Loss of a friend ch3
Learning new things part 1
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Gab pushed open the front door to reveal the entrance. It looked like a lobby at a hotel. Decorations littered the walls, an organ was beside a desk where an earth pony couple were speaking with a pegasus in a red and blue uniform.
"Yes, this is a lobby to a hotel, this hotel fits all your needs, if you are thinking of staying in the country that is." He said as he took a seat on a comfy looking recliner. "Sit down, let's talk."
The six did so, Twilight sat with Pinkie Pie and Rarity on a sofa, AJ sat with Fluttershy on a smaller couch, and Rainbow sat alone on another recliner next to Gabolia.
"Girls, you all came here for a reason. You obviously aren't merchants, merchants aren't in groups of six. You don't remind me of anyone, so you mustn't be visiting relatives. So I only see one option left." He said eyeing the girls within the comfortable seats. They shrank back in fear, awaiting what he was about to say next.
... "You must be travellers wanting to see the mysterious neighbouring country. Thus when I was notified of your arrival, I notified my front lobby to make sure to keep at least three rooms clear of anypony else so you could stay." He announced smiling. The six mares sighed with relief on the inside, Rarity even almost fainted.
"But, sir... We... um... kinda, forgot to bring any bits with us." Rainbow said hesitantly.
"Why do you think this place is a popular vacation place for most travellers that only visit a couple of days? We have two types of offers. The first one is for those who wish to stay for a long period of time; the cost is 150 to 350 Bits a night, depending on what room you take. For those who wish to stay a short period of time; the first night is free and then the nights after that cost 240 to 560 bits depending on what room you take."
Twilight began doing quick mental math to compare the offers. "If my math is correct, then the cost of a room on the nights after the first one on the second offer is 60% more expensive than its actual price." Everypony looked at her with a confused glare, wondering how she figured that one out so quickly. Gab simply nodded.
"It's free on the first night though. Meaning you can stay hereuntil tomorrow's evening without needing to pay a single bit."
The girls took the offer in, Twilight loved it especially since they could learn about their opponent. But somepony else didn't have the same thoughts as the studious unicorn.
"Well you see kind sir, we aren't here for exactly that, we came..." Applejack started to say until Fluttershy's hoof fell upon her mouth, cutting her off. Gab was thankfully not paying attention to the outburst, well he did but made it look like he didn't.
'I suck at keeping my mouth shut, I might need a little back-up, so be ready if need be.' Gab said through his thoughts. A reply came straight afterwards as he heard a low sigh and a 'I got nothing better to do anyways.'
"Sir?"
Gab looked to his right to see Twilight standing up. "Yes."
She hesitated before answering. "We would like to stay for the night, and we would like to know what we could do in the meantime."
"There is a museum on the history of Drafiston, it's quite small because there is only a century of history, but many things have happened. You could also just walk around the city, look at the architecture." With that Twilight got up and walked towards the exit. "You could even go to the battlefields, there is an air race today." He looked over towards Rainbow. "You look like you can fly, go, take to the skies, the pegasus with the fastest lap wins a a prize. You have until the hour of 20 to participate."
The cyan pegasus looked towards her friends. Before they could say anything, a rainbow trail was seen going out the door.
'You assumed correctly older brother.' Essef commented.
'Just like her father.' Gab responded as small smirk crawled onto his face.
"Sir?"
Gab looked in front of him to see the white unicorn looking back at him with a concerned face. "Yes?"
"When we came along the border we didn't see any guards posted, do you not protect the country by taking guard at the border?" She asked.
"No. In fact, guards don't exist in this country. I made a law long ago when the country was first made so there would be no armies."
"Why so?"
"This country is small as it is, I don't need casualties. Besides, I lied, there is an army for the country. It might just surprise you where it is."
"Where?" Rarity asked hesitantly.
"I am the army." Gab replied casually
"Huh?"
"I, am the army." He answered once again. "I am so skilled in the arts of fighting I don't need anyone aiding me."
"Is that why this is the only place where ponies live that isn't under Celestia's rule?"
Gab took to his left this time to see the timid pegasus, he was surprised that the mare didn't stutter. 'These mares are tougher than they look Gab, they might not look like it, but they hold surprises that even they don't know.'
"Clever girl, indeed, that is the reason why." Gab told Fluttershy.
There was an awkward silence that followed. Gab took advantage and thought of a plan to get them out of his mane. After all he still didnt have his power nap, and only 2 1/2 hours remain until the following class.
"You all seem bored, there are more things to do you know. For example, a pie eating contest is to start in a quarter of an hour from now in the kitchen." With that AJ stood up and galloped towards the stairs and headed up towards the dining area. "There is a fantabulous garden in the back, where many animals and plants are." Fluttershy took to the...air and fluttered towards the back of the lobby towards the garden. "There is a playground area on the 3rd floor where you can have tons of fun! FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN!" With that Pinkie Pie bounced her way to the elevator. "And there is a fashion show starting soon in the lowest level. Any mare may go up and show off some of the most exquisite Drafistian wear, upon a catwalk of course." And that's all it took for the last member of the Mane six to walk away. She walked towards the elevator that had come back while Gab was talking. She went in and headed for the first floor.
Gone, all of them gone! Now for some rest, meanwhile Essef will check on the girls and make sure they don't do anything stupid. He had to because it was imminent to happen and he just had to be there when it would happen.
§§§§§ Time:15:35With: Rainbow Dash §§§§§
(AN: don't rage, for what you are about to learn has good reason to exist. Besides I'm the author! You no like? You GET THE FUCK OUT!)
It took Rainbow some time to find the battlefields. She had to ask for directions, and after following the route the teenage pegasus gave her, she finally arrived.
Rainbow's eyes widened. The people from around here must be very serious about their racing. Three different tracks, three separate leader boards and a mob of ponies with headsets and microphones were on the ground. Speed detectors were everywhere and camera's clouded the sky.
There was a booth with a sign on the roof with the words 'Sign Up'. Rainbow walked towards it, there wasn't anypony in line and an old looking male pegasus stood behind the counter. Rainbow walked up to the booth.
"Good after noon sir, I would like to sign up for a race." Rainbow told him. The pegasus gave her a look as if deep in thought.
"I haven't seen you here before. Is this your first time?" He asked
"I race often but I'm not from around here, no." She replied
"Well then mind if I show you how it works before you go and skedaddle along?"
"I wouldn't mind, as long as I have enough time to warm up, get used to the tracks and make others eat my cloud dust." They started walking.
"Haha! A fierce competitor! We don't find ponies like you often enough." He chuckled. "My name is Sherman McCloud, four time champion in the Dragon Cup competition. Took my retirement from racing long ago but I can still fly like the wind."
"Dragon Cup? As in a racing competition?"
"Yep, it's 15 days long. First day is the qualifier, then it's a practice every even day and a race every odd day, on different tracks of course." He said with a sheepish smile. "Only 1024 ponies are qualified. After every race the ponies that were in the bottom half of the standings were kicked out, halving the field every time. Leaving only 16 ponies to race in the last race. The pegasus who wins the last race is declared the winner. . . *sigh* good times."
"Alright I might come one day and do my best to wreck anyone who stands in my way."
"How fast do you fly miss?"
"My top speed can break the barrier of colour. "
"Excuse me, the what?"
"The colour barrier, makes a big boom, you know?"
Sherman tried to comprehend what she said and suddenly understood. "Your top speed is Mach 1. You can break the sound barrier and create a Sonic Boom."
"Ssssssuure. Whatever you said."
Sherman laughed. "You have a good spirit, only believe what you want to believe. Anyway we have arrived." He told halting himself.
Dash looked in front of her to see a board. Sherman explained how this board was today's leader board. It was the day's top 100. So far the top time for track #1 was 1:37.847. The track was 56.4 Km long. Track #2 had a top time of 1:05.772 and was 38 Km long. And track #3 had a top time of 0:54.491 and was 31 Km long. (That took math, trust me it did. In the review tell me the average speed for each time. (Km/h) the first person that gets all 3 right gets a cookie)
Then they walked over towards another leader board. Sherman explained this was the top 100 best times of all-time on the tracks. What surprised her was to see The Seventh was on top of every list with times so fast it made her jealous. He was even able to pull off a time of 2:23.996 on a track that was 100 Km long!
"The fastest flyer in Drafiston. He brags about it so much he dares calling himself the fastest thing alive." Gab commented.
Rainbow scoffed. "Then he hasn't seen me. Nopony is as fast as me!"
Sherman gave her a questionable look, as if she just said a horrible joke. "You wish" he mumbled. "Let's go on track #1 and get you used to that track." He announced.
"Aw yeh!"
They both went to the track, there were two sides; one was for racing, it was three ponies wide and the other was for casual flying and it was two ponies wide. They went on the casual side, and Rainbow Dash had a hard time keeping up with Sherman, his average speed was the edge of the sound barrier, while Rainbow only went a third of the speed he was going at and at one point he had to slow down so she could catch up and catch her breath.
"Stop racing! You're on the practice side." Rainbow complained.
"Have you not seen the signs every Km? It says the max speed is 1224 Km/h or 340.5 M/second. As long as you don't surpass the barrier." He replied in a wondering tone. "Drafistian racing is nothing like any other kind of racing, it's so fast and dangerous; well compared to Equestrian racing anyway, that the fastest Equestrian racer is a slowpoke in Drafistian races. The Wonder-Bolts visited here once, they got annihilated and didn't even pass qualifying, not even their captain was fast enough to be in the top 75%."
"I'm faster than any of them though, they can't break the colour barrier like I can. Not that I know of anyways. If I were to race them, I'd probably win. I bet I could even be in the top 75%."
"To qualify, you need to be in the top 50%. The average speed of someone who qualifies is somewhere between 1350 Km/h and 1425 Km/h. Your top speed is somewhere along the lines of 1250 Km/h, and average speed is somewhere along 900 Km/h. That will get you in the top 75% if your lucky, but defiantly in the top 85%."
"How did you become so fast? Equestrian scientists say it's a miracle I can even survive what I do."
"We don't have the same type of wings. Ours are lighter, as if they were paper wings. But they get damaged easily. I can't tell you how many pegasus i've seen use their paper wings in the atmosphere and then they are suddenly sent spiralling down." He answered grimly. "You're lucky in that sense, because your wings might get hurt now and again, but they don't get hurt as often and don't hurt as much as ours do."
"But I train like a maniac daily just to be in shape, to be as fast as possible. Is it the type of workouts used or techniques that make you even faster."
"That's why our wings are awesome! We don't necessarily need to workout or eat healthy to be fast. We just need the strength to transport our own weight and the resistance the wind creates when we hit high speeds."
"The more you go on, the more you lose me. Your a fast race of pegasi, faster than any Equestrian all because you have different wings. Now lets race before I get depressed about the fact that I'm a slowpoke in this place."
They had made 3 laps around by now, the conversation was taking its toll on the time. It was almost16:15! In3:45time the competition would be over and she had that long to try to be in the top 100 of the day. It seemed a little farfetched but she wouldn't give up, even in a losing battle.
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AN: we'll catch up with the other 5 next chapter. I just thought that everyone needed to know that Drafistians are ponies that specialize in getting away as fast as possible, no matter what is in the way, no matter what weather nature is throwing out. You'll learn why soon.
No promises, but, might be able to upload 2 chapters this week and one this weekend. I know at least one chapter will go up, but I have so much free time, that I think I might be able to pull off 3 chapters in 7 days. I'll try, but again no promises.
More complexity to come and as always... Greatness Awaits!
