Author's Note

Stage 1-4: Intermission #2

The moment Berlinetta stepped into the farmhouse, Apple Bloom found herself battling to keep her attention focused on even the simplest of tasks. The teacups she was setting out on the kitchen table rattled rebelliously against their saucers, and twice she nearly dropped one of the freshly baked apple pies that her family were so well renowned for.

It wasn’t as though she had any idea of what her expectations would be of a founding member of the OutRun Society—not to mention,from what Peach Fuzz had said, one of its most successful racers—but the lithe, glamourous pegasus standing before her would have easily defied them regardless. Her pale yellow coat was bright and glossy in the midday light, and her soft grey mane, pulled into a loose bun, was nestled under a beautifully hoof-stitched headscarf. Apple Bloom knew diddly squat about fashion, but she doubted a pony could have picked one of those up from any old city store.

It was Berlinetta’s eyes though that captivated her the most. Framed between a delicately shaped muzzle and an old fashioned pair of circle-framed sunglasses, their cold emerald stare was like the pony herself; Berlinetta looked as though she could have been anything from five to twenty-five years older than Apple Bloom, and her casual dignity masked the gap further.

Apple Bloom opened her mouth twice before realising she had no idea how to start a conversation with the pegasus. Looking across the room to where her friends were perched at the table, she pulled what she hoped was a pleading expression. Peach Fuzz was shaking with barely controlled glee, and only briefly pulled her eyes away from Berlinetta to give Apple Bloom an encouraging wave. Beside her, even Diamond Tiara looked as though she was trying very hard not to appear impressed.

Taking a deep breath, Apple Bloom remembered her manners and gestured towards the table. “Uh, would you like somethin’ to eat or drink, Miss Berlinetta?”

The icy stare dropped to the spread, and Apple Bloom once again felt self-conscious. Was Berlinetta an example of what an OutRun racer was supposed to look like? Apple Bloom had snuck away from her work and chores to meet her, and she was now painfully aware of the grimy sweat staining her own coat, and of the leaves and mushed apple clinging to her mane.

After a moment though, Berlinetta nodded.

“A cup of tea would be just divine, thank you.” Her voice, soft and exotic, filled the kitchen as she swept her gaze about the room, pausing on the jam jars on the counter and the bottles of cider stacked in the corner. “I have to admit, Miss Bloom, that it has been years since I last stepped hoof in somewhere so rustic. You’re a very lucky pony.”

“Um, yes, Miss.” Apple Bloom swallowed as she poured the tea, keeping her eyes fixed on the stream of liquid as it splashed angrily into the cups.

“If I could ask: Do you manage it on your own?”

Why in tarnation does she want to know that? Apple Bloom looked up and smiled, wondering why her heart was suddenly beating so fast. “No. My elder sister and brother do most of the managin’ round here, and our granny before that. I, uh, I expect I’ll take over in time.”

In the silence that followed, Apple Bloom gestured at the teapot to her friends. She was grateful when they both nodded, and she was able to busy herself with making more drinks.

When she did chance a glance up again, she noticed that the skin around Berlinetta’s eyes was crinkled, as though the older mare had understood something beyond Apple Bloom’s words. She took the proffered cup with a nod of thanks, and seemed to study the liquid within it.

“My family owned a hail quarry just north of Cloudsdale,” she said, taking a delicate sip from the cup. “Back in the day, I mean. When I was a filly I used to help my brothers to load up and ship out the clouds. Our kind of stamina stands us in good stead when participating in an endurance race, wouldn’t you say?”

“Oh, I—” Apple Bloom felt as though the breath was being stolen from her body as a pleasant tingle started to unfold within her chest. A quick glance at Peach Fuzz confirmed the notion that she had somehow passed some kind of test. “Yes, Miss Berlinetta,” she managed to get out eventually. “It sure does.”

“Hmm.” Berlinetta took a sip of tea before setting the cup aside. Her eyes found Apple Bloom’s again. “So, shall we begin? I’m lead to believe that you’ve already been told about our society? That all prospective competitors must be endorsed by an existing member before they can participate?”

“Yes, I understand.” Apple Bloom climbed up onto one of the seats at the table; almost instantly her nervous hooves started to tap out the beat from one of the synthwave records she had been listening to earlier that morning. It was probably an understatement, all things considered. Peach Fuzz had spent the best part of a week chewing her ears off on about a billion aspects of the race—far more than Apple Bloom reckoned she would ever need to know.

Her eyes moved to the clock on the wall, and felt her pulse quicken. At least Peach Fuzz’s briefing meant that Apple Bloom could skip some of the formalities at least. She had managed to sneak back to the farmhouse early for this meeting, but figured she only had about an hour tops before the others broke for lunch.

She realised Berlinetta was watching her, and heat rose to her cheeks. Running a hoof through her mane, Apple Bloom tried not to wince each time it brushed up against a twig or leaf.

“I mean, I know that you want to interview me to make sure that I’m genuine like, and to work out whether you wanna vouch for me as a competitor.”

Berlinetta held her gaze for a moment before nodding.

“Your credentials, then.”

“My, uh, credentials? You mean school grades?”

Berlinetta’s eyes twinkled in a way that made Apple Bloom’s stomach shrivel up.

“I mean, have you ever taken part in a race before?”

“Oh, uh, right.” Apple Bloom took a slow sip from her cup to give her nerves time to settle back down. “Yes, I have. Mostly when I was younger, though.”

Berlinetta lifted her own cup to her lips. “And your race career? Do you have any big podium finishes to your name?”

The question seemed to suck the air from the room. Apple Bloom kept her eyes on the dust motes dancing in the hazy light, mainly as a means of ignoring the sensation of her stomach falling through the floor. From her position she could see Berlinetta’s parked kart through the window, and the sight of it made Apple Bloom feel small and uncerain.

“Not really, no,” she managed finally. Her voice shook, and she quickly resumed her tapping. “Guess that’s not a good thing, huh?”

“What are you talking about?” Diamond Tiara’s exasperated voice was loud and shrill, and it took her a few seconds longer than everypony else to realise it had come from her own mouth. She hesitated, licking her lips before her wide-eyed expression became truculent again. “What about the Applewood Derby? You took fastest racer there, remember?”

“Oh—Oh!! Apple Bloom’s stomach performance a somersault as she realised her omission. She flashed Diamond Tiara an appreciative smile, which her friend eventually responded to with a roll of her eyes.

“That’s right,” she continued, turning back to Berlinetta. “Two years runnin’, in fact.” Her thoughts drifted back to those slicing turns and positional battles with the other colts and fillies, and Apple Bloom felt her heart soar.

Berlinetta inclined her head. “The Applewood Derby? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure. What speedway club does it come under the jurisdiction of?

Apple Bloom furrowed her brow at the question. “Uh, I ain’t sure of that, Miss Berlinetta. It’s kinda local, you know? Mainly for colts and fillies.”

“Ah, well that explains it then.” Berlinetta finished her tea and leaned forward to place a slice of pie onto her plate. “Local races like that are usually too small to count in terms of official ranking systems. I was inquiring more about larger races—regionals and the like—the ones that typically would bring racers greater prestige.”

Apple Bloom’s ears drooped. She felt like a foal again, a foal who had taken on a difficult chore to impress her older siblings, and who had made a complete mess of it. Of course she meant bigger races, she chastised herself. What was I thinking?

“Oh, don’t be too disheartened now.” Berlinetta’s eyes reflected the sunlight as she spoke. “It’s not going to count against you—quite the opposite in fact. OutRun Equestria is a secret society if you recall; the last thing we want is for famous faces coming along and drawing attention to it.”

The pegasus reclined back in her chair, delicately picking up a piece of pie with her fork. Apple Bloom used the opportunity to check the clock again, her lower lip between her teeth. They hadn’t even gotten onto the subject of the race itself yet. She still didn’t know how she was going to break the news to Applejack, but she knew it had to be in her own time, and on her own terms.

“This is delicious.” Berlinetta’s delicate brows narrowed as she regarded the pie. “Did you make this?”

“Yup. Hoof-made, from the bucking of the apples to the baking of the pastry.” Apple Bloom felt her chest swell with pride as she looked at the pie. Its crust was golden and flaky, and she had some advice from Pinkie Pie a year back—unbeknownst to Applejack, of course—on how to get a little more kick into the rich filling. Apple Bloom’s pies had become the talk of the Apple family during gatherings and celebrations, and making them had become one of the few things she could honestly say she enjoyed without complaint.

“I see.” Berlinetta brushed a loose silvery strand of mane back under her headscarf. “The big question, then: Why do you want to race?”

“Because I’ve always—” Apple Bloom clamped her mouth shut, swallowing down the rest of the prepared script she had spent a week rehearsing with Peach Fuzz. They had both agreed at the time that it was a gripping and powerful narration of Apple Bloom’s foalhood desire to be the fastest pony on land, and would surely win over even the most stringent of interviewers. But now, in the silence of the farmhouse, and with Berlinetta’s intense gaze upon her, Apple Bloom thought it sounded a little stupid. After all, she was supposed to be doing this as a means of finding out who she was, and what she wanted from life. She had a nagging doubt that lying about her reasons wasn’t the most fertile ground to plant a seed in.

“Honestly? I don’t know, not really.” Apple Bloom winced at how fragile the words sounded, but kept her gaze fixed on Berlinetta. She imagined Peach Fuzz was probably tying her tail in knots right about now. “Don’t get me wrong, Miss Berlinetta, I really enjoy racin’. The first time I competed in the Applewood Derby was awesome. It wasn’t ’cause I was trying to be the fastest or anythin’; it just kinda felt right to me, being that kart and taking on all those corners and straights.”

After a prolonged moment of silence that made her stomach contract, Apple Bloom exhaled and continued.

“But if I’m bein’ honest, I think I most like the idea that participating would give me a chance to see a little of the world, and maybe even a little more of myself too.”

For the first time since she had arrived, Berlinetta smiled. It was only a slight pull of the lips, but it transformed her entire face. Her eyes looked mischievous, and her mouth rebellious. Apple Bloom took it all in and immediately felt a hundred times better about herself.

“When I was younger,” Berlinetta said, her rich voice dancing over the syllables, “I always found myself wondering why my pegasus friends all wanted to compete to be the fastest flyer. I dabbled, naturally, but the first time my hooves touched the ground, I knew that was where I wanted to compete. I entered a few cross-country gallops, but it was when I watched a karting tournament one weekend in Baltimare that my journey towards being the fastest pegasus on wheels really started.”

Her eyes twinkled as she looked down at Apple Bloom. “Knowing you want something different, but not knowing exactly what it is—it’s a powerful feeling, and not one you can ignore.”

Apple Bloom’s throat had become dry and tight while the pegasus was speaking, and all she could manage was a nod of the head. At one point she thought she heard the sound of the farmhouse door opening over the ringing in her ears, and panic added to the heady mix of sensations that clung to her like a second skin. But when she looked towards the door it was still closed.

“—Not that age is a problem; you’re pretty young, but…”

Apple Bloom shook her head and blinked. “You mean I’m goin’ to be—I mean, I could be the youngest racer?”

Berlinetta’s smile showed a neat line of teeth. “Not quite, kid. But you’ll be among them, how does that sound?”

“So you're saying that I… I can race?” Apple Bloom’s hooves began to tap an excited rhythm on the table. Her heart thudded against her chest as she silently repeated the words. It sounded like a confirmation, but she had to make sure—just had to.”

The pegasus’ expression became playful. “Well, only time will tell if you can or not, but I’m willing to endorse you if you want to try.”

“Yes!” Apple Bloom leapt from her seat and punched the air, her tail twirling as she spun on her hooves. “Yes! Yes! Yes! Oh, thank you, thank you—” She caught herself then, and attempted to copy the dignified air of the pony sitting opposite. After all, she was going to be a racer now. ”I mean, yes I would love to compete, and I very much appreciate you supporting me to do so.”

Berlinetta cast a glance at the door before nodding and sliding from her chair. “Very well, I’ll go and get the paperwork from my kart, and then we can wrap this all up. How long do we have until your family return?”

“Oh… er…” Pricks of heat spread across Apple Bloom’s cheeks. “About half an hour, maybe.”

“Long enough. I’ll arrange a time to come back once the routes and checkpoints have been mapped, and the time converter is ready to be installed in your kart.” Berlinetta regarded Apple Bloom. “You know, just because we want to try something new, it doesn’t mean we can’t tell our families. New roads can be pretty rough; it’s good to know you have ponies who will support you.”

Apple Bloom felt her blush intensify. “Yes, Miss.”

As the pegasus left, Apple Bloom breathed a ragged sigh of relief before looking over her shoulder. “How. Awesome. Is. This?”

Peach Fuzz, whose gaze had followed Berlinetta out of the door, turned back and grinned. “Awesome don’t even cover it, girl! Wait until I tell my brothers about this—You got Berlinetta to vouch for you! That is so cool.”

It was only then that Apple Bloom realised something was amiss.

“Hey,” she said, looking around the room, “what happened to DT?”

“I dunno, she said she had to go, or something.” Peach Fuzz bit her lip as her coppery eyes tracked to the door. “Back when you and Berlinetta were talking about knowing when you want something different and stuff.”

“Oh... Right.” Apple Bloom felt some of the excitement leave her body.

Just what is going on with that mare?