> The Equestriaball Run > by Treblebeat > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Driving through town > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was a peaceful, calming day in Ponyville. The birds were singing, the people were happpy, everything was perfect. Suddenly, there was a high pitched "Whooooooooooo!" being heard from far away, the sound of motors getting louder and louder, rock music being blared. The citizens turned their heads to the noise when a purple Ferari went into the air over the hill, Pinkie Pie high up in the air, landing in the car as it hit the pavement with a loud thud. The car was speeding towards the town, people ducking out of the way. In the car, people could she Twilight standing on the hood, using her magic to send it at the blinding speed, wearing her normal purple library uniform. Rainbow Dash in the drivers seat, wearing some cool sunglasses, in her cyan sweat suit. She was sweating pretty hard so she probably just finished her morning jog. Applejack was carrying a shotgun, standing up in the back seat in her usual clothes, her hat around her neck, probably to help her aim at whatever it is. Rarity was sitting on the back of the car, looking very fashionable compared to the rest, sitting very casually as though this was nothing new. Pinkie Pie was in her Sugar Cube Corner uniform, screaming and shouting, her arms up in the air. Gummy hanging on for dear life in her hair. Lastly, if one looked closely, they could see Fluttershy in the back, hyperventalating, horrified by this car ride, nearly suffocating Angel in her tight grip. The car ripped through town, Twilight turning it with her magic as though holding a steering wheel, magic glow around her feet to keep her from flying off the car. The Ponyvillians ducked and dived for cover, not wanting to be crushed by the raging purple steel. They were confused as to why they were driving through at such blazing speeds. Suddenly, a finish line showed up on the main street and the car reached a screeching halt right there, Twilight stumbling a bit but regaining her balance. The others were the same, the most was a shifted position. Fluttershy was the exception, literally sprawled out in the back, unconcious, Angel sitting on top of her, trying to act punk. They waited there for a while, the citizens too afraid to go up, they ran into their houses attempting to hide. Applejack put her shotgun down and wiped her brow, Pinkie was looking impatient as though someone was going to show up, Fluttershy was still out, Rainbow Dash was giddy, Rarity was unchanged, and Twilight stood there, waiting, watching. Suddenly, Mayor Mare showed up to scold them, "What are you doing!?" she yelled angrily, "You could have killed someone or something! What recklessness! Whatever are you thinking! And look! One of your friends is nearly dead from shock!" As Mayor Mare was talking, running her mouth, a dark car came out into the light, doing the exact same thing as the girls' car, stopping right next to them. The driver was none other than Discord, wearing his usual mishmash of an outfit, his devilish horns and mutated hand still clear as day, "Sorry I'm late girls... However, it seems like I'm not the only one..." he said slowly and mockingly, looking around. The mayor stopped speaking and looked at him, then at the girls, looking back and forth. "It's a race Mayor... A race for the fate of Equestria!" Twilight exclaimed. "A race! In Ponyville!? I will never allow it!" Mayor Mare exclaimed, trying to reason with the girls and villain. Twilight then shoved a paper in her face, still looking Discord in the mutated eyes. Mayor Mare read the paper allowed, "Attention leader of this town, I, Celestia, hereby decree that the entirety of Equestria becomes a race track at scheduled times... The first race will be on July 3rd Celestial year 2034 at 3:30 in Ponyville, you, the leader, will be the one to start and finish said race..." she quoted, "Well then... I guess I have to allow it! You have 30 minutes until the race starts, it says that the entire team is allowed to race this time, so Discord, wait for your team to show up and girls," she said, looking towards the Elements, "please be safe...." She looked over the royal decree and nodded, "It says here that the only rule is that the terrain is not allowed to be changed, meaning they cannot slick the entire road, nor can they make it impossible to pass. They are however, allowed to drop things to make it harder to pass or cause issues such as a trick or a gimmick, other then that, everything is allowed... Anything that is on the road must be cleaned off by the losers...." Discord and the girls nodded, except Fluttershy, she was still out. Discord smirked, "I don't even need to cheat to win at this race, it's going to be so easy!" he mocked, "Oh, also, I'll be sure to tell my team the rules when they show up, I'm a gentleman after all!" "You're on Discord!" Twilight exclaimed loudly. "This better not ruin my hair," Rarity said casually. "This is going to be fun!" Pinkie cheered giddily. "We have GOT to be fast!" Dash shouted excitedly. "This'll be as easy as herdin' cattle!" AJ jeered. "Zzzzzzzzzz" Fluttershy snored. For the next few hours, Ponyville will be a battle ground. > Introducing the Villains! > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 minutes had passed. Discord's team of villiany had arrived to fight the Elements. His team included Discord in his pitch black car. There was not even a reflection on its dark paint. Clyde Pie, Inky Pie, Blinky Pie, and Granny Pie were all packed in a black buggy, trying to keep it old fashioned. The car had no indication that it would go faster than a snail. The Diamond Dogs shared a gray, boring car, the only flair were a few diamonds painted on the car. Gilda was in a brown and white car, nothing really added to it that could be considered notable. The Flim Flam Brothers were in a modified Super Cider Squeezy 6000, which they named the Super Racer Speedy 7000. It was also much, much smaller to be considered a car. Iron Will was in a dark blue pick up, still looking incredibly strong. They were revving up their cars. -------------------------------------------------------- Fluttershy had awoken by this time and yawned, now fully aware and as ready as she would ever be (she wasn't). She looked over and saw Iron Will at the wheel of his pick-up. She got out of the car, going over to him, knocking on his door. He looked out his window and saw the shy little girl and scoffed, "What do you want?" he asked angrily. "Mr. Will... why are you racing for Discord? You're not evil...," she said shyly, looking up at him. "That's a good question shy one! You see, Iron Will is tired of people not paying for his lessons! Saying they were not satisfied! I'm here to collect!" he said. "Oh... I see...," she said, "Are you sure that that's a good reason to possibly destroy Equestria though?" "What happens to Equestria does not concern me. I plan on going back home when I receive my money." Fluttershy walked back to their car after this, sighing, wondering what happened to such a strong willed man. -------------------------------------------------------- Applejack went over to the Flim Flam brothers, glaring angrily, wanting to shoot them with her shot gun. She wouldn't however, she knew better. She still slammed her hand on their car and glared at them, "What are ya doin' here?" she asked, she was almost spitting fire in her speech. The two looked up at her and laughed, "Well if it isn't little Applejack?" Flim said in between laughs. "Well if you must know," Flam began, catching his breath, "We are here to run the monopoly of all sales! Money money money!" "That'll NEVER happen on my watch," she said, lifting her fist up from the car and storming back, hopping in the girls' car, picking up her shot gun, pointing at them, then at her gun. She put her finger to her neck and made a slicing motion. -------------------------------------------------------- Rainbow Dash just knew why Gilda was there, she didn't even bother going over to her. She knew that she wanted revenge for her embarassment a year ago. Gilda would have to suffer that same fate again, she was just certain. -------------------------------------------------------- Rarity also knew exactly why the Diamond Dogs were there. If they had their way, all the gems in Equestria would belong to them, work horses a plenty, no one could say no either. They would have free reign. -------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie however, was the only one that didn't know, nor did she want to know why her family was in the race. She just knew that they wanted something. Something with her. Something she would never know because she vowed to never talk again. She just moped in her seat, keeping herself from crying. -------------------------------------------------------- Twilight went to Discord, hoping to have a respectable conversation with him. One conversation she knew would never happen. Discord looked over at her, "Well well, if it isn't Twilight Sparkle. Have you come to surrender?" he asked, laughing when he was finished. "You know we would never surrender, and you know that you're going to lose," she said. "Oh, I wouldn't be so sure, I am the God of Chaos after all!" he said, "It would take a lot of skill to defeat me." "And we have that skill Discord, you're going to lose, I promise you this!" "We shall see.... Good luck Twilight Sparkle, you're going to need it." Twilight went back to her car as Mayor Mare went up to the starting line, "The race begins in thirty seconds! Everyone get into your vehicle." she said. They all did so, Mayor getting up, holding the flag in her hand, preparing to wave it. "On your mark!" she exclaimed, the cars starting. "Get set!" The cars began to rev up. "GO!" Mayor Mare brought the flag down as the cars drove off at blazing speeds, including the Pie's buggy. > Race 1: Ponyville > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Discord was leading the pack, Gilda was second, followed by the Diamond Dogs, the Elements, Iron Will, the Flim Flam brothers, and the Pies in the back. They were making swift turns, the tires screeching and skid marks showing on the pavement. "We are so far behind!" Twilight shouted, still trying to focus on the road, "We need to do something!" "Ah'm on it!" Applejack shouted, holding up her shotgun and taking aim at the Diamond Dog's tires, trying to focus on them. "Slow down Twi! I can't get a clear shot!" "I would if I could, but I'd really rather not lose! Just do your best!" Applejack sighed and took aim again, shooting and hoping for the best. The bullet going at blinding speeds, heading for the general area of the tires. The bullet barely made contact with the tire, poking a very small hole as the car rocked, slowing down, the dogs pounding on the car, "Darn work horses!" they shouted, "How dare they get in our way!?" The girls passed them, laughing loudly, except Fluttershy, she was saying sorry, getting farther ahead, the other cars passing them, the Pie's buggy chugging along. "Diamond Dogs are out of the race!" Mayor Mare shouted into the loud speaker. -------------------------------------------------------- Discord shook his head, "Oh that's a shame, we already lost one... Oh well, this is only the first race and they will be back, these dogs are a persistent bunch," he said. He looked back and saw Gilda speeding up, a dirt cloud behind her, a giant fan on the back to kick up the dirt even more as a smokescreen. "Clever girl," he said, "she will be a valuable asset on this team...." Suddenly, Gilda passed Discord, going even faster, "You're going to have to do better than that dweeb! This is a race and I plan on winning!" she laughed, flipping him off. Discord began to cough due to the dust cloud behind her, dust getting in his lungs. "Although, she is very, very rude... I suppose I have to do something about this," he tsked, snapping his fingers, a cotton candy cloud appearing over her head, lightning flashing from and going all around it, "That should do the trick." he grinned, laughing out loud. Gilda looked up and saw this, laughing out loud, "You're pathetic if that's all you have!" she said, flipping a switch as the fan on the back of her car rose up and pushed the cloud back with the wind. The cloud went off at just the right time, electrocuting Discord as her stopped short, the car incapable of running after that shot. "Well then, I'm glad I never have to race her again... I hope she's glad I'm going easy on them this time," he said. "Discord is out!" Mayor Mare shouted. -------------------------------------------------------- Iron Will went faster and faster, trying to catch up on the girls, "Iron Will will not lose this race!" he said. "Oh I'd beg to differ!" a sly, conniving voice said, coming from the road right next to him. "I would say that this race is ours!" another voice said, same method of speech only a bit deeper. Iron Will turned his head and saw the brothers, lounging in their couch as the Super Racer Speedy 7000 drove itself, "I see, you'll be worthy adversaries, but you'll never oppose the might of Iron Will!" "Heh, you keep telling yourself that," Flim said, pressing a button, a loud rumble eminating from the back of the car. "However, soon you'll see!" Flam said, pressing a button, the sound of something rolling being heard. "That we will be the the victors!" they said at the same time, pressing another button, a large boom being heard, Iron Will's car getting hit by something hard, flipping over and landing on the roof. He looked over and saw a cannon on the back of their car. "When did that...?" he asked himself before he passed out. "Iron Will is out of the race!" Mayor Mare called out. -------------------------------------------------------- The girls were going as fast as possible to get past the speeding Gilda, coughing through the dust storm. Twilight did her best to see through it to know when to turn. The dust cloud was ruining Rarity's dress and she got angry. Incredibly angry. She waved her hand and summoned a great wind to blow the dust away, giving the girls a clear view and even cleaning Rarity's dress. "Dust, ugh. How dare that ruffian use such a dirty tactic?" she asked coyly. "Thanks Rarity," Twilight said, going even faster while she had the chance, turning the corner while the car turned sideways, stopping and blasting forward. "We're going to win this race!" she called. Pinkie Pie reached into her magic bag of everything and pulling out a booster periferal and attaching it to the car, pressing the ignition as a fire jet burst out from it, causing the car to go uncontrolably fast. "WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she called, her screech so loud and so piercing, Gilda could hear it from half a mile away. She turned and gasped, activating even more fans to blow more dust and even go faster. Rarity used the wind to keep moving the dust away as Pinkie pressed the ignition non-stop, "We're gonna win! We're gonna win!" Dash called out, seeing them get closer and closer to Gilda, the finish line a mile away. Gilda didn't give up however, breaking off one of the useless fans and throwing it back as a road block. Dash grinned, "Not on my watch!" she yelled, getting on the front of the car, holding a giant board she got from Pinkie's bag and threw it on the roadblock, creating a ramp. The car went off the ramp, getting high in the air, Fluttershy screaming loudly. They landed just in time for the last corner, almost neck and neck with Gilda. AJ kept firing bullets at her car to try and stop it only for them to not be in effect. Pinkie had nothing left really, Twilight was too busy with the steering and Rarity was too tired to do anything, Dash really couldn't do anything, and Fluttershy couldn't stop screaming. Angel, who was still in the car turned to Gummy and they nodded, jumping over to the other car, getting on top of Gilda, crawling all around her. "Hey! You dirty filthy animals! Get off of me!" she shouted. Gummy bit her hair and Angel bounced on her face, blinding her, forcing her to hit one of the hay stacks and stopping her instantly, Angel giving a thumbs up at the girls and Gummy just blinking. "That's a good boy Angel!" Fluttershy said, regaining her composure, Pinkie Pie cheering Gummy on. Gilda was out, the only possible winner left were the girls. Mayor Mare didn't even call it out as they passed the finish line, Twilight slamming on the brakes with a screeching halt, Pinkie flying off the back. Pinkie just giggled with her face in the dirt as Celestia appeared out of no where shaking their hands, "Congratulations girls, you've won. Ponyville is safe," she said. Discord appeared next to her, "Laugh while you can girls, this is just one race, there will be more to come," he said, cackling loudly, disappearing in a puff of smoke. After Discord left, the Flim Flam brothers followed, stopping right behind the girls, the buggy right behind it. "Well, looks like we won second... Again," Flim said. "Why yes, that appears to be so!" Flam said, "Oh well, we don't have to clean up." "We'll be at the villains base if you need us!" Flim said, pressing a button and teleporting away, the Super Racer Speedy 7000 going with them. The Pie's buggy was right behind them, teleporting away with out a word. Pinkie wanted to say something but couldn't. Gilda didn't come back, Angel and Gummy going back to their owners. Iron Will didn't come back either, he was still unconcious. A medical crew came up to him and helped him awake, taking him to the hospital with a bad concussion. He wouldn't be racing for a while. Celestia looked at the girls, "You girls go rest now, the next race will be in the next town over, Fillydelphia. Upon discussing with Discord, the racer will be Pinkie's family.... Please choose your racer to go against them and I will see you girls tomorrow." The girls nodded and before they even began to discuss the racer, Pinkie spoke up, "I'll do it... I have to do it, it's my family after all," she said. "Are you sure...?" Twilight asked, "I know you feel you have to, but if I ever had to race my brother or my parents, I could never do it...." "No Twilight, I have to do this, I need to know why and the only way they will tell me is if I win," she said determinedly. "If you say so...," Twilight said, "What do you girls think?" The other girls nodded, they understood completely. "Ok, Pinkie, it's your race...," Twilight said. Pinkie nodded and walked home, going past the Diamond Dogs, cleaning up the town. When she got to Sugar Cube Corner, going into her room, she collapsed on her bed and began to cry. > The Day Pinkie Was Silent > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie woke up the next morning with her cheeks stained with tears, her eyes a light red from crying too much. She probably cried herself to sleep last night, she could tell from the puddle on her pillow and bed sheets. She wiped her eyes and got up, going to the mirror to see her hair was flat and dark, as it normally was when she was like this, she was a fool to think otherwise. She still knew how to maintain it from her days on the rock farm and did just that, using the small brush that she's had when she was little to keep it clean and free from knots. She got dressed in some darker clothes, putting some lighter ones in a bag in case she felt better. She did however, put them on sloppily, the shirt ragged and the pants tattered. There were no intricate design on them like there are on all her other clothes, these were just plain and red. She went down the stairs only to be greeted by the Cakes and their twins with a big breakfast on the table in front of them. The twins were grabbing for Pinkie, wanting her to hold them and hug them. Even when she was upset, she could always smile at the twins, she loved kids after all. She held the kids and hugged them softly, nuzzling their little heads. The Cakes however, weren't so sure she was fit to be with the kids in her state after seeing her abnormal attire and her straight hair. Pinkie reluctantly let the kids go and sat down at the table, eating slowly. After the parents tucked their kids in, Mrs. Cake went into the kitchen and sat next to Pinkie who barely ate half of her plate before pushing it away, full. Mrs. Cake patted her back, smiling at her with her normal soft smile. "Pinkie dear, I can't say I understand what you're going through, but I feel it must be very tough," she said soothingly, trying to calm her down as best she could. Pinkie nodded, not wanting to race against her family, however she knew that she had to, they were going against Equestria, it had to be done. "I never thought I'd see them again like... like this," she said, holding her face in her hands, trying to fight crying again. "I know deary, however, I feel it must be hard for them too, they do have to race against their precious daughter and sister, they love you, I can tell." Pinkie turned to Mrs. Cake, "How do you know? You don't know them! You don't know my history!" she shouted angrily. Mrs. Cake merely hugged Pinkie softly, "Motherly instinct Pinkie, when you become a mother, you'll know this too..." Pinkie pushed her away, shaking her head, "No... they don't love me... if they did, they wouldn't do this." Mrs. Cake shrugged, "They might have other reasons you know, they don't seem the type to want to take over..." Pinkie just cried harder, the thoughts and her jumbled mind physically hurting her. She couldn't take it anymore, but she still has to do it, and maybe, just maybe if she wins, she will find out what her parents were thinking. Why they were racing for Discord. Pinkie got up and went to her convertable, pulling out of the garage and driving to Twilight's library. Upon reaching the library, Pinkie hopped out of the car and knocked on the door, waiting for Twilight to answer. It took a moment but Twilight opened the door, holding a large pile of books, covering her face. "May I help you?" she said, her voice muffled by the large amount of books covering her face and mouth. "It's me Twilight, I'm here to update my car..." Pinkie said, the sadness in her voice apparent. "Oh! Right, hi Pinkie!" she said, "Spiiiiiiiike! Spiiiiiiiiiiiiiike!" she called, waiting for her assitant to show up. "I'm coming! I'm coming!" Spike called, heading down the stairs in a hurry, his green hair in its usual spikey mess, his purple clothes baggy and loose. He really needs to buy new clothes. "Spike, come get these books," Twilight says, turning around, holding the books out. "On it!" he said, going over to her, holding out his hands, waiting to get the massive pile of books. Twilight dropped them on his arms and he carried them with no problem to the corner where he put them down gently, the books still going down, toppling over and landing on him with a large crash. "Whoops, I'll clean these up..." he said from below the books, trying to dig his way out. Twilight just shook her head, "Oh what am I going to do with that boy?" she asked herself before turning around, looking at Pinkie with a smile... and then she saw Pinkie's hair a flat, straight mess. She was sad, very, very sad. "Pinkie, are you sure you want to do this?" she asked her friend, concern in her voice, "We can get Fluttershy or maybe Rarity to do this!" Pinkie shook her head, looking at Twilight in the eye, her eyes filled with a mix of determination, sadness, and anger. There was no room for enjoyment in them. "No Twilight, this is something I have to do..." she said, her voice dull and lifeless. "After all these years, I should know better than to argue with you, so if this is what you want, I won't stop you..." she said, going outside to Pinkie's car. "So how would you like this?" she asked. "It doesn't matter to me," she said plainly. "Alright then," Twilight said, focusing her magic on the car, closing her eyes, making a few gestures with her hands and casting a spell on the car, transforming it into a battle vehicle with buttons all over the wheel and dashboard. The side of the car a bright pink with cupcakes, balloons, and confetti painted all over the sides of the car. Pinkie let out a soft smile at the sight of it but that quickly went to a frown due to her remembering who she's racing. "It's great Twilight...," Pinkie said, hopping in and looking at the buttons, trying to see what they do. All the buttons were neatly labeled with funny and cute pictures. Very Pinkie esque. "I figured you'd like it," Twi said, hoping in the back seat, "Anyway, let's go get the other girls, I'm sure they want to be there for you." Pinkie nodded and drove to her friend's individual houses, picking up Fluttershy last since she was on the way to Fillydelphia. Fluttershy sat in the front seat, holding Angel like a teddy bear again, smiling at Pinkie, looking at her with concern as well as beauty. She always thought Pinkie looked beautiful with her hair down, however she wished she would do it when she was happy. Rainbow Dash was in the back, looking out of the convertable without a care. She wouldn't tell anyone, but she was also really worried about Pinkie and if Gilda wasn't in the race, she'd take her place in a heartbeat, with or without Pinkie's consent. Rarity was in her usual dress, sitting in the back, sighing a bit, looking at Pinkie, concern clear in her eyes. She tried to hide it by working on some knitting, however she knew that her guise wasn't very convincing. Applejack was eating an apple. An apple she originally offered to Pinkie upon seeing her sadness. It took a while, but AJ finally backed down and got in the back. Pinkie began to drive, going towards Fillydelphia and staying silent, stopping every once and a while for gas. The other girls talked amongst themselves, the topics varied and random, however they all seemed to end with them wondering if Pinkie was ok. They never asked her though, after they asked once, she just screamed, saying that she was fine. It scared all of the girls, especially Fluttershy. They reached Fillydelphia late at night, going to their hotel and checking in, getting in for free, being a racer and all. Pinkie went to her room without a word, slamming her door and going into bed to sleep, ready for this day and the next day to end. The other girls talked for a while, ate some dinner and went into their individual rooms, ready to spectate one of the hardest things Pinkie ever had to do. > The Obligatory Shipping Chapter > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie couldn't sleep. She was so concerned about her parents and why they were racing and everything else. She just lied in her bed, tossing and turning. Sleep would not have been easy to obtain or maintain. She sighed and got out of bed, going to the hotel sink and taking a cup, pouring a glass of water to drink. She drank it slowly, looking at the time, 3:00 AM. There was no one to talk to, no one to calm her mind. Then, she heard a faint knock on her door, alerting her attention. She went over to the door and looked through the peephole to see who it was. It was Fluttershy of all people. She was in her yellow nightgown, wearing slippers and was waiting there patiently. Pinkie opened the door for her, not showing her face. She didn't know why she was doing this, but she felt it was fitting. Fluttershy looked inside and looked around, wondering why the door opened. She walked in anyway, hoping to surprise Pinkie when she returned. Fluttershy sat down on the bed, waiting patiently for Pinkie's return. The door closed, Pinkie right behind it, looking directly at Fluttershy. She walked over to her as Fluttershy smiled softly at the pink haired girl, "Oh, good, you're here," she said, getting off of the bed, walking over to the depressed girl, "I wanted to see you...," she said quietly. Pinkie stopped in front of her, standing still, looking down when she suddenly hugged Fluttershy tight, needing to be hugged by one of her best friends. By her best of best friends. She sniffled, feeling tears form in her eyes, needing somebody to cry to, somebody to hold. Fluttershy merely hugged back, holding her close and petting Pinkie's straight hair. Pinkie had been through a lot and it was no surprise that she needed to cry to someone. Fluttershy took Pinkie to the bed and sat them both down, holding Pinkie close as she rested her head on Flutters' shoulder. After about 20 minutes of crying, Pinkie finally calmed down to let her speak her mind to the girl whose shoulder was soaked by her tears. She told her everything, about her past, about her family, about how she hadn't visited them in years. She stopped at times in her monologue to cry some more as Fluttershy waited for her to stop, just comforting her the entire time. When Pinkie stopped crying, she started to talk to Fluttershy again. When she was finally finished an hour later, her eyes were soaked with tears. Fluttershy hugged her tight, petting her softly, "I'm so sorry to hear that," she said, "I wish there was something I could do...." Fluttershy sighed softly, feeling helpless when it came to helping Pinkie. She was her best friend, the one she cared about the most. "It's okay Fluttershy," Pinkie said, nuzzled in against Flutters' shoulder, "As long as you're here with me...." Fluttershy sighed and kissed Pinkie's cheek, blushing deeply, "I'll always be here for you," she said, smiling weakly. Pinkie blushed as well, feeling Fluttershy's soft lips pressed against her cheek. She looked up at her in shock a bit before Fluttershy leaned in and kissed her on the lips, the blush on her face even deeper than before. When the kiss broke, Fluttershy said nothing, her face a deep crimson as she looked away, Pinkie just sitting there in awe. "Fluttershy, do you... like me...?" she asked, still unable to believe that had just happened. Fluttereshy nodded softly, having felt this way for a long time and took advantage of when they were both helpless to ask her. "I've liked you for the longest time...," she said as quietly as she could. Pinkie hugged her tight, smiling softly, "I've liked you too," she said, "I just wasn't sure if you felt the same way about me...." She let go of the smaller, shy girl. "Someone actually cares about me...," she said quietly to herself, a soft squeaking sound resonating through the air as her hair starts to frizz up. "Someone cares about me!" she cried out, a loud pop sound coming from her hair as it turns into its large poofy mess as she kisses Fluttershy deeply, holding her close, "Oh thank you Fluttershy! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Fluttershy giggled softly and hugged her as tight as she could which still wasn't that tight, "You're welcome," she said, "Now if you don't mind, it's nearly 6 AM and I need to sleep to cheer you on tomorrow, you should sleep as well." Pinkie nodded and climbed under the covers, holding Fluttershy like a teddy bear and closes her eyes. "Oh, well I meant in my own bed, but I'm just as fine with this," Fluttershy said, leaning her head back against Pinkie and falling asleep. Tomorrow would be an important day for Pinkie. > Race 2: Fillydelphia > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pinkie Pie woke up after having a wonderful dream. Fluttershy came into her room while she was depressed and they became lovers. It was a wonderful dream. She turned over and saw Fluttershy in her bed. Pinkie gasped and giggled quietly, realizing it wasn't a dream. She leaned in and kissed Flutters' forehead, climbing out of the bed, tucking Flutters in the bed. Pinkie left the room, letting Fluttershy sleep as long as she needed. She had a race to be in! Against her family.... Dang this was going to be hard, still. She didn't get down on herself though, she held strong, standing tall, she had someone by her side who loved her. She marched down the stairs, ate a large breakfast and hopped in her car, driving around the block a few times to get a hang of it. This was going to be amazing! She got back to the hotel and climbed out of her car, going into the lobby and seeing her friends, waving at Fluttershy, giggling a bit. They conversed for a while about life and how Pinkie got better. A few hours later, Twilight got a call from the mayor of Fillydelphia, telling her it was time. The girls all got up and walked out to Pinkie's car, getting in, Fluttershy in the passanger's seat. They drove to where the race track is going to be, Pinkie parking the car at the starting position. The other girls getting out and hugging Pinkie one at a time. "Well well well," a menacing voice cackled. The girls turned around and it was none other than Discord, "So, you're going to be racing your parents," he said, grinning wickedly, "I hope you don't.... Hurt them Pinkie Pie. What if you hit them too hard and little Inky dies in the wreckage, that would just be awful. Oh I know you would just be crushed." The girls formed a protective wall around Pinkie, "Your tricks won't work on her Discord," Twilight said, "We all know you put them up to this!" "Oh au contraire little Twilight, they joined me on their own free will. And don't ask me why, they heard about it from someone and just came to me. I'm not complaining, whatever it takes to bring down Pinkie Pie." "Well you're out of luck! Pinkie is feeling better and she's going to take you down!" Twilight said, hugging Pinkie Pie gently. Pinkie Pie giggled and then glared at Discord, "I don't believe you, I'll beat my parents and get them off your spell!" "Believe me or not, it's true. Anyway, I'll be taking my seat, it should be starting soon," Discord said, snapping his fingers and rising up to his high in the sky throne. He even had smaller seats next to him, twelve to be exact. That was nice of him, having seats for his enemies. He then made an elevator thingy for the others to get on. They crammed in because no one oneted to take turns. When the elevator opened again, they spilled out in one big pile and took their seats. The mayor of Fillydelphia came up to the announcer stand and sighed, "This wasn't in the job description," he said before putting a fake smile on his face. "Hello citizens of Fillydelphia and our wonderful guests as well!" he announced into the microphone, "Welcome to a wonderful and exciting race for the fate of Equestria!" The crowd started to cheer, throwing confetti and other party things in their unsurpassed excitement. "This race is between Pinkamena Diane Pie, AKA Pinkie Pie and her family, Inky, Blinky, Granny, and Clyde!" he said, pointing to the only racer at the starting line. It was obviously Pinkie, "Uh..., where's the rest of them?" "They should be around soon," Discord said, "Just give it some time." "We don't have time though," the mayor said, a bit disgruntled that everything wasn't going according to plan. There was suddenly a small beep being heard from the distance, a little black buggy tooting along. "Well speak of the devil, there they are!" The buggy made its way to the starting line and stopped there, the driver looking over to his left to see his daughter in her new car. The daughter looking over and waving weakly. "Well then, with everything ready, it's time we get started!" the mayor said, "On your mark!" The sound of engines reving was filling the starting area. "Get set!" The sound of buttons being pressed, clicking throughout the stands. "GO!" he shouted as the flag was dropped. Pinkie zoomed ahead, already getting a clear lead from her family who was just chugging along. It seemed they weren't taking this seriously at all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What are these pinheads doing!?" Gilda asked angrily, "She's getting so far ahead!" A zipper then appeared on Gilda's mouth, zipping it shut, "Hush, give it time," Discord said, tapping his fingers together. The girls were cheering Pinkie on as she turned corner after corner with little stopping. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Dad?" Inky asked, "Why are you letting Pinkie get so far ahead? Why aren't you pressing the button?" "Give it time, I don't trust technology and you know it," Clyde replied. Granny Pie was just sitting there, knitting a sweater while Blinkie was flipping a few rocks in her hand. Inky sighed and took her seat again. On the outside, they turned another corner, not even a quarter of the way done with the track. Pinkie, meanwhile was already half way done with her first lap. Pinkie looked in her mirrors and saw that they weren't even behind her. She was bracing herself for a trap and so she pressed a button, hundreds of cupcakes spilling out on the road, spreading out along the track, leaving very little moving room. She grinned and laughed, turning the last corner until the finish line. When the Pies got to that point, they weren't even fazed by it, turning through it with no issue. They didn't slip or anything, they were just coursing through it. Once they finished, Clyde grinned evilly, as evilly as an Amish man could. Inky gasped, "Are we gonna press it? Can I do it?" she asked. "Of course you can sweetheart," he said, moving his arm. Inky leaned in, pressing the button with a large smile. As soon as the button was pressed, a compartment in the back opened up, a large tube coming out from it, pointing up and then back again, making a strange "z" shape. Then it unfolded, a giant jet engine coming out, the turbines spinning and a large blue flame igniting, sending them rocketing forward. Granny Pie was still knitting her sweater, getting a sleeve done while Blinky pulled her head out of the car, her arm as well, having a stone in her hand. Inky flew back, not used to this speed, having never experienced it. They stil turned corners with ease, as if the jet engine turned to help them steer. Pinkie finished her first lap before looking in her rear view mirror, seeing her family blaze towards her at a blinding speed. She tried to get out of the way to avoid collision only for her back bumper to be nicked, sending her spinning into the wall. She crashed into the hay stacks and was in a daze. "Oh! Pinkie Pie with a head-on collision to the barrier walls! Is she okay?" the announcer proclaimed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The girls gasped and shook their heads, some of them started to tear up, especially Fluttershy, "Oh my Faust...," Fluttershy said, her hands over her mouth. "That is not cool," Rainbow Dash said, her head turned with one eye closed, the other one looking down towards the wreck. "Pinkie has to be okay!" Twilight cheered, "She has to be...." The opposing team was cackling uproariously, they knew that after this, victory was in the bag. Or so they thought, Pinkie Pie backed up from the wall, her face of grim determination. She slammed on the pedal, her tires screeching as she let go of the breaks, her car jetting forward at breakneck speed. There was no chance in hell she would lose. The girls started to bounce up and down, cheering, hugging each other tight. The villains were sighing, thinking that they had won. Still the race wasn't over and the Pies were already half way done with their second lap by the time Pinkie collected herself. Pinkie turned the corner, her face one of grim determination. There was no way her parents would win, not if she had something to say about it. She kept going forward, turning quickly. She eventually reached her max speed and her family was still inching ahead of her. "I didn't want to do this..." she said, flipping up the case of a big, shiny red button. Pinkie wiggled her fingers and pressed it, a loud rumbling coming from the engine. The hood of the car flew off and the engine rose out of the compartment and started to spew fire. The engine was going into overdrive. Her tires started to screech as she blasted forward even faster, screaming like she was on a rollar coaster, her hands off the wheel, using one of her feet to turn the wheel, the other one slammed on the gas pedal so she would keep the acceleration going. She was going faster and faster, she didn't look like she was paying atttention and was nearing a head on collision with the wall when she grinned again, grabbing the steering wheel and made an incredibly sharp turn, the tires screeching, leaving a skid mark. No one taught her how to drift, but she did it almost naturally. Her parents were just barely in front of her, constantly cutting her off, never allowing her past them and their insanely fast buggy. She then took advantage of the closest corner, sneaking by until she was side by side with her family, ramming them against the wall, "Tell me why you're doing this!" she cried, glaring at her father. "You should know this Pinkamena! Just think!" he called. Pinkie sighed, "No one calls me that anymore dad! Anyway, when I win, I want answers!" "I'll tell you what we want when we win!" He then pressed harder on the pedal, going a bit farther. Pinkie did the same, getting off of them and zooming forward, crossing the finish line the second time with her family right behind her. Pinkie grinned, "There is no way I can lose!" she said, pressing yet another button, a smoke screen of balloons popping out of the trunk. "Good luck getting past this!" Clyde turned around, looking at little Blinky who stuck her head out of the car, taking aim with a sling shot, shooting a sharp rock at the balloons, popping them all. Pinkie was out of gadgets and other than the jet and a bunch of rocks, they had nothing either. It was now just a race like no other. Twilight was smacking herself, wondering why she didn't have anything more. Stupid Twilight, stupid. They kept turning and turning, it was neck and neck, the two were tied for what seemed like an eternity. They were even on each other when turning the corner. Now that's saying something. Regardless, they were at the home stretch when Pinikie smiled, remembering she had one last thing to use just for this. She pressed the last button and the already overdrived engine started to breathe fire like a dragon, speeding her up just enough to get the entire car past the buggy and thus finishing the race. She stopped the car with a screeching halt and jumped out, extremely proud of herself, the crowd cheering, throwing confetti when the girls and villians came down, the girls hugging Pinkie, the villains leaving without so much a word. Pinkie hugged each girl and kissed Fluttershy before she just looked at her family, bracing herself and going over to them, "Alright, I want some answers," she said, crossing her arms and tapping her foot. Clyde sighed, looking at Granny who had finished the sweater she was knitting, and then to Blinky and Inky looking down, their long hair covering their faces. He sighed and looked up towards his growing daughter, "We wanted you to come home.... We followed Discord just so you may come home.... With us," he said, tears welling up in his eyes. "You.... Only did this so I could come home?" she asked, tearing up herself. Then she remembered, she hadn't been home since she left for Ponyville fifteen years ago. She then started bawling, hugging her father, grandmother and little sisters tight in one of her death hugs. "I'm so sorry! If I had realized I would have visited sooner! I thought you all hated me! For being different! If you really missed me you should have written me a letter!" she cried. "Oh Pinkamena sweetheart, I could never hate my daughter!" he said, hugging tight, beginning to cry himself, the girls crying as well. "I made this for you during the race Pinkamena, I figured you would win," Granny said, showing her the sweater. It said "Congrats on the win and welcome home!" Pinkie sense didn't just come to her you know. Her Granny Pie always seemed to know what would happen, just like her. They all went into a big group hug and Pinkie smiled wider than she ever had before. They were her family and they always would be. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Congratulations to the winner Pinkie Pie! Both sides tried as hard as they could, but Pinkie came out victorious in the end!" the mayor called out through the speaker. "Thank God the race is over, now I can continue on with my regular life," he said to himself. Discord poofed back right behind Twilight, "Oh, right, I almost forgot, the next race is in Appalooza, we've picked Flim and Flam, make your choice Twilight Sparkle," he said, grinning a bit before cackling louder than ever, "These two will give you a run for your money!" He then left with another poof. "Well then, I guess it's time to go home and prepare," Twilight said, nodding a bit. "And we'll be back to root you girls on," Clyde said, the rest of the family nodding, "I'm sorry for causing any greif." "It's fine, we just need to focus on the now," she said, looking at the group, "Alright, well then, let's go home." > Race 3: Appaloosa Part 1: The Wram Brothers and Their Amazing Flying Machine > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter was written by Slippy, author of the adventure story A Comedy of Terrors! Check it, and him, out if you'd like. ~A J F F~ It was a dark Appleloosa morning when Applejack's car putted up to the starting line. The air was stagnant and void of the excitement that was present for the previous races. Applejack glanced to the bleachers. As she expected, they were empty save for the judges, the mayor and three townsfolk, a few of the natives from the Buffalo tribe and, of course, her friends. Applejack smiled a little when her five best friends walked up to her for a pre-race talk. Twilight looked the car up and down, giving a small frown. The vehicle didn't look like something one would race in, or even drive in. The paint had faded, the areas around the tires were coated in mud, and the interior had been scratched, poked and picked at. One headlight was out. "Applejack, are you sure this is the best thing you have? I'm sure that it'd be okay for you to race in the Ferrari, it's doing fine!" Twilight asked. Applejack shook her head. "I appreciate your offer, Twilight, but this here's personal. My family ranch car's the only thing I'd ever pick to go against..." she tightened her grip on the wheel with a scowl, "those two." As if on cue, a torrent of mechanical sounds came from behind. All six friends looked up to see a horrible, whirring monstrosity crawl up next to Applejack's jalopy. Twilight and Pinkie gasped, Fluttershy hid behind the car, Rarity's eyes widened, and Rainbow Dash was trying to contain herself at how awesome that thing looked. The audience mumbled with excitement. It was nearly eight times as tall as Applejack's car, and four times as long. The main body shined with red-painted steel, and gears and wires ran outside the thing. Electricity coursed through no less than six large glass tubes that led inside. It was equipped with eight monstrous tires taller that Pinkie Pie, and the front had a faux gold point resembling a snowplow. A plush-looking velvet couch clicked up into view on a structure of wires and iron framing, and Applejack held her resolve as she stared down the most horrible people in the world. "Well, if it 'ain't' our dear friend Applejack!" Flim laughed. "Dear Applejack, could you please tell us where we might find our opponent in this race?" Applejack glared at them. "You're lookin' at 'er." The two brothers went into an uproar. "Racing us? In that bucket of rust?" Flam asked. Though Applejack wasn't affected by them, the rest of her friends, particularly Rarity, were fuming. "Eeyup. And I'll send you two good-for-nothin' lowlifes crawlin' back into whatever snake hole y'all slithered out!" Flam pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "Oh Applejack, you are so delightful! You remember those words when Discord gives us the money to buy your cute little farm after we win!" Rarity's face was red, and she tightly crossed her arms in anger and tapped her foot. Applejack pulled her hat down over her face with a grim smile. "Why don't y'all put that money where your greasy mustache is." Flam's smirk faltered as he felt his mustache for grease. Flim only laughed more. "You seem very confident for someone driving that old thing!" "This old thing could run circles 'round that contraption a' yours." Applejack returned. The brothers exchanged glances. "Well, it takes more than that to win races! It takes prowess, finesse, class!" "The two of you wouldn't know class if it struck those ridiculous hats off your heads!" Everyone turned to look at Rarity. She pointed with fury at the brothers, opened the car door, and defiantly sat down in the passenger seat of Applejack's car. "I came here to cheer my friend on in a race, not to stand by as she's mocked by two monopolizing toymakers! And I'm going to help her defeat you, even if it means getting my hands dirty!" Flim and Flam looked to each other and contemplated this new development. Their couch descended in a chorus of whirs and clicks and Flam popped his head over the edge. "That will be just fine! We can hardly wait to see how a sheltered seamstress can," he laughed, "defeat us." Rarity and Applejack both growled, and Applejack turned to her friend with a silent smile of thanks. An intercom crackled, and Discord's voice came through. "Thank you all for coming to the Appleloosa race of the Equestria Grand Prix! I would like to that Sheriff Silverstar for organizing our little event, and my dear friends the Flimflam Brothers for agreeing to race! Now, without any further ado, racers! Start your engines!" Cogs grinding and robotic beeps echoed from the Flimflam Brothers' machine. Applejack simply turned a key and her car revved to its capacity. "Three... two... ONE GO GO GO!" Discord's disembodied voice shouted. Applejack pressed the pedal to the ground and they were off. Whizzing down the track at speeds that shouldn't have been possible for the jalopy, Applejack grinned as the wind whipped all around her. Rarity screamed and tightly gripped her seat. Behind them, the maniacal brothers were driving as fast as they could to no avail. "Brother!" Flim said to Flam as he continuously mashed the buttons on the control pad, "we're trapped behind that useless go-kart! We can't get ahead!" Flam looked at his brother, bravely taking his eyes off the road and hands off the steering wheel. He grabbed the top of the control board and wrenched it down, revealing a secret, blinking red button. "We've still got this in our arsenal!" He grinned. "Absolutely villainous, brother!" Flim clicked the button with a laugh. From behind them a set of propellers of various sizes extended, and the sides of the machine opened to reveal massive tanned-leather wings. A compartment in the back opened to show a massive jet engine. It spun, the wings flapped and the propellers whirred, and when it shot out a blue flame the machine rocketed into the air and in front of the competition. Twilight gasped from the stands. "They're cheating!" Discord snapped into existence beside her and put an arm around her. "That's the thing about Flim and Flam, Twily. They're smart enough to win, and they always have the resources, but you can always count on them cheating anyway. Just for the fun of it." The draconequus laughed while Twilight's stomach knotted. Back on the flying machine, Flim and Flam were gaining distance on Applejack. "Ha ha! Should we simply beat them, or dispose of them as well?" Flim pondered. "It'd be so unkind of us to let them lose and leave it at that!" A button was clicked, and the machine's mechanical claw spiraled forth out of the front and clamped down on the car. Applejack gasped at the sight of the car being lifted off the ground and into the air. She and Rarity were hanging at almost a ninety-degree angle. "Rarity, they're gonna kill us!" Applejack screamed. Rarity scowled up at the machine and gave Applejack a shake of her head. "They won't kill us if I have anything to say about it!" Rarity returned. In a daring move, she stood up on the car's hood and began climbing > Race 3: Appleloosa Part 2: The Accident > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Well, well, well," Flim said, looking down at the purple haired woman climbing up the rope, "It appears we have a fighter." "Let her fight, she'll never make it up, she's about as frail as they get. You know, besides the shy one," Flam replied, laughing a sarcastic little laugh. However, the laughter was short lived for as soon as he started laughing, there was a high heel planted in his jaw, Rarity having flipped over from under the flying vehicle. "So I'm frail, huh?" Rarity asked mockingly, "That's a good one!" She pressed the button with an arrow pointing down, assuming that that would lower the claw, which, surprisingly it did. For being brilliant inventors, they were pretty bad at labelling buttons. Then again, they probably weren't expecting this to happen. "Rarity! Get down here so I can get ahead!" Applejack called from below, driving at pace with the plane. "Sorry dearie, but I've got something I have to do! Go ahead!" Rarity called before she was tackled by Flim. "So, you think you can waltz right into our plane and meddle with our meddling? You've got another thing coming!" he said, holding her down on top of Flam. "Why yes, I think I can, oh, by the way, we're falling," Rarity said, everything going according to plan. The plane was falling, the landing would result in a crash. Applejack was far ahead at this point, already crossing the first lap, unaware of what was happening. "Well Applejack, you're welcome, win this race for me." Flim ran over to the controls, trying to land the thing properly, however they were too low, they would have crashed regardless. Flam was unconcious and Rarity closed her eyes, preparing for the worst, hoping for the best. The plane crashed, grinding against the pavement, the entire thing dented and beat up, the impact of the crash, although a low altitude, was very strong. The girls and even the villians gasped at the sight of it, it was pretty bad. Applejack turned the corner and stopped with a screeching halt at the wreckage, her mouth opened wide in shock. What just happened? The PA came on and there was silence for a moment, "Due to the recent events in the race, we shall call Applejack the winner. Medical help will be on the way to see to those that were involved. We here in Appleloosa wish for the best, congratulations to Applejack. All those who wish may stay, however you are not to go on the track unless you are friends or family of those involved." The girls instantly ran down, going and hugging their friend, hoping she was okay, hoping Rarity was okay, hoping even the Flim Flam Brothers were okay. The events too much to handle or process at once. Discord popped in in a poof of smoke, "Well, this was a.... Surprising turn of events," he said, twirling his beard with his finger, "Congrats on your win, however, once again, this is not over. They would have won if not for this crash." "We don't want ta hear it Discord," Applejack said, crossing her arms, not wanting to be bothered. "Fine, have it your way, I'll meet you all in Cloudsdale," he said, going off again in another poof of smoke. Braeburn came running over to the crash, waving hi to his cousin as he passed. He was going to help the medical team by moving wreckage and the like. Little Strongheart working with the medical team, using herbs and other medicinal plants that her tribes have used for generations. Then they saw them, Rarity, Flim, and Flam being carried to an ambulance on a stretcher. There were no hospitals in Appleloosa, however Princess Celestia made sure that there would be medical help in every town there would be a race. She was very prepared. The girls got a good look at the three, Rarity was unconcious, her arm and face a bit bloody. Her hair was messed up, that would make her scream if she were still concious. Her dress was a bit tattered and one of her heels were off. The Flim Flam brothers were no different, between torn hats to bleeding legs and torsos. However, due to not being covered, there were no deaths. The girls made it a point to go visit them after. All of them.