Girls and Bridle Ch. 04

"Gate 7 ... Cart number 7 ... Moonlight!"

The mocking crowd was mostly making jokes rather than applauding as the embarrassed ponygirl advanced to get inside her gate. Her recent incident, having rammed her gate before it had opened, had left an indelible mark in the public opinion.

"Don't listen to them, Moonlight. They are just having fun. We will show them something different this time around."

The ponygirl took a deep breath and focused on her next task, racing. After her humiliating way-too-early crash, Sophie changed her tone and became much bossier and severe. It was not so much to assert her power over Moonlight rather than acknowledging her responsibility in the debacle.

Sure, Sophie had explained Moonlight exactly how the start of the race would occur and what to do technically, she was certain of it, but she had failed to prepare her pony mentally for the excitement of the race and the side effects that came with it. It was a well-known fact that fear and anxiety could affect memory and judgment; therefore, remaining calm before a race was mandatory to avoid mistakes. Perhaps Sophie got too used to race with Morning Star, who was generally in absolute control of her emotions. Obviously, this excluded her recent mood swings due to her injuries.

Adopting a more severe tone toward Moonlight was the right thing to do. It was the best way to separate what had happened before from what would happen next. Racing a ponygirl who just wanted to go home would guarantee a catastrophic result. Imposing a strict course of action and revoking her freedom of choice would ensure such irrelevant thought wouldn't surface again.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, hold on to your hats for the last race of the evening. Can Electra, winner of the first race, manage to surprise everybody again? Hopefully, our newcomer Moonlight will have better luck this time. Please encourage all our participants, and let's get this race going!"

"Alright, Moonlight! Stay calm, and don't move a hair until I say go! Got it? We don't need a good start. Trust me. Let me take care of the strategy, and you just run as I tell you too."

Moonlight gave a little nod and let her shoulder drop a couple of times to evacuate the stress the way Sophie showed her. She dug her horseshoes in the dirt in a much less aggressive manner this time around. Her focus was on Sophie and no longer on the gate.

"Ready! IN THREE ... TWO ... ONE..."

The ponygirl's head was slightly turned to the left to hear the small driver better, and her eyes were closed... Then, the metal gates slammed open, and Sophie yelled at her...

"GO! GO! GO!"

This time it was a successful start. Moonlight strong legs engaged and the cart got moving nicely. Right off the bat, they were last, behind everybody else on top of having the outer corridor; that was the worst combination to overcome.

"Great start for most ponies. Silver Sword and Red Pearl in the lead. Electra in 3rd followed by Lady Wallenstein and Private Grin. Moonlight is last, two lengths behind Last Moment."

"Good start, Moon! Don't worry about being last. It's all good. Just focus on running and follow the reins."

Moonlight battled with the thought of being on a real racetrack and competing with other ponygirls for the first time. Sophie had asked her not to push right at the start and to stay behind everybody to avoid all traffic.

She felt a little tug on her left rein and obeyed by slowly moving toward the rail.

"Great! Now we just need to catch up to them and wait for opportunities."

"Silver Sword still in 1st. Electra aggressively passed Red Pearl and is going after the leader. Lady Wallenstein and Private Grin are battling for the 4th. Moonlight moved to the inside and passed Last Moment, which is now last."

"See, we already gained a position without even working hard. Those two in front of us are burning each other out. Pay attention to your breathing, Moon. save your strength."

To Moonlight, racing without unleashing all her power was a strange concept. Following the pack so casually gave her a wasted opportunity feeling since she knew she could go much faster. But she promised to follow Sophie's instruction by the letter this time around; after what she had done during the first race, she intended to stick to that promise.

A little tug to her bit's right side directed Moonlight to go back to the outer lane. As soon as she did, the cart that was in front of her slowed down for another easy pass. The pony wondered how Sophie anticipated this to happen.

"Keep going, Moonlight. You are doing fantastic. Keep that pace. And keep those wrists to your waist... You are moving them too much to my taste. If you disconnect a cuff, we will get disqualified."

"As the ponies are about to enter the second turn of the first lap, Electra and Silver Sword are neck to neck, battling for the lead. Lady Wallenstein passed Red Pearl, who is now fourth. NICE SURPRISE! Moonlight is now fifth after passing Private Grin. The newbie seems to have some fresh legs after abandoning her first race."

"Alright, Moon. We are about to enter the final lap. I know you want to go faster, but keep listening to me, okay. You are doing just fine. Once we pass Red Pearl, get very close to Lady Wallenstein but don't try to pass her just yet, you'll see. Relax as much as you can right now. Don't think about anything else than your running technique and breathing."

Sophie navigated carefully around Red Pearl, who seemed to have made the critical mistake to keep up with the best ponies right at the beginning of the race and was now running out of fuel. She knew moonlight was far from being at her limit just yet, so she crafted a strategy based on that fact.

Moonlight her was growing impatient, though. She knew she could catch up with the leading ponies, but she had to listen to her driver, no matter what. Making another mistake tonight would be catastrophic on so many levels. All she needed was a good racing experience, and Sophie had promised to deliver that in exchange for blind obedience.

"Moonlight passed Red Pearl to get in fourth position. She is now right behind Lady Wallenstein, who hasn't slowed down since the beginning of the race. As they come out of the first turn, Electra and Silver Sword are still battling each other, refusing to concede the first position. I'm wondering if the two carts touched just now. They will have to be careful not to get disqualified."

Dirt was flying from Lady Wallenstein's horseshoes and kept hitting Moonlight's legs. She wanted to go around her, but she had not received any command to do that; she was not even a meter away from that cart.

Lady's driver kept looking behind herself and even threw some invectives at Moonlight, who frankly didn't know how to react. It wasn't her fault... It was Sophie's odd decision to tail her like that.

"Come on, newbie! Are you going to climb in my cart too? Why don't you go back to your stall and play with some toys! Leave the racetrack to the adults."

Sophie heard every single word, and this reaction was exactly what she had hoped, putting pressure on Wallenstein's team. Racing was not solely about physical prowess; some mind games were going on at all times. Sophie had raced against the Elites and was used to this kind of behavior, but the other amateur contestants in this race were not as familiar with it.

Brittany's terrible attitude during the NRPA races had been good training for Sophie. Enduring that crazy girl successfully meant that she could easily cope with anything else. It was a bit dirty to apply some of those nasty strategies during an amateur race, but it was legal, even if not ethical.

"Hey, whatever your name is, if you don't want us to pull your hair while we are riding your ass, you should try to pick up the pace. Or is it that your ponygirl can't do it?"

"Screw you, newbie! Come on Lady Wallenstein! Show her what you can do!"

And the bait worked like a charm. Lady Wallenstein started to sprint as they entered the last turn, increasing the distance separating her from moonlight, who was more confused than ever. Sophie had not told her to go faster yet and didn't seem worried that they were falling behind.

"Lady Wallenstein started an early sprint, trying to catch up with Electra and Silver Sword, who seem to be slowing down now. Moonlight is still in fourth position keeping her nice pace as we are about to enter the final straight of the race."

"Alright Moon, get ready, as soon as we exit that turn and I say go, you'll sprint with all you've got. Don't leave anything in those legs of yours."

Moonlight was still feeling great. She was more than ready for a sprint and wanted to start it right now. Just the thought filled her blood with adrenaline, and she only needed to hear one single word to release all her energy, a tiny two-letter word that meant so many things... In this case, it could mean victory.

"GO!"

The ponygirl leaned forward, glued her wrists to the small of her waist not to make a costly mistake, and pulled the cart like never before. Sophie gently guided her to the outside lane, where there wouldn't be any traffic to worry about.

"Lady Wallenstein just passed Silver Sword and Electra, who have nothing left in the tank... but ... Oh, my! Moonlight picked up some incredible speed and is passing them too. She is dangerously catching up to Lady Wallenstein who will maybe regret having started an early sprint. WHAT A SPEED! Only three lengths away... Two .... Will Moonlight have time to pass her before crossing the finishing line ... ONE! It's going to be a very close one... CAN SHE MAKE IT?!"

***

"Paul! Paul!"

"Mmm? What!?"

"Wake up, Paul! I have some information for you!"

"What the hell, Brittany? What is your problem? It's the middle of the night!"

Sophie burst into the bedroom and woke up Paul, who was about to kick her away for disturbing his sleep.

"I know who it is!"

"Who it is what? What are you talking about?"

"Penny's new pony! Who else? The one who will team up with Morning Star to compete in the Triple Crown."

"Okay? Who is it then? Is it someone from the NRPA?"

"Nope! I've never seen her before. Her name is Moonlight. She raced for the first time tonight."

"Oh, really? So, they decided to go with a newbie? What kind of stupid ass move is that? They lost before we even had a chance to beat them. That's a let down."

Brittany shook her head, disapproving of Paul's simplistic assessment.

"You are wrong. Moonlight won!"

"What? She won what? Her first race?"

"No, she crashed in her gate like an imbecile during her first race. But she won her second one."

"So, what then? She had fresh legs. It's not like the amateur league is very challenging anyway."

"... Sophie didn't try to win. I know her... She took it easy for the whole race and went for a sprint in the last straight. She was testing her ponygirl. It was Moonlight's first race, and she flew on the last straight of the track like a cheetah on steroids."

"Was she that fast?"

"Yes. Super Cup fast. And I got the feeling she could have started her final sprint a full lap before everybody else."

Paul paused for a bit after that last sentence. Brittany was insane, but she was not a liar. Additionally, she was very competent at assessing ponygirls. She had been right about Hemlock, and she had been right about Nightshade. There was no reason to believe she had imagined things.

"Take off your clothes and get in bed."

"... Is that how much you are concerned about this?"

"What do you want me to do about this at 1am? But since you are here, I would not mind getting a blowjob... unless you prefer anal?"

"..."

"I thought so... Come on. Get in bed and get to work."

Paul was rude.

***

"You got 8 points for your win, so that was not enough to get a prize, but I'm very proud of you. You would have brought back a medal if you hadn't had your little accident during the first race."

Moonlight lowered her head. Yes, she was happy to have finished a nose length ahead of Lady Wallenstein, but she finished fourth overall because of the cumulative scores, and there was no reward for that. Such was the harsh reality of amateur racing.

"Don't worry, Moonlight. It was a great night, and you learned a whole lot. Go to bed now. Tomorrow we can talk about it some more. It's 1 am already. I need sleep."

"Aren't we going to tell Morning Star? She must be lonely in her stall."

"I put her there for a reason... It's going to be good for her in the long run. I'm sure she is asleep anyway."

"She looked a bit depressed this morning when we left her behind to go to the track. I'm sure she would have loved to come with us."

"Aaah, Moon. Stop feeling guilty for her. I've been her trainer for years. Yes, she was sad, but she is smart, and she knew I was right to leave her there. Look, I need to sleep now. So you can sleep here in your bed, or if you feel that guilty, you can go sleep in the stall next to hers."

"... I... I never slept in a barn before."

Sophie stretched her limbs and let a long yawn out.

"It's not nearly as bad as you think. If you decide to spend the night there, just don't get in Morning Star's stall, please. Alright?"

"Okay... Good night, then."

"Night, Moonlight. And try to be proud of your race. You did very well."

"Thank you."

Sophie left, and her lazy footsteps in the wooden staircase indicated that she was more than done for the day. Moonlight was just standing in the kitchen, trying to decide whether or not she should sleep in the barn with Morning Star.

Then something caught her attention. There was a pile of paper on the kitchen countertop, more than likely today's mail. She walked to the pile and pulled out what looked like a magazine.

"One of Morning Star's racing magazines..."

Moonlight knew that Sophie had taken away all racing magazines from Morning Star as a punishment for her bad behavior a few days ago. It was only fair since she could have aggravated her injury and, at the same time, obliterating any chances to save Penny's stable. Knowing how much Morning Star loved those magazines, it was still a rough punishment, though.

Sophie had missed that new one apparently. It was a special edition with some color photos inside too.

***

"Pssst... Star? You are awake?"

Morning Star just turned to her side, not overly wanting to socialize right now. The frustration of being excluded from the racing night was still fresh, and she didn't want to hear about it. Seeing Moonlight on the other side of the jail-like door didn't help her to feel better. She was stuck in her stall, with the bridle on, and a short rope attached to the wall ring. Her cuffed wrists prevented her from getting free.

Then a metal squeak sliced the silence of the night. Immediately, Morning Star turned around and looked at her door.

"Mmmph!"

It was not right at all. Moonlight was not supposed to be inside her stall like this. Sophie had more than likely prohibited her from doing such a thing. The young ponygirl entered the stall and closed the door behind her and held her pillow to her chest. Was she coming to sleep with her? Maybe she didn't know pillows were unnecessary when sleeping on a haystack.

"Shhh... Don't make a noise, Star. I just wanted to check on you. Let me sit on your haystack."

"Mmmph!"

"I know... I can get us in trouble. But I'm fine with it. Can I sit?"

Morning Star starred at Moonlight for a few seconds before deciding to nod and move a bit to give her some space. The ponygirl wearing civilian clothes found a comfy spot very close to the latex-clad pony and started to chat using a discreet voice.

"I'm sorry you couldn't come tonight. But I'm glad you didn't see my first race. I rammed into the gate before it opened and didn't get to do the race. It was so embarrassing. I wanted to leave, but Sophie prevented me from doing so and became all bossy. She didn't let me say another word until my second race."

"Fff fff ff!"

"That's not funny! I thought I was going to die of shame, but then Sophie made me win the second race. So I guess she was right."

Morning Star nodded. She had never rammed the gate that way, but she did have a couple of bad performances and remembered how Sophie reacted to those counter performances. There was no doubt Moonlight got the same treatment, which was a good thing.

"So, I missed you there. I thought it was unfair for Sophie to leave you here all alone."

After a short sigh, Morning Star shook her head. Her understanding of her mistake and the reason why she was punished made sense. In a certain way, Sophie knew better, and her predicament would be a good thing in the long run. She would have liked to talk at this moment to explain to Moonlight that it was okay to get punished when it was fair; it was not a negative thing even if it was not fun.

But her train of thought abruptly terminated when Moonlight pulled something from her pillowcase... Morning Star went ballistic when she realized it was a new racing magazine.

"MMMPH!"

"Oh... You seem to know what it is, right?"

Morning Star nodded energetically and got hyper-excited all of a sudden. She had been waiting for this special edition for a while. Nobody had told her that it had finally arrived. Moonlight tried to push her back with some difficulty and kept the magazine away from the overacting pony.

"Heeey... Shhh! Stop stop... Stop making so much noise, Sophie will hear us. Calm down, okay? I can't uncuff you or remove your bridle, so I'm going to help you read it, okay? It's very dark, but we will do what we can with the moonlight. Hehe... That is like my name. I'm qualified for doing this."

"Mmmph! Mmmph!"

"Okay, just sit very close to me, I'm going to flip the pages for you, just let me know when. I don't know how you like reading those magazines."

For a couple of hours, Moonlight patiently made Morning Star read her new magazine. The two ponygirls got comfy and eventually fell asleep next to each other. The bright moonlight was reflecting on Morning Star's latex skin. The pillow they shared wasn't bad either, even if it was not needed when sleeping on a haystack; some exceptions were always a good thing.

***

"Wake up you two!"

"Mmm? Aaah!"

"Mmmph!"

That was bad news. It was early in the morning, and Sophie showed up at the barn before the two ponies had a fair chance to wake up and separate. They were so screwed.

When they opened their eyes, they saw the small trainer in the stall, bringing some water and tools for the morning routine. She didn't seem mad to have found the two of them together like this, but Moonlight did feel very guilty about it since she did this without permission.

"Sophie... I'm... I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't have—"

"Don't worry, Moonlight. It's all good. Go to the house, take a shower, and put your latex suit on. I'm going to turn you into a nice ponygirl today, and we are all going to train together."

"Together?"

"Yes... Come on, Moon... Hurry!"

"Y...Yes!"

"You forgot your... pillow. Who needs a pillow when sleeping on a haystack?"

"Oh... right... sorry."

Moonlight turned around and grabbed her pillow, and sneakily tried to hide the magazine behind it before rushing to the exit. Sophie stopped her in her tracks.

"Wait! Give me that!"

"My... My pillow?"

"No, silly, the magazine you are trying to hide from me."

Moonlight looked at Morning Star, worried about this special edition's faith, but the ponygirl didn't seem to know what to think either. Moonlight handed the magazine over to Sophie.

"Thanks. I know Morning Star... She will want to reread it until she memorizes the whole thing. We will leave it in her stall for now. Go! Don't make me wait. I have your breakfast with me here."