It is the year 6050 in Equestria. Many things have changed. Celestia had been overthrown. A new pony government rose creating the Races. Even the wingless ponies brave the skies in these races of the century. Great high speed challenges that test the limits of even the best flyer pilots. Last week there was 12 deaths. They were pushing too hard. I don't blame them. They all needed to win. To survive. This is our way of life now. Race… Or die.

Chapter One.

Initiation Day.

Beeep beeep beeep beeep. *Click*

3:30 September 3rd, year 6050. Time to Race: 17:30. Location: Stalton, The grease rag of Sector seven.

Breakfast? Oatmeal as usual.

Weather? Perfect for flying.

Luck? Forget it. I thought to me self. Skill and speed.

Family? Asleep… For now.

I stood from the table and slowly made my way to the door. The old boards creaking under my hooves. I looked nervously up the stairs. Just a few more steps. I held my breath as I reached the door. It opened with a soft click making me winch. I looked back slowly letting out my breath. Home free. I thought closing the door quietly behind me. I swiftly crossed the yard to the old barn. As I entered I sighed in relief, having avoided my parents. The would never let me go if they caught me. "Its too dangerous for a filly." They said, but that wasn't true. I was 19, and I had always been a good pilot. Even for a unicorn.

When I was seven I had got my hooves on a hover-board and placed second in our towns Hov-X races. My parents were furious when they found out. They threw the board in the trash and gave the price money back to the administrators.

Now I had my own flyer, and some cash I'd been saving up. I was ready for this. I crossed to the far end of the dark barn and moved away the organized clutter. There she was, just floating above the ground humming softly, my flyer. It was a FS44X quad-ion-repulsor racing flyer, an antique.

I had found it a long time ago. Rusted and abandoned and an untouched computer system. Complete with head gear. Now it's new brushed chrome plating shone in the moonlight. The black pinstripes hardening the edged of the intake. It looked brand new. Four seasons of work. I touched the hood with my hoof feeling the machines eagerness to move.

I levitated the headset and helmet over to me. The helmet had never fit because of my horn, but I knew I'd need one. Setting the helmet aside I slipped on the lensless headset. The light blue display blinked to life over my eyes. The date and time appeared at the top left, the speedometer was on the bottom right, NAV; bottom left, alert and security, top right.

"Sneaking out are we?" The voice in my headset said with a sly tone said.

"Yes Chip, we are," I said speaking to the voice. Chip had come with the flyer, he handled the diagnostics, security and almost everything else electronic.

"We should at least leave a note for them Terra," Chip said sounding a bit sad. "You wouldn't want them to worry,"

"If they knew where I was going, they would worry anyway." I said clearing a path for the flyer.

"Good point," He said in a 'you're right' tone.

"But," I began thinking about his offer. "Maybe, when we are already gone."

"Untraceable?" He questioned.

"Yes, even thought they could easily guess where I'm going." I began to push the flyer out of the barn quietly trying not to bump anything.

"Speaking of that I've already got a course plotted," as he said that my NAV app blinked showing me a course. "I've also included a stop to pick up that helmet you ordered."

"Good," I said inspecting the rout. "But, spice the rout up a bit. Take it through Ghastly Gorge."

"Are you sure? There has been an awful lot of construction going on there since they started building the sky bridges." He asked showing me the heavy points on the screen.

"Yeah, I'm sure." I said smirking. "Might as well get in some practice on the way."

"Yes ma'am," The rout changed arching through the gorge.

"There, thats more like it Chip." I said looking back to the house. "are we far enough away?

"With as quiet as you made this bad boy, yes." The faint hum grew louder and the lights sparked to life. The LEDs lit the small craft giving it its own life. The RPM gauge jumped as a second hum entered my ears. I climbed on. The seat perfectly conformed to my body as I lowered myself to a lying position. The foot controls came up to my hind hooves, and the windscreen engaged.

"Test all flaps," I said. All the flaps moved ensuring full operation. "Are all ion thrusters at full power?"

"Yes Terra," Chip said as if checking them himself.

"Main forward engin?"

"One hundred and ten percent operational."

"Thank you Chip." I said testing the brake system.

"All systems fully functional ma'am" Chip reported confidently.

"Let's go." I said gunning the thrusters and going 0 to 240 in five seconds flat.

I felt like bullet, and probably looked like nothing but streaks of blue and red light.

"Woooohoooo!" I screamed pulling the craft up into the air. The wind ripped through my black and blue mane.

"Chip, cut the ion's!" I said screaming over the wind. "Extend main stabilizers!"

Me ascent slowed and I tipped the nose down toward the earth and quickly gained speed. The ground sped closer and closer. My altimeter flashed red.

"Terra pull up!" Chip said in full-tail freak-out voice.

" Wait," I said calm. The ground got closer still and my display warned, 'unable to pull up in time, eject requested.' "Chip keep your gears on!" I closed my eyes until I heard it. Until I heard the voice of the flyer. The secret language of the machine. There it is. "ENGAGE IONS NOW!" I yelled pulling up. The tail dipped inches from the ground and I was slinged forward. "HELL YES!" I screamed checking the speedometer. 405! I was going 405 miles per hour! "Chip! 405!"

"Yes Terra, I can see that, and might I advise never doing that again."

I laughed. "Sure thing Chip." I looked at the NAV. Manehatten was one thousand miles east. "But at this speed we could get there in a couple of hours." I said, but we were already losing momentum. I leveled off at 205. "Hey, why don't you run a diagnostics on our speed. I want it enhanced."

"On it." Chip said.

I checked the time. 4:25. Four hours to go. I thought yawning.

"Do you want me to fly?" Chip asked snapping me out of my doze.

"Sure I should rest up. But you better wake me when we get to the gorge.

"I'd advise against it. But you'd just ignore me."

"You got that right." I said activating the magnetic restraints. "And don't even think about not waking me."

"Your wish is my command." Chip said sounding stressed.