strange view.
A very strange vehicle stood at the start line, right in the middle of Celestia's precious garden. But it looked like strange forces made place for the vehicle. A few banners were places on the left and right side of the vehicle.
And they were reading following:
Group B Memorial Event: Audi Sport Quattro Rallye Version
"Group B? I've never heard that before." Twilight said as she cocked her head to the side. Princess Celestia was about to respond, when she heard somepony her name calling.
"Tia! Where have you been?" Princess Luna said as she galloped up to her sister.
"Well, the humans were in the Wonderbolts Stadium, too, and..." she answered, but then Luna cut her off.
"They disappeared, before we could ask them anything, right?" Luna said.
Celestia nodded.
"Damn..." Luna whispered. "What should we do now?"
Celestia looked at the vehicle. There was no way to pick it up since it was immune to magic. And gaining the human's attention was nigh impossible...
"Where is the finish line?" she asked.
A guard stepped up. "At the trainstation of Canterlot, your highness. But it seems like the vehicle won't drive the direct way since umovable barriers showed up in Canterlot's streets."
"Barriers?" Celestia raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, they look like warnings signs and fences. And they are blocking some streets. The ponies are forced to use the alleyways, your highness."
Celestia's brain made *click!*
"Sister!" she called. "Warn all citizens of Canterlot! They should return to their homes immediately! And send some guards to the barriers to... well, guard them."
"Consider it done, sister!" Luna said and went back inside the castle.
"Princess Celestia, what is happening?" Twilight asked worried.
"I know that the humans are posing no danger to my little ponies. I just set up some precautions. But in any case, bring the elements of harmony to the finish line. When the humans stop there, we will end their rampage through Equestria with their vehicles." Princess Celestia said calmly.
"Understood. C'mon girls!" Twilight yelled. She and her friends were then heading into the castle to collect the elements of harmony.
Princess Celestia looked at Twilight, then back to the humans which were inside the vehicle. She really, REALLY wanted to know more about the humans, but since they showed absolutely no interest to her or any other pony, they have to be returned to their homeland. It was sad, just really sad. A totally new species showed up in Equestria, but was unwilling to share cultural informations. Instead they decided to race against the clock on Equestria's roads...
She then looked up as her sister's Royal Canterlot Voice boomed through the air. She was standing on a balcony with two of her Night Guards.
"TO ALL CITIZENS OF CANTERLOT. RETURN TO YOUR HOMES IMMEDIATELY. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WE HAVE ENCOUNTERED A POTENTIAL DANGER AND WE ARE TAKING CARE OF THAT. PLEASE DON'T PANIC AND RETURN TO YOUR HOME PEA-"
A terrifying loud roar tuned out Luna's speech. Celestia blocked her ears with her hooves in shock, just like everypony else in close proximity to the vehicle. And the roar was surprisingly loud enough to echo down to the streets of Canterlot
It came from the single vehicle.
And it terrified every single pony.
"A DRAGON!"
"THE CHANGELINGS ARE ATTACKING!"
"WE ARE GONNA DIE!"
There goes the peaceful plan...
That was it! Celestia had enough. Not only the humans were ignorant to her and any other pony. No, they could traumatize every pony with their single presence and vehicle! She wore on her serious-princess expression and trotted up to the vehicle with thundering hoof-steps. Some Royal Guards walked beside her, to aid her tremendous appearence. She was going to have a talk with the humans NOW! Even if they don't like it.
Unlucky for her, the loud engine oversounded the countdown...
Just as she was in hoof's reach, the vehicle gave another deafening dragon-like roar, all wheels were spinning to the point they were only blurs, thanks to the powerful four wheels transmission...
...and they whirled tons of tons of dirt onto the solar princess and her guards.
Seventy through narrow gate in long six, tightens in two, keep middle.
The vehicle's engine literally shrieked like a angel of doom as it jumped forward and drove through the castle's gates onto the streets of Canterlot.
"Princess! We've got the elements of harmony and we are..." Twilight said as she galloped with her friends back to her mentor, but she stopped in the middle of her tracks as she spotted the solar princess in THAT status. Her pristine white coat was dirty brown, her ethereal mane was clouded with dirt and did not float anymore. And a little hill of dust was on top her head. Her eyes were closed...
Her guards did not fare any better as they coughed and sneezed. Their armor was not shiny anymore and their coats were dirty, too.
"Princess... ?" Twilight asked unsurely...
Something must have broken in the solar princess as suddenly she was enveloped in a blinding light as she shouted in her Royal Canterlot Voice. "IS THAT HOW THE HUMANS TREAT A PRINCESS?! ARE THEY CHALLENGING THE ROYALS OF EQUESTRIA?! WE SHALL TEACH THE HUMANS A LESSON THEY WILL NEVER FORGET! THEY SHALL NOT FORGET THE DAY WHEN THEY INSULTED THE PRINCESS OF THE SUN!!"
She turned to Twilight and her friends, who were visibly shrinking at her goddess-like rage.
"Await the humans at the trainstation and don't hesitate to use the elements of harmony on them!" she said in a chor of thousand voices. Then she made her horn glow and teleported the six ponies to the trainstation.
Spreading her wings, she then took off in the air. Two pegasi guards took off, too, and were flying beside her. She then followed the roaring sound, which came from below in Canterlot. The roaring sound stopped every once in a while and a screeching sound was heard, propably as the drivers used the brakes to slow the vehicle down to prevent understeering and eventually crashing into a house.
There. The vehicle was driving through some narrow alleyways. Even Celestia was a little in awe as she suspected the car would scrape it's side at the walls. But that did not happen. The driver must have learned a lot to keep the control of his monster in such narrow places.
Celestia's very first impulse was to damage the vehicle with magic bolts... but the risk of getting one of the humans hurt was way too high. And destroying one of the wheels could end badly for both the vehicle and the humans... additionally, it could cause a accident and damage the surroundings.
She could see not a single pony on the streets, aside from the guards which were watching over the barriers.
So there was only one way to apprehend the humans...
"Guards, come with me to the trainstation!" she yelled over the defeaning roars and shrieks of the vehicle.
Her guards were then following her to the trainstation...
A Nightguard mare named Midnight Blossom stood at one of the barriers, pacing back and forth nervously. After all this, she would ask Luna for gaining hazard pay or at least a pay rise. She was scared. Terrified even, because she did not know anything about the humans and their demonic vehicle of Tartarus.
"Oh Faust, what I'm going to do?" she said nervously to herself.
She gasped loudly as the roaring increased and the vehicle shot out sideways from a alleyway. Then it accelerated quickly and made it's up to Midnight Blossom.
From this view, she could see the two human through the front glass. From her view, the left one was talking to nopony, while the right was holding something in it's hands...
Fifty into right junction, don't cut, keep in the middle into fourty left junction, don't cut.
She was momentarily confused by the voice... as the vehicle passed the barrier she was guarding. She shrieked as the vehicle let loose another deafening roar in close proximity to her and a burst of fire came out from a tube underneath the vehicle as it drove into another alleyway.
Then everything went silent as the walls of the buildings around her blocked most of the noises.
It was only a short encounter, but it left brave Midnight Blossom terrified...
And so it went on with every other guard...
With a loud thud, Celestia landed gracefully on the ground next to Twilight and her friends. They shrinkend again, but Celestia reassured: "Don't worry, my little ponies. I calmed down, but we still have to banish the humans."
"Yes!" they said in unison.
Then they turned to the opposite side of the finish line. Twilight and her friends were already starting their magic as they concentrated, each pony onto their element. Celestia was charging her horn, too, in the case of a attack or something else.
Soon, they saw the vehicle dashing out from a alleyway and it accelerated it's way to the finish line.
Onehundred and fifty into finish, then long six into stop.
"Twilight! Now!" Celestia yelled.
Twilight's eyes were glowing with magic as she and her friends were floating up in the air. Then they released the elements of harmony on the upcoming vehicle.
A large rainbow-coloured whirl engulfed the vehicle and everypony could hear it's engine dying out. A blossom of hope began to rise in Celestia...
But then the unthinkable happened.
Suddenly, the elements of harmony were stopping their magic instantly. This only happened when the target is purely good... or the target does not exist at all.
But the vehicle was still present.
And then it happened.
Somehow the elements of harmony must have blinded the driver as it came off the road... and its front hit a boulder with full speed.
It was then launched in the air and turned sideways in mid-air.
Twilight and her friends were gasping in shock as the momentuum of the vehicle caused it to overturn and overturn after it made contact with the ground once again. Pieces of the vehicle's body and one or two wheels came off and flying through the air.
Celestia was left in shock, too. She wanted to teleport the humans back to where they came from, not to cause a, propably fatal, accident!
They followed the speeding wreck with their eyes as it made its way past the finish line into a cart of hay. The cart stopped its momentuum and the vehicle then lay on the bottom side like a cinked coin.
"Stay where you are." Celestia said to the shivering Twilight as she trotted hastily to the wreck. She sighed in relief as she spotted movement through the broken windows. Black smoke came out from the front of the vehicle, so it meant that the accident broke something that was highly important. She changed the magic in her horn into a aid spell if the humans were hurt.
And now, for the first time, she could finally hear the humans talking about something else than about the road...
"Are you alive?" the driver asked.
"Yes. I'm fine. You?" the other said.
The driver paused. Then he yelled "That was a hell of a ride. Woohooo!"
Even Celestia was surprised that they could still talk normally after a accident like this. She witnessed ponies after accidents who were still crying out loudly for hours, but those humans shrugged it off like it happened everyday.
Maybe these accidents happened to the humans regurlarly, so they were kinda used to it?
She then lowered her head to get a better sight at the humans... just then, a blinding light washed over the area. The vehicle, barriers and finish line disappeared. And it took Princess Celestia along with.
Everypony who witnessed that screamed in terror.
Celestia felt like she was floating without her wings. Everything was purely white around her. Then she felt she was falling. But before she could even think of the idea of using her wings, her hooves hit the ground and she fell onto her side.
The fall did not do any harm to her, but as she lay dazed on the ground, her sensitive ears received some kind of music.
Yet she knew, the music was annoying to her.
Then she heard footsteps and someone talking. "Huh? How funny... Look who's joining me."
She knew that voice! She jumped up onto all hooves and faced the creature with a look that could turn even the worst villain into a little mouse.
"Yeah, that's my name." the dragonequus said with a friendly wave. "Hi there, princess!"
Celestia's horn crackled with enough energy to send Discord to Tartarus, then back because he forgot his sunglasses and a snack and some instant tea powder.
"You will face your punishment, you... animal!" she hissed through her teeth and was about to unleash the energy at the dragonequus.
"Wow, wow, Princess! It's not my fault! It was your student who opened a incomplete interdimensional portal for inphysical materiel, not me!" Discord said quickly as he held his mismatiching claws/paws up.
As Celestia heard that, she instantly ceased her magic and looked into his yellow eyes. "Twilight opened... what again?"
Discord breathed in and out to calm himself. He was just greeting the princess of the sun, but she tried to attack just at the plain sight of him.
"Princess, I assure you I'm as deep in the mess as you. I want to get out of here, too. But at first, please listen to me." Discord said calmly. "I'm going to tell you everything, but under following conditions."
"I'm all ears."
"Okay. At first, take your crown and regalia off. And also shorten your mane and tail. We are taking a ride..." Discord said with a smugful smile.
Celestia was appalled at that, but before she could respond, Discord snapped with his talons... and the whole scenery changed in a instant.
Instead of a plain white abyss, they were standing in some kind of rocky environment. Large mountains surrounded them and the temperature was chilling. Dust hung in the air and it made Celestia coughing a little.
"Where are we?" Celestia asked confused. She did not know this part of Equestria at all.
"We are in a country called Greece, princess."
"Greece? Of all in my years of life, I've never heard this country before."
Discord laughed. "Yeah, because this is not Equestria. We are on a planet called Earth... where the humans are coming from."
Her eyes widened as she looked around again. It did not look different at all...
Discord snapped again and one of those feared vehicles spawned onto a nearby pea gravel path. While Celestia was still looking around, he cleared his throat to gain her attention. As she turned to him, he stepped into the vehicle and waved with a claw to her to get in as well.
She hesitated, but she then stepped in, too. After she sat down onto the seat, she shifted around with her body until she found a position which was comfortable for her, despite the fact that the seat was made for bipedals.
Her long horn bothered her, as it was forcing her to twist her head to the side which was rather unhealthy for her neck. And her ludicrously long mane and tail filled almost the whole inside of the car. It looked like a gigantic fluffy multicolored piece of candy cotton was placed on the passenger side.
Discord sighed. "Please, just do what I said. It's for your own good."
Celestia glared at him. She was unwilling to change her appearance for this awkward situation. But what else she was supposed to do? She sighed annoyed, then with a quick flash of magic, her royal regalia, her crown, her wings and her horn disappeared. At the same time, her long mane and tail were also decreasing in length, until they were just around the right size for her body. Then she put on the seatbelt, too. Safety comes always first.
"Happy?" she asked. Now without her horn, she didn't need to tilt her head anymore, but she could only perform basic telekinesis. In order to use her full extend of magic once again, she had to re-summon her horn.
"Why? It was only for your own good." Discord said.
Celestia snorted and rolled her eyes. "Now I can finally have some answers. My first and obvious question is what are these vehicles and why are they racing around in Equestria?"
Discord's response came quick. "Well, these things are called 'Cars' and they are performing a competition called 'Rally Driving'. In this competition, the drivers are driving a course as quickly as they can."
Well, that question has been solved rather easily for Celestia. But there are many other questions which she wanted to ask...
Before she could ask, Discord summoned a key up. He put it in some kind of lock and turned it around. Then the engine came to life as it let out a roar. Celestia winced a little and held herself at the seatbelt as the car started to move.
Discord looked to her and laughed. "Don't worry, I practised well enough. I know what I'm doing. Besides, we are only driving 30 kilometres per hour currently."
"Still too fast..." Celestia thought. Discord gripped the steering wheel with paws/claws, while he controlled the gear shift with his tail.
"Okay... next question," Celestia said after she gulped. "Why there are two drivers in each vehicle?"
"Driver and Co-Driver are working together. Rallying is not just about driving like a lunatic. It's about trusting each other. The driver trusts the co-driver's pacenotes and the co-driver trusts the driver that he keeps the car under control at high-speeds." Discord explained.
This surprised Celestia. She was thinking that the humans were just driving for scaring her little ponies, but she did not thought that there is so much behind that facadé...
"Okay... uuuuhm... you said something about a portal. Care to explain more?" Celestia asked, not taking her eyes from the road ahead of the car.
"Of course. Well, like I said before, Twilight is fully responsible for all this. She was the one who opened a incomplete interdimensional portal for inphysical materiel. Incomplete, because the cars have limited interaction abilities here in Equestria, for example they can't damage a house or something like that. And mainly, we don't have a direct access to the portal." Discord said without looking up to her.
"Inphysical materiel... does that mean that the cars weren't present at all?" she asked confused. "Why we can't just close the portal?"
"The cars were halfway present... it is much more complicated. Let's just leave it at that. And I would not recommend to search for the portal in order to close it. Or do you want to end on a round piece of plastic as ones and nills?" he said in a warning tone.
Celestia did not understand what Discord was intending, but he sounded serious.
As she wanted to ask what he meant with plastic, Discord looked at the instrumental panel... and smirked. "... we are too slow. Let's speed things up."
Suddenly Celestia was pushed into her seat as the car accelerated quickly to a much greater speed. The solar princess could not help herself but to hold on onto the seatbelt with her forehooves while she was screaming silently for herself. And all those shakes and bumps were not helping her much either.
Crystal Empire - Component Testing
Crystal Tyres (for dry surfaces)
Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Vii Rally Car
A new mixture for tyres has been invented to guarantee maximum control on dry crystal surfaces. A successfully passed test is needed in order to unlock them for later stages.
-=(0)=-
Shining Armor was happy with his life. It has been a few weeks since Queen Chrysalis' banishment and King Sombra's defeat and everything seemed to be peaceful now, especially in the Crystal Empire because all ponies are literally beaming with happiness. It could not have gone better.
The door opened and his wife Mi Amore Cadenza came trotting into the office room and Shining gave her a heartwarming smile.
"How are you today and what are our subjects up to, honey?" Shining asked.
"Fine, like always. Our subjects are doing good after the Sombra incident and recovering. The Crystal Heart also gives them new hope in their very souls." she said with a smile.
"That's good to hear..." Shining said and they rubbed their snouts together in a cute display.
This touching moment was interrupted as a loud and rapid knocking came from the door, before a Crystal Guard stepped into the room. "Prince Shining and Princess Cadance, we have a emergency situation in our hooves!"
Shining and Cadance looked at the guard like he had grown a second head. But then they snapped out of their thoughts and Shining stepped forward. He was not a captain anymore, but he always kept his way of thinking for the safety of ponykind.
"What is it, private?"
The guard pointed a hoof to the direction of the entrance of the city. "There is some kind of metallic chariot and there are two hairless apes in it. They seem to plan something..."
Shining and Cadance looked at each other. Hairless Apes? A new breed of monkeys sitting in a chariot? They had to look after it.
With a nod, they crossed their horns. A flash of pink and blue magic erupted from the tips of their horns and they were quickly engulfed in it. And with another flash, they were gone...
"Well, great." the guard said huffing. "It took a while to get here, upstairs and all, and then they teleported themselves to the entrance within an instance."
Notice, the guard was a earthpony.
*PING!*
Shining and Cadance let go of each other and rubbed their eyes once. Even with closed eyelids, the bright flash can still be disorienting.
"Your highnesses, over here!" somepony yelled. They turned to the voice.
Flash Sentry and his colleagues were currently guarding the vehicle. The tried to open the doors to order the apes to get out of there, but the doors kept closed. Knocking did not help to get the creatures attention, and trying to break the windows only ended up with a broken spear.
"We tried everything, even pushing the chariot didn't help. We don't think they pose a threat, but we need to be careful, majesty." Flash said with a stoic expression.
"Those are the hairless apes?" Shining asked as he trotted up to the vehicle.
Cadance gave a short laugh. "Oh Shiny, those creatures are called humans."
"Hyoomans?" Shining turned to his wife. Cadance nodded and said "Humans are a long forgotten and mysterious race. Ponykind had only a very few encounters with them, but I think that they mean no harm."
Shining looked back at the humans inside the vehicle and held up a hoof, before he knocked at the window of the human to the right.
He completely ignored Shining's knocking.
"Everything we tried to make them even look at us failed. They don't give us the slightest of interest, my prince. I think they are acting rude." Flash said as he gave the human a disapproving look.
Shining wanted to respond, but a roar cut him off. All ponies, even Shining, jumped away from the vehicle in shock and Cadance's horn flared up with magic in instinct. However, Shining positioned himself in front of his wife and conjured up a stun spell if the humans turned out to be a threat. They could see that the vehicle was slightly vibrating and a unlovely smell came from the tube under the vehicle.
Five!
All ponies looked around in seek for the source of the voice.
Four!
"It comes from the humans!" Cadance pointed out.
Three!
Shining gritted his theeth. The humans were seeming to plan something diabolical...
Two!
Some guards positioned themselves in front of it and pointed their spears at the radiator.
One!
Time seemed to slow down. What would come next? Attack?
Go!
The vehicle gave a otherwhordly howl as it's wheels screeched loudly. All guards fled in terror and the only left were Shining, Cadance and of course Flash Sentry, who was too shocked to move. The vehicle jumped forward and onto the main road of the city...
Twenty five left, opens into hundred straight, then caution two left, don't cut.
"What in Tartarus is this about?!" Shining asked slightly scared.
"I don't know, but..." Cadance tried to say something, but then her ears caught the screams of terror of many ponies. Her ponies, her subjects.
If something Cadance despised the most, it was when someone was causing terror under innocent ponies. Either when it were Changelings trying to invade or humans driving in a loud chariot of Tartarus.
"Shining, go, mobilize the guards! I will take care of my subjects!" Cadance ordered. Shining nodded and went off with Flash Sentry...
Then, with a few powerful flaps of her wings, she took off into the air...
The vehicle was driving at top speed through the main road. Every single pony instantly bolted out of its way, shouting in fear. Foals were grabbed, newspaper were dropped, as everypony galloped inside stores or their houses as the horrorfying vehicle drove past them.
Then the vehicle made a slight yerk to the left, then to the right and again to the left before it slided screeching into a alleyway without losing speed.
Even Cadance was surprised. The streets of the city consisted of flat crystal. While it looked majestic and was easy to clean, it had only one very obvious downside: It was slippery. And even more when it was raining. Of course, some chariots and carts had now wheels with rubber, and some stores even sell now horseshoes made of rubber, but the risk of slipping was still present.
And those humans with their chariot drove with more than one-hundred kilometres per hour and did not have any troubles to keep it under control onto the crystal surface.
But the pony's minds were on stake, because the vehicles single presence could bring back remories of Sombra's times in some elderly ponies...
With determination written all over her face, Cadance landed on top of the driving vehicle and...
... that was pretty much everything she could do. She did not know that she would come that far.
Sixty six left tightens in turn two left.
Cadance blinked. What did it mean?
Then she looked on the road ahead. A slight bend came and the vehicle drove right into it. She had to shift her weight to the left due of the momentuum forces. A lot of ponies gave the princess of love odd looks. It did not happen every day that they could see a alicorn standing on top of a scary chariot.
But then the road narrowed and went sharper and Cadance felt her hooves losing grip, so she took off once more into the air...
Thirty four right into left junction, don't cut.
Her eyes widened as she looked up to the tower, where the crystal heart was located. The humans were going to drive right to the tower, propably to steal it or something else!
Before she could even think of a plan, the vehicle drifted screeching into a alleyway which led directly to the clearing to the tower. And Shining was still mobilizing the guards. So there was only one last option...
Taking more effort into her flapping, she zipped forwards, over the racing vehicle and landed down in front of the podium with the crystal heart. Charging a powerful spell into her horn, she aimed it at the upcoming vehicle.
The vehicle shot out sideways from the alleyway. The forewheels steered against the it's drift and then it accelerated towards the tower...
Cadance let the magic loose and the beam shot forwards. It was just a powerful stun spell and she hoped that it would knock the humans and their chariot out. But to her utter shock, the magic bounced off harmlessly against the body and dissipated into nothingness. The vehicle aimed straight for her and Cadance was too shocked to move.
One hundred straight into finish.
The vehicle took a last screeching turn, before it made a more screeching halt just right in front of Cadance and made contact with her snout with it's side.
Cadance fainted in shock.
At that moment, the vehicle disappeared into thin air and Shining came out from another alleyway with at least ten guards, all of them were ready to fight. The ex-captain spotted his wife snoring peacefully on the ground and he shook his head.
"That's typical. I must take care of everything while she holds her beauty nap..."
-=(0)=-
TEST PASSED
NEW TYRES HAVE BEEN UNLOCKED
"DISCOOOOORD!" Celestia yelled as the car drove over a light jump. She stayed quiet for most of the time, but the jump was the last straw for her. The God of Chaos only laughed and resumed his driving, but this time he slowed down.
"Stop this madness in an instant!" Celestia ordered firmly. Disord looked at her briefly and noticed the slight green tint in her white face. Sighing in dismay, he slowed down to a stop and Celestia tried to undo the seatbelt. But the belt held firmly and soon she stopped trying.
Discord sighed and pushed the button down where the seatbelt was connected to some kind of lock. With a *click!*, the seatbelt undid itself and let Celestia go. She opened the door and rushed out.
She did not vomit up her stomach, she just needed some fresh air.
Discord walked up next to her. "How do you feel?"
"Better. The jump was too much." she replied and breathed in and out. Soon enough, she felt well once again.
"So how we can get out of here?" Celestia asked as she looked up to Discord.
Discord frowned. This confused Celestia, because she never saw him frowning ever before.
"What is it? We can return to home, can't we?"
"I'm afraid to say, but we are trapped for all eternity here..."
Celestia's eyed widened in shock. But before she could think of anything, Discord spoke up once more... and those words shocked Celestia to her very core.
"Unless you participate to some rallies."
Celestia's eyes grew to the size of frying pans. It was only methaphorical, but her emotions and thoughts were in a conflict. Of course she was glad to hear that there was a way to get back home... but she did not have the slightest hint of a idea how a rally works.
For her, it was just driving in a noisy dirty metallic chariot like a maniac.
"No. NO! No no no! Nein! I can't do that! I don't know how to drive this thing nor I want to! By my mother, no!" Celestia said appalled as she took a step backwards. She felt like she was thrown right into the middle of some random fiction.
"I was expecting this kind of reaction of yours." Discord said "But just think of the upsides. You can experience human technology first-hoof without the help of your beloved student and feel high speeds without flying. And mainly, you can finally do something else than ruling. Just think of it."
Celestia raised an eyebrow. He was right. Of course it sounded weird that a pony princess would drive a foreign powerful vehicle, but that would led to new findings of otherworldly top-notch technology. And the only experience of high speed was from flying with her wings.
And to her own dismay, curiosity worked its way up to her mind. She has always been a princess, a ruler of a country, most of her lifetime. So why not letting go of that task for a moment and trying something new? This was her only chance, to show herself she was capable of more than being a princess, and it was also the ticket to get out of this strange place.
Grumbling with her voice, she hung her head. "Mrmrrrmr... hmph, okay."
Discord rubbed his paws and claws together and smiled in glee. "Oooh, this is gonna be good."
"What did you say?"
He cleared his throat like he was a expert of a specific topic. "However, there is still a little problem... you need someone who knows how to drive. Of course you can't know how to drive nor to control a rally car. Your task will be providing the driver with advanced knowledge of the road ahead, thus making you to a co-driver."
Celestia nodded. "Understood..."
Discord smiled, then he snapped and a college block appeared in his claws. He then handed it over to her "Here. The pacenotes are already written down."
She took it with her hooves and opened it. Almost all pages were filled with arrows, lines, "L"s and "R"s, numbers and exclamation marks. At first, frustration took over her mind, but then she remembered what Pinkie Pie had said...
"An occurrence in metres, bend and which gear, warning, jump..." she mumbled. And it was pretty easy to understand... she got it. The only thing that might be buggering was how to tell them in the right time, but she would develop a feeling for that.
"What else?" she asked. Discord snapped again and two helmets with built-in headsets appeared in his magical grasp.
"The cockpit of a rally car can be noisy. You will need them. It will also protect that thick head of yours." he smirked.
"Don't push your luck..." she warned with a stern expression. He tried to hold back his laughter as he handed her helmet over. Without hesitation, she wore it on. It fit like it was built for her and the insides were softly padded. It did not give her a awkward feeling.
"Well, then let's get started." Celestia said and went to the car. But Discord did not move from his place.
"What is it? Are we driving or not?" she asked.
But Discord only laughed. "Oh, Celestia, maybe you didn't realize, but I'm still too unexperienced with rally cars. I won't drive with you. By the way, this car isn't built and safe enough for a rally."
This confused her even more. "But who should I drive with?"
Discord smirked, then he snapped with his claw. "Drive with HER!"
Just as he snapped, a portal appeared. It's inner walls were totally black, but Celestia noticed a wave of green symbols which decorated the inner side. Just then, a black creature fell out of the vortex and landed on the ground with a "Umph!". The portal then disappeared again and left no trace of its existence.
Celestia's eyes widened in shock as she made out the creature's features...
Gnarled horn, crown-like antenna, insectoid wings, green double-iris eyes and cheese-like hooves...
