Changing Lanes 02

>Thinking back now from present day, you aren’t sure why that day had made you four close friends.
>Everyone was amused by your impromptu race with Rainbow Dash. It took you and her around the outskirts of P0nyville and ended where you had started.
>Rainbow was impressed there was something that could beat her in a race.
>Maybe. It had honestly been too close to call.
>Dash tried to argue she had won anyways.
>Twilight just plain loved to learn about anything, so having so much from your world she could never have dreamed of made for a lot of new studies.
>But Luna, well she was a bit hard to read. Still today even.
>She showed up whenever she could, after all her royalty political shit was taken care of for the day.
>Having to do that for even one day would drive you mad.
>Maybe it was just a nice escape for her to hang with you, something new to experience.
>After all, from what you understood, she was nearing two millenia in age.
>Still sounded absurd, but this wasn’t Earth.
>But there was something else. While she wasn’t near as quick of a flyer as Dash, she enjoyed watching you two duke it out, and tried joining in from time to time before work started on the car.
>When it came to talking to her about her past, she clammed up on you. And neither Twilight or Rainbow would tell you anything, either.
>Eventually you figure she would come out about whatever she was hiding. No need to push.


>The past week was spent showing the three p0nes diagrams, pictures, and text from your massive library of automotive information.
>Needless to say, Twilight was ecstatic. Not just to learn, but to help you in any way possible to bring the Superbird back to mint condition.
>Luna and Rainbow wanted to help too, they just weren’t as enthralled in the technicals as Twilight.
>Fortunately, the purple p0ne broke through on something that concerned you early on - fuel.
>Twilight tried explaining how she was able to analyze what was in the tank and make a substitute that was just as good made of….
>Well, you kinda missed the rest of it, and Twilight wasn’t pleased to find you asleep after her long monologue.
>Note to self: these p0nies’ hooves look soft like the rest of their body, but they still hurt like hell.
>Anyway, the next step was getting rid of all the unsightly dents on the Superbird, something you weren’t looking forward to. Bodywork wasn’t exactly fun.
>Then again, back on Earth you didn’t have two friends with magic at their disposal.
>Under the work of their glowing auras, sheet metal seemed like putty. Luna was a pro at straightening things out; you assumed with age came experience.
>Twilight struggled with it, then decided to focus her energy elsewhere - the windshield.
>The purple alicorn left for a bit, then came back with one of her friends, a white unicorn with an elegant deep purple mane.
>Rarity, you remembered. Twilight had introduced you to damn near everyone in this place the first week, especially her closest friends.
>They were a good group, but you didn’t have the same bond with them as Twilight and Rainbow.
>Fluttershy, a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, seemed frightened of anything that moved.
>Applejack, an orange p0ny with blonde mane, she just seemed to get lost in the background a lot.
>Pinkie Pie, a pink p0ny with a poofy pink mane, was fun to hang around. But she would never shut up.
>And Rarity had come up with ideas in that first week to make the ‘Bird more “fashionable.”
>She wasn’t thrilled when you dry heaved at her sketches of the interior.
>But honestly, why would encrusting the seats and door panels with jewels seem like a good idea?
>That day, Rarity was here to make sketches of the windshield - the curvature, length, width, thickness - so local glass-makers could make you a proper new one.
>You were grateful everyone here was willing to help you get situated and comfortable in this new world.
>It was obvious no one had a clue how you got here. Or how to get you home.


>Now, work was about done on the sleek machine, and the glass-makers were just about finished with your new windshield.
>Rainbow lands next to you, gallon cans of paint in hooves.
“Dash, I thought you said the paint wasn’t gonna be ready till next week.”
>The pegasus smirks at you.
>“Hey, I do everything fast, whether it’s flying or getting work done. Sometimes I’m faster than I can predict though.”
>RD was a great pal, but damn did she have a big ego at times.
“I seem to recall you overestimated yourself in our first race. And that was with the Hemi not tuned quite right.”
>“Hey, I was taking it easy so I didn’t completely embarrass you and the car. And why do you keep calling the engine thingy a Hemi?”
“Rainbow, I’ve explained that to you twice now, it has to do with the shape of the combustion chamber.”
>“Right. I forgot, I normally fall asleep when you go into Twilight mode and ramble.”
>Well, time to find the ice for that burn.
>“I heard that, Rainbow Dash.”
>Twilight lands behind you two. She was getting better and quieter with those wings, even in the time since you’ve been here.
“Haha, you got in trouble.”
>Dash sticks her tongue out at you in mock frustration.
>You look around, noticing the sun is getting low in the sky.
>Has it really been a full day already? Seems with the final prep going along at a brisk pace, you lost track of time.
>Luna would probably be around soon before her nightly duties. She made sure to pop in before nightfall when she could.
>“We are most impressed with how far work has gone on the Superb Bird today.”
>Goddammit Luna, are you part ninja?
“Well, you scared the shit out of me again, Luna. Thanks for the cardiac workout.”
>Luna cracked her sly smile again. From what you had experienced and Twilight had told you, she enjoyed scaring people and pulling pranks.
>Surprising how down to earth royalty was in this place.
“And Luna, it’s Superbird. Super. Bird.”
>“We apologize, it is something we have not quite grasped onto yet.”
“It’s not a big deal, I’m nit-picky. So how long till you have your duties to attend to? Rainbow got the paint, with your help we should be able to be finished, aside from the windshield.”
>Luna glances at the horizon, trying to come up with a good guestimate.
>“We could most likely be here an hour, but that would be really stretching it.”
“That’s plenty of time. Twilight, you said you had an idea on how to get this thing painted without a spray gun?”
>Twilight perks up at the mention of her name.
>“Yes! Well, sort of. You see, the paint you had from Earth is different from what Rainbow brought. Almost everything in Equestria has some sort of latent magic in it, all we need to do is find the correct frequency to agitate and atomize it to-”
“Twilight, I’m already lost. You may as well show me.”
>Luna and RD giggle behind you while Twilight lightly blushes.
“Alright Rainbow, let’s see how the paint looks. Pop ‘em open.”
>Dash grasps the handled lid and pops it open with her teeth.
>A gorgeous metallic purple sheen gleams from the inside of the can. If it isn’t a perfect match, it is damn close.
“Good work, Dash.  It’s a bit closer to Plum Crazy Metallic than In-Violet Metallic, but Dodge and Plymouth didn’t change much when they shared hues, mainly ju-”
>“Now you’re the one losing everyone else, Anon.”
>Well, Twilight just got you back for your smartass comment earlier.
>The other two just giggle again,  a bit harder this time.
“Alright, let’s get on with it. There’s still a bit of masking off to be done.”


>Just as painting is about to get underway,  Luna goes still and quiet.
>You have seen this before, apparently being alicorn sisters gave Luna and Celestia the ability to speak telepathically or something.
>It is still a little creepy to you, but you’ve gotten used to it.
>She snaps out of her trance as Twilight readies her spell to get painting under way.
>“We are free to stay here the rest of the night, it seems.”
“Why, what’s going on in Canterlot that you’re suddenly free from that shit for a night?”
>Luna just shakes her head and laughs at your rather harshly put question.
>“Our sister believes it would be of benefit to stay with her friends for a night. To take a night off, so to speak.”
“Awesome. Once Twilight gets done with the car, the three of us were going to go in my house and hang,  maybe watch some movies. Or in Sparkle’s case, probably read and play Twenty Questions.”
>“You know, I don’t have to make sure this paint job is perfect, it’s not my car.”
>Point for Twilight, again.
“Okay, I’m done with the wisecracks, let’s see you flaunt your artistic side, Picasso.”
>All three of the p0nes look at you funny.
“Nevermind.”


>Rainbow, Luna and you put some distance between yourselves and Twilight and the Superbird.
>Partly because she needed room to work.
>And because you all weren’t sure how well this would go.
>The purple alicorn grasps the open gallon of paint, and instantly heaves it so the paint flies out.
“Really? This is her plan?”
>You and Rainbow look at each other after saying the exact same thing.
>Luna quickly hushed the both of you. She apparently knew there was more to it than this.
>Sure enough, Twilight’s horn lights up with a brighter aura, as the flying  globs of paint begin to shimmer and get smaller.
>Soon, it looks as if the paint had been ejected from a professional spray gun, and mists the whole car.
>The mist spins and twirls around the ‘Bird, covering every square inch.
>Once the mist has dissipated, Twilight approaches the three of you, a content grin on her face.
>“That should about do it, Anon. Now it just needs to dry. Told you I had a plan.”
“Thanks Twi, I didn’t doubt you. You just made me a bit uneasy with the initial toss.”
>Rainbow Dash chimes in trying to cover her own ass as Twilight smirks at you.
>“Twilight, that was awesome! You could make some serious money with that kind of painting!”
>“Dash, I could hear you, too.”
>“….Oh. But what I said, I still mean it!”
>You look over the horizon, just above P0nyville. The sun has finally set, and night is beginning to take hold.
“Alright you three, why don’t we go in and relax? I already have planned what we’re watching.”
>This would be about the 44th time you had watched John Carpenter’s Christine.