Nobody to Most Wanted

"So let me see if I understand this." Twilight said, voice heavy with skepticism as she, Pinkie, and Night arrived at the city's entrance. "You have a remote, made by Discord himself, that allows you to travel to and from other universes?"

"Yes." The bat pony said simply.

"How did you even get something like that in the first place?" The purple unicorn asked still disbelievingly.

"It's something that Discord gave to my very ancient ancestors before the first time he was sealed in stone, and it's been passed down through my family ever since." He explained happily as he stepped out of his car. "Autos and motor vehicles in general just happened to be our biggest interest, so over the years we brought back some as souvenirs, I practiced driving and then racing in my dad's car, then sometime later, I tried out a few that caught my interest in a world where vehicle handling and physics are essentially just like they are in some other reality, and I liked this one the most. And as a bonus, because it's such a popular model from the reality I got it from, it's easy to get parts for it."

That makes sense... kind of... Twilight thought to herself. But then again, this guy seems to defy reality in some ways... just like Discord.

By now, a hoofful of curious residents had arrived at the city's entrance; they were the remaining 4 Elements of Harmony, Spike... and, for some reason, Discord.

"What is he doing here?" Twilight asked flatly.

"Night here called me up on the way here." The draconequess replied plainly.

"Why?"

"Because," the bat pony in question stepped in, "Discord has been a wingman, or wingpony, for my family during our travels; he's guided us when we needed guidance."

"How, he's been encased in stone twice, hasn't he?" The purple unicorn pointed out.

"Twilight, I am a being of chaotic magic; even if I'm encased in stone in one universe, I'm free to explore any other universe if I please."

Twilight would have asked how, but the comment about him being an entity of chaotic magic stopped her; he could defy this universe's laws of reality in just about every way possible... much like Pinkie Pie.

"Can somepony please explain what in tarnation is goin' on here?" AJ finally spoke what almost everpony present was thinking.

"Twilight was trying out an inter-dimensional spell and accidentally brought this here." Night Rider gave a simple version of what happened.

"So why are they here?" The farm pony asked, obviously referring to the bat pony and draconequess.

"I've been to this kind of universe before, and Discord has always walked me through how things worked in each one." Rider responded. "But I've never seen this particular one before."

"So then what are those weird-looking carriage... things?" A hovering Rainbow Dash asked.

"They're things that normally don't exist anywhere on the planet in this dimension, but the good news is that they're only machines; they're not self-aware or alive or anything freaky like that. They only go like they do if there's somebody working their controls."

"But these things don't look like they're designed for ponies to operate." Spike chimed in.

"You're right Spike, they aren't; that's why they've never been made anywhere on this planet in this dimension, though that's also because they have some sizable drawbacks; I'd explain what they are, but there's no time for that."

"Wait, won't some of these pilots leave this place to explore Equestria?" Twilight asked, now sounding worried.

"The police and regular drivers, not a chance. As for the racers, they might exit the city, but I'd be surprised if they went more than a block away. Besides, from what little I know about this city, it looks like only a handful of the vehicles here are actually fast off road. Now, Discord," Night turned to face the obvious oddball of the group. "How experienced are you in evading the cops?"

"It's been at least 300 years since the last time I did that." Discord said bluntly.

"Okay then, how experienced are you in guiding somepony evading the cops?"

"It's the only thing I've done since the second time I was imprisoned."

"Good. You'll be my wingman." The bat pony said, prompting looks of surprise from everypony else present.

"I've been to more than a few universes where folks race these machines on public streets for sport, but this particular one is new to me. If I get in way over my head in a bad situation, Discord can get me out of there." Night explained blankly. "And anyway, it's been awhile since I drove something seriously fast, or at least faster than my car, and I'm the only one here that we know for sure will be able to handle whatever drivable vehicles lay in the city."

"Wouldn't racing in that manner on public streets be illegal?" Rarity asked.

"It is." Rider said. "That's why you've gotta be able to successfully evade the 5-0. I've done so more than 30 times, once, in a dumptruck."

All of them were then startled by three high-pitched voices shouting all at once.

"CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS STREET RACERS YAY!!"

"Not gonna happen!" Night Rider shouted back in the direction of the bush the voices had come from.

"Awwwwww!" All three fillies emerged from the bush with their best puppy eyes on.

"I know the three of you want to earn your cutie marks, but that doesn't mean you have to try something extremely dangerous." The bat pony said without even the slightest hint of sympathy. "Besides, Discord and I are the only two here with any experience driving these machines, and he hasn't done so for more than 300 years; I, on the other hand, drive almost every day."

"But we can get the hang of it with practice!" Apple Bloom protested.

"Yes, but none of you are tall enough to be able to see over the steering wheel, even the slowest of these things I'm betting are still much faster than even Twilight anticipates, and we don't have that kind of time on our side."

That reasoning was enough to derail any excuses the trio could possibly come up with.

"And none of you can officially join me, either." Rider said to the Elements.

"Why not?" Rainbow protested. "I can beat these guys with all four of my hooves tied together!"

"In case you haven't noticed, these things don't have wings; the only way they can acheive anything even resembling flight is by either driving fast off a surface above ground level or driving at high speeds up a path angled upwards that then either levels off or ends abruptly. 'Sides, even the lightest ones are still a good deal heavier than ponies; they use physics vastly different than ours." Rider said, now starting to sound a bit impatient.

He turned to the draconequess.

"You picking up any magic signatures?" He asked.

"Actually yes, there's one coming up fast from the left." Discord replied.

Just as he finished, a colored blur whizzed by emitting a thundering roar that made almost everybody present jump; Discord appeared nonplussed and Night didn't even blink when the blur passed by only half a foot in from of him. A single white sheet of paper floated down and landed at the bat pony's hooves. He picked it up and began to read it silently.

Hello. We've lately become bored with only racing each other due to a lack of worthy challengers; for that reason, we extend this challenge to anybody that's capable: take every set of wheels we have, win every race, and ultimately beat us. If you can prove yourself, we'll race you whenever you're ready.

- Fairhaven's 10 Most Wanted

Silence filled the air.

"..."

"..."

"... Well..." Night spoke after a longish pause. "This just got much more interesting. You know where we're supposed to go, Disco?"

"Yes, I'm picking up an equally strong magic signature... that way." Discord said while pointing in one direction.

"Let's roll."

The two disappeared in a flash of white light.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Welcome to the city of Fairhaven. Said an unknown female voice. Home to the most intense street racing on the planet.

10 drivers rule these streets; always on the run from the cops, they drive the best cars, and dominate the city.

They are the Most Wanted. To join this elite group, you need to earn the right to race them. Beat them all, and you'll be #1: Fairhaven's most wanted driver.

To do that, you'll need cars, lots of cars.

Spread out across the city are some of the hottest cars ever made. If you can find them, you can drive them; to own one, simply drive up to a jack spot, and jump in.

Follow the route marked on your map to your first car; the streets are waiting.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Rider finally took control of a silver Aston Martin V12 Vantage, nimbly zipping along a freeway.

"Just when things couldn't get any better, huh?" The bat pony said.

"I've seen worse." Discord replied. "Anyway, your destination is 1.6 miles away, just stay on the highlighted route and you should be fine."

"How do I earn the right to race the Top 10?" Night asked.

"Apparently, winning races and performing certain actions will earn you 'Speed Points', or 'SP'; you have to accumulate enough of them to be able to race the Most Wanted. According to this, you need 60,000 to race #10."

"Alright, and how much for #1?" The bat pony asked as he continued along the freeway.

"One million."

... Woah. Then again, they were the top racer in the city; there wasn't a chance in Tartarus that they'd race just anybody.

Rider put the pedal to the metal as he approached a long straight that spanned a bridge, managing to hit 135 miles per hour before the wide left hairpin at the end. When he did reach it, a message popped up:

TAP BRAKE TO DRIFT

Alright then. He left off the throttle and tapped the brakes then got back on the gas, causing the car's back end to step out in a shallow-angled drift. But he didn't blame himself for taking it easy; after all, he had never been in this dimension before, so he had no idea what its physics were like.

It felt like they would have a steeper learning curve compared to other racing universes he'd been too, but he was sure he'd have it down with enough practice. He pulled a short drift in a wide right hander that followed, then raced down a straight, through a toll taking station, and into a tunnel that curved right, sharper than either of the first two turns.

That didn't stop him from drifting through it, though. The tunnel straightened out for a brief time, then ended just after the road began to curve left. The open air only lasted for just under a second before the road was again covered by a tunnel as the road curved right.

After the turn, the tunnel ended in what was best described as a downtown area. As he raced down the street, a small station with a "KNOCKING BROTHERS" sign rotating on top passed by on his left. Moments later, a steering wheel showed up on the right side of the road on the map.

Rider braked hard and turned towards the wheel, with a yellow, seventh gen Porsche 911 (991) coming into view with its badge hovering above it. The lack of a body kit identified it as an ordinary Carrera, though judging by the acceleration of the Vantage, it was most likely a more powerful Carrera S model.

You found your first car. There are many out there waiting for you. Just look for the vehicles with badges above them.

The bat pony stepped out of the Aston, closed the door, and slipped into the Porsche.

Vehicle unlocked: Porsche 911 Carrera S

Every car you find has its own set of races. These can be accessed at any time using EasyDrive.

Keys To The City > Easy > Sprint Race > 12,000 SP for 1st

Off-road tires for 1st

Burn nitrous for 2nd

Distance to event: 0.0 miles

Choose 'Set Destination' to find your first race.

A route to the start line will appear on your map, follow it to the race start.

The race start was, at most, a block away; definitely not enough time for Rider to get comfortable with his new wheels, but he could adapt to driving new vehicles pretty quickly.

To start the race, pull up to the checkpoint and spin your wheels.

Rider did exactly that, and started the very first event.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

A silver Aston Martin V12 Vantage turned left onto another street, now rapidly catching up to an already moving yellow Porsche 911 Carrera S. The Aston moved to the left and pulled slightly ahead of the Porsche. The race was on.

Distance: 2.4 miles. On the long side, but his average speed would be much higher than that.

The two cars barreled down the street with a duet of racing motors, before the first obstacle came up: a right turn. It wasn't super sharp or anything, but with the speed Rider was carrying as he approached the turn, it would be tricky to clear; at least, until he got a good grip on this city's vehicle physics.

The bat pony tapped the e-brake and turned, getting the car to slide through the corner, and successfully passing his opponent on the outside. Distance: 2.1 miles. Even though Night was far from mastering the characteristics of this car (or any, for that matter), he should be able to hold the lead all the way to the finish.

The bat pony charged down the straight (only broken up by a gentle left), spurred on by the howl of the flat-6 suspended behind the rear tires, and blew through a checkpoint. As the left continued, he slightly eased off the throttle to give him more control over the car's direction, but only for a moment; he was back on the gas in under half a second.

The road straightened out, then curved right, though this time, Night didn't let off the gas at all. Ahead, the road straightened again, then curved left. As he cleared it, the route straightened, and this time stayed straight.

At least, until the route turned right. Thankfully, Night had no problem speeding through it. As he approached a bridge, however, he noticed a center route with a billboard suspended above the entrance, and a noticeable ramp rising from the ground.

What the heck, I've got time.

Rider steered the Porsche onto the center path, hit the ramp, and soared through the air...

SMASH

Flying right through a billboard before landing. That was fun. The route turned left, then right to stay on the road. Checkpoint. By now, he had pulled out a decent lead over the Vantage. But up ahead, the route turned left... a rather sharp left. Time to see just how well he had adapted so far.

The bat pony braked, turned, and cleared it without a hitch, before doing the same with the sharper right that soon followed. Afterwards, the road mostly straightened out, before making a wide left; when Rider cleared the checkpoint in the corner, he noticed that it was just half a mile to the finish.

The road went straight as it went under an overpass, continued on straight for a short time, then made a gentle left. In the middle of the turn, the distance counter went from fractions of a mile to yards. Almost there!

He put the pedal to the metal and barreled across the finish line.

Keys To The City

Finished 1st

Mods unlocked

Off-road tires available

Burn nitrous available

Finishing first or second wins Mods for your car. Fit these immediately for an instant upgrade.

Or use EasyDrive later to change your tires, nitrous, chassis, body, or transmission.

Burn nitrous (Standard): Increases engine power while active, improving acceleration and top speed.

Off-road tires (Standard): Improves off-road performance at the expense of on-tarmac performance.

Speed Points take you up the Most Wanted list and racing is just one way to win them. Pick up more by smashing through billboards, blasting past speed cameras, destroying security gates, or escaping the cops.

Autolog tracks every speed point you earn. The more you earn, the closer you get to taking on the Most Wanted Drivers, and dominating your friends.

Want to check your progress? EasyDrive is there to help you hunt down all the challenges across the city. What happens next is up to you...

"Disco." Rider finally spoke. "Just how many cars are there in this city?"

"According to this list," Discord said, "not counting the 10 Most Wanted, there are... 31. And there are at least 2 of every one, each in a different location."

"So, there are more than 62 cars to find?" Rider asked.

"Yes."

...

... Meh, this was a street racing city, after all.

"I have a list of the non-Top 10 vehicles if your interested, they're even in there proper classes." Discord broke the silence.

"Might as well, this way I'll know just what I'll be dealing with." The bat pony said.

Muscle:

BMW M3 Coupe

Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

Ford Mustang Boss 302

(Most Wanted)

Chevrolet Camaro ZL1

(Most Wanted)

SRT Viper GTS

Sports:

Aston Martin V12 Vantage

Audi R8 GT Spyder

Nissan GT-R Egoist

Porsche 911 Carrera S

Lamborghini Countach

Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0

Lamborghini Gallardo

(Most Wanted)

Tesla Roadster Sport

Jaguar XKR

Marussia B2

Everyday

Subaru Cosworth Impreza

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X

Lancia Delta HF Integrale

Audi A1 Clubsport quattro

Ford Focus RS500

Exotic

(Most Wanted)

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Ford GT

(Most Wanted)

(Most Wanted)

(Most Wanted)

(Most Wanted)

(Most Wanted)

(Most Wanted)

Grand Tourer

Maserati GranTurismo MC Stradale

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG

Porsche Panamera Turbo S

Bentley Supersports ISR

SUV

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Race

Caterham Superlight R500

BAC Mono

Ariel Atom 500 V8

"This... could take awhile." Rider said after going over the list.

"Well you'll at least have plenty of upgrades to help get the job done." Discord responded while giving his buddy a different list.

Upgrades:

Off-road tires: Improves off-road performance; drift for a cumulative total of 5,000 yards with Standards equipped to unlock Pro version.

Track tires: Improves on-tarmac performance; drift for a cumulative total of 5,000 yards with Standards equipped to unlock Pro version.

Reinflates: Allows burst tires to re-inflate. Only unlocked by finishing 3rd or higher in every event with a vehicle; hit 5 spike strips with Standards equipped to unlock Pro version.

Burn nitrous: Increases engine power while active; use for a cumulative total of 300 seconds with Standard equipped to unlock Pro version.

Powershot nitrous: Uses full nitrous tank for an acceleration burst (only useable when nitrous bar is full); use 25 times to unlock Pro version.

Lightweight chassis: Improves acceleration & control; get a cumulative total of 60 seconds of air time with Standard equipped to unlock Pro version.

Reinforced chassis: Reduces damage taken from impacts and strengthens vehicle; get 10 cop takedowns with Standard equipped to unlock Pro version.

Aero body: Improves ability to reach top speed and increases jump distance; get a cumulative total of 120 seconds of slipstreaming to unlock Pro version.

Impact protection body: Stabilizes vehicle during impacts and strengthens vehicle; get a cumulative total of 2 crash escapes with Standard equipped to unlock Pro version.

Long gears: Improves top speed; drive a cumulative total of 10,000 yards in oncoming with Standards equipped to unlock Pro version.

Short gears: Improves acceleration; get a cumulative total of 25 near misses with Standards equipped to unlock Pro version.

"Anything else I should know?" Rider asked after finishing the list.

"Just the four race types."

Circuit Race: A multi-lap race against multiple opponents.

Sprint Race: A one way race against other drivers.

Speed Run: Maintain a certain average speed throughout a sprint; there are no opponents, but there can be cops.

Ambush: You're ambushed by the 5-0; evade them within a certain time limit.

"I know I'm gonna enjoy this." The bat pony said after finishing the final list.