Girls and Bridle Ch. 09.3

"That's not good..."

"Nope... Not good..."

"Having regrets?"

"Not at all. Things are happening as they are supposed to."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that life is like a raging sea at times, and we can't control it."

"Deep... but true."

Invisibly sitting in the stands among a mass of excited people, Tiantang Zhi Ma and Penny watched the small drivers guide their ponygirls to their assigned gates. As if this was a bad joke from the Gods, Sophie was given gate number one, and Brittany was given gate number two. Any other combination than this would have been preferable. The two drivers may have survived some time together in a prison cell, but here, with their competitive spirits, a spark would be enough to ignite a catastrophe.

Penny and Tiang could already tell that the two drivers were throwing invectives at each other already, but they could do nothing about it from where they were. Before the race, Penny had carefully explained to Sophie that her suspension lift was a miracle and it was critical for her to keep her mouth shut even if taunted by her harsh enemy. It was only fair to assume that Stardust had strongly encouraged Brittany to do the same.

But, as Penny had so poetically stated, life could sometimes be a raging sea.

***

"SCREW YOU, IDIOT!"

"DIE!"

"NO! YOU DIE!"

Morning Star and Moonlight briefly looked at each other, almost wishing that Penny had let Ivory drive them during this last race. Ivory was noisy and a bit of an airhead, but at least she didn't bring such verbal violence with her on race days. As for Hemlock and Nightshade, even if they had seen Brittany at her worst over the years, they couldn't entirely repress the thought that running with Xiuying as a driver during the past two races had been somewhat peaceful.

But ponies being ponies, they didn't have the freedom of choice. Instead, they had to wait for the track official to give their respective drivers a substantial warning to shut up, or else they would get disqualified. The tension was so high between them that the ponies assigned to gate number three were too terrified to enter it.

It would be that kind of day again.

Even though six teams were ready to race, everybody, both on the track and in the stands, secretly knew that this ultimate competition would only be between Penny's stable and Stardust's stable after witnessing the insanity of the two past races. It wouldn't have been polite to voice it, but they knew.

And they also knew one essential detail. No teams had won the three Triple Crown races for the past twenty-five years. It was downright impossible to be this good in all three races. Winning them all in the same year would grant the victorious a legendary status, meaning that they would forever be regarded as heroes. Looking at the past two races was sufficient to understand the full extent of the competitors' challenge. It could have easily gone both ways. Stardust could have won one of the two races and put a nail in the coffin of Penny's dream. The Triple Crown races were the hardest in the world for a reason.

Yet, Morning Star and Moonlight won them. Therefore, the dream was still alive. And not only that, it was the way they won as well. If it could even be called that, their racing strategy had been downright terrible and made their life so much more difficult. They started behind everybody in both races and had to sprint the whole track to win. For lack of better terms, what they did was mystical.

And the crowd knew... everybody knew...

What happened during the past two races wasn't supposed to happen, and as a side effect, people rightfully expected a repeat of the same. They were thirsty for another tight race. They were thirsty for another catastrophic start just so they could witness another miraculous comeback, one that would create a myth. In their minds, no other scenario should happen. It was as if history was already written for Morning Star and Moonlight, and if their performance were to deviate the slightest from that narration, they would get crucified and very possibly be labeled as losers for the rest of eternity.

Fortunately, the two racers were a bit clueless. Sure, Morning Star could sense some febrility in the air, but it was not that different from all her previous Super Cup Championship. She was, after all, considered the fastest pony on Earth, and her countless victories were a testament to her experience. Winning the Triple Crown would be nice and ensure Penny's stable survival, but she had so much self-control that it didn't trigger any particular emotions.

Moonlight, her, she didn't care. At the end of the day, she was here because Tiantang Zhi Ma and Xiuying had asked her to. Along the way, she had learned to keep her mouth shut and just do what she was good at. Another win wouldn't hurt, but she didn't know what was going on in the grand scheme of things.

After being scolded severely by the track official, her first and last warning, Sophie returned her attention to her ponies.

"Star, Moon, listen. We are lucky enough to have the inner lane this time, but keep in mind that this track is five hundred meters longer than the two previous ones. It's long... very long. So don't push too hard right at the beginning. If someone is crazy enough to pass us and take the lead, then it's their problem. We will deal with that later. Just do what I tell you to."

Neigh!

Morning Star turned her head and stared at Sophie for a moment. Something wasn't right, something that was enough to pull her out of her emotionless zone and cause anxiety.

"Oh! Don't look at me like that, Star! Put your forehead back on the gate right now."

Neigh!

"Would you stop! I know very well what Penny said, and I disagree with her. So, you follow my lead, and if something goes wrong, I'll be the one facing Penny later, not you. But I certainly won't let you do something as reckless as last time. You hear me?"

Morning Star returned her forehead to the metal gate, but this wasn't right.

In a stable, there was a hierarchy. The owner, Penny, managed the stable and scheduled the events, among other things, and Sophie, the driver, trained the ponies and made them race on event days. As defined and separated as those roles were, there was a clear order of things. Penny was the big boss, and if Penny decided about anything in any facet of the sport, it was absolute. Even Sophie would have to obey. Failure to do so would mean getting fired.

As a matter of fact, Penny had given such an order only a moment ago, in the stall, just before they walked to the track. She said:

"Sophie. Let them run however they want."

Morning Star didn't like this one bit. She didn't want to be in charge for the third time. She wanted Sophie to drive and tell them what to do like before. Like she was suggesting right now.

But, that command was from Penny herself. As much as she hated that directive, it had to be obeyed. And now, Sophie said the opposite and wanted to manage the race. That wasn't cool at all.

Stuck between her obedience and her desire not to be in charge, Morning Star became all twitchy. Through her black latex skin, her muscles spasmed, her hoof scraped the sand, she banged her head on the metal gate, unable to stay still and focus. Her harness felt uncomfortable, and her bit was too deep in her mouth. For one rare time, she wanted to talk about this.

But there was no time.

What to do? What to do?

The gate would open in a few seconds, and it would be too late to decide who she was siding with. Was Sophie even aware of this dilemma that she had caused?

Distress... Profound distress. Penny or Sophie? Who should she listen to? Penny's demand was extremely clear, but Sophie's doubts were fully justified.

BANG!

She banged her head hard on the rusty metal gate, causing some old caked sand to fall off it, and triggering Sophie's ire.

"HEY! What are you doing!? Don't do that, Star! You'll hurt yourself!"

BANG!

"STOP IT! What's wrong with you! Stop!"

Oh, it hurt. But at least, the impact on her skull prevented her from overthinking her situation. She repeated this self-torture between every number of the countdown, hoping that it would bring her some sort of clarity, or perhaps prevent it. The gate resonated so loudly that she couldn't hear Sophie's panic anymore.

Three...

BANG!

Two...

BANG!

One...

SLAM!

At the precise moment when Morning Star smashed her forehead on the gate again, the doors slammed open, providing her with an unexpected momentum. This unplanned motion was enough to get her going. Moonlight, synchronized by this very unusual metronome, had her first career perfect start. The two black-clad ponygirls bolted forward with a head start on everybody else.

It was too late to think, so Morning Star just ran, helped by her powerful companion.

"Heeeey! Slow down! Slow down! Didn't you listen to a word I said?"

It was stupid. Nobody in the history of racing ever began the longest race in the world with a sprint. Doing so would result in early exhaustion, and no matter how big the gap created by such a foolish maneuver was, it would all be lost. It was a matter of time and how well the trailing ponies had managed their race. It was an unalterable fact.

In the current situation, it meant that if Sophie didn't get control back of her panicked leading pony soon, this race would be lost before they even reached the first turn. But it was easier said than done because Morning Star had never behaved this way, and Sophie wasn't too sure what was going on in her pony's head.

***

"NO! HEMLOCK! Let her go! LET HER GO! This is SO stupid!"

Sophie wasn't the only one who had problems. Brittany also had trouble controlling her ponies, but it was for a very different reason. Hemlock and Nightshade had bolted out of the gate almost perfectly, which was a good thing, but trying to keep up with that imbecile black team next to them was not the right thing to do.

Yet, Hemlock didn't do anything wrong. Actually, she was doing precisely what she was told to do, and it was Brittany's responsibility to carry. Brittany had hammered her racing strategy in her ponies' heads all week before this race. It was an ultimate race, and it was out of the question to finish second for the third time in a row. Her goal was clear. Winning, or at the very least, giving Penny's team a run for their money. Her strategy was simple; do not let Sophie and her retarded ponies take the lead at any point in the race. In her mind, Brittany knew that her ponies were very capable of keeping up with the bests. Racing this way came with some risks, as it was pretty much relying on another team's strategy to be successful, but it wasn't an unreasonable approach in this instance.

So all week, Brittany repeated the same message over and over. No matter the cost, do not fall behind.

So, no, Hemlock wasn't doing anything wrong by trying to keep up with Morning Star and Moonlight. This early sprint was unexpected, but if her enemies were capable of it, so was she. And Brittany's voice seemed to be background noise at the moment. She had been given her strategy, and what her driver was telling her didn't seem aligned with the role she needed to play.

So, despite the yells, she sprinted, and so did her companion, Nightshade. It was hard, it hurt already, but they applied what they had to do. They were not falling behind and even started to take the lead, as if a foot ahead could be considered a lead.

As expected, the rest of the competitors just didn't exist anymore, or at the very least, they quickly had fallen into irrelevance.

Unable to regain control of her racing machine, Brittany turned her hate to Sophie, who was right next to her.

"Sophie! STOP THIS! Are you stupid or what?"

"SHUT UP! It's not me!"

"What do you mean it's not you, moron? Slow down and race like a pro. You are going to make both of us look like idiots!"

There was that too.

A large number of spectators in the stands and even more watching on TV was not going to forgive this. Today, they expected to see the best. Two incredible teams engaged in merciless battle. One would fight to become a legend, and the other would become a destroyer of dreams. No matter which one would succeed, it would be satisfying. But if the two teams were to perform in an execrable manner, there would only be anger left. The crowd would feel betrayed as soon as their illusions would turn into dry sand. For Penny and Stardust, there would be nothing left in this racing world but shame.

"STAR! I SAID, SLOW DOWN!"

"..."

"STAAAR!"

Seeing Sophie screaming at her elite pony felt very strange. At first, Brittany didn't believe it, but the more she heard those words that she should ignore, the more her understanding of the situation solidified.

This race would be a disaster--a representation of her entire life. A smile mixed with rage appeared on her face...

"... Alright... So be it... HEMLOCK! NIGHTSHADE! YAAAAAA! FASTER!"

This was comforting. Hemlock smiled behind her bit as her directives were no longer conflicting. Underneath her pink latex skin, her powerful muscles engaged in the most satisfying way.

***

The two teams began a race of life and death, one that didn't seem to head toward a good ending. Halfway through the first turn, Sophie, Morning Star, Moonlight, Brittany, Hemlock, and Nightshades were already way ahead of the competition. It was only the two teams gliding on the oversized dirt track. The sheer size of the oval made them look even smaller from afar. It was as if two shooting stars, a black one and a pink one, pierced the night sky portrayed by the black dirt.

Ages ago, a forgotten time, a legendary ponygirl had raced on this same ground. She was a woman from another era where there was no TV or even radio. It was said that she was the best, and nobody could ever break her records, even the most gifted modern-day racers. It was also said that, back then, latex suits weren't a thing and that the ponygirls were proudly racing naked, only wearing their pony gears. Hers was made of leather and ornate with pure gold. It was said that her bridle was the most beautiful ever made and that only the most worthy racers would be allowed to wear it.

That said, after the great fire of 1871, most of the written records of the ancient ponygirls, the pioneers, were destroyed. Only a few distorted elements survived the test of time until today. Nobody knew if the Golden ponygirl's track records were authentic or how they compared to today's performances.

About fifty years ago, when a random racer showed up on the Super Cup track wearing a bridle made of gold, allegedly found in a second-hand shop, the legend of the golden pony was revived. Unfortunately for the wearer, her performances were poor, proving that this special gear wouldn't grant its powers to anybody. This racer retired, and the golden bridle vanished once more and has never been seen since then.

Today, on the track, nobody wore a golden bridle. It was said that the legendary bridle would be the one finding a racer and not the other way around, and this was exactly why the spirit of the golden ponygirl had placed this precious object in the hands of the most improbable person as if to ensure it wouldn't resurface without reason.

***

Several weeks ago...

"What's in the box?"

"Nothing! And stop asking."

"What's in the box?"

"CASSY!"

"Aaah! I'm just curious, that's all... Your little interaction with the store owner creeped me out. That was the weirdest person I've ever met."

"Whatever! Forget it. We have your new pony gears, and I'll put you to work as soon as we get home."

"Pfff... You got me a suit with boob holes, worn-out pony boots, an old leather harness that looks manly, and a rusty bridle..."

"Well, you still seem happy..."

"Yes, because you generously bought me my cowboy hat."

"You didn't leave me a choice. You kept whining and refused to leave the store without it. You can be so annoying."

"So... What's in the box?"

"CASSY! STOP!"

***

Back to the present...

"Yaaaa! YAAA!"

"Give me some room, Britt! You are going to hit us!"

"Mind your own business, Sophie!"

"Morning Star! Pleeease! Slow down!"

For the fiftieth time, Sophie implored her ponies to stop sprinting. It was already too late, though. They were halfway through the race, and even if she managed to regain control, it was unlikely that they would have enough energy to keep a decent pace until the end. That race was nothing less than over for them and also for Brittany's team, who was too stubborn and proud to give up. Instead, by their annoying presence at their side, they pushed Morning Star and Moonlight even harder.

Nobody had noticed, but something was unusual. After sprinting half this track, Hemlock and Nightshade were at their limits, and rightfully so. If one were to look at the stopwatch, he would see that both teams had crushed the previous track records for the two first quarters. Even if this feat of strength was a harbinger of bad news, it was an achievement worth mentioning. The foam at their mouth was proof that they had put all they had on the track today.

But on their left were two ponygirls wearing black latex, and even if they had achieved a similar prowess, they didn't seem to suffer as much, and it was because of one subtle element; Moonlight.

The young ponygirl didn't know better. Running all her life in a desert to escape a world that displeased her was all she knew, really. Even now, the title "ponygirl" didn't suit her very much. Sure, she loved to run, she wanted to run, but everything else was blurry in her mind. Winning, losing, what could be the difference? Yes, the goal was to save Penny's stable from an unfortunate closure, but outside that, what was all the fuss about this event? She didn't know, she didn't care. Here and now, she had promised her help and was also promised that she could accomplish anything she wanted. If she wanted to win this third race, she apparently could, as per what Tiantang Zhi Ma had explained to her while being on the verge of death in the middle of a desert. Running away from opportunities like this was possibly not a good thing.

So Moonlight was here, running on this famous track, following Morning Star's pace and trying to take as much load as possible off her. Pull the cart and follow. That was her job, and it wasn't entirely unpleasant.

It was not that hard.

Even if she didn't know how much easier she made it for Morning Star to run, she at least knew that she was doing her part, and in the back of her mind, she suspected that it might have been a bigger part. After the last two races, she had regularly heard Morning Star telling Penny and company that "Moonlight did all the work." Was this out of modesty, or did she really mean it?

On the one hand, without Morning Star dictating the pace so consistently during this race and being a role model to copy a perfect form, Moonlight knew that she probably would be lost. After all, she had caused so much trouble lately due to her inability to start the races well and her misunderstanding of what it meant to be a ponygirl. Today, it did go much better, but it hasn't always been like that, so she was very happy to have Morning Star at her side.

On the other hand, she still felt a bit puzzled as neither Sophie nor Morning Star seemed to understand what she was really capable of. So far, the most challenging activity she had done with Sophie was at the very beginning of her training when she made her pull a sleigh full of heavy concrete blocks. Dragging it around the inside paddock at Penny's stable had been pretty much the most difficult task she had performed, one that brought her down to her knees. She had wished that Sophie would have let her do it again, but unfortunately, that desire had been repeatedly quenched because "it's too dangerous for your knees" or "I need to keep Morning Star and you well balanced, or it could cause more problems." Those arguments against the intense exercise weren't void of sense, but they did feel like it was holding her back.