"That was so much fun, Thunder. Especially when Grayson ended up falling into the stream." I laughed as we raced back into the town slowing when we neared the barn and I smiled once I saw my new friends walking into the barn. "There they are. I wonder why they left without us?" I said as Thunder cantered towards them only slowing when we reached the door.

As soon as I slid down I led Thunder towards the barn and he pushed the door open to reveal Lucky, Pru and Abigail who were whispering something and I blinked, curious as I slowly approached them. I had just managed to sneak up when Thunder whinnnied and I sighed, staring at him with a slight frown and he just neighed.

"Sorry but I was trying to be quiet." I apologized as everyone turned around to stare at me and Thunder even their horses. Giving Thunder a glare didn't work and he just grinned at me showing his top row of teeth. "So where were you today?" I asked the PALS and Lucy fixed me with a slightly confused look.

"At school until 2pm of course." Lucky explained and I let out a breath a slight smile on my lips when I remembered what had happened earlier that day. "Did something happen?"

"Well something happened to Grayson if that's what you're asking." I replied with a slightly bigger grin and after I set myself down on a haybale I told them my story from when I went or a ride with Thunder to Grayson interrupting our day. After I told them how Thunder scared Grayson into the stream they burst out laughing and even our horses neighed probably finding the whole thing funny.

"Wonder how silly he looked sitting on my butt in that stream?" Lucky laughed and I giggled along with them thinking about the moment in my mind. Though my smile soon faded when I remmbered I still had less than a week to be good enough at riding to beat Grayson in a race.

"Don't worry, Mia. We'll help you when we're not at school." Lucky promised and I nodded hoping that Grayson wouldn't show up until the race so I could concentrate on practicing. As we rode through Miradero the PALS showed me the racetrack where they ran the Tarrell Circuit and I grinned as Thunder pawed the dirt. "I think Thunder wants to race. How about you race us?" Lucky suggested and I nodded, Thunder standing at the beginning of the track.

"Sounds good to me. I need the practice." I answered ignoring the grins from Pru and Abigail. Thunder pawed at the ground giving me a grin and I nodded. Standing beside us Spirit whinnied and I shifted closer to Thunder's mane.

"On your marks, get set...go!" Pru called out and Spirit took off running leaving us behind and I snorted as Thunder raced after him. I kept a firm grip on his saddle a little worried at how fast he was traveling though after a few seconds I began to enjoy the ride and I lightly tapped his flank.

"We can beat them." I suggested and Thunder whinnied as he sped up and I gripped his mane keeping my focus on the path ahead and not how fast he was traveling or how far it was to the ground. As we raced along I heard hooves and at first I started to think that Spirit had doubled back which made me a little confused. Until I saw a dark grey horse racing past us and I groaned as Grayson sped past laughing at how quickly he outpaced us.

"Told you I'd get you back, Missy! See you in a few days!" He shouted and I rolled my eyes even Thunder snorted at him moving quick enough to catch up with Xerxes. Shaking his head we raced side by side though after a few more minutes the trail opened up and we started to head into the canyon, rocks now in our path. Thunder managed to run around them but it slowed us down and Xerxes shot past Grayson waving at me before they left our view and I sighed as Thunder slowed to a trot.

"If we can't even beat him when we're only practicing how are we going to beat him in a real race?" I whispered my heart sinking when I realized that Grayson would be taking Thunder in a few days from me. "I'm sorry, boy. This is all my fault." I apologized climbing from his back and he snorted, nuzzling my head when I started to sniffle.

"We win!" Lucky called out as Spirit pulled up at the finish line and her friends cheered. After Spirit turned his head looking back at the track he snorted. "They couldn't be that far behind."

"Maybe we should go and look for her." Abigail suggested and as they rode along the track I led Thunder away unable to believe that I would lose him in a few days. As soon as we reached the stream I sat on the grass and Thunder sat beside me resting his head in my lap.

"I'm so sorry, boy. I can't even keep up with Xerxes or Spirit." I whispered. "This is hopeless." I muttered stroking his head and he neighed.

"It's not hopeless." Lucky said and I looked up as the PALS walked over leading their horses. "You only tried the track once and it might take the rest of the week but you'll beat Grayson. I know you will."

"You didn't see him did you?" I answered and she blinked as I looked back at Thunder. "He showed up just after you and Spirit rushed ahead, taunting me as he and Xerxes raced past us. "He's right when he said I'll never beat him."

"He's just trying to psych you out and it's working. I never rode a horse before and now look how good a team Spirit and I are?" Lucky pointed out and Spirit neighed pawing the ground underneath his hooves. After wiping at my eyes I nodded knowing they were right.

"You're right. I can't just give up now. I'm going to try again and if I see Grayson I'll just ignore him." I promised and after another race with Spirit and Lucky we took a break.

"See you're getting better. You didn't fall off this time and you kept up for a while. You still have a few more days before the race." Lucky told me and I nodded actually feeling better as Thunder drank at the stream.

As the days passed I woke early each day, grabbing a quick breakfast before I met the PALS at the barn when they weren't at school. When they couldn't meet me Thunder and I raced the track on our own, keeping an eye out for Grayson but he hadn't made another appearance and I let out a breath as Thunder reached the end of the track. Once he pulled up I grinned patting his head and he snorted. "Okay that was a great effort. We're getting better aren't we, boy?" I told him and he nodded lifting his head before I saw him narrowing his eyes.

"So you still think you have what it takes to beat me, Missy?" Grayson taunted climbing down from Xerxes's back and I rolled my eyes climbing down from Thunder's back before I leaned against him, my arms crossed as Grayson chuckled.

"As a matter of fact I do, Grayson. We've been practicing and we can almost keep up with Spirit and Lucky." I pointed out Grayson still chuckling when I stormed over, poking him in the chest. "Don't you laugh. I know Lucky and Spirit beat you in the Tarrell Circuit." I added and he paused giving me a long stare.

"So what? That was in the past and anyway it's you against me. There's no way you're gonna to beat me." Grayson answered with a smirk on his face and at my side Thunder glared at him lightly tapping his hooves on the ground. "Now I'd best be getting the stall ready for your horse. See you soon." He laughed as he rode past me not even looking back when I narrowed my eyes at him.

"I know I shouldn't let him get to me. He's just a jerk and he'll never change. Up for another practice run around the track?" I asked Thunder and he nudged my back when I climbed up onto his saddle. "Thought so. Come on, boy."

Later on that night as I led Thunder back to his stall a smile on my face at how quickly Thunder had raced the track this time. "You're really fast. Wonder why I never noticed it before." I told Thunder once I got him settled and he grinned at me, nudging my forehead with his head. "I'll see you in the morning, Thunder. Be good okay?"

After I walked out of the barn I let out a breath wondering if his speed would be enough to beat Grayson tomorrow. "I can't keep doubting Thunder and myself. We can do this because I won't let Grayson take Thunder away from me." I whispered to myself, heading back to the hotel.

Despite my earlier confidence I couldn't sleep very well that night a nightmare about Grayson taking Thunder away from me keeping me up for most of the night. I got dressed before the sun had even rose for the day and as I paced my room my thoughts on Thunder and the nightmare.

I can't just walk away. I need to beat Grayson if I want to keep Thunder. I can do this.

Waiting at the track Lucky looked at Pru and Abigail who sat beside her on the stand. "I hope she turns up. Who knows what Grayson will do if she tries to run away with Thunder." Pru commented and Lucky sighed looking at Spirit who snorted, their eyes moving back to the racetrack.

"We're late! This is my fault." I complained as Thunder rushed towards the racetrack slowing once we saw the stands and our friends waving at us. "There they are." I sighed as Thunder skidded to a halt and after a few seconds I saw Xerxes walked up to us, Grayson with a smirk aimed at me.

"Ready to lose, Missy?" Grayson asked and I snorted at him walking up to the start of the track. "I thought you'd get cold feet." He added and I just rolled my eyes at him patting Thunder's head before I leaned down whispering something into his ear. "Saying goodbye to your stallion? Good idea 'cause he's mine as soon as the race ends."

"Ready, set...go!" Lucky yelled and Thunder took off running leaving Xerxes behind and after staring at our backs Grayson urged his horse to race after us. It didn't take him too long to catch with Thunder and I and I grinned, urging Thunder on as we raced neck and neck. We'd nearly made it out of the forest when I saw a tree lying directly in our path Thunder getting ready to jump it when I remembered that there was a bend in the track right very close to a ravine and I leaned down towards Thunder's ears.

"We need to warn to warn them. As much as I don't like Grayson I also don't want him or Xerxes getting hurt." I told him and Thunder nodded running as fast as we could until we managed to get ahead of him and Grayson stared as we shot into Xerxes path. "Stop! There's a tree ahead and it's right on the bend in the track!" I called out but Grayson just glared at me urging Xerxes to keep running and I froze unsure how to stop him.

"He'll just get hurt if he keeps going that fast. We need to slow them down now." I told Thunder who reared up as soon as Xerxes pulled ahead of us and Xerxes neighed, digging his hooves in. But he was going too fast to stop in time and our horses collided, sending all four of us tumbling over the branch and directly into the ravine. As I slipped down my right hand caught on something and I cried out from the sudden stinging pain before my head struck the bottom, making me see stars before everything faded into darkness.

"Wake up, Missy!" Grayson's voice brought me back and I cracked open my eyes to find he standing over me. After a few seconds of staring at him he snorted waiting until I sat before he narrowed his eyes at me. "What were you thinking?"

"I was trying to stop you getting hurt." I shot back wincing as my right hand started to ache and when I lifted it up I noticed it was covered it blood.

"That's your own fault, Missy. Now we're stuck here because of that storm." Grayson grumbled and I blinked at him tilting my head to one side until he pointed towards the sky and I finally noticed the dark clouds. "If you finished staring we need to find shelter before that storm hits." He added as he straightened and when he started to walk towards Xerxes I noticed the bruise on the back of his neck.

"Thunder?" I called out and he neighed, moving to my side before he gently pushed me to my feet where I wobbled. After I quickly bound my hand with my handkerchief I pulled myself onto his saddle and he started to walk past Xerxes who followed us until Grayson urged him to speed up and he moved past us leaving as with a view of Grayson's back.

We walked for a while until Grayson spotted a grove of trees and without waiting for me Xerxes rushed towards them just as the first few raindrops started to fall and Thunder hurried after him, barely making it before the downpour. Once we were undercover I sighed, climbing down from Thunder's back before I removed his saddle. Setting it down he stretched, sitting beside me when I found a dry spot as far away from Grayson as I could get. Grayson didn't even notice too busy grumbling to himself as he released Xerxes' saddle, rummaging around in the saddlebag.

After some careful searching with my left hand I found the apple I'd remembered to bring though once I realized I didn't have anything else I sighed. Thunder blinked as I held it out to him and after he looked at me I gave him a weak smile. "You have it, boy. You earned it." I whispered and after a pause he took the apple in his teeth munching away.

Ignoring my growling stomach I leaned against Thunder's flank, resting my head on his side as he finished the apple. I was just closing my eyes when I felt something touch my shoulder and I jerked up finding Grayson standing over me. "You should do something about that hand." He said pointing to my right hand and I just shrugged, resting it on my lap. "None of my business if you pass out from blood loss." He muttered walking back to Xerxes before I had a chance to answer. Shaking my head I lay down beside Thunder and he snorted at Grayson, resting his head against mine.

"I'll be alright, Thunder. We'll leave as soon as the rain lets up." I muttered as I closed my eyes not knowing that I was being watched by two sets of eyes.