A/N: I know some of you have been waiting patiently for this. I almost didn't go through with because the storyline came across as stupid and nonsensical in a bad way. But I must credit LivvyLeopard for kicking my tail into gear. I said I would make a third installment, and so I will finish it! Besides, it will be a nice prequel for when I put Harley into Cars 3. Because, come on, you know I was going to do that anyway.

So here's the first chapter, and I'll be working on in simultaneously with my Trolls story. Enjoy!

Chapter One – A Leap of Faith

The air whooshed past Sky's ears and made her hair fly behind her like a pitch-black torch. With her flight goggles protecting her eyes from wind and dust, she could focus on the flight path of the race she and Dusty competed in. Dusty kept his speed up and his turns smooth.

"We're coming up on the canyon again, Sky." Dusty said over the radio.

"Roger that, Dust Storm." Sky said. "Let's finish this."

This was a cross-country flight race in Arizona, and if they could keep up their speed and agility, it would be another win in their undefeated season. They would be leaving for fire season at Piston Peak soon, which means less time for races during the rest of the racing season. Dusty and Sky both agreed they wanted to finish the entire season strong, especially since they would soon have to devote most of their time to work at Piston Peak. This racecourse used a canyon as a natural obstacle course, making it even harder for the racers. Luckily for Dusty and Sky, they had plenty of practice with agility.

"Okay, here we go!" Dusty announced. He dove down into the canyon, Sky looking back to see who trailed behind them. They left most of the competition in the dust except for a couple planes that weren't too far behind. One in particular—a Mustang hybrid that looked like Ripslinger, but thinner—had been on their tails since the race started. This racer, Jacob Blackwood, seemed determined to break Dusty and Sky of their winning streak.

"Blackwood's on our tail, Dusty." Sky announced.

"And that's where he'll stay." Dusty assured. "Just hang on tight!"

"As always." Sky muttered.

"Heard that." Dusty said. Sky chuckled, readjusting her positioning to better move with Dusty's turns. This was no different than the grain silos or Augerin Canyon. Dusty and Sky weaved their way through stone columns and did perfect radial-G turns to get their speed up. Blackwood wasn't far behind. But unless he could magically gain some speed once they exited the canyon, he would never win. There was only a short distance between the exit of the canyon and the finish line. This race was in the bag for Dusty and Sky.

"Okay, we're coming up on the last section of the canyon!" Dusty announced. "Keep an eye on Blackwood."

"You got it." Sky nodded.

Dusty kept his eyes ahead. There was a large gap in the canyon that had no column or arches or anything. A clear space where speed was key. Still, if Blackwood was at his top speed and still hadn't been able to catch up, he wouldn't this time either.

In three…two…..one…..

Dusty and Sky shot out into the open air. Canyon walls flanked them on either side. Rock columns jutted up from the canyon floor, all of them too close and not tall enough to be part of the obstacle course. They only had a few more obstacles after this stretch of clear space, and then they would win.

Sky looked back, and did a perfect double-take. "Uh, Dusty?"

"What's up?" Dusty asked.

"We got a problem!"

"What kind of problem?"

"The problem where Blackwood is on our six and coming up fast!"

"What?!" Dusty gawked a little. "That's impossible! He's been at his top speed the entire race and hasn't gotten close!"

"Well he's getting close now!" Sky said. "Go down!"

"I can't!" Dusty said. "The rocks are too close. But don't worry. He'll just fly over us."

Sky looked back again. "Dusty, he's not moving. He's coming straight at us!"

Dusty angled his mirror back to look behind him. Blackwood was indeed coming up fast, and he wasn't moving in the slightest. "Uh, then I'll fly up!"

"No!" Sky ordered. "He'll crash into us! At his speed and trajectory now, he'll mostly miss us."

"Mostly?" Dusty repeated.

"Well, he might hit me." Sky admitted. Blackwood was almost upon them now. Sky thought quickly. They couldn't go down or the rocks would get them. They couldn't go up because Blackwood would smash into them. If Dusty stayed at his level now, Blackwood would miss Dusty but hit Sky's head.

"I'll slow down and go down as far as I can." Dusty suggested.

"No, you stay right where you are!" Sky ordered as she unclipped her harness from the handlebar. "I'm going up."

"What?!" Dusty shouted. "What are you talking about?"

"Stay where you are, and I'll jump up and over his wing!" Sky explained quickly.

"No!" Dusty protested. "Absolutely not! Don't even think about it!"

"Dusty, just stay at this speed and level!"

"Don't you dare!"

"Ready?"

"No!"

"Now!"

"Sky!"

Too late. Just before Blackwood's propeller reached Dusty's tail, Sky pulled her feet in to push off Dusty's back. She did a perfect backflip as Blackwood's wing passed under her, narrowly missing Dusty's canopy. Sky turned and prepared to grab the handlebar on Dusty's back.

But Dusty had slowed down, in fear of Sky missing him when she landed. So instead of landing in her usual seat, Sky landed right on Dusty's canopy. She wrapped her arms around Dusty's cockpit, her legs pushing against the handlebar to keep herself from flying off.

"Dusty!" Sky complained. "Are you crazy?"

"You're the one who's crazy!" Dusty snapped. "Get your hands out of my eyes!"

"And fall off?" Sky snapped back. "You are crazy!"

"I can't see!" Dusty cried. He already had one eye closed and could barely see out of his other eye.

Sky looked up. Blackwood was apparently so out of control that he had to shoot up and over other the obstacles instead of going through them. Sky smelled something in the smoke Blackwood trailed, and she knew at once Blackwood used some sort of racing fuel additive. He cheated! But she and Dusty had bigger problems: the next couple obstacles coming up, the first being an archway.

"Dusty, go down!" Sky ordered.

"What?" Dusty demanded, still unable to really see anything.

"Now!" Sky jumped again with as much force as she could. Dusty, when he saw they headed right for the stone archway, yelped and dipped down to go under the archway. Sky moved her legs like she was running, but only touched the stone archway twice before she hit open air again. Dusty appeared underneath her, and this time Sky landed right where she was supposed to. Her tailbone hurt now, but her feet hit the stirrups and she could bend her legs to soften her fall.

"You okay?" Dusty called.

Sky hooked herself back onto the handlebar. "Yeah I am! Let's finish this!"

Dusty shot forward and completed the course. He exited the canyon and saw Blackwood still struggling to gain control. He already lost by leaving the canyon, which disqualified the racer before the officials would ever find out he used illegal fuel. So Dusty just kept going and crossed the finish line for an easy win. The crowd cheered wildly as Dusty landed. Sky unbuckled herself and stood on Dusty's wing, punching the air in victory. Dusty put on a smile and waved a wing to the crowd. He cast a look to Sky, quickly checking her over for injuries. But she seemed to be okay for someone who just did a death-defying stunt. A stunt that Dusty did not agree with in the least.

Luckily, Skipper seemed to be on his side. When Dusty and Sky met up with their racing crew after chatting with the press, Skipper and Sparky looked beyond worried about Sky. She assured them she was okay, though, and they actually backed off. Chug even complimented Sky on the amazing move, and Dottie agreed that Dusty wasn't damaged like he would've been if he had tried to move up or down to avoid Blackwood.

"That was still incredibly dangerous, young lady." Skipper scolded his surrogate daughter.

"It's not like I do it every race." Sky shrugged.

Skipper rolled his eyes. Sparky laughed. "Well, why don't we go celebrate your victory? Let's go have dinner!"

Sky laughed and agreed. Dusty watched her closely as they journeyed to a restaurant downtown. Sky was her normal, cheery self, like she didn't just do something that might've caused her serious injury. It made Dusty more and more anxious the more he thought about it.

Doesn't she realize she almost got herself killed? Dusty thought as they ate dinner. She could've been hurt! Didn't she take that into account when she thought of that crazy idea?

Sky didn't really notice the looks Dusty cast towards her. But she did notice how quiet he was. She chalked it up to tiredness from the race. When Dusty still didn't talk to her after they got home to Propwash Junction, she started getting worried.

Skipper noticed. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

Sky, sitting on her bed and reading a book, only shrugged. "Not really."

"You've been awfully quiet." Skipper noted. "What's wrong? You had a great win a few days ago and you're about to go to one of your favorite places in the world. I would think you'd be more excited."

Sky shut her book and sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Dad."

Skipper stared at his daughter for a moment, and then gestured for her to come closer. "Come here."

Sky knew at once what he wanted, and she dutifully marched over and put her hand on Skipper's wing. Hers and Skipper's eyes turned snow-white, and she let Skipper explore her mind. Since finding their Soul Connection, talks became much easier between the two. Whenever Sky tried to hide something or couldn't really put into words what was wrong with her, she and Skipper would have what they called a "Mind Share Session." It would allow them to explore each other's thoughts and figure out how to approach the problem of the person whose mind is being read.

After a minute, Skipper broke the connection and Sky stepped back. "Something going on between you and Dusty?" Skipper asked.

"Well, he hasn't really spoken to me since the race." Sky said. "I think he might be hurt and hasn't told Dottie yet."

"That's not good." Skipper muttered anxiously. "Blade especially won't be happy if we send you guys to him damaged. You need to be in proper, working health to finish off fire season."

"But what if I'm just worried about nothing?" Sky asked. "I don't want him to think I'm freaking out over nothing."

"It would be better to ask and find out for sure." Skipper said. "He's doing some scouting for spot fires with Mayday right now."

"Then I'll go wait at the fire station for him." Sky announced. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime." Skipper nodded. Sky jogged from the hanger and towards Mayday's fire house. She only hoped she was wrong and Dusty wasn't injured in any way.

Dusty flew high above the treetops, scanning the area for spot fires like Blade taught him. Mayday drove around the different roads around Propwash Junction, especially around the farmlands. Spot fire scouting was crucial for firefighting. Sky almost always stayed back at the fire station, or at the very least in town. That way, if a fire happened while Mayday and Dusty were out, she could give them a call.

But that wasn't the only reason Dusty wanted Sky to stay behind this time.

"Hey Dusty!" Mayday's voice over the radio broke Dusty of his concentration. "Just finished my run. When you're done, head back to the fire station."

"Roger that, Boss." Dusty said. "Am I dismissed for the day? Because Skipper wants to put some practice hours in before I leave for Piston Peak."

"Actually, I want to talk to you when we get back." Mayday said.

Dusty blinked in confusion. "Uh, okay. Roger that." Something about Mayday's tone set Dusty on edge. Mayday was a kind old truck, but he had a toughness about him that came from years of firefighting. Dusty never saw Mayday truly angry, and he didn't want to. This time, Mayday sounded stern, almost disappointed. Dusty didn't like the sound of that.

So when he landed and taxied his way over to the firehouse, his anxiousness rose at the sight of Mayday's unreadable expression. Unreadable usually means bad news.

"Hey there, Dusty." Mayday greeted. "Come on in. Let's talk."

"About what?" Dusty asked nervously. Did he do something wrong?

Mayday herded Dusty inside and shut the garage door. "You've been acting strangely since you got back from your race in Arizona. You're anxious and frustrated, and you haven't been talking much."

"I don't recall being much of a chatterbox in the first place." Dusty forced a chuckle.

"But your level of silence means you're hiding something." Mayday explained. "Something is bothering you."

"What? No. It's nothing." Dusty denied. Mayday stared at him, and Dusty shifted nervously. "Well, I mean, it's nothing you need to worry about."

"Distraction can kill when working as a firefighter, Dusty." Mayday said. "I had to learn that the hard way, and I got the scar to prove it. Any problems need to be cleared up now. So start talking or I'm bringing in Skipper the professional interrogator."

Dusty didn't want that. "It's Sky."

"What about her?" Mayday asked.

"You watched our race, didn't you? Did you see the stunt she pulled?" Dusty said.

"You kidding? That's all Chug has been talking about the last couple days." Mayday scoffed. "Saw the race myself, and it was quite a move."

"Yeah, a move that could've gotten her killed." Dusty said, his frustration finally showing. "I told her 'no, don't do it.' And what does she do? She just does it! Without any regard to her own safety."

"So you're mad at her." Mayday guessed.

"Yes I'm mad at her!" Dusty said. "She could've been hurt or killed! But she didn't even consider that as she did it! There were options we could've taken that were safer, and she chose the option that nearly got her killed! So, yes, I am actually very angry with her!"

A furious knocking at the door made them pause, and Mayday went to answer the door. He opened the garage, and an irritated Sky stood on the other side. Mayday grinned cheekily while Dusty looked mortified.

"I hear someone's angry with me." Sky said, her arms crossed and her foot tapping.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Mayday said as he drove off.

"Thanks, Mayday." Dusty droned sarcastically. "Thanks a lot."

Sky looked back to Dusty. "Well?"

Dusty sighed. "It's about that little stunt you pulled during the race."

"What about it?" Sky demanded.

"You want to explain yourself?" Dusty requested/ordered.

"Dusty, you saw how Blackwood flew." Sky said. "He clearly only thought about the speed he would get by using that illegal fuel. But he didn't know how to control himself. With his flight path, if you had tried to go up and avoid him, you two might've collided. You couldn't go down because you'd hit rocks. By staying right where you were, Blackwood missed you entirely. But if I had stayed where I was, he would've taken my head off. I didn't have any room to duck down, so I did the next best thing."

"By going up?" Dusty scoffed.

"Of course." Sky said. "I didn't see another option at the time."

"There were plenty of other options, Sky." Dusty argued.

"I don't understand why you're so upset." Sky said nonchalantly. "We won the race, didn't we?"

"Winning is not everything." Dusty said.

"I know that, Dusty, but isn't it great that we won?" Sky pointed out. "I don't regret doing what I did."

"If you had gotten hurt, you would've regretted it." Dusty countered.

"Yeah, I guess." Sky shrugged. "But I didn't get hurt. So it's okay."

"It's actually not okay, Sky!" Dusty protested.

"Would you rather we lose the race?" Sky demanded.

"This isn't about winning or losing the race!" Dusty snapped. "This is about you taking an unnecessary risk, and not your first one either! You've been getting more and more reckless in our races lately and I don't like it."

"Reckless how?" Sky demanded.

"You're making calls without considering their consequences." Dusty said. "You're doing things that are hurting you and you don't even seem to care."

"Dusty, we are professional athletes." Sky argued. "We do sports for a living. That means we're going to get injured now and then. That doesn't mean we should be afraid to get back in the race."

"I'm not afraid to get back in the race." Dusty assured. "I'm afraid of what might happen to you the next time you do something stupid."

Sky gawked a little. "Something stupid? If I hadn't acted when I did, I would have been killed."

"You might've gotten hurt anyway." Dusty growled. "You almost got us both hurt when we nearly hit that archway because you were covering my eyes!"

"You're the one who slowed down!" Sky snapped. "If you had slowed any more, I would have hit your propellers and really gotten injured!"

"I slowed down because I was worried you would miss landing in your seat again!" Dusty argued.

Sky's glare deepened. "Oh so all of this is just because you're afraid I might get hurt?"

"Yes, Sky!" Dusty groaned. "I am worried that you are going to do something else that's stupid and you're going to pay for it!"

"You shouldn't have to worry about me, Dusty." Sky snapped. "In fact, you should be more worried about yourself!"

"I'm not the one doing stupid stuff during races!"

"Stop saying that! What I'm doing is not stupid!"

"Of course it's stupid! It's also reckless! Or are you aiming to get hurt?"

"Don't be dumb. Obviously I don't want to get hurt."

"Oh dear Ford."

Sky groaned loudly in frustration. "What is your deal, Dusty?"

"My deal is that you are not being considerate of my feelings." Dusty said.

"Well maybe you're letting your feelings get in the way of what's really important." Sky argued.

"And what is supposedly more important than your safety?" Dusty demanded.

"I'm not afraid to take risks." Sky said. "Maybe you should follow my example. And, while we're on the subject, why are you so freaked out over this?"

"Are you even listening to me?" Dusty snapped.

"Oh I'm listening." Sky scoffed. "And all I hear is 'that's so dangerous' this and 'stop doing this stupid thing' that and 'blah blah oh Sky why do you do such risky things?'"

"So you'd rather I didn't care?" Dusty asked. "Is that what you want?"

"Dusty, I'm always touched that you care." Sky corrected. "I just want you to stop worrying so much. You're getting paranoid. And we need clear heads for fire season. So whatever problem you have, suck it up and deal with it before we leave." With that, Sky turned on her heel and marched off.

Dusty fumed a little as he watched Sky leave. "Why that no-good, bratty little—"

"Watch your language, Dusty."

The plane turned as Mayday appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "How long have you been there?"

"Oh, the entire time." Mayday said. "You two have some serious issues to work out."

"Well she's—"

"You both have problems with listening." Mayday interrupted.

"I am listening!" Dusty protested. "And all I hear is her rambling on about how she thinks she's invincible!"

Mayday chuckled. "Dusty, that's what you're hearing. You're not listening."

Dusty's irritated glare softened to a look of confusion. "Well, what did you hear when you listened?"

"I will admit that it's not always easy to listen." Mayday said. "Sky tends to speak in riddles. But I've known her since she was a child. I've learned her way of communicating."

"I don't understand." Dusty said.

"Exactly." Mayday turned and drove off.

Dusty stared after him. "That doesn't help!" He sighed heavily and started driving home. His mind raced as Mayday's words spun around in his brain. What did he mean when he said he learned Sky's way of communicating? How hard could it be to talk to someone like Sky? Then again, sometimes Dusty forgot how complicated a person Sky could be. She still had that nasty habit of hiding her true feelings like fear or sadness. What if she really was scared during that race, and just didn't want Dusty to know? Mayday did have a point. He was one of Sky's first friends when she started coming to Propwash Junction and eventually moved there. He knew Sky better than most people.

So did that mean Dusty didn't really know his best friend?