Author's Note

This won't become a major project or a mainline story for me. I'm kind of just doing this for fun. This won't become a point of focus for me in the future. But still, I hope it pleases your interest for reading.

Going Through Changes

Viral hadn't been used to the feeling ever since she left for Wing City all those years ago, but to her nothing quite felt like home. Or at the very least what felt like home. She glanced down at her license as she came back to reality. It felt like she was just a filly the first time she drove these streets.

Indeed she had been through Paradise City many times. Getting caught up in that portal and getting dragged alone to a different universe did a lot to her head. Ever since she just went through the motions. Winning races, and crashing every once in a while. But it was lonely, and shortly after she earned her Burnout Racing License she pursued other places. It took her a long time to find Wing City. But it suited her and at least she had company and competition. Zephyr was a nice stallion, even if he did seem like he was covering something up.

She had returned a few days prior so she could finally earn her Elite License. Except, now something seemed different. There were other cars, like always. But they seemed to actually be driven by ponies for once. They didn't occasionally wreck just because in any given race. They actually posed a challenge. It was a welcome surprise.

Last up on her list was a Stunt Run, one she was currently finishing up. She had long since already beaten the score but it helped that she was in her personal favorite car. A Carson GT Concept, the car she earned getting her Burnout License.

She was cruising down Angus Wharf after just recently passing by the Junkyard near The Coast Guard HQ. She was holding a 14x multiplier but had burnt up her boost reserves. The Combo ended just as she passed by the Waterfront, the timer signaling the end of the event.

As she pulled the GT Concept to the curb the Burnout License next to her began to glow vibrantly. The light enveloping the license as it changed from a dark red to a bright silver. That was it, she had done it. On the license now was a stamp of completion. It read, 100% Dec, 9 2019. She was proud of herself for sure.

She knew exactly where to celebrate. The Wildcat's Baseball Stadium. She drove in through the West entrance and began to settle into a gradual drift. She lined up the perfect angle to the point where she no longer needed to move the wheel. With the wheel in place she did two things. She locked her steering wheel in place and placed a weight on her pedal before proceeding to climb to the roof of the GT Concept as it continued to drift. She had practiced before, it was no problem for her.

She must have been doing it for a few minutes before the thunder of another engine hounded her ears. From the Southeast entrance an aquamarine and golden orange Jansen XS12 entered the stadium and came to a stop inside the circle her Concept was making. Viral climbed back into her vehicle and yanked the e-brake stopping the car instantly, right next to the new arrival's Super-car.

The wing doors of the XS12 opened revealing a similarly colored pegasus mare wearing a black jumpsuit with green thunderbolts. What was interesting to Viral was she had seen this mare, back in Wing City. Then again, she knew this was a separate universe. Paradise City and Wing City’s different physics kind of implied it.

"That was pretty reckless, I liked it."

"Coming from a pony driving that car, I would have expected something like that to escape those lips of yours. That car may as well be a wild animal"

Ok, so this pony may have looked the same but she definitely wasn't the same in personality. Then without warning two more vehicles entered. One, a Purple Carson Opus XS and the other being a Red Carson Annihilator.

"Ok, the speeder, the showoff, and the aggressor. Do crews of three always have this dynamic?" Viral thought to herself.

Two more ponies stepped out of the cars that arrived. The driver of the Opus was far too tall to be driving a Lowrider and the other was far too short to likely even reach the pedals. They were also wearing the same jumpsuit that the first pony was wearing.

"Names Lightning Dust, this is Rolling Thunder and Short Fuze."

"You, figured. Your name sounds like generic Pegasus number three-five-six, and your name is just a pun based on your height."

Short Fuze looked ready to jump the Pegasus for her comment. Lighting just rolled her eyes as Rolling Thunder tried to hold Short Fuze back.

"Make that a double pun. Did you want something?"

"I was going to ask if you could run with us as a crew…"

Viral flashed her newly earned Elite license.

"If anything I'll be leaving you behind rather than anything."

"Is that a challenge?"

"If you finish within 5 seconds of me I'll stick with you. At least then I know you won't be holding me down."

In reality Viral really did want to run with Lightning, but the addition of Rolling Thunder and Short Fuze just annoyed her more than anything.

"Fine, your on. The Country Club, whenever you're ready."

Viral was already spinning her tires. All of the racers oriented themselves before launching out the Southeast entrance. They went uphill heading Northwest.

As Viral went on final approach for The Country Club she was moderately surprised to see Lightning's XS12 keeping pace with her slightly faster GT Concept. Either Lightning was well prepared for a race or she was losing her touch. The others however were simply just gone. Short Fuze had actively gone for a slam on Viral only to find himself head on with a bus, and Rolling Thunder had tried to shortcut the turn off 7th by jumping the statue. This only lead to her missing the landing zone and ending up in a pond.

Viral drifted the final turn into the finish marker with Lightning not far behind at all. They parked on the curb together waiting for the other two to finish.

"At least I can say you had me running."

"Well, your actions back up your talk that's for sure. I never got your name."

"Viral Velocity, but if you want you can just call me V."

“You don’t say. You know where the abandoned airfield is right?”

“If I didn’t I wouldn’t have an Elite License. Why do you ask?”

“Performing dangerous stunts while flying is one thing, but I still need some practice with my XS12. Mind doing some moves to show off?”

“Just that? I can do you one better. I can run my usual routine for you to watch.”

Short Fuze and Rolling Thunder finally pulled up alongside Lightning’s XS12.

“One moment.”

Lightning spent a moment talking with her companions, who apparently wanted a break. While Lightning sighed a bit she relented and the two ponies went into the club. It was likely they wouldn’t stay long. Lightning returned to her vehicle as Viral climbed back into hers. As Viral pulled onto Newton she could have sworn she heard the distinct engine of two Hunter Cavalry’s and a Mesquite. Judging by the direction they were likely heading up W. Crawford. The pair of vehicles headed south making a right turn onto Lawrence and into the tunnel dodging traffic like street racers. They exited and shortly thereafter made a left turn at the Junkyard before turning into the entrance to the airfield. There was a vehicle already present.

An orange Carson GT Flame with blue/yellow flames adorning the hood had just finished running the figure eight dirt track inside the airfield and had come to a stop. Lightning’s XS12 had pulled in front of Viral’s GT Concept as they entered. When it seemed the driver of the GT Flame noticed them they came to a dead stop. The two cars were lined up perfectly and were now spinning thier tires. Seemingly in sync they shot off heading for one another and at the last second they pulled away from each other, the GT Flame exiting where Viral had entered from.

Lightning parked next to a ramp and exited her supercar with a look that could kill a Cockatrice. Viral pulled alongside and just rolled down her window. Lightning simply sighed.

“Let’s not talk about that now ok. You said you had a routine for this place?”

“Yep, stand back this might take some time.”

Viral spun her GT Concept around so it was facing north and took off at high speed. She made the first corner, drifting all the way through. She took two short hops on the center ramps then drifted left. The car was stable in the drift but nearly over-steered. The she went for the first big jump. Heading left she aimed for a rounded building with a roof used as a makeshift ramp. She pulled on the e-brake on launch and executed a textbook flat spin. Another time around the wide left with a little extra counter-steer to balance the car. This time she went for a single roll on the short ramp. A little risky but she pulled it off. It was meant to impress Lightning. She came around one more time for the grand finale. She took a tight angle on the drift and went right. She aimed slightly off the blue flashing lights, she wanted the split ramp. As the red GT Concept took flight it went into a roll and in a seemingly unthinkable miracle went through a ring, upside down, before landing on its wheels. To add onto that, she had cleared Lightning’s XS12 while doing so.

She spun around one more time before parking alongside the same car she just jumped over.

“How was that? I did it first try too.”

“I think I need to practice more on my own time, we should probably head back and pick up the others. Let’s take Crawford, I think it's faster.