Terror, Madness, and The Metamorphosis

Chapters

1. "Law of the Lands"
2. "Next"
3. "Suffer Unto Me"
4. "An Ember"
5. "Interlude to an End"
6. "An End"

1. "Law of the Lands"

The engine of the carrier just barely turning over as the panicked Applejack stomped the accelerator. The jerk of the vehicle revving up and its forward dash sent rarity into the railing of the rig’s second floor. A few refugees violently mimicked the white mare.

“Easy down there!” Rarity cried down from above the goggled gaze of Applejack. The checking of both mirrors gave no sight of the pursuers.

“Bigger fish to fry Rarity!” her voice croaking in pain up to Rarity. The road barely outlined in the sand, gave a few hard bumps kicking up sand through the broken windshield crashing deep into her nose. Applejack jolted in pain blowing hard through her nose to remove the particulate from the angry snout. The rig slammed to the right with the sound of metal crashing dominated the air. She forced her way back onto the road. She looked into the driver's side mirror seeing “The Muscle” pull up on the side of the eighteen wheeler. A few ponies messed about in the convertible muscle car. A pony in the back of the car gave a few tugs of cord before he was propelled into the air by a spark-pack.

“Buck” AJ muttered to herself. The spark-pack kept two high-octane fires lit below. He angled himself down towards the tires bellowing “Fuck with us you get burned!” A fire lit at his muzzle spitting onto the tires. In a rage of fire and rubber, a tire was destroyed.

The scorching smell of rubber invaded the ad-hocked stolen carrier rig, it’s side lined with imagery of reapers and skulls. Sand blew hard at every turn digging hard into Rarity's greased bun of hair. She kept a few small foals covered with her own body. They cried and yelled at every bump.

Applejack kept the pedal to the metal as she ran the truck smoothly along the road. As the sand of the road swiftly became rock creating rougher bumps. Steering control deteriorating becoming unruly checking the rear-view through dirty goggles seeing “The Muscle” barely able to keep up the driver and company yelled ahead to spark-packer who ceased fire. He furiously shook his head. They screamed for him and he strengthened himself for what he was about to do. He raced ahead of the eighteen wheeler he looked into AJ’s eyes and she peered into his, then she shook her head. He closed his eyes and swiftly shifted his body into the wheels of the big rig.

Applejack just barely saw the stallion turn into a red mist and goop followed by an explosion under the tires she felt the pop give way to even less steering control. She saw the speed decreasing fast and in few seconds she would not be able to steer and it would roll to a stop. She couldn't let that happen she steered off the road. She heard the screams, the pain that they would endure, and how much worse her own would be. She knew death was the only mercy in this world.

Her world and many others aboard shifted along with gravity. As the 2 story behemoth jarred off the road, Rarity lit her horn and tried to get a grip on the truck. The screams of horror as some ponies flew off through guard railing to fall. Rarity used all of her will to grab not only the truck but the falling refugees as well.

Reality shifted AJ saw through teary eyes, the stars, the constellations, the whole fucking thing, and all of it through the dash of her truck. There was no gravity, no time, and no breath. Swiftly that vision was ripped away and replaced with strange red sand coming towards her shifting into the looming clouds above. The big rig fell sideways onto foreign, red sand. Smashing AJ hard into the driver’s side window in a spray of glass and sand. The world was eaten into darkness.

The oppressive rays of the morning sun wore on the groggy young mare as she lay in bed. She did not sleep well. The beating of her kept her glued to sheets of the bed.

Her nose just caught a whiff of pancakes, that stopped her from falling back asleep.

“Fine,” Applejack said rising a little too fast to her hooves. Hopping off the bed and making her way down the rickety old steps downstairs, head pounding like a drum.

She took her seat at the dining table walking past Granny Smith.

“You up late again?” Granny Smith asked as she flipped a pancake.

“Yep,” AJ barely muttered out “Paying for it too.”

“You oughta cut that out,” Granny picking up a few pancakes placing them onto a plate talking all the while in her old sweet southern twang “you’re gonna have to start making pancakes and cooking for, Lil Apple Bloom,” she paused, a plate in hoof “I’m not going to be able to take of you youngin’s forever.” she said in a somber tone placing the pancakes in front the orange mare.

“Ah know, Ah know,” AJ said flatly looking out the closest window, then directing the gaze back to Granny Smith she continued “well it’s hard being forced into this life just because you’re part of the family.”

“My whole life the only people I’ve ever been able to trust is my family,” Granny paused “remember you’re cousin, Cherry? Up in Appaloosa?”

“Yeah, she the one who got snake oiled?” Applejack pressed further.

“mm'hmm that dirty, conniving, feather-head killed her with that blasted cure-all, and what for?” Granny questioned in anger.

“Why Granny?” AJ responded

“Only for few bits.” Granny sighed planting her tired bones into her rocking chair.

Applejack went back to staring out the window just in time to see a friend enter the farm's front gate.

The gleam of the midday sun shined through the dash onto AJ’s closed eyes. Red sand covered her body. She ached all over. Her tongue was bleeding into and drooling out of her mouth. She kept her eyes firmly shut. Her ears perked at the sound of a vehicle. It was close, a few voices screamed over its engine.

“Lucky, Lucky!” The almost cartoony figure of a howler monkey hollered unto his hoard. The monkey wore a rough breastplate of leather screwed deep into his own flesh never the less he always had the same maniacal smile planted on his face. The hoard echoed his screams jumping around the rough frame of the dusty tow truck. It wore many painted Kanji, ones of self-proclaimed honor. Plow mounted on the front to protect the engine block. The armored monkey climbed to the drivers side pointing for the driver to Rarity

“See the horned one!” The monkey talked loudly over the roar of the truck. Hitting the truck's door truck two times in excitement climbing back atop the rejoining his hoard.

Rarity moved the raggy refugees bony frames back into the sideways doors of the big rig. She herself felt the heat that big hulking piece a metal trapped. She felt bad for them but more pressing matters needed attending to she thought, as she turned the to see the dusty outline of the junker approaching. Rarity attempted to steel her demeanor before being interrupted by the shuffle of sand behind her, accompanied with labored breaths. Turning back around limping along the side of the big rig the orange mare looking like hell her snout facing towards the ground, dripping blood down on the sand creating a deep red trail behind her. Her breath loud choking out.

“Dear!” Rarity picked up AJ’s head with her hoof. Rarity's eyes scanned her bloody countenance. Teeth misshapen stretching, sticking outside of her mouth onto her upper lip.

“Face us!” a howl raged through the air. The horn of the truck blared as it skidded, kicking sand up into the dry air.

2. "Next"

The clambering of the feet and hands slamming down on the roof of tow truck added a panic to the air.

“Silence!” a firm voice echoed out from the driver’s cabin.

The monkey’s frenzy was cut off by the authoritative tone. The monkeys comprised of several larger species of primates, each with their own little piece of personality stood impatiently. Some wore necklaces and Some wore scars. The one who led held his finger over his painted mouth for silence.

The clack of the truck’s door opening directed Rarity’s fearful gaze. Stepping out, the metal face of a demon appeared. It in the sunlight shifted forwards to be revealed as a steel headdress. The armor clad figure planted its feet into the sand. Between the cracks of its red ornate armor, a few clumps of hair stuck out. Rarity stared at the tall figure.

“Little lady,” the hard slightly accented voice said crouching down to meet eye to the pony “what is this?” Gesturing out towards the toppled semi.

She did not respond as she looked nervously back and forth between him and the truck.

He shifted his head upwards and pointing to himself “Do you fear me?”

“I do not fear for myself.” Rarity said mustering as much calm as she could.

“Little one, braver than most who have stood before me” giving a small chuckle, patting the hilt of the blade on his hip.

“What do you want from us?” Rarity growing impatient with the warrior.

“I don’t want anymore, little lady,” the warrior paused placing a hand under his steel chin “but I am eternally curious.”

“He is not the only one,” the small leather bound howler monkey sauntered over talking throughout “what brings you here to this oasis?” gesturing outwards to the red sand and rocks that lined the horizon.

The landscape made her feel lost. The tall standing red rock formations a few hundred feet off. The formation casted it's shadow right over her. She felt cold and distant. No words could describe what she felt. She sat back on her haunches. A deep gulping sound came from Rarity. A few tears fell from Rarity’s hidden eyes. She lurched forward with every surge of despondency allowing her tears to flow freely.

“Move!” The Warrior shoved his distant companion out of his way. He leaned forward bringing his metal mug close. “I apologize for my partner’s rude disposition.” He leaned even closer to the fallen Rarity almost touching his cold face against her mane. “I am The Shogun of the Red Wastes. Now stand up and let us talk.” The Shogun said in a soft assuring whisper.

She looked up past his mask into his hard brown eyes without timidness. She rubbed a few tears out of her eyes as she stood up. She looked around at the various monkeys. They looked on in an alien curiosity. She shifted her sad look to The Shogun.

“I-We need help. We just crashed this vehicle here,” she hit the toppled truck. “and my friend's hurt,” she gestured back with her muzzle to the collapsed form of her friend.

The howler monkey shifted his angry gaze to the orange mare. He saw her partially open mouth and gazed upon the crooked lengthy teeth. He carried himself with unknown haste over to the mare. He snapped his finger softly as to not jar the mare from her sleep.

She let out a quiet breath as she woke. The creature in front of her frowned in concentration. She tried struggle to her hooves, but the animal placed his hand on her tired body.

“Be still horse.” the monkey softly commanded

AJ slowly found her way to the comfort of the red sand. Coarse breathing accompanied any attempt at moving.

The monkey picked up her head inspecting the teeth “Open your mouth.” He said as gingerly as he could will himself to be.

Applejack did as commanded.

Her tongue had been pierced by one of the misgrown teeth. The tongue still bled lightly. He looked at the rough long teeth that lined her mouth with a knowing gaze.

“She’s mutated.” The monkey said flatly back to The Shogun.

“What does that mean for the girl?” The warrior questioned

“Well, not much, but I’ll have to file down these teeth of hers if she wants to speak” The armored creature hollered back in his pseudo-Spanish accent giving a little.

The Shogun looked back unto Rarity softly “She should be fine, but we need to move. It won’t be safe here for very long.” He pointed around to the red mounds that made up the horizon “Evil lies in these hills.”

Rarity followed his finger as he pointed to a few rock heaps and the sands that surrounded her.

“We have at least twenty ponies in need of transport.” she said with a worry in her tone.

“We don’t have room for all those ‘ponies’ in our rusty steed,” pointing back over his shoulder with his thumb.

“Our home is about twenty miles away,” he paused “We would have to make a few trips back forth a few times, but” another pause, “I think we can do it by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, so much!” Rarity lightly embraced the armor-clad ape.

He removed her from his armor “It is only what is right,” he asked, “Little lady, If you don’t mind me asking; what happened here?”

She looked down to the ground “Something awful.” she worked out in sadness not giving any more to the warrior.

“Get the saw, little ones!” The Shogun called over to the monkeys. A few brown monkeys ran and climbed into the driver's cabin of the rusted truck. They cranked a seat forward reaching behind to get a grip on the machine. All of them struggled together to lift the cement saw and move all the while

“How long will this business take?” Rarity examined the ape’s eyes closer. One of them a slightly different shade of brown.

“With skill, Only a minute,” he walked back to the simians snatching the saw from their grasp.They reacted with the customary “OOO”s and “AH-AH”s. The demon faced shogun made his way to a silvery side of the eighteen wheeler.

He peeked around into the semi’s trailer. A few ponies shifted around in the sand that had flooded the trailer. “Funny creatures stand back from this side.” He pounded the wall of the trailer. Sparks flew in a fury as he sawed the wall of the trailer.

Applejack had been placed upon the furry hide of the seat cover. The soft fur had almost put her to sleep. She was poked and her eyes opened with hesitation.

He looked into her eye, a green orb surrounded with red. He marveled at the girl’s strength. She had a long cut pressed up against her jaw. Bruises swelled on her side, but her teeth were the most interesting part.

He spoke up “Are you fine with me filing these?” tapping the tooth.

She looked him up and down. His face covered in a worn white paint. His leather chest plate bearing words in an alien language. He wore ragged brown trousers. She nodded and opened her mouth hanging it over the seat slightly.

The simian turned around and dug through the glove compartment for a second. Withdrawing the grating piece of metal. The tired old file was quickly pressed against the tooth that pierced the young mare’s tongue. Every movement of the file slid her head back and forth rhythmically. She closed her weary eyes and slept.

“Dear,” Applejack opened her eyes with only a bit of resistance looking up and out the passenger's side window. She saw Rarity’s upper body outlined against a dark sky. “We are almost ready to leave.”

“Where are we going?” AJ barely choked out her throat burning with every word uttered.

“These monkey’s have a home to the west.” she gestured with her muzzle to the west “They have been nice enough to help us transport those lost souls.” she fixed her eyes on a unicorn filly who played with a younger monkey.

A few ragged unicorn stallions and The Shogun were attaching a small roof on the sawed side of the trailer. A bolt tightened in the blue glow of the stallions magic. The Shogun let out a heavy breath and picked up the saw that had been cast aside. He made his way back to the tow truck.

AJ just noticed the presence of a certain dark brown haired monkey. He sat on floor of the vehicle staring into Applejack’s eyes. He held a fist under his chin.

“Thank you.” the broke orange mare whispered out in pain.

“You can thank me once all is said and done,” he said softly feeling her front hoof which hung half off the seat. “Step so hard but so soft inside,” he said gazing into her hoof.

The Shogun stepped up to the vehicle. “We must depart,” he said looking at Rarity, he added, “Tell them we’ll back very early tomorrow.”

Rarity stepped out of the way of the armored ape to allow him to climb into the truck.

“We’ll?” Rarity questioned as the ape turned the ignition as the vehicle stuttering awake.

“We will need someone to speak to the chief, I understand you probably have reservations, but the I am sure the sleep of your 'lost ones' will not be disturbed.” he said trying to calm the disheveled mare.

She sighed “We’re talking about lives, and I don’t want to leave it to chance.”

“Trust me this rain above will keep any raider in his vehicle,” he pointed to the dark gray clouds that had just turned the land into a depressed gray darkness. “Tell them fast and then climb in,” he gestured towards the refugees.

Rarity ran up to the tallest stallion, exchanged a few words, and returned to the truck, climbing in, pushing over Applejack. Attempting to not disturb the mare. The monkeys climbed onto the roof and the back of the vehicle. The truck beeped as it shifted into reverse.

The vehicle rode through the wasteland on a west heading, cresting the red hills with little trouble. A gray tint oppressed the red landscape. The vehicle handled better than it looked, and that maybe could be attributed to the almost expert handling of The Shogun. He knew this land like the back of his hand.

About twenty minutes in the drive a flare rocketed over the crest of a huge, familiar hill. The flare burst red light, threatening to blind the armored driver, but he passed under it, reaching the ridge of the great hill. Rarity stuck her head out of the passengers side window and followed the flare with her eyes till it rounded the horizon behind the truck. The Shogun, AJ, and Hoon watched eyes forward. Chaos ensued below them.

At least, ten vehicles rode around a single muscle car with a man chained to a post The cars had various thrown together defenses. Barbed wire and steel fencing with out facing spikes. The vehicles had several savage apes flinging chains and firing guns in an angry madness that consumed everything around them and replaced it with their primal painting.

But above them, all of an amalgamation of car, truck, and the likes stood 20 feet tall just about opposite the top of the great hill. It screamed in a similar squelch as the vehicle below. It had lights pointed inwards on itself, shining through the windshield bluntly on the face of the white alicorn that drove the Frankenstein of automobile. It's face stricken with fury as it practically smashed the dashboard with a single hoof. It's muzzle covered by a sort of metal one that blew large wafts of steam.

This all assaulted a single compound

And all of this madness could be seen from the monkey's tow truck, and slowly, rain began to fall.

3. "Suffer Unto Me"

The voice distorted and twisted wickedly through the speaker. It’s growlings echoed across the vacants hills around him. Calling him closer, the voice grew in volume steadily. He returned his swirling head to the vehicle.

He turned the ignition finally understanding the gravitas of the situation. The car cranked to life, the motor roared drowning any other sound. He put pedal to the medal and the vehicle pushed with great force forward. A great puff of smoke was all he left behind.

The tires treaded over waxy tufts of green leaves. Crushing their way through the yellow gravel below. The engine screeched and shook, and revolution after revolution the chaos grew in intensity. He looked to the engine's temp. meter, rising. He rubbed the wheel nervously, but soon found strength. He spotted something valuable in the mirror.

In the hazy distance, a rockpile earned a haven for the man. He pushed the vehicle harder. Almost deafening was the clunking scream, but his demeanor was strangely calm. The vibration numbed the body. He reached for his rearview slowly and turned it to suit him. It was set for someone taller before him.

He stole his eyes away from the gravel to the glove compartment. He pulled its' latch and a pistol fell to the cabin’s floor. He returned his eyes to the road and leaned down to pick it up.

“Got ‘im, wait… wait, no, I got ‘im.” the pony sat eyes fixed through a pair of binoculars.

“Who?” a vicious rasp echoed in the gloomy car’s cabin.

“Ah, he’s in a black muscle car, o’ some sort.” his wrinklies grew stressed looking through the glass. The car hazily hid itself behind a red rock “Thinks ‘e can get away,” he removed his eyes and rubbed them.

“Keep your eyes peeled, friend.” the dangerous rasp attempted a gentle tone.

He nodded and he re-engaged the binoculars.

Tubes ran gasoline around the bundles of engines. The mix and matched bricks found each other in strange, but brilliant ways. Carpony managed his beast by swinging his instruments around the burning fenders and front ends of the behemoth. He fine-tuned his creation for hours on end before it even left the lot, and even when it was on the road he would never be done. His purpose was simple. He mounted his seat content at the state of his creation at that very moment.

A few other cars followed the machine. A rotting ape skull was mounted on the grill of one of following cars. A mounted weapon jutted crudely out of the dash of “Frankenstein” and it scanned the drive ahead “There’s the rock ‘e ducked behind.”

The hulking vehicle came to a skidding stop. The vehicle rolled around the rock “Where is ‘e?” he whispered down to the driver. The two watched plumes of steam rise from the hood of the car ahead “Pull around.” said the older accented stallion. The car rattled and rocked a bit as it turned. He aimed the mounted machine gun to the insides of the vehicle. Leather upholstery gored, spilling yellowish sponge-like foam.

BANG

Before the gun could twitch to the man, the top half of Carpony’s skull floated to the ground like a leaf. A gas line sprayed diesel, inundating the mounted weapon. The stallion fired the weapon a grand total of four times past the man’s leather shoulder before it caught flame. He smacked at it in a panic and the receiver popped open.

The man ducked behind the vehicle and took another shot this time at the engine block and the demented driver. The driver turned it’s head and the cords attached to its' mug fell to the way side.

The man peeked under the vehicle and spotted the entire envoy. He picked himself up hurled his gun over the rock. He turned on his heel and looked up to the hulking Frankenstein. The old stallion’s gun pointed down at him, ready to cut him in half in an instant. He raised his hands just above his shoulders.

“Encircle our foe!” a voice screeched through the speaker on the Frankenstein.

Motors roared just behind his head and closed in next to him, he could feel the sand the wheels kicked up falling into his boot. He stood still as a statue. A dumb grunting and screeching of an animal drew to the forefront of his perception and the breath in his lungs was expelled by the tackle into his side.

The ape turned the man over and wrapped his dirty, dry, and chipped hands around the man’s throat. Seizing his breath and slamming his helmeted head against a hard mound of sand. He felt the helmet crack. Flecks of yellowish red drool sprayed across his helmet’s shaded shield.

“CEASE!” the voice screeched at a deafening volume.

The ape covered his ears and fell back onto the man’s legs, crying to the heavens in deep mental anguish. The man tried to crawl out from under the beast, but the weight was too great. A pony clipped a chain around the ape’s collar and clipped it to a vehicle, the ape did not seem to register.

“Get the beast off of him!” the driver commanded.

The car tugged at the ape and the collar dragged him back, choking the hysterical ape. The vehicle's surrounding him backed away a few feet and cleared enough room for the Frankenstein’s opening. The side door of the opened hulk, a wire unplugged and the speaker looped feedback.

The driver glided to the ground nearly falling. It carried around a cape of wires and had mouth full of strange bone-like spikes. A black cord was rigged to the roof of it’s mouth. It had painted metal armor that beset it’s white equine sides. On the armor there was series of runes. Lines that swirled between what he could guess to be phrase or sentences.

It had both wing and a horn. The horn was pointed and looked menacing atop the tall alicorn. The alicorn’s only expression was a twisted unmovable smile. She couldn’t help but smile. The teeth demanded “Now,” it said softly “mount it!”

“Mount it?” a beige armored mare screamed atop one of the cars “He killed Car!”

“Yes, sister!” the driver turned over her shoulder “He got it easy, this excrement will be our fodder,” it turned to face the mare head on “You can do the honor of ramming his weak body into a rock, but the Aexon Brigade could us a few more corpses on their conscious.” all the others of the pack laughed “Mount up!” the driver flapped her wings and ascended into her seat.

The pack picked him up and hoisted him merrily over their heads, he panicked shook around in their hold. The beige mare screamed in savage joy and helped them secure him to a post on the front bumper of her dusty ride. She took his leather jacket and flung it to the ground, she ripped his helmet off and threw to the wind. A greasy bundle of brown fell over his eyes and he quivered. His chest had several horrid long scars. She cut his chest and hopped through her dash into the front of the vehicle and manipulated the vehicle.

The car’s motor came to life and he tossed his sweaty mop up over and screamed.

The dust settled and the whole of the pack was gone.

Gunshots echoed somewhere far away and slowly, rain began to fall.

4. "An Ember"

Night of cascading fire.

Anger boils in the skin of the attackers,

Rain comes down like the tears of god,

Burning the monkeys.

The truck raged forth into the chaotic fray of life.

The ape turned his grimace towards the rust bucket and pulled the trigger of his gun. A flurry of bullets collided and pierced the engine. Steam jetted from the block and blocked the Shogun’s view. He kept the shivering vehicle as straight as he could. His hand gripped the wheel like life unto itself.

The ape howled and the grill of the truck burst his chest. He fell under the wheels of the diesel-fueled demon and it popped above the sand for a moment. One monkey fell off the top of the truck and the rest of the riders just about had their heads slammed.

Vehicles around stopped and aligned themselves on a crash course with the truck. The truck’s wheels didn’t want to move. Shogun stomped on the gas and the truck lurched. They picked up speed and the windshield began to clot up with pools of water.

The man tied to the post screamed as the truck collided with the car he was mounted on. A belt snapped, and the car barely withstood the crash. The motor smoked and sputtered. The man tried to undo the other belts frantically. After a moment he was free, he fell onto the sand just in front the bumper and ran his bare feet over to the rust town. The rain burned several little sores into his flesh before he got to brown sheet walls

Shogun punched his windshield with three furious blows before it shattered. He assessed for a moment, shifting into reverse, Rarity trembled into his side. He rounded the car, a beige mare crying bloody murder inside, and ran the rusty old truck into the front gate of the town. The gate shook and the mare atop screamed, “Down!”

Shogun turned his head around, the Frankenstein was propelling its horrid gargantua towards them. Atop the behemoth, a gun’s muzzle propelled a stream of bullets into the back of the truck. A bullet found a whole in Shogun’s steel face mask, he flopped violently onto the front wheel, and Rarity screamed in horror.

Hoon’s eyes went bloody and he reached for the Shogun’s short blade, but Applejack wedged her hoof. He looked the mare in the eyes seething pure anger, teeth bared and wet. She looked like hell as well. Other monkeys screamed and shouted.

The Frankenstein’s gun was empty and being reloaded. The old stallion sweated to find the right magazine

Hoon, AJ, and Rarity climbed onto the hood. R8il./arity floated the three up and over the barricade. They landed on the roof of a bus and Hoon pointed back to his group of smaller monkey’s calling to Rarity “White one, help!” Rarity and Applejack looked over, the monkeys were trying to scale the wall. Rarity’s horn glowed, and lifted them over, they dispersed among the trashed cars.

The gun was reloaded and a burst fired, just missing the white mare, but Applejack lost her balance trying to avoid the fire and felt the air around her falter. She fell into the darkness below and hit her head against a spare tire.

She heard a muffled scream through an ear of water. She blinked and the sky felt brighter, she blinked and it was two shades darker. Everything was blurry, something moved above her, spun. It was a fan blowing from a draft of warm air.

Warmth traveled up and down her side. Something bluish was to her right. She was on a bed, a one that was little comfortable. She blinked a few more times and things were clearer. Rarity tucked snugly against Applejack. She breathed petite little breaths. The bluish mane was about as kempt as it could be expected given the situation.

Applejack turned as slow as she could in the bed. She ran a hoof down Rarity’s dusty cheek. Rarity quivered rather than stirred. Applejack moved her eyes around the mare awkwardly and decided to do something.

She kissed the back of her ear gently. Rarity’s ear fluttered and Rarity stirred leaning on her hoof, looking back over to Applejack. Applejack’s teeth were no longer sharp, but there were still several scratches and scars on her lips and cheek. She looked hurt. Rarity embraced Applejack without permission and whispered “Payback…” Applejack’s countenance was confused and scared.

Rarity withdrew and looked at the mare’s scared expression “What’s wrong?”

Applejack’s eyes glossed over “I don’t know where I am.” they both sat in the silence of the moment, the only sound being Applejack’s sniveling.

“Neither do I.” Rarity nuzzled up to the mare and held her.

It was two days after the Shogun died.

The sky was blue and the temperature was hot.

The man that had unbound himself was currently equipping himself with the trash of the residents of this dusty town. The assault had ended in a draw and both the town and the raiders went back to their regular business.

A baboon walked along the edges of the barricade and tossed his dry herb over every few feet. After a half hour, he hopped down and found The Chief in his office. He sat cross-legged on top of his desk. The baboon spoke dryly “Dust’s coming.”

“He will not escape, will he?”

“The dust will cover his tracks, and our chance for revenge will go like it was never even there” The baboon let a handful of sand he was carrying fall from his fingers.

“Are all the new ones awake?”

“Yes.”

The Chief hopped off behind the desk and said without turning “Summon them for me.”

“With haste, I will.” the baboon smiled, sauntered down the stairs and over to the small building across the small town.

“What has happened?”

“Discord.” Rarity spat venom.

“This doesn’t feel like one of his pranks.”

“He’s the one who brought us to this awful place and the last one.”

“This doesn’t feel like one of his pranks, Rarity,”

“Yes, he had a rather sad expression on his face as he sent us.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.”

“That armored monkey...”

“It’s so awful, Applejack.” Rarity’s voice cracked.

Applejack let Rarity closer to her center.

“What’s the first thing you remember?” asked Rarity

“The big rig, just before it fell.” Applejack was being dishonest.

“Not too much happened before that, dear,”

The doorway across from the bed was knocked on, they both looked up from the bed at the baboon. They realized the close position they were in and Rarity pushed herself a few inches away.

“Don’t worry, equines, our Chief would like to speak with the both of you,” he smiled enjoying the mares’ discomfort “there’s a fire pit out in the courtyard.” he tipped his head in the direction and backed way.

Applejack sat up “Who’s he?”

“Some sort of doctor, I believe.”

“Where’s those other ponies?”

“The lost ones? they’re still waiting, these people won’t help them,” Rarity looked to the ground beside the bed in contemplation.

“Hey, Rarity,” Applejack turned.

“Yes?” she turned and looked at Applejack with her longing eyes.

“Ah’ll make sure they make it here,” Applejack’s scarred face was straight and determined.

“Amass! Amass!” the doctor ringed a bell above his head and circled the fire pit, meeting his gaze with approaching creatures. An ape was nursing a child and approached the baboon, they whispered back and forth. A few ponies and lizard-like folk approached the circle. Hoon and the man sat, uninterested, on vehicles on opposing sides of the circle. Lastly, Applejack and Rarity made their way to the location. The circle parted for them and kept their distance from the two.

The Chief climbed down from his post and walked up to the circle, they parted for him as well. He was a strangely proportioned scaly blue lizard with a feathered headdress. He looked around to his peoples and smiled, but his smiled soured as he spotted the two mares “My name is Axeon, and I’ll politely ask you to leave,” he said in speedily “does anyone object?”

“Me!” Rarity called before anyone else could even move “We need help, they're ponies out there starving, waiting for us!”

The headdress stood tall “In here as well, little lady,” he gestured around to his people “these people deserve better and the little we have, we need.” he fingered the dust “life is sparse”

“I have seen.”

“When?” he looked conspiratorially at her “Hoon over there has told me that you are new arrivals.”

“New arrivals or whatever, that doesn’t matter, will you let those ponies die?” she was red faced and yelling.

He dipped his head down “It is a shame,” he lifted his head “we don’t have the food and it’s much too dangerous.”

“Can we do anything?” she screamed at the lizard fellow, Applejack stepped up and put a hoof on her back. There was silence and few others shifted awkwardly.

“Yes, perhaps,” he stood “the Frankenstein machine that attacked, we need it gone before we return to our watering holes,” he withdrew something from the bag on his side, a bloody face mask “he was our warrior, and someone,” he gulped struggling to get out the words “needs to replace him.”

“I will.” said the white mare with no delay.

“Ok-” Applejack interrupted the lizard “No, ah will.”

Rarity turned around to her “You’ve been through the worst, there’s no way.”

“Ah’ll see worse before we get back.”

“I don’t understand,”

“Somepony’s gotta be ah hero other than you.”

“I do not want you to go out there.”

“Please…, Rarity...” Applejack looked up to her.

“Fine,” she exclaimed, her worried expression turned sour “die by yourself.” Rarity stamped off.

Applejack stood there placid on the surface, just below she felt so hollow. She gulped.

“Now…” he clapped his hands together “we have a few vehicles and weapons that might assist you.”

“How do yah expect me tah kill them by myself?”

“I trust that you can,-” the lizard said attempting to be solemn

“I’ll help!” Hoon called from atop the bus removing one of his nails from the grip of his teeth.

“Yes, you cared for the Shogun as well,” The Chief said under his breath “Alright help her get geared up,” he walked back up the dry stairs to his office “meeting adjourned, you two set off on the death hunt tomorrow.”

The townies spoke in hushed whispers about what was happening. A lizard child hid behind the fire pit and watched Applejack. Hoon walked to Applejack and investigated her.

After a few awkward moments of AJ simply leering in return, the bipedal lizard child ran up to Applejack, with his most amused smile. The mare watched as the kid dug through his bag, the kid jumped in joy and turned around, a shotgun slug half the size of him in his hands “Cool pony lady, have this!” he tipped the slug higher for her to grab.

She picked it in her hoof and looked down at him “You have ah home?” the lizard looked a little conflicted, resolving to pick up his little bag and run over to a nearby small hole.

“Thank yah!” she called after him, she half turned to ask Hoon about the little lizard, but she cared little in all actuality, she fully turned to him “show me to some weapons?”

“Sure.”

5. "Interlude to an End"

Grinding; sparks fly in every direction.

He lifts the silver barrel to his shielded eyes. He is satisfied with work, so he remounts the part onto the rifle. He places it off to the side and he picks another gun from the table.

“Is there something I can help with?” Rarity speaks in a bored tone, leaning her hoof onto the table.

“That bottle,” he lifts the welder's mask to reveal his black monkey face, some dark red hair at the edges.

Her horn goes aglow and she lifts the bottle swiftly to his lips. He looks at the mare with an angry glare and snatches the grimy plastic bottle out of her grip. He tips it back and only a single mouthful dispenses. He swallows and turns the thing to the side, letting the remaining drops hit the dust “Need more water,” he tosses the bottle and she narrowly seizes it “Now.”

She looks up to the monkey, but he has already brought the mask down and is picking through a revolver. The bottle clatters hollowly against the sand and she walks off not saying a word.

Rarity spends her time on the wall holding the town together, watching the high hills blow great waves of red sand. Yes, it was a windy day.

Applejack extended her leg, aligning the metal bone with that foreleg. It fit a little bit less than snuggly. Hoon had passed her a strange ceremonial mask an hour before. One made of bone and leather. A lamb skull with leather straps so somepony could secure it against their head. She secured the last strap and looked at herself in the mirror. Kind of cool.

She attempted to use the metal bone to lift a hairbrush handle. A pair of pinching claws with another piece of plastic wrapping farther out, the plastic cord was not secured to the bone. She lifted the brush awkwardly and it shakily hung from the pincher. To trigger the grabber and the cord, she had to flex a small muscle and from there some strange clicking machinations worked inside the device. The result was the cord pulling and the pincers(albeit by a different muscle) closing.

She loosens the straps on both of them, and she falls onto her bed. She lands in her natural standing position and rolls her shoulder blades, proceeding to peer over the whole of her vehicle. A black beetle was painted onto the hood of the sand tan vehicle.

Night came over the land slowly, an inching into the gloom it was. The moon was full and the clouds did nothing to hide it. Though it was night, everything was clear to see, even by the later hours nearing midnight.

Applejack watched the moon and sat next to Rarity’s door. Applejack had hoped Rarity would notice her, but as a minute turned to ten, she realized her waiting was in vain. Something else transfixed her. The glowing moon.

She flitted her eyes and could not resist resting them. She slumped and let the sand comfort her. She fell asleep.

Time played a scene for her mind.

She runs her hoof along the droplets on the farm’s fence. The water clings to her hoof and does not let go “Strange,” she turned over to the well-stylized mare “you notice stuff like this at the boutique?”

“Oh, heavens, yes,” she cried “I was just about to drink some water and the water didn’t fall from the cup!” she chuckled.

“Where’s Twilight?”

“She told me something was urgent in Canterlot and left yesterday,” Rarity put hoof under chin “I wonder…,”

“Me too,” Applejack wiped her hoof onto the wooden post and turned around “She leave Spike?”

“She didn’t mention.” Rarity cocked her head shyly.

“Better check.”

It was a quiet morning in the town square and the two traveled with ease. But internally they knew something was amiss. Fog rolled through the town. in heaps. They passed through one of the clouds and found the alicorn’s treehouse. The wood was bleached and gnarled. They both were taken aback and asked each others opinion.

They entered carefully. Inside Spike talked to himself and scorned the world as he brushed a few books. The books were yellow with age, dusty and Spike was struggling to clean them. He wiped off a book and stood triumphantly over the tome. To his dismay; the dust began to mount into a thin layer. The bits appearing from no obvious place.

He noticed the pair of mares and dove for their feet “Help me.” he said in a meager squeak.

“Spike, I don’t imagine you know what is happening?” Rarity spoke to the kneeled dragon.

“No, I was cleaning and poof! Everything was dirty again,” he made an explosion with his hands.

“Can you move aside?” Applejack asked impatiently.

“Yeah, of course.” he retreated back to a small wooden step ladder and sat, hand over his purple forehead.

“Back at the farm, water’s acting weird, at Rarity’s too.” Applejack looked out of the windows at the flowing masses of cloud. Falling over and under each other.

“Yes, as Applejack said, my water does not seem like it wants to behave.”

“That’s weird, maybe check our faucet?” asked the dragon.

“That sounds like an alright idea.”

The two approached the threshold between the library and the stairs up to Twilight’s formal home. Rarity realized something and turned around “Applejack.” she said in a gentle tone just loud enough for the other mare to hear.

Applejack was still in the clouds until Rarity said her name. She looked into Rarity's eyes and they exchanged each other’s trance-like gazes. The eye contact only broke once Applejack blinked. Until then they were both absorbing every morsel of color in each other’s eyes. Applejack gulped and chuckled. Rarity chuckled and turned around. Applejack followed closely behind.

The faucet’s hot nob was twisted by a scaly hand. The thing shook and cracked the ceramic sink. A few creatures ducked behind the walls just out of the bathroom. The faucet popped into the air and almost struck the ceiling, but in its stead, a stream of water flowed into the air. Leaking just in front of the sink.

“Jeez,” Applejack muttered from the doorway.

“Maybe we should clean it up,” said Spike.

“Spike, I think we need to send a letter to Twilight first.” Rarity looked over to the dragon.

“Ok, let me get her quill.”

“Ah’ll clean this up,” said Applejack taking a towel from a rack in the bathroom closet “Twilight, have ah mop around?”

“No!” Spike called from the other room.

Applejack’s towel was minuscule compared to the amount of water leaking. She threw it down, but it was instantly soaked. She closed in on the hissing hole and tried to find a way to cover it or stop it. Realizing there was little to be done she walked back to find Rarity and Spike.

She stepped out into Twilight’s study and no pony was to be seen, she peeked around to the stairs, no pony. After a few moments, an eerie hum radiated from all the floor boards. Several cracked and raised an inch. She watched this phenomenon in awe and called out for her two friends “What’s going on?”

There was no answer. The hum grew and the windows behind her cracked, Applejack jumped and nearly stumbled down the stairs. She sighed and walked back down to the first story of the Library.

The library was half in a white void, wooden planks disassembling and fading to match the white backdrop. Applejack could only take it at face value. She blinked a few times. A few books slid from a shelf that was no longer supported, into the void. It moved always closer.

She trotted up the stairs and at the top she noticed a steady stream of lamentations.They seemed to fall from the room on the top floor. Applejack couldn’t mistake their owner, it was Rarity. She ascended the stairs one step at a time. Something seemed to reverberate below the floor.

Discord materialized slowly on the landing before the final ascent. He leaned against the tree’s wall attempting a cool posture, he was failing for an unseen reason.

“Discord, you…” she gritted her teeth and pushed towards the draconequus.

“Halt.” he held his eagle forearm up and she placed her hooves down on the steps.

“Alright,” Applejack seemed to have little control over anything.

“Come closer and then be still.” he muttered glumly.

She walked onto the landing and gazed up into his eyes. He kneeled and pushed a finger through her hair, moving a stray strand back to it’s rightful place. He sighed, his voice cracking at the little exertion. The sad sounds of Rarity met his ear and he glared at Applejack “Forget me and be with her for your last moments,” he waved his hand away.

Applejack stepped up the final ascent and was in a different time. A time where the birds chirped and she wasn’t afraid of anything. Except for that pretty pony. The one crying her guts out in this attic. She watched for a moment in the distance. Rarity’s snout buried into her own forelegs. Wetting and darkening the formerly pristine fur.

It was the apex of the tree where she mourned. Where Rarity mourned. Applejack hated to see her friend reduced to nothing but a pile of sobs. She fought internally if she had the courage to say what she wanted. Something she wanted to say so bad. She convinced herself she was just pent up. No, no that’s not true. She won a war.

She walked quietly, every step causing her heart to beat faster. She finally rested on her hams and side-eyed the grief-stricken mare “Rarity?”

Rarity raised herself from the depths and looked into those emerald eyes, shining like the great jewels they were. She scooted clumsily up and under the mare’s foreleg. Rarity's fell onto Applejack’s coat and Applejack gulped “Rarity?”

The mare removed her head and leaned the quivering thing against Applejack’s chest “Y-yes?” she choked out that depressed line. Applejack thought it was too much for her heart to handle and leaned back further. Running like a coward away from her chance.

Rarity fell back into her warm spot under Applejack’s arm. The both sat there for a few minutes. Applejack started to doze. The time between real thinking and just seeing her surroundings lengthened. Her attention was caught by a pale white blanching of the floorboards a few feet away, especially towards the stairs. She turned to her little seamstress and smiled. Rarity could not have known.

As the rest of the boards paled they made a little crackling sound. Rarity thought about lifting her head but was too comfortable against the beautiful mare, so she simply asked, “Is something wrong?”

Applejack said in the calmest, most caring tone she could imbue into her voice “No," she held her closer "everything is wonderful, and I-I…” she stammered a few times before reality flecked and bleached into nothing. Absence or the opposite ferociously consumed all. Like the sun’s white rays on a clear day.

6. "An End"

The sun burned its way across the tall sandy hills around the town, soon migrating all the way into the metal walls, and casting its obtrusive rays between the corrugated sheet metal roofing. Like a semi-opaque yellow laser from the heavens, the ray hit Applejack’s eye. She blinked and held the one eye tightly.

The lamb skull was to her side and seemed to whistle. She lifted her ear to it and the echoed sound of the ocean was apparent. She tossed the thing away and turned wholly to the long sheet of glass that was in her room. She was greasy and grimy. She took a shred of a washcloth and rinsed it through a bucket of water that had been dropped by the night before. She rubbed and scrubbed the sides of her orange furred face, wrapped it around her ear and did a shoe-shining sort of motion.

It pained the ear and she reached up to feel the wound. She brought the hoof in front of her. It was half covered in warm red fluid. She let the hoof hang and used the remaining one tidy up her coat a bit. After awhile of being done with the water she washed her blood off in it. The chatter of the village of ponies or people or lizards began to rise in this early morning.

But once Applejack stepped out to greet the sheerly bright morning, the entire town died to nothing but a minuscule whisper. Applejack felt intimidated but willed herself to step down the wooden staircase. She walked over to the half empty water basin in the corner of the town and filled the bucket she had around her neck. Everybody watched her.

She returned to the room and drank a single cup of water. It was warm, but she did not mind, any drink was due for warm welcoming into her gullet. She swished a mouthful and swallowed.

Hoon leaned against the doorway and whistled. Applejack turned and her apathetic look went morose. He side-eyed her with his own hidden anxiousness. They both joined each other in a glum walk down the stairs. Applejack hopped herself onto the hood of the tan vehicle and looked down into the dust.

After what seemed like forever the entire town stood in sullen attention of the two creatures. Axeon sat cross-legged on an altar that had been brought to be the day before. He called to the heavens in a mournful chant. Hoon secured a short shotgun and a bandolier to her metal bone and shoulder, completely ignoring the strange rites “Get in,” he whispered to the mare as he pulled the final strap tight.

She picked the lamb skull off the hood. She put it on her head and said “Help?” shortly.

Hoon again tucked a strap away, this time just below the horn of the Lamb. Hoon patted the side of her head and turned to the pack of villagers. They all peered scandalously over the two. A few monkeys steered through the sea of the limbs. They hooted and hollered jumping just in front of the car, looking at Hoon. He fell to them, patting each of them on the head.

He rounded the car and climbed through the passenger’s side window. Applejack shook as she left the hood alone. But she only had a moment to hear the clops of hoofs before she was pushed against the car’s side panel. She flicked her head to Rarity’s teary face. Rarity leaned and listened to Applejack’s heart. It beat so fast. Rarity looked into those eyes once more and her face went angry, but tears flowed freely from those gorgeous sky blue eyes. The white mare pushed Applejack into the side of the car.

Applejack felt the ear, blood was on her hoof. She quivered and rose with her head as down as possible. The sound of hoofs once again clopped away. Applejack hurried to her side of the vehicle, the door was already open and she stepped in. Door closed.

Car pulled out and the people made way. The car kicked up dust. The car left through the corrugated metal front gate. They cut red sandy grooves. The sky was all at once grey. Just ten minutes ago it was a blazing sun that hit them. The remnant of that did pierce the clouds.

A chill wind blew. It skipped along the hood.

Two days had passed, Applejack did not sleep and barely performed. Hoon had tricked her into sleeping, and now she was passed out in the driver’s seat. Hoon opened the trunk for the first time since their departure. The thing creaked open and there in the dark fabric was several gas cans and a pair of binoculars. He picked up the can and the binos. Hoon walked to the gas cap and reached up to pull it open.

Hum.

He dropped the can and dove to prone. The sand caught in between his fur and he watched the bright horizon. There, almost blotting out the sun, was the behemoth and it’s savage pack. They crossed the dune without noticing the far off car. Hoon breathed the greatest sigh of relief. He then returned to putting gas in the car.

After a few moments the can was empty. He put in back in the trunk, knowing that leaving traces was dangerous. He climbed into shotgun and gave Applejack a few insignificant slaps to her cheek. Almost patting. Applejack’s head rolled and her eyes opened just slightly, but she refused to actually wake. Hoon sighed.

He leaned out the window with the binoculars and watched the surrounding sand with a careful eye. After a few minutes of thorough scanning, his scope found a parked car. Barely visible, just a black speck, barely a silhouette.

He found a magazine crammed in between the seats and laid it next to every one of his scoping points as went to them. Taking peeks at it every chance he got. It was a magazine about ponies. Ones who wear expensive clothes. Hoon had never seen a pony wear anything, but rags, mementos or leather. So this peaked his interest. So strange, so perfect.

His eyes went wide, a mare was on the front. A white mare. A light royal purple mane. He dropped the binos and scanned every line. He couldn’t read. She looked older than the one who had presented a sour goodbye to Applejack. He jumped onto the center console, still looking at the magazine intensely. He sweated, he looked at Applejack’s face, then back down onto the magazine.

He sighed and felt silly. This isn’t what needs to happen. He took the glossy thing and tossed it under the passenger’s seat. He waited and stood guard for another two hours, thinking of every way he could awake Applejack in case of dire circumstances. An hour into the two, the silhouette departed into the desert.

The timed passed uneventfully. He then tried his gentle slaps again. She stirred into a semi-conscious state and asked “Where are we?” while trying to block the sun.

“Close to them,” he said conspiratorially, but also with a shaky grin.

She dragged herself from the depths of unthought to ask a single important question “Them?”

“The devil truck was just there a while ago,” he pointed through the back window to the now setting sun “We are gonna need to be fast,” he seized a short semi-automatic rifle from the floor and aimed down the sights “Maybe pick them off...”

“Like we even get one…” Applejack blinked her heavy eyes.

“One?” he lowered the weapon, “I’m not dying with only one slain, several.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said mindlessly, she turned on the vehicle and mounted the grooving sand hill ahead of them.

The car buzzed all day, and only at night did it rest. They both slept in the back, Hoon on the floor, Applejack on the seat.

They hunted in the morning, found the sand trail of tires, and followed. Soon the sound of motorized death rung over the dusty embankment they had arrived at. Applejack breaths shuddered.

“Shut the car off,” he reached for the binoculars, “But keep the keys in reach.”

Gunshots, screams, suffering, murder. They spiked and fell like great waves of sound. The two of them were transfixed morbidly to the tip of the sand hill. Where all the world seemed to burn. Yes, great stacks of smoke soon met the clouds.

“Who is that driver?” Applejack scratched an itch that had begun to bug her on the first night.

“She proclaims herself to be, ‘the leader of the pony race’,” he made bunny ears on both hands “She gave herself this title ‘The Mad Nomad Queen.’” he waved away the notion “Only an imbecile would take such a name.”

“Why would anypony follow her?” Applejack inquired earnestly.

“She has food, gasoline, water, and is not afraid to take it from others.” he threw up finger for each thing he listed, he let them falter and rested his elbow on the open car window.

“She only has ponies in her group?”

He muttered looking lazily into the hazy distance “Kills the rest,”

Much time passed before the sound of guns ceased and the sound of motors met the air. The two readied their weapons, just in case they were found. It was a bit before the sound of cars faded. During this time, they watched the hill with fear in their hearts. Then the only sound was of the death wind blowing. Grey blotted the horizon behind their car.

The strong car topped the hill and the passenger's looked below. Hoon’s face did not falter, but Applejack’s eyes narrowed and she trembled. A gruesome bloodletting blew in the strange wind. Carnage had taken place, no mercy, just corpses.

Hoon drove to the center of the town and got out to examine the hellish scene. Applejack simply looked around and tried to find something to say or feel, but soon Hoon returned the vehicle with an unreadable steel look on his face “Northwest, that’s where she’ll be.”

They drove for an hour in silence. Soon they rounded a rock and found the car in the caboose of the murderous caravan. A car two stories high with a little turret atop. They rammed the side of the sharp vehicle and it tipped. The one on the turret screamed as he fell under the mass of the car. Sand blew into the air. There was a purple mare who was working on the machine. She gasped and ran for the bloody red rock hills.

The neck snapping crack of Hoon’s magnum echoed throughout the crimson expanses around. Then car horns, motors and tires sounded off from every direction. Hoon opened his magnum’s cylinder and reloaded the single round. He glanced nervously in every obvious entrance to the rock valley they were in.

She hit the pedal and threw wheel to the left. They approached the wide end of the valley and caught sight of the crude beast of metal. Applejack did not let her foot leave the pedal as the dark vehicle neared her. She almost ran bumper first into the great truck, but the truck spun to avoid the collision. But still ahead there was a muscle car with an angry beige mare inside. Hoon leaned out window with a rifle and level its sights. He fired, but only the windshield cracked

The beige mare headbutted the windshield and let crimson run freely into her eyes. Blinking it away the best she could. She was ready to die.

AJ attempted her first shot with the metal bone pulling the trigger for her. The burst cracked from the end of the machine gun, but most of the bullets simply pierced the other mare’s car hood. Applejack threw the wheel once more and the vehicle just turned enough not to be hit by the other car. A seething electronic voice screamed over all “I want to see them!”

Applejack pounded the accelerator, but the car only made a single burst of movement before hitting the rock ledge that lined the mostly narrow valley. The front bumper fell and few pieces of the grill joined it. She backed the car up to straighten her drive to the open end, but a vicious bash hit the trunk and forced her to ram her snout into the wheel. Her eyes teared up and she tried to blink the water out. Warm fluids dripped from her nostrils onto the car’s dirty floor.

She stepped on the pedal, blindly hoping that would be enough. Hoon was quiet. She couldn’t see him. The car plowed weak shrubbery out of the way that had been loosened before. One small shrub blocked half of her already limited view. Something whizzed by the window. Another something struck home in her shoulder. Applejack cried to the air and let the car slow to a stop. She willed up her mental energy and focused on grabbing the door handle with the metal bone. Luckily on the first try it took ahold of the handle. She pulled with all her might and the door loosed. She let her body flop and that weight open the door fully. She then scrambled in the dust to get away.

But with every staggered step, her shoulder stung in agony. Pain filled every fiber of her being and she collapsed. Dust matted wet red clumps of fur on the side of her face. Her ears rang. Water began to blur her vision entirely. A leg and hoof was silhouetted in her distorted eye. She looked up.

A dark menace, an alicorn who murders, stealer of life. The cords hung like spider legs off of her neck. A grotesque blunt silver muzzle mounted on the end of her scarred white snout. Metal bracers grafted into the skin of her legs. A silvery fluorescent waft of steam poured from the muzzle’s vent. The muzzle changed, seemed to conform to a frown. Applejack could barely make out a single detail

Applejack's lips parted in surprise, but she could utter anymore. She turned over and lifted her upper torso off the ground, digging the back half of her hooves into the sand. She choked out a few breaths and pushed a few inches forward. But her body gave and her chin fell onto the hard dust.

Applejack turned and saw the alicorn. She was just looking at her, letting Applejack crawl. In those eyes there was a studying hate. Almost as if she admired a cockroaches will to live in disgust. Applejack dug in again and lifted herself an inch forward before falling into struggled hyperventilation. Her throat was dry and the taste of copper was all that was left. She had never tasted copper.

She attempted for one last time, to lift herself away from the twisted alicorn. As her chest lifted, a heavy hoof weighted down on her shoulders. She slammed against the ground and lost all will. A few seconds passed of near silence. A few murmurs. Cars being shut off. A crowd seemed to encircle the pathetic mare.

Then a hoof nudged on Applejack’s shoulder. One hardy hit later and she was turned over. To be seen by all the savages. Her mouth was open and inhaling every breath she could. Limbs limp, but still stuck in the air.

The white alicorn lowered herself to be just a face apart. The alicorn’s expression went to a gleeful surprise “I’ve finally found her!” the Alicorn rasped out to the air “Where’s Rarity?” asked the alicorn.

Applejack actually summoned the strength to sit up and look deep into the Alicorn's eyes. The colors changed from a noxious green to sickly pink to a dull orange. Applejack had the confused look that a tired child would have. But that was all she could express before passing out.

A few excited rasps later the orange mare was lifted into a warm hug. Strangely during this hug, the dusty air still bit at her from every direction. But after a few minutes of gentle travel, she was laid out in a shady hut. Ten or so minutes passed and the sound of wood hitting rock startled Applejack awake. She looked up, there was the strange alicorn. She was tossing a bundle of wood onto the ground.

The alicorn caught Applejack’s gaze and muttered “Soon, friend.” she turned around walked down the side of the valley’s sloped ledge. Sun danced it’s insidious light along the red rocks. Applejack felt a ball forming in her chest. Something sad was becoming a realization. She may never return to Rarity.

She fell back into a dreamless sleep. Time ticked and tocked in her mind. Dramatic affronts of purpose blazed throughout the moments in this desert.

To fight for innocence.

To fight for someone.

To fight for revenge.

To fight for necessity.

Lay this all out and Applejack couldn’t pick a single one. Like a clock ticking and never landing on a number. But what is between the numeric marks?

To fight for herself.

She denied even the thought of it. If that was true, why did she take Rarity’s place?

Answer is; In the dust there is no hope. And death now was her absolution. Failing to find emotion, triumph and love every step of the way. To fester in her limitation till she passes.

Death would not find her, it was not looking hard enough.

Applejack woke just after nightfall. Fire crackled, weight shifted. Orangey cinder, embers popping above the fire. The natural smokey smell of burning wood. A tad spicy.

The alicorn manipulated a dry branch and poked at the fire. Sending more flurries of ember to the cracked ceiling. It took just about two minutes before she noticed that Applejack had awoken. Deep in that Alicorn’s heart, she wanted to cry out her knowledge, but she would stave off that whim, if only for the moment.

Applejack was no longer hurting. She was also cleaner. She sat up a little bit and rubbed the back of her neck. This where words would be, but she had nothing to say to the alicorn. She looked directly into those changing eyes. Deep ocean blue, then lavender. It did not change from that color. She had removed a large bundle of her metal muzzle some time before Applejack had awoke.

“Tell me the truth,” the voice rasped out lowly “is Rarity alive?”

Applejack shook her head.

“I apologize,” the alicorn placed two hooves firmly on the muzzle and twisted it, it clicked loose. She placed it to her side. Her bare snout was holey and cavernous, saliva leaked. A sweet voice that Applejack recognized rang in her ear “for not finding you sooner.”

Applejack shook and stared the mare in the eyes “Is that you, Twilight?” her Texan-esque twang

was cracked and dry.

The alicorn breathed and thought “Perhaps, how long have you been traveling these lands?”

“A few days maybe.” Applejack looked into the dust and made no expression other than words.

“I’ve been here for two hundred years,” Twilight's sweet tone said this in the flattest voice “I was trying to find you two, still am in the back of my mind,” she corrected herself “Well, I guess I have found you farm pony,” she gestured out the clay doorway “what do you think of my home?”

“Could be better.”

The Changed Twilight threw up her white upper body and laughed, wholeheartedly “Were you always this good?” she shook her head and smiled at Applejack “See, I don’t remember.”

“What happened, Twi?”

Twilight sat back and looked up to stars through the holes in the ceiling “Longest story, AJ,” Twilight was a crude monstrosity “What is your story?”

“The both of us were teleported to someplace and found some prisoners, then we went through a tear that Rarity created and the truck crashed,” Applejack gulped and summoned up some tears in her eyes “Rarity cracked her skull in the crash.”

There was stillness except for Applejack’s fake lamentations. Crickets sang their droning song. Up until this point, the white coated Twilight had been empathizing in her own strange way, but something was off now, she licked her upper lip “Are you sure?”

Applejack fake cries ceased “What?”

“Are you sure, Rarity passed in that crash?” She leaned in closer to the mare.

“Yes.”

“If I remember correctly, I was tasked with bringing you two back to Equestria, I was so happy at the thought of bringing my newly lost friends back, so I left.” she went from almost gleeful to flat “So you say Rarity is dead?”

“Yes,” Applejack screamed internally.

"Ok, ok, you have a bit of white fur?"

"Yeah,"

“Yeah, this is what the warp does to you,” she gestured about her mutated appearance “First time I tore through, I had little bits of white hair, strange teeth stabbing, things like that, But I was still determined to find you two.”

“Second time I went through, I was much worse, so much worse, covered in my own lifeblood, half white fur underneath, I found someone who could fix a bit of it. Then I hungered for revenge, I couldn’t make sense of the world I was poured into, ponies were not happy, they were killers!”

“Third time, I realized I would never get a break or moment to really rest, that my hopes for revenge were petty and foolish, it was easier to try and find you anyway.”

"Fourth time, I gave up happiness and kindness, found a way to bring ponies closer to what they wanted, and have been trying to bring them closer ever since.”

“So, Applejack, is Rarity alive?”

Applejack scanned the dust, but soon grew resolute “No.”

“You are not being honest,” Twilight leaned down and whispered maniacally “Say the word and I can bring the three of us back, just tell me where she is.”

Applejack again let the moment breathe “She’s back at the truck, layin' in the passenger’s seat.”

“Yes, of course she is, we found the truck, Applejack, and we killed all of those ponies, Applejack, and Rarity’s corpse was not among them, or in the passenger’s seat, Applejack.” Twilight's voice twisted in strange tension.

The blood zapped from Applejack’s face.

Twilight began again “Lying to me, how far have you fallen?”

Applejack spat “You’re the killer.”

“But I never crossed this here horn, or my magic, YOU have lied, Applejack,” she said in high and mighty tone “You’re very element must be cross with you.”

Applejack threw her head into the sand.

“Now, you’re just gonna ignore me, right? Forget you or I said anything?”

“You’re an idiot, Twilight.”

Twilight laughed so uproariously that she nearly knocked into the fire “IDIOT, ARE YOU SERIOUS!” she rubbed a hysterical tear away “Is that why I command a pack of conquerors across this wasteland? Because I am an idiot?”

Applejack hid her head away.

“You’re doing it again, Applejack,” she chuckled “Being a coward.”

Applejack picked her body up and launched into the Alicorn. Applejack’s hooves found Twilight’s throat and pressed hard onto it. Twilight’s horned cracked against a rock and shattered. Twilight lost all magic.

She wrapped her legs around Applejack and squeezed her torso tightly. Applejack croaked out “Buc-” before being slammed onto her side by the Alicorn. Applejack coughed, and pain scratched up and down her trachea. Blood swelled from her lungs and was coughed out.

Twilight sat on her hams and laughed “Fragile, aren’t you, you wanna know what happened to the monkey?” she smiled wryly “I’m sure you can guess, but we slit him good.”

Applejack's breathing filled every bit of her own hearing after those words were said, eyes blurry with tears, warm tingling on the eye's edge. She wasn’t crying from the mention of his death, but at the thought of her own.

Twilight said something more, but Applejack’s ear could only hear from below an ocean. Things fell silent for the mare, breathing slowed, eyes closed.

She was jarred by a gunshot back to consciousness. The fire was out, the clay hut was dark, and Twilight was dead. Her head with a hole, leaking. Eyes no longer any color than white. There above that body stood an angel. One of white and purple “Where’s Hoon?”

Applejack shook her head and grasped at the air for Rarity, she closed in and magically lifted the mare. Outside, the sound of hooves hitting sand was palpable. Rarity made sure Applejack was firmly pressed against her before closing her eyes in concentration and teleporting them across the valley.

The both of them appeared before a muscle car, a human sat in the driver’s seat urging them to enter. Rarity laid Applejack down in the back and had the human open the front door for her. The car lurched forward into the night. Whispering winds filled the silence.

The driving went on for hours, after a few minutes of the first hour, Rarity hopped in back and attempted to tend to Applejack’s throat. It only went so far, and she laid the passed out mare on the mare’s side.

As dawn passed, the car was running on fumes.

Applejack awoke from what only could be approximated as a nightmare. Rarity shushed her gently and murmured lovingly “It’s all alright, It’s all alright, dear.”

Applejack laid her head down and blinked in relief.

Rarity asked gently “What happened?”

Applejack came to a crossroad. She fought with every piece of her mind to speak. To break the silence, to not shake it off, to stare it in the face, look the horse in the face.

Her very body told her to obscure the truth. That it was better for her to not know, but she couldn't. That'd make her right.“Rarity, it was, Twilight…” she spewed out through the fluid “she killed them-,” Applejack said few more things and Rarity responded with horrified faces.

They crawled over the dusty horizon.

The horizon was stuck at the awkward space in between night and day. It was blue and black at once. A lizard crawled along the sand sniffing and inspecting a tire tread, he stepped over the track not knowing what it was and never knowing, that is, till the day he was squished by a tread not so different from that one...