Author's Note

Stage 1-3: Heartbeats

A squeal ripped through the cheering and stamping as Apple Bloom pressed her hoof down on the accelerator, giving the engine an experimental test. The revving only brought greater sounds of encouragement from the gathered ponies, and Apple Bloom felt her face heat up from the scrutiny. Her throat twitched and her chest tightened; her forelegs shook no matter how tightly she gripped the steering wheel. White spots began to cloud her vision again, and she felt sweat bubbling up under her mane.

“What am I doing?” she whispered to herself. She looked up, meeting the eyes of Diamond Tiara and Peach Fuzz. “What am I doing?”

“You don’t have to do this, you know.” Diamond Tiara’s voice was quiet, brittle. “Nopony is going to judge you if you quit.”

Apple Bloom studied her wide blue gaze and tried a shaky smile. “I do,” she said after a moment. The din of the crowd began to nestle painfully in her ears. “I would.”

Diamond Tiara opened her mouth but didn’t speak. Licking her lips, she instead nodded and dropped her gaze. Her mouth continued to move though, making soundless shapes that only she could understand the meaning of. A hoof moved to her saddlebags.

Drawing in a deep breath, Apple Bloom turned her gaze to the small display of starting lights that had been erected by the roadside near Sugarcube Corner. She stared at it until her eyes burned from the red glow. Gradually, her earlier excitement started to return, and she revved the engine again.

I’ve got this. This is what I wanted.

“Well, wish me luck.” She looked over at her friends and gave what she hoped was a casual wave. Peach Fuzz returned it with both forehooves, but Diamond Tiara simply smiled. It was a smile that looked both determined and relieved, and it caught Apple Bloom completely by surprise.

The first light changed. The crowd roared.

The second light changed, and Apple Bloom filled her lungs.

The third light changed, and suddenly Diamond Tiara was leaping into the seat beside her, shoving that pastel pink helmet onto her head and dropping her saddlebag onto the floor of the kart.

Apple Bloom blinked. “DT? What are you—?”

“Green light!” Diamond Tiara shrieked, pulling the seatbelt around herself. “Go! Drive!”

For a second, all Apple Bloom could feel was her blood turning to ice and her stomach trying to leap out of her body. Then she jammed her hoof down and released the brake, and the world blurred around her in a maelstrom of colour and sound. The kart bumped along the dirt road away from the main square, and the cheer of ponies quickly succumbed to the purr of the engine. Apple Bloom was suddenly aware of how stiff her forelegs were, and tried to relax her grip. Her eyes fell to the display panel beside the wheel, and with a thrill she saw the first second count down.

This is happening. Apple Bloom didn’t even try to stop the jubilant cry from escaping her lips. It’s really, really happening.

A flicker of movement out the corner of her eye reminded her that Diamond Tiara was now in the kart with her. Those blue eyes were wide, staring straight ahead, but the ghost of a smile was on her lips.

Apple Bloom turned a corner sharply and grinned. For the first time that day, the rhythm of the kart didn’t reject her.