Run That Race

3RD NOVEMBER 2023

------B-202, SUNNY HEIGHTS, CANTERLOT CITY------

It was 11:00am now in Canterlot City. Sunset Shimmer was at her home. She had returned from Road America on Nightmare Night, after finally getting that spot on Thunderbolt Motorsports as their second driver in the FIA Road Car World Championship. Sunset was extremely excited, but she was extremely bored right now, despite it being a Saturday morning. So far, the public and other racing teams did not know the results of RaceWorld Academy. That would be revealed soon. Today, Sunset was catching on some of the work she had missed over the last month at RaceWorld Academy.

As she was writing down some of the notes on Thermodynamics that she had missed, she heard a knock on her door. Sunset wondered who it was. None of her friends were coming by, and no deliveries were scheduled as of now. She still talked with the trainees from RaceWorld Academy, especially Powerslide and Sonata. However, they didn't live anywhere near Canterlot City, thought Sunset, as she walked to the front door, and looked through the peephole.

Who was outside the door shocked here. It was Soaring Surfer and Comet Flash. Why were they here? They knew her address alright, but why were they at her house, with no reason, without calling? Sunset wondered why, as she opened the door to let the two in. "Ah, Sunset! I'm sorry to come to your house announced like this, but we need to talk." said Surfer.

"Why? What is this about?" asked a confused Sunset.

"Well, there are some changes in the racing calendar. Originally, there were planned to be just 18 races this season. But now, that number has risen to 21, so you will have to be prepared. But that's not what we're here to talk about. We're here to talk about something else entirely. It's about how you will be treated on a real racetrack." said Comet Flash.

"Why? I know I will face some criticism, being a girl, and a gamer, but is it that bad?" asked Sunset.

"Well, that's the thing. You'll be competing against professional athletes, who have had years of real racing experience. The professional sentiment is against sim drivers. All the other drivers, the FIA, even your own pit crew, they're all going to hate you!"

"But, won't I have good support from the crowd?"

"Well, there is quite a huge simracing community, so you'll have quite some support from the crowd, but on the track, you're going to have a lot of enemies, especially the team we're aiming to beat, which is Rich Racing."

"Wait, Rich Racing? Isn't that the one run by Filthy Rich, and is also in F1?"

"Yep, that's the one alright. They've got faster cars as well than us. They've managed to get Ferrari 296s."

"Oh, he's not going to be happy to see me on the track. Me and my friends once stopped him from buying a camp we go to. He wanted to turn that place into a resort as the owner didn't pay him money to keep the lease on the land, which was his, but we held a large fundraiser, and ended up stopping that plan, so he's probably still salty about it."

"Great. The rivalry's going be higher between us and Rich Racing then, once Filthy Rich finds out that you're driving for us. We have to make sure that they don't try anything nasty to Thunderbolt Motorsports. Also, there is another important thing. You graduate from high school next year, right?"

"Well, actually, in 2025, since I just turned 17 in August."

"Well, we're going to have to make sure you don't miss out on school while on races, so that way, you have a backup option in case racing doesn't work out well for you. We're going to talk to your principal about this. We're going make sure you attend all your tests and exams, even if you are in another country." said Soaring Surfer. "Quickly, get prepared. We're heading out in ten minutes."

"But isn't today a Sunday? School's closed!" said Sunset.

"Yep, today's Sunday. But I live in Canterlot City, and the principal of your school happens to live just down the road from my house, so we're heading there. I already called her in advance, and she knows we're coming to her house. So, get ready quick!" said Soaring Surfer, as Sunset ran into her bathroom, surprised that Principal Celestia didn't live at the school itself, and actually had a house somewhere else, considering that Sunset had only seen her outside of CHS a couple of times.

Soon, she was dressed, and sitting in Soaring Surfer's beautiful purple Lamborghini Urus. Sunset was enjoying the ride, it being her first time in a Lamborghini. She intently listened to the sound of the V8 engine, as the Urus drove down the streets of Canterlot City, heading towards one of the more upscale neighborhoods in the city.

The sports SUV drove into one such neighborhood, and after heading down the main road for a couple of minutes, drove into the driveway of one of the houses. It seemed like all of the other houses in this neighborhood, a large villa. Apart from Soaring Surfer's Urus, there was only one other car in the driveway, which was a relatively humble white Mercedes E-Class. The Urus parked next to the E-Class, and everyone got out. The three walked to the villa's door, and Surfer rang the doorbell.

The door opened to reveal Principal Celestia, who was in a very different attire to what Sunset saw in school. She was wearing a sleeveless shirt, despite the fact that it was almost winter, and an apron that read 'KISS THE COOK'. That made Sunset laugh a little. "Ah, gentlemen, and Sunset, welcome to my house. Sorry about this attire, I was just making an early lunch. Come on in!" said Celestia, as Surfer, Comet Flash, and Sunset walked into the house, which was quite nicely furnished.

As they went down and sat on the sofa, Celestia went off to the kitchen again, to probably go and switch off. When she came back from the kitchen, she had taken off the 'KISS THE COOK' apron. "So, you tell me Sunset is a potential candidate for your racing team, Mr. Surfer?" asked Celestia.

"Yes, Miss Celestia. The thing is, we were hoping to sign her for a one-year contract to our team, to see how well she can do as a real racer." said Surfer, rubbing his hair sheepishly.

Celestia instantly stood up at that. "One year? But she could be missing a whole year, which she might have to repeat. Plus, isn't it a little dangerous, for her to compete in a dangerous sport like motorsports? She's just 17."

"Miss Celestia, my name's Comet Flash. I understand your concerns, being a former racer myself." said Comet Flash, finally speaking up. "However, most of us all started racing at very young ages. I myself started racing go-karts when I was just 6 years old. Most of us all got into some of the top tiers of motorsports at the ages of just 18 or 19. I myself got a seat in Formula 1, the holy grail of motorsports, when I was just 18, and continued racing there until my retirement in 2015, at the age of 28." explained Comet Flash.

"About the missed classes, you can email us the lessons and homework, so she can do it on the go. Plus, she can also get help from her friends. As for tests and exams, let us know in advance, so we can schedule online conference calls, and the teachers can supervise her during that. Keep in mind that Fridays till Sundays are usually race weekends, so she will be on the racetrack then. Plus, if there are a couple of weeks between races, she can physically come to school as well." said Soaring Surfer.

"I see. We can do that, but please make sure she doesn't end up in any serious accidents out there. She's one of the best students at my school." said Celestia.

"Don't worry, Miss Celestia. Sunset seems to have good skill in cars and racing, and as a former racer myself, I'll make sure of that." said Comet Flash.

"Also, where can I watch the races? When the school finds out, even if they can't go to the tracks themselves, they'll want to see her racing. Plus, I used to be quite an adrenaline junkie when I was younger." said Celestia.

"Well, the Moon Sports Network is broadcasting the races live on TV and on some social media sites, such as MyStable and Lifeinvader. We have to get going now, we're going to be heading to the team headquarters, which are here in Canterlot City. Here's my business card. It has my phone number and email address on it." said Soaring Surfer, handing Celestia his business card.

"All right then. It was a pleasure meeting you. When does the racing start?" asked Celestia.

"Well, the first race of this season is in March, and it ends in November. Before that, all of the teams have a pre-season testing period in February, to prepare the cars, and get ready for the racing season, so she'll be gone for sometime." said Comet Flash.

"I see. Anyways, again, it was nice meeting you all. I hope to see you at school soon, Sunset." said Celestia, as the trio bid farewell, and climbed back into Surfer's Lamborghini, before peeling out of Celestia's driveway, heading towards the headquarters of Thunderbolt Motorsports. They would drop Sunset home on the way. It was now 12:40pm, almost lunchtime. Sunset would soon be meeting her co-driver, and then, the announcement that Sunset would be Thunderbolt's second driver, and then, it would be time to hit the track.