Girls and Bridle Ch. 01

Author's note: I knew nothing about ponygirls, but I decided to give it a shot and write this story. I tried to stay away from all other ponygirl stories because I wanted to develop my own concept of what it meant. I'm sure many pony fans will criticize me, and others will praise me, but I'm convinced it is one of a kind because I stayed true to myself as a writer. It quickly became one of my favorites stories. It will be a long series of roughly 10 chapters. I hope you'll love it as much as I do. The action starts now...

Chapter 1 - The fastest pony on Earth

Flash! Flash!... Flash!

A cloud of fine sandy dry dust formed around the black hoof that softly struck the ground in the hallway leading to the race track...

Flash!... Flash! Flash!

... followed by another, and another. The bright lights emanating from the cameras' bursting bulbs were immortalizing their subject and making it shine for the fervently awaiting crowd to admire.

Occasional twitches could be noticed on her powerful latex covered thighs, betraying the febrility of the ponygirl. Her torso, too, was made of shiny rubber and was surrounded by a perfectly fitted leather harness, which was contouring her breasts and curves flawlessly as well as highlighting her healthy musculature.

Her tightly-laced pony boots gripped the soil and effortlessly pulled the cart attached to her hips despite the weight of the driver who was sitting in it. Her cuffed wrists were linked to her sides by short chains, forcing her elbows backward; it was cosmetic at best since her training made this restriction almost unnecessary.

The cheers of the crowd grew closer; a couple more steps from the athlete and they would be roaring of joy for their number one racer. She was part of the elite for the past three years and stole everyone's heart with her beauty and prowess on the track.

Even though the leather ears mounted atop of her bridle were not real, she could hear everything. Eyes closed, she embraced the feeling to have someone she trusted with her life guiding her. Her perfect white teeth were comfortably biting on the rubber bit, but there was no smile; this was work.

Then, the intense sunlight hit her face, exposing her charisma to the thousands of eyes, which triggered a roar of happiness all over the stadium. A light breeze put her long brown mane in motion, enhancing the surreal spectacle.

She opened her eyelids fully, which revealed her grey eyes and dilated her pupils instantaneously. Above her determined gaze, the white star engraved in her leather headband shone like never before.

Her name was Morning Star!

***

This particular sight was exclusive to the National Racing Ponygirl Association, which organized some of the most prestigious ponygirl races on the planet. Tonight was the most important event of their calendar, the Super Cup. The winner would take home both riches and the 15000 spectators' admiration present on-site and countless more on television.

"We got gate number one. If we get in the front of the pack right off the bat, it will make life difficult for everybody else, but don't go crazy, okay? It's 800 meters. You don't want to run out of gas half-way through the race."

Sophie was the petite driver sitting in the cart pulled by Morning Star. The information she fed her ponygirl with was unnecessary, but it helped them focus on the task ahead. The runner much preferred not to think about anything at all, so the little speech from the driver was just a way of showing her that things were under control.

Morning Star slowly trotted behind the gates to get the blood flowing and keep her calves warm and ready for the upcoming painful exercise; at the end of this high-speed race, her entire body would be burning like fire.

"Heeey, Morning Shit! Ready to lose?"

"Ah, can't you keep your mouth shut for more than 30 seconds, Brittany? Leave my pony alone!"

"What's that, Sophie? You don't want your weak-minded creature to crumble under pressure?"

Brittany's brain hosted a mixture of stupidity and social failure. She was one of the nastiest people who had ever roamed this Earth and, unfortunately, for the past few years, her favorite target has been Morning Star.

She was doing this partially out of jealousy, but also because she was genetically engineered from birth to be a moron. What made it much worse in her case was that she was driving one of the best ponygirls ever, Hemlock. Whoever put this incredible athlete in Brittany's hands had to be out of his mind, but the sad reality was that she managed to win races, and for some odd reason, she had very good chemistry with her superstar ponygirl.

Hemlock was good; very good. Under her girly pink latex suit and harness, it was an unsuspected war machine, and on the race track, her long blonde hair floating in the wind was the most beautiful sight. But her athleticism and beauty weren't the only reason why she was a number one enemy; her attitude was downright concerning at times. Her prettiness was hiding a fearless individual ready to flirt with a disqualification to win a race. It was unclear if it was because she simply obeyed Brittany blindly, though; that was what ponies were good at, after all, run and obey.

As annoying as they were as a team, the root problem was certainly their owner, Paul Clover. This man had too much money for his own good and kept sweet-talking the officials to prevent his team from being expelled for good. Pony racing could sometimes be a dirty business.

Morning Star's owner, Penny, was not like that at all. She was an older woman who loved the sport so much that she always did everything to keep her ponygirls and drivers happy, even through difficult times. In return, they tried to win for her. She was the reason why everybody was training so hard in her stable.

"Gate 1 ... Cart number 7 ... Morning Star!"

"I'll wait for you at the finishing line, Morning Shit!"

"Brittany, you can really hope to win this one because, clearly, you left your brain in the locker room. You know,... weight advantage."

"Go to hell, Sophie! Watch yourself on the race track!"

"Yeah, whatever you say, flooded-skull!"

After the usual unrestrained exchange of insults, Sophie guided Morning Star to her gate while the announcer called the other ponies to do the same, one by one, in a randomly assigned order.

"Gate 2 ... Cart number 14 ... Tiantang Zhi Ma!"

"Ah, crap! I would have preferred to have somebody else next to us. We will have to be careful. She is very fast."

"Gate 3 ... Cart number 89 ... Hemlock!"

"Well, at least we're not next to those assholes."

"Gate 4 ... Cart number 13 ... Nightshade!"

"Another bimbo-pony from Paul's stable. They shouldn't be a big threat to us, though... But Nightshade is getting much better recently."

"Gate 5 ... Cart number 42 ... Biscuit of the Sea!"

"Gate 6 ... Cart number 33 ... Main Yak!"

"Gate 7 ... Cart number 72 ... Hilda Go!"

"Gate 8 ... Cart number 50 ... Fifty Shades of Hay!"

"Listen, Morning Star. Hemlock and Tiantang Zhi Ma are the only two who might cause us real trouble. But we have to be careful of Nightshade because she will probably do all she can to interfere so her friend Hemlock can win. Stay close to the rail so nobody can pass us on the left, okay?"

Morning Star nodded and pawed the ground a couple of times. The only thing missing was an open gate and a freshly groomed dirt track. This race would consist of two intense laps, the most important ones of the year.

The announcer's voice resonated through the metal speakers perched atop of some poles around the spectator stands.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to the annual Super Cup of Ponygirl Racing. This year we have eight AMAZING competitors ready to put their heart on the track for you. Who will win? Will Morning Star win her 4th Super Cup in a row? Your guess is as good as mine! This year, the winner will take home 250000$."

"Ladies and Gentlemen! ARE YOU READY FOR THE RACE?"

The huge crowd roared at the pointless question. There was no doubt this was a perfect day; the sun was out, the beautiful people were lightly dressed, the lineup was incredible, and the ponygirls were all gorgeous!

"ALRIGHT, THEN! THE RACE WILL START IN..."

"THREE!"

All the ponygirls pressed their leather headband on the metal gates in front of them to bolt out as soon as they would open. Using hands was not permitted, hence the cuffing, so this was a technique adopted by everybody. Every fraction of a second would count.

"TWO!"

The tension was so high in the spectator stands; everybody seemed to hold their breath. However, the ponygirls knew better; all of them breathed heavily, charging their blood with oxygen.

"ONE!"

That was it... The moment has arrived. It was the most important day of the year, a day that would ensure financial security to the winner. That said, Morning Star was not thinking about that one bit.

She was not thinking about anything else than being a pony. She had a job to do—running, obeying; everything else would be taken care of by her driver. The fear, the joy, the ambition, the hate, the frustration... Her training taught her to put all of it aside and keep her focus on running.

"RACE!"

The time slowed down to a crawl. As soon as her forehead perceived the faintest vibration on the door, Morning Star engaged her incredibly strong legs to push her torso forward, not thinking about what would happen if the gate were not to open; it would be catastrophic.

As always, she has sensed right. The metal doors slammed open just as her latex covered breasts brushed against them. With all her strength, she made her cart and her driver accelerate. It was crucial to do this well if she wanted to keep her lane advantage on the track.

Morning Star managed to keep her corridor next to the rail, but to her right was Tiantang Zhi Ma, the very attractive Asian Pony wearing a fiery red latex suit, keeping up with her. The ponygirls ignored each other, but it was not the same for the drivers. Sophie didn't like the close proximity of her opponent; their wheels were almost touching, a couple of inches apart, and that rail on the other side was dangerously close.

"Hey, Give me some room, Xiu!"

"Just slow down and let me take the rail."

"In your dream! Not going to happen!"

"After the first 100 meters, the ponies are entering the first turn. Morning Star and Tiantang Zhi Ma are head to head. Hemlock is not far behind, waiting for an opportunity, followed by Main Yak, Hilda Go, and Nightshade. Unfortunately, Fifty Shades of Hay seems to be in trouble. It looks like one of her hooves is defective, and she is pulling to the side."

"Come on, Tiantang! Get in front of her!"

The red Asian ponygirl got her legs moving a bit more, obeying her driver Xiuying, and started to pull ahead of Morning Star. Sophie knew what was happening and controlled her pony.

"No, Star! Relax, relax... Let them take the lead. Whatever... It's too early in the race to push this hard. I guarantee you they will have to slow down later. Our problem is Hemlock now."

The hooves of the seven remaining ponygirls were battering the dirt track at high speed. Those steel horseshoes were no jokes; no one dreamed of getting stomped on their foot by one of those. They were mandatory for racing as per the rulebook, and it made total sense. It prevented them from sliding and getting injured, even on a dry day like today.

"Tiantang Zhi Ma takes the lead. Morning Star is now second, followed by Hemlock, who seems to conserve herself now, not attempting anything yet. Nightshade is now fourth. Biscuit of the Sea, Main Yak, and Hilda Go are side by side battling for the fifth as the competitors just reached the 300 mark and are entering the second turn."

"Hey! Sophie! Don't you want to follow Chopsticks? I get it. Morning Star has no cardio whatsoever!"

"Shut up, Brittany. You are a racist and an idiot! Only your bimbo whore finds you funny! Oh, my bad... I meant horse!"

"You are going to pay for that comment! Come on, Hemlock, one lap to go, pass her now!"

The pink and athletic ponygirl accepted the order with pleasure, activated her incredible runner legs, and had no difficulty catching up and initiating a passing maneuver over Morning Star.

"Calm down, Morning Star, pick up the pace but not too much. You are doing so well. Just do as I say, and we will win this. They are all pushing way too hard."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, witness the power of Hemlock, she is about to effortlessly pass Morning Star, the favorite pony of this race. But Morning Star is not giving up and is accelerating as well as they are entering the first turn of the final lap. Things are not going so well for Tiantang Zhi Ma as she seems to run out of breath."

"Good job, Hemlock! Stay on the outside lane to pass Chopsticks too!"

"Brittany! I told you! That's racist! You can't say that!"

Sophie gently pulled on the reins to indicate Morning Star to change lane and pass Tiantang Zhi Ma, who was dangerously slowing down. As soon as the tired red ponygirl was out of the way, the two new leading teams returned to the inner lane.

"Alright, Star. Only 200 meters to go, we will make our move in the last turn... Hey... What the ...!"

"COME ON, NIGHTSHADE! GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT!"

To the right of Morning Star, Nightshade, being yelled at by her driver, was on a mad final sprint, really trying to pass them; it was way too early for such an expense of energy. The second pink pony's hooves were striking the ground relentlessly, and she was breathing as hard as she was biting in her bit. Nightshade was on a mission, and it was not to win the race; Sophie knew that very well. Nightshade's goal was to interfere so Hemlock could win the race.

"Guys! Don't try this! You can't do this! It's too late. Nightshade can't pass us now!"

"Shut up! Come on, Nightshade! We have to block them!"

"NO! Stop! It's madness! You are going to cause an accident. Don't be stupid!"

Nightshade was only a few steps in front of Morning Star, but her lungs were burning, and her entire body was on fire. She couldn't give anything else as she spent all her energy trying to catch up with a faster pony than her. Unfortunately, she got the signal to move to the left lane, where Morning Star was. There was not nearly enough clearance for this to happen.

The wheel of Nightshade's cart hit Morning Star's leg, instantaneously ripping off her rubber skin and causing massive pain. On the impact, and with the twisting motion of her cart, Nightshade tripped and fell right in the legs of Morning Star.

The two ponygirls, having no other option, pulled on their chained cuffs to release their hands, thanks to the quick disconnect system allowing them to do so. Morning Star put her two arms in front of her face to protect herself and crashed violently in the dirt while her cart bounced on top of Nightshade's body, sending Sophie flying off it.

The cart safety engaged as well and disconnected from Morning Star's harness, but the worst thing that could have happened became a reality. One of the two carts flipped in the air and fell straight down on the poor black ponygirl.

Everything went dark.

***

"The committee will see you now, Mr. Clover. Please follow me."

"What a waste of my time. Do you know how much I contributed to this organization? And they are treating me like this?"

"Sir, I'm simply a doorman. I have nothing to do with this. Please follow me."

"Well, you are probably being paid by my money! So, shut up!"

"Yes, Sir. But please, follow me."

Paul was furious. Two days after the catastrophic Super Cup race, he was summoned, as the owner of his stable, to appear in front of the NRPA committee along with his two ponygirls and his drivers. He followed the doorman, grumbling, and under the delusion that he would be immune to any consequences.

The group was led to the end of the hallway and through some already opened large burgundy wooden doors.

"Please, enter and sit."

"Waste of my time!"

There was one table with five empty chairs facing another long table where the eight committee members of the National Racing Ponygirl Association sat in silence. On each side of the rooms, there were the big NRPA flags, making the ambiance feel particularly official.

Paul sat in the middle, his two pony girls to his left and Brittany to his right.

Still very frustrated by all this, the angry owner asked the first question.

"What is this bad joke?"

"Please state your name."

"What? You know who I am! You called me here."

"Our secretary doesn't, and she is writing down everything that is being said here today. So, please, state your name."

"Ah, whatever. Paul Clover."

"Thank you. And your companions are Nightshade, Hemlock, and Brittany, I presume."

"Yes, you already know that. What am I doing here."

In the middle, the older man let out a long sigh and placed his glasses on the table in front of him. He interlaced his finger and knew exactly what kind of man he would have to deal with today. Paul Clover has always been an annoying member of the NRPA, and he was difficult to talk to.

"Mr. Clover. Do you see something strange at your table?"

"Yes, me. I shouldn't be sitting here."

"No, Mr. Clover. In case you haven't noticed, there is an empty chair. Would you know, by any chance, why that is?"

"You don't know how to count?"

"Mr. Clover. One of your drivers is at the hospital at the moment, and she is not doing well."

The older man looked at one of the reports under his nose and placed one of his fingers on it.

"Your driver suffers from a broken collarbone, five broken ribs, and she will have a scar on her neck for the rest of her life."

"Well, bad drivers, you know... it happens."

"I see... And you, Miss Nightshade. How is your health?"

"Aaah, she is fine! Don't worry about her."

"Mr. Clover, the question was for Miss Nightshade."

Nightshade was a very pretty blonde girl. As a ponygirl, her body usually exhaled health and strength, but not today. Wearing ordinary clothes, her long sleeves and pants were hiding severe bruises from her hard crash in the dirt and from having been run over by Morning Star's cart.

She lowered her head and attempted an answer that wouldn't infuriate her owner.

"I'm well, thank you. A few bruises, but it's part of the sport... right?"

"Do you realize how lucky you were, Miss Nightshade?"

"... I... I think I do."

"That's good to hear.

The committee leader placed his report aside, grabbed the next one, and started reading it aloud.

"Sophie. Driver. Sprained knee, countless bruises, severe concussion."

"So what? This job comes with risks."

"I'm not done, Mr. Clover. You'll get your opportunity to talk. Next, Morning Star, Elite ponygirl. Punctured lung, broken shoulder blade, fractured sternum, broken tibia, fractured foot, mild concussion. She might never be able to race again."

When the committee leader read all this, he had limited hope it would trigger the right kind of emotions inside Paul Clover's heart. Nobody knew if he actually had one.

"So, Mr. Clover. Do you see the problem here?"

"Yes, you are wasting my time."

"I'm sorry to hear that, but let me help you a little bit again. Your hospitalized driver has had enough of your management style, and provided us with a full report of what happened before, during, and after the race. You ordered her to interfere with a competitor at all costs to increase the winning chances of your lead ponygirl, Hemlock."

"Yeah, so what?"

"Do you realize that you just admitted that what I just said was correct. Thank you for making my life easier."