Alright, so this little number needs some musical accompaniment. Otherwise I won't be able to live with myself for leaving it out. This chapter was inspired by this song, so please take a listen before you get reading. It also inspired some of the events that happened in the previous chapter that led up to this blood-pumping Championship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_55XNzqG0M

Alright, with that out of the way, ON WITH THE BOOK!!!!

The wind thundered in my ears as we hurtled down the track and my heart beat a staccato rhythm in my chest. I could see that Whiteout was neck and neck with us and I could almost sense Ivy and Winx behind us doing the same to Thunder and Shield Fang. My eyes were locked forward, sparing no second thoughts towards anything other than what was surely lying in wait for us. Other than it being a perfectly straight run over the streets of Canterlot the track was as open as a highway, but I had a feeling that things were going to heat up sooner than later.

Relax Silver, Nilak said over our link. If you get too wound up now you’ll never last the whole race.

I was about to send him a barbed retort when my stomach suddenly dropped out through my feet. We sailed through the air for about five seconds from our raw momentum before we came back down, but by that time the trap had already begun to cascade after us. Just like the first Handicap Trial, the road seemed to come alive as the surface below us began to buck and roll like some kind of monster. I glanced behind us and saw that Whiteout was now struggling to catch up to Winx and Shield Fang, her eyes narrowed in concentration as the track continued to try and toss us into open air.

Did you dodge Whiteout when the track threw her at us? I asked, not quite sure if I had what happened correct.

Nilak nodded, his concentration too narrow to reply.

For about a minute we stumbled and slid over the shifting track, but as abruptly as it had begun, it suddenly stopped. We settled into a normal stride again, hoping that the next trap wouldn’t come as such a surprise.

It did.

This time we were treated to a combination of the metal pummeling trees and some kind of impact turrets. While we wove through and around the swinging arms and tried not to get our brains bashed in, the turrets would be firing large globs of what seemed to be glue. It would impact any surface and immediately harden into a solid mass, meaning that if we got hit by them too much we’d be so weighed down with the gunk that we wouldn’t be able to move. I ducked as another arm nearly took my head off, though I almost lost my balance as Nilak slid to a sudden stop. I glanced over his shoulder and saw a glob of hardening glue freezing the arms of a pummeling tree in front of us, blocking our forward movement.

I cursed under my breath as we made our way around the tangled mess, feeling a surge of irritation as Winx, Shield Fang and Whiteout passed us. I didn’t even have to tell Nilak to step on it. He was already kicking into the next gear as we came out of the swinging forest and goo cannons’ firing range. We were now in line with Whiteout for the second time, although now Winx and Shield Fang were leading our little group. I hoped and prayed that Winx could take the next trap, because she was going to be the first one to feel its wrath if it caught the girls unprepared.

It ended up be the worst trap yet.

We watched in horror as an entire section of the track rose up before us, revealing the familiar rock tumbling tunnel that blocked our path from the finish line the first time around. However, Winx didn’t slow down an inch as she leaped into the tumbler, dodging left and right as rocks half as big as she was rolled and bounced like tenpins.

I heard Shield Fang grunt as a larger rock hit him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble slightly as Whiteout and Nilak slipped past him. It didn’t stop the neigh-impregnable dragon, but it did make me worry about what would happen if one of those boulders hit Winx or Ivy. Given how big they were, it was a blessing that we made it through without any of us getting smashed.

Come on Silver! Ivy yelled over the link, one more trap and we should be nearing the turnabout!

You seem pretty sure about that! I sent back, how can you tell?

Because Mythic said that the track was ten miles long. I’ve been counting the blocks since we started, and we’ve already gone seven and a half miles. If they don’t have something fast we’re going to be at the ramp before they can hit us again!

Boy I wish she hadn’t thought that. No sooner had the thought passed through my head then the track seemed to have a mind of its own. This time it wasn’t like the living roller coaster from before. This time it shook like an earthquake before splitting down the middle. Winx yelped as the fissure separated them from Nilak and I, forcing Whiteout and Shield Fang to split as well. I watched in amazement as the road seemed to curl up on itself, growing thinner and thinner as it looped back towards the center. Rising up from the gap was the launch ramp that would propel us into the second half of the race. Once we launched into the air, we could forget about the traps and pour every ounce of energy we had into speed. However, the narrowing track meant that if we lost our focus for even an instant, we’d fall off the course and be disqualified for moving out of bounds.

Nilak and Winx split apart fully as the tracks began their counter-rotating loops around and behind the ramp. By the time we had reached the furthest point, Winx was small enough I could have covered her with my hoof if I lifted it between us. In truth, that was probably so riders could allow their dragons to fly if they fell off the track, but it also meant that if Winx got into trouble there was nothing we could do to help her.

Gradually, the track began to narrow until Nilak almost had to step over his own paws to keep them in line. We were both so engrossed in not falling off that the sudden chill that passed over us went unnoticed until Whiteout came crashing back down in front of us. Black Beauty smirked over her shoulder once her partner found her footing, knowing that unless we wanted to chance a similar jump, there was no way we could pass her until we got to the ramp.

Somehow we managed to make it all the way around the loop without falling off, and I breathed a silent sigh of relief when I saw Winx leading Shield Fang around and alongside us. The ramp rattled and rang as four sets of dragon paws pounded up its corrugated surface, Nilak falling in with Shield Fang as the wider space allowed for us to run abreast again.

There was a collective gust of air as the dragons took to the air, the first of the stragglers only now just beginning the right side loop. We shot over their heads as we poured on the speed, jockeying for position as we tried to outpace one another.

Finally, I had had enough of playing second fiddle. I pressed the release plate on Nilak’s armor and waved to Ivy to do the same. She nodded as she saw Nilak’s armor retracting and did the same for Winx, holding the plate to her chest as she watched me for the signal. I raised my free foreleg in the air and held it for a moment. Once I brought my leg down, we’d drop the armor onto the track below and kick into supersonic. However, movement caught the corner of my eyes and made me pause. Glancing from side to side revealed that Whiteout and Shield Fang were doing several rapid gestures with their front paws, their eyes narrowed in concentration as their bodies began to glow a soft blue and red respectively.

Silver! We need to start now before they finish that spell! Nilak yelled at me, jolting me out of my dazed state.

I nodded and quickly threw down my leg, tossing the armor over Nilak’s shoulder so it would land on the track below us. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Winx’s armor flash in the light once before disappearing from sight. I had to hold onto Nilak’s saddle with all of my grip as we suddenly shot forward again, the shockwave of our duel speed boost making a sonic boom as we left Whiteout and Shield Fang in the dust. Unfortunately, our victory was short-lived, because I almost immediately heard a secondary blast that wasn’t coming from us. I glanced over my shoulder, trying to see what was going on through my watering eyes. All I saw was a large white and silver blob rapidly growing larger behind us, and I cursed aloud this time as I urged Nilak to greater speeds.

Unbelievably, he kicked it up another level.

The second boom was enough to rattle my brain and make me almost lose my grip on the saddle. Thankfully, I didn’t fall off from the force, although it was a very close thing for several seconds. By now my eyes were watering so much I couldn’t even see anymore, and I let Nilak take full control as we blazed a path through the air. I could see the general shape of the stadium as we drew closer, but other than that I was so blind we could have been heading for a building-shaped cliff for all I knew. I glanced both directions in the hopes of seeing Winx somewhere close at hoof, but what I made out was enough to almost make me lose my grip again.

Not only was Winx keeping pace with us, but so were Whiteout and Shield Fang. It was hard to tell, but it looked like all four dragons were nose to nose and were pulling out all the stops. The dull echo that was the crowd cheering for us somehow made it into my ears, and I suddenly realized that there was no way we could stop in time if we kept going this fast. Unless we pulled an incredibly tight turn once we crossed the line, we’d end up crashing into the stands at Mach Two. I was about to yell my worry to Nilak, but one look at his fully extended neck and hard set eyes told me he wouldn’t care. This was now a matter of pride for him, and he wasn’t going to let up until he crossed the finish line or died trying.

I just prayed we all survived what was surely going to be a photo finish.

The stadium was now growing in my field of view until I was sure we were going to crash into the stands. I could hear the announcer’s voice echoing off of the seating as I locked my eyes onto the finish line. We were moving so fast that when we crossed the line, the starting stalls rattled like they were in an earthquake. I sucked in a deep breath in preparation for our imminent demise, but instead felt the air forced out of me as my entire front slammed into Nilak’s back. I grunted as I was plastered into the saddle and his shoulder feathers, feeling the force of the turn in my very bones.

For a few seconds I wondered if we had actually crashed and I was simply in limbo, before Nilak leveled out and brought us to a swift landing behind the finish line. I was so exhausted that I fell over his shoulder and landed flat on my back as I saw the others doing the same. Black Beauty was lying over Whiteout’s shoulders like a prize deer while Thunder and Ivy followed my lead and simply lay panting on the ground. Winx quickly followed her rider’s example and flopped onto her belly, her mouth agape but curled into a gleeful smile as her sides rapidly rose and fell.

Shield Fang was standing with his shoulder against the walls leading up to the stands, and I wondered with a flash of humor what would happen if his weight caused the wall to collapse. Whiteout was breathing heavily but was poised in a more dignified manner, her head held high and her legs neatly folded under her body while her wings lay open on the ground. Nilak, by contrast, was almost as bad as Winx. His body was completely pressed to the ground save for his head, which was resting on my hind legs as he smiled down at me. I smiled back and ran one hoof over his muzzle in an approving way. None of us could speak, but we all knew that we had done our best today.

“I can’t believe it!” The announcer’s voice had never been so high in pitch, “I saw it with my own eyes and I still don’t believe it! Fillies and gentlecolts, we are witnessing racing history being made.”

Everyone’s eyes moved up to one of the massive screens that the masses had used to watch the race. Now it was showing four colored blurs that could only have been us as they slowly moved closer to the finish line. Frame by frame the dragons moved closer to the line, until at long last, someone crossed it. Only, it wasn’t just one dragon.

“You have got to be kidding me,” Black Beauty said as she slid down Whiteout’s flank to stand amazed by her side. “Did we….?”

She never got the chance to finish, because the announcer said it for her, “Fillies and gentlecolts, for the first time in history, we have a four-way tie for first place!”

The crowd erupted to the point I was sure my ears were going to rupture, but at that moment I didn’t care. I was still staring at the image of us, the tips of our dragon’s muzzles all crossing the finish line at the exact same instant. Had I not already been on the ground, I’m sure I would have fallen over from the shock. I knew we needed as many of our members together to take on Mythic, but this was beyond perfect. Unless they made one of us the champion over the others, we’d all be meeting Mythic as the new co-champions. I felt my lips pulling into the biggest smile I had ever made. We’d done it. We won the Draconic Heaven. The mission that had started so long ago was now within our grasp. All we had to do now was take out Mythic during our meeting, and Nilak could go back to his people and tell them that he had done it. Dragon kind would be free from pony control once again.

Nilak lifted his head off of my legs as Thunder appeared in my line of sight, his grin easily as big as mine. He reached down and pulled me to my hooves, supporting me as I swayed for a moment. Once I’d gotten my balance, he slapped me on the back hard enough to almost send me sprawling again.

“You sly little bastard!” He yelled before laughing like a lunatic, “You actually went and did it. You won!”

Black Beauty walked up with Ivy’s leg over her shoulders, “Yes we know Thunder, you don’t have to shatter the poor colt’s spine to tell him that.”

Ivy lifted her head to smile at us, “We won? Did we win?” Her eyes were a bit glazed over, so I assumed she had missed the announcement.

I took Ivy off of Black Beauty’s shoulders and pulled her into a hug. She only took a moment before she returned it, her embrace reassuringly firm as I whispered in her ear what the announcer had said. She pulled back to stare at me with her mouth hanging open. I smiled again and nodded to say that it was the truth. Her gaze moved to Black Beauty and then to Thunder, before she suddenly burst out laughing. For a moment we all stared at her, but then realized the absurdity of what we had just done. Before long all four of us were laughing so hard we could barely breathe, though our mirth quickly died as we noticed the robed figure standing not ten feet away from us.

Mythic Song stood before us with a pleased expression on his face, although the dark knowledge that lurked behind his calm demeanor sent chills down my spine. From the shiver that shook Ivy, she felt the same. Princess Luna and Princess Celestia were standing off to one side, speaking with Black Beauty and Thunder while Mythic walked up to Ivy and I.

“I must say that was by far the most exciting race I have ever seen,” he said as shook my hoof. His grip was firm but not too hard as his eyes held my own. “Truly a masterful performance and a victory well deserved. You four are truly worthy of the title Dragon Champion.”

“T-Thank you L-Lord Song,” Ivy stuttered out as his gaze fell onto her.

“Ah, but I should be the one thanking you my dear,” he said as he pushed some of her flyaway mane out of her face. “You have given me the most excitement and enjoyment I have experienced since I created this race. You are all masters of your beasts, and worthy ponies to lead the next season to even greater heights. I have no doubt that next season there will be even greater surprises for us all.”
With that he turned on one hoof and walked out of the stadium, leaving us sitting in the center of the arena as the screens flashed back to the other racers.

Celestia walked up to Ivy and I, her eyes filled with wonder, "That was truly a race for the ages. Never in all my years have I seen such a display of skill and raw speed."

"Indeed, twas a masterful race," Luna said as she beamed, her coffee seemingly forgotten as it floated along in her magic, "one we shall remember for many years to come."

"Thank you very much Your Highnesses," I managed to force out while dipping into a bow, Ivy doing the same at my side, "we're glad you had fun."

Celestia nodded once, a smile curling her lips as she turned away, "Come Luna, we have work to do. We cannot afford to waste the entire day on fun and excitement."

"Much as I would rather do anything but sit listening to insufferable nobles prattle on like children." Luna muttered, seemingly too low for Celestia to hear. She seemed to realize we were still standing next to her, her cheeks flushing a soft purple as she cast a nervous look over her shoulder, "Please refrain from telling my sister that I just said that."

Ivy grinned, making a locking motion next to her lips, "You can count on us Your Highness, you're secret's safe with us."

She nodded once before hurrying after her sister, leaving us alone at the finish line save for Thunder and the other members of our group.

Ivy turned to face me as our eyes locked onto the doorway that Mythic and the Princesses had used to exit the stands, and I could almost feel the shiver that ran up Ivy's spine.

“Why do I feel like Mythic knows something we don’t?” I asked as we walked out of the stadium and into the open, leaving the chaos and thunderous noise behind as we exited onto the city proper.

We paused for only a moment as a race official handed me Nilak and Winx’s armor, although I felt slightly embarrassed that in all the excitement I had completely forgotten about them. Judging by Ivy’s slightly red cheeks, so had she.

“Could it be possible that he knows our dragons aren’t under the control of the collars?” Black Beauty asked as Ivy followed her out the door, Winx’s armor now securely stowed in her saddlebags.

“I don’t think so,” I replied, as I slipped Nilak’s armor into one of his saddle bags, “at least not to the extent that the dragons have free will and are plotting against him. I think he knows that we did something to make our dragons go that fast when nopony has ever done it before. He might not know what, but he knows that something about us is different.”

Then we must be on guard when we face him, Nilak said with a focused expression. If he is expecting more out of us then the normal racer then our attack might prove more difficult than we had planned.

It was never going to be easy, Winx countered. We knew he was going to be hard to kill, but we still need to do it. If he knows about us then so what? He still has to meet us and we still have to fight him. This way everypony is on the same page.

Nilak glanced down at the other dragon, but killing Mythic would be a lot easier if he didn’t suspect something was up. Now if he’s on guard, it will make our already difficult task even more dangerous.

Her frills lowered as her eyes widened in understanding, oh.

“Cheer up you two,” I said as we walked into the racer rest stop and flopped onto the couches, “We don’t have to meet with Mythic until the private audience is finalized. We should have a couple days at least before he calls us to Capital Hall.”

Nilak nodded as he and Whiteout lay down beside one another and closed their eyes. I assumed that they were going to take a nap, and I figured we should all do the same. One by one everyone passed out on a couch or chair, though just as I was about to close my eyes I noticed something. Winx was curled up against Shield Fang’s side, her lips curled into a smile as she slept. I smiled as Shield Fang leaned down and kissed her on the forehead, dropping one of his wings over her back like a blanket before curling his head around to rest his muzzle against the side of hers. She purred as she rubbed her face with his, his deeper rumble making her purr louder as the vibrations traveled through his body and into hers.

I closed my eyes with a warm feeling in my chest. Someday that might be me and Lucky or Nilak and Mel. A sudden spark of pain pierced my heart when I remembered that Lucky might never wake up from her coma. I shook my head to clear the negative thought from my mind. No, she would wake up, and when she did, I was going to confess my feelings to her, and pray that she would feel the same about me after the pain I put her through.

Author's Notes:

How about that?!! Did you guys see that little number coming or did I blow you out of the water? Anyways, thanks again for sticking with me through all this. We're nearing the climactic final battle, and it's going to be one Tartarus of a fight. Hold onto your horseshoes, because the next couple chapters are going to make this one look like a walk in the park.

See you all next chapter,
Shadow Quill, Messenger of the Moon.