> Highway to Insanity > by SynthwaveHeart > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A Bumpy Start > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight was in the library, reading a book about mathematics. It was a rather calm day. The nerdy girl just flipped through page after page, going pretty slow. She wanted to sink in as much information as she could. Although it was summer break, for some reason the school remained open for anybody who wanted to come and visit the school or even just to study a little. Of course, she was one of the few students who would stay in Canterlot High in summer break. And she would probably spend most of the summer break in that library. But she did not care. She liked it. She liked the peace. She liked the quiet. Nobody to bother her. Nobody to break her focus. Nobody to- "TWILIGHT!" A familiar voice exclaimed, causing the A+ student to toss her book upwards and clumsily trying to catch it, almost juggling the thing, before she finally got it. Upside down. Twilight looked at her upside down book before she lowered it to reveal whoever was speaking to her. It was Rainbow Dash. She was with both her hands on the table with a rather huge smile. A smile that almost could rival one of Pinkie's biggest grins. ALMOST. "Rainbow Dash?" Twilight blinked twice, adjusting her glasses. She was surprised to see her friend there. Let alone her mostly laid-back friend. "What are you doing here? I mean, I am not upset to see you here... but its summer break! And you're normally-" "Doing something awesome?" Rainbow Dash said with a grin, turning around and sitting on the table, still looking at her friend. "Yes... you could say that." Twilight rolled her eyes, before looking at Rainbow Dash and closing her book for a minute, to hear what her friend had to say. "What do you need, Rainbow?" "Oh, you'll see!" Rainbow Dash said as she suddenly grabbed Twilight's hand and ran to the entrance of the library, causing the bookworm to drop her book, which spun in the air for a couple of seconds before gravity finally affected it, bringing it down, causing it to land closed on the table. Twilight hesitated, but figured she wouldn't be able to go back to her peaceful day unless she saw what her friend wanted her to see. As much as Twilight liked her friends, she had to admit, there were times she wished to be alone. For example, there are times she wishes she was alone with her mathematics book already preparing for the next year instead of being dragged around by her best friend who had a rainbow colored hair and the attitude of a fanatical stuntman that would jump a shark with a tricycle if there was a camera nearby, and once she failed and ended up in a coma for five weeks, she would just wake up and try again on the next day. To simplify: Twilight was not enjoying being dragged out of her little Safe Haven full of the things she loved the most. Books. "TA-DA!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she got out of the school, her free hand gesturing to something while she looked at Twilight with a bright smile. Twilight slowly looked towards the direction Rainbow Dash was pointing. And her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. That must have very well been... The worst idea Rainbow Dash has ever had since... ever. What Twilight saw was an old muscle car. But not just an old muscle car, no. That car was rusted from head to toe. Or grill to rear bumper all things considered. The entirety of the hood, and even the left front fender were so rusty that they looked like as if you ever so lightly touched them, you would end up with a few scratches on your fingers. No matter how lightly you slide your hand on them. The roof of the car was also quite rusty, but not quite as painful looking as the hood and the fender. Still, that did not change the fact that the rims seemed to be basically decaying each second they were looked at. The front bumper was completly gone. All that remained of it, was an empty space in the shape of what it once was. Yet, the liscence plate was still there. Rusty, bent and with it's numbers were almost scratched out. What made it worse, is how it had a a small trailer attached behind it. "Guess who's going on a road trip?" Rainbow Dash smiled, looking at her friend with a grin. "WHAT?!" Twilight's eyes widened. Was she for real? That was a joke. That HAD to be a joke! She stared at Rainbow Dash for a long moment. She knew that face. It wasn't a joke. It was not a joke at all."Rainbow, have you lost your mind?!" "No? Why?" Rainbow Dash asked raising an eyebrow. She did not know the reason of her friend's sudden negative reaction. "Rainbow Dash, you can't drive this thing! Its a-" Twilight was then interrupted by Rainbow Dash. "Geez, Twilight, if you wanna drive, we can take turns-" Rainbow Dash started, before she herself got interrupted by her friend. "What?! No, Rainbow Dash, I mean its too dangerous! Its a death trap!" Twilight explained as she walked towards the car. "Look at it! This car is not in conditions to go to a trip down the block!" "That's what you think." Rainbow Dash said calmly as she walked towards it as well, putting a hand on it's roof, looking at her friend with a smile. "Might not look DASHING on the outside, but I did make a few modifications on the engine. Its fully functional!" Twilight blinked twice. She knew Rainbow had experience with stunts. And also experience with Motocross. So maybe she could also know about car engines. But cars and motorcycles were extremely different from each other. One might say a motorcycle is but a smaller car with only two wheels. But their engine pieces were different. Their entire structure was different. It was not impossible for Rainbow Dash to know about cars, but it was still a little unlikely. "Are you sure?" Twilight asked a little hesitantly. She walked around the muscle car, holding her chin as she looked at the vehicle, which once must've very well been a shiny cream-colored beauty. What was front of her, was but a shadow of an once great machine. A ghost of a vehicle which must've gone through a lot and wished to have another chance on the road. "Of course I'm sure!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed happily as she opened the driver door and turned the key. The car's engine started to roar. The sound was loud. Some of the vehicles' parts shook in individual directions. It was like seeing a metal corpse coming back to life. But not even close to it's former glory. "How do you think it got here in the first place?" "Wow... it does work." Twilight stared at the vehicle and blinked. Maybe Rainbow Dash was right after all. Maybe the car was indeed working close to perfectly now. Only looking like a mess. Sure, the noise was loud, the rear pipe was letting out some black smoke, but what else could she expect? She doubted a teenager would be able to simply transform this car into a racing machine, so just the fact that Rainbow Dash managed to make it switch on was almost amazing. "Well-" Twilight started, scratching her head as she looked at the "house on wheels" attached to the rear of the muscle car. "-What is the trailer for?" "So we can fit everybody! Duh!" Rainbow Dash smiled as she got out of the vehicle and closed it's driver seat door, resting her left elbow on the roof and her right hand on her hips. "That and so we can have somewhere to sleep if the trip gets too long." Twilight's eyes widened for a moment. She was a little calmer when she saw that the vehicle's engine was still alive, or perhaps got revived by some miracle mechanic work by Rainbow Dash. But that was only because it seemed like it could handle two people. But the entire group of friends were six. Twilight, of course, started to make calculations. Specially on how things could go wrong. So, two front seats and two backseats, although the backseats connected, so, it could count as one large backseat. The backseat could fit three people. Four if they really try. They would be almost squeezing each other, but it was possible. Each of the front seats could fit one person. If they only had three people in the backseat, that would make five. But with four people, it would make six. So the car itself could fit all six of them. The true question was... Could the car handle it? "Uhm... Rainbow Dash, I'm pretty sure that the car can fit all six of us. But what worries me is the weight." Twilight explained as she looked at the car. She looked into the windshield. The inside of the car was not much better either. The only thing that felt acceptable were the seats. At-least Rainbow Dash had the decency of installing new seats. Twilight couldn't help but start calculating again. Based on the car's design and state, it was made around the seventeens. So, about thirty years or so old. Taking this into context, the car was pretty lightweight, so that was already a red flag. The rust and the fact some parts were removed, also reinforce that idea. So, most likely, it would be rather fragile. It might, MIGHT be able to handle two people, but an entire group of SIX? That was extremely risky. Let alone the fact it would also be pulling a trailer, which was basically like a mini-house on wheels. "Rainbow, I don't think your car can handle it." Twilight said as she lightly tapped the right front tire with her feet. Part of her just expected the vehicle to literally fall apart by that simple little tap. She did not want to admit and she hated how much she felt that, but she secretly just wished the car would break down and fall into pieces right there, so she could just go back to the library and hopefully put some reason in Rainbow Dash's head. "Aw, come on! Sure, its not perfect, but it won't just disintegrate in the middle of the road!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed, crossing her arms and leaning against the car, which surprisingly, didn't end up with two flat tires by the weight of Rainbow. "Come on, Twilight! It will be fun! You trust me, right?" Rainbow Dash asked a little more seriously now, before her expression turned to a rather... sad one. She looked at the car and then at Twilight, putting a hand on it's roof. "Just give the car a chance." Twilight looked at her friend for a long time. She was invested into this trip. And invested into the car itself. She realized that what she was looking at wasn't just a pile of scrap which made Rainbow Dash try another crazy stunt. The car was a lot more than that for Rainbow. Twilight still saw the rusty mess, but didn't see it so badly anymore. She saw something Rainbow Dash cared for and worked hard on. "Fine..." She said with a sigh as she adjusted her glasses. "... I'll give it a chance." "REALLY?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a huge smile, giving her friend a tight hug. "Thanks, Twilight! You'll see, it will be an awesome trip!" "Yeah..." Twilight replied with a nervous laugh as her arms wrapped around Rainbow Dash. "I'm feeling it will..." The next day was the day. The day Twilight would help gather her friends to go on this road trip. It was important for Rainbow Dash, which ended up making it important for herself as well. Twilight always had this instinct of helping a friend in need any way she could, and if a road trip in a rusty bucket would make Rainbow Dash happy, who was her to argue? It would probably be just a short tour after all. Maybe in the end they wouldn't even need the trailer. What could go so wrong in a simple car ride? Other than crashes, drunk drivers, road rage, brakes failing, faulty traffic lights, abusive highway patrols... never-mind. What matters is that Twilight and Rainbow Dash had finally gathered their friends for the trip. "Come on, you guys are being too slow!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed in enthusiasm as she ran towards the school's front doors. She had gathered them all in the library to surprise them. Which is why she also took long, since she had to get them there first, THEN get the car. With her two hands, she pushed the doors open and gestured towards the car. "Ladies, meet our awesome road trip vehicle!" Everybody stayed quiet. Applejack's eyes widened as she took her hat off and held it close to her chest. She felt as if she was staring at a metallic dead body that was dug up. Fluttershy gulped and cowered a little. She couldn't help but think about all the horrible things that could happen in that. Let alone all the possible road kill and the pollution. Rarity just looked at it in pure disgust. Something with basically no class at all. A vehicle way below her standards. Her eye even twitched a little. "Oooooh!" Pinkie Pie said with a huge smile, running towards the muscle car and inspecting it curiously. She must've very well been the only one who actually had a positive reaction. She was just about to get in the passenger seat, but froze and looked at her friends with a huge grin that went from ear to ear.. "Oopsie! Sorry for being rude, who wants to go on front??" "Erm... Rainbow Dash, darling." Rarity started, walking beside Rainbow Dash, who was with her fists on her hips, looking proudly at the scrap metal pulling the trailer. "It was a very funny joke, truly hilarious, you got us, now where is the real car?" "What are you talking about?" Rainbow Dash's smile disappeared as she raised an eyebrow and looked at Rarity. She then pointed at the car. "Its right there!" Twilight felt the tension between the two and quickly ran towards them to intervene. As much as she knew Rarity had the right to not like Dashie's new ride, she couldn't end up letting this all be for nothing. Again, Rainbow Dash put a lot of work in it. Right? "Mind if I talk to Rarity really quick, Rainbow?" Twilight asked with a nervous smile, suddenly grabbing Rarity by the arm. "Uh... Yeah, sure, I don't see why-" Rainbow Dash began, scratching her head, before Twilight suddenly spoke again, interrupting her. "Alright, we'll be right back!" Twilight happily said, that nervous smile still on. Before Rarity could object, she was already dragged away from Rainbow Dash and spoken to in a very low toned whisper. "Rarity, do not ruin this for Rainbow Dash." "Darling, have you seen that... THING?" Rarity asked, pointing at the car, which Pinkie Pie was still examining in pure curiosity and fun. "Yes, I have." Twilight nodded, slowly taking off her glasses to look at Rarity in the eyes. "But Rainbow told me she worked hard to make the car work. And she even managed to get a trailer for it. This trip is extremely important for her, Rarity." "Twilight, I cannot be seen riding that bathtub!" Rarity whispered a little louder. "Just think about my image!" "How would you feel if somebody called one of your dresses a dirty unoriginal rag because you worked with what you had?" Twilight asked in a very serious tone, arms crossed and an eyebrow raising. Rarity's eyes widened for a moment. Twilight was right. She was being insensitive. She looked back at the car. Yes, it was a rusty bucket. Yes, it was horrible looking. Yes, it seemed dirty and foul. But if it was important for Rainbow Dash, she could do one exception about her image. For this one time she would get into a vehicle that was way below of her standards. She just couldn't let her friend feel bad. "Very well... I will get into Rainbow Dash's rusty bucket." Rarity sighed, defeated. "What are you guys talking about?" Rainbow Dash asked, just standing right behind them. Thankfully, she arrived when the conversation was just ending. "Oh, Rainbow Dash!" Rarity suddenly turned around, a nervous smile on her face. She was almost sweating. "We were just talking about how excited I am for the trip!" "Oh, yeah!" Added Twilight, an equally nervous smile. She chuckled as well. "Can't wait to put my foot on the road!" "Alriiiight then?" Rainbow Dash raised her eyebrow and scratched the backs of her head. "You girls are acting kinda strange. I'm getting the engine running." With that, she went back to the car. The two girls sighed in relief that Rainbow had believed their story by some miracle. Finally, they all got in. Twilight got into the car's passenger seat, while Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and Rarity were squeezing themselves in the backseat. Rainbow Dash gave them all a smile as she turned the engine on. The vehicle's engine roared proudly as Rainbow grinned looking foward, both hands thightly grasping the steering wheel. "Alright, lets hit the road!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed with a wide grin as she pressed her foot against the accelerator. And off onto the streets the car went, dragging the trailer along. Little did the girls know, this car had so much more story behind it than just being a scrapyard find. > A Quick Stop > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- On the road the car was. Rainbow Dash was behind the wheel, Twilight was on the passenger seat and the rest were squeezing each other in the backseat. Rarity and Fluttershy were in the middle, between Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Rarity would try to look at herself in her makeup kit, trying to add some eyeliner to her eyelids. Fluttershy stayed quiet as usual. She did not really have anything to say. Although she was a little unnerved by the thoughts of the car simply breaking underneath them and getting them stuck with nowhere to go. Applejack was also quiet, just looking outside of the left window, wondering where the road could be taking them. She tried to stay positive about the car, but honestly, she was a little intimidated by it. One wrong turn and BAM! The could very well be history. Pinkie Pie was still pretty full of enthusiasm. She watched the other cars passing by in rather high speeds. Twilight would be reading a book as Rainbow Dash drove, before she looked out of the window. Indeed the cars were going past them fast. That's what she thought until she saw one that was driving in the same direction as them. Twilight's eyes widened as she saw that car get left behind as if it was some kind of race. She then looked at the scrap metal's dashboard, her eyes almost instantly came in contact with the speedometer. The limit in that road was eighty miles per hour. Rainbow Dash was driving at almost one hundred and ten! "Rainbow Dash!" Twilight exclaimed, staring at Rainbow with a stern face. Rainbow Dash almost jumped out of her seat. She was so relaxed and calm, basically daydreaming. She did not expect to be "awaken" by Twilight in such way. She almost lost control of the car, but thankfully, her hands gripped the steering wheel firmly and the automobile returned to it's straight driving. "Gee, what's the matter?!" Rainbow asked, looking at Twilight, raising an eyebrow. "What is the matter?!" Twilight repeated. Her eyes widened. But then, soon squinted. Just some minutes into this trip and already something was wrong. "Rainbow Dash, you are way past the speed limit!" "Uh... Girls? The road." Applejack said as she slowly looked forward. "Oh, chillax!" Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, before she looked at Twilight again, still with her foot pressing down the accelerator. "Its a long straight road almost nobody uses, Twilight! Its not like we'll have to dodge too much traffic!" "The road." Applejack repeated. Her eyes started to widen. "You cannot just be this irresponsible, Rainbow!" Twilight exclaimed in frustration, annoyed by her friend's childish behavior. "I know this is your road trip, but you don't need to risk your life and our lives in the process!" "The road!" Applejack exclaimed, trying to get the two arguing friends to pay attention. But it was in vain. "Twilight, what could go wrong?!" Rainbow Dash replied to her nerdy friend. She was getting tired of Twilight always over-analyzing and suspecting stuff. "I know how to drive, nothing is going to happe-" "THE ROAD!" Applejack screamed loudly, before they all heard a loud thud outside, and the car shook a little. Her eyes were widened. She slowly put a hand on her hat. That thud was bad news... It was pretty loud and the car even shook. It was even worse when the girls slowly looked forward and saw that the front seemed to be a little dented and caved in. Applejack held her face in her palms and grunted. She tried to warn her friends, but they just wouldn't listen, would they? No, they had to argue about some stupid speed limit, while neither of them kept their eyes on the thing that they should have eyes locked at all times, no matter what. Pinkie Pie also stayed silent. Rarity almost dropped her makeup kit. It was a long and silent moment of just staring forward. "... What did I just hit?" Rainbow Dash finally said, eyes widened as if she witnessed a murder. In a certain way, that was probably the case. Fluttershy's eyes widened and started to tear up. Suddenly, she started to try and push Twilight's seat to get out of the car, frantically attempting to pen the door. "We must help it! Now!" She exclaimed, almost sobbing her eyes out. "AH! Fluttershy! Hold on..! Ugh!" Twilight was basically being squished between her seat and the dashboard now She tried to push herself back into her original and more comfortable position, but Fluttershy wouldn't stop until she was out of that car. Finally, the shy girl managed to open the car door and finally get out of it. Yes, she was a scared cat sometimes, but her love for animals always spoke louder than any leader could, allowing Twilight to readjust her seat. Twilight groaned in pain as she got the seat back to it's original position and also left the car. She rubbed her backs as if she was an elder who just had snapped their backs. It sure felt like it. Rainbow Dash suddenly came back to her senses. She swung the driver seat door open extremely fast and ran out of the vehicle, to see what she potentially killed. "Ah think its better for us to stay 'ere." Applejack said to Pinkie Pie and Rarity. She knew Rarity would probably pass out if she saw a dead animal, and she knew Pinkie would overreact a lot. If anything, Applejack was crying in the inside. Like she always did. But on the outside, she was just plain straight annoyed and frustrated. Fluttershy gasped as she looked at what was hit by Rainbow Dash's reckless driving. It was a goat. At first, she was ready to cry. Twilight adjusted her glasses and held her head. She did not know what to do. Rainbow Dash was about to freak out. She held her head and stared at the goat with widened eyes. The three looked at each other for a long moment. But then... A bleat. The three stopped dead on their tracks and looked back at the goat. It was still alive. Staring at them, just laying on the asphalt. Rainbow Dash sighed in relief and looked at the car. As if the front wasn't damaged enough, now there was a huge dent, almost in the shape of the goat's torso. Even the hood got a little damaged. Let alone the fact that the licence plate was even more dented, basically hanging on the car's front, looking like it could fall off at any given second. She groaned in frustration at that sight. But at least the goat was alright. "Oh no..." Fluttershy suddenly said with a gasp, before kneeling down to look at the goat's hind legs. the left leg was hurt. There was a wound that needed treatment. She then shook her head. "We cannot just leave it here!" "Fluttershy... I'm sorry, but, I don't think we have much choice!" Twilight explained, letting out a sad sigh. "There isn't enough space for a goat in the car!" Fluttershy then started to think. A goat could not fit in a car with six people... but what if...? "Oh no!" Rainbow Dash said, looking at Fluttershy's expression. She knew what her friend was thinking. "No way! Nuh-uh! Nope, not happening! Sorry, Fluttershy, but this will not happen, no matter how much you beg, no matter how much you cry, its just NOT GONNA HAPPEN." Rainbow Dash drove the car, annoyed. She was frustrated with the huge dent that was left on the front of the car, and the fact that the license plate was basically just holding on for it's life on the front. Quite a way to start the road trip, right? She just drove silently, not wanting to say anything at the moment. She would just breathe and calm down. It was now only Rainbow, Applejack, Rarity, Twilight and Pinkie Pie in the car. At least now there was a little more space. Rarity started to dial up a number on her cellphone, before finally holding it up to her ear. She crossed her legs and patiently waited. "Uhm... Hello?" The voice on the other side of the line was Fluttershy. Shy as usual. A single bleat of the goat could be heard as well. Her voice was on speaker. "Oh, hello Fluttershy, it is just I." Rarity said with a comforting and sweet voice. "We just called to know if you're alright with your little new friend." "Oh, yes, thank you, Rarity..." Fluttershy replied, sounding a little more hopeful. A little happier even. "The trailer is very cozy... It was nice of Rainbow Dash to let us ride in it." "Just make sure it doesn't wrecks the trailer too!" Rainbow Dash said, still keeping her eyes on the road, but turning her head just enough so she could get her message told. "This goat already wrecked the front!" "Ah tried to warn ya." Applejack said with her hat over her face. She was trying to take a nap, but getting into the conversation for a moment wouldn't hurt. As long as it was short. "Applejack is right, Rainbow." Twilight acknowledged, before letting out a sigh. "But its my fault too... I took your focus from the road." "Alright, alright, can we all just stop blaming ourselves?" Rainbow Dash sighed, a little frustrated, annoyed, but guilty at the same time. "I should've kept within the speed limit and I should've kept my eyes on the road. Its my fault. All forgiven?" "Yes! All forgiven!" Pinkie said with a bright and huge smile. "Oh! We could make a 'forgive me' party when we get back home! I can bake the cupcakes, and get the confetti, and-" Suddenly Pinkie stopped. She then slowed down and went quiet. "Uh... Pinkie? Are you okay?" Rainbow Dash asked. She was not used to Pinkie suddenly... stop talking. "Weeeeeell..." Pinkie chuckled nervously. "I MIGHT need to go to the bathroom." "What?" Twilight looked at Pinkie Pie and face-palmed. "Pinkie, why didn't you go before we leave?" "I don't know!" Pinkie explained, holding both her hands up. "I just didn't feel like going!" "Uhm... I think I'll hang up... The goat is getting lonely..." Fluttershy explained, with a somewhat concerned voice. "Uh... Very well, darling, we will be here." Rarity replied to Fluttershy, before she hang up and placed the phone back in her purse, just staying quiet for the rest of the conversation. "Fine, listen, we'll stop at a gas station or a motel or anything so you can got he bathroom." Twilight explained, before looking outside of the car's window and sighing. "Okie Dokie Lokie!" Pinkie Pie smiled brightly. Sure, she wanted to go do her necessities, but she could wait. At least she hoped she could wait. "I think I might have to as well." Rarity said, trying to add some blush to her cheeks. But it was next to impossible considering how much the car shook. "Seriously, Rarity?" Applejack said, slowly lifting her hat. "Ya really forgot to go before we leave too?" "What?" Rarity shook her head. "Of course not, it is just because trying to put on my makeup on this thing is too hard." The four looked at her for a brief moment. But then just sighed, looking forward once again. It was Rarity, after all, so of course they couldn't just expect her to go to the bathroom for the most casual reasons. Of course, she had to put her makeup on. Not long after, they spotted a building. A rather large one. It seemed like some kind of western Saloon, but rather modified. There was a bull skull on the entrance. Motorcycles of various shapes and sizes were parked side by side front of the place. Of course, it all pointed to only one possibility. This was a bikers hangout. Twilight stared at the place and gulped. So did Fluttershy. Pinkie Pie seemed to be actually quite happy, since she would finally manage to go to the restroom. Rarity was still too distracted with her makeup, before she finally looked out of the window. Her reaction was a jaw drop. Applejack slowly lifted her hat once again, and next thing you know, it was fully out of her face. Fluttershy, in the trailer with the goat, hid behind the curtains, trying to stay invisible as she watched that scary place. The goat... well... the goat just stared at Fluttershy. For everybody's dismay, Rainbow Dash parked by. "Man, I'm thirsty!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she unbuckled her seat belt and got out of the car. "Come on, lets grab something to drink!" "What? HERE?" Twilight's eyes widened. She realized she was wrong from the start. THIS is Rainbow's worst idea since ever. "Out of all places??" Pinkie basically flashed out of the car and quickly ran into the bikers' hangout, looking for a restroom. Applejack sighed and slowly got out of the car as well. But Rarity? Rarity would not budge. "No, I have my standards!" Rarity said with a huff, crossing her arms. "I will not subject myself to get in this place full of brutes!" "Well, its yer decision, sugar cube." Applejack said, rolling her eyes, before looking at Rainbow Dash with a serious expression. "But we better be careful. Don't think the fellas in there are very friendly." "Geez, guys, what could go wrong?" Rainbow Dash asked rolling her eyes. Now her arms were also crossed as she looked at her friends. "You literally said that just before you ran that goat over." Twilight said with a serious, yet smug look. If something went wrong with the simple act of driving in one direction, anything could go wrong in a bar full of biker gangs. "Can you girls just relax for a moment? Gee..." Rainbow Dash said as she started to walk towards the biker hangout. After all, they did have to find Pinkie anyways before she did something stupid or dangerous, so they would have to get in there regardless of wanting to or not. The three, Applejack, Rainbow Dash and twilight walked in, since Rarity decided to just stay in the car and Fluttershy was taking care of the goat in the trailer. Around them, all kinds of men wearing leather jackets, helmets, some even wearing bandannas and goggles to hide their identities. The very few who did not wear anything that covered their faces, had beards of various sizes and colors. Some had black goatees, others had full grown grey beards. Some could be seen even porting weapons in various belts. Revolvers, submachineguns, pistols, knives, even shotguns. Some were drunkenly fighting, some were playing the knife game with their fingers, some were even arm-wrestling, while others were just chanting 'drink, drink, drink' to a fat biker who was gulping down an entire barrel of alcoholic beverage, while two others held the barrel up, slowly but surely starting to angle it. All of them wore jackets. Many were different, like one being a jeans jacket with it's sleeves thorn off, or just the classic leather jacket. But all of them had this symbol on them. The skull of a bull with two crossed shotguns underneath it. But motorcycle handles replaced the horns. The name of the biker gang laid underneath the logo. 'The unkillabulls'. That was lovely... Applejack cleared he throat, while Twilight just nervously adjusted her glasses. Rainbow Dash? She tried to look though. She stuffed her chest, snapped her fingers and started walking towards the bar, with the other two following her. Finally, she reached the bar. She placed her left elbow on the counter while her right hand curled into a fist on her hip. She stared at the bartender for a moment. A large fat biker, wearing sunglasses and with a long white beard. The bartender stared back at her. They exchanged this stare for a long moment. "I need a drink." Rainbow Dash finally said, still trying to look though. The bartender didn't respond. He simply grabbed a cup, placed it on the counter and poured an open bottle of whatever alcoholic drink he could find. He kept staring at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow just replied the stare, slowly grabbing the small cup and gulping the drink down in one swing. She could feel the alcohol affect her brain a little... but she did not care. She put the glass on the table and stared at it. ". . . Is that it?" Rainbow Dash looked at the bartender. She then slammed her hand on the counter. "Come on! Give me the STRONG STUFF!" Suddenly, everybody stopped. A biker holding another one by the collar was holding his fist up to punch him, but then he looked at Rainbow Dash, frozen in that position. So did his victim. The ones playing the knife game had stabbed the table again, before looking at Rainbow as well. Everybody stopped what they were doing to look at her. "Uhh... She's just kidding, everybody!" Twilight chuckled nervously. She could feel her sweat run on the side of her head. "Come on, Rainbow, lets-" "Oh, no I'm not kidding!" Rainbow said, looking at Twilight, before looking back at the bartender. "Come on, throw your worst at me! I want the strongest drink you have!" "This oughta end up badly..." Applejack said, slowly raising her hat a little to make sure she was seeing it right. Then, the fat man who was drinking from the barrel the two other bikers were holding, stepped forward. He walked perfectly, as if he did not drink anything at all. He got to the counter and slammed his fist on the table. "Do what the girl says." He said with a stern voice. "Three cups." The bartender nodded, slowly pulling the bottle from underneath the counter. It was a huge bottle. Some orange-ish liquid was in it. But it was a dark orange. It was basically full, as if nobody dared to drink from it. It's label had a skull with crossed bones. Underneath it, there was the name of the drink. 'El matador'. Twilight and Applejack's eyes widened. They knew that drink would be extremely strong. Specially because some of the bikers were with widen eyes. Some of the ones who had their eyes covered, put their goggles on their foreheads, trying to figure out if what they were seeing was really happening. Three cups were filled with the liquid. "You! There!" The fat biker exclaimed to a random biker who was just sitting there. "Get over here." The biker was shaking. He hesitantly stood up from his chair and slowly walked towards the bar. Some of the bikers who were still wearing their helmets, took them off, as if they were showing respect to a deceased in a funeral. The fat man suddenly held a cup towards the biker. He then slowly nodded. The biker hesitantly took the cup... and gulped it down. That one shot. That one shot was enough to make him pass out. The moment he gulped it down, he was on the floor. Two other bikers started to drag him, the others giving him space. They then looked at Rainbow and the fat man again. The fat biker then grabbed his cup. He gulped it down in one swing. He then grinned. He was still perfectly fine. "Oh no..." Twilight said. She knew exactly where this was going. Knowing Rainbow Dash's competitive spirit. Rainbow looked at the unconscious biker as he was dragged away. She then looked at her cup. She considered quitting... but then... she stopped to think. If she chickened out, they all would laugh at her. She couldn't let that happen, right? Her face became stern again. She stared right at the fat biker and grabbed her cup. With a swift swing, she gulped the drink down. She could feel her stomach and throat burning. She felt as if the entire world was spinning around her. But she did not let herself pass out. She gathered all of her forces to stay awake. She squinted her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. She then slammed the cup on the table and looked at the fat biker. All the other bikers were shocked. A collective 'ooooooh' could be heard from the crowd. They stared at each other for a long moment. "Set up a table!" The fat biker exclaimed. "Yeah, set up a table!" Rainbow Dash drunkenly repeated. Most of the bikers scattered. Four of them grabbed a table and lifted it, putting it on the center of the bar, while the others moved the rest of the tables in corners. Two grabbed chairs and set them up at the table. The bartender got out from behind the counter and placed the drink in the center of the table, while other bikers came with carts of little bar cups. All of them basically shinning. Clear glass. Rainbow Dash sat at the table, swaying around a little drunkenly. The fat biker sat on the opposite end. "Alright, I want a clean drinking game!" The bartender exclaimed. "The one who can endure the most drinks before passing out, wins! Good luck!" He then looked at Rainbow Dash, giving her a sinister glare. "You will need it..." "I can take Applejack's cider with ease... this ain't NOTHING!" Rainbow looked at him, before looking at the bottle. "Hay, don't ya put me in this!" Applejack said defensively, arms crossed. "Rainbow, you don't have to do this!" Twilight exclaimed, holding her head, concerned about her friend's well being. "Chillax... I can handle it..." Rainbow Dash said, eyes fixed at the fat man. "Nobody has ever defeated Hog Kidney in a drinking game!" One of the bikers exclaimed. "She did survive a cup! That's already incredible!" Another one added. "Aww man...! This is crazy!" Another one exclaimed. "Ready... Set... DRINK!" The bartender exclaimed and ran to the rest of the crowd, so he could watch it as well. The fat man took the bottle and poured a glass for himself. He then placed it back on the center of the table and swung the cup, gulping down the drink. He then turned the cup upside down and put it on the table front of him. He grinned widely. But he started swaying a little as well. Rainbow Dash snatched the bottle from the table and poured it on her cup. She placed the bottle back in the center, before swinging her cup. She gulped the drink down. She again, felt that burning sensation in her insides. She panted heavily before turning the empty cup upside down and putting it on the table. The crowd stared in awe. The fat biker, apparently known as 'Hog Kidney',had is eyes widened. He stared at the cup, then at Rainbow Dash. "Your move..." Rainbow said with a drunken smile. She tried to hide her dizziness. But it was too hard to even see straight now. "Its just beginner's luck...!" Hog Kidney said, a little affected by having drank three cups of the liquid, as he snatched the bottle and poured himself another little cup, and swinging it almost instantly. Now he was starting to feel dizzy himself. Pinkie Pie got out of the restroom, just to see the crowd all around the game. Curiously, she went to see what was going on. She found herself between Twilight and Applejack, just to look at the center of the crowd and see Rainbow Dash and a fat man drinking. "Oh, did Rainbow make a new friend??" Pinkie asked happily, before both, Twilight and Applejack covered her mouth. "I can handle the strongest cider..." Rainbow Dash said with a hiccup, taking another cup and filling it to the brim. "This right here is a waaaalk in the paaark..." She gulped it down. Another amazed 'ooooh' coming from the crowd as she turned it upside down and slammed it on the table. "Bring it on..." The fat man's smile disappeared. He also let himself get carried away by the competitive spirit. He poured himself another cup, and gulped it down, slamming the cup upside down on the table. The alcohol was seriously affecting both of them. Rainbow gulped down another cup. Hog Kidney gulped down. Rainbow. Hog Kidney. Rainbow. Hog Kidney. Rainbow. Hog Kidney. Cup after cup. Every single shot from Rainbow Dash got a reaction of amazement from the crowd. Soon, Hog Kidney started swaying. "Is that... all you got...?" Rainbow Dash drunkenly asked. She was not even seeing double. She was seeing quadruple. The world around her felt as if it was spinning. Twilight held her face into her palms. She kept her eyes closed. She did not want to see what would happen next. Applejack just stared in silence. Her eyes were widened. She had the expression of fear and concern. Pinkie Pie was almost on the edge of her seat, breathing heavily as she stared with wide eyes at the drinking battle. The bottle, which was once full and hasn't been touched almost in years, was now half empty. Hog Kidney slowly held his full cup upwards. He slowly tried to swing it... but before he could even hold it high enough... he fell backwards and passed out. Rainbow Dash had just finished another cup, now almost passing out as well. But she stayed awake. She slammed the cup upside down on the table. The score was amazing. Hog Kidney drank thirty nine cups. Rainbow Dash drank forty. There was a long moment of silence. But then, a biker started to clap. And another one joined. Soon, everybody was clapping. The bikers cheered and stood up, all of them applauding Rainbow Dash. "She did it!" A biker exclaimed. "She defeated Hog Kidney!" "Drinking El Matador!" Another one added. The entire bar was amazed by that. They cheered and laughed. It was as if they have been waiting for years for this moment. Waiting for years for somebody to come and take the fat man's crown of best drinker. And the crown was taken by a new Champion. Rainbow Dash. Rainbow slowly and drunkenly stood up, holding a fist upwards with a drunken smile. The crowd just cheered even harder. "Alright, I got it!" She yelled as she stumbled around. Suddenly, a biker had put a jacket on her. The jacket of their gang. She was considered one of them now. Twilight's eyes were widened. Part of her was proud of her friend, but another part of her wanted to scowl her for being so irresponsible. "YES! Congratulations, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, pulling her drunk friend in a lovingly hug. "Well..." Applejack scratched her head underneath her hat. Her eyes were still widened. "I'll be darned... she actually did it." Two bikers lifted Hog Kidney. The drunk Biker burped and tried to keep himself from throwing up. Pinkie Pie and Applejack helped Rainbow Dash to keep on her feet as well. "Hey..." The fat biker grunted, getting everybody's attention. He then put a hand in his pocket and tossed something to Rainbow Dash, who tried to catch it, but failed. Applejack picked it up and handed it to her. Keys. With a bull skull key ring, with it's horns replaced by motorcycle Handles. "You've got my bike and my respect... you earned it..." And once again, the crowd cheered. It was good to see that Hog Kidney was a good player. After all, competitive spirit is not all about winning, right? Right? Rainbow Dash simply replied with a thumbs up, as her friends helped her to walk out. All the bikers cheered and opened up space for her to go. There was a hallway of people applauding her. Luckily, one of them just happened to have a camera just as Rainbow Dash held her fist up. The perfect picture. Forever now they would remember their new drinking champion. Rarity was bored. At least, she finally managed to put her makeup on. She felt even prettier than before. She then looked out of the window, to see Pinkie Pie and Twilight helping a drunk Rainbow Dash towards the car, while Applejack walked holding the handles of a motorcycle. A black chopper with some fiery decals. The exhaust divided into three large mouth chromed pipes at the end of them, going upwards. The front fender was replaced by a plastic bull skull, which also had some fiery details and chromed horns. Twilight opened the passenger door, letting Pinkie crawl into the backseat, before putting the front seat on it's original position and sitting Rainbow Dash on it. "Goodness gracious, what happened in there?!" Rarity's eyes were widened. She closed her makeup kit and put it back in her purse." "I'll tell ya what happened..." Rainbow Dash drunkenly replied. "I was AWESOME, that's what happened...!" "She got into a drinking game and almost got alcohol poisoning." Twilight sighed as she sat in the driver seat. She then waited. "She won a game and got a jacket and a motorcycle!" Pinkie Pie smiled widely. "You had to see it, Rarity, that guy had no chance against her!" "Why can't I drive...?" Rainbow Asked frustrated. "You drank too much, Rainbow." Twilight explained. "You can't just drive while drunk!" "I'm not drunk...!" Rainbow complained, pointing at Twilight's face. "YOU are drunk...!" "How many fingers am I holding up?" Twilight asked as she held up five fingers, with a serious expression. "Uh... Forty..." Rainbow drunkenly replied, swaying side to side while holding her chin. Twilight just sighed and face-palmed. Fluttershy was in the trailer, petting the goat, who was just laying on the floor. She had found a first aid kit in it. Convenient. She used it to take care of the goat's wound and bandage it up. Luckily, the little guy would be able to walk again soon. Suddenly, she saw a wheel with a black plastic bull skull and chromed horns get into the trailer. She gasped, a little startled. "Fluttershy?" Applejack asked. "Imma need sum' help with this!" Fluttershy hesitantly walked towards the entrance and looked into it. It was Applejack, trying to lift the back wheels of a motorcycle. "Applejack...? Where did you get this...?" Fluttershy asked, a little unnerved and uncertain of what was happening. But, she obliged and helped her friend to carry the motorcycle in. Sure, the trailer was small, but thankfully it could fit a goat, plenty of people, and a motorcycle in a corner. Applejack sighed and dusted her hands together. "Phew, much appreciated, Sugar Cube." Applejack nodded, before looking at Fluttershy. "Its a looong story. How's your lil' friend holdin' up?" "Oh, he's doing great!" Fluttershy replied with a smile, kneeling down to pet the goat again. The pet just replied with a bleat. "I found a first aid kit and it helped us perfectly! Hopefully he'll be able to walk again soon!" "Well, that's great! Hey, think you'll feel comfortable riding this trailer with..." Applejack then looked at the motorcycle. Specially at the plastic skull. She knew about how Fluttershy was sensible with animals, so she was afraid that would keep her up. "Oh, don't worry, Applejack." Fluttershy smiled lightly, before grabbing a towel that was in the mini kitchen space of the trailer and putting it over the motorcycle's accessory, making it completely invisible, except for the chromed horns. "Well, ah guess this works..." Applejack said, scratching the backs of her head. "Say, if ya need anythin', we'll be in the car." "Thank you, Applejack." Fluttershy replied with a shy smile. "I'll let you know if we need anything." Applejack tipped her head, and with that, closed the trailer's door. "Well, its done." Applejack said as she got next to the car. "Fluttershy said she can ride with the bike in the trailer." Twilight moved her seat a little forward, just enough so she wouldn't be crush between the steering wheel and the car seat and in the same time giving enough space for Applejack to get in. Applejack crawled into the backseat, now sitting again with Rarity and Pinkie Pie. "Not fair... c'mon..." Rainbow Dash complained, crossing her arms. "Its my car...!" "Well, you can drive it again when you are not drunk." Twilight replied as she started the ignition and started driving. Rainbow's response was an angry pouty face and crossed arms. She looked forward as Twilight drove. The trip had became relaxing once again. The road was between a dry land. Mostly sand. Rainbow Drunk Head eventually grew tired. So, she decided to pull a prank. She suddenly covered Twilight's eyes with her hands. "Guess who it iiiis!" Rainbow chuckled playfully and drunkenly. "RAINBOW!" Twilight exclaimed, moving Rainbow's hands out of the way with her right hand, keeping the left one on the wheel. Luckily, nothing bad happened. "You could've made us crash!" "Awww come oooon... Why are you..." Rainbow yawned, and then hiccuped. "Such a..." Before anything else happened, she passed out. She started to snore loudly with her head resting on the car's dashboard. Silence. Pinkie Pie poked Rainbow a couple of times, but she would not wake up. Twilight just sighed. Part in frustration, part in relief. At least now there was no danger of her doing something stupid. Well... something told them that was going to be a long trip. A very long, and very tiring trip.