"Yes!"

Night had fallen on Wing City as Lightning along with Crimson and Aqua had just finished a race involving 5 others. Lightning had won with no contest, Crimson had come second, and Aqua had managed a fourth thanks to some new parts she added to her BRZ while she was with Lightning during the day.

Lightning was quite pleased with her improved Supra, the turbocharger giving new life to the retro engine while the tires and brakes played their part in keeping her in control of the power she now had. She was grabbing the attention of the local spectators at the races now, her consistency paying off with now three wins in one night. She, Crimson, and Aqua were pushing it hard in preparation for the next Perfect Shift event scheduled for the following night.

As the celebration quieted down the trio took to the street once more driving through Blackwood Heights.Thier destination being the observatory in Cloudbank. Lightning was enjoying her company. Aqua had become a good friend, giving her advice for the fastest routes to certain parts of the city. Crimson, while not exactly a friend making type, was at least a good driver. He had in a way become Lightning's friendly rival, pushing her to be better every time they raced together. Whenever she was leading he was right behind her and vice versa. Despite how little they shared Aqua and Crimson got along well and even had a shared interest in drift builds. The only difference they had was what car they thought was best for it. Lightning could only guess what any of it meant.

They arrived fairly quickly, stepping out of their cars to take a nice look at the view of the city below them. Lightning enjoyed seeing the city from above and this was the best place to do it. They sat there for some time before Aqua decided to take off. Lightning didn't fuss about it, instead she took it as an opportunity to challenge Crimson to a one on one. He didn't even hesitate.

Within seconds they were in their respective vehicles and off at high speed. Lightning led the pair up north towards the forest. They ran side by side as they took a wide u-shaped turn. As they exited the turn they were ambushed.

Three Chargers came from up front and blocked them in, allowing no room to move. As they all came to a stop a fourth vehicle approached. It was a black Mitsubishi Eclipse. The door to the Eclipse opened and out stepped a pony all too familiar to Lightning.

Rogue Rush.

He approached the pair of vehicles that had been boxed in. Crimson stepped out of his vehicle to confront him, Lightning soon followed. Rogue approached Crimson first.

"It would seem you met the new face. I heard about the stunt you pulled a couple days ago. You still got the nerve to interfere with what I'm doing here?"

"I've got all the reason to, we're all looking for the same thing here right?"

"Indeed, but I have no quarrel with you right now. You're just a has been who thinks he has what it takes to run with the real players."

Without warning or hesitation Rogue's left hoof met Crimson's jaw at full force. It sent him sprawling. Lightning was helpless to do anything but stand and witness. She pretended like she wasn't paying attention. Now that Rogue had dealt with Crimson he turned his attention to Lightning who stood solid still and stared to the sky.

"So rookie, how have you been?"

Lightning did not respond.

"Talked with Spark lately? I haven't seen her in some time."

Lightning shifted her glance to his face, said nothing and looked back up. He walked right up to her face.

"You've got a lot of nerve trying to run from me. There won't be no running tomorrow you hear? We'll see who really is number one here when the race is over."

Lightning met his eyes with hers, and smirked.

"You gonna hit me?"

Rogue simply raised an eyebrow to the mare.

"I'm pretty sure physical strength and driving skill aren't the same thing. If you want me, then let me show you what I got... sir."

Rogue refused to take any more, he returned to his Eclipse and, along with the Chargers, sped off once again. As they did this Crimson got back to his hooves.

"You've got nerves of steel to talk to him like that."

"His death stare doesn't have anything on a mare I know, maybe if he was wearing sunglasses."

"Why would some pony be wearing sunglasses at night?" He questioned. Lightning simply shook her head

"You wouldn't get it. We should get going, you alright?"

"I'll be fine, not the first time he's hit me."

The pair returned to their cars, Crimson opting to return to his home in Mendoza Keys. Lightning however had one more race in her. With a farewell they went their separate ways for the night. The race Lightning was looking for was quite a distance in Edgewood Valley. She sped off to make it before the race could begin. She made it just in time as the rest of the competitors were lining up. She took the final place on the grid. As she was revving her engine one pony took out a camera and began to video her exhaust fumes. She hadn't customized hers yet, but she was planning on it for the future.

The starting line was right beside a billboard on the left with a makeshift ramp and was right before a highway crossing. The finish was located in Cape Castille, three and a quarter miles away. 3...2...1...

Lightning's Supra was out in a flash, she cut left to avoid the RX-8 ahead of her that had an agonizing start off the line and she made up a few positions doing so. By the time she crossed the highway intersection she was fourth. Ahead of her was a Silvia S15 in third, a Focus RS in second, and a Golf GTI Clubsport leading the race.

She caught up to the Silvia as they passed underneath a bridge and completed the pass after making a left. The race crossed over another highway intersection before ending up in a winding hairpin right. the leaders including Lightning made few mistakes on the corner despite the serious banking on the hilltop road. They made a left passing under a highway sign letting them know they were in Sandino Ranches. By this time Lightning had caught up to the Focus and passed it at another right as they continued through Sandino Ranches. Coming up was a major highway intersection. Lightning activated her nitrous to gain ground on the Golf that was leading the race.

At the intersection everything went downhill. Two Highway Patrol police cars converged on either side. The Golf pounded one in the door leaving a dent and immobilizing both vehicles. Lightning saw what happened and managed to swerve out of the way in time to avoid the second vehicle which picked up the chase. It would need some time to catch up as Lightning was already long gone.

The path for the race brought her through several downhill s-turns before crossing another intersection where Lightning dodged yet another roadblock. The original patrol unit had caught up, giving her Supra a shunt to let her know it was there. She took a quick right at the next intersection. Two more winding curves and a final left brought her to the final straight. She crossed the finish line for her fourth straight win that night. Now the problem was getting the cops off her bumper.

She made a quick left and went full throttle, she knew there was a hideout in Cape Castille but it was far too close to be reliable. There was a hideout just north of it near Mendoza Keys. If she could lose her tail quickly enough she could take the night off and rest there. McClare wouldn't mind, better than being busted.

The highway she was on was very narrow and she had to constantly swerve between traffic to keep her speed and outrun the cops. It payed off, they eventually lost sight of her when she got to the bridge. She saw a billboard and without hesitation took the blind leap. She was lucky that the unfinished bridge beneath caught her. Had she misjudged her jump she would ended up in the water stuck in her car, an almost certain death.

She brought the Supra to a stop. What had she just gotten herself into. First, treating a willing killer like he wasn't more than a high school bully, then barely dodging what would have been a very nasty head on collision with an armored vehicle, then cheating death by taking a blind leap and almost drowning by doing so. Being this reckless was what got her wings clipped in the first place, did she really need to add her life to the list of things she could just throw away? She threw her chances at being a Wonderbolt the same way.

There was a difference in all the doubt, before she was doing it for herself. Now she was doing it for some pony else's sake. Neon, who's life was cut far too short. That's what this was for. For once in her life Lightning was still herself, but she was doing all these reckless acts in the name of a pony she called a friend.

She would have gone further into thought but she needed to get off the streets before the cops found her again. The hideout was just up the road on the left. She pulled in and parked the car before immediately heading to the bed. She needed some time to sleep if she was going to be ready for the big race the following night.

Lightning had decided to sleep in the following day. She had managed to contact McClare about her absence sometime around eight in the morning. Now it was well past that time, close to one in the afternoon. Lightning awoke after a well deserved nights sleep and felt great. Once she found something to eat she set off once again in her Supra, which had a dent in the rear end from the previous nights chase. It was no problem to her at the time.

She took the quickest route back to the main garage. When she arrived, she found Aqua and Crimson parked on the curb not too far from the entrance. Crimson still had a noticeable mark on his muzzle from the previous night, he wasn't even trying to conceal it from Aqua. Lightning pulled alongside the pair and had a quick chat to catch up what she had missed during the morning.

The race wasn't until ten at night, so the trio had plenty of time to find something to do. The problem was that none of them were simply in a Sunday driving mood. Lightning however did have an idea, she knew she would need a new ride and she had heard that the Dealership was the best place in town to check out new cars.

Aqua was alright with the idea and agreed to come with her, while Crimson wanted to do some sanctioned daytime races. Apparently races during the day gave out huge payments for winning and he wanted some time to get new parts for his Mustang. The three ponies went in directions, Crimson headed towards Eden Shores while Lightning and Aqua went towards the Dealership just to the south.

The pair arrived at the showroom in a matter of minutes and opened the door to find a plethora of different cars from all sorts of different manufacturer's. Aqua's eyes immediately were set on a Nissan 370z. It was one of her dream rides, and she knew a friend who had an amazing drift build that she tested in the hills. As she was eyeing up the Nissan, Lightning took some looks at more serious cars. She spotted a few that peaked her interest for sure.

First was the Nissan Skyline (R-34). It was an old model for sure, but one that stood the test of time and was the predecessor for the Nissan GT-R (R-35), the car that Neon had driven. four-wheel drive made it very stable in corners and despite the old design it could keep pace with many modern sports cars. But it lacked straight line speed without extra parts.

Next in her mind was the BMW M3 '10. It was the most recent rendition of the M3 series that BMW had kept alive for several years. It was rear-wheel drive just like her Supra and had incredible handling. It's speed was about on par with the Skyline but the acceleration was quite high in comparison. Despite it's flaws it was a solid choice.

Her final decision was the Ford Mustang GT Fastback '15. The modern take on a classic muscle car that had lasted for years. rear-wheel drive traction just like the M3 but lacking in the grip that the BMW had. However being a muscle car meant it outclassed both her other options in acceleration and top speed. With the skill she had acquired from driving the Camaro she was sure she could handle it's modern rival with firm hooves.

She looked over the three cars for several hours and could not quite come to a decision. She would need to think on it in her spare time. For now, she needed to prepare. She asked Aqua if she wanted to come back to the garage with her but she didn't take up the offer. Instead she was planning to go up to the hills to meet her friend Emerald. She wanted some advice on how to make a proper drift build. Lightning waved her off and headed back to what was now her temporary home at the garage. It was half after four, still plenty of time to get a little more rest in.

Lightning slowly awoke to find a darkening sky over the horizon. Panicking she checked the time, she had overslept. The race was in less than five minutes. She would surely be disqualified if she no showed the race. That was not something she wanted to happen.

Silently cursing herself for sleeping in, she made haste for her Supra and quickly started the engine. The gate barely had time to open before she peeled away, leaving skid marks on the floor of the garage. She quickly marked her destination, it was in Mendoza Keys on the upper platform of the bridge. This was a fair distance away, and she didn't have much time. She made a quick right turn onto the road before hitting the freeway heading west. Luckily for her it was a straight shot from there.

She stayed on the correct side of the road, hitting top speed as she blazed a trail down the road dodging late night traffic at well over 180 MPH. She had a few close calls, even a couple scrapes but nothing that slowed her down substantially. By the time she made it to the beginning of the bridge she could see the other cars, both Crimson's Mustang and Rogue's Eclipse as well as a host of other vehicles were already lined up. With less than one minute to spare before the race Lightning pulled the e-brake hard sending the Supra into a sudden skid as the tires caught while attempting to slow down.

She successfully stopped the Supra before pulling it alongside the only car in the final row, Crimson's Mustang Boss 302. Rogue's Eclipse was in the second row on the right, two positions ahead of Lightning. Also on the grid were a Honda Civic and Mitsubishi Lancer X in the front. In the second row next to Rogue was a Pontiac Firebird. In the third row were a Mazda RX-8 and a Lexus IS300.

A running grid appeared on Lightning's GPS alongside the route that had been set for the race.

1. Jackal
   
2. Ace
   
3. Ash
   
4. Rogue Rush
   
5. Vector
   
6. Bandit
   
7. Road Burner
   
8. Super-storm

All Racers Present:

The race was ready to begin.

3...2...1...

Lightning had no such luck getting a jump on the launch as every car on the grid launched fairly well save for the RX-8 and IS300 in front of her and Crimson. Crimson forced his way through the middle and managed to fight for both positions. Lightning decided to be patient and wait for an oppurtunity. Ahead of them The Lancer beat out the Civic on its launch and took the lead. Rogue followed behind it and managed to take second. The Civic settled in third and the Firebird maintained fourth place. The bridge was long and allowed plenty of space for the racers to get to top speed. This was a good thing for Crimson, his Mustang's horsepower being put on display as he caught up to and passed the Firebird without trouble. Lightning first picked off the RX-8 then the IS300 but had yet to catch up to the Firebird as the group finally passed over the bridge.

A couple wide curves provided little opportunity for passes. Then the route abruptly made a sharp right, most of the cars made the corner fairly well, the only exception was the Firebird which locked up while trying to slow down for the turn. This gave Lightning the position without it fighting back. She was now in fifth, a transfer position, but she wanted more. Rogue was gunning for the lead on the Lancer, and Crimson had caught the Civic in third. It was time to start making moves.

Now the pack was heading west through the Grenada Wetlands. Lightning caught the Mustang and Civic as they were battling. Coming up was another right, she took the inside three wide. The Civic was forced the farthest outside and backed off. Crimson did not, he held the outside firm and managed to keep pace with Lightning's Supra as they excited the turn. Lightning completed the past after a wide left curve.

Up ahead was another sharp right. Rogue's Eclipse and the Lancer entered it side by side. Rogue had the preferred line, but he also gave the Lancer a slam. The force sent it through the wooden fence and onto the wet dirt. Lightning took the corner well and passed the Lancer before it regained traction. The Civic passed Crimson again and both of them also took position from the Lancer. Lightning was now in second. One pony stood between her and another win, and she didn't plan on backing down.

Another right turn at a large intersection led up to a long downhill straight. It would gives Lightning's superior straight line speed a chance to help her catch up. She did quickly, and stuck her bumper along Rogue's right fender. He shifted and blocked. She shifted to the left and brought her Supra alongside. She began to pull ahead, right before the Eclipse made a sudden left.

The movement was an exact mirror of the heats, the same event that caused Neon's crash. He caught the right rear fender of the Supra. Lightning attempted to correct the sudden change of direction but it only sent her car spinning in the opposite direction. She did a full 360 degree rotation before attempting another correction. The tires caught, but the timing could not have been worse.

The Civic in third slammed her right front fender, sending a sudden jolt through the vehicle and shearing the front bumper loose from the Supra. The impact also damaged the Civic, leaving a large dent in the front of the car. It continued on, leaving Lightning's Supra stalled on the side of the road.

Lightning attempted to restart the Supra, only to find her right shoulder dislocated from the impact. She forced it back into position, doing her best not to scream out as she did. Then the Lancer passed by, followed by the Firebird, then Crimson's Mustang. Now she was sixth.

She got the Supra fired just as the RX-8 had caught up. She paid it no attention, it was nowhere near fast enough. She needed to catch the pack ahead. One position was all she needed, but the finish line was in Downtown and was approaching fast.

She raced ahead, bringing the wounded Supra back to full speed. She entered downtown like a rocket and made the left turn at almost full speed, but there was little hope. She could see the finish from the bridge she was crossing. Rgoue's Eclipse and the Civic had already finished. The Lancer was crossing the line as she crested the bridge and both the Firebird and Crimson's Mustang were not far behind. This was it, all hope of advancing was gone just because of one simple spin.

Defeated, she still wanted to cross the finish even if it didn't matter. She went full speed on the straight road leading up to the finish. The Firebird crossed the line, now it was Crimson's turn.

Suddenly Crimson's Mustang began to skid, he locked up his brakes. Just a few dozen feet from the line he came to a complete stop. Lightning went right by him and crossed the line. She was dumbfounded, did Crimson just give her the key to Class B?

"He's not answering." Aqua noted as she and Lightning pulled up once again to the Showroom.

"I know that, but I still want to know why. He has just as much reason to hate Rogue as I do, so why he just stopped is a mystery to me."

"Same here, so what are we doing back here?"

"Well I have to get a new car. As soon as I got back to the garage I found out that the crash ruined my front suspension, partially knocked out the radiator, and did some partial engine damage. It didn't help that I went full throttle right afterwards. Besides, I've got spare credits on me after all those races the night before and I've got a couple options on my mind."

Lightning entered the Showroom on her own this time, Aqua Streak deciding to stay with her BRZ for the time being. Lightning came in to look over her options one last time. She had three.

The BMW M3 '10, The Nissan Skyline (R-34), or the Ford Mustang Fastback '15. She thought carefully for several minutes before finally coming to a decision. It was time to move up to Class B.

Author's Note

Big chapter here, I had planned on making two separate chapters but I ended up compounding both the confrontation and the race into a bigger part.

There is a callback to Lightning's debut in Season 3 early in this chapter, but can you find it?

Now my readers you have a choice, for one week you decide on which car Lightning should use in class B. The Nissan Skyline (R-34), The BMW M3 '10, or the Ford Mustang Fastback? This choice will only affect the car she will be driving in the next few chapters until the next class. Vote in the comments on the car you want to see in the upcoming chapter.